Chapter 11
“If you’ve only beenwith one man, how do you know?” Slick asked.
“Certain things are stamped on your soul. You’re born with a happy spirit. You’re born with a loyal heart. You’re born to love one person for your whole life.”
“Did you just describe yourself?”
“I think I did.” Wow, wow, wow. She needed a moment, so she got up and took her mug to the kitchen. Stage lights made it impossible to see individual faces in the crowd, but when the stadium lights turned on, suddenly, that mass of bodies became individuals. And in that moment, the lights went on, and she could see the very thing she’d been struggling with for three months.
Rinsing out her mug, she looked out the window to see the sky had lightened. Thankfully, the storm was moving on.
All this time, she’d thought she needed to reinvent herself. That she could no longer write about true love.
But she hadn’t been writing about Landon. She’d been writing about her soul. The true core of her.
It was never Landon.
It’s me.
Elation flooded her. Her mind cleared, and she could take a full breath for the first time in months.
“You okay?” He set his mug next to hers in the sink.
The whipped cream had melted, but he hadn’t taken a single sip. “You made that cocoa for me.”
He nudged her aside to dump the drink down the drain and rinse out his mug.
This man.
What a sweetheart. “You’re going to make some lucky woman a great husband one day.”
He gave no indication he’d heard her.
“If you can get your head out of your ass.”
Still, no sign he was listening. She gave an exaggerated sigh.
And he swiveled the faucet to spray her. With a shriek, she jumped back. “Hey.” At least the water was warm. “You did not just do that.” He laughed as she pulled the damp sweatshirt away from her chest. “I take back every nice thing I’ve said about you.”
“Good. And can you also stop trying to wife me up?” he asked, teasing.
“Of course, hon.” She grabbed the canister and squirted whipped cream in his hair. “My bad.”
His hand went to his head, coming away with a palmful of it. “You’re a slow learner.” Smiling, he leaned over the sink and rinsed it out.
Not knowing what he’d do as retaliation, she dashed into the bedroom to change out of the sweatshirt. Wasn’t it just last night she was slamming a bat on the bed? How could she have so much fun with a total stranger?
As she dropped the wet top onto the bathroom floor, she knew one thing for sure. She’d never felt this kind of exhilaration around Landon. And instead of waiting for payback, she remembered something she’d bought to do with her nephew.
As soon as she found another sweatshirt, she headed out to the dining room and sorted through the packages. Once she found it, she pulled it out and ripped it open, pulling on the skullcap and arming herself with Velcro balls. Then, she came up behind him in the kitchen and plunged the hat over his head.
“Hey.” He slammed the faucet off. But before he could say another word, she lobbed the balls at his head, where they fastened securely to the cap. Quickly, he ripped them off and went on the attack.
She’d left more balls on the table, so she snatched some up while he scooped up the ones that fell on the floor, and the game was on. She ran across the living room, ducking behind the couch, but the man was merciless. On his knees, he leaned over and threw one ball after another, so fast they bounced right off the Velcro. “You suck at playing.”
“Do I?” He leaped over the couch and grabbed more balls. “Or is it just too easy to beat your ass?”
She was ducking and trying to catch the balls in the air. “Why do you make everything a death sport?”
“Sounds like something a sore loser would say.”
She laughed so hard she couldn’t breathe, all while he kept firing away. “How does anyone have those reflexes?”
“Survival, Hellcat. I’m your man in the apocalypse.” He threw ball after ball at her head, chasing her around the table and across the living room. She snatched them off her head and threw them back until the air was a blur of neon yellow and green Velcro balls.
“If you’re trying to prove you’re not a washed-up old hockey player, you can stop now. I’m never playing with you again. You’re awful.”
“You started this with sabotage. Don’t be a spoilsport.” He grabbed her around her waist, lifting her, and her legs kicked out. “As if you’re any less competitive. You just prefer ambush tactics.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. And she wouldn’t have made it as far as she had with her career if she hadn’t been competitive.
As she started wriggling out of his hold, he hurled her up and over his shoulder. The cabin, the fire, the leather couches, everything was a blur as he stalked into the bedroom.
“What are you doing?” She was still laughing, so her voice came out strained and choppy.
He tossed her onto the bed. “I’m containing the hellcat.” Once she landed on her back, he climbed on top of her, clamping his hands around her wrists and pinning her to the mattress. With his feet across her ankles, he’d immobilized her. “Now, I’m disarming you.” He drew her arms over her head, locking her wrists together with one big hand. With the other, he peeled off his cap.
“Take mine off, too. Game’s over unless we’re both wearing them.”
“You’re not really in a position to call the shots.” He slid the edge of the cap under his knee and peeled off the balls, sticking them to her head until all thirty of them were on her. “You look ridiculous.”
She was alive, filled with happiness, and trying very hard not to make this sexual. Still, she arched her back and twisted her hips, half-heartedly trying to get him off her, but really, she loved it. She loved his touch, his closeness, and the gleam in his eyes. She loved that he was so muscular, so strong. She trusted him. She felt safe with him. “I’ll get you for this.”
“Will you, though?” His hold tightened.
She bucked hard, bumping her chest against his, and that was when their smiles faded.
Because he was right there. Those sea glass green eyes locked with hers, that dirty blond hair falling forward. She wanted to scrape it back with her fingernails. She wanted his weight on top of her, pressing her into the mattress. She needed him inside her.
This man would fill her. He would take her.
“Stop looking at me like that.” His deep voice rumbled with frustration.
“You’re the one pinning me down.” She couldn’t take it anymore. Her hips slammed up and ground against him, and she finally got to feel his very hard cock against her core.
His eyelids fluttered closed, and he moaned. “What are you doing to me?”
She took advantage of his weakened hold and wriggled her wrists free. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she finally let her fingers sift through that thick, silky hair.
“You don’t want this.” He ground the words out.
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more.”
“Fuck.” He claimed her mouth. This man didn’t play. He didn’t tease. He just licked inside and took possession. His tongue coaxed hers into play, and he kissed her with sensuous, luxurious strokes.
She couldn’t think. She couldn’t catch her breath. All she knew was that she needed more. So much more of him. Her hands skimmed down his back and grabbed hold of his ass. The hard, round globes clenched with each thrust of his hips, and she drew him up hard against her.
He tore his mouth away and pushed himself back onto his heels, pulling off his Henley and tossing it. “Take off Granny’s sweatshirt. Let me see all of you.”
Even as wound up as she was, he still made her laugh, but she reached for the hem, pulling it and the shirt underneath over her head. She thought she’d die if she didn’t feel his bare chest on hers. The moment she laid back down, he tugged the waistband of her leggings down. Restless and aching, she tried to toe them off, but they were stuck and tangled.
“Stop.” In a commanding tone that belied the tremble of his hands, he clasped her ankle and peeled off one leg. He kissed the sole of her foot, then licked a hot path up her calf. His touch plucked a chord, awakening every cell, every molecule, and making them sing. Once he reached the back of her knee, he kissed her there. Never taking his eyes off her, he lifted the other leg and removed the leggings, tossing them aside.
It made her wild that this big, strong, powerful, and commanding man could be so impossibly gentle. His gaze raked over her body with hungry eyes. “So, that’s what you’ve been hiding under all those clothes.” He cupped her breasts, squeezing and plumping them together. “I’m going to fuck these.”
A shudder went through her. “Yes.” The word came out strangled.
Slowly, he lowered one bra strap and then the other. He reached a warm hand into a cup. When she hissed in a breath, his gaze cut to her eyes, and he lowered his mouth to her nipple.
That first flick of his tongue had her toes curling. Leisurely, he licked and swirled, and it drove her wild. Which he knew because he kept watching her, studying her reactions.
He sucked her into his mouth—the heat, the suction…Fire raced along her nerves
When she arched her back, he reached behind her and, in one flick, unclasped the bra. “Take it off.”
Hurriedly, she pulled her arms through the straps and flung the bra over his shoulder.
“Yeah.” He pushed her breasts together. “Look at those tits.” He licked and sucked, greedy as a boy with two toys he wanted to play with at the same time. He made her wet and hot and so desperate she clutched fistfuls of the sheets.
He was just so…voracious. So hungry for her body. It drove her wild. She cupped the back of his head, held him to her, because she never wanted these delicious sensations to stop.
He was a total stranger, and he wanted her more than her boyfriend of a decade ever had. As he devoured her breasts, his fingertips trailed a path down her stomach and slipped between her legs.
When he swiped a finger through her pulsing, aching core, he said, “So fucking wet for me.”
Yes, it’s for you.
Only you.
Then, he brushed her clit, and her body went up in flames. She cried out, her hands gripping his back.
His head popped up, cheeks flushed, eyes wild. “Condoms?”
“No.” She almost shouted it, her bottom hitting the mattress. “Dammit.”
“I probably have some in my travel bag. Hang on.” He leaped off the bed like a gymnast and hurried out to the living room.
“Just in case your seatmate wanted a quick bang in the bathroom?” She was unreasonably jealous, but she couldn’t help it. She hated the idea that he’d planned on being with someone else. Hated the thought of him making another woman feel this desired.
She wanted to be the one who made him insatiable.
“Hell, no,” he shouted back. “You ever had sex on a plane?”
She wouldn’t tell him she’d had it plenty of times. On private jets. With a bedroom and comfortable mattress. But she knew what he meant. A hurried hookup in a tiny bathroom, biting his shoulder to keep from crying out so that half the plane wouldn’t hear them.
No, she’d never done that.
He stood in the doorway, tearing the packet open with his teeth, and grinning at her. “You jealous?”
“Now that I know what your tongue can do, yes. Very.” She sat up. “But wait. Don’t put it on yet.” She motioned him over. “Come here. I want to taste you first.”
His eyes flared. “Damn, Hellcat. You keep surprising me.”
She flicked a hand, urging him over.
He chuckled and pushed off the door, taking a leisurely stroll toward the bed. “From the outside, you’re apple pie, but inside, you’re nothing but cream and dark chocolate.”
When he straddled her, she wrapped both hands around him. “God, you’re big.”
He gave a pained smile. “No need for flattery. I’m a sure thing.”
“This is not flattery. My mouth is watering, I’m so hungry for it.” And that hadn’t happened before. She licked all around the head like he was an ice cream cone melting on a summer’s day.
He let out a shaky breath, and she looked up to see his tortured expression.
Desire surged, and a strange sense of power took hold. She wanted to drive him out of his mind. She wanted him to lose control.
As she ran her tongue up and down his length, getting him wet, he clutched the headboard, his body shaking like he was so excited he could barely stand it.
“Fuck, Hellcat.” That big hand reached for the back of her head and pulled her closer. “Suck my cock.”
It was obscene. It was lewd. No one had ever talked to her that way, and the thrill of it blasted through her. She opened her mouth wide, taking him in slowly—she had to get used to his size—and watching the utter abandon on his features as she savored the smooth hardness of him.
“Take it deep. Come on, all the way.”
She pulled him out of her mouth. “Do you have a list of instructions for me? Or do I get to play?”
Lowering his head, he shuddered. “Yeah, Hellcat. Play.”
“Bossy.” But she loved that about him, so she brought him back into her mouth. This time, he was nice and wet, so he slid right in. She took him deeper, opening her throat, and watching his eyes roll back in his head.
Letting out a shaky breath, he traced her lips with a thumb. “You look so pretty stuffed with my cock.”
Desire pulsed between her legs, and she didn’t know how much more she could take. Her body was hot, needy, the tension so intense she knew her release would be explosive. But first, she wanted him to lose control, so she sucked him, letting her tongue stroke him.
His head jerked back. “Fuck.”
She loved the powerful thrust of his hips. Loved that he told her exactly how he liked it. She wanted him to be real. Fully, totally, himself.
Because it was the only way she could let go and be her true self. Trust was everything.
He pulled out. “I’m gonna come.”
“You might be new to blow jobs, but that’s where this whole thing is leading.”
“As much as I want to fill that smart mouth with come, I want to fuck you. Isn’t that where this whole thing is heading?”
“Sure.” She feigned a look of disappointment. “For some reason, I thought you were closer to my age. My bad. Well, if we only get the one time?—”
“Oh, we’ll go again, Hellcat. It’s not even noon. We’ve got all the time in the world.” One hand gripped his thick cock, while the other cupped the back of her head, and with a punch of his hips, he was back inside her mouth. “Now, finish what you started.”
That wild look in his sea glass green eyes, the way his frenzied gaze was planted on her lips stretched around him, and the sounds of desperation he made undid her. She couldn’t take it anymore, so she reached between her legs and stroked her slick heat.
But the moment she found her clit, and her body sizzled, he whacked her hand away. “That’s mine.”
In retaliation, she let her teeth scrape gently over his pistoning cock.
“Fuck.” His hips punched, his hold on her head tightened, and the vein underneath his cock swelled. “If you’re not swallowing, now’s the time to let me know. I’ll come all over those pretty tits.”
She had him lodged in her throat, and she swallowed convulsively at the image he’d just painted for her. With a roar, he slammed into her. His features twisted, torn between ecstasy and agony, and the vein pulsed thickly with one release after another. Grabbing his ass, she held him tightly to her.
As his thrusts eased, his cries turned to pants. Slowly, he pulled out. And then, he collapsed onto his back, cocked an elbow, and covered his eyes with his forearm.
Her entire body throbbed with desperate need. She grabbed his hand and shoved it between her legs. “Gosh. I wonder how we can fill the time while you reload.”
He laughed. “Trust me, for what I’m about to do, you want me to catch my breath.”
“Because you’re going to have to figure things out down there? I could give you a quick tutorial.”
His arm covered his eyes, but his grin dazzled. “That’s okay. I’m good. I just need time to find out what you like.”
“I like to have orgasms.”
He laughed. “Sassy.”
“I hope you’re good in bed.” She tried to move his hand, but he refused to participate.
“You know, it really comes down to whether I’m motivated.”
“And what, exactly, motivates you?”
“Well, first, I like pussy.”
The spike of lust that hit her nearly shot her off the bed. “Well, that helps. Anything in particular you like?”
Rolling onto his side, he hitched up on an elbow and placed one hand on her belly. “Specifically…” His fingertips brushed a trail down to the juncture between her legs. “I like to hear you moan.” He dipped inside, leisurely stroking with two fingers. “I like to watch that smart mouth go all soft.” His thumb brushed her clit.
The jolt had her back arching off the mattress.
As he caressed her in slow circles, electric heat coursed through her, and her heart beat so wildly she could only take short, quick breaths.
“I like to see your tits jiggle.” He leaned over and kissed the hard bead of her nipple. “And now, I’m going to see what you taste like.” As he straddled her and shifted back, his hands glided from her breasts, down her stomach, all the way to the tops of her thighs. He spread her wide and lowered his face between her legs.
That first swipe of his tongue ignited a flash fire. “Oh, God.” The second had her hips twisting. And the third had her fingers clutching fistfuls of hair.
His tongue explored and teased, and when she moaned, when her fingers flexed, he stayed right there. He drove her to the highest peak and left her teetering on the edge. “Oh, God, oh, God, oh my God.”
Her body burned, her nerves sparked, and her eyes squeezed shut. The pleasure was so intense she lost her sense of time and place. She was nothing but delicious tension. And just when she didn’t think she could take another second, she exploded, her body spiraling across a sky blazing with stars.
It was unrelenting, one climax after another. She didn’t know what was happening to her, only that she existed in a state of pure bliss. And she didn’t want him to stop. She never wanted to come down to earth.
The aftershocks held her suspended in time and space, and she rode the wave to shore. Finally, her bottom hit the mattress, her fists unclenched, and she gazed up at the log ceiling and sighed.
“And one last thing.” His hands squeezed her thighs. “I like to see you come.”
“Mm.” Little tremors kept her smiling. “That was unreal.”
He lay down beside her, their bodies lined up but not touching.
She reached for his hand, but he didn’t respond. It lay limp and lifeless. “It’s okay if you want to snuggle. I won’t think less of you.”
“I don’t snuggle. Don’t take it personally.”
She couldn’t help but take it a little personally, but instead of dwelling on it, she chose to marvel that sex could actually feel like that. It might be her first hookup, but she’d never regret it. “You’ve ruined me for other men.” Except…he wasn’t responding. She glanced over to see the humor had gone. He’d shut down and gone serious again.
And now that the sex haze had worn off, she didn’t like that at all.
This is probably what he does.
After a hookup, he goes stone cold.
It’s how he delivers a message.
Just because it was great sex doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen between us.
It made her feel dirty and used, and she didn’t like it. She wanted to stay in her bubble. And to do that, she needed to get away from him. “Well, I’m going to grab my waffle now.”