Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)
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Wanting she could understand. Sexually needing her, she could handle. âLofty goals for a virgin, donât you think?â she said with a teasing grin.
âI might still be a virgin, but I did some research so I wouldnât be totally unprepared.â His gaze skittered away, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. âBut I completely understand if youâd like to wait until later.â
âLook whoâs the nervous one now.â She stepped out of his embrace.
His gaze snapped back to hers. âIâm not nervous. Iâm trying to be considerate.â
âMaybe I donât want considerate.â She tossed her hair over her shoulder. âMaybe I want your hands and mouth all over me.â Boldly, she reached out and cupped him between his legs, licking her lips at the thickness and length she found. He groaned, low in his throat, and her confidence grew. âMaybe I want this inside of me. Right. Now.â
Gabriel didnât move, and for one horrible minute, she thought he didnât want her at all. But then his arm snaked out, and he grabbed her wrist, tugging her to him. He kissed her, hotly and tenderly, all the while working at the zipper of her dress.
Finally, it gave. He pushed the straps over her shoulders and down her arms, to where it fell and pooled around her feet. His own clothes were the next to go, until he stood hard and proud for her. All hard, tight abs with muscular thighs and long legs. His shoulders were broad and his arms, good Lord, his arms were muscular but lean.
âDo I meet your approval?â he asked, looking at her from beneath his lashes.
She gave him a saucy smile. âYouâll do.â
Grinning, he took her in his arms once more, sucked on her bottom lip and then glided his tongue along the seams of her mouth until she opened for him. The room seemed to move, but no, it was just him, guiding her to his big bed and laying her down.
He stretched out beside her, one hand propping up his head while the other touched her, traced the contours of her body. âTake off the bra.â
She unsnapped the front and threw it across the room, anxious for his touch. But to her surprise, he didnât touch her breasts at all, just made lazy, wide circles around them. Her nipples grew hard, and his dark gaze didnât miss it.
She sucked in air when his head dipped, when his tongue teased the tip of a nipple and his fingers slid inside her panties. Her thighs widened, and he wrapped his hot mouth around her nipple and began to suck.
âOh,â she moaned, coming off the bed. His fingers slid through her curls, finding her as wet as sheâd ever been in her life.
âDo you like this?â he asked softly against her skin while circling her clitoris.
She whimpered. âYes.â
âTake off your panties.â
Once the lacy material had been removed and thrown to the other side of the bed, he parted her, and she grabbed his wrist. Always, sheâd envisioned being the one in control, the one who pinned him to the bed and took his breath away, like the night she had on the sofa.
âTrust me,â he said, leaning up to kiss her on the lips. âTrust me to take care of you.â Finger by finger, she released her death grip on him. âBreathe, sweetheart.â
He kissed her again and again, while his fingers explored⦠while one of those fingers slid inside of her. This time, both of them sucked in air. Her lashes fluttered, and she caught a glimpse of his face. It was drawn taut, as if it actually hurt to touch her and kiss her.
âAngel,â she murmured, trying again to take control, to not let the emotions that simmered below the surface boil up and wash away her determination. âLet me ease you. Let me stroke you, put you inside of me⦠just let meââ
âNo.â He slid another finger inside of her and she couldnât stop her hips from moving against him. Then he began to move, all that wetness making her slippery. She not only felt how aroused she was, she could hear it.
It didnât hurt, she thought. For once in her life, it didnât hurt to let another take control. So, she completely surrendered to Gabrielâs touch⦠his kisses. She surrendered to his hands and mouth and beautiful words that she wouldnât allow her mind to dwell on.
He lowered himself onto her, balancing on his elbows. His cock nudged insistently against her thigh. âIâmââ She pressed her bare chest against his, and he hissed. âNot sure what you wanted to do forââ She glided her leg up the back of his leg and he shook. âProtection.â
âThere are condoms,â she said, reaching between them and touching him. âBut most men complain about the feel.â He frowned, and then his face went deliciously tight again when she cupped his balls. âOr you can go bareback and pull out.â
âWhy the hell would I pull out?â
He was on edge, she realized, and would soon snap. Wouldnât it be a completely erotic sight to see him snap, now that she was back in control again? Always she would fight for this kind of control, even though surrendering to him had felt so blissfully good.
âYou donât have to, because Iâm on the pill.â She nipped at his bottom lip. âSo you can go hard and deep and never, ever pull out. You can fill me up untilââ
He shoved her hand away, gripped her thighs, and began to push inside. Her eyes widened.
âOkay?â he breathed.
âYes.â
Suddenly, he pulled out, and she clutched at his back. âWhat are you doing?â
âForgot something,â was all he said before he pushed down her body, and palmed her butt in his big hands, lifting her to his mouth. âYou almost made me forget about what Iâve been dying to do to you, with that dirty talking you were doing, sweet thing.â
She squirmed, not used to being on display like this.
Once again, heâd taken over and she felt helpless to stop him. His head dipped, black hair brushing against her pale thighs. The first long lick of his tongue made her curl her hands into tight fists, the second had her begging for more, and the third, well, there wasnât a third.
Instead, he settled himself between her thighs and feasted. âI delight in the taste of my lover,â he whispered.
She caught the grin, the heated look in his eyes, right before he sucked her clit into his mouth. âAngel, angel,â she chanted, teetering on the edge of what she knew would be an earth-shaking orgasm.
He sucked harder, and she almost screamed his name.
âLove hearing you say that,â he growled, crawling up her body. âSay it again.â
âAngel,â she moaned as he slid inside her. She gasped, and her eyes opened wide.
Gabriel gazed down at her, his face tight. âIâm not sure how long I can last.â
âMe neither,â she confessed. Forget control. All she wanted was him.
His head dropped, and he began to move.
Oh God, he moved and stoked and touched her in just the right spot, gave her clitoris a little pat that made her arch off the bed and into him. He did it again and drove himself so deep that she swore she could taste him in her mouth.
âLike that?â he asked roughly
Burying her face into the crook of his neck was her only response. He didnât let up, didnât give her a chance to find her bearings, or even to think of what she should do next. Where she could touch him and make himâ
He shifted, the head of his cock hitting her in just the right spot, and she saw stars.
Widening her legs, she fisted her hands in his hair and brought his mouth to hers, kissing him. And kissing him so more, until she came, crying out his name and begging for him to never stop.
âDonât stop. More,â she said, dragging in a breath.
âI have toââ
âDo it.â
He drew in a rag
ged breath, his chest heaving. âYouâre sure?â
She plunged her tongue inside of his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist. He bucked against her, driving deep and hard, until finally, finally he melted into her and groaned her name⦠Until he returned her frantic kisses with tender ones.
He gently brushed the hair out of her face, his blue eyes soft and blazing with love. For her. A part of her wanted to deny it and chalk it up to his first time, but a larger part of her, the part of her who wanted to be loved and cherished, refused to be ignored.
âThat was amazing,â she said.
He grinned, all boyish and proud. âSo, a repeat performance wouldnât be out of the question?â
She shifted beneath him, eyes widening when she felt how quickly he was filling her again. âAlready?â
âIâve been waiting a long, long time,â he said, then sucked on her bottom lip and let it out with a little pop. âPractice makes perfect, and I want every time to be perfect with you.â
âIt already is,â she heard herself say. He pulled away a little, tilting his head to one side. She put her fingers against his lips. âPlease donât.â
He kissed the tips before nudging them out of his way. âMy sweet wife, Iâd never use what we say here and now against you. Iâd never throw it in your face when you let down your walls and allow me inside.â
Tears threatened her resolve.
âDonât you know what an honor it is for me? Donât you know how much I cherish you and what weâve already done?â
âGabriel,â she began, but the words wouldnât come, and thankfully, neither would the tears.
He swept his lips over hers. âItâs all right, sweetheart, but maybe one day youâll let down all your walls and not be so afraid to let me see the real you.â
His words made her all gooey inside, yet at the same time, made her stiffen against him, but he took it as a sign to move.
And thank God he did, because when he moved, she stopped thinking and started feeling him. He surrounded her, held her, and whispered words of love that didnât require her to say anything back.
Her angel didnât require anything from her at all, but for her to be her, and that was the best and the worst thing about their situation.
*
âTHIS IS FOR YOU. Itâs a wedding present.â Gabriel handed her a large, brightly wrapped box after theyâd eaten breakfast in bed. Heâd loved waking up with her this morning, kissing her and sliding inside, moving in slow glides until sheâd urged him faster and harder. He loved the look on her face when he made her lounge in bed while he cooked her breakfast.
Honestly, he loved everything about her. Always had and always would.
âI have one for you, too,â she said, setting her present down beside her before slipping from the bed and padding over to the closet. She still hadnât unpacked, but heâd been keeping her occupied, so⦠She came back to bed, smiling shyly as she handed it to him, and crawled back in bed. âI had a little help picking it out. I needed to make sure you didnât have this one.â
âYou first,â he said. He watched as she carefully opened the present, not tearing into the wrapping paper or breaking the bow. âWe have a ton of presents to go through, you know?â
âFrom the wedding?â Her brow wrinkled as she pulled away the last of the paper. âOh my⦠angel,â she breathed, her gaze going from the art set heâd bought her, to his face, and then back again. âYou remembered?â
âI remember the blue ribbon you won for your painting of a field of wildflowers. Town Hall had it on display for days.â He rubbed his jaw. âIt has everything you could need, except paint. I thought we could go to one of those hobby stores in Wilmington to pick some out, and anything else you might need.â
She hugged it to her chest. âThank you.â
âDid you ever wonder what happened to your painting?â
Her face fell a little. âI heard they threw it away.â
âNope.â He gestured to the painting over the bed, and her eyes widened before she giggled. âI found it in one of the storage rooms a few years back when they needed help searching through old documents. Jemma Leighâs mother said I could keep it, since the town didnât own it.â
âI canât believe I didnât notice.â Her attention was fully on the swirls of green, red, yellow, blue, purple, and pink. It was actually a really good painting, almost lifelike. Heâd always thought she had a talent for art.
âIâd be offended if youâd noticed,â he teased. âIâve been working very hard to dispel the myth that waiting until you get married to have sex is a bad thing.â
She rolled her eyes, and then leaned over to kiss him sweetly on the cheek. âYour turn.â
He opened his present, just as careful with the paper as she had been, to find that sheâd bought him a book on astronomy. It was one heâd been eyeing for a while, but hadnât bought yet. âNow whoâs the one remembering?â
Biting the side of her lip, she shrugged and then said, âIâm happy you like it. Maybe you can show me how to use your telescope.â
âYou know, I read an article about using feather brushes during sex,â he said.
âTell me more.â She held out the box. âPreferably with a demonstration.â
He tackled her to the bed instead, laughing and kissing her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SUMMER COULDNâT FACE Gabriel or herself the next morning when she woke up, and certainly not after showering and finding him sleeping so peacefully. Instead, she wrapped a quilt around her body and stepped outside, walking down to the end of the pier and sitting down.
The sun had barely risen in the sky, but she couldnât welcome the dawn of a new day, because today was not only the last day of their honeymoon, it was also the last day she would allow herself to feel vulnerable, to surrender completely, and believe what he insisted on telling her.
I love you.
Youâre mine.
We belong together.
Youâre perfect.
Lies. All lies. Though he didnât know it.
Gabriel actually believed those pretty lies, with his entire heart and soul. She knew this about him. She knew he didnât give his love lightly to her, and thatâs what made it all the worse for both of them, because she would leave him. He knew from the start what her goal was, and what would happen once she met it.
After she got Ivy back, everything would be right in the world again. She would be whole once more, the aching part of her heart that had been missing for so long finally filled. It didnât matter that the lawyer didnât think she had a chance in hell of getting her back, because Summer was confident she could make Rose see things her way.
She could make Rose acknowledge that she, Ivyâs biological mother, was who was best for her. She could make Gabriel see that she wasnât who was best for him.
The art kit had been the final straw.
She couldâher vision blurred. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.
âI can do this,â she whispered fiercely.
*
GABRIEL STRETCHED and rolled over in bed, searching for his wife. âWife,â he said with a smile, then his smile fell when his hand encountered nothing but cold sheets. Cold sheets meant sheâd been up for hours, without waking him.
âSummer?â He rose from bed, rubbing his chest and yawning before he grabbed a pair old of pajama pants.
She didnât answer, so he tried again. âSummer?â
The cold from the sheets seemed seep inside him from across the room when silence met him, but he tried not to let that bother him. Summer had always been an early riser. Striding to t
he back door, he opened it and went outside. Warm relief flooded him when he spotted her at the end of the pier, wrapped in a quilt.
Warm relief turned to hot desire when she dropped the quilt. He would never get used to the sight of her, all golden skin and soft curves.
The last time she had been in Holland Springs, her body had been almost as sharp as her words. Her body had felt bony and brittle. It had worried him so much that heâd made her get something to eat before taking her to Ivy, but now that sheâd filled out again, her skin no longer looked stretched tight over muscle and bones.
Still, she wasnât as strong as she would have him and everyone else believed. Like the graceful willow tree he had planted in his yard, if too much strain and pressure were applied, eventually she would break.
Summer turned slowly, the look on her face both heartbreaking and heart racing. Heâd seen it often enough to know she was determined to prove she had control. It wasnât a matter of controlling him; it was a matter of controlling her situation.
âNot again,â he muttered.
Instead of waiting for her to come to him, he went to her first. The grass was cold and dewy under his feet, but he didnât care. All he could think and feel and see was herâstanding there, waiting for him. He had to save her.
She thrust out her breasts, raised her arms over her head, and stretched. âMorning,â she said as he stopped a couple of feet away.
âMissed you this morning.â
âDid you?â She took a small step toward him before running a hand up his bare chest. âWant me to make it up to you?â
âIf thatâs what you think you should do.â
A flash of annoyance appeared in her eyes. Gracefully, she kneeled in front of him and pulled down his pants, freeing his erection. His vision sparked, a hot flash of white light, when she wrapped her mouth around the tip of him.
His hands went to her hair, burying his finger and wrapping the blond strands around them. âYou donât have toââ