by Tessa Bailey
She let out a soft sound in the back of her throat, and it electrified me. Although I could see the wild flutter of her pulse in her neck, she was all business, swiftly unbuttoning my jeans as steam began to fill the room. I nudged my chin toward the shower because it was clear she was still cold with her skin covered in goose bumps.
“Get in the shower. I’ll be right behind you.”
That was how I found myself in the shower with sexy, sweet Valentina. With bubbles rolling over her skin and steam billowing around us, I couldn’t help myself. The moment we started kissing, I was done for.
With the feel of her luscious curves pressed against me, all slick and soapy, it was an act of pure discipline to keep from fucking her hard against the tile wall. All made worse by the fact she threw herself into it. Kissing Valentina was like getting caught in a wave, dragged straight into the riptide of desire.
She wasn’t shy, not even a little, as her hands mapped my body, squeezing my ass and nearly pushing me over the edge when she curled her palm around my cock and stroked up and down. Scrambling for control, I spun us to the side, pressing her back against the tile. Bending low, I sucked a nipple in my mouth, teasing the other between my thumb and forefinger.
Every little sound she made was a light lash of the whip cracking at the lust driving me. Still toying with her nipples, I slipped my fingers through her damp curls, finding the core of her hot and slick with arousal. Mindful she might be sore, I teased my fingers through her folds lightly before sliding one finger inside. I heard the sound of her head falling against the tile behind her and lifted her knee, hooking it over my shoulder as I knelt and brought my mouth to her.
I breathed in the salty, musky scent of her, slowly licking over the opening of her swollen pink folds. With the hot water falling down around us, I added another finger to the first. Settling in, I nearly made myself crazy by bringing her to the edge again and again with my mouth and fingers.
“Lucas,” she gasped, tugging at my hair.
I paused, glancing up. Her skin was flushed all over from the heat of the shower. Her red hair was wet and dark, falling down around her shoulders as the water ran over her. I ached, so swollen with need for her. But that was not how I’d find my release tonight.
“Oh my God, don’t stop!” she muttered, her hips rocking forward.
I didn’t need to be told what to do, but I loved having her do it. I returned to my task of devouring her. Another swirl of my tongue around her clit with my fingers buried deeply in her core, and I felt it when she snapped, her entire body going taut as she cried out my name.
I drew away slowly and stood. When she opened her eyes, I kissed her. Because I couldn’t stop myself.
She sighed into our kiss, her hand sliding up my chest and curling around my neck. Before I knew it, she had my cock in her hands and was shimmying down. I opened my mouth to say something, to make sure she knew this wasn’t about returning the favor, but then I looked down. Through the curtain of water, I saw her blue eyes bright and her mouth curling in a slight smile, and I couldn’t form a single word.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Valentina
With my own climax still sending little aftershocks of pleasure through me, I swirled my tongue around the tip of Lucas’s cock. I wasn’t about to let him stop me tonight.
Beyond photographs—and trust me, there were plenty to be found online—his was the only cock I’d seen in the flesh. It was glorious—long, thick, and hard, the skin velvety under my touch. There was a hint of salt to the taste of him. I heard the low groan from his throat and smiled as I settled in to explore every inch of him.
He pulsed under my touch as I spun my tongue around the head and then drew him into my mouth, taking him in as far as I could until the thick crown bumped the back of my throat. His hand tangled in my wet hair. I had no idea what I was doing, but it didn’t seem to matter. It seemed quite simple—lick, suck, stroke. Over and over again.
With Lucas gasping my name on a low growl, I kept at it. His hand gripped my hair tightly, and the sting on my scalp felt good. I savored every moment of this. I intended to wring every drop out of the experience I could.
I guessed I would only get so many opportunities like this with him because he seemed conflicted about us. It was good I didn’t expect anything from him.
When I took him in deeply again, sliding my fist down as I tested the weight of his balls in my hand, I felt his entire body tighten. He murmured something, drawing my gaze up just as he pulled back swiftly, fisting his cock. His release spilled onto my breasts, washing off immediately with the water still raining down around us.
I straightened, feeling my smile stretch across my face. Lucas’s head had fallen back against the tile, but his eyes were still on me. He shook his head slowly, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Jesus, Valentina,” he murmured as he lifted a hand. He was almost lazy in his motion, sliding it up to cup the back of my head as he brought my lips to his again.
The kiss was brief but hot. I loved the feel of him. Even when he relaxed, his body was all hardened muscle. I belatedly realized what my father would’ve had to say about Lucas’s comment and giggled.
Lucas reached around me, lathering his hands with the soap. Then his touch was sliding over me, soaping me all over.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I was just thinking what my father would say when you used the Lord’s name in vain. I don’t even care.” Another giggle escaped.
Lucas’s eyes widened slightly, and he laughed, throwing his head back. I wiped my hands in the soap on my body and returned the favor, smearing the bubbles on him.
“What’s so funny?” I repeated his question.
“Darlin’, I’m laughing at the same thing as you. If you wanted a man who didn’t use the Lord’s name in vain, I am not that man.”
“Good thing that’s not the kind of man I want,” I murmured.
His gaze sobered. “Please, please don’t tell me you were searching out some wild guy to show you the dark side.”
“No.” I nudged him with my elbow. “It’s not like that, it’s just …” I paused, letting out a little sigh. “I love my parents, and they mean well, but sometimes, it’s all a bit much. I don’t really think God cares if people swear.”
Something flickered in his gaze, and he nodded slowly. “I agree on that point.”
I didn’t know what happened at that moment, but Lucas pulled back slightly. Not in the physical sense, but I could feel him practically slamming down shields around himself.
I did what I always did when I wasn’t sure about something. I just carried on and kept my thoughts to myself. I wanted to ask him questions, but while I might not be an expert at relationships, I knew when the timing wasn’t right.
* * *
Days later, I leaned my elbows on the table, glancing at Evie and Grace. Sitting across from me, Dani caught my eyes, rolling her eyes so hard I wouldn’t have been surprised if they fell out. We were at Wake & Bake, a local café in downtown Stolen Hearts Valley.
With a sigh, she glanced back and forth between Evie and Grace. “I can’t believe y’all are still upset with each other.”
Evie crossed her arms and cast a glare at Grace. “Well, she’s just being ridiculous. It was a joke.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here,” I interjected as I paused to take a sip of my coffee.
Dani sighed again. “Here’s the short history. They’ve been friends forever. Evie gave Grace some grief about her high school boyfriend moving back to town. Grace didn’t appreciate it. The end.”
Grace cast her eyes to Evie. “I might’ve overreacted.”
Evie twisted her bracelet. “And he’s been gone for so long that I forgot it was a sore subject. I shouldn’t have teased you about him.”
When I glanced at Grace, I saw the pain reflected in her eyes and sensed that perhaps whomever this man was, he meant quite a bit to her. I wasn’t
about to share my observation right now, though. It certainly didn’t seem to be the time.
Grace took a big breath and nodded. “Well, it’s not like I talk about it.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t forget because I hate when you don’t talk to me. I mean, it’s only been a day or so, but …” Evie said with a slow grin.
Grace rolled her eyes. “Ditto. Does this mean I can ask you to do my hair?”
I’d learned Evie was a rocking hairdresser on the side. Evie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! Can we use the staff kitchen? I want to practice the rainbow colors if you’ll let me.”
Grace’s smile was wide. “Of course!”
Their eyes swung to Dani. Before they could even ask anything, she answered, “Of course. The hair dye has to stay in the utility sink, though. Nowhere near the restaurant kitchen. Are we clear?”
“Abso-freaking-lutely,” Evie replied with a vigorous nod.
Dani glanced at them with a smile as the owner, Nancy Hill, arrived to check on us. “How’re y’all doing over here?”
“I could use a little more coffee,” I replied, lifting my mug.
Of course, she had a coffeepot in her hand and promptly topped off every coffee mug on the table. After we ordered a variety basket of bakery goods, Nancy hurried off. Wake & Bake Café was a cute little place, apparently named back when Nancy and her husband, Dan, enjoyed smoking pot when they were younger and thought the name was the perfect pun for a café.
I loved coming here with the girls from the lodge, and we tried to make the trip about once a week or so. The café was in the middle of downtown. Stolen Hearts Valley had a cute little main street with a mix of old and new buildings. The café was housed in an old Colonial home, a small square house with a bright blue roof. Wide plank hardwood flooring, soft cream-colored walls, and tall windows created an inviting, open space. Small round tables were scattered in the front with a counter for ordering at the back.
After Nancy delivered our bakery goodies, our conversation returned to Grace’s hair.
“So you’re really okay with me trying the rainbow colors?” Evie asked, her eyes bright.
“Yup. I want it to be subtle, though, like it’s just shimmering in the light.”
“I am all over this.” Evie popped a small muffin in her mouth and grinned.
“I think we should make it an event,” Dani added.
“An event?” I queried.
Dani grinned. “We make it a girls’ night, hang out in the back together, and have wine.”
I lifted one of my curls, eyeing the color. Before I could even voice my contemplation aloud, Evie chimed in, “Don’t even think about it. Your color is incredible, and your curls are amazing. Normally, I am all over figuring out something fun, but I can’t do anything that will top your natural state. I guess you could shorten it, but even that seems like a shame. Your hair is glorious.”
She reached over from where she sat at an angle across from me, catching the end of one of my curls. Pulling it all the way out, she grinned as it bounced back against my shoulder when she released it. “Amazing.”
I spun a curl around my fingers. “But it might be fun to try something different.”
Dani shook her head. “Don’t. Evie’s right; your hair is amazing.”
“I guess if you were bored, you could straighten it for the fun of it. But only something temporary,” Grace suggested.
I sipped my coffee. “Fine. I actually like my hair, but it’ll be fun to see how yours turns out and have a girls’ night.”
“You don’t have to be the one getting your hair done for that,” Dani said, nudging me with her shoulder. “Any time the rest of us go under Evie’s scissors or coloring magic, you’ll be there for all the fun.”
I took a breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m so glad I got this job.”
“We are too,” Dani replied swiftly as Evie and Grace nodded in agreement.
Nancy passed by, quickly filling our mugs and carrying on. At that moment, the door to the café opened with Jackson stepping through, immediately followed by Lucas.
The moment my eyes landed on Lucas, heat bloomed from my core and radiated outward. Almost as if he knew I was there, Lucas’s gaze cast across the room, coming to a stop when he saw me. I’d read my share of romance novels, and one of those moments happened.
For several beats, it felt as if we were alone, the murmur of voices around us falling away. Although he was a good twenty feet away, I could feel the heat of his gaze from across the room, a sizzle shimmering through the air between us. His gaze dropped from mine when Jackson said something to him.
When I brought my attention back to the table, I found three pairs of extremely curious eyes waiting for me. I knew my cheeks were probably red enough to match my hair, so I quickly stuffed one of the tiny muffins in my mouth, chewing rapidly to give myself something to do.
“Wow, that was a look,” Evie observed, unabashedly looking from me to over at Lucas. I was relieved he and Jackson had stepped up to the counter and were ordering.
“It sure was,” Grace added. “Is there something going on with you and Lucas?”
Seeing as Dani knew a little bit, but certainly not all of it, I figured there was no sense in lying. I lifted one of my shoulders in a shrug, striving to be casual. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Evie leaned forward on her elbows. “This is huge.”
“Why is it huge?” I asked.
Grace arched a brow, pursing her lips slightly. “Lucas doesn’t get involved with anyone. I don’t know if it’s personal, but ever since everything went down …” she began before looking at Dani.
“She knows,” Dani chimed in, answering Grace’s unspoken question. “They’re about to walk over here, so let’s not make it a thing.”
Evie leaned back in her chair, nodding solemnly. “Of course not.”
“All right, when are we doing the hair dye thing because we are getting the scoop on this?” Grace asked.
“Tomorrow,” Evie said just as Jackson and Lucas turned away from the counter with coffee cups in their hands and walked in our direction.
I had no idea how to handle these situations. I didn’t know what to call what was happening with Lucas and me because I’d never navigated the waters of casual social interactions when it involved a man who knew me intimately.
It didn’t help that my pulse had gone haywire and butterflies were spinning in circles in my belly. It also didn’t help that I could hardly breathe. You’d think breathing would be something I could handle. I shouldn’t have to think about it.
I hoped they were only coming over to say hello, but that hope clashed with the wish that Lucas would walk over and kiss me and maybe even declare to the world he loved me. That was how out of my element I was. I was having fantasies about love when we barely talked about anything.
It had been several days since our last night together over the weekend. There had been the shower night and another night when he sent me flying more than once. I wondered how I had survived without sex this far in my life. He had even sweet-talked me into trying out my pink vibrator with him.
Just thinking about it now made me blush. I didn’t know if I could blush any harder at this rate. Even my toenails were probably flushed. I took a fortifying sip of my coffee, catching one of my curls in my fingers and twirling it.
The couple sitting at the table beside us happened to get up just as Jackson and Lucas arrived. “Hey there, mind if we grab your table?” Jackson asked.
“Of course not, we’re leaving,” the man said.
Jackson and Lucas sat down, mere feet away from us. It so happened that Lucas was seated opposite me. Although I told myself not to look directly at him, of course my eyes went right there. Because I couldn’t help it. It had only been days since the weekend had ended, but I missed him, and it didn’t make any sense.
“Well, hey boys,” Dani said, immediately starting the conversation.
Lucas’s eyes collided with
mine again, lingering briefly, the heat in his gaze nearly taking my breath away.
“Hey in return,” Jackson replied. “Was wondering where you were.”
Dani cocked her head to the side. “I do occasionally leave the restaurant, you know.”
Lucas glanced at her, his lips kicking up in a slight smile. “Shocking.”
Jackson grinned. “We’re headed to a meeting at the station and stopped for coffee on the way. Mind if I snag one of those?” he asked, gesturing to the basket of muffins.
“Of course not,” Evie replied, sliding the basket to the edge of the table.
Jackson and Lucas helped themselves, and the conversation carried on around me. I was finding it quite difficult to have Lucas this close and be surrounded by friends, basically forcing me to be socially appropriate. Although I didn’t know what I would’ve done if we’d been alone.
With a mental shake, I sipped my coffee and managed to articulate polite responses during the conversation. Jackson and Lucas stood after a few moments, saying their goodbyes. I felt silly because I wanted to get up and follow Lucas right now and ask him when I could see him again. But that was the thing. He had other priorities, and they didn’t always include nights with me.
I managed what I thought to be a socially appropriate goodbye to both of them, watching as they walked out. Just as Lucas reached the door, he glanced back, and it felt as if a flame licked through the air between us. With just a look, he had me hot and bothered all over again.
After the door closed behind him, I almost choked on my next sip of coffee when Evie turned to me, her brows hitching up. “Whoa. Something is totally going on.”
Dani narrowed her eyes. “If Lucas has the hots for her, so be it.”
In a funny way, I almost wanted to let this keep rolling, if only because I could use the collective wisdom of about a thousand women at this point.
I caught Dani’s eye. “I don’t mind.”
“You sure? Because you will hear more about this than you ever wanted.”