by Reese Ryan
“I can’t stay here all weekend.”
“You don’t really have a choice.” He held her hand. His voice was quiet and calm.
“I don’t want to complicate things for either of us.”
“And I don’t want you to leave.” Blake lifted her chin. He dragged a thumb across her lower lip, his gaze locked with hers.
“I don’t want to, either.” The truth of her admission shocked her. They weren’t just words, and she wasn’t simply playing a role. “But we’ve discussed all the reasons I should.”
“I know.” He stepped closer. His clean, masculine scent surrounded her. “But I don’t care.”
“I do.” She stepped beyond his reach. “And one of us needs to be the adult here.”
“You walking away right now won’t resolve our feelings for each other.”
“What do you expect me to say, Blake?”
“Say you’ll stay. That you’ll spend another night in my bed.” He slipped his arms around her waist and hauled her against him. “This time, I know you’re making the decision with a clear head. So I won’t hold back.”
Her belly fluttered and her knees were so weak she could barely stand. She held on to him. Got lost in those dark eyes.
“Say it.” Blake pressed a gentle kiss to one edge of her mouth, then the other. Then he kissed the space where her neck and shoulder met. “Say you’ll stay.”
Savannah wanted Blake so badly she ached with it. Despite who his family was. Despite what she’d come there to do.
Blake Abbott was the last man in the world she should want. Yet she’d never wanted anyone more.
“Yes.” Her response was a whisper.
“Yes, what?” His gaze followed his hand as it trailed down her arm.
Her skin tingled wherever he touched it. “Yes, I’ll stay with you.”
“Where?”
It wasn’t a question. It was a demand issued in a low growl that caused a trembling in her core. Her knees wavered slightly.
“In your bed.” Her eyes met his.
Blake’s pull was as strong as the earth’s gravity. She was too close to escape its effects. And she wouldn’t want to, even if she could.
He grinned. “Good girl.”
Even as she gave in to him, she needed to prove she wasn’t a pushover. “But I’ll only stay until—”
He covered her mouth with his, swallowing her objection as if it were a morsel that had been offered to him. Blake tugged her hard against him as he laid claim to her mouth.
Savannah gasped at the sensation of his erection pressed to her belly. She had zero willpower where this man was concerned. The dampness between her thighs and hardening of her nipples were evidence of that.
Blake tugged the T-shirt up over her hips, planted his large hands on her waist and set her on the cold quartz countertop. She shivered in response. He stepped between her legs, spreading them. Blake stripped off her shirt and dispensed with her bra. He assessed her with his heated gaze.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
He’d seen her naked the night before. So why did she feel so exposed? As if she was standing on a stage naked?
He surveyed her full breasts and tight, sensitive nipples that were hungry for his mouth, his touch. Her belly knotted and electricity skipped along her spine, ending in a steady pulse between her thighs.
Blake stepped as close as the countertop would allow him. He kissed her neck and gently nipped the skin, as if marking his territory.
He palmed the heavy mounds. Sucked a beaded tip into his warm mouth.
A soft gasp escaped her lips. She slipped her fingers into his short, dark curls as he sucked, then laved the hypersensitive nub with his rough tongue.
Her mind flashed back to how delicious it had felt to have that tongue attending to more sensitive areas of her body. How it had felt inside her.
“Blake, please.” She hardly recognized her own voice as she made the urgent plea for him to relieve the deep ache between her thighs. “I want you.”
He trailed kisses down her belly as he laid her back on the cool surface. “Don’t worry, babe. I know exactly what you want.”
Blake slid her back on the counter and pulled her legs up so that her heels pressed against the countertop. Starting inside her knee, he kissed his way down her inner thigh to her panties.
He tugged the damp fabric to one side and kissed the slick, swollen flesh. Each kiss sent her soaring higher, making her want him more. In any way he wanted to take her.
She arched her back, lifting her hips off the cool quartz. Blake cupped her bottom and sucked on her distended clit, bringing her close to the edge. Then he backed off, lavishing the surrounding flesh with slow, deliberate licks before sucking on it again.
Savannah was falling. Hurtling toward her release. She covered her mouth and tried to hold back the scream building in her throat.
“No.” He lifted his head, leaving her aching for his mouth. His hooded gaze locked with hers. “Don’t hold back. Whatever you’re feeling... I want to hear it. Every murmur. Every scream.”
He slowly licked the swollen flesh again, his tongue moving in a circular motion, hitting everywhere but where she needed him most.
Teasing her.
“Understand?” His eyes met hers again.
She nodded. “Yes.”
He went back to sucking on her slick bud. She trembled, bucking her hips and clutching his hair.
She let go of embarrassment and fear. Of her worries about what would happen next. Instead, she floated on the sea of bliss surrounding her.
She let go of every moan. Every curse.
Until she couldn’t hold back the river of pleasure that flooded her senses, shattering any remaining control.
She called his name. Her back arched as she rode his tongue until she’d shattered into a million tiny, glittering pieces.
Savannah lay there afterward, her breathing rapid and shallow. Her chest heaving. Feeling both satisfied and desperate for more.
Blake placed delicate kisses on her sensitive flesh. Each kiss caused another explosion of sensation.
He kissed his way up her belly and through the valley between her rising and falling breasts, as he pulled her into a seated position. His eyes met hers momentarily, as if seeking permission. Then he pressed a kiss to her open mouth. The taste of her was on his tongue.
Blake lifted her from the counter and led her up the stairs and to the opposite end of the hall.
His bedroom.
The decor was rustic, but elegant, in keeping with the style of the house. A king-size bed dominated the space. Large windows flooded the room with light and provided a nearly unobstructed view of the lake and the mountains in the distance.
Before Savannah could admire the space, he’d taken her in his arms and kissed her again. His tongue delved into her mouth. His hands drifted over her body. Her hands explored his body, too, and traced the thick ridge beneath his jeans.
Savannah loosened his belt, eager to touch the silky head of his velvety shaft again. She slipped her hand inside his pants, gripping the warm, veiny flesh. He grunted and shuddered at her touch before breaking their kiss.
Blake turned her around abruptly and nestled her bottom tight against him. His groan of pleasure elicited a sigh from her.
Pinning her in place with one strong forearm slung low across her stomach, Blake kissed her neck and shoulder. He glided the backs of his fingers up and down her side. The featherlight touch made her knees shake. Her sex pulsed with need.
Had the few men she’d been with before been doing it all wrong?
Blake hadn’t entered her. Yet he’d found countless ways to bring her such intense pleasure she wanted to give him everything.
All of her.
He slid his fingers into the hair at the nape of her
neck, turning her head. His mouth crashed into hers. She gasped when Blake grazed one painfully hard nipple with his palm.
The contact was so slight. A whisper against her skin. But it made her want to drop to her knees and beg for more.
She considered doing just that, but Blake pinched her nipple, sending a bolt of pleasure to her core. She cried out, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the pain or the pleasure.
He toyed with her nipple—so sensitive she could barely stand it. Then he glided his hand down her belly, dipping it beneath her waistband.
She gasped against his hungry mouth when he slipped two fingers through her wetness. He massaged the sensitive, swollen flesh, avoiding her needy clit.
Savannah moaned, moving against his hand. He swallowed her cries, intensified them with his movements.
His long fingers drifted from the back of her neck and lightly gripped her throat. Not enough to cause constriction or bruising. Just enough to let her know he was in control.
There was something about his grip there that was primal and erotic. A surprising turn-on that brought her closer to the edge.
“You like that, don’t you?” His warm lips brushed her ear as he whispered into it, his voice tinged with deep satisfaction. “I knew you would.”
“Blake, please, I’m so close.” Her words were clipped, her tone breathy.
He used four fingers, massaging her clit and the sensitive flesh around it. His hand moved faster, until she shattered, her knees buckling as she cried out his name.
* * *
Savannah Carlisle coming apart in his arms was probably one of the most erotic things Blake had ever seen.
Her caramel skin glistened with sweat. Her small, brown nipples had grown puffy and rock-hard after his ministrations. So sensitive that the slightest touch had her ready to fall apart.
Savannah’s body was perfect. Womanly curves in all the right places. Smooth, creamy skin. Long, shapely legs.
Her responsiveness to him was a thing of beauty. The way her skin flushed, from head to toe. The slow grinding of her hips against him. The little murmurs that grew louder as she became more aroused. How wet she’d gotten for him—even before he’d laid a hand on her.
Then there was the air of mystery about her. Something Blake appreciated after living most of his life in this tiny town.
He liked that he knew very little about this woman. That he had to earn every bit of knowledge he’d gathered about her. Savannah Carlisle was an enigma he’d enjoy unraveling.
Bit by bit.
They moved to his bed, where Blake lay on his side, his head propped on his fist as he stroked her skin.
Savannah had given him her trust. Something he didn’t take lightly.
Until now, he’d focused on her satisfaction. It was no selfless act. He’d relished the control. But he ached with his desire for her. His body was taut with need.
Savannah released a long, slow breath and opened her hazel eyes. Her lopsided smile was adorably sexy.
One look at her kiss-swollen lips and the vivid image of Savannah on her knees flashed through his brain. He groaned, his shaft stretching painfully.
“That was amazing. I can’t wait to find out what comes next.”
He dragged a thumb across her lower lip. “And I can’t wait to give you what comes next.”
Savannah’s eyes danced. She accepted the digit, sucking it between her soft lips, her gaze locked with his.
Blake pulled his thumb from her mouth with a pop. He kissed her as Savannah removed his shirt, and he shed his remaining clothing.
The widening of her eyes, followed by an impish grin as she glided her tongue across her upper lip, made his erection swell. He swallowed hard, needing to be inside her.
Blake rummaged through his nightstand, praying he’d find at least a handful of condoms. He didn’t stock them at home.
Hookups were something that happened elsewhere. Outside of this tiny town.
Blake wasn’t sure how to categorize what was happening between them. But it definitely wasn’t a one-off, meaningless hookup.
Finally, he found a strip of three condoms. He took one and tossed the others on the nightstand.
He fumbled with the foil packet, finally ripping it open and sheathing himself as quickly as his fingers would allow.
Blake knelt on the bed. Savannah’s mouth curved in a smile, but her eyes held a hint of sadness.
Whatever it was...a painful memory, a bad experience...he wanted to wipe it away. He’d make her forget whoever had come before him. Men who probably hadn’t shown her the sincerity and respect he would.
He dragged the lacy panties down her legs and pitched them on the floor. He admired her glistening pink center as she spread her thighs for him.
Blake groaned. A delicious sensation rippled through him as he slipped the head of his erection through her wetness. He pushed his hips forward, then drew his shaft back over her firm clit.
Savannah’s belly tensed and she made a low keening moan. The sound became more pronounced with each movement of his hips.
He needed to be inside her. Now.
Blake pressed his shaft to her entrance. Inched his way inside her warm, tight walls.
They both murmured at the incredible sensation. He cursed as he moved inside her, his motions measured, controlled.
So. Fucking. Good.
He went deep. Hit bottom. Then slowly withdrew. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and trickled down his back as he tried to maintain control.
He refused to give in until he’d brought her to pleasure once more with him deep inside her.
Blake took her by surprise when he flipped their positions so he was lying on his back. She dug her knees into the mattress on either side of him and leaned backward, bracing her hands on his thighs. Her gaze locked with his as she moved her hips furiously, her breasts bouncing.
The sight of this beautiful woman grinding her hips against him was almost too much for him to take.
Suddenly, she leaned forward and planted her hands on his chest. Blake reached up and slipped the tie from her ponytail. Her loose curls cascaded forward, shielding her face like a dark curtain.
He gripped a handful of her hair, flipping it out of the way so he could watch as she got closer. He gritted his teeth, tried to slow his ascent as her mouth formed an O, euphoria building on her face.
She was close, and he was ready.
He rolled her onto her back again. Kneeling on the mattress, he leaned forward, increasing the friction against her hardened nub as he moved between her thighs.
Savannah cried out. Digging her heels into the mattress, she arched her back and clutched the bedding. With her eyes screwed shut, her head lolled back as she gave in to sweet ecstasy.
Pleasure rolled up his spine as her inner walls spasmed. He continued to move his hips. A few more strokes and Blake cursed and moaned as he came hard inside her. He shuddered, then kissed her softly, still catching his breath.
Savannah looped her arms around him. He settled the weight of his lower body on her and supported himself on his elbows as he kissed her. Slowly. Passionately.
It was something he’d never do with a hookup. Something he hadn’t realized he missed...until now.
Blake pulled away, but Savannah tightened her grip on him.
“Can’t we stay like this just a little while longer?”
Blake lay on his side and pulled Savannah against him, cradling her in his arms. He tucked her head beneath his chin and pulled the cover over them.
They lay in silence, enjoying the warmth and comfort of each other’s bodies. Savoring everything they’d just shared.
As he drifted to sleep, his only thought was the need to keep Savannah in his bed.
Twelve
Savannah had awakened in Blake’s arms for the s
econd morning in a row. At least last night they hadn’t made the mistake of falling asleep without discarding the condom, as they had the night before. To make matters worse, her birth control pills were at her apartment. She hadn’t taken them for the past three days.
What if you’re...?
Her heart beat furiously whenever she considered the possibility. So she couldn’t allow herself to consider it. Not even for a moment.
When Blake received notice that the bridge had reopened, she was relieved. Blake had taken her to pick up her car, and she’d followed him in his truck back across the river.
Her time with Blake had been amazing, but it was a weekend fling. Two people confined together in a storm.
Shit happened.
That didn’t make them a couple.
Yet Blake believed they could be more than a fling.
Savannah pulled into the parking lot behind her apartment building and got out of her car, wishing the circumstances were different.
She tugged down the hem of the too-tight, wrinkled rayon dress, ruined the night of the storm. She approached Blake, who leaned against the truck, waiting for her.
“I appreciate your insistence on seeing me home.” She scanned the parking lot and a nearby street, which was a main thoroughfare in town. “But I think I’m good now.”
“Don’t worry. I’m maintaining my distance.” His tone was laced with irritation. “But I know the history of this building.” He nodded toward it. “It flooded during storms like this a few times before. Kayleigh needs a new roof, but she can’t afford one and she’s too damned stubborn to let my brother Cole fix it for her.”
“Fine.” She glanced around again. “But remember—”
“You’re just an employee. Got it.” He narrowed his gaze, his jaw tight. Blake headed toward the back entrance that led to her apartment, without letting her finish.
If he wanted to be that way...fine. It would absolve her of the guilt she might have felt when she finally exposed the Abbotts for who they really were.