by Katee Robert
Maybe she needed his touch nearly as much as he needed hers.
He pulled her dress over her head as they started up the stairs. “We’re supposed to be waiting.”
“I was never that good at waiting.” She shoved both his shorts and his boxer briefs down. Holy shit, was she ever going to get used to this man’s body? Would she even have a chance to?
No, those weren’t good thoughts. No use thinking about the future, not when Ian was standing so freaking gloriously naked in front of her.
“Me either.” He unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side. “It was really hard to stop earlier.”
She ran a single finger down his neck, over his chest, and down the centerline of his abs. “You mean when you had me on my desk, dress shoved up around my waist, coming for you?”
“Yeah, then.” His voice deepened. “All I wanted was to fuck you right there in the middle of your office where your assistant could have walked in at any time.” It was suddenly really hard to catch her breath. She moved her hand a little lower, until her palm brushed against the head of his cock. “I wanted that, too.” “Next time, I’m not going to hesitate.”
There was something too vulnerable, too real, about standing here naked, talking about sex, with their only contact her hand on his lower stomach. She licked her lips. “Good.”
Ian looped an arm around her waist and brought her flush against him. “Glad we’ve reached an understanding.” He fisted his free hand in her hair and bent her backward over his arm, the position leaving her to rely on him to keep her from falling down the few stairs they’d managed to climb. He leaned over and claimed first one nipple and then the other, sucking until her back bowed, and she tangled her fingers in his hair. Until her entire world became his mouth on her skin. “I could spend hours on your breasts alone,” he growled.
As great as that sounded, she needed more, and she needed it now. “Ian, please.”
12
They were supposed to be waiting, holding off until Ian courted Roxanne properly. He’d damn near made a list on why this was a good idea, on how he could rely on sweating out his demons until they moved forward with their relationship, and all those reasons had flown right out the window when she showed up on his doorstep. The second she’d touched him, he’d been lost.
He sucked her nipple into his mouth again, loving the taste of her skin, how her fingers twisted his hair, how her entire body shook because of him. It was a heady thing knowing he could make her lose her beloved control.
It was more than that, though.With her in his arms, there was no room for other worries. All of his anxiety melted away.
When he lifted her higher, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He didn’t hesitate, shoving her against the wall and his cock home. They both groaned as she clamped around him. “Holy shit.”
Good as this felt, he couldn’t take her here on the stairs. She deserved better than that. Keeping his grip on her hips, he started up the stairs, Roxanne riding him the entire way. It was a struggle to get the loft door open, but he managed.
As he walked into the bedroom, she rotated her hips and Ian missed a step, tumbling them onto the bed. Her laughter was a balm to his very soul.
“Smooth, Charming.”
“I do what I can.” He ran his hands over her body, still a little bit in awe that she was here, with him, and decided right then and there that he’d do what it took to see this through. A connection like this didn’t come along every day. He’d be a damn fool to let it slip past without giving it a fighting chance.
She moaned as he thrust into her. “God, you feel so good.”
“So do you. Christ, woman, I’m never going to get enough of you.”
Never? Never was a whole hell of a long time— too long for him to be promising—but she kissed him, effectively taking away his ability to speak. “Stop talking and make me come.”
He didn’t miss her reluctance to talk about the future, even in these terms, but he let it go. Right now all he really cared about was feeling her come apart around him. He slid back to the edge of the bed so he could stand, and lifted her hips. The change in angle had her arching her back, a high, keening noise coming from her throat. Close. She was damn close. He forced himself to keep a steady pace, even though the strain nearly did him in. “Come for me, Roxanne. Now.”
She shrieked and dug her nails into his thighs, the thrashing of her body sending him off the edge after her. His control slipped, and he pounded into her, groaning as his orgasm took him. He collapsed next to her and pulled Roxanne against him. “Don’t you dare pull a runner on me.”
“Mmmmm.” She didn’t open her eyes, but she smiled. “That would require me to be able to use my legs.”
A foolish pride made him want to beat his chest and yell in victory. It was stupid, but he couldn’t deny the urge. He kissed her temple. “Good.”
She snuggled up against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I promise I won’t leave without saying good-bye.”
Considering she could very easily yell it over her shoulder as she ran out the door, he took her promise with a grain of salt. Still, it was better than she’d offered up to this point. Ian wanted to cement things, so he played his trump card. “Stay and I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”
“You cook?” She yawned. “I like my eggs with a side of orgasms.”
He laughed and settled in, sleep already threatening. “I think I can make that happen.”
“I knew I liked you.”
It wasn’t a declaration of undying devotion, and it wasn’t a promise of any kind of future thing, but his heart warmed all the same. “I like you, too.”
Ian woke up with a beautiful, naked woman in his arms and a smile on his face. This, he could get used to. He kept on smiling right up until Roxanne stretched, the sheet sliding down to reveal her breasts. “I should go.” But she laughed as he dragged the sheet lower, following its trail with his mouth.
“I don’t think so.”
“Oh, you brute, won’t you let me go?” She spread her legs and gave the top of his head a helpful little push southward. “I have places to be and things to do.” “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” He sat up and climbed off the bed. When she made a protesting noise, Ian hooked her ankle and dragged her to the edge. Then he hauled her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Oh my God, what are you doing?” She smacked his ass. “On second thought… Carry on.”
He carefully walked into the bathroom, mindful of her head, and set her on the counter. “You’ve been a dirty girl. It’s time to get clean.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
Yeah, it did sound kind of dorky now that he thought about it. He laughed. “There’s going to be shower sex involved. You sure you want to criticize?”
She cocked her head to the side as if considering. “You’re right. I’ve been totally dirty—definitely in need of a very thorough cleaning. Luckily, I think you’re just the man for the job.”
“Glad we agree.” He stepped away from her long enough to get the shower going and to make sure the water was warm enough. There was nothing quite as libido-killing as a freezing shower, though he wasn’t sure even that would be enough to distract him from this woman. Not when she was sitting on the counter, as prim and proper as could be—if you ignored the fact that she was naked.
“I’m kind of digging the way you’re looking at me right now.”
His gaze followed the lines of her body, finally reaching her face. It was the kind of slow perusal that could get a man slapped if he wasn’t careful. Still, he asked, “How am I looking at you right now?”
“Like you aren’t sure you can wait for us to walk the two steps it’ll take to get into the shower.” She slid off the counter. “Funny, but I feel the same way.”
It was all the encouragement he needed. He spun her around and bent her over the counter. From this position, he could watch every expr
ession on her face in the mirror as he drove into her.
Ian nudged her legs a little farther apart and pushed his way into her. He wasn’t sure he believed in heaven, but if it existed, it’d be something like this. In the mirror, she watched him watch her, her green eyes hooded with pleasure, her teeth digging into her bottom lip, a little sound slipping free of her mouth with every thrust. He stroked a hand down her spine, earning a shiver that made him gasp. Christ, if she did that again, he was going to come.
He bent over her back, reaching down her stomach to rub her clit as he kissed the back of her neck. Roxanne went wild beneath him, her hips undulating helplessly as she moaned his name. “Ian. Oh God, Ian. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
As if he could deny her anything when she pleaded in that tone of voice. One last thrust sent them both hurtling over the edge in one of those perfect moments he would have sworn didn’t exist. He kept an arm around her waist, but he wasn’t sure if it was to keep her knees from buckling or his.
She gave a shuddery little sigh. “If your plan is to sex me into submission, I’m not saying it’s working, but I’m not saying it’s not working either.”
“Good to know.” He let go of her long enough to recheck the water temperature, and then he opened the curtain. “After you, my lady.”
“Nerd.” But she took his hand and let him help her into the tub. She immediately ducked under the spray and shoved back her hair. When she turned around to face him, Ian got distracted with the water coursing over her body. She laughed. “Honey, we just had sex. Why are you still looking at me like that?”
He couldn’t stop himself from cupping her breasts and feathering his thumbs across her nipples. Responsive as she was, they immediately puckered. “I can’t help it.”
She laughed again, but this one sounded a bit forced. “Shouldn’t you be demanding a sandwich and taking a nap?”
What kind of idiots had she dated before now? He wasn’t about to miss any opportunity to touch her—to demonstrate exactly how much he wanted her.
But Roxanne was more skittish than a wild animal. She’d effectively shut him down every time he so much as mentioned the future or making plans or anything that referenced them other than the immediate present. He wasn’t exactly sure how to get around that. Hell, maybe he could sex her into submission.
Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it for a lie. Roxanne used sex as a weapon, as a defense mechanism. It didn’t mean she was unaffected—no way was she as detached as she acted, or she wouldn’t be so desperate when he brought up dating—but she wasn’t about to let him in yet.
“Ian?”
“Yeah?” He wrapped his arms around her waist and propped his chin on the top of her head. “You scare the shit out of me.”
He turned her around and kissed her, keeping it light, trying to convey what he felt without saying too much and ruining the moment by scaring her further. When he drew back, her green eyes were wide. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I would never hurt you.” He reached past her and grabbed the body wash.
“What are you doing?”
“I seem to remember you telling me that you were in need of a very thorough cleaning.”
She laughed, and this time, it didn’t sound as forced. “I hate to be the one to break this to you, but that was me hitting on you.”
“Relax, woman, and let me soap you up.”
She arched her brow, but that hint of vulnerability crept into the depths of her eyes again. “If you want to get into my pants again, you don’t have to play games like this.”
Of course she couldn’t let the moment lie. She had to go and throw some sexual innuendo in there. “Roxanne, you aren’t wearing pants.” When she didn’t move, he sighed. “I’d really appreciate if you’d let me wash you.”
“You argue about the strangest things.”
She had a valid point, but for some reason this mattered to him. Part of it was because the comfort level it symbolized had nothing to do with sex, but mostly he wanted to stretch out this moment of peace between them as long as possible. He held up his sudsy hands. “Well?”
“Okay. You win.”
“It’s not about winning. It’s about being closer to you.” Ian didn’t wait for her to change her mind. He turned her around and pulled her against him. The position gave him full access to the front of her body, and though he kind of wanted to linger, he refused to let this lead to sex. Not now, when he finally understood that sex was yet another wall he had to scale in order to get to Roxanne’s heart. After soaping up her front, he turned her around again. “Come here.”
She looped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, resting her forehead on his shoulder. He rubbed her back, taking the time to work on the tense muscles lining her spine. It wasn’t as effective as if he had her laid out before him, but Roxanne did relax against him. Since she didn’t immediately pull away when he rinsed her, he grabbed the shampoo and went to work on her hair.
“I can wash my hair, you know.”Her voice sounded a little shaky.
“Do you want me to stop?”
He held still, waiting for her answer. This question, as simple as it seemed, mattered a lot more than he would have guessed. Either she would fight him on this like she’d fought him every step of the way up to this point, or they’d finally take a step in the right direction. “No. I don’t want you to stop.” She sighed, the last of the tension leaving her body. “You know, I meant what I said last night.”
“What’s that?”
“I kind of like you.”
Part of him wanted to laugh, but this time, her confession felt like an actual move forward. It couldn’t have been easy for her to admit even that much. He smiled against her hair. “I kind of like you, too.”
He took his time running his hands over her body, liking how strangely comfortable this was. Or maybe he was in such a good mood because he’d actually slept through the night again last night. She’d pushed him past all the boundaries he thought he’d been confined by and had given him a glimpse of the normalcy he craved more than anything else in the world. He wanted that life—and Roxanne—more than he’d ever dreamed possible.
13
Roxanne pulled Ian’s sweatshirt more firmly around her and settled down to watch him make breakfast. Apparently, he’d been serious about all that. When she’d tried to make a smooth escape, all he had to do was dangle a meal in front of her and she caved. She was pathetic and easy…and that omelet smelled really freaking good.
“How do you feel about dinner next week?”
The breakthrough in the shower, no matter how small it might have been to him, still felt like a big deal to her. She slouched in her seat until the sweatshirt hit her chin, as if that would really offer a barrier. “Eating it or eating it with you?”
He looked up and sighed. “With me, Roxanne. That kind of goes without saying since I’m asking you in the first place.”
Yeah, it had, but she didn’t know how to respond so she’d tried stalling. Too bad she still didn’t know what the right answer was. Because she really did want dinner with Ian—more than could possibly be safe. Hell, she wanted him more than could possibly be safe. She’d told him she kind of liked him, but that was only a half-truth. The reality of the situation was that she currently teetered on the edge of that disastrous word she couldn’t even bear to think. Her mother would slap the shit out of her if she did. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He flipped the eggs in one of those fancy moves that didn’t require a spatula. “Why not?”
Yes, Rox, why not? What could possibly be a bad idea about a sexy man who wants to take you out and give you mind-blowing orgasms? Oh wait, nothing’s wrong with it, which is exactly the problem. You’re half a step away from falling head over heels for this guy, and you know how that ends.
Roxanne told her inner voice to shut the hell up and grasped for the first thing that popped into her head. “Elle won’t like it.”
&n
bsp; Ian turned off the stove and dumped the omelet onto a plate.“You won’t go out with me because you’re worried my sister won’t approve?”
Why did he sound so damn calm? Last time she’d told him they couldn’t date, they’d ended up yelling at each other. She sensed a trap, but she couldn’t figure out where it was. “Yes…?”
“I see. Here, eat it while it’s still hot.” He passed her the plate and a fork and then went to fill her up a glass of orange juice.
She took a bite of the omelet and moaned. What he’d put in this thing? Sheer magic? “Oh my God.” The man was playing dirty, and she couldn’t even hate him for it because he was feeding her.
She was so wrapped up in the amazingness going on in her mouth that she didn’t pay attention until Ian said, “Hey, Ellie, I have a question for you.”
Roxanne choked. “Don’t you dare!”
“Yes, I’m doing better. Settling in and working on the house.” He dodged the fork she threw at him without missing a beat. “Yep, I talked to Roxanne. She’s a great listener.”
She was going to kill him. She considered throwing the plate, but that meant abandoning the rest of the omelet, and she couldn’t force herself to take such a drastic step. “Stop it, Ian. Right now. This isn’t funny.”
The asshole had the audacity to press the phone to his shoulder and nod gravely. “You’re right. It’s of the utmost seriousness. Don’t forget your orange juice.”
“Bastard!”
But he was back on the phone. “Actually, Elle, that is Roxanne in the background. That’s what I called to talk to you about. Do you have a problem with me dating your best friend?”
The entire room went fluid, and Roxanne wondered if she should put her head between her legs.