EZRAJacqueline lay against the pillows with her cheek turned toward me, her hair curled around her throat like silk spun from dusk. I had never seen anything so holy.I lay there for minutes, maybe longer, watching the rise and fall of her bare back. The little human was imperfectly perfect in a way that threatened that she could become an addiction.And as I continued to watch her, drinking in her calming presence, something stirred in my chest. Heat, weight, need.Not lust. Not this time.This was deeper. Fiercer. It pressed under my ribs like a brand.I did not have a name for it at first. But I knew what it felt like. A tether. A thread that ran from my sternum straight to her skin, buried somewhere I could not reach. It vibrated faintly as she moved in her sleep, pulling at me with the subtlety of gravity.The bond.It was forming.I drew a breath and felt the edges of it wrap around me, invisible but real. I had only ever felt the beginning of this once before, lifetimes ago. W
JACQUELINEEzra Philips had an impressive length! I had never seen a size quite like his. He was long, thick, and curvy. I felt the immediate need to wrap my lips around it the moment I saw it.“You're so big!” I said, Awe, filling my voice.Philips chuckled. And then I leaned forward, guiding my lips up to his. The kiss was slow and leisurely and sweet, and I found myself nibbling on his lips, wanting this moment to last forever. I had never imagined that being kissed by Mr. Philips—Ezra—would feel this good. I never imagined that he could be this seductive and attentive. This is good at pleasuring a woman's body. But he was, and I was already addicted to his fingers and his lips and his ability to make my body sing. No one had ever been able to make me feel this way. Kisses were things I did with Samuel out of obligation. It was never something I truly enjoyed, not with the way Samuel had often kissed me like he wanted to bite my lips off. Ezra was introducing me to how good it
EZRAThe look on her face... God, the look on her face. It undid me.She sat there, curled into herself, the bedsheet clutched to her chest like a lifeline. Her eyes were wide, wet with the threat of tears, and her lips parted like she was still waiting for an answer I hadn’t given. “Jacqueline.” My voice was rough. I hated how far away it sounded. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”She blinked and looked up at me, her brows drawn, her lips pressed tightly like she was holding back the kind of pain you didn’t want anyone to see.I crossed the space between us before I could think twice.The bed dipped under my weight as I sank down beside her. My arms found her before my mind could catch up. I wrapped her in them, pressed her into me, and let her bury her face into the line of my neck.She let out a breath that shook, and then another. And then her hands came up and gripped the back of my shirt like she thought I might disappear if she didn’t hold me tight enough.“I’m sorry,” she whisp
EZRAShe lay beneath me, skin flushed, breath shallow, eyes wide like she couldn’t quite believe what had just passed between us.I wasn’t sure I could believe it either.Her moans still echoed in the corners of my mind. The way she had gasped my name… my real name. Ezra. Not the title I wore in school. Not the mask I put on in public. She’d peeled that off me with nothing but honesty. And hunger.I hadn’t touched a woman in years. Not like this. Not since Gyai.I gathered her carefully in my arms. Gently. Slowly. My body shifted beside hers, not heavy, but present, surrounding her like I was trying to shield her from something. Maybe from myself. Her skin was warm, her cheek resting against my chest. Her fingers curled loosely at the hem of my shirt, as though she didn’t realize she was holding on.She was quiet, but not asleep. Her breathing had slowed but there was still a tension in her body, like her nerves hadn't settled. I could feel it in the faint tremble under her ribs, in t
JACQUELINEI gasped, tilting my head to the side, giving him more of my neck, and he pressed his mouth there again, lingering. And then I felt his teeth graze the delicate flesh, and I almost came undone.Suddenly, Mr Philips stopped again.I shut my eyes and fought the urge to scream."What?" I asked, breathless. "Haven’t I made it clear enough that I want this as much as you do?"He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes unreadable but burning. "You have made it pretty clear," he said quietly. "But I won’t allow our first time to happen by the window."My breath caught in my throat."We need a bed for this."And just like that, he bent down, lifted me into his arms, and held me in a bridal carry. His strength was effortless, his touch steady and sure. My skin tingled in excitement. He didn’t stop because he was having second thoughts. He had stopped because he wanted this to be right. He wanted it to be perfect.I wouldn’t have minded doing it by the window. But the fact that he w
JACQUELINEMr Philips leaned in and kissed me.It wasn’t hurried or desperate the way I thought it would be. His mouth moved against mine in slow, deep strokes that made my toes curl inside my shoes. His lips were softer than I remembered, but firmer too. He kissed like he was learning me, studying every tiny sound I made. His hand came up, cradling the back of my head, and the warmth of it sent goosebumps tumbling down my arms.I forgot how to breathe.The kiss from the party had been wild, drunk, electric.This one… this one made my knees tremble.His thumb brushed along the curve of my jaw. My lips parted beneath his and his tongue slid into my mouth, coaxing a small, helpless moan from my throat. I melted under the weight of it, completely undone by how gentle he was being. His mouth tasted like heat, like something dark and addictive I hadn’t known I needed.I pressed closer.He didn’t stop me.His other hand gripped my waist, fingers curling against the fabric of my shirt, not p