A Fool in Love

I nodded and handed him the steaming mug I'd just poured. "Here, a coffee should warm you up."

He added a little sugar and took a gulp and sighed as the warm brew went down.

I nodded at the fridge. "I noticed when I was getting cream for the coffee that the fridge is pretty full. When it finally stops snowing I had planned to go out and get some groceries. But I don't think we'll need anything more, with how much you've already got packed in there."

He shrugged. "Since we're in a snow belt, I thought I'd better stock up, just in case I couldn't get out again."

I gave him a doubtful look, still not too sure if he'd really bought everything just for himself. To me, it looked like an awful lot of food, especially for a man on his own.

Just then my phone pinged with a text and I smiled when I saw it was Carrie. After I'd read it, I held it out and let Rafe have a look.

"Hey Mom

We're here! And it's so beautiful and sunny and warm. Hope you're not too cold back at home, and Riley and Lucy are behaving." Thanks for being there for us.

XOX

Loads of Hugs and Kisses!

Carrie & Marcus

He smiled after he read it. "Good. I'm glad to see they got there okay."

After I'd typed back and told them I was glad they'd arrived safely and hoped they had a wonderful time, I tipped my head and looked at Rafe. "Funny, Carrie never mentioned that you were here, too. And I'm sure Marcus would have mentioned that he'd also asked you to come, by now."

He studied me for a moment and finally he heaved a sigh and told me the truth. "Marcus did tell me that they'd asked you to house sit. And I decided I'd better join you, to help you handle the snow and Riley."

"I think I could have managed on my own."

He rolled his eyes. "That snow is heavy as hell and hard to move, even with a snow blower. Look at the sweat coming off me, and all I did was clean around the cars in the driveway."

He lifted his long sleeved jersey to let me have a look and I actually gasped at the sight of his rock hard six pack, glistening with sweat. All I could do was nod, because now the only thing I could think of was getting him out of his clothes to see what the rest of him looked like.

Good god, what a body he had for a man his age, or any age really. Most of the kids I taught, were a lot less fit than he was. Now I kind of wanted to run my tongue over him for a taste of all that warm, salty skin. But I had a feeling he might be a little shocked if I started to do that.

So, fighting to get my breathing under control, I turned back to the fridge and asked him, "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Just let me get a quick shower, and we'll figure something out."

I watched him turn and jog up the stairs and I sat down on one of the bar stools at the center island, wanting to fan myself. Because holy Hannah, the man was just too freaking hot to be real.

True to his word, he was quick. And he smelled amazing fresh from the shower with his hair damp and a bit of a dark sexy beard starting to shade his face, since he hadn't taken the time to shave. Which was okay with me, because it made him look even more handsome, if that was even possible.

"So..." He dropped a kiss on the top of my head. "How about a ham and cheese omelet and some toast? Does that sound okay to you?"

"I could have made it, if you'd told me what you wanted."

He winked and went around the counter to grab a big cutting board and some knives. "Yeah, but it's way more fun if we work together."

When I rolled my eyes, and walked around to join him, he put his hands on my shoulders, looked into my eyes. "You're not upset with me for not telling you up front, about Marcus asking me too, are you? I just thought you could use some help. And I wasn't trying to force myself on you."

Looking up into silvery-blue eyes, I shook my head. How could I possibly be annoyed with him when he was just so sweet, and he'd been so helpful. "No I'm not mad. Actually it's kind of nice having you here, too. And you're right, I don't think I could have handled that much snow on my own."

RAFE

I eyed her for a minute, mostly to get my nerve up. "Okay. Then I've got another confession."

When she looked up at me with those big, innocent green eyes and waited, I wasn't sure how to tell her, but finally I just spit it out. "I really like you, Sophia. And when I heard you were going to be here on your own, I decided, aside from helping you out, that it might be nice if we spent some time alone together getting to know each other a little better."

For a moment she just looked at me, not saying a word, and I hoped she wasn't going to get all defensive, or change her mind about my being here and start to get angry. But then she gave me a cute little smirk, pushed up on her toes, touched her lips to mine, smiled and whispered, "I really like you, too."

I blew out a breath glad that went as well as it did, as I pulled her into my arms for a hug. Now that everything was out in the open, hopefully we could stop dancing around each other and start to make some headway.

I'd wanted so much to crawl into bed with her last night. But I thought I'd better not rush her into anything. So I got into my own bed, and then spent half the night staring up at the ceiling, imagining how amazing it would have felt just being able to hold her close while we slept. Never mind if we made love. Now that would be an absolute dream come true.

Ever since the first night we met, I'd been trying to figure out how to get to know her better without ruffling anyone's feathers, like my son and her daughter's. But this staying to watch the pets thing, was turning out to be a blessing in disguise.

She looked so cute today, almost girlish with her hair tied back in a ponytail, clad in body hugging leggings that made her ass look amazing. Along with a matching pale mauve top, that seemed to cling to her just enough to let me know that underneath, she had a gorgeous body.

A body, that I could hardly wait to explore.

After we'd eaten and cleared everything away, with her beside me in the kitchen, I decided to test the waters. So, after I'd turned on the dishwasher, I slipped my arms around her, pushed her top off her shoulder and let it slide down her arm.

With her trembling in my arms, I groaned as I dropped a few open mouth kisses from her neck down along her shoulder, till I was nuzzling her breasts through her top.

And god was I ever getting hard, just from teasing her with a few well-placed kisses. So I couldn't imagine how hot things were going to get when we finally got our clothes off.

Tipping back her head, to give me better access, as I kissed her neck, she had her fingers digging into my upper arms. And when she whispered, "Oh, god that feels so good," I knew what would make her feel even better.

I let my hands slide down over her tight little backside and drew against me, to let her feel what she was doing to me. Suckling her earlobe between my lips, I smiled at the way she was starting to whimper and grind herself against me, really getting into it.

"Rafe," she whispered.

I looked up.

Her breath a little choppy, she murmured, "I should probably tell you. It's been a really long time for me."

I grinned. "It's like riding a bicycle. It's something you never forget."

Flashing a sexy little smirk, she ran her hand along my jaw. "Well I do know how to ride a bike."

Slipping my arms around her, I squeezed her tight before I lifted her onto the counter. "I bet you do."

Once I had her sitting on the breakfast bar, with her breasts heaving pretty hard, I pushed up her top and rolled my eyes, letting out a groan when I got a look at her breasts enticingly encased in a white lace bra. And there was nothing I liked more than white lace, well, except for maybe the sight of bare skin. But we'd get there soon enough.

Kneading her warm, soft ass in one hand, and cupping her breast in the other, bending to kiss her breasts through her bra, I dragged my teeth across her distended nipple, making her cry out and start tugging at my hair.

"Oh, god, Rafe, I think I'm going to come, that feels so good."

Smiling at her reaction, deciding to give her a little more of what she needed, I slid a hand between her legs, and started rubbing her pussy through her leggings. And wow, was she ever hot, and so wet I could feel her right through her clothes. And the scent of her arousal was almost enough to make me lose my mind.

Now all I could think of was stripping her bare, laying her out on the counter and running my tongue over every inch of her. She had me so hard I could feel my cock throbbing to get out of my jeans and get at her.

I looked up into her eyes, expecting to see her looking blissed out, but what I saw made me freeze. Far from looking happy, she looked scared and a little wild eyed, like she was about to freak out. So, I pulled her top back down. "Are you okay?" I asked her, framing her face in my hands, so she couldn't look away.

"I want to say I am. But I'm scared." The way she was looking into my eyes, felt like she was pleading for me to understand. "It's just been so long. What if I'm terrible at this? What if it's awful for you?"

I shook my head chuckling, tempted to let her have a feel of how hard she'd gotten me, just from teasing each other with a little heavy petting.

Sliding my hands into her hair, I gently touched my lips to hers. "Sophia, I want you so badly right now that I can barely even see straight." After I'd pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, I heaved a breath and told her, "But we can take it slow. Just as slow as you need us to go."

She bit into her lip, cautiously eyeing me. "You have to promise that you won't laugh when I tell you why this is so awkward for me."

"I promise. I'd never laugh at you."

I watched her draw in a shaky breath, and then she looked down at the floor and whispered, "God, this so embarrassing." Then she closed her eyes, and said in a rush, "I haven't been with anyone since my husband walked out on me nearly 24 years ago. So, I'm really rusty at this."

I just stared at her, wondering if I'd heard her right. "What did you say?"

I could see she was blinking back tears, she just looked so tormented, so I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair as she hiccupped and murmured, "I haven't had sex, real sex, in what feels like forever. I've just never been able to go through with it. I guess, once bitten, twice shy. I've just been too afraid to hook up with anybody since he left me."

I pulled back and looked at her. And I could see she was trying so hard not to let go and cry her eyes out.

Clenching my jaw, I was so pissed at that asshole she'd married, who'd messed her up so badly that she'd been afraid to move on and enjoy her life. She was such a beautiful vital woman, I could hardly believe she'd been keeping herself locked away, and denying herself a love life, all because of him.

"Sophia, don't worry. If you don't want to, we don't have to do anything." I tried to reassure her, because I hated to see her upset.

She gave me the cutest crooked smile, then she reached up, brushed a hand across my cheek, heaved a sigh and told me, "But, I want this with you, Rafe. You're the first person that I've trusted enough to even try this with. I'm just afraid that after you see how out of practice I am, that you'll never want to go near me again."

I smiled at her, shaking my head. She had to be kidding. I know for a fact that I've never wanted anyone the way I wanted her. And if we had to take it slow, I was more than okay with that. I'd take all day with her if I had to, even just to get our clothes off. Because I was going to prove to her that she could trust me, and that I'd never do anything to hurt her. And I also hoped she'd realize that what we have together is special enough to overcome anything. I'd grown so fond of her over the last year, and I just hoped she felt the same way about me.

But I knew with how anxious she was, that taking her up on the counter, might be a little too much for her right now. I had an idea, though, that she might like. Because I knew I was sure as hell going to enjoy it.

I tipped up her chin, and looked into her eyes. "How about we slow things down? And when you're ready, you decide what you'd like us to do together."

She wrinkled her nose, looking confused. "You mean I have to tell you what I want?"

Doing my best to keep a straight face, I shook my head. "No. You don't have to tell me, just show me. If you want my clothes off, you can take them off. And if you want us to kiss, we'll kiss. You'll be the one in control, so you won't feel like I'm pushing you to do anything you're not ready for."

While she seemed to be mulling that over, I helped her off the counter and brushed a kiss to her forehead, wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a hug, just to try and soothe her.

Finally, after a few shuddering sighs, she pulled back, and she was grinning, a sly little grin that had me wondering if I was ready for what she had in mind.

"I think we should go lie down by the fire," she said, taking me by the hand.

Riley was quietly snoring on the couch, but the moment he heard us approaching, he hopped off and came over to greet us with his tail wagging.

"Okay, buddy. Let's put you in the laundry room," I said to the dog, since his bed was already in there. I grabbed a couple of dog cookies from the kitchen on the way, and he was happy to get in his bed once I dropped the treats inside.

"Atta boy," I said, watching him gobble up the cookies as I closed the door tight behind me. He was a terrific dog, but no way in hell did I want to feel a cold, wet nose sniffing my bare butt, if I was going to be getting naked with Sophia.

On my way back through the kitchen I grabbed a cold bottle of white wine, a plate of grapes, a wheel of brie, a knife and a couple glasses, in case we decided to hang out by the fire for a while.

As I joined Sophia on the rug in front of the fire, she looked up at me wearing a mischievous little grin, and I was just glad she didn't look so anxious anymore. Though I had to wonder, what was going on in her head.

After I'd poured us each a glass of wine, she took a sip, tipped her head looking over at me and said, "I think I'd like to get you out of your clothes."

A little surprised, I blinked when she said that, but I put my wine down on the coffee table and nodded at her. "Okay then, you'd better start stripping me off."

Biting into her lip, looking like she was trying to get up her nerve, she eyed me for a moment, and I thought she might change her mind. Now I wondered if I should have just taken my own damn clothes off, to take the pressure off her.

But then she surprised me again when, still wearing that cute little grin, she crawled over and started tugging my shirt out of jeans. Kneeling between my legs, she slowly unbuttoned my shirt, bent down and started dropping little kisses over my bare skin, tracing her tongue over every inch of me she exposed.

Holy shit! I don't think I'd ever experienced anything as hot. Watching her make her way up my body with her hot little tongue trailing a path from my abs to my nipples -- where she took the time to softly moan as she licked around each one -- was getting me really hard.

Soon she had me so hard, I could hardly think, probably because all the blood in my body was flowing down to what was throbbing between my legs. I just couldn't stop staring as I looked down and watched her take one of my nipples between her lips, and gently tug it with her teeth, sending the most arousing jolt I'd ever felt, right down my spine to my balls.

She really had me groaning as I sank my fingers into her hair and began to massage her scalp while she worked her magic on my body. Talk about feeling blissed out. I rolled my eyes as she started dropping little kisses along my jaw, teasing her way up to my ear, where she suckled my earlobe into her mouth, licking all around it with the heat of her tongue.

Despite what she thought, she was really good at making me shudder, and even better at making me hard.

My breath felt tight, and I could feel my cock lurching in my jeans. I know I told her to take control, but I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take before I lost it. Especially if she was going to keep taunting me with those warm, soft lips and little flicks of that hot little tongue.

I'd had women take the reins before, but it never felt anything even close to this. The way she was teasing me, making my heart pound, and my dick jerk, I hoped she planned to do more than just drive me crazy.

As I felt her make her way back down to my abs, I could feel my eyes roll about as far back in my head as they could go. As she licked into the waist band of my jeans, almost close enough to touch her tongue where I really needed her. As she enticingly purred, "Hmm, you feel good, so smooth and hard, and you taste even better."

She had me so blissed out that I jumped when I felt something cold and wet dribbling into my navel. Looking down I saw that she was grinning from ear to ear as she bent to lap up the wine the little minx had filled it with.

At least one of us was having fun -- while I was feeling tortured.

I was about to ask if she was enjoying herself, but I could tell that she was. I had a feeling this was a first for her, being the one in control. So I was more than happy to let her explore and have all the fun she wanted.

But when she popped the button on my jeans and began to lower my fly, the way my heart was pounding, I wondered if my dick would burst out and hit her right in the face through my boxers, she had me so aroused I could actually feel the thing pulsing right up to my ears.

My heart nearly pounding out of my chest, I lifted my butt to help her, as I watched her struggling to tug off my jeans. Once she'd tossed them aside, sitting on her haunches, admiring what she'd done to me, now that she had me almost naked, she shook her head and murmured, "You have a beautiful body, Rafe."

Smiling up at her, I shrugged. I tried to take care of myself, ran every morning, and went to the gym a few times a week. And damn, was I ever glad I did, seeing the way she was looking at me now, basically eating me up with her eyes, even licking her lips.

The intense way she was eyeing the bulge in my boxers, she could probably see that my dick was twitching just from knowing what was going to happen -- or at least hoped would happen.

Then she looked up at me with a devilish look in her eyes, and took hold of the sides of the waistband and began to slide by boxers down over my hips.

I actually felt my breath hitch in my throat as my cock sprang free, and she let out a little gasp. "Holy smokes, you're really packing," she said, her eyes popping open wide, making me chuckle as she took in the sight of my erection, probably harder than I'd ever seen it.

I knew I wasn't exactly small, but I don't think anyone had ever put it quite like that before.

She had every inch of me shuddering as she stroked a curious finger from the tip of my cock all the way to my balls, remarking, "And you're just so hard."

"Yeah, I get like that when a beautiful woman strips me off."

She smirked, giving me an eye roll. I guess starting to feel a little braver she wrapped her soft little hand around me and started to stroke me up and down in her fist.

Normally the one in charge, I gotta say I was really enjoying letting her take the reins, because wow did it ever feel good.

Now that she'd stripped me off, I cocked an eyebrow, looking her over in her yoga pants and top, and she tipped her head, probably curious at the way I was eyeing her. "So, am I the only one getting naked here?" I asked her.