Lee stared across from the counter. His serious, hurt expression clouded his eyes. It almost cut me in half to know I was the cause of that look. Normally, his bright eyes held affection, but that day they carried the weight of his feelings. It killed me not to be able to give in to his demands and come clean about our relationship, but the honest to God’s truth was I was scared.
Frankly, he was more than I deserved for how I’d treated him. There weren’t many hot guys like him roaming free. With his muscular frame, slim hips, and powerful arms and thighs, Lee was definitely ,‘a catch’. Shirtless, he was mouth wateringly hot. His physique was exquisite.
How we hadn’t been caught was beyond me. Sometimes he’d look across the room and I swear I had to look away, knowing if I had held his gaze I’d have melted into a puddle right then and there. Apart from his great physique and good looks, he was generous, kind, and caring. Once he stayed up all night and let me sleep when Teague had been sick for a week and I was dead on my feet.
Another time he asked Flynn to set the house alarm during the day so he could leave and run to the store to pick up some pediatric meds for Teague.
Mainly it was my job that held me back but apart from that I was also afraid if I committed I’d lose Lee somehow. I tried not to think about it, but protecting Flynn was a dangerous job. I saw the bruises he carried from over-zealous fans in their attempts to have a piece of Flynn for a few moments. And even though Lee could take care of himself no one was invincible.
However I knew he took his job seriously. He trained hard at the gym every day for a couple of hours before Flynn got out of bed, and sometimes would head straight back there with him for another session if that’s what Flynn wanted to do. With army training and his continued dedication to his fitness, Lee was fast on his feet and muscular without the ugly bulges some body builders had.
We had worked together for almost two years and although there was some innuendo and flirty banter when the boss wasn’t around I had never believed he was interested in me. One doesn’t expect after two years to find love like that. Lee had grown to be one of my closest friends and I thought what we did was just something that had happened in a moment of weakness between us at first.
When he first came to work for Flynn I felt flustered around Lee. He had this almost permanent sexy smirk on his face that made me giddy like a giggly schoolgirl. His presence made me act like prim and aloof at times because it was all I could do to hide his effect on me. A couple of times Flynn glanced in my direction and I wondered if he’d caught me staring at Lee when Lee wasn’t looking. In all the time I’d known him nothing inappropriate had happened between us.
After we got together there were many times I wondered, Why me? I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have him. He was everything I wasn’t. Large framed to my small, muscular and hard to my softness. Opposites. He traveled the world to protect our boss and I kept house. His lifestyle was on the edge and mine couldn’t be described as anything but mundanely domesticated, not that I was complaining.
As an ex-army sergeant, Lee was used to excitement. His previous job had been to protect his men and his country. Since leaving the services and working as Flynn’s close protection, when Flynn was home that role included Teague and me.
Once when I thought someone had scaled the walls I’d hit the panic button. Lee was by our side at the gatehouse in minutes. Turned out it was a racoon that had got on our roof. On the other occasion the wind had set the alarm off by exerting pressure on the floor-to-ceiling windows in my den. His response time then was even faster. I really felt safe when Lee was around.
After my experience with Lance, trust didn’t come easy. Yet somehow, I knew from the moment I met him that Lee was a good man…a really good man. So, I trusted him in most ways, but after what Lance had done to us my head always held something back.
I never wanted to fall in love with any man again but that was before I knew Lee. I loved him as a friend first, but physically, he blew me away with his chocolate brown eyes and dark chestnut hair. The other thing that made him extra hot was he looked amazing no matter what. Rugged, unshaven and dripping in sweat from the gym one day, and knockout smart the next, depending on what Flynn’s schedule called for.
Lee was the master of innuendo and the double entendre and I knew he got a kick out of making me feel uncomfortable. When no one was around he made no secret of how much he was attracted to me. From my perspective, Lee was a dangerous proposition given the position I held within Flynn’s household. No matter what my personal feelings were, my loyalty had to fall to Flynn. Sometimes my devotion to my boss wasn’t easy with a guy like Lee in pursuit.
Gradually, his attention toward me had increased to the point where I couldn’t ignore his advances anymore and if I was honest I looked forward to them with the same excited feelings I had experienced as a teenager in the first throws of a new relationship. Lee only had to walk into the room and my body vibrated in his presence.
As time went on, his moves became bolder and he’d come up next to me under the guise of rinsing his cup at the sink, his hip would brush against mine; there’d be a small touch on my hand; or the one thing that made my hair stand on end, when he’d whisper how beautiful I was with his mouth close to my ear.
Making those subtle, surreptitious moves on me always made my heart jolt and restart in an erratic rhythm; partly with excitement, but mostly with fear. Not because I was afraid of him or thought what he was doing was creepy, but because of the potential of what could happen between us. I found it hard to restrain myself from the feeling of wanting the intimacy I craved as well as knowing a hot-blooded man still wanted me despite my situation.
Each time I felt his breath on my ear or my cheek it took all my strength not to turn into the warmth of it. I found myself watching his mouth as he ate and wondering what it would feel like on my skin. What those strong, but gentle hands could do if they roamed my body. At those times, I found myself pinning my knees together as I fought against wanting him.
For the first few weeks when he showed his hand I warded off the chase, too scared that my boss would fire me for letting a personal relationship get in the way of my work.
If I thought it would tamp down Lee’s efforts and he’d leave me alone, I was wrong. He took to stalking the perimeter fence of Flynn’s property to create the opportunity to talk to me away from the main house and prying eyes.
Eventually, he gave up hiding the fact he was waiting for me to leave work and stood somewhere in the yard as I left for my place with Teague. During those times, my son was my only line of defense because I knew if he wasn’t with me I would have been powerless to resist him.
In fact, the first time we crossed a line was when Teague had a sleepover with a friend. I had been making my way back toward my house when Lee reached out and grabbed my wrist as I passed the gym. We were about a hundred yards from the main house and although what he did startled me, his touch spread warmth and excitement though me and had surprisingly held no fear. Spinning me around toward him, his eyes connected with mine and his trademark sexy smirk stretched his soft plump lips into the most inviting curve I’d ever seen. All I had wanted in that moment was to kiss him and when I saw the look of pure lust in his eyes my heart rate soared.
Immediately, his hands left my wrists as his body closed in on mine and they found my hair, his fingers threading through it on both sides of my head. Without thinking I closed my eyes and swallowed hard while I gathered my wits and ran my tongue over my parched lips. Within seconds Lee had pinned me up against the entrance way of the gym and every ounce of my willpower just evaporated.
My hands rested awkwardly on his upper arms as I tried to figure out what we were doing. Seconds later Lee’s fingertips moved gently against my scalp creating small tingles of pleasure and a sudden shiver down my spine. I squeezed my thighs together as a last line of defense against my need to have him.
“Jesus, I thought I’d never get you alone,” he muttered, his previous smirk now a serious expression. He smelled so good, of expensive cologne which was inciting but not overpowering.
“Yeah?” was all I could manage when I pulled my tongue from the roof of my mouth. The effect of him so close made my mind blank.
“Yeah,” he husked as his mouth closed in on mine. His breath became my air when I hitched in anticipation of his mouth touching mine as he leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to the side of my mouth.
Immediately, a warm feeling spread through my body like I was thawing out after a cold, hard winter. Desire arose, awakening feelings I had buried for the longest time, and as if he knew I was worried his kiss progressed tentatively until the tip of his tongue slid eagerly into my mouth. My tongue reacted by tasting his as heat radiated from my core. My hands slid up over his strong bulging biceps and wrapped tightly around the back of his neck. A smile played on his lips.
As soon as I responded Lee read the signal and pressed me further against the wall. Taking my hands from around his neck, he laced his fingers in mine and held my hands above my head. Tilting his hips, he pushed his hard, lean body flush with mine and my belly fluttered excitedly with pleasure.
It was clear Lee wasn’t in a hurry and what we were doing was no hook up. The way he took his time allowed me time to adjust to the sensations I’d all but forgotten. His consideration of me made me feel what was between us wasn’t a one-time thing. I remember feeling thankful for that and depressed at the same time because it was at that point I knew my life was entering another complicated phase. And once I’d tasted Lee I was powerless to stop it.
“Home,” I mumbled into his mouth as we drew ragged heavy breaths during our marathon make out session.
“Yeah?” he asked with a note of doubt as if he’d misheard me.
“I haven’t had sex for years and if I’m blowing the cobwebs off and doing this with you I don’t want to remember the end of my dry spell as a quick fuck against a doorway,” I replied, half joking because I was more serious than he knew, but I was also trying to cover how shy I felt about sharing my body with a man after all that time.
Lee chuckled, lifted me effortlessly onto his front, and cupped my ass before heading toward my house, “Yes, Ma’am, I agree. You’re not the fuck-against-a-doorway kinda girl in any circumstance.”
It was weird that I felt no shame in taking Lee to my bed that night, yet it was probably the most unguarded thing I’d ever done…and the most explosive sex I’d ever experienced.
When he got me inside he headed straight for my bedroom. He knew exactly where everything was situated in the dark even though he didn’t live there. He’d been checking the place out every time Flynn was home in case some crazy fan had chosen to hide there. Even the stairs weren’t a challenge for him.
Pushing my door open, he walked slower until he toed the edge of my bed then he bent forward and laid me gently on the mattress. My arms uncoiled from around his neck and when he broke free of me the air between us felt cool. Feeling my heart sink, I knew I may regret what we were doing because the risk he’d leave me wanting more made me ache before he’d even begun to take me.
With every labored breath I heard his restraint, as he unbuttoned my jeans and slipped them gently down my legs. His eyes followed the denim as he took in my fair skin while the cool air and his touch covered me in goosebumps.
Planting one knee between my legs, Lee grabbed the hem of my sweater at the sides and pulled it over my head. Electricity crackled when he pulled the woolen garment free. I heard it drop softly to the floor as the mattress dipped and Lee stood up straight in the dark.
His shadow was formidable, as large broad shoulders blocked some light coming in from the window.
“You mind if I put the light on? I want to see you.”
My throat constricted and I swallowed in response as my heart sank. My confidence fell through the floor as I remembered the stretchmarks on my stomach and hips from my pregnancy. My body had been far from perfect before, and after childbirth those thin silver lines only made me more self-conscious of it.
When I made no reply, I watched Lee head for the nightstand lamp, the sound of the switch coinciding with the room being bathed in a soft pink glow from the nightshade. I felt much better than I would have had it been the stark ceiling light which would have highlighted my flaws.
“Dayum, Niamh. Look at you,” he whispered, his eyes roaming over my belly as he dropped to his knees between my legs, still fully clothed. “So beautiful,” he said a little louder, finding his voice while the flat of his hands began to sweep lightly over my skin. My heartbeat raced wildly as I watched his eyes and hands explore my body. I looked for evidence of his words being hollow, but the gleam in his eyes showed his genuine pleasure.
What I liked most was how Lee never immediately headed for the sexual parts of my body. My confidence grew in what we were doing because it appeared as if he wanted to touch all of me. It was clear it wasn’t just sex for him, it was about knowing my body first.
Pleasure cascaded like an overflowing fountain, reaching the extremities of my body and sending messages of longing to my brain. My body burned under his touch and it was clear he knew how to please a woman. He leaned over me, smoothed down my hair with both hands and cupped my face before brushing his lips over mine. Leaning back, a smile spread on his closed lips as his eyes shone with affection. I swallowed awkwardly when I realized he’d never looked at me that way before.
All I did was silently stare into his eyes at the anticipation of his next move. My heart beat hard knowing there was more to come. The deep connection between us lingered until he dropped his head forward and took my mouth with his in a soft kiss. There was no tongue at first and the weight of his body shifted to his hands as he lifted his weight back off me.
Feeling the mattress shake as his arms vibrated slightly showed how hard he fought to restrain himself, but as the passion between us grew he let it unleash, as his tongue thrust into my mouth with the same hunger he’d shown me over by the gym door.
Our hands moved frantically like we both realized what we were supposed to do. Mine boldly skimmed over his broad shoulders and down to his waist then swept over his ass. As Lee deepened the kiss my hands continued their journey back up to his belt and traced around to the front until one found and stroked his cock in his jeans. My eyes had been closed until I felt his length and my fingers pressed along the hard definition protruding there. Lee groaned in satisfaction, and tore his mouth away from mine.
Pulling back, he rose from the bed and began to unbuckle his belt. His lidded eyes were heavy with lust as the leather fell loose and he unzipped his pants. Roughly, he pushed them down his strong muscular thighs as his thick cock sprung free and poked past the hem of the T-shirt he wore. Gone were the playful smiles he’d been giving me and in place was a serious expression full of intent as he reached over his shoulder and dragged his cotton top over his head.
I perched up on my elbows to catch a better view as Lee finished undressing by untying his shoes and pulling his legs free from his jeans. When he straightened up, my breath caught in my throat at how incredible his body was. Lean, muscular shoulders; and strong biceps—those had always been a perk. I’d seen more times than I could count when he wore vests to work out with Flynn, but the naked man in front of me that night was more than I’d ever expected.
With strong defined pectorals, oblique muscles, and chiseled abs, Lee’s body was a temple. It was much more than I ever dreamed he’d be. Initially, my eyes raked over his body at speed like a child trying to choose just one toy in a store as my adrenaline fueled my reaction. My breathing was fast and shallow as my excitement grew and I willed myself to slow it down. When I did, my body relaxed and took his appearance in with more detail.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Lee’s voice broke into my trancelike state.
“Huh?” I muttered, tearing my eyes from his abdomen to meet his.
“You look lost.”
“I am…I mean for words. You’re so…hard. I mean your body…and obviously your—” I nodded toward his long, thick cock sticking out at ninety degrees directly at me. I smirked and felt heat stain my cheeks.
Lee threw his head back and started chuckling, “Jesus, I thought for a minute you were going to turn me down.”
“And I’d be certified as mentally insane if I did,” I answered, changing my position to sit up at the end of the bed. I folded my arms across my chest and hugged myself, increasingly aware of the imperfections of my own body.
“What are you doing?” he asked, peeling my hands from my upper arms and revealing his view of my body again.
“I’m so flabby in comparison. How could you possibly want to be with someone like me when you look like that?”
“How could I not? You’re beautiful, Niamh. I love how you look, how you feel. Your soft curves do incredible things to me. Do you realize how long I’ve wanted to touch you the way I just did?”
“You’re only saying that, I’ve got stretchmarks and—”
“And an incredible son who gave them to you. Never be ashamed of who you are. I look the way I do because my life depends on it. Muscle is my only defense from constant friction I receive from those who would shove and jostle me for position next to Flynn. It’s important that I keep myself strong. Trust me when I say you are a very beautiful woman. You’re not supposed to be looking at you, I am. And trust me…I love what I see.”
Without waiting for my reply, Lee pushed me back on the bed and dropped to his knees then he lifted my legs and positioned my calves on his shoulders. Dipping his head, he buried his face between my legs, and my head all but exploded when his tongue trailed the length of my crease from my ass to my clit. The sensation was so strong and alien to me, my legs immediately clamped his head between them. When I released it again, Lee chuckled, his eyes darting up to connect with mine.
“Relax, baby. Enjoy. Let me take care of you,” he encouraged in a whispered voice followed by a small smile. I did as he asked and he took care of me not once, but three times, in short succession. It hadn’t taken much for him to set me off. It had been years since Lance, and Lee made me realize what I’d been missing, even when I’d been with the father of my son.
Tracing his fingertips through my slick, wet heat, Lee grinned and tore a condom he’d produced from his jeans pocket. It perturbed me he’d had one there but I never said anything about it because nothing would have prevented me going all the way with him. Once he was set he rubbed his cock up and down my wet core and positioned himself at my entrance.
“I’ll try to be gentle. From the way you’ve reacted I can tell it’s been a while.” Lee licked his lips and reached over me. Taking my mouth in another kiss, his tip slowly and steadily entered me. The stretch as his thick girth pushed its way in burned, but the pain was a good one. It reminded me that I was wanted by someone again. Not just anyone, but someone like Lee.