Can't Walk Away

by Sandy James

Savannah broke away from the kiss, breathing hard. “Inside now?”

  Before answering, Brad captured her lips for another fierce, tongue-dueling kiss. “Inside. Now.”

  He shoved the door open and then somehow carried her out of the car without either of them banging head or limb. Using his butt to push the door shut, he leaned back against the SUV and let her slide down his body until she was on tiptoes, still kissing him.

  If one of them didn’t find some strength to pull away, they’d never make it out of the garage. And she was pretty sure there weren’t any condoms on one of the pegboards full of tools.

  Dropping to her flat feet, she easily broke the kiss. His height wasn’t normally intimidating, but she felt so petite at that moment. Too petite. And with her lack of curves, a bit inadequate.

  She frowned, wondering if he’d be disappointed when they were finally skin to skin.

  He gripped her chin and tilted her head up. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing important. Just a little…insecurity,” she admitted.

  “Insecurity? Over what?” When she shrugged, he set his hands on her shoulders, traced them down her arms, and took her hands. “Savannah, you had me make you a big promise, remember?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then I want a promise from you, too.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “You haven’t exactly kept that promise.”

  “I’ll do better. And I want you to try to always be honest with me.”

  “I am always honest with you!” she insisted.

  He shook his head. “Not right now you’re not. Tell me what’s making you insecure.”

  The tenderness shining in his eyes stripped her of her defenses. “You’ve been with all sorts of women…”

  “My reputation is making you insecure?”

  “I’m sure most of them were really…pretty.” She hurried to add, “And curvy and…” She shrugged again, uncomfortable with being so vulnerable.

  Brad smiled, but not a grin of condescension. One full of what appeared to be understanding. Taking her hand, he pushed away from the Escalade and dragged her through the door and into the house. Once the door was closed behind them, he swept her into his arms and headed toward the stairs without saying a word.

  And yet she didn’t feel as if he’d ignored her worries. The forceful way he was bringing her to his bed actually made her feel desirable. Wanted.

  Setting her on her feet, he pulled her into his embrace and stared down into her face. “You, Savannah, are beautiful.”

  Part of her wanted to argue back that she had no boobs and was too skinny. But the heat in his gaze as he leaned down to kiss her made the disparaging words fly right out of her thoughts.

  Savannah welcomed his kiss, looping her arms around his neck and opening her mouth to his probing tongue. By the time he eased back, her legs were trembling. “Oh…”

  “Come to bed with me,” he coaxed. “Let me show you exactly how beautiful you are to me.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Brad had a hard time walking up the steps as Savannah tugged at his clothes. Since he was doing the same to hers, their progress toward the bedroom came in fits and starts as they left behind them a trail of crumpled clothing.

  By the time they hit the master bedroom, he was down to his briefs, and she stood before him in her white bra and lacy panties.

  Her body was sleek, her legs incredibly long considering her petite height. The moon shone down on her through the skylight, painting her pale skin an ethereal blue.

  She was exquisite.

  And he had to have her.

  Sweeping her into his arms, Brad carried her to his bed. After setting her on her feet, he jerked back the comforter and plucked the remote from the nightstand. He clicked on his sound system, and a playlist of classic hits filled the air. Then he reached for Savannah again. With a shake of her head, she took a small step back and reached behind her to pop open her bra. As she gave him a shy smile, she shrugged it forward and then dropped it on the rug.

  Having never preferred busty women, he found her high, firm breasts exquisite. Her nipples had hardened, and he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her until he could take one of those tips into his mouth.

  The sound Savannah let out as he suckled her was one of pure pleasure. She raked her fingers through his hair, tugging enough to sting. As he shifted to the other breast, he said, “Easy there, love. I’d like to keep some of that hair on my head.” Her responding chuckle turned into a hiss when he pulled the nipple between his teeth.

  He turned to set her on the bed, then knelt in front of her and began to drag down her panties. The hesitation that crossed her gaze made him stop. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…um…”

  “Honesty.”

  “I’m not very good at…this.” She stumbled over her words. “I mean, I can make sure you enjoy it. I just sometimes have trouble with my…you know. With me.”

  “You?”

  “Me…enjoying it.”

  “Ah…” So Savannah’s ex had been not only a heartless bastard about her money, but a selfish prick in bed. Brad intended to show her that was definitely not the case now. Her pleasure would always take precedence over his own. “Trust me?”

  “Of course.”

  Her quick answer pleased him so much that he knew she wasn’t walking away from this room until she realized there wasn’t a single thing wrong with her. “Then relax and lie back.”

  Although she knit her brows as though she had no idea why he’d given her that command, she slowly obeyed.

  He eased her panties down her legs, letting them fall to the floor. Damn, but she was even more beautiful with her clothes off than with them on. Hands on her knees, he eased her legs apart as he kissed each slender thigh.

  “Brad?”

  “Shh.” Then he moved closer to press his lips against each hipbone. “Let me,” he coaxed when she tried to squeeze her legs shut. “You’ll like it.” With no warning, he ran his tongue between her slick folds.

  Whatever Savannah had been about to say came out as a squeak that quickly turned into a moan.

  She tasted so sweet, and Brad indulged himself in something he’d only done with Katie. It was something he never felt quite right doing with someone he barely knew. In a lot of ways, oral sex made a person more vulnerable than intercourse, so he’d made a rule that it was off limits—to both give and receive.

  At that moment, he was glad he’d made that rule. Now he could give Savannah something he’d offered to only one other woman.

  * * *

  Savannah let the throbbing beat of “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” seize her. Brad seemed to be in rhythm with the music as he pushed away all her control.

  She’d never felt more alive.

  Tunneling her fingers through his hair, she let a throaty moan loose as heat from her core raced through her limbs. She raised her knees, not at all ashamed of how she’d opened herself up to him. His tongue, his teeth, made her wild with want.

  And then the pleasure crashed over her, making her twist and squirm until the storm passed. As she tried to catch her breath, she waited for Brad to rise above her and sink himself into her body. Instead, he went right back to business, sending her rising again to the precipice before she came a second time.

  Then he let out a growl full of masculine need. With a speed that was astonishing, he snatched a condom from his nightstand and donned it. He grabbed her under the arms to move her up the mattress, spread her legs, and settled between her thighs. Entering her in a thrust that startled her rather than hurt her, Savannah let out a little yelp.

  Brad held himself up on his elbows and looked down at her with concern in his gaze. “Did I hurt you?”

  She wrapped her legs around his slim hips. “Not at all.” To get him moving, she cupped his neck and pulled him down into a heated kiss.

  Accustomed to Michael pounding into her in a quick frenzy b
efore he came, Savannah had to adjust all her thinking where sex was concerned. Brad was in no hurry. In slow strokes, he’d pushed inside her before easing back until he was almost free. Then his lips would find hers again as he thrust forward. Again and again until she thought she’d go mad. The heat was unbearable and she suddenly wanted it faster. Harder.

  With a little nip on his shoulder, she tried to let him know what she desired. Or did he need the words?

  Hovering above her, he smiled. “Tell me what you like, Savannah. I want to please you.”

  Since she could find no other words, she simply said what her body demanded. “Then let’s go!”

  A small chuckle escaped before he gave her exactly what she needed, moving within her at a pace that stole her breath and made her reach yet again for the joy he seemed to easily give her. When she climaxed, she called his name in a voice full of wonder and a bit of awe.

  Brad gripped her hips almost too tightly, sinking into her until his body shuddered. Burying his face against her neck, he whispered her name in a way that was so sensual, it sent shivers over her skin.

  Only after he’d rolled away and made a quick trip to the bathroom did Savannah begin to come back to her senses. Never had she felt so relaxed. So lethargic. And so damned fulfilled.

  “Scooch,” he said, waving her toward the far side of the bed. Then he settled beside her, pulled her into his arms, and covered them both with the sheet.

  She pillowed her head against his shoulder and let out a contented sigh, waiting for him to begin some kind of conversation so that things didn’t get awkward. But the only sound in the room was the voice of Stephen Perry, and Brad had turned the thrumming volume down until the music was merely background white noise.

  Pushing up on her elbow, she let any annoyance ebb away when she caught the satisfied smile on his face. His eyes were closed, and had he not been grinning, she might have thought he’d fallen asleep.

  Not wanting to shatter the peaceful interlude, she laid her head against his shoulder again. Why bother fighting the first time she’d felt relaxed in just about forever?

  Her last thought before sleep claimed her was that she could easily get used to ending each night in his arms.

  * * *

  Brad awoke at three in the morning, the same way he did almost every night—a weird type of insomnia that had plagued him as long as he could remember. Before he’d cleaned his life up, he’d kept a bottle of bourbon on his nightstand. A good, strong drink or two while he surfed the Net on his phone and he’d always been able to get back to sleep.

  Not anymore. Now he still played around on his phone, but it took him a good hour to relax enough even think about sleeping again.

  Tonight felt…different. His body, while humming in satisfaction, was already responding to the feel of Savannah curled up against his side. It had been a long time since he’d spent the night with a woman. Not since—

  Nope. He was done comparing Savannah to his dead wife. Katie was his past, and it wasn’t fair to Savannah to constantly equate them. In all honesty, they weren’t equal. Not at all.

  The time had come to let Katie go. For good. Her death had been tragic. A young woman gone far too soon. But she represented his past, a past he wanted to leave behind.

  Savannah represented his future.

  Brad hugged her a little closer, wondering if he could wake her up and make love to her again. To have her still there was comfortable. Right.

  Damn. He was in over his head, but he didn’t care. Savannah was like no other woman he’d known. The sweetness in her smile was bone-deep, and he suddenly worried he was making a huge mistake getting tangled up in her life.

  This wasn’t a woman a man walked away from. She wasn’t a woman to take as a lover for a while and then part to go their separate ways. This was a woman a man grabbed on to and then held tight.

  “Brad?”

  Smiling, he pulled her closer and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss. But then a gentle kiss wasn’t enough. He wanted more.

  He wanted it all.

  There was a welcome in her lips, her tongue heightening the exchange before his could. Before things got too hot and heavy, he grabbed a condom and donned it.

  As he tried to take control of their lovemaking again, Brad was surprised to find Savannah shaking her head as she gripped his upper arms and urged him to his back. Thrilled that she was taking the reins, he obeyed, sprawling on his back. She rose on her knees and then worked her way over to straddle his hips before leaning in to kiss him again.

  * * *

  The way Brad had made love to Savannah had freed something inside her. She wasn’t truly cold like Michael had always said. Her body was clearly very capable of enjoying sex, and now she wanted to indulge in her newfound sensual side, the part of her that Brad had touched so expertly.

  Since rolling on a condom wasn’t a skill she’d learned, she was happy he’d taken care of the task. If she worked up more bravado, maybe she’d ask him to let her practice. That could be fun. As it was, she felt brave enough simply wrapping her fingers around his erection. Michael had never liked to be touched too much, always saying that he was too sensitive or that she didn’t know what she was doing. In reality, the man had no self-control and would come in ten seconds flat. If she’d stroked him intimately, he’d have been done in five.

  No wonder sex had been such a disappointment. There was nothing wrong with her. Instead, her ex had been a selfish jerk, caring about his own pleasure rather than what they could share.

  Brad didn’t have that problem. The man was a revelation. She’d never known someone as unselfish, who cared as much—if not more—about her pleasure as he did his own. She wanted to show him exactly how much she not only wanted him but also appreciated him.

  His cock was hard as granite, and the heat was incredible, even with the thin sheath between her fingers and his skin. She loved his shape, tracing the crown with her fingertips and wondering if she’d eventually be able to go down on him. It was something she really wanted to try, and Brad was probably the right man to help her learn.

  But right now, she wanted to return the pleasure he’d given her rather than dwell on her naïveté. She’d had only two dates since Michael left, and neither of them got anywhere near her bedroom.

  Savannah rose over him, moving her hips until Brad slid home, making her feel delightfully full. Complete. He grasped her waist and pushed his hips up until he was buried deeper inside her. Closing her eyes, she let out a ragged moan.

  Warm hands covered her breasts. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said, his tone husky.

  Staring down at him, she smiled as she lifted herself up and down, trying to find a rhythm that would satisfy her. When she leaned forward to kiss him again, Brad took over, holding tight to her as he thrust inside her in a way that rubbed against her sensitive nub with almost the same intensity as he’d used with his tongue. It wasn’t long before the pleasurable pressure built inside her, and before she could marvel at how easily he could make her respond, her climax raced over her.

  * * *

  The moment Savannah threw her head back and called out his name with a bit of surprise and wonder, Brad gave up his own self-control. He drove into her again and again until he came, an overwhelming experience that left him panting for breath and full of his own surprise.

  What was it about this woman that had turned sex into something that felt so new? So damned satisfying? Never had he known this type of contentment.

  She collapsed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. A laugh bubbled from her. “That was…amazing.”

  Brad combed her hair with his fingers. “I sure as hell thought so. Glad you did, too.”

  Since he was softening and about to slip free from her body, he eased her to his side and took care of cleanup. The chore bought him a little time to think.

  Amazing?

  Oh yeah.

  In fact, it was a lot more than that. He just didn�
�t know how to explain exactly how important this night had been to him.

  He went back to the bed, still unable to find the right words.

  Savannah sat with the sheet pulled up to her collarbone. Her expression was wary.

  Brad slid between the sheets, getting in a short tug-of-war with her as she tried to keep herself covered.

  “We never talked,” she said, her voice soft as though she was trying not to wake someone up.

  He flopped back against his pillow and stacked his hands behind his head. “No, we didn’t.”

  “I can’t believe that Allied sent someone to the reception tonight.”

  “Should we be discussing this at four in the morning?” he asked.

  “I’m wide awake now,” she insisted even as she lay down beside him, stretching out on her side to face him and covering them both with the sheet. “Are you sure you don’t have any more surprises for me?”

  “Not a single one. I promised, remember?”

  “Did your wife like it when you made all the plans? Seems like a habit with you.”

  Savannah had just opened the door to discussing Katie. He warred with himself over whether to share his past with her. He hated rehashing things, especially a mistake like his life with Katie. But the way he felt after making love to Savannah told him that what they shared was so much more than what he’d shared with any other woman.

  Savannah deserved to know everything.

  “My marriage wasn’t…good,” he said.

  * * *

  Hearing nothing forlorn in Brad’s voice, Savannah hoped that he would open up to her now. “How did she die?”

  “Katie had lupus. Her kidneys slowly stopped working until she ran out of options and time.”

  Quiet settled over them until she lifted his hand and kissed his fingers. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been rough.”

  All he did was give her a squeeze.

  “You loved her.”

  “At the time.”

  “‘At the time’? What’s that supposed to mean, Brad?” she asked.

  He breathed a loud sigh. “Do you want to know the truth?”