The End of Darkness Read Online Free

had come out tersely. 
    He started to back away. “If you're uncomfortable—”
    “No.” She reached out, feeling the expanse of his chest, and then went lower and wrapped her fingers around his penis. “I'm very comfortable. In the dark. Please humor me.” She didn't usually say 'please.' Usually she let them leave if they balked.
    He released a breath, but she couldn't tell whether it was out of frustration or in reaction to her hand on him. Either way, he relented, lying down beside her. She kissed him, wanting to feel his mouth on hers again. He ran his hands down her body, over her stomach, nestling in her pubic hair. His fingers rubbed provocatively back and forth as he moved from her mouth to her jaw and down her neck. 
    Desire swirled through her, different from anything she'd ever felt. She felt the urge to let go, to flow down that lazy river. But letting go meant losing control, so she pulled herself back.
    “You alright?” he asked, running the words together.
    Had she stiffened? He was eerily perceptive. “Fine. Wonderful. But you don't have to do all this…kissing and touching. I know guys want to get to it. I'm fine with that.”
    She thought he lifted his head because she no longer felt his mouth on her collarbone. 
    “Is that what blokes want? To shag and be done with it?”
    “Yes. And it's okay, really.”
    “Erica, I don't know what kind of blokes you've been with, but I like to take my time. And I like to make sure the woman I'm with gets as much out of it as I do. I want to hear you screaming and panting before I'm done.”
    Those words shivered through her. Except screaming would mean losing control, something she never, ever did. 
    “No, please, just…shag me. I want you so much I can't wait for anything else.” She wondered if he could hear the lie in her breathless words. 
    “You don't want me to go down on you?” He sounded baffled. “Women tell me that's the only way they can get off. And there's nothing like the sound a woman makes when my tongue—”
    “No, I don't want that.”
    “You're sure you want any of this? I mean, I'm up for it, but you seem conflicted.”
    “I do want this, and I'm not conflicted.” She did want it. Her body ached for it, and something else, something deeper. Why was he questioning her? He was getting easy sex. Isn't that what most men wanted? “I want you, Magnus. I want you inside me. Now.”
    She pushed him flat on the bed, then climbed on top of him. She took him in hand and fumbled with the drawer where she'd thrown a condom. Even though she'd promised herself she wouldn't do this again. 
    He was no doubt the biggest guy she'd ever been with. Blindly, she smoothed the condom down over him. Easing in took longer than usual, stretching her, but he filled her in a way she'd never felt before. His hands came up to her waist as he guided her motions. But he wasn't trying to speed her up. No, he was taking his time. She set a fast pace, expecting him to finish in a minute or two. Then he could leave, and she could torment herself for giving in again. This was something her body wanted, but her soul always resisted. 
    Instead, Magnus rolled her onto her back and kissed her. She started to move her head away. She didn't like kissing, but something inside her responded to his mouth on hers, coaxing her to open to him. She did, and his tongue traced lazy circles around hers. Before she could think about it, she was matching his movements, joining the kiss.
    “Can we turn on the light now?” he said between kisses.
    “No. I like the dark.”
    His hand skimmed down her arm. “If it's the scars you're worried about, I don't care. You feel beautiful.”
    She squeezed her eyes shut at those words. Was this guy for real? She could only shake her head, afraid her voice would give away how that made her feel.
    “Next time,” he whispered against her cheek. He caressed her breast and then rubbed his thumb over her nipple. “Next time I will