Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Keaton Maxwell certainly knew how to kiss.
Layne was consumed by the passionate, hungry kiss.
The attraction which had been building between them suddenly exploded with this kiss, and she felt rocked to her core.
Her arms went about his waist, even as his enveloped her, yanking her flush against him.
Already, she could feel his hard erection pressing against her.
A thrill shot through her, knowing he would soon be inside her.
This was a man who was thorough, though. He wasn’t going to race to any conclusion. Keaton was going to take his time with her.
And Layne would revel in every touch.
Hungrily, he kissed her, his tongue thrusting deeply inside her mouth, searching every crevice. Molten heat ran through her, heating her body and melting her bones. Her nails dug into his back as he consumed her.
Then he broke the kiss, his gaze searching her face. “Are you sure … this is what you want?” he asked huskily. “I can wait. We can wait.”
“We’ve waited long enough. If I’ve learned anything since Chief Roberts appeared on my doorstep and told me about my parents being gone, it’s that I don’t want to miss out on any opportunity.
I don’t want to lose any more time with you, Keaton.
Logic would compel me to step back. Wait.
But why punish both of us, letting some arbitrary timetable rule our lives? ”
She touched her palm to his cheek. “I was in a dead-end relationship for way too long. I’m not going to push you away now, not when I’m feeling what I am in my heart.”
His brows knitted. “What are you saying, Layne?”
A boldness she had never known compelled her to reply, “Everything is right with you. I want to be with you—for as long as you want to be with me.”
He was a handsome man, albeit usually a solemn one, but the rare smile which now graced his face turned him into the most handsome guy on the planet. Her heart told her that he was now hers.
Forever and always …
“I’m going to love you like no man ever has,” he promised.
Layne knew he wasn’t saying that he loved her, only that he was going to thoroughly worship her body. She didn’t need any declaration of love from him now. She merely needed his healing touch.
His lips returned to hers, the smoldering heat still lying just beneath the surface, but he slowed things down now.
His kiss was still intense. Passionate. But he was definitely taking his time, giving her ample opportunity to step away.
That was the last thing she would choose to do.
If anything, this man had become her rock, and she would cling to him through thick and thin.
She wound her arms about his neck, pressing her body against his, hearing his low groan. Immense satisfaction filled her, hearing that sound.
Ever so slowly, he began undressing her, kissing her deeply as each button of her blouse was undone. He peeled the shirt away from her and slid it down her arms, letting it float to the floor. His fingers moved to her back, undoing the clasp of her bra and ridding her of it, as well.
He cupped her breasts, murmuring, “So perfect,” fondling them as his lips trailed along her jaw and to her neck. As he kissed and nipped at her throat, her breasts swelled in his hands. He brushed the pad of his thumbs against her nipples, back and forth, causing them to pebble in need.
She began working the buttons on his shirt now, folding it back and pressing her lips against his bare chest. Her palms grazed that magnificent expanse of muscle as he continued to play with her breasts, tweaking the nipples playfully.
He nudged her back a few steps, and she bumped into the mattress.
He moved her to it and then knelt, removing her shoes and socks.
Rising, he took her hands and brought her to her feet again before undoing her jeans and working them down her hips.
She stepped out of them with his help, only wearing her black thong now.
His large hands caressed her buttocks as he kissed her deeply.
Then his fingers slid beneath the thong, moving along her slit, pushing a finger into her. She gasped at the intimate caress.
His lips moved to her ear. “You are so ready for me. So wet. I’m going to make you come, hard and fast.”
His words thrilled her.
Easing her back on the bed again, his mouth sought out one breast. Using tongue and teeth, he had her writhing beneath him, even as his finger moved within her, stroking her into a frenzy.
“Yes!” she cried, her orgasm slamming through her, her hips rising to meet his hand even as he sucked hard on her breast.
The orgasm rocked her entire body, energizing her, and she found herself starved for him.
She pushed him from her until he was flat on his back, and then she worked his jeans over his hips, stopping at his knees to remove his socks and shoes before pulling the worn denim from him. He had incredible legs, sculpted by his daily run, and she drank him in, her hands running over them.
Their gazes met, and he casually asked, “Like what you see?”
“So far,” she teased, causing a smile to play about his lips.
She slipped her fingers beneath the band of his boxer-briefs and pulled them down, discarding them over her shoulder.
His cock was fully erect now, long and thick. She bent, licking its tip. His groan brought her satisfaction.
She took him into her mouth, marveling at his size and velvet smoothness. He made noises of pleasure, and she was happy she could make him feel so good. He touched her hair, gasping, “Stop.”
Lifting her head, she asked, “Why?”
Heat glazed his eyes. “Because when I come, I want to be inside you.”
He pulled her up until she was draped atop him. Their mouths fused together, greedily taking from one another. Their hands roamed each other’s body, getting to know the flesh and curves.
“I can’t wait any longer. I need to be inside you. Now.”
Out of habit, she moved to lay on her back, next to him, but he ordered, “Get back on top.”
Jeremy had been a strict, missionary position only kind of guy, so the idea that she would be in complete control brought a new wave of desire sizzling through her.
She straddled him, her palms moving up and down his chest, their gazes locked.
“Take me into you,” he said roughly. “You set the pace,”
Her fingers encircled his cock, guiding him inside her until her body had completely taken him in.
She sat a moment, looking down at him, admiring in the rock-hard body which was now hers.
A possessive wave filled her, and she rocked against him, hearing his grunt of satisfaction as his hands latched on to her hips.
Slowly, she moved, finding her way. He took her hands and threaded their fingers together, helping to give her even more leverage as she leaned into him.
She began moving with abandon, freer than she had ever been, his hips rising to meet her, each thrust going more deeply.
The dance of love was in full force now, and Layne felt the flush of heat sweep through her body, engulfing her.
The orgasm built within her, and she now moved frenetically against him, riding him hard.
They cried out at the same moment as the wave of pleasure struck her.
She rode it, thoroughly absorbing everything in this precious moment.
Then she collapsed against him, her ear against his heart, which beat wildly.
Her fingers rested against his shoulders, kneading him like a kitten.
His hand swept along the length of her back, stroking it up and down, calming her. Centering her. His other hand found her hair, touching it lightly.
“That was something,” she said, having no words to describe what had just passed between them.
“That was everything,” he corrected.
She lifted her head, pillowing her hands beneath her chin and resting it atop them. “You are a very skilled lover, Keaton. I’ve never been more satisfied in my life.”
“Making love to you feels like coming home,” he told her. “To a place I always knew was there, but I didn’t know how to find my way to it. You are my way, Layne. The light which brightens my path.”
Tears stung her eyes. “No one has ever understood me as you have. I grow stronger and more confident with every caress—every kiss—from you.”
“I worried that we were doing this too soon,” he confessed. “I hope I haven’t chased you away.”
“If anything, you’ve bonded us together,” she assured him. “I’m not going anywhere, Keaton. Not now. Not ever.”
His eyes lit with hope. “Are you saying that you’ll be staying in the Bay for good?”
“How can I go anywhere when my heart would be lost without you near me?”
He clasped her elbows, pulling her up to him. Their lips met in a tender kiss.
“I want you in my life, Layne.” He paused. “I love you.”
If she would have been told that she would hear such a declaration from Keaton—or any man—so soon after kicking Jeremy to the curb and learning of her parents’ deaths, she would have laughed, thinking it some grand fiction.
But Layne was right when she told him that she wasn’t going to put off living.
Their love was a part of living. A part of her healing. Growing. Maturing.
She brushed her fingers against his cheek. “I love you, too. It’s almost frightening, the depth of this love. If it feels like this now? What will it be like tomorrow? Next week? A year from now?”
“Love has no limits,” he told her. “Our love will flourish because we will nurse it along, every single day of our lives. Move in with me, Layne,” he urged. “I want you in my house. No, our house. Our home. Everything I have is yours. I am yours.”
Love for him swept through her, and she touched her mouth to his, the kiss sealing the promises between them.