“I want to feel your mouth around me,” he whispered.
She could happily oblige. Shifting him off her, she reversed their position, straddling him on the bed.
“This is a fantastic view,” he said, his gaze drifting over her exposed body. She loved the way he looked at her. She didn’t feel self-conscious with him. No desire to hide herself. Any part of herself.
Which terrified her a little.
She moved lower and lower on the bed until she was bent over him. Cupping his balls with one hand, she stroked the length of him with the other. Up and down, excruciatingly slow. His jaw tightened and his hands clenched at his sides. “Your touch is driving me wild.”
“Just relax.” After that night, he deserved to lie back and relax, let the stress and pressure of the rescue fade away. She would do everything she could to help with that.
He laced his fingers together behind his head, and lust filled his gaze as he watched her stroke him. “That feels incredible, Erika,” he said, his voice husky and deep. “Having you here with me is incredible.”
There was no place else she’d rather be.
Keeping her gaze locked with his, she lowered her mouth to him. Starting at the base of his cock, she ran her tongue all the way to the tip. The moan that escaped him gave her even more confidence. She’d never felt competent in bed. Sex wasn’t something she had tons of experience with. But right now, she felt empowered, in control...
She flicked her tongue around the tip of him, tasting the precum that escaped. She felt her own body get wet. Pleasing him, turning him on was making her own body awaken. In the past, orgasms hadn’t been easy for her. Shutting off her overactive brain long enough to give in to physical sensations was a challenge. But with Reed, she was in the moment. Her body, mind and heart were present, and she was shocked at how easy it was with him.
That had to mean something.
“Erika, you’re killing me. I want to be inside your wet, warm mouth.”
She took all of him into her mouth, sucking gently, twirling her tongue along the length of him as she moved her head up and down. Her hand followed the motion of her mouth—up and down, slowly at first, growing more frantic and desperate as his moans of desire increased.
Knowing he was enjoying this made her want to do it even more. She hadn’t been sure what Reed liked, but a desire to please him made her uninhibited.
He tasted so good and he was so big, so thick...
Just the thought of him inside of her was enough to have her dripping wet. She was so close to her own orgasm already and he wasn’t even touching her.
“Erika, I’m close,” he said, his voice hoarse, his hands now fisting the sheets at his side.
She slowed her pace but didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. Never wanted to stop.
She sucked and licked, bringing him close, then easing off until he was breathing hard, demanding release. She squeezed the base of his cock and sucked harder, faster, bringing him to orgasm. He cried out as he toppled over the edge and she slowly, reluctantly removed her mouth and hands from his body.
Instantly, he reached for her, rolled her onto her back and slid his hand down her stomach, dipping beneath the waistband of her underwear. She shivered at the ticklish sensation along her sensitive skin. His fingers didn’t even pause before two plunged into her wet, ready body. “Oh my God, Reed.”
She closed her eyes and arched her back, lifting her hips off the bed, pressing her body closer to his hand, wanting his fingers even deeper. She clenched the walls of her vagina tighter, craving the intensity. His thumb flicked against her clit, back and forth, circling the swollen flesh, as the fingers pumped in and out. “You are amazing,” he said as he pleasured her with his fingers.
He was amazing. Everything about him, but specifically, right now, the way he made her body respond in ways no one else ever had. “That’s it, Reed. Faster...harder,” she said, reaching for his face. His mouth covered hers and she didn’t care about breathing, all she wanted was him. His tongue separated her lips and explored her mouth as his hand brought her over the edge.
Her orgasm rippled through her seconds later and her body trembled beneath Reed. Her breath caught as he broke the connection with her mouth, giving her the air she needed. He gently removed his fingers and softly kissed her lips.
She smiled up at him, exhaustion finally arriving. “Thank you,” she said, touching his sleepy-looking face. The scruffy beard was so freaking sexy, she wanted to stay awake and stare at him all night. But her eyes felt heavy and the day had finally caught up to them.
“Thank you,” he said, kissing her again before rolling to his side and pulling her into him. He spooned her and pulled the bedsheets up over their connected bodies.
She snuggled closer to him, feeling so safe in his arms, feeling so happy, so content. So many foreign feelings for her. Ones she hadn’t known she was missing. Ones she wasn’t sure she could live without once this vacation was over and she returned to her life.
He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. “Think you can sleep now?” he whispered into her ear.
She barely heard him, her eyes already drifting closed.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ERIKA ACCEPTED A glass of wine from Reed and leaned back on her barstool. The Drunk Tank hadn’t yet opened for the evening—Tank had left the bar closed all day to give everyone time to rest up after the rescue. Arriving back at Cassie’s that morning, just as light had started to creep over the mountain, Erika had slept until two, showered, ate a salad then headed to The Drunk Tank to see Reed.
He was dressed in a black shirt with a search and rescue logo and jeans that hugged his ass and thighs—what she’d come to learn was his usual uniform. Sitting across from him, she found herself wishing he was on station duty tonight instead of working at the bar. She didn’t know how he kept the pace of his lifestyle. Saving lives in the wilderness one moment, then bartending hours later.
He was gorgeous and sexy as hell, the only man in a long time to set her heart beating out of her chest. But he was also smart and driven and dedicated to his role on the team. His first priority the night before had been making sure his team members stayed safe throughout the search and that everyone made it back uninjured.
He was calm and clearheaded in an emergency, which wasn’t a skill a lot of people possessed. She’d seen doctors and nurses lose their cool many times. Hell, on her worst day, even she had trouble keeping it all together.
And he’d paved the way for the boys to come clean to their parents at the hospital, if that’s what they needed to do. The kids had insisted that they’d only been meeting friends at High Ridge, so Reed had casually mentioned to the parents that while they’d found the kids in the questionable location, it didn’t necessarily mean they were up to no good. Once the kids were released, they’d gotten quite a lecture from coach dad, but Erika had been relieved to see the older man hug his son as they’d left the hospital.
Relieved and slightly envious.
Staring at Reed now, she knew he was exactly the kind of man she could fall in love with...if her life gave her time to fall in love.
What would Cassie think of her adventures the night before...or the newfound light she was seeing Cassie’s brother in? She sipped more wine, turning away from his gaze, suddenly extremely aware that they were alone. The Christmas music echoing off the wooden walls and the dishwasher running behind the bar were the only noises competing with the pounding of her heart.
“So, you’re handing in your resignation at the hospital and applying to become a member of the team, right?” he asked, drinking his coffee, his eyes holding a teasing gleam above the rim of the mug. He was joking, but there was a hint of sincerity in the words.
She laughed. “Probably not.”
He leaned his arms on the bar and studied her. “But you gotta admit you fe
lt a rush, right? An adrenaline like nothing else...and then total fulfillment at the end knowing we’d done something great.”
Yes. One hundred percent yes. At the hospital, surrounded by machines and other doctors and nurses, the chaos of an emergency was different. It was about routine and protocols. Everything they needed was on hand. She knew what she had to do and it was different yet similar in every situation. Here, each rescue was nothing like the one before. Each one held unique challenges, depending on so many varying factors. Being adaptable and quick thinking meant the difference between a success or failure. “I don’t have to admit shit,” she said finally.
“I’ll take that as confirmation,” he said with a grin that had her pulse racing. Damn, had her friend’s brother always been so sexy? As kids, he’d ignored her. Even as they got older and started hanging with the same crowd, he had never paid any attention to her.
He was now. And his intent stare told her she wasn’t fooling him.
“Okay...” she said reluctantly. “It was thrilling.” Being on the side of the mountain, moving quickly, working alongside the search and rescue crew and the ski patrol members had definitely set her blood pumping. “Very different than being at the hospital.”
“Better?”
She hesitated. “Different.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He paused. “I was kidding before, but if you do ever get tired of the six-figure salary and want to try slumming it up here, we’d be happy to have you.” He reached across and touched her hand, sending an electric current straight to her heart. “I’d be happy to have you.”
She swallowed hard. While it was reassuring to know she wasn’t in this alone, that he was feeling this connection between them as strongly, she thought maybe it would be easier in the end if it was one-sided. If it was only her heartache she had to deal with when she left, she could handle that. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, before an unexpected yawn escaped her.
Despite the sleep she’d caught up on that day, she was completely wiped out. Her eyes struggled to stay open and the wine wasn’t helping.
Reed smiled, reaching into his pocket for his truck keys. “Here. Why don’t you go to my place and take a nap?”
She frowned, taking the keys. “I could just go to Cassie’s.”
“You could, but then I’d have to come wake you up at midnight to take you back to my place.”
Her mouth went completely dry. A direct contrast to what was happening between her legs. Just like that, she wasn’t so exhausted anymore.
“This way, you’ll already be in my bed.” He took her hand and brought her palm to his lips, where he placed several soft kisses that had goose bumps surfacing on her skin everywhere. “Go. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Midnight couldn’t come fast enough.
* * *
HE WAS BAGGED. The rescue followed by the evening shift in the crowded bar had him struggling to keep his eyes open, but the moment he saw Erika sleeping in one of his T-shirts in his bed, he caught a third wind. He hoped she’d gotten enough rest, because they probably weren’t going to do much more sleeping that night.
She was there for one more week. And he planned on making every minute count.
Diva slept curled up on the foot of the bed, and he carried the heavy, out-like-a-light pup to the extra doggy bed Cassie had given him for “sleepovers” such as this. Well, maybe this wasn’t exactly the kind of sleepover his sister had in mind.
He’d worry about Cassie and how she was going to react to all of this later. For the first time, he was experiencing a real connection to a woman and he wouldn’t think about the consequences right now.
Returning to his bedroom, he removed his clothes and, lifting the edge of the dark blue blankets, he slid in next to Erika. The warmth of her body near his cold one made him immediately hard. Before Erika, it had been months since he’d gotten laid. And now, after their previous nights together, he knew finding another woman who could make him feel so good wouldn’t be easy.
Letting her leave the following week wouldn’t be easy either.
He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into him, and placed a kiss on her shoulder. She smelled like vanilla and faintly like his cologne from being in his bed. He hoped to leave a more permanent mark on her heart, not just a scent on her body. Reed wasn’t sure what to expect from her and he was desperate not to let his emotions run away with him, but having her in his arms, so close, so perfect...
He moved her hair away from her neck and kissed her there gently, his hand slowly, softly, moving the length of her body, down her waist, over her hip and slipping below the fabric of the T-shirt. Pressing his palm to her soft skin at her waist, he slid it upward until he cupped one breast.
She moaned, stirring in her sleep, and his body sprang to life. His erection pressed against her ass as he pinched the nipple, which hardened instantly under his touch. “You’re home,” she whispered, a smile in her voice.
The words made his breath catch in his chest. Home. This was his home. But what if coming home meant coming home to her?
So much for not getting too far ahead of himself.
“Are you still tired?” he whispered in her ear, biting her lobe gently.
She wiggled closer to him, pushing her ass back against his erect cock. “Nope.”
“Good, because I’ve been wanting you since the last time I had you and I’m not interested in sleeping at all tonight,” he said, squeezing her breast.
She shivered slightly and he let his hand trail down her body once more to caress her thigh, moving inward and upward until he reached the silky fabric of her underwear. She shifted her legs to give him access and he felt the moistness there already.
He loved that a simple touch, a gentle kiss was all it took to get her excited. He loved turning her on. He hardened even more when she reached down to slide the fabric to the right, granting his fingers access to the wet, soft folds of her vagina.
He swallowed hard as he stroked along the opening, flicking his thumb against her clit.
She moaned again and her legs trembled slightly. “That feels incredible,” she said, her breath slightly labored in anticipation.
He reached for the waistband of the underwear and she rolled onto her back and lifted her hips to allow him to remove them. He slid them slowly down her legs, pausing to kiss the inside of her thighs, her calves and her feet before dropping the underwear to the floor. “You look amazing in my shirt.” She looked amazing all the time, but this look was quickly becoming his favorite. Her lying in his bed, naked except for his shirt, messy, tangled hair and sleepy, lust-filled eyes illuminated only by the light from the streetlamp outside streaming through the gap in the curtains.
By far his favorite. A sight he could easily get used to.
She smiled, her eyes scanning his nakedness in the dark. “You look amazing out of it. You should be naked all the time.” She raked her fingers along his abs.
He laughed. “Might get a little cold on rescues.”
“Might make more tips at the bar,” she teased. She went to lift the shirt over her head, but he stopped her.
“Leave it on and turn over,” he said. He needed to see that beautiful, sexy ass up close. The last few times they’d been together, he’d been so desperate for her, he hadn’t taken the time to explore her body as fully as he’d wanted to. The situation or their surroundings hadn’t lent themselves to a lot of exploration. Tonight was different. He wanted to see her...all of her. Explore parts of her he hadn’t yet. See how far she’d let him go.
She did as he instructed, climbing onto all fours on the bed in front of him. “Like this.”
“Just like that.” His mouth went dry as she arched her back, resting her body on her elbows and pushing her ass into the air, giving him full access to her. Fully exposed and vulnerable to him.
“You are so h
ot...” He placed both hands on her ass and gripped hard. “I could stare at this ass all night,” he said, moving one hand lower to cup her, feeling her wetness drip onto his palm. “Fuck, you’re so wet.”
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this turned on,” she said, her voice sounding slightly hoarse. Her body trembled and her fingers gripped the fabric of the bedsheets at her side.
She’d need to hold on tight for what was coming. Kneeling on the bed behind her, he gripped her hips and pulled her ass toward him. He slid his cock between her legs, pushing the tip against her folds. Her wetness covered him and he closed his eyes, as the pleasurable sensation rushed through him. Her body was so ready, so willing to accept him it was impossible to focus. He felt dizzy, dazed—lack of sleep mixing with an intense desire to be inside of her making him feel slightly intoxicated. He was drunk on her, on this attraction he had for her that was so strong, so unexpected, so real... He slid back and forth, pressing himself against her opening but holding back, never entering, until she was panting and clutching the pillow above her head.
“Reed...oh Reed...”
Damn, he could listen to her say his name all night. “Do you want me to fuck you, Erika?” he asked, reaching down to stroke his cock.
“Yes... Like this, Reed. Take me from behind.”
Reaching for a condom in the bedside table, he tore the package open with his teeth and slid it on, tormenting himself with the stroking motion. His cock was thick and fully erect and dying to be inside her. This wouldn’t last long. The moment he was buried deep inside her wet, warm body, he was going to explode.
His craving of her, his desperate need of her was confusing and terrifying. He’d never ached for a woman as badly as he longed for her. He was mentally and physically exhausted, yet his body only wanted one thing—her.
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