EPILOGUE #2
He slipped his hand under my skirt and hissed out a breath as he peered up at me. “No panties, Miss Moon?”
“Oops.”
“Oops? You drove over here—”
“Walked.”
His nostrils flared as his cock got even harder against my thigh. “You walked over here sans panties and bra?”
I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded.
He kicked his chair out of the way. It rolled over and banged into the bookcase full of his old law school books.
Damn, I loved when he got all growly and intense.
He crouched before me, bunching up the frothy fabric of the skirt an inch at a time. “This thing is practically see-through.”
“Is that right?”
“Fuck.” He dragged his nose along the inside of my thigh. “Were you thinking about this? Will I find you wet and ready for me?”
I swung my legs a little, gripping the edge of his desk. “Maybe.”
“Part your legs, Miss Moon.”
I transferred one hand between my thighs to stabilize myself. “Like that?”
“Don’t block my view.”
I slipped my hand closer to my pussy. “Should I tell you if I’m wet?”
His hands clamped on each of my knees, widening me even farther. “Yes.”
I dragged my palm over my center and hissed out a breath. Wet didn’t cover it. Even with just a few kisses, I was definitely ready to go.
Because his dark eyes were near-black with lust, I dragged my fingers through the slickness waiting there.
“Let me taste.” His voice was hoarse.
I lifted my hand to his mouth and he sucked my two middle fingers, his tongue scraping every last bit of me away.
I let out a shaky breath and drew my wet fingers out of his mouth to cup my breast. I leaned back a bit and hooked one knee over his shoulder. “More?”
“Everything.” He pulled me closer, stretching me so he could get to every part of me. I arched my back and cried out his name as he twirled that clever tongue around my clit before closing his mouth around me to invade.
Fingers, tongue, breath—he used every tool he had but one.
By the time he was done with me, I’d slumped onto my back and the heels of my boots had taken a chunk out of his desk. I was a quivering shell of my former self. Breathing was optional, but a very self-satisfied male was grinning from between my legs.
I draped my arm over my face so I didn’t kick him. As usual, he’d flipped the script. I’d come here ready to seduce, yet I was the one trying to remember how to use words. “Smug bastard.”
He stood and peeled open his dress pants. “Maybe.”
Yeah, he’d earned his smug bastard status. Then I was getting hauled up to a seated position.
“This will no longer be my assistant’s desk—unless you’re the assistant.”
“You deliberately tried to muddle my brain before you asked that question again.” Not that it was in the form of a question, damn him. He’d been trying to get me to work for him since he’d inked the papers on the building.
I was going to work for him, but he didn’t need to know that part yet.
He nudged my legs open again and lifted my skirt puddled between us. I released a slow breath as he stroked the head of his cock along my wildly sensitive center. “I would never do such a thing.”
Then he was sliding forward, filling me like no one else ever could.
Ever would again.
I lifted my legs so I could bring him in closer, then tightened around him inside and out. He groaned against my neck. His fingers dug into my hips with each pulsing mini-stroke. I wound my arms around his shoulders, locking us tight.
His head rose and our gazes crashed together. Lust and that all-consuming love filled his endlessly fascinating eyes. Believing in that love still felt like stepping off a cliff, but he made me want to fly.
Slow, leisurely strokes built until his jaw went to granite with tension.
I knew he was close.
Knew his body almost better than my own. I wanted to watch him go over. I needed to.
I tipped my hips and nearly made my own eyeballs roll back into my head. There was something to be said for a man who was very proportional. Especially when it benefited me so much.
“Don’t make me go alone.”
“Never alone. Not ever again.”
His eyes went wide just before I wrapped around him—my legs, my arms, and I sealed my mouth over his. I swallowed his groan, accepted that he was mine, and offered him the same.
He trembled in my embrace, his release so complete that we both melted off the desk on to the floor.
I giggled as all six-feet-four of him took up the entire Aubusson rug. He was splayed out on his back much as I had been on his desk a few minutes ago. This time, I was laying over half of him.
I’d lost my borrowed shirt somewhere, but PMS still wore his. I dragged my nail down his chest and snickered at the missing button on his vest. “Not sure when that happened.”
He lifted his head to look down at himself. “Worth it.” His large hand covered mine.
I laid my cheek against his chest. His racing heart slowly synced up with mine until we were breathing together. With his other hand, he played with my tangled hair.
“Ry—”
“I love you, Preston.”
“What?” His head came up so fast, he rapped it on the underside of his desk. “Ow!”
I laughed. “Are you okay?”
He rolled us until we were face to face, both of our heads under the desk. Sunlight slashed across the floor, gilding part of his disheveled dark hair and highlighting half his face. “Say that again.”
I brought my hand up to cup his jaw. “I love you.”
He covered my hand. “You’re not just saying it because I gave you four orgasms, right?”
“Okay, pal. It was more like two.”
“Definitely three.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve never said the words in post-coital bliss.” I looked down at his mouth. “Never said them to any man, actually.”
He nudged up my chin. “No one?”
I blinked away the sting of tears. “No one mattered enough to give the words to. Not until you.”
He tried to sit up and whacked his head again. “Fuck.” He inched back, dragging me with him.
“Hey, watch the rug burn, PMS.”
“Sorry. I just can’t have this conversation under my damn desk.” He fixed his pants and dragged me into his lap, straddling him. “Let’s try this again.”
“I’m not going to offer up a soliloquy.”
“I wouldn’t expect one. But you’ve truly never said it to anyone?”
“Well, my mother and few select friends of course.”
“I am not select friends.”
The acid in his tone made me laugh. “That’s for sure.
” At his narrow-eyed growl, I could do nothing else but frame his face with my hands.
“You gave me time and I appreciate it. You gave yourself freely. No games, no strings, and no power plays. Okay, maybe a little strong-arming in getting me to do what you want sometimes, but I don’t mind that part so much. ”
His eyes were rimmed with red, but he didn’t say a word. Sometimes he was smart enough to know that it was my turn to talk.
“Twice today, I got news, and all I wanted to do was tell you. The first thought I had was, PMS will absolutely go crazy when I tell him this.”
“Tell me what?”
“It’s not important.”
He sighed.
“I mean it is, and I’ll get to that. But the important part is that all I wanted to do was share my news with you. I’ve been on my own for so long. The only person who ever truly supported me was—”
“You.”
“Yes. Luna and April have always been my girls. And I’d never discount that, but it’s different.
I always thought it made me weak to need someone.
But you made me see that it’s more powerful to have a connection like ours.
” I stroked my thumbs over his cheeks. “I believe in us. Believe this is exactly where I’m supposed to be forever. With you, wherever we are.”
His arms tightened around me. “You can’t take back forever, Moonbeam. You realize that?”
I laughed and didn’t care that a few tears tumbled down my face. Relief unfurled inside my chest. I’d trapped those words inside the cage of my heart for so long. “Yes. I’m okay with that.”
“I love you so goddamn much.” He kissed me until we were both breathless and wincing from our position on the floor.
Finally, I slid off his lap and stretched my legs.
“Now about that news.”
I laughed. “Hang on, let me get it.”
“I’d get up, but I think you may have put me in traction. For real this time.” He twisted his back before rolling his shoulders.
I crawled over to the chair where he’d tossed my gifts.
“You have the finest assets in this building, Miss Moon.”
I glanced back to find him on his side, with his head propped on his hand. He waggled his eyebrows at me. Playful Preston was taking some getting used to, but I liked it. I grabbed the box of bear claws and honey glazed donuts as well as my other bit of news.
“I’m enjoying the show. Please keep crawling this way.”
“Pig.”
“Indeed.”
Then I realized that I was only wearing my sheer tank top and showing all my wares. I shrugged and offered up the box.
He flipped it open and took out one of the honey glazed.
I selected a bear claw and tapped it against his. “Cheers.”
“So, what kind of news did you have?”
I took a big bite of my confection. I’d forgotten to eat today. I’d been in meetings with Penn Masterson and his team for most of the day. “Penn’s lawyer sent back the contract and accepted your revisions.”
“Excellent.” He reached up one long arm to his desk drawer and pulled out a small package of wipes. He washed his hands and offered me one. “I knew he was lowballing you.”
I took one and cleaned up. “Well, after the site went down today from Roz and Sylvia’s debut, I think he realized that.”
“That’s wonderful.” He scooted over to me. “Can we get up and sit in a chair like civilized people?”
“You’re the one who dragged me to the floor, ace.”
He rolled to his knees with a groan. “I’m glad I splurged for the nice rug, but I’m getting too old for this business.” He held out his hand to help me up. “What do you have there?”
I held the frame against my chest. “A little something to say thank you.”
He smoothed my hair over my shoulder. “You don’t have to thank me.”
I looked down at the professionally matted comic strip.
“This one won’t be out for probably a year—maybe never.
” I brushed my fingertip over the new addition.
“When I came up with the idea for Roz and Sylvia, I thought I knew exactly what the comic would be. Then you came along.” I traced the little gray cat’s face in the first box of the strip of illustrations.
His small face was pressed to the window, rain dripping from his torn ear. The little white fox, Sylvia, had the hair on her back up, her face in a snarl. In the next box, her human Roz was opening the window for the three-legged cat, letting it inside their home.
In the third box, the two animals were face to face, with the gray cat bumping his head under Sylvia’s chin, offering affection. He wore a tiny red collar with a bell. Sylvia was giving him some serious side-eye.
In the final box, the cat and fox were curled together in a soft bed, their bodies making the yin and yang symbol.
“At the time, I was fighting against Roz and Sylvia getting another roommate. I dreamed of this nebulous little animal in the window. I resisted it, but it kept on coming back.”
He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Stubborn…cat.”
I pressed my lips together against a smile. “Now I know it was my subconscious trying to let you in. Dreams are weird, especially for a witch. But then when you found Smoky—”
“We found him.” His voice was soft as he covered my hands on the frame.
I huffed out a half laugh. “We found Smoky. And I knew something a little bigger was happening. I really didn’t want to face it. But love has never been easy for me. Even though the universe kept giving me nudges your way.”
“For that, I’m forever thankful.”
“I know you don’t believe in the things I do.”
He raised my chin with his finger until our eyes met. “We ultimately make our own choices, but I would never discount a higher power showing me the path to you.”
“I would be fine without you.” He stiffened and I placed my hand on his chest. “Just let me finish. I would be fine without you. And my comic would have been fine without Smoky.”
His brows furrowed, but he held his tongue though I knew it was killing him.
“But I’m so much better with you.” I dashed away a tear. “My work is richer because of that feisty cat. I’m grateful for you, Preston. And loving you just makes everything better. I’m sorry it took me so long to say it.”
“We’ve been on fast forward since we met. Waiting for you to catch up was worth it.” He lowered his mouth to mine. “Every minute,” he said against my lips. “I’d wait as long as you needed.”
He was so sure. No doubt at all.
It made it easier for me to believe him. To believe the echo of the love he offered and realize it also lived in me—and that it was growing by the day.
I set the frame on his desk and kissed him back. “Oh, and about that assistant position? It’s permanently filled.”
So…April was MIA. Wonder what kind of trouble she got into on vacation? Turn the page and find out.