Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
“Everywhere, huh?” Humor paints his words as he reaches one hand around to cup my butt and the other up to my breast.
I shiver as he drags his thumb over my sensitive nipple, burying my face in his neck.
“Like this?” He brings his lips to my neck, licking and sucking, making my eyes roll back in my head.
Who knew something so simple could feel so… good?
“More, Atlas.”
He pinches my nipple, and then soothes away the sting with the pad of his thumb. It’s the perfect mix of pleasure and pain—which shocks me, because I’ve never associated the two together before now.
I arch into him, desperate for more. I want his mouth on me, and mine on him. I want to taste the salt of his skin and make him shudder and quake with pleasure.
“I still need more. I want to feel you. With nothing between us.”
“Fuck, Nora.” He slants his lips back over mine, pushing his tongue into my mouth, tangling it with mine.
But then, just as quick as it started, he’s pulling away. I whimper at the loss of his touch, but he just grins.
“We gotta take this inside.” He shifts me off his lap, readjusts himself, and then stands.
I scramble up to follow after him.
“You go on to the truck and I’ll get the fire put out.”
Even in the heat of the moment, he’s worried about safety. Another reminder of exactly what kind of man Atlas Wallace is.
He sets to work gathering up the blankets and our trash, stashing them all in the bed of his truck before dousing the fire pit with a bucket of water.
“What are you waiting for?” he asks, noticing I’m rooted in place watching him.
“You’re just… you’re a good man.”
Atlas saunters my way, reaching out to cup my cheek once he’s within reach. “I love you, Nora. And right now, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to take you home and show you just how much.”
“God, yes, please.” I look up at him and lick my lips, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. “It’s very much okay.”
CHAPTER 30
NORA
Atlas drives like a man on a mission, and I guess in a way he is—a mission to get me naked. Can’t particularly say I’m mad about it, because I’m every bit as excited as he is, if not a little nervous.
He throws the truck into park, cuts the engine, throws open his door, and rushes around to open my door and haul me into his arms.
“I’m gonna make you feel so damn good, Pip.” He skims his nose along my jaw. “Promise. Gonna take care of you. Love you right.”
“I know you will.”
He sets me down once we’re safely inside the house. “But I meant what I said. You’re in charge. I need your words, because knowing you’re in this as much as me, that you feel safe, that’s important. You hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you.” I can also hear my heart beating like a drum in my chest, wild and out of control—but in the best possible way.
“Good.” He locks the front door and then turns to me with a wolfish grin. “Now, if you want this, if you want me, I need you to head on back to our room and strip.”
“Strip?” I echo him, my voice shaking ever so slightly.
“Yeah, that’s right.” He toys with the ends of my hair. “I want to see all of you. But, Nora…” He takes a step back, and immediately, I miss his warmth. “If you don’t want this, if at any point you want to stop, tell me and we will. This only goes as far as you want it to.”
“Okay.” I nod, silently hyping myself up for what I’m about to do.
I pivot on my heel and take off down the hall toward our room, shucking my sweater off about halfway there.
Footsteps sound behind me, but I don’t look. If I do, I might lose my nerve.
Instead, I unhook my bra and let it fall to the floor as I enter our room. Hearing him call this our room sent tingles all through me.
Once inside, I kick off my boots, socks, and leggings. Standing in nothing but my underwear, apprehension wraps itself around me like a dark cloud. What if he doesn’t like the way my body looks? What if I’m not good at any of this? What if…
A low groan snaps me back to the here and now, and I turn to face Atlas, boldly letting him look his fill, even if I am shaking so hard my knees are knocking together.
“Fucking hell, Nora.” He steps fully into the room, his eyes devouring me. “You’re… perfection.”
“Really?” I glance down at my belly, at the stretch marks running across my skin and then back to him, nibbling my lip.
Atlas tugs his shirt over his head and then drops to his knees in front of me, pressing a tender kiss right above the edge of my panties. “Yes, a million times yes.”