Love in a Small Town (Pine Harbour Book 1) (17 page)

She stared at him for a minute, her cheeks pink and her lips swollen, then gave him a mock-scowl and scribbled his order on her pad. “You think you’re something else, don’t you, Rafe Minelli.”

“That I do, Olivia Minelli.” He lowered his voice and leaned forward. “Thank you for last night.”

Her eyes softened and she shook her head. “You work too hard.”

“I know.” He really did. He couldn’t see a way around that, but it was on his mind. She deserved more of his time.

“You off today?”

“I parade tonight with the regiment, but that’s it until the weekend.” He didn’t want to assume too much, but just in case she didn’t want to ask… “I’m free for whatever. Morning, noon or…night.” He grinned on the last point and she flicked him with her tea towel.

“Will you be late tonight?”

“Probably.”

He could see the battle in her eyes. Kindness won out, and he silently pledged to get himself out of the armouries as soon as humanly possible. “You still got your key?”

“You didn’t change the locks?”

She gave him a grumpy side-eye for that question. “Seriously? Because you’re so scary or something?”

“Or something. It’s the thing to do, baby.”

“Well, I didn’t, and now you can let yourself in when you get back, so take your judgement and stuff it, mister.”

He smiled into his coffee. 

“Stop smiling. I might get the locks changed this afternoon.” She tossed that one over her shoulder as she took menus to two newcomers, and he reached out and patted her behind. That got a round of chuckles from the room, and Liv turned bright pink.

But it was the good kind of blushing, the kind that said she knew she was loved.

— —

Half his section didn’t show up, which would normally piss him off—two of them were out of work and could use the money, and if he could make it every week, they had no excuse—but when he got the hell out of there at quarter after ten, he didn’t mind so much.

He sped the whole way home, knowing that he was spending the night with Liv and it would be worth the caution if he got pulled over by one of his brothers in blue. The lights were on when he pulled his truck into the drive, and he hopped out, grabbing his already packed overnight bag. 

The door wasn’t locked and he didn’t bother knocking. From the entrance he could see her sitting on the couch, and she twisted to give him a smile. “You’re back earlier than I expected.”

“Had to see my girl.”

She reached up as he neared her and he let her pull him down. She sank into the cushions beneath him and he pushed himself up.

“No,” she whispered. “I like how heavy you are.”

He took her mouth, slow and sweet, showing her how much he missed her. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

“Then we should go to bed,” she said, nipping at his chin.

He moved on top of her, settling himself better between her legs. If they went to bed, they could lose at least some of their clothes. “Are you tired?”

“Nope.”

“Good.” He hauled her up in one swift motion and tossed her over his shoulder like a rag doll. He strode into the bedroom, setting her down just long enough to whip off his shirt. She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her again and lifted her high against his body. 

“We keep meeting like this,” she said breathlessly, tightening her thighs around his waist.

“My arms were made to hold you,” he said. It was supposed to sound romantic, but they both started laughing. “Too much?” he asked as he pressed her against the wall, freeing one hand to start exploring under her shirt as the other cupped her magnificent ass. 

She gasped as his thumb found her nipple on the outside of her bra. “Nope, totally…sweet.”

“I wasn’t going for sweet,” he growled, sucking on her neck.

“Sweet in a…” She interrupted herself with a moan. “Take my clothes off kind of way.”

He froze. “All the way off?”

She nodded.

He shoved his hand higher, all the way under her shirt and up out the scoop neck. He traced a line up her neck and tapped on her chin. She blinked hard as she looked him in the eye. “That’s a big step.”

“Trying to talk me out of it?” she squirmed, trying to make more deliberate contact with his erection. He jerked hard against her and then tilted his hips out of reach. 

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” He traced circles around her collarbone with his index finger, just watching her as she wriggled against the wall. He shifted closer and kissed one cheekbone ever so lightly, then the other. “Are we officially back together?”

“Maybe?”

He pulled back and raised his eyebrows. “Maybe?”

“Can’t we just do this?” She licked her lips and arched toward him. “I don’t want to think about what we’d tell people if we started dating again.”

They already know.
“We don’t need to tell them anything,” he said, not really a lie. He tugged the low neckline of her t-shirt down, exposing the lace of her bra. “I definitely don’t want to share this with anyone.”

“Is that what we’re doing? Dating?” She ran her hands over his shoulders, up into his hair, and back again.

“We should figure that out before we go any further,” he said before diving in for another kiss. 

She slid her hands around his neck and squeezed, trying to get him closer. “That would be smart.”

“The right thing to do.” He tightened his hold on her and spun them around, aiming for the bed. She landed in the middle and he stood over her, half out of his mind with lust. “Take off your clothes.”

“So much for talking?”

“It’ll give us something to fight about tomorrow.” His heart pounded in his chest, his dick strained at his fly, and all of a sudden he needed this to be real. Enough playing. “Olivia, I don’t know what we’re doing. But I love you.”

“Good enough for me,” she whispered, unbuttoning her jeans. He did the same, never taking his eyes off of her as every curve he’d missed for too damn long came into view. Soft, smooth, porcelain skin, dipping and swelling around red mesh panties that left very little to the imagination. 

“Oh baby,” he groaned, falling on top of her. 

“We need a condom,” she said as he helped slide her out of her t-shirt, then her bra and finally those teasing bottoms.

Fuck
. “I don’t have one.” He was an idiot. Of course she’d want him to wear a rubber. “It’s okay, we can do other stuff.”

Her mouth parted and she let out a breathless little sound that made him hard as nails. “Other stuff?”

He grinned. “I want to lick you till you scream.”

“I like the sound of that.” She licked her lips. “But I really wanted…”

He pressed his forehead against hers as she blushed. “Me too, baby.”

She twisted toward the bedside table. “I might have some in here, hang on.”

He followed her, pressing against her back. “Two years, Liv,” he rasped against the nape of her neck. “It’s been two years. I’m going to come on your legs like a fifteen-year-old boy in a minute.”

She froze. “You haven’t slept with anyone else?”

“I never wanted anyone else. I just want you.” Admitting that should have been humbling, but it just felt freeing to admit. He could blame the height of passion if it came up later. After he made love to his wife.

She rolled back toward him, making enough space between them for his cock to wave free like a fucking flagpole. Her breaths were slow and heavy as she stroked his rock-hard length. “You promise me—”

He cut her off with a kiss. “There’s been no one else, Liv. I swear.”

“Me too. And I’m still on the pill.”

“We don’t need to…I’m good with whatever.” But oh god, he’d missed being inside her, and he wasn’t sure he’d kept a pleading tone out of his voice. Fuck it. He didn’t care. 

Her eyes were wide and bright as she stared at him, and it wasn’t until he felt her warm, wet folds on the head of his cock that he realized she’d lifted her leg and was slowly bringing them together. Jesus Christ, she was slippery as fuck and felt amazing. After teasing him for a painfully glorious minute, swirling her hips and lodging just the tip of his cock inside her, she pushed him back and straddled his hips. It took all of his restraint to not surge up and into her tight heat, but she was in charge.

She sank down an inch or two, then up again, easing him slowly into her tight channel. She felt incredible, inside and out. “I’m not going to last long,” she admitted shakily, and he gave a silent prayer of thanks.

“Come for me, baby.” He stroked his hands up and down her thighs, then up and over her belly and down to her mound. She liked a thumb right there, just above her clit, rocking back and forth. In the past she’d done it, and he’d watched her fingers fly just above where they were joined. But tonight he wanted to bring her to the brink. It would satisfy some base male need inside him to be the instrument of all her pleasure. 

She tipped her head back as she started to move her hands up and down her torso. Reedy, whispery moans slipped out of her mouth as she picked up the pace, squeezing him inside and out. He couldn’t hold back, pumping his hips in time to her lift and sway. Driving deep. How had he given her up? Nothing was like this, that incredible otherworldly sensation of sliding into his mate. Slick and soft and infinitely powerful at the same time. 

His balls drew tighter against his body as she ground her pelvis hard against his hand and she tipped forward as her orgasm started, catching herself with her hands pressed to the bed on either side of his head. She held her breath, eyes wide open and shiny bright, as she started pulsing from the inside out. He kept thrusting, chasing his own orgasm as she gasped his name over and over again, and then he was there.

His eyes rolled back in his head and everything went blurry for a minute. He felt Liv settle on his chest, then shift to his side, and all he could do was mumble and pet her hair. When his legs unlocked and he’d managed to blink his eyes back to clear vision, he rolled over and pulled her tight against his body. He was never letting her go.

“You have to let go,” she laughed, as if she could read his mind, and he shook his head roughly.

“You stay here, I’ll get a washcloth.”

“Under the sink!” she called out, but he knew. He ran two of them under the hot water tap, then rung them out. He snagged a towel off the shelf in the bathroom as well.

Back in her bedroom, he stopped and stared for a minute. She was too beautiful for words, stretched out naked for him.

“Stop it, you’re being weird.” She smiled shyly and covered her eyes. “Turn out the light.”

He flipped the switch for the overhead light, but turned on the lamp immediately after. “I want to look at you all night long.”

She laughed. “That’s your prerogative, but I need to work tomorrow.”

“Call in sick.”

She shook her head, her eyes trained on his. “Can’t do it.” It was a challenge of sorts.
Understand that my jobs matter just as much as yours do.
He did.

“Fair enough, baby.” He climbed in next to her and nudged her legs open.

“Careful,” she breathed.

“Sensitive?” He touched one of the washcloths to the lips of her sex and she bit her lip and nodded. His dick throbbed like he could go again. Damn. “I’ll be gentle.” He cupped her with the warm cloth and leaned to kiss her mouth. He meant it to be sweet and delicate, but she parted her lips for him and he sank inside.

Kissing Liv was like being fed the best food in the world and only getting hungrier. Reward and temptation all rolled into one. She arched her back, pressing her big, gorgeous breasts into his chest. He flicked the washcloth over his shoulder and cupped one swollen peak. Her nipple stood proudly at attention, begging for a kiss of its own, and he closed his mouth over it. The firm nub teased his tongue and he sucked more of her flesh into his mouth. He wanted all of her, over and over again. Rolling her to her back, he loved her other breast, then back again, burying his face in the valley between them before kissing his way south.

Even as she lifted her hips toward his mouth, she was begging him to be gentle. He spread her thighs and blew a breath across her swollen cleft. He could be a fucking feather if that’s what she needed. He kissed the softness at the top of one thigh, then the other, savouring the moment before he actually tasted her. The scent of her sweet musk worked its way into his brain and all thinking ceased.

— —

Rafe’s tongue parting her folds was the best damn feeling in the entire world. She felt herself open for him and then he was licking around her clit in delicate circles and all of a sudden she didn’t care about being sore. She pressed her hands into his hair, urging him to suck on her, to eat her up until she exploded from the awesomeness of it all. 

“Ooooh, oh, oh, oh,” she panted, getting louder with each breathy exclamation. “Rafe, oh god, Rafe. Jesus, I love you. Oh, yes, right there. Right—“ Her words devolved into guttural noises then, embarrassingly loud, and for a minute she forgot that she’d just told him that she loved him in the middle of oral sex.