The soft amber light spilled through the curtains, casting gentle shadows across the room where Claire and James stood facing each other. The years they had shared were etched into the lines of their faces and the quiet familiarity in their eyes, but tonight, a sizzling current passed unspoken between them, awakening a hunger neither had felt in a long time.
Claire reached out slowly, her fingers tracing the curve of James’s jaw. “You look tired, but… there’s something about you tonight,” she murmured, her voice low and warm. “I can feel it.”
James smiled, his gaze deepening. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been thinking about you all day. About just this moment.”
Her heart fluttered, a mixture of tenderness and desire pooling within her. “I miss this — us,” she confessed, stepping closer so the heat from his body brushed against hers.
He swallowed, his hands finding her waist. “I want to remind you… of how much you mean to me. How beautiful you are, Claire.”
She closed her eyes as his words wrapped around her like a soothing embrace. When their lips finally met, it was a gentle clash of yearning, slow and exploring. James kissed her with the reverence of a man rediscovering the treasure he’d held all along. Her hands curled into his shirt, pulling him closer as his lips deepened the kiss, slipping inside hers with a tender intensity.
The room seemed to dissolve around them, leaving only the sensation of skin on skin and breath mingling in soft sighs. Claire’s fingers slid beneath his shirt, feeling the strong muscles beneath, a warm pulse of desire growing steadily.
James’s hands moved upward, cupping her face, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. “You’re still breathtaking,” he whispered against her lips, his breath hot and sweet.
She smiled into the kiss, her hands threading through his hair. “And you… you’re still the man I want.”
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, seeing the same spark that had drawn him to her years ago. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”
With deliberate slowness, James’s hands trailed down her back, slipping beneath the hem of her blouse. The silk of her skin meeting his touch made him ache, the familiar power of her body wrapping around him in a way that was both comfort and thrill.
Claire shivered, the contact electric, as she raised her arms, lifting the blouse imperceptibly to allow him more access. He kissed the nape of her neck, sending waves of pleasure through her that made her gasp softly.
“God, you drive me crazy,” James said hoarsely as his hands explored the gentle curves of her waist.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into him, her own hands beginning to untie the belt of his trousers. She felt the heat radiating from him, the growing urgency in his movements making her pulse quicken.
James’s breath hitched as she reached for the button of his pants, their bodies hungry for more than words could offer. He stepped back just enough to pull off her blouse completely, revealing the delicate curve of her collarbone and the smooth skin beneath.
Claire’s fingers brushed over his chest, tracing the steady thrum of his heartbeat. “I want to remember this night forever,” she said, her voice low and yearning.
“Me too,” James agreed, his mouth capturing hers again in a kiss that claimed the moment like precious treasure. His hands slid down to guide her gently onto the bed, the softness of the sheets like a promise.
Her pulse pounded in her ears as he moved beside her, their bodies aligning perfectly after all these years. He kissed her slowly, reverently, before trailing his lips down her neck and along the slope of her shoulder.
Every inch of her skin seemed electrified by his touch, the fire between them growing hotter with each shared breath. Claire wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as their bodies pressed together in perfect rhythm.
James’s hands began to explore with a renewed urgency, tracing the sensitive lines of her waist and hips, teasing with feather-light touches that made her shiver. Her fingers tangled in his hair, anchoring him as she gave herself entirely in the moment.
When their bodies finally joined in a slow, exquisite dance, every movement was a declaration of love and desire. Claire moaned softly, the feel of James inside her igniting a passion that had only deepened with time.
His voice was rough with need as he kissed her again. “You’re mine,” he breathed. “Always have been.”
“And always will be,” she whispered back, her hands clutching his back as he moved with a powerful, steady rhythm.
The night stretched around them like a velvet curtain, the silence punctuated only by whispered promises, shared sighs, and the sound of their love unfolding.
When it ended, they lay tangled in each other’s arms, the weight of years felt only in the comfort of their closeness. Claire reached up, brushing a strand of hair from James’s forehead.
“I love you,” she said simply.
James smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. “And I love you, more every day.”
