"I want to," she whispered, and she did. "I'm trying," she said, and she was. "Help me,"
she begged him, still pleading with him for her pleasure, even past the night hours.
Holding himself perfectly still inside her, not nearly all the way there but still so big she thought she might burst from the exquisite pressure, she felt his tongue move across the top of her shoulder, one long, smooth, wet stroke all the way up her neck to her earlobe. Without any effort on her part at all, her muscles unclenched and let go of their tight grip on him.
"That's it, sweetheart," he praised as he slid deeper, her muscles and flesh separating for him. "So tight. So hot." His tongue found her neck again. "So soft." She tilted her head back so that her mouth could find his and he murmured, "So sweet," against her lips.
His tongue found hers and then he was slipping out of her and repositioning them so that she was flat on her back, with her legs spread wide open. He found a condom in the bedside table and she watched with rapt fascination--and desperate desire--as he slipped it over the crest of his erection, then all the way down the thick, long shaft, shiny with her juices.
"You're beautiful, Cole."
He went suddenly still between her thighs, a heartbeat away from plunging back into her wet heat. "You're not scared anymore?"
She blushed to remember how worried she'd been last night, how frightened she'd been of his size, his sensuality. When he'd undone her blindfold, the size of his erect penis made her blanch with shock, with the sure knowledge that she couldn't possibly take him inside without being torn in two.
It didn't occur to her to be anything but honest. "How can I be scared when you make me feel so good?"
His pupils, already dark, nearly doubled in size as he looked down at her nakedness, the way her thighs were spread open for him, the way her breasts shook and bounced as she reached for him.
"You make me feel good, too, Anna. So good I'm surprised the pleasure isn't killing me."
No one had ever wanted her like this. No one had ever looked at her with such dangerous heat. No one had ever tied her up and played with her body until she was begging, pleading, crying for release.
No one but Cole.
Her husband.
At the exact moment that she pulled his head down for a kiss, he drove into her pussy, hard and deep. She lost her exhale to his lungs and he took what was left of her breath with a searing kiss.
"Again. Just like that," she begged against his mouth.
But instead of granting her this wish, he took long, slow glides in, then out of her, one after the other.
"You're still too sore, too swollen." He grimaced as he pushed back inside. "I shouldn't even be taking you now. It's too soon. You aren't used to me, to my size."
Anna knew she should appreciate the care he was taking with her, the way he was trying to protect her from pain, but the pleasure streaking through her system had pain turning to ecstasy, need turning to desperation.
Last night when she'd been bound to the bed frame, she hadn't been able to control any part of their lovemaking. And Cole had been right--it was just what she needed to force herself to let go and embrace the greatest pleasure she'd ever known.
But this morning, the rules had changed.
She had changed.
And she would take what she wanted whether Cole thought she could handle it or not.
Reaching her hands around to hold onto his tight rear muscles, she thrust her hips up with all her might.
"Anna," he all but shouted as she buried him to the hilt, so far in that she could feel his balls pressing in tight to her butt cheeks. Both of them stilled completely, panted, moaned.
Oh God. He was in so deep, deeper than last night, and she suddenly realized just how much he had held back his own needs on their wedding night.
"Don't hold back, Cole." Her voice was as dark and heavy as his now.
"I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart."
She loved that he cared enough for her to want to protect her, but not now.
Not from this.
"Take me, Cole. Make me yours."
She emphasized her demands with the strong, tight pull of her arms and legs wrapping around his body.
He cursed, grimaced, obviously tried to fight for control. "Sweet Anna."
The heavy, hard weight of Cole's body rammed into her, pushing so far down into the mattress that she could almost feel the box spring beneath it. But instead of being frightened, instead of regretting her impulsive, fevered request, she relished their lovemaking, every thrust, every groan, the hard slap of damp flesh as they came together and pulled apart in perfect rhythm.
Her inner muscles were clenching down on him again, harder than ever before, but instead of any pain there was nearly impossible pleasure, so deep and pure she could do nothing more than close her eyes and hold on as Cole gripped her hips and rammed his thick shaft into her, pulling her nipple into his mouth to rake his teeth across the stiff peak.
The muscles across his back and hips were drawn tight, the tendons taut and bulging as she gently scraped her nails across his skin.
Her belly tightened, her breasts arched into his mouth, her clit swelled.
And then she exploded, every muscle in her body seeming to tighten, then release, as she flew higher and higher into the blinding sparks that Cole was shooting off all around her.
The power of her orgasm shocked her into opening her eyes and that was when she realized he was propping himself up, one strong arm on either side of her face. He was staring down at her with such wonder, such amazement, that her heart almost stopped beating.
"Cole."
She whispered his name, reached up to cup his beautiful face in her hands. Just as their lips touched, he stilled, tightened, grew even bigger within her slick walls. She wanted to feel him explode, wanted to know that she'd made him feel as good as he'd made her feel the night before.
"Come for me, Cole."
The same words from his lips had sent her over the edge only hours before. And now she was the one taking him there.
*
Cole hadn't thought anything could top the previous night, certainly not first-thing-in-the-morning sex. But feeling Anna's hands on his skin, her arms and legs wrapped around him, knowing her desire--rather than his knowledge of all the things he planned to teach her--was leading their dance ... hell, it was like nothing he'd ever known. Cradling her in his arms, he rolled over to his back. Looking down at her, he saw that her eyes were closed and there was a smile on her lips.
"That was incredible."
He stroked her back and she moved closer, her head in the crook of his shoulder, breathing soft and even. He was amazed by everything about her. Her sweetness, how she managed to retain her innocence even after he'd been fucking her hard and deep, but especially the way she'd given him her trust.
All he'd been looking for was a good girl. Somehow, he'd gotten so much more.
Sunlight streamed in the windows. He didn't want to wait much longer before taking Anna to meet his grandmother. She was going to love his new wife. Who wouldn't?
The thought stopped him cold, his hand mid-stroke on Anna's back.
He couldn't spend all day--or even all morning--in bed with Anna. He needed to get them up and out the door ASAP. His grandmother had looked tired and pale the previous morning. How quickly could cancer spread? How much time did he have left?
Cole abruptly threw off the covers and got out of bed. Anna stared at him, the furrow between her eyebrows speaking to her confusion.
"We need to get going soon." He pulled her out of the bed, more roughly than he intended. "Let's go shower."
Anna tugged her hand from his. "Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Especially after we just ..." Her flushed cheeks filled in the rest of the sentence.
Fear and worry for his grandmother suddenly taking precedence over everything, he said,
"I want to introduce you to my grandmother. She's better in the
morning."
Anna's face--which was even prettier in the light of day--immediately softened. Coming toward him, she put her hands back in his.
"I'd love to meet her, Cole."
Using the moment to his advantage, he drew her across the room into the large, tiled bathroom. He couldn't wait to spend some time with Anna in the huge Jacuzzi tub, was practically salivating at the thought of turning the jets onto her, watching her come apart beneath the pulsating streams of water he'd aim directly at her clit. But that ridiculously potent fantasy would have to wait.
He turned the shower on and when the water was warm enough, brought Anna under the spray. She reached for the shampoo and even though they needed to hurry, he plucked it from her fingers.
"I'll wash you," he said, each word gruffer than the one before.
His dick grew bigger with every stroke of his fingertips against her scalp, as he tilted her head back slightly and watched the soapy water stream down her spine and over her luscious ass.
"My God, you're beautiful," he said as he picked up a bar of soap and ran it over every inch of her soft skin.
She shivered against him, moaning softly as he soaped and rinsed her breasts, her arms, her belly, her legs, and then--finally--her sweet pussy.
Cole barely held onto his control as he grazed her clit with his fingertips, then pushed the soap all the way along her labia, from clit to anus.
Her legs all but buckled beneath her as he stroked her clean and he had to catch her in his arms to keep her from falling.
"How can I still want you?" she whispered into his chest. "How can I still need you after everything we've just done?"
There was no hope for it. Hating himself for taking any longer than he had to before bringing her to his grandmother, Cole simply couldn't resist what Anna was offering.
Still holding her in his arms, he moved her so that her back was flat against the tiles. She gasped as she felt his erection pressed hard and thick against her belly.
"Hold onto my neck," he instructed her.
Her hands trembled as she complied, but he knew it wasn't nerves this time that had her shaky. It was pure, unfettered lust.
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to fuck you right here, right now, up against the wall in the shower."
Her tongue came out to lick at her lips, her teeth biting down on her full lower lip in uncertainty. Somewhere in the back of Cole's brain he knew he was pushing her too far, too fast, but he couldn't stop himself.
Not when he wanted Anna this badly.
Not when he'd been almost incoherent with lust since the moment he'd set eyes on her.
Not when even the previous two times he'd taken her hadn't done a damn thing to slake that desire.
"Wrap your legs around me and hold on tight, sweetheart."
Without waiting for her agreement--because he wasn't asking, he was demanding--in one swift move, he put his hands on her ass, and as she opened her legs to him, he lifted her up and slid her down onto his throbbing shaft.
Her head fell back, a moan of pleasure escaping her lips. Thanking God that she was such a quick learner, the next thing he knew, she was riding him like she'd been having stand-up sex in a bathroom all her adult life, her clit rubbing against his pelvic bone, her breasts against the hair on his chest.
"Oh God, yes, yes, yes!"
Cole had to grit his teeth to ride out her orgasm and keep from shooting into her as her pussy clenched and pulled at his cock.
His balls pulled in tight to his body, his abs tight, Cole knew he couldn't hold back his release another second. Pulling out of her wet, clasping heat on a roar, he thrust himself into her belly, streams of ejaculate coating her once-clean skin.
When it was all over, when he realized she was trying to get back down on the floor but he hadn't loosened his grip, Cole gently lowered her and washed her clean. She leaned against the wall, still panting as he quickly shampooed and soaped up. Turning off the water, he handed her a towel.
"Thank you."
Despite the fact that she'd been fucking him like a wild woman in the shower not five minutes ago, she sounded just as prim, just as innocent as she had the night before.
He was about to tell her how mind-blowing fucking her was when she made a sudden sound of dismay.
"My clean clothes are all back in my room."
"They were delivered last night."
"When? I didn't hear anyone knock on the door." Her eyes went big. "Oh no. They didn't come while we were..."
Cole barely hid his grin in time at her clear embarrassment. Still, he couldn't stop himself from teasing, "Come to think of it, we were pretty loud last night." He lowered his voice, made sure she held his gaze. "Especially when you were begging me to make you come."
Her face flamed again and he had to press a kiss to her sweet mouth.
"You're too easy, sweetheart."
Shooting him an irritated glance, she said, "I'm going to get dressed."
After she'd left the bedroom, Cole realized it was the first time he'd been alone since last night. Normally, when he was done fucking, he couldn't wait for the woman to go home and leave him alone. But even though Anna was only a room away, even though he could hear her unzipping her suitcase and pulling out clothes, she was too far away.
He didn't just want her in the same room.
He wanted her in his arms.
As he dressed, Cole forced himself to face what had happened on their wedding night, despite how much he'd rather keep his head in the sand over what Anna was making him feel.
Of course he'd wanted to give her pleasure. And he'd taken the responsibility she'd given him to show her true pleasure seriously. But at the same time, he'd been fighting against the strange feeling in his chest--a warmth he'd never felt for any other woman--and had thought that tying her up and doing kinky things to her would put some separation into sleeping with her.
But it had backfired.
Big time.
Because even as she'd been begging and pleading with him for release, he'd been the one dying. Just thinking about the way she'd been naked and stretched out and bound and blindfolded--and so damn sweet, through it all--had him hard again.
Because he hadn't known it could be like that either.
And he wasn't just talking about the sex.
Cole hadn't known he could feel that close to anyone.
Not until he'd met Anna.
Chapter Seven
"My grandmother is probably going to ask you all sorts of questions, like how we met.
Let's change around a few of the details."
Still trying to catch her breath from the way Cole was shooting through the streets of Las Vegas in his sports car as if he were trying to win a race, Anna somehow managed to get a reply out through her clenched teeth.
"Which details?"
Cole shifted gears again and knocked the air she'd just sucked in back out of her lungs.
"Most of them. I'd like to get our story straight before we get to the hospital."
They hit a straightaway and she was finally able to think clearly enough to hear the warning bells clanging in her head. A hundred questions shot through her mind all at once. She started with, "We need a story?"
His face was the picture of innocence--her first clue that something wasn't right. Until now, Cole had been nothing but wicked. And she'd loved every second of it. Innocence looked all wrong on him.
"My grandmother is from a different generation and I think it might be easier for her to accept our relationship if she thinks it's more than a quickie Vegas wedding."
The words quickie Vegas wedding grated at her, made her feel like nothing more than a cheap slut all of a sudden.
"Are you saying you want me to lie to your grandmother?"
A muscle jumped in Cole's jaw and his hand tightened on the gear shift. "Look, Anna, she's really sick. Stage four melanoma."
"Oh, Cole." Even though what he was saying wasn't sitting right with her, she had
to put her hand over his, had to try to give him comfort.
"She raised me. Took care of me when anyone else would have put themselves first. All she's ever wanted is for me to be happy. To have a good life."
"She sounds amazing."
"She is. That's why I've got to fulfill her dying wish, Anna."
There was no logical reason for her to feel as if ice had just settled over her heart. Not when she was out in the middle of the desert with a man who had taught her the true meaning of pleasure. All she wanted was to rewind an hour, to go back to being in Cole's arms beneath the covers.
"What's her dying wish?"
Cole looked as tense as she'd ever seen him. "Jesus, there's no good way to say this." He grimaced, blowing out a hard breath. The muscles along his forearm were taut. "She wanted me to fall in love with a good girl. So I told her that I already did and that I was going to bring you to meet her this morning."
An icicle speared her chest, going so deep that for a moment she half expected to find blood on her shirt.
Pulling her hand from his, she turned away from him and focused her gaze on the flat road. His words from the night before came back at her: Perfect. My sweet little schoolteacher.
"Oh my God, that's why you picked me last night."
"Anna, sweetheart, don't take it like that."
She whirled to face him, her seat belt cutting into her skin. "Don't take it like the truth, you mean? God, I'm so stupid. So unbelievably, idiotically stupid. Of course you wouldn't have come over to me without an ulterior motive. You could have had anyone in that club." Her throat swelled, caught on her next words. "But you had to find a good girl for your grandmother--and I was the only one in the room wearing a halo."
Without warning, Cole drove off the side of the freeway into the dirt, causing a huge dust storm all over his previously shiny car. "Fine, so I picked you out of the crowd because you looked innocent." He was clearly angry, frustrated. "But that doesn't change what happened between us last night. That doesn't change the fact that we can't keep our hands off each other."
"Wrong. It changes everything."
"No. It doesn't change this."
He had their seat belts off and his mouth on hers so fast she couldn't stop her reaction to it, couldn't stop her tongue from mating with his, couldn't stop her whimper of desire from sounding into his car.