‘Not properly, but we will be soon, baby.’

A wave of tremors fly through me as he kisses my nose gently and drops to his knees in front of me, spanning my hips with his big palms, hooking his thumbs into the top of my knickers.

I tense and wait, but he makes no attempt to remove them. I look down at him and watch him kneeling there, his forehead resting on my stomach, as I weave my fingers through his dark blonde hair. We remain like that for an eternity, trapped in our own little dream state, just me watching him as he rolls his forehead across my tummy, back and forth.

He eventually takes a deep breath and leans in, placing his lips below my bellybutton and letting them linger there for a few seconds before slowly dragging my knickers down my legs. He taps my ankle – a wordless instruction to lift – and repeats the same on my other foot.

I look down at him knelt before me, his head lowered, and I know something’s playing on his mind. I tug on his hair to snap him out of his daydream, and he turns his face up to me, his eyes meeting mine. His frown line is heavy on his forehead as he reaches up, spreads his palms on my backside and dips his head, kissing my stomach again. He’s behaving peculiarly.

‘What’s wrong?’ I can’t keep my concern to myself any longer.

He looks up at me and smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. ‘Nothing.’ he says unconvincingly. ‘Nothing’s wrong.’

No sooner am I preparing to challenge him, his face is buried in the apex of my thighs and my legs have buckled.

‘Ohhhhh!’ My head flies back and my grip on his hair tightens. In one foul lick, he has me lock stock, and the niggling urge to press him is forgotten.

He moves his grip to my hips, causing me to jerk wildly. He’s the only thing holding me up. I feel his hot, skillful tongue circle my hypersensitive nub of nerves, rounding with slow, precise movements before delving deep into my core. There is not a single bit of me he’s not exploring.

‘I need a shower,’ I complain.

‘I need you,’ he mumbles against me.

I’m sent into a melting mess as he increases the pressure, digging his fingers into my hips. I grind against his mouth, it’s only a matter of seconds before I’m falling to pieces, the surging pressure crashing down into my groin having me holding my breath, with my heart jumping into my throat.

‘You taste incredible. Tell me when you’re close.’

‘I’m close!’ I gasp on a long rush of breath. Holy shit, I’m close!

‘Someone’s keen this morning.’ A hand is removed for my hip and two fingers plunge into me, sending me into orbit.

‘Oh, shit!’ I shout. ‘Please!’ I must be ripping his hair out.

‘Watch…your…fucking…mouth.’ he scorns me, between powerful, even strokes. He can’t tell me off for swearing during these moments. It’s his fault for putting me through this.

He stretches my opening with his fingers, circling and thrusting, while working my clit with his thumb and lapping at my sensitive lips with his tongue. It’s a torturous pleasure that I could endure forever, if it wasn’t for the increasing pressure weighing down on me, demanding release.

‘Jesse!’ I shout desperately.

With a few more measured strokes of his fingers, thumb and tongue, I’m hurled off the edge of a cliff and freefalling into nothing, the banging of my dehydrated brain replaced with sparks of pleasure. I’m cured.

He laps and sucks, slowly and gently, easing me down at a steady rate, my body relaxing and my heart rate leveling out. I keep my palms on his head, tracing slow, light circles in his hair.

‘You’re the best hangover cure.’ I exhale, on a long satisfied breath.

‘You’re the best everything cure.’ he counters. His tongue traces up the middle of my stomach, between my breasts as he rises to his feet. He continues the trail up my neck, tilting my head on a groan as he laps up my taut throat. ‘Hmmm, now,’ He kisses my chin softly. ‘I’m going to fuck you in the shower,’ He tugs my chin so my head comes back down. He kisses my lips. ‘Deal?’

‘Deal,’ I agree. What a stupid question. I’ve not had him for four days. Where was he? I elect not to ask. I doubt I would get a straight answer anyway. Instead, I take my time running my palms down his lovely chest, settling my eyes on his evil scar – something else I doubt he’ll divulge.

‘Don’t even ask. How’s your head?’

I snap my eyes from his scar, back up to him. He’s looking at me with a warning look. Yeah, I won’t be challenging that tone, or that face. ‘Better.’ I answer. I am. His face softens, and he looks down at his boxers.

I take the hint, slipping my hand into the waist band, brushing his hair with the back of my hand and skimming over his morning erection. I flick my eyes to his and find them regarding me carefully. When I move in closer, he takes the opportunity to lower his forehead onto mine, blessing me with his signature minty breath.

We’re surrounded by steam now, condensation settling all over us, and I can see his chest hair dampening, gripping to his skin as I slip my hands around the back of his boxers, smoothing my palms over his tight, extraordinary arse.

‘I love this.’ I whisper, molding my palms over his cheeks.

He rolls his forehead against mine. ‘It’s all yours, baby.’

I smile my approval and smooth my palms back to the front, grasping his thick, pulsing arousal at the base. ‘I really love this.’

He groans in appreciation, swooping down to claim my lips, raiding my mouth possessively, forcing me to release my grip of his hard length and take my hand back to his arse. I’m yanked into his chest, getting a full impact blow of his hardness pushed into my groin. I’m already commencing build up. The urgent need to have him inside me has me breaking our kiss and tugging at his boxers to get them down his long, lean legs. He releases one hand from my bum to assist, his boxers soon rid of, his massive erection pointing straight at me. It’s twitching, it wants in. And the drop of moisture that’s beading on the tip tells me this is going to be a shock and awe moment. I’m right. I’m swiftly grabbed around the waist and pulled upwards against his heaving body.

‘Get your thighs around my waist.’ he growls against my neck, as he sucks and bites at me. I comply without a thought, wrapping my legs around his waiting body when he lifts me, his arousal slipping over my swollen entrance, causing a desperate cry to escape my mouth.

‘Oh God,’ I gasp.

He crashes his lips against mine, moaning as our tongues perform a ceremonial dance in our mouths. My hands smooth down his stubble as he holds me with one arm wrapped around my waist and walks us into the open ended shower. I’m immediately pinned against the tiles, his palm slapping into the wall above my head as he worships my mouth, hot water raining down all around us.

‘This is going to be hard, Ava.’ he warns. ‘You can scream.’

Oh, Lord, help me. I’m burning all over, and it has nothing to do with the hot water pouring all over us. I move my hands around to grip his back when I feel him rear back, ready to enter me, my thighs relaxing to give him room. Bringing his hand down from the wall, he guides himself to my entrance, looking straight into my eyes as the head of his erection probes at me. I shiver.