Lush (19 page)

Read Lush Online

Authors: Lauren Dane

Tags: #Romance, #Erotica, #Fiction

03

“Of course you do, Curly.”

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“Cooking makes me feel better. It relaxes me to create things.

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I’m not Eric Ripert or Jean Louis Valpar, but making food, shar-

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ing it with people pleases me. I feel like I was supposed to do

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this.”

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He remembered something. “Wait here.”

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He jogged to her room, digging through his bag until he

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found what he was looking for and returned to the table.

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“What is it?” She examined the little box.

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“A present. Open it.”

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Inside was a little silver container and a bag.

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“A salt cellar!” And not just any old salt cellar, but one that

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would last forever and take a beating. The bag was— she paused

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to open it and sniff. Sassafras hit her nose fi rst.

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“We were in New Orleans and went to this place that had

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the best gumbo I’ve ever eaten. The owner swore it was because

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of their fi lé powder they made right there, specifi cally for the

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restaurant. I convinced her that I knew someone who would do

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justice to her fi lé if she’d sell me some. The cellar I saw at a shop 22

in Portland yesterday. My mom actually saw it fi rst. Just little

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somethings. Not a big deal.”

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He blushed and she felt herself fall for him a little bit. Which

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she knew was a bad idea, but he’d clearly done this thinking of

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her. Not jewelry. Not a fur coat or something like that. But a

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salt cellar and some fi lé powder. It was like the best gift ever.

S28

“It’s hard to fi nd the right fi lé so I can’t wait to try it. In fact, N29

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Lauren Dane

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I’ll make some gumbo for dinner to give it a test run. As for the

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cellar, I love it. This is so thoughtful.”

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He drained his coffee and stood. “I want to see you naked.”

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She got up, moving to the door to be sure it was locked. “My

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friends tend to be bargers. Can’t have that.”

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When she got close, he picked her up, surprising her, but not

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for long. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on.

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Her fi ngers tunneled through his hair, holding him in place as

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she kissed him.

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He held her easily, taking a few steps until her back met the

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hallway arch. He pressed against her just enough to send a wild

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thrill through her. He sucked her tongue, sliding his along it in

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a way surprisingly close to the way he ate her pussy.

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Like a switch he pressed, just a look or a touch from this man

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and her libido went from simmering to roaring inferno. She

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wanted. So much. Wanted him to fuck her. Touch her. Whatever.

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She wanted to leave scratches on his back. Wanted to be just a

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little sore when she woke up from their nap.

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And she knew he’d make it happen.

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He bit her neck and she made a needy sound. Her hands

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made their way around his arms to grab at the hem of his shirt

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so she could get it off.

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“Can’t wait,” he murmured and went to his knees, keeping

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her in his arms so her butt came down on his thighs instead of

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the fl oor.

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“Damn, you’re good.”

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He ripped the shirt she wore up over her head. Her bra fol-

28S

lowed and she got her belt and jeans open and off as he managed

29N

to get his jeans open. She grabbed his cock and he nearly snarled.

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“Now.”

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“You’re not ready.”

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She took his hand, guiding it to her pussy, and proved him

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wrong.

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“Fuck.” He dug in his wallet, pulled out a condom, and

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within a breath she was on her back in her hallway and he was

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pressing into her.

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His jeans were still on and they brushed against the sensitive

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skin of her inner thighs with each thrust. Hard and fast. She

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wrapped her thighs around his waist, holding him close, keeping

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him deep. He felt so good this way. Hell,
she
felt so good this way.

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His hands held her ass, keeping her at the perfect angle, drag-

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ging his dick over her clit again and again. Outside the sun began

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to rise and birds sang as he fucked her on her runner.

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He got to his knees, thrusting still. The muscles of his abdo-

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men rippled with his movement as his skin gleamed from the

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sweat of hard work. “Will you make yourself come, Curly? Hm?”

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She cupped her breasts, her thumbs sliding back and forth

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over her nipples. He watched with such naked greed it only

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emboldened her. He took one of her hands, sucking on her fi n-

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gers, making them wet. She felt a little woozy just watching, it

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was so hot. The tug and draw on her fi ngers echoed in her nip-

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ples and clit. Then he guided those fi ngers to her clit.

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Shew
. He was so dirty it left her delirious. She stroked over 24

her clit, slow but fi rm. Drawing the pleasure out, knowing he

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watched, knowing it fed his pleasure in turn.

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And then he reached back to adjust her leg, his fi ngertips

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fi nding that place behind her knee. She blew out a gust of air as

S28

her muscles tightened around him.

N29

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“Shit.” He did it again, this time with a little more pressure,

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sending ripples of sensation from that spot to her cunt. “This is

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so fucking hot.”

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She agreed.

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He dug into her pussy in short, deep thrusts. The carpet at

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her shoulder would most likely leave a mark. And she found she

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liked that idea.

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She was so close. Her body knew it. Her eyes drifted halfway

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closed as she took him in. The power of his upper body, the hot-

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ness of the way he still wore his jeans while she was totally naked.

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The fullness as he fucked into her body while she fl uttered around 12

him. It was nearly too much and then it simply overfl owed as she

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came.

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He bent, one hand on the carpet next to her head to brace

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his weight, and he sped up. Deeper and harder. Over and over

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until he came as well, dropping that fi nal inch to kiss the last

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of her wits away.

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“Now I think I could really take a nice, long nap.” He kissed

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her once more and then behind her knee before helping her up.

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She woke up after a long nap, feeling much better. He was still

23

sleeping so she got up carefully and headed to the bathroom.

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After a shower she’d check her work messages and make another

25

pot of coffee.

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One message from her assistant to let her know the breakfast

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had ended well. She’d known that already because she’d checked

28S

in once she’d arrived in eastern Washington yesterday. A call

29N

from Jules, apologizing and asking for a return call. A message

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from Daisy checking in to see if she’d returned from the Gorge

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yet. Cal being grumpy because she hadn’t called Jules back yet.

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Her mother. Two calls about possible jobs. She wrote those

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numbers down as she turned her laptop on and called up her

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calendar.

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Damien came out of the bedroom right as she was dealing

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with the second call. He moved to her quietly, kissed the top of

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her head and indicated he was going to shower.

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He looked as good going as he did coming.

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Once she got that call taken care of she fi gured she’d best

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deal with Daisy fi rst.

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“I’m back. We got in at nearly four this morning.” She dis-

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carded the junk in her inbox as she made the call.

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“Was it fun?”

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She smiled. “Yes. It was an awesome show. Adrian was amaz-

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ing. Sweet Hollow Ranch was amazing. Gillian should be back

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today too. Miles starts school on Tuesday.”

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“I can’t believe he’s going to be in high school. Our little

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Miles.”

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“He’s so mature. This trip really changed him. He carries

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himself differently. With more, I don’t know, authority? Gillian

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positively glows.”

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“Is he there?”

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No use pretending she didn’t know Daisy meant Damien.

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“Yes. In the shower.”

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“I’m waiting for you to invite us to dinner.”

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Mary laughed. “All right. Come to dinner. Bring some wine.

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Let Levi pick. I’m making gumbo. I saw some good- looking

S28

shrimp at the market day before yesterday. I’ll pick some up

N29

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with some spicy sausage. Damien gave me some fi lé powder and

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I’m anxious to try it.”

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“Yum. Are you assailing my choice in wine?”

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“Your man has excellent taste. In wine and women. If I

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wanted a painting, I’d defi nitely ask you.”

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“You should invite Jules too. She’s sad. She didn’t mean to

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upset you.”

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Mary sighed. “For god’s sake, it’s not the fi rst time I’ve had

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a spat with Jules. I’ve known her since kindergarten. We’ve

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fought about probably every single thing under the sun. Why

11

everyone has to be involved with this is beyond me. He’s going

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to be here two days, then he goes back to his life. I don’t want

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to overshadow this visit with any negativity or drama. I’m done

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with it. Things will be fi ne but I’m not going to let anyone make

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me feel bad or stupid or guilty.”

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“She’s sorry. She loves you.
We
love you. We let that get in 17

the way and ended up making you feel a way we never intended.

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You know how miserable she is when she’s in a fi ght with any-

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one. I’m sorry. I want you to be happy. I really do. I like him. I

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like that you like him. I promise.”

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“I’ll see you guys at seven. But if this comes up, I’m not let-

22

ting you have any food.”

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“That’s so sneaky.”

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“I’m a sneaky bitch.”

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Daisy laughed as she hung up.

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28S

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H

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e came out a few minutes later as she was pouring her-

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self a cup of coffee. He looked tousled with his hair still

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wet, wearing low- slung lounge pants. Clearly freeball-

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ing it. Yum.

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His expression lit when he saw the coffee. “Oh, just the thing.

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Can I have some too?”

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She poured him a mug. “There’s milk in the fridge.”

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He sipped with a happy sigh. “What shall we do today then?”

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“Daisy called and invited herself to dinner with Levi. You’ll

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have to share the gumbo though.”

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“Sounds good to me. I like your friends.” He sat across

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from her.

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