His Temptation, Her Secret

“Our contributions.”

Sage sighed. “Whatever they are, they’ve dropped off in the past few years.”

“Do whatever you want.”

“I don’t want to do whatever I want.”

“Sage.” Her name was a growl.

She looked at him. “What? What? I can’t figure you out?” Her voice rose. “You don’t want to sleep with me. Fine. I won’t sleep with you.”

The room went deadly silent.

They both breathed deeply.

He broke the silence. “You think I don’t want to sleep with you?”

She didn’t know how to answer that. She’d offered. He’d said no. Was there any other possible way to take that?

“I’m dying to sleep with you,” he said.

She gave her head a little shake, certain she’d heard him wrong.

“You are beautiful,” he said, his tone husky. His hand slowly rose, and his fingertips feathered her cheek. “You are so sexy and smart and funny.”

“But…”

“I can’t look at you without remembering what you offered, remembering my reaction, kicking myself for being such an idiot.”

She could barely believe what she was hearing. “TJ?”

“You were right. You are right. That is… I mean… If you still feel…” His head dipped toward her, his lips grazing hers, gently at first and then with clear purpose.

Her surprise had her frozen. But then her body reacted with an avalanche of hormones. She all but fell into him, into his embrace, his name running over and over through her mind.

His forearm was firm on the small of her back, pressing her tighter against him. His spread fingers tunneled into her hair, anchoring her for a deep, passionate kiss.

She tipped her head, and her own arms wrapped around his neck. She could feel his heat, hear the hiss of his breath, smell the spice of his skin. And his kisses tasted like magic.

But she was hot and needy and restless. She reached between them and peeled off her top, revealing her white lacy bra.

He drew back, a look of awe in his expression. Then his tanned hand cupped her breast.

“Oh, Sage,” he whispered.

She flipped the clasp of her bra, tossing it aside.

His gaze locked with hers, he threw off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.

She was past the point of no return. There was no going back. She stood and stripped off her jeans, dispensing with her panties.

A smile grew on his face. Then he sobered, shucking his own pants. Then naked, he took her back in his arms.

They were skin on skin. Their lips met and their legs entwined. Sage felt herself falling, falling into oblivion. Nothing existed but TJ.

She touched him everywhere, and he returned the favor, her face, her breasts, her thighs. His hands were deft and certain, and her body flushed and sensitized, growing dewy and heated in his wake.

She reveled in the feel of his muscles, his broad shoulders, bulging biceps, the flatness of his stomach, the strength of his thighs.

“Yes,” he groaned in her ear. “That is so…”

His entire body tensed, and in a split second she was on her back, sinking into the soft cushions as his weight came down on top of her. She felt like liquid beneath him, and she parted her thighs, wrapping her legs around the heat of his body as they merged together.

As his pace increased, her arms wrapped tighter and tighter around him. Spasms of pleasure began in her toes, pulsating upward. He stroked harder, went deeper. She met him thrust for thrust, sensations intensifying.

He reached beneath her, changing their angle, and a sudden burst of sunshine lit up her brain. Her body catapulted, throbbing hard, contracting right down to her core.

“Yes! TJ, yes, yes.”

“Sage,” he groaned. “My beautiful, beautiful Sage.”

The light in her brain subsided to a glow, first red, then purple, then calming to blue, where she bobbed and floated on joy.

“You were right,” he whispered in her ear, his body a soothing weight on top of her. “You were so very right.”

* * *

“Took you long enough.” Matt joined TJ next to the barbecue on the patio in TJ’s backyard.

“Long enough for what?”

A round of burgers and brats were sizzling on the grill. Eli and a few of his friends were climbing trees at the edge of the yard. And Sage was standing on the lawn in a white summer dress, chatting with Melissa and holding one of Caleb’s twins in her arms.

TJ couldn’t pull his gaze from her.

“Don’t play dumb. You’re staring like she’s a bowl of triple caramel swirl.”

“Better,” TJ said without hesitation.

Matt grinned. “I knew you’d take my advice.”

TJ watched Sage sway, gently patting the baby’s back. “Right. Because I make all of my life decisions based on your advice.”