by Laney Powell
“Hey, you’re gonna blow your balls off if you can’t show that thing more respect,” Jed, the guy in charge of the crew said to me. “No going through the motions. Nate.”
I laughed. “Definitely wanna keep my balls,” I said. “Even if they’re doing me no good at the moment.”
“That new owner of the bakery could maybe help with that,” Rick, Jed’s son chimed in. “But not until later.” He grinned at me. “Right now, we need to get this done and get it out on the lake.”
Hell. Was everyone checking out Serena? I looked at Jed, but he was already back to pouring over the fuse chains.
Even though we took all the precautions here on land just in case something caught on fire, we did the show out on the lake. Much safer that way. It was easier to make mistakes in the dark.
I got the hint, and shoved Serena to another part of my mind, the part where I could think about her and not worry about losing rather important appendages. She wasn’t going anywhere.
We launched the platform, and as it got dark, I lost myself in the enjoyment of being allowed to blow shit up. With only happy endings at the end of it.
It was late when I helped the rest of the crew pack things up. We’d come back tomorrow and finish it right in the daytime. Easier and safer. I was still on for tomorrow at the fire station, so I headed back to town,
It was after midnight, and the lights of the bakery were still on. I could see Serena moving around in the kitchen. I slowed, hesitating. Then I wheeled Betsey around, and parked in front of the bakery. I knocked loudly on the front door, since I could hear that she had the music up.
She didn’t hear it. I knocked again, more of a bang.
Serena visibly jumped and glanced at the door. Then she took a better look and walked out of the kitchen.
“We’re closed,” she called.
“Serena, it’s Nate,” I replied.
She stopped, and then continued walking to the door, a little more slowly. She unlocked it and stood in the doorway. “How can I help you, Nate?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“I’m right here.”
“May I come in?” Jesus, this was hard.
She studied me for what felt like hours, then she nodded.
I walked in past her, and Serena locked the door behind me. Then she moved around me and headed back to the kitchen. “I’m getting things ready for tomorrow. You’ll have to come back here with me,” she said over her shoulder.
“You want some help?”
Serena turned, and looked me over. “No. Thank you, but no. Nate, you’re filthy.”
I looked down. “Oh, I didn’t even notice.”
“How can you not notice that?”
Shrugging, I replied, “I’ve done this all my life.”
“Fireworks shows?” Her eyebrows shot up.
“No. Explosives. That’s what I did in the Navy.”
“Oh, OK. That makes sense. But you’re still not going to help me.”
“Fine with me,” I teased. “I’m happy to sit here and breath the air.”
She smiled, the first one since I’d knocked on the door. “I love that sugary smell. I don’t even need to eat whatever I’m baking. Just smell it.”
“Why are you here so late?” I asked.
“I was so busy today; I don’t have much for tomorrow. I want to have muffins ready,” she said.
“Good day today?” Why in the hell was I making all this small talk?
“It was. Thank goodness Carla and Dave were with me. But they’re taking the rest of the week off, so they can get ready for their vacation. They’ve been more than I expected.”
“They’re good people,” I said.
Serena busied herself with mixing for few moments, not saying anything. She finished the pan she was working with and slid it onto a rack, then walked the rack back to a cooler. When she came back out, she fixed me with a stare. “I’m glad you came by,” she said.
“You are? I wasn’t sure after the way we left things,” I said. Might as well take the bull by the horns.
“I’m sorry,” Serena said after another long pause. “I’m not usually so... “ She waved her hands. “But I have some… issues, god, I hate that word, with relationships.”
“Doesn’t everybody?” I asked. I thought about my search for the right person, and never finding her, until now maybe. About the war zone I lived in at my parents’ place.
“I got left at the altar last year,” she shot back. “What’s your excuse?” Her hands flew over her mouth, her eyes wide.
“I’m sorry?” I asked. I had no idea what she was talking about. I filed away douchebag ex as another piece of info about her.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m tired, and I’m snappy, and I’m taking it out on you.”
I pushed off from where I was leaning against a metal counter and got close to her, sliding an arm around her waist. “Why don’t you get out some of that,” I leaned down and kissed her jawline, feeling a tremor run through her, “Energy with me?”
Her arm snaked around my neck, and she met my lips eagerly, with no hesitation. I wrapped my other arm around her and pulled her close to me, liking how she felt against me.
She was perfect.
Her tongue twined with mine, and she nipped at my lips, making my cock so hard I thought I might burst right then and there. I ground my cock into her, feeling a moan rise in my throat.
“Upstairs,” she murmured into my lips.
“What?” I asked, not sure I’d heard correctly.
Serena
“Upstairs,” I said again. I couldn’t believe I’d said it once, much less twice, but I wanted him. “There are too many windows down here.”
Nate smiled at me, and the force of his smile rolled over me like the warm sun. He made me feel beautiful, and cherished. The way that he touched me, looked at me.
I wanted more. With him right here, now, my hesitations from earlier were gone.
We walked up the stairs to my apartment together, stopping to kiss and touch one another. Once we’d made it up the stairs, I walked backwards, kissing Nate, bringing him along with me to my room.
“Serena, are you sure?” He whispered into my mouth.
“Absolutely,” I said. I ran my hands under his shirt, feeling the dirt and grime on him, and not caring.
“I need a shower,” he protested.
“No, you don’t. You need to take your clothes off and join me in my bed,” I said firmly. “You, me, the sheets—all these things are washable.”
Nate looked at me for a moment, and his grin widened. I wasn’t sure how it was possible, but it did. “So they are,” he said, pulling his shirt over his head.
God, he was beautiful. Tan, and rippled with muscles. I could see a scar on the top of his right arm. He wasn’t perfect.
All the better. I’d already had what I thought was perfect before, and it was the biggest sham ever. I never wanted to see perfect again. I’d settle for scorching hot body, great smile, and eyes that made me feel like a million bucks.
And that was even before he kissed me.
Nate dropped his pants, and kicked them off along with his shoes, standing in front of me naked. He took my breath away. The muscles continued down his abdomen, and his hips were all muscle. They were also tan—did he sunbathe butt naked?
The thought warmed me and sent a rush of desire through me.
“You know, Miss May, you’re still wearing an awful lot of clothing for the situation,” Nate’s voice broke into my thoughts.
“Sorry,” I looked up, feeling a rush of warmth to my cheeks. “I was… uh… I was admiring the view.”
He smiled again, and I saw a little of the pink in my cheeks in his. “I’m glad you think so,” he said, his eyes dropping for a moment. Then they were back up, boring into me. “But I should have a chance to see you, don’t you think?” One eyebrow went up.
The heat rose in my cheeks. It had been well over a year since a man had seen me, and
the light in my room was on. But Nate stood there, naked, letting me look over him—I pulled my tee shirt off, and then shrugged out of my shorts, and made myself stand up straight.
Nate looked at me, and I saw his eyes travel up and down. “You’re gorgeous,” he said, a husky note in his voice.
Judging by the evidence below the waistline, he wasn’t lying. He thought I was good looking enough to make him excited about the whole thing.
Which was hot.
Nate walked to me, and pulled me to him, nestling himself between my thighs. “You’re even more gorgeous than I imagined,” he whispered. Then he kissed my jaw, and my neck, and down to my collar bone.
He took a few more steps, with me walking backward, until my knees hit the bed. I sat down, and Nate came with me, following me as I scooted up the bed.
Neither of us spoke. Then Nate leaned into me, and I could smell the smoke and fire on him. “What were you doing?” I whispered.
“Setting off fireworks,” he replied.
“Looks like you’re doing it again,” I said, a laugh bubbling out of me.
Nate smiled, and kissed me, effectively ending all conversation. His cock lay between my legs, pressed against me in a way that made me want to claw at his back and pull him into me and have sex with him until we both passed out.
But he didn’t seem to be of the same mind as he inched down and cupped my breast in his hand. He lowered his head, taking the nipple into his mouth. His touch, his warm mouth—they were nearly overwhelming, and I arched into him.
His other hand slid down my hip, and between my legs. Carefully, he rubbed his hand against me, and I moaned.
He sucked at my nipple harder. He took his time to lavish attention on my other nipple, as his hand all the while brushed against my clit, teasing, and then moving away, making me crazy. Then his head was at my stomach, kissing his way down. He paused as he moved down between my legs, and I looked to see what he was doing.
Nate was staring at me, his eyes a dark blue like the ocean before a storm, and I felt enveloped in him. I couldn’t look away.
So slowly it almost didn’t seem as he was moving, he put his mouth on me, and sucked at my clit. My hands clenched at the sheets, and it was all I could do not to cry out. He kept sucking, and kept looking at me, and I felt as though all my senses were mere moments away from some sort of explosion—and then he moved just an inch, and I could feel his tongue in me.
There was no way I could hold still. My head rolled to the side, and I closed my eyes and let the sensation of being with someone—being with Nate—take over. His warm hands were on my thighs, and his mouth seemed like it was everywhere. He sucked, he nibbled, he brought me to the edge, and then he stilled.
I gasped. Then he took my clit into his mouth again and sucked hard. I could feel the graze of his teeth. I couldn’t hold back any longer, and I let myself go. I heard myself cry out his name, but the sensation of falling off a cliff that I never wanted to end was too much to pay attention to what I was saying.
When I came back to Earth, Nate was still between my legs, leaning his head against my thigh.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“Do you have a degree in that? Because that was… “ I stopped.
“The best?” He offered helpfully.
I laughed, feeling as though I was sinking into the bed and I’d never be able to move again. “The best,” I said.
“That’s only the beginning,” Nate said as he moved up and on top of me once more. He kissed me, and I could taste myself on him. It felt so… intimate, so… so something. I didn’t know what. I liked it. It felt right. Nate felt right.
His cock was between my legs again, and it was hot, and hard. Harder than before, which shouldn’t be possible, but it was.
I wanted him inside of me. I might not be able to move, but I knew that if I didn’t get him inside of me this instant, I might just die.
Nate
The look on her face was the look of a woman satiated. I loved it. I loved seeing it on her. Then her expression changed, and I grinned.
We weren’t done yet, thank God, because I thought my cock was going to burst. Hearing her cry out my name as she came nearly pushed me over the edge, but I held it together. I wanted to lose myself inside of her.
“Condom?” I asked.
Her hand pointed to the small table next to the bed, and I slid across her a little, my cock rubbing against her, so that I could reach it. I found the box and hurried to pull on of the packets out. I pushed off Serena for a moment to rip it open and roll it on, and then I was between her legs again, my cock pushing against her.
“What are you waiting for?” She whispered as she widened her legs and arched against me.
I didn’t need any other invitation. I slid into her, going in all the way, loving the small gasp that Serena made. Her mouth was parted slightly, and she was looking at me with eyes hazy with sex.
I’d never seen anyone more beautiful.
I drove into her, filling her completely, taking my time even though I wanted nothing more than to pound her into the headboard. I pushed up on my arms, driving more deeply into her and nearly lost my control.
“Oh, God!” Serena gasped as her hands reached up to grab my ass, to hold me to her.
I thrust into her, focused on keeping the rhythm steady. I wanted her to come again, to come apart at my hands, because of me—which meant I had to maintain control over myself. As I pulled away from her, she or I shifted, and my cock slid from her.
“Shit,” I muttered.
Her eyes met mine. “Wait,” she said.
What?
Serena eased away from me, rolling onto her stomach. She spread her legs and thrust her ass up to me. I nestled between her legs, and as I entered her again, she looked over her shoulder at me.
I nearly came at the expression on her face. I straightened, and drove into her, loving the sound of the small gasp I heard. Her head dropped forward, and she braced herself on her hands, pushing back against me.
Christ on toast, this wasn’t going to last long. Her ass was round and perfect and fit right into my hands. I held onto it as I thrust into her. My hands slid across her skin, slick with sweat. On an impulse, hoping I didn’t ruin the mood, I eased my thumb into the tiny opening, and felt her reflexively clamp down on me as she moaned. She looked over her shoulder at me, and I paused, asking silently for her permission.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered as she pushed herself against me. I slid my finger out, and then back into her, moving in time with my cock.
Serena moaned, and it nearly made me come. I moved in and out of her, my cock and my thumb making her push against me, her breathing heavy. I held onto her hip with my other hand, trying to keep a rhythm going, and then she spread her legs wider and pushed harder against me.
“Oh, God, Nate,” she breathed. “If you stop… I… might… kill you.”
That was all it took. I gripped her hip and pounded into her, loving the fact that she wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted, take what was offered. I heard her cry out as I drove into her, my hands struggling to hang onto her. Her cries pushed me over the edge, and I came hard.
We both stilled, the sweat cooling on our bodies, and I slid from her. She collapsed onto the bed and rolled over, reaching for me.
“Hang on,” I said, and went to the bathroom. I hurried back to see that Serena had already slid under the covers, and she was smiling at me. “Good thing you’re not leaving,” she said.
“Not a chance,” I said, scooting in next to her.
Her skin was warm, and she snuggled into me, laying her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her. This was right. She was right. She was the one. I’d been pretty sure before. Now there was no doubt.
“That wasn’t what I had in mind for today,” Serena said.
“Well, it wasn’t a definite on my schedule, but I always had hope,” I said.
She looked up at m
e, laughing. “Well, OK, I had hope, too, but I didn’t think it would happen.”
I closed my eyes, loving this feeling. Not just this feeling, but here, now, with this woman. She was perfect.
* * *
When I woke, the soft light of the day was breaking through the curtains. The light in the room was off, which meant that Serena must have gotten up and turned it on. I felt bad that I hadn’t thought of it. She was still snuggled next to me, and I shifted slightly to face her.
She smiled and blinked sleepily. “Hey,” she said. “Good morning.”
“It is a good morning,” I agreed, kissing her. She was warm, and her lips parted at my kiss.
There was no more invitation needed. She reached out to the night table, her hand scrabbling in the drawer, and came out with a foil packet. “You’re not appropriately dressed, Mr. Devine,” she said.
I swear, her voice was almost a purr. I felt my cock get insta-hard. I took the condom and put it on. “I think I’m ready for whatever you have to offer, Miss May,” I said, rolling on to her and between her legs.
She pulled my head to her for a kiss. I slid into her warmth feeling like I was coming home. I’d be late for work this morning. That’s just how it would have to be.
Serena
I lay in bed, listening to Nate breathe next to me. My heart still pounded from the wonderful, delicious, pre-breakfast sex. God, I’d missed this.
And Nate! He was… well, he was more than I’d expected. When he’d stuck his finger into my ass, I wasn’t sure I liked it, but he was so gentle—at first. When he was pushing his finger into me at the same time he was thrusting in and out—well, I hadn’t had an orgasm like that in… forever.
God. I didn’t come here for this. I came here to start my life over, and men weren’t part of that. But who could ignore Nate Devine?
I sure couldn’t. I let my head roll to the side. “We’re going to have to get up,” I said, not wanting to move an inch.