He’d been trained to not let the unknown intimidate him, but this wasn’t an unknown he could use combat tactics against. His future scared him. He didn’t want to talk any more about what might be. Instead, he placed both hands on her hips and started walking her backward toward the kitchen door.
“How flexible are you exactly?”
Her expression changed to something sensually speculative, and she wrapped both arms around his neck. “Did I tell you I was a cheerleader from seventh through eleventh grade? I took power tumbling for ten years.”
“Why not your senior year?”
“I won the scream contest right before Christmas my junior year…” Her eyes twinkled as she threaded her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the floor. All a sudden, she was moving way too slowly. His girl seemed on board with his plan. Julie wrapped her long legs around his waist.
“Do you need anything?” he asked, walking through the kitchen, his hands gripping her thighs to help hold her up. Julie shifted, moving her head right in his line of sight.
“Just you,” she said, leaning in for a lingering soft kiss.
“Good answer.” Thank God he knew this house like the back of his hand. Lucky for that, the next kiss she planted on him had her tongue delving inside his mouth, sliding eagerly across his. Her insistence fused their mouths together. Only one misstep had him misjudging the doorway and knocking her against the frame before making it inside his bedroom. He kicked the door closed with his foot, never breaking from the kiss. That might have been the most accomplished feat of his life.
Her arms and legs locked around his body as he placed one knee of the mattress, lowering her to the bed. Julie deepened the kiss, tilting her head, exploring the farthest reaches of his mouth while he was able to do nothing more than settle between her parted thighs and cradle his rigid length against her jean-covered core.
Her hands lifted, cupping the back of his head as her fingers caressed across his buzz cut. Seconds later, she arched her hips, grinding against his cock as her legs tightened around his waist. She was too much. She easily built his need to a frenzy. He could feel himself to the point of leaking and wrenched his mouth free of her provocative kiss.
“I need to be inside you,” he whispered as her lips latched on to his neck, mouthing him hard enough to leave a mark.
With great effort, Connor reached for Julie’s forearms, tugged them free from his neck, and lifted them above her head. With the hold, he lifted enough to have her break free of the kiss. “Connor, no. I’m ready.”
He chuckled while looking down at her, then leaned forward to kiss her parted lips. She tried to deepen the kiss, giving a quick lick over his lips as he moved away. When he rose, she tried to follow, refusing to release her legs trapping him to her. His hand reached between their bodies, down to her covered center, massaging through the heavy fabric. “You aren’t ready. We’re still dressed.”
Julie looked down at herself, and he almost laughed when her expression changed with dawning realization. She immediately unlatched her legs from his waist, allowing him to push back on his knees. His still secure grip on her wrist was the only thing that kept her hands from reaching for him.
“I’ll undress you,” she said eagerly. “If you’ll let me go.”
“I’ll undress you, but you have to promise to keep your hands to yourself.”
“Connor, that’s impossible.” She let out a huffed breath.
“Let me do this,” he said and leaned down to slip his tongue back inside her mouth to slide leisurely along hers. When she melted against him, he let go of her arms, testing the move. She hadn’t noticed that he no longer held her, so he lowered his hands to the hem of her shirt, lifting, skimming his fingers over her exposed skin until he broke from the kiss, pulling the material over her head in one sure move.
Connor pushed back on his knees and looked down at her body laid out in front of him. She was so beautiful. Her hooded gaze watched him as she kept her arms above her head. When he went for the clasp in the front of her bra, Julie arched her back, driving her breasts forward as he pushed the material free, exposing her two large mounds.
His mouth watered as he lost all focus except her breasts. He immediately bent forward, dropping to one hardening nipple, sucking the pebble straight in his mouth. He had no idea how long he stayed there, paying homage to her perfection, but it was long enough to have Julie mashing her breasts together, writhing underneath him, urging him to take the other nipple. When he popped the one in his mouth free and sucked the other hardened nipple inside, her panting increased. Only then did he realize she’d slid her hand inside her shorts. She was bringing herself to orgasm.
The idea of her touching herself almost undid him and sent a tremor of anticipation sprinting down his spine. As sexy as that sight was, he wanted to coax that orgasm from her more than he wanted to watch her bring herself to completion. He reached for her hand, pulling it free of her jean as he rose over her.
“Nooo…” she moaned, driving her hips into his groin.
“Yes,” he managed hoarsely. “Hold it for me.”
“I’ll have more.” Her gaze implored him to listen, but he shook his head.
“Julie, hold it for me. Let’s do this together.” He lifted her hand to his mouth, sucking the fingers that had been between her legs moments ago. He loved her taste and licked each finger as her eyes followed his every move. A sexy little groan escaped her slightly parted lips.
“Hurry, Connor.”
“No way. Not this time.” He dropped her hand and went for the button on her shorts. She maneuvered her legs, lifting so he could pull her shorts and panties free. As she parted her thighs, he quickly reached for the back of his shirt, tugging the material over his head and tossing it aside. He unbuttoned his pants and lowered the zipper as he stared down at her hairless core. He loved that she shaved there. He pushed each tennis shoe off with the other foot as he parted her center and lowered his head to take one long swipe up her hot, wet heat.
“Oh God, Connor.” She spread her thighs wider and lifted one long leg to rest over his shoulder. He took it as an invitation to continue. Determined to take his time, he ate at her slowly, mouthing, nipping, and licking every part of her until his mouth concentrated on her clit. Her taste, her texture, the little sounds that were all his Julie spurred him on. She eagerly rolled her hips into his mouth as his tongue laved against her. He’d thought she’d been turned on and soaking wet before, but her body’s intense and almost violent reaction as he slipped two fingers inside her tight heat took the passion between them to another level.
“Connor. Oh God.” She dug her feet in the mattress and scraped her fingernails against his scalp as her cry turned unintelligible and primal. When his own hips started grinding into the mattress, he moved, struggling to free himself of the jeans. She lifted her head until her panicked, needy gaze hit his. Her breath heaved from her chest. Her hair was slightly disarrayed and the passion and need he saw reflected there took his breath away. “Connor, finish me. Please.”
Connor crawled up her body, pushing her back as he trailed simple swipes of his tongue and lingering kisses along her body as he continued to shove at his jeans with one hand. They had gathered right below his ass. He managed to nestle his dick between her thighs, seeking, then finding her heat. In one sure drive of the hips, he pushed himself forward into her tight, wet channel where she consumed him, body and soul. Julie’s eyes slid closed and her head fell back as she rolled her hips against his, taking him balls deep.
“Shit, babe,” Connor muttered, sweat breaking out along his forehead as he held himself up by his hands and began moving in and out of this woman’s magnificent body. Julie lifted a leg and draped it over his waist, her heel digging into his ass. She was so perfect—this moment better than anything before. He buried his forehead into the crook of her neck as her arms circled his back.
“This is so good,” she cooed.
&
nbsp; Connor allowed his hips to set the pace in slow, steady thrusts. He pulled almost free before driving forward to bury himself deep each and every time. Careful of his weight, he shifted slightly to lean on his elbows, his hands holding Julie’s head in place as he descended to capture her mouth with his. He shoved his tongue between her parted lips, wanting her to know how extraordinary she tasted as he made love to her.
She responded furiously, opening wider as she continued moving her body with his, meeting him thrust for thrust. There was no more denying the magnitude of his attraction. He’d met his one. His only one. Julie was his perfect partner.
As Connor began the steady build of pistoning hips, he broken free of her mouth and moved along her jaw until his tongue outlined the shell of her ear. With a breathy whisper, he said the words he held so deep inside his heart.
“I love you, Julie.”
Forcefully, he tangled his fingers in her hair, holding her still as he kept his mouth against her ear.
“I know it’s not fair. I know it’s a lot, but I love you.”
The power of saying those words for the first time in his life caused his body movements to become erratic. His heart pounded as fear gripped him. He’d said… Dear God, he’d said it. He slipped in and out of her body in automated, stilted movements, until he missed his entry, his body not his own any longer. His breath burst out as he tried to rise off her, only to drop back down over her. He screwed his eyes closed as he laid his forehead gently on her shoulder. He couldn’t catch his breath no matter how hard he tried.
Julie wrapped herself around him, holding him tighter than ever before as her hand rubbed up and down his back in strong, tender caresses. She tried to look at him, urging his head up, but he wouldn’t lift off her shoulder.
“It’s too much. This is all too much. I can’t… There’s so much we don’t…”
“Connor. Look at me.”
Honest to God, he tried to look at her. He rocked his hips, attempting to renew his rhythm, but his hard-on had faded as worried thoughts swirled. He turned his gaze to the pillow beside her.
“You have to know I’ve loved you since the first moment you looked my way at Cache. Honestly, even longer than that. I wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you,” she said.
This was so much more than bedtime confessions. It scared the shit out of him.
Moments passed before he forced his head up. Could she possibly mean that, or was he so pathetic that she wanted to pacify him until she could get the hell out of there? She never loosened her hold on him, and she might have even held on tighter once she took a good look at his face.
“This isn’t a bad thing. You aren’t alone in this. We’ll figure out your future. Our future. I can help. I want to help. I want to be with you. You and me together.”
“You deserve better than me,” he muttered, turning his head away. In contradiction to the painful truth of his words, he reached his hands underneath her, drawing her into his arms while lowering his head to her shoulder again.
“Are you kidding? I don’t deserve you. You’re the best man I’ve ever met.” Her fingernails dug into his back as one arm hooked around his neck. “Connor, please look at me.”
It took him time to muster the nerve to meet her eyes. Embarrassment flowed through him. Why would he have dumped all this out to her right then? He couldn’t even hold an erection under such a simple yet complicated-as-fuck declaration.
When he did meet her gaze, he stared at her blue eyes. Her hair was a mess, her makeup smudged, her lips plump and pouty from his kisses. His heart swelled. Her natural state of balance filtered in through the broken cracks of his soul, making him feel instantly better. He lifted a hand, letting his fingers skim over her face.
“You love me?” she asked sweetly, in contrast to the worried searching of her eyes.
“I do,” Connor answered honestly. “But I’ve got a lot to work out.”
“I know, but we’re stronger together, and I really want us to be together.” She lifted her head, kissing his lips as she lowered her palm to caress across his ass. “Can we keep this going?” Julie very effectively arched her hips against his, and then did it again. “Don’t drag it out, okay?”
His dick grew instantly hard.
“Okay.” Connor closed his eyes and reached between their bodies, pushing his again eager dick back inside her. All the emotion coursing through him needed an outlet. He wanted her to feel the truth of the words that had slipped free in that unguarded moment. He snapped his hips, driving hard into her. His thumb reached for her clit, applying pressure, circling a few times before her body tensed, her fingernails digging into his back once again. She closed her eyes, parted her full lips, and that was all it took. He drove forward one last time, arching into her, releasing his seed deep inside her hot body. Connor rode the swift wave of passion, the intensity coursing through him. He swore he heard her say, “I love you,” before the darkness took him over. Falling down on top of her, he was sound asleep within seconds.
Chapter 11
Julia leaned toward the bathroom mirror, making quick strokes to brush mascara on her eyelashes. They were running a little late this afternoon. Of course, if you asked her, it was all Connor’s fault due to his inability to look anything less than delicious. Then, factor in his complete lack of desire in following their pre-established schedule. If she was within arm’s reach of the man, within minutes, they were having sex—three times in the last four hours, and she was absolutely certain he’d have no trouble going at it again.
“I’ve never seen you wear this much makeup.”
Per Connor, he had donned his fancy clothes in honor of Lara’s baby shower. His new, perfectly pressed black denim jeans hugged his legs, accentuating those powerful thighs and his tight, round butt. The black-and-brown baroque swirl print, long-sleeve dress shirt accented his dark complexion while the fabric stretched across all that muscle as if it had been made just for him. He finished off his ensemble with a pair of freshly polished black cowboy boots, and her guy was looking hotter than ever, which didn’t help in fighting off his advances.
She refused to meet his gaze while he leaned against the doorframe looking all sexy. The last time she mentioned how well the shirt complimented his features, she found herself with her skirt hiked up, hanging on to the small counter of the sink as he pounded roughly inside her. Yes, the moment was great. She’d absolutely do it again, but she’d gone through all her pairs of panties for the whole trip. And that was for the second time. Yesterday had been very much the same way. They couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other, and that always resulted with her spread wide, riding Connor in whatever position he could talk her into.
Thank God, Connor knew how to use a washing machine.
“I have to wear so much makeup while working that I don’t usually put it on when I’m off set,” she answered, when she finished with the mascara and leaned back to survey her handiwork in the mirror. Julia assessed both eyes, blinking several times before leaning back in, brushing quickly again over each bottom set of lashes.
“It makes you look different.”
She stopped the motion of her hand, letting her eyes shift to meet his gaze in the mirror. How had it not occurred to her until this very minute that she still hadn’t told him about the extent of her acting success? A pit formed in her stomach as she stared at her reflection, contemplating all the consequences of that possibly faulty decision. Mechanically, Julia ran the brush along her lower lashes, no longer paying attention to how she looked.
Maybe she hadn’t told him because it didn’t truly matter. Honestly, he didn’t seem to care about any of that. They hadn’t even discussed her life in detail. If she’d just dropped her information like that, she’d appear arrogant.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught him turning from the doorframe, fully facing her in the mirror. He studied her. She wasn’t glammed up, but she wondered if she had added enough makeup that recognition mig
ht be coming to him without her having to say the words. Heck, he could have already put two and two together and just flat didn’t care.
Her heart soared at the possibility. Now, that would be the best outcome of them all.
“Have you heard from anyone?” she asked and reached for the lip-gloss, quickly running the tip over her lips. That seemed to help shift his mind onto a new topic.
“Ty’s here. They came last night with Kenzie’s parents. They’re all staying at the Bryants’. Reed and Lara got there at some point yesterday. Her roommate couldn’t come. Something about work, but they still have a full house,” Connor said, studying her face. “The makeup really makes you look different.”
“I told you that,” she said, patting his chest as she shimmied past him.
Taking a deep breath, she forced all those insecurities out of her thoughts and looked around for her shoes. She’d chosen a long, loose-fitting maxi dress for today. The weather in Texas was so weird.
She didn’t want to overdress, but didn’t want to underdress… The weather made it hard to plan.
“Do I look okay?”
“Beautiful,” Connor said, his tone speculative. He’d turned in the bathroom doorway and done little more than face her in his casual, patient, waiting stance.
“Why doesn’t that sound convincing?” she asked. Connor cocked his head to the left still intently staring. “What? You’re giving me a complex.”
“Beautiful good. You look exotic,” he added.
“Are you trying to have sex with me again, because I’m pretty sure the baby shower’s started,” she teased, wiggling her feet inside a pair of flats. They’d haphazardly made the bed and most of her things were scattered across the bedspread. She grabbed her purse and went back to the bathroom, again shimmying past him because he hadn’t moved. Julia quickly filled her purse with lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara while looking over anything else she might need. “We aren’t coming back here before dinner, right?”
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