Page 53 of Christmas at Hart's Ridge

“For throwing wine in a customer’s lap. And, you know, calling her a jerk. This is my first job in the food service industry, but I hear that sort of thing is frowned upon.”

I smirked. “I’m not going to fire you, Red. I’m going to fuck you.”

She made an adorable squeaking sound and her eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“You defended my honor. I have very strong feelings about that.”

“What kind of feelings?” she asked.

“It feels like I need to fuck you senseless. That kind of feeling.”

“Here? Now?”

“Here. Now,” I confirmed.

“We can’t have sex in your office, Luke,” she hissed. “People will hear us.”

“No one can hear us over the music and their own drunk voices.”

She backed up to the wall as I advanced on her. I got in her space, caged her in, gave her nowhere to look at but me.

“Why me, Bethany? Why did you choose me to be your first?” I asked quietly. She licked her lips nervously, her eyes darting sideways. “Look at me. I want to hear you say it. You heard the gossip and wanted to see what all the fuss was about?”

Her gaze shot to mine, wide and shocked. “No!”

“You knew I’d fuck you right.” I was relentless. My hand went to the waistband of her jeans. I played with the snap, running my thumb along the brass, and felt her sharp inhale of breath.

“Well. It wasn’t exactly a deterrent.”

“You figured you could learn the ropes with me before moving on with some douche in New York who doesn’t deserve you.” The words tasted like a lie in my mouth. Maybe because I knew they weren’t true. In the first place, she hadn’t used me like that. And also because she could go to another man over my dead body.

But I still needed to hear her say the words. I was desperate, needy, pathetic, and I didn’t fucking care.

She laughed. “No.”

“Tell me,” I insisted. “Why me?”

“Luke, I—” She shook her head. “I’ve had a crush on you my whole life. A silly little thing that meant nothing at all until I came back home. Back then, I knew you, but I didn’t really knowyou. And once I did, once I knew you, that silly little crush exploded into something real. I—” She pressed her lips together, locking the words up tight.

My heart was pounding in my throat. I put my hand to her neck, felt her pulse beating just as hard as mine, and rubbed my thumb across her bottom lip. “Say it,” I urged. “Please fucking say it.”

“Of course it was you, Luke,” she said. “It was always going to be you.”

She was holding something back from me, but I didn’t care. It was enough.

My mouth crashed down on hers. I devoured her mouth while I held her like that against the wall, my hand applying gentle pressure on her throat. My other hand worked the clasp of her jeans and then I pulled down the zipper and slipped inside. She wasn’t where I needed her to be so I set about changing that, playing with her clit until my fingers were soaked with her desire.

“Luke,” she pleaded against my lips.

I wrenched my mouth away, spun her around in my arms, and yanked her jeans and panties down to her thighs. “Look at this pretty little ass.”

I ran my hand over her cheeks and she pushed her hips back, grinding her ass against me. I groaned. Putting my hand between her shoulder blades, I gave her a push. She went willingly, bending over my desk with her ass in the air, giving me the sexiest look over her shoulder as she flipped her braid.

She watched me over her shoulder as I undid my jeans and freed my cock. I fisted the base, pumped the length a few times, nearly lost it when she licked her lips. I swore as I pulled a condom from my wallet and rolled it over my dick. This was going to go fast for both of us.

Grabbing her hips, I eased in. I was a big guy, and I knew this position would be intense for her. Good, but intense. I didn’t get far. Her jeans hobbled her, keeping her legs pressed together. She wiggled, making a sound of frustration.

“Hang on, honey.” I pushed her jeans down to her knees, giving her a little more freedom. Enough that my next thrust made it all the way in.

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