For a second I feel embarrassed to have botched this up so badly, but then I notice the light in her eyes, the wide grin on her lips, and consider all might not be lost.
I bend down, fish out the condom I tucked in my jeans pocket, and roll it over my dick, which seems to have suffered no ill effects whatsoever.
“You come prepared,” she teases, her voice a little hoarse from laughing.
“What can I say, I’m a Boy Scout.”
I grab her ankles and drag her to the edge, lifting her legs in the crooks of my elbows. Then I take in the sight before me and let out a deep breath. Pale skin, soft flesh, the trimmed patch of hair between her legs, and lower still a hint of her pussy, glistening with arousal. I spread her legs wider and step between, my gaze tracking back up her body. She looks at me with an invitation in her eyes, sinking her teeth into her plump bottom lip when I fill her. My eyes almost roll to the back of my head, she feels so good.
“Jesus, Merry, you’re a fucking wet dream.”
Chapter 18
Meredith
I don’t think I can move.
I wasn’t lying last night; I hate exercise, but I feel like I need to qualify that a little better because the kind of physical activity Jay just put me through I like. A lot.
He comes across as somewhat tentative, cautious, and even reserved at times, but none of that applies to the man’s efforts in bed. They say it’s the still waters that run deep, and Jay certainly revealed a side of him I hadn’t expected. Especially not after he started off by tripping over his own feet.
As it turns out, he is a master at the slow torture of delayed gratification. I’m pretty sure I scratched some grooves in his backside—I think I may even have bit his shoulder—frustrated with the way he’d bring me to the brink of climax only to ease off, rearrange me in a different position, and build me up again. I would’ve been good with a rough and tumble race to the end—his kisses definitely primed me enough—but by the time I finally went flying off the edge, he’d wrecked my body and blown my mind.
“Where are you going?”
His voice is slurred with sleep as I try to slide from under the heavy arm and leg keeping me pinned to the mattress. Trust me, I don’t want to move but my full bladder needs relieving before I explode.
“Bathroom,” I whisper, and I feel the brush of his lips against my shoulder.
I’m not sure what I expect when I catch sight of my reflection in the mirror over the sink, but it’s definitely not the beautiful goddess he made me feel like last night. More like a rumpled scarecrow. No clue what he sees when he looks at me—a middle-aged woman with little care for appearances and a few too many rolls around her midsection—but I’d be a fool to question it. I’ve never felt worshipped like that.
I do my business, splash some water on my face, and slip into the robe hanging on the back of the door. Then I sneak out the other door to the landing and head downstairs. To my surprise Beau doesn’t budge from his bed where he’s curled up with Belle, other than to lift his head to see who it is. Normally he’s already waiting by the door when he hears me get up, eager to be let out.
“What’s up, buddy? You don’t wanna go out?”
His tail does a slow thump on the floor, but he doesn’t budge. I shrug and head to the kitchen to get a pot of coffee going. Real coffee.
It’s still early, according to the clock on the stove only six thirty. I should probably let Jay sleep a little longer, seeing as he didn’t get much the night before last either, and I wouldn’t mind taking my cup upstairs and watch him do it. It’s a bit of a novelty for me, having a man in my bed.
I find myself grinning stupidly as I pour my coffee and I cast a longing glance at the stairs, but end up walking to my sliding doors instead. It’s still chilly in the morning, so I grab a quilt off the couch and wrap it around myself before stepping out on the deck. It’s going to be a beautiful day. At some point Beau wants out and I watch as he sniffs around the property, lifting his leg on the occasional tree trunk or blade of grass to re-establish himself as lord and master of his domain.
Morning fog drifts up as the first beams of sunlight hit the dew the night left behind. I love sitting out here in the mornings, stealing a few peaceful moments like this, watching the world come to life before I face another day filled with death. It restores me, fortifies me, and provides a much-needed balance.
Suddenly Beau comes loping out of the bushes toward the house and streaks past me. I know why the next moment when I hear the sliding door open. I twist my head around to see Jay stepping outside and immediately crouch down to greet the dog.
“Hey, buddy. Back out here already? Didn’t I just let you out?”
I turn back and smile to myself. That explains why Beau wasn’t scratching at the door earlier. Jay must’ve gotten up at some point to take care of the dog. The thought he snuck out of bed earlier to look after my Beau fills me with a sense of well-being. It means a lot he didn’t sneak out at all hours of the night and instead came back to bed, curved his body around me and obviously fell back asleep.
A shadow falls over me and I tilt my head back, finding Jay’s warm eyes smiling down at me. He bends down for a sweet kiss, lightly nipping at my bottom lip before he lifts his head.
“Morning.”
I lift my hand and stroke it along his jaw.
“Morning. Did you sleep okay?”
“Like a log.”
“Good. There’s coffee in the pot and mugs in the cupboard above.”
“Need a refill?”
I nod and he takes the cup from my hand, disappearing inside. When he returns with the coffees, he hands me mine and reaches over, pulling the second chair closer before sitting down. We sit in comfortable silence for a while, staring at the view and lost in our own thoughts. It’s nice not to feel like I need to keep up a running dialogue with him.
A rare treat to be able to enjoy someone’s company—to have someone in your space—without feeling crowded. I haven’t had that since Philip. In fact, I haven’t spent the night with anyone in the years after he died. I’ve had occasional sexual encounters but never a desire to fall asleep in someone’s arms, which is exactly what I did last night, without giving it a second thought.
“I get it,” Jay breaks the silence.
I turn to find him looking at me. “What is it you get?”
“Why you’d choose to live out here by yourself. There’s not even any noise pollution up here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my place but I can still hear the occasional truck go by.”
I smile at him. “It’s Sunday morning. Wait ’til Monday when the logging trucks drive by.”
Suddenly Jay scrambles to his feet.
“Shit, I forgot. Dave is gonna be at my place.”
“Dave?”
“My vet, Dave Juergens.”
I peel myself out of my warm cocoon and get up as well. “What time?”
“Nine.” He pulls his phone from his pocket. “And it’s almost eight thirty now.”
I’m already hurrying inside, the dog on my heels. He whines loudly when I start up the stairs.
Jay walks into the kitchen. “Go get cleaned up, Merry. I’ve got him.”