even further, and she felt the pulsing throb of his own climax deep within her.
Then, he pressed his lips to hers in their most intimate kiss yet.
“I’ll be right back,” he whispered and withdrew.
Her body protested the loss immediately. He was back a moment later with a warm washcloth, wiping gently between her legs and then pulling the covers up over both of them.
“You okay?” he asked softly, stroking her skin with the back of his hand.
“Perfect,” she murmured. “You?”
“Perfect,” he echoed. “Though I don’t think I’ll ever be able to smell chocolate without getting a hard-on again.”
* * *
“I should get going. It’s going to be dawn soon, and you need some sleep.” Doc nuzzled the sensitive spot near her ear. He didn’t sound any happier about it than she was.
“I was sleeping.” Quite soundly in fact.
“I know, but if I stay any longer, I’m going to have you again.”
Spooned as they were, she could feel the hard ridge of his cock tucked snugly in the gap at the apex of her thighs. With a slight lift and shift of her hips, he could be inside her. She was certainly wet enough. Something about having his bare skin pressed against her and his arm possessively cupping her breast kept her in a constant state of readiness.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
He kissed her shoulder and squeezed her hip, withdrawing only long enough to sheathe himself. She moaned in pleasure as he pushed into her again in a slow, deliciously snug glide. She pushed back, taking him even deeper.
“Fuck, Tina. I have no willpower when it comes to you.”
His words gave her a thrill. He slipped his arm under the knee of her upper leg and lifted, opening her and changing the angle of his thrusts. At first, his strokes were slow and deep, but they soon escalated to hard and fast until he took them both over the edge.
“Now, I really have to go,” he said regretfully, “or I won’t make it to the road while it’s still dark.”
“I know. Go.” She placed her hands around his face and kissed him. “I’ll call you later tonight.”
She stayed in bed, appreciating the bunch and play of his muscles as he got dressed. It was a nice view indeed. He had the lean build of a healthy, athletic guy who took care of himself and worked out regularly. That, combined with his intelligence, thoughtfulness, and generosity, made him pretty much her ideal man. She’d have to be careful. If he kept being so wonderful, she could easily see herself losing her heart.
“Take care of yourself today,” he commanded softly, and with one more quick kiss, he was gone.
Tina snuggled under the blankets and buried her face in the pillow, still warm and scented from the man who was quickly becoming an addiction. She didn’t have to get out of bed for a little while yet, and she was going to enjoy the quiet, happy moments while she could.
Her body was still thrumming with the aftereffects of her latest orgasm. Some parts were more tender than others, but she wasn’t complaining. The man knew a thing or two about pleasure points. She wondered vaguely if that was a natural talent or something he’d picked up in his medic training.
She allowed her eyes to drift shut, using tactile memory to recall the heat of his skin, the grip of those strong fingers, and the weight of his body atop hers. It was a nice place to be, suspended in between sleep and wakefulness and wrapped in such lovely thoughts.
She drifted deeper, and other happy, cozy memories rose up, too. The way her mother used to brush her hair. Her father lifting her up into the air to pick the plumpest, juiciest peaches. Accompanying her grandfather into the network of underground root cellars ...
Tina’s eyes popped open, and she sat up abruptly. She remembered where she’d seen the key in Rick’s jacket pocket.
Chapter Thirty
Tina
“Do you have any idea why anyone would need to access the old root cellars?” Tina asked Lottie later that evening.
“No. As far as I know, no one’s been down there since your grandfather passed. And even before then, you were the only one who enjoyed spending time there. What makes you ask?”
“I found the key in a jacket pocket. I think it’s Rick’s.”
Tina explained how she had gone snooping around the office, looking for anything that might explain the ever-increasing suspicion that something was afoot. “I need to