Eve wrapped her arms tighter, using one hand to stroke his head. She liked this man, really, really liked this man. Was that enough reason to be sexual with him? Suddenly she had tons more sympathy for some of her listeners with similar dilemmas who called in to her show.
“I want you. I do,” Eve whispered. “I just never slept with a man without having made a solid commitment to him first. I like you, Sam. I like you more than any male in my life right now. Is that enough?”
She felt his sigh go through her, and then his arms tightened.
“All I really care about is that you not regret anything you do with me. If you did, it would probably break my heart. I’m already a little bit in love with you, Eve. When the grief let go of me a few months ago, you were the only second chance at love I wanted to take,” Sam declared. “I’m sorry. I never meant to tell you so soon. You probably think I’m crazy to even think that way.”
Her fingers toyed with his hair. Sam was in love with her? Her belly fluttered in alarm at the news, but also in excitement. She would have to give the prospect of it some thought—but not tonight. Tonight she wanted to not think at all. It was the only way she could override her own confusion.
“Close your eyes, Sam. I can’t kiss you while you’re staring at me. You make me too nervous,” Eve admitted.
“You make me nervous too you know,” Sam said, but obediently closed his eyes. Her lips trailed over his face and then down his throat. He squirmed under her and shifted her closer. What he wanted to do was latch on hard and roll her onto the floor.
“I know I haven’t said anything to you, but I really like your new cologne,” Eve said, kissing his jaw. The texture of his evening beard tickled the tip of her tongue. “I also like the way you seem able to wake my body up every time you come near me.”
“Your voice is driving me crazy with lust. Am I allowed to touch you back?” Sam asked.
“Yes,” Eve answered. Seconds later, she drew in a breath when Sam’s hand covered her breast and squeezed possessively as he stroked her nipple with his thumb. A throaty groan escaped and vibrated her lips against his neck.
“That moan of yours is the best gift a man could ever get,” Sam declared.
He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her face away until he could look into her eyes. Liking what he saw, he kissed her, then pulled her bottom lip between his teeth until she groaned again. “Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you are right now? This is like ten times better than I imagined.”
Mesmerized by a second hand coming to the other breast, all Eve could do was groan again as Sam stroked her. “Don’t let go this time,” she pleaded.
In a move so smooth she couldn’t have described how he did it, Sam had her on her back and was lying on top of her. It was amazing to know she was still capable of such a grand feeling.
“Be with me tonight,” Sam ordered.
“Okay,” Eve replied.
While modesty warred with desire in her head, her thighs parted willingly until Sam was between them. All that separated him from her was her flared skirt. Which he could easily lift. If he wanted to do such a thing.
“I’d like nothing better than to move our clothes out of the way and just sink inside you. But that’s just sex,” he said.
Eve heard his words, but his actions were louder when Sam raised up and surged against her. He was hard and she was hot.
“Oh God,” she heard herself say when he hit everything exactly right.
Her legs shifted around his looking for a way to lock him in place. Color flooded her cheeks as she realized what she was doing
“Sorry—been a while,” she choked out.
Sam buried his face against her throat as Eve’s need roared out of her like a dragon breathing fire on its victim. Shocked at the hotness of thrashing woman under him, Sam uttered a swear word he rarely used, and then hissed as he followed his body’s urge to move against the inferno between her legs again. Eve’s back arched with his motion and her body bowed up to get closer. Swearing one more time, he covered her mouth with his mouth, and used his weight to hold her as still as he could. He had to slow things down. Didn’t he?
“Evelyn, I want inside you. I want inside you now. Come to bed with me before I take you on the floor like a teenager. You’re so damn hot, you make me feel like a kid Nathan’s age,” he whispered.
“I’m afraid to move. What if I change my mind on the way down the hall?” Eve asked, whispering the question. She ran her hands over Sam’s back and down over his hips. Maybe pulling him closer wasn’t the best of ideas, but it sure felt good.
“I’ll build the fire again. Promise,” Sam said, kissing her hard once more.
Then he climbed off her and stood.
Eve nodded as she let Sam pull her to her feet.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m trusting you not to let me get cold—lust or otherwise.”
“I’m very trustworthy,” Sam said.
Then he grinned and tugged her hand as he led her through his house.
Chapter 8
In his bedroom, Sam let go and walked to a night stand. Romantic music filled the air as he walked back to her. “Sorry. My favorite radio show isn’t playing today. You’ll have to settle for the seduction playlist I made. Nathan gave me the idea.”
“I’m sure he did,” Eve said snidely, thinking of how Megan looked every time she talked about Nathan’s romantic gestures. She was beginning to see it was a true case of ‘like father, like son’.
“That’s not as bad as it sounds. Nathan didn’t bother trying to seduce most of the girls he dated. Megan was the only one he ever wanted enough to do any real work towards that goal.”
“I see. So now the truth is coming out. Romance is just another tiresome job a man has to learn to do for a woman?”
Eve teased him, even knowing damn well that wasn’t the case with Sam. His eyes flashed, but he didn’t offer a comeback. She was almost disappointed.
When he was standing in front of her again, Sam lifted one of Eve’s hands to his shoulder and pulled her into his arms with the other. He swayed in time with the music until she had no choice but to sway with him, dancing to the sexy song falling from the air around them.
“This is truly like a scene from a romantic movie,” Eve whispered. Her body gave against Sam’s in any direction he led.
“Why thank you. I have given some thought to how I would set the mood for our first time. Just so you know, I’ve got some Isaac Hayes cued up if you prefer hard core make-out music.”
“How did you know . . . oh, I talk about that sort of thing on the air, don’t I?”
“Now and again, but that’s not how I guessed.” Sam laughed and stroked a hand down her back until it rested on her hip. “Your voice changes to bedroom raspy whenever one of his songs comes on.”
Eve leaned against Sam’s shoulder as she blushed. “Oh God. Tell me I don’t sound like a phone sex woman when that happens.”
Sam chuckled. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never called one.”
“Good. Those women are just making money off men’s fantasies. That always seemed unfair to me,” Eve said, the words muffled against his shirt. She felt Sam’s grip on her tighten almost painfully fierce.
“Some men are luckier than others. All the fantasy I need is in my arms,” Sam whispered.
Eve’s lifted head to look up into his face. Things were about to change between them and she was going to let them. But she still sent a tiny prayer up that she’d get to keep him as a friend if it didn’t work out.
“Still worried?” Sam asked.
Eve nodded. “Some—but that’s not going to stop me. I don’t want you drinking coffee with anyone else.”
“Okay I won’t,” Sam promised, willing his heart to let her teasing possessiveness be enough.
While Eve sighed, he let his lips trail down her cheek. He wanted to make this sweet moment of longing last forever, but his body was growing impatient with his stalling. When his
lips finally made their way to her lips, Eve stood on tiptoes to get closer as she kissed him back hungrily. His hands dropped lower to lift her hips to his, holding her in place as he pressed against the juncture of her thighs. Little shudders traveled over her making him crazier than ever.
“Just so you know, I can’t get pregnant. I stopped having children after Megan,” Eve said.
“We’re doubly safe then. Angeline and I had to stop after Nathan,” Sam replied.
They danced a bit more.
“But we can still use protection if you want,” Sam offered.
Eve hugged him hard. “I don’t think I want to. My body is out of practice. I’m afraid we won’t be able to . . . I mean, can we just skip the condom? I feel safe enough with you.”
Sam groaned at the thought of sliding unadorned into Eve’s heat. “I’m fine with that—more than fine with that. I may die any minute now from heart failure just thinking about how good it’s going to be.”
“Please don’t do that. I’d rather keep you around if you don’t mind,” Eve said quietly.
“Oh God. I’m sorry, Eve. Bad jokes are not romantic. I’m saying stupid things just because I’m so happy to have this chance to be with you.”
Eve put her fingers over his lips. “Don’t make my comment into a big deal, okay? I’m nervous enough already. I’m not that sensitive. I just can’t stand the idea of you not being in my life.”
Sam nodded, his lips moving up and down against her fingers. “Not going to happen if I can help it. Let’s change the subject. How do I get you out of your dress?”
Laughing, Eve stepped back and away from him. She pulled the Santa hat off and then pulled the dress up and over her head. After dropping the dress in the floor behind her, she smoothed her hair and put the Santa hat back on. Sam’s gaze missed her smile lines wrinkling. It was glued instead to her red lace underwear.
“Give me your hand so I can take off my socks,” she ordered, laughing at the clammy palm she was offered. “You are not allowed to be nervous, Sam. I’m nervous enough for both of us.”
Gripping his hand, she balanced on one foot and then the other as she peeled away the wool. “Okay. I left all sexy heels at home. You’re going to have to settle for bare feet. I did paint my toes for you.”
Sam tore his gaze from her body to look at her feet. “Very pretty.”
Eve looked down and wiggled her toes. “The color is called Crimson Desire,” she said. “I wanted real red, like Christmas red.”
Sam had to clear his throat to speak. “It matches your dress—and your hat.”
“Not my underwear?” Eve asked, palming her breasts in her hands. She felt pretty proud of herself when Sam groaned.
Stepping closer, he yanked her hands off them and made her laugh.
“That’s my job,” he said sternly, covering the lace mounds with both palms. “And God, I love this job. You feel even better than you look.” When she laughed at his comments, Sam bent his head and kissed Eve’s forehead just under her Santa hat.
“Time to get down to business and under the covers. Getting really cold in here,” Eve said.
“So I see,” Sam said roughly, thumbing peaked nipples. “Funny. I’m not cold at all.”
Ignoring his quivering palms as they explored the edges of her lace bra, Eve reached out and pulled Sam’s sweater up until he was forced to let her go. Impatient, he raked the Santa hat off, then pulled both sweater and tee shirt over his head at once.
“Nice body you got there,” Eve said, admiring the trimness of his waist.
“Thanks,” Sam said, forcing the word up and out of his lust clogged throat.
Eve’s hand was on his pants before the first of his clothing had cleared his body. By the time his eyes focused again, his zipper was totally undone. He froze when Eve stepped closer and pressed her lace-covered breasts against his front. Her hand swept expertly over his crotch and had him hissing.
“Wow. You really weren’t bragging at all, were you?” Eve pushed the snug denim and his red briefs down over his hips enough to touch him for real. Her lips twitched over the red underwear for a moment, but she got distracted from her amusement when Sam stepped free of her grip, and kicked the rest of his clothes off.
“Your turn to undress me,” she whispered, trying not to gape at his rising interest in her. “Top or bottom first? Naked Santa’s choice.”
Snickering at her teasing, Sam jerked the hat onto his head again, then dove down to capture Eve’s mouth with his. His tongue mated itself to hers and stroked until he grew concerned about the effect it was having on him. His hands went behind her and undid clasps at her back until red lace fell away from milky white skin. He stripped the bra down her arms, not seeing it for admiring what he’d uncovered.
“You are seriously beautiful. My imagination did not paint a fair picture of how great you look,” he said.
Eve blushed but held his gaze, trying to see if he really meant it.
Sam took one of her hands and placed it on the physical proof of what he thought. Her fingers wrapped tightly around him, sure and strong.
“That’s truly delightful, Evelyn,” he choked out, quickly prying them away. “Too delightful. Let’s not do that too much yet.”
Eve hung her head and giggled. “If I’d have known how much fun you were going to be, I might have done this months ago.”
Excited by that particular compliment, Sam kissed her again, and then let himself drop to his knees in front of her mostly naked body. He trailed his lips down her front in his descent, planting a final one kiss between her thighs as he landed in the floor. “Can I have the rest of your clothes now?”
Eve nodded, the white ball of her Santa hat bouncing into her face as she looked down at him. Sam peeled the red lace panties from her hips and pulled them down her legs. When they pooled around her ankles, he buried his face between her thighs and groaned. The vibration he made against her made her laugh.
Eve moved slightly out of reach, nervous and scared all over again. “The fire is definitely burning, Sam. Take me to bed before we end up in the floor again.”
He reluctantly rose, naked and aching. As uncomfortable as he was, being naked with Eve was still the most alive he’d felt in a long time.
“Orgasm one coming up,” he said boldly. He took a giggling Eve’s hand and tugged her onto the bed with him.
“Sam, I don’t want to worry about having an orgasm, and I don’t want you to worry about giving me one. It will be enough satisfaction for me just to know that my sex life isn’t really over after three years of not being sexual.”
Sam rolled her down and under him, then climbed carefully between her legs and rested his erection on her hip. “That’s very noble of you, Eve. But we are going to be way more than just sexual with each other. We’re both going to sleep relaxed tonight. Trust me.”
“Well, given what’s pressed against my hip, I realize you weren’t just bragging for the hell of it. How can I not believe you?” Eve said, giggling at her joke.
Ignoring her teasing, Sam bent to kiss her neck. His erection throbbed insistently between them as he suckled a spot just above her collar bone. His hands stroked both breasts, tugging the excited ends gently. When he moved to her mouth, he plunged his tongue in and out until her hands gripped his upper arms, nails digging into muscle. He sucked her bottom lip in hard and squeezed her nipples harder as he shifted himself into position at her wet entrance.
Eve twisted her mouth from his, but only to beg him to enter. He caved to her husky demand, but slowly, and carefully, fighting for control when Eve arched her back and moaned, fingernails digging into his arms again. He stopped himself from plunging, but just barely.
“Look at me, Eve.”
Sam pinched her nipples to make sure she did, then smiled at her totally glazed expression. What little blood was left in his brain took the express lane and headed south. His now rock-hard erection half in her began throbbing again, only worse this time.
> “We had a relationship before this and we’ll have one after. All this changes is that we’re going to be even closer. Okay?”
“Sure, Sam. Anything you say. Will you hurry please? You’re close to hitting the right spot and I . . . oh God. That’s perfect.”
When she hissed and arched again, Sam plunged. He bent his head and kissed her cheek while she moaned almost continuously in his arms while he moved inside her. He had rightly guessed that throaty groan of hers would get louder in bed, but the reality was thrilling.
“Spread your legs a little more for me, honey. Just a little more.”
When Eve finally complied, he surged up against the center of her, rocking smoothly in and out, making sure he created delicious friction against her with every stroke. Just as he felt the inevitable explosion building, Eve suddenly went supernova under him, moaning louder as he pressed and rocked harder through her climax. He shook with pleasure himself as he found blessed relief, and was happier still when Eve’s arms came up to cradle him as they calmed.
In their current position, the difference in their height had Eve tucking her face against Sam’s chest. She cleared her throat, which earned a rumble of laughter from him. “Well, that was rather stupendous and gratifying. I feel like I should thank you for breaking me back in so well.”
Snorting, Sam twisted his body and sealed Eve’s smart-ass mouth with his, tongue plunging. He was thrilled to feel her automatic response of matching his movements. When he lifted his head, he stared hard at her flushed face.
“Instead of thanking me, I’d rather you say we can do this again.”
Eve ran her fingers over his arm, feeling Sam’s muscles and instantly remembering how taut they had been when he was making love to her. The man moved slow and sure, but with blissful intent. “If you’re this good at fifty, I can only imagine what you must have been like as a younger man. Your wife was very lucky.”
Sam braced himself on his elbows to look at her. “More like she was a good teacher, but I like how you’re thinking. Are you feeling lucky right now?”
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