Page 35 of Slow Simmer

“Come on, catch up,” Suzannah demanded when he just stared at her in awestruck silence.

“Hey, steady on. If I rush we’re both liable to get sand in places where it’d be inconvenient, not to mention painful,” Carlo joked gently, spreading his T-shirt out under her hips. Suzannah chuckled and nodded to acknowledge his point, before making grabby hands at him as he took off the rest of his clothes. He was already hard, cock jutting towards her as he freed himself and rolled the condom on, careful not to get any sand on it.

Neither of them wanted foreplay. Suzannah hooked her legs around Carlo’s hips and pulled him to her, moaning with satisfaction as he sank deep into her welcoming core. He gasped to find her soaking, hot and slick enough for him to push in to the hilt with a single thrust.

“Yes,” Suzannah cried, arching up against him, hands reaching around to grab onto his butt and hold him hard against her. “Oh, yes, Carlo!”

“Fuck,” he gritted out through clenched teeth, bracing himself on his elbows and closing his eyes for a moment, pressing his brow to hers. He was too close to the edge, the novelty of making love out in the open, in broad daylight, on a beach where anyone could discover them, adding a spice to their lovemaking. One hand sank into warm, powdery sand; the other into Suzannah’s thick curls, holding onto her as he sought for a little control. “You feel so damn good.”

“You, too,” she whispered against his lips, her hips rocking against him in a delicious, slow movement which only shifted him in and out an inch or so each time, but felt good enough he knew he’d be seeing stars in short order.

“Too close,” Carlo gasped against her mouth, but she shook her head, straining against him, a high-pitched whine in her throat telling him she was just as close, just as desperate. “Oh God…Suzannah…”

She sobbed his name in response, short nails digging into his buttocks as climax drew her body up into a taut arch. Relieved she’d found her release, Carlo allowed his own, closing his eyes and letting the pleasure wash over him.

“I love you,” he whispered against Suzannah’s mouth a few minutes later, and felt her smile against his lips. “Don’t run out on me again. I couldn’t take it a second time.”

Her arms were tight around him. “I’m not going anywhere. You want out of this, you’re going to have to leave… with me trying to drag you back the whole time.”

The laugh which bubbled up out of him was pure relief, and he opened his eyes to see Suzannah smiling up at him, love clear in her emerald eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and he blinked.

“What for?”

“Running out on you all those years ago. I was a coward, I should have stayed and fought for you…”

Carlo shook his head quickly. “I don’t blame you at all. In your shoes, I might well have run too. And hey… we were both young and naive. We might have hated each other in six months.”

“True,” her mouth quirked in a sad little smile. “I can’t help feeling like we wasted a long time, though.”

“We just took the time to grow up and come back to each other, that’s all.” He smoothed a red curl back from her brow. “Just promise me one thing?”

Smart woman, she asked “What?” rather than just saying she’d do anything.

“Promise me you’lltalkto me about stuff that worries you in the future? I know you’re used to being independent and not relying on anyone, but I can’t correct any misapprehensions you’re labouring under if you won’t talk to me about them. Like me being the eldest son.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and shook his head, wondering where she’d managed to get that idea. His own fault, he supposed. He hadn’t talked much about his family, not wanting to rake up old wounds about Suzannah’s lack of one.

Suzannah giggled at his wry comment. “I promise I’ll talk to you before leaping to conclusions,” she said through her laughter. “And I already do talk to you about problems - I trusted you enough to tell you about the saboteur, didn’t I?”

“You certainly did.” Carlo kissed her for that, and for the promise. “And we’re gonna deal with whoever it is. Together. As well as B-Rex and his hot dogs.”

“Do not talk to me about hot dogs!” She started laughing again as she poked his shoulder, and he grinned, stealing one more kiss before easing carefully back from her.

“C’mon. We’ve played hooky long enough. Let’s get back and make sure nobody’s burned down the kitchen in our absence.”

“Don’t joke about it!” Suzannah paused in shaking the sand out of her shirt to give him a reproachful look.

“You don’t think they’d go that far, surely?” Carlo stared at her.

“Who knows what they’d do? I don’t even knowwhy,” Suzannah said glumly.

“We’ll figure it out.” He reached for her hand. “You and me. Together.”

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