Need You for Keeps (Heroes of St. Helena, #1)(55)

“I like now,” she whispered, her arms sliding around his neck, pulling her to him as he slowly pumped in and out.

“Better than soon?” he asked, kissing her.

“Even better than anytime.” She kissed him back and then his hands were everywhere at once.

Touching and gripping, clinging to one another until their skin became slick, hot and burning, creating a friction as they moved, so raw and electric it arced between them, back and forth until they had to fight to cling to one another. But soon the fight became easy and they began to glide in perfect unison.

As if sensing the change, the newfound ease between them, Jonah pushed up on his arms, looking down to where they were joined. Shay watched too, watched as they both found the connection they needed—and maybe more than they expected.

Then his gaze rose to Shay’s, raw and fierce, and her skin flushed hotter and she felt Jonah right there with her. Seeing all of her. The parts she kept hidden and the parts she denied.

Suddenly, Shay didn’t want to deny herself, she wanted to feel cherished and needed and . . . a part of something more than herself. And Jonah was more, she decided, in all the right ways.

She tightened around him, pulling him in deeper and deeper until he gave one final surge and together they both lost their minds in the most incredible way.

Several moments went by, and Shay lay motionless, relishing the heavy weight of Jonah on top of her. He nuzzled her neck before lifting his head, and Shay changed her mind.

Jonah wasn’t the rock star of hot couch sex, he was the grand master. She had the fabric burns on her back to prove it.

“I’m glad we established that soon and anytime pretty much suck,” she said.

“I hate soon. With you it’s too far away,” he said against her lips. “I think now is more us.”

She liked the sound of us coming from his lips.

“Well, how about we try out the word more?” she whispered, running her hands down his chest. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him, which was fine with her since he couldn’t seem to keep his paws to himself either.

“More, huh? That can be arranged.” He playfully snagged her lower lip with his teeth, sucking it into his mouth, getting her ready for more when his phone gave a distinctive ping.

He groaned, but not the kind that promised any of that more she was hoping for. It pinged again. With a tired huff he rested his forehead against hers. “It’s work.”

Shay reached down and blindly felt around for his jeans. Panties, bra, condom wrapper, denim—bingo. She rifled through his pockets, surprised to find a whole pack of condoms—confident guy—then grabbed his phone. “Here.”

He looked at the screen and took in a deep breath. “It’s a callout. Nonemergency.”

“Are you on call tonight?” she asked, and he gave her a pained look that said he was always on call. Even worse, she could see that he was conflicted about what to do.

Shay framed his face with her hands, drawing him closer so he knew how serious she was. “Whatever you need to do tonight, Jonah, I’ll understand.”

And she did. Did she want him to leave their little cocoon that was safe from the outside world? No way. In her shop they were just Jonah and Shay, no distractions, no expectations, no conflicting lives. And she wanted more of that. More talking, more kissing, more sharing.

More Jonah.

But she also didn’t want him to feel like he had to change or hide who he was around her. A huge part of Jonah was his job, and she understood and supported that.

“What I need right now . . .” He smiled wickedly, then, to her surprise, powered down his phone. “Is you.” He looked over her head and flapped his hand. “And maybe a little privacy, guys.”

Shay craned her neck to find three sets of eyes staring back, and laughed. “I forgot to feed them.”

At the mention of feeding all three pairs of ears perked up. So did her stomach.

Jonah looked down at her belly and quirked a brow.

“I forgot to feed myself too,” she said, using her hands to muffle the embarrassing growling. Resigned to leaving the couch, she tried to move, an impossible task when he refused to budge. “I have to feed them or they will continue staring and then the whining will start. It’s not pretty, trust me.”

“Are you always on duty?” he teased but didn’t let her answer, giving her a quick kiss. “Glad that’s settled. Now, you stay here. I will feed the mutts. And then,” his eyes roamed down her body and back up, “I will feed you.”

“Dessert for dinner?” she said as he rolled off, completely at home in his gloriously naked state.

“I already had my dessert, now I want cake. Don’t move.”

She watched as his very fine ass stalked to the door, then he stopped and stalked back. The man was impressive from all angles. Taking her wrists, he lifted them above her, made a big deal about positioning them on the arm of the couch, then leaned down and pressed an openmouthed kiss to each of her breasts.

“Now don’t move,” he ordered. “I’ll be back with the cake.”

“I don’t have any plates,” she explained as he disappeared into the other room.

“Then I guess we’ll have to get creative.”

Shay could do creative. All night long if she was lucky.