Page 208 of Dagger in the Sea

“I have a room at the motel across the way,” I whispered in his ear. My fingers traced the line of his jaw. His arms squeezed me.

I was breathless at the prospect of this sort of anonymous, midnight fling. I hadn’t had a one-night stand in a very long time. Such nameless, faceless, raw experiences had lost their luster for me early on in my widowhood. They had left me feeling even more hollow than I’d already felt. I had begun to prefer friendly and affectionate casual dating instead. The going out, the laughs, the meals, the sleeping together were enjoyable, pleasant, nice. But I had nothing to give these men I had chosen, and so they had never lasted. And that was fine.

I shut my brain down, and my eyes riveted on Miller. Austerely attractive, brooding, tall, great lips, amazing tongue. . .

Once this was over that would be it, right? It would be done. I was just passing through anyhow. He obviously didn’t live around here either or he’d be dragging me to his place, wouldn’t he?

Oh crap, maybe he’s married or he’s got a girlfriend? Seriously, why wouldn’t he be taken?

“I forgot about that motel,” he said. “Perfect.”

He planted a firm kiss on my mouth and ended it with a leisurely swipe of his delicious tongue. I pulled back from him, my hands against his chest.

“Wait a sec. . .how about you?”

Miller’s gaze darkened, the silver threads all but disappeared, and his eyes burned straight through mine as he tilted my face towards his.

“How about me what?”

“You have a wife or a girlfriend?”

“No, I don’t.”

A flutter went off in my insides, and I bit my lip. This would be a candy bar, that’s all this was. Chew, savor, and throw out the wrapper on your way out. End of story.

I grinned at Miller.

He slid two twenty-dollar bills out from his wallet and brandished them at the bartender, who hustled down to us. The bartender handed him his change. Miller left him a generous tip.

* * *

I managed tofinally unlock the door to my room on the third try. Miller jerked the key from the lock, tossed it on the table, and slammed the door behind us. The room was engulfed in streaky darkness. He tore off his hoodie and whatever else he had on underneath, and I yanked off my shirt.

Our rapid, short breaths filled the room. His jeans along with his heavy belt hit the floor with a clang and thud. I fell back on the edge of the bed with an oomph to do away with my boots and socks as quickly as humanly possible.

He lunged at me, and his powerful hands undid my jeans and jerked them down my hips. I tumbled off the bed onto the floor, and we laughed. I felt the weight of him on me and reveled in it. My fingers raced across the lean muscles of his shoulders and back. I groaned in satisfaction as he unhooked my bra and freed my swollen breasts into his greedy hands.

Miller kneaded and licked them, and I gasped at the unexpected burning sensations rippling through me. He sucked hard on each nipple in turn, and I bucked against his hips, rubbing myself up and down on his erection like an animal in heat. I was an animal in heat; there was no help for it, though. If I stopped to think about it, I would stop myself. So I didn’t think. I kept going.

His hand slid over my inner thigh and grazed the lace edge of my panties, and I let out a tiny gasp.

“I want you good and wet,” Miller breathed in my ear as two of his fingers thrust past the damp fabric.

His knuckles swirled against my clit. I tugged my panties down my hips, but he took over, yanking them down my legs and flinging them to the side. Two of his fingers sank deep. I let out a low moan as they churned inside me. He groaned and muttered something under his heavy breaths. Bunched nerve endings detonated all over my body.

Shit, he knew what he was doing. What a relief.

He whispered over me. I raised my hips up and circled them in the rhythm that he worked me. “Yeah, Grace.” The raw tone in his voice radiated its heat right through me. He moved down my body licking as he went. His tongue lashed across my clit, and I exploded right there and then.

“Yes!” I cried out, and Miller growled somewhere above me. Intense, almost unbearable waves of sensation rolled through my body.

As I floated in my own little stratosphere, the rustle and rip of a foil packet snapped me to my senses. I tore the questionable quilt off the mattress, scrambled up on the bed and squirmed on the cool sheets. I ached with the need to feel his smooth body rub against mine, filling me. All I wanted right this very moment was to consume and be consumed.

Miller sat between my legs and ran his ringed finger over my wet sex. He rubbed the cold bulky silver eagle in small circles over my clit, and my hips jerked.

“Miller—”

His eyes glittered over me in the muted light from the street signs outside. He brought the ring to his mouth and licked it. My hands wrapped around his powerful thighs to steady myself in a desperate attempt to prevent shattering into a thousand pieces.

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