STORY EXCERPT

The silence was golden, and she got lost in the moments there, nuzzled against him. His movements were graceful as he led her in circles. There, on their private deck aboard the Spirit of Boston, Casey felt safe. With his body melded into hers, covering her like a blanket, nothing bad could pierce the moment. She let him be her protector. For once, her mind was still, and she let herself go. He pulled away slightly to gaze into her eyes. When he bent to kiss her, she realized that this time was different. The same heat and desire existed between them, but it was as if he was pressing his lips not only to hers, but also to her soul. As his tongue lightly danced against hers and her eyes closed, she felt as though she was in a dream. Time once again slowed, the water around them stilled. There was nothing but the two of them, frozen in the moonlight.

They remained on the deck of the ship, intensely connected for long moments. Casey was unaware how long they had been there, and she did not care. He was unlike anyone she had ever met. The way that he kissed her showed his yearning for her. She was terrified to admit it, but she knew in this moment that she needed to be with him. He was the key to moving on. She hoped that he could be the one to pull from her darkness and put her on the path toward the future.

When they finally broke from the kiss that might have lasted for hours, Conor’s lids were heavy as he stared at her. He was so handsome in the moonlight. The glint of light reflecting off the water accentuated his masculine features. He would make beautiful children. The thought surprised her, and she grew frightened at where it had come from. A new man in her life was something that she had not wanted any time soon, but children: something she never wanted again. She was not at all prepared to have that conversation with someone she cared about. A part of her hoped that with Conor, she would never have to.

When the boat returned to the dock, Conor suggested they get a drink at a pub nearby. They walked a short distance to The Whiskey Priest, a bar on the water that specialized in aged whiskeys of every flavor. Though it seemed strange to go from a romantic dinner cruise to a lively pub, it was a welcome distraction from the chaos going on inside her mind. Besides, Casey had always wanted to try whiskey that was older than her, which was exactly what they did. Tonight was definitely a night for firsts.

After about an hour, and a few shots, Casey felt it best to call it a night. She was feeling fairly tipsy, and ultimately confused. She not only needed to evaluate the evening and her overwhelming attraction to Conor, but she needed to get in touch with her true self and sort her feelings. The evening had been amazing, but she knew it was time to end it. Any longer, and she could get addicted to this well-mannered gentleman.

“I think it is time for me to be getting home,” Casey stated.

Though Conor looked somewhat disappointed, he said, “All right, love. Let me pay the bill and I’ll walk ya home.”

Outside, he offered his arm, and Casey took it once again. As they walked, the conversation flowed, and their laughter bellowed through the streets. It seemed odd to Casey that she felt so at ease with this stranger. She wanted desperately to know everything about him. There is always time. But she was wrong. There was not always time. Sometimes time was robbed from you. She was sure that she and Jace would have years’ worth of time on the horizon, but she had been sorely mistaken. She did not want to underestimate time again, especially not with Conor.

When they reached the door to her stairwell, Casey had a flashback of the night they met. She wondered if they would share another steamy kiss? Should I invite him upstairs? She resolved to make herself wait, knowing in her heart that she was not ready to be intimate with another man. Also, there was the issue of Sammie sleeping on the couch in her living room. When she finally gave herself to Conor, she did not want her unexpected roomie listening to their every moan, pant, and scream. Thinking of the impending sex made her loins ignite. She needed to get upstairs, and fast!

“Can I say somethin’, love?” Conor said, interrupting her sexy thoughts.

“Sure.”

With a serious look on his face, Conor said, “I know that we just met, and I know that we don’t have a grasp on one another yet, so I hope I am not bein’ too forward. I just…” He paused and looked into her eyes. “I feel somethin’ inside meself telling me not to let ya go. I feel somethin’ with ya that I have never felt with any other gal, and before I go on gettin’ my hopes up that ya feel the same about me, I just ought to ask ya. Do ya think that we could do this again sometime?”

The innocent way that he asked amused her. In answer to his question, she placed her hands on either side of his chiseled face and leaned up to kiss him. As he softly stroked her tongue, and ran his along her lips, she became deeply aroused. Need to stop! Pull away! Get upstairs!

She reluctantly pried herself away and asked, “Does that answer your question?” Where was this confidence in her coming from? There were many traits Conor brought out in her that she was previously unaware that she possessed. He nodded.

ADULT EXCERPT

She felt empowered, kneeling between his legs. She felt whole. She was a woman, and she was pleasuring a god. She vowed not to stop until he screamed for her to release him. Continuing to swallow his length, she placed her hands on his smooth bollocks, and he cried out for her. Hearing her name escape his lips at the height of his pleasure gave her unimaginable joy. His breathing became labored, and she could tell by the movements of his body that he was about to climax. Casey pushed him deeper into her throat, urgently needing him to release for her. When she did, he raggedly said her named once again, and placed his hands on the back of her head. A low growl escaped his chest as he nourished her with what she had milked from him. Simultaneously, the extreme intensity of the act sent her over the edge. She came explosively as she swallowed him, her moaning stifled by his throbbing sex.

When she finally released him, she took a moment to catch her breath before sliding her moist body to lie beside him. The first words out of his mouth since the phone call earlier were perfect.

“Ya are gonna make me fall in love with ya, pleasurin’ me like that, Casey,” he said through the breaths escaping his heaving chest. She smiled. He hadn’t even touched her, and she had felt more pleasure than she had ever felt in her life. “Did you go off then, too?” Her eyebrows rose, and she nodded, unable to speak. “Just from pleasurin’ me?” he asked her with a surprised tone of voice. She nodded again. His green eyes bore into her, searching for an untruth in her confession. When he could find none, he said, “Well I will just have to give ya seconds then, love.”

He pulled her close to him and unburdened her of the remainder of her clothes. She lay before him, naked on the bed, and for once, did not feel ashamed or embarrassed of her once-full figure. He inspected every inch of her body, and finally said, “I was not wrong when I told ya that ya are the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Seein’ ya all exposed here now just reassures me.”

He penetrated her body with those emerald eyes, and she became aroused once more. He was teasing her, and it was working. She longed for him to enter her, pulsating and pumping her body, friction leading to explosion. She never wanted this night to end.

“Touch yourself,” he commanded. She obeyed without hesitance. Her legs fell open, and when her fingers met her slick skin, he groaned with approval. She began to rub herself, growing wetter with every circle of her fingers. When she slid a finger inside, he began to stroke his mighty shaft. He licked his lips and, unable to withstand his urge to taste her, he lowered himself between her legs. She felt his hot breath against her as he paused to look into her eyes. He smiled as his tongue delved into her flesh. She gasped as he softly kissed her, taking long laps of her clitoris. His technique was unlike any she had felt before. Her climax rose fast and before she knew it, Casey had Conor’s hair wrapped around her fingers, bucking wildly into his mouth. He, groaning the entire time, lapped at her as if he had never tasted anything so appetizing. When she had finished and was completely sated, Conor made his way up her body, sporadically laying his lips on her stomach and breasts.

When he reached her face, their lips met once more, straining against one another. She could feel his massive erection pushing against her as he spread her thighs and made sure she was ready to take him. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he slipped his fingers inside of her, his gentle touch coaxing the moisture within. When he removed his fingers, he pulled back to watch her face as he entered. The moment his head breached her folds, they both cried out. He made slow work of burying his large shaft deep inside, obviously worried that he might hurt her. Casey disregarded the tinge of pain that came with this immense pleasure. She had been celibate for so long, she was surprised that Conor could completely fit inside her. Once he had worked his way in and made sure Casey was comfortable, he began pumping his shaft into her slowly at first, and then more swiftly.

“Oh, God! Oh, Conor!” Casey screamed as his hips rolled against hers. Their bodies moved in perfect rhythm, hers taking him deeper and deeper with each mind-altering thrust.

As her natural moisture increased, Connor rolled her over to lay behind her. He dove into her and began to rub tiny circles on her clitoris once more. He held her tight with his other hand, slightly pinching her nipples as he kissed her neck. Casey felt her body readying for climax once more, and she screamed, “Harder. Fuck me harder!”