Fated to be Mine (28 page)

With a few more thrusts the world falls away as I claw at his back, my orgasm rocking me to the core, leaving me gasping for air.

“Yes, Tessa, yes.”

A few more strokes and I feel him still above me, tense and then release as he pours himself into me, filling me completely. He brings his head to the crook of my neck, still chanting my name while licking away the beads of sweat that have formed on my skin. I cling to him as if my life depends on it, feeling his own sweat slicked skin as my fingers trace circles on his back.

My whole body feels spent and deliciously sore, a feeling I haven’t felt in weeks. Not since the first time Andrew made love to me back in his apartment. He leans up on his elbows, trailing his lips across my jaw line before covering my mouth with his.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Andrew nuzzles into my hair as my fingers thread through his. He fully relaxes and moves to lie next to me, pulling me into his side while stroking my hair.

“I’ve missed you too. And I’m so sorry about everything, about how I left and how I’ve been acting since you’ve been back. I’ve wasted so much time …” I trail off, my voice breaking at the end. A lone tear falls down my cheek, but Andrew brushes it away with his thumb.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, love. All that matters now is we found our way back to each other. I won’t let you slip through my fingers again. I don’t think I could survive it.”

I pull his face to mine, kissing away the pain I have caused the both of us through a series of misunderstandings and insecurities.

“I won’t either,” I whisper.

My hands trail down his body, gliding over the muscles of his arms before playing with his fingers. He brings our hands up, pressing the palms together before interlocking our fingers. We stare at the connection, two hands joined together, making us one being.

“We belong together, you and me. This is it for the both of us. What we have is special and uniquely ours. We are all each other needs and I will spend the rest of my life showing you how happy you make me.”

I kiss him softly and smile. “I like the sound of that.”

“And do you know why?”

I shake my head and stare at him. “No, why?”

Our hands press against his heart. It’s beating so fast it makes me nervous about what he’s about to say. He smiles then kisses me deeply, stealing my breath again.

“Because I love you, Tessa.”

My body stills at his words. I want to pinch myself to make sure I’m truly awake and this isn’t some dream or imagined post-orgasmic high. Our eyes lock together and whatever doubts I had are erased because the answer is staring back at me, plain as day.

“You love me?”

“Yes, my sweet girl. I’ve loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you at the airport. I don’t know how long I stood there and watched you gazing at those around you before I decided to make my move and sit next to you. Your beauty captivated me from the beginning, drawing me in until I couldn’t think about anything else but you.”

My brows furrow together in confusion. “But if that’s true, why didn’t you say it to me after our night in your apartment?”

Now it was his turn to look confused. “I did. I repeated it over and over again as I held you in my arms, never wanting to let you go. And then I said it again during the video conference we had the following week.”

A tear slips down my cheek as I recall him mouthing something to me but not being able to make out what he said. Now, holding that image still in my mind’s eye, I can see it clear as day. His beautiful lips forming the words ‘I love you’, just like they do now. Andrew brushes the tear away and kisses the corner of my mouth.

“I have never loved anyone before you and will never love anyone else but you. You are my forever; the other half of my heart, my soul, my existence. Fate brought us together and I believe it now more than ever.” His fingers trail over my lips, tracing the curves. “I love you, Tessa.”

I cup his face and feverishly bring my lips to his. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that, although apparently I just need to listen better.”

He smiles and it warms my heart even more. “I will continue to say it until the last breath leaves my body. This I promise you.”

We kiss again and I feel complete. “I love you too, Andrew. So much it hurts.”

He pulls back and threads our fingers together again. “You will never hurt again. I’m not planning on going anywhere without you ever again.”

Our hands fall to his chest, resting comfortably over his heart. My lids grow heavy and struggle to stay open. Andrew adjusts us so I’m able to lie comfortably on his shoulder.

“Sleep now, love. We’ll start fresh when we wake.”

I nod my head and fall into a contented sleep, clinging to his body and thanking fate for bringing us back together.

S
OFT LIPS FEATHER KISSES ALONG
my neck as I slowly come back into consciousness. I have no idea how long I’ve been asleep, but I’m really enjoying Andrew’s version of a wake-up call.

“Wake up sleepy,” he says, peppering kisses across my jaw. I wiggle and squirm under his touch. He lets out a quiet laugh and runs his hands along my sides, causing me to squirm even more.

“Andrew, stop. I’m ticklish,” I laugh.

But he doesn’t relent. Instead it fuels him on further, digging his fingers into me and creating a torrent of laughter to escape. My sides begin to ache with the assault as I twist my body from side to side.

He stills his fingers and moves them up my sides, brushing against my bare breasts before cupping my cheek, tilting my head toward him.

“I could listen to you laugh all day. It’s my most favorite sound in the world. And the way your face lights up is nothing short of spectacular.”

He leans in close, pressing our lips together to savor and taste each other. I still can’t believe that I wasted so much time running from him, running from my feelings. Love is about trust and I know this man will do anything for me. He’s told me a thousand times before but now I will actually start to listen.

Andrew’s lips begin to drift from mine, creating a burning trail down my chin and over the column of my throat before settling at the hollow dip above my collarbone. My fingers run through his sex-mussed hair, gently pulling at the silky strands. His hand moves over my breast, plumping and caressing it, making the nipple pucker into a tight little bud.

“I have half a mind to keep you captive in this room for all eternity so I can ravage you day and night.” His mouth covers my aching nipple, lightly sucking and licking it.

“I like the sound of that,” I say, letting my hands drift across his shoulders and follow the lines I find in my exploration.

I can feel a smile against my skin as his lips travel lower across my body. Desire heats my blood again, making me squirm for an entirely different reason now. But as his lips dip into my belly button, my stomach announces its displeasure, growling loudly once again in his presence. I groan and cover my face with my hands, rolling over to the side in an attempt to hide.

“The thought is very tempting however I do believe I need to feed you.” He gets up and stretches his arms above his head as I peek through my fingers, getting a glimpse of the naked Adonis I’m sharing a bed with. “And you’re staying here tonight. I won’t sleep another night without you next to me.”

I move to prop myself against the pillows to sit up against the headboard, bringing the sheet with me to cover my exposed chest. “That was my plan anyway. I’m not sure I could be at home by myself when I could be lying next to you instead.” I lick my lips quickly before looking back up at him, my voice soft and fragile. “You keep me safe at night, warding off all my nightmares and protect me from myself or whatever it is that’s trying to tell me something through my dreams. It’s something I’ve never actually felt before in my life and I’m going to hold on to it with everything I have.”

Andrew sits next to me, running his hand across my cheek before cupping it behind my neck. “Felt what?”

“Safe.”

He leans over, brushing his lips against my own. “I will always keep you safe Tessa. You don’t have to be afraid of anything ever again. I’ll do everything within my power to guard you at all times.”

A tear slips down my cheek and I kiss him with unrushed passion, a sweet and lazy movement while trying to convey all my feelings into this one simple act. He pulls away, kissing the tip of my nose and smiles.

“As much as I would love to stay here all night to make up for lost time and forget everything else, we do need to eat.” He leans closer to me, pressing our foreheads together. “We need to keep up our strength.” With a wink, he stands and leaves me feeling like a puddle of mush on the bed. I watch him walk over to the dresser and pull out a pair of sweatpants which hang low on his gloriously naked body. That impeccable V peeks out over the top, drawing my eyes to it and I can’t help but stare unabashedly at him. His body is perfect in my opinion. Tall, lean, not overly defined but still so strong.

He catches my stare and smirks, giving me that sexy grin of his. But the smile quickly falls off his face as I stretch my arms above my head, letting the sheet fall from my body to expose my naked breasts. He runs a hand over his face and adjusts his pants when I attempt to roll off the bed. His reaction makes me smile.

“Do you want to go out and eat?”

“Actually, can we order in? I’d really just like to stay here wrapped in your arms,” I say, picking up his discarded white shirt and slipping it over my head.

I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his middle, clinging to him tightly. Andrew holds me to him, rubbing his hands up and down my back, soothing me while quieting any and all worries inside my head. “If that’s what you want then that’s what we’ll do. Besides, I like the idea of just the two of us staying in. We can feed each other naked,” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows. I laugh and sit back on the bed, curling my legs underneath me.

Andrew grabs a menu from the restaurant downstairs and sits next to me as we go through it. My head falls against his shoulder as he wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. This is what I’ve missed the most, the closeness between the two of us, him knowing my needs before I do.

After calling to place an order for a selection of appetizers, Andrew stalks over to where I’m still seated on the bed. His eyes look feral, hungry with need and desire as he takes in my current state of undress.

“You look so sexy sitting there in just my shirt. It’s driving me crazy to know you’re not wearing anything underneath it.” The bed dips when his knee presses down on it, making me crawl backward on the bed as he climbs above me.

“I love wearing things that smell like you. If I could wear this all day long, I would.”

Andrew runs his nose along mine, sending a shiver down my spine. “If people saw you like this I may not be held responsible for my actions. You’re mine, love. No one gets to see you this way but me.” He grabs the hem of the shirt, slowly dragging it over my body before tossing it back to the floor. “Perfect.”

Instinctively my arms move to cover my now bared breasts but he shakes his head, pulling my arms away and holding them down. “No hiding from me, ever. I want to see every inch of your beautiful body.”

A blush creeps across my skin, heating it even more than what Andrew is doing simply with his words. His finger trails over my cheek before tucking my hair behind my ear.

“Okay, no more hiding. But if I get cold you’re going to have to warm me up,” I exclaim.

Andrew moves over me, settling between my thighs as he presses his forehead to mine. Fingers trail across my ribs, making me sigh.

“I have many ways to warm you up. Do you happen to know the best way to do that?” I shake my head and he smiles. “By getting completely naked.” He rolls his hips into me. “Skin to skin contact.” Another roll. “With lots of friction.” I gasp loudly as his growing erection hits me in just the right spot.

My eyes lock with his and I trail a finger across his sensual lips. “Then I guess we’ll have to put that hypothesis to test.” His bare chest is pressed against mine and I can feel his warmth permeating my skin.

“I would love to.” He dips low, capturing my lips in his. A knock sounds at the door and he smiles against my lips. “But first we need to eat.”

He jumps off the bed and walks to the door, still naked from the waist up. I really hope it’s a male delivering the food and not a female. I sit up and prop myself against the pillows again, contemplating on getting his shirt once more. But Andrew comes over with a tray of goodies and sits next to me.

The air quickly fills with delicious smelling food, making my stomach rumble once more. Popping a piece of strawberry into my mouth, I narrow my eyes at him as they travel up and down his body.

“What?” he asks while taking a bite of food.

“How come I have to be naked and you get to have clothes on?” I pout.

A spark appears in his eye as he stands from the bed and slowly drags the pants down his hips, over his thighs, then letting them drop completely to the floor. My brain misfires as I gawk and stare at him, still unable to believe that this gorgeous, perfect man is mine.