Home to Stay: Anchor Island 3

by Terri Osburn

  “Your turn,” he said, though his mouth was so dry, the words were barely audible.

  With little more than one lift of a brow, Will slid the remaining strap off her right shoulder, then shimmied, sending the whiff of silk into a delicate heap at her ankles. Red lace panties rested several inches below her naval, the sides little more than tiny bits of ribbon. A matched set.

  Randy would never look at red lace the same way again.

  Will tried not to think about how long it had been since she’d been naked in front of a man. The last time she could recall wasn’t a pleasant memory, but she would wipe that clean this evening. Tonight would be the beginning of reclaiming herself. Tonight was about her and Randy, and nothing else mattered.

  Correction. One other thing mattered.

  “I hope you’re prepared for this,” she said, trying to sound as sultry as possible while asking about condoms.

  “As prepared as possible,” he said, his eyes roaming her body like a dying man seeing an angel before him.

  So much for sultry. “I mean…protection?” She didn’t want this minor technicality to ruin the mood, but precautions had to be taken. “Please tell me you have some.” She might dissolve into a puddle of tears if he didn’t have what they needed.

  Brown eyes went round. “Oh, right. I’ve got plenty. Now I need you to come over here before I embarrass myself from looking at you.”

  Relief tumbled through her as a heat that had dropped to a mild simmer built low in her belly. Joining Randy at the bed, she let him pull her down next to him. The demanding giant that had carried her through the house, which was one of the hottest things a man had ever done for her, had fled, leaving the patient, gentle giant toying with her hair.

  “That was a nice little shimmy there,” he said, the gruffness of his voice indicating he wasn’t as calm as he might appear. “Like a curtain dropping on a beautiful work of art.” A warm finger crept along the lacy edge of her bra. “Is this pretty set for my benefit?” he asked, as if inquiring about something that had nothing to do with her being nearly naked on his bed.

  “I bought them for me, but thought you might appreciate them, too.”

  “Oh, I do.” He rolled closer, pinning her half under his body. “Let me show you how much I appreciate them.”

  A shiver trembled through her limbs as his full lips descended to her breast. With one finger, he pressed the left cup down until cool air brushed her nipple. In what seemed like slow motion, he pressed his mouth to the tender bud, suckling until Will’s mind went numb, then biting just enough to increase the moisture between her legs.

  As if he sensed her reaction, Randy’s hand trailed over her ribs, dipped behind the band of her panties, and slid between the folds now wet and ready.

  “Oh, God,” Will murmured, as her hips rose off the bed.

  Ignoring her cry, he shifted to her right breast, pulling the fabric down with his teeth before giving her other nipple the same attention he’d lavished on the first. All the while, his finger was firm and kneading. Then he added another, pressing deeper. Will opened her legs wide as she panted out his name. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire, connected by a live wire to his mouth and fingers.

  One finger entered her and suddenly there was no surface beneath her. No walls holding her in. Randy’s teeth pinched her now rock-hard nipple as he pressed another finger inside, his knee pressing her legs farther apart.

  Before Will could find her bearings again, his hands were on her hips, pushing her higher up the bed. His tongue dipped into her naval, then large hands were sliding the wet red silk down toward her knees. When they cleared her toes, Randy lifted her hips, pressing a kiss into dark curls as she planted her heels on his broad shoulders.

  He dropped a kiss lower, where his fingers had worked mere seconds before. Will clutched the sheet, her body jerking with sensations she couldn’t even name. With a tight grip on her ass, he sunk deep, his tongue reaching her core, and she panted and begged and whimpered what must have been incoherent gibberish.

  Her body was no longer under her own control. She was at Randy’s command, responding to every stroke, every nudge, every need he drew from her. Her mind spiraled, her head nodding from side to side. The wave was too strong. Will felt herself going under seconds before a scream filled the air.

  Her body clenched, jerked, thrashed, and then settled into a shaking mass atop tussled sheets that felt like a cloud against her skin. Will had never had an orgasm like that. Ever.

  There was a ringing in her ears, and her teeth tingled. The world might have spun off its axis, she couldn’t be sure.

  As the tension seeped away, replaced by a joyful, wilting feeling, she heard the sound of tearing paper. Looking down, she watched Randy slide the condom over his erection. She wasn’t sure when his underwear came off, but this first glimpse of what was to come, no pun intended, resulted in an odd and unexpected reaction.

  She began to giggle.

  After giving a woman a mind-blowing orgasm, Randy didn’t expect a fit of the giggles.

  “I hope this means you’re happy with the night so far,” he said, sliding his knee between her thighs and dropping wet kisses across her shoulder. His body hovered at the breaking point, but he refused to crawl on top of a woman who was shaking with laughter.

  Will coughed, tried to sober, then giggled some more. “I’m sorry,” she said through snorts and spurts. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I…You’re…” She seemed to be pointing at a specific part of his body, which was in danger of abandoning the party if she kept up the giggling.

  “I’m what?” he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

  “Big,” she said, the giggles fading away to be replaced by one of the wickedest smiles he’d ever seen. That brought all parts back to the party.

  “Well,” he hedged, ignoring the heat crawling up his neck. “I’m a big guy.”

  Will’s smile grew wider. Pushing against his chest, she said, “And I’m a lucky girl.” Seconds later, she had him flat on his back, once again straddling his hips, hovering above him like a sexual witch teasing him with what might happen next.

  Licking her lips, sapphire eyes locked with his as she slowly lowered onto him, taking him in, inch by inch, until he was sheathed to the hilt inside of her. Palms pressed against his chest, she lifted, moaning as she went, his hips bucking in response.

  Placing a finger over his lips, she shook her head, sending waves of black swirling around her shoulders. “My turn,” she said, sliding down again.

  Randy invoked every ounce of control to give her what she wanted. To let her ride him, setting the pace, rolling her hips in a way that threatened to snap the thin hold he had on his body.

  She hadn’t said he couldn’t touch. Running his hands up her rib cage, he cupped the sides of her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. The buds were small and still wet from his earlier attention. The more he rubbed, the quicker Will rode. He dropped a hand to rub the spot he knew would send her over the edge.

  Will drove down hard, taking him deeper, driving him closer to his own breaking point. With teeth clenched, she rocked back, driving up then down with sheer determination. Pulling up his knees, Randy lifted into her, dragging a growl from deep inside his chest and sending a surge of raw, throbbing energy tearing through his body.

  Will toppled onto the bed, curling tight against Randy’s side. She’d never felt more sated in her life, but was already thinking about when they could do it again. As his heart beat a mile a minute beneath her ear, Randy tightened his arm around her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

  “Wow,” he said, in a voice that sounded as if he’d witnessed something miraculous.

  She didn’t know about miracles, but what they’d just done could be measured on the Richter scale.

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  “That is the only way to put it.” Randy lifted her with one arm to lay atop him. Impressive. “I like you
up there.”

  Will placed a kiss in the middle of his chest. “It isn’t the softest surface, but I kind of like it, too.” Heat from his body radiated against her skin. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying the feel of Randy’s fingers rubbing the small of her back.

  That’s when she noticed the sound.

  “This isn’t a water bed, is it?” she asked.

  “If this is your way of saying you felt the Earth move, you’re welcome.”

  Will rolled her eyes. “Don’t you hear that running water? Where’s that coming from?” Pushing off his chest, she looked around, but the light was fully gone now and Randy’s bedroom didn’t seem to have many windows.

  In fact, she wasn’t sure what the room looked like at all.

  “That’s the boys,” Randy said, as if this statement explained everything.

  “I’m going to need you to expand on that,” she said.

  Without another word, Randy scooted out from under her and headed for the wall to their right. Well, his right, her left.

  So he didn’t sunbathe naked. Good to know.

  A click echoed in the silent room, then Will was blinded by a glowing light.

  “Willow Parsons, meet the boys.”

  Blinking through the spots dancing in her vision, she finally made out three small fish swimming around a large tank filled with beautiful bright coral and wide-leafed ferns.

  “You have fish?”

  “Sure,” he said, his usual chipper self. “Come over and meet them.”

  Will had never shaken hands with a fish before, but saw no reason not to humor the man who’d given her the best sex of her life. “Okay.” She looked around for something to cover up with, toying with wrapping the comforter around her.

  “The fish aren’t really offended by nudity, and I’ve already seen all of you,” Randy said, flashing her a wicked grin. “If you’re cold, get over here and I’ll keep you warm.”

  Pushing through her insecurities, Will joined Randy at the fish tank, but she couldn’t help but cross her arms. In the throes of passion was one thing. In the blaring light of the tropical tank was another. Her breasts bordered on flat, something she’d always disliked about her body.

  Her discomfort must have shown on her face.

  “You’re beautiful, Will. Every last inch of you.” He loosened her arms and pulled her against him. “And I mean to get to all those inches eventually, if not tonight.”

  She couldn’t have stopped the shiver any more than she could stop the sun from coming up in the morning. “Good thing we still have that chocolate torte to replenish our energy levels. Now introduce me to your boys.”

  Randy dropped a hard kiss on her lips, then turned to the tank. “This one is Harley. She’s a Harlequin, and before you ask, no, she doesn’t mind being called one of the boys. I think she likes it.”

  The man had seemed so sane only minutes before.

  “This is Dizzy,” he said, pointing to a flat round one with big eyes and zebra-print markings, only in a beautiful rusty-red color. “He tends to go in circles a lot. Swims along, then spins in place and shoots off in the other direction.” In a whisper, Randy added, “He’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the tank, if you know what I mean.”

  Mixed metaphors now. Was it possible for a person to be screwed stupid?

  “And this is Shogun. The alpha of the group.”

  An alpha fish. Seemed legit.

  Shogun was the prettiest of the bunch. “What kind of fish is he?” she asked, trying to be supportive.

  “Koi. Swordtail to be exact. They’re great company for meditation.”

  Will had tried meditation once. She’d ended up mentally writing her grocery list, inventorying her sock drawer, and projecting her taxes for the coming year. Her meditation skills needed work.

  “How did I miss these guys the other day?”

  “We didn’t make it into the bedroom, remember?” Lifting back the lid on top of the tank, Randy poured tiny flakes across the top of the water. The boys pounced. “Though,” he said, closing the lid again, “if I’d known how good the sex would be, I might have worked harder to get you to stay.”

  Will wanted to believe she’d have left anyway but had never been much good at lying. At least not to herself.

  “Well,” she said, sliding her hands down to his quite perfect derriere. “I’m here now. What do you think we should do next?”

  His reaction was instant and evident in the nudge she felt against her stomach.

  “I did promise to explore the rest of you,” he said, his voice deepened by arousal.

  “Tell you what,” Will said, pulling him with her toward the bed. “If you promise to be a good boy and lie still, I’ll explore you first.”

  “Whatever the lady wants,” he said.

  CHAPTER 18

  Will had slipped on her dress, located her shoes, and shoved the strip of red lace that passed for a bra into her purse before waking Randy. It was past one in the morning, and he’d been asleep for about an hour. She’d dozed off with him, but years of living on alert had made her a light sleeper.

  She’d never intended to spend the night. A little sex was one thing. Waking up together was another. As much as she’d like to stay curled against him until dawn, Will knew she had to go.

  “Randy,” she whispered, nudging the sleeping giant gently on the shoulder.

  He didn’t move. She nudged a little harder. Still nothing. Running a hand through her hair, she considered letting him sleep and slipping out, but that seemed rude after how they’d spent the evening. The man had given her more orgasms in one night than other men had given her in their entire relationships.

  Not that it was all about the orgasms. He’d also held her for at least an hour doing nothing more than talking. Not many men were willing to do that.

  Crawling onto the bed, she leaned over his face and poked with more conviction. Before she could say his name again, she found herself pinned beneath him, the light of the fish tank illuminating a wicked smile. Until he realized she was dressed.

  “Why are you wearing clothes? If you need something to sleep in, I’ll give you a shirt.” He nuzzled against her neck. “But I’d rather you wear me instead.”

  Pushing his forehead up with her index finger, she raised one brow. “That might be the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.”

  Randy nodded once. “It sounded better in my head. So what’s with the clothing? Seriously.”

  “I’m going home,” Will said, her voice not nearly as firm as she’d hoped. Sticking to her convictions wasn’t easy with him all gloriously naked and pressing a knee between her thighs.

  He didn’t even have bad breath. How was that possible?

  “Now why would you want to do that?” he asked, propping his head on one hand as if they were having a conversation over lunch. “I’m a very early riser. I’ll make sure you’re up in the morning.”

  And she knew exactly how he’d wake her. So tempting.

  “Spending the night is too much,” she said, pushing against him. He rolled to the side so she could get up. “We’re helping each other out. A little sex to cure the drought. Waking up together is too much like playing house, and that’s not what we’re doing.”

  “I didn’t think we were playing at anything.” Randy rolled the rest of the way off the bed, opened a drawer of the dresser holding the fish tank, and slipped on a pair of shorts. “Sharing breakfast doesn’t lock you into a marriage, Will. It’s a meal, not a contract.”

  “No,” she said, slipping on her shoes. “It’s breakfast after a night of sleeping together. Besides, this is supposed to be a secret. Someone might see me leaving in the morning.”

  “Because being on the streets of Anchor at nearly two in the morning isn’t suspicious at all.”

  This might be the first time she’d seen Randy show any hint of a temper. Though he’d been similarly pissed that night at the bar when he’d confronted her about not liking h
im.

  Which made her realize, he wasn’t mad. He was hurt.

  Pulling the last strap into place, she walked around the bed, approaching him with a smile on her face. Sliding her arms around his rib cage, she looked him in the eye. “I don’t regret one thing we did here tonight. And I’m all for repeating them again as soon as possible. But it’s important to me that we stick with the program here. The clearer the boundaries, the less chance of anyone getting hurt.”

  The last thing she wanted to do was hurt this gentle soul. And if she wasn’t careful, Will would be dealing with a broken heart of her own when this was over. Plus, there was Sid to worry about. Partly that she’d feel betrayed when she found out what was going on, but also because Will wouldn’t put it past Sid to cut her into little pieces and scatter her at sea.

  She’d cry while doing it, but Will would still be fish food before she knew what hit her.

  Randy pulled her tight. “You’re no fun when you’re being all pragmatic like this.”

  With a wink, she answered, “It’s always been my fatal flaw.”

  “Explains why you’re so good with numbers.”

  That and the accounting degree, but no need to argue the details.

  “Now that you’re up, are you going to walk me to the door?” Not that he had to, but the gesture would be nice.

  “Of course I am,” he said, pulling her out of the room by one hand. “I’m not passing up the chance to coax a hot goodnight kiss out of you.”

  Randy was a good coaxer. The clock chimed two before Will finally reached her van, feeling more content than she’d been in a long time. And ignoring the demand from every pore in her body that she return to the house and let her new lover fulfill every promise he’d made in that kiss.

  Instead, she drove home as fast as she could.

  Randy was literally up bright and early, thanks to a dream that put Will back in his bed. They’d been enjoying a particular position they hadn’t tried last night. He’d have to see if she was up for making that dream a reality. But first things first. This morning, he had an appointment with Sam Edwards.