He leaned in for another kiss. “That’s right, baby.”
“Wow. 1928? That’s incredible.” She wound her arms around him. “You do deserve more kisses.”
“Damn right I do.” He took her in a deep, delicious kiss.
He deepened the kiss, backing her up against the counter, and her body caught fire. The excitement, and the hour she’d spent missing him, coalesced, bringing all of the pent-up desires she’d been trying to tamp down to the surface. They made out like they’d been apart for months instead of hours, groping and grinding, driving her out of her mind.
Brant drew back, eyes blazing. “How am I going to make it three nights without you?”
She’d been wondering the same thing, but she’d never been needy like this, so she’d been telling herself to suck it up and get over it. She pulled his mouth back to hers, reveling in the connection that had once scared her so badly but now felt like a glorious gift.
“Every time I kiss you,” he said, bending to kiss her neck, “I want more.”
“Do we have time?” She lifted her chin, giving him better access.
His eyes hit hers with the heat of a volcano. “Always.”
They tore off each other’s clothes between urgent kisses. He was always the giver, and she wanted to give, and take, and show him just how special he was to her. She backed him up against the counter, wrapping her hand around his cock. “Time for your celebratory gift.” She stroked him with her hand as she sank to her knees and used her tongue to tease the broad head of his arousal. He groaned, tangling his hands in her hair.
“I love when you touch me.”
She loved when he talked like that. She teased and taunted, and when his body was ripe with restraint, she took him to the back of her throat, worked him tight and slow, earning appreciative moans and eager thrusts. The pleasure on his face emboldened her, and she sucked harder, stroked faster.
“Christ, baby, you feel so good.” His head tipped back, teeth gritted. “You’re going to make me come.” He hauled her to her feet, taking her in a series of mind-numbing kisses, and tore his mouth away. “I need to be inside you.”
He grabbed his jeans and pulled out his wallet, fishing out a condom and sheathing his length.
“We’re turning into sex maniacs,” she said as he lifted her off her feet and set her on the counter.
“That’s the best kind of maniac.” He wedged himself between her legs, and with one hand behind her, pulled her to the edge, driving into her with one hard thrust. They both gasped, and as their bodies took over, pounding out a frantic rhythm, pleasure spread through her like wildfire.
“God, baby,” he gritted out. “You completely unravel me.”
He recaptured her mouth, devouring her with passion that built like waves, rolling, pounding, thundering between them, until the world spun. She clung to him, and he held her just as tight as sweet, brutal ecstasy crashed over them, and they both cried out. Pleasure roared through her, invading all of her senses, shattering her into a million glowing stars.
As they came down from their high, clinging together, their bodies covered with a sheen of perspiration, her name fell from his lips like a prayer, filling her with hope, happiness, and something much too decadent to name.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SCRAPPY SAT AT Brant’s feet late Tuesday night staring up at him with sad eyes as Brant finished going through contracts at the marine equipment supply office. “I know, little buddy. I miss her, too.” Cait had been gone for only one night, but that was enough to make his bed feel too empty and his cottage too quiet. He checked his phone. It was nearly ten o’clock, but there were no new messages from Cait. They’d texted earlier, and Cait had said she and Gia were working late. She had back-to-back appointments, her last one at nine, and would text him when she got off work. He worried about her working late. Even though Tank had eyes on the guy and her father hadn’t tried to reach out to her, Tank’s guys couldn’t watch him every second. What if the asshole showed up? Worry and anger flared inside him. He was starting to get an even better understanding of the fear Cait had been living with.
He looked down at their pooch. “What do you say we get out of here and take a walk?”
Scrappy’s nub of a tail wagged excitedly. He was a smart dog and already understood the words walk, eat, and bed. They weren’t having much luck with housebreaking yet, but they’d get there.
Brant shut down the computer, threw on his sweatshirt, and locked the office. As they walked in front of the marina, he saw Archer coming toward them. The barrel-chested vintner lived on his boat at the marina and was nothing like his clean-cut twin. Jock was athletic, but Archer carried about twenty pounds more muscle, had military-short dark hair, a trim beard, and a tattoo on his neck.
Brant lifted his chin. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
“I’d be better if I weren’t heading home to an empty bed.” He gave Scrappy a quick pet and said, “I saw you and Cait the other night at Rock Bottom.”
“Why didn’t you say hello?”
Archer cocked a grin. “Y’all were holding hands and whispering and shit. I figured for as long as you’d been trying to get her to go out with you, I shouldn’t interrupt.”
“I appreciate that, but we are seeing each other now. You should’ve come by.” That was a great night, and he’d give anything to be back there with her now.
“Really? Good for you. In that case, maybe I will next time. I’m taking some of the guys out fishing tomorrow evening. Want to join us?”
Fishing with his buddies sounded like the perfect distraction while Cait was away. “Yeah, sounds good. Do you mind if I bring Scrappy?”
“Nah, that’s cool. But if he shits on my boat, you’re cleaning it.”
Brant laughed. They talked for a few more minutes; then he and Scrappy headed down to the beach. It was a warm night, and there was a cool breeze coming off the harbor. He and Scrappy walked a long way, and when he didn’t hear from Cait, he debated texting her. But he didn’t want to smother her. When he finally turned around to head back, she called.
“Hey, babe. Is everything okay?”
“Hi. Yeah. Sorry to call so late. I just got home, and my hands are a little sore, so I thought I’d call instead of texting.”
“That’s okay. I’m just walking Scrappy. I miss you, and I’d much rather hear your voice than get a text.” He had a feeling that despite how much she was opening up to him, she was still protecting her heart with almost everything she had, and if she missed him and wanted to hear his voice, she was still too guarded to say it. But he wasn’t going to hold back. How could her walls ever come all the way down unless she knew how he felt? “I’m sorry about your hands. If I were there, I’d give you a hand massage.”
“I’m used to it. How was your day? How’s Scrappy?”
“My day was great and Scrappy’s lonely for you, too, but he’s doing okay. How was your day? The last client must have been a doozy, huh?”
“The last one wasn’t bad. I stayed late to talk with Gia. I told her about my father.”
That stopped him in his tracks. “You did?”