‘Before we do things your way,’ he says, scooping me into his arms. ‘We do things my way.’ He’s moving before I can object, carrying me to his bedroom. I’m placed gently on the bed, like I’m the most delicate object in the universe, before his sits on the edge, one palm resting on the mattress so he can lean over me. ‘I need to have you once more.’

I press my lips together and work hard to hold on to my emotions. He means once more before he leaves to murder someone. The pad of his finger lightly settles on my bottom lip as he gazes down at me, and then he slowly walks his fingers over my chin, down my throat, and onto a breast. Every nerve ending ignites under his soft touch, my nipples tingling, begging for some attention. I’m not denied it. He keeps his eyes on me as he slowly drops his mouth to one breast, giving it a little flick of his tongue, before grazing the very tip with his teeth. My back bows and I fight to keep my arms at my sides. My other breast is claimed by his hand, his palm cupping it possessively, squeezing and moulding as he begins swirling his tongue around my other nipple. I shift on the bed, my legs twitching. I give in to their insistence to move and bring my knees up until the soles of my feet find the mattress.

He’s being super gentle, a total turnabout from our frantic fucking when I arrived. I sense there is more to it than just having me one more time. He wants to refuel on strength.

‘Nice?’ he asks, before filling his mouth with my breast, sucking gently.

‘Yes.’ I hum my pleasure, feeling the heaviness in my lower tummy intensifying. My arms take on a mind of their own and leave my side, my hands searching out the softness of his waves. He laps, licks, and sucks meticulously while my palms rest lightly on the back of his head, following his movements rather than pushing him farther into my chest.

‘You taste out of this world, Livy,’ he mumbles, kissing his way around my nipple and down to my midriff. I let my lids flutter closed in bliss and absorb every precious second of him feeling me, kissing me, worshipping me. His lips are everywhere on my torso, making me moan and writhe. The delicate bites of my flesh, his lips raining gentle kisses everywhere, it all provides the detachment I need from our imminent future.

I suck in air when his hand drifts close to the apex of my thighs, my tender, sensitive, wet flesh begging him to venture there. ‘Hmmmm.’ My head falls to the side, my hands now firming up on the back of his head in a silent hint. I want his mouth there.

He circles his thumb lightly over the top of my clit as he continues kissing my stomach. The friction makes me go rigid and hold my breath. ‘Always ready for me.’

I sigh, letting him work me up with his tender caresses. The ache in my groin is bubbling as my breath hitches, and I try my hardest not to moan, just so I can hear Miller’s pleasure-filled murmurs.

‘I want you to come like this first.’ His fingers slip into me and every greedy muscle clings on. ‘Then I’m going to make serious love to you.’

‘You always make serious love to me,’ I mumble, transferring my hands to my own hair and gripping hard at my scalp. My hips start thrusting up, matching his tempo.

‘And it’s the most gratifying feeling.’ His fingers flex within me. I gulp. ‘Your eyes smoking out as your pleasure builds. The tiny little pants of air as you try to control it.’ He circles, putting some weight behind his touch, making me shift up the bed. ‘Nothing can come close to watching you shatter beneath me, Olivia.’

I’m going to shatter now.

‘Are you nearly there?’ he asks softly, moving his face down and blowing a cool stream of air over my quivering centre. It propels me to the edge as I tighten my grip of my hair and clamp onto his fingers as he thrusts and slowly circles.

‘Ooooh,’ I breathe, my head beginning to slowly shake from side to side. ‘Miller, I need to come.’ All of my blood rushes to my head as I struggle to regulate my breathing.

I cry out when his mouth encases my clitoris, his fingers still pushing into me gently. I’m beginning to shake uncontrollably. ‘Miller!’

He withdraws his fingers and moves fast, lying between my legs and placing his hands on my inner thighs to push them wide apart. I go rigid, probably hampering him, but my climax is taking hold. The wet heat of his mouth suckling at me pushes me gently over the edge as I expel a long controlled rush of breath. I liquefy on the bed. I’m pulsing under his tongue, long and steady, drinking in air and circling my hips into his mouth. ‘I love it when you cry my name in desperation.’ He laps his tongue around my soaking core, gently easing me down from my subtle release.

‘I love it when you make me that desperate.’ I spasm when his lips scatter gentle pecks all over my swollen centre, working his way back up my body until he’s at eye level with me. Gazing into his burning eyes, he swivels his hips and plunges deeply, catching me a little off guard. His brow is shimmering with sweat, the gorgeous lock of hair skimming his damp skin. ‘You’re so warm.’ He pushes forward some more, his eyes flickering. ‘You feel so fucking good.’

I press my lips to his and he responds on a long, low moan, circling my tongue slowly with his. ‘Not as good as you,’ I mumble against his lips, his long stubble grazing my face.

He breaks our kiss and circles my nose with his. ‘We’ll agree to disagree.’ His hips swing into action, pulling out slowly. ‘Olivia,’ he whispers my name, and it only serves to increase my heart rate and transform the heat in my veins to flames. ‘Olivia Taylor, my most precious possession.’ He pushes forward soft and slow and with the utmost control.

My back bows, my hands taking a hold of his shoulders, feeling the flexing muscles as he withdraws again.

‘I love taking my time with you.’

I close my eyes on a long moan and let him do exactly that.

‘Don’t deprive me of your eyes, sweet girl. I need to see them. Show me.’

I can’t refuse him. I know he partly survives on the comfort and strength they offer him. Now he really needs that comfort and strength, so I reveal my sapphires to his piercing blues. He’s braced on his forearms, watching me carefully as he delivers lazy drives into me. My hips begin to move with him, turning those drives into grinding rotations. The friction is divine and constant, our groins locked together, circling around and around. I begin to pant. ‘Please.’

‘What do you want?’ he asks calmly. I don’t know how he does it. It’s infuriating. I can feel my body losing control as my pleasure builds.

‘I need to come again,’ I admit, loving that his cock actually swells in response to my confession. ‘I want you to make me scream your name.’

His eyes sparkle wildly, his erection answering again with another expansion. My hips are on autopilot now, which is good because all I can concentrate on is the delicious fire crackling between my thighs.

‘No screaming today,’ he says, dropping his mouth to mine. ‘Today you’ll moan into my mouth and I’m going to swallow every second of it.’ He notches up a gear with his rotating hips, flinging me back to the brink. I’m going at his mouth too roughly, but I make the most of it because I know what’s coming.

‘Savour me, Livy,’ he orders gently, instantly reining me in. My hands drift down his strong arms and feel their way across to his bum. I moan happily and stroke over the firmness for a short while, then grab on. He’s moaning now, too, our collective sounds clashing between our mouths as they duel gently. ‘Here it comes.’ His tongue speeds up, encouraging me to follow, which I do, my muscles hardening under him. I can feel all of the signs in him. He’s breathless, tense, and vibrating against me. ‘Oh shit, Olivia.’ He bites my lip, then resumes his passionate, hungry kiss. ‘Ready?’