Release

by Brenda Rothert

  “Nah, we’re gonna hang around home. But thanks. And congrats on the marriage. I’m really happy for you guys.”

  “Thanks.”

  We signed off and I headed toward the library door. Samara had been on my mind from the time I woke up this morning. That was becoming my new normal.

  I had The Count of Monte Cristo in my hand, and I slid it into the return slot at the front desk. I went to the Adult section and wove through the aisles of books, scanning titles as I looked for Samara.

  She was at the end of a row, pulling books out from the bottom shelf of her cart. Damn, did she have a nice ass. She stood to put a book on a shelf, oblivious as I approached behind her.

  “Hey,” I said softly.

  The book flew out of her hand as she let out a half-scream and spun around. Her eyes were wide with terror. I’d scared the shit out of her.

  “It’s okay,” I said, putting my hands in the air. “It’s just me.”

  Her shoulders dropped and she let out a deep breath.

  “Oh my gosh,” she said, laying a palm on her chest. “I’m so sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts and I didn’t hear you coming.”

  I bent down and picked up the book she’d dropped, handing it to her.

  “I was just looking for something to read,” I said, stepping closer. “And I thought, damn, if only I knew a sweet, sexy librarian I could get a recommendation from. Then I remembered I do.”

  Her cheeks darkened, but she didn’t look at the ground. Progress.

  “I might be able to help with that,” she said, smiling.

  “Yeah?” I leaned my hip against a bookshelf. “What’ve you got for me?”

  “Well, what are you in the mood for?”

  I couldn’t help grinning. “Why are you blushing? What is it you’re in the mood for, Miss Cross?”

  I was getting pretty good at reading her. The warm, eager glow in her hazel eyes told me she was liking this, so I stepped closer and wrapped a palm around her hip.

  She licked her lips quickly before speaking. “I could … I mean, I have … I have something you might like to read. Several things, actually.”

  My blood heated in response to her sensual tone. I covered the last of the distance separating us and cupped her soft cheek in my hand.

  “Tell me more,” I said, my lips brushing against hers.

  She slid a hand around my neck and into my hair in invitation. I gave her a kiss I meant to be gentle, but that only lasted a couple seconds. Her soft moan into my mouth drove me further. I wrapped my other hand around the back of her head, cushioning the impact of backing her into the tall shelf of books.

  Her hands wound around my waist and then up my back. The harder I kissed her, the tighter her fingertips dug into me. My cock throbbed, aching for release. Samara had to feel it pressed against her lower stomach. But I wanted her to know how she affected me, so I shoved my hips against hers, cupping her face in my hands as I kissed her. Fuck breathing. This was better.

  “Orion,” she said, panting as she broke away. “Will you come over tonight?”

  “Yeah, I’d love to.” I was breathless too, and I took a step back to get ahold of myself. Samara’s hands gripped my back, willing me to remain close to her.

  “You smell so good,” she said softly. “Like freshly fallen leaves in fall. And your body is unreal.”

  “I assure you it’s very real,” I said in a low tone against her lips. “And every last inch of me is yours for the taking.”

  A flash of desire lit up her eyes before they dropped with uncertainty.

  “I don’t mean sex,” I whispered. “You can draw the line wherever you want to.”

  “It’s not that I want to draw a line,” she said with a longing expression. “It’s that I have to.”

  “I understand.” I touched a fingertip to her lips. “And I’m good with it. I just want to be with you – whatever that means.”

  “I’m off at eight. Can you be at my place at eight-thirty?”

  I nodded and stepped back, though I wanted to stay close enough to feel her warmth and take in her sweet scent.

  “I’ll bring dinner,” I said, glancing down the aisle to make sure it was clear before I adjusted myself. I sure as hell didn’t want to get caught leaving the Henley Public Library with a raging boner.

  “I’ll bring dessert,” Samara said lightly. The corners of her lips turned up seductively.

  I ran a hand down my face to clear my mind. Damn. She was opening up to me, and it made me want to push her against the bookcase again. This shy, beautiful woman whose walls were tall and strong was giving me a chance. I was going to make the most of it.

  Chapter 7

  Samara

  A hum of nervous energy ran through me as I scanned titles on my e-reader. What to share with Orion? I’d hatched a spur of the moment plan at the library to let him in on my secret love for erotica, but now I was feeling self-conscious again. His bright blue eyes and big, strong hands infused me with a boldness that disappeared when I was alone.

  I took a deep breath and chose a title. It was just a book. Words. It wasn’t like I was stripping or something. He probably wouldn’t even get a rise out of it.

  A quick glance at the clock told me I had time for a very fast shower. It was only 8:20. I pulled my shirt off over my head. I’d almost made it to the bathroom when a knock sounded at the door.

  Though the door was locked, I ran for my shirt, picked it up and scrambled back into it in record time. I unlocked the door and opened it to a heart-stopping smile from Orion.

  “I’m early,” he said. “Couldn’t wait to see you.”

  He stepped in and lowered a brown paper bag to the floor, taking my face in his hands and kissing me softly. I loved the way he brushed his thumbs across the apples of my cheeks when he kissed me this way.

  “Chinese okay?” he asked.

  “Hmm?” I was still in dreamy, kiss-induced fog.

  He grinned and reached for the bag on the floor. “Chinese food. For dinner.”

  “Oh.” I smoothed a hand over my hair. “Sure. Sounds good.”

  “How was your day?” he asked, taking the bag into the kitchen and setting it on the folding table where I ate my meals.

  “Pretty good. I made my first funeral cake.” I took two plates from a cabinet and handed him one.

  Orion scrunched his face in disbelief. “Are you fucking with me? A cake for a funeral?”

  I arched my brows and shook my head. “I wouldn’t joke about it. It was for a guy named Roger Gardner. The message on it was ‘Goodbye for now, Roger’.”

  He looked at me for a beat before bursting out in laughter. “Am I an asshole for laughing about that?”

  I laughed along with him, accepting the plastic forkful of chicken chow mein he offered.

  “That’s good,” I said, spooning some onto my plate. “And if you think that’s weird, you should’ve seen his funeral service. They have a reception hall at the funeral home where I delivered the cake. Apparently Roger’s a fisherman. His tackle box and fishing poles were all displayed around his body. All except his favorite pole, which was in the casket with him.”

  “No shit?” Orion seemed to be considering. “Maybe I should have my stick in my casket when my time comes.”

  “And wear your jersey? Roger was wearing the jersey for his favorite football team. And—” I pointed my disposable fork at him for emphasis, “the best part was the six-pack of his favorite beer on his chest, with one can missing.”

  Orion threw his head back with laughter. “The one he took upstairs with him? I gotta say I like Roger a lot. I wish we could’ve hung out sometime.”

  I smiled at him. “Yeah. You only live once, right?”

  “And you only die once.”

  We ate in silence for a minute before I spoke.

  “So how was your day?”

  “Good. I worked out and hung out with Drew and Chloe.”

  “Did you guys go to the pool?”r />
  “No, we did yard work at Mom’s. Dug out some bushes and pulled weeds. I cleaned her gutters out, too.”

  A flicker of sadness passed over his face and I wondered if he was thinking of his father.

  “I’m sure your mom appreciates you being here to help out,” I said. “And Olivia too.”

  “I’m sorry Liv was kind of off when you met her. She’s pretty protective of me. You know, assumes women only want me for my money.”

  “You can assure her I’m not one of those women,” I said, smiling and meeting his gaze across the table. “I only want you for your body.”

  His lopsided grin was the very definition of sexy. “Is that so?”

  My face flushed with warmth. “Not entirely. That’s not all I like about you. And even though I do want your body, I can’t … I mean, I can’t always have what I want.”

  “You can have as much or as little of me as you want, Samara. I’m willing to go as slow as you need to.”

  He was so earnest and sweet that I wanted to let the truth come pouring out. To tell him that it wasn’t a matter of when. There were parts of me he could never, ever see.

  “Isn’t it frustrating for you?” I asked. “You probably haven’t had to stop at making out since high school.”

  “It’s good frustrating. I’m savoring things with us. Like this – having dinner alone and hearing about your day – this is great.”

  “You make me feel good,” I said, the words coming out before I even considered them. It was something I already knew I’d miss when he was gone. Beyond the dizzy infatuation he brought out in me, he also made me feel something I’d never felt before – normal.

  “Want me to make you feel good with a shoulder rub?” he asked. “I give epic shoulder rubs. Usually to Niko because I’m stronger than Dell.”

  “Dell?”

  “Our trainer. She’s good, but Niko likes deep tissue massage and she doesn’t have man hands.”

  I smiled, already feeling a flutter in my stomach over having his hands rub any part of my body. “You’re a good friend for doing that.”

  He shrugged. “We’re close. All of us. It’s hard not to be when you spend so much time together. Those guys are all brothers to me.”

  “I would love a shoulder rub. It’s okay if I leave my shirt on, right?”

  “Yeah, absolutely.”

  “Okay. As soon as you’re done eating, I’ll read you … something while you rub my shoulders.”

  “I’m done,” he said, dropping his fork to his plate. His enthusiasm brought on a wave of nervous excitement. Hopefully he wouldn’t think this was lame.

  I grabbed my e-reader from the coffee table, turning it on. “Okay. So I’m planning to read you something sexy.”

  “Everything sounds sexy when you read it. That owl story you read to the kids even did it for me.”

  I flushed and sat down on the floor in front of my couch. I took in a steadying breath, but when Orion moved my hair over one of my shoulders, it came out in a shaky exhale.

  “Do I make you nervous?” he asked, his breath warm on my ear.

  “No. I mean … yes. It’s just that I’m not used to being touched.”

  “Tell me if you don’t like it.” His fingers caressed my neck and I closed my eyes, letting bliss warm me from head to toe.

  “I like it,” I whispered. Clearing my throat, I started reading, glad I could avoid his gaze right now. The feel of his hands on my shoulders was unnerving enough.

  “The ice cube trailed across my skin, leaving droplets of water in its wake. It wasn’t just the ice that was melting, but also my reservations. I’d been raised to believe my virginity was sacred, but what could possibly be more sacred than this moment? Anthony’s eyes shone with the passion that burned in my heart. He circled my nipple with the ice cube and I cried out for relief. I’d never known what the need for relief felt like until this moment, but I needed it more than my next breath. When he filled me, a searing burn of pain battled with my desire. Anthony whispered reassuring words in my ear, easing the hurt.”

  Orion’s hands worked the tension out of my shoulders, his thumbs putting just the right amount of pressure on my neck. I closed my eyes for a second and moaned happily.

  “You’re good at that,” I said softly.

  “And you’re good at that. I’m gonna be honest, Samara – I’ll be jerking off and thinking about you in bed reading this pretty much every day for the rest of forever.”

  I swallowed, gathering my courage. “Have you ever … thought about me before?”

  His voice was husky with desire when he answered. “Every day since you checked me out. I fantasize about doing all sorts of things with you.”

  I set the e-reader on the coffee table and got up, climbing into his lap. His eyes widened as I straddled him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “What things? Tell me.”

  “Seeing you. Touching you. I think about sliding my fingers into your wet pussy and hearing you say my name while I play with your clit.”

  His eyes searched mine. I could tell he was wondering if he’d gone too far. I’d been hot and cold at times, so I couldn’t blame him. I ran my fingers through his hair and pressed my body against his.

  “Don’t stop,” I said, my lips brushing against his. “Please don’t stop.”

  In an instant, his gaze darkened. “I came hard the other day just from fantasizing about your nipples. Licking and sucking on them. Teasing them. Imagining them bouncing in my face.”

  I moaned softly and ground my hips against his. His hands wrapped around my hips and he pulled me back, creating distance between us. Before I could ask if something was wrong, his hands were on my breasts, squeezing gently.

  “Fuck yeah,” he muttered. “I love your tits, Samara.”

  My breath was coming faster now. I covered his hands with mine, desperate to hold on to the hot desire that was racing through my veins.

  “Feel good?” he said. “You like it when I just hold them—” he loosened his grip, “or do you like it a little harder?”

  He cupped my breasts tightly in his palms and I sighed with pleasure, arching my back. He gave a low groan of amusement.

  “I see,” he said. “Can I unfasten your bra?”

  I considered, licking my lips. “Yes.”

  He traced a fingertip up the bumps of my spine, his other hand wrapping around my neck to pull me back in close. The heat of his breath on my neck, followed by the caress of his lips on the delicate skin there, had me sure that good judgment was overrated.

  It took just a second for him to unclasp my bra. He ran both hands up my back, where he stroked his fingers over the skin the strap had been resting on.

  “Ah,” I moaned. “Orion …”

  “I’ve wanted to hear you say my name that way since the day you checked me out,” he said, his voice gruff and reverent at the same time.

  “Weren’t you the one checking me out?” I smiled and tipped my head forward to meet his dark blue gaze.

  “I most definitely was.” His hands slid around to the sides of my chest and I tensed.

  The voice in the back of my head was telling me this was dangerous territory, but it felt so good. His fingertips grazed the bottoms of my breasts and my hands scrambled for purchase, landing in his hair.

  “Yes,” he whispered. “Pull my hair if you want. Scratch me, bite me – I want it all. I’m yours for the taking.”

  His words were an elixir of sex, liquid and hot. I rocked my hips into his, the friction of his hard cock sending a surge of satisfaction through me. When his fingers moved higher, brushing my nipples, I had to grind my hips against him to ease the ache between my legs.

  “Orion,” I said breathlessly.

  “Yes. You see what you do to me? That’s all yours, Samara. Use my cock. It’s hard for you.”

  He pinched my nipples between his thumbs and index fingers and I cried out again, shamelessly loud this time. His words and his touch were about to undo me. Th
e pressure on my nipples increased and he cupped the bottoms of my breasts in his hands.

  “Fuck, that feels good. Keep riding me, baby. Keep these tits bouncing for me.”

  The build was almost unbearable when it crested with an orgasm that shook me so hard I buried my nails in Orion’s neck and threw my head back, letting out a guttural cry.

  I collapsed forward onto him, suddenly conscious of my brazen display.

  “That was absolutely perfect,” he said in my ear. He stroked the bare skin of my back, his hand climbing beneath my shirt all the way up to my neck.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” I said. “I’m still wearing all my clothes.”

  “You were really turned on. It was hot. I’ll have to remember that the story you were reading does it for you.”

  I leaned back and met his eyes. “You do it for me. Now it’s my turn to do it for you.”

  I slid down from his lap, reaching for the button on his jeans.

  “You don’t need to, Samara,” he said, brushing my hand away. “I meant it when I said that was perfect.”

  “But I want to.”

  His face clouded with uncertainty. “I don’t expect you to do that. I don’t want you doing anything you’re not comfortable with.”

  I ran my hand over the bulge in his jeans. “I’m comfortable.”

  “Fuck, that feels good.” His head dropped back against my worn-out blue sofa. “Have you ever done this before?”

  I arched my brows with surprise. “Given a blow job? Don’t worry, I’m no novice.”

  “No, I … didn’t mean it that way.” He reached down and ran a hand over my hair. “Can I ask you something? You may not want to answer, but, uh … are you a virgin?”

  My surprised laughter bubbled out. “No. Why, do I come off like one?”

  “No.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I just thought, or I guess assumed … anyway, okay.”

  “You thought that was why I haven’t wanted to … you know?”

  It made sense, now that I thought about it. I’d flipped out the first time we made out. Maybe I should’ve claimed to be a virgin to cover my crazy behavior. But I couldn’t lie to Orion.