Chapter 13 Everett
EVERETT
It feels different than it did two nights ago.
Having Mary in my arms is even more electrifying the second time around.
It’s probably got something to do with all the bare skin pressed up against me, but a very repressed romantic part of me wants to believe that it’s because this is happening at my home, this time, instead of a random motel.
It feels different, yes, but it feels right.
We’ve stumbled a bit further back into the water, and it’s lapping at our thighs, a gentle tease of coolness under the heat of the sun.
Her palms are smooth on my shoulders, and my breath hitches when I feel the pinpricks of her nails on my skin.
I can just barely see the shadow of freckles scattered over her cheeks. I hadn’t noticed them before.
Having her this close is wrecking my self-control, and I move on pure instinct.
My mouth is on hers before I have a moment to breathe, but I can’t bring myself to care. Kissing her feels much more vital than breathing ever has.
She only stiffens for half a second before she presses even closer.
Her arms twine around my shoulders and her fingers tangle in my hair, and I don’t bite back the moan of approval that rumbles up from my chest. Everything about her is so soft, nothing like what I’m used to.
Her fingers are gentle even as they rake through my hair, and her lips are smooth and slick and taste a little like something between vanilla and beeswax.
My hands are tight on her waist—maybe too tight— but I can’t make myself relax my grip. I’ve been craving another taste of her for the last two days, and I’m damn near desperate now.
She arches into every touch I give her, slotting our hips together as she traces over the ridges of my mouth with her tongue.
A shaky groan falls from my lips at the feeling of her so close, every inch of our bodies pressed together.
I haven’t been this hard in years, and it aches when I roll my hips forward against hers.
Her head falls back as a whine slips from her lips, and it feels like worship when I trace my mouth over her pulse.
“Come here,” I urge, my voice low and insistent.
There’s no resistance in her movements as she follows the way I tug at her.
Her legs wrap around my waist like we were made to fit together, and I nip at her lips as I grind my hips up against hers.
She’s so warm between her thighs, and just the sensation of having her against me is almost enough to blind me with pleasure.
“Fuck, Everett,” she moans, tangling her hand in my hair to pull my mouth up to hers again. “More. Give me more.”
More. Yeah, I can do that.
I fit our mouths together again and drink down every little gasp she gives me as I stumble my way toward the river bank. Decades of taking dips in the creek have given me sure footing over the rocks, thankfully.
I have much more important things to focus on than my balance.
Mary doesn’t loosen her grip on me for a single second as I lower her to the ground. She lets out a thrilled giggle when her back hits the grass, and she tugs me into another fevered kiss.
Her lean, lightly muscled legs squeeze tighter around my waist, and the roll of her body beneath mine takes my breath away.
I can hardly think enough to kiss her back as I grind down against her cunt.
My mind is blank but for thoughts of how warm and wet she’ll be once I’m inside her, and I wrestle with the animal desire to rut against her.
“Let me taste you?”
The words are hardly a breath between our mouths, but she reacts like they pierce straight through to her core. Her nails dig into my shoulders and she clamps her legs tighter around my waist as her body shudders just at the idea.
“God, yes,” she pleads.
I don’t waste any time, my hands shoving her tank top up her body as I pepper kisses down her throat. She moans with each brush of my lips as I trail my mouth down. A sharp nip to her collarbone makes her jolt, and the slick of my tongue over the bite has her shaking.
She’s so responsive, and I want to take my time to map out every single place on her body that makes her feel good, but I feel like I’ll explode if I wait any longer.
I get sidetracked on my way down by the swell of her breast, unable to stop myself from lapping over the bud of her nipple until it pebbles.
She gasps when I worry it gently between my teeth, her head tossing back as a groan tears from her throat.
The sunlight on her skin makes her look like she’s glowing against the grass, and I can do nothing but watch every flicker of pleasure that crosses her face.
“Everett, stop fucking teasing me,” she huffs, tugging sharply at my hair.
I smile against her skin, but I don’t argue. Both of us have waited plenty long, and I’m dying for a proper taste of her.
Time moves in a blur as I map my way down her stomach, tearing her panties off impatiently. I can feel every heaving breath she takes in, her muscles quivering beneath my hands. Her hips jump with every shift of my mouth, and by the time I reach her navel, my patience is at risk of snapping.
I’d have liked to tease her, warm her up a bit and take my time working her over, but I just can’t.
When my gaze falls between her legs, a moan tears out of me at the gleam of wetness there.
She’s dripping, and I’ve hardly even touched her.
The tattered shreds of my self control all snap at once, and I bury my face between her thighs.
Her hands fist in my hair at the first touch of my tongue.
The thunk of her head hitting the ground is drowned out by her gasp of what sounds like a garbled attempt at my name.
She tastes like heaven, a little bit of salt from the sweat of the day, and desperation.
It’s exactly what I’ve been craving.
I lose myself in the heat of her, the sweetness soaking my tongue. The grip of her fingers in my hair and the clench of her thighs around my face are all that keeps me anchored, my head spinning with pleasure and need.
“Everett,” she moans, grinding down against my tongue. “Everett, fuck. Everett!”
Her voice pitches up in panic as she shoves me away, and it’s only then that I recognize another voice calling my name from down the trail.
I have half a mind to storm out into the center of the path and tell Tony to fuck right off, but I’m still achingly hard, and that’s not really a show I want to be giving.
He better have a goddamn good reason to be out here right now.
I swear, if he’s just coming to bitch that the tractor’s making weird noises again, I’m going to lose my temper.
Mary and I stare at each other with wide eyes for a moment before Tony calls out for me again. Hearing him closing in sends us both scrambling for our clothes.
The last thing I need is for anyone to know about whatever’s going on between the two of us. I still haven’t even figured out what to call the blistering attraction that keeps bringing us together, and I don’t want to have to explain it to my damn employees.
I also don’t want to share the sight of her like this with anyone else.
We rush to yank our clothes back on, Mary tossing my shirt over to me.
Thankfully, neither of us got wet much past our hips, but there’s still drops of water that make our shirts cling awkwardly as we hurry to dress.
It takes a hard tug to hike my jeans up over the still-wet skin of my calves.
Mary’s dealing with the same struggle beside me.
Her body is even more irresistible now that I know what she feels like in my hands.
I don’t bother trying to keep my eyes off of her, watching the way her breasts move against the fabric of her shirt.
The flush on her cheeks has nothing to do with the heat of the day anymore, and it looks so good on her that I almost forget what I’m supposed to be doing.
She giggles at me when she finally gets her jeans up over her hips, and I can’t hold back a grin. I feel like a kid caught staring at my crush, and it makes my face heat in response.
I focus my attention firmly back on buttoning my pants.
Thankfully, we manage to get our clothes back in order just seconds before Tony comes into view. The look on his face is enough to clear my thoughts of any worries about my tryst with Mary.
His face is pale, and he looks about ready to collapse in relief when he sees me. Both he and his horse are panting and sweating heavily.
“Boss, fuck, thank God,” he says. “Al collapsed. We need you back at the barn.”
My mind goes blank with sheer panic.
I don’t hesitate for even a second, moving on autopilot as I turn to the horses. Milky follows my lead easily as I pull her back over to Mary, standing obediently still while I help boost Mary back into the saddle. As soon as she’s settled, I hop up onto my own horse and grab the reins.
I manage to stop myself from taking off as soon as I’m seated, pausing just long enough to bark instructions at Tony.
“Lead Mary back. She can’t ride fast,” I say. “Bill and I will get Al to the hospital.”
Mary is staring at me with wide, worried eyes, and I feel bad that all I can offer her for now is a nod. I don’t plan to let this be the end of it between us, but Al is the closest thing I have to a friend these days. I can’t lose him.
I want more from her, as much as she’s willing to give. All I can do now is hope that she’ll understand me leaving her behind for the moment.
I’ll just have to make it up to her.