NAILS HAMMERING INTO WOOD REVERBERATED inside Kayla’s eardrums, causing her eyes to spring open as she lay in her own bed in a fetal position. Taptaptap. Taptaptap. Trying to make out where the noise was coming from, her mind flashed back to the argument she’d had with Richmond last night. Oh God. Had she overreacted? If the man didn’t love her, he just didn’t. And there wasn’t a darn thing she could do about it.
Taptaptap. Taptaptap. It sounded like someone was at her house doing yard work. For Heaven’s sake, it better not be Jason. Lips twisting, she flung back the covers, grabbed her robe from the closet, and marched toward the front door.
Tying the sash on her robe, Kayla’s bare feet brushed the thick fibers of the carpet. Coming here this early in the morning, who in the hell does Jason think he is? Mark her words, she was going to let Jason know that she didn’t appreciate him coming to her house this early in the morning. He’d done this one too many times, and she was sick and tired of it. For him to come here after he’d told her she better keep her mouth shut about finding Salina’s picture in her grandfather’s closet, Jason was bold. Arrogant, too.
Grasping the door knob, Kayla swung open the door. Surprise rushed her. Wearing a pair of jeans and shirtless, Richmond was on his hands and knees, hammering new planks into the porch. He brought his dangling head from between his shoulders and gave her a wide, handsome smile. Kayla’s heart stirred. Chills pimpled her arms.
Richmond’s gaze traveled to the rotten wood lying behind his feet, then back to her face. “Good morning, Sunshine. The old boards were rotten, so I thought I’d replace them this morning. Hope I didn’t awake you from your sleep.”
Tilting her head and glowing on the inside, Kayla’s heart softened like butter. Yes, he’d awaken her, but she surely didn’t mind waking up to a fine man like him working hard on her porch. Because she’d been so broke, she put off having her porch fixed.
As he hammered at the wooden planks, droplets of sweat dripped from his forehead. Hunched over, the strong, glistening muscles in his back flexed. His hard biceps bulged, sheening with perspiration. Kayla had no idea that Richmond was such a handyman.
Wanting to wrap her arms around his shoulders and tell him how sorry she was, her feet seemed glued to the floor. She’d slept restless last night. Had tossed and turned all through the night. Storming out on him, her behavior was immature. “Good morning. I’m surprised to see you.”
“Oh yeah,” he said, keeping his head down while steadily hammering. “I hope it’s a pleasant surprise.”
Shifting her weight, she folded her arms beneath her breasts. Of course, seeing him was a pleasant surprise. She loved him. She just wished he loved her, too. “Thanks for replacing the wood on the porch.”
When Richmond lifted his head to meet her gaze, a bead of sweat drizzled down over his eye. He blinked. “When I’m done with the porch, I’m going to paint the house. I’ll pick up the paint from Lowe’s later on today. Since you’re not moving in with me, I might as well fix up your home. Make sure you’re living good, like every queen should.” I’m a queen? He dragged his arm over his forehead, wiping the sweat off, then stood.
Richmond’s helping out was such a big help, but the last thing she wanted was for him to do it because he felt sorry for her. Like she was a charity case or something. “I appreciate what you’re doing, but you really don’t have to do all of this, Richmond.”
The early morning sun glowed brightly on his face. “I know I don’t, but I want to,” he said, squinting against the sun. “Your fence needs repairing, too. Hopefully, I’ll get to that by the end of next week.” Next week? So he planned on sticking around? Even after the way she’d stormed out of his house last night, he wanted to continue a relationship with her? “May I get a glass of water, please?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.” Where were her manners? She’d been so shocked by him showing up out of the blue like this, she’d forgotten to ask him if he wanted to come inside. She pushed open the screen door and stepped to the side. “Please come in.”
Richmond stepped over the threshold and paused. He stared at her face. Longing enlightened his facial features as he held her gaze. Manly musky scents flowing from his pores streamed up her nose.
He cleared his throat. “You left me last night. Don’t ever walk out on me again. If you do, I’m going to put you over my lap and spank your little sweet ass ‘til it turns bright red and you beg me to stop.” A spanking from him would actually be a turn on. Dipping his head, he clutched her shoulders harder than usual. “Promise you’ll never leave me like that again, Kay?”
“I pro—”
Richmond’s mouth covered hers before she get her answer out. His tongue swirled around inside her early morning breath as if it didn’t bother that she hadn’t brushed her teeth. Well, it may not have bothered him, but it sure as heck bothered her.
Pinning her between the door and his sweaty, bare chest, his shaft grew tough and rigid on her stomach. Her whole body heated like an oven. “Where’s CJ?” he asked, releasing her top lip from his clenched teeth.
“Asleep in his bedroom.”
He flattened a palm on the door above her head, crooked a finger to her chin, and kept his lips gently on hers. Deep yearning crept up inside her. Her nipples curled tight beneath her robe. “I’m ready to tell you how I feel about you, Kay.” The hard ball in his thick neck glided up and down. He continued. “Being with you makes me feel alive. Vibrant. Whenever you decide to stay at your own home at night, I long for your warm body to be in my bed next to me instead. Your face is the first thing I want to see when I awake in the morning, and the last thing I want to see before I close my eyes at night.”
He grabbed her hand, placing it over his heart. His strong, beating heart shook her flat palm. “My heart is beating like drums inside my chest, and it’s because I love you, Kay.”
Kayla’s heart whirred. Her mood shot to buoyancy. Blinking at the tears on her lashes, a soft sob spilled from her pursed lips. “I thought I’d never hear you say those words. I love you, too, Richmond.
He jerked her off her feet and kicked the door closed with the heel of his shoe. Stalking down the hallway with her cradled in his arms, he stated huskily, “I’m still spanking your ass for leaving me last night. You’re not getting away with storming out on me.”
Twisting her arms around his neck, Kayla’s mouth smiled. “You can spank me all you want.”
“You think this is a laughing matter, I see. Let’s see how funny you think it is when my hard hand smacks your rear.” Richmond entered the bed with her snickering in his arms. He closed the bedroom door, locked it, then went and stood over the bed.
Lowering her to her feet, dark desire formed on his rugged, unshaven face. Rounding Kayla, he sat at the foot of the bed and turned her to face him. Glaring up at her, he loosened the knot on her robe and removed it.
Richmond hiked her nightgown up to her hips to find she wasn’t wearing any panties. His lips pulled into a sexy grin. “Perfect.” Gripping her hips, he laid her across his lap, raised his hand high in the air, and paused.
Anticipating the hard smack on her rear, Kayla squeezed her butt cheeks as she glanced over her shoulder up at his hand. As Richmond’s hand came crushing down on her rear, she winced in pleasure. Spank. Spank. Spank.
Writhing in his lap, Kayla’s laughter filled the room. Her butt warmed from the tender, loving licks.
“You think it’s funny, huh?” He hefted her in his arms, and in one quick movement he’d placed her on her back on the mattress. Hovering over her, he lowered the zipper on his jeans and fisted his erection. Right before her eyes, the head of his erection popped from the circle of his grip. Water pooled inside her mouth like a river. He shook his rod at her, then put the head at her moist opening. “See if you’ll be able to laugh with all this buried deep inside you.” Groaning, he pushed. Rocking his hips back, he pushed again. And again. Sliding to her creamy bottom, his member throbbed.
As Richmo
nd and Kayla lay in the bed making up, making sweet, tender love, the red-bellied woodpecker arrived and started pecking its beak on the glass window. All this pecking, Kayla thought, spreading her legs wider, then wrapping them around Richmond’s waist.
Appreciating the way he’d taken the initiative to make up with her, her heated sex sucked him harder and exploded. Cumming on his erection, Richmond’s thrusts quickened. The muscles in his face hardened, and she could tell he was clenching his teeth. Could tell his orgasm was puddled at the tip of his member.
Driving into her, he captured her mouth. Bucking on his stem, their kiss deepened. Grunting, he broke their kiss and flipped her to her stomach. As she lay with the side of her face to the mattress, he reentered her from behind. “I love you, Kay.”