Chapter 31
Davis
Relief left me wiped out, but I still had enough brainpower to follow Sophie into the house.
There was no way in hell I was letting her get away.
Not now that she'd admitted her feelings for me were serious.
There'd be time to make more plans later.
At present, all I could focus on was getting her naked as fast as possible.
I chuckled, happiness making me want to tease her, please her, like she did me.
"Bee, with our remaining precious minutes, I've got a very important goal," I said, breathing hard as we tumbled together to the mattress.
"Yeah? What's that?" she asked, pausing in her efforts to bury me in kisses.
“See how many times I can make you come.”
Her dark eyes lit with pleasure. “The cashier at the grocery store is going to have questions if I keep buying throat lozenges in bulk.”
“Maybe I can start buying them for you,” I offered, striving for a casual tone.
She grinned. “Sure. That wouldn’t be obvious at all.”
“What have we got to hide?” I asked. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“What, Mr. Grumpy-Pants is open to gossip about us?”
I scratched my head. “About that…”
“What?” she asked.
“Is it still gossip if I start it?”
She tilted her head, and I squirmed under her examination.
Confessing my outburst to Sophie was the right thing to do.
The last thing I needed was Dallas making another crude comment, this time to her.
If he thought I nearly lost my shit at the farm store, it was nothing compared to how I’d react if he ran his smart mouth with her.
I drew a breath in through my nose, out through my mouth, striving for calm. There was no reason to hand Dallas his ass. All I had to do was be honest with Sophie. Be honest with myself. And tell the rest of the town where they could stick any comments about us.
“What happened, Davis?”
“I went to the farm store, and Dallas was there. He was running his mouth, and I set him straight.”
“Yeah, how’s that?”
“I may have implied that we’re together.”
“We are.”
The easy way she said it relaxed my shoulders. “You’re not mad that I claimed you as my own before talking with you?”
She scrunched her nose, the move impossibly cute. “Davis, honey, you’re adorable. Try to keep up.”
“What?” I asked, mystified by her smug smile.
“I claimed you first.”
“When? How?”
“The Winter Warmth Auction. No one else even bothered to bid against me on your package.”
A low chuckle rolled through me. “Sweet Bee, that’s because I’m an asshole, not because the women in town didn’t want to go up against you.”
“Not true,” she said, shaking her head. “I have it on good authority there were at least five other contenders before I disobeyed Gwen and took my shot with you.”
“No way.” I was sure she was yanking my chain.
I’d participated in the auction under duress, and I hadn’t been shy about letting it show.
Only love for Jo had pried me away from the farm that night.
I did my best to scare away any potential bidders with my sour attitude.
I’d much rather make a hefty donation to the charity than spend a day with a woman who’d all but bought me.
“Truth,” she said, a challenging light in her eyes.
Rather than argue with our remaining precious minutes, I chose the offensive, tickling her without mercy.
She dissolved into laughter. I pulled my shirt over my head, trying not to preen too obviously when Sophie’s laughter cut off abruptly. I loved the way her gaze trailed across my body. I shoved down my jeans, eager to be naked with her, pleased when she licked her lips as I exposed my erection.
“Strip,” I commanded.
She stretched across the bed, hands behind her head, disobedience in every line of her body. The challenge in her gaze made me harder than I thought possible. All I wanted was to sink into her heat.
“Naughty girl. I thought I told you I wanted to make you come?”
“The man who claims me is going to have to show, not tell.”
I stalked toward the bed, prowling forward over Sophie, one hand on either side of her head. Leaning down, I grazed her mouth in a kiss intended to entice, not satisfy, before nuzzling at the delicate skin behind her ear.
“What if I want to do both?” I whispered, rucking her shirt up and stripping it over her head slowly.
Deliberately, I unsnapped her jeans, curling my fingers around the waistband and tugging them down over her thighs, leaving her in only a pair of bright yellow panties.
“I want to tattoo you from the inside,” I said, my voice raw as I traced a path in kisses up her thigh. “Feel you come, again and again.”
She was intoxicating, the scent of her arousal making me want to flip her and slide home, rocking us both into oblivion. Sophie arched, her hips inviting me closer. Welcoming me to do my worst.
I toyed with the edge of her underwear, sliding a finger beneath the elastic, swiping close to her heat. She whimpered, rolling her hips, and I held her steady with my palms, eager to bring her to the edge. I leaned in, stroking the damp cotton with my tongue.
She called out, clutching the bed beneath her, kneading it as she thrashed beneath me, and I smiled into the cotton. Licking and nibbling at her entrance, I feasted. She arched beneath me, thrusting against my mouth.
Sophie shouted her encouragement as I took her over the edge.
I was hard as a rock. Her orgasm left me panting and ready to burst, aching for her. Her underwear slid off easily, and I tossed it over one shoulder and reached for a condom from my bedside table, sheathing myself quickly.
I couldn’t wait any longer.
“I’ve always wanted a tattoo,” Sophie whispered demurely, a devilish gleam in her eyes as she drew me closer.
I pushed forward with a groan, her slick heat welcoming me home.
“Yesss…” she hissed, wrapping her thighs around my hips, urging me closer.
I pulled back, nearly moaning over the loss of her warmth, before driving home again, the force of my thrust nudging us toward the headboard.
Sophie reached up, bracing herself, and arched her hips. “More.”
I tilted, pistoning into her as furiously as I could, wanting to stroke my way to oblivion, leaving an indelible mark on her body. On her soul.
Sophie shouted encouragement until her voice was nearly hoarse, and still I thrust, wanting her to come at least once more before I found my release.
We strained together, grinding forward, and I felt her draw taut, clenching around me before dissolving into a fluttering climax.
Her intimate grip milked me dry, darkening my vision until all I could see was her.
I collapsed, trying to land mostly to her side to avoid crushing her, breathing hard.
Sophie traced a gentle hand over my chest, the desultory pattern slowing to keep pace with my breath. “You know, if you get to stake a claim, so do I…”
I arched a brow. “What did you have in mind?”
Sophie trailed her hand down my ribcage to my hip. “Come shower with me and find out.”
Glancing quickly at the clock to ensure I wasn’t going to scar Jo for life, I nodded and followed Sophie to the bathroom.
We started slow, soaping each other up, sudsy hands trailing to interesting places. Sophie dropped her washcloth to the floor, kneeling and looking up at me with a sly smile.
“Oops.”
She proceeded to suck me off with an enthusiasm that made me shudder, holding myself up against the shower walls.
When the water ran cold, I reluctantly shut it off, wrapping Sophie in a fluffy towel before grabbing mine from the rack. Hand in hand, we returned to my room, falling into bed in a naked tumble of limbs.
***
I rolled out of bed quietly at dawn, not wanting to wake Sophie but needing to take care of the chickens.
I put on a pot of coffee before I trudged out to the coop to check their feed levels and refresh their water.
Maybe they sensed my mellow mood; not even Clucksworth pecking at my feet bothered me.
I left my boots at the back door after my chores and poured coffee for myself and Sophie. As much as I wanted to let her sleep, she had school, and I had a full day of work.
Sophie looked like her namesake in the early morning gloom: a princess slumbering peacefully.
For the first time, I understood the draw of becoming a prince.
For her, I’d slay dragons. Defeat witches.
Go out in public. Say please and thank you.
Strive to live a life worthy of her. But the best thing about Sophie?
She wouldn’t ask for or expect any of that.
"Morning, Bee. Coffee."
The words came out huskier than I intended, but Sophie was too drowsy to notice the extra emotion that clogged my throat.
"Want breakfast?" I asked as she pushed up, taking the coffee cup with a grateful smile.
"Sure. Let me guess – eggs any way I like them?"
I arched a brow. “Even fertilized.”
She choked, and I rubbed her back, supporting her through the coughing fit that followed.
“I, uh, didn’t think you heard that last time you made me breakfast,” she admitted sheepishly.
“There’s nothing wrong with honesty, Bee.”
“And, apparently, nothing wrong with your hearing, either,” she muttered, smiling wryly. “I’d love some scrambled eggs.”
"You got it." I dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her wrinkled nose. "Meet me in the kitchen?"
"Coward. You just say that because you know I'd rather seduce you back into bed with me."
"One hundred percent," I acknowledged. "But we've both got work today."
I puttered around the kitchen, preparing our breakfast.
"Morning, Sunshine," Jo greeted me, beelining for the coffee pot.
"Morning."
She stared at me over the top of her steaming mug, taking in my mussed hair, and tilted her head. "Sophie agrees with you."
"She does," I agreed easily.
"Don't let her go, Davis. Buy me out."
I sensed Sophie's presence in the doorway but kept my gaze on Jo. "I don't plan to."