Page 60 of Echoes in the Storm
“It’s something,” I say, brushing my thumbs across her cheekbones. “Why did you ask me about her, really?”
“I would say it’s jealousy, but we both know that’s not it.”
“So, what is it?”
“Insecurity,” she whispers.
I roll to my left, Cam in my arms so that she ends up beneath me. “Why?”
“You loved her,” she says simply, watching her finger as she toys with the ends of my hair. “What if I don’t compare, Duke?”
She’s scared of losing out again, of being burned for not being enough.And damn, don’t I know how that feels.It makes me want to know why a woman who should be loved as much as her feels as though she couldn’t be. It makes me ask the only logical question. “Why did Jared leave you, Cam?”
“Started fucking his hairdresser,” she states, cool and detached. “But that was just the outcome of a long and rocky patch, anyway. We’d been over for at least a year before that.”
“So he should have left,” I grit out, trying to tamp down my anger. Fuck, he could have walked out when he knew the marriage was over. He didn’t have to hurt her unnecessarily like that.
“It’s okay,” she says with a sad smile. “It’s old news.”
“It’s not okay, Cam.” I lean down and kiss her forehead. “It’s not okay.”
“Can’t change the past, right?”
“No. But we can sure enjoy the future.” I kiss her slow and careful, threading my fingers through her hair before I pull away.
She watches me with such intensity, such worry. “Whatdoesour future hold, Duke?”
My dick twitches as she takes her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes hopeful.
“What do you want it to hold, Cam?” I rock my hardening erection into her, making her aware exactly what the sight of that pinched lip does to me.
She releases the flesh with a pop, pressing her lips together instead, as though doubting herself.
I lean down and kiss the point where her neck curves into her shoulder, running my tongue in a line to her earlobe before whispering, “Tell me.”
Cam swallows, her cheeks flushed as she says, “I want you to fuck me, Duke. I don’t know where this thing between us leads, but I know one thing for sure.” Her hands track a path along my arms, over my shoulders and down my back. “I don’t want to be left wondering what might have happened if I wasn’t afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” I pop the buttons on her pyjama top as we talk, pushing the fabric aside to reveal her full tits. Jesus—they’re everything I thought they’d be.
“Of telling you how I feel.” She gasps as I take one of her pert nipples between my forefinger and thumb, and pinch.
I can’t help myself—I lean down and take the nipple in my mouth, running my tongue around the tight bud and sucking her soft flesh. She whimpers, squirming beneath me and biting down on that fucking lip again as she tries to stifle the sounds she makes.
“There’s no need to be quiet, babe,” I say. “You can be as loud as you want.”
Fuck it all if her nipples don’t harden to rock at that suggestion.
“Talk to me, Cam,” I say, rocking myself against her so my dick rubs her clit. “Howdoyou feel right now?”
She shuts down, her arms twitching as she tries to cover her chest. “I don’t want you to think I’m rushing us into this, Duke. I don’t want to scare you away.”
“Babe,” I grumble, “you’re so fucking turned on your nipples could cut glass, not to mention the fact I’m about ten seconds away from ripping your fucking pyjamas off so there’s nothing between us anymore. You’re worried about scaring me off?” I search her eyes, finding only raw lust. “If you can’t tell I want this as much as you do, then I don’t know what else I can say or do to show you that.” I rock against her, pulling a whimper from that sweet mouth. “Get undressed.”
She sucks in a sharp breath as I push against the mattress and get off her to do the same. Cam’s cheeks stay the perfect shade of pink as she removes her pyjamas, slow and as sensual as you can make it when they’re a practical winter set. Not that it matters; she’d look sexy in a paper bag, I’m sure of it.
She drops the clothing off the side of the bed, settling her shoulders back against the headboard. I strip my boxers off and kick them across the floor, then take my dick in my hand and stroke it a few times before re-joining her on the bed. Those crisp blue eyes track my every movement, her legs falling open as I settle between her ankles, sitting back on my heels.
“Every bit as beautiful as I thought you’d be.”