Second Chances

by H. M. Ward

  His hand cups my cheek, and I open my eyes to see his dark blue ones staring at me like he's never seen me before. One side of his mouth tips up and the tightness in his jaw is gone. He looks so relieved. "You love me?"

  My eyes dart to the side, not wanting to admit it again. “Don’t make me say it again.”

  Daniel's lifts my chin and drops his head. His mouth is hovering just over mine. I feel his warm breath on my lips as he speaks. "Why not?"

  “Because, if you don’t feel that way, it’s just cruel.”

  He strokes my hair, pushing a piece behind my ear and cradling my chin so I can’t look away. “What if I do feel the same way? What if I love you?” He smiles softly, unsure of my response.

  “You love me?” I ask, shocked.

  He nods, smiling. “More than anything. Will you forgive me? I should have let you talk, we should have talked this out and I ran like a scared kid. I’m sorry, Gen. I had no idea how you felt.”

  I squeak out, “Yes,” just before his lips touch mine and I'm lost. My hands fly up to grip his shoulders while he moves his hands away from my face to grip my hips and pull me closer to him. When I feel his tongue trace the seam of my lips, I part my own with a sigh, letting him inside so our tongues can tangle together.

  Making out in a car like teenagers is definitely overrated. It's obviously been a long time since I've done it, and it's a lot harder now than it used to be. His truck isn't small by any means, but maneuvering so that I can press my body against his isn't easy. I'm up on my knees while he's turned slightly to face me. If it wasn't for the steering wheel, I'd be straddling his lap.

  Daniel groans in frustration as he tears his mouth away from mine to say, "I want you more than I've ever wanted anything, Genevieve. Will you come home with me?"

  I nod eagerly, desperate to be as close to him as possible. He leans in to kiss me once more, his large hand on my back pressing me closer against him as he takes my mouth aggressively. I've never been kissed like this. Daniel kisses me like it's more important than breathing, and I feel the same way. I'm giddy with anticipation of what's going to happen when we get back to his place.

  Pulling away from me, Daniel turns to place his shaking hands on the steering wheel, taking a deep breath before he puts the truck in drive. He doesn't say much on the ride to his house, but we don't need words, we both know what's coming next.

  Chapter 20

  We barely make it into his apartment before he pushes me up against the wall, caging me in with his arms on either side of my head. He towers over me, making me feel as if he can protect me from anything. Heart racing fast, my hands lie flat against the wall by my sides, trembling.

  I want this more than anything, but now that I'm here, I'm terrified. Aside from only having sex with one other man, I’ve had a baby since the last time I had sex. My body was young, my muscles were firm and my skin was unscarred. Now I’m a nervous wreck and there’s nothing firm or unscarred, not anymore. Every flaw I have is glittering like a disco ball. I wanted to be perfect for him, but my diet and exercise plan went the way of the taco.

  Mmmm. Tacos.

  No wonder I have mommy thighs. We’re about to have sex and I’m thinking about tacos and cursing my big butt. Daniel’s lips pass over my throat in the perfect spot and I whimper. All thoughts of food and thighs vaporize.

  "Hey," he whispers, after pressing his lips to my neck again and again, making me hotter and more lightheaded. "Whatever you're thinking, stop." Daniel says the last part looking me in the eye, and then trails his knuckles down my cheek, continuing to my neck. There’s no way he doesn’t feel the rapid fluttering of my pulse. He kisses my neck and lingers, moving slowly back up to my cheek, and then pecks my lips. When he backs away, his blue eyes wash over me, making me gasp for air. I see what he’s thinking, what he wants from me and I’m so nervous and excited. The only thing I know for certain is that I want to run, either straight into him or away from him.

  Daniel speaks into my ear, his warm breath making my back arch and I try to clutch the wall. "We don't have to do anything, Gen. I'll wait until you’re ready. I’ll wait forever for you." He kisses my cheek and pulls away, watching me, and smiling softly. “I’m fine with things like this. Kissing you is like breathing in sunshine—it’s amazingly hot and fills me from head to toe. I feel like I can fly when I’m with you, Genevieve. There’s no rush.”

  Meeting his gaze, I push him back and he drops his hands to his sides. He probably thinks it’s because I'm not ready, but that's not it. His words freed me. My guilt is gone and any hesitation I had flies away. My lips tug into a sexy smile. “Rushing into things sounds kind of nice, though, doesn’t it?” Keeping my eyes on his, I reach for the hem of my dress, lifting it up and over my head in one motion. My stomach flips as I toss it to the floor and stand there, letting his gaze rake over me.

  I take a deep breath and turn toward him, wearing only my champagne-colored bra, matching panties and heels. I have no idea what he thinks at first, but the way his mouth forms a tiny O, the way he drinks me in makes me feel so alive, so sexual. I haven’t had anyone look at me this way in a very long time. A giggle bursts through my lips.

  “You are…” His voice is breathy, like all the air has been crushed from his lungs. Daniel's eyes travel down my body like a tender caress. His gaze lingers first on the swell of my chest, then on the apex of my thighs, and finally wanders lazily down the entire length of my legs. His heated gaze moves back up my body, before settling on my face. I can barely breathe while he looks me over. "Damn, you’re beautiful!” His hands fist at his sides, as if it's taking all of his self-control not to strip me naked and jump me.

  The thought makes me smile. Cowboys aren’t my thing, but I wouldn’t mind being ridden right about now. My lips part as I step closer, so that my chest brushes against his. The response is instant. He gasps and holds onto me while I run my hands up his chest and wrap my arms around his neck. His hands come up to grip my hips, barely touching my skin. The heat of his hands feels like a brand as I pull his head down to touch my lips to his.

  Between kisses, I whisper against his mouth, "I want you, Daniel.”

  His grip on me tightens at the words, as he melds our bodies together. His mouth moves over mine forcefully and he sweeps his tongue past my lips. This is a side of him that I've never seen before, and I'm reveling in his possession, the way he moves me and holds me—as if I’m his and always will be. Holding onto my hips while he continues the kiss, he walks backward, leading me over to the brown leather couch. It’s against the wall a few steps away. Taking a seat he pulls me down, so I'm straddling his thighs.

  He kisses a trail across my jaw before moving his hot lips down my throat. I tip my head to the side as he reaches a spot just below my ear that makes me quiver. I gasp loudly and start to go limp in his arms, but I fight it.

  “Let go, baby,” he urges me to give in to that feeling, but it frightens me. I don’t know what he’s like in bed or what he’ll want from me. It makes it exciting, but it scares me too. I want to be at least a little coherent, so I fight the lust that’s trying to consume the rest of my mind. It’s as if he knows, because he says, “I love you, Genevieve. I won’t hurt you, baby.” He tips my head and looks into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  I’m smiling like a fool. “You love me?” He nods and kisses the tip of my nose, and then smiles at me, bashfully. “I love you, too.”

  He smiles harder. “That is a very good thing.”

  I kiss the tip of his nose and make a decision—one that makes my heart pound so loudly that I swear he can hear it. The smile fades from my lips as I whisper, “I trust you.”

  Daniel holds me tight, pressing his body to mine and drops his mouth to my neck once more. When he finds that spot and feels my reaction, he concentrates all of his attention there, stroking his tongue firmly, nipping, and sucking lightly until I surrender every ounce of control with a breathy moan. I’m a puddle in his arms, a sexy doll that h
e can play with as he pleases. I can’t think anymore; I can only feel. Every inch of my skin is tingling, craving his touch. The spot between my legs is on fire. I want him there and I’ve lost any discretion I might have had, so I say how much I want him, where I want him, and how I want him.

  Daniel gasps every time I say something, begging for him to take me. I want to feel every inch of him and I don’t hold back. Every thought, every desire spills over my lips and makes him devour me all the more.

  Daniel's hands slide up and down my back, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. The feel of his palms cradling me and the wet heat from his mouth is my undoing. I grind my hips against his, wishing we were closer.

  The fact that he's still wearing his fitted grey t-shirt and dark washed jeans while I'm almost naked is like an aphrodisiac. I feel like someone else, bold and sexy, as my fingers tangle in his hair and I pull him back to my lips. His mouth leaves a damp trail down my neck as he kisses from my ear to the spot where my pulse gallops. He groans low in his throat before moving his mouth lower, nibbling at my collarbone, and tracing the skin just above the cups of my bra with the tip of his tongue.

  Arching my back, I bring my breasts closer to his mouth and feel his fingers working the clasp. The straps slide down my arms and leave me completely bare from the waist up. "Damn," he mutters, "you’re perfect, these are perfect." My face heats and I know I'm blushing to the tips of my toes when he takes me into his mouth and sucks... hard. I lose all coherent thought as every feeling in my body centers around the way he's making me feel and the pull of his mouth on my sensitive flesh. He gives my other breast the same treatment, but this time he bites down gently—slowly grazing my skin with his teeth—which makes me cry out. When I arch my back and press into him, Daniel thrusts his hips up against mine, teasing me.

  Bringing my hands down to the hem of his shirt, I start pulling it up, desperate to feel his bare skin against mine. He releases me to help, pulling his shirt up and over his head and revealing his tan chest and lickable abs. Daniel laughs, saying, "If you keep looking at me like that, this is going to be over in about three seconds."

  My eyes fly up to meet his, and the heat in them sets me on fire. "I'm okay with that.”

  Daniel groans before placing his hands on my hips, slipping them down to my butt and standing abruptly. His actions leave me no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist. I'm still wearing my heels, but when I try to toe them off, he grips my butt harder.

  "Don't. Leave them on," he commands. A thrill shoots through me.

  He walks us into his room and lays me down on his bed, before covering me with his body. He presses a kiss to my nose, which makes me smile before he does more. “Keep going?” I nod. “Because we’re passing the point of no return. You’re too beautiful, and I’ve wanted you so much for so long. Gen, I don’t think I could stop if you asked me—”

  Slamming my lips down on his, I silence him with a kiss. It’s all the affirmation he needs. Things become hotter with each passing moment and I love the feeling of being his, feeling him want me so badly he can’t control himself.

  Taking my legs, he moves them so that they’re cradling his hips. Daniel pushes the bulge behind his zipper against my panty-covered core and I whimper. I manage to grab hold of him, scratching my nails into his shoulder, before he pulls back. Holding himself up with one arm, he trails his other hand down my throat and between my breasts, not stopping until he comes to the silky barrier. He traces the line across my stomach before pushing up so that he's kneeling between my thighs. Gripping the sides of my panties, he pulls them down my legs, dropping them off the side of the bed.

  As he runs his hands up the backs of my legs to the swell of my hips, his hungry gaze travels up my body and lands on my eyes. He palms my curves and lifts me slightly, lowering his head. I gasp, realizing what he’s going to do and tangle my fingers in his hair, urging him on. Daniel groans before kissing a trail up the inside of my thigh. I tense as he slowly gets closer and closer to my core. I feel mad with lust. I pull at him, clawing him, breathing so fast that I might faint. I plead with him, begging him to do it, over and over again.

  He lifts his eyes to mine as he teasingly drags his tongue across my flesh. The feeling is heaven and sin and sex. I’m ready to scream. Clutching the bed sheets, I hold on tight as his lips come into contact with mine. His tongue sweeps between, licking me. He circles the most sensitive part, once, then twice, before taking it between his lips and sucking gently. If he weren’t already holding me up, I would fall. The sensations shooting through my body are like an explosion. I can’t stand it and Daniel holds me so tightly that I can’t move. There’s no way to sate my lust, not until he allows me. I can't get away and I can't get any closer. The fact that he's staring into my eyes while he kisses me makes everything that much more intense, and it only takes a few more motions of his tongue before I'm exploding against his mouth, and screaming his name.

  Chapter 21

  When I come back down, he's released my hips onto the bed and removed his jeans, leaving him in only a pair of snuggly fitting black boxers. I watch him as he lowers those as well, allowing me to see all of him for the first time. I feel amazingly and completely sated, but the sight of his naked body ratchets my need back up to flaming territory. Holy fuck, this man is beautiful! My eyes roam lower and I see gashes running up his legs. My smile fades.

  Daniel’s face grows hesitant. “Don’t feel sorry for me. It was a long time ago.”

  “Do they still hurt?” The scars wrap around to the front of him in some spots.

  He shakes his head. “No, but they’re more sensitive than the rest of my legs. I’m not sure why.”

  Glancing up at him, I ask, “Do you trust me?” He watches me for a moment and I know he’s worried. I ask again, “Do you trust me?” I hold out my hand for him, and he takes it. I stand, pulling him toward me and then drop to my knees. One scar is in front of my eyes, along with his gorgeous length. I wait for him to speak.

  He finally says, “I trust you.” But the words are so soft that I know he’s worried.

  I press my mouth to the scar and kiss it slowly, sliding my tongue along the marred skin. Daniel sucks in a jagged breath and nearly falls over. He calls out my name and then clutches my head in his hands, leads me back when I pull away. “Please, do it again.”

  “Did it hurt you?”

  “No, it feels—I don’t know—it’s hard to describe, but I feel your lips on me and it’s intense.”

  “Lay down, then.” I smile at him and pull him over to the bed. Daniel looks a little bit shaken. I kiss his temple before rolling him onto his stomach. The worst scars are on the back of his legs, down by his knees. It’s a tender spot anyway, but add in the scar and it’s incredibly sensitive. It’s a spot that I love getting kissed. I thought the scars might heighten the sensation for him, and I’m glad that’s what happened. I wish I could kiss these away, but since I can’t, this is the next best thing.

  I crawl on top of his legs as Daniel grabs a pillow in his arms and holds on tight. I lower my head and start to kiss his scars, one by one, tracing them with my tongue and being so gentle that my touch is barely there. Dan’s hips slam down into the bed as he writhes. “Holy fuck, Gen!” I do it again, and again. Then I trace the scar that wraps around to his front and roll him over, kissing it and beyond. My mouth makes a beeline for his hard length. Daniel is trembling and his voice comes out shaky, but he stops me. “No, not that way. Not this time.”

  “I love you, Daniel.”

  “I know you do. I can tell. Every kiss is…oh, my god, Gen.”

  Before I can utter a word, he flips me on my back and crawls over me, placing himself between my legs. I spread my knees and rise up, wanting him. Daniel locks his body just above mine, out of reach, and pins me to the bed. Taking my face in his hands, he leans down and brushes his lips across mine once, twice, and on the third pass the kiss deepens and I can taste myself on his tongue. I grip his arms t
ightly, keeping him close, trying to pull him to me, until I'm forced to let him go.

  Daniel turns away and picks up a condom I didn't even see him place on the bed and quickly sheaths himself before placing a hand under each of my thighs and spreading them wider. He keeps his gaze on mine as he slowly slips inside me. By the time his body is flush against mine I'm gasping for air. It's been so long since I've had this with anyone and I’ve missed being intimate. In this moment, I’m everything to him.

  He stays still after he’s inside of me, silently asking if I'm okay. Instead of answering him, I move my hips, trying to get him to push back. Daniel slides out slowly, almost leaving me completely before he slams back into me. I cry out as he hits every pleasurable spot inside. He begins to move faster and I can tell he's getting close, his thrusts speeding up and becoming more erratic.

  Daniel runs his hands across my skin, paying special attention to my nipples, palming my breasts, teasing them with his fingers. He pulls each nipple between his thumb and forefinger rolling them into stiff points as my cries escalate. When I'm gasping for breath and arching my back, desperately pressing my chest closer to him, he leans down to pull each one into his mouth, sucking hard and nipping me gently. His other hand travels down my stomach to the spot between my legs that will push me over the top.

  Keeping his hand between my legs, Daniel uses his thumb and presses against my most sensitive part. He begins to alternate his touches, between pressing, pinching, and teasing me by tracing a circle. He watches my face as he tries each thing, taking note of which touch ignites me further. His touch speeds up as he lets my nipple slip from his mouth. He leans back and directs my legs around his waist. I lock my ankles together and give him complete control of our movements.