by S. M. Shade
Karma has bitten him square in the ass.
It doesn’t take long for us to get home, and Nick parks in front of my apartment.
“Would you like to come in for a drink?”
His tongue darts out to lick his top lip. I don’t know if it was deliberate or not, but damn, it was hot. “I’d love to.”
Mallory and I wave to a few people after we get out of the car. It’s a weekend and the weather is warm, so there’s quite a few neighbors out. Jani, who lives in the next apartment, calls out. “How you doing, Mal?”
“Oh! Let me tell you about my night! You should’ve seen the ass on the guy I danced with!” Jani cracks up as Mallory makes her way over to her. Mallory is five feet from her front door, and with Jani, so I know she’ll be alright.
Nick follows me to my door, and steps in behind me. I barely have time to turn on a light before I’m pinned to the wall by his body, his warm breath in my ear. “Did you really want a drink, Sam, or were you interested in something else?”
His eyes are a stormy blue as they stare into mine and his lip tilts up when he sees I’m speechless for a moment. I’ve been with plenty of men, but there’s something about him, even aside from that gorgeous face, that seizes something inside me. He’s dangerous. I don’t know why that thought invades, but I know it’s absolutely true.
Self-preservation can go to hell. I want him.
Words aren’t necessary as I slam my mouth to his. One of his hands presses firmly on the back of my neck while his other slides under the back of my shirt, caressing my skin. I may have kissed him, but he quickly takes control, sliding his tongue between my lips and knocking every thought out of my head. I’ve had orgasms that weren’t as powerful as this kiss. What the hell is he capable of in the bedroom if this is his introduction?
We knock over a small end table as we make our way out of the living room in a tornado of cast off clothes, our lips and hands hardly leaving the other’s body for more than a second. I flip the light switch when we make it through my bedroom door because you’d better believe I want to see every bit of him.
He starts to pull me toward the bed, but I grab the waistband of his boxer briefs and pull them down, kneeling in front of him as I go. “Fuck,” he breathes, taking a step back to lean against the wall right behind him. His cock is perfect, not too big or small, it’s just right, a goldicocks.
His groan as I take him in my mouth damn near makes me come right then. The next few minutes are filled with his murmured praises and hissed curse words, but he stops me before I get him off.
He has my panties off in half a second, and my knees nearly buckle when he slides his hand between my legs, his fingertip going straight to my clit. “Sucking me got you wet.”
“Yes.” Everything about him has had me wet since he touched me on the dance floor.
His chest rumbles with something akin to a growl as he snatches me up and lays me on the bed, my ass almost falling over the edge. He kneels in front of me, throws my legs over his shoulders, and gives me a wicked grin before slowly running his face up one thigh and down the other, letting his beard rasp against me.
Fuck me.
It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen or felt, but the anticipation of his tongue is pure torture. When he finally gives it to me in one long lick, an orgasm rocks through me, and I hear his deep chuckle.
Maybe I should be embarrassed that he was able to make me come with one lick, but I don’t give a single fuck, especially when he slides a finger inside me, and brings his mouth back to my clit, licking and sucking. His arms lock around my thighs, and with my knees bent over his shoulders, I’m effectively trapped. No matter how much I squirm and cry out, he keeps going until I’ve come again.
I don’t know how many times he’s called my name, but he’s wearing an amused grin when I open my eyes and look at him. His cock is wrapped in a condom and ready to go as he grunts, “Say yes, Samantha.”
“Yes, fuck yes.” I scoot up the bed, and he follows, sitting on his knees. He grabs my legs, wrapping them around his waist and sinks into me in one smooth motion. Three orgasms in a night is usually beyond me, but I know the second I feel him inside me, that I can get there again.
He leans over me, licking and sucking each nipple as I revel in the sensation of his long, deep strokes. If he’s maintained control until now, all semblance of it disappears as he puts my feet on his shoulders and starts to pound into me.
Sweat coats us both and the slap of our bodies competes with the groans and cries that echo through the room. He adjusts his angle the tiniest bit, and I’m gone, my hands gripping the sheets as my entire body lights up and burns in the best way. I’m mesmerized by his expression, the way his mouth falls open, his brow furrowing, his eyes squeezed shut like he’s in pain as he comes.
A few seconds pass, and he lets my legs down and bends over to press a kiss to my lips. It’s unbearably soft and sweet compared to what we’ve just experienced, as is the way he rests his forehead against my breast, catching his breath.
He looks up and grins at me. “Trash can?”
“Beside the night stand.” I gesture to the right, and he climbs off of me, disposing of the condom.
I’m a little surprised when he flips off the light and climbs back in bed instead of getting dressed. He wraps an arm around my middle and pulls me back against him.
Huh. I guess we’re spooning.
I guess he’s staying.
The alcohol and multiple orgasms catch up with me, and my eyes fall shut.
Chapter Three
Nick
Soft breath wafting over my thigh stirs me from sleep and it only takes me a moment to remember where I am and the amazing sex I had last night. Apparently, she isn’t done with me because the breath moves slowly up the back of my thigh until I feel a lick on my right ass cheek.
Odd way to start, but I’m not complaining.
“You could at least feed a man before you take advantage of him again,” I tease.
“Hmm?” I open my eyes and realize Samantha is curled up beside me, blinking as her eyes adjust to the morning light. She snorts out a laugh. “Uh…I’m sure he’d share his food with you, but I don’t think you’d like it.”
What the hell? There’s a lick on my ass again followed by something cold and wet.
“Puffbutt! No, get down!”
Rolling over, I sit up to see her dog sitting on the bed, and I swear he smiles at me. “Dude, not cool. You have to get consent first.” He licks my hand when I go to scratch behind his ear.
“I think he likes you,” she chuckles, petting him, then setting him down off the bed.
Lying back, I grin at the way her mass of curls hang around her face. Damn, last night was hot. When her plump lips lift into a smile, all I can think about is how they felt around my cock.
A glance at the clock has her rushing out of bed. “Do you work weekends?” I ask, slightly disappointed in missing out on some morning after fun.
“No, but I volunteer at the library, and this is my month to host the children’s story hour. I have to get moving.”
I come up behind her and slide my arms around her waist as she stands naked in front of her closet. “Let someone else read Green Eggs and Ham.” She hums as my hand slides down between her legs. “And you can hop on top.” I press my cock against her ass, letting her feel how hard I am.
“It’s Hop on Pop,” she says, amusement in her voice.
“Ew, no, not into the whole daddy thing.”
Laughing, she turns, and runs her hands down my chest. “I can’t bail on them, but if you’d like to do this again, I would too.”
“Why don’t we meet for lunch?”
“Sure.” She lays an outfit out on the bed as I step back and start dressing. I don’t want to make her late if she’s determined to go. “My lunch break through the week is from noon to one.”
“I meant today.”
She blinks and considers it a moment. “Oh, uh, yeah,
I don’t see why not.”
Well, don’t sound too excited. Her response is amusing but understandable. We just met, and this situation would usually end with a quick exchange of numbers and a promise to call with no real intention of following through. But I like her, and I want to get to know her a little more.
I catch her lips with mine for a quick kiss. “Pick you up at noon?”
“I’ll be ready.”
Samantha steps out her door before I can knock. She’s wearing jeans that show off her ass and a yellow blouse that gives me a great view of her cleavage. The way her gaze travels over me and up to my face makes me want to take her right back to bed.
“Hey beautiful, you ready?” Before she can answer, her dog darts out between her legs and runs around my feet. He sits and looks up at me expectantly, wiggling his ass when I kneel to pet him.
Mallory laughs from where she sits on her front steps. “He likes you.”
“We had a moment this morning.”
Samantha catches my eye and laughs. “Puffbutt! Come on, time to go inside.”
“We can bring him if you want. The college is hosting a charity barbecue in the park, if you’d like to eat there.”
It’s a nice, sunny day, and I always prefer the outdoors. It’s one of the reasons I ended up in my line of work.
“That sounds fun. Just let me grab his leash.”
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into the park where a good amount of the town appears to have had the same idea. Most of the picnic tables are full, but we manage to find an empty one back by the creek after getting our food.
Sam loops Puffbutt’s—god, what a name—leash to the bench of the table and puts a paper plate of shredded meat in front of him before turning to her own food.
“How long have you had him?” I ask, gesturing to the dog who now has his nose buried in barbecue beef.
“Just a couple of days. I saw him at the shelter and knew he was mine. Do you have a dog?”
I pop a french fry in my mouth. “Cat, actually.”
She grins at me. “A cat person, huh? What’s its name?”
Now, it’s my turn to be embarrassed. “First, I didn’t name him. My sister got him for my nephew but he was so allergic, they had to give him up. I didn’t have the heart to change the name.”
“Now I really have to know.”
“Cat.”
She stares at me. “His name is cat.”
With a sigh, I add, “Short for Catthew.”
Her laughter fills the air, scaring away a few birds that had been inching closer, hoping for crumbs. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all week. He must be adorable.”
“He’s a terror.”
She takes a sip of her drink. “Do you have any kids?”
“No. No kids, never married.”
“Same here.”
I’m surprised, not about the kids, but that she’s never been married. She’s beautiful, and fun to be around. “Do you want kids?”
Her eyebrows raise. “No, I’m pretty happy without that particular responsibility.”
I meet her gaze as I sip my drink. “I feel the same way. Had a vasectomy to make sure.”
Smiling, she holds up her cup. “To life without semen demons.”
I nearly choke on laughter as I touch my cup to hers. “To sex without collateral damage.”
It’s quiet for a few moments before she asks, “So, do you usually punch people at the bar?”
Yeah, I figured that wasn’t just going to go away. “No, I’m not violent. Never been in trouble or anything, but I wasn’t going to let him stand there and insult my date.”
“I wasn’t your date.”
Shrugging, I sit back. “Turned into an amazing date.” I reach across the table and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Two now, and hopefully more.”
“After you defended my honor and all, I can’t very well turn you down,” she teases.
We sit there talking a while longer and then walk along the creek, letting Puffbutt play in the water until he wears himself out. He flops down at our feet when we sit on a bench at the far end of the park, away from all the noise and people. I’m shocked to see how late in the day it’s gotten. I can’t remember ever losing track of time with someone like this. She’s so easy to talk to, and we find quite a few things we have in common, including our love for horror movies and hate for reality television.
I don’t date as much as I used to. It seems like most women past thirty are aiming for marriage and kids, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not something I want. Marriage, I would consider with the right person, for the right reason. But I really just want to find someone who fits into my life and doesn’t try to change it.
Sam’s head swivels as a man calls her name. He approaches the bench and Sam introduces him. “Nick, this is Mitch, he’s one of my neighbors.”
“Nice to meet you.” Mitch gives me a cursory nod before turning back to Sam. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I wanted to let you know we’re trying to put together some help for Roni. She just got a job after being let off from the sock factory last year, remember? Anyway, they raised her rent and stopped her food stamps even though she won’t get her first check for almost a month.”
“Oh no,” Sam says, the corner of her mouth tucking in.
“Everyone’s chipping in, doing what we can do, you know? We’ve raised enough for her rent, but her electric is due, and she’ll need some food.”
“If her electric gets cut off, it’s an instant eviction too. Gary’s was off for two days and they tagged his door,” Sam points out.
“They can do that?” I ask, stunned.
“It’s in the lease. If you can’t maintain your utilities, you can’t stay. And they jump at the opportunity to get the lowest income people out so they can bring in the ones who pay full scale rent,” Mitch explains.
Sam shrugs. “Poor people penalties. The harder you try to get ahead, the harder life tries to prevent it. She lives in four-twenty-seven, right?”
“Yeah.”
Sam picks up her phone and scrolls for a moment before placing it to her ear. She gets up and walks a few steps away, but I can still hear her. “Yes, Ma’am, can you tell me how much is owed for four-twenty-seven Violet Circle?” She pauses. “That’s the amount to prevent disconnection? Okay, and the total amount? Yes, I’d like to pay it over the phone, please.”
I watch as she rattles off her credit card number to the woman. She just paid her neighbor’s electric bill. Just like that. I don’t know Samantha’s finances. Hell, we don’t know much at all about each other, but judging by where she works and lives, she isn’t exactly flush with cash. Yet, she didn’t even hesitate.
Mitch smiles down at me, taking in my stunned expression. “Samantha is good people. I know a lot of folks give her a hard time, but she doesn’t deserve it. So, treat her right, you hear?”
I don’t get a chance to respond before Sam returns and nods at Mitch. “Don’t tell her it was me.”
“My lips are sealed. We’re having a little bonfire tonight. You should come.”
“Thanks, I’ll see how the night goes.”
“Take care.” Mitch walks away, and Sam sits back down beside me.
My arm circles her waist, and I pull her closer. Her lips part in surprise as I catch them with mine in a soft kiss. The words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Stay at my place tonight.”
We’ve already spent the last night and day together. I have to be coming off totally desperate, but I don’t care. I want her in bed again. And I don’t want to wait until next weekend when we’re both off work to ask her out.
“I really don’t think I should leave Puffbutt. He hasn’t settled in yet and I don’t want him to think I abandoned him like his last owner.”
“Bring him with you.”
She gnaws her lip for a second. “He has only known my place as home for a few days. I don’t want to confuse him, and I hav
e no idea how he’d be around your cat. It’s probably not a good idea.”
I’m sure she’s giving me excuses, and it’s understandable. I’m being clingy as fuck. I open my mouth to tell her it’s fine and suggest a date in the future when she adds. “Do you want to stay at my place? We can have a few drinks at the bonfire.”
“I’d love to.”
We get to our feet and start heading back toward my car. “That was really nice of you, what you did for your neighbor.”
She shrugs. “They’ve helped me plenty of times, and I can afford it. Most of them can’t.” She grins as I take her hand. “Not everyone who lives on Violent Circle is struggling, but pretty close. I’m lucky because I only have myself to take care of and I have a good paying job. I could move if I wanted to, I suppose.”
“But you stay for the people?”
“I fit in there. They accept me and don’t judge like the rest of the town.”
Judge her for what? Mitch’s comment about how she’s often given a hard time by others sparked my curiosity, and she just added gasoline. I’m probably pushing it, but I have to ask. “What do you get judged for?”
She smiles at me. “Don’t tell me you aren’t aware you’re dating the town slut.”
I stop so suddenly that Puffbutt gives me a look when his leash catches. “People call you a slut?”
Rolling her eyes, she tugs on my hand and we keep walking. “Trust me, I’ve heard them all. My favorite lipstick shade is penis. I’ve had more balls in my mouth than Hungry Hungry Hippos. My legs are like Walmart, open twenty-four seven.”
The nonchalant way she says it surprises me, but not as much as the blunt statement that follows. We’ve just arrived back at my car and she pauses, staring me in the eye. “If that sort of thing bothers you, we probably shouldn’t see each other again. Because I’m not apologizing for the fact that I date and sleep with whoever I want to. Men are allowed to do that exact thing without being penalized for it. If people knew you went home with me last night, I’m the slut and you’re the stud. Totally unfair. I’m not playing by those rules.”