Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Evie

“You two should go,” Kitty said. “You’ve been here all day.”

Merrick looked up from the newspaper he’d been reading. “Visiting hours end in fifteen minutes.”

Kitty pointed to her iPad on the hospital tray next to her bed. “Oh, that’s plenty of time for me to show you the updated family tree…”

Merrick shut the paper and stood. “On second thought, we probably shouldn’t wait for them to kick us out.”

I chuckled at Kitty’s smirk. She certainly knew how to push her grandson’s buttons.

I stood. “I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon, but I’ll be back in the morning. My flight isn’t until four.”

“Don’t rush back early, sweetheart. Get some sleep. I appreciate you coming at all.”

I bent and hugged her, then stepped aside so Merrick could say goodnight.

Outside, it was a beautiful evening. The air was warm and unusually dry for late summer in Atlanta. When we approached Kitty’s hot rod, I got an idea. “Can we put the top down on the car? I’ve never been in a convertible.”

“Really?” Merrick said.

“Nope, never.”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

I was surprised that folding away the ragtop was as easy as pushing a button. Before we were even out of the parking lot, I was in love with the feeling of the wind blowing through my hair. I held my hands in the air. “This is ahhmazing.”

Merrick looked over. “You’re not very hard to please.”

He made a left and a right and then we were on the highway, going pretty fast. I let my head fall back and stared up at the dark sky as my hair whipped all around me.

“You hungry?” Merrick yelled over the wind.

“Starving! Can we get junk food?”

He smiled. “Whatever you want. Did you have something particular in mind?”

“How about Wendy’s?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Cute.”

I laughed. “Any chance you know a place called Mix’D Up Burgers? It’s not exactly on the way back to the house. It’s more on the way to my Airbnbs. I stumbled on it one night when I was trying to find gas.”

“I don’t know it, but I’m sure I can put it in the GPS.”

“I’d be your best friend if you did.”

He handed me his phone. “Here, type it into Waze and see if it comes up.”

It did, and I spent the rest of the drive enjoying the warm breeze while salivating at the thought of what I was going to order. When we arrived, Merrick pulled into the parking lot. “You want to go inside to eat or take it home?”

“Can we order a meal and eat the fries on the way home?”

He smiled. “Good plan. “Do you know what you want?”

“I do. I want The Pile. It’s a burger loaded with cheesy fries. But you also get a side order of fries.”

He laughed. “You’re killing me. Between the monkey bread this morning and now this, I’m going to have to hit the gym a little harder next week.”

“Oh God. Don’t remind me. I don’t even want to think about weight. I’ve been on a junk food tear since my wedding debacle.”

Merrick’s eyes raked down my torso, stopping to linger on my breasts. “Trust me, junk food works for you.”

• • •

“Do you mind waiting out here a second?” Merrick unlocked Kitty’s front door and pushed it open halfway.

“Umm, sure?”

He held out the fast-food bag to me. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“Alright, but I’m going to eat your dinner if you take too long.”

“You already ate most of the fries we were supposed to share.”

Two minutes later, he came back outside, carrying two familiar mugs. My eyes lit up. “Oh my God! The Waffle House mugs they used to drink their spiked tea from. You know they stole those from the restaurant.”

Merrick smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

I sighed. “Those bring back such great memories.” I pointed over to what had been my grandmother’s house. “They would sit on that porch for hours every night getting loaded, and all the neighbors saw were two little old ladies drinking hot tea.”

He smiled. “I know. Guess what’s in here?”

“Don’t tell me it’s spiked sweet tea?”

“Yep.” He nodded toward the house next door. “The neighbors who bought your grandmother’s house are away. I met them earlier this week. When they mentioned they were going out of town, I asked if they would mind if the old owner’s granddaughter sat on their porch. You said you’d give anything to bring back the sweet-tea days. I know it’s not the same, but I figured we can eat on the rocking chairs and drink the spiked stuff.”

My heart swelled. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”

He nodded toward the porch. “Come on. Let’s go over.”

At first it was strange to sit on my grandmother’s porch without her here. But when we were done eating and sat on the rocking chairs, doing nothing but sipping out of our Waffle House mugs, I felt a warmth in my chest.

“How did you know they drank out of these particular mugs? I don’t think I mentioned it the other day.”

“You didn’t. My grandmother did.”

“Oh.”

“She’s pretty much talked about you or your grandmother all week. I think having you down here brought up a lot of memories for her, too.” He held up his mug. “She must really love you, because she gave me her spiked sweet tea recipe when I said I wanted to make it for you. You know southern women hold their tea recipes just below the Bible when it comes to sacred things.”

I smiled. “Well, the feeling is mutual.”

We sat side by side, rocking and sipping quietly for a few minutes. Eventually, I pointed to a house a few doors down and across the street. “Remember the story I told you about when I almost fell from my treehouse in the rain? That I thought a boy named Cooper saved me?”

Merrick nodded. “I remember.”

“That was his house. He had a dog with three legs named Woody.”

Merrick squinted down the dark street. “I remember the dog. He used to walk on his back two legs like a human, right?”

“That’s the one.”

“Yeah, I remember the dog. But I don’t remember the kid.”

“I definitely do. He was also my first kiss.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I’m sure he remembers me, too. Because aside from being his first kiss, I also caused his first dental procedure.”

“Did he go in for the kiss too fast and your teeth clashed or something?”

“Worse. But let me stop my story and give you a little background. When I was fifteen, we were living in Chicago. All of my friends had kissed boys before, but I wasn’t anxious to start down that road because I already had trust issues because of my dad. Anyway, a cute boy in my school asked me out, and we went to a movie. He had the absolute worst breath. I mean, I was sitting in the theatre and could smell it next to me, even when he wasn’t facing my way.” I shook my head. “I don’t know if it was the braces or what, but it was horrendous, and I was dying for the movie to be over. Long story short, he tried to kiss me at the end of the night, and I stopped him. He accused me of being a prude. So to defend myself, I told him the truth—that his breath smelled like ass.”

Merrick cracked up. “So you haven’t changed much from fifteen, huh?”

“Anyway, the next day he lied and told the whole school that he had kissed me, and I was the worst kisser ever.” I shook my head. “I obviously knew what really happened, but I developed a paranoia that I was going to be a terrible kisser. Dumb, I know. But whatever. Fast forward to the following summer, and I’m now sixteen and still haven’t had my first kiss. We came down to visit my grandmother for a week, and me and Cooper used to ride bikes together. I knew he was attracted to me, and he seemed like a nice kid, so I figured maybe it would finally happen. One night, he’d gotten a flat tire on his bike, and we were in his garage. I was holding the box wrench when he pulled off the tire, and when he stood to take it from me, he told me I was beautiful and leaned in for a kiss. At the last second, I remembered I had eaten fish for dinner and not yet brushed my teeth, so I lifted my hand to my mouth. Except I still had the box wrench in my hand. He chipped his front tooth on it.”

“Damn. Poor guy.”

“I know. I felt so bad that I came back the next morning and kissed him.”

“I bet you cleaned your teeth first.”

“I definitely did! I think I scrubbed them for ten full minutes.”

We both laughed at that. It felt so good to sit here again. “So let’s hear your story,” I said.

“What story?”

“Your first kiss.”

He smiled. “Ah… Daniella Dixon. Her parents knew what they were doing when they gave her the initials of double D.”

I play-shoved his arm. “So the obsession started at an early age, huh? I’ve seen your eyes linger on my boobs more than once.”

Merrick’s eyes glinted as they dropped again now, speaking directly to my breasts. “You started it, showing them to me in that dressing room.”

I laughed and pointed up. “Eyes up here. Now go on with your story about Daniella.”

Merrick shrugged. “Not much to tell. She was a little older, and we made out in her basement.”

“How much older?”

“Two years, I think. I was fourteen, and she was sixteen. As far as I remember, her breath was okay, and I didn’t injure her.”

I smiled. “Boring.”

“I’ll take boring over bad breath any day.”

I pointed to him. “True.”

He knocked back the rest of his drink. “You want another?”

“Sure.”

When I went to get up, he stopped me. “I got it. Enjoy the porch.”

Rather than thinking of the many times I’d spent in this exact spot with my grandmother, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man who’d arranged this. It was such a simple gesture—asking the neighbor if we could sit here and making the drinks that brought back good memories for me—yet it meant so much more than that.

Merrick listened to me. He paid attention. We’d certainly started out on the wrong foot, but this week he’d even implemented my suggestion to mandate that employees use the majority of their vacation time. It was funny—normally it felt like your boss stood in front of you, but with Merrick, it felt like he stood beside me. He was also smart, cared deeply for his grandmother, and I was insanely attracted to him. Not to mention, he’d made it clear that he was into me.

So why was I afraid to give us a chance?

While I mulled that over, Merrick came back with our drinks. He passed me mine before sitting back down.

“What time is your flight tomorrow?”

“Four.”

He nodded. “As long as she gets out Monday, I’ll probably come home by the end of the week. I contacted a skilled nursing company. I just hope she lets them in when I make the arrangements.”

“Oh, that reminds me. When I stepped out of Kitty’s hospital room to go to the ladies’ room, one of the doctors talked to me about some equipment that might help her at home, at least until her cast comes off. I didn’t mention it in front of Kitty because I figured you might want to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission. I have a brochure for the company in my purse.”

“Which one?” Merrick asked.

“Well, there’s a chair that looks like a recliner, but it tips forward to help the person stand. And there’s also a motorized base for under her mattress that can help her get up with less struggle.”

“No. I didn’t mean which equipment. I meant which doctor approached you?”

“Her doctor, Dr. Martin.”

Merrick frowned. “Did he write his number on the back of the brochure?”

“Jealous much?”

“My grandmother was trying to goad me by setting the two of you up.”

“And…did it work?” I didn’t realize I’d bitten down on my bottom lip until Merrick’s eyes fell. He groaned and shook his head.

“Of course it did. I’m jealous of your damn teeth right now—and that little shit whose tooth you chipped, too.”

I snort-laughed. The alcohol was definitely starting to go to my head, but I loved that Merrick and I could talk this way.

We stayed on the porch for hours after that, rocking and laughing, all while sipping spiked tea from Waffle House mugs. At midnight, I still wasn’t ready to call it a night, but it started to drizzle, and the warm breeze blew it into our faces.

I took off my wet glasses and wiped them dry with my shirt.

“You ready to go in?” Merrick said.

The truth was, the longer I spent with him, the more I fell. So while I would’ve been perfectly happy sitting in the rain a little longer, I nodded. “Yeah, I don’t have windshield wipers for my glasses.”

He took my empty mug and his, and together we walked next door. The house was dark and quiet, with only the light from the front porch illuminating the room. Since we’d walked across the grass, our shoes were wet, and we both slipped them off at the front door.

“You going to bed?” Merrick asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I probably should.”

Merrick shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

In the guest room, I leaned my head against the door. I heard Merrick walking around for a few minutes and then footsteps grew louder as he entered the small hallway just outside my door. The two bedrooms we were sleeping in were separated only by the bathroom, so I expected to hear a door open and close, but instead there was stillness. Had he gone that quietly, or was he standing in the hallway right outside the door, struggling like I was?

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d wanted a man as much as I did Merrick. It made me feel like Christian had done me a favor. He and I had been perfect on paper—compatible and goal oriented. We got along well enough before everything blew up. But I’d never realized what was missing until now: passion. I felt heat in my belly when I was near Merrick—whether that was arguing our views or tracing the broadness of his shoulders when he wasn’t paying attention. Deep down, I knew what the problem was. Sure, he was my boss and I’d made that mistake before, so it would be stupid of me to go there, but that wasn’t the reason I’d been keeping him at arm’s length. The real reason was that the feelings he ignited in me scared me. I’d kept away from anything that caused highs and lows for all of my adult life, preferring to sail smoothly down comfortable lane. With my past, you didn’t have to be a therapist to understand why I’d take that route.

I was afraid of passion. My parents had it. They’d swung from crazy in love to him abusing her. It was like a pendulum that never stopped. So I’d sought the metronome of relationships—one steady beat that never got out of sync.

Outside in the hallway, things were still quiet. I started to think I just hadn’t heard Merrick go into his room—until I heard movement outside my door. I held my breath as my heart raced, expecting him to knock. But then the footsteps fell away. When the other bedroom door finally clanked open and closed, I let out a disappointed breath.

It’s better this way.

At least that’s what I told myself as I got ready for bed and slipped under the covers. But when I shut my eyes, my thoughts went in the opposite direction. I wanted Merrick in the worst way. I wanted him to bite my lip and be jealous. I wanted the fire I saw in his eyes to come alive in his touch. Forget the romance—brushing my hair behind my ear, the sweet things he said to me—I wanted the man to lift me over his shoulder and drag me to his bed like a damn caveman.

The vision of that in my head caused a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead. I was never going to fall asleep with every muscle in my body knotted in a tight ball of lust. Frustrated, I stared up at the ceiling for a long time.

I knew what I needed to do to fall asleep. But Merrick’s room was only eight feet away down the hall.

What if he heard me?

Though I could be quiet, couldn’t I?

Oh my God, what if he was doing the exact same thing right at this moment?

That was it. The thought of his big hand wrapped around his cock was too much to bear. So I closed my eyes, slipped one hand under the covers, and skimmed my fingers over the smooth skin of my belly until I reached the lace of my panties. My clit was already swollen, just thinking about what was to come, so I spread my legs wide and dipped my hand inside. This was going to set a record for how quickly I could get myself off…or so I thought.

But for some reason, I couldn’t get there. Two fingers massaged my clit in small circles. I felt tension build, but it wasn’t enough to push me over. I tried to imagine the fingers were Merrick’s and slipped them inside myself. It felt so damn good. My breathing quickened as I found my rhythm, fingers pumping in and out of my wetness.

Thoughts of Merrick flashed in my mind.

Him lying on the couch with his bulging cock and flat stomach.

That sexy line of hair that led from his belly button down into his underwear.

The V—that damn V. I imagined my tongue licking up and down the deep crease of it.

Merrick standing in his office, fully dressed in a suit with his feet spread wide and arms folded over his chest in a power stance. Lord, he was almost as sexy dressed.

Oh.

Yeah. That’s it.

So close.

I panted as I raced toward the finish line. When I thought I was about to get there, I reached my thumb up to touch my clit, knowing that almost always detonated the impending explosion.

It felt good, great even, but no matter how gently or firmly I rubbed, how fast or slow I pumped into myself, I couldn’t close the deal. I even tried using my other hand to massage my breasts and pinch my nipples, but it was impossible. After a while, definitely longer than I’d ever had to pleasure myself before, I finally gave up.

God, I can’t even do that right.

Frustrated and on edge, I blamed Merrick.

The man had stolen my damn orgasm.

Another half hour or so went by, but I still couldn’t relax enough to fall asleep. I thought maybe I’d make some chamomile tea—perhaps the warm drink could help me wind down a little. So I got out of bed and creaked open my door. There was no possible way I could face Merrick after what I’d just done to thoughts of him. Luckily, his bedroom door was closed, and I didn’t hear any signs of moving around. So I slipped out of my room and tiptoed to the kitchen. But when I pushed the door open, I froze.

Fuck.

Merrick was inside, leaning against the counter, and he wore only a pair of low-hanging gray sweatpants—no shirt or shoes.

“Hey.” His voice was gravelly.

I couldn’t look at him, so I spoke to his feet. “What are you doing up?”

I didn’t raise my eyes, but I could see through my peripheral vision that he lifted a glass. “Couldn’t sleep. Came out for some water.”

I nodded and went to the kitchen cabinet next to where he stood, still not able to look at him. Though I definitely felt his eyes following me.

“Everything alright?”

“Sure. Just thirsty, too.”

Merrick went silent. He didn’t say a word while I took down a glass, walked to the sink, and ran the water before filling my cup.

“You feel okay?”

I guzzled almost the entire glass before answering. “Fine, why?”

He reached out and felt my forehead. “Your face is red.” He brushed the back of his hand over my cheek. “And you’re clammy.”

I tried to hide my embarrassment, but I felt my face heating even more. “I was under the covers. That room gets warm.”

Again, he was quiet, and I continued to stare down at his feet.

Seriously? Even his stupid feet were sexy.

Tension built in the room with every second that passed. Eventually Merrick set his drink on the counter. He slipped the glass from my hand and set it next to his. My eyes darted up, but I quickly looked away.

“Look at me, Evie.”

Fuck.

The moment was already awkward, and all I wanted to do was run back to my room and hide under the covers. But that would make things even worse. So instead, I put on my big-girl panties and took a deep breath before looking up.

Our gazes locked, and I watched as Merrick studied me. Long seconds ticked by as my heart ricocheted against my rib cage. I watched in fascination as his pupils grew darker and larger, and a ghost of a devilish smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Merrick shifted from next to me to in front of me, putting one hand on either side of the counter.

“You want me as much as I want you, Evie. I can see it.”

I felt like a deer caught in the headlights with a car barreling down the road. Yet I couldn’t seem to get my feet to move. Maybe they didn’t want to.

Merrick’s eyes were filled with so much heat, I actually started to sweat.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he said.

“You’re…” It felt like he could see right through me, so rather than lie, I told him something that was true. “You’re my boss, Merrick.”

He looked down for a minute before locking eyes with me again. “Is that the only reason?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

A wicked grin spread across his face. He held up one finger and then took a few steps to grab his cell from the kitchen table. Looking at me, he swiped and tapped before holding his cell up to his ear.

“Who are you calling? It’s after one in the morning.”

He held my eyes as he spoke into the phone. “Hi, Joan.”

My eyes flared. He was not calling the head of HR in the middle of the night, was he?

Merrick listened for a minute and then nodded. “Yeah, everything is fine. I’m sorry if I woke you. But I’ve been struggling with something and wanted to run it by you.”

I couldn’t hear what she said, but I was positive we were both thinking the same thing: Our boss is a damn crazy person.

He continued. “I think it’s best that we build a wall between myself and Evie Vaughn. If employees are supposed to be able to confide in her, they should know her boss can’t pressure her to reveal anything they might disclose. The best way to do that is to not have her report to me.”

My mouth dropped open.

Merrick looked over and covered the phone. He motioned with his hand for me to close my mouth and whispered, “Rest that jaw. I’ll need it open later.”

Oh

My

God.

He continued on the phone without missing a beat. “I think it’s best she reports to you for day-to-day issues. And since the board brought her on, they should have hiring and firing authority.”

Merrick’s eyes sparkled as he stared at me, still listening on the phone. After a minute, he smiled. “Perfect. Except this can’t wait until next week. I’d like it to be effective immediately. Thanks, Joan. Sorry again for waking you.”

He swiped his phone off and tossed it on the table, looking pretty damn proud of himself. “Problem solved. Anything else we need to take care of?”

He looked at me with so much determination, I got the feeling I could tell him the house needed to be picked up and moved, and he’d find a way to lift it onto his back.

Something Kitty said to me a while ago suddenly jumped to the forefront. “If you want to be happy, you need to see it in your future and believe it. Find a new path, you can’t be afraid to try new turns. Make a left instead of a right. Zig instead of zag.”

But then again, hadn’t I gone down this path—a man I worked with? I knew where that landed me.

My eyes lifted to Merrick’s carved stomach. I definitely never explored a path like that—one filled with peaks and valleys of taut muscle. I salivated at the thought of running my tongue over them all.

I want this.

No, I need this.

I groaned. “Fuck it.” I flew into his arms. Mr. Confidence apparently hadn’t been expecting it, because while I was busy wrapping my arms around his neck and climbing him like a tree, he stumbled back a few steps. Once he regained his footing, he crushed his lips to mine. Our mouths opened in a tangle of desperation with teeth clashing and tongues frantic to find each other. One of his hands slid down to my ass, while the other gripped the back of my neck and pulled me yet closer. I couldn’t get enough. He was overwhelming all of my senses at once.

Merrick walked with me in his arms until my back hit a wall. Then he pressed his hips to me, pinning me in place while he reached around to the back of his neck, gathered my hands into one of his, and stretched them up and over my head. I kissed him hard, feeling desperate to dig my nails into his back, but so turned on that I couldn’t because he was restraining my hands.

He bent slightly, used one hand to pull my thigh up, and suddenly I could feel his erection grinding into my clit. I whimpered, feeling a little breathless, and that only seemed to egg Merrick on. He growled, rubbing between my legs with his rock-hard cock, and I swear I almost came right there. We were just kissing, and he was going to get the job done faster than I’d been able to.

He shifted his head to my neck and sucked along my pulse line. “You had your fingers inside your pussy earlier, didn’t you?” he whispered.

I couldn’t form words, but nodded.

“Were you thinking of me?”

I nodded again.

Merrick growled, and I felt it in my belly.

“Did you come?”

I shook my head.

“Good. I want you on edge.”

Oh, I was already there. If he kept talking dirty, he wouldn’t have to do much more for me to fall over.

“My room or yours?” he mumbled.

“Mine. I couldn’t…in Kitty’s.”

Merrick released my hands and gathered me in his arms again. He walked toward the kitchen door, but I yelled, “Wait!”

He froze. The look on his face was actually kind of comical.

I bit my lip. “Do you think you could…put me over your shoulder?”

He arched a brow.

I shrugged. “It’s kind of a fantasy I had going.”

Without warning, he plucked me from around his waist, lifted me into the air, and tossed me over his shoulder. “This is just the first one I’m going to make come true, sweetheart.”

Merrick carried me to the guest bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed before setting me on my feet between his legs.

“I want to taste you, but first I need to see all of you.” He reached up to the hem of my shirt and slowly lifted it over my head. I had already changed for bed, so I didn’t have a bra on.

Merrick shook his head. “You’re beautiful.”

His head was perfectly aligned with my breasts, and my nipples stood at full attention, begging for his touch. Leaning forward, he sucked one into his mouth and looked up at me. When our gazes locked, he sucked harder before biting down and tugging with his teeth.

My eyes closed. Fuck. I need him to touch me. I’d been aching for him for hours and felt so damn needy.

When he moved to my other breast, he shimmied my sleeping shorts down my legs, leaving me completely bare.

He leaned back to get a better look at me. “You said you fantasized about me. I don’t think I could dream up something this perfect.”

My body was already on fire, but his words made my heart melt. He stood and guided me to switch places with him. Once I was on the edge of the bed, he nudged my knees open.

“Wider.”

I spread my legs a modest amount, but it wasn’t enough apparently.

“More… Wider.”

Any self-consciousness I had was quickly forgotten when Merrick licked his lips, staring at my pussy. “So pink and perfect,” he said. “I want you to watch me eat you.”

Oh God.

He leaned forward and licked at me, his tongue flattening to lap between my parted lips as it traveled from one end to the other. Reaching my clit, he fluttered his tongue over and over before sucking it into his mouth.

My eyes shut, and I dug my fingernails into his scalp. “Merrick…”

Without warning, he slipped a finger inside of me, pumping a few times before adding another. I’d been riding the edge of a wave for so long that it didn’t take long before it began to crest. My body trembled, and my insides clamped down on his fingers. Merrick sucked once more on my clit, and the free fall hit.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

I wasn’t sure I could feel anything else in the lower half of my body. It was as if every nerve ending from the waist down had shut down to magnify the intensity of what was happening between my legs. When it was over, I collapsed back on the bed, one arm slung over my face.

Merrick climbed up and hovered over me. “Not good, huh?”

I moved my arm enough to peek at him through one eye and gave him a giddy smile. “Holy shit. You’re going to be doing that…a lot.”

Merrick flashed a triumphant look. “My pleasure.” He peeled my arm away and kissed my lips gently. “I’ll be right back.”

He returned with a sad face and held up two condoms. “I only have two.”

I smiled. “I think that will hold us.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to fill two the first time.”

I laughed and held out my hand. “Come here.”

Merrick climbed over me and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss started slow and sweet, but didn’t take long to grow heated and desperate. A few minutes ago, I’d been sated and content, and yet already I was growing needy. I grabbed the waistband of Merrick’s sweatpants and started to push them down, but he took over and finished.

I’d seen the bulge between his legs that one time on the couch, but that didn’t prepare me for what I found when I slid my hand between us and tried to wrap it around his cock. The thing was pretty damn big—not that I’d experienced a vast array, but it definitely put Christian to shame. That gave me a weird sense of satisfaction. Not only had I moved on, I’d traded up, too.

Merrick broke our kiss and sat back on his haunches, grabbing one of the condoms he’d dropped on the bed. His cock bobbed against his belly as he grasped the wrapper between his teeth and tore it open. Pausing as he sheathed himself, he caught my eyes.

I pointed. “That thing is bigger than my vibrator.”

He winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll take my time when I feed it to you later.”

Merrick positioned himself over me and took my mouth in a languid kiss as he pushed inside. He eased in and out gently, careful to give my body time to adjust to each thrust. When he was fully seated, I felt his arms shake, yet he stopped to check in with me.

“You good?”

I nodded and smiled. “Very.”

Merrick clenched his jaw as he continued, looking into my eyes in a way that made me feel bare—and it had nothing to do with being naked.

“You feel…fuck, so good,” he muttered.

My eyes closed as I felt the familiar wave taking form once again.

“Open your eyes, Evie. I want to…” He thrust deeper. “Fuck. I want…to watch you come.”

When our eyes met again, I felt the intensity of our connection deep in my chest. We were giving each other so much more than our bodies—what I was feeling came from the soul.

Merrick’s thrusts quickened. He lifted one of my thighs, causing him to sink even deeper into my body—hitting just the right spot.

“Merrick…”

“That’s it, sweetheart. Wrap your legs around my back.” He tightened his hold and fucked me hard and fast. His hips ground down, pinning me to the mattress, and it took all my strength to match his thrusts. “I’m so deep inside you… You’re so fucking tight…”

I felt desperate, my nails digging into his pumping ass as my climax started to build once again. We were slicked with sweat, our bodies slapping into each other, playing the most erotic tune I’d ever heard.

My orgasm hit faster than ever before, and with so much intensity it felt like it might blow me to smithereens. I cried out Merrick’s name while his eyes blazed so hot, the green of his irises turned dark gray.

When I finally started to loosen my grip on his ass, it was his turn. Merrick bucked one, twice, and on the third time he planted himself to the root with a roar. The veins in his neck bulged, and every muscle in his body tightened as he released inside me. Even through the condom, I could feel spurts of hot cum.

Rather than rolling off or collapsing on top like most men do, Merrick kept going. His mouth slid over my shoulders and neck, licking and kissing while we caught our breath.

“Wow,” I finally managed. “Now I understand why you thought we needed more than two condoms.” I smiled goofily. “You’re good at that.”

Merrick chuckled. “My ego would like to take all the credit, but that was us, sweetheart. It’s been there from the very start.”

I knew he was right. There’d been a spark of something since the first time I’d stepped into his office. That day I would’ve bet that something was friction from the clash of our personalities. To be honest, a little of that might still exist, but our connection had gone somewhere I’d never imagined it would.

I cupped his cheek. “You were very unexpected.”

He turned his head into my hand and kissed my palm. “Sometimes the best things come along that way.”