by Casey Hagen
"God, you're so wet."
His husky voice captivated her. Her breasts ached, every brush of her stiff peaks against his chest teasing her. Her heartbeat thrummed heavy in her ears. His lips trailed from her jaw down to the V of her dress. Pressing her to the door with his hard length, he pulled his fingers out of her. Her body mourned the loss of him, but when he put his fingers into his mouth and sucked all of her juices off them, the blood rushed to her head, leaving her panting and dazed.
He grinned right before slanting his mouth over hers. She tasted herself on his lips and tongue, and the salty tang excited her. Sinking her hands into his wavy hair, she pulled him in deeper to taste more. By the time she broke away, they both struggled for air. Their harsh breathing was the only interruption of the calm quiet of their private paradise.
Using those masterful hands, he slid the dress from her shoulders, leaving it pooled around her waist. Watching him, the way his eyes darkened at the site of her in her lace bra, gave her an intoxicating boost of confidence.
Hoping he wouldn't think her too forward, she reached for the clasp between her breasts. With a quick pinch, the lace fell away, the sight eliciting a low growl from him.
"So pretty," he rasped. He brushed the rough pad of his finger over one hypersensitive peak. In the glow of her burgeoning confidence, she watched him. No closing her eyes, no wanting to wait until dark. She wanted to savor his reaction. She wanted every expression, every detail, and every touch branded in her memory.
The sight of his large, tanned hand cupping the creamy skin of her breast captivated her. The way his thumb drifted back and forth over her tight nipple. She reveled in the look of wonder on his face, the way he focused on her sensitive flesh, the way he focused on everything. It all created a building urgency inside her, culminating in a piercing ache desperate to be fulfilled.
His hot mouth closed over her, and she was lost. Her head dropped to the door with a thud. She held his head to her and let the sensations spiral through her overstimulated system. She thrust her hips against his thick length, desperate for relief.
"Bed," he grated out between provocative tugs with his teeth.
He pulled her away from the door, eating up the distancing with long sure strides. He set her on her feet, and she swayed and tried to regain her balance. By the time she steadied herself, her dress lay in a pool around her ankles, where Everett dropped to his knees before her.
"What are you doing?"
He gave her a knowing smile and winked. "Trust me, Angel. You're going to enjoy this." Heaven help her, but she would do whatever he wanted if he kept turning that devilish smile on her. She never had a man kneel before her, with his face right there.
Hooking his fingers in the edge of her panties, he dragged the fabric down her hips, stopping just past her core. With his face inches from her, she was suddenly grateful she’d taken Alexa up on her advice to wax herself almost bare down there. Everett nuzzled his nose against the small, trimmed patch of hair still remaining. The sight of him savoring her sent a flood of moisture sliding through her. Her thighs shook.
He inhaled deep, his eyes slid shut, and he smiled. "You smell so good." He kissed the delicate skin between her thigh and belly as he continued to slide her panties down to her ankles.
When she moved to step out, he stopped her. Vulnerable to his gaze, she moved to close her legs.
"Don't. Stay just like that."
"But—"
Those intense eyes locked on hers. "I said stay."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded. With a final hot look, he went back to his task. When he dragged his finger along her slit, her knees wobbled. No man had ever looked at her there.
Fitting his mouth over her, he licked. Pleasure, sharp and all-consuming, took over as his tongue slid back and forth over her tight bundle of nerves. All of a sudden her modesty vanished.
She had to grasp his shoulders to stay standing. The heady sensations building in her had her head falling back, her lungs heaving, and a fine sheen of sweat breaking out over her skin. He added two fingers, sliding them deep. When he sucked her into his mouth, the dam burst, and she screamed.
She felt hot everywhere. Her skin felt too tight. Her feet burned. Her legs shook with the force of her release. As she descended from the peak, he slowed his assault on her, sweeping his commanding hands over her gently.
He rose and curled his fingers around the back of her damp neck, pulling her in for one of his drugging kisses. Eager to touch all of him, she attacked his buttons with clumsy fingers. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her fingers to work. He covered her fumbling hands, his rich laugh rumbling in his chest.
"Lie back on the bed, Corrine Anderson, and let me." His gaze touched her everywhere, with every slow pop of each button. She had seen his chest before, but there was something about him baring it for her now. The way he peeled the white cotton over his shoulders, tossing the shirt carelessly to the side, before reaching for the button of his cargo shorts. Where did he get that body?
His shoulders flexed with his movements. Her fingers itched to touch that smattering of blond hair covering his chest and belly. Flat, coppery nipples tempted her. Was he as sensitive there as she was?
The hard ridge of his erection outlined by his boxer briefs came into view with the slow slide of his zipper. She hadn't been with a man in quite some time. Knowing this was it, they were finally going to do this, a frisson of fear moved through her. That was when he hooked his fingers around the waistband of his underwear and shorts and shed them both in one shot.
Everett took satisfaction in the way her eyes widened at the sight of him naked. He sensed her worry, but more than that, he sensed her excitement. Knowing he put that heavy-lidded stare in her eyes, he went for more. Raising her foot, he sucked the inside of her ankle, watching her as he dragged his lips up her silky smooth calf, and flicked his tongue over the inside of her knee.
Every last inch of her excited him. Her shapely legs, the flare of her hips, and the gentle swell of her rose-tipped breasts. He smiled when her nails clenched the bed sheets beside her. As she breathed heavily, her breasts rose and fell with every slide of his lips and tongue up the inside of her thigh. He ached to bury himself in her, but he would take care of her first. All of her. Grasping the backs of her thighs, he raised her legs up and apart, opening her to him.
Watching her watch him, he dragged his tongue along her wet slit, suckling the sensitive bundle of nerves. She bit that sweet bottom lip and moaned. He curled a finger inside her, reaching the magic spot that made her eyes slide shut. The sheets twisted in her hands as her back bowed up. Keeping his rhythm, he added his thumb to the mix, circling her most sensitive spot.
He had never been more turned on than he was now, watching her heels dig into the mattress, her head thrashing back and forth. Those beautiful breasts thrust in the air, called to him. Desperate to taste her, he suckled one stiff peak into his mouth and sank impossibly deep with his finger. The combination of the two had her hips rioting out of control until she was screaming his name, gasping for air, and spilling all over his hand.
Tired of waiting, wanting to be inside her more than his next breath, he reached for his shorts before he remembered he didn't have a condom on him. He needed his suitcase. Shit.
Sliding next to her, he cupped her soft pink cheek and gave her a chaste kiss. "I'll be right back."
She grabbed his hand as he tried to stand. "Wait, where are you going?"
The longer they talked, the longer it would take. "Condom."
She pulled herself up, pressing those soft breasts against his arm. His eyes crossed when she playfully bit his shoulder.
"I'm on a shot for birth control." She looked at him then. "It's been a year and a half since I've been with anyone, and I've had a complete physical. I'm healthy."
He pressed a kiss to the side of her throat, inhaling the sweet scent of her heated skin. "I haven't been with anyone in a couple years.
I get checked yearly too, and I'm clean."
"So we don't need the condom." She shrugged and looked away. "If you don't want to."
If he didn't want to? Of course he didn't want to. Being inside her with no barrier was far more than he could have hoped for. He closed his eyes and tried to cool his libido. If he wasn't careful, this would all be over with one slide inside her.
He cupped her cheek, catching his thumb on her bottom lip. "I want to feel you. All of you."
Wrapping her hand around his wrist, she glanced up at him through thick lashes. "I want to feel all of you too."
She gave him her shy smile and he was lost. Taking her mouth in a fiery kiss, he lowered her to the soft sheets. Settling between her thighs, he cradled her head in his hands and sipped at her sweet mouth. Throaty moans vibrated from her, settling inside him.
He pressed against her, starting a slow slide inside. She was so impossibly tight. When she gasped, digging her nails into his shoulders, he stopped. "It's okay, Angel. Relax. If it hurts, say the word, and I'll stop."
"Okay."
As he slid to the halfway point, intense sensations coiled inside him. She squeezed him so tight, and she was so hot, that he almost lost it. He dropped a kiss to her firm peak, his hips flexed of their own volition, and he slid home.
She squirmed and his balls drew up tight. "Oh God…stay still. Just for a minute."
"Are you okay?"
Smoothing her hair away from her face, he took in all of her. Those wide eyes held him immobilized. "More than. You feel so damn good, I'm going to lose it if you move."
"You're overwhelming."
"In what way?"
"Your size." His cock jerked, making her smile. "The way you look at me, the way you touch me, the way you kiss me. It's a lot."
"You're the best decision I've ever made, Corrine Anderson." Burying his face in her neck, he pulled almost all the way out of her and sank back in as deep as he could go. The pulse point in her neck raced as she sucked in a harsh breath.
He wasn't going to last long, so he went for it. All of it. Interlocking his fingers in hers, he stretched those arms high above her head and thrust deeply into her. He swallowed her cries as her climax took her hard. The tight hold of her inner muscles worked him over, milking him. He came with a low growl, sinking as deep as he could.
As their mutual gasps and pants turned to deep, sated breaths, he stayed tucked between her thighs, raining kisses over her chin, neck, collarbone, and shoulder. Her soft, shuddering sigh moved through him. "I'm in serious like with you, Corrine Anderson."
She laughed, which made her inner muscles clench in turn, making him groan. Rolling off her, he pulled her with him nestling her in the curve of his shoulder.
"Everett?"
"Yeah?"
"You're the best decision I ever made too.”
Sunlight streamed into the bedroom. She smiled as Everett's lips brushed the back of her shoulder. She curled her hand into the one he used to cup her breast.
"Good morning, Corrine Anderson."
The rough timbre of his morning voice made her grateful she wasn't standing. Her knees would never hold her up with his voice sliding over her. She wiggled back into his embrace, making him groan against her neck. His hardness jumped against her backside.
Her muscles ached after the long night of lovemaking. Every time she drifted off, she awoke to him exploring her. His fingers caressing her between her legs. The drag of his tongue from the bottom to the top of her spine. His lips tracing the contour of her hip. Her personal favorite was waking to her leg draped over his as he slid into her from behind.
She was deliciously sore and didn't care one bit. "Good morning, Mr. Harden."
"Flirty this morning. I like it." He slid between her legs, the hard tip of him brushing against her most sensitive spot, making her gasp.
"Are you sore, Angel?” he whispered into her sensitive ear. Unable to speak with the clash of sensations at the heart of her, she nodded.
He pulled back and slid away. She watched the sheet drag over his hip before landing on the edge of the bed. He turned and reached out a hand to her. "Come on. A hot shower is just what you need for those sore muscles."
She took his hand and squeaked when he bent, tucked his shoulder into her belly, and lifted her right over his shoulder.
"I can walk, you know."
"Yeah, but like this—" he gave her cheek a quick squeeze, letting his hand drift to her core, "I can get my hands all over you on the way."
She couldn't argue with that.
It took forty minutes, but their hot water finally ran out. She wasn't sure how well it worked to ease her sore muscles when he lifted her against the cool tile and drove into her again. Not that she was complaining because, oh, my God, the man was gifted.
Both suffering from lack of sleep, they decided to forgo the adventure generator app and lounge on their private expanse of beach. Knowing how much Everett liked it, she slid on her white bikini.
This new side of him, Superman to his everyday Clark Kent, had her tied in knots. Good knots. Orgasmic knots. Her face burned as she thought back to what she’d told him yesterday, about her inability to orgasm unless she was on top. He’d blown her theory out of the water when he brought her to screeching climaxes standing, on her back, on her side, and on her stomach.
He was an enigma. His quiet concentration and intensity turned into a commanding inferno in the bedroom. Not that she was complaining. Even now, tanning in the sun, every movement reminded her of how well he tended to her.
"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, Corrine Anderson?" His shadow moved over her as he rolled to his side. His finger traced the shallow valley between her overly sensitive breasts. When his finger moved lower to the elastic of her bikini bottoms, she stopped him.
"Ah, ah, ahh. The Fijians don't look too kindly on public sex."
"Mmmm, those poor Fijians don't know what they're missing," he mumbled in her ear.
She stretched her neck a bit, giving him better access. He took the hint and sucked that sensitive spot and nipped at the skin before soothing the sharp bite with his tongue.
Before they both lost control, she turned on her side, facing him. His blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. It didn't seem to matter—she could feel their intensity, even if she couldn't see it.
"So what happens now?" Oh, God, why did she ask that question? This was a light trip. A casual arrangement. Just a week ago her engagement crashed and burned, and now here she was, with another man. A better man. A man she knew, for sure, she had fallen in love with.
"What do you mean?" After looking around them, he slid his finger in her top and grazed her hard nipple. Traitorous nipples!
"When we leave. Is that it? Do we go our separate ways? See other people?" She said it casually, feeling anything but.
His roving finger stopped. He yanked off his sunglasses. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a fierce scowl. "You have to ask me that?"
"Well, I don't want to presume—"
"Well, I sure as hell am presuming!"
"I just—"
"Don't." He bolted up, resting his elbows on his bent knees and blowing out a harsh breath. "Do you think I could make love to you the way I did and walk away?" Hurt and anger raged hotly in his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, so I guess the question is…are you?"
She reached for him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to feel trapped with me because of this." She gestured between them. "I'm sorry."
He blew out a hot breath, took hold of her chin, and kissed her. He pulled away way too soon and rested his forehead against hers. "I don't feel trapped. I don't want to see anyone else. I sure as hell don't want you seeing anyone else. Understood?"
She smiled when he pulled her into his side. "Understood."
19 You’re Mine
The next morning, Everett slid out of the bed as quietly as possible and checked his phone. Forty-seven emails. Several fr
om his next client. The note in the last email from him read:
In case you decide to get a jump on my financials on the plane.
— Trevor
Fat chance. Even if they watched movies for eleven hours, he would gladly do that over getting a leg up on Trevor's mess. Most of the other emails confirmed his impending schedule, forms he needed to sign and return, and a few from his sister with pictures of his nephew's T-ball games.
Funny, a week ago he would have welcomed the email and the opportunity. Not now. He needed to get a handle on his business to make time for this relationship. Which brought him to his most recent email, the job offer waiting for him when he got back to San Francisco. The CEO wanted to meet for drinks soon, to discuss the job.
It wasn't what he envisioned doing with his future. The money and hours were excellent, but he didn't want to work for someone else. That was what it came down to, which left him hiring people on to cut back his hours. He had two people in mind if he could get them on board. He would check in with them when he got back to the city, and if he could make the pieces fall in place, he would decline the job.
Peeking back into the bedroom, he watched Corrine sleep. Time and time again she surprised him. She told him she hadn't had much experience with men, but when he dropped to his knees before her, her total look of confusion confirmed it. How could a man have her naked and willing, only to skip the best part?
The heat had kicked up early, and at some point in the past ten minutes she’d shed the sheet, and lay there blissfully naked, curled around his pillow, with one knee pulled up. Catching a glimpse of the heart of her, he decided against making breakfast at the moment and joined her again in the bed. Pressing against her soft body, he lifted the dark waves off her neck and kissed a trail from her hairline to her shoulder.
"Mmmm," she said.
Before she could begin to think about all of those things that made women self-conscious—morning breath, lack of makeup, and mussed hair—he lifted her thigh and slid into her. Tight and wet. He growled into her neck from the sweet sensation of being squeezed. Every single time he buried himself in her was like coming home. Tucking his arm under her neck and interlocking his fingers with hers while using his other hand to play over her center, he picked up a torturous rhythm of rocking into her. He teased them both by keeping his pace brutally slow until that telltale tightening started inside her.
