Second Chance Summer

He pushed her hair from her face. “You’ll get there when you get there. There’s no rush, Lily.”

Her eyes were big on his. Uncertain. Wary. “I’m just …”

“I know. And I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. “And neither are my feelings for you.”

Her eyes went a little misty but she nodded. And then she began to move. And oh, Lord, how she moved. He sank one hand into her hair and wrapped his other arm around her, low on her hips, to keep her in tight as he moved with her.

Her eyes were closed now, her head back, her breathing shallow. He kept his own eyes open with great effort, watching as she tumbled over, coming hard against him, shuddering in his arms, his name on her lips.

This sealed his fate. He couldn’t hold back, didn’t even try as he tightened his grip and came right after her.

It took all his strength to roll to his side and pull her in close to him as he concentrated on getting his heart rate back into normal range. “You don’t even want to know how many times I’ve fantasized about your mouth on me,” he said.

“But you didn’t let me finish.”

“Needed to be inside you when I came.” He met her gaze. “You ever fantasize about me?”

She blushed but didn’t look away. “Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“You really want to know?”

“Hell yeah,” he said.

“Okay.” She grimaced. “But it’s just a fantasy, okay? I don’t have a rescue complex or anything, it’s just that the way you look in your gear when you’re out there on the mountain getting ready to rescue someone, with the ropes and harness and that fierce look of intense determination you get …” She broke off and bit her lip.

“You want me to rescue you,” he said, and smiled.

“Not a real rescue,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to ever need a real rescue.”

“Just pretend,” he said, liking where this was going. “In my gear.”

Her eyes lit with arousal and amusement. “Yes, and …”

“My ropes,” he said.

“You think I’m terrible,” she said. “Right?”

“I think you’re the best thing ever.” And then he proved it to her.

When Lily stirred next, dawn still hadn’t hit, but she was violently aroused.

Aidan was over her in the dark, stroking her body, making her feel like she could go up in flames.

“You sure you’re up for this?” she asked, her hands against his chest.

Instead of answering, he rocked into her.

Yep, there was no doubt that he was indeed “up” for this as his mouth nestled along her throat.

Her sweet spot.

She stroked her hands over him, the two of them exchanging lazy kisses and nibbles until Aidan suddenly got serious, rolling so that he was flat on his back. Warm strong hands skimmed her thighs, settling them on either side of his hips.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Getting there.” And with that, he lifted her and thrust inside deep. “Yeah,” he said on a rough groan that gave her one of those really great body shivers. “Definitely getting there.” His hands skimmed down her arms to hers, entwining their fingers. Then he tugged so that she fell forward onto his chest. His face only inches from hers, he held her gaze, his own open and unguarded. He was aroused, but there was also affection shining from those warm brown eyes.

And more.

In fact, she could see anything and everything in those eyes.

A groan coupled with a thrust from Aidan had her clutching at him as he continued to move beneath her. Not wanting to hurt him by squeezing too hard on his ribs with her knees, she clasped his hands and pushed herself upright, crying out as this seated him even deeper inside her.

“Okay?” he asked, sounding breathless.

She could only let out a short laugh. “So okay.”

Aidan smiled and, hands still entwined with hers, locked his arms. Held suspended above him now, she rocked her hips, riding him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

“Oh, fuck,” he murmured. “You should see yourself, Lily. You’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

He was one to talk. The sight of him sprawled beneath her, the muscles in his arms corded with the effort of keeping her balanced, the unadulterated hunger and desire etched on his face …

And just like that, the pressure inside her built and then exploded. As he followed her over she fell forward onto his chest again, burrowing into him. Murmuring her name in that husky voice she loved, he hugged her in close and they drifted back to sleep together.

Lily woke up with a smile on her face. It’d been a week since Aidan had shown up at her place injured, and she’d woken up with a smile every single day since.

She was alone in her bed now, but Aidan hadn’t been gone all that long, and he’d left her boneless and satisfied as always.

She stretched, feeling her muscles ache in the best of ways after the night before, when he’d brought her fantasy to life showing up with ropes and some very … naughty uses of them.

And then he’d made her write a list of more fantasies, which had brought out that wicked, badass smile of his and a promise to make every one of them come true.

She reached for her charging phone on the nightstand and checked her email out of habit. But the truth was, she’d stopped worrying about the lack of hits on her resume awhile ago. She was actually loving being back in Cedar Ridge. She wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but it led her to the reason she felt happy.