Rekindled (34 page)

“What can I do to help? Just tell me and it’s done,” I say, my voice ragged and raw.

I take a few deep breaths before turning and looking at her. It all makes sense now. The night I showed up at her house, when she said she didn’t need another asshole to deal with, and then at the grocery store when she couldn’t afford to pay for groceries. All this time she’s been trying to keep her head above water because of that asshole. All because he’s a coward who couldn’t face the fact that his wife deserved better. He didn’t know what it meant to really love Callie, because if he had, he wouldn’t have done this shit. But that’s his loss, because she’s mine now, and I sure as hell am going to spend every breath in me making sure she knows exactly what she’s worth.

The drive back to the inn is quick, and by the time we arrive, it seems like any other guests are either gone for the night or tucked inside their room. I wrap an arm around Callie’s waist to steady her as we head upstairs. I knew I shouldn’t have let her down that last shot before we left, but it was the only way Holly agreed to let us leave early, and there was no way in hell I was going to stick around the bar for another hour. I was done being patient. I want my girl all to myself.

I know neither of us are virgins, but I’ll admit I wish we were. I wish I had been Callie’s first. Hell, I wish I could be her first, last and every one in between. But in the end, I know it doesn’t matter. Mostly because everyone makes such a huge deal about the first time being special, but honestly, that’s a load of shit. Sure, the first time is going to be different because it’s a first, but by saying the first time should be special, it implies the rest of the times won’t. And that’s just unacceptable. When you love someone, every single time should be special, and I’m going to make sure Callie remembers every kiss we share, every breath she takes, and every place on her body I touch.

We enter our room and Callie braces her hand against the wall as she bends down to peel off her heels. She moves to the dresser lined against the side wall and begins to pull her earrings out, followed by sliding off the charm bracelet dangling from her wrist. I stand by the door, watching her, awestruck at her beauty. It’s not just her physical attributes that attract me to her, but everything that she is. She isn’t just a beautiful woman. She’s a beautiful soul.

Needing to touch her, I push off the door and take three quick strides until I’m standing behind her, watching her through the mirror in front of us. Using one hand, I sweep her hair off her neck, over her shoulder and run my lips over the curve of her neck. Her eyes drift closed as my fingers slide up and down her arms, finally moving to grab the bottom of her shirt and gently lifting it off of her.

I feel her freeze in my arms as I toss her shirt over the back of an armchair, and then she steps out of my grasp, leaving me confused. She wraps her arms around herself, and sidesteps along the wall until she reaches the light switch, flicking it so that the room plunges into darkness.

“Callie,” I chuckle as I see her silhouette heading back towards me. “What are you doing?”

“It’s better with the lights out,” she says, her voice small and shy.

“Why?”

“Because then you won’t have to see my imperfections.”

Her words feel like a knife to the heart.

Shaking my head, I walk over and flip the lights back on. “Callie.” I grab her hand and pull her towards me. “I’m going to tell you something, and I want you to really listen, okay?” She nods, but her gaze sticks to the carpet. Using my index finger, I hook it under her chin and tilt her head back until her eyes meet mine. “You are absolutely perfect the way you are. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met in my entire life, and I don’t know how I got so lucky that I get to call you mine.”

She closes her eyes and lets out a shaky breath. “Tate, I appreciate your words, but you have to remember that I’ve had a kid. My body isn’t going to ever be like Julia’s. I have stretch marks, and fat that I can’t get rid of, and—”

“Stop.” I place my hands on either side of her face. “I don’t care about what your body looks like. You could gain forty pounds and I’d still think you’re the sexiest goddamn woman on this planet. Hell, in the universe.” I grab her hand in mine and lower it over the erection tenting my pants. “Do you feel that? That’s what you do to me. Not because of how you look, but because of who you are.”

I slant my mouth over hers and I feel her body relax as she kisses me back. This kiss is different from the others because this isn’t just a kiss of passion or love, but one of acceptance. We’re both human, and we’re both going to make mistakes and act on our insecurities, but this kiss seals a promise to each other. It isn’t despite our imperfections that we’re together, it’s because of them.

My fingers move to the waistband of her shorts and I quickly unbutton them, letting them slide down her legs until they’re pooled at her feet. She steps out of them without breaking our kiss as her hands roam underneath my shirt, skating over the ridges of my stomach and up to my chest.

My breaths are coming out hard and fast as I look at her standing before me in just her bra and panties. Her skin looks like porcelain against the black lacy fabric and the way the material molds to the curve of her breasts and hips has my entire body throbbing with lust.

“Fuck, you are so perfect.” I place my hands on her hips, spinning her around so that my erection is pressing into her back. “Can you feel what you do to me, Callie?”

I brush her hair off her neck and press my lips to her skin, kissing my way down her spine, over her ass until I reach the backs of her thighs. Her head falls back and she lets out a small moan as my fingers clasp her ankles and my tongue trails along her inner thighs. Her legs quiver when my mouth reaches the back of her knees, and I grin against her skin. I kiss my way up to the small of her back, while letting my right hand slide along the outside of her leg until I reach the edge of her panties.

“Tate,” Callie whispers. “Please.”

I hook my index finger underneath the material, teasing her by letting it trace the rim, along her thigh. When I finally slip a finger inside her, she lets out a hiss of satisfaction. She’s soaked, and her legs tremble slightly as the pad of my finger brushes across her clit.

Standing up, I yank her panties to the floor and spin her around, grabbing her waist to hoist her onto the dresser. Using my hips, I nudge her legs apart as my mouth finds hers, and our kiss becomes frantic with heat. I nip at her bottom lip while letting two fingers slide into her pussy, using a hook-like motion as I pump them in and out.

“Can you feel how wet you get for me?” I ask, pulling my fingers out and sucking on them, causing her to whimper a little. “So sweet. I’ll never get tired of the way you taste.”

Kneeling down, I spread her legs farther apart and place a kiss on the inside of each thigh. Her chest is rising and falling at a rapid speed as she inhales shallow breaths, her hands gripping the edge of the dresser in anticipation.

“Tell me what you want, Callie,” I say as I stare at her face. Her eyes are closed, her cheeks are flushed and her lips are slightly parted as my fingers tease her by slipping in and out of her arousal.

“Y-you already know,” she says in between labored breaths.

“I want to hear you say it,” I counter, using my thumb to swipe over her clit. “Tell me what you want.”

She lets out a soft moan and when her eyes blink open, I see pure desire. I smile when she unclasps her bra and tosses it on the ground, shedding the last article of clothing on her body, along with her inhibitions.

“I want you to make me come.” She pins me with a heated look. “With your mouth.”

Holy shit. Did I just tell him that I want him to make me come with his mouth? I feel like I should be embarrassed, having those words come out of me, but it’s not uncomfortable like it was with Zach. Zach believed that dirty talk and oral sex were meant for porn stars, prostitutes, and affairs, not for wives, and certainly not for
his
wife. While he never objected to receiving head, I can count on one hand the time that he’s returned the favor. He never made me feel like it was okay to be sexual, more like it was something to be ashamed of. But with Tate, it feels natural to let him see this sexual side of me.

Letting my head rest against the mirror, I watch as Tate pushes my left leg further out, while grabbing my right one and hooking it over his shoulder. I swallow with anticipation as his tongue darts out and licks the inside of my thigh. When he repeats it to the other side, my elbows become weak and I shift so that I’m leaning back, resting on my forearms. His breath feels hot against me, and when I feel the first lick, I close my eyes and my head rolls to the side.

“Oh, God.” I groan as his tongue drags slowly along the inside of my folds.

He swirls his tongue expertly, ending each lick with a sharp brush of my clit, sending tremors of pleasure throughout my body. My hands fly to his hair, fisting in his strands as he increases his pace, alternating between licking and sucking in a way that has me mad with need. I’ve had oral sex before, but never anything even close to this.

“Holy shit, that feels so good.” I cry out as his speed begins to increase.

My hips begin to buck and he places his left hand on my stomach to hold me down as he spears me with his tongue. I can feel my core tightening as he inserts two fingers inside me and begins relentlessly sucking on my swollen nub. A long, low moan blows through my lips as I arch my back and push myself farther into him, needing more.

“Oh God, Tate, I’m close.” My breath shakes.

Vibrations rumble through my core as he moans against my clit, while lapping and swirling his tongue around my most sensitive part, sending me in a frenzied tizzy. My legs shamelessly fall open wider as my hands reach for his head, fisting in his hair as my orgasm hits hard and fast.

“Tate!” My entire body explodes with pleasure, my legs trembling as I ride out the wave of pleasure coursing through my body. Never in my life have I experienced an orgasm of that magnitude. All of my climaxes before this one were like tremors that quaked beneath the surface; noticeable, but not ground-shattering. But,
this
one.
This
one is like the San Andres Fault erupting.

He slows his movements as I drift down from my high, placing soft kisses on my thighs and stomach. I open my eyes and see him watching me, and I try to speak, but my breathing is so strained, I can’t find the energy. He smirks at me, obviously knowing how talented he is, before he stands and kisses me. I can taste the bittersweet arousal of myself on his lips, and the fire that I thought had quelled from my climax, comes roaring back to life when I feel his erection pressing into my stomach.