Chapter Thirteen LILY’S heart flipped in her chest at Stone’s command. Whatever he meant to feed her now wouldn’t be whipped cream or chocolate. She heard the dare in his voice. Gathering her courage and fighting the residual apprehension from her blindfold, she did as he bid and waited. She would not cave in. She would not let anything Canton had ever said or done ruin this moment for her and Stone. Because when this man touched her, she shivered. When he commanded her, as he was doing right now, she realized how badly she wanted to rise to his challenge. She ached to trust him, submit with grace, and show him how much he was rapidly coming to mean to her. He trailed his finger from the middle of her tongue to the tip, then rimmed her lower lip. He tasted of salt and man and strength. Lily liked everything about him. The gentle alpha way he handled her, helped her, settled her—even as he excited the hell out of her—was like a fantasy. But when he touched her . . . she’d never felt bliss like it. Playfully, she sucked his digit back in her mouth, wrapping her lips around it, cradling it with her tongue, mimicking what she wanted. He so often touched her for her enjoyment and pleasure. In that moment, Lily yearned to please him in return . . . Suddenly he withdrew his finger and nudged her lips apart again. “Open wide. Wider.” As she complied, Lily heard the hiss of his zipper as he lowered it. Her heart raced. Her insides jumped with a jolt of thrill. Would she finally have the opportunity to return some of the ecstasy he’d given her? “I want you to suck my cock, Lily.” His voice sounded gruff and raspy as he looped a hand around the back of her neck and urged her forward. A fire flashed directly between her legs. “Yes, Stone.” She couldn’t say the words fast enough. She couldn’t wait to take in his flavor, savor his taste, saturate him with her need, take him to the edge. At least she hoped she could. “I’ve never done this before.” “Never?” She shook her head, wishing she could see his expression. Was he intrigued? Weirded out? Annoyed that she’d be a novice? He let go of her neck and gripped her chin. “How is that possible?” Though he’d barked the question, Lily still didn’t really know how he felt about her admission and gave him an uncertain shrug. “My high school boyfriend was way more interested in straight intercourse, probably because he was one of the first of his pals to be ‘getting some,’ I found out later. And Axel . . . he never wanted to make the sex we had about him. He was always trying to help me deal with my triggers so I could move forward. You know, mentally. Our relationship wasn’t romantic. We were friends, but we had a Dom/sub dynamic. And the first rule of any Dominant—” “Is to give the sub what she needs.” Stone clearly understood. Since he also didn’t seem to like Axel much or want to talk about him more than necessary, Lily cut short her explanation. “I’ll do my best.” Because she ached to satisfy him. Yes, she felt the yearnings of a sub who’d been stuck on some training treadmill and never allowed to give in to her natural instinct to please. But she wanted it more because he was Stone and she was quickly realizing that he held her heart. “I don’t have any doubt you’re going to drive me out of my ever-loving mind, baby. Tongue out.” Lily thrust it out farther than before, breathing audibly, shaking. “That’s good. You look so fucking pretty waiting for my cock. Take it.” He came closer, and Lily could smell the musk rising from between his legs. The ache gathering between her thighs drew up, tight and sharp. Then he slid his erection directly on her tongue, its weight foreign, heavy, and intoxicating. As the silken-smooth head glided over her taste buds, she licked something salty. She wanted more time to explore that, swipe her tongue over the slit and tease the ridge, but he kept easing in, inch after steely inch. The groan that came from his chest sounded somewhere between tortured and ecstatic. For a moment, Lily was glad she couldn’t see. Now she had to simply let herself go and feel. “Oh, yeah. That’s it. That’s so fucking . . . wow. Now close your lips around it and suck me.” She balanced on her heels as she leaned closer to take more of him inside her mouth. Once she felt steady, she drew his length toward the back of her throat with a whimper of pleasure. “That’s it. Oh, damn. Baby . . .” Twirling her tongue around his shaft, she tried to map every inch of him, did her best to take all of him into her mouth, pushing her head down and swallowing deep until he poked the back of her throat. The animal sounds of need he made aroused her. She’d never felt so alluring, enticing, so filled with this heady brand of feminine power. And she basked in it, eased down farther, trying to close her lips around his root. Instead, she began to choke. “Lily . . .” He pulled back. “I love your mouth. God, it’s like heaven. But you’re attempting penetration that looks like something out of the Oral Olympics. You’re not ready for that.” He might be right, but that frustrated her. It felt as if she’d never been ready for anything. People always worried she wasn’t strong enough or prepared enough or experienced enough. And damn it, she couldn’t fix that without doing and feeling and practicing. She groaned in protest, lunging forward to suck him back deep. When she lost her balance, he caught her. “Baby, you can’t—” She yanked away and he withdrew from her lips with a pop. “I can. I’m doing this. I need to give this to you. Don’t stop me. Please . . .” He paused for a silent moment, and Lily had to believe that he was trying to figure her out. Because he couldn’t see her eyes with the blindfold covering them, she had to hope her voice conveyed her passion. “You sure?” “Are you going to hurt me?” “Of course not.” “Then what’s the harm? I’m a big girl. I should be able to handle this. You. Us. Being together.” She was nearly ready to scream. “I don’t just want more togetherness. I think we need it.” “You’re right.” He thrust his hand in her hair and drew her closer. “You’re goddamn right. Open for me. Remember, you don’t have to rush and you don’t have to prove anything.” Lily let his words sink in as he filled her mouth again with his slick, steely hardness. If there was such a thing as smiling on the inside, she was doing it. As she sucked on his thick staff and moaned, Stone gripped her hair and pulled just enough to soak her senses with his musk and gruff tenderness, to make her head buzz with desire. She curled her lips around him, lapping at him with her tongue again, finding new spots to taste and delighting in the sounds of his ragged breaths, hisses of pleasure, and guttural groans. The little divide at the bottom of the head tempted her tongue over and over. And every time she lashed at it, he shuddered and pulled her hair tighter before he quickened his pace, shuttling in and out of her mouth. “Baby . . . Oh, shit. I can’t even tell you how amazing that feels. Hmm . . .” She redoubled her efforts to give him every shred of her earnest need to serve, along with a delicious pleasure he wouldn’t forget. He ramped up his rhythm, thrusting into her mouth with long strokes that demonstrated his utter control and mastery. Around him, she moaned and shook her head to take more of his length into her mouth. She couldn’t quite put her face against his abdomen but the closer she drew to his root, the stronger his masculine scent rose to fill her nose. It intoxicated her senses like a drug. She could easily crave this intimacy all the time just for the sheer pleasure of breathing him in. Lily pulled back as he tugged her away again. She resisted, but he forced her to break their connection, proving that he was the Dom and had command of both the situation and her. “Stop,” he growled. She panted hard, wishing she could read his expression. Then it dawned on her that, not once while she’d had him so close and tasted his flesh had she been panicked about being unable to see. Not once had she replayed that harrowing time leading up to Erin’s death. Yes, it was probably weird to feel a sense of accomplishment from sucking a man’s cock while blindfolded, but engaging in “firsts” and pushing through fears absolutely made her want to celebrate. She’d conquered one of her hang-ups with Stone and felt a bit more whole because of it. Which made him even more amazing to her. When they’d first met, he’d been like a powerful star, glimmering so bright and so hot that she’d been afraid to touch him. Now he seemed like all that and a hundred feet tall. But she wasn’t afraid around him anymore. “If that’s what you want, Stone.” He was breathing hard, too. “Not really. Would I love to stay in that silken mouth and ride it until the ecstasy turns me inside out? Hell, yeah. But I’ve got other plans. Tonight isn’t simply about me getting off.” “But can’t it be?” “When our trust is stronger, when I know I’ve satisfied you first, sure. But I’ve got other ideas at the moment.” With that, she heard the rustling of cloth. Was he pulling his pants up . . . or taking them off? Lily didn’t have an answer to her question when Stone helped her to her feet and led her across the room. Then he unhooked her wrists. Slowly, she brought her arms to her sides again. They tingled slightly as blood rushed back in. “Are you . . . Are we done?” She couldn’t help the disappointment slashing through her. Stone massaged her shoulders. “Not unless you’re giving me your safe word.” “No.” She shook her head vigorously. Her nipples were tight and her clit burned with need. The only thing she wanted was more. “No.” “Good. Then bend over.” He guided her down and nudged her torso over the padded dungeon table. She trembled as he pressed her breasts down into the cool, cushioned surface. “Now raise your arms. Lay them above your head and stay still.” Lily yielded and lifted her arms straight up, draping them on the table. Stone stepped behind her and leaned over her body, every inch of his hard frame covering her as he caressed his way up her waist, over the exposed side of her breast, before he veered to the vulnerable underside of her arm, eventually gliding his way down to her wrist. He clipped the O-ring to one of the bondage points on the side, near her head, rendering that arm immobile. Slowly, carefully, he reached for her other wrist, his fingertips prowling up her body again, inciting the kind of shiver that raised goose bumps and made her suck in a sharp breath. Despite her dizzying arousal, Lily nearly resisted as he pulled her wrist inexorably closer to the next bondage point. Instead, she breathed through the anxiety and forced herself to give over to him. “That’s beautiful, baby. So pliant and perfect.” Stone stepped back and moaned. “And you look amazing stretched out for me, all pale skin and sweet ass.” He rubbed one palm down her exposed cheek. “It’s right here, so vulnerable and untouched and mine.” Lily tensed again. What did he have in mind? Not that he would hurt her. She believed now that he wouldn’t. But she was completely at whatever mercy he possessed—or didn’t. “Stone?” She needed to hear his voice, needed him to reassure and ground her. “Right here. Not going anywhere. Just contemplating the punishment I should dish out for your disobedience. I still haven’t repaid you for disregarding my instructions and making my cock ache with those stockings and shoes.” She hadn’t thought he was serious. Clearly, she’d been wrong. “Nothing to say about that?” he urged. Lily’s thoughts raced. She could defend herself or ask what punishment he had in mind. But after her years of working at Dominion and dealing with Axel, she knew better. Querying a Dom about his punishments was a punishable offense in itself. And while Stone hadn’t been topping for long, and she wasn’t afraid of what he would do to her, she wasn’t the sort of brat who went out of her way to earn “funishments.” “No, Stone.” “Hmm. Good girl.” He massaged the back of her neck, his hand engulfing the fragile column and her shoulders before he slowly slid his palm down her spine in a silken glide. Lily shivered. Every callus, every drag of his fingertips, all the heat of his body she could feel in that one touch. She arched, head tossed back, lifting her ass and weeping sex to him. Wherever and however he wanted to touch her now, she urged him to hurry in silent supplication. As he reached the small of her back, his touch grew even softer, the skate of his fingertips slower down her flesh. Then he lifted his hand away, leaving behind a trail of tingles. Her breathing picked up speed, then became a gasp when he reached between her legs and cupped her wet sex. “I want this.” “Take it,” she whimpered. “I will.” He pulled his hand away. “As soon as I finish your punishment.” That would only delay what they both really wanted. “I know you’re disappointed, but I promise I won’t do it again.” Behind her, he froze, then braced a palm at the base of her spine. “I’m not disappointed in your appearance. I want to be clear about that. You’re all kinds of sexy, and it’s only by sheer strength of will that I haven’t decided to shrug off your disobedience and fuck you. I’m punishing you for three reasons. First, I don’t want you to forget who’s in charge. Second, don’t think I’m not paying attention to every single thing you say and do, baby. I always am. Last—and most important—we’re growing the trust between us. After this, you’ll know that if I say it, I mean it. Maybe then, if push comes to shove and Canton finds us, I’ll be able to direct you in the escape route I already have planned and you will obey without hesitation or question. All that make sense?” The independent part of her that had lived alone for years and taken care of herself through the darkest days of her life wanted to bristle. Her head told her that maybe she should. But Lily couldn’t deny that—politically correct or not—his attention to her and his unyielding dominance made her feel special, cared for. Loved. “Yes, Stone.” “Again, just to be clear, you are submitting to this punishment with the understanding that I’m doing this for our good, and you have a safe word if it becomes too much?” She nodded. “I am.” “That’s what I wanted to hear, baby.” Before she’d even processed the words, she felt his big hand thwack her ass. The surprising sting burned into her. She clutched the edge of the table with a gasp. The sensations startled her, not good . . . but not bad, either. More like a shock of tingles, a flurry of heat, a lingering awareness of her skin. Lily wasn’t sure how to process all that at once and still take in Stone’s masculine scent and his long moan. Everything about him intoxicated her. The soft, pliant leather beneath her, along with the sultry heaviness of the swamp air, wrapped her in a warm cocoon. Time seemed to stop. Right now, only the two of them existed. Lily closed her eyes and savored the odd peace. “More, please?” At her whisper, Stone rubbed his palm across her prickling backside and heat seeped under the top layers of her skin, down into her very muscles and bones. “Oh, I wasn’t anywhere near done.” Closing her eyes, Lily smiled. Until now, she’d never been a fan of spankings. Axel had doled out a few punishments during their time together. The sadist he’d brought in from Houston once or twice had immediately tested her pain threshold with a hard-core paddling. She hadn’t hated or loved it then. But that act also hadn’t possessed any emotional context for her. Both of those men had been trying to pry her open or draw out her pain. By contrast, Stone simply wanted to align her with him, get them in sync. He wanted to show her another way they could be right for each other. “Good,” she breathed. It probably sounded unfeminist or backward or some other negative that she would consider changing anything about herself to suit a man. Lily didn’t see it that way. Compromising a little so that Stone would also have what he needed made sense. Weren’t relationships give and take? Yes, and he’d already done so much to make her feel adored as he helped her heal from the past. This spanking was an unspoken outline of his expectations. The way he explained it, he wanted her to understand his desires because he intended for them to have a tomorrow. And unlike with any twisted abuse or heinous act Canton had inflicted on Erin, Lily could make everything stop by uttering a single word. Stone lifted his hand, and she held her breath, tensing. Her heart pounded. Her skin sprang to life as she anticipated his impact. Where would he spank her? How hard? How good would it feel? He didn’t smack her again right away. Instead, he caressed his way down her cool, untouched cheek, his fingers slipping between her legs. Her slickness coated him as he explored her all the way from her empty, clenching opening already aching for him to the nub of nerves throbbing for more of his gliding fingers and teasing touches. “This is how I want you.” His dark, deep voice filled her ear—and her head. “Wet. Eager. You’re aching, aren’t you?” “Yes, Stone.” “Hang on to this feeling,” he instructed as he slowly rubbed at her clit, making her tense and moan and quiver. “Remember how delicious this is.” Before she could ask why, he withdrew; then he smacked the unoffended cheek of her ass. He lit it up like the first one, until it danced and shimmered, heating bone-deep. She’d barely had time to drink in the sensations before he did it again. Then again. And again. He alternated cheeks, smoothing the fire under her skin, before sparking a new blaze in another spot. The array of sensations smarted, both stunning and dazzling Lily. They confused her because she wasn’t quite sure how to feel. Each impact hurt, no denying. Stone wasn’t holding back. And yet the hurt came with a warmth she could barely comprehend. It spread with every audible impact. He took care with her, not striking the same place twice, not imparting more punishment than she could bear. Lily wasn’t sure how much time passed before she dissolved onto the table. If she hadn’t locked her knees, she might have hung from the restraints at her wrists. Her bones felt like softened butter, her muscles like pudding, her mind like melted chocolate. Stone could probably put her back together and create a confection much better than she’d been before. That realization allowed Lily to disengage from her concerns and sink into the experience. “I think you like this, baby,” he murmured against her ear. “Besides a red ass, your skin is flushed the most beautiful rosy shade and”—he parted her slick folds with his blunt fingers again—“you’re wetter than ever. I have a paddle ready to go but I’m enjoying the stinging of my hand every bit as much as you’re enjoying the smarting of your ass. It feels more like we’re in this together.” Because they were. Lily knew it down to her core. And the fact that he wanted to be with her every step of the way made her sigh in bliss and trust him even more. She relaxed every muscle and lost count as his palm made contact with her backside repeatedly until the fiery sensations overtook consciousness, until time bled away, until all she knew was Stone, his touch, and the blossoming feelings in her heart. Lily had no idea when he lifted his hand from her throbbing flesh. She only knew that he kissed a line up her spine, the most tender brush of his lips worshipping her back, before he nuzzled her neck. “You with me?” “Yes,” she managed to whisper. “You all right?” “Feeling a little floaty.” “Not in too much pain?” He sounded concerned. A little smile crept across her face. “Yes and no. My butt is on fire. But I’m good with that.” He chuckled in her ear and unlatched the first of her cuffs. “All right, then. Let’s try something else I think you’ll like.” She could have asked what but she trusted him too much to waste the words. “Hmm . . .” “You’re amazing.” Stone unlatched the second cuff and caught her as her legs gave way beneath her. “The trust you’ve shown me . . . I know it’s not easy for you and I know why. Thank you for giving me a chance.” When he removed the blindfold and lifted her in his arms, he held her against his chest. Lily could barely find the strength to hold her neck up but she did it so she could look into his eyes. She ached to stay there, drown there, die there. If she did, she’d be completely content. She sighed and admitted what she’d been suspecting for a while. “I love you.” Emotion ripped across his face. Lily saw the impact of her words in the way he tightened his eyes and furrowed his brow, in the way his mouth flattened and the tendons in his neck bulged before he swallowed hard. “Baby, I love you, too. I know it’s fast. I know most everyone would think we’re crazy. But they aren’t us and they can’t feel what we do. I saw you across Dominion that first time and I swear, mentally I felt this click, like we fit together.” In all honesty, Lily had experienced it, too. The minute they’d met, their eyes had locked and he’d spoken to her, a jolt of something she couldn’t describe had rumbled through her. In retrospect, it had been an intuition that she’d found her missing half. Of course, Zeb had imparted Stone’s past then, and logic had taken over, convincing her of all the reasons she must be incorrect, so she’d shut Stone out. How much did she regret that now? How much better would her life be if she’d listened to her gut then and learned to trust him sooner? As he stepped into the bedroom and lay her down across the mattress, he shucked everything he wore, revealing miles of bronzed, inked skin, ridged muscle, and a thick cock she wanted to touch and pleasure again. Then he grabbed a condom out of the drawer, sheathed himself, and crawled onto the mattress. She watched, unblinking, unmoving, unconcerned. Then he lay directly on top of her. The weight of him flattened and pinned her down. She knee-jerked. Cold panic laced her veins, obliterating all the peace she’d been feeling moments ago. She flailed, screaming, shoving, and bucking in a desperate bid for freedom. “Shh.” His voice soothed, even as he wrapped his arms around her and loosely held her. “It’s me. We’re hugging. Nothing more. I’m not threatening you.” Lily heard the words. Somewhere in her head, she knew he was right. She needed to be more rational, less of a head case. But she kept remembering Erin’s struggle. She couldn’t forget that her bestie hadn’t left that bed in which she’d fought—and failed—to stay alive. Stone braced himself on his elbows and cupped her face in his hands. “Look at me. Right. At. Me.” He tugged on her hair just enough to snag her attention, and Lily blinked up at him, her whole body shivering despite his heat. “Can’t you get off me? I’m scared. Please.” “I could,” he murmured. “But how long are you going to let this fear limit you? Us? Are we going to spend the rest of our lives not being as close as two people can get? Won’t Canton have taken even more from you then? Try for me. If it’s too much, you have a safe word. Otherwise, I want to make love to you, Lily.” Logic warred with instinct. He was right, and she knew it. But she had to fight every urge in her body not to scream that one word rolling through her head. Deep breaths. You know Stone and how gentle he can be. Stop wimping out and woman up. Don’t blame him for Canton’s crime and don’t put them in the same league. Lily dragged air in through her nose and out of her mouth until her thoughts stopped pinging all over her brain and her heartbeat approached something normal. The adrenaline slowly seeped away. She let go of the sheets tightly curled in her fists. “That’s it. I’m still on top of you. Nothing bad has happened. Nothing bad ever will,” he swore. “I-I know that in my head. I’m reminding myself of that.” He brushed hair from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll conquer this together.” Through the residual panic, she looked into his dark eyes and wondered where Stone had come from and how he’d gotten so perfect. “Why are you so patient with me?” “Because you’re worth it.” This man had said a lot of nice things to her, but that unraveled her most. She teared up. As usual, the drops didn’t fall, and Lily often thought she would benefit from a good cry. But for the moment, it was enough to look into his eyes and feel total acceptance. He had no idea that she didn’t really deserve it. “No.” “Yes,” he insisted, staring her down as if he could push that belief into her soul. “You are. What you witnessed wasn’t your fault, and you couldn’t have helped Erin. I know you think you could have or should have, but you have to cut yourself slack. If anyone should regret their past, it’s me. I threw away an upbringing of upper-middle-class privilege because I arrogantly thought I could make a few bucks and the law didn’t pertain to me. My parents had me take out student loans and work part-time during college so I’d learn the value of money and hard work in school. I disappointed them in the worst way possible and I can never mend that fence with my mom. On the other hand, I’m not that person anymore. You’re not either. Put the past behind you and look forward with me.” His words calmed and soothed, like the rhythmic strokes of his hand through her hair. He brought reason and light. Lily needed that more than she could express. And maybe he was right. “I want to.” “Then let me in.” He parted her legs with a nudge of his thighs and pressed his erection to her opening. “We’ll do it together.” How badly she wanted to replace those atrocious memories with good. How much she’d love to associate having a man on top of her with arousal and love, rather than absolute terror. “Together.” She lifted her head and kissed him, layering her mouth over his and clinging for a timeless moment. He met her halfway, welcoming her lips with a crush of his own. It quickly caught fire, and she opened to Stone, lips parted as he rushed inside with a heady melding of mouths that soon had her breathing hard and surrendering. He backed away, switched angles, dove deeper, nestling her into the mattress and nudging at the very depths of her mental boundaries. Just when she thought she couldn’t handle more, he found some new way to revere her with his lips. Lily didn’t feel threatened but totally worshipped. The gravity of the moment astounded her. Somehow she knew that if she allowed him the closeness he sought, it would change her forever. Lily dragged in a deep breath, resolved to jettison the past, and grabbed onto Stone as she parted her legs wider. Wonder spread across his face as she bent her knees and fitted him into the cradle of her thighs. He caressed his way down her body until he reached her hips and held firm, rooting around for her opening. “That’s my baby. Now who’s ready for an orgasm?” When Stone winked at her, her tension broke. Lily smiled. That probably wasn’t possible, but she loved his enthusiasm. Then he began to probe inside her, every inch sliding deeper until the two of them seemed to become one. As he filled her up, she gasped at the slight sting of her flesh stretching to accommodate him. His hot breath fanned across her mouth as he drilled down into her body, into her eyes, taking her sex and her soul at once. The tingles she’d thought were impossible moments ago erupted, along with a shiver that ran through her entire being. This desire came from a whole new place because it wasn’t just that he roused her body; he moved her heart. Lily glanced at him in wonder. “Kiss me.” “I’d love that,” he murmured as he took her lips with his own, parting them and plunging inside with the same solemnity with which he would make a vow. He mimicked the same movements with her body, lighting her up with every stroke. His hard cock scraped against her sensitive nerves, as if he could read her, knew exactly how to kindle the desire now humming through her blood. His fingers bit into her hips as he pistoned deeper, faster. He groaned. And Lily felt the sound of his agonized need reverberate through her body as she reached for the peak right in front of her. She pressed her fingers into his shoulders and raised her knees around his hips, welcoming him even deeper. The angle of his thrusts, the intimacy of their bodies, the connection of the face-to-face contact felt completely new to Lily. Her boyfriend in high school had climbed on top of her and screwed. Vaguely, she recalled it. But what Stone did now wasn’t that at all. He paid attention to her body and adjusted every time she gasped or tensed or whimpered for more. The experience wasn’t just about him, the way it had been with Rick. It wasn’t only about her, either. The lovemaking they shared was for them both. They joined and melded. She could almost feel their bond fusing even more tightly together. A few days ago, she’d started her morning by buying a gun because she felt alone and unprotected. Now she’d cast off all her barriers simply to be with Stone because she felt treasured and surrounded and safe by his side. And so amazingly loved. His breathing ramped up. His skin flushed with effort as sweat gathered at his temples. With every push inside her, the muscles of Stone’s body flexed and worked. He gave his all for her pleasure, to be closer to her than ever. The burn behind her clit grew hotter, the need sharper. Lily thrust up at him, grinding. He hooked one of her knees into the crook of his elbow and leaned forward as he shoved his way inside her once more. With the head of his cock, he rubbed a spot that had her back arching and nearly set her reeling. “Stone!” She needed more. Needed him now. Lily bit into the fleshy part of his shoulder, her hips gyrating and matching his rhythm. He threw his head back and let out a guttural rumble deep in his chest. He grew longer, got thicker, pumped faster, gave her more. “Are you with me?” He barely managed to get the words out. “Yes,” she wailed as the intensity torqued between her legs and the urge to surrender all of herself to him grew. “Together,” he muttered as he picked up the pace to something unrestrained and breakneck that made her catch her breath and hurtle toward explosion. In the next breath, her body seized up. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest as blood pumped, her skin charged with life, and she flew straight into ecstasy with a clawing scream. Stone’s long moan of satisfaction rang in her ears, and she clung to him as if she’d never let go again.
Chapter 13