Sweet Home

by Tillie Cole

  Romeo spun me around, biting my neck in manic rapture. “I need you in the closet again… now. Fuck, that was so hot, baby,” he growled.

  “Was that bold enough for you?” I asked.

  He pushed himself against me again, grinning. “Bold as fuck! I’m friggin’ lovin’ this new you.”

  “It’s not new. It was just lying dormant.”

  “Then wake the fuck up, baby! Wake. The. Fuck. Up!”

  Cass came strutting over with Jimmy-Don, clapping loudly. “Molly Shakespeare! I’ve never heard you talk like that to anyone. I freakin’ loved it! I think I’m rubbin’ off on you, girl! Next time, though, direct that at Shelly. That bitch needs a dose of tough new badass Molly talk!” She leaned down and kissed my head like a proud momma.

  Five minutes later, we all had our shots and hit the dance floor nearest our booth. As we stood Big and Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” came through the speakers, and Romeo’s eyes danced in jest as I pressed against him, gyrating to the beat. Cass and Jimmy-Don two-stepped like no other, the crowd offering them a wide berth, and Austin made Lexi jump on his back like a horse when the chorus kicked in.

  With every shot of tequila, my inhibitions lowered and Romeo took full advantage, skirting his hand along my sides, brushing his tongue along my exposed skin, and whispering illicit murmurs into my ear.

  We didn’t sit down for two hours and had managed to move to a corner of the club, secluding us from people’s constant attention. Romeo was flush against the wall and I danced around him, against him, upon him. I felt his need pressing against my bare thigh and it was at that moment that I made a decision.

  I snuggled against him as the intro to Randy Houser’s “How Country Feels” began to play, wrapped my arms around his neck, and watched as a smile broke out on his face as he reciprocated the movements around my waist.

  “You okay?”

  I shook my head and pouted.

  His eyebrows furrowed, his adorable frown line making an appearance. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  I combed my fingers through his long hair, my mouth to his ear. “I want to go home.”

  “Are you ill? Is somethin’ wrong?”

  I sighed and nodded my head yes.

  “What is it? Tell me,” he pushed, his hard protective attitude rising to the surface. It was exactly what I wanted to happen.

  “I want you to take me home and put me to bed.”

  His tongue traced across his bottom lip and his face looked all confused. “Okay, are you tired? It’s still pretty early.”

  I shook my head and continued. “I want you to put me to bed… get in beside me… and make love to me.”

  At those words, Romeo’s head snapped back and his cocoa eyes lit with instant arousal. His hard pelvis smacked against mine as he pushed me farther against the slick-with-sweat wall. “Are you serious?”

  “Deadly.”

  Softening his tone, he murmured, “I don’t want you to do anythin’ you ain’t ready for. You’ve been drinkin’. I don’t want you to regret us in the mornin’.”

  “I’m not so drunk that my feelings are untrue. I want you, Romeo, no regrets.”

  “Then beg me.”

  Noticing my surprised reaction, he whispered in a gravelly timbre, “I told you I’d take you only when you begged me, when you wanted me like no other. If you’re at that point, Mol, you have to prove it to me. You have to beg.”

  I remembered his words and tremors danced along my skin. He excited me. His verbal foreplay successfully reeled me into his line.

  “Romeo Prince, I want you to take me to bed, I want you to undress me slowly, and I want you to make me completely yours. Please, Romeo, make love to me… tonight.”

  For a fleeting moment, I thought he was going to just take me right there against the wall, when he ordered, “Go and get your purse. I’ll be waitin’ for you outside. And don’t be long.” He disappeared in the crowd and I could see his hands clenching into frustrated fists as he aggressively pushed his way to the exit.

  I made my way to the booth in an almost dreamlike state, collected our things, made our excuses to our friends, and went to join him outside.

  As soon as walked through the exit, lusty eyes immediately locked onto my excited face and Romeo stalked me like a predator stalks its targeted prey. He flicked his chin, telling me without words to get myself closer.

  I drifted on heavy feet and stopped before him. Leaning forward, he pressed a smooth kiss on the side of my neck, grasped my hand without saying a word, and signalled for a cab.

  We jumped in the back seat, our thighs flush against one another, and the tension between us was palpable. Even the middle-aged, grey-haired driver shifted in his seat and looked at us repeatedly in his rearview mirror, probably worrying we were about to lose control on the leather upholstery.

  I couldn’t sit still in anticipation and Rome’s hand gripped my bouncing knee. “Stop.”

  I risked a side-glance and a large bulge pushed against the fly of his jeans. I tried to edge closer, to steal a kiss, a touch, just something to appease my starving body for a little while longer.

  Romeo saw me go to move and leaned over to my ear. “Decide now if you want to be arrested for public indecency, because if you move even a millimetre closer, I’ll fuck you right here, right now, with no pleasantries. Your choice, Shakespeare.”

  I cowered to the door, rolling down the window to let in some air, and tried to refocus my wayward mind, wondering what the hell I’d signed myself up for.

  As we finally pulled to a stop in front of my sorority house, after what seemed like an eternity, we got out onto the quiet street and Romeo said, “You go in the front alone; I’ll come in from the balcony. And be quick, baby. I mean it. Don’t test me right now.”

  15

  As soon as I entered the room, Romeo was against me, his breath blowing on my tempered skin—a mix of mint and beer—cooling my flushed complexion. “Walk toward the bed and take off the boots.” His voice was tight and stern.

  My legs moved forward as if they were perfectly attuned to his commands. I reached the bed and shucked off my boots.

  “Turn around and face me.”

  I did as he said, trembling in a heady cocktail of apprehension and excitement. Romeo stood against the wall, the glow of the moonlight showcasing his handsome face, watching my silhouette as I complied eagerly with his instructions.

  “Take off your dress… slowly.”

  I lifted the hem smoothly over my head, dropping it to the floor, standing only in my new black strapless bra and silk panties. Romeo strode determinedly before me and commenced circling around my scantily clad form, absorbing the view of my nearly naked body with a knowing smile. He stopped his assessing eyes at my upper hip and ran a finger across the lines of my small tattoo.

  His stunned gaze met mine. “A tattoo, Shakespeare? You surprise me. You’ve never let me see this before.” He immediately dropped to his knees and studied the writing, his face level with my stomach, warm breath breezing between my legs, eliciting a strangled moan from the back of my throat.

  Romeo stroked the tattoo with his finger and the anxiety began at the memory of its source, and I stumbled and sucked in a telltale hollow breath.

  Romeo lifted his hand without looking up and took mine securely in his. The panic immediately filtered away, his touch healing me.

  “So are you to my thoughts as food to life, or as sweet seasoned showers are to the ground,” he murmured as he read the quote out loud, pressing a kiss to my jutting hipbone. He peered up and asked, “What’s this, baby? Why do these words take pride of place on this beautiful body?” Feather-light fingertips continued to trace the intricate loops and dips of the script.

  I raked my hands through his hair and he held my bottom firmly within the hold of his free arm, keeping me close. “It’s William Shakespeare, from one of his love sonnets, number seventy-five,” I confessed as I struggled to suppress a whimper as his fingers d
ipped along the juncture of my thighs.

  His eyes cracked open. “But why is it important, enough for you to brand yourself with it forever?”

  My eyes filled with water and I chewed on my lip to keep from breaking down.

  The strong grip on my hips tightened in warning and he licked along my lower stomach. “Tell me, Mol. I won’t ask twice. I’ve got you; I won’t let you be destroyed.”

  “I-it’s just a quote that I like. That’s all,” I answered evasively.

  Romeo’s dark eyes narrowed. “I know that’s not the full story, baby, but you can tell me later.” I released a pent-up breath that I didn’t even know I was holding.

  Romeo got to his feet. I forcibly swallowed as his hands slowly fell over my shoulders and down to the sharp blades on my back. My heart pounded as he stopped on the clasp of my bra. I instinctively reached out and gripped his plaid shirt to right my unsteady feet.

  I felt the slackening of my bra and it fell from my chest, revealing my round breasts to his heated scrutiny. My eyes lowered to my hands on his waist, unable to cope with the pressure of the exposure. Rome’s hands pressed flat against the bare skin of my back and moved north to grip my hair in his fist, tilting up my chin.

  My eyes were closed, but I could still feel his razor stare through my paper-thin lids.

  “Open.”

  I shook my head, unsure if I could cope with the intensity of the tension radiating between us—the air almost crackled with sexual static.

  His fist tightened and the pressure built at the crown of my scalp. “Open. I won’t ask again.”

  I took a calming breath and lifted my heavy lids. Romeo leaned in, pressing a hard kiss on my lips, and his fingers ghosted along my collarbone, cupping my left breast in his hand. I expelled a moan into his mouth and his tongue slid against mine in circuitous movements as his palm brushed over my nipple, over and over, shooting an electrical need to my sex.

  Romeo broke away from my swollen lips on a gasp and as though a strained cord had snapped within him, lifted me in his arms and dropped me to the centre of the bed.

  Straddling my thighs, Romeo pinched at the peaks of my breasts with his fingers and I almost erupted at the sensation, my back arching off the sheets. Romeo’s wide, muscled body loomed above me and he rid himself of his shirt, ripping open the snap buttons, leaving him only in his faded jeans that balanced low on his waist.

  “You’re beautiful, baby. All laid out for me. All mine.”

  I squirmed as he leaned above me, taking my mouth in a devastating salutation. His tongue plundered, only withdrawing to lick down my throat and to suck his soft lips around the centre of my breasts, my hips instinctively grinding into the mattress, searching for release.

  His hand darted into my panties and his fingers worked furiously at my core. I clutched his hair, pulling on the golden strands to anchor my lust. Growling at my rough treatment, he lifted abruptly, snatching my legs, dragging me to slam against his hardness.

  Romeo rid me of my panties within seconds, and I trembled in yearning. I’d never been so unconcealed, so open, and he saw it on my face.

  Leaning down, he stroked my hair from my forehead. “I’m goin’ to take you now. I’m goin’ to show you what you mean to me, how much I want you, and show you that you’re mine. You get me, baby?”

  “I get you, Romeo.”

  Goose bumps ran along his skin at my words and I lifted, brandishing his chest and the valleys of his abdominal muscles with scorching kisses. He expelled a guttural groan and pushed me back, fire blazing in his eyes.

  Romeo shifted to the end of the bed, snapping open his jeans, and I watched as the heavy denim hit the floor. He hooked his hands in his black boxers and I bit my lip as they accompanied his jeans. I took in the view of his delectable body in all its naked perfection, my thighs constricting at the sight.

  Climbing on the bed on his hands and knees, Romeo lay flush against my body, his large erection resting teasingly against my thigh. With one hand hooked around my head, he used his free hand to lift my knee into a bend, his fingers drifting to my heat to ensure I was ready. I’d never been more ready for anything in my entire life.

  Romeo’s body moved off me and he reached for his jeans.

  “Romeo, what—”

  “Condom,” he said, looking back at me.

  I touched his arm with my hand, halting his movement. “I’m on the pill.”

  “Baby…” he groaned.

  “Please… I just want you, nothing in the way.”

  In a flash, he was over me, his expression savage and feral. He grasped my hips feverishly and I lost my breath as I felt him brace at my entrance. In a moment of tenderness, he bent and kissed me with a delicate caress. Pressing his forehead against mine, he clenched his jaw and pushed forward in one swift thrust.

  I shifted underneath him at the sudden feeling of fullness, but Romeo’s large body pinned me down, ensuring I didn’t slip away. His strong arms hooked under mine, resting against the mattress, rocking himself farther and farther within me. I raked my nails across his back and bit my teeth into his exposed skin to stop from screaming in pleasure.

  “Romeo… God… I can’t take it… It’s too much…”

  Lifting his head, he brushed a kiss on the tip of nose. “Yes, you can, baby. You’ll love it. This is us; this is how we should always be.”

  He withdrew completely and stilled. “Now I’m gonna make you scream my name.”

  My eyes widened in anticipation and Romeo slammed into me—hard, direct, and rough. “Fuck, you feel amazin’.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut and my nails dug farther into the flesh of his back. “Romeo!”

  His hips pumped forward and his arms moved from underneath mine as my legs wrapped tightly around his waist, my hands holding his neck. He reached up and gripped our hands together, using the position to increase his speed and force, hammering into me, stealing my heart. Moans involuntarily slipped from my lips as an unbearable pressure built at the bottom of my spine.

  Romeo’s chest lifted off mine, his legs widening to gain more traction, pushing me to open farther. “Grip my arms.”

  Releasing our hands, Romeo took hold of my wooden headboard and I complied, my fingers wrapping around his wide biceps as he used his strength to slam harder into me over and over.

  “Do you like it, baby? Do you like it this hard?” he growled.

  My toes curled. “Yes. Yes…” Flames of desire licked across my skin and my thighs constricted.

  “Let go, Mol. Let go now,” Romeo ordered as his knuckles turned white with the strength of his fists on my headboard, which cracked the paintwork on my wall.

  I closed my eyes as my body hummed with ecstasy and on a scream, I let go.

  Rome’s loud grunts increased as I tensed around him and my eyes fluttered open to see his mouth gape open, his eyes pulling tight and he released an exaggerated rumbled groan. Romeo’s heat spread within me and his torso crashed, almost bruising, against my chest.

  Our breaths were fast in the aftermath, and I held tightly to his shoulders. When he finally lifted, the quiet serenity on his face knocked me breathless, and I ran my hand over his damp forehead and smiled.

  “Hey, Mol.”

  “Hey, you.”

  He rewarded me with a smile, a full smile—he floored me at how stunning he looked. I wondered how it was possible that someone so attractive even existed… and he wanted me.

  Dipping his head to my throat, he began to nip at the dewy skin. “You’re everythin’ I thought I could never have. Makin’ love to you, it was… you know… beyond…” He buried his head, unable to complete the sentence.

  I arched my neck, giving him full access, and I stroked his hair soothingly. “Romeo… it was… beautiful.”

  His moist lips dragged across my throat, latching onto my mouth, softly nibbling at my lips and sucking on the tip of my tongue as he gently he pulled out of me. I winced and sucked in a breath.

  Rome
o snapped his head up to study my face. “Are you sore?”

  I tentatively drew my legs together and flinched. “Yes. I told you, I’m not very experienced with all this. I was practically a virgin. You’ve definitely left your mark!”

  Smiling, he laid his head on my stomach, surprising me with his affection, and his fingers ran slowly along the juncture of my thighs. “I’m sorry it hurts you, baby, but I’m not gonna lie. I like that you feel thoroughly fucked.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m glad you’re pleased with yourself.”

  He lifted his head at my obvious sarcasm, eyes narrowing. “Oh, you have no idea, Shakespeare. Just wait ‘til you see what else I have in store for you.”

  I trembled at his words and the knowing gleam in his expression showed me that he was satisfied with my reciprocated hunger.

  Settling beside me, he pulled me to his embrace and played with my hair. “Tell me somethin’ that you’ve never told anyone.”

  I stiffened and he wound his free hand in mine pre-emptively, imploring me to speak.

  “Like what?”

  He shrugged. “Anythin’. Just somethin’ no one else knows. Some deep secret or fear that you have.”

  I stared into his hopeful eyes, and I boldly decided to do as he asked. I would share what hurt me most.

  “I get so lonely that at times, I literally think it might kill me.”

  Devastation engulfed his features and he rolled on top of me, urgently pressing his mouth on my lips, on my cheeks, on my forehead. “Molly, baby, you’re breakin’ my fuckin’ heart.”

  I subtly wiped away a stray tear. “It’s true and I’ve never told anyone that until just now… until you. For me, it’s been the hardest thing. It’s amazing how loud the sound of silence can be screaming at you relentlessly, reminding you that you’re completely on your own in the world.”

  Romeo licked his bottom lip anxiously and his eyes began to glisten. “Can I tell you somethin’?”

  I nodded shyly. He ran his finger down my cheek, but almost as if the action fuelled his strength rather than gave me comfort. “I’m desperately lonely, too.”