Midnight Cravings

Erin stood under the overhang, mentally kicking herself for the late night craving. She'd been certain she could jog to the store and back fast enough to beat the storm headed her way, but now she was stuck, the rain pouring in buckets, waiting for enough of a break to make it back home without catching her death. What was worse, the store had closed, so she couldn't wait inside, and she was starting to feel chilled just being outside, despite remaining mostly dry.

And they'd even been out of the frozen yogurt she'd made the trip to get.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this miserable. Or this irritated with herself. A late night craving was not worth this suffering, and she vowed she'd never venture out under these conditions again. Unless there was no rain in the forecast for days, she would stay home and deal with her yearnings.

She heard a click behind her and jumped as the door to the small grocery store opened and Luke, the closing clerk, leaned his handsome head out. "Hey, I'm here for a while. Come wait inside, where it's at least warm."

Erin hesitated. She didn't want to be a burden, and she didn't really know Luke. Of course, she made late night trips to the store all the time, and they chatted most of the time, since there were rarely any other customers in line. And the idea of being completely alone with him made her nervous. If she was honest with herself, Luke and her insane crush on him were half the reason for her frequent nighttime jogs to the store.

She was much too old for a crush, though, so she refused to admit that to herself. With a smile of gratitude, she nodded and stepped inside, thankful for his courtesy. "You really don't have to stay on my account."

He rolled his eyes. "Please. I have to restock the shelves and count the till. I'll be here another hour or two. You have nothing to worry about. I'm happy to help." He hesitated and blushed slightly. "And if it's still raining then, I can give you a ride home."

"That's sweet of you," she told him, suddenly shy.

He shrugged, ducking back behind the counter. "It's the least I can do. And I'm sorry we didn't have your frozen yogurt. I'll make sure it comes in on the next truck."

Erin watched him with admiration. He was definitely a country boy, and he fit in well with the area. She knew he only worked here to help his mother support his younger siblings. He spent his days hard at work on the farm, and it showed in the way his arms stretched the sleeves of his uniform shirt and his pants tugged across his thighs and his tight ass. His skin was sunkissed, and his light brown hair had streaks of white bleached from his work outside. Even his blue eyes seemed almost transparent, as though washed out by the daylight.

If she stood here staring, though, she'd give herself away. She turned to glance outside, but the gale force winds continued to blow streams of water across the parking lot, and she sighed. She didn't like just waiting around, doing nothing. "Maybe I could help you. I don't mind stocking the shelves."

He gave her a quizzical look, seeming to think it through, but then he smiled. "You really don't mind?"

"Not at all," she told him, relieved that she wouldn't be stuck here, watching him and wondering how delightfully rough his hands would be on her skin.

He pointed toward the aisles, where a few boxes had been set here and there. "I already put the items in front of their slots. It should be pretty easy, and I'll be done here in about fifteen minutes, so I can come help."

It was mindless work, and Erin appreciated that, since it meant she didn't have to focus too hard. Normally, she'd be curling up to watch some television and fall asleep by now, so her brain was sluggish. The fact that literally every time she glanced at Luke, he averted his gaze, having very obviously been watching her, didn't help her concentration, either. She wondered if he was worried she'd do something wrong. Then, she thought maybe he was interested. She blew that idea off, though. After all, he'd never seen her in anything but yoga pants and a tank top. How could he find that appealing?

"You work pretty fast." Erin jumped. She hadn't noticed Luke walk away from the cash register, and he was right beside her. He stood so close she could smell him, the scent of fresh hay and earth and everything she loved about the outdoors.

Fumbling for something to say, she muttered, "I try to be efficient."

He gave her a heartbreaking smile that made her stomach churn. She suddenly wished she had on a little makeup and had combed her blond hair rather than knotting it up on the top of her head. "You succeed," he told her. His grin faltered slightly, and he added in a quieter voice, "You also succeed at looking gorgeous, every time you come in here."

Erin's heart literally stopped for the count of three as she wondered if she'd completely lost her mind. She couldn't have heard him right. But then, as she took in the vulnerability in those honey brown eyes and the way his chest rose and fell heavily with either nerves or excitement, she knew Luke had actually said those words, and her pulse sped out of control. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. What else could she say?

He took a step toward her, and she held her breath, wanting desperately to reach out and put a hand on his cheek, or his chest, or one of those beautiful biceps. Luckily, she held two cans of Chef Boyardee to keep her from making a stupid move. She couldn't exactly touch intimate parts of his body with a tin can.

But Luke took her by surprise again, taking the cans from her and setting them on the shelf. He took another step forward, entering her personal bubble, and the wild scent of the outdoors on him had her reeling. She grabbed onto the shelf to steady herself, her knees a bit wobbly. "You know, I try to be a gentleman," he said, his voice low and a bit hoarse. "You come in here, almost every night I work, and you look amazing. You're funny and you're kind. You have a laugh that goes straight to a man's soul. And all I want to do when you come in is throw you down on the floor and bury myself so deep inside you I lose sight of where I end and you begin."

Erin felt like someone was strangling her. Gone was the sweet, shy guy she was used to. Before her stood a man who stared at her with intensity and desire, and who said things that made her body flush from head to toe. And suddenly, she had to fist her hands to keep them to herself. He hadn't issued an invitation, not yet.

But he continued, "I never say anything because there's always a chance someone will come in here while I'm trying to tell you how bad I want you. And I knew if I got interrupted, I'd never finish. But watching you tonight, and knowing we're alone, I can't help it. And I'm just wondering if you keep coming back because you really have all these late night cravings, or if there's another reason."

Erin didn't know if she could respond. She fought to find her voice, meeting those incredible eyes of his, and she managed to whisper, "There's another reason."

Luke swallowed visibly. "And what reason is that?" This time, he sounded strained.

She could have answered, but her body buzzed, and she didn't want to hold back anymore. If he wanted to know, she would show him. Pushing up on her toes and throwing her arms around his neck, she launched herself at him and captured his lips.

She wasn't one to make the first move, but she'd waited so long to taste him, and she wasn't disappointed. He caught her, wrapping her tight in his embrace as he stumbled back a step, and he opened to her, both of them delving into the kiss with fervor.

His hands splayed over her back, pressing her body into him, and then he slid his fingers into her hair, pulling it out of its messy knot and letting it flow through his fingers as he tilted her head to get better access to her mouth. She complied, gasping as she arched into him and felt the press of his erection against her lower stomach. It did things to her, making her insides clench and moisture pour between her thighs.

When he started moving forward, Erin stumbled over her feet, trying to step backward and stay with him, lips locked. But she failed and nearly tripped and fell, only Luke's capable hands keeping her on her feet. He bent slightly, running his hands down to the backs of her thighs, and he lifted her, so she could wrap her legs around his waist, and he carried her. It was an erotic sensation, being carried like that, especially with his cock long and hard pressing against her core. It made her throb and long for more direct contact, and she wondered how far this could possibly go.

He settled her on the checkout counter, sitting on the edge, and he didn't break the kiss even as his hands found their way under her shirt and his thumbs caressed her nipples, making them rock hard. She arched into his touch, letting her hands roam down around the waist of his pants and wanting to go further but not sure if that would be too much. But then his hands slid down her stomach, his fingers dipping just barely into her pants, and she moaned as he brushed just above that sensitive set of nerves that was swollen and aching.

"Please don't say no," he muttered against her lips, the vibration of his words taunting her and heightening her arousal.

It took her a moment to get her wits about her enough to respond. "Yes. The answer is yes."

Luke grunted, and his hand slid lower, caressing her wet slit before he settled on her clit and rolled it in a circular motion that drove her wild. She threw her head back, and his teeth scraped over her neck as he kissed and nipped at her. She was still fully clothed and about to come already. As if reading her mind, Luke leaned her back and yanked her pants and panties down her legs, licking his lips as he gazed down at her. The expression on his face made her flush, but not with embarrassment. No one had ever looked at her with so much desire, his pupils blasting away the color of his eyes and his face so tight with need it looked painful.

Wanting to even the playing field, Erin reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging until he stepped back and helped her pull it over his head. The rippling muscles beneath made her throat ache and her fingertips itch, and she couldn't help tracing the defining lines around those muscles. He shivered, goosebumps appearing on his tanned skin, and she couldn't resist the urge to lean in and draw one of his nipples into her mouth. He hissed in a breath, which gave her a feeling of power and had her licking a line to the other, giving it a firm nip before she pulled back.

She gazed up at Luke with longing, and he looked tormented as he reached for his fly and released his cock. It sprang from the prison and stood tall and thick, and she reverently curled her hand around him to caress up and down his shaft. His eyes closed, and his head fell back as she stroked him, applying just a little pressure. The skin was smooth as silk, the erection rock hard, and she could have worshiped him all day, but he eventually batted her hand away.

He stepped back into her space, between her legs, and she spread them wider, inviting him in as his head glided along her drenched slit. He cupped her face in both hands and kissed her with more urgency than before, gentle but insistent, and she welcomed it, waiting for him to give her what she really wanted.

She quivered as he pressed into her, barely penetrating, and she knew she cried out, but he swallowed the sound, rocking back and thrusting deeper. Erin gasped, her whole body shuddering and on the edge of an explosion, but she wasn't about to let go just yet, not until Luke was buried to the hilt inside her. She wanted every inch of him, filling her.

And he didn't disappoint. Inch by inch, he pushed forward and stretched her with his girth, and the mingling of their heavy breathing and kissing with the sound of bodies coming together filled her ears. Her heart beat outrageously, and as she wrapped her legs around his waist to urge him deeper, and he shoved himself in until he bottomed out. It took her over the edge, and Erin screamed with the release as it shot through her veins like a flood of hot lava, racking her with convulsions.

Luke made a strangled noise, and as she started to recover, she could see the strain on his face as he started to thrust with a frantic rhythm and tried to hold back. But Erin couldn't stop the way her pussy squeezed and gripped at him, her orgasm lasting longer than she thought possible as she reached for his arms and dug her nails into them. She felt like she needed to hang on for dear life or she would float away on her cloud of bliss.

But he moved faster and with greater intensity, and she knew he was going to find his own satisfaction soon. She wanted to feel it, wanted to feel the spasms course through his body as he filled her, and she arched back, letting him find an angle that ripped another release from her and had her writhing with the pleasure of it.

He pounded into her, his face a mask of need, and when he erupted, he roared, pressing deep into her and digging his fingers into her hips, holding her steady as he finished. It heightened her own ecstasy, and she was nearly blinded by it. She hung on to him, loathe to let him move away as his head fell to her shoulder and his chest heaved against hers. She wanted the warmth, the comfort, and she liked the way he felt inside her, even spent.

But at length, their breathing settled, and Luke turned his head, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck, just below her ear. Erin gulped, nervous as he lifted his head to look at her, wondering what he would say now. After all, they'd just had sex in the store, with the rain pounding outside, on the counter, which would have to be cleaned before anyone could put food on it. What did he think of her for this?

His smile said it all, and his dancing eyes made her heart skip a beat as he moved away. "Wow," was all he said, his voice gruff and a bit weak.

With a shy grin and a soft giggle, Erin stood and started straightening her clothes, finding her yoga pants and panties on the floor a few feet away. "That's one word for it."

There was a short, awkward silence, and she feared the worst, but Luke broke it with casual conversation. "So, if you give me about fifteen minutes, I can get all of this finished," he told her, waving his hand in a general circle to signify the stocking. "Then, I can drive you home."

Her hopes fell. She'd stupidly let herself think that they might have something, but really, what kind of guy would want to start a relationship with a woman like her? "Sure, that would be fine. I'll help you finish." After all, that was the least she could do.

"I was thinking that you might like to come out to the farmhouse tomorrow and have coffee and breakfast with me," he said, his voice a bit muffled as he spoke from the next aisle.

It made Erin stop and blink, confused. He'd just acted like nothing happened, and now he was inviting her back to his place tomorrow? What exactly did he want? "Sure, that would be nice."

She focused on emptying the last box on her aisle onto the shelf and didn't notice Luke behind her until his hands landed on her shoulders. She bit her lip but didn't turn around. "I was hoping maybe we could swing by your place, and you could grab an overnight bag, then come back with me."

She turned and stared at him in disbelief. "Really?"

The boyish grin returned, shy and crooked. "I like you, Erin, and I want to get to know you better." His hands slid down her arms and circled her waist. "And I'd like to get to know your body better, too. It's amazing, and this was incredible."

She tilted her head back, meeting his gaze and trying not to smile too broadly. She'd dreamed about moments like this, surrounded by his scent and warm in his embrace, but she'd never imagined he might reciprocate her desires. "You know my nightly craving isn't for frozen yogurt, Luke. It's for you."

He grunted, looking self satisfied. "Well, I'd be more than happy to work with you to feed that addiction."

She nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. Let's get out of here. I'll grab a change of clothes, and we can head to your place."