Page 18 of Fated Midlife Christmas
He clamped down on her other breast to give it the same attention. Amanda’s hands traced the length of his spine, and those hitching breaths shivered through her chest. She dug her fingers into his backside, pressing him harder into her as she rippled around him. She cried out, and he could holdback no longer. Their bodies locked together, their movements continually feeding into each other’s pleasure, he crested his final wave of desire and lost himself inside her.
7
The cloudsfrom the previous day had cleared, sending rays of sunshine streaming in through the kitchen window. Amanda unloaded the dishwasher, her hands moving quickly and putting everything in their place without her having to think about it at all.
It was a good thing, too, because her mind was completely preoccupied with Lars. He’d pulled her into those strong arms and kissed her, daring her to admit that their first kiss wasn’t just a result of the mistletoe. There was no tidbit of greenery that could make her feel what that man did last night.
Her body flooded with excitement all over again just remembering the way he’d touched her. Something about those big hands against her ribs, her backside, her breasts, had made her feel sexy in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time. As she cracked eggs into a bowl, she relived the thrills he’d given her over and over again.
It hadn’t been easy to wake up this morning, leaving that handsome hunk sleeping in her bed, but there were things to do.
Two arms slipped around her waist, and a broad wall of chest and abdomen pressed against her back. “Good morning.” Lars kissed the side of her neck.
For a brief moment, she let herself relax into his embrace. It wasn’t just that he was tall, strong, warm, and incredibly male. Amanda found an inexplicable amount of comfort in him. Being in his arms felt like coming home, a place where her mind, body, and soul could truly rest. She was tempted to just stand there, swaying slightly, and let him hold her, but the skillet was hot and ready.
“Good morning,” she replied as she quickly scrambled the eggs and poured them into the pan. They sizzled as she added some smoked paprika. “I hope you like eggs, and I’ve got some muffins in the oven.”
“You didn’t have to go to any trouble for me.” He slowly and regretfully pulled back, his hands lingering on her hips for a moment and then sliding down her backside.
She turned slightly to look at him, and she was caught in a wave of desire all over again at seeing that ruggedly attractive face. Lars was built big and strong, and she could see exactly why Beck teased him about being a Viking. His features looked as though they could’ve been carved from stone, but they quickly softened every time he looked at her.
Controlling her breath, she went back to the eggs. “It’s no trouble. We’ve both got to eat, right?”
“Especially after burning all that energy last night.” He dropped a kiss on the back of her neck.
Her insides quivered. Amanda contemplated turning off the stove, letting the partially cooked food go to waste, and throwing her clothes on the kitchen floor. Caution and logic prevailed, and she grabbed the salt with shaking fingers.
“You could at least let me help you,” Lars suggested.
“There’s nothing you need to do,” Amanda insisted.
The coffee pot beeped loudly. He pointed to it. “At least let me pour us each a cup. How do you like yours?” Without giving her a chance to say no again, he took two mugs from the rack on the wall.
“Honestly, I pour just enough creamer to fill the bottom of the mug and then fill the rest with coffee. Then I don’t have to use up a spoon to stir it with.”
“A clever trick,” he commented as he found the creamer in the fridge. “You’re an efficient woman.”
From anyone else, that might’ve sounded like an off-handed comment that suggested she was too uptight. From Lars, it actually felt like a compliment. “It’s just something silly I started doing when I was first living on my own and I didn’t have a lot of silverware. I try to keep my life fairly simple.”
“Simple is good. It means you have time for the more important things.” He moved past her to get back to the fridge, trailing his free hand across her lower back as he did.
“I guess that means you don’t mind that the muffins are from a mix,” she joked as she took them from the oven.
They brought their plates to the small kitchen table. It felt incredibly intimate to be sharing their first meal of the day, sipping coffee and letting the world wake up around them. It looked as though he’d only slightly tamed his hair with his fingers, and she liked the way the short blonde strands stuck out a little.
“Do you have appointments today?” he asked.
“I don’t, actually.”
He lifted a brow. “So you do let yourself have a day off every now and then.”
“Well, no,” she admitted. “Not exactly. The heating and air guy is coming to do maintenance on the furnace. My patients don’t really get the experience they need if someone is rattling around in there, so I also scheduled a contractor to fix a draftywindow at the same time. If they get done quickly enough, then I might be able to sneak in a few phone calls.”
“You’re a very busy woman,” Lars commented.
“Someone very wise referred to me as efficient, not too long ago,” she reminded him with a smile.
He laughed and lifted his mug. “Someone very wise, indeed.”
