Easy Charm by Kristen Proby
“Fuck,” he whispers. “God, Gabby.”
He watches my face as he slides in farther, until he’s seated balls-deep, and then he stops again.
“Don’t move,” he says, kissing me softly.
“Are you okay?” My fingernails are dragging lazily down his sides to his ass, then up again.
“So much more than okay,” he replies and kisses me more firmly as he pulls out, then pushes in again. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It doesn’t hurt,” I reply truthfully. “God, it feels so good.”
“So good,” he repeats and moves again. “I have to move, baby.”
“Good, ‘cause you’re killing me.”
He chuckles, then sighs as he pushes up on his hands and begins to move even faster, a little harder, watching my face all the while to make sure that I’m okay.
And boy, am I okay.
I clench around him, loving the way the ridge of his head drags against my walls, shooting little electrical sparks down my spine. I have to reach above me and push on the headboard, tipping my hips up to meet him, as our tempo grows. He’s sweating, breathing so damn hard, and I’m going to lose it.
“Rhys.”
“Yes, baby, go over.”
I rest my feet on his calves and clench down as his pubis hits my clit, and I go blind with ecstasy, my body gripping him with everything I have.
“Fuck,” he whispers and follows me, coming hard, his whole body shuddering. As the shivers slow, he leans his forehead against the headboard, working to catch his breath, and I’ve never seen anything like him in my life.
Crap, I’m in love.
Chapter Eight
~Gabby~
I can hear him moving about the room quietly. He thinks he’s letting me sleep in, I’m sure, and while it’s very sweet of him to try, a woman doesn’t wake up at five in the morning six days a week and sleep past seven on her day off.
But I lie here and listen to him, imagining him naked, or maybe wrapped in a towel from the shower I heard him take a little while ago. He moves back into the bathroom and closes the door, and I can hear him murmuring into the phone.
I stretch and roll over to my other side, smiling in pure contentment at the pull of sore muscles from a long night of lovemaking. I mean, seriously, six times?
The man is a machine.
Did last night seriously happen? Because…wow. He did things to me that I thought were only urban myths. Things women talk about, but haven’t ever actually done.
Like the whole pushing my legs up around my ears, hands pressed to the back of my thighs and making me see stars.
Or the way he can wrap those strong arms around me and just move me where he wants me. As if I don’t weigh anything at all.
And the dirty talk! Holy hell, the things that come out of Rhys’s mouth are probably illegal in some states, but I hope he never stops talking that way. It makes me feel sexy and fun.
Desired.
Wanted.
And that hasn’t happened in a very long time.
The sink turns on in the bathroom, and for several minutes I debate about getting up and joining him. It could be fun to play in the shower. Sure, he already took one, but I’m pretty sure I can talk him into another.
But then there’s a knock on our door, and he quickly comes out of the bathroom. My eyes are open now, and he flashes me a smile, wrapped in one of the robes offered by the B&B, and opens the door.
He returns to the room with a silver tray. There is only one covered plate on it, along with a single red rose.
“Breakfast,” he says with a wink. “Did I wake you?”
“No.” I shake my head and sit up in the bed, tucking the sheet under my arms. “I rarely sleep past seven.”
“Have I told you before how beautiful you are in the morning?”
I chuckle. “No.”
“Well, you are.”
He leans over the bed and kisses me back into the pillows, covers me with his lean body, and simply continues to kiss me.
He makes me dizzy.
He makes me forget my own name, for God sake.
“So beautiful,” he whispers against my lips, then sits up, uncovers the plate, and with his fingers picks up a strawberry and holds it up to my lips. I bite it and his fingers, then laugh as he scowls. “And a biter.”
“Hey, you’re the one who held food up to my lips.”
“Let’s see if you can be nicer about it.” He grips a piece of pineapple in his fingers and offers it to me. I lean in, smiling, and gently take the fruit from him, chewing happily, slurping the juice.
“Better.”
“My turn.” I choose a slice of apple and hold it up for Rhys to take from my fingers. “No biting.”
“I seem to remember you enjoying my teeth on your skin last night.”
I feel my face flush as I remember the way he skimmed those teeth over the ball of my shoulder, my ear, my neck.
My pussy.
“Yeah,” he whispers and bites the apple, then leans in and bites my lower lip. “You like it.”
I lick my lip where he just bit it and taste the apple there.
“The fruit is delicious.”
“You’re delicious.” He’s finished with the fruit now, nibbling down my neck to my shoulder, making my eyes cross. “How do you keep your skin so soft?”
“Genetics,” I reply hoarsely. “And I try to stay out of the sun.”
“It’s working,” he replies and kisses my chin. “Are you still hungry?”
“We ate three bites of fruit,” I remind him. “Aren’t you still hungry?”
His green eyes smile into mine as he reaches over and plucks the rose from its vase on the tray. “I’m hungry for you.”
I snort. “Charmer.”
“You’re not an easy charm, Gabby.” He lightly drags the soft petals of the rose down my nose. “But just because you don’t need the pretty words, doesn’t mean that I don’t mean every single one of them. You are beautiful. You are amazing. And—” He pulls the petals down between my breasts, over my belly, and down my hip, making me gasp. It tickles. “I’m hungry for every inch of you.”
Suddenly, he flips me over onto my stomach, brushes my hair off my back and away from my face, and returns to skimming the rose down my spine to my ass, barely over the crack, then in a circle over each of my butt cheeks.
“I enjoy your skin,” he murmurs and kisses between my shoulder blades.
“I enjoy you enjoying my skin,” I reply with a grin. “I feel pampered.”
He pauses. “You should feel pampered every day.”
I snort. “Who are you?” The rose skims down my inner thighs, making me moan. “Who says stuff like that?”
I hear him toss the rose away, and suddenly his naked—he must have lost the robe—body is covering mine and his mouth is next to my ear.
“I’m the man about to be deep inside you.” His voice is rough, his breathing already different. Hard. “I’m the man that can’t get enough of you.” He spreads my legs with his own. I hear him rip open a condom, and with me flat on my tummy, he pushes inside me, all the way inside, making me bite my lip.
“Oh, my God.”
He kisses my neck, pulls out most of the way, then slams into me, harder than he has before, and I gasp, shocked at how fucking good it feels.
“Too much?” he asks.
“No.” I shake my head and try to tilt my hips up to meet him, but he holds me down, his hands on my ass, pushing me into the mattress.
“I’m the man who’s about to fuck you into this mattress, Gabrielle.”
Holy hell.
And he does. Hard and steady. I can’t wait to see his fingerprints on my ass later.
“Rhys.”
“That’s right. That’s who I am.”
I freaking know who he is!
“Damn, I’m gonna come.” I bury my face in the bed, but suddenly he pulls out and flips me back around.
“Look at me.” H
I can’t look away from his face. He’s intense, but his eyes are happy as he watches me. I know that most men are visual creatures, but Rhys loves to watch me. We kept the lights on all night long.
His eyes never leave me.
And it makes me feel just what he says. Amazing. Beautiful.
I reach between us and circle my clit with my fingertips, sending little zings through my limbs and spine, and Rhys’s jaw clenches.
“Oh, fuck yes, touch yourself.”
I reach farther down and press against his cock as he pulls in and out of me, and for the first time, his eyes close.
Well, look at that.
I file that away for later.
“Tell me you’re about to come,” he growls. I can feel him swell even more inside me and I know he’s so close.
And so am I.
I cup his face in my hands and rise up to kiss him, tightening my core and pussy, clenching around him even harder, and we both fall over the edge into ecstasy.
We’re panting, a little sweaty, as I fall back onto the bed and Rhys follows me, careful not to crush me, but his head is on my chest and his arms are gripping my sides. I summon up enough strength to push my fingers through his hair as we regain our senses.
“You’re good at that,” I say finally, staring at the ceiling. “Now I know what all the fuss is about.”
I feel him smile against me. “Oh baby, we’ve just gotten started.”
***
“This is Jackson Square.” I point to the park surrounded by wrought iron fencing in the heart of the French Quarter. “And behind it is St. Louis Cathedral. We can go inside, if you like, to look around.”
Rhys shrugs. “If you want to. I’m just enjoying the walk with a beautiful woman.”
He’s holding my hand, and when we have to push our way through a crowd, he simply rests his hand on the small of my back, or my ass, to let me know he’s right behind me.
The man is forever touching me.
And I freaking love it.
Instead of leading him to the cathedral, I lead him down Royal Street, away from the heart of the Quarter. There are so many amazing art galleries and shops on this street. It’s one of my favorites.
One boutique in particular catches my eye, and I pause to stare in the window.
“I have a soft spot for pretty things,” I say softly.
“What do you see that you like?” Rhys asks. I shrug my shoulder, then point at a simple silver chain with an amethyst pendant.
“That’s pretty.”
And then I begin to walk away, ready to look into the next window, and feel Rhys behind me. We pause to watch some street performers, who secretly give me the willies. I mean, it’s weird that some guy is dressed like a transformer, driving on the street, then stands up.
How does someone fall into that line of work?
“I’ll be right back. I need a bathroom.” Rhys kisses my cheek.
“I’ll be here,” I reply and toss him a smile over my shoulder as he walks away. Afraid that Mr. Transformer is going to decide to drive right up to me and freak me out, I return to the sidewalk and admire the art in the window there. The colors are bright, too bright for my home, but it’s interesting.
“Art lover?” Rhys asks as he joins me.
“I appreciate art,” I reply, still thoughtfully staring at the piece in the window. “I would never buy this, though.”
“Me neither,” he replies with a smile.
“Wow, are you Rhys O’Shaughnessy?” Two teenage boys have approached us. They’re obviously brothers, with their matching red hair and blue eyes. The older one is wearing a Cubs T-shirt.
“Baseball fans,” Rhys replies with a grin. “I am, yes.”
“Wow, I’m your biggest fan,” the older boy says and offers his hand for Rhys to shake. “You’re awesome. Why aren’t you playing this season?”
“I’m getting my shoulder back in shape, man. I’ll be back in the spring.”
“Awesome!”
“Maybe you just play for the wrong team,” the younger brother says. “I’m a Cardinals fan.”
“Nah,” Rhys replies with a good-natured laugh. “I think you just root for the wrong team.”
“No way!”
“Hey,” the older one says as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Can we get a picture? My friends won’t believe this!”
“Sure.”
“I’ll take it,” I offer, reaching for the phone. Rhys stands between the boys, one hand on each of their shoulders, and smiles widely for the picture.
“Thanks so much!”
“Yeah,” the younger brother adds, “you’re pretty cool. For a Cub.”
“You’re welcome.”
I’m quiet as we walk away. I’m so impressed with him! This is exactly why Sam and all of his fans love him so much. He’s approachable. He’s friendly.
“You’re quiet,” he murmurs beside me. “Talk to me.”
“I’m so proud of you,” I reply honestly. “You were great with those kids.”
He looks surprised for a moment, and then chuckles. “You surprise me.”
“Why?”
“I thought you’d decided that it was weird, and you were trying to figure out a way to tell me to get lost.”
“Nah, there would be other reasons to tell you to get lost. Being loved by teenage boys everywhere isn’t one of them.”
“Good to know.” He steers me around a group of people standing on the corner, talking and laughing. “I seriously love my job, Gabby.”
“I can tell. What do you love about it? I’m really interested..”
“It’s an honor. And I don’t mean that to sound as trite as it does. I’m a part of the all-American sport. There’s nothing more American than apple pie and baseball.”
“Do you like apple pie?” I ask.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Point taken.”
He takes my hand in his, links our fingers, and kisses my knuckles before continuing.
“I can’t describe what it feels like to stand on that mound, with sixty thousand fans in the stands, whether they’re rooting for our team, or the opposing team, to hear them cheer. It’s humbling. It’s amazing.”
“You’ve done it a long time. Not many people can say they’ve played professional baseball.”
“True.” He nods. “I think it’s why I’m so stubborn about this shoulder injury. I know that at thirty, I only have a few years left in me. Most pitchers don’t play past my age. It’s a physically demanding sport. But I’ll be damned if this shoulder is the reason I can’t play anymore. I want to end my career on my terms. I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to play until I’m crippled. But I want to say when it’s over. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” I kiss his bicep and then rub it with my free hand. “It makes perfect sense.”
“Do you like baseball?”
“Meh.” I purse my lips and shrug. “It’s okay. I really love MMA fighting.”
“MMA fighting?” He stares down at me like I’m crazy. “Why?”
“Are you kidding? Hot men, scantily clad, rolling around on the floor together. I mean, it’s really a no-brainer.” I chuckle inside, and give my inner flirt a high-five. I’m getting so good at this.
Suddenly, he’s pinned me against a brick wall, caging me in the way he does that makes my toes instantly curl, and he’s hunched over so his face is level with mine.
“You like looking at half-naked men, baby? I can get half-naked for you.”
“You are pretty remarkable half-naked,” I say thoughtfully. “Okay, you’ll do.”
He laughs and kisses my forehead, then takes my hand and leads me down the sidewalk. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I don’t know. What are you going to do with me?”
He w
***
“I had a wonderful time.” We’re standing at the trunk of the car as Rhys pulls our bags out and drops them on the ground before tugging me into his arms and planting his lips on mine, kissing me for all he’s worth.
And he’s worth a lot.
A lot.
“How do you feel?” he whispers as he pulls away.
“Happy.”
“Perfect.”
“You’re home!” Savannah waves from the porch. “Stop kissing and get in here. Not you, Rhys.”
“She’s not obvious at all,” I say as I wave at my sister and roll my eyes.
Rhys also waves and carries our bags around the back of the house. “I’ll take these in, then I’m going to work out in the barn for a while. Just yell if you need me.”
I nod and join Van, who takes my hand and quickly leads me inside the house. She glances around, as if someone could be listening in, despite the fact that guests haven’t started arriving yet for this evening, then begins the inquisition.
“How was it? How many condoms did you use? Was he sweet? Did he hurt you? Do I need to have the boys kick his ass?”
“Stop.” I hold my hand over Van’s mouth to shut her up.
“Mmmp mmmp brachd.”
“What?” I pull my hand away.
“Tell me everything.”
“No.” I smile as I set my purse on the desk I use to check guests in. “It’s all mine.”
“Come oooonnnnn.” She pouts. She knows I can’t resist the pout. “I want to know details!”
“Where are Kate and Charly?”
“They both went in to work. I stayed and handled things here. Now, spill.”
I sigh and push my hair behind my ear. “It was fun.”
Her face falls. “That’s it?”
“Fun is good.”
“You have fun at the movies, Gabby.”
“Okay, it was…nice.”
“Nice?” She shakes her head sadly. “We had such high hopes for him.”
“We did?”
“Sure. He’s hot. He’s nice.”
I nod. “Yeah. And he gave me the best night I’ve had since Sam was born.”
A slow smile slides over Van’s face. “That’s promising.”