Winter's Thaw (6 page)

“Hey, Rollie, it’s Nick.”

“Nick! You back?”

“Yeah, just got in this afternoon.”

“How was your grandma?”

“It was a good visit. She’s getting up there, but still really active. Hey, can you look something up for me?”

“Sure, whatcha need?”

Nick gave Rollie Wade’s name and the fact he’d been in an auto accident. “Might not be down as a fatality, though. I think he died at St Vincent’s.”

There was the sound of typing and a period of silence. “Okay, yeah. Another driver crossed into oncoming traffic. Three-car accident, four people transported. The driver at fault was dead on scene. Um, what else? No one under the influence. He—Wade Winters—had a clean driving record. Highway Patrol notified ex-wife Margaret Winters yesterday by phone. Do you need the number?”

Ex-wife?
“Sure, go ahead.”

Rollie gave him the number and Nick entered it into his phone. “That all you need, Nick? When are you back on shift?”

“Days, tomorrow… Uh, today.”

“Well, damn, get some sleep then.”

“Will do. Thanks, Rollie.”

Nick hung up and finished entering Maggie’s name on her contact page. They hadn’t been married anymore. But Nick could swear she’d referred to Wade as her husband, not ex-husband. And she was still wearing her ring.

Huh
. Well, maybe she just hadn’t moved on yet, even though she was free. A sense of relief spread through him at the knowledge that instead of being attracted to a raw widow of a day’s time, he was more acceptably interested in a divorced woman who had just lost her ex—which was bad enough. The other had just been disturbing. He blew out a breath, feeling much better about himself.

After one more check to make sure they were locked up, he headed upstairs then carefully got back into the far side of her bed. Settling in, actually feeling like he could rest this time, he realized part of his restlessness before was his subconscious unease at being in the bed of another man, in place of him. Letting go of that worry, he confirmed that his cell phone alarm was set and finally let himself relax into sleep.

* * * *

Maggie woke up slowly from a good dream that was getting better by the minute. She was tucked securely against a large male frame, her head pillowed on a muscular shoulder. There was no confusion, no mistaken identity. She knew instantly it was Nick—Wade had never been a cuddler, and moreover, Nick likely had at least fifty pounds on her ex.

The grief tried to intrude at the thought of Wade, and she pushed it away, purposely concentrating on the now. Her leg was thrown possessively across Nick, and she couldn’t help a little movement, rubbing against his hair-roughened thigh. He squeezed her in response, and she smiled against his skin.

He’d stayed.

And had been a gentleman.

Not sure if she was truly happy with that or not, she wiggled a bit closer. His chest started to shake under her and, startled, she lifted her head to look at him, to find the movement was apparently stifled laughter. His eyes danced with amusement, and she frowned in response.

“What’s so funny?”

He used his large hand to tuck her head back down against his shoulder. “You are. You sleep like the dead, but you’re very wiggly when you wake up.”

Her head popped back up as soon as he let go. She wanted to see him, but she had no desire to move anything else.
In fact
… She shifted her leg over his again, and he groaned, his head going back onto the pillow.

“Quit moving!”

A rush of pure feminine power overtook Maggie. It was as if she were another woman—a confident, sexy woman, certain of her own appeal. Trying not to think too much about what she was doing, she went on instinct instead. From the position she was in, it took about two seconds for Maggie to be straddling Nick.

From her new vantage point astride her sexy bed mate, she could see the surprise in his gaze being overtaken by heat.

“This isn’t the best time for this,” he cautioned, even as his hands came up to bracket her hips, holding her in place. “You need time.”

“I need this. And there is no better time. We’re here—now. The rest of the world can wait a while.”

Nick’s lips parted as if to argue, but then he gave her a wry grin instead. “You sound very certain.”

“I am,” Maggie agreed, needing to make it clear to him. “I’m not stupid. I know this is probably some knee-jerk, cycle of grief thing. But oh, I want this.” She circled her hips against the growing erection beneath her, and he helped by holding her even more firmly and moving her exactly how he wanted.

He gave her a jerk forward, and she lost her balance, falling to catch herself on her elbows just above his shoulders. Now she was pressed against him from groin to chest. Her breasts were flattened against the hard wall of his upper torso. Her new angle had his cock rubbing against her clit on every pass as they rocked against one another, the two thin layers of their underwear no barrier to the heat and moisture being produced. Each thrust sent shockwaves of sensation through her, traveling from her pussy to her now-aching breasts and back to concentrate at her core.

Her lips parted. There wasn’t enough oxygen in the world just then. Pulling back enough so the taut tips of her breasts just brushed against his solid chest, she lingered a breath above his lips. Their eyes locked and the kiss she craved was just an inch away. Maggie knew Nick wouldn’t be the one to take it, that he would let her set the pace, and that made her even more determined to tempt him into making a move.

Maggie licked her lips as her gaze dropped to his mouth. His tongue was just visible inside his parted lips and she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. She alternately surged with and fought against his hold on her hips, seeking the most contact she could, using her lower body to shamelessly stroke against his rigid erection.

This is the best sex I’ve had in my life, and we’re still dressed
.

Time to make it better.

Maggie sat up abruptly and pulled the T-shirt over her head in one swift movement. Nick’s gasp ended in a growl as his patience finally broke. He tossed her off him onto the other side of the bed, and before she’d stopped bouncing, he had hold of her panties and pulled them down her legs.

He tossed the garment aside and deliberately slowed his movements as he worked the T-shirt over his head. At the first sight of his broad, muscled chest, Maggie forgot all about lying there naked and exposed. Eagerly trailing her eyes over his form, she propped herself up on an elbow and followed the path of her gaze with her hand, all the way down to the waistband of the boxer briefs that had drawn her attention earlier that night. Her fingers slid just inside the elastic, and she began to pull downwards. Nick gave a heart-stopping little shimmy of assistance and she worked the last barrier downwards to his thighs as he rid himself of his shirt and used the freed hands to help push down his underwear then shifted to get them off his legs.

His erection hung long and thick—and Nick was uncircumcised. Distracted by the difference, she reached out before she could think and took him in hand. He hissed in a breath and pulsed against her palm.

“Wow,” Maggie voiced her admiration and was gratified when Nick flushed red. “Can I…? Um…” She wasn’t sure how to voice her request to explore and satisfy her curiosity about his foreskin. So instead, she stroked him and watched as the glistening red head emerged.

“Girl, you’re killing me. Do whatever you want.”

Maggie snorted. “Girl? I’m no girl.” She kept up her slow stroking, mesmerized, until a bead of pre-cum welled in his slit. She inhaled and looked up.

Nick’s heavy-lidded expression did crazy things to her insides and her pussy was literally clenching in anticipation.

I actually
want
him to fuck me
, she thought, stunned.

Her sense that another person had taken over her body increased at the alien thought. But sure enough, all the signs were there. She mentally pictured herself as she was at that moment—sprawled before him, naked, breasts peaked and her folds moist, with her hand on his erect cock. Not a position she ever thought she’d be in, especially with a relative stranger.

But not one I’m going to squander either
.

Chapter Six

Fighting through the feeling of her hand on him, which was still caressing him with a maddeningly light touch, Nick retained enough sense to see the acceptance in her eyes. But he still needed the words.

“Maggie?” He waited until he had her attention. “I won’t do anything you don’t want. We can stop anytime. We can stop right now. As little or as much as you want. Your call.”

She didn’t hesitate. “I don’t want to stop.”

He leaned down until he was braced over her. “What
do
you want?”

At the direct question, she opened her mouth then closed it. Her hands came up and ran along his lats then down to cup his ass in a firm grip. Her pressure pulled him forward enough so his cock rode against the softness of her belly.

“Would it be easier to answer what you
don’t
want?” he tried one last time.

Her eyes shone up at him even in low light cast by the streetlamp, still on outside. She arched beneath him, seemingly seeking greater contact.

“I don’t want to stop feeling like this.”

At the heartfelt admission, he relented and lowered his body on top of hers, relishing the feel of her cradling him against her smooth skin. “How do you feel?” he murmured.

Maggie mouthed his jaw line, and he felt the tip of her tongue come out to taste him. He in turn let his own lips glide down the curve of her neck. She brought her legs up to wrap around the back of his, twining them together until they were completely aligned. One small movement would put him right where he was dying to be. He gritted his teeth, the effort to keep this two-way seduction slow straining every bit of patience he had.

“I feel…sexy. Hungry. Alive…” This last trailed off and he saw a hint of reality enter her expression. Waiting to see if it would be the tipping point, he nearly held his breath until she continued.

“I love feeling this way. It makes me think I’ve missed a lot in my life. I want you to show me.”

There was no reply he could give that seemed adequate to answer the trust and responsibility she was asking him for. So instead, he tried to illustrate without words how vibrant and gorgeous he found her. Dipping his head, he took those small, tight nipples one at a time into his mouth, teething and tugging at them until they were standing at attention. Satisfied with her response, he tasted his way down her stomach, his frequent glances up at her rapt face spurring him onwards to the dark triangle protecting her core.

Shouldering her legs even farther apart, Nick found her pussy lips were partially spread and glistening. He ran his tongue through her folds, opening her completely, tasting her as she fought to ride his mouth. He stilled her hips with his hands, and suckled and lapped at her clit and dipped his tongue into her entrance.

Her moans and cries intensified until at once, she arched up against him and he tongued her through her climax, pulling back only when her hands scrabbled at his shoulders. Loving the feel of her dampness on his lips and chin, he moved upwards to share her taste in a long, lush kiss that left them both panting.

Absolutely at the breaking point, he pulled back reluctantly and slid to the side of the bed in order to reach for his pants.

“What? Where are you going?” Maggie’s voice sounded almost panicked as she sat up quickly. Not wanting to cause her a moment of worry, he turned to soothe her with a kiss.

“Just getting some protection, sweetheart.”

“Oh.” Her chagrined tone made him ache for her.

“It’s no reflection on you or on me. It’s just smart, a precaution.”

“Of course, I know that. I just didn’t think.” She rolled her eyes, self-deprecatingly, and Nick relaxed and grinned. After pulling a condom from his wallet, he opened it, then held her eyes with his own as he gave his shaft a few hard pumps before placing the disc at the tip.

Her expression abruptly changed as she watched him hold and roll the condom down his length, and her admiring gaze made him even harder. When was the last time he’d ever been regarded with such blatant yet innocent interest? Nick shook his head. Nothing about Maggie was like anything he’d ever experienced before, from her wide-eyed reactions to her sultry siren song. His protectiveness toward her was yet another new sensation.

He laid her back and stroked her warmth with his fingers, testing her readiness, then removed his touch and sank his sheathed cock into her welcoming folds. Her gasp echoed his as they came together and he paused to allow her to adjust. Damn, she was tight. She was a petite little thing, and he also wagered it had been a while. Rocking side to side instead of the further penetration he was aching for, he tried to give her time to become accustomed to his presence.

Then she took matters into her own hands, so to speak, by trailing her fingertips down his pecs to his nipples and giving them a caress. Always a hot spot for him, he couldn’t keep from thrusting in reflex, finally sinking all the way into her.

That thrust felt so good, and Maggie had nothing but desire and want in her eyes, so he began to move. The slow, rhythmic pace he set effectively edged his impending climax—all the time spent in such close proximity to her, sleeping with her, the foreplay—it all had kept him at the breaking point for longer than he’d thought possible.

Nick finally let his body take over, his penetration going deeper and harder until sweat trickled down his back and temples. Maggie was a quiet, wordless lover, but the gasps and moans deep in her throat gave him all the feedback he needed.

He got a hand between them and thrummed her hard clit along with his thrusts and she went wild beneath him, finally arching against him as he rode her to his own finish. The squeeze of her passage on his shaft at the peak of its sensitivity prolonged his pleasure. “Ah, babe. Maggie,” he called then, his strength fading, he rolled to his side, taking her with him.