Page 51 of The Little Black Book

“Hey,” I say, stopping just over the threshold from him.

“Hey, yourself,” he says, reaching out to take my hand and tugging me inside.

He wraps me in a warm hug, and I lose myself in his amazing scent. He’s freshly showered with still-damp hair, which I grab onto when he bends me backward to nuzzle his face against my neck.

“You smell good enough to eat,” he says against my skin before pressing a warm, open-mouthed kiss to the spot.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” I reply in a breathy voice.

He meets my gaze before pressing his mouth to mine. My eyes fall shut as I part my lips, kissing him back as though I’m starved for it. The kiss slows down into light, playful nibbles before he pulls back and gives me a sweet grin.

“Are you hungry? For food, I mean. I picked up some burgers and fries for us on my way home.”

“Not fromBurgers & Pop,I hope,” I say, narrowing my gaze at him playfully.

“Only the best for you,” he says, linking his hand with mine and pulling me into the kitchen. “They assured me the roaches have all been exterminated.”

I laugh when I see the bag on his table, the logo of the casino’s restaurant stamped on the side. Definitely notBurgers & Pop, then. Releasing me, Sam digs into the bag, pulling out two foam cartons and jerking his head toward the fridge.

“Can you grab us some drinks? I’ll have a water, but there’s soda, juice, wine, and beer in there, too. Help yourself to whatever you want.”

Nodding, I walk over to the fridge and pull out two waters and a bottle of ketchup. Bringing them back to the table, I sit down, and Sam takes the seat beside me. The open container he pushes in front of me contains a juicy-looking cheeseburger, a large pile of fries, and a chocolate chip cookie.

I thank him and squirt some ketchup into the corner of the container before passing the bottle to Sam. Picking up my burger, I dip the edge into the ketchup and take a big bite. It’s as juicy as it looks, and grease drips down my chin as I chew. Sam laughs, dabbing at it with his napkin before digging into his own food.

The meal is pleasant, with the conversation flowing easily like it always had before we took things to the next level. We tease each other and laugh, and when Sam reaches over to rest his palm on my thigh, my entire body warms at the feel of it.

When we’ve both finished eating, Sam clears the trash away while I excuse myself to use the bathroom. After washing my hands and making sure there’s no grease on my face, I give my reflection a quick pep talk. I’m going to be fine with whatever happens next. If this is just a friendly get-together––that hot kiss when I got here, aside––then I’m fine with it. If Sam wants to get frisky and give me more orgasms, I’m fine with that, too.Morethan fine.

When I leave the bathroom, Sam’s waiting for me in the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest and his hip resting against the counter. Just the sight of him makes my blood race.

“I turned on the hot tub when I got home. It should be nice and steamy, if you’d like to go for a dip,” he says, his eyes sparking with hope as he jerks his head toward the door that leads to his back deck.

“I don’t have a bathing suit,” I say, my words slow and measured.

“That’s okay,” he says, pushing himself away from the counter and walking toward me like a predator stalking its prey. “No one can see, and you wouldn’t have worn it for long, anyway.”

My breath hitches at the implication that he’d waste no time getting me naked in his hot tub, and all I can do is nod my agreement.

“Yeah?” he asks as he stops before me, a wide grin stretching across his face.

“Yeah,” I breathe, and he reaches toward me, plucking at the button on my jeans.

My hands slide under his soft t-shirt, pressing against his hard chest as I push the material up his torso. He pauses to yank it over his head and drop it before getting back to work on my jeans. Dropping to his knees, he pulls the denim down to my ankles. I grab onto his shoulders for balance as he lifts first one foot, then the other, pulls the jeans free, and tosses them aside. Meeting my eyes, he reaches up and pulls down my underwear, discarding the garment in the same fashion.

I pull my shirt and bra off while he pushes his shorts and underwear down and steps out of them. Taking my hand, Sam leads me out into the balmy night air. The hot tub glows softly in the dark, steam rising from its surface as the water bubbles invitingly.

I climb up the steps and swing a leg over, hissing when the water stings my leg. Sam gives me a concerned look and dips his fingers into the water.

“Is it too hot?”

“No,” I say, pulling my other leg into the water and slowly lowering myself to the seat. “I just need a second to get used to it.”

Sam climbs in and takes the seat across from me. I feel a sting of disappointment, but it quickly vanishes when his eyes drop to my chest, burning with bright blue fire. I follow his gaze to see my pebbled nipples breaking the surface of the water, and when I look back up, Sam’s eyes are back on mine.

“I thought I’d be able to control myself,” he says, leaning forward and gliding toward me through the water, “but I was wrong.”

He stops in front of me and reaches out, lifting my breasts out of the water before leaning forward to suck the droplets from each of them. His tongue swirls over my nipples, back and forth between them until I’m gasping for breath.

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