“W-what are you doing?” she asked, her body trembling as he continued to press kisses down her stomach until he came to her navel.

“Touching you,” he said before he pressed a kiss against her navel, flicking his tongue out and teasing the spot that usually earned a cute little giggle from Rory, but this time she let out a low keen, needy moan that had him cursing and flicking that spot with his tongue again before he forced himself to move away from it.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, preparing himself to do just that even as he ran the tip of his tongue from her navel to one of her large ni**les and circled it before he pulled the rosy tip between his lips and sucked it.

“I-I-I-oh God!” she screamed, her back bowing as he used his teeth on her nipple, scraping it lightly before he licked it better.

“Want me to stop, baby?” he asked, licking a line to her other breast and giving it the same attention.

Her breaths sped up and he couldn’t believe how badly he wanted her to say no, but she wouldn’t. Rory James loved being in control and she would never-

“I don’t know!”

* * * *

What the hell was she doing? She wasn’t into this kind of thing. She liked regular, normal sex with Connor. Sure they’d spiced it up and she’d done things with him that she'd only dreamed of before she welcomed him into her bed, but she could honestly say that she’d never dreamed of being tied down to a bed while Connor took his time licking and kissing her body.

She should be telling him to stop and demanding that he untie her, but God help her, she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted him to do a hundred naughty things to her body while she was like this and then she wanted him to do it all over again.

“Tell me stop and I will, Rory,” Connor said, his voice husky as he flicked her nipple with his tongue while he moved a hand between her legs.

Now, she should tell him to stop now! She opened her mouth to do just that when an embarrassingly loud moan escaped her. Why did every touch and kiss feel so much more powerful like this? She hated men taking control in bed and she should hate this, but she didn’t and she realized that she didn’t really care. She wanted to experience this with Connor. For once she wanted to let go and let someone else call the shots while she got to lie back and enjoy herself.

Closing her eyes, she took a slow steadying breath, trying to steady her nerves as her cheeks burned with embarrassment and said, “Don’t stop.”

He stopped.

“You want this?” he asked in a sexy whisper that made her shiver.

“Yes,” she said, hating the way her voice shook.

“Open your eyes and tell me that, Rory,” he said, cupping her breast.

“I think you can hear me just fine,” she said, not sure that she could look him in the eye and say that. She wanted this, more and more with each passing second, but she was actually scared. She wasn’t used to feeling like this and she really didn’t like it.

“Do you trust me, Rory?” he asked, stroking her breast and making it difficult for her to give into her embarrassment and demand that he end this.

“You know that I do,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes shut as she moved to turn her head away, but he wasn’t having that.

He released her breast to gently cup her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb as he said, “Then look at me, Rory and let me know that this is really what you want.”

She turned her head and somehow found the strength to open her eyes. “I’ve never done this before,” she admitted, softly.

“Neither have I,” he said with a slow sexy smile that was sweeter than his usual bad boy smile.

“But you want to?”

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “Yes.”

His admission turned her on more than she ever thought was possible. “Then yes, I want this.”

“I want you, Rory,” he said against her lips. “Forever.”

“I want you too, Connor,” she said on a soft moan as she felt one thick, long finger slide inside her.

“You’ve got me,” he said, giving her one last kiss before he moved his mouth down her neck, kissing and teasing her as his finger began to slowly thrust inside her. She tried to push down, but she couldn’t move. It both frustrated and excited her. She was completely at his mercy and she loved it. It made her feel wanted, desired and that was absolutely perfect for her.

When he licked his way down her stomach, she relaxed and allowed herself to enjoy what he was doing. A scream escaped her lips seconds later as his tongue joined his finger in driving her out of her mind. She dropped her head back, closed her eyes and simply lay there, enjoying his touch. She didn’t have to worry about pleasing him or worry that she was doing something wrong. She simply let go.

“I love you, Rory,” he murmured minutes or hours later, she wasn’t sure and didn’t care as she struggled to catch her breath. The man took his time, enjoying her body as he touched and explored her at his leisure.

“I love you too, Connor,” she said as he carefully settled himself between her legs.

“You damn well better,” he said hoarsely, entering her in one slow thrust as he leaned down to kiss her.

“Uh huh, and why is that?” she asked, licking her lips as he filled her.

“Because I’m never letting you go,” he swore against her lips.

“Good, because I would have to go for the pliers if you did.”

Chapter 40

November

“I can’t believe we did it,” he said, pulling into a spot on the freshly paved and painted parking lot of the newly renovated Strawberry Hotel

“And one week ahead of schedule,” Rory said, beaming with excitement as she looked at the beautiful new hotel. He had to admit that it was beautiful, but that wasn’t what he was talking about.

He chuckled as threw the truck into park. “I meant, I can’t believe that we’re married.”

“Well, I really didn’t have much of a choice,” Rory said, smiling that pleased little smile that she’d been wearing since the shocked and admittedly nervous Justice of the Peace announced them husband and wife about an hour ago.

After the initial shock, the man decided that they needed a little fatherly advice and explained that he believed that they were making a mistake and that perhaps they needed to take some time and come back on December 2nd. At first, Connor had been pissed that the man was interfering, but by the time the JP mentioned December 2nd for the third time, it became clear that the man had placed a bet that they would get married on that day. Once the man resigned himself to losing two hundred dollars, he married them, scowling at them the entire time until the deed was done and he could storm off.

“You didn’t have a choice, huh?” he mused, reaching for his wife as she unclipped her seatbelt and moved to straddle his lap.

“No, not at all,” she readily agreed with an impish smile that had him wishing that they could skip the final inspection and start their wedding night early.

“And how’s that?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

“I had to do it for our deal of course,” she said solemnly, looking so damn serious that he couldn’t help but laugh.

“For our deal, huh?” he asked with a chuckle, leaning in and stealing a kiss.

“Mmmhmm,” she murmured, returning the kiss. Before he could deepen the kiss, Rory opened his door. She pulled away and climbed out of the truck, laughing and jumping back when he moved to grab her and drag her back into his arms.

“We need to clear the site so that we can start that insanely expensive honeymoon that you promised me,” she said, heading for the manor.

“That wasn’t part of our deal,” he pointed out as he climbed out of the truck.

“It is now,” she said, sounding happy.

“Do I get a veto?” he asked, following after her.

“Sorry. You’re a married man now, Connor. Your job is to fulfill each and every one of my needs,” she explained, throwing him a wink over her shoulder.

“And you need an insanely expensive honeymoon?” he asked, chuckling as he veered off to the right towards her trailer.