Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten LILY woke in Stone’s arms again. This time, she wasn’t nearly as rattled by finding herself plastered to his side, her nose filled with his scent, as she had been yesterday morning. In fact, now she found it almost comforting. From high in the sky the sun slanted through the windows, telling her that she’d slept long and soundly again. Because on some level she felt safe with Stone. Gently, she rolled away so she didn’t wake him, then stretched. The muscles of her thighs were slightly sore from all the tensing and trembling she’d done last night while chasing orgasm. But she savored the sensation. His words, the pleasure, the intimacy they’d shared all crashed through her head. She slanted a glance back across the bed to his powerful torso and rugged face relaxed in slumber. With just his words and a few touches, he’d given her amazing bliss. Why did this particular man have such a magical effect on her body? On her psyche? Slowly she crawled out of bed and made use of the bathroom, including a gloriously hot shower. Leaving behind a cloud of steam, she dressed in a pair of short shorts with shiny buttons lining her hips from thigh to waist and a bright red blouse. After black liner, two coats of mascara, and crimson lipstick, she blinked into the mirror. Close enough. With a simple roll of her bangs, she secured them back with a polka-dot bow, then tiptoed into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee and sat, sipping at the table. Usually this was her favorite time of day. The quiet before the rush started, a time of reflection when she could organize her thoughts without being disturbed. Right now, she felt jumbled. And terribly alone. Though Stone lay in the next room, she missed him. Oddly, as attached as she had long been to Axel, she’d never pined for him in quite this way. She’d never wanted him as deeply. Lily nibbled on her lip. What did that mean? Was she falling for Stone? Probably. At the realization, she bolted from her seat and paced. But she couldn’t run from the truth. Falling for someone wasn’t part of her plan. On the other hand, she didn’t know how to stop it. Logically she asked where they could possibly go from here. It was one thing to have a screwed-up sex life when the man you shared it with didn’t actually want it. Stone, on the other hand, seemed to crave whatever she could give him. For as long as they remained together, Lily ached to give him all he sought. He deserved nothing less. As limited as her comfort zone was, could she even begin to satisfy him? She swallowed. Of that, she was less sure. A moment later, she heard his footsteps cross the hall. The bathroom door shut. Lily wasn’t ready to see him, to talk. She headed outside, slinking onto the wraparound porch to gather her thoughts. An overhang jutted out on the side of the cabin to provide welcome shade this time of year. Someone had built a bench under the railing. She sat, pulling her knees to her chest, and glanced out over the sultry heat of the swamp, just this side of bearable before noon. What the hell was she going to do? Normally, when doubts or insecurities began eating away at her composure, she called Axel. But not only was he in England living his new life, she’d left everything behind. Everyone. If she didn’t have any intention of returning to Dallas, she couldn’t lean on those friends anymore. It didn’t even matter where she’d set her phone, because she wasn’t calling them. She had to stand on her own two feet. Make a decision. Carry it out. Stop being afraid. Before she could listen to her own advice, she turned and found Stone in the portal, watching her. Freshly showered and shirtless, he gleamed, his skin bronzed and tight over all those rough-carved, ink-covered muscles. He wore jeans. His feet were bare. At the sight of him, a thrill zipped through her. “You good?” he asked. “When I couldn’t find you, I worried. I wanted to make sure you were all right.” Not because she was a responsibility to him but because she mattered. His words touched her way more than she wanted. She couldn’t stop herself from running to him, throwing herself in his arms, feeling his strength, his warmth, his caring. In her head, Lily realized she should be putting distance between them. In her heart, she feared that was no longer possible. Her stomach twisted with nerves as she reached Stone and flung herself against him. He grunted and stumbled a step back as he absorbed her impact. Then he planted, held firm. His arms closed around her, enclosing her tight against his chest. “Baby?” he murmured in her ear, his voice low with concern. Lily didn’t know how to answer him. She just clung tighter. “Tell me it’s all right.” “Don’t worry. We’re doing everything we can to locate Canton and put a stop to him. No one has seen or heard from him lately. I talked to Jack last night. But whatever the asshole does next, I don’t want you to worry. I’ll take care of you.” Shaking her head, she looked up, drinking in the sincerity of his dark eyes. Yeah, she should probably be worried about her personal safety. Truth was, out here she felt a million miles away from danger. And as crazy as it might seem, she trusted Stone to keep her safe. “I know. I have no doubt you’re calling in favors and doing everything you can. It’s more than you should have to do.” Especially because she’d likely end up leaving to start a new life soon. “Protecting you is my first and only priority now.” “I believe you, but that’s not what I meant.” Suddenly she couldn’t quite look him in the eye. She felt a flush crawl up her face. “Are we all right after last night? I left you hanging without . . .” “Finishing me off?” He smiled dryly. “I’m fine. I’m more than fine because I got to see you in pleasure. Like I said, great spank-bank material.” He winked. “You don’t have to sugarcoat it.” She dared to touch his cheek, trailing a finger down the hard, slashing plane, feeling the remnants of dark stubble. “I know I’m not easy to be with. Last night if you’d been with another woman, you would have had sex with her and—” “I’m not fifteen anymore, so my life goal is no longer to get laid. C’mon.” He took her hand. “It’s barely nine a.m., but if we don’t find the air-conditioned comfort, I’m pretty sure we’ll roast out here soon.” He was probably right, and she allowed him to lead her inside. Once he shut the door behind them, he sat her at the kitchen table and poured them both fresh cups of coffee before he took the chair beside her. He stared as if he was working hard to figure her out. Lily didn’t think it was that difficult. His unwavering attention unnerved her a bit. “Where’s your shirt?” Not that she was complaining he’d gone without one. “I don’t have any luggage. I found a few extra toiletries and a fresh toothbrush, but this is day three wearing these pants. I figure by tomorrow they’ll be dirty enough for me to justify spending the day naked.” He winked. The thought that he’d spend the whole day without a stitch on made her feel tingly, fluttery—alive. The sight of his bare shoulders with the intricate ink distracted her. What would having all that power under her hands and body, intently focused on pleasure, do to her? What would it be like to feel as if she had become one with him? God, she wanted to know. She screwed up her courage and met his gaze. “Maybe sex isn’t your life goal anymore, but . . . it’s kind of mine right now. I want to do more of what we did last night. I’m feeling things I’m not used to, things I’ve never felt. Things I think normal women experience. If we try again, maybe I’ll respond like I should.” “Baby, I’m all for that, but however you respond is how you’re supposed to,” he argued. “No, I need to be like other women.” “I’m not interested in them.” Stone scowled. “Listen to me. There’s no ‘normal.’” When she sent him a skeptical stare, he went on. “You like Thorpe, right? Think he’s a good guy?” The question surprised her. “Yeah, the best. I mean, he pisses some people off by being a hard-ass, especially when he’s right—which is most of the time. But nearly everyone likes him. Even if they don’t, they respect him.” “Right. But by most of society’s standards, he’s a freak. Legally he fucks another man’s wife, and her husband not only lets him but participates. Together, he and Sean tie her up and spank her and . . . who knows what else? Do you think less of him for not being ‘normal’?” She pondered that. “No. Thorpe does what’s right for him. And Callie and Sean, of course. That’s just them.” She sighed. “I get it. You’re telling me that however I behave, sexually speaking, that’s just me.” “Pretty much. Our experiences all shape us, right? Mine were pretty common. Look, I don’t have anything traumatic in my past, except the shit I brought on myself. I can only imagine what you went through watching your friend be brutalized and killed. Has it contributed to the way you react to sex? The way you react to me? Yeah. Does that make it bad or wrong? No. You cope however you need to. I’ll play along and just be happy to touch you.” Lily caught her breath. She’d hoped he would say something like that. It went hand in hand with pretty much every other answer he’d ever given her—kind, understanding, accommodating. Lily almost pinched herself because she kept thinking he must be too good to be true. Why on earth had she been avoiding him all summer long? Yeah, her fears. The ones she was determined to overcome now. Heart racing like a jet engine, she stood and held out her hand. “Will you come touch me now? Will you let me try to give you more?” Stone zeroed in on her hand; then his gaze zoomed up to her face. He stood so fast that his chair scraped across the old hardwood. A glance down proved he was already erect. “You sure?” She nodded. “You were my first thought this morning. I fixated on you in the shower. I pondered you when I sat outside, when—” “Baby, I fixated on you in the shower, too,” he assured her with a sly grin. Lily knew he meant to lighten the mood and smiled. “Yes, but I wasn’t touching myself.” “That’s a shame. But the day is young. And maybe that means I get to watch again.” “Actually, I was hoping you would touch me instead. And that we could . . . have sex. Or try.” His face softened. “You don’t have to hope. We’ll try whatever you want. You’ll find I’m a persistent bastard. I have no doubt we’ll get there.” When she smiled at him, he whooped loudly and scooped her up in his arms. “Stone!” she protested, holding in a giggle. Everything about being with him felt so different. She and Axel had never laughed when they’d decided to be intimate. He always asked her questions, kept track of her mental and emotional state. Depending on her answers, he’d try something different. She would respond. Or not. Then the process started all over. When they’d been together, she’d sometimes felt as if they were engaged in a medical exam, not sex. Being with Stone was more like being in the middle of a parade—always something new and bright and amazing every time she took a breath. “Hold on, baby. We’re gonna take our crazy chemistry out for a test drive.” He strode to the bedroom, laid her across the bed, then set his phone on the nightstand. “One minute.” He dashed back up the hall, leaving her frowning in his wake. Where was he going? When he returned, he gripped a box in his hand, which he plopped next to his cell. Condoms. “You on birth control?” he asked. She shook her head. She hadn’t been sexually active enough to bother. But as an adult, she’d always been careful. “Then it’s a good thing Jack is prepared. I found these yesterday when I first checked out the playroom. Sex might not be my goal but I sure as hell want it, so I remembered where to find them.” He swayed closer with a grin. “Can’t help it if I’m an optimist.” Just like last night, his obvious desire for her was both a balm and a turn-on. “You have a lot to be optimistic about. I’m feeling strong. I want this.” He sauntered to the side of the bed and shucked his pants, leaving himself clad in only his briefs. They outlined his rigid cock, which looked a little intimidating now that she was paying attention. Without thinking, she trailed her fingers down the valley that bisected his washboard abs and disappeared into his waistband. This man clearly believed in a good workout and had massive amounts of core strength. As she fondled him, he sucked in a breath. “Touching me like that could be dangerous. You nervous?” “Excited,” she corrected. Anticipation jumped inside her, revving her heart. But mostly the desire to feel him everywhere, touching her, filling her, did that. “You?” “Both. Don’t get me wrong. I’m looking forward to this, baby. But I want it to be a good experience for you, not a scary one.” Lily knew that, and it was one of the things she most liked about Stone. “Me, too. I’m hoping we’ll both be satisfied this time.” “You’re overdressed,” he pointed out. “Can I help you fix that?” A warm flush swept through her body and heated her cheeks. But nerves crept in, too. Would he like what he saw? Would he ask questions? “In a minute. First, I want to explore.” Lily sat on her knees, balancing on the mattress. She hovered so close it made her breathless. She reached out, skimmed his shoulder with the tips of her fingers. His steely muscles lay just under his soft skin. Just touching him made her blood churn. Her breathing wasn’t quite steady. With his perceptive dark gaze, he studied her every move. No doubt he saw her pulse pounding. She placed her palm on his chest, over his heart. It raced, too. She smiled. “You get to me,” he assured. “That makes me feel better. I shouldn’t be the only one affected.” He shook his head. “You’re not, but you really are overdressed for the occasion. Let me look at you, baby.” “Last night was all about me.” She deflected. “Let me make right now about you.” A big smile broke across his face. “How can I say no to that?” Now that she had such an expanse of man spread out for her taking, Lily almost couldn’t decide where to start. She caressed her way up his chest, encompassed his massive shoulders, her fingers trembling as they skated over his skin. Axel had been ripped and masculine, too. But Stone affected her in a way she couldn’t explain. And she didn’t want to sit around dissecting it. She merely wanted to enjoy. Leaning closer, Lily pressed her lips to the hard stretch of his pectorals just below his collarbone. She followed the trail of ink there before flitting up to his neck. He swallowed. The muscles of his throat worked. His Adam’s apple bobbed. His jaw tightened as she pressed more gossamer kisses along the hard line. Finally, she feathered her lips just below his ear. “Just touching you turns me on.” Lily could hear the trembling of her own voice. No way he’d miss that. “Baby, when I touch you, I get so fucking excited.” He caressed her arm, his palm, warm and arousing, drifting down her back to rest on her hip. “The second I put a hand on you, I just want to feel you everywhere.” She might have disputed that or chided him for overstating his arousal but when she caressed her way down the wide expanse of his chest, her fingers grazed his male nipple. It puckered tight. She felt a fine shudder roll through him. His palm trekked lower until he cupped her ass. “Baby, I need to get these clothes off you and—” “You’re being impatient,” she chided with a sassy wink. The truth was, she wished the room were darker. Why hadn’t she waited to start this until the sun had set? Sex would be more romantic in the moonlight. And he wouldn’t be able to see the rest of her body. “I was impatient to be inside you the moment I laid eyes on you,” he admitted. Lily really had no idea why but she wasn’t going to argue. She was, however, going to distract him. Letting her fingers drift down his torso, she brushed her body against his, then retreated a step, looking his way with a bat of her lashes. Being this near him was such a thrill. She wet her suddenly dry lips with a swipe of her tongue. “Kiss me?” He groaned. “You’re teasing me.” “A little.” “A lot. There will be consequences, Lily.” If it involved sensual torment and pleasure, yes. Despite her nerves and worries, she was game. “Kiss me.” Stone slid his fingers into her hair and tilted her head precisely where he wanted it. Then he dove into her mouth. She knew better than to expect a mere brush of his lips over hers or a peck. He went for total possession, fingers tangling in her tresses, lips nudging hers apart as his tongue swept deep and demanded her response. Melting against him, she glided her fingers up his arm, drifted a barely there touch up the side of his neck, all while opening wide and surrendering to his kiss. In retaliation, he climbed onto the mattress and flattened her to the bed. The weight of him pressed in on her, startling her and inciting a curl of fear. Lily forced herself to breathe through it and ignore her apprehension. She did her best to give in to him. I’m clothed. My legs are free. I’m fine. This is Stone. She concentrated on his musky scent, the hard rasp of his stubble, his urgent moan as she closed her eyes and slowly drowned in his kiss, opening her senses to him. He wasn’t hurting or forcing her, just making her dizzy and tingly. How did he do that by merely melding his mouth to hers? When he rolled between her thighs and pressed against her female flesh already dampening and softening for him, he gripped her hips. His chest eclipsed hers. He buried his face into the crook of her neck. His hot, heavy breaths heated her skin. Biting her lip, Lily tried to find a little wiggle room or daylight. None. Stone thrust, shoving his unyielding cock roughly against her mound. Suddenly, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t take a breath. She felt too pinned, too confined. Even with clothing separating them, his touch overwhelmed. Panic rose. She tried to breathe past it and keep calm. God, she didn’t want to stop him because she was a head case. Despite her snap judgment of him when they’d first met, he was a good guy. Last night, he’d been such a giving lover. He could say that her hesitation and fear didn’t matter, but Lily knew better. They were never going to make it if she couldn’t give back to him sexually in any sort of reciprocal way. Wrapping her thigh around his hips, she gave him a shove and urged him to roll to his back. He complied, breaking their kiss, then settled her on top as she straddled his hips. The relief she felt was instant. “Oh, you look pretty up there.” He clasped her hips with firm fingers, gyrating her down on his iron-hard erection. “I’m going to enjoy watching you ride me.” That’s exactly what she wanted. She laid her palms flat on his bulging pectorals, sighing at the way he tensed, flexed, and rippled under her hands. “I want to do that. Right now.” When she reached for the waistband of his briefs, he grabbed her wrists. “You’re nowhere near ready. What’s going on? You’re in a big hurry to get on with it.” She hadn’t fooled him at all. Lily sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m just unsteady with . . . weight on top of me, with not being able to move.” Or get away. “But I want you. I need to believe we can do this.” “I’m so sorry, baby. All you had to do was say so. We’ll work with it. We’ll get there. It’s fine.” “But I’m frustrated! How many accommodations should you have to make for me? It’s been years. I wasn’t the one raped.” “Physically, no. Mentally, you were. You saw something really ugly when you were still a kid and it lingered. It disturbed you. It affected you. I don’t blame you for that. You shouldn’t blame yourself.” Maybe not, but blaming Canton didn’t make her feel any less frightened or more normal. Lily cast the thought aside. “You’re so patient.” That almost made her feel more guilty. Tears pooled in her eyes. One or two even hit her cheek. As usual, though, she couldn’t seem to have a gut-deep, heartfelt sobfest. That frustrated her as well. “I have a feeling you’re going to be worth it.” He sneaked a hand up under her shirt, caressing the curve of her waist and wrapping his arm around her. “Where were we? Wasn’t I kissing you?” Slowly, Lily nodded. Obviously Stone didn’t see the point of dwelling on what she couldn’t change right this instant. He would never enjoy sex with her if she kept worrying and whining about it, too. She forced a smile. “I think so.” Lowering herself against his chest, she took his big face in her small hands, her pale skin a sharp contrast to his bronzed cheeks, and layered her mouth over his. Unlike the way he kissed, she hesitated, at first barely more than a sharing of breaths. It wasn’t enough—not even close. So she tilted her head and laid her lips over his, pressing her breasts against him, reveling in the way he cradled her against his more powerful body and moaned. “Open to me, baby.” Lily didn’t think twice about complying. She felt safe now, so she parted her lips to him with abandon, seducing him with a slight curl of her tongue and a coy retreat. He surged deeper, stalking her, forcing his way into her mouth as he grabbed handfuls of her shirt, ensuring she couldn’t pull away this time. Beneath her, he bent his knees, spread them apart, and surged up. His thick erection prodded her slickening flesh, causing her to gasp. “That’s it.” He trailed his lips down her neck, making her shiver. “I want to see you come apart for me. I want you unraveled and tousled and out of your mind with desire.” “I’m halfway there,” she panted. “Good. Now let’s get to the other half.” His fingers snaked around her back. A couple of strokes later, the band of her bra loosened. The garment fell away from her body. “How did you do that with one hand?” Stone grinned. “Determination. I’m going to touch you everywhere, baby. You tell me when it’s too much.” He didn’t wait for her to say anything more before he sat her up straight again and reached into the short sleeve of her blouse, then pulled one bra strap over her elbow and off her arm. He did the same with the other, his dark stare focused on her, watching carefully. When he eased his fingers under her shirt and up her abdomen, he pulled her bra away and tossed it across the room. She gasped at the sudden freedom, at the friction of her nipples against the starched cotton. Through the fabric, Stone cradled her breast in his hand, lightly pinching her nipple. “This sore?” She panted and arched into his hand. “A little. But it feels so good.” “Want to add to the sensations?” “Yeah.” She nodded, losing herself in his touch, in the mounting bliss. “That’s a good girl. Hmm . . .” He withdrew his hand from her breast. Before she could protest, he unfastened the first two buttons of her blouse. When he reached for the third, she gripped his thick wrist to stay him. Damn, she could even feel his muscles flex and bunch there. “Can you leave this on for now?” He didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. But I want to see those breasts. I want to take those nipples in my mouth and hear you whimper.” Even if he left her shirt on, she didn’t think whimpering would be any problem. “Please.” Stone tugged the two halves of her shirt as far apart as he could without busting the buttons. Lily looked down to see her breasts entirely exposed. He stared raptly. “They’re not big,” she said in apology. He scowled at her self-criticism, then pounced on the twin mounds. Cupping them as if riveted, he dove in, his thumbs capturing and pinning the twin points against his thick fingers. “They’re perfect,” he muttered. Then he took one of the tight buds in his mouth. Lightning hissed down Lily’s spine. She arched and balanced herself as best she could for his onslaught. She’d barely absorbed those sensations before he switched to the other breast, tonguing her taut bud, nipping at it with his teeth. “Stone,” she moaned. “Oh my god . . . Yes!” Though she knew he could be capable of great tenderness, he ate at her as if he were starved, as if he couldn’t wait another moment to taste everything she offered. Over her flesh, his lips dragged, tongue swirling. He sucked, tugged, moaned. Curling her hand around his neck, she drew him closer, holding him against her as if she couldn’t stand for him not to have her sensitive tip in his mouth. Then she tossed her head back and felt her caution begin to break. With a growl, he switched to the other peak. She felt every one of the muscles in his arms and chest bunch with effort as he pulled her in tighter, dragging her down on top of him. Her nipples tingled as they drew up tighter than she’d ever felt them. As he left one to torment the other, the tip he’d just abandoned throbbed and ached. She could get used to this every day. In fact, she wondered how she’d live without this heaven if he didn’t want to touch her again tomorrow. He released her breast, panting wildly. “Fuck, Lily. I’ve got to touch your pussy.” She whimpered at his words. But Stone was a man of action. He used all his brute strength to roll her over. He leapt to the side of the bed and tugged her to the edge, then tore her shorts from her body, yanking them down her thighs. Her panties didn’t fare any better. He all but shredded them in his hands. Stone stared at her bare mound, his chest rising and falling as he dragged in deep breaths. “Oh, I need that.” Even with her heart pounding against her chest and an anxious ball knotting her belly, Lily wanted to give it to him. Slowly, she parted her thighs. As he pulled her drenched folds apart with his thumbs, she hissed at the feel of his hands on her. He was touching her right there. Discreetly, she tugged her blouse down to her hips and anchored it in place. It might look like a nervous reaction to him—if he even considered it. As focused as that melting chocolate stare of his was, she didn’t think it crossed his mind at all. “This is mine.” That had to be the most caveman thing any guy had ever said to her. What had sparked so much possessiveness on his part? “What do you mean?” “Your pussy.” His nostrils flared as he dragged her scent in. “That fucking delicious scent.” “You can . . . smell me?” The thought horrified her. “Oh, yeah. You don’t understand, do you?” When she shook her head, he just grinned. “Baby, sex isn’t polite or sanitary. Done right, it should be dirty and intimate. That scent serves a purpose. It tells me that you’re aroused. And it only makes me ache for you more. So don’t you dare wish I couldn’t breathe you in. Ever.” “Really?” If he enjoyed it, then she wanted to give him more. Lily spread her thighs a bit wider. “Yes,” he groaned. “Those pretty, pouting lips. That tight clasp I know I’ll feel once I work inside you. That pussy may be between your legs, but make no mistake. It’s mine.” An irrational zip of thrill whisked through her. She should correct him since they would probably only be together until the danger died down or he got bored, whichever came first. But she didn’t want to refute him. She liked the idea of being his. “Yours.” Triumph lit his face. “Give it to me. Hold it open so I can take it.” A voice in the back of her head shouted that this was too intense, happening too fast. The woman inside Lily didn’t care. She wasn’t listening to fear anymore. She was sinking into ecstasy. Stone would take care of her. With her elbows, she pressed the fabric of the shirt down to cover her abdomen. Then she lowered her trembling fingers to her flesh and held herself open for Stone. His stare felt like an inspection, as if he was cataloging everything about her. Desperately, she waited for his next move, finding it hard to breathe without gasping, to lie still without shaking. Then Stone lowered his head and kissed her thigh. As she moaned, he swiped a pair of fingers right over her most sensitive spot. Her body jerked. Heat scalded her veins. The ache under his touch tightened viciously, gripping her in a thrall she never wanted to escape. “You like it.” He slanted an arrogant stare up her body, sounding proud. “Tell me.” He didn’t touch her again until she complied. “I like it,” she whispered. “You want more.” She gave him a shaky nod. “I want a lot more.” “Remind me who your pussy belongs to. Who you belong to.” “You.” For now. He smiled in satisfaction. “Yes, you do.” Then he said nothing else, just rubbed her sensitive nubbin in small, lazy circles, ogling her. She couldn’t look away from his eyes, falling under his spell as she writhed under his talented fingers while he slowly dismantled her composure and restraint. Pleasure swirled and gathered, coiling, tightening. The familiar grip of need made her body tense, her breath hitch and catch. She ached for him to hurry her to orgasm. Ironically, she wanted this slide of bliss to go on forever. For so long, the delicious build to an explosion of desire had been a rarity. If she stayed with Stone for long, Lily suspected she’d be regularly bucking and keening and crying out his name. “Touch your nipples. Keep them nice and hard for me. Good . . . The moment you come, I’m going to get inside you, baby. And I’m going to suck those pretty peaks while I slide deep. It’s going to feel so fucking good.” Lily had no doubt about that. As he dragged those ruthless fingers over her swelling bud, her folds grew slicker. They plumped. Sensations mounted. Her nipples stood at rigid attention, and every time she touched them, heat suffused her, lingered, spread. She nearly crawled out of her skin with need. When she shifted her hips restlessly, he pinned her to the bed with his free hand and resumed his unrelenting torment. “There you are. Your clit is hard, baby. Waiting and pouting and desperate. I love to watch your skin turn rosy for me. God, you’re fucking gorgeous.” She’d always felt like the “cute” friend. Callie was a striking beauty, so of course she’d found love. Axel had taken one look at Mystery’s exotic features and fallen hard. Even playboy Xander, whom she’d never pictured settling down, had surrendered his heart to a curvy siren of a blonde. Together with his brother, the threesome now had the most precious bow-lipped baby girl. Until Stone, no one had really looked her way and seen a desirable woman. Of all females on the planet, why her? “No. I’m just me,” she gasped out. “Yeah, gorgeous. You’re delicate at first glance. Petite. Your lipstick and stockings and tiny waist sitting on top of those stacked hips made me hard the minute I saw you. A man who isn’t looking closely would think that sweet high-pitched voice belongs to a little girl. But underneath, you’re a woman. And a survivor. You may be quiet, and I think you fool a lot of people, but you’ve got gumption, baby. I can only imagine what you were thinking when you pulled a gun on an ex-con. I dig a chick who can hold her own, and you definitely can.” The hand anchoring her to the bed glided down her hip and stole across the inside of her thigh. Without warning, he eased two fingers inside her, filling her up completely. And he groaned. “Jesus, you’re so fucking tight. And crap, you’re begging me for this orgasm with those fuck-me eyes. Your whole body is shaking, working for it. You’re right there, aren’t you?” Lily nodded frantically. The way he talked to her turned her inside out. Axel had always coached and encouraged, ever helpful and gentle. He’d never verbally seduced her or made her feel as if he couldn’t wait to get inside her. Even when he’d given her climax, she’d felt more like a science experiment than a siren unleashing her sexuality. Stone’s fingers inside her felt intimate. He stretched her flesh with a gentle burn. The thumb still working her clit ramped up the sweet ache even more. It climbed, overtaking and overwhelming her. This orgasm, even though it hadn’t crested yet, blew yesterday’s away. Up, up, she soared until the cataclysm seized her entire body. She no longer belonged to herself but entirely to him. He toyed with her flesh, wielded it against her, then manipulated her until she jolted, froze, and wailed in startling, sparkling bliss. She stopped breathing, thinking—bathed only in feeling—as the deluge of ecstasy encompassed her, sweeping her up in its path, tossing her around in a dizzying swirl, before sending her tumbling back down. Lily dragged in air as she melted into the mattress with a moan. Her eyes drifted shut as Stone bent to press a kiss to the expanse between her breasts as he slid his fingers free. A moment later, she heard cardboard ripping, then a tear of something with a slightly metallic sound. When she cracked her eyes open, she found Stone standing between her legs, rolling the condom slowly over his impressive girth and length. Axel had probably been big but she hadn’t really looked, just reacted, mostly focusing in on her thoughts when he’d asked questions. The way Stone stroked his erection, he clearly wanted her eyes on him. He was obviously aroused by touching himself while she watched his every move. Finally, he rolled the condom in place. “You still good to do this?” After that monster orgasm? Eager was more like it. “Yes.” He smiled and it brightened his entire expression. But nothing would erase the dark fire of his stare penetrating her as surely as he intended to with his body. “How do you want to do this, baby?” “Can I be on top?” “That sounds perfect.” He laid his big body across the rumpled bed, and Lily was amazed at how much of the space he consumed. He looked all bulging arms and rock-hard thighs as he stretched his wide torso across the mattress. As she began to climb on the bed, he picked her up, plopping her down on top of him until she straddled his hips. Beneath her slick sex, his steely erection prodded her, a silent demand. After the climax she’d just had, she shouldn’t be able to feel arousal for weeks, maybe months. She was certainly used to going without. Anxiety should be returning. Sanity, too. But no. The moment she felt him hard and ready and impatient underneath her, she wanted him. “Hurry,” she implored. “Yeah, I want it, too, baby. One question before I go any further. How long has it been for you?”