Hal swept her into his arms. She’d experienced his sheer strength many times before, but it was still startling. Thrilling. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, raising her to bring her mouth level with his. She wrapped her arms around his muscular shoulders as they kissed. She could lose herself in the heat of his mouth, the roughness of the stubble that seemed to grow back almost as soon as he shaved it off, the silken fineness of his hair.
She could feel the steely rod of his erection pressing insistently against her thighs. Ellie rubbed against it, teasing him and herself, enjoying the game of making him tense and groan. He pushed back, thrusting against her and wringing a cry from her own lips.
“Put me down,” she gasped. “I want you inside me, now!”
Hal set her down, then steadied her with his huge hands curving around her waist. She was weak at the knees, dizzy with desire. Sweat prickled along her spine, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. He too had come undone, even in that short span of time. He was panting, his hair disheveled, his cheeks flushed.
“I can’t wait either,” he muttered.
He fumbled in his jeans pocket for a condom while Ellie undid his belt. His pants had gotten so tight in front that she struggled to unbutton them. When she finally managed it, he groaned with relief.
“I thought my pants were going to rip,” he said.
Ellie giggled. “I’m glad I’m a girl.”
She closed her hand around his rock-hard shaft, sliding her fingers up and down, enjoying Hal’s gasps. A glistening bead appeared at the head. Ellie bent and licked it, wringing a groan from deep within his chest. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed and long lashes fluttering against his cheeks, the condom dangling forgotten from his fingers.
The sight of him made her hot all over. Her clit was throbbing, making her squirm. She could feel herself getting wet and slick. The same insistence she’d felt earlier overcame her, and she could wait no longer.
She pulled her head away. “Come on, Hal!”
Hal jerked his head up and tore open the condom packet, then rolled the latex over his thick shaft. She waited for him to pull off her dress, but instead, he reached under it to tug off her panties. He dropped them to the floor, around her ankles, and she stepped out of them.
Her entire body was trembling with eagerness, her sheer need an ache in her chest. Hal again reached under her skirt and trailed one finger along the slickness of her inner lips. Ellie cried out helplessly, writhing against his hand, rubbing her throbbing clit against his firm touch. She was shuddering, halfway to a climax, and he’d barely even touched her.
Hal wrapped one arm tight around her back, holding her steady, while he rubbed between her legs. She buried her face in his chest, lost in the joy of his touch, letting him bring her to an irresistible climax. The orgasm rippled through her body, and her cry was muffled against his chest.
Ellie lifted her head, panting, the aftershocks still making her inner walls contract in delicious pulses. It had been good, but she wasn’t done yet.
“Go on,” she said, when she could speak. “I’m ready for more.”
“Me too,” said Hal. He was smiling, but his hazel eyes burned with intensity.
He was still fully dressed, with only his jeans unzipped. So was she, in her shoes and flower print dress. But he once again lifted her into his arms, raising her high.
“Lift your dress,” he said.
Excited, she grabbed the hem and raised it. She’d never had sex while a man held her in his arms before. With no sign of a strain, Hal slowly lowered her, settling her down on to his steely shaft. It slid in easily, filling her to the utmost. She gasped with pleasure. So did Hal.
“That feels incredible,” he said.
“You’re incredible,” she replied.
Her hands clenched around his arms as he began to thrust inside of her. She wanted to close her eyes and abandon herself to the delights of physical sensation. But she loved watching Hal too, his intent yet joyous expression, his long eyelashes fluttering, the flush spreading over his skin, the pulse at his throat.
His shaft slid against her clit at every thrust, sending waves of heat through her body. Unlike the first orgasm, the second one built more slowly, allowing her to savor ever moment of its inexorable approach. She held Hal tight, loving the journey they were taking each other on.
Her orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, carrying her far away from everything but her love for Hal and the pleasure of the sensation. She lost herself, dissolving in a sea of bliss. She was only distantly aware of Hal coming too, of his deeper cry, of the warmth swelling within her.
When she returned, she found that he had slid down the wall. They lay sprawled together on the kitchen floor. Hal reached out and tenderly brushed a curl of wet hair out of her eyes.
“Love you,” he said softly.
She laid her head against his, cheek to cheek. “Love you too.”
Then Ellie stretched out beside Hal, utterly content. She wanted nothing more in the world than what she had: her life, her work, her friends, her family, and her bodyguard bear.
Epilogue