Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 46751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
"Gideon," she whispers.
"I know you're afraid, baby. But you're the bravest person I know. I need you to reach deep for a little of the same courage that allowed you to get back on that stage tonight and trust that I'm not going to break your heart. I need you to want this as much as I do. It'll never work if you don't."
"I do want it." Her throat works as she swallows. "I want it so bad, Gideon. But what if…?"
"What if what? Say it, Sparrow?"
"What if something happens to you?" Her voice is a mere scrap of sound, but her question breaks my heart anyway.
"Eventually, something will, Kenna. Eventually, something happens to all of us. That's life, baby. We all live, and we all die. But if we let fear keep us from giving every piece of ourselves to life, we die in a whisper instead of a roar. I want to go out in a roar, surrounded by the people who matter. And I want the same thing for you. You have so much love to give. Don't keep it locked away because you're afraid to lose someone. If you do that, you've already lost everyone before you ever even have them."
I know a thing or two about loss, grief, and death. I was in the military. I was surrounded by all three. And I came away knowing this: fear is insidious. It grows in the darkness, siphoning power from every worry and wayward misgiving. It'll consume you if you let it. The only thing more powerful is our refusal to submit and succumb. We're all going to die eventually. There's no changing that fact. All we can do is accept it and refuse to let it define us or the shape of our lives.
"I know," she whispers. "That's why I'm here right now, Gideon. I don't want to live that way. I don't want to let it chase you away." She swallows again, her gaze shifting across my face. "I'd rather know what it's like to be yours for five minutes than to spend the rest of my life regretting that I didn't take that leap with you. I need to know."
"Know what, Sparrow?"
"What it feels like to belong to you."
Jesus. She's killing me, one sweet little word at a time.
"Show me, Gideon. Please?"
"Now? Tonight?"
"Now. Tonight."
I drag her into my arms, seaming our bodies together. If she wants to drown herself in me, I'll let her. I'll burn out the world and all the ugly things it holds. Whatever she needs. I'm her soldier against the dark. I'm hers to command.
My lips brush hers in soft, lazy passes as I sip from her, taking my time. I run my hands up and down her body, slowly stripping off her cute little jacket and her t-shirt. They fall to the kitchen floor.
"I love these fucking bras," I mutter, toying with the strap. It's just as simple as the one she wore earlier, only this one is pure black. Somehow, it's sexier than any lace or frills or lingerie could ever be.
She smiles up at me, her hazel eyes dark. "It's just a bra, Marine."
"No. It's the bra covering the most incredible pair of tits I've ever seen." I slide the straps down her arms before reaching around to unhook it. "And they're all mine. As far as I'm concerned, that bra is hiding the kingdom, Sparrow."
Her smile grows, only for her head to fall back when I drag the bra off and immediately palm her breast. I love the way she responds to my touch. I roll her nipple between my thumb and forefinger before reaching for the button on her shorts. I watch her face while I strip them and her panties from her, leaving her bare and trembling before me.
She doesn't try to hide herself. She isn't shy or ashamed of her body or who she is. She stands proudly, bravely, a fucking warrior through and through. And damn, I've never seen anything so beautiful.
"What did your song say, Sparrow?" I ask. "Hands leave traces of desire on your skin as I trace every curve and line? Is that right?"
"Y-yes," she whispers.
"Good." I smile, scooping her up into my arms to carry her to the bedroom. She moans as I set to work as I walk, running my hands over the curve of her ass and the soft swell of her hip. Her bare skin feels like silk against my fingertips. She's so damn soft and sweet.
I'm glad I saved myself for her. This is how it's supposed to be. If I would have thought to ask for anything for my first time, it would have been her just like this. Already, this was worth the wait. She was worth it.
I drag the blankets down and then lay her out on the bed. Her hair spills across the pillows. She took it down at some point. Curls frame her face, softening her smoky makeup, making her seem younger than twenty-four.