Page 25 of Christmas in Kiwi Country

As I freshen up, I can’t help but let my hips shimmy and shake to the song playing over and over in my head. Humming “Any Man of Mine” by Shania Twain, I apply an extra coat of lipstick because I know for a fact that the man waiting for me on the other side of the door is every single line and more.

14

CULLEN

Imust be getting older because jetlag hit harder than it used to on our first full day in Auckland. Gwen had been a good sport about it, and secretly, I think she knew I’d need time to rest and planned accordingly. We’d slept in and then donned the ridiculously plush hotel robes after showering together in the massive walk-in space. We’d climbed back into bed and ordered room service.

“I think this is a lipstick moment,” I murmur against the exposed skin above her breasts where the robe has fallen open.

“Is it?”

Her skin smells delicious as my lips coast over her collar bone and up her neck. “Mm-hmm.” Her hand holding her book drops to the bed, her thumb still holding the page as I deftly undo the tie of her robe.

She’s not shy as I peel the fabric open, leaving her bare before me. Women in the past had rushed to cover every imperfection as if non freshly shaven legs or cellulite were a deal-breaker when a man just wanted to be granted access to that sweet piece of heaven at the apex of their thighs.

Her body is glorious—firm and soft, supple and maddening as she tips her knees open to give me better access to taste her center. Gwen’s smile is soft as she runs her fingers through my hair before cupping my cheek.

“You’re beautiful,” I say, and I don’t hide the awe in my voice. She’s always so done up anytime she steps outside, but these moments are the ones I cherish the most because they’remine.

Her face is sun-kissed and free of makeup, her lips their natural shade, and she’s every bit the dream, as if she’d been dolled up for a night on the town.

“You always say that.”

“Because I mean it,” I say before I lower my face between her legs and take pleasure in the moan that leaves her lips as my tongue swipes the length of her slit. I lick and suck lazily, enjoying the way she rocks her hips every time I focus on her clit before giving equal attention to her truly stunning sex.

I slide one finger and then a second inside her as she arches into my touch. I pump my fingers slowly, in time with the way I’m savoring her, not wanting to rush the way her decadence coats my chin and hand.

I can feel the way her orgasm builds like a wave gaining intensity as it nears the shore. Pleasure crashes through her on the sweetest, most sated cry as her walls squeeze and pulse around my fingers.

Her hand falls across her eyes as she catches her breath, the aftershocks finally subsiding.

“I’ll never get tired of seeing you like this.”

“Lust drunk?” she teases and I shake my head.

“Beautiful.” I drop a kiss to her stomach. “And mine.”

Her smile softens as she runs her fingers through my hair that has more salt than pepper these days. She’d confided in me the fear of never being able to climax as her body had begun to change. I’d taken it as a personal affront that no man had taken the time to help her relearn her likes and dislikes and the delicate dance required to properly love her.

I vowed in that moment to love her, all of her, without exception.

“You’re a good man, Cullen Andrews.”

“Nowthatis the orgasm talking.” Her hand grips my hair as she forces me to meet her gaze.

“You are a good man. The best.” Her eyes search mine. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”

“I’m trying, Red,” I say, emotion lodged in my throat as I pull myself up her naked body. Her hand reaches for me as my lips cover hers. Gwen’s soft, velvety hand wraps around my erection, and I can’t help but groan into her mouth. “Put me inside you.” It’s not a command as much as it is a plea to be lost in this woman who’s given me far more than words could ever express.

Her hands leave me only long enough to untie my robe and push it from my body. Gwen’s lips brush over my skin, lingering above my heart as she holds me against her entrance before rocking her hips. I shudder with anticipation, already consumed by her heat.

Her motions are slow, sensual, but the branding of my skin has me exhaling heavily as my body moves with hers—the emotion of this moment both unexpected and familiar. Her words and her actions, love and compassion, are the balm that heals the cracks inside me that I’d thought would permanently mar my soul.

“Stay with me.” Gwen’s words pull me back to the present, her eyes sure as they gaze up at me.

“Until my last breath,” I say as I lower my weight onto her and capture her lips with mine. Moving together, we make love on our first full day in paradise.

15

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