Page 72 of Better than Famous

Breaking apart, we were both gasping for air in the humid night.

"Take me home, Ben Coleridge."

He ripped the door open.

Chapter Thirty

BEN

The diesel engine rumbled to a halt as my truck rolled to a stop in the gravel driveway. I killed the ignition, and the headlights cut out, plunging the front yard into the familiar, humid darkness of Dove Key. No camera flashes erupted from the mangroves and no rental sedans blocked the access road. The perimeter was entirely clear, leaving nothing but the sound of the ocean breeze rustling the palm fronds.

The short drive from the resort had tested every ounce of my willpower. Keeping my eyes on the road while Sutton’s hand rode high on my thigh, her thumb lazily stroking the denim, practically required superhuman effort. The agonizing, self-imposed exile of the past week had left me starved for her, and the confines of the truck cab offered far too many barriers.

"We made it." I gripped the steering wheel for one last second of restraint.

Sutton didn’t wait for me to get out and cross to her door. She shoved it open and hopped down onto the driveway. Meeting me at the front grill, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me toward the porch steps. As I took the wooden stairs two at a time, my hand dug into my pocket for the keys. The lock turned with a sharp, mechanical click. I pushed the door open and let her step over the threshold into the cool, air-conditioned interior before following her inside.

The heavy deadbolt slid home with a solid, definitive thud.

Our restraint vanished. I tossed my keys blindly toward the ceramic bowl on the console table. They missed, clattering loudly against the floor, but neither of us cared. Stepping into her space, my hands banded around her waist to haul her flush against my chest. Then I spun her so her back hit the solid wood of the front door.

"I spent seven days going completely out of my mind," I growled, burying my face in the curve of her neck. My mouth dragged across her hot skin, inhaling her irresistible scent. "I woke up every morning reaching for the other side of the mattress. Finding it empty nearly killed me."

"My house was a tomb." Sutton tilted her head back, offering me greater access. Her hands slid up my chest and her fingernails dug into my shoulders. "I sat in that gigantic dining room surrounded by people, and all I wanted was your hands on me. I wanted your creaky floors and your cheap coffee."

"You have them and everything else." My mouth captured hers in a bruising, urgent kiss.

She kissed me back with answering ferocity. Her tongue swept past my lips, tasting of a white wine she must have drunk on the plane. The heat spiking between us was visceral and demanding. There was no hesitation, no holding back to assess the emotional fallout. We were finally on the same side of the battle lines.

Breaking the kiss to catch a ragged breath, I scooped her up. Her legs wrapped securely around my hips and she kicked off her shoes. Carrying her down the hallway required zero effort. She peppered hot, open-mouthed kisses along my jaw and down my throat as I navigated the familiar path to my bedroom. Stepping through the doorway, I bypassed the harsh overhead switch. My hand found the dial for the bedside lamp, twisting it until a warm, golden glow flooded the room.

I let her legs slide down my body until her bare feet hit the floor. Sutton blinked at the sudden illumination, a questioning smile playing on her lips. "Lights on?"

"No shadows this time." Stepping back, my gaze swept over her. "We spent our first night fumbling in the dark because the power was out. I want to see you. All of you. I want to know exactly who I’m holding, and I want you to know I’m not hiding anything."

"I’m not hiding either." She reached for the hem of her black top. Pulling it over her head, she tossed the fabric aside before removing a lacy bra. Her skin was flushed with heat, her breasts rising and falling with her quickened breathing. The golden light caught the delicate slope of her collarbone and the firm, athletic lines of her stomach. She stood there, completely exposed, offering herself with fierce, unapologetic confidence.

A heavy exhale punched past my lips. Closing the gap between us, my hands mapped the curve of her waist. I unbuttoned her denim shorts, sliding the heavy material down her hips and over her thighs. She kicked them away. Dropping to my knees, I brushed a kiss over her lower abdomen.

As I knelt on the floor before her, my hands smoothed up her calves, pausing to press another lingering kiss to the soft skin of her inner thigh. A sharp gasp tore from her throat. Her fingers immediately tangled in my hair and gripped tight as her knees trembled.

Standing back up, I stripped my own clothes away with rough, impatient motions. My shirt, boots, and jeans joined her pile in the corner. I stood completely bare under the lamplight. There was no shame regarding the scars on my knuckles or the jagged white line cutting across my ribs. She knew the map of my history.

I backed her toward the edge of the mattress. She tumbled backward onto the white sheets, her blonde hair fanning out across the pillows. Climbing over her, my knees bracketed her hips. I caged her in, bracing my weight on my forearms.

"Jesus. You are absolutely gorgeous," I murmured, staring down into her bright, dilated blue eyes.

"Show me."

I lowered my head, and my mouth found hers in a slow, deep exploration. The frantic urgency of the hallway tempered into a deliberate, confident claiming. I kissed the sensitive spot just behind her ear, earning a soft, vibrating moan. As I traced a wet path down her throat, my lips captured the peak of her breast, drawing the tight flesh into my mouth. Her back arched off the mattress. She ran her hands restlessly over my shoulders, mapping the shifting muscles of my back.

Stretching out a hand, I found the top drawer of the nightstand. I retrieved a foil packet and tore it open with my teeth. Sheathing myself in one quick, practiced motion, I settled my weight back between her thighs.

She looked up at me, her chest heaving, waiting for the connection.

"I’m right here," I promised, holding her gaze.

As I entered her slowly, the tight, slick heat enveloped me completely. Her breath hissed through her teeth. I paused, letting her adjust to my fullness, fighting the primal urge to drive forward. The sensation anchored me entirely. The anxiety, the guilt, and the miserable isolation of the past week evaporated, replaced by the profound, heavy reality of the woman beneath me.