Carried Away (Sinful Nights Book 5)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  She stopped, not sure what to say. “You…fantasize about me?” she asked, thinking that he was just teasing her.

  “Hell yes!” he breathed, his hands moving to the waistband of her jeans, releasing the snap and sliding the zipper down. “In my dreams, I’ve made love to you in so many ways.” His eyes moved to her matching panties as he knelt on the floor, lifting up one foot, then the other before tossing her jeans away. “This is better,” he told her, kissing the soft swell of her stomach before nibbling there. “I love these bows,” he told her, kissing the small bow in the center of her pink panties that matched the bra. It was right there, a few inches below her belly button and he nipped at it before moving the satin material out of the way. He kissed her there, not taking her panties off, but kissing along the edges, teasing her and laughing at her gasps of pleasure.

  “Louis, this isn’t…”

  He looked up at her, still kneeling on the floor. “What isn’t…?” he asked, his fingers looping to the sides of her panties and tugging gently down.

  “You don’t need to do this,” she told him, stepping out of her panties, placing her hands on his shoulders for balance.

  He laughed. “I don’t?”

  “No. We can just…” she trailed off, and shrugged in the general direction of the bed.

  Standing up, he held her still. “Penny, has no man ever taken the time to make love to you properly?”

  She grimaced and his fingers tightened on her soft hips.

  “Of course, I’ve had sex, Louis. I have twin boys and there was no immaculate conception with them.”

  He laughed, but then grew serious. “I’m not talking about sex, Penny. I’m talking about making love. About enjoying the process.”

  Her face froze with that question. “No. That’s not what sex has been for me in the past,” she admitted.

  Louis shook his head. “That’s not good,” he whispered, his finger tracing over the lace edge of her bra before slipping underneath to tease her nipple. “But then again, maybe it is. Because now I get to be the first man to teach you what making love is all about.”

  And then he kissed her. His mouth was hot and ravenous. His fingers were magical! His thumb rubbed against that tip, driving her crazy. But he didn’t stop until she pressed herself against him. Only then did he slide the strap of her pink bra down, revealing her breast to him.

  “Oh, Penny. You’ve been hiding from me,” he whispered reverently. A moment later, his expert hands reached behind her and unsnapped the bra, tossing it to the side so that she stood before him completely naked.

  “You should…” she started, reaching out to touch him.

  “Not yet,” he groaned, taking her hands and pulling them away. “If I keep my clothes on, it will help me slow down and you’ll enjoy this whole thing more thoroughly.”

  “I’m already enjoying it,” she smiled.

  “Not as much as I want you to enjoy it.” She squeaked in surprise when he picked her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down in the middle. “Now…about this enjoyment…”

  She laughed, thinking he was the sexiest man she’d ever met. Goodness, she loved him so much!

  Then he started kissing and nibbling at her neck. His hands moved over her stomach, sliding back and forth, teasing the skin that she’d never thought was particularly sensitive. But with Louis touching her, it seemed that her whole body was sensitive. Arching into him, needing him to cover her with his tall, strong body, she moaned in frustration.

  “Louis!” she gasped. But his only response was to move his mouth from her neck to her shoulder, his hand sliding higher, cupping her breast, which caused a jolt of electricity to spark through her. His fingers stroked her nipple as his mouth moved lower, kissing and teasing until it reached the peak as well. He didn’t relent until she laughed, pulling away from him. But then he only moved to the other breast, pinning her hands above her head so that he could tease her nipple to his heart’s content.

  “I love you like this, Penny,” he murmured, watching her as she moaned. “You’re always so cautious and restrained. But not right now. Now you’re mine,” and he moved up higher, kissing her as she melted against him.

  “Please, isn’t that enough?” she begged.

  His grin warned her that it wasn’t. “Oh, Penny. There is so much more!” With that warning, he moved down her body, teasing her stomach, nibbling on her hip bone. Lifting his head, he grinned mischievously. “You are too thin, Penny. I’m going to have to cook for you more often.”

  She laughed, rolling her eyes. “There’s no such thing as too skinny.”

  Louis looked at the protruding bones and knew what she had sacrificed so that her boys could get more food. She’d sacrificed too much, he thought, wanting to take care of her and protect her.

  “Do you have any idea how good you smell?” he asked.

  “Soap?” she asked, then hissed when his finger slid against her inner thigh. Her legs tried to close, but he was between her legs and he wasn’t letting her get away with that.

  “I’m smelling you, Penny,” he told her and she lifted her head to look down at him. “You smell good.” He knew exactly what she was going to do next and anticipated her move, grabbing her hips and holding her still while he moved in for a taste. She only resisted until she felt his lips against her nub and then she sighed, her body shifting, unconsciously telling him what she wanted. And he followed her unspoken instructions, moving his tongue over that nub again and again, enjoying himself. But all too soon, she was there, ready to fly.

  Louis thought about pulling back, having a longer taste of her. But from what she’d said to him earlier, Penny hadn’t ever enjoyed this kind of loving. So he moved in, sliding his fingers into her heat while his mouth latched onto that nub and sucked harder, listening to her body. Her hands were in his hair, guiding him and it took only moments before she screamed, her body arching into his mouth as she exploded with a climax that literally arched her body, her fingers pulling his hair. Louis suspected that he might have a few bald spots after this, but it was totally worth it to watch Penny soar.

  When her body calmed, he moved higher up, unable to hide his grin.

  “That was…!” she breathed, but he kissed her, absorbing her happiness. When he lifted his mouth, she was grinning back at him and he stood up, stripping off his clothes as he continued to look at her.

  She lifted up, pressing her elbows behind her which thrust her full breasts invitingly towards him. “Do you always…?” she started, but the blush stopped her and she didn’t finish the question.

  Louis changed the question slightly. “Will I always make sure that you are pleasured first?” he offered. “Yes. Always,” he tossed his jeans behind him before coming back to her. He rolled the condom down his length, watching her the whole time. “I can show you more, if you’ll let me.”

  She grinned up at him and he thought she was absolutely gorgeous like this. Taking her hands, he laced his fingers through hers. “Now for more,” he warned her, shifting so that his hips pressed into her heat, just a bit at first, wanting her to enjoy the experience again. But she was so hot and tight and amazingly wet that he struggled to pull back out again.

  “Penny,” he groaned.

  She pulled her hands from his, tangling her fingers in his hair. He loved having her touch him. It didn’t matter how, he loved it. He cradled her to his chest as he pressed in deeper. Deeper still. Her mouth fell open again and he kissed her, unable to resist the temptation. With each thrust, he moved deeper into her heat, his mind spinning at how good she felt.

  “Like that!” she gasped, her hips lifting, meeting his thrust. So he continued just like that, shifting in and out of her, hitting that nub with each thrust. He could feel her body trembling, shaking as her next climax moved closer and closer. But she was scared and he pulled her closer as he thrust faster. “Just let it happen, love,” he urged. A second later, he felt her body throb with another orgasm, her inner muscles
tightening around his shaft and it felt so good, he couldn’t hold back. A few more thrusts and he joined her in that blissful release, holding her tight as their climaxes rocked their world!

  A long time later, Louis felt her hand drift over his stomach and he lifted his head, looking down at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly. Her leg was over his, her head resting against his shoulder and it was about the most perfect moment he could think of.

  “Nothing,” she told him, tilting her head back to look into his eyes. “At this moment, absolutely nothing is wrong.”

  Her words were profound and he rolled over, starting the whole process again, showing her how beautiful she was.

  Chapter 5

  “Did you hear?” Annie called out eagerly as soon as Penny stepped into the bar for work. It had been a whole week of blissfulness in Louis’s arms and she couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off her face. Grabbing an apron, she tied it as she moved into the kitchen to start the preparations for tonight’s appetizers.

  “Hear what?” she asked, looking at the menu and chuckling. “Sin Dip”? Seriously? Reading the recipe, Penny realized that it was a mix of cheeses with French bread slices. Ingenious!

  “There were two FBI guys over at the sheriff’s office today. They wanted to talk to Louis about last week’s confrontation,” Annie announced. “Isn’t that exciting?”

  Penny went cold with that news. “FBI guys?”

  “Yeah!” Annie replied, grabbing the small ramekins and setting them out onto the big trays. Annie took the scoop and started ladling out a half cup of the already mixed cream cheese, sour cream, and grated cheddar cheese.

  “Why is the FBI questioning Louis? He didn’t do anything wrong!”

  Anny laughed. “No, silly! They aren’t questioning him because he did something wrong. They are talking to him because he did something right! They’re interviewing him. Rumor has it that they are offering him a job as a hostage negotiator.”

  Penny’s fingers froze, but Annie didn’t notice. She kept talking even though Penny felt as if she had been punched in the gut. Louis gone? An FBI hostage negotiator? That kind of a job offer was…amazing! And he deserved it. She knew that he was great at his job. He’d talked Jeff down and then swooped in to get the gun, apprehending the bad guy. He’d been pretty magnificent!

  But…she’d just acknowledged that she loved him! They’d had sex. No, they’d made love. He’d shown her how to use his body to make her own body feel incredible!

  And now he was going to leave?

  Damn it! Why did she always pick the wrong guy? Why did every man she had even the slightest feelings for go away? What kind of cosmic or karmic bad luck had her always falling for the wrong man?

  But this time…this time was going to be worse.

  Okay, nothing could be worse than when her ex-husband had left her alone with two baby boys. That had been the most frightening time in her life. But now, just when she’d finally trusted another man, God was taking him away! God was jerking happiness from her fingers!

  Furiously, she smacked the ramekin cups down so hard that one of them broke.

  “Hey,” Annie whispered, putting a hand on Penny’s shoulder. “Are you okay?’ she asked.

  “I’m fine,” she lied to Annie.

  Penny sniffed and pulled herself together. This was it. This was her life. Thinking that she could have happiness was stupid! And keeping a man like Louis? Who the hell did she think she was? A man like Louis wasn’t going to stick around in a small town in Colorado! Especially not after being offered an FBI job! No way! No one turned down a job as prestigious as working for the FBI!

  So once again, she was going to be ditched. Once again, she’d given her heart to a man who was going to leave her. Great! Just great!

  The night seemed endless but she pushed thoughts of Louis out of her mind, focusing on her customers. She smiled more brightly to compensate for the misery she felt inside, refusing to allow it to come out. The result was a huge boost to her tips, even while inside she was dying.

  After closing up at The Bull Frog and driving home, thanking Dan for watching over her adorable hellions, she brushed her teeth and washed her face, then pulled on an old tee-shirt, slid into her bed and…nothing.

  There was nothing inside of her. She’d given everything to Louis, trusting that he might be the one who would stick around. The guy that she could have a future with.

  But in the end, she knew better. James and Tyler were the only men she needed in her life. The only men she could trust. Her boys were wonderful, if a bit more mercurial than others their age. More adventurous. But Dan had channeled their energy well. Her boys were doing well in school and…

  That was all that mattered. If her heart broke a bit further every time Louis popped into her mind, she just told herself it was part of the punishment she deserved for believing in happily ever after. That wasn’t in the cards for her. How many men needed to ditch her before she believed it?

  Of course, Louis was the only man she’d actually given her heart to. The only man who had even cared about her heart.

  Stupid! She was just stupid for believing!

  Chapter 6

  Louis watched the school bus drive away as he pulled into the driveway of Penny’s house. He wondered what she’d think of the present he’d bought her. Would she think it was cheesy? He hoped not. He really wanted to surprise her and this was the one thing that…well, he hoped she liked it. And he hoped she’d find the special surprise that he’d locked onto the middle.

  Stepping out of his SUV, he closed the driver’s door, and pulled the box out of the back, hefting it carefully as he carried it to her door. She stood there, just outside, looking beautiful and…and something else, but he wasn’t sure what. Damn, he wanted to make love to her again! And yet, he wanted her to open up this box and for them to then head out again. He wanted…everything!

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he bent to kiss her in greeting. But she turned her head so his lips brushed against her cheek. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  When she looked up at him, her eyes were hard. Emotionless. “It’s fine. Do you have something to tell me?”

  He shifted the box so that it was under the other arm, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear. But she jerked backwards and… a tear fell, marring the porcelain skin of her cheek. “Penny? What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?”

  “Nothing. Just…” she sniffed, her chin lifting and her eyes sparkled with the unshed tears. “Just tell me. Get it over with.” When he stood there, confused, she shrugged. “Okay, so don’t tell me. I’m used to that too. I’m sure it will be a wonderful surprise.”

  “A surprise?” He looked at her, but something wasn’t right. “I brought you a surprise.”

  She glanced to the box, then back up. “That’s it? You’re going to bring me a present and go?”

  Umm… he wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “Penny, what’s going on? You seem angry. Did I do something wrong?”

  She glared at him for a long moment. “Fine. We’ll play your game. Whatever.” And she turned on her heel, walking inside.

  Louis wasn’t sure what to say. He stood there for a long moment, stumped and confused. In the end, he walked into the house, finding her standing by the sink. “Penny, I think we should talk. Something is bothering you and…”

  “Is that it? Is that what you’re giving me before the big reveal?”

  She looked at the box and he wanted to toss it out the window. Now wasn’t the right time for this surprise, if her current mood was any indication.

  “Ummm…not if you’re going to look at it like that,” he teased, hoping to get a smile out of her.

  Nothing. No comment, no smile. She simply lifted her eyes up to his and…more tears?

  He placed the box on the kitchen table and moved over to her, refusing to let her slide away from him. “Penny, talk to me. What’s going on? Tell me what I’ve done to make you so angry and I’ll fix
it, I promise!”

  “Just tell me!” she snapped, one hand whipping up to wipe away the tears. “Just get it over with! Whatever you need to say, just say it!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder defiantly. “I’m used to it, Louis.”

  “Used to what?” he demanded, getting angry now. “Tell me what the hell is going on!”

  “The job with the FBI?” she prompted, her eyebrows lifting as if he should know what she was waiting for.

  “Oh.” His shoulders slumped. “That.”

  “Yeah. That. Care to just tell me and move on?”

  He took her hands, his thumbs rubbing over her knuckles which were scuffed from the last time they’d repelled down a cliff. “So you’ve heard?”

  He heard her sniff and he would have sworn that she was hurt more than angry.

  “Everyone’s heard, Louis. Everyone is talking about it. So? Just spill it. I’m used to disappointment. I can take it. I’m stronger than I look.”

  He moved closer but she blinked, trying to stop the tears. “It’s just a job, Penny. It’s no big deal.”

  She nodded stiffly, looking over his shoulder. “Just a job,” she whispered, the pain stronger than she’d thought possible.

  “Yeah. Just a job. But…If you want me to take the job, I will.”

  “You should…!” Wait. What? She turned and looked up at him. “Take the job?”

  He took her hands again and she was too confused to pull away. “Yeah. If you want me to take the job, I will. I’d rather stay here, though. I like Colorado and I like this town.”

  “Wait!” she lifted her hand in the air, stopping him so she could figure out what he meant. “Hold on. You didn’t take the job?”

  He looked startled. “No.”

  No? Just no? “The FBI offered you a job as a hostage negotiator, right?”

  One shoulder shrugged dismissively. “Yeah. That’s what they spoke to me about yesterday.”