by T Gephart
His Adam’s apple bobbed, the swallowing looking like it was causing him actual pain. “I checked on you.”
“Did you?” He was clearly better at sneaking around than I was because I hadn’t heard a peep. “I’m surprised you were able to see anything, it’s so dark in here.”
He moved closer, his hands curling into balls at his sides. “Yeah, I was able to see enough to know you weren’t wearing that a few hours ago.”
“You want me to take it off?”
“Yes.”
I wasn’t even sure I’d heard him correctly, my mouth stopped from asking him to repeat it by his on mine. His arms pulled me close, fingers sliding down my back and gripping my ass as he deepened the kiss.
“Jesus, Presley.” His hand touched my bare ass, hauling me off my feet. “You’re killing me.”
It hadn’t been my plan.
Or maybe it had, my hands gripping his T-shirt and pulling him closer. “Kiss me again.”
Just like he promised, he did exactly what I asked, my legs wrapping around his waist as he took my mouth. His hungry lips demanded more, a whimper escaping from my throat as I let him dominate.
I loved the way it felt, so intense and passionate. Less like he was kissing me and more like it was his calling. He moved slowly, pressing me hard against his body as he carried me through the space. He smelled of soap and shampoo, my fingers running through his hair as I kissed his neck.
“You need to sleep,” he whispered between kisses, laying me down on the mattress and pressing his body down on me. “I’m not going to be held responsible when you’re cranky later.”
I groaned, wanting more as I rubbed myself against him. “I thought we agreed you weren’t going to tell me what to do. You should take your shirt off, you’re wearing too much.”
His hands left me for a second, reached around to his back and pulled off his T-shirt. He was perfection, the toned muscles of his abs flexing as the shirt got tossed to the side.
“Your pants too,” I panted, pointing to the jeans that were still very much in the way. Since he’d already stopped kissing and touching me, it made sense to capitalize on it. And I’d already decided that I wanted them off.
He hesitated, taking a second or two before unbuttoning his jeans and lowering the zipper. He kicked them off, stripping his socks from his feet but leaving his boxer briefs.
I was stopped from arguing by his mouth back on mine, kissing me as he positioned me on the bed, his body slipping into the gap between my legs. “I’m not fucking you tonight, Presley.” Teeth grazed against my shoulder, making my skin tingle.
“What?” I gasped between kisses, not wanting to stop for proper clarification.
Fingers traveled up my leg, following the curve of muscles until they rested on my hip. “You heard me.”
My mind was swimming, too turned on to think straight and confused that if sex wasn’t our end game, what the hell were we doing? I didn’t imagine the hard-on brushing against my core. Or the way he panted with desperation at my mouth. So unless this was a really vivid dream and I hadn’t woken up, his words were at total odds with his actions.
“You need to . . . do . . . what I say.” I tried forming sentences while continuing to kiss him. And it wasn’t one-sided either, his lips just as busy as mine. “You promised.”
“I said within reason, gorgeous. And reason has nothing to do with what we’re doing now.”
Irritation crawled up my skin, wondering if it was payback for kissing him in my office. But unlike then, we hadn’t been interrupted or stopped, continuing to tease each other as we struggled to breathe. I pulled back, angling my mouth out of the way so I could look him in the eye with the limited light I had. “Are you just going to turn me on and then go take a cold shower? You know that isn’t going away by itself.” My eyes tipped to the cock straining against the cotton of his boxer briefs.
He shook his head, a smile edging across his lips. “You let me worry about that. And I said I wasn’t going to fuck you; I didn’t say I wasn’t going to make you come.”
With his intentions clear, he pressed his hard length against me. I was wet, already turned on from everything that came before, the friction as he rubbed making me even hotter.
It felt amazing, the gentle roll of his hips teasing me so much I could barely stand it. My head lolled back as my eyes shut, my knees widening to give him better access. “Oooohhhhh mmyyyyy Goddd,” I stuttered out, feeling a finger move to where his cock had been.
My slip had ridden up, exposing my naked lower body while the straps had fallen off my shoulders, no longer containing my breasts. The fabric was completely redundant, but he didn’t stop to take it off, lowering his mouth to lick and suck my nipples as they fought to break free.
He pressed his cock against me again, a wet patch forming on the cotton as he thrust against me. He didn’t stop, his mouth moving to the other breast while his finger circled my clit.
Okay, maybe it was a decent compromise, the disappointment of no sex disappearing as he continued his assault with his lips and hands. “That feels so—”
“Good,” he finished, pushing a finger inside me as his hard-on took over on my clit.
I wanted to touch him and make him feel as good as he was making me. My hand reached out, trying to wedge between us but he shook his head. “And what would you be trying to do? You enjoy trying to make me cave way too much, Presley,” he chuckled.
“Let me touch you,” I moaned, my hand not making any progress. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be in control.”
“You are, say stop and see what happens.” I felt his grin against my skin.
It was frustrating, the feeling in my body building while I tried to remember what I wanted to do. That’s right, I wanted to touch his cock, to stroke it and get him harder, to drive him as crazy as he was me. But I was definitely not saying stop, not wanting it to end.
It was the best no sex I’d ever had, tingles spreading across my limbs as I fought the urge to close my eyes and give into it. And when he plunged in another finger, I lost the ability to make the choice.
“Jared, don’t stop,” I warned, bucking against his hand and totally ignoring what we were doing was completely one sided. “Oh my God, just like that.”
The pressure of his cock was gone, his fingers getting in deep without the obstruction as his thumb rubbed tight circles against my clit. “Fuck, I love watching you like this.” His voice was raw, rough around the edges, straining with control.
There was no way he was loving it more than me, my back arching off the mattress as he brought his mouth back to my nipple and sucked.
BOOM.
Like an explosion, my body splintered into a million pieces. My muscles contracted and then released in tiny waves as I collapsed against the bed and whispered his name over and over again.
“Yes,” he mumbled against my skin, thrusting his fingers inside of me and teasing out my orgasm. “Just like that, baby.”
My skin was hot and then cold, goosebumps breaking against the surface as I tried to slow my breathing. “Kiss me.”
There was no hesitation as he moved his mouth back to mine, my feeling of euphoria still echoing through my body as I relaxed onto my pillow. He was still hard, the new position enabling me to feel the steel rod in his boxer briefs as he continued to drive me out of my mind. It had to be painful, the need for release gnawing at him like it had been at me moments ago. But as I lowered my hand, he grabbed it, stopping me from getting any farther south and raising it back above my head.
I was sooooooo not in control.
“What are you doing, Presley?” He grabbed the other hand, caging me in and using his body for leverage. “Because I already told you, we’re not having sex.”
My hips lifted, rocking against him but not getting very far. He was not only taller and heavier but stronger too, and if he wanted to keep me still, there wasn’t a lot I could do. “Well that is incredibly dumb, Jared. You know
it’s you who is going to suffer.”
He laughed, lowering his lips to my forehead and feathering a kiss. “Yeah, I know. And I don’t care. Now go back to sleep. I already told you I’m not taking responsibility for your mood later, and if I’m going to come hang out at Diablo, I’m going to need a nap too.”
I stilled, a little surprised he was taking the idea so seriously. Sure, I expected he’d show up, hang around a little and maybe drive me to work. He had a point to prove, and to be honest, I wasn’t disappointed for the company. We still hadn’t really talked about that night—and I was going to have to add this one to that conversation as well—so in a way I was glad. But at Diablo, well, there was no need. Bennett more than had it covered, and the walls were like a fortress, reinforced steel, lead lined—it was going to take a rocket launcher or a tank to break in.
“Jared, you don’t need to hang with me at work. I won’t have time to babysit and you’ll probably get bored. Besides, it’s your day off. I’m sure you have heaps to catch up on after spending the day with me.”
Laundry, groceries, the gym—both he and my brother had their little daily routine, and I didn’t want to get in the middle of it.
“Who said I needed babysitting,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m more than capable of entertaining myself. You will barely even notice me. And when you’re done, I’ll drive you home.”
He withdrew his fingers from my body, rolling to his side as he settled on the bed. “You going to let me stay?” His eyes tipped to the mattress. “Or you going to make me sleep on the couch like my pissed off future wife?”
“I should,” I warned, because despite the blistering orgasm, I was slightly pissed off. “But I’ll take pity on you and let you stay.”
“Good. And you might want to rethink that thing you’re wearing. Might as well have been naked.” He yawned into a grin.
“You’re right. Can you go turn off the lamp?” I pointed to the end table beside the couch throwing off more light than I’d like.
He grunted his agreement, readjusting himself before standing up and doing as I asked. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the view, whipping my tangled nightie off my body and slipping between the sheets. After all, he’d mentioned he’d wanted it off earlier and we never got to that. And I didn’t have to be argumentative all the time.
His feet froze as he neared the bed, the crumpled pink satin on the floor hindering his path. I rolled onto my side, hiding my grin. “Night, Leighton.”
“Night, Presley.” The exhale long and hard as he tossed open the covers from his side and slid in. “Thank fuck this is a huge bed.”
Jared
CLEARLY, I’D HAD a messy breakup with sleep.
Not sure if she’d dumped my ass or it had been the other way around, but for the last few nights I’d spent more time contemplating the crown molding than catching the Zs I needed. Still, hard to close your eyes when the smoking-hot woman, you just made come, was laying naked beside you.
And I knew she was baiting me, tossing the scrap of fabric on the floor because she knew it would drive me crazy. Not that it covered much when it had been on her body, so not sure which way was better.
Seeing her sleeping naked when I’d walked in early that morning had been a kick in the balls. I’d gone home, showered, changed and picked up the key from Tibbs. He’d given me a pat on the back, the appreciation he was feeling thankfully left unspoken, so I didn’t feel like a complete jerk. He had no idea what he was doing and the kind of runaway train that was about to leave the station.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d made a silent commitment to both of us—him and me—that I wasn’t going to fuck his sister. Well, not at least in the immediate future. And not because I didn’t want to. But he was right to be worried about her, and I was too, wanting to do anything to make sure she was happy and whole. Best way to do that was to keep my dick in my pants and not complicate things. Or, more to the point, make them more complicated. So, sex with Presley—as much as I hated to admit it—was off the table.
But a naked Presley would test the resolve of a saint. And, fuck knows, I knew most of them. My mom had their framed pictures mounted on the wall, their smiling faces and judgmental eyes following you around the room like some Catholic parlor trick. But if Saint Michael had seen that dark-haired beauty, her dangerous curves barely contained by her covers, the man would have caved for sure.
She’d tried—or did she?—to cover up, throwing on some silky thing that did nothing to hide what was underneath. Instead it showcased it, curling around her hot body and just made things worse.
So . . . I compromised. My dick stayed in my pants as promised, but I also couldn’t ignore what was truly a gift. And given the opportunity to make Presley come, that was a chance I was not passing up.
Not.
A.
Chance.
And how was I rewarded for my good behavior? Condemned to sleep beside her with the silky torture device sitting on the floor while she lay naked. Oh, and I still had her voice ringing in my ear, my name repeated in a breathy moan as I’d made her come.
I needed to go to church.
Or confession.
Or, at the very least, gargle some fucking holy water because it was going to take a miracle for me to lose the hard-on. And hopefully at some point I would regain the feeling in my legs.
But sleep.
Not happening.
A soft and feminine moan notched up my misery, Presley not sharing the same predicament. Sated and sleepy, it hadn’t taken too long till her breathing evened out and she was asleep like she’d been when I’d walked in. But it had been a few hours, and a casual look at my phone had clued me in that it was getting closer to afternoon, the rest of the morning slipping away.
“Did you sleep?” I felt her turn, my eyes still glued to the ceiling as she shuffled closer to me.
“A little.” Which wasn’t a lie if you counted the time I got on the couch before she’d noticed me. That was before my plan went to shit, and sleeping was still a possibility.
My eyes dipped down, treated to the skin on display and I was grateful she was taking it easy on me. The parts that had started most of the trouble were kept under wraps, her body encased in a fluffy white cocoon.
“You want some coffee?” I asked, deciding I needed to get out of the bed before I made a decision I wasn’t sure would be a bad one. “I can go get us some breakfast if you want?”
“Coffee sounds amazing,” she groaned, unintentionally—or not, who knew anymore—making shit worse. “No breakfast though, I’m more of a lunch girl but feel free to help yourself.”
Oh, I wanted to help myself, just not to the contents of her pantry.
“Yep, coffee. Anything else?” I hesitated, because I was a masochist and clearly hated having functioning balls.
And that’s where I underestimated myself, my eyes connecting with hers and I knew whatever I’d been trying to avoid was happening. I didn’t even give her a chance to respond, pressing my mouth to hers in what was supposed to be a gentle good morning. Instead it turned into a dirty how-are-ya that was going to undo all the good work I’d done by not sleeping with her.
“I’m so glad you didn’t get weird again,” she mumbled against my lips. “I didn’t want to have to go ahead and call your mot—”
“Don’t you dare say it,” I warned, chuckling. “We agreed.”
She nodded silently, moving her mouth to mine. It was slower this time, the kiss less urgent probably on account she’d been the one controlling the tempo.
“Look, we can both agree that when it comes to you, I’m incredibly bad at saying no.” I blew out a breath. “And while I’m still not convinced this is the right thing to do, I’m not sure I want to stop.”
She deserved my honesty, to know what the fuck was going on in my mind. And while it probably would’ve been better if we could go back to not touching each other, I wasn’t sure I was capable.
“I
t doesn’t have to stop,” she breathed into my mouth, the heat of her lips driving me fucking crazy. “If this is what we both want, what’s the harm?”
Ironic I’d asked myself that exact question a million times.
We were two consenting adults and if we wanted to fuck each other’s brains out, then who the hell cared? Except with Presley it wasn’t just sex, the fallout monumental if it all went bad.
“The harm is, I don’t want to fuck this up. You trust me, Pres, and I trust you. We’re friends. You throw sex into the mix, shit gets complicated. This isn’t even about Tibbs anymore. It’s about you. I don’t want to be another jerk in your history.”
There’d been more than a few, her taste in men just as bad as her brother’s taste in women. And while it was completely her prerogative to be with men who let her down, I wasn’t going to be adding my name to that list.
She’d obviously been expecting something else, the reason I’d been keeping my distance taking her by surprise. “You’d never be another jerk. I trust you, Jared. You’ve always been such a good guy. I still remember when you beat up that guy because he tried to grab my ass at Burger King when I was seventeen.”
“He shouldn’t have touched you. No one gets to touch you without permission.” The memory of that piece of shit with his hands on her all those years ago, still making me angry.
She smiled, not seeming to share the same dark feelings of that night. “Right, which is why you’d never hurt me. So what if we had some ground rules? Some guidelines so we don’t have to worry about it?”
“Yeah, because we did so well with those guidelines before.” I laughed, knowing it was asking for trouble.
Her gorgeous brown eyes narrowed, the trouble no longer hypothetical. “So what’s your solution then?”
Christ, if she was looking to me for answers, I knew we were in trouble. “I need to be your friend first. Anything happens to jeopardize that, I’ll never forgive myself. I’m serious, Presley. A choice between sleeping with you or having you in my life, and there’s only one answer.”