Chapter 8
AUDRA
I’ve been well cared for my entire life. My mother did her best…some of the time. There were also nannies, housekeepers, and various personal assistants.
But nothing comes close to watching Thane meticulously going over every inch of my equipment with a microfiber cloth, followed by super-fine special cotton swabs.
His workshop is tidy, almost fussily so. He clearly knows where every single item is. His attention to detail is comforting.
Once everything looks bone dry, he places it all inside a clear plastic tub. Then he pulls out several large desiccant packs, puts them in too, and snaps the lid shut. He even runs a line of masking tape around the edge for a more airtight seal.
He turns to me with a grin. "I guess this means your equipment is being held hostage for at least twelve hours, sorry. But trust me – this usually works with cell phones, speakers, or whatever else I've ever accidentally drenched."
I step close, placing my hands on his shoulders. "I really appreciate it."
"Since I’ve kidnapped your gear, does that mean I get to kidnap you as well?" His eyebrow lifts. "Dinner? Snuggling on a couch? Sleeping over?"
I grin at the way his brow arches even higher.
"Or," he says with a chuckle, "you can always smack my face with your pretty little hand and I will take you home this second. We’ll bring the gear bucket, and you can open it in the morning."
My fingers glide back and forth across his prominent deltoids. "But then I'd have to bring the tub back to you. That sounds exhausting. I should probably just stay here. Cool?"
"Cool."
He takes me gently by the hand, but instead of leading me straight to his bedroom, we go into the kitchen.
I certainly didn't expect this handsome man to also be a great cook, but he throws together the best pasta I've ever had, made with shredded leftover barbeque chicken, two kinds of cheese, and some fresh basil snipped from a big pot in his kitchen window.
"Gotta say, you're full of surprises," I remark as I help him clean up.
"Turns out I like having someone to cook for. Who knew?"
It’s not the first time Thane has said something that makes me think he's never had a girlfriend for any significant length of time, and that this is all brand-new for him.
Yet he's still capable and confident with every move.
Given that I'm definitely experiencing everything between us for the first time, his self-assurance makes me feel settled.
Thane stops, staring at the way I’ve loaded the dishwasher. Everything is tilting inward. “Are you an engineer or something?”
I laugh. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“What about your parents? Did they teach you to do that?”
“Jenna taught me. She said the water flow was important to get things truly clean.”
“Jenna?”
Crap. I can’t tell him that I was raised by a series of nannies, even if most of them were sensible enough to raise me like a normal girl, not a spoiled princess, and treated me first like a daughter, then a friend.
“Close friend of the family.” I smile, even though the half-lie feels like a brick in my stomach. “Very precise about cleanliness.”
“Cool.”
Ugh, I hate being dishonest. It makes my skin crawl. Someday, when he knows me better, I’ll explain my bizarre life to him. I think it’ll go smoother then.
Just as I notice it's gotten quite dark outside, Thane’s phone beeps. When he checks it, his face lights up. He grabs my hand and we rush outside. "What is it?" I laugh.
"I've got an app that tells me when there's a meteor shower, or the planets line up, or anything cool happens in the skies."
He points to the west. "Look to the left of that tallest tree and wait a second."
I stare into the deep blue darkness, Thane standing behind me, pulling me against his chest as his arms wrap around my waist.
A white light rises over the tree line. "Is that an airplane?"
I feel him chuckle against my back. "No, angel. You see how it moves?"
I tip my head back and study the light that rises in the sky in a graceful arc, moving more smoothly than any plane as it goes directly over us. "Yeah. And it's super bright."
"That’s the International Space Station."
"Seriously?" The word comes out as a squeal as we turn, our chins still raised to track the bright white spark until it begins to fade. “That’s so wild.”
It fades out completely and I spin in his arms, throwing my hands around the back of his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. "That was amazing. Thank you."
He kisses me again, then a third time as our bodies shift, moving against each other. His huge palms clamp around my waist, sending my breathing even more off-kilter.
"There's another picnic table right here," he rasps. "In case you want a replay of earlier."
I sneak a glance at the darkened forest. "I wouldn't want to corrupt the squirrels.
" I pull down the front of his t-shirt to kiss along his collarbone.
"You know, I haven't seen your bedroom yet.
What if you're a psycho with orange plaid bedding?
Or—" I shriek out a laugh when he scoops me into his arms, heading inside at lightning speed.
“I can’t go another minute without knowing your opinion of my sheets, angel.”
Thane has no trouble carrying me upstairs. As soon as he lays me across the bed, I get up on my elbows, looking around the room.
Everything is cozy and warm with a rugged mountain man vibe, but it's also very upscale.
Even if the highly detailed photograph of a textured pinecone nestled into deep green pine needles was taken by Thane or a friend of the family, the large format print and exquisite framing suggest style and money.
These are definitely Egyptian cotton sheets under my butt…with no orange plaid in sight, for bonus points. I swivel to look through the door to the ensuite bathroom. Huge ornate clawfoot tub. Fixtures you'd see in fancy hotels.
Hmm. Thane is obviously doing very well. It really doesn't matter to me one bit. He has a job, a home and a good heart. That's enough for me. It’s just…another surprise.
The second Thane pulls off my socks I know where this is going.
I don’t care that we've only known each other for a few days. I don’t care that I can't even guarantee that he's my forever person.
He is definitely my right now person, and was destined to be my first time.
I couldn't imagine feeling this deep, rolling wave of lust with anyone else.
After my socks hit the floor, he reaches under my dress to pull off my tights. Then he stops, his hands resting on my knees. "You're in charge, angel. Anything, everything, or nothing. I would be content just to sleep beside you all night and listen to you snore."
"Hey now! I don't snore." I hesitate. "Actually, maybe I do. I've never slept next to anyone before, so I have no idea. You'll have to let me know."
I walk my fingertips across the t-shirt stretched tightly across his chest. "You, however, look like you have the potential for snoring."
"How dare you."
“Oh, I dare, big guy."
He chuckles, then sits beside my knees, reaching out to unbutton the front of my dress. He stops when he sees my tank top. "You know, I love that you don't wear a bra. Your tits are perky as hell, you don’t even need one. But I'm not sure how to progress here."
I laugh, jumping up to pull off my dress and tank top together. He stares open-mouthed, then stands to rip off his t-shirt and jeans.
I wish I had a camera handy to record this moment as we stare at each other in our underwear.
We must look comical. His gaze roams along every curve so intently I can practically feel the weight of it gliding across my skin.
Meanwhile, I take in his well-muscled thighs, his trim waist, his rippled abs.
And that chest…like a wall of iron. Solid and reassuring and sexy as hell, all at the same time.
"Um, did I mention I'm on the pill? Mom said I shouldn't go to college without it. Even though I haven't, like, needed it yet or anything."
"Noted. But I'm going to make you wait for that a bit longer. Right now, I need to taste you, angel."
Thane tosses me across the bed, then hooks his thumbs into the pale pink lace covering the only part of my body he hasn't yet examined. His deep eyes lock with mine, waiting for my nod before sliding them off.
I shimmy back toward the pillows as he crawls between my thighs, spreading me wide with his broad shoulders. My pussy feels wet and swollen just from his hypnotic stare. Then he licks his lips, leaning in. My sharp exhale echoes through the room the second his tongue makes contact.
Heat and desire swim through my veins as I squirm underneath him, while his big hands grip my hips, holding me steady. Thane groans, then whispers, "Delicious. Think I need another helping."
His tongue drags firmly all the way through my slit again, then circles my clit. He already knows exactly how I need to be touched, knows that my writhing hips mean I want more.
He presses on my lower stomach to hold me in place, then I whimper as a thick finger slowly nudges inside me. Then a second. My inner walls cling to him, squeezing, needing a bit more.
He finds a quick, firm rhythm, my juices flowing around his fingers with every thrust. His tongue circles my button, pressing firmly, bringing me to the edge at lightning speed.
Staring into his eyes as they blaze with lust for me hits me hard – not like a bucket of cold water, more like a heavy electric blanket, covering every inch of my skin.
Thane wants to fuck me. I want it just as much as he does.
And right now, he wants me to come so I'm nice and wet, able to handle his gigantic…
Another wave of moisture floods my pussy, making him groan. The noise vibrates straight through his tongue, pushing me over the edge as I grip the sides of his hair.
The orgasm rolls through me like an earthquake as my back arches off the bed, hips rocking, thighs tightening around his ears so hard he probably can't hear my cries.
His tongue laps harder, faster, drawing out every single drop of pleasure as my breath rasps, the climax shaking me all the way up to my jawline.
When my body finally stops jerking, Thane kisses a slow, meandering trail around my inner thighs, over my hip bones, then makes several dreamy passes over my breasts.
By the time he reaches my mouth, I'm twitching all over again. He's lying on top of me now, and the ache between my legs is not satisfied by the slow, subtle movements of his cock through his boxer briefs.
"What do you say, gorgeous?" His voice is a dark, raspy murmur. "Time to sleep?"
“No way.” I reach down to grab his ass firmly. Any trace of nervousness has been replaced by deep longing for this man.
I smile up into his smoldering deep eyes. "I want you. Now.”