Hot lips glide down and over my breasts. Raide is over me, his body hard, rippled, and big. His hands are slightly rough, but he knows how to use them without inflicting pain. He’s got two days’ growth, and it tickles my skin as he moves. He’s sliding down my body, slowly, agonizingly. He reaches my breasts again, and his tongue lashes out to flick my nipples. First one, then the other.
I arch up, and his hands go to my hips to push me back down. He wants it slow, he wants it meaningful, he wants to give me what I’m so afraid to take. His big body is warm, his skin heating mine in the most glorious way. His mouth is soft as it glides over my skin, going lower and lower until he’s between my legs. Gently, he parts them, and I let my knees drop to either side.
“Fuckin’ sweet,” he murmurs.
I can feel his hot breath over me, causing my clit to throb. I want him to hurry up, I want him to give me what I need. He’s so close, and I’m squirming. “Raide,” I beg.
He drops down farther and his lips close around the ache that feels like it’s already about to explode. I groan and thrust my hips up, only to have them pushed back down. He sucks my clit deep into his mouth, and my hands fist the bedsheets as he devours me. Inch by inch, he moves up and down my sex, tasting me, flicking his tongue, thrusting it deep inside. I arch and cry out his name as my orgasm nears.
“Baby,” he growls against my flesh. “Come.”
I do, with a ragged, desperate cry. My body jerks and I slap the bed beside me as I explode into his greedy mouth. He pulls away slowly and I can still feel the intense throbbing between my legs as he slides his body up and over mine. He reaches over, takes a condom, and moments later he’s sheathed and ready. His hand comes up to curl around my neck while his other hand guides his cock home.
He inches in little by little, stretching me, filling me. Bliss. When he’s deep, he lets out a puff of air and then drops his forehead to mine. He starts moving, driving his flesh in and out of mine. I lift my leg and wrap it around his hip, using my foot against his ass to push him in harder. He grunts and takes hold of my hips. “Hold on.”
He flips me over until I’m on my hands and knees. He lifts my hips and then he’s inside me again, this time I can feel him deep, hitting those delicate places and causing my body to explode with sensation. I cry out, gritting my teeth and clawing at the bedsheets as he starts fucking me the way I need him to. The distinct sound of skin slapping together can be heard over our ragged breathing and groaning. I tilt my hips and reach down to find my clit. I create fast, deep little circles until I’m exploding around him.
“Raide!” I scream. “Oh God.”
“Fuck. Me.”
He’s grunting hard, pounding hard, and after a few more intense thrusts, he stills and roars his release. It’s vocal, it’s loud, and it’s hot. His hips do a semi-jerk and then he collapses over me. I let my knees go and land flat on my belly. Raide comes down over my back, his hard, chiseled body flattening me to the bed.
He lifts himself up with his elbows and leans down to press a kiss to the back of my neck. “You’re fuckin’ sweet, lady,” he murmurs there.
“I can’t say the same about you.”
He chuckles and rolls us both, then he adjusts me until I’m tucked into his arms, face on his chest.
It’s silent a moment as we catch our breaths, then I decide to ask him a question I’ve wanted to know since the start. “Raide?”
“Hmmmm?”
“Why me?”
He turns and stares down at me. “What do you mean, why you?”
“What drew you to me enough for us to be here?”
He looks back up at the ceiling. “It was the first night I met you and you didn’t throw yourself at me.”
I giggle. “Shock and horror.”
He laughs. “Yeah, it surprised me. Most girls are flirting within seconds. You didn’t. You gave it to me and you held your own. Then when I saw you again, I knew you were trying to get my attention. I couldn’t help it, you intrigued me.”
“Did you really think I was stalking you?”
He snorts. “For a while, yeah. Till I saw you at the club with your cousin, and I realized you weren’t.”
My cousin. God. “But we never really spoke. I mean we ran into each other but—”
“Speakin’ of, why did we run into each other so much? Denver ain’t a small place.”
I swallow but say, “No, but we both either live or have friends on the same side of town. It would seem we frequent the same places. Sometimes people meet because they have similar interests. I like clubbing and I’m into guns. So are you. It does happen, you know? I’m sure there were plenty of places you didn’t see me.”
“Yeah,” he says. “You’re right about that.”
Thank heavens he dropped that one. Denver isn’t a small place; therefore, it is actually highly unlikely we would end up in so many of the same locations, at the same time, and so frequently. Even if we did live on the same side of town, it’s not logical.
“So why the interest in guns?” he finally asks.
I shrug. “I learned self-defense because of my dad. He thought it wouldn’t hurt to teach us girls how to use a gun. We all learned, but I was the only one who loved it. I loved the power. I loved the strength and security it gave me, so I decided to keep practicing.”
“Fair enough.”
Change-of-subject time. “Benny’s family, they seem lovely.”
He smiles. “Yeah, they’re like the family I didn’t have.”
“They’re good people.”
“Yeah, they sure are.”
I yawn and turn into him.
“Go to sleep, lady,” he murmurs against my hair. “Tomorrow I’m goin’ to kick your ass at shooting.”
I laugh. “Dream on, buddy.”
He chuckles. “Night, baby.”
“Night, Raide.”
* * *
“Three targets!” he yells. “Best shot wins.”
I grin and give him the thumbs-up. He gives me a grin that’s even bigger, and we both line up with our guns. Raide shoots first and he’s a solid shot, hitting the target with ease. He hits right in between the fake man’s eyes.
“Nice!” I yell.
“Do one better, baby.”
I shoot my target right in the heart, a perfect clean shot. Raide whistles low and his eyes twinkle with lust. He shoots both kneecaps next, hitting the target exactly where they would be on a real person. I do mine’s elbows.
“What’s goin’ on here?”
We both turn to see Benny striding up the path to the open field we’re in.
“Target practice!” I yell. “You can be the judge, Benny.”
Benny rubs his hands together and in a loud voice starts saying, “And Grace is in the lead, but Raide is coming up fast. Oh no, it looks like Grace has tripped. Raide is taking his stand, he’s aiming his gun—”
“Dude!” Raide yells. “It’s not a horse race.”
Benny sighs and rolls his eyes. “You’re so boring. Fine, tell me the terms.”
“Best shot wins.”
“Wins what?” he inquires.
My cheeks go pink and Benny grins. “Well, I know what Raide’s prize is.”
Raide chuckles.
“What does she win?”
I’m grinning again. “He has to take me on a romantic date.”
Benny bursts out laughing so hard, he has to clutch his belly.
I put a hand on my hip. “What’s so funny?”
“Raide wouldn’t know how to do romantic if it kicked him in the face. It makes me want to let you win just to see how hilarious that would be.”
Raide purses his lips at Benny and I giggle.
“Let’s finish this, shall we?” Raide says.
I wave a hand. “After you, handsome.”
Raide lines up his gun and fires off round after round. When he’s finished, the target has a hole in his forehead, his heart, his elbows, knees, groin, and stomach. He did it quickly and effortlessly.
“Shit, don’t think you can beat that, honey,” Benny mumbles.
“She can’t beat it,” Raide smirks.
“No, I’m pretty sure she can’t.”
They laugh and I glare at the two of them. While they’re still laughing it up, I spin and aim my gun. I hit every single hole Raide made—perfectly, so my bullets don’t go outside the space at all. When I’m done, I put the gun down and spin.
Their faces are blank, but their eyes are wide. Benny has his mouth open slightly.
“Laugh at this, boys,” I say, spinning on my heel and heading back toward the cabin. “Oh, and Raide? Make sure you get me nice flowers.”
Score one, Grace.