by Lynn LaFleur
She ran her hand over his chest and stomach. “Fresh air?”
“Highly overrated.”
“Exercise?”
“Sex burns up lots of calories and is fun at the same time.”
“You have an answer for everything.” She lifted her head and looked down at him, amusement in her eyes. “Are you sure you aren’t a lawyer?”
“Just an overworked accountant who’s very horny.”
She laughed again, then crossed her hands on top of his chest and rested her chin on them. “How long has it been since you slept with a woman?”
“Three months.”
“Was it a serious relationship or just…fun?”
“I thought it might turn into something serious, but we were too different. We broke up after a month.” He slid one arm behind his head. “When I was offered a job here, I decided it would be a good time to start over. New job, new scenery, new people. I knew my job would require a lot of hours, but had no idea it would consume me. I can’t ask a woman to become seriously involved with me, at least not until my life settles down. It wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“I’m not looking for anything serious either. It’s only been four months since my divorce. I’m not ready to jump back into a relationship yet.”
“But dating is okay?”
“Dating is okay. Sex is okay.”
“Sex is very okay.”
She leaned forward and kissed him. “You’re the first man I’ve made love with since my divorce. Thank you for making it so special.”
It pleased Daniel that she felt comfortable enough with him to be honest. “My pleasure.”
She kissed him again. “I have an idea.”
“What’s your idea?”
“Let’s take a shower and go down for breakfast. Then we can visit the gift shop and get whatever clothes you need.”
“I have a better idea. Let’s order room service, then take a shower while we wait for breakfast. We can worry about clothes for me later.”
“You just want to keep me naked.”
“As long as possible.”
She gave him that sexy siren’s smile he liked so much. “In that case, I think your idea is better.”
*
Twyla opened her mouth when Daniel held a plump grape to her lips. She sat in the middle of the bed, knees bent, ankles crossed. Daniel sat opposite her in the same position. Neither of them had bothered to put on any clothes after their shower.
There was something incredibly sexy about eating breakfast naked. Twyla had eaten many meals naked with Scott during their marriage and never thought a thing of it. After all, he had been her husband and knew every inch of her body. She’d met Daniel a little over twelve hours ago. Yet she felt no embarrassment, no shyness, to be this intimate with him.
It surprised her to feel so comfortable with a man she barely knew.
He held another grape to her lips before he popped one into his mouth. “I didn’t realize I was hungry until I started eating.”
“We worked up an appetite.”
Daniel bobbled his eyebrows. “Yes, we did.”
Twyla laughed. She liked a man with a sense of humor. Daniel made her laugh as well as thoroughly charmed her.
He reached over and whisked his thumb across her lower lip. “You have a beautiful laugh.”
She sobered at his touch. He slid his thumb across her lip again, then ventured inside. He rubbed it on the inside of her lip, across her lower teeth. Twyla gently clamped her teeth over it and licked the tip.
In the shower, he’d run his soapy hands all over her body. Only the lack of a condom had kept them from making love beneath the warm water. They’d barely swiped towels over their bodies so they could hurry back to bed when their breakfast had arrived. Daniel had kissed her deeply and promised her they’d pick up where they left off after breakfast.
Apparently he was about to fulfill his promise.
She laid her palm against his stubbly cheek. She hadn’t brought a razor with her, so he hadn’t shaved. The day’s growth of whiskers made him look rakish. Combined with his disheveled dark hair, he reminded her of a pirate.
A sexy, dangerous pirate.
He pulled his thumb from her mouth. “I can tell what you’re thinking by looking in your eyes.”
“What am I thinking?”
“That you want me to kiss you.”
“Actually, that isn’t what I’m thinking.”
“It isn’t?”
Twyla almost laughed at the disappointed look on his face. She shook her head. “I was thinking you remind me of a pirate.”
A wicked grin curved his lips. “I like that. Does that mean I get to ravish you?”
“I think you’ve already done that today.”
His eyes narrowed and turned smoky. “Did you like it?”
“Very much.”
“Well, then…” He slid off the bed long enough to set the breakfast tray on the floor. When he returned to her, he gently pushed her back against the pillows. “It must be time to ravish you again.”
Twyla sighed in pleasure when Daniel’s lips covered hers. He was such an incredible kisser, much better than Scott.
She stopped that train of thought before it went any further. She couldn’t compare Daniel to her ex-husband. It wasn’t right or fair to even let her former lover cross her mind while she was in Daniel’s arms.
Firmly pushing memories of Scott out of her mind, she wrapped her arms around Daniel’s neck and returned his kisses. Heat spread through her body. Her breasts grew heavy and swollen. A delicious throbbing started in her clit. She spread her thighs when he slipped one leg between them. His hard cock nestled against her belly.
“I can’t get enough of you.” He kissed his way down to one nipple. It peaked beneath his tongue. “You’re delicious.” He kissed her belly, beneath her navel, her mound. “Everywhere.” He swiped his tongue across her clit. “Especially here. God, I love the taste of your pussy.”
He proceeded to prove his words by settling between her legs and devouring her wet flesh. Twyla cradled her breasts and rubbed her nipples with her thumbs. She flicked them with her thumbnails, twisted them between two fingers. Every caress added to the pleasure Daniel gave her with his tongue.
Her body was already primed from their time in the shower. Stopping long enough to eat breakfast hadn’t diminished her desire, only delayed it. It quickly flared even hotter than when she stood beneath the warm water with Daniel’s soapy hands caressing her breasts.
He pushed two fingers into her channel. His tongue continued to torment her clit while he caressed her G-spot. Twyla released her breasts and grabbed his head as she lifted her hips. “There. Yes. Oh yessssssss.”
He licked her clit with the flat of his tongue and continued to move his fingers inside her. The orgasm built deep in her womb. Only a few more seconds…
It fizzled when Daniel stopped licking her and pulled his fingers from her body. She was about to protest when he flipped her to her stomach. Grasping her hips, he lifted her to her knees. She looked over her shoulder to see him grab a condom and tear open the package. His gaze met hers as he slid the latex over his stiff cock.
She lowered her head to the pillow and waited. A moment later, she felt Daniel’s shaft slide into her pussy.
“Tight and wet,” he said, caressing her ass. “Perfect.”
He began to move, slow and steady. Twyla clenched her hands in the pillow. Daniel thrust all the way until his balls touched her, then pulled back until only the head remained inside her.
She jerked in surprise when he touched her anus with his wet thumb. It only took a few seconds to arch her back, wanting more of his delicious touch.
He circled his thumb around the rosette as he continued to thrust into her channel. “You like it when I touch you here, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
He pushed the digit half an inch inside her. Twyla pushed back, driving his thumb and cock farther inside her.
“That’s the way. Show me what you want.”
The low growl of his voice made her shiver. She spread her legs another inch. “I want you deeper.”
He slid his hand beneath her stomach and held her in place while he drove his cock and thumb into her body. The sound of his flesh slapping against hers filled the room. The scent of sex surrounded her. Twyla squeezed her eyes shut and hugged the pillow tighter as her orgasm loomed closer. She could feel the heat building in her body and knew that her skin must be flushed.
His hand glided up her stomach to cradle her breast. He leaned over her body and spoke in her ear. “Is that deep enough?”
Goose bumps erupted on her skin from his warm breath. He tugged on her lobe, darted his tongue into her ear. That final bit of stimulation pushed her over the edge into bliss.
“Ohgodohgodohgod!”
Her body trembled with the force of the climax flowing through her. She released the pillow and held her head, certain the top would blow off. Behind her, Daniel squeezed her hips tightly and thrust several more times before he released a long moan.
He fell next to her with a loud “oomph!” Twyla’s legs gave out and she collapsed on the bed next to Daniel. Somehow she managed to find the strength to turn her head so she could look at him. He lay on his back, one arm over his eyes. His chest rose and fell rapidly with his heavy breathing. A thin layer of perspiration covered his skin.
He was gorgeous.
She reached over and touched his chest. Daniel moved his arm and gazed at her. He smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.”
“Did that count as a second ravishment?”
“It did in my book.”
“In my book too.” Wrapping his hand around her neck, he tugged her closer for a kiss. “Don’t move.”
“No problem.”
She watched him rise from the bed and head for the bathroom before rolling to her back. She winced at the soreness between her legs. It had been a long time since she’d been so sexually active.
She had no intention of complaining.
Daniel came out of the bathroom. Her gaze swept down his body to his soft cock. She heard him chuckle.
“A third round of ravishment is going to have to wait a while.”
Twyla braced herself on one elbow as he sat on the bed. “A third round sounds wonderful, but I think it’s time to leave the room and make sure the world is still out there. A walk would be nice. And housekeeping will be by soon to make up the room.”
“Okay. I’ll go down to the gift shop and buy some things while you get ready. Is there anything you need?”
She shook her head. “I’m good.”
He grinned. “You certainly are.”
Before she had the chance to laugh, he kissed her soundly. She laid back against the pillows again while he dressed in his wrinkled clothes and shoes. He didn’t bother with his briefs or socks. The thought of him walking around commando in the gift shop made her wonder how quickly they could get to that third round.
Chapter Eight
Thick clouds were beginning to cover the sun by four that afternoon. Rain would start to fall from those clouds within the next hour. Daniel reluctantly turned his car toward the bed-and-breakfast. He and Twyla had been driving and enjoying the scenery for hours. The sunny day had given them a perfect view of Mount Rainier and the Cascades. Twyla had played tour guide. She knew the area well, so pointed out places to visit, restaurants to try, areas to avoid.
She was bright, charming, funny and beautiful. A perfect companion.
He tuned the radio to a classical station and turned the volume low. Twyla leaned back against the headrest with a smile. “That’s nice.”
“You like classical music?”
“Some. I like all kinds of music. It depends on the song.”
The longer he talked with Twyla, the more he discovered how much they had in common. He already knew they burned up the sheets in bed. She was a perfect lady in public. In private, she let her inner siren loose.
He liked both sides of her. More than he should.
Daniel glanced at her. Her eyes were closed, a small smile touched her lips. He wanted to hold her, kiss her. He couldn’t remember ever experiencing such a strong reaction to a woman, not even with his ex-fiancée. Their relationship had started easy and built slowly. The sex was always good, but it had never been intense the way it was the first time with Twyla.
He hadn’t exaggerated when he’d told Twyla his job consumed his life now. He worked twelve to sixteen hours a day, six to seven days a week, with no end in sight to his crazy schedule. When he became involved with a woman, he wanted to devote his full attention to her. He didn’t want to fall asleep from exhaustion during the middle of a conversation.
He’d go without sleep if it meant he could be with Twyla.
The exit sign for the Wild Rose Inn came into view. Daniel reached over and laid his hand over hers. “Are you asleep?”
“No.” She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Just resting my eyes.”
“You can’t possibly be tired, just because you only got about five hours of sleep last night.”
“Was it that much?”
“Okay, maybe it was four.”
“That sounds about right.”
He squeezed her hand. “Are you sorry?”
“No. Last night was incredible. So was this morning.”
“Yes, it was.” Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed the back of it. “You’re a very sexy woman, Twyla.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your saying that.”
“Why wouldn’t I? It’s the truth.”
She remained silent for several moments. “My self-confidence took a beating when my husband divorced me.” She looked at him. “I told you you’re the first man I’ve been with since Scott left. I was worried that I might do something…wrong.”
“Everything you did was two hundred percent right. Surely your divorce had nothing to do with your performance in bed.”
He waited for her to say of course that had nothing to do with her divorce. Her lack of denial stunned him. “Twyla, your ex-husband is an idiot if he told you you’re a lousy lover. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Daniel was about to heap more praises on her when she spoke again. “Enough about my ex. I shouldn’t have brought him up at all.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do. He’s out of my life and I don’t want to talk about him. I had a wonderful time with you. That’s what I want to remember. And I will, for a long time.”
That last sentence sounded a lot like a goodbye. She’d told him dating and sex were okay. She’d also said she wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone. No matter how much he wanted to see her again, she needed time to heal from her divorce.
He had to give her that time.
He pulled into a parking space close to the entrance, but left the motor running. “I’m heading back to Seattle, Twyla.”
Surprise flashed in her eyes. “Now? You don’t want to have dinner first?”
Daniel shook his head. “We had a late lunch. I won’t be hungry for a long time. I have to be at the office early tomorrow and didn’t get much sleep last night. I’d better turn in early tonight.”
“But…” She glanced down at her lap for a moment, then looked at him again. “I understand.”
“But what? What were you going to say?”
“It isn’t important.”
Maybe she was going to say she wanted to see him again. Maybe she was going to say her feelings for him were as strong as his feelings for her.
He could drive himself crazy with “maybes”. It was time to leave her while he still had some willpower. “I enjoyed being with you, Twyla. I hope you believe that.”
“I enjoyed being with you too.”
He leaned across the console. She met him halfway and their lips touched in a tender kiss. He clenched his fists to keep from pulling her closer. “Goodbye.”
<
br /> She ran her fingertips across his cheek. “Goodbye.”
Drops of rain began to fall as Daniel watched her leave his car and hurry toward the entrance. He felt as gloomy inside as the weather had become outside. For the first time in months, he’d found a woman he’d like to get to know better, but their timing was all wrong. If he’d met Twyla two months from now, perhaps she’d be ready to start a new relationship. Then he wouldn’t be going home alone.
*
Twyla hesitated before she pulled open the door to Jennie’s Java. Although she hadn’t known Marci and Molly that long, the three of them had become good friends right away. The two women were excellent at picking up on feelings and emotions. No matter how hard she tried to hide the hollowness deep inside, her friends would sense her unhappiness.
Put on a happy face and pretend everything is wonderful. You can do it.
Head high, Twyla entered the coffee shop. She spotted the two women at their usual table. Marci gave her a quick wave and Twyla returned it, then headed for the counter to place her order. The usual twenty-something barista waited on her, the one who always stared at her breasts. Twyla swore someday she would grab the front of his shirt and yell at him to look into her eyes.
She ordered a white mocha and a pumpkin spice muffin. She was in the mood for lots of fat and calories today.
Marci and Molly stopped their conversation when Twyla walked up to the table. They both smiled at her as she slipped into the chair opposite Molly.
“How was your weekend at Wild Rose?” Molly asked.
Twyla knew her friends would worry about her when she didn’t show up yesterday. She’d called both ladies late Sunday evening to let them know she was out of town. “Great. I love it there. The food is incredible, the room wonderful, the view gorgeous.”
“Lots of adjectives,” Molly said with a grin. “You sound like a writer.”
“I’ll leave the writing to you.”
“What did you do?” Marci asked.
“Read a lot and just relaxed. I had a two-hour massage yesterday. It was heavenly.”
Marci’s eyes narrowed. She leaned closer to Twyla and peered into her face. “If it was so heavenly, why do you have circles under your eyes?”