Eligible Receiver (Men of Fall Book 3)

by S. R. Grey

  I bet the motel lady orders these to offer something different and unique for her guests.

  But does the message mean something more for me?

  Was it somehow meant to be, like a destiny kind of thing?

  Becca did hand me this heart.

  And this is what’s stamped on it?

  Love Her

  Interesting.

  Should I follow the advice?

  Should I love Becca tonight?

  Will she let me?

  The things I could do to her—with my lips, my tongue, my cock…

  A heavy wind rips down the walkway, reminding me of just how damn cold it is out here.

  Yet here I am, my mind muddled by a barrage of sex-filled thoughts.

  So get back to the room and maybe you can start doing those things you’re thinking about to the woman you care so much about.

  “Right.” I pocket the candy once more.

  Before I leave, I make a few selections from the vending machines—potato chips and pretzels. I opt not to buy any chocolate bars, as I think we’ve had our fill of candy.

  Sugar and carbs.

  I laugh.

  At this rate, Becca and I will be up all night.

  “Though that may not be the only reason we’re up all night,” I murmur as I start back to the room, provisions in hand.

  That’s right—I’ve decided I’m making a move.

  If Becca rejects me, so be it.

  I have to try.

  My feelings for her are just too strong.

  When I reach the room, Becca is standing in the doorway, waiting for me.

  “Aren’t you cold?” I ask.

  She doesn’t have her jacket on.

  But she looks anything but frigid.

  Far from it.

  There’s heat in her eyes and a tilt to her hips that is equal parts provocative and inviting.

  “Lars,” she murmurs, the snow swirling around us. “I’m actually not cold at all.”

  “Okay,” I lamely state, holding up the snack bags. “I. uh, got us some food.”

  Grabbing my arm, she groans, “Just get in here.”

  Once I’m inside, Becca closes the door, the soft snick of the lock turning the only sound breaking the silence.

  But then I hear Becca breathe as she turns to me.

  I drop the bags of snacks onto the little table by the door and kick off my boots.

  When I start taking off my coat, she walks over to me.

  “Do you need any help?” she asks.

  There’s so much I want to say, a hundred things I long to ask.

  But what do I do?

  I just shake my head. “No, I’m good.”

  Becca touches my arm. “Lars…”

  I’m supposed to be the one making the move, but she’s beating me to it.

  Quietly, I ask, “What happened while I was away?”

  “This,” she replies, holding out her hand, palm side up.

  I look down to see one of those tiny candy hearts in the center of her palm.

  I read what it says: You’re His.

  Raising my eyes to meet hers, I ask, “Is it true?”

  Releasing a stuttered breath, Becca whispers, “Yes, it is.”

  I am not expecting that.

  But I like it.

  My heart starts beating like crazy and my soul soars.

  This is what I want.

  I have for a while.

  Since the night in the theatre, since earlier today, for a long time now, I never wanted to be “just friends.” I’ve wanted Becca from the beginning.

  And now I know she wants me too, in the same way.

  To be sure, though, I ask, “What about us just being friends? You told me you were scared of taking things any further. You wanted to protect your heart.”

  “That’s true.” Becca reaches out, caressing the light stubble on my cheek. “I was scared, Lars, and I still am. But it’s not a choice I can make, not anymore. I can’t keep denying what’s really in my heart. Besides, I think I see now that maybe love is about being a little scared.”

  I cock my head, leaning into her touch. “What are you afraid of? What’s been scaring you this whole time? I know it’s not me personally. Is it just the thought of getting hurt?”

  She blows out a breath, dropping her hand to her side.

  I immediately feel the loss.

  Sighing, she says, “I’m scared of the unknown, and of things not working out. There’s more too, some fears I can’t define. I’m afraid of just so much.”

  I reach over to where my jacket is hanging on the back of a chair and retrieve the candy heart from my pocket.

  Placing it in her hand, I say, “Look, I can’t promise you everything will always be easy. I think anything worthwhile never is. But let’s give this a try. Just… let me…”

  “Let you what, Lars?”

  “Read my heart,” I say, meaning so much more than the heart I just handed to her.

  But it’s the candy that she’s staring down at now.

  “Love her,” she murmurs, reading the words out loud. Blinking up at me wide-eyed, she asks, “Do you?”

  “Yes, Becca, I do. Somewhere along the line, I’ve fallen completely in love with you. It’s not just what’s written on the candy that’s true.” I tap my chest. “It’s what’s in here.”

  “Oh, Lars…”

  There are tears in her eyes as I whisper, “Will you let me, then?”

  “Let you what?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” I laugh. “Let me love you.”

  Will I Let Him Love Me?

  Lars asks if I’ll let him love me.

  Will I?

  Can I?

  Do I?

  If I’m honest with myself, this is everything I’ve ever wanted.

  Lars is everything I’ve ever wanted.

  I’ve known it for a while, a long while.

  Am I done denying it?

  I sigh as he waits for my answer.

  Lars is a good man, and he’s beautiful to look at. He’s also kind and generous. But he’s my friend first and foremost. There’s always been this major attraction with us, an amazing chemistry brewing just beneath the surface.

  Do I now let it boil over?

  Do I have a choice?

  “No,” I say at last.

  His face falls. “No?”

  “Oh my God.” I rush into his arms, leaning my cheek to his chest as I murmur, “I didn’t mean ‘no’ to what you’re asking.”

  He urges me back a few inches so he can see my face. “What are you saying exactly, then? I want us to be completely clear.”

  I nod. “I agree. I do too. So I’m saying yes, I want you to love me. Do you want to know why?”

  “Yes,” he says. “I’d like to know everything you’re thinking.”

  I snicker. “Well, I can’t tell you everything, but I can tell you this—I love you.”

  That sure leaves him speechless.

  When he recovers from the shock, he asks incredulously, “You do?”

  “Yes.” I start backing him toward the bed, and he puts up no resistance. “And I’m about to show you just how much,” I add silkily, promise in my tone.

  The backs of his knees hit the edge of the heart-shaped mattress, and all I have to do is give a little push and Lars falls back onto the bed.

  I crawl up his body, warning, “You’re at my mercy now.”

  “Fuck yeah,” he grinds out. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

  “Good. Same here.”

  I unbuckle his belt and start to get to work on his jeans, but then I realize we need to have a quick conversation about birth control and all that other fun stuff.

  After we do, Lars says, “So we’re both clean and you’re already on the pill for other reasons.”

  “Yes,” I affirm. “Now enough talking…”

  I grab him again as I unbutton and unzip his jeans, tugging the denim material away.

  Mmm, yes
!

  Once I have his jeans shimmied down his hips—with his help, of course—I place my hand over his boxer briefs to fully feel his massive erection.

  When I give a little squeeze, Lars says roughly, “Damn it, woman. You better do more than that.”

  “Oh, I plan to.” Coyly, I raise a brow. “Do you know how much I want this?”

  “Tell me,” he demands.

  “A lot.” I reach inside and grasp his full length. “So much I can’t even find the words.”

  As I begin stroking, Lars rasps, “It’s yours, Becca. I’m yours.”

  Gah!

  I just want to jump him.

  But I also want to remember every second of what’s about to occur.

  “I don’t want to rush this,” I share as I lift his long-sleeved tee, exposing the most sculpted, ripped abs I think I’ve ever seen. “I need to savor every inch of you.”

  “You took the words right out of my mouth,” he replies, chuckling. “But it’s going to be me savoring you.”

  “How about we both do a lot of savoring?” I suggest as I stretch out across his hard body.

  “That works for me,” he murmurs, his hand winding into my hair. “We should get started right away. No more talking, yeah?”

  I nod. “Yes, no more talking.”

  There isn’t much from there. We’re too busy removing and tossing aside clothes, kissing each newly exposed bit of skin, sometimes licking, sometimes nipping, and sometimes tasting.

  But always, always savoring.

  At Last

  With every touch of her skin, every taste of her body, you’d think I’d be sated.

  But no, I can’t get enough of Becca.

  “I want you so badly,” I tell her.

  We’re bare, my body pressed to hers. She’s coming apart from the things I just did to her with my mouth.

  “So take me,” she whispers, her voice thick with lust as she arches her back. “I’m going to die if you don’t, Lars. I swear that I will.”

  I think she believes that.

  Maybe I do too.

  “You’re still shaking,” I note, caressing her cheek.

  “That’s because I’m ready for you. I have been for a while. I am so ready.”

  The tip of my cock is right where it needs to be, nudging at her warm folds.

  I press in a little and she accepts me, gasping out my name.

  She then begs for more.

  I need no more invitation than that.

  I have only so much strength to drag this out.

  So I finally plunge into her warmth.

  And she… is… perfection.

  Becca cries out in pleasure, gripping me with her arms and with her pussy.

  “More,” she groans.

  I give her even more.

  I give her all of me.

  I don’t mean just my body.

  I give her my heart.

  But wait, she already has that.

  “Lars, Lars, Lars,” she chants in rhythm with my thrusting.

  Fuck, I’m about to explode.

  I have to slow things down.

  I don’t want this to end, not yet.

  Cupping one of her breasts, I kiss along her silky, smooth neck.

  I really do want to love her slowly, with all the caring and devotion I feel.

  Has it ever been this good with anyone else?

  Never.

  This is true love.

  This is life.

  I whisper sweet nothings in Becca’s ear as she moves with me. It’s just her and I on this snowy night, loving each other on a heart-shaped bed in a love-themed motel room.

  I almost start to laugh, but I can only smile.

  I realize finding this place, the unexpected change in the weather, it’s all been destined.

  We are destined.

  “I want to stay inside you forever,” I admit.

  It’s the truth.

  “I wish you could,” Becca replies.

  A shift of my hips and I hit a new spot that brings her to climax.

  I follow shortly thereafter.

  Sadly, I can’t stay inside her forever.

  But we still have the rest of the night.

  I plan to have Becca in as many ways and positions as we can think of.

  Turns out, that is quite a lot.

  Yes, I Freaking Love Snow

  I’ve hated snow pretty much my entire life. But right now, on this night, I love the freaking white stuff.

  Why the change?

  Because it’s this snow that doesn’t seem to want to let up that’s allowing us to create our own snowed-in love nest.

  So yes, I now love snow.

  I giggle as I stretch and think about how this motel sure has lived up to its name. I bet this heart-shaped bed hasn’t seen this much action in ages. I mean, sure, no doubt a lot of people have loved in, and on, the silky pink sheets prior to Lars and me.

  But I doubt many, if any, have kept pace with us.

  “I think we’re breaking records,” I say to Lars, gasping as I feel him pushing into me from behind.

  I don’t know how many times we’ve had each other the past several hours, but it’s been a lot.

  Still, it’s never enough.

  “We’re making up for lost time,” he rasps in my ear.

  “That we are,” I agree, pressing my ass back against him so he can slide in all the way.

  I moan, lost once more in an ecstasy I didn’t know possible.

  There’s no more talking, only moving, pleasure, and joy.

  Though Lars and I are insatiable, we do manage to get in some sleep in between our sessions of love.

  Still, time is irrelevant.

  It’s just us, breaking barriers, becoming one.

  As with all good things, though, our time of giving in to each other and caving to the feelings that have grown since that fateful day in the theatre comes to an end.

  The light streaming in through a gap in the curtains on the lone window facing the front of the motel wakes me up early in the morning.

  “Ugh, it’s so bright in here,” I murmur sleepily, covering my eyes with my hand.

  My griping and subsequent huffing wake up Lars.

  Stretching, he replies drowsily, “Hold on. I can fix it.”

  “Mmm…” I nuzzle in closer to him. “Thank you. You really are the best.”

  Chuckling, he says, “If you keep pressing up against me like that, I may just stay in bed.”

  Forgetting about the morning light for now, I murmur, “On second thought, I think you should do exactly that. Stay, love me some more.”

  He does.

  Yeah, it takes another good thirty minutes before the curtains are tightly drawn, blocking out the light.

  When Lars returns to the bed, he says, “It looks like it quit snowing.”

  “Is there a lot out there?” I ask.

  “Tons.”

  Leaning into the crook of his arm, I want to know, “So what happens now?”

  He looks worried. “Are you regretting what happened, Becca?”

  Twisting to peer up at him, I shake my head. “No. I have no regrets at all. But things have changed. We can’t deny that. It already feels different.”

  “Things have changed,” he agrees as he leans down to kiss my forehead.

  “Mmmm…”

  As he settles back, he says, “They’re different in the very best way, though.”

  “I think so too,” I agree.

  Chuckling, Lars clears his throat.

  So I ask, “What?”

  “Well, this is going to sound corny and like we’re in junior high, but, Becca Nadeau, will you be my girlfriend?”

  I laugh as I turn to him, hitching a leg over his hips. “It does sound like we’re in seventh grade. But I know what you’re asking.”

  He raises a brow. “So what’s your answer, Potential Junior High Girlfriend?”

  I laugh. “Yes, I want to be your girlfriend, but not just
some junior high version. I want to be your grown-up girlfriend.” I press against him seductively. “That way we can enjoy all the benefits that come with that.”

  Grabbing my ass, he says, “Damn, you’re not kidding.”

  I grow serious then, though, when I say to Lars, “It wasn’t just lust making me say the things I said to you last night. I have truly grown to love you.”

  He looks so damn happy hearing that, and tells me, “I feel the same way, Becca. I love you too.”

  I let out a little laugh, and he asks, “Hey, what’s so funny about that?”

  “It’s not you professing your love that’s making me laugh,” I assure him. “I was just thinking how excited Jodi is going to be when she learns of this change in our relationship.”

  He cocks a brow. “You think so? Why’s that?”

  Grinning, I say, “Okay, let’s review. First, she wants me happy, right?”

  “Yes.” Readjusting our bodies and propping up on an elbow, Lars asks, “And I make you happy?”

  “Immensely.” I touch his stubbled cheek. “But I think you already know that.”

  “I still like hearing it,” he says. “Any other reasons Jodi’s going to be thrilled we’re a couple?”

  “Yes.” I nod excitedly. “She’s going to see you made me believe again. And that is a very good thing.”

  Looking into my eyes, Lars asks, “What did I make you believe again, Becca?”

  I blow out a breath, and tell him the truth, “You made me believe in love again. I told you once that I didn’t believe in it any longer. I thought the fairy tale wasn’t meant for me.”

  “But now you know it is,” he says softly, cupping my chin so that I have to look up at him.

  I nod, and he promises, “That is why, from this moment forward, my beautiful Becca, I am going to do everything in my power to make all of your dreams come true.”

  Looking to the Future with a Smile

  I tell Becca I plan to make all of her dreams come true.

  I do, even if it means I’ll be busting my ass trying.

  She deserves to be treated like a queen.

  My queen.

  “Lars,” Becca says, tears welling in her eyes, “I want so badly to say how I feel right now.”

  “And how is that?” I ask.