Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Della

I was halfway down the sidewalk when Jeff’s door opened behind me. My heart climbed into my throat as I turned.

“Della.” Jeff’s frame was limned in light from inside. His hands were shoved in his jean pockets, accentuating the silhouette of his broad shoulders. He seemed so impossibly large, like a tree I wanted to climb.

Go home, Della.

My feet didn’t budge.

“Can you just…” He tugged a hand from his pocket to rake through his hair. “Good night.”

My heart went splat on the sidewalk. “Good night.”

With a turn, it took every effort not to let my shoulders slump as I trudged to the Jeep. Why had I expected anything else? I’d just told him I could get in trouble at work if we had a relationship. He’d backed off, said we could be friends.

And friends went home after game night. They didn’t linger in entryways for a kiss.

God, how long had it been since I’d kissed a man?

Too long. I’d been foolishly waiting on Luka to open his eyes.

“Freaking Luka,” I muttered, digging my keys from my pocket.

“What?”

I whirled around.

Jeff stood three feet away.

My palm pressed against my racing heart. “What are you doing?”

Jeff glanced over his shoulder to the still open front door. No sign of Katy other than the glowing light from the upstairs dormer window. “Can you wait?”

Yep. I was good at waiting. To my own goddamn detriment. But this summer wasn’t far away. Just a couple months and we could explore this.

“You could go around back. Hang in the yard for a few until I get Katy to bed.”

“Oh. You mean wait tonight?”

“Tonight. Just…I want longer with you.”

Was I really doing this? “All right.”

Even in the darkness, the smile that stretched across his mouth made my pulse spike. It would be so disappointing if I didn’t have those lips on mine, at least once.

Jeff hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Follow the path past the garage.”

“Okay.”

He smiled wider, then turned and jogged to the porch, taking the stairs two at a time before vanishing inside and closing the door.

I lingered on the sidewalk for a few long moments, taking in the front of his house. My hands dove into my coat pockets as I shrugged it further up my neck, not from the cold, but from nerves.

Not a soul would need to know about tonight. No matter what happened, this could be our secret.

Especially if Katy thought I was on my way home.

The light upstairs dimmed to just a faint glow, like there was a nightlight in her room. I counted to fifty, then followed the sidewalk toward the detached garage, taking the path along its side to the yard in the back.

I’d expected darkness, maybe a patio or something. But a golden glimmer welcomed me to a space bordered by a tall wooden fence. And above my head, fairy lights.

I tipped my head back, taking in the strings. Beyond the bulbs, stars peeked down from the midnight sky.

“Wow.” The lights formed a perfect pattern, like the lines on a seashell, fanning from a single point—the corner of the garage. From that spot, they ran to the eaves of Jeff’s house.

Along the back edge of the yard, tucked against the fence, was a massive cottonwood tree. From its lowest branches hung lanterns.

A partially constructed firepit sat in the opposite corner from the house, the bricks scattered and loose. A pallet of pavers was close by, resting beside bags of sand.

It wasn’t a large space but with the fence and tree, it was intimate. Sheltered. The promise of a sanctuary.

I was on my second turn through the space, imagining what Jeff would do, when he stepped out of the patio door, striding across the small concrete pad to join me in the grass.

“This is beautiful.” I waved to the lights.

“Not yet. But someday.” He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing up at the tree’s branches, still bare from winter, but soon they’d bud with spring leaves. “It was this tree that sold me on the house. I had this idea that it would be the backdrop for Katy’s big moments. Sweet sixteen. Her graduation party. Maybe even a rehearsal dinner someday.”

Oh, he was the best dad. He had no idea how attractive it was, did he? “What will you do back here?”

“I want twice as many lights. Not so many that it’s bright, but enough that you can take photos without a flash.” He walked to the tree, placing his palm on its rough bark. “I have another box of lanterns for this, enough to go up about thirty feet.”

“Wow.”

He smacked the tree, then pointed to the firepit, walking in the same slow circle I’d taken around the space. “That will be a sitting area with a ledge. Then a border of pavers all around. I might even get rid of the grass altogether and just put in planters. We’ll see. I’ve got a thousand ideas.”

“Like what?” I clung to his every word as he spoke. I followed him like he was a planet and I was a moon, dragged along in his orbit.

“This is probably boring as hell,” he said after our third lap. “Sorry.”

“It’s not.”

Jeff stopped just beyond the patio, turning to face me.

I stopped too, standing just within arm’s reach.

He reached up, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “I’m stalling.”

“You’re stalling.”

“You gotta tell me what you want. It’s your job. It’s your life. You want to wait until summer, then I’ll walk you to your car right now.”

I inched closer. More of that bravery bubbled to the surface. Was this a stupid idea? Yep. So why couldn’t I leave? “What if I don’t want to go to my car?”

A growl came from his chest as he dragged a hand over his jaw. “You’re sure?”

“Is Katy asleep?”

He nodded once. “Out like a light.”

“Then I want you to kiss me.”

The words were barely out of my mouth before his lips crushed mine, his strong arms sweeping me off my feet as he hauled me into his chest.

Yes . Whatever doubts I had vanished. I melted against him, sinking into the feel of those lips against mine. Never in my life had I been this bold. Never in my life had I told a man to kiss me.

Worth it. So fucking worth it.

His tongue swept against the seam of my lips, demanding entry. A mewl escaped my throat as he slid inside. Then he plundered, fluttering and tangling and swirling his tongue with mine until I was breathless.

This man could kiss . Thank the stars in the sky, he could kiss.

He nipped at the corner of my mouth, then sucked my bottom lip between his teeth. He slanted over me, delving deeper, leaving no corner of my mouth untouched.

My entire body went up in flames, my pulse thudding in time with the aching throb in my core. When he broke us apart, my lips were swollen. He latched on to my neck, sucking and kissing as he left a trail down the column of my throat.

“More.” I fisted the material of his shirt, holding him to me.

“Fuck, Della.” His voice held an edge of restraint, like he was trying to press the brakes. He pulled back, setting me on my feet. His eyes searched mine and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Then he shifted, taking a step away.

No. “Don’t,” I panted.

Maybe it was the years of rejection from Luka. Maybe it was this all-consuming need for Jeff’s touch, his skin against mine. If I had to beg, I’d beg. Tonight, I wanted to be craved. Worshiped. And if that kiss was any indication, together, we could be dynamite.

“Della—”

“Please don’t pull away from me.” There was a vulnerability in my voice that surprised even me.

Jeff’s eyes softened. “I don’t want to, beautiful. But if I don’t put this space between us, I’m not sure I’ll be able to let you go.”

The air rushed from my lungs. He wants me. Deep down, I knew he wanted me. That kiss was a kiss from a man who wanted a woman. But to hear the need in his voice, well…it meant I didn’t care about the rules. Not tonight.

I’d risk it all, just once.

“You said I had to tell you what I want,” I said. “And that’s you. Kiss me again. Take me inside to your bedroom. Or if all you want to do is sit at the table and play cribbage with me, I’ll take whatever I can get. We don’t even know each other but the idea of me leaving right now…” I shook my head. “I don’t want to leave.”

“If we go inside, it sure as fuck won’t be to play cribbage.”

My heart skipped. “Then take me inside.”

We stared at each other, the lights above us bright enough that I could read the hesitation in his gaze. Then his expression shifted, and the restraint was gone. He surged. One long stride and I was in his arms again, his mouth crushing mine.

I hummed, sinking into this kiss, closing my eyes to savor his taste. My toes skimmed the ground as he walked us toward the house.

One of his arms shifted beneath my ass, hoisting me up, and my legs wrapped around his hips, my center pressed against the hardness beneath his jeans.

He growled against my mouth, tearing his lips away as he reached for the door. When we stepped inside, he flipped off the lights, inside and out, bathing us in darkness. Then with both hands, he palmed my ass and rocked my core against his arousal.

“Yes,” I hissed.

“Kiss me, Della,” he murmured, an edge to that gravelly voice.

I leaned in, latching on to his throat, dragging my tongue against his skin. It earned me another groan as he carried us down a hallway before closing us in his bedroom.

His spicy scent filled the air, like earth and orange peel and cedar. When I left here, I wanted that smell in my hair so I could breathe it in for hours.

“You smell so good,” I whispered against his jaw.

He buried his nose in my hair, inhaling my perfume. Then we were falling, my back landing on a soft mattress as his weight settled on top of mine.

“More.” I pulled at the flannel of his shirt, wanting it gone.

He lifted up, stripping it off along with the shirt beneath while I kicked off my shoes. “Another night, I’ll strip you out of those clothes slow. I’ll tease you for hours, baby.”

My pussy clenched. Yes, please. “But not tonight.”

Tonight, I wanted fast and hard. I wanted to feel alive.

“No.” He flicked the button on my jeans, then ripped them from my legs with a fast swoosh. “Not tonight.”

I scrambled to sit up, tugging the hem of my own shirt to fling it from my body.

Then Jeff’s hand swatted mine away so he could flick the clasp on my bra. His hands cupped my naked breasts, his thumbs rubbing my pebbled nipples.

“More.” I arched into his touch.

He replaced his hands with his hot mouth, closing his lips around a nipple and sucking. Hard.

“More.” My hands dove into his hair as he toyed with me, threading my fingers through the soft strands.

He left a wet trail across my heart as he gave the other nipple the same attention. Then he released it with a pop to plant a hand on my sternum and push me onto my back.

“Fuck, you’re perfect.” He took my panties off with a single pull, the flimsy lace sailing over his shoulder. Then his mouth was on me, fucking me with his tongue.

“Oh my God.” I arched off the bed, the sheer pleasure of his head between my legs blanking my mind.

“You taste so fucking sweet, Della.” He lapped at my center before sucking my clit.

“Yes.” I fisted the bedding beside me, the world already fading to a blur. There was nothing but his tongue and the breathy moans escaping my throat as tingles spread across my skin.

Heat pooled, lapping higher and higher and higher, until I shattered, coming on a cry as he feasted, drawing out the longest, hardest orgasm of my life. Every muscle in my body quaked while my head rocketed to the stars. Then I floated down to reality, sending a silent thank you to the heavens for this dream of a man.

Jeff kissed the inside of my thigh so tenderly it made my breath hitch.

“More,” I whimpered.

Not even that orgasm was enough to satisfy this need for him. This ache to be filled and fucked.

The last time I’d had sex was a year ago. And God, it hadn’t been like this. Not even close. At the time, I’d thought it would never be better.

What a fool. I hadn’t even known what I was missing.

The sound of a zipper filled the room followed by the plop of Jeff’s jeans hitting the floor. When I cracked my eyes open, he was standing at the foot of the bed in all his naked glory, his hand fisted around his cock.

“Um…” My eyes bugged out. “You’re…”

Huge. I’d been so focused on his perfect ass that I hadn’t even stopped to think about what he was packing in the front.

My mouth watered and I pushed up on an elbow, wanting to feel him in my hand. Wanting to taste him on my tongue.

“Another night.” But he shook his head, planting a knee in the bed before reaching to the nightstand and retrieving a condom. When it was on, he settled into the cradle of my hips, that enormous cock heavy against my sensitive flesh.

“Promise there will be another night?” I needed to know this wasn’t a one-time thing. That he wanted me enough to do this again and again.

“Promise.” He nuzzled his jaw into my neck, the scrape of his stubble delicious against my skin. He dragged his arousal through my center, teasing. Then he positioned himself at my entrance, and with a smooth stroke, he slid inside.

My eyes drifted closed, the build of another orgasm beginning again as I stretched around him. “You feel…”

“So fucking good.” He angled his hips, driving impossibly deep.

My eyes flew open to see the sheer pleasure on his face.

He eased out and thrust inside again, hard and fast. My inner walls began to flutter, that orgasm barreling toward me without control.

Jeff took my legs, pressing my knees wide. Then he pistoned his hips, setting a rhythm that had me writhing beneath him. The thickness of his cock. The rough scrape of his calloused hands on my skin. The combination was enough to drive me wild.

“Come, Della.” He drove inside me, until the root of his shaft pressed against my clit.

I cried out, my back coming off the bed as I exploded once more. Stars broke behind my eyes, and I got lost. Lost in this man as he fucked me relentlessly.

He worked us together, stroke by stroke, until he tipped his head to the ceiling, letting out a groan as his body shook and tensed with his own release. Then he collapsed on top of me, our skin sticky with sweat as our hearts thundered in opposite rhythms.

“Wow,” I whispered, shoving a damp lock of hair off my forehead.

He hummed, rolling us together so I wasn’t crushed beneath his weight. Then he positioned me on his chest, holding me close. “Fuck, Della. That was…”

Dynamite . “Yeah.”

“Give me five.” His large hand drifted down my spine. “Then we’re doing that again.”

I giggled. “Okay.”

My hands drifted down his back, my palms pressing into his skin until they came to his ass. As imagined, it was firm, round and perfect. So I did something I’d wanted to do for weeks.

I gave it a good squeeze.