Still the Best Woman for the Job

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “That’s it baby, just let go,” Craig coaxed his lips tracing a path over her skin. He amped up the pressure, and uncontrolled passion shot through her and the hysteria of delight pushed her over the edge.

  “Craig!” she screamed, her nails clawing at his shoulders as wave after wave of pleasure roared through her body, shattering any control she thought she had. She shook viciously against his hand, gasping for air as he repositioned his body over hers.

  Before she could catch her breath, he nudged her thighs wider and buried his thick length inside of her without warning. “Craig!” she cried, her rapid breaths sounded loud to her own ears as he filled her completely, her body adjusting to his size.

  “Damn baby, you’re tight. Am I hurting you?” He slowed his moves.

  “No. No,” she said through shallow breaths gripping his butt and forcing him to keep moving. “Please, please don’t stop.”

  The dulcet ache of ecstasy throbbed through her as he rotated his hips and increased his pace, whispering hoarsely all the things he planned to do to her body. How many nights had she laid awake longing for the delicious torture of him plunging deeper and deeper inside her?

  She gripped a handful of the sheets as waves of pleasure grew like a brewing storm over the Atlantic Ocean as Craig continued to slide in and out of her, taking her to new heights with every stroke. His thrust became harder and faster.

  “Toni,” he said in a warning tone, his pace frantically increasing as she felt him teeter on the edge of his own control. He growled and moved like a man possessed, pounding her into the mattress, his strokes long and powerful.

  “Oh my God, Craig!” she screamed at the top of her lungs when a soul-drenching orgasm grabbed hold of her and wouldn’t let go, wracking every inch of her body as her world spun out of control. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.” Tears clouded her eyes as she struggled to breathe with Craig pumping his hips faster, gripping her butt tighter as his own control began to slip.

  “Oh, shiiiiitttt!” He roared, and his body convulsed like a city hit with a magnitude seven earthquake. “Oh shi …” Craig mumbled in the crook of Toni’s neck, aftershocks shook his body.

  Toni threw her arms around his neck and held onto him tight, her heart still beating at an immeasurable rate.

  Minutes passed without either of them speaking until Craig said, “You’re mine,” he muttered breathlessly against her neck and then rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “You will always be mine.”

  ***

  Toni awakened to raindrops slapping against the windowpane and the howling wind blowing hard enough to make a tree branch scratch the side of the building. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, but outside was still dark and the hard chest beneath her head and the legs tangled with hers, brought the activities of the night back to her. She sighed contently thinking about what the reunion meant.

  Unfortunately, experiencing two rounds of amazing sex didn’t solve the problem of why she had walked away from their relationship in the first place. There was no way she could make any type of commitment to Craig without telling him everything. Knowing how much he wanted a family made the decision to tell him about the night she was raped that much harder. He already knew she’d been raped, but how could she tell him that after that bastard raped her and then left her bloodied and ashamed, he also left her with another package. A package that nearly broke her. A package that tortured her peace of mind and stripped her innocence away. A package that forced her to make a decision that had forever changed her life.

  Toni swallowed hard and forced herself not to cry. Ten years, she’d kept this secret. Her heavy heart felt as if it were breaking all over again. She loved Craig enough to tell him everything, but did he love her enough to understand her decision? Could she risk telling him about the baby?

  ***

  Craig jerked awake first noticing the weight on his arms and then glanced down only to stare into the most beautiful brown eyes he’d ever seen. A gleam of sunlight shimmered off her silky long hair and their extracurricular activities of the night before flooded his mind.

  Craig pinched her butt.

  “Ouch!” She punched him in the arm. “What’d you do that for?”

  Craig threw his head back and laughed. “Last night was amazing. I wanted to make sure all that passion wasn’t a dream.”

  “You know dog-on-well it wasn’t a dream.” She pouted and pulled away until he stopped her.

  “Wait, don’t go.” Holding her close against his body, he placed a kiss on her nose, then her lips. “I’m sorry. Let me rub it and make it feel better,” he teased and gripped her rear-end, rubbing her cheeks gently. “You know, I think this is how we got started last night.”

  “I think you’re right.” She squirmed against him as he trailed kisses down her delectable neck, his hand lifting her leg over his thigh.

  “We need to talk.”

  Every man alive dreaded those four words, and he was no different. Last night had been incredible, and he wasn’t about to let her ruin their morning by over thinking.

  “I don’t want to talk.” He continued his journey down her neck until he reached her breast, immediately lowering his mouth to one taut nipple. “I’d rather pick up where we left off last night and maybe communicate using our bodies instead of our words,” he mumbled against her warm skin.

  She moaned and moved with him until she thought about what they were doing. “Craig, I’m serious.” She placed her hands on each side of his face and pulled him up, their gazes clashing. “We really do need to talk.”

  He released a frustrated sigh and threw his head back against the pillows, letting his arms drop to his side. “Toni … baby, I don’t want us talking to ruin what we shared last night. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to marry me,” he rose slightly and looked at her, “yet, but I am going to ask you to give us another chance.”

  She cupped her hand against his cheek and kissed his lips. “That’s what I want, but I think we should talk first.”

  Craig sat up and leaned against the headboard, pulling Toni into his arms he kissed the top of her head. “Nah, this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen.”

  “But Craig there’s something—”

  “There’s something special between us and I want us to take things slow, hang out and get to know each other again. One day at a time.”

  “But …”

  “But right now, I plan to make love to my beautiful woman.”

  He laid her down on the bed and covered her mouth with his, ceasing all conversation of any doubts she might have had about their reunion. He didn’t know what she was afraid of, but for now, he planned to do whatever he could to show her how much he loved her and then he would prove once and for all that they were made for each other.

  Chapter Eight

  A wave of giddiness gripped Toni the moment she pulled up to Craig’s house. She wasn’t sure what had come over her. She grinned like she’d just learned the secret to keeping a manicure fresh for a month. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen Craig every day for the past week and a half. Maybe the joy flowing through her veins had something to do with the fact that they were meeting for their first afternoon rendezvous at his place.

  She climbed out of her work van and practically floated to the door, and then rang the doorbell.

  “Who is it?” Craig asked through the closed door.

  “It’s the plumber. I’ve come to fix the sink.”

  She heard him laugh before he pulled open the door. “You’re crazy. Get in here.” He tugged her inside and into his arms. Toni couldn’t think of any other place she’d rather be than right there molded against his lean body. “Well hello,” he mumbled, his lips brushed against hers as he spoke. “I have to admit, you’re the finest plumber I’ve ever laid eyes on. But,” he broke off the kiss suddenly and released her, “you have to hurry and take care of that sink problem before my woman gets here. She’s the jealo
us type and doesn’t like fine-ass plumbers hanging out in my house.”

  “Ha, ha, ha, very funny. I see you’ve got jokes.” Toni took off her work boots and followed him into the kitchen.

  “So do you use that ‘I’m here to fix the sink’, line often?” He glanced over his shoulder as he removed a long pan from the oven. “Maybe to pick up unsuspecting men like me?”

  “Actually my dear, you’re the only man I’ve used that line on.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and grinned.

  He flashed a goofy I’m-the-luckiest-man-in-the-world smile that lit up his hazel eyes and jump-started the giddiness that swirled around inside her body. When he turned back to his delicious smelling dish and sprinkled additional cheese across the top, Toni couldn’t help but recall the first plumbing job she did for him, he was cooking then too. A small smile tilted her lips as she admired how easily he moved around the kitchen. Unlike the first time they met, today he didn’t have his police uniform on and didn’t look as intimidating. She loved a man in uniform, but Craig’s tall figure in blue jeans hanging low on his hips and a white tank top showing off thick muscular arms and washboard abs were just as sizzling.

  “Ahem.”

  Toni’s gaze shot up to find Craig checking her out and wearing a crooked grin. She swallowed hard and rubbed her sweaty palms down the thighs of her jeans. Hopefully he couldn’t read minds. If he could, he would know that she was now imagining him naked.

  “Uhh … so what’s for lunch?”

  Craig sauntered across the room. He pulled her close and nuzzled the side of her neck, his hands easily sliding underneath her T-shirt. “My version of baked Ziti, but now I’m thinking that maybe I should have you for lunch, and we save the Ziti for dessert,” he mumbled against her burning skin. “We have about fifteen minutes before I have to take it out of the oven. Just enough time for a quickie.”

  He backed her up to the granite countertop and her entire body went liquid with anticipation when he lifted her shirt over her head and cupped her breasts, sending a spark of desire straight to her midsection. His mouth covered hers in a deep penetrating kiss as he skimmed his skillful fingers over her lace bra, tweaking her nipples, immediately making them rise to attention. All thoughts of food flew out of Toni’s mind and was replaced with a yearning desire to have their bodies joined as one when he paid her other breast the same attention as the first.

  Craig lifted his head. “I have to get you out of these clothes,” he said, his gruff voice turning her on almost as much as the quick work he did in stripping her out of her jeans, leaving her with only her bra and bikini panties on. He stood back, his hungry gaze raked over her body and lingered on her breasts. “Damn, girl, you’re sexy with or without clothes, but right now I need you up higher. Sometimes I forget how short you are without your heels on.”

  “Craig!” she yelped when, without warning, he lifted her and placed her on the cool granite countertop. “My grandmother would have a fit if she saw me sitting on a kitchen counter. Especially if she knew what we were about to do.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing she’s not here.” He quirked his eyebrows up and down.

  ***

  Craig tossed his flimsy tank top aside. He’d waited all morning to have Toni in his arms again, imagining all that he would do to her when she arrived. Now that she was there, sitting in her skimpy underwear looking good enough to eat, he planned to have his way with her.

  His arms encircled her small waist and he moved his mouth over hers, devouring its softness as his hands slid up and down her feminine curves. Unbelievable need bloomed inside him, but withered when his hand stumbled against the back of her lace bra.

  “You look incredible in your underwear, but this has to go,” he said of her pink lace bra, the tremble in his voice a sure sign of the erotic effect she was having on him. He chucked the bra over his shoulder, yanked off the little strip of material she called panties and pulled her close. “Now where was I?” Not waiting for a response, he trailed feathery kisses down the length of her scented neck while his fingers teased and tugged one of her swollen nipples. Her whimpers sent his body into overdrive, and the frantic movements of her hands gripping his shoulders fueled the flames that had ignited the moment he stripped off her last stitch of clothing.

  “Okay, okay, wait,” Toni panted and pushed against his chest, her breasts jiggled as she tried to catch her breath. “It’s your turn,” she said and waved toward his jeans. “I want them off.”

  Craig shrugged nonchalantly despite his own breaths coming in short spurts. “If you insist.” He backed away and removed a condom from his wallet, not taking his eyes off her breasts and the way they jutted out toward him, calling his name. He dropped his jeans and underwear in a heap, and quickly kicked them out of the way but slowed when he noticed Toni observing his every move.

  He loved the way her gaze slid over his nakedness. The awe in her exotic brown eyes quickly turned to desire when he took his time sheathing himself as she continued to watch. Part of him wanted to just stand there, and let her eat him up with her salacious gaze, but that fantasy flew out the window when she leaned back on her arms and opened for him. Good Lord. His thick shaft leaped at her invitation, pulling all coherent thoughts from his brain

  One step forward landed him between her thighs. “You know you can’t do stuff like that and expect me to maintain any type of control.”

  She smiled that wicked smile of hers. “I had to do something, you were too far away. I knew a bold move would bring you to me.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard, her tongue demanding as it swept and swirled inside his mouth claiming what belonged to her. He didn’t think his shaft could get any harder, but the erotic caress of her hands sliding down his back sent a shiver through his body and blood rushing to his groin. He didn’t want to come across as a barbarian, but right now, all he could think about was being inside of her.

  He gripped her hips hard and pulled her to the edge of the counter. A split second later, he plunged into her sweet heat and the tightness of her body that wrapped around his thickness nearly toppled him over the brink of sanity. She was his. After so many months apart, she was finally his.

  “Craig,” she moaned, her breath ragged against his ear, as he pumped in and out of her unable to slow his ferocious pace. She felt too good and it was as if his body was on automatic pilot. Her hands groped everywhere trying to hold on until they finally settled on his butt, drawing him even deeper inside of her.

  “Ah, baby.” He gritted his teeth as intense pleasure charged through his body, his thrusts in rhythm with the erratic beat of his heart. He rotated his hips and pumped faster, harder, the tip of is shaft knocking against the walls of her fiery furnace.

  “Yes, yes,” she panted, trying to hold on to his sweat slicked skin as he increased his pace. “Ohh, Craig,” she cried. He didn’t think that he would ever tire of the sexy sounds she made whenever they made love and he used everything within him to go deeper and deeper inside her. He watched as emotions distorted her beautiful face with each stroke, and his heartbeat stuttered when her muscles fastened tightly around his shaft.

  “Craig!” she screamed. Her body bucked against him strong and hard, her head falling back as she gripped his arms with the strength of a person twice her size.

  Watching her come with such force sent a gust of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He lifted her legs higher, and a low growl erupted from his throat as he thumped in and out of her with the speed of a locomotive, unable to slow his roll even if he wanted to.

  “Toni!” he roared, his body pounding against hers with such force he could barely hold onto her as a fierce orgasm shook him to his core.

  Gasping for air, they slumped against each other. Craig put most of his body weight against the counter, unsure of how long his legs would hold him up and appreciating the coolness against his skin.

  “That was incredible,” Toni wheezed, her forehead resting
on his shoulder.

  “I agree. You never cease to amaze me.”

  His mouth found hers and he slipped his tongue between her sweet lips, stroking and exploring the inside of her mouth. Her kiss sang through his veins, and he never wanted to let her go, never wanted to be apart from her again. For months, he had yearned to hold her in his arms, yearned to kiss her tender lips, and yearned to bury himself inside her.

  He gripped the back of her head, his hands buried in her thick hair as he deepened the kiss, unable to get enough of her. Having her in his arms again was like a dream he didn’t know he’d ever obtain. He didn’t know what it would take, but he had every intention of making what they had together and what they just shared, permanent.

  He slowly released her lips and rested his forehead against hers, placing a light kiss on the tip of her nose.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” She kissed him again. “I also love quickies in the afternoon, but right now - I’m hungry. Can we eat?”

  ***

  Later that evening, Craig walked into the police station to start his shift as if he had just won the lottery. The more time he spent with Toni, the more time he wanted to spend with her. Today’s lunch was the best lunch he’d had in months and he was thinking about making their afternoon rendezvous a weekly event. He couldn’t help chuckling to himself. Toni had already accused him of wanting her only for her body. He’d been real quick to tell her that he loved everything about her, from the way her gaze raked over him as if he were the only man on the planet, to the way she screamed his name whenever they made love. He even loved her stubbornness, at times.

  “What’s up detective? What are you doing here, this time of day? I thought you guys keep banker hours,” Alan, a third year police officer said and glanced at his watch, “It’s almost five o’clock. Time for you to be heading out the door instead of coming in.”