Page 26 of Breaking Him

“You sure you’re okay?”

I slid my hand around the side of his muscular throat and held his gaze, the worry there making my chest hurt. “That was the single best experience of my life, Eli Hays.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t know what this is, but I know I want it with you, only with you.” I kissed his gorgeous mouth. “Don’t second-guess yourself.” My cheeks heated, which was ridiculous after all we’d done, but I’d never said this out loud, this feeling inside me. “I want what you gave me, Elijah. I loved it when you held me down and told me what to do…and I loved it when I pleased you and you praised me for it. I don’t know what it means. I just know I crave it from you, all of it.” I swallowed, licking my dry lips. “And I…I think you feel that way, too?”

He stared at me, his breathing rough, his hold getting tighter. “I feel that way, too,” he said so low and deep that his words vibrated through my chest.

Relief flooded me, not that I really had any doubt, but I didn’t know if he’d ever admit to that part of himself, at least not when he wasn’t inside me. “Trust your instincts,” I said softly. “That’s all you have to do.”

His hand slid into my hair, fingers fisting gently, and he kissed me until we were both breathless, until he was hard again. He maneuvered my body so I was straddling his hips, and he slid back into me under the water.

I clung to his wide shoulders, while he followed his instincts—and made love to me in the lake.

…

I sipped my iced tea, holding Eli’s in my other hand, and headed out of the house. This last week had been one of the best in my life. It had just been me and Eli, well, except for a short visit from James on his way out of town. Eli had stayed in the field working, but to put his mind at rest, I’d sat on the porch with my friend to have our beer. We’d chatted, and everything was like it always was between us, like he’d never left Deep River. But I’d known Eli was watching us from under the brim of that cap—and though it was wrong, and I sure as heck didn’t want him to be jealous or insecure, knowing his eyes were on me the whole time had excited the hell out of me. He’d told me that morning, when he knew James was coming out, he didn’t mistrust me; it was everybody else he mistrusted. He knew his fears were irrational, but he hated the thought of James touching me.

So when my friend pulled me in for a hug, like he always did, I didn’t know what to do. I’d had no choice but to give him a quick squeeze back. I’d wanted to. He was my best friend, and that would never change. Eli would have to get used to him and me, and our friendship.

Still, my belly had squirmed as I’d waved good-bye. Butterflies going crazy while I’d stood there, rooted to the spot, Eli striding across the yard toward me. He’d reached me before the dust had settled behind James’s car.

He hadn’t said a word, just grabbed my hand and dragged me inside, then he’d shoved down my underwear, pushed me up against the wall, and fucked me.

I loved this new side to him, the side that just acted, that didn’t weigh every action, every word. It was happening more lately.

I found him around the side of the barn, stacking wood. A tree had fallen in one of the fields, and he’d been chopping it up for firewood. He turned to me when I rounded the corner, and my breath seized in my throat. He was wearing jeans and boots and nothing else, the heavy belt buckle he wore tugging the soft denim down at the front, giving me an enticing view. The way the sexy rail of dark hair below his belly button thickened…

His cock hardened behind his zipper, and my eyes darted up to his. They were a little wild, and a lot hungry.

I plastered an innocent smile on my face. “I brought you a drink.”

He didn’t say anything, just walked over, took it from my hand, and chugged the lot. Then he took mine from my hands, set it on the woodpile, and crowded me against the wall. “You can’t look at me like that while I’m working.”

I blinked up at him. “Like what?”

His lips tugged up on one side, and my heart fluttered in my chest. He’d been doing that a lot lately as well. Grins, soft smiles, when he looked at me. I’d made it my mission to make him do it as often as possible.

He slid a hand up my thigh, under my dress. “You know what.”

I sucked in a breath as his hand drifted higher. “Enlighten me.”

He cupped me over my panties, sliding a finger along my slit. “Like you want to drop to your knees and suck me,” he said in that gritty voice.

I was flat-out panting now. “And how is that a problem?”

His eyes drifted shut for a few seconds. He licked his lips. “Darlin’,” he groaned. “I’ve got work to do, and you’re a goddamn distraction.” He nipped my lower lip, then sucked it gently.

“I am?” I gripped his belt buckle; my other hand slid down to his ass and squeezed. “I had no idea.”

“You’re wearing this pretty dress in front of me, knowing I wouldn’t be able to resist putting my hand up under it.” His finger continued to torment me, and I clung to his biceps so my weak knees didn’t give out. “Before…” His breath came out on a shudder. “When I’d only ever dreamed of touching you like this, when we’d take our trips to town…I used to make sure I was there waiting when you walked out the door, just so I could see which one you were wearing, watch the way it would cling to your thighs when you walked toward me, the way it cupped you right here…” He cupped between my thighs more firmly. “I lived for it, angel. Heaven and hell, every damn time I saw you. I think…” His gaze sharpened, and he licked his lips, watching me in an intense way, making sure he didn’t miss my reaction to his next words. “I think you need to be punished for tempting me like this, teasing me when you know I can’t do anything about it until tonight.”

He was still a little wary about this new dynamic between us, worried that he could hurt me or that he might be too rough. I did my best to prove otherwise every chance I got. God only knew why I was doing this right now, when I knew damn well we were expecting a possible new client at any moment. The guy owned a large ranch a couple of hours from here. He’d heard good things about our horses and the way Eli trained them and was looking to buy at least four. It was a big deal, and we both knew it.

But I was wet and achy, and at the mention of punishment, had to snap my thighs together. I couldn’t stop myself from pushing a little more. Dropping my forehead against his chest, I kissed and sucked his bare skin. “What kind of punishment?”

“Abigail.” He gritted his teeth. “I should turn you around, press you into that wall, and fuck the hell out of you for testing me like this.” A second later, I was spun around, facing the steel wall of the barn, and Eli had tugged up my dress. He slammed into me, tugging down my underwear, grinding against me. His lips brushed my ear. “Instead, I’m going to give you a little taste of what you’re getting tonight for teasing me like this.” His weight disappeared, and the sun only had a second to heat the bare skin of my ass before his hand came down on my right cheek.

I cried out in shock. It stung for a second, but then my skin heated deliciously. I drew in a breath to say something, anything, when he did it again, and this time I moaned. “Holy shit.”

He smoothed that hot, rough hand over my throbbing ass. Then his mouth was at my ear again. “I’m going to spank this ass, then I’m going to fuck it. You think about that all day, Abigail, what’s going to happen when our meeting is over and we’re all alone.” Then he pulled up my panties, dropped my dress, and turned me around.