herself
“Careful.” He eased the barrel to one side so it no longer pointed at his groin. Taking the pistol from her and lowering it to thigh level, he crushed her wavy hair in his left hand, using it as an anchor to keep her to him. “Thanks.” Intent on showing his appreciation, and to erase the anxiety on her face, he dropped his head to her right breast and ran his tongue over the ruddy nipple. Her areola pleated instantly, the once smooth ring a landscape of peaks and valleys, further delighting his mouth. He drew it inside and suckled leisurely.
She arched her back to grant him full contact, her fingers flicking down his throat. Her bewitching touch was nearly more than he could manage. His convulsive swallows bobbed his Adam’s apple.
He tongued her nipple one last time and got his head up, despite how heavy it felt. “Ready to go upstairs?”
Renewed passion showed in her dazed eyes. “Oh yeah.”
He liked her enthusiasm and intended to reward her for it after a ten-minute nap. Like a good boy, he allowed her to pull him up the stairs. On the fifth step, he joked, “Does this stairway ever end?”
“We only have eight more steps to go. Not bad at all.”
He turned his head so she wouldn’t see his eyes rolling. She took the next step. He didn’t.
Decorating the wall were numerous paintings, the kind you’d see at one of those starving artists sales advertised on late-night TV. The uninspired landscapes and portraits didn’t match the elegance of the rest of this place. Nor did the frames fit the spaces they occupied. The powder-blue paint was a shade lighter around their edges, as if something larger had been there previously. “What happened to the original paintings that hung here?”
She halted on the next step. Still holding his hand, her arm remained outstretched. “Those are the originals.”
He lifted his face. She regarded the paintings. Given how her brows drew together, he knew she saw what he had.
He kept his voice mild. “All right, so there weren’t any other landscapes or portraits there before these. How about photos?”
Her head swung to him. She opened her mouth and closed it without comment.
He wondered why it was such a big deal. He’d simply been curious and guessed she’d had money problems, which required her to sell the original paintings to pay the property taxes on this place. Only now, he realized there had been photos in these spots. So why take them down? The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Did you have pictures of you and your parents here?”
Her face and chest flushed, darkening her rich skin.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, going up the steps to her. “If the pictures caused you more pain, there was no reason to keep them there.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I waited years to put them away. I just couldn’t stand the memories any longer.” She dropped her head and shook it.
He gave her a moment, then spoke as gently as he could. “Forgive me for having asked. None of my business. Maybe you should start telling me to shut up.”
“No. It’s all right.” She ran the back of her hand over her eyes and smiled. More tears spilled from her lids.
Mike thumbed them from her cheeks, wishing he’d kept his stupid questions to himself. For a man who didn’t like anyone prying into his personal life, he sure as hell was crossing the line when it came to her private stuff. His only excuse was he was as interested in her as she seemed to be in him. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah.” She covered his hand and brought it to her mouth, kissing his knuckles. “Let’s get you to bed so I can throw together a snack. By the way, I have Corona and Heineken. Is that all right instead of Dos Equis?”
He considered asking her to make some industrial-strength coffee but didn’t want her questioning his stamina. “Whatever you have is great. I’m not picky. Just make certain you return as quickly as possible.”
Her voice hushed.
“Careful.” He eased the barrel to one side so it no longer pointed at his groin. Taking the pistol from her and lowering it to thigh level, he crushed her wavy hair in his left hand, using it as an anchor to keep her to him. “Thanks.” Intent on showing his appreciation, and to erase the anxiety on her face, he dropped his head to her right breast and ran his tongue over the ruddy nipple. Her areola pleated instantly, the once smooth ring a landscape of peaks and valleys, further delighting his mouth. He drew it inside and suckled leisurely.
She arched her back to grant him full contact, her fingers flicking down his throat. Her bewitching touch was nearly more than he could manage. His convulsive swallows bobbed his Adam’s apple.
He tongued her nipple one last time and got his head up, despite how heavy it felt. “Ready to go upstairs?”
Renewed passion showed in her dazed eyes. “Oh yeah.”
He liked her enthusiasm and intended to reward her for it after a ten-minute nap. Like a good boy, he allowed her to pull him up the stairs. On the fifth step, he joked, “Does this stairway ever end?”
“We only have eight more steps to go. Not bad at all.”
He turned his head so she wouldn’t see his eyes rolling. She took the next step. He didn’t.
Decorating the wall were numerous paintings, the kind you’d see at one of those starving artists sales advertised on late-night TV. The uninspired landscapes and portraits didn’t match the elegance of the rest of this place. Nor did the frames fit the spaces they occupied. The powder-blue paint was a shade lighter around their edges, as if something larger had been there previously. “What happened to the original paintings that hung here?”
She halted on the next step. Still holding his hand, her arm remained outstretched. “Those are the originals.”
He lifted his face. She regarded the paintings. Given how her brows drew together, he knew she saw what he had.
He kept his voice mild. “All right, so there weren’t any other landscapes or portraits there before these. How about photos?”
Her head swung to him. She opened her mouth and closed it without comment.
He wondered why it was such a big deal. He’d simply been curious and guessed she’d had money problems, which required her to sell the original paintings to pay the property taxes on this place. Only now, he realized there had been photos in these spots. So why take them down? The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Did you have pictures of you and your parents here?”
Her face and chest flushed, darkening her rich skin.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, going up the steps to her. “If the pictures caused you more pain, there was no reason to keep them there.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I waited years to put them away. I just couldn’t stand the memories any longer.” She dropped her head and shook it.
He gave her a moment, then spoke as gently as he could. “Forgive me for having asked. None of my business. Maybe you should start telling me to shut up.”
“No. It’s all right.” She ran the back of her hand over her eyes and smiled. More tears spilled from her lids.
Mike thumbed them from her cheeks, wishing he’d kept his stupid questions to himself. For a man who didn’t like anyone prying into his personal life, he sure as hell was crossing the line when it came to her private stuff. His only excuse was he was as interested in her as she seemed to be in him. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah.” She covered his hand and brought it to her mouth, kissing his knuckles. “Let’s get you to bed so I can throw together a snack. By the way, I have Corona and Heineken. Is that all right instead of Dos Equis?”
He considered asking her to make some industrial-strength coffee but didn’t want her questioning his stamina. “Whatever you have is great. I’m not picky. Just make certain you return as quickly as possible.”
Her voice hushed.
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