In that moment, I felt like I’d never needed anything more in my life.
“I’m right here, Birdie,” he murmured, his large body braced above mine. His eyes were warm as they looked down at me. “You sure?” he asked, concerned.
I nodded. “You’re the only thing I’m sure of,” I told him with sincerity. Sal had now officially seen it all, including the parts I never wanted anyone to see. And he was still here. I’d never felt closer to anyone in my life. And now that I’d shared it all, I needed him to make me forget, for a little while.
He leaned down, taking my lips, coaxing them open until his tongue met mine in a mind-numbing caress. His tongue stroked mine, lighting a fire in my belly. Then his teeth joined the fray, licking and biting in gentle tandem until my body was a pile of passionate mush beneath him.
His hips sat between my legs and I felt his erection nudge against my core, earning a groan and a flex of the hips from me.
“Slow, baby, there’s no rush,” his deep voice assured me as he moved down my body, biting and sucking as he went. His large hands pinned mine to the bed as he found his way to my core.
“You have the most beautiful body,” he said reverently, his lips against my inner thigh. Then he turned his attention to my core, working his mouth until I was calling his name desperately. I was close, I could feel it building, and when he began sucking greedily, it hurdled me over the edge with an intensity so fierce I forgot my own name.
In seconds, his huge body was up over mine and he was filling me completely. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper as his strokes intensified.
“One more, baby. Give me one more,” he grunted, his muscular arms straining. He leaned down, kissing me deeply as he took me with a possession so complete I didn’t know where he ended and I began.
“Sal, babe,” I breathed, warning him that I was close again.
His thrusts intensified, until the headboard was hitting the wall in a tandem so fierce, I was sure our neighbors would call the manager.
“Fuuuuuck,” he groaned, sweat glistening on his muscled chest as he gave me everything he had.
Then, I was there, falling over the edge with him as he groaned his release inside me. It had never been like this for me, not with anyone else. They weren’t Sal. That was just the truth of it.
He collapsed on top of me, his breathing labored and I wrapped him up with my arms and legs. I never wanted to let him go.
I was mortified when the tears started again, although they were for a completely different reason.
“Baby, what is it? Did I hurt you?” he asked horrified as he pulled back to look me in the eye.
I shook my head. “N-no, I just, I love you,” I said simply.
His brows wrinkled with confusion. “Love you, too, but no reason to cry about it,” he said as he chuckled nervously, still unsure as to where my emotion was coming from.
I embraced him as he laid almost his entire weight on top of me. It felt amazing. “You don’t know how much it means to me to have you see it all,” I whispered in his ear, my fingers stroking through his damp hair. “All the skeletons I’ve buried and you’re still here. I…I never thought I’d have that. Thank you, Sal,” I whispered hoarsely.
He pulled away briefly, his dark eyes appraising me in the dim light. “Your skeletons are more beautiful than most angels, baby,” he whispered gruffly. “I’m a lucky man.”
I could only nod because I was so choked up with emotion.
“Let’s get some sleep,” he suggested, rolling off me and pulling me with him so I rested against his chest.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Sophie okay?”
He squeezed me tighter. “Yeah, she’s watching movies with Connie,” he answered. “Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, feeling tired to the bone.
And despite everything, the seven-hour ride and the revisiting of childhood nightmares, I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Sal had given me that. If that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.
******
I was totally exhausted by the time we pulled into our driveway the next day.
“You’re a trooper, baby. I’m proud of you,” Sal told me, putting an arm around me and helping me to our room.
I needed a nap in the worst way.