by Parker, Ali
“You’re right and I’m really just talking out of my ass right now,” I said with a laugh.
She giggled again, finishing her wine. I was happy she felt comfortable enough to finally tell me about her personal life. She had been holding back. I hoped that meant we were establishing a real friendship once again. We spent a long evening enjoying a fabulous dinner and probably drinking a little too much wine. I didn’t care. I could have sat at the table with her all night if the staff would have let me.
We slowly walked through the lobby of the hotel, both of us putting off the end of our night. “I had a really good time tonight,” I told her as we rode up in the elevator.
“Me too. I’m glad you’re back in my life.”
“I’m glad to be back.”
We walked down the hall, our separate room doors looming in front of us. I stopped in front of her door. We both looked at each other without saying a word. The invisible line was between us, keeping either of us from making a move.
“I guess I will see you in the morning,” I said.
Her gaze held mine. “Yes.”
I stared at her for several seconds before I mustered up the energy to walk away. I left her standing in front of her door and quickly let myself into my room. I couldn’t do it. She was Patrick’s little sister. There was too much history between us. I didn’t want to open up old wounds that had scarred over. I didn’t want to find myself on the receiving end of Patrick’s wrath. He loved his little sister and he would never want her with a man like me.
I respected Patrick too much to violate that code. I had to get it through my thick skull Mae was not for me. I could feel her desire. I knew she could feel mine as well. The sexual tension between us was ten times more than it had been all those years ago.
Acting on that desire would lead to trouble.
“Leave it alone, Tyson. Leave it alone.”
Chapter 17
Mae
My shoulders sagged forward as I kicked off my shoes. I didn’t know what I was expecting. I told myself it was for the best. I wanted him too much, which made him far too dangerous. He didn’t want me. He wanted me but didn’t want me. I got it. We were from different worlds. He was a different man. He was Tyson Helms. I suspected he was a millionaire and had the world in his hands.
I was Mae Kendell from the block. I could never be the jet-setting woman he would need in his life. I had responsibilities and people who depended on me. I couldn’t be upset that he didn’t even try to make a move. I couldn’t feel sad that he had walked away from me. Again. It was beginning to be a habit I detested.
Feeling completely dissed, I walked into the bathroom and took off my earrings. I paused, looking at my reflection in the mirror before turning left and then right. I was almost thirty. I didn’t see any wrinkles, but it was only a matter of time. Life was passing me by. My twenties were almost behind me. In high school, I always assumed I would be married by this time. I would have a career and maybe even be starting a family.
I couldn’t even get a man to kiss me goodnight.
There was a soft knock on the door, startling me out of my downward spiral. I looked through the peephole and saw Tyson standing on the other side. He looked angry.
I unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Tyson?” I questioned.
He lunged, his hands reaching for my face and his mouth slamming over mine. He pushed his way inside, moving me back until I was up against the wall with his body pressed against mine. From somewhere far away, I heard the door close. His hands moved away from my face and roamed down my arms and then reached around and squeezed my ass. I groaned as he yanked me against him, grinding his erection against my belly.
I reached up, running my hands through his hair before moving down over his broad shoulders. He was so much bigger than I remembered. I wanted to feel him, really feel him. When I felt his hands slide up my back, I pulled away from the wall, and with more willpower than I knew I had, I pulled my mouth from his. We both gasped at the loss of contact.
I turned around, giving him my back and silently demanding he undo the dress. I wanted to be naked. I didn’t care about anything else in that moment but getting naked with him. It took less than a few seconds to get the dress undone. He pushed it forward while I wiggled out of it.
When I turned back to face him, there was a brief moment of hesitation on his part. Then, his eyes dropped to my breasts barely covered in the sheer bra I had worn with the hopes of him seeing it. He sprang into action once again. It was a flurry of arms and hands pulling and tugging at clothing until we were both down to our underwear and breathing heavily.
I caught a brief glimpse of the tattoo over his left pec before the man was on me again. He was ravenous. Or maybe it was me. I didn’t know and I didn’t care to dissect what was happening. My hands ran over the muscles in his back, squeezing and kneading as his mouth plundered mine.
I was pushed up against the wall with the force of his body pushing against mine. His muscular chest slid over my breasts. The sheer material was no protection at all, but I wanted to feel his hot skin against mine. A second later, it was as if he’d read my mind, and my bra was whisked away.
I moaned into his mouth at the touch of his hand against my breast. His hand dropped away and was replaced by his hot, wet mouth. I wrapped my arms around his head, pulling him against me while my head rested against the wall.
He came up, one hand cupping my cheek as his blue eyes stared into mine with such fierce intensity, I nearly melted. “I’ve wanted this since I first laid eyes on you.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
He slowly shook his head. “No. You don’t understand. I want to fuck you until you are screaming my name. I want to ride you until we are both gasping for breath. I want to feel your body break open around me. I want to devour every inch of you.”
His words, spoken in a harsh rasp, sent goosebumps spreading over my flesh. I was already wet and on the verge of a climax with just his kisses. I wasn’t sure I could survive a full onslaught of passion from him. “Okay,” I breathed. “Take me. Fuck me the way I need you to.”
His eyes were piercing as he stared into my soul. He reached between my legs, palming my sex, and cursed under his breath. His mouth covered mine once again, his tongue pushing inside my mouth as he held me between my legs. I whimpered with pleasure, sinking into the wall. He pulled his hand away and tugged at my thong, pushing it down my legs.
I bent my leg, using my foot to take off my panties while my hands worked his tight briefs down his legs. I reached for the jutting shaft, wrapping my hand around the thickness and giving him a good squeeze. He groaned into my mouth while his fingers slid over my folds. My body opened to him, desperate for his touch.
“Yes,” I moaned the word as his finger slid inside me.
“Fuck. Goddammit. You are so fucking wet. I want you. I need you.”
My head bobbed up and down. “Take me. Oh god, please, hurry.”
He reached around me, lifting me with one strong arm and carrying me to the bed. He unceremoniously dropped me on the bed. I bounced a couple of times while staring up into the face of the man that had captured my heart a long time ago.
He stared down at me, his chest heaving as his eyes roamed over my body. I let him look. I encouraged him to look and took advantage of my position on the bed to study his body as well. I saw the tattoos, the muscles, and practically melted into the bed. The boy I knew was long gone. There was a man in his place. A powerful, sexy man that was looking at me like I was the main course at a dessert bar.
I lifted my hand, inviting him to join me on the bed. He crawled over me, holding his weight off me before giving me a soft kiss that was the exact opposite of what he had been doing. I opened my legs and stroked my hands down his back. With a little nudge and some prodding, he managed to line up with my entry, and with a gentle push, he was inside me.
I closed my eyes and tried to force my body to relax. I felt the resistance. I w
anted him. “Don’t stop,” I whispered.
He pushed in a little deeper, stopping when my body tried to resist the invasion. His mouth closed over mine, kissing me until my body gave him the welcome passage he needed to glide inside. My hands that had been sliding up and down his back froze. The sensation of being pinned to the bed with him seated fully inside me was overwhelming.
“Good?” he grunted.
Hearing his strained voice was the trigger that pushed me over the cliff I had been holding on to with white knuckles. I didn’t want to climax so early, but my body had other ideas. The entire day had been foreplay.
“Holy shit,” he rasped. “Oh, fuck me.”
I whimpered as the orgasm wrapped me up tightly. My muscles clenched and then released. He began to move, slowly at first until I dug my nails into the flesh on his back and demanded more. I wanted to feel his power pounding inside me. I wanted him to let go. He was ravenous when he walked through that door.
“Harder!” I shouted when he began to slow his thrusts.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said with labored breathing.
“You’re not hurting me. Do what you said you wanted to do. Take me!”
He roared, stretching out his arms as he held himself off me. His hips rocketed back and forth, slamming himself deep inside me. I held on to his biceps, squeezing the muscles and relishing in the unbridled strength of the man.
Watching him ride me was intoxicating. The passion mixed with the wine from dinner was a heady concoction. I was riding high on desire, and when I felt the tingle of another orgasm, I let myself go. I rode the wave, my arms dropping to the bed and clenching the blanket in my fists as he rode me through it.
His body jerked, his face twisting in what looked like pain, but I knew it was sweet ecstasy. His body went completely stiff as he let out a long, low growl of pleasure. His cock jerked and spasmed inside me, pulsing as he rode out the orgasm.
A second later, he collapsed on top of me, his mouth over mine once again. I wrapped my legs around his ass and my arms around his back, pulling him closer against me. He rolled to his side, throwing one arm across the bed and turning to look at me.
I smiled. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
He laughed. “Fuck. I’m still seeing stars.”
I giggled, feeling completely carefree and relaxed in the moment. “That’s impressive.”
“You have no idea. My god, I’ve wanted that for so long.”
I rolled to my side, propping my head up on my hand, and looked down at him. I reached out and trailed a finger over the chest I had been fantasizing about since we bumped into each other on the street. “You know it was yours for the taking,” I brazenly said.
His gaze turned to mine. “But you know why I couldn’t.”
“I do.”
He reached up and pulled me down to him. I kissed him, languishing over his mouth as I took my time exploring every crevice. With the edge off, I could take my time to enjoy the man in my bed. After a long, languid kiss, I dropped my head to his shoulder.
“This is crazy,” he whispered.
“Stay with me,” I answered. “I want you in my bed.”
“God, Mae. Do you know what you do to me?”
My hand flattened against his chest. “I think I have an idea. You do the same to me.”
“Let’s get under the blanket,” he said after he shuddered with a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room.
We both climbed off the bed. I pulled the blankets back and fluffed the pillows. When I turned around to see what he was doing, I saw him watching me with a smoldering look on his face. I was pretty sure I was going to be getting very little sleep that night.
I didn’t mind one bit.
Chapter 18
Tyson
I woke with Mae asleep in my arms. The moment I realized I was in her bed, I closed my eyes and tried to force myself back to sleep. I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to think about the consequences of my night with her.
I smirked. I could feel the consequences of my night with her. My muscles were both completely relaxed and sore at the same time. Multiple orgasms tended to do that to a guy. She rocked my world. Holy shit, had it been good. It was better than I imagined it would be. Her body was so responsive to mine. I smiled, thinking about the many, many orgasms she’d enjoyed. She was going to be just as sore as I was.
With my ego properly stroked, reality sank in. I had slept with Patrick’s little sister. It was something I told myself I wouldn’t do. I coached myself to ignore the temptation. When it became too much to ignore, I ran away. No one had that kind of self-control. The woman turned me inside out. She melted away all my willpower. She stripped me right down to the man at my core. The man that wanted her with every breath I took.
The part of my brain that was rational was screaming at me. It was telling me I was a fool and it was time to flee. It was a little difficult to run away from the woman that had traveled across the world with me. I wasn’t about to abandon her in a foreign country.
I could be strong. I could resist. I would not touch her again unless I got Patrick’s approval. I inwardly scoffed at the idea. Patrick would never want his sister with a guy like me. To be fair, I wasn’t the guy I was in school. I wasn’t trying to make my way through the cheerleading squad. I could be honest and faithful.
I didn’t think he was going to be willing to listen to any of that. He was going to see red if and when he found out I had been lusting after his sister for years. Then again, maybe his protective nature could have diminished over the years. Maybe he would be cool with me and Mae dating.
I looked down at her naked body pressed against mine. Dating? Maybe. Fucking like rabbits? Probably not so much. I very carefully pushed a chunk of silky blonde hair off her shoulder. I stared at the expanse of milky skin and remembered kissing that exact spot. I’d kissed many spots, but that little spot just below her ear was my favorite. It was the spot that drove her wild.
If I continued to think about what it felt like to be inside her, I was going to start the day off with an act I would likely regret. I needed time to reflect. I needed to breathe in air that wasn’t filled with her scent. I needed to clear my head and figure out what the fuck I was going to do now that I’d crossed a line I could never step back over.
I very carefully pulled my body out from under hers. I was hoping to make a clean getaway. I managed to get to the edge of the bed when I felt her hand touch my shoulder. “Are you leaving?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
I turned back to look at her and was lost. “I was going to order some breakfast.”
A slow smile spread over her face. “I am famished.”
I chuckled, leaning down to drop a kiss on her cheek. “You burned a lot of calories last night.”
“I think you burned a lot more than I did.” Her eyes were sparkling with mischief. It was completely irresistible. But I would resist.
“I’ll be right back,” I told her.
“Are you leaving?”
“I was thinking about grabbing a shower.”
She looked disappointed. “Are we going home today?”
How could I deny her? “We can stay another day if you would like. I have no plans that require me to rush back. Do you need to get back?”
“I can definitely stay another day.”
I couldn’t get back into bed with her. Last night, I’d promised myself I would only take one night. “I’ll order breakfast and take a quick shower. Then, I have a surprise for you.”
She grinned, sitting up and clutching the sheet to her chest. “You gave me lots of surprises. I’m not sure I can handle any more of them.”
I got off the bed and walked naked to the bathroom to grab one of the complimentary robes. She was watching my every move. I could see the desire in her eyes. I needed to walk away. I could blame last night on the wine. There was nothing to excuse the way I felt about her right in that moment.
“I’ll be back,” I told her. “Dress casual. We are going to be outside.”
“See you soon.” She waved. I grabbed my pants from the floor and fished out my room key before snatching up the rest of my scattered clothing.
I walked out, ignoring the look from the maid that had already started cleaning rooms. I opened the door to my room and dropped the clothes in a heap. I quickly ordered room service before moving to get into the shower.
I let the water roll over my shoulders. I turned my face to the spray of the water, doing my best to ignore the regret that was weighing heavily on my shoulders. I was fighting a war within. Being with Mae felt right. It was hard to think it was wrong. Why was it wrong? I could make Patrick understand. If I couldn’t, did I really care?
I wasn’t exactly swimming with friends. It wasn’t just the idea I would be losing a friend. It was the idea I was disrespecting him. He was a good guy. He had helped me out a lot back in the old days. I couldn’t repay him by screwing around with his little sister. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure where things were going with Mae. I didn’t want to be the guy that walked away after a month or two and left her heartbroken.
“You are on thin ice,” I told myself.
Tread lightly took on a whole new meaning. I got out of the shower and dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose shirt. I collected my things and left my room. I knocked on her door and waited. She opened the door with a towel wrapped around her.
“I’m obviously a lot slower than you are,” she said with a laugh.
“Take your time.”
She looked at my attire. “You’re wearing shorts. Should I?”
I shrugged. “If you have some, sure.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“I can’t talk to you when I know you are naked under that towel,” I told her, being completely honest.
She giggled and, without warning, dropped the damn towel. I groaned, closing my eyes and telling myself I couldn’t touch. “Mae.”