Everything I Need Page 6

  I drop to the flats of my feet then take a step back against the counter, marveling in the perfection of the male specimen standing in front of me.

  Deeply tanned skin stretches across ripples and valleys of the packed muscles of his abs, chest, and arms. A trail of dark hair starts at his navel and descends below the low-slung jeans on his tapered hips.

  The corded muscles of his forearms and biceps strain under the tension his clenched fists create.

  I can still feel his lips on mine. The taste of his kiss on my tongue. I’ve never been kissed that way. Not ever. A sharp ache hits my heart at that thought. But kissing Trevor had never felt that out of control and so right all at once.

  My thoughts go back to Merrick and my gaze shifts downward to see a large, thick erection through the denim of his work jeans. I’m riveted.

  A growl rips through the air, causing my gaze to snap up. “Keep looking at me like that and I won’t be able to control myself.”

  “Maybe that’s what I want,” I breathe out.

  And he snaps.

  FISTING MY HANDS IN KEELYNN’s hair, I tilt her head then devour her mouth. Tasting and taking everything I can. Her tongue duels with mine. Sharing the same passion and intense need.

  Ripping my mouth from hers, I feel her rapid breaths hit my chest before her small tongue licks across one pec. Setting my skin on fucking fire.

  With my hands still in her hair, I pull her head back then drop them to the hem of her dress. Stripping the material up and over her head in one quick move. She gasps. Then I take in an eyeful of tits and flat stomach and lush thighs.

  Dropping my hands to her hips, I spin her around so her back is to my chest. Quickly undoing her bra and letting it fall to the floor. “Hold on,” I rasp as I grab her hands to lift them to the counter in front of her. Dying to fucking see her bare tits, but dying to be inside of her even more.

  When her hands are braced out in front of her, I rip the small cotton panties from her body and immediately slide my fingers through her wet folds. “Fuck, you’re soaked.”

  She moans, making my dick jump behind the denim of my jeans. Not being able to take it another second I begin finger-fucking her with my right hand, while I unsnap my jeans and pull them and my boxers down under my ass with the other.

  Without much thought I remove my fingers, flick her clit, then slide into her snug heat in one deep thrust. She gasps through a moan, and I get lost in the velvety smooth feel of her pussy.

  Warm.

  Wet.

  Fucking bare.

  Goddamn, I’m an idiot.

  “Fuck, no condom—”

  “It’s fine,” she cuts me off through a husky whisper. “Just don’t stop.”

  Not needing to be told twice, I pull out almost all the way before driving back in. Not rough. But not gentle either. I take her like I’ve been dying to since that first day I laid eyes on her.

  Deep.

  Raw.

  Real.

  “Merrick.” Her heated gasp sears the skin of my neck as she turns her face into me. Her back to my chest, both slick with sweat. Her hands braced on the counter in front of her. My arms banded around her shoulders and under her bouncing tits. Securing her to me. My knees bent, hips pounding her from behind.

  Brutal.

  Forceful.

  Fucking relentless.

  Taking advantage of her turned head, I nudge her forehead with my chin then drop my mouth to her lips. My tongue seeking entrance immediately. Owning every part of her body. From mouth to pussy.

  Our size difference has my entire body blanketing hers completely, caging her in and causing her feet to dangle off the floor with my force. But I never stop my rhythm. Not once. And she never asks me to. She takes every punishing thrust as I piston into her.

  She rips her lips from mine. Her ragged breaths and moans turn heavier and deeper. Husky with her arousal.

  “Oh my God, I’m close. So close…” Her words trail off on a whisper. Looking down over her shoulder, I see her fingers dig deeper into the granite counters she holds onto for dear life.

  “I know. I can feel your cunt wrapping tighter and tighter around my dick like a vice. It’s driving me fucking wild,” I growl through clenched teeth.

  Coasting my hand down her stomach, goose bumps erupt across her skin at my light touch. I slip my fingers over her bare mound then slide two over her clit. The sensitive tiny bundle of nerves causing her to scream out when I start rubbing tight circles over it.

  “Merrick. Fuck, Merrick.” The curse slipping past her lips has me pounding her even harder. Since I met her almost two months ago I’ve only heard her swear a handful of times. And each time she does it sends my dick into a fucking frenzy. There’s just something about that pretty little mouth of hers uttering such bad words that does me in.

  “Take it, baby. Fucking take it and let go,” I bend my head and whisper at her ear then lean further to bite into the sensitive spot where her shoulder meets her neck. As soon as I bite down, I tap her clit and she detonates. Fucking shatters into a million pieces right there in my arms. Her body quaking with desire. Her pussy convulsing around my dick so hard she takes me over with her.

  I come harder than I ever have before. And I’ve never felt so fucking right in all my life with my dick buried deep and her in my arms.

  The thought is sobering and has me pulling out sooner than I’d like. Dropping her feet to the floor, I hold her hips to steady her before letting go and taking a step back.

  My mind runs in circles. Thinking of the life I used to have to now and all I lost in-between. I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head to ward off the memories that haunt me daily. Stacy’s smile. Lila’s giggle. The perfect little family we had for four perfect years. Until those motherfuckers took it all.

  Rage fills my veins, jackhammering my heart against my chest. My breathing turns from heavy with lust to feral with anger in a snap.

  “Are you okay?” Small hands touch my abs and my eyes snap open. Labored breaths hitting my bare skin have me looking down to see Keelynn’s deep green eyes heavy with passion and confusion.

  “Fine,” I grit out and take another step back, pulling my jeans up from around my calves in the process.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Her timid, sweet voice hits my ears. Piercing my cold heart. Since I met her, not once has she ever sounded so unsure, and I don’t fucking like it.

  I finish snapping the button of my jeans before looking at her. She’s bending down, picking up her dress before slipping it over her bare form. I pull her into my arms when she stands upright. Trying to offer some comfort. My hands riding low on her back, fingertips just on the curve of her ass.

  “You’re not going to say this was a mistake are you?” her still timid voice asks, as she squeezes are arms tighter around my waist. Shielding herself from what I could say.

  Fuck, I wish I could say it was a mistake. But nothing about her in my arms and me buried deep inside of her was wrong. Not one fucking thing. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly before opening them and dropping my lips to the top of her head. Whispering there, “Not a fucking chance, Sunshine.”

  She relaxes at that. Melts right into my arms while wrapping hers even tighter around me. “Good. Because I think it was anything but,” her soft voice murmurs against my bare chest.

  Her words settle deep. In my heart. In my soul. Taking root and spreading wide. Owning me.

  I breathe deep and band my arms tighter around her in response. Fusing us. Chest to chest. Heartbeat to heartbeat.

  She tips her head up, chin to my chest, green eyes staring into mine. “It’s important that you know this is something I don’t normally do. Ever.”

  “What’s that?” I ask as I skim my fingertips along the back of her neck, moving her hair from her back so I can run my hands over the exposed skin above her dress.

  “This. Having…ya know with someone so quickly and like…that.”

  I barely contain my chuckle at
the fact that she can’t say sex, but she was just moaning and writhing and swearing. Unashamed. Uninhibited. Sexy as fuck.

  “Even with Trevor. This isn’t something we did. In the kitchen…” She shoves her head further in my chest as her arms wrap tighter around my waist. “And since Trevor…it’s only been Trevor…” She lets her statement trail off.

  I drop another kiss to her hair before sliding my hands down her arms to unclasp her hands from around me. I need to see her face. “Sunshine, look at me, baby.”

  Deep green eyes peer up at me. Blinking and shy and cuter than hell.

  “I never would have thought this was a regular occurrence for you. Before or after Trevor.” I pointedly look at her. Making sure she gets me. “But it’s real good knowing I’m the only other man.” I smirk, trying to lighten the moment, and because I’m smug as fuck right now. I can admit it. Knowing there’s been no one else between her late boyfriend and me. That shit has me wanting to pound my fucking chest.

  Because this girl, this gorgeous fucking girl with the greenest eyes and brightest damn smile is slowly starting to own me.

  She breathes fire into my heart and soul. Reigniting a passion and want and need I thought died three years ago.

  WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK, I can’t contain the pep in my step or the smile stretching across my face.

  Yesterday was…amazing. Unexpected. Raw. So intense. But oh so amazing.

  The way he looked at me, kissed me, touched me. The way he held me in his arms and took my body and completely owned it leaves me breathless just thinking about it.

  Merrick made me feel things I haven’t felt in years. And if I’m being honest, he made me feel things I’ve never felt before. It was as if we were connected, tethered, but not just our bodies and minds. But our hearts and souls, too.

  As confusing and somewhat heartbreaking as it is to admit, I can honestly say yesterday was the most exhilarating and life-altering moment of my life. When he held me, took me, I could feel the ground shake and the world as I know it shatter—because I know that one act of passion has changed my life.

  Forever.

  It hurts my heart in a way that’s hard to explain, too, because I feel like I’m betraying Trevor and his memory with the way I feel about Merrick. And how quickly I feel this way. But then I think about how I know he’d want me to be happy, and if that meant moving on, then that’s what he’d want me to do.

  I also know that he would want me to move on. It’s been two years of heartache and loneliness. Of never thinking I’d ever find a love that comes close to how I felt about Trevor.

  And then walks Merrick into my life, completely obliterating every notion I’d ever had. About how deeply I could feel, how passionate I could be. Leaving me flabbergasted and weary, yet so dang excited. Because even though it may be completely insane, I know without a shadow of a doubt that my heart has started that beautifully terrifying free fall. Yesterday just confirmed it.

  I’m not foolish enough to think this could lead anywhere more than where it’s gone though. My heart may not feel that way, but my head knows, and it’s keeping my heart on a tight leash for now. Because I recognize that Merrick carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Though I haven’t a clue what could be so heavy. I just hope one day he’ll really open up to me and share some of the load. Even if it is just as friends.

  I see Toni outside of the bookstore as I keep walking, and my face scrunches up in confusion. The fact that she’s here before me isn’t odd. She opens most mornings since I am definitely not a morning person. What’s weird is that she’s scrubbing away at the storefront windows, shaking her head and muttering loudly. Not loud enough to make out what she’s saying, but loud enough to hear that she isn’t happy.

  “Morning, Toni the Tiger. What’s going on?”

  As I come up next to her, she swings her head to me, her face pinched in aggravation. “I’ll tell you what in all that is holy is going on. These damn hooligans running around this town. That’s what’s going on.”

  On a huff she tosses the sponge down into the bucket of soapy water. It splashes out onto the sidewalk.

  I look to the windows and don’t notice anything right away. Getting ready to ask what she means since I know the window washer was by last week to clean them. But before I can ask, a glob of black catches my sight on the ground. I gasp. “Is that paint?”

  “Yup.” She pops the p, not at all impressed. “I came to open, and when I walked up I saw the windows covered in this mess.” Her hands outstretched, gesturing wildly to the spray paint splattered on the window and sidewalk.

  What in the world? “What did it say?”

  Toni’s eyes turn sympathetic for a minute, before going downright enraged. “Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about, Keelynn.”

  Although we live in a small town, it isn’t so small that things like this don’t happen on occasion around town. But I’ve never been victim to graffiti and this sort of vandalism before. I know most everyone in town; I can’t imagine who would want to do this.

  “Toni,” I say again to get her attention. “Tell me.”

  She hesitates. Clearly agitated and uneasy about what happened and what was tagged on my storefront.

  After blowing out a heavy breath, she shakes her freshly cropped white pixie cut streaked in purple and stands from her crouched position. “Thankfully, they used a brand of spray paint that washes right off of windows. So I was able to get it off with some elbow grease.”

  She’s stalling, but I give her a look. One that tells her to spill it. Now.

  “Oh, fine,” she huffs. “Watch it, whore,” the last word nothing but a whisper. Her eyes wide with ire and worry. “That’s what it said. I have no idea what it means or why, but I tell you what, if I ever find out about the hooligans who did this—put that word on your property and called you that—I’ll give them a what for like they’ve never seen before.” She’s actually shaking her fist at this point. Her face flushed in anger. “Damn hoodlums,” she curses.

  I don’t know why, but I can feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment. That word. Whore. And knowing that Toni saw it. It makes me feel ashamed and dirty and it isn’t even true. I don’t even know why anyone would call me that, let alone spray-paint it for the world to see. Everyone around here knows I’d only ever been with Trevor. But knowing it marred my store, my pride and joy, has a sense of disgust rushing through me. The connotation leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

  “I got here pretty early this morning, thinking I could get a head start on sorting shipments.” Her words break me from my wayward thoughts. “The sun had barely risen by the time I arrived, so I don’t think anyone saw,” she finishes in a delicately soft voice. Delivering each word in comfort for the turmoil raging through my mind.

  I swallow thickly. Then shake my head to right my thoughts. “Well then.” I don’t know what else to say so the words hang there between us for a moment. “I’m sure it was just kids being kids.”

  “Rats are what they are. Thinking they can get away with such a derogatory name and vandalizing your storefront.”

  “It’s fine, Toni.” It really isn’t, but I’m sure it really was just some kids wreaking havoc through town.

  “It’s far from fine, Keelynn,” she admonishes, shaking her head.

  I just shake it off and pull myself together. “Thank you so much for taking care of it and cleaning it up.” I place a gentle hand to her arm.

  “Of course, sweetie.” Her voice softens again.

  “Why don’t I finish up here?” Even though I posed it as a question, I bend to pick up the sponge to finish cleaning off the little bit of paint that’s left before Toni can reply.

  “Oh, it’s fine, honey. I can—”

  “No, really. Let me finish.” I keep scrubbing as I talk, evading her eyes. “Thank you for taking care of what you did. I appreciate it.”

  She smiles a small smile at me, gives a quick nod, then turns to the fron
t door. “I’ll get us opened while you finish up then.”

  “Someone’s awfully happy today considering they called me in a tizzy about something to do with spray paint.” Campbell’s voice breaks through my thoughts. One’s filled with dark, dark eyes and a strong, yet gentle touch.

  I turn to see her walking in, coffees in hand, big smile on her confused face.

  My smile can’t be contained despite what I walked in on this morning. After the terrible feeling of shame and confusion washed over me, the graffiti and what it said was no match for Merrick and how he makes me feel. That man has magical powers, I swear. Mind trickery with those good looks and that powerful body and what he can do with both. Once I stepped through the door, and inhaled the wonderful smell of books, my frazzled nerves calmed and my thoughts turned right back to where they had been before I saw Toni scrubbing away at the windows.

  “You just walked in, how would you know?” I try to act nonchalant, as if all is the same in my little world. When in reality, it’s been thoroughly rocked by one beastly, sexy man.

  My smile grows wider.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s that huge freaking smile that takes up your entire face!” she exclaims. “Plus, that extra spring in your step and swing in your hips can’t be missed. I saw it from outside. Down the damn sidewalk. Spill it, sister.”

  My cheeks heat, I can feel the flush start at my cheeks and descend down my neck. My thoughts derail to yesterday. Merrick’s strong hands. His powerful thrusts. His soft, full lips trailing down my ne—

  “Earth to Keelynn.” Campbell snaps her fingers in front of my face. The coffees sitting on the counter separating us. Thank goodness they’re iced.

  I take a sip to cool down. And to buy some more time.

  Campbell sets me with a look, drops a hand to her hip as she cocks it, and then I can hear her heeled boot tapping on the refurbished hardwood floor below. “Let’s start with what has you smiling even wider and blushing like a preteen at a Justin Bieber concert. Then you can fill me in on this morning.”

  I shrug once then look up into the same green eyes as mine. “I saw Merrick yesterday.”