Kelly stood now too, and she started to walk toward him, but he held up his hand to stop her. “Don’t you know that when you love someone, you want to give them everything? Everything that they want and everything that they deserve.”
Her throat caught, but she managed to say, “And don’t you know that when you love someone, you’re willing to work with them to make that happen? Furthermore, when you love someone, what you really want is their heart.”
“You already have that,” he said, right before she flung herself into his arms.
He held her so tight that she thought she would burst, and she was bursting—with love. Damian let her go just long enough to gaze into her watery eyes and to state clearly, “I love you, Kelly. I love you twice as much as when I knew you before. No, twice doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
She smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt. “I love you too, Damian, but I need you to do me a favor.”
“What’s that?” he asked as he scooped her up into his powerful arms.
“Don’t ever run away from me again. If there’s a problem, we stay and work it out. Got it?”
“Got it,” he said and carried her down the short hall to the bedroom. “Right now, I’d like to give you something in addition to my heart…”
“I want that too,” she said.
Damian set her down in the bedroom in front of the window that overlooked the lake, and she looked out while he cleared the bed of his discarded clothes. A few minutes later, he came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.
“It’s beautiful here,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful,” he said and dipped his head into her neck.
Kelly tilted her head to one side to give him better access and pushed her backside against his pelvis.
“You’re all that I’ve thought of since I came here,” he said, his voice thick with desire.
She reached her arm back and wound it around his neck. “I missed you,” she said. “I missed us.”
Damian continued ravaging her neck as his hands slid up the front of her sweatshirt and cupped her breasts.
She moaned, and he hadn’t even touched her bare skin yet.
“I want you so much, Kell. I never stop wanting you.”
He moved his hands away from her breasts, and she felt an instant chill as he took a step back. She was about to ask what he was doing, but her head was covered by her sweatshirt as it was being pulled off. Her skin broke out in goosebumps, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of the cold temperature in the room or if it was from the anticipation of what came next. When Damian unhooked her bra and was about to slip it off, she recovered enough to say, “We’re right in front of the window.”
“Who cares? No one can see us, and even if they could…”
Kelly sucked in a breath at his implication. In the past, they’d discussed some of their secret fantasies, and one of hers had to do with being seen having sex. She always thought of it as a fantasy though, and in reality, she wasn’t quite so brave.
Damian sensed her hesitation. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, Kell. Look out the window and tell me what you see.”
She did as he asked and gasped as her bra hit the floor. “I see…” Now his large, work-toughened hands were kneading her bare breasts, and it was hard to concentrate.
“Tell me,” he demanded, his fingers pinching her nipples, gently at first and then with more vigor.
“Just…the…lake,” she said in between pants.
“And nobody’s on it, right?” he said as his hands trailed down her abdomen to the button of her jeans.
“Right,” she said, her body taut with need.
Damian unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, hooked his thumbs into her panties, and slid them both down her legs.
Another whoosh of cool air hit her warm body, and she shivered.
“You cold?” he asked as he rose back up behind her, trailing his fingers up the inside of her thighs.
“No,” she said, although she wasn’t really cognizant of what she was saying at that point.
When Damian had returned to his full height behind her, he reached his right hand around and cupped her center.
“Ohhh,” she moaned.
“No one can see us or hear us, so feel free to scream out my name when you come.” With that, Damian inserted a finger deep inside her and used his thumb to stroke her on the outside.
Kelly slapped her palms against the window for support, even though Damian held her firmly in his grasp. Her head fell back against his shoulder, and she gave in to the sensations: his fingers warm and slightly rough, fondling her, probing her; his moist lips on the sensitive part of her neck; his erection pressing into her back through his jeans. While his right hand worked her below, his left hand played with her nipple, and the combination was too much. She tipped over the edge in no time, gyrating her hips into his hand, and then, as he had suggested, she yelled out his name.
Damian kept his hand in place until she floated back down to earth and she had regained her breath. Of all the things that they had done with and to each other, Kelly thought that this might have been one of their most erotic moments. Her legs felt wobbly as she turned in his arms to face him.
“You good?” he asked, even though his smug expression said he already knew the answer.
“I’m great,” she replied and kissed his smiling lips.
Damian was about to back them up toward the bed, but she shook her head. “Oh no. If I had to stand in front of the window, then so do you.”
He arched his eyebrows at her but stood still, waiting to see what she would do. When she put her hands on the button of his jeans, he whipped off his sweatshirt, presumably to save time. Kelly wet her lips at the sight of his bare chest but went back to work removing his jeans. When his erection sprang free, she wrapped her hands around him and watched his reaction with extreme satisfaction. When she dropped to her knees on the bearskin rug, he groaned.
“You can either look out the window or watch me,” she offered, and then she brought the tip of his swollen manhood to her mouth.
Damian chose to watch her, and she gave him quite the show, alternating between licking him like a popsicle and drawing him into her mouth as far as she could take him. His masculine sounds of pleasure filled the room, and before long, he gave her the warning call.
“KELLLLL…”
She nodded, and that was all it took. When his body stopped convulsing, she let go and slowly stood up, unsure if her legs would support her.
Damian immediately wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, placing her gently on the bed and crawling in next to her. “That was…”
“Fantastic? Spectacular? Stupendous?” she suggested, giggling.
“All of the above,” he said, covering them with a plaid blanket.
Kelly snuggled against him and soaked up his warmth. “Is the heat turned on in here?”
Damian chuckled. Finding an acceptable temperature for both of them was an ongoing battle. No matter if they were in each other’s apartments or vehicles, they were constantly fighting over the thermostat. “It’s set to sixty!”
“Well, it feels more like forty.”
“I’ll keep you warm,” he said gruffly and hauled her in closer.
She idly traced the pattern of his tattoo and then softly whispered, “I love you, Damian.”
He gave her a squeeze and smiled broadly. “I love you too, princess.”
Chapter 27
They were spooned together, naked, when his hands began to move. He started at her shoulder, brushing just the pads of his fingers down her arm, into the dip of her waist, over her curvy hip, and along her outer thigh. He traced the same path in reverse and repeated the pattern a few more times.
Next, he gathered the bulk of her long hair in one hand and moved it aside so that he could kiss the back of her neck, but he didn’t stop there. Following the ridge of her spine, he blazed a trail of soft, warm kisses down her back, al
l the way to the curve of her butt and back up again.
She felt herself go damp and squeezed her legs tightly together to stave off her reaction. This was only a dream after all. But wait a minute, what was that? The same hand that had been tantalizing her a minute ago had curled around to the front, and it gently stroked her damp folds.
Suddenly Kelly jerked awake and realized that she hadn’t been dreaming after all. Damian chuckled against her neck, letting her know that what she had felt was very real.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” he said while continuing to fondle her.
“I can’t believe I fell asleep,” she mumbled, distracted by what he was doing to her.
“I did too, but only for a few minutes. You slept for half an hour.”
Since they’d been talking, Kelly felt Damian grow hard against her back, and she purposely wriggled against him. “This is some wake-up call,” she said.
“Um-hmm. I wouldn’t mind waking up like this every day.”
His words hung in the air for a minute as Kelly soaked up his admission. Suddenly she flipped herself over to face him, bringing a halt to his ministrations. She wrapped her arms around his neck and scooted closer so that they were touching from head to toe. “I love this,” she said.
“I love you,” he volleyed before his lips claimed hers in a heated kiss.
Their passion flared, as always, and Kelly felt like she couldn’t get close enough. She broke away from him and panted, “Condom?”
“In my toiletries bag.”
“Go get it,” she demanded.
Damian scrambled off the bed in such a rush that she had to laugh. She saw a flash of his muscled backside whiz by as he raced to the bathroom. When he returned, she was on her knees, and she patted the mattress where she wanted him to lay.
Damian’s sexy smile lit up the room. “So, you’re in charge, huh?”
“Yep,” she replied. This was another little game they liked to play—taking turns telling the other what to do. It usually didn’t take long before Kelly relinquished her role as the boss though. She had to admit that she preferred when Damian took control. But for now, she waited for him to get comfortable, and then she straddled him.
Kelly slid her core up and down the rigid line of his manhood, teasing him (and herself too), until she glanced up to see Damian watching her through hooded eyes.
“Oh yeah,” he groaned, reaching up to fondle her breasts.
Suddenly, Kelly realized that she didn’t feel cold anymore, and she was about to get a whole lot warmer! She lifted her hips up and positioned his erection at her entrance. Then, with Damian’s hands gripping her waist, she slowly slid down onto him, and when he was fully inserted, she stretched her entire body length against his.
For a moment, neither of them moved, and it was the most exquisite feeling on earth. Kelly’s eyes were glossy as she stared into his. She felt as if they were truly seeing each other for the very first time. All of their love, all of their “quirks,” all of their insecurities were now laid bare, and she’d never felt closer to him.
Damian reached up and brushed her hair away from her face before gently kissing the tip of her nose and then her lips. Her man of few words had clammed up, but this time, she could see what he was feeling, and she didn’t need him to tell her.
Seconds later, they began to move, and it was like a match had been lit. The quiet spell was broken, and their movements became frenzied, their momentum building. Heat encompassed their bodies, every nerve ending on fire, until they exploded, tightening and clenching around each other, milking each other of every ounce of energy until they were completely drained.
Afterward, they were still again until the loud rumble of Kelly’s belly broke the silence. “Oops,” she said and giggled.
Damian smiled down at her. “I think I need to feed you.”
“Do you have any food here?”
“No, we’ll have to go out. Let me clean up, and I’ll be right back.” They parted, somewhat reluctantly, and Kelly admired his backside again as he padded out of the room. While he was gone, she hurriedly donned her clothes, and she was standing on the bearskin rug when he returned—still naked.
“I left my clothes in here,” he explained, grinning unabashedly.
“Is this thing for real?” Kelly asked as she rubbed her socked feet against the rug.
Damian’s head was covered by his sweatshirt, but his bottom half was still naked. “I was just inside of you, babe. Of course it’s real!” came his muffled response.
“Not that! I’m talking about this rug.”
“Oh,” he said drily while he pulled up his jeans. “Probably. Jim’s a hunter, so I wouldn’t be surprised. You ready to go?”
“Yes and no,” she said, meeting his eyes. “Everything’s been so wonderful, I hate to leave this place.”
“We’re only leaving to eat, Kell, and then we’ll come right back.”
She perked up. “So, we’re staying here tonight?”
“Hell yeah. I didn’t plan on leaving until tomorrow anyway, and I don’t want you driving home in the dark.”
Kelly glanced out the window and noticed that it was already dusk. Now that it was November, the days were getting shorter, and soon winter would arrive. “Good idea,” she said and accepted his hand as he led her from the room.
A few minutes later, they were in his truck, bumping down the gravel road. “If I’m going to stay tonight, I’ll need to stop at a store after dinner and get a few things,” Kelly said.
“Like what?”
“Like fresh underwear and a toothbrush.”
Damian tilted his head back and let out a loud chortle. “It’s only one night, Kell,” he said.
“Still, I’m not wearing the same underwear two days in a row! That’s just gross. And I absolutely have to have a toothbrush.”
Damian chuckled some more. “Why can’t you just use mine?”
“What, your underwear or your toothbrush?”
“My toothbrush.” When she scrunched up her face, he added, “Your mouth was on my…”
Kelly held up her hand. “I know, I know, but that’s not as bad as using somebody’s toothbrush.”
“I will never understand women.”
“Good thing you don’t have to, because, from now on, you only have to understand one woman, me!”
“Point taken,” he said and reached over to clasp her hand. “Ok. After dinner, we’ll stop at a store where you can buy underwear and a toothbrush.”
“Oh, and while we’re there, I might as well buy deodorant too.”
Damian shot her a sideways glance, but he didn’t argue.
“Well, I didn’t come prepared,” she explained. “I was in such a hurry to get to you that I didn’t take the time to pack a bag. Plus, I wasn’t sure that you’d even want me to stay.”
Damian swallowed hard. “Man, I was such a jerk. I’m so sorry, Kelly.”
Kelly squeezed his hand. “Let’s just put it behind us, ok? From now on, let’s promise to talk things out, no matter what. No more running off to cabins in the woods, or to California, or to Alaska, or anyplace else, ok?”
“I promise,” he said firmly.
They rode in silence for a while after that while continuing to hold hands. As they neared the commercial section of West Branch, Damian asked her what she’d like to eat.
“A big, juicy steak,” she responded immediately. “With fries and a side salad. On second thought, skip the salad. Oh, and an ice-cold beer!”
“That’s my girl!” he said proudly.
When Damian pulled into the parking lot of Lumberjack Food & Spirits, Kelly smiled. “We’re definitely Up North,” she said as they walked into the restaurant. The atmosphere was warm and rustic, with the lodge-style décor that was typical of many restaurants in this part of the state.
“I ate here last night, and the food was really good,” Damian said.
“I believe you. Everything looks delicious.”
They
demolished their steak dinners in no time, but declined the waitress’s offer of dessert.
“We can have dessert when we get back to the cabin,” Damian said.
Kelly knew that he wasn’t talking about food, and the thought made her tingle all over. “But first, we have to stop at the store,” she reminded him.
They ended up at Walmart, which was just down the street from the restaurant. “Let me grab a shopping cart, just in case,” Kelly said.
Damian rolled his eyes, but he simply followed along as she went up and down the aisles, adding things to the cart. Kelly took some time selecting the requisite toothbrush and trial sizes of body wash, shampoo, and deodorant. Once they got to the “intimates” department, Damian perked up considerably. “How about if I pick out your underwear?” he suggested.
The poor man was so bored that she didn’t have the heart to argue. He proceeded to make a great show of holding up various lingerie items to see how they would look on her, and they received more than a few curious glances from nearby shoppers. After he had added three pairs of provocative panties, two see-through bras, and a silky red baby-doll set to the cart, Kelly put her hands on her hips in mock exasperation.
“All this for only one night?” she chided.
“We only have one more night here, but we’re going to have a lot of other nights together. I’m just stocking up.”
No argument there! “How about if we check out and go back to the cabin?” she said.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
They were mostly quiet on the drive back, each lost in their own thoughts yet hopefully on the same page. Kelly couldn’t wait to be alone with Damian again, snuggled up under the warm comforter with no distractions. Emma had been right. This impromptu getaway had turned out to be the best thing for them. Not that there wouldn’t be any more bumps in the road, but Kelly felt confident that their future looked much brighter. She had gained a much better understanding of the man beside her, and as long as he didn’t retreat from her again, they would be ok.
Twice as Tempting Page 19