by A Collection of Valentine Themed Sexy Short Stories (epub)
She bit her lower lip as he continued blazing a path to the apex of her thighs.
“Open your eyes, gorgeous,” he said, as much a demand as a request. When she met his gaze, he said, “I want to see your face when you come on my mouth.”
Her sex clenched in anticipation. In the next second, he dragged his tongue between her wet, swollen lips, sending sparks skating along her skin, and her head fell back with a greedy moan.
“Watch me, sweetheart,” he said more demandingly.
And she did.
Holy heck...
His tongue and hands were wicked, licking and sucking, plunging and teasing, until she was a thrusting, begging mess of raw nerves. When he used his tongue on her clit and dipped his fingers inside her, finding that magical spot with the precision of a heat-seeking missile, she cried out, tugging at his hair and holding his stare. The pleasure in his eyes intensified hers, and she came that much harder.
When she collapsed limply against the wall, she pulled him up by his hair, and he crushed his mouth to hers. He tasted of her, but she didn’t care. She’d never experienced anything as potent as this incredible man, and she wanted to give him the same blissful feelings he gave her.
She splayed her hand on his chest, putting space between them as she slid down the wall to her knees, eye to eye with his beautiful cock.
“Sweetheart, tonight is supposed to be about you,” he said, running his thick fingers through her hair.
She grinned seductively up at him. “It is.”
Licking him from base to tip, she watched him watching her as his fingers fisted in her hair. She licked him again, and his chin dropped with a sharp exhalation. She lowered her mouth over his cock, working him with her hand and mouth, sucking and squeezing. The noises he made, the tension in his thighs, emboldened her, and she quickened her efforts, hoping he’d really let go.
He groaned, and she felt his tension mounting and knew he was struggling to keep himself in check.
She drew back and said, “Fuck my mouth, but don’t come.” She had no idea if it was even possible for him to give her all he had without coming, but she wanted to find out. She wanted to do everything with him, test every boundary, give herself wholly over to them.
“I will, sweetheart, but first I need to kiss that sexy mouth of yours.” He hauled her up to her feet, claiming her in another penetrating kiss. His tongue plunged savagely into her mouth as his hand dove between her legs, expertly taking her up to the edge and catapulting her toward the stars. He continued kissing her through the very last pulse of her orgasm, and when he drew back and gazed into her eyes, she wondered what he saw.
“I didn’t want to just love somebody,” he said roughly, and she realized he was referring to the lyrics they’d sang. “I want you, Cree, only you.”
That made her feel all kinds of terrific. “Me too.”
This time she slinked down his body, unhurried, kissing his pecs, sucking his nipples, pressing her lips, and slicking her tongue all over his abs. When she finally lowered her mouth over his shaft, he made a purely masculine sound. His hands pushed into her hair, and she grabbed his ass, pulling him forward, giving him the okay to do as she’d asked.
And he did.
Gloriously.
He panted out his appreciation. “So good…Want more of you…Fuuck…Oh yeah, right there. Like that...”
When she felt him swell inconceivably bigger in her hand, she released him, slowly dragging her tongue around the broad head of his cock. But she barely had time to catch her breath before he lifted her off her feet and lowered her onto his hard length. She felt every inch of him. She couldn’t stifle her astonished, elated sounds. He filled her so completely, so perfectly, she felt lighter, sexier, and more complete at once.
He lowered them to the bed without breaking their connection, and a perplexed expression came over his handsome face. “God, Cree. Do you feel that? It’s like the world just shifted.”
She nodded, for fear of choking up if she spoke.
“I want to discover everything about you, with you, about us. Every pleasure point, every pet peeve.” He kissed her deeply. “I want to fulfill my every promise, but before I fuck you, I need to make love to you and savor every single second of being close to you.”
Tears stung her eyes, and worry rose in his.
“No lovemaking?”
“No, I mean, yes,” she said shakily. “I want that, too. I want everything with you.”
His mouth descended on hers, and he loved her slowly, sensually, and as promised, he loved her thoroughly.
A LONG WHILE later, they lay spent on the mattress, their bodies tangled together. Cree couldn’t remember ever feeling happier and more at peace.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, beautiful,” he said, kissing her softly.
“Best Valentine’s Day ever.”
He shifted his big body over her and laced their fingers together with a devilish look in his eyes. “Wait until you see what I have in store for Fridays.” He nipped at her jaw.
“Fridays?”
“Why limit our celebrations to holidays? Tempt-You Thursdays.” He kissed her neck. “Fuck-Me Fridays. Suck-Me Saturdays.” He kissed her lips. “Savor-You Sundays.”
She rocked against him, and like a gift from the heavens above, he got hard again.
“If you survive,” he said coyly, “maybe we’ll make it to Marry-Me Monday...”
She laughed, but her heart swelled to near bursting even as she said, “Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.”
“Says the girl who once refused to sing for me.”
He silenced her with a sinfully delicious kiss, and as their bodies came together, she had a feeling she’d never be able to deny him a damn thing.
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Melissa’s Love in Bloom Big-Family Romance Collection
Characters from each series appear in future series, so you never lose track of an engagement, wedding, or birth!
SEASIDE SUMMERS
Seaside Dreams
Seaside Hearts
Seaside Sunsets
Seaside Secrets
Seaside Nights
Seaside Embrace
Seaside Lovers
Seaside Whispers
Seaside Serenade
BAYSIDE SUMMERS (Seaside Summers Spin-Off)
Bayside Desires
Bayside Passions
Bayside Heat
Bayside Escape
Bayside Romance
TRU BLUE & THE WHISKEYS
Tru Blue (Set in Peaceful Harbor)
Truly, Madly, Whiskey
Driving Whiskey Wild
Wicked Whiskey Love
Mad About Moon
SNOW SISTERS
Sisters in Love
Sisters in Bloom
Sisters in White
THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)
Lovers at Heart
Destined for Love
Friendship on Fire
Sea of Love
Bursting with Love
Hearts at Play
THE B
RADENS (Trusty, CO)
Taken by Love
Fated for Love
Romancing My Love
Flirting with Love
Dreaming of Love
Crashing into Love
THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)
Healed by Love
Surrender My Love
River of Love
Crushing on Love
Whisper of Love
Thrill of Love
THE BRADENS & MONTGOMERYS (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)
Embracing Her Heart
Anything for Love
Trails of Love
BRADEN WORLD NOVELLAS
Daring Her Love
Promise My Love
Our New Love
Story of Love
Love at Last
THE REMINGTONS
Game of Love
Stroke of Love
Flames of Love
Slope of Love
Read, Write, Love
Touched by Love
THE RYDERS
Seized by Love
Claimed by Love
Chased by Love
Rescued by Love
Swept into Love
BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK
WILD BOYS
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper
BAD BOYS
Mick
Dylan
Carson
Brett
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS
Includes characters from the Love in Bloom series
Catching Cassidy
Discovering Delilah
Tempting Tristan
Stand-alone Books by Melissa
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Love, Lies & Mystery (3-book bundle)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
Shadows of You
by J. Kenner
About Shadows of You
For two long years, Stark Security agent Denise Marshall has been alone, mourning her missing husband. But everything changes on Valentine’s Day when she encounters a mysterious man who seems to understand her deepest desires.
1
I gape at the closed circuit image on my terminal, completely flabbergasted by the extent of my assigned agent-candidate’s idiocy. “Left! I said left.”
I stare at the screen, then I throw up my hands in surrender as Agent Idiot turns to the right. “Left,” I repeat into the microphone. “Your other left.”
He immediately corrects, which is more than I can say for some of the applicants I’ve tested, and continues through the course. When he gets to the ordnance area, I pull off my headset and lean back in my chair, glad to be passing him off to another unfortunate operations manager.
“A little frustrated?”
The male voice is smooth and deep, and I turn in my chair to find myself staring at my immediate boss, Ryan Hunter, the Security Chief for Stark International. He’s tall and lean with chestnut hair and patient blue eyes. More patient than my green ones, I fear. Especially today.
“Sometimes I wonder where you find these candidates.”
“That’s why we call it an evaluation.” I hear the humor in his voice, and I sigh loudly as he pulls out the chair at the empty station beside mine. He sits, his elbows on his knees as he looks earnestly at me.
“What are you doing, Denise?”
I’ve worked for Ryan for years, and we’ve become good friends. I adore his wife, and I know that they’re both genuine, caring, talented people. Honestly, I couldn’t have found a better place to work.
But that doesn’t mean I want to be coddled. Especially not today when I’m feeling particularly raw.
“I’m just doing my job, Mr. Hunter.”
One of his brows rises almost imperceptibly. He’s no fool. He knows he’s treading on dangerous ground. But Ryan doesn’t pull his punches where his friends are concerned. And as much as I want to just go home and sleep straight through this horrible night, I know he’s not letting me out of here until he says his piece.
“You should be in the field,” he says. “Not operating a desk. Not putting agent candidates through their paces.” Stark International has a private security force, the highest level being the newly formed Stark Security, which is where I’m currently assigned. At all levels of the organization, though, the security officers are called agents. And with Ryan at the helm and Damien Stark overseeing the entire organization, the team is at least as well-trained as any government operative.
I should know. I used to be one of those government operatives before I signed on for field work at Stark International. But that feels like a lifetime ago.
“I like what I’m doing,” I say, unable to silence the defensive note in my voice. “We both know how burnt out on field work I became. And this way I can—”
“What?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. Have a life. A normal schedule.”
“Review confidential files? Tap into international resources? Monitor communications channels?”
I swallow, but say nothing. Just hold my body stiff. I didn’t realize he knew how much I’ve been using—and abusing—corporate resources.
He watches me, then sighs. “Dammit, Denny,” he says, calling me by the same nickname that Mason used to use. “Why didn’t you just come talk to me?”
I lift a shoulder. How can I tell him that I’m drowning. It’s been two years. Two long, lonely years since my husband went on a deep cover assignment. I haven’t heard a word since the day he walked away. Not a postcard. Not a phone call. Not a single rose on my birthday. Just days upon days of empty, lonely hours. And today is one of the hardest days of the year. Not only Valentine’s Day, but also our anniversary.
“I don’t even know if he’s dead or alive.”
My voice is so low that I’m not even sure Ryan hears me. But he takes my hands in his, then leans forward earnestly, looking me in the eye. “We tried to find him.”
“What? Who?”
“Damien and I. We used all our resources. Put out feelers to every government agency we could contact. Reached out to mercenary organizations, anyone and everyone. I’d hoped he’d get wind. Figure out a way to reach out to you. I’m sorry, but we didn’t hear a word back.” He exhales, and I hear genuine regret in his voice. “We all know you’re hurting, Denise. And we’re all your friends.”
I lick my lips, fighting back tears. I’m not going to cry in front of my boss. That is just not happening.
“You know you’re not happy in this work. He wouldn’t want you stuck at a desk. It’s not you.”
I lift a shoulder. “Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the me I’ve become. But I can’t think about it now. Not today of all days.”
“I’m sorry.”
I nod, knowing he means it. I try to conjure a smile, but it’s just not in me. “Thank you,” I say. “Tell Jamie I said hi. Do guys have big plans for Valentine’s Day?”
“We’re using a company limo to go down to La Jolla for dinner. But I’ll be back at work tomorrow. I better not see you. You need to take a day off.”
I make a face, but I also nod. I can see he’s serious.
He passes me an envelope. “And here. From Damien and me.”
I frown, confused. “What is it?”
He just cocks his head.
“Sorry. Stupid question.” I rip open the envelope and find a hotel card key with a room number scrawled across it with a Sharpie.
“The penthouse,” he says, looking up. The agent monitoring station is deep in a sub-basement of the Stark Century Hotel, forty-six floors above us.
“I don’t understand.”
“We thought you needed to be pampered. Actually, it was Jamie and Nikki’s idea,” he adds, referring to his and D
amien’s respective wives. He glances at his watch. “You should get up there if you want some time to yourself before the appointment.”
“Appointment?”
“At seven. According to the girls, a massage is just the thing to help you relax. I hope they’re right.”
Despite myself, I smile. If I can’t have Mason, I can at least lose myself in a good, hard, relaxing massage. And then I can fall asleep watching a sappy movie on the big screen knowing that, at the very least, I’m blessed enough to have some truly incredible friends.
2
Despite working in the basement for years, I’ve never actually been in the penthouse, and when I step through the double doors, I gasp. I’m facing a wall of floor to ceiling windows, the lights of the city stretching out toward the dark, moon-dappled Pacific beyond.
It’s as if I’m floating in a calm, dark world, and already I feel more at peace. I want Mason desperately. I miss the man who was—is—husband, lover, and friend. But he has uncommon skills, and I know that he’s doing important work. That doesn’t make it better, not really. But maybe it makes it easier to bear. And the fact that I have friends holding me up when times get tough …
Well, that definitely helps. As do the roses that fill the room, their beauty and their scent making me smile. They are everywhere. Vases on the table tops, and petals on the bed and floating on the surface of the already drawn bath.
There are even petals on a silver tray on which sits a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio, my favorite.
I’m definitely feeling pampered.
The only thing that would make it better would be Mason beside me. And since that’s not happening, I may as well enjoy myself.
I pour a glass of wine, then glance at my watch as I explore the suite. It’s almost seven, so I don’t have much time before my massage. But as I wander through the spacious, well-appointed rooms, I consider my options for the rest of the night. There’s a television over the deep tub as well as one mounted opposite the bed. So the question is, do I watch in a bubble bath or snuggled up in the soft cotton sheets?