We writhe together, tangled up in mutual euphoria, until finally we both gasp and collapse.
I bring my lips to hers. We don’t quite kiss. We just let them rest against each other as we breathe, like we’re the same body, needing the same things.
I look at her, losing myself. Her face is sweaty, and there’s a mark on her neck from my mouth. Her heart pulses back through her chest, the same tempo as mine.
I’ll never be the same after this.
“I own you now,” I whisper into her ear, feeling her soft body stir beneath mine.
I expect a smart-mouthed comment out of her. But to my surprise, she just nods, eyes closed, and whispers, “Yes, Daddy. You own me.”
7
BRIAR
I must be dreaming.
When I wake up in Gareth’s arms, so warm and so protected, everything feels just too good to be true.
He’s still sleeping, and I watch his muscled chest move slowly up and down with each breath. Trying hard not to wake him, I lean into his neck and inhale deeply. He smells like heaven.Thisis what I need at the truck stop. Not the stale coffee and burnt omelets.
Speaking of omelets, I can feel my stomach rumbling. And after all the work Gareth put in last night with me, I’m sure he’ll be hungry when he wakes up too. So very quietly, I slip out of bed, throw on one of his T-shirts, and go to the kitchen.
When I feel the soreness between my legs, I have to smile. I still can’t believeall thatfit inside me. That moment keeps replaying in my mind. Right then. When he pressed deeper and I felt something in me give way. When I fully became his.
It was like a pressure release, along with a tiny sting of pain that was quickly washed away by something new and wonderful. Overpowering and decadent.
And now, as I move around his enormous kitchen, I feel a glowing ache in the center of my chest. Something I’ve never felt before.
Is it…?
No. Don’t think it. You’ll jinx it.
Gareth is an amazing, powerful man. He could get any woman he wants. To think that at this point, this early on, he would wantmeforever…well, that’s just me being silly.
Still, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to make him an amazing breakfast for when he wakes up.
I find eggs in the fridge, along with scallions and bacon. And in the pantry, enough ingredients for pancakes. I may serve slop at the truck stop, but after many years of waking up with no parents to take care of me, I learned how to cook for myself. And I’m pretty damned good at it, if I say so myself.
My phone buzzes. My heart jumps, hoping it’s Sarah. But no such luck. It’s an incoming call from Mom. I think about answering for a moment, then click silent. If I know Mom, and I sure do, she’s just calling to complain about Ross. And that’s the last thing I want to hear right now. Nothing will disturb my contentment.
The scent of Applewood bacon must have reached the bedroom. I hear the sound of heavy feet and glance over my shoulder to see Gareth walking up to me, rubbing his eyes, wearing nothing but his birthday suit.
Heat flushes through me as my eyes drop down to that enormous manhood swaying back and forth between his thighs. He’s also…hard? But why? It’s not like we’ve been kissing or anything this morning.
“Did I forget that I hired a cook?” He smiles, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I feel the hard tip of his cock slip between my legs.
“Somebody’s excited,” I whisper, tilting forward slightly so my thighs spread and accept more of his girth.
I still can’t believe his size. Even now, with it just between my legs, it seems impossible. How did I take it last night? I don’t know. But I did. And I loved every second of it. Every inch.
“Woke up ready to go,” he replies as I grab an egg to crack into the pan. He takes me by the wrist, stops me, then lifts the hem of his shirt I’m wearing.
“That…happens?” I ask.
He leans closer, his breath hot against my ear. “I forget how innocent you are, Briar. Yes, men wake up hard. It’s called morning wood. And it’s specifically for situationsjust like this.”
Morning wood. Wow.
