by Tara Wyatt
Her fingers tightened around his and he licked his way slowly through her folds, then sucked her clit into his mouth. Her legs started to shake and the ice pack fell to the floor. She moved to shift her leg off of the pillows, but he pulled back, nuzzling his lips against her.
“No. Leave that ankle where it is, baby. If you want to come, you have to stay still.” She settled, going still, and he bit at her inner thigh. “That’s it. Just let me take care of you, Kayla.”
Her fingers squeezed his again and he kissed her deeper, eating her with long sweeps of his tongue, wanting to push her over that edge. Wanting her to fall apart again. Her breathing hitched and her hips jerked.
“Oh, fuck, Bastian. I’m gonna come. You’re gonna make me come,” she moaned, her hips bucking as she ground her pussy against his mouth. He stayed exactly where he was, licking and kissing, sucking and savoring and felt her clit start to pulse against his tongue. He let out a low groan as her legs shook and she throbbed for him, fresh wetness slicking her flesh. After another moment, she grabbed for him, trying to pull him up her body. He carefully eased himself on top of her and kissed her, letting her taste herself on his tongue.
“Please tell me you have a condom,” she said against his mouth, her body wound around his. “I need you inside me. Now.”
He kissed her again and then gently moved off of her. “Be right back.” He headed for the closet between the kitchen and the bathroom and pulled out one of the sex shop bags, grabbing a fistful of condoms and then rushing back to the bed. He dropped them on the nightstand, then picked up one and tore it open. Kayla watched with hungry eyes as he rolled it down his aching length.
“That’s a lot of condoms.”
He laid back down on the bed beside her and urged her halfway onto her side so she could keep her ankle elevated. From behind, he slicked himself through her wet, swollen folds, making both of them moan. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her arm, and then she turned her head, capturing his mouth with hers.
“I think we both know that once I’m inside you, once won’t be enough.” He slipped his arm under her neck and wove his fingers with hers.
She shook her head. “Not nearly enough. We’re doing this all night, aren’t we?”
“Until we can’t fucking move.” And then he lined the head of his cock up with her entrance and slowly worked his way inside, trailing open mouthed kisses over her neck and shoulder.
“Oh, shit. Shit. You’re so big. You feel so good, Bastian. You feel so fucking good.”
“So do you, baby. Fuck, Kayla,” he ground out, fighting back the urge to pump his hips faster and harder, giving her the chance to stretch around him. Being inside her was heaven. Perfection. Better than he ever could’ve imagined. Her tight, wet, heat gripped him, fluttering around him, making him want to pound into her. Making him want to take and claim and be rough and savage.
And he would, but not tonight. Not while she was hurt.
It was then, buried deep inside her, that he realized that he was counting on there being another time. Which there probably wouldn’t be. The thought was enough to make him move a little faster, a little rougher as the fingers of his free hand found her clit. Kayla made a sexy sound in the back of her throat, her pussy clenching around him.
“I don’t think I can come again,” she breathed, but he kept his fingers right where they were.
“You can. I want to feel you come all over my cock, gorgeous.”
She pressed her hips back against him. “I’ve thought about you fucking me so many times,” she said, her voice high and breathless. “I’ve wanted you inside me for so long, and it’s so much better than I ever thought…” He swiveled his hips, drawing out a long moan from her, and then established a slow, deep rhythm that had both of them moaning and gasping.
“Fuck, Kayla, I’m not gonna last,” he growled, pumping into her harder and faster, heat and throbbing pleasure shooting down the base of his spine and tightening his balls. He dragged his fingers over her clit again and then gave it the smallest, lightest tap.
She screamed, her entire body shaking, her pussy milking him as he fucked her. He did it again and she spasmed, pulling him deep. He did it a third time, a little bit harder, and she shattered, dissolving into a boneless, shaking puddle as she pulsed around his thrusting cock. Her orgasm sent him over the edge and he thrust into her once, twice more before his release exploded through him, his cock pulsing almost violently inside her.
“Bastian,” she moaned softly, her fingers squeezing his. “Bastian.”
He rose up and kissed her, his cock still pulsing and tingling inside her. The kiss was slow and lingering as they both came back down, and his heart beat wildly in his chest. Reluctantly, he slid out of her and stepped into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He paused in the doorway, his hands on the doorframe as he looked at Kayla, a naked goddess lying in his bed.
For tonight, she was his. He didn’t know what the morning would bring, but he had several hours before he had to face it. And so, he slipped back into bed and pulled Kayla against him, pretending he’d get to keep her.
12
Kayla yawned and pressed a hand to her face, rubbing her eyes. She stretched, a thrill shooting through her as she took inventory of her aches and pains. The skin on her neck and jaw felt a little raw from Sebastian’s beard. Her breasts were tender from all the attention he’d paid them. A dull ache emanated from between her legs, reminding her that he’d been inside her three times last night, each time somehow better than the one before.
She felt freaking amazing. Yeah, partly because she’d lost count of her own orgasms after the fifth one, but mostly because all of that pleasure had been shared with Sebastian.
She slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the white brightness flooding the cabin with cool light. As she sat up, the rumpled sheets falling around her, her sleepy gaze landed on Sebastian, who was standing several feet away with his back to her, looking out the window. He wore the same gray sweatpants from yesterday and nothing else, the pants riding low on his hips. Faint scratch marks decorated his upper back and she blushed a little. He’d turned her feral, apparently. She didn’t say anything right away, taking a moment to appreciate the masculine beauty of his broad back, his muscled shoulders, the taper of his waist.
Beyond him, she could see that snow was still falling from the white-gray sky, but the intense winds of yesterday had died away. Sebastian shifted, drawing her attention back to him and she watched him rub a hand over his mouth, tension visible in his neck and shoulders. Looking at him, she had a feeling she knew what was bothering him. It was something she’d tried to bring up last night, but every time she’d tried to talk to him—really talk to him, not just flirt or indulge in dirty fantasies—he’d quickly distracted her with more mind-blowing sex. There wasn’t anything that man couldn’t do with his fingers and mouth, and when you added his gorgeously thick, long cock to the equation, she was toast. Bye bye brain.
She moved carefully in the bed, happy to find that while her ankle was still sore, the sharp pains from yesterday seemed to have faded to a dull ache. Sebastian turned, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest at the anguished expression he wore. The skin around his eyes was tight, his mouth a thin line, his brows drawn. She knew then that she hadn’t been wrong about him last night. Contrary to popular belief, Sebastian Prescott was a deeply sensitive man. And seeing that pain on his face made her want to take on the entire damn world for him.
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Morning. How’s your ankle?”
She didn’t make a move to cover her bare breasts, wanting to leave herself exposed to him. For him. “A bit better, I think. The pain is definitely less intense.”
“Good.”
He started to turn back to the window, freezing her out just like he’d done last night.
“Bastian? Is everything okay?”
He turned back to face her, a bitter grin twisting his mouth. “It’s okay, Kay
la. You don’t need to…” He blew out a breath and paced to the fireplace, crouching down in front of it. “I know that this is the part where you tell me that while last night was great, it was a mistake and it should never have happened. So let’s just not, okay? I already know.”
He’d been hurt so much in his life that it was easier for him to push everyone away—she could see that clear as day. But he had it all wrong. So very, very wrong.
“No, Bastian,” she said softly, waiting for him to look at her. When he did, she held his gaze. “This is the part where I tell you that last night meant everything to me because I have feelings for you.”
He frowned and rose from in front of the fire, his defensiveness giving way to uncertainty. He glanced back out the window and then squinted at her. “What?”
“Just come here, okay? Come talk to me.” She didn’t miss the way his gaze dropped from her face to her bare breasts as he moved closer, finally sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.
“You don’t have to pretend that—” He swallowed thickly. “I don’t expect anything beyond last night, Kayla.”
She reached out and wove her fingers through his, loving how small and delicate her hand looked in his much larger one. “I’m not pretending anything. I just need you to listen right now, okay? I have a few things to say that I really need you to hear. Just listen and then you can decide if you want to brood or if you can think of something better to do.”
He frowned at that but didn’t say anything, letting her continue.
“Thing one: I’m really sorry for any role I may have played in you getting fired. I know we’ve talked about it, but I truly am sorry. You’re right that I should’ve just come and talked to you. I’m…I’m not always the best at standing up for myself. Or advocating for myself. Maybe that’s a better way of putting it.”
He opened his mouth to speak but she laid the index finger of her free hand against his lips, a quiver starting in her belly at the feel of his mouth on her skin.
“Thing two: I’m also sorry for judging you. You were right when you said that I don’t know you, and it wasn’t fair of me to make assumptions or stupid jokes or whatever. I don’t know what you’ve been through or what struggles you’ve faced. I don’t know you very well, but Bastian, I want to. I want to know you.” She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth, earning a gruff exhale.
“Thing three: last night was incredible. You were incredible. And I’m not just talking about the sex. I mean, yes, the sex was out of this world, but I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if you hadn’t come looking for me, if you hadn’t carried me half a mile through a blizzard to safety.” She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Last night changed a lot of things for me, the biggest one being that I want you. Whatever this is between us, I’m in. It wasn’t a mistake.” She leaned a bit closer, cupping his bearded cheek with her palm, loving the way his stubble bristled against her skin. “In fact, I think it might be the best thing I’ve done in a long time. At least, that’s how I feel.”
He made a sound somewhere between an anguished groan and a sigh and leaned forward, kissing her. The kiss started off slow and sweet and quickly deepened into something hotter and needier, his arm curling around her waist and pulling her close. His chest hair scraped over her sensitive nipples and she shuddered, clinging to him tighter. Never in her life had she responded to a man this way. Never. Only Sebastian. After several moments, he broke the kiss, his breathing labored. She could see the outline of his thick cock tenting his sweatpants.
“I meant everything I said last night, Kayla. About how long I’ve wanted you, the things I imagined doing to you. I wasn’t just playing. It was real; all of it was true. But it was always more than just wanting you, too. I’ve always liked you. Respected you. And a part of me always wished that maybe, somehow, you’d feel the same way about me. I think that’s why I lost my shit when I thought…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for how things have been between us.”
She wove her arms around his neck and curled her fingers into the thick hair at the nape of his neck. “I meant what I said last night, too.” She held his eyes. “When I said I was yours, I meant it. Not just for last night.”
Somewhere deep inside her, she knew she should be scared or freaking out at the idea of being with him when he was so clearly not Mr. Perfect. And yet…she wasn’t. Not after everything they’d been through and everything they’d shared. She was too drawn to him to question it. And he was trying. She could see that he was really trying to get his life together, to be a better person.
He kissed her again, taking his time exploring and savoring her mouth, sending heat spiraling through her. Her chest felt tight with hope and excitement, her stomach swirling with butterflies made of sparks.
“My life is a mess right now,” he whispered against her mouth, his hands moving up and down her bare back. “I’m a mess.”
“I can deal with messy,” she said softly, kissing him. The Kayla of a week ago wouldn’t have said that, but something had shifted inside her over the past couple of days. It felt like an awakening, or an expanding. A making of space for something wholly unexpected but beyond amazing. Maybe it was being out of the city, or maybe it was letting herself deviate from her plan for the first time, but she felt different.
He kissed her again, this time easing her back onto the bed, coming down on top of her. He trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses across her jaw and neck, her skin tingling. Propping himself on his arms to keep his weight off of her, he looked down at her, a lock of his thick hair falling across his forehead. God, this man. She didn’t care that things with him might be messy and far from perfect. Now that she’d had him, had just a glimpse of what they could be, she wanted to chase it with everything she had.
“Kayla, last night with you…” He swallowed thickly. “I’m a fucking mess. I know that, and I’m trying. Last night, being with you, for the first time in a long time, I felt like the man I want to be. You gave me that.”
“Who do you want to be, Bastian?” she asked, twining her body around his, holding him close. She could feel the beat of his heart against her breast and she let out a small sigh.
“A man worthy of a woman like you,” he whispered and then kissed her again. She felt like she was glowing from the inside out as she kissed him back. Wonder and surprise filled her at what she’d found, what they might be able to have. If someone had told her that she’d be developing serious feelings for Sebastian Prescott after he not only rescued her from a blizzard but then spent the night making her come over and over again, she would’ve told them they were crazy. That they had no idea what they were talking about. She probably would’ve even whipped out her list to show them how he didn’t meet nearly enough of her criteria.
To hell with the list. She wanted Sebastian. This imperfect man who struggled against his demons. She wanted to understand him. To soothe him. To show him that he was worthy.
He trailed a hand up over her ribs and to her breast, gently massaging, his fingers playing with her nipple. She got the distinct sense that he wasn’t trying to tease or torment, just touching because the connection felt good. Felt right.
Her stomach chose that exact moment to let out the world’s loudest growl, and he chuckled against her mouth. “I guess I’d better make us some breakfast, huh?”
She bit her lip. “I am a little hungry.” Then she kissed him again because she just couldn’t help herself. Because right now, in this moment, kissing him felt like breathing. Like a complete and total necessity.
With a reluctant sigh, he eased himself off of her. “Why don’t you go take a shower while I make us something to eat? Towels are in the cabinet under the sink.”
She nodded and then carefully eased her feet to the floor, her hand on Sebastian’s muscled shoulder as she tested her ankle. It hurt, but not like yesterday. She was able to stand on it without wanting to scream, which was a definite improvement.
“Can you manage?” he asked, his brow knitted in concern.
She nodded. “I can put weight on it, unlike yesterday.” She turned back to face him and cupped his face. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
He swallowed, his face tight with emotion and nodded. “You’re welcome.”
As she hobbled into the tiny bathroom, she couldn’t seem to stop the wide grin from spreading across her face. Her ankle still hurt, she was going to miss the end of the retreat she’d worked so hard on planning, and she was snowed in with a man who until very recently had been her nemesis.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy.
The scents of bacon and coffee still hung in the air as Sebastian loaded the last of the breakfast dishes into the ancient dishwasher, his eyes flitting back and forth between what he was doing and where Kayla was curled up under a blanket on the couch, gazing at the roaring fire he’d built. The snow was still falling outside, but yesterday’s blizzard had died out, giving way to slow and soft flakes floating from the sky.
While she’d been in the shower, he’d quickly checked in with Patrick. The storm had been a big one, dumping well over two feet of snow on the resort. Today’s lessons were cancelled while the maintenance crew dug and plowed everything out. Since Kayla was still here with him, he kinda hoped tomorrow’s lessons would be, too.
God, Kayla. He’d been bracing himself for the worst this morning and instead, she’d given him something he hadn’t even dared to hope for: a chance. It had been a long time since anyone had taken a chance on him, and fuck, it felt good. And all he knew was that he wanted more of her—in his bed, and in his life.
Whatever this is, I’m in.
It was the best thing anyone had said to him in a very long time.
He poured them each a fresh cup of coffee and headed to the couch to join her. His cock thickened at the sight of her, wet hair in a messy bun, her face freshly scrubbed and bare. She wore his discarded navy blue sweatshirt from yesterday and her leggings. Fuck, he liked seeing her in his clothes, almost as much as he liked seeing her out of them.