I grab Colton's hand – it's freezing – and pull him along, jogging toward the house while the hot rain pelts us from above.
Once inside, I sprint up the stairs, racing away from Colton's freezing, grabby hands against a bubble of laughter that I can't contain.
Colton's low chuckle rumbles from behind me as he gives chase. The house has been devoid of laughter for so long, the sound is like music. Beautiful and full of life.
As soon as I reach the bedroom I dive onto the bed. Needing to get warm, I roll myself up in the fluffy comforter like a burrito. In an attempt to not get the bed soaking wet, I whip off my clothes and only emerge from the covers to fling them off – dropping the articles onto the carpeting with a dull, wet thud.
Colton's laughter dies on his lips as his hot gaze slides over my curves, heating me up from the inside out. After making their way up my body, his eyes land on mine. "You're so fucking beautiful," he says.
Somehow I know that he's not talking about how I look on the outside, he's talking about what's on the inside. The life he can see burning brightly within me. And I feel beautiful, with his dark blue stare eating me up and the deep love and acceptance I feel radiating out from his gaze.
"Come here." He holds out his hand and I rise onto my knees, crossing the bed until I'm kneeling before him. Colton swallows heavily and watches me while he undresses himself, shrugging off the wet shirt and letting his pants and boxers fall to the floor.
A flash of lightning lights up the sky as anticipation pulses through me. Everything about tonight feels different. And I like it.
When our skin presses together, we're cold and clammy and sticky from the salt water, but his skin feels amazing pressed against mine.
After a few sweet kisses, he leans forward and takes my breasts in his hands, lifting them to his mouth and alternating between each one with hot, wet kisses and flicks of his tongue.
Oh dear God.
I reach down and find him hard and ready. I tug him by his shoulders down on top of me, loving the weight of his body on mine. Without warning he angles himself against me and thrusts forward letting me adjust to every hard inch of him as he fills me slowly but completely.
We fuck slowly, our gazes locked as we move together. We're quiet and the mood is intense and I love everything about this moment.
Colton's eyes watch mine as he continues his lazy thrusts in and out of me.
"I want you to fuck my ass," I breathe, planting a kiss to his mouth.
His lips still, his entire body goes as tight as a wire, as if he's pausing to be sure he heard me correctly. Then he kisses me again, his tongue sliding against mine, and he withdraws.
"Are you sure, Sophie? We don't have to…"
"Yes, I'm sure." My voice is sure and steady.
Leaning across the bed, Colton opens the drawer of the bedside table and removes a small bottle of oil. "Remember when I brought this home?" he asks.
I nod. It's the massage oil he used to massage me my second night here. "Of course."
"You thought it was lubricant." He smiles. "Lay down on your belly for me," he says.
Drizzling some of the fragrant oil over my back, he begins giving me a slow, sensual massage. Working his way down from my neck, to my shoulder blades, soon his hands are on the globes of my ass and he's kneading them in his palms. My body hums in anticipation of what is about to turn into an erotic massage. At least I hope it is.
Every time his fingers draw nearer to my center, I lift my hips, giving him an open invitation to touch me lower. But he doesn’t. He takes his time, rubbing my lower back, my butt, until finally I feel him part my ass cheeks and glide his fingers between my legs, spreading some of the oil over my back opening. A rush of tingles skitter out from my core and my body, ever responsive to his slow, tortuous touches, comes alive. His fingertip caresses my forbidden opening and I have no idea how or why, but his touches back there feel incredible. Erotic. Sinful. And so sexy.
"You have a perfect ass." His voice is low, rough and thick with arousal. It only makes me want him more.
A low growl emanates from his throat and without further prompting, he slides one finger, then two into me, stretching me, readying me. The sensations overwhelm me and I groan out loud.
After a few more thrusts, Colton withdraws from me completely and I'm about to protest the loss of him when I feel the blunt head of his cock at my back opening. Oh God. My entire body goes tense.
He leans over me and plants a wet kiss in between my shoulder blades in an attempt to relax me. Then I feel his hot breath against my hair. "I won't hurt you, I promise. Just breathe for me. And relax. I promise I'll make this feel good."
I hear the slick sounds of him coating his cock in lubricant and then he's right back against me, spreading my ass apart and pushing forward.
I squeeze my eyes closed and focus on breathing, and relaxing my body, just as he said to do.
"That's it, beautiful girl. Let me in." His voice is impossibly tight and my insides go molten at the sound of his command.
He presses forward and sinks inside me, my body screaming out at the intensity of the pleasure and pain of being stretched. He pauses while I take a few deep breaths and then begins easing in and out in a series of shallow thrusts.
The sensation is like nothing I expected. I feel impossibly full and taken in a way I've never experienced before. In that moment, I am his. Every part of me belongs to this man. He owns my ass. Literally and figuratively.
Using my body for his pleasure, Colton pumps into me, taking me and making me cry out in ecstasy.
Bringing one hand around, he finds my clit and rubs me until I am quaking and bucking beneath him. The sensations are too much, and I combust, white hot sparks flashing behind my eyelids as I come.
Colton isn't far behind me, thrusting twice more before withdrawing and erupting in a hot, sticky mess against my skin.
He pulls me against him and I can feel his heart pounding just as hard as mine. We're breathless and move languidly, as if in a dream.
After a warm shower, we collapse into bed together, our bond deeper than ever before. My trust in him, in us, has grown exponentially after all we've endured, all we've shared. And I shudder to think what my life would be like right now if I hadn’t met Colton. He is my life line. My savior. The reason I open my eyes and roll out of bed in the morning. He's my everything.
As much shame and guilt as I had for spending Becca's last months on this earth falling for and making love with this man, I know it was exactly as it was meant to be. My love for Becca will never be replaced, she will always hold the very center of my heart, but I know without my love for Colton, I wouldn’t survive this. Her loss is staggering. And he pieces me back together again.