Searching for Love (The Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls) Book 6)

by Melissa Foster

  She collapsed to her back, panting as her vision started to clear. He eased his efforts to slow slicks of his tongue and pressed tender kisses beside her center. For a few split seconds, his mouth and hands left her, and she whimpered.

  “I need you, baby,” he said huskily, his voice a wave of lust washing over her.

  She realized he was stripping off his underwear, and he loved his way up her body. She felt his bare hard length against her as he perched naked above her, taking her in a kiss so deep, she felt transported once again. He tasted of her, but she didn’t care. She wanted everything he had to give.

  “I need your mouth on me, baby,” he panted out. “Suck me while I feast on you.”

  “Oh God yes,” she said in one long breath.

  He turned around, straddling her shoulders. As she took him in her mouth, he let out a long, sensual moan and lowered his mouth to the very heart of her. She’d missed his touch, his taste, their sexual freedom. He fucked her mouth like he owned her, touched her body like he loved her. She wanted to fill up on him and give it back in equal measure. She tried to focus on pleasuring him, but her concentration waned as he played her body like a fiddle, sending her right up to the clouds again. She moaned around his cock, and he reached down and squeezed the base of it like he used to do when he didn’t want to come. She took advantage of his slower moves, licking the broad head. He groaned, his hips thrusting once again.

  In a blur of movement, he turned around, kissing her shoulders and neck, and perched above her on the table, gazing deeply into her eyes. “I need to be inside you.”

  He pushed his hands beneath her, cradling her as their bodies came together slowly and oh so good. When he was buried to the hilt, his head dipped beside hers, and in a low voice dripping with emotion, he said, “This is where we belong, as close as two people can be. And it’s still not close enough.”

  Her heart was so full, she couldn’t find her voice. When he lifted his face, neither one of them said a word. His mouth covered hers in a kiss as deep and as meaningful as the moment. As they found the slow, sensual rhythm that bound them together, breathing air into each other’s lungs and love into each other’s hearts, Zev rose up with an entrancing, hopeful look in his eyes. She was right there with him, and she didn’t even try to hold back.

  “I feel it, too,” she confessed.

  “The power of us, baby. It’s stronger than ever.”

  With their confession, everything intensified. The weight of his body, the tickling of his whiskers, the lust and love igniting between them. Her hips rose to meet his every thrust as he buried himself deep time and time again, lighting her up until she was sure she glowed from the inside out. She reveled in the feel of his muscles flexing as he loved her, taking her higher with every sensual kiss, every powerful piston of his hips, until they both cried out, clinging together through the very last pulse.

  When they collapsed, breathless and sated, to the hard wooden table, their bodies covered with a sheen of sweat, hearts beating as one, Zev showered her in kisses.

  “You slay me, baby,” he whispered, and rolled off her. He gathered her in his arms, bringing them nose to nose. “I forgot we were on the table. I should have carried you upstairs to the bed.”

  “No, this was perfect. This was us.”

  He kissed her slowly and sweetly. A loud thump sounded in the living room, startling them out of their kiss.

  “Shit. The door is still open.” He gave her a quick kiss and climbed off the table, helping her off, too, and pulled her against him. He ran his hands down her back and over her bottom. “Now I get to pamper you.”

  “Pamper me? How about you go make sure there’s no serial killer in the living room while I get cleaned up?”

  “If anyone tries to get near our cereal, I’ll kill them.” He smacked her butt, and she giggled as she headed for the bathroom off the kitchen.

  She cleaned herself up and was bent over in the kitchen, pulling on her underwear when the sound of leather cracking made her jump and shriek. She spun around and found Zev holding a leather whip covered with dirt. Bandit stood beside him, panting like he was due a good petting.

  “One leather whip. I’d say it’s worth about a hundred bucks,” he said. “But that view of your gorgeous ass? Priceless.”

  “My heart is racing! You scared the heck out of me. Where did you get that thing?”

  “Our resident thief dragged it into the house.” He looked down at Bandit, and the dog woofed. “I don’t want to know what my brother and Char are into, but I think Beau has trained his wingman pretty damn well. Now, get that pretty little ass upstairs so I can pamper you.” He cracked the whip again, and she squealed and ran out of the kitchen.

  “Get that thing away from me!” she shouted through her laughter as he and Bandit chased after her. “Whips are not pampering!”

  Zev dropped the whip and took the steps two at a time, catching her around the waist, making her laugh even harder.

  “Zevy!”

  He hauled her over his shoulder like a sack of grain and smacked her ass as he carried her down the hall. “You’re mine, lover girl. All mine.”

  She wasn’t about to argue with that.

  Bandit ran around them, nearly tripping Zev as he followed them into the bathroom.

  “Give it up, thief.” He set Carly down and said, “Dude, didn’t you hear me? She’s mine. I’m the lucky one.” He turned on the water to fill the tub.

  “Aw, that’s so mean,” she said as he poured bubble bath into the water.

  Zev drew her into his arms. “The day that dog can make you come with your clothes on is the day I’ll relinquish my claim.”

  “Guess I’m stuck with you.” She went up on her toes and touched her lips to his.

  “Be right back, beautiful.” He disappeared out the door, returning a few minutes later with his phone, candles, a lighter, and fresh towels. He set them all on the counter, queued music on his phone, and placed candles along the ceramic shelf next to the tub, the windowsill, and the sink.

  “You know you don’t have to pamper me,” she said as he lit the candles.

  He turned out the lights and said, “I’ve got to show my girl that I’m more than just a good lay.”

  She wiggled out of her underwear, and he reached for her hand, pulling her into a toe-curling kiss. When the tub was ready, he helped her in and climbed in behind her so she was sitting between his legs. She settled back against his chest and said, “I recognize these songs. They’re from one of the CDs you made for me.”

  “I’ve got them all on playlists.” He used his hands to bathe her arms and shoulders. “They kept me company when we were apart.”

  Every little thing he said brought them closer together. “It’s been years since I’ve taken a bubble bath. It feels luxurious.”

  He gently massaged her arms and kissed her shoulder. “I’ve been looking forward to doing this ever since we left the lab. In all the years we were together, I never had the chance to pamper you.”

  She’d never thought of herself as someone who needed pampering. But as he rubbed her sore muscles, she realized that maybe it wasn’t about need, but about accepting the love he had to give in all the ways he wanted to give it. “And you want to?” She glanced over her shoulder, and the look of contentment on his face made her feel good all over.

  He pressed his lips to hers and said, “More than you could know. I want to do so much for you, with you…to you.”

  He began massaging her fingers, and she closed her eyes, sinking into him.

  “I can’t erase the hurt I caused, but I can show you how much you mean to me, and hopefully one day you’ll trust that when I say I never want to hurt you again, I really mean it.”

  She believed him with her whole heart, and the more pieces of himself he shared with her, the quieter the whispers in her head became.

  “I was so lost in you downstairs, I should have asked if your hand was too sore from working with the air scrib
e to touch me. Does it hurt?”

  “Not really,” she said, loving that he’d thought to ask.

  He kissed her palm and said, “I want to do right by you, Carls, in every way. But I definitely get lost in us.”

  “If you did any righter by me, I’d be in big trouble. This was the most incredible day I’ve ever had.” She smiled to herself, cheekily adding, “Well, it’s right up there with Silk Hollow.”

  “For me, too.” He kissed her shoulder, massaging her palm and wrist, and then he took her other hand, giving it the same attention. “I love this, Carls, taking care of you. Being close.”

  “I didn’t think there were many intimate firsts left for us.”

  “Then you thought wrong. We’ve never kissed at the top of the Empire State Building, or made love on my boat at sunrise, or caught fish off an exotic island and eaten it under the stars.”

  “Mm. Sounds dreamy,” she said, enjoying his touch as he rubbed the soreness from her forearm. “That feels good.”

  He gathered her hair over her other shoulder and kissed the skin he’d bared. “Did you have a chance to ask Quinn to cover for you tomorrow so you could work at the lab with me again?”

  “Yes. I’ll meet you there at noon. I’m excited to see what else we can discover.”

  “How about I meet you at your place, and we’ll take one truck?”

  Her chest constricted. She should be comfortable letting him into her house, but she wasn’t quite there yet, even if she was already in too deep to think she could walk away unscathed if this week was all they’d have. Once he was in her house, in her bed, she’d have no safe haven, no place to hide from the hurt. But what if they could find a way to color outside the lines and blend their lives together? She reminded herself not to go down that tenuous path. The trouble was, no matter where she went, every path led to Zev.

  He pressed another kiss to her shoulder and said, “I forgot about the no-Zev zone you’re pretending to have. Why don’t you meet me here, and we’ll take Beau’s truck.”

  “Okay,” she said, comforted by the thought that he could still read her worries so accurately.

  “Close your eyes and relax,” he coaxed as he moved warm water over her shoulders and breasts.

  She wanted to share in this discovery, too. To explore their new, mature and enlightened coupledom and show him how much she cared about him. She might not be ready to cut her safety net free, or to say those three magical, scary words that were eagerly perched on the tip of her tongue, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel them with every ounce of herself.

  Bandit lumbered into the bathroom and dropped a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs by the tub; then he trotted out the door.

  “Um…?” Carly laughed.

  Zev picked up the handcuffs and dangled them from his finger. “Kind of makes you wonder what Char and Beau do in the bathtub.”

  “How about instead, you think about what we can do in this bathtub?” She ran her hands down his thighs and said, “I’m not into handcuffs, but as I recall, you wanted me to ride you like a stallion.” His cock hardened against her back, and she loved earning that reaction.

  “That dirty mouth of yours is going to do me in.”

  She turned on her knees between his legs, facing him. The cool air bristled her wet skin. “Did I say something dirty?” she asked as innocently as she could. “If I said I wanted to suck your cock, that would be dirty. Or if I said I wanted you to fuck me from behind, that’s kind of dirty.”

  His cock twitched between them. “Kind of dirty? Baby, look what the thought of you bent over, or on your hands and knees, does to me.”

  His hungry gaze was a powerful lure, and she debated turning around and letting him do just that. But then he’d be in control, and she wanted that pleasure. He palmed her breasts, brushing his thumbs over her nipples as she straddled his thighs. His touch was distracting. It took a moment for her to remember she was supposed to be seducing him.

  Determined to make him lose his mind, she guided his hand between her legs and said, “When I think of dirty talk, I think of something like this…” She practically purred, “I loved when you fucked my mouth with your big, thick cock.”

  “Fucking hell. I need you now, Carly.”

  She shook her head, trying her best to remain in control, but his fingers pushed inside her, wreaking havoc with her ability to think. She was this close to forgetting the dirty talk and mounting him. But she focused on his mouth and the pleasures it brought her, trying to block out the mind-numbing sensations he was doling out between her legs, and forced herself to continue taunting him. “It’s kind of dirty when I tell you that I loved the way you made me come on your tongue.”

  “So fucking dirty,” he said through gritted teeth, his every muscle tight.

  His entire body flexed in restraint, and he grabbed her ass with both hands. The roughness of his grip shredded her resolve. She rose up on her knees and grabbed his cock, aligning it with her body. Hovering over him, she felt in control and powerful, and at the same time she felt utterly powerless, a willing slave to their love. It was gloriously addicting.

  “You planted a very dirty thought in my mind about riding my stallion,” she said heatedly. “I’ve been thinking about how good that would feel. Do you want that, Zevy? Do you want me?”

  “Only you. Every minute of every single day.” His voice was laden with desire, his fingers pressing into her flesh so hard, she’d probably bruise.

  She sank down on his shaft, taking in every inch of him, and a loud, lustful moan rumbled from his lips. The greedy sound unleashed the animal in her, and she went a little wild. Zev crushed his mouth to hers, loving her like he never wanted to let her go, and Lord knew she didn’t want him to. He was the only man who made her feel that way, and as they spiraled into ecstasy, crying out each other’s names in the throes of passion, she knew he was the only man who ever would.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ZEV WOKE WITH the alarm at six thirty Thursday morning with Carly snuggled into the curve of his body. His sweet little spoon still fit perfectly. He reached behind him slowly, giving her a last minute of sleep as he turned off his alarm. Three more mornings. The thought was accompanied by a pang of regret. He tried not to think about how little time they had left before he had to leave, but it was hard not to when this was how he wanted to wake up every morning.

  Bandit ambled onto the sleeping porch and rested his chin on the side of the bed, waiting for his morning pets. Zev had to hand it to Beau. His dog might be a thief, but he was a well-trained thief.

  Carly made a sleepy sound, wiggling her butt deeper into the crook of his hips. She pulled his arm tighter around her and said, “Just a few more minutes?”

  “The last time I made you late for work, you weren’t very happy.” He trailed kisses along her shoulder. “I don’t want to end up in the doghouse.”

  She turned around with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes and said, “Where’s college-boy Zev? The guy who coaxed me into staying in bed and missing my lab twice in one week.”

  “He took off and made a mess of both of us.” He kissed her softly. “Now you get grown-up Zev, the guy who makes sure you don’t miss out on a damn thing, including work.” He ran his hand down her hip, soaking in the feel of her for a few more seconds. If he allowed himself any more than that, she’d be late for sure. He gave her a quick kiss and said, “While you’re showering, I’ll take Bandit out and feed the chickens, and clean up the evidence of last night’s debauchery.”

  “You’re not showering with me?” she asked with an adorable pout.

  “If I shower with you, or if we stay in this bed much longer, you’re definitely going to be late.” He kissed the tip of her nose and forced himself to sit up. “I want to go with you this morning and see my girl in action.”

  She sat up, bright eyed and grinning. “You’re coming with me to the shop? That’s great! Birdie can’t come in until ten. She’s helping our friend Karma with inventory
at her boutique. But don’t you have things to do? Aren’t you anxious to get back to the lab?”

  “I am, but I’ll be there later with you. I’m meeting Jack at ten thirty for a quick visit, and I have a few errands to run. But I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

  “Yay for me!” She straddled him, naked, and said, “Is Jack going to fly you out on Sunday?”

  “Yes, at noon, but if you don’t climb off me right now, you’re going down on your back, and I’m going to be buried eight inches deep in less than ten seconds.”

  She giggled and stepped off the bed, looking mouthwateringly delicious.

  He gritted his teeth. “You’d better get in the shower.”

  “I’d better, huh?” She sauntered slowly and sexily toward the bedroom.

  She was his goddess, his fantasy, and he wanted everything she had to give: heart, body, and soul. His love for her was so all-consuming, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. He loved her teasing ways, her sweet and seductive smiles, and her careful new approaches. He loved watching her adventurous spirit reawaken and seeing the surprise and elation on her face as it did. And he loved the way she was taunting him at that very second.

  “You’re evil,” he said, and lunged for her. She squealed, slipping through his fingers. He tried again, catching her around the waist, and tossed her onto the bed on her stomach, coming down over her. She smelled so good, like vanilla bubble bath and their lovemaking. Her laughter was as enticing as the feel of her soft body beneath him.

  “You like torturing me, Carls?”