Chapter 18 All I Ask Of You
All I Ask Of You
Mara’s heart trembled. Shivered with joy and hope, and more desire than she’d ever experienced.
Feeling bold, she led Seth back to her bedroom and closed the door behind him. She didn’t want anyone—not even Fritter—to interrupt them.
When the door clicked shut, Seth turned her into a spin, then brought them together, so their bodies brushed against each other.
He danced them in the small space at the end of her bed, bringing them closer together with each spin.
Need spiraled up from her toes until she wondered if her head might simply spin off.
Then he leaned down and licked the shell of her ear. Her moan sounded loud in the room.
Seth chuckled and repeated the move. Mara’s body leaned into him until there was no more space. No closer to get, not until they removed their clothes.
He groaned into her ear, and his whisper tickled her all the way to her heart. “You sure about this, Chaos Machine?”
She couldn’t even protest the nickname. Couldn’t do anything more than force out her consent. “Yes, so sure. Make love to me, Seth.”
He rested his head on her hair as he hugged her. “I’m so damn glad to hear that. I can’t wait to see you spinning into pleasure.”
Trembles had him banding his arm around her, keeping her steady, and bringing them impossibly closer.
“I want to know what makes you sigh, Mara. What makes you hum with pleasure? What makes you lose control?”
He brushed his hands up her sides until he cupped her face. “I want to watch you lose your mind, watch you surrender to pleasure as it consumes your body and mind.”
“Keep talking like that, and it won’t be long before those things happen.” Her breathy words were barely audible.
His chuckle rumbled against her neck, along her jawline. “Good to hear. Tell me what you like, Mara. Tell me what drives you mad.”
And then his lips caught hers. Touches soft as a cloud, then deep as her soul.
“Seth.” She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say, but it didn’t matter as he trailed kisses down her neck, to her collarbone.
He reached behind her with one hand, and she realized he was undoing her apron. She was wearing an apron. So incredibly sexy.
As if reading her mind, Seth grinned at her. “I’ve had some intriguing fantasies about this apron.”
That had her blinking. “Seriously?”
His eyes flared. “You make anything sexy. Images of this apron being the only thing covering your skin while my hands get busy beneath it have given me some delicious dreams.”
And now the thought of Seth’s hands getting busy on her was too much to resist. She shimmied to let the apron slide to the ground. “Later. Let’s do that later.”
His mouth slammed onto hers in agreement.
She reached for his jeans, and he groaned again, the sexiest sound she’d ever heard.
Their hands flew, trying to eliminate clothing and reach skin at the same time.
By the time she managed to haul off her t-shirt, Seth had removed her jeans, leaving her in only her bra and panties. Plain cotton, nothing sexy. She should have planned better. Should have ordered something online.
Seth’s gaze raked over her, down to her toes, slowly up over every inch of her, and back to her eyes. “Gorgeous. I might explode just looking at you.”
Then his finger traced over the strap of her bra, softly brushing over her skin as he traced down the material to the valley between her breasts.
Her nipples tightened further, and she swayed toward him.
When his tongue followed his finger’s path, her knees trembled, and he wrapped one arm around her, keeping her upright.
His tongue licked over the cotton, and when he sucked her breast into his mouth, she cried out.
Seth murmured something against her bra, the words muffled, but the satisfaction clear.
Mara’s body arched back to give him better access to drive her out of her mind.
When he unsnapped her bra, she shrugged out of it as quickly as she could. His mouth found her nipple, and the touch sent her quivering.
Then, flying with a cry.
Her orgasm exploded behind her eyelids, and she lost herself in the colors and lights.
When she found her way back to reality, she saw Seth’s intense hazel eyes focused on hers. Satisfaction gleamed from his gaze, and a slow smile lifted one corner of his lips. “Gorgeous. Stunning. So damn sexy.”
She reached up and grazed her lips along his jaw. “Yes, you are.”
He grinned, and then his mouth covered hers again.
She realized she was in bed with no memory of him carrying her there. “Smooth moves, Mr. Clean.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Mr. Clean?”
“If you can call me Chaos Machine, I can call you Mr. Clean.”
He lowered his mouth to her ear. “The thoughts I’m thinking aren’t clean, Mara. They’re dirty enough to have me on the edge of control.”
She lifted her hips and pressed into him. “Time to lose that control, because dirty sounds wonderful. Condoms are in the drawer.”
His eyes flared with desire. “I like a woman who’s prepared.”
“They arrived with my last order of flour.”
He laughed. “You’ve put the flour to good use; let’s do the same with the condoms. You’re still with me?”
She loved that he checked, that he cared enough to check. “All the way, Seth. All the way.”
He stood and whipped off his clothes. She was too entranced by the sight to worry about anything but watching.
The man was covered with muscles and scars, likely from his time in the military. His leg was criss-crossed with so many, she wondered what hell he’d been through.
Then he slid off his boxer briefs, and the scars flew out of her mind as she focused on his erection. She nearly drooled.
She looked up into his eyes and found the need roaring through her reflected there. “You’re beautiful, and I want to explore every last inch later. Right now, I want you, Seth.”
He ripped open a condom and rolled it on. Next time, she was taking over that task.
“Hell, Mara, you’re going to make me embarrass myself if you keep looking at me like an ice cream cone.”
She licked her lips and watched his eyes darken.
With a groan, he gave himself a stroke. “To echo your words, I want you, Mara.”
She leaned back on the bed, and Seth lowered his magnificent body over hers, keeping some of his weight on his elbows.
Then their lips crashed together, and she stopped thinking at all.
Seth gritted his teeth to keep himself together. Having Mara’s gorgeous curves under him was incredible.
He captured her lips in a kiss, and when he felt her trembling beneath him, he slipped down her body—one more piece of cotton between him and her complete nakedness.
The pale pink panties weren’t going to last long. He slipped his thumb beneath the fabric and found her hot and wet. The groan proved she was as needy as he felt.
He shifted back on his haunches and slid the panties down. Tasting her skin along the way.
With each touch of his tongue, each graze of his teeth, Mara moaned, shifted, sighed.
“You’re spectacular, Mara.” He eased the panties off and kissed her ankle.
“I’ve been standing in my sneakers all morning. My feet probably stink of sweat and chicken poop.”
He laughed as he kissed the spot again. “Not a chance.”
Then he eased his way up her legs, finding more spots to savor, and more reactions to elicit.
He brushed his fingers up her legs and then moved his hands to her inner thighs. Her body trembled, and her hips rose to demand his touch there.
“Happy to oblige, Chaos.”
He leaned down and swiped his tongue over her. Mara gasped, and her hands fisted in the sheets.
He played in her sweetness, discovering she liked barely-there touches followed by hard thrusts of his tongue.
He dipped a finger inside, and Mara cried out. He had to close his eyes and grip his control. No going off like a teenager.
Mara’s body squeezed him, and he tried different patterns with his tongue and fingers. The soft caresses made her tremble and sigh. Firm touches had her crying out.
Her orgasm exploded through her, and he watched her soar over the edge while her body clenched around his fingers.
He wasn’t going to lose it. He wasn’t going to lose it.
When her trembling eased, he slid up her body and notched himself at her entrance, waiting.
A smile blossomed slowly on her lips, and when she opened her eyes to find him right there, her eyes smiled too. “I think I’m floating.”
He grinned. “Don’t float away. I’ve got plans for you.”
Heat flared, and she ran her fingers along his jaw. “I’ve got plans, too.”
“I’d say ladies first, but I don’t know if I’m going to last long enough for you to play.”
Her smile was full of joy and fun. “Well, seeing as having you there above me and inside me is Plan Number One, we’re in good shape.”
“We sure as hell are. You ready?”
Her hips lifted in invitation. “Now, Seth. Now.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He slid into her in one long stroke. Her body clenched around him and held him tight.
Mara groaned low and long, the sexy sound reaching deep inside him. He buried his head in her hair and breathed, letting them both acclimate to the sheer heaven of the moment.
When her hips shifted again, he moved. Almost all the way out, then back in. Again and again.
Mara’s legs wrapped around him, and her arms looped around his neck. “More, Seth, more. All of you. Give me all of you.”
That wouldn’t be a problem.
He thrust harder and harder until her pants and gasps got louder. He reached to stroke her clit, and she shattered with a glorious shout of pleasure.
He lost all control and thrust into her over and over. Her cries and the tightness of her body around him sent him into the best damn orgasm of his life.
He barely had enough brainpower to keep his weight on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her.
He lowered his head to her hair again and breathed her in while he sucked in air. Her body continued to shiver, and he trailed kisses into her hair and down along her jawline.
When he kissed her lips, they curved into a smile.
She lifted her hips into him and stretched like the cat she’d adopted. “Wow.”
He nodded. “You are one sexy woman, Chaos Machine.”
Her laughter filled him up, and he didn’t think it would be long before his body was revving again.
And again after that.
He was a goner.
Mara cuddled into Seth’s chest. They both breathed heavily, and she was sure she’d had more manmade orgasms in the last hour than she’d had in the previous two years.
Which was sad, but the reward at the end of the drought made it all worth it.
She skimmed her fingers over his chest. “I don’t remember the last time I felt this good.”
A chuckle rumbled from him. “Same.” He kissed her hair. “No regrets?”
She laughed. “None. Whatever the opposite of regrets is, I’ve got plenty of those.”
Another chuckle. “Then we can plan on doing more of that?”
She held the sheet to her chest as she leaned up on one elbow. “Absolutely. Exclusively.”
His eyes turned serious. “Definitely exclusively.”
She grinned and leaned down to snag a kiss. “Good.”
Mara shifted the sheet until Seth’s injured leg was exposed. She traced the scars with her finger. “Does it hurt you?”
He tensed under her touch, and she worried she’d crossed a line. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”
When she pulled her hand away, Seth took it and brought it to his lips. “You can touch anything and ask anything you like, Chaos.”
She grinned. “Just Chaos, not Chaos Machine?”
His eyes twinkled. “Depends on the moment. Ask away. Touch away.”
She laughed and touched one of his scars. “I will. But I’ll start here.”
His grin told her he’d followed her train of thought. “Okay, to answer your question, it doesn’t hurt to have the scars touched. Some of the areas are numb or tingly, but there’s no pain.”
She scooted down until she could brush her lips over the area. “I’m sorry you went through something so horrible. With the kind of man you are, I know your injuries don’t hurt as much as losing your friend. I’m glad you survived. I’m glad you were strong enough to work through the pain to recover.”
He shrugged. “I was lucky.”
She kissed another scar. “You were, but many people wouldn’t see it that way.”
Another shrug. “Spending a couple of tours in the army shows a person just how damn lucky they are.”
“You spent those tours helping so many others. You’re still doing that.”
He barked out a laugh. “Not hardly.”
She shook her head. “You are. You’re making the No Phailed Apples Inn a success. Everyone who eats your food can taste the love that’s cooked into it. You cook from your heart, Seth. You’re amazing.”
His eyes darkened, and in a heartbeat, Seth whipped the sheet from around her and had her on her back beneath him.
His mouth crashed onto hers, and she was lost in an instant.
Powerful and gentle, Seth kissed her until her brain turned to whipped cream. Then his hands joined in and she could do nothing but pant his name.
He wasn’t the only one who was lucky.