Page 26 of A Tempting Seduction (Protectors of Jasper Creek #5)

I parked in her driveway and sat for a moment, gathering my thoughts. Whatever happened tonight, I wanted to do it right. I wanted Ruby to feel safe, cherished, like she was the most important thing in my world.

Because she was.

I knocked softly on her front door, not wanting to startle her. The lock clicked, and then the door opened to reveal Ruby backlit by the soft glow of her living room. She'd changed out of the sweater she'd worn earlier into something that made my mouth go dry.

The dress was simple, a soft fabric that skimmed her curves and fell to just above her knees. The color was deep green, almost the exact shade of her eyes, and she'd let her hair down so it fell in waves around her shoulders. She looked beautiful and inviting and nervous all at the same time.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi yourself.”

I stepped inside, and Ruby closed the door behind me. The living room was dimly lit, candles flickering on the coffee table and side tables. Soft music played from her stereo, something jazzy and intimate that made the space feel smaller, cozier.

“You lit candles,” I observed.

“I thought it might be nice.” Ruby tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture I was learning meant she was feeling uncertain. “There's wine, if you want some. Or I could get you a beer.”

“Neither, thanks.”

Ruby gestured toward the couch, but I shook my head and remained standing. The air between us felt charged…electric.

“Are you sure about this, Ruby?” I asked quietly. “About me staying?”

Ruby bit her lower lip, a habit that never failed to make me want to soothe the small hurt with my tongue.

“Yes,” she whispered. “If you are.”

“God yes.” The words came out rougher than I'd intended. “I haven't thought of anything else in weeks. Not since I touched your cotton panties.”

Ruby's hands flew to her face, covering her cheeks. “Can we not talk about my cotton panties?”

I stepped closer, gently pulling her hands away from her face. “Why not?”

“Because it's embarrassing.”

“Ruby.” I cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to meet my eyes. “That moment on your couch was hands down the most erotic experience of my life.”

She studied my face. “You're a liar.”

“Then why have I been taking two showers a day, jacking off to that image of you and your cotton panties for the last couple of weeks?”

Ruby's mouth fell open in shock, and I took advantage of her surprise to lean down and capture her lips with mine. The kiss was long and deep and desperate, weeks of want and restraint finally finding their outlet.

Ruby melted against me, her hands fisting in my sweater as she kissed me back with a hunger that matched my own. She tasted like everything I'd been searching for without knowing it.

When I scooped her up in my arms, Ruby gasped, looking up at me with wonder. “How do you keep doing that?” she demanded breathlessly.

“Doing what?”

“Carrying me around like I weigh nothing.”

I grinned, heading toward her bedroom with Ruby secure in my arms. “For God's sake, woman, I'm a foot taller and outweigh you by at least eighty pounds of muscle. I should hope I can carry you twelve feet across a room. If not, they'll take away my man card.”

Ruby laughed, the sound warm and husky, and perfectly Ruby. But when I set her down beside her bed, the laughter faded into something deeper, more intense.

“Ford,” she whispered.

“I'm here.”

I reached for her slowly, giving her every opportunity to change her mind. But Ruby stepped into my arms willingly, her hands sliding up my chest to frame my face.

“I want to touch you,” she said softly. “All of you.”

Her fingers found the hem of my sweater, tugging it up and over my head. I let her learn me slowly, her hands mapping the planes of my chest and shoulders with reverent touches. When she pressed her lips to the center of my chest, right over my heart, I thought I might lose my mind.

“Your turn,” I said roughly.

Ruby hesitated, then nodded. I hated seeing that moment of hesitation.

But I knew it wasn’t going to be words that would reassure her, it would have to be actions.

Actions and probably time. I found the zipper at the back of her dress, easing it down with careful precision.

The fabric whispered to the floor, pooling around her feet in a puddle of green silk.

My breath caught at the sight of her. Black lace and satin that made my mouth water, so different from the practical cotton I'd touched that night on her couch. This was Ruby dressed for seduction. Ruby, who'd planned this evening as carefully as I had.

She was beautiful. More beautiful than I'd imagined, and I'd spent a hell of a lot of time imagining. Voluptuous curves and pale skin, a landscape I wanted to explore with my hands and mouth until I knew every inch of her.

“You're perfect,” I breathed.

“I'm not.”

“You are to me.” And she was. She fit me. My big hands had something to hold onto. To caress, to mold, to pleasure.

I clasped her waist and stroked upward to cup her breasts. They were perfect, but I wanted to touch skin. I was dying to see the color of her nipples. In my fantasies I was sure they were a pale pink that easily flushed dark after I sucked them. I reached behind her to unfasten her bra.

“No.” She was no longer whispering, and I saw fear in her eyes. I wanted to fucking kill that cocksucker of a fiancé of hers.

“Okay, sweetheart, whatever you need. You’re in the driver’s seat.”

“Can we lie down?”

I picked her up and lowered her onto the bed.

Once again, I saw that flash of wonder on her face.

I was going to carry her as often as I could if it would get me this kind of reaction.

I sat down on the side of the bed and took off my shoes and socks, lining them up beside her nightstand.

Then I stood up and took off my jeans. She watched my every move, her eyes darkening with desire.

I pulled out my wallet and took out the two condoms I’d been saving for this night and put them on her nightstand.

When I turned back to her, she gasped, and I laughed as I saw her staring at my erection that my briefs couldn’t contain.

Then I was the one sucking in my breath as I watched her lick her lips. I thought I might lose it.

“Can I lie beside you?” I asked.

“God, yes,” she moaned.

As soon as I was beside her, she started to touch me.

That was fine, it would keep her busy while I focused on her generous breasts.

I understood what the problem was. Somehow society had convinced women that every man liked smaller, perky breasts, but what she didn’t understand was, I was just turned on by her.

By Ruby. The fact that her body was all large and luscious, and my preference, was icing on the cake.

I only pulled down the cups of her bra, so her breasts were still supported, and groaned at the sight.

“Jesus, Ruby, you’re fucking gorgeous.”

Her eyes darted up to study my expression and what she saw must have reassured her.

Her arms wound around my neck as I began to kiss and lick her breasts, unable to pick my favorite.

I gloried in her whimpers of pleasure and finally covered one of her nipples with my lips and sucked hard, laving it with my tongue.

Ruby cried out. I wasn’t sure if it was pleasure or pain, but since her nails dug into my scalp and she clutched me closer, I figured I was doing something right.

I continued licking and sucking, growing harder with every passing second. But I wasn’t done. There was someplace else I was more eager to taste and touch. I eased my way downward, loving the feel of her soft silky skin as I kissed my way to the top of her black lace and satin panties.

I looked up and caught her dazed expression. “I don’t know, Ruby, these are nice, but I miss the cotton. I really think the bunny pattern was the best part.”

“Ford…” she cried out. “You weren’t supposed to notice.”

I laughed as I slowly pulled off her panties and took note of her glistening red curls. I tossed her underwear on the growing pile of clothes. I slowly pushed her legs apart and watched her expression turn nervous as I parted her folds.

“It’s going to be fine, Ruby.”

Fuck, nobody had ever gone down on her before. I bent my head and told my snarling dick to calm the fuck down. He’d get his turn.

She was soaked. It was obvious the breast play had turned her on. As I licked her, I fell into an alternate universe. Nothing else seemed to matter except the taste of her, the sounds she made and the way she pulled my hair. I was drowning.

As soon as I suckled her clit she pushed upward, crying my name. She was close, so close. I slowly inserted one finger inside her and that was when I felt her shudder her release.

My cock did a happy dance thinking it was his turn, but I insisted he shut the fuck up since he still had to wait. Afterall, we were gentlemen.

I kissed my way up Ruby’s flushed body, until I was kissing her, our tongues dancing together. When I released her, she sighed.

“Oh, Ford,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“Thank you , sweetheart.”

She bit her lip and looked up at me shyly. “But we get to do more, right?”

My grin split my face. “I sure as hell hope so.”

She reached down, her hand sliding into my briefs. Her hand couldn’t circle my cock. Her eyes looked up at me, giving me a sharp look. “Will this work?”

“Absolutely.”

Her smile turned languorous. “In that case, please. Can we make love now?”

“I live to serve.”

Hallelujah!

My dick really needed to shut up.

I rolled over and grabbed one of the condoms off the nightstand. I stood up and shucked down my briefs and rolled on the rubber. I got back onto the bed and Ruby looked at me like I hung the moon. A man could get used to that.

I knelt onto the bed and pulled her down, so her thighs rested over my knees.

I stared down at her beautiful pussy where it was flowered open for me.

I fisted my cock and swirled the tip around in her juices before positioning myself at her core.

I slowly sank into her watching her every expression, ensuring she was with me. And she was.

She reached up and dug her nails into my forearms as her smile got bigger. “You feel so good.”

“That’s my line, sweetheart.” I panted out the words.

She surged upward, as if I was going too slow.

“Jesus.”

She wrapped her legs around my waist, and that was all she wrote. I slowly pulled out, then pushed back in. Taking my time. Savoring every movement, every moment. Again and again, I stroked inside her silky depths.

I watched her lids drop so I could only see the smallest glimpse of glittering green.

Her breasts bounced and I couldn’t resist. I latched onto one rosy nipple, and she screamed out my name.

I felt like a god. She clamped around me, strangling my cock.

I felt her shudder her pleasure and couldn’t stop my own as I followed her over into the most beautiful moment of my life.