Page 16 of Love Unwrapped
Andi looked around, taking in the room. “This is a great space. I had no idea all this was back here from my one peek through the doorway.”
“Yeah, the old owner used it as his own efficiency apartment, so it’s basically a little home back here. There’s even a small bedroom through that door. I crashed here many a night when I first started Manly Cakes. I won’t complain about how well the store did from the moment I opened it, but keeping up with demand left a lot of late nights and early mornings.” He grinned at the memory of that first year. Chelsea had manned the front, but he’d produced every single item himself and consulted with clients about their special orders. He’d even taken charge of deliveries. “Now Chelsea, Wyatt, and a few other part-time employees take up the slack some so I can have a life.” Blake flip back the lid of the pizza box and picked up a slice. He bit into the cheesy gooey goodness. “God, that’s really good.”
Andi laughed. “I know, right? It’s been my favorite pizza place for years. They even do by-the-slice at lunch. There’s no way I’ll believe you grew up here and never experienced their pies?” She had a dubious expression, but not antagonistically so. They’d made progress. A constriction in Blake’s chest—one he hadn’t even been aware of until this moment—loosened.
“I haven’t been there since I was a teenager. I didn’t remember it being this good. Maybe it’s that my entire diet isn’t junk food like when I was sixteen.” He groaned and leaned back in his seat, savoring another bite. Finishing the slice in record time, he shifted enough to reach the water bottle on the table and took a swig.
Andi set her half-eaten slice, nestled in the napkin, on the coffee table and shifted in her seat enough to take off his jacket. “I guess I should give this back. Thank you for the loan. It did the trick.”
Blake reached for the jacket and their hands touched, electricity zinging between them. He jerked his gaze up to meet her wide eyes. She’d felt it too. He twined their fingers and didn’t let go. He reached over with his other hand and tossed the jacket behind him, then used the grip he still had on her to yank her forward. She gasped and put a hand out to brace herself, which put her right where he wanted her. She had one hand braced against his pec and her body slanted over his, her mouth within inches of his lips.
When she licked her lips, he couldn’t resist. He tilted his head and raised the inch until they met again, skin to skin. The vibrating zing of electricity pulsated between them, like streaks of lightning through a clear dark sky. Blake had never experienced that sensation with another human being.
At the touch of their lips, Andi sank down onto this chest, melting into him with a small moan. He twined their fingers together and ran his other hand through her hair to cup the back of her head. Their tongues dueled. She tasted of cheese and the tang of tomatoes, but underneath the flavor was undeniably…Andi. He reveled in the essence that was purely her, sweet and regal, but with a hint of spice and sass.
He pushed forward until he had her on her back underneath him, her head on her end of the couch. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, much like she’d done at the pizza place. He couldn’t get enough of this woman. He’d thought she was perfect when they were teenagers, but now she was all woman and that teenage version paled in comparison to what she’d become. He couldn’t imagine being more attracted to someone. Without the walls between them, their chemistry made his body sing. The tune they created would sell triple platinum if they recreated it on an album.
He’d only had her in his life again for two days, but she’d been his unwitting barometer for all the women he’d dated for more than a decade. Could it be the same for her? He pulled back slightly and looked down at her, watching her gaze for a sign that she felt it too.
“It’s not normal, right? We don’t even like each other. Or”—she shook her head—“that’s not really true. I thought you hated me, and I blamed you for my sister’s issues.” Creases formed on her forehead as she tried to figure out how it all fit together. He ran a thumb over her brow, smoothing out the lines.
“I think as teenagers we… Well, I used sarcasm and antagonism as my shield. You intrigued me. I didn’t know another way to get your attention. And it worked.” He laughed when she smirked at him. “Befriending Nat wasn’t my best idea, but she said she wanted to help me get closer to you. Since I wanted nothing more, it was a no-brainer.” He pressed his forehead into hers, breathing her in. “And I guess that pretty much sums up that last year—definitely no brains in use.” Blake nibbled down her jawline to her neck, nuzzling aside her top to get to her skin. “Do you believe me now?”
She tilted her head back to offer him better access. “My whole family blamed you for getting Nat in trouble. Why did you not say anything? How could you let us all believe it was you who’d put her up to robbing that store?” She pushed at his shoulders, but groaned in displeasure when he pulled away.
“I tried. But my dad was a big businessman in town, and the DA suspected he was shady—maybe he was, I don’t know—but he refused to listen to me and was prepared to prosecute fully.”
She pushed up and scooted back on the couch so that she was propped up against its arm. Blake groaned. He didn’t want to rehash the past. There were too many much more pleasurable things they could do right here in the present. He sighed when she waved her hand as if telling him to keep going with his story and he sat back to see her better.
“The judge came up with the military idea and it seemed win-win. I got away from my family, which was a good thing because we never got along. My grandmother—Nana Jean, the only family I got along with and the one who taught me to bake—had passed that year. I didn’t have anyone, and enlisting got them to dismiss the case from my record. I’d planned on going in for one tour and being done. I’d see some of the world then go to college, start a life.” How naïve he’d been. He’d been so scared at first, but he’d met the guys who’d become his family and it had worked out in the end.
“Why’d you stay in?” She tilted her head, as if puzzling him out. He could see why she’d be a good lawyer. She never left a stone unturned. He sighed as he realized he’d get nowhere with her until he answered every one of her questions.
“I met Ryan…and a few other guys you might meet one day. They became more than family—or at least more than any family I’d ever known. We all went through BUD/s together—the SEAL training program. Let’s call that a bonding experience.” He smirked her way to lighten the conversation. Then he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down flat on the couch. She squeaked at the sudden movement but he was over her before she could do anything about it. At her giggle, he said, “And that’s enough of a history lesson.” Blake flicked at the buttons on her blouse. “And while I want to hear about all you’ve done in the last ten years. I do believe there are some things that warrant further exploration. And I think now’s the perfect time to dive right in.” He wiggled one finger under a button until it released, granting him a view of the silky skin of her cleavage. He leaned down and kissed the spot, garnering a moan as Andi arch upward, as if seeking more contact. “I have your attention now, do I?”
“Yes. Yes. Your lips are amazing,” she breathed.
He chuckled against her sternum. “I have many amazing bits. Just you wait and see.” He reared back, kneeling with one knee between her legs and one foot off the sofa, and winked at her before tackling those buttons and yanking that shirt open. He sucked in a breath at the sight before him. He reached down to press against his dick, confined in his jeans, but not subdued in any way. He hadn’t come that close to spontaneous ejaculation since he was sixteen. Come to think of it, that might have been her fault that time too. Her lacy confection of a bra left nothing to the imagination. It cupped her breasts perfectly but left nothing hidden. He could even see the freckles through the lace as her chest heaved with her breaths.
“Take off your shirt.” She pulled at the material, her fingers connecting with the bare skin of his abs, sending a shiver though his body. He reached behind him and grasped his shirt, pulling it forward and over his head, sending it flying. She looked her fill at his chest, then ran her hands down his abs slowly, as if memorizing the texture. When she got to his belt buckle, she tucked her hand inside the waist of his jeans and yanked, sending him toppling forward. He braced himself over her as she pulled him into another kiss. Her hands never stopped working, tugging and struggling with his buckle and jeans.
But he was more interested in getting her naked. If she got her hands on him at this moment, it would all be over with. He wasn’t ready for that. He had plans.
He leaned forward on one elbow and ran his hand down her side until he got to her jeans. He flicked open the closure and crawled backward on the couch, pulling her jeans off as he went. The matching lace panties drew him forward again, and he kissed the spot right above the little bow decorating the center of the alluring undergarment. He could feel the heat coming off her, and he wanted nothing more than to get even closer. With his thumbs under the edges of her panties, he glanced up to make sure she wasn’t having second thoughts. She undulated beneath him, encouraging his movements. He pulled the scrap of lace from her body and ran his hands up her thighs, before settling between her legs. He kissed each thigh before moving forward, licking and stroking with his tongue until he made his way to her clit. She reared off the couch, a moan escaping her lips as she gripped the cushions.
He circled her core and flicked her clit, finding the perfect tempo to drive her wild. Blake couldn’t believe the passion this woman had in her. She appeared so reserved and uptight, but he’d known there was more to Andi than met the eye. He could feel the passion in every biting retort she sent his way. And he wasn’t disappointed. He drank in her sounds, urging him on to go faster or slower, harder and deeper. He spread her wider and took her to the edge. He sank a finger into her heat, feeling the clutch of her core as he twirled his tongue over her clit. Her pants and moans got louder as he took her to the edge. He couldn’t wait to see her go over, to be part of her orgasm. But she yanked at his hair, pulling him back before she crested the wave.
“Stop. Stop. I don’t…”
Blake pulled back instantly, concerned she’d changed her mind, but he could see the passion flaring in her gaze. He tilted his head and waited for her to speak.
“I need…you. I want you in me before…” She gripped his shoulders and brought him down for a kiss. “Please.”
Who was he to deny a lady’s request? He unbuckled and discarded his jeans in record time, then had to grab them back again to yank his wallet out, scrabbling for a condom. Thank goodness for always being prepared. She watched him put the condom on, keeping contact with his skin, always touching him in some way. Once he was ready, she grabbed his hips and pulled him forward. He loved that she lost all inhibitions when having sex.
Once he’d positioned himself at her entrance, he met her gaze, watching her every reaction as he filled her slowly. Inch by excruciating inch, he entered her tight heat. There had never been a more perfect moment in his life. He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers as he was fully seated, her core pulsating around him, gripping and pulling him in. He’d never last at this rate. He drew in a deep breath, her scent invading his system, clawing at him with the need to consume this woman.
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