He dropped to his knees in front of her and spread her legs before covering her glistening mound with his hot mouth, running his tongue up and down her slick wetness. He groaned against her flesh. Fuck. She tasted like honey. He could never get tired of devouring her sweetness.
He worked her with his tongue, increasing the pressure as the rhythm of her movements got more and more frantic. He paid special attention to the ever-hardening nub at the top of her slit, flicking and suckling it with alternating speed and pressure, every movement perfectly calibrated to the reactions he was getting from her body. This was all about her—all about her pleasure, and all about her release. Part of taking care of her needs was making sure she felt comfortable and relaxed, sure—but another huge part of it was making sure her world was rocked when she came, that it rattled her soul and blew her mind.
He knew he was about to accomplish that goal when she knotted her fingers in his hair to the point of pain, her back arched, and her moans began to verge on screams. Knowing she was close, he pushed her over the edge of oblivion by simultaneously slipping two fingers inside her with one hand and sliding the other up her torso to her breast to roll her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Her inner walls milked him while he kept up the motion and pressure with his tongue and mouth, never breaking the rhythm on her clit.
A hoarse cry ripped from her throat, and her entire body tensed and then spasmed with release. Austin continued to use his mouth to bring her pleasure. He couldn’t help the pride that rose inside him as her body jerked with arousal. He loved knowing he was the one who’d sent those electric sensations thundering through her body.
While she was still reeling from her climax, eyes pressed shut and fingers desperately clutching the pillow around her head, Austin rose and stripped out of his clothes in record time. He was seized with the sudden need to be closer to her. He wanted to be pressed against her, skin to skin, along the entire lengths of their bodies as he plunged himself inside her.
Austin stripped off his jeans and slipped a condom out of his back pocket where he had tucked it earlier in the hopes he might have a need for it. He ripped it open with his teeth and rolled it on before climbing onto the bed and crawled up toward her. She was just starting to come back to her senses, lifting her head and looking at him with softly glazed eyes.
He smiled to himself. Perfect timing.
“Hi,” he whispered.
A slow, lazy, satisfied grin spread across her face. “Hi,” she whispered back, holding her arms out to him, open in invitation.
Damn, he was so ready for this. He’d never wanted anything as much as he wanted this.
He positioned himself over her and groaned when she slipped her hand between their bodies, grasped his cock firmly in her hand and moved him to her opening. Fuck. The feeling of her fingers wrapped around his dick, even through the condom, was life-altering. Nothing he’d ever felt before—not even coming itself—felt as deeply erotic and satisfying as the simple touch of Sara’s fingers around his shaft for the first time.
His body shook with need to drive into her tight opening.
Before plunging into her wet warmth, however, he paused to look into her eyes for a moment. He felt unspoken communication and energy passing between them as they held each other’s gazes. He’d never believed in soul mates, there being one person who was your perfect match, or Zodiac signs and horoscopes. No, he trusted things he could see. Things he could prove. But in that moment, he would’ve sworn that what they shared, the connection, was spiritual. Mystical, even. The one thing he had no doubt about was that it was powerful as hell.
He lowered his lips to hers and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, exploring and kissing with increased fervor. With each pass of his tongue against hers, the intensity in their connection increased. Their bodies began to find a rhythm together, and he thrust himself into her. She cried out, and since they were still locked in a passionate kiss, he felt the vibrations of her exclamation through his mouth and tongue at the same instant it hit his ears.
Primal need roared in him, and his balls tightened with release. For a moment, he was afraid he might lose it. Seeing the arousal and pleasure that he was causing in Sara while he simultaneously felt it, heard it, and tasted it was causing an animalistic urge to build.
He pulled back a little, just far and long enough to groan, “Sara. You feel so good. I’ll try to go slow, but I’m not sure that I can.”
“Don’t,” she moaned in response. Her inner muscles clamped tightly around his shaft. “Please, don’t go slow.”
That was all he needed to hear. Sweat formed on the back of his neck as he started to pump in and out of her at a steady and ever-increasing pace, moving in sync with each other, their heartbeats speeding up together to beat in time with the rhythm their bodies were creating.
Finally, he felt her body clenching around his, and he knew that he could let go. He had, once again, achieved his goal of taking care of her first. She was wrapped around him, muscles tight and tingling with yet another orgasm, and he could now release himself to come as well.
When his senses finally returned from having the hottest, most earth-shattering release of his life, Austin collapsed back onto the bed. He pulled Sara on top of his chest, and she snuggled in as if she’d been made to fit there. Which he was starting to believe she was.
He ran his fingers through her hair and tried to think of the words to say to express what that had been, what it had meant to him. It had been more than sex. It had been more than two people enjoying each other’s bodies. But before he could articulate what he wanted to say, he heard the soft sound of her breathing as her body relaxed against him.
“Sara,” he whispered.
When she didn’t respond, his suspicion that she’d fallen asleep was confirmed. He’d seen the circles under her eyes grow darker every day, and he knew it was because she burned the candle at both ends. Being super mom during the day and then working at night.
Every instinct Austin had was screaming for him to take care of her. To make sure she ate, and not just the kids’ leftovers. To make sure she got enough sleep. To make sure she never had to stress about anything. To make sure she knew she wasn’t alone. And not just for the next few days, he wanted more with her, and now he knew how much.
He wanted forever.
CHAPTER 17
“Holy shit!” Shelby yelled as she pointed her finger toward Sara.
“What?” Sara worked to keep a blank expression as she stared at the screen of her phone.
She and Shelby FaceTimed a couple of times a week, but when the call from her sister had come in this morning while she was getting ready, Sara had almost ignored it. She would’ve, but she knew her sister would just keep calling back until Sara answered.
“You hooked up with Stranger Danger!” her sister exclaimed.
Sara knew she should’ve never told her sister about that nickname.
“Shhh.” She pressed her forefinger to her mouth.
The walls of the B&B were thin, which Sara had tried to keep in mind when she and Austin had hooked up, as her sister had so eloquently put it. Just because her munchkins weren’t there and she and Austin were the only two people on the first floor, didn’t mean they were alone. The entire second floor was occupied.
In the past, Sara had never been particularly loud during sex. She’d enjoyed it. It had been fine. But honestly, when she’d seen movies where people cried out in abandon, she’d figured they were just putting on a show. Last night, and again this morning, had proved her wrong on that count. It was all she could do not to scream like a banshee. Austin took her to places she never knew existed.
Which was the reason she’d suggested they go get breakfast at the Drawbridge Diner this morning, instead of eating here at the B&B. As much as she’d tried to mute herself during their hot encounters, she didn’t want to sit in a room full of people wondering if they’d overheard her escapades.
“Why do I have to shhh?�
� Shelby asked.
“Because,” Sara whispered. “The walls are thin, and I don’t want anyone to hear you.”
“By anyone you mean Stranger Danger?” Shelby waggled her eyebrows.
“His name is Austin.”
“Oh, I know his name.” The waggling continued. “Austin Stone. It sounds like he’s an action star.” Shelby mimicked an announcer’s voice as she said, “Austin Stone heats up the screen in Inferno of Retaliation, coming this summer to a theater near you.”
Sara’s head fell back as she cracked up. Her sister drove her crazy, but she could always make her laugh.
“But seriously, I’m so glad you went for it. I haven’t seen you this happy in…well, ever.”
“No one said that I went for it and what do you mean? I’ve been happy. I’m always happy.” No matter what was happening in her life, Sara had always tried to put on a brave face and look at things with a glass-half-full mentality.
Shelby hissed through clenched teeth as she grimaced. “You’ve been happy in a fake-it-’til-you-make-it kinda way. You plastered a smile on your face and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Which I’ve always appreciated. Believe me, it was a lot nicer than if you’d been walking around miserable. But now you’re glowing, radiating, shining with happiness.”
“Okay, I seriously doubt you can tell all of that over FaceTime.” Sara knew she might be smiling a little more than usual, but radiating, shining, and glowing was a stretch.
“I’m your sister, of course I can tell.”
“Whatever.” Sara grinned and shook her head. She had no intention of wasting time fighting over whether or not she was happy.
“So how long is Jack keeping the kiddos?”
“Until tomorrow evening.” Sara still felt odd not having them with her.
The next two full days, and one night, were free of responsibilities. She had no one to answer to—or, more accurately, no one asking her questions she had to answer. As amazing as it was to have a break, it also felt like part of her was missing. She was completely at loose ends.
Of course, waking up wrapped in Austin’s arms while he kissed her neck, with the evidence of just how happy he was pressed against her hip, had been a nice distraction. And the half hour they’d spent making love had done an amazing job at keeping her mind and body completely occupied.
“So you and Stranger Danger have two days to Marvin Gaye it up. Nice,” Shelby enthused.
Sara was afraid to ask. “Marvin Gaye it up?”
“Yeah, you know.” Shelby’s voice dropped an octave. “Let’s Get It On.”
“Stop!” Sara laughed. “Can we please talk about something else? How are you? How’re Matt and the girls?”
“We’re all fine, Mom.”
“Good.” Whenever Matt or Shelby thought Sara was being overprotective, they called her Mom. She knew they meant it as an insult, but Sara actually liked it. When she heard it, she felt like she was doing her job.
Shelby shook her head back and forth slowly. “I still can’t believe you sold the house.”
“I know.”
“How did Jack take it?”
“Fine. I think he was a little surprised, but when he and Valentina picked up the kids, he said he was happy I’d be closer to family.”
“Wait.” Shelby’s eyes lit up. “So does that mean you got to meet stair mom? I got so distracted when I saw your post-coital glow that I forgot to ask.”
Sara ignored her sister’s assumption, which just so happened to be correct. “Yep, I met her. The kids seemed to like her. They were a little shy, but Charlotte had just woken up. When I talked to them this morning, though, Charlotte was sitting on her lap while Valentina did her hair, so I think she’s warmed up to her. She seems nice.”
“That’s it. She’s nice? Come on, I want dirt.”
“There’s no dirt. She is nice.” And tall, and skinny, and gorgeous.
Last night, those things had made Sara feel a little self-conscious, but after spending the night with Austin, her self-esteem was at an all-time high. The way he looked at her, touched her, kissed her, made love to her made her feel like the sexiest woman in the world.
“Well, I guess that’s better than the alternative. I mean, I respect this Mary J. Blige no-more-drama thing you’ve got going on. But, I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to bashing her. At least a little bit.” Shelby held up her finger and thumb to demonstrate the amount.
Once again, Sara had to laugh. Leave it to her sister to be disappointed over the fact that Jack’s fiancée was nice. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“That’s okay. You can make it up to me soon enough, since you’re moving here,” Shelby squealed. “I’m so excited. I already talked to Lauren and told her what you were looking for, and she said she’ll have several houses to show you when you get here.”
“Oh, good.” Sara waited to feel the rush of adrenaline she’d experienced every time she’d thought about the move.
Not only was Lauren the premier realtor in Hope Falls, she also co-hosted a TV show called Home Sweet Vacation Home with her husband, Ben, which Sara had seen every episode of. She was a huge fan. Sara’d met Lauren several times when she’d gone to visit her brother and sister. Originally, when Shelby had brought up the idea of Lauren helping her find a home, Sara had been excited. Ready to start the new chapter in her life and ecstatic over the fact Lauren would be a part of it.
It surprised her that when Shelby brought it up now, Sara’s reaction was less enthusiastic. In fact, she wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Maybe it was just the drive she was dreading. Dealing with the kids in the car by herself sounded only slightly better than the time she broke both of her arms when she’d fallen off the roof trying to put the Christmas lights up the first year she’d owned her home.
Or maybe the problem was she’d gotten too used to Austin helping her. Over the past few days, she’d started leaning on him. It was a whole heck of a lot easier navigating the world with another adult at your side. When she took the kids out with Austin, she was no longer out numbered. Unfortunately, he was just a temporary crutch. In a few days, Sara would be back to standing on her own.
“Good? That’s all? Just good?” Shelby’s forehead creased.
“Yeah, it’s good.” Sara did not feel like discussing her lack of enthusiasm with her well-meaning but nosy sister. “Shelbs, I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
A smile spread on her sister’s face. “All right. Enjoy your Marvin Gaye time.”
“Ha ha, brat. I’m going to breakfast and then a volleyball game.”
“You’re playing volleyball?”
Sara understood her sister’s shock. She was not the most athletic person in the world. “No. I’m watching volleyball.”
“Ah, that makes more sense. Is Stranger Danger guy playing?”
It was obvious Shelby was never going to let that not-so-creative nickname go.
“Yes, Austin is playing.”
“He’ll be playing, playing with the boys.” Her sister quoted the song from the iconic volleyball scene in one of their favorite movies Top Gun.
Sara laughed, but she had to admit her sister’s cinematic reference was pretty spot on. The boys here in Whisper Lake could give the Top Gun guys a run for their money any day.
There was a knock at the door, and Sara’s heart skipped a beat.
“I really gotta go. I’ll call you later. I love you.”
As she disconnected the call she thought about the fact that this time next week, her time in Whisper Lake would be over. She’d be arriving in Hope Falls. Lauren would be showing her homes, and she’d be on her way to starting her new life.
That should make her happy…but it didn’t.
Knowing that Austin was on the other side of the door…did.
CHAPTER 18
“Have you talked to the kids?” Austin asked before taking a bite of his pancakes.
Sara nodded and took a sip of orange juice.
“I talked to them this morning.”
She’d only talked to Trev for a second. He was excited to go out and jump on the trampoline that his uncle had in the backyard. Charlotte was more talkative, but her questions had mostly revolved around Austin. She’d wanted to know where he was. What he was doing. If Sara had seen him yet this morning.
The conversation with Shelby had illuminated the fact that Sara might be getting a little too attached to Austin. And remembering her daughter going on and on about him, she realized she wasn’t the only one. And that was not okay.
This mid-life crisis, or whatever she was going through, should not affect her kids. What had she been thinking, letting him spend time with them? How could she have possibly thought this would end well? This was real life. She couldn’t go around letting her kids get attached to random guys they’d most likely never see again.
“Are they okay?” Austin’s face was etched with worry as he reached across the table and covered Sara’s hand.
Pasting on a bright smile, Sara hoped to camouflage the doubts and regrets that were multiplying in her mind like soaking wet Gremlins after midnight. “Yeah, they’re great.”
“Why are you doing that?” His tone turned serious.
She pulled her hand away, suddenly feeling defensive. “Doing what?”
“Smiling like that.” He didn’t seem offended by her abrupt movement, if anything he seemed more concerned. “If something’s wrong, you can tell me.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Sara maintained.
“Nothing’s wrong?” he repeated skeptically.
“Nope.”
Austin didn’t respond. He just looked at her. Waiting. Letting his silence speak louder than a thousand words.
It was more than Sara could handle. She cracked. Lowering her voice so the entire diner didn’t overhear, she leaned forward. “I’m just worried the kids might be getting too attached to you.”
“The kids?” He raised his left brow.
“Yes. The kids.” She knew what he was implying, but she really was worried about Trev and Charlotte. “Every time Trev looks at you, he has hero worship in his eyes, and all Charlotte wanted to know about this morning was where you were. If she could talk to you. If I was going to see you today.”
Whisper of Temptation (Whisper Lake Book 4) Page 15