One Last Chance_A Small-Town Romance

by Nancy Stopper

  Her saucy mouth stayed shut this time, but instead of striking him, she grabbed him around the neck and yanked his head toward her. Her lips brushed across his, the sweat of her upper lip mingling with his own as she slid her tongue into his mouth.

  He gasped.

  Her arms ran down his back until she reached his ass where she squeezed and dug her nails in. The sweet, musky scent of sweat swirled around them both.

  His arms shook from holding the weight of his body over her. He was at her mercy, unable to use his hands to touch her. She smiled against his lips.

  He’d get her for this. Much later, when they were alone at home and he could strip every piece of clothing off her body. He was through resisting what she so willingly offered him.

  She stroked his trembling arms, running her hands across his chest, as her tongue continued to invade his mouth. He lowered himself onto his forearms, allowing his fingers to tangle in her hair that was damp from their workout. She tore her mouth away and her chest heaved a breath.

  The break gave him a chance to clear his mind. What in the hell was he thinking, mauling her in the middle of the workout room, where anyone could come in? He wasn’t thinking… he was feeling, something he hadn’t allowed himself to do for far too long.

  With a long sigh, he stretched out, his large body dwarfing her petite frame. Once he lay completely over her, her hands stilled and her shoulders shook. Dammit. He’d scared her. He rolled onto his back and slid her on top of him. There, that was better.

  Her eyes widened and the color returned to her face. She pushed herself up, her hands on either side of his head. “Nice move, Cowboy.”

  There was spunky Rachel again. He chuckled and kissed her. All signs of wariness gone, her tongue darted out, and he responded.

  She moaned deep in her throat and extended his neck toward him. He trailed his lips down her chin and sucked on the spot where her neck met her shoulder, leaving a red mark behind. They had to stop. If only he’d locked the door… he could be inside her in two seconds flat. His cock twitched and thickened at that thought, and more blood rushed south, leaving him light-headed.

  She rose over him with a gleam in her eye. What was she up to?

  All of a sudden, she pressed her knee against his crotch. Not hard enough to hurt, but low enough to feel, in the sensitive spot below his cock. She’d gotten his attention, all right. What was she going to do with it?

  She nudged him lightly. “What I do now is knee him in the balls, and while he’s writhing on the floor, I run away.”

  She laughed as she stood and then offered her hand to pull him to his feet. Impressive, indeed.

  “Good job, Rookie.” He slapped her on the back.

  “It worked, didn’t it?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, it worked. Seducing your attacker is not one of our recommended tactics, though.”

  She grabbed the towel he’d tossed her earlier and flipped her hair as she spun. Her hips swayed with each step. He gritted his teeth as he imagined driving into those hips, making her his. When she reached the door, she threw a final comment over her shoulder. “I wasn’t with an attacker, though. I was with you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  RACHEL GNAWED AT her bottom lip as she walked in the door of Sawyer’s house. She’d all but mauled him at the gym. Wasn’t it obvious that she was ready for their relationship to move on to the next level? Shoot, she’d all but thrown herself at him at lunch with her brothers afterwards, too, but each time she snaked her fingers up his thigh, he grabbed her hand. She hadn’t been deterred. She’d often placed her hand on his arm when she talked, or even when she made a suggestive comment over their meal. That had earned her a raised eyebrow from Joey, but nothing more.

  Sawyer should have gotten the message. Kisses were no longer enough. He’d done nothing to explore their connection on an intimate level. She hadn’t mistaken the yearning in his eyes, but he was holding himself back from her. After all this time, he wasn’t afraid to hurt her, was he? If that were the case, she’d have to show him. Making love with Sawyer would be the ultimate expression of the feelings she’d harbored for a lot longer than the few weeks she’d been at his house. She knew exactly what she wanted, and for once in her life, she was going to ask for it. Her skin tingled at the mere thought of his strong hands stroking her, his fingers trailing down her…

  Sawyer tossed his keys on the table and covered a yawn with his hand. “Whew, what a day.”

  “Sawyer?”

  “Yeah?”

  She clenched the fabric of his soft T-shirt and yanked him to her. With her mouth a breath away from his, she said, “Kiss me.”

  A small smile formed on his lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  All she had to do was ask? Isn’t that what she’d been doing all day?This man would play the gentleman until he had her begging for him to take her. His soft lips were against hers. She gripped his powerful biceps as his tongue traced her mouth. She parted her lips and allowed his wet tongue to invade her. The flavor of malt and citrus exploded on her tongue, and she quivered at his taste marking her.

  Another sweep of his tongue and her knees buckled. He drew her against him as she wobbled and they slammed into the door. Her fingers skimmed that tattoo on his arm she’d often wondered about.

  She broke the kiss, sucking in a few deep breaths. Words of love stuck in her throat. His chest heaving against hers was the only proof she’d affected him as much. After throwing her a wolfish grin, Sawyer sprinkled kisses toward her ear, leaving a wet path of heat behind. When he sucked her sensitive skin, a jolt shot straight to her core.

  “Oh God,” she moaned. The tenderness of his hands had tears welling in her eyes.

  He pulled her arms around his neck, and she tangled her fingers in the soft strands of his hair. When he tickled across her belly, prickly sensations shivered up her spine. If this is how her body responded to a simple touch, how would she handle him inside her?

  His hand slid across her body, stroking the sensitive skin on the side of her breasts.

  She gasped.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  Now wasn’t the time for him to worry about her. “No. It felt good.”

  His hand lingered on her breast. He cupped the sensitive skin, his thumb stroking over her nipple. A moan rumbled deep in her throat and tingling coursed through her breasts. She arched her back, forcing her nipple against the heat of his palm.

  He stroked and pinched, and she rubbed against him, groaning from his finger’s teasing attack on her peaked flesh.

  He released her breast and cupped her cheeks, tilting her head and aligning their mouths before taking her again. Their tongues tangled, lips brushing, until her lungs burned. Finally, Sawyer broke the kiss and rested his cheek against hers. “God, Rachel, I’ve wanted you for so long.”

  Finally. After weeks of teasing and seductive glances, she’d broken through his defenses. And by the way he looked at her, with love in his eyes, she believed he wanted her as much as she did him. “I want you, too.”

  His breathing was ragged and his normally light brown eyes deepened to the color of milk chocolate, a sign he was aroused. “Are you sure?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Then how about we take this somewhere more comfortable?”

  Rachel grabbed his hand and pulled him across the room. He tripped over his own feet and laughed as he chased her up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom.

  She stopped in the doorway. All of a sudden, nerves prickled up her spine. She’d never been in his room before. They were really going to make love. She hadn’t been with many men. Would Sawyer find her inexperience a turn off? What would he expect of her? What if she couldn’t make him happy in bed?

  Sawyer put his hands on her shoulders and whispered in her ear. “Are you okay?”

  He wanted her and she wanted him. She threw him her coyest smile over her shoulder and sauntered into the room. “More than okay.”

  He chuckl
ed and nudged her toward the bed, his hand warm on her lower back. In the past, the possessive act would have bothered her. Shane had used sex as a weapon. But Sawyer’s touch, even just on the small of her back, was soft and tender.

  When her thighs bumped the mattress, she turned and wound her arms around his neck. The afternoon sun streaking through the open curtains gave her a good view of him, a perfect opportunity for her to explore the sculpted body that had taunted her the past few weeks.

  He stroked her back and kissed her again, his tongue insistent against her lips.

  Her knees wobbled as she poured all of her strength into returning his kisses and blocking every negative thought running through her mind. Why had she gotten so wrapped up in Shane when she could have been with Sawyer all this time?

  Sawyer pulled back. Concern flecked his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I was just sad for a moment.”

  He slid his knuckle under her chin. “What about?”

  “I missed out on so much for so long. I wish I’d seen you sooner. I mean, I knew you, but I wanted… Daggone it, this isn’t coming out right.”

  His lips spread into a sweet smile. “I know exactly what you mean. If only we’d found each other sooner. But you’re here now, and this time, our time, is perfect.”

  Her heart opened wide. He said exactly the right thing. He didn’t have regrets and neither would she. She slid her hands across his strong chest.

  He sucked in a breath.

  “Like that, do you?”

  “I like anything you want to do to me.”

  She tugged at the tail of his T-shirt and tickled up his firm belly, over each hill and valley of his delicious abs. They only broke the kiss long enough for him to rip the shirt over his head

  Oh, God. She couldn’t resist sliding her hands over his chest, his smooth muscles rippling beneath her touch. She ran her fingers over the image of a bird, wings spread wide and head held high. “What’s this mean?”

  Sawyer groaned and answered through a huffed breath, “Later.”

  She ran her lips across his chest, stopping to roll his nipple between her teeth.

  He hissed out a breath.

  “God, you’re gorgeous.”

  He chuckled. “I think that’s my line.”

  His large palm cupped her breast and squeezed. When he brushed his thumb across her nipple, a jolt coursed through her body. She squeezed her legs together to fight the ache that settled between her thighs.

  Her body was on fire and Sawyer was taking too long. She tore at her shirt. “Off. I want to feel you.”

  After he helped her pull the shirt over her head, he spread her arms wide as his eyes traveled a slow path down her body. “I can’t believe I’m here with you. You’re so beautiful.”

  The deep rumble of his voice and the intensity when he spoke sank into every cell of her body and dug deep into her soul. Any fears about whether he found her attractive dissolved. Men like this didn’t really exist, did they? Maybe she was dreaming up this sexy man in front of her. Her awkward, fumbling experiences as a teenager and her less than romantic encounters with Shane hadn’t prepared her for her soul-wrenching love for Sawyer.

  He caressed her breasts, working both nipples to firm peaks beneath the thin layer of fabric separating them. He lowered his lips and suckled her through her bra, leaving his wet heat behind. He slid his finger along the edge, tugged the cup down, and exposed her breast.

  The cool air prickled her skin, but he quickly sucked her nipple into his mouth. No longer anxious, she focused on the sensations coursing through her body as he rolled her nipple between his tongue and teeth. His hands rested lightly on her waist, just enough to hold her to him while he teased and taunted her.

  Her bra soon joined her shirt on the floor, and she brushed her breasts against his chest. The sprinkling of his hair tickled her sensitive skin.

  He moaned, the deep rumble in his chest stroking her confidence.

  In a bold move, she reached for the button on his jeans, but his hand covered hers. “Not yet. I’m so close already. I’ll never last.”

  She threw him a coy look. “What did you have in mind to prolong things, then, deputy?”

  He cocked his brow and began wiggling off the jeans she’d worn to lunch after their workout. Good answer. She helped him and then stood in her panties as his hungry eyes traveled down her body. After he worked his way back to her face, he yanked her against him and plundered her mouth, his tongue frantic and desperate. His hands stroked her everywhere—on her breasts, across her belly, up her back, teasing her body until she wriggled, every inch of her skin begging for his touch.

  His fingers tickled across her trembling belly. Could she do this? Every cell of her body screamed yes, but her head made her question everything. She couldn’t just erase memories of Shane. And despite Sawyer’s declarations, would he shut himself off from her after they made love? Could she convince him to consider a real relationship with her or would he continue to hold her at arm’s length?

  His hand stilled.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m perfect, why?”

  “You tensed up.”

  She relaxed her shoulders and drew in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Instinct.”

  “Oh, honey. We won’t do anything you’re not ready for.”

  “I want this.” If he didn’t believe her words, she’d use her lips and hands to show him exactly how much.

  She shoved the negative thoughts out of her head and leaned into him, her lips grazing his nipple. He cupped between her legs and stroked a single finger down her panties. Her body tingled, the sensation radiating from her core through every cell and settling deep in her heart.

  “Good?”

  “So good.”

  His fingers skimmed to the edge of her panties, and before long, they landed somewhere with the rest of her clothes on the floor. She stood naked before him, exposed both physically and emotionally. Shane had never worried about her pleasure, only interested in his own orgasm. But what would Sawyer expect? Shane’s words echoed in her mind, “You’re an ugly, skinny bitch. Twelve-year-olds have bigger tits than you. You’re lucky I’m fucking you ’cause no one else would.”

  She covered herself.

  Sawyer shook his head and moved her arms aside. “You’re perfect.” He leaned in and tasted her lips. “So perfect and exquisite.” He brushed over her lips again. “The most beautifully perfect woman in the world.”

  Her limbs melted as his soft words caressed her skin. When he eased her onto the bed, coming down beside her, she molded around him. He stroked her hip and found her core. Her body relaxed and she focused on his gentle caress, every nerve sparking from his touch.

  He slid his finger across her folds, and she wiggled against his hand, reaching for him with her body. Hooking his hand under her knee, he hoisted her leg over his hip and opened her to him. He slid his hand around her thigh, and his soft, tender fingers massaged her center. Her body cried out for his touch, pushing into his hand and begging for more of him. He inserted a single finger and stroked, every place he touched branded by him.

  Sensations coursed through her and her muscles flexed, straining toward him. Wanting to feel his entire body against hers, inside her. He spoke against her lips. “Relax.”

  “I’m trying. It feels so good.”

  He withdrew his finger and circled her clit, avoiding the bundle of nerves. She writhed beneath him. Her entire body pleaded for release. Before she could nudge his hand to where she wanted it the most, he inserted two fingers, twisting and stretching her. He caressed her, stoking the flames burning through her body. Oh God, she couldn’t take much more of this. Her body ached for release, and it was just out of reach.

  She clung to him, his woodsy, musky scent surrounding her as she tucked her face in the crook of his neck.

  His strokes quickened as he swept around her core several times.

  A huff of breath escaped her lungs. He
r head swam and lights flashed behind her eyelids. Almost there. All of a sudden, his fingers stilled… then brushed over her clit.

  Her back arched, thrusting into his hand. He slid his finger around and around, each stroke pushing her higher until lights flashed behind her eyes and jolts coursed through her body.

  “Ohgod, ohgod,” she cried. He pinched her clit, her body flexing with each squeeze. She screamed and panted through the waves of pleasure cresting and crashing. Her fingers tingled as the final tremors subsided. She collapsed into Sawyer as she caught her breath. “That was… um, I can’t… well.”

  He chuckled, his chest rattling beneath her cheek. “Speechless, huh?”

  “Did you just puff your chest out?” Silly man. Preening like a peacock, begging for compliments. Maybe he didn’t know how wonderful he was. She would tell him… just as soon as she could form the words.

  “What can I say? I love watching you come. You give yourself over to your feelings and it’s… it’s erotic. And beautiful.”

  “It is, huh?” She pushed him on his back and climbed on top, her naked core brushing against the rough denim covering his erection. She rolled her hips, the exquisite contact prickling her already sensitive nerves. “I want these off.”

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  “Allow me.” Two can play at this game. Her fingers fumbled to open the button. Finally she lowered his zipper.

  He thumped his head against the mattress. “Careful down there.”

  “Oh, I intend to be very careful.” She tugged off the jeans. As she slithered back up, she brushed her breasts over the curly hair on his legs, pressing hot open-mouthed kisses up his thighs.

  “Killing… me… here,” he said through gritted teeth.

  Her ability to bring Sawyer to his knees emboldened her now that she’d given herself over to him. She continued her path, her naked skin caressing his, each brush sending jolts through her, until she reached his boxer briefs.