STORY EXCERPT

Gathering up his courage, Chance got out of his truck. There was no time like the present. He walked up to her hoping like hell she didn’t slap him across the face the way he deserved. He sped up his steps to catch up with her.

She just unlocked her car door and placed the bag inside the backseat. She was bending down, and he had to bite his lip when he noticed her round-shaped ass was still plump and tempting. The material of the dress hugged her shape, making his cock twitch with excitement. This wasn’t a good time to think about sinking into her soft, sexy body. It had been much too long since he held her in his arms.

“Hello, Noelle.” His voice came out gruff because he was so nervous. He was a thirty-two-year-old man who ran his life with control and confidence. Noelle was the only one who had the power to unsettle him. From the beginning, his feelings for her messed with his head. They consumed him and baffled him. How could a slip of a girl six years younger than him slip past his defenses?

He heard her gasp, and she turned toward him. She lifted her sunglasses to the top of her head as if she needed to double-check her vision. Her hair was cut in sassy layers that fit her thin face. She stared at him without blinking. Pain, and worse, weariness, filled her pretty hazel eyes. The look made his chest ache. Regret filled his very soul, knowing he was the reason that look was there. Her eyes used to light up with joy when they landed on him. Now they were somber and unhappy. He could smell her flowery scent, and it was torture to not pull her into his arms and hold her and whisper in her ears all the things he wanted to do to her. Knowing she was waiting for him had been the best part of his homecomings. All that was gone now.

“Chance?” she whispered as if still trying to make herself believe he was actually standing there in front of her. He knew she hated him, and he could not blame her. He had been such an arrogant ass, dismissing her concerns over Carly’s intentions toward him. He knew he should just leave her alone and let her get over him, but he wasn’t giving up on them. He couldn’t. His soul could not live without her.

“It’s me,” he confirmed. He braced himself for a storm. Noelle was fierce and hot tempered. He expected her to yell, maybe even slap him, and then burst into tears. He would take it.

She surprised the hell out of him instead. She sighed with resignation, and her eyes got bright with unshed tears. She blinked a few times as if refusing to allow them to fall. His gut burned with regret at the thought of her crying. He fucked up. There was no denying it, but he didn’t like feeling the waves of sorrow coming from her. He wanted to reach out and hold her. He saw her chest rise when she took a deep breath. A calmness took over her expression. Was he too late to fix things between them?

“So you’re back in town? I am sure your mother and Carly will be thrilled to have you back.” Her voice was so calm that he immediately hated it. He felt his own anger rise. It was as if she was talking to a passing stranger. He hated the chilling, polite voice. He wanted to feel the heat, the passion, and the joy she brought with her. He had spent a lot of time thinking of what he wanted. Her, permanently.

“Are you glad to see me, angel? It has been six long months. I missed you.” Chance searched for a sign, any sign. He was desperate to see anything that told him she would be open to listening to him.

“I doubt you missed me, Chance. How could you when you’ve spent all your time writing Carly love letters.” Her answer was icy cold. He could feel her pain radiating off of her. She turned her back to him, making him feel it just as strongly as if she had decked him. He preferred to feel the physical pain. The emotional pain sucked. He pressed his lips together, holding in his sarcastic retort. He expected anger, maybe a few tears, but not this coldness.

“I haven’t written to Carly. I don’t know where that idea came from. We need to talk. We never had the chance to talk before I shipped out.” He tried to sound patient, but that wasn’t him. He knew it was not going to be easy, but once he made up his mind about something he liked to resolve things quickly and efficiently.

She turned back to him looking outraged. He even took a small step back to give her some space. At least the coldness was gone from her expression. Her emotions were genuine now.

“Months ago I would have gladly talked things out with you. Now? It’s too late for any explanations.” Her hazel eyes flashed with fury, but at least the cool and polite version of her had left. Her voice was husky with emotion she was trying to hide so desperately. It looked like she held on to her composure by a thread. He felt guilty for pressing her, but he had to break down past her defenses. If it was one thing he knew how to do it was get past a defense. Years of military training had taught him that. Noelle would be the hardest mission ever, but he would succeed. His future depended on his success.

ADULT EXCERPT

Chance stood in front of Noelle and absorbed the desire, the excitement, and love in her eyes. She made him feel weak-kneed. He had faced dangerous situations and even death, but right now he felt shaky and nervous.

Noelle was the balm to his achy soul, and he needed her. She looked up at him with trust, and he wanted to never betray that trust again.

“I feel like this is our first time all over again,” she whispered, but she didn’t look scared. She looked eager, and that fueled the fire he was already feeling deep inside. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. She had always been so eager to please him, and he bathed in it. This time he wanted to please her. He lowered his head and kissed her. She opened wide without any hesitation. Their tongues intertwined, and he felt it down to his toes. His body came alive as if it recognized its lost mate. They were both breathing hard, and he wasn’t sure who was holding who up. He glanced at her bed remembering all the times he had been in it, yet now it felt new all over again. Her bed was made all nice and neat, but soon if he had his way it would not look like that.

 “It will be better this time because I appreciate what I have with you, and I know I want us to be together forever.” He didn’t want her to feel pressured, but he did want her to know she belonged to him and his plan was to spend his life making sure she always had a sparkle in her eyes.

 He traced the edges of her lacy pink bra. Her shirt had disappeared in the living room as soon as he shut and locked her front door. Her nipples were like stones through the thin silk material. He unclasped the bra, letting it fall to the floor. He cupped her breast and rolled her pretty pink nipple between his thumb and finger. She closed her eyes and moaned with the pleasure she was feeling. She was so open and so responsive to his touch. It heated him up inside and melted his heart. She never tried to hide how much she enjoyed everything he did to her. He flicked his tongue over her areola. He suckled on the tip, and he felt her fingers grip his hair. He was letting it grow a bit.

He slipped her navy blue skirt down her legs, along with her panties. He laid her on the bed gently and started kissing her from her neck to her shoulder. He couldn’t resist tasting the berry of her breast again. He sucked it between his teeth.

“God, I missed you, Chance,” she moaned. “I missed the feel of your hands and mouth on me. It kept me awake in agony so many nights thinking I would never feel like this again.”

“Well, tonight we are about to get reacquainted very well. I am going to show you how much I ached for you, too,” he assured her. She opened her eyes and giggled. “I suggest you get naked, then. Otherwise this might not work.”

She was so beautiful she made his throat swell with powerful emotions. He took off his clothes, but he studied every square inch of her creamy skin. Her breasts were full and round, her stomach was flat. Hopefully someday she would carry another child there, but this time he would be around.

“Do I need protection?” he asked her, glad he had a couple of condoms in his wallet.

She shook her head no. “I got on the pill after the miscarriage.”

Her long legs were closed, hiding his favorite part of her.

“Open your legs, angel. Let me see your pretty pink pussy. You are so wet for me.” His voice sounded rough, but he was so aroused it was painful. He had gone without, and his body was eager to end his celibacy.

She obeyed him even as her cheeks turned pink. He could see her pink folds shining with moisture. “Being without you was hell, Noelle. Never again.”

She nodded and reached out her hand for him to take. He didn’t hesitate. He took it and hovered over her. Their lovemaking had always been hot and frenzied. Tonight he would take it slow, even if it killed him. He caressed her smooth, satiny thighs with his hands until he found her treasure. She was wet and hot. He loved the feel of his fingers sliding through the wetness of her pussy. The little sounds she tried to hold in drove him nuts. He inserted his fingers deep until he found her clit. It was swollen and wanting attention. “You are sweeter than honey. I remember your taste.”

He leaned down and replaced his fingers with his tongue. She arched up as he explored every inch of her womanhood. He lapped up her cream like a man dying of thirst. She couldn’t hold still, and soon she was crying out his name as a climax hit her. He kissed his way up her thighs and to her belly. His dick was hard and throbbing. It wanted inside her velvet heat. He slid in quickly and sighed with something that felt like true contentment. Her vaginal walls gripped him hard, and he groaned. It had been much too long. Never again. “You feel so damn good, angel. I never want to go this long without having you again.”

“So do you. I have dreamed of this but thought all it would be was a memory.” She cried out as he slid back and forth into her wetness. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rocked against him. The friction caused his stomach to tighten up. He leaned down and took her mouth, pushing his tongue into her every crevice, reacquainting himself with the familiar sensation that was all Noelle.

He slid his cock in as deep as he could go. He began pumping in to her with quick, short strokes. He let go of her lips and closed his eyes. She felt so amazing that the fire was building up. Her body was trembling underneath him. “Mine.” He nipped her ear feeling a throwback from some ancient time. He felt like he wanted to hide her away and never let her go, wrap her in cotton and make sure no one ever hurt her again, including himself. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly as she held herself still from the force of his actions. Her head was thrown back against the pillows. She looked so seductive.

“Oh yes,” she murmured, squeezing his shoulders as she held on to him. The bed was creaking underneath him as he went in and out faster and faster, building up the fire until it was so hot he felt like he would explode any minute.