Page 78 of Refuge for Flora

“That’s no good,” Flora offered.

“Yeah. That was right afore I sent him off to Tennessee.” Mrs.Murphy looked off like she was reminiscing.

Barrett leaned over to Flora and whispered, “Sent him off to?”

“Don’t ask,” she whispered back. “You don’t wanna know.”

“Got it.”

They laughed and talked until they realized Mrs.Murphy had drifted off to sleep. “Are you going to be able to stay?” Flora whispered as they walked the short hallway to her bedroom.

“I feel like I can’t, but I want to. You know that.” As soon as they were in the room with the door closed, he spun her and pressed her back to the door. “I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else in the world.”

Flora’s lips found the side of his neck and she breathed in his scent as she nipped his skin. “I want you to stay.”

“It’s six thirty, and I figure they’ll be working until at least ten, so there’s no reason why we can’t…” He tipped his head toward the bed. “Up to you.”

“Well, yeah. Why would I say no?” Those hazel eyes fixed hers with their gaze and Flora melted. Anything Barrett asked her to do, she’d do willingly and gladly. He was the closest thing to perfect that she’d ever seen, and she’d never wanted a man the way she wanted him. It amazed her that he’d want her. He could have any woman he wanted, but for reasons she couldn’t understand, he wanted her. That made her happier than he could ever imagine. She let him turn her and walk her backward toward the bed, kissing her, his lips becoming more insistent until they were almost frantic. The edge of the mattress hit the backs of her knees and she sat down, legs open for him to step in. The rippled skin on his abs was washboard firm, and she dragged her bent fingers up toward his chest, then back down, letting her pinky fingernails graze his tiny, hardened nips as they slid toward his waist. A flush of excitement spread across her chest as he gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and off, and she instantly reached for his belt buckle.

“Flora…”

“Um-hmmm.”

“You sure about that?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m positive.” The grin that stretched across her face squeezed her eyes closed. With a nimbleness that surprised even her, she unbuttoned his jeans, slid the zipper tab down, and pressed them open and back. The hardened ridge of his manhood under his boxer briefs greeted her, and she was pretty damn happy to see it. Everything between her legs tingled, and she squirmed against the sheets a little to try to scratch that itch. Just as her fingers touched the elastic band, a hand clutched the hair at her crown and pulled her head back.

The desire in his eyes surprised her. “Am I the man you want, or am I your way out?”

Her lips grazed his belly just below his navel and she spoke against his skin. “I don’t think you can get me out. I think he’ll find me and kill me before you can. But I’ll die with your name on my lips. Nobody’s ever acted like they gave two shits about me, but you… I canfeelhow much you care, Barrett, and I’ve never had that. You don’t have to love me as long as you at least treat me like a human being.”

“Idolove you, Flora. I’m not going to treat you like a human being. I have every intention of treating you like the queen I know you to be. You’re an amazing woman, and I fully intend to make you see just how amazing you really are.”

Not one single cell in her body could wait another minute as she pulled that elastic out and down to free his hardness. She didn’t lap the crown, just ran her mouth as far down over it as she could and listened to him hiss. God, he smelled amazing, and his hands were gentle as his fingers threaded through her hair. A glance upward told her his head was thrown back, and she heard him whisper, “Oh, god, babe. Your mouth is magic. Jesus, babe, I… Oh, yeah. Just like that. Babe, I’m gonna… If you don’t wanna… God, Flora, I’m…”

His attempt to push her back was weak at best, and the instant he let loose, she swallowed his essence down like the finest whiskey, its saltiness burning as it slid down her throat. He seemed to teeter just a little and she wrapped her arms around his hips, holding him steady. She swallowed again before she asked, “You okay?”

“Fuck, I think every drop of blood I have made it into my cock. Holy shit, girl.” He dropped onto the mattress and crawled up to the pillow, so Flora followed him and stretched out. Their faces were inches apart, and he kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s gonna take some work to get me up. I think you pretty much drained me dry.”

“Nah. It’ll be fine.” She’d already reached for his softness and was working it gently, coaxing another erection along. “Unless you just don’t want to.”

“Oh, hell, no. I didn’t say that. Nuh-uh. Not at all. I’m good with it, really. Know what would help?”

“What?”

“Get those clothes off.”

Flora shot up, yanked her top and bra off, then shimmied out of her shorts and panties. “Better?”

Barrett had dragged his jeans off and lifted his hips to slide his briefs down. “Oh, yeah. That helps immensely.” Those large hands cupped her breasts, fingers splayed, and the heat that pooled low in her belly drove her very nearly mad. Feeling him inside her was the only thing she really wanted, needed, craved. It was hard to catch her breath as she lost herself in his kisses, first sweet and tender, then firm and insistent. It shocked her when he pulled away from her. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I don’t have any condoms with me.”

“If it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother me.”

“I just… I don’t want to be disrespectful of you.”

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