Chapter 5
In the car, I held her hand, and she gripped mine back. I had to maintain some sort of physical contact with her. Every time I glanced over, she was watching me, her eyes wide. Then she started talking. Nonstop. She commented on how long it took to get out of the parking lot. The number of people around. The interior of my car. How nice my leather jacket was. How she’d always wanted one but thought she was too old.
It took me a few moments to realize her nattering was her way of handling her nerves. It was rather endearing.
I pulled into the driveway of the place I was renting, grateful it was a short trip from the bar. I went to her side, tugging her from the vehicle and, before she could say anything else, swooping her into my arms. She grasped at my shoulders with a shocked gasp.
“I can walk.”
“Not fast enough.”
At the door, I paused. “It’s 4-3-0-0. Type it in.”
She did as I instructed, and the door unlocked with a snap. I took her inside, heading straight to my bedroom. The door clicked shut behind me, the lock reengaging.
In my room, I set her on her feet and stared down at her. Nerves had replaced that look of desire from earlier. The want was gone, and worry took its place. She looked around. “This is nice. The rooms are a good size?—”
I cupped her face between my hands and bent, kissing her, silencing her. Endearing as it was, I didn’t need a running commentary of my rental. I needed her mouth. Her desire.
I let her set the pace, slowly deepening the kiss as her passion blossomed. I wanted her with me. In the moment. Lost to everything but me. Us.
She was tense at first, then her shoulders slackened. Her body softened, pressing into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, sliding her tongue along mine in sensuous passes. Low whimpers escaped her lips, her breathy sighs warming my skin.
I held her close, further deepening the kiss, claiming her mouth. She shivered in my arms as I pulled on her pretty blouse, tugging it over her head, breaking away from her mouth long enough to get it off her. It caught and I heard a seam tear, but neither of us stopped. She pulled at my T-shirt, frowning as if it offended her by being on me, and I helped her rid me of it. I took her mouth again, sliding my hands up to cup her full breasts, stroking the hard nipples through the lace under my fingers. Seconds later, the lace was gone, her bare skin filling my hands. The weight of her warm breasts was perfection. Piece by piece, our clothing was discarded, our bodies close together as we kissed and touched. I bent, lifting her again, and she wrapped her legs around me. I groaned at the feel of her, hot and slick against my cock, and I ground against her, wanting her to feel my desire.
“I’m not on birth control,” she murmured. “I went through early menopause.”
“I’m safe, but I have condoms.”
She hesitated.
“I’m not a player, Cherry. It’s been over a year.”
“I can’t remember how long it’s been for me,” she whispered.
“We’ll use them.”
She shook her head, taking a deep breath. “I-I trust you.”
I cupped her face. “That means so much to me. Thank you.”
I walked to the bed, laying her on her back and stepping away, admiring the view. Her beautiful hair spread out on my plain comforter. Her full breasts moved rapidly as she struggled to keep her breathing regular. Her nipples were stiff, and I wanted to taste them. Her hips were rounded, and she kept her legs together modestly, that blush I liked spreading across her skin. Her chest, even her stomach, was flushed.
I shook my head in wonder. “Look at you.”
“I’m not young and pretty,” she whispered.
“Young, no. Pretty isn’t the right word either,” I agreed. “Beautiful. Sexy. Perfect for me. God, I want to feast on you.”
She blinked, then sat up, taking my cock in her hand. I groaned as she stroked me, meeting my eyes, defiant and confident. “I want to taste you too.”
I barely held in my groan. “Ladies first.”
She wrapped her lips around me. It was all I could do not to fist her hair and fuck her mouth. I was fascinated as I watched my cock slide between her full lips. Felt her tongue wrap around me. She watched me watching her, and, unable to stop myself, I wound a handful of hair around my fist, pumping into her mouth. “Such a good girl,” I purred. “Look at you sucking my cock. You like that, Cherry? If I touched you right now, I bet you’d be wet, wouldn’t you?” I growled at her. She nodded, humming, setting off another wave of pleasure through my body.
“Show me,” I demanded.
She slipped a hand between her legs, holding up her fingers. They glistened in the low light coming from the hall. I grabbed her hand, sucking, as she whimpered low in her throat.
“You taste delicious, and I can’t wait anymore,” I hissed, tugging on her hair. “My turn.”
She swirled her tongue, sucking one last time, then moved her head back, my cock resting on her bottom lip. She kissed the tip, tonguing the slit, and I groaned.
“You are trouble, Cherry G.”
I lifted her under her arms and tossed her farther back on the bed. I gripped her knees, opening her to me. She looked uncertain, and I shook my head. “You are beautiful. Lying there, wet and ready for me. I could slide in and fuck you as hard as I wanted right now, couldn’t I?” I demanded. “You’re soaked.” I ran a finger along her, teasing and light. “But I want to taste you first. Make you come with my mouth. Then my fingers. Then you get my cock.”
She whimpered, her legs falling open wider. Her nipples begged for my mouth, and I tongued them, biting and sucking until they were stiff points and wet from my teasing. Then I moved down her body, kissing and licking. I picked up her foot, kissing the arch, up to her knee, then did the same with the other. She was almost panting by the time I buried my face into her center and licked. She bowed her back off her bed with a low cry as I circled her clit with slow passes of my tongue. She curled her hands into fists on the bedding, twisting the material as I stroked, licked, sucked, and nibbled. Slid in one finger, then added another, pumping fast as she began to stiffen.
“Come for me, Cherry. Come all over my hand,” I praised her. “So fucking beautiful. Look at you.”
She cried out, her eyes going wide, her muscles tightening.
I hovered over her, settling between her thighs and slamming into her. That set off another orgasm, this time my name flying from her lips as she choked my cock, the sensation incredible. I slid my arms around her, lifting her to my chest and covering her mouth with mine, kissing her hard. She gripped my shoulders, grasped at my biceps, and dug her nails into my back. Our mouths were fused together, our breaths mingling. I grabbed her perfect ass, moving her with me. The bed shifted with the force of our coupling. Sweat rolled down our torsos, our skin gliding together. I gripped her hip with one hand, the other wrapped around her hair and pressing into her back. I had never experienced such intense sensations with anyone before. Never felt the need to be as close to someone. To feel them molded around me. Everything with Cherry was magnified.
Including the strength of the orgasm I felt beginning to take over. Fire spread through me, hot and bright. My cock swelled, and I thrust into the heat and wet of her, needing to be as deeply embedded as I could be.
“Dom!” she gasped, tearing her mouth from mine. “Oh my God, again. More!”
I exploded, pleasure overtaking my body. I held her tight to my chest, letting the sensations flood me. She whimpered my name over and over, her lips by my ear, her breath hot on my skin. I moved until I was sated. Exhausted.
Wondering what the hell had just happened.
We stilled, our skin cooling, our breathing returning to normal. I slid a finger under her chin, lifting her face. I pressed a kiss to her full lips. “Wow.”
She looked up, her gaze soft, warm, and emotional. “Wow is right.”
“You okay, pretty lady?”
“I’m good.”
I eased her back to the mattress and slid out of her, grimacing as I rested beside her. She shifted, placing her head on my chest, draping her arm across my stomach.
“I should go?” she said in the form of a question.
“Nope. You’re staying right here. I’m not done with you yet.”
“Oh.”
I kissed her forehead. “Sleep a bit. I’m not going anywhere.” I held her tighter. “Neither are you.”
“Hannah—”
“Knows where you are. That you’re safe. She’s also fully aware you’re a grown woman. I highly doubt she’s shocked. Besides, the way she and Chase were eyeing each other up, I doubt she’s even thinking of you right now. Pretty sure the headboard is slamming into the wall loudly.”
She slapped my chest, even as she laughed. “Stop. That is my daughter.”
“Another grown woman. Both of you satisfied.”
She lifted her head, a smile on her lips. “Did I say I was satisfied yet, Dom?”
I wasn’t sure what shocked me more. Her teasing, or the way my cock got on board so quickly.
Cherry was obviously my own personal Viagra.
I could live with that.
The room was quiet as we recovered from round two. Cherry was draped over my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin.
“Who hurt you, Cherry?” I asked quietly.
She stiffened, then sighed.
“About two years after Mike died, I was lonely. Sad. Weary. So tired of working and being the only one, trying to raise Hannah, go to work, handle the bills. Everything.”
“I imagine it was hard.”
“It was. I met a man. He was a salesman for a big roofing distributor in the region. He seemed great. Said all the right things. Did all the right things. Asked about my daughter. Showed an interest in her and me. Suddenly, I wasn’t so lonely.”
“What happened?”
“He was on the road a lot, but he kept in touch. Brought us gifts. I started relying on him. Trusting him. Falling for him.” She huffed out a long breath. “Until his wife showed up at my door. Told me the truth. He had me and another woman on the side.”
“Wow. Busy man.”
“The worst part was that Hannah was involved. It was hard enough to deal with knowing he’d lied to me, but involving my child was inexcusable. Knowing I had slept with a married man horrified me.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have.”
I tightened my hold on her. “Stop blaming yourself for his actions. You didn’t know.”
“She lived in Niagara Falls. I lived in Toronto. The other girlfriend was in Belleville. He had a large territory that he routinely traveled. He made sure to have company everywhere. His schedule was pretty set, so no one questioned his absences. He played it and us very well.”
“And after that?”
“It took me a long time to trust again. The next guy was an absolute player. Charming. Handsome. And a lying sack of shit. After that, I gave up and concentrated on Hannah.”
I chuckled. “Well, I am neither married nor a liar.” I pressed a kiss to her head. “Nor a player.”
“I know,” she admitted. “It was my own insecurities. It seemed every guy I dated or was introduced to had an agenda.”
“Oh, I have one, Cherry G. I want you. I want you in my life. I want to be part of yours. That is my whole agenda, and I am happy for you to know it.”
She snuggled closer. “I kinda like that.”
“Good.” I lifted her chin and captured her mouth. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”
I woke up in the early morning light, Cherry asleep beside me, her hand on my chest. All night, we stayed in physical contact. Snuggled close under the blankets. At times, she was draped over me. Others, I spooned her. But even if we rolled apart, somehow we touched, our hands clasping or resting against the other person. I shifted, studying her in the low light. Asleep, she looked sweet—soft and vulnerable. All traits I knew she carried in her but would never allow the world to see. She was proud, independent, and strong. I liked all those things about her. The hidden parts and the ones she let the world view. She was complex. Alluring. Like a puzzle I needed to solve. I planned on doing so and enjoying every moment of it.
I was sorry for the bad times she’d been through. The assholes who’d hurt her. I was determined to show her I was in this for the long haul. From the moment I met her, I was captivated. And that intensity hadn’t worn off now that we had slept together. It had, in fact, grown stronger. I wanted to be that man for her. The one she could trust and rely on.
I pushed a stray curl behind her ear, grinning as another fell and took its place on her cheek. Her curls were as soft as I’d thought they would be. I loved how they felt fisted in my hand, tickling my thighs as she rode me, her head bent back as she cried out in desire.
I had never experienced such passion with a woman until last night—the kind that drove all rational thought from your mind and focused your attention on a single image. The person in front of you. Everything in me had wanted her pleasure. Her cries. Her mouth and body. Her whispered pleas and whimpers of desire. Nothing but complete bliss and being inside her could cool my ardor.
Even that hadn’t been enough. Once I’d had her, I wanted her again. I woke her three times in the night to sate my desire.
And still, it raged.
I lifted up on my elbow, watching her. I traced a finger down her creamy skin, tugging at the blanket covering her. I tried not to grin at the marks on her neck, the traces of love bites that lingered there and on her breasts. The swollen pink of her mouth from mine. I felt the slight sting from her fingernails embedded in my skin at the height of our passion. The ache growing in my cock at the sight of her resting beside me, unknowingly waking the animal in me simply by being there, close, sweet, and inviting.
I lowered my head, sucking a nipple into my mouth. It grew taut and wet under my tongue, and a breathy sigh escaped Cherry’s mouth, the air moving my hair. She murmured my name, curling her hand into my hair as I turned my attention to her other breast, giving it the same treatment as I rolled her wet nipple between my fingers. I rose over her, settling between her legs.
Her eyes were still closed, but her body responded, opening to me like a flower. Her heat surrounded me as I slid my cock along her wet pussy, watching her the whole time. Her eyes blinked open, widening when she saw me, but she wrapped her legs around my hips, drawing me in. I slid inside her, groaning at how right it felt. How right we felt.
Without a word, I kissed her, moving in long, slow passes. She made a strangled noise in her throat, her arms holding me tight. I opened my eyes, meeting her wide gaze. I kept moving, our gazes never faltering, our mouths staying together. I slid my hands along her arms, lifting them over her head, holding them with one hand as I gripped her ass with the other, moving faster, my need for her becoming intense. She gasped as I changed the angle, and she began to breathe faster.
Everything narrowed down to the feel of where we were joined. The connection between us. The spiral of ecstasy and the heat of our bodies as we moved together. She stiffened, her fingers crushing mine as she orgasmed, the clutch of her sending me over the edge. I was free-falling, not caring if I hit the ground. Pure, unadulterated elation flowed through me. It wound around us, a fire that could not be stopped.
Until we were nothing but ashes.
And I was okay with that.
We dozed, woke again, showering away the desire of the night from our bodies but not our minds. Cherry was oddly shy again, which made me smile. The running commentary began as I made coffee as she perched on one of the high stools by the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. My cupboards were pretty, the layout nice. She loved the wooden floors and the old crown molding.
“So charming,” she stated, taking a sip of her coffee, allowing me the chance to speak.
“Charming is one word,” I snorted. “Add in the leaking pipes, drafty windows, and squeaking floors, and I can think of another one.”
“But that lovely tub.”
I met her gaze. “Really, Cherry G, do I look like a tub guy?”
“I suppose not. But one never knows.”
“I think after last night—and this morning—you know me pretty well. At least in one sense.” I winked at her.
She tossed her hair, making me smile. “For all I know, you could enjoy a good soak.”
I took a long drink of my coffee, eyeing her. She wore my shirt, the long sleeves rolled up, the bottom coming halfway down her thighs. Her hair was damp, curling softly around her face in long waves. In the morning light, free of makeup or proper clothes, she was effortlessly sexy. Pretty. I liked her. A lot.
“I do like a good soak,” I drawled. “Namely, my cock bathed in your hot pussy. But other than that, I’m a shower guy.”
Her cheeks flamed, and I had to chuckle. She tried to divert the conversation, pointing out the pluses of my gas stove.
I poured another coffee and let her ramble.
Used to the silence of my own company, I found myself enjoying it.
“You ripped my blouse,” Cherry said, her voice prim.
“Wear the shirt you have on now,” I replied, not at all put out. “I like how it looks on you.”
“I liked that blouse.”
“I’ll buy you another one. It was in the way of your skin.”
She made an exasperated sound. “Hannah will notice.”
I had to laugh. “Hannah has already figured it out, Cherry G. She knows her momma was up to no good all night. The two of you can probably share notes.”
Her indignant sigh said it all.
“Chase invited us to join them. You want to do that or head back to bed?” I appraised her in a long, slow glance. “I know what I’d prefer.”
She slid off the stool, crossing her arms. “I want to see my daughter, then I’m heading back to Toronto.”
I sidled over, standing in front of her. “You want me to follow, baby?”
“Follow?”
“I can come back with you. Spend the evening. The night. You can show me all the great things about your place.”
She blinked. “You-you want to come with me? You’re not tired of me?”
I shook my head, looping my arms around her waist. “I doubt that is ever gonna happen. Certainly not now. Not today. I can’t get enough of you.”
All her tension melted, her body conforming itself to mine. Her eyes grew softer, filling with an emotion I couldn’t identify, but I liked. She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Really?”
I lowered my head, my lips ghosting over hers. “Really.”
She yanked me close, licking at my mouth. “Then, yes.”