That’s what I should be worrying about right now. Business. Bills. Not the crazy intense orgasm that Eli Blake gave me on the same counter two feet away from where I’m sprinkling cupcakes.
It was fan-freaking-tastic. But then in true guy fashion, he had to become an alpha douchebag and leave, looking like I told him I have leprosy rather than that I’m a virgin. I’m not even sure if he’ll show up today.
Just as I think it, I hear the tinkling of bells from the front door. I blow out a nervous breath and steel my spine for whatever attitude Mr. I’ll give you the best orgasm of your life then walk out the door wants to give me. Because what I need even more than another mind-blowing, toe-curling orgasm is to get For Heaven’s Cakes up and running so I can pay the bills that are already piling up.
But the large body I run into when I turn the corner doesn’t belong to Eli. And the fingers that wrap around my upper arm send a cold chill down my spine, rather than the heat of the day before.
I glance up and meet a pair of familiar gray eyes. “Mitchell.”
“Karis,” he over-pronounces the ‘S,’ making him sound like a snake, and I wonder if he always did that and I just didn’t notice before.
I try to take a step back, but his fingers tighten. “Wha-what are you doing here?”
“I came for my tools, and for the rest of the money you owe me.”
I gape at him. “You can take your damn tools, but it’s you who owes me money. I paid you in full for a job you never finished.” I yank my arm back from his bruising grip, but he’s too strong, and fear starts to build in my chest. “Let me go.”
“Not until you pay me what I deserve.”
“What you deserve? You’re kidding, right? I had to hire someone else to fix the mess you made.”
“You really are a bitch.” He leans closer, his breath foul, his fingers digging painfully into my arm. “What a waste of three months. I was an idiot thinking a cold fish like you would ever put out.”
“And you’re an even worse kisser than a handyman.” I knee him hard in the groin and he grunts, releasing me. As he’s bent over, moaning in pain, I take the opportunity to rush into the kitchen and grab my cell phone from my purse.
I press 9-1-1, but I don’t have time to press send before the phone is ripped out of my hand and I’m being shoved hard against the steel fridge.
“Get off me,” I scream, but he’s too damn strong for me, and this time he uses his size to pin me against him. He pulls one hand back, and I think for a moment that he might hit me.
I brace for the impact, knowing it’s going to hurt like hell, but the shot never comes.
Instead, he’s thrown backward, crashing into the island and sending the two dozen cupcakes I’d just iced flying.
Eli has him by the collar of his shirt, and I don’t have time to blink before one massive fist strikes Mitchell square in the eyes.
Mitchell cries out like a baby, “Get off of me, man.”
“You didn’t give her that option when she begged you,” Eli yells back, tossing him to the ground. He looks over his shoulder at me, eyes burning with anger. “You okay?”
All I can manage is a small nod.
“Call the police, Karis. This fucker deserves to be behind bars.”
“No, please,” Mitchell whimpers, crawling backward and slipping on icing as he tries to get away from the mountain of a man who towers over him. He looks at me, eyes pleading. “Karis, please. I wouldn’t have hurt you, I just came to get my tools.”
“And to give her back the money you stole,” Eli growls out, picking him up and shoving him against the wall.
“What?” Mitchell has his hands up, guarding his face. “Right. Yeah, sure. Anything.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, producing several twenties. “This is all I have right now, but—”
Eli takes the money, then gives him one more shove against the wall. “You sure you don’t want to put this asshole behind bars?” He doesn’t look at me when he asks the question, all his anger is directed at Mitchell.
“No. I think he learned his lesson.”
Eli grunts. “Get the hell out of here. And if I find out you ever come near Karis again, jail will be the least of your concerns.” He releases him, and Mitchell doesn’t hesitate before running out of the kitchen, and I doubt I’ll ever see the man again.
“Thank you.” I’m trembling from the adrenaline that races through my veins. Maybe it’s shock, but I feel ice cold, and a shiver makes my whole body spasm.
Eli is on me in a heartbeat, those big hands that were just used to protect me, now gentle as he scans my face, my neck, my arms. “Fucker left marks on you.”
I glance down at the small blue marks on my arms. “I’m okay. But you’re bleeding.” I take his hand in mine. His knuckles are bloody from the punch.
“Don’t worry about me.” There’s still so much anger radiating off him. I look at him, seeing him in a different light. He is more than a jerk who left me hot and bothered yesterday - he is also my protector.
Which makes me wonder ... what else is there to this man who is willing to renovate my place even though he knows I’m short on cash. Jenna vouched for him - says her brother is one of the good guys.
I take his hand in mine. It’s so big resting against my small palm. “Here, let me at least clean you up.”
I swallow, unable to look in his eyes. Because that desire I felt yesterday is blooming inside me all over again. And I know I’m in trouble.
I want Eli Blake and after yesterday I know he doesn’t want me back.
Chapter Seven
Eli
All I keep thinking is what would have happened if I hadn’t shown up. The fucker had Karis pinned, and I knew the look in the man’s eyes, he’d had no intention of letting her go before getting what he wanted.
The kitchen is a disaster, cupcakes and icing everywhere, but all Karis is worried about is me and the stupid little cut on my hand. She comes back with a first aid kit and tells me to sit on the stool.
“You don’t have to do this,” I mutter as she starts to dab my knuckles with a cotton ball, then applies an antiseptic cream.
“It could get infected.” She places a band-aid over the cut, then smiles. “There. All better.”
“God, you’re something else.” And she is. Band-aids and cupcakes. The woman would make a good mom. And I suddenly have an urge to put a baby in that belly of hers.
She tilts her head and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m really grateful for what you did.”
“Punching that asshole was the highlight of my week.”
“Really?” She raises her brows at me. “Because yesterday was pretty spectacular. At least until you decided to take off.”
“Yeah, about that...” I rub the back of my neck and wince. “I’m sorry. When you told me you’re a...”
“Virgin,” she offers.
“It freaked me out. And not because it’s something bad. You just deserve more than being fucked for your first time on a steel counter.”
“You made that clear yesterday.” She sighs, and I can feel her start to pull away, so I take her hands and draw her to me.
“I want you, Karis.” I cup her jaw and hold her gaze, those wide green eyes my undoing. “I just don’t want to do anything to mess this up.”
“And what is this?”
“Hell if I know. But it’s something. I think we can both agree with that.”
She gives a small nod. “Yeah.”
“So, if you’ll give me another chance, I’d like to take you out tonight. Then maybe we can go back to my place and do things right.”
Her arms wrap around my neck and I pull her between my legs. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
“I think I’m asking you for a hell of a lot more, but it’s a good place to start.”
“I liked how we started yesterday.”
I groan as she presses against me suggestively. “I can still taste you.” I kis
s her softly, holding back. “But if we start this now, there’s no way I’m going to get any work done today. When I get you in my bed, we’re going to be staying there for at least a full day.”
“Is that a promise?”
I grunt, pulling her in for a kiss. Her lips are so fucking kissable, her body so damn tempting. “If I start, I won’t be able to stop.”
“That’s a problem because?” she teases.
I cup her face with my bandaged hand. “Because, Karis, you have a shop that needs fixing, and I refuse to let you down.”
She pulls back, wrapping her hair up on the top of her head with a hair tie. Her bare neck a dick tease, and I have to adjust myself at the sight of her creamy skin.
“Are you always this perfect?” she asks, reaching into the sink for a washcloth.
I laugh. “If my buddies heard you say that, I doubt they’d agree.”
“What would they say?” she asks as she begins to wipe away the icing from the counter. The kitchen is quite a disaster zone.
“They’d say I’ve been a hard ass ever since my last girlfriend cheated on me.”
She pauses. “You don’t have to be a hard ass around me,” she says, stepping toward me. “I’ll keep your secret.”
“You’re making me want to turn into a softy. All sugar, no spice.”
She lifts her eyebrows, and steps closer, pressing her hand to my stiff groin. “That’s fine, so long as you don’t get totally soft on me.”
I chuckle. “Oh baby, there’s no need to worry about that.”
Chapter Eight
Karis
Candles and roses cover every square inch of Eli’s massive house. Soft music plays, and there’s a bottle of champagne resting in an ice bucket.
“This place...” I shake my head in awe as he leads me into the open living room. It’s new construction - modern with gentle edges. Hard and soft. I smile, thinking about how he’s been talking about being hard all day long, and how my insides turn to mush around him. He makes me dizzy - every time I’d walk into the front of the bakery, where he was working without a shirt, I’d clench my thighs together and need to walk toward the fan. Talk about getting a girl all worked up.
“You like it?” he asks.
“I love it.”
“I designed and built it myself.”
“It’s like my Pinterest boards came to life. If we hadn’t just met, I’d think you were stalking me.”
“Really?” His eyes light up. “I wasn’t sure if it was too masculine.”
I run my hand over a table top, then lean in to smell the flowers. “The roses are a good touch.”
“I hoped you’d say that.” He blushes bashfully. “I asked Jenna to help me with the flowers.”
“She’s the one with the green thumb.” I bite my lip. “You know, I told her we were going out tonight.”
“And what did she say?” he asks, eyes narrowed.
“She was happy. Said she was glad her brother was smart enough to see that she was trying to set us up.”
Eli laughs. “She planned this? Us getting together?”
“I think she hoped.”
“And are we? Getting together?” he asks, stepping closer to me.
“I was ready for you yesterday. You’re the one who wanted to wine and dine me.”
His arms wrap around me. “I wanted to make this night memorable.”
I lick my lips, looking up into his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget you sweeping into the kitchen this morning and punching Mitchell. You are my hero, Eli Blake.”
“And you are the icing to my cupcake.”
I laugh, placing my hands on his broad chest. “Cheesy but cute.”
“Don’t tell the guys I said that,” he says before kissing me.
It doesn’t take much from Eli to have me swooning. His strong arms and tender kisses get me weak in the knees and he knows it.
“Let’s get you to bed before you faint,” he says, scooping me up into his arms. He carries me into his bedroom and places my feet on the floor. Before us is a king-sized bed. A soft grey duvet covers the mattress and big fluffy pillows rest against the dark wood grained headboard. It’s the kind of room I could get lost in, cozy and yet oozing strength.
“I want this to be special,” he tells me.
“Stop worrying about me.” I look around and see an en-suite bathroom. “Can you just give me a second to freshen up?”
He nods and I step into the bathroom. I immediately strip out of my dress and look at myself in the mirror. It’s racy for sure, this teddy. It’s pink - but also cupless and crotchless. I want to walk into Eli’s bedroom and have him hard as a nail. I want there to be no doubt in his mind that I want this. That I’m ready.
That I’m his.
When I step back into his bedroom, he whistles low. “Holy fuck Karis,” he growls, stepping toward me. He is only in his boxers and I can see his big erection pressing against them. “Where did you find this little thing?” He takes my hand and twirls me around, the thong showing off my ass and by the way he groans, I know he loves every inch of me.
“I’d been waiting for the right occasion,” I tell him. “I had a lot of years to fantasize about this moment.”
“Shit, I guess so.” He runs his hands over my breasts, thumbing my nipples. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
I look him over. “You’re not so bad yourself.” I run my hand over his groin, my pussy hot as I feel his erection.
He takes my hand in his. “Tonight is all about you, understood?”
I nod. “I need you to guide me, Eli. To show me what you like.”
He smiles, tucking back a strand of my hair. “Oh, Cupcake, there’s not a single thing I wouldn’t like.”
His mouth presses against mine and I feel dizzy with desire. He is so powerful and strong, and I feel so small in his arms. He runs his hands over my curvy hips and then squeezes my ass. “God, you’re cute.”
I laugh, my head falling back, not feeling self-conscious like I worried I might. Especially in this outfit. No, with Eli I feel so wanted, like he could wrap his arms around me and keep me safe every day for the rest of my life. When he carries me to his bed and sets me down, my head against his pillows, I can’t help but breathe him in. Cedar and leather and man. All man.
His boxers are off and my eyes widen when I take in his massive size. A hammer that’s the best tool in the toolbox. “You like what you see?”’
I laugh. “Was I that obvious?”
He leans over me. “You want to touch me and see how hard I am?”
I whimper, my body so primed for him. I run my fingers over his shaft and my pussy practically begs for him. He must sense my need because he runs his hands between my thighs, my pussy his. “Shit, Cupcake, I like this easy access.”
“I was wearing this all night, under my dress. I thought you might have run your hands under my skirt and found out earlier.”
He kisses my breasts, his fingers running over my wet slit. “If I’d known, I’d have been arrested. No way could I have kept myself together if I’d known what was waiting for me under that dress of yours.”
“Now that you know,” I whisper. “What will you do?”
He doesn’t need to answer with words - his cock shows me his plans. My knees part and he lowers himself against me, cradling me in his arms as he begins to fill me up, ever so slowly. It burns in the best kind of way and when I wince, he kisses me gently. “It’s okay Cupcake, I got you, I got you.”
And I know he does.
When he is fully inside me I let out a long, shaky breath. “Oh Eli,” I moan, wrapping my legs around him. I waited so long for a real man to carry me to bed, to make me his.
He rocks gently against me, and when I begin to cry out his name, louder and louder, he begins to match my rhythm. Our fingers lace together, and he pins my hands over my head. He is taking me, every last shred of me, to the very edge.
Exactly where I want to go.
&n
bsp; Chapter Nine
Eli
I want to go slow, but she loves it when I start to move faster, my cock deep inside her sweet, tight pussy, and I want to give her exactly what she needs tonight.
“Eli, don’t stop, please, ohhh,” her cries give way to whimpering as she reaches the peak of her climax, her body shaking as she comes, and then I come too. Deep inside her, filling her up with my salty cum and she loves it. Is already begging for more.
I roll over on to the bed and she climbs on top of me, her eager energy is intoxicating. I run my hands over her back, pull her closer, my mouth sucking her big, sweet tits, and her pussy dripping with her need for more. So much more.
Good, I plan on satisfying her tonight, and every night after. I crave her, need to devour her. Eat her up and come back for seconds, thirds - there is no satiating my hunger for her sweet little pussy.
My cock is howling with need as she sinks her creamy slit down on me, I fill her up deeper this time, in a way she is both surprised and thrilled with.
“It feels so deep,” she moans, rocking her hips. “You’re so big, Eli,” she tells me, my cock throbbing at her words.
She has no fucking clue how sexy she is, in this insanely hot little number, her clit rubbing against the base of my shaft, her big tits bouncing as she begins to ride me the way she was made to do.
“Fuck, I love you,” I tell her in one fell swoop. It wasn’t planned and her eyes go wide, but she doesn’t stop. She laughs as an orgasm breaks through her, curling her toes and causing her to cry out my name.
“I love you too, Eli,” she tells me, devotion flooding the room.
Crazy, sure. Fucking nuts.
But I swear to God I’m gonna get my Cupcake in a veil.
She’s mine today and I plan to make her mine forever.
* * *
I’m placing the last of my tools in my truck when I see Karis pull into the back alley parking lot. Like I promised, she spent the last few days in my bed, and every time she’s been asleep I’ve come to the bakery to work on the renovations. It’s been hard to leave her. Her pussy is a ripe cherry, her ass a creamy peach, her tits my fucking downfall. She is more than a meal, she is the only thing I crave.
Stripped Bare: Hammers and Veils Page 3
