Page 37

Chapter 36

A month after signing up for the ARC team, I received a package from “Juli Mack,” Juliette’s pen name. I’d done the whole rerouting through an out-of-state mailbox thing, just for safety’s sake. It was almost impossible anyone would know it was me, but Robert said being extra cautious was best since the FBI kept tabs on anyone who had been close to me, including my friends. So an extra degree of separation from where I actually lived wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I skipped into the house and waved the red and black bubble mailer in the air. “It’s here!” I announced to Dane, who was sitting on the couch. My voice was brimming with excitement. Flopping down beside him, I tore open the package and held my best friend’s paperback book in my hand for the first time.

“Slow and Low?” Dane asked, peering at the title of the book.

“Yes, the main dude in this book is a pitmaster who owns his own barbecue restaurant. Slow and low refers to the proper way to cook brisket. Slow and on low temperature so it’s nice and tender.” I ran my fingertips over the smoky cover, knowing my friend had also touched it, and I loved the connection this book gave us.

Dane kissed my temple. “I’ll get started on dinner so you can start reading. Potato soup okay?”

“Sounds good,” I said, opening the book and almost tearing up at Juli’s loopy signature. Then I gasped when I saw my name on the dedication page.

“What?” Dane asked, crowding close as we both read. I could practically hear Juliette’s sweet drawl in every word.

To my real life Evie. You believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. I stopped writing for a while after you disappeared, but then I kept hearing you nag me, and I knew you’d be pissed if I didn’t finish.

So, here we are. I did it. And you’re not here with me. I miss you more than you could ever know, Evie, and wherever you are, I hope you’re safe. I love you, bestie from the nestie.

A fat tear plopped onto the page, and I swiftly swiped it away with the heel of my hand. Dane wrapped a long arm around me and pulled my face into his neck.

“I’m sorry, Eden. You miss her don’t you?” I nodded, and he kissed the top of my head. “You want to tell me about her?”

I nuzzled into his warm skin and smiled at the memories flooding my heart. “I met Juliette McNamara when I was seven. We both went to a summer camp near Hot Springs, Arkansas, and were assigned as roommates. As soon as I walked into the little cabin, I was surrounded by long arms, a flurry of blonde hair, and the smell of citrus.” Resting my hand on Dane’s hard chest, I said, “I remember thinking she was so pretty and smelled so good.”

Dane’s hand rode gently up and down my back. “What’s the bestie from the nestie thing?”

A giggle escaped my lips. “Everyone at the camp had to name their cabins, and Juli and I decided to call ours The Nest. There was a big robin’s nest on our windowsill, so that’s how we came up with it. By the time dinner rolled around the first night, she informed me that we would be best friends forever, and so we should be besties from the nestie .”

My husband chuckled. “That’s both sweet and incredibly weird.”

“That’s Juliette. She and I became pen pals—like honest to goodness letters, not emails or texts. We wrote to each other every week and promised to see each other the next summer. My mom wanted to send me to some fancy schmancy camp the next year, but I pitched a hissy fit until my dad said I could go back to the Arkansas camp again.”

“And you went every year after that?” I nodded, cuddling closer to them.

“Until we turned sixteen, and then we were both counselors. At some point, we decided to try and go to the same college. Juli’s dad couldn’t afford out-of-state tuition, so I applied to the same Texas colleges she did. Luckily, she got a full ride to SMU, and I was accepted too, so that’s where we went.” I looked up at Dane, my lips tipping into a smile. “She’s the best friend I’ve ever had. I had lots of friends in high school, but they were more… superficial, I guess. Juli is like my friend soulmate. She and I can talk about anything.”

“I’m sorry you don’t get to see her, but I’m glad you can communicate with her, even though she doesn’t realize it’s you.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ll get started on the soup while you read.”

I knew from reading Juli’s first fifteen chapters four years ago that she was a gifted writer and that this book was going to be great, but dayum . She’d totally upped her game, and I literally couldn’t put it down.

“Soup okay?” Dane asked as I flipped to the next page.

“Uh-huh. Good,” I murmured, my eyes eating up every word. I spooned some soup into my mouth—at least, I tried to, missing my lips and dribbling it down my chin. “Shit.” I swiped at the mess with my napkin but still couldn’t peel my eyes from what was happening on the page. This story was compelling as hell, and I couldn’t wait to see what was next for Colton and Book Evie.

I was vaguely aware of my soup bowl being removed, and I was unsure how I ended up in bed with one of Dane’s T-shirts on. “Here’s a book light,” he said, and I could hear the amusement in his voice when he clipped it on.

“Thanks, babe,” I replied, absently patting his hip when he rolled over and turned off the lamp. With my back against the headboard, I propped the book on my stomach and continued reading. Things were starting to heat up on the page, and I let out a little gasp when Colton rolled on top of Book Evie. Okay, wow.

“What?” Dane asked, shifting to his back.

I spared him a glance and lifted an eyebrow. “Things are starting to get really good .”

“Somebody getting whacked?” he joked.

“Nope, somebody’s about to get licked.”

That got his attention, and he scooted closer, resting his cheek on my shoulder so he could read along with me. I heard his breathing hitch as his eyes moved over the spicy scene, and then he slid one big hand down my body and directly into my panties like he owned my pussy. The wetness he found there was evident in his low groan.

“Hmm, this book is turning you on, isn’t it?”

“Maybe,” I demurred teasingly.

“I thought that was my job. Should I be jealous of this…” He focused on the page and sneered, “Colton?”

“Definitely. He’s got a very talented tongue.”

My husband growled at my smirking face before jerking the covers back and hooking his fingers onto the sides of my panties and working them down my legs.

“Dane!” I exclaimed. “What are you—”

Shoving my legs apart, he fitted his broad shoulders between my legs and demanded, “Read it to me.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” I said with a nervous giggle, pushing playfully at him with my foot.

He grabbed my leg and kissed my ankle before settling my foot on his shoulder and then doing the same with the other one. Reaching up and tapping the top of the book, he said, “Read it to me, and I’ll do whatever it says on that page.” He gave me a challenging look, and I bit my bottom lip, shoring up my nerves.

“Okay, fine.”

Dane narrowed his eyes. “But don’t fucking say his name.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh my god. Are you jealous of a fictional character?”

“Nope. I’m grateful he started the job of turning my wife on. And now I’m going to finish it.”

Jeez, how could I say no to that? Knowing my face was all kinds of red, I cleared my throat and began reading, exchanging Colton’s name for my husband’s. “ Dane kissed down my body, his tongue delighting my skin with every swipe.”

Dane followed along, his mouth moving down my abdomen before grinning up at me. “Is your skin properly delighted?” he asked.

I giggled. “It is.”

“Then please go on,” he replied, dropping a kiss on my mound.

I turned back to the book and began reading. “ When he reached the apex of my thighs, he pressed them down with his hands, holding me firmly to the mattress. His tongue swept through my sex. Once. Twice. Th-th—” I broke off as Dane followed through on everything I was saying.

“Keep reading, Wildcat,” he directed, dark eyes locked onto mine.

“ Three times ,” I continued, my gaze flitting between him and the book. “ Then he speared me with his tongue. His aroused hum let me know he was enjoying this as much as I was, and his hands slipped beneath my ass to hold me to his mouth.”

Dane’s eyes closed, and he moaned into me as his hands lifted my lower body, just like the words on the page. Shifting the book to one hand, I reached down and stroked his jet-black hair, smoothing the thick, soft strands against the skin of my thighs.

“ He tongue-fucked me with leisurely strokes, the sensation like warm velvet inside me.” My breaths were coming out in harsh pants, and my vision began to blur a little around the edges, but I blinked a few times to bring the text back into focus. “Dane knew my body better than anyone—my moans, the tightening of my inner walls—and when I was right on the edge, he began lapping at my clit with the flat of his tongue.”

I closed my eyes and dropped the book onto the bed, both of my hands in his hair now, rubbing the silk of it against my thighs. Why the hell was that so erotic? Dane’s magical tongue worked over my clit as my orgasm began in my core.

“What next, baby?” he murmured, and I cried out the next words from the book, the ones I’d memorized before abandoning it.

“ I came, and he bruised my ass with his brutal grip as he devoured my climax like it was his last meal. God, Dane!”

With my head pressed back into the pillow and my spine curved up to the ceiling, I unleashed myself, grinding wantonly against his hot mouth. The feral noises he made between my legs only drove me higher, made me come harder.

As my spasms subsided, Dane’s tongue slowed and finally stopped. “I think I like this book,” he admitted, pressing soft kisses up and down my sex. “What happens next?”

My body floated back to the mattress, and I dipped my chin to look at him. “That was… the end of the… chapter,” I said through heaving breaths.

He crawled up my body and gave me a long kiss, sharing my taste with me, before reaching over to turn the page. “Hmm, this next chapter is from the male point of view.” He flipped another few pages to read ahead a bit, and his eyebrows shot upward. “Yeah, I really like this chapter.”

“What’s it about?” I asked, still trying to control the racing beat of my heart.

“You let me worry about that,” he ordered with a smirk before flipping me over onto my stomach like I weighed nothing.

“Do you have to treat me like a pancake?” I complained, and he chuckled and swatted my ass.

“Hush. You’re giving me syrup fantasies.” Leaning over, he opened the drawer beside the bed and pulled out a bottle of lube, a silicone dildo, and something called a lube launcher, which does exactly what you’re probably thinking.

“Ohhh, it’s that kind of chapter,” I said, looking over my shoulder at my hot-as-hell husband. The tent in the front of his black briefs was obvious. Dane had introduced me to anal sex a couple years ago, and to my surprise, I loved it as much as he did.

“It is,” he replied, and I could hear the excitement in his voice. “On your hands and knees. You know the drill, Wildcat.” Because of Dane’s size, I still needed to be properly prepped before we could engage in that particular act. Thankfully, I was married to the most patient man on earth, and over the next twenty minutes, he lubed and stretched me until I was ready for action. The entire time, he kissed up and down my back and massaged my shoulders with his free hand.

Leaning over my back and turning my head to the side, Dane dipped his tongue into my mouth, softly at first, and then with more passion. I could feel the hard length of him throbbing against my ass.

“I love you,” he said, looking deeply into my eyes. “You’re the most important thing in my life, Evie.”

“I love you too,” I returned, my heart swelling for this man. Even when he was being dirty as hell, he never let me forget my worth.

“Tell me if I need to stop,” he instructed while dragging the book to the side of my body and finding the page he wanted. Then he began to read. “ Evie’s ass was round, firm, and absolutely perfect. I’d been obsessed with her pretty backside from the very first moment I saw her in my restaurant in her tight-fitting jeans. I stroked my hands over her cheeks, pretty as a ripe peach and ready to take my cock.”

“God, that’s hot,” I groaned, loving the feel of his rough hands on me.

“ My cock fucking ached with the need to be inside her. I’d had her sweet pussy, but taking her ass would be the final step in making her mine. And make no doubt about it, Evie was mine. ‘Spread your legs,’ I ordered, and she willingly complied like the good fucking girl she was.”

I parted my knees until my hips were stretched as far as they could go.

Dane’s deep voice scratched up his throat, evidence of his desire. “ I stroked my hand up and down my length a couple times before bringing the head to her back entrance. I already knew she was going to be tight as fuck. I’d felt that from fingering her ass earlier. Though my body was thrumming to take her fast and hard, I eased in gently, reveling in her soft whimpers as I breached her tiny hole. ‘Goddamn, baby. You feel so good.’ I worked my way in slowly, reaching around and rubbing her clit with the perfect amount of pressure to make her back arch up like a cat.”

“God that feels so good,” I moaned, my fingers clawing at the wrinkled sheet as Dane continued to read.

“Evie’s tightness gripped me, pulling me in as I took her deeper before easing out and back in a few times. The sight of my cock disappearing inside her, stretching her, almost made me come immediately, and I had to bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep myself under control. ‘You are perfect, baby,’ I told her, dipping my middle finger into her cunt before using the wetness on her sensitive clit again.”

I lowered my chest to the bed, opening myself up to him even more as he began to move faster. The sensation of being stretched to my limit while his fingers danced over my clit had my toes curling. “More,” I begged, rocking my hips with Dane’s.

His voice was becoming ragged as the headboard knocked against the wall with forceful thumps. “ I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the sight of her ass cheeks vibrating each time my hips slapped against her. ‘Good girl, Evie. You’re such a good fucking girl, taking my cock up your pretty ass.’ Her hair was a mess, and I couldn’t help but bury my hand in the back of it, holding her down as my thrusts became harsher, more relentless. I was barely hanging onto my control, but Evie didn’t seem to mind. She was moaning my name and tightening around me like a vise.”

“Dane, I’m close,” I rasped as his hand followed the path of his words, gripping the back of my hair as he rode me hard and fast.

Then I was pretty sure he abandoned the book reading because he slumped over my back, rutting into me like an animal. “Fuck. So good, Evie. Love you so much.” His mouth moved up and down my neck, sucking and biting as our pace turned frantic.

I unclenched one of my hands from the sheet and reached up and back to tangle in his long hair. “Love you… too,” I managed to say as his fingers moved faster between my legs while his other arm banded around my waist and held my body to his. “I’m coming.”

“Yes. Fuck. Come for me, Wildcat. I’m going to fucking fill this ass up with my cum.”

Burying my face in the mattress, I screamed, the orgasm one of the most intense I’d ever had. Dane bucked against my back, his own roar of pleasure mingling with mine as we found our highs together.

For a long while, we laid like that, his big body covering my small one as we sucked in lungfuls of air. His kisses against my neck turned tender and sweet as he pulled slowly out of me.

“You okay?” he asked, rolling me over and holding himself up on his forearms. Dane’s face was red and sweaty, and his hair was a complete mess, but he’d never looked sexier to me.

“I’m so good,” I told him, smoothing down a large chunk of his hair on the left side. “Never better.”

After a hot bath, Dane and I were back in our bed, facing each other with our limbs tangled together.

“So, you liked the book?” I asked.

He kissed the tip of my nose. “I never knew reading could be that fun. I’m going to get a library card tomorrow.”

I giggled and snuggled into his embrace. Though I still missed my family and friends every day, I felt safe and loved in Dane’s arms, and I was content… body, mind, and soul.