As the water ran into the tub, she stroked a hand down his biceps. “I assume you got this way because you work out.”
“Nah, I was born like this.”
“Must have been rough on your mother.” She’d meant it as a joke, but immediately she regretted bringing up the subject of Diana. “Sorry. Cancel that remark.”
“It’s okay.” He pulled her into his arms. “I’ve had to deal with her all my life. I figured out pretty early that she wasn’t the poster girl for motherhood.”
Meg nestled against his sculpted chest and enjoyed the growing evidence of his interest pressing against her belly. “Let’s talk about your workouts.” She glanced up at him. “Judging from the evidence—” she slid her hands up his muscled back “—you’re in the gym a fair bit.”
“I am.” He cupped her bottom and brought her in close. “I work off a lot of stress there, but now that I’ve met you, I can imagine a much better way to do that.”
She nodded. “Sex as a stress buster. I can go along with that idea.”
“In fact, I wonder if you’d be willing to act as my safety valve if this wedding craziness gets out of hand.”
“That conjures up some interesting scenarios.” She rubbed languidly against him. “So let’s say on Thursday night, the pressure gets too intense for one reason or another. Shall we meet in the backseat of your Lexus?”
He stroked upward and moved both hands around to fondle her breasts. “On the other hand, why wait for pressure to build up? Why don’t we just plan on some backseat sex during the party?”
“You’re a bad boy, Rafe Locke.” She leaned into his caress and closed her eyes. “How’s the water level?” she murmured.
“What water level? I— Yikes, the water level.” Releasing her quickly, he spun toward the tub and turned off the faucet. “I’m going to drain some out. We don’t want to flood the place when we both get in.”
“And start splashing around.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Are you a splasher?”
“Depends on what’s happening in the tub.”
He gazed at her, amusement in his dark eyes. “Maybe I’ll drain out a little bit more, then. I have some thoughts about what might be happening in the tub, and you might turn into a splasher, at that.” He watched the water level and finally put the plug back in the drain. “That looks about right.”
“Maybe you should get in by yourself for a while. You really should soak your thigh muscles in warm water.”
“That doesn’t sound like any fun. I’ll get in first, though, since I’ll take up the most room. Then we’ll work you in around me.”
She glanced at the proud jut of his penis. “You’d take up less room if you could tame your friend, there.”
“That’s your department.” He sat down in the tub, leaned back, and held out his hand. “Come on in. The water’s fine.”
“Just where do you intend to put me?” She’d thought they both might fit, but he really was bigger—in all respects—than she’d realized.
He drew his knees up slightly. “There’s room at the far end.”
“Let me take off my necklace first.” She hadn’t been without it since she’d first put it on this afternoon, and as she laid the silver spiral on the counter, she touched the malachite once for good luck. “Do you think I’ll still be uninhibited if I’m not wearing it?”
“I don’t know. Do you feel a lot different when it’s on?”
She turned back to him with a smile. “Seeing you naked has a greater effect on my inhibitions than a piece of malachite ever could.”
“Then we should join a nudist colony.”
“Ah, but I don’t want to share.”
“Okay, then I’ll have to remember to strip down whenever we’re alone.”
“Sounds good to me.” She stepped into the small space he’d left her. “Okay, now what?”
“Sit down and stretch your legs out on each side of my hips.”
Somehow she managed it. With her legs apart, the warm water caressed her intimately and she flushed as she felt the first tug of arousal.
“Okay, now hold my hands tight. I’m going to put my legs around you and pull you toward me. I’ll do it slowly so we don’t send waves crashing over the sides of the tub.”
“I’m trying to imagine where this is going.”
He laughed. “I’m not exactly sure. I’m making it up as I go along.”
“That’s not very comforting. What if we get twisted up in here and can’t untangle without pulling a groin muscle?”
“I forgot to mention I was also on the wrestling team in high school. I can get us out of anything. Now slide forward. That’s it. Closer, closer…there. How’s that?”
“Interesting. Puts me in striking distance.” She reached out and wrapped her hand around his cock, slick with water.
“Mmm.” His gaze grew heavy-lidded as she caressed him. “So far, so good.”
“I don’t know what this is doing for your thighs.”
“Who cares? And the beauty of this position is that it works both ways.” Slipping his hand between her legs under the water, he rubbed his knuckle over her clit.
She drew in a quick breath as her womb twitched in reaction.
“I love watching how your eyes grow dark when you’re excited.”
“Who says I’m excited?”
“You’re not? Then let’s try this.” Changing the position of his hand, he gently pushed two fingers into her slick channel, which was already starting to quiver. His thumb rested lightly on her trigger point. Then he began to lazily stroke it back and forth as he found her G-spot with the pads of his fingers.
“Uh, that’s pretty nice right there.” Understatement of the year.
Then he stopped moving his hand.
“You could keep that up if you want.”
“It’s your turn.”
“Oh.” She was still holding his cock, but she’d forgotten about the caressing part. Squeezing lightly, she moved her hand up and down.
His breathing grew rougher. “If we were into delayed gratification, we could see how long we could keep this up, starting and stopping, without coming.”
She continued to stroke him. “Are you into delayed gratification?”
“Maybe someday. Not tonight.” He swallowed. “See if you can still do that while I…do this.” He massaged her G-spot again.
The pleasure nearly made her lose her concentration, but she kept reminding herself to touch him, caress him and make him tremble the way he was making her tremble. She held his gaze. “Your eyes get dark, too.”
“I’ll bet.” His breath came faster. “I’m getting close.”
“Me, too.” She slid her hand up and down faster as he increased the pace of his massage. Water sloshed back and forth, and the sound made the moment even more erotic.
“You’re almost there. I can see it in your eyes.”
“Yes.” Her answer was breathless. “Can you…?”
“Almost. Faster. Don’t be loud.”
“I won’t.”
“That’s it…good…good…now!” He pressed down on her clit with his thumb and she came at the same moment his warm essence spilled over her hand.
As their breathing slowed and the water stopped churning, they sat there in a happy daze looking into each other’s eyes, in no hurry to move. But at last she released him and he slowly withdrew his hand.
He cleared his throat. “Bet that wasn’t on your list.
”
“No.” She smiled at him. “But it should have been.”
* * *
RAFE TOOK GREAT CARE in drying Meg after they climbed out of the bathtub. Then, because she’d remarked on his muscles and made him feel as if he should demonstrate his strength, he wrapped her in a towel, scooped her up and carried her back to the bedroom.
“I’m liking this.” She looped her arms around his neck.
“When we get to the bed, I’m going to unroll you from the towel like Cleopatra was unrolled from a rug. Then I’m going to have my way with you, which is what a he-man does when he carts a woman off to his bed.”
“Am I supposed to struggle and protest?”
He shrugged. “You can if that turns you on.”
“Not particularly, but if it turns you on, I’ll be happy to put up a token fight.”
“I’ve never been into that. Too much work. I’d much rather have sex with a woman who’s warm and juicy and willing.”
“That describes me to a T.”
“Then I think we’re going to get along.” He thought they were already getting along in a way that astounded him. It seemed as if he’d known Meg for years. He’d never put much stock in the concept of soul mates, but he was beginning to think there might be something to it.
Still, there were some inconvenient aspects to that theory. First of all, Meg had never said she was looking for a soul mate. Even if she were, he made his living, and a very good living, in San Francisco. She had talked about leaving Pittsburgh, but only because she wanted to relocate to Jackson Hole.
Maybe geography wasn’t supposed to factor into this soul mate business, but he couldn’t imagine having a soul mate who lived hundreds of miles away. He pictured a closer physical connection than that. Anyway, Meg had said she wasn’t interested in settling down with one guy right now, so eventually he’d have to change her mind in addition to changing her location.
For now, though, she was the perfect person to help him through this wedding week, and he wasn’t about to complain because he couldn’t have more than that. So far his trip to Jackson Hole had turned out about five hundred percent better than he’d anticipated.
After carrying Meg into his bedroom, he shoved the door closed with his shoulder. Maybe it was a silly precaution since they were the only people upstairs, but with what he had in mind for the next few minutes, he thought a closed door was appropriate.
Depositing Meg on the edge of the bed, he grabbed the ends of the towel, pulled hard, and she tumbled out all pink and glowing from their bath and her orgasm. He wanted to keep that glow alive. Fortunately he thought he could. She was a very easy woman to please.
“I like this bed.” She stretched her arms above her head.
“I like you in this bed.” Lying down next to her, he ran his hand from her throat downward, smoothing his palm over her breasts and pausing to tease her nipples until they stood erect.
“Is this what you mean by having your way with me?”
“It’s a start.” Rolling over so he was braced on top of her, he treated himself to some mouth-to-nipple stimulation. Sucking gently, he reached between her thighs and found her warm and juicy, just as she’d promised.
She began to moan and thrash beneath him. “I want you again. Maybe you should get another—”
“Not yet.” He kissed her damp breasts and gave each pert nipple one last lick before he journeyed downward. “First I must have my way with you.”
“I’m beginning to understand what you meant by that.”
“Smart girl.” He took his time getting to his destination. Her skin was tasty, and he loved running his tongue over it and feeling her shudder in response.
But at last he reached nirvana, the special place guarded by fiery curls. Nudging them aside, he settled in and laid siege to any last lingering inhibitions she might have had.
His first explorations were subtle. He used only the tip of his tongue and the faintest brush of his mouth. She sighed and relaxed, opening her thighs in surrender.
Excitement bloomed within him as he took advantage of that surrender. His next foray was deeper, more intense, and she gasped in reaction. But the moment to stop him had long passed. If she’d thought briefly of holding back, of denying him entrance to all that she was, it was too late.
He captured her fully then, using his tongue to lap and thrust, his mouth to suck her juices until she grew wild with pleasure, rolling her hips so that he had to grasp them firmly and hold her still in order to love her. And when she was gasping and trembling, he loved her with even more enthusiasm, and she came in an unbidden rush, all her barriers gone as she flooded his taste buds with her ambrosia.
And because he couldn’t resist, he made her come again, and when it was over, she lay spent, her arms flung out to her sides, her eyes glazed, her lips parted as she drew in quick, shallow breaths that made her body quiver and her breasts tremble.
Sliding up beside her, he pulled her against his hard body, his aroused and in-need-of-release body. But it was not the time. For now, he’d taken all she had to give, and it was enough. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, willed his erection to subside, and slept.
How long he slept, he had no idea. But he awoke to the sweet sensation of being aroused slowly and with great tenderness. She’d scooted down so she could kiss and lick his rapidly stiffening cock.
After the way he’d turned her inside out, he had no doubt she intended the same fate for him. But he wanted to love her the old-fashioned way one more time before the night was through.
Reaching down, he combed his fingers through her hair. “I need a condom.”
“Not necessarily.” She continued to stroke him, kiss him and fondle his balls.
He loved it, but he wanted that basic connection when he was buried up to the hilt and looking into her glorious eyes. “I want to be inside you, Meg. I need to be inside you.”
She paused. “You do?”
“Yes, I do.”
Wiggling up so that she could see his face, she gazed at him in puzzlement. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I just need to be there.”
“Okay. Hang on and I’ll get a condom.”
“Thank you.” His groin ached for the climax she’d been working toward.
Leaning over him so that her breast dangled temptingly close to his mouth, she grabbed one of the scattered condoms from the floor.
He wanted to sample her breasts again, tuck his head between her thighs and taste the glory of her climax on his tongue. He didn’t want the night to end…ever. But he knew it would soon.
Glancing down, he watched her roll on the condom. She was so earnest, so sexy, so completely right for him. He pushed that last thought away as he started to ease her to her back.
“Stay there,” she murmured. “I think we can do it this way.” Shifting into position, she hooked one leg over his hip. Facing him, she wiggled around and guided him in until they were locked together just as he’d wanted. “How’s that?” She gripped his shoulder.
“I can’t move much.”
“You won’t have to for my sake. I’m on this permanent sexual high. Touch me anywhere and I’ll probably come.”
“Really?” He spread his hand over the curve of her ass and squeezed. “Here?”
“Maybe.”
Exploring this interesting connection between them, he stroked the spot right where they were joined.
She shivered.
Moving faster now, he put more pressure on that sensitive spot that seemed to give her pleasure.
She held his gaze and tightened her grip on his shoulders.
“Come for me, Meg.”
“As if I could help it.” Her breath grew ragged.
He touched her there again, and being able to feel the vibration of his cock moving in and out sent his system into meltdown, too. His balls tightened, readying for the surge of ecstasy.
She gulped. “I’m there.”
“I know.” Pressing hard with his finger, he drove into her and she cried out his name as she tumbled into the abyss.
One more thrust, and he tumbled with her, calling for her, needing her. He no longer cared if someone heard. All that mattered was the joy that blotted out everything. Without knowing it, he’d searched all his life for that all-consuming joy.
He wouldn’t expect it to last. Nothing ever did. But for now it was his, and he would take it and be grateful.
14
MEG AWOKE BEFORE SUNRISE feeling sore but happy. No man had loved her like that since…ever. She’d never had a lover to compare with Rafe. That didn’t mean she would tell him so, because he might think she was going ape-shit over him and that might scare him off.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do about Rafe, but she definitely didn’t want to scare him off. Nor was she going to get all weird on him and slip out of bed while he was still asleep, leaving him to wonder about her state of mind.
No, they would face this morning together and make sure they were both okay with everything before they headed downstairs to greet what would probably be curious stares. She wasn’t too worried about that. From what she could tell, the Last Chance had seen its share of romances over the years.
Whatever was going on between her and Rafe might not be a permanent thing, but it was definitely a romance. They’d fallen asleep facing each other, holding hands. They’d both agreed that the old spooning position that seemed so popular didn’t give either of them room to move around. She thought his willingness to give her space, even as they fell asleep, was significant.
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