But I only stared.
Her cheeks flushed, her breathing becoming deep and labored. She tugged at her braid, the wet strands heavy and streaming over her shoulder.
“You should loosen your hair, so it can dry,” I uttered, my voice hoarse.
She hesitated, and another word slipped from my mouth, the sound almost guttural.
“Please.”
Our eyes locked as she lifted her arms, her hands shaking. She plucked at the clip, the strands falling in a long mass of waves down her back. She shivered, her body shuddering in a lingering, slow roll.
From trepidation or desire, I didn’t know.
I couldn’t tear my gaze off her.
The thunder rolled, lightning crackling outside with an intensity I felt deep within my bones.
I wanted her with every fiber of my being. I wanted to calm her anxiety, stroke her desire, and claim her.
Make her mine.
Right now.
Van
The last words I unwittingly spoke out loud echoed in the stillness of the cabin around us.
Liv gasped.
I stepped forward.
She stepped back.
Our gazes remained locked as I shrugged out of my hoodie, dropping it to the floor.
“Liv,” I pleaded, desire dripping from the one word. The distance between us was killing me.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“You can. Please.”
She held up her hand, warning me not to move. “It can’t happen, Van. We can’t let it.”
“We can. I want you, Liv. I want you so much, I’m aching for you. Stop fighting it. Stop fighting us.”
“I-I can’t chance it.”
I edged closer. “It’s not a gamble, Liv.”
“What if…what if we don’t work?”
I risked reaching out and touching her cheek. “We already do, Liv. But you have to take the next step.”
“Which is?”
“Forgive me. Trust me. Trust this thing between us. Let me show you how good we are. How good we can be.”
She shuddered, her body trembling. Her head shook with denial, and I dropped my hand, stepping back. I sensed her fear, and I never wanted to elicit that emotion from her.
“You are forgiven,” she said. “Completely forgiven.”
But she couldn’t move on. I heard the unspoken words as loudly as if she’d said them. Pain lanced through my chest.
“I’m sorry,” I said, regret filling my voice. “I won’t bother you again.” I forced a smile to my face. “Still friends, Liv. Always friends.” I lifted one shoulder. “That will never change. I promise.”
I crossed the room, bending to pick up my hoodie, forcing down my disappointment and sadness. “We need to sit this storm out, and then we’ll head back.”
Liv’s voice was filled with agony. “Van.”
I looked up, not prepared for what happened next. Liv launched herself across the room, stumbling with her weak ankle, and I met her halfway. I caught her as she slammed into me, clasped her around the waist, and yanked her tight to my chest. Our mouths met in a series of blistering, passionate kisses. Desire hummed in my veins, the sensation of her body flush against mine sending me into a frenzy. I tugged on her shirt, pulling the material away from her damp skin, kissing every inch as it was unveiled. Her full breasts filled my hands, and I sucked on the hard nubs, easing away the cold and making her whimper. She moaned my name, the sound vibrating in her throat. It was my undoing. I needed to feel all of her skin against mine. In seconds, I tore the thin material of her tank, the fabric no match for my fists. Liv’s fingers fumbled and pulled, yanking away the material of my shirt that separated our skin, pushing it off my shoulders. Her full, soft breasts pressed into the hard planes of my chest and made me groan.
“Fuck, baby, I want you.” I licked and sucked at the fragrant skin on her neck. “Tell me I can have you. Right now.”
She tugged on my belt, releasing the leather, then pushed on the denim, the cold air of the cabin hitting my naked skin. I kicked out of my jeans, then I lifted her with one arm, the other busy pushing away her leggings and sneakers. I slid my hands over her rounded ass, cupping the firm cheeks. “Say it,” I insisted.
“Yes, Van, I want you. Now.”
In a few steps, she was under me on the lounger. I felt the cold of her body warming underneath mine, could feel the way her desire blossomed. She tugged at my hair, her restless hands all over my back and arms, pulling me closer, moaning my name.
“This is more than now, Liv. You need to know that,” I groaned against the delicate skin of her neck. “This follows us beyond here.”
“I know.” She kissed me, her mouth urgent.
“Tell me you want this,” I demanded. “Or tell me to stop now.”
“I want you, Van. All of you,” she replied. “Feel how much I want you.”
I slid my hand to her center, groaning at the heat and wetness.
“You’re so soft, Liv. So wet.”
“I’m always wet when I think about you this way, Van.”
Jesus.
“How often do you think of me?” I asked, pushing her open wider, caressing her more.
She pressed her lips to my ear. “Every time I see you. The way you move. How sexy you are. I imagine you inside me every single day.”
I grew harder, her words making me crazy. “You don’t have to imagine it anymore.”
She bucked against my hand. Circling her clit, I strummed gently as she threw back her head, gasping my name. I slid one digit into her heat, then another, groaning at the tightness. She was going to strangle my cock.
I was desperate to feel it.
Our mouths fused together as I worked her with my hand. Her tongue was nectar in my mouth, her breath hot and sweet. I fisted her hair, controlling her movements, controlling her, my need to have her building and growing.
She wrapped her hand around my cock, stroking me. Her thumb ran over my crown, circling slowly, spreading the wetness. Pleasure made me shudder, and I pulled my mouth from hers. She lifted her hand to her lips, her tongue darting out, licking her thumb.
“I want to taste more of you.” She sat up on her elbows. “I want to know how you feel in my mouth.”
My heavy breathing became erratic. The image of her with her lips around my cock made my head swim. I shook my head, knowing I wouldn’t last long. I was too far gone right now. “Soon, baby. Right now, I need to be inside you.”
She eased back, a vision against the leather. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen from my mouth. Her chest rose and fell in deep gasps of air. She stroked my thighs with her gentle hands. “Then take me. Make me yours.”
Her simple words were all I needed. “Protection,” I gasped. “My wallet. I want you to feel safe.”
She cupped my cheek. “I am safe with you. I know that.”
I met her gaze. “It’s been a long time for me, Liv. Over a year. I’m clean.”
“Then let me feel you.”
I pushed her farther up the lounger and nestled between her legs. The blunt head of my cock nudged at her entrance, and she lifted her hips to bring me closer. I wrapped her leg around my hips and slid inside of her inch by inch. Our gazes were locked, filled with passion and the discovery of each other as I sank into her. She groaned, the sound low and needy in her chest. I breathed her name. I stilled when our bodies were flush, savoring the heat and feel of her.
“Jesus, Liv. You feel fantastic.”
She arched her back in agreement. “Please, Van,” she begged. “I need you.”
“Hold tight, baby. I need you too.”
I took and she gave. I demanded and she surrendered. I begged and she responded. I drowned in her and she engulfed me. We moved and rocked. Fucked and loved. The lounger creaked in protest and I didn’t give a care if we ended up on the floor. I couldn’t stop. Liv surrounded me, her cries music to my ears, her body a temple I wanted to worship in
for the rest of my life. Her skin was supple and smooth, her hair a mass of fragrant waves around us. Her body was rounded and full, rich and malleable under my hands. Despite the differences in our bodies, we meshed perfectly, her curves fitting to my muscles as if sculpted for me alone. The feel of her hands on my body was heaven. I had never felt touches so gentle and warm. They made me ache with a tenderness that overwhelmed me. Caught me off guard yet felt as if I had come home.
The feel of her, of us, was more than I ever imagined it could ever be.
Despite the cool air surrounding us, we were on fire. Sweat poured down my back, my breathing uneven and hard. I slid my hands under Liv, lifting her so our chests melded, and she was encased in my arms. She wrapped her legs around my hips, letting me sink even deeper into her. I gripped her hips, thrusting hard, the lounger scraping along the floor in time with our movements. She wound her hands into my hair, her head falling back as she cried out in pleasure at the new angle.
The world shrank down to one small bubble. Liv. Me. Together. Her pussy. My cock. Me inside her—her body moving with mine. Our slick skin touching in perfect unison, the sounds of our lovemaking filling the cabin. Our grunts and groans. Muted gasps of pleasure. Long sighs of need. The heat and passion that built and soared until it hit the pinnacle for us both.
She gasped out my name, her fingers digging into my shoulders as her orgasm tore through her. My balls tightened, and my release swept over me. I stilled, emptying deep within her, her name a long, low groan on my lips.
The lounger held firm.
My embrace became a vise, and I held her as close as I could. I lowered us to the lounger and collapsed on her chest, my breathing uneven, my body sated, a blissful numbness overtaking my mind.
I eased beside her, tugging her back into my arms. The feeling of her body, the slightness of her form compared to mine, registered through my dulled senses.
“Are you okay, Liv? Was I too rough?”
She pressed a kiss to my chest. “You were perfect.”
I chuckled. “I think you’re the perfect one, baby.” I rested my chin on her hair, the silken strands tickling my nose. “What changed your mind?”
“You,” she said simply. “Everything you did last week. The calls, the words. Your patience.”
“I missed you so much last week. It drove me crazy not being able to be close to you. I didn’t know how I was going to cope if you said you were done for good,” I admitted.
“I don’t think that could happen, Van. I was tired of saying no to myself,” she admitted. “To you. It was so hard to see you go on Sunday. Then today, I saw the hurt my words caused you, yet you responded with patience and tenderness. I knew I needed to try. I knew you were worth the risk.”
“You won’t regret it.”
She pressed a kiss to the roughness of my chin. “I know.”
* * *
The storm raged on outside. The cabin, leaky roof and all, proved to be a warm haven for us. We sat on the lounger, Liv wrapped in my arms, talking about anything and everything.
“Sammy would like it here,” she murmured.
“Wouldn’t you be worried about the drop-off?”
“No. She’s as scared of heights as I am. If I showed it to her and explained, she would stay away. She’s cautious like me.” She hummed, her breath warm on my skin.
I pressed a kiss to her head. “She is a great kid.”
“If there were a play area, she’d stick to that, and she’d play with her dolls or read. She’s very good at reading and she loves it.”
“Like you?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been working on her bookshelf. It will be ready soon.”
She traced my chin with her fingers. Her eyes glowed in the muted light. “She’ll love it.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.”
I settled her back on my chest. “I know you’re up and down ladders. How do you handle the scared of heights thing?” I asked, curious.
“I only go so high. My staff know I get nervous. They do the cutting and edging, and I roll when I’m helping them paint.” She lifted her foot and flexed it slowly. “I rarely have accidents, though. I think I was distracted yesterday and slipped. I have enough staff, I don’t need to, but I enjoy painting, so every so often, I pitch in.”
“You’re amazing.”
She glanced up. “I think you’re the amazing one.”
Passion simmered in the air around us. I ran my knuckles over her cheek. “I didn’t plan on making love to you today in a broken-down cabin with a leaky roof.”
A smile played on her lips. “Good thing. I’m not sure Bentley would have been on board with your plan. He would have objected loudly when you put your idea into action.”
I laughed. “Probably.” I became serious. “You deserve silk sheets, champagne, and a fancy hotel room. Not an old lounger, dust, and rubble.”
“But the lounger and dust have you.”
“You have me.”
She surprised me by sitting up and straddling me. Her wet pussy pressed against my growing cock. Her voice was husky. “Do I have you, Van?”
I bucked into her heat. “Fuck yes, Liv. You have me.”
“Can I have you?”
“Yes.”
She leaned forward, kissing me, her tongue languid and exploring. Her lips trailed down my chest, her teeth biting teasingly at my nipples, making me hiss. She sank down on my cock, slowing taking me in.
I gripped her hips. “Ride me, baby.”
A slow, sexy smirk pulled at her lips. “Oh, I intend to, Van. It’s your turn to hold on tight. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
* * *
The rain finally let up, and regretfully, we rose from the lounger. Few words were spoken as we searched for our clothing. Liv grimaced at her shirt, shivering as she pulled the still-damp material over her head. Her tank was a torn scrap of fabric on the floor. She lifted it, meeting my pleased expression with a raised eyebrow that looked sexy on her. I dug into my bag and handed her a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt of mine.
“It’ll be too big, but it’s dry and warm.”
“What about you?”
I held up an extra Henley. “I’m good.”
I chuckled at the size of my shirt on her. With a grin, I helped her roll up the sleeves. “I like you in my clothes. It’s my second favorite look on you.”
“What’s your favorite?”
I kissed the end of her nose. “No clothes and your skin pressed to mine.”
Two bright spots of color appeared on her cheeks, and she dropped her eyes. I slipped a finger under her chin. “What did I tell you about hiding your smile? Let me see it.”
It lit the gloomy room. I loved seeing it, and I loved the fact that I was the one who made it happen.
Her stomach growled, making me laugh. “Come on, Liv. Let’s lock up, navigate the driveway, and I’ll take you to eat.”
“Is it safe?”
“Yes. I promised you it was.”
“By getting something to eat, you mean stop at a drive-through, right?”
“No,” I frowned. “I mean I’ll take you out for a meal. I saw a cool-looking pub in the town we passed. We can try it out.”
“I can’t go out like this,” Liv protested. “I’m a mess!”
“No, you’re not. You’re gorgeous.”
She snorted. “I’m hardly gorgeous when I try, Van. I’m certainly not when I’ve been caught in a storm, fucked repeatedly for hours and have no way to get cleaned up.”
“Stop it.”
“What?”
I crowded her to the wall, kissing her hard. “First off, I didn’t simply fuck you. It was way more than that, and you know it. Stop belittling yourself. I hate it. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are to me? How incredibly sexy and perfect you are?”
“I am?”
I dropped my head to her neck. “Jesus, woman, how can you not know?”
“I-I’v
e never…no one has ever…”
I pulled back, meeting her gaze with a fierce one of my own. “I am.” I lifted her, punching my hips forward. “Do I need to prove it to you again? Because I will. You’re not leaving this cabin until you believe me.”
“You already had me. Many times.”
“Not often enough apparently. For either of us.”
“But my hair’s a mess, and my clothes are wrinkled.”
I bent low, my voice firm. “Your hair is a mess from my hands. Because it’s soft and rich and I love touching it as I make love to you. Your clothes are wrinkled because I took them off you to see your beautiful body. What you see as a mess, I see as my job well done.”
Her eyes widened, her head falling back. A small purple bruise stood out on the base of her neck. I lowered my face, running my tongue along the edges of the blemish. I traced the mark, a sense of smugness filling my chest.
“I marked you,” I murmured.
“You did?”
“Mmm-hmm,” I mumbled, licking up her neck to her ear. “If I marked you, that means only one thing. You belong to me. My beautiful, sexy woman.” I bit down on her lobe. “All mine.”
She groaned, and I smirked against her skin. “I think my woman needs me to prove how beautiful and sexy she is.” I ground my pelvis against her.
“Yes, Van, show me,” she pleaded. “Make me yours.”
I laughed against her mouth. “Oh, Liv, you already are.”
* * *
We found the pub and hurried to the door as fast as Liv could hobble. It was deserted due to the time of the day and the weather. After a quick glance at the menu, we ordered a late lunch and mugs of steaming coffee. I added a shot of Bailey’s to Liv’s but kept mine plain. The heat would help chase away the last of the remaining chill.
Liv glanced up from her phone. “Aiden says Emmy is still in labor but doing fine.” She smiled. “Better, apparently, than Bentley is doing.”
Vested Interest Box Set Books 4-7 Page 37
