Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
WEST
Imight have spoken too soon. I glanced into the bowl she’d cracked the eggs into, and it had taken more effort than it should have to keep from curling my top lip.
“Baby, there’s more shell than egg in here.”
“It’s not my fault,” she cried vehemently. “There’s something wrong with your eggs. The shells were unnaturally thin.”
There wasn’t a damn thing wrong with the eggs, but I decided keeping that to myself was the best option, given that I’d like to see her naked again in the very near future.
“All right. Why don’t we try this again?” Taking the bowl, I dumped the contents into the sink, rinsed it out, and placed it back in front of her. “This time, tap the egg against the lip of the bowl with a little less force.”
She took an egg from the carton and proceeded to bash it against the rim like it owed her money, and she wanted to show it she was not to be fucked with. I did my best to maintain a neutral expression as I handed her a second one. “This time, even gentler.”
She inhaled deeply, psyching herself up. This time, she managed not to obliterate the egg, but the shell didn’t crack all the way through.
“That’s better. Now use your fingernail to split it the rest of the way and pry it open.”
The slimy contents plopped into the bowl without a piece of shell in sight, and Stella let out a whoop, spinning around to press a victorious kiss to my lips.
She nailed it on the first try with the third and fourth eggs, so I left her to whisk while I carried the frying pan to the sink and dumped out the bricks of charcoal that I thought might have been bacon at some point.
Fortunately, the pan scrubbed out easy enough, so I didn’t have to add run by Target for a new pan to my list of things to do today.
I handled the stove side of things—not trusting the woman around an open flame any longer—and put her in charge of slicing some fruit after she assured me she wouldn’t lose an appendage if I gave her a knife.
The bacon was fried and sitting on a paper-towel covered plate, and I’d just finished scrambling the eggs when I turned from the stove and saw her swaying back and forth as she sliced a banana, humming along to some tune in her head.
My dick sprang to life behind my sweats as I lazily dragged my gaze up her long legs, the smooth, peaches-and-cream skin just as soft as it looked; I knew from personal experience. Christ, I wanted those legs wrapped around my waist. Or my head. I didn’t give a fuck which.
The shirt she was wearing, my shirt, made her look like a wet fucking dream. I’d had girlfriends in the past who liked to wear my shirts or hoodies, but I’d never had such a visceral reaction with them as I did seeing Stella wearing my beat-up, faded flannel.
My skin suddenly felt tight and hot, stretched across my clenched muscles as my whole body began to throb with need. Fuck, I was addicted to this woman, and if I didn’t sink my cock inside her in the next five seconds, my balls were going to explode.
Crossing the space between us, I pressed up against her and grabbed her hips, pulling her ass against my throbbing erection as I bent to drag my lips up the column of her neck.
The knife clattered against the counter as she pulled in a shaky breath. “W-what are you doing?”
“What’s it feel like to you?” I asked, driving my hips forward, rubbing my dick against her firm, round ass.
“But”—she swallowed audibly—“I thought you were hungry.”
A growl pulled from my chest. “Fucking starving.” I dragged my hand up her outer thighs, lifting the shirt as I went, only to encounter nothing but bare skin beneath.
“Fuck me. You’re not wearing anything under my shirt?
” I was hard enough to pound nails, but before I could fuck her, I needed to eat her.
“Nothing,” she breathed, dropping her head back against my shoulder.
Whipping her around, I pressed her back against the counter and ordered, “Grab hold of the edge and don’t let go,” as I dropped down to my knees in front of her.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked, holding on to the edge of the counter with a white-knuckled grip.
“Having my breakfast,” I rasped as I threw one of her legs over my shoulder. Then I buried my face in her pussy.
“Jesus. West,” she breathed, her lust-filled, husky voice driving me on.
I stiffened my tongue and speared it into her, groaning as her arousal coated my tongue and slid down my throat.
She tasted like sin mixed with the sweetest honey, and I couldn’t hold back.
I devoured her, teasing her slit before sucking on her clit.
She writhed against my face, her breaths coming hard and fast. “Yes, baby,” she panted, releasing the counter and gripping my hair so she could ride my face with abandon.
I opened my eyes and looked up her body.
She was staring down at me, the curtain of her hair fanned down around her shoulders.
Her gray-green eyes were hooded and dark with lust, her lips slightly parted.
When that tongue peeked out to swipe across her bottom lip, I let out a growl and went at her harder.
“That’s it, West. Oh, God. I don’t think I can stay standing,” she moaned. “I’m gonna—” Her words cut off as her head fell back and her whole body tightened. Then she exploded, and I was right there, lapping up every single drop as the quakes slowly left her body.
Placing her foot back on the ground I rose to my full height, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “Turn around, hands on the counter.”
She was still sucking in huge, gasping breaths as she turned on wobbly legs and braced herself on the cool stone of the island.
Reaching around her, I grasped the front of the flannel where the buttons met and ripped it open, sliding it down her arms until I could toss it aside, leaving her completely bare before me.
Jesus, she was the very definition of beauty.
Stella twisted to look back at me over her shoulder, arching her back just enough to pop her ass out, an open invitation for me to slide in deep, and one I had no intention of ignoring.
Pushing my sweats down far enough to free my cock, I gripped it at the base and bent my knees to line up with her opening. Then, in one hard thrust, I drove myself in to the hilt.
“West!” she shouted, throwing her head back and slapping the quartz beneath her palm.
“Need you,” I grunted, feeling beads of sweat already trickling down my spine. “And I don’t know if I can be gentle.”
“Don’t be,” she breathed, rocking back into me. “I want you to fuck me.”
I had to clench my teeth together to keep from rutting into her like a wild fucking animal. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her in any way, and I was worried that if I took her how I wanted, her ribs would pay the price.
But then she looked back at me again and licked those lips before quietly pleading, “Please, West. Don’t hold back.”
How the fuck was I supposed to deny her when she asked like that?
I couldn’t.
Pulling out until just the tip remained, I slammed back in, pausing just long enough to gage her reaction. When she begged for more, I lost what was left of my sanity.
Wrapping all that long, sleek hair around my fist, I fucked her hard and fast, just like I’d been dying to, just like she wanted.
Her pussy clenched and spasmed around my plunging cock as I drove into her over and over.
“I want you to feel me long after I’m done with you,” I growled into her ear. “I want you to remember me every time you move.”
“I will,” she cried out.
“And I want you to know that no other man can get you off like I can.” I could feel her, she was close, squeezing me so tight it was a wonder I could move. “Come for me, Stella. Drench my cock and scream my name.”
She did just that, and I went over the edge seconds later. My muscles felt like they were on fire, my skin at risk of melting off my bones as I exploded, pouring myself into her tight, hot sheath.
It took a solid minute for my vision to return to normal and the black to recede around the edges. When my brain reengaged, there was one thought floating around at the front of my mind.
I was fucking gone for this woman. And I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. I’d keep her safe no matter what it took. If I had to burn the entire goddamn world to the ground.
She collapsed against the counter as soon as I released her hair, letting out a small, sex-drunk laugh.
“Wow,” she said on a sigh a few seconds later. “That was the best cooking lesson I’ve ever had.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Same, baby.”
“But I think we might have ruined breakfast.”
“Worth it,” I grunted, taking a step back and sliding my half-hard dick out of her.
“Hell yeah.”
As gently as I could, I helped her stand up straight and slowly turned her to face me. Dragging my hands down her arms from her shoulders to her wrists, I studied her closely as worry pinched at the space between my eyes. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Are you kidding?” she said, her voice low and throaty from screaming my name. “I feel freaking great. But just to be on the safe side, maybe I should take a pain pill.”
I righted my sweats and bent to grab the shirt off the floor.
Handing it to her, I moved to the cabinet where I kept her medicine and dumped one of the capsules into my hand.
She’d just finished shrugging the destroyed flannel into place when I returned.
I gave her the pill with a glass of water, standing close as I watched her take it.
“Fucking love this shirt on you,” I grunted as I grabbed the two ends and held them closed since all the buttons were now scattered about the floor.
I’d have to remember to clean those up before Rollie got to them.
Speaking of my dog, I was pretty sure he’d taken off the moment things got hot and heavy between Stella and me.
I’d probably find him curled up in the dog bed in my bedroom.
I just hoped we hadn’t scandalized the poor fella.
“You ruined my new robe,” Stella said with a laugh, picking at the one and only button that was hanging precariously from a broken thread.
“I’ll get you a new one.” I had about a thousand flannel button-downs in my closet, she could have all of them for all I cared.
“Speaking of, I need to do a load of laundry today, if you don’t mind. And I should probably get some more clothes from my apartment.”
That reminded me. “There are some things I need to take care of today. I’ll swing by your apartment and grab more stuff while I’m out.” What I didn’t bother to mention was I’d already be going there because one of those things I had to do was to handle her piece of shit landlord.
“I can go with you,” she started, but I shook my head, cutting her off.
“It’s shit for work. I’m going to need you to hang at the office with Xander for a couple of hours, but I promise, I’ll be as fast as I can.”
She let out a sigh and dropped her forehead against my chest. “I know it’s only been a few days, but this whole babysitting thing is getting really old.”
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her flush against me. Her head tucked beneath my chin, and I couldn’t help but think of how perfectly she fit me. “I know, sweetheart. But it won’t be forever.”
She let out sigh, and for a moment, I thought she was going to argue, but she surprised me by lifting up on her toes and pressing a kiss to my lips.
“All right. Then I guess I should hop in the shower.” She started out of the kitchen, but stopped to turn around, pointing a finger at my face.
“But you’re stopping for breakfast and coffee on the way there. I’m starving.”
I could do that. I’d yet to introduce Stella to the wonder that was Muffin Top, the best coffee and pastry shop in Virginia. Now was the perfect time to do it.
Maybe if I bribed her with that—as well as all the orgasms she could handle—I could convince her to stay in Hope Valley permanently.