Blue Roses (Baker Street Romance #1)(16)
Author: Mimi Strong

For the second time, I reach for the button of his jeans. This time, my hands are powerful and sure. I open the button and wrestle down the zipper.

“Hang on.”

He pulls his hand away from between my legs and holds onto the back of my hips. His strong thighs flex underneath me, and he lifts me up. After a little awkwardness, he gets a square packet pulled from his pocket, and then pushes his jeans down and off, along with his boxer shorts.

I’m shy about looking down, now that we’re naked.

We return to sitting. We’re still on the couch, and haven’t folded out the bed. It doesn’t matter. This desire can’t wait for pulling off cushions and folding out beds.

I reach between us cautiously and touch him. He’s long and hard. There’s so much, and it gets harder with each squeeze and caress.

He pushes my hand away, and rolls on the condom. I glance down, amazed it all fits in there.

When I look up again, he’s gazing into my eyes. His expression seems to say something daring. If you’re impressed now, wait ’til you see what I can do with it.

I give him a look of my own. Bring it on.

We start kissing again, and I slide my chest up the length of his chest, standing up on my knees. I reach behind his shoulders and grab onto the back of the couch.

This is happening.

I move my h*ps forward. The tip is slippery from the lube on the condom, and I giggle as he slips around at first. With a minor adjustment, he’s in place. Still hanging onto the back of the sofa with both hands, I breathe slowly as I ease myself down.

He rocks his hips, pulsing, but not pushing.

Fireworks start to go off inside me.

I’m not even all the way down, and it’s incredible.

He kisses my neck slowly and thoroughly.

Sliding down all the way feels good. Do I remember how to do this?

After a few wiggles, my body starts to move without any heavy thinking involved.

His big hands squeeze me around the hips. His thumbs wrap around the front, across my hip bones, and his fingers reach down to the middle of my butt cheeks.

I’ve never been gripped like this. I look down in amazement at his arms. His biceps ripple and bulge.

He nods his head forward, breathing heavily, and presses his face into my chest.

I close my eyes and move in all the ways that feel good. I let go of the couch and wrap my arms around his neck. He’s filling me completely, utterly.

The waves rise, and soon my cl**ax approaches, along with the realization of how much I’ve missed this.

“I’m coming,” I whisper in his ear.

He groans and leans back, looking up at my eyes.

I lean forward and kiss him, burying his face in my hair.

“Don’t look,” I moan into his mouth.

“Okay,” he growls, his chest vibrating with his pleasure.

I tilt my h*ps and slide along him, each pulse sending my pleasure deeper. His thighs tense under me, and he’s harder and thicker.

My breath catches, my muscles tense, and I drive myself down on him. I cl**ax, and lose myself to it.

After, my body goes limp. I’m still moving, though, powered by Luca’s arms.

He shakes and gasps, coming right after me.

The deep, rumbling sound in his chest is more thrilling than the wildest summer thunderstorm.

Eventually, his hands loosen their grip on my hips, and his palms slide back down the tops of my thighs. This motion reminds me of the equipment at a carnival, powering down at the end of a ride.

We’re still for a moment, our breathing returning to normal.

“Bleh,” he says.

“What?” I pull back to look in his eyes.

“Bleh,” he repeats, pulling wavy strands of my hair out of his mouth. “I’m eating your hair.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re such a jerk.”

He grins. “I know.”

Chapter 14

Rory comes over at noon Sunday for our usual routine.

She sends me a message from the front of the main house, and I tell her to come around back because I’m still sorting my laundry.

She walks in the door cautiously. She’s got her big takeout cup full of coffee, and a box of donuts. Her eyes narrowed, she looks around the open space. Scowling, she walks over and checks the bathroom.

“I swear he’s not here,” I tell her.

“I can smell him.”

She opens the coat closet.

“He’s not in the closet,” I say. “Or in the main house. I promised I wouldn’t spring him on you before you’re ready, and I won’t.”

“Good.” She pushes back her dark, curly hair and ties it up with an elastic. Her golden brown eyes are still darting around the cottage.

I run around, retrieving dirty laundry from the various places I hid it before Luca came over.

“We did play Scrabble last night,” I say.

Her body tenses, but she doesn’t run. “And?”

“His board strategy is more aggressive than I’m used to, but I liked it.”

She looks down at her feet, her cheeks turning red. “I’m happy for you,” she mumbles.

I finish grabbing my laundry, and we walk over to the main house.

My sister Megan is home, doing some baking. The flower shop is closed Sundays, so this is the one day we both have off together.

Rory and I say hello on our way through the kitchen to the laundry room.

“Mom phoned from Italy,” Megan says to me. “The gossip about you and Luca has gone global.”

“Oh, crap.”

Megan grins as she punches down bread dough. “You know that game where people whisper things, and the story changes with each person it goes through? Anyway, Mom thinks you’re dating the leader of a crime family.”

“How did she get that?”

“Someone made the leap from motorbike repair to biker gang, I guess. She was threatening to come home.”

“I hope you talked her down. I will not be held responsible for cutting short her Eat Pray Love year abroad. No way.”

Megan snorts. “Sounds like she skipped the Eat and Pray and moved right on to the Love. She’s sharing her apartment with someone. A guy. She told me when they share the bed, it’s platonic and they sleep foot to head. I think what she really means is sixty-nine.”

Beside me, Rory lets out a strangled cry, and bolts away to the laundry room.

Megan stares after my best friend. “Is that still happening?”

“Be nice,” I say. “She’s trying.”

“Speaking of sixty-nine, how was your date last night? I noticed you pulled the blinds shut during dinner. That roast looked good. I was going to come over later for some leftovers, but I noticed the whole garage was rocking on its foundations.”