Scalded (6 page)
Yet why would the woman be here today if not to show the place?
Halli parked at the curb and sat in the car for a few moments gathering herself together. She couldn’t lose this house. She just couldn’t. Maybe she could work something out with the bank if she had to.
Or maybe not.
Sighing, she climbed out of the car, rubbed her numb butt and walked up the driveway. She hadn’t seen any other cars here, so maybe this was just a routine stop, to check that the house was okay. She hoped.
The front door was unlocked so she walked in, stopping for a moment to stand in the open foyer and look left and right into the spacious rooms. She drew in a deep breath, inhaling the perfume of the house, sucking it deep inside her to carry her over to the next time.
“Hello?” she called, wondering where the agent was. “Anyone here?”
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“Oh. Oh, yes.” Lida Mondrian, the agent, came bustling from the kitchen. She took Halli’s hands in hers and squeezed them. “I’m just so glad to see you.”
“Um, thank you.” Halli managed to retrieve her hands, wondering at the effusive reception. Sure she’d been working on this a long time, but Lida had never been more than barely cordial. What was going on here?
“I’m, uh, just going to look around again, okay?”
“Of course, of course.” Lida looked around. “Well, everything’s ready.” Then she unexpectedly leaned forward and kissed Halli on the check. “Good luck, dear. I’m so pleased.”
Halli stood there with her mouth opening, wondering what in hell the woman was talking about. And how was she supposed to lock up?
“Hey!” She ran to the front door and pulled it open. “Hey, Mrs. Mondrian. I don’t have a key.”
“Yes, you do.” The deep voice came from behind her and a warm hand closed over her arm.
Halli turned, every muscle in her body quivering. Reed smiled at her, his eyes dancing.
“W-What…What are you doing here? How did you get here?” Was this a dream?
Had she fallen asleep in her car?
“I’m buying a house.” He pushed the front door closed. “Isn’t that what people do when they get married?”
“M-Married?” She was shaking so badly she didn’t think her legs would hold her up. She clutched at Reed’s arms for support.
“Married.” He brushed his lips against hers. “And look. I can even say it without stammering. Can you?”
She tilted her head back and looked him straight in the eye. “You want to marry me?”
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Desiree Holt & Allie Standifer
“Uh-huh.” He blew out a breath, looking her straight in the eye. Everything he felt left bare for her to see. “Halli, I was like you. Just in it for sex and fun. But somewhere along the way, in two very short weeks, I fell in love with you. I don’t want to break it off or let you go. The thought of you with another man makes me want to kill someone.”
“B-But how did you get here? How did you know about this place?”
“I snooped in your computer. I figured if you had a specific place picked out you’d be looking at it a lot. And I was pretty sure this was where you were headed. At least that’s what my brother said.”
Her eyebrows flew up. “Your
brother
?”
“Uh-huh. I called him up and confessed my stupidity. To the brother that’s getting married,” he explained. “Not the one who’s still a dipshit. And he told me what to do.”
“And?”
“All I had to do after that was call the real estate agent and set it up.” He grinned.
“She thought it was all very romantic.”
Halli’s head was spinning. “Thought
what
was very romantic?”
“That I wanted to buy this house for my bride-to-be. Come on.” He linked his fingers through hers. “I’ll show you.” Suddenly he stopped, and for the first time she saw uncertainty in his eyes. “You
are
going to marry me, right? Right, Halli? Because I love you like crazy and despite what you said, I’m pretty sure you feel the same way about me.”
Did she? She exhaled. Damn right she did.
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Then come on.”
He led her upstairs to the master bedroom. It was empty except for an airbed on the floor with a bucket of ice next to it chilling a bottle of white wine. And her plastic tub of toys.
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Halli stopped in the doorway. “You did all this?”
“Yes, ma’am. Now come on in. The nice real estate agent helped me do this after I gave her a check for earnest money.”
“Reed, I know what this house costs. Even in today’s depressed market I’ve had to scrape and save for a down payment.”
“Well, see? That’s the thing. I’ve lived almost rent-free for ten years and stuck money in the bank every paycheck. So isn’t it lucky for you I came along and you don’t have to wait anymore.”
Halli threw her arms around him. “Oh, Reed. I do love you. I do, I do.”
“See how nicely that works out? Now come on. I’m, dying to get you out of your clothes.”
Which he did in record time. Halli was pleased to note that his hands weren’t quite steady, either. She was glad she’d just pulled on a t-shirt and shorts before leaving the house, so there weren’t any buttons or layers to battle with. She stood there, trembling, while Reed shucked his own clothes, all the while eating her up with his eyes.
His cock stood at attention as it sprang free from his jeans and boxers. Halli couldn’t help herself. She had to reach out and wrap her fingers around it. Stroke its soft skin over hard steel, and its velvety head.
Reed clamped his fingers around her wrist and moved her hand away.
“This one’s for you, Halli. All for you.” He grinned. “Well, maybe a little for me, too.”
He opened the plastic tub and pulled out a pair of nipple clips that were thin gold bars studded with fake jewels. He bent his head and took each nipple into his mouth in turn, sucking it, nipping it with his teeth and pulling with his lips until each one was swollen and hard. Then, very carefully, he slid first one then the other into the clasp between bars and tightened the clamp enough so her swollen nipples looked like 45
Desiree Holt & Allie Standifer
cherries about to burst. The fine edge of pain heightened her pleasure to the point where she felt her liquid trickling from her cunt onto her naked thighs.
When he was satisfied with them he sucked each one again one more time before leading her to the airbed and laying her down.
Yanking the tub close to the edge of the bed, he pulled out the little butterfly—his personal favorite—and knelt between her thighs.
“Gorgeous,” he breathed as his eyes devoured her body.
He dipped his head down and clamped his lips over her clit, flicking it with his tongue before moving to lap at the length of her slit. Halli was trembling with arousal, her pulse pounding, blood racing.
“You’re so wet, beautiful,” he told her and lapped at her again. “Taste yourself on me, Halli. See how delicious you are.”
He took her mouth in a hungry kiss and she could taste her cream on his lips and tongue. It was one of the most erotic sensations she’d ever felt.
Reed placed the butterfly on her clit with practiced ease and set it to vibrating.
Every muscle and nerve in Halli’s body went on high alert, quivering and clenching and firing until she had to scream, “Fuck me, Reed. Please, please, please.”
“My pleasure, darlin’.” His voice was low and heavy with desire. “This one will be quick and I apologize, but I’ve been harder than a railroad spike since you ran out of your place.” He bent to tug at her clit with his mouth again. “We’ve got all afternoon, though. I have the key to the house and big plans for us.” He looked over at the tub.
“And a lot of toys to go through.”
He reached into the tub and plucked out a condom. When he tore the foil off Halli saw that it was bright red and couldn’t help the huff of a laugh that escaped.
“Red?”
“Uh-huh,” he grinned. “To celebrate. Tomorrow we’ll shop for something a little more conventional. Like a ring. But for right now…”
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Scalded
He rolled on the latex, bent her knees back and drove into her with one strong, powerful thrust. Halli wrapped her legs around him to pull him in tight. She could already feel her climax rising inside her.
“Hurry, Reed,” she urged.
“Just what I was thinking, sexy.”
He pounded into her like a maniac, his breath rasping, and Halli could tell from the tension of his body that he was as close as she was. Without warning her body gave up and began clutching around him, her hot cream bathing his cock as spasm after spasm rocked her. Reed was seconds after her, his thick, hard cock pulsing inside her, pleasure rushing to every part of her body.
They tumbled over the edge fast but the spasms went on and on and on as if they’d never stop. At last they lay spent, his forehead touching hers. She could feel his heart pounding in rhythm with hers and hear the raw gasping of breath as he drew air into his lungs.
Finally he kissed her, and it was filled with so much emotion Halli wanted to cry.
“I love you, sexy,” he told her, brushing his lips against her again.
“I love you, too.” She threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head so she could look into his eyes.
“And guess what?”
“What?”
“We haven’t even begun to work our way through all those toys of yours.”
Halli couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. “We’re going to be very busy in our marriage.”
“Uh-huh.” He kissed her again. “But very, very happy.”
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About the Authors
Desiree Holt: I always wonder what readers really want to know when I write one
of these things. Getting to this point in my career has been an interesting journey. I’ve managed rock and roll bands and organized concerts. Been the only female on the sports staff of a university newspaper. Immersed myself in Nashville peddling a country singer. Lived in five different states. Married two very interesting but totally different men.
I think I must have lived in Texas in another life, because the minute I set foot on Texas soil I knew I was home. Living in Texas Hill Country gives me inspiration for more stories than I’ll probably ever be able to tell, what with all the sexy cowboys who surround me and the gorgeous scenery that provides a great setting.
Each day is a new adventure for me, as my characters come to life on the pages of my current work in progress. I’m absolutely compulsive about it when I’m writing and thank all the gods and goddesses that I have such a terrific husband who encourages my writing and puts up with my obsession. As a multi-published author, I love to hear from my readers. Their input keeps my mind fresh and always hunting for new ideas.
Allie Standifer
has lived in various places around the world. The gift of travel enables her to create the rhythm and feel of far-off places and feed an overactive imagination. Her life has been one of constant adventure, including growing up in Saudi Arabia, where her brother tried to sell her to Bedouins (for what amounts to less than $1.50). It’s been nonstop; she loves every minute of it.
Ideas, plots, characters and conversations keep her company inside her head and fuel her need to write. And no, they don’t tell her to start fires. :) Tired of everyday stories, Allie adds paranormal twists to her tales. They’re filled with past lives, chain-email-sending oracles, mythical creatures, magic, sexy gods, and heroines who know exactly what they want—and aren’t afraid to go get it.
Free time is spent spoiling two nieces and two nephews, pumping them up on sugar and caffeine and buying very loud toys then sending them back to their parents.
The perfect revenge for all the slights of being the youngest child. When not writing or contributing to the delinquency of minors, or trying to outsmart her psycho cat, she spends time with her wonderful and supportive family.
Desiree and Allie welcome comments from readers. You can find their websites and email addresses on their author bio pages at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Also by Desiree Holt
& Allie Standifer
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