by Lori King
Elizabeth shook her head no, but her mouth couldn’t form the words. She was terrified she’d beg him to do more than kiss her finger. Colby lowered her hand but didn’t release it as he stared deeply into her eyes.
“Do you hurt anywhere else, Bethie?” he murmured, and she whimpered softly. She should pull her hand away. She should stand up and tell him it was time for him to go. She should…
“I burned my tongue.”
That was not at all what she meant to do.
Colby’s eyes darkened from a coffee-brown to nearly black, and his smile widened. “I can’t turn down that opportunity.”
He brought them together slowly enough that she could have pulled away or even stopped him with just one word, but instead she drifted forward, her body instinctively reaching for the offered kiss. When his mouth hovered over hers, she inhaled sharply, filling her senses with his scent, and trying to permanently imprint this moment in her brain.
* * *
Colby was well aware of his size in comparison to the small flower of a woman in front of him, and he was also aware of how easily Elizabeth could be spooked from this budding attraction, so he took his time kissing her. Their lips brushed lightly, and then he took a firmer stance, pressing and releasing her as he explored every millimeter of her mouth. When she parted her lips and allowed him access, it was like the cherry on top. He barely resisted the urge to fist pump his success when she lifted her hand and cupped the side of his face as their mouths mated.
A possessive feeling welled in his chest, and he returned the gesture, cupping her jaw in his large hands and holding her in place so he could feast on the deliciousness she offered. She was tentative in her touches, and he wondered why. She’d been married. How was it possible for her to be inexperienced in kissing?
He couldn’t have guessed how long they remained there, making out and indulging in the moment, but when they finally parted, they were both panting for air.
“Wow,” she murmured, her fingers touched her puffy lips.
Colby inhaled slowly through his nose, forcing back the urge to make her whisper the word again. If she was this impressed with a good make-out session, he’d blow her mind when he finally sank his cock into her sweet pussy.
A sharp tone echoed in the air, and they both looked around in confusion. Then Colby realized it was his phone in his pocket, he groaned. “Damn, time’s up, sugar. I have to go get ready for work.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks heated to a bright pink as she carried their cups to the sink. “Thank you again for dinner, it was lovely.”
Colby could feel her trying to put the wall of polite friendship between them again, but there was no way that was going to happen on his watch. Pushing to his feet, he followed her, pinning her against the sink, her back to his front. He heard her inhale as he pressed his face to the curve of her neck. “Thank you for coffee, Bethie. I want to see you again.”
“Colby, tonight was fun, but…” She gasped as he scraped his teeth over the sensitive spot below her ear. “We really shouldn’t—” her words cut off with a moan of pleasure when he sucked her earlobe into his mouth. His Bethie was a ball of fire, and he loved her quick, easy responses to his touch.
“We really should,” he insisted. “I’ll see you at breakfast, sugar. Sleep sweet.”
Releasing her abruptly, he gave her room to turn and face him. He loved the glassy, dazed look on her face. It made him feel like he was the king of the world. Reaching down, he adjusted his erection behind his zipper; it made her blush harder and look away.
“Goodnight, Colby.” She paused, and then softly murmured, “Stay safe.”
Colby was grinning from ear to ear as he nodded and headed for the door with a new skip in his step. Elizabeth Newcomer might be prickly, but damned if she wasn’t the burr under his skin that he never wanted to let go of.
* * *
Elizabeth watched from the doorway as Colby backed down the driveway next to her parents’ house. She saw the curtains flutter in the kitchen window, so it was no surprise when her mother came out the back door moments after Colby’s truck disappeared from sight.
“Elizabeth? Who was that?” Rachael Grimes smiled as she walked quickly down the sidewalk to her daughter’s door. “He was cute!”
“That was Deputy Colby Bricker, and yes, he’s very cute,” Elizabeth answered, stepping back to allow her mom into her small living room.
Rachael didn’t act like a Reverend’s wife was expected to act. She’d always been a free spirit, and she put matters of the heart above all else, so Elizabeth felt free to speak her mind with her mom.
“We went out for dinner tonight.” Elizabeth offered up in answer to her mother’s questioning look. “No big deal. Just old friends catching up.”
“Really? Old friends?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yeah, we went to high-school together, remember? His mom is Elaine, and sister is Abby.”
“Oh, right! I remember him. He was a good-looking boy when he was playing football all those years ago.” Rachael smirked. “Looks like he’s grown into an even finer man. So how was it?”
“Wonderful, awkward, magical, strange, perfectly scary,” Elizabeth answered in a rush. “This is the first date I’ve been on since the divorce.”
Sympathy filled her mother’s eyes. “I know, darling, but it’s about time you got back on the horse. You have so much love to give. I just know when you find the right man—”
“Mom, stop. I’m not dating Colby. We’re friends. I’m not looking for a relationship with anyone. Ever.” Elizabeth turned and walked into the kitchen, hoping the conversation would end then and there, but she should have known better.
“Why would you do that to yourself, Lizzie-bell?” Rachael’s tone softened, and her use of Elizabeth’s childhood pet name was like a soothing blanket. “You’ve been hiding away ever since you lost the baby. I know how badly your heart was broken, so I didn’t intervene. Then when you and Matt decided to separate, I truly felt like it was the best thing for you, so again, I stayed out of it. But this…I can’t just keep quiet, Lizzie-bell. You deserve some happiness. Stop punishing yourself for what happened and let yourself live.”
“I am. I get up every day and go to work. I have friends and a house, and I’m still functioning.”
“Functioning is not living,” Rachael said softly. When Elizabeth didn’t respond, she sighed, “Well, when you’re ready to talk about it, you know I’m here.”
“The date was fine, Mom. There’s nothing to talk about,” Elizabeth insisted.
“That’s not what I was referring to, but you already know that. Your father is going to be as thrilled as I am. We love you, and we hate seeing you so closed-off.”
“I’m tired, Mom.”
Rachael nodded. “Okay, I’ll talk to you later. I love you, Lizzie-bell.”
“Love you too, Mom.” Elizabeth sat at her kitchen table for several minutes after Rachael left, thinking about what she’d said. She was right about one thing; it did feel good to go out and laugh again. She felt human in ways she hadn’t for a very long time.
Her fingers drifted to her lips, and she smiled to herself. She felt a lot of things, and all of them began and ended with Colby Bricker. That man sure knew how to kiss.
4
For weeks, Elizabeth saw Colby on a daily basis. Some days at the diner for breakfast or dinner. Other times, they sat at her dining room table talking and reminiscing about their high-school days. Each private encounter ended with another scorching hot make-out session that left her trembling with need and lying in her bed sleeplessly, imagining what it would be like to have Colby there. She wanted him, and that scared the heck out of her.
The last time she’d wanted someone it had changed the course of her life for good. A hard lesson but an important one. She was no longer a teenager with stars in her eyes and rose-colored glasses. She was a woman with responsibilities and an already-fragile heart.
So she kept their interacti
ons to kissing, even as every cell in her body cried out for more. And then came the moment when Colby asked her for more.
“Exclusive?” she repeated, frowning across the table at him as her stomach twisted in a knot. “Colby Bricker, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”
Colby’s dimple flashed, and he laughed. “Well, kind of I guess. But considering the last month, I kinda thought you already were my girlfriend. I just wanted to make sure we were both on the same page. I want this to be exclusive. I don’t want anyone but you, Bethie, and just thinking about someone else touching you makes me want to spit nails.”
She liked the jealous side of him, but she wasn’t sure how to explain her own thoughts. She didn’t want a permanent man in her life. Period.
“I’m not seeing anyone else either, but Colby…” She paused and dropped her eyes, afraid of the pain she knew her words would cause him. “I don’t want a boyfriend.”
Colby’s entire body stiffened in his chair, and the silence grew heavy. “I see.”
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy your company, I do. I just don’t want to feel obligated to anyone.”
“Obligated?” he hissed through his tightly clenched jaw. He’d turned away to stare at the wall. “You feel obligated to spend time with me?”
“No! That’s not what I mean. I spend time with you because I want to, but…”
“You don’t want me to lay claim.”
She knew it was hurting him, but she nodded anyway. If this was how it ended between them, it was better to end it now.
He rose to his feet and walked across the room, stopped in front of the kitchen window and stared into the bright afternoon sun. They were both off for the night, and she’d hoped to encourage a more fulfilling end to their coffee date. But now it seemed she’d ruined it.
Feeling a bit shaky herself, she got up and moved closer, not really sure if she should reach out to him or just leave him be. When he spun and pinned her against the kitchen counter with his massive body framing hers, she gasped.
“So you want to be my fuck buddy?” he asked harshly, his mouth next to her temple. She swallowed hard. “You want my cock, but not my heart? Is that it?”
It wasn't just his words that set her on fire. It was his tone and the physical way he dominated her personal space. It didn't make sense, and yet, she was beginning to believe that nothing would ever make sense again. This wasn’t the sweet gentleman who’d taken her on a date. Or the indulgent beau who’d patiently taunted her with kisses and cuddles. This was a horny man, who desired a woman.
Colby waited for her answer, his forearms flexed against her sides. His thick chest was barely rising and falling against her breasts. Then his head lifted, and his eyes locked her in place and demanded an answer.
For a brief moment, she considered telling him to go fuck himself, but at the last possible second she blurted out, "Yes. If you're okay with this just being two friends having consensual sex with no strings attached, my answer is yes."
Her heart skipped a beat when he flashed her a toothy grin that exposed the deep dimple in his cheek. What she wouldn’t give to press her lips to that groove right now.
"Absolutely. Don't sweat it. If it’s what you want, we'll just ease into this as friends." He pressed his body even closer, giving her no room to escape if she felt the need. But she had no urge to flee as he lowered his mouth towards hers. Every fiber of her being craved him. Like magnetic opposites, they were drawn together, unable to fight against their fate.
When they were close enough to exchange oxygen, Colby paused and waited. Her stomach twisted, and her eyebrows rose as she absorbed the momentary hesitation. Had he changed his mind? Self-doubt crept in, followed quickly by anger and embarrassment. What the hell?
Colby cocked his eyebrow, his lush lips curved in amusement. She wondered briefly if he could read her mind, but if he could, he would already be kissing her. It hit her an instant later that he was waiting for her to come to him. She’d thrown down a challenge, and he was reciprocating.
Ignoring the voice in her head that was telling her to leave him hanging, she rose up on her toes just enough to meet him in the middle. Their lips locked together like two matching puzzle pieces. He didn’t hurry her, but his movements weren’t gentle either. The rough way he plied her mouth, pushing his way past her lips and into her depths, cranked up the fire in her blood.
When his hand came up and grasped the back of her head, tangling in her loose hair, she whimpered with need. She wasn’t especially experienced with great sex, but somehow she knew it was going to be explosive with Colby. Every time he touched her, she felt her body respond.
She lifted her hands, pressed them against his massive chest, as her palms stroked over the meaty muscles, and her fingertips branded each ridge and curve into her brain for future fantasies. The man was built like a brick wall, each piece carefully placed to create an intricate pattern that was not only visually appealing, but would withstand any form of pressure.
Panting hard, she tipped her head back, breaking their kiss to stare into his eyes. Her own desire was reflected back as expected, but what she hadn’t planned on was the affection lingering there.
“What’s a matter, Bethie?” he murmured, kissing his way across her jaw and down to her collarbone. She shivered in his arms as his tongue darted out to taste her throbbing pulse. “Cold feet?”
“No strings,” she gasped, leaning back to give him more room. With one arm he was able to easily support her body weight, allowing her to lie limply in his embrace and let him lead. The fingers he’d wrapped in her hair moved too, and when they reached their destination and cupped her heavy breast through the fabric of her blouse, a hard tremor racked her body.
“I prefer ropes,” he teased, and nudged the collar of her shirt over so he could kiss his way down her breastbone as far as possible. When he reached the top button of her blouse, his eyes flicked up to hers briefly. She was about to reach for her shirt to remove it when he surprised her by taking her button in his mouth and giving it a hard yank.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. That button had been securely sewn to the shirt. She knew because she’d done it herself a few weeks back after it had fallen off. By the time she regrouped and glanced at what Colby was doing, he already had two more buttons yanked off her shirt.
She had no intention of protesting. It was hot as hell knowing he wanted her so much he was willing to tear her clothes off. She’d always craved that kind of desire. Her head fell back on her shoulders as he had his way, pulling her shirt open so he could press kisses on her bare collarbone and chest. He growled just before his hot mouth surrounded her lace-covered nipple.
“Oh, God, Colby!”
He didn’t pause, but his hands cupped her lower back so she couldn’t withdraw. His grip was firm, and wrapped in his embrace, she felt small and protected. Roughly, he scraped his whiskers across the sensitive skin of her upper breast, and she shuddered. Her entire body was a boiling mass of desire. She wanted him. She wanted everything he could give her and more.
Arching her back, she let her shirt slide off her arms and onto the floor. Then she flicked open her bra and let it fall too. Colby’s mouth zeroed in on her hard nipple once again, and when skin met skin, she cried out, tangled her hands in his dark hair, and clutched him to her chest. Every cell in her body burned. Every inch of her skin sizzled. When he finally lifted his head to look at her, his eyes glittered, and his lips were puffy. “You have the sexiest breasts, Bethie. Kiss me.”
Her mouth reached for his without question, and they molded from two into one, tongues tangling, hands stroking and touching everywhere they could reach. She pushed his t-shirt up, seeking the muscles underneath, and like a cat, she massaged her fingernails against them, testing their thickness. Damn, he was built. She imagined his weight leveraged over her, and her pussy wept into her panties.
“Colby, your shirt,” she panted, tugging at the offending material. He lifted his arms,
crossing them and gripping the hem of the garment. Within a breath, they were both topless and pressed together. Their scorching hot bodies writhed with the new sensation.
Teeth grazed the tendon in her neck, and she tilted her head. Her eyes closed as he sucked gently. Hopefully, he didn’t leave a hickey. It would be very hard to explain to the girls at work.
She yelped in surprise when his hands cupped her ass cheeks and lifted her high. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his hips, holding on as he moved.
“Bedroom?” he mumbled against her chest, and goosebumps rose on her skin from the heat of his breath.
“Door on the left.” She was amazed she was able to speak at all with her crotch riding the ridge of his cock. Every step he took rubbed them together and pushed her closer to an orgasm.
He paused in the doorway and tilted her so she could hit the light switch. The familiar whir of her ceiling fan filled the air as the light came on, and he grinned. “I knew your blood ran hot, Bethie.”
With a giggle, she rolled her eyes. “I can’t sleep without the sound. It’s like white noise.”
“I prefer sex noise, myself,” he teased, lowering her along the front of his body. Standing in flat shoes with her breasts pressed to his lower rib cage, the top of her head only reached to his chin. The hard cock behind his zipper was equally as large as he was, and she grew a little nervous.
“Colby, I haven’t done this in a really long time…”
He froze for a second, and then his large hands gently wrapped around her jaw, and lifted her face so she was forced to meet his gaze. His dark brown eyes were smiling as he kissed the tip of her nose and each eyelid before brushing his lips across hers. “We’ll take it at whatever speed you’re comfortable with, baby. Tell me what you like.”
Emotion clogged her throat, and she shook her head, shrugging. “I don’t know what I like. I’ve never really…explored.”
A grin of satisfaction spread across his face, and he kissed her hard. “Perfect. You’re too fucking perfect.”