by Leigh Landry
Her life might be a clusterfuck, but she sure as hell could make something out of what was left of this shitty day.
Shane startled against her lips, then grabbed her hands and pulled his head back. He looked at her, long and hard, taking in her whole face, her eyes, her intentions. After a few moments of staring at each other, she felt his grip on her hands tighten, and his eyes flared with an intensity and hunger she knew all too well.
Still holding her hands, he lunged forward and kissed her back, desperate and eager. His beard rubbed against her face, thick and rough, but softer than she’d expected. She opened her mouth and let his tongue slide inside. He tasted like Mountain Dew and the delicious promise of fun and forgetting.
He slid one hand behind her head and the other behind her back and pushed forward until she walked backward into the wall. He pressed the thickness behind his jeans against her, proving he was as ready for her as she was for him.
She ran her fingers down the smooth, soft T-shirt fabric covering his chest, then moved them back up again to grip behind his head and pull him even closer. Her breath was heavy and ragged, her body taking over so her brain could go off duty for a while. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.
With a smooth, swiftness that told her he was well-practiced at this move, he pulled her shirt over her arms and head with one hand. She gave him a quick eyebrow raise and a smile of admiration in honor of his skill, then she took her turn to lift his shirt and throw it across the room. Her hands slid over the light hair on his chest, while his mouth took no time at all getting acquainted with the tops of her breasts. She breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling beneath his mouth, while she gripped the thick muscles of his back.
When she’d gone looking for a little distraction, this was exactly what she’d been looking for.
No…this was even better. This man was proving to be the best distraction. And more.
He moved up to kiss her neck and slipped his hand between their bodies to unbutton her jeans. When his hand slipped farther down, into her panties, she released a moan, but abruptly cut it short.
“Wait, wait, Shane.” She could barely get the words out, and it took every ounce of self-control she had to say them.
He pulled his hand up and rested it around her waist. Her skin tingled and burned beneath the heat of his touch.
“I thought…” he said. “Sorry. It’s not a good idea, right? Whatever was bothering you earlier…I shouldn’t have—”
She put a finger on his lips. It was fucking adorable, once again, but she sure as hell didn’t have the patience for adorable right now. She needed something else from this guy.
“It’s a great idea. A condom would be an even better idea right now.”
He looked her over again, making sure he was reading her right. A few seconds later, a smile crept back on his face. He kissed her and said, “Don’t fucking move.”
She kissed him back hungrily as he pulled away. “Better hurry.”
He disappeared down the hall, leaving her cold and breathless.
And alone.
She shook that thought from her head, along with all the other thoughts fighting their way back to the front of her brain.
He really did need to hurry. Not that she was going to regret this at all. But she didn’t want to think about anything but Shane for the next…well, however long she could keep him in her grasp.
* * * * *
When Shane grabbed the condom box beside his bed, an orange-striped blur of fluff darted out from under the bed to smack his hand.
“Not now.” He scratched the as-yet-unnamed kitten’s head and swatted its paw away. “Playtime later. I’m already in the middle of playtime with someone else.”
Someone else he didn’t know.
He sure as hell hadn’t planned on having sex with Natalie when he offered her that ride. Not even when he brought her back to his apartment. A few years ago it might have been all that was on his mind. But now? After the year he’d had and being dragged in the middle of someone else’s marital mess? Now he knew better than to get involved—in any capacity—with a woman clearly carrying around a heavy heaping of drama.
That kiss had surprised him, though. Not just the fact that she kissed him, but how much he wanted to kiss her back. She seemed pretty sure she wanted this, so who the hell was he to deny her whatever her own brand of therapy might be?
A guy who knew better, that’s who.
So with condoms still in hand, he walked back to the living room and steeled himself to make a graceful exit from whatever shitstorm they’d stirred up a few moments ago.
He found Natalie with her back to him, examining his bookshelves. She was still in just her bra, her blonde hair trailing down the tanned skin of her back, and her jeans, slung low on her hips. Her long, perfect-for-playing-guitar finger traced the title on the spine of one of his books, while her head tilted to read the sideways font.
Suddenly, he lost all ability to make rational decisions.
He placed the box of condoms on the shelf she was examining and slipped his hands around the smooth, cool skin of her waist, while he placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.
“You like McCaffrey?” She gestured at his worn copies of the first eight books in the Dragonriders of Pern series.
He kissed up her shoulder and neck until he reached her ear, where he whispered, “Do you really want to compare literary favorites now? Or can we save that for dessert?”
She turned in his arms and gave a devilish grin. “Why can’t we do both?”
He kissed her gently, tugging on her bottom lip as he pulled back. “Efficient. I like it.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She grabbed his jeans and began unzipping. “Now answer the question.”
He kissed her again, then sucked in air as she slid her hand inside his boxers. “There was a question?”
“I asked if you like McCaffrey.”
He moved his hands up her back and unhooked her bra. To his brief disappointment, she removed her hand from his pants long enough to slip out of the straps. But his disappointment was short-lived once he had his hands on her now bare breasts, and she tossed her head back with approval.
“That first book is a signed copy.” He attacked her neck with his mouth, his hands sliding down to tug her jeans to the floor.
“Nice.”
He couldn’t tell if her enthusiasm was genuinely for the book or her physical pleasure. He was certainly willing to continue this experiment to find out which.
“So what’s your favorite part? The examination of class structure, gender roles, or colonization politics?” Her voice was ragged as he gripped her hips and lowered himself to her breast. He traced her nipple with his tongue and sucked it once.
“The dragons.”
She laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself, then wove her fingers through his hair and tugged at his head so he looked up at her. She bit her lip in a way that made him dizzy with want. He rose to face her, eye-to-eye again, while she stroked him, long and hard, her green eyes dancing with mischief and desire.
“You should try His Majesty’s Dragon.”
He dropped his jeans and boxers to the floor, then took a condom from the box on the shelf behind her head. “Isn’t that my line?”
She laughed again, a sound he could really get used to.
Damn. He wasn’t supposed to be getting used to anything here.
She removed her hand from his cock to inch both hands up his chest and nibble on his ear. With one of his hands cradling her breast, Shane rolled on the condom, then slid a finger inside her, to make sure she was ready for him. She released a moan against his ear, as he removed his finger, now slick from her.
“Naomi Novik,” she said, breathily. “Napoleonic Wars. With dragons.”
“Sounds fascinating.” She wrapped a leg around his waist, and he hooked his arm under it and slid inside her, fully burying himself within two slow, smooth strokes.
She sucked in air and grabbed his back, pulling herself further against him. He placed one hand behind her ass and one hand behind her shoulder blades to cushion her from the edges of the shelves, then rocked against her.
Natalie propped a foot up on one of the lower shelves for leverage and dug her fingers into the muscles of his back, groaning with pleasure. The bookshelf knocked against the wall behind her with each of his thrusts. Shane leaned in, burrowing his face in her mass of blonde waves that smelled like sweet sweat from a night of playing and a lingering hint of jasmine blooms, and he lost himself in her scent for what felt like an eternity.
Her breathing became more ragged, and her gasps escalated until she tightened around him, then released with a deep groan. Shane followed her lead a few thrusts later, holding her tightly against the bookshelf, afraid to fall over with the dizzying wave of release and euphoria.
Natalie ran her fingers through the side of his hair, a tender gesture. He pulled away and kissed her cheek. While he walked to the bathroom to clean up, she pulled her jeans up and over her rear end. The sight made him want to pull her down to the ground and fuck her all over again.
When he returned from the hall bathroom, she was slipping her arms through her shirtsleeves and grabbing her guitar.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Been here long enough,” she said. “I should get going.”
“You didn’t eat yet.”
She dug in her bag on the side table and pulled out her burrito. She unwrapped one end, took a bite, and held it up to show him. “I’ll eat on the way.”
“Wait.” He grabbed his pants. “I’ve gotta drive you back.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “It’s right down the road.”
“I can’t let you wander the streets alone in the middle of the night.”
She was already at the front door, but she paused and looked back at him. “You can’t ‘let’ me?”
“How about it’s not a good idea?”
She shrugged and winked. “I’m on a roll for good ideas here, so I’ll take my chances.”
“Natalie. Seriously, wait.”
“Don’t worry. I know where to find a bat.”
He pulled up his jeans and looked around for his shirt. “Don’t be stubborn. It’s freezing outside. Let me drive you back.”
“I’m all warmed up now. Thanks for the fantastic distraction.” She opened the door and waved goodbye with the burrito in one hand and her guitar slung over her shoulder.
He shook his head. “Thanks for the book recommendation.”
She smiled over her shoulder as she disappeared out his front door.
He looked around his living room. His sound equipment was piled along the wall, and he was still shirtless. This wasn’t even close to how he had pictured this day ending.
The apartment was eerily silent now. And painfully empty. Normal.
He wondered for a moment if he might have imagined the whole last hour. But Shane knew his imagination wasn’t half that good.
* * * * *
The house was pitch-black when Natalie walked inside. Her mom must have taken her up on her offer to spend the night, so she wouldn’t have to drive home so late. If it would mean Natalie didn’t have to answer why she was back so late, she was glad to sleep on the couch.
She shut the door silently and locked it. When she turned around, she jumped at the sight of her mom, fully dressed, her arms crossed and leaning against the wall in the dark.
Natalie put a hand to her heart. “Jeez, Mom.”
“Had fun?”
“Tons.” For a moment, she considered telling her mom exactly how much fun she had, just to get her to go away. But knowing Mom, she’d pull up a chair and ask for details.
“You could have called, you know.”
Natalie leaned her guitar against the side of the couch. “Cadence was already asleep.”
“But I wasn’t.” Mom pushed away from the wall and grabbed her purse from the kitchen table.
“Sorry. I said you can always spend the night here.”
“I like my own bed, thank you very much.” She paused, her purse on her shoulder. “Speaking of beds, you were safe at least, I hope? Whoever it was?”
Her mom had known Natalie was bisexual for over ten years, and talking about it with her never felt any less awkward. Mostly because Mom made everything awkward with her impossibly blunt questions.
“Sheesh, I am not answering that.”
Mom frowned and crossed her arms again.
“Fine. Yes.” Although if Robin found out about tonight, Natalie wasn’t sure how long she’d be safe.
With an eyebrow raised in interest, Mom said, “Any prospects there?”
Natalie scoffed. “Right. With all my free time and energy?” She felt guilty enough asking her mom to watch her kid while she was at gigs. She couldn’t exactly ask for booty-call babysitting, too. And her ex was mostly reliable with their co-parenting arrangement, but his schedule was almost as erratic as hers. She shook her head. “No, Mom. I’m still solo for the foreseeable future.”
Her mom walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
Natalie shot a glance at her guitar bag. “I will be.” She still hadn’t read that note. Wasn’t planning on it, either.
Mom patted her shoulder and headed to the front door. “Again next week?”
“Yeah, next Friday. But Cadence will probably still be at Eddie’s. He has her next week. I’ll let you know for sure.”
“All right. Call if you need before then,” Mom said. “And check in once in a while so I know you’re alive, will ya?”
Natalie gave a thumbs-up. “Thanks, Mom. Sorry I was late.”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just not make it a habit, okay?”
“Deal.” Natalie locked the door behind her mom and slid the dead bolt shut.
She stood in the dark for a second, taking in the silence. The walk back to her car had been nice. After a long night of loud music and peopling, the cold, quiet walk those few blocks back to the convention center had been just the thing she needed.
Except it also gave her time to think. And she didn’t like the thoughts she came up with. Screwing Shane had given her a nice distraction, but now she had to truly and fully face reality. Natalie was done with love and all the disappointments it brought.
She removed her boots and walked silently down the dark hallway toward the soft glow from the room on the right. Natalie stood in the doorway a second, debating whether or not to walk inside. To disturb this princess’s serene little universe where nothing could harm her. Walking through that portal felt like bringing the ugliness of the world inside with her.
But she’d made a promise—the same one Cadence always insisted on—and Natalie wasn’t going to break a promise to this little girl. Not ever.
She slipped into the twin bed beside Cadence and kissed her forehead. With a heavy little stutter-breath, Cadence opened her eyes slowly. A smile stretched on her face a moment later with the realization of who had woken her.
Natalie brushed the light blonde hair from her daughter’s face. “Hey, Sugar Plum.”
“Mommy,” she said sleepily.
“Just wanted to say goodnight.” Natalie kissed her forehead again. “Go back to sleep. Pancakes for breakfast?”
“Mmm. Yes.”
Cadence rolled over, and Natalie pulled the covers over her before she left the room.
In her own bedroom, Natalie unhooked her bra and replaced her jeans with pajama pants. She slipped into the soft, cool sheets of her own bed and exhaled for what felt like the first time all day.
She looked at her phone and found a missed text from Robin asking if she made it home okay. Natalie considered a snarky response, but decided on a one word answer: yes. Then she set the alarm on her phone so she wouldn’t oversleep pancake duty.
Her head hit the pillow, that soft, glorious pillow, and her thoughts immediately went to the envelope.
And Camille. And wherever Camille was right now. Why she wasn’t coming back. And why the hell she didn’t tell Natalie any of it.
Natalie shut her eyes tight and replaced those thoughts with the image of Shane’s face and the sensation of his rough, strong hands on her skin. His muscular back beneath her fingers. His smile. His deep, shredded voice.
And his bookshelf.
She released a deep, satisfied sigh. He didn’t have to be anything but a fling. Despite her mother’s insistence, she didn’t need any prospects. Prospects came with heartbreak, and she’d had her fill of that for a lifetime. She just needed a little fun.
Within a couple of minutes, she felt her limbs grow heavy as she began to drift off to welcome, blissful sleep.
Chapter 3
By Monday morning, Shane was more grateful than he’d ever been to clock in at the music store, even though his boss asked him to start the day taking care of a delivery they’d just gotten in. Normally Shane wouldn’t be thrilled about starting his week unpacking, shelving, and reorganizing a bunch of heavy equipment, but it sounded like exactly what he needed to focus and get his mind off the weekend.
A long, lonely weekend and an unbelievably enticing guitar player.
Yup, a box cutter and a few guys to crack jokes with in the back of the store was exactly what he needed.
Except no one else was in the back. One guy had called in sick and the others must’ve been making deliveries. Damn.
Fine. Just him and his box cutter then.
Not much different from his weekend. His best friend was off on a mini tour, subbing in with a local band. Football season was over, so he couldn’t veg in front of the TV all day. And thanks to the ripple effect from the fallout with his brother, he hadn’t seen anyone else in his family for months. Not that he wanted to listen to them chime in on how he needed to forgive and forget and reach out. Screw that.
All he had to keep him company lately was the stray kitten he’d taken in. The one that apparently needed to eat every four-point-five seconds.
That was it. A cute but needy kitten. Not quite cute enough to keep his mind off Friday night. And a one-night stand wasn’t a thing he needed to spend time reminiscing about.