“Oh, my God! I could pee my pants I’m so happy!” Not used to smiling, I touched my cheeks, which were already sore. I glanced at the rubbernecking patrons, uncaring that I was making a scene. “This is my boyfriend! My boyfriend.”
Those who knew me would appreciate that tidbit, being that I never dated—by choice—before Hale.
“You dropped your tray,” Hale murmured, angling his chin toward the disaster left in my wake.
I waved a hand. “I’ll get it cleaned up. How long are you staying? Can we go see Elara? I’ve missed you so much. Oh, my God, you’re going to meet my mom! I swear she thinks I made you up. Ha! I’ll show her!
He chuckled. “Take a breath, baby. I’m here for a while and I’d love to meet your mom. As soon as you’re finished I can take you back to the hotel to see Elara.”
I spun in a circle like a dog seeking a resting spot. I needed keys and—damn, there was a serious mess on the floor. “Where the fuck is David?”
“Who’s David?”
“A waiter. I’m done my shift, but he’s late.”
His lips compressed and I grinned, because he tried so hard not to show any sign of impatience, but he couldn’t hide his emotions from me. What I once believed to be the world’s greatest poker face now seemed as readable as a Dr. Seuss book. Ha. He really did miss me.
Carrie Ann, my boss, appeared with a broom.
“I’ll be right back,” I said to Hale, smiling and dragging my hand down the front of his pressed shirt. “Don’t go anywhere.” God, I loved his fancy ass.
Returning to the slopped tray on the floor, I panted, already out of breath. “I’ll get that, Carrie Ann.”
I made quick work of cleaning up the mess. My gaze pinged back to Hale, way too overdressed for our little hipster town.
Not only did he not have a beard, he was wearing a suit jacket. But he totally pulled it off in a don’t you want to touch me? sort of way. I kept glancing over my shoulder at him because he was mine and somehow he created the possessiveness of a monkey over a cupcake in me. Mine. My precioussssss…
I dumped the broken dishes in the trash and quickly remade two of the shittiest Mai Tais to ever exist, adding whatever was in front of me into the glasses. “Mel, I need you to remake that order.”
Our overweight, moody chef grumbled. “Already on it… You a walking calamity, girl.”
I smiled at him through the kitchen window. “My boyfriend’s here.”
“That’s great.” He flipped the burgers on the sizzling grill.
“It is great. He flew in from Florida to surprise me! He loves me.”
Mel didn’t seem to care, so I delivered the drinks to the table. “Your burgers will be up in a minute. My boyfriend surprised me.” They didn’t seem to care either.
I skipped over to Hale’s table as he greeted me with a silent chuckle and an amused glint in his devastatingly gray eyes. I was petting him again because I couldn’t resist. “David should be here any minute.”
“We have time.”
My gaze gobbled up every inch of him, from his strong shadowed jaw to his broad shoulders to his cufflinks and back up to those fascinating silver eyes. His lips looked extra full today and I was going to bite them soon. I sighed. He was so dreamy.
I, on the other hand, was a Velma. I’d always wanted to be a Daphne, but the truth was, I was born to be the awkward sidekick, sort of like an afterthought to the feminine part of the species. But this Velma was totally going to bang the Fred. To further illustrate my point, I was sitting here fantasizing sexual acts with Scooby Doo metaphors, while Hale was likely scouting over facts and figures in his brain and coming up with filthy grown-up words I couldn’t utter without giggling.
Oh, he had a magnificent vocabulary. Naughty, sinful words had whispered across those luscious lips as he dragged them over my skin. So self-assured, so devastatingly sexy. Annnnnd my nipples were hard. Rut-roe.
“I remember that look.” The slow rumble of his voice sent chills up my spine as the back of his knuckle teased the line of my jaw.
My finger made little swirls around the button of his jacket. “So … this hotel. Do you have your own room?”
Eyes heavy, he slowly nodded.
My heart tripped into double time. “Maybe you could show me before we see your family.”
“I’m planning on it.”
Cha-ching! Momma was cashing in on some lovin’. Cagney and Lacey—otherwise known as my boobs—were totally getting some action tonight!
“Rayne, order up!”
Still smiling, I pivoted and raced back toward the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.”
As I rushed to the bar a few customers tried to stop me on my way, but there wasn’t time for that. I grabbed the burgers and ran them over to the hungry table. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Can we have some ketchup?”
“Sure.” I went back to the bar and found Carrie Ann. “Hey, what are the chances I could get out of here before David gets here? That’s my boyfriend over there, the tall sexy one in the designer suit, and he came all the way from Florida to surprise me.”
Carrie Ann rolled her eyes. “Go.”
“Thank you!” I stripped off my apron and stuffed it under the bar.
As I passed the tables, the guy with the burger looked up expectantly. “Ketchup?”
I paused and reached over the customers to my right, stealing their bottle and plopping it on burger boy’s table. “Here you go.”
Returning to Hale, I rocked on my heels and preened. “Ready?”
He stood, his utter composure at total odds with my spastic energy. My eyes rolled back in my head as his hand rested on the base of my spine and he escorted me out of the bar. I was prouder than a mutt marching through a pedigree dog show. My boyfriend!
When we reached the parking lot I scanned the vehicles. “Where’s your car?”
“I have a rental.” He led me to a Lexus and opened the passenger door.
We both stilled as the world silenced around us. A thousand shivers chased over my skin as he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. Divine. Luscious. Panty-drenching lips….
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I slipped my tongue into his mouth and hummed, pressing my breasts against his chest. His hand caught the back of my neck as he took over the kiss, gentling my frantic need.
Before Hale, I didn’t have much practice with the opposite sex, so I was never really sure what was appropriate and what bordered on Animal Planet. I had very little self-control around this man.
A gravelly chuckle rumbled in his chest as he eased back. “Easy, baby. Let’s get to the hotel.”
“Oh. Right.” My insides zinged like the needle of a lie detector hooked to a politician, zipping and clanging wildly without restraint.
Once we were on our way I reached for his hand and bounced with excitement. Hale was here, and we were going to his hotel. The sex was happening. Thank God, because while I’d once been convinced good sex was an over-glorified lie women told, Hale had proved me wrong and now I missed the sex very much.
I glanced at my lap and bit my lip. When was the last time I shaved? Last week? No, that wasn’t right. Two weeks ago? Hmm. “Can we stop at that pharmacy up there?”
Briefly taking his eyes off the road, he glanced at me. “Is it something we can get later?”
“Um…” I lifted the cuff of my jeans and found a miniature jungle spiked with overgrowth. “I’ll be quick.”
He pulled into the pharmacy and I got out of the car before he could open my door. As he touched the handle I blurted, “I can just run in. I only need a few things.”
“I’ll go with you.” He was big on escorting me and I was in a rush, so I didn’t argue.
His hand returned to mine as soon as he rounded the car and in we went. I snatched a basket and casually sniffed my armpit through my shirt, which smelled like a deep fryer and Bud. It wasn’t great, but I had just finished a shift at the restaurant and that w
as what waitresses smelled like.
Shooting down the aisle with personal hygiene products I grabbed whatever might improve my sexiness. Deodorant, mango-scented lotion, shaving cream, a new razor. I even found nail polish and remover, but that wasn’t for me.
Hale’s lips twitched as I stocked up. He was laughing at me in that composed manner that was tough to detect, but I recognized the familiar twitch of a budding smile.
Slipping down the last aisle, I grabbed a toothbrush. “Okay, I think I’m good.”
Rolling his eyes, he smirked and took my basket, placing it in front of the clerk at the register. She totaled my items and Hale swiped his card.
“I would have paid for that.”
He said nothing as he opened the car door and I slipped inside.
The Heathman was probably one of the nicest hotels in our town. I’d never stayed there so I was excited for an excuse to see inside.
Hale was staying in the Warhol Suite, which had several original works of art created by Andy himself. I didn’t care about any of that as we made our way up to his floor. My mind was too focused on getting the stench of fries off my skin, the wool off my legs, and the sexy man naked beneath me.
Fisting my bag from the pharmacy, I followed him to his door and announced, “I need to use the bathroom real quick before we … do anything.”
He glanced at me but didn’t object. The door opened and… Wow. This was nice. There was a living room slash office, a little kitchenette area, and—bingo—bathroom. “I’ll just be a minute.”
Hale removed his jacket and draped it over a chair. “Don’t take too long.”
Nodding, I slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. I dumped my purchases on the counter and ripped open the toothbrush. Hale’s belongings were neatly put away in a black leather travel case—so adorably Hale. I found his toothpaste and got into a vigorous brushing while I nosed through the other items in his bag. Ooh, condoms. That was good. I giggled when I saw he’d packed over a dozen.
We had discussed me going on the pill, which was supposed to happen, but everything with Elle sort of took us on a detour. There had been a few times we might have been a tad irresponsible, but I didn’t like to think about that, especially since I was in no rush to have children and Hale already had one. So yeah, condoms were good.
“You almost done in there?” he called from the other room.
“Thirty seconds!” I yelled, rinsing out my mouth. I stripped off my jeans and hissed at the sight of things. “Christ, I have man legs.”
“You say something?”
“Can you make me a drink? Or order one?” That would take up time.
Shoving my items aside, I sat on the counter and made a complete mess. Shaving cream dripped off my legs in glops and water went everywhere.
“Fuck.” Sliding off the counter, I abandoned the idea that I might have any ladylike skills in the vanity department and took off my shirt as I started the shower.
Hale knocked at the door. “Rayne? Are you showering?”
“I’ll be right out!”
It was the speediest bathing experience of my life. I’d never been handy with a razor, so rushing to shave three weeks’ worth of hair wasn’t the best idea. Once I dabbed up the blood, I slathered my legs with the mango lotion.
“Oops! Too much.” I was slicker than a newborn rhino. And now I was sweating, which was creating some sort of slather-mango-goo in my knee pits.
I grabbed the towel and buffed off some of the excess lotion. Ten minutes ago my skin had been drier than the Serengeti, but now I was like a human slip and slide. Hale was going to glide right off of me. I threw on some deodorant and wrapped myself in a towel.
Oh, condom! Right.
The bathroom was annihilated, but I was clean and ready for the sex. I opened the door to find Hale reclining on a chair, finishing a cocktail. Oh, he was fine. His collar was undone and his sleeves were rolled to his elbow. He raised an eyebrow. “You did shower.”
“Trust me, it needed to happen.”
He grinned, taking the last sip of his drink and placing the glass aside. “Come here.”
Breath filled my lungs as I sashayed over to him, resembling a cross between a drunken hooker and a newborn calf. This was why I needed him. I had no game in the boudoir, but Hale liked being in charge. I liked that he liked that very much.
I stood before him and he parted his knees, inviting me into his hemisphere. Taking hold of the towel, he tugged and I was naked.
“Oh, my.”
His gaze moved over me hungrily. “Fuck, I told myself you couldn’t be as beautiful as I remembered, but I was wrong. You surpass my memory.”
I preened happily because what girl didn’t like hearing that from a sexy man? “Yes, more talk like that, please.”
He sat up and pulled me onto his lap. My legs wedged between his hips and the chair as our mouths collided in a hungry kiss. Hands glided to my neck and pulled me closer as my hips ground against his hardening body.
“Jesus, Rayne,” he growled, catching my nipple in his mouth.
I arched and pulled at his shirt, those tiny, little buttons always making trouble. His fingers reached between us. Once his shirt was open my palms rode over his warm flesh, savoring every square inch of muscled, male flesh.
The first brush of his fingers between my legs had me trembling. I rose on my knees, granting him access. He pulled my mouth back to his as a finger slid deep into my sex. “Oh, God…”
He wasn’t gentle as he pumped his hand between my legs, but I’d have it no other way. Panting, I rode his touch and bit at his shoulder as he sucked hard on my nipple. My fingers pressed into his back where muscle tightened like twisted rope. A moan broke from my throat as the first trembles of an orgasm took hold. It was intense and quick, but we were far from finished.
Slithering down his lap I dropped my knees to the carpet and quickly unlatched his belt. Hale was a big man, and right now he was hard as a rock, so it was no easy task getting his pants off. In all of my excitement, I fell back trying to remove his shoe, but I quickly righted myself and grinned.
Hale steadied me with a hand and smiled. “My agile lady of grace.”
I smirked, hearing his adoration buried in sarcasm. Then my focus returned to his dick. “Oh, Prince Everhard, we meet again.”
Hale chuckled and brushed a gentle caress down my cheek. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d take pleasure from doing this to a man, but there was something to be said about doing it to Hale. I loved the way he watched me, held me, and lost himself when I took him into my mouth. Leaning over his lap, I winked and got to work.
He hissed in a breath and cupped the back of my head, pressing me down. Heat stroked over my tongue as I used my lips to add suction. My scalp tingled as his fingers knotted in my damp hair and then I was moving.
My hands slipped between us, cupping and massaging. He groaned as the muscles in his stomach and thighs bunched and flexed. “Christ, baby, don’t stop.”
I was terrible at dirty talk, but Hale had a way of making me say absolutely anything. One time I’d even yelled out ranch dressing during sex. I don’t know why. Who knows how my brain works? He was always so good with the naughty words, I think I just wanted to add something.
“Enough,” he slurred, pulling me back. “I need to be inside of you. Now.”
Before I could stand, he lifted me off the floor and tossed me onto the bed. His rock- hard body blanketed mine, his flesh scorching hot. My legs wrenched apart as his tongue trailed up my inner thigh and found my money spot.
Arching, I cried out as his lips closed over my clit and his fingers filled me. He was a man possessed. His mouth was everywhere, biting, sucking, licking. And those fingers, slick with my arousal, slid deep until I was coming again.
He crawled up my trembling body and—Yup, that was his penis. My eyes went wide as he sank into me and I moaned long and slow. “You forgot a condom.”
Catching his breath
, he rested his forehead on my shoulder. “Just give me a minute here. I’ll put one on.”
I didn’t want him to pull out anyway. For over three long weeks, I’d been horribly depressed and he was finally here. Something about having him inside me… It was like finding my anchor in a rocky sea of confusion where my life had shipwrecked.
My hand brushed over the back of his soft hair. “I love you.”
Lifting his gaze to mine, he leaned forward and kissed me tenderly. “I love you too, Rayne. God, I missed this—us.”
The slight shift of his body as he brought his lips to mine buried him deeper and we groaned through a kiss, the passion reaching an agonizing tease of pleasure. Slowly, he drew back and cursed. Neither of us wanted to interrupt the intimate reunion.
My fingers dug into his shoulders, holding him on the brink of his withdrawal. My heel pressed into his ass. I didn’t want to stop. Again, I knew we should, because condoms were good, but he felt so incredible where he was.
“I should put on a condom.”
My mouth pouted. My brain so addled I couldn’t recall where I was in my cycle. Damn it. Stupid math. “Fine.”
He withdrew and was back a second later. When he slipped back inside of me I gasped. That wasn’t so bad. I was definitely going on the pill though because there was a difference. He thrust, and my worries about birth control and other nonsense rushed out of my head as I clung to him.
His long, chiseled body rocked over mine, pressing me into the bedding as I breathed out little, needy moans. Muscles bunched under my fingertips as he penetrated deeper. His mouth teased over my throat as my chest mashed to his, delicious friction that had me clinging tighter to his broad shoulders. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t get close enough.
“More,” I cried, and he caught my knee, lifting my leg to his shoulder as he pounded into me.
The bed banged against the wall as he took me relentlessly. My cries built in a crescendo of pleas begging him to never stop. At one point I might have suggested he move into my vagina, forward his mail, and build a fort there.
I mentioned I wasn’t good at the sexy talk.
Sweat slicked our skin as it went on and on. I swear, a ballistic missile could have hit the bed and we would have kept on fucking. It was a hell of a way to go.
Calamity Rayne II: Back Again Page 4
