7 Degrees of Alpha (a collection of seven new BWWM, Alpha Male Romances) (58 page)

Chapter Seven

Thursday Night

Serenity

Serenity had been floating on a little buzz of expectation all afternoon. She was excited about seeing Craig again, and it was clear he had more on his mind than just being neighborly. He damn sure better had. After all that flirtatious conversation, she was pretty sure it wasn’t all in her head. Living in something close to isolation after decades in the army was a pretty big adjustment. He probably needed the sensual workout as much as she did.

The conversation while fishing had been illuminating. He had shared about his years as an MP in the army. He’d talked about how the army had changed over the twenty plus years he had served. He’d even explained how much stronger soldiers were and how many of them were very committed to intense physical training, though most of them would not qualify for the precious few spots in specialty units.

He had also talked about how he’d decided to head back to the small town where he’d grown up after retiring. He had seen enough of the world, and he was ready to return home.

When she asked him about children he had replied
, “No, no kids. I had a couple of ladies who found themselves expecting, but they weren’t in a position to become mothers. So no, I don’t have any children.
What about you?”

“I prefer to be married. Single parenting looks fucking exhausting. If I can’t be married, then I will just have to be an auntie. I have no interest in trying to manage a kid by myself, so no kids over here either.”

Serenity had spent the afternoon trying to read, but gave up after she kept drifting into memories of their fishing expedition. The conversation had moved freely between the two, and there had been more than a few good belly laughs.

She moved around the cabin, lighting a few of her precious stash of tea lights. She had planned to line the edge of the Jacuzzi with them. She hoped that the peppermint scent would keep insects away, but here she was placing them strategically throughout the house, wishing she had brought more.

The fish was actually not going to be seared. She had stuffed it with lemon, rosemary she picked from the edge of the forest, and garlic. She checked the expiration date on a bag of pecans that had been left behind and discovered that they were still edible. She crushed them and then rolled the fish in the pecans. This fish was going to be delicious after baking. She would also broil it on one side about three minutes to add a little crunch to it. There would be an avocado and cucumber salad to accompany the fish as well as a last minute simple dessert. She had found the leftovers of yet another visitor—a bag of marshmallows, one chocolate bar, and graham crackers. Before a dip in the Jacuzzi and hot sex, they would make s’mores in the fireplace. It would be perfect.

Craig

Craig was across the lake stroking CB, getting rid of the first nut. He had plans to give his new neighbor a good all-night workout, but couldn’t do that if he was worried about cumming too early. After he showered and dressed, he reached for the cologne and remembered his father’s words,
“A little is enough. People don’t want to smell you coming and going.”
  So he just sprayed twice. This cologne was a panty dropper. It smelled like slow dancing and neck biting. He had plans to bite her everywhere she would allow.

About half an hour before he was expected, he hopped in his car and drove around the lake to her cabin. He decided against taking the boat; he didn’t want to get dirty. Also, if it got late he did not want to run the risk of having to come back across the lake in the black of night.

It took approximately twenty minutes to drive all the way around the lake. Craig found himself feeling extra excited and slightly nervous. He tended to date taller women. It wasn’t intentional, though. He had always been the kind of guy who liked good-looking women who just happened to be
tall
. It was easier with women who were taller than his breastbone. He hoped his size wouldn’t put Serenity off. She sure hadn’t seemed hesitant earlier today. He had caught her noticing his size a couple of times, but she didn’t seem at all afraid, more like cautiously curious. She had made a couple references to his hands, so he already decided he would let her take the lead.

He laughed out loud in his car. He was
over thinking
. That was rare. They were definitely hot for each other. He was about to take this tiny little woman for a wild ride. She was going to love it too.

Serenity

Serenity heard his door close from inside the cabin. She made herself wait for him to knock before going to the door.

She opened the door and was immediately rocked. He was wearing jeans, boots, and a button-down shirt with a collar. It was nothing fancy, but he looked so good. He smelled like an invitation to misbehave. It made her want to rub her body all over his like a feline. His eyes were green and warm.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hey, you,” he responded.

Stepping away from the threshold, she held the door wide and said, “Come on in. May I offer you some wine?”

He followed her with his eyes as she made her way to the kitchen. “Yes, please. Whatever you’re having is fine.”

“I know better than to show up empty-handed, so these are for you,” he said, offering her the gift bag with two bottles of wine, one red and one white.

“I see your mama raised you well.  Thank you,” she said as she accepted the gift with a dimpled smile.

“It is lovely in here. Where did you find the flowers? What is that I smell? Peppermint?” he asked.

Smiling, she transferred the side dishes to the table and finished prepping the fish to be presented. “Well, I had plans to do a lot of reading this weekend. I like to read with scented candles burning. The smell seems to pull me deeper into the story. Yes, peppermint is my preferred scent, but I also like lotus oil. The flowers were found in a wildly overgrown garden next door. Whoever owns it should get busy restoring it to what was clearly a beautiful place. Please sit.” She filled his wineglass. “I hope you brought your suit for the Jacuzzi.”

Craig inhaled deeply, her personal scent more intoxicating than the food. “I sure did.”

Serenity pulled plates from the oven. When she placed the warm plate before him, she rested one hand on his shoulder. “Shall I serve you?” she asked.

Looking at her, he nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Serenity served the fish to his plate and put the salad on a chilled side saucer. With an eyebrow raised, she offered the raspberry vinaigrette dressing and he shook his head. She served herself, looked over the table, and took her seat. They each said a quick blessing over their plates and dug into the day’s catch.

Craig was on his fourth mouthful when he realized he hadn’t said a word from the first bite. The first thing out of his mouth was. “Damn, woman. You can cook!”

Serenity smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I was wondering why it smelled so good in here. You sure did a lot with a little!” he said. “How did you learn to cook like this?”

“My middle sister is one of those people who takes an interest in something and isn’t really content to dabble. She takes classes, reads text books, and tries to achieve master status. She took an interest in cooking at some point in her married life, and I’ve learned a lot from her. When I visit, we always do something great in the kitchen. Well,
she
does. I just eat.  I do learn a lot watching and helping. She is like our mom. She teaches naturally.”

“Well, you clearly learned well if this fish is anything to go by. I love the atmosphere. It smells like peppermint, which for some reason is making me think about Christmas.”

Laughing, Serenity explained, “Peppermint oil has a strong smell, and it keeps insects away. I had originally planned to put a few around the Jacuzzi while I soaked, sipped, and slid into a story.”

“Well, you can still put them around the Jacuzzi. I’ll just be soaking and sipping with you, and hopefully, at some point you’ll slide onto
me
,” Craig said just before he sipped from his wine glass.

Serenity’s eyes glowed with heat. “Now, I’m trying to be a little bit of a lady, but damn. You can’t sit over there looking good, smelling good, and talking low-key
nasty
. That is fucking with my ladylike tendencies. I have no doubt that I’m going to slip and slide all over you. There is so much of you to explore. I’m over here wondering where I will start.”

Craig did a fist pump. “You ready to play? I’ll be sure not say something stupid and ruin your mood! Let’s finish dinner. Then we can start with our lips.”

Serenity smiled at him slowly, lips curving, deep dimples revealing themselves and looking so sweet. But her eyes…the look in her eyes wasn’t sweet at all. They were hot, slow-blinking pools of nasty promise.

The meal passed with the usual conversation, but the knowledge that later they’d be getting better acquainted with each other from the inside out was always in their eyes.

Craig was charmed by her manners, soft voice, and the stories she told. She made him feel like he was there and remembering it with her. 

Serenity loved how Craig was as interested in listening as talking. She had found out that he was from the area and was resisting the urging of his father, the local sheriff, to join the department.

“I just finished twenty years as a military police officer,” he said. “I don’t know if I want to do another twenty here at home. I need a break.”

“What does your father think about your need for a break?”

Laughing, Craig said, “He thinks it’s a crock of shit, and that what I need is to get on board so I can be sheriff when he retires. He says he’s giving me one more year to get my ass in gear before he puts his foot down.”

She liked how when they finished eating he helped clear the table. He allowed her to refuse his help with the dishes, but sat at the counter bar and kept her wine glass full and the conversation moving while she straightened everything. When she finished, he moved some of the candles to the Jacuzzi and made sure it was on and heating.

“I have a little surprise for you.”

“What might that be?” he asked.

“Well, I hadn’t anticipated company, so my grocery supply doesn’t really allow for dessert. Still, I found something while scavenging the cupboards, so we will have it anyway,” she said.

“What did you find?” he asked.

She pulled the tray she prepared out of the fridge. On it were skewers, marshmallows, the chocolate bar and graham crackers. “S’mores!” she said. “We can pretend we’re at summer camp and just got our braces removed.”

Craig threw his head back and laughed. “You sure do know how to entertain.”

They sat in front of the fire and happily started making s’mores. Craig was the best guest ever because to accompany his presence, he’d shown up with wine. “I wasn’t sure which you preferred, and I didn’t want to make an assumption just because we were going to have fish,” was his explanation as they sat chatting.

Serenity just assumed that he went by the motto, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” His bottles had come in handy because they opened the white with the fish, and now they were opening the red to go with the chocolate.

Craig leaned against the coffee table with his long legs stretched out in front of him and watched Serenity. She was such a lady. Together, they capably made a little pile of s’mores and now they were eating them. The light of the fire was doing wonders for her skin and hair. Dark lights glinting in her hair competed with satiny-looking skin and wine wet lips. He touched her all over with his eyes.

The conversation had dwindled and Craig was just looking at Serenity.

She asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Tilting his head and narrowing his eyes he told her, “You. Naked. Wet. Shaking and moaning.”

Hearing his words, Serenity had to squeeze her thighs together because she got wet, immediately. “Well, let’s take this party to the Jacuzzi,” she said.

He was on his feet before she was and once again, he offered his hand. She accepted his help up and noticed the tension in the room had gotten thick. That wasn’t the only thing she noticed was thick. If the bulge in his pants was any indication, he was ready to do more than soak in the hot tub.

She shivered. She started having second thoughts. This was a great big man, and they were far from hollering distance.

It was almost as if he sensed her hesitation. He rubbed her hands with his thumbs and said, “I’m shaking too.” He held his hand in front of her face and she saw the tiniest tremor.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I’ve spent the better part of the day controlling myself, and now the chance I’ll get to touch you all over is getting closer. I’m going to make you feel so good. It’s going to be explosive. Look at us. My dick is hard, and so are your nipples. We’re both trembling and our breathing is shallow. This energy is powerful as hell. I can’t wait to see what happens when we finally touch.”

Just like that, his words reassured her. This man wasn’t going to hurt her. He had plans to make her feel good and had been thinking about it all day just like she had. “Follow me,” she said.

He followed her to the counter where she refilled their glasses. Then they walked out to the tiny patio off the main room and Serenity put her hand in the water. “It’s warm,” she said. Then with absolutely no hesitation, she pulled the maxi dress up and over her head, climbed the side steps, and slid into the water. As soon as she was settled, she picked her wine up from the side and said, “Well, Craig, I’m naked and wet. You better get in here so we can get to the rest of what it was you were thinking about.”

Craig stripped out of his clothing faster than he ever had in life. Sometimes, the Universe sent you a gift. He damn near had a heart attack when she took her dress off. She had been naked under there!

Serenity had already decided she was going to fuck this man, so there was no point in her pretending she wasn’t. As soon as she saw he was getting undressed, she put her wine glass down. By the time he was in the water, she was standing in front of him. There was no hesitation. He took her by the back of her neck and kissed her lips like the secrets of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were kept there. Serenity opened her mouth and welcomed his invading tongue. She sucked it and nibbled on his lips. She hadn’t noticed that he wasn’t even sitting. She was mostly out of the water. He had one hand on her ass squeezing it. He had pulled her against his body, and she could feel his chest and stomach hair tickling her skin. His dick was hard and throbbing against her belly. It felt hot, long, and thick. Her pussy clenched and rained down juices that would make it easy for him to slide right inside her. A gentle breeze blew through the night, and she shivered.

Serenity was straddling his lap and still lost in the maze of kisses he was showering on her neck, across her face, and chest when he said something. She heard him, she but didn’t understand.

“What?”

“Little Bit, are you cold?”

Serenity felt confused. Cold? Her whole body was suffused with heat. The skin on her scalp was tight from the grip he had on her hair. His big hands seemed to be everywhere at the same time. His arms and chest were throwing off heat like a fucking furnace. Cold?

“No, no, I’m not,” she said in a tiny bit of a daze as he sucked her nipples alternately. Then she jerked when he bit down just enough to let her know he was planning to devour her.

“You sure? You’re shaking,” he said in a voice low enough to be categorized as a growl.

In that moment, Serenity remembered something her big sister once said to her.
Oh, to be in the hands of a hungry man!
She was there.  She was absolutely
there
. He sounded hungry. She shivered again.

“It’s not cold. It’s
you
,” she said as she struggled to get her wits about her. She opened her eyes. The dark sky and sly crescent moon didn’t even have the decency to look away. At least the stars twinkled in an effort to show they were only watching because they had to. The trees rustling in the breeze provided the music. Then she looked at him. His green eyes stared intently into hers.

He pulled her closer and said, “You. Naked. Wet. Shaking. Now, I want to hear you moan.”

A minute later, she was moaning. He had her sitting on the edge of the Jacuzzi, tits to the wind, legs wide open, two fingers in her pussy, and his tongue on her clit. He worked the shit out of her pussy. He had his fingers curved, looking for the elusive g-spot. He was fingering her like there was gold to be found and retrieved. His tongue was busier than his fingers.

He alternated between sucking her clit and licking it. Then to test her readiness, he tried to insert a third finger. He could tell it was a bit of a tight fit, but he knew just what to do about that. He applied a bit more pressure to her clit with his tongue. With his left hand, he reached up and started plucking her nipple. It was too much. Serenity felt her legs shaking and her stomach jumping. For a second she thought she was going to pee. That was how out of control she felt. Then her orgasm hit like a fully loaded eighteen-wheeler with no brakes. She moaned, groaned, shouted and begged.

“Please. Stop! I can’t! Don’t! Don’t! Shit! Oh fuck me,
please
! Shit! Shit! Oh fuck me, please! ”

Just like that, the pussy loosened right up, her legs were shaking, and her arms got weak. Before she knew what happened, Craig had flipped her over and was standing behind her. She saw him reach for one of the condoms he had placed on the ledge when he got undressed. The Jacuzzi whirred, and the wind rustled the trees. Her whole body continued shaking, and less than forty-five seconds afterwards, she was being flipped over. Craig was holding her left shoulder and right hip, and serving her dick with authority.