Page 31 of Thresholds

I jerked a shoulder as I pulled into our driveway. "Probably." The house was dark save for a light in the foyer. I kept her hand in mine and she followed me down the hall from the garage, into the kitchen. I stopped there, and turned to face Erin. "Are you hungry? Can I make yousomething?"

She shook her head and ran her knuckles down my abdomen. "I've missed you so much," she said, her words little more than a whisper. "We used to go months and months apart but now"—she looked around, her palm low on my belly—"now I can barely make it through three weeks away fromyou."

A breath shuddered out of me. "I know," I said. "The more of you I get, the more Iwant."

We stared at each other, the shadowy kitchen and our time apart fading as each secondpassed.

"How much of me do you want right now?" Erinasked.

Her fingers drifted to my beltbuckle.

My gaze dropped to herlips.

Her pulsejumped.

My cockhardened.

"All of you," I said, grabbing a fistful of hershirt.

Tearing her clothes off the minute we walked through the door wasn't my plan, but now that I had her home, I couldn't think of anything else. I'd missed her scent, her eyes, her laugh, all of her. My lips crashed down on hers and I gathered her up in myarms.

"Upstairs," she murmured. "Bedroom."

I boosted Erin up and her legs tangled around my waist. "Best words ever spoken," I said betweenkisses.

"I didn't think," she whispered between quick, biting kisses, "didn't think I'd have the energy forthis."

"You don't have to do anything," I promised, slamming her against coat closet door. The leverage gave me an opportunity to squeeze her ass with one hand and reach under her bra with the other. "I'll do all the work. Iswear."

She was clawing at my shirt, tugging at the sides until her fingers met my skin, and I couldn't stop kissing her, biting her, growling as I rocked into her. I didn't have any words, onlywants.

The stairs were so close but also so, sofar.

"Upstairs," she repeated. "Bedroom. I've been roughing it for threeweeks."

I tore her shirt over her head, wrenched her bra off, and sucked her breast hard. "You're kidding yourself if you think this won't be rough,lovely."

She gazed down at me, her eyes hooded, and she whispered, "Yes,please."

That was it. That was all I needed to get me moving. Clothes came off in a frantic blur, leaving a trail all the way up the stairs. It was dark and I couldn't see—didn't want to see—anything but her skin. I almost walked right past ourbedroom.

"Here," Erin said, untangling her arm from around my shoulders. "This one, Nick. We don't have any furniture in the spare bedroomsyet."

I was too busy rolling her nipple around on my tongue to respond. Once I reached the bed, I set her down with as much care as I could muster. There was a balance to this. Fuck her hard, treat hersoft.

Erin leaned back, her legs parting for me. "I want you right here," shesaid.

It hit me then how much I'd missed her. Truly missed her. "The only place I want tobe."

Her heels dug into my backside in agreement, her socks warm against my bare skin as I pushed inside her. "Nick."

"Erin," I growled, my vision hazy from the flat-out pleasure of my wife in my arms and my cock buried inside her. I didn't think I could manage another word if Itried.

Her back arched off the bed as I drove into her again. Her eyes fluttered shut and her lips parted, and I brought my hand between her breasts. I wanted to own every beat of her heart, every breath. She layered both hands over mine while I stared down at her, her body quaking with my everythrust.

Her hair was tangled, her eyes were rimmed with red, her shoulders were sunburned. She was beautiful beyond belief, she was in our bed, and she wasmine.

"Welcome home," I said, my lips on her neck and my heart in herhands.