Chapter Eleven
T his wasn’t the plan , Wren thought as she nodded, sinking into Sam’s warm touch as he cradled her face. His mouth covered hers, spearing his tongue into her mouth, and she met his thrusts with eagerness, her hands curling in the front of his shirt.
She had every intention of telling him about the pregnancy scare, about her fears that if her father didn’t ruin his life, trapping him with a kid would. Every worry she’d had at almost seventeen erupted into one choice, and it had changed the course of their lives. If she’d told him, and he hadn’t left, would they have stayed together once they found out she wasn’t pregnant? Would he still have asked her to leave with him?
There were so many what-ifs that didn’t matter because they were here, now. Nineteen years later, they’d found their way back to each other. This wasn’t what she’d come home for, but as his hands slid down her neck, circling it as his mouth devoured hers, Wren couldn’t come up with a single reason why they should stop.
“Fuck, Birdy,” Sam murmured against her mouth, his thumbs tracing the column of her throat and making her shiver. “I missed you so God damn much.”
The raw need in his voice and the familiar nickname shook her to the core. He’d said it once as a goof, teasing her, but Wren discovered she loved it. A special name only the two of them knew about, intimate and sweet as teens, fueled the fire spreading from her core. He spread his fingers, dragging his hands along her shoulders. His touch found the bare skin of her arms, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
Wren forgot how Sam’s kiss could obliterate her knees, something no man had ever accomplished, and as she struggled to stay upright, her fingers worked the buttons of his black shirt. They trembled as she desperately pushed each button out of its hole, frustration tightening her core as she exposed his chest several inches at a time. Wren wanted to see him, all of him, and feel every part of his body connected with hers. Tonight was supposed to be about closure, but instead, the man had opened a whole-ass can of feelings she’d thought were long buried with her youth.
Someone else might think Sam was lying about the letter, but Wren believed him. There was no reason for him to tell her about it unless he thought she’d read it. Her heart had been broken when he’d walked away and left her behind. As much as she tried to push down the bitterness and pain, that wound had become infected and destroyed every relationship she had after. She never got over him not fighting for her, and it turned out, he had just been waiting in the wings, hoping for them to be together. They missed their chance at a life together, but at least they had tonight. Maybe this moment could heal old hurts, and they could finally move on.
Wren pulled the last two buttons hard, and they popped off the shirt. She mumbled under her breath, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, his hands traveling along her back to grip her butt in his big hands, drawing a moan from her as his fingers squeezed. “It’s just a shirt.”
Her hands spread over his abs, longing coiling inside, her pussy throbbing with anticipation as his fingers flexed mere inches from her center. Last time they’d been together, he’d been a lean eighteen-year-old with slightly defined muscles, and now he was a man, all hard angles and planes. In contrast, her body was softer now, fuller, with stretch marks from too many “heal up soon” casseroles and bed rest after being shot. Would he note the differences and be turned off by them?
Sam spun her around roughly, and she grabbed hold of the counter as his hands skimmed all over her back. His touch felt so good through the fabric of her dress, she let him linger for a few moments before whispering, “If you’re looking for the zipper, you just pull it over my head.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” he said, kissing her neck as he reached down, grasping the hem of her dress. As he pulled it up over her head, his fingernails skimmed over her legs, hips, sides, breasts, and she shivered at the light graze, her panties soaked with desperation. She was glad she’d picked one of her sexier lingerie sets, since the fluorescent lights of the kitchen shined brightly, illuminating every flaw, and for a second, she almost balked at being so naked. The white lace panties were cut high in the back, exposing her butt cheeks, but by the way his hands caressed them, rubbing the globes of her ass with reverence, she figured it was the right choice.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous, Birdy.” His fingers traced the backs of her thighs, so light Wren barely felt his touch until he flattened his palms against her skin. “I want to explore every inch of you.”
“There’s a bit more of me now,” Wren whispered, her insecurities bubbling to the surface. “I haven’t been working out the way I...”
His hands wrapped around her thighs and squeezed, cutting off her thoughts as he rubbed and massaged her muscles, his lips leaving kisses across her back. “This body is fucking perfect. Do you understand?”
Sam’s teeth nipped at her shoulder blade, and she nodded.
“Lean over the counter,” he ordered, his voice a deep grumble in his throat, like the purr of a motorcycle engine. Wren did as he asked, her heart hammering against her breastbone as she pressed her chest against the cold counter. Her nipples hardened into peaks against the cups of her bra but she barely had a moment to adjust before the weight of his body disappeared and his warm breath rushed between her legs. It barely registered that he’d dropped to his knees behind her before his mouth covered her aching pussy.
Wren gasped, her hands clenching into fists as he licked her through the barrier of her panties, teasing her with his tongue. His fingers brushed against her swollen labia as he moved the panties to the side and sucked the delicate folds sharply, rolling them between his lips. Wren’s eyes rolled back, closing them against the intensity when his teeth grazed her soft flesh, soothing the sting with his tongue. She whimpered as her pussy’s throbbing intensified when his fingers found her clit, pressing it like a detonator before rubbing it in a rough, circular motion that sent frissons of electricity sparking to her core. When his tongue thrust inside her rapidly, the pressure built, her feet elevating her onto tiptoes as she sought relief. Her clenched fists opened, her fingers digging into the countertop, searching for something to hold on to as the pleasure took her higher.
Her orgasm burst over her like a waterfall cascading over a cliff, soaring to the bottom where she landed, her body trembling as she clung to his kitchen counter.
“Still so fucking responsive,” he murmured, dragging his tongue along her seam, and she jerked, moaning as her sensitive flesh quaked with need. The orgasm had been wonderful, amazing in fact, but her body craved more. Knew that it could get better with him inside her, and when he sucked on her swollen clit, she pushed back against his mouth, rolling her hips.
He released her with a loud pop, her body pulsating as his hot breath rushed out across her exposed labia. “I could eat this pussy all fucking day, but I know you need more.” Before she could agree, he pushed two fingers inside her slowly, working them in and out in shallow strokes, and her muscles clamped down, leaving her panting. “You need my cock, don’t you, Birdy?”
Sam curled his fingers inside, stroking her G-spot, and she gasped, “Yes!”
“Hmmm, that’s what I thought.”
Wren was still trying to catch her breath when Sam slipped out of her and took hold of her panties, pushing them down to her knees. She stepped out of them with trembling legs, and as his hand rubbed over her, squeezing her flesh as he worked his hands back up to the apex between her thighs, she sank onto the cool countertop with a sigh.
“I wanna see this wound on your ass.”
She laughed softly. “Left cheek. You can’t miss it.”
Wren sensed the moment he found it, his finger dragging along her scar lightly.
“You could’ve been killed.”
Wren closed her eyes, not just because of the intensity of his words but the truth in them. It was something she’d struggled with after going back to work, the fear always lingering in the back of her mind. Although she pushed back the anxiety, her heart raced with every burglary call, memories flooding her.
One suspect. That’s what the dispatcher had said, but she was wrong.
“I know, but I’m okay.” Wren tried to turn, but Sam placed a hand on the small of her back, keeping her in place.
“Be still,” he said, and she relaxed, letting him unclasp her bra and pull it apart. Sam kissed her shoulder, and as he slid the straps down her arms, she lifted enough to let her breasts pop free from the lace cups. He climbed to his feet and curled against her, as if shielding her from danger, and Wren hummed in pleasure at the warmth of him surrounding her.
God, I forgot how fucking good this feels.
Being held by Sam, spooned by him, was like being wrapped in her favorite loungewear in front of a roaring fire at Christmas. Happiness bubbled in her chest, and suddenly, she stiffened. This wasn’t about comfort or reconnecting, but getting closure. This was too much, too intimate.
Sam didn’t seem to notice her shifting mood and sucked sharply on her neck, chasing away the fear with a shock of pleasure. Wren gasped, instinctively closing her eyes as a quiver raced down her spine and settled in her lower back, tingling there.
“Do you remember the hickeys we’d give each other?” he murmured, his mouth closing over the space between her neck and shoulder blade, gently drawing her flesh between his lips, and she tilted her head to give him better access.
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“Never where anyone could see them, but you used to shake under my mouth as if you could come apart from just that.”
Wren remembered the marks peppered across her breasts, how she’d run her fingertips over them as she stared into the mirror, the sensation of his mouth on her skin like fire licking across her body.
“We’re grown-ups now. No hickeys.”
“No promises.” He kissed his way down her back, along her spine, until he hit the small of her back and sucked right there. Her knees buckled, but he cupped her backside, keeping her pinned.
“Hmmm, still the spot, huh?”
Wren felt him reach between them and she pictured him unbuttoning his jeans, listening to the sound of his zipper opening with a rrrffft , her stomach fluttering. She leaned on her forearms and turned to watch him over her shoulder as he kicked off his boots and jeans, his hard-on straining against his boxer briefs. When Sam pushed those down, releasing his turgid cock, Wren licked her lips as it bobbed up in down with every motion of his body.
“Mmm, all that for me,” she said, greedily watching him straighten up, noting the hunger in his eyes that matched hers.
In a blur of motion, he reached for her, tangling his fingers in her hair, giving it a gentle tug. “Every bit of it.”
His mouth slammed down on hers at a slant, releasing his grip on her hair to circle her throat in a loose hold. She could feel the tip of his cock rubbing between her legs, sliding along her seam, and instinctively rocked back into him. The head of his hard length slipped inside, but he held himself away, refusing to give her more even when she arched her back. Her teeth bit his bottom lip in frustration, and Sam broke the kiss, nipping her ear with a growl.
“Such an eager little bird.” His hand squeezed her throat gently, while his other hand gripped his cock. When he used the tip to circle her opening, she moaned.
“I’m clean,” he whispered, his breath fanning the shell of her ear, “but if I need a condom, tell me now.”
Wren opened her mouth to say yes, but his dick slipped between her folds against her clit, bucking against the sensitive nub, and her mind went blank.
“Birdy, answer me,” he growled, his length gliding over her in several swift thrusts. His mouth closed over the side of her neck and sucked on her skin, hard and fast, and her thighs clenched together around his cock like a vise, holding him so she could think.
“We’re good,” she breathed, ignoring the guilt clawing its way up her throat. This wasn’t anything but wanting the sensation of Sam’s bare cock inside her, and one time wouldn’t make a difference.
“Relax, baby.” Wren’s thighs fell apart, and Sam adjusted his angle, pushing into her with slow, steady thrusts that sank him deeper inside every time. Filling her, stretching her. Her channel burned, and she bit her lip against the ache.
“Shit, you’re fucking tight,” he grunted when he finally made it all the way in. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just been a while.” She laughed breathlessly.
“How long?”
Wren felt his hand between her legs, slipping between her pussy lips and finding her clit again. She shook against the first stroke of his fingers, her body spasming around his cock, and she sucked in a breath.
“Hmmm, how long has it been, baby, since somebody’s made this pretty pussy come?”
God, his mouth had always been dirty, but instead of making her giggle, her body quaked with arousal.
“Nine months, give or take,” she murmured.
Sam clicked his tongue. “That’s a fucking travesty. I could fucking live inside you forever.”
He ground his hips into her as he continued to rub her clit, his mouth resting against the sensitive skin under her ear. His hand on her throat held her as he kissed her pulse, fucking her in a slow, steady rhythm that built like a balloon inside her ready to pop. Sex in their teens had been hard, fast, and hurried. Even after months together, learning each other’s likes, they were always on a timeline. Curfews. A quickie during lunch. Someone else needing the room. Plus, their youthful eagerness to get to the good part usually made their connections a blur.
The fact that he remembered she loved being held, needing the press of his body against hers, his hand holding her throat softly. Wren wanted to be caged against him, his body like steel bars keeping her safe as he slipped in and out of her, picking up speed. His mouth, God, the sensation of his lips leaving kisses and gentle suction across her skin every time he slammed back in, and the pulse between her legs drummed faster, harder until a sweet rush of bliss bloomed.
When her orgasm finally burst, she pushed back into him, her hips jerking with the aftershocks of pleasure rocking her body. Instead of letting her come down from the high, he took her hips in both hands and gripped her tight as he pulled nearly all the way out before driving back into her. Her breasts slid over the counter, the smooth friction teasing her nipples to hard peaks, and she leaned on her forearms, cupping them in her hands as she played with herself. Wren moaned as she rolled her nipple between her fingers, and Sam ground into her, looking over her shoulder at what she was doing.
Sam groaned. “Fuck, Birdy, what are you doing to me?”
“I thought I was touching myself,” she murmured teasingly.
“And it’s hot as hell. Don’t stop.” Sam slipped almost completely out of her and dived back in, wringing a scream from her. “Don’t. Ever. Fucking. Stop.” He drove each word home with a hard thrust, and Wren’s cries grew louder with every plunge of his dick.
“Oh God, fuck, yes, oh!”
“Good fucking Birdy.” He pumped her so fast their bodies slapped together in a rhythmic beat that ended with Sam pulsating inside her, his cock jerking as he came. Wren turned her head, kissing wherever she could reach, which happened to be his neck.
“Wren,” he groaned, shaking against her, their bodies slick with perspiration. She licked his skin playfully, sucking it between her lips, until he gave one last shuddering moan.
When he slumped over her, his arms curling around her middle, Wren took a deep, shaking breath. Her body was weak with satisfaction, and as she turned to look at Sam over her shoulder, studying the flushed cheeks and messy hair, she smiled softly.
“I guess you did learn a thing or two, huh?”
Sam shot her a tired grin and kissed her, hard and fast.
“Baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” He kissed the side of her neck, and when he stepped back, she started to move but found herself swept up in his arms.
“What are you doing?” she squealed.
“Taking you to my bedroom. I just need half an hour, hour tops, and I’ll be ready to go again.”
Wren swallowed hard, gripping Sam’s shoulders in a panic. She’d been so caught up in how amazing it felt to be touched and taken by Sam, she hadn’t thought ahead on what her exit strategy would be.
“Sam, I can’t stay,” she said.
Sam stopped and frowned, his eyes shuttered. “Why?”
“Duke. My dog. He’s in his kennel, and I need to let him out to go to the bathroom.”
Sam relaxed against her, his face softening. “Of course,” he said, dropping her legs slowly so her body slid down his until she could touch the floor. He kissed her forehead, his hands rubbing up and down her back. “I hate to let you go. Any way you could let him out and come back?”
Wren’s body warmed at his eager expression, hating that she was lying to him, but sleeping over meant a level of intimacy she wasn’t looking for, even with Sam. “I have to be up for my shift at six.” His expression was so boyishly crestfallen, Wren couldn’t stop herself from adding, “But what if I came over tomorrow after work?”
“I work until nine,” Sam said.
“That’s perfect. Gives me enough time to feed Duke and take a shower.”
Sam kissed her again, lingering over her lips. “Alright, you better get dressed and leave before I lose all sympathy for your dog and haul your ass back to my bedroom.”
Wren kissed him back before stepping out of his embrace to search for her clothes. Sam made a noise deep in his throat, and Wren blushed when she caught him staring at her ass.
He blew out a breath and rubbed his hand over his hair, gloriously naked and beautiful. “I’m going to clean up. I’ll be right back.”
“No problem,” she said, returning to the kitchen to gather her clothes. She finished getting dressed right as he came back in a pair of pajama pants with no shirt.
Wren headed for the front door and grabbed her coat and her purse off the hook.
“Text me when you get home,” Sam said, helping her into her jacket.
“I will,” she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders when he leaned over to kiss her. Their mouths moved in tandem, drinking each other in until Sam finally pulled away and jerked the door open for her.
“Good night, Birdy.”
“Night.” Wren could feel Sam’s gaze on her as she walked down the sidewalk to her car and climbed inside, locking the doors. He closed the door while her car was warming up, and she pulled out onto the street and then made the left toward the highway and her home. Although her house was only a mile outside the city limits, Sam’s neighborhood felt like a completely different area, as there were hardly any houses around her place.
Wren’s thoughts drifted to Sam and what had happened between them. She felt bad, leaving the way she did, but she wasn’t quite sure what to say at this point. When he’d told her that he came back for her, she’d been overwhelmed with an emotion she hadn’t been expecting. A joyful warmth spread through her, and she couldn’t help jumping him. Which is how they’d ended up here. Wren let her emotions run away with her, and it could not happen again.
Not if she wanted to start a family.
How would she explain to Sam that while she enjoyed sleeping with him, she was looking for a sperm donor to have a baby with? Better to just cut ties and forget the whole thing.
Except they’d made plans for tomorrow night.
Wren shook her head. She could easily get out of that. Shoot him a text about how great the sex was, so why mess with perfection? Flatter him while she broke things off.
She snorted. “Yeah, that will go over well.”
Her mind occupied, Wren crested the hill no more than a quarter mile from her house. Blue and red lights lit up in her rearview, and she realized she was being pulled over.
Wren wanted to kick herself for being distracted and waited for the officer to approach. He came up to the window and knocked.
Wren rolled it down, immediately apologizing. “I’m sorry, sir, was I speeding?”
He ducked down, shining his flashlight across his face, illuminating her brother Luke’s wicked grin. “License and registration, miss.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you kidding me?”
“I’m ISP, ma’am,” he said, lowering his flashlight. “I never joke about speeding. You were going forty-five in a thirty-five.”
Of course, her older brother had clocked her. “That’s because I was getting ready for the changeover and speeding up.”
“But you hadn’t hit the sign yet. That’s why they call it a speed trap.”
Wren slammed her hand on the steering wheel. “This is ridiculous, Luke. I’m tired, and I wanna go home.”
“Yeah, I heard all about it. You had a hot date tonight with Sam Griffin,” Luke said.
“Who told you that?”
“Our brother’s got a big mouth.” Luke snapped the pen in his hand a couple times before pointing it at her through the open window. “Oh yeah, but you already knew that.”
“I’m going to smother him in his sleep.”
Luke shrugged. “He wasn’t the only one. Other people mentioned that he was leaning over you in front of Kiss My Donut. We live in a small town and, just saying, rumors fly.”
Wren went on the defensive, snapping, “Alright, so what is this, some kind of warning for me to stay away from Sam?”
“I don’t care who you date anymore. You’ve been all over the country doing God knows what with God knows who. Besides, I got my own kid to worry about. I don’t need to police your dating choices. Just your driving ones.”
“Thank you for the support,” she deadpanned.
“You’re welcome, but I do need that license and registration.”
Wren held up her middle finger. “I got your license and registration right here.”
“Are you threatening an officer of the law?”
“Oh for the love of— You’re really gonna give me a ticket?” she hollered, grabbing her information from the glove compartment and slapping the silver pouch in his hand. “Here. Does this make you happy?”
“Absolutely. Just because we’re family doesn’t mean I can let you get away with murder.”
“It’s a speeding ticket, and there’s nobody around.”
“I got quotas,” he said, scratching that obnoxious pen against his pad.
“You know most brothers listen to their sisters. Call each other on the phone when they want to talk about something. They don’t normally give out speeding tickets as a way to say hey.”
“But we’re not like normal siblings, are we? We’re cool siblings. Besides, the guys at work think it’s funny to give speeding tickets to other forms of law enforcement. When they find out I gave one to my own cop sister, I’m going to be the man for a month.”
“It’s asinine,” she said.
“Big word. I’ll have to look that one up.” He patted the bottom of her open window. “Hang tight. I’ll be right back.”
Wren clenched her teeth. This was unbelievable, although she shouldn’t be surprised that Luke would do something like this. Even though he was the oldest, he was always the one who liked to play practical jokes on the rest of them.
“Here is your ticket, ma’am,” Luke said, handing her information and the ticket back to her through the open window. “Please slow down and be safe.”
Wren took the ticket, glaring at her brother when he ducked down so she could see his grinning face. “Thank you so much for making my night.”
“Well, you’re welcome. I’m sorry that Casanova was a disappointment.”
“I didn’t say that!”
“If the highlight of your night was getting a speeding ticket, you didn’t have to say it.”
“I was being sarcastic!”
“Well, I’m glad I can be of service either way.” Luke thumped the roof of her car with his hand. “I’ll see you for lunch on Sunday.”
“I can’t wait, jackass,” she said.
“Love you, sis.”
“I hope you step on a Lego in bare feet!”