“I used to dream about this, but I never thought it would

happen,” Hailey said. Her voice sounded shaky and breathless. It

came out in a hiss when I pressed my hand against the dampness

between her thighs. I wanted to be inside of her so badly as my

fingers found the seam of her underwear. “Don’t,” she rasped as

she grabbed my hand. “I want to be facing you when you touch

me.”I pulled my hand away and stepped back. I had to restrain

myself from ripping the clasp of her dress open and taking her

on the floor of the bathroom. Hailey spun around and pushed me

roughly against the bathroom wall. Her mouth was on mine in an

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instant as she pulled my belt loose. It landed with a clank on the

tiled floor. She pulled away long enough to pull my shirt over my

head, and her mouth found mine again.

I fumbled with the clasp to her dress as she unbuttoned my

pants and slid her hands around my hips. I shuddered as her dress

fell to her waist, and she pushed her thigh between mine. Her

hands pulled me tightly against her as the friction between my

legs became unbearable. I broke the kiss, unable to breathe, and

buried my face in her hair. I didn’t want to let her go when she

stepped away.

Hailey reached over my shoulder and turned off the light.

I watched her in the dim glow coming from the lamp in her

bedroom as she let the dress fall away. My gaze went to her bare

breasts first, then to her hands as she slipped her silky underwear

down her legs and stepped out of them along with her heels.

I pushed at my boot heel with the toe of the other. I knew I

was scuffing them, but I wanted them off. I wanted to be rid of

every barrier between me and Hailey’s warm skin. She grabbed

at my hands when I started to slide my pants down. “Let me do

it,” she said as she knelt and pulled them away. She kissed and

nibbled at the insides of my shaking thighs until I didn’t think I

could stand any longer. I fisted both hands in her hair and pulled

her up gently.

The sensation of her mouth on mine and her naked skin

pressing against me was more than I could handle. I pushed her

away and held her at arm’s length. “We’re not going to make it to

the bed if you don’t stop.”

She didn’t say a word as she took me by the hand and led me

into her bedroom. I couldn’t wait to get her on her back so I could

kiss and taste her. I groaned in frustration when I realized I was

the one lying flat on my back with Hailey straddling me. With

one hand in the center of my chest holding me in place, Hailey

took my hand and slid it between her legs. I shuddered as my

fingers slipped through the creamy wetness there. With her hand

firmly holding mine, she controlled where I touched.

I could barely breathe with her balancing her weight in the

center of my chest. I gasped when she easily slipped two of my

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fingers inside of her and slowly glided them up and over her clit.

“Please let me go,” I begged when she pulled my hand away.

Hailey’s eyes narrowed when she took my fingers and ran

them over my own lips. She sucked in a deep breath when I sucked

them into my mouth. The memory of the feel of her and the taste

of her on my tongue left me stunned as she moved quickly down

my body and buried her face between my legs. She groaned loudly

as she pushed her tongue into me.

My legs trembled. I squirmed uncontrollably as her tongue

would first push inside of me, then over my clit. She wrapped

her arms around my thighs and fought to hold me in place as I

dug my heels harder into her bed. My cries seemed to echo off

the walls of her room. I clamped my lips together tightly, trying

to keep quiet and not sound like this was my first time, but with

every stroke of her tongue, I lost control. She would take me to

the edge until I felt my insides begin to contract and pull away.

When she did allow me to come, I wrenched the sheets from the

corners of her bed.

Having an orgasm never made me blissfully relaxed like

some of my former partners claimed. It was like a surge of energy

passed though me that made me crave more before the last of the

tremors faded. I had Hailey on her back before she knew what

was happening. My mouth descended on her breast while my

hand moved between her legs.

“Yes,” she ground out as she dug her fingers into my shoulders.

She met me thrust for thrust and shuddered when I pulled out of

her and encircled her clit with my fingers. “Kiss me, Shannon.” I

did until she pulled away breathless. I listened to her breathing as

I drove her higher, the erratic sound of it made me never want to

stop. She gasped once, her body went rigid against me and held

for a minute before she slumped back onto the bed.

“We’ll go slower the next time,” I said against the damp skin

of her neck. I felt her laugh.

“I doubt it. Maybe after we’ve done it a couple hundred

times.”

I leaned up on one elbow and smiled down at her. “I’m not

looking for anything serious, you know.”

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“The hell you aren’t,” Hailey said with a laugh and flipped me

onto my back. She kissed me sweetly. “I’m seriously crazy about

you.” Her words were accentuated by a whimper and a scratch at

the door. Hailey groaned and rolled onto her back. “Fuzzy needs

to go out.”

“I’m certain that if you put a stool next to the door, she could

jump up and turn the handle. The elevator would be a breeze after

that.”Hailey kissed me again and got up. “You stay right here. I’ll

only be five minutes, then I plan to take my time with you.” She

put on a pair of sweatpants and pulled her robe over her bare

back.

I listened as the apartment door closed and hopped up.

Leftover steak and crabmeat would sustain us through the night.

When Hailey returned…I’d be warming it wearing nothing but a

smile.

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Chapter 31

New Orleans can be small at times.

It felt like a delightful case of déjà vu. Hailey and I spent

the morning eating breakfast in bed. Fuzzy lay across our feet

gnawing on the new toy I bought her. Just like I’d imagined sans

the newspaper. We alternated between watching movies and

making love. Fuzzy was fine with the movies but went into the

living room for the latter.

My phone rang for the umpteenth time where it sat in the

pocket of my blazer, which landed on the floor in a heap the

previous night. Hailey groaned as she stretched and looked at me.

“Are you ever going to answer that?”

“Nope,” I said with an impish grin. “That’s Mom and Kalen

wanting to know how our date went. I’m taking great pleasure in

ignoring them.”

Hailey rolled over and rested her head on my shoulder. The

warmth of her naked body stretched out against mine made me

sigh. That was about all I could manage. “Your family is very

important to you, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, we’re all very close, especially us girls. Aside from

wanting to know how my night went, they’re probably already

planning dinner. I hope this doesn’t terrify you, but they’re gonna

want you to come because Mom is going home in a few days.”

“Your mom is sweet.” Hailey drew patterns on my stomach

with her fingertips and watched the muscles quiver beneath them.

“How did she take it when she found out you were gay?”

I grabbed her hand as my body awoke to her touch and held

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it in my own. “She was surprised and upset, though she tried to

hide it. I told her just after Kalen got married, and I think she

was looking forward to planning mine one day. Dad never said

much, but he’s always treated me and whoever I brought home

with respect.”

“And Kalen?” Hailey tried to pull her hand free, but I held

it firmly. She gave up and started running her toes over mine.

I laughed as she ran them across the bottom of my foot until I

released her hand. “Go on,” she said as her fingers danced over

my skin.

“Kalen didn’t take it well at first, but eventually, she came

around like she always does.” Hailey started planting kisses along

my collarbone until I asked about her family. She laid her head

back on my shoulder and draped a hand over my waist.

“I told them about my sexuality the same day I told them

about the divorce.” Hailey sighed and snuggled in tighter. “As

you can imagine, the news wasn’t well received. It was really

rocky for a while, but now they don’t ask me anything about my

personal life, and I don’t mention anything.”

“I’m sorry.” I kissed the top of her head.

“They’ll come around someday, just like Kalen did.” Hailey