Page 39 of Anchored

Maple blushes, then strokes me, base to tip in a firm grip. “I would never think you’re a creep.” She strokes me again and my eyes cross. “I need a hot shower, my hunky monkey. Want to join me?”

I have never moved faster than this moment. I haul her up off the floor and into my arms, running for the bathroom with her laughter echoing in the cabin. Letting the water run to get warm, I sink my hands into her hair and kiss her.

When she was still asleep this morning, I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about me in the light of day. I’d been hoping against hope she’d be on board with my suggestion in the middle of sex last night. Wasn’t my finest moment, proposing a summer fling while I was balls deep in a woman, but I’d had to get the words out. Had to see if we could explore each other for a defined amount of time. I knew instantly one night wasn’t going to be enough for me.

The kiss immediately turns hotter than the summer sun on a black inner tube. I have her up on the tiny sink counter, my hands on her breasts and my tongue down her throat when I realize we’re supposed to be showering. It takes a great deal of willpower to pull myself away from her. Her hair is a tangled mess and her lips are swollen from our kisses. The delicate skin of her breasts is pink from my hands. She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.

I move one anklet-clad foot and reach into the cabinet below her to pull out a condom from a box I have stored there. I put the foil packet between my teeth and pick her up, carrying her into the shower. I force myself to be a gentleman, washing every inch of her body with soap and washing her hair. I don’t have conditioner, but she says it’s fine. I make a mental note to pick some up to have in my shower. I plan to take a million showers with Maple over the next two months.

“You sure you’re okay with this over the summer?” I finally ask as I rinse out the shampoo. Maple has her head tilted back, trusting me to keep the water out of her eyes as I guide the showerhead.

She waits until the soap is fully rinsed and she can open her eyes. Her hands crawl up my chest and into my damp hair. Her blue eyes look bright against her pale skin. “Absolutely okay with it. I’ve always wanted to have a summer fling with you.”

Fuck, this woman gets better every single moment I’m with her. How does she know exactly what to say to bring me to my knees? I grab the condom off the shelf in the shower and roll it on. I can’t wait any longer. I need to be inside of her. Need to feel her squeezing the life out of me while she falls apart.

“I’ll be gentle this time,” I assure her, picking her up by the hips. She wraps her legs around my waist, a sultry smile on her pretty face.

“Don’t you dare.”

On a groan, I thrust up into her. Her nails dig into my shoulders and we both hiss as I give her a moment to adjust.

“Goddamn, Maple,” I groan, our foreheads resting together. She feels so good, I can’t get over it.

In response, she squeezes her thighs and begins to ride my dick, her slick back leveraging the tile like she just can’t wait. Considering I don’t want to wait either, I help her along, my hands gripping her hips tight and thrusting into her as hard as I can on trembling legs. It takes almost no time at all for her to tighten around me and cry out my name. Just hearing my name on her lips is enough to send me over the edge with her.

We’re both breathing hard and shaking as we recover together, Maple still pinned against the wall. It’s got to be uncomfortable, but I’m afraid my legs will give out if I disengage right now. Her fingernails scrape along my scalp and I shiver back to life.

Gently sliding out of her, I help her get back on her feet and rinse her off again. She steps out of the shower as I take care of the condom and rinse off as well. She’s got the towel wrapped around her as she uses my towel to wipe off the fogged-up mirror. She hands it to me with a guilty look. I just grin and take it from her. She can do no wrong in my eyes.

“So, what’s the plan for today, moonbeam?”

She snorts softly at the nickname. It’s silly, but it somehow stuck. She’s like a moonbeam of light, all white skin and calm, dreamy voice. She’s the tranquility you feel in the stillness of the middle of the night. When stars dot the dark sky and the world just stops.

“Well, we need to eat. I’m starving! And then we should take Mookie for a walk. And then we need to run by the store because I forgot one last item for the chili cook-off tomorrow. We should stop and see Grandma Gracie too.”

Maple lists things off as she tries to swipe a brush through her tangled hair, oblivious to me checking her out. There’s something so natural about her being here, in this cabin with me. In my brief married life, cohabiting was hard. Coordinating schedules, sharing space, and blending lives was a rocky experience that I didn’t want to repeat. But having Maple here is…easy. Natural. Fun, actually, especially now that sex has entered the picture.

She turns around, brush stuck in her hair, a goofy smile on her face. “I think I need conditioner and then I’ll attack this mess.”

I slide my hand behind her neck and pull her in so I can kiss her, hairbrush, matted hair, and all. “I’ll get breakfast going, then.” I force myself to let go of her before she can accuse me of being obsessed with her. But I do smack her on the ass before I leave the bathroom, earning a shriek of indignant laughter.

Diverting to my bedroom to grab a pair of shorts and underwear, I slide them on and head for the kitchen. Mookie’s prancing from the back door to the kitchen, her nose in the air like the queen she thinks she is.

I open my mouth to praise her for using the doggie door when I catch a whiff that makes my lip curl. Sure enough, there by the back door, right next to the available doggie door, is a stinky present left on my flip-flop. What the fuck?

“Seriously, Mookie?”

The dog doesn’t even look at me as she walks into the kitchen to sniff for scraps she knows I’ll drop as I cook breakfast. I clean up the mess as best I can, thinking it might be worth throwing out the flip-flops instead of trying to sanitize them. Maple joins me in the kitchen before I’ve even gotten ingredients out of the refrigerator, dressed in another flowy shirt with a thousand necklaces and a pair of white jean shorts that make me rethink if her breasts are her nicest body part.

I point at the dog who thinks she’s better than me. “You’re worthless, you know that, Mook?”

“What did she do?” Maple asks on a gasp, stepping between us like she intends to protect the little shitter.

I narrow my eyes at Mookie. “She knows what she did.” The mutt has the audacity to widen her eyes, looking innocent and cute.

Maple bends down and picks her up, cuddling the furball to her chest. “You poor thing. I don’t know why that mean man is so grumpy.”

I snort and get out eggs and yogurt, preparing what’s now more of a brunch than breakfast. “Since we only have the summer, why don’t we list out some fun things we want to do around here. The chili cook-off is tomorrow. Then we can find the weekend bonfire. Not by boat this time…”

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