Free Taken by Kelli Maine

into mine.
    “You know I don’t have a job,” I say. “I’ll have to go back and find one. I can’t live without money, and I can’t take this on as a full time position. I’ve already turned it down—my mom will be coming home—” Your hand clamps down on my mouth, and you grin widely.
    “I’ll take care of you here. Don’t worry about anything. Your obligations will be met. Shannon will get her half of your rent. All your other bills will be paid. Everything will be taken care of.” I shake my head no, but you won’t take your hand off my mouth to let me refuse you. “Consider it a consulting fee if you have to.”
    I bite your finger and you snatch your hand away.   The shocked expression on your face makes me laugh. “Weren’t expecting that, were you?”
    “A grown woman biting me? Well, I can’t say it’s never happened before, but…”   You laugh and pull me up off of the hammock with you. “So will you keep the pool here?”
    With my hand in yours, I follow you out into the courtyard. “I haven’t said I’ll do it.”
    You take both of my hands and stand facing me. “Let me get this straight. You don’t want me to offer to take you home, so you’re going to be here, but you haven’t agreed to plan the renovations. So,” you lean in and kiss my jaw, barely at the edge of my lips, “Rachael, why are you here?”
    “Because you brought me,” I say, resting my hands on your pecs and letting my head drift back as you kiss my neck.
    “Why are you staying?” you whisper, tugging on my earlobe with your lips.
    “Because of this.” The words are out before I knew they’d been on my tongue. I don’t remember thinking them. It’s a completely blatant response.
    “I was hoping that was the case.” You pull me against you and press your lips to mine. Your kisses are slow, savoring every second. These aren’t the urgent, frantic kisses of last night. These are slow and painfully sensual.
    My fingers spread on your chest feeling more of your skin. Your tongue hasn’t touched mine, and I ease mine out to find yours. You pull your mouth away, grinning. “Keep it slow. We have all day.”
    “I thought I was in control of this?” I lift my brows at your smug expression.
    “You kissed me, so kisses are fair game.”
    “Oh, you got the green light, so now you’re taking over?” I pull away and jab my hands on my hips.
    You smirk and your dimple dips in your cheek. “I apologize, ma’am. You have full authority over all physical contact between us.”
    “Ma’am,” I mutter. “You make me sound like your grandmother.”
    You grab me around my hips and lift me up off my feet. “How about sex kitten? Is that better?”
    I slide down your body as you slowly release me and latch onto your lips again. “Sex kitten sounds like I’m a porn star,” I say between kisses.
    “You kind of were last night. My own private show.” You breathe out heavily into my mouth. “I’ve never been so turned on in my life.”
    “Me neither.” I take your bottom lip into my mouth and tug before letting go.
    “You were so hot.” Your tongue traces under my upper lip.
    “So were you.” You lift me back up and cup my butt, urging me to wrap my legs around your waist. I smile against your lips. “What happened to taking it slow? We have all day, don’t we?”
    You groan and lean your forehead against mine. “You’re right. And you are a sex kitten, getting me all worked up again.”
    “Calling me a sex kitten implies we’re having sex.”
    “Maybe we will.” You touch your nose to mine.
    “Maybe we will. Maybe we won’t.”
    “It’s your call.”
    I nod, feeling confident and authoritative. I can bring you—a big, powerful, sexy man—to your knees right now if I wanted.
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    We sip iced coffee sitting on wooden stools at the rotting butcher-block island in the kitchen.
    “Have them here tomorrow,” you say to Joan,