I bring my lips to hers and spend the rest of the night showing her just how much I love her, in every frenzied untamed way I can.
23
Tiger Rescue (Willow)
Never in my life have I woken up elated, gliding on air, even though I have a shiner like a black halo that still has one side of my face stinging.
Walking into Grady’s house yesterday afternoon felt like more of a homecoming than I’ve ever had.
Yes, there was a crowd of people there to greet us a mile long, but inside is where I really felt it.
Like this is the place where I’m destined to belong.
I stretch my arms over my head and roll over. The empty pillow next to me is a tiny bit disappointing—until I hear water running.
Smiling and knowing exactly where I’ll find Grady, I throw back the covers, hurry to the bathroom door, and quietly open it.
Steam fills the room. Already naked, I enter, close the door, and yank back the shower curtain, doing my best pensive nurse impression. “Need your back washed?”
“More than my back.” Laughing, Grady grasps my waist and pulls me in with him.
“Oh, okay. I guess you’ll just have to be a little more specific.” I run my hands through his thick hair, loving how good he feels against my fingertips. “I’ll start at the top and work my way down.”
“Mmm, you’re a mind reader.”
I arch my back, giving him full access to my breasts as he lowers his head, teasing my nipples into his hungry mouth. I’m arching and pushing down moans the second his tongue starts winding circles, first around one nip, and then the next.
God.
Oh, and he doesn’t stop there.
Neither do I, nipping playfully at his shoulder as he caresses my throat with kisses.
When the time finally comes, he slides his hard cock inside me, and I wrap my legs around his wet stone slab of a body.
This time, it’s bare, skin-on-skin, all heat and throbbing promises.
I think we both know we’ll never see another condom again.
“Hold the fuck on, darlin’,” he whispers in my ear.
I do. I hold on so tight while the water rakes us and his strokes come hard and slow and deep, pulling the pleasure out of me with every frayed movement of his hips.
Every thrust, every impact, every low, animal groan from his throat and whispered sweetness has me in thrall.
His hand moves between my legs, finds my clit, and rubs delicately, teasing me like the head of a match before its struck and ignited. I hiss, pinching my teeth together, already lost in making love.
That’s what this is.
It’s different from our times before, a tenderness behind the heat.
We’re in love.
We’re more than just two achingly hot bodies twisted together in the stickiest passion of our lives.
We’re two erupting souls coming out to play.
I never knew the difference before—I thought making love was this fantastic abstract thing reserved for kissing books and movies—but this man has taught me so much.
Far more than he claims I’ve taught him.
And if he keeps taking me like this forever, pounding into me as we peak together, a low growl quaking out of him as he comes so furiously deep inside me, I know I’ll never want for anything else.
Also, I’ll never stop coming like a madwoman.
It’s like a switch gets tripped deep in my body every time he pours himself out, hurling hot seed against my walls, claiming me with depth and fire and so much greedy passion.
Back in the bedroom, cleaned, and dressed, he kisses the side of my neck.
“I’ll go get the coffee on,” he says with lidded, sex-drunk eyes.
“Thanks. Right behind you after I dry my hair.”
He twists me around and kisses my lips. “Your dad’s plane doesn’t land for a couple hours.”
“I know.” I loop my arms around his neck, loving how the sunlight turns his eyes into rich bourbon. “I’m excited to have him meet you.”
“Should I be nervous?” he jokes, his dark eyebrows rising.
“Never! He’s going to love you just as much as I do, and that goes double for Sawyer and Avery.” I’m positive about that.
The way Dad still fawns over his students’ kids, you’d think he’s a teacher rather than a globe-trekking zoologist sometimes.
The next few hours fly by, and shortly after noon, a car winds up the driveway. My heart skips a beat, recognizing the silver-haired man at the wheel, a grin that could rival Teddy Roosevelt’s plastered to his face.
“Is that him?” Sawyer asks, blinking like she’s about to meet a rock star.
“The one and only,” I answer.
“I’m so excited!” Avery says, clapping her little hands together.
“Me, too.” I take each of their hands. “Come on, let’s go say hello, kids.”
We hurry down the steps as Dad comes bounding out of his car like a human golden retriever who’s been boxed up too long.
“There’s my girl!” He beams, his long arms splayed wide.
I clasp my arms around him and receive one of his trademark welcoming bear hugs, feeling the familiar love he’s showered me with for my entire life.
As he releases me, he looks up at the girls with a sincere smile.
“And these are the jelly beans. Let me guess.” He points to Sawyer. “You are Jelly.” Pointing at Avery, he adds, “And you are Beans.”
The girls laugh.
I lay a hand on their shoulders and introduce them. “This is Sawyer McKnight, and this is Avery.”
“Right then,” he teases with a professorial nod. “Jelly and Beans.”
He digs around in the pocket of his jeans and pulls out two small boxes with a dramatic flourish, ever the magician.
“Here you are, young ladies. I picked these up for each of you,” he tells them.
“Wow, thank you,” Sawyer says, clutching her box.
“Thank you, sir!” Avery echoes, before adding, “Uh, may we open them?”
“Certainly,” Dad says.
They flick the boxes open simultaneously. The sunlight splashes across their new bracelets, handmade wonders assembled with African turquoise beads.
The girls marvel over their elegant new gifts, wrapping them around their wrists and holding them up to the sunlight.
“They’re so pretty!” Sawyer says, turning around to show hers off to Grady, who came up behind us a minute ago. “Aren’t they, Dad?”
“Gorgeous.” He steps forward and holds out his hand to my father with a nod. “Dr. Macklin.”
“Peter to you, Grady,” Dad says while shaking his hand. “I’m glad to meet you, and incredibly grateful for all you’ve done. You’ve been a godsend to Willow’s big cats. Why, she even tells me you helped recover a stolen lion cub across international lines?”
“All in a day’s work, Peter. The Feds had a hand in tracking down the missing lion cub and extracting it from somewhere up in Canada. I helped a little, sifting through the data with my buddy, Faulk,” Grady replies with a smug but polite smile that makes me giggle.
Dad turns to me, the light shining off his wiry glasses. My heart melts a second time, just like it did when I first found out we were able to save Tilda’s cub against the odds.