Chapter 5
LYNN
By the time we get back to the truck my head is spinning. Floating. Ansel is serious about us. Although I never thought he was just after a one night stand, I'm grateful that he's spelled things out so well.
Because from what little I know of relationships, most problems are triggered by unclear communication.
I don't think that's going to be an issue for us. Heck, I actually came out and told him about the squirrels. That's freaking ridiculous, yet he took it in stride.
After helping me into the truck and wrapping me in his hoodie, we drive along a road that becomes barely a trail. Then up a hill, and—
"Oh!" The moon is so beautiful as it suddenly appears over the trees that I cry out in surprise.
Ansel parks the truck facing the lookout. "It's too dark for you to be out walking here anymore, but I'm not ready to take you back to civilization yet. Is this all right?"
"Sure." We unbuckle our seatbelts, and I shift closer to him. "But what do you mean it's too late for me to walk around?"
He tilts the bench seat back, pulling me into his arms. "I've grown up walking around these woods. If I trip, a face full of dirt is my own fault. Plus, I'm as solid as one of the trees."
His hand slips under my shirt, caressing my lower back and side. His warm hand feels so good against my skin. "But if you were to fall or get hurt, I'd never forgive myself."
That's sweet, but I don't know that I want him to think I'm fragile. Before I can think of a way to tell him that, his hand slips forward, gently meandering around my ribs. "I want to touch you everywhere, Lynn."
Instead of speeding up, my heart simply gets louder. Thumpier. His thumb runs along the lower edge of my bra. "Is there anywhere I shouldn't—"
"Yes." His hand snaps back a few inches, misunderstanding me. "I mean, yes, I want you to touch me everywhere. Anywhere you like."
He sweeps my hair over my shoulder, lips trailing along my neck. We shift so that I'm sitting in his lap, and I choke back a gasp from the feeling of him against my hip.
He's hard. For me. My body arouses his. Of course that's a natural reaction, but it doesn't feel natural to me. It feels like the universe is unfurling and showing me a brand new secret.
A whole new part of it, reserved for women who apparently have boyfriends, all of a sudden.
I've never been as attracted to a man as I am to Ansel, which might be why I'm feeling true arousal for the first time. Now would be a good time for my body to take over and my mind to check out. Or at least to sit quietly in the corner with some chamomile tea.
"You can stop me at any time if you change your mind," he says gently, as his fingers sneak inside the bottom of my bra to caress my breast.
I don't want him to stop. Something about his touch is like a tranquilizer laced with electricity. My senses are running at fever pitch. Every caress of his skin against mine makes me melt more against him. Ansel's body is firm and well muscled, yet the way he holds me is unbelievably tender.
He nips at my chin, pressing a line of kisses along my jaw as his thumb circles my nipple. I giggle as he lifts me, switching me to the other side so that I'm sitting on his left leg. His left hand glides into my shirt again, as his right hand plays with the button of my jeans.
"Yes," I whisper, opening my thighs slightly.
He grins, unfastening first the button and then the zipper, then I feel his fingertips slowly caress my skin.
Sliding lower and lower, he slips his fingers into my panties at the same time that his tongue enters my mouth.
My fingers tremble as I caress the back of his neck.
I am completely on board with what he's doing.
It's the hottest moment of my life, as Ansel groans into my mouth. "So hot," he murmurs. "So beautiful and sexy and sweet."
As his fingers push deep into my inner folds, I gasp at how wet I am. "It feels like you need this, baby."
I do. I really do. My thighs spread wider, his hard length rubbing against my hip.
Shuddering as he lightly pinches my nipple, I try not to cry out.
Then I gasp as he coats his fingertips in my juices, spreading the moisture around as he finds the little nub of nerves that makes my entire body jerk and jolt.
"Easy," he murmurs, shifting me away from his erection while moving my legs to make more room for his large hand. He cups my entire pussy for a moment, then explores slowly, listening to my breath as it becomes more ragged.
Instead of tensing up as I usually do, my body softens, and my hips begin to rock restlessly as the base of my spine begins to tingle.
"Try to relax, gorgeous." He kisses along my cheekbone, my temple. "I'd really like you to come in my arms."
"I'll try."
He chuckles, nuzzling my neck as I gasp, his finger slipping inside my inner lips. "Don't try. Just let it happen."
It's amazing. Having his finger even slightly inside me feels like crossing into new territory. Achieving a level of intimacy that I'd only thought about in an abstract way that would happen someday, with the right guy. Apparently someday is today, and the right guy is Ansel.
He sinks a bit deeper, easing the thick tip of his finger in and out slowly as his thumb grazes the base of my clit. Then he flicks up against it, igniting every nerve as my fingernails prick his skin.
"I think that's the magic button." He experiments by doing it again while roughly brushing against my nipple. My hard shudder makes him grin. "Yep, definitely the magic button."
He finds a slow, lazy rhythm, grazing my skin while nibbling along my throat and ear. "So beautiful," he barely breathes. "Does this feel good, gorgeous?"
"Yes." I barely have enough air to form the word. Everything begins to overload, my throat and cheeks flushing as my stomach muscles contract.
"That's it." Ansel sounds as wound up as I am. "Just breathe, baby. Just let go for me."
A low, strangled moan erupts from my throat as my body shakes from head to toe. The climax is long and drawn out as it crashes over me like waves. There is no thought, only sensation. Only bliss and burning and absolute perfection.
And heat. So much incredible heat.
As soon as I'm able to open my eyes, Ansel kisses me hard, with a hunger that tells me better than any words that he is pleased by my reaction.
I want him.
The thought hits me, as clear as having a vision — I want his strong body over me, pushing deep inside. Our kiss grows hotter, more desperate, as I turn toward him, wondering what's coming next.
"Lynn." His breath is strained. "If we were in a bedroom, I would be asking some important questions right now. But our first time is not going to be in my truck."
He grins, kissing the tip of my nose. Although I'm sure he already knows, I feel compelled to say it. "I'm sure you can tell, but this is my first time doing anything like this at all."
"I assumed so, yes. Which is why I want to make sure you are very comfortable when it happens."
Pressing my lips against his ear, I breathe, "I hope it's soon."
As I pull back, his eyes light up. "Thank you for telling me that. Everything is completely at your pace, baby."
I want to tell him so much more. That I love it when he calls me baby. That part of me wants to go to his place immediately and continue.
But I should probably pace myself.
Ansel lifts his right hand, plunging his middle finger into his mouth, groaning with delight as he tastes my juices.
"So sweet." He places his forehead against mine.
"I can't wait to spread you open and lick you until you scream my name.
" He kisses the tip of my nose. "But not tonight, because it's late, and I need to drive you home. "
When we get to my apartment, our goodnight kiss is so long, so passionate, that the corner of the window on his side actually begins to steam up.
Ansel runs around to my side of the truck to help me out, holding me firmly by the waist as far away as he can, knowing that if we start kissing again, we might never stop. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, gorgeous. Have a great night."
"You too."
I'm floating on air as I drift up the stairs to my apartment. Kayla's door is wide open, and it's impossible not to notice the massive gift basket on her kitchen table.
"Hey," I call as I step into her space. Even though I'm not really close with my sister, and don't like the way she speaks to me sometimes, we're next door neighbors, so I feel I should be friendly.
She comes out of the bedroom, in the process of tying her freshly streaked blonde hair up in a topknot. "Check it out," she grins, nodding to the table.
"Nice." I peruse the contents of the gift basket – cookies, crackers, imported jams, some cheese, even a bottle of wine. "Who's that from?"
"Oh, just Mr. Lloyd Oakley. He's so thoughtful," she gushes. "He gave one to everyone in the office today."
A prickle of warning slinks up the back of my neck. "Wow, that's very generous. Is he working with you at City Hall now?"
Kayla sniffs. She's always delighted to have any opportunity to paint herself as well-connected. "No, he's having some property rezoned and resurveyed. We've all been working on his project. Honestly, it's about time those archaic guidelines were updated."
"So… Everyone at City Hall is just dropping their regular work to help him?"
She grins, lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders in a power pose.
It doesn't really have the desired effect, since she's wearing such a girly outfit – trendy yellow flowered yoga pants and a pink sweatshirt with a fancy logo that I know she can't afford.
Sometimes I think our parents must be helping with her credit card bills.
"We are professionals there, Lynn. We can handle any workload. Especially since Mr. Oakley had a new coffee machine installed in the break room."
I stare back at the basket to keep from rolling my eyes. Wow. It's always been clear to me that my older sister is shallow, and a bit dim, but I didn't think she could miss something like open bribery at work.
"Well, I have to go." Picking up my car keys from the hook near her door, I add, "Oh, and I need the car tomorrow. "
"But—"
I automatically begin to pause to listen to her excuse. But…
What if I just stopped being so quiet?
"I need my car. Do you have some sort of emergency?"
Her mouth opens and closes twice, reminding me of a guppy, then she shakes her head. "N-no."
"Great. Have a good night."
By the time I slip into bed, I feel like I've had a pretty darned good day.
Drawing that line with Kayla was a major win. Much more importantly, I feel like Ansel and I really bonded. He's so wonderful that I still can't believe he's fixated on me.
Maybe if I keep speaking up more, and letting these feelings out, he'll understand how I feel about us. As soon as I can figure it out for myself, that is. Right now, everything is too new and gigantic to make proper sense.
I'll also have to find a way to tell him that my own sister is working with his uncle, and it doesn't sound like things are going to go well for him and his brothers.
Problem is, I don't want to tell him bad news. Ever.