66

[REBECCA]
When I heard the shower turn off, I let out a sigh of relief and closed my book, turning toward the door as I waited for him to come out.
It had been almost half an hour and he was still inside.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw me on the couch. “You aren’t in bed yet,” he mumbled, drying his hair with the towel. “Are you not sleepy?”
I shook my head and looked down at the book on my lap. “I wanted to finish the book before going to sleep. And I’m not that sleepy.”
“Hmm.” Artemy threw the towel on the plush bench in front of the bed, before sitting down on the bed, facing me.
“How many pages do you have left?” he asked.
Opening the book, I checked and then shrugged before looking back at him. “Thirty-two pages. I have two chapters left.”
“Go ahead then. Read it and then we’ll go to sleep.”
“Are you going to stare at me like that while I read?” I teased with a small laugh.
“Is that a problem, kitten?”
“It’s a little creepy.”
“I like looking at you. I find that I can’t take my eyes off you when we are in the same room.”
I smiled, looking down at my book. I had to read every paragraph twice, because I didn’t understand what I was reading.
My mind…my body was hyper-aware of Artemy’s stares. With each minute, my body heated under his penetrating gaze.
When I finally finished the book, I snapped it shut, leaning against the sofa.
“Done?” Artemy questioned. I nodded and closed my eyes.
But I felt him moving closer and closer, until I felt him right in front of me. His heat made my heart flip and I licked my lips nervously as my eyes fluttered open.
“You are so beautiful, do you know that?” he whispered, leaning forward to touch my lips. He rubbed his thumb over it and then moved to my cheeks, trailing his finger upward. My eyes opened to stare into his.
“Stand up,” he ordered softly. My body trembled as I did to his bidding. So many feelings…foreign feelings coursed through my body as I stood up in front of him. “These lips, I will never grow tired of kissing them,” he continued, his lips just inches away from mine.
“Please.” I didn’t know what I begged for. All I knew was that I needed him. And he understood.
Artemy brought his lips to mine and kissed me gently, sweetly. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to his body and my hands instinctively went to his chest, making contact with his skin.
He kissed me while I explored every inch of his naked skin, my hands moving up his chest to his shoulders and then down his biceps and the length of his arms.
The more I touched him, the harder and deeper his kisses became. Our tongues danced together, in perfect harmony. We kissed each other like we had been kissing those same lips for years. We touched like our bodies were accustomed to each other.
His hold on me tightened and he pulled me deeper into his body until I was completely plastered against him. Our bodies molded together. We fit as if we were meant to be.
I could feel his heart beating hard, and I smiled against his kisses. Our hearts danced as if they had recognized their mate.
With that thought in my mind, I melted in Artemy’s embrace and welcomed his kisses. I was nervous but I wasn’t scared. Not of Artemy.
He continued to kiss me with the same fervor. He bit, sucked, nibbled, and kissed my lips.
He was claiming me.
His hands moved down my body until they were at the end of my nightgown and he slowly pulled the hem upward, stopping mid-thigh. Artemy slightly pulled away and I moaned at the loss of him.
“Rebecca, this is the time to say no. If we continue now, I don’t think I will be able to stop. I need you too much,” he whispered.
I stared at him through hazy eyes and brought a hand up to his cheek. He rubbed against my palm and I saw a small smile appear on his lips, his dimple popping, making its appearance. My fingers caressed the indent in his cheek.
Finding the courage inside of me, I looked into his eyes and whispered back, voicing my own need. “I don’t want you to stop.”
Artemy’s eyes widened in surprise and then he smiled. His hands continued to move upward with my nightgown but he didn’t remove it. Instead he stared into my eyes, asking for permission.
I found it endearing that he was being so sweet, gentle, and considerate. When I gave him a nod, he didn’t waste any time. In a blink of an eye, my nightgown was off and he dropped it to the floor beside us.
The cold air kissed my bare skin and I trembled under Artemy’s intense gaze. “So fucking beautiful,” he muttered, taking a step closer. He brought his hand to my back and I felt his fingers on the latch of my bra. His hands trembled against me. It was shocking to see Artemy just as nervous.
When he unlatched my bra, he slowly removed the cups from my breasts, pulling it away from my body and letting it fall on the ground at our feet. As soon as I was bare, I tried to hide myself.
“No. Don’t hide yourself from me,” he chastised gently. Artemy brought his hands up and carefully pulled my arms away. My heart clutched and I swallowed hard against the ball of nervousness.
When I saw his eyes flare in satisfaction as he took in my naked body, my courage was back. I felt powerful. I felt desired and beautiful under his gaze.
Artemy leaned down and kissed me again. His kisses were a mixture of possessiveness and gentleness. Without breaking our kiss, he walked me toward the bed until the back of my legs hit the mattress.
He pulled back, his fingers tightening around my hips. “Lay down,” he ordered gruffly, his voice laced with desire. I did as I was told and laid in the middle of the bed in nothing but just my black panties.
Artemy stared down at me, his gaze filled with lust.
I was no stranger to lust for I had looked into lustful eyes for seven years. Raffaele had looked at me like a man determined to own me, to rip me of my identity until I was only his whore. He wanted to possess me…mind, body, and soul.
But the way Artemy looked at me, it was different. I could see the lust there but I also saw the gentleness. His gaze was soft as he took me in. He looked at me as if I was his everything.
He looked at me as if I was the only one he could see.
His stares told me everything I needed to know.
He cared. I wasn’t just a toy or someone to be owned. I wasn’t a whore in his eyes. Artemy looked at me like I was a precious jewel, someone to cherish and love.
And I soaked it up, holding this moment close to my heart, savoring every look, every touch, every beautiful whisper. My heart ached in a good way.
His eyes still on me, he quickly pulled his sweatpants and boxers down, standing completely naked before me.
He was already hard.
I ducked my head shyly, feeling my cheeks flame at the sight. Artemy chuckled and then I felt the bed dip as he joined me. He cupped my jaw.
“So sweet,” he whispered before taking my lips again. Artemy tugged me onto my side so I was facing him.
As he continued to kiss me, I felt his hands moving over my body until they stopped on my breasts. My nipples hardened as though begging for his touch. I wanted him. My need for him just as powerful and overwhelming as his for me.
My body was hypersensitive of his every touch as he trailed a finger over the swell of my breast and then circled my puckered nipple.
I hummed against his lips. He nibbled his way down my jaw to my ear, all the while playing with my nipples. He masterfully toyed with them, driving me crazy as my moans filled the room.
I fidgeted restlessly under his hands, my head falling backward, giving him better access to my neck. He grazed his teeth over the curve of my neck, finding my sweet sensitive spot that elicited another moan from me.
I shivered against his lips, my hands going up as I delved my fingers into his hair.
His lips continued downward, leaving a hot damp trail over my skin. He kissed over my collarbone, and then he stopped right over a rigid nipple.
Artemy blew over the tip and my fingers tightened around his hair in anticipation. He licked the puckered tip of my nipple and I gasped, arching my back as I pushed my breast into him, demanding more.
He wrapped his lips around my nipple and sucked hard. I moaned loud, my nails dragging over his scalp. He licked, sucked, and teased, driving me crazy with each movement of his tongue over my nipple.
“Artemy…”