Loner by Harloe Rae Page 0,71
toes curl and everything goes still. For a split second, as I hover on that edge between pure pleasure and desperation, nothing exists except clawing need. I struggle to draw in enough air. All of my energy is centered on what this man’s mouth is doing to me, sending me higher, further yet, until a burst of stars explodes across the blue sky.
With a final swipe, I’m shoved over the cliff and tumbling. Or gliding. I can’t tell what’s up and down, only able to ride out the quaking tremble radiating throughout every molecule inside of me. I’m suspended in a state of spine-numbing euphoria as seconds blend into minutes. The tide rolls over me, ripples of shockwaves tingling my hands.
When I regain control of my muscles, I prop up on a shaky elbow. My vision swims when I glance down at him still kneeling in front of me. His glistening mouth twitches with the beginnings of a smirk. He has every right to be cocky after that award-winning demonstration.
“Good?” Crawford straightens while wiping a sloppy palm over his lips.
I give him a crooked smile of my own. “Best yet.”
“Careful, you might inflate my ego.”
I hook my ankle around the bend of his knee, reeling him in. “Oh, I plan to do a lot more than that.”
Healing Hug #22: The instant before realization strikes and all is calm.
Two fantasy-inducing weeks have flown by since I brought Keegan to my landing in the prairie. Since then, we’ve managed to crank the sexual creativity scale to hotter than a July afternoon. My body is depleted, yet wholly satisfied. The constant throbbing in my veins is a welcome reprieve from the bitter dullness I’d grown accustomed to. I can’t stay away from her for more than a couple of days. By some miracle, or rare stroke of luck, the woman sitting on my left seems to share the same potent desire for me.
This is how I find myself once again being chauffeured to a secret location by the irresistible blonde behind the wheel. Almost an hour has ticked by. My skin is starting to itch, but I keep the pissy agitation on lockdown. It’s not that I mind being a passenger in Keegan’s ride, but there are far better ways for us to pass the time.
A peek behind me reveals a sight that will soften the hardest man. Millie is snoozing in her seat with Elsa’s head resting on her lap. The little girl’s fingers are curled in the dog’s thick fur. Patch is sprawling out on the floorboards without a care in the world. I can’t even lie. A burst of warmth spreads through my chest just considering I’m privy to witnessing this moment. Fuck, these women are turning me into a sap. I wait for the gut-churning nausea to kick in, but there’s nothing but the pleasant heat washing over me. I’m sinking into lost-cause territory with zero plans of return. Who would’ve thought? Definitely not me.
Keegan must notice me looking at the dozing trio. A toasty smile lifts her already rosy features. “It’s been quite a while since she zonked out in the car, but she used to do it every time. She gets that from me. Fully alert one second, then bam. Zapped out like a blown fuse.”
Her turns of phrase are a tad wonky, but I get the picture. More than that, a spark flickers in the back of my mind. What she said prods at my already burning curiosity. I swipe along the brim of my hat, collecting the fragments of courage to solve a gaping hole. “Can I ask you something?”
Keegan peeks at me from the corner of her eye. “Of course.”
“You can tell me to screw off. It’s not really any of my business.”
She taps her thumb to a silent beat on the steering wheel. “I feel as though we’re past the point of pussy-footing around one another. Don’t you agree?”
“Uh, sure.” She might change her tune once I pry into personal details.
“Just spit it out, Ford.” Her green eyes roll faster than spinning tires.
“Where’s Millie’s dad?”
Her breathing falters, just for a moment. If I hadn’t been paying close attention, her reaction would’ve been a mere blip. “That’s a good question.”
“Thank you?” I scratch my temple.
She hikes a single shoulder. “I honestly have no clue. Haven’t seen that spineless sperm donor since I told him the news.”
I almost swallow my tongue. “Uh, what?”
She waves off my evident shock. “Not literally. I didn’t go to a