by Rylon, Jayne
She stared at the black and white tiled floor he’d installed last summer until he lifted her chin with one of his bandage-free knuckles.
“Morgan?”
“I got my period the morning you left. It was a false alarm.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shush.” He rubbed her lower back with his undamaged hand, which nearly spanned her waist, and kissed her nose. “Nothing to apologize for. I should have been here. I knew you were late… Hoping…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t say so right away. I couldn’t stand to disappoint you again.” She rested her head on his shoulder. Maybe he’d think the moisture tracking down his chest was the result of a few more droplets of sweat instead of the tears she shed.
“Never.” He hugged her tight.
“And then last night, I got drunk. Really hammered.” She hiccupped. So much for stealth weeping. “I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. You know, like then it would be real. I had to forget about it for a while and I knew it was safe. I passed out because I was hungover, not because I’m pregnant. So sorry.”
“Ah, honey, you should have called me home.” He rocked her against his chest.
“Why?” She sighed. “Nothing you could do.”
“You never have to suffer alone.” He finger-combed her hair. “Seriously, Morgan, that’s a major benefit of our crew. I’m sure they’ll look after you if I can’t for some reason. It’s one of the things that makes me comfortable leaving. Why didn’t you confide in Dev, Kate and Kayla? They would have been there for you.”
“I know. I almost did last night. Then Kate told us that her and Mike are trying too.”
“He mentioned it to us on the trip.” Joe nodded.
“Well, you know how much trouble Kate’s sister had. Another rocky experience wasn’t what she needed to hear about.” Morgan clung to her husband, so glad to have him home, here, in her arms. “Psyching her out isn’t going to help.”
“Maybe you need to take your own advice, Mo.” He made a circuit up her spine, then down her sides with his sure fingers. “Getting upset isn’t going to help matters. A bunch of the books we read said it’s normal for it to take up to a year of trying. Let’s enjoy each other. The rest will take care of itself.”
“You’re right.” She drew a deep breath, then blurted, “But I think we should make an appointment to have some tests done. Fertility and genetics stuff.”
“Okay, sure.” He rubbed their noses together. “Probably not a bad idea in any case.”
“You hate the doctor. Sor—”
“Don’t you dare apologize again. I’d do anything for you.” He kissed her long and slow until her toes curled in the bathmat and ten tons lifted off her shoulders. “I’d hope you’d understand that by now. Fucking anything to make you smile.”
“No one does that as well as you.” She encircled his waist with her arms and nuzzled her cheek against the hard planes of his chest. “I love you, Joe.”
“Same goes.” He ruffled her hair.
“So, how about we take a shower together and practice, huh?” She nipped his pec. “Another week or so and we’ll be in primetime again.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” He stared into her eyes with more seriousness than she could ever remember.
“You want to give up already? I can handle this. I thought—”
“I meant the wasted water.” He covered her mouth with a searing kiss. After nibbling on her bottom lip, he retreated with a smirk. “This could be an awfully long shower if we do it right.”
“Some things are worth the sacrifice.” Morgan reached in to flip on the spray. “Oh my God. You found matching shower fixtures, too?”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “They never produced them compatible with this type of plumbing.”
“Then how?” She stared at him like he was her hero, because he was.
“My cousin Eli has some fabrication connections for the parts they use in fixing up classic cars.” He grinned. “Probably the first time he’s asked them to make shower handles and toilet hardware instead. Those bastards had a field day ripping on me.”
“You really are full of surprises.” She knelt before him to tear open his button fly.
His jeans pooled on the floor, and he stepped out of them, leaving his lanky frame nude. She couldn’t stop herself from touching him. Her fingers explored his furry thighs before they wrapped around the base of his shaft, stroking him the few times it took to transform his cock from semi-hard to steely.
Morgan rubbed the head of his erection across her lips, then licked the slippery fluid from them while staring up into Joe’s eyes. Could he read her devotion in the artless stare?
“Enough, I’d like to last more than three minutes.”
She grinned. “I’m sure you can hold out for five at least. Just give me a taste.”
Joe’s hands cupped her face and guided her toward his cock. She parted her lips.
Drawing him inside, she traced every line and ridge of his shaft with the tip of her tongue. When she hit the spot on the underside that drove him bananas, he growled.
Joe reached beneath her arms to lift her. She hitched one thigh over his hip. He boosted her with a palm on her ass, allowing her to wrap her other leg tight around his waist. They made out while the water warmed.
After minutes of foreplay more delicious than the chocolate mousse cake she’d baked last week, steam billowed around them. She leaned back a bit to flick the buttons of Joe’s borrowed shirt open one at a time, revealing herself to him inch by inch. Never before had she had so much self-confidence in her figure.
The hunger in his eyes never lied, though. He craved her as much as she did him. Something she would never stop being thankful for.
She tossed the well-worn flannel into the white wicker hamper. No need for that with him around to keep her toasty.
They groaned in unison when their bare chests met.
Joe shimmied against her, teasing her breasts with his pecs. As if he knew it would leave her breathless, he repeated the sinuous caress before she could beg for more. All the while his cock prodded her clit, poising her on the verge of climax before they’d truly gotten started.
They didn’t pause their slow grind when he stepped into the enclosure. Gentle trickles from the rain shower showerhead cascaded over them.
Ever thoughtful, he angled the spray against the tile for a bit before pressing her to the heated surface. “I know I had you earlier, but I swear I’m about to explode all over you.”
“I thought the idea was to come inside me. Again and again.” She nipped his neck. “I’m no expert at this baby-making stuff, but I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.”
“Wench.” He ripped the toilet paper from his hand and tossed it toward the trash. The slap he landed on the side of her wet ass with his now-bare palm reverberated off the tile surround.
“Come on, Joe.” She wriggled, attempting to notch his cock in the opening of her pussy. “Fuck me.”
Joe pinned her with his shoulders so he could wedge his hand between them. Pressing his cock down with two fingers on top of the shaft, he aimed the swollen purple head between her thighs. Slippery. He glided through her slit, coating himself with her arousal. Every pass poked her clit with the blunt cap of his erection.
She shivered.
“You’re ready.” He murmured into her neck, licking and nipping as he pressed against her, letting gravity do some of the work. She slid down, hugging the first couple inches of his cock even as he stretched her. No matter how many times they did this, he altered her, forcing her body to accommodate his.
“Always ready for you.” She tipped her head back until her crown thunked against the tile and soothing drizzle misted her face.
Joe screwed deeper within her, each twitch of his hips merging them together more completely. Never once did she worry he might drop her. “You’re so hot. Burning me. So sweet.”
He sucked on her c
hin, then migrated to her mouth where he toyed with her tongue while he embedded himself completely. She hung, impaled on his shaft, rocking in order to rub the ache in her clit on the hard muscles above the base of his cock. He started to move inside her with nearly as much urgency as she felt. His balls tapped her ass when he really got going.
Counterparts—she took when he gave, and gave when he took.
Each round-trip of his taxiing cock had her channel tightening further. Soon, Joe could hardly move within her as every inch of her tissue clung to him, squeezing him. Undulations began at her core, sucking him in despite his attempts to retreat if only to slam home once more.
“Damn. Love it when you do that.” He cupped her breasts, soothing the pressure caused by her diamond-tipped nipples. “More.”
“Not voluntary. Happens when you fuck me just right.” She realized her eyes had slid closed as she reveled in bliss. The lack of visual stimulation only encouraged her brain to detect other pleasurable sensations.
“Like this?” He swiveled his hips in a sinful figure eight.
“Yes!” She no longer felt the water on her face or the slight chill creeping in around the edge of the shower curtain. The only thing that mattered was bonding with her mate and maybe creating something new and wondrous, half her and half him.
The idea held so much appeal she unraveled in his arms.
She mouthed Joe’s name, but couldn’t hear any sound beyond the rush of blood in her veins and the pounding of her heart—so close to his. Strung tight, she arched in his rock-solid grip. Her heels drummed on his ass as rounds of spasms wracked her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t tell this man how much she adored him. Except by opening her eyes and putting her soul on display for him to read.
Joe stared straight into her eyes. Message received. He smiled and dropped his forehead to hers, allowing himself to fray around the edges. He rammed into her harder than he would consider appropriate when not at the height of passion. She loved every second.
He shouted, a guttural cry filled with jumbled babble that her heart translated into perfect sense.
Heat spread through her abdomen—whether she imagined it or she could really sense it remained a mystery. She cheered every grunt that accompanied a pulse of his cock and the resulting mess he made of her pussy.
Good luck, boys. She giggled when she realized she cheered on a bunch of sperm.
“What’s…funny?” Joe didn’t look nearly as amused. He panted between bites and kisses on her neck and shoulders. “Laughing because I didn’t give you a dozen orgasms before I lost it? Give me a minute and I’ll make it up to you.”
“Not that at all.” She worked his cock with her pussy, using the tricks Kayla had taught her and the rest of the crew women, even as Joe set her feet carefully on the tub floor without separating them. Erotic massage techniques came in handy, who knew?
Joe’s eyes rolled back. “Jesus. That should be illegal. Wicked.”
“I told you Kay is a bad influence.”
“Pretty sure I like you corrupted.” He groaned when she paused then flexed again. His legs trembled. She stood on her tiptoes, not willing to break the connection of their bodies just yet.
“I’m not ready to get out.” No surprise, he articulated her thoughts. He held her hand to keep her from leaving, as if she would consider that option in a million years. “Stay in here. Where the world is made up of you and me. You’re the only thing that matters.”
He sank to the floor of the basin, sprawling on his back in the garden tub, another upgrade he’d insisted on undertaking for her. She could fully appreciate the benefits of his hard work.
“No, you are.” Morgan followed him down. She cuddled against his humid skin, lapping at the nearest droplets dotting its surface. His salty flavor tasted like perfection to her. If only she could use him as the secret ingredient in her culinary creations, she’d be unstoppable.
They petted each other, touched, explored and soothed. It must have been a while because Morgan began to shiver despite their proximity and the still-warm spray spritzing them. The backup water heater he’d installed when she’d started serving customers in the bakery marked another point in his favor. She whimpered when Joe shifted, reluctant to end their snuggle session.
“Don’t worry, I’m still not going anywhere.” He leaned forward far enough to flip the drain closed and switch the water flow to the gorgeous new spigot he’d installed earlier. With one arm slung around her shoulders, he pumped some bubble bath beneath the stream, filling the tub. He grabbed a lighter and ignited the wick on the candle she kept on the surround for the nights she indulged in a proper soak while reading. She adored Sweet Treats, but being on her feet all day made the decadence part necessity.
“What would the crew think if they saw you taking a bubble bath?” Morgan licked his collarbone. Her hand wandered across his chest and down his washboard abs. His softened cock had long ago slipped from her. Half-hard, it bobbed with the rising tide.
Warmth suffused her as their bodies were submerged.
“They’d think I’m a lucky bastard to be sharing it with you.” He nuzzled her temple. “Especially once I get laid again.”
“Awful sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Hell, no.” Morgan straddled his thighs. She gathered huge handfuls of the growing foam and spread it all over her chest and belly.
Joe cursed and reached for her.
She smacked his hands. “Put them on the sides of the tub and leave them there.”
He complied, gritting his teeth all the while. “For how long?”
“Until I say so.” She peeked at his fingers. They turned white from gripping the edge of the tub and the handle of the built-in soap dish on the other side. The corner of her mouth tipped up in an evil grin. “Remember when Kay gave us that nuru massage demonstration?”
“God, yes,” he hissed.
“I’ve been thinking about asking her for some lessons.” Morgan glopped more bubbles onto Joe’s chest, then slithered across his frame. When she slid lower, she used her feet on the front wall of the tub to propel herself up his body once more.
“If we’re not careful, I’m going to drown.” He gurgled when her breasts and mound rubbed along his entire front.
“Imagine how much slipperier that seaweed goop is.” She repeated her circuit, loving the contact of all his severe angles with her lush curves.
“Might make you too hard to hold on to.” He grabbed her ass, spreading her cheeks as he tugged her where he wanted her. She rotated her hips to stroke his rejuvenated hard-on, trapped between them.
“I’m not trying to escape. Promise.” She put her hands on his shoulders and boosted herself six inches higher. “But since you were bad and moved your hands, I think you should make it up to me by giving me your cock.”
His cheeks flushed before her eyes. “I love it when you talk dirty.”
“Really?” She lifted her brows. “Like when I say I need you to open me up and push your thick shaft inside my dripping pussy? Or when I say, I can’t wait to feel you pumping your load inside me again, filling me with your come…?”
“Jesus. Yes. That.” He shattered her illusion of control by plunging into her from below.
Thank God. She relaxed her thighs, allowing him to inhabit her fully. This time they had a tiny bit more restraint. They rippled together, gently for the most part, though surges punctuated the peace and tranquility of their joining.
She gave up attempting to articulate everything in her soul and relied on her body to speak his language. If his answering moans and caresses were any indication, he understood perfectly.
Their tender sharing escalated into something tinged with desperation and longing. Neither of them noticed the water and thick foam sloshing onto the floor. They wouldn’t have cared if they had.
The waves they generated facilitated their rhythm, buffeting them and rocking them together with prurie
nt insistence. Morgan bit her lip, hard.
“It’s okay,” Joe murmured. “There’s plenty more of this. Come, Morgan. Never hold back. I’ll always provide you as much as you need.”
Her body obeyed his mastery. Nails sank into his biceps as she came around him. He never flinched from her full-on display of passion. Instead, he pressed into her with long, strong glides that extended her pleasure until she nearly forgot her own name.
Only when the contractions lessened did he shout and release within her.
The rough seas they’d inspired calmed to a steady lap of waves that shook them both in the wake of their spent passion. Morgan sighed as they threatened to rock her to sleep. Probably not a great idea while still in the tub.
“Time for bed.” Joe stifled a yawn. He flipped the drain with his foot, nodding when the valve opened smoothly even after the alterations he’d made.
“Already?” Despite the lassitude permeating her bones, it couldn’t be past seven o’clock. “I just got up.”
“I didn’t say sleep.” Joe grinned.
“Seriously? What were they feeding you up North?” She tried not to wince, imagining him invading her swollen pussy again so soon.
“Hey, I didn’t say fool around either.” He clutched her to him as he rose. Water sluiced from his cut frame. “I missed you. I’d like to catch up. Tell me how your weekend was. Did you try that new recipe I copied from my Aunt Bianca? She was thrilled and flattered you might use it.”
“Oh! Yeah, it was as good as you remembered. Better than you said, even.” Morgan poured out a detailed recounting of the tests she’d conducted to improve the balance of flavors.
Joe’s stomach growled.
“Want me to run downstairs and check the fridge for leftovers?” She patted his flat belly.
“Nah. I’m sure I’ll have a slice or five tomorrow.” Joe relinquished her to stand on her own long enough to towel off. He plucked her from the bathmat and carried her to their bed the instant she’d finished.
They burrowed under the covers together, exchanging stories and news. She shook her head at the antics of his Carter cousins. Together with the crew, the six guys—a collection of lost souls Joe’s uncle had adopted after the untimely death of his wife—were rowdy enough to stir up trouble even in the middle of nowhere.
