26. I Get It

Chapter 26

I Get It

Joy's heart beat like a pair of hummingbird wings. So that's what it feels like. Even as she dragged air into her lungs, she floated on a cloud of warm oblivion, though she wasn't sure if she was going up or coming down. In the past, she'd flirted with orgasms—even convinced herself a time or two that she'd experienced one. But she'd been wrong. She got it now. And boy, had she been missing out.

Technique wasn't the only contributing factor, though. She'd been with experienced men who were skilled, but something about this man's approach had sent her blasting into the stratosphere. The way he'd taken control with his demands, how his big, rough hands had worked her body, and all the wonderful, filthy things he'd said in that gruff voice had launched her over the edge without any brakes. From a golden retriever, an alpha wolf had emerged in her bedroom, and oh, how she liked the transformation.

But it was more than that. He had tuned into her , showing infinite patience and tenderness when she'd needed it most. That caring, subtle touch went beyond skill; it came from someplace innate and deep inside him. And it totally surprised her. Her happily fuzzy brain didn't care to analyze the whys.

Said alpha climbed up her body, his warm weight sinking her deeper into the mattress. His hard, heavy shaft was trapped between their bodies, and her imagination flitted to what it would feel like moving deep inside her.

As one hand tangled in her hair, the other one toyed with a breast. Glimmering green eyes dark with desire bored into hers. "Hey, princess. How we doing?" His voice was a gravelly baritone, sending fresh chills dancing along her limbs.

"We're doing … amazing. Thank you for that."

One side of his mouth curled up in a self-satisfied smirk. "Glad to be of service."

He dropped his head, his mouth teasing the skin just above her collarbones and along her throat. "You taste so fucking good everywhere ," he murmured. Every nerve just below the surface of her skin was on fire, and she nearly gasped aloud.

"You have a very dirty mouth." She barely recognized her own husky voice.

He raised his head. "Which you love hearing and having on you, don't you?"

Apparently, she did. Why f-bombs and filthy talk rumbling in his mouth made her tingle all over, she had no clue, but it did. Parts of her had awoken she didn't even know existed.

He rolled off her, propped up an elbow, and rested the side of his head in his hand. His fingers danced over her rib cage. "Come on, princess," he cooed. "Tell me how much you love my dirty mouth."

"You're incorrigible." She slapped at his chest with her wet-noodle hand. Her entire body was a wet noodle.

He trailed a series of sucking kisses up her neck that made her nipples stand on end. "Not gonna stop until you tell me," he mouthed against her throat. He moved back down her chest until he reached her taut peak. Clamped down on it. Tongued it. Sucked her hard. Meanwhile, his roving hand snaked beneath her and squeezed her ass.

She couldn't contain a moan. "God, yes, I love your mouth on me."

He hummed his pleasure as he meted out the same treatment on the other breast .

Rolling toward him, she dropped her hand between them. She took him in hand and stroked him root to tip, spreading slick beads of moisture over his smooth crown. He dragged in a breath.

Fair's fair. "You like that?" she murmured in his ear before giving it a flick of her tongue.

"Stop stealing my lines," he gritted out.

Oh, this was fun! She feathered her fingertips along his shaft, gripped it, and gently pumped. "Tell me if you like my hand on you," she insisted.

"Yeah, I do, you little minx." His gaze traveled over her face, unguarded lust gleaming in his dark eyes. "But we're going to save that for another day."

Her silly heart lifted when it heard "another day." Was this more than a one-night stand for him? She found herself hoping so, though exactly what she wanted from their liaison was shrouded in mystery. She'd examine it "another day."

Distracted by her heart's musings, she realized too late he had moved her hand away and was caught off guard when he rolled them so he was on top again, pinning her in place. One hand yanked her wrists above her head while the other pried her legs apart. A corner of his mouth curved upward with salacious intent while his broad tip teased her entrance. "You want this?"

"Bring it," she challenged, her voice masking the excitement making her quiver inside. She was playing with fire, but she couldn't stop herself. Sparks of desire showered down from her scalp to her toes, making her come alive in every corner and crevice of her being.

"It's showtime." His voice was a velvet rasp.

She wasn't sure what that meant until he sat up and produced a condom from thin air. He extended his free hand, and when she took it, he pulled her up and handed her the packet. "Roll it on me." His tone brooked no argument.

Her fingers shook, making it impossible to open. Eyes on her, he took it from her and ripped it open with the confidence of someone who had opened condoms many, many times before. He handed it back to her.

"I-I haven't done this before," she stuttered.

That smirk twitched his beautiful mouth as he leaned back on the bed, hands bracing his weight. His heavy cock jutted high and hard in the air. "You'll get the hang of it. "

This was her first unfettered view of him, and he stole the air from her lungs. He was magnificent. Long, thick legs, corded forearms, chiseled planks of bronzed muscle as far as the eye could see—and her eyes were gathering as much as they could. Even as she admired every inch of him, his eyes traced her fumblings, blazing with intensity as they moved on to roam over her body, blatantly dipping into her valleys and grazing her peaks. He licked his lips like a wolf preparing to savor a snack.

Somehow, she got him sheathed, and as soon as she did, he stretched out on his back, grabbed her hips, and hoisted her on top of him in one smooth motion. His gaze continued its flagrant perusal as he folded his hands behind his head and let it sink into the pillow, all casualness and ease.

"Ride me, princess," he demanded.

The moonlight set their bodies aglow. She loved staring at his perfect lines, but she wasn't so comfortable with him watching her body rock on top of him. She'd be on full display before his eyes, and shyness overcame her.

Seeming to sense her reluctance, he lifted his chin at her. "I want to watch your tits bounce and your beautiful body move while you're fucking me."

The crude words both shocked and ignited her. She hadn't been with a man like him, who possessed her body and said whatever filthy desire was on his mind. He stirred a wantonness that had been lying dormant in her psyche. Struck a chord deep inside her that strummed her carnal cravings.

"What about what I want?" She tried to inject her squeaky voice with bravado.

He fisted his shaft at its base. "I know what you want, and it's this, so climb aboard and take it."

Damn, he was bossy! And she had never been more aroused.

Planting her hands on his carved chest, she leaned over him and lifted her bottom. Eyes riveted on hers, he raised his head and captured a nipple in his mouth, tugging it between his teeth and sucking it in with such intense pressure it sent shivers of delight through her that blanked her mind. The distraction had her lowering herself onto his cock as he held it in place. She impaled herself in one go.

She gasped in surprise as he grunted out an expletive or three. He filled her, stretched her to the hilt. Keeping her body still, she sucked in air while her body accommodated his girth .

He seemed to be fighting for control. Hands on her hips, he gusted out, "You all right?"

She nodded.

"You feel fucking amazing. Better than I ever dreamed."

He'd dreamed about this?

Flexing his hips, he thrust upward, and her body began to move of its own accord, ancient instinct taking over and directing her. She slid up and down, her pubic bone grinding down against his.

She closed her eyes and let the sensations wash over her, not caring about the full visual she offered. Arching her back, she undulated on top of him, meeting him thrust for thrust—until he set a punishing rhythm her body couldn't follow.

He pulled her down on top of him, mashing her breasts against his chest, his mouth and hands everywhere at once, devouring her whole. They were one unit, a mass of writhing arms and legs, and he flipped them. Up on his knees, he draped her legs over his shoulders and surged into her, raw power uncoiling. His eyes smoldered with dark desire that made her soar inside.

Bracing her hands against the headboard, she held on while he pounded into her. She was lost to the pleasure blooming low in her belly and spreading through her limbs to the tips of her digits. He pistoned in and out of her relentlessly, his thrusts going deeper, faster, his groans and grunts louder. His face contorted with ecstasy as he began to come part, and she relished the sight. Anticipation of that cataclysmic moment mesmerized her. And when he dropped his hand between them, her orgasm hit her fast. One brutal swoop, ripping through her without warning. Shattering into a million fragments, her body clenched and squeezed, and he followed her over the edge with a curse and a shout.

Vaguely, she was aware that he slumped on top of her, their thumping hearts in sync. Her fingers twined in his hair while her other hand stroked his back, slick with perspiration and heaving with his mighty breaths. His big hands cradled her shoulders, holding her to him.

He raised his head, searching her face before he kissed her with an exquisite tenderness that was so intimate it made her want to weep.

"I need to clean up," he whispered.

Twiddling his strands, she gave him a contented half-smile. "Hurry back. "

He kissed the tip of her nose and rolled out of bed, padding to the bathroom. She watched him walk away without an ounce of remorse. Her imagination hadn't done his ass justice.

When he returned, he slid beside her and turned her so his chest snuggled against her back. He pulled the covers over their bodies and enveloped her in his strong arms. After laying down a series of gentle kisses and soft nibbles along her shoulder, he picked up one of her hands, interlacing his fingers with hers and tucking it against her shoulder. "Is it okay if I stay?"

God, yes!

That he wanted to made happy bubbles effervesce inside her. She'd never been with a cuddler before—maybe this was the golden retriever in him—nor was she a cuddler herself. Usually, she couldn't wait to usher a man out the door or escape his bed, and there was always that agonizingly awkward period of politeness right after. But with Charlie? She liked it. In fact, everything about how he handled her made her feel … beautiful. Desirable. And dare she think it, as though she belonged somehow, which was nuts. This was a temporary fling, though there was no denying it was one she would cherish.

She giggled. "You want to stay so you can get started on your work early?"

A warm chuckle rumbled through his chest. "No, though I do have a different ulterior motive. Besides enjoying just lying here with you, I can't wait to wake you up and do what we just did all over again."

She'd been throbbing after their acrobatics, but his words zinged straight to her core, intensifying the pulses. Hussy that she was, she was ready for an encore herself. Hand between her legs, she squeezed her thighs together to stem the sensation. "Bet you say that to all the girls." Crap! Why was she trying to ruin the moment?

"Actually, I don't," he replied without hesitation, though his voice was thick with fatigue. "So what happened with Sterling?"

Not too fatigued after all . Apparently, they were going to have this discussion now. "I asked him to leave, and he did."

"He looked nice and cozy in his pj's. Was he actually sleeping in this bed when we got here?" His entire body stiffened. "Shit. You didn't … on these sheets … "

She whipped her head toward him. "No! Absolutely not. In fact, I changed the sheets after he left because, well … I don't know. And it's not what you're probably thinking. It kind of gave me the creepy-crawlies to know he was lying in them, uninvited. I hadn't expected it. I hadn't expected him at all."

Charlie's big body eased once more. "You two have history."

Her head was still craned toward him. "Do you want to know what that history is?"

One eye opened. "Kinda? But I don't want you to feel like you have to tell me."

She turned her head away and settled against him, pulling his arms a little tighter around her middle. "I have nothing to hide. He and I were … intimate a long time ago. It didn't last long—only a few months. We found out we were better colleagues than lovers, so we removed that from the equation."

"Does he know that?"

"I thought he did. It was out of character for him to show up like he did."

"How did you handle him? Just throw him out?"

"No," she sighed. "First, I answered as many questions about you as I felt right answering. It's none of his business, but still, I thought I owed him some explanation. So I gave him a quick synopsis about last night … minus the part about the kiss in the back seat."

"Sounds like a smart move on your part."

"Fortunately, I didn't have to actually send him away—where would he go?—because he booked a flight home, got dressed, and drove off in order to make it in time."

She stared out the window, her mind drifting from how safe she felt with Charlie's strong arms banded around her to wondering how soon the sun would come up … if she could make the night last a little longer. How awkward would the morning be? And poor Sterling. Guilt riddled her, but she reminded herself that he was the one who'd shown up unannounced. Why had he made the trip?

"You don't think he's jealous, do you?"

Charlie snorted. "Hell yeah, I think he's jealous."

"But he doesn't have any right to be. "

"Whether he has any right or not doesn't change the fact that he was looking at you like you're his, and at me like I'm … let's just say he didn't like seeing me here with you. Not that I can blame him."

"Meaning what?"

He lifted his torso and gazed down at her with a look she could only describe as wonder. "Meaning being with you is something a man wants to protect, keep for himself." Fingers smoothed the side of her face. "Never felt anything quite like you before, Joy Holiday. Feeling you unravel around me was … indescribable. Words aren't adequate." His mouth curved in a half-smile, and she was left utterly tongue-tied.

Warmth oozed from her heart and spread outward. "Oh," was all she could manage.

He lay back, gathering her to him, and his body relaxed on an extended sigh. For long moments, she listened to the solid thumping of his heart beneath her hand, watching his face slacken as sleep overtook him and his breathing evened out. The peaceful sounds settled in her bones and wrapped her up as snuggly as his warm body beside hers.

As she drifted off, her sluggish mind told her this was all too soon, that it couldn't become more than two people taking advantage of a physical connection. But oh, how she wanted to capture the sensations and bottle them. When had she ever felt this kind of contentment? This was heaven, right here, in this bed, next to this man who had come back to claim her tonight. Unbridled fire and passion tempered with a sweetness she could never have known co-existed inside him—inside anyone.

Life had just become immeasurably more complicated than it had been when she'd arrived in Fall River. A foreboding came over her, tamping down her bliss. Leaving this behind when she returned to Chicago was going to hurt like hell.