Yanking the shower curtain aside, he angled her forward, caressing the long line of her supple body from hip to where her fingers curled tightly around the bar. “You’re so damn sexy, stretched out before me like a primal goddess.” Tracing the heart-shaped curves of her ass, he stood behind her and curled his hands around her hips.
Nathan had a hard-on that rivaled his strongest piece of rebar. He glided his rigid sex into the silky flesh between her thighs inch by inch.
Hot. Tight. Perfect. With forced patience he let her snug walls adjust to the angle, gritting his teeth against the desire to surge into her without finesse and rut like an animal.
She instinctively rocked back into him and moaned.
Nathan moved with torturous strokes at first, half in, then all the way back out. The mouth of her sex gripped him, trying to keep his pulsing thickness inside. He circled the tip of his cock around her wet opening before plunging in again. The thrusts became shorter, harder, each concentrated stroke bringing him deeper until he withdrew fully and sank to the root.
“Oh God,” she gasped, widening her stance.
Stretching over her back, he aligned their bodies thigh to shoulder, rough flesh to soft. The sensation spun his control to the breaking point. As he snaked an arm around her belly to anchor her against his escalating thrusts, he tasted the dew gathering on the curve of her neck.
While continuing to drive into her with sure, steady strokes, he spread her wide to caress the swollen pearl begging for his attention.
Immediately she wailed, “It’s too much. Nathan, please.” His finger began stroking until several keening sobs broke free and she arched. The spasms of her internal muscles clamping around his cock matched the blood pulsing under his finger. She gasped over and over and it nearly undid him. His balls lifted, but he clenched his butt muscles tightly and regained control.
She stopped thrashing beneath him and went boneless with a final shudder. He gently bit her nape then blew in her ear and swept his finger side to side across her swollen clit.
It set her off again, and the pulses milked his cock until he gritted his teeth.
Sweat beaded between his shoulders to run in a line down his back, between his ass cheeks directly to his overheated balls. “Brace yourself ’cause this is gonna be hard and fast.”
With that said, he pounded into her. Spirals of heat shot up his spine. His legs, usually strong from hours of physical labor, trembled. His thick fingers dug for purchase on her slick hips. An intense wave started a slow roll, then crashed over him. Blinding whiteness roared through his head. A ball of fire exploded in his groin. Every muscle in his body went high and tight, groin, abdomen, buttocks, jaw.
Nathan threw back his head in ecstasy, groaned and let go.
Tate came apart again. Her internal muscles clamped around him like a steel vise.
After the raging in his head dulled, he opened his eyes to utter darkness. The air was heavy with the sounds of labored breathing, the scents of sex and sweat. Sated beyond belief, he felt like he’d finally found the one place he belonged.
“Tate?” he murmured.
“I’m still here.” She snickered. “At least I think so.”
Smoothing his unsteady hands across her damp back, he trailed kisses on her bared skin and slowly withdrew from her body.
After he helped her stand, he cradled her in his arms. “You are incredible.” A lingering, tender kiss later, he said, “I wish I could see your face.”
“Trust me, I’m smiling.” Her fingers traced his jaw, his cheekbones, his nose and his forehead before stopping at his lips. “I guess you are too.”
“Was there ever any question?”
“No. Especially not after you howled.” At her small laugh, her breath tickled his chest hairs as her cheek rested against his thundering heart. A shiver of possession rolled through him. “If your friends wondered where we’d disappeared to, I’m sure they know now.”
“Same goes, jungle girl. I had to stop from coming about three times. Those very sexy noises emerging from your wicked mouth ’bout did me in.”
Content, Nathan held her loosely. This was too strong a feeling to be a simple mutual slaking of lust. The sex between them was astounding. But he’d never felt the urge to belong completely to a woman, heart, body and soul as he did with Tatum Cross. His hold on her increased. “You’re okay? I was kind of rough,” he said gruffly.
“I am now. But truthfully, at first, I didn’t know…”
He stopped drawing lazy circles on her luscious butt. “Didn’t know what?”
“I’ve never, umm…” She sighed. “Okay, so I’ve never done it that way before.”
Nathan’s stomach dropped. His feeling of afterglow dimmed. “Why didn’t you tell me? Jesus, Tate, I would have been—”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I felt…I don’t know… powerful knowing that you wanted me so much that you forgot to be romantic.” A wet tongue rounded his nipple before she lightly bit it. “I’m not some delicate flower that requires soft words and candlelight. I’m just—”
“Not as sexually experienced as you’d led me to believe.” He paused, tipping her face back as if he could read her eyes in the dark. “Tell me something else. That night on the boat, have you ever…?”
“Not with much success,” she admitted with a soft, embarrassed laugh. “Was it that obvious I was a novice?”
“No! My God you destroyed me.” He swallowed, aware that merely thinking about Tate’s mouth on his dick would make him hard again.
“That’s a relief. Lucky for me—for you actually—porn is great inspiration for hands-on demonstration.”
And he went hard anyway. “You watch porn?”
“Strictly for educational purposes.” She wreathed her arms around his neck and breathed a hot challenge. “Wanna watch one with me sometime and act out the good parts?”
“You are trying to kill me, aren’t you?”
“Only if we can die in bed.”
“Speaking of bed.” Pressing his forehead to hers, he fought the fear that she’d think he was needy. But man, he wanted to be with her until the sun rose tomorrow. Truth was, he longed to spend every night, every waking hour with her until the moment she skipped town.
“Speaking of bed, what?”
“Can we try out your bed tonight?”
“Mmm.” Tate licked the line defining his pectorals. “We’ll see. Some other places might be more interesting.”
Relief soared through him. “But that’s a yes that we’re not done tonight?”
“Don’t act so surprised.”
At that moment, Nathan knew the strange sensation banding his heart went deeper than eagerness for more hot sex. And it scared the shit out of him. Although next time they made love it’d be chock-full of all the romantic frills she didn’t claim to need. “Can’t help it,” he muttered. “You continually surprise me.”
“I can’t think of anything I’d like better than to take you home right now and indulge in wild squirrel sex all night long.” She playfully bit his lobe. “Was that a more romantic proposition?”
“It’ll do. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
The air whooshed from Tate’s lungs as Nathan’s body, plastered hers against the wall in her foyer.
Not that she had much air left with the breath-stealing way he kissed her. She hitched her shoulders back. The velvet-flocked wallpaper abraded her skin as he impatiently tugged the thin straps of her sundress down her biceps.
Nathan eased the slinky dress over her hips until it pooled on the rug. “I love this outfit, but I love the body under it more.” His hands took a curve-filled detour. “Soft. Warm. Wet in all the right places. Gimme.”
She giggled. The sight of his large, tanned fingers kneading her pale breasts sent a thrill through her. “Right here?” A moan tumbled forth as he thumbed her nipples and his silky hair brushed over her stomach, her hips.
“I’d like to make it to the bedroo
m at least one time tonight,” he mumbled, lapping with exquisite pressure at the bottom swell of her breast.
Tate unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it on the dried cattails arrangement in the corner. Her hands glided over his pectorals. “Beds are highly overrated.”
“You haven’t been in bed with me.” Fastening his mouth to hers, he kept their gazes locked as he began an unbearably slow but extremely thorough journey down her body with those wickedly talented hands.
Her aunt’s phone rang in the living room.
Nathan pulled away a fraction of an inch. “Ignore it,” he said, continuing to tease her lips.
He’d answer it, a tiny voice reminded her before she snarled at it to disappear.
As the phone continued to peal, she wondered why the hell she hadn’t had the landline disconnected.
Who would be calling at eleven on a Saturday night? Her mother? Definitely didn’t want to chat with her. Didn’t even want to think about her mother when Nathan was doing such naughty things with his tongue.
“Tate. I’m losing you.” He did some maneuver with his hand and thumb that made her gasp. “That’s better,” he murmured, nuzzling her hairline with light, barely there breaths.
The ringing stopped. Probably a wrong number.
Tate closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation of his rough hands trailing over the inner skin of her thighs. Every molecule vibrated under his seductive touch. The slow simmer he’d started in her blood changed, heated and began to boil. Even her ears rang.
No. Dammit. That was the phone ringing again.
He thunked his head on the wall above her. “Fine. I give. Answer it. Quickly.”
She slipped from beneath his curtain of hair and snatched up her dress, using it as a cover as she raced for the phone. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“Trust me. I’ll be right here.”
“Hello?” Tate said. “Val?…Wait…When? Val… Val! Slow down. Well, I’m here now.” Her startled glance moved to Nathan. “Yes…He’s here too…You really want to talk about this now? No…That’s fine…We’ll be there in ten minutes.” She hung up.
“Let me guess… She’s in labor.”
“Yep. We have to go. Now.”
Nathan’s head hit the wall two more times. “As usual, Val’s timing is impeccable.” With a sigh, he grabbed his shirt off the floor, reaching in the front pocket for a ponytail holder. “She was looking for me?”
“Yes, when she couldn’t get a hold of you on your cell, she panicked.”
“I accidentally left my cell here.”
“You must’ve been in an awful hurry to get away if you forgot your beloved cell.”
“I was awfully damn distracted by my sexy-assed date,” he retorted.
Disgusted with the twisted straps on her dress, she threw it on the couch. “I can’t wear this.”
“You haven’t actually had it on all that much,” he said with a very satisfied, very masculine smirk.
“Funny. I’ll be right back.” Tate ran up the stairs naked.
She slipped on clean underwear, a relatively stain-free pair of gym shorts and a Bruno Mars T-shirt. Grabbing an overnight bag, she stuffed in two changes of clothes and pajamas, wondering if she’d even need them.
In the tiny, dimly lit bathroom, she swept everything off the counter into the bag’s side compartment. Packed and ready to roll in two minutes flat.
She flew down the staircase, bag in hand. “Let’s go.” She hesitated, watching him pace a hole in the hallway runner. “Unless you want to take separate cars?”
“No.” He hit the light switch in the living room and herded her toward the foyer.
“You okay?”
“I know it’s her fifth kid and all…” He expelled a slow breath and clasped her hand tightly. “But she’s still my little sister and I worry. How far apart are her contractions?”
Touched by his concern for Val, Tate kissed him and pushed him out the door. “She didn’t say. Let’s go find out.”
Since every light was on at Val and Richard’s house, they didn’t bother to knock.
In the far end of the living area, Val, wearing lime-green pajamas, paced the wooden floor, clutching the small of her back. Richard, still clad in a suit and tie, sat on the staircase with his elbows propped on his knees, watching her like a hawk.
Startled from his daze, Richard rushed toward them. “Thank God.” He shot a glance over his shoulder before he muttered, “Look out. She’s a demon when she’s in labor. And she’s gunning for you two right now.” He flashed a boyish smile. “Glad it’s not me, but my turn is coming, so I’m warning you: you’re on your own.”
“Gee, thanks,” Nathan said.
Val charged forward. “’Bout damn time. Where have you two been?”
Tate withheld her surprise at the wild look in Val’s normally calm brown eyes and the scowl marring her usually serene face. “We were at a party.”
“A party? Have you been drinking?” Val sniffed Tate’s breath and glared at Nathan. “Or was this a party for two?”
“Knock it off,” Nathan said, edging closer to grasp Val’s hand. He stroked her knuckles, then her cheek. “Does it hurt?”
Tate’s heart skipped, watching Nathan’s tender care and patience with Val.
“How far apart?” Nathan murmured, drawing his hand over Val’s shifting belly.
Val closed her eyes, seeming to bask in Nathan’s comfort before she blew out three short breaths. “Five minutes.”
Nathan gave Richard a puzzled look.
Tate was confused. What was wrong? Wasn’t five minutes a good thing?
Richard said, “Her water broke a half hour ago. Not much has happened since then.”
“Except I feel like I’m peeing my pants every two minutes,” Val added crossly.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Tate offered.
Richard and Nathan said “No!” in unison.
She shrank back. Evidently she was the only one who didn’t have a clue about childbirth. It wasn’t her fault she’d never been around a woman in labor. She squared her shoulders and asked, “Why not?”
“Walking helps the labor progress naturally,” Richard said.
“Takes her mind off the pain.” Nathan ambled back to her side and squeezed her hand.
Val started exhaling rapidly. “Time.”
Richard glanced at his watch. “Still at five.”
“Damn. Oh God, it hurts.”
Richard was by Val’s side immediately, forcing her eyes to meet his, breathing in tandem with her until the contraction ended.
It seemed to last forever.
Val wiped her brow before meeting Tate’s wide-eyed gaze with a grunt. “You should see your expression. Absolute horror.”
“Well, what do you expect?” She was damn tired of being the resident idiot. “You’re the one who’s been waltzing around touting the ease of pregnancy. And I get here at the crucial time to find your previous Madonna persona was a big fat lie. You’re hardly recognizable under that snappish attitude, Val.”
“That’s because it hurts! And this is the worst part.” Val glared at Richard when he smothered a chuckle with a cough. “Okay, the next few hours are hideous.” She stepped closer. Her probing gaze turned perceptive. “But I take my earlier statement back. You look terrific. You positively glow.”
Afterglow? Not a myth after all. Tate fought the surge of color rising to her cheeks. She tried to remove her hand from Nathan’s as unobtrusively as possible.
But his grip increased, and he just smiled at his ill-tempered sister.
“I know I’m not supposed to be privy to the intimate details of your agreement. But by the satisfied expressions on both of your faces I don’t have to guess what’s been going on tonight. Which