by Tara Wylde
My mind and soul would be perfectly content to stay here, just like this, kissing, for the rest of my life, but my body has other ideas. It wants to know exactly how much pleasure Garret can generate.
I moan a protest when he breaks the kiss, but my disappointment fades as he trails a line of nipping kisses all the way from the side of my jaw to my right elbow. The cool breeze wafting through the apartment’s ventilation system touches the wet spot, chilling the skin, creating an interesting and intoxicating contrast to the fire Garret’s lighting within me.
He turns his attention away from my elbow, directing it instead to my breasts. His big, callused hands kneed the soft flesh as his mouth finds and torments first one nipple and then the other.
I thought that the lube I test drove last night was intense, but the heat it created is nothing compared to the surge of pure liquid desire between my legs right now, a fire that grows hotter and wetter each time Garret rolls my nipple between his teeth.
Moaning and thrashing beneath his mouth, I grab his head, my fingers tangling in his hair, holding him steady as I arch my back, granting him better access to my aching, swollen breasts.
The fire between my legs has intensified, turning into a need that can’t be ignored. The tension building inside of me is new and frightening. Garret’s hands and mouth are amazing, but I’m starting to feel like a pressure cooker that’s nearing the red zone.
I squirm against Garret, pressing my belly against his proud erection, rubbing myself against him.
“Garret,” I beg, though I’m not sure exactly what I want. “Please.”
“Oh, I’m a long way from done with you,” Garret says, his words muffled by the fact that one of my nipples is still in his mouth.
One of his hands slides away from my breast, gliding down along my ribcage and across my abdomen, where it stops, so close, but yet so far away from the place I most want him to touch.
He releases my tormented nipple and brings his mouth back to mine, using long, slow kisses to drive me wild while his fingers draw long, lazy kisses on my lower belly, moving tantalizingly close to, but never actually breaching my womanly parts.
My heart pounds, sending blood and a rich supply of desire and endorphins racing to every portion of my body. My heels thrum against the bed, keeping time with the beating of my heart.
“Garret,” I gasp when he finally frees my mouth. “If you don’t fuck me soon, I swear to God I’ll …” Unable to think of anything except the incredible way he makes me feel, I leave the threat open ended, hoping that will be enough to convince him to get a move on.
He laughs and drops a kiss on the tip of my nose. “You really need to learn a little patience, don’t you?”
Two things stop me before I drive a fist into his rock hard gut. The first is that if I hurt him, he won’t finish what he started right here. The second is that the thickness in his voice indicates that he’s every bit as turned on right now as I am.
Still, my threat seems to have some effect on him.
His right hand, the one that has been sitting dangerously close to my pot of gold, slides lower. His thumb makes a single stroke over my lower lips. The touch is feather soft, but it triggers about a billion little nerve endings which sizzle and snap.
Oh boy!
I grab large fistfuls of the bedspread in my hands and hold on for dear life, like I’m trying to anchor myself.
The second pass of his thumb opens my most secret spot to him.
With unerring accuracy, his thumb and forefinger find my clit and the bundle of highly sensitized nerves contained within it. Another finger joins the first two, but instead of playing with my clit, it touches a spot just behind it. The nail rubs against the tender flesh, creating just the right amount of friction.
“Crap,” I yell as the light touch triggers an electrical storm that has my hips snapping up and off the mattress. “What the hell was that?”
Garret laughs, and the blood rushing through my ears makes it sound like he’s on the other side of the room instead of on the bed with me.
“Shh,” he murmurs in a voice that helps calm me. “Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
“Sure, easy for you to say,” I snap. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”
“Yeah,” he responds, his voice whisper soft. “I think I do.” He catches hold of one of my hands and gently releases my death grip on the bedspread. “And you’re doing the same thing to me.”
My eyes fly open and I watch as he guides my hand toward his erection. It’s bigger than I imagined possible, far bigger than it felt when there was a layer of clothing between me and it.
Under his guidance, my fingertips brush the side of the shaft. It jumps and twitches in response, the movement fascinating me. I strain against Garret’s hold, wanting to use my hand to explore his cock, but he’s stronger and returns my hand to the mattress, covering it with his own to hold it in place.
“But I want to touch it,” I wail. “It’s only fair, considering where your hand is right now.”
“Who said anything about this being fair?” Garret asks. “My only concern is making sure you feel good.” He lightly tugs at my clit while simultaneously brushing the spot just behind it. I gasp as a million brightly colored lights dance before my eyes. “And you have to admit that I’m good at making you feel good.”
He is, but if he thinks I’m going to give him the satisfaction of admitting that right now, he’s very wrong. “Mark my words, I will make you pay for this.”
He chuckles. “I’m looking forward to it.”
His fingers resume their rolling/rubbing routine, sending a new surge of electric sensation shafting through me as the strange pressure within me intensifies.
Thick, hot moisture trickles out of my entrance, streaming along my thighs, and drenching the mattress.
Every single muscle in my body stiffens until I feel tighter than any bowstring. A small wave of euphoria rolls through me, and I instinctively recognize it for what it is. “Garret, I can’t hold out much longer.”
“That’s good, baby.” Something rattles and I open my eyes just in time to see Garret throw a wrapper on the floor and roll a condom onto his erection. He moves between my thighs, and the head of his cock probes my saturated entrance, stretching the tender flesh it finds there.
I reach up, looping my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life, as he once against starts to play with my clit, the tingling sensation distracting me as he adjusts his position. He tugs lightly on the little nub and at the same time he plunges all the way into me.
I cry out. My nails bite into his skin, leaving deep crescents as my inner walls adjust to accommodate his enormous girth.
Garret lowers his head, covering my mouth with his, his tongue mirroring the slow, exquisite thrusts of his hips. The friction created by the double penetration is like nothing I’ve ever imagined before. My own tongue teases his as my inner walls spasm around his cock, holding him tight each time he withdraws, welcoming him back each time he thrusts.
The fingers of Garret’s free hand dig into my hip, lifting my ass up and off the mattress, allowing him to drive himself even deeper within me, while his other hand continues working my clit.
The pressure that has been building since Garret first laid me down hits its breaking point. Surge after delicious surge of fiery sensation sweep over me, each one as strong and overwhelming as the other. It’s both exhilarating and frightening.
I cling tightly to Garret, using him as a touchstone to make sure the waves of emotion don’t take me under. A moment later, he yells as his body stiffens and his own climax joins mine.
Garret murmurs soothing words and gently strokes my hair, pushing the damp strands away from my face as I struggle to come to terms with what just happened.
“I…” It’s hard to get the word out. I swallow and try again. “I had no idea that sex could feel like that.” I’ve read at least a million romance novels, but don’t recall ever readi
ng about a character having sex that was so great, it felt like she’d exploded from the inside out. Or that she continued to feel it long after the actual act ended.
Yet here I am, several minutes after the most intense sexual experience of my life and my arms and legs are still shaking.
I nestle into Garret’s chest. “If I’d known that’s what you were capable of, I would have jumped you the day you moved into this building.”
Garret laughs sleepily. “You probably would have wound up disappointed. I wasn’t good for much those days.”
Because his wife, the love of his life, had just died. The thought pricks my consciousness and take some of the shine of my first orgasm.
I lay silently for a moment or two and just listen to Garret’s breath.
“Is it always like that?”
“Don’t know.” I sense that he’s smiling at me. “Let me get some sleep, then we can try again and see if whether or not lightning strikes twice.”
“Is that a promise?” I ask.
“Absolutely.”
His arms tighten around me and after a few more minutes his body relaxes and his breathing grows slow and steady as he falls asleep.
I should be tired, but I can’t sleep. My mind keeps turning over what just happened. Logically, the reason Garret was able to coax such a massive orgasm from me is because he’s simply more knowledgeable than any of my other partners have been, but that doesn’t really play for me. Some of them had moves, they should have been able to get me off, but they failed.
My mind drifts further back, to that strange spark I felt when Garret and I were at the park and he asked me why I wanted to fall in love. Something shifted between us, and I know he sensed it as much as I did.
I have the funniest feeling that it was that shift in our relationship that finally allowed me to climax.
A little tickle in my brain also warned that the same shift was going to change my life forever.
Chapter 79
Erin
I stretch and blink sleepily at the unfamiliar surroundings, taking a few seconds to remember that instead of my bedroom, I ended up in Garret’s.
I glance at the other side of the bed where I spot an indented pillow, but no Garret. I don’t know whether I should feel disappointed or relieved.
Normally, I hate strange beds, but Garret’s is comfortable, even more so than mine, almost as if the mattress was made specifically for my body. For a moment, I debate pulling the covers over my head and snuggling back into the pillow and letting myself fall back to sleep, but with a sigh I throw the blankets back and sit up. As nice as getting some more sleep sounds, I’ll only be putting off the inevitable. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to face Garret, and I suppose in the grand scheme of things, sooner is better.
I pull my clothes up and onto the bed, and have already shimmed into my panties before I notice a familiar thumping sound. I glance at the foot of the bed where Harlan is sprawled on the floor, tongue lolling out of his mouth, feet going a mile a minute, and his tail banging on the edge of the baseboard.
“Chasing squirrels again, I see.” I tug my T-shirt on and reach for my shorts. “I wonder if you’re any better at catching them in your dreams than you are in real life?”
Fully dressed, I square my shoulders and walk toward the closed bedroom door and march through it.
I find Garret sprawled on the couch in the living room. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, the fly zipped but not buttoned, reading the latest James Patterson novel. His cat is curled up on his lap, purring away like a chainsaw, looking every bit as happy as my dreaming dog.
My heart flutters and my body hums. Garret is always sexy, but the cat and the book shoot his sexiness to a whole new level.
Suddenly, the cat’s tail lashes and it sits bolt upright, turning its head to look straight at me. Alerted by the cat’s attention, Garret uses his finger to mark his spot before turning to me.
An instant smile softens his features. “Hey.”
Heat floods my face and I bury my toes in the soft carpet. “You know, I just realized one of the great things about not sleeping with most of the guys I’ve dated.”
His expression falters. “What’s that?”
Despite the butterflies floating in my stomach, a small smile touches the corners of my mouth. There’s something about his sudden wariness that’s so cute. It’s nice knowing I’m not the only one who’s nervous.
“I rarely have to deal with this awkward, morning-after nonsense.”
“You’re nervous?” Garret picks up a battered playing card, the eight of diamonds, and tucks it between the pages. He puts the book on the coffee table and nudges the cat off his legs. “Think about me. I was married for eleven years and have been single for five. Do you know how long it’s been since the last time I had to deal with this whole ‘after’ thing? Forever, that’s how long. I don’t know what the correct protocol is these days, so, as the experienced one, I’m putting you in charge of this particular scene. Okay?”
Something about what he said triggers an uneasy tickle in the back of my brain. My brow furrows as I try to figure out the sudden sense of foreboding, but before I can Garret stands up and faces me. My pussy hums as my libido sits up and takes notice. Will it always be this way when I’m around him, or will the attraction fade after a few days? Surprisingly, I’m looking forward to finding out.
He walks toward me, stopping just a few feet away, and crosses his arms over his chest. “So, coach, what’s the first step?”
“Well, based on my last relationships that have reached this point, I get dressed as soon as possible and run from your place. Once I’m home, I give you a call and say that while I had fun, I’m just not interested anymore.”
Garret wrinkles his nose. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
I shrug. “But if you were one of the guys I’ve slept with in the past, you’d be okay with it.” I don’t mention Dillion, who still swears that he loves me. Technically, since I never had sex with him, he doesn’t count. At least not in this particular scenario.
Garret reaches out and takes my hand. “Any other options?”
“Well, Dan, the last guy I slept with. I kicked him out of my apartment almost as soon as we were finished. I did go out on a date with him afterwards, but as you know, that didn’t end on a high note. I don’t anticipate ever seeing him again.”
“Well, that’s another sucky situation.” Using his hold on my hand, he draws me close until our bodies brush lightly together. “I suppose we’ll have to explore option three.”
“Which is?” I ask breathlessly.
“We play things by ear.” Garret lowers his head and my knees go all watery. “But I think it’s going to involve lots of kissing.” His mouth covers mind and we enjoy a leisurely exploration of one another’s mouths. Breathing heavily, he breaks the kiss.
“So far, I’m a big fan of your approach.” I rest my free hand on his chest. My thumb runs over his nipple, causing him to inhale sharply. “Got any other ideas?”
Garret’s free hand slides over my hip before coming to rest on the curve of my ass. “I’m thinking we go out to dinner, take your dog for a walk, and then watch some old movies in bed. Oh yeah, and there might be some sex mixed in there somewhere.”
I stand up on my toes and press a quick kiss to the hollow of his throat. “That sounds like the best plan I’ve heard in a long time.”
Chapter 80
Garret
“Two of your enchilada combos, the works.” I pass my credit card to the cute blond teenager in the window and turn to Erin. “You aren’t going to believe how good the food is.”
“If you say so.” She shoots the truck a dubious look. “But this is one of those ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ things.” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into getting dinner from a truck. There are so many great places to eat in this city and still you chose a truck.”
I glance at Harlan. He’
s sitting patiently by Erin’s left leg, his tail sweeping back and forth along the asphalt, his eyes locked on the truck’s ordering window. “Harlan’s excited about getting truck food.”
Erin rolls her eyes. “Harlan also likes to drink out of the toilet. When it comes to his stomach, he’s not nearly as picky as I am.”
“Here you go, sir.” The blonde leans part way out the window and hands me the first box. I take it from her and pass it to Erin before reaching for the second box. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” I nod at a picnic table about fifty feet away. “How about you and Harlan head over there and claim that table, while I grab sour cream and salsa?”
“Make sure you get lots of sour cream,” Erin says before turning and sashaying toward the table. Harlan leaps to his feet and trots along beside her, staring at her box with hopeful eyes.
Grinning to myself for no particular reason, I walk to the small table that holds an assortment of condiments. Grabbing one of the recycled plastic containers from a stack, I fill it with salsa and sour cream packets.
“That your girlfriend?”
I turn my head and find myself looking at a guy who’s a few inches shorter then me but weighs about the same. Good looking enough, in a clean cut, white collar sort of way, though it’s a little hard to tell since his baseball cap is pulled down over his brow and he’s wearing large sunglasses. He leans against the side of the food truck and watches me.
He wasn’t here a second ago, I’d swear that. He must have been behind the truck or something.
I follow his gaze to the picnic table where Erin is busy tying the end of Harlan’s leash to one of the table’s legs.
Girlfriend? I mentally chew on the word. I hadn’t really considered what Erin was to me. Girlfriend sounds so, I don’t know, high schoolish, and even though we’re friends, something had shifted between us, grown into something more than friends, at least on my part. At best, I’d say we’re at an undefinable stage.