by Jayne Rylon
Morgan peeked between her fingers. “Holy crap!”
The digits slammed closed once more. That couldn’t have been what it looked like. She must be dreaming again. But when she opened her eyes, his surprise hadn’t vanished. Her jaw hung open far enough to swallow a handful of bugs. Fortunately, the brisk air kept them away.
“Is that a good holy crap or a bad holy crap?”
She couldn’t answer immediately. A knot as big as a squash grew in her throat as she scanned the small pavilion sheltering them from the chill. A fire pit blazed in the center of the space, perfuming the air with the scent of applewood from the neighboring orchard.
Carved pumpkin lanterns of every size and shape ringed the perimeter of the cement-slab floor, hung from wires over the rafters and perched on sporadic wooden pillars. A few more made an elaborate centerpiece for the picnic table, laden with Indian corn, gourds, cider and other autumn treats. Geometric shapes glowed and bobbed with the radiance of the tea lights within. Warmth and welcome washed the entire space.
“You did all this for me?” She studied one of the beautiful designs so he couldn’t see the sheen of moisture in her eyes.
“I did it for us,” he whispered into her ear a moment before he cupped her chin in his fingers then angled her jaw until she couldn’t avoid the sincerity in his gaze. “I wanted our first time together to be special. As special for you as I know it will be for me.”
3
“First time?” Morgan didn’t object, really. She’d lusted after the man for weeks, but she hadn’t expected him to put it all on the line like that. Or to make the molten desire flowing between them so personal. Why couldn’t she be more like him?
“Shit. I didn’t mean that like it sounded, cupcake. I meant our first date, our first intimate conversation, our first dinner. Maybe our first real kiss.” When she still didn’t say anything, he sputtered. “Unless… I mean, I want you Morgan. Whatever you’ll take from me is yours. I hoped, but never think I assumed.”
“God, how do you do that?”
“Put my foot in my mouth? It’s pretty easy.” He laughed. “I have a lot of practice.”
“No. You distill complicated issues to their essence. I would have worried for three days about how to say what you just did—and probably would have bungled it anyway or lost my nerve—but you follow your instincts and they never lead you wrong. I really admire that about you, Joe.”
“I’m a simple man.” He scrubbed his hands over his cheeks. Were they red from the fire, or from her praise?
“You’re exactly the kind of man I like. Direct. Honest without being harsh. Strong and generous. They’re all great qualities.” She smiled. “I never have to guess with you.”
“Again, is that a good thing?”
She crossed the gap between them and kissed his cheek before she started bawling. “It’s a really good thing. Thank you. For everything. This has already been one of the most amazing nights of my life.”
“And what firsts would you like to try to make it even better?”
“Can we see where things go?”
“Yeah. Of course.” His smile returned, bigger than before. “How about we start with dinner?”
Her stomach growled in response. “Sounds good to me.”
They both laughed as they tucked into the fixed bench of the picnic table, draped in black linen. Joe straddled the plank, seating himself on her right so that he faced her. His left hand stroked her hair and he stole a peck on her cheek before admitting, “Kate and the rest of the crew helped me organize everything. The guys know you’re like a sister to Kate, and they’re all happy we’re finally doing something about—”
He gestured between himself and her.
“They said that?” She watched as he dipped mulled cider from the warmer into her mug. Cinnamon and cloves mixed with the leather of Joe’s jacket, nearly making her high from the delicious scents surrounding her.
“They didn’t have to.” Joe tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I can tell by the way they act around you and how much they’ve ripped on me for waiting to ask you out.”
“What if they didn’t approve of me?”
Joe waited until he’d finished plating several slices of fresh apples drizzled with caramel, a mixture of nuts and something that looked like herbed chicken with eggplant and other seasonal vegetables from the insulated bag on the table.
“Look, Morgan. I realize what Kate told you the other day could be confusing. I’m not sure I understand it myself. There aren’t any hard and fast laws when it comes to the crew and the women we’ve entertained.” Joe trailed one finger across the corner of her mouth, where a stray bit of foam from their drinks had landed. He brought the digit to his lips and licked it clean. “Let’s make one thing clear, though. If the crew had been crazy enough not to care about you like I do, I still wouldn’t have walked away. I couldn’t have.”
Her stomach clenched at his assertion. Almost as hard as when he sucked her taste from his fingertip. Desire coursed through her as she imagined his tongue lapping at her juices with such gusto. And what if it were more than just Joe devouring her? Could she handle three other men as potent and masculine as him? Would he still want her if she couldn’t?
“What happens between us is between us. Anything else we decide to do or not do can come later. But, I am curious. You didn’t say much yesterday. How do you feel about what Kate told you?”
“It’s hot!” She clapped her hand over her mouth in horror. She had not blurted that in the middle of their heart to heart.
Joe laughed, then forked up a piece of chicken. He cupped his hand beneath the chunk of steaming meat and guided it to her mouth. She gathered her thoughts as she chewed. The savory dish delighted her taste buds.
“Mmm. This is great.”
“Do you know how rough it is to cook for a chef? I got my balls in a bunch trying to pick the perfect thing.”
“I’d say you did fine. Better than.” She swallowed another draught of cider then bit the bullet. She could be as brave as her date. “And, yes, I’m completely turned on by the idea of the crew but it scares me too. I don’t want you to think I’m a slut. I, um, care too much about you to ruin this for one night of fun.”
“Morgan.” He set his mug on the table hard enough to make the candles shimmer. “That’s bullshit. Is that what you think? That enjoying a ménage with people who know you and respect you is the same as sleeping with any man who needs to get off? If it is, then this isn’t for you.”
“Damn, now I offended you.” She bit her lip. “I only meant that sometimes men don’t know what they want. A fantasy that sounds hot in theory can change the way someone looks at you afterward. It can kill a good thing. I don’t want to take that risk.”
Her lip trembled.
“Hey, hey. Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Joe petted her arm. His gorgeous green eyes closed to a slit. “Is that what happened with your ex? Did that douche offer to make your dreams come true then punish you for them once he’d gotten his rocks off?”
She focused on savoring the delicious meal Joe had slaved over. Anything was better than letting it go to waste. Because if she thought about Craig, everything would taste like cardboard.
“He did.” Joe scooted closer until the heat of his thighs bracketed her. “That bastard.”
Morgan set her silverware on her plate when he enfolded her in his embrace. He covered her face with butterfly kisses though his legs quivered with pent-up fury.
“Yeah, he sort of planted an idea in my head. He wanted me to try a threesome with another woman. I went along with it. No, that sounds like I didn’t want to experiment. I was curious, and I liked it. She was soft and lush. So different from a man. It just wasn’t what I want all the time.”
“Holy shit, that’s hot.”
“Yeah, but he’d promised to try a threesome with another man if I did it with another woman. Only he never came through. He told me it was wrong to want to be with
someone else if we were in love. He dumped me and asked me to return his ring.”
“What a selfish asshole.”
“Something like that. Actually, he decided he liked her better. They’re together now. I saw them in the grocery store not long after. She was wearing my diamond. Some of my old friends told me they’re living with another woman. I was lucky, really. Everything fell apart before we actually got married, had a house or kids. Before I was too invested.”
“That would never happen with me, Morgan.” Joe cradled her against his heaving chest. “I’d love every minute of making your dreams come true. And I sure as hell wouldn’t change my mind in the light of day. I would expect the same acceptance from my partner. God knows I’ve done things a lot of women wouldn’t condone.”
“You mean fooling around with the rest of the crew?”
“Yeah.” He looked straight into her eyes. “I’ve enjoyed sex with them. I’ve touched them, been touched, even tried fucking James once but it wasn’t really my thing. Don’t get me wrong. It was hot. And I don’t respect his lifestyle any less. Like you said, just not what I want most times.”
She swallowed hard as she imagined the two men together. The raw power and grace they both possessed would have been amazing to see unleashed. She moaned.
Joe laughed. “Glad to know that doesn’t repulse you.”
“Exactly the opposite. So what do you want most times?”
“A woman who’s honest and open with her needs. Someone who makes me laugh, who gets me. I’m not rich or a genius, but I’ll never let you down. I want someone who’ll be there for me like that. Someone I can work through the tough times with. No matter what else we do or don’t do together.”
Morgan couldn’t wait one more second. It was as though he’d stolen the words straight from her soul. She leaned into his hold, wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck and dragged him to her for a scorching kiss. Their lips sealed like pieces in a matched set. She tasted the spice and sweetness of their meal as it mingled with his unique flavor.
If she could extract his scrumptiousness and bottle it for her recipes, she’d be set for life.
Joe shifted and, for a moment, she thought he intended to pull away.
“No, stay.”
“Not going anywhere without you. We’ll be more comfortable over there.” He jerked his head toward the opposite side of the fire pit. Black canvas had been strung up on three sides, affording some privacy—though the deserted field posed no threat except maybe from a curious deer—while still allowing the light and heat from the fire pit to stream through.
“But you worked so hard on this dinner.” The idea of squandering his thoughtfulness warred with her ravenous appetite for his touch.
“Sometimes I like to eat dessert before the main course.” He bit her lip then plucked her from the bench. “You know I have a huge sweet tooth.”
“Is that what you’re calling it these days?” She laughed at the temporary surprise in his eyes. Hell, she shocked herself with the liberation he inspired. Almost like her old self.
“Oh yeah, let me show you.”
4
Morgan wrapped her legs around Joe’s waist, this time indulging in his hard length tucked against her core. He walked them backward while she devoured his mouth and speared her fingers into the thick mess of his hair, which he kept long enough to dust his shoulders.
When he entered the screened area and tipped forward, she expected her ass to meet the cool, firm floor or maybe hard-packed dirt. Instead, she sank into a decadent pile of blankets topping a plush feather mattress. More pumpkin lanterns ringed the warm nest, each bearing heart carvings she took a moment to admire despite the flames licking her insides.
Joe stripped his jacket from his shoulders then kicked off his boots. She followed his example, or would have, but he stopped her from yanking her sweater over her head with a light touch.
“Let me, sweetheart. Please.” His lusty gaze raked her from head to toe. “I’ve thought about this moment a million times.”
How could she resist? Her hands fell to her sides as she submitted to his whims, melting a little more each instant he lingered over her.
“Yes, like that. I’ll take care of you.” Joe unzipped her boots then slipped them from her feet before tossing them to the side to join his discarded coat. The sure massage of his fingers on her sore arches had her writhing before long.
He tugged back a corner of the plush duvet then urged her to burrow underneath. “Should be nice and toasty in there. Dave helped me rig a heated mattress pad to an old car battery. He’s good at wiring shit like that. I’m pretty sure it won’t electrocute us.”
She laughed. “That’d be my luck. Oh well, at least whoever found us would know we went happy.”
“You have no idea.” Joe beamed as he tucked her under the downy covers. He traced her cheekbone then twirled her hair around his fingers.
Morgan held her breath as he stripped off his T-shirt. Air escaped with a rush when he unbuttoned his jeans. Her wide-eyed stare flicked between his hardening nipples and the smoky trail leading from the base of his washboard abs straight into the gaping vee of his fly. He toed off his socks, revealing his sexy feet, then he met her eager gaze.
“You ready for this? It’s not too late to stop.”
“Don’t you dare. I want you to hold me—skin on skin.”
“Shit, yes.” He stood to peel the denim from his toned ass and bunched thighs with one swipe of his massive hands.
She gulped.
He gave ideal male forms like David a run for their money. Tan, tan skin made her itch to lick him, to discover if he tasted like salty caramel. No puny fig leaf would do the job in covering him up either. Morgan wet her lips when his cock bobbed, thick and heavy, against his inner thigh.
“Let me in, cupcake, or there won’t be much to look at. It’s freaking frosty out here.”
“You, cold? Impossible.” She laughed then invited him to lay beside her with a sweep of her arm. “It’s nice and cozy in here. I think I’m actually starting to sweat a bit.”
“What can I say, seeing me naked has that affect on girls.”
“And some guys,” Morgan added as he collapsed beside her, tickling her as punishment.
They giggled together like children telling naughty jokes, rolling beneath the heated blankets, mussing the perfect setting. Christ, had she ever enjoyed a man in her bed this much? When their chuckles died down, Joe swallowed the dregs of her laughter in another all-consuming kiss.
There was nothing funny about the way he made out.
His tongue swept past her parted lips to explore the ridges of her gums. First soft then firm as he tensed and relaxed—thrust and retreat—the moist tip flicking over hers. Teasing. Tasting. Morgan stared into the green depths of his eyes, noticing how much darker they looked when he got turned on. Before she could get her fill, he lifted up onto his arms. “Now, about that dessert.”
Joe dove beneath the covers, settling between her legs. He shouldered her thighs apart then tortured her by laying his chin on her mound while he played with her abdomen. Muscles quivered beneath his exploratory strokes. He traced the swells and dips of her midriff beneath the sweater, inching the cashmere higher and higher to make room for his lips and tongue.
By the time he’d gathered the fabric below her bra, she struggled to catch a breath. His moist lips dragged across the sensitive ridges of her ribs, exacerbating her respiratory issues. If he hesitated any longer, she would take things into her own hands and speed up the process.
Morgan’s hands snuck below the covers, prepared to clutch the hem and pry her sweater free when a whisper halted her motion.
“Ever want something so bad, for so long, that when you finally get it, you’re not sure what to play with first?”
“Yes!” She hadn’t meant to shout but she craved him everywhere, all at once. The anticipation had her on edge. “Start by stripping me faster.”
His la
ughter held a strangled note.
Compliance had never seemed like one of Joe’s strengths, but a wash of cool air snuck through the gap in the covers, replacing his scorching touch below her breasts. He skipped along her belly, avoiding her pussy entirely even when she arched toward his skimming fingers. The infuriating man caressed her legs until he reached her feet. He slid her socks off, massaged her ankles and calves then surprised the hell out of her when he fisted his hands in the fabric behind her knees. A solid yank divested her of her pants.
Thank God she hadn’t opted for her skinny jeans.
A series of nips and licks along her knees to her inner thighs marked Joe’s return journey to her core. He didn’t screw around when he reached her soaked thong. His fingers tucked beneath the narrow ribbons forming the sides of the delicate covering then guided the scrap of underwear off her. Molten lust bubbled inside her, flowed in her veins and from her steaming pussy.
Joe emerged from their cocoon with the silky material between his teeth. He flung it to the side with a shake of his head that ruffled his hair and made her itch to feel it between her fingers again. The sight, which should have either horrified or amused her, somehow excited her more. He could recite the phonebook and it would make her hot.
Before disappearing out of sight beneath the blanket, he paused as though he couldn’t resist tasting her swollen lips again. Morgan had never really enjoyed tonsil hockey before. Something about it had always seemed too invasive, too personal, too intimate. Kissing Joe brought new meaning to lip lock.
He fit her as if they were molded for each other, tasted like all her favorite dishes in one and somehow knew exactly where to focus his efforts to drive her past reason. He licked the inside edge of her lips, tracing her gum line. A shock of pure arousal zinged straight to her pussy.
In response, she flung out her arms, clasping him to her to encourage him to do it again. He groaned, sank closer and complied. The maneuver thrilled them both as their bare legs and abdomens pressed together for the first time. His broad shoulders overflowed her clenching hands, which marked him with tiny crescents from her nails.
