Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Ian
Normally, after a day like I’ve had today, inundated with chatter and complaints or pats on the back depending on the person, I would be more than ready to slip away unnoticed and retreat to my house.
Alone.
But tonight, as the Spring Fling winds down as the sun goes down, being alone is the last thing on my mind.
Instead, all I can think about is Winnie.
I want to hear everything she has to say, absorb all of her brightness and hope.
And I want to touch every inch of her, kissing her and tasting her deeply, intimately.
The temperatures are dropping rapidly as Winnie collects the empty plastic container. Her bourbon balls were passed around after the judging and everyone agreed they were a strong contender against Bettie.
“You have a real talent,” Lucy had told her.
“A hidden talent because I had no idea I was any good at it,” Winnie had replied cheerfully.
Which Lucy thought was hilarious.
As we start walking across the square toward my street, I ask, “Any other hidden talents you want to share with me?”
“I wouldn’t know. They’re hidden.” But then as we pause to let Barrel sniff a patch of grass by the diner, she smiles.
“Let’s see. I can tie cheery stems with my tongue.
I can run a seven minute mile. I’m a whiz at charades.
I can recite every song on every Taylor Swift album in order. Is that talented enough for you?”
“I didn’t hear a word you said past tying a cherry stem with your tongue,” I joke.
Winnie nudges my arm. “Haha.”
“But I don’t believe you,” she murmurs. “You’re a nice guy, Ian. Defender of high standards, elderly women, and misbehaving dogs.” She eyes me, her gaze alight with something unexpected.
Appreciation.
“And me,” she adds, her voice low, trembling a little.
“You can defend yourself,” I tell her. “Of that I have no doubt because you’re an amazing, talented, and clearly strong woman. But I really like you, Winnie. And I will defend you and protect you and appreciate you.”
I don’t just mean at the festival. Or tonight. I want to grow a friendship with her and I want to date her.
Later.
Tonight I want to have sex with her.
Not only is Winnie a damn breathe of fresh spring air into my life, she made me see that I belong in Wanted. That I’m accepted and appreciated here and I feel really good about that.
I want her to feel just as good as I do right now.
I erase the space between us and brush my lips over hers, a barely there, teasing kiss.
Winnie is trembling and I can’t tell if it’s from the cold or from me. “Are you cold?” I ask, running my thumb over her soft cheek.
She shakes her head, staring up at me. “No, I’m not cold.”
“You’re shivering,” I murmur, pulling her against my chest, feeling the press of her breasts beneath her sweatshirt against mine.
“Because you’re doing funny things to my insides,” she whispers. “And you know you are.”
That is everything I want to hear. “It works both ways,” I say. “You’ve been doing funny things to me since the second I first laid eyes on you.”
“You’re not sleeping on the couch tonight, just so you know. And you’re not cleaning up the kitchen before you take me upstairs either.”
Oh, hell, yeah. Winnie has given me the green light and I’m all fucking in.
“The kitchen never even crossed my mind.”
It hadn’t. I don’t care about dishes in the sink if there’s Winnie in my bed.
“Are you sure?”
“You are the only thing on my mind, trust me.”
Her eyes widen. “I like the sound of that.”
Grabbing her hand, I whistle to Barrel. “Come on, let’s go.”
I swear the dog rolls his eyes at me, but he reluctantly and very, very slowly walks toward us. If dogs could drag their feet, this would be it.
“See?” I tell Winnie. “He’s already over my shit. Order is restored and Barrel obeys no one.”
She shudders. “That would have been so bad if that dessert he ate was chocolate. This week I need to start formal training.”
I’m sorry I brought the dog up. “Hey, it’s okay. It was a chaotic couple of days. And by next year’s Fling he’ll be Mr. Law and Order.”
Winnie smiles. “Hey! What about a dog show at the Fling? For dogs who aren’t pure bred but excuse awesomeness?”
“That could be fun. I’m sure people would love it.” We walk up the path to my house and I open the door. I forget to lock it on a regular basis and today was no exception.
The minute we’re inside Winnie unclips Barrel’s lease. “Did we ever return that other lease to its rightful owner?”
By ‘we’ she means ‘me’ obviously. I like the sound of that. “Yes. I also bought a replacement corn dog for the McGinty girl.”
“Oh, good. Thanks.” Winnie toes off her sneakers by the front door.
I yank off my boots.
There is a momentary pause where we both stare at each other, tension and anticipation thick between us.
Then suddenly we’re crashing into each other.
She jumps into my arms and I grip her underneath her ass, adjusting so that when she wraps her legs around my thighs, her warm inner thighs collide with my very hard cock.
“Oh, Ian,” she breathes, rocking herself against me. “Please take me upstairs. Now.”
I groan. “Hell, yes. It’s an honor and a fucking privilege.” I squeeze her backside, pumping her harder against me, while I rain kisses down on the corners of her mouth.
Winnie giggles. “How are you both so incredibly hot and adorable all at the same time?”
I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to be called adorable but she can call me anything she wants as long as she’s willing to get naked with me.
“Hold on,” I tell her urgently. “I’m carrying you up the stairs.”
Her grip around my waist and neck tightens obediently. Her eyes are glassy with arousal, her voice low and breathless. “This is so hot, Ian.”
“You’re so hot.” I take her up the stairs, mindful of Barrel rushing up the steps next to me. “I can’t wait to touch you everywhere, Winnie.”
I toss her on the bed with a little more force and bounce than I intend, but I’m getting desperate at this point.
Winnie doesn’t mind. She actually moans in pleasure.
I rip my shirt off over my head and unbutton my jeans before climbing on the bed, moving up between her legs.
Then l kiss the inside of her thigh, letting my fingers trail behind my mouth as I trace a path north. Her legs jerks beneath my touch.
“I’m ticklish,” she murmurs. Then, “Barrel, get down!”
The dog is on the bed, paws forward, watching us with interest.
That’s not happening.
I shoo him off the bed and then walk him to the door. “Out.” I point to the hallway. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
Barrel gives me a look of uncertainty.
“You can trust me.”
He lets out a lengthy sigh, then pads into the hallway. I shut the door behind him and lock it.
“He can’t open doors,” Winnie says, sounding amused.
“It doesn’t always stay shut unless I lock—
The rest of my sentence dies on my tongue when I turn and discover Winnie has taken advantage of the time and stripped herself out of her sweatshirt. And her sports bra. Leggings are gone. As are her socks.
She’s in nothing but a tiny scrap of nothing pair of red underwear.
“You are so fucking gorgeous,” I tell her. Raw, deep desire has every inch of me tense, ready.
I return to the bed, shedding my jeans as quickly as possible. With a firm grip on her ankles, I shift her legs open, wider, and move in between them.
She gasps when I ease her panties down and tease my tongue over her hot core.
“Ian…” she breathes. “Oh, my God, that feels amazing.”
“You taste so good.” My throat is tight, my cock throbbing with need. She’s pink and wet and responsive to every little flick of my tongue over her flesh. “I could do this all fucking night.”
I’ve got nowhere to go and nowhere else I’d rather be.
Winnie
If Ian does this all night, I’ll probably die.
Just keel over my ecstasy and exhaustion.
He is really, really good at this.
Still waters run deep, indeed.
I have no words, just hapless moans. My eyes drift closed, my back arching.
Ian explores, one hand skimming over my belly and teasing at my nipples. I force my eyes open, wanting to watch him as he hovers over me, tasting deep inside my slick heat. I grip his dark hair, holding on for dear life.
The core of ecstasy deep within me is tightening, growing, trembling with each flick of his tongue.
“Oh, Ian,” I breathe. “Yes!”
The orgasm is hovering right there and for a second I think he’s going to take me to the edge and then pull back in a brutal tease. So I announce, “I’m going to come. Please, Ian, I’m going to come.”
His firm grip on my thighs holds me in place when I think I might levitate. “Then come, baby. Come for me, Winnie.”
Ian shifts his hands idly over my legs, before slipping underneath my ass to lift me more fully against his mouth. His instincts are first rate. Every time I give an involuntary cry of pleasure he doubles down with more focused efforts.
It could be three seconds. It could be an hour.
But when I finally shatter, I’m shaking, and wave after wave of pleasure rolls over me.
By the time I’m able to breathe again Ian has a condom on and is kissing me with hard, deep strokes.
It feels like he’s everywhere all at once.
His body is broad and warm over top of mine, his arms caging me in. I run my fingers over his back, and over the plane of his hard, muscular chest.
“That was gorgeous, Winnie,” he says. “You’re gorgeous. I want to see you come again for me, baby.”
“I’ll try,” I say sincerely. I can already feel an ache building deep in my core that I know only he can satisfy. “I want you inside me, Ian.”
“I want to be inside you.”
Then he’s there, teasing against me. I rock my hips and moan at the brutal tease.
“Open more for me, Winnie.”
When I shift my knees apart even further, he hitches my leg onto his hip.
Then he’s inside me, thick and throbbing.
Ian swears.
He starts to move, slow and deep. It feels incredible. But what is just as powerful is how he locks his gaze onto me, studying me as he takes me.
I shatter again, tense and tight, my cries silent.
It has Ian picking up his pace, sliding deep inside me, our bodies colliding hard and fast.
“Jesus,” he says, dropping beside me after he finishes. “Winnie. That was…”
“Yeah,” I agree, nuzzling up against his chest. “It was.”
We have sex again, Ian shifting me onto him so that I can ride him with slow, languid movements until we both shatter.
After Ian takes Barrel out one last time for the night, we’re drifting off to sleep half-dressed in each others’ arms.
Ian yawns. “I’m glad you moved here,” he murmurs, his voice gravely.
“That was quite a welcome to the neighborhood,” I say, running my hand over his cock.
Ian laughs softly. “We are very friendly here.”
I squeeze him. Just a little.
“Winnie. Do you need me to get friendly again?” he asks, giving me a sexy but sleepy smile.
I nod. Eagerly.
Ian pushes me onto my back and obliges.