by Haley Travis
“Come on up,” she said, and I locked the door behind us. Besides the deadbolt with a key, there was an unkeyed lock, and a bar lock. The top hardware looked brand new.
This was a pretty safe neighborhood, and for her to feel the need for extra security broke my heart. I hated that she would ever feel unsafe in her own home.
We sat close to each other on the couch, and I took her hand. “Bailey, why were you hiding in the dark in the back alley?”
Her expression was almost too calm. “Sometimes I like to walk in the rain, but when it got cold, I took a shortcut.”
“But why were you hiding?”
She seemed uncomfortable. “I didn’t like the look of those guys in the van. They were seriously huge and creepy. I didn’t want them to see me.”
I squeezed her hand gently. “It is not my place to suggest what you should and should not do, but I’m sure you know that well-lit streets are considerably safer.”
Slim shoulders reached up in a shrug. “I know, I know. It was stupid. And I probably got all jumpy for no reason.”
She bit her bottom lip for half a second, obviously having no idea how seductive she looked at the moment. “I’ve never really lived in the city before, and I guess I just forget sometimes.”
I nodded. “Well, you’re okay. And that’s all that matters.” Then I paused. “Wait – why did you want me to hide with you?”
She sighed softly. “I guess I just didn’t want you to get into it with those guys if they were up to no good. I just…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. Weird gut reaction or something.”
I couldn’t stop staring at her delicate throat, and the hint of cleavage revealed by her relatively low cut robe. Reaching out, I tiptoed my fingers along her collarbone, then up into the back of her hair while she giggled.
Then she looked up at me, her beautiful eyes looking almost haunted. “Daniel, I don’t know what you’re looking for. And I don’t know if I can be the person you might want me to be.”
“Shh,” I murmured, scooping her up and pulling her so that she was sitting in my lap. “Bailey, my last relationship was a mess. A nasty woman named Ashley wanted me to be all sorts of things that I wasn’t. Then she behaved like a spoiled child, tap danced on my heart and flounced away. I was alone for a couple of years, with no idea what I really wanted. Now, I know that everything I want is you.”
I kissed along her cheekbone as she melted against me. “We don’t have to have labels,” I whispered. “We don’t have to be super serious right away. I care about you, I want to spend time with you, and I want to snuggle you until you make this little noise…” I nibbled a patch of skin just under her ear, making her giggle softly.
“That’s probably as much as I can handle right now,” she said. “Is that really okay with you?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
I didn’t intend to be dishonest with her. Yet there was no way I could tell her that I was becoming obsessed with her. I dreamed of her lips. Her bright, clever eyes. The thoughts of keeping her safe, protecting her from the world, ran through me as regularly as my own blood. I knew I had to go slowly so that I didn’t frighten her, but my feelings for this sweet, precious girl were already taking up a lot of space in my mind at all times.
Her lips parted, allowing my tongue to slip into her soft mouth. Her fingers tangled in the back of my hair as her soft moan made my stomach clench with raw desire. Gliding my hand along her back, I slid my fingers under her arm to cup her perfect, tender breast. Instead of pulling back or shifting position, she whimpered softly, moving against me.
She wanted me. I could feel her desire as her thighs tightened, her hips wriggling slightly in my lap. I could have tried to be content with another amazing makeout on her couch. But then her hip ground into my arousal in a way that certainly wasn’t an accident. This time I moaned softly, running my thumb around her nipple as she nearly purred in my hands.
Something inside me snapped, and I knew I just couldn’t wait any longer.
CHAPTER TEN
The butterflies swirling in my belly were becoming restless, and I was losing my breath. My skin was twitching with need, as my brain glitched with indecision.
My entire body was pressing against Daniel as if every inch of contact was important to my survival. The feeling of raw need that I had for him was coursing through my veins, altering my heartbeat. This wasn’t lust, this was something that my body required or it might actually explode from frustration. The feeling of losing control, of giving myself to him, felt like absolute bliss.
Having him guide my breath as we kissed endlessly felt like a perfect surrender. I needed to decide immediately though whether I knew where I wanted to draw a line, if at all.
“I want you.”
His whispered declaration rang through the room, stopping our sweet kiss like a slammed door.
“I...” Whatever section of my brain usually created words suddenly took a coffee break. All I could do is blink at him.
“Shh, I’m sorry,” he said immediately, sitting us up and curling me into his chest. He looked down to study my eyes, my hand reached out to cover his heart. The beat was quick and twitchy, and I realized he was nervous. That was odd.
“You’re not ready,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry, Bailey. It’s okay. I don’t want to–”
“No,” I whispered quickly. I’d be damned if I let him think of me as a broken little bird. “I’m just... surprised.”
“Surprised that I’d want you? Are you insane?” His thick fingers ran across my cheekbone, down my jaw, back to my mouth. His thumb trailed along my lower lip, tugging it down slightly until I had to choke back a giggle. “Bailey, you’re incredible. I’m sorry I blurted that out. Sometimes it’s hard to control myself around you. I just want to touch you, hold you. Be close to you.”
There was no way that I could confess all of my sins to him. But maybe just one.
“It surprises me how much I want you to hold me. Um...” I took a slow breath. “Where I come from, big guys were always rough. So, I’m sorry it took a little time before I could relax around you.” Something in his eyes tightened, as if I’d struck a nerve. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve known men like that, and I hope that you know by now that I’m nothing like them.”
I nodded, then laughed, poking his chest. “Except for the muscles, which are remarkably similar.” He tugged my lip until I nodded again. Without even realizing what I was doing, I unfastened the top three buttons of his shirt so that I could place a hand against the warm skin of his broad chest.
“Hey, I’ll tell you a secret,” he said. “You’re stronger than you think. It took three nurses to pull you off me in the hospital because you wouldn’t let me go.”
My eyes clamped shut and I wanted to disappear for a second.
“No, Bailey, please don’t be embarrassed. I didn’t mean it like that.” It was hard to meet his eyes, but he was smiling gently. “You were exhausted, and in your fuzzy state you didn’t want your comfortable warm pillow to leave. It was adorable, and it was killing us not to laugh and wake you up completely.” He kissed my forehead gently. “What I meant was that when you let your walls down, you know you can trust me. Or at least your subconscious can. That makes me extremely happy.”
I felt some of my stress slipping away. A much different sort of tension was brewing, making me feel twitchy and breathless. I shouldn’t be feeling it in my inner thighs when he looked at me that way.
“I want to make us both happy,” I whispered. Then I stretched up to kiss him again, wrapping my arms around him and pulling my body against his in a way that announced precisely what I wanted. From the way his hips moved toward mine, he felt it too.
“Bailey,” he breathed, “I’m making no assumptions, but would you like to show me your bedroom?”
Standing up, I took his hand and led him into the other room. Turning on just the tiny bedside light, I sat on the e
dge of my pale blue comforter. He took off his shirt, laying it over the back of my chair, and sat beside me. Then he laid down, pulling me on top of him. “You’re in control, Bailey. Whatever you want. Nothing you don’t.”
“I think... I’d rather you take the lead,” I whispered. “I want... whatever you like.”
“Stop being so damn Canadian,” he chuckled, making me laugh with him. Rolling me onto my side, he ran his hand under my robe to caress my back. “If you really want me to take over, I’m going to torture you with politeness.”
I giggled, then again when I realized we’d been in bed together for maybe a minute and I’d already laughed more with him than I ever had while being physical with a guy. Even though I’d only had one man in my past.
“Speaking of manners,” he said, looking worried, “Do you have condoms?”
I shook my head. “I’m on the pill. And, um, I had a full round of tests over a year ago.” I couldn’t meet his eyes. “I haven’t been with anyone since then.”
“Me too, but two years.” His finger tipped my chin up to meet his eyes. “You’re okay without?” I nodded. “You’ll tell me if anything is too much?” I nodded again.
Then I realized that my sudden shyness might imply that I’d cooled down, when in fact I was almost dizzy with desire. Reaching out, I ran my hands over his massive chest, kissing his skin, trailing my way down. For a man this powerful to be so gentle, it somehow unraveled me.
Everything with my ex had been fast and rough. Daniel was a much different flavor of breathless. Exquisitely slow. Achingly tender. The flashes of heat across every inch of my skin he touched spelled out that my pleasure came first, in every language I’d ever heard of.
He pulled my robe off slowly, kissing along my shoulder as he unwrapped me. The way his eyes grew wide made me blush. “You’re so gorgeous,” he murmured, rolling onto his side so he could slide my robe off completely.
Unbuttoning more of his shirt, he helped me pull it off. Those arms that felt so wonderful when they held me were also quite something to look at.
Daniel’s mouth latched onto my breast, and I moaned, gripping the back of his shoulders as I held him against me. He seemed fascinated with my skin. I was already addicted to his touch.
His tongue swirled around my nipple as I quivered under him. My hands were everywhere, wandering aimlessly as we moved against each other.
I couldn’t reach his pants, and was relieved when he slid them off. As he laid over me, I could feel his thickness against my hip, and a shudder of raw desire overtook me. His mouth began devouring my other breast as his hand slid down my stomach, skimming over my mound delicately.
“You’re so soft,” he murmured.
His fingertips pulsed across my most intimate skin, and I heard myself moan as my legs fell open. I gasped as his finger grazed my clit softly, stroking back and forth. He was so delicate with those large hands that I felt myself almost liquefying under his touch.
His mouth glided up my throat as he slipped a single finger into my soaking pussy. I moaned again in surprise, whispering, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this wet before.”
He kissed slowly across my cheek as he filled me steadily. “I can feel how much you want me. You’re driving me wild, Bailey.”
Winding my fingers into the back of this thick hair, I pulled his mouth to mine. I needed him to feel my hunger. Reaching down with my other hand, I could finally grasp his shaft. He heard my sharp inhale as my palm glided over the full size of it.
“I’ll be so gentle with you, baby,” he murmured.
Gripping him firmly, I took long, slow strokes, loving the way his shoulders tensed from my touch. Then he moved from my grasp, kissing lower until I realized where he was headed. “I bet you’re as delicious as your treats,” he grinned, parting me wide open with his thumbs.
“Oh!” I cried out, feeling the warm, wet sensation of his wide tongue dragging through my folds.
“Mmm,” he groaned. “I knew you’d be sweet, but this is ridiculous.”
He dug in, absolutely feasting on my open, wet pussy until I saw stars. I couldn’t believe the raw heat coursing through my veins. I’d never been this warm, never felt overheated before. I was nearly sweating.
As his tongue lapped slowly, dreamily across my throbbing button, he slid two fingers inside me. I felt another shudder run through him when I frantically gripped the back of his neck. “So hot and wet,” he growled in that rich, deep voice. “Let me hear it, Bailey.”
There was nothing I could have done to stop it even if I’d wanted to. My entire body was on fire, his tongue licking like a flame across my skin. My pulse galloped. My muscles stiffened. A wail tore through me that didn’t sound human as I came against his mouth, gushing and shaking.
“Daniel,” I cried, overcome with the force of the most massive orgasm of my life. “Yes, oh…” I moaned with relief, feeling like pent up energy was being purged from my system.
He kissed his way back up my body to meet my lips. But then he paused to grin at me. “Those were the hottest little squeals I’ve ever heard in my life.”
“Shush,” I said automatically. “A lady never squeals.”
Two thick fingers thrust inside me again, and my squeal rang through the room. “Mine does,” he murmured, lying over me.
He called me his. A ribbon of deep emotion wound through my insides.
The thick head of his cock dragged through my wet, open lips again and again, teasing me. I didn’t know if he was trying to torture me, or if he was asking for permission. “Yes,” I breathed into his lips, kissing him dreamily as I pulled him as close as I could, my legs spreading wider.
He locked his gaze with mine as he slowly pressed inside me, earning every gasp, every sigh. I’d never been vocal in bed before, but I wasn’t in control of myself at the moment. The way his warm eyes sparkled with every noise I released made me feel even more connected to him.
He paused, letting my body adjust to his thickness. “Is this too much?”
I grinned into his lips. “More,” I whispered.
He moved slowly, his gentle strokes opening me wide for his amazing girth. His fingers tensed against my back as he softly hit bottom, so deep there was nowhere else to go as he was still for a moment. “Bailey,” he groaned. “You feel so perfect.”
Daniel wasn’t fucking me, he was losing himself inside me. I’d never felt so utterly worshiped. His slow, tender motions made me feel like I’d stepped into another reality. In what world was a man like this so romantic?
His thumb tugged at my bottom lip while he melted my eyes with his, before reaching lower to twist my nipple carefully between his fingers. My little cry seemed to amuse him, and his lips found my throat as I arched back, submitting completely.
He wasn’t taking me, he was making me. Making me surrender to the moment, making me his. Making me happy.
My fingers caressed the back of his firm, wide shoulders, pulling him close as his skin warmed me straight through. His body moving inside mine, flesh against wet flesh, was making me feel so high I was nearly dizzy.
His speed increased slightly, and I watched him check my eyes. “Yes,” I whispered.
That saucy grin unraveled me, as he freed one hand, licking his fingers with a wink. He found my clit as if it had a homing beacon, his touch flaring through my entire body. My tiny gasps couldn’t be stopped. The soft, steady brushing over my nerves increased my moaning, letting him read me. Know me.
His patience in letting my body adapt to his sent pangs of sweetness echoing through my heart. Logic be damned – my body yearned for his touch, his heat. His comfort.
My thighs wrapped around his hips, pulling him deeper. The pressure inside me was incredible, every nerve ending confused and overjoyed at once. “Oh!” I cried out, shocked by the intensity of the heat, the electricity surging through me. “Daniel... Yes...” The deep flutter in my center swelled, growing too big for my body to contain it, rippling outward.
Each scorching thrust grew even deeper, faster, and the thrill of making him lose a shred of control sent shivers through every nerve all over again.
“Bailey, baby,” he growled softly, kissing my throat as he buried himself deep in my soaking pussy while I came quivering under him.
My fingers gripped the back of his hair, his shoulders desperately as the waves continued ringing through me. “Yes,” I cried, then I felt his back muscles clench. He kissed me almost roughly as I felt him throb and jerk, his delicious wet heat flowing through me. Rocking against him, I was thrilled by the way he was overcome, as if were surrendering to me as well, every thrust driving us both wild.
Slowly calming down, he lifted his weight onto his forearms carefully, kissing me softly, dreamily. Finally he sat up, rolling and pulling me onto his chest. He was watching my eyes for a reaction, but I didn’t know what to say.
A giggle burst out of me that I couldn’t control. He simply raised an eyebrow, waiting. “I feel like I’m supposed to say something profound, but my brain isn’t braining at the moment,” I babbled.
Daniel’s rumbling chuckle shook my head slightly. “Bailey, gorgeous, that was...” He poked his forehead. “Nope. No words there.” His fingertips ran down the side of my jaw as we quietly caught our breath together.
With all of the secrets I had to keep locked away, I felt that I should reveal what I could to him. “Confession time. I’m actually embarrassed by how badly I needed that.”
Sitting up, he held me tightly against him. “Me too, baby.”
I’d never liked it when any man called me ‘baby’. It was dismissive. Diminishing. Reductive. But the word sounded so different from his lips. It was a term of sweetness. A true endearment. It made me feel strangely girlish and fluttery.
