Her eyes fluttered closed and she pinched her nipple harder as the muscles in her wrist corded while she worked her clit. A charming, sexy flush swam up her body from the tips of her French manicured toes to her gorgeous tits. She blew out a breath and a long moan as she came.
Her scent flooded his senses and unable to resist, he grabbed her wrist and brought her fingers to his mouth, licking them as she watched, her lips parted.
“Well now, Belle Taylor, you’re a big surprise, aren’t you?”
She smiled slow and sexy and flopped back to the mattress. “I guess so.”
Belle looked her fill at him, still kneeling above her. He was unbelievably perfect, her fantasy come true. Never before had she freed all the stuff reeling through her head during sex. Sure she organized her shoes by heel height but she preferred sex raw and for want of a better word, dirty. But she rarely got it that way because the men she ended up with saw her outward control and calm and thought she’d be the same way in bed.
“Whatever are you thinking about, Belle?” The smile that took the corner of his mouth made her wet all over again.
“You were going to tell me about what you think about while getting yourself off.”
“Ah, just so.”
“But I want you here, straddling me. I want to see it close up.” She indicated where she wanted him and he shrugged, moving and settling over her upper thighs, the heat of his balls resting against her mound.
“I can feel how wet your pussy is against my balls. Jesus.” She watched the up and down movement of his Adam’s apple before he went on. “I love the way you move. So precise. Most people just bumble through life but you, Belle, you always move like you have a plan. That’s so sexy. But underneath that military precision, there’s that sway of those juicy little breasts. I think about what it feels like when the soft cotton of your shirt brushes over your nipples. Does it turn you on? I wondered how sensitive they were. What they tasted like.”
He took his cock in his fist and slowly began to stroke himself, never taking his eyes from hers.
“I’d find you outside, it would be late summer. The night would be that sort of purple just before dark fell fully. It’d be quiet, air would be sweet from the trees, we’d hear buzzing bees and the sound of water. I’d approach you from behind and slowly take off your shirt and I’d finally see your breasts. I’d lay you down and…fuck this.” Rafe moved down her body, pushing her thighs apart. “I don’t need to tell you my damned fantasy, you’re here, naked and your scent is making me crazy. You are my fantasy come true, Belle.”
Feeling ridiculously pleased, she watched as he grabbed a condom and rolled it on. She reached down and spread her pussy open for him, waiting.
“Damn it, you’re so fucking sexy,” he muttered as he wasted no more time and began to press into her body with his cock, spreading her body apart as he filled her completely.
She allowed her eyes to droop as the exquisite sensation of being impaled on his cock settled into her system. He was nice and thick and it’d been eight months since she’d had sex with anyone not silicone. He hissed as she moaned, shifting her thighs up, angling her hips to take him deeper.
“This first time, I want to be face to face, but later, I’m going to fuck you from behind. Maybe in the shower with your hands on the tiles.”
Her breath caught as a flash of her fantasy came to her. Only he was real. Hard and real and buried deep in her body.
She caressed every inch of him she could reach while matching his rhythm, rolling her hips to meet his strokes. There was no sound but them, the slick sound of body meeting body, of breath and the rustling of sheets. But inside, Belle’s body sang, her heart sang even though she was scared as hell of the enormity of what she felt for him at that moment. So much tenderness in his eyes.
Still watching her face, he leaned on one arm to move his free hand between them. He brought his fingertips down where they were joined to gather her honey and slick the way around her clit.
A shock of intense pleasure hit her at that first contact and echoed over and over as his fingers continued to play over her clit. When her climax hit, it pulled her under as she held on to his ass, her fingers digging into the solid muscle. She had no words, just a long gasping sigh.
Long moments later he pressed a kiss to her forehead, got out of bed and came back quickly.
“That was amazing, Belle,” he said quietly, kissing her again, this time on the lips.
“It was. It feels sort of unreal. I mean, last night was one thing. Oh and I’m sorry I fell asleep, God, how rude!” She blushed but be laughed.
“Belle, you had dark circles under your eyes. They’re not nearly as bad today. You know how I felt when I saw you’d fallen asleep?”
She shook her head.
“Good. Accomplished. I’d taken care of you and helped you rest. I liked that.”
She smiled, shifting a bit on the blankets.
“It’s the sheets and blankets being mussed up, isn’t it?”
“Oh okay, yes! It makes everything all wrinkled and don’t you make your bed in the mornings? It’s so much nicer to crawl between sheets of a made bed.”
He laughed until tears ran from his eyes while she glared. “Belle, you’re one of a kind.”
She shoved him out of bed and stood, tightening his sheets, re-tucking them and straightening the blankets before pulling them back to expose the sheets. “Now, get in.”
He grabbed her and brought her down with him. “Thank you. You’re right, it does feel better.”
She rolled over his body so he was on the side closest to the door. “That’s better. I like this side.”
“You’re lucky I’m easy and I find it totally sexy when you’re all anal.”
She cocked her head. “You’re lucky I’m easy and fingered my pussy while you watched.” Satisfaction settled into her when she saw his eyes flare with heat and how he had to make an effort to take a deep breath.
“You’re absolutely right. Will you sleep with me tonight? I have to be up early but I won’t even turn the alarm on, I have an internal clock.”
“Yeah.” She snuggled into his body, breathing him in. He smelled so damned good and when he put his arms around her, she felt totally right.
“You want to talk to me about your job?”
“Rafe Bettencourt, I feel all relaxed and warm. It’s heaven and I don’t think I’ve felt this good in years and years. No, I don’t want to even think about it right now.”
“Would you bop me on the head with a pillow if I woke you up to fuck you in a few hours?” He nudged her ass with his cock when she turned and backed into the curve of his body.
“I’ll bop you if you don’t. Now shut up. You’ve made me very tired and I have to get some beauty rest. It’s tree trimming day tomorrow and then lunch with your family and then dinner with mine. My aunt, uncle and cousins should arrive before dinner. My mother said to invite you if you’re not busy with your family.”
“Am I allowed to answer or will you bop me? You scare me, Belle. You’ve got that dominatrix thing going for you. Although that doesn’t so much scare me as make me want to have sex with you.” He chuckled. “Rosemary and the kids won’t be in until tomorrow so I can definitely come by at least for some of your mom’s stellar dessert.”
“Good. I like to look at you.”
Chapter 5
Rafe liked to look at her too. He watched her as she helped his mother in the large kitchen, slicing tomatoes for the salad with engineer-like precision. She did it quickly and efficiently and yet he bet every single slice was perfectly the same size.
She’d not protested when he hugged and kissed her when they walked into the house. He’d simply acted like she was his and to his great relief, she simply was his.
Her outfit was pretty and feminine, although he was convinced the pleat on the front of her soft blue pants was sharp enough to slice paper. Funny, he wouldn’t have found another woman dressed the same way sexy
but that shirt buttoned up, just exposing the hollow of her throat, made him want to lick her. She exuded such a softness despite the spine of steel, the contradiction fascinated him.
Lunch was good. His mother’s attitude toward Belle had shifted from that of a family friend to that of a potential mother-in-law. She wasn’t just Belle Taylor, she was Belle and Rafe. He wondered if she caught that. He doubted she missed it, his woman was intelligent in addition to sexy.
When Belle readied to leave, his mother kissed her cheeks after his father had hugged her and Gabe laid a smooch or three on her to tease Rafe.
“Belle, I know you’ll be with your family on Christmas Day but we’d love to have you for Christmas Eve dinner.”
Rafe knew in that moment what it meant. Christmas Eve in the Bettencourt household was sacrosanct. They had dinner, played cards and went to midnight mass. It wasn’t something even friends were invited to. It was a family event. Belle, having grown up with them so closely knew that too and he saw her face as she realized it.
Her hand trembled a bit in his. “I’d be honored to as long as Rafe wouldn’t mind.”
“I wouldn’t want you anywhere else, Annabelle.” He kissed her cheek and hugged her.
“All right then. I’ll see you day after tomorrow. Thank you for lunch, I’m going to be full for a week.”
“Wait until you have Christmas Eve dinner!” Gabe laughed and clapped Rafe on the shoulder, letting him know he supported this next step in the situation with Belle.
He walked her to her car. “Before you say anything let me just tell you I want something with you, Belle. I know you have a job in San Francisco and I’m not asking you to give up your career or your life. I just want to be a part of it. I’ve known you most of my life and I understand that what I feel for you is real and has been coming a long time. I want you there on Christmas Eve and I want to kiss you as the clock strikes midnight on New Year this year and the next and so on. We on the same page?”
She leaned her forehead against his chest and he struggled to keep quiet as she clearly wrestled with her thoughts. She was not impulsive so he knew the process was hard for her.
“Rafe, I’ve wanted you for fifteen years. I…I have to deal with my job situation. I can’t talk about it just now, I need to get over to my parents’ house. But after Christmas, can we just have some time alone to talk? We are on the same page in wanting something together. I need to say that up front. I like the idea of you being in my life as more than fantasy material.” She looked up at him as she finished, a smile on her lips and he let go of the breath he’d been holding.
“Absolutely. You and me, after Christmas. I’ll see you later tonight.” He kissed her quickly and she stepped back before they ended up making out in his parents’ front drive.
“Man that tree looks great.” Belle grinned as she stood back and eyed their handiwork.
“I admit your little diagram helps every year.” Kevin laughed. “Although I think one of these years we should just attack it and just put stuff on any old place we want to.”
“Tree diagramming is Belle’s job. It has been since she was four years old. Your job is staying out of jail and not knocking anyone up until you’re twenty-five. We all have our talents.” Brian socked Kevin as he handed Belle a mug of spiced cider.
“I’m sure it would look just fine if you put the ornaments on willy-nilly. But it looks even better when everything is distributed evenly and according to a variety of color and also with the new stuff mixing with the older and hand-made ornaments. And don’t think I don’t know you all have been telling the story about my shoes all around town.” Belle snorted and adjusted one of the bows one of them had made in grade school.
“We have this discussion every year. I feel like it’s a tradition along with the tree trimming and the garland stringing. Knock it off, Kev and get that stick out of your ass, Belle. The shoe story is fab, it must be told.” Chelsea sat and put her feet up with a long sigh.
“You okay?” Belle put her mug down and knelt beside her sister.
“Tired. Doing this at thirty-two is not as easy as it was when I was in my mid-twenties. Home stretch now, I’ve got three weeks to go and this will be the last trip we take away from home until the baby comes. I’m glad you’re here.” Chelsea touched her forehead to Belle’s.
“I am too. I’m sorry I missed so much this year,” she said quietly to Chelsea.
“Promise me you’re going to do something about your job.” Chelsea’s face looked serious.
“It’s one of the things I’m thinking about on this vacation. I promise.”
“Belle, you gonna tell us all what’s going on between you and Rafe?” Brian tossed himself into a chair nearby and at that announcement, the rest of the family gathered near as well.
“Why don’t you tell me about Sissy?” Belle countered and Scott burst out laughing.
“What about her? She’s a nice girl!” Brian sputtered.
“I didn’t say she wasn’t so don’t get snotty. I haven’t been around much, remember? Tell me about her.”
“We know about her. What we don’t know about is you and Rafe.” Kevin waved a hand dismissively at Brian.
“Belle and I are seeing each other. You have a problem with that?” Rafe walked into the room, kissing Belle’s mother’s cheek and shaking hands with her father before coming straight to Belle’s side and dropping to the floor next to her. “Hey, gorgeous.” He kissed her quickly, respectfully, on the lips before looking around at everyone else.
“Hi. Did Rosemary get in all right?” Lawd, he made her feel like a giddy schoolgirl.
“Hello? Am I the only one who didn’t know about this?” Belle’s father asked.
“I had no idea and I’m gonna kick Belle’s ass for not telling me!” Chelsea glared at Belle.
“Can we move on please?” Belle asked but Rafe laughed and pulled her so she leaned against him.
“I don’t have a problem with it. I think Rafe is a good man. He’s very good looking, has a job, a nice house and he’s already part of the family.” Her mother gave a stern look to the room, daring anyone to disagree.
“Thank you, Mrs. Taylor. Belle and I have known each other a long time, we enjoy each other’s company and that’s step one. And I’m pretty sure she’s going to organize my kitchen very soon.”
Belle whacked his arm. Wait ’til he looked in his cabinets at some point. Ha! “Go on and make fun.”
“I know you had dinner with your folks but do you have room for some pie, Rafe? I just made a pot of coffee too. Decaf. Would you like some?’ Ahh, her mother was the cavalry.
“I think Belle needs some too.” Rafe stood, bringing her with him.
“I think Belle is twenty-eight years old and can make her own eating decisions thankyouverymuch.” She sent him a censorious look but he just ignored it.
“Come on then, Rafe. You too, Kevin. Let’s bring some back for everyone,” her mother ordered with a smile on her lips.
They obediently followed their mother and Chelsea grabbed her arm, yanking her back to where she sat. “You so owe me a very long explanation. Have you slept with him and not told me? I thought we agreed that should either of us ever see him naked we’d share?” Chelsea whispered.
Belle burst out laughing and everyone looked in their direction. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Family football game, they’ll all be busy and I can give you the details. And they’re good details, Chels.”
“They’d better be so I can forgive you for not telling me sooner.”
“It’s new! I haven’t had the chance to be alone with you for five minutes since it all happened and I wasn’t telling you in front of Mom.”
“Okay okay, you can tell her all about me when you two are alone. In the mean time, Belle, your mother says to eat every bit of this or she’ll spank you.” Rafe shoved a huge piece of cherry pie at her.
“This is enough for three people.”
“If you’d gone in there with me,
you could have cut your own slice.” One of his eyebrows arched and she rolled her eyes at him.
The next day at the annual Taylor family football game, Chelsea and Belle sat bundled up, drinking hot chocolate and watching the game while gossiping about Rafe.
“So he just kissed you? Like out of nowhere?” Chelsea asked.
“One minute he’s helping me with my bags and the next he and I are standing, face to face in his front hall and he’s pressed against me, mouth on my neck and then he laid one on me. Things totally changed right then. Went from friends to something more in a matter of moments. He tells me he wants something more with me, a relationship and I want that too. His family invited me to Christmas Eve and this morning he told me he knows someone who runs a mid-size firm in Sacramento who may be looking for a contracts attorney.”
“Really?” Chelsea’s eyes widened. “And?”
“He didn’t assume he could take over for me. He asked if he could pass on my name. He wants me to be happy in my career. God, Chelsea, that means so much to me. He’s not asking that I quit or anything.”
“But Belle…”
“I know. I do! It’s out of control. My life is out of control and I have to do something. I just need to figure out what. I mean, maybe I can cut back at the firm. There’s nothing saying I have to work that hard there. Others don’t.”
Chelsea didn’t say anything but she snorted and later demanded more details about Rafe’s talents other than on a football field.
Belle couldn’t help but watch him out there playing with her brothers and brother-in-law. It was surreal to see him there and know he was hers in some sense. The night before they’d talked until all hours, laughing and making love.
She’d been halfway in love with him most of her life and every moment they spent together pushed her deeper and deeper with him. At the same time, she’d worked damned hard to achieve all she had and she wasn’t about to give it all up for a man. Any man.