Rolling Like Thunder Read online

  “Easy.” But eagerness made her clumsy and she messed it up somehow. She swore softly and kept working at the clasp.

  “Let me see.” He knelt in front of her, moved her hands aside and had the belt undone in two seconds. As it slithered to the floor he slipped both hands under the hem of her tunic and before she could take a breath he’d unbuttoned her jeans.

  As he started pulling them down, panties and all, her heart beat so fast she grew dizzy. “My...my shoes.”

  “You get the blouse.” His voice rasped in the stillness. “I’ll get the shoes.” He unbuckled the straps and slipped off one shoe at a time, taking care that she didn’t lose her balance. His touch was nimble, practiced and incredibly erotic.

  “You’re...” She paused to gulp in air. “You’re good at that.”

  “Cowboy stuff.”

  At first she didn’t get it and then she understood. Bridles, halters, harnesses—leather and buckles were no challenge to a man with cowboy skills.

  He tenderly divested her of her jeans and panties, too. Still on his knees, he caressed her calves and gradually made his way up her quaking thighs. His questing fingers drew closer to the spot where she ached so fiercely that she barely contained a whimper of longing. She closed her eyes to savor his touch.

  Then he paused.

  She moaned softly. “Don’t stop.”

  “Your blouse.”

  “Oh.” He’d mesmerized her so completely that she’d forgotten her assignment. Grabbing the hem, she whipped the shirt over her head, then took off her bra and flung it after the blouse. Her breasts ached for his touch, too.

  With a sharp intake of breath, he rose and stepped back.

  She watched him and was thrilled by his awestruck reaction. Lifting her chin, she looked him in the eye. “See what you’ve been missing?”

  His gaze roved over her. “Yes.” His chest heaved. “And I’m a damned fool.”

  “Not tonight.”

  “No, not tonight. Thank God for alternatives.” And with a swiftness that made her squeal, he swept her up in his arms and laid her on the bed. Then he pulled off his clothes with utter disregard for where they landed. That was so unlike Finn.

  Her tidy little Victorian room took on the appearance of a ravishing. She was more than ready to be ravished, even if his options for accomplishing that were limited. But when she had her first unobstructed view of his package, she cursed the lack of condoms.

  She’d thought fleetingly about bringing them, but that had seemed like tempting fate. If she’d brought them and then had taken the box home unopened, she would have needed more than a few bottles of O’Roarke’s Pale Ale to get over her disappointment.

  But, oh, how she yearned for what he had to offer. “O’Roarke, I have one thing to say.”

  “Only one?”

  “Yes.” Viewing that kind of male beauty and knowing there were restrictions on enjoying it made her impatient. “Before tomorrow night, we’ll obtain a box of condoms.”

  “It’s a small town, don’t forget. Word spreads.”

  “I don’t care.”

  He grinned. “You know what? Neither do I.”

  If there was ever a more stirring sight than Finn naked and smiling, she’d never seen it. Her fantasies of him paled in comparison to the real man, his erect cock seated in a cloud of dark hair and his impressive balls tight with desire. Better yet, she’d inspired this aroused condition. No matter what happened after tonight, she’d carry that potent image with her.

  He walked over to the bed. “Make room. I’m coming in.”

  “I sort of expected that.” She scooted over and patted the spot next to her. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” He climbed onto the bed and immediately moved over her, rolling her to her back in the process. “For the next little while, we’ll be pretty much occupying the same area.”

  Somewhere along the way he’d changed his attitude. Outside her door he’d been desperate yet hesitant to fully commit. Now he was all in. This new, more masterful Finn thrilled her to her toes. “You say that as if you’re in charge.”

  “Not necessarily.” He leaned down and nibbled at her mouth. “But I think you’d like it if I took over.”

  Oh, yes, she certainly would. “How did you know?”

  “Lucky guess.”

  And as he captured her mouth and cupped her breast in a slow, sensuous massage, she abandoned herself to the sensation of letting Finn be in charge. What a heady feeling, turning her body over to a man. She couldn’t recall ever doing that. In vulnerable situations, she preferred to be in control.

  But it was no mystery why she could surrender so completely to him. His sense of honesty and fair play was bone deep. She’d known that from the moment they’d met. She trusted him more than any man she’d ever been naked with.

  And because of that trust, she allowed herself to let go in a way that she never would have with someone else. As he ran his hands over her curves, she arched into his caress with a moan of delight. When he cradled her breasts so that he could use his mouth to drive her crazy, she let herself make all the noise she wanted to.

  The pleasure he gave her was more intense because it was Finn. Finn was the man kissing his way down the valley between her breasts and over her quivering stomach. Finn was the man parting her thighs, the man who was about to bestow the most intimate of kisses.

  His knowing touch made her gasp as he explored and stroked with clever fingers. His breath was warm against her damp skin and she trembled in silent anticipation. With the first swipe of his tongue, she cried out, electrified by the moist pressure on the most sensitive spot of all.

  He did it again, drawing out the motion, and she sucked in a breath. “More.”

  He obviously knew the meaning of more. In seconds she was writhing on the bed thanks to the wonder of Finn’s mouth. His hands bracketing her hips, he lifted her up so he could sink deeper, take more. He was definitely ravishing her. And she loved it.

  She came in a rush, her breathless cries filling the small room. If she’d expected him to stop there, she’d underestimated him. He teased and taunted her until she spiraled out of control a second time. She forgot where she was as she spun in a whirlpool of sensation.

  But she never forgot who was loving her. Finn O’Roarke was in bed with her at last, and the results were more spectacular than she could have imagined. But as he left her quaking center and returned to place a lingering kiss on her mouth, she reminded herself that alternatives included fun for both parties.

  Disengaging was no easy task because he seemed to really like kissing her and she really liked him kissing her. But she had other plans for her mouth. Cupping his face in both hands, she pushed upward until he lifted his head. “My turn,” she murmured, looking into his passion-glazed eyes. They’d never seemed quite so blue.

  “But I love making you come. I’m just taking a short break. You taste so good. I want to—”

  “No. My turn. I mean it.”

  He smiled. “I can tell. Your eyes are shooting sparks.”

  “Fair is fair.” She ran her tongue slowly over her lips. “And I think you’ll have fun.”

  As he stared at her mouth, his breathing changed.

  “Think about how nice it will feel when I use my tongue on your—”

  He groaned. “Lord help me, I want that.”

  “Of course you do. We’re shifting the focus to you, O’Roarke.”

  Dragging in a breath, he stretched out beside her. “This won’t take long.”

  “Are you sure?” She straddled his thighs, feeling more uninhibited than ever in her life. She embraced showmanship in her job, but she’d never felt motivated to practice it in the bedroom. Two orgasms and a naked Finn stretched beneath her had turned her into a seductress.

&
nbsp; “Absolutely sure.” His chest rose and fell rapidly and he clenched his jaw. “I’ve wanted you for five years.”

  “Ditto.” His rigid cock was directly in front of her, magnificently erect with a drop of moisture gathered at the tip. She grasped the base of his penis and squeezed gently. “And now I have you, at least for tonight. If you prop some pillows behind your head you can watch me making you happy.”

  He gasped. “Dangerous. I already feel as if I could come any second.”

  “You won’t if I keep pressure here.” She tightened the circle created by her fingers and the muscles in his jaw gradually relaxed.

  “That...helps.”

  “Good. I want you to be able to savor this. Grab those pillows, Finn.”

  He reached for a couple and stuffed them behind his head.

  She smiled. “Excellent.” Leaning down, she kept her fingers in place as she licked the tiny bead of moisture away.

  He moaned. “Chelsea. That’s...”

  Another drop appeared and she licked that, too.

  He swore softly.

  She glanced up. “Good visual?”

  “You have no idea.” His voice was strained.

  “Just keep watching.” She retained her firm grip as she closed her mouth over his cock.

  He gasped and fisted his hands in the coverlet. “Go easy.”

  She’d planned on that. He might not think he could last, but she wanted to draw out the pleasure as long as possible. Predictably, though, the earthy, salty taste of him tightened the coil of desire deep in her belly. Apparently two orgasms weren’t enough for her, at least not when she was with Finn.

  But she’d declared that this was his turn, so she ignored her own needs and concentrated on his. That wasn’t a simple task. As she inched down the hot, tight length of him, her inner muscles clenched in protest. Tomorrow night, she vowed.

  Tonight she’d love him this way—flattening her tongue to put more pressure along the sensitive vein and hollowing her cheeks as she drew him in. At last the tip of his cock touched the back of her throat.

  She moved slowly up and down, and with each swirl of her tongue his breathing grew more labored. He swore again, his words a little more graphic. Despite the restriction she’d created with her fingers, he wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer.

  Sliding up to the tip, she treated him to some lollipop licks that produced a tortured groan. She followed with easy, deliberate suction. Gradually she became more energetic and he began to pant.

  “Chelsea...please...”

  She recognized that tone of desperation. Releasing the tight coil created by her fingers, she plunged downward and sucked hard.

  He erupted with a deep-throated groan of release. She gloried in that sound, so full of joy and satisfaction. She’d longed to see him break his self-imposed chains, and for this moment, he had.

  She swallowed every drop, and when he finally relaxed against the bed, she shimmied up his chest and gave him an open-mouthed kiss. With a soft moan, he embraced her and returned that kiss with an energy that surprised her. She would have expected him to be worn out.

  Instead he was using his tongue in ways that reminded her of her own needs and the urges she’d put aside while she made love to him. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was tempting her on purpose. When he thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, she whimpered.

  With gentle pressure, he lifted her mouth a fraction away from his. “Slide on up here where I can reach you.” His seductive request was delivered in a low, husky voice.

  She shivered. Since he could already reach her mouth just fine, that left only one other possibility. Heat sluiced through her as she considered that bold move.

  They’d progressed from their first kiss ever to X-rated positions in a very short time. But unexpressed lust had been simmering between them for five years, so maybe their erotic behavior tonight wasn’t a surprise, after all.

  “Come on, Chels.” His voice was like velvet stroking her nerve endings. “Let me taste you again.”

  “You could make me come just talking that way.”

  “I’d rather make you come with my mouth and my tongue. You want that, too. I can feel you trembling.”

  “I do want that.” Decision made, she pushed herself up until she was sitting on his chest. Then she leaned over and grasped the brass headboard.

  His big hands supporting her hips, he coaxed her into position and...she lost her mind. Lying on the bed in a state of surrender had been incredible, but now she was a more active participant. Holding on to the headboard for support, she could rock forward or back. She could silently ask for anything she wanted from him.

  It was like a dance, only she was leading and he was following her every cue. She imagined him as her love slave dedicated to giving her pleasure. And he did...oh, how he did. She moaned, she gasped and at last she cried out as her climax roared through her.

  As the quaking finally slowed, he guided her down beside him again. Then he gathered her close and they lay tangled together, unable to move. Eventually a chill in the room convinced them to climb under the covers.

  Chelsea had never felt so satisfied and relaxed in her life. With her fingers laced through his, she drifted in a haze of sensual delight. Before she fell asleep, she had one last thought. If loving Finn was like this, she wanted more of it.

  5

  FINN WOKE UP the next morning with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. That lasted about two seconds and then it occurred to him that he was a complete a-hole. Making sweet love to Chelsea had been the best experience of his life, but it hadn’t changed the way he thought about their situation.

  If anything, their incredible sexual experience had underscored the problem. His foster parents had a serious situation that deserved all his attention. He certainly hadn’t been thinking about it last night.

  But even if he rededicated himself to that issue, he’d introduced sex into his relationship with Chelsea, and there was no going back. Now they both knew how great it could be, but he couldn’t imagine having an affair, especially with a high-voltage woman like her, and still run his business effectively. So what was he doing in her bed now, when he had his foster parents to think of and no intention of following through with Chelsea once they returned to Seattle?

  “That’s some frown you’re wearing for so early in the morning.”

  He turned onto his side and discovered she was watching him. “I just figured out what a total jerk I am.” And to make matters worse, seeing her lying there facing him with her brown gaze soft and one creamy breast barely covered by the sheet, he wanted to do it all over again. Twice.

  Then she smiled, which added one more element of delicious appeal. “I’ve shared that opinion of you a few times in the past, but right now I’m feeling quite complimentary. You’re a wonderful lover, in case no one’s ever mentioned that before. You’re intuitive, and generous and—”

  “And not fit to wipe your boots, let alone climb in to your bed.” He’d love to blame the alcohol, but the cold walk home had sobered him up. He’d known exactly what he was doing.

  “My goodness!” She propped her head on her hand. “What brought on the self-loathing? You seemed rather pleased with yourself when we went to sleep. As well you should be after—”

  “That wasn’t right.”

  “Oh, yes it was. You were absolutely on target every time. You left me wrung out with pleasure.” Her brown eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe you’re the kind of guy who turns prudish in the light of day.”

  “Nope.” If only she knew that under the sheet he was ramrod stiff. “It’s taking all my willpower not to reach for you right this minute. But instead I need to apologize for last night.”

  “What, you should have given me more orgasms? You have hi
gher standards than I thought.”

  “My standards suck. I should never have set foot in this room. I wanted you so much that I made a selfish decision. Because I did, you could logically think I’ve changed my mind about us, but I haven’t.”

  She met that declaration with silence as if processing what he’d said. Then she took a deep breath. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “It doesn’t?” He’d expected anger, not this calm acceptance.

  “No, not really. I wouldn’t have minded waking up to find that you’d seen the light and that you think we should find out where this relationship takes us. I was willing to believe it might happen. Some guys are swayed by damned good sex.”

  “It was damned good sex. The best ever. But—”

  “You still have a business to run.” She said it with exactly the same inflection he would have used.

  If she wanted to mock him, that was no more than he deserved. “Yeah.” He felt like a piece of gum on the bottom of her shoe. “But that’s not even all of it. I should be thinking about my foster parents’ situation, not giving in to my lust. I’m sorry, Chels. I’ll get the hell out of your bed as soon as this erection goes down a little and I can get dressed without maiming myself.”

  To his amazement she smiled, and the smile turned into a chuckle that became a belly laugh. She flopped to her back and giggled uncontrollably.

  “What’s so funny?” He’d anticipated she might start throwing things and instead she was laughing hysterically.

  “You are!”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Laugh at the guy with a boner. Actually, though, you’re doing me a favor. Yep, I’m much better already. Nothing like having a woman laugh at your willy to make it return to normal.” He threw back the covers and got out of bed.

  “Wait.” She gulped back another giggle and hopped out on the other side. “I wasn’t laughing about that. Well, in a way I was, but it was more because you’re so adorable.”

  He barely heard that last part. He was too busy staring at her as the light of early morning caressed her pale skin, giving her a faint glow. Her rosy nipples tightened under his gaze. They seemed to tilt slightly upward, as if inviting him to taste them again.