by Soraya Lane
Just like everything else about home, he’d somehow managed to block it out. But not now. Now he remembered every feeling, why everything had felt so right, why he hadn’t been able to get enough of her.
“Cody,” she gasped, leaning back, her body arched as she moved urgently over him.
He groaned and held her, his arms tightening around her as he felt her body go taut and then suddenly soften, collapsing against him as her sex-drunk eyes met his. He gave in then too, no longer holding back, as Lexi’s lace-covered breasts pressed into his chest, her body rocking gently against his as he climaxed.
He stroked his fingers against Lexi’s skin, committing her to memory all over again and knowing she’d very well haunt him for the rest of his life now.
Chapter 9
LEXI sighed and stretched out, feeling the most relaxed she had in months. She’d forgotten just how much she enjoyed sex, how much she needed the release.
“Thank you,” she murmured to Cody, reaching for him. She’d collapsed alongside him, both of them out of breath and taking a moment to enjoy the aftermath, but instead of moving closer to her as she’d expected, he rolled away.
“Cody?” she said, sitting up.
He was kneeling now, giving her an eyeful of his body and making her want to explore it all over again. He moved closer and caught the light, and she could see his abs, every single one of them, impressive on his tanned torso. His shoulders were big and broad, balanced by large biceps. He was built like an athlete, only he was a six-foot-something businessman who wore Italian suits and was perfectly at ease making multi-million-dollar deals every day.
“It’s time for me to pleasure you,” he said.
She laughed, but the serious look on his face told her he wasn’t kidding. “You just did that. Very well in fact.”
He made a grunting sound in his throat. “No, I was like a teenage boy who’d never had sex before, rushing like that. This time, I’m going to take it slow.” His smile was wicked. “Very, very slow.”
“Oh really.”
“Yes,” he said, moving forward on his knees. “Really.”
Lexi sucked in a breath, anticipation licking over every inch of her body. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything except watch Cody as he lowered himself and reached for her.
“I want you to lie back and enjoy,” he said as he cupped her cheek in one of his hands, staring into her eyes.
“Okay,” she murmured back, lips parting as his mouth came closer, happy to obey him as her body tingled with need all over again.
Cody was done talking. His soft kiss and gentle touch turned rough almost immediately. One second he was cupping her face; the next his fingers were tangled in her hair, his mouth rough on her lips and then her neck, his stubble a barely there roughness that reminded her just how damn masculine he was.
His mouth moved down her neck, his warm lips a contrast to his wet tongue that was trailing sensually across her skin. Lexi moaned as one of his hands brushed her breast. She wasn’t scared of his hands—she wanted them everywhere.
“Damn,” he muttered against her collarbone. “So much for going slow.”
She laughed. “You’re the one racing ahead. I’m just lying here doing what I’m told.”
He grunted and stopped, lifting his head. “It’s not my fault you’ve got such a goddamn irresistible body.”
“Touché,” Lexi murmured, cupping the back of his skull to force him forward again, looping her other arm around his neck as she kissed him, surrendering to his mouth. Since when did she have sex not once, but twice, in one night? It was like her body had been dormant for so long, it had come to life and wasn’t going to simmer down anytime soon.
He plucked at her mouth then deepened his kiss, exploring her body with his hands, so painfully slow that she couldn’t help but squirm. Every part of her wanted to tell him to stop, not wanting to lie there so exposed when she was never usually so brazen, but another little part of her was telling her to just enjoy herself. To quit with the self-confidence issues and surrender to the pleasure.
Lexi stayed still, silent, the only noise the rasping of their breath.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, his mouth against her skin, his tongue tracing across her and teasing her as he tasted down her stomach, teasing as he went lower.
She tensed, her body quivering at his touch.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he repeated, voice so deep and husky she hardly recognized it. “I want to give you want you want, Lexi.”
“Yes,” she whispered back, raising her hips, forcing her body against his. His erection was rock solid against her belly, his desire for her more than obvious. It sent sparks of pleasure through her just knowing that she still had the same effect on Cody in the bedroom as she had as a teenager.
Lexi’s body was humming now, Cody’s touch driving her so close to the edge, but he pulled back, moving away from her. “What did I tell you about hurrying this time around?” he muttered, pushing her down and repositioning himself.
The roughness of his stubble against her thighs was the only distraction from the softness of his tongue, and the lower he moved, the more sensitive she became, squirming beneath him, nails digging into the sheets beneath her as she tried not to squirm away from him. It felt so good she could hardly stand it.
He trailed down her thighs, skipping over the place she wanted him to touch the most, his fingers stroking so close to her, his mouth moving so close, but not quiet touching.
Cody rose slightly then, stroking one finger from her collarbone to the top of her breasts. The circles he was tracing across her skin became smaller, until he was almost touching her nipple. But his mouth got there before his finger, sucking so gently, licking so softly, that she couldn’t help but gasp.
“Mmm,” he whispered, before moving on to the other one.
“Stop,” she moaned. “Let me pleasure you. You can’t just…”
Cody laughed and sucked harder until she was forced to wriggle away from him, but he wasn’t letting her escape. He covered her mouth with his, his hands back to exploring her body. She kept up with his touches, didn’t miss a beat, delighted in the feeling of everything he was doing to her. She’d almost forgotten how good it felt to be between the sheets with him.
“Tonight,” he said, against her skin, taking her hands and putting them above her head, fingers locked firmly around her wrists, “is all about you.”
She wanted to protest, but she didn’t. The idea of Cody pleasuring her, lying back and letting him do anything and everything with her? That wasn’t something she had the strength to say no to. She tried to retrieve one hand, wanted to run her fingers through his thick blond hair, to grip it hard, but he wasn’t relenting. So in the end, she let her body go slack and finally gave in to him.
Cody’s breath was hot against her skin, his kisses even hotter, searing as he made a trail across her skin.
She moaned when he lowered his head, wasting no time, his free hand gently pushing her thighs down so he had better access to her most intimate parts. His tongue barely touched her, but it was enough to make her moan.
Everything else drowned out when he started to pleasure her, his mouth doing the most wicked things to her, making it impossible to think of anything except the building heat inside of her. His tongue was doing circles, his mouth clamped over her, and he no longer needed to hold her wrists captive.
“Cody,” she moaned, threading her fingers hard through his hair and holding on tight.
If it hurt him, he never said; he just continued to work his magic, not letting up, her climax building fast. She wrapped her legs tight around his head as he pushed her to the edge, spasms of pleasure taking over every bit of her body.
When she released him, finally letting her fingers ease out of his hair and unclamping her thighs, he kissed her intimately one last time before trailing fingers across her skin, up and down her legs. His mouth soon followed, warm kiss
es against her burning stomach, every part of her still feeling like it was on fire.
Cody had always been an overachiever, he’d always done better than any other kid at sports and in the classroom, and clearly he’d decided to become as skilled in the bedroom as the boardroom.
He was above her now, his mouth closing down on hers, making her eyes pop open.
“It’s not over yet, Lexi,” he whispered, his deep drawl more delicious than ever, reminding her of the old Cody, the young Cody who she’d been head over heels, hopelessly in love with.
Cody’s smile was even more wicked than his words, but instead of saying anything else, he just slid straight inside her, going slow but not stopping until he couldn’t push any further.
Lexi’s legs wrapped around him, she gripped hard, her body eagerly meeting his. The man was relentless, and she was just as keen as he was to keep going, to ride her way to the edge again.
“I think I’ve been waiting for another chance for more than a decade,” he muttered in her ear. “I just didn’t know it until now.”
“Yeah,” she let out a sharp breath, a hiss of air, as his thrusts became harder, all gentleness long gone. “Me neither.” Only she was lying, because she’d been thinking about this for years. She’d never forgotten how good their bodies were together, how much he’d always managed to send her straight over the edge.
He paused, his body still, muscles slick with sweat, but she just she gripped him tighter, digging her fingernails into his shoulders and forcing him down closer, their bodies pressed tight. His chest slid against hers as he wrapped his arms around her, breasts crushed against him.
Cody knew how much she wanted him; it would be impossible for him not to, given how tight she was holding on to him, matching his every movement. But what was turning her on the most was how obviously he wanted her, how much he was enjoying it too.
Just as she started to feel like her body was getting closer to the edge again, just as she thought that she could hardly bear the intense pleasure inside of her any longer, Cody pulled out, kissing her mouth, eyes open as he looked down at her.
“Don’t stop,” she begged. “Please.”
He laughed. “Not stopping. Just trying to figure out how to make this even better for you.”
Her mouth was dry, her eyes roving over every inch of him. He was so well built, his body a well-honed machine, every part of him muscled and exquisite. His skin was golden, the only smattering of hair an arrow that extended from his belly button to his … She looked up, caught his naughty smile. It would have been more believable that he worked a physical job than an office one.
“How do you like it?” he asked. “Given that the last time you saw me naked I was eighteen.”
“Honestly?” she said, panting still, her heart racing. “You look even better.”
“So do you,” he whispered, smiling down at her. “I love the fullness of your breasts now,” he said, reaching to gently fondle her. “And I love the look in your eyes, that confidence that you didn’t have then.”
She smiled, wanting to believe him even if there was a whisper of self-doubt in her head telling her that her eighteen-year-old body had been so much better than this one. But Cody didn’t seem to be having any trouble enjoying himself, and that was all she was going to let herself think about when it came to her body.
Lexi pushed her hands against his chest, palms hard against him until he was flat on his back, the smile on his face telling her he knew exactly what she had in mind. “It’s my turn to take the lead now,” she said, climbing on top of him, lowering herself as she stared into his eyes, watching his face until her lids fluttered shut.
Cody’s hands moved to her hips, fingers spread wide as he guided her back and forth, up and down, holding her as she arched back, tipping her head back too as she lost herself to the feel of him inside of her.
Lexi moved so she could kiss him, bending lower, still rocking gently back and forth as her mouth whispered across his, and even though he kissed her back, slowly, his hands kept her moving, kept guiding her so she didn’t stop riding him.
His lips were hot, wet; his body was slick with sweat; and the feel of him inside of her was exactly how she’d remembered, and then some. Sex had never felt this good, not in her lifetime, anyway. And as she sat up again, eyes shut as she rode her final wave of pleasure, she wished she’d jumped him the day he’d arrived home instead of wasting time telling him what an ass he’d been.
As far as she was concerned now, the past was the goddamn past.
* * *
Cody stretched out before realizing he wasn’t alone in bed. The night before came flooding back, the memories almost as good as the real thing as he stretched out to touch Lexi. He withdrew his hand, though, when he realized she was still asleep, deciding to press a kiss to her cheek instead of rousing her, no matter how tempted he was make her incredible body hum again.
He stroked a strand of her hair, a mental picture of her sitting astride him while he fisted handfuls of chocolate-colored silk strands around his wrists flashing through his mind. How had he ever walked away from Lexi so easily? He might have been young, but she was something special; she was beautiful, smart, and fun, and she’d obviously cared a lot about him. In his desperation to run, he’d managed to hurt everyone close to him, which meant that Lexi was just another casualty to add to the list. The only difference was that everyone else had long ago forgiven him.
Except for his mom. Although he liked to think she’d forgiven him in her own way before she passed.
He glanced at the clock, seeing it was only two a.m. but wondering whether he should wake her. They’d fallen asleep unexpectedly, which meant she’d no doubt wake up in a panic over not collecting her son from Tanner’s place. But they’d all be long asleep by now, so no matter whether she woke—now or at sunrise—there was nothing she could do about it.
He rose and reached for his briefs, pulling them on before padding softly down the stairs, careful not to make any noise. His throat was dry and he was desperate for water, so he stuck his head under the faucet and took a few long gulps to quench his thirst. When he was finished, he stretched and walked around, looking at the place with fresh eyes. It felt so different with Lexi’s stuff compared to what he remembered: it had been very much a boys’ place for a long while, filled with old leather sofas and rejected furniture from the big house. But now it had a feminine touch, and it made him smile seeing Harry’s things strewn around the place. It was tidy but in a relaxed kind of way, and it reminded him of the way his mom had been.
Cody wasn’t tired anymore, or he was but knew he’d never be able to sleep. He was like this all the time, so tired he wanted to crash into bed every night, but when he finally slept it was never for long enough. His brain never seemed to stop, his body incapable of indulging in a decent rest any longer. There was always something to do, something to think about, someone to email, finances to chew over. And even though he was away from the office, when he woke up, his mind always woke up in work mode.
He made his way back into the small kitchen and opened the fridge, hoping it didn’t make too much noise. He spied some orange juice and took it out, closing the fridge and wandering back over to the open-plan living space. He sat at the table and unscrewed the lid, feeling a bit guilty drinking from the container so he didn’t have to open and shut cupboard doors looking for a glass.
He took a long, slow sip, but as he was doing it, something caught his eye.
Bright Lights Retirement seemed to seek him out, the words staring back at him from the top of a letter lying on the table. It was sticking out from beneath something else, and he had a feeling he knew what it would be.
Cody set the juice down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before reaching for the letter. There was a lamp on near the sofa, which sent enough light out for him to read by, and he scanned the words.
It is with a sense of sadness that we inform you that Bright Lights Retirement has
been sold. Due to this sale, you will be given 4 weeks to make alternative arrangements for care, as per your agreement with us.
He scanned farther down the page.
We want to thank you for trusting Bright Lights to provide accommodation and ongoing support for your loved one. Our staff will do everything they can to make this transition as smooth and stress-free for you as possible, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance during this time.
“What are you reading?”
Cody slowly turned, the letter falling to the table as he let it go. He swallowed and braved a smile. Fuck. Why the hell hadn’t he just come clean earlier? For once, he should have followed his brother’s advice. Tanner had been right, telling her sooner than later would have been the smart thing to do, and now he either had to keep lying and pray she didn’t find out, or just spit it out.
“I, ah…”
She came up behind him, casually wrapping an arm around his waist and pushing against him. “There’s nothing private here. I don’t care what you were looking at.”
And then she let out a big sigh as she reached for the juice, unscrewing the top and taking a few long sips herself. “Man, I tell Harry off all the time for doing that, but it definitely tastes better straight from the carton, right?”
Cody nodded, running his fingers down her back as he tried to figure out what the hell to do.
“Your mom,” he finally said as Lexi looked up at him. She was wearing a robe that was tied loosely at the waist, and he wished he could just nudge it aside and distract her with sex, but if he didn’t tell her now, then he’d look like even more of an asshole than he already was. “I saw the letter. So she’s, ah, relocating?”