LITTLE BIT STRONGER | A COUNTRY ROMANCE

Chapter Twenty-Seven

In all his sexual history, Josh had never ached for someone the way he ached for Kate.

She was fully engaged and he recognized a woman who followed what society considered appropriate behaviors even as she tamed the raw wildness inside her.

It was a bonus he never expected on top of how much she stimulated his mind and heart.

The salty muskiness of her body was on his tongue, his cock was sheathed in liquid heat, and she stared up at him with big green eyes that wondered what he would do next.

There was no doubt in his mind that Kate had been left wanting in bed more than once - maybe every time. He refused to be like any man who touched her before him.

His first girlfriend in college disabused him of the notion that women were just happy to give during sex.

Beatrice hadn't been a very nice person, seemed to genuinely hate other women, and complained more than any person Josh had ever known about things big and small...but he'd been young and horny around the clock.

As a self-proclaimed selfish lover with almost no filter in dealing with other humans, she voiced her expectations loudly and without shyness.

Josh would be forever grateful for the education she gave him when he was nineteen. He learned about true consent, what it meant to communicate with a sexual partner, and that his cock was not the beginning and end of all things.

No matter how badly a man wanted it to be.

Josh slipped his arms under Kate's body, cupped the back of her head in his palms, and held her close as he started to move. He knew within five thrusts that he wouldn't have the stellar control he'd honed for years.

"Kate."

"Hmm," she hummed as she stared into his eyes.

"I have good news and bad news."

A smile spread across her face that made him want to marry her before the sun went down. He violently repressed the urge to propose and get her thoughts on a quickie wedding at the courthouse.

"Tell me."

"You feel amazing..."

"Is that the good news?"

"Just making notes on the journey."

"Excellent."

"The bad news is there's no way I can last. I've been a lone wolf for a while now. I can see I'm going to need to build my control back to what it was."

"I'm happy with all the prizes I've won so far."

"The good news is I have decent recovery for a man of my advanced age..."

"Getting your senior benefits already?"

"I've been an AARP member since I graduated college."

"No..."

"True story. They focus on people over fifty but anyone can be a member."

"Get out of here, Josh."

"Swear. I digress. For a man chasing forty like a dog after a squirrel, I do alright bouncing back."

"Good to know."

"Forgive the poor initial performance."

Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned up to kiss his mouth. "Your performance has been outstanding since you kissed me out on the road. I'm happier than I've been in longer than I can remember. Come for me, Josh."

His grip tightened around her and he thrust hard three times before his body reached the limit of what it could stand. Burying his head against her neck, he groaned through an explosive release that felt like it was punching through his groin.

In a good way.

"Kate...fucking hell, Kate."

In his ear, she whispered, "That's what I like to hear."

His body shook as he pumped everything he had into the condom. "Thank you, Kate."

She hugged him with her entire body and answered, "You're welcome...and thank you for being the man you are. I mean that."

Her voice broke at the end and he knew tears were coming. "It's an honor to hold you, to be here with you. I'm so damn grateful you showed up this morning."

Nodding against him, she tightened her hold.

"I accept all the parts of you, Kate. I imagine you're feeling a lot of mixed emotions right now. It's okay. I understand."

Then she was sobbing and he murmured gentle words while she purged the emotions that appeared when you moved on after heartbreak.

All his life, he'd witnessed his sisters going through it. He'd been surprised when it hit him after his ex-wife walked out of their marriage.

He acknowledged that his own experience made him a better match for Kate.

Maybe she'd let him snatch her off the market and spend the rest of his days showing her how she deserved to be treated.

He was a patient man and Kate was worth waiting for...however long it took.

* * *

Startling awake, Kate didn't know where she was at first. The morning flooded back to her and she was mortified to realize she'd cried herself to sleep in Josh's arms after mind-blowing sex.

"Everything is good, Kate. How do you feel?" He was sealed against her back, his body warm and firm. His breath ruffled her hair.

"I'd like to assure you that I don't normally cry after sex...uh, not that I judge women who do."

"The first time I was with someone after my divorce, I said I had to go to the bathroom to take care of the condom. I cried into the woman's towel for a solid minute. I mean cried, Kate. I convinced myself she couldn't hear me because I sure as shit couldn't stop."

"You really do understand..."

"Poor thing made the nicest excuses about not seeing me again. I wanted to crawl in a hole and pull the dirt over myself. It was...pretty bad."

Despite herself, she chuckled. "Is that true?"

"Every word...except I was glad she didn't want to see me again. When I was getting dressed, I realized there were a dozen photos of celebrities on the walls. In frames like family or friends. In the corner was a full-size cutout of Brad Pitt. I can't tell you how relieved I was that I hadn't noticed it during. Brad Pitt watching, judging my form, with his perfect fucking face."

Her laughter bubbled up and out. "Oh, lord...I can't."

"That would have been my line if Brad caught my attention. That is pressure no one needs."

Rolling over, she smiled. "You're wonderful."

"Then my evil plan is working."

Tugging her lower lip between her teeth, she considered. "How long was I asleep?"

"About half an hour."

Slipping her hand down his stomach to his cock, she wrapped her fingers around it. He was hard for her again.

"Josh?"

His expression was intense, his body tight. "Yes, Kate?"

"More."

There wasn't a second of hesitation as he took hold of her body and lifted her over his hips. "Your turn to get what you need, where and how you need it." He reached for a condom and rolled it over his length. "I'm good now so take your time."

Relishing the unexpected relinquishing of power, Kate planned to do exactly that.

© Shayne McClendon