To play supplicant for this one moment.

  I dragged the back of my hands up her inner thighs then out along the curve of her hip. She shivered as my touch firmed along her back before I settled my hands on her waist. I lightly coasted my thumbs along her lower belly to skim over the trail of hair over her pussy.

  Again and again, I touched her, but yet I didn’t touch her. I listened to the cadence of her breath as I got closer to her cleft, followed by her frustrated sigh when I made my way up her body to her ribs, only to make a return trip without making contact with all the places she wanted me to.

  Frustration mixed with lust was a powerful motivator to keep going. Each pass was making her crazier.

  I brushed my nose along the short curls between her legs and groaned at how wet she was.

  Finally, I tunneled both my thumbs through her swollen center and opened her for my mouth. She gripped my shoulders and cried out my name as I slipped my tongue inside to taste her for the first time.

  It wasn’t close enough. I needed more. I needed all of her saturating my mouth. I gripped her hip with one hand then hooked her knee over my shoulder.

  She gave a startled cry, but her eyes were locked on mine as I chased my tongue with two fingers. She gripped me so tight, I had to go somewhere else in my mind.

  My dick was so hard and ready, but I knew the high would be so much better after she fell apart around me. After I prolonged it and made her as insane as I already felt.

  I licked and sucked her tight clit, all the while wishing it was my length inside her instead of my fingers. I twisted them to use my thumb to tease and taunt while I took another breath and dove back inside.

  Her taste was already imprinted on my brain. A tiny part of my brain shouted it had happened too quickly. This was just supposed to be some fun, so we could let off some steam and maybe bring down the tension level between us.

  The rush roared in my head as I pushed her more. Demanded more from her body. Her thigh shook along my cheek and her grip bit into my shoulder. She soaked my chin and hand and still, I didn’t let up. I followed all her signals, dug deeper in the recesses of my mind, then groaned against her thigh as she shook around me.

  Her nails dug into my flesh even more and I was glad for my wet thermal or else I was certain she would’ve drawn blood.

  She shuddered as she leaned hard against me. “Clay, I can’t take anymore. I’m going to fall over.”

  “Can’t have that.” I caught around her waist and shifted so I could stand, then swept her up into my arms.

  She squeaked but held onto my shoulders as I strode to her bed and set her down. She tried to twist up to meet me, but I distracted her with a kiss as I pushed all the damn pillows away.

  Her hand went to my belt.

  I groaned. That was the road to perdition for sure. I wasn’t prepared for more than one go at this. I wasn’t the guy with a strip of condoms in my wallet, and I had a feeling there wasn’t a stash in her very feminine place.

  I straightened and peeled off my wet shirt.

  She popped up again, kneeling in front of me. “Well, that’s unexpected.”

  I quirked an eyebrow at her with my arms over my head. “Chest hair?”

  She laughed. “No, but I like it.” She raked her fingers through the light smattering of hair over my belly. She leaned in with that secret smile and flicked her tongue along the underside of my pectoral muscle and as quick as a snake, took a bite out of my flesh.

  I hissed out a breath as I tossed my shirt over my shoulder and tried to bring her attention back to my mouth.

  Her cool fingers did a return trip to my belt. “No, all the muscles. I mean, I figured from the bus and all, but seeing them?” She outlined the ridges of my abs. “Tech guy? You sure?”

  I laughed. “I run five miles on my treadmill before work.”

  “Hmm.” She lowered her mouth to my belly. “Think it’s a bit more work than that, sir.”

  I swallowed a groan as she nipped a bit of skin along the top of my belt. “Rowing machine,” I said with a growl and dragged her mouth back up to mine.

  She grinned into the kiss. The tip of her finger slid over the chain of my necklace. I could see the questions in her eyes as she flipped over the ancient compass charm I wore, but she didn’t voice her curiosity. “Okay, Mr. Control. You don’t want me to do the unbuckling.”

  I jerked my buckle open. “I want you under me.”

  Her eyes went dark as she shrugged my shirt off her shoulders. “Show me.”

  I toed off my boots and shucked my jeans in record time, rolling her under me as I spread her out on the bed. She opened for me, cradling me between her thighs as if we’d done this a million times. My necklace swung between us.

  I didn’t want to think about doing the right thing right now.

  I was so tired of course correcting my life all the time. I slipped it over my head and dropped it on her bedside table before I eased myself back between her soft thighs.

  She fit me in as many ways as she drove me crazy. I hissed as she cupped my shaft through my boxers. I could feel her heat through the cotton and wanted inside of her.

  I ground myself against her softness and she squirmed under me, wiggling higher to wrap her arms around my shoulders. “This is going to be interesting.”

  I grinned down at her. “Interesting?”

  “You’re so damn tall.” She wrapped her leg around my hip and rolled up against me. “But so good.” She bit my neck. “So big.”

  I slid my hand between her thighs. “So wet for me.” She jerked against my hand. “Sensitive?”

  She nodded, then her eyes slid shut as she opened for me. “So good though.”

  “Slow?” I cupped her, dragging my fingers through her slickness. “Or hard?” I twisted to fill her with two fingers.

  She arched her back. “Is it greedy to say both?”

  I lowered my mouth to her neck, then down to her collarbone as I gently glided in and out of her heat. “I like you greedy. It matches how I feel.” I swirled my tongue along her neck and over to her shoulder, all the while keeping in time with her undulating hips.

  I pressed my aching dick into the mattress, but it didn’t help. Only one thing would satisfy me at this point.

  I went from two to three fingers as I stretched her. Sighs turned to moans as she soaked my hand. I tried to slide down to take another taste and she stopped me.

  “No. Inside me. Please. I…” Her chest rose with each pant. “I can’t.”

  I turned my hand to the side to get more coverage over her swollen pussy. Her voice rose and her pants grew to whimpers. “Go over, baby. Go over.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can.” I drew her nipple into my mouth as I stroked and chased her wild bucking. “God, yes. Just like that. You’re so fucking beautiful.” I widened her legs to get as deep as I could.

  Get the condom.

  My brain was shrieking it like a mantra, but I wanted to push her over again. Her back arched as she twisted the sheets and bowed up off the bed.

  I rose over her to capture her scream of my name. She shuddered and quaked around my hand, clamping her knees together as she rode out her orgasm. But that wasn’t enough for me. I buried my face in her neck and kept strumming in the way I was learning was her specific chord.

  She raked her nails down my back and bit my shoulder.

  “Harder,” I said against the pain. It bloomed inside me and the pleasure soaked into me, making everything so clear and wild.

  She fumbled between us to cup me, her fingers slipping inside my boxers to flesh.

  I pushed myself into her hand with a groan.

  “Inside me, Clay. Inside me.” She scraped her teeth down my neck. “Inside me.”

  I leaned back onto my knees and she scrambled forward, dragging my boxers down. She mirrored me, kneeling on the bed in front of me. She dragged the head of my cock along her belly, smearing my precum on her skin.

  I couldn’t tear my gaze from her porcelain flesh and my much darker cock pressing against her softness. She rocked against me, palming the length then down to circle the base, then repeated it until more leaked from the tip.

  “Inside me.”

  “Yes.” There was no holding on at this point. My mouth crashed into hers. “You’re making me insane.”

  She laughed. “So says the guy who wants me to literally lose my mind—death by orgasm. Better than the last time I...”

  I frowned. “You what?”

  She shook her head. “It’s never been like this. I mean, I don’t want to swell your…head.” She squeezed my shaft. “Okay, maybe a little because this is going to feel so good.”

  My brain fuzzed and whatever darkness had flashed over her face was long gone. I leaned back, but there was no way to get to my jeans without detangling myself. “Condom. I…” A groan made me throw my head back and push myself into her hand. “Just a second.”

  She rubbed her breasts against my chest like a cat. “Hurry up then.” Then she let me go.

  It took everything inside of me not to grab her hand and wrap her around me again. To tether us again.

  With a huff of breath, I stepped off the bed to rummage through my pockets for my wallet.

  Don’t be in the truck.

  Don’t be in the truck.

  Thank fuck. It thunked onto the floor and I flipped it open to find one lonely foil packet behind my black Amex.

  I stood, my cock straining to get back to her. Crawling to the edge of the bed, she pressed the top of her head against my belly and encircled my length. “Good thing you thought ahead.”

  “Just the ever-present faith a man has in unexpected sex.”

  She leaned back with a laugh, her knees pressed together. “Everything about us is unexpected.”

  I ripped the foil wrapper open and drew it down over my length. Protecting her, protecting me, even if a small part of me wished for full contact.

  Not for you.

  I curled my arm around her back and lifted her enough to roll her onto her back. This was for me though. This moment and this woman who would allow me to sink into her for a few precious moments even if I didn’t deserve it.

  She opened for me, her summer sky eyes unflinching in their welcome. I braced myself with one hand on the bed beside her as I slicked the head of my cock through her wetness.

  Then it was nothing but clasping warmth as I sunk into her. I wanted it to be slow. I wanted to savor, but there was no savoring. Not when I was finally right here.

  She tipped her hips and then I was all in. My arms almost buckled at the pure pleasure of having her wrapped around me, but she kissed my arm, then my neck as she curled her arms around my neck, pulling me in tight.

  Then there was nothing but movement.

  Sinking into her body and retreating. My hips snapped forward, wanting to get closer. To go deeper. She flowed up against me, our rhythm never faltering.

  The lights above us bounced and shot light everywhere as the snow coated the world outside, offering us the ultimate isolation for this moment. Sweat dripped from my forehead to my nose but I couldn’t stop driving into her.

  Her hands fell to my hips, her nails digging into my sides. I could tell she needed something more. I eased back onto my knees and teased her pussy with the tip of my cock, then opened her legs wider. I lightly raked my fingers up to her breasts then back down over her ribs to hold her down.

  I tipped my hips forward and slammed into her. Her eyes went wide. She didn’t know what to do with her hands and her arms went up over her head to hold onto the frame.

  She took each thrust and when her back arched, I dropped down on top of her to up the friction and the angle, finding whole new ways to drive her mad.

  My reward was her shaking around me. Drenching me.

  She curled her arms under mine and held onto my shoulders, linked her ankles at my back and I had no choice but to let go. She clasped around my cock, my name a chant in my ear.

  I ground her into the mattress, my spine screaming from the punishing strokes until finally, finally, I emptied myself into her. The room went from lush light to deep darkness and finally, there was nothing but the scent of blackberries and Rachel.

  Chapter 10

  Rachel

  No Regrets, Mostly

  I was fairly sure we both died.

  Considering there was about two hundred pounds of man lying on me straight out, he had to be dead too. I pressed my face into his neck, dragging in his pine scent. I managed to inch my way up enough to nip his ear. “Psst. You alive?”

  He grumbled something incoherent into my ear.

  I snorted. “Oxygen is starting to be a factor.” I pushed at his shoulder. When he didn’t move, I wiggled a little.

  He dragged in a startled breath and pushed up. “Oh, shit.” He glanced down between us and his dark eyes did that heavy-lidded thing that made me tingle all over.

  My brain didn’t quite come back to life, because wow, fucked into submission was definitely my current reality.

  He took care of the messier details of stupendous sex, then rolled off me and crossed to the bathroom. I rolled over onto my stomach and wished for about a gallon of water. I couldn’t think of the last time I’d enjoyed this kind of activity.

  I stretched out my arms before tucking them under my cheek. I glanced out the window to find Mother Nature had been very busy while I’d been…otherwise engaged. I grinned into my arm. I didn’t think that quite covered it. I wasn’t aware I had four orgasms in me for a week, let alone an afternoon.

  And yet here I was.

  A near-stranger had given me the best sex of my life.

  Who freaking knew?

  A glint of something caught my eye. I reached for the necklace Clay had taken off and studied the smooth back. It was old and well-worn. He probably never took it off. I flipped it over to find the eroded details of a compass. As if he’d touched it often over the course of time.

  It was a simple box chain, but it was sturdy and innately male. A compass had so many meanings. Sailing? Maybe it was his grandfather’s? Father’s?

  The bed dipped as he slid in beside me, curling me back against his body. His arm wrapped around my middle to cup my breast before he dropped a kiss on my neck. He’d put his boxers back on, which was both a relief and disappointment.

  I turned my hand to let the chain swing free. “I wouldn’t take you for a jewelry guy.”

  He tucked his chin into the space between my shoulder and neck. “I wear it as a reminder.” His hand snaked up under the sheet to take the necklace before he rolled onto his back and stuffed a pillow behind his head.

  I rolled over and settled against his side.

  He was still looking at the charm. “I haven’t taken it off in years.”

  I wanted to ask questions. They were literally fighting not to fly off my tongue. Why? What’s the story? When did you put it on? Was it a lover? A bad breakup?

  But I valued privacy more now than ever. Even if it tasted like acid right now.

  He grinned down at me as he slid the chain over his head again. “You’re unlike any woman I know.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” I rose up on my elbow, letting the sheet slide free.

  His gaze tracked to my chest and his pupils dilated. “Why I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

  I felt the flush heat my neck to my chest.

  “Still, I can see all the questions in your eyes.”

  I started to hike the sheet up, but he stilled my hand. I rolled my eyes at him. He just shrugged with a smile. “We barely know each other. I wouldn’t pry. Okay, I want to, but I wouldn’t.”

  He lifted it off his chest, swiping his thumb over the front before letting it fall back. “Just a reminder of a mistake I made.” He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, then cupped my cheek. “I think we all have one of those in our past.”

  “Or more than one.” I turned my face to lean into his touch, then met his gaze. “This wasn’t a mistake, even if it’s just this once.”

  He grinned. “Probably one of my more impulsive moments, but no, I don’t regret it. And it definitely won’t be once.”

  I lowered my face to his chest, nuzzling into his soft hair. “Is that so?”

  “You know it is.”

  I glanced up at him. “Handily, it’s been a minute since I was naked with someone. I’m in no hurry to make it the last.”

  His gaze narrowed. “How long’s a minute?” He threaded his fingers into my hair as I licked his salty skin.

  I nibbled my way up to the curve of his pectoral muscle. A hint of intensity in his eyes made me far bolder than I normally would have been. “Well, I mean like zero minutes now.” He groaned and I smiled against his skin. “But it’s been a crazy year. And I’m pretty much just surrounded by family or people who are already paired off. Not much of a pool to choose from.”

  “So, I’m good enough, am I?”

  I laughed as he gripped my hair tight enough to drag me up to his mouth. Then there was no laughing at all. The tiny lick of pain along my scalp stirred something in me. Clearly, I wasn’t finished with him after all. Our mouths clashed together, sipping and tasting as if we hadn’t just turned each other inside out.

  I shouldn’t be surprised his control-freakishness aspect continued into the bedroom. But I couldn’t say I really minded. Letting go was new for me on every level, but getting literally swept off my feet wasn’t such a bad thing.

  Especially when I ended up being on the other end of his clever tongue.

  It had creative uses other than pissing me off.

  He cupped my face, drawing me up and over him. I straddled him, rubbing along his very happy cock.

  I wasn’t sure where he got all the talent with his tongue. I honestly didn’t want to know. I’d enjoy it and vaguely thank whomever he practiced on.

  No, actually…

  I slanted my mouth along his, testing and tasting, until he wasn’t the only one making the moves. When he groaned into my mouth and canted his hips against my center, I matched him stroke for stroke.