Page 173 of Sin With Me

Chapter18

Emma

By the timewe returned to Eric’s house, I was exhausted. My brain felt as if it was fried and squeezed through a meat grinder and if I didn’t get any sleep, I’d fallover.

“I’m sorry, Emma. This was a lot to take in today.”

“No, I had a wonderful time, but I’d like to stay in tomorrow to do some research on my computer.”

“You just say the word, and I’ll stay out of yourway.”

“I don’t mind you being here.” I hoped Eric wouldn’t leave for the day just to let me work. I enjoyed his company and felt so at ease with him, I could have sworn we’d known each other in a previous life. Plus, after that little session he gave me by the barn I couldn’t help but hope for more. “I may have some questions.”

“I have work to do of my own with the horses, so I’ll definitely be around.”

“Good.” I was standing in the doorway to my bedroom, suddenly feeling nervous. Eric stepped from one foot to another, hesitating. Was he nervous aswell?

“I’d like to take a shower, if you don’t mind,” I finallysaid.

“Go ahead. I have some work to do, but I’ll be backsoon.”

And heleft.

I quickly jumped in the shower, taking note of the meticulous way the soap and the sponge had been stacked on one side, as well as his body wash and shampoo. Eric’s home was cleaner than the bachelor pads I remembered my brothers living in. I picked up a bottle, flicked it open, and inhaled the scent, immediately imagining Eric next tome.

“Amazing,” I whispered as his torturous words of barn fucking drifted back to my mind. I pictured him over me, the tinge of his sweat mixing with the aqua aroma as I spread the soap over my own body. For the first time in years, I tried to remember how it would feel to have a man inside me again, and the thought awoke a new wave of heat and desire between my legs. It had been so long – too long since a man had touched me. What I’d allowed Eric to do to me against that barn was absolutely sinful. I wanted it again. I wanted more. I needed Eric like I hadn’t needed a man in a long time, and I knew that the dildo hiding in my bathroom back in New York would never be enough. Although not many knew, I was a complete opposite to what my reputation suggested. While I chose to give my brothers the impression of a party girl, it didn’t mean that I was one. I desperately tried to stop everyone worrying about me, showing them I was over the accident and had moved on, when deep inside my heart had always ached for someone I could bare my soul to – someone like Eric, who was now so much more than another name on afile.

After the shower I lay flat on my back, sinking into the soft mattress. I wasn’t sure how long I’d stayed like this, but I think I dozed off. When I heard Eric turn on the shower, thoughts of his naked body nearby filled my mind. I imagined the water cascading over his muscles as he lathered a sponge and drew it over his arms and abs, the way he’d flex and stretch. I fought the urge to rip my shirt and panties off and jump back into the shower. I checked the clock on the nightstand – six o’clock. There was no way I’d be able to fall back asleep until he was done, so I hopped out of bed and headed to the kitchen for a cup oftea.

The smell of burning wood and the crackling sound of logs breaking apart filled the house. Eric had lit the fireplace. I brewed my tea and sat down in front of the fireplace, forgetting the work that had brought me to Eric’s home just for a moment. It had been a long time since I’d been able to relax. Spending the day with Eric, even though I’d been working, had been one of the best days I’d had in a long time. He rekindled a hope I’d lost the night David died. And the way Eric looked at me made me feel like I was worth millions and like there was no other woman in the world he wanted more. My need to help him put his past behind and find John Huntz grew. I wanted him happy, healed, and proud of the work I’d done. I needed his justice almost as much as hedid.

And his family was so pained. I could see it in his mother’s eyes and his father’s sagging cheeks. They were troubled – and it wasn’t solely because of what had happened in the past. Whatever burden they carried now was different. They lived in fear, which they were hiding from Eric, and I suspected that fear was somehow justified. Part of me wanted to tell him what I’d seen at their house. The overwhelming number of locks and bolts sent shivers of their fear up my own spine. Another part needed to secure the evidence first.

A shuffle of footsteps startled me, and I joltedup.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were asleep.” Eric stood in the doorway leading to the bathroom. A white towel was wrapped around his waist and another one hung on the back of his neck, draped over his shoulders. He must have just fluffed his hair. The two piercings in his nipples reflected the flames of the fireplace. Along with that sleeve tattoo, that was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. Beads of water dripped off his chest like perfect pearls, leading down the middle path of his abs. I followed their trail down to the sculpted V above his hips that narrowed near the edge of the towel. It was a miracle that the fabric managed to stay fastened below his hip bones. A darker shadow of hair was sprinkled just above the towel, and I felt my heart pick up speed as I looked away. A bit more staring and I’d be the one to eat him alive.

“I dozed off. It’s too early to go in for the night.” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly feeling as if every single one of my nerve endings was tapped into a live wire streaming erotic vibes.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that… you in the shower… I needed some tea.” Was my voice shaking?

“I hope I wasn’t tooloud.”

I stood up quickly, nearly spilling my tea, and Eric froze. His gaze snaked down my body and I realized I was wearing only my panties and a button-up plaid shirt I’d bought earlier in the day. I was sure my body had already betrayed me as the ache in my nipples pulsed through the fabric. “I should go.” The whisper that came out of my mouth was convincing neither him nor me. I watched him breathe from the distance, noting how my slow inhales moved in tandem withhis.

And after three long and determined steps, Eric was in front of me. We collided and I was in his embrace, wrapping my arms around him like an anaconda, pressing against his lean body, kissing him with the desperation that had been building inside me. If his lips and body were to disappear right now, I’d crumble. I needed him more than air. I wanted him more than life, and in that moment, I’d do anything he asked ofme.

But of course Eric’s lips were too busy nurturing my mouth, trailing along my jaw line to my ear and neck. I moaned, feeling his hand grasp my breast, aggravating my hardened nubs with his thumbs. My head lolled back as his mouth found the hollow in my neck, licking and kissing, nibbling and teasing. I heard a low swoosh of fabric, and I realized Eric’s towel had fallen from his hips. I pulled away and gasped at the size of him, all ready for me. He gave me a knowing look and grasped each side of my shirt, pulling it apart, leaving me in my laced hipster panties. The buttons bounced on the hardwood floor, scattering around the room, exposing me. Eric sucked in a quick breath and I saw his cock twitch. I felt a drip of desire make its way into the fabric between mylegs.

“I liked that shirt,” Isaid.

“I’ll get you a new one. Just so that I can rip it off you again.” His gaze lowered from my face to my bare cleavage, and he took a step toward me until his body was within inches of mine and his erection rested against my belly. The warmth of his skin oozed onto mine. My hands slid up his beautifully shaped arms to his biceps, and I wondered what he’d done to make them so profound.

“So this isn’t a one-time thing, right?” I whispered. The smell of his freshness and the aftershave did something wild in my belly as I recalled inhaling it in the shower. I could take that scent in all night long and I’d never get enough.

Eric leaned his forehead against mine, and said, “No way, Emma. You were mine the moment I saw you. I don’t think once or twice will be enough. I don’t think one hundred times will be enough.”

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