Page 76 of Shelter from the Storm

She nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I suppose we should have talked about this before…” Gretchen glanced at the bed.

Theo sank down onto the mattress, patting the spot next to him. “I’m assuming he’s the only man you’ve had sex with.” He refused to refer to Briggs as a lover, considering all he’d ever shown her was control and hate.

“He is. And at the beginning, the sex was fine. In the middle, it felt more like a chore, not something I enjoyed but could tolerate. Toward the end, it stopped altogether.” She blushed a little. “I think he might have had a little trouble…” She crooked her pointer finger, then straightened it. Theo chuckled at the way she used a gesture rather than saying her ex couldn’t get it up.

“Wow. He didn’t set a very high bar, did he?”

Gretchen shot him a look that was pure minx. “He didn’t. But I should warn you, I read a lot of steamy romance novels, so you’re still going to need to bring your A game.”

Theo barked out a laugh, enjoying this new side of her. Since coming clean about her past, Gretchen was slowly starting to reveal more of what he suspected was her true personality. She was funny as shit, a bit of a smart-ass, and outspoken on subjects she felt passionate about. She’d shed her reservations, no longer afraid to draw attention to herself or be seen.

Theo had a big personality himself, but damn if he didn’t think Gretchen was going to give him a run for his money.

“Challenge accepted,” he retorted before rising again. Gretchen accepted his proffered hand, lifting her face as he bent to kiss her.

They’d spent hours the past couple of weeks necking like teenagers. He’d never put a ton of stock in kissing, viewing it only as a prologue while waiting for the story to start. With Gretchen, however, kissing could be the entire first act, leading all the way to the intermission, and he’d still want more.

She ran her fingers through his hair as he slowly untucked her shirt, his fingers dipping beneath to stroke the soft skin of her waist and stomach.

She sucked in a wobbly breath, breaking the kiss. “That tickles,” she confessed with a giggle.

Unable to resist, Theo tickled her again.

Gretchen tried to push him away, her hands pressing on his chest, laughing, which only encouraged him to up the ante.

Wrestling her to the bed, he straddled her thighs, tickling her even more as she struggled and laughed in equal measure.

Given what he knew of her past, he would bet the entire farm Gretchen had never laughed in bed, never realized that sex could be hot and fun.

“Uncle!” she finally cried.

Theo relented, shifting until his body was completely over hers, resuming their kiss as lips parted, tongues touched, breath grew heavy, and their desire rose.

He ran his fingers over her long blonde hair, then cupped her gorgeous face, taking in her pink cheeks and sparkling blue eyes.

Gretchen looked her fill as well, the two of them speaking volumes with the connection of their gazes.

“I have a condom in my room. I better go grab that before things really heat up.”

Gretchen fisted his shirt, holding him to her. “I’m on the pill. If you.” She bit her lip. “I mean, we don’t need to…”

Theo kissed her again, pressing his forehead to hers. “I genuinely believed the day we met was the best day of my life, but I think tonight might rearrange that order.”

“Every single day since that first has been the best of my life.” She smiled, pulling him back down to kiss her again.

In between kisses, they undressed each other, stripping one piece of clothing at a time. She lost her shirt first, and Theo took his time, teasing her tight nipples through the lace of her bra.

Once Gretchen tugged his shirt off, she pushed him back a few inches, her eyes traveling over his bare chest. “It’s like you’re chiseled from stone.”

He drew one finger through the valley of her breasts. “Farmwork is better than any gym.”

Gretchen arched her back to give Theo access to the hooks on her bra. He snapped them free with a practiced hand, and she smirked.

“You’re awfully good at that.”

He started to laugh, but it quickly morphed to a growl when he bared her breasts, his mouth watering for a taste. His dick had been rock-hard since he’d walked into the cabin and discovered she’d made him dinner. Every single thing about Gretchen turned him on, and most of it wasn’t even sexual.

Her tits, though…

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