Trouble (Dogwood Lane #3)(69)

I stand in front of him, shirtless, my imperfections bare for him to see. All he has to say is that I’m beautiful?

I’ve never been called beautiful by anyone. My knees go weak as he watches me like I’m a piece of artwork he’s always wanted to see.

“I’m the luckiest fucker alive,” he says quietly.

Emboldened by his reaction, I remove my shorts. Facing away from him so he can see the black thong parting my ass cheeks, I hook my fingers at the waist.

“Damn, Ave.”

His tone is rocky. How much he wants me is evident in the words, and I wonder how hard he is right now.

I gulp.

Dragging the thin piece of fabric over my hips, I don’t give the first thought to the bow of my legs or the cellulite on my ass. It would be impossible to consider anything negative when Penn Etling is looking at you like you’re the best thing he’s ever seen.

My heart pounding in my chest, I step out of my panties. I hold them up by one finger as I turn around.

His eyes are wide as he watches me with rapt attention. His shirt is gone now. The sight of his body is enough to make me forget what I was doing.

Defined abs that aren’t cut too hard rock his center. Sex lines, where his obliques meet his lower abs, point to a bulge in his pants. His shoulders are thick and solid, and I want to run my fingers along them and feel his strength.

In one quick move I don’t see coming, he grabs ahold of me.

His lips find mine again, his mouth hot and hungry. As his tongue works me over, I unbutton his pants and shove them down. He breaks the kiss just long enough to get them off and out of the way.

“How,” he says, kissing me. “Do.” He kisses my throat. “You.” His tongue traces a line to beneath my ear, where he plants another kiss. “Want this,” he whispers before nibbling my earlobe.

I squeal as his teeth get the lobe a little too hard. His laugh against my throat reverberates through my body. The chords assimilate in my groin, making me even wetter.

He picks me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as he kisses me again. This time, there’s no rush as he lazily moves his mouth over mine.

My fingers run through his hair, my breasts pressed against his chest as he carries me toward the path. He kicks at something before he drops to his knees.

The kiss is broken as he lays me on my back on my clothes. I peer up at him as he kneels between my legs.

“Stay put,” he says.

I nod.

Without breaking eye contact, he gets to his feet and slips his boxer briefs off.

I gasp.

Holy fucking shit.

I wouldn’t have staked my life on the fact that I could give you an exact measurement of eight inches. But he’s close enough.

He grins as he searches through his pants pockets, then pulls a condom from his wallet.

“You are the slowest man at this ever,” I complain.

“I’m not sorry. I have the best view of any man ever.”

“You could’ve been more prepared.”

He snorts. “Yeah, like you were a given or something. You’re lucky I have a condom at all.”

I watch him roll the protection down his shaft as he walks to me. He drops to his knees again and grips my hips with both hands. The spots where his fingers press into my skin burn.

He gives me a smile so soft it’s almost shy. It pings something deep inside my heart.

Bending down, he places a kiss on my chest. I close my eyes as I absorb the moment. It catches me off guard because tenderness isn’t what I expected.

But damn it if it doesn’t feel perfect.

My hips are lifted. The head of his dick spreads me open. His eyes snatch mine out of the air.

I hold my breath as he slides the tip around, getting it wet and making me ready to lose my damn mind.

“Penn—ah!”

He thrusts himself deep inside me. There’s no fanfare, no warming me up to the intrusion. Just a shock of pleasure ripping through my core.

My back slides against my clothes as he thrusts in again.

“You meant now, right?” he asks, a hint of a laugh to his voice.

“Mm-hmm . . .” I moan, squeezing my eyelids together.

His hands dig into my hips, keeping the motion steady and hard. My back arches as I give myself to him.

This is not the teenager I slept with before. This is a man, all man, taking what I’m offering and giving me something back.

That’s what I feel more than the delicious push toward a climax—the fall of Penn’s shield. The hint of vulnerability in his eyes, the care to each move he makes, and the gentle undercurrent of every touch is the sexiest part of this encounter.

He presses in, deep and hard, until the sound of our bodies sliding past each other echoes across the water.

The pressure inside me, from my groin through my core, gets stronger and stronger. Each drive brings me closer to the brink.

“I’m so close,” I warn him as my back bites into the ground.

A small moan joins the cacophony of sounds, and I feel my body starting to give. Warmth spreads through my veins, my vagina liquefying as it prepares to come apart around him.

He moves one hand to the center of my chest. The weight of his fingers over my breasts is enough to send a shock roaring through me. I topple over the edge.

“Penn,” I almost shout as my senses are shredded.

He picks up pace before shoving inside me one last time. I can feel the swell of his cock as he falls apart.