by Elks, Carrie
This time she didn’t pull her eyes away. They stared at each other for a long moment, the air pulsating between them. Griff curled his fingers, digging his nails into his palms in an effort to stop himself from reaching across to her.
“Why don’t you sit on the sofa while I clean up,” she suggested. “Then we can talk…or…whatever.”
The corner of his lips quirked up. “I’m not sitting down while you wait on me. I’ll help you clean,” he told her. “Then let’s see where the evening takes us.”
12
The chinaware was all washed up and put away, the countertops sparkling. Autumn filled their glasses with more of Griff’s delicious wine and carried them into the living area.
Though the room was compact, the cream leather sofa was huge, dominating the space. But it looked so much smaller when Griff was on it. She sat down beside him, leaving a gap between them.
“Cheers.” They clinked glasses and she took a sip of the cool, crisp wine. She could feel her cheeks warm up as he kept his eyes on hers, his gaze direct and yet soft, too.
“You look scared.”
“I feel scared,” she told him honestly.
His brows dipped. “Why?”
She put her glass down on the driftwood coffee table and curled her legs beneath her, tipping her head to the side as she considered his question. “Because I feel vulnerable, yet full of some weird anticipation. It’s a strange cocktail.”
The corner of his lips lifted as he continued to look at her. She felt a shiver snake its way down her spine. God, he was masculine, probably the strongest man she’d ever met. It was like he could melt her with his gaze.
“Come here,” he said softly.
She swallowed, then inched across until her thigh brushed against his.
“I mean here,” he told her, pointing at the top of his legs. It was her turn to smile as she climbed over him, kneeling on either side of his substantial thighs.
“That’s better,” he murmured, reaching out to smooth her hair from her face. “We’re a little more equal like this.”
He leaned forward, his nose sliding against hers. She looked into his warm brown eyes. Being this close she could see little green specks in his irises, like emeralds glistening in stone.
Cupping his face in her hands, her fingertips grazed his cheekbones. The roughness of his beard scraped against her palms as he stared at her questioningly.
“You’re very beautiful,” he whispered as her thumbs traced the line of his jaw.
“You’re pretty hot yourself.” She leaned forward until her lips brushed against his cheek.
She could feel his breath against her, warm and fragrant with wine. She leaned closer still, and he ran his hands down her back, cupping her behind as she straddled him.
The first time they kissed she’d felt out of control. This time, she wanted to savor every moment. To experience it in hyper-definition, to remember every eye flicker and caught breath.
This connection between them was fleeting. Time limited. Eventually they’d have to part and the thought already made her heart ache.
He traced his fingertips along her spine and pressed his lips to the base of her throat.
“So damn pretty.”
“Thank you,” she breathed. He was holding her weight with one hand. It made her so damn delicate. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in, his lips sliding up her throat, her jaw, and to the corner of her mouth. Just one inch more and he’d be there.
Her body clenched at the thought.
“I want to remember this,” he murmured, brushing her hair from her face with his free hand. “The way you’re looking at me. The way your ass feels against my legs. I wish I could capture this moment.”
Her lips curled into a smile. Maybe he was feeling as wistful as she was.
With his hand at the base of her spine, he pulled her closer, her thighs sliding against his until the warmth of her center felt him. Right there. Thick and hard against her.
She let out an involuntary sigh. “Please…”
“Please what?”
“Kiss me already.”
Another chuckle. He raked his fingers through her hair, angling her head until it was lifted to his. “Patience…”
Her gaze met his, making her heart jump in her chest. The laughter faded as his eyes darkened and narrowed, as his mouth fell onto hers.
God, his lips were good. Just the right amount of pressure as they moved against hers, his fingers massaging her scalp as his other hand kept her steady. His mouth was warm and strong, his lips opening as his tongue slid between hers, and she rolled her hips, her toes curling at the pleasure.
He broke the kiss, his eyes hooded as he traced his finger down her throat to the tiny dip at the base. Then he skimmed the line of her bodice, swallowing hard, before pushing the spaghetti straps from her shoulders and leaning in to kiss her bare flesh.
“Do you know how much I want you?” he asked her, his lips brushing against her fevered skin. “How much I’ve wanted you since I first saw you on the pier with the wind in your hair and those damn inappropriate shoes?”
“I thought you liked my shoes?” She gasped as he sucked at the flesh between her shoulder and throat.
“I do.” He rolled his hips and pressed his hardness against her, pleasure shooting from her core to the tips of her curled toes. “A lot.”
His lips kissed their way to the soft swell of her breast where it disappeared into her dress. She held her breath as he paused, then reached behind, unfastening the zipper until her dress gaped open at the back.
He traced the line of her cleavage, making her nipples harden beneath her strapless bra, the stretched lace making them tender and achy. Then he pushed her dress down and cupped her breasts in his strong palms, leaning in to suck at her nipple through the fabric
“Oh god.” She arched her back, gasping as his lips pulled her in further. “Griff, please…”
It was like there was a direct line from her breasts to her core. Every pull of his lips and scrape of his teeth made her achy and full of need. Until she felt hollow inside.
“Should we go to the bedroom?” she managed to ask him, before he moved to her other breast, sucking and teasing.
He glanced up at her, his eyes dark and needy. “Yeah. We should.”
The next moment he was standing up, lifting her with him until her legs were wrapped around his waist and his hands beneath her ass. Without another word, he was striding across the room, pushing open the bedroom door with his foot and carrying her inside.
Gently, he lay her on the bed, and she shimmied out of her dress, loving the way he stared at her ivory lingerie, his throat undulating as he swallowed hard. Then he was leaning down, pulling the pale lace away until her breasts were exposed, the underwire and extra fabric pushing them up high.
When he sucked at her this time, she almost exploded. Her back arched as he slid his tongue against her hard nipples, licking and sucking and driving her crazy. His hand caressed her stomach, his palm warm and rough on her skin, until his fingertips reached the ribboned edge of her panties.
“These are pretty,” he told her as he slid his finger along her skin.
She could feel her body pulsate at his touch.
“But you’re prettier,” he said, pulling them down her thighs and over her knees, lifting her calves to take them the rest of the way off. She arched her back to remove her bra, throwing it to the floor.
With a wicked grin, he moved down the bed, breathing her in, before he slid his soft tongue against her.
“Oh god!” Her eyes widened at the exquisite sensation. “Griff…”
He parted her with his hands as he licked again, and she let out a cry at the pleasure coiling inside of her. She tried to push her legs together, but he was too strong, too intent on giving pleasure.
He knew exactly the rhythm she needed. More than she did herself. Soft, then hard, then soft again, taking her to the edge and making her stay there.
> “I’m so close,” she gasped, feeling the nerve endings spark inside her.
“I know you are.” There was a smile in his voice. He pushed a finger inside her, then two, stroking her in just the right place to make her fall apart, his lips sucking at her clit until all she could see were fireworks behind her eyelids.
“You’re even more beautiful when you come,” he rasped, when the pleasure finally receded.
She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, that darkness still in his eyes.
“You’ve got too many clothes on,” she whispered.
He grinned. “I can do something about that.” He pulled his shirt off, and she drank in the defined lines of his pectorals, the taut ridges of his stomach, and the perfect ‘v’ that disappeared into his jeans. With his gaze still on her face, he unbuckled his belt and pulled his jeans down, until he was only wearing tight black shorts that revealed everything.
And yeah, the big man was perfectly in proportion.
“I want to see all of you,” she whispered. He obliged without a protest, pulling his shorts down to reveal his hard, thick length.
God, he was beautiful. She clambered to her knees, reaching out to touch him. He gasped as her fingers circled around his length. That was beautiful, too. She got closer, enough to swirl her tongue around his tip, then slide her mouth onto him, making him groan loudly.
“Autumn,” he said, his voice gravelly. “You need to stop. I don’t want to come in your mouth. I want to be inside you.”
She pulled her lips from him and caught his gaze. “Condoms, top drawer.”
He grinned and pulled the drawer out, raising an eyebrow as he grabbed the 24-pack. “How long did you want me to stay?”
“They were on sale.” She swallowed down a laugh. “I love a bargain.”
Griff ripped open the packet, sliding it slowly on. Then he lifted her onto his lap, her thighs straddling him the same way she had on the sofa, the tip of him sliding against her wetness.
He bent his head to kiss her, his lips warm and soft, making her feel needier than ever. Her limbs felt languid, almost boneless as he cupped her behind, lifting her up to center himself, before slowly pushing inside her.
“Ohhh…”
“You feel so damn good,” he growled. He pulled out, before filling her up again. “Put your hands around my neck, baby.”
She did as she was told, hooking her hands together, and he balanced her with one hand. With the other he reached down between them, pressing his thumb against her. She was like the driest of tinder, just waiting for that spark, exploding around him at the faintest of touches. He followed her into oblivion, stilling beneath her as he let out a long, low groan, holding her soft body against his hard muscles until the pulsing inside her stopped.
* * *
Autumn was asleep in his arms, her back pressed into his chest, her sweet ass nestled against his thighs. Griff brushed his lips against her ear, and smiled as she murmured something intelligible in her sleep.
God, she was sexy. Not in an obvious way like some women he’d dated. It was in her confidence, her intelligence, and the way she met his eyes every time they spoke to each other.
When he’d gotten up this morning he’d never expected today to end like this, with her naked in his arms. And yet there was something so inevitable about it. As though it was destined to happen from the moment he’d set eyes on her, walking down the pier in those damn sexy shoes.
It would be so easy to lay here all night, to wake her up in the morning for a little more loving, then cook her breakfast before walking to work together.
I’m not looking for anything serious.
That was what she’d said. And she was right. He couldn’t offer her anything serious, even if he wanted to. He was a fuck up at relationships, his track record spoke to that. It was better for them both to keep this as fun.
And fun meant getting his things and going home before he got too used to her warm softness against him.
Griff pressed his lips against her temple. “Autumn.”
She let out a soft sigh and turned, nestling her head against his chest. He fought against the urge to wrap his arms around her and let himself fall asleep.
“Baby?”
Her eyelids flickered, then slowly opened. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but as soon as they caught his, her lips curled into a smile. “Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey.” He smiled back at her. “I’m going to head on home.” He gently released her, then rolled over to grab his shorts, pulling them over his thick thighs.
She blinked, the smile slipping. “Of course.” She propped herself up on her elbows, the sheet barely covering her chest. “Let me get some clothes on. I’ll see you out.”
“You stay there. You look cozy.” He winked at her. “I’ll make sure nobody’s watching when I leave.”
Her cheeks were pink from sleep. God, she was adorable. “Okay.”
“Thanks for a great evening. And for the steak.” He pulled his shirt on. “I had a good time.”
“I did, too.” She licked her bottom lip, her eyes following his every move.
He pulled his jeans on, then his socks and shoes, before he leaned over to press his lips against hers. God, she tasted good. Too good. He wanted to strip everything back off and start all over again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at the pier,” she said, a strange expression on her face.
“That you will.” Reluctantly, he pulled away. “Sleep tight, beautiful.”
“You too. Thank you for…” She gave a little chuckle. “For everything.”
It only took a moment for him to reach the front door. Another for him to pull it open and step outside. He closed it gently, checking to make sure it was locked behind him, then he breathed in a lungful of air and headed down the beach toward his condo building.
He didn’t want anything serious. And neither did she. So why did it feel so damn hard to walk away from her?
13
Leaning back on the rickety desk chair she’d inherited along with the pier office, Autumn took off her reading glasses, and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. She’d spent most of the morning on her laptop, researching her idea of holding weddings and events on the pier. The afternoon was filled with writing up costs and investigating all the boring things like insurance and permits that made her want to pull her eyelashes out one by one.
And of course her gaze kept flicking up to the window that looked out over the end of the pier. Griff’s boat had been gone when she’d arrived at work that morning, making for an early start on a corporate team building event. Her chest felt all fluttery every time she looked to see if the boat was back, and when it wasn’t, she felt a strange sense of disappointment wash over her.
She was being stupid. She’d told him she didn’t want anything serious, and he’d made it clear he felt the same when he left her last night to sleep in his own bed. It was supposed to be fun, with a little sprinkling of friendship on the side. Yet here she was, staring at a bit of empty dock like a lovesick teenager.
At five o’clock she walked down the pier to the beach, and headed over to Déjà Brew to order a coffee, just to give herself something else to think about. Ally smiled and waved as soon as she walked through the door, pointing at the medium sized cup. “Your usual?” she asked.
“I’ll have a large one,” Autumn told her. “I think I need it.”
“Late night?” Ally asked, as she filled the filter with coffee then banged it against the machine.”
For a moment, Autumn thought about spilling her guts and telling her everything. But what was there to tell? She’d had hot sex with the guy she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind, then he went home and she hadn’t heard from him since.
It wasn’t exactly a fairy tale.
“More of a long day at the office,” Autumn told her, smiling when Ally passed her the latte. “I need to buy a new chair.” She rolled her neck to loosen the muscles, but it did noth
ing to relieve the aches in the rest of her body. Her thighs felt sore, as though she’d put them through a workout.
“I’ve got just the thing for that,” Ally said, pulling a chocolate covered slice from the glass cabinet on top of the counter. “It’s got oats and cherries, which means it’s fruit. Great for achy bodies, and practically calorie free.” She slid it into a paper bag and passed it to Autumn, along with her latte. “It’s on the house.”
“Stop it.” Autumn laid a ten on the counter. “You’re running a business.”
“You can pay for the latte, but the cake is on me,” Ally told her, pulling some change from the register. “We made too many.”
Autumn sipped at her coffee as she made her way back to the office, the golden sun warming her bare arms. There was a group of kids playing softball on the beach, and she had to duck as a ball came flying in her direction. It passed over her head before landing heavily on the sand.
“Sorry, ma’am!” a boy shouted as he ran to retrieve the ball.
“It’s okay.” She grinned. “You missed.” She pulled the chocolate slice out of the bag and sunk her teeth into it, groaning as the taste radiated in her mouth. Ally was right. It was full of fruit and oats, and dark-as-sin chocolate. It was a shame it wasn’t really calorie free.
She was almost at her office before she realized Griff’s boat was back. Mike had just set up the metal gangplank, and a horde of passengers wearing company logoed polo shirts and tan pants disembarked, shouting out their thanks before they passed Autumn and walked up the pier. She tried to ignore the way her chest felt all tight at the thought of seeing Griff, and instead, took a deep mouthful of coffee before opening her office door.
“Hey!”
She looked up to see Griff walking down the gangplank, and let the door close again.
“Hey.” She composed what she hoped looked like a casual smile on her face. One that didn’t give away how much she was thinking about last night. About him between her thighs. “How was the ocean today?”