Page 17

Chapter Sixteen

I jolted awake, and then noticed the smell of oregano, basil, garlic, cheese, and fresh bread.

What the hell?

I stretched then threw back the covers.

I was still wearing my bra and panties that I’d worn to work. Beau had taken one look at me when he’d picked me up and insisted, I take a nap when we got home. Hell, I was so tired I hadn’t even give him too much shit about the teeny, tiny little car he was now driving. I threw on one of the few truly frivolous purchases I’d ever made, a yellow-and-red silk kimono-style robe, and wandered into the living room. He was waiting for me. The man had the hearing of a bat.

Ahhh, the smell of cheese and bread. I was in carbohydrate heaven.

“What did you make?”

“Five-cheese vegetable ziti, with cheesy garlic bread.”

The man knew exactly how I liked my vegetables. Smothered in cheese.

“Do I get a kiss for all my efforts?”

“Damn right you do.”

He sauntered over to me with a gleam in his eye. He grabbed my left hand and walked me over to the counter that separated the dining room from the kitchen, then lifted me up on top of it. We were now eye to eye.

“Oh, so this is going to be a serious kiss.”

He looked over my shoulder, then back at me. “There is still nine minutes until the timer rings. Let’s see what I can accomplish, shall we?”

“On the counter?” I squeaked.

“The curtains are closed.” This time I peeked over his shoulder and saw that he was right.

“You planned this. How’d you know I was going to wake up when I did?”

“I might have slammed the front door shut,” he smirked.

“Oh, so there was a reason I woke up.”

“I told you. Part of my job is planning. And Baby, I excel at my job.”

I thrust my fingers into his hair and moved my face closer to his. “That’s for me to judge.”

His eyes twinkled. “Feel free.” He slanted his head and softly met his lips to mine. With slow tantalizing swipes, he tempted me to follow him, and I did, tasting beer, bread and Beau. Soon it was a conflagration of heat and fire. I couldn’t get enough of this man.

I was so caught up in the kiss, in the wild burn, that it wasn’t until I was shivering that I noticed he’d untied my robe.

I wrenched away from his mouth for just a moment to ask. “Seriously? The counter?”

He didn’t bother to answer. He pulled my head back and soon I was dizzy with lust as our kiss deepened even more. How it was possible, I didn’t know. Teeth, tongues, lips and bites. My breasts were heaving and my panties were soaked.

When I felt his calloused hands cupping my breasts, I jolted. So good. It was just so good. Beau pulled my hands out of his hair, and slowly divested me from my bra and pulled down my robe, but as he laid me down on the granite countertop, I realized I was resting on soft wool. My body shook for just a second as I choked back a sob. The sneak had placed the wool throw from the couch somewhere handy so I wouldn’t be lying on hard granite. I had never felt so cherished in all my life, as I did by that one little act of kindness by the man I loved.

“Maddie, are you okay?” Of course, Beau picked up on my feelings. We were back to how we always had been.

“I’m fine, baby,” I choked out my answer. He paused and gave me an intent look. I must have passed muster, because he smiled.

“You definitely are fine,” he agreed with a wicked grin. Beau could do wicked so well.

“This has to go both ways. I want you to take off your shirt, too,” I demanded.

He looked up, and I knew he was looking at the timer on the stove. “No can do, Chickie. We now only have seven minutes left on the clock.” With that, he lifted me up and pulled the robe out from under me.

“Like the panties. You look good in yellow.”

I waited.

He tugged them downwards. Then he chuckled. “Especially in damp yellow panties.”

Yep, I knew he was going to go there.

I leaned up on my elbows. “No oral sex, you bastard. You’ve bought two boxes of condoms, so there is no excuse for you doing something for me when I can’t return the favor.”

His face got serious.

Oh shit.

A lecture.

“We don’t have time for one of your lectures.”

“Apparently we have to make time, sweet cheeks.”

“And don’t call me sweet cheeks!”

“Our sex life is not about quid pro quo. It’s about enjoyment. Fun. Connection. Communication.” Then he leaned in close, so that he was practically on top of me, his nose almost pressed against mine. “And in my case, it’s about love. It is definitely not about keeping score. Am I making myself clear?”

His blue eyes had turned the color of molten silver. My heart was the consistency of mush. “I love you, too, Beau.”

“And we’re not keeping score? You’re not just saying that because I said it?” he prompted.

I grabbed him by his ear and twisted.

“Ow!”

“I would never fuck around with saying the love word. Of course I love you, you big oaf. I adore you. You broke my heart fifteen years ago, and I know loving you now comes with risk, but I’ve never been surer of anything. Loving you right now is more important than thinking about the future. I want to be in the now with you. You are my soulmate.”

“Maddie, I will not break your heart. I promise.”

“You can’t make that promise.” Thank God I wasn’t crying. In fact, I was filled with joy. Beau loved me. “Beau, however it comes down we have today and tomorrow. I feel blessed.”

“But Maddie?—”

“How much time is on the clock?”

“But—”

“How much time?” I asked louder.

“Four minutes.”

“Use those minutes wisely. I’m getting cold here under the A.C.”

Beau looked down at me and gifted me with the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. He could make a rainbow burst from the sky with that smile.

“Give me your hand.”

I frowned. “What?”

“Give me your hand.”

I rolled and put my weight on my left side, with my legs on either side of Beau, and reached out with my right hand. He gripped my hand, then sucked my fore and middle fingers into his mouth, swirling his tongue around them.

“What are you doing?” I gasped.

He pulled them out with a popping sound. Then he placed them at the top of my mound, right over my clitoris. I trembled.

“I want you to caress yourself, Maddie, while I thrust inside you. Can you do that, Maddie? I want to watch you play with your wet and swollen clit while I stroke in and out of your tight, hot heat. Can you do that for me?”

He pulled a condom out of his pocket and soon smoothed it over his erection and placed it against the mouth of my vagina. And didn’t do one thing more. Just stopped right there, the bastard.

“Beau?” His eyes were back to light blue, and his smile was sinful.

“You’re not doing what I asked. There’s three minutes on the clock, gorgeous. I’m not doing anything until you start the show.”

I was confused until his hand touched mine and started moving my fingers over my sensitized clit and I shuddered.

“Again, baby.” He continued to guide my fingers and soon I wasn’t paying attention to anything else but the spiraling pleasure in my body. His warm hand over mine magnified the pleasure, and I trembled.

“Ahhhh!” The feel of Beau entering me was sublime. I opened my eyes to see an expression that had to mirror mine. As he powered inward, his hand never left my hand, but now he wasn’t guiding me, he was following me, as I applied just the right tempo, the right pressure, the right everything to take me where I needed to go. But I lost focus as he pushed so deep inside me, I felt him everywhere. This time, Beau was exactly where I needed him to be.

I couldn’t breathe and I didn’t care. All I cared about was this surreal connection with the man of my dreams.

“Faster, Maddie. Come on, Baby, get there.”

“You too, Beau,” I gasped.

His hand pressed down on mine, and I lifted my hips to take his cock deeper, wrapping my legs around his hips.

“God yes. You’re perfect. So tight. Squeeze me again.”

I watched as sweat beaded on his brow as he drove harder and faster, making me moan. I couldn’t keep up the rhythm as I circled my clit. I couldn’t do anything but feel. Feel myself spinning out of control.

“Bea—”

I couldn’t talk. “Ahhh,” I screamed and shoved myself against his pelvis as hard as I could. An explosion of color and pleasure burst through me as I reached a state of bliss I’d never known before. I wanted to savor this moment in time forever, when Beau burst out laughing.

“What? Stop laughing! You are totally ruining the mood, you jerk.” Then I heard the buzzer.

Beau dropped his head, snuggling his cheek against my neck, still laughing. Finally, he said, “We beat the clock.”