And when I kissed her again, it was with more emotion than I knew what to do with.
I pushed the other strap of her dress over her shoulder, wanting her skin on mine, and she wiggled her arms out and pushed the dress down her ribs. Every stroke of ink on her chest was brushed by my fingertips. The feel of her metal barbells and the soft flesh between impressed themselves in my palm. Her hood piercing pressed into the skin just above my cock, giving me a target, and I ground against it with every pump of my hips until she muttered my name, hooking her legs around my waist to twist us.
I let her guide me onto my back, our bodies still connected, hers rocking as she reached across her body and grabbed her dress, pulling it off, leaving her naked. And then she braced herself on my chest and raised her ass, dropping down on me achingly slow, working my body with hers, hips rolling.
Every time I disappeared into her, my pulse raced faster until my heart hammered against my ribs, and I sat, reaching for her, winding my arms around her, burying my face in her breasts, my hands cupping her ass to lift and lower her.
She clenched around my cock once, gasped my name — the sound sweet and right and everything — and her body tensed as she squeezed me so tight, so hard that when she came, I did too with a growl and a moan and the nerves in my body so raw and connected to herthat I vibrated like a tuning fork.
My hands flexed, holding her against me, rocking her gently as the last flickers worked through us. She curled into me, arms tucked into her chest and head under my chin. I wrapped my arms around her, so small and right and mine.
She was mine. I was hers. And that was it.
My fingertips skated the length of her back while we came down, and when she sighed — a heavy, satisfied sound — I lay back, taking her with me, pulling out of her. And as we lay there on our sides together, wrapped up in each other, I found myself so content, so happy. I knew right then and there that I’d do anything to hang on to that, hang on to her. I cursed myself for ever walking away.
Of course, as I slid my hand into her hair and kissed her, I realized I couldn’t have stayed away. Penny and I felt inevitable that way. I hadn’t stopped thinking of her any more than she had of me. And even though I’d been hurt, I couldn’t imagine ever really walking away. We would have found a way back to each other.
The alternative hurt too much to even think about — I’d have lost my chance at this. Because holding Penny, I knew I could spend a thousand nights like this and never get my fill.
She stirred against my chest and kissed my collarbone. I kissed her forehead in answer and whispered I’d be right back before climbing out of bed to dart across the empty hallway to the bathroom. And when I came back with a washcloth and a smile, it was met with hers. She was curled up in my bed like a cat, looking sated and content and just as happy as I was.
I crawled to her, kissing her bare hip before rolling her over onto her back to clean her up, and she watched me with a purple strand of hair between her fingers and her lip between her teeth.
“I missed you,” she said, her voice husky. “I was a mess without you.”
I chuckled. “You’re a mess with me.”
“That’s true. But so, so much worse without.”
I shook my head, marveling over the night. “I can’t believe you did all this. Where’d you get all the math material?” I tossed the washcloth in the general direction of my closet.
“Mostly the internet, but I asked one of the girls on set who’s a real math whiz.”
She reached for the covers tucked under my pillow and slipped between the sheets, and I followed her in.
“And you memorized it and everything,” I said, still smiling as I pulled her back into my chest and our legs scissored together. I wondered absently if I’d ever stop smiling.
“Mmhmm. Ronnie made flashcards.”
I laughed at that.
“I just … I’m sorry I didn’t try harder sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt from the start.”
“It’s all right,” I said quietly.
“But it’s not. Bodie, I know it’s no excuse, but I’ve been this way for a long time and for a lot of reasons that seem really stupid now.” She took a breath. “You remember how it was with me and Rodney in high school?”