by Katie Reus
“Don’t move.” He nibbled along her jaw, dropping little bites and kisses as he made his way to her earlobe. She might be on top but he still had to have some control. He bit down as he withdrew his finger again. “I want you to come around my cock.”
“Maguire.” She arched again. “Inside me now.”
He withdrew his finger completely and positioned his erection at her wet lips. Feeling her slickness, feeling her against him after all this time, he was ready to come right then.
Which definitely wasn’t happening.
She was going to come. More than once. Then he would. He lifted his hips as she slid down on him with a yelp, all the muscles in his body pulling taut as her sheath tightened around him.
“I’d forgotten how big you are.” Her words did something ridiculous for his ego as she settled on top of him.
And he’d forgotten how damn tight she was. But he couldn’t find his voice. Not if his life depended on it. Breathing hard, he kept his gaze locked on hers as he reached between their bodies and rubbed his thumb over her clit.
She jerked against him, her inner walls clenching around him with that one little stroke. He remembered how reactive she’d been to his touch, how getting her off had been his pastime.
“Don’t move your hips,” he ordered as he removed the hand on her hip. She shifted slightly against him but he nipped her bottom lip. “Be still.”
Her chest rose and fell as she nodded. Good.
He wanted to touch her everywhere, wanted to stretch her out on his bed and make her scream his name. But feeling her come around his cock—in his car, no less—was just as sweet. He’d had more than one fantasy about taking her in here.
He kept his other hand in place as he strummed her clit in a tight little pattern. Then he leaned forward and sucked one nipple into his mouth.
He could feel her trembling with the need to move, to start riding him and grinding against him. Her body was shaking, her inner walls convulsing as he lashed his tongue against her tight nipple.
When he finally told her to move, he knew she’d be more than ready for release, her body begging for it. His own was begging right now. With each movement of his ass against the smooth seat, each thrust inside her tight body, he was on a razor’s edge now.
“Maguire,” she moaned out, arching her breast farther into his mouth even as she kept her hips still.
He bit down gently on her nipple as he circled his tongue over the tip, over and over. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. He needed her to come.
“I’m so close,” she gasped out. “Just need to move.”
His balls were pulled up so damn tight, all his muscles straining as he held himself back. Barely. Fuck. He needed more. He needed all of her. “Ride me.”
Those two words released her. Like a gunshot at a race releasing the runners, she moaned and started writhing against him.
He increased the pressure on her clit even as he drew his mouth away from her breast and grabbed her head to pull her mouth down to his. His movements were a little rough, his control walking a tightrope, and he didn’t care. Because he needed this as much as she did. He could feel it in every tight line of her body.
She ate at his mouth with the same urgency he ate at hers, her hunger a match for his. Oh how he wanted her to come, to feel all that slickness around his dick as he lost himself inside her heat.
She tore her mouth from his, arching her back even in the cramped space as her climax hit, sharp and intense.
He drank her in, unable to stop staring as she continued, rocking against him, her eyes closed and her head tilted back as her orgasm punched through her. Her dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders and breasts, highlighting the tight pebbles of her nipples, the underlying flush of her pale skin.
In that moment, he let go, releasing his own built-up need as his climax crashed through him, slamming out to all his pleasure points. Grabbing her hips, he met her stroke for stroke, all his muscles straining as he thrust into her over and over. It was too much and not enough. He released himself inside her in hard strokes until she collapsed on top of him, burying her face against his neck.
As his breathing evened out he slid his hands down to her ass and cupped her gently, just savoring the feel of her smooth skin. He wanted her dress gone, wanted nothing between them at all so it was pure skin to skin.
“How about we take a shower together and then I feed you?” he murmured into the quiet of his car.
“Mmm, that sounds like the best idea ever.” She lifted her head to look at him through heavy-lidded eyes. “That was just as incredible as I remember.”
Grinning, he brushed his lips over hers before nipping her bottom lip again. He loved doing that to her. “Better.”
“Better,” she whispered.
For so long he’d wondered if he’d imagined how good things had been between them, and now he had his answer. Nope. He hadn’t. There was no way in hell he could have misremembered this kind of intensity anyway.
Samantha was a one-of-a-kind woman and he wasn’t letting her go. If some asshole thought he could mess with her, he was in for a surprise.
Because Maguire would protect her with everything he had. No one was getting past him.
Chapter 8
Samantha leaned into Maguire as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. The rich scent of coffee filled his kitchen so she got a double whammy of Maguire’s sexy scent and coffee. Two of her favorite things. Unfortunately he was clothed. For that matter, so was she.
He nibbled on her ear, biting down gently and sending a ribbon of awareness pulsing through her. After having sex last night in his car, then in his shower—then in bed again this morning—she was feeling more than a little tender. And it seemed the man was a machine.
Not that she was complaining.
“Let’s stay here today,” he murmured, the warmth of his breath skating over her skin and sending another shiver through her.
“I wish we could.” She really did. But she had work to do: showings, and Thaxter had put in an offer on a place so she needed to make some calls and start that paperwork.
“I don’t like you going to work.” She could feel the tension ratchet up in him as his grip around her tightened ever so slightly.
Sighing, she turned in his arms and looped her hands around his neck. “We’ve been over this.” And she appreciated his concern, but she couldn’t let a potential threat stop her from living her life, working her job—which paid all her bills. She might have done well for herself in Oregon, but living there had been expensive and she wasn’t independently wealthy. “I have to work, and I’ll be smart. I’m not meeting with any new clients and I’m not even showing that many houses. But the ones I am showing are to current clients—almost all couples. I’ve got pepper spray and I’ll be with people most of the day. Plus, I’ll be driving one of your vehicles, which isn’t linked to me in any way, so there’s an extra layer of protection.”
Maguire just gritted his teeth, his stubborn, protective streak shining through. It might be frustrating, but she also adored that he cared about her so much. “We’ll see what Brad says when he gets here.”
Yes, she supposed they would. The sheriff had texted Maguire half an hour ago and said he was on his way over because he needed to talk to her about something. Which likely wasn’t good news if he wanted to do it in person.
As if on cue, Maguire’s doorbell rang. He brushed his lips over hers once before heading out of the kitchen. “Will you pour me a mug?” he called over his shoulder.
Smiling to herself, she pulled down three mugs in case the sheriff wanted one too. She and Maguire hadn’t been in the kitchen long enough to actually get coffee or breakfast. But he’d pre-set the coffee machine, which made him her hero. Waking up to incredible sex then coming downstairs to a fresh pot of coffee was the best way to start the morning.
As she finished pouring two mugs and pulling out the sugar and cream, Maguire and Brad stepped into the room
, the sheriff wearing a full uniform and a grim expression. Oh, great. This was not going to be good.
“Coffee?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“So what did you find out?” She kept her hands busy adding cream and sugar to her coffee as he stepped farther into the room.
“There’s no easy way to say this. Nelson Smith has been missing from the care of his family for weeks. His credit cards have been tracked to Holly. He bought a one-way plane ticket to a nearby airport and his card was last used at a local motel. One on the outskirts of town. He’s paid up for the next week and a half but hasn’t been back to his room in two days. I’ve got a guy sitting on the place for now and the manager knows to keep me updated.”
Ice invaded her veins as she digested his words. Until that moment she’d assumed that last night and her vehicle being vandalized were two unrelated incidents. At this point she couldn’t afford to believe in coincidence, even if the two things were indeed a coincidence. If Smith had come all the way to North Carolina, it wasn’t for a good reason. And now he’d fallen off the grid? He had to be in town because of Sam.
Maguire pulled out a seat for her at his kitchen table and she gladly sat. She might not want to let some nut job dictate her decisions, but she was going to have to rethink some of her plans for the day.
“I’ll be your bodyguard today,” Maguire said.
She blinked, then frowned at his harsh tone.
“Ah, I’m going to give you two some privacy.” The sheriff was out of the kitchen in seconds and she heard the soft snick of the front door closing behind him a moment later.
“It only makes sense that I shadow you—unless you decide to stay here,” Maguire said, standing directly in front of her, arms crossed over his broad chest. He looked as if he was preparing to go into battle.
“I never said it didn’t make sense.”
He watched her carefully, his pale eyes missing nothing. “You’re pissed off at me.”
“Well, annoyed at least. You just say these things without asking me. That’s not how relationships work.”
His normally kissable lips pulled into a thin line. “I don’t have much experience with relationships.”
“Much, meaning any?” Because back when they’d first hooked up he’d admitted he had zero experience with having a girlfriend. Unless he’d lied—and she didn’t think he had—about not being with anyone in the last few years, then his experience was nonexistent.
“Yes.” Sighing, he sat at the table instead of hovering, and nodded. “It’s my natural inclination to take charge. That’s probably not going to change overnight. And I don’t want anything to happen to you. I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I don’t want you to change. Especially not in the bedroom.” Definitely not there. She loved how dominating he could be. His lips quirked up slightly as she continued. “I just want you to ask. Not say something like the decision is already made. It’s not like I’m going to argue with you about having a bodyguard today. I was already thinking of cutting out the completely non-necessary things and passing off any showings to someone else at the agency. But then you just bust in and say that you’re coming with me, decision made.”
“I should have asked. I’m sorry.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, making his forearm flex.
It was hard not to appreciate the hard lines and striations of his muscles when he moved, which were only highlighted by the way his tattoos rippled. And she had to admit she loved that he was so protective of her. She just wanted to make sure they had clear expectations where their relationship was concerned. She’d made a huge mistake once by not talking to him. Never again.
She slid off her chair and moved around the table until she was next to him—where he promptly pulled her into his lap. “It’s not like I can be mad at you for wanting to protect me,” she said, slipping an arm around the back of his neck as she cuddled up against him. “It’s just that I want a partner, not someone who orders me around.”
“I want that too. And I’ll try to ask first. But fair warning—I’m not going to nail that every time. I’m old and set in my ways.”
She snorted at his wry tone. “You’re not old.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Well, I’m relationship-challenged.”
“Me too.” She had her parents’ relationship as a guideline and they’d pretty much gotten everything right. She’d seen what a partnership looked like and that was what she wanted for herself.
“Somehow I doubt that,” he murmured, his gaze falling to her lips.
“Well…you would be wrong. I know we never really talked about our pasts since we were together, other than that comment you made.”
For a moment he looked incredibly uncomfortable, but he nodded. It was pretty obvious which comment she was referring to. She’d wanted to ask him about it before, but it had been clear he hadn’t meant to admit his celibacy so she’d left it alone.
“Yeah, I was serious about that. In case you were wondering.”
“How is that possible? That you haven’t been with anyone since…” He was sweet, giving, crazy protective—and off-the-charts sexy. She couldn’t forget that. There was no way he would have a shortage of female attention. Which was something she didn’t want to think about.
Maguire cleared his throat even as he tightened his grip around her. She snuggled into him, savoring his warm embrace. “When I was discharged I thought it would be a lot easier to transition. Not sure why I ever thought that when all the statistics say otherwise. I needed to get my own head on straight before even thinking about hooking up with anyone—casually or otherwise. So I threw myself into work and it’s paid off better than I could have imagined in such a short time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gotten plenty of offers from women—”
She pinched his side. “I don’t need specifics.”
He gave her a wicked grin. “Glad you care. Anyway, no one turned my head enough to make me want to…” He shrugged. “No one until you came back.”
“I’m glad.”
“I am too. You were worth the wait.”
So was he. “Look…not that I think it matters to you, but I haven’t been with anyone since you either.” At his raised eyebrows, she continued. “For different reasons than you. I tried dating but never got past the first one. Not with anyone. When things ended between you and me it messed with my head. I couldn’t believe I’d pegged you so wrong—and I know now how wrong I was, but I didn’t when I moved to Oregon. I threw myself into work just like you. It was worth it because I grew my clientele quickly and developed a name for myself. Apparently I was waiting for you too.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered, but I’m not going to lie. I’m glad there was no one else for you either.”
He slid his hands through her hair and cupped the back of her head as he brought her mouth to his. His tongue slid past her lips, teasing and claiming in a slow seduction she felt all the way to her toes. She was tempted to straddle him, but didn’t want to start something they couldn’t finish. Not when they still had someone waiting outside for them and they needed to get on the road.
Groaning, he pulled back. “You shred any good intentions I have.”
She grinned at his strained voice. “Right back at you.”
Sighing, he leaned his forehead against hers. “So you’re going to cut out some of your meetings today?”
“Yeah. I want to stop by and see my mom, maybe take her somewhere else for the day so she’s not alone. Then I’ll head into the office to draw up some contracts. There are only a couple showings I want to do myself. The others I can pass off for today and get away with it.”
“All right. Let me go tell Brad what the plan is.”
Reluctantly she slid off his lap. “I’m going to grab my purse and shoes, then.”
“Sounds good.” He smacked her ass once, surprising her as she stepped away from him.
Warmth infused her cheeks as he gave her a wi
cked grin. Instead of responding, she hurried out of the room and up the stairs.
She had to get her game face on, and fast. Fear lingered inside her at the thought of Nelson Smith in Holly, waiting to hurt her—or worse, someone she loved. It was hard not to second-guess the decision she’d made to not press charges against him. Now she wished she had. Thankfully, she had Maguire at her side.
Still, that fear only grew when she thought of something happening to him because of her. She’d just found him again. She couldn’t lose him.
* * *
“Thanks for meeting me a little earlier today,” Samantha said to Ethan as they stepped out of the empty commercial building. He’d scooped up a few properties in the last week, and according to him, he was almost done.
“It ended up working better with my schedule, so you did me a favor.”
“Well good, then. I’ve got all the paperwork completed for the Michaelson property and the owner can meet next week to sign. She’s out of the country and won’t be back until then.”
“No problem. I’m going to offer on this one too. Forty thousand lower than what they’re asking, though. Cash.”
She’d learned not to show her surprise about the cash offers. It seemed he only made purchases in cash.
“I’ll draw up the offer and email it to you for review. If you like it, you can electronically sign off on it.” It was the same as with the other contracts.
“Works for me. Look, it’s not my business, but is everything okay?” He tilted his chin at Maguire’s Mustang—where Maguire sat in the driver’s seat waiting for her. With the tinted windshield and windows it was almost impossible to see anything other than the shadow of him. “I grabbed coffee at Nora’s this morning and heard something about your house getting broken into. Is that why Maguire’s with you?”
“My house wasn’t actually broken into, but yes, something is going on right now.” Something she didn’t feel like explaining to anyone. “I’m fully capable of doing my job, but I’ll be honest, you’re one of the only clients I’m still showing places to.” Because she trusted him, and his business was important. “As far as I know I’m not in immediate danger or anything, but…Maguire and I decided it would be best if he drove me around today. The sheriff is aware of what’s going on and is happy that Maguire is with me.” And that was all she was comfortable divulging.
