One-Click Buy: July 2009 Harlequin Blaze

by Julie Kenner

  An instant later, his hands were cupping her face, pushing her hair away as he slanted his lips over hers. “Good,” he murmured against her mouth. She tasted his surrender—her victory—on his lips. “Because I’m about to take you.”

  8

  DETERMINED THOUGH HE was—not to mention literally aching for her—Adam McPherson was nervous about being with a woman for the first time in his life.

  Was it Winnie? he wondered. Or was it because he hadn’t been with anyone since the accident?

  Probably a combination of both, he decided, feeling her lithe body mold instantly to his. An unfamiliar emotion rushed through him, leaving a bittersweet sensation in its wake and the burn of desire running through his blood quickly seared away most of his uneasiness.

  Most of the time his prosthesis felt like an extension of himself—strangely familiar now—but there was always the risk that he could move the wrong way and his foot not react accordingly.

  Dammit, he should have thought about that before he came here. They needed to be careful. He’d feel terrible if he hurt her.

  Furthermore, he really should have made more of an effort to make this more special for her—take her to the beach or to their favorite secluded spot in Magnolia Park. Or hell, even McKinney Point. When he’d left his place, he’d had wonderful intentions of doing just that. But the instant he’d looked at her all of those noble objectives had simply evaporated, scorched away by the need he could no longer deny.

  He wanted. He ached. He burned. And the desire to put himself between her thighs was quite honestly beyond anything in his experience—the drive, the sheer force of their chemistry demanded instant gratification. He would make it up to her, Adam thought. He would—

  Winnie’s hot breath sighed into his mouth and her pert breasts pressed against his chest. Her fingers traced the planes of his face, almost lovingly, then pushed into his hair and kneaded his scalp. She fed at his mouth, tangling her tongue around his, suckling, sampling, molding and with every brush of her lush lips across his, Adam felt more and more like a man and less and less like an amputee.

  He inwardly marveled at the change, savored the cleansing swell of emotion washing over him.

  Desire, fierce and unprecedented, chugged hotly through his veins and his dick hardened to the point just shy of pain. Tension coiled in every muscle and the only relief seemed to come from feeling her against him—her sleek little body and delicious rump.

  He absolutely loved her ass, Adam thought, as he shaped it with both of his hands, giving her a gentle squeeze.

  “Adam,” she said breathlessly, tugging at his shirt. Her warm fingers brushed his belly, making him inhale sharply.

  “Yes?” he asked distractedly.

  She licked a path up the side of his neck, then breathed gently into his ear. “Ideally this would have happened in a bed—”

  He laughed against her mouth. “Haven’t you been listening? Sex and beds aren’t mutually exclusive.”

  She chuckled, acknowledging the reminder, then licked another wicked path up the side of his neck. “Right, so the floor should appeal to your tastes.”

  He didn’t give a damn where it took place—hell, he’d take her against the pastry case if she suggested it—so long as he got to be inside her, could bury himself in her heat right now. He was suddenly desperate, mindless with the need to feel her little body around him, her hands on his naked skin. He wanted to lick her from one end to the other, dust powdered sugar over her breasts and remove it with his tongue.

  He was thankful that the back of the pastry case wasn’t clear when Winnie tugged him down behind the counter, stripped his shirt over his head, then pushed him back and followed him down. Ah… Her hands slid over his chest, mapping every muscle and ridge while she kissed him—his mouth, his neck, his chest. She laved a nipple and he bucked beneath her, his breath hissing out between his clenched teeth.

  But that gave him an idea…

  Adam found the hem of her shirt and worked the navy blue cotton fabric up and over her shoulders and head, then tossed it aside. Her bare breasts, her pouting nipples were suddenly before him.

  “No bra?” he asked, pleased. “Nice.”

  He tested the weight of them in his hands, then touched the tip of his tongue to the crest of one nipple, before he pulled the whole bud into his mouth.

  Winnie gasped and her eyes fluttered shut. “It’s b-built in,” she said.

  He thumbed the other nipple then sampled it as well. “What?”

  “The b-bra. It’s b-built into the sh-shirt.”

  If she still had the presence of mind to explain her undergarments, then he clearly wasn’t doing this right, Adam thought. He smiled against her then suckled harder.

  A startled little choking noise came from her open mouth and she flexed her hips over his, aligning the softest part of her with the hardest part of him. His dick strained against his shorts, looking for the relief that was right there, but still inaccessible.

  Time to rectify that, Adam thought.

  He drew her down, then slid his hands down her back, beneath her shorts and over her bare ass. His fingers encountered tiny strings and the idea made him smile.

  “Thong?”

  “No panty lines,” she said, kissing his cheek, the edge of his mouth. A shiver seemed to run through her as he swiftly removed the tiny undies and shorts. And finally, he had what he so desperately wanted.

  Winnie…naked.

  Gloriously, utterly naked.

  His eyes feasted on her and the sight made his chest tighten with some unnamed emotion, made his hands unaccountably shake. Bikini lines left the smallest bit of pale flesh and for reasons he couldn’t begin to explain, he found this strangely sexy. He was suddenly hit with the urge to lick all those lines, to trace them with his tongue.

  But Winnie had other ideas. Without warning, she reached down to unbutton his shorts and the feel of her small hand that close to his dick made it stand at attention. Though he wouldn’t have thought it possible, he hardened even more. He snagged a condom from his pocket before she could remove the shorts, thankful that he’d had the presence of mind to get a package from the drugstore before coming over.

  Winnie scooted down, then carefully started removing his shorts. Adam toed his shoe off, then helpfully lifted his ass so that she could finish the job. He knew a moment of uneasiness when she started to pull them down his legs. His clothes had a tendency to hang on his foot. Suddenly uncomfortable, he leaned forward to help, but she ignored him and smoothly handled the task without batting a lash.

  An instant later, her hand was on him, working the slippery skin against her palm. A mere fraction of a second after that, he was in her mouth.

  Adam sucked in a ragged breath and he set his teeth so hard he thought he heard a crack. He curled his hands into fists at his sides as the pleasure bolted through him.

  Her mouth. On him.

  Sweet hell, he didn’t think he’d ever felt anything quite so wonderful. Winnie flashed her eyes—those beautiful dark blue orbs he’d seen in his dreams for the past year—at him, and the satisfaction he saw in her gaze made him want to preen with male confidence.

  She lowered her lashes and took the whole of him into her mouth once more, savoring his taste on her tongue. She wore the same expression as when she ate something sweet—blissful and satisfied—and the knowledge that she was thoroughly enjoying herself, that she wanted to taste him, made him want to beat his chest and roar with primal satisfaction.

  Winnie licked the length of him again, then picked up the forgotten condom, tore into the packet and swiftly rolled the protection into place.

  Then she slowly—with agonizing precision—lowered herself onto him.

  Adam’s breath hissed out of his lungs as her moist, tight heat closed around him. Her lids drooped with the weight of pleasure and she sank her teeth into her ripe bottom lip, as though the feeling of having him inside her was almost more than she could bear.

&nbs
p; He knew that feeling well, could claim it in every cell of his body. A curious sensation swelled in his chest, momentarily preventing him from breathing and, though he knew it wasn’t entirely plausible, he’d had the strangest inkling that everything in his life was tied to this moment—his past, his future, his very existence. Everything that made him, him, was bound to her.

  She was his anchor.

  Winnie bent forward and kissed him again, the merest brush of her lips over his and something inside him simply…let go. Her eyes went all soft and melting as she lifted her hips and settled onto him once more.

  Adam moved with her. Shaped his hands over the sweet swell of her hips and felt her feminine muscles tighten around him in response. He loved that greedy squeeze, loved the way it made him feel.

  She upped the tempo and her breath came in short little puffs. She leaned back and shoved her hands through her messy black curls, undulated her hips in the most mind-numbing fashion, like a belly dancer. Slow and sure, then swift and sexy. All the while he pushed repeatedly into her, could feel the orgasm gathering in his loins.

  Oh, no, Adam thought. No way in hell was he coming before she did. It didn’t matter how long it had been, Winnie deserved better than that.

  And he fully intended to give it to her.

  Right now.

  IF WINNIE HAD ever felt anything more wonderful than their joined bodies, she couldn’t recall it. Adam, her badass soldier, her love, her very heart was staring at her as though she were the most beautiful creature ever placed on this earth. And having the possessive clamp of his hands on her thighs, his mouth feeding at her breasts, was indescribably perfect.

  She’d wanted this for so long…waited for so long.

  He pushed up harder, increasing the tempo and she could tell that he was close. Every muscle in his gloriously proportioned body was tensed and his lips were drawn in a feral sort of smile. Dew slickened his chest, highlighting every bump, ridge and muscle.

  He was, in a word, beautiful.

  Achingly so.

  Her chest gave a squeeze and emotion clogged her throat.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, breathing hard.

  Winnie tightened around him once more, then lifted her hips. “Ready for what?”

  “This.”

  And with that enigmatic promise, he slipped his hand into her curls and found the sensitive nub hidden there.

  Winnie gasped as shock and pleasure lanced through her. He rubbed against her while pushing up and the combination of the two made her entire body sizzle with sensation. She felt the beginning flash of an orgasm tingle in her womb and, like a hound catching a glimpse of a rabbit, her focus instantly narrowed. She rode him harder, panting, desperate and utterly driven by the need bearing down on her.

  He bent forward and suckled her once more, rubbed her once, twice, a third time…

  And then bliss.

  For both of them.

  The orgasm burst upon her like a rogue wave, taking her under, then lifting her back up. She tightened around him and her mouth opened in a long silent scream. Her back went straight as the convulsions pulsed through her, on and on, until finally only tremors remained and she collapsed, spent, against his chest.

  Adam drew delicious circles on her back. “Wow,” he said, shifting so that he could tuck her against his side. She winced as her back hit the cool tile.

  “What?” he asked, instantly concerned. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” she said, cuddling closer to him. “The floor’s cold.”

  Seemingly relieved, the frown vanished. He quickly snagged a paper towel from the open cabinet near his head, and disposed of the condom.

  “Tell me about it,” he told her, humor back in his voice.

  She laughed. “I didn’t hear you complaining before,” she said, feeling more safe and secure than she ever had in her life. Why did he affect her like this? Why did she only ever feel completely protected in his arms?

  His chuckle rumbled under her cheek. “Who said I was complaining. I’d put my back against a block of ice if it meant we would do that again.”

  She grinned. “You know there’s a freezer in the back, right?”

  He slung an arm over his forehead. “Bring it on. I’m ready.”

  Winnie leaned over him, opened the pastry case and filched a petit four. “Want one?” she asked.

  “To start,” he said, popping the entire thing in his mouth.

  “Tsk. Tsk. You’re going to choke.”

  “Not if you get me something to drink, too,” he hinted.

  Winnie licked the tiny rose off the top of another petit four, savoring the sugar on her tongue. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but I’m naked. If I stand up to pour you a glass of tea, I’m going to flash every person who happens to peer through my plate-glass window.”

  His eyes darkened appreciatively and she felt his gaze drop to her breasts. “Believe me, I’ve noticed.”

  A flush of pleasure washed over her cheeks.

  “So… I was thinking we should take off for a couple of days. Would that be doable for you?”

  Winnie blinked, surprised. Take off? What did he mean? “What?”

  Adam slipped a finger along the top of her breast, seemingly mesmerized by its shape. “We’ve only got two days left,” he said. “It’s my fault for wasting time, but… I don’t want to miss another minute with you before I—” He hesitated. “—leave.”

  His gaze searched hers, waiting for her answer.

  Two whole days with Adam? All to herself? Winnie knew this wasn’t a promise, but it was as close to one as she ever expected to get. She felt a slow smile move over her lips and the sheer happiness of this moment made her almost giddy.

  “I’ve, uh…” She thought about what she needed to do. “I’ve got a couple of cakes I need to make, but Jeanette and Lizzie should be able to handle everything else.” She smiled at him. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Adam said, threading his fingers through hers. “I just want to breathe the same air as you.”

  Her heart danced. That was quite possibly the nicest, most romantic thing anybody had ever said to her, Winnie thought as a lump formed in her throat.

  “We could beach it tomorrow?” he suggested. “And then take a ride up to McKinney Point?”

  She grinned, pleased that he’d remembered. Winnie made a mental note to drag Adam’s old parking sign out of her garage and erect it once more for this occasion. “That sounds fabulous. Can you spend the night?”

  His smile was lazy and confident. “I’d planned on it.”

  Another dream, Winnie thought. She wondered if a person could die from happiness. Adam was at home with her, spending time with her. Going to bed with her. Being cuddled up beside her when she woke up in the morning.

  At last.

  And the sex… Wow. Although her experience was limited, Winnie knew what they’d just shared was extraordinary. Feeling him inside of her, his sleek skin beneath her palms, the frantic rush to climax and the sweet rain of release… It had been utterly amazing. She’d never felt so alive, so connected to another person in her life. She hadn’t felt the earth move so much as her soul.

  And they were going to do it again, hopefully repeatedly.

  She snuggled closer to him. “Good,” she finally said. “I like the idea of you spending the night.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Because you want to watch me sleep?”

  That would be lovely, too. She blinked innocently. “You mean we’re actually going to sleep?”

  Adam chuckled and slapped her thigh. “I doubt it,” he said. “Get dressed. We’ve got to get busy.”

  She frowned, confused. “Get busy doing what?”

  “You’ve got two cakes to make before you can take off, right?”

  “I do.”

  He shrugged. “So I’ll help you.”

  She shot him a skeptical look. “You’re going to help me? Bake and decorate cakes?” />
  “Yes. And I’ll warn you now.” He slipped his shorts on and reached for his shirt. “At some point tonight I’m going to paint you with powdered sugar and lick it off…very slowly.”

  “Oh,” Winnie said, suddenly overcome by the thought. Her nipples tingled in anticipation. “How do you feel about almond icing?”

  “Will it be coming off me in the same manner?”

  Hell yeah. “Yes.”

  His grin was equally wicked. “Then it’s my favorite.”

  9

  “I HAVEN’T DONE THIS in years,” Adam said, carefully shoring up the sand wall around his moat.

  Winnie lay on her belly in the most obscene bikini he’d ever seen—probably because he knew what was underneath—and with a stone, she carefully drew a motif on their castle. They’d been at the beach since early morning and had made a full day of lying around, carousing and taking the occasional dip.

  When she’d pulled out her sand-castle building tools from the back of her small SUV this morning, he’d laughed, but had to admit this was turning into the highlight of their day so far.

  Then again, the day was far from over. What was to come tonight would undoubtedly knock the shine off of everything else.

  “I love building sand castles,” she said. “My dad is a pro at this, you know.”

  He remembered. Tommy Cuthbert didn’t just build sand castles—he built sand-castle mansions. Towering structures with soaring turrets. He’d pave the streets with seashells and make a drawbridge from bits of driftwood. The local kids loved simply sitting back and watching him work.

  Adam frowned. “Where are your parents, by the way?” He hadn’t seen them around town since he got home. He’d always sensed a bit of tension between Winnie and her mother, but she seemed to get along with her father pretty well.

  Winnie smoothed out a rough spot on the sand castle and started over. A tiny frown furrowed her brow as she concentrated, and for reasons which escaped him, he found her expression ridiculously endearing.

  “They bought an RV when Dad retired and have been slowly making their way out West.” She grinned. “And when I say slowly, I mean slowly. They’ve been gone since March.”