too. And the way you’ve made my muscles ache.”
“Did I hurt you?” He frowned. He thought he’d been gentle. Being a big guy, he’d learned not to put his weight on a woman, to be careful unless she asked for it a little rougher.
“No. I’m just a little out of practice. Used a few muscles I haven’t needed for a while.”
The thought warmed him. “Maybe we both were.” He traced a line from her shoulder to her throat, then tangled his fingers into her soft hair.
“Not you,” she whispered. “You’re at the peak of your game.”
He leaned his head down, angling hers until they were a whisper away from each other. “I haven’t come like that in a long time,” he told her softly. “Maybe never. You do things to me, Autumn. Things I can’t stop thinking about.” He brushed his lips against hers, the simple contact sending a siren call to his groin. He’d been hard since he touched her skin, but now he was aching. She turned until she was facing him, her back to the window, her front pressed against his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.
In her bare feet she was a foot shorter than him, and he had to bend his back and his neck to get the right angle. Sliding his hands down her sides, he lifted her against him, pressing her against the window pane to steady her, as she wrapped her thighs around his hips.
“Sorry,” he murmured against her lips. “It’s just easier.”
“Don’t be sorry,” she told him as their lips moved together. “It’s sexy as hell to have a guy who can lift me.” She rolled her hips against him, the sensation making him harder than ever. He pressed his mouth against hers, his tongue plundering, his hands digging into her sweet behind. He turned to carry her to his room, where they’d have a little more privacy.
The shrill bleep of the oven timer made him stop in his tracks. “Damn, it’s the pot pies.”
“You made pies?” she grinned, her legs still wrapped around his waist. “Put me down right now and check them. I don’t want them to get burned.”
“I’m the one who’s burning,” he muttered, releasing his hold on her as she slid down to the floor. He was still painfully hard and had to adjust himself before he walked over to the kitchen and washed his hands before turning off the timer. Then he opened the oven, watching as the steam escaped from the door, smelling the savory aroma of chicken and pastry.
“It looks like it needs another ten minutes,” he called out.
“Then come back here,” she said, grinning at him. “I’ve got an idea of what we can do while we wait.”
“Where did you learn to cook pot pies?” Autumn asked, leaning her elbow on the mattress and propping her chin on her palm. The sheet was loosely gathered around her, and underneath it she was naked.
They both were, thanks to the way they’d torn each others clothes off after dinner, leaving a trail of devastation from the living room into the bedroom.
“Deenie taught me. I was the first of all our friends to have my own place. The day after I moved in she came over and insisted on showing me three things to cook. An omelet, chili, and chicken pot pie. She was afraid I’d starve to death otherwise.”
“She taught you well.” Autumn rubbed her swollen stomach. “It was delicious.”
He grinned. “Well thank you. I aim to please.”
Yeah, he did, and her body was still tingling thanks to him.
“You need to stop looking at me like that,” he told her softly. “Before I do something about it.”
“What kind of thing?”
“The kind of thing that will make your muscles ache even more than they already do. I don’t want you limping on the pier tomorrow.”
She laughed, reaching out to thread her fingers through his thick hair. “I didn’t realize what a big ego you had.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” He wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh all over again. “Okay, I’ll admit it, you’ve worn me out. Distract me, tell me about your plans for the pier.”
He looked genuinely interested, and it warmed her. Maybe there was something to this friends with benefits thing after all. Yes, the sex was amazing, but so was eating together, and shooting the breeze. She was enjoying spending time with him.
“I want to make the pier a location for weddings and other events