The Truth About Cats & Dogs

by Lori Foster

  Buck paused. “Me first what?” He half laughed. “If I come first, I’m afraid the gig is up. I’d need at least an hour to—”

  “No.” Her face burned. “I meant…would you undress first? Then I won’t feel so…naked.”

  He shrugged one hard shoulder. “Sure. Modesty isn’t one of my virtues.” Reaching back, he grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked it off. He dropped it onto the floor beside them. Smiling at her, he lifted one foot and tugged off his shoe and sock, then removed the other.

  Sadie’s heartbeat accelerated. Buck wasn’t an overly hairy man, but there was a nice patch of brown curls between his well-developed pecs, and farther down, trailing from his navel into his jeans. She already knew that hair was silky soft and that his skin was warm and taut.

  He opened the snap of his jeans.

  “Okay?” he asked, watching her closely.

  “Yes.” More than okay. She’d already seen him in his underwear and a towel. Now she wanted to see everything.

  He shoved the jeans down, taking his underwear off at the same time. He kicked them aside, straightened—and let her look her fill.

  Holy moly. Everything in her felt tight and liquid and hot. Embarrassment ebbed, replaced with fascination. Sadie had never seen a naked man up close. It was so nice that her first was the epitome of masculine perfection.

  Raising her gaze to his face, she said, “You’re amazing.”

  A startled laugh escaped him. “Look all you want, honey, but you know, you can touch, too.”

  That was all the encouragement she needed. “Thank you.” She leaned up against him. “Kiss me again, okay?” It’d be easier for her to explore his body if he wasn’t looking at her with such probing expectation.

  His tone was more serious than she had expected when he said, “Anything you want, Sadie.”

  And then his mouth was over hers, treating her to a long, slow, tongue-teasing kiss that made her toes curl in her shoes.

  Sadie started with her hands on his shoulders. His skin was hot and sleek, but she preferred the feel of his hairy chest. When her palms grazed his nipples, he gave a small growl of pleasure, and then his hands were on her breasts, too.

  Even through her blouse, she could feel the heat of his palms, the strength. He cuddled her breasts, shaped them, and finally his thumbs moved over her nipples, circling, barely stroking, but eliciting a gasp of surprise at the sharp intensity of the sensation.

  “Nice, huh?” he murmured against her mouth.

  “Yes.” She knew her reply sounded a lot like a moan.

  “You’ll like it even more once we get your clothes out of the way.”

  As far as hints went, that was pretty clear. “All right.”

  He showed his appreciation of her reply with another voracious kiss, while his hands left her breasts to tackle the buttons on her blouse. These were smaller than the ones on her sweater, and not as easy to undo. But Sadie had little thought for her own clothes with Buck’s powerful body bared for her pleasure.

  She let her fingers trace the tense muscles of his abdomen, tease the silkier hair beneath his navel, then she dipped lower. His penis jutted out, hard and warm. Fascinated, she cupped him in both hands.

  With a low growl, Buck seemed to forget about undressing her. He dropped his forehead to hers. In a rasping whisper, he said, “I love having you hold me, Sadie.”

  A little awed, she spoke without measuring her words. “You’re so hot and so soft.”

  “Not soft at all.”

  “No, I didn’t mean that. Your skin is velvety. I didn’t expect that.” She continued to explore him while Buck made sounds of mingled pain and pleasure. “And you feel alive. You’re even throbbing.”

  His hand curled over hers, forcing her to squeeze him a little tighter, then stroke. Once. Twice. “Okay. That’s enough of that.” With a raw, broken laugh, he pulled her hands away, kissed each palm, then put them on his shoulders. “Safer ground, at least for now, okay?”

  Confused, Sadie asked, “I did it wrong?”

  “You did it too right. And no way in hell do I want to come early on your first time.”

  “Oh.” He was so frank in his speech, she should have been embarrassed again, but somehow, his lack of embarrassment reassured her.

  She’d forgotten about him unbuttoning her blouse until he dragged it off her shoulders. Her bra was plain white cotton with no decoration at all.

  But Buck didn’t even seem to notice. Once the blouse was gone, he reached around her and unhooked her bra with practised ease. He stepped back, leaving the bra to hang loosely on her slender frame. His gaze burning, he used just his fingertips trailing over her shoulders to drag the straps down her arms. The bra slipped, then fell free past her elbows. Sadie let it drop to the floor.

  Refusing to be too timid, she put her shoulders back and kept her spine straight.

  Buck’s gaze was so hot, so admiring as he stared at her breasts, that she didn’t feel too small despite her modest bust. Throwing his own words back at him, she whispered, “I don’t mind you looking, but you’re welcome to touch, too.”

  “Yeah?” he asked with a slow grin. “Thank God. I’m not sure I could mind my manners right now.”

  But he didn’t just touch her. No, he shocked her senseless by catching her waist, lifting her to her tiptoes while he bent down, and then his mouth was over her left nipple, his rough tongue licking, curling around her, and then he sucked.

  “Buck.” Sadie tunneled her fingers through his hair, holding on for dear life.

  He gave a rough groan and moved to her other breast.

  She felt the draw of his mouth everywhere, in each of her breasts, in her trembling thighs, and most especially low in her stomach, where a tingling ache expanded on waves.

  “We gotta lose the skirt now, too, baby.” He set her back on her feet and hurriedly opened the zipper down her side. “I’m sorry, I know I’m not being very patient.” He went down on one knee and pulled her skirt to her ankles. “But it’s crazy how bad I want you.”

  Sadie stared down at him, touched, flattered, turned on. “Whatever you want, Buck.”

  He helped her step out of her shoes and skirt. “I want this. Don’t faint on me, okay?”

  That was all the warning Sadie got before he cupped her fanny in his hands, pulled her forward and kissed her through her white cotton panties.

  “Ohmigod.”

  “Yeah,” he murmured, and even his breath felt erotic and tantalizing. “You smell delicious.”

  Never in her life had Sadie imagined a man saying such a thing while doing such a thing.

  His tongue pressed against her, seeking, and her knees wanted to buckle. “I…I need to sit down.”

  “Not yet,” he growled. “Once you’re on the bed, things are going to get out of control pretty quick.” He squeezed her bottom, kneading her, then hooked his thumbs into her waistband and eased her panties down. “Step out, Sadie.”

  She had to brace herself on his shoulders to do that. When she stood before him naked, she expected him to stand. He didn’t. He put his thick arms around her and hugged her close, with his cheek on her belly, his hands opened wide on her back.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  Sex talk, Sadie thought, and smiled. While her muscles turned to mush, she stroked his hair and wondered how long this euphoria could last.

  It wouldn’t be long enough for her. Buck leaned back and looked up at her. “You don’t believe me?”

  Her smile twitched. “It doesn’t matter.” She cupped his jaw in her hands. “You can’t know how happy I am to be here with you. Not just with any man, but with you, Buck.”

  His gaze holding hers, he dragged his palms down her back to her bottom, then the back of her thighs. “Why?”

  “Besides the obvious?”

  His fingers rose higher again, this time between her thighs. His gaze never wavered. “What’s the obvious?”

  “That you’re sexy and handsome and have
an incredible body.”

  That gave him pause, but only for a moment. Sadie felt his fingertips touching her intimately from behind. Another thing she’d never imagined!

  “What’s not so obvious?”

  “I…I can’t talk while you do that.”

  “Yeah, you can.”

  One finger teased at her tender lips, gently probing without quite entering her. Sadie felt her own wetness and had to close her eyes to think.

  “Tell me,” he insisted. “Why me and not some other guy?”

  “You’re good to Tish. You’re gentle with Butch.” She opened her eyes so she could make sure he understood. “And you make me laugh.”

  He pushed his finger deeper, his expression strained, his breathing harsh. “You’re so damn tight.”

  Sadie tipped her head back and moaned, as much from what he said as what he did.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  She shook her head. “No.” She knew in her heart that Buck would never hurt her. Not physically. But he was bound to break her heart when their time together ended.

  He kissed her belly. His tongue dipped into her navel, trailed a damp path down to her pubic curls, then he used his thumbs to open her. “You’re wet, Sadie, but I want you wetter. I want to know for sure that I won’t hurt you. You’re just so damn small, and I’m not—”

  “No,” she agreed with a smile. “You’re not.” That she could smile at the moment, that even now Buck amused her and made her feel lighthearted, was nothing short of a miracle. He was a miracle. And for now, he was all hers.

  She felt his tongue searching, and had to lock her knees. “Buck, I really need to lie down.”

  “In a minute.” He worked a second finger into her, pressed deep, slowly withdrew, and pushed in again.

  “Oh, God.” Giving up, Sadie automatically widened her stance and let him do as he pleased, because what he did pleased her, too.

  He nuzzled closer, his breath burning, his tongue damp and soft, seeking until he curled it around her clitoris. Her heart and lungs threatened to explode. Her body shivered all over.

  And then he was suckling again, this time with such devastating effect that she almost couldn’t bear it. Sensations grew, twisting inside her, shaking her, all the while expanding, receding, then coming back stronger—and she knew what was about to happen.

  She clenched her fingers in his hair to stay upright and let the awesome shock waves roll over her.

  Somehow she ended up on her back on Buck’s bed. His mouth was now at her breast, sucking strongly, while his fingers remained inside her, keeping her orgasm alive. Sadie twisted and groaned. She couldn’t silence her cries or hold herself still.

  Finally, after long agonizingly amazing moments, Buck kissed his way gently up to her temple. He pulled her close and just held her.

  Sadie stared at the ceiling in blank surprise. She’d never dreamed…never quite imagined…“Buck?”

  “Hmm?” He kissed her ear and hugged her.

  “That was wonderful.”

  He shoved up on one elbow and, though he wasn’t smiling, she saw the glint of humor in his green eyes. “You’re something else, you know that?”

  She shook her head. She’d always thought she was pretty darn ordinary, in a plain, easy-to-ignore way.

  Buck looked down at her breasts and began tracing one nipple with a fingertip. “I expected you to be really shy.”

  “I am.”

  “I expected you to be uptight. I thought I’d have to work at getting you to relax.” He bent and gave her a quick kiss, which made her blush considering where his mouth had just been. He grinned. “But you’re a hedonist at heart, aren’t you?”

  Sadie considered that. “I enjoyed what you did.” She turned a little toward him so she could stroke his chest and abdomen. “And you make me feel comfortable. You’re so matter-of-fact about everything. I didn’t quite know how this would work, but it just seemed natural with you.”

  He nodded, looking far too grave. “Right. With me.” He sat up and opened the bedside drawer. “Remember that, okay?”

  Sadie watched as he located a condom and rolled it on.

  “You’re going to finish making love to me now?”

  “No. I won’t finish now. I’ll take my time. But I am dying to get inside you. And after we both come, maybe we’ll nap or get a snack or watch a movie.” He stretched out over her, held her face and kissed the bridge of her nose. And in a voice husky with arousal he said, “Then we can start all over again.”

  “Really?” Sounded like a great plan to Sadie.

  “Oh, yeah. You’re spending the night, okay?”

  Before she could answer, he kissed her deeply. He went on kissing her until she punched his shoulder and demanded he get a move on.

  Laughing, Buck said, “Yes, ma’am.” He reached down between their bodies, opened her and slowly pressed in.

  Her breath caught.

  His jaw clenched.

  He was big, and she felt incredible pressure.

  “Stay with me, Sadie.” He braced himself on stiffened arms, which increased the pressure between her legs. He squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his jaw, then had the nerve to say, “Relax.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  He groaned. “Bend your knees, honey. Lift into me.” To help her, he lowered himself onto one elbow and wedged a hand under her hips. “That’s it.”

  His fingers clenched on her bottom, he let out a long, exaggerated groan, and then he sank deep.

  Sadie cried out, not in pain but with mind-numbing pleasure. Buck didn’t slow or give her time to get acclimated to his size. He pulled out and drove in again. Both hands went to her bottom, tilting her up to take more of him. His body was warm and heavy. The friction was incredible.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and tried to follow his rhythm.

  But far too soon, he stiffened. Sadie knew he was about to climax and curiosity distracted her. Until he opened his mouth on her throat and gave her a love bite. It was so wicked, such a sexual act of possession, she felt her own orgasm swelling again and she embraced it. It was different this time, with Buck a part of her. It was more powerful, and more satisfying, to be able to squeeze him tight inside her body.

  Her limbs trembled and throbbed. Vaguely she was aware of Buck trembling, too, his muscles all straining, his growls raw and broken. Moments later he lowered himself onto her, but immediately rolled onto his back so that she was on top.

  For several minutes they lay there like that. Then Sadie felt him pull out of her, and even that was an enjoyable experience.

  “My backside is cold.”

  He grunted and blindly reached for a sheet, dragging it up and over her. “Sleep woman. I need to recoup my strength.”

  His heartbeat was a steady thumping beneath her cheek. His arms were around her, his hands now cuddling her bottom, presumably to warm it. And she felt so lax, so utterly replete, that she dozed off without a single care on her mind.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  TWO NIGHTS LATER, Buck accidentally woke Sadie in the middle of the night when he climbed back into bed. They’d spent the entire weekend together, alternately playing with the dogs, eating, watching movies, and making love.

  Just that evening, after she’d gone limp in his arms from a long, screaming climax, Sadie had told him that she hadn’t realized life could be so relaxed and enjoyable. She broke his heart when she said things like that, and made him more determined than ever to make up for her selfless and lonely childhood.

  On the outside, Sadie continued to look shy and timid. But deep inside, she was wild and without reserve. She made no bones about loving sex. She wanted to try everything, claming she had a lot of catching up to do.

  Buck was more than happy to oblige her.

  He wanted to cherish her, and toward that aim, he kissed her all the time, for no reason and for every reason. If she fixed coffee, it deserved a kiss. If she yawned, he thought
it was cute and had to nibble on her lips.

  When she struggled with Tish or had to clean up a mess from the dog, he offered to help. And when Tish dragged a hideous half-dead bug into the house, Buck got rid of it for her, then hugged her and kissed her again and again until she stopped making awful faces.

  He’d even tackled another cicada for her. He hoped she realized that, with his aversion to the red-eyed monsters, he wouldn’t have done that for just anyone.

  Sadie obviously hadn’t heard him leave the bed earlier, given her suspicious look now. “Where’ve you been?”

  For a woman who’d spent her life sleeping alone, she’d quickly accustomed herself to having him take more than half the bed. She compensated by sprawling over him. Buck liked that.

  He deliberately snuggled close, making sure his cold feet brushed hers. She yelped and pulled her feet up to his calves.

  “I was outside.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Herding Chihuahuas.” He smiled and kissed her shoulder. She had the silkiest, most baby-fine skin he’d ever felt. She was soft everywhere, and it made him nuts. “Butch wanted out, and of course, Tish had to follow. But she got past me without her leash, and then Butch shot out, too. I chased Tish, and Butch chased me.”

  Sadie snickered at the picture he painted.

  In mock annoyance, he said, “Hey, catching her again wasn’t easy. But at least I had enough sense to pull my jeans on this time.”

  Still grinning, looking tousled and sexy and sweet, she sat up. “You should have woken me up.”

  Buck pulled her back down into his arms. “You were dead out, so I didn’t want to bother you.” He cupped her naked breast, loving the feel of her.

  Loving her. Damn.

  “Buck?”

  “But you’re awake now,” he drawled.

  Sadie’s voice went deep and she sank down against him. “I am. Very awake.”

  Buck pulled her beneath him. Words of love tried to break free, but he knew it was too soon. Sadie needed a little time to get used to the physical side of having a man in her bed before he dumped the emotional stuff on her, too. Even while kissing her shoulder, he murmured, “It’s four-thirty in the morning. I should let you sleep.”