"Good." I tossed her onto the couch. "Because trust me, you wouldn't get far."
She smiled up at me, and I caught my breath. Her hair was wild, and her clothes were off-kilter. And yet, lying there, with her lips curving and her eyes filled with laughter, she was the most tempting thing that I'd ever seen.
"Don't move," I said. "I'll be right back." I strode from the room and headed for the nearby staircase, where I took the steps two at a time. In my bedroom, I reached into my nightstand and pulled out a few foiled wrappers and shoved them into my pocket.
A minute later, I returned to where I'd left Chloe. She'd taken off her hoodie and slung it over the back of the sofa. Her shirt was a pale yellow, and so thin, I could see the outline of her lacy white bra, along with her nipples, not quite hard, but hard enough to make an impression.
Later, they'd be harder. I'd make sure of it.
It almost killed me, but I turned away. I strode to the fireplace, where I opened the glass doors, lit a match, and tossed it onto the kindling – all pre-arranged thanks to my house-keeping crew. The flame caught and held, crackling to life a few seconds later.
Behind me, Chloe spoke. "Wow, real wood. I haven't seen that in a while."
I glanced down. Wood, huh? She didn't know the half of it. Unable to resist, I turned toward her and cocked a single eyebrow.
Color flooded her cheeks, making her look cute as hell. She gave an shaky laugh. "I meant, uh, with the fireplace." But then, her gaze dipped lower. Her lips parted, and she didn't look away. I didn't have to look to know what she saw. There was wood, alright.
I smiled. "Yeah?"
With a shake of her head, she pulled her gaze upward and blew out a distracted breath. "Um, excuse me?"
Slowly, I stalked toward her. "Has anyone told you you're beautiful when you blush?"
The corners of her mouth lifted. "I don't blush."
If I had my way, she'd be doing a lot of blushing before the night was through. "Is that so?"
"Well, I don't normally blush." She gave me a sexy smile. "What I need to do now, is make you blush."
As sweet as that sounded, it wasn't going to happen, not with all the shit I'd seen. I laughed. "You can try."
She reached for my shirt and tugged me toward her. Our lips met in a ragged kiss that kept on going even as we tumbled together onto the sofa. We were laying side-by-side, with our bodies close and our lips in motion.
Almost wondering if this was real, I soaked up the feel of her. She was here, really here. Wanting to prove it, I ran my hands over her shoulders and down to her waist. She felt like heaven, and I wanted in.
Her hands, small and warm, slid downward over the cotton shirt that covered my back. My own hands moved lower, too, dipping to the seat of Chloe's jeans. My fingers skimmed across her ass, still covered in denim.
I felt her body tremble and her breath hitch. I pressed my lips to her cheek and then to her ear. In a low voice, I confessed, "This isn't what I expected."
Her voice was breathless. "Me neither." Her hands skimmed past my waist and drifted down to my ass. Her touch was light, and her hips were rising, grinding against me with every breath. I felt my hardness surge, and my pulse-rate quicken.
I wanted to rip off her clothes and take her then and there.
No.
Not yet.
I slid my hands upward, softly gripping her waist. Slowly, I slid my hands lower, reaching into her jeans and underneath her panties. My palms skimmed her bare ass, and she gave a ragged whimper that made it hard to wait.
I cupped a cheek in each hand and pulled her close to say, "I love the way you feel."
Soon, her soft hands slipped into the back of my running pants. I felt her palms on my ass and her smooth fingers drifting across my skin.
And then, she pulled away. She moved backward and sat up, gripping the hem of her T-shirt. She lifted it upward, slowly at first, and then all at once. She tossed the shirt on the floor and leaned forward, giving me a view straight out of my dreams.
Her eyes were bright, and her lips were full. Her white lacy bra hid next to nothing. Her curves were sweet, and her face was sweeter. If this was a dream, I'd be pissed as hell when I finally woke up.
With her eyes on mine, she shimmied out of her jeans and gave me a smile. "Now you."
Grinning, I sat up. I pulled my shirt over my head, and tossed it to who-knows-where. I heard her breath catch and her body grow still.
I looked, wondering if she was having second thoughts. She was a nice girl – the kind that should go running at the sight of all my tattoos and yeah, maybe my muscles too, along with a few scars that if I were lucky, she'd never notice.
I waited, watching as her gaze traveled slowly down my torso and back up again.
When her eyes met mine, I didn't have to wonder. She wasn't going to run, and she wasn't going to hide. She reached out and ran her soft hands lightly down the front of me, starting at my chest and working her way down until she reached the waistband of my running pants.
Her touch was magic, and I felt my eyes drift shut. In my mind, I still saw her face, sweet as anything, and so achingly real. I opened my eyes and looked deep into hers.
I reached around to unfasten her bra. When the lacy fabric fell away, my pulse quickened. I leaned back, taking a long, hungry look. And then, I moved closer. I lowered my head. I took a nipple into my mouth and flicked it with my tongue, slowly, deliberately.
Her breath caught, and the nipple hardened. She arched into me, and I heard a soft moan that urged me onward. I reached up and cupped her other breast. I ran my fingers over its roundness and made slow, deliberate circles around the peak.
She arched again and said my name.
Say it again.
I squeezed my fingers, capturing the nipple and rolling it between my fingertips, stroking and kneading until she said it again. Her voice was just a whisper. "Lawton."
That's right.
I trailed my fingers lower until they reached the waist of her panties. I nudged them downward until they were below her hips.
With a soft moan, she pressed her pelvis against my palm as if desperate for more. I was desperate, too. But I wasn't going to rush this. With my thumb, I found that special spot and rubbed against it. She gave another soft moan, and I circled back, rubbing and teasing until her breath grew short, and her body was trembling.
I felt her lips on my neck as she arched her hips, harder now, with a hint of desperation. With my index finger, I circled her opening, teasing and hinting until she was squirming for more.
With every circle, every stroke, she grew hotter and wetter. She arched and trembled, and murmured my name. I was teasing her, making her want me as bad as I wanted her.
If I wanted to, I could make her beg. She might like that. I was sorely tempted. I'd wanted her forever, and now she was here. I wanted to make her mine and not only this once. I wanted to hold her through the night and wake up with her at dawn.
She arched upward, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. "More."
I felt myself smile. More, huh? Taking my sweet time, I slid a finger inside her and felt my hardness surge when she gave a long muffled moan of obvious pleasure.
She was slick and tight, and the thought of being inside her – really inside her – made me surge with heat and hardness. "You feel incredible," I said, meaning every word.
I moved my finger in time with my thumb, noticing what she liked and doing more of it, side to side, around and around, just enough and never enough. Through it all, I couldn't stop watching her. Her eyes were shut, and her lips were parted.
She was an angel, something out of a dream. I leaned in close and spoke against her skin. "I've wanted this – wanted you – so bad, you have no idea."
I felt her hands gripping the waistband of my briefs. She tugged downward and reached for me, taking my hardness into her warm hands. She gave me one long stroke and then another.
Her name fell from my lips in a muffled groan. I
pulled away my hand and took her in my arms, lowering her backward onto the sofa. I looked into her eyes, wanting to remember this for the rest of my life. I reached down and shoved off my briefs and then reached for her panties.
Slowly, savoring each moment, I pulled them lower and lower until she was fully naked. I wanted her right here, right now, with nothing between us.
Still, I made myself say, "Hang on."
Her voice was breathless. "For what?"
I reached beside the couch, fumbling for my pants pocket. I pulled out a small, foil package and started to open it.
Chloe gave me a sheepish grin. "Oh, that?" She took the package from my hand and pulled out the condom. "Here, let me do it." A moment later, she was sliding it onto me, caressing my length as she went.
Even in this, her touch was magic. My eyes drifted shut, and my lips parted. When she finished, I opened my eyes and drank in the sight of her. Her hair was wild, and her eyes were bright. Her nipples were small and pink, and still erect.
Even now, she felt like a dream. She lay back again, and her thighs parted. I heard myself say, "You are so beautiful."
She smiled. "So are you."
I'd been called a lot of things, but never that. It was just like Chloe, full of surprises.
I ran a finger along her slick opening, teasing and caressing until she was ready and then some. Finally, I lowered myself toward her. She raised her hips and reached for my length, guiding me closer to her slick, tight opening.
When I'd barely slid into her, she gave a soft moan that made it hard to go slow. But there was no way I'd be rushing this. I held myself very still, loving the way she looked, naked in the firelight.
I looked deep into her eyes, wondering if I'd ever be able to look away. When I spoke, my voice was low and quiet against the crackling of the fire. "I want this to last forever." She'd never know it, but I wasn't talking about sex.
Chloe gave me a slow smile. "Then don't make me wait." She leaned further back. "Please." Her voice trembled. "Don't stop."
At that moment, I'd have done anything she asked. With slow deliberation, I surged forward until, inch by inch, I was finally inside her. I heard a soft gasp, and felt her tremble. I waited a beat before asking, "You okay?"
She nodded against me, and her voice came out breathless. "Better than okay." She pressed against me and said, "Amazing, in fact."
I felt myself smile. "Yeah?" I locked my arms around her, pulling her close as our hips ground against each other. My lips brushed her neck, her earlobe, her shoulder, and every place in-between. I whispered one truth and then another.
"You're beautiful."
"You're my dream-girl."
"You're the sweetest thing I've ever known."
It was all true, whether she believed it or not. She was hot and tight, and her soft moans were driving me to heights I'd never known. She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair, sifting it through her fingertips and running a soft hand along my neck.
With every sigh and every moan, she pushed me closer and closer to the edge.
Not yet.
I moved with her, sometimes slow and steady, other times hard and fast. Her hips rose up, meeting me again and again, thrust for thrust. Our lips met, and her hands roamed free.
When she made a move to get on top, I wrapped her in my arms and rolled us over. With my shaft still buried inside her, she sat up straight, naked and wild, riding me like the world would end any minute.
Even in my dreams, it had never been like this. Her lips were parted, and her back was arched, giving me the perfect view of all her curves. Her eyes drifted shut, and my hands roamed everywhere I could reach, caressing her hips, her breasts, her waist, her neck. No matter where I touched, I couldn’t get enough.
Faster and faster, she ground against me, making my hardness move inside her until I thought I'd die from holding back. Just when I thought I couldn't wait another second, she shuddered and trembled, moving faster still as she sighed my name.
That, and the surge of heat, sent me over the edge along with her. I said her name, liking the way it sounded, liking the way she sounded as we moved together until we were both spent.
Finally, she fell into my arms, collapsing in a hot, naked heap. I wrapped my arms around her, and spoke into her hair. "Chloe?"
"Hmmm…"
I love you.
I didn't say it. Because if she ran now, I'd have to chase her. And she felt too damn good right here where she was.
Instead, in a sleepy voice, I heard myself ask, "Do you like pancakes?"
I felt her muffled laughter against my skin. "What?"
I pulled her tight against me. "Tell me you'll stay."
She lifted her head, and her eyes were filled with mischief. "Well, I do like pancakes."
Cradling her tight, I pushed myself up, taking her with me. Soon, we were laying naked on the thick rug in front of the fireplace. She ran a hand along the rug's plush surface. "Nice rug." She gave me a sleepy smile. "I bet you bought it just for interludes."
"Haven't you heard?" I ran a hand along the side of her face. In the firelight, she was a vision straight out of my dreams. "You're no interlude."
She laughed. "I bet you say that to all your interludes."
Interludes – it was a funny word for what she meant. Quick fucks, one night stands, empty encounters with plenty of laughs, but no substance. Yeah, I'd had some good times. But nothing felt as good as this.
"You want me to be honest?" I said. "I've wanted you, and not only like this, since the first moment I saw you." I leaned forward to press my lips to her forehead. "But that doesn't make you an interlude." My lips traveled lower, grazing her cheek and stopping at her mouth. "No. You're something else, Chloe."
Her breath caught. "So are you."
I kissed her long and hard, and then soft and gentle. I worked my way downward, nibbling her neck and teasing her nipples with my tongue and mouth. I moved lower, kissing her stomach and then her hips. I moved lower still and didn't stop until she was once again, moaning my name.
It was nearly dawn when she fell asleep in my arms, I held her tight, listening to the quiet sounds of her breathing and wondering how I had gotten so damn lucky.
I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to drift off to sleep. Funny, sleep had always been a problem for me. But now, I didn't want to sleep, because I didn't want to miss a single second of this. Her hair fell across my chest, and her hand, small and soft, rested on my shoulder.
I loved her.
But I couldn’t tell her – not yet. She'd never believe me. And even if she did, she'd peg me for the kind of guy who fell fast and forgot quick.
She'd be wrong.
I never fell – not until Chloe.
But now, with her achingly close, I wasn't going to scare her off. She was a forever kind of girl, so I'd wait. For how long, I didn't know.
Holding her tight, I didn't remember drifting off, but I did remember waking to find my arms empty and the room cold and quiet. The window blinds were shut, but from the slanted sunlight, it was obviously morning. Or who knows? Maybe it was afternoon.
The room felt empty without her, and I muttered a low curse – not at her, but at myself. I'd promised her pancakes. Instead, I'd let her wander off and leave alone. I sat up. She hadn't walked home in the dark. Had she?
No. I felt my muscles relax. That's right. It was after dawn when I'd finally drifted off. I felt myself smile. I had to see her again – today, tonight, whatever. The sooner the better.
One way or another, I was going to make that girl mine.
Chapter 42
Chloe was laughing. "Pancakes?"
Standing in my kitchen, I spoke into my cell phone. "Yeah. I promised you them last night. Remember?"
"I didn't think you were serious."
I kept my voice solemn. "I never joke about pancakes."
"You cook?" Her tone grew teasing. "Seriously?"
"Um. No."
"Oh," she sa
id with a laugh. "So who's gonna make them? Me?"
"Hey, I'll worry about that," I said. "You just let me when you're ready. I'll come by, pick you up."
"You wouldn't have to pick me up," she said. "I'm just around the corner. I could walk."
Alone? Not a chance. I'd called her at noon, only to get her voicemail. Five hours later, she'd finally called me back. Now, it was almost dark.
"I'll come and get you," I said. "We can walk together."
She grew quiet, and I wondered why. Again, I thought of her house. Even now, she seemed hell-bent on keeping me away. Why was that?
I pushed those thought aside and added, "Hey, bring Chucky. He likes the place, right?"
"Well, he likes eating your clothes, that's for sure."
"Then say yes."
"I wish I could," she said, sounding like she meant it. "But I'm working tonight."
Say yes, anyway.
Blow it off, call in sick, whatever. Just say yes.
Her voice was hesitant. "So, maybe another time?"
I wasn't leaving anything to chance. "How about after work?" I asked. "What time do you get off?"
"Not 'til eight."
"Alright —"
"I mean," she interrupted, "eight o'clock in the morning."
Shit.
She sighed. "Speaking of which, I've gotta go. I've got like a million things to do before my shift."
I kept my tone casual. "Yeah? Like what?"
"You know. The usual stuff. Anyway, have some pancakes for me, alright?" And then, after a quick goodbye, she was gone.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared down at the thing. I felt my eyebrows furrow. Was that the brush-off?
If so, it was my first.
I recalled the previous night, wondering if there was something I'd missed. For me, the night had been phenomenal and not only because of the sex. She was warm and funny, sweet and sexy, and everything in between. There was something about her that made me feel almost human for the first time in years.
I loved listening to her. And I loved the way she treated me – not like a brand, but like a regular guy. It was nice.
As I shoved my phone back into my pocket, I tried to remember what we'd talked about. She'd mentioned her job in a casual sort of way, along with a few more details about her family – the kid brother, the grandma, and something vague about her parents being divorced for a while now.
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