Sprite had suggested having the kids’ supplies in some divided containers that she used at the shop. She’d had Roam go grab an extra from Bluff Creek Ink. Sprite had shown Rachel how she would use it to set up the supplies. Rachel had loved it and ordered some right away.
Everyone had also voted on their favorite names for the cats. Now she could get tags made and have them ready to go.
As she put the supplies away, she thought about how close she’d grown to the women in the week since she’d arrived. Regina had helped her find a therapist for the kids to talk to about their bad daddy. He’d gotten them in for a first appointment. Chelle and Marcus had come to herseparately and said they liked talking with him because he made them feel better.
Beth, Emerson, and the group, as Rachel had taken to calling them, couldn’t quit talking about Rachel’s overalls. She’d taken the Broken Hearts Brewing logo and made patches and iron-on transfers with it. She’d applied a large one to the front of her overalls and then had smaller ones all over the legs. She’d been pretty proud of herself that everyone loved them so much.
“Are you about finished?” Gunner asked as he locked the front door.
“Yes, give me five more minutes,” she said.
“All right. I’ll check the bathrooms, then meet you in the kitchen,” Gunner said.
Rachel straightened the bookmark and bookshelf area. She stared at the bookcase and couldn’t wait until they unloaded all the books onto the shelves. She and Gunner had set the book organization get-together for February seventh because they were still waiting on some cartons of books. She didn’t want to put the books they had up andthen completely have to rearrange when the last ones came in.
She slid a chair under the table and deemed the room good enough for them to go home. She walked into the kitchen. Gunner was standing by the door, a smile on his face and wearing those thigh-hugging jeans he seemed to prefer. A tight black T-shirt was tucked into his jeans. The fabric outlined the muscles under it.
She swallowed, then realized she’d been staring at him longer than was appropriate.
“You ready?” she asked, walking up to him. His height and the way he treated her made her feel feminine and wondering what his lips would feel like.
“I’ve been ready for this for a week,” Gunner growled, grasping her strap and tugging her closer. His breath, smelling of the bowl of candy mints he kept in the kitchen, wafted closer before warm lips claimed hers.
For a second, she was stunned but this was Gunner. His lips coaxed a response—not tentative but tempting her to let go. He wanted her full participation, and he was willing to wait.
She slid her hand up until her palm could cup his cheek. He was everything she imagined and more. Instead of being the bystander like she’d been her whole life, she dove into showing him she wanted whatever he was willing to give.
A low groan came from him. His hand slid down, grasping her bottom, tugging her tighter until she could feel every inch of his hardness against her. He made love to her mouth as if he couldn’t get enough. There was no other word for how he was making her feel besides craved.
His lips coasted toward her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Her breasts felt heavy. She wanted to rub them against Gunner, but they had layers between them.
“More,” she whispered. She wasn’t sure what more she wanted or how far she wanted to go but she ached.
Gunner unhooked one of her straps, then lifted her onto the prep table. He stared into her eyes as his fingers unbuttoned the buttons at her hip.His fingers slipped under her T-shirt, dragging it above her breasts.
“Yes?” he asked.
She nodded because she needed more. His finger traced her breast. Gunner dragged her bra cup down, revealing her hardened nipple. As tiny and slender as she was, she’d always wanted bigger breasts, but the grin on Gunner’s face before he licked his tongue across the tip told her he was plenty happy with them.
The first touch had her arching. When he sucked hard, the pleasure shot straight between her legs. She widened her legs, wiggling, trying to get closer. He held her up while he ravished her breasts, slipping back and forth between them until she wanted to scream at him to take her.
His free hand slipped through the opening of her overalls, trailing across her stomach, sending more heat to her core.
She couldn’t think as he found her center, rubbing and touching until everything inside her tightened. Her orgasm ripped through her.
She breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath. She opened her eyes to a smirk on Gunner’s face. He brought the fingers he’d had inside her to his mouth, tasting her.What exactly does one say? Thanks for the orgasm? Thanks for making me feel loved and worshipped?
“Thank you,” Gunner said, fixing her clothes.
“For?” she asked.
“Trusting me enough to let me bring you pleasure. It will hold me over until the day you’re ready for me to remove every stitch of your clothes and sink inside you,” he said, helping her off the table.
“Umm, when will I be ready?” Rachel asked. She’d felt his hardness. He wasn’t pushing to have her right now. Gunner adjusted himself before flicking the lights off. She’d never met a man who was willing to wait.
“When you’re ready to be mine and only mine forever,” Gunner replied, leading her out to his bike.
Chapter Twelve
