Reid's Deliverance

by Nina Crespo

  Handle time? They mastered it with every leap into the future to change fate and right wrongs. Her leaving with Celine would top the list of major wrongs. He had to capitalize on the moment. Once he jumped forward in time, she wouldn’t remember he existed. “Give her your car keys.”

  “What will that do?”

  He leaned in and breathed more of her wonderful scent. “Make it hard.”

  She glanced past his waist and his cock responded. Her cheeks grew pink. “That’s an interesting proposition, but I honestly don’t understand how that helps Celine with Thane.”

  Warmth lured him in, and he skimmed his lips below her ear. “It’s simple. You’re not forcing her to stay. Celine’s interested or she wouldn’t have come here in the first place. She won’t leave.” And they could continue in a quieter place where he’d follow the trail of her perfume. Throat to breasts and over her belly. From supple calves up her thighs. Tasting, teasing, driving her wild until she begged him to stop.

  Lauren released an unsteady breath. “I see where you’re going with Celine, but we can’t—”

  He kissed her, claiming the objection with the slip of his tongue over hers. Mouthwatering. Addictive. She was more inviting than anything he’d tasted. Her low moan more captivating than any piece of music he’d ever played. It took every bit of control not to haul her up on the piano, lift her dress, and extract every beautiful sound she could make. A shudder reverberated through him. He had to stop, but one kiss wasn’t nearly enough. He needed to touch her, hold her, have her.

  Her gaze reflected what he wanted, but uncertainty shadowed her expression. She shook her head as if to clear it. “What am I doing?”

  Not leaving, for one thing. The sight of her tongue painting a glimmer over her lower lip drew him back. Each restrained brush against her lips made him insanely harder. If Thane blew his chances with Lauren, he’d kick his ass. “Give Celine the keys, and find out.”

  Chapter 2

  Lauren unlocked the door to her townhouse. She hadn’t been able to think straight since giving Celine the keys and leaving the party. Had she made a mistake?

  Reid slipped an arm around her waist. “You still okay with this?” He enveloped her in hard muscle and body heat.

  Tingles radiated from a kiss low on her neck. Lauren’s knees grew weak. How could he find that spot every time? “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  One-night stands weren’t new to her. Serial dating had simply replaced a good, uncomplicated fling. Was she supposed to mention it ahead of time? She’d assumed he wanted the same thing. What if they didn’t? “Before we go in, there’s something I should tell you.”

  He stiffened. “Are you married?”

  “No. Of course not.”

  “What?” He turned her around to face him. The porch light illuminated the humor in his expression. “Your eighty-pound German shepherd will tear me apart if I don’t behave?”

  “No. I travel too much to own a pet.”

  “The place is a mess?”

  Not a chance. She couldn’t pass by a couch pillow without straightening it. No need to tell him that. She fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. “I only want sex.”

  “That’s your big worry?”

  “Yes. Sort of. Women are always hanging around after your shows. I assumed you’d be okay with a one-night stand, but then that’s labeling you. For all I know, you could be the hearts, flowers, and forever type.”

  “Relax. You’re safe.” He intertwined his fingers with hers. “I’m not interested in anything long term.”

  Great. A club full of guys, and she walked out with the commitment-phobe. Could she pick them, or what?

  “But I’m into being with you.” Reid pulled her to him. “Here. Tonight.”

  His mouth descended on hers and a wash of sensation spread through her middle.

  Man hiatus, the hell-no list, she could set them aside for now. For Reid. Battery-operated pleasure would only leave her starving for him, dreaming of him. Only the glorious erection grinding against her sex could assuage the intense throb between her legs.

  Hot, aggressive kisses fueled Lauren’s urgency. The tips of her breasts, full and heavy, rubbing, grazing against him spurred feverish desperation. She gripped Reid and dragged him into the townhouse.

  She tossed her purse on the entryway table. The vase in the center wobbled.

  He slammed the door shut and pushed her back against the cool wall. The bold sweeps and thrust of his tongue heightened restless need.

  She tore off his shirt and buttons bounced on the tile. Perfectly formed chest muscle smoothed under her palms.

  He made short work of her dress and bra. They landed in a puddle of fabric at her feet. His eyes darkened as he cupped her breast and thumbed her nipple. He leaned down and sucked one sensitive peak and then the other. Awareness radiated with a flush of decadent heat.

  He trailed open-mouthed kisses up her throat, his erection against her belly. Without thinking twice, she unfastened his jeans and eased down the zipper. His hard, heated shaft warmed her palm as she circled and squeezed.

  He hissed out a breath and grabbed her wrist. “Keep that up, beautiful, and it’ll be over before we get started.”

  She nudged him back and slid down her bikinis. “Then let’s not wait.”

  Reid found a condom and shucked off his jeans.

  As he cupped her ass, she wrapped her legs around his hips. Skin to skin, heat seared into her breasts. She grasped his shoulders. He held her up and pinned her with his gaze. Searching. Waiting. For what? She struggled to impale herself.

  He nipped her earlobe. “My lead.”

  Shivers zipped to her toes. Control? That was the point of taunting her? The tip of his length grazed her slick folds. She moaned. “Reid…” Their tongues dueled in a kiss, but desperation stole more of her resolve.

  The need for air broke them apart. Exhales fanned her cheek. “Don’t make this a battle. Let me please you.”

  All guys made the same claim and failed. Her leading the way eliminated the fuss. He pressed further in. It wasn’t enough. Damn! She needed all of him now.

  Desire, confidence, and will lay in his eyes. He wasn’t playing games or trying to control the encounter to impress her.

  If she wanted this, she had to trust him and believe he’d give her what he promised. Ultimate satisfaction.

  Lauren wound her arms around him and forced her thighs to relax.

  He tightened his hold. The bite of his fingers into her curves amped up thrill. A swift, hard thrust splintered her moan into cries.

  She trembled, so full, so needy for more.

  He lifted her slowly, his muscles bunching and releasing. Each and every drag of his cock over nerve endings fired pleasure.

  The next forceful stroke left her breathless.

  He changed the pace. Slow, quick, slow.

  There…oh, yes. Right there. Every. Time. She climbed higher on his waist, and her nails caught skin. He groaned approval, urging her to dig in harder. They synced into a faster rhythm. An orgasm licked up like flames and consumed her with a mind-shattering climax.

  He pumped with finishing strokes. His guttural moans vibrated into her neck.

  She drifted, reluctant to come back to reality. Her arms tensed of their own accord. Let go! But she wasn’t ready to lose their fragile connection.

  Reid slowly rubbed her thigh. “You okay?”

  “Yes.” Lauren trembled as she unglued her legs from around him. The texturized wall grazed her back. More shivers.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  Hurt her? She’d volunteer for a replay. “No. It was perfect.” He’d caressed where she’d wanted him to touch. Stroked against all the right places without her having to tell him where or how. He’d delivered a sexual high she’d never experienced with anyone else.

  “Good.” He cupped her cheek. Concern shifted to desire.

  Sex with him in bed would surpass wonderful. Then what? Decent conver
sation…breakfast in the morning? You have to find a guy who’ll deliver what you want and more. Ari’s remembered words sparked apprehension. Reid did deliver what she wanted, but he wasn’t interested in anything beyond. Trying to turn it into something more, definitely not smart. She’d experienced an incredible moment with him. Time to move on and get back to her man hiatus. Not to mention, he fit the hell-no criteria as a commitment-phobe. Why ruin a good lay? Stick to the plan.

  She eased out of his embrace and retrieved her clothes. “The bathroom’s on the left.” In her bedroom, she tightened the sash of a white robe and envisioned their goodbye. He’d leave. She’d pour a glass of wine and call Ari, who’d demand all the juicy details. She walked down the hall.

  He stepped out of the guest bathroom.

  His low-riding jeans encased his long, powerful legs. With each exhale, muscle chiseled into abs.

  Her hands itched to smooth through the whorls of hair around his navel and follow the trail to masculinity at its best.

  His eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Stay the night. No. A physical transaction, that’s what they both wanted. Lauren hugged herself and nodded. “Long day. Work was brutal. Loads of stress and it’s going to be that way tomorrow. I should get in bed right away. To sleep. Alone. I’m tired.” Stop babbling like a head case.

  A ghost of a smile lit up his face. “Then you should sleep. Alone.” Reid put on his shirt. He lifted the edges of the fabric and frowned at the missing buttons.

  Her cheeks heated. “Sorry. I’ll pay for a new one.” She’d never been so worked up before that she’d ripped off a guy’s clothes.

  He chuckled and raked his short hair. “I have more at home.”

  His magical hands. So much for her fantasies. Now she could only imagine him caressing her from belly to thigh. Dreams of him bringing her to climax would haunt the night.

  “What do you do?”

  She cleared her throat. “Excuse me?”

  “You mentioned work stressing you out. What do you do?”

  “I’m a medical cosmetics rep. My clients are mainly plastic surgeons, med spas, and dermatologists. It’s not bad most of the time, but for the past few weeks, I’ve been slammed. Spring. Summer. Everyone and their sister show up for dermabrasions, laser treatments, and Botox shots. I can barely keep up with the orders.”

  He raised a brow.

  Shit. Like he cared. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she shut up?

  Reid’s dry chuckle deepened the cuts in his six-pack. “Yeah, demanding would drive me nuts, too. You can’t let it get to you.”

  The same way he wasn’t getting to her? Massive fail. Hard body, sexy grin, and cock for days. If she slept with him on a regular basis, she wouldn’t give a damn about anything else.

  Her sex clenched in remembrance of him feeding his thick, pulsing length into her. Disappointment set in as she clasped around air.

  She squeezed her thighs together. No. Limits were important. Like her clients advised their patients, too much of a good thing could ruin the result.

  “Well.” He sighed. “I’ll let you get some rest.”

  One more kiss, that’s it. On the way to the door, she stopped and straightened the framed watercolor on the wall.

  “Nice cabin.” He examined the picture. “Where is it?”

  “Outside of Mazree, Georgia.” Her father enjoyed painting as a hobby. He’d captured the rustic feel of the log and brick home sitting on land in the middle of lush pines perfectly. Vacations there were the best part of summer. No need to bore him with family history.

  “Looks like a spot I used to visit in Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was surrounded by acres of trees. The air was so fresh all I wanted to do was stand there and breathe.”

  “That’s what it’s like up there. It’s close to a pond and lots of great hiking trails. One of them takes you to a clearing where there’s this gorgeous view of the mountains.”

  His gaze met hers. “What else do you like about it?”

  She couldn’t stop a smile. “Time slows. I don’t care about the clock. I sit under the stars and let the crickets chirp me to sleep. When the sun wakes me up, I’m excited to start another day.” It was the one place she was always happy. The vision of Mazree dispersed. Why was she telling him about her life? He needed to go.

  “Do you still go there with your family or friends?”

  “No. My parents split up. Dad’s invited me, but our schedules haven’t matched up.” And she didn’t feel comfortable joining him and his new wife. “As far as Celine and Ari, that will probably never happen. Celine is always too busy. Ari won’t go to a place with ‘take the first left at the old, covered bridge’ as part of the directions. She says it’s Hicksville.”

  “That’s a shame.” Longing haunted his expression. “Looks like a relaxing place.”

  “What about Virginia? Have you been there lately?”

  “No. It was my grandfather’s place.” Sadness passed through his gaze. “It doesn’t exist anymore.”

  Her heart squeezed. Was his story like hers? The first years after her parent’s divorce were agonizing. She loved Mazree, but it was never the same. She’d prayed so hard for her parents to love each other again.

  “I should go.” He brushed a kiss over her temple.

  At the last second, she turned and their lips met.

  Move away. End it now. She placed her hands on his chest.

  Reid stroked down her back and cupped her ass. He shifted his stance, nestling his hard thigh between her legs.

  Her breathing picked up and intermingled with his, heating the small distance between their lips. The need to rub herself against him overwhelmed. The need for deepening pleasure consumed. Heady, sinful, so wrong, but oh, so right.

  Reid guided her into the rhythm of a slow torturous grind. He swept the seam of her mouth, coaxing her into an unhurried kiss.

  The downward glide of his fingertips mirrored the pace. Leisurely strokes around her nipple sent spirals of desire straight to her core. She moaned encouragement as he caressed down her belly. Anticipation left her breathless.

  He’d filled her completely. Satisfied her like no other, and she yearned for more. Lauren widened her stance.

  He stroked her clit between his fingers, and her world narrowed to his perfect touch. Right where she wanted him, needed him, moving in ways that intensified pleasure. Feathery brushes switched to small circles moving faster and harder. She canted her hips and matched the rhythm.

  He nipped her throat. “That’s it, beautiful. Let me hear it. Come for me.”

  As he ground his hardness against her hip, images branded of what would follow. Her knees turned to jelly and he held her up. As an orgasm chased her down, he slipped two fingers inside of her, prolonging it with erotic sensation she never wanted to end. She had no choice but to let go. Lauren surrendered into fiery bliss.

  Chapter 3

  An insistent buzz woke Reid. He blinked, orienting himself to the bed and the dark room. Lauren lay sleeping in his arms.

  Slowly, he slipped out from under the covers. His foot nudged his jeans. He snagged them from the floor, but the call went to voice mail before he could fish his cell from the pocket. West. Shit.

  The drummer lacked a social life, but didn’t he believe in sleep? Whatever West wanted could wait.

  He activated the flashlight app on his phone. As he dressed, the beam illuminated a white platform bed with matching bedside tables. Three lacquered frames with carvings of leaves hung on pale orange walls. Fresh, sleek, modern with the warmth of summer.

  He hadn’t planned on literally sleeping with Lauren. Hell. He hadn’t planned on sticking around after the first time they’d had sex. In his book, sending him to clean up in the guest bathroom had signaled the festivities were over. He’d wanted more, so had Lauren, but she’d chosen to push him away at first. Once she’d changed her mind, he’d gone along. What guy wouldn’t? Lauren was
beautiful. Just sex. She’d thrown him with that one. Usually he was the one to set the tone. Some jackass had probably screwed her over. He could tell she wasn’t the type who slept around. She was solid, grounded by what was important. Like her friends. And that place in Mazree, even though she’d denied it. He’d never spoken about his grandfather to anyone else besides Thane, but he’d felt led to say it. He’d give anything to see the place in Virginia again. She couldn’t take Mazree for granted.

  Lauren stretched. “What time is it?” She turned on a brass lamp on the bedside table.

  The warm glow of her skin, tousled hair, and lips swollen from his kisses stirred up lust.

  “A little after five.”

  “You can sleep in longer if you want.” She yawned and snuggled back under the sheet.

  He willed his cock not to rise as he zipped his jeans. “You know as well as I do if I get back in bed, it won’t be for sleep.”

  A dreamy smile softened her face. “I wouldn’t mind.”

  Man, he hated this part. He sat down next her on the bed. He could tell her anything. Say whatever he wanted. The next phase into the future would wipe him from her memory, but he’d remember everything. What it felt like to be inside of her. How he’d gotten hard all over again watching her come apart in his arms. He’d recall the picture on the wall and wonder if she decided to visit the cabin again. The answer would remain a mystery. A seed of cold reality planted in his chest. Caring, wanting, that’s why it was a bad idea to ask personal questions or hook up with the same woman more than once. The lies. The memories. They took up too much headspace.

  Beth had lied so easily. They’d started dating before he’d joined the army. He’d been crazy about her. The truth came out. She’d pretended to love him. None of her excuses made up for the deception.

  Damn. Second time tonight he’d turned sentimental about his life before joining Dalir. It was definitely time to get out of there.

  Lauren’s warmth prompted him to linger. Eyes closed, she released a sleepy sigh.

  Reid whispered, “Goodbye, beautiful,” and switched off the light. On the way out the bedroom, his phone pinged in a text from West.