Dane

His entire skin tingled. His heartbeat was rapid, but fluttering and his breath came too quick and shallow. He couldn't contain, couldn't even put words to everything he was feeling and the mix of everything from ecstasy, to terror, to bone-deep relief was so intoxicating he was lightheaded.

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Tracing his fingers over her skin and watching it pebble under his touch, seeing her nipples contract and turn hard, watching her cheeks pink… He didn't just desire her again, and again, and again, he yearned for her. Ached to have her closer, always closer.

And everything in him prayed that that little life, deep inside, stayed safe and warm and understood that it was already loved.

She'd said not to get his hopes up… but he would let himself have this moment. This moment when she was back, and his, and flushed with love for him, and he was brimming with hope.

The morning would bring enough darkness, for once he would let himself walk in the light for a few hours.

He'd been so deep in his own thoughts, he hadn't really paid attention to where he was touching her, only let his eyes trail after his fingers.

But when he trailed over her nipple again, then leaned down to take it in his mouth and hold her at her ribs—careful to keep it on her good side—arching her up while he sucked slowly, deeply, she groaned. So, he did it again.

"I don't know how I'm going to do it yet, Lila," he said against the softest skin of her breast, his lips pillowed on her warmth. "But I promise you, I'm never leaving you again," he said, his voice rough with emotion and desire. Then he took her nipple in his mouth again and laved it with his tongue.

She sucked in and brought a hand to his neck. But, shifting his weight to lay between her legs, he just moved his open mouth to the other breast, even more gently, much more carefully, because it was her sore side. Her fingers slid into his hair to hold him against her, and her hips pressed up towards him, but she didn't speak.

"Just relax," he breathed. "Let me show you how much I love you."

Her head was back, and her eyes closed and Dane felt a deep sense of satisfaction when she shivered. But soon he too was lost, lost in the smell of her, the softness of her skin, the press of her body against his, the soft sighs and tiny cries she made when he pressed back.

His fingers trembled, but he kept every movement slow, and as light as the flutter of a butterfly wing against her skin. And even when he dropped his head to kiss her, to take her mouth, it was a tender invasion, a bare dance of skin-on-skin.

He whispered words like precious, and adored into her hair. He slid down her body slowly, so slowly, to kiss her breasts, then her belly, and murmur things like gift, and loved. His fingers traced the lines of her sides, her hips, her thighs, then rose again to follow the trail of goosebumps they'd raised.

His voice deepened and rasped and he had to close his eyes when she arched, pulling him in, asking him to take her. But he was determined to draw this out, knowing once he started, his control would be shredded. He kissed his way back up her body to take her mouth, and let the ironness of him slide against the softness of her until she was writhing, gasping. But still he didn't speed up, still he didn't take.

He placed careful, tiny kisses from her throat to her jaw.

He drew the softest touches on her shoulders, and down her arms.

In the tenderest words, and the quietest voice, he gave her everything he had within him, slowly, softly until she rippled under him and her own whispers became hoarse, and she pleaded for him.

Then he took her mouth, firmly for the first time, and took the rest of her in one, long, slow slide that had her break the kiss as her head fell back and she grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper, ever deeper.

Dane's orgasm loomed from the moment he entered her, but he swallowed and sweated, and forced himself to keep everything slow, to stroke and kiss and slide within her, holding her to himself at the peak of each roll and whispering her name.

Her tears returned, but slowly, rolling down her temples as her breath caught and held in her throat. He kissed them away. He wasn't even sure she knew she'd shed them.

Then, gasping, she wrapped her legs around his hips and arched off the bed, into him, bringing him deeper. "Please… Dane, please!"

"Lila—"

"Please!"

With a guttural moan, Dane dropped his lips to her neck and thrust hard, then paused.

Lila cried out, then held her breath. "No, please, Dane, don't stop—"

He pushed himself up, bracing on one arm, the muscles and tendons rigid, as he cupped her face with his other hand and made her meet his eyes.

She opened her mouth like she'd beg him again, but holding her gaze he thrust. Hard.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes began to hood, but he whispered her name and she blinked them open again.

Gazes locked, and with one hand at the back of her neck, he let her see into his soul, let her feel him at her deepest core, let her see him lose control as groaned, "I love you," and began to pound into her.

Eyes still fixed on each other they both held their breaths until Lila let go first with a high keening sound that broke with each peak, then she was crying his name, calling him as she rode to the crest of her release and Dane, still gasping, followed her, roaring her name over and over until he collapsed, his body twitching and rippling with the intensity of his orgasm.