| |
—Banks—
––––––––
“And here you go.” I put Simone on the bed and took a few steps back to stop myself from unwrapping her towel.
When confusion scrunched her eyebrows, I leaned in and kissed the crinkle.
“Baby steps, new girl. I didn’t bring you here just so I could fuck your brains out.”
Her sex-tinted pink cheeks deepened in color and her eyes mapped my body. “Looks like you want to.”
A growl knotted in my throat. “That’s because I do. Jesus Christ,” I breathed out when she leaned back on her hands and opened her knees.
I remained rooted to the spot despite my dick filling. “You can’t do that to a man, babe. We don’t like turning invites like that down.”
The sexiest smile I’d ever seen played across her mouth as her knees dropped wider. “I guess you’ve got a decision to make then.”
Successfully baited, I whipped off my towel and threw it aside, then caged Simone with my body. “Same as at the Falls, darlin’, safe word is pumpernickel. You want me to stop, I’ll stop. No questions asked. Got it?”
“Got it.”
At her confirmation, my fingers loosened the towel knotted at her chest. Exposing her, I fondled her breasts while pressing my erection against her heated core. “Want your pussy licked, new girl?”
She laughed. “Stupid question, Banks.”
With one swift movement that propelled me down her body, my fingers dug into the back of her thighs as I pushed them up and open. My tongue touched down with one long lick from her opening to her clit, and I smiled against the sensitive nub when her sharp gasp filled the room.
“Keep going,” she whispered, tangling her fingers in my hair with an assertive shove.
I dived headlong between her legs, licking and sucking until she writhed beneath me and wrenched at my hair. She trembled beneath my palms as I tongued her clit and pushed her closer to orgasm. When her hands held my face in the precise spot she needed, I hummed and laved like a starving man.
“Oh god, I’m close. So close,” she cried. “Keep going!”
I fought the urge to rush her, and did exactly as I was told, and within a minute, a bliss-induced spasm tore through her body. She cried out as each wave of orgasm hit, then clamped her legs around my head when she was spent.
I climbed Simone’s sated body and caged her with my arms. My veins burned with the need to take her. “Say I can fuck you,” I demanded.
Despite keeping her eyes closed, she nodded. “Fuck me.”
With a growl, I lined up my dick at her entrance, then pushed inside with a long, tortuous moan. It gathered in my throat and emerged as a satisfied hum when I paused, buried deep in her heat.
“Fuck, you feel good,” I hissed.
“Mmm, so do you.” Her hands mapped my arms, back, and thighs as I set a long, sensual rhythm.
I grinned down at her biting her lower lip. “That good?”
“Mmhmm,” she hummed. “So good.”
Braced on one hand, I snaked the other under her lower back. She cried out as I hit deeper inside her and fuck me, the sounds she made were almost enough to send me over the edge.
Cream gathered at the base of my dick and her insides tightened on me without warning.
“Christ you’re gettin’ tight,” I hissed.
“Oh god, I think I’m going to come again.” Her tone pitched, climbing higher with each mewl of pleasure.
Beads of sweat dotted my forehead as I fought for control. “Come on, babe, come!”
“I... I... Fuck, I’m close.” Desperate fingers dug into my arms as Simone chased her second orgasm.
Finally, fucking finally her face scrunched and her pussy squeezed relentlessly around me.
I balled the sheets and cursed as my own orgasm tore through with force, leaving me seeing stars and unable to catch my breath.
“Holy fuck,” I panted, collapsing onto her and fighting to get my racing pulse under control.
“Holy shit,” Simone agreed.
“Yep, you’ve definitely gone and ruined me, sweetheart.”
She giggled close to my ear. “You ruined me first.”
“I wholeheartedly doubt that,” I deadpanned.
I smacked a kiss on her mouth, then eased off her and handed her a towel. “Here you go, babe. Let me get dressed and I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Don’t rush,” she replied sweetly.
Chuckling, I plucked up the second towel as I left her room and jogged upstairs. After washing her arousal off my face, I tugged on a pair of shorts and headed back downstairs.
Simone smiled shyly as I entered her room. She’d managed to get her underwear on without help and was digging through her bag.
I knelt on the bed. “Need a hand?”
“I’m okay, just finding a t-shirt.” She plucked out a pair of shorts instead and carefully worked her booted foot through the leg hole.
“It’s not too uncomfortable at the moment?” I asked.
Her toes wiggled, making me smile. “A bit achy but otherwise okay.”
I nodded, acutely aware of the hunger pangs shooting through my empty stomach. “As expected. You can elevate it while I cook breakfast. Would you like some coffee and eggs on toast?”
She found her shirt and tugged it on. “Yes, please, but I should call my parents first.”
“Of course. Yell out when you want to be carried to the kitchen.”
Her smile widened as she lifted her phone. “I can use the crutches when there’s no stairs to tackle.”
“I know, but I like carrying you places.” I winked and squeezed her knee affectionately. “Take your time, babe.”
I quietly pulled the door closed as I left her room and smiled as I busied myself in the kitchen, preparing brunch since we’d missed breakfast.
Simone staying here was tricky. I risked falling harder for her, which had seemed outright impossible before she set foot in my home; now it seemed inevitable.
The click of rubber-ended crutches eventually sounded behind me, and I almost rolled my eyes.
“I said I’d carry you, new girl,” I drawled while cracking eggs into the pan.
Her voice came strained with concentration and effort. “And I said I could do it myself. Besides, I don’t want to become reliant on you.”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure she wasn’t about to ass-up on the floorboards. “You can still accept help while being an independent woman, babe.”
She let out a relieved sigh when she sat on the bar stool at the kitchen island. “I know. But this way, I’m proving it to myself. I can’t stay here with you forever.”
“I’m not opposed to that.” I rounded off my admission with a grin that created a smile on her face. Hell, if I could do that every morning, I’d be one happy-ass man.
“How do you like your toast?” I added.
“Barely browned, literally like warm bread.”
I whipped around fully. “That’s bread sacrilege! Now who’s the psychopath?”
Her giggle bounced around my white-tiled kitchen.
“Guess you want it doused in mayo as well?” I teased.
She grinned. “Mayo, no. Salt and pepper, yes.”
“Now that I can do.” I dished up and carefully slid the eggs onto our respective toast slices.
After setting our plates on the island counter, I grabbed the salt and pepper shakers and offered them to Simone.
As we both focused on the large grindings of pepper sprinkling over her breakfast, I chose that moment to broach the serious side of why we were here.
I cleared my throat. “Babe, I’m going to say something that’s gonna come across as a lecture, because it is.”
Simone rolled her eyes. “Seriously, get over my toast.”
“It’s not about the toast.”
“Th—”
“It’s about the hike. And don’t interrupt. I need you to listen.”
Her spine straightened, and she visually shut down before my eyes; arms crossed over her chest, lips pursed, and eyes narrowed. “I’m not a fucking child.”
I made a conscious effort to keep my voice neutral. Whether she wanted to hear this or not, she needed to.
“I know you’re not, but this is coming from search and rescue Banks, not friend and incredibly great lover Banks, and you need to hear it.” I ignored her eye roll and raised a hand. “Simone, what you did yesterday was reckless. You put yourself in unjust danger.”
Despite my aim to stay neutral, irritation and passion for what I did rose in my tone. “You were underprepared and ill-equipped, and you’re extremely lucky that you came off the Saddleback with only a twisted ankle and mild concussion after slipping.”
“Hey! I told Wendy where I was going, and I thought it would only be a few hours. It would have been if I didn’t need a drink!”
“And you wouldn’t have needed to drop into the damn stream bed if you’d taken more water with you. We see this time and time again, poor decisions and—”
“Enough.” Simone savagely shoved her plate away, then reached for her crutches. “You know what else was a poor decision? Coming here!”
I let her take a few angered, yet slow, steps while balling my fists on the counter and drawing a deep inhale.
While outwardly calm, my voice belied my true emotion. “I’ve never been so terrified about what I’d find as I was last night.” I softened my voice. “I thought I was scared when searching for Hilary, but searching for you trumped that a thousand times over. I won’t apologize for wanting to take care of you.”
Simone paused and glared over her shoulder. “I know I fucked up, Banks. You don’t need to rub it in my face.”
“I’m not. I’m stating facts.”
“You’re being an asshole.”
I nodded. “Also facts.”
She gave me one last seething glare before clicking her way back to her room. I called to Pepin and told her to follow and was marginally happier when Pepin slipped into Simone’s room before the door shut.
Happy that Simone had Pep’s company when she didn’t want mine, I set about cleaning up, then made coffee.
Before heading outside to drink it, I took the second mug and knocked on Simone’s door, then cracked it open when no reply came.
Peeking through the inch gap revealed Simone laying on the bed with Pepin tucked against her. Pepin’s head snapped up as soon as I pushed further into the room, she damn well knew she wasn’t allowed on the beds.
“Pepin,” I warned, only for my eyes to cut to Simone when she stopped Pepin getting off. “She’s not allowed on the beds, babe.” I lifted the peace offering. “Coffee? It’s black with one sugar.”
Simone watched me through a blinkless stare, then nodded. “Thanks.”
As she sat up, I kicked Pepin off the bed, then perched on the edge. “Here you go.”
She accepted it without making eye contact, then pinned me to the spot when her steely gaze finally lifted. “I understand why you’re angry, and I’m sorry for making everyone come find me. I didn’t mean for it happen...”
I set my hand on her knee. “No one ever does, sweetheart. Just promise me that you’ll be better prepared next time. Or better yet, go hiking with someone else. You scared the fuck out of me, babe. Still gives me heartburn.” I rubbed at the internal sting under my scar.
Simone’s fingers found mine on her knee and squeezed. “I’m sorry.”
Warmth immediately spread through me, and I softened. “It’s fine now, honestly. Wanna come outside to drink that on the deck with me?”
Simone glanced wistfully out the window. “I think we should, but one question...”
I paused mid-stand. “Shoot.”
A cheeky smile spread across her mouth. “Carry me?”
“Of course.” Chuckling, I removed the coffee from her hands and set it aside, then waved her to the edge of the bed. “C’mere.”
I easily lifted her into my arms and let out a sigh of relief when she clung tight. While my intentions were to take her outside, I couldn’t help but pause and simply enjoy having her wrapped around my body again. Just like she was wrapped around my beatin’ heart.
“You’re my favorite storm, new girl.”
Simone’s eyes met mine and held a sea of unspoken words. I smiled, kissed her mouth, then ran my nose up hers while whispering, “Always have been. Always will be.”
