Page 53 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

“I’m not thinking,” she whispered and kissed him.

Annie did no more than place her mouth against his. That was all she needed to do. With a heartfelt groan, he buried one hand in her hair and held her head still while he kissed her until they were both gasping for breath.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

She thought about it for a second and nodded. She’d never been more sure of anything.

“Okay, but we’re not doing this here,” he said, pushing her off of his lap. “I’ll race you up the stairs.”

It wasn’t much of a race. Annie got as far as the door when he made a grab for her. With his hands on her hips, he backed her up against the wall. She giggled when he ran his lips down her neck. He wouldn’t let her leave the room, until she left behind her shoes.

Annie had her revenge when he stopped him at the bottom of the stairs. She unbuttoned his shirt and traced his chest with butterfly kisses that left him sagging against the rail. She thought his shirt looked just right hanging on the banister.

Annie hadn’t cleared the stairs when Fisher grabbed her by the back of her jeans. He held her still as he kissed the back of her neck, unzipped her pants and drew them down her legs. Annie doubted they’d make it to her apartment at this rate.

At the door to her place, she stepped on the back of his heel. He looked at her in surprise, but obligingly kicked off his shoes. Any other demand she might have made was halted when he scooped her up in his arms and shut her up with a kiss.

The trail of clothing continued on the way to her bedroom. Harpy sat perched on the TV, hanging over the screen and watching the nightly news, oblivious to the clothing flying around her.

The October evening was chilly and Annie hurried under the covers, pulling the comforter up to her chin.

“Oh, no,” he said, tugging the blanket out of her grasp. “I’ve been thinking too much about this to let you hide now.”

Annie gasped when he tossed the blanket aside moved to lie on top of her. His weight pressed her deep into the mattress, and his mouth locked on to hers with a hunger that left her shaking from the inside out.

His kiss was long and slow and wet, a deliberate possession of her senses. Annie arched up to press against him. She was restless, wanting to feel all of him. He pressed her more firmly into the mattress, running his hands along her body and kissing her until she was dizzy with desire.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her fingers in his hair, longing to have him closer. She felt his skin sizzle against hers and still it wasn’t enough. She felt an insatiable, vacuous need so deep inside of her that it left her writhing beneath him.

Fisher pulled away and Annie heard the sound of a foil package ripping open. Leave it to her Boy Scout to always be prepared. She felt her heart swell. Fisher was everything she’d ever looked for in a man. He was honest, kind, dependable, smart, funny and sexy. Heavens, was he sexy! And right now, in this moment, he was hers.

Fisher reached for her and Annie slid into his arms. The need to be one was all consuming. Fisher must have felt it, too. With just a shift of his hips, he joined them.

Annie gasped at the feel of him. He felt so good, so right. She watched him move his mouth over her skin. His tan face and hands moving against the fair skin of her breasts and belly was a remarkable contrast that left her awed. She felt pure joy wash through her.

Fisher gritted his teeth when he felt her tighten around him. He didn’t want this intimacy to end. He wanted to feel this close to Annie always. She made him feel happy in a way he had never felt before. Like an unexpected gift, he cherished her. He tried to hold back, but it was no use. When she whispered his name and clung to him, he felt a thundering rush of pleasure course through him, leaving him weak and dazed. He collapsed on top of her and kissed her hair.

Their heartbeats thumped together as they were pressed chest to breast. Fisher rolled onto his back and hauled Annie with him, not yet ready to break their connection. She sighed against his chest and he watched her eyelids droop. She was innocence personified. Fisher felt his heart turn over. Annie. His Annie.

He pressed a kiss against her springy, red curls and whispered, “I love you, Annie-girl.”

A snore was her only response.

Annie blinked awake. The red glow of the alarm clock read 5:15 a.m. Henry would be appearing in fifteen minutes. She supposed she might as well get up. She tried to push out of the bed, but the weight of an arm and a leg held her down.

Fisher! A flash of heat hit her low in the belly. He was curled up around her, spooning her against his chest. She took a moment to appreciate how truly safe and secure she felt. A woman could get used to feeling cherished like this. She barely remembered falling asleep in his arms last night. He’d whispered something to her. What had he said?I love you, Annie-girl.

Annie went rigid. No, she must have imagined that. He wouldn’t...he couldn’t... She turned over in his arms. His thick brown hair had fallen over his forehead. His long dark lashes rested against his cheeks. His face was slack with sleep, softening his features. He was gorgeous. Annie resisted the urge to trace his mouth with her forefinger. She didn’t want to wake him.

His arms tightened around her, pulling her into his chest. She went willingly, resting her cheek against his warm bare skin. She couldn’t resist being this close to him for just a moment. She would treasure the feel of him, the scent of him, the warmth of him always.

“What are you thinking, Annie-girl?” his voice was gravel deep and sleepy. Annie was glad it was still dark, this way she didn’t have to meet his gaze when she lied.

“That Henry is going to start singing any moment,” she said.

“Better him than Harpy,” he said.

“Harpy?” She tried to sit up but he held her still. “Where is Harpy?”

---