Page 68 of Whisper of Temptation (Whisper Lake 4)

CHAPTER 23

Austin stared up at his ceiling. Damn, what had made him think he’d get any sleep tonight? All he could think about was Sara in the next room. He was worried she might need something, like ice or ibuprofen, and she wouldn’t be able to get it. That she was lying there suffering in silence so she wouldn’t disturb the kids. Dozens of scenarios were taunting him, playing through his mind on a non-stop reel. The knowledge she was so close and yet still out of reach. It was torturing him.

Since leaving her room after it had become clear he was not helping get the kids to sleep, he’d spent the hours—or minutes? Tough to tell—tossing and turning. He wanted to be with her, make sure she was okay, and kiss her. Yeah, he seriously needed to kiss her.

A small tap-tap-tap sound came softly on the door, and he really wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not. But, shit, he wasn’t taking any chances. He jumped up, his former sniper reflexes in full effect, and crossed the room in a few quick steps. He pulled the door open, already breathing hard in anticipation.

There stood Sara, her hand still raised to knock again, her eyes wide, her mouth open in a surprised O at the force with which he’d yanked the door back, the baby monitor in her hand.

“Kids asleep?” he asked.

“Yep,” she confirmed.

Not being able to help himself, he slid his arm around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground. He pulled her firmly into the room and against his chest, crushing his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss as he softly closed the door behind them.

“Hi, beautiful,” he rasped between kisses. “I missed you.”

“Hi.” She tangled her fingers in his hair and wrapped her legs around him. “Ankle’s fine, don’t worry.”

The fact she knew that’s what he was thinking made him chuckle. He’d never laughed during sex before. Never enjoyed the playfulness and cleverness of his partner. Sara was so different, such a damn revelation. He found her mind, and her heart, every bit as sexy as he found her body.

He slid his hands down her sides until he was cupping her firm ass, and began kneading her rounded flesh. She pressed her mouth to his and roamed her hands over his back. As she did, she made little noises of desperation, moans and whimpers of pleasure and abandon, and they turned him on even further.

His cock hardened in his boxer briefs, and he wanted nothing more than to strip those off, get her out of the pajama shorts and tank top she was wearing, slip under the covers together, fully naked, and worship her body until the sun came up.

He carried her over to the bed and laid her down gently.

“Are you sure your ankle’s okay?” He caressed her cheek and pushed her hair back from her face as he stood, like an unspoken apology.

“Yes. It’s fine,” she assured him and began pulling off her tank top.

Not wanting to miss the show, he watched as he pushed his boxers down. Just like he did every time he saw them, he was in awe at the beauty of her breasts. Every single time he saw them, it was just like the first time. Every time doing anything with her was like the first time. It was inexplicable, but that was part of the wonder of Sara. All of the amazement and wonder he felt when he looked at her, talked with her, kissed her, and touched her—it was all there, every time. It didn’t fade. In fact, if anything, it grew.

“Damn, all those years payed off. You are truly perfection,” he growled softly, reverently.

“Even with the bum ankle?” she teased.

There was that wit again. Just another example of her brain being every bit as sexy as her body was.

“Brat.” He grinned, hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her pajama shorts, and pulled both them and her panties down over her legs in one swift movement that made her gasp.

He looked up into her eyes and grinned wickedly. “Now you’re completely at my mercy,” he joked in an overly exaggerated seductive tone of voice.

Her eyes darkening with hunger, she replied, “That’s exactly where I want to be.”

Her words sent erotic shockwaves rocketing through him that hardened his dick even more than before. He pulled aside the covers next to her and crawled in, pulling her in after him and wrapping her silky, naked flesh up in his embrace.

He planted soft kisses along the tender flesh of her neck and behind her ear as his hands roamed over her hot skin. Her smooth, flat belly. The graceful flair of her hips. Her long, tapered legs. Her tight, firm backside. All of these gorgeous parts of her were like putty under his fingertips.

He loved hearing her moans grow more and more desperate and breathless as he explored her flesh. It let him know his kisses and his touch we’re having the desired effect—they were turning her on.

If he could make her feel even a fraction of the pleasure he felt lying here next to her, touching her, he’d consider it mission accomplished. He didn’t know if that was possible. The pleasure he felt in that moment defied logic, or even reality. But he was damn sure going to make it his life’s work to achieve that goal.

He sprinkled kisses farther and farther down her neck until he’d reached her collarbone. He put his tongue out and traced hot, wet curlicues down her chest until he reached the top of her breast. He paused there, trailing gentle kisses all along her sweet, beautiful chest as he caressed her stomach and sides, building up the anticipation.

Then he slid his hands to the bottom curves of her full breasts and cupped their firm softness in his palms. He squeezed them gently, loving the way they felt—so heavy and substantial, yet still completely feminine in his hands.

The squeezing motion made her nipples, which had already been at stiff attention, stand out even more from her dewy, pink flesh. He couldn’t resist those tempting nubs any longer. Lowering his head, he began to hungrily devour them one by one. He made sure to spread the attention equally between the two, maximizing the pleasure he gave to each.

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