by Roni Adams
That comment certainly didn’t help quell her arousal. Handcuffed to Shane’s bed while he did what he wanted with her body?
She shivered as a wave of desire raced through her and fought to reason with him…and herself. “You’re the good guy, Shane. The guy who fixes everything, saves everyone. You’re a hero, but I don’t need saving. Sorry, I’m definitely not looking for a hero.”
He stepped closer, and she realized that what she was saying was coming out as a challenge rather than pushing him away.
His hand reached out and stroked down her cheek, cupping her chin. “Not even for tonight?”
A shiver coursed through her that she couldn’t hide. He wasn’t getting the message to back off; of course, she wasn’t really being very clear about it since her body wanted nothing more than to slide down next to him in front of a warm fire and let him be her hero for tonight. She had to keep reminding herself that this was Shane, the one who couldn’t stand her most times. No matter how good it might feel tonight, tomorrow would be a whole different story. No, she had to put a stop to it.
Krista twisted her chin from his grasp. She scooted past him to the braided area rug in front of his mother’s old couch, turning to face him from across the basement. “It’s stupid to do something you know you’ll regret.”
“So, you’re saying it’s not that you aren’t into me, but rather you know you’ll regret it tomorrow?”
“Yes…I mean…no.” She dropped the pile of clothes onto the couch and scrubbed her hands down her face. He was making her crazy and making her mind mush.
Thunder cracked and a flash of lightning lit up the basement window. Droplets of rain melted down the glass.
Shane walked over and stepped behind the bar. He settled his hands on the top of the surface and smiled. “What do you think of my rec room?”
“I, uh, can see you and Dave hanging out down here.”
He grinned. “It’s great in the winter.” He reached up and took down two wine glasses from the hanging rack. “How about a drink before you leave?”
Krista pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. A drink was dangerous. Not only would it prolong her visit, but it would weaken her defenses. No, she definitely shouldn’t have any.
He pulled a bottle of wine toward him and worked the cork. “Come on, one drink. When was the last time we were in the same room without squabbling?”
“It’s not my problem you’re always finding fault with me or complaining about something I did, or—”
“Shhh, shhh, don’t go there.” Shane walked across the room with the two glasses of red wine. “Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
She accepted one of the glasses, unable to help feeling a bit like Eve taking the apple from the snake.
He lifted his glass. “To no arguing.”
She touched her glass to his. “To a peace treaty.”
As Shane lifted the wine to his lips; his gaze bore into hers. “At least for tonight.”
Krista narrowed her eyes as she took her own sip. Then sipped again. “It’s good. Is this from that new winery on the Finger Lakes?”
“Yep.”
He moved to the couch and sat down, pushing her pile of clothes aside. “Sit down and have your wine, then we’ll call for a cab.” His smile was warm and friendly as if they did this type of thing all the time.
Hesitating, with another look to the window as the rain cascaded on the glass, Krista sank to the far side of the sofa, keeping her pile of laundry between them. Folding her legs under her, she pulled the sweatshirt down over her knees and took another long drink of the wine, loving how it was already warming her insides. As the silence lengthened, though, she grasped for a safe topic of conversation. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
Shane set his wine down. “Yeah, but I’m doing nights this week. I can sleep in.” His voice grew husky.
Her hand shook, sloshing the wine, and it drew her gaze off his face. Heart pounding, she lifted her drink and finished it off as her imagination raced with images of spending a long rainy morning in bed with Shane.
Before she could set the empty glass down, Shane reached for it. “I’ll bring the bottle over.”
“I’m not going to have any more. Really, I have to...”
But he was already across the room and on his way back with the wine. “Have to what? The farm market doesn’t open until noon. Relax. Seriously, neither of us has anywhere we have to be.”
He refilled her glass and handed it back to her, but when she took it from his hands he didn’t let go.
“Actually, why don’t you just stay here tonight? The rain should be over by then, and we can worry about the truck and getting you home in the morning.”
She tugged at the wine glass until he released it. “I don’t think that would be a very good idea.”
“Why not? You don’t trust me?” Shane topped off his own glass and set the bottle on the floor. “I think we already established that I’m not your type. And if I really am the guy in the white hat like you say, I certainly wouldn’t take advantage of a guest in my home, especially if that guest wanted to drink a few glasses of wine.”
He settled back against the couch and seemed for all the world to have backed off. Krista took another sip and rested her head against the sofa back.
This was really nice. The wine made her a bit mellow, and her resolve to get home faded further away the more she sipped. She could just close her eyes and sleep down here, and then walk home when the rain stopped in the morning.
“How come you don’t have a TV down here? I would have thought you’d have a big screen, massive wall mount.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think I ever got around to it. I have one upstairs, of course, in the living room, but this is more of a hang-out room, not a TV-watching room.”
Her lips twitched. “I see.”
“What are you laughing about?” His mouth curled in a slight grin in response to her smile.
“It’s funny how you have specific rooms for specific purposes.”
He picked up the bottle of wine and poured more into her glass. This time, she didn’t even consider protesting. It was nice sitting here talking with Shane like two adults. She was being silly thinking he’d take advantage of the situation; nothing would happen without her complete consent. And lord knew she was never going to do that. That would be foolish beyond words. Just having some wine, falling asleep on his couch, and going home tomorrow was no big deal. She’d been making way too much out of it.
Krista let her head loll back on the sofa as he set the bottle of wine back on the floor.
“Everyone has specific rooms for specific purposes.” He clinked his glass with hers before leaning back. “The kitchen is for cooking, your office for working, the bedroom for sleeping or—” He winked at her. “—having sex.”
Krista felt heat rise in her cheeks as much from the two glasses of wine she’d now consumed as the sudden, very vivid, image of a naked, hard-bodied Shane in her bed. Shane rolling over, smiling warm and sexy as he reached out his hand to...
She swallowed, hard.
What were they talking about? Her mind had gone really fuzzy. Something about rooms and sex, or having sex in rooms... She gave her head a little shake, then twisted sideways to set her still half-full glass on the end table next to the couch. She needed to slow down on that or she was going to lose all grasp of reality.
Her legs were beginning to cramp, so she shifted to a more comfortable position.
“Put your feet up here,” Shane invited, patting his thigh.
Krista should have hesitated, but found herself stretching out with her legs across his lap. One large, muscular hand settled on her calf and squeezed.
“Better?”
She nodded. “I had a cramp in my thigh.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “I could massage it out for you.”
“The hero complex again?”
Inclining his head, he kept his eyes on hers as his finge
rs began a delicious massage of her knee. “I can’t help it. I guess it’s a part of who I am. Always needing to help.”
“Hmm, well, just remember I don’t need your help, or anyone’s.”
“Really? Never?”
Shane’s fingers slipped her sock down slowly. Krista’s breath caught as he made contact with her bare calf and began to knead her muscles. The massage was delicious even while his hands on her were sending every nerve ending to full alert and an erotic curl of desire began to make its way through her body.
For distraction more than a need for more wine, she twisted to reach for her glass, taking a healthy sip before setting it back. Somewhere along the way, he’d removed her other sock and held her bare foot in his palm. His fingers had shifted higher, rubbing her leg up and down, over her knee and back to her ankle. A moan of pleasure slipped from her mouth before she could stop it.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
She couldn’t argue. Biting her bottom lip to stop another embarrassing moan, she nodded without looking at him.
The room was toasty warm and the rain hit the windows in a way that made it feel even cozier. The wine had made things a bit fuzzy, but she wasn’t complaining. There was nothing to be afraid of here. She was with Shane, and there was no one else in the world that she was safer with. Shane wouldn’t touch her. He didn’t like her. Even as his magical fingers moved up her leg to her inner thigh, she wasn’t nervous.
But when his fingers danced on her leg almost to the juncture between her thighs, her gaze zipped to his. Did he know what his massage was doing to her? Did he know how much she wanted to shift ever so slightly and have him touch her there?
Then his hand moved away once more and disappointment mingled with relief.
For a while, he continued his innocent kneading of her legs, relaxing her until her muscles felt like jelly. When his hand moved higher once more, her legs parted slightly of their own accord and with enough of an invitation that his eyes darkened. His fingers drifted to the moist heat between her thighs, but skittered away before touching her.
Krista bit back a verbal complaint even as she struggled to breathe steadily. Her nipples hardened behind the heavy sweatshirt; the room, once pleasantly warm, was now hot. She wet her lips, and Shane scooted closer to her on the couch. She didn’t move away; her legs still out straight across his lap gave him complete access to her lower half. While she watched, he bent his head, pushed the sweatshirt up to reveal her pink panties and pressed his mouth to her bared thigh.
“Ohhhh,” she murmured as electric shocks coursed through her.
Shane’s hand moved up and cupped her breast as his mouth skimmed her bare belly. His breath on her skin was erotic and exciting. Krista’s mind whirled as every part of her body ignited and caught fire. She didn’t want to fight his touch any longer; in fact, she wanted him to do more than touch her.
His fingers gently squeezed her nipple. “What do you think, Kris? Can I show you how bad I can be?”
He released her breast, but before she could catch her breath, his fingers pushed aside the elastic of her panties and one finger stroked the aching nub between her legs.
Her eyes slammed closed, and her mouth slipped open. Her hips lifted and moved against his hand. The sudden zinging of pleasure that raced through her body centered where his hand was set. The last time she’d been touched like this had to be well over a year ago, and even then she didn’t remember it being this intense. It wasn’t going to take much for him to push her over the edge to a mind-blowing climax.
She caught her breath with anticipation, but suddenly his hand was gone.
Her eyes flew open, searching for a reason for his sudden withdrawal. Shane was staring at her, his gaze searching hers.
She frowned. “What’s wrong?”
He shoved her legs off his lap and stood up a bit unsteadily. Reaching for his glass, he finished off his wine and picked up the bottle, refilling his cup again.
“I don’t know why or what’s happening between us, but I want to take you to bed. I want us to roll around with each other naked and sweaty and go with whatever is happening here.” His gaze met hers once more and pinned her with a pointed look. “But I can’t without knowing you are in this right alongside me.”
She definitely wanted him inside her. Wait, he said alongside me. Her brain tried to process through the haze of wine and desire. He was still trying to be the good guy; he needed her permission to continue. Krista forced herself to put embarrassment aside.
Without hesitation, she stood, reached for the hemline of the sweatshirt and pulled it up and off in one fluid movement.
Shane didn’t move toward her, but the intensity of his gaze took in her bare breasts and slid down her body now clad only in pink panties.
She stepped closer and settled her fingers at his fly. “Come on, hero. Prove to me you can be bad sometimes.”
She struggled with the button of his jeans, his erection bulging behind his zipper as she fumbled. His hands settled on either side of her face and pulled her in for a kiss.
Her breasts pressed into his chest, and his skin against hers was a new and extremely erotic sensation. Finally, she was able to shove his jeans off his hips, and only then did he break off the kiss.
Shane yanked his T-shirt off, and then stepped out of his jeans. Clad only in his underwear, he sank back to the couch, pulling her onto his lap. Krista straddled his thighs, moaning with pleasure when his hands cupped her breasts. When he squeezed each mound and rubbed his thumbs across her aching nipples, she leaned forward and kissed him hard, driving her tongue into his mouth.
Shifting on the erection pressing through his boxer-briefs, she rubbed him between her legs, trying to ease the pressure building and aching within her.
Strong hands settled at her waist and raised her until his mouth closed over her nipple. Krista knelt on the couch, helping him get her closer as one of his hands reached between them and slipped inside her panties.
Raised up on her knees, she was wide open for him, and he plunged one finger inside her. Inner muscles closed over him as he stroked. Within seconds, she exploded at his touch. His mouth pulled hard on her nipple as she came, tossing her head back as the orgasm rolled over her in huge waves.
Before she could come back to earth, she was flipped onto her back on the couch and her panties dispensed with one swift pull.
Shane worked his way down her body, kissing every inch as she continued to try to catch her breath. He buried his face between her thighs and began to nibble. Krista bent shaky knees and grasped his head as he kissed her deeper, his tongue soothing, causing continued, smaller climaxes to roll through her body.
She couldn’t breathe. Her body was out of control, and the world went black before exploding in an array of colors.
“Shane…stop. Ooohhh, stop, please,” she pleaded as his finger plunged inside her once more at the same time his mouth devoured her. She had no idea when the never-ending climax would end. It was like one long stretch of pleasure.
Though he lifted his head, his fingers still worked inside her body, stroking and touching her deeper and deeper.
“What do you want, Krista? Come on, tell me. I’ll give it to you.”
She wet her lips. “I want you, not your finger in me. I want you in me.”
He smiled. His gaze on hers was dark and intense. “I have to go upstairs and get a condom. Okay?”
Still trying to catch her breath, she nodded.
Shane moved off the couch, his erection prominent as he stood. Yeah, she wanted him all right. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“Be right back.” In his haste to get across the room, he tripped on his jeans and recovered in time to take the basement stairs three at a time.
Anyone else laying there half naked and waiting for round two might have felt embarrassment; Krista wondered why she didn’t. She was doing it with Shane, for crying out loud, and he’d just had his mouth places that very few had been before.
But instead of thinking of leaving, all she could think about was the amazing orgasm he’d just given her and wanting to do it again.
She reached for the glass of wine, but it was empty. The bottle on the floor was also empty. Grabbing the old blanket from the back of the couch, she wrapped it around herself and made her way across the room. She was behind the bar when he came back.
“I hope you don’t mind. I wanted some more wine.”
By the strength of his erection, his trip upstairs obviously hadn’t done anything to quench his interest. “Just as long as you don’t tell me tomorrow that this was all because you were drunk.”
“I’m not drunk.” With the two glasses, she walked from behind the bar and handed him one. “A little fuzzy maybe, but definitely not drunk.”
She took a long drink and set her glass down to slide her hands along his body, settling over his hardness. She pushed at the elastic of his underwear and shoved them down his hips. He stepped out of them.
“Sit down,” she commanded.
Shane didn’t question, simply sat on the couch. Letting the blanket slide off her shoulders, she fell to her knees and spread his legs open. Her hands slid up his thighs, teasing and touching him before she settled her mouth over his erection. His groan of pleasure gave her confidence to treat him to the same torturous delight that he’d shown her.
Reaching for the glass still in his hand, she took it from him and sipped. She then let the cool liquid drizzle out across his erection before lapping it all up with her tongue.
Shane growled his pleasure and grasped her head in his hands. “Not like this. Come here,” he invited with a harsh breath.
Krista stood, watched as he sheathed himself, then straddled his body once more, lowering herself over him. Pleasure coursed through her as he filled her, and she bit her lip against the intense sensation. He was large, but then everything about Shane was bigger than life—she expected no less.
She rode him hard, rising and lowering as he guided her with his hands on her hips. Their mutual groans of pleasure and whimpering filled the basement.