“Mmm.” My head fell back as he kissed down my throat, pulling at the neck of my hoodie so he could get it out of his way. “Why don’t you find out if I’m this soft everywhere?” I offered, wanting nothing more than for him to strip me naked and take me right then and there. To hell with his neighbors if we happen to get too loud.
“Oh, I intend to,” he said against my collarbone. “Just not right now.”
Wait . . . the sound of tires screeching to a stop on cement bounced around inside my skull as I leaned deeper into the lounger cushions so I could see his face. “What?” Before I could stop it, my bottom lip poked out. “Why the hell not?” I pouted.
The stupid jerk smirked at my neediness, and the desire to punch him in the face returned. “Because I plan on taking my time with you. I’ll need hours or days, maybe months, and I’m still not sure that’ll be enough time to do everything I want to do to you. But the first time I feel you wrapped around me isn’t going to be a quiet quickie on my back deck while I have one ear listening out for my son.”
“But I’m okay with quiet quickies,” I insisted. Honestly, I actually wasn’t, but I felt so greedy for this man, I’d take what I could get. “I’m actually really good at them. Let me show you.”
He pulled out of the reach of my lips. “You have no goddamn clue how tempting that is. But I want to be able to savor you.”
Savoring is good, a voice inside my head screamed. Savoring means multiple orgasms and more of a chance to find our G-spot. Stop arguing, you stupid cow!
My head fell back against the cushion on a sigh. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, I felt like I’d just lived through the hardest dance rehearsal of my life, then tacked on a climb up Everest for good measure. The phrase “wrung dry” suddenly seemed extremely appropriate for how I felt.
“Eli’s having a sleepover at my mom’s house this weekend. Can I see you tomorrow?”
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down, feeling a sting from how thoroughly Pierce had just abused them in the very best way. “I’m working at the club tomorrow night. And aren’t you supposed to be preparing for trial next week?”
“Tomorrow after your shift then. I’ll work during the day. You can come back here after you get off.” He leaned closer, the smell of the outdoors and clean laundry invading my senses as he spoke against my lips. “Stay the night with me, Marin. My mom is taking Eli to the botanical gardens Sunday, so he won’t be home until afternoon. I want you in my bed. I want to have you all to myself for as long as I possibly can.”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever had a more tempting offer. “All right,” I relented, not feeling the need to put up much of a fight. “I’ll come over after my shift. I go on early, so I’ll only have to work until about ten.”
“Perfect. Be sure to pack a bag.”
As ridiculous as it was, I felt a sudden wave of sadness as Pierce pushed off the lounger and took my hand to help me to my feet.
My knees felt shaky as he guided me inside, letting out a sharp whistle for Titan to follow after us. He walked me to my car where he planted another earth-shaking kiss on me before holding the door open as I climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Tomorrow night,” he repeated, like he had to make sure I hadn’t forgotten during the walk from the backyard to the front.
“Tomorrow night,” I confirmed.
With my reassurance, he closed the door for me like a gentleman and waited in the driveway with his hands in his pockets as I started my car and backed out.
I felt a wave of something I hadn’t felt in longer than I could remember as I drove home, and that feeling didn’t let up for the rest of the night.
Giddiness. I was straight-up twitterpated at the thought of spending the night with Pierce Walton tomorrow.
As I climbed into bed and fell asleep, I did it feeling like I was floating on a cloud.
“What’s got you all smiley this morning? You get yourself some last night?”
At Ms. Weatherby’s question, I choked on the sip of bitter tea I’d just taken. Charlotte had joined us for this week’s little get together, and promptly began to beat on my back as tears blurred my vision.
Leave it to my brash old neighbor to say something that could possibly end up killing me before I had a chance to see everything Pierce was working with. I had a sneaking suspicion he was working with quite a bit, and I’d be pissed as hell if I didn’t get to see it before I croaked.
“Jeez, Ms. W.” I admonished once I could inhale again. “No, I didn’t get me some last night.”
Did almost orgasming from a little dry-hump sesh fall into the category as “some”?
“Well something’s put a little spring in your step today. So what is it?”
“It’s nothing, really,” I lied. I could feel Charlotte’s attention of my face, and refused to look in her direction, worried she’d see the truth on my face. Ever since Tali said that, I couldn’t help but wonder how much I’d given away over the years. As ridiculous as it seemed, I wanted to keep this thing—whatever it was—with Pierce to myself.
We’d agreed there’d be no expectations and we’d take it a day at a time. I was fine with that, but I worried if people found out, they’d start asking questions, and I wanted to remain in this private little bubble, just the two of us, and keep the rest of the world out for as long as humanly possible.
“I just got a really good night’s sleep last night. A solid eight hours would put anyone in a good mood.”
Truth was, I’d barely gotten five. That giddiness had stayed with me, making me feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, waiting impatiently for Santa to squeeze his fat ass down my chimney. I was too excited to sleep and found myself tossing and turning until exhaustion finally won out in the wee hours of the morning.
“Pfft,” Ms. Weatherby lifted her bushy brows and turned her beady eyes to Charlotte. “Well, this one here”—she threw her thumb in my direction— “isn’t gonna provide me with any entertainment today, so what do you got? How’s that fine man of yours? Man like that, bet he’s got the stamina of an angry bull.”
It was Charlotte’s turn to choke while I busted out laughing.
“Dalton’s great, Ms. W,” she said. “I’ll be sure to let him know you asked about him.”
“You do that, and you tell him I’ll be expecting a visit soon. He’s stayed away too long.”
“Yes ma’am.” Charlotte said with a Cheshire grin. She got a kick out of throwing her soon-to-be husband into the wily clutches of Ms. Weatherby. She might look like an innocent little old lady, but we knew the truth. She was hilarious most of the time. Wise all the time. But there was occasion when she could be scary as hell, and something told me the big, strong, private security guy who looked like he could bench press a car was terrified of this crouched, five-foot-nothing woman.
I loved it.
I wanted to be just like Ms. Weatherby when I grew up.
She shifted her coke-bottle glasses back to me. “So any updates on the situation with your sister’s possibly-good-for-nothin’ husband? You get that proof like I told you to?”