by Becca Taylor
I wrap one arm around her waist. I can’t seem to get her close enough. We break for a moment, both in need of air. Our eyes are locked on each other’s, waiting to see who makes the first move. She does when she pulls my shirt over my head. Her shirt comes next.
“I’ve missed you, Hunter, and not just the sex. I missed the connection with you. The way you never take your eyes off me. I feel it here.” She presses my hand over her heart. It’s beating just as fast, if not faster than mine is.
When she stands, I pull her against me, but it’s only long enough to take off the last piece of my clothing. She reaches for the waistband of my sweats and tugs. I lean back enough so that she can pull them from my body.
As I sit up, she climbs back over me, getting into the same position as before. This time, she wraps her legs around me, linking them together and closing me in.
I kiss her again with everything in me. I pour everything I have into that kiss—desire, lust, passion, heat, and my heart. It’s hers. She’s owned every damn ounce of me since the first day I laid eyes on her.
Her hips rock against me, coating me.
“I need you, Hunter.”
“You got me, Lex. I’m all yours.”
She moves enough to let me in, and I’m home. There’s no way I will ever let her run away again. I will do anything and everything to keep this woman. Forever. I’ll wait a lifetime for her to take all those next steps together, as long as she stays mine.
We barely move. The connection is what she wants; it’s what I want too. I let her set the pace, which is just a slow back and forth motion.
“Hunter. I want more.”
I love it when she begs.
I flip her to her back. As if she’s afraid to let go, she keeps her legs locked around me. The only way for me to move is with a slow roll of my hips against her. It doesn’t take long before we’re both panting, and the sounds of our moans fill the room. With each stroke, she squeezes me tighter. I reach between us and circle her clit with my fingers.
“Lex, come for me. I got you.”
“Not without you.”
I keep my pace slow. Lexi starts circling her hips. Fuck me, it feels phenomenal. There’s no way I’m going to last. She feels too good, too perfect. Her head falls back, but I’m not having that.
“Eyes on me, Dolce.”
Her fingernails dig into my back as she locks her gaze to mine. Everything in me tenses. I can feel it coming.
“Oh, God,” she moans out.
Her hips move faster. I pick up my speed to match hers. The minute she screams out, I let go.
“Fuck.” I probably say it more than once. I can’t tell. It feels like I’m having an out-of-body experience. Every time with Lexi gets better and better, and I hope it stays that way.
I rest my head on her chest, completely exhausted. She runs her fingers through my hair. We stay like this for the longest time until she giggles. I look up at her.
“What’s so funny?”
“My first make-up sex.”
“That’s funny?”
“No. It’s what I was thinking after I realized that’s what just happened.”
“Do I want to know?” I question.
She smirks. “Do you think there’s a charm for that?”
Her alarm picks that moment to go off. That “Cookie” song starts blaring through the room.
“I got it,” she says after she turns the song off.
“Got what?”
“The perfect charm for us.” There is a mischievous look in her eye.
“What’s that?”
She takes a big bite of the scone before answering me. “A Cookie Monster.”
Fuck, I love this woman.
“THE SURFING IS amazing,” I say to Lexi as I shake the salt water out of my hair. After she had her fill of surfing, she spent the day relaxing on the beach.
“It’s so different from back home.”
We’ve been in Kauai for five days now. We still have another week to go. The weather is perfect this time of year for long days on the beach. I’ve never seen her so relaxed. Hell, I’ve never felt this relaxed. I plop down next to Lexi. Pulling her chair closer, I place my hand on her thigh. Her skin is unbelievably smooth from the treatment she got at the spa yesterday.
“Do you want to go out and explore for dinner tonight?” I ask her.
“No. I’m enjoying our meals here.”
It took a little time to adjust to the time difference. The first few mornings, we woke up at four a.m. We have our little morning routine of breakfast then coffee on the open patio. In the afternoon, we stay on the beach until our stomachs tell us it’s time to eat. We booked a helicopter tour of the island, a hike by the waterfalls, kayaking, and one day, we are renting a car to do the traditional souvenir hunt.
“Do you want to eat in?”
“In sounds perfect.” Lexi has her eyes closed with her face tilted to let the sun warm her. Her skin is golden with a tan, but she has this extra glow to her. I think she gets more beautiful every day.
I give her thigh a squeeze. “You ready to go? I’m starved from the workout the waves gave me.”
After gathering our beach gear, we take a walk through the gardens to our room. I splurged and got the ocean-view suite. From our deck, we get to enjoy the sounds of the water crashing against the lava rocks in complete privacy. Our own oasis.
Lexi opens the doors to let the breeze in from the ocean as soon as we walk through the door. Before I join her, I order our food. I have thirty minutes before I need to pick it up, so I pull Lexi into my arms and kiss her warm shoulder.
“Can we stay forever? I love it here,” she asks.
“We can come back again; make it a yearly trip.”
Before, if I said something like that, Lexi would have panicked. Not anymore, though. It’s not been an easy road, but it’s been one hell of a ride. The biggest obstacle we had to overcome was getting her to tell me when she felt overwhelmed. I know the signs now. I’ve learned to let her make the calls on the next steps forward in the relationship.
We still haven’t moved in together, but I have a feeling it’s moving toward that now. Slowly, she’s been spending more nights at my house. She even took over a drawer in my dresser. Just before we left, there were more clothes in my closet too. Baby steps. It’s not like we’ve been together for that long. It’s only been a little over a year. Five months since we had that little hiccup.
“Why don’t you go enjoy that bathtub? I’m going to pick up our food and a bottle of wine.”
She breaks away from me to give me a little show. All she packed were sundresses and bathing suits. That was it. I had to force her to bring at least one pair of shorts and a fucking pair of panties. She said she didn’t plan to be anywhere that required panties, so what was the point. I reminded her of the hike, but she said she’d wear her bathing suit under her shorts anyway. She’s trying to put me in an early grave, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When she pulls the strings to her bathing suit, and the bottoms fall to the floor, my dick instantly starts to harden. The minute her top joins the bottoms, I have to adjust myself in my swim trunks. Walking down the hall like this is not going to be fun.
“You sure you can’t join me?” Her voice is seductive. The way her hips sway as she walks to the bathroom, I want to chase her.
“Enjoy some alone time. I’ll shower when I get back with the food.” It pains me to say it. My body is saying, “Follow her, you dumb shit.” But there is something I need to pick something up at the jewelry store before they close.
“Suit yourself.” She enters the bathroom and closes the door only partially, leaving the invitation open for me to join. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can.
I let her know I’m going to get dinner. She waves me off as she relaxes, surrounded by bubbles. I head to the custom jewelry shop first. Next, I head to the restaurant to pick up our order and a nice bottle of wine.
I hide the b
ox in the fridge with the special dessert I ordered. It’s one of Lexi’s favorites—pineapple cheesecake. I pop the cork on the wine. With everything set up outside on the deck, I head into the bathroom. Lexi is asleep. I strip, but instead of joining her, I jump in the shower. She barely stirs while I quickly wash the salt and sand from my body.
I dry off then slip on a clean pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
“Lex, the food’s here.”
She sleepily stretches, giving me a great view of her tits. I hand her a towel, and because I’m a gentleman, I help her dry off. I wrap the towel around her body and secretly applaud myself for having self-control. I head out to the lanai.
I finish pouring the wine while Lexi gets dressed. She comes out looking sexy as hell wearing one of those sundresses that tie around her neck. The V-neck in the front shows off her cleavage. I keep myself in check to make it through dinner, knowing she’s completely naked underneath.
We eat dinner while we talk about our plans for the next day, which we already know will be much like today until our helicopter ride later in the day.
“You ready for dessert?” I ask as I head inside.
“Only if it’s my favorite.”
I lift the silver lid off the tray to show Lexi both the food and her gift. Her eyes grow huge. I grab the box in my hand and kneel in front of her.
“It’s not what you think.”
I take her wrist in my hand, the one that is wearing my bracelet. The number of charms has grown. I get her one with each first we have. I open the box to show her the charm inside: a plumeria flower with a diamond in the center.
“It’s beautiful.” She lifts the flower to study it a little closer.
I place it next to the Cookie Monster charm she insisted on getting.
After dessert, we move to the chaise lounge to watch the lighting of the torches. The sound of the ukulele fills the outside. Lexi takes her normal position between my legs. She leans back to snuggle against me.
“Hunter?”
“Yeah.”
“I think I’m ready for you to ask the question.”
I know exactly what she wants me to ask. Months ago, I told her I wouldn’t ask her to move in until she told me to ask.
“You sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
I can’t help but smile when she says that.
“Lex, the nights you’re not at my house are really lonely. I’m hoping you feel the same. Will you put me out of my misery and move in?”
“What took you so long to ask me?” she jokes before giving me my answer. “Yes, Hunter. I would love to. Just so you know, those nights I’m not with you are lonely for me too. I would even go as far as to say I’m miserable if I don’t wake up next to you.”
“Do you have a date in mind that you want to move in?”
“Hunter, you know I don’t do dates.”
I grab her in my arms and carry her to the bed. She screeches from the quick movement. She sits up on her elbows, watching as I remove my shirt and pants.
I climb over her body and cage her in. “You want to try a different answer than that?”
She sighs when my lips reach her neck. I undo the tie around her back and begin kissing down her chest. When my tongue grazes her nipple, she answers. “As soon as we get back home.”
“I like that answer better. Now, lean back because tonight, we are celebrating all night long.”
“All night, Hunter?”
“And day.”
Sometimes, the End is just the beginning.
Stay tuned for a glimpse of
Finding Memories (Breaking Free Series Book 4) …
Italian to English Translation
Dolcezza – Sweetie
Dolce come caramelle – Sweet as Candy
Caramella dolce – sweet candy
Questo é dolcezza destra, il mio serpent é tutto tuo. Infatti, si é posseduta. - That’s right, sweetness, my snake is all yours. In fact, you own it.
Biscotto incontrano mostro. - Cookie meet Monster
Mi sei mancata, Dolci. - I missed you, Sweets
Ti amo la mia Dolce Caramelle. - I love you my sweet candy.
“Failure” by Breaking Benjamin
“Breath” by Breaking Benjamin
“Nightmare” by Avenged Sevenfold
“For You” by Staind
“Mudshovel” by Staind
“Fingers” by Pink
“She Hates me” by Puddle of Mudd
“Lips of an Angel” by Hinder
“I Will Not Bow” by Breaking Benjamin
“I Get Off” by Halestorm
“Animal I Have Become” by Three Days Grace
“Crazy Bitch” by Buckcherry
“My Chick Bad” by Ludacris
“Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke
“Blank Space” by I Prevail
“Scars” by Papa Roach
“Blow Me Away” by Breaking Benjamin
“Angels Fall” by Breaking Benjamin
“Give Me a Sign” by Breaking Benjamin
“Hopeless” by Breaking Benjamin
“Without You” by Breaking Benjamin
“Topless” by Breaking Benjamin
“Skin” by Breaking Benjamin
“So Cold” by Breaking Benjamin
“Addicted” by Saving Abel
“Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” by Big and Rich
“Cookie” by R. Kelly
You would think this part gets easier, but the list of people I want to thank gets longer and longer.
Thank you to all my readers. I love getting to know you, and hearing from you. Your messages turn my bad days into great ones. You are the ones that encourage me to keep going.
Thank you to my girls that I rely on way too much. Foxy, you are the supporter of the group. You’re always saying, I can help you with that even with your busy schedule. Mudder, you are the backbone. You encourage me more often than you think to never give up. Schmidt, you are my teacher, editor, and grammar guru. I want to be you when I grow up. Catchup, let’s face it, you are the comic relief. I need your daily ‘lols’ and ‘wtfs.’
To my Painted Ladies, I know we are just getting started, but it’s going to be a great adventure with you. To all of you who pimp my books from my group, I can never say thank you enough. You give me more time to write. So here are a million thank yous.
Gloria, thank you for listening to me. I know I moan and groan a lot, but you always listen. It’s been great taking this adventure with you. And I hope it will continue for a long time.
To my Yang, I don’t even know where to start. It all began when we got sent to the principal’s office for asking simple questions. You’ve cried, laughed and cussed with me more times than I can count. I know you always have my back, and I will always have yours. I will come armed with bats and shovels if necessary. I’m sure there will be plenty more tears, pmsl-ings and FU’s to go around. I look forward to each one. I can’t survive the day without talking to you a million and one times. Our wine-filled FaceTime’s are the becoming the highlight of my day. I can go on and on, but I’m going to say BBFL… heart you.
Available now ….. Breaking Free Series by Becca Taylor
Finding Home
Finding Peace
Finding Reason
Up next ...
Finding Memories
Butterfly Sisters (Two book series)
Must Fit the List by Allie Able and Becca Taylor
Summer Beach Series by Allie Able and Becca Taylor
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Finding Memories
(Breaking Free Series Book 4)
Jeremy
I MET A FUCKING amazing woman. She’s beautiful, smart, and gets
along with my friends—even their women too. I have been putting this night off long enough. For the past two months, she’s been in California for the opening of a new hotel. I didn’t want to be separated from her that long, but she was so excited about going. It’s where she got her degree in hotel management. They are promoting her, and the opportunity was too good for her to pass up. Now that she’s finally back, I can finally get my ring where it belongs. On her finger.
I told her to get dressed up tonight because I was taking her to the nicest restaurant downtown. Usually, the waiting list is months out, but the owner is a client of mine. I just finished some custom furniture for his house. He told me he would have a special table reserved just for me.
After I shower and shave, I pull the suit out of my closet. I haven’t worn a suit since I graduated college almost ten years ago. I hate them. I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of man. Work boots are more my style than these shoes I’m wearing tonight. But for Deanna, I’ll wear it with a smile on my face.
Once again, I tap my hand over the inside pocket of my jacket. The box hasn’t moved. My nerves are getting the best of me. I wipe my hands on the front of my neatly pressed pants. The tie feels like it’s choking me, and I have to resist the urge to take it off. Fuck, it’s hot.
Before I knock on the door, I place my hand over the ring box. Deanna answers the door dressed in her robe. She looks like she’s been crying. In two strides, I have her wrapped in my arms.
“Dee, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Worry fills me. I’ve never seen her cry other than when she watches one of those romance movies she likes. I lead her to the couch and sit, pulling her to me. She sobs for the longest time, and I know this is bad. The need to fix whatever is making her feel this way is overwhelming. It’s what I do; I fix things.