I ached that I'd hurt him. I choked back a sob and pressed my face against his stomach. His hands closed around my shoulders, and I flinched.
He drew back immediately. "I'm sorry," he said. I grabbed his hand before he could pull completely away, before he left.
"I'm just tender here." I turned my back and pulled my shirt up and off my head.
"Did you get in an accident?" His fingers smoothed over the ridge of my shoulder, above the bandage that Tucker had placed.
"No." I pulled back the bandage and heard a swift intake of breath.
"My God, is that my—"
"Your name."
He dropped to his knees, and he pressed his face into the middle of my back. The heat of his body was as hot as a furnace. His fingers traced the top of my shoulder and then under my blade.
"This is a pretty bold statement."
"Not so much," I managed to choke out. He placed his lips on my shoulder, the touch tender and reverent. I was glad he was holding me because my knees felt like jelly. The callouses on his palms rubbed against my sensitive skin. Another time it might have hurt but now with his hand on my skin and his mouth hovering so close to the surface I felt euphoric. "I'm yours if you want me, Finn O'Malley."
"I'll never stop wanting you." He stood and spun me around to face him. "I'm so torn, Winter. I want to stare at that tattoo, but I need to see your lovely face. I've missed you."
He reached down and plucked my T-shirt off the floor and pulled it over my head. He wouldn't let me go. It was as if he was afraid if he didn't have a hand on me, I would disappear. I knew the feeling. I wanted his touch on me for the rest of my life. He was breathing hard, and his firm erection was pressed into my belly. "Come home with me."
"Yes."
The twenty-minute drive to Finn's house was unbearable. I sat stiffly on my side of the truck because I didn't want to cause a wreck. He parked and told me to sit still.
A moment later, he was opening the door and pulling me into his arms. He didn't let me go. Not to open the door to the house. Not when his roommates greeted us. Not when he walked upstairs to his room.
He didn't let go even when he placed me on the bed but nothing could make me leave.
I ran my hungry hands over his broad shoulders and down to his trim waist. I squeezed his firm buttocks in my hands and wrapped my thighs around him.
He kissed me softly on the mouth and the cheek and then my collarbone and even lower. My breasts received the same tender attention. And down he moved until his face was between my legs and his mouth was on the tender parts of my inner thighs.
/> "Still smooth for me," he said hoarsely as he pressed his nose against my bare skin.
"I love you, Finn O'Malley," I said. He paused and sat up, drawing his fingers over the wetness he'd drawn from me.
He looked down at me with such love, such joy, I felt my heart would burst. "I didn't think I'd ever hear that from you."
Two of his fingers slid inside me, and a moan escaped me. "I'll say it a million times."
"You better." He bent over and took my nipple—rigid with want—into his mouth. He devoured me then. No more tenderness, only deep hungry desire. I arched against his thrusting hand and his suckling mouth. My fingers wended their way into his hair, and I clutched him to me.
He worked me hard, until my voice was hoarse from my cries. He brought me to the edge but never over, until I was sobbing and begging and pleading for him to please, please, please come inside me.
When he did, it felt like a miracle.
"You’re killing me," he groaned with every push of his hips forward. He felt impossibly big. His cock was overtaking me, touching me in places I didn't know could be touched. I was aflame, burning inside. He lifted me so I straddled him, breast to chest. My arms wrapped around his shoulders, and we stared at one another as I moved against him, up and down.
He never hurried, instead just looked at me with wonder and pleasure filling his face, and in the midst of all of that, ecstasy took me by surprise. I shuddered and shook all around him, and he held me to him, whispering nonsense words of encouragement like Yes, that's so good. You're so tight, and I'm so hard.
But he was still thick and rigid inside me when my eyes popped open and I dropped my head against his shoulder in replete happiness.
He moved to the end of the bed and dangled his legs over. With a pat on my ass, he motioned for me to turn around. Ahhh. He wanted to see my tattoo. I repositioned myself, and Finn peeled off the bandage that I'd reapplied.
Finn didn't touch it with his hands, but his gaze was a heavy caress.