Page 46 of Joanna's Highlander (Highland Protector 2)

She pushed up from his chest, slid down, and straddled his legs. Taking his hot, velvety hardness in one hand, she slowly massaged up and down. “You are insatiable,” she said as she bent and raced the tip of her tongue around the rim of his cock’s head.

“Only with you, m’love. Only with you.”

Joanna bent and licked the length of his shaft, then sucked him into her mouth as deep as she could. Grant’s entire body flinched and tightened beneath her. She sucked harder and faster while pumping the length of him she couldn’t fit in her mouth.

Grant arched his back and groaned. His scrotum tightened in the palm of her hand. He was about to lose control. “Ride me, I beg ye,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Gi’ me yer heat!”

He didn’t have to ask twice because she needed him just as badly. Joanna climbed up his thighs, hovered over his cock for a hot second, then rammed herself downward. She almost came immediately but clenched against it.No. Not yet.

“Ride, lass, ride!”

Joanna rocked slowly at first, then gained speed, gyrating hard and fast until Grant roared out a stream of Gaelic and arched upward, lifting them both off the bed. As he shuddered and pumped inside her, Joanna spun into her own orgasm, screaming out with the exploding bliss that wouldn’t be contained.

Grant fell back to the bed, locking his arms around her and clutching her to his chest. “God a’mighty, love. God a’mighty.” Chest heaving, his heart pounded against her cheek.

“I agree,” Joanna panted.I see us spending all our weekends in bed.

Grant’s breathing gradually slowed and his heartbeat leveled out to a regular rhythm. As he calmed beneath her, a possible solution to their disagreement popped into her head. Maybe she could convince Grant to let her take the job in Chicago—temporarily. Six months. Just enough time to get him to give it a chance. Maybe the six-month offer would make him feel less threatened and help him believe that she wasn’t looking for a way to get away from him. Then after the six months was up, he’d realize just how easily they could make it work on a larger scale.

She raised her head and propped her chin on her folded arms resting on the center of his chest. “Would you be willing to make a deal?”Help me play this right,she silently prayed.

“A deal?” Grant’s eyes narrowed. “Ye ask me that after what we just did? So, ye mean t’take advantage of me in my weakened state? Shame on ye, lass.”

“Yes—and no more ‘advantage’ than you took of me.” Joanna shifted a bit and fixed him with the sternest scowl she could manage under the circumstances. “You owe me a deal and you know it.”

“And why would ye think I owe ye a deal?”

“No condoms? At all. Last night or today?” Joanna gave him a look that he’d have no trouble deciphering. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”

A sheepish look settled across Grant’s face. “Ye said ye wanted children, and since we’re good as married…”

“I said ‘someday.’ ” Joanna raised herself up and slid off Grant to kneel beside him on the bed. “Somedaydoesn’t mean ‘now,’ and I know the only reason you did it was to try to get me pregnant so I wouldn’t take that job.”

“Well…” Grant grinned and gave her a wink. “That wasna the only reason.” He scooped up her hand and pecked a quick kiss to the backs of her fingers. “Ye canna tell me ye didna enjoy making love the way a man and a woman were meant to.”

He made a valid point, but that wasn’t the issue here. Time to stick to her guns. “Okay, fine. But you still owe me a deal for trying to trick me.”

Grant’s grin faded. “Fine. What is this deal ye wish to propose?”

“Just give it six months. That’s all I ask.”

“Six months for what?” He already knew “for what.” She could tell by the look on his face and the hurt shining in his eyes.

“Let me give the job in Chicago a chance for six months so we can see if we can make the situation work.” Joanna held her breath. At least he wasn’t raging—yet.

Grant rolled away from her and pushed himself up off the bed. Standing in the middle of the bedroom, he clasped his hands together on top of his head and leaned back to stare at the ceiling as though seeking divine guidance. Finally, his hands dropped and he turned to face her. “Why can ye no’ let this go, Joanna?” he asked quietly. “Why are ye so determined to do this?”

“It means a lot to me.”

“Apparently, it means a great deal more to ye than I do.”

“That’s not fair.” Joanna slid to the edge of the bed and stood, wrapping the sheet around her body in the process. Suddenly, being naked didn’t feel quite right. “You know you mean everything to me. I never dreamed I could be this happy…this content.”

“That’s no’ what ye just said,” Grant said sadly. He walked over to the corner of the room, scooped his kilt up off the floor, and belted it around his waist. Refusing to look at her, he shook his head. “Do whate’er ye will, Joanna. ’Tis obvious yer determined t’do what ye wish whether I agree to it or not, and nothing I say or do will e’er change yer mind.”

“I just need you to give this a chance.” The defeat in his voice broke her heart, but she couldn’t give in now. “Six months. Just six months. Will you agree to that? For me?”

Grant padded barefoot to the door, retrieved the key from the top of the frame, unlocked the door, and opened it. “I already said, ‘Do what ye will.’ I’ll no’ try t’stop ye anymore. But know this…I’ll ne’er find it in m’heart t’forgive ye for leavin’ me. I’m not the forgivin’ sort.” Without a look back, he left the room and softly closed the door behind him.

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