British Black Sheep - Lauren Smith Page 0,21

he liked most to wake up in the morning next to a woman.

“Five more minutes…” Brie burrowed closer to him and her delectable bottom settled against his very hard cock. Her drowsy mutter was adorable.

“Do that again and I might roll you beneath me,” he whispered in her ear.

She smiled at that. If she’d been a cat, she’d have purred and rubbed herself against him invitingly. For now, he didn’t bother to roll her beneath him. Instead, he lifted her leg, opening her up and stroking her folds with slow, teasing, erotic touches. When she was dripping and wide awake, he slid into her from behind. In response, she moaned softly and clutched at his arm around her waist.

They made love quietly, slowly this time, and he burned every second of it into his mind. The way motes of dust swirled in eddies above her head, glinting in tiny sparkles. The way her dark hair glowed in the morning light, and how the hidden russet strands were illuminated between the darker chocolate tones. He didn’t want this to end, but as she climaxed in a soft gasp, he was compelled to join her only seconds later. As he held her from behind, he faced the reality that in a few hours, this would be over.

They lay together for a long time before he let her slip away. She retrieved her clothes from the floor and rushed into the bathroom across the hall. Alec rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. In a few hours he’d be on his way to Merryvale for the holidays with his family, and even though Simon would be there, he was not looking forward to it at all.

When Brie returned, freshly showered, he dragged himself out of bed and fetched a shower kit to take his own. As he washed away Brie’s scent, he knew he was going to miss it. Once he was done and dressed, he found her downstairs in the kitchen with Mrs. Fellers, who had made scrambled eggs and tea.

“You have a good sleep, dears?” she asked them.

“Yes, thank you. We really appreciate you letting us stay the night.” Brie smiled warmly at the older woman. Alec was fascinated with the way her smile lit up her face. Had any woman he’d been with before ever had a smile like that? He honestly couldn’t remember.

“How far do you need to travel?” Mrs. Fellers asked.

“About two hours for me.” Alec glanced at Brie, still curious as to who her client was. If it was anyone noteworthy, he would bet anything that his parents would know them.

“Same for me, I think.” Brie helped their host with the dishes and Alec went upstairs to retrieve their suitcases. His hired car arrived minutes after he’d brought all their luggage down into the front hall.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Fellers.” He hugged the elder woman who blushed and patted his back. Then he turned to Brie who was waiting for him with bright eyes.

“So, this is it,” she said with a shaky smile.

“Bet you’ll be glad to be rid of me, eh?” he joked.

She bit her lip and nodded. “Definitely. You’re such a jerk.”

“Only with the truly annoying ladies.” She laughed at the way he said that. The teasing kept their parting nearer to sweet than sorrow.

“Do you…?” He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say and perhaps it was a mistake, but he slid a business card in her hand. “In case you need it.” He spun and headed down the snowy steps of the cottage and into the waiting SUV. He didn’t dare look back.

As the hired car pulled away from the cottage, he dug around his briefcase for his iPad but his fingertips bumped against the book Brie had let him keep. He pulled it out and stared at the title: No Rest for the Wicked. He opened it to the first page. This was going to be ridiculous, but it seemed more appealing than reading the paper online, at least for the next couple of hours.

The rest of the trip was a blur as he got sucked into the story of the dashing rogue pirate Dominic and his feisty English love who’d hid aboard his captured vessel dressed as a cabin boy hoping to find out what happened to her father.

“We’re here, sir,” the driver announced, pulling Alec out of the story. He had only handful of chapters left, which meant he’d have to find time to finish the book later. He’d been