N. Walters - By the Book

Jonah leaned down until their lips were almost touching. His hair fluttered down around his face and brushed her cheeks. “Hold on.”

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he gave one quick thrust, burying himself to the hilt. She cried out as he stretched her to the limits. But beyond the overwhelming shock of being filled so completely by him was pleasure. Hot molten pleasure. Her core pulsed hard around his shaft. He was part of her now. So deep inside her she didn’t know where she ended and he began.

Amanda closed her eyes, allowing herself just to feel the sensations buffeting her.

Jonah held himself still as her body adjusted to the overwhelming physical and emotional overload. She could feel his cock pulsing inside her, and the steady beat pushed her closer to the edge. His breathing was getting faster and shallower, just as hers was. Both of their bodies were slick with perspiration and need.

She opened her eyes and was once again staggered by the intensity of his gaze.

Sliding his hands beneath her hips, he began to rock against her. His erection slipped in and out of her body, stretching her anew each time he plunged deep inside.

Planting her feet on the mattress, she captured the rhythm, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her fingers slid on his slick shoulders, but she held on, digging her fingernails into his skin.

Jonah’s hips pistoned faster and faster. Amanda could feel every cell in her body tighten and knew she was close. “Harder!” she cried. She wanted to come, but she never wanted this to end.

Shoving his arms beneath her, he sat back and pulled her up so that she was sitting on his lap. The motion drove him deeper. Her inner muscles began to spasm around him.

“Jonah!” She cried his name as he leaned down and sucked a turgid nipple into his mouth. She cried out again as she came in a rush of liquid heat.

His arms banded around her and he thrust twice more before tipping back his head and letting out a yell of release. She felt his shaft pulsing within her, felt his heat and knew he was coming. The rippling of his shaft triggered another round of spasms deep within her core and she lost herself in the heat and the pleasure.

Every bone in her body had turned to mush. Her head was resting on Jonah’s shoulder. She had no memory of even putting it there. Both of them were breathing heavily, their arms wrapped around each other.

Jonah was the first to move. He lowered her back down to the bed and carefully withdrew. She gasped as her inner muscles spasmed around him, trying to keep him inside her. Jonah groaned and pulled away. “I’ll be right back.” He kissed the tip of her nose before he rolled off the bed and padded to the bathroom.

She knew she should pull the sheet over herself, and she would, just as soon as she found the energy. She heard the sound of water running in the distance and then Jonah returned with a damp cloth in hand.

Sitting beside her, he ran the cloth over her face and down her neck, being careful of her injuries. From there, he let the cloth caress her torso as he worked his way down to between her legs. She should be embarrassed, but that seemed silly after what they’d just done. The cool cloth felt good against her swollen flesh.

When he was satisfied, he tossed the cloth on the bedside table and crawled back into bed with her. He tugged the covers over them and pulled her into his arms.

“What about supper?” She was hungry, but exhausted.

“In a bit.” He tucked the sheet over her shoulders. “Rest for a while. We’ll eat later.”

Amanda sat at her desk and stared out the window. Her life had changed so much in the past week. For a woman who’d grown up with nothing, she’d come a long way. Her childhood was filled with memories of upheaval and moves. Every time she’d start to settle, something would happen and she’d be relocated to a new home, a new family.

She’d hated the constant lack of security.

Even Seymour had taken her home away from her by selling the building she’d lived in. She didn’t blame him for that. After all, her inheritance from him was responsible for this new start in her life. Jamesville was beginning to feel more like home with each passing day and she was starting to make a place for herself in the community.

Because she was constantly buying supplies for the renovations, people were beginning to recognize and greet her wherever she went. She gave a rueful laugh. “I sure am good for the local economy.”

She’d spent the best part of one morning with Cyndi at the hardware store, the two of them picking out the paint for all the walls in the house. They’d capped off their morning with lunch at Jessie’s, the local diner. Cyndi had probed carefully about Amanda’s relationship with Jonah, but hadn’t pressed. She had, however, warned Amanda to be careful with her heart.

Amanda wasn’t quite certain about the state of her heart. She tried not to think too hard about what was happening with her and Jonah, but just to enjoy it. It was difficult though. She didn’t make attachments easily, but Jonah had slipped past her guard and into her life. It was amazing how fast she’d gotten into the habit of wondering what Jonah would think about this or that, or wanting to share some small tidbit of her day with him.

To a woman used to being on her own, it was somewhat unnerving.

Thankfully, the rest of her life was falling into place. The repairs to the house were on schedule. The electrical work was all but completed and drywall had been either repaired or replaced altogether. As promised, both Cyndi and Shamus had come over to help. Walls had been primed and painted and shelves built.

Leaning back in her chair, she watched a robin land on the porch railing just beyond the window. It perched for a moment before flying off again. The bird reminded her of Jonah’s sister—full of life, but unable to settle. She’d run into Elizabeth while out grocery shopping and had stopped to chat. The other woman was a little shy, a bit nervous, but very friendly. Amanda liked her.

That thought brought her back to the open file on her computer. The list for Elizabeth’s books had been finalized and prices agreed upon. With the go-ahead from her client, Amanda had listed the books on her website. She’d already had a nibble or two on several of the more collectable books in the grouping and hoped to soon have some good news for her very first local client.

Closing out the file, Amanda pushed her chair back from the desk and stared at her shop. Standing, she made a slow circle around the new home of By the Book, a sense of satisfaction filling her.

She’d painted the room a deep forest green, which contrasted nicely with the pale hardwood floors and the pine shelves Shamus had built for her. Three walls were covered from ceiling to floor with empty shelves just waiting to be filled. The fourth wall held several wood and glass cabinets that had belonged to Seymour. They had sturdy locks and she would use them to house some of her more collectable books. The more valuable books were kept locked in the safe.

Even the structure of the house had changed. It had been Jonah’s suggestion to take out one of the windows in the new shop and add a door. That way, By the Book had an entrance separate from the rest of the house. Amanda had painted the door red and planned to have a sign made to place just above it.

Running her finger over her desk, Amanda tried not to think about Jonah. It would be easier to make herself stop breathing than it would be for her to stop thinking about him.

After the first time they’d made love, she’d expected him to have supper and then leave. But he’d stayed that night and every night since. They’d fallen into a routine of sorts as the days progressed, both of them working around the house. Sometime during the day, Jonah went to his place for a couple of hours to pick up clothes and to see his sister and niece. But other than that, they’d spent every waking hour together. At night, after they made love, she’d fall asleep with his arm curled around her.

That surprised her. She hadn’t expected him to spend all his nights with her. After all, they were just having an affair. It wasn’t as if they were in love or anything. She ignored the way that thought made her stomach clench and her heart pound.

Turning away from the desk, she walked to the new door and peered out. Situated on the far end of the house, it opened out onto the front veranda. She stared out and watched a car drive down the street. Her life was moving on exactly as she wanted, except for one small detail.

She’d allowed herself to fall in love with Jonah.

It had happened so quickly she hadn’t had time to erect any barriers around her heart.

Jonah had settled there and there was no getting him out. For better or worse, she was in love with the man. And she would never tell him.

He had made it more than clear from the beginning he wasn’t in this for the long haul. He hadn’t misled her. She’d misled herself by thinking she’d be able to keep her emotions out of their relationship.

Sighing, she turned away from the door.

“That’s a heavy sigh.” Jonah stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb.

She shrugged and wandered over to the four boxes she’d lugged in from the other room. It was time to get the shelves loaded and her business open.

Jonah pushed away from the doorway and sauntered across the room. “I just finished the last of the work and everything is operational and up to code. The panel box for the electrical system is now in the utility closet in the kitchen. It’s more convenient there.”