The second I slid into her warmth, my walls came tumbling down. Every single last one I had thrown up over the course of my life to protect myself from the shit I was currently dealing with crumbled at my feet. My lips dropped to hers and our bodies pressed together so tightly that not even the steam could penetrate us.
And as I moved delicately, trying hard not to hurt her, a want within me grew to epic proportions.
My God, I love this woman.
Her walls massaged me as she bucked against my body. I held myself up with my arms, watching her face contort with pleasure as her eyes fluttered closed. Her juices dripped down my balls as lines of water and sweat slid down her skin, playing for me an effortless tune that only my ears could ear.
A performance only my eyes could behold.
I planted my knees and scooped her into my arms. She squealed and gasped as my back fell against the shower wall, her body still staked on my cock. She straddled me with ease, and not once did I see her flinch in pain. And as my hands traveled down her torso, drinking in her toned curves, she swiveled her hips against my own.
Causing me to growl out her name. “Fucking hell, Josie.”
She smiled. “You like that, big boy?”
My eyes fluttered closed. “Jesus, just like that.”
“Fuck, Archer. Yes,” she whimpered.
Our bodies melded together as her hands fell to my chest. Her nails raked against my muscles and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I loved that sensation so much. She leaned against me, her face tucked against the crook of my neck, and as I bucked with every swivel of her hips, I felt myself coming closer to my end.
“Josie. Come with me. I want to feel you squeeze me,” I grunted.
I slid my hand between our bodies and parted her pussy lips. And when my fingertip pressed against her swollen, hardened clit, she flew up in my lap. Her hands gripped my shoulders as she bucked ravenously, seeking the end both of us desperately wanted.
She bucked and swayed. Ground and swiveled. Until my cock was stuffed so tightly in her pussy that I couldn’t help but explode.
“I’m coming,” I growled. “I’m coming, Josie. Oh, fuck. Yes. Holy shit.”
She whimpered. “So close. So close. Just a bit more… oh, Archer! Yes! Archer, fuck!”
Her noises filled my ears and drowned out my worries. The feeling of her body milking mine for all it had pushed all fears and sorrows out of my soul. Gone was my brokenness. Gone were my past indiscretions. Gone was the blame I had carried around on my shoulders for too damn long.
Only the love I had for Josie stayed.
And I never wanted her to leave.
I leaned heavily against the shower wall after my cock was done unloading inside of her, and as the evidence of our lust and passion for one another dripped down my balls, Josie rested her tattered body against my own. I wrapped her up tightly, allowing my fingers to slide up and down her back. And as the warm mist continued to cloak us from the trials and tribulations that laid outside of my bathroom, I peppered every part of her I could find with kisses.
“Oh, Archer,” she sighed.
I nuzzled against her. “I love you, Josie.”
She froze before she picked up her head. “You do?”
I gazed into her eyes. “I do. I don’t know when it happened, but it just did.”
Guilt washed over her features. “I’m not ready to—”
I pressed my finger against her lips. “I didn’t say it to hear it back, beautiful. I said it because that’s my heart’s truth, and you deserve to know it.”
Her eyes watered over. “I want to say it back so badly. I just…”
“You’re afraid. I know. Trust me, I am, too. But whenever you’re ready—if you’re ever ready—I’ll be here. Okay?”
“You… you aren’t mad at me?”
I furrowed my brow. “Why would I be? My love isn’t conditional, Josie. It doesn’t come with strings. You have it, whether you give it back or not is up for you to decide, but you have my love either way.”
Tears dripped down her face. “How the hell did you find me, you perfect man?”
I cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. “I’m not perfect, but I might just be perfect for you. Is that enough?”
She sniffled. “It’s more than enough.”
I pivoted and settled her body back against the shower floor before we made love one last time. And after our bodies unraveled with one another, I let her lay there and recuperate while I turned off the mist and turned on the waterfall shower head. I laid down beside her, holding her close as the hot water fell softly against our bodies.
Then, we stood up to clean ourselves up before we left our little bubble of paradise.
“You know, the guys were right,” I said.
Josie slipped into one of my larger t-shirts. “About?”
I stared at her a bit too long before I slipped into some pajama pants. “About you running your own club one day. I think you’d be very good at it.”
She grinned. “Trying to get me out of stripping still?”
I shook my head. “Not one bit.”
“Admit it, though. You’re still not okay with me dancing for money.”
I shrugged. “It’ll take some time getting used to. But I’ll still support you.”
“Even if you don’t agree with me?”
I paused. “It’s not that I don’t agree with it. I just…”
How the hell was I supposed to explain this to her? But then again, the second she opened her mouth, she proved to me why my heart and soul had fallen for her so quickly.
“You just don’t want to bury me like you did your sister.”
I swallowed down a knot forming in my throat. “Yeah. That.”
She came over and wrapped her beautiful little arms around my waist. “It’ll never happen. This gun you’ve let me borrow? It’s staying with me.”
I chuckled. “I’ll make sure the guys know it’s permanently your gun.”
She giggled. “Thank you, handsome.”
I smiled and kissed the top of her head. “You’re very welcome, beautiful.”
She kissed my chest. “But just to let you know, if I ever had the money to open my own place? I totally would.”
When those words came out of her mouth, I knew what I could provide for her. I knew what I could give this strong woman that she couldn’t give herself. And honestly, it wasn’t because I didn’t trust her. Or her clientele. I simply didn’t trust other men who took advantage of that kind of system. I heard horror stories growing up of men trying to grope and rape dancers. Women going missing. I mean, even before the shit that happened with my sister, the strip joints I knew about were places to stay away from.
They were secret massage parlors.
Or fronts for trafficking women.
Or secret whore houses.
But I knew Josie would run a clean-cut establishment if she ever had the chance.
And damn it, I was determined to give her that chance.
“I won’t let anyone touch me except you,” she whispered, “I promise.”
I crooked my finger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to mine. “That goes for this mission, too. You hear me?”
She gawked. “So, you’re okay with tomorrow night?”
I grinned. “Not like I really have a choice, right?”
She took a step back and stared me down. “If it really won’t sit with you that much, I won’t do it.”
I paused. “Wait, what?”
Then, she took my hand in hers. “I care for you, Archer. A lot. I care about how you feel and what you’re going through. I care about what made you the man you are standing in front of me today. And yes, that means I care about how tomorrow night affects you. And you seriously, beyond a shadow of a doubt, don’t want me doing this at all? Then, what we have is more important to me than what I might be able to obtain for your guys.”
Her words shocked me to my core, and I no longer questioned how she felt about me. I knew how much it took for her to say that. For her to even attempt to sympathize with me in that way.
And I knew there was no way in hell I could hold her back.
“No, I’m okay. I’ll be in the van, I’ll be able to help if necessary, and that makes me feel a hell of a lot better.”
She smirked. “Struggling a bit this evening?”
I groaned. “You have no idea.”
She pulled me closer to her. “Well, what do you say we get some Tylenol in me since I’m a bit sore, we lay down in your bed, and we enjoy this lovely mounted flatscreen you have that I don’t?”
I chuckled as I wrapped my arm around her waist. “No point in televisions in the guest rooms. I rarely have guests over.”
She furrowed her brow. “Then, what’s this massive house for?”
I scooped her as close to me as I could get her. “Ever thought about the fact that I might want a family someday?”
A smile slowly blossomed over her cheeks. “I don’t know why, but I never pictured you as a family man. You know, considering all you’ve been through with your own family.”
I kissed her forehead. “One day, I’d love to fill this house with children. That’s why I bought such a big place away from the rest of the guys.”
She nestled against me. “I think that’s wonderful.”
I wanted to ask her if she wanted children someday, but I resisted the urge. That was well down the line and completely contingent on if we could get the crew settled out once more and get rid of all the fucking drama. I couldn’t bring children into this kind of atmosphere.
But, with Brooks as our President?
Well, that changed things quite a bit.
“Come on,” I said as I scooped her into my arms, “let me get you settled in bed before I go hunting for medicine.”
She sighed playfully. “Oh, my hero.”
I laid her against my mattress and damn it, she looked good in my bed. I helped her pull back the covers before she slid underneath, and I perched on the edge of the bed as I turned on the television for her. I had every streaming service known to man, so I knew she wouldn’t be hurting for things to watch. But feeling her finger looped through the back belt loop of my jeans showed me everything I needed to know about where she wanted me for the evening.
Which is why it made me sick to my stomach when my phone vibrated in my pocket.
“Fuck,” she murmured.
I handed her the remote control. “Pick whatever you’d like. I’m going to go take this call really quickly.”
She sighed as she took it from me. “Just be careful going back to the clubhouse, okay?”
Her voice broke my heart as I answered my phone. “This is Archer.”
Tanner spoke, even though he was calling on Brooks’ phone. “Sorry for the confusion, Brooks handed me the phone and told me to call you.”
I peered over my shoulder. “What’s up?”
Josie hunkered down against the pillows as she flipped mindlessly through the series of television shows splayed out for her on the screen.
“We need you back at the clubhouse for a few minutes. We’ve run across something that might hinder Josie’s project for tomorrow night, and we want your help smoothing out the kinks so we don’t have to deal with your attitude as well as her safety.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be there in a bit. I’m at my place.”
“Great. See you in thirty.”
And the second I hung up the phone, Josie waved at me. “Be careful, handsome.”
My stomach sank to my toes. “I will, beautiful. And hey.”
She peeked over at me. “Yeah?”
I pointed. “Tylenol and some water. Right there on the bedside table. Take it, okay?”
She nodded and turned back toward the television. “I will. Thank you.”
“I’ll be home soon, okay?”
“Take your time. I know this is important.”
“You’re important.”
She smiled softly, but she still didn’t look at me. “So are you. Always remember that.”
And her words echoed off the caverns of my mind as I made the soul-wrenching drive back to the clubhouse.
When all I wanted was to be curled up in bed with the woman I loved.
