Finding Our Forever (Silver Springs #1)(21)

“I thought you might enjoy it.”

He seemed to feel as if he needed to take certain steps for her sake, as if he’d memorized a set of “rules” for how to be successful in such situations—and that included putting whatever she wanted first.

Setting her glass aside, she stepped up to him. She could tell he was dying to touch her, saw his hands curl into fists and his muscles tense as he wrestled with his self-control. For some reason, he was trying to let her make the first move. She supposed he wanted some reassurance that she wasn’t going to suddenly change her mind. Or maybe he merely wanted to be confident he wasn’t pressuring her into anything. Regardless, he was far more wary now that they were alone and behind closed doors than he’d been at his truck earlier. But they’d never had any real chance of getting intimate there, so maybe that was why.

What’d happened to him in the past had influenced everything, even the way he approached sex, she realized. He didn’t trust other people, didn’t trust her. “How long has it been for you?” she asked.

“Since...”

“Since you’ve been with a woman.”

“A year.”

No wonder he watched her like a wolf chasing a rabbit. That was a long time to go without for a man his age—at least it would be a long time to the men she knew in LA. But Eli lived in a small town and had the reputation of the ranch to consider—and she knew the pain that hid behind that handsome face. As normal as he came off, every once in a while there was something in his eyes that reminded her of an animal that’d been beaten so often it growled or showed its teeth even when someone tried to be kind. He craved what she was offering, couldn’t bring himself to skirt around her and continue on his way, as he most likely preferred. So he was waiting for the perfect moment—when he could safely snatch it away. Were he anyone else, she felt certain he would’ve reached for her already...

“These encounters don’t come with a script,” she said.

“Meaning...”

“You don’t have to serve me wine, or...or check anything else off a list.”

“I’m merely trying to make sure you get what you need. I may be sort of...limited in what I can offer you, but I’m not a completely selfish bastard. If you’ll tell me what you want, what you like, I’ll give it to you.”

“I don’t have a punch list, Eli. That’s what I’m saying. But I’m pretty sure we can figure out what we both like.” His nostrils flared when she lifted his hand to her breast. “Does this help?”

*

Elijah wished it was easier to go without human touch. His life would be so much simpler. But nothing else felt like a woman. He tried to hold himself in check, to remain in control. He didn’t want to overwhelm or frighten Cora, had been trying to be measured and kind. But once she put her mouth on his, and he could feel the weight of her breast in his palm, something snapped. She didn’t have to do anything more. He started kissing her so hungrily that he could hardly catch his breath. And, within moments, he was peeling off her clothes, so anxious to get to bare skin that it felt like he couldn’t wait another second.

He thought she might be put off. On some level, he knew he was being pretty aggressive, probably overly aggressive. But she had her hands in his hair and clung to him as if she was just as caught up in him as he was her. So if she was put off, he couldn’t tell.

He hoped it wasn’t something he’d learn about in the morning. To prevent that, he promised himself he’d take their lovemaking slower as he carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

Once there, he made an honest effort to do just that, but her kisses were so hot and wet, and she was sucking on his neck and licking his nipples. She was even biting him, just not so hard that it hurt.

Although his shirt was already on the floor, he still had his jeans on as they rolled around in his bed. Since everything he touched felt so damn good, he forgot about taking it slow and gentle. If anything, he felt the compulsion to make everything go harder and faster.

Fortunately, she seemed to be perfectly happy. With a promising smile, she unzipped his pants.

He gasped as her fingers closed around him and, only moments later, he was naked, too.

To his credit, he took a moment to admire her full breasts, small waist and the appealing flare of her hips. She had no hair anywhere, which, coming from LA certainly didn’t surprise him, but he’d never seen a woman so bare. He liked the way she looked lying beneath him in the moonlight streaming through his window. She was as beautiful and soft as he’d expected.

Dimly, he thought about all the things he could do to bring her to climax. He planned to do every single one before he took his own pleasure. He wanted to make sure she was glad she’d agreed to be with him tonight. But once he began to suckle her breasts, she arched into him as if she craved him inside her.

“Okay. Hang on. Let me...let me take care of you first,” he said.

“I’m ready,” she gasped when he slid his hand between her legs.

He groaned as he encountered the slickness he was hoping to find. She felt ready. But burying himself inside her, this soon, wouldn’t be slowing down.

“Do you have a condom?” she asked.

Fortunately, he did—in the nightstand. But he barely managed to roll it on before she pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around his hips—an unmistakable invitation and one he couldn’t refuse.