She wriggled her hips. “Take me and don’t stop.”
He lowered his head and kissed her before rising again. He began moving in and out in a slow rhythm, and she gave a gasp followed by a sigh. It was a sound of pleasure, desire, and love.
His warm brown eyes never released her. He watched her as a heated flush traveled through her. Her skin tingled and she could feel an orgasm approaching at a steady pace. Her insides wound tight and a light sheen of perspiration covered her body.
The fierce expression on his face told her that he was close, too.
But then he stopped and pulled out. Her eyes widened. Before she could ask him why he’d stopped, he slid down the bed so that his mouth was over her mound again.
He ran his tongue over her folds and her body throbbed. He licked and sucked and made the rumbling noise that told her he loved going down on her.
“Mike.” She panted out his name as she tried to maintain her grasp on reality. It slipped. “Oh, my—”
Her words were cut off as another climax hit her hard, seemingly out of nowhere, and she shouted from the sheer pleasure that was almost too much to take. Her core throbbed and her mind spun. The orgasm was intense in a different way from the first and it sent her senses reeling.
A droplet of sweat rolled along her hairline as she started to recover and come back to her senses. He eased back up her body and slid his cock inside her again.
He began thrusting, this time not at the same slow pace. She wrapped her thighs around his waist and raised her hips to meet him as he drove in and out. She slid her hands along his sides and dug her nails into his back as he took her harder.
The bed rocked against the wall as he drove inside and out. She could barely maintain her hold on the here and now, her mind threatening to fly away to oblivion. The two orgasms had taken so much out of her and yet she felt another one coming on. She’d never climaxed twice in one night before, much less three times. She had the vague thought that she might fly apart if she did come again.
He thrust harder and harder, his expression fierce, his jaw tight. She started to close her eyes when he said, “Look at me, Anna.” His words were husky. “I want to watch you come again.”
His words ignited more flames inside her and she felt like she was spinning out of control. This time she screamed when she came. It was too much. Too much pleasure. And it went on and on as he moved faster and harder.
He gave a grunt and a shout and she felt his cock throb inside her when he climaxed. His pace slowed and he moved in and out until he gave one last shudder. He pulled out and wrapped her in his arms as he rolled her onto her side on the bed.
They both breathed hard, their bodies slick with sweat. As they lay together, he trailed one finger down her cheek. “You look so beautiful right here with me.”
She placed her hand against his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her palm. “You are beautiful to me,” she whispered. The words “I love you” threatened to come out but she managed to hold them back.
He shifted and ditched the condom in a wastebasket on the side of the bed and switched off the one light that had been on before pulling one sheet over them. She was so hot from their lovemaking that she was glad for the single sheet. He brought her into his arms so that her head was lying on his biceps, their bodies close.
She relaxed, closed her eyes, and listened as his breathing grew slow and steady and she knew that he was asleep.
When she opened her eyes, she watched him sleep and felt a longing, a yearning like she had never felt before. In the morning she might regret tonight, but at this moment she felt like this was where she belonged.
Even as she thought it, she knew it wasn’t true. She did not belong here, she shouldn’t be here.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and a tear trickled down her cheek. “I should have told you instead of making love to you. When you find out—you will hate me.”
He made a soft snoring sound as the words tumbled out of her mouth. “Chad has been blackmailing me to spy on you. He threatened my family and I felt like I had no choice. Not threatened in the way you might think, but in a way that would devastate us nevertheless.”
It felt like a lump the size of a baseball had lodged in her throat. “It’s my fault that the story of the deputy leaked out.” She clenched her eyes tight and more tears squeezed out. “I didn’t know Chad would do what he did, but the damage is done now. I should have known. Was I just being naïve or ignoring the obvious direction it would go?”
Her heart ached with so much love for him that it hurt to talk. “I don’t know what to do. I feel lost. If I tell you the truth about my family, then you’ll be obligated to do what you have to do. If I don’t tell you…” She put the back of her hand to her mouth and choked back a sob. She lowered her hand and clenched her fist in the sheet. “If I don’t tell you, I might keep harming you because I’m too scared to not do what Chad is blackmailing me to do. I wish I could tell you everything. I wish it would make everything all right.”
For a long moment she watched him sleep, his features relaxed, his breathing still deep and even.
“I love you,” she whispered then shook her head. “But I deserve your hate. I didn’t deserve tonight.”
Trying to hold back what were sure to be loud sobs, she slid out of his arms and off the bed. He stirred and her heart thumped as she froze. When she was sure he was still asleep, she moved again.
Darkness enveloped the room and she felt her way to the bathroom she opened the door a crack, slid her hand through the opening, and switched on the light so that she could see easier. With the slice of light to guide her, she gathered her clothing and dressed.
After she had slid into her heels, she picked up her keycard from where she’d dropped it then quietly opened the door and slipped out into the hallway.
Chapter 17
Mike shifted in bed and a smile curved the corner of his mouth as he thought about Anna and the incredible night they had shared. He rolled onto his side and put his arm out to wrap around her waist, but he touched nothing. The bed was empty.
He frowned and opened his eyes. The room was dim, the hotel blackout shades only allowing a sliver of sunlight through a gap. Her clothing was no longer draped over the chair—her clothes were gone. Had she left in the middle of the night?
The sheet fell to his lap as he sat up in bed and pushed his fingers through his hair. Thoughts of waking up with her in his bed had made him smile, but now he frowned. Did she regret their night? She might, but he was going to change that if it was the case.
He pulled the sheet aside and walked naked to the blackout shades and pulled them open so that muted sunlight came in through the sheer curtains and the room brightened. The sky was still overcast, but it wasn’t raining. The room now lit well enough to see easily, he checked the bathroom to make sure she wasn’t in there but it was empty.
His stomach rumbled. Once he was ready, he’d grab some breakfast and bring it to Anna’s room. After he showered and tugged on yesterday’s clothing, and stuffed his wallet and keycard into his pocket, he headed out of the room.
A continental breakfast was being served in the café. He piled a tray with more than enough for two—plates with cheese and cherry Danishes; banana nut, blueberry, and bran muffins; bagels with small ramekins of cream cheese; and a bowl of fresh fruit including purple grapes, sliced strawberries, chunks of pineapple, blueberries, and melon balls. He added to the tray two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice and two cups of coffee with packages of sugar and little cups of half and half. He added two small plates and two rolls of silverware to the tray.
He made his way back to Anna’s room and knocked on her door. A long moment of silence passed and he knocked again. “Anna, it’s Mike.”
A moment longer and the bolt lock thunked and the door mechanism clicked as the door opened. She stood barefoot in the open doorway wearing yesterday’s blouse and skirt, but still managing to look fresh and unwrinkled.
She had her hair pulled back again and looked absolutely beautiful, but he almost frowned at the redness in her eyes.
“Good morning, honey.” He held up the tray. “Breakfast.”
Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly in reaction to him calling her honey. “Good morning,” she said in her voice that sounded slightly husky and he wondered if she’d been crying, and again he had to hold back a frown.
She stepped back and out of the way, and he paused to brush his lips over hers. Damn, she was so soft, so sweet. She caught her breath and he smiled.
It seemed as though he caused her to feel unbalanced and she didn’t know how to act now that they’d made love. He wanted her to know that nothing had changed, and wanted her to know how much he cared for her.
He walked into her hotel room, noting the rumpled covers on the bed and her red purse sitting on a chair cushion. Her black blazer was draped over the back of the chair and her red high heels on the floor below. His thoughts turned to how sexy she’d looked wearing nothing but those heels and his groin tightened. He needed to push those thoughts right out of his head.
After he set the tray on a table, he set out all of the food and drinks before placing the empty tray aside on a nearby desk.
He pulled out a chair and gestured to it. “Time to get a little something in your stomach.”
She walked toward him, suddenly looking shy as she reached him. Before she could sit down, he placed his palms on her waist, stopping her, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He drew away and put his hands on the back of her chair and he pushed it in after she sat.
He sat in the chair beside her and took in the two empty plates in front of them along with the two sets of silverware rolled in napkins, before gesturing to the food. “Dig in.”
“Thank you.” She took a cheese Danish and set it on her plate, then speared pieces of pineapple and melon before depositing them on her plate, too.
He thought about asking her why she’d left, but had a feeling he’d make her uncomfortable if he did. Right now he wanted to make her feel comfortable with him even if it meant his question would go unanswered.
“Did you sleep well?” He took a bite of cherry Danish after asking the question.
“I slept okay.” She stabbed a piece of pineapple on her plate. “I don’t always sleep well in strange places.”
“Sounds like you need a little fortification.” He gestured to her plate. “Eat up.”
She slid the piece of pineapple in her mouth and looked pleasantly surprised. “Sweet and juicy,” she said after she swallowed.
The corner of his mouth curved. “Wait until you taste the Danishes.”
He guided the conversation to safe subjects and she visibly relaxed. Something about last night had scared her in some way. He didn’t know what it was, but eventually he would find out. He wasn’t going to allow her to regret a moment they had shared together in his hotel room, much less push him away from her.
Normally she was talkative when they were together, but this morning she was more subdued. He eventually had her smiling, but she had put a wedge between them that hadn’t been there before. It was his job to get rid of that wedge.
“Did you enjoy breakfast?” he asked when she leaned back in her chair and dabbed her napkin to her lips.
“Very much so.” She placed her hand on her flat belly. “I am so full now that I probably won’t need lunch.”
He gave her an amused smile. “We’ll see about that. You usually have a pretty good appetite.”
She gave him a rueful look. “You’re right, I do.”
“I like that.” He stood and took her by the hand and drew her to her feet. “It’s nice to have a meal with someone who doesn’t just pick at her food.”
“Certainly no problem with me on that end,” she said with a smile.
“No problems with you at all,” he murmured, drawing her closer. “You are perfect.”
A look passed over her face, like his words had sparked something inside her that meant the opposite, that there was some kind of problem inside that she was dwelling on. He didn’t know what it could be, but for now he wanted to make her feel nothing but good about herself and about them. He didn’t want her to regret one moment she’d shared with him.
He slid his hand to the small of her back, just above her ass. He cupped the back of her head with his other hand and lowered his mouth to hers.
Her throat worked. “I need to tell you something,” she said, and it reminded him of last night when she’d said the same thing before he’d cut her off with a kiss.
He shook his head. “For now I want you to enjoy this moment. I want you to know how right this is.”
Her lips parted as if to say something, but he captured her mouth with his, stealing away her words. She trembled slightly in his arms and at first her kiss was tentative. Within moments she was kissing him with a passion and a hunger that rivaled his own.
Need drove him and he started to unbutton her blouse as he kissed her. He wanted her naked and he wanted it now. When her blouse was unbuttoned, he pushed it over her shoulders and she let it drop to the floor.
This time he couldn’t move slow, couldn’t take his time. He needed her with an intensity that shook him to his core. He pulled down her bra, spilling her breasts into his hands. He tore his mouth from hers. “I’ve got to have you, Anna honey. I don’t know if I can take it slow this time.”
“I don’t want it slow.” She trembled in his arms, a tremble of excitement.
With a groan, he lowered his head to capture one of her nipples. She moaned as he sucked it and then she gave a gasp when he lightly bit her nipple. At the same time he pinched her opposite nipple. She clenched her hands in his hair as repeated the act when he moved his mouth to the other one.
He raised his head and she let her fingers slide from his hair. He toed off his boots and pulled off his socks before she reached for his buttons.
She seemed almost frantic as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it out of his jeans. He jerked it off and tossed it before he reached behind her and unzipped her skirt and let it slide down her thighs to the floor. He pushed her panties over her hips and let them drop, too, before taking off her bra and throwing it aside.
When she was naked, he pressed his body tightly to hers, loving the feel of her soft bare skin as he skimmed his palms over her flesh. “You feel so good in my arms,” he said while thinking, and I’m never going to let you go.
She moved back a little and reached for his belt buckle. In moments she had it unbuckled and his zipper down, and was dragging his jeans and boxer briefs over his hips as she knelt before him. He stepped out of his jeans and was about to draw her back to her feet when she wrapped her fingers over his cock and slipped her mouth over it, taking him to the back of her throat.
His breath hissed through his teeth and he clenched his fists in her long dark hair. “Damn, Anna.” A rumble vibrated his chest, as if a caged animal was trying to break free from inside him.
She moaned and sucked him harder as if having her hair pulled while going down on him was erotic to her. Feeling as if he held power over her at the same time she held power over him was a heady experience.
“That’s so good. So damned good.” His heart beat faster as he felt an orgasm freight-training its way toward him. Her mouth was so warm and wet and she took him as deeply as she could.
He was so close to climaxing, so close to losing control, that he almost came in her mouth. Before he tumbled over the precipice, he pulled his cock out of her mouth and grasped her by the upper arms. He drew her to her feet, swept her up in his embrace, and laid her on the bed.
“Please.” She said the words urgently. “I want you inside me. Now.”
“I will be, honey.” It took him only a moment to fish a condom out of the wallet in his jeans pocket. He rolled it down his erection and he eased onto the bed, between her thighs. As much as he wanted to wait, he couldn’t, especially with her begging him to hurry.
He positioned his cock at the entrance to her core before driving into her.
She gasped and her eyes flew open, her lips forming an O, as if having forgotten how big he was. He watched her, like he had last night, to make sure there was no pain in her expression. When he saw nothing but pleasure, he started thrusting in and out of her hard and fast.
“Yes,” she said in a husky whisper. “Yes. More. Please.” She raised her hips up to meet his as he fucked her.
I’m making love to her. Love.
Her lips were parted, her eyes heavy-lidded, and a sheen of perspiration coated her skin. His orgasm was so close that it was all he could do to hold back. He wanted her to climax before he did, wanted her to feel pleasure before he allowed himself to come.
“Mike.” His name was a sultry gasp that rose up in her. “I—I’m so close.”
“That’s it, honey.” He ground his teeth as the intensity of her words almost caused him to climax. “I want you to come. Come right now.”
A cry escaped her as her body bucked and shuddered beneath him. Her core clenched around his cock and that sent him flying straight into one of the most powerful orgasms he’d ever felt. He thought last night’s had been unbelievable and yet this one shook him to his bones.
His cock throbbed as he thrust in and out of her until he couldn’t take it anymore. He pressed his groin tight against hers as he looked at her flushed face and stared into her deep brown eyes.
I love you, came to his mind and it took everything he had not to say those words. It was too soon and he didn’t want to scare her away.
Instead, he pulled her into his arms and held her close, hoping that she could sense the depth of his caring through his actions.
Together they cuddled until their breathing slowed, and all he knew was that he never wanted to let her go.
Chapter 18
Anna thought she was going to go crazy during the hour plus drive from Sedona to Prescott. Mike seemed so relaxed and in such a great mood, even singing along with the radio, and she couldn’t bring herself to crush that mood for now.
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