She stayed right with him, clutching his arms and begging for more. Their pace grew more frantic, until the table rocked and the wooden legs thumped the floor with each thrust. He meant to wait for her, meant to make sure that she came again, but his climax would not be denied.
The impending force of it wrenched a groan from him that filled the tiny kitchen. As he drove into her, the spasms ripping through him, she lifted her hips and cried out his name. Her orgasm rolled over his penis, intensifying his contractions until he wondered if he would disintegrate from the power of it.
Finally there was no sound but their ragged breathing. He rested his cheek against her shoulder and shifted his arm position. In the process he brushed against something, and the last piece of silverware fell to the floor with a tinny clang. He smiled. End of Round One.
Chapter 17
Maggie had promised herself she wouldn’t regret having sex with Sean, and it was going to be an easy promise to keep. As she lay stretched out on his kitchen table in a stupor of satisfaction, she couldn’t imagine regretting the most uninhibited experience of her life.
She didn’t recognize this Maggie Grady. The person she’d thought she was would never be caught naked and smeared with butter in the kitchen of a man she’d met twelve hours earlier. Could that possibly be right? Had she only met Sean this morning?
Of course, that was the point of uninhibited behavior. You didn’t assess the situation for days before you took action. You seized the moment. Which she had pretty much done when she’d started taking off her clothes.
Sean nuzzled her ear. ‘‘You okay?’’
The warmth of his mouth made her shiver with pleasure. ‘‘Couldn’t be better.’’
‘‘That wasn’t too wild?’’
‘‘It was the wildest thing I’ve ever done.’’ She ran a finger up his backbone. ‘‘And I loved it.’’
‘‘Good to know. So did I.’’
‘‘Good therapy?’’
‘‘The best.’’ His breath tickled her neck. ‘‘But I haven’t fed you yet.’’
‘‘I just found out something. Climaxes make me forget about food.’’
‘‘Me, too.’’ He lifted his head and brushed his lips across hers. ‘‘How do you feel about shared showers?’’
‘‘Think we need one?’’
‘‘Nah.’’ He nibbled on her lower lip. ‘‘I just want the pleasure of lathering you up.’’
That one little suggestion was all it took for her to start feeling achy and liquid again. After this session in his kitchen, she had no trouble believing Sean was the toast of Big Knob’s female population. Stupid as it was, she was feeling a little jealous about that.
She pinched his firm butt. ‘‘I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.’’
Propping himself on one elbow, he looked down at her. ‘‘You probably won’t believe this, but I don’t say that to all the girls.’’
She gazed back at him. He was a little blurry, but she could make out the sparkle in his green eyes. ‘‘Okay, then, most of the girls.’’
He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘‘None of the girls.’’
‘‘C’mon. I’m not that naive. I know you’ve had a lot of sex.’’
‘‘Yeah, but as I’ve explained before, I was never the instigator.’’
She rolled her eyes. ‘‘Poor you. Suffering through all those horizontal tangos.’’
‘‘I didn’t suffer, but I didn’t make sexy suggestions, either. Didn’t need to.’’
‘‘So they’d be the ones dragging you into the shower with them?’’
‘‘Pretty much.’’ His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. ‘‘But I like this way better. Let’s go.’’
Before she quite knew his intention, he’d slid off of her, leaned down and hoisted her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.
‘‘Hey, I can walk!’’
‘‘But isn’t this more fun?’’
‘‘I’ll let you know when it’s over. You might bang my head against the doorjamb on your way to the shower.’’ Yet she was secretly thrilled with his take-charge attitude.
No man had ever hauled her off to the shower, where he intended to have his way with her. And there was no doubt that Sean intended to have his way with her. She planned to let him, too.
Moments later she was leaning against the tiled wall of Sean’s shower because the way he was soaping her up had turned her legs into wet noodles. Who knew her belly button was a pleasure point? She’d heard that some women liked having the backs of their knees stroked, but she’d never understood why until Sean did it with soapy hands.
Then he showed her how much she loved having someone rub the inside of her elbows and the arch of each foot. She seemed to be chock-full of erogenous zones, not even counting the obvious places, like her breasts.
Naturally, when he finally slipped his hand between her thighs, she went crazy. But he stopped before she was able to come, which was slightly frustrating.
Then he turned on the handheld shower, and she understood his evil plan. ‘‘I get that next,’’ she said.
‘‘You get it now.’’ He began running the spray over her body.
‘‘No, I mean I get to use it on you.’’
‘‘Maybe.’’ He trained the spray on her nipples until they tightened into hard little buds. ‘‘If you’re good.’’
She sank back against the tile as she began to tremble from the effects of the water. ‘‘And what does that mean?’’
‘‘I want you to come for me.’’
She gasped as he brought the pulsing jets down over her belly. She knew exactly where he was going with that thing, and she could hardly wait. ‘‘I don’t think that will be a problem.’’
He handed her the showerhead. ‘‘Then it’s all yours.’’
She almost dropped it. ‘‘But I thought you . . . I thought you were going to . . .’’
‘‘So did I.’’ His eyes glowed with hunger. ‘‘That was my original idea. But I seem to be getting more creative in my old age. I’d rather watch you do it.’’
‘‘To myself?’’ she squeaked.
‘‘Uh-huh.’’ His gaze taunted her. ‘‘Think you can?’’
‘‘I don’t know.’’ But there was a vixen inside her clamoring to get out. That vixen had loved having sex on the kitchen table. She would probably also love masturbating with the showerhead in front of this extremely sexy man.
Maggie swallowed. Then she took a shaky breath and spread her legs. ‘‘Okay. Watch this.’’
Sean had thought he knew what good sex was all about. After all, until about a year ago he’d been having it constantly, and he’d felt satisfied after every episode. Turned out he’d been clueless.
He’d allowed his partners to have all the ideas, and naturally they’d done what turned them on. He was beginning to understand what turned him on, and watching Maggie work with the showerhead was definitely high on his list.
She was tentative at first, whisking the spray over that triangle of red curls as if she were washing a car. She wouldn’t look at him, either. He waited, waited for her to get serious about giving herself an orgasm. Surely she’d done that before, but maybe not with an audience.
Gradually her movements became more focused. Then she glanced up at him, ran her tongue over her lips, and pressed that nozzle tight against her crotch. He trembled in a sudden rush of adrenaline, as if he were about to come instead of her. Maybe he could, just as a not-so-innocent bystander. But he wouldn’t. This was all about her.
He knew the moment she abandoned her shyness, the moment nothing mattered but what was going on in her hot little body. Her eyes got very bright and she began to breathe quickly through her mouth.
Then she leaned against the shower wall and lifted herself so the showerhead gave her maximum stimulation. She moaned and shifted her position again, gaining even more access to the pulsing jets. Sean wondered if he’d be able to stand there without touching her. He
ached unbearably.
But he’d asked her to do this, and he wouldn’t interfere. He just . . . wished . . . she’d . . . come. Then she did, gasping and writhing against the slick tile as she clutched the showerhead so tightly that her knuckles showed white.
She let it go and it whipped around, blasting him and the rest of the shower stall as it twirled on its connection. She didn’t seem to notice. She was lost in the grip of her climax, and he was right there with her, experiencing the spasms as if they were his own.
But they weren’t, and he was stiff as a Jedi light saber. He wouldn’t blame her if she was ready to call it quits for now, though. She was panting like a long-distance runner, and her cheeks were the color of ripe strawberries.
She turned her gaze on him, as if asking what next.
‘‘We can get dressed now, if you want,’’ he said.
She surveyed him, her attention lingering on the light saber look-alike that was pointed straight at her. She cleared her throat. ‘‘You might . . . you might have trouble getting that out of sight.’’
If he hadn’t been so damn aroused he might have laughed. ‘‘A little cold water should do the trick.’’
‘‘I have a better idea.’’ Grabbing the dangling showerhead, she walked over toward him and sank to her knees.
He wondered if her idea had any similarity to his. He sure hoped so.
Slowly she worked him over with the pulsing jets, making sure to hit his penis and his balls with equal accuracy. He couldn’t decide if it felt good or if she was only taking him higher with no relief in sight.
Apparently that was only her warm-up exercise, because next she filled her mouth with warm water from the showerhead. Holding it there, she took his penis in her mouth without spilling hardly any of that water. He knew because he was watching her, which only added to the pressure building in his groin.
When she began to swish that warm water around so it rippled over the sensitive underside of his shaft, he lost the battle in two seconds. He had no time to think of whether this was cool, or whether she’d storm out of the shower in protest afterward. He just came because that was all he could do under those conditions.
And she . . . swallowed.
He’d tried so hard to stay neutral on the issue of Maggie, knowing she’d leave town soon, knowing she had no plans for a future with him. But when he heard the soft sound of her throat moving, he knew he’d been kidding himself. He was in up to the hilt of his cock. When it came to Maggie Grady, there was no easy way out. Not anymore.
Maggie wasn’t used to offering blow jobs, especially this early in a relationship. But apparently all her usual behavior had gone out the window when it came to Sean. Somehow he’d flipped the switch from BeCautious to Anything Goes. She couldn’t turn back now.
Truth was, she didn’t want to turn back. They laughed and kidded like old friends as they toweled each other off. Then they found their clothes, struggled into them, and ate a little cold meat loaf and congealed mashed potatoes before they bundled up in their coats and headed outside to check on the skunks.
None of this seemed the least bit strange to her. Someday it might, but for now, she was going along with the program. She was having too much fun to question whether she was being foolish or wise.
‘‘Stay by the front corner of the house,’’ Sean said as they descended the back steps. ‘‘Let me see if they’re in there or not.’’ His breath made little clouds in the cold air.
Maggie paused where she’d been instructed to wait, and put on Sean’s glasses. The night seemed sort of glittery, like the lighting in an Italian restaurant, so she looked up to see if the clouds had moved away. They were gone, but omigod, the stars. She’d never seen so many.
‘‘Is this normal?’’ she whispered.
He turned back. ‘‘Probably not, but I’m doing it, anyway.’’
‘‘No, I mean the stars. Are we having a meteor shower or something like that?’’
Sean glanced skyward. ‘‘Not that I can see.’’
‘‘But they’re everywhere.’’
He smiled. ‘‘Yeah, I know. That’s why I could never live in the city.’’
That was certainly pointed. He’d almost come right out and said that if she’d had any idea that he’d follow her like a puppy dog back to Houston, she might as well kill the thought. So she would. Thoughtful of him to remind her that this canoodling, though delicious, was temporary.
Crouching beside a pile of evergreen branches, Sean turned his flashlight beam to low and swung it over the ground. ‘‘Paw prints,’’ he murmured. ‘‘Good deal.’’
‘‘Is the trap closed?’’ Maggie called out softly.
‘‘Not yet.’’ He reached under the branches.
Maggie held her breath. Belatedly she remembered that skunks had teeth. They could bite the hand that was trying to save them.
Then she heard some soft murmurs and realized that he was talking to the skunks. Now, that was seriously weird, but touching, too. His voice was low and soothing, and his words simple, as if he were consoling a child.
‘‘You’re okay,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m closing this now, but I won’t hurt you, I promise. You need to find a new home, and I’m going to help you. Take it easy. Don’t be afraid.’’
After snapping something metal into place, he stood. ‘‘Now I’ll see if they’re all inside or not. I was afraid to shine the flashlight in for fear I’d startle them.’’
‘‘Can I come over there now?’’
‘‘Sure. They’re either in there or they’re not. Let’s find out.’’ Slowly he removed one of the pine branches covering the trap.
She walked cautiously over the soggy ground toward him, her running shoes making a squishing sound. ‘‘I didn’t know I was hanging out with the Skunk Whisperer.’’
‘‘Yeah, well, that’s probably dumb, but I’ve gotten in the habit of talking to them.’’ He moved another branch and peered through the wire mesh. ‘‘Wow, they really are snoozing in there. Dorcas was right about the effects.’’
‘‘Dorcas? What does she have to do with this?’’
‘‘She gave me the bait and said it would have a tranquilizing effect. It works on their cat when they travel.’’
‘‘And where does she get this stuff?’’ Maggie’s suspicions about Dorcas and Ambrose were growing with every new bit of information. Now she was adding drug runner to the potential list of their crimes.
‘‘She makes it.’’
‘‘I see.’’
‘‘She makes all kinds of herbal things.’’ He leaned closer to the trap. ‘‘I’m trying to count them in there, but they’re all lumped together in a pile. I think there’s five, though. That would be right. Two adults and three babies, although the babies are pretty big by now.’’
‘‘Sean, have you ever considered that Dorcas and Ambrose put something in that wine they gave you?’’
‘‘Like what?’’
‘‘An aphrodisiac.’’
He looked up and gazed at her a moment. Then he shook his head. ‘‘Nah. It was sealed and everything.’’
‘‘Maybe they bottled it themselves.’’ From his silence she could tell he was thinking about it. ‘‘If it was a strong enough aphrodisiac,’’ she said, ‘‘then we could still be feeling the effects.’’
‘‘So what you’re saying is that instead of us having natural chemistry, we’re under the influence of some substance Dorcas put in the wine?’’
‘‘You have to admit that would explain a lot.’’
He sighed. ‘‘I don’t like to think that’s what’s been going on. I’d rather believe this was our idea, not the result of some artificial stimulant.’’
‘‘Me, too.’’ Thinking they’d been manipulated like that did take some of the joy out of their romp tonight. ‘‘Maybe I’m wrong. Didn’t you say you were attracted to me this morning when we first met? That was before you’d had any wine.’’
‘‘No, it wasn’t. No
t really. Don’t forget I had it the night before. That’s how I knew it would be great stuff.’’
‘‘Well.’’ She took a deep breath. ‘‘I guess we’ll find out, won’t we? It should wear off by tomorrow. If we see each other tomorrow and there’s no spark, we’ll know it was the wine.’’
‘‘That’s a depressing concept. That would mean my sex life is still down the tubes.’’
‘‘And I’m not as uninhibited as I thought.’’
He put his arms around her and drew her close. ‘‘I think you are. And if we didn’t have the skunks to worry about, I’d prove it right out here in the front yard.’’
Just like that, her libido spiked. ‘‘By doing what?’’
‘‘We have pine boughs.’’ He reached in his coat pocket, pulled out a packet and rubbed it over her nose. ‘‘I have a condom.’’
‘‘We’d freeze our tushes off!’’ But the idea had her juiced up and ready to go.
‘‘I might, being the one on top, but you wouldn’t.’’ He pulled her in tight against his crotch. ‘‘I’d keep you warm. Very, very warm.’’
She moaned softly. ‘‘No fair. Now I want to.’’
‘‘After we take care of the skunks, we can see about having some outdoor sex.’’
‘‘If the wine hasn’t worn off.’’
‘‘If it’s the wine, then we might as well make the most of it until it does wear off.’’ He kissed her swiftly. ‘‘Let’s move the skunks so we can start having more sex.’’
Sean carefully loaded the trap into the back of his pickup, expecting at any moment that the skunks would wake up and start spraying everything in sight. Fortunately for him and Maggie, that didn’t happen. He covered the trap with the pine boughs and put a shovel and a tarp in the back so he could create a home for them in the woods. Then he helped Maggie into the passenger seat, and they were off.
The wine situation was bugging him, though. He would love to call Dorcas and Ambrose on his cell and ask them flat out if they’d spiked it, but he didn’t want to do that with Maggie there. He might slip up and say something he didn’t want her to hear about the herbs they’d given him. For now, they seemed to be a nonfactor.
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