by Maya Banks
“I have a good idea,” he said hopefully.
“Turn over and stretch out,” she said.
“You want me to turn over with a hard-on from hell?”
She pressed her lips together and her eyes twinkled. “Well, yes. Surely you can tuck it somewhere.”
“I’ll tell you where I can tuck it,” he said darkly.
She rubbed her hands together. “Back first. Unless of course you’d rather not get the massage.”
Reaching down to guard the sensitive parts, he rolled and gingerly eased his body down, stretching full length on the wide couch.
Lily moved softly up behind him and put a knee down between his legs. “Has anyone ever told you what a nice ass you have?”
He grunted in reply.
Then she placed both palms in the center of his back, and he groaned in sheer pleasure. Feather light, her hands smoothed over his back up to his shoulders and spread out, kneading the tired, tense muscles.
Her warmth bled into his skin as she continued to roll and massage every part of his back. He held his breath when her fingers glanced over his ass then stopped and cupped the cheeks.
His cock was going to become a permanent part of his stomach as hard as he was. It was growing increasingly uncomfortable. His balls ached, and his cock twitched against the confines of being trapped between the couch and his belly.
Then she leaned down and kissed the small of his back. Just one, gentle, sweet kiss. He closed his eyes and gave himself over to her tender regard.
For half an hour she rubbed and molded, touched and comforted until he was a boneless, spineless lump on the couch.
Then, finally, she rose and whispered for him to turn over.
Carefully he propped himself up and turned on his side and then again to his back.
“Whoa,” she said as she stared down at his turgid erection.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “I get that way around you.”
She smiled and got back onto the couch, this time straddling his knees so that his legs remained together. The position pushed his cock up even further, and she stared down at it like she was set to devour it. God, he hoped like hell that was exactly what she planned to do.
Slowly and very deliberately, she lowered her mouth until the head was a mere inch from her lips. She blew over it, sending chill bumps over places he didn’t think chill bumps were possible.
Then her tongue flicked out, lightly licking the tip. His cock bobbed in response and strained upward, so hard that he was to the point of agony.
“No directions for me?” she purred. “I thought you liked control.”
“Oh hell no,” he groaned. “You’re doing just fine without my interference. It’s my policy never to get involved in a lengthy discussion when I’m in a vulnerable position.”
She chuckled lightly and licked over the tip again, this time tracing around the flared head.
“Jesus, Lily. You’re killing me here.”
She pursed her lips around the crown and very carefully began sucking his length into her mouth, inch by excruciating inch.
He arched up, trying to get more of it into her mouth, but she held him off by grasping the base with her hand and squeezing.
She continued her downward assault, laving her tongue over the thick vein on the underside of his cock. When she reached halfway, she slid back up again, taking him to the very tip. Before he fell away from her mouth, she went down again, this time sucking him so deep that he bumped against the back of her throat.
She swallowed, milking him, working her throat around the head until his hands curled into the couch, desperate and frantic.
“This might be a record,” he gritted out. “I’m about two seconds from coming already.”
She smiled around his length but paused, remaining still, him lodged deep. She fondled his balls, cupping and rolling them in her palm as she slid back up, leaving a warm, wet trail.
“You have the most amazing mouth,” he said in a strained voice. “So fucking hot and wet and tight.”
Her hand slipped from his balls to curl around the base of his cock again. She grasped him, worked him up and down with her hand while she held the tip in her mouth. And then she went for it, pulling him hard and deep, moving her hand in rhythm with her mouth.
Fast. Hard. Deep. Over and over until he shouted her name. His release boiled deep in his balls and shot up his cock like a volcano erupting. His cry was savage and guttural as she took everything he gave her and clamped down greedily for more.
He spilled into her throat, spurting more with each thrust. She swallowed and kept sliding her hot mouth tight over his pulsing cock until his orgasm eased.
He slumped into the couch, so sated and loose that he couldn’t move if he wanted to. Lily carefully cleaned the remainder of his release from his cock and then gently let go of his lessening erection.
“Come here,” he said huskily, reaching for her.
He pulled her up his body until she was lying flush against him, their faces close together. He brushed the curls from her forehead and stroked her hair, marveling at this one perfect moment where everything in the world seemed right.
Emotion throbbed in his chest, tightening it, overwhelming him. He tried to find the words to express all she meant to him but could get nothing past uncooperative lips.
Finally he managed to get out the one thing he knew above all else. Three little words that he’d never spoken to another woman.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Her eyes went soft and glowed in the dim light. There was such a loving set to her expression that his heart did flips in his chest.
“I love you too,” she returned softly.
He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest, shaking with the magnitude of the moment. He pressed his lips firm to her temple and simply remained there, too shaken, too scattered to do anything more than hold her.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emboldened by her declaration the night before, Lily was a woman on a mission the next day. She woke with a smile and deep-seated contentment, the kind people waited a lifetime for.
She danced through her morning routine, showering and dressing. She made it out just in time to see Michael off with a lusty kiss and a murmured I love you.
Then she hugged herself and almost gave into the temptation to let out a giddy squeal.
It occurred to her as she was eating a quick breakfast that while she had a killer plan in place, she had no way to pull it off. She frowned. Okay, she wouldn’t let something as simple as transportation sway her from her task.
When in doubt, call for back-up.
She picked up the phone and dialed Holly’s number. She was a little discomfited when a male answered the phone. She didn’t immediately know which Colter it was and she hesitated, her tongue suddenly uncooperative.
“Hello?”
“Uh hi,” she said in a low voice. “This is Lily.”
“Lily, how are you?”
It was then she realized it was Adam’s quiet voice over the line.
“I’m good,” she managed to stammer out. “I was hoping to speak to Holly. Is she there?”
“I’ll get her for you. Give me just a minute,” he said kindly.
Lily waited a few moments and then Holly’s cheerful voice bled through the receiver. “Hi, Lily!”
“Hi, Holly. I wondered if you’d mind being my partner in crime today.”
“Now that sounds intriguing. I’m in. Whatever it is, I’m in.”
Lily chuckled. “I need a ride to Seth’s office and then I need a ride by the pub. I won’t be long in either place.”
“I can be over in half an hour.”
“Thank you. I appreciate this.”
“Anytime, Lily. I’m glad to do it.”
Lily finished arranging her hair and even applied light make-up that Callie had picked out. She finished with lip gloss and checked her appearance in the mirror.
She stared for a long moment, tr
ansfixed by the change in her. Gone was the sad, homeless, ragtag woman of a few weeks ago. In her place stood a vibrant young woman with love and happiness in her eyes. Hope.
She smiled at herself and then hurried off to find her shoes and her light jacket. Though spring seemed to have finally arrived for good, the mornings and evenings were still chilly.
When Holly drove up to the house, Lily met her on the front steps.
“You look positively radiant today,” Holly observed as the two women climbed into the Rover.
“I’m on a mission,” Lily said. “I got to spend a little while with Michael last night, but Dillon and Seth are both working right now, and I can’t wait a minute longer. I have to tell them. So I’m going to where they are.”
Holly gave a delighted laugh. “Oh how wonderful! I wish I could see the looks on their faces. This will be absolutely priceless. Want to do lunch after you flabbergast your men?”
Lily looked over and smiled at Holly. “I’d like that. I’d like it a lot.”
Holly beamed back at her. “Great. And if you don’t mind, I’ll call Callie to meet us. It’s good for her to get out. She spends too much time holed up in the house when she isn’t working.”
“It’s really nice to have good friends,” Lily said softly.
Holly reached over and squeezed her hand.
They drove first to the sheriff’s department on Main Street. There were a few other parked cars in front and Lily nearly lost her nerve. What if Seth was busy or involved in a meeting? Suddenly what she planned didn’t seem that appropriate.
“Go on,” Holly urged. “Seth will be glad to see you.”
With a nervous gulp, Lily got out of the Rover and walked toward the door. She hadn’t actually seen the inside of the department yet and wasn’t sure what to expect.
Inside there was a reception desk and a small sitting area with two people sitting while one stood talking to the woman manning the desk. Lily stood awkwardly to the side as she waited for the man to finish his business.
When he finally moved away, the receptionist turned a friendly smile in Lily’s direction as Lily stepped forward.
“What can I help you with?”
“I’d like to see Sheriff Colter,” she said in a low voice.
“I believe he’s on a telephone call right now. Perhaps there’s something I can help you with?”
“If you’ll tell him that Lily is here, he’ll see me,” she quietly persisted.
The woman shot her an inquisitive look. “If you’ll have a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here.”
No sooner had Lily taken a seat than the door to one of the back offices burst open, and Seth loomed in the doorway looking so deliciously gorgeous in his uniform that Lily nearly had to wipe the drool from her chin.
“Lily? Is everything okay?”
She was on her feet and hurried behind the reception counter toward him. He backed into his office and once she was inside, he closed the door behind them.
Before he could say another word, she launched herself into his arms and planted a toe-curling kiss on him. He stumbled back but caught her against him to steady them both.
He reared back and stared at her through glazed eyes, confusion and a spark of lust in their depths.
“Whoa, what’s this about?”
She kissed him again and curled her arms around his neck to squeeze him against her as tightly as she could.
He hugged her back, and she absorbed his steady strength. She closed her eyes for a long moment, simply savoring the connection. The sense of rightness. That this was where she belonged.
“Lily, honey, what’s wrong?” he asked softly.
She pulled away and gifted him with a brilliant smile, allowing all of her joy—and love—to flow from the depths of her soul.
“I love you,” she said fiercely. “I just wanted to tell you.”
Then she pulled from his arms and smiled shyly again. “That’s all I wanted. Your mom is waiting for me. I’ll see you this evening.”
She turned and walked out of his office, leaving him with a baffled, goofy expression, but when she looked back one more time, he wore a grin the size of the Colorado mountains.
Lily hurried from the office, sure her blush would give away the purpose of her visit. She slid into the Rover with Holly. As Holly backed from the parking space, she glanced over at Lily.
“Well?”
Lily grinned, and she found she couldn’t stop smiling as they headed toward the pub.
“Let’s just say I gave your son something to think about.”
Holly laughed and shook her head. “Poor boy. He’s probably going to be useless for the rest of the day.”
“One down, one to go.”
Holly drove the two blocks to the pub but had to park across the street. The lunch crowd was already starting to gather.
“I hope he’s not too busy,” Lily murmured.
“Oh, he’ll probably be in his office. He tends to take care of the business stuff in the afternoon and then he fills in behind the bar when Callie isn’t working. Of course if they get too busy for lunch, he’ll pitch in, but I think it’s early enough that you can catch him in the office.”
“Okay then,” she said after a deep breath. “Here I go.”
Lily navigated her way through the people going into the pub and glanced around the crowded interior. Three waitresses bustled around the tables, dropping off drink orders and trays of food. Only two people sat at the actual bar, and an older man was wiping down the counter as they sipped at a beer and ate nachos.
She squared her shoulders and marched in the direction of the office as if she had every right to be there. The older man quirked an eyebrow at her but didn’t say anything as she passed.
She put her hand on the doorknob to just go in but then had second thoughts. Maybe Dillon wasn’t alone. That could be embarrassing if she just barged in.
So she took a step back and knocked.
“It’s open,” she heard Dillon call.
She sucked in a deep breath and opened the door to see Dillon at his desk, head down as he examined a stack of receipts.
He looked up and did a double take. Then he shot out of his seat. “Lily! What on earth are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
Taking her courage into both hands, she launched herself across the distance and all but tackled Dillon. He caught her in midair, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she curled her arms around his neck.
Her mouth found his, hot and hungry. She devoured him. There was no other word for it. He staggered back and sank onto the small loveseat against the wall, her still wrapped around him.
She framed is face in her hands and kissed him wildly, then peppered a line over his jaw and down to his neck. She nipped and then sank her teeth into the firm column of flesh just below his ear.
“Holy hell,” he muttered.
“I love you,” she said fiercely.
He went completely and utterly still, his muscles tense. Only a slight twitch at his jaw as he stared intensely back at her betrayed any movement.
She touched his face, brushing over it with tender strokes.
“I love you,” she said again. “I couldn’t wait another minute to let you know.”
He opened his mouth to speak but let it hang open. And then he crushed her to him, holding on to her so tight that she could barely breathe.
“God, I love you too,” he breathed against her hair. “So damn much. I’ve struggled so hard over the last few days, wanting and needing to tell you. Wanting the perfect moment. Not wanting to overwhelm you or give you words you weren’t ready to hear.”
His entire body shook against her, and he alternated between squeezing the breath from her and stroking over her back with urgent hands.
Then he released her. “Come here,” he growled as he dragged her into a toe-curling, heart-melting kiss.
He tucked his arms underneath her ass and lifted, standing effortlessly with her st
ill in his arms. He carried her over to his desk and then reached with one arm to sweep all the contents to the floor.
They landed with a crash, and he set her down, his mouth fused hotly to hers.
He tore at her clothing and she tore at his. She still wasn’t sure who got naked first. He took only long enough to pull on a condom and then he spread her legs and dragged her to the edge of the desk, his palms cradling her ass.
He was inside her before she could process that they were naked, in his office, about to have wild and crazy sex.
She gasped when he reached full depth.
“Lean back,” he rasped. “Lean back and brace yourself with your hands.”
She reclined, reaching behind her until her palms slid across the polished surface of the desk. He looped her legs over his forearms and drove into her again.
The desk creaked and groaned but he didn’t let up. Over and over he plunged, driving her up so fast and hard that she was precariously close to release after only a minute.
He leaned forward, holding himself deep, and his mouth found her nipples, tugging at them with his teeth. He nipped and then soothed the taut bud with his tongue. He pressed tender kisses and then nipped sharply again until she was a writhing mass of crazy.
His fingers dug into her ass, holding her to him. Then he leaned back, sliding completely out. He opened her wider with his hands and hammered forward again, rocking until she lost her grip.
Her back hit the desk, and he went with her, never leaving her, his hips pumping urgently as he buried himself in her over and over until she was dizzy and riding an intense sexual high like she’d never experienced.
She was drunk on passion. Her orgasm was razor sharp, building and then exploding over her like a flash flood. Fast. Intense.
She started to scream his name but he slipped a hand over her mouth, holding in the hoarse shout of exquisite pleasure.
She didn’t even know if he’d finished yet. Her body quaked and quivered around his cock. She let out little whimpers as each stroke sent excruciating shock waves through her ravaged body.
He leaned down, brushing his lips across hers. “Shhh, baby. It’s okay. I’ve got you. I love you.”
He was still inside her but she could feel the pulse of his cock as he came down from his own orgasm. She lay sprawled over his desk, boneless, helpless to move. She didn’t even know her name at this point.
