His chest heaved with huge breaths. His cheekbones were flushed, his eyes glassy. Carefully, he withdrew.
She panicked, clawed at him, lost him. "Don't stop."
"You're making me insane," he muttered, leaning away to yank open a drawer in the headboard. Then he pressed her into the puffy duvet once more.
He tore open the condom with his teeth. They both fumbled with it, then it was on and he was entering her again, thrusting deep, really meaning it this time.
She wrapped her legs around him, dug her fingernails into his scalp, and drew rough, growling sounds from him as they writhed and strove for more, deeper, harder. She was caught in the streaking train of acute pleasure, so close to losing it, so close, searching for that perfect sensation. There. There.
Her world exploded.
~ * ~
More.
The thought came from the primal center of his brain, the first coherent word his empty mind was able to produce as orgasm faded into aftershocks. It was a wonder he had the capacity to breathe. If he and Paige had gotten this far fifteen years ago, no way would he have left town.
Her breaths were still jagged and she trembled beneath him, eyes closed, lips parted and glossy, her skin as damp as his. Tiny quakes interrupted the rapid rise and fall of her beautiful breasts, a particularly acute one tightening her around him so he clenched his teeth and sank his weight down onto her again. Wanting deeper.
Wanting more.
Christ, he hadn't shown any finesse at all. He'd acted like some kind of caveman. He might have left bruises.
"D'I hurt you?" He pressed his still numb lips to the red mark on her shoulder.
At the same time, his front door opened, and his mother called, "Sterling?"
Paige scrambled from beneath him like a cat fighting a bath.
"It's okay," he insisted, barely speaking, holding up a staying hand as he staggered off the bed, discarded the condom, and reached for his sweatpants. "Don't come down," he called to his mother as he yanked them up his legs. "I was just getting into the shower."
"Don't let her see me. Please," Paige whispered, reaching past him for her shorts on the floor. There were tears in her eyes.
"Are you all right?" he asked, catching her arm.
"I'm fine." His mother had heard his question. She was coming down the hall. "Everyone was asking what happened to you last night."
Paige bit her lip, anxious horror reflected in her pleading eyes as she clutched her T-shirt to her chest.
Sterling, still tying the drawstring on his pants, headed his mother off in the hall, pulling the bedroom door closed behind him.
"We didn't know what to say." She wore full make-up and smelled like she'd just come from having her hair permed. "I had your father drive by here on our way home, but the lights were off." Her eyes narrowed. "What happened to your shoulder?"
He glanced at the red welts of passionate scratches. "The...thing fell on me," he mumbled. "That's why I need a shower, to clean it. Has Dad seen the crack in the front steps? Is he here?" He basically shoved her toward the front door and through it.
"No. I want an answer about last night, Sterling."
"Someone searched Paige's car. She was scared to go home alone so I took her."
"Why would anyone do that?" She touched the pearls at her throat, sounding weird, but he didn't deconstruct it, too anxious to get rid of her.
He slapped the screen door closed behind them.
"You took her to her home?" she clarified.
"That's right." It was cool outside, killing the last of his sex buzz, drying his sweat.
His mother wasn't looking him in the eye, too busy glaring at his chest.
It was obvious, of course, what he'd been up to. Sexual satisfaction had to be steaming from his pores.
Her gaze went to the driveway, noted the absence of a second car, came back to his. Her mouth puckered with disdain. "I expect better of you."
"I expect you to knock."
Her keys jangled as she jerked them from her purse. "We'll talk about this later." She headed for her car.
No, we won't. But he didn't stick around to argue. He went back to the bedroom, but Paige was gone.
Chapter Seventeen
What had she been thinking? God, she was such a Fogarty. Paige berated herself the rest of the day. She never should have kissed him. Never should have gone over there.
She felt so stupid. Like the virgin who fell for the player. Casual sex was not her thing at all. She was smarter. More disciplined. She had self-respect, damn it.
Although she liked sex. A lot. She'd been missing it and that was the reason she'd been such a pushover, she told herself. She'd definitely go with that, and reminded herself that they were consenting adults, no crimes had been committed. It had happened, it had been a one-off thing, and they could just pretend it hadn't happened.
She snorted as she dried off after a vigorous shower. Yeah, he'd probably go along with pretending nothing had happened. What did she think? That he would start behaving possessively? Want to date her?
She could just imagine what his mother would think of that.
She sighed, depressed. Despite her shower, she could still smell him on her skin. The memory of his touch, intimate and knowing, was so visceral, her breaths shortened and her blood heated.
If any part of her had thought having sex, finishing what they'd started so long ago, would actually exorcise him from her system, she was wrong. Now she knew how good he made her feel and her stupid, horny, Fogarty libido wanted more.
~ * ~
Sterling was on the north side of the building Monday, discussing the sprinkler system with Quinn, when he caught sight of Paige across the yard, her gold-yellow dress snapping around her knees. Every male instinct he owned leapt up and took notice.
She spotted them and hesitated.
Quinn waved and she veered toward them, slowly picking her way across the yard.
Sterling instantly felt like an ass. He hadn't called. That wasn't like him. He wasn't a wham-bam, thanks-Ma'am guy. He was a dinner and flowers and call the next day gentleman.
He'd been tied up with his parents, but that had been an excuse. He'd also been tied up internally, really stunned by how volatile they'd been. He never forgot a condom.
And he hadn't known what to say if he called. Thanks? Neither of them had planned to fall into bed. Getting involved with Paige wasn't on his agenda. The opposite was. He was supposed to be showing some self-control and keeping their relationship professional-friendly. Not fuck-buddy work-buddy convenient.
"Good morning," she said as she got close enough. Color came into her cheeks and she skittered her gaze away before meeting his, looking to Quinn. "Where's Lyle? I need to ask him something."
"I sent him home," Sterling said, immediately getting the crinkly-brow, defensive scowl that annoyed him.
"Why?" At least she was making eye contact.
"No safety goggles."
"Couldn't he borrow or purchase a pair from the supply room?" She swung that to Quinn.
"Uh-"
"You either come prepared to work or you don't work," Sterling said. It didn't escape him that they were having the same argument they'd started before he'd hauled her into his bedroom and come hard and deep inside her.
She swallowed, chin level, mouth belligerent. The paperwork she held fluttered in the breeze, making a crackling sound audible beneath the hum and grind of the equipment inside the building.
"What did you want to see him about?" Sterling's gaze went to the papers.
She shoved them under her elbow. "I had some questions."
He settled his weight into the slouch of his hips.
The wind danced her hair into her eyes. She tossed her head to knock it away.
"So, um," Quinn cleared his throat. "I'll have the contractor quote on an extension to the sprinkler system?"
"Right to the end of the building," Sterling instructed, keeping his gaze on Paige, adding with clear enunciation, "Because the last thing I want to do is sink fifty thousand dollars into a company only to lose it because we're not addressing safety concerns." He raised his arm to point and give Quinn more instructions.
"Subtle," Paige muttered, checking out her shoes. "Get that from your mother?"
He lowered his arm. "You said what?"
She swiped at her cheek, trying to keep her hair from crawling across her eyes. "I thought your father wanted to wait until the buyout before doing any upgrades."
"I got tired of waiting so I put up my own money."
Her chin tucked into her neck with disbelief. "Was I suffering narcolepsy the day your father and I held that vote? Because I don't recall being consulted."
Quinn shifted, obviously uncomfortable.
Okay, screw further instructions. Sterling nodded at him and Quinn took off like a kid freed from chores.
"I want the upgrades to happen so I'm making them happen."
"That's nice. When did you decide to put up your own money?"