Page 23 of Poppy Kisses (Return to Coal Haven #3)

Jensen lightly touched my hips as he skirted around me. I almost leaned into him. He wandered to the stairs across from the front door. They were plain oak stairs. Whatever had originally been installed had been replaced with the look of the time, and the time looked to be—

“Poor thing is stuck in the nineties,” Jensen said while doing a spin. To our left was a kitchen with a similar style of cabinets, and to our right was a living area with a bay window and the white wispy curtains I could see from outside. “And not the 1890s.”

That would’ve been more ideal. “It’s underwhelming.”

He ran his hand over the square banister. “Most of it’s cosmetic. When you start profiting, you can redo the stairs, replace the banister, put some crown molding back in place.”

“It would look beautiful with crown molding.”

“Eliot has a brother and sister-in-law who restore old homes. She’s an interior designer and they do consulting.” He tested the floor’s squeakiness, pressing his foot in different places as he worked his way to the kitchen.

I followed him. “Lily’s Eliot?”

“Yeah. I’ve done some work for them, but they do a lot themselves, and they’ve slowed down a little since their kids are younger.” He ran a hand over the end of the counter. “Might be worth giving her a call.”

“How much is she?”

“I can write it off as a business expense. We’ll do the remodel in phases. Cabinets first. Painting and cosmetic stuff. Then, after you’re in, we can update the look of the stairs and, I’m guessing, the bathrooms.”

“No.” I crowded close to him. “You’re already giving up time for something that may not earn you money.

I can’t have you incurring more time and expense.

” Yet I couldn’t afford a consult from specialists on old houses, and we should have one before he started.

“We don’t need one anyway. I trust your knowledge. ”

He straightened to his full height, towering over me, which wasn’t hard to do—and I liked it.

I ran my tongue over my lower lip. His gaze tracked the movement. “You can’t stop me from calling.”

“Can too.”

“Try it.”

He was putting me up in his house, refurbishing this place, and marrying me so I could own it. “You’re getting way less out of the deal.”

“Yeah.” His attention dropped to my lips. “I am.”

His tone suggested we weren’t talking about the same thing. Desire unfurled in my belly. “I’ve barely touched your website.”

“I know exactly what you haven’t touched.” Did his head drop lower? “And I know exactly what I’d like you to touch. What I’d like to,” he murmured.

His lips were so close to mine. So achingly close. If I just rose a little…like this…

Our lips touched and time froze. He was warm and real and this wasn’t enough. As if he read my thoughts, he snaked an arm around my waist and increased the pressure of his kiss.

Yes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoes.

If I could crawl into him, I would. He was a wall of muscle, so damn strong, and he was here with me.

A growl ripped from deep in his chest and he lifted me.

My ass hit the edge of the counter. He adjusted until I was firmly in place.

I automatically twined my legs around his hips, my lust building.

He invaded my mouth and I let him, tilting my head so he could delve deeper. The man knew what he was doing, licking and stroking his tongue against mine, sending tingles straight down my spine until they exploded between my legs in a pulsating cloud.

I moaned and cinched my hold tighter. A hard ridge pressed against me. Oh god, why did he have to be impressive in everything? My curiosity rose. Did he fuck like he kissed? Could I find out?

He swept his warm hands up my shirt. I whimpered. His rough fingertips whispered against my skin as he skimmed upward. I took his hat off and flung it on the counter, not caring where it went. Then I ran my hands over his head, letting his trimmed hair prickle against my palms.

He reached my breasts and covered them with his big hands. My hard nipples poked through the fabric like they were trying to reach him. He hooked his fingertips over the bra’s edges and dragged them down. Thank fuck I didn’t wear a sports bra today.

A distant voice in my head said we should stop, but it wasn’t coming up with a good reason why.

He left my mouth to kiss his way down my neck.

I tipped my head back while thrusting my chest into his hot hands.

Cool air wafted across my exposed nipples.

My shirt was pushed high, exposing me for him.

He cupped my breasts and licked across one nipple before sucking the pearled tip into his mouth.

The cry I let out was so full of need I would’ve been embarrassed any other time.

“You know how fucking wild these have been driving me?” Hot breath gusted over my wet flesh. He switched to the other side. “So fucking perfect.”

He claimed that nipple, and the wet heat of his mouth was all-consuming.

I had to brace myself on the counter while he indulged himself.

I didn’t realize I was rocking into him until the energy inside me started coiling and concentrating between my legs.

The sensation grew stronger and more demanding.

I shamelessly rubbed myself against him to steal all the pleasure he was building inside me with each stroke of his tongue.

“Jensen?” I sounded like I was begging, and maybe I was.

“You’re needy, aren’t you?” He was still playing with my greedy nipples, but he slid a hand up my thigh. I widened my legs for him.

He put an inch of space between us. I whined from the loss of friction, but then his calloused fingertips hit my inner thigh. I rocked into his touch.

“Poppy.” He lifted his head, and the picture he made would forever be the one to get me off when I was in bed by myself with my toys. His chiseled face was framed by each of my breasts and my thighs bracketed his body. “I need to hear you come.”

“I need to come.” I squirmed, trying to get closer to him. I hadn’t been able to do anything, too afraid he’d hear and I’d die of embarrassment. Now here I was, ready to detonate, and he was still inches away from my pussy.

“I could use my finger.” He licked across my nipple, making me shudder. He dipped his hand into my shorts and stroked me over my underwear.

Waves of muted pleasure rolled over me. Why, oh why, did I wear panties today? I did every day, but that didn’t matter right now.

“Or I could use my mouth.” His hand was gone. I wiggled my ass like I could find where he took those talented fingers.

Then he tugged my shorts down, and I was in the perfect position to lift my hips only slightly for them to slip off. My underwear stayed frustratingly in place.

“Fuck, Poppy.” He ran his hands all over my legs, pushing my knees wide. “I’ve been dreaming about getting my head between these thighs.” He took me in. “Ah, baby. You’re wet for me.”

I should be embarrassed, but I wasn’t. I nodded. “I need…”

“I know what you need, honey. And I’m going to give it to you.”

My breasts were still jutting out of my top, my skin feverish.

The bottom flap of my shirt had fallen but didn’t cover them entirely.

My lower half was almost bare, but Jensen didn’t let that stop him.

He hooked his arms under my thighs and tugged me close to him.

My ass was at the very edge of the island and I was open to him, yet I wasn’t self-conscious. I needed this too much.

He used a thumb to hold the crotch of my underwear to the side. “Fuck, Poppy,” he groaned. “You look even better than I imagined. And I thought of this a lot.”

He couldn’t be seriou—

He licked through my slit with a quick flash of his tongue, landing on my clit.

Electricity snapped over my skin. I bucked into him, and he growled, his strong grip holding me in place.

He worked me like he thought this would all stop in a heartbeat.

It couldn’t stop. I would implode if I couldn’t explode.

The combustion had already started, and I needed to finish.

I tangled the fingers of one hand in his short hair. My abs were clenched, holding my knees up and out to the sides.

“Yes, Jensen. Yes, yes, yes.” In a faraway part of my brain, astonishment swirled and coalesced.

At no time in my life did I think I would be in this position with this man.

Not only that, I was more comfortable with him than anyone I’d been with.

Broad daylight shone through the windows.

Thankfully, the kitchen faced the empty field that would be mine a year after I married this man.

Married. My desire swelled and a flush of heat hit my center. “I’m so—” I wasn’t close. I was there. “Jensen!”

My voice echoed through the room as I came, my body shaking. I was no longer yelling, but all I was saying was gibberish. Murmuring my thanks, my amazement, my utter appreciation for the best orgasm of my life.

“Christ, that was beautiful.” He put my underwear back in place and kissed the inside of my thigh. “When can I do it again?”

Reality crashed into me. He was rising, his gaze on my exposed chest. I wrestled my shirt down, and disappointment filled his expression. My shorts were…somewhere. Now what? We weren’t supposed to fuck around during this arrangement.

There were no rules against oral sex. Should I add some?

My body still hummed, and the satisfied thrum between my legs would be happy for all this to happen again.

“Um, we probably shouldn’t—”

He cupped the side of my face with a big hand. “You’re getting scared away.”

“I’m not scared, and you don’t have to make everything into a competition.”

Confusion darkened his eyes, but I jumped off the counter and searched for my shorts. They’d landed in the sink.

“It was an observation,” he said quietly. “I’d never coerce you to do anything like this with me.”

I exhaled, clutching my shorts in my hands. My back was to him. I didn’t mean to accuse him of that, but that was exactly what I had done. “I know. I just wasn’t expecting this. Between us. It makes getting married so much more complicated.”

His dry chuckle lacked humor, and yeah, I knew how that sounded.

That sort of chemistry with marriage vows?

I’d want fifty years to go by before we remembered we were supposed to divorce.

But I got a year, and I didn’t want to come out of this three hundred and sixty-five days later wishing for forty-nine more years while he was signing the divorce papers.

“It doesn’t have to be hard,” Jensen said.

I turned around, wishing I’d put my shorts on, but it would be distracting now. Except the way his attention kept dropping to my legs was doing the same. His reaction made me want to walk around without pants all the time.

“We’re adults,” he continued. He adjusted the big ridge behind the fly of his jeans. Even after the way I reacted, he was still hard? “We can fool around and be mature about it.”

“Feelings happen.”

He tilted his head. “And you don’t want them to?”

“I don’t want to get hurt.” I was more exposed than I had been minutes ago. “I like you, and you make me feel good, and I’m not even counting what you just did to me. That was…well done.”

Smugness filled his eyes, and to prove how hopeless I was getting, I found it sexy. “You liked it?”

My cheeks burned. “Did you not hear me holler your name?”

“Your thighs were around my ears.”

I was going to ignite. He twisted me up inside and out, and the result was that I wanted more. “Just because I liked it”—a lot—“doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”

He crossed his arms and leaned against the island, seemingly oblivious to the monster erection he still had.

“I’m going to do whatever you’re comfortable with.

You tell me never to touch you again, and I won’t.

I can’t promise that the next time I jack off I won’t be seeing your sweet pink pussy in my head. ”

His words were a hot breath on my smoldering kindling.

“You don’t think you’re helping me, but you are, Poppy.

Before you showed up in town, I was coasting through life, knowing my path was veering off the road.

I was afraid I’d have to move me and Auggie or that I’d have to get a job that would keep my mom from going to Arizona where she has some beau who’s making her giddy again.

” He swallowed, his expression turning solemn.

“I was an empty shell, wondering if I’d ever feel again.

Then you showed up with that wet shirt and those legs, and I’m very much a man.

Your part of our bargain has already paid off.

Just having you understand me and what’s going on?

I don’t feel like I’m a wannabe who can’t do what the professionals can.

Not only that, you’re trusting me with a gem the whole town adores right after I lost a job because I spelled my name wrong. That’s priceless.”

Humbled, I tightened my hold on my shorts. I didn’t do all that for him. He did it all for himself. His work should’ve spoken for itself. It wasn’t his fault people didn’t bother to look below the surface.

He made me feel good, and I did the same for him. Could it be as simple as that?

“I need to think about it,” I said. We each had our end of the deal, and I couldn’t risk that for either of us.

“Take all the time you need.” He pushed off the island and adjusted himself. “I need to walk this off before we grab some lunch. Then we can make a plan of attack for the house.”

I watched him leave the kitchen before I scrambled into my shorts.

My nipples remained tight peaks. My body thought his offer made so much sense.

We were adults. He didn’t say I was convenient, but the idea plucked at my insecurity.

I should tell him no. We couldn’t do this at all.

But as I straightened my clothes to make sure I didn’t look like I was half stripped down, I was glad I didn’t tell him to quit touching me.