by J. H. Croix
Well, now, that was a really sensible question, but I wasn't having it, not right now. I lifted my chin. “We already did the crazy thing. We can't undo it,” I returned, pointing out the obvious.
His low chuckle cinched the need tighter inside me. He lifted a hand, brushing a wayward lock of hair off my cheek. Hot shivers chased down my side as his fingers brushed the sensitive shell of my ear when he tucked the hair behind it.
His palm was warm as it slid along my neck, his thumb tracing a blazing path over my collarbone. Who knew that was an erogenous zone? It was certainly news to me. But oh, my god, his touch there was a ticklish pleasure that sent licks of fire racing over my skin. Time sped up and slowed down when he dipped his head, his lips following the path of his thumb. He dropped fiery kisses on my collarbone. His teeth grazed along the sensitive skin where my shoulder met my neck, and I shivered against him, letting out a shameless moan.
He murmured something I couldn’t even register, and then his mouth was on mine. We tumbled into a kiss—licks, nips, ragged breaths, and then diving back into each other. I couldn't get enough of him as I plastered myself to him, an arm snaking around his waist with my fingers pressing into the corded muscles along his spine. His palm slid in a path down my back, cupping my bottom and pulling me fast against his arousal. I moaned into his mouth, and he broke free, gulping in air as he murmured something indecipherable.
I breathed in deep lungfuls of the crisp autumn air. Another owl called, and this time, a raven answered in the rapidly falling darkness. Suddenly, I heard the sounds of tires on gravel, and headlights illuminated us in an arc as a vehicle turned into the parking area. I didn't even have enough sense to jump away. I didn't really care.
Russell appeared to have a modicum of control and stepped back, slightly turning and catching my hand in his. “Let's go.”
We walked the short distance to his truck. Some teenagers spilled out of the car that parked nearby, ignoring us completely as they proceeded to build a campfire on the beach.
Russell and I climbed into the truck. He made sure I was buckled up before backing out. The drive back to the house was in complete silence. As far as words were concerned, that was. He reached across the console, his palm landing on my thigh, his touch a hot brand. Meanwhile, my body was a cacophony of sensation as need rampaged through me restlessly. By the time we got back to the house, I was tied in knots of lust. I could feel the slick arousal between my thighs, and my nipples were chafing against my bra. We tumbled out together, and he caught my hand as we ran across the gravel and into the house. The door slammed shut behind us, my back pressing against it instantly when he caged me in his arms and pinned me to the door, kissing me as if I was the very air he needed to breathe.
He took deep sips from my mouth, and I loved that he couldn't get enough. Because I definitely couldn't get enough of him. Our tongues dueled, and our kiss was messy and wild. His hands were rough as one pushed my jacket out of the way and slid up under my shirt, his touch was warm against my cool skin. He had my bra undone in a hot second and let out a groan into my mouth when he cupped a breast, pinching the nipple slightly.
My hips rocked into his arousal. We broke apart out of our sheer need for air. His eyes were hot on mine. We stared at each other, our chests rising and falling in rapid breaths. Then it was a race. He stepped away from the door, shoving my coat off my arms as I pushed at his. My shirt came off first, then my bra fell somewhere between the entryway and the kitchen.
We didn't make it upstairs or downstairs. A few seconds or minutes later, his hand was reaching between my thighs, and he let out a growl. “Fuck, you're so wet.” His fingers delved into me.
The insides of my thighs were damp from my arousal. We never even got our boots off. My jeans were shoved down just past my hips when he bent me over the counter. The tight friction created from where they banded around my thighs had my pussy clenching at the sensation. I was slippery wet and needy, so fucking needy.
I felt the velvety heat of his arousal brushing against my thigh and arched back. The granite counter was cool under my belly and breasts as his fingers teased into my folds. His lips were hot as he dropped a line of kisses down my spine. I trembled under his touch, shamelessly begging, “Please.”
Abruptly, he stopped, and I looked over my shoulder, almost angry. “What?” I barked out.
“I need to get a condom,” he replied, his voice sounding strangled.
I swallowed. “I'm on the pill.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I'm sure. I take it every day. I promise I'm clean too. I don't get tons of action if you were wondering.” He gave me a long stare. “Do I need to be concerned about you?”
He shook his head swiftly. “No. I swear, I always use condoms.”
“Well, if you insist. I’ll wait.” I rested my elbows on the counter and took a deep breath.
He stayed quiet for a beat, and then said, “If you trust me, I trust you.”
I felt the thick crown of him pressing at my entrance, and I let out another shameless moan as I arched into him. With the friction of my thighs being pressed together by my jeans, the thick slide of him filling me was intense. One of his hands gripped my hip, and I felt his forehead press between my shoulder blades.
His speech was slurred when he said, “Oh, fuck. That feels good. Oh, my God.”
He seated himself more deeply, and I pushed back into him. He held still for a long moment. I was already teetering on the edge of my climax and felt my channel rippling around him.
Chapter Nineteen
Russell
I tried to hold my release at bay, but it was nearly impossible. Being bare inside Paisley was intoxicating. Her silky slick channel clenched around me as I took several deep breaths. I finally lifted my head from where it was resting between her shoulder blades.
Opening my eyes, I stared down at her. Her back had freckles scattered over it, and her bottom was round and lush. She arched and pressed back into me, her auburn hair a tangle around her shoulders. Gritting my teeth, I took a breath and drew back, letting out a ragged groan as I filled her again.
Abruptly, she went still, her hands clenching on the counter. She cried out, a sharp, keening sound as her pussy convulsed around me. I tumbled over the edge after her. My balls drew up tightly as my release sizzled through me like hot lightning. I poured into her, jerking roughly. My mind was hazed. I was almost dizzy from it as I curled over her, resting a palm on the counter and trying to catch my breath.
After a few moments, I opened my eyes and uncurled my hand from her hip, smoothing my palm up her side. An intense sense of intimacy stole through me. I dipped my head because I couldn't resist kissing along the sweet curve of her neck. She turned her head, arching into my touch like a cat.
When I lifted my head, my gaze collided with Paisley’s. We stared at each other quietly for a moment. I thought maybe this should feel awkward, but it didn't. I straightened, my hand sliding down her back again. Right then, her stomach growled, and she bit her lip. Her cheeks went pink, and my heart turned over in my chest.
“I think I'm hungry,” she murmured huskily.
I felt my lips kick up into a smile. “You think?” I teased.
I slowly drew back, almost regretfully. Being buried deep inside Paisley was a kind of heaven I'd never imagined. We got dressed, and even she laughed about the scattered random mess of our clothes. It said something about how out of control my need had been that neither one of us had gotten fully undressed.
It was a damn crime that she had to pull her jeans up. Her bottom was perfect, and she even had freckles there. I had plans for that bottom. I needed to kiss every freckle, for starters.
“What are you having for dinner?” I asked.
She looked at me, biting her lip. “Well, if you weren't here, I would probably make something from a box.”
I grinned. “How about I make something?”
We stared at
each other for a long moment. We seemed to be doing a lot of that. She nodded.
“Let’s shower first,” I added.
She bit her lip but followed along. After we’d showered and changed, we returned to the kitchen. “Okay, what are you going to make?” she asked.
“I don't know. Let me see what we've got.” She looked at me like that was crazy. “What?” I prompted as I crossed to the refrigerator and opened it, perusing the contents.
“You’re just going to think of something?”
Glancing over my shoulder as I closed the refrigerator and opened the pantry cabinet, I nodded. “Yes. That's a thing that people sometimes do.”
She let out a little huff. “Whatever. I don't cook a lot. You know that.”
“Really?” I teased.
“I'll be your assistant,” she offered. “Just tell me what to do. You already know I can grate cheese like a pro.”
“I do know that. How about I make something with this chicken?” I pulled out a package of chicken. “I'll make some seasoned rice with it.”
“Does it involve grating cheese?” Paisley asked. Her expression was so earnest I wanted to hug her.
She liked to feel competent, and it was so obvious she just didn’t when it came to anything in the kitchen. She was highly proficient at work. I'd been working with her now going on six weeks, and she was an excellent firefighter. I felt a twinge of guilt. Because the second I’d laid eyes on her at her interview and thought she was hot, I’d gotten uncomfortable about it. I’d tried to act like she wasn't a good hire. She was rock-solid, she had great judgment, and she was absolutely a team player. Except when she was arguing with me, but maybe we had a way to avoid arguing.
She cleared her throat, and I realized my mind had wandered, but then it tended to do that with Paisley.
“Right. This doesn't involve a lot of cheese, but that's okay. You can do other things. Should we have some beer?”
“I thought I told you I don't like beer?”
“You did tell me that. I keep forgetting because you seem like the kind of person who would like beer.”
Her brows hitched up in question, and I shrugged. “I'm going to have a beer. Would you like something to drink?”
“I got some wine the other day. You should’ve told me you wanted some beer, and I would’ve picked some up for you.”
“We weren't really talking for a few days there,” I replied.
Her cheeks went pink. “We weren't purposely not talking,” she said.
“No, but we were avoiding each other enough that we couldn't talk,” I added as I pulled the chicken out of the fridge.
I fetched a beer and handed her a wine glass. I set to prepping the meal and gave her the task of pounding the chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer. “Why am I doing this?” she asked as she settled into her task.
“Because I'm going to roll them with filling.”
“Oh, with what?”
“It'll involve a little cheese, so you can grate some next. I promise it'll be delicious.”
When Paisley smiled over at me, my heart did that funny tumble that seemed solely associated with her. I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it felt unsettling. Also unsettling was the fact we’d had a really great day. Of course, having mind-blowing sex in the kitchen made the day even better.
It was only when the house phone rang after we’d finished eating and were lounging at the kitchen table playing Scrabble that I realized I'd completely forgotten about her brother's phone call, the very thing that had set us off on our trip to the beach. Based on the look on her face, I was pretty sure she hadn’t thought about it either.
Chapter Twenty
Paisley
My brother’s phone call had totally slipped my mind. As I watched Russell cross the kitchen to answer the phone mounted on the wall, I realized I had him to thank for that. He was the one who’d said we should go for a hike. I'd had a really great day, and I actually liked hanging out with Russell. Plus, crazy hot sex was a bonus I hadn't even considered.
My heart felt funny, and my belly swooped as if I were falling from a great height. Oh wow, I wasn't supposed to be feeling things for Russell. Yet here I was with lots of feelings bouncing around inside.
“Hello,” he said after he lifted the phone.
Reality punched me hard again, right in the chest.
“Hey, Mom,” Russell said easily. “You don't usually call this number.”
As soon as he spoke, the tension that had drawn tight inside me loosened. I took a breath before lifting my wineglass and draining the last of it. My eyes traveled around the table. Our empty plates had been pushed to the center, and there was a balled-up napkin beside mine. My feet were propped on a chair, and I wiggled my toes. Somewhere along the way, I'd finally removed my boots. I flushed as I recalled our rush earlier. Wow. My belly trembled, and heat raced through me at the recollection of our near frantic encounter.
“Just tell them to come by on Monday. Both of us will be at work. We're on duty so they don't need to worry about our schedule.”
A moment later, he was hanging up the phone and walking back across the kitchen. My eyes soaked him in. Good grief. Russell was too sexy for his own good. His muscled shoulders filled out his T-shirt. I tracked his easy stride and the way his jeans clung lovingly to his thighs.
I wanted him all over again. I was feeling greedy. I also wanted to be distracted again. Now that I'd tossed all reason out the window when it came to Russell, I didn't care to hold my need at bay. When he stopped beside my chair and looked down, I hooked a finger around his belt loop, giving him a little tug when I glanced up. Without a word, I watched his eyes darken.
Sliding my hand down, I caressed over his fly, gratified at the harsh sound of his breath hissing through his teeth and the feel of his arousal swelling under my palm. “I think we need to take our time this time,” I murmured as I flicked the buttons open.
He watched me quietly, his nostrils flaring when I dragged his boxers down, and his cock sprang free. I trailed one finger along the underside of his shaft. A bead of cum rolled from the tip, and I swiped it with my finger, sucking it clean as I looked up at him.
“Paisley,” he growled, his tone almost strangled.
“Yes?” I teased as I leaned forward and swirled my tongue around the crown of his cock before sucking it in.
His hand laced in my hair, gripping tightly. He took me at my word and let me take my time. Then he carried me upstairs, and he took his time, spreading me out on the bed and treating me like his personal feast. When I felt his shoulders press my thighs apart, he whispered, “Your turn.”
I forgot everything else, even my name, except for when he nearly shouted it after he buried himself inside me again, filling me in deep pumps. I came for the third time that evening. We slept together again, and when I woke up the following morning, I thought maybe I needed to find a way to get sensible right quick.
But then, his palm splayed over my belly as he rose on an elbow and his navy eyes met mine.
“Maybe we should set some ground rules,” I murmured.
My belly trembled under his touch, and my core clenched because I already wanted him again. His brows hitched, but he nodded.
I forged ahead. “Okay. We can't tell anybody about us. That's the first one."
“Okay.”
“No strings, right?” My heart gave a wobbly thump with that question.
I was trying to make sure this stayed casual even though I sensed I was already past that. Maybe if I set some rules and made them explicit, I could follow them.
Russell’s eyes searched mine before he nodded slowly. “I’m on board with no strings, but if we’re seeing other people, I think we should use condoms,” he said.
That was rather practical of him. I blinked. “Well, I'm not seeing anybody else, and I don't intend to.”
“Okay, so we're exclusively no strings?” he prompted, his lips kicking up at a corner.
“Ye
s.” My lips tugged into a smile, and a giggle escaped.
The next thing I knew, he caught my hands in his and stretched them above my head. I forgot everything else except us.
A few days later, I saw a shirtless Russell walking through the workout area at the station. I glanced over, and our eyes met. Every cell in my body clamored for him, but we'd set the rules. I couldn't do anything. Not now. Certainly not at work.
I knew I stared at him too long, and I recognized the second he became aware of that small problem. His lips kicked up at one corner, and I forced myself to look away and keep walking. Being a hotshot firefighter, a profession dominated mostly by men, meant we hung out at the station together a lot. We all worked out because we had to stay in shape. Being in peak physical form was a requirement for this job, and our lives depended on it. Every fire station in the country had workout areas. I had never—never—even paid attention to the guys working out. I noticed them with about as much interest as seeing Maisie answer the phone out front. Yet I was practically drooling over Russell.
Feeling flustered, I hurried down the hall and turned into the women's locker area. Blessedly, it was empty. I closed the door, rested my back against it, and let my hips slide down. The cool metal of the door sifted through my shirt, a contrast to the heat coming off me in waves. Someone tried to open the door, and I stood quickly, practically bolting across the room. A second later, the door opened, and Susannah commented, “Well, that was weird.”
I glanced over. “What?” I hoped my voice sounded nonchalant, but I could feel the blaze of heat in my cheeks.
Susannah looked at me and back at the door. She was about to close it when a voice called, “Susannah!”
She peered back into the hallway. “Hey-yyy!”
A second later, a woman I hadn't met appeared. She had glossy dark hair and big blue eyes. She tugged Susannah into a quick hug before stepping back and glancing in my direction. She smiled over at me. “Hey, I'm Harlow. You must be new.”
