Chapter Eight #2
And when she tightened around him, crying out as another orgasm crashed through her, he knew he was in trouble.
The best kind of trouble.
The kind he never wanted to escape.
* * * * *
Crew filled her. Stretched her. Made her lose her mind.
Fern pushed upward, rocking with the rhythm of his every thrust. Her insides gripped around each withdrawal and tightened around his steely length on every inward push.
She hitched her knee around his hip, and he slipped deeper in a slick glide that had them both moaning out.
Her mind whirled with sensation…and more. It had been so long since she felt any man’s touch—or more importantly, wanted it—that she felt like she was waking after a long sleep.
Frantic to connect them in every possible way, she twisted her mouth into his.
Their lips collided with a passion that made her mind blank to anything but Crew.
She flattened her hand on his spine, lost in the flex and pull of his muscles.
Her free hand found his jaw and stroked across the stubble there.
He broke the kiss, jaw clenched. “I can’t get enough of you.”
His words made her heart trill. She arched into him as he drove his cock through her inner walls on another rock of his hips. His dark gaze burned into her.
The sun that streamed through the slats in the window blind caught the flecks in his eyes. Chocolate brown. Espresso. Rich earth. All the shades of brown she loved even more now that they belonged to Crew.
She also realized the time of day. It wasn’t the dark of night with the light turned off. She couldn’t stop the smile that twitched at her lips. “We’re having sex before noon.”
His lips tilted. “I like to exceed expectations.”
“Overachiever.”
“Only when properly motivated.” His eyes flashed, and her giggle morphed into a gasp when he dipped his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
His hot tongue swirled in an urgent pattern around her taut bud. A string of sensation tugged between her breast and pussy. Her inner walls clenched hard around his cock.
He went still for a heavy beat. His lips stopped too, only a warm clamp around her nipple. He released it, warm breath rushing across her flesh.
Smoothing her fingers over his angular jaw, she lifted his head. Their gazes clashed like a lightning strike, sending liquid fire arrowing through her.
She saw him holding back a force that neither of them were prepared for when they began.
“Fern,” he grated out, his control fractured.
Her pussy flooded, and he ground his cock against her core with a low grunt that told her he wasn’t far from release.
The dark need inside her had her gripping on tight and kissing him with all the urgency inside her.
Their bodies thumped. The bed rocked. When he eased his hand between them and settled his fingertip over her clit, her entire focus narrowed to the throbbing point.
She tossed her head back with a cry. He pressed down, gently at first, then with the firm pressure she craved.
“Oh god! Crew!” A wave swept her up, and she began to climb again, fast and sharp.
He slammed his mouth over her pulse point, delivering a tender pull of his lips that warred with the pressure he applied to her clit.
Crew’s movements grew jerky, his restraint vanishing as he neared his own peak. They clung to each other as they both lost their grip.
Fern came first, the tight knot in her core shuddering apart in long waves. Crew claimed her mouth as he splintered in her hold, muscles tightening and then going limp as he poured his release into her.
She drank him in, eyes closed, locking him to her as they rode the final waves in each other’s arms. Whatever was happening between them, it went beyond anything she felt before.
If she was honest, it started when Crew came to the rescue of her fallen plants.
Then he was a helpful and easygoing landscaping assistant, a person she could talk to easily without pressure.
And he was the guy who didn’t mind how badly she sang and carried her purse around without one iota of embarrassment.
When she panicked over the mug left in the sink, he saw that it was more than a mug and was sweet and soothing.
As soon as she voiced the fear someone was following her, his easy warmth vanished, replaced by a sharp, focused calm that wrapped around her like a shield. It was unsettling—and undeniably attractive.
How could she not feel herself beginning to fall for him?
For long minutes, they lay tangled up. When he rolled off, he drew her close. She rested her head on his hard pec and closed her eyes.
Fern always thought people exaggerated when they said time disappeared during sex. Turned out, she’d been doing it wrong.
When she opened her eyes, Crew was watching her with that quiet, unreadable focus that always made her feel completely seen. His thumb traced slow, absent circles along her arm, like he was making sure she was real too.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
She tipped her chin up, meeting his gaze. “More than okay.”
A corner of his mouth lifted with the boost to his ego. “Good to hear.”
She issued a throaty laugh, fitting herself more snugly against him, and felt his chest rise with a deep breath. “You realize,” she said, voice lazy and loose, “we just shattered my entire belief system about midday activities.”
He huffed a low laugh. “Didn’t strike you as the rigid schedule type.”
“Oh, I am.” She gazed up at him. “Lunch is sacred. Naps are earned. This?” She gestured vaguely between them. “This was…”
His hand slid to her back, warm and firm. “Sexy. Satisfying. Something I’ll remember.”
Her heart jogged at his tender praise. Their gazes held for five beats too long.
Feeling the need to lighten the mood, she joked, “I can’t believe you said that with a straight face.”
His teeth flashed with his smile. “I can multitask.”
She shook her head, smiling into his chest. She traced one of his tattoos, following the lines she was still shocked he kept hidden.
“Hey,” he said after a moment, voice taking on a serious tone. “There’s something I want to ask you.”
Her fingers stilled. She lifted her head enough to meet his expression. “Okay.”
“I want you to let me drive you. To estimates. New jobs. Anywhere you don’t know the people yet.” He hesitated, then added, “I’ll stay out of your way. I just want you safe.”
The warmth didn’t vanish—but it changed. She studied his face, the careful way he’d framed the request and the restraint threaded through the words.
Though it was nothing like her ex would say, her first instinct was to bristle. Independence had been stripped from her in that relationship.
With Crew, this didn’t feel like a cage.
Her throat tightened. “Okay.” She surprised herself with how sure it sounded. “You can drive me.”
Relief crossed his face. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her hair. “Thank you.”
They lay there a little longer, the room peaceful again—until a muffled laugh drifted through the wall. Followed by footsteps in the hallway. A door opening. Voices.
Fern stiffened.
Crew’s body went alert beneath her. “The guys are coming back from lunch.”
She glanced up at him. Her eyes widened. She didn’t want the men she’d be working with in the garden seeing her slipping out of Crew’s room.
“Crew…”
“I’ve got you.” He slid out from beneath her, already moving with quiet efficiency. He picked up her clothes and set them next to her, then began tossing on his own.
She dressed quickly and smoothed her hair but knew she still looked well-loved.
Crew crossed to the window and cracked it open, peering outside before pushing it wider. Cool air swept in.
“You’re serious?” she whispered.
He looked back at her, a faint grin tugging at his mouth. “I’m not letting rumors start about you.”
Her heart did a little flip. “You’re sneaking me out.”
“Protecting your reputation.” He shot her a wide smile that felt playful and dangerous at the same time.
She tried not to laugh as she edged up to the window. “This is officially the strangest exit I’ve ever made.”
“Won’t be the last.” He pulled out the window screen and set it aside, deep brown eyes warm and amused.
She paused, leaning in to kiss him once more—quick, soft, full of the promise of more. “You’re trouble, Crew Diaz. But the best kind.”
Then she slipped out into the afternoon light, smiling all the way down.