Free After the Rain by Karen-Anne Stewart

littlest things make her so happy.
    “It also makes me think of you,” she tells him, grinning, as she takes a bite.
    “I’d have to agree that breakfast is my favorite meal, too, darlin’,” he winks, knowing she’s referring to most of their mornings spent side by side preparing the meal together before the chaos of the day begins.
    Chewing on his country fried steak, Kas watches Raina while she eats, trying to figure out what’s going on in her pretty, complex head. He’s confused by her being quietly pensive for several minutes then rebounding back to her happy, easygoing self. It kills him not probing, but he heeds Si Fu Shang’s advice and doesn’t ask any questions.
    As they sip their coffee and eat their hot apple-pie, Raina opens up more, talking about the algorithm she’s working on and telling him that she wants to spend a little time at the cabin with him soon.
    “We can spend Christmas at the cabin if you want,” he suggests. “We’ll be at Aunt Lori’s for Christmas dinner since Thanksgiving is at our house this year, but, after that, we can go to the cabin for a few days.”
    Her whole face beams, and he can’t help but kiss her.
    Kas cranks up the heat when they get home with the temperature steadily dropping. Scooting closer to Kas in bed, Raina lays her head on his chest, listening to the calming rhythm of his heart as she runs her fingers up and down his toned torso. “I want to plant a garden.”
    Kas lifts his head off the pillow and pulls Raina higher up the bed so her nose is almost touching his. Of all the possibilities that crossed his mind that she might be thinking about tonight, this wasn’t one of them, “You want to learn how to grow vegetables?”
    “Yes,” she replies simply, her lips curving at the surprised gleam in his eyes.
    “It’s been awhile since I’ve worked in a garden, but I’ll show you how. The backyard is big enough for a small one. We can start planting in late spring when it’s warm enough.” Kas shakes his head, laughing, “I’m going to have to fight Pops and Mamaw to keep you with me when they find out, they already want to adopt you and sneak you back to Tennessee.”
    Grabbing her and, in one smooth motion, sliding her underneath him, he straddles her. Taking her wrists in his hand, he loosely holds them above her head as he gives her his blood boiling cocky grin, “There’s something that I want to plant right now, darlin’.”
    Raina’s laughter sends delicious chills through the length of him as he lowers his mouth, squelching her beautiful giggles. His right hand keeps her steady while his left hand slides lower. Her breath hitches as he finds where he wants to be.
    “Baby, I love how you respond to me,” Kas tells her as his grin becomes impossibly wider with a large dose of unashamed, hot as hell swagger.
    “You seem to be responding to me pretty well right about now, too,” she counters, her salacious wink searing every inch of him as she presses against his impressive protrusion.
    When she grazes her lip between her teeth, his mouth conquers her again, his teeth taking full control, teasing and nipping her full bottom lip mercilessly until she whimpers with need.
    “My body responds just by thinking about you. This thing you have over me, whatever the hell it is that you do, don’t ever stop doing it,” he breathes, his voice thick, raspy, as his scorching kisses follow the soft line of her neck.
    Her body rises, meeting his lips as he leaves a heated wake across her collarbone. A moan escapes as he makes her his, his slow, torturing rhythm leaving her writhing in a burning, licentious desire that threatens to completely consume her. Raina’s head thrashes as the momentum becomes faster, harder, until she can feel his possession radiating through every pore.
    Lifting her hips to greet every hungry thrust, her fingers dig into his skin. Her tongue tastes his. Her mind is gone, unabashedly unhinged from his expert touch.