It was just after eleven when they pulled back up to the lake house. They had stopped at the car rental office to deal with that mess and also made a quick stop at the grocery store to grab some fresh items for the refrigerator. Gage hopped out and, once again, came around to open the door for her. He then scooped the grocery bags off the back seat.

Walking by the old blue pickup truck also parked in the yard, he stopped and tilted his head in its direction. “What’s the story with old blue here if you have the Range Rover?”

She smiled at the truck fondly and rubbed a hand over the edge of the hood. “It was my mom’s. She loved this truck. I don’t have the heart to get rid of it.”

“Does it still run?”

“Like a dream. Walter is a champ when it comes to upkeep on it.” She patted it affectionately and then continued up onto the porch, unlocking the door and moving into the house.

They worked together to toss out the milk, creamer, ice cream, eggs, and sour cream that had been in the fridge all night, restocking it with the items they picked up in town.

“So, whatcha feel like doing?” She leaned up against the island and looked out over the lake. “Any interest in taking the boat out for a little bit? It’s so nice today, and the water looks really calm.”

She watched as he shifted to get a better look out the full-length windows at the lake beyond before looking back at her. “You can bring your camera. I bet you can get some great shots.”

He ran a hand over his stubble and then turned his body toward hers, placing a hand on either side, effectively pinning her in. She spun around and looked up into his devilish eyes, her hands moving to rest on his chest. His heart thumped quickly at her soft touch. He bent and swept a kiss across her lips, his eyes locking onto hers.

“Sure, we can do that if you want.” His eyes shifted to scan down her body, his lips brushing hers again lightly, moving as he spoke. “Or we can do this…” He pressed his lips more firmly against hers, swiping his tongue across the seam of her lips, coaxing her to open them. She complied, moaning softly, her body becoming pliant against his.

“Okay,” she murmured through their kisses. “This is good, too.”

Her head fell back as he placed kisses down her neck until he reached the collar of her t-shirt. He ran his tongue along the edge and then blew on her wet skin, causing goosebumps to break out across her flesh. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since breakfast.”

She lifted her head to meet his eyes, a sexy smile on her lips. “Do you mean kiss me, or do you mean KISS me?”

He grinned wickedly before responding, “I mean KISS you.” He smashed his lips to hers again and reached down to scoop her into his arms before turning and walking toward the stairs. He made his way up slowly, continuing to kiss her, careful not to trip with her in his arms. “Which room?”

She pointed left, panting softly from their kisses. “First door on the left.”

He strolled down the hall, banging the door open with his foot, and entered the room. He stopped short as his eyes took in the room. “Holy shit. This is gorgeous.”

From the second floor, the view of the lake was breathtaking. He took in the large king-sized bed covered in a handmade comforter sitting adjacent to another massive fireplace. Beautiful soft rugs were scattered across the colored hardwood floors.

Hope lay forgotten in his arms for a moment as he looked around the room and noticed all the soft personal things that made it hers; a bouquet of white silk roses in a silver vase by the bed, picture frames filled with what he had to assume were her friends and family on the dresser and book case, books littering almost every free flat space in the room.

She wriggled in his arms and cleared her throat. “Um, sure, the room is nice, but remember me?”

Her melodic voice broke him out of his trance and brought his attention back to her. He smiled at her, bending to kiss her lips lightly before walking to the foot of the bed and setting her down. “Sorry.”

She scooted back, her eyes burning into his as he knelt on the bed and crawled up and over her body, his knees resting between her legs. The muscles in his arms strained tightly, his tattoos dancing out from under his shirt sleeves as he lowered his lips and began kissing her. Her hands trailed up over his strong arms and tangled in his hair. He dropped to his elbows and splayed his long fingers around her head, holding her firmly in place, his mouth continuing to slay hers.

Ever so slowly, he lowered the rest of his body, moving one of his legs on the other side of hers, balancing his weight there. One hand moved to bunch the fabric of her t-shirt, pulling it up and over her head. Their kiss broke for only a second, just long enough for her to slide her hands down to yank his shirt off, too. Her hands floated across the inked portion of his upper arms before snaking behind his neck again, his mouth consuming hers.

His hand lingered at the nape of her neck, his fingers stroking her pulse point as if trying to slow down the pounding of her heart. Instead, the movement was like throwing gasoline on the flame he was igniting. He wanted to touch every inch of her. She turned her head to break the hold his mouth had on hers, soft pants escaping them both, his grip on her head tightening as he opened his eyes to question her, his brows furrowed.

“What?” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Is something wrong?”

She moved to shake her head back and forth, so he loosened his grip.

“Am I hurting you?” His eyes filled with concern.

She shook her head again, this time more freely, a whispered response falling from her lips at the same time. “No.”

“What is it? Do you want me to stop?” He started to raise himself off her, but her hands reached out and gripped onto each of his forearms, pulling him back.

Her cheeks flushed in heat. He could tell she wanted to ask something but was too shy without the wine they’d shared last night. Finally, her request met his ears, soft and needy. “I want you to touch me. I want to feel your hands all over me.”

She tightened the grip she had on his forearms, her nails digging into his tender flesh, pushing her body up as she pulled him down. His cock instantly hardened at the desperation in her touch. Darkness invaded, his concern disappearing as he greedily raked his eyes down her body. The muscles in his arms bunched as he pushed himself up into a kneeling position. Her nails dragged down his arms lightly with the motion, the sensation urging him on.

He took her hands and, bending over her, raised them above her head, his hands pushing down onto hers to add pressure. “Keep them there.”

He tilted his head, watching for a response from her. She nodded quickly, a breathy response falling from her lips. “Okay.”

His grip loosened then, his fingers grazing lazily down the length of her arms until he reached the juncture of her chest. He stretched his hands wide and moved them languidly down the outside of her tiny frame, his touch soft feeling her skin blaze hotter under his fingers. His hands continued, spanning wide across her stomach and then up and over her peaked breasts.

She moaned as his hands grazed over her hardened nipples, her eyes sliding shut. “Yes, like that, Gage.”

When his hands reached her neck, she moaned, and he swept his tongue against her lips. Her hands rose involuntarily to gather him, but before she could touch him, his hand flew out and pushed hers back to the bed.

“Nope.” He shook his head back and forth, his fingers grasping her chin, his lips nipping hers. “This is me touching you.”

Not waiting for a response, he splayed his hand wide, dragging it down her center, his teeth following, nipping lightly where his hand had just been. She trembled under his touch, a low whimper floating from her, her hands twitching to stay locked above her head. He trailed his hands lower, reaching her feet and gently pulling her sneakers off. He ran his tongue up the arch of her foot and smiled as her body jerked in response. A gravelly chuckle rumbled from his throat as he ran his hands up the outside of her legs and then back across the span of her waist again.

He slid his tongue over her belly button and swirled around the small diamond that sat there. He flicked his tongue over it lightly and looked up at her through his lashes, growling, “I like this. Unexpected. Sexy.”

He darted his tongue over it again as his fingers worked to unclasp the button and unzip her jeans. Dragging his tongue down away from the belly ring, he grazed it along the seam of her panties and pushed her jeans down. Her hips lifted off the bed as he slipped them down past her ass, pulling them off entirely.

With him now standing before her, Hope locked her eyes on his. She watched his hands move to the button of his own jeans now— unclasping, unzipping, shoes toed off, material sliding down onto the floor. His erection strained against the front of the tight boxer briefs he wore, and she couldn’t help the groan that escaped when he wrapped his hand over the width and adjusted it. She wanted that inside her.

“Come here,” she mewled out, trying to contain the desperation she felt. “What are you waiting for?” Frustration and need laced her question.

His gaze travelled up her body and stopped at her eyes. “You’re beautiful, Hope. I know you’ve probably been told that a hundred times, maybe a thousand. But, Jesus, you really are fucking gorgeous.”

She sat up, her heart stuttering at his compliment, surprise temporarily claiming her voice. “I… Gage…”

He stalked to the side of the bed and sat down next to her. “Kiss me, Hope.”

His voice was rough, needy, and full of lust. She didn’t hesitate; she couldn’t deny him when she wanted it just as much. As she pressed her lips to his, they both groaned in need. His hands came up and threaded tenderly through her hair as their kiss intensified. She pushed into the kiss, applying pressure to his arms, urging him onto his back. In one fluid motion, she straddled him and rubbed her core against his hard length.

He growled softly into her mouth as she released a guttural moan. She slid back and forth over him, her panties becoming soaked from the motion, her pussy wet and aching with need. Their teeth clacked together as they moved roughly, their greed for one another becoming frenzied. His hand pressed against her lower back, urging her to ride him harder. She arched, allowing her clit to rub roughly against him. His hands gripped onto her hips suddenly, holding them in place as he tore his lips from hers.

“I’m going to come right now if you move another inch.” His face was flushed as a bead of sweat weaved its way slowly down his forehead toward his eye. She leaned forward and licked at the bead, the salty flavor coating her tongue. Lifting her hips slowly off his throbbing cock, she slung her leg over so she was on her knees beside him.

“Okay.” A sly smile graced her mouth. “It’s my turn then.”

“For wh—” His question was answered when she placed both her hands wide on his chest and fanned her fingers through the hair sprinkled there.

“My turn to touch you.” She leaned over and kissed him lightly before dragging her mouth over the light stubble coating his chin and neck. She ran her tongue slowly down the arc of his neck to his shoulder where the tribal tattoo started. Using her finger, she followed the path of the tattoo, her tongue chasing behind, nipping and licking as it went. When she reached his bicep and the end of the tattoo, she lifted his hand and kissed each fingertip before placing his index finger in her mouth and sucking, her teeth grazing lightly as she pulled it out with a pop.

His cock jerked in approval at the attention she bestowed on his finger. He arched an eyebrow at Hope. “Perhaps not quite the angel I thought you were?”

She raised her eyebrows, feigning innocence, and crawled up his body, where she kissed along the other side of his neck until she reached the Celtic cross on his shoulder. Her body lay across his as she moved her finger to trace the outline of the cross, this time, her tongue licking his nipple before finally sweeping down the length of the cross. She moved back to his nipple, dragging her fingernail around its edge before moving her tongue to flick over its raised peak. His head rolled back as another low growl escaped.

A satisfied smile stretched across Hope’s face as she moved to straddle him again. She stationed herself just above his jutting cock and reached around to undo the clasp of her bra, sliding the straps down her arms and dropping it to the floor. As she lowered her hands, he raised his, cupping each heavy mound and kneading softly. He positioned his fingers so that he could pinch each raised nipple simultaneously, resulting in a long ‘oooh’ from Hope.

Her hips slid back as she arched into his touch, her ass grazing the top of his length. His hips flexed, and it bounced harder into her backside. She leaned forward, placing her hands flat on his chest, and lid down his body. Her breasts fell from his hands, and she raked her fingernails delicately down his abs until she reached the indent of his waist. When she looked up at him, she knew the angelic look in her eyes was long gone.

“This is the sexiest thing I have ever seen.” She leaned over and ran her tongue down one of the v-sided grooves until she hit the edge of his boxers before licking back up the other side. She could feel his cock twitch under her chest as she moved, and she reveled in the pleasure she was giving him.

“We’re even then, ‘cause I think you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” he growled out.

She smiled up at him as she continued to trail her tongue down the groove again, but this time, she pulled the boxers low and continued her journey south. Pulling the boxers lower still, finally freeing his cock, she quickly imprisoned it again as she slid her tongue and then her lips over him.

He grasped onto her hair and groaned loudly as her hot mouth enveloped him. “Holy shit. That feels incredible.”

Her tongue swirled around the head of his cock before she sucked it back into her throat and swallowed, another long groan echoing around the room. Bobbing her head up and down, her wet mouth sliding back and forth, his grip tightened in her hair the faster she went. Her pussy was throbbing even though he was the one being touched. She could tell he was getting close by the trigger action of his hips thrusting into her mouth. She hummed around his cock, knowing the vibration would push him over the edge. Instead of the deep push she was expecting, he pulled back quickly, his cock popping out of her mouth.

She didn’t even have a second to react before his arms snaked under hers, pulling her up to him, his lips locking on to hers. As she threaded her arms around his neck, meeting his passion with equal ferocity, he rolled her onto her back. His lips broke from hers as quickly as they had found them, and he moved down her body, his hands landing on her hips.

“These need to go.” He grabbed onto the edge of her silk panties and pulled hard, the material cutting into her skin slightly before it finally released and tore off of her.

She yelped in shock but couldn’t deny his caveman tactic caused her pussy to clench with desire. He was back on top of her in another second, his lips finding hers as he moved to position himself between her legs. She spread them wide, anxious to finally have him inside her, and she didn’t have to wait. He used his hand to guide himself into her, finally slamming home in one thrust.

They moaned into each other at his welcomed intrusion and began moving as they became one. He slowed his thrusts down as he gripped her leg and bent it so he could push even deeper into her. She met him thrust for thrust, their bodies slick from sweat, slipping each time they came together. His grip on her tightened, and she knew it would leave a bruise, but she didn’t care. She could feel every inch of him inside her, and it awakened a fire in her that she thought couldn’t be lit again.

Her body started to tingle and tighten, and she knew her climax was close. Her eyes clenched, and she dug her fingernails into Gage’s arms, tightening her hold on him, trying to fuse herself to him as fireworks exploded behind her eyelids, words breathlessly tumbling out of her. “I’m coming… I’m coming…”

He clung to her as her pussy clenched around his cock, tightening like a vise before finally convulsing around him, and his release burst from him in hot jetted spurts. His body went rigid, his cock throbbing in time to her contractions.

A long moan left her as she loosened her hold on him and her body began to relax. “Oh. My. God. That was so, so, so, good.”

His cock was still twitching inside of her, so he pulled her back against his body. “Not so fast. I’m not ready to leave the comfort of that nice, warm place my cock has found.”

She reached up and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “Gage!”

“What?” He chuckled. “It might be the best place he’s ever been.”

“He can come visit anytime he wants.” As soon as the words were out, she slapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassed shock. “I can’t believe I just said that!”

He pulled her in a little tighter, his chest rumbling with light laughter. “Nothing wrong with having a little company over from time to time.”

She leaned her head back to look at him in feigned disbelief. “I’m not sure if I’d refer to him as little. But maybe I just haven’t had enough visitors to know.”

He looked down at her in confusion. “Wait, are you trying to tell me an unbelievable woman like you hasn’t had many visitors? I would think you’d have company banging down your door.” He laughed lightly. “Pardon the pun…”

“Well, good company is hard to find sometimes.” She shrugged lightly. “Why? How much company have you had?”

“Uh-uh. Nope. Not going there.” He shook his head.

“Well, that’s not very fair,” she retorted, her voice sulky.

“Let’s just say I’ve had enough company to throw a good size party.”

“Oh.”

A very long, uncomfortable moment of silence settled between the two of them as she let his words sink in. She tensed and was about to get up.

“Wait,” he murmured against her hair, holding her body to his. “I’m sorry if that offended you.”

“You didn’t offend me. Really, I was just thinking that I’m twenty-eight years old and haven’t even had enough visitors to have a decent dinner party.”

This time, he pushed her away from his chest and looked into her eyes. “You think that’s a bad thing?”

She lifted her shoulders and frowned slightly. “Is it a good thing? I don’t know. I probably work too much.”

He placed a bent finger under her chin and lifted it to look her in the eyes. “Yes, it’s a good thing. It means that me being here isn’t something you take lightly. I like that I might fall into the good company category.”

Her eyes softened at his words, and her embarrassment floated away, being replaced by something lighter in her heart. “Thank you, Gage.”

He placed a soft kiss on top of her head as she rested it back on his chest. “Thank you, Hope.”