CHAPTER SIX

HOPE

"Cue my inner seductress."

My emotions are going haywire as I fight nerves—the excited and terrified kind. This is when the heroine in the books I read would scoot closer and take charge of her destiny.

She'd courageously lean forward and—

Oh, thank goodness! The decision is taken out of my hands by Samuel pressing his lips to mine.

It's chaste. A testing of the waters.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he rasps.

"Really?"

"You're a beautiful woman with a kind heart. I didn't stand a chance."

"What about you? Handsome cowboy to the rescue? Not once but twice!" I hold up two fingers to punctuate the point, though I'm not sure how well he can see them considering how close we are. "A woman can't resist that combination. I even downloaded a bunch of cowboy romances to compensate."

"You did." It's a statement rather than a question as Samuel's chin dips, his lips skimming along my jawline. "Tell me about them."

Inhaling a whiff of his spicy scent, I wrack my brain for story details, but it's completely blank, so I improvise and start narrating what I'd like to happen between us.

Now.

Cue my inner seductress.

Channel all of my favorite heroines.

"Well, they all have gruff cowboys, obviously, and the heroines are on the curvier side."

"Naturally." Samuel's mouth grazes my neck after whispering in my ear. His beard scrapes across the delicate skin to elicit an immediate reaction below as I press my thighs together.

"They're pretty steamy, too." Slowly, my hand settles on his thigh and squeezes the hard muscle, drawing a hum of approval from him.

"Like this?" His hand drags through my hair before landing on the back of my neck, capturing it in a loose hold.

"A little steamier."

A grin toys around his lips, and his rough palm slides lower to cup my breast. "How about now?"

"That's good," I whimper, enjoying this sexy turn of events. "But they're usually hotter. Hot enough to melt my reading device."

Unerringly, Samuel continues his teasing journey until it stops where I've been craving his touch all along—my aching pussy. He presses the seam of my sweatpants into the cleft before clicking his tongue.

"I doubt those books left our girl clothed, hmm? If I were the cowboy in question, I'd need my girl's sweet cunt free from restraints."

His eyes meet mine in a silent question of permission, and I nod. No way am I chickening out. This is the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me, and we've barely started.

Samuel tugs on the elastic waistband, and I awkwardly wiggle out of the warm fleece, pulling my sweatshirt overhead, too. Left in my bra and panties, I don't feel as nervous as I'd expect as a virgin about to have sex with a practical stranger.

Instead, a wave of sensual confidence rises to the forefront, especially when Samuel groans after eating me up with his heated gaze. His clothes quickly disappear and leave a bulk of exposed muscle behind, a sight that has me salivating.

He's not gym-rat fit.

He doesn't have a six-pack, but it's clear his body has been honed by years of doing manual labor.

"You are so gorgeous, baby." Samuel softly kisses the center of my chest and nuzzles the valley between my breasts.

"You're not so bad yourself." I quickly toss my glasses on the couch behind me then dig my fingers into his biceps.

Being in Samuel's arms again is like coming home. We may not know each other well, but he gives off an aura of safety, and I feel protected in a way I never have before.

Maybe it's because he's literally rescued me twice, but there's also something about him that says ‘natural born protector,' and it turns my insides to mush.

As one, we lay down on the blanket in front of the blazing fire. The logs spark and crack with each flame while the weather outside batters the farmhouse siding. A storm of elements surrounds us, but the bubble we're in? It's a cozy buffer against everything outside.

"You set the pace, Hope," Samuel says, sincerity shining in his eyes. "You went through a traumatic experience earlier, so we don't have to rush anything. I'm content with holding you like this if that's all you're up for."

Grabbing his hand, I return it to my pussy and prompt him to push harder. "I promise this is what I want. If you knew the dreams I've had—" My sentence remains unfinished as his palm rocks against my fabric-covered clit.

Damn, these panties have got to go.

"I'd like to hear about those dreams, sweetheart, but first, my tongue's dying for a taste of your sweet little pussy. Can I lick you, baby? Please?" The desperate words vibrate along my round belly as he scoots lower until his face hovers over my core.

"Yes…" My hips lift in encouragement, and that's all Samuel needs. With a growl, he dives in to suck my clit through the wet cotton, and I gasp at the electric contact.

Burying my hands in his hair, I moan and pull on the strands, eager for more, which he gladly gives me, plunging two fingers into my clenching channel.

A rip rings through the air as the tatters of my panties leave me completely bare for the onslaught of Samuel's mouth and fingers.

"Fuck, baby. You remind me of strawberries in the summer, warm and sweet, juice dripping down my chin with each bite. I can't get enough."

Neither can I.

It's like I've become a wild woman bucking beneath Samuel's expert tongue. My orgasm is barreling forward in record time, and its intensity scares me. Sure, I've had orgasms in the past, thanks to my trusty vibrator, but this feels different.

What Samuel is building within me feels earth-shattering.

And it is.

With another flick of his tongue, and a twist of his fingers, I come for him, arching into a ray of light and pleasure. He continues devouring me with hungry little growls, easing me from one climax to another, until I whimper and push him away.

A nap is calling my name as contented warmth seeps into my bones, but I fight off the temptation to sleep.

We're not done yet.