Meant For Her

by Raine Thomas

  “My mother.”

  Tears burned her eyes. She fought them back and gave his hand a squeeze.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

  He turned and looked at the road in front of them. “I think so. Maybe. But…not right now.”

  “Okay.”

  They rode in silence for another minute or two. She knew she needed to change the mood if this trip was going to have any chance at succeeding.

  “Do you want me to tell you what I plan on doing with you when we get to the rental?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Sure.”

  Releasing his hand, she once again slid her palm along his thigh. Within seconds, he was adjusting his position in the seat.

  “Allow me to enlighten you,” she said.

  Chapter 33

  By the time they reached the rental house, Evan was as hard as carbon steel.

  He’d had no idea what he was in for when Sierra suggested telling him what she wanted to do with him on this trip. Maybe it was his frame of mind at the time that had him thinking she’d say something about long walks on the beach or chatting about their favorite movies. He really should have known better.

  Everything she said to him was erotic, punctuated by skillful stroking with her free hand. She didn’t seem to care that they were driving past other vehicles as she touched him, and who was he to fight her off?

  He barely focused on the three-story home supported by stilts that she pulled into and parked under. Once the car’s engine cut off, her hand finally moved from where it had been steadily driving him to the brink of insanity. She got out and walked to the trunk, so he followed her lead. It took a few adjustments for him to walk without discomfort. As he reached her side, he saw a single suitcase. Apparently, this was more than just a day-trip.

  “I’ll get this if you get the cooler,” she said.

  He met her gaze. The beautiful sea glass color appeared depthless. Nodding, he moved around to the driver’s side and reached in to grab the large cooler. It was heavy enough to have him wondering how she got it into the car in the first place.

  A ramp ran along the side of the house, leading up to the main level. When they reached the top, Sierra used a key to open the front door. They stepped into what Evan saw was the primary living space of the house. All around them were tall windows, contemporary furniture in neutral tones, and framed black and white beach photographs that he suspected Sierra had taken. He was beginning to learn her style of photography.

  Spotting a modern kitchen with an island overlooking the family room, he carried the cooler over to it. He set it down with the intent of unloading it.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked from behind him.

  “Not really,” he said, turning to look at her. “Are you?”

  “Not for food.”

  She backed him against the island, tugging his T-shirt up as she did. He obliged her by lifting his arms so she could get it over his head. No sooner had she done so than she was rising on her toes to kiss him.

  The delicious taste of her combined with her magical touch on his bare skin hardened him almost instantly to the point of pain. She’d gotten him so worked up in the car that he had maxed out his level of tolerance. He knew then that this was going to be a raging disappointment for her.

  When her mouth moved from his and progressed to his neck, he said in a ragged voice, “Sierra, it’s been almost a year since I last—”

  His voice cut off when she pressed against him and took his earlobe between her teeth. Her fingers brushed over his abdomen, moving toward the button of his shorts.

  “It’s been two for me,” she said breathlessly, alternating between kissing her way down his chest and branding his skin with her tongue. “I hear it’s like riding a bike.”

  “If I had known, I would’ve—”

  She got the button to his shorts open and pushed them down, breaking his train of thought. Her hand stroked him through his boxer briefs.

  “Oh, God,” he managed.

  “Evan, I’m sensing you’re feeling a lot of pressure right now.” She tightened her grip on him, producing a strangled sound in the back of his throat. “Well, we can’t have that. Allow me to help.”

  He started to argue as she lowered the boxer briefs and knelt in front of him, but then she was using her wicked tongue on him and all rational thought fled his brain. He gripped the counter behind him and closed his eyes, his head falling back on a moan. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to breathe. Never before had he been driven to such heights of pleasure so swiftly.

  So selflessly.

  In no time at all, her masterful tongue and equally talented hands sent him flying over the edge. No sound made it past his paralyzed vocal cords as she worked every last blissful spasm from him.

  Eventually, he came back to his senses enough to lift his feet as she removed his shoes and clothes. It vaguely occurred to him that he was standing there, naked and replete, while she was still fully clothed. Yet she was the one with the smile on her face.

  He felt as though he should be embarrassed, but he couldn’t be when she looked like he’d just given her a tremendous gift.

  Her gaze lifted to his as he reached down to help her up. Something else shifted inside him as he bent down to touch his lips to hers. He knew they’d just reached another significant point between them, and they were far from done.

  He deepened the kiss when her lips parted. Soon, his body reacted as if nothing had just happened. This time, though, it would have to wait.

  He spanned her waist with his hands and lifted her so her legs wrapped around him. Without breaking away from her mouth, he walked them over to the sofa in the family room, lowering them both so she was pressed against the cushions. His hand slipped beneath the skirt of her sundress.

  Reaching the narrow band of fabric lining her hip, he broke away from her mouth and asked, “How much do you like these panties?”

  “I’ve got others,” she panted.

  With a flick of his wrist, the fabric tore away, exposing her to his touch. He once again captured her mouth as his fingers explored beneath the dress. Discovering how hot she was, how much she wanted him, produced a growl of satisfaction in the back of his throat.

  He stroked and circled, penetrated and retreated. She issued sexy moans that had him desperate to be inside her.

  But not yet. Not yet.

  His lips and tongue moved along the line of her jaw until they reached the curve where her neck met her shoulder. She gasped when he gently suckled her tender flesh, giving her a glimpse of what was to come. Using his teeth, he drew the thin strap of her dress down along her shoulder until her breast was revealed. He took advantage of the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra, using his lips and teeth until she writhed against him.

  “Please, Evan,” she begged.

  His lips curved up. He shifted the rest of the way along her body, kneeling on the rug under the sofa and lifting her skirt so it bunched around her waist. He took a moment to appreciate the view before he gave her what she wanted.

  Just a few deft movements of his tongue did the trick. She cried out and held him against her as he drove her through the splendorous waves. He didn’t give her much of a chance to recover before he got back to work again. For what she’d given him, he figured she deserved at least a three-to-one pleasure ratio.

  By the third time he brought her to peak, his body was aching with the urge to take her. He eased back up to kiss her.

  “Did you bring protection?” he asked.

  “Front pocket of the suitcase.”

  Getting to his feet, he moved to the suitcase and unzipped the pocket, pulling out the box of condoms. Thank God she’d thought to bring an entire box, he thought, as he tore into it and pulled one out. When he was ready and turned back around, he realized she’d gotten up from the sofa and removed her sundress, laying it protectively over the cushions. Sunlight streamed in from the many windows overlooking the ocean, highlighti
ng her blonde hair and casting an angelic glow over her. She rose and looked at him.

  And smiled.

  His chest clenched. He had no idea how she’d gotten to him so intensely so quickly. Everything he’d vowed since his mother’s death just didn’t seem to apply to her.

  These were dangerous waters, he knew. Yet right then, he found himself willing to drown in them.

  She held a hand toward him. He walked up to her and took it, lifting it to his lips and kissing the inside of her wrist. The tattoo there was simple black script reading, Believe. With her, he thought he could.

  “Thank you, Sierra,” he said.

  “You’re welcome, Evan.”

  They met each other for another kiss. Without the desperate sense of urgency driving them this time, they were free to enjoy every brush of a tongue, every stroke of a fingertip, every thrill of skin-on-skin contact. He eased her back onto the sofa, holding her gaze as he finally entered her. He watched the tendons in her neck stretch as she strained backwards against the cushions, her body accepting him an inch at a time.

  It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  She drew him back to her for another kiss once they were fully joined. The feeling of being inside her as their tongues mated produced another growl. He couldn’t stop himself from moving.

  Before long, they were both focused on reaching that explosive peak again. He reached between them, coaxing her until she gasped his name, going tight as a bow beneath him.

  It sent him completely over the edge with her, right to the place he’d thought he’d never go again.

  Chapter 34

  They eventually transitioned to one of the bedrooms upstairs, where they continued enjoying this new development in their relationship. After a while, they’d both burned off enough energy that they fell asleep. It was nearly four in the afternoon when Sierra woke up and found herself entwined in Evan’s arms.

  The covers had long ago been discarded and were somewhere on the floor. He radiated enough heat to keep her warm, though. She took a few minutes to study him as he slept, unguarded, unfettered by the darkness of the past. This was what she wished for him…a future where happiness and contentment overshadowed his loss.

  Reaching beside the bed, she grabbed one of the bottles of water she’d brought up earlier and drank some of it. They’d have to eat soon. They hadn’t eaten anything since the cookies in the car, and they’d long ago burned those off.

  Until then, though, she didn’t see why she couldn’t take advantage of the sexy sleeping male lying beside her. She returned the water bottle to the nightstand and once again snuggled up against Evan’s side. He made a small noise and briefly tightened his hold around her before once again going still.

  Keeping her touch gentle so she wouldn’t wake him, she ran her hand over his chest and abdomen. She loved the carved muscles and how they felt as she traced them with her fingertips. He responded to her touch, his breathing growing more uneven and his body hardening. It felt empowering, having this control over him.

  When she felt they were both ready, she took a condom from the box beside the bed and opened it. Again, her movements were slow and deliberate as she prepared him for her, wanting to stimulate his dreams as much as his body. Finally, she climbed over him and took him.

  His eyes opened as she fully seated herself, the dark blue irises briefly rolling back into his head as she moved. A loud groan escaped him.

  “Dear God, Sierra,” he said in a sleep-drugged voice. “You must be trying to kill me.”

  She moved again. “Are you ready to die, Evan?”

  “Hell, yes.”

  She’d gotten them both worked up enough that they were downstairs rummaging for food fifteen minutes later. He’d thrown on his swim shorts and she’d put on her bikini, figuring they could go for a walk on the beach once they were refueled.

  It took them a few minutes to unload the cooler, which was full of cold water rather than ice by then. She’d packed bottles of water and some beer, figuring they could buy more over the next couple days if they wanted. She’d also packed a Riesling wine and some finger foods, some of which needed to be heated to eat.

  While the oven preheated, they ate some cheese and crackers and enjoyed a glass of wine. They didn’t say much, content to just be in each other’s company. Evan walked over to stand by the large glass doors leading out onto a wide balcony as she loaded mini quiches and pigs in blankets onto a cookie sheet.

  “It’s beautiful here,” he said.

  “Open the doors. It’s warm, but the breeze off the ocean makes it tolerable, and the balcony is shaded.”

  He figured out how to unlock them and pulled one open as she put the cookie sheet in the oven and set the timer. She topped off her glass of wine and carried it with her as she joined him outside. There was a small plastic table and two chairs, which they took advantage of.

  “How’d you manage to swing this place in the middle of the summer?” he asked.

  “I have an ‘in’ with the owners.”

  “Still, they have to be turning away some serious business for us to be here in mid-July.”

  She smiled. “They’re very generous owners.”

  He took a drink of his wine, studying her expression. “Your aunt and uncle?”

  “No.”

  “Your parents?”

  “Yep. They own a number of beach properties here and in Hilton Head. Aunt Caroline turned them onto the business. It’s how they both get to work from home.”

  “That’s nice.”

  She waited, sipping her wine. It didn’t take him long.

  “Do they know we’re both here?”

  “Who do you think has the dogs?”

  “Oh.”

  His expression made her laugh. “I’ve never seen you blush, Evan Dorsey, even through several of the things we did earlier. Who would have thought this would do it?”

  “They’re your moms,” he said, emphasizing the last word. “It’s weird knowing they’re aware we’re out here having sex.”

  That wasn’t all they were doing, but she let it be. “We’ve always been very open about this kind of stuff,” she said with a lift of her shoulder. “I guess because we’re not a conventional family, we’ve never felt it necessary to abide by society’s typical taboos, either in our family or our social lives.”

  “Thank God for that,” he murmured.

  She smiled again. “So you’re saying your mom didn’t know when you—?”

  “Good Lord, no,” he said, looking appalled at the thought. “She found a porn magazine under my mattress once when I was fifteen. Scarred me for life.”

  If he was aware of how easily he’d just spoken of his mother, he didn’t show it. She wasn’t about to make a big deal out of it.

  “Well, when Lane and I first started expressing curiosity about sex,” she said, “my parents had to figure out the best way to share the specifics with us. We were only showing interest in boys, and they’re obviously not geared that way.”

  He nodded thoughtfully and took another drink. “Did either of them try…?”

  “Being with a guy?” she finished. “Yes. They met in high school in the small West Virginia town where they grew up. That’s where my grandma and the rest of both sides of my family still live. Anyway, to hear my parents tell the story now, they both had a mutual attraction to each other right away. But I’m sure you can imagine that a small Christian town in West Virginia isn’t the most welcoming place for a young person to announce he or she is gay.”

  He made an acknowledging sound as she sipped her wine.

  “They dated boys and gave being straight a try. My mom, Regina, went the whole way, giving her virginity to Ralph Hester in the back of his Ford pickup at the age of sixteen, or so the story goes. After that, she knew that she’d never feel the same way about a guy as she did for my mother. She met Deanne for lunch the next day and confessed how she felt. They’ve been together ever since.”

&nbs
p; He finished his wine and set the glass to the side. “How did their families feel about it?”

  She took another drink and looked out at the rolling ocean. “Much as I imagine many families do. Some members have been supportive, others haven’t. My parents moved to Atlanta after high school, since their chosen lifestyle is more accepted in the city. I’ve never met most of my mom, Deanne’s, family.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. They’re really missing out.”

  A part of her heart that she hadn’t realized was hurting felt lighter after he said that. Although she’d had years to come to terms with the snub by her biological family, his comment made her realize how much it still upset her. It also made her realize how much it meant to her that he accepted her family so unequivocally.

  “Thanks. I think my parents hoped that having children might help bridge the gap between them and their families,” she said. “They’ve never said as much, but I sense it. Still, since there isn’t a father in the picture, that’s enough reason for some members of the family to see us all as abominations.”

  “I don’t understand that kind of narrow-mindedness.” He reached across their chairs and took her free hand, loosely linking their fingers together. “Did your moms use a sperm donor, then?”

  “Yes. They requested the same donor each time they went through the fertilization process. My moms were deemed compatible, so the eggs used were Deanne’s, but Regina carried us. That way, they could both truly feel like our birth parents.”

  “So you and Lane are full-blooded sisters?”

  She nodded. “She’s almost two years older than me. It took a number of tries and some financial support from Aunt Caroline, but in the end, my parents got the two children they wanted.”

  The timer beeped, so they both got up and went back inside. Evan refilled his glass and added some more wine to hers. She took the tray out of the oven so everything could cool off and then grabbed the bottle of ketchup she’d packed and put it on the counter.

  “Was it hard on you and Lane?” he asked as he sat at the island.