Shari hoped Grant didn’t regret their lovemaking last night. She got her answer when Grant reached for her, curled one hand around her neck and pulled her down on top of him so his mouth could charter every inch of her lips. His tongue pressed for entrance and Shari opened up to him and Grant dove inside, sweeping his tongue back and forth across hers. His fingertips trailed down her spine and then her ribs, waist and hips before his palm cupped her backside and brought her squarely against his erection.
“Well, good morning to you, too,” she said as he nudged her legs apart, using his finger to tease her at the apex of her thighs to make sure she was wet and ready for him.
Shari enjoyed his tender touch and was ready to have him, hot and thick, inside her. She lifted her hips and Grant thrust strongly and Shari took him in deep.
Grant groaned and he tugged at her hair so she would open her eyes and look at him as they made love. He buried himself deep inside her over and over and Shari ground herself against him, rocking her hips back and forth.
“Easy, love,” Grant said, slowing his movements and forcing her to maintain his pace. He seemed to want to delay them both from coming, to make the moment last longer. His palm on the small of her back guided her into a slow, rolling rhythm. Shari arched and her hips bucked upward. She wanted it harder. Faster. She wanted to be possessed by him. To go higher and higher.
“Shari, baby, oh, yes!” Grant’s green eyes were dilated. His nostrils flared. His face flushed. He slipped his hands between them where they were joined together and Shari gasped.
Shari tightened her legs around his hips as the pressure of his probing fingers tantalized and teased her before sending her spiraling out of control. She came hard as wave after wave of contractions washed over her and everything around her fragmented into tiny little pieces.
Grant shuddered under her and gave a low, soft growl as his orgasm rippled through him.
Afterward, they lay together, bodies entwined, exhausted yet fully sated. Shari was unable to speak. She’d been unprepared for the ferocity of Grant’s lovemaking this morning and unequipped to handle the love she now felt for her husband.
Chapter 9
Grant leaned back in the bed, reviewing the night’s and morning’s events. Shari had long since gone to find out if she would be needed for the competition that day.
Last night, he’d thought he’d needed to comfort Shari because she’d been upset about running into his ex-wife, Dina, and he doubted that reunion was pleasant. He’d wanted her to feel wanted and he’d certainly done that, judging by the number of times she’d come.
And that’s all he’d wanted to do last night—comfort her—but this morning...this morning had been different. He’d consciously set about bedding his wife. He’d woken up to find her naked beside him and staring down at him. His mouth had watered, and the need to taste her had grown stronger. She’d tasted like the closest thing to heaven, and he’d had to have another taste.
He was startled by his reaction to Shari. He’d known he was attracted to her but maybe he’d been thinking of the young girl he’d had sex with in college. He’d been wrong. Shari was a grown woman now and they’d had take-no-prisoners sex last night, which probably had their hotel neighbors wishing they’d kept it down. Shari was so honest with her emotions and had let him know she’d enjoyed everything he’d done to her. She’d been vulnerable and had opened herself up to him, and he’d taken everything she had to offer.
He was in dangerous territory. There was still a lot unresolved between them and perhaps more on his side, but despite all of it, Grant knew that this morning would not be the last time he’d make love to Shari. He couldn’t wait for later tonight when he would again have Shari screaming out his name as he was planted deep inside her.
* * *
Shari arrived at the studio glowing. Any doubts she’d had about making her marriage work had been eradicated when Grant had woken to make love to her again. She felt so satiated that even the sight of Dina in the kitchen dressed in fashionable skinny black jeans, a fitted red lace peplum top and chunky sandals could not sour her mood.
“Good morning,” Shari said, breezing over to the Drayson family, who were in a corner discussing their plan of attack.
“Well, look who decided to join us,” Drake replied when she joined the group.
“Good morning, cuz.” Shari leaned over to give Drake a kiss on the cheek. Afterward, he gave her a bizarre look.
“Are you feeling okay?” Drake asked.
Usually when he razzed her, she got all upset, but not this morning.
“Yeah, what gives?” Belinda asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
Carter came forward and wrapped an arm around Shari’s shoulders. “Did you guys forget that Shari here is a newlywed?”
Shari blushed knowingly. “Carter!”
Carter laughed. “Need I say more?” He released her out of his grasp.
Belinda immediately rushed over, grabbed Shari’s hand and led her away from the family. “Did you and Grant, you know, get busy?”
Shari slapped her hand away. “Belinda. We are married.”
“I know, but you guys got married so quickly and I just assumed you were doing it for Andre.”
“Partly,” Shari confirmed, “but as I told you weeks ago, Grant and I are rekindling our romance. Why aren’t you happy for me?”
“I am, but this marriage was sudden, Shari, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m doing everything in my power to make my marriage work.”
“Okay. And Grant?” Belinda asked, glancing at Shari. “Does he feel as you do? Is he putting his all into this marriage?”
Shari sighed. She didn’t want to hear any negativity from Belinda. Not this morning. She wanted to bask in her lovemaking afterglow, and she refused to let Belinda change her positive outlook. “Gosh, Belinda, you sure know how to be a buzz-kill. I came here to see if you guys needed my help.”
It turned out the family didn’t. They had already decided to let Drake, Belinda and Malik go up in the next round against the other four competitors.
“So you don’t need me here?” Shari asked, excitedly.
“Why, do you have some place you’d rather be, sis?” Monica inquired.
“Well...” Shari felt terrible for wanting to abandon the family, considering they’d all stuck around during her battle round yesterday, but she couldn’t resist a chance to sneak away to spend more time with Grant. “Actually, I do. Grant is taking Andre to Disneyland and if you don’t really need me, I can join them.”
“Then you should go,” Grandma Lillian said, coming forward to take both of Shari’s hands. “Experience my great-grandson’s first time at Disneyland. We have everything covered today, but we will need you back tomorrow.”
“Are you sure, Grandma?” Shari asked.
“Absolutely. And as Carter mentioned earlier, this is your honeymoon, so go enjoy yourself with your family. Lillian’s will take this next round.”
“I agree,” her father, Dwight, said, suddenly beside her. “Thanks to our preparation the last few weeks, we’re in good shape.”
Shari smiled broadly. They didn’t have to convince her any further. “Great! I’ll see you all later.” She waved on her way out the door. Shari couldn’t get out of the studio fast enough. She immediately pulled her cell phone out of her hobo bag and dialed Grant.
“Hello,” his smooth, sexy voice said from the other end of the line.
“Hi,” Shari said shyly. “Are you still at the hotel?”
“Yeah, kind of got a late start this morning,” Grant replied.
“Good. Because I’m on my way back,” Shari said. “I won’t be baking in this round, so I can join you and Andre at Disneyland.”
�
�That’s great! Andre’s going to be psyched having both of us today.”
“I’m taking a taxi, but I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”
* * *
Later, Shari was thrilled to spend the day with Grant and Andre at Disneyland. She’d never felt so happy, so content, so at peace. Throughout the day, Grant had grabbed her hand and they’d walked hand-in-hand with Andre down Main Street. And when they weren’t holding hands, he was sneaking a kiss when Andre wasn’t looking or openly admiring her underneath hooded lashes. Shari doubted she would ever tire of looking into his green eyes.
And Andre was having the time of his life. Seeing how happy Andre was made Shari feel that the long day was well worth it. Grant paid extra so they could have lunch with Disney characters. Thanks to him, Andre met Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Andre was bursting with excitement and could hardly contain his glee. Or perhaps it was the cotton candy and sugary drinks he’d inhaled? Shari usually watched Andre’s diet with a careful eye, but they were at Disneyland and she’d relented and allowed him a few goodies.
“I can’t wait to take you back to the hotel tonight,” Grant whispered in her ear, jolting Shari out of her daydream.
“Oh, yeah?”
“I can’t wait to run my tongue down the length of your body and...” Grant whispered several naughty tidbits in her ear.
Shari not only blushed, but the place between her thighs began to feel warm at the thought of what Grant intended to do. He’d indicated he would take her to new heights.
* * *
And after they’d put an exhausted Andre to bed, Grant did just that. He gave her a knock-your-socks-off kiss that started when he lowered her onto the king-size bed of their master suite. He brushed his lips across hers and she eagerly parted her lips. Then his tongue touched hers and that’s when the fun began. He sucked her tongue into his hot, moist cavern of a mouth and Shari’s body revved into action. Her breath began to hitch and her heart thudded loudly in her chest. She wanted to sob with the pleasure of how his slow, deliberately deep kisses made her feel. He made love to her with his mouth while his hands slid around her hips to drag her back and forth against the rock-hard erection in his pants.
Shari had already known they were good together, but this meant more. They were making love because they wanted each other. And she wanted Grant something fierce. He had her throbbing, aching, panting and craving him. The past didn’t exist between them anymore. There was no anger or resentment over lies and past hurts. It was just them living in the moment.
They strained together, arching their hips to be closer. Grant’s thick length was nestled against her core, and Shari’s nails clawed at his shirt, but it wasn’t enough. They needed to touch each other.
“Let’s get naked,” Grant growled.
They both rose up slightly so Shari could tug his shirt over his head and Grant could ease her T-shirt over hers. He reached for the button on her jeans. One zip later, he was gliding his large, masculine hands over her hips and sliding the pants off her body. He struggled out of his jeans and boxers and they took the same route as hers and landed on a pile on the floor.
His erection was gloriously magnificent and Shari went to reach for him, but Grant didn’t let her. Instead, he bent his head to skim his mouth across Shari’s as he stroked her nipples underneath the satin bra she wore. Shari could feel her erect nipples stand up at attention. He reached behind her back to unlatch the bra and it fell to the bed. Grant’s eyes grew large as he stared down at her round breasts and dark brown nipples.
Shari’s fingers stroked his cheek and she could feel stubble from the day growing again, but she didn’t care. She loved every part of this man. His beautiful green eyes, the dimple in his left cheek. This time, Shari initiated the kiss by grabbing both sides of Grant’s face and falling backward onto the bed. She stroked her tongue over his lips until he opened his mouth. Her tongue darted inside, tangling with his. Grant’s fingers plowed into her hair and pulled her closer, so he could taste her. Eventually, he left her lips and moved on to her cheeks, then her earlobes and then her neck. When he found the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck, he teased it, licking it gently at first and then sucking on it.
“What are you doing to me?” Shari struggled to control her emotions. She couldn’t let him see how vulnerable she was, how raw. They were just figuring out what they were going to be to each other and what their marriage would look like. She didn’t want to ruin it by crying something out in the heat of the moment.
“Want me to stop?” he whispered in her ear, his breathing deep and extreme. He continued to move lower and lick her breasts. The way he worshipped them, cupped them and sucked them into erect peaks made Shari feel so beautiful. She didn’t feel like a boring single mother. She felt alive. Womanly. Sexy.
Shari struggled to catch her breath, but finally managed to mutter, “No.”
“Good. ’Cause I have more in store.” Swiftly, Grant tugged her bikini panties down her legs, tossing them aside, and then returned to kiss her belly while his hands roamed to her inner thigh. His fingers pried open her outer lips and found her already wet for him. His thumb skated over her clitoris in tiny little circles and she shivered, her inner muscles clenching.
It felt so good that Shari moaned in pleasure.
Grant slid down the bed and Shari knew what was coming next, but she wasn’t prepared for the magnitude of the passion Grant evoked in her. When he eased his hand under her backside and pulled her closer to his face, Shari held her breath in anticipation.
“So sweet, so sweet,” Grant said seconds before his tongue flicked across her clitoris. His first lick was slow and gentle, but they became more urgent as he slowly made his way deeper and deeper making figure eights with his tongue.
Tiny eruptions began to course through her entire body and Shari grabbed at the sheet as tension surged through her.
But Grant didn’t stop. He seemed intent on savoring her and stoking the flame building inside her. An orgasmic cry escaped her lips as a tidal wave of pure ecstasy swept over her. Shari couldn’t stand any more of his ministrations and grabbed Grant’s head and pulled his mouth back toward her. Then she wrapped her ankles around his waist and arched her pelvis against him. A silent plea for him to take her and that she was prepared to receive him.
Grant growled low in his throat, then plunged inside her hard and deep. “You...feel...so good....Shari.”
He lazily stroked Shari into oblivion with his lingering thrusts while kissing her greedily. She felt the heat and the pressure build. It was even more intoxicating when Grant put two fingers in her mouth. Shari sucked them feverishly as they moved together as one unit. He plunged into her with a steady cadence. Shari spread her legs wide and arched to meet his every thrust. Grant quickened above her one final time and they simultaneously soared into space and plummeted into a free fall back to earth.
* * *
“Grant, you have to let me up,” Shari said the next morning when she tried unsuccessfully to push her husband’s muscled arm from her torso.
“No, I want you to stay in bed with me.” Grant’s eyes were lit with lustful amusement.
“I can’t. I’m in the bake-off today.” Shari had kept an eye on her phone throughout yesterday and had seen the text from Belinda and then from her father and Carter telling her Lillian’s had advanced to the third round. She had no idea what country You Take the Cake had in mind next, but she was needed back on set for Round 3.
“Can we come visit you today?” Grant asked, removing his arm and watching Shari rise from the bed. “Andre has been dying to see what all the fuss is about and I think he might combust.”
Uneasiness lurched in Shari’s belly; she wasn’t particularly thrilled with the aspect of Grant and Andre coming to the studio because Dina would be there. When had Grant and Dina seen each other
last? She didn’t want Dina anywhere near Andre, but she also didn’t want to look insecure to Grant.
Shari turned around with a half smile. “Of course you can. It’ll be fun.”
“You sure?” Grant asked. He tilted her chin to face him. “I know you need to focus.”
“It’s fine.” Shari attempted another halfhearted smile in an effort to convince her husband. “Andre will love the studio. You guys can take a tour while we’re baking.”
A smile spread across Grant’s sensuous lips. “Great!”
“I’m going to shower,” Shari said, throwing off the covers and rising from the bed.
“Would you like some company?” Grant asked mischievously.
Shari winked. “Love some.”
* * *
An hour later, she was downstairs in the hotel restaurant where her family was gathered for a powwow session. The table was full with empty plates from the breakfast buffet. Shari had missed breakfast due to her late start.
“How was your day off with your family?” her father asked.
“Andre loved Disneyland. How did it go yesterday?”
“We annihilated the competition,” Drake said. “They gave us the U.K. Belinda baked a Victoria sponge cake with a fresh berry compote and homemade whipped-cream filling that melted in your mouth. You should have seen the judges salivating.”
Belinda smiled proudly at the compliment. “Thanks, Drake.”
“What bakery was eliminated?” Shari asked.
“Double Yum Bakers.”
“What country do you think is next?” Shari inquired. She was trying hard not to be jealous of the praise Belinda was receiving, but it was tough knowing that no matter how hard she tried, the family never seemed to pay much notice to what she could accomplish.
“Well, they haven’t done Italy or the U.S. yet,” Carter responded.
“Or they could try to throw us a curveball,” Grandma Lillian added, “with something like Russia.”
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