Twisted Up (20 page)

She didn’t know what it was. Maybe they were just meant to be. “I want to stay.” He pushed up against her and deep inside her and flexed his thighs against hers, making his cock flex against her walls. He let out a sigh and she smiled.

“But are you going to?”

“I don’t know if I can do another three months on my apartment. The email I had last week said the couple wanted to know if we could extend for six months.”

“Give it to them. Give them six, nine, twelve. Turn it all over to them. Move down here, baby.”

“I don’t know that Millie is going to let me have the apartment here for another three months or so.”

He squeezed her hands and nipped at her shoulder. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m saying.”

She knew exactly what he was saying and deep down it was what she wanted, but… “Spell it out, Justin.”

“Move in with me.”

Happiness settled inside. “I’d be all twisted up in your life,” she said softly, squeezing their hands.

“Yes, and there’s nothing I want more than that. Move in with me, El.”

Ella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It’s what she wanted too. She wanted to live with him out on that pretty ranch in that cute house. When they were both available, they practically lived together anyway. Either he was staying at the little apartment he’d found for her upstairs and two doors down from the bar, or she was staying at the ranch. Nothing was ever official though. She’d only brought clothes and a few personal items. Her furniture was back in Birmingham.

She’d taken a big leap of faith in herself and in them by moving for the summer. He’d not let her down, and she’d been happier than she’d ever been in all the years of her marriage. It might not work out with Justin in the long run, in the forever sense. Then again, it might. It really, really might and she really, really wanted it to.

There was only one way to find out… “Yes.”

About the Author

To learn more about Lissa Matthews, please visit
www.lissamatthews.com
. Send an e-mail to Lissa Matthews at
[email protected]
.

Look for these titles by Lissa Matthews

Now Available:

Pink Buttercream Frosting

Arctic Shifter

Sweet Caroline

Cracklin’ Rosie

The second time around is even sweeter…with cherries on top.

Sweet Caroline

© 2010 Lissa Matthews

Blue Jeans and Hard Hats, Book 1

Buck doesn’t do personal projects. Until he runs into a woman wandering the aisles of the local home-improvement store, looking lost and confused. Just the way this fantasy looks at him nearly buckles his knees. In a hot second, the successful owner of a contracting company becomes a simple handyman, ready and willing to get as personal as the lady will allow.

Since her less-than-golden marriage to the local golden boy ended, Caroline’s declaration of independence includes her own business, road trips…and nipple piercings. Now it’s time to cut the last tie to her old life, but the house needs some work before she can unload it and move to her dream cabin in the mountains. Hard as it is to admit, she needs a little help.

Over the next few months, he shows her his toys, like hammers and drills, and she shows him hers—like floggers and paddles. And their attraction is the tinder that could send Caroline’s plans for an independent life up in flames…

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Sweet Caroline:

A five-year age difference wasn’t much, but to a woman of forty, it was enough of one to make an impact. Buck hadn’t come on to her, flirted with her or touched her unless it was necessary. The only thing he’d ever done to make her think he saw her as a woman rather than a client, was that look of heat every so often when she licked her lips or curled her hair back behind her ears to keep it out of her face. She didn’t know if he’d seen the strands of gray at her temples or if he realized she had to use extra creams to keep the lines and wrinkles down to a minimum. But he wouldn’t deny there’d been something about her he liked, that brought out that bit of lust in him and it was
that
look he’d give that had her wanting to feel sexy and younger, even if she didn’t look it.

“Not a lot of work. I have a couple of baskets to put together, but they don’t need to go out until the end of next week.”

“That’s good. I know I like being busy and seems like you do too.”

“Yes. I’d rather be busy than twiddling my thumbs all day wondering what to do. I used to do that far too often when I was married.”

Buck leaned his hip against the axe handle, and she had a hard time keeping her eyes trained on his face. She wanted to look down or lean against him. She wanted to drop to her knees, press her face to his crotch and rub her cheek against his cock.

When he licked
his
lips after taking another swallow of coffee, she looked away, somewhere over his shoulder. His tongue licking the drop of coffee seemed to have the same effect on her that it had on him when she did it. And things were even hotter between them after yesterday and last night. She’d not had so much sex in one night in a long while and though she should be sore, all she could think about was getting naked with him again.

She liked feeling free and sexy and pretty and wanted. She liked being the woman inside and letting her out to see the light, to be seen by a man like Buck. Even though he likely didn’t know it, he’d helped her to see that side of herself, and she was enjoying the discovery.

She hadn’t felt that way about herself during her marriage. At least not the second half of her marriage. When Derek focused on her, on them, she’d felt like the sexiest, most beautiful woman alive, but when he’d started looking away more, wanting and having other women, she lost that feeling. She’d retreated into a shell, and she was damn glad to be out of it.

“That’s right. You didn’t work before.”

She looked at his face again, briefly raising her gaze to his. “No. I started my gift baskets after the divorce. Since it’s an online business, I can move it anywhere there’s Internet and shipping. I like it and it’s…” She shrugged.

“Yes. A personal touch is lacking these days. I’ve seen some of what you do. It’s good. I’m sure your clients are very happy.”

Caroline smiled. She liked him being proud of her. “Thanks. Well, I guess I should let you get back to work.” She didn’t want to though. Staying, talking, looking at him was what she wanted to do instead. The taste of his come was still on her tongue from breakfast when he’d told her to strip down and suck him, and she was eager for him to tell her to do it again.

“Welcome.” He picked up the axe, wrapping his hands around the wood shaft and lifted it to rest on his shoulder. The move pulled his tee shirt tight across his chest, and she knew his gaze followed hers as she looked him up and down, smiling into his face and bright blues. “Neither of us wants to work right now, do we?”

Caroline shook her head. “No.”

“What do you want, sweet Caroline?”

“More of you.”

“Huh. Interesting.” She followed Buck into the shed. “I think that can be arranged. I had a thought yesterday about you and this sawhorse here.” He patted the piece of wood. “But it might be a little chilly this morning.”

“Coffee warmed me up. Didn’t do that to you?”

“Oh I’m warmed up, but it wasn’t me I was concerned about.”

“Sweet of you.” Caroline pulled her sweater off over her head. “I’m okay though.” And from the way his eyes widened… “Like it?”

He reached out and flicked the ring in one of her nipples. “Love it. You need to wear that kind of bra all the time. Leave those beauties free and exposed.”

She grinned. “Yes. Exactly what I was thinking. I have two others, but, there are a host of colors I haven’t ordered yet.”

“Well, we should definitely get that done. God, Caroline, they’re beautiful.” He wrapped his large hands around the globes of her breasts and squeezed, tugged, massaged the creamy flesh. She moaned in need, and he grinned at her. “Matching thongs?”

“Lacey boyshorts.”

Buck groaned and she purred. “Driving me crazy, woman.”

“That’s the whole idea,” she whispered into his hair when he lowered his head and licked at the valley of her chest. Her fingers unsnapped and unzipped her jeans, and she shimmied out of them.

Buck stepped back a couple inches and looked down. “You deserve a spanking for being such a tease.”

“Mmmm.” She kicked the jeans off to the side near the door. “And how am I a tease?”

“You came out here under the pretense of bringing me coffee.”

She watched him unbuckle his belt and pull it through the loops, one at a time. The hissing sound it made caused her to shiver. “But I did bring you coffee.”

“You did.”

“Am I to be punished?”

“Spanking isn’t for punishment. It’s strictly for pleasure. Mine…and yours.”

She liked that. A lot. “Then what?”

“You will bend over the top of the sawhorse, spread your lovely legs and have your pussy plundered.”

There’s only one man she needs to believe in. Him.

If You Believe

© 2009 Crystal Jordan

Unbelievable, Book 1

When it comes to her love life, the name of Aubrey Mathison’s coffee shop says it all: “Bean There, Done That”. There’s only one harmless man in her life right now—the homeless one parked outside the shop. Except the crazy things he says keep coming true.

She has to laugh at “You'll meet your soul mate today”, though. Divorce taught her that men as gorgeous as sexy police chief Price Delacroix are not to be trusted. She’s totally up for a one-night stand, but more than that? No, thanks.

Price bears his own scars from the past, but he knows instantly that Aubrey is his. How to convince her he wants more than to be her personal jungle gym? Cut her off. That means no more mattress gymnastics—until she starts seeing things his way.

Aubrey is just as determined Price’s campaign to wear down her resistance is going to fail, no matter how wickedly determined he is. Until her resident prophet spouts a new prediction: her soul mate’s life is in danger…

Enjoy the following excerpt for
If You Believe:

Mr. Crazy Man was back. He hummed a little before speaking again. “Dogs are bad luck for you today.”

Shit. She hunched her shoulder and spun away. “Thanks.”

If she went her normal route home, she’d have to pass by the dog park that made up a corner of the town square. Maybe she would try a different way. Just for the change of scenery. Change was good for the soul, wasn’t it? If she went by the dog park, it just seemed like too much self-fulfilling prophecy.

Taking a left off the main path where she usually took a right, she wandered into the older district of town that had great Victorian houses. She’d always loved that style of architecture, but Scott had wanted modern. Now that she lived alone, it just seemed like too much upkeep. And maybe it was because she was afraid it would put her one step away from crazy cat lady to rattle around in a big old house like that. She turned the corner on to her street. She had four blocks left to go.

“Woof.” Her blood ran cold at the deep bark that came from behind her. A lot of people walked these streets in the evening. And took their dogs with them.

A kid of about twelve had lost the leash on his Great Dane. The air went whistling out of her in what might have been a high-pitched squeak.

It wasn’t that she believed Jericho or anything, but the fire thing had kind of creeped her out. Watching that pony-sized excuse for a dog running at her made her blood run cold. Anyone would freak out. It had nothing to do with Jericho’s warning. Nope. Not a thing.

She backpedaled as fast as her legs could carry her just the same. The back of her ankles hit something that yelped and the next thing she knew she was going down hard on the pavement. Her back arched when her tailbone made sharp contact with the ground and all the breath rushed out of her lungs. Curling into a fetal position on her side, she wrapped her arms around her knees and tried remember why she didn’t want to die right then.

When she opened her eyes, a pointy little muzzle snapped in her face as a dachshund yapped. Dog breath,
blech
. She groaned and pushed into a sitting position. A strong arm wrapped around her back to cradle her against a wide chest.
Price Delacroix
.

“Don’t move, Aubrey.” His deep voice rumbled, and that was all it took to get her hot and bothered. Her sex dampened at the sound of his rich, deep tones. The way he smelled. The hardness of his muscles against her body.
Thank you, Jesus.

“I’m fine.” She tried to pretend the breathiness of her voice was just from having the wind knocked out of her. The way her nipples tightened and her muscles softened told her it was a lie.

“You took a hard fall. Stay there.” His words were almost harsh, but his touch was gentle when he brushed her hair away from her face. She fought the urge to lean her cheek into his palm. Everything about this man made her react.

Her original assessment that the two of them were destined to burn up the sheets was dead on. She really wanted to try him on for size. She’d bet he fit just fine. “I’m really all right, Chief.”

“Price. You’ll call me Price.” His other arm slid under her bent knees and lifted her as he stood.

She squeaked and clutched his shoulders. His soft T-shirt bunched in her fingers as she held on tight. “Don’t drop me.”

A wicked grin flashed over his face before he focused on her eyes. Some of her panic must have shown because he cuddled her closer. “Not a chance, sugar.”

“Is she all right, Chief Delacroix?” Mrs. Chambers, the biggest gossip in town, reined in her wiener dog and stared at the two of them.

“Oh, she’s fine. Ma’am.” He dipped his head in a nod, dismissing the older woman while he turned to walk up the driveway in front the big Victorian on the corner. She sighed in envy when she saw it.

She glanced over his shoulder at Mrs. Chambers. An avid gleam entered the older woman’s eyes as he mounted the porch. Pitching her voice low, Aubrey had to warn him. “Look, I know you’re new in town, but Mrs. Chambers—”