Hilariously Ever After

by Penny Reid

  He wasn’t expecting those words to produce such an outraged expression from Aria. She looked personally offended. “What on earth are you taking about? Yes, you bloody are!”

  Even though she was wrong, his heart swelled, a smile curving his lips. “You think?”

  “Oh, come on. You know you are.” She gave him a suspicious look, as if this were all part of some ploy. Like he was fishing for compliments, or something. But after a moment, she seemed to realise that he was deadly serious.

  “I told you before,” Nik said. “My life has been easy. Football is my only skill and I was lucky enough to be able to pursue it.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what I’ll do next. I’m working on it. It’s just taking me a while because every time I try to think about the future, I freeze. I can’t see anything.” Except you. I see you like a light in the dark.

  “Ah.” She nodded slowly. “Well, that’s totally understandable. Your career just ended abruptly. You’ve lost your passion. But you’re amazing, Nik. There are a thousand things you could do, related to football or otherwise—you’re the most determined person I’ve ever met. You can do anything. Anything. So, don’t pressure yourself, don’t overthink, it, just… take some time to acclimatise. Let yourself breathe. Okay?”

  He managed to force out some sort of agreement, even though emotion clogged his throat. She hadn’t said anything that he didn’t know already. But he only knew it logically; the words had never sunk into his bones before. To have Aria, the person he trusted most in the world, tell him that it was okay? That he could handle this? That he’d be alright?

  A tension Nik hadn’t realised he’d been carrying drifted away. He felt suddenly lighter, stronger, more like himself, than he had for weeks. She moved the conversation on, the sound of her voice soothing him even though he couldn’t discern the words. He was thinking too hard. He was considering a new approach, a new plan, a new way to become the person he wanted to be.

  Eventually, his whirring thoughts stilled. He didn’t need to work on this now. He had time. Everything would be fine. Aria had said so.

  He took a breath that felt as refreshing as cool rain and said, “Thank you.”

  She didn’t ask what for. She didn’t point out that they’d been talking about something else entirely for the last five minutes—or rather, that she’d been talking, and he’d been grunting occasionally while staring at the tablecloth.

  Instead, she smiled and said, “Any time.”

  The rest of the night flowed like water.

  Was it odd that taking her out, ordering whatever she wanted, showing her places she’d never been before, soothed the hunger in his chest as much as touching her did? Maybe. Nik was starting to think he’d fallen in love with her. Not now; before. Ages ago. He’d always thought that when he fell in love, he’d know—just like his parents had known, just like his sister had known. But he wasn’t the smartest guy in the world.

  As she teased him throughout dinner, as he drove them home with his hand on her thigh, Nik considered the possibility that he’d fallen in love without noticing.

  It did sound like something he’d do. The idea bore further investigation.

  They parked up and headed into the house in uncharacteristic silence, the razor-edged flirtation they’d kept up throughout the night finally fading. He knew why. For the past couple of hours, a glimmering thread of tension had stretched taut between them, crackling like a live wire. Now someone would have to make the first move. Someone would have to risk a shock.

  “No-one’s home,” she murmured as they wandered through the house.

  “It’s barely ten. They probably just left.”

  “We’ll be alone for hours.” She climbed the stairs ahead of him with a slow, lethal smile.

  If Nik’s cock could get any harder, it would have. “You want me to fuck you now, agapi mou? Should I push you to your knees on the stairs, pull your underwear aside and shove my dick inside you?”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath and wrapped a steadying arm around her as she faltered.

  Pressing his lips to her ear, he murmured, “I could. But I won’t. Upstairs.”

  Because he had this weird, old-fashioned idea that the first time he fucked her, it would be on a bed. He’d never cared about that kind of thing before, because it didn’t matter—but this woman. This fucking woman.

  He reached out and pulled up her skirt. The tight fabric caught around her waist, and he moved down a step to take in the sight of her arse, the dimpled globes bisected by a strip of blue silk. She arched her back and looked over her shoulder at him, challenge sparkling in her eyes. “I dare you.”

  He spanked her, not particularly hard. “Nice try. Up.” He wouldn’t be distracted tonight. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he was going to get it.

  She laughed—the best fucking laugh he’d ever heard, like a waterfall of freedom with a stormy edge of lust—and then she moved again, climbing the stairs faster than he’d ever seen, that luscious backside bouncing with every step. On the second flight of stairs, she stumbled again with a giggle. He steadied her from a few steps below, reaching up to put his hands on her waist. Then he bit her thigh, just hard enough to make her gasp.

  “You really are impossible,” she accused, but she didn’t sound unhappy about it.

  “And you’re irresistible. Here we are together. I wonder what will happen next.”

  “Shut up,” she snorted, climbing the stairs again and skipping across the landing.

  “You can shut me up when we’re in bed,” he said mildly. “You can suffocate me with all that, if you want.”

  “I just might.”

  The idea sounded like heaven, actually, filthy fucking heaven: Aria sitting on his face. He’d breathe in her cunt like it was oxygen and die with her thighs holding him hostage. Yeah. That was his new life goal. But maybe he’d save it for sixty years’ time. There were a lot of things he needed to do before he died, after all.

  Like marry Aria Granger.

  The thought didn’t even faze him. The exact fucking opposite, in fact. A grin slid over his face as he followed her up the last few steps—until he remembered that marrying Aria would be difficult when she didn’t even want to be with him.

  Or anyone, it seemed. A couple of hours ago, she’d said the word ‘commitment’ like it was a slug she’d had to pick up with her bare hands. Nick hesitated as they reached the top of the stairs, suddenly worried. And quite disturbingly sure that his earlier suspicions were correct: he was in love with Aria.

  He was in love with Aria.

  Perfect.

  On the landing, he reached out and caught her wrist. She turned back to look at him, those almond eyes wide and questioning, her glossy lips parted. God, those lips.

  Nik shook his head, forcing himself to focus on words—actual, useful words. Hopefully some of the blood in his body had remained in his brain, rather than relocating completely to his throbbing cock.

  “Listen, Ri, what I said earlier… I meant it. This isn’t casual.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly, almost nervously. “So, what is it?”

  Love, his ridiculous mind supplied. Like he could say that to her, when she flinched at the thought of a relationship. “It’s us. It’s just you and me.”

  The words made not a lick of sense, but something about her seemed soothed, and he saw understanding in her eyes. “Yeah,” she said softly. “You and me.”

  That settled, Nik gave into the need heating his blood and pushed her gently, back, back, back, until she was walking through the door of their room. He kicked it shut behind them and dragged her close, hands kneading her luscious arse, cock thrust hard against her belly, tongue tangling with hers. And she met him move for move, just as hungry, just as reckless, pouring her moans into his mouth as if she knew how they fed him.

  But she couldn’t. She couldn’t possibly know what it did to him, to touch her, to be touched by her. If she did, Nik had no doubt, she’d run.

&n
bsp; Aria loved sex in general, and orgasms in particular. Yet, despite her appreciation for bedroom activities, she wasn’t a Rip off my clothes and fuck up my hair kind of girl. Mostly because her clothes were too fabulous to mess up for something as common as dick. Also, because she’d never been swept away quite that badly, never been so high on desire that she forgot to care about anything else.

  Until now.

  When Nik broke their kiss to drag her dress roughly over her head, it didn’t irritate her; it pulled a gasp from her lips and sent a thrill racing down her spine. When he threw the dress away and looked down at her near-naked body with hunger in his eyes, she felt her pussy get even wetter. Her underwear must be a mess.

  He’d probably like that.

  Nik grabbed her hips with both hands, little sparks of electricity zinging from each indent of his fingers in her flesh. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

  “And you’re a tease.” Aria leant forward until her tingling nipples brushed his shirt, the cotton rasping against those sensitive tips. When she closed her eyes and moaned, Nik’s teeth caught her lower lip. He bit, sucked, and she felt every taut pull as if he’d wrapped his lips around her clit instead.

  Releasing her, he slid his palms up her body until they cradled her breasts. “If you want something, agapi mou, just ask.”

  “I’m not falling for that one again.”

  He grinned. “Am I not giving you what you wanted?” Before she could reply, he bent his head and gave her nipple a long, wet lick.

  She moaned and watched him lap at her breast, his amber skin flushed, his dark brows furrowed and ferocious. Attraction and need coalesced in her core to form something else, something greater, something that had her raking shaking fingers through his hair and panting, “Fuck, yes, please.”

  He moved to her other breast, one hand pushing up the small, soft mound until it met his lips. His free hand cupped her pussy through her sodden underwear, the cotton clinging to her folds. A flush spread over her chest at the realisation that she was even wetter than she’d thought, that her thighs had grown slick too. But it was his fault. He’d made her sit through dinner watching those full lips move, remembering the way they felt gliding over her skin. He’d done this.

  He knew it, too. Nik sucked her nipple hard and rubbed her pussy, his palm rocking against her clit, his fingers teasing her entrance. Something sensuous and unrestrained rolled through her, stealing her breath.

  He released her breast and straightened up, his hand stroking faster now, his lips slightly swollen. “Are you going to come, agapi mou? Already?” He actually had the audacity to use that teasing smile with her right now. He was awful. She adored him.

  “Fuck off,” Aria managed to gasp, biting back yet another moan. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He was already smug enough. But the way he worked her, his touch so satisfying, maybe he had a right to be.

  He bent to whisper against her throat, his stubble grazing her sensitive skin. “I love your pretty little tits. I love your fat nipples and the taste of you on my tongue, and I love the way you’re riding my hand right now like you might never get the chance again.”

  She rocked against him harder, the sensation she chased drawing closer with every word. “Ahhhh, Nik, keep—keep—like that—”

  “Like this?” he echoed, his tone teasing as ever, but wicked. So wicked. He rubbed her clit in a way that shouldn’t have been enough to make her come, only it was, it was, because she’d been waiting so long, and she wanted it so much—and because it was him. It was Nik’s big hand driving her toward orgasm and Nik’s smiling mouth at her throat and Nik’s arms holding her upright as she gasped out his name, her knees buckling, her body fizzing away from her like champagne from a freshly-popped cork.

  “Fuck, Aria. Eísai tóso ómorfi. You’re so beautiful. I need you.”

  As the last tremors faded and her focus returned, Aria opened her eyes—when had they closed? —and swatted his chest weakly. “I told you about the Greek thing.”

  He pushed her toward the bed. “You don’t want me to be sexy right now?”

  “If you get any sexier, I might die.”

  “Not yet, love. We’re not done.” He ripped off his clothes as if they were on fire. Aria lay back on the bed and watched, her hand trailing idly down to her still-aching clit, toying with the tight bud through her knickers. First, he stripped away his shirt, revealing that broad chest and the thick trail of hair pointing down his abdomen. His jeans went next, and Aria salivated over his powerful thighs until he finally pushed down his briefs.

  At that point, he may as well have been a floating erection. She certainly wasn’t looking at any other part of him, not anymore. Because Jesus, she loved his cock. It jutted up against abs, veering slightly to the left, the swollen head leaking pearly drops of pre-come. Aria circled her clit faster as her arousal spiked again. Impatient, she shoved down her underwear until she was fully naked.

  Nik looked up at her and groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as he tipped his head back. “Oh, fuck.” He wrapped a fist around his length, his features drawn tight. “Aria. You don’t know what you do to me.”

  “I think I do,” she murmured. And she liked it. So she spread her legs wide and traced her fingertips around her soft, slippery entrance. “Look at me.”

  He didn’t disappoint. Nik’s eyes snapped open and he hissed out a breath, biting down on his fist even as he moved closer to the bed. He sank down until his gaze was level with her folds, and when she eased two fingers inside her pussy, he moaned her name.

  She released a soft sigh of her own, her hips rocking automatically, her fingers stroking hyper-sensitive walls. “Ohhh, fuck.”

  “Tell me how it feels,” he ordered. “Tell me. Are you tight? Or do you need more?”

  “More,” she whimpered, thrusting into herself harder. “I want it deeper, but—”

  With a growl, he reached out and grabbed her calf, dragging her down the bed. Down, down, down, until her knees were draped over his shoulders and she could feel his panting breaths against her clit. He wrapped a hand around her wrist and pulled her fingers from her pussy, sucking them into his mouth.

  Aria moaned as his tongue separated her digits, lapping up every drop of her wetness. She felt his grunt of pleasure as much as she heard it, the deep vibrations setting off tingles of need that scattered through her body. She felt as if she were coming apart at the seams, as if she’d been taken over by pleasure.

  “God, you taste so fucking good.” He dug his fingers into her thighs, forcing her legs wider. “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this.”

  “Since yesterday?”

  “Since the first time I saw you. I spent half the night fucking my own hand.” The flash of ferocity in his eyes was raw, almost animalistic. “You’re so beautiful, Aria. Tell me you know that.”

  She was happy with the way she looked—very happy, as a matter of fact. She didn’t even mind her boobs, as much as she whined about them. But the way he looked at her sometimes, she wondered what he actually saw. Because no-one on earth could be beautiful enough to inspire that kind of urgent desire, to cause the tenderness and the need that battled in his gaze.

  “I know,” she said softly.

  He ran his hands over her thighs, sparking a shiver that made her pussy tighten. Parting her folds, he murmured, “And your cunt. Your cunt’s gorgeous too.” The crude words set her alight like a match to dry tinder. She was moaning his name even before he finally, finally slid his tongue through her folds. But when that hot, wet touch split her open, oh, God, it was good, so fucking good. He lapped at her as if she were dessert and he wanted to savour every mouthful. He licked up the juices spilling from her entrance, his tongue dipping inside her with every few strokes.

  And then, when she thought she might die with wanting, when her ragged cries and hoarse demands became truly frantic, he licked her clit. The shock of perfect pleasure as his tongue nudged that aching bud made her scream.
Actually scream. She’d never even done that before. The sound faded into a desperate, sobbing moan as he closed his lips gently around her clit and sucked.

  When he pushed his fingers inside her, she almost came. It was just the barest kiss of that ultimate pleasure, the edge of an orgasm—if that was even possible. Aria had been propped up on her elbows, watching as Nik buried his face in her pussy, but now she fell back with a ragged sigh, her bones turning liquid.

  His fingers stroked deeper than hers had managed, but not deep enough to fill the yearning, lustful ache he’d sparked inside her. Still, it was enough to spark tremors in her womb that seemed to shake her bones, tremors that drove every thought but Nik from her head. As she came again, harder than the last time, his tongue moved to lick her growing wetness.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she gasped, so sensitive now that she had to pull away. Aria dragged herself up the bed, crawling away from him even as she begged, “Nik, God, Nik, come here.”

  He kissed her ankle and stood, which was not what she’d wanted. She wanted him on top of her, weighing her down when she felt ready to float away, giving her more of the pleasure she wasn’t sure she could take. Aria watched with frustration as he walked around the bed and produced a box of condoms from the bedside drawer.

  “Ri,” he said, sitting down beside her, his voice gentler than it had been all night. “I want you to know I’m always safe. With everyone else, I mean.”

  Oh. She nodded silently, tensing as she waited for the rest. The cajoling Soooo maybe I could just fuck you bare because look, I really mean it, which means you can trust me enough to throw these in the bin!

  But he didn’t say that, or anything like that. He just ripped open a foil packet and put a condom on so fast, she almost missed it. And then, finally, he rolled on top of her, the heat of his body filling a need she hadn’t known was there.

  He tried to rise up on his elbows, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him back down. “Like this.”

  Nik slid one hand into her hair and grasped her thigh with the other, drawing up her leg, opening her to him. The thick head of his cock nudged her entrance, sending currents of electricity through her body. “Aria…”