Rooter (Double H Romance) (30 page)

“When did you go shopping for all this?”

“On Monday.” He leans back in his seat. “Isa went with me.”

I shake my head. “You really went above and beyond with all of this.” Then a question pops into my head. “But what if I hadn’t been ready for… this?”

He traces the rim of his glass with his index finger. “Then tonight would’ve gone a little differently.”

I raise my eyebrows. “You had a plan b?”

“I always have a plan b, babe.” He takes a sip.

“Of course you do.” I drink in the sight of him. “Would you have been disappointed?”

He shakes his head adamantly. “No. That’s not what this trip is about, Sophie. It’s about you and me reconnecting. If we make love that’ll just be a bonus.”

“If?” I raise an eyebrow.

“I never assume anything.”

“And yet you’ve made all these arrangements.” I wave my arms around and peer down at my dress recalling what’s underneath it.

“I said I don’t assume not that I don’t hope.” He winks, and it sets my skin ablaze.

Chapter 37
Best Laid Plans

When Martha appears before us, I’m surprised. I would’ve thought they’d be gone by now. “Are you ready for dinner?”

Rooter looks to me for the answer. I shake my head. “Not yet, Martha,” he says with a smile.

“I’ll check back in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

I swallow last sip of the liquor in my glass and Rooter pours me another.

“For a guy who’s never had a girlfriend, you do romance very well.”

For a fraction of a moment, his face turns a faint shade of red. “I can’t take all the credit. I had help.”

“Yeah?”

“After you told me I needed to make uninterrupted time for us, I came up with the idea of getting away. But I wanted to make it special.” He strokes the top of my hand with his thumb. “I don’t know what girls want so I went to my mom. We talked about you and the things you like. She helped me find this place and got me in touch with Vic and Martha. Isa gave me the idea for the dress.”

“I’ll be sure to thank them when we get back.”

He smiles. “My mom loves you. Said you’re the best thing to ever happen to me.” He brushes a hand through his hair. “She was so pissed when I told her Candace is pregnant. She smacked me upside the head and cussed me out in Spanish.” He chuckles, nervous.

I stare at him in silence, unsure know how to respond to that. To be honest, I don’t want to talk about Candace or the baby tonight. Tonight is our night. Though something tells me he’s bringing it up for a reason.

“Sophie, you were so mad. Honestly, I was afraid too much damage had been done. That things would never be the same with us. It scared the shit out of me. It still scares me.”

“Things have changed,” I admit and shift uncomfortably in my seat. “There’s no denying that. But, my feelings for you haven’t changed.”

He breathes a sigh of relief. “We haven’t been together very long, but I knew I wanted you a long time ago. I had it so bad that I’d sit in my room at night with the light out and watch you study in yours.”

“Stalker,” I accuse with a snicker. Not that I’m any better.

Rooter cocks his head to the side and shrugs before continuing. “I knew being with me wouldn’t be easy for you, even without Candace and a kid. But I just couldn’t stay away from you any longer.”

I lace my fingers with his. “It took you long enough to change your mind.”

“You deserve so much better than me. I struggle with that knowledge every day because I want better for you, but I want you for myself more.”

“I already told you. You’re all I want.”

“I can’t imagine why. But now I have you, I’ll never let you go.” His tone is light, but the intensity in his eyes conveys his meaning.

“I hope not.”

Rooter shifts forward and motions for me to give him my other hand so that he’s holding both. His eyes are piercing and when he speaks, his tone is intense. “I need to be real with you right now.”

“Okay.” I swallow.

“I’ll try to give you everything you want and need. But life with me isn’t going to be like the life you had planned.”

“I don’t care about those plans. I made them before I knew what I really wanted.”

The corner of his lip curls in appreciation of my words, but he continues. “I’m going fuck up and piss you off… a lot.”

I appreciate his candor and I know what he’s doing. He’s making sure I understand what I’m getting into before we take things any farther. What we have, isn’t a perfect fairytale. He has loads of baggage and he wants confirmation I won’t bolt when the next catastrophe comes our way. “I’m beginning to figure that out. But even after everything that’s happened, this is still where I want to be.”

“Babe, I’ll never do anything to purposely hurt or upset you. I’ll never lie or cheat. But I am what I am. You understand?”

“Yeah. You’re complicated.”

He cocks his head to the side and sighs. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“Just promise me no more Candace’s or surprise babies.”

“I can definitely promise you that.” Rooter looks down at the table and takes a deep breath. When he looks back at me his gaze is profound and unwavering. “You own me Sophia Noelle Holt. My heart is yours.”

I gasp and I’m pretty sure my heart just skipped three beats. Rooter continues.

“I started falling for you way before that first conversation in your back yard. But that first moment I looked into your eyes, there was no going back. I’m in love with you.”

A tear spills down my cheek and Rooter catches it with his thumb. “Rooter, I—” he puts his fingers on my lips to stop me.

“I don’t know what you’re getting ready to say, but if you’re getting ready to tell me you love me, don’t say it. Not yet. I haven’t earned it.”

I was going to tell him I love him. As crazy as it seems, I do. Even after everything and even though it seems way too soon, I do love him. Completely and irrevocably. He’s the one for me. I can feel it in the depths of my being. After I nod he slowly lowers his fingers.

“We’ll have tough days,” he says, “but I promise to make more days like this for you.”

“I don’t expect days like this. All I wanted was a little time for you and me.”

Martha clears her throat from a few feet away alerting us of her return.

“Ready to eat?” Rooter asks me. “I don’t think the food will keep much longer.”

Not at all.
The man just told me he’s in love with me. My heart feels as though it will explode from my chest. How the hell am I supposed to eat? “Sure.”

Vic and Martha have prepared an exquisite meal: braised short ribs, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh bread, and a dark chocolate trifle for dessert. I eat a little of everything, but not nearly as much as I should. I’m just so overwhelmed.

Once we’re finished, Martha clears our plates and she and Vic begin cleaning up. Rooter gets up from the table and peels off his jacket. His taut muscles flex underneath his fitted black shirt. He kicks off his shoes and crouches before me. His hands are hot as they gently unstrap and remove my sandals.

“Walk with me?” He stands and reaches out for my hand.

Walk? No I don’t want to walk. I want you to throw me over your shoulder and carry me to the bedroom and…
I slide my hand into his. “I’d love to.”

The sun hangs low on the horizon as we stroll hand in hand to the beach. It’ll be dark soon. We stand at the edge of the water and I close my eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze. I love the smell of the fresh lake air and the sensation of the sand between my toes. Even though my eyes are closed, I can sense Rooter watching me.

“Stop staring,” I say and turn to see I’m right.

“I can’t help it. I like seeing you happy and relaxed.” He sits and motions for me to join him.

“I’ll get my dress dirty.”

“You won’t be wearing it much longer anyway.” He smirks causing my stomach to do somersaults.

I put my hands on my hips. “I thought you said you don’t assume things.”

“What?” He looks up, squinting from the low hanging sun. “All I said is you won’t be wearing the dress much longer. That’s not an assumption, it’s a fact. It’s not like you’re going to sleep in it.”

“Mm-hmm, we both know what you meant.”

He tugs on my hand and pulls me into his lap. “Hey, I’m a guy. I can always hope.”

“You don’t have to hope.” I gaze into his eyes. “I’m a sure thing.”

Rooter rests his hands on my hip and nuzzles my neck. His breath is warm against my skin when he groans. “God you smell good.”

I comb my fingers through his soft hair. “You didn’t really want to go for a walk, did you?”

He regards me with hungry eyes and shakes his head. “Is it that obvious?”

I hold up my thumb and index finger about a quarter inch apart. “Just a little.”

He chuckles. “Vic and Martha need time to clean up. I was going to try to play it cool like it was part of my plan to be romantic but…”

“You know what they say about anticipation,” I toy with him.

“Fuck anticipation. This is agony.” We both laugh.

“How long are we supposed to wait?”

“An hour,” he groans and plays with the hem of my dress.

Great. We get to sit here for the next hour waiting to make love for the first time while trying not to think about it. This ought to be fun.

We spend the next fifty minutes mostly in silence. For me it’s because I literally can’t think about anything other than making love with Rooter. My brain is a pile of mush. I force myself to think of things to talk about and it all seems so trivial when compared to what is to come.

The sun has set in entirety and the only light we have comes from the lamps leading up our stairway. Rooter checks his phone for the time. He smiles and kisses the side of my head. His expression is a mixture of desire an angst.

After a few more minutes pass, he squeezes my hand and says we can make our way back to the house. We climb the stairs in silence, but every now and again steal glances at one another.

Once we reach the top of the stairs all signs of Martha and Vic are gone. The kitchen and dining table are clean. A few candles are still lit, but most of them have been blown out. On the table is a bottle of champagne sitting in a chiller alongside two long stem crystal glasses.

Rooter pours us each a glass and clinks his with mine. Neither of us says a word before tasting the sparkling wine. I’ve never had champagne before, so I’m not sure what to expect, especially since I’m not a fan of wine. I’m delightfully surprised at the flavor and nearly empty my glass.

“You really thought of everything.”

“More?” He asks when he sees how much I drank.

“Please.” I take another sip the moment he hands it to me. “This is really good.”

He shows me the label: Dom Perignon. “It’s supposed to be the best.”

I’ve heard of Dom before and know it’s expensive. “You’re spoiling me.”

“You deserve it.” He winks, and it hits me like a wrecking ball right between my legs.

The sexual tension between us is palpable. Rooter licks his lips and his stare is penetrating. I squeeze my thighs together in an attempt to keep my desire at bay, but the pulsing between my legs remains. I watch his mouth curve around the glass as he takes another sip and long to feel it on my skin. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up.

Rooter takes a step forward and gazes directly into my eyes, his jaw is set. He cups my elbow and pulls me against him. “We’re going to take this slow,” he murmurs deep and raspy sending tingles from my head to my toes. “So slow that you’ll be completely satisfied before you even feel me inside of you.”

Oh my.
My mouth parts and my eyes go wide. I’m not sure how to respond to that. But damn I like it when he talks dirty.

Chapter 38
The First Time

Holy fuck, the way he’s looking at me right now. My chest rises and falls with shallow breaths. He’s so very close I can feel the heat radiating from his body. I don’t know if I can take this slow. I want to rip his clothes off and lick every inch of his rock hard body. I need to see those sexy tattoos and chiseled abs right the hell now.

Rooter leans down and gives me a chaste, soft kiss and pulls away with a smirk, well aware of exactly what he’s doing to me. He takes a half a step back, tosses back the rest of his champagne and sets his glass on the table. He takes me by the hand and leads me at a seductively slow pace through the french doors into the dimly lit living room.

A slow, sensual instrumental song plays on the stereo. Rooter pulls my body against his and moves his hips in time to the slow song. “By the time this night is over, I’ll have made love to every inch of your body.”

He wraps one hand around the nape of my neck while the other travels slowly down my back to caress the curve of my ass. I roll my head to the side as he glides his tongue languidly across the sensitive skin of my neck. He backs away, removes his neck tie and opens the first two buttons on his shirt.

Keep going. Show me that gorgeous body.

He motions for me to finish my champagne and I quickly oblige, not the least bit gracefully. Once I’ve swallowed the last drop, he takes the glass and sets it on the table nearest us. He places his hands on my hips and resumes dancing with me, peppering my shoulder with soft kisses.

I drape my arms around his neck as we dance. His kisses move from my shoulder, to my collar bone, to my neck. When he reaches my earlobe he pulls it into his mouth and flicks it with his warm, wet tongue. I feel a spasm between my legs.

God the things I bet he can do with that tongue.

His mouth claims mine, demanding that I grant him entry. When I part my lips, his tongue slides deliciously into my mouth.

“You make me so hard.” His fingers dig into my hips and he presses his erection against my belly.

“I can feel you,” I say, breathless.

He flips me around so we’re dancing with my back to his front. We sway side to side as his hands move from my hips up to my breasts. Keeping one hand on my chest, he uses the other to brush my hair to one side. He pulls away and then I feel the warmth of his tongue against the skin between my shoulder blades making its way up to my neck.

“You taste amazing,” he groans. The heat from his hand brushes my skin as he tugs at the zipper of my dress. “I want to see you.”

My heart is already racing, but my breath hitches at the thought of him seeing me in the lace lingerie.

Rooter backs away from me and pulls my zipper down unbearably slow. When the dress hits the floor he sucks in a breath. “Perfect.”

He cups my bare ass and makes his way slowly to the front of me. Once he’s facing me he pulls his bottom lip into his mouth and groans. He cups my left breast and flicks the nipple with his thumb. I close my eyes and shudder at the sensation of his warm touch through the thin material of the bustier.

“I love the color of your nipples,” he declares and pinches me roughly, but I like it. “You’re so fucking hot in this. I might not take it off.”

Keeping it on sounds hot, but I yearn to feel his mouth on my bare skin. “But how will you put your mouth on me?”

“Don’t worry,” he says with hooded eyes. “I’m going to put my mouth on every millimeter of your body.” He licks his lips and pinches my nipple again.

I moan in pleasure.

“You like that?” There’s fire in his eyes and he pinches the other nipple.

I reach up and unfasten the buttons on his shirt. Once it’s open I softly scrape my fingernails down his chest and abdomen to the waistline of his pants. I peel his shirt away from his skin, but I’ve forgotten to unbutton the cuffs. Without skipping a beat, Rooter does it for me and tosses it to the floor.

I trace the intricate design of the tattoo on his side with my index finger up to his shoulder and down his arm. His skin is warm to the touch. He takes my hand and tugs me against him, smashing my lips with his. For a moment we’re a frenzy of tongues and hands, furiously exploring one another. But when my hand finds his erection he slows the kiss and takes my hands into his.

“Slow,” he murmurs and kisses the top of my left hand. His breathing is erratic.

“But I want to touch you.”

“And I want you to touch me, but if you do it now, I’ll lose control.”

“That’s okay with me.”

“Eager, are we?” He winks and a bolt of electricity shoots straight to my clit.

“Wink at me again and
I’ll
lose control and you won’t be able to stop me from putting my hands on you.”

He arches a brow. “Is that right?” He winks again and my hands are pinned in his so I can’t do anything about it.

“That’s not fair,” I pout. “Do you have any idea what that does to me?”

Rooter shakes his head but his rueful expression tells me he knows exactly what it does to me. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Without giving me time to answer he turns my arm over and holds it up to his mouth. I throw my head back and shiver as he glides his tongue from the base of my wrist up to the inside of my elbow and then blows on the skin. His mouth is simply sinful.

“That’s what I’m going to do to your entire body.” He spins me around and points to the hallway leading to the bedroom. “Walk.”

I obey, knowing he’s following me and watching my ass with every step I take, making me feel bashful and brazen at the same time. I like that he’s watching me, but I hope he likes what he sees.

“Turn around,” he grunts upon reaching the bed. When I do I’m met by a pair of smoldering eyes. He definitely liked what he saw. His eyes drop to my chest and he grips his length. “Lay back on the bed.”

I slide onto the bed and lay flat while Rooter unhooks his belt. I lick my lips in anticipation of seeing him naked. He slips his pants off and approaches me with his boxers still on, straining against his erection. He reaches for my foot and brings it to his lips and licks the instep. While it feels fantastic, my initial reaction is to pull away. He grips my ankle tightly and repeats the act.

“Oh!” I call out at the foreign sensation.

He crawls onto the bed and his mouth moves to my calf and he continues to lick and kiss all the way up to my inner thigh. “You taste so good, babe.”

Rooter flips me over and before I know it, I feel the warm wetness of his mouth on my right ass cheek. He playfully bites and kisses the skin before moving to the other side. He places a trail of wet kisses down my leg to that foot’s instep where he licks me once again.

“Does that feel good?” He asks in a raspy voice.

“So good,” I pant.

He rolls me over and stares at me with hungry eyes. Leisurely, he crawls between my legs, presses himself into me and groans. He takes my left arm and nips and licks it all the way to my shoulder, across my collar bone to the other shoulder and arm. The man meant it when he said he was going to make love to every inch of my body.

“You’re beautiful, Sophie,” he rasps through ragged breaths.

Rooter lifts my hands above my head and begins to untie the bustier. By the time he gets to the end of the laces he seems as impatient to get his hands on me as I am to have them on me. Once the bustier is open, he places his right hand on the skin between my breasts and leans in to give me a wet kiss. His hand slides from my chest, down my stomach and back up before cupping my left breast. I arch my back in response as he plays with my nipple, twisting it gently between his thumb and index finger turning it into a stiff peak.

“I love how you respond to my touch,” he murmurs before taking it into his mouth.

I cry out the instant his oh so talented tongue touches my delicate flesh. It swirls around and around as he nips and sucks until I can barely take anymore. And then he pulls away and blows cool air onto the skin giving me a chill. He leans down and roughly sucks the skin below my nipple to leave his mark. Once he’s finished with that breast, he moves to the other. He looks up to see me watching him as he swipes his tongue across my pert nipple.

I writhe beneath him as he places a series of wet and dry kisses down my belly to the top of my panties.
Oh my God.
No longer able to resist, I lower my hands and rake my fingers through his silky hair. My body quivers in anticipation of feeling his hands and his mouth on my most sensitive spot. He smirks at me when he lifts my legs and kisses my inner thigh. My legs go slack as he grazes the delicate skin right next to my center, getting dangerously close to the fabric of my thong. I breathe in and out rapidly, desperate for that intimate contact.

“Touch me, please,” I beg, unable to take another second of this torment.

He bows down and flicks his tongue against the skin next to the fringe of my panties. I whimper, a mixture of pleasure and desperation from the erotic sensation. If he just moved his tongue an inch to the left it would be right where I yearn for it to be. When he finally shifts his face to the left and presses against my entrance and inhales I nearly lose my mind. His face. Is. Right.
There.
Only a thin strip of cloth blocks his mouth from touching my sensitive skin.

“You smell so fucking good,” he murmurs. “I bet you taste even better.

Using his thumb, he strokes my covered slit up and down causing me to cry out. I’m panting as he hooks his fingers on each side of my thong and pulls it down my legs.

This is really happening.

On his way back up he sprinkles my leg with kisses wet and dry and strokes the inside of my thighs before spreading them wide. There’s a carnal hunger in his eyes as he gazes at my exposed pink flesh. He licks his lips and then looks into my eyes as though seeking permission.

“Please,” I whisper.

He begins by gently stroking the skin on the outside of my entrance and works his way inward. Nothing could possibly prepare me for the sensation of his fingers coming into contact with the most delicate part of me. My back arches off of the bed when his thumb finds and circles my clit again, and again.

“You’re so wet, babe,” he rasps and continues to play with me, up and down and around.

My eyes screw shut and my legs begin to quiver as pressure mounts in my center. “Rooter,” I moan. I’m teetering right on the edge when his fingers stop moving. “Please don’t stop.”

“Look in my eyes, babe,” he speaks lovingly. When I do, he’s wearing a serious expression. “When we’re making love, I want you to call me Jace.”

I pull my eyebrows together in confusion. Our eyes are locked when he reaches out and strokes my clit with his thumb. He dips just the tip of a finger into my entrance but it’s enough to make me cry out in ecstasy.

“I want to hear you say my name, baby,” he coos and leans his face into me.

And then his tongue is. On. My. Clit.

“Jace!” I squeeze my eyes shut and bask in the sensation of his tongue swirling around and around.

I grip his head and scream his name again as he glides his tongue up and down my wet slit. He works my swollen nub with his thumb and delves his tongue into me. A guttural groan escapes my lips as he brings me closer and closer to my peak, working me with his hand and his mouth. His glorious fucking mouth. Nothing has ever felt as good as his wet, velvety tongue dipping inside me.

Slight shockwaves begin to hit me as I become dangerously close to going off. He grips my outer thighs as he slows his pace and rubs and licks leisurely. I chant his name again and again. Everything falls away but the sensation of his tongue and thumb working me as I fall apart.

I lay for a moment with my hand on my chest, gasping for air, unable to fully comprehend the enormity of what I just experienced. When I finally come to, Rooter is laying alongside me with a proud smile on his glistening lips. I can’t speak. I can’t move.

He rolls on top of me and presses his cock between my legs. The only thing stopping him from entering me is the cotton of his boxers. He brushes his wet lips against mine and licks the seam, asking for entry. When his tongue finds mine it tastes of me, but I don’t mind. He kisses me slow and tender, rolling his tongue along mine. I wrap my legs around his waist and ghost my fingertips up and down his back as we continue our sensual kiss.

Rooter pulls away and sits on his knees before me. My eyes move with his hands as he reaches down and grips his erection. My sex clenches with need as I watch him stroke his cotton covered length. His hand moves to the elastic of his boxers and he pulls the material down at an achingly slow pace. He’s teasing me, knowing how I yearn to see him. Finally, his hard shaft springs forward. With his free hand he reaches for mine and places it around his girth. He hisses as he guides my hand up and down the smooth skin.

“Fuck that feels good,” he grunts and closes his eyes continuing to move my hand up and down his length. After a few more strokes, he crawls off the bed and removes his boxers.

I marvel at the magnificence of his naked body. His broad shoulders, muscular arms and thick thighs are pure perfection.

Rooter slinks next to me and lies on his back, his dick standing proud. He reaches for my hand again and places it around the brick hard shaft. He never takes his eyes off of me as I stroke him the way he showed me. Pre-cum appears on the tip and I instinctively lower my head and swipe my tongue across the slit to taste it. He tastes good; salty and all man. I’ve never performed oral sex, but I’ve seen it done on porn and Miranda has given me lots of advice on the topic.