Oh fuck, the feel of him… Her hands landed on his shoulders, and she dug her fingernails into his skin. He stretched her, filled her. She felt as though his body was locking tightly to hers as he kept moving deeper in short, gentle strokes.
When he was all the way inside, she dragged in a deep, sobbing breath and wrapped her arms and legs around him, hugging him to her body. “Stay,” she whispered. “Just…” She wasn’t sure what she was asking, but the feel of him—his weight pressing her into the mattress, the heat of his skin, the hardness filling her—she didn’t want to lose this moment.
He kissed her cheek and nuzzled into the corner of her neck, seeming content to pause while his cock pulsed inside her.
And it was the pulsing that forced her to respond. Her belly undulated, and suddenly he was moving with her, each push and retreat heating her channel.
Soon, he was no longer gliding gently inside her. His hands slipped beneath her, and he held her as his movements grew harsher and more frenzied. She was there with him, holding on tight. Her legs rose higher, and she arched her back, rubbing her breasts against his chest, seeking all the friction she could bear as she rose higher and higher, nearing the precipice.
“Damn, Laura,” he whispered harshly. “You’re so fucking hot. So tight. I’m losing my mind.”
“I’m right there, Preacher,” she gasped. “Now, now…now!”
He hammered inside her, and she cried out, pleasure exploding. For several long seconds, she forgot to breathe as he rocked against her body. Then he gave a muffled shout and held still inside her, his body quivering. She felt the pulses inside her and smiled. She slid her hands up and down his moist back, soothing him.
When they both went still, she let out a little laugh.
He raised his head and shot her a glare. “Can’t hardly breathe here,” he said, “and you’re laughing.”
She smiled and shook her head. “If I’d had my way with you in the back room of my shop, everyone inside would have heard us.”
His grin was wry. “Think your neighbors didn’t?”
Chapter 6
Preacher woke early the next morning when Laura shifted on the bed. The light from the cracked bathroom door made her pale hair glow. Her movements were slow, like she wanted to sneak out of the bed. They lay sideways, spooned together, and she was trying to slide away his hand from where it rested on her hip.
A smile tugged at his mouth as he let out a deep sigh and slid his hand around her waist and upwards to cup her round breast.
“I know you’re awake,” she grumbled.
His response was to move closer and snuggle his cheek against her shoulder. “S’warm,” he murmured then flicked the hardening tip of her nipple with his fingernail.
Her quick intake of breath pushed her breast against his palm. He took that as an invitation and moved over her, turning her to her back. As easy as that, he slipped into the space she made between her legs and nudged against her entrance. “Got time?” he whispered then pressed kisses against her neck.
“I have to get to the shop and start baking.” However, she didn’t discourage him. No, her hands smoothed down his back. When she reached his ass, she scraped her nails over his skin.
His rapidly hardening cock was met with a moist “hello” so he pushed against her opening, sliding only an inch or two inside. Damn, she was hot and wet. When she lifted her legs to ride the crests of his hips, he moved deeper inside and then held still.
She pinched his ass. “What part of ‘I need to get to the shop’ didn’t you understand?”
“Do you need to leave now?” he said, pulling nearly all the way out.
When he lifted his head to look down into her face, she gave him a mock-glare.
“Oh! Do you need me to hurry up?”
She grinned and nodded. “Yes, hurry up.”
“As you wish.” With a firm stroke he drove all the way inside.
“Good Lord,” she said, gripping his sides. “Not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”
“Do you think you might like to try?” he quipped.
Her eyebrows rose. “Are you saying we might do this again?”
“Only if you want…” he said, his voice deepening. He didn’t wait for her answer. Instead, he began giving her deep strokes, an enticement if she was wavering on the edge.
Her expression was strained—her lips pursed, her eyebrows lowered—as she raised her hips to meet each thrust. Soon, they crashed together, their breaths gusting. When she moaned and shook her head side to side, he quickly pulled free and backed away. With his hands, he urged her to roll over. Then gripping the corners of her hips, he centered himself and thrust inside again. His movements made her knees slide on the covers, but he followed her, not letting up on his quickening thrusts. She was hot and wet, and the trembling of her torso said she was as into this as he was. And damn, he liked the way it felt pushing against her fleshy bottom. Soft, warm, womanly.
Laura raised a hand and held it against the headboard. He reached beneath her and cupped her breasts, squeezing them as he hammered. Her back dipped, tilting her hips, and he thrust deeper, pounding inside now. She let out a strangled shriek and jerked back her head. He withdrew sharply, then groaned as come spurted over her bottom.
He wasn’t too worried about getting her pregnant. After the second time they’d made love, she’d said she was on the pill to regulate her monthly flow, and they’d both been celibate for a while with recent checkups, so he wasn’t worried about any of that.
He leaned over her back and rested against her, supporting them both with a hand planted on the mattress.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she mumbled.
“I’ll always do my best to keep you safe.”
“Always… And once more, it sounds like you want to repeat this.”
He took them to the mattress then turned her again, so they faced each other on the bed. He pushed a lock of hair from her face. “I do. I want to get to know you, Laura.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Care to join me in the shower?”
He smiled. “I won’t say no.”
“Just warning you, you’ll smell like roses.”
“If I’m smelling you all day, I’ll be just fine.”
* * *
Fig met them at the shop just as Laura was unlocking the doors. By her expression, she was feeling grumpy about being up this early, but they’d discussed this work the day before. She needed to install the alarm system before she headed to the office. On the side, he’d told her he’d cover the expense of her time, but she’d insisted she’d do it for free. “Have to make friends here,” she’d said.
He helped her bring in the boxes of equipment then left her to do the work. She hadn’t wanted him underfoot as she installed cameras and sensors. So instead, he’d picked up a broom and a mop and bucket and went to work making sure every little bit of glass was off the floor of the shop while Laura headed to the kitchen to begin baking.
About an hour later, her helper, Katie McMillan arrived to give her a hand with pouring cupcakes into tins and decorating small individual cakes. He’d seen Katie in the shop before but had never paid much attention to her—not when his attention had been stuck on the proprietor. Katie was thin and gangly with freckles and red hair cut short around her head. All three women worked efficiently, not a lot of chatter. With his housekeeping tasks complete, he felt a little useless.