Bed Of Roses (The Five Senses Series Book 4) Read online

  “I promised you dinner, so I’ll go by Red’s for some take out and Ben’s keys. I’ll meet you at your house.”

  Anticipation rose along her spine like a vine climbing a trellis. She was going to have to stop thinking about Gunnar that way or she’d combust.

  She nodded again, then wrinkled her nose. The kitchen was a disaster area, dirty dishes strewn across the counter and crumbs crunching underfoot. “I’m going to pick up a little in here before I leave. And make sure he stays down,” she said.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Gunnar crossed the kitchen and enfolded her in his arms. The embrace contained warmth and tenderness. And something more. Her belly rolled in anticipation when he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. And when he didn’t immediately relinquish his hold, her foolish heart skipped in her chest.

  * * * *

  Bags of food in hand, Gunnar raced up the steps to Malin’s front door. From the instant she’d said she was ready, tension had been building. He imagined peeling off the pretty green turtleneck sweater hugging her curves, then slipping her bra off, finally answering the question that had nagged him for the past few days: were her nipples dusky rose or more peaches and cream? His cock twitched in anticipation.

  He rang the bell and shivered while he waited for her to answer. The chills racing down his spine to his balls had nothing to do with cold. It was definitely from heat building within.

  Malin’s face appeared in the sidelight window. Struck again by the pixie quality of her features, he grinned. She was so damn pretty. Even when he knew she was anxious and frustrated, the worry didn’t mar her beauty. When sadness had turned her blue eyes smoky, he wanted to hold and kiss her until they were as clear as the sky above. Or so filled with passion there would be no room for sadness.

  Mal tugged opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. She greeted him. “Hi.”

  He began to move past her, then stopped. He bent and pressed a kiss to her silky cheek. Switching the food bag he held to his right hand, he wrapped his left arm around her in a hug. The weight of her arms around his waist as she returned the greeting shot heat to his groin, forging flesh into steel.

  He stepped away before Mal could discover the evidence of his eagerness. Plus, he was sure Gaby was around somewhere, and they’d already given her an eyeful once today.

  He cleared his throat and asked, “You didn’t have any problem with Ben staying asleep, did you?”

  Shaking her head, she twined her fingers together. “I checked on him right before I left and he was still out. I hope he won’t wake before morning.”

  “Good,” he murmured. “You hungry?”

  “Not really.” Her eyes flashed...hot and inviting. Taking the bag from his hands, she turned and walked away from him, her rocking ass drawing his eye as seductively as a siren song. His feet were rooted to the spot, observing the luscious view. She paused, framed by the kitchen door, and shot him a glance over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow up. “You coming?”

  She disappeared through the door. Gunnar swallowed hard, fighting to get his unruly body under control. His rampant erection pressed uncomfortably against the tight fabric of his pants. This might be the right time to start thinking about economics or something. Anything to take his mind off how much he wanted her.

  The sound of the refrigerator door opening and closing floated down the hall to him, but it wasn’t enough to release the lock on his feet. Sweat popped out between his shoulder blades, but he remained motionless in the front hall.

  Someone had told him once that self-restraint was a good thing. That guy was full of shit. Right now, all he wanted to do was peel her clothes off with his teeth and bury himself inside her until both their eyes rolled back in their heads.

  “Gunnar?” Mal reappeared in the door, a question in her eyes, a sexy smile on her lips.

  “Is Gaby here?’ he asked, his voice rusty and hoarse.

  “No.” She glanced at the oversized clock on the wall over a small table. “She won’t be home until at least nine.”

  Gunnar flashed his eyes to the timepiece. Two more hours. “Come here.” He issued the invitation with a degree of command.

  Mal took one hesitant step his direction. Then another. Then flying down the hall, she launched herself into his arms, catching him off guard. He squeezed his arms tightly around her and spun until her back was to the door. He pressed her against the solid wood at her back and leaned into her, holding her in place and giving her a feel for the wood in his pants.

  He captured her mouth with his, demanding entry. The instant her lips parted, he drove his tongue between them. Her mouth was hot and moist as her tongue sparred with his.

  Winding her hands through his hair, she pulled him closer. She lifted her leg and wrapped it around the back of his thighs, trapping him against her. He thought he’d explode when his cock lodged at the apex of her thighs. He bucked once, twice, and groaned.

  Pulling his lips from hers, he scattered kisses over her face. He trailed his tongue along her jaw until she lifted her chin and tilted her head to the side.

  “Oh, Gunnar,” Mal moaned.

  The soft mewling sounds Mal made excited him beyond reason. He licked and nibbled his way down the slender column of her throat, pushing the neck of her sweater out of the way. When he reached her collarbone, he nipped at the fragrant skin atop the delicate bone, drawing a gasp from her. He smiled.

  Grasping the fabric of her top, he jerked it up and out of her jeans. The satin smoothness of her belly felt like heaven. Muscles jumped under the skin when he trailed his fingers up her ribcage. He found her breast and cupped it, reveling in the firm plump orb hidden behind her lacy bra.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, fingers seeking a grip in his shirt and tugging upward. “I’m not the only one,” she whispered.

  He nipped her collarbone once more, timing the bite with squeezing her breast. A bite, a squeeze, a lick, and a brush of his thumb across her areola. A thrust of his hips into hers. Another bite.

  She fisted his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers. Plunging her tongue into his mouth, she flexed her fingers on his head in time with the frenzied movement of her tongue.

  Gunnar pulled away from her and framed her face with his hands. Planting small kisses on her lips, he whispered against them. “I can make love to you here in the hall with a hard wooden door at your back. Or, our first time could be in a nice, soft bed. Your choice, but make it now.” He bucked his hips against hers again, the contact sending shivers down his spine, settling at the small of his back. His sack tightened as blood surged.

  Her lips curved against his, and she dropped her hand to his biceps. “I vote bed.”

  “Good, that’s my preference, too.” He gathered her close and laid his lips on hers again, worshipping them. The sweet, inviting softness of her mouth hardened his cock to the point of painful. Uttering a silent prayed that he could make it up the steps to her bedroom, he slipped his arms around her back. “Wrap your legs around me.”

  She locked her ankles behind his back, the vee of her hips snugged hard on his erection. He lost his breath as he reveled in the pressure. Tightening his grip and spinning them around, he aimed for the staircase. Taking the steps two at time, he made it to the top without being winded. He looked at the three doors. “Which one?”

  She interrupted her nibbling along his jaw long enough to point to the room on the right. Still carrying her, he stepped into her bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him. Light from a street lamp shining through the small dormer window cast only slight illumination. But it was bright enough for him to find his way to her bed across the room.

  Without releasing his grip around her back, he balanced one knee on the bed and lowered her to the mattress. Stretching his body atop hers, he went back for more of her spell-binding kisses. Hot, open-mouthed, as greedy as his. His hips were cradled
between her soft thighs. Contentment nearly trumped lust. Blood heated and sang through his veins.

  It felt like he was right where he belonged. He lifted up on his elbows, staring at her face, memorizing the lines and curves. Her eyes drifted open, and her kiss-swollen lips turned down in a pout.

  “Please don’t stop, Gunnar. I don’t want you to stop.” The rich, smoky quality of her voice penetrated his brain and shot straight to his dick.

  “I won’t, Daisy Mae. I want to look at you. God, Mal...you’re gorgeous.”

  She pressed a fingertip against his lips, and he nipped at it, turning her frown into a seductive half-smile. “I like the way you look, too. But I might prefer you without clothes.”

  His heart knocked against his ribcage. Answering pulses pounded in his cock. She wanted him naked. Maybe as much as he’d like to have her in the same condition.

  She pushed him over to his back, rolling with him until she was on top, straddling his hips. Surprise then desire flared as her warmth nestled on his erection, heating him through his jeans. When she leaned in to press her lips to his, her short blond hair feathered against his cheeks. She plucked the buttons on his shirt open and swept her small hands down his chest to untuck the tails from his jeans. She spread the edges open, exposing his chest. The brush of her hand stole his breath. When she tongued his nipple, he arched off the bed and groaned. He’d come tonight to seduce her, and gloriously, miraculously, she’d beaten him to it.

  She chuckled when she sat up, the action pressing her center hard against his cock again. Reaching for the hem of her shirt, she pulled it over her head. Her skin was luminous.

  Running his hands up her ribcage, he found the clasp of her bra and had it released before she could pull her wrists free of the shirt. The straps of the small scrap of silk covering her breasts tangled with the fabric of her sweater.

  “Let me,” she said, the words muted in the stillness of her bedroom.

  Shooting her a grin, he lowered his hands to the button on her pants. “Okay, I’ll take care of this.” He had the button opened and the zipper lowered before her upper garments hit the floor. Pushing the fabric away from her hips, he dipped his fingers into the opening and past the lace of her panties. Her sweet gasp filled his ears. Their hands tangled together when she reached for his pants and popped the snap, the sound mingling with their chuckles.

  Gunnar grasped her shoulders and rolled again, this time fitting her underneath him. Heat from her chest and the press of her taut nipples abolished the last shreds of reason. Drawing his balls close to his body, hardening his shaft until he thought it would explode.

  Unable to control the motion of his hips, he dry humped against her twice before rearing up to his knees. Impatient, he tugged the waist of her jeans down and pushed the fabric off her legs, one at a time. He returned for her panties, sending that scrap of material down until they joined her other clothes beside the bed.

  In the dim light from the window, Malin was stunning. Gunnar reached over and fumbled with the bedside lamp. He squinted in the glare when he managed to snap it on. He turned his attention back to Malin.

  And lost his breath at the sight of her.

  Naked, in the soft glow of the lamp, her body spread eagle below him, she was glorious. Her pale skin was luminous, flushed with passion and unblemished, except for a heart shaped mole just below her right breast. Joy rippled in every corner of his mind when he discovered her nipples were in fact dusky peach. A thin strip of ash-blond hair hid soft, feminine folds. A rosy blush colored her cheeks.

  He licked his lips and trailed a finger down the center of her body, dipping into her navel then continuing the journey down through the springy curls. Her mouth opened in a short pant when he completed the journey and gently stroked her clit. She was so wet and ready for him. She arched her hips into the palm of his hand, and her dewy, slick warmth made his heart soar.

  He slipped one finger, then another, into her welcoming sheath and knew he’d found heaven. He leaned forward and fastened his lips around her nipple, pulling it between his teeth. God, her skin tasted like nectar. Mal put her hands on his head and held him in place, her hips rising to meet each thrust of his finger. She purred like a kitten beneath him.

  The soft pop of his lips leaving her breast interrupted the sensuous hum. She moaned a protest when he withdrew his finger from her body and rose off the bed. Propping herself up on her elbows, she chewed her lower lip. His cock swelled at the sight of her splayed in front of him.

  Fishing his wallet from his back pocket, he grabbed a condom, then dropped the wallet on top of Mal’s sweater with a dull thud. Toeing off his shoes, he carefully lowered his zipper and shoved his jeans and boxer briefs to his ankles and kicked them away. Blood pounded uncomfortably as he rolled the condom down, his flesh jumping with the stroking motion. He ground his teeth, a muscle popped in his jaw. He kneeled on the bed again, then stretched out on top of the blazing inferno of Mal’s body.

  Taking his time, he opened her mouth with his tongue, while his cock pulsed at the opening of her lower lips. She raised her knees around his hips, opening everything for him. Her hand fluttered over his butt, her fingers whisper-soft.

  Lifting on his elbows, he paused. “Open your eyes, Mal. I want to watch you.”

  Her lids lifted, her gaze unfocused. He kissed each cheek, then the tip of her nose. He pulled back again and watched her as he slid his penis into her warmth, each inch of his cock gliding through the clenching ridges. As he hit home and circled his hips, making sure his lower belly rubbed across her clit, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. She tipped her head back and moaned.

  Moving his hands enough to grasp the sides of her head, he tunneled his fingers in her silky hair. “Look at me, love. Keep your eyes on me.”

  He pinned her gaze with his and increased his rhythm. Locking her feet behind his back, she met him stroke for stroke with her eyes focused on his. Each exhalation of her breath caressed his cheek as he moved inside her.

  The banded muscles embracing his shaft squeezed, indicating her nearness to the edge. Gunnar locked his jaws together, holding back until the pulsing sensation escalated and a tiny squeak built in her throat. Her eyes, turquoise with passion, glazed over, her brow drawn together in concentration. The small keening sound she emitted pushed him with a potent tide of feeling and want.

  Her orgasm hit, constricting around him, milking him with a sensuous cadence. He continued to move within her as she finished on a screech. Her eyes drifted shut. He gritted his teeth, commanding his body to still within hers.

  As the last of her tremors faded, he moved again, creating need within her again. Each delicious slide deep into her luscious inner folds stoked the flame of his passion.

  Shoulders shaking from holding himself apart from her, he finally released his grip on her head and lowered his chest to hers. Heat speared straight into his chest at the first contact with the sweet peaks on her nipples. Friction built between their bodies as he set a pace to drive her to the edge again. The bed rocked and creaked with the hard thrusting motion. He arched his hips away from hers, and then returned, pushing himself in to the hilt. Nerves sizzled along his back, pulling up from his balls and bursting like fireworks behind his eyelids. Her pussy clenched and rolled, and he let out a shout as her orgasm erupted at the exact second his did.

  Chapter 14

  Spent, Malin let her mind drift and her legs fall to the bed on either side of Gunnar’s hips. Starbursts of color lingered behind her eyelids from the powerful force of her orgasm. Orgasms. Insides pulsing, she reveled in the languid, tingling sensation. Her heart galloped, keeping pace with the heavy thudding in his chest. The weight of his lean, muscular frame pressed her into the cloud-soft mattress, his heated body a warm, comforting blanket.

  Gunnar buried his face against the hollow of her neck, toying with the ends of her hair. He massaged small circles on her temples. She rested her hands on his damp back, her fingers counting the ribs
and exploring the shifting planes along his shoulders.

  Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, Gunnar pushed up to his elbows and gazed at her. The mesmerizing color of his eyes reminded her of the steely blue sky right before a storm. His satisfied grin faded as he bent to capture her lips. Every nerve ending in her leaped at the touch. His lips and tongue danced along hers, claiming her mouth as his personal playground. And he explored each inch of it. Her lips clung to his as he broke the seal between them to scatter kisses across her face. He lingered along her jaw, licking at the sensitive hollow behind her ear.

  He was an incredible kisser, an amazing lover. And, on top of his masterful technique in bed, he’d also been a good friend tonight.

  “I’m such an idiot. I’ve ruined our friendship,” she said.

  “What?”

  “We shouldn’t have done this. You’re a friend. I’ve crossed the line.”

  He pulled away from her. Rolling to his side he rested his hand on her belly, holding her in place. “You think because we made love, we can’t be friends anymore?”

  “Gunnar, we didn’t make love. We had sex. And that’s fine, because I wanted it too. I was ready to take this step. It probably won’t amount to anything more than a one-night stand. You shouldn’t try to sugar coat what happened here tonight.”

  The disgusted sound he made rumbled in his chest. It rattled her. He rolled away from her, flopping on his back. Taking a second, he removed the condom, then dropped it over the side of the bed. He pulled the covers over their bodies, gently tucking the blanket around her shoulders. Mal rolled over to her side to look at him.

  He stared at the ceiling. “How’s this for untreated? I didn’t just fuck you tonight, Malin.”

  She jerked at his crude language. “Gunnar—”

  “Let me finish. What we did transcends mere screwing. I know, because I’ve been with women where that was all it meant. With you, believe me, tonight was a shit-ton more.” His breath expelled in a rush. “I made love to you, Malin. I want to do it again and again and again. And I’ll still consider you my friend.”