she deserved a reward for such a lovely answer.
With maddening slowness, he gently eased his cock into her moist pussy. She tightened her muscles around his length and Nathan had to grind his teeth to keep from exploding right then. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage, her skin soft and supple beneath his hands. He grinned when he heard the low moan.
“Good?” he asked.
“Miraculous,” she answered.
Nathan chuckled as he continued to work the tight muscles of her neck and shoulders, gently rocking his hips back and forth, giving her tunnel a slow massage as well. He bent down, tasting her flesh, nibbling her ear.
“Who are you?” he whispered.
“I am yours, Sir,” she murmured.
“Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”
“Whatever you like.”
Without warning her, Nathan pulled out and flipped her over onto her back. He pushed her legs apart, delighted by her small gasp of surprise. Positioning himself between her splayed legs, he entered her. He looked into Rose’s mesmerising green eyes and saw his own passion reflected.
Rolling both of her nipples between his fingers, he said, “That’s right. Whatever I like. And right now, I will make love to you. I will love you and play with you and kiss every part of you. I will hold you and touch you. I will make you come until you beg me to stop. And when I am finished, you know what you will do?”
“What will I do, my Lord?” she asked breathily.
“You will lie in my arms and sleep,” he promised, leaning down to gently kiss her sweet, warm mouth. “You are mine.”
Chapter Three
Water Moccasin White — A blend of Vidal and Seyval grapes named after the deadly water snake, this seemingly innocent white carries a punch of full-bodied flavours of peach and vanilla with a lingering ‘afterbite’ of pear.
“Nathan!” Vince shouted.
“Hey, man,” Nathan returned his friend’s greeting.
Without bothering to ask, Vince reached into the cooler beneath the bar, opened two bottles of beer and slid onto the bar stool next to Nathan.
“Thanks,” Nathan said as he took a swig of the cold brew. “Got a situation, Vince. Could use some advice.”
“Shoot.”
He and Vincent had grown up as neighbours and best friends in the Italian Hill district of St. Louis. Vince and his wife, Joe, now lived in that same neighbourhood with their son, Cain. Nathan knew he could tell Vince anything. Hell, they’d had each other’s backs since they were five years old.
“Did a little snooping around in Rose’s past,” he admitted.
Vince whistled through his teeth. “Brave man to go behind a red-head’s back. What brought that on?”
Nathan explained about the letter Rose had received but refused to read.
“Seems her father has been trying to find her for quite some time now, but she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Can’t say as I blame her. She had a tough childhood that he could have made easier,” he elaborated.
“How tough?” Vince asked.
“Tough enough. I knew she and her mom were living in North St. Louis when her mom died, but she wouldn’t tell me much more than that. Turns out, her mom had a rap sheet as long as my arm.”
Vince said nothing, but gave Nathan his full attention.
“Seems Mommy Dearest had a few prostitution and drug charges on her resume. And one charge of child endangerment.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah,” Nathan agreed, barely controlling the fury boiling inside him. No one, absolutely no one, had the right to harm another person, especially a child.
“Her mom, Melinda Hester, died of a drug overdose. Rose was the one to find her and call nine-one-one. She was twelve years old and went into foster care after that. She graduated from Clyde C. Miller Career Academy and then got her massage certificate from Southwestern Illinois College over in Belleville. She’s been working as a therapist since then. Moved to Caseyville a few years ago.” Nathan relayed this information in a