Page 45 of Secret Sins

My face flamed. "I'm with Bailey now, and that's all anybody needs to know."

Alex's laugh was loud and hearty enough that he had to brace his hands on the counter to keep from falling over. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, man."

Scowling, I walked into the dark interior of the dining area. It wasn't a shock to hear I was now the subject of a year's worth of gossip, but I didn't have to like it. Pacing back and forth, I picked up on a softly playing song and tried to place it. I knew it was something I'd heard once upon a time, but I couldn't conjure up the singer or the title. It sounded as though it might have been country from the 80s or 90s, though.

The full-bodied aroma of truly fantastic coffee reminded me of how desperate I was for that first incredible sip. Inching my way down the hall, I tried to see what Alex was adding to it, but I was too late.

"This one is Bailey's," he said, pointing to the insulated cup with a B on it. "You like yours black?"

"Yes, thanks." My palms itched, but I bit the bullet. "What's the secret?"

"The secret is," he said with a grin, "Ellie is a Tasmanian devil if you piss her off, and that's the reason I can't tell you."

"Fair enough," I mumbled, accepting the paper sack still holding a hint of warmth.

After thanking him, I headed back upstairs. Hopefully, Bailey hadn't yet woken up so I could do it myself. The latch on the front door snicked quietly, and I locked it out of habit before continuing to the bedroom. Sunlight would stream through the part in the curtains at any moment, but for now, the room was bathed in the yellow glow of half-dawn. Soon, the bakery would be bustling, and the streets would be filled with people. For now, this was our chance to cloister ourselves without interference from the real world.

There were so many books stacked on her nightstand that I had to balance everything carefully so I could move them aside. With the coffee and muffins safely set down, I leaned over Bailey's slumbering body.

She woke up on the third kiss, blinking up at me and smiling sweetly. "You stayed."

Sitting beside her, I handed over her coffee. "Why wouldn't I?"

Her expression turned sheepish. "I was afraid you'd run once you got so close to me."

Those whispered words pierced deeper than I could admit to her, but worse was the knowledge that I'd given her every reason to believe it of me. "Now that I've found everything I've been looking for, I have no reason to run anymore."

Sitting up swiftly, she reached behind me to put the coffee back down. The lavender sheet fell to her waist, and she threw her arms around me.

"You never have to give me anything but those words."

Pushing her down to the mattress, I hovered over her. "How about these words?" Swirling my tongue behind her ear, I murmured, "I love you."

Bailey wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to meet her. It hadn't been long since we'd had sex, but I realized now that I would never get used to the need for her coursing through me. It ran in endless currents through my veins, embedded in my heart and soul, and I craved the feeling as much as I craved her body.

Together, we rolled over the bed until Bailey rose over me, her naked body calling to me. Reaching out to touch, to take what was now mine, I moaned as she rocked her hips. Leaning down, she kissed along my collarbones as shivers ran through me.

"Van," she mumbled in my ear.

My clothes were too constricting, but she had me trapped beneath her. Lightly scratching her fingernails over my abdomen, she wrestled with the button and zipper on my jeans. Without hesitation, I rolled her onto her back so I could yank off my shirt and toss it, then had to stand to take my pants off. Joining her on the bed once more, I smiled when she reached for me.

"God," I groaned as we aligned. Her skin on mine was warm, soft, and nearly my undoing.

Kicking the sheets to the bottom of the bed, Bailey straddled me again, gazing down at me as she sat on my stomach. Though I tried to encourage her to take me inside her, she lifted her heavy hair off her neck instead. Fanning it out behind her, she let it drop before her eyes slipped closed. Finding her hip bones, her navel, and her breasts too hypnotizing to resist, I stroked over her body and watched her rock forward. It brought her breasts within reach, and I pinched her nipples between my fingers, both because I wanted to and because I loved the sounds it brought out of her.

Bracing her hands on my chest, Bailey shifted even more, finally grabbing my aching cock and slipping down over it. The sensation of her pussy gripping me so tightly nearly made me forget what I was doing. Freezing for a few seconds, I breathed harshly while she took her time riding me. As I finally collected myself, I went back to squeezing and molding her breasts in my hands. A million ways to fuck Bailey flipped through my mind like a slideshow, and the tightening in my balls warned me I was close.

Pushing up into her, urging her faster, I found a rhythm we both enjoyed and chased it. Finally, the sounds coming from Bailey's mouth told me she was about to come, and I resisted the urge to flip her. I wanted to pound into her, to force her to forget her own name as I fucked her senseless, but I refrained.

"Fuck, Van!" Faltering in her movements, Bailey moved one hand to her clit, rubbing it in furious circles as she cried out repeatedly.

Mindlessly, I thrust up inside her, practically begging her to squeeze my cock with her orgasm. I needed to feel her lose control the way I needed to take my next breath.

Finally, I couldn't hold back the words in my head. "Come for me, Bailey, please."

"I'm so close."

With my eyes open, I watched her muscles tense, shuddering around me as I came too. Gulping for breath, she fell over me, her weight a gentle blanket over my body. Stroking my hands down her back, I curved them around her ass and fit her more snugly against me.