Connection (Temptation Series Standalones Book 2)

by K. M. Golland

  “Jesus! You’re not wrong.” Fire burns my lower back and abdominals.

  “If it’s too painful, creep your hands forward a bit to relax the stretch, but not too much or it’s pointless.”

  Once again, I do as I’m told, and the discomfort soon eases.

  Will kneels beside me, his hand resting on my arse. “How’s that, better?”

  I scoff. “Is that a trick question?”

  “No.” He chuckles. “On your back and open your legs.”

  I snap my head toward him. “What?”

  He points to the rest of the class who are all on their backs with their legs open like frogs.

  “Oh. Okay.” Shuffling onto my back, I copy my fellow classmates, my inner thighs now screaming their disgust. “Oh wow! Yep. Feelin’ that.”

  “Breathe,” he says. “Relax your hips and let your knees fall as close to the ground as they can.”

  “I… I am,” I struggle to say, my muscles too tight.

  He scoots along the mat until he’s kneeling in front of me, his knees pressing into my shins. Will leans forward, rests his hands on my legs, and gently kneads the pads of his thumbs into my inner thighs.

  I moan, and it almost sounds pleasurable.

  “Nice, slow, deep breaths,” he says, thumbs biting deeper.

  Will scoots forward again and ever so slightly presses down on my legs, his eyes not wavering from mine.

  I grimace. “That hurts.”

  “Just relax.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can. Just let go.”

  “No, I ca—”

  He pushes a little harder. “It’ll be worth it.”

  For a second, I’m not sure if he’s talking about the stretching or about us. He’s but a hair’s breadth away, and I’m so defenceless and… vulnerable.

  I swallow.

  “Trust me, sweetheart.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and relax as much as I’m able to, my knees falling to the ground, the stretch severe at first but then pliable. It’s almost comfortable, freeing… liberating, until he slaps my leg and jumps to his feet.

  “Well done, everyone. Class dismissed. See you next week.”

  My eyes shoot open, and I prop myself on my elbows. “That’s it?”

  He offers me his hand. “No. I’m not finished with you yet.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What do you mean you’re not finished with me yet?” I take his hand, and he helps me stand but doesn’t let go, his fingers sliding between mine.

  “I want you to meet someone.”

  “Who?”

  “Molly.”

  “Molly?” My stomach tightens, and I frown. I don’t want to meet Molly. I’ve had a somewhat lovely day, and meeting Molly will surely ruin that. “Er… I really should just go hom—”

  “It won’t take long.”

  I pry my hand loose from his and scratch the back of my neck. “So, who’s Molly again?”

  “My roommate. She’s awesome.” He slings his bag over his shoulder and grabs my hand again. “Come on. You’ll love her.”

  I highly doubt that.

  Roughly twenty minutes later, we pull up outside his home, and it’s even better in the daylight—moss-covered rocks, flowers, and cobblestone paths weaving around gum trees and various shrubs.

  I gleam. “Your house looks like a magical fairy garden.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He takes my hand and leads me up the path to the front of the house, a cement troll-looking creature standing guard by his door.

  Its existence is entirely odd, and yet it looks as if it belongs nowhere else.

  “Are you sure Molly wants to meet me?” I whisper, leaning in just a little too close.

  His eyes meet mine before dropping to my lips, and the sudden urge to lean in even closer is like an invisible, magnetic pull. My mouth parts as I inhale, and I almost do lean in farther, my heartbeat an unsteady thump in my chest.

  A low growl emanates from Will’s throat, and he unlocks the door and pushes it open. “Yes,” he says, clicking his neck from side to side while momentarily closing his eyes. “She does want to meet you.” He gestures inside his home. “Come on in.”

  I gingerly step into his entryway, his hand once again finding mine before guiding me into his lounge.

  “Molly, meet Elizabeth. Elizabeth, meet Molly.”

  Will points to a black Labrador curled up in a bed at the base of the sofa, and my heart settles to a pleasant rhythm again. I’m fairly sure it even swells a few sizes.

  Molly raises her weary head, white hair peppering her face and ears, and she slowly rises to her feet before waddling over, her tail wagging happily.

  “Molly’s one of the loves of my life,” he declares.

  I drop to one knee and pat her head, and she sits. “One of the loves of your life?”

  He points to the far end of the room. “They’re some of the others.”

  Following his extended arm, my jaw nearly hits the floor when I spot a tropical fish tank filled with an array of brightly coloured fish, a reptile tank with what I think is a bearded dragon, and a white, lop-eared rabbit peeking out from a plastic tunnel on the floor.

  “Oh my God—”

  A bird screeches behind me, and I almost piss my pants.

  “Jesus!”

  Will smiles, all teeth and pride. “That’s Romeo and Juliet, my love birds.”

  Clutching my chest, I blink all the blinks then burst into laughter. “You weren’t kidding when you said you like animals, huh? You’re like a male version of Snow White.”

  He strides over to the rabbit, squats, and picks it up. “Hey, buddy. Come meet Elizabeth.” Will hugs the ball of fluff to his chest, and if I had fallopian tubes, I’m sure they’d explode. It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. Slightly paradoxical but immensely adorable.

  “Want to cuddle Casper?” he asks, holding him out like Rafiki the mandrill did Simba in The Lion King.

  “Sure!”

  He places him on my chest, and I cradle his bum and back. “Hi. Are you as friendly as your namesake?” He makes a sniffy sound and snuggles into the crook of my neck, and I decide I love him unconditionally. “I always wanted a rabbit, but Mum is allergic to fur, so I never got one. Nor a cat or dog.”

  “You didn’t have a cat or dog?”

  I shake my head.

  “I can’t imagine that horror.”

  Casper undulates as I laugh.

  “So what’s stopping you getting a rabbit now?”

  “Probably Sasha. I reckon she’d eat it. And that wouldn’t be great pet ownership.”

  He strokes his bunny, and I bite my lip. “Golden Retrievers are smart dogs. You could easily train her not to eat other pets.”

  “I’ve told Carly to send her to doggy training numerous times. She hasn’t… clearly.”

  After strolling over to the fish tank, I gently bend my knees and dip my head. “You have a Nemo, how cute.”

  “I do. And Marlin and Dory.”

  “What?” I eagerly search the tank for the other clownfish and the blue tang, but then shake my head, shocked he even knew the Disney characters in the first place.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks, brows knitting together.

  “I’m… I’m just surprised.”

  “By what?”

  “By you.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re not like I thought you were.” I divert my gaze back to the tank, ashamed. “You’re actually a really sweet, down-to-earth guy.”

  “So what’s your problem then?”

  Focussing on Dory, she zigs and zags around the tank. “I don’t have a problem.”

  “Good. So be my woman then.”

  I snigger. “Your woman?”

  “You know what I mean, sweetheart.”

  Turning my back to him—because it’s easier to be a coward than not—I move closer to the reptile tank. “N-No. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
<
br />   “Why not?”

  “Because I… I don’t need a man to fulfill my life. As much as I want the fairy tale, I don’t need it. Men let you down. They tell you what you want to hear then disappoint you.” Desperate to change the subject, I point to his lizard. “What’s his name?”

  “Her name is Princess Fiona.”

  “Princess Fiona?” I burst out laughing and turn to face him.

  “Yes, and the little dude hiding in the corner is Shrek.”

  Scrutinizing the corners of the tank, I spot a tortoise just as Will takes Casper from my grasp, puts him on the ground, and stands directly in front of me, arms crossed over his puffed chest, eyes stern.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Not all men do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Let you down.”

  I cross my arms too. “Well, I haven’t come across one who hasn’t.”

  “Yeah, you have.” He steps forward, his wrists bumping mine.

  I step back. “That’s yet to be seen.”

  He steps forward again. “So let me show you.”

  “I…” I hold up my hand like a stop sign. “I don’t know. I’m—”

  “You’re basing that judgement on him, aren’t you?”

  “Him?” I ask, confused.

  His eyes narrow. “Oliver.”

  I almost choke on the name. “Oliver?”

  “Yes.”

  I shake my head. “Oliver and I have never dated.” Pausing for a second, I doubt my own words. “Well, I don’t think we have. I’m not really sure.”

  “That says a lot.”

  Stepping back once again, I scratch the base of my neck. It’s not really itchy, so I don’t know why I do it. “I’m not following.”

  “Oliver is a fucksqueak who wouldn’t know pure gold from a pile of shit even if he shit it out himself.” He takes my hands in his. “But I do. I know you’re gold, sweetheart. A prize. And I know I wanna win you.” He closes his eyes. “No, I wanna earn you,” he says, opening them again. Will lets go of my hands and cradles my face. “I wanna be the man who doesn’t let you down, the man who gives you your fairy tale.”

  Unable to speak or think, I stand there with nothing but my racing pulse, a heavy throat, and a chest so tight I’m not sure if I’m breathing or not. I’ve never felt this… this alive and useless at the same time.

  “Why, Will? Why me?”

  His eyes crinkle, and he tilts my chin so that I’ve nowhere else to look but at him. “Because, from the moment I first saw you, I haven’t been able to unsee you. You’re there when you’re not, in my head and in my bed. You’re all I think about, Elizabeth. And that means something.” He gently rubs the pad of his thumb across my cheek. “So let me be that man for you. Let me give you your fairy tale.”

  “You can’t.” I swallow, blinking back tears I don’t want him to see. “No one can.”

  “Then let me at least try.”

  Staring at his lips, I bite my own. Should I let him try? I want to. Really want to. Threading my fingers through his hair, I give in and pull his head down to mine, kissing him like I’ve never kissed a man before. Deep. Sincere. With purpose.

  Will envelops me in his arms and lifts me from the ground, our mouths magnets as I wrap my legs around his waist and squeeze him tight, gently grinding against him for the need of friction I didn’t know I craved.

  He tastes like Powerade and candy, and I’m finally ready for a sugar rush.

  “Fuck, sweetheart. You keep doin’ that and I’ll blow where I’m standin’.”

  Giggling around his tongue, my hands are feverish as I grab at his shoulders, face, and hair, desperate to taste, touch, and feel every part of him. I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want him, here, now, against the wall or on the floor. It’s unlike me, but for the first time in my life, I simply don’t care.

  “I’ll let you try, Will,” I say, panting as I pull away from him. “I’ll let you try to give me my fairy tale, but… we need to keep it between us, for now.”

  Hesitation darkens his eyes. “You don’t want people to know?”

  “Not yet.”

  He pulls back a little. “Why? You ashamed of me?”

  “No! Of course not.” I peck his perfect lips twice. “I just… I don’t want the pressure of other people knowing and sticking their heads in where they’re not needed. I want it to be us first. I want to get to know you, and you to know me. No interference. Does that make sense?”

  He searches my face, his eyes settling on mine. “Us first, people later?”

  “Yes.” My lip quivers. “If that’s okay with you.”

  Letting out a surrendering sigh, he kisses the tip of my nose. “If that’s what it takes to earn your trust, then it’s okay with me.”

  A wave of heat surges up my spine and bursts at my cheeks. “Good.” I grind my hips a little more. Hungry. Frenzied. A little messy. “So can we fuck now?”

  He chokes. “Thought you’d never ask.”

  Mashing my lips to his once again, I practically climb his body like a koala climbs a tree, his hands firm on my arse, his strides determined as he walks us to his room. My back hits his mattress moments later, and I shimmy out of my yoga pants and help him wrench my T-shirt over my head.

  Will grunts, animal-like, his eyes wide as they rake my body. “Don’t let me break you, sweetheart.”

  I unclip my bra. “I’m not as delicate as you think.”

  Something sinister crosses his face, and he lowers his shorts, his cock springing free unapologetically.

  This time, I grunt. “Shit! I take that back. Don’t break me.”

  He drags his palm up and down his length, slow, purposeful, his smile lazy, then lowers to the bed and hovers over me. “Your fairy tale include my face between your legs?”

  He licks my nipple, and pleasure shoots straight to my core.

  “Y-Yes. Yes, it does.”

  Will moans, licks, nips, and sucks my nipples some more then trails kisses down my stomach and around my bellybutton, his beard a delightful tickle. I squirm, but he holds me still before pressing his nose into the apex of my thighs and sucking in a deep breath.

  I gasp and buck into him, desperately wanting more.

  He growls, nudges me again and again, then wrenches my underwear aside and swipes his tongue across my skin, deliberately slow and precise.

  “Oh God.”

  He does it again, this time faster. The muscles in my core pull tight, and my body soars to a height I’m not yet ready to reach.

  “Jesus, Will!”

  Clenching my thighs around his head, I try to hold him still for fear of coming too soon, my nerve endings dancing the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

  He looks up at me, eyes glittering before he pries my legs apart like scissors and dips his tongue once more, this time flicking my clit ferociously.

  I cry out, grip the doona, and nearly rip it from the bed.

  “That’s it, sweetheart. Come for me,” he murmurs, sucking, licking, and nipping while sliding two fingers inside me.

  I climax so powerfully my back bows and leaves the mattress, my pussy clenching, my toes curling. Heat flushes my face, chest, and fingertips, and I’m about ready to incinerate when he places his palm on my tummy and gently holds me down, letting me ride the wave of pleasure until I gain my breath and prop myself up on my elbows.

  “Wow! That was…. I mean, I haven’t done that in a long t—”

  Will crawls up my body, his lips glistening, his eyes gleaming, then leans over the bed, takes out a condom from his bedside table, and rolls it onto his cock, his movements smooth and confident. He makes me want to touch myself… in front of him, which is mind-boggling, considering I don’t like to touch myself in front of me, let alone anyone else.

  I tug on my lip; it’s strangely erotic.

  Will’s eyes flare before he clasps my ankles and drags me to him, my knees bent, my legs spread wide. Positioning the tip of his cock, he slides it
through my wetness before pushing inside me, one glorious inch at a time.

  I moan, long, low, languorously.

  “You okay?” he asks, his voice tense.

  “Uh-hm,” I mumble, unable to articulate words.

  Will glides his hands over my stomach and cups my breasts, his hips gyrating, his soft but calloused fingers delightful as they knead my skin. I move with him, in rhythm, rocking and breathing as if we’re one.

  A bead of sweat slides from his temple, down his cheek, and onto the muscles straining in his neck. It’s sexy as hell, and I have the strange urge to lick him, so I lift myself up and straddle his knees.

  Using his shoulder for balance, I wrap my hand around the back of his head and lean in, swiping my tongue up his neck, over his cheek, until I’m tasting his mouth once again.

  “Fuck, Elizabeth.” He pistons into me faster and deeper, and I bounce against his lap, the sound of skin slapping skin a rhythmic beat filling the room.

  “Yes!” I cry out, kissing him harder, my breasts pressing his chest as I hug him to my body.

  He glides his hands up my back and rests them on my shoulders, holding me down as he thrusts deep, long, and full. My core pulls tight, my head near exploding as pleasure once again ripples through me.

  Will hardens and grunts, guttural and raw, and I throw my head back and cry out his name before my body falls limp against him.

  I can’t move.

  I can’t think.

  He chuckles. “Did I break you?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  Trailing his lips down my neck and across my collarbone, he slides out of me, lies down, and pulls me to him, hugging me to his chest until we both fall asleep.

  My eyes spring open, and for the smallest of seconds, I forget where I am and who I’m draped across, naked, until the scent and feel of his skin beneath mine triggers every vivid memory.

  Blinking, I take in his room. Wood panelling halfway up fog-grey walls. Charcoal-coloured dresser topped with aftershave. A pair of drumsticks and an expensive-looking watch. And a chair in the corner, covered in worn clothing. I smile then bite the inside of my cheek, my finger tracing the pattern tattooed to his arm. Need once again pools between my legs as flashes of Will’s impressive, virile body pistoning into mine surges to the forefront of my memory.