Authors: Angela Verdenius
“You’re telling me.” She took a
sip of iced coffee. “Some pleasant, some not so.”
Hearing something in her tone, Sam
arched an eyebrow. “Something bothering you?”
“No.” Smiling, she started to cut
the meat on her plate. “So, how was your day?”
He looked levelly at her. “Carly,
if something has happened, you can tell me. I’m a good listener.”
“I’m sure you are, and I promise
you everything is fine. Now, your day?” She angled her head to the side. “Or
I can talk about women’s problems.”
“Hey, I’m a nurse. I can take
whatever you dish out and maybe give some advice in return.”
“You’re impossible. Ed would have
run a mile at the mention of it.”
“I’m not Ed.”
Her expression was unreadable as
she studied him, and then her mouth curved into that smile he loved so much.
“No, Sam, you’re not. You’re not like any bloke I know.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Her eyes were warm. “The best
thing.”
“I can be better.”
“I doubt it. You can’t beat
perfection.”
“I’m not perfect.’
“I know. You left your book on the
veranda yesterday.”
“Geez, I wondered where that had
gotten to.”
“I’m wondering why it was on my
veranda.”
“It started when I lost my glasses.”
“This should be good.”
“Well, I was looking for my
glasses, thought I spotted SJ streaking over here to torment Crusher, and I
came after him, only to realise it wasn’t him. This is why I wear glasses,
remember? Anyway, I must have put my book down here, because I know I had it
when I left the house and I know I couldn’t find it when I got back.” Sam
paused. “But it was on my swing chair this morning.”
“I had to get up early for work
and I spotted it under the chair on the veranda. Do I need to know how it got
there?”
“Beats me.”
Laughing, she shook her head.
“See, not perfect.” He waggled
his eyebrows at her. “But I’m excellent in selected areas.”
“I just bet.” She pointed her
fork at him. “I bet you’re great at your job, too.”
“I do my best.”
“So how is work?”
Work was all right, in fact, since
he’d told Max that he had a girlfriend, word had gotten around like lightening
as he’d known it would, and apart from a few wistful glances the women who’d
been previously eyeing him were now simply friendly. Wistful, but friendly
only.
If only it had been like that
previously, life would have been more pleasant. Blokes might joke about being
hot property, but he was sure that if they really did experience it, they’d
find out it wasn’t that great. Unless they thought differently than Sam, which
he knew some did as he’d personally been regaled by their exploits in the
dining room.
They could keep it. He just
wanted a woman to love and share his life. And Carly was that woman, he knew
it deep in his heart.
“Work’s great,” he replied
truthfully. “Busy, sometimes fun, sometimes not. But that’s life.”
The conversation was easy between
them, the evening passing pleasantly. They’d just retreated to the lounge room
when the phone rang.
“Be right back.” Carly walked out
to answer it.
Sitting on the sofa, Sam sighed
and patted his belly. The food had been delicious and he now had Carly to
himself. The evening wasn’t over. Could life get any better?
After several minutes, she
returned.
“Everything okay?” he queried.
“Fine.” She’d just started to sit
down on the sofa beside him when Sam grabbed her arm and yanked. She shrieked
his name when she toppled against him.
Slinging one arm around her
shoulders, Sam tucked her into his side, leaning down to kiss her lips which
still gaped open in surprise. That led to him just needing to taste her, and
she was delicious, his open-mouthed, plundering kiss filling him with the
flavour of the chocolate mousse they’d eaten.
When he lifted his head, they were
both breathing hard.
“I think you planned this,” she
managed to accuse.
“Darn, you figured out my
dastardly plan.”
“I know I should complain, but I
can’t.”
“Good.” He kissed her again, a
little deeper, a lot hotter. Coming up for air, he smacked his lips. “I do
like your taste, honey.”
She blushed and he laughed.
Smacking him lightly on his leg,
she snuggled into him. “You are so bad.”
“How would you know? You won’t
let me be bad.”
Her glance was wry.
“Peace.” He made the sign with his
fingers.
“You know when you’re beaten.”
“We’ll debate that another time.
So, honey.” He settled back on the sofa. “Tomorrow.”
“Mmmm?”
“It’s the weekend. You don’t
work.”
“True.”
“I have tomorrow afternoon off.”
“That’s nice. What are we doing?”
“How about we hit the beach?”
When he didn’t get a reply, he looked down at the top of her head where it
leaned against his shoulder. “Carly?”
“Beach,” she repeated.
“Yeah. It’s going to be a hot day,
the sea will be cold.”
“I…ah…I don’t surf.”
“Don’t have to. I’ll surf, you
swim.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You have other plans?”
“No. But the beach?”
“You have togs, don’t you?” When
she didn’t reply, he asked, “Bathers?”
“Yeah. About that…” Pulling away
from him, she sat forward, reaching for the remote control. “Why don’t you go
for a surf and we’ll meet later?”
“Because I want to go to the beach
with you. What’s the problem? You don’t like the beach?”
“Sand in the crack,” she joked.
“There are seats there.”
“Yeah. No. You go.” Turning her
head, she smiled at him. “I’m not a beach bunny.”
There were shadows in her eyes.
He could see the slight strain in her smile, the lack of true pleasure that had
been present just minutes before his suggestion. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” The way she
avoided looking him directly indicated otherwise. “Now, we can meet at-”
A thought struck him.
Beach
bunny. Shit
. “Are you kidding me?”
“What?”
“I don’t believe it.”
“What?” She leaned back a little.
“You refuse to go to the beach
because you’re embarrassed.” Anger spiked through him.
“Oh, I don’t…no, it’s not like
that.” Flustered, she dropped the TV remote, but when she bent down to pick it
up, he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back to face him.
The muscle in his jaw ticked, he
was so pissed off. “You really think I care about how you look in bathers?”
“No, of course not.” But she
couldn’t look him in the eyes.
He glared at her. “Seriously, Carly?
You’re going to keep lying?”
“I’m not…” She stopped when Sam’s
eyes narrowed warningly.
“Fine.” She threw herself back
against the sofa. “I don’t want to get into bathers, okay? I’ll be rolling
around the waves like a beached whale, and – and I don’t want you to see me
like that.” Folding her arms beneath her breasts, Carly glared at the blank TV
screen.
He rolled his eyes.
“I saw that!”
“Honey, you won’t look like a
beached whale.”
“You’ve never seen me in bathers.”
“I’ve seen you partially naked
already, so what’s the difference?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
Jesus, women
.
“Because it was the heat of the
moment.”
“So?”
“When things happen in the heat of
the moment, not a lot is observed.”
Unbelievable. His eyebrows shot
up. “I saw a lot. I tasted a lot.” When her cheeks only flamed further, he
added, “Honey, I sucked your nipples. What can be any baser than that?”
“Will you shut up?”
He was hard pressed not to laugh
at her indignant expression.
Proving that she knew him quite
well already, Carly looked at him. “Are you laughing?”
“I wouldn’t be game.”
“Damn it, Sam, this isn’t funny!”
“I know.” Soothingly, he rubbed
her shoulder. “Honey, we have to get past this. You have to get past this.
Actually,” he added thoughtfully, “
I
have to get you past this.”
“Good luck with that.”
“How about I strip you off and
explore you?”
Her mouth fell open.
“You can watch me.”
“I can’t see you in the dark!”
“Dark? Who said anything about
doing it in the dark?” At her incredulous look, he shook his head. “You’ve
only done it in the dark?”
“I’ve only done it twice,” she
clarified boldly. “And both times in the dark. At night. In the bedroom.”
She cleared her throat. “Apart from in your hallway. Just the once.”
“I’m starting to get the idea.”
“Look, you better go.” Abruptly, Carly
stood. “This is a mistake.”
“No.” He grabbed her hand and
tugged her back down beside him. Catching her chin between his fingers, he
made her look at him. “The mistake would be me leaving now with this unsolved
between us.”
“Nothing needs solving.”
“It needs fixing.”
“I’m not broken,” she said
sharply.
“Aren’t you?” he asked bluntly.
“Of course not.”
“Then what do you call it?”
“Modesty.”
“Try again.” When she stubbornly
pressed her lips together, Sam looked her right in the eyes. “Jonathon tore
your confidence apart. I promised you I’d fix those scars. Let me fix them,
Carly.”
Opening her mouth, she closed it
again, glanced away.
“Carly,” he said patiently, but
firmly, “Look at me.” When she obeyed, he wasn’t surprised to see tears sparkling
in her eyes. Reaching up, he used his thumb to gently wipe away a tear that
spilled free. “Tell me what scares you about this.”
She swallowed, lowering her
lashes.
“Don’t be afraid to tell me.” He
knew exactly what she was afraid of, only he needed her to say it herself.
She needed his reply.
Reaching up, she wiped away another
tear that spilled down her cheek. “Sam, once you see me naked with all my dimples
and flaws, you’re not going to want to touch me.”
“Do you trust me?”
She nodded.
“No, Carly, I mean do you
really
trust me?”
“Of course.”
“But not enough.”
“Sam-”
“Not enough to trust me to look at
you and still want you.”
She fidgeted.
“And that hurts.”
Startled, her gaze flew up to meet
his.
“Yeah, that hurts,” he stated candidly,
because it was true. “That you honestly believe I’m low enough to ask you to
trust me, then turn my back on you.”
“Oh, I didn’t-”
“Yeah, you did.”
“This isn’t about you, Sam, it’s
about me and my stupid confidence issues.”
“Wrong,” he said bluntly. “This
is about us. We’re in this together. You have issues and you don’t trust me
enough with them.”
“That – that doesn’t sound
right.” She swallowed.
“Tell me about it. The truth
hurts.”
Closing her eyes, she leaned her
back against the sofa. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Reaching out, he took her hand and
gently entwined their fingers. “So what are we going to do about it?”
Her lashes shivered but didn’t
lift.
“Do we remain broken and never get
together, or do we have faith in my word and work on erasing those scars,
starting now?” He held his breath.
Damn, he certainly hadn’t dreamed
that their first time together – discounting that bone-scorching episode at his
house – was going to happen like this…or not happen, depending on her answer.
Fingers tightening on his, she
slowly opened her eyes to gaze at the blank TV screen before turning to look at
him. “Is this an ultimatum, Sam?”
“No,” he replied softly. “Never
that. I’ll always be here for you. I won’t be the one walking away, honey. It
will have to be you.”
And he meant it. In his heart he
knew Carly was the only woman for him, confidence issues or not.
Her fingers tightened even more,
almost desperately. “I can’t walk away, Sam, not now. Not now that I know
you.”
He smiled. “That’s good. That’s
great.”
“I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. Just trust me. Put
yourself in my hands. I swear I will never hurt you, never turn from you.
That’s not me.”
Looking down at their linked
hands, Carly swallowed, reaching up again to wipe under her eyes with her
fingertips. Chewing her bottom lip, she thought.
He could see the strain in her
face, the uncertainty, the hope, the fear. Patiently he waited, praying the
whole time she’d make the right decision but refusing to force her. The
decision was hers now.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted
her head and looked at him. “Okay, Sam.” Her voice shook as much as her hand
in his trembled. “Okay.”
Sam’s heart leaped. Finally! Finally
he could allay her fears and move their relationship forward.
The key word being to allay her
fears.
When she stood up, he kept hold of
her hand, drawing her to a halt. “Where are you going?”
“To the bedroom?”
“I have other ideas.”
Immediately, a wary expression
joined the trepidation. “You do?”
In response, he tugged her back
down, using her momentum to turn her in midair so that her bottom fell onto the
sofa, but her back was across his knees. Bracing his arm under her back, he
looked down into her surprised face. “Not everything has to be done in a
bedroom.”
“Sam!” She struggled to sit up.
“Trust me. I have a plan.”
“I’m not sure I’m going to like
it.”
“How can you think that?” Winking
at her, he grabbed one of the little, lacy cushions and placing it on the armrest,
he leaned her head back against it.
Nice positioning. Her back across
his thighs meant those luscious breasts were thrust upwards, which made for
some interesting dimensions. The cushion kept her head comfortable, and her pose
meant that she was at his mercy.
“Sam, what if Ed comes home?” She
grappled for something to hang onto, finally latching onto his shirt.
“Ed has plans, remember? Said not
to expect him home?”
“Sam-”
“Trust me.”
Swallowing, she laid her head back
on the cushion.
Reaching out, he carefully slipped
the elastic from her hair, freeing all that glorious, black silk to trail over
the armrest and across her shoulders. “Beautiful.”
“You’re going to turn the lamp
off, right?”
“Nope.” He slid the first button
on her shirt free.
She gulped. “Turn it down?”
“It’s nice and low already.” He
slid another button free.
Her fingers in his shirt
tightened. “Sam…”
“You know, you’re in the ideal
position already for me to flip you over.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Honey, don’t dare me.” A third
button slipped free.
Now he could see part of her lace
bra, those lucky cups that cradled those generous breasts.
Her eyes widened and he had to
suppress a sudden grin. Right now, she wasn’t sure exactly what he would do,
and keeping her off-balance like this was, well, titillating. He liked her a
touch uncertain when it came to lovemaking, he liked her not quite knowing that
he was going to do. Just as he knew he’d love it when she willingly followed
where he led.
He not only wanted her trust, but
he wanted her passion as well, wanted her writhing on his lap in wet desire.
Boy, did he.
“Now just lie back and relax.”
“Are you kidding me?” Her fingers
were actually twisting nervously in his shirt now as he slid a fourth button
free. “I don’t think I can do this.” Fifth button free.
Leaning down, he kissed her
lightly, playing the tip of his tongue across her lips. “Yeah, you can.” Sliding
the bottom of her blouse free from the waistband of her skirt, he nuzzled her
cheek, rewarded by her involuntary shiver and the unconscious arching of her
body into his hand when he placed it flat on her abdomen.
Her skin was warm, satin-smooth.
Lifting his head, he looked down into her eyes, seeing the slight darkening of
the irises. God, she was responsive. He slid his hand up, his fingers nudging
under the band of her bra. Edging his fingers sideways, he felt the soft
under-curve of her breast.
Straightening, he sat back to
concentrate on his actions. Plus, he really wanted to see the treasures he
unearthed. Oh yeah.
Both hands now, unhooking the
front clasp of her bra, holding the edges together and slowly, deliberately,
sliding the edges apart in a slow revealing of those magnificent breasts.
And there they were, lush and
full, pink-tipped and beckoning. Lazily he trailed his fingertips around the
areolas, marvelling at the magic of a woman’s body as the nipples pebbled for
him.
Deliberately, he didn’t look at
Carly. He could feel her gaze on him, heard her breath catch, but he didn’t
shift his attention from her breasts. Let her see what he felt when he looked
at her, how much he loved touching her, revelled in her soft, womanly flesh.
Because just looking at her
breasts was making him hard.
Delicately, he scraped the tips of
his forefingers across her nipples and felt her squirm a little before she
caught herself and stilled. Smiling, not hiding his appreciation, Sam plumped
both breasts in his hands, weighing the heavy globes before opening his palms
over her breasts and laying them flat across her nipples, massaging with his
palms, feeling the nipples harden even more, pushing demandingly into his
palms, begging for his attention.
“Beautiful,” he said, “but not
enough.”
Crooking one knee, he brought his
foot up to rest on the low coffee table, his calculated movement causing her to
lift and roll toward him.
With a gasp she came against him,
one of those big breasts right on face level, and he simply closed his mouth
around the stiff, pink peak and sucked, drawing long and hard, almost ruthless.
Carly cried out, arching against
him, her hands gripping his shoulders. “Oh God, Sam!”
Curving his hands around her
ribcage, he loved the fact that he couldn’t feel bones jutting sharply into his
palms. There was firmness and softness, but no bones, just womanly, sweet
flesh.
Her scent filled him as he closed
his eyes and feasted on her breast, sucking and drawing on the nipple, lashing
it with his tongue and pressing it back before again sucking strongly.
As she arched against him, caught
up in the sensations he deliberately wrought upon her, he slid his hand down
from her side, lower to the waistband of her skirt, unsnapping the button and
pulling the zip down, gripping the material and drawing it up her legs.
When she felt the cool air on her
skin she moaned, and he let the skirt go, using his hands to gently push her
partially onto her back to give him access to her other breast. This time he
teased the hard nub, licking it hard, laving it mercilessly, closing his teeth
carefully over the delicate flesh before sucking sudden and strong.
Yeah, his little Carly liked it. Her
moans that filled the air, the way she arched into him, pleading for more, so
much more, and he was going to give it to her. Reaching into his shorts pocket,
he withdrew his wallet and tossed it onto the coffee table. The condom it
contained was going to be needed. Maybe the second one, too.
Right now she was caught up in
sensations as he’d planned, and he was going to keep her there while he
explored her lush body.
Trailing his fingers down her
gently curved belly, he dipped a fingertip into her belly button before moving
lower, shifting his hand to catch the hem of her skirt and draw it the rest of
the way up her legs.
She didn’t even notice when he
drew it up to her waist, or when he slid her panties down. She was so far gone
in desire that she automatically lifted her hips to allow the panties to slide
free. It was simple to drop them around her ankles where she mindlessly kicked
them off completely.
Not once did he stop licking her
tight, pink nipple, pressing a kiss to the bountiful flesh before laying her
back down against the cushion, noting her flushed cheeks, her bright eyes and
the way she panted through those plump lips.
“So beautiful,” he crooned. “So incredibly
beautiful.”
“Sam-”
“Shhh.” His fingertips slid lower,
trailing across her mound. “Easy, honey.”
He didn’t give her time to come to
her complete senses, didn’t give her time to realise what he was doing and
panic. In one smooth move he slid his middle finger through the curls
protecting her womanhood and down between the sheltering lips, feeling the hot
cream that made his invasion easy.
Proof of her arousal. God, it
made him practically salivate in anticipation of how it would feel to slide his
shaft through that cream and into the depths of her body.
She jerked on his thighs, her eyes
widening, the war of desire and uncertainty so plain to see. Laying one finger
upon her lips, he shook his head in a silent order to remain quiet while
sliding his other finger deeper, using his arm to nudge her thighs further apart.
The breath she drew was shuddering,
and he smiled but spoke not one word. Flattening one hand on her belly, he
held her down as he found the little bud hidden between the slick folds, found
it and played with it, circling it with his fingertip before pressing firmly
upon it.
Carly bucked on his thighs, her
knees bending further, but he kept her thighs apart easily with his upper arm,
holding her nearest thigh against the back of the sofa.
Her moans turned to whimpers as he
used the natural lubrication from her body to slick his finger along her perineum,
finding the entrance to her body and playing around it, dipping his finger in
and out, just the tip, pulling gently at the delicate opening.
“Sam, oh God, Sam.” Carly panted.
“Please.”
“Please what, honey?” Apart from
sounding husky, his voice was amazingly calm. With her cream coating his
finger and the heat of her body beckoning to him, the temptation to take her
now was strong, but he reined in his lust.
It wasn’t time to take her just
yet, even though his shaft obviously thought different. It jerked in his
shorts, pressing achingly against her back.
“Do something!” She twisted,
pressing so sweetly torturously against his shaft.
Ignoring the burst of pleasure
that produced, he rubbed her belly. “Like this?” He mimicked her action at
the entrance of her body, twisting his fingertip lightly, trailing it back up
to tease the little clitoris to what he knew would be an aching nub.
Her legs moved restlessly, drawing
his gaze.
God, she was so soft, her limbs
round, womanly. Looking down the length of her sprawled so wantonly across his
thighs, he thought the only word to describe her was rubenesque. So
beautifully rubenesque.
He couldn’t wait to be inside her.
But first…
Shifting his hand, he thumbed her
clitoris, enjoying the way she arched back, the passion that pinkened her
cheeks and made her lips open on a silent moan.
Even better was her expression
when he slid his finger deep within her. She literally shuddered, her head
arching back against the cushion, that silky, thick hair spilling over it.
Her grip on his shirt was
white-knuckled as he thrust his finger in and out of her, marvelling at the
tightness of the slick tunnel gripping his finger.
Hooking the tip, he dragged it
through the shivering walls, twisting until he found that magical spot that had
her crying out.
But he didn’t give her relief.
Leaving his finger hooked into the
entrance of her body, he leaned over her, gazing down into her face. “Look at
me, Carly.” When she only moaned, he ordered huskily, “Look at me.”
Opening her eyes, she looked up at
him, and the heat within the brown depths had his own breath catching.
Those plump lips were partly open,
a little red at the bottom where she’d bitten down on it, and her eyes held a
carnal light, so undeniably filled with lust and need.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Sam…”
“You’re beautiful. I love every
inch of you, every soft, curvy inch. Do you believe me?” When she didn’t answer
straight away, just pushed her hips up into his hand seeking relief, he pressed
her clitoris. “Answer me.”
“Yes. Yes, God, yes.”
He laughed softly, his voice deep
with undeniable, carnal craving. “I think you’d say yes just to make me work
some more on you, wouldn’t you, honey?”
“Please, Sam. Please.” Grabbing
his shirt, she jerked upright, claiming his mouth hotly.
He kissed her hard, eating at her
mouth while sliding his finger deep once more, adding a second to make her feel
every inch, swallowing her cries as he thrummed her clitoris with his thumb.
Cream coated his fingers, the moist
heat spilling forth, but still he didn’t give her relief.
Instead, he grabbed her, pulling
her forward over his arm so that he could slide out behind her.
She cried out a protest, but he
simply placed his hands under her arms each side of her and eased her off the
sofa to the floor, leaving her kneeling there looking up at him while he slid
her blouse and bra off her shoulders and pulled the skirt off over her head.
Tossing them aside, he removed his glasses and placed them on the coffee table
before grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and pulling it up and off, throwing it
to the side and bending down to shove his shorts and boxers down to his ankles to
kick them aside.
His shaft curved up towards his
belly button, hard, throbbing, almost angry, the veins lining it pulsing with
blood. When Carly looked at it hungrily, he almost spent himself then and
there.
Dropping to his knees before her,
he gathered her into his arms, pressing her full against him so that his shaft
was pressed between them, so tortuously good that he groaned harshly.
Need scorched through him,
simmering when he was teasing Carly, but now unleashed. He let it go, let it
sear through his veins, feeling it pour through him in a fiery surge.
One hand tangling in her hair, he
angled her head to the side, giving him full access to her mouth, plundering it
ruthlessly, kissing and licking, wanting everything she had and taking it
without mercy.
She gave to him, letting him in,
not fighting him but seeking her own satisfaction.
Leaving her mouth, he pressed an
open-mouthed kiss below her ear, moving lower to fasten his lips over the pulse
beating so frantically in her throat.