HisMarriageBargain (26 page)

Sammi shook his head. “I went to Israel when I was a kid. It
was amazing, but I don’t think taking a trip of that magnitude is a good idea.”

She tapped her pen on the desk. “Israel, huh? What was that
like?”

He considered her question for a moment, trying to filter
through the gut reaction of amazing, awe-inspiring to find words to describe
it. “Life-affirming. There’s history there. You sense it just walking down the
street. It’s easier to feel closer to your beliefs when it’s all around you
like that.”

When he looked at Autumn it was easy to believe in a creator
who made good things. Good people. For everything she’d gone through, Autumn
was an amazing woman who hadn’t broken under the pressure.

“Sex in a car,” he said after a moment.

Autumn laughed. “Really?”

“Yeah, never done it.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Doesn’t matter. Write it down.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

“I’ve never been to a strip club.”

Autumn shook her head. “No. I’m drawing the line there.”

“Why?” He laughed. He hadn’t been serious about the
suggestion, but he was intrigued by her response.

“Because you’re hot and obviously have cash. Those hussies
would have their geriatric coochies all over you and then I’d have to give
someone a black eye and I’m not up to dealing with a broken nail.”

Sammi grinned, reveling in her jealousy. Maybe it was wrong,
but he was starting to like this possessiveness from her. He reached across and
grasped her arm, pulling her toward him. She frowned, clearly not as amused as
he was. That would take some fixing.

He kissed one corner of her mouth then the other.

“I was joking, just so you know.”

“I don’t think it’s funny right now.”

“I’m sorry.” He pushed the pad of paper away and grasped both
her hands. “Let’s forget about this for now. Why don’t we hit the hay early
tonight? Tomorrow we can make some plans for a long weekend in DC.”

“Okay.” She smiled. “I’ll be in there soon. Need to clean up
the kitchen a bit.”

It was going to be okay. They were going to figure things
out.

Autumn breathed deep.

Today sucked, but at least she had a new perspective on
things.

So her job was gone. She could get another tattoo gig in
another shop. It wouldn’t be the same. The dynamic they’d had at So Inked was
rare. But there was no way it could last forever. People moved, things changed.
She just happened to be the first in the dynamic to move on. Or be voted off
the island.

There wasn’t anything to be sorry for though. There was love
in her life now and she wouldn’t change the events leading up to her marriage
or how their relationship had altered her priorities. Besides, now she could
focus completely on Sammi.

He’d said he didn’t expect her to take care of him when his
health went south, but she was his wife. It was her place to be next to him.

And now it was her place to make his fantasies come to life.

She flipped the living room lights off and used the remote
to cue up one of her playlists. The heavy bass beat played through speakers
that were spread out through the house, providing perfect listening pleasure.

Or in her case, the perfect soundtrack.

She stepped into the doorway to the bedroom and placed her
hands on either side of the frame. Since half her belongings were still in
boxes in the garage, digging up a little lingerie, the right shoes and a prop
hadn’t been that difficult.

Sammi glanced up from where he lay in bed, a file spread out
over his lap. His expression of slack-jawed lust was somehow adorable on a
grown man. For all his playboy claims, if he’d really never seen a stripper, he
wasn’t the kind of playboy he pretended to be. In fact, sometimes he seemed
downright sweet.

Autumn swiveled her hips with the beat, flirting with her
eyes.

Sammi watched her dip to the ground and pop her ass in time
to the music.

“Oh hell no.” The way he looked at her said yes.

He slapped the folder shut and dropped it on the floor, a
few of the papers fluttering away.

“You don’t have to do this.” Yet the way he watched her move
said to keep going.

“I know that.” She stepped over the threshold and slapped
the small pink crop that matched her garter belt against her thigh.

“Okay. Good.” Sammi stared at her thigh, seemingly
fascinated by the crop.

Autumn parted his button-up shirt she’d stolen from the
laundry room, revealing just how little she was wearing.

“Holy shit,” Sammi muttered.

The bra was little more than satin-covered underwire with no
cups to shield her breasts. Her nipples stood out, tight already. She licked
her finger and swirled it around one breast, unable to hold back her grin as
Sammi’s jaw seemed to drop even farther. Clearly she should have considered a
striptease for him earlier on.

“You like?” she asked.

“Hell yeah.”

Autumn had always reveled in her sexuality. She’d blossomed
early into womanhood and hadn’t found any shame in it then or now. And why
should she? If everyone involved was a consenting individual having a good time
there was nothing to frown about.

She stepped forward with a bob of a hip at the accent points
in the music, tousling her hair and swinging the crop around, albeit being
fully aware of her surroundings. She even sang along to the song, letting the
beat drive her forward until she reached Sammi.

He turned toward her, swinging his feet off the bed. His
hungry gaze skittered over the skin his shirt didn’t conceal.

The crop was still an object of fascination. She reached out
and tapped Sammi’s cheek with the soft felt end, still singing along with the
melody, and winked at him. He reached out, grabbed the ends of the shirt and hauled
her forward. Autumn squealed, stumbling in the high shoes on the slick floor,
but Sammi had her. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and waist and they
tumbled back into the bed in a fit of laughter.

“This is not sexy,” she laughed and hit him with one of the
small decorative pillows.

Sammi rolled with her until she was under him. He sat back
on his heels between her legs and glanced down at the erection tenting his
pajama pants. “Oh, I beg to differ.”

Autumn stroked his dick with the crop, not ready to give up
the ruse yet. “You would.”

“I am a guy.” He leaned over her, a hand on either side of
her hips.

“Noticed. A few times.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.” He crawled slowly up until their
bodies were aligned. His gaze flicked to her mouth.

“Nuh-uh-uh.” Autumn thumped his chest with the crop. “No
touching.”

“Who made that rule?” His brow furrowed. “That’s a dumb
rule.”

“You can’t touch at a strip club.” She pushed him up and
back, somehow managing to gracefully kick off her shoes and get to her knees.

“Well, this isn’t a strip club.” He eyed the garters
stretched taut over her thighs.

“Use your imagination then.”

“In my imagination you’re naked.” Sammi sat with his back
against the headboard, but his gaze said he wasn’t playing her game, just
biding his time.

“Well, that is the point.” She shimmied and let the shirt
fall to the bed.

“That’s more like it.” His gaze flicked over the garter
belt, panties and stockings before returning to her breasts.

“Remember, no touching.” Autumn smacked his shoulder with
the crop. She dropped to her knees, bracketing his thighs. His gaze tracked her
hand sliding down his chest.

“You’re touching me.”

“I am.”

Autumn undulated, rolling her body toward him until her
breasts were plumped up between them.

“Oh fuck this,” Sammi growled.

In one quick move, Sammi flipped them, his grip pinning her
to the bed while his mouth closed around one nipple.

“This is not how it goes.” Autumn laughed and struggled
against his grasp. Her traitorous body loved what he did, how he knew just the
right amount of pressure to apply with his teeth, when to vary it up with his
tongue. She arched her back to get closer, no longer concerned with getting
away.

Sammi switched to her other breast and she moaned.

“This was supposed to be about you,” she got out between
panting breaths.

“I’m good,” he muttered against her chest, kissing his way
to her breastbone. He tried and failed to shove her garter belt down her hips.
“How the hell do you get out of this thing?”

Sammi slid off the bed to his feet, frowning at the frilly
lingerie. She couldn’t help but laugh at the dark slash of his brows. He
grabbed her knees and pulled. Autumn yelped with laughter as he dragged her all
the way to the edge of the bed. He dug his thumbs under the elastic and lace,
pulling everything—the belt, panties and stockings—off her legs.

Autumn laughed at the absurdity of the moment, how something
so sexy had devolved so very fast. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her
clothing fluttered to the ground, leaving her in the questionable excuse for a
bra.

Sammi shoved his pajama pants off and grabbed a condom from
the bedside table.

“I’m going to touch you,” he said with a serious expression
on his face that sent her giggling and rolling away from him again. “Oh no you
don’t.”

Sammi hauled her back to him until her legs were completely
off the bed. He cupped her ass with one arm under her knee, lifting her bodily
off the bed.

“Baby, I’m going to touch you all over,” he threatened
again, but his smile ruined the effect.

“Promise?” Autumn lifted her right leg to his shoulder and
wrapped her left around his waist.

“Oh yeah.” He grinned at her, a devilish glint in his gaze.

He hoisted her a little higher and she grabbed at the bed,
at a loss for what to do. He’d successfully turned this table around on her. She
felt an unexpected caress against her pussy and gasped as he thrust into her.
Autumn moaned at the sudden penetration and fisted the sheets. She could feel
him rubbing something deep inside, a pleasure center that had euphoric results.
She curled her toes and struggled to breathe past the tightness in her chest.

Oh my, that felt good.

She tried to move her legs, to wrap around him, but there
was little she could do.

Sammi was in complete control.

He had her pelvis lifted to the perfect height for
penetration and her legs around his hips, doing little more than urging him on,
not that he was inclined to listen to what she wanted.

Ever so slowly he rocked in and out of her pussy, adjusting
the height, digging his fingers in harder. Any coherent thought fled her mind.
Each pass of his stiff flesh over her sensitized nerves sent ripples of
pleasure through her body. Her toes curled and she gripped the sheets so hard
she just knew she was going to rip holes in them. Brilliant splashes of color erupted
behind her eyelids.

The muscles in her abdomen fluttered, coiling tighter and
tighter. Her body felt as if she were floating on a cloud, Sammi’s motions
rhythmic and steady, pushing her toward that pinnacle of bliss. He lengthened
the thrusts, pulling almost completely out of her before plunging back in.

“Fuck yeah. Do you feel that?”

“Yes,” Autumn hissed out, arching her back and yanking on
the sheets, wishing she could urge him on faster.

The smooth glide of his cock in and out of her pussy,
teasing her G-spot again and again brought her focus entirely to that
connection burning between them. She pried her eyes open and found Sammi’s gaze
not on her pussy or breasts but her face. She sucked in a deep breath and her
heart quivered. She bit her lip to keep the burning admission of love deep
inside of her.

I love you, I love you, I love you
, she chanted to
herself.

The room faded away while desire rose. All she could see was
him, above her, orchestrating her pleasure, driving it higher and higher. Staring
into his eyes was almost too much though. She could feel him in her pussy and
in her heart; having him in her head was too much.

Sammi’s jaw dropped and his brows drew into a line. He
leaned forward and thrust harder, faster. She squeezed her eyes shut and
moaned, sensation vibrating up her spine, through her limbs.

“Yes. Oh yes. Yes. Yes!” she chanted, over and over again,
growing in volume.

Thank god they weren’t in her apartment or else the whole
block might have heard her shrill cries.

“Come on, Sunshine. Come for me,” Sammi murmured.

He pistoned in and out of her, giving her everything she
could ask for, the friction, the speed and the strength. She clenched her
thighs around him and sucked in a deep breath, undulating in his grasp.

“Oh yes,” she shrieked.

She soared over the edge, flying to little bitty bits as
orgasm shot her into the celestial sky. Stars lit up her vision, brilliant
blasts of color that just kept on going. Her pussy quivered and sensation
continued to radiate on and on as he maintained the pace, giving her no mercy.

“Oh my god,” she practically screamed as his cock stroked
her orgasm higher. Pleasure rippled through her body, turning muscle into goo,
her bones to rubber, reducing her to a simple sensation—completion. He completed
her, made her whole, and in these precious moments she could give herself over
to the truth of it.

Sammi’s thrusts became rough, uneven. He pulled her almost
off the bed in his abandon. She peered up at him and was struck by the
masculine image of beauty. His brow was damp and his gaze was unfocused,
lust-hazed. His cheeks sunk in and his hair stuck up every which way. All at
once he changed, throwing his head back. The tendons at the side of his neck
stood out and his jaw dropped in a silent shout, so much different than her own
cries of ecstasy. He thrust and stilled, rocking against her as he found his
release.