Chapter Fifteen
Vanessa stayed in bed long after she woke that morning.
She snuggled deeper into the cotton sheets, sighing.
She relished Paul’s clean male scent on the pillows, and the luxury of an actual bed.
The mattress was too firm to be considered cozy.
She didn’t drift off again, but she lingered there, lost in thought.
Her cheeks heated at the memory of their encounter.
He’d given her the most intense orgasm of her entire life, and he hadn’t even taken off her shorts to do it.
She chalked it up to the fact that she’d gone without sex for over a year.
She’d hurried him along, out of desperation, but he hadn’t needed much help.
He hadn’t complained when she’d left him unsatisfied, either.
She wasn’t surprised by his adept touch or generous nature. A lot of men were skilled in the bedroom and liked giving women orgasms. He obviously enjoyed performing the task. What surprised her was how she’d responded. She’d never been stroked to climax so quickly. She’d gone off like fireworks.
She should have expected the intensity after a long stint of abstinence. They had excellent chemistry, but it didn’t mean anything. She knew better than to put too much stock in sexual compatibility. She was on the rebound from a bad divorce and he wasn’t steady boyfriend material.
This was a summer fling, at best.
Even so, she was looking forward to the next date, because that little taste hadn’t been enough.
Her body longed for the fulfillment of deep, thrusting penetration.
She imagined a variety of sexual acts, multiple positions, and a lot of good, hard pounding.
She wanted to collapse in a sweaty heap afterward, exhausted.
If Paul could deliver on this wish list, they’d have a great time together. Judging by the size of the erection he’d grinded against her, he was well equipped for the job. She turned her face into the pillow and giggled.
After a few more minutes of lounging about, daydreaming, she rose from the bed. Emily was snoring softly, her hair a cloud of silky curls. Vanessa tugged on her shorts and padded into the kitchen to make coffee.
It occurred to her that Paul might appreciate a cup after roughing it last night.
She donned a pair of flip-flops and went next door.
She found him in the kitchen, stretched out on his back under the kitchen sink.
He wore his faded blue jeans and ancient work boots.
His T-shirt was already dusty, and damp with sweat.
Although she couldn’t see his face, she admired the hard planes of his chest, his flat belly, and the worn denim at his fly.
His long legs were splayed, one knee bent.
His biceps flexed as he cranked a wrench.
She took a step closer, and he froze.
“Vanessa?”
“The one and only.”
He eased his head out from the cramped space, but didn’t rise from his supine position. His gaze raked up the length of her legs before settling on her unbound breasts. She hadn’t bothered with a bra yet. The gray-blue of his eyes no longer appeared glacial to her. There was nothing cold about him.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. “I made coffee. Would you like some?”
“Please,” he said.
“Cream and sugar?”
“Just a splash of milk.”
She went to her cabin to make them both cups. When she returned, he was drying his hands on a towel. He accepted the mug and took a sip. Then he set it aside, with a grunt of thanks, and pulled her into his arms.
His kiss was full of heat and promise and longing. She wondered if he’d stayed up late, thinking about her. He tasted like coffee and mint, and he wasn’t shy about copping a feel. He squeezed her bottom with one hand and cupped her breast with the other.
Vanessa broke the kiss with a breathy laugh, delighted by his enthusiastic greeting. “Slow down, cowboy.”
He seared her with a hungry gaze. “I have condoms.”
She murmured approval as he started kissing her neck.
“Is Emily still asleep?”
“Yes.”
“Take off your clothes. I’ll be quick.”
She laughed again, tempted to oblige him.
He could lift her up against any surface and drive them both wild, or he could lay her down on the sleeping mats he’d set up.
They probably wouldn’t be interrupted. Emily rarely woke before eight, and it was only seven fifteen.
Vanessa considered the risky proposition.
“How quick?” she asked.
“Five minutes.”
“Set a timer,” she said. “And lock the door.”
He took his phone out of his pocket, set the timer, and placed it on the tile countertop.
He locked the front door with a flick of his fingertips.
She moistened her lips, tentative. Then she tugged off her T-shirt and dropped it to the floor.
In the next instant, she pushed down her shorts and panties.
He gaped at her naked body as if his wildest fantasy had just come to life. She knew he liked what he saw when he looked at her. Desire pulsed between her legs, and her heart thudded with heavy beats.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, with reverence.
She twined her arms around his neck. “Touch me.”
He covered her mouth with his as he lifted her onto the countertop.
He fitted himself between her thighs and kissed her, hard and deep.
He was still fully dressed, and already fully aroused.
His denim fly bumped into her bare sex. She pulled his shirt over his head to explore the hard muscles of his chest. He slid his hand down her belly and into her slick heat. He wasn’t the only one raring to go.
“I was thinking about you,” she whispered.
He groaned at the admission and dragged his mouth down her neck.
He lavished attention on her breasts, squeezing them together and sucking one nipple, then the other.
Then he surprised her by dropping to his knees.
He stared at the steamy center of her, as if transfixed.
She felt a moment of shyness about being exposed to him in broad daylight, her legs spread wide to reveal the silky triangle and glistening folds.
Paul gripped her splayed thighs and moistened his lips in anticipation.
“You have three minutes,” she said.
“Worth it,” he said, and put his mouth to her.
He wasn’t so rushed that he didn’t do a thorough job.
He started with soft kisses all over her exposed flesh.
Then he settled his mouth on her swollen clit.
She gasped, threading her fingers through his hair.
He used his tongue like he used his fingers, with perfect pressure and precision.
She lost track of time, and what little inhibitions she had.
She forgot everything but his wicked attentions.
She was vaguely aware of making animal noises, low in her throat, and begging him not to stop.
Then the timer sounded, and he went still. She was five seconds from coming, tops.
“Should I reset it?” he asked.
“Just this once.”
With a half-laugh, half-groan, he rose to reset the timer. She watched him remove a condom from his pocket and unbutton his distended fly. His erection looked impressively thick. He rolled the condom over his hard length.
“Oh my,” she said hoarsely. “Is all that for me?”
“You ready for it?”
“Yes,” she said, because she was dying for satisfaction. She spread her thighs as wide as possible, biting down on her lower lip.
He didn’t rush this step, either. He fit himself against her and eased inside, inch by inch.
Vanessa gasped at the pleasure of his penetration.
There was a tiny twinge of discomfort as she stretched around him, but she was slick with arousal.
Her body accommodated him immediately. She wrapped her legs around his lean waist, eager for more.
“Good?” he asked.
“So good,” she gasped.
He shifted his focus from the joining of their bodies to look at her face.
Instead of hammering her into oblivion, he kissed her softly.
His lips tasted like her, and he must have known that, but he didn’t seem concerned.
She touched his mouth with her fingertips, tracing the firm contours with appreciation.
His gaze darkened with lust. With a low growl, he withdrew from her body and thrust in again.
She let her head fall back as he gripped her hips and surged forward.
He used her hard, giving and taking pleasure with an intensity that stole her breath away.
Her breasts quivered from the impact, his buttocks pumping with every thrust. She clung to his broad shoulders, groaning at the exquisite fullness.
“You’re very wet,” he growled in her ear.
“Mmm.”
“And your quim is delicious.”
He settled his thumb over her clit, and something happened to Vanessa that she’d never experienced before.
She started laughing at his word choice, a deliberate in-joke.
At the same time, the extra stimulation rocketed her into a bone-melting orgasm.
She cried out at the unexpected joy and wild pleasure of the moment.
Her high-pitched scream dissolved into sobbing laughter as the orgasm wrenched through her.
She jerked and shuddered like a puppet on a string, completely under his spell.
He drove himself to the hilt one final time and buried his face against her neck.
His shoulders quaked with the power of his release.
They stayed like that, bodies entwined, until the timer rang again.
She’d only been here ten minutes, by her calculations, and he’d wrecked her for life. She raised her head and opened her eyes. He seemed too drowsy to function, so she patted his shoulder to rouse him. He withdrew from her as carefully as he’d entered.
She was glad for his gentle retreat, because she felt well used and sensitive. He disappeared for a minute to dispose of the condom. She was still naked as a jaybird, trying to untangle her panties, when he returned. He gathered his shirt from the floor and donned it in one smooth motion.
“What was that?” she asked, tugging her panties into place.