Page 22 of Recklessly in Love

I laugh. “I’m just in awe. What’s gotten into you today?”

She shrugs and rises from her chair. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I purse my lips but keep my thoughts to myself. Either she knows she’s bald-faced lying and doesn’t want to talk about it, or she doesn’t and nothing good will come from me pointing it out.

“All right guys, we’re headed to Portland early tomorrow for Christmas morning with Nate’s parents,” Mia declares, opening her arms to Joanie.

“Better get home so you can fuck and sleep before then,” Joanie teases, hugging her friend. “I’ll see you guys for dinner tomorrow.”

We finish a round of goodbyes, and I look to Joanie. “So, I guess that means you’re coming home with me?”

She smirks, the first sign of the naughty girl I’ve seen all day. “Was that ever even a question?” She bats her eyelashes at me, and I laugh.

“Guess not. What if I had plans for Christmas?”

She cocks her head. “Do you?”

“Nope. Got enough of my family last week. You’re not spending Christmas with yours?”

Joanie shrugs and loops her arm through mine as we return to my truck. “Mia is family. But no, my parents are in Australia. Christmas tradition. They despise the cold.”

“And they’re fine leaving their only child alone at the holidays?”

“Oh, they used to offer to bring me out there to join them. But I’ve always worked through the holidays, so at some point, they just stopped asking.”

I frown. “Do they know you lost your job?” I ask curiously.

She gives me a sharp look. “Not yet, no,” she responds, her tone as sharp as her gaze.

I nod, reading between the lines that it’s not something she wants to discuss.

She stops so abruptly that I end up a few steps ahead of her before I can react. I turn back, and she’s frowning.

“Do you want me to come home with you?” she asks, seemingly equally irritated and disappointed.

I quickly close the gap between us, choosing the language she speaks best to answer first. My mouth is on hers, my tongue pushing between her lips, and my arms pulling her to me. I’m afraid at first when she doesn’t respond, but after a few long moments, she opens her mouth for me.

When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against hers. “More than anything,” I swear. “I want you more than anything.”

I lace my fingers with hers, and we silently walk the rest of the distance. We finish the short ride to my place in silence. We make it to the bedroom in silence.

Joanie sits on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to her seductively. Rather than take it, I drop to my knees before her, looking up into her ice-blue eyes. Her gaze is filled with heat and lust. But all I see is her.

“Time to make me scream, mountain man,” she purrs.

I shake my head. “Another time. Tonight, I’m going to worship you.” We stare at each other for a moment. I’m waiting for her to protest at the intimacy of that request. She’s … well, I can’t tell if she’s more confused or excited. I hope she’s both. I want to turn everything she thinks she knows about me on its head.

I start by slowly slipping off her shoes and socks. She watches, allowing it, somewhat amused by the process. When I’m done, I lift her sweater up and over her head, revealing a red, lacy bra through which I can see her peaked nipples.

“Fuck, city girl,” I breathe, leaning in and closing my mouth over her left nipple. I suck at it through the fabric, and she winds her fingers into my hair, tugging with approval, so I do it to her other nipple, too. Then I move to her mouth, using a kiss to press her back onto the bed.

I pull away, unbuttoning her jeans and shimmying them over her pert ass and down her long legs. Unsurprisingly, her panties match the bra perfectly, and dark curls are visible underneath, into which I promptly bury my face and inhale. The scent of her arousal has me hard in an instant.

“You smell like heaven,” I murmur. She giggles, presumably at the sensation of my voice reverberating through her core.

But we can’t have laughing. Not while I’m between her legs. So, I move aside her panties and plunge my tongue into her, lifting her knees to widen her slit, diving deeper. She groans and arches and squirms, so I press a hand on her hips, stilling her for my mouth.

“Look at me, Joanie,” I demand.

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