Hook

by Chelle Bliss

  I rub my hand down my leg, trying to remain calm for the big talk I know needs to happen. “You’re going to be so busy once the shop opens.”

  I sound like an idiot. Like an insecure moron, already justifying why she may not call again after tonight. All the vibes are there. We click. There’s chemistry. We share a disconnected yet similar past. But what if… What if I ask her to be mine, and she runs the other way, scared as fuck to move on and unable to let go of her husband?

  She touches my knee. “It’ll be crazy, but I won’t let it rule my life. There are other things that are much more important.” She’s staring at me as she says those words. “I’ve learned that time is the most precious thing we have, and although the cupcake shop has been my dream for so long, I realize I want more out of life.”

  “Tilly.” I move closer, placing my hand over hers. “I want to talk to you about something important.”

  She leans over and places her wine on the coffee table. “Of course. What’s wrong?”

  Reaching up, I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and leave my hand on her cheek instead of pulling away. “We have a connection, yeah?”

  She nods, tilting her head and moving into my touch.

  “I truly feel like we were meant to be here, in this moment, at this time in our lives. You came into my world for a reason, and I’m undeniably and inextricably drawn to you. When you’re near, I feel at peace for the first time in longer than I can remember.”

  “Me too,” she whispers, gazing at me in the dim candlelight.

  “I want no one else in this world as much as I want you. We can move slow, but I want there to be no doubt about my intentions. I want you as my own. Only mine and no one else’s.”

  The corner of her mouth touches my thumb. “Are you mine, then?”

  “No one else’s.”

  She slides her leg away and moves her body within inches of mine. “I’m falling for you, Angelo. Falling hard and fast.”

  My heart sputters at her confession. “I know it’s crazy, but I feel the same way. The moment I laid eyes on you and heard you tell off that mixer, I knew I wanted you.”

  She leans forward, taking me by surprise when she climbs into my lap. My hands are on her back in an instant, holding her tightly. “Say you’re mine.”

  She presses her chest flush against me, bringing her lips close to mine. In the faint light, her eyes are dark, but the fire within burns brightly. “I want to be yours, Angelo.”

  I lean forward, tightening my grip on her body, and press my mouth to hers. She tastes of the sweetest white wine as my tongue brushes against her bottom lip. She’s intoxicating. Pure and simple.

  She slides her hands up my arms, settling them around my neck as I deepen the kiss. The need to explore her body almost overwhelms my restraint for the slow, controlled pace I’d promised. The fact that she’s moving around on top of my cock doesn’t make anything easier.

  She fists her fingers in the back of my hair and swipes her tongue in my mouth, tangling with mine. Sweet baby Jesus, I want this woman. I want her more than I’ve wanted anything or anyone in so long.

  She’s like coming home again.

  19

  Tilly

  His body is like liquid lava against mine. I’ve missed the warmth of a man and being wrapped in strong arms. He’s stolen my breath almost completely with the way he kisses me, passionate and with purpose.

  “Angelo,” I whisper against his lips, hoping I don’t scare him away with what I’m about to say.

  He opens his ice-blue eyes and stares at me with pure and utter lust. “Is this too much?”

  I shake my head and lean back so I can see his face and not just his eyes. “I need to tell you something and ask something too.”

  He flattens his palms against my back, keeping me close like I’m going to try to run. “Ask me anything.”

  “Well.” I glance down at his chest, unable to look him in the eyes. “I have never been with anyone besides Mitchell.”

  The warmth of his hand is gone, and my stomach flutters for a moment because maybe that was too much information in the heat of the moment.

  “Tilly.” His fingers are on my chin, lifting my face to meet his gaze. “Don’t worry. We can just kiss.”

  I almost burst into tears at the sweetness of this man, but I swallow them down, determined to get over my fear. “I don’t want that.”

  His lips part as he sucks in a breath, maybe caught more off guard by my last words.

  “I want you, Angelo. I want to be with you. I want to know what it feels like to have your skin pressed against mine.”

  He slides his hand against my cheek and curls his fingers around my neck. “Are you sure?” His beautiful blue eyes search my face.

  I reach between my legs, cupping his stiff cock in my palm. “Completely.”

  He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I haven’t made love to a woman in three years, Tilly. I’ve got to take this slow.” He gazes at me with a hunger I’ve never seen before.

  For a moment, I’m shocked, but I shouldn’t be. From everything I know about Angelo, he’s thoughtful in everything he does. It shouldn’t surprise me that his approach to sex isn’t any different.

  He moves his one hand to my hip and pulls me in for a kiss with the other. “If you want to stop, just say the word.”

  “I don’t. I want you.” The words are barely out of my mouth before his lips crash down on mine.

  I slip my fingers under his shirt, running them along the dips and curves of his abs as they flex under my touch. The man is soft and hard in all the right places.

  “I need you,” he says against my lips before he stands, taking me with him.

  I wrap my legs around his waist, clinging to him as he walks toward the hallway with me in his arms. The kiss isn’t frantic, but it is passionate and intense. His tongue tangles with mine in a delicate dance of need and lust.

  He covers me with his body as he lays me on the bed, careful not to crush me under the weight of his massive frame. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so small compared to another human being as I do in this moment with him hovering above me.

  His bicep ripples next to my head as he lifts himself up on one arm and uses the other to pull his shirt over his head. In the faint glow of the streetlights shining through the window, I can see every muscle on his chest and shoulders as if they were carved out of the hardest stone.

  I widen my eyes. The man is literally built like a Roman god without an ounce of fat anywhere on his body. “Jesus,” I mutter, not meaning to say that out loud but doing it anyway.

  “This isn’t right.”

  My stomach sinks.

  Fuck. Why did I have to open my big mouth?

  I lock my ankles behind his ass, not wanting him to stop. “No, I’m okay.” I push myself up on my elbows, getting a better look at his killer body. “Keep going.”

  Angelo laughs. “No, I want to undress you slowly.”

  “Oh.” The moment of panic passes, and I release my death grip on his ass.

  “Stand,” he tells me like I don’t really have an option, which, somehow, is okay with me.

  He climbs off the bed first, and I follow the motion of each and every muscle rippling on his torso with my eyes. I just lie there, half upright, gawking at him like I’ve never seen a naked chest before. I have, but not one quite like his.

  I don’t move until he finally motions for me to take his hand. I mean, who can move, let alone think, when there’s all that muscle flexing in such beautiful harmony? Clearly not me.

  “I’m sorry.” My face heats as I come face-to-face with his pecs. I want to reach out and touch them, testing to see if they’re as hard as they look. “I’ve just never seen so much muscle on one man.”

  He smiles but doesn’t laugh. Jesus. I feel like a complete moron. I would give my dorky high school self a run for her money in the awkward sex retelling of my life.

  “Just relax.” His head dips forward,
and his lips brush against my neck just below my jaw.

  My skin breaks out in goose bumps, and my eyes roll back. The volume of pleasure this man can deliver with a simple kiss is mind-boggling. I’m putty in his hands at this point, and there’s no turning back. My neck has always been my weakness.

  When his fingers slide under the spaghetti straps of the black top I’m wearing, my breath hitches and butterflies fill my stomach. No man has seen me naked in five years. Parts of my body no longer lie where they used to, and gravity, along with age, has clearly taken its toll.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispers against my skin as if he senses my fear.

  As the first strap slides down my arm, his lips disappear from my neck. Our eyes lock as the strap moves past my finger, exposing one breast. I expect him to look down, but he doesn’t as his hand moves to the second strap and lingers.

  “Breathe, Tilly.”

  I gasp, not realizing I’d actually stopped breathing. “I’m sorry.” I swallow, focusing on his eyes and nothing else to help keep my fear at bay.

  The cold air drifts across my breasts as the second strap falls off my shoulder, leaving me bare. His hand slides around my back, just above my ass, and he pulls me flush against him.

  I melt into his warmth, reveling in the softness of his skin against mine. I’ve missed this. Missed the connection to another human being only nakedness can give.

  His mouth crashes down against my lips as his fingers slowly inch down my back, finding the zipper to my skirt. I give him my mouth willingly, wanting nothing more than to taste his sweet lips.

  For a moment, I think of Roger, thankful I followed his advice and shaved everything. I wasn’t sure where the night would lead us, but in my heart, I was hoping to feel Angelo’s body pressed against mine just like it is now.

  My stomach flutters as the teeth of my zipper separate and my skirt falls to my feet. I’m completely naked, stepping outside my comfort zone and going without panties for the first time in years.

  My heart’s racing as he grips my ass, pulling my body closer to his and, by default, pressing his cock against me. I’m winded by the thickness and length, forgetting exactly how it feels to be filled, but excited to be reminded. I almost thought I’d never have sex again, destined to be celibate forever.

  My fingers find his jeans in the darkness, working the zipper down in quick fashion and tugging at the sides of his waistband until his cock springs free.

  His lips leave mine, and I open my eyes as he backs away. We’re both naked with nothing separating us.

  “God, Tilly.” He finally lets his gaze wander over my naked flesh. “You’re perfect.”

  I drink him in as a whole before my eyes take him in piece by piece. Wide shoulders. Insane amount of muscles. Thick thighs. Huge cock. The man’s body was created to be worshiped. “You’re a whole lotta man, Angelo.”

  His cock twitches, catching my eye again. Like I hadn’t noticed the enormous size of the damn thing moments ago. To say it’s impressive is an understatement.

  “I’ll be gentle,” he promises.

  I’m not entirely sure I want his gentleness after five years of absolute abstinence.

  He steps forward and closes the space between us before grabbing my waist. “You’re mine, Tilly. I’ll always protect you and will never hurt you.”

  As soon as he says those words, a peace unlike anything I’ve ever felt before washes over me.

  “Make love to me,” I whisper into the still night air, gazing into the blue eyes of the man I’m quickly falling in love with.

  He guides me toward the bed, covering my body with his again before sliding between my legs. “You’re shaking.” He runs his lips across my skin near my collarbone.

  “Kiss me.” I pull his face down to mine and take his mouth with such intensity, I leave no doubt in his mind or my own what I want.

  He glides his hand across my skin, brushing near my nipple and sending shock waves throughout my entire body. I arch my back, craving his touch and wanting more of the delicious pleasure only his fingertips can deliver.

  His lips slip from mine, following the same path his fingertips just took. I moan, unable to hold back when his warm, wet tongue touches the side of my nipple. I dig my fingernails into his shoulders, begging for more of his mouth and wanting all the pleasure he has to offer.

  I press his cock against my aching pussy as I wrap my legs around his hips and lock our bodies together. “I want you,” I whisper as my fingers find the hard planes of his back. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  He lifts his head and stares up my body. “Don’t rush this, baby. Don’t rush me or your pleasure,” he says before he lowers his head over my other breast.

  20

  Angelo

  My mouth covers her pussy as she shakes uncontrollably in the bed. I hum my approval, adding to the overwhelming sensation she’s no doubt feeling.

  “Oh God. Oh God,” she calls out as I swipe my tongue across her clit, and her fingers wrap around the comforter at her side. “Yes!”

  She’s loud, and I love that about her. There’s no timid Tilly, scared to ask for what she wants or too bashful to let me know when I’ve hit the right spots. There’s never any guessing with her, even when it comes to sex.

  I smile around her clit, sucking her sensitive skin harder than before. She starts chanting a language I’ve never heard before, rocking her hips and pushing her pussy against my face.

  “I’m coming,” she says, almost singing the words. “Oh fuck.”

  Her words spur me on, making me lick quicker and suck harder until her body’s quaking against the sheets and she’s gasping for air. I keep my eyes locked on her, looking at her naked body as her chest heaves.

  She doesn’t speak, trying to catch her breath as she melts into the mattress. I slide between her legs, lining up my cock with her inviting pussy. Her knees fall to the bed, opening to me. I slide one hand under her ass and guide my cock slowly inside her with the other.

  She peers up with her green eyes, cheeks flushed. I’m moving slowly, easing myself inside her gradually because the last thing I want to do is have this be over before I have a chance to really get started.

  I close my eyes, the sweet ecstasy her pussy delivers almost pushing me over the edge. Go slow, I tell myself. I need this. I want this. There’s a time for fast, but now isn’t it.

  I pull my hips back before thrusting forward with a little more force. I practically lose it, but I rebound as my body stills. Leaning forward, I take her nipple in my mouth, loving the way her pussy clamps down around my shaft.

  Twisting my hips, I grind into her, pressing against her clit. Slowly, and almost to the point of torture, I move again. I grip her ass with one hand as I hold myself up with the other, staring down at the woman I’ve quickly fallen in love with.

  Our eyes are locked on each other’s as I rock into her over and over again, keeping a slow, steady rhythm. Her legs wrap around my waist, and she locks her ankles against my ass. “Deeper,” she whispers.

  I rock upward, forcing my cock deeper inside her, knowing I can’t last much longer. It’s impossible with the way her body feels wrapped around my dick and the length of time it’s been since I’ve felt anything this spectacular.

  Tilly moves with me, shaking in my arms as her breathing grows more erratic with each thrust. My entire body’s on fire as the orgasm begins to take hold, making it impossible for me to stop.

  I tilt her ass upward, changing the angle and pushing my pelvis against her clit. Within seconds, she’s crying out, digging her fingernails into my biceps as the orgasm builds inside each of us.

  I thrust harder, moving faster than before, and chase the orgasm for us both. I squeeze my eyes shut, and colors explode behind my lids like a grand finale on the Fourth of July. I gasp for air, my heart racing as my body quivers, and I spill my seed inside her.

  Her legs fall away as I collapse on top of her, breathing heavily.

  �
�Sweet Jesus,” she whispers in my hair, swallowing and gasping right along with me.

  Our bodies stick together, the fine sheen of perspiration acting as a binder. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” she asks as she touches my face.

  “I wanted that to take longer.”

  She laughs softly. “Don’t be silly. It was perfect.” She lifts her head and kisses me, wiping away any doubt I might have had.

  Rolling onto my side, I pull Tilly with me and wrap her in my arms.

  “Angelo,” she whispers and peers up at me.

  “Yeah, baby?” I brush the hair away from her face.

  “We didn’t use protection.” She grimaces.

  “Fuck, I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

  “I forgot too. I haven’t thought about condoms in…” Her voice drifts off.

  “I’m clean,” I tell her, trying to put her mind at ease.

  “Pregnancy,” she reminds me and runs her fingernails down the middle of my chest.

  “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

  There’re no other words spoken, and the only sounds in the room are our harsh breaths and beating hearts.

  I haven’t moved in an hour. I’ve been staring at Tilly as she sleeps, feeling more content than I have in years. There’s no overwhelming guilt or remorse for what happened last night—only happiness, which I haven’t felt so completely in far too long.

  The sunlight streams through the window above the bed, cascading across Tilly’s naked body and making her look almost angelic. She turns a little as the sheet falls away, exposing her breast in all its perfection.

  There isn’t anything about her I don’t like. She’s as sweet as her cupcakes, caring, kind, and thoughtful. She loves the kids, and Tate has a soft spot for Tilly too. Marissa would’ve liked her if they’d met. They certainly would have become friends and probably stirred up a little trouble in the neighborhood.

  Tilly’s eyes open slowly. “Good morning.” She stretches. “How long have you been awake?”