Handle with Care (Saddler Cove)

by Nina Croft

  “I suppose it’s okay if I try and wash it out?”

  He knew from experience that nothing was shifting that stain. But he gave a slow nod and waited for what was to come next. Something, he was sure. And his nerves tingled with anticipation. He hadn’t had this much fun in…he couldn’t remember. His brothers were constantly referring to him as a miserable bastard, and they weren’t wrong. But he didn’t feel miserable right now. He felt twitchy, on edge, excited…

  She reached behind her and lowered the zipper.

  Jesus.

  Then she wriggled out of the dress until it pooled on the floor around her ankles. Leaving her in pale pink silk and lace that covered nothing. She was straight from his fantasies. Tiny waist, curvy hips, slender legs, and the most gorgeous pair of tits he’d seen in eight years. Full and round, and he could see her nipples poking through the lace.

  Now what was he supposed to do?

  …

  Oh Lord. What have I done?

  For a moment Emily’s mind went completely blank. Refused to process the fact that she was nearly naked in front of Tanner O’Connor.

  Yup, it was official—she was crazy.

  But he’d said he fantasized about her. And then he’d made her mad. Called her sensible. And she’d needed to prove him wrong. To prove everyone wrong. To be someone else for a little while. Someone brave, who went after what she wanted.

  But her anger was draining away. What if he didn’t like what he saw? She was far from the tall, skinny model-types he was no doubt used to. Her skin heated up, and she swallowed, then risked a peek at his face.

  He was standing perfectly still, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide, and in the midst of her panic, she experienced a stab of elation. If nothing else, she had managed to shock him. And a wave of—probably misplaced—courage washed through her.

  “Ha, got you!” she said. “Is that something a ‘sensible’ woman would do? Admit it, you’re shocked.”

  He didn’t deny it. He closed his mouth. Then opened it again, but no words came out. She’d stunned him speechless.

  He shook his head. He was taking too long to answer—maybe he was trying to work out how to turn her down gently—and her satisfaction and resolve were slipping away again. She looked at him, then down at her dress around her ankles, back to him. Nausea churned in her stomach.

  “Nah.” He broke the silence at last, his lips curving in a cocky grin. “I’m not shocked. Remember, I’ve seen it before. It will take more than that to shock me. Try again, sweetheart.”

  And just like that, the nausea cleared. More? She’d give him more. “Really? How about this, then?” She reached behind her and unclasped her bra. She could almost see him holding his breath as she peeled the material from her breasts. His gaze dropped. She held herself still, making no move to cover herself.

  “Fuck, but you are beautiful.” His voice was husky, and heat flared in his eyes. He liked what he saw, and the last of her fear drained away. He wanted her. Maybe not as much as she wanted him, or maybe more. Or perhaps he was just toying with her, and he’d start laughing any moment now. Or something worse.

  She was playing a dangerous game. She knew his reputation, and she should be running a mile. Instead, she’d stripped in front of him. Now she had to take the consequences. She took a deep breath, pulled her shoulders back.

  Something she couldn’t quite identify flickered in his eyes. “You know where this is going?” he asked.

  Did he think she was stupid? “No idea. Why don’t you show me?” She shook her head. “For goodness sake, I might be sensible, but I’m not stupid. I’m nearly naked, I hope I know where it’s going.”

  “And you want to go there?”

  Emily glared at him. Why was he making this so hard? While she hadn’t planned this, now she’d come this far, she didn’t think she’d survive if he didn’t make at least one of her fantasies come to life. “You know, in high school all the girls used to say you were easy. What do you want? A signed consent form? Yes, I want to go there.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment, and she held her breath. Then he grinned. “Thank Christ.”

  Reaching down, he grabbed the hem of his T-shirt, pulled it over his head, and tossed it away from him. She stared, quite unable to move, her gaze running over him, the broad chest, flat nipples, the rippling muscles of his belly, the little line of blond hair that disappeared inside his low-slung jeans. Lower. She could see the bulge in his jeans. He was already hard, and her mouth went dry, her pulse speeding up. Tanner O’Connor had a hard-on for her.

  He stepped closer and reached down. Picking up her limp hand, he placed it on his chest. For a second, she literally couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Then she stroked her palm over his skin, her nails scratching over his nipple, down his belly, resting on the waistband of his jeans. He laid his hand over hers to stop her downward movement, and her gaze shot to his face.

  “Why?” he asked.

  She licked her lips while she thought of her answer. Finally, she decided on the truth. “You’re not the only one who has fantasies.”

  “You fantasized about me?” She nodded. “Sex with me?” It sounded like she’d shocked him again.

  “Wow. Little Emily Towson had sexy thoughts about me. Who would have thought it?” He took another step closer, so close his body brushed against her bare breasts, and heat flashed through her. The warm scent of him filled her nostrils, fresh sweat and engine oil. Just as she had imagined.

  “Did you touch yourself while you were thinking about me?” he asked.

  “The first time I ever had an orgasm, I was thinking of you.”

  He groaned. “Jesus.”

  Had she really just said that? She released her hold on him, stepped back, and slapped her hands to her face. “I so did not just say that.” She peeked through her fingers. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, baby, and once said that sort of thing cannot be taken back. It’s engraved in my memory.” He was silent for a moment. “When you say used to—how long ago? When was the last time?”

  Did she really want to admit this? But the word burst free. “Sunday.”

  “This Sunday?” She nodded, and he smiled. “I saw you in town. Did you see me, then go home and make yourself come?” She nodded again. She had a feeling she shouldn’t be revealing this much of herself to him, but somehow couldn’t help herself. “Jesus, that is so hot. But hell, enough talking about fantasies. Baby, I’m going to see you come for real. I’ll be better than your fantasies. I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. I’m going to—”

  She wished he would just get on with it before she lost her nerve. “Honestly, you don’t talk this much in my fantasies.” Enough of the talking. “You definitely do more and say less.”

  With a grin, he cupped her breast in his big hand, and her nipple tightened. She held her breath. Second base with Tanner O’Connor. Who would have believed it? Not her.

  His palm was hard and warm and rough, and she was melting from the inside. Her eyes drifted half closed as he lowered his head and kissed her nipple, sucking it into his mouth, teasing with his teeth, sending fire along her nerves, and she moaned and pushed into him.

  He kissed her other breast, then the nipple. Then he raised his head and took her mouth in a deep kiss. His lips soft, then hard as his tongue pushed inside.

  Tanner O’Connor’s tongue was in her mouth.

  And it was better than every fantasy rolled together.

  Heat sank down through her body, and a pulse started between her thighs. This was so much more than she imagined.

  She kissed him back, her hands coming up and gripping the back of his head, digging into his silky-soft hair, holding him while her tongue slid against his, the taste of him driving her wild.

  He pulled back a little, and she gave a mewling cry of displeasure. “Condoms,” he muttered.

  “Condoms?” She didn’t have any condoms. Would he expect her to have condom
s?

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I have condoms. Somewhere. Don’t move.” He dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. She held her breath as he opened it, took out a condom. Hallelujah.

  Unable to resist, she reached out her hand and traced the tattoo around his right nipple. A sunburst. At her touch, a tremor ran through him. It made her feel a little better. He was far from immune to her. She trailed her finger down his chest; his skin was on fire. Finally, she reached his waistband and edged back enough to flick open the button on his jeans. She’d been peering up into his face, but now her gaze dropped to where she fumbled with his zipper.

  “I want to see,” she murmured.

  Finally, he was free, and he groaned, then shoved his jeans and boxers down, kicked off his boots, dragged everything off, and he was naked. At last.

  She blew out her breath.

  Holy moly.

  His dick was hard, vertical against his stomach, and as she stared, it twitched and pulsed.

  “You’re staring,” he murmured.

  “It’s…bigger than I imagined.”

  He grinned. “Well, next time you play with yourself, you can get the details right.”

  She took a step closer. Her hand came out again, almost tentatively, and she touched him. His cock jerked, as if straining toward her, and she wrapped her fingers around him and squeezed. His skin was hot and silky smooth, and he groaned again.

  Reluctantly, she released her hold and glanced to where he still held the condom in his hand. “Put it on.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Bossy, aren’t you?”

  Not usually, but she had a feeling that if they slowed things down then one of them was going to decide this was a bad idea, and she couldn’t bear it if he stopped now. “Please.”

  He tore the condom wrapper with his teeth and rolled it down over his cock. Then he glanced around. He was thinking too much. She didn’t want him to change his mind. Not now. Then he wrapped his arms around her, slid them down her back, rubbed the curve of her ass—so good—then gripped her tight and lifted her off her feet.

  A startled “Oh” fell from her mouth.

  Her hands came up to grab his shoulders, her legs wrapping around his waist. She buried her nose in the skin at his throat. “You smell of oil and sweat and…man. Umm.” She licked his skin; he tasted of salt, and heat pooled in her belly. His cock was pressed up against the softness of her, and she wanted more. He carried her over to the work bench at the edge of the room as though she weighed nothing, then balanced her with one hand while he swept the tools from the table and onto the floor with a loud clanging that barely registered in her foggy mind. He lowered her, resting her ass down on the cool metal surface.

  “Lie back,” he said, gently pushing her with his hand on her shoulder.

  She peered at him for a few seconds, then lowered herself so she lay staring up at the ceiling. He placed his hands on her breasts and squeezed, then tugged at her nipples, and pleasure flooded her. Lowering his head, he took one tight peak in his mouth, nipped with his teeth, then licked her, and she moaned for more.

  One finger hooked in her pink lace panties, and he slowly stripped them down over her thighs, over her calves, over the shoes she still wore, tossed them away. She lifted onto her elbows to watch him. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes half closed.

  Christ, he was beautiful.

  A shiver ran through her as he trailed a finger through the curls at the base of her belly. Then he slid his hands between her thighs, parted them, so she was open to him. She couldn’t move, couldn’t look away, as he lowered his head. His breath whispered against her sex, and everything inside her clenched up tight. Then he touched her with his tongue, licking her, circling the most sensitive spot, and her spine arched, her hips lifting off the table. And nothing had ever felt this good, this frightening.

  She gripped his head, her fingers threading in his silky hair as he French kissed her sex, stroking her with his tongue. She was writhing beneath him now, and he held her still with his hands on her hips as he sucked the little nub into his mouth, suckled her. She was so close now, she could feel the tension building. He bit down gently, and she exploded against his mouth, screaming as she came. He licked, then bit again, and she kept right on coming. Finally, the tremors racking her body faded. He kissed her one last time, then straightened.

  “My turn.”

  The words hardly registered. She was totally boneless, incapable of coherent thought. Sliding his hands under her ass, he picked her up easily, holding her against his chest. She clung to his shoulders as he backed her up to the wall, balancing her with one hand again while the other moved between their bodies, positioning himself at the entrance to her body, placing the tip of his cock inside her. A shiver ran through her at his touch, then he shoved hard and filled her.

  And it was so indescribably good. Better than her fantasies. Better than anything she could have ever imagined, and she savored the sensation of him deep inside her, stretching her.

  She’d gone all the way. With Tanner O’Connor.

  For a moment, he didn’t move.

  “Don’t stop.” If he stopped now, she would die.

  The corner of his mouth curled in a half smile. “No way am I stopping. Hold on tight, babe.”

  A shiver of fear prickled across her skin. So much naked power about to be unleashed. What had she done?

  Too late now.

  He pulled out—and her muscles tightened, fighting to hold him inside. Then he thrust back in, hard and fast. Then again. Harder and faster. Until she was mindless, aware of nothing but the hard body slamming into her. Over and over. The pleasure building at her center, radiating out. Her heart raced, her hands clawed at his shoulders, holding on tight as he sent her out of control.

  Shifting her higher, he pressed her back against the wall, his hips grinding roughly against her core. So good. Then he lowered his head, bit down hard where her shoulder met her throat, and the sharp pain shot her over the edge. She came again. Harder than before. Pleasure exploding through her, the edges of her vision blurring.

  She was only vaguely aware as he thrust one last time, spilling himself inside her. Her legs tightened around his waist, and he kept right on coming, hips pumping.

  Finally, he went still, rested his head against her forehead, and she breathed again.

  …

  Best sex ever.

  Who knew little Miss Sensible was going to be every fantasy he’d ever had rolled into one? Well, him, actually. After all, he’d been jerking off to thoughts of Emily Towson for the last eight years. Thank God that for once in his life the real world exceeded his imagination.

  His legs were shaky, and he wrapped his arms around her, turned, and slid down the wall to sit on the floor with Emily in his lap. His body felt good, relaxed and at peace, but his mind filled with a sense of melancholy.

  This was a one-off, as in never going to happen again; he was pretty sure she’d regret it once she came to her senses. Girls like Emily didn’t date guys like him—they dated men like Ryan Forrester. But he’d bet his favorite hog—a Dyna Super Glide he’d customized himself—that Ryan had never made her come that hard, never made her scream his name. He had to bite back the urge to ask her—that would go down well.

  Maybe it was time for her to leave before he said something monumentally stupid—it was only a matter of time.

  She was awfully quiet. Was she working out how to get away from him? Did she think he was going to be a problem? Expect to see her again? That would be a bad idea.

  But he wished briefly that he was a different person.

  The sort of person who could be more than a one-off screw for a girl like Emily Towson.

  Never going to happen.

  Chapter Five

  Emily kept her eyes tightly closed.

  How was she ever going to look at him?

  He’d had his mouth between her legs. The memory made her squirm a little, and the big muscular arms aroun
d her tightened.

  But no one had ever done that for her before.

  Holy moly. At the memory, a little pulse started between her thighs again.

  Stop that, right now.

  She’d screamed. It was a wonder no one had called the police. But maybe women screaming was a common occurrence in the O’Connor’s workshop. In high school, he’d had a positive harem of girls. And while she wasn’t aware of any current girlfriends, she presumed he must have one or more somewhere.

  And she didn’t like how that made her feel. It was none of her business who Tanner gave screaming orgasms to. This had been an aberration. Just a culmination of events, brought to a head by his using the dreaded “s” word.

  If he hadn’t said she was sensible, none of this would have happened.

  Somehow, she had to get up, get dressed, and get out of there. Preferably without him seeing her. Yeah, like that was going to happen. She supposed she could ask him to close his eyes. He’d no doubt laugh in her face. But she’d never been entirely comfortable with nudity. Hers or anyone else’s.

  She hadn’t told him to close his eyes when he’d been down there. He must have gotten a good eyeful. Ugh. She’d never understand how people could want to do that. Now she didn’t think she’d ever get the memory of his mouth from her mind. It had felt so good. Better than good. She hadn’t known her body was capable of so much sensation.

  She’d had sex with Tanner O’Connor.

  Would he tell everyone? Boast about it?

  A shudder ran through her. He must have felt the movement, because he shifted her a little in his arms, jiggling her.

  “You awake?”

  Maybe she wasn’t. Maybe it had all been a dream. “Yes.”

  “Good, because my legs are going numb. And this floor isn’t meant for sitting on.”

  She forced her eyes open. She was sitting on Tanner’s lap, her legs to the side, his stretched out in front. His were about twice as long as hers, tanned, muscular, with a light furring of golden hairs. His arms were around her, one curled around her waist, the other splayed across her hip. And she was still naked. So was he.