Loved Either Way, page 19
Delaney’s teeth abused her bottom lip as she tried to subdue the satisfaction she managed to feel from his orgasm. She didn’t have to get off to feel those same ripples of pleasure. Serving him fed the same purpose.
It didn’t have to always be a give and take.
Oh, but when it was …
“Sweets,” he murmured, a praise she felt touch her all over.
“Better?” she asked him.
“Mmm, so good.”
He wasn’t flaccid in her hands. Still engorged and tender with every gentle sweep of her fingertips, in fact.
Lucas couldn’t be aware because she wouldn’t share it, but it brought Delaney some relief to know, at least for that morning, she took his mind away from his pain. She hoped he wouldn’t blame her for wanting to keep him in that protected bubble with her for a little while longer. His eyes were so much brighter when the sadness wasn’t holding his mind entirely hostage.
“When’s your turn?” Lucas asked.
Delaney squinted through her blooming smile, and the shiver from the cold air in the cabin kissing her exposed breasts; her nipples peaked from the chill. “Get a fire going first.”
The request sent Lucas pulling away from Delaney instantly, but not before he dropped a quick peck to the tip of her button nose. “On it now.”
He left her laughing, and happy, in the bed after covering Delaney with the quilt. To her satisfaction. Not a fingertip or toe outside of the heavy fabric that smelled like Lucas and wrapped her in the same cozy warmth.
Delaney allowed only the peek of her face to be free from the cocoon of the blanket as she watched Lucas’ back retreat down the stairs, away from the upper landing. Overwhelmed by the trickle of need still teasing her nerves, Delaney rolled to her back in the bed and eyed the massive glass gun rack that framed the wall behind the beds. Full of rifles and a couple of nice looking hunting bows with displayed quivers, it gave her something else to focus on instead of the urge to get herself off.
She could do it quietly.
In less than thirty seconds, actually.
However, patience served Delaney well. It brought good things.
Delaney heard Lucas’ movements change from one side of the cabin to the other downstairs before a door slammed. The bathroom. Twenty seconds later, the toilet flushed, and a minute after, he exited the bathroom with a call back up to her.
“You want coffee, sweetheart?”
“It wouldn’t be stale, right?”
Lucas laughed. “No, that shit stays good for years.”
“Mmm, yes please.”
Water ran in the kitchen before the sound of the cast iron kettle clinked onto the wood stove in the middle of the cabin.
“Good news,” Lucas’ voice traveled from downstairs, “there’s coals, but we came close to just ashes.”
The rustle of fabric and the stomp of boots told Delaney he had gotten his parka and footwear on a second before the front door opened and slammed shut in the same breath. Not two minutes later, the light of the lamp on the bedside table that had sat between the two twin beds when they were previously separated flickered on where it now sat in the corner of the loft.
The generators got turned off at night.
It saved gas.
Lucas entered the cabin with news that it wasn’t as cold as yesterday, by far, and that would do well for the old Chevy in the garage that didn’t like running in below minus twenty temps. Or so he explained. She tried to listen.
Did her best, really.
Delaney just wanted his mouth and hands to be doing other things, now.
“I’ll let it run for a bit before we head out. Get the engine nice and warm,” he explained as she listened to him feed logs into the wood stove.
Every minute that passed with him working down below made Delaney curl tighter and tighter into herself as she waited for him to return to her.
Where she wanted him the very most.
The need vibrated through her sinew. Maybe that spoke to the length of time she had allowed herself to go without sex, or any physical intimacy with a partner, but she’d not met a man in recent years who woke her up like Lucas did.
She could taste it, even.
He made her feel alive.
That was the key for Delaney.
What she needed most to really want a man.
“Where’s my coffee?” she jokingly asked as Lucas climbed the stairs to the loft.
He winked, moving to the bed where he could get a good grip on the edge of the quilt she had hidden herself inside like a burrito, and she could see what he had in his other hand. A washcloth from the bathroom. “You’ll get that as soon as the kettle squeals. Let me in—I want to clean you.”
Well …
“Fine,” Delaney mumbled, but not very happily.
She helped him to unfurl the quilt, but little did he know that she had used the sleep shirt to wipe away the stickiness he left behind on her hands and stomach. She pulled the shirt off once she was sitting up in the bed, and tossed it to the pile of dirty undergarments the two had left in the corner the night before.
Try to keep it to a load or less, it helps the old washer.
Those were his words.
Fine by her.
Lucas didn’t hide his appreciative gaze drifting over her naked upper half as he carefully cleaned her hands with the warm washcloth before she laid back against the pile of two fluffy pillows to give him better access to her stomach.
The shift of her legs, sliding together, drew his stare lower. There was no hiding the slit of wetness peeking out from her panties at the apex of her thighs.
“You left me in a bit of a spot,” she explained, opening her legs to give him a flash before she closed them again.
That was as much of an apology as Delaney would ever make for her pleasure, or her want for it. She stopped letting herself feel shame about being a sexual being a long time ago; her body was hers. And she could do what she wanted with it.
Lucas smirked. “Should I help with that?”
“You do it, or I will,” Delaney returned.
Just to make things clear.
The facecloth met the same fate in the corner pile, and his knee hit the bed as that large hand of his fit perfectly between her legs. Even over top of her panties, he found the right spot to rub to make Delaney’s thighs loosen and open wide for him. His fingers scissored and tightened up and down along the hood of her clit above her wet panties. Already, her body wanted to sing for him, and it showed in the fervent grind of her hips into his hand.
“Oh, God, yeah,” she whined. “Just like that.”
He kept those fingers moving against her, but she watched with wide eyes as he brought his other hand up to lick the tips of his fingers. That hand then went under her boy shorts while he hooked the others to the crotch of her underwear and pulled them aside.
“Look at that pussy—let’s make her cream, sweets,” Lucas told her, the sexiest grin pulling at his lips.
“Is it my turn?” she asked.
It was crazy how she ached to feel him inside, his substantial size would stretch her open so good, but knowing they would have to wait. His fingers, slick with spit and the arousal he found pooling between her pussy’s folds, rubbed faster and firmer around her swollen clit.
“Your turn now,” he agreed.
Chapter 20
“What are you doing standing there and shivering?” Lucas asked Delaney. Before she could come up with a quick response for her reason as to why she waited outside the rural gas station while he filled the extra gas cans on the back of the old Chevy, he nodded toward the store, telling her, “Go find something sweet for us to have tonight—and whatever else you like, huh?”
Delaney considered arguing the point or just standing her ground and waiting to enter the store with Lucas once he finished, but the wind had picked up since she first left the truck. The lack of trees surrounding the store, instead hugged by expansive farmer’s fields for as far as the eye could see, offered no protection from the cold blast of wind whipping through the quiet community of Arthurette.
If not for the wind, the cold might be bearable.
Except, no.
Her skin just stung.
“Yeah, all right,” Delaney muttered, tightening the hood of her parka closer around her face before asking, “Anything else I should look for—do they even have food?”
“Usually,” he agreed. “Potatoes, and things. Get whatever you want, okay? I’m paying.”
That wasn’t an important detail to Delaney, but she didn’t let Lucas know as much. With another encouraging nod from him, she headed for the single door at the front of the store that acted as the entrance. Chilly air blasted her from up above as she stepped beyond the threshold into a tiny enclave where people could wipe off their boots on the rubber mat, use the payphone in the corner, or survey any one of the many flyers and notices posted on the walls.
Delaney wasted just enough time in the entrance to wipe off her boots and look over the photo of someone’s missing cat with a date at the bottom that matched her graduation year.
A long time ago.
Damn.
“Hope you found your cat,” she muttered, pushing through the second door to enter the store.
The man behind the register at the front welcomed Delaney with a wide smile that showed off his gold canine tooth, and a wave, friendly even though her face wouldn’t be one he recognized as a regular in the area.
“Hey there, how ya doing?” he asked.
“Trying not to freeze,” she returned.
He chuckled but nodded in understanding. Although, standing there in his T-shirt and denim jeans, she didn’t think he could appreciate the cold outside the heated store at the moment.
“Aren’t we all. Liquor’s that way,” he said, pointing to the small corner of the store sectioned off by sliding doors with the familiar NB Liquor sign hanging above. The man went back to watching the news broadcast going over the previous week’s highlights on the small flatscreen television positioned overhead from his register, adding, “Give me a shout if you need something else.”
“Potatoes?” Delaney asked.
Only because she figured if there were bags of potatoes to be bought in the store, whatever edible food the place sold would also be in the same spot. Or very close by. Not that the store was particularly large at first glance, but the four aisles that stretched a good fifty feet back from the front looked like it displayed everything from bags of dog food to paper towel in the very back.
She wasn’t interested in those things.
“Go ‘round the side there,” he told her, pointing at the farthest aisle from the front cash.
“Thanks.”
He waved two fingers over his shoulder, already more interested in the television again, as Delaney headed for the aisle in question. She hadn’t noticed any shopping carts, or even a basket to use, upon entrance. Her arms would have to do the heavy lifting.
So to speak.
She did find ten-pound bags of potatoes piled on the bottom shelf at the front of the far aisle. Setting a bag to the side, where it could safely lean against the corner of the shelf, she headed further down the section where rows of various bread, bagels, and other grain options waited. Sandwiches or toast made a few meal options possible, so she grabbed two loaves of white bread and a bag of carrots, along with a pack of cinnamon and raisin bagels.
Plus, a package of cinnamon buns with a best before date that allowed a couple of days grace before the sugary treat would go stale.
Not the worst thing.
In the next aisle, she found cans of soup, bags of sugar, and even jars of peanut butter and jam. Before long, Delaney had gathered enough items that she had to take an armload to the front where she piled it all on the cash with a sheepish smile.
“I’m not done yet,” she admitted.
The man looked over the items, and chuckled. “No worries, missy. I’m paid by the hour, not the sale.”
Well, they weren’t exactly busy, right?
Not at the moment, anyway.
“If you’re looking for some frozen stuff, there’s a big chest freezer in the back,” he offered.
Huh.
“Good to know,” Delaney said, spinning away from the cash to go on yet another search.
It didn’t take long for her to find the freezer in question. Six feet long and deep enough that she wouldn’t be able to reach all the way to the bottom if needed—she could tell just by standing alongside it—Delaney opened the freezer to find a gold mine.
Frozen pizzas.
Mozzarella sticks and mad caps.
Ice-cream, boneless chicken breasts, and even packs of bologna waited for her eager hands to paw through and decide what would be best to take back to the cabin. A delicate balance for her to consider given the small fridge that had an even smaller section for frozen goods.
Could just stick it all out in the snow, she thought.
Not seriously, of course.
That was a good way to feed wild animals.
Little else.
According to Lucas, the chopper wouldn’t be back in Birch Ridge until Sunday morning. They had at least three days of meals to get through, and while they would make another trip to the store for gas before they had to leave, Delaney liked to plan.
She wouldn’t apologize for that.
Besides, Lucas did say anything.
Or rather, whatever she wanted.
Delaney kept that in mind as she pulled out a frozen pepperoni pizza, a package of bacon, and a one-pound bag of ground beef. On her way back to the front of the store, she nabbed a box of King Cole tea—it reminded her of Gracen, and she preferred it to coffee if given the option—and a bottle of instant coffee.
Apparently, there had only been enough for one cup that morning. For what it was worth, she made Lucas share it with her. Even if he had insisted on giving it all to her.
She made one more trip to the row of coolers along the side wall, facing rows upon rows of various chips and other bagged snacks with too much salt and sugar. At the cooler by the back, she found milk, butter, eggs, and even prepackaged subs and other easily heatable meals. She skipped over the instant options for the basic needs.
Things she could do something with.
The milk, butter, and eggs, of course.
In her search through the store, she also noticed the various cleaning and other house supplies offered for sale. Even feminine hygiene products and a small section of hanging items for party supplies. At a much higher price than she knew it could be bought in one of the nearby towns—that couldn’t be overlooked, either. She hadn’t given much thought to the price stickers on the pile of items she took to the front, but no doubt, those too were overpriced.
Not surprising given the location of the store.
Buttfuck Nowhere, Canada.
Basically.
If someone needed what was on the shelf and couldn’t make it to town, then so be it. Pay the price on the sticker or suck it up and figure it out.
Those were the choices in rural Canada.
Even gas got knocked up a few cents per liter outside of town limits. The sad fact of the matter came down to people having no other option but to pay much more to live in their small communities outside of the busier, more populated counties surrounding them. Nothing came free. No, their tax dollars paid for that side of things.
Back at the front of the store, Delaney dropped her last armload of items on the counter just as Lucas made his way inside with a shiver a muttered brr.
“Did you get something to drink, sweets?” he asked.
Delaney gestured at the food. “Priorities.”
His laugh matched the man behind the counter as the two shared a nod and a polite hello.
“Beer’s that way,” the guy manning the cash said.
Lucas headed in the direction of the liquor storage with a wave over his shoulder. From the high-piled boxes of beer and a wall of bottles blocking the windows, she couldn’t see what he went for, but Delaney had an idea. He proved her theory right when he exited the cold storage with a twelve-pack of beer held up for her to see.
The familiar Dalton logo, foiled and prominent on the box, glinted under the overhead lights. No question, his brand all the way.
“It’s all about the loyalty,” she said, doing her best impression of him as he placed the box of beer down to the counter.
“That it is,” Lucas returned, but his gaze stayed fixed on the man bagging and tagging items on the cash register. “You added the gas?”
“I got the gas,” the guy confirmed. “Anything else?”
Lucas hummed over the pile of items Delaney had chosen and drummed his fingers along the edge of the counter before he pushed away. “Let me do a check.”
“What do you need?” she joked as he headed down the first aisle.
“Snacks!”
“Snacks?”
“Well, I can’t only eat you.”
A surprised, but amused, chuff came from the man who didn’t miss a beat, piled the food into bags as Lucas disappeared around the aisle. Delaney, ignoring the sudden heat burning up her cheeks, pretended like nobody had heard his comment.
Their total had already crawled over two hundred dollars by the time Lucas came back with three different bags of chips—a variety of flavors—and a dill pickle dip he must have found in the rear coolers. Lastly, he lifted a pack of toilet paper high for the guy behind the cash to see before he placed it to the floor.
“Better to have too much than not enough,” Lucas explained at Delaney’s questioning stare in regard to the toilet paper.
True enough.
His gaze locked with hers. “Did you want something other than the beer? Red wine or—”
“You wouldn’t share your scotch with me?” Delaney interjected, only teasing.
Lucas grinned. “Are you a scotch kind of girl?”
“Get me a little drunk, and I can turn into a try anything kind of girl, really.”
“Tell me more.”
Delaney winked. “I just might.”
Physical intimacy changed a lot about the way two people interacted—it didn’t even have to be full on sex for that to be the case, either. Delaney had first learned that important life lesson as a teenager when she found herself in the unfortunate circumstance with a boy who she let get under her skirt.
