She grabbed hold of his shoulders, taking him down with her to the mattress and kissing him so deeply she never wanted to stop. His hands moved over her, removing her bra and panties, but he continued the kiss.
“You’re talented,” she murmured against his lips. “I can’t figure out how to get you undressed.” She’d untucked his shirt, letting her hands play with his taut muscles, and managed to unbutton his jeans. But removing them in this position was a challenge.
“Do you want help?”
“I want you.” She nipped at his lips. “So I think I’m going to have to accept help. Roll over.”
He did as she asked, looking up at her with a grin when she straddled him.
“Arms overhead,” she ordered and whisked his shirt off. She placed her hands on his bare chest, feeling the ridges of muscles on his lean form. He was hers. That message beat in her brain as he stretched upward and put his hands behind his head, seemingly relaxed. All hers to play with. She traced the recent scar on his left pec, giving him a curious look.
“Shrapnel. No big deal,” he said in answer to her unspoken question.
“You’re probably lying to me, but I’ll let it go.” She kissed the scar and flicked her tongue over his flat nipple, making him suck in a breath. She felt empowered and moved her lips over his flat stomach toward his open fly. She thought he’d like where she was headed.
“Christ,” he muttered when she pushed his jeans and boxers down and took his dick in her mouth. His exclamation only encouraged her to take him in deeper. She sucked him, moving her mouth up and down on his hard length. His breathing was labored, uneven, as she twirled her tongue over his tip before plunging back down on him.
“Ride me, sweetheart,” he gasped.
“If that’s what you want.” She looked up, meeting his blue gaze. His eyes were hooded with desire, telling her she had him exactly where she wanted him. She dragged his clothes the rest of the way down so they could come together with no barriers.
Crawling up his body, she positioned herself so his dick rubbed against her before coming down on him in one swift movement. God, she loved the way he filled her. His hands went to her breasts, kneading and arousing, as she controlled their rhythm. She tried to prolong the moment, enjoy the ride, but he had other ideas. He put one finger between them, stroking her clit, and the tightness in her began to unfurl.
The orgasm slammed into her, leaving her breathless. He gripped her hips, driving up into her until she felt his hot seed deep within her. She collapsed onto his chest, their bodies still connected, and she knew nothing would ever be better than this.
18
Zach looked back with a grin, offering her a hand on the steep trail as they neared the summit. They’d started early that morning, knowing the trail was best at that time of day.
“I’ve got it,” Carolyn said, finding her footing between the rocks and tree roots. Although the trail could be difficult, she knew it well—or had two years before. When they were engaged, they had often hiked it for the view at the top and the challenge of the ascent.
“What if I just want you to hold my hand?” he asked, his hand still outstretched. Austin was strapped to Zach in a backpack carrier. The child had happily kicked his legs and pointed out every squirrel, bird, and chipmunk as they’d hiked.
“You should have put it that way.” Carolyn placed her hand in Zach’s and let him pull her up the last yards to the highest point, where a valley opened out before them. The green of late summer showed vividly on the wooded areas and in the grassy meadows. Sunlight reflected off a meandering river that cut through the valley below. “So beautiful,” she breathed, “and I think that’s a little coolness in the air.”
“Fall’s coming,” Zach agreed. “We’ll plan to come back here when the leaves turn.”
“I’d love that. I’m hoping the fall is calmer than the summer was,” she commented. It had been a week since the capture of Dale Huntly, a week of answering questions from the police and trying to undo the damage he had caused to her technology systems. Considering the charges against him, Huntly would be behind bars for a long time and her family would be safe. She hoped he received the mental health counseling that he so clearly needed.
“Could it be nuttier?” Zach turned sideways so Austin could see the flight of an orange-and-black butterfly that went past where they stood.
“I don’t think so. It’ll be busy, though.” She’d learned some lessons about herself that summer, lessons that gave her courage to try new things. With Zach’s encouragement, she’d decided to pursue designing her own line of jewelry. Even though she had ideas for a variety of pieces—rings, necklaces, bracelets, and brooches—she planned to take it slow for now. She’d bring out just a few pieces at a time. With input from her mom, she’d selected the ones she wanted ready for the store’s grand reopening in a few weeks.
There was still a ton of work to be done to meet the deadline she’d set. Her mind turned to the store itself. Her insurance company, convinced she was the victim of arson after Huntly’s arrest, had paid up, and she was forging ahead with the redo. The display area had been gutted down to the studs to remove all vestiges of the fire and smoke damage. She was looking at the valley and trees but seeing the drywall, paint, carpeting, and furnishings necessary to bring the store back to life.
“What are you worried about, sweetheart?” he asked, seemingly in tune with her emotions.
“The remodel,” she admitted. “It seems daunting, but it’ll come together.” She had faith in that. “The new windows will be installed tomorrow. That’s a big step.”
“No more plywood?” he teased.
“Thank goodness. I want the exterior to start looking decent again. The inside’s going to take a little longer.” She wanted to get her employees back to work as soon as she could, too. “I think I might be foolish for going with the same look again, but I’m hopeful that the third time’s the charm.”
She’d considered changing the interior design, but she liked the modern look of glass and chrome that would be dazzling again once the work was complete. She had decided to add more of the vibrant blue accent color this time, though, since people seemed to like it.
“Just because things didn’t go as planned with it the first two times is no reason to give up,” he said.
“Didn’t go as planned?” She laughed at his understatement. “If someone had told me that my summer would include robbery, arson, and three grand re-openings, I’d have said they were nuts.”
“Was the summer all bad?” His tone was much more serious now, as the topic shifted from the store to them.
She studied the way the sun glinted off his dark hair and brightened the blue of his eyes. No, it wasn’t all bad. Parts of it were just plain wonderful, but she had questions before they could go forward.
“Were you going to look me up?” she asked him, matching his serious tone with her own. It was a point she’d wondered about since Zach came back into her life. If he hadn’t been called to the hostage situation at the store, would he have attempted to contact her? She’d pieced together that he’d been out of the navy for just weeks when she first saw him. He could have easily deduced she could be reached at All That Sparkles and called her there. Was he planning to?