Not trusting myself to move yet, I called, “Yeah?”
“You have about ten minutes before Archie gets here.”
Adrenaline jolted through my system. “Shit.”
Coop—the ass—was laughing as he let himself out. Grabbing my phone, I sent Archie a text that said I needed to shower, but I left the backdoor unlocked for him. After, I hurried to feed the cats and then cleaned out their litter box. I left the sacked crap in the cupboard; I’d run it down later.
In my room, I stripped out of my wet things and then opened my closet. I had a couple of dresses, including a pretty green one I’d bought to go to that wedding last spring that I hadn’t worn since.
I held it up to myself in the mirror. It had thin straps and it also did nice things for my boobs. The material wasn’t itchy, and the color looked great with my complexion. I hung it on the hook at the top of my door, pulled out a pair of green panties, because why not, and skipped a bra because I wouldn’t need it.
“Frankie?” Archie called just as I got the shower turned on.
Sticking my head out the door, I said, “Just getting in the shower. Sorry, I didn’t plan on the drenching we got getting in from the car. Just grab a coke or something? I’ll try to be quick.”
He leaned into the hallway, his hands in the pockets of his slacks, and I had to gape for a moment. He’d dressed in dark slacks, a dark shirt, and black and gray striped tie. He’d cleaned up nice and his hair was a little damp, but otherwise.
“Wow,” I said slowly as I got a good look at him. Suddenly, I was really happy about the dress I had picked out. “You look like a million bucks.”
He snorted, but his grin grew teasing. “More like a couple of hundred, but I’ll take it.” Then his gaze skimmed downward as he continued his slow approach. “I’m going to guess you’re not wearing your dress yet.”
A flush spread up my chest to neck and then my face. I wasn’t wearing anything. Between Ian’s gorgeous song and delightful invitation, Jake’s very explicit and sensual teasing, and Coop’s mind-blowing eroticism my system was already in overdrive and the panty-melting stare Archie rested on me had me rubbing my thighs together and bracing the door a little more firmly.
“Nope,” I told him, hoping I didn’t sound anywhere near as turned on as I felt. Maybe I should make that an ice-cold shower.
“Yeah,” he said softy and then ran his tongue over his lower lip. “I didn’t think you would be.”
“I’m going to shower now,” I told him, very intent on closing the door and climbing in and then submerging myself in some arctic chill to put out the fire raging inside of me.
“Can I watch?”
I blinked. Could he…? Something in my brain seemed to be short-circuiting. Jake had done more than watch me shower—he’d gotten in with me and then between us we’d stroked him off. It had been… awesome and now Archie wanted to watch me?
“It’s okay to say no,” he teased gently. “I still want to go out to dinner, but you’re looking a little warm there, and I’ve always been curious, cause you’re stunning.”
Fresh heat washed over my face and I groaned. They were killing me. The answer of no should have been the first syllable out of my mouth, but the idea he wanted to watch me? Oh, that was some heady stuff.
There was just something…amazing about being able to elicit that kind of reaction. It probably made me bolder than usual. “Close your eyes,” I told him.
He raised his eyebrows.
“Close your eyes,” I repeated.
Archie gave me a look, hands still in his pockets and then he closed his eyes. Pulling the door wider, I padded right up to him. His shirt was so silky against my nipples as I rose up on my tiptoes and then brushed my lips to his. A light kiss, then a second one. His hands came out of his pockets and he had a hand wrapped around my nape and he pressed a thumb gently against my skull to turn my head. The kiss deepened and, instead of teasing him, I’d just thrown a whole lot of fuel onto the fire.
But he surprised me when he eased back. I managed to retreat on unsteady legs. His eyes were still closed. I made it back to the bathroom and pushed the door mostly closed so it shielded me.
“Okay,” I whispered. “You can open your eyes.”
With a slow exhale and even slower smile he met my gaze. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, I thought you should have something, since I’m making you wait.”
“Take all the time you need, babe,” he told me, a dark promise in his eyes. “You are definitely worth waiting for.”
I pushed the door closed and leaned back against it. What was I doing? I met my gaze in the mirror, my lips were a little puffy and swollen. My eyes huge and my face flushed.
“Frankie.” Archie was right on the other side of the door. “Tonight… it’s all about you and me. Nothing happens that you don’t want to happen. But you should know, I’m rock hard and that’s all you.”
I let out a breath because the thought of turning off the water and opening the door was right there. If I wanted it to happen, it would happen. “Ten minutes,” I said, and my voice squeaked. “And Archie?”
“I’m right here.”
“Nothing happens unless you want it to happen, too.” This wasn’t just about me. It hadn’t been from the beginning. These were my best friends and we were edging a line we couldn’t come back from. I think Jake and I had already crossed it, even if only by an inch. Coop and I were rapidly scorching the ground the line rested on.
“Trust me, babe, I want everything with you. So shower, get dressed and then I’m going to take you out for a great night.”
Great.
“Can’t wait.” Finally, I pushed myself off the door and headed for the shower.
Chapter Twenty-Two
What You Do to Me
I took a little longer in the shower than I planned. The hot water and the quiet helped me organize the random chaos of my thoughts—particularly all the buzzing the guys had left in their wake and the nasty little whispering voice parroting Sharon’s words back at me. Dating the guys was new. New enough that a couple of weeks earlier… yeah. I didn’t want to focus on that part.
That was then.
That was before.
We weren’t in the before anymore. So I made sure everything was shaved, scrubbed, shampooed, and shiny before I shut off the water and toweled the excess moisture from my hair. Some leave in conditioner followed by a blow-dry that took way too long. Archie had to be annoyed cooling his heels, but I got my hair straightened and neat then added light cosmetics because I’d never been a fan of the heavier stuff—and I didn’t really own any. I used a bit of cover-up on the hickeys to fade them. My hair down would also help hide them, but still…
All of that done, I eyed myself and sighed. I forgot to bring a change of clothes in with me. Wrapping a clean towel around my torso, I tucked the end in between my boobs then opened the door. “Sorry to be taking so long,” I called as I hurried down the hall to my bedroom. “I’m almost ready.”
“No problem,” Archie said from ahead of me and I found him sprawled in the desk chair, Tabby in his lap shedding all of her white fur over his outfit. “I found a little pussy to pet while I waited.”
A groan escaped me before I could stop it. “You’ve been petting my pussies for years. That one doesn’t work on me anymore.”
He grinned. “Not all of them, but we can fix that soon enough.”
Dammit, lust ripped through me like a lightning bolt. All my hard-won calm from the shower went up in flames. “And on that note.” I pointed him to the door. “I have to get dressed.”
“Not really…” The wry comment had me jerking my head up. “Seriously,” he continued. “You make that towel look good. It’s really working for you. Have I ever told you what truly excellent legs you have? Firm, you can see the muscle definition—they’re soft. I always like it when your legs brush up against mine.”
Heat crawled through me and I had to be blush
ing. I just had to be. Even my chest was hot.
He studied me, still casually petting my little purring traitor. Tiddles at least just stared at him from my pillow, seemingly indifferent and Tory was probably under the bed or hiding in the living room. She was not a fan of people in general and it took her time to warm up to anyone in the house.
“What would you say if I told you I was picturing you without the towel?” Archie asked, his voice this soothing kind of croon. Really, it shouldn’t soothe me as easily as it did.
“I’d say you have a vivid imagination,” I answered, keeping one hand firm on where the towel was tucked in. “Or you peeked earlier. Either way,” I continued determined to do this, “You asked me to dress up, so I’m going to do that. Now, out.”
A slow smile curved his lips and he lifted Tabby and set her on the bed before he stood, seemingly uncaring of the cat hair now decorating his lap. The fact it hadn’t even slowed him down to make a fuss of my cat. Whether for the chance to tease me or just because he liked the cat didn’t matter, his choice threatened to turn me into a warm puddle of goo. No going gooey around Archie, I had to be able to keep up with his wit.
The spark in his brown eyes and the faint hint of a smirk on his lips suggested he was well aware of the effect he was having on me. Still, I motioned him toward the door. But he paused in front of me instead of continuing out.
He leaned close and I went very still. There was nothing but a towel and electrified nerves around me. Pressing his lips to my ear, he whispered, “I definitely peeked. You have an amazing ass.” Then he pressed a kiss to my skull just behind my ear and slipped out of the room while I was trying to remember how to breathe.
I’d never been so glad of being on birth control in my life. From the age of thirteen on, Mom and my doc recommended it to control periods and because my best friends were all guys. It seemed a little pointless before now.
Without even laying a finger on me, I was overheated and wound tight. Definitely needed to get dressed and out of here before I made a decision we might end up regretting, no matter how darkly tempting he was.
After fanning my face, I glanced at the purring Tabby who looked from me to the open door Archie had left via before she leapt off the bed to trot after him.
Traitor.
Get it together, Frankie. Yeah.
That was effective.
I took several, long, deep breaths and then dropped the towel and grabbed my panties. At least I’d done the cosmetics and lotion in the bathroom. I had to loosen the bodice ties before I could slip the dress on. One of the reasons I’d picked it out was I loved how the bodice made me think of a ren faire corset but the rest was just flowing and natural. I could get away without the spaghetti straps and I debated them for a hot minute.
Date night.
He asked me to dress up.
I unbuttoned the straps and left them on the dresser as I tightened the bodice and tied it. It was snug against my chest, almost as snug as the towel had been but the skirt had a little swish, hanging a little lower in the back than the front. The shoes that went with the dress were the same shade—the only pair of shoes I’d ever owned that matched a dress perfectly and it had been dumb luck.
Slipping the shoes on, I checked my appearance in the mirror. Flushed cheeks and over bright eyes aside, I thought I’d cleaned up pretty well. Date time.
My nerves flared, the hurricane-force butterflies fluttering away in my gut. I transferred my wallet into a little clutch purse—not something I usually carried and fixed the strap so it would dangle from my wrist—then grabbed the lint roller on my way out the door.
Archie stood in the living room, hands in his pockets as he stared at the new coffee table.
“Jake,” I told him without his having to ask. “He brought it over Wednesday after I got off work.”
Pivoting, Archie canted his head and swept his gaze over me. “Wait,” he said as I continued forward and I hesitated a step. Reaching forward he plucked the lint roller from my hand and set it on the coffee table before he pulled out his phone. “Smile for me?”
“You’re taking my picture?” Okay, that came out sounding like I was an idiot, but I couldn’t control the smile taking over my face. He took a couple.
“You look stunning,” he said. “That dress is… wow.”
Sooner or a later, a person stopped blushing right? The dilation of the vessels and the sudden flood of oxygenated blood would calm down? Because, I even ducked my eyes this time. Dammit. “Thank you.” Searching for a sense of control, I resumed my original course and said, “Lint roller please.”
He handed it back and I cleared some tape and then began rolling his shirt. I started at the shoulders then worked my way over his front. Rip, another round of tape, down his tie. Then to his pants. I’d made two sweeps over his thighs, then glanced at him with my eyebrows raised.
“Oh, by all means,” he told me. “I was enjoying that.”
I wrinkled my nose. Then stared right at him as I ran the lint roller over his crotch. Of course, my defiance backfired. There was no mistaking how hard Archie was or the obstacle his cock created that I had to bump over. But I tore off the last bit of tape and stepped back, then did a circular motion with my finger all the while determinedly ignoring the blushing.
Of course there was cat hair on his back. I focused on getting it off the shirt first and then I took care of his butt. The slacks he wore fit him nicely and, while I’d never really paid attention to it before, Archie had a nice ass. This close, I also couldn’t miss his cologne. It was something a little spicy and it smelled like him, too. Yeah, don’t ask me what that smell was specifically because it smelled like Archie. They each had their own unique scent.
Comfortable. Familiar. Enticing.
“Are you checking out my ass while you are so efficiently stroking it with that thing?” The question jolted me out of the petting motion I’d been pursuing, and I groaned.
“Yes,” I admitted. “You have a very nice ass.”
“Not as nice as yours, babe. Am I pussy free?”
I poked him. “Yes, I’ve gotten all the cat hair off.”
Amused, he slid an arm around me and held his phone up in selfie mode. “One for the road?”
I grinned and he pulled me closer, heads tilted together then snapped a picture. He did a couple then he pressed his lips to my cheek for a third.
“Frankie,” he beckoned for my attention and I turned then his mouth closed over mine and I forgot about the selfies as he kissed me. This was slower than our hallway kiss, teasing rubs of our lips together, mouths open and then slowly he cupped his hand against my jaw and tilted my head. The lint roller landed on the floor along with the ripped off and used tape.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held on as he teased my tongue delving deep and he tasted like coffee, sugar, and something minty. Oh, God. He’d been sucking on a breath mint. The tautness in my system went soft and the butterflies turned into sparkles or some shit. Something thumped, but I floated as I leaned into the kiss.
Kissing Archie was—it was like kissing a live wire. It electrified my senses and sent tingles zinging everywhere. I had to hold onto him because as unsteady as my legs had been earlier, I was leaning into the kiss. He had one arm around me, braced against my lower back like a band of steel.
I lost track of how long we stood there kissing, but finally Archie lifted his head, and we were both panting. With care, he steadied me as I slid my hands down to rest on his biceps.
His lips were shiny, and his fingers were warm when he brushed them against my jaw. “Where were we?” His voice had deepened, a rawness that hadn’t been there before.
“I have no idea.” It was like every molecule in me strained in his direction. “Dinner? Maybe?”
Chuckling, he slid his hand down to my throat. The weight of it there calmed my rabbiting heart. I took a deeper breath. “Dinner was the plan.”
“Was?”
“Still is… thoug
h I admit, I am far more interested in dessert.” Devilment in his eyes, he grinned.
Oh God. I groaned and the ballooning tension around us popped. “Archie, that’s awful.”
“Cheesy is not awful,” he countered.
“Yes, it is…” Had he really just said that?
“I happen to know you love cheese on a lot of things.”
True. “I’ll give you that.”
“Thank you,” he murmured, his hand drifting lower across the bare portion of my upper chest and shoulders. “I really, really like this dress.”
“I’m not going to lie,” I told him honestly. “I really like this dress, too. You’re taking me out on a date. I really like that, too.”
“I am,” he said slowly. “I kind of wish it was your first one.”
“It kind of is.” At that admission, he stilled.
“What?”
“Mathieu and I had our date here,” I pointed out. “Technically a first date, but we were here. I’ve been to Ian’s place, Jake came here, Coop came here…”
“But I’m the first guy taking you out?” Satisfaction curved through his expression. “I like that.”
“Course, we actually have to leave to make that come true.”
“I’m aware,” he said. “Running through the amendments to the Constitution at the moment.”
I blinked. “What?”
Catching my hand, he pressed it to his groin and the rock-hard cock tenting his pants. “The 8th Amendment prohibits excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment.”
He kept my hand right there, as he danced the fingers of his other hand across the expanse of bare skin above the bodice of my dress.
“The 18th prohibited the manufacturing and sale of alcohol in the United States.”
“Repealed by the 21st,” I reminded him.
“Point.” He wasn’t softening an inch. “We could be here a while.”
“Too uncomfortable to move?” Curiosity slid through me.
“No, just—kind of obvious.”
Rules and Roses: Untouchable Book One Page 30