by Cathryn Fox
He pulled his shirt over his shoulders and kicked off his boots, but when he approached the bed, her lids flicked open.
“Brad?” she murmured, blinking up at him.
“Yeah, it’s me. Go back to sleep, we still have a few hours.”
Her glance went to the window, and she squinted against the bright light. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long,” he said, sitting on the mattress beside her. “Close your eyes and try to get a couple more hours, okay?”
“The cupcakes?”
“They’re cooling.” He brushed her hair from her face and breathed in her warm scent. Jesus, the depth of desire he felt for her was beyond his comprehension.
Suddenly her eyes went wide, and she scrambled to reach the blankets at the foot of the bed. Despite the heat in the room, she grabbed the sheets and pulled them up to her neck, a stricken look on her face.
“Hey.” He smoothed her hair back. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. “It’s just cold.”
Cold? It was a million degrees in the room.
As he looked at her, he thought more about how they always made love with the lights out, and that’s when it suddenly occurred to him that she’d been purposely hiding her body from him. What the hell? He’s been inside her, for Christ’s sake, and now, without the cover of darkness, she was going to go all shy on him.
“Madison?” he said, his throat feeling tight.
“Yeah?” she asked as he toyed with the bed sheet, running the soft material between his thumb and index finger and as he ever so slowly pulled it away from her neck.
“I want to see you.”
She gulped. “You can see me.”
“No,” he said, daring to pull the sheet lower, until it reached the soft, creamy swell of her breasts. “I really want to see you. All of you.”
Her body stiffened and when she looked like she was about to flee, he put his hand on her stomach, trapping her on the bed.
“Brad,” she whispered, and even though her voice was shaky, something resembling lust moved over her face, and the way her long lashes were fluttering told him just how much she liked it when he took charge.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful your body is?” He exposed her bra, and his nostrils flared when he saw the tightening of her nipples beneath the lace material. He wet his mouth and ran his thumb over her hard buds. “Don’t you see, sweetheart? I don’t want to just feel these swell in my mouth, I want to see them.”
Heat flared between them and despite the color creeping up her neck, passion grew in her eyes. Using unhurried movements, he dragged the sheets to her waist. He ran his hands over her silky soft stomach, and moved his palms to her sides to shape the sweeping curves of her lush contours.
Jesus, she was so fucking sexy.
She sucked in a breath, and when he felt her shying away, he said, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set eyes on.” Her lashes lowered, shadowing her emotions. “Look at me.”
She blinked up at him, and as their gazes connected and locked, her fingers curled in the bed sheets beneath her. He moaned with pleasure as he slowly bared her body to him. Even though there was a hit of anxiety in her gaze, she didn’t stop him when he continued with his downward exploration.
He skimmed her flesh, taking note of the goose bumps, and when she went perfectly still, he teased, “You should try to breathe, sweetheart.”
Her chest heaved as she filled her lungs, her eyes never leaving his as he exposed the white lace on her panties. The scent of her arousal permeated the room and urged him on. Continuing to push her past her comfort zone, and refusing to let her hide herself from him, he pressed on, lowering the sheets until they pooled at her feet. Her legs clamped together, but he wasn’t about to have any of that.
Once he had her exposed, heat moved through his blood and his body began pulsing with need. He ran his fingers along her thighs as electricity sizzled between them. When his throat dried all he could think about was spreading her wide, burying his face in her sweet pussy and quenching his thirst with her cream. As she writhed beneath his touch, he vowed to never—ever—make love to her in the dark again.
“A body this beautiful should never be covered,” he murmured, bending forward to press a kiss to her pelvis. He brushed his tongue over her tightening flesh and moaned.
As a tremble moved through her, he acknowledged the flare of desire in her eyes, noted the telltale hardening of her nipples.
“Brad,” she murmured.
He looked up at her, and physically felt the shiver that stole over her. He held her body to absorb it and said, “Yeah.”
“I just…I’m not…”
He pitched his voice low. “You don’t have to be shy, sweetheart. Not with me.”
“But I don’t…”
Intent on giving her a little incentive to help her relax, he slipped a finger inside her panties, and swiped her clit. Her words fell off and her hips came off the bed, a whimper sounding deep in her throat.
“I want to see your pussy, baby. I want to see how wet you are.”
Without giving her time to think, and wanting her to get out of her head and just enjoy the pleasure, he gripped the band on her panties, and gave a little tug. He dragged the scrap of material down her legs, until they reached her mid-thigh. When he saw the damp hairs on her perfectly groomed pussy, his body rippled. While he wanted to dive in and stay there for the rest of the day, his first goal was to help her loosen up, to get used to him looking at her body. Because now that he’d unveiled it, he planned on looking at it. A lot.
He widened her sex with his finger and gulped air when he glimpsed her wet pinkness. “Ah Jesus,” he bit out, scrubbing his other hand through his hair as he tried to keep his shit together. “So fucking pretty.”
“Oh God,” she whispered, going up on her elbows and squeezing her thighs tighter together as he better positioned himself of the bed.
He stroked her. “Don’t you want to show me your pussy?
“I just…”
“You do want my mouth on you, don’t you, baby?” As he mentally indulged in the slideshow, he filled his lungs with her scent and asked, “You do want me to lick you and put my fingers inside, right?”
She nodded.
“Say it.”
“I want you to lick my pussy.”
“And?”
“And I want your fingers inside me.”
In a voice that was commanding yet soft, he said, “Then open your legs.”
She wet her mouth and sank back onto the pillow as she slowly inched her legs open.
“Wider,” he demanded as chaos erupted inside him. “And look at me.” When smoldering eyes met his, he drew a breath and worked to calm his cock. She was so incredibly beautiful and the way she was softening, offering herself up so nicely to him, took his breath away.
Even though he wanted to pound into her, hot ramming strokes that would leave them both breathless, he first needed to lavish her gorgeous body with attention.
“Brad,” she croaked out, and while he could still sense a bit of unease, the excitement on her face was all the encouragement he needed.
His eyes left hers and the second he glimpsed her hot pussy, moisture glistening in the early morning rays, he said, “A pussy this hot and needy should never be hidden.” He stroked her gently. “In fact, now that I’ve seen it, I don’t ever want it covered in panties again.”
“Ever?” she croaked out.
“Ever.”
“You…you want me to go three weeks without panties?”
He bit down on his cheek, hating her constant reminder of their timeline, but right now he wasn’t going to dwell on that. Right now he had a hot wet pussy in desperate need of attention, and the only thing he wanted to think about was bringing her to orgasm with his mouth, his fingers and his cock.
As he ran the rough pad of his thumb around her clit, he leaned forward to draw her beautiful dark
nipple into his mouth. He moaned and sucked hard. She arched into him, her hands going to her stomach.
“Put your hands over your head,” he commanded around one delicious nipple.
She quivered beneath him. “What?” she whimpered.
He lightly bit her hard nub and when she squealed he lifted his head. “I want your hands over your head.” He jutted his chin toward the slats in the headboard. “Grab on to those and keep your hands there. That way I can see your entire body.”
“Oh. My. God,” she murmured, but did as he said.
Once she gripped the wooden slats, he inched back and let his gaze fall over her. His gut tightened with the way she trusted him with her body, her hands over her head and her legs spread wide. His heart pinched and in that instant pleasuring her became more important than his next breath.
As he gifted himself with one more minute of gazing, an erotic whimper bubbled in her throat, but he continued to stare, taking his sweet time to drink in every inch of her nakedness even though he could barely wait to feel skin against skin.
She squirmed, her big breasts jiggling, beckoning his mouth. Her pleasure resonated through him as he dipped his head. He licked her, and as he stimulated her nipples, she liquefied under his touch.
“That’s it, baby.” He turned his attention to her other breast and, as he lavished her with attention, he murmured. “Just feel, don’t think.”
He could sense the nervous tension easing from her body, desire moving in to take its place as he ran the tip of his tongue around her areola. Suddenly impatient to hold her, kiss her, make love to her, he climbed from the bed and tore off his pants. Her eyes widened and ecstasy flitted across her face as she stared at his throbbing hard-on. Jesus he loved the way she looked at him, desired him.
Desperate to be inside her and wanting her to lose herself in him—the same way he was losing himself in her—he climbed between her legs and buried his mouth in her sweet pussy. Her hips came off the bed, her body a trembling mess as he increased the pressure, needing, in the most inexplicable way, to make her come for him. As his internal temperature spiked, desire clouding his brain, he worked to slow down, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. There was a deep ache in his core that he couldn’t seem to alleviate. Pushing two fingers inside her, he caressed her sensitive bundle of nerves, his cock anxious to reacquaint itself with her hot channel.
“So good,” she cried out, her hips moving, coming off the bed as he stroked her deep.
Need gathered in his core as he fucked her with his fingers, her body rippling beneath him. She cried out his name and once he felt her release, her hot cream dripping over his hand, he rolled on a condom and gripped her hips.
“I need to be inside you,” he rushed out as he dropped to the bed and lifted her onto him.
As she straddled him, a warm flush on her cheeks, he gripped her hips and lowered her onto his hard cock. Her pussy was so damp with passion, he easily slid into her. A moan caught in her throat, the sweet sound urging him on. He powered into her and her head rolled back as he filled her completely.
“Baby,” he cried as he ravaged her drippy pussy. He dragged her down onto him, then lifted her again. When her breath caught, he slowed only long enough for her to catch it again, then continued to pound into her with hot hard strokes, unable to get enough of her.
He swelled inside her tight sheath, and as he took her breasts into his hands, her palms skimmed his muscles. His body quaked, loving the way she touched him, the way she wanted him.
Teetering on the edge of ecstasy, and completely lost in the sensation, he began trembling and panting, knowing he wasn’t going to last long. His breath came in a low rush as one hand left her breast to rub her clit. The second his finger connected with her engorged nub, she screamed out his name.
When she clenched around his cock, every muscle in his body tightened. “Fuck,” he cried out, her hot cream scorching him in mind-fucking ways.
As she came apart, her legs tightened around his, and her pussy muscles squeezed his dick. The onslaught of pleasure damn near killed him, but the desire reflecting in her eyes became his undoing. His skin grew tight and his balls constricted. Flames surged inside him and he took a deep breath, but he was well past the point of no return. He grabbed her waist, his fingers pressing into her soft flesh hard enough to leave a bruise as he let go, depleting himself inside her.
She leaned forward, falling over him. Her heart pounded against his rib cage as they both rode out the pleasure. After a long time, she slid off his body. He flinched as his cock slipped out of her and he instantly missed her warmth.
He disposed of the condom quickly, then drew her to him. As he held her tight and thought about the way she opened for him, he ran his fingers up and down her arm, leaving the blankets at the foot of the bed so he could continue to look at her. He angled his body, put his finger under her chin and tipped her face to his.
“Just so you know,” he said, a wave of deep satisfaction moving through him as his gaze met hers. “We’re never having sex with the lights out again.”
Chapter Nine
At the far end of the football field in the center of town, where the afternoon Fourth of July festivities were taking place, Brad worked with his buddy Jack to set up obstacles for the upcoming dog show. What he’d hoped to avoid, however, was the onslaught of questions regarding his relationship with Madison. Except this was Jack he was with, which meant an interrogation was unavoidable.
“So you’re just friends, then?” Jack asked.
Brad gave a casual roll of his shoulder and swiped his forehead as the hot afternoon sun beat down on them. “I told you, I’m staying with her and helping repair her plumbing problems while Jonah is away.”
Jack adjusted his ball cap and arched a questioning brow. “Jonah doesn’t mind?”
“Jonah is the one who asked me to take care of her and help her around the place.”
“And you’re sure Jonah and Madison aren’t…” He paused and waved his hand. “Well, you know.”
Brad gave a quick shake of his head. “I’m sure. They’re just friends. That’s all they’ve ever been.”
“Glad to hear it,” Jack said as he grabbed a canine training box from the back of his pickup truck.
“Oh yeah, why?” Brad shut the tail gate behind him and leaned against it.
Jack placed the last box on top of the others, straightened to his full height, and stood face to face with Brad. “Because if Madison and Jonah were a couple, then you know I’d have no choice but to kick your ass for sleeping with your brother’s girl, right?”
As the word sleeping hovered around them, the meaning behind it loud and clear, Brad blew a breath, knowing he could never ever hide anything from Jack. The man was too smart, and too nosey, for his own damn good.
“For the record, I’d never sleep with another man’s girl.” Turning the focus to Jack, he said, “I thought you knew me better than that.”
Jack nodded and looked contemplative for a moment as he stared at the ground, like he was remembering the shit storm Brad had gone through with Jocelyn. Jack, as well as the rest of Brad’s comrades, knew full well how Brad felt about monogamy in committed relationships.
After a moment, he looked Brad square in the eyes again and asked, “So you are sleeping with her, then?”
Brad threw his hands up in the air, wanting to put an end to this conversation. “Okay fine, so we’re sleeping together. Big fucking deal.”
Jack held his hands up, palms out. “Hey, I never said it was a big deal.”
“Well, it’s not a big deal. It’s just sex.” Brad sidestepped Jack to place detonation material into the plywood detection wall they used for training. “When Jonah gets back, I’m leaving on a convoy, and Madison and I will be calling it quits.” He turned back around to find Jack glaring at him and before he could stop himself he blurted out, “It’s just sex.”
“Okay, I get it, it’s just sex. You said that already.”
>
Feeling more defensive by the minute, Bran continued, “Look we’re both grown adults. We can do what we want. If we want to have sex for a month, then we’ll have sex for a month. I don’t know what your fucking problem is with it.”
Jack eyed him, a shit-eating grin on his face. “I’m not sure I’m the one who has a problem with it.”
“Good, then, can we talk about something else.”
“Like what? The real reason you set a deadline for this thing between you two?”
“Look—”
The smile fell from Jack’s face. “She’s not Jocelyn, you know.”
Brad stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jack shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“What it means,” Cole said, coming up behind them, “is that Jack here doesn’t know how to mind his own business.” He turned to Jack and cocked his head. “Isn’t that right, Jack?”
Jack greeted Cole with a nod. “Cole, I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”
“What’s that?”
Jack grinned. “Go fuck yourself.”
With that Cole laughed and turned to Brad. “So what’s this I hear about you and Madison having sex for one month?”
“Jesus Christ,” Brad groaned. “You’re like a bunch of fucking women.” He looked past Cole’s shoulder to see Josh Mansfield jogging down the field toward them, five training dogs running beside him. The spectator stands near their end of the field began to fill up, viewers taking their seats in preparation for the upcoming show, one that would hopefully increase public awareness and gain more funding for Gemma’s no-kill shelter and their cause.
Bandit, one of the dogs Brad had grown fond of, came sauntering over, a tennis ball in his mouth. “Hey, boy.” Brad bent to scrub him behind the ears, happy for the distraction. “You going to help me put on a show today?” He pulled the ball from Bandit’s mouth and tossed it down the field. As he watched the dog run after it, he spotted Madison standing by the band booth, looking over the table filled with the cupcakes they’d spent all night baking.
His heart tightened in his chest and breathing became difficult as he watched her. She flipped her hair from her shoulders and gesticulated with her hands as she talked to the kids and helped them sell her goods. Christ, the woman never stopped giving.
