He lowered his head, cupped the side of her face, and drew her into a deep kiss. He wanted to drink in her very being, and it felt as if she was doing the same to him, relishing every heavenly sensation of the other’s touch. She eased herself to her back and he positioned himself at her entrance, driving inside. The moment was intense. As his heart thundered in his chest, he struggled to comprehend her warmth, and the way her body held on to him so tightly.
He went deeper and their bodies were fully joined. He inhaled her sweet scent and nestled his face in her neck while she wrapped her legs around him and muscled him closer with the backs of her calves. She tilted her hips with every stroke, meeting him when he was deepest. She seemed to want a faster pace, and so he made small but powerful thrusts, keeping their bodies as close as possible.
He was teetering on the edge of release, his breaths so shallow he couldn’t fill his lungs. Hers were coming hard and fast, her lips parted and eyes closed as she seemed lost in the dreaminess of pleasure. He wanted those lips on his when she gave way. He wanted to feel every second of her vulnerability.
She gasped and clutched at the sheets. He realized just how close she was to release. “Kiss me,” he said. He lowered his head and she raised hers, the kiss reckless and perfect. She bucked her hips against him and he thrust deeper, closing his eyes to feel just how tightly wound she was around him. He couldn’t take much more, but he would do his damnedest to wait for her. With a sudden shock, she knocked back her head and arched her spine, and that was his cue to give in to the pleasure. He wasn’t sure which way was up and which was down. His head spun fast and hard. Then he went into free fall, floating down to earth in a haze of deep satisfaction.
He collapsed next to her and she instantly curled into him. Their breaths slowed, falling into synchrony. She caressed the side of his face, sweetly rubbing her nose against his cheek and chin. Their lips connected, soft and warm, and he could feel the smile in her kiss. He couldn’t think of another place he wanted to be. And he couldn’t believe that it had taken him days to think about whether or not Astrid might be a good idea. She was better than that. She might be the miracle he hadn’t known he was waiting for.
He dared to look at the clock. “We have twenty-five minutes before your guests arrive.”
She groaned adorably and propped herself up on her elbow, dragging her fingers through his chest hair. “Whose idea was it to have a party anyway?”
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I think it was yours.” He didn’t want to move a muscle, but he knew that the sooner he resigned himself to their social obligation for the evening, the better. “Come on. I think we’ll live.”
They both climbed off the bed and he padded into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. After washing his hands, he found his clothes and attempted to shake out the wrinkles that might be difficult to explain, especially to his sister, who did not miss many things. Not that he cared much at this point.
Astrid was in her closet as soon as he was dressed. She was working her way into a pair of heels, sexy, mussed hair cascading past her shoulders. He couldn’t resist the chance to step behind her, grasp her shoulders and kiss her on the cheek.
“Does this look okay?” she asked, turning to face him.
“You would look good in a paper bag, but yes. You look amazing.” He kissed her on the lips. “I wish I could stay over, but I stupidly told the babysitter that I would be home before midnight.” As soon as the words had left his lips, he realized the presumption he was making. “I mean, not that you were inviting me or anything.”
She laughed quietly and grabbed a pair of earrings from a large drawer of jewelry. “I would love for you to stay, but I understand. Plus, I think that you and I would do well to take things slowly.” She gestured with a nod to her bedroom. “That was amazing, and I can see how it could quickly become addictive, but you and I will need to rebuild some trust.”
“Trust is immensely important.”
“Good. Now let’s go get ready for everyone to arrive.”
They started in the kitchen, Clay in charge of setting up the bar while Astrid preheated the oven to pop in some appetizers. It’d been a long time since he’d done something so domestic like this with a woman other than his sister, and he was pleased to realize that this wasn’t putting him on edge. Astrid’s comment about rebuilding trust had done so much to reassure him that opening himself up to her might be the best decision he’d made in a long time.
Promptly at six thirty, Tara, and Grant arrived, followed shortly by Miranda’s best friends from her office, Brittney and Shay. Clay was busy serving drinks when Miranda showed up. He dropped his party duty to help her with her coat.
“You told me this started at five,” he muttered, kissing her on the cheek.
“Did I? That’s weird. I guess it’s just pregnancy brain. That’s a thing, you know.” Miranda was an expert at covering her tracks, but Clay could
