murmured, taking in her creamy skin, her mouth, including that full bottom lip he wanted to nibble on for his next meal. “What comes next?”
“Be patient.”
“Yeah.” Leaning in, he kissed her temple, her jaw. Brushing the tip of his nose along her cheek, he kissed the sweet spot beneath her ear, and absorbing her shiver, gently sank his teeth into her earlobe.
She drew in a quick breath, and shivered again as her fingers closed around his biceps. “Stone…”
Cupping her face, he kissed her. Kissed her until he couldn’t have come up with his own name if his life depended on it.
She opened her sleep, sexy eyes. “Go with my instincts,” she whispered.
It took him a moment to realize she was quoting the third rule. “Yeah.” His voice was husky and a little thick. He didn’t know exactly what her instincts would be, but he sincerely hoped it didn’t include pulling her clothes back on.
She surprised and shocked him by pulling him down on top of her, rolling so that he was lying flat on his back on the rock and she was straddling him. Wrapping her fingers around him she lifted her hips. Then, slowly-so slowly she almost killed him-she sank over the top of him, threatening to blow his mind
The woman never listened. She moved. She rocked her hips again just as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth, and that was it for him. He thrust up into her, and then again, until with a panting cry, she came, and he was right there with her.
The next morning, Spencer stepped into Wishful Delights from Serena’s living quarters.
Serena was behind the counter, her back to him, stirring something in a large bowl, and his mouth watered.
For the woman, not the chocolate, though he happened to know that she made the most amazing chocolate, as he’d spent some time last night licking it off her body. As he’d already known, she was truly the hottest, sexiest woman he’d ever met. What he hadn’t expected…she was also the sweetest, warmest woman he’d ever met. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” She looked at him, and the duffle bag hanging off his shoulder. “I was thinking the weather was going to be really bad again today.”
“I have to get back, Serena.”
She nodded. “Well, I guess all fun has to come to an end some time, right?”
“Yeah.” He set the bag down and moved toward her. “I was hoping you could take a little break before I go.”
“I could, but you should know, I only take breaks for orgasms.”
He laughed, then pulled her out from behind the counter and flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED.
She laughed. “Aw, now you’re just teasing me-”
He put his hands on her face and kissed her. Kissed her until he didn’t know his own damn name, until she was clinging to him, panting for breath, until it took everything he had to pull free and reach into his pocket for the envelope he’d put there.
“What’s this?” she whispered, still breathing heavy.
“I called a cab.”
Her eyes flew up to his. “So that was a good-bye kiss?”
“I hope not.” He kissed her again, softer this time. “More than anything I can think of, I’d like this not to be a good-bye. Come see me in New York, Serena. We’ll go to amazing restaurants and moan over food together.”
“Come to New York?” She sputtered over that for a moment. “Are you crazy?”
“Uh huh. And you are too. You’re bored here. Take a vacation, come visit me.”
She looked at him as if trying to find the catch. “And then what?”
“And then I’ll come visit you. We’ll take turns.”
“That sounds so…civilized.”
“It won’t be, trust me.”
She didn’t laugh. She stood there, stunned. “It was just one night.”
“Yes. One really great night.”
She softened. “Yeah.”
“We could have a lot more.”
She just looked at him, beautiful and gorgeous.
“Tell you what.” He leaned in for another kiss. His last, he promised himself. “When you’re ready, you open this.” He pressed the envelope in her hands and took one last long look at her. “Good-bye, Serena.”
She lifted her face from the envelope she held between tight fingers. “This isn’t a Dear John letter?”
“Of course not.”
“Good. Because
He smiled, his heart panging at the look of bewilderment on her face. “Would you like to dump me before I go? Would that make you feel better?”
Her eyes got suspiciously bright at that. “Shut up, Spence.”
He gently tugged on a strand of her hair, and smiled. Though it was the hardest thing he’d ever done, he turned around and walked away.
Emma woke up entangled in Stone’s warm, strong arms. Not a bad way to wake up. They’d gotten back to her place late last night and had somehow ended up in her shower.
Together.
And then in her bed.
Also together.
He was still out cold, sleeping deeply, and she leaned in, pressing her nose to his throat, inhaling deeply before pulling back to stare at his face. He had the longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man, thick and inky black. His jaw was rough with a few days growth of stubble. She remembered wondering how it would feel on her skin, and now she knew.
Amazing.
She’d always tended to sleep alone, and she honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d woken up with a man. She’d been missing out because there was definitely something about waking up like this, so close she could feel the slow and steady beat of his heart against hers. If she’d been the canoodling kind, she might have been tempted to snuggle in even deeper.
Even as she thought it, his arms tightened on her. In his sleep, he let out a shuddery sigh, burying his face in her hair as he relaxed.
She was leaving. He’d come visit her. She knew this. But she also knew he’d hate it in her world. She had no idea where that thought came from but suddenly it was front and center.
She hadn’t thought about it in awhile…yet she was going back to it, tomorrow.
A knock came from the front door. With a last look at the gorgeous man in her bed, she slipped free, threw on sweats and made her way to the door. Serena stood on the top step in her black and white, sunglasses on, nose in the air as usual. “Serena.” Emma ran a hand over what was undoubtedly a very bad hair day. “You get Spencer off?”
Serena blinked, for a minute looking…guilty. “What?”
“You get him to the airport okay?”
“Oh! Right…” She flashed a smile. “Yes. He…appreciated the ride.”
“Good.” She looked and sounded like the same old Serena; gorgeous and sharp, but something was off. Emma pulled the sunglasses off Serena and looked into her eyes, and then nearly staggered a step backwards at the emotion blaring there. “What’s wrong?”
Serena shook her head and turned away.
“If this isn’t a business call, I’m going back to bed.”
“Okay, fine, if you’re going to browbeat me about it.” Serena turned back to Emma, who raised a brow. “He
