Free Anticipation by Patrice Michelle

your warm body clasping me tight.”
    She was so close. The pleasure-pain he applied to her nipples sent tiny shockwaves rippling down her spine, but when he grabbed her hips and thrust upward at the same time he pulled her closer, his cock hit just the right spot on her clit. She almost missed his roar of pleasure as he came because her own scream of ecstasy lasted throughout her orgasm.
    Thunderous, unrelenting vibrations contracted her walls around him again and again. She rocked against his thick cock, riding her climax until her arms and legs shook so hard she collapsed on his chest.
    As her body rose and fell with his heavy breathing, Deidre reveled in the sheen of sweat that coated both their bodies. Jonas ran his fingers across her hair, pushing the damp strands away from her face. She smiled at the tingle of excitement his slight touch evoked within her, knowing she’d never get enough of him. From his strong sense of right and wrong, to the way he made her knees threaten to give way whenever he stepped into the room, the man more than fulfilled every fantasy she’d ever had…and then some.
     
    While his heart rate slowed to its normal pace, Jonas inhaled Deidre’s alluring pear-blossom scent. He relished the feel of her weight blanketing him and the sensation of being deep inside her. He could see himself with this woman forever. The thought made his stomach knot and deep-seated mistrust rush to the forefront of his mind. Not to mention fear. He didn’t want to be hurt again. He felt so strongly about Deidre, she had the power to destroy him.
    He knew Deidre had done nothing to deserve his judgment, but some wounds never healed. She deserved a man who could completely give her his trust and his heart. His body tensed and his grip around her waist tightened at the thought of Deidre kissing, let alone having sex with another man.
    She lifted her head, concern etching her brow. “What’s wrong?”
    His gaze searched hers. “Nothing. I just wish I’d met you eleven years ago.”
    Her fingers brushed his jaw as a half smile tilted her lips. “Our pasts are just that. Never regret it. Instead, be proud of the decisions you’ve made. They are the building blocks of who you are.”
    He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Yeah, mistrustful, hard, unyielding.”
    Surprise lit her gaze. “Is that truly how you see yourself?” Shaking her head, she slid to his side and leaned on her elbow to stare at him. “I see a one-in-a-million man, a man who walked away from a magnetic attraction due to his own moral standards. I see a man whose calculated thinking landed him the well-respected role as the town sheriff.”
    “A man who will never trust another woman,” he interrupted in a cold tone. She didn’t need to know fear was the driving factor.
    She raised her eyebrow at his narrowed, suspicious gaze. “Really? You wouldn’t trust a woman who ached to touch you, who felt your desire, knew you wanted her, a woman who had no personal relationship or binding commitment holding her back?”
    She rolled away, stood and stared down at him. “Men aren’t the only ones who own the right to start a relationship, Jonas.” Pointing to her chest, she continued. “This woman walked away because of her moral standards.”
    Before he could respond, she grabbed the shirt he’d tossed onto the chair beside the bed and walked out of the room.
    Jonas sat up and rested his elbow on the bed, staring at the open doorway…speechless. Leave it to Deidre to put it all in perspective. He knew he’d fallen in love with her spunky, tell-it-like-it-is self for a reason. He no longer had to deny his attraction to her. She was right. She had walked away and never pursued their mutual attraction. Like him, she’d never forgotten. She had always cared…all these years.
    Once he’d pulled on his jeans, he found her in the living room. She stood wearing his shirt, her back to him as she stared out the window. His cock hardened instantly