Satisfaction: The Collection

by Tori Scott

  She gripped his hair so tightly she knew she'd find strands between her fingers later. But she couldn't help it. The climax rolled over her in waves and she rode it all the way through. His tongue didn't stop until she pushed his head away, spent and at the point where pleasure would soon turn to pain.

  He rested his cheek against her thighs, his breathing deep and ragged. Reggie had about as much strength as a rag doll. Every muscle had turned to mush. Even her mind was mush at the moment.

  He let her rest and recover for a couple of minutes before he began again. "Oh, noooo. Sam, I don't think I can…"

  He looked up and met her gaze. "Oh, I bet you can." And once more, he proved she could.

  When the second round of shudders began, he moved up and over her, sliding inside in one smooth movement. She clenched around him and he began to move, prolonging her climax and hyper-sensitizing her skin. He wasn't gentle, but she didn't want gentle. She met him thrust for thrust, driving him deeper, harder. She grabbed his tightly clenched ass and urged him closer, deeper.

  He raised himself up on his hands, looming over her, holding her gaze as he nearly lifted her from the bed with the force of his thrusts. "I love you, Reggie," he said as he found his own release deep inside her.

  She kept her gaze steady, though tears threatened to well up again. "I love you too, Sam. I always have."

  ***

  It was still dark outside when Sam woke a few hours later. He tucked the covers around Reggie and got up to turn off the lights. Then he slipped back into the bed and curled himself around her back, pulling her into him. She stirred and tried to turn to face him, but he held her steady with one hand, parting her legs with the other. He used his fingers to bring her wide awake and panting for release. Then he slid into her wet warmth from behind, letting her have all the experience with none of the work. His free hand stayed busy, stroking and stimulating her until the ripples began. This time her climax triggered his own and they finished together, panting and sweating though the air in the room was cool.

  He still didn't let her turn over, wanting to stay inside her as long as possible. They finally fell asleep again, still joined together.

  The next time they awoke, sunlight was streaming into the room through the balcony doors. Sam opened his eyes to find Reggie watching him, looking like a cat who'd discovered the catnip stash. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she purred, rubbing her body against him. He was already hard and ready.

  This time they took it slow and easy. He knew she had to be sore from the night before, but she didn't show it. She gave herself to him, fully and without holding anything back. She gave her heart as well as her body, and the experience was so new to him, it almost drove him over the edge before she was ready. He'd had sex, he knew now, but he had never actually made love before. He vowed to never have just sex again. Nothing less than making love with Reggie would satisfy his soul.

  He gathered her into his arms and buried his face in her neck. And for the first time since his childhood, he felt at peace.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Cara and Reggie exchanged hugs at the airport before getting into separate cabs for the ride home. "I can't thank you and Gray enough for inviting us on the cruise. It was one of those life-changing experiences I'll never forget, or ever be able to repay."

  Cara smiled up at Gray, who hovered close by as if afraid to let her out of his sight. "Maybe next time we'll actually surface long enough to see Iceland."

  Reggie laughed. "Maybe. But I think there will be many more trips in our future. Sam's already planning another trip to Paris, and he mentioned the two of you going, too."

  "Oh, that would be wonderful!" Cara gave her a last quick hug. "We'd better go. Call me tomorrow so we can talk, okay?"

  "Sure. Now go. Your mom is waiting and Angel looks like she about to lay into Mitch."

  Cara sighed. "I guess things didn't go so well for them. I don’t know why Angel refuses to see what a nice guy he is."

  Gray caught her hand and pulled her toward the taxi. Reggie blew her a kiss and waved until the taxi pulled away.

  Sam kissed the top of her head. "Are you ready?"

  "If you're asking if I'm ready for this two weeks to end, the answer is no. I don't know if I can go back to that lonely apartment and not see you for days at a time."

  Sam turned her to face him. "Who said anything about you going back to your apartment? I want you to move in with me. I want to see you first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. And anytime in between that we can manage it, for that matter."

  A flutter of excitement rippled through her. "Really? But won't George mind? I don't think he likes me very much."

  Sam ushered her into the taxi and climbed in beside her, taking her hand in his. He kissed her knuckles as he closed the door. "Somehow, I think George might have had a change of heart about you. I bet you'll find he's perfectly satisfied with the arrangement."

  "I hope so, Sam. Because I know I am."

  ###

  Read on for the final novella in the Satisfaction series, Finally Satisfied.

  FINALLY SATISFIED

  by Tori Scott

  Book Three in the Satisfaction Series

  (Angel and Mitch)

  CHAPTER ONE

  Angel Kensington could feel the panic attack coming on. Sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, choppy breathing. She searched the kitchen for a distraction and grabbed a cinnamon roll from the counter. She peeled a section off and popped it into her mouth, concentrating on the flavor, the texture--anything but what her younger sister Cara wanted her to do.

  Caramia put a hand on Angel’s shoulder. "I know how hard it will be for you, really. But this is the most important day of my life. Doesn’t that mean anything? "

  She shrugged Cara’s hand off and moved to the other side of the center island. "You should know better than to even ask. Let Reggie do it." Angel turned to their mother. "Mom, tell her. Tell her I can’t do this."

  "Don't bring me into this. It wasn't my idea." Anna Kensington wiped the kitchen counter with a dishrag, shaking her head as her daughters continued to argue.

  "Just tell me why," Cara begged. "You at least owe me that much."

  Angel scowled. Why couldn't Cara just accept no for an answer and let it go? She'd managed to go sixteen years without letting anyone in on her darkest secret, and she didn't intend to start now. "Two reasons. I don’t want to have a panic attack in front of all those people, and you know that’s a distinct possibility. Second, I don't want to be paired up with Mitch Turner, but it's inevitable if he's going to be Gray's best man."

  Cara sighed. "You can take your meds before the ceremony to take care of the first problem. As for the second, you won't be paired up with anyone. All you have to do is walk out with Mitch, then you can stay as far away from him as you want the rest of the time. It's not like I'm asking you to date him."

  Damned good thing, but she still didn't want to do this. How could she not, though, without looking like a self-absorbed bitch? She'd tried very hard to not let her mother and sister know how often she had the attacks, or how bad they were. If they knew, they’d worry a lot more than they did now, and her mother would hover. She knew sixteen years was way too long for it to affect her. But she couldn't help it. She'd tried to put the past behind her, just forget it, but nothing worked.

  The panic attacks came without warning. Stress made them more frequent and stronger. Being in the wedding, being near Mitch, would shoot her stress levels through the roof. Maybe if she doubled up on Ativan… "Fine. But I don't want to be dressed up like some fancy peacock. I get to choose my dress or no deal."

  "No problem. You and Reggie and I will go shopping together. As long as I get to choose the color, you two can do the rest." Cara let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank you. I want this wedding to be perfect, but how could it be without you in it to share it with me?"

  "Just promise me you won't try to do any matchmaking, or even try to make me danc
e with Mitch. Because I won't do it, and I won't be ladylike about saying no." Angel turned and fled the kitchen before Cara could press her for more details. Mitch seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but she didn’t trust him. She knew his family, and if he was anything like them, he had an ulterior motive behind those boyish good looks and southern charm.

  Ever since Cara and Gray had gotten back together, Mitch had made it his personal quest to draw her out. She didn't want to be drawn out. She liked her life just the way it was--safe and uncomplicated.

  She had her online friends and her photography business to keep her busy. She didn't need, or want, a man in her life. She'd been there, done that, and had the heartbreak to show for it.

  ***

  Cara settled onto the couch next to Gray with a glass of iced tea cradled in her hands. She couldn't wait until the weather turned cooler as fall settled firmly over Austin, perfect for sitting in front of the fireplace, talking and making wedding plans. But tonight it was still warm and muggy and the air conditioner hummed in the background. She wasn't in the mood to talk about the wedding, either. Angel's initial refusal to be her maid of honor had hurt her feelings, and Gray had picked up on her mood.

  He put his arm around her and pulled her in close, kissing her forehead. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

  Cara shook her head. How could she tell him that choosing Mitch as his best man might ruin the wedding? She'd assumed he'd ask Sam, but he'd insisted that while Sam was his best friend, Mitch was family. Which was the same reason she'd asked Angel to be maid of honor instead of Reggie, so how could she criticize his choice? But she had this uneasiness in the pit of her stomach that they might have made a terrible mistake.

  She watched enough reality television about weddings to have nightmares. Maybe they should just elope.

  "Is this about Angel?" Gray asked, rubbing a hand up her arm.

  "How did you guess?"

  "Maybe because you've been dreading asking her to be in the wedding. So I take it she said no?"

  "At first," she said, covering his hand with her own. She never tired of touching him, being touched by him. "But she finally agreed."

  "What did you have to bribe her with? A new car?" He chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him.

  "Nothing so expensive. I just had to promise we wouldn't try any matchmaking, and that she didn't have to have anything to do with Mitch beyond the recessional."

  Gray dropped a soft kiss on her upturned mouth. "I don't understand why she has such a problem with Mitch. As far as I know, he's never done anything to her. I didn't think they even knew each other. He's never mentioned her."

  "She's never mentioned him before, either, which makes me think there's something there, either in the past or just some strong attraction now, and Angel is running from it. So we have to block her escape." Cara looked up at Gray from beneath her lashes, something she'd learned drove him crazy and pretty much guaranteed that he would give her whatever she wanted.

  Gray shut his eyes. "Oh no you don't. You're not pulling that trick on me again."

  She batted her eyelashes against his chin, tickling him. "Open your eyes."

  "No."

  "Come on, Gray. Just one last itty-bitty favor."

  He opened one eye and sighed. "We're going to do it again, aren't we?"

  Cara laughed and kissed him, deep and hard. "Yep. Looks like we're having a destination wedding."

  ***

  "Oh, no. Not a chance. You bullied me into being in the wedding, but I'm not spending a couple of days trapped somewhere with no way out. Find yourself another bridesmaid." Angel could feel the panic attack building again. She had to get away, find some place where she could breathe. But Cara blocked the door to the kitchen and her mother stood in the doorway to the hall. Gray guarded the front door.

  They'd ganged up on her and cut off all avenues of escape. Sweat broke out on her forehead. Why couldn't they just leave her the hell alone? Why couldn't she have been an only child? Or an orphan? Then she wouldn't have people trying to force her to do things she didn't want to do.

  "What is so wrong with Mitch?" Cara demanded. "I want to know. Has he hurt you in some way? Forced himself on you? Belittled you or made fun of you?"

  Angel shook her head, her hair flying around her face. "No. I don't know. It's just…I can't explain it. He scares me."

  Gray's brows furrowed and his fists clenched. "If he's done anything to you, I'll take him apart myself."

  "No. He's been a perfect gentleman. Maybe that's the problem. He's just too damned nice. So I don't trust him."

  Cara laughed. "You don't like him because he's nice? Then what's the problem? It's the bad boys you have to watch out for. A gentleman will leave you alone if you ask him to. He won't push or press. Just tell him politely to leave you alone and he will. And if he doesn't, Gray will take care of it. Fair enough?"

  The panic began to abate a bit and Angel dragged in a deep breath. "Where are we going? It has to be somewhere I can get away from if I have to. No cruise ship this time."

  "Come sit down," Cara said, "and we'll tell you all about it. You're going to love it"

  No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't love being anywhere with Mitch. But curiosity won out and she followed Cara to the couch. Gray sat on one side of Angel and Cara sat on the other side. Trying to pen her in? When her mother pulled a chair up to face her across the coffee table, she was sure of it.

  Cara pulled some brochures from her purse and spread them across the table. "We're having an outdoor wedding and the one thing I want more than anything else is snow. Since the chances of that in Austin are nearly zilch, we have to find the perfect spot that has both snow and lots of scenery. But it needs to be somewhere in the states so our friends don't have to get passports to attend."

  Angel picked up a brochure and opened it. "Wow, it looks cold."

  Cara grinned. "But can you imagine how gorgeous we'll all be, wearing faux fur jackets with our dresses? I want long gloves and ear muffs, too. The pictures will be amazing."

  Angel sighed. It did sound beautiful. "But how are you going to pull a wedding together that fast? Valentine's Day is only a few months away."

  "I've chosen places that do complete packages, right down to the photographer and DJ. All we have to do is pick out the dresses and get them altered." Cara leaned into Gray and he pulled her in close. "We're cutting it close, but I thought we'd go shopping tomorrow. I've already scouted out a few places and had some dresses put aside."

  "But I had plans for tomorrow. I don't think I can change them on such short notice." This was too much, too fast. She'd kept her defenses in place all these years by always controlling her surroundings, her schedule, the people she let near, and now Cara was trying to wrest that control from her. She didn't think she could handle it.

  "Please? For me? Just one day, that's all I'm asking." She grinned. "Well, that and the week on the mountain, but who's counting?"

  "A week? Why a week?" Her heart beat went into double time. "No, I can't do that. Two days, maybe, for rehearsals and stuff, but that's it." No way was she spending a week trapped on a mountain. Not even her meds could get her through that.

  "We're making a vacation out of it for the wedding party. We're going to do all the touristy stuff during the day in between taking care of wedding details. At night we'll hang out around a fire and just relax so the wedding day isn't so stressful. We'll have plenty of time to chill out."

  Cara's mother smiled at Angel. "Doesn't that sound wonderful, dear?"

  No, it didn't sound wonderful at all. "But I hate snow. I hate cold. I thought you were getting married on the beach where it's warm?" She sounded whiny and petulant, but she couldn't help it. She hated surprises. Hated having plans uprooted and turned upside down. Why couldn't they see that? Didn't they know her at all?

  "Don't whine, Angel. It isn't becoming." Her mother turned to Gray. "Would you like some coffee, Gray? Or maybe some hot chocolate? I have cookies fresh from the oven
."

  Gray took the cue and followed her into the kitchen. "Hot chocolate sounds wonderful, Mrs. Kensington."

  "Oh, shoo. Call me Anna. You're practically family now."

  An uncomfortable silence settled over the living room as Angel avoided looking at Cara and Cara never took her gaze off of Angel. The grandfather clock on the sideboard ticked away the passing seconds, then minutes.

  "Would you stop staring at me like that?" Angel snapped before she turned and walked to the window, pulling the curtain back to look outside.

  "Would you stop acting like a wounded warrior with PTSD?" Cara snapped back. "Look, honey, I'm sorry. I know life hasn't been kind to you. But what happened was years ago. You've let the best years of your life pass you by while you hide out here with Mom. You need to get some help or you're going to die in this house, a lonely, bitter old woman."

  Angel shook her head, silent tears streaking down her cheeks. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't imagine telling someone else what I did."

  "Oh. My. God. You act like you're the only woman who ever had to give a child up for adoption. Angel, I love you dearly, but you seriously need to get a life and get over it already. Your son is out there somewhere, with parents who love him, who take him to school and soccer practice, who watch all his games, who are putting money away for his college. He wasn't dropped into a deep black hole like you've relegated yourself to. If he even knows he's adopted, he's probably not letting it destroy his life. So why should you let it destroy yours?"

  Cara took a breath, started to say something else, then sighed. "I'm sorry. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. If you decide you want to join Reggie and me tomorrow, we're meeting at Giselle's at ten. You can show up, or you can hide out here where you're safe. I give up."