by Reina Torres
“And I,” she licked at her lips, “want to see you touch me.”
She must have felt the sudden rush of blood that surged near his hips. He knew he did and the throb that pulsed through his veins pushed him higher, closer between her legs.
Her smile was a wonder, but the heat that he felt pressing against and surrounding his rock-hard erection was one hundred percent temptation.
He kissed her skin, right above her heart and felt her back bow as if she was offering herself to him. And that was a gift he wasn’t going to refuse. He brushed his cheek along the inside curve of her breast, teasing her with how close his lips were to the tempting tip. And then the other side, before returning to the other side, rubbing his cheek against her delicate skin like the rising tide.
“Oh, wow....” He heard her breathy admission as his lower lip brushed across her nipple. “Again...”
He wasn’t going to tell her no. Then again, he wasn’t planning on stopping this delicious torture for both of them, unless she said the word.
“Again,” he heard the blind need in her tone, “yes, again.”
He braced a hand on the table and turned his head far enough to hover over her breast. Parting his lips again, he flicked the tip of his tongue against her nipple.
There was no word for the sound that came from her throat, but he knew what he felt against his dick. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him tighter against her.
Another quick brush against her tender skin and she arched up against him. A moment after that when he fit his mouth over her breast and drew her in.
He’d never felt so powerful before.
Making her feel as beautiful as she was in his eyes was going to become his lifelong goal.
As he treated her other breast to the same delicious torture, he heard her voice in his ears, but he felt it all over his body, inside and out.
“Still?”
He stroked her tender flesh with the flat of his tongue before he lifted his head to speak. “Yeah, baby?”
Aylin's eyes met his, irises barely just a crown around the dark pools of her eyes. “Take me to bed.”
What else could he do, but give her what she wanted?
Somewhere between the kitchen table and his bed, their clothes made a wavering trail in their wake. The cool caress of his sheets at her back and the sensual brushes of heat from his skin over the rest of her body made her feel like she was free, released from worry, and almost incandescent with love.
She felt as if her skin was too tight, too sensitive, and yes, too close to orgasm. If he shifted just enough to lay his cock against the cradle of her thighs, if there was even a hint of pressure against her clit, she felt like she might explode into a thousand pieces.
Aylin wanted that.
Just not yet.
She needed to breathe, or it would be over before she felt they’d even begun. Her nerves were already frazzled from the last twelve hours and she wanted him inside of her, but she wanted more.
She lifted a hand and nudged his shoulder. “Lie down for me.”
It made every inch of her hotter when she saw how quickly he did as she asked.
The sheer contrast of his skin to his sheets made her heartbeat stutter and then rush ahead, faster.
Without the weight of him pressed against her she could control the friction between their bodies as she straddled his thigh. Looking him over from the top of his head, down to where his leg was nestled between her thighs, reminded her just how lucky she was.
Athletic and toned, his body was a work of art. And she started by tracing her fingertips over his thigh, tracing random circles and other shapes as she felt his muscles flex under her and saw the heat building in his eyes.
Lifting up, she braced her hands on the bed and moved forward, higher on his body. Just before she straddled his hips, she felt something brush against her belly. Silken smooth and hot to the touch, it left a cool trail against her skin.
Her smile tugged up at the corners of her mouth and the kiss she gave him, was gentle but simmering with passion. She nipped at his lower lip and when she sat back, she saw his smile.
“You’re amazing.”
She laughed and wiggled down lower. Pressing a kiss to his chest, she gave his skin a little lick with her tongue.
Another kiss a little lower and she felt him slip his fingers into her hair. The next time she lowered her mouth to his skin, she used her teeth and lightly nibbled at the skin below his naval.
He hissed and his hips rose from the bed, bringing the rounded head of his cock skimming along her skin, brushing along the inside of her breast. “You’re trying to kill me, right?”
She sat up and looked at him, drawing a line with the tip of her finger through the wet trail of precum that he’d left on her skin. “I guess I’ve had my fun, hmm?”
When she started to pull away, he sat up and wrapped his hand around her wrist, holding her in place. “I didn’t say you couldn’t have fun, but you’re making me sweat with the way you’re touching me.”
“I like touching you.”
“And we can play with that later, but I think I might lose my mind if you keep that up for very long.”
“Fine,” she reached over, off the side of the bed and found his wallet beside his pants, “is there something in here?”
He reached for it. “I don’t trust you not to give me a heart attack, hand it over.”
She dropped it in his hand, he pulled out a condom and tore open the package with his teeth.
As she watched, he slid the condom down over his cock and gave it a squeeze when he reached the base.
“Do you want to be on top?”
Every inch of her body flared with heat. She’d never been on top before. Never had the chance or the choice.
“Lay back,” she lifted a curious eyebrow at him, “this is a first for me.”
Stillman laid back, his hands under his head. “You’re going to look so damn hot, Aylin.”
She crawled forward and paused when she felt the head of his cock against her stomach. Reaching for him, she closed her eyes and managed to fit the head of him against her folds. Just the slight sweep of his erection against her body made her shiver and ache.
Lowering herself against him, she felt his head slip just inside of her body. The sudden stretch and the squeeze after made her shudder and her body wiggled on top of his.
“Fuck.” His hips flexed and his eyes closed tight. “You feel so good.”
Slowly, she sat up, enjoying the stretch as she sank down onto him, her eyes fixed on his.
His hands moved, pulled out from under his head and grasped the sheets beside his head, fisting his hands in the cool cotton material.
"So damn beautiful.” He groaned as she moved lower. “So damn flexible.”
She smiled and felt like a queen. He was giving her a kind of power over him. She was the one controlling the way and the speed of his penetration into her body.
When she felt the backs of her thighs touch his she arched her back and felt him deeper inside of her body. Aylin rocked back and repeated the motion again, and again. “Oh wow...”
His hands grasped her thighs and the heat of his touch felt like sunlight on her skin.
She continued, using her thighs to lift up at the end of each motion, making it feel even better as she lowered herself down. The more she moved, the higher she rose, and he held onto her as if he was afraid she’d fly away.
“I’ve never,” she fixed her eyes on his, “never felt this good.”
“Can I help?”
She stretched at the top of her stroke, looking down at him with a hungry look in her eyes. “You can,” she set her hands over his and shallowed her movements a little, “I need you, over me, in-”
And before she finished, he had her on her back, wrapping one leg around his waist and then the other.
She was breathless and laughter bubbled up from her throat as she smoothed her hands up and down his arms. “
So strong.”
He pulled back from her until she raised her hips off of the bed, wanting... no needing him back, but before he lost contact with her, he thrust back in and tore a breath from her throat.
“That good?”
She couldn’t quite nod, but she managed a whisper. “Yeah. That’s... that’s really good.”
Another thrust, harder and deeper. He continued, building his rhythm and angling his strokes to stimulate nerves she didn’t even know she had.
“More,” she begged, winding her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her. “Please, Still. I need more.”
He pressed a kiss to her jaw and another on her chin. “I’ll give you more, baby. I’ll give you everything I have.”
Her mouth opened under his kiss and she felt his tongue slip inside, making love to hers as his cock pushed deeper and harder inside of her.
She groaned into his mouth and dug her nails into his back as he bottomed out. He pulled back slightly, holding still inside of her.
“Did that hurt?”
“Only in the best way possible,” she sighed and wiggled under him, “I think I saw some stars.”
“I love you so much.” He brushed his lips over hers and curled his hips against her.
“Stars, yes...”
He reached his hand between them and massaged her clit with his thumb and everything inside of her lit up like a Christmas tree.
“That’s... that’s... amazing.”
Stillman’s smile was something she’d never forget as long as she lived. Hope, joy, and more than a little mischief in his eyes. “Still seeing stars?”
She could only nod as his fingers stroked her again.
“Then let’s try for a galaxy.”
Aylin heard the laughter in her voice, and she shook her head. “You’re trying to kill me, right?”
“I’m trying to make you come... a couple of times, if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s more than okay,” she met his lips in a heated kiss. “I love you, Still.”
He pressed a kiss under her ear, making her gasp, before he whispered in her ear. “Love you more.”
And then they were done talking, filling the room with stars.
Epilogue
The whole extended family was spread out on the lawn behind the Blaise house. Blankets and a colorful assortment of towels crisscrossed the grass. Lincoln had pulled his car around back and had the doors open to let the music permeate the air. Aylin walked out of the back door with a crate of corn with their husks still on. She didn’t even make it to the top step when Stillman appeared in front of her. “I’ll take that.”
Rolling her eyes, she surrendered the crate to him and listened as Fish and Caddo whistled at her boyfriend, calling out at him, “Whipped! Whipped!”
Stillman turned to look at them and gave his friends a chin lift before he continued on to the grill set up nearby.
Sophie sat up on her blanket and gave her a smile. “It sounds like they’re teasing Rook about the two of you.”
Aylin smoothed the hem of her dress down and sat beside Sophie on the grass.
As soon as she was seated, the baby lifted its head from Chief’s chest. Father and child had played for more than an hour in the toddler pool they’d set up and both had fallen asleep as soon as Chief laid down on a blanket with the baby on his chest. With Sophie’s gentle hand brushing over her back, the infant’s eyes closed heavily, and slipped right back to sleep.
“The baby is so beautiful, Sophie.”
The young mother beamed at the compliment. “I’m lucky. The last few months have been a joy. A perfect joy.”
Aylin turned as Lincoln tossed a verbal jab at Rook. Sighing she shook her head. “Don’t they remember that my dad is the Fire Chief?”
But one look at Stillman said he was likely enjoying the ribbing.
“I guess they consider it dues.” Sophie’s soft laughter turned Aylin’s head.
“Dues?”
Sophie wrapped her arms around her knees. “A whole shift of bachelors and the new guy falls for Chief Blaise’s daughter.”
Aylin’s shoulders shook with her own laughter. “We’re just dating. Rook’s still a bachelor.”
Almost on cue, Rook looked back and locked eyes with her. He lifted his hand in a wave and she mirrored the gesture with a blush in her cheeks.
Her dad was at the grill and turned to look at what his firefighters were laughing about. Ethan gave her a grin and shrugged. She blew him a kiss and he turned back to grilling the corn.
“It looks like I’ve been replaced as the cook.” Viviana sat down beside her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Ethan said I’m off duty today.”
The wistful sound in her mother’s voice make Aylin lean against her shoulder. “You love it.”
“I love him.”
Aylin lifted her hand to touch the amethyst pendant that lay against her chest. “He’s the best dad I could have hoped for, and then some. When everything was stirred up in the press during the trial, Ethan was always there. He held me when I cried and told me he was proud of me for standing up. Never once did he make me think he was disappointed in me.”
Sophie brushed a stray wisp of hair from Aylin’s cheek after the wind swirled around them. “He's a really good man, Aylin. I’m not surprised that Ethan is an amazing father. Is everything else okay?”
Aylin felt her mom’s arm wrap around her back in a show of support.
“Sean’s serving his sentence and after the thirty days he’ll have a couple hundred hours of community service.” Aylin had probably said those words to herself over and over again. More times than she’d wanted to think about. It was almost too good to be true. Sean’s father had no less than six lawyers arguing his son’s case, but the one thing that the ADA had hammered home again and again was that he’d been the one to put the drug into the drink. He’d done it in the liquor store and a hidden camera on the property had caught him dosing the bottle.
He’d tried to argue that she’d asked for the drug to help calm her nerves, but since he’d tried to hide it and broken the law by walking out of the store with two open bottles, he really didn’t have a leg to stand on.
Viviana rubbed her arm in a comforting gesture. “I know one organization that won’t accept his request, if he’d be crazy enough to ask for it.”
Sophie’s brow furrowed as she tried to guess. “Which one is that?”
“Helping Hearts. I think if he tried to go inside one of their centers Vicente and Jake would have him thrown out on his rear.”
Aylin couldn’t help but smile at the idea. “Actually, knowing those two, they’d drive him out into the middle of the desert and leave him there. Attempted Sexual Assault? I doubt anyone would ever see him again.”
Sophie nodded. “I bet. So, I agree... one volunteer opportunity permanently off the table.”
As Sophie and her mom continued to talk, Aylin’s mind drifted on to her relationship, or lack of one, with Craig Dennis.
A small, rueful smile touched her lips. She still thought of him as Craig, not her father and definitely not as dad.
No, she didn’t blame him for what Sean’s dad had done in making her leave. And Craig wasn’t responsible for Sean’s actions either, but it was Craig’s need to bring her out into public when he wanted to meet that made her decide to shut the door on his involvement in her life. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that being seen with his daughter and looking like they were reconciling was a public image he wanted to project, rather than a personal connection he wanted to make.
When she’d confronted him with her suspicions it wasn’t his words that convinced her. No, his answer was full of effusive denials and even a tear or two, but it had been the pause before his answer that had closed her heart. Stillman told her that he could tell when she was thinking, almost like he could see the gears in her head. She saw that in Craig, but she could also see the twist of emotions on his face, and the cold, calculating look
in his eyes that he hadn’t been able to hide from her. That’s where his thoughts came from when he was talking to her. The rational side of his brain that came up with schemes. When it came to her mother and Ethan, her real father, they led with their hearts. They were the true example of what it meant to be family.
She had her share of people who wanted to be with her for her, and she was going to cherish those people and treat them as the treasures they were.
Rhett and Rook walked over and helped Viviana and Aylin up onto their feet.
The usually quiet firefighter held out his arm to her mother. “Mrs. Blaise. Your presence is requested at the grill.”
Viviana’s eyes widened. “Uh oh. What happened?”
The two men shared a look and Rook laughed. “Nothing. Except that Chief Blaise was right. He knew that would be your first thought.”
Taking Rhett’s arm, Viviana walked with him across the expanse of the backyard and Aylin fell in behind her, keeping a few steps distance. Leaning into Rook’s shoulder she gave her boyfriend a warning look. “Okay, spill.”
“Spill what?”
“You need to tell me what’s going on.”
“It,” he pointed out, “is a surprise. The Chief asked us to get his lovely family and bring them over.”
“Lovely?” She pursed her lips at him. “You added that in to sweeten me up.”
Rook leaned in for a quick kiss. “I know how to sweeten you up.” And he gave her another kiss before winking. “Sugar, so sweet.”
Rhett looked over his shoulder at them. “Seriously? Her mom can hear you.”
Viviana’s laughter had them all smiling as she gave Rhett’s arm a gentle pat. “You never know, Rhett. You might be next.”
“Next?” His expression tightened. “No, ma’am. I’m the last person who would catch whatever ‘bug’ y’all caught. I’m immune.”
“Immune,” Rook wondered aloud. “That sounds like bullsh-”
