Protect Me (Rivers Edge Book 4)(21)

Before my breathing can even start to return to normal, I feel Nate move  away from me. As I crack open my too-heavy eyelids, I see his  gloriously bare chest flex as he unbuttons his shorts with lightning  fast speed. I'm in a trance as I watch the hard, tattoo covered muscles  of his upper arms flex and work to rid him of his clothing.

Suddenly, he's standing before me in nothing but black boxer briefs that  are so deliciously tight and leave nothing to the imagination. Warmth  instantly spreads to my exposed core as I take in the man before me.  He's all tight muscles and large tented cock. He's every woman's wet  fantasy. And tonight, he's mine.

I reach a hand towards him, wanting to feel his length in my hand.

"No can do, beautiful," he says as he takes my hands in his and places  them behind my back. The action pushes my breasts straight out and on  display. "If you touch me right now, I'm going to embarrass myself in my  pants." Nate traces his tongue up the column of my neck from my  collarbone to my earlobe. "I need you so damn bad," he growls harshly.

"What are you waiting for?" I whisper in invitation.

Nate lets go of my hands and makes a grab for his shorts. He removes a  strip of condoms from his front pocket, rips one off the end, and throws  the rest on the counter.

"Well prepared," I comment with a smile.

"I have a feeling that one time with you isn't going to be nearly  enough," he replies as he tosses his underwear and rolls the protection  over his impressive length.

Without even realizing it, I spread my legs widely as he steps between  my thighs. His mouth locks on mine again in another fiery kiss. Nate  slips his hands under my ass and moves me forward to the edge of the  counter. I feel the pressure of him positioning himself at my entrance.

"Now," I demand in a low, harsh voice in between kisses.

Nate gently thrusts forward, entering me with ease. His tongue dips  inside my mouth, mimicking the movements of his lower half. The  stretching is a little painful yet so very fulfilling. It's been nearly  ten months since I've been with a man, and never have I been with a man  of Nate's girth.

Nate pauses and says, "Are you alright?"

"God, yes. More," I growl as I attack his mouth once again with my own.

Our kisses, or my words  –  take your pick  –  shatter him. Nate thrusts  deep and hard, burying himself completely inside me. Our collective  groans mix as our tongues continue their erotic dance. There's no  slowing us down anymore. Nate's pace is fast and furious as he pushes us  both towards climax. His hands tighten on my ass as he continues to  pump into me. I hold on the best I can and enjoy the hell out of the  ride.

When one hand reaches up and strokes my neck, I feel that familiar  tightening low in my belly. He pulls his lips from mine and runs them  along my neck. Between the gentleness of his lips and the roughness of  his teeth, I'm teeter tottering on the edge of oblivion. Nate wraps his  hand around the back of my neck, pulling me forward and ravishing my  pulse point with his mouth. The feel of his breath and his mouth finally  send me over the edge. I didn't think it was possible to come any  harder than earlier, but I manage as Nate pumps three, four, five more  times inside of me, my internal muscles milking him for everything he  has. His orgasm is strong and his groans loud as he releases himself  deep inside me.                       
       
           



       

Nate and I both gasp for breath, wrapped in each other's sweaty arms as  we ride the aftershocks together. "Holy shit, woman," Nate hoarsely  says.

"Yeah," I manage to reply after several deep, panting breaths.

His lips descend upon mine, but this time, as a gentle caress. They are  soft and tender as they rub against my overly sensitive lips. His lips  glide soothingly over mine, expressing emotions that I'm not prepared to  deal with. Not now. Not ever. Emotions that I can't get wrapped up in  again.

"I don't want to just invite myself to stay, and I'll definitely leave  if you want me to. I'm just afraid that one time isn't going to be  enough with you," he says honestly.

As if we didn't just rock each other's worlds not a short five minutes  ago, I feel him hardening inside of me. "I want you to stay," I reply.  Just for tonight, I tell myself repeatedly. Just for tonight.

Nate scoops me up into his hard, muscular arms and slowly pulls himself  free from inside me. I feel the loss and want him to slide back inside  of me. Where he belongs.

No, Lia. Temporary. This is only temporary.

Nate walks back to the tiny bedroom at the back of the apartment and  gingerly lays me down on the bed. He makes quick work of removing the  condom and heads towards the bathroom to discard it. He comes back a few  minutes later with a glass of water, two Tylenol tablets, and the strip  of protection. I take the medicine he offers while he throws the strip  of condoms on the nightstand.

My eyelids are suddenly heavy as Nate slips under the sheet next to me.  He pulls me towards him until I'm snuggled as close as humanly possible  at his side. His skin is so warm and his body so hard, yet it's the most  comfortable place I've ever been. I feel secure and protected within  his embrace.

Nate runs his hand across my forehead, moving my bangs, as he lures me  into sleep. The feel of his breath against my skin and the comfort of  his arms wrapped tightly around me is the last thing I feel before  drifting off into a deep, restful sleep.





*****




The smell of bacon and coffee wakes me from the best night of sleep I've  ever had. Muscles I didn't even know existed are screaming their  protest as I stretch against the cool sheets. The other side of the  mattress where Nate slept mere hours ago is vacant, but the smells  coming from the kitchen tell me he isn't too far away.

My mind fills with memories of Nate waking me up in the very early  morning. He was gentle as he worshiped my body, bringing me to orgasm no  less than twice that time, too. My body is singing as I climb out of  bed and reach for a shirt. Nate's shirt from last night is thrown on the  end of the bed along with all of the clothes we were both wearing  yesterday, so I slide the big shirt over my head and walk into the hall  to the bathroom. The shirt still smells deliciously like Nate. It's all  musky and rich with just a hint of sweat. I can't help but run my nose  along the cotton material as I inhale deeply yet again.

After using the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I head out to the  kitchen to see what kind of deliciousness Nate has cooked up. My stomach  growls loudly as I turn the corner and stop dead in my tracks. The  sight before me is so damn sexy that I can't even laugh at how comical  it is.

Nate stands at my stove, frying bacon, and wearing nothing but my white  apron. And I mean nothing but my apron. The ties are wrapped around his  lean waist and tied around his amazing lower back. Muscles move and  strain as he works the tongs, flipping the bacon.

Nate's back is a-freaking-mazing! There is no other word to describe it.  I've never seen anything like it before in my life. I had no clue that  definition and muscles like that existed. The tribal designed tattoo  spread across his shoulder blades is dark with hard lines and looks so  astounding stretched across his taut muscles.

But the muscles of his ass are what hold my attention right now. I wish I  had a quarter because I'm pretty sure I could bounce it off his rear  and get some serious air. Below his butt are the most well-defined,  muscled thighs and calves I've ever seen. They scream power as he stands  there in front of my stove.

I will never be able to wear that apron again. The mental image I will  carry with me for the rest of my life of Nate wearing it this morning is  something I will never, ever forget. It'll be one of the happiest  memories I will cherish as I continue to move from place to place,  searching for the life I know is out there. One that makes me feel safe  and sound. One that is so very close to how I feel with Nate.

He moves towards the skillet, grabs the spatula, and flips what appears  to be French toast. I have died and gone to heaven. I don't know when it  happened, but there is no way this is actually happening in real life.                       
       
           



       

"Hey," he says with a huge grin and sparkling eyes, breaking me from the trance of my private thoughts.

"Huh?" I ask, wondering how long he's been talking to me and I've been staring at his bare ass.

"Enjoying the view?" he asks with another hint of laughter.

"I never thought my apron would look so good," I reply with pinked cheeks.

"Well, bacon grease isn't something you want splattering in this  region," he says waving a hand at his white apron covered package. A  package that is thickening and saluting me before my lust-filled eyes.