She reached for him, intent on paying him back in kind, but as if he’d read her mind, he shook his head firmly, reached under a pillow, and pulled out a foil packet. At the sight, she stopped breathing, her insides clenched in anticipation.
“One more time, Lucy. Are you sure about this?”
Her gaze locked with his, and the breath she’d been holding burst out of her. “Are you kidding? God, Sam. I’m about to self-combust here.” A sudden thought froze her in horror. “You’re not sure, are you?”
He frowned, staring at her. “God help me, Luce, from the first moment I touched you, I’d never been more sure of anything in my life. Believe me, the thought of sinking myself so deep inside you that I don’t know where you begin and I end is the only thought in my head right now.” As if to highlight his point, his cock jerked. “Ignore that.” He grinned, and her mouth curved in response. “It has no manners and is purely selfish.” He dropped the condom beside the pillow and lay back, making a show of holding his hands above his head. “We don’t go any further unless you choose to.”
Without hesitation, she picked up the packet and sent him a grin. “It’s kind of hard to ignore.”
He groaned and rolled his eyes at the bad pun.
A laugh burst out of her. “Luckily for you—” She ripped the packet open with her teeth. “—I don’t want to ignore it.”
With trembling fingers, she positioned the condom over the tip of his straining erection and rolled it on. Sam hissed through his teeth, and she straddled his lap, every instinct screaming at her to lower herself, to impale herself on him, but the ache of holding out held its own appeal too. Her blood pumped hot and thick through her veins as she bent her head and kissed him.
His palms cupped her jaw, his hands so large his fingers brushed the nape of her neck. One hand moved to brush the hair from her forehead, the touch so gentle and light, as if she were made of the finest crystal, she nearly swooned with the sheer exquisiteness of it. She broke the kiss and lowered herself, holding his gaze. His eyes had gone almost black, and her nipples hardened to the point of pain. At the touch of his rock-hard erection to her most sensitive flesh, they gasped in unison, their gazes locking. His hands rested on her hips, and she lowered her body, closing her eyes as he stretched, then started to fill her.
“Look at me.”
Her eyes flew open at the harsh command, and she halted her descent. He stared at her, his mouth a grim line and the line between his brows deeply etched.
“I want to look into your eyes as I slide all the way into you.” The grip on her hips tightened as his fingers flexed. “I want you to see me.”
Having known Sam for years, Lucy thought she’d seen every expression, but she’d never seen this one. His eyes were fierce, muscles bunched like coiled springs, and his body hummed with barely contained energy. And it thrilled the hell out of her. What would it take to push him over the edge?
“Oh, I see you, Sam.” She sank a little deeper, her smile feline at the low sound he made in his throat. She squeezed him with her inner muscles, once, twice, loving the strangled sound he made as she did. Bracing her hands flat on his chest, she eased up slowly until just the tip of him was still inside, teasing him with little swivels of her hips. Then all hell broke loose.
His hands clamped onto her, stilling her movements, and he drove up, forcing her to take him all the way. Her head fell back on a cry. Beneath her, his thighs flexed and his mouth latched onto her exposed throat, nibbling and sucking on areas she’d no idea before were erogenous zones. All her senses were filled by him. He was all she could see, smell, hear, taste, and feel. It was overwhelmingly good, and shivers coursed through her body as she gave herself up to it.
“Sam.”
He lifted his head, his eyes dark and molten as they focused on hers, and he stilled. “What’s wrong, brat?”
She grimaced at his use of the nickname, but he chose that moment to pulse inside her, and her grimace turned into a gasp. Her hips rocked, desperate for more, and his mouth curved into a sinful smile as he started to move inside her. From this moment on, she’d always associate the nickname with making love to Sam and recall this exact expression on his face, the way he smelt and felt under her, the taste of him in her mouth.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she answered after she managed to catch her breath, her eyes pricking with tears. “Everything is finally so right.”
His palms cupped her buttocks, gently guiding her into a rhythm that had them both breathing in short pants. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Damn, you feel so good.” His roving hand slipped between their bodies, one finger dipping into where they joined before finding and rubbing at just the right spot, sending her already primed body into what felt like the countdown to the biggest out-of-this-world orgasm.
With him stretching her to capacity and his fingers working their magic over the bundle of nerves at her center, the twin sensations sent her into orbit, and seconds later she shattered into a thousand stars, the sound of her name in a hoarse shout filling her universe as Sam followed straight after.
Collapsing onto his chest, she lay there, barely able to move, more than content to listen to the sound of his racing heart slowly return to normal. His fingers trailed lightly up and down her spine in a tingling caress, and she arched her back lazily.
“That was incredible.” She gave an experimental squeeze of her internal muscles and grinned when he groaned. “When can we do it again?”
“As soon as humanly possible if I have any say.” Sam rolled them onto their sides, eased out of her, and removed the condom. “Let me take care of this first.” He raised a finger in warning, a mock growl to his voice. “Don’t move a muscle.”
A silly grin stretched her mouth as she watched him stride to the bathroom, her gaze drifting down to his perfect ass. As if she had any intentions of moving from the only place she wanted to be. She buried her face into the pillow, inhaling deeply of Sam’s scent, her body aching pleasantly from the unaccustomed exercise.
The sound of the toilet flushed, and she lifted her head to see him standing in the doorway. Her heart thumped hard. God, he was beautiful. From his dark, tousled hair standing up in all directions, to the tips of his long toes. As if he were sculpted from bronze, he stood motionless, allowing her scrutiny. Golden skin stretched over the wide expanse of his chest and ridged abs. A faint tan line delineated where shorts sat low on his hips, and she imagined him in his workday, those delicious muscles making light work of wielding heavy equipment, his skin glistening under the hot summer sun as he worked up a sweat.
Imagining his body running with sweat got her all hot and bothered, and she squirmed then sat up in the bed, the sheet falling to her waist as she pushed herself against the bedhead.
Beyond all reason, she wanted him again.
“What are you thinking about?”
His voice was a low rumble, and she met his gaze briefly before tracking leisurely back down over his body in a slow perusal. “Just a fantasy.”
“Yeah?” He pushed off from the doorway and stalked toward the bed, eyes so hot they almost incinerated her. “How does it start?”
Her body threatened to melt under the heat, making her center throb in anticipation. “It starts with you—all hot and sweaty.”
Stopping at the end of the bed, he stared down at her, feigning composure, but the glint in his eyes gave him away. “And where does it end?”
She gave him a mock frown and tsked. “I’m disappointed in you, Sam. The end isn’t the only fun part. In fact, the journey throughout the middle is the best bit.” She shrugged and turned her shoulder. “But if you’re not interested in hearing the full story, perhaps I’ll leave it for another day.”
“Oh, no, you won’t,” he growled, those delicious muscles of his bunching, drawing her gaze, moments before he leaped on her, caging her in with his body. “I hope you can multi-task because I’m dying to hear every detail but don’t want to waste time when I could be touchin
g you.”
Her head fell back on a throaty laugh as she tried and failed many times to keep her story on track. Finally, she admitted defeat and gave herself up to the pleasure of his skillful hands.
Chapter Eight
Sam blinked dry eyes, his gaze fixed on the stream of dull light coming through the gap in the curtains as dawn arrived. Dark clouds sat on the horizon.
For the past couple of hours, he’d been staring at the same spot, trying to keep his mind off the woman sprawled on her stomach next to him. But it turned out just keeping his eyes off her wasn’t enough. Her scent reached out to him, and snippets of the night before replayed themselves over and over in his head behind his eyeballs, sending his cock once more to rock-hard purgatory. He sighed and shook his head, deciding to give up the pretense and look his fill.
In the early morning light, her ivory skin glowed with sepia tones. She looked like an award-winning photographer’s muse. Shadow and light played over her, accentuating the intriguing curves and dips to her glorious body, tempting him to refresh his memory with just how silky smooth her skin was. Dark eyelashes fanned out over cheekbones dusted with a hint of rose from the sun. His hand hovered centimeters from her face, his fingertips aching to soothe the slight burn before he caught himself and snatched it back. She had to be exhausted. The last thing she needed was his demands on her body once again.
They’d ended up making love a total of three more times. That didn’t include the quiet moments between bouts of lazy exploration of each other’s bodies. Who knew having the small of his back stroked with a feather-light touch of fingertips would be enough to make him want to roll her over and plunge deep into her tight little body again? Last night had been the single most earth-shattering experience of his life. It had turned everything he thought he knew upside down. What the hell was he going to do?
Lucy stirred, a little sigh escaping her parted lips. Those lashes he’d been admiring moments ago fluttered, then slowly blinked open. Her eyes widened slightly when they focused on his face before a smile bloomed. A delicate blush highlighted her cheekbones, and he grinned, knowing her mind was taking her through a fast recap of some of the things they’d done together. He’d always found her so easy to read. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, back.” Gravelly with sleep, her voice conjured up all sorts of erotic images, then she gave a feline stretch and rolled onto her back. He made a strangled sound, somewhere between a groan and a smothered curse. The corners of her mouth tipped up, her still slightly swollen lips drawing his attention before he noted the ghost of a whisker burn surrounding the delicate skin.
Before he thought through the consequences, he leaned down and captured her mouth, intent on soothing the irritation with a soft kiss. That idea flew out the window when she opened for him, her tongue boldly stroking his. Hands clamped onto his buttocks and pulled him in snug to unbelievable heat, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Helpless to resist the lure of her gorgeous body and lush mouth, he kissed her back and lost himself in her once more.
Forty minutes later, he lay staring at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the shower in the next room and battling the urge to join her. His heart rate had finally settled back into its normal rhythm, but every time his mind conjured up even a thought of her, his heart leaped in an almighty thwump. It wasn’t just the sex—although that had knocked him for six—not if he was being honest with himself. It went deeper than that. Scary deep. He had the disconcerting feeling he was falling in love with the brat.
And that thought kicked him in the gut—hard. He couldn’t afford to give his feelings full rein. He had to distance himself from her—for both of their sakes. Oh, he could pretend that he thought she needed a little longer to explore her sexuality with him, just to “make sure,” but that would only prolong the inevitable. They didn’t belong together, no matter how much he wished it were so. The hero worship she felt for him would rub off soon enough, taking the gloss off her feelings for him and leaving him in a world of pain.
The water shut off, and the faint sound of off-key singing made his mouth twitch briefly before he threw the bedcovers back and strode to the set of drawers, pulling on a clean pair of work shorts and a random shirt. Before she could catch him in a weak moment and entice him back to bed with that incredible body of hers, he slammed the drawer shut and rushed out of the bedroom as if it were on fire.
He was bent over the dishwasher, stacking last night’s dishes from their hastily thrown together dinner in between love bouts, when she entered the room. The air in the kitchen seemed to become electrically charged and his skin, hyperaware. The hair on his forearm prickled moments before she curled her fingers around it and tugged him around to face her. When he rose to his full height, she wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face in his chest, and inhaled deeply. It took all of his willpower not to return the embrace. His eyelids squeezed shut, then slammed open again when losing his sight only intensified his other senses. It appeared she’d helped herself to his body lotion, and he had to admit it smelled better coming off her skin.
“I almost didn’t get into the shower. I hated having to wash your scent off me. But then I figured there’ll be plenty of other times when I can rub myself against you to get my fix.”
Something clogged his throat at her words, and he couldn’t for the life of him answer her. At his silence, she leaned back, a small frown furrowing her brow, and her arms tightened around him as if to prevent him pulling away, even though he knew he hadn’t moved a muscle. But then they’d known each other for so long it stood to reason she could sense when he was mentally backtracking.
“What’s going on, Sam?”
He took a deep breath and gazed down at her. The normally clear blue of her eyes had clouded over with confusion. He couldn’t bear the idea of them filling with pain that he’d created, even if it was better for her in the long run, and so he decided to soften the blow a little.
“I just realized I’m late for a job I’d booked a few weeks ago.”
“On a Sunday?”
Shit. “Ah, yeah.” He fumbled around for a plausible excuse. “The plants don’t know it’s the weekend, and for some clients, it’s the only time they can allocate in their busy lives for their outdoor care.”
The frown softened but didn’t disappear completely. Her arms dropped from his waist, and she stepped back. “So will I see you later?”
He took the opportunity to create a little distance between them, leaning back against the countertop. “I’ve got a couple of busy weeks coming up, but I’m sure we could fit in a day the weekend after next. Got to keep up all the progress you’ve made to help you find that special man.” He swallowed the swift wave of nausea his words created, hardened his heart to her soft inhale, and clenched his jaw to stop the words he really wanted to say to her from escaping. He pasted an easy grin on his face and crossed his arms, ignoring the muscle twitching at the corner of his eye.
She looked up at him, her head cocked to the side. “Are you saying this is the end of my tutelage?” She’d obviously tried for a lighthearted tone, but her bruised eyes gave her away.
He pretended he hadn’t noticed and gave her a flirtatious wink. “Darlin’, you don’t need any more lessons after last night and this morning. You passed with flying colors. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t eager to relive it again sometime. There’s no reason we can’t, right? Not until someone else is in the picture anyway.”
Her gaze turned sultry. “Are you sure you can’t fit me in a little sooner?” Her finger traced a path up his forearm and took a trip across his pectoral muscle, deliberately scraping a nipple with a fingernail on the journey.
He gritted his teeth as a jolt of electricity shot straight to his groin. His fingers tightened on his biceps as he determinedly kept his arms crossed to prevent reaching out for her. “I’d love to, brat. But like I said, I’m snowed under at the moment. And speaking of…” He pushed away from the bench and grabbed his ke
ys. “I’m late for that job. I don’t want them giving the account to someone else. Are you ready to go?” He paused before the door and threw her a glance, jingling his keys for added emphasis.
She crossed the room, snatching up her bag that accompanied her wherever she went, and gave him a cool smile. “Sure. Let’s go.”
Even though it was exactly the outcome he wanted and knew had to happen, why then did his stomach drop and the gloss get taken off his day? He held the door for her, his nostrils flaring when she passed under his arm. Even as he mocked himself for the need he couldn’t quite shake, he filled his lungs with her scent, hoping it would be enough to sustain him for the long days without her.
Chapter Nine
“Earth to Lucy. Hello, are you in there?”
Lucy blinked, then slowly refocused to find her friend Suzie waving a hand in front of her face.
“Sorry. I was miles away.”
The past week had been filled with moments like that. She’d hoped that a Friday night dinner with her best friend would help bring her back to the ground. After that night and morning of mind-blowing sex with Sam, she wondered how she was ever going to revert to normal again. Right now she didn’t even know if she’d ever know what normal was supposed to look like.
“Yeah, you were. If I didn’t know better, by that look on your face I’d think you’d been reliving something pretty racy.”
Lucy’s hands flew to cover suddenly heated cheeks.
Suzie’s eyes widened at the gesture, and the wine she’d been about to sip sloshed out of her glass, staining the white linen covering their table. “Oh, my God! Spill. Just what did you and Samuel Merrick get up to? God, I hope it was the wild thing. Please tell me it was.”
“Ssh!” Lucy glanced wildly around to ensure no one else had heard, her fingers digging into her friend’s arm. Satisfied no one had, she retracted her hand and leaned forward, a dreamy smile she couldn’t contain making her mouth curve. “Okay, it was. And it was wonderful. I never knew sex could be like that.”
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