Bridging the Gap Read online

  The higher she climbs, the harder he falls…

  Carter Malone is usually the first one to make tracks before a woman starts getting any ideas. Permanent relationships don’t fit into his personal blueprint. Now, for the first time in his life, he’s burning up the sheets with a woman who makes him think about something more permanent…like spending the night. But she’s holding something back, something he can’t quite pin down.

  As a woman in a man’s world, Ryan Cooper is used to wearing a target on her back—and hiding her vulnerabilities. She hasn’t let anything, not even the ever-present threat of an epileptic seizure, stop her from working her butt off to get the foreman’s job with her stepfather’s construction company. Then she discovers the guy she’s been dating—okay, having the hottest sex of her life with—is the architect who designed the building she’ll be overseeing. The last thing she needs is anyone thinking she slept with Carter to get the job.

  Or worse, feeling sorry for her.

  Before the dust clears, things get a lot more complicated. The previous foreman’s injury was no accident, and whoever caused it is taking aim—at the target on Ryan’s back.

  Warning: This book contains almost fully clothed sex with a little bit o’ spanking on an OCD-clean desk inside a construction trailer, a rogue set of pencils that just won’t take stay for an answer, and sweet loving in a tub.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  Bridging the Gap

  Copyright © 2009 by Annmarie McKenna

  ISBN: 978-1-60504-251-0

  Edited by Sasha Knight

  Cover by Angela Waters

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: August 2009

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Bridging the Gap

  Annmarie McKenna

  Dedication

  To my critique group, CORE, thank you for your help and support, especially to Shane who let all us women know that sitting on a leather couch post sex wouldn’t be the best thing in the world to do…

  To my slave driver, Leila Brown, who basically whips me every time I leave my seat—she’s worse than a drill sergeant but man, she gets me through it with her timed drills that I can’t stand to lose.

  To the Life Flight nurse for his information, which totally blew me away—thank you sooo much.

  And to my editor, Sasha, for never giving up on me. Thank you!

  Chapter One

  “Shit. Shit. Don’t stop. Gaaawd.” Ryan Cooper bit her lip and dug her heels into the mattress while the man between her legs continued wreaking havoc on her clit. Carter alternated between stabbing his tongue into her opening and flicking at the taut bundle of nerves. Three times already he’d brought her to the peak only to back off before she crossed over.

  No freakin’ way was he going to get away with it this time.

  In the dim light, she reached for his head, tangled her fingers in his mussed blond hair and held him to her.

  “You stop this time and I swear you’ll have to pull your balls out of your throat.”

  He chuckled, but before she could cuff him upside the head, he blew a raspberry against her clit that had her squeezing her eyes shut, her back arching and stars flaring behind her eyelids.

  She couldn’t speak. Hell, she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything but hold her rigid posture as her clit pounded with every quickened heartbeat.

  A few minutes ago she hadn’t been able to get the man to finish her. Now she was paralyzed to do anything against his continued assault on her throbbing pussy except try to decapitate him with her thighs.

  Moments later when the aftershocks had finally subsided, Carter still lapped at her as if he were a kitten leisurely sipping its milk. Her thighs parted, her knees collapsed to the mattress and slowly but surely, Ryan extracted her fingers from his hair.

  If he thought for one second she’d be able to reciprocate anytime soon…

  The bed dipped between her legs and Carter’s forearms slipped beneath her knees, lifting them in the crooks of his elbows. She sucked in a breath as the head of his already-covered penis pressed into her, setting off another wave of tingles through her clit.

  She bit her lip as the pressure built inside. Her vaginal muscles stretched to accommodate his thickness. Lubrication wasn’t an issue, not after the climax she’d just had, but Carter was no small man. He had big hands, big feet and his cock, well, his cock went the way of the cliché.

  “Easy, babe.” Carter held her hips as he worked himself deeper, spreading her to what seemed an impossible width.

  She loved the feel of him inside, loved that he seemed to know when to back off and when to push further. His thumbs traced her hipbones, soothing the flare of heat that accompanied his penetration. The hair on his thighs tickled the backs of hers. His hips moved forward, her pussy sucked another inch in. There couldn’t possibly be any more room.

  Carter proved her thoughts wrong. He leaned over, bringing her legs up and nearly folding her in half. The act imbedded his penis inside her. His pelvis pressed against her clit.

  The moment of bliss. Eyes crossed, Ryan threw her head back. His lips caressed her throat, teased over her collarbone, trailed down between her barely there breasts then centered on one, latching onto the nipple to suckle while he held himself immobile deep in her channel. He drew on the nipple, sucking strongly before releasing it with a pop, and she wondered for an insane second if it were possible to extract milk from a non-lactating woman.

  Then all thoughts ceased.

  Carter withdrew and Ryan scrambled to keep him from pulling out completely. She reached between her legs to grasp his waist and hold him close.

  “Uh-uh,” he grunted above her, his eyes glittering with desire. Releasing one leg, he gathered her arms and positioned them over her head, where he held her wrists together. “Leave them, or I stop.”

  “You do not play fair.”

  “All’s fair in love and war, babe.”

  “So is this love or war?”

  “You don’t leave those hands there, it’ll be war.” A drop of sweat landed on her cheek, just below her eye.

  “Gross.”

  “Sex is sweaty business, sweetheart, just like love and war.” He grinned and shifted his hips, pressing in once more, right where she wanted him.

  Why in the hell was she arguing with the first man who’d ever made her orgasm without the use of her own hand?

  “Staying.” The word spat from her lips when the head of his cock hit a particularly sweet spot. She bared her throat to him yet again. “Don’t stop.”

  “Don’t move your hands.”

  “Won’t.”

  Reduced to one-word phrases. He did this to her every time she graced his bed. Or his floor. Or his table.

  Had they really only known each other for two weeks? Felt like years the way they’d connected so instantly. Until him she had never jumped into bed with a man she’d only just met, never slept with a man after the very first date.

  He rotated his hips, making her body scream in need-
to-have-more.

  “Please?” And there’s the begging.

  “Please what?” Damn him for being so calm.

  “More.” And the head-spinning-around Exorcist-style growl.

  Why in the hell did he bother with her?

  When he smiled, his teeth flashed in the soft glow from the cracked-open bathroom door.

  “My turn.” At least he’d been reduced to the same gravelly tone she had. Now the fun would begin.

  Carter pistoned in and out, somehow managing to hit her clit with every penetration. Ryan fisted her hands and forced herself not to move them. The ass was sadistic enough to stop the second she did. She’d found that out the first night. He’d left her hanging until she’d been reduced to begging and then he’d had the nerve to tie her wrists to the headboard, ensuring she couldn’t move.

  She bit her lip. Damn thing would be bloody soon. Her vagina stretched around him, tears sprang from the corners of her eyes and her small breasts miraculously bounced with every thrust.

  Who’d have ever thought she’d go for that submissive shit?

  She could tell he was close. His eyes slid shut, his lips pursed and his nostrils flared. Every single time. He had ten seconds at most.

  Ryan knew just how to retaliate. She flexed her Kegels, effectively squeezing Carter’s cock, and was rewarded with his hiss and a pause in thrusts. He promptly sought revenge by placing his thumb on her clit and rubbing in a tight circle. The bundle of nerves, already so close to rocketing off once more, spasmed.

  “Shiiiiit.” Ryan twisted the bedspread in her fingers and arched beneath Carter, burying his cock even further, and all thoughts of forcing his ejaculation flew out the window. Left paralyzed a second time, there was nothing for her to do but succumb to his thrusts and the slick abrasion of his pelvis on her clit.

  A moment later he too became rigid, gripping her hips to him as if he were afraid of falling out, and the pulse of his climax beat with her own.

  He collapsed on her, both of them breathing heavy.

  Aware that he was smashing the beautiful woman beneath him, Carter Malone slowly extracted himself from the tight sheath still gripping his cock and rolled to his side. Ryan groaned with what he hoped was reluctance to let him go. He removed the spent condom, reached for a tissue to wrap it in and dropped it on the floor to deal with later, then fell to his back.

  She was consuming him alive. Two weeks into their…dating—is that what she would call their relationship? Because there hadn’t been many dates—and he was already more aware of her than he’d ever been about any other woman. And if he knew a lot about anything other than architecture, it was women. Precious, soft, willing women. He didn’t get off on forcing them to do his bidding, though tying one up now and then might add to the sexual tension.

  He wondered what Ryan would think of the direction his thoughts had gone. Would she run? Profess her undying love? Invite him to seek the advice of a psychologist?

  Hell, what was he thinking? Outside of fucking, he didn’t know a great deal about her. They’d literally bumped into each other at a charity event he’d attended at his mother’s request. He didn’t even remember what the hell the event had been held for. Raising money for some affliction or another. From there they’d ended up at her place, something he was sure she’d either A) never done before or B) if she had, rarely. He had the feeling he was her first. Not partner, but taking a man home immediately after meeting him.

  Made him feel possessive as all shit.

  Carter rubbed a hand over his face as his breathing finally subsided into a more normal rhythm. He must be getting old.

  Jesus. Was his clock ticking? Did that happen to men?

  “I think I’m dead,” she groaned next to him.

  He smiled and propped himself on his elbow. Unable to resist, he ran his fingertips over the sweat-slicked skin between her breasts. Her nipples puckered and she shivered. “Nah. If you were dead, we wouldn’t be able to do that again, and that would be a damn shame.”

  She lifted her head and glanced down his torso to find his dick echoing his words and hardening.

  “Right this second?”

  Carter laughed at the incredulous look on her face. “I’ll give you a few minutes recovery time first.”

  “You’re so gracious.” She sighed and threw an arm over her eyes. “I have to get up.”

  “Bathroom?”

  “That too.”

  Thank God the fact her face was covered hid his confusion. What other reason would she have to get up? “You got a hot date?”

  “Yep. With my bed.” She dragged herself to a sitting position and Carter swallowed.

  Why should he care if she wanted to run out on him? He typically led his dates back to their house so he could make the getaway before things got to the point of wanting to stay the night.

  “I was kinda thinking you might stay the night.” Pathetic, man. Pathetic.

  “I can’t. Have to start a new job tomorrow which requires sleep. Staying the night here might net me an hour, two tops, knowing you.” A sly smile split her lips and succeeded in completely renewing his erection.

  Carter leaned forward and licked a pert nipple. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince her to stay. They definitely had chemistry between them even if they didn’t know too many other aspects of each other’s lives.

  She pushed his head away, giggling. “Don’t think you can distract me, Carter.”

  “Damn it.” He trailed his fingers down her abdomen and across her hip when she rose. Sweaty blonde bangs clung to her forehead. The rest of her shoulder-length hair she gathered in one hand while she fanned her neck with the other. He loved that she didn’t try and hide her body from him. The idea was pointless really since he’d more than looked at every millimeter of her skin.

  He’d nibbled, tasted, kissed, licked, bit, touched and smelled all of it. She was his addiction and he wanted more.

  His fingers itched to pull her tall, slender body back to the bed. He’d kind of shocked himself being attracted to her. He usually gravitated toward women with a little more build, more voluptuous breasts for sure. Ryan’s breasts weren’t even what he’d call a handful, but damn if they didn’t respond to the slightest touch.

  She cleared her throat, drawing his attention to her face where her pale blue eyes glittered in mischief.

  “You’re staring.”

  “Yep. And they”—he nodded toward her breasts—“would like to play some more.”

  “They might want to but they aren’t going to get to.”

  “Damn it.”

  She looked back over her shoulder as she headed for the restroom. “You’ve said that already.”

  “I mean it. And it’s not nice to keep a man hanging like this,” he called then collapsed onto his back. Where had he gone wrong? He didn’t normally cause women to feel the need to run off the minute he pulled out.

  “I hardly see anything hanging. Perhaps standing is a better word,” she said through the crack of the door.

  The toilet flushed and water ran before she returned, naked and swaying her hips.

  “If you’re wanting to leave, then perhaps you should stop trying to tempt me.”

  “Me walking is tempting?” She dropped to her hands and knees. “Where the hell is my underwear?”

  “Everything you do is tempting, babe.” Jesus Christ, didn’t she realize what that particular position made him think of?

  “Oh yeah?” She shook her ass.

  “Son of a bitch.” Carter launched himself off the bed and knelt behind that wiggling backside to press his cock against her folds. Little nymph knew exactly what she was doing.

  Ryan squealed and jerked in his hands, but he held fast to her hips.

  “You better be damn glad there isn’t a condom in my hand or you wouldn’t be leaving right now.”

  She lowered her head to the floor, and in the light spilling from the bathroom, he saw her suck her lower lip in. She looked like the perfec
t little submissive. He ran his index finger down the length of her spine, between the crease of her buttocks, over the rosy aperture and then to her opening. Gathering the wetness there, he slipped further and circled her clit. Ryan moaned and arched her back into his touch.

  He had her.

  “No.” Ryan jerked upright and twisted, shaking a finger at him. “No, no and no. That was just mean.”

  “Damn it.”

  She snorted at him. Snorted. “You’re in a rut.”

  “No, I want to be in rut.”

  She smacked his chest and leaped to her feet when he grabbed for her. “Insatiable.”

  “Yes.” He nodded vigorously and crawled toward her.

  Son of a bitch. He was on the floor fucking crawling after a woman. Carter slowly gained his feet and palmed his straining and very disappointed dick. The look in Ryan’s eyes said she was trying not to laugh.

  “Tell me again what’s so all-fire important you can’t stay the night?”

  “Work. New job, mister.”

  “I’ll set the alarm.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll make you breakfast.” Crawling and begging. Is this what pussy-whipped felt like?

  “In bed?” She cocked an eyebrow and a hip. He had her.

  “Absolutely.”

  “No.”

  “Damn it.”

  This time she did laugh and the sound went straight to his cock. Which he was still friggin’ holding. He crossed his arms over his chest. Ryan had found all her clothing and was calmly dressing as if nothing was wrong.

  “There’s someone else isn’t there?”

  She glanced up at him from putting her sock on. “Yes.”

  Jealousy smacked him between the eyes. “I knew it.”

  Ryan straightened and once more he could tell she was trying not to laugh. “My father.”

  Well, shit. And then he got concerned. “You’re not…um, I mean, you know…”

  “Eww.” He received another smack, this one on his bare shoulder, which stung like hell. “I work for him, stupid.”