Chapter Twelve
As Claire searched for her key in her purse, Nick slid up behind her. He brushed his fingers against her hip, letting her know he’d given up the idea of watching TV altogether.
“You’re so fucking hot,” he whispered in her ear.
As shivers ran down her spine, she arched her back. Her ass met his pelvis. He gripped her hips with both hands, holding her against him.
Oh my.
He was hard and ready.
Racy thoughts flew through her brain. They were out in the country, with no neighbors anywhere near.
It would be so easy to lift her dress and have him remove her panties.
He could take her right here on the porch.
Or, equally tantalizing, she could turn and drop to her knees, unzipping him and taking him in her mouth.
Her panties grew wet as she considered the possibilities.
It had been so long—too long.
Her hand shook as she tried to put the key in the lock.
“Here,” he said, taking the key. “Let me.”
His deep voice over her shoulder only made her panty situation more precarious. By the time he actually got around to touching them, they would be liquefied.
Nick opened the door and turned on the lights. Claire followed him in and leaned against the wall. As he locked up, his gaze raked her. His half smile spoke of hunger. His hooded eyes told tales of lust. When she bit her lip in anticipation, he groaned.
“You’re going to kill me if you keep doing that to your lip.”
“Maybe you should take over the nibbling duties.” She tossed her purse onto the floor.
She didn’t have to ask twice. Nick put his hands on the wall, bracketing her head. She inhaled sharply at his show of dominance.
Yes! This was what she’d been missing. Power and passion, and the kind of manhandling that showed her she was precious and loved.
This isn’t love.
This was merely sex with a willing partner. She and Nick both had needs, and they would fulfill them tonight. There was no reason to get ahead of herself.
Only, as he took her mouth—and he took it with urgency—it spoke of more than just lust. There was a reverence there, a curiosity that touched her soul. His eyes were shut tight, as if he could barely believe he was kissing her. Meanwhile, Claire’s heart soared higher than it had in a long time.
Just as she was closing her eyes, her gaze landed on one of the framed pictures of her and Arthur on the wall.
It was from their wedding day in Cozumel.
They’d had a beach wedding and the pic had been snapped as they’d danced that evening.
The sunset provided a backdrop of pink and orange.
She gazed up at him, beaming, and he looked at her as if she was his whole world.
He had been her whole world.
Claire shut her eyes. I’m sorry, Arthur.
She knew Arthur would never want an apology, but it made her feel better to offer one up. She’d never dreamed, when she had stood on that beach in Cozumel, that her marriage would have an expiration date. It was supposed to have been forever.
But here she stood, kissing a terrific man, one who seemed to care about her an awful lot.
Nick pulled away, searching her eyes. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
“Because we can stop any time. It doesn’t matter how far this goes, Claire. You’re in charge, and I won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“No. I want this, Nick. I want you. It’s just, well, like you said, it’s a big moment.”
“I get it. We can go slowly.” He smoothed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’m just happy to be with you.”
His kindness dispelled her anxiety. Claire had always known it would be hard to move on, but Nick made her want to try.
Frankly, Nick made her want to try a lot of things. Some of them involved restraints and him pulling her hair.
Speaking of which…
“Can I touch your hair?”
His amber eyes widened. “You can touch whatever you want.”
His tawny locks had been calling to her from day one.
She’d always been a sucker for a man with longish hair.
Even though Nick’s wasn’t as long as Arthur’s had been when she’d first met him, she was dying to run her fingers through it.
She tangled her fingertips in the hair near his temple, massaging his scalp.
Once again, Nick closed his eyes. “That feels so good.”
She was glad. She wanted to make him feel really good. After everything he’d been through, he deserved a night of nothing but pleasure.
She just hoped she could give him whatever he needed, that she wouldn’t fall apart when push came to thrust.
Claire let go of his hair and took his hand. Without a word, she led him upstairs. However, at the top landing, she hesitated.
She couldn’t use her bedroom. There were photos of Arthur everywhere, to say nothing of all the memories. She couldn’t bring another man into Arthur’s bed, and it wasn’t fair for Nick to see Arthur’s face everywhere he looked.
“If you don’t mind,” she said, “let’s use the spare bedroom. The sheets are cleaner in there. Also, it might be a bit weird to use my bed right now.”
Nick’s gaze pierced her. From his knowing nod, she got the sense he preferred not to use the bed her dead husband had used.
She turned on the light in the spare room, then hesitated. “Do you prefer the lights out?”
“Leave them on,” said Nick, leaning against the doorframe. “I want to see you.”
Claire stood near the bed, shivering as if she’d already removed her clothes. “Is there, um, anything you don’t like?”
“Sweetheart, right now, I can’t think of a single thing I wouldn’t want to do with you.” He moved closer. “What about you?”
“I’m very open-minded.”
His soapy scent swarmed her as he drew near. “That’s good to know.”
Her knees wobbled when he kissed her again. His tongue flicked at her lips, demanding entry, even though she was only too happy to offer it. As he deepened the kiss, he inched his hands down her back and cupped her ass.
Claire melted inside. She swore she could hear her blood racing in her veins.
There had been moments when they’d been working at the sanctuary, when she’d caught herself staring at his big hands, imagining them on her body.
Now, here they were. The more Nick kneaded her ass, the more she worried her legs would give out.
His fingers met with her thighs, teasing the skin under her hem. “Do you mind if I do this?”
She’d always enjoyed foreplay, but tonight it would destroy her. “Actually, I want you to take my dress off.”
“No more going slowly?”
Her breaths became shallow and quick. Was she hyperventilating now?
She struggled to answer but couldn’t think of any words.
All she knew was that Nick Zorn’s hands were on her body and she desperately needed to feel him inside her body.
She’d wanted to get back in the saddle, but it suddenly felt as if her horse was breaking into a gallop.
“Claire?”
“I…I’m so on edge and it’s been such a long time. I think I just really need to come.”
He placed his hand over her chest. “Your heart’s pounding.”
“Like I said, it’s been a while.”
“Okay.” He grabbed her hand. “I want to give you what you need. I can draw this out all night long, but I don’t want to torture you.”
“It’s not torture, I swear. Everything you’ve done is perfect.” She seized a breath and tried to steady her pulse. Her throat thickened, as memories of Arthur intruded. “I guess I’ve just been anticipating, but also dreading, this moment for so long.”
His brow furrowed.
She was ruining this. Get yourself together, Claire. He needs to have a good night.
“We could try again some other time.”
“No.” She slung a finger in his belt buckle. “I want this, Nick. But I think I’ll relax more if I come quickly. You know, like pulling off a bandage.” She prayed he would interpret the breathiness in her voice as seduction, rather than nerves. “Then maybe you could help me come again?”
“I’d like nothing more.”
“Okay.” She turned around and looked over her shoulder. “You’d better unzip me, then.”
His remarkable hands met her skin again as he drew the zipper down from her back to the spot just above her bottom. His chuckle made her skin riot with goosepimples. “How did you ever get this zipped up in the first place?”
“It’s a skill.”
Nick eased the fabric from her shoulders and down her arms. Claire turned to face him as she slid out of the garment.
Wearing only her bra and teeny panties, she was more exposed than she had been in a long time.
She was still shaking, but her hope was that her trembling would stop after a mind-blowing orgasm.
It has to stop, right? She couldn’t be this nervous forever.
“Claire. You’re beautiful.” He shook his head as he looked her up and down. “So…how would you like to come?”
She stifled a laugh. She didn’t think she’d ever had this much discussion in the bedroom before, not even with Arthur. It was nice, in truth, and refreshing to be so honest and upfront. “Well, I always come quickly when a man goes down on me. Would you mind?”
Once more, he did that adorable thing where his eyes widened, like a child receiving a huge helping of birthday cake. “Would I mind? Damn. For the last two weeks, all I could think about was licking your pussy. I hope you don’t think any less of me.”
“Not a chance.”
“Do you mind if I start up here, though?” He unhooked her bra.
“Please do.”
He removed her bra and let it fall to the floor. For a moment, he just gazed at her, his lips open in appreciation. Nick then sat at the edge of her bed. “Straddle me.”
Claire did, grinding her pelvis against his. She almost let out a cry of joy in finding that he was still rock hard. She wasn’t sure when his issues with Kristy had arisen, but she wanted to do her best to keep him hard and happy tonight.
Nick took one nipple in his mouth, sucking with quiet need. Her body reacted immediately, shooting pleasure down to her core, and she writhed atop him.
He gripped her hips, gentling her pace. “Easy, tiger. You promised me a pussy to lick.”