as he pulls into her
driveway. She stands in the doorway, wearing a pink and yellow sundress with
straps so tiny they would snap if pulled too hard. With one hand behind the
door and the other on the knob, she uses it almost as a shield, partially
hiding herself. A shy smile crosses her face as he climbs out of the car.
Forcing himself not to run, he strides up
the white, stone sidewalk. Unable to hold back once he reaches her, he sweeps
her up, burying his face in her neck, breathing in a hint of her soft, flowery
perfume. “What do I have to do to prove I love you and won’t hurt you?”
“Nothing.”
Her answer is a wisp of breath against
his hair. If he didn’t have her pressed against him, he wouldn’t have heard it.
The death grip she has on him, her arms coiled around his neck, and her legs
squeezing his waist, tell him even more than her words she believes him. At
least in this moment. “If you get scared or upset, tell me. Don’t run away.”
She nods, her deep breath tickling his
neck. As relief washes over him, another sensation begins to build. Her sweet
body clings to his, the cashmere skin of her bare shoulders sparkling in the
sunlight, dress bunched up so he could easily slip his hands underneath. He
swallows hard, trying to clear his throat and his mind. “What do we do now?”
Slowly sliding down his front, she looks
up to him. Both her eyes and her smile sparkle with happiness. “Will you spend
the day with me?”
He would take a bullet before he’d tell
her no. “Here? With you? I guess so…”
She giggles at his teasing before her
small, soft hand slides into his. “Come on. I’ll show you my favorite thing to
do on a lazy Sunday.”
They walk through the house to a
two-tiered wooden deck cloaked by thick walls of trees and bushes. On the lower
level, a patio table with a red umbrella and four yellow and red stripped
chairs sits near a silver grill. An enormous white hammock swings between two wooden
posts a few feet in front of them. Three small stacks of books cover the table
next to it. He nods towards them. “Are those yours?”
“Most of them. Carrie has a few, but she
doesn’t really like to read.”
He reaches over and picks up one with a
half-naked man on the cover. “Are you reading this?”
Her bubbly laughter as she shakes her
head eliminates his remaining tension. “No, it’s Carrie’s. She likes the
naughty ones.”
He flips to the bookmarked page and
begins to read aloud. “‘
I’m going to take you now. I’m going to take you hard and fast until
you scream my name. When you scream my name, then I’ll know you’re mine. All
mine. You belong to me.’”
He raises his eyebrows. “This explains a
lot.”
Pink tinges her face as she plucks the
book out of his hand and tosses it back on the table. “Come on, let’s find
something better.”
She picks up
The Winter of Our Discontent
and hands it to him. They lay cuddled
together in the fabric sling as he reads the first few chapters aloud, his
fingers stroking across her cheek and into her silky hair. Her even breathing
and soft body confirm she’s relaxed too. A quiet easiness between them he never
knew he craved until she created it for him. He stops and smiles at her attempt
to muffle a yawn. “Am I boring you?”
“Sorry! No, my…boyfriend kept me up late
last night. I’m a little bit sleepy.”
His heart skips a beat at the message she
sends with her choice of words. “Well, he must be a real ass keeping you from
your beauty sleep.”
She lifts her head and looks at him. An
emotion he hopes is love swirls in her deep blue eyes as her chin rests on his
chest. “Absolutely not. He’s perfect.”
Rising up on his elbow, he kisses her
lips. “I could go for a nap too, but you have to promise me you’ll be here when
I wake up.”
“I promise.”
With her curled next to him, he closes
his eyes and lets himself go, allowing the thought of her always being with him
to float into his mind.
driveway. She stands in the doorway, wearing a pink and yellow sundress with
straps so tiny they would snap if pulled too hard. With one hand behind the
door and the other on the knob, she uses it almost as a shield, partially
hiding herself. A shy smile crosses her face as he climbs out of the car.
Forcing himself not to run, he strides up
the white, stone sidewalk. Unable to hold back once he reaches her, he sweeps
her up, burying his face in her neck, breathing in a hint of her soft, flowery
perfume. “What do I have to do to prove I love you and won’t hurt you?”
“Nothing.”
Her answer is a wisp of breath against
his hair. If he didn’t have her pressed against him, he wouldn’t have heard it.
The death grip she has on him, her arms coiled around his neck, and her legs
squeezing his waist, tell him even more than her words she believes him. At
least in this moment. “If you get scared or upset, tell me. Don’t run away.”
She nods, her deep breath tickling his
neck. As relief washes over him, another sensation begins to build. Her sweet
body clings to his, the cashmere skin of her bare shoulders sparkling in the
sunlight, dress bunched up so he could easily slip his hands underneath. He
swallows hard, trying to clear his throat and his mind. “What do we do now?”
Slowly sliding down his front, she looks
up to him. Both her eyes and her smile sparkle with happiness. “Will you spend
the day with me?”
He would take a bullet before he’d tell
her no. “Here? With you? I guess so…”
She giggles at his teasing before her
small, soft hand slides into his. “Come on. I’ll show you my favorite thing to
do on a lazy Sunday.”
They walk through the house to a
two-tiered wooden deck cloaked by thick walls of trees and bushes. On the lower
level, a patio table with a red umbrella and four yellow and red stripped
chairs sits near a silver grill. An enormous white hammock swings between two wooden
posts a few feet in front of them. Three small stacks of books cover the table
next to it. He nods towards them. “Are those yours?”
“Most of them. Carrie has a few, but she
doesn’t really like to read.”
He reaches over and picks up one with a
half-naked man on the cover. “Are you reading this?”
Her bubbly laughter as she shakes her
head eliminates his remaining tension. “No, it’s Carrie’s. She likes the
naughty ones.”
He flips to the bookmarked page and
begins to read aloud. “‘
I’m going to take you now. I’m going to take you hard and fast until
you scream my name. When you scream my name, then I’ll know you’re mine. All
mine. You belong to me.’”
He raises his eyebrows. “This explains a
lot.”
Pink tinges her face as she plucks the
book out of his hand and tosses it back on the table. “Come on, let’s find
something better.”
She picks up
The Winter of Our Discontent
and hands it to him. They lay cuddled
together in the fabric sling as he reads the first few chapters aloud, his
fingers stroking across her cheek and into her silky hair. Her even breathing
and soft body confirm she’s relaxed too. A quiet easiness between them he never
knew he craved until she created it for him. He stops and smiles at her attempt
to muffle a yawn. “Am I boring you?”
“Sorry! No, my…boyfriend kept me up late
last night. I’m a little bit sleepy.”
His heart skips a beat at the message she
sends with her choice of words. “Well, he must be a real ass keeping you from
your beauty sleep.”
She lifts her head and looks at him. An
emotion he hopes is love swirls in her deep blue eyes as her chin rests on his
chest. “Absolutely not. He’s perfect.”
Rising up on his elbow, he kisses her
lips. “I could go for a nap too, but you have to promise me you’ll be here when
I wake up.”
“I promise.”
With her curled next to him, he closes
his eyes and lets himself go, allowing the thought of her always being with him
to float into his mind.
Similar Books
