Stripped Bare: Hammers and Veils Read online

  “I’m fucking starved,” I tell her, reaching for my flannel. Her eyes roam over my bare chest as I walk toward her. “You like what you see?” I can’t help but ask, a smirk on my lips.

  Her eyes widen and she’s stumbling back into the kitchen.

  “Hey, I’m just teasing, Karis.” I tug on my shirt but leave the buttons undone. The heating situation needs to be fixed stat. I’ll be calling in a favor with a buddy of mine when I leave the shop today. Hopefully Eric can get this fixed by tomorrow otherwise I’ll be stripped down to nothing when I lay the flooring.

  I follow her into the kitchen and now it’s my turn for my eyes to widen. “Wow, this is amazing,” I say. Her kitchen is nothing like the front of the bakery. Open shelving with baking essentials in glass jars. A massive mixer in the center of the room, stainless steel countertops and island. It’s pristine, clean, and the opposite of the space out front.

  “Thanks,” she says, tucking back a strand of her wild red hair. “My uncle did the kitchen for me. Looks nice, right?”

  I nod, taking in the details. Solid work throughout. “Why didn’t your uncle finish the job?”

  “He moved to Cincinnati. My aunt got a job at a hospital, so they relocated. I’m thrilled for them, my aunt was in nursing school for a long time. It was her dream.”

  “And this shop, is it your dream?” I ask, stepping toward her. Damn, she is intoxicatingly beautiful.

  “Yeah. It is.” She bites her bottom lip before spinning away. With her back toward me I get all sorts of ideas. Pulling up that sundress of hers, and running my palms over her sweet cheeks. But in seconds, she spins back around, a plate of cupcakes in hand as if they appeared out of thin air. “These are for you,” she says with a smile. “Salted caramel chocolate.”

  I grin, reaching for one. “That sounds delicious.”

  “You were a little salty when you came in this morning so I thought I’d whip these ones up.”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, I was a bit of an ass.” I take a bite, groaning in pleasure as I do.

  “I get it,” she says, setting the cupcake plate on the counter. “This job is totally more than you bargained for. I know I owe you more than what we initially agreed. I don’t have the cash now, but I will pay you back. I promise.”

  “I don’t want your money, Karis.” The words surprise me, but they are true. This girl is a sweetheart, she doesn’t need to owe any man anything. “Honestly, keep making me cupcakes like this and I’ll be eating out of your hand.”

  Her cheeks turn bright red and she exhales slowly, looking away. I step closer.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I ask, knowing the look in her eyes. She’s drawn to me the way I’m drawn to her. “Would you rather I eat something else?”

  She gives a shaky laugh but doesn’t step back. “You use lines like that on all the girls?”

  “There aren’t a lot of girls.”

  She lifts her eyes, her chin down. “I don’t believe you. I bet they are lined up around the block. I mean, look at you.” She waves her hand over me as if it’s obvious.

  “I’m picky,” I tell her, taking another bite of her delicious concoction.

  “So am I,” she says.

  “Oh yeah?” I try not to show my conflicting emotion. If she’s so picky why was she with her douchebag ex?

  “Yeah but I don’t always pick the right guy. Or more like, ever pick the right guy.”

  “Me neither,” I admit. “Pick the right girl, I mean.”

  Her eyes reach mine and widen like she’s surprised. “Really?”

  I nod. “Last girlfriend cheated on me.”

  “I’m sorry,” Karis says, her eyes softening, looking at me like she actually understands. In a world of entitled assholes it’s hard to find the flower amongst the weeds. “I just want a good man. A solid, honest, hard working man who—”

  I pull her to me then. One large hand on her waist, the other cupping her jaw. It’s out of character for me, to run my hands over the skin of a woman I hardly know. But I do know her. On some weird level, I feel like I’ve known her my entire life.

  Shit, the woman has me spinning out of control, and I wonder if I’ve overstepped.

  But she doesn’t pull back or step away. Instead, she leans in. And when I lower my mouth to hers and kiss her, she whimpers, the sound so tender, so damn sweet, my already hard cock turns to steel.

  My lips part, taking more. Tasting her. Taking anything she will give me. And I know there’s no way I’m going to be content with just one kiss.

  Chapter Four

  Karis

  I didn’t wake up expecting to kiss a total stranger, but Eli Blake isn’t a stranger anymore. His strong hand is on my cheek, the other has moved up my back and cups the base of my neck, holding me against him. Our bodies and mouths are fused, and yet I want to get closer still. As close as I can. I’ve never felt a need like this before, like my body has been awakened.

  His tongue finds mine and I sink into the kiss, into him. His flannel shirt is unbuttoned, and my fingers run up his ladder of abs, resting on his bare chest, solid and warm. He feels so damn good. And I run my hands over him, my body piqued with want. I know he can feel it. My heat. My desire. I can sense his too.

  Lust.

  Passion.

  Primal heat.

  I don’t know what it is. Powerful. Poignant. Hot. It rises between us and I’m not in any hurry to turn down the temperature. Not now. It’s like I’ve been waiting my entire life for a man like Eli to walk into my kitchen and grab me by the waist and claim me as his own.

  It’s just a kiss. I know that. But god, I feel like it could be more. He kisses me deeply with intention and when he scoops me up in his arms, setting me down on the counter, I know I won’t ask him to stop.

  This is what I want. To be taken unabashedly, without restraint. I want a man who knows how to use his tools. Who can strip me bare and take me to the very edge. And I know he’s the man for the job.

  “God, Karis,” he growls in my ear. “You’re so fucking hot.”

  My bare ass is on the cool counter, the skirt of my dress pooling around my hips, and I want to beg him to take me here, now. It’s so not like me, but I don’t care. All I know is I want this - want him - now.

  I run my hands over his chest, struggling to get his flannel shirt off. His biceps are huge, and so is his erection that is pushing against the denim of his jeans.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I say breathlessly.

  He grins. “You did say you are picky. Am I up to par?”

  “You’ll do,” I say with a playful smile tugging at my lips. Then I lift my dress up, over my head. Sitting on my kitchen counter in nothing but a pair of white lace panties and a demi-cup bra, my tits practically spilling out. Good, he can lick them up.

  “Good Lord,” he groans, his palms on my breasts, massaging them. My nipples are hard, my pussy wet.

  God, I want this. It’s crazy and delicious and the perfect treat after a hellish month of dealing with my ex. Eli is the opposite in every way. He’s all man.

  Masculine and dominant. And yet kind and sensitive.

  And when he undoes my bra with no effort, I feel any reservations I have left leave me. He lowers his mouth to my breast, and when his tongue swirls over one nipple, I nearly come undone.

  “You like that?” he growls against my sensitive flesh, the words vibrating to my core and making me whimper.

  “Yes.” My fingers run through his cropped hair, loving the way he teases my nipples, the way I feel so small in his hands, and yet so powerful and beautiful. I love the way he touches me, like I’m the most cherished thing he’s ever held, the way he looks at me like he’s about to unravel.

  He holds my gaze, those dark eyes almost feral with need. “God your skin is sweet,” he tells me, running his hands between my thighs.

  I’ve never let anyone touch me this way, but with Eli it seems right. Like I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. Ma
ybe when it’s all done, I’ll regret it, but right now, right here, nothing else matters but allowing him to consume me.

  “You want this?” he asks against my mouth, eyes never leaving mine, studying me.

  “Yes.” It’s the only answer I can give him, because there’s no part of me that wants to hold back. I lift my ass, letting him peel off my panties.

  I’ve never been completely naked with a man before, but I don’t feel self-conscious - I feel seen. The counter is cold against my ass, but as he slides off his belt, unzips his pants, so his raging hard-on can be set free, I only feel heat. Hot. Hot. So freaking hot.

  His cock is huge. And I’m practically salivating at the thought of him inside of me. My vibrator feels foolish in comparison. No way could a battery-operated toy ever bring me the same sort of pleasure as that massive hammer of his.

  “Fuck, Karis,” he groans, spreading my thighs apart. I lean back on my elbows giving him a good look at me. My body and heart stripped bare for him. “You’re so fucking perfect.”

  He doesn’t comment on my stretch marks or cellulite, all he sees is pleasure and perfection. The best version of me. And that’s all I‘ve ever wanted when I’ve thought about giving my virginity to a man. I wanted to be respected, cherished, valued ... and when Eli runs his fingers over my creamy slit, he looks at me as if in awe. My pussy tightens, his finger running so slowly over my folds it’s excruciating.

  He drops to his knees, drawing my ass to the edge of the counter and I have to focus on breathing so I don’t pass out from pleasure. Eli’s mouth is against me. His hot breath warming my already dripping pussy. His tongue runs the length of me, and I’m moaning softly as his lips kiss me, as his tongue circles my hard clit, as his hands run over my thighs. My skin is on fire as he inhales me. Fanning the flame. Turning my body into a wildfire only he can tame.

  His fingers run along my entrance, and he presses one inside me.

  “Ohh,” I whimper, the penetration so different than a vibrator. It’s real. Every inch of my skin feels this. His finger inside of me.

  “You’re so fucking tight, Karis,” he says against my clit, the vibration of his voice making me ache more. He kisses my clit as his finger pulses against my G-spot. So good. I can barely contain the guttural moan that escapes me when he slips a second finger inside my pussy.

  “Ohhh,” I cry out, my fingers gripping his shoulder. “Eli,” I moan his name, my body arching as he begins to finger me more eagerly. And I open for him, utterly and completely.

  “You’re dripping, baby,” he tells me. “You’re so fucking wet.” I hear my release as he fingers me more deeply - not until I hurt - but until I am coming. Hard. So hard, I see stars and I feel like I’m falling. But Eli holds me, steadies me, and I’m safe in his arms, my legs wrap around his shoulders, his mouth against my pussy as he sucks me until I finish.

  I close my eyes, shaking from the pleasure that just washed over my body. My body is his, and I know he knows it.

  “So beautiful,” he murmurs.

  I blink, my vision finally returning, and when he looks at me all I see is hunger. An appetite no amount of cupcakes could appease.

  He draws a finger to his mouth, and I’m panting, wanting. More. More. Everything. He licks his fingers, his eyes on me. “You’re so fucking sweet,” he says. And I bite down on my bottom lip, my pussy awake all over again. But now I need more than his hand. I need his cock.

  “I am?” I grin at him, ready to give him everything.

  “I’m sure every man you’ve been with has told you that. They’d be crazy not to.”

  I blink. “Oh, I’ve never been with anyone before. Never even had that before.”

  His eyes narrow. He rests a hand on my bare pussy. “You’re a virgin?” he asks, practically choking on the word.

  “Yeah. And I want you to be my first, Eli Blake.”

  Chapter Five

  Eli

  A virgin? I just finger fucked a virgin on a counter? I sucked her pussy until my mouth was coated in her sweet, sweet, cream, and she was a virgin?

  Shit.

  I stand, pulling her up to sit. “You need to get dressed.”

  She frowns, confused. “What? Why?”

  “Fuck, you should have told me. I would never... Shit, Karis. You can’t let a guy go down on you for the first time in a fucking kitchen. You can’t lose your virginity next to a restaurant grade mixer.”

  Her eyes fill with fury and I know I’ve upset her - but fuck. What kind of man am I? Just taking her like this without pause.

  “I wasn’t losing anything. I was offering you my virginity.” She grabs her panties and bra, her dress, stands from the counter - before me in all her naked glory. Curves and hips and wild hair and wilder eyes. God, this woman is a walking hard-on.

  “I’m not fucking you like this. Here. God.” I pull my pants on, hating that I didn’t make this more special for her. Expensive champagne, roses, candlelight. Hell, a goddamn gazebo and sex under the fucking stars. Instead we’re in a kitchen, me going hard on her like the fucking horn-dog I am.

  I need to cool down. To get some fucking self-control.

  “I know what I want,” she says. “I want you.”

  “We just met. You’ve waited your whole life to have sex, you can’t just hand it over to a stranger.”

  Now her eyes fill with tears, mixed with fury and embarrassment. And I hate that I did that. That I’ve fucked up again.

  She blinks her tears away as she dresses. “I didn’t think you were a stranger,” she says. “I thought maybe you were...more.”

  “You were wrong,” I say, stepping away. Hating that I didn’t slow things down with a woman like Karis Quinn. She deserves way better than me. She deserves the goddamn sun and moon. I run a hand through my hair.

  Shit, I hate the hurt I see in her eyes, but what the hell am I supposed to do?

  “I’ll be back tomorrow for work,” I say gruffly.

  I walk away, not trusting myself to pull her in my arms. To kiss her slow. If I touch her again, I’ll ravage her.

  I can’t rewind time, but hell, I sure wish I could.

  * * *

  At the bar, Hustle and Grind, I order a beer and sit down on a stool next to my buddy Porter. He’s one of the four guys who opened Nailed It Construction and I figured he’d be here. It’s our local spot and most days we come here after we finish up for the day.

  “You look like shit,” Porter says, lifting his brow.

  “The bakery gig is kicking my ass. Way bigger of a job than I thought it would be.” I take a long drink of my beer. “Jenna sure sweet-talked her way into that.”

  Porter’s eyes go dark. “Jenna always manages to do that to you.”

  “Yeah, well this friend of hers, Karis, she’s a ...” I exhale. What do I even say about her? That’s she’s a goddess? A fucking queen? The woman who gave me the worst case of blue balls in my entire fucking life?

  “What about her?”

  “She’s something else,” I manage, leaving it at that. My mind’s all torn up about the way I left her - but shit, I don’t trust myself in her presence. I need to get my head on straight before I see her again.

  We drink our beers in silence, and I can tell I’m not the only one with something on my mind. Maybe if I was a better friend, I’d dig into whatever is eating at him, but right now I can barely deal with my own shit.

  I’m still hard as a fucking rock, and sitting around drinking with Porter isn’t going to alleviate that. There are more than a half dozen women in the bar alone that I know would jump at the chance to go home with me. And maybe that would be the smarter thing to do. But none of them are Karis.

  Hell, I’ve never met anyone like the woman. But she’s complicated. And it’s not just the whole douchebag ex-boyfriend thing, or even the virgin thing. She’s also my sister’s friend. Or maybe I’m just making a list of excuses because I’m too fucking scared to get burned again.

  Either way, I know
I need to make things right tomorrow.

  I’ll apologize.

  Keep my distance.

  Get the job done.

  And hell...then what? The thought of never seeing the woman again makes my chest constrict.

  “You just met her,” I mumble into my beer, causing Porter to frown at me.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” I grumble, pulling out a twenty and slapping it on the bar.

  “You sure you’re okay?” he asks.

  “Yeah. Just need a shower and bed.”

  And that’s exactly where I head as soon as I get home. Straight to the shower. I turn the water on and step under the frigid stream. But not even the cold water can douse the fire inside me.

  All I can picture is Karis’ sweet curves against my hand, against my tongue. The way she tasted. The sound of her moans of pleasure.

  I stroke my cock, cupping my balls as my release builds. If she hadn’t told me she was a virgin, I would have taken her right there, no hesitation. It’s what she wanted. But hell, how does she know what she wants if she’s never been with a man.

  She deserves to be pleasured slowly, to be cherished and taken care of. Not the wild, reckless fuck I would have given her on that cold steel counter. Would it have been good? Yeah. Would I have had made her come? Hell, yeah. I stroke myself harder, faster, my balls tightening until I’m coming so damn hard I have to lean against the cold tiles for support. And I know what I really want. What I knew the second I saw Karis Quinn.

  I don’t just want her body stripped bare, I want her heart and soul as well. I’m just going to have to figure out a way to prove to her that I’m the man for the job.

  Chapter Six

  Karis

  I didn’t sleep a minute last night, which means I was here at the bakery before the sun rose, making more cupcakes than I’ll ever be able to give away, let alone sell. But I did have a large online order for a school fundraiser, which will help keep the electricity on a few more weeks.