“Emerson!”

I hear my desperate cry as if from far away, through the rush of blood pounding in my ears. The world doesn’t exist anymore, nothing does, even my body has been reduced to just gasps, and pleas, and the desperate ache that won’t be soothed until his palm slides firm over me and his fingers find my tender flesh at last, and curve up to push inside of me.

Oh! I shudder against his hand, whimpering and twisting in his iron embrace as I frantically thrust against the rhythm of his fingers, shivers of pleasure spiraling out like silver cobwebs across my skin. Emerson groans, and I feel the deep vibration of his voice against my neck as his fingers press, and tease, and flutter inside me, and then he pulls free and I cry out, empty and aching until he finds me again, thumb pressing down with a new pressure that makes my knees give and my body ache, and my bones cry out for release until finally the endless slow build becomes a deep surge and with one last hard spiral of his fingers I shatter against him, falling into the velvet darkness.

When I surface, gasping, I’m hanging against him, Emerson holding me up with those solid, muscled arms. I catch my breath, shockwaves still shooting through me. I’m reeling from the intensity of my release, adrenalin coursing fierce hot sparks through my bloodstream. Emerson turns me back to him, claiming my mouth again with fevered kisses as he backs up against the opposite wall. Objects fall from the shelving, crashing to the floor around us, but we don’t stop. I couldn’t even if I tried. He fumbles with his belt, breathing labored against my mouth, and I push his hands aside to unbuckle him, shoving down his jeans and underwear, shocked at the hunger still clawing deep in my stomach even as my orgasm slips away.

More. Now. Mine.

My fingers close around him, hot and hard, and I feel the jolt of Emerson’s body as he lets out a growl of ragged desire. Power surges through me at the sound, and I look up to find his head tipped back, mouth open and groaning as I gently tease and stroke him in my palm. His eyes snap open to find me watching him. He reaches for me, but I duck back, and sink to my knees on the hard floor.

“Jules,” he gasps, reaching out to brace himself against the shelving as I lower my head and find him with my lips. I slide my hands down across the hard ridges of his abs and around to grasp the chiseled contours of his butt as I lick slowly along the shaft, tasting him, teasing him. He’s soft and salty, so familiar, so Emerson, it fills me with a blissful sense of calm. It feels like the most natural thing in the world to trace and lap at him, running my lips down his length and then swirling my tongue gently over the sensitive part near the tip. Emerson’s whole body shudders in response. He clutches mindlessly at the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair, and it sends a fresh wave of exhilaration through me. Now it’s his turn to be undone, to feel helpless, to be totally at the mercy of my touch and tongue and slow, agonizing exploration.

I pull his body closer and finally take him into my mouth. Emerson lets out a groan as I suck deeper, finding my rhythm, loving the feel of how his body trembles and jolts under my fingertips as I let my hands roam across the hard ridges of his skin, tracing slow circles on the tender patches just below his hipbones, drifting down the solid trunk of his legs, and up the inside of his thighs to tease and stroke his balls.

“Jules,” he gasps, tugging at my hair, trying to get me closer, go deeper, but I pull back, teasing now, whispering delicate kisses along the length of him until he’s begging for me, the sound of his heavy, desperate panting filling the dark room. I tease him for an age until I finally take him in my mouth again, my lips running tight against him, angling deep and slow as I feel his whole body seize above me. His breath catches, and I feel him flinch beneath my tongue, jerking and strung out and totally at my mercy.

“Jules,” he gasps again, a desperate warning. He tries to move my head away, but I push his hands back and take him deeper instead, sucking long and hard even as I hear him cry out a guttural moan and feel the hot spurt of liquid in my throat. I swallow him down, feeling the rush of pure power as his body unwinds under my hands, hard flesh and muscle and bone turning liquid as he sags back against the shelving and finally slides to the floor.

I raise my head to look at him, sprawled on the ground in front of me. He’s gasping for breath, his beautiful face looking dazed and wild-eyed and totally undone.

I did this.

CHAPTER NINE

Emerson slowly pulls his jeans back up. He looks at me, and then shakes his head, a look of wry amazement on his face.

“Jesus,” he says, still panting. “Are you trying to kill me?”

I grin, smug and satisfied. He laughs, and reaches to pulls me against him, into the crook of his arm. I go, relaxing against him, my pounding heartbeat drumming a fierce song against his; his bare chest hot and sweaty against mine.

Slowly, our breathing stills. I close my eyes, safe in the dark world of his embrace, and let the waves of sensation flood through me. I feel f**king incredible, every nerve and cell shimmering with golden triumph, like I could leap tall buildings in a single stride, like I could dive off the edge of the world and spread my arms wide and fly.

Emerson tucks a stray strand of sweaty hair behind my ears, and drops a gentle kiss on my temple. “You good?” he checks.

“Uh huh,” is all I can manage in response.

He laughs, a low chuckle against my neck. Then I feel a hesitation, his body tensing, just the smallest amount. I twist to look at him.

“What?”

He studies me carefully, dark with unspoken questions. “The boyfriend…” he says at last.