What Matters Most

by Malori, Reana

  Evan placed the bouquet of flowers he had brought with him on the side table and walked closer to Sierra. “Are you telling me I have you all to myself tonight?” His strong hand came to rest on her lower back, just at the curve of her ass. Her breath caught in her chest as she felt electricity course through her body at that simple touch.

  In a breathless voice, Sierra responded, “Yes.” She felt his hand clench tighter, as if to pull her closer, and knew he understood exactly what the one-word response meant. “When I told him we were going out, he asked if he could spend the night at his friend’s house and since he hadn’t been over there in a while, I let him. It’s considered a special treat for him to stay over.” She felt his thumb begin to rub her lower back. Her core began to heat and her body melted under his soft touch as her body succumbed to his ministrations. His eyes betrayed the lust and desire he was feeling, even as he said nothing. Standing this close to him, she knew this past month, hell—the previous seven months—had been leading up to this moment.

  Their bodies were nearly pressed together, and Evan gradually put light pressure on her back, indicating he wanted her to come closer. How much closer, she couldn’t tell, but she heeded his message and pressed her upper body closer to his until their lips were just a hairsbreadth apart.

  “I’ve been waiting too long for this. I’m going to kiss you, Sierra. This is your only warning. If you don’t want this, tell me now.”

  There was no way in hell she was backing down. He was everything she needed and more. Just being held in his arms caused both her heart and mind to conclude there was nothing she wanted more than to be with this man. No was not an option for her. Turning away from him was not something she was willing to do—not now, not ever. “Well, what’s taking you so long?”

  When his lips touched hers, it felt like she was finally coming home. It was different than last time. There was no mistaking his intent when his lips captured hers. Her man was laying claim to her right here and now and damn, it felt good. Both of his arms wrapped around her waist, while her arms came up to encircle his neck and shoulders. She gave herself permission to submit to her desires, submit to him, and the feeling was everything she had hoped it would be.

  After a few minutes, the need to replenish the air supply to their aching lungs forced them to release each other from their passionate kiss. Evan’s face rested in the crook of her neck as his gravelly voice whispered to her, “You’re mine. You’re meant for me.” With those words, Sierra knew this was right and good.

  It took a few minutes to regain their composure, but ultimately they broke apart. Evan caressed the side of her face, cupping her cheek in his palm. “Do you still feel like having dinner?” She could tell from his expression that he would probably be just as happy staying in for the night, but she was all dressed up, and maybe it was best that they take a minute to cool down.

  “Yes, I think dinner would be good. Just give me a few moments.” Sierra walked on shaky legs to the hallway washroom to fix her make-up and to take a few deep breaths. Laughing to herself, the thought occurred to her that it was probably a very good thing Dusty was away at a friend’s house. If things continued to go in the direction she hoped they would, Evan would not be going back to his own home tonight.

  Chapter Five

  “Would you like a nightcap?” Sierra winced and snapped her lips shut. She knew in an instant how stupid those words sounded as soon as the question came out of her mouth. But damn, she was nervous as hell. This man had been eyeing her all night as if she were on the dessert menu. How was any sane woman expected to keep her wits about her when dealing with a caged animal?

  His body had seemed primed to attack her throughout the entire dinner. He had not attempted to kiss her again since they left the house. Oh, he had held her hand as they walked, rested it on her lower back when entering and leaving the restaurant, and anyone looking at them would think he had been the consummate gentleman, but Sierra knew better.

  Problem was, Sierra was so wound up and ready for something—anything—to happen that every touch, every smile, every huskily spoken word had ratcheted up her need for him until she could hardly contain herself. As she eyed Evan, she was aware that he watched her every move. He knew exactly what he was doing and was playing her like a violin. Who could really blame her for being such a damn sex-crazed maniac around him? No one, that’s who. Everything about him oozed sex and sensuality, and in her mind she conjured up all the things she could do to him in the privacy of her bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, and even the hallway if she was creative.

  Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear Evan respond to her question until he had repeated himself several times. “Sierra? Are you listening to me?” His hand was waving back and forth in front of her eyes.

  “What? Oh, what did you say?”

  “I said I don’t really want a night cap of the liquid variety.” A sudden picture of him stripped naked and sweaty while lying on top of her flashed into her mind, and she almost moaned out loud.

  Filled with breathless anticipation, she whispered, “Well, Evan, what exactly do you want, then?” As she waited for him to respond, she slowly slipped off her heels and waited for him to claim what was his.

  There was no mistaking Evan’s intent. She had challenged him, teased him, and enticed him all night, and she could feel his energy coming to the surface. His body was vibrating with unleashed need, and there was no going back as Evan growled at her, “You. All I want is you.”

  Evan grabbed Sierra and captured her mouth in a kiss so steamy and hot that her knees buckled. She gave just as good as she got, and it felt as if the heat level in her home rose several degrees. They continued to devour each other for the next several minutes.

  “I’ve been watching you all night, and I need you, Sierra. I pray to whoever listens to battle-hardened Marines that you want me the same way.” His breathing was deep and ragged, as if saying this words drained every ounce of will he had inside him. “If you want me to leave, I’ll leave. But know this--if I stay tonight, I will make you mine in every sense of the word and I will not let you go in the morning. Decide. Now.” Evan pulled away slightly, giving her time to make a decision, although one of his hands never completely stopped touching her. All the time in the world would not change her mind at this point. It was time to go big or go home.

  She felt a rush of liquid warmth in her pussy at his declaration. She wanted him so much--so very much. How could he not read her need for him in the way her body was coming alive under his hands, his touch, his words… She wanted to scream something ballsy and sassy, but all she could manage was, “Yes, Evan,” as she stepped fully into his arms again.

  *****

  Happiness like none other coursed through Evan’s body at those two words. He had locked the door as soon as they had arrived back to her house. He lifted Sierra in his arms and walked to the back of the apartment, toward the master bedroom. Loving this woman was all he could think about, and his mind and body craved her like nothing else. Sure, there had been others, but no one had made him feel this need the way Sierra did. Looking at her lying on the bed made everything else fade away except for the two of them. As she moved to strip her clothes off, he stopped her. “No, baby, let me. This is my Valentine’s Day, birthday, and Christmas all wrapped into one. I need to unwrap my very special gift made just for me.”

  He stood her up and positioned her back to his front. Her perfume was the perfect complement to her own natural scent, and it made him dizzy with desire. His hands were steady as he unzipped her dress and peeled it down her shoulders, baring her gorgeous skin to his gaze. “You are so beautiful, Sierra.”

  A moan of desire was her only response, and he was just fine with that. His lips trailed kisses across her shoulders and neck, while his hands continued to unzip her dress and remove it from her body. He wanted no barriers between the two of them, and he would take all the time he needed to enjoy the unveiling of his woman.

 
Once she was fully undressed, he turned her around to face him. Arousal like nothing he had ever felt before was coursing through his veins. His desire for Sierra was burning him alive.

  Evan kissed her lips lightly. “Let me take care of you. I need to taste you.” As he lay her down on the bed, he allowed his hands to roam over her long, smooth legs. When his gaze landed on her bare pussy, his mouth watered in anticipation. Oh, yes, he would savor every minute of tasting her. He heard her breath begin to speed up, and he knew she had seen where his eyes had landed. “Do you want me there, baby?”

  “Yes, please, Evan.”

  Grabbing her legs in his firm grasp, he pulled them up, grabbed her waist, and tugged her toward him. She placed her hands on his head and shoulders, her nails digging into him with anticipation. Whimpers of desire and submission were the only sounds he heard from her, and that made him want to please her all the more. Sierra had a smile of pure bliss on her face as she willingly spread her legs, as if inviting him into her secret garden. Slowly, he trailed his lips across her perfectly shaped thighs, rubbing his hands along her silky skin. Her body writhed on the bed, as if wanting something from him she could not put into words.

  “Tell me what you want, baby. I’ll give you whatever you need, Sierra.”

  Gasps and heavy breathing were all he heard for a few seconds until she finally was able to manage a few whispered words. “I want you to make me yours. Make me crave you. Give me everything you have. I want you, Evan.”

  As he began to gently lap at her folds and taste her juices as they seeped from her pussy, her flavor hit him like it was created just for him. Evan used the tip of his tongue to flick at the bundle of nerves that was playing peek-a-boo with him, and her gasped intake of breath made him tense with need. He wanted to be inside her right then and here. He needed to hear those sounds of pleasure as he thrust inside her and made her his.

  Sierra moaned deeply and threw back her head in ecstasy. Her body arched in pleasure, giving him more access to her and submitting her body to him fully. Evan lapped at her as if he were a starving man and she was his only source of survival. One hand released its grip on her thigh and reached up to fondle her breast, stimulating her even more. He could tell her body didn’t know which sensation to grab on to, and as she struggled to understand the sensations she was feeling, he took that moment to pinch her nipple between two fingers while thrusting his tongue deeper into her mound. Evan wanted her release; he wanted to taste her and know he was the one who had brought her to this peak. He caught her hardened clit between his puckered lips and sucked. Her screams of passion became louder, which was music to his ears.

  *****

  Sierra moaned at the sensations coursing through her body. Evan’s mouth was giving her more pleasure that she had ever felt, and she almost didn’t know how to respond. Could she truly let go and be herself, allow Evan to control her pleasure?

  Just then, she felt Evan change tactics and pull her clit into his mouth with a sucking sensation. Sierra saw stars. Electricity coursed through her veins, and her body felt as if it were flying. Yes, she was talking gibberish at this point, but she didn’t care. Tears were running down her face as her release came upon her like a freight train roaring through a tunnel. Her body tensed as her orgasm overcame her body; her muscles locked and her voice left her as Evan continued to give her pleasure as her body fell off the cliff of ecstasy

  Her breathing was heavy when he finally lifted his head from between her thighs. His face was covered in her juices, and she thought he had never looked sexier. Her pussy pulsed and quivered with need as she reached her arms toward him, pulling him up with all the strength she could muster.

  “Make love to me, Evan. I want to feel you inside me.”

  Evan pulled himself up fully so he was splayed between her legs, his burning hot erection at the entrance to her core. He kissed her deeply and she tasted her essence on his lips, which made her want him even more. “Spread your legs just a bit wider, baby. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  After spending so much time around Evan, she knew he was a bit more than average, so she wrapped one leg around his waist so he would have more room to maneuver. Evan grabbed one of her hands, lacing his fingers with hers as he stared into her eyes. He positioned his cock so it was lined up with her opening and began to slowly push inside her. His eyes never left hers, and as the sensation became too intense and she tried to close her eyes, he stopped her. “No, baby, look at me. I want you to look at my face, because this moment right here is all ours. I will never want anyone as much as I want you, and I need you to see my face as I make you mine. I love you Sierra.”

  Tightening her grip on the hand that was clasped with hers, she snaked her other hand up to his neck, grabbed him as tightly as she could, and pulled him into her. She arched up, forcing more of his thick rod into her, the sensation causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. This was what she had been hoping and praying for. This man, who had come into her life when she least expected it, was the only man she could see in her future. He made her feel so alive, and every moment in his arms was heaven. The only response she could give to his declaration was the truth, wrenched from her heart. “I love you too, Evan, and I always will.”

  Evan began to pump deeper and harder into her body, his lips capturing hers in a rough, demanding kiss as he staked his claim on his woman. Nothing would ever take him away from her, because it felt right and good to be with her. The sensation of sinking into her body was so good he never wanted to stop.

  “Fuck, baby, you feel so good.” Evan’s free hand couldn’t seem to stop touching her body in every spot it could reach. He tweaked her nipple and kneaded her breast roughly, and if the sounds of pleasure coming from Sierra’s lips were any indication, this was exactly what she wanted. “Wrap both legs around me. I need to be deeper, Sierra. I need to feel all of you.”

  As soon as she was fully opened to him, Evan changed his pace so he was going so deep that he tapped her cervix with each thrust, which touched something inside him. His basest nature wanted to break out and claim Sierra in the most instinctual way. A baby. Just the thought of Sierra having their baby growing in her stomach made his blood boil over with lust. His thrusts took on a whole new meaning to him, and he never wanted to leave this place or this woman.

  Sierra responded to Evan’s change in pace by rising and falling in coordination with him, spreading her legs to allow him full penetration of body. His thrusts were deep and true, and the sensation of fullness was her constant companion. Their breathing was faster and harsher, and Evan knew he wanted Sierra to fall off that cliff with him.

  “Give it to me, baby. I want all of you, Sierra. You’re mine, baby, and I want everything you have to give,” Evan growled. “I need you to be with me always.”

  “Yes, Evan. I’m yours, baby. I’m all yours.”

  “You’re mine Sierra. Let go, baby, and surrender to me. Forever, mine…” Evan forced the words out of his throat just as he felt Sierra’s body clench around him. Her deep moan of pleasure and release was the only sound in the room. Evan felt her juices flowing around his cock and continued to thrust into her as his climax rushed through his body, forcing its way out of him in a tidal wave. “Yes, oh yes. So good, baby…so damn good.”

  *****

  As Sierra lay beside Evan, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was really the beginning for them. God knows she loved this man, but he was still in the military, and if he had to go overseas, she wasn’t sure how she and Dusty would handle it. Now that she had found him, she wasn’t sure she was willing to share him.

  “Sierra, I can hear your brain thinking. Stop it,” Evan whispered into the silence of the room.

  “How did you know I was awake?” She avoided the real issue, but knowing Evan, he wouldn’t let it slide.

  “Because I know you. When there’s something on your mind, you take shallow, slow breaths so you can calm yourself and not give anything away.” He wrapped his arms a
round her and pulled her back against him, sharing the warmth of his body with hers. “Give it up, baby. What are you thinking about?”

  “You. Us. Dusty. How do we tell him things have changed?” While that wasn’t all that was on her mind, it was a good start.

  “We tell him the truth. Give Dusty more credit. He’s a smart kid, and I can guarantee you he’ll be happy we’re together.” He squeezed her tight. “I know that’s not what this is about. Is it because I said I love you? I do, Sierra. I think I knew I loved you after that first night in the kitchen when you looked so sexy standing at the kitchen sink.”

  Chuckling at such a silly statement, Sierra knew they were made for each other. “Oh, you did not, but if that’s your story, you go ahead and stick with that.” Grabbing hold of his arm, she pulled it more tightly around her body. “If you must know the truth, I’m worried about what will happen if you ever go back overseas. Don’t get me wrong--I will be here when you get home, and I will love you even more every day we’re together. But I worry about you. I want you to be safe, but I know that the Marines means everything to you.”

  Evan lifted up and turned Sierra to face him. “No, baby, not everything. For the longest time, the Marines was the only thing I knew. It was my life, and I was damn good at what I did.” Kissing her lightly, he took one hand and began to rub it over her breasts. He slowly made a trail to her slightly curved stomach. “My life is so much more now. I want to build a stronger life, and a home, with you and Dusty. And if you’ll grace me with another child to call my own, I’ll be luckiest man in the world.” He smiled at her as he made that last statement.

  “Evan, what are you saying?” Sierra didn’t want to mess this up and wasn’t taking any chances.

  “I’m asking you to marry me, Sierra. It may seem quick to some, but we’ve been building to this point since I started writing to you and Dusty all those months ago. You and he are what kept me going all those months.” He paused as he closed his eyes. “When I’m with you, the nightmares go away and I feel at peace.”