The pleasure built gradually, layer upon layer of sensation that made her cling to him like an anchor in a storm. Every thrust pushed her higher, every sound from him making her wetter, hotter, closer to the edge.
"Yes," he groaned against her neck.
The word, the rhythm, the feel of him moving inside her sent her spiraling over the edge again, and she cried out as her body clenched around him. He followed her over with a hoarse shout, her name a broken prayer on his lips as he found his release, pulsing inside her in waves that seemed to go on forever.
Afterward, they lay tangled together in the aftermath, breathing hard and trying to process what had just happened between them. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest, could smell the scent of sex and satisfaction in the air around them.
She turned in his arms so she could see his face, searching for regret or awkwardness but finding only contentment.
Chapter 8
Dustin
Vanessa was curled against his side with her head on his chest, blonde hair spread across his skin like silk, and the soft sound of her breathing was better than any alarm clock he'd ever owned.
Better than anything he'd ever known.
The morning light filtering through her bedroom curtains revealed things he'd been too distracted to notice last night. The way her skin looked pale against his, the small scar on her shoulder that he wanted to kiss and ask about, the satisfied smile that curved her lips even in sleep.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, and he reached for it slowly, trying not to wake her. A text from Jake:Heard from Bill Tracy you might be ready to come back soon. Big payouts in Oklahoma next week. You in?
Oklahoma. Bill must have mentioned it when they'd talked last week about Dustin's recovery timeline. He'd been noncommittal then, still focused on healing. Now all he could think about was the woman sleeping in his arms and whether leaving would be the stupidest thing he'd ever done.
No. Not whether. He already knew it would be.
Vanessa stirred against him, her hand sliding across his chest as she woke up slowly. When she finally opened her eyes and looked at him, there was a moment of vulnerability before awareness replaced it. Recognition of what had changed between them.
"Morning," she said, and her voice was husky from sleep and screaming his name last night.
"Morning, beautiful." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, loving the way she leaned into the touch. "Sleep okay?"
"Better than I have in weeks." She stretched against him, and the movement pressed her naked body more firmly against his side. Her breast brushed his chest, and his body responded immediately. "You?"
"Best sleep in years."
It was true. Even when exhaustion should have knocked him out, he'd never slept as deeply as he had with her pressed against him. Like his body had finally recognized where it was supposed to be.
She noticed his phone in his hand, screen still lit with Jake's message. "Everything okay?"
He should tell her about the rodeo, about the choice he was going to have to make soon. Instead, he set the phone aside and rolled over, pinning her beneath him.
"Everything's perfect," he said, and kissed her before she could ask any more questions.
She melted into the kiss, her legs parting to cradle him between them. He was already hard from waking up next to her naked body, and when she rocked her hips against him, he groaned into her mouth.
His erection pressed against her core, and the contact made them both gasp.
"Again?" she asked, sounding pleased and a little surprised.
"I can't get enough of you," he admitted, trailing kisses down her throat. "I want you again, until I've memorized every sound you make, every place that makes you shiver."
To prove his point, he found that spot just below her ear that had made her gasp last night and was rewarded with the same breathy moan that had nearly driven him crazy.
"We should probably get up," she said even as her hands slid down his back to cup his ass, pulling him harder against her. "I have job interviews today."
"How many?"
"Two. Maybe three if the temp agency calls back."
