The moment the door slammed, a pulse of heat ran through me. The thrill of defiance, of finally breaking free from Diane’s cold grip, sent an electric charge down my spine. I turned back to Sophie.

“Let me get you home. I'll stop with you for a couple of days.” My feeling for Sophia strengthened.

A short while later we entered her place. Sophie reached for me, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt, tugging me closer. I let her. Hell, I wanted her to take everything. After years of being denied, of feeling unwanted, I was ready to drown in someone who actually wanted me.

“You sure about this?” I murmured, brushing my knuckles down her cheek.

She smiled, slow and knowing. “I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”

Her fingers slipped to the buttons of my pants, zipping them down, teasing the naked skin beneath. My pulse throbbed in my throat, thick with anticipation. I could still hear the echo of Diane’s sharp inhale as she realised she had lost. That thought alone made my need for Sophie even more desperate.

I slid my hands along her waist, feeling the soft curve of her body beneath her dress. She leaned into me, pressing a kiss to my jaw, then lower, her lips scorching a path down my neck. Her scent, Whit Lace, and something unmistakably her, wrapped around me, making me dizzy.

“I want you inside me,” she whispered against my ear, sending a fresh wave of desire through me.

“Then take me,” I growled.  

I threaded my fingers into her hair, tilting her head up so she could see the raw need in my eyes.

“No more waiting,” I murmured, my voice rough with desire.

She bit her lip, her pupils blown wide, then nodded. “No more waiting.”

In one swift move, I lifted her off her feet, making her squeal in surprise before she wrapped her legs around my waist. I carried her toward the bedroom, our lips crashing together in a deep, searing kiss. Her body fit against mine perfectly, every soft curve pressing into me as if she were made to be there.

I kicked the door open and laid her down on the bed, taking a moment to admire the sight of her beneath me, flushed, breathless, and completely mine. Her dress was already half off, hanging from one shoulder, baring the delicate swell of her breasts. I traced my fingers over the exposed skin, marvelling at how soft, how warm she was. 

Sophie arched into my touch, her breath hitching.

“Paul,” she whispered, a plea, a demand, all in one.

I didn’t make her wait. I ripped the fabric the rest of the way down, exposing every inch of her trembling, eager body. My mouth followed, hungry and relentless, pressing hot, reverent kisses down the valley between her breasts. I took my time teasing her, flicking my tongue over each hardened nipple before closing my lips around them, sucking, biting just enough to make her cry out. Her back arched, her thighs clenching around me as I trailed lower, tasting every inch of her soft, glistening flushed skin.

She was already writhing beneath me, her breath ragged, her fingers twisting in my hair, pulling, demanding.

With a desperate moan, she finally pushed my head between her parted thighs, wet with the aroma of the aphrodisiac of sex. I growled, pressing my mouth against her soaked, swollen vagina, my tongue sliding between her swollen lips, tasting her, teasing her. Her entrance quivered, opening for me, as if her body were kissing me back.

“It’s all yours, lover,” she whispered, her voice breathy, wrecked.

“You’re gorgeous,” I murmured between feverish strokes, my fingers gripping her thighs to keep her exactly where I wanted her. I flicked my tongue against her aching bundle of nerves, relentless, devouring.  

Her body tensed, then trembled, her thighs tightening around my head as I pushed her higher, closer, dragging her over the edge.

“And you’re mine,” I growled against her, before sending her spiralling into bliss.

I took my time, savouring her reactions, learning every spot that made her tremble. Her body responded to me so eagerly, so completely, that it made me ache with need. But I held back, wanting to make her fall apart first, wanting to watch her unravel beneath me.

And when she did, when her body tensed, and her cries filled the air, I knew I’d never get enough of this woman. Never get enough of the way she gasped my name, the way her body melted against mine in the aftermath.

I slid up her body, capturing her mouth in a deep, slow kiss, letting her taste the sticky juice she had smothered me with. Her fingers traced down my back, over my shoulders, before pushing me onto my back.

“My turn,” she whispered wickedly, straddling me.

I groaned as she settled over me, her bare skin against mine sending a fresh wave of hunger through me. She rocked her hips, teasing, making me grip her waist to hold her still. “Careful,” I warned, my voice tight. “Or this is going to be over a lot faster than I want it to be.”

She smirked, leaning down until her lips were just a breath away from mine. “Then I guess you better hold on tight.”

I held on as she took control, as she moved over me with slow, torturous precision. The heat between us built until it was almost unbearable, our bodies slick with sweat, our breath mingling in the dark. Every movement, every touch, pushed us closer to the edge, until finally, finally, we exploded together, a mess, tangled sheets, and limbs, lost in each other.

For the first time in years, I felt truly wanted.

Sophie curled into me, her fingers tracing lazy patterns over my chest.

“Still think you’ll be sleeping on the settee?” she teased, her voice thick with satisfaction.

I chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Not a chance.”

She sighed contentedly, pressing closer.

“Good. Because I don’t plan on letting you go.”

And as I held her in my arms, feeling the steady beat of her heart against mine, I knew I didn’t plan on letting her go either.