by Kaylee Ryan
His hands slide down my sides and move beneath my coat. Even without his skin touching mine, the heat of his hands sears my flesh. His tongue begs for entrance, one which I readily grant. I rotate my hips, my core grinding against that delicious erection in his pants.
A groan tears from his throat, his head falling back and lying on the headrest. Seeing him so close to losing control has my hips automatically rocking again, my body seeking out the relief only he can provide. Colton grips my hips as he simultaneously tries to still my movements and help guide them to where he craves the touch.
“Hollis,” he whispers, his voice barely a whisper.
I’m so close to losing my own mind, I can barely think straight. All I can think about is the way he feels, the way we feel grinding against each other, desperately looking for release. Feeling more daring than ever before, I slide my hands under his coat, under the T-shirt he’s wearing underneath, and graze my fingers along those very abs I’ve been picturing for days. Weeks, really. Ever since I saw him walk out of his room in nothing but shorts, I’ve imagined touching him. It’s what I think about as I touch myself late at night when he is asleep.
His hands slide up my neck once more and dive into my hair. He moves me forward, our lips meeting once more in a tidal wave of lust. He trails open-mouthed kisses across my jaw and down my throat as he rocks his hips upward, hitting my clit like a bull’s-eye. “Colt,” I gasp, the sensations almost too much.
As his hand glides down the column of my neck, my heart knocks hard against my chest. It’s so loud, I swear Colton can hear it too. He stills, his eyes wide. My heart pounds again, and suddenly it hits me.
That’s not my heart.
Someone is knocking.
On the window.
On the very foggy window of Colton’s truck.
“Fuck,” he whispers as I practically leap from his lap like a hurdle jumper.
Colton adjusts his tight pants and moves into the driver’s seat. I’ve never been so grateful for leaving my clothes on as I am right now. Thank God, we’re both wearing coats, or who knows what state of naked we’d be in right now.
He hits the window button, and the foggy glass of the driver’s window starts to fall. Instantly, snow starts to blow in, and I snuggle into my coat a little more.
“Everything all right here?” And then the cop pauses. “Jesus, Colton Callahan, is that you?”
“Hey, Rusty, yeah, it’s me,” he says to the police officer standing at his window.
Rusty looks over Colton’s shoulder at me and gives a knowing grin. “I just stopped to make sure everything was okay here. There’s no traffic out, and when I saw a running truck in the lot, I was afraid something was wrong.” His smile tells a different story. One that lets me know he hasn’t missed my rosy cheeks and disheveled hair. Nor the way the truck windows were fogged up. Yeah, the cop knows exactly what we were doing in this deserted parking lot.
“All good, man. Hey, it’s good to see you,” Colton says, changing the subject.
“Yeah, it’s been a few years. I heard you were back in town. For good now?” he asks.
“Yeah, for good.”
“Well, happy to hear it, buddy.” Again, he glances over his shoulder my way. “The weather’s getting pretty bad. You may want to think about taking this back home.”
And cue the flaming blush.
“Headed that way now. Thanks, Rusty. Good to see you again,” Colton says as he rolls up his window and shakes the snow off his arm. “Well, that was unexpected.” He glances my way, and we both burst into fits of laughter.
“I can’t believe that just happened.”
He gives me a smirk and buckles up. “Rusty was a classmate. I’m sure half the town will hear all about this by morning,” he says as he puts the truck in Drive.
I buckle up and sit back to enjoy the rest of our drive. As he pulls out of the lot, Colton reaches over and takes my hand, resting it on his thigh once more. I can’t help but smile as he returns his hands to the wheel. I’m more aware of his driving, but not because I don’t trust him. It’s because I’m taking it all in and really paying attention to how he drives and responds to the road conditions. I imagine myself in the driver’s seat, moving us through the snow to get us safely back home.
When he pulls into the driveway, I notice my car is completely unrecognizable. It’s so covered with snow, you can’t even tell what color it is. “Stay there. I’ll help you out,” he says before shutting off the truck. He grabs his duffel bag from the back seat before meeting me around to the passenger side. I take his offered hand and carefully hop out of the truck, wishing like hell I had purchased a pair of snow boots today. The cold, wet snow quickly seeps into my tennis shoes as we scramble for the back door.
Colton lets us in, and we both stomp our feet and shake off the snow. I toe off my wet shoes and set them on the mat by the door to dry. My fingers find my coat zipper as I start to remove my layers of warmth. When I glance at Colton, I find him standing there, his own boots off and his coat in his hand. Without breaking eye contact, he tosses his coat onto the dryer and reaches for mine, throwing it on top of his. Then, he moves, pressing his body against mine, pinning me to the washing machine.
His lips are eager and firm, his hands roaming my back and sliding down to cup my ass. He lifts me easily, my legs wrapping around his waist. Colton wastes no time in moving us through the house to his bedroom.
The moment we cross the threshold, I’m assaulted by his familiar scent. It wraps around me warmly, and full of familiarity, the same as his body is with me in his arms. He continues to move until I’m lying on the comforter, his body pressed into mine. That recognizable ache bubbles to life as he rocks into me, his erection firmly between us.
When he slows the kiss, I use the opportunity to pull my lips from his and slide them across his jaw. The bite of his stubble is like a bucket of gasoline to an already raging inferno. I have no control over my body, over my mouth, which is why it’s so shocking when I say, “We’re wearing too many clothes.”
I’m never the bold one.
His blue eyes burn even darker. “I do believe you’re right.”
He stands up beside the bed and lifts his shirt up and over his head in that crazy, sexy one-handed way that men can do. His chest is chiseled to perfection with a smattering of dark blond hair. I get an unobstructed view of the tattoo on his left arm. It’s some sort of military design with two names underneath.
“Franks and Tonner,” he says, tapping just below the bold names. “My brothers who were killed eight years ago in a roadside bomb.” He swallows hard. “The moment we got back to the US, we all went together and got them in memory of our brothers.”
“That’s beautiful,” I whisper through my tight throat.
Colton pushes his workout pants down to his ankles, revealing tight black boxer briefs that make my mouth water. I sit up and pull my long-sleeved workout shirt up and over my own head, tossing it onto the floor. I wore my best bra that’s somewhat supportive, yet isn’t a sports bra, and I’m glad I did. Nothing’s sexy about a flat chest in a workout bra.
Just as I reach down to slide out of my pants, a text message notification fills the room. At first, Colton pays it no attention. His eyes are greedily drinking their fill on my exposed chest, following the delicate curves of my breasts against the light blue satin. But when it chimes a second time, he startles and reaches for his pants.
“Shit,” he says when he pulls his phone from the pocket. “It’s my mom. She wanted to give me a quick update on Milo.”
I give him a smile and nod as he dials the phone. “I’ll just slip in the bathroom quickly,” I tell him, pointing to the hallway.
“Hey, Mom. How’s my little guy doing?” I hear him say as I step behind the door and turn on the light.
Inside, I glance at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. My cheeks are rosy and my lips swollen. There’s the slightest hint of redness on my neck from where he dragged hi
s scruffy jaw along the column of my neck. I can’t stop smiling as I gaze at the woman in the mirror. She’s come a long way since she was in California. She relocated and started over in a new city, a new house. She’s stronger than she thinks she is, that’s for sure.
I slip off my pants and wet socks and set them on the counter. When I turn around, I see the toddler seat in the tub and the yellow rubber ducky on the ledge. There’s a small blue washcloth with Superman on it sitting beside men’s shampoo. Axe bodywash sits beside a bottle of Johnson’s Baby Wash. A wide smile breaks out on my face as I think of that little boy who is quickly worming his way right into my heart. And his father?
Let’s not even go there.
I wait long enough to ensure he’s either finished with his conversation, or it’ll be ending soon. Quietly, I slip out of the bathroom and listen. There’s silence coming from his bedroom. In the doorway, I stop and just stare at the incredible man in front of me. He’s still wearing those tight boxer briefs and standing in the middle of the room, watching me. I can feel the caress of his eyes as they trace every square inch of my nearly naked body.
“Come here,” he rasps, extending his hand toward me.
Stepping into his room, I slowly make my way to him and stop when I’m directly in front of him. His hand grips my hip as he pulls me against him, his other hand gliding along my ass cheek.
“If I had known you were wearing this beneath your clothes, we wouldn’t have made it out of the house to go to class.” He moves one hand up my side and around to the front, trailing a finger down the center of my chest. Air catches in my throat as he caresses my skin. This man is playing my body like a violin, and we’ve only just begun.
My mind spins as desire courses through my veins. “I love the way you touch me,” I confess, my eyes closed as I savor the feel of his skin against mine.
“Honey, we’ve only just begun.”
And then the lights go out.
Literally.
We’re standing in the dark, almost naked, and we lose power. The wind howls outside the eerily quiet house. Neither of us moves as we wait to see if the power comes back on, but after several long seconds, we’re still bathed in total darkness.
“Well, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. “Talk about a mood killer,” I mumble, glancing around for any sign of light.
“Stay here,” Colton says. I feel his hands leave my body, and instantly miss them. He takes a few steps and then cries out when he walks into his nightstand. “Shit! I didn’t realize I was that close.”
“Oh, God, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he grumbles, moments before the light from his phone illuminates the room. He points it around the room and toward the window. “There must be a massive outage. I can’t see any streetlights either.”
“You should check on Milo,” I find myself saying, taking a step his way.
“Good idea,” he replies as he pulls up one of his call list favorites. “Hey, Mom. Yeah, everything’s okay. Sorry to call again. We just lost power and wanted to check on you guys.” He listens to his mom on the other end. “Well, that’s good. It must just be this side of town.” Again, he listens, his eyes meeting mine through the darkness. That sexy smirk crosses his lips. “I’ll be sure to knock on the door and make sure she’s okay.”
My hand covers my mouth to muffle my giggle.
“No, we’ll be fine. I’m going to light the fireplace. I’ll make sure Hollis stays warm,” he tells her, but there’s something in his eyes that says his plan involves something dirty. “All right, Mom. Love you too. Give my boy a kiss for me.”
When he hangs up the phone, he pulls me into his arms. “My mom is worried about you. She wants to make sure you’re warm. My mind is suddenly conjuring up all sorts of different ways to make sure you’re… hot and bothered.”
Feeling bold once more, I lean up on my tiptoes, pressing my lips to his. When our eyes connect, I whisper, “Prove it.”
Chapter 9
Colton
Prove it. She has no idea what she’s saying. I’ve imagined my hands on her body hundreds of times. I’m also a man of many talents. I’ll make damn sure I’m utilizing my every talent, including those of my tongue and my cock. I have so many ways to keep her hot and bothered. She isn’t aware that she’s just given me permission to unleash the beast.
“I need to start a fire, and I need you completely naked.” I kiss her lips once more before forcing myself to step away from her. “We’re moving this party to the living room.”
“What can I do?”
“Blankets and pillows. There are extras in the hall closet.” I lean in for another kiss, just a quick peck. I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to her. Now that I know her lips are as soft and as sweet as I imagined them to be, I need them. All the time, I need them. “You have your phone for light?”
“Yes.” Her reply is breathless and has my cock making himself known in my black boxer briefs and it’s making it really fucking difficult to walk away from her right now.
“Pillows, blankets, and nothing against this flawless skin,” I remind her. I have to force myself to step back and turn away from her. I need to get a fire started, so we can extinguish the one coursing through my veins. I detour to the nightstand and grab my new, never opened box of condoms and walk past her to the living room. If I touch her again, we’ll freeze to death.
Ten minutes later, the fire is blazing, and the flames are already starting to warm up the room. The chill in the air was starting to set in; it’s well below freezing outside, so I knew it wouldn’t take long. The homeowner in me hopes they can get it back on quickly. You know, frozen pipes and all that. The man in me, well, he likes the idea of cuddling by the fire with a beautiful woman to stay warm. When I bought this place, I wasn’t sure I’d ever use the fireplace, but, in this moment, I’ve never been more grateful for its existence. Even more so, the firewood the previous owners left on the back porch. It’s as if all the stars are aligning tonight, and Hollis and I are destined to quell this ache we’re both feeling.
“I think this is good,” Hollis says.
I turn to face her, and she looks even more beautiful in the light of the fire. “Let me help you.” I stand and move the coffee table to the side of the room, and together we start laying out blankets on the floor, layer after layer, and then the pillows. I save an old quilt to cover us up with.
“Looks cozy,” Hollis comments as our eyes meet.
Instead of reminding her she’s supposed to be ridding herself of the small scraps of material adorning her skin, I stand here, watching her. Waiting for her to bare herself to me. She doesn’t disappoint as she reaches behind her and unhooks her bra. Arms at her sides, her hands are in fists as she stands before me in nothing but a pair of panties.
“You okay?” I ask, my voice gritty.
“Yes. It’s just… been a while for me.”
“Hollis, we don’t have to do this,” I say the words as my body screams for me to shut the hell up. I ignore my need for her. “I never want you to do anything that you don’t feel comfortable with.”
My words seem to relax her. “I want this, Colt. I want you.”
I nod. Sliding my hands into the waistband of my boxer briefs, I pull them off, letting them pool at my feet. No point in delaying the inevitable. Kicking them to the side, away from our makeshift bed, I stand here, stark naked in front of her. My cock bobs against my abdomen, and twitches when she takes me in for the first time. I stroke myself root to tip while she watches. It’s not until her tongue peeks out and licks her lips that I move this party along.
“Hollis, babe, you’re killing me here. I need you fucking naked. Now.” My voice is a growl, not one of anger but of lust. She must be able to sense it because she offers me a sweet smile before she wiggles out of her yoga panties.
Boy shorts—at least I think that’s what they’re called—have never looked so good.
I watch her, and even though there is a slight tremble in her hands, she continues to step out of them, tossing them to the side.
We’re naked.
Finally.
With my hand still tightly fisted around my cock, I take small steps, allowing me time to rake my eyes over her naked body. She’s flawless. Her tits look to be a perfect handful, and the softness of her belly leads me to a small landing strip that disappears between her thighs. My mouth waters at the thought of tasting her.
“Colt?” Her voice is soft. My eyes snap to hers, and she looks worried. “W-What are you doing?”
“I’ve wanted this,” I tell her as I give my cock another long stroke. “From the minute I laid eyes on you, I wished I could see you like this. Bare to me. I finally get the chance, and I’m going to take full advantage of it. I want to make sure that when I need to, I can pull this moment up in my mind and relive it.”
“Oh.” Her lips form the perfect circle, and I can’t help but think that’s how she would look with my cock in her mouth.
Hollis Taylor is my new obsession.
I can’t fight it.
I don’t want to fight it.
Not anymore.
She bites down on her lip, something I’ve noticed she does when she’s nervous or unsure. I need to loosen her up. A few more steps and I’m standing so close I can feel the heat from her naked body seep into my own. The room is bathed in a soft glow from the fire, and although unplanned, it’s pretty epic as far as romance goes. I’m rusty as hell when it comes to wooing women. Hell, I don’t know that I ever have. Maybe in high school? Once I enlisted, picking up women was easy. All I had to do was tell them I was in the Army, and just like that, panties were dropping everywhere. I used that to my advantage. Of course, I also had the good fortune of the Callahan genes running through my veins.