Thirty-three ~ Power

WARNING: SEXUAL CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER

I arrived at Brent's hotel shortly after my confrontation with Alastair, and I was surprised when he didn't answer the door. Despite his brave behaviour on the beach, I didn't think he'd have the courage to explore London alone given he'd never travelled before.

After the third round of knocking, I began to head back down the corridor but paused when I heard the door unlock.

I spun around. "Sorry, did I wake—?"

Words dried up on my tongue when my eyes landed on Brent, wearing nothing but a white towel secured around his hips. Although bad manners to stare, I couldn't help myself, entranced by his sculpted body.

Broad shoulders sparkled with droplets of water that trickled over his tanned chest and down into the grooves of his six-pack. His v-lines drew my eyes to the fluffy fabric concealing the rest of him. I may have observed him in shorts countless times, but there was something so intimate about seeing him in just a towel.

"Sorry, this is a bad time. I'll come back later," I said, going to turn around again and save myself any more embarrassment.

"It's fine." He grabbed my wrist to prevent me from leaving.

Misjudging my haste, he pulled me with a little too much force, and I stumbled into his body. Citrus notes fused with the damp heat from his skin, and warmth pooled between my legs as erotic thoughts sprung to mind.

Brent released his grip on my wrist, trailing his fingers along my arm, over my shoulder and eventually settling behind my neck. Then, without an ounce of hesitation, he lowered his mouth to mine.

His lips were as soft and gentle as I remembered, his breath just as warm with a hint of mint. If I touched his skin, it would send me to pieces, so instead I sunk my fingertips into the luxurious fabric of the towel at his hips.

All too soon, Brent broke from the kiss, dropping his hand from my nape and pushing the door shut. Then he surprised me with his next line.

"When we're kissing, it's the only time I feel a shift of power, like I'm the one in control."

I tilted my head to the side, narrowing my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"This whole summer I've felt below you. I know that wasn't your intention, but I couldn't help it."

"That's crazy because I thought the opposite. I constantly believed you were looking down on me, and when we kissed, that was the only moment I felt some equality."

With a sigh, Brent backed away, turning towards the bed where he took a seat on the edge. Like a magnetic pull, my feet followed until I sank into the mattress beside him.

"Regardless," he said, "there's nothing more tempting than seeing a side of a girl that people rarely see. It was hard to resist."

"And you think it's not the same for me? You're so reserved, hiding your emotions, avoiding most physical contact. Even Mia says she can't imagine you in a sexual situation."

"I know. I was there for that conversation, remember?" Despite his matter-of-fact delivery, amusement licked the corner of his mouth.

I grimaced, the jibe pelting me with embarrassment, whether light-hearted or not. "No need to taunt."

Although his comment had temporarily disarmed me, with my train of thought back on track, I started to wonder who else might have seen this other side to him. It wouldn't have mattered to me, but it piqued my curiosity.

"Have you been with many girls?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not in a long time."

"No wonder it was hard to resist, then."

He raised an eyebrow, the same expression that got me every single time. "Now who's taunting?"

"What, you can give it but can't take it?"

"You're the one struggling to take it, Rosalie."

"I can take anything you give me." I returned his challenging stare.

With the heat building between us, I knew we'd ventured beyond the point of no return. We'd known it the second I'd laid eyes on him in the towel, but it wasn't in either of our natures not to try to resist it.

Leisurely, his hand slid into my hair and I desperately tried to hold on to my composure, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of assuming power. It was only a matter of time, though. As soon as his lips touched mine, my resolve would melt, and he knew that.

"Are you ready to relinquish power one more time?" he murmured against my mouth.

I swallowed my nerves. "As long as you're ready to be in control."

When our mouths met again, there was an even greater underlying tension present, one that consumed us from the beginning, pushing all other thoughts from my mind. We may have clashed at the start of summer, but three months later he'd travelled all the way here, willing to experience the lifestyle he'd detested so vehemently.

Releasing my hair, Brent's fingers slid down my sides, over my waist, and then toyed with the hem of my t-shirt. I eased back from the kiss and caught my breath as he rolled the top up my body, knuckles grazing my bare skin and leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake.

My stomach exposed, the frantic butterflies inside fluttered their wings. It felt so intense to be removing clothes in this way, compared to the hasty manner of tearing them off mid-kiss. Kicking off my shoes, I shuffled further onto the bed and pulled Brent down on top of me, pressing my mouth against his again. Warm hands explored my bare skin, roaming over my ribcage before tracing the lace of my bra.

I wondered if he could feel the fast thumping of my heart or if his mind had focused elsewhere. As his hand slipped inside the cup and his fingers tugged at my nipple, the rhythm of the kiss faltered, and he took the opportunity to drag his damp lips along my jaw and over my neck.

Writhing beneath him, I lifted my hips in a desperate attempt to gain even more contact with his body. When that failed, my hands darted to the knot in his towel.

Sliding his hand out from inside my bra, Brent was quick to assist me, tugging off the towel and tossing it to the floor. Before I could catch a glimpse, though, his mouth latched onto mine again, his tongue easing between my lips to seek my own.

Without giving myself a chance to overthink it, I reached down between our bodies, both of us flinching—and then freezing—as I curled my fingers around him. That moment was like pressing pause. Everything faded away, our deep breathing now loud and clear, echoing in my ears.

Almost hesitantly, I ran my hand down the length of him and then back up. He shuddered, burying his face in my neck. Right then, I understood what he'd meant by the shift of power and having someone completely at the mercy of your touch.

My confidence soared. Tightening my grip, I slid my hand downwards again, the heat between my legs intensifying as Brent released a deep groan down my ear. When I reached the tip, damp drops escaped from him and I allowed my fingers to sweep them up, the silkiness of his skin now feeling even more sensual.

Brent cursed under his breath and sprang back into action, showering my chest in kisses before moving his mouth downwards until I had no choice but to retract my hand.

When he reached my jeans, he popped open the button and pulled them all the way down and over my feet before trailing his mouth back up my legs, depositing gentle kisses all over my calves and inner thighs.

My hands clutched the duvet as he inched closer to my underwear, his mouth so near that I could feel the tickle of his hot breath. As his eyes flickered up, as if to ask permission, it nearly tipped me over the edge. I'd never felt such strong desire, such strong sexual anticipation—so powerful, in fact, that I was almost dreading how I'd react to it being fulfilled.

Excruciatingly slowly, Brent's fingers hooked under the seams of my underwear, easing them down, over my thighs, my knees, and eventually my feet. Excitement thrummed through my body as his lips retraced their path, his eyes only leaving mine when they disappeared between my legs.

The instant the warmth of his mouth brushed over me, I let out a gasp, my grip on the covers tightening. He was tentative at first, but as my knees tightened around his shoulders, he became more assertive, his tongue sweeping with precise determination.

Any remaining dignity drained from my body as I lost myself in the sensations of Brent's mouth devouring me. The mouth that had cursed, judged, and reprimanded me now brought only deep pleasure. For the briefest of seconds, I wondered how he was so good when he'd been out of practice for so long, and what the sex would be like after such intense foreplay...

That thought had barely registered before I'd moved my hips away and pulled him level with me, capturing his lips again. It was a gesture that clearly caught him off-guard and he groaned, his tongue lapping against mine.

The excitement building, I didn't want to waste time asking Brent about protection, so I reached down for my purse and dug out a condom. He didn't express any surprise, instantly rolling it on and then pushing me back down onto the bed.

"Wanna go slow to start?" he asked, his body hovering over mine.

His thoughtfulness in the midst of all the passion only made him more attractive. Nodding, I dragged my hands down his back and lifting my hips. No further invitation needed, he eased into me. My head lolled back into the pillow as I closed my eyes and choked out a gasp.

Slow didn't last long. The moment my body had adjusted, I wrapped my legs around his waist and fixed my hands on his hips, encouraging his rhythm.

"All good?" he murmured down my ear, the words coming out in a breathless pant.

"All good," I said, backing it up with an involuntary moan when the pace of his thrusts increased.

It was crazy. After all this time, it was finally happening. After all the fantasies and the near misses, this was it.

And it was worth the wait.

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Thank you for reading :) xx

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