Page 28 of Out in the Country

“You’re so damn good at that.” His praise has my cheeks heating and the bastard smirks.

“Don’t even start with me.” I try and roll away but it’s futile as his arm wraps around me and pulls me back against his solid chest.

“Why shouldn’t you be praised for your efforts?” The words are followed by the nip of his teeth on my earlobe, and I shudder as lust pools in my belly. “You take me so good, baby, and I can’t wait to finally be inside you.”

I moan, and he chuckles into my neck.

“Have you always been this sadistic?” I mutter, and it only makes him laugh harder.

“I didn’t hear you complainin’ when I had—”

“Okay, okay, stop.” I laugh as I cover my now flaming-red face with my hands. For as comfortable as I am with sex, Everett is light-years out of my league with the dirty talk, and now that I’ve come down from the postorgasmic high, I’m feeling a little shy and self-conscious.

“Am I embarrassin’ you, Hayden?”

“No,” I say unconvincingly, the word muffled by my hands.

Rolling me onto my back, Everett peels my hands away and looks down at me with the sweetest expression.

“Not my fault I’m obsessed with you.”

“But it’s my fault?” I ask as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss.

“Shouldn’t be so damn sexy if you didn’t want me all over you all the time.”

“Mmm,” I manage as he peppers kisses across my jaw and down my neck.

“And Hayden?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time.”

My breath catches in my throat because I know he said it in the heat of the moment but…“You’re sure?”

“Very sure.”

I grin because this feels like so much more than just saying we’re going to have sex. Connecting with Everett on an intimate level has been insane—like I had no idea what pleasure was before he blindsided me.

The man is attentive in every aspect of our relationship andwowis it good. My eyes prick with unshed tears, and his face morphs from playful to concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

Blinking faster, I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it’s no use so I choke out the words, “I’m just really thankful and humbled to be sharing this with you—all these experiences.”

“I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.” He smiles. “Wanna know the best part?”

“What’s that?”

“We have a lifetime to look forward to.” He brushes away the single tear that escapes with his thumb and then presses sweet kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, and finally my lips.

“We have forever.”

14

EVERETT

“Hank, I’m going to run home for lunch,” I say, and Hank’s gaze travels from me to my lunch box sitting on the counter and back to me.

---