Chapter 5 #3
“Stay with me, Landon.” Poppy senses my hesitation, and her soft words echo in my head as she places her hand on my cheek, running it down into my beard. “This is not wrong. It’s okay to let yourself feel good.”
It’s the permission I need but can’t bear to give myself.
“God, I want to fuck you… so badly,” I growl in a deep voice, allowing myself to feel the burning desire to take her and just let go of all the restraints that have been binding me.
My breathing becomes rapid as my blood pumps through me like I’m about to jump off a cliff.
And in a way, that’s exactly what I’m about to do.
Because I have a feeling if I do this, then I will be past the point of no return, and I don’t know how I will cope after that.
“I’ve got you.” Poppy pulls me back to her, and a wave of calmness rolls through my body as she controls the kiss this time.
She is gentle and full of unexpected emotion.
I have been so caught up in my own fear that I haven’t looked past Poppy’s tough outer shell.
Who is this woman behind the mask? The confident firefighter and sexy woman who isn’t afraid to go after what she wants.
But as her lips touch mine like a feather, it’s a stark contrast to everything she has shown me so far.
It's too intimate for me though, and I need to play on my terms.
Pulling back, I lift my hands from her to put some space between us.
“What do you want from me, Poppy?” I need to know where this is leading.
“Fun. Isn’t that what we agreed that’s all this was ever going to be?
Stop overthinking it. We’re attracted to each other, so call it a one-night stand or a holiday fling; call it whatever you want, but it’s nothing more than just two people fucking and enjoying it.
” She pushes herself to sit up on the couch, spinning her body to face me.
Her legs are now on either side of me where I’m kneeling on the floor in front of her, putting us at eye level.
“I think I’ve made it obvious what I want.
But what do you want, Landon? Don’t think about anyone else but you.
What. Do. You. Want?” She points her finger at me with force, pushing it into my chest.
I can’t remember the last time I even thought about what I wanted.
As I hesitate to answer, she places her hand on the zipper of her onesie and starts slowly pulling it down to reveal the sides of her plump breasts that she unknowingly teased me with last night.
But this time, there is no imagining, as she has nothing on underneath it except underwear.
The lower she pushes the zipper, the bigger the V of the opening gets.
I knew she’d be toned, but the hint of her abs is stunning, and I don’t want her to stop.
Standing abruptly, I pull her up with me.
“You. I fucking want you. Now.” A deep guttural growl rips from me, and the satisfied smile that spreads over her face tells me it’s the answer she wanted.
Pushing her outfit off her shoulders, I watch as it falls to her waist and struggle not to come in my pants.
But I’m not stopping now. I want to see it all.
She pulls the sleeves over her hands, and with her torso now almost bare, she lowers the zipper far enough for the material to slip over her hips and pool at her feet.
She steps out of it, and there are those fucking candy-cane socks that are ridiculous yet have me wanting them wrapped around my head as I eat her out.
“Exquisite.” The word rolls off my lips in a deep rumble.
A faint blush starts to appear on her chest and cheeks.
“Don’t be embarrassed, you’re fucking gorgeous.” I take her by the hips, moving my hands slowly higher up her body as she shivers under my touch. I’ve missed this feeling of dominant control over a woman’s body and bringing out the ultimate pleasure.
But my living room is not the place to have her moaning my name.
Reaching down, I grab her onesie in one hand and take her hand in my other. “Come,” I demand, pulling her behind me as I start moving toward my bedroom.
“I hope so.” She lets out a little giggle behind me.
“Guaranteed,” I grunt. We enter my room, and as soon as she is through the door, it’s closed and I push her against it.
“I’ve never left a woman unsatisfied before, and I’m not about to start tonight.
” With one hand, I grab her hands and hold them above her head, putting her body at my disposal before she has a chance to say a word.
I drop my head into her neck and nip at her skin, peppering little kisses down to her shoulder. The way she pushes her body against me lets me know that she is right here with me.
“Is this what you want, temptress?” With my free hand, I draw a finger up the curve of her naked side until I reach her left breast. Tugging her bra to the side, I take it in my mouth, biting down on her engorged nipple and then laving my tongue over it.
Fuck. I’m like a man who has been starved and is taking his first taste of food again.
“Again,” she whimpers.
Dropping her hands, I wrap my arm around her waist and feast on her like a dessert that’s about to disappear at any moment.
“Landon.” She starts to moan.
Releasing her breast from my mouth, I don’t waste any time. I pick her up and carry her to the end of my bed.
Unbuttoning my shirt, I find myself caught in a trance by her beauty and watch her bite down on her bottom lip as I pull it off and throw it into the corner of the room. Her hands are on my chest, scraping her nails down my abs, and I’m done. I can’t hold off.
Reaching around her back, I release her bra and watch it fall forward, exposing her perfect tits and the tattoo that has been on my mind ever since I caught a hint of it. It looks like a firefighter’s badge.
The feeling of her hands dropping to my waist shifts my concentration, and as she releases my belt and slides her fingers underneath my pants, it sends shockwaves through me.
The moment the button is popped and she pushes the zipper down, I grab at her hands.
I’m so close to losing my load that I need to set the pace.
“Who gave you permission to touch?” Taking her by the waist and lowering her onto my bed, I drop to my knees, and I can see her panties are already soaked through.
With my hands on the edge of the bed, I lean down and run my tongue over the top of her panties.
Her ass jumps slightly off the bed at the electricity that just ran through our bodies.
“More,” Poppy whimpers as I slide my fingers along the side of her soft, silk underwear.
“Oh, you are about to get so much more. I’m going to devour you with my mouth, and you are not going to come until I tell you to.” The sheen of sweat already building over her body shows me how responsive she is.
“You don’t control that,” she refutes.
“Watch me,” I challenge, and start to inch her panties down while holding her beautiful eyes locked on mine.
Thud.
I freeze as fear races through me the moment my well-trained ears hear the sound.
“Fuck.” I look at the near-naked woman before me, and the realization hits that I was about to make a huge mistake.
And then I hear him.
“Daddy.” Nash’s fearful voice cries out for me, followed by the sound of his little feet running down the hallway.
“Get dressed,” I rumble at Poppy as I stride to the door, opening and closing it before Nash can make it into my room.
Crouching down in the hallway, he falls into my open arms and nuzzles against my chest.
“Daddy’s here. I’ve got you.” I run my hand up and down his back, then pick him up and cuddle him tight.
“I dreamed you left me just like Mommy did,” he mumbles into my shoulder.
“I’ll never leave you. Being your daddy is the most important thing in my life, and I’ll never forget that.” I carry him back to his bedroom, tuck him into bed, and as I try to settle him from his nightmare, I remind myself what my role in life is now: my kids first and myself second.
Sitting on his bed, slowly stroking his head as he slips back into sleep, I hear the front door open and close, and I know she’s gone.
And once again, I’m overshadowed with guilt, but this time it includes remorse for the beautiful woman who just left. I should never have brought her into my mess.
She doesn’t deserve that, not even for one night.
And I’m guessing I don’t deserve one night either.
How the hell am I going to look her in the eye tomorrow and tell her how sorry I am, when no matter what my brain tells me, my body is still screaming for her touch.