Page 17

The shudder that runs through his entire body lights a fire low in my belly, and moisture begins gathering in the center of my panties where his finger is brushing against me.

Sam is very methodical. He doesn't just dig in. He kisses me gently while exploring every dip and curve of my pussy, first through my panties, then he slips his hand inside to do it again against my skin. Sighing against his lips, I'm overcome by how incredibly intimate this is. Our breathing. The way we look at and touch each other. Every moment seems to stretch on forever, until I fall into a dream-like state.

"So sexy." His voice turns husky. "Your pussy is so soft, and I love how wet you are for me." His fingertip drags through my slit, making me gasp louder. I've never been in touch with my sensual side like this before. If it feels this good already, what's it going to be like when we're both naked in his bed?

I focus on the present, my lips falling open with every gasp. Sam kisses me harder, pulling me against him as his hand shifts, his knuckle brushing up and down against my clit. My inner thighs twitch as my breathing becomes ragged.

"So soft and sexy," he murmurs, nuzzling my throat.

I was not prepared for this kind of heat, this prickling sensation of being completely overwhelmed and blessed at the same time. It feels like my skin is on fire as my thighs fall open and he cups my pussy, then works his middle finger inside so his thumb grazes my clit. It's such a light touch. Almost accidental. But I can tell I'm being analyzed. He’s learning what rhythm I like when my stomach tenses, fingers digging into his shoulders.

This hunger is so fierce, I feel it's going to eat me alive. "Yes – right there," I gasp as my breasts rub firmly against his chest with each ragged breath I take.

"That's it, angel."

His smoky voice in my ear is working just as hard as the wet sound of his finger pulling in and out and my own soft moans to make me lose control in front of this man. I can't stop, and don’t want to. How does he know exactly how to stroke my pussy to make me come so fast? Is he reading my body language, or… Do we actually belong together? Is there even a one in a million chance that this could be real?

Right now, that doesn't matter. I just want to experience this overwhelming pleasure with this brutally sexy man.

My stomach is pulling inward. Then my thighs, my pussy, my breath. In… in… in… Then the orgasm releases in a giant wave, spinning me and pulling me under until I'm squirming and gasping, kissing Sam so hard I don't know how he can breathe.

I'm humping his hand, moaning even louder as the climax rolls on, then gradually comes to a stop as I stare wide-eyed at his shoulder, the last echoes still reverberating through every molecule of my body.

"Holy shit, that was incredible," he murmurs, holding me against his chest. He moves his hand away, and I blink when he sucks his finger clean, eyes rolling back in ecstasy. "Damn, angel. If you didn't look so sleepy, I'd go down on you this second. But I'll be a gentleman and wait until tomorrow."

He's right: I am sleepy. Curling against him on the huge squishy couch, my head finds a spot against his shoulder. The entire day’s stress simply melts into a hum as I'm quickly pulled down into sleep.

10

SAM

Ialways love the drive to the cabin, but this time of year is my favorite.

Julia’s been an excellent car companion for the past two hours, switching between music and podcasts, and now she sighs happily as the highway curves around a small lake, the trees beside it turning red and gold.

"I forgot to ask. Did you tell Natalie you're coming out here this weekend?"

Julia snorts, shaking her head. "No. I just told her that I was taking Friday off to recover from the stress of the past two days." She laughs at my scrunched-up glare.

"We’ll smooth it over." I shrug. "I could even do some social media posts about the songwriting stuff when I'm there, which I never do. Two or three times a day, maybe?"

“I thought you were off-grid up there."

“Nah, I just unplug the Wi-Fi."

She giggles and smacks my knee playfully. "You sneak!"

I love her soft gasp when we arrive at the cabin.

"Sam, it's gorgeous!"

"You were expecting a moldy old log cabin, weren't you?"

She bounces out of the car as soon as we’re stopped. "Honestly, I had no idea. But I wasn't expecting this. It's amazing!"

I love watching her eyes as we haul everything inside and she takes it in properly. It's more a modest house than a cabin, with lots of wood beams and a huge stone fireplace.

"My parents left two days ago, so everything is clean, and the fridge is full. I insist on buying my own groceries, but Mom always stocks everything up for me. I can't stop her."