Echoes of Scotland Street (On Dublin Street #5)(40)
Author: Samantha Young

Getting my point, Cole grinned and stepped back into my space, guiding my legs around his waist. “I have a new appreciation for tiny.” His eyes smoldered as his hands glided along my outer thighs. “Delicate, beautiful, fragile. I want to protect you while at the same time I want to shatter you,” he murmured against my lips, “but only in the best way possible.” The glint in his eyes reassured me. “Tiny but curvy.” His hands moved up along my waist to cup my breasts, his thumbs stroking my pebbled nipples. “Sexiest woman I’ve ever been with.” His right hand disappeared between my legs as he held my gaze and slid two fingers into my slick heat. “Beautiful here too.” His breathing started to escalate. “You feel fucking amazing.” He groaned the last word and his fingers disappeared for a few seconds as he put on protection. A few more seconds after that he thrust inside me.

I cried out, my hands sliding back on the tabletop as Cole pumped into me. Our gasps and groans and the wet drive of his cock in and out of me echoed off the kitchen tiles, the sounds of sex turning me on just as much as the feel of Cole inside me.

I came for the fourth time that night, taking Cole right along with me.

Suddenly I was being lifted in the air again and sleepily I clung to Cole as he carried me back to his bedroom, too tired to ask him why he’d relocated us in the first place. There he laid me in his bed, my front to his front, and he pulled my leg over his hip so our bodies were as close as they could be.

I snuggled deeper into him, my nose pressed to his throat, and Cole’s arms tightened around me.

CHAPTER 14

T he chill seeped into me, raising goose bumps on my skin and pulling me out of sleep. I lingered on the edges of unconsciousness, too tired to come fully out of it.

“Shortcake, it’s time to get up¸” a low voice said.

I groaned and buried my head deeper into the softness of the pillow.

I heard laughter. “Shannon, we have to get up for work.”

“Mmm, no,” I muttered, and followed up with a shiver. It occurred to me that the covers and warm body that had been keeping me nice and cozy all night had abandoned me. I patted down the length of my body, searching for the duvet, but before I could find it Cole grabbed my hand.

I supposed that would do instead.

I tugged on his hand with all my strength until his chest was against my back and his arm was over my waist. Warmer already, I tucked his hand beneath mine against my cleavage.

The vibrations of his chuckle from his chest to my back made me smile sleepily. A smile that left me quite abruptly when Cole lifted me right out of the bed.

I yelped in surprise, my eyes flying open. I clung to him as he climbed off the bed and started toward the en suite bathroom. Too tired to speak coherently, I made a few noises of complaint.

My brain started to wake up just as his gorgeous face came into focus. “I have a five-hour session today that I can’t be late for.” He stepped into the large shower and lowered me to my feet.

Thankfully he still kept a grip on me, because my eyes instantly closed and I swayed. We’d fallen asleep late and I’d definitely not had my eight hours of sleep. I needed my eight hours, or as close to it as possible, in order to function normally.

Cole snorted. “You really aren’t a morning person, are you?”

I mumbled something about needing eight hours, but I’d have been surprised if it was intelligible.

“I’m going to put the shower on now. I really need you to wake up.”

I nodded. “Mmm-hmm.”

Apparently he understood I was giving him the go-ahead to turn on the shower, because the water poured down on me, too cold, and I gasped, my eyes flying open. Cole was smirking while he fiddled with the temperature dial.

“That was deliberate,” I huffed, shoving him.

He grinned and grabbed my arm, pulling me into him. “It got your eyes open, didn’t it?”

I frowned. “Meanie.”

“You are really quite adorable when you’re tired.” He gently turned me around. “I’ll wash you. You wash me.”

I turned back to him. “You first. I’ll just fall asleep again if we start with me.”

Cole handed me the body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. The washing him part of the morning was fun and soon I was fully conscious. I had unfettered access to Cole’s hard body, but unfortunately there was a time constraint, so it was a quick but wonderfully pleasant exploration. We ran into a bit of a problem when it came to washing his hair.

I wrapped my hands around him and pressed my cheek to his back. “I’m too short to reach your hair.”

I felt, more than heard, him chuckling before he took the shampoo and conditioner and did it himself. I stood back from the spray and drank him in for a moment. He really was the most fantastic-looking man I’d ever had the good fortune to bed.

“Your turn.”

Just as I’d thought I might, I almost drifted off again as Cole washed my hair. It was only when he started soaping the rest of me that my eyes flew open. I sucked in air as he slipped two fingers over my clit. I felt his erection dig into me. His warm breath puffed against my right ear as he bent down to whisper, “If you trusted me I could be inside you right about now.”

Reluctantly I pulled away from Cole’s tormenting touch so I could face him. Uncertainty made me want to run screaming from the shower, and yet at the same time I felt panic flare to life as I forced out, “I told you I don’t want anyone to get hurt here, and as much as I want to trust you it’s probably not going to happen . . . Maybe we should just stop before this goes too far.”

To my surprise this amused Cole. He shook his head with a smile. “We’re doing this. You will learn to trust me.”

I wasn’t convinced and I didn’t hide my reaction from him.

To my consternation Cole laughed and held me in a naked, wet cuddle.

Unfortunately he gave good naked, wet cuddles and I found myself relaxing against him despite myself. “Has anyone ever told you you’re exceptionally arrogant?”

He stroked my spine and murmured, “You say arrogant. I say optimistic.”

I laughed.

“I love that sound.” He caressed my bottom. “Now let’s get out of here before we make each other late for work.”

*   *   *

Holding my hand, Cole led me into INKarnate. The bell above the door chimed and Simon and Rae, who were chatting by the reception desk, turned to look at us. Their eyes immediately zoomed in on the handholding.