8. Talia

CHAPTER 8

I gasp as Sully rolls me under him.

He moves down my body with his mouth, sucking at my nipples. I mewl, grasping his head to me, my fingers carding through his hair.

I love how responsive he is…to everything. Hearing him moan and call my name turns me on more than anything.

He kisses over my belly, licking at my navel. His fingers brush over my pussy through my soaked panties.

He groans. "These panties are drenched."

"Because of you," I breathe.

He leans down and inhales. A snarl bursts from his throat, and he rips off the thin fabric.

He exhales over my now bare pussy, and it's excruciating. "Please, taste me, Sully," I beg, spreading my legs.

"Fucking hell," he says, before he lowers his head. "I'm afraid I'll devour you whole." Then he licks me like I'm his favorite ice cream cone, his tongue swirling over every inch of me.

It feels incredible and I grind against his face.

But he holds my thighs down and apart. "Good?" he asks between licks.

"Soooo good," I manage, as he finds all my secret, sensitive spots and works them over with his lips and tongue. "Ohhh….ohh……shit, Sully…"

I'm shaking, my body on fire.

When his tongue sweeps around my clit, my voice cracks. "That's…perfect…"

"You're so sexy," he says, his voice muffled as he's buried in my folds.

My orgasm detonates, and I reach down to grasp his hair. "I'm coming. Fuck, I'm coming."

"Goddamn, Talia, yes," he snarls, but continues to work me over.

I moan like a mad woman under him, toes curling. "Oh god. Oh gawwwd."

He doesn't stop until my breathing slows way down, and little gasps escape when he hits a particularly tender area.

Finally, he lets go of my thighs and sits up, his hand stroking over his cock. Once again it's as hard as it was before.

I lift up on my elbows. "Wow…I'm having trouble believing you've never done that before?"

"Yeah?" he grins, cheeks going red.

"Oh yeah," I reply. "Now, what are you going to do with that?" I ask, gesturing to his cock.

"I'd love to bury it inside you and make you come again."

I bite my lip. Virgins. So eager.

I roll over to check my neckstand. "I'm on the pill. But even if I had a condom, I don't think I'd have one big enough for the likes of you."

He smiles and palms my ass. "I'm fine with the pill." He looks down at my pussy when I roll back toward him. "Do I need to prep you or something?"

"I don't think there's much more you can do to prep me for that monster." I trail a finger down his chest, tracing his thick muscles. "I'm relaxed from the orgasm. And wet. Let's do this."

He crawls over me and I let one leg fall to the side. He runs his tip over my opening and then slowly presses in.

"Oh…my…" I choke out. Sully looks pained.

"Yeah…that," he replies, his words chopped. "You…okay?"

"Mmm…yes." Even though there's a slight burning sensation, I focus on how he's stretching me and filling me up in the best way.

"God, this is?—"

"Uh-huh," I manage, as he finally bottoms out.

When he starts to move his hips, it's tight. But amazing, too.

"Oh damn, Talia. I didn't…expect it to feel this good."

I grip the sheets under me and clench down.

"Fuck!" he growls. "That's…" He gathers me closer as he thrusts into me.

And even though I've just come from him going down on me, I'm right there again.

I cry out. "Sully, I'm going to come again."

"God yes," he rasps against my cheek. I feel him shudder as he kisses me. It sends me off, my climax ripping through me.

He's coming, too, his noises like a man possessed as we kiss. He jerks and I grab his ass tight, shoving him toward me.

We ride out the orgasm, clinging to one another, kissing and whispering expletives, until I'm spent and gasping on the bed.

It's one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had.

"Best first time. Ever," rasps the grumpy plumber who stole my heart.

I wake up to an empty bed, the warmth of Sully's solid form replaced by the cold emptiness of the morning light. For a moment, I lie there, hoping he's just in the bathroom or the kitchen. But the silence of the house tells me otherwise.

A hollow ache throbs in my chest. We had such a great time last night, both at the party and afterward. I thought…I thought it meant something to him, too.

I sit up, wrapping the duvet around me, and let out a deep sigh. I can't let this ruin my day. There's too much to do, too many things to fix. But as I get dressed, the sense of loss lingers, a shadow that refuses to be shaken.

A knock at the door startles me out of my thoughts. I open it to find Nick standing there with his construction crew out front, and beside him are Logan and Vi, all smiles and ready for action.

"Good morning!" Nick says brightly. "We're here to help with the renovations."

I blink in surprise. "What? How—why?"

"Because Sully asked us to," Vi explains, stepping forward. "But honestly, we were eager to help anyway. We all want to see the Deepwood Inn flourish, and we think you're the perfect person to make that happen."

"Especially if you make your delectable cooking a part of the Inn experience," Logan adds with a grin.

"Really?"

"You're an amazing hostess, Talia," Vi says. "You deserve a place to shine."

Her words fill me with joy, and a feeling I'm not familiar with—satisfaction. Contentment. Maybe this is what I'm meant to do. Provide an experience for guests that's unique to Montana. Bringing part of my heritage, part of my culture, here.

"Thank you for saying that," I say, a little choked up.

Vi rubs my arm. "I'm glad you're here. It seems like just yesterday I was the new girl in town. But this community welcomed me with open arms. Now it's our turn to welcome you."

Nick gives her smile and I can see the love in their gaze.

My thoughts turn back to Sully. "Where is the big guy anyway?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

Logan and the rest of them begin pulling out equipment and measuring tapes. "He's gone back into hiding."

Nick gives me a pointed look. "He's afraid of his feelings…for you."

I swallow hard, the ache in my chest deepening. "I see." So he does have feelings for me. "Well, thank you all so much for coming. I'm grateful for your help. Where should we start?"

We all get to work quickly as I tell them my plans. Their energy and enthusiasm fills me with excitement and it leaves me buzzing for how this place will turn out. But my mind keeps drifting back to Sully. I need to see him, to talk to him.

As soon as I can, I slip away and make my way to Sully's cabin. I find him on his back porch doing a crossword. A duck out on the lake quacks and he looks up, surprised to see me.

"Talia," he rasps, that voice already sending shivers through me. "Aren't you needed at the Inn?"

"The crew is handling things back at the Inn. Thank you for asking them to help. That was really sweet of you."

"I could barely finish my thought. They were ready and willing after they met you last night."

I smile. "Speaking of last night. I thought we had something special."

He averts his eyes, face taut. "We did—we do. I'm sorry. I just…I don't know how to do this."

"What do you mean? You've done almost everything right so far." I lower myself onto his lap. "Sully…I've fallen for you."

He looks up at me, his pale eyes filled with doubt. "I'm not like you, Talia. I'm too shy. Too grumpy. Too boring. You'll tire of me."

I run my hand down his rough cheek and shake my head. "There's nothing boring about you. You're smart. Engaging when you want to be. We make a great team at trivia. And honestly, your grumpiness has grown on me." I grin. "Besides, you're invaluable in the kitchen. Who will help me with my dumplings?"

He smiles a little at that, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"And what you did to me last night. What we did…" I touch his sexy mouth, my panties getting wet from the memories. "I could get used to that."

His eyes darken and I feel the bulge of his hard length beneath me.

He clears his throat. "Well, technically you still owe me more dinners."

I chuckle. "You know, I could be convinced to sign on for more, as long as you're there to help me."

He squeezes my hip, his grip possessive. "You really mean that?"

"I do," I say, my voice steady. "But you still owe me more plumbing."

His brow furrows. "I thought I finished everything."

I smirk. "Oh, you have many more pipes to lay."

He groans at my joke, then kisses me. I feel it all the way down to my toes.

The gentle lapping of the water, the birds, the rustling of the trees—it's so serene.

A buzzsaw screams to life out in the distance, causing a flurry of birds to squawk and take flight.

We break from the kiss and gaze out toward my property.

"Okay, point taken about the noise," I acknowledge.

And Sully tickles my sides, my laughter echoing out into the sky.