Sweet Victory (Fighting for Love)

by Gina L. Maxwell

  Oh hell. She’d never get tired of seeing him shirtless. All hills and valleys, ropey muscles, and raised veins. It inspired a tongue to do some serious topographical exploring.

  Xander made quick work of the rest of his clothes until he stood before her completely naked. Sucking her bottom lip in, she finally dropped her gaze to the part of his anatomy she’d been fantasizing about for months. Her eyes widened and she pushed up on her hands to brace herself on her arms and see if the different angle diminished its size. It didn’t.

  “Jesus Christ, Xander. I don’t know whether I should try to have sex with that thing—and I emphasize try—or use it roll out dough.”

  He let out a hearty laugh and put a knee on the bed. She wanted to see the amusement on his face—he was so gorgeous in full-happy mode—but she couldn’t drag her gaze away from the thick erection jutting out from his body, homing in on its target like a heat-seeking missile.

  Sophie laughed with him despite her insistence that she wasn’t joking. “What the hell am I supposed to do with that weapon of mass vagina destruction?”

  “Now you’re just trying to play to my ego,” he said with a wicked grin as he knelt at the foot of the bed. “I promise that the only thing I’ll be destroying is your desire for any other man in your bed.”

  “Oh,” she squeaked. Hypnotized by his dark blue eyes, she said, “Suppose that’s fine, then.”

  Damn, he was breathtaking. She’d never seen a body like his. Such perfection carved from flesh and bone didn’t seem possible, and yet the proof was currently crawling up the bed to her like a predatory lion. A very well-hung lion.

  His hands circled her ankles and pulled her legs straight and out to the sides before continuing to climb over her. Lying on her back she looked up at him, feeling like a wounded gazelle waiting to be mauled. But in the best of ways.

  She squirmed from the anticipation and realized he had her stretched and pinned down with the weight of his leg over hers. Vulnerable and on display, completely at his mercy. If he had any wish to offer her said mercy. From the look in his eyes, she guessed that he didn’t.

  “I’m starting to wonder if maybe you don’t come from a long line of witches, Sophie Caldwell.” His left hand, the only free one between the two of them, settled on her neck and moved lower to plump and knead her breasts, avoiding her nipples completely. The ass. “You’ve definitely got me under some sort of spell. I’ve never been so hard for a woman before. Never wanted a woman with such intensity before. What have you done to me?”

  “Nothing you haven’t already done to me,” she whispered.

  Leaning in, he captured her mouth. This kiss was slower, but no less intense. Xander’s tongue pressed and licked on hers. Sometimes it traced the underside of her top lip and over her teeth. Sometimes it retreated so he could bite at her fuller lower lip. Each quick sting released a lightning bolt that shot straight to her clit and made her hips push up against his leg.

  At last, he used his fingers to give her light flicks to her sensitive nipples, then rolled the tight nubs. The sensations were too much. She broke their kiss, her head tilting back into the mattress as her shoulder blades pulled together to arch her breasts higher. It was begging and pleading in its basest form. Her body contorting to offer itself to the man slowly devouring her, bit by bit.

  Xander trailed openmouthed kisses down her arched throat, then blessedly closed his lips around a nipple and proceeded to alternate between bestowing reverent worship and delicious torture on each breast. Suckling, swirling, flicking, nipping. She loved it all, as was evident by the warmth seeping from her panties. And the knot in her belly grew tighter every minute, bringing her closer and closer to that ultimate release…but still so far away.

  Drawing back, he studied his handiwork with smug satisfaction. “Look at your nipples, Soph. Absolute perfection. All swollen and cherry red. Your lips are the same,” he said as he used his thumb to lightly press on the center of her lower lip. “Now I’m going to do the same thing to your pink pussy. I’ve been dying to do this for months.”

  “Then what are you waiting for?”

  He narrowed his eyes at her challenge. “Keep your hands where they are, love. They move, I stop. Understand?”

  Sophie nodded. Hell, she’d agree to just about anything right now, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. Although, if she had to guess, Xander knew exactly the kind of affect he had using his many talents. She certainly wasn’t the first, or probably even the hundredth, to experience them, nor would she be the last.

  Jealousy flared to life then died out like it was never there, like a piece of flash paper in a magician’s trick. The flame lived for only a few moments, but that was more than long enough to leave behind a burn. What really surprised her was that it wasn’t the thought of his past conquests that bothered her. It was the thought of the women he would do these things with after they were no longer in the messed up situation. She had no right to any feelings of jealousy, and yet she wanted to claw the eyes out of any woman Xander tried to bed in the future.

  Fortunately, he never saw her conflicting emotions because he was too focused on positioning himself between her legs. And before her brain could fire off another round of analyzing strange feelings, Xander ran his nose up her damp panties. All brain functions shut down as she heard him inhale deeply from the bottom all the way to where her clit was nestled safely in her swollen lips.

  “Fuck, Soph, you smell so good. It’s driving me mad.” His mouth pressed against her center and blew through her panties. Hot breath bathed her pussy, which answered with a rush of wet warmth. Her hips tipped up of their own volition to press herself more firmly against his face. A silent request he didn’t deny her. Thank Christ.

  Rough hands gripped her ass and held her to him as he licked and sucked her through the lace. Waves of desire ebbed and flowed from her sex out. Rushing past her stomach and over her breasts, up her neck and the base of her skull.

  “More, Xander,” she panted. “Give me more.”

  “I’ve got plenty more to give you,” he said, pulling the lace crotch until it sank between her folds and rubbed on her clit. “Patience, sweetheart.”

  “I’ve never been real good with that particular virt— Uhnnn… God, that feels so good.”

  Xander licked and sucked on each of her fleshy lips while keeping a pulsing pressure on her clit with gentle tugs of her underwear. Just as the shock of that move started to fade, he pulled the whole panel off to the side to give him full access. And he took full advantage, wasting no time before diving in.

  “Mmmmm…” He stiffened his tongue and swiped it from bottom to the top like he was trying to drink every bit of her down. The euphoric look on his face as he stared at her from between her legs made her dizzy. “Perfection, baby. You taste so fucking good. I could eat you all day.”

  Butterflies kicked up in her belly. She’d never been made to feel so sexy, so sensual before. A girl could get used to that kind of treatment if she wasn’t careful.

  Don’t ruin this by thinking. Not yet.

  His motions were unhurried and thorough, worshipping every inch multiple times over in different patterns to keep her guessing. He used his lips, his tongue, his knuckles, and his fingers to explore and play. All she could do was writhe as much as he allowed her to. Oh yeah. And beg. She did a lot of that, too.

  Xander closed his lips over her clit and sucked in time with her heartbeat. She panted faster the higher he pulled her toward her climax. So close. Almost…just a little more pressure… Sophie grabbed his head as her orgasm exploded behind her eyes.

  “That was one,” he said.

  Before she even fully pieced herself back together and realized that he actually meant to give her no less than three orgasms, he started on the next one. Again, he worked his tongue and lips over her clit, but this time added to his oral assault by working in the middle two fingers of one hand.

  “OhmyGod-ohmyGod-ohmyGod,” she keened, thrusting h
er hips in time with his fingers.

  “Mmm, so perfect, baby. The way you taste, the way you look, the way you squeeze around my fingers as they fuck you. Come for me, come on.”

  “Gonna…yes, I…Xander!”

  This time he eased her down until she settled back to Ground Zero before smugly announcing, “That’s two.”

  “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” she said as he crawled up her body. “So your secret dies with me?”

  “What secret would that be, gorgeous?” He paused to lavish attention on her breasts, almost distracting her in the process.

  “The fact that I beat you in carnival games.” When he lifted his head to laugh, she made her move. She swept his legs and pushed on his chest. In a flash, he was on his back with her straddling his hips.

  “That may be one of the hottest things a woman’s ever done to me in bed.”

  “You’re not the only one with moves.” Giving him a wicked smirk, she reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom.

  “Ah, been snooping, I see.”

  “What? I would never,” she said with feigned innocence. “I was simply looking for the bible.”

  “Were you expecting mini shampoos in the bathroom as well?” His chuckle died off as his eyes zeroed in on her fingers unwrapping the condom before wrapping him in record time.

  “Ready, set, go, big guy.”

  “All right then,” he said, his voice husky as he wrapped those big hands around her hips. “Show me what you’ve got.”

  Grabbing his thick erection, she guided it to her entrance and slowly—so fucking slowly—began working herself on him with tiny pulses, then moving on to shallow strokes that gained him a few inches of depth.

  “Fuck, baby,” he growled. “You’re so damn tight.”

  “Gee, Gigantor, I wonder”—gasp—“why.”

  Finally, she’d swallowed him to the hilt and not a spare breath of space was left unfilled by him. Unable to continue the torture of moving slow, Sophie placed her hands on his chest and rocked her hips. Her slick arousal coated him and allowed her to pick up speed, riding up and down his big cock, the friction a delicious attack on the millions of nerves he rubbed against.

  “Fuck me, that feels so fucking fantastic.” Xander lifted one hand and stuck his thumb in her mouth. She wrapped her lips around its base and sucked. “That’s right, baby, take what you need from me. Ride me until you come so hard my dick will be feeling your pussy squeezing it for a week.”

  She’d already been so close, but his filthy words and the way his thumb invaded her mouth like it was his to do what he wanted with, pushed her over the edge. Throwing her head back just as she felt him come undone inside her, Sophie screamed his name until she ran out of breath, then continued to rock on him gently as the shockwaves of her climax began to ebb.

  Minutes later, they lay in a sweaty heap in the middle of the bed, Sophie’s head resting on his chest, their legs and arms entangled.

  “A lion,” she said.

  “What about a lion?”

  “You asked me what kind of cat I thought I’d be, and I chose a black panther.” The image of his golden body stalking her up the bed flooded her mind. “But you…I think you’re a lion. Majestic, fierce, loyal…” Sophie rested her chin on the hand resting on his chin so she could meet his gaze. “And under the right touch, turns into a big pussy cat.”

  His eyes grew round. “A pussy cat, you say? I think you just wounded my manhood.” Sophie laughed as he rolled her over and settled himself at the juncture of her legs. “You can’t be spouting off things like that, you’ll hurt his feelings.”

  “Maybe I should kiss him and make it all better,” she said, biting the corner of her lip.

  “I think that would be best,” he played, his face serious but for the twinkle in his beautiful blue eyes. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

  And they spent the rest of the night alternating between finding reasons to apologize to each other’s bodies and excuses as to why they needed just one more roll in the sheets.

  Chapter Ten

  124 days left

  “Honey, I’m home,” he sang out as he entered the flat. Hearing the whirs and clangs of her electric mixer against the raucous bagpipe melody of “The Spicy McHaggis Jig” by Dropkick Murphys, Xan doubted she’d even hear him with a megaphone.

  He tossed his gym bag by the door and inhaled the heavenly scents of vanilla and sugar deep into his lungs. It was a damn good thing he had willpower the size of a Mastodon or the only thing he’d be fighting next month was the Battle of the Bulge.

  Usually he arrived home before Sophie so he had the chance to shower off the stench from his day. No way did he want to greet her smelling like a gym rat. Hopefully with all the racket she was making in the kitchen, he could make it to the bedroom before she knew he was back.

  He walked the few feet out of the foyer and continued on past the living room. Xander had every intention on not looking back to catch a glimpse of her, but it was no use. He couldn’t knowingly be in the same room as her and not seek her out. She was a visual addiction that only got stronger with each passing day.

  Knowing he’d need to change his immediate plans to a cold shower, he turned at the threshold to the bedroom. Even if the flat had been wall-to-wall with people, his gaze would have locked in on her as easily as a heat-seeking missile to a volcano. Leaning against the doorframe, he crossed his arms and watched her dance in place as she worked.

  She faced away from him, her right hand turning the bowl on the counter as her left arm swirled her hand mixer around the inside. Bouncing to the heavy drum beats of the Irish bar music, her emerald-green ponytail swished back and forth over her shoulder blades which were mostly bare thanks to one of her favorite skimpy camisole top things—a penchant he wasn’t about to suggest she break anytime soon, or ever for that matter. As for her bottom half, it was barely covered in a pair of tight black cotton shorts that sported white handprints on each cheek like someone had reached around and grabbed her gorgeous bum. The cheeky phrase “Your Hands Here” was stamped on the waistband. Instructions he fully intended on making use of after his shower.

  Ogling her as he was, Xander didn’t notice the mixer had stopped until he heard an excited shout over the music. “You’re home!”

  With a practiced tug and yank, Soph whipped off her apron as she rounded the breakfast bar and ran barefoot in his direction. Uh oh. He held his hands up, hoping to stop her before it was too late. “Babe, wait. You don’t want to—”

  But apparently she did, because with a girlish squeal she jumped into his arms. He caught her up against him as she wrapped her legs behind his back. Xander groaned at the way his cock nestled perfectly against her sex in this position. His groan was joined by her moan as she took his mouth in one of the best kisses of his life. The fact that every “best kiss” that ranked in the top for him all happened to be in the last two months from Sophie was no coincidence. The woman had a wicked mouth and even more wicked tongue.

  When at last the kiss broke to allow them full breaths, he realized she’d washed her makeup off for the day. No heavily lined eyes with fake lashes or lips stained her signature bright red. He loved both looks—the sexy pinup and the fresh-faced imp—but knowing that this look was something she didn’t show the world, that it was his alone, warmed him in ways he couldn’t explain. And though he made it a point not to examine it too closely, he knew it struck him in an area located much higher up than his cock.

  “That,” he emphasized, “was most assuredly the best homecoming a man has ever received. I’m glad I didn’t make it all the way to the bedroom before you noticed me.”

  Sophie pretended to pout, her lush pink lower lip sticking out and begging for him to nibble and taste until he turned it red. “You tried to get past me?”

  “Only because I stink to high heaven.” He opened his arms wide, but she remained attached to him at the waist and neck, making him laugh and resign him
self to wrapping his arms around her again. Oh, the sacrifice. “I’m surprised you’re not clamoring down to get as far away from my man-stench as possible.”

  She hitched a corner of her mouth and eyed him like he was nothing more than a piece of meat. He must have died and gone straight up. Lord, have mercy.

  “Now why would I want to do that?” she asked, dragging her nose along his jawline from chin to ear. The sharp sting of her teeth nipping his lobe had him hissing in a breath and rocking his pelvis into her. “I like it when you’re sweaty,” she whispered against his neck. “You smell so virile and manly. It reminds me of how strong you are. How hard you work to keep this body so hard and sexy.”

  Fucking hell, but this saucy woman knew exactly how to undo him. Spinning around, Xander stalked into the bedroom and over to the far side of the room for the full bath. He planted her ass on the edge of the counter and leaned into her. “Then you’d best hang on tight, gorgeous, because I’m about to show you just how hard I really am.”

  Sophie grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and dragged it up. “Don’t let me stop you, baby.”

  He dutifully raised his arms and let her whip it off and toss it to the floor. Their lips crashed together. Hands roamed. Mouths moaned. Timers dinged.

  Wait, what?

  “Shit! My truffles!” Sophie gave him a quick, hard kiss before jumping down, abandoning his balls in the process. “Hurry up and shower, because I need your help and want to show you what I’m working on, ’kay?”

  “Why don’t you set them out to cool, bring that tight arse of yours back here”—he grabbed his cock and balls over his jersey shorts and adjusted himself blatantly for her stare—“and I’ll show you what I’m working on.”

  Brushing his hand aside, the minx grabbed him in the same fashion and gave him a light squeeze that made him grunt as fire shot through his veins. “Because I can get this working any time I want, but mine can’t wait. So hurry up like a good boy and I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”