Page 88 of Ride or Die

Opening one eye, I meet his stare.

“Talk to me, darlin’.”

I stare deep into his gaze seeing nothing but a tender concern in his eyes.

“I… I-I have a—” Oh god, this is harder than I ever imagined it might be. It doesn’t help that he’s basically a Greek god, so much younger than me, and I know he’s had his fair share of women who, I’m almost certain, look nothing like me naked.

“What is it, baby?” Cole presses gently.

“I have a caesarean scar,” I say under my breath. “And it’s… rightthere.”

Silence ensues and it’s rife with something weighty, Cole’s gaze unrelenting as his eyes bore into mine. And I kind of wish I’d said nothing. Let him do his thing and be silently disgusted, but I didn’t want him to freak out. I don’t think my limited self-confidence could handle seeing him recoil with his face between my thighs.

“Forget it,” I mutter, trying to roll over and away from him because right now, I want to crawl under the bed and hide until he gives up and leaves.

“Hey, c’mon now.” Cole stops me. “Look at me.”

Reluctantly I do look at him, feeling my cheeks burn.

“Clara,” he begins, pausing a moment to study me so carefully, taking in every part of me like he’s memorizing the finer details of my face. “You are the most beautiful woman, insideandout. Your body is incredible. These tits…” He palms my breast rough, his thumb rolling over my aching nipple, teasing a moan out of me. “The things you do to me, baby, without even realizing. Every inch of you drives me in-fuckin-sane in the best kinda way. And I likeeverypart of you.”

I swallow the sudden emotion that sticks to the back of my throat.

“And your scars,” Cole continues. “The ones on your skin, and the ones inside, the ones you’ve learned to hide, they make up the incredibly strong and courageous woman and mama that you are. And I—” He stops then, licking his lips, his gaze bouncing between mine as if he’s considering his words. “And I…loveevery fuckin’ part of you.”

My lips part on a gasp, shocked by his admission. He… loves me. I thought that was what he was alluding to earlier when he told me he cares about me, but right here, right now, the way he says the word.Love. I know without a doubt he means it. And I know without even more of a doubt that I love him too.

“I-I know it’s… fast,” Cole stammers softly, his thumb trailing the curve of my Cupid’s bow. “And it’s new and it’s… fuckin’ scary because I ain’t ever loved no one before. But it’s true and I need you to know that… because I love you.” A thick swallow works down his throat. “I’m in love with you. You and every single one of your scars.”

“I love you, too,” I confess under my breath, my words trembling through the emotion racking though me.

Cole groans, burying his face into the crook of my neck. “I was really hopin’ you did, baby,” he murmurs against my skin with a relieved sigh.

I can’t help but smile, closing my eyes at the feel of his lips kissing me, sucking me, his tongue dragging over my trigger point making my toes immediately curl.

Lifting his head, Cole meets my eyes again, lips curling with a smirk. “So, is that a yes?”

Oh god, I almost forgot what we were talking about. My cheeks flame. Biting down on my bottom lip, I stifle my shy smile and close my eyes, nodding my approval.

“I’m gonna need you to open those pretty eyes, baby,” Cole grits against my mouth, and I do, meeting his lust filled stare. “Because I wanna look directly into them when I make you come on my tongue.”

CHAPTER 33

COLE

Clara watches me, the look in her eyes clouded with need as I kiss my way down her perfect fuckin body. It’s taking every last ounce of self-restraint I can muster to control myself, but I know I need to go slow because I want her to enjoy this, to fuckin’ love it, to want it more and more. Only ever from me.

Staring into her eyes, I cup her left breast, sucking the pink nipple into my mouth and rolling it between my lips and teeth. Her back arches off the mattress, and I lick a line to her right breast, giving it the same attention and basking in the way her breath hitches in her chest. And as much as I could lay here all night, sucking on her pretty tits, the need to taste her perfect pussy is visceral. Like if I don’t get my mouth on her, I might die.

With my eyes still firmly fixed on Clara’s, I continue south, trailing her soft skin with my lips. Stopping at her belly button I swirl my tongue around it, causing her to breathe in deep. I grin against her and keep going until I’m met with the waist of her sleep shorts. Pushing up onto my elbow, I watch her while I loop one finger into the elastic and tug them down over her hips, all the way down her thighs, never once breaking eye contact. When she’s laid out bare beneath me, and only then, I allow my gazeto wander, taking in every inch of her before I’m met with her pussy and holy fuckin’ shit, just as I expected, she’s… everything.

“Chrissake,” I breathe out, bowing my head and closing my eyes, taking the moment I need to steel myself.

“Is… everything okay?”

I snap my head up at the sound of the uncertainty in her voice, my eyes widening at the flash of fear in her gaze.

“Darlin’,” I choke out, reminding myself not to lose my ever-loving shit. “Everythin’ is just perfect. You are… fuckin’ perfect.”