She would definitely need to be schooled in the finer arts of giving head. Ransom was assessing the damage to see if he was in any condition to continue, when Dani reentered the room.
Caught, literally, with his dick in his hands, her steps faltered and she stopped in the middle of the room, glass in hand, staring at him.
Like a deer caught in headlights, Ransom turned into a stuttering fool. “I-I-was…getting it ready for you?”
Anger and humiliation colored her face a bright shade of red. “You’re lying! Am I really that bad that you have to find an excuse for me to leave so you can jerk off?” He reached for her, but she backed up, eluding him. “I feel like such a fool.”
Tears welled in her eyes and Ransom’s heart wrenched. Climbing out of the bed, he took her wrist and forced her to step up to him before she decided to run away. Cupping the back of her head, he pressed her moist cheek to his bare chest. “I’m the fool. I should have listened when you said you were inexperienced. I just didn’t think...”
“What? You didn’t think I would suck so bad?”
“Exactly.”
Everything went deathly silent, and for a moment, Ransom thought he’d really stuck his foot in his mouth, but then she surprised him.
A slow, steady shaking of her shoulders alerted him to the shift in her mood, but what could have been mistaken for crying turned out to be an acute case of the giggles. Relieved that she wasn’t upset with him, Ransom joined in, roaring with laughter, his relief palpable.
As their laughter subsided, Dani pulled back. Afraid of what she might do or say next, Ransom didn’t let her get far. Tugging her back in, he brushed the wet tracks from her cheeks, his stomach falling all over again at the sight of them.
“I’m sorry I made you cry. I never in my life want to hurt you.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” she assured him, ducking to hide her face and finish the job. “I just overreacted. It’s a habit of mine. Hopefully, you’ll stick around long enough to get used to it.”
“Where else would I possibly be.” Curling an arm around her waist, Ransom guided her back to the bed, urged her under the covers with a palm on her lush ass, and climbed in behind her. Facing away from him, Ransom conformed to her shape, nestling his face into the crook of her neck while the rest of him got up close and tight. Kissing her cheek, her shoulder, and finally her hair, he settled into the down-filled pillow.
“Are you still staying then?”
“That’s the idea. Do you mind?”
Her head moved, her long, golden hair rustling over the fabric of the pillowcase. “I like this too much for you to leave.”
“Good, me too.” Lying there together, cocooned in warmth, Ransom began to feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. He yawned, squeezed her tight.
“It’s getting late. Guess we should go to bed, huh?”
“Work calls,” he answered, knowing they both had an early morning and long day ahead.
After setting the alarm clock, they wished each other sweet dreams and were out cold in a matter of minutes.
***
“OH, MY JESUS LORD in heaven!”
Dani shot awake as if she’d been electrocuted at the high-pitched squawk of her mother’s voice inside her bedroom. Ransom wasn’t far behind. Standing in the doorway in her couture powder pink sweater and tailored blue jeans with her hand over her heart and clutching a strand of shiny black pearls, her mother was fit to be tied.
“Daniella May, what in the world are you doing with a man in your bed?” she shouted in dismay.
“Mother!” Dani cried, clutching the blankets to cover her nakedness. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Well, this is uncomfortable,” Ransom muttered, adjusting the sheet to make sure all the important bits were hidden.
“It’s Thursday,” her mother said as if that should explain everything.
It took Dani a second to catch up, and then she groaned, dropping her face into her hands. “Breakfast, right.” Earlier in the week, her mother had informed her that she’d be attending a soirée as she called it, and Dani had promised to take the morning off to go shopping with her and help her find a suitable dress. “You’re”—she glanced over at the clock—“over an hour early.”
“The sales start at nine. Everyone knows you need to be there when the doors open if you don’t want to miss out on the best deals.”
Slanting Ransom a look, Dani gave him an apologetic frown. Surprisingly, he reached over and rubbed her back as if telling her that he understood. Hell, maybe he did. Seraphim did seem a bit…headstrong. She knew how trying it could be to deal with mulish personalities.
Narrowing her eyes at her mother and hoping she could see just how annoyed she was with her blatant disregard for privacy, Dani said, “Well, I suppose since you’ve already been well-acquainted with his body…Mother, this is my boyfriend, Ransom Scott.”
Man, that felt good to say, she thought wistfully.
Turning her nose up, she avoided Ransom’s gaze. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but under the circumstances, I’m afraid I’m a little traumatized at the moment.”
“I’m sure given time you’ll have built up enough mental scarring to forget it,” Dani dead panned. “Ransom, this is my overly dramatic, ingénue of a mother, Teresa.”
He shot her a disbelieving smile that no doubt echoed her thoughts. Many times over the years, she’d teasingly referred to her mother as Mother Teresa, and judging by how well she played the part of the saintly maiden, she believed it, too.
“It’s nice to meet you, Teresa. I’m sorry you had to meet me in such a state of undress. Had I known you were coming over, I would have made sure to be properly clothed.”
“Well, it’s not as if you have anything to be ashamed of.”
“Mom!”
Ransom’s eyes widened a fraction. He cleared his throat. “On that note, I think I’ll go get dressed.”
He waited, and Dani looked to her mother, lifting her eyebrows.
“Oh, yes. I’ll just be in the kitchen. Would you like some coffee, Mr. Scott?”
“That would be nice, thank you.”
“Then I’ll start a pot.”
Dani could hardly contain her humiliation. As soon as her mother was gone, she snatched up a pillow and buried her face in it, screaming until her throat was raw.
“I never should have given her a key. I can’t believe her. She has no shame.” She looked up at Ransom, her brows pinching together. “I’m so sorry for that. There’s just no controlling her.”
“It’s perfectly fine,” he allowed. “I understand all too well about the plight of meddling mothers. At least you know she cares.”
“Well, she has a terrible way of showing it. I’m so embarrassed.”
“That makes two of us, but what’s done is done. Look at it this way, at least she didn’t faint.”
Dani laughed, although nothing about what he’d said was funny. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She’d a total diva.”
“Well, I think she seems nice, and I’m sure she means well.” He kissed her temple. “Let it go and come grab a shower with me.”
Taking his hand, she let him pull her from the bed. “Just don’t forget to lock the door, otherwise we’ll probably find her pulling back the curtain to ask if we want breakfast to go with our coffee.”
“If she cooks half as well as my mom, I could forgive that.”
Dani rolled her eyes, knowing he would. But as her mother had so aptly pointed out, he really had nothing to be ashamed of. Her gaze lowered to his tight apple butt, enjoying the view as the taught muscles flexed with each step, thinking there was another part of his body she’d neglected to sample.
***
“…HUNGRY? I’M MAKING BUTTERMILK pancakes.”
“Unbelievable,” Dani muttered against Ransom’s questing mouth.
He chuckled as he slid deeper into her body. “Good thing you locked the door.”
“No
kidding. Ah, Ransom, there,” she gasped when he hit a particularly sensitive part. “That’s so good.”
“Is anyone going to answer me?” Knockknockknock. “What are you two doing in there anyway?”
“Oh, my God,” Dani groaned, partly because of her mother’s persistence and partly because Ransom was too damn good at what he was doing. She was so glad at least one of them had experience, because she couldn’t imagine if both of them were fumbling newbs like her. It would be a total disaster.
“Are you having sex? In the shower?”
“Gotta hand it to her,” Ransom said, pushing her up higher on the wall, “she’s not easily deterred.”
“She’s a menace to orgasms. Good…Lord, don’t stop.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
“All right, if someone doesn’t answer me right this minute, I’m going to assume something is wrong and call the fire department.”
“Go away, Mom!”
Ransom nipped at the side of her neck, distracting her as best he could, and he had the kind of skill that Dani could almost pretend her mother wasn’t standing on the other side of the bathroom door, able to hear everything they were doing.
“Ignore her. Focus on me, on us,” Ransom demanded, pounding into her harder and faster, enticing her body to the edge with a promise of ultimate bliss. “You’re going to come all over my cock, Dani, and then I’m going to come all over you—your stomach, thighs, clit. Everywhere.”
Oh, God. She could picture it, and the idea of his seed on her body was all she needed to reach her zenith and free-fall into oblivion.
Unfortunately for her mother, Dani was a screamer, and caught in the throes of passion, there was no holding back. She succumbed to her primal instincts in a beautiful rush that Ransom rewarded with deep, soul-dredging thrusts. Capturing her mouth, he swallowed her impassioned cries as his own body tensed, preparing to answer the call.
Dani held on tight to his shoulders, her legs a vice around his hips and he continued to move, chasing that ethereal paradise.
But then something happened. She wasn’t sure what, but as Ransom slowed and his movements became jerky and eventually stilled, she knew something was wrong.
“Something’s…wrong,” Ransom said, the apprehension in his voice worrying her.
“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously, meeting his uneasy gaze. Her stomach pinched, wondering what could possibly have him reacting this way.
“I—I think I’m…stuck.” As if to demonstrate, he gave an experimental draw of his hips, and for the first time, she felt the disturbing fullness tug at her inner walls.
“Stuck?” she cried out, panic assaulting her. “Get it out!” Shoving at his shoulders, she attempted to drop her legs to the stall floor, but he held on tight to her thighs, forcing her to stay with him. What a time to realize that she was claustrophobic. Dani was so terrified, she was torn between wanting to cry and laugh.
“Don’t panic,” Ransom commanded, his voice level and calm. “I’ve heard of this happening before. It’s rare, but it’s not permanent.” Brushing her wet hair off her inflamed cheeks, he kissed her mouth and held her fearful gaze. “All we have to do is give our bodies time to calm down, okay?”
“I don’t think I can calm down. I’m freaking out.” What if they were stuck like this forever? In a fantasy world, maybe she could handle being locked together with him for eternity, but she had a job and a life. She couldn’t very well spend her days towing a naked man around with his penis lodged inside her. How would she explain that at the quarterly meetings? She’d have to telecommute!
“Think of something else. Like baseball.”
“Baseball?” What the hell did she know about baseball? Besides hot men in tight pants running around and hitting balls.
Ransom’s pained groan ripped her away from her thoughts. “Baseball turns you on, huh? That’s got to be a first. How about football instead?”
More men in tight pants running around. Her core clenched, and he shook his head.
“I don’t think this is going to work.”
“What if you finished? That might be easier.”
“It could. Would you be okay with that?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love having you inside of me, but I can’t live like this. Do what you have to do.”
“You need to work on your romancing skills,” he joked, then began a slow, steady push and retreat inside of her, not going far, but enough to garner the reaction they were both seeking.
Her head fell back against the tiles, her body responding to his instantly. “Just one more thing for you to teach me. At this rate, I’ll have to pay you overtime.”
“If by overtime you mean full-access pussy, it’ll be the best job I’ve ever had.”
“If you keep talking to me like that, I’m going to come again,” she warned, feeling that familiar heat creeping into her muscles.
“I can feel you squeezing me already,” he panted, picking up pace. Her back slapped against the wall, her moans growing louder. “Come on, Dani. Milk me dry.”
She did. Instantly, she succumbed to the lure of his words, her body grabbing and pulsing around him. Ransom’s expression twisted, his movements frantic. Breaths choppy, he crushed her mouth with his, powering into her with abandon.
Then Dani panicked for a whole new reason. He wasn’t stopping. But how could he when he was stuck. She tore away from the kiss, realizing she hadn’t thought this through. “Ransom, you have to pull out.”
“I can’t. Oh, God, I can’t.”
“You have to!” But even as she shouted at him, Dani knew it was impossible. She could feel their connection, and it was tighter than ever. The only way to keep him from finishing inside of her would be if they stopped everything right now and went back to square one. But it was too late. Ransom had already reached the point of no return.
Good one, Dani, she scolded herself. Brilliant fucking idea.
Her heart felt like it could explode.
“Dani …shit…I’m sorry!”
Ransom’s body froze, every hard muscle packed and unyielding as his release took hold and he spilled inside of her. It seemed to last forever, his body shuddering in the aftermath, his hips flexing each and every time.
Dani wanted to cry.
“I’m sorry,” Ransom apologized again, as if it were somehow is fault. “You said it was okay. Are you on birth control?”
“Yes,” she answered, her voice small and no less distraught. “But it’s not one-hundred percent.”
Picking up on her concern, Ransom withdrew from her then wrapped her up tight in his arms, offering his comfort and strength freely. “I’ve never gone bareback before, so if you’re worried about diseases, you don’t have to. But if you’re worried about getting pregnant, whatever you’re taking should be enough.”
That’s exactly what she was worried about. She was too young to handle raising a child. “What if it’s not?”
“Then I’ll be here. We’ll raise it together. But we don’t need to worry about that, because it’s not going to happen. Not until you’re ready for it to. Okay?”
She looked into his eyes, so steady and sure, and decided to trust him. “Okay.”
“Okay.” He took a deep, fortifying breath and let her down. “Let’s get cleaned up and go make sure Teresa hasn’t had a heart attack.”
“Oh, Lord, I forgot all about her being here.”
Pushing her back beneath the spray of water, Ransom smirked. “I could tell. And so could the rest of the building.”
“Oh, I hate you!” she shouted, slapping his arm. Was it possible for a person to die from embarrassment?
FOURTEEN
“THANK YOU FOR A wonderful breakfast, Teresa.” Pushing his chair out, Ransom stood and slipped on his jacket.
“Are you sure you don’t want some more?”
“Oh no, I’m so full, I’ll probably still be working it off come lunch.”
“I’ll take care of the
dishes,” Dani told them both as she stood to join him. “Let me walk you to the door.”
“It was nice meeting you, Teresa,” Ransom said, flashing her a smile. “Maybe next time I’ll make a better first impression.”
She waved her hand through the air. “Think nothing of it. I’m an old woman, not a naïve one.”
Right. At least she’d stopped staring at him like he was an ax murderer, eyes wide and face red as a beet. With that, Ransom told her good-bye and followed Dani to the door. Bending down, he slipped his hands into her damp hair and pulled her face up for a kiss. Getting lost in her was the easiest thing to do. She tasted of sweet syrup and tangy orange juice, his two new favorite flavors. Nipping her lips one last time, he smiled with pleasure as she sighed and melted into him.
“Will I see you later?”
“If you don’t mind being ignored while I catch up on some work. I always fall behind whenever I take a morning off to spend time with Mom.”
“You do that often?”
“About once a month.” A wistful look stole across her face and she fastened her hands behind his back. “So, your place or mine?”
“How about mine. I’ll make us dinner, turn on some music, and we can soak together in the tub.”
“All at once?”
“If you prefer.”
“I just might take you up on that.” Straightening, she dropped her arms back to her sides and took a step back. “You’d better go before I make you late.”
“Mmm,” Ransom hummed, pulling her against him and clasping his hand around her hip. “You’re welcome to make me late any time.”
“Okay, you two. Say good-bye and get out of here,” Teresa said as she passed by the door on her way to the kitchen with a stack of plates in her hand. “I can practically hear the sales flying out the door.”
“She’s going to be impossible,” Dani groaned.
“Try to be patient.” He kissed her forehead. “See you tonight.”
***
RANSOM RECEIVED HIS INVITATION via text, just as Goodwin promised, while sitting at his desk eating his lunch.
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