by Elle James
Roxi parted her legs, letting him slide between them, a little shocked and completely turned on by what he was doing to her. Sure, she’d read erotic romances where men touched their women in the most private of places. But she’d never been the recipient of such tender caresses.
He parted her folds and stroked her with one of his fingers, drawing a line down to her entrance.
Her belly clenched, and she moaned again.
His warm chuckle breathed air over her heated entrance. “Like that?”
“Oh, sweet Jesus. Yes!” In the fading portion of her brain, she thought she should be embarrassed by her outburst, but when his tongue followed his finger, stroking the little nubbin of flesh, all thoughts exploded in a cacophony of sensations, threads of lightning bolting throughout her body.
She tensed, her back arched and she forgot to breathe. “Please,” she whispered.
He touched her again, his tongue laving her, pushing her over the edge, past the brink of everything she’d ever known. Roxi dug her fingers into his hair and cried, “Decker!” Her body shook with the force of her release, and she rode the waves all the way back to the bed where she lay, limp but still needing more. “I want you,” she said, her voice breathy, her lungs relearning how to breathe.
Decker climbed up beside her and reached into the nightstand, extracting a foil packet.
Roxi leaned up on an elbow and held out her hand. “Could I?”
“Of course.” He handed her the packet.
She tore it open and rolled the condom over him, her hands caressing him as she slid down his length. “Thanks.”
Decker’s bark of laughter made her glance his way.
“What?”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you.” He dragged her over him and leaned up to kiss her lips. “You’re amazing.”
“No, I’m clumsy and awkward at this.”
“Darlin’, you’re a natural.” He paused. “And if this is as far as you want to go, I’m okay with it.”
With her insides pulsing and her channel slick and ready, Roxi shook her head. “No way. I want the whole shebang.”
“Then it’s up to you now. You take it as slow or fast as you want.”
“Really?” She touched his chest with her fingertips and slid her hand down over his ribs. “I get to call the shots?”
“You bet.” He lay back, linking his hands behind his head. “I won’t touch you unless you want me to.”
“Oh, please. Touch me. But you have to promise not to laugh.”
He held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.” Then he rested the hand on her hip.
She frowned. “I’m betting you were never a Boy Scout.”
He shrugged. “No, but I promise.”
Not sure what to do, but knowing she wanted him inside her, and the sooner the better, Roxi straddled him, planting her knees on either side of his waist. His erection bumped against her, and she sucked in a sharp breath.
Decker’s smile slipped, his jaw tightening.
“I’m not even sure how to do this.” Heat rose in her cheeks and her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she was certain he could hear it. So much for the tough bar owner who could do anything she set her mind to. She had never seduced a man or made love to one on her terms. How did one go about it?
Something of her distress must have shown on her face.
“Let me.” Decker’s big hands gripped her hips, lifted and positioned her exactly the way she needed to make it work.
She leaned her hands on his chest and eased down on his staff.
He slid inside, his girth stretching her, filling her in a wonderfully sensuous way. The friction set off a whole new wave of sensations and she found herself rising and falling over him, her breasts tight, the nipples drawn into tight little buds, her breath hitching in her lungs. If this was what it felt like to really make love, what had she been waiting for?
Apparently, her steady rocking wasn’t fast enough for Decker.
Still holding her hips he helped her, guiding her movements, increasing the speed.
His face tensed, his jaw tightened, and he closed his eyes, thrusting up into her one last time before he held her still, his cock throbbing against the walls of her channel.
Roxi stared down at his face, a feeling of power and satisfaction swelling her chest. “Was it…”
“Perfect,” he said on a sigh, opening his eyes to smile up at her.
She lay down on him, her cheek pressed to his skin. The thudding beats of his heart told her he’d been as excited by their coupling as she was. She smiled and languished in the aftermath of a thorough loving, reluctant to break the connection.
When at last he rolled her over beside him, she snuggled against him. “That was amazing.”
“Yes, it was. Now, sleep. After working all day, you need it.”
She closed her eyes, her body relaxed, her mind a fuzzy happy place where thirteen-year-old girls being raped didn’t exist. This was how sex should be.
“Decker?” she said and stifled a yawn. “Is it always this exhausting?”
He laughed softly. “Not always.”
“Hmm.” With her eyes still closed, she inhaled the scent of him and the lingering musk of sex. “Decker?”
“Yes, Roxi?” His words stirred the tendrils of hair near her temple.
She smiled. “Next time, you can be on top.”
Chapter 9
Decker lay for a long time with his eyes open, his heartbeat finally slowing to a normal pace. The entire time he’d made love to Roxi, he hadn’t thought about Allison. With Roxi asleep against his side, memories surfaced of lying in bed with Allison after making love to her.
The two women were as different as night and day. Allison had been quiet when they’d made love, seeming to tolerate it more than she enjoyed it. Not Roxi. She hadn’t held back, moaning and calling out his name in the throes of passion.
With Roxi’s naked body pressed against his, Decker reflected on what he’d just done. He’d made love to a woman who’d never experienced real, honest sex before. And he’d done it only days after the anniversary of his wife’s death.
His own take on the event was nothing short of confusion. On the one hand, guilt was something he’d carried for a long time. But how long was long enough? On the other hand, making love to the beautiful, capable and sexy bar owner had been more than he could have asked for. Was he ready to move into another relationship? He wasn’t the kind of guy who slept around with any willing female. But sleeping with Roxi couldn’t be taken lightly. The woman had been raped as a very young, impressionable teen. The fact she hadn’t had sex since said a lot.
And he’d made love to her.
The longer he lay there, the more his mind churned, until he gave up on sleep, slipped his arm from under Roxi’s neck and rolled out of bed. He padded barefoot and naked into the living room and stood at the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Cape. Wind tossed the trees closest to the cottage, and moonlight was blanketed by dark clouds. He couldn’t see the water for the utter darkness surrounding them. A howling wail whistled through the eaves.
Decker switched on the television, muting the sound. He tuned in to the local news channel and was surprised to see the evening weatherman still on duty at a quarter past two in the morning. A red banner scrolled across the bottom of the screen, listing counties in the area under severe storm warnings. Then a flashing banner replaced the storm warnings with the order to evacuate by late the next afternoon.
The national weather radar filled the screen with a huge circular blob of green, yellow, orange and red filling the screen south of Cape Cod. The forecast indicated Hurricane Charlie would take a direct path from the coast of North Carolina up to Massachusetts. Cape Cod stood to take the worst of the storm.
“Holy hell,” Decker muttered.
“What’s wrong?” a soft, gravelly voice said behind him.
He turned to see Roxi standing in the bedroom doorway, naked, pushing l
oose, blond curls out of her face.
“Did I wake you?” he asked.
“No. I woke on my own, but the bed was empty. Are you okay?” She left that statement hanging, her head tilted to the side, her glance on him.
He swept his gaze over her perfect curves, from her full, lush breasts to the swell of her hips and down incredibly silky thighs to the tight muscles of her calves. God, she was gorgeous.
Decker’s groin tightened. He stood and closed the distance between them. “I’m fine, just couldn’t sleep. I guess I was too wound up.”
Her brows furrowed. “Wound up in a good way or a bad one?”
“Just wound up.”
She glanced over his shoulder at the television screen, her frown deepening. “Is that the weatherman?” Roxi slipped around him and came to stand in front of the screen.
Decker followed, resting his hands on her shoulders, liking how smooth and silky her skin was. “They usually blow the weather out of proportion. Once the hurricane hits land, it dies down.”
“But they’re issuing an evacuation order for all of Cape Cod, and they want everyone out by nightfall.” Roxi shook her head and watched the screen for a moment longer. “I have to go.”
Decker gripped her arms and turned her to face him. “You sure you want to leave now? It’s really late.”
“If we have to evacuate before nightfall, I have a lot to do to get ready.” Roxi hurried through the cottage gathering her clothing. Once in the bedroom, she stepped into the cutoffs, hooked her bra in place, pulled the straps over her shoulders and tugged her tank top over her head. She grabbed her deck shoes and stopped in front of Decker. “Thanks for a great evening.” Cupping his face with the palm of her hands. “No regrets, all right? I’m sure your wife would have expected you to get on with your life.”
Decker sighed. “You’re the one I was worried about. I hope I didn’t scare you off men.”
“On the contrary. I hope you’ll be around after the hurricane. But if you aren’t, I’ll understand. I don’t expect any commitment just because we had sex.” Then she leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.
He gathered her in his arms and deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping past her teeth to slide along hers in a soul-wrenching connection he didn’t want to end. When he finally lifted his head, he stared down into her eyes. “I’m walking you home.”
“No need. Otis will keep me safe. Besides, you’ll want to close your storm shutters and pack up.”
“What do you have to accomplish? Maybe I can help,” Decker said.
“Frank and I can handle it. You need to get off the peninsula before the traffic comes to a standstill.”
“I’m not leaving until you and Otis are on your way.”
She slipped her feet into her shoes. “Really, we know the drill. We’ll be off before evening.”
Rather than argue with her, he opened the door. Otis rushed out and ran down the stairs to the beach. The wind whipped a lounge chair around, the legs scraping across the deck.
“I’m walking you home.” Decker held up his hand. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
She frowned and then the lines cleared on her forehead. “Okay. Thanks.”
Grabbing a flashlight out of a drawer in the kitchen, Decker followed Roxi out the door, closing it securely behind him. Once out on the beach, they had to lean into the wind to keep from being blown over. Sand blew up in their faces, forcing them to squint.
Decker held Roxi’s hand and walked all the way to her place and up the stairs to her apartment over the bar. The building blocked the full force of the wind, giving him a moment to properly kiss her.
He pulled Roxi into his arms and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m glad you came over tonight.”
“Me too.” She smiled up at him. “You’ve opened a whole new world for me. I realize I don’t have to be afraid to be intimate anymore. I can do it without freaking out.”
“You’re amazing. And I want to see you again. Maybe this time I can take you out on a real date.”
“I’d like that.” She touched his cheek with her fingers. “Be careful leaving the Cape.”
“I will.” He didn’t add that he’d be careful to leave with her, and not any sooner.
Otis bumped into the backs of his legs.
Decker laughed. “I think someone wants in the apartment.”
Roxi unlocked her door and let Otis in, then stepped inside, turning to face Decker as she closed the door.
He waited until he heard the lock click in place before he descended the stairs to the beach. His walk back to his cottage was quick with the wind behind him. He let himself in and glanced around at the contents of the little house. He didn’t have much to pack. A suitcase of clothing, his laptop and files were all he would take.
By the time daylight arrived, gray and cloudy, he had everything he needed sitting by the door and all the storm shutters pulled in and latched securely. He wanted to check on Hank’s place and make sure all the storm shutters were in place before he headed over to the bar to assist Roxi and Frank with their efforts. If they had to board the windows, they’d need help. The wind was almost too strong to allow them to position sheets of plywood over the windows.
Decker drove around to the secluded beach cottage Hank used when he was at the cape. He found the key Hank had hidden beneath a flower pot on the front deck and went from room to room on the inside, making certain everything was shut down, locked up and put away. Hank had stored all the outside patio furniture in a shed before he’d left and closed the storm shutters. The cottage was ready for the coming storm.
By the time Decker drove the short distance through town to the Gone Fishin’ Bar & Grill, the residents of the little town were up and moving, packing their vehicles with their belongings and closing shutters. The business owners hung large sheets of plywood in their windows, boarding up in case the winds sent objects flying through the air.
Outside the Bar & Grill, Frank, Saul and Roxi struggled to get a sheet of plywood in place, the wind wreaking havoc with their efforts.
Decker parked his SUV and climbed out. Otis ran to greet him. His tail wagged and he nuzzled Decker’s hand. “Hey, Otis. Are you helping Roxi hang plywood?”
The dog pressed his nose into Decker’s palm, then turned to lope back toward the bar as if saying follow me.
“You’re just in time,” Frank called out. “We’ve been working at this since first light, but it’s only getting harder.”
“I can do this,” Roxi insisted.
“Maybe you can, but I can’t,” Frank said.
“I’m here, you might as well let me help.” Decker grabbed the corner of the heavy plywood from Roxi’s hands.
Frank winked at her. “He’s a keeper.”
She frowned and grumbled, “I could have done it myself.”
“I know.” Decker nodded, his lips curling into a gentle smile. “But there are a lot of sheets to do and if we want to get off the peninsula before dark, we’d better get cracking.”
With a nod, she stepped back. “Saul and I will start moving the outside tables and chairs inside.”
The four of them worked all day, with the weather getting worse each passing hour.
A line of cars with the residual vacationers and locals formed on the road, headed inland. Still, the team worked, boarding, storing and locking things down to keep them from being carried off by what Frank called a brisk ocean breeze.
Once the boards were all in place and the outside furniture had been stowed, Roxi turned to Frank. “Do you need help at your place?”
“No. I closed it up before I came over here, and my vehicle is packed to the gills.”
“Good.” Roxi tilted her head toward Frank’s vehicle. “Take Saul and get going. At least the line of cars has thinned.”
Frank shook his head. “I’m not leaving without you.”
She hugged the older man. “I’ll be fine. Decker will make sure I get out on time.”
She turned to him and grinned. “Won’t you?”
Roxi’s smile nearly floored Decker. He’d never seen this side of her. The more dangerous the situation, the more she threw herself at the work involved, and the more animated she became. The woman obviously loved a challenge, and Mother Nature was sending one her way. With the wind whipping her hair around her face and not a stitch of make up on, Roxi looked happier, more alive and beautiful than ever.
Decker’s heart squeezed tightly, and he found himself falling even deeper for this incredible woman.
“I’ll make sure she’s safe,” he promised. He dragged his gaze from Roxi and shook the older man’s hand. “Go. We’ll be right behind you.”
Frank frowned at Roxi. “I’m counting on it.”
Roxi and Decker watched as Frank and Saul climbed into Frank’s vehicle and slid into the slowly moving traffic.
“What’s left?” Decker asked.
“I have a couple boxes I need to carry out to my car, and I’ll be ready.”
“Good, because the sun is setting, and those clouds looked downright wicked.” Decker pointed to the wall of black clouds roiling in the sky, headed straight for them.
Roxi led the way up the stairs to her small apartment, grabbed a box and passed Decker. She nodded to another box on the floor. “I’ve got this one, if you can get that one.”
“Got it.” Decker lifted the box and carried it down the stairs behind Roxi.
She loaded the boxes into the trunk and hurried back up the stairs without saying a word to him.
Not that Decker expected anything, but now that they were alone, without Frank’s eagle eye watching over them, he’d expected her to say something about their night together.
Back in her apartment, Roxi was rolling a suitcase toward the door. “If you can take this one down, I’ll lock up.”
He took the case from her and set it aside. Then he took her hand in his, pulled her against him and kissed her long and hard.
When he let go of her, she stepped backward, her eyes wide. She pushed her hair back from her face and slid a tongue across her lips. “What was that for?”
“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist.”
