it.
She let out a shuddering breath.
“Food and then.” He lifted one shoulder and sent her a smoldering leer.
If he weren’t a chef who’d just spent all that time and effort cooking for her, she’d have jumped on him right then.
“Oh, you mean after we carve the pumpkins?” she teased.
He grabbed her, yanking her to him. “The idea of you with a knife is alarmingly arousing.”
Cora would have laughed, but he bent to kiss her before she could, stealing her breath for a moment.
By the time she managed to gather her wits, he’d broken away, again wearing that sexy smile of his.
“Lunch is ready, my spider queen.”
“I’ll set the table,” she told him after clearing her throat.
CHAPTER SEVEN
In my kingdom I will rule
as the ocean foams at my feet
and the birds do my bidding.
“OH MY GOD. How did you manage to make this taste so good?”
Cora hoped she didn’t sound like she was having an orgasm while eating a shrimp taco, but she sort of was. “At first I thought it was the crema. Because the lime and avocado are so perfect together. But now I’m leaning toward the cabbage slaw type thing on top. The sweet hot tang of it is my favorite thing right at this moment.”
“You’re irresistible when you love my food. And you haven’t even had the pork yet.”
The pork had mangos and red onions and had her seriously considering licking the plate at the end. The most unexpectedly delicious was the veggie taco with roasted eggplant and mushrooms with a tomatillo salsa.
She pushed back from the table with a happy sigh. “It’s not even one in the afternoon and I’ve had a great day.”
“When do you need to be at the gallery?” he murmured, taking her plate so he could get closer.
“Are you going to make my day even better?” Cora asked, turning so they were nose to nose.
“Oh yes. Yes I am. I just need a timeline so I can plan accordingly.”
“I really like the sound of that. I need to get down there by three. It’s a ten-minute walk from here so we’ve got some time. We can always carve pumpkins another day.”
“I like your priorities,” he told her, pulling her to her feet.
Three steps toward her room and she found herself pressed against the wall, the full length and hardness of him weighted, holding her in place.
Desire had been simmering in her belly but now, as he licked over her earlobe, and then nibbled down her neck, it burned inferno hot.
She hung on as he continued to feast on her throat, as his hands rucked up her sweater, spreading more heat against her belly where he brushed his fingertips.
Why was she wearing pants? From now on, she needed to wear skirts when she was going to be alone with him. For easy access.
She nearly laughed but that was before he pulled the sweater up and off, leaving her there in her bra, the cool surface of the wall a counter to the heat of him.
All she wanted was him. On her. In her. All around her. That sort of focus was something she only usually had for art. But this? He filled her with so much naked greed it surprised her.
She struggled momentarily with his button and zipper, but then, with a groan, she grabbed his cock. In both hands.
He snarled, spinning them a few times until they burst through the half-open door of her bedroom, nearly taking them both to the floor as she tripped over several pairs of shoes she’d left out.
Laughing, he heaved her up and then onto her bed. She managed to pull her jeans and panties off as he got his jeans and shirt off.
She paused, hands at the hooks of her bra as she took him in. His eyes were glazed slightly, drunk on hormones and sex. His upper body was so much better than any of the pictures she’d seen in magazines or on television.
She hadn’t been able to get a good look when they’d been together a few days prior; it had been rushed and they’d still been totally clothed. But he stood in her room, stealing the oxygen, pumping out fuck-me heat like a furnace.
And that was before she’d really gotten a look at the line-and-dot elephant head across his upper chest. Later... Later she’d ask about all his ink, including the numbers and letters on his left side and the jellyfish on his thigh.
After.
For that moment, however, she tossed her bra to the side after surging to her knees. He didn’t need her to hold a hand out, instead, he looked her up and down with a light in his gaze and then moved, taking her to the mattress, his body against hers, skin to skin, hot.
She hissed, writhing against him as sensation rushed through her system.
* * *
SO FUCKING BEAUTIFUL.
Beau looked at her on her knees, tits still jiggling just a little from her movement.
Curves for miles.
Not wanting to wait another second, he joined her on the bed, pulling her underneath him. Before he could kiss her again, she wrapped her legs around him, opening herself up to him so his cock brushed against the scalding heat of her pussy.
“You’re so wet,” he mumbled, sliding his hands over all the skin he could reach.
“Thank you for that,” she replied.
He wanted to laugh and groan and snarl for more.
So he bent to kiss her and let himself fall.
Nothing tasted the way she did. Sweet and tart and totally Cora.
She dug her nails into his shoulders, trying to hold him in place, but there was more of her he wanted to kiss. More of her he wanted to explore.
Always more and never enough it seemed.
He tasted the salt of her skin as he licked over the blade of her collarbone. Drew in the sweetness of her sigh and the shiver that followed.
Kissed her over and over all the way down her body, over her ink, including a lovely bit of lace and gems just underneath her very fine breasts.
After looking his fill, he licked over a nipple until she made a sound—breathy and needy—and then he blew until it stood hard and dark.
He hummed his delight. Wandered over to her other nipple, repeating the lick and blow, and was rewarded with her nails digging into
