Chapter 16

While our lips remained fused together in the darkness, Taylor's hands slid down my back, cupping my rear firmly as she carried me across the stone patio. I barely noticed the wrought-iron dining table passing by. I barely noticed anything except her mouth was on mine, her arms around me, her body carrying me somewhere I desperately wanted to go.

She walked with purpose. With certainty. With a hunger that matched my own.

Taylor gently lowered me down, laying me out across the plush, velvet-cushioned surface of the garden lounge sofa. The fabric was soft against my back, a stark contrast to the firm, warm body that followed me down.

In a fluid motion, she settled directly on top of me. Her weight was a heavy, comforting anchor, trapping me between her body and the soft cushions. Our eyes locked in the dim amber glow of the fairy lights, and I felt like I was drowning in her gaze.

I could feel her warm, ragged breath brushing against my face. Slowly, Taylor raised one hand, trailing her long, elegant fingers down my neck. The touch was featherlight yet electric. Her fingers traced the delicate hollow of my collarbone before resting lightly against my chest.

A silent, breathy gasp slipped past my lips. My body shuddered violently as a wave of intense heat pooled deep in my lower stomach. I had never felt anything like this… this overwhelming, consuming fire that she ignited with a single touch.

Taylor watched my reaction, her dark eyes flashing with a possessive, predatory glint. She lowered her head until the tip of her nose brushed gently against mine, sliding back and forth in a slow, agonisingly tender tease.

I gripped the lace edge of my white chiffon gown so tightly.

Then, she pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my forehead.

My eyes fluttered shut.

She trailed her lips down the bridge of my nose, pressing soft, reverent kisses across my eyelids, down each cheek, and finally tracing a burning path along the skin of my neck while my eyes remained tightly shut in pure ecstasy.

"I'll prove it to you," Taylor whispered against my skin, her voice thick with raw promise as her lips continued their descent across my body.

"Ahhh..."

A loud, breathless moan escaped my lips. My fingers tangled deep into her hair, pulling her closer as a jolt of sheer pleasure rocked my nervous system. I was losing control. I was losing myself. And I didn't care.

"Taylor... wait." I stammered, my rational mind desperately trying to claw its way back to the surface. I gripped her shoulders, trying to push her back. "Let's... let's do this inside. It's... It's too exposed out here in the open garden. What if someone sees us...?"

The words tumbled out in a breathless rush. The garden, while beautiful, was not private. Anyone could walk by. Anyone could see. The thought sent a flash of panic through my desire-clouded mind.

But Taylor didn't stop. She didn't even acknowledge the warning.

With practised ease, she gathered the layers of my white chiffon gown, sliding the fabric up past my knees, pulling it higher until her warm, intoxicating breath brushed against my bare skin.

A hot, lingering kiss was pressed right between my thighs, making my entire body jerk upward as a loud, uncontrolled gasp tore from my throat.

Taylor paused, lifting her head. Her dark eyes burned into mine with absolute authority.

"Don't fight me, Sophia," she commanded softly. "Call me honey."

Without waiting for an answer, she shifted back up, settling fully over me once more. Her lips claimed my neck again, this time pressing deeper, hot and demanding, before her tongue traced a slow, wet path along my skin.

The sensation was so overwhelming, so exquisite, that it completely short-circuited my brain. The fear of being seen in the garden vanished, replaced entirely by the consuming fire of her touch.

"H-Honey...!" I muttered breathlessly, my voice cracking under the sheer weight of the pleasure. "Honey...!"

The word felt foreign and forbidden on my tongue, yet also completely right. It was a surrender. A gift. A declaration of trust.

A dark, triumphant smile touched Taylor's lips.

"Good girl," she murmured against my mouth.

Without giving me another second to catch my breath, Taylor slipped her arms under me, lifting me effortlessly into her arms as she turned away from the garden. I wrapped my arms around her neck, my head resting against her shoulder, and let myself be carried.

She carried me swiftly through the back doors of the mansion and straight up the stairs toward our bedroom. I closed my eyes and let myself feel the strength of her arms, the steady rhythm of her steps, the way she held me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

The heavy mahogany doors of our master suite clicked shut behind us.

Taylor carried me straight to the centre of the massive king-sized bed, laying me down gently across the cool silk sheets. The moment her body hovered over mine again, the air in the room felt thick, heavy, and electric.

"You're mine now, Sophia," Taylor whispered; her voice was a deep, resonant hum that vibrated straight through my soul.

She didn't waste another second. Her lips found mine in a fierce, demanding kiss that stole whatever remaining breath I had in my lungs. Her hands were everywhere tracing the curve of my waist, sliding beneath the hem of my dress, mapping every inch of my skin as if memorising a map she intended to conquer.

Every touch was deliberate. Every caress was a silent declaration of the obsession she had.

I arched my back into her touch, completely surrendering to the overwhelming wave of heat. I let go of every five-year-old scar, every tear, and every painful memory of Andrew. Andrew didn't exist anymore. There was only Taylor her hands, her breath, her absolute, unconditional devotion.

Under the dim golden glow of the bedside lamps, our bodies tangled together in a seamless rhythm of passion and rediscovery. Every gasp, every whispered sigh, and every frantic touch echoed off the bedroom walls as we lost all track of time.

She loved me with a fierce, burning intensity, pulling me higher and higher into a dizzying spiral of ecstasy.

Later, as the room finally grew quiet and the storm of our passion subsided into a heavy, peaceful exhaustion, I lay curled tightly against her side.

Taylor's arm was securely wrapped around my waist, holding me flush against her warm chest, while her fingers lightly traced soothing circles into my bare shoulder.

I closed my eyes, breathing in her rich scent, completely wrapped in the safety of her arms. For the first time in my life, I knew without a single shadow of a doubt that I was truly loved, truly protected, and completely at home.

Because of her.