“Did you reach it?”
“A long time ago.”
“Thank God you crossed that one off your bucket list.”
Thank God she wasn’t pissed off and throwing things at him. “I’m sorry, Georgia. I was a f**kin’ idiot today. Remember when you told me that selling advertising to my relatives had nothin’ to do with me personally? This is sorta the same situation. Me flirting with those women had nothin’ to do with you personally. And you hafta believe I didn’t plan on takin’ any of them women up on their offers.”
“I believe you. I surprised myself by how much I wanted to challenge them all to a hair-pulling, eye-scratching cat fight.”
Nice boost to his ego that she had been jealous. He rested his chin on top of her head. “So are we okay?”
“I guess. Once again we dropped the ball on that adult relationship thing.”
“Yeah. Fightin’ with you sucks. I hate it. I’ve never been in a relationship long enough to fight.”
“Now I feel special.”
You are special. So special it scares the crap outta me.
“But I’ll point out the weeks we’ve had fights is when we haven’t spent time together.”
“A simple solution would be to spend all our free time together.”
“Mmm.”
“Georgia, darlin’, will you stay with me tonight?”
She tipped her head back to look at him. “Yes, but no sex, remember?”
“Are you really gonna hold me to that?” Tell feathered his thumb over the pulse point in her neck. “I haven’t touched you all week. It’s makin’ me crazy. I’ve been thinkin’ about the wild, raunchy, kinky things I wanna do to you.”
“Then another night will allow you to add to those fantasies, won’t it?”
He groaned. “It might kill me.”
Georgia laughed softly. “You’ll survive. We’ll find something else to keep us occupied.”
“Like what?”
“You could teach me how to play poker.” She held up her hand. “Not strip poker.”
“Spoilsport.”
“Or we could watch a movie. Heckle bad TV shows.”
“Would that include makin’ out on the couch and letting me at least cop a feel?” Tell waggled his eyebrows with such exaggeration she giggled.
“You’re such a guy.”
“And I can prove it. Three or four times at least.” Then he blew in her ear and felt her shiver from head to toe. “Am I changing your mind, sweetness?”
She shook her head. “As much as I love slipping between the sheets with you, I just like being with you. You make me laugh. You’re easy to talk to. And you don’t treat me like a dumb cheerleader.”
“Who the hell ever said that to you?”
“Lots of people. Not just kids at school. I heard someone say it was a good thing I was a pretty girl because I’d never get by on my brains.” She smiled sadly. “One time Smitty made that kinda crack around RJ. My brother clocked Smitty so hard he broke Smitty’s glasses. So you’re not the only one with self-doubts, Tell. As much as I’d like to pretend I overcame it, some of those attitudes and comments have stuck with me.”
“Why is it we have a better memory for the bad things that are said?”
She shrugged. “Maybe because it makes us appreciate it more when someone says something nice?”
He smooched her nose. “You’re so smart.”
The sweet-smelling scent of woman roused him.
Handy that she wasn’t wearing panties.
Tell squinted at the clock. Four thirty. He had to start chores in another hour anyway, so he may as well use this time to his advantage.
Georgia slept on her side, curled into a ball.
He slipped his fingers beneath the hem of the T-shirt she’d borrowed, finding her warm, soft skin. When his hands began the thorough ascent of her spine, her back bowed and she made a humming sound. A sound which traveled straight to his dick.
“Georgia,” he whispered, breathing in the heady scent of her hair.
“Mmm?”
“It’s morning. Do you know what that means?”
“We went to bed too late?” she murmured sleepily.
“No.” His mouth found the shell of her ear and he followed it with his tongue. “It means I can make love to you since night is over.”
She half-rolled into him, tangling their legs and rubbing her smooth, muscular calf over his. “But I’m tired.”
“I’ll wake you up.” He kissed the corners of her eyes. Her temples. The edges of her smile. “I want you like this. Warm and sweet and barely awake in my bed.”
“M’kay.” She rose up enough to ditch the shirt. “You always have such great ideas.” Then she rolled onto her back, keeping her arms above her head and her eyes closed.
Tell nuzzled the outside curves of her tits, inhaling the fragrance of her skin first thing in the morning. The underswell tasted tangy—of her sweat and sleep. He sucked a tiny love bruise on the upper curve, then he focused his attention on her ni**les. Sucking. Licking. Biting. Pinching. Pleasing himself with her body and turning her into a squirmy, sighing mass.
His fingers trailed over her slit, finding her core hot and wet. He swirled those digits into the sweet cream.
“Someone’s awake now,” he murmured and tapped her hip. “Turn over.”
“Someone likes to take me from behind,” she murmured back as she rolled onto her belly.
He made a place between her legs and hiked up her hips. His hands roamed over her arms, her strong back, her hips and her ass. Goddamn she had the finest ass. He scattered kisses down her torso. Tracking the line of her spine from her shoulders down, pressing openmouthed kisses in the dimples of her ass. He rubbed his morning whiskers on her cheeks, then traced the crack to her tailbone, loving the hitch in her breath when his tongue dipped down to circle her anus.
Then he caged her body beneath his and aligned his cock. His need to rut on her nearly overtook him as he slid home. But he paused just to breathe, just to absorb this perfect union of bodies as he made love to her. Savoring her every moan. Savoring every connection of his hard flesh into the softness of hers.
All at once he ramped up the tempo. Pounding into her. Going primal at the visual of his big, rough hands gripping her ass cheeks. His rigid c**k disappearing into her wet and welcoming cunt.
Georgia pushed her hips back, taking every slamming thrust.