by Sandy James
Her eyes widened and her fingers tightened in his hair.
“Say yes, B.” He pulled her down for another kiss, stroking his tongue over hers and loving the responding mewl from the back of her throat.
Robert slid one hand up her side, under her loose shirt until the lace of her bra tickled his fingertips. Boldly cupping her breast, he shifted his lips to her neck, nuzzling the soft skin as he breathed in her scent. “Please, B.” He tugged on her earlobe with his teeth and squeezed her breast. “Say yes.”
She tilted her head and breathed out a contented sigh. “Yes.”
He wasn’t about to give her time to change her mind. Wrapping his arms around her, he stood, intending to carry her straight to the bedroom, hoping once she was there she’d quit worrying about the missing mattress in what was to be her room. The master could belong to both of them from now on.
Beth untangled her legs and put her feet on the ground.
“I was going to carry you,” Robert insisted.
“I’m too heavy,” she scoffed.
Had he not worried at dampening her desire, he would have taken a moment to scold her for the denigrating remark. Instead, he took her hand and gently tugged her to follow him to the stairs.
On the first step, she planted her feet, almost jerking him off his.
“What?” he asked, angry at himself that he couldn’t hide the desperation in his voice. If she stopped this interlude, he’d be tied up in knots for days.
“I don’t know. I mean…”
Robert had been one step above her, so he went back to where she was and turned her to face him. Then he kissed her again. A long, slow, sensuous kiss. He was panting for air when he finally ended it, as was she. If she could turn him away now, she had a hell of a lot more self-control than he’d ever be able to muster. “I want you.”
“I want you, too, Robert. I just…” She was back to nibbling on that bottom lip. “Do you have, um, protection?”
“Condoms?”
She gave him a brusque nod.
He returned the gesture, hoping she wouldn’t think he was a cocky bastard for having bought them this afternoon.
Without dropping his hand, she hurried past him, climbing the stairs. “Well, then, what are we waiting for?”
Would she ever stop surprising him?
Robert shut the door behind them out of habit. There was no one to shut out tonight. They had all the privacy they needed. Instead of snatching off his clothes, he leaned back against the door and watched her. Contentment settled over him simply seeing her in his bedroom. This was where she belonged. With him.
She’d jerked her shirt over her head before stopping to stare at him. Clutching the shirt to her chest, she watched him warily. “D-did you change your mind?”
“Are you kidding me?” After pushing away from the door, he strode purposefully across the room, grabbed her around the waist, and tackled her to the bed. “I’ve waited forever for this.”
And he damn well wasn’t going to let her change her mind without showing her just how much he desired her. With his kiss. With his body. With his heart. So he kissed her, his tongue tracing the line of her teeth, stroking the roof of her mouth.
Beth tugged at his shirt, pulling it out of his waistband and getting in his way as he tried to touch her body. He leaned back, yanked the shirt over his head, and let out a sigh when he blanketed her body again, putting a knee between her thighs to open them wider. His cock was nestled against her, and he sighed again. “I’ve waited for this forever.”
“You already said that.” Her fingers skittered across his back, sweet and light as air before her palms covered his ass. She raised her knees and held him to her core. “Besides, it’s not as long as I’ve waited. I’ve wanted you for years.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, heck yeah. Your butt?” She squeezed his cheeks. “It’s been driving me crazy since the first day we met.” Beth rocked her hips up. “Make love to me.”
As though she’d have to ask twice.
Pushing back, Robert took her hand and pulled her to her feet. His gaze locked with hers as he reached for her waistband, lovingly popping the button and dragging down the zipper. He pushed them past her hips by letting his hands slide down her sides. She kicked the khakis aside after they’d puddled around her ankles.
She stood there in a white lace bra and pale pink panties, and he hoped to hell he wasn’t drooling all over himself.
He leaned in to kiss the small tattoo of a pink ribbon on her left breast, right over her heart. The name “Mallory” was etched inside the border of the ribbon. “Do all the Ladies have one of those?” He traced the shape with his fingertip.
“Me, Dani, and Jules. It was to celebrate Mallory being well again.”
“Bet theirs aren’t as beautiful as yours.”
“They’re exactly alike.”
“But this one’s on your breast. That’s what makes it so special.”
With speed rather than finesse, he took off his jeans and boxers, not even thinking to take his time and almost tripping in the process. He wasn’t patient enough to try to entice her by stripping slowly. Besides, she didn’t act like she needed to be coaxed.
His cock had bobbed forward, like it was trying to stare at her. She stared back, her mouth forming an O.
Damn if he didn’t glance down at himself. He was kind of big, but certainly not big enough to scare a lady away. “B?”
With a seductive smile, she moved her hand behind her back and popped the hook on her bra before shrugging out of it. Then she discarded her panties. Standing before him, she gave him a sheepish glance, her lips pulled into a tight line. Moonlight shone through the skylight over the bed, giving him the ability to see all of her quite well.
“Gorgeous.” It was the only word he was able to utter. She was perfect. Soft and round with pale skin. Her breasts were fuller than he’d imagined, and just looking at the V of dark curls between her thighs made his erection twitch.
* * *
Beth clenched her hands into fists, trying with every ounce of her being not to act like some shy virgin and hide herself from Robert. Sure, her body might not be slim and sleek, but judging from the swollen cock pointing in her direction, the man liked what he saw. So why hide?
The way he’d growled out his compliment had sent shivers racing over her skin. She was past playing coy. Stepping closer, she wrapped her fingers around his erection, loving the incredible heat that greeted her touch. He was so full and thick, and she wanted to play with him a little before they covered up all that masculine beauty with a condom.
He growled as she stroked him. With a smile, she moved up and down, stopping at the cap to rub it with her thumb and then squeezing his sac each time she reached the base. But he didn’t kiss her, just kept his gaze fixed on hers.
Too soon, he brushed her hand away and snaked his arms around her waist. Picking her up, he took her to the bed, letting her fall back against the mattress as he dropped to his knees and spread her thighs. Before she could utter a single word, his mouth was on her, his fingers separating her folds while his tongue probed and licked her until she was squirming. She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged, probably a bit too hard. But the man was making her body scream for release, and she wanted him to share the experience. Since she couldn’t utter a coherent word, she kept pulling on his hair, trying to get him to understand. She wanted him inside her. Now.
This was all so new. The times she’d been with other men, she’d had to perform as though she were striving for an Academy Award. Her fault, because she’d never let her guard down, never faced another man with the same bravado she’d shown Robert. And she’d always faked the orgasm at the end.
With this new bravado came true confidence. She’d stood bravely before him, naked and uncaring if she had a big butt or far too much padding on her hips or a bit of a belly. Seeing that huge cock, arrogant and ready for her and her alone was a potent aphrodisiac.
With a groan, he got to his feet. “Scoot back, B.” He jerked the nightstand drawer open and fished out a string of condoms. He ripped one loose and opened the packet with his teeth while she moved to the middle of the enormous mattress.
Watching him roll on the condom sent a jolt to her center, and she knew that for the first time, she was going to come during sex and not alone in the shower later that evening. She was so turned on, so ready, that simply watching him crawl onto the bed, stalking her like a jungle cat had her breath catching and heat shooting through her.
Robert licked her nipple and then settled himself between her spread thighs. After teasing the tight bud with his tongue, he drew the nipple into his mouth and suckled. His fingertips smoothed down her stomach and over her mound before he thrust a finger deep inside her, making her hips rise to meet him.
Beth cupped the back of his head, encouraging him to continue all the exquisite torture. A shock wave went from her breast to her center, making her gulp in a breath. “Now,” she said, wanting him joined with her when she climaxed.
Robert rose over her, rubbing his erection between her folds. “You’re ready?”
“Past ready.”
He dipped his head to rest his forehead against hers as he thrust inside her.
Letting out a gasp, she tried to ease the tightness in her muscles to allow the invasion. She hadn’t meant to tense up, but when he pushed back on his elbows to give her a concerned frown, she shook her head and pulled him down for a tongue-dueling kiss. Her body relaxed, letting him slide inside, the friction making her close her eyes and hum in happiness.
Robert pulled back, slowly, tantalizingly before thrusting inside her again.
The teasing was making her frantic. She showed him with her hips and her kiss that she needed him rougher, faster.
And he obliged. Together they found a rhythm that pulled her higher and higher until the tight knot deep inside her snapped and she cried out his name. Delightful spasms spread from her center through her being, filling her with a joy she’d never known.
This was what she’d always searched for. This was what she’d sought for her whole darn life. This was the way making love should be.
Robert’s movements became frantic, and Beth squeezed her thighs tightly against his hips, putting her palms against his backside again, encouraging him, wanting him to enjoy the same kind of bliss he’d given her.
His body tensed before he buried his face against her neck, groaned, and shuddered, her name spilling from his lips.
It was the sweetest song she’d ever heard.
Chapter Ten
“Good morning.”
A deep, rumbling voice snapped Beth from the last light tethers of sleep. She slowly opened her eyes as she lay on her left side. Dark, laughing eyes greeted her. Robert also lay on his side facing her, a grin on his beard-stubbled face. She ran her fingertips down the sandpaper surface of his cheek to his chin, smiling as she remembered the night. Such sweet memories to hold close to her heart.
When she started to open her mouth to return his sentiment, she suddenly worried about whether her breath would be horrendous. She grabbed the sheet and held it against the bottom half of her face. “Good morning.”
His brows knit. “B? Why are you—”
“Morning breath.”
He chuckled and jerked the sheet away.
She tensed. Then he kissed her, his lips settling on hers. A simple kiss of acceptance that she felt all the way to her toes.
Easing back, Robert grinned again, so arrogant, probably since her face had followed his. He gave her another quick peck and tossed the sheet aside. After he crawled out of the bed, he wandered around the room, pulling articles of clothing from the open boxes.
The man had no modesty whatsoever. While Beth hastily tugged the sheet to cover her breasts, he just strolled around the enormous master suite as though he were alone. Not that she minded. The view was heavenly.
Time had come to face her day. “We should work on getting our closets organized today.” She was mostly thinking aloud about prioritizing the long list of tasks that needed to be done.
Surprisingly, he stopped to gape at her. “What d’ya mean closets?”
She cocked her head. “What did you think I meant?”
“You said closets. Not closet.”
“I don’t understand, Robert.”
He dropped his clothes on the foot of the bed, put his hands on his hips, and glared at her. “I thought we’d be sharing a closet now.”
All she could do was stare at his cock. Even though it wasn’t erect, she couldn’t force herself to look away. It hung limp, nestled in a patch of dark brown curls, and she found the thing completely captivating. If he really wanted to have a conversation, he was going to have to put on his boxer shorts.
“B?” There was a touch of laughter in his voice. “Hey, lady. My eyes are up here.”
A hot flush raced over her face and down her neck. Even her ears grew warm. She would’ve shifted her gaze to his face if his cock hadn’t started to grow. The way it straightened and elongated right before her eyes kept her transfixed, the sight utterly fascinating. And arousing. Heat shot to her core before fanning to her limbs, and she held the sheet tighter against her, dumbfounded.
Robert took the last steps to the bed, picked up her hand, and wrapped her fingers around his burgeoning erection. “After seeing what you do to me, do you really think I’m gonna let you have your own room?”
“I did… this?” She stroked him gently, a little in awe of the beauty of what she held.
He let out a heavy sigh. “No, I get hard smelling the new carpet.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.
“Well, you are a builder.” She stroked him again, loving how he closed his eyes and moaned.
“You make me as hard as that granite you seem to like for countertops. Just seeing you is all I need and—whamo—every drop of blood flows south.”
While that made her happy, she couldn’t help but worry about setting a good role model for her niece—her daughter. “What about Emma? She shouldn’t see us sharing a room and… and a bed.”
“What Emma will see is exactly how wonderful it is when two adults care deeply about each other. It’s not like we’re gonna parade around naked, B.” His gaze dropped to her hand. “But when we’re alone in this room, I prefer you naked.” With no warning, he snatched the sheet down.
Beth didn’t even flinch at revealing her nudity, despite how bright the sunlight was. She was too busy worrying about his demand that she share the master bedroom with him to give much thought to how much of her body he could see.
She wanted what he was offering, for them to be a couple and share their lives. Everything from a bed to a closet to long, loving kisses and where those could lead. To be his roommate in every way would be heaven.
So why was she hesitating?
Fear. Pure, naked terror that one day he’d grow tired of her and want his more typical lithe blonde. Even thinking about the painful, awkward conversation when he would tell her it was time to go their separate ways made her ill.
* * *
Robert waited impatiently, barely keeping himself from clutching Beth’s shoulders and giving her a shake. Why couldn’t she see how good they were together?
He’d gone from flaccid to erect with enough speed to make him a little dizzy. Just thinking about how great it had been to make love to her had him greedy and ready to share that bliss again.
Without a word, he opened the nightstand drawer, fished out a condom, and tossed it on the surface, almost daring her to say no.
She didn’t. Instead, she lifted the sheet to invite him back into bed.
Their bed.
Did she know how much she pleased him? When he tried to cover her body with his own, she stopped him by putting her palms against his chest.
“Wait,” she said.
“B?”
/> “On your back, mister.” She gripped his arms and guided him to lie down at her side.
He obliged, eager to see exactly where this would lead.
Beth picked up the condom, plucked it from the wrapper, and slowly, sensuously rolled it over his cock. Then she leaned in, kissing him, gently pushing her tongue past his lips.
He wasn’t accustomed to women taking the lead. Most of his lovers liked him to call the shots, so it was a new experience to have the normally shy Beth running the show. He was worried they hadn’t had much foreplay, and he sure didn’t want to hurt her because he didn’t give her enough attention to help her get nice and wet.
She straddled his hips, allowing him to slip his hand between her thighs before she could settle herself on his cock. Moist heat greeted him, making him let out a low growl. To know she was turned on hit him like a shock wave to the groin. Could she be that wet because he’d been parading around naked? Because she’d witnessed his cock growing? Because she’d stroked his erection?
With a smile and a sweet hum, she let her head fall back as he found her tight nub and rubbed it with his fingers. “Feels so good.” Her words were akin to a cat purring. “So good…”
Her hips rocked into his touch, and he sped the rhythm, hoping to bring her to climax. She surprised him by brushing his hand away and grabbing his cock. Slowly, maddeningly, she lowered herself onto his erection, closing her eyes and smiling as though she savored every inch sliding inside her tight sheath.
Robert couldn’t take her teasing a second longer. Holding tightly to her hips, he thrust the rest of the way inside her.
So tight. So hot. So perfect.
His breath came in choppy gasps, and he couldn’t stop himself from driving up into her, setting a fast pace when what he’d wanted was to go slow and savor each sensation. The feel of her pushed all those notions of lingering aside. He wanted to keep thrusting until she took him back to that wonderful place, the one she’d shown him last night that made every cell in his body explode.
And she led him there again, the strength of his orgasm forcing him to clench his fingers into her soft hips and his body to bow off the mattress. He called to her, wanting her to join him. To keep from leaving her behind, he kept raising his hips, pushing into her and savoring her delighted response.
