Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned up on her tiptoes and lightly kissed along his jaw line. “Oh, you can assume,” she whispered against his neck. She was rewarded by a low growl from deep within his chest.
“Ça c’est bon,” he murmured, holding her close. He took a deep breath and set her back from him, smiling. “Let’s see which room we want.” He unlocked the first one and they went inside. The room was decked out in all dark reds and neutral buffs, a large antique iron bed anchoring the space. The bedside tables and the desk near the dormer window were also vintage. Peeking into the bathroom, they saw a large, modern-looking marble shower and basin.
“It’s beautiful,” Maggie commented, lightly caressing the garnet-hued duvet.
“Let’s check the other one,” Bobby said, taking her hand and leading her back into the hallway. He unlocked the second door and allowed her to enter. This room was decorated in deep blues and greys and was larger than the other, the huge four-poster bed taking up only a fraction of the space. Across from the bed was a sitting area with a large fireplace as its focal point.
Maggie gasped. “Oh, Bobby, this is...” She turned to him, speechless.
“I figured you’d like this one, but I wanted to let you decide.”
She shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“You haven’t seen all of it yet,” he said, switching on the light in the bathroom, illuminating a huge claw foot bathtub.
Maggie peeked in past his shoulder. “Oh, my.”
Bobby grinned. “Did you notice the flowers and the wine?”
She looked to the coffee table near the fireplace and saw a large bouquet of red roses and an ice bucket with a bottle of wine chilling. “Bobby, I...” She shook her head, unable to finish, and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
He held both her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. “I wanted it to be special, the first time we make love, cher,” he said quietly. She felt her heart pound, felt a mad flutter in her stomach as she waited for his kiss. Instead, he turned toward the bed. She hadn’t noticed the lone bag that had been placed there.
He unzipped the dark brown leather case and drew out a large woven straw bag with pink webbing handles. The unmistakable L’Occitane logo was embroidered on the side. “This is for you, hopefully there’s everything you’ll want. But if not, we can run into town for whatever you need.”
Maggie unzipped the top of the bag and peeked inside. She saw a bottle of Rose Bath & Shower Gel, Rose Body Milk, hand crème, and lip balm. Digging deeper she saw a small deodorant, a toothbrush with a small toothpaste, facial cleanser, moisturizer, and more other things than she could take in. She smiled up at him. “You really did buy the whole store, didn’t you?”
He held up his right hand. “I cannot tell a lie.”
“There is undoubtedly way more in here than I could possibly need. Thank you,” she said.
“My pleasure, cher,” he replied, his blue eyes sparkling.
Reaching into the case once again he removed a pair of steel grey men’s silk pajamas. “I thought maybe we could share these. You know, you can wear the bottoms and I’ll wear the top.” He grinned at her impishly. “Or the other way around. Whatever you want.”
Maggie giggled softly. “The other way around sounds about right.”
He leaned down and kissed her gently. “Now, cher, it’s been a long day. Before I get up to anything romantic, I need to take a shower. I’ll just mosey on over to the other room and make myself presentable. If you wanted to run yourself a nice hot bubble bath, that tub in there looks just the thing.”
She took the pajama top from him, kissing his cheek lightly as she did. “You go on ahead and mosey, then. No dirty bayou boys allowed.” She paused in the bathroom doorway to turn and wink at him before she closed the door.
Bobby let out a low whistle and busied himself gathering up his things to head over to the shower. He heard the sound of water pouring into the tub as he closed the door to their suite. He wondered if Maggie realized that he was being more restrained than he felt. In reality he’d wanted to push her back into her apartment that morning, spend the entire day in bed. Hell, the first time they’d met, that day she’d fallen in the hallway and he’d fixed up her knee, he’d wanted to carry her to his bed and fuck her blind. It was as though Maggie had a force field pulling him towards her. But he wanted more than casual sex. A woman like Maggie was the real deal. And he knew that he wanted to do this right.
Maggie sighed and leaned back in the antique claw foot tub. Rose scented bubbles surrounded her up to her chin. The tension she’d felt moments ago in the inn’s dining room evaporated as she gave herself over to the moment.
Bobby was showering in the other room. She smiled. God, he’s hot. I can’t wait to see him in his half of the pajamas. She’d been watching him throughout the day. That cashmere sweater had done nothing to hide his strong muscular shoulders and arms. She supposed a professional athlete must work hard to stay fit. It certainly shows, she thought as a slow smile curled her lips. I can’t wait to see more.
Finished with her bath, she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her green eyes gazed back at her, desire giving them an extra sparkle. She’d heard the suite door open and close, heard the wood floor creak with his footsteps, the ice shift in the bucket as he removed the bottle of wine.
Stepping back a bit, she could see the grey silk top with its white piping trim and pearly grey buttons. She’d had to roll up the sleeves a bit so they didn’t swallow her hands. There was no hiding the tight points of her erect nipples as they pressed against the gossamer fabric. The hem of the garment hit her about mid-thigh, and underneath it she wore the black lace panties she’d found wrapped in tissue paper in the bottom of the L’Occitane bag.
Maggie wondered if they’d come from the same shop as the other things. Maybe he picked them out himself... Her jitters were back, and she wiped her damp palms on a towel, took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door.
Chapter 2
Entering the room, her eyes were drawn to Bobby. He was standing at the dormer window looking out into the snowy night, his bare back to her, the pajama pants hanging low on his hips, grey silk clinging to the curve of his ass. Maggie took a few steps and stopped. She’d been intending to say something witty but the sight of him knocked the words right out of her mind.
He turned at the sound of her feet on the wide plank floor and his eyes widened. “Galee, cher,” he breathed, dragging his eyes from her toes and up her body until he met her eyes. “You take my breath away.”
She smiled and crossed the room to meet him, reaching two tentative fingers to touch a rock hard ab. “Are you kidding me? Have you seen you?”
Bobby gently lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly, willing himself to hold back, to move slowly. He felt the pulse pounding in his neck. And someplace lower. Leaning his forehead against hers, he cleared his throat softly. “How about a glass of wine?”
He crossed to the coffee table and poured for them both. Fire crackled and popped in the fireplace, providing the only light in the room aside from a dim bedside lamp. Maggie followed him and sat on the small sofa, curling her legs under her, aware of how the pajama top rode up her legs.
The wine he handed her seemed pink in the firelight. She sipped and made a face. “What is this?”
He laughed softly. “Strawberry wine.”
“I taste like this?” she asked, giggling softly.
He grasped his bottom lip between his teeth, his eyes flashing in the firelight. “It reminds me of youth and innocence and warm summer nights.”
Her face clouded. “Innocence...” Mike’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. Whore!
He took the glass from her, placing it on the table and he captured her hand, bringing it to his cheek. “We’re brand new, cher. No history, no baggage. What happened before doesn’t matter.” His eyes bore into hers, willing her to believe him. She cupped his cheek, feeling the scratch
of stubble there as she blinked away tears.
“I got us real wine, too,” he laughed softly, pouring two more glasses from a bottle that had been hidden behind a chair.
Bobby sat beside her, handing her a glass of sauvignon blanc. “To an amazing night, cher,” he toasted. “Santé.”
She touched her glass to his and sipped, then returned the glass to the coffee table. She could feel her heart pounding as she lightly touched his arm where it rested on the back of the sofa. Bobby’s eyes didn’t leave hers as her fingers drifted up to his shoulder and up the side of his neck. She found a lock of hair behind his ear and gently tugged it. “Bobby, I...” she whispered.
He put down his glass and reached to pull her close, his hand on her cheek as his lips collided with hers. “I’ve waited as long as I can,” he whispered into her mouth. Maggie reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair as Bobby’s hand wandered south, coming to rest on her left breast, which he squeezed and kneaded.
“Oh, Bobby,” she moaned as he moved his lips down to nibble down her neck. He slid his hand further down to stroke her inner thigh, sliding it deeper between her legs until he reached the apex there, finding it wet with desire. He firmly stroked her then pulled aside lace panties to massage her warm folds, zeroing in on the sensitive nub hidden there, finally plunging a pair of fingers into her, causing her to gasp.
“And Beaulieu steals third,” he murmured into her ear.
“I fucking love baseball,” she whispered, and they both laughed quietly.
Bobby leaned back, his eyes shining with desire. “I want to see you, cher.”
Maggie smiled knowingly and she stood, moving in front of the fireplace where she slowly unbuttoned the pajama shirt allowing it to hang open. Bobby drank in the sight of the inner curve of her breasts, her smooth belly, and a flash of black lace panties before she turned away from him, lowering the shirt off her shoulders. She looked back at him over her shoulder, flashing an impish grin before dropping the shirt on the floor, revealing her back and her shapely ass defined by a thin strip of black lace.
He felt his body responding, his cock stretching to attention. Her force drawing him, he left the sofa and moved to her, wrapping her in his arms, one hand on her breast, the other dipping into the lace panties, exploring the terrain there.
“Not so fast, bayou boy,” she breathed. “A little reciprocity, please.” Bobby stopped kissing her neck and looked down at her questioningly. She arched an eyebrow. “Drop’em.”
He grinned wickedly. “You drop’em, cher.”
Maggie turned to face him, placing her hand on his hips. “This fabric doesn’t leave much to the imagination,” she commented, staring at his erection straining against the front of his pants. He teased her nipples, pulling and gently twisting them, attempting to distract her but she slid her hands into the back of his pants to grip his firm ass. “Holy. God.” She slid the grey silk pants down over his ass, adjusting the front to release his rock hard cock. The pants slipped the rest of the way to the floor.
Maggie stepped back in wonder, her eyes traveling from his toes all the way up to his hair and back again. “You’re like one of those marble sculptures in a museum,” she whispered.
Bobby gave a low chuckle. “Sculptures don’t do this.” He leaned down, capturing her lips with his, then reached around to grip her ass, picking her up and pulling her to him. Maggie wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them to the bed, where he gently laid her across the coverlet.
He shook his head. “Jesus, Maggie,” he breathed as he caressed her with his eyes.
He knelt on the bed, scooting between her legs, and peeled the black lace panties down her thighs, taking in the sight of her bare pussy. He looked up at her as if in question.
“You’re not the only one who made plans,” she said saucily.
“You know I have to taste, cher,” he said grinning.
“Holy shit,” Maggie whispered, reaching over her head to grasp the headboard as Bobby lowered his mouth to her sex and began to work her mercilessly, licking and sucking that nub he’d found earlier. She responded, squirming and moaning with pleasure. When she looked down she saw a glint of mischief in his eyes as he slid his hands under her ass, raising her up to meet his mouth.
“You like?” he whispered.
“Oh, God, yes!” she hissed before she lost herself, calling out unintelligibly in release.
She still shuddered from her orgasm as he began to kiss his way up her belly. “Mm-hmm, strawberry wine,” he murmured as he lay on his side next to her, his head propped up on his elbow, his fingers lightly toying with her nipples.
Maggie struggled to catch her breath. “Bobby, that was...” she panted.
He grinned at her. “That’s why we needed this floor all to ourselves, cher.”
She laughed. “How did you know I’d be so noisy?”
He arched an eyebrow. “I knew you were all kinds of trouble when we first met. It goes with being a redhead.” He winked and leaned over her for a deep kiss. Maggie tasted herself on his lips, on his tongue, and she felt the heat begin to build again. Bobby broke away from her lips, dribbling kisses down her neck and chest until he reached her breasts, taking first one then the other in his mouth, suckling sensuously.
“Oh, fuck, Bobby,” she breathed. “I need...Oh, shit!”
He smiled and looked up at her. “You need what, cher?”
Her green eyes burned with desire. “I need you in me,” she whispered.
He leaned up and kissed her deeply once again, groping her breast with one hand and reaching for the packet he’d placed on the bedside table.
“I want to do it,” she urged him. Bobby watched, mesmerized, as she took the foil packet and tore it open with her teeth, removing the condom and quickly rolling it down over his impressive cock.
He held himself at her entrance, teasing her lightly. “This? Is this what you need, cher?” Using the last of his self-restraint, he gently prodded her sodden pussy. She bucked her hips, attempting to get him inside, and he leaned down to kiss her again, tongues tangling, teeth lightly nipping lips, before thrusting into her suddenly, feeling even more aroused by her gasp in his ear.
“Oh, ma ‘tite cher,” he breathed into her ear as he pounded into her.
Maggie gripped his shoulders, gasping and moaning as her moment neared. “Oh, shit...oh, Bobby...oh my...” The rest of her words were lost as they both cried out in synchronized climax. He continued to pound into her before finally slowing, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and collapsing beside her.
Lying on his side, he gathered her to himself, holding her close and murmuring softly into her ear. Orange light from the fire was reflected in the sheen of sweat on bare skin, and they seemed to glow. “Did I hurt you, cher? I tried to hold back and not be too rough.”
She smiled sleepily. “I like it rough, bayou boy.” Against her back, she felt the growl deep in his chest.
Enveloped in Bobby’s arms, a thought drifted through Maggie’s mind as she floated in the afterglow. This is what it’s like when it’s right.
Chapter 3
They lingered over a breakfast of pastries, fresh fruit, and coffee at the same table they’d shared the night before. Things felt infinitely different in the light of morning. Outside, five inches of fresh snow blanketed the garden. They ate quietly, stealing glances at one another, sharing private smiles. Their thoughts were of the night before.
After making love that first time, they’d dozed, a tangle of arms and legs. Hours later, or minutes maybe, he couldn’t tell, Bobby awoke from his half-sleep interrupting a dream about Maggie and couldn’t resist reaching to touch her. She’d smiled sleepily and brushed the hair off his forehead, gently kissing him there, and they’d ended up using the other condom he’d brought, both climaxing hard before finally falling into a deep sleep.
When he’d gotten up in the morning, he’d padded across the hall to the other room for a quick shower. Maggie had joined him, sli
pping in behind him and wrapping her arms around his body, finding his half-awake cock and seeing to it that it awoke fully. He’d turned, picking her up and pressing her against the wall of the shower, kissing her deeply.
“The problem, beautiful, is that I’m out of condoms. I thought I was being optimistic when I brought a couple.” Again, he flashed the lop-sided grin.
She’d regarded him seriously. “I’m on the pill. I haven’t had sex in nearly a year. I’m not worried.”
He’d considered her words for all of about half a second before taking her right there against the wall, thrusting into her with ferocity until they both came noisily. “It’s a good thing I’m not playing ball anymore. There’s no way I could run. I may not be able to walk,” he’d quipped.
Now over breakfast, she looked up from the croissant she’d been picking at. Her green eyes were wide, tinged with worry. “I don’t want to go back,” she said quietly. “I’m afraid the magic will be broken.”
He smiled softly. “We’re the magic, cher, you and me. This is just a place.”
Slowly, a smile touched her lips. “Yeah.”
Standing on the front porch of the inn, she shivered as she watched the valet bring the black Range Rover around the drive. Bobby thanked the man and tipped him generously before opening the passenger door for Maggie. She settled in, grateful again for seat warmers. When she turned to watch Bobby come around the car, she noticed that the back seat had been lowered, and behind the front seats there was a large, boxy shape wrapped in plastic and covered with a mover’s blanket.
Bobby sank into the driver’s seat and closed his door. “It’s cold this morning,” he said, rubbing his hands together in front of the heat vent.
“What’s in the back of the car?” she asked.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Something’s in the back of the car? I have no idea.” She continued looking at him, and he winked mischievously.
Maggie looked again into the back seat. “It looks suspiciously like a large pine dresser.” She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.
Rannigan's Redemption: Complete Collection Page 39
