Chapter 15
Harper watched his large capable hands as he undid the buttons on his flannel shirt and shucked it off. Next came the t-shirt that he’d worn underneath, and he pulled it over his head in that sexy way men had of shedding their clothes in quick, fluid movements. She’d seen his bare chest before, but never this close or in this way. Her hands itched to touch him, and she did, starting at his broad shoulders and then trailing down over his muscular pecs to his tight abs.
His stomach contracted as she inched her index finger further down, to the waistband of his jeans. And when she moved her hand over the rock-hard bulge in the front of his jeans, he groaned. Darting a glance at his face, she became emboldened when she saw further proof of his desire shining in his blue eyes.
“Keep doing that, and it’s going to be over before it starts,” he said gruffly.
She giggled nervously, feeling giddy from their intimacy, but surprisingly, she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed—because she already knew him. Knew that she was safe with him. Felt the bond between them growing with every touch and every glance. And it was heady, intoxicating, so much so that her inhibitions were being shed along with his clothes.
“I want to see you,” she said, motioning down at his pants.
Nodding, he took a step back and quickly removed his jeans to reveal a pair of black boxer briefs stretched tight over his erection. She sucked in a breath as he removed the boxers next, slower that time, like he was purposely teasing her. Then, taking her hand, he placed it on his swollen manhood, inviting her to explore more of him and watching her as she did.
Moving her hand up and down his shaft, she said, “You’re so…big.”
“Best…compliment…ever.”
She laughed, but it got stuck in her throat as she saw a bead of wetness appear at his tip. And then, without even thinking, she bent and licked it off.
Glancing up at him, she saw that his eyes had glazed over, and she started to go back for more, but he grabbed her wrists and yanked her up. “Need you naked. Now,” he demanded.
She reached down to the hem of her sweater dress and started to pull it up, but Finn brushed her hands away.
“Let me.”
He carefully lifted the dress over her head and laid it on the bed, leaving her standing there in her lacy black bra and tights. He stood back and admired her for a moment before placing his fingers on the front clasp.
And then came her first panic moment. Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod. Finn’s about to see me naked!
As if he’d sensed it, his hands stilled. “Weird moment?”
“Little bit.”
“Should I stop?”
“Don’t you dare.”
Looking relieved, he popped open the clasp and spread the bra open to reveal her bare breasts, nipples puckered in anticipation. And while he stood there and stared, she panicked again, desperately trying to read his reaction.
“Nothing to stare at. They’re just average,” she said, reverting to nervous chatter.
“They’re perfect,” he said and cupped her breasts in his large, warm hands.
She sighed, partly from relief but mostly from the way he was touching her. Brushing his thumbs back and forth over her taut nipples, he leaned in and captured her mouth in a long, sensual kiss that had her clenching her legs together. His erection brushed against her stomach, and she wanted it somewhere else—like buried deep inside her.
“Finn?” she mumbled against his lips.
“Yeah?”
“You need to finish undressing me.”
He chuckled, a soft whoosh of air against her moist lips. “Yes, ma’am.”
Sliding his hands down, he tucked them into the edges of her waistband and peeled her tights and panties off in one swoop. Kneeling, he helped her step out of them, but instead of standing back up, he stayed right where he was and gazed up at her.
How was it that she knew what he wanted before he even said it? Were they that in tune with each other even though they’d never done this before? Giving him a brief nod, she threaded her hands in his wavy hair, and he buried his head between her legs.
The first swipe of his tongue had her moaning and arching her hips, silently begging for more. She’d almost forgotten what this had felt like, this shared intimacy between a man and a woman. An image of Blake flashed through her mind, but she quickly squashed it. She couldn’t think about him right now because, if she did, she might not be able to…
“Oh God, Finn.”
“What do you need, baby?”
“You. All of you.”
And with that, he swooped her up and laid her on the bed. She was barely cognizant of him rooting around in his jeans until he came up with a condom. She watched him sheath himself, and then he crawled on the bed and leaned over her on all fours.
Brushing her hair back, he whispered, “We good?”
“Too good.”
With a sexy smile stretched across his face, he fisted his erection and swiped it across her entrance a few times. To assure him that she was ready, she spread her legs wider and beckoned for him with a crooked index finger.
Holding his weight on his forearms, he gently eased inside, emitting groans of pleasure as he did so. Once he was fully rooted, Harper wrapped her legs around his hips and squeezed. Bending down to claim her lips in a bruising kiss, he started to thrust, and she bucked up beneath him to urge him on.
There was no guilt, only pleasure, as she gave in to the moment, immersing herself completely. When she was just about to explode, Finn flipped them over so she was on top of him, and it was like he’d handed her the reins. Smiling seductively, she sat up some so he could fondle her breasts while she found the perfect position to satisfy them both.
“So…damn…beautiful,” he grunted, tearing his hands away from her breasts to grip her hips.
And that was all it took. Head tipped back in ecstasy, she shattered against him as he bucked up inside her and matched her movements with equal fervor. Her climax seemed to go on and on, until finally, she collapsed on top of him, his arms cradling her against his chest.
They lay just like that until she felt him start to slip out, and then she rolled over onto her back.
“Be right back,” he said, heaving himself off the bed.
Harper was too winded to respond, so she just lay there, letting herself cool down until Finn returned and settled himself next to her.
“Well,” he said after a time.
“I agree,” she said.
He chuckled. “What do you agree with?”
Turning on her side to face him, she said, “I agree that it was amazing. Isn’t that what you were thinking?”
Hands behind his head and looking smug, he said, “I was thinking more like awesome, spectacular, out of this world. Should I go on?”
Wiggling over to snuggle into his side, she said, “I get the picture.”
“Speaking of pictures, I wish I had one of you riding me like a rodeo bull.”
Swatting his chest, she said, “I did not ride you.”
“Well, then what would you call it?”
As she was searching for a better word, he propped himself up on his side and nuzzled his nose in her neck. “Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled. “I just know that I want to do it again.”
“Already?” she said, giggling.
Clamping his wrist around one of her hands, he moved it down between his legs and placed it on his erection. “Seem ready to you?”
“Um-hum,” she said, gliding her hand up and down his smooth skin.
He’d awakened something deep inside of her that couldn’t be contained. Scooting herself down until her face was lined up with his hips, she took him in both hands and put her mouth on him. After a few deep strokes, he tried to stop her, but she wasn’t having it. She lavished attention on him with her lips and tongue until he was clutching her head in his hands and calling out her name.
Afterwards, she was the one who left the room to clean up, and when
she returned, he was still lying there, spread eagle, and breathing rhythmically. She stood still for a moment, staring down at the gorgeous picture he made. Tall and muscled, chiseled jaw, and tousled hair, he looked good enough to…well…to do what she’d already done and then some! But the man must have been exhausted, because he didn’t budge. In fact, his breathing had deepened, and she realized he was truly asleep.
Tiptoeing out of the room, she went into her bedroom and slipped on a robe. Then she crept downstairs to check on Daisy, who was also sleeping soundly. She didn’t bother turning on any lights as she moved quietly through the house and into her office. Her camera was sitting on the desk, where she always kept it, and she picked it up before returning upstairs.
He was just as she’d left him, although his head was now tilted to one side. She’d never bothered shutting the blinds in this room, so the light from the neighborhood street lamps filtered in, creating an interesting pattern across his bare chest. Wondering if she could really pull it off, she slowly lifted the white blanket that had been folded at the end of the bed and covered him up to the waist.
She held her breath when he wiggled around for a few seconds, but he remained sleeping. And then she lifted the camera to eye level and started shooting, walking around the bed to capture him from different angles. When he moved again, she decided not to press her luck, and she tiptoed back out of the room and took the camera back downstairs. She was just about to reenter the spare room when he stepped out in the hallway and startled her.
“Wondered where you went,” he said, his voice deep and sensual.
She tried not to gawk, but he was still naked, and she couldn’t help herself.
“What’s this for?” he asked, tugging on the sash of her robe and pulling her close.
“I…I…went downstairs to check on Daisy, and it was cold.”
“Come back to bed and let me warm you up,” he said, untying the sash and slipping his arms around her waist.
She wanted to more than she should have, but she was also aware of the time. “But it’s after midnight,” she said unconvincingly. “Shouldn’t you be going home?”
“Is that what you want?” he asked, dipping his head into her neck and nibbling.
God no! “But what about the neighbors?”
“What about them?”
He’d spread open her robe and pressed his hips against hers, making it extremely difficult for her to be practical.
“They’ll see your truck here late, and they’ll wonder…”
“They’ll wonder if I’m doing this to you?” With that, he pulled a nipple into his mouth and sucked—hard.
“Oh. Yes. That.”
He trailed his mouth across her chest and repeated the tease on the other nipple. “Like that?” he asked, grinning up at her.
“Um-hum.”
“You’re right. I should probably leave,” he said and suddenly pulled back. But he was smiling, and she knew he wasn’t going anywhere except back to bed.
But just to make sure, she slipped the robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, so now they were both standing there naked.
“Damn, Harper. You’re making it hard…”
“I can see that,” she said, looking down at his jutting erection.
And with that, he scooped her into his arms and carried her back to bed.
Forty-five minutes later, he said, “This time, I really do have to go.”
“I know,” she said, fully sated after their last round of lovemaking.
“But if I didn’t have to go to work so damn early, you can bet that I’d stay with you all night long.”
She nodded as he heaved himself off the bed and started dressing. “I’ll come down and see you out,” she said and started to rise.
“No. Don’t. I want to think of you lying there just like that,” he said gruffly as he buttoned up his shirt.
She’d been lying under the sheet, but it had slipped down to reveal her breasts, and she shivered—not from the cold but from the way he perused her, like a hungry man at a feast. She understood it because she’d been looking at him in the same way. The difference was she’d taken pictures to capture the moment as a reminder of the perfect night they’d shared. She’d considered telling him but decided not to. It was something she’d done just for her, and no one else would ever have to know.
Once Finn was completely dressed, he sauntered back over to the bed and leaned down for a kiss. “One of the best nights of my life,” he said as he stood back up.
And there went weird moment number two. If she agreed, wouldn’t that be disrespectful to Blake and all the nights they’d shared? The best she could do was give Finn a half-smile, but he wasn’t fooled.
“Hey. It’s ok,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just wanted you to know.”
Instead of speaking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. “Be careful driving home,” she whispered when it was over.
Nodding, he moved toward the bedroom door, but then he turned back around. “Can I call you tomorrow?”
“Of course,” she said, her voice wobbly. And that time, she gave him what she hoped passed for a genuine smile.
“Goodnight, Harper.”
“Night.”
She waited until she heard his truck rumble away before she got out of bed, yanked on her robe, and returned to her own bedroom—the bedroom she used to share with her husband. Sometimes, she swore that she could still smell him there, like his scent was permanently woven into the threads of the sheets.
She prepared for bed in a fog, her mind reeling with all that had happened that evening. And when she was putting on her pajamas, she realized it was Finn’s scent that she smelled. It clung to her body like a musky perfume, and for a moment, she thought about washing it off. Peering at herself in the bathroom mirror, she sighed. Her hair was tousled, and her cheeks and chin were pink from where Finn’s scruff had scraped against her. And when she tossed her hair back, she spotted a round, red welt on her neck where he’d marked her.
She recalled her nails digging into his shoulders when he’d done it. She’d pulled him in close, inviting him to leave evidence of their lovemaking. And if that weren’t enough, she felt sore in her most intimate place. The place that Finn had explored thoroughly with his lips, his tongue, and his…
“Oh God, Blake. I’m so sorry,” she said, and then unable to look at herself in the mirror any longer, she left the bathroom and tumbled into bed. Curling up in a tight ball, she hugged Blake’s pillow against her chest and buried her face in it. She was waiting for the tears to come when Daisy trotted into the room and then scrambled up on the bed beside her.
Setting Blake’s pillow aside, she held on to Daisy instead. And for the first time in a long time, she slept dreamlessly and soundly through the night.
Chapter 16
“Dinner tonight?”
“Um…”
“It’s just dinner, Harper. It doesn’t have to mean sex. However, if you ask me nicely…”
“Shut up!”
Finn’s deep chuckle rumbled through the phone and did funny things to her insides. “Is that a yes?”
“Well, I have to eat, so I guess so.”
“Do you want to go out or eat in?”
A few weeks ago, that would have been an innocent question, but now it was brimming with possibilities.
“In is fine.” Maybe it would seem less like a date that way.
“Your place or mine?”
Ok, that time, she wasn’t imagining things. His silky voice had just deepened, and her core clenched. “Mine, I guess.” It didn’t matter where they were. Based on how she was feeling, she was guaranteed to end up in his arms.
“What should I bring?”
Your killer body and wicked tongue for starters. “I’m up for anything.” Oops! Huge mistake.
Finn laughed so loud that she pulled the phone away from her ear and Daisy cocked her head.<
br />
“I meant FOOD!”
“I know what you meant. It just sounded…you know…sexy.”
Me? Sexy?
And then, without missing a beat, he said, “I know what you like to eat, so how about if I surprise you?”
“Ok,” she said, suddenly eager to end the call.
“Great. I’ll see you around six o’clock.”
After they hung up, Harper thumped her head on her desk a few times as if to knock some sense into herself. She’d been daydreaming about Finn ever since she’d woken up, and it was driving her crazy! She’d gotten so turned on in the shower that she’d had to turn the water temperature down, and it was only February! She’d even dressed lighter than usual because she felt overly warm, and her skin prickled wherever the fabric touched it.
Images of Finn naked pinged around in her head, and when those weren’t satisfying enough, she picked up her camera and turned it on. There he was, sprawled out on the bed, the blanket draped over his lower half (darn it!), looking sexy and adorably rumpled in his after-sex slumber.
“Not helping, Harper,” she said, scolding herself, and then she shut off the camera and pushed it aside. Funny how, last night, she’d experienced some flashes of guilt, but this morning, all she could think about was when she was going to see him again. She’d gone about her normal morning routine, but she’d kept staring at the phone as if willing it to ring. And when his name had flashed on the screen, she’d forced herself not to answer on the first ring.
It was hard to believe that she was having this strong of a reaction to a man she’d known for years. But there was no denying the zing that she felt every time she thought of him and of what they’d done the night before. She kept telling herself that it was just because it had been so long since she’d been with a man, but she knew deep down that there was more to it than that.
Finn had already been an important part of her life for some time, only now they’d added a new element to their relationship. An element that she was anxious to explore further.
She was sitting at her desk under the guise that she was working when Julia called.
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