Otterly Into You, page 4
But she cut him off. "I missed you."
He looked at her. She didn't seem on the verge of tears or like she was about to tell him all her problems. "I missed you too," he said, deciding to be honest.
"So we should take our clothes off."
Yes, they should. They should get naked and have hot sex, and then he could walk her to the door and say, You know what? I don't need to know your news. Let's just keep doing this. If he didn't know the reason that would make him not want to have sex with her, he could keep wanting that, they could keep doing it, and everyone would be happy.
He liked life organized and things put into tidy boxes —literally and figuratively. He loved to be decisive, to act, and to take charge. Women like Fiona, who were bold and driven and didn't let anyone intimidate them, and who would tell him to go to hell when necessary, were perfect for him. As long as they didn't live within a 100-mile radius of him. A buffer zone was critical.
He realized neither of them had said anything for several long seconds after she'd said they should get naked.
"Knox, you should know—"
He covered the space between them in two long strides, cupped her face, and covered her mouth with his.
He didn't want her to tell him anything. He didn't want to know whatever was going to change this thing between them. He wanted her. The self-assured, kickass woman he'd gotten to know. Who lived seven hundred miles away.
He did not want whatever chaos or craziness she'd brought with her.
That probably made him an asshole.
But he'd make it up to her with orgasms.
She gave a needy little whimper against his lips as her hands came up to grip his wrists as if holding him close, urging him to keep going.
Taking his time to taste her, to relish this, to drink her in, he walked her back until she bumped into the wall behind her. Then he slid his hands down her body, loving how she shivered and arched closer. Finally, he cupped her ass and lifted her. Her legs went around him, and he pressed her into the wall.
She was small. She stood barely above five-foot and weighed almost nothing. He was a big guy, six-four, and 'brawny' as his mother described him. He'd played football—very well—and he knew his size helped him get stuff done. People didn't argue with him when he confronted them over property line disputes or told them they had to clean up their empty lot. Sure, some of it was his growly attitude and lack of patience, but his size helped.
It was undoubtedly an advantage when it came to putting Fiona up against the wall so he could settle his aching cock into the notch between her legs.
She gave a little gasp that turned to a groan, and her hands slid into his hair. He wore his long too, and as her fingers curled into his scalp, seeming to pull him in even closer, he relished how she gripped him.
He kept one hand on her ass and palmed the back of her neck with the other, tipping her head slightly. He stroked his tongue over her bottom lip, then delved inside to taste her fully. He gave a low growl as she met his strokes with her own.
They kissed, pressing against each other, their gasps and groans filling his foyer until he finally pulled back. He stared down at her, his gaze burning into hers.
"Right here or bedroom?"
She swallowed, her breathing ragged. "Bedroom. I want you all stretched out."
A surge of heat went through him. He wanted that too. Plenty of room to move, change positions, and get at every inch of her.
He pulled away from the wall but kept his hold on her.
She laughed slightly. "I can walk."
"Now that I've finally got you here—" He pressed her against his painfully hard cock. "I'm not letting you go."
She gave a delicious little groan. "Yes." That was all. A simple agreement.
He carried her up the stairs to his second floor and headed for his bedroom. He'd lived in this house for years. Ever since he'd come back to Autre after college. This town had always been his plan. This was home, and he wasn't leaving.
Knox strode across his bedroom, an enormous space that had once been two smaller bedrooms. His bed was near the windows on the south side of the room. He could see the back of the enclosure from that window where Autre's big cats, a young lion, and an old-man tiger, lived. Fiona would love that.
Knox lowered her to the mattress, following her down. His hands were now free to roam, not needing to hold her up. He ran his palms up and down her sides as he kissed her deeply. She lifted her hips, pressing into him, wrapping one leg around his waist, so they fit perfectly.
She was small, but she was strong. Not just in spirit, though certainly that, but physically as well. She ran a wildlife sanctuary. She threw hay bales and gigantic hunks of meat around and helped herd animals for veterinary checks and transport. He didn't have to worry about hurting her. He could trust she'd tell him to back off if he was too much. God, he needed that almost as much as he needed her bare skin and hot, warm body around his.
So he unleashed his need for her.
He pulled back just enough to grab the back of his shirt between his shoulder blades and yank it off. Her gaze and hands were hot as she ran her palms over his bare skin, and Knox shuddered. "Fuck, I love your hands on me."
"Me too. God, how have we waited this long?"
That was a great question. When he'd first met her, he'd known she was trouble. He expected that she'd drive him crazy and that they'd clash whenever she came to town.
He'd been right. But those clashes had been foreplay. He'd acknowledged that to himself only, the second time she'd come to Autre. But he'd started feeling respect for her right away. Not only the work she did but the way she treated the people he loved most.
He'd quickly realized Fiona was pushing the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild petting zoo toward becoming a sanctuary. She'd seen their potential before they'd understood it themselves. And she'd been right on. She'd given the animals a loving place to go, and she'd given the people a purpose that they'd all embraced and grown from.
He was crazy about her for that alone.
Anyone who loved his people as much as he did would be able to get past a few of his walls. So he'd resigned himself to liking her. Admiring her. Enjoying their banter and her sass.
But damn, he hadn't expected the physical desire to be so strong.
He just couldn't fight it anymore.
A long-distance, no-strings-attached fling with this woman was perfect.
So no, he did not want to know whatever she thought would change his mind about that.
"We waited because I didn't like you for a long time," he said, leaning in to run his mouth down the length of her throat.
"Liar," she said with a breathless laugh. "You liked me as soon as I brought swearing parrots to town."
He groaned. Those parrots had caused him all kinds of headaches with the locals. "No."
She wiggled underneath him, pressing up against his fly. "Yes."
"I wanted you, but I didn't like you."
"Oh, you wanted me the very first time we met." She grinned up at him. "Just like I wanted you."
"I wanted to paddle your ass."
Her eyes went wide but not with shock. Heat. There was heat there. "I know."
He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? But you kept poking me."
"Yep."
He ran a hand down her side to her butt and cupped a cheek, squeezing firmly. "I still want to regularly."
She gave him a sly grin. "I know."
He shook his head. "I'm going to get to be really dirty with you, aren't I?" Fiona was the perfect type to push and play with. She would never let him overstep, and she would give as good as she got.
His cock pulsed with that knowledge, and his body heated. The things he wanted to do to this woman. With this woman. He knew she'd meet him head-on, fully participate, make him beg if she wanted to. But if she let him push her to the point of begging, that would be…amazing.
"You can be however you want to with me," she told him softly.
As she answered, something in her voice or her eyes made him pause. That was so sincere. So…heartfelt.
She meant it, and he sensed that she was referring to things beyond sex.
Instead of pulling away as he probably should have, he lowered his head and kissed her hungrily. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down more firmly against her body. She kissed him back, her hands going to his ass, pulling him into her. She felt like Heaven.
"More," she said softly against his lips. "Please."
He dragged his bearded jaw over her cheek and down her neck. "We're going to do this, Fi," he said roughly against her ear. "We're going to have this wild affair. We're gonna fuck each other senseless." He lifted his head to pin her with his gaze. "And you're going to keep your news to yourself. I don't wanna know. When you come to Autre, you're going to be in my bed. When you're not here, you're gonna answer my fucking texts. But I don't need anything else."
And he meant that. The long-distance relationship would work. People thought those were hard, and he was sure distance was tough for some. But he knew well that long-distance was perfect for some couples. Like him and Fiona. Two independent people didn't need to be all wrapped up in each other.
He moved to unbutton her jeans, needing desperately to see—and lick—the tattoo on her hip. He'd seen it when he'd needed to do first aid on the ostrich bite on her lower back a few months ago. The tattoo curved over her left hip bone and read All great changes are preceded by chaos.
That was Fiona. She had the potential to turn his world upside down.
Unless he kept that under control. Kept her in the little "fuck buddy" box in his life. Didn't give in to his urges to know more about her and get involved in every little bit of her life.
He popped the top button on her jeans, and she shifted. At first, he thought to give him better access to lower the jeans. But a second later, he realized she'd unwrapped herself from his body to move away and now had a hand resting on top of his. Stopping him.
He lifted his gaze.
She looked torn.
He didn't like torn. He liked decisive, and he knew exactly what he wanted her decision to be here.
"Don't," he said simply.
"I have to tell you."
"No, you don't."
"I do. And…" She sighed. "Dammit. Before we do this."
"No." She really didn't need to tell him at all. But he believed her when she said it would change his perspective on things.
"There are a few things I think you should know, but there is one thing you for sure need to know. Before we get naked. As much as I would love to just strip you down and ride you 'til sunrise, you'll be mad after."
Despite his brain saying yeah, now I do need to know whatever the fuck this is, his body was still really into the idea of naked now, consequences later.
"What makes you think you'll be riding?" he asked, lowering his voice as he squeezed her ass again. "I like being in charge. I planned to start with you spread out, taking me deep and slow, then finishing with you on your hands and knees, coming hard and fast as I pound into you."
"Oh my God," she groaned. Then she pushed him back and scrambled up the bed, out from underneath him. "Stop." Her gaze traveled over his bare shoulders, chest, and abs. Finally, she tipped her head back. "Fuuuuck," she said to the ceiling.
"You okay?"
"No. I'm here in your bed with you half-naked, looking like…" She waved her hand. "That. It's making it very difficult to do the right thing here."
"The right thing is taking your clothes off and putting that mouth to better tasks than talking."
"No." She sighed. "Unfortunately, it's not. Because if we're as hot together as I expect and you give me the orgasm that I'm betting you're going to, I will be even more upset when you're pissed at me later. It's better to not know how good this could be if I can't have it again."
"We're absolutely going to be hot together and I'm gonna give you more than one orgasm and I've decided I don't care if you're keeping some animal abuser in a cage in your basement and are treating him the way he treated whatever animals you rescued from him."
There was definite heat in her gaze even as her lips curled. "I've had that happy daydream more than once."
"The multiple orgasms?"
"The abuser in a cage. But orgasms are really good too."
He gave a soft snort. He started to crawl after her. "Fi—"
"I'm moving here," she blurted out.
He froze.
And dammit, she'd done it.
She'd ruined everything.
* * *
Grab it now!
The Series
Boys of the Bayou-Gone Wild
Things are about to get a little wild!
* * *
Otterly Irresistible (Griffin & Charlie)
Heavy Petting (Fletcher & Jordan)
Flipping Love You (Zeke & Jill)
Sealed With A Kiss (Donovan & Naomi)
Say It Like You Mane It
(Zander & Caroline)
Head Over Hooves (Drew & Rory)
Kiss My Giraffe (Knox & Fiona)
Connected series…
* * *
Boys of the Bayou
Small town, big family, hot-country-boys-with-Louisiana-drawls, crazy-falling-in-love fun!
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My Best Friend’s Mardi Gras Wedding (Josh & Tori)
Sweet Home Louisiana (Owen & Maddie)
Beauty and the Bayou (Sawyer & Juliet)
Crazy Rich Cajuns (Bennett & Kennedy)
Must Love Alligators (Chase & Bailey)
Four Weddings and a Swamp Boat Tour (Mitch & Paige)
* * *
Boys of the Big Easy
Hot single dads in the sexy city of New Orleans
* * *
Easy Going (prequel novella)-Gabe & Addison
Going Down Easy- Gabe & Addison
Taking It Easy - Logan & Dana
Eggnog Makes Her Easy - Matt & Lindsey
Nice and Easy - Caleb & Lexi
Getting Off Easy - James & Harper
About Erin
Erin Nicholas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).
* * *
Find her and all her books at
www.ErinNicholas.com
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And find her on Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, and Instagram!
Erin Nicholas, Otterly Into You
