Free Meant to Be by E. L. Todd Page B

Hazel, and going out of her way to break the ice with her was totally selfless and difficult. The significance was not lost on me.
    She sipped her wine and I blatantly stared at her. I thought I should say something but my look was enough. She knew how much that meant to me. Words were unnecessary.
    She put her glass down then met my look. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
    I had one thing on my mind. I left the table then lifted her from the chair. She was light in my arms, weightless like a feather. Her arms immediately wrapped around my neck, and her lips moved to my cheek. She read my thoughts easily.
    When we entered my room, I placed her on the bed then gripped her dress. I wanted to speed this along and get right down to business but I also wanted to take it slow, treasure the moment with her. We were finally healed from the pain we both experienced those past three months. I wanted to be back to the way we were, trusting each other implicitly. I undressed her slowly, kissing her skin as it was unveiled. The distant taste of coconut was on my tongue. I missed that. She was exactly the same as she was before.
    She didn’t undress me. Instead, she ran her hands over my body as I got her naked. I kissed every inch of her skin. My hands glided across every surface and I held her tightly. Her body was a perfect ten. I could see her being a model for Sports Illustrated . It wouldn’t surprise me.
    Impatient, her fingers moved to the hem of my shirt and gripped. She slowly pulled it over my head, her lips moving to the skin of my chest. She kissed me and massaged me with her tongue. I watched her praise me like a work of art. It aroused me to see the excitement in her eyes.
    Her hands moved to my jeans and yanked them off. When I only had my boxers left, she pulled them down and let my cock be free. It twitched as soon as it made its appearance. Monnique placed a gentle kiss on the tip then lay back, her legs hooking around my waist.
    I gripped her legs then placed them over my shoulders, pulling her hips closer to me. I wanted us to be completely connected for our reunion. I placed my face against hers the moved inside.
    I forgot how damn good it felt.
    I moaned while I reached as far as I could go. She gripped my arms and gasped at the familiar stretching. Even though we’d been apart for so long, it was like time had never passed. I moved into her and she rocked back, meeting my thrusts. I wanted to tell her I loved her but that was unnecessary. Words were pointless. My actions spoke clearly enough.
     
    We never finished our dinner. It remained at the kitchen table, abandoned and forgotten. Monnique was wrapped in my arms, her leg hooked around mine. I held her while I stared at her face, missing the sigh more than I could say. She met my gaze and gave me gentle kisses every few minutes, unexpected and spontaneous. My fingers laced through hers, and I imagined her wearing the engagement ring I bought for her. It was sitting in my nightstand, still in the original box.
    “Have you called that magazine guy?” I asked.
    “No. I’ll call him tomorrow.”
    I rubbed my nose against hers. “You’re really going to pursue this?”
    “I’ll see what he has to offer, if he offers anything at all.”
    “He will,” I said firmly.
    “And I hope it’s something good.” I saw the excitement in her eyes.
    “Would you quit nursing?”
    “Duh,” she said with a laugh.
    “But I thought you were passionate about your job?”
    “I am. But I love free clothes more.”
    I chuckled. “I’m sure it will be a lot more work than that. They’ll probably make you eat five nuts and a piece of fruit for your food for the day, and you’ll probably have to model clothing at fashion shows and magazine shoots. It won’t be fun and games. It will be work. And they’ll own your face and body.”
    “But you already own all of that,” she said with a smile.
    “Well, that’s true. But they’ll own the surface.” I placed