by Petrova, Em
But this wasn’t quite enough. More, remember? She unhooked her hands from his neck and skimmed down his arms. She felt muscle under the cotton of his shirt then warm skin and the sprinkling of hair on his arms. Tracing one arm up to where he held her face, she followed the veins in the back of his hands and felt the strength there. That he had the power to do anything with her but didn’t, made her heart squeeze.
His breath came hot and heavy on her ear while she skimmed her hands down and around to his waist. His body undulated under her fingertips and she released a low moan when his mouth closed about her earlobe. He nipped and kissed the shell of her ear, sending deep, soul-pervading shivers through her.
She grappled with the bottom of his shirt until she found what she’d been searching for. Warm, firm skin met her fingertips. His body gave a shudder when she touched him. Muscles contracted and between her legs, heat pooled. She thrust her hands higher, tracing over the ridges until she found his flat nipples. He bit down on the crook of her neck, no doubt marking her, as she scraped her nails down his body. The heated mark she felt on her skin sent a rush of excitement through her.
Sawyer kissed her again. If she’d thought he was passionate before, she was wrong. Each time she touched him, his kisses grew more frantic. When she began fumbling with the button on his jeans, he moaned her name and cupped her rear.
The warmth of his hands electrified her. There was no going back now—maybe there hadn’t ever been. She needed Sawyer more than anything. More than books or a wedding or lottery winnings. This was about them and nothing else now.
Desperate hands grappled with her top. His fingers scraped her stomach and a tremor passed through her. She needed those fingers higher up—or lower down. Hot impatience governed her movements when she thrust a hand inside his jeans and cupped him through his briefs.
Scalding, heavy, thick. A deep pang of yearning speared her.
A rumbling groan rose up from within him and he tore back to thrust his shirt over his head. She helped—or hindered—she wasn’t sure, but it seemed to take too long to get the top over his head and flung onto the dusty sheets covering the floor.
Maddie swallowed and swallowed again. With shaky hands, she followed the swirls of ink up over his shoulder and onto his chest. The rest of his body was unmarred, the juxtaposition between tattooed and bare skin mesmerized. The all too brief glimpses she’d had before hadn’t done him justice.
One hand over his tattooed half, and the other over his bare skin, she relished his heavy heartbeat against her palm. Two halves, just like him. The bad boy still lingered—teasing her, taunting her, exciting her. But at the same time there was this new side to him. Caring, cautious, romantic even. Both sides drew her in.
He sealed his hands over her rear and pulled her close. Dragging herself through the lust crowding her mind, she managed to rip her t-shirt over her head before slinging her arms around his neck. They both hissed when her flesh connected with his. He found her bra strap and opened it easily. She let her bra drop away.
“Holy—”
She didn’t give him much time to look. Light-headed with need, she flattened herself against his smooth skin and her nipples tightened in response. The warm strength of his body seared her skin in the most delicious way. Sawyer smoothed his hands up and down her back and brought his mouth to beneath her ear. His lips dragged across her skin, his teeth nipped. Then he bent lower. His breath scalded her until he sealed his mouth around a nipple. Thank Goodness for his hands upon her back or she might have collapsed.
Maddie dug her nails into his strong shoulders and watched his muscles bunch and flex. The ache between her legs grew unbearable and as divine as it was to have his mouth on her throbbing nipples, she needed him elsewhere. Fingers in his hair, she drew his head up and kissed him. She kissed him with deep, long, frantic strokes of her tongue in the hopes of covering her desperation.
“Jesus, Maddie,” he groaned against her mouth.
And he kissed her ferociously. His hands seemed to be everywhere. In her hair, cupping her breasts, stroking her back and fumbling with her jeans. They stumbled until her bottom met the workmen’s bench at the rear of the room. She kicked off her shoes. Clumsy fingers worked at pressing down her jeans and panties in one go.
Cool air swirled about her heated juncture, emphasising the risk they were taking. The noise of hammering and workmen pacing around filtered in briefly, but she forgot it all when he shucked out of his jeans and briefs.
She could swear at that moment she’d never wanted anything more. Not even books or chocolate. She followed the line of dark hair down with her gaze and eyed him. She had an honest-to-goodness hero right in front of her. This was what all those romance authors were writing about. And he was all hers.
Sawyer only gave her a few moments to appreciate the sight of all that masculinity. In seconds, he was upon her, lifting her onto the bench and parting her thighs. His hardness brushed against her. Perhaps she should have been nervous—it had been ages after all—but she didn’t have the time or the inclination to care. She gripped his arms and urged him on. Damn foreplay—she needed him in her. Right. Now.
Apparently he agreed. He lifted her legs around his hips and shifted forward. Taking her mouth in a deep kiss, he slid into her in one swift, smooth lunge. The sensation of steely flesh invading her made her stiffen and gasp. He swore under his breath and made to retreat but she kept her legs tight around him and her fingers tighter.
“Don’t.” She lifted his head to see his slightly tortured expression. “Don’t leave me.”
“Never,” he said hoarsely.
Hands digging into her rear, he rocked against her, each time pressing harder and faster. The bench beneath her swayed and rattled. As pulsing pleasure rolled through her, she forgot their surroundings. Her world comprised of Sawyer. She tilted her head back and welcomed his mouth on her neck and collarbone. None of his kisses were gentle. The shaky way he pressed his lips to her skin made her heart stretch.
“God, Maddie, you have no idea how long I’ve—” His gruff words were cut off by a crack. “Damn.” The table beneath her lurched.
Before she was aware of what was happening, he’d lifted her and her back connected with the freshly plastered wall. Breath wooshed from her lungs—not from the press of the wall but from how Sawyer surged into her, covering her with his whole body. She clung on tight and gave up any sense of control to him. Her body responded, whatever he did, so she contented herself with pressing open-mouthed kisses to his chest and rough jaw as he thrust into her. He picked up the pace and her body began to tighten. Hot pleasure bubbled beneath her skin. Her breathing stalled and blood rushed in her ears.
The temptation to close her eyes and concentrate on her impending climax warred with the need to watch him. If she shut her eyes, she might think it all a dream and she needed to know this was real. Sawyer Steele was between her legs having confessed to still loving her after all these years. It was like a dream—even if she didn’t want to admit she’d dreamed of him.
The cords around the base of his neck tightened. His shoulders grew stiff and his movements erratic. When his fingers dug into her thighs and he released a guttural groan, a blinding climax struck. It washed over her, pulsing for what seemed like endless moments. She somehow managed to cling to him as he pressed into her one, two, three times, then froze.
“Damn, Maddie, protection...”
“Pill,” she managed to murmur.
“Thank God.” Sawyer rocked into her furiously.
She had to watch. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. He tensed and hissed a breath out through his teeth then rested his forehead against hers, still moving gently within her.
Had she really forgotten to discuss protection? That was so unlike her. She’d have to thank Nikki for talking her into going back on the contraceptive pill when Sawyer came back into her life.
“Maddie,” he said, his voice gravelly, “you know I’d do anything for you,
don’t you? I’d stay here, you know? I didn’t know if I would when I first came back but...”
Maddie clasped his face. “I love you,” she whispered.
The words were a risk. Yes, he’d said the same but he hadn’t been the one to be abandoned. But she liked saying them. They made her feel bold and full of excitement for the future. Soon, she’d tell him about her lottery winnings and then they could have whatever future they wanted.
“I love you,” she repeated as he pressed his mouth firmly to hers.
Chapter Eleven
Sawyer had to stop to admire Maddie’s rear in tight jeans as she went onto tiptoes to place a book on the top shelf. He eased forward and wrapped his arms about her waist to nuzzle the sensitive spot behind her ear. As promised, she shivered and gave a little squeak of surprise.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, glancing around to see that the shop was empty apart from them.
“There’s something about the smell of books,” he murmured while he dashed kisses over her neck and nipped her lobes. “They always remind me of you.”
“Old and dusty?”
He chuckled and urged her around so he could lift her face and kiss her gently. “It reminds me of when we used to hang out in your bedroom and make out for hours on end. You had that huge bookcase and your room always smelled of books.”
Maddie looped her arms around his neck. “So what you’re saying is the smell of books turns you on?”
He shook his head. “No. You turn me on.”
He kissed her, deep, hard, passionate, feeling as though it had been years again instead of hours. They’d taken to staying alternate nights at the holiday cottage and at her flat. Every night, he got to curl up with her and every morning he woke up to her fuzzy hair and crinkled face. He didn’t want it to end.
Her body softened into him. The musky scent of the books mingled with her floral perfume and heat roared through him. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to want to take her here and now in the middle of the shop.
Sawyer drew back and sucked in a breath. She wavered so he kept her firmly in his hold. “They’ve finished the kitchen,” he spilled out in an attempt to focus his thoughts. Good guys did not want to have sex with their girlfriends in public places.
“You came all the way over here to tell me that?”
“Well,” he skimmed a hand over her back and grasped her rear, unable to resist, “and to see you.”
Renovations were going well and they were on track to finish within the month. The house would be ready for someone to live in. He hoped it could be them. Together. As husband and wife.
Now he just needed to find the right moment to propose. It had to be perfect.
“Do you have time for lunch?”
She shook her head and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Nikki is helping with the preparations for the fete and I’m trying to sort out the books that will go on the stall.”
He’d expected as much but that didn’t mean he wasn’t frustrated at having to wait until the evening to see her. How he’d managed to stay away for twelve years, he didn’t know. One morning was too long without holding her.
“I guess I’ll leave you to it. I should probably see if they need any help with setting up.” The annual Ballicliff summer fete would be taking place in two days and the entire town seemed to be involved.
Apart from him. But if he was going to make this place his home, he needed to make an effort.
Maddie gave his arm a squeeze. “Yes, see if they need some muscles. I’m sure they can put you to use.”
“I’d rather you put me to use.”
She beamed at him and came onto tiptoes to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Later,” she murmured.
He groaned. He couldn’t help himself. In spite of making the most of every moment they’d had together since that afternoon at the house, he couldn’t get enough of her. He didn’t think he ever would. Maddie was in his blood. She always had been. It’s why she’d never left his mind, not even in his fictional world.
Sawyer flicked a thumb down her nose and let it rest on her bottom lip.
“What is it?” she asked.
“What is what?”
“You have a distant look in your eyes.”
He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. He’d need to show her his books at some point but it seemed too soon. How would she react when she realised how much she’d become part of his fictional world? What would she think of what he’d written about her? He couldn’t blow this.
“I...I just don’t know how I managed twelve years without you.”
A soft, almost sad smile curved her lips. “Me neither.”
Damn. He hadn’t meant to remind her of the hurt he’d caused. He nearly told her he’d fix it, he’d make it all better. The need to spill out everything burned in his gut. But he had to do this properly. In front of everyone.
He grinned. Yes, that would work. He’d propose at the fete tomorrow. He’d give her no reason to doubt him and every reason to take a chance on him again. It was a big ask, but perhaps he could persuade some of the locals to help him out.
Desperate to erase the sadness from her gaze, he pressed a hand under her hair and drew her close. He curved his palm around her neck and stared down into those hazel eyes. How had he stayed away so long? He had to be grateful to his father in an odd way for giving him a reason to come back and find the courage to face her.
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. Then on the tip of her nose. He closed his eyes and found her lips. She released a small sigh and gripped his arms. Her mouth opened to him and he tasted the coffee she must have drank that morning and the warmth of her. A small animalistic sound reverberated in the back of his throat.
He needed to control himself but...hell, how was he meant to? Maddie had her breasts crushed against his chest, her thighs pressed to his. Her tongue searched his mouth and she made little sounds of pleasure. Sawyer urged her back until he heard a few books topple. She gave a tiny squeak and he hiked her leg up his hip so he could rock against her in an attempt to ease the ache in his jeans.
Her kisses grew frantic. Her hands scrabbled across his shoulders. He slipped a hand down to the edge of her t-shirt and found the warm, smooth skin of her stomach. Her muscles contracted beneath his fingers while he pushed higher and found the underside of her bra. Sawyer eased his fingers up undern—
Someone coughed. Sawyer yanked his hand from her shirt and broke the kiss. When he turned, he saw Mrs White who ran the grocery store. He groaned inwardly. The woman who now had to be in her seventies had never liked him. He couldn’t really blame her as he had stolen the odd sweet or two from her shop as a kid. And from the look on her face, she still hadn’t forgiven him.
She peered around him and Maddie shuffled out from behind him, straightening her top.
“Maddie dear, I came to see if you had any extra bunting left over from last year? I recall we put a box of it in the cellar.”
Sawyer couldn’t help but grin at the stain on her cheeks. He didn’t want to embarrass her but he kind of liked that one of the nosiest people in town would know for sure Maddie was his. Soon everyone would know if Mrs White had anything to do with it.
And that would work perfectly with his plan to propose...
Chapter Twelve
Maddie stacked up the books on the stall and glanced up at the clouds. As long as it stayed dry, the summer fete wouldn’t be ruined. Typical. The one day the entire town came together to do something and thick white clouds had rolled in. The weather hadn’t said anything about rain so she hoped that proved to be true but Cornish weather was always unpredictable.
Around her, bunting and flags fluttered in the breeze. Mrs Newcombe was setting up her homemade honey stall next to her while Margaret, who normally ran one of the souvenir shops, was proudly displaying her crocheted wares. Maddie tried not to grimace at the brightly coloured monstrosities. Margaret wasn’t a natural crocheter.
Inevitably, her
attention turned to Sawyer who was helping to wrestle a huge gazebo into place for the local brass band. Ryan and a couple of the other guys from the lifeboat station were helping but none of them drew her attention like his did. His arms flexed against his t-shirt, flashing the ink on one. She had to tense to fight a shudder running through her as she recalled the times she’d had those arms wrapped around her naked body. Since their fight almost a month ago, they’d barely been apart—even at night.
She sighed. There was no fighting it. She was head over heels for Sawyer Steele.
And yet, she was still holding back and she didn’t know why. She needed to tell him about the lottery winnings but she hadn’t asked the others if that would be okay. It would be easy enough to text them or stop by the pub on Saturday and yet, she’d been putting it off.
Perhaps because he was still keeping something from her. That day at the house had been a revelation for her. She’d seen how wounded inside he was from his father’s treatment of him. She didn’t doubt that wound would take longer than twelve years to heal but he wasn’t the same boy who had left Ballicliff Bay. No, he was determined, serious, even sensible at times. She adored his reckless side but, she had to admit, the practical part of him appealed to her just as much.
There was still something, though...His job she supposed. He never talked about that. And his plans for their future. She was almost fearful of bursting the beautiful bubble she’d found herself in but he hadn’t said anything about what was going to happen between them since the first time they’d made love. He’d said he wanted to stay in Ballicliff but what if that had been a mistake? Something said in the heat of the moment?
Maddie glanced around the pretty blue and white stalls then at the old town hall with its clock forever reading the wrong time. She peered into the distance at the coastline. She would give this up for him if she had to. She didn’t want to but she would. Maybe she should tell him that.
Searching him out again, she grinned at the way he joked with the guys from the lifeboat station. There were still those who didn’t trust him—mostly the older locals with long memories—but sometimes it was hard to remember he’d ever been gone.