The Book Boyfriend Series Box Set

by Carly Phillips

  “I meant, it’s getting late and I’m getting tired and . . .” When he just smirked at her, she knew it didn’t matter what she’d meant to say. “Never mind. Just make the damn call already.”

  He laughed unrepentantly. “Some things don’t ever change. You’re still a lot of fun to tease, and you’re still absolutely adorable when you get all ruffled,” he said, affection in his voice.

  “So glad I can amuse you,” she grumbled, though she was enjoying their flirtatious banter.

  As he contacted a towing service to give them directions to where the car was located, Ella took the opportunity to shoot Claire a text.

  Just wanted to let you know that my car broke down and I’m stuck in the city for the night. I didn’t want you to worry when you didn’t see me at work in the morning. I’ll have William open up the market for me. As soon as she finished her conversation with Claire, she’d send the store’s manager a quick message, too.

  No surprise, it didn’t take her friend long to reply. OMG. That sucks. Do you need me to come and get you?

  No. Kyle has a friend who owns an auto shop. The guy is going to get it fixed first thing in the morning, so it doesn’t make sense for me to go home tonight just to come back tomorrow to pick up the car.

  Ella knew what was coming even before her friend’s next question came through. That row of bubbles appeared as she waited for it . . .

  Where are you staying?

  At Kyle’s, she typed back, then quickly clarified, in his guest bedroom.

  Hmm. It doesn’t have to be his guest bedroom.

  Ella rolled her eyes, because she’d seen her friend’s comment coming a mile away. But before she could reply, Claire shot her another note.

  Considering our earlier conversation about your sex life, or lack thereof, I think you should think of this as fate. Divine intervention, if you will. She added a devil emoji to emphasize her point.

  She was seriously equating her vehicle dying on her as divine intervention? OMG, did you do something to my car before I left for the city today?

  What? No, of course not. LOL. I’m telling you, having your car break down in the city, while you’re with Kyle, happened for a reason. Don’t question it, Ella. Just go and fuck Kyle’s brains out, enjoy the orgasms, and come back tomorrow relaxed with a euphoric smile on your face. You’re long overdue, and I’m betting he’d be more than happy to end your dry spell.

  Thank you for your sage advice, she texted back, trying to be sarcastic when, in reality, her body wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of a few orgasms with a real-life man. This real-life man. Since her breakup with Tucker, there hadn’t been any guy who’d sparked her interest physically. But one kiss with Kyle, and her libido had been reignited. Was she capable of a one-night stand with him? Because that’s certainly all it could be for either of them.

  Her phone pinged with another incoming text from Claire. Look, there is nothing wrong with a little recreational sex. It’s natural and healthy to be sexually active, and your happy vagina will thank you for it tomorrow.

  A snort of laughter escaped Ella before she could stop it, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyle turn his attention to her while she ended her conversation with Claire. We are done with this discussion. I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on with the car in the morning, and when I’ll be back.

  Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Which leaves your options (and your legs) pretty wide open!

  Shaking her head, Ella put her phone back into her purse and glanced at Kyle, who’d propped a hip against her car and was watching her much too intently—his stare speculative and his full lips even more pronounced against his trimmed beard. He was done with his phone call, as well, and as their gazes met and held, the exchange she’d just had with Claire played out in her mind—featuring vivid, erotic images of Kyle’s mouth buried between her thighs as he pleasured her, and those strong, corded forearms braced beside her as he drove his cock into her, hard and deep, while her body clasped tight around him.

  Her sex pulsed in a brazen hell yeah, and to her horror, a small, needy whimper escaped her throat. Damn Claire for planting those ideas in her head!

  “Everything okay?” Kyle asked, a brow raised.

  She wasn’t sure if he was referring to the sex noise she’d just made or the conversation she’d just had with her best friend. She wasn’t going to cop to either. “Everything is good.”

  He crossed his arms casually over his chest. “The tow truck is ten minutes away. As soon as they have your car hooked up, we can head to my place for the night . . . and bed,” he added, his slow smile downright sinful.

  Her disloyal nipples tightened hopefully. She knew he was teasing her because of her earlier comment, but now she couldn’t think of anything but being in his bed. Ella had no idea how tonight was going to play out, but she suddenly wasn’t so opposed to Claire’s naughty suggestion of one night of hot, anything-goes sex with Kyle.

  He wasn’t a stranger, but a man she knew and trusted and was still strongly attracted to. And most importantly, come the morning, there would be no unrealistic expectations of anything more.

  Chapter Six

  Kyle didn’t expect it to be so difficult to try and sleep knowing that Ella was lying in the guest room right next to his. So damn close yet not nearly close enough. As he stared up at the ceiling, wide-awake, all he could think about was having her in his bed, moaning softly beneath him as he sank into her sweet, lush body to ease the ache of wanting her. And he was pretty sure he could have easily persuaded her to join him, considering the flirty innuendos she’d issued when they’d finally gotten back to his place once her car was taken care of for the night.

  But while he’d bantered easily with her and engaged in her subtle—and adorable—come-ons, he’d ultimately resisted her and kept his hands to himself, one of the single most difficult things he’d ever done. Instead of taking her up on her no-strings offer to diffuse the sexual tension between them with a mutually satisfying fuck, he’d given her a comfortable shirt of his to wear to bed and sent her off to the guest room to sleep. The flash of disappointment he’d seen in her eyes had nearly destroyed his resolve to keep his hands off her.

  He’d promised Ella he wouldn’t take advantage of her or the situation, and he was trying to be an honorable kind of guy. But his unruly dick, which was currently tenting the sheet draped over his hips, was protesting his decision, big-time, and mocking him for being a fool and giving up a sure thing. And every time he closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep, his brain taunted him with all the filthy things he’d like to do to Ella, and with her, given the chance.

  Jesus, he was so fucked, and not in a good way.

  Knowing he wasn’t going to get any rest until he gave into his dick’s demand to take the edge off, he pushed off the sheet, and since he slept naked, he wrapped his fingers around his stiff length. He closed his eyes to conjure up those dirty thoughts—his favorite being Ella on her knees sucking him off slow and deep—and just as he started to stroke, he heard the door next to his room click open, then the soft padding of footsteps on the wooden floor as Ella headed down the hallway.

  His hand stilled as he listened, wanting to make sure that everything was okay with her. Five minutes passed, then ten, and when he didn’t hear her return to her room, he decided to go and investigate. Luckily, his erection had subsided during the wait, and he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of black boxer briefs.

  He found her in the dining room, standing in front of a window in the dark that overlooked Lake Shore Drive. The hem of the button-down T-shirt he’d given her to wear ended mid-thigh, and it looked damned good on her. He was pretty sure it would look even better in a heap on his bedroom floor, and her absolutely naked.

  She seemed so lost in thought that he was extra-careful not to startle her as he came up beside her where the moon illuminated her pale skin and glossed over her silky dark hair. “Hey,” he said softly. “Is everythi
ng okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said, smiling up at him after taking a few extra seconds to check out his bare chest. “I went into the kitchen for a drink of water and got distracted by the view and all the lights. Everything looks so small down there,” she added with a laugh.

  His condo was located fourteen stories up and, in this area, was considered a prime piece of real estate and a great investment. “That’s why I bought the place. The view and privacy.” His unit rose above Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive, and there was no other building nearby that directly faced his or obstructed his spectacular view.

  “So you could walk around naked with all the curtains wide open and not worry about peeping Toms?” she teased.

  “Among other things,” he added with a wicked grin.

  Those other things seemed to pulse between them, because he knew they were both thinking about how those windows could add a whole new and illicit dimension to fucking—providing the risk and excitement of exhibitionism but without the reality of getting caught. He could easily imagine pushing her naked body up against the cool glass while he slid into her from behind. His dick twitched, liking that idea a helluva whole lot.

  As if she could feel the heat and awareness rising between them, she glanced back out at the view. “You don’t miss having a regular house?”

  “Not really,” he admitted, only because having a condo was more convenient and practical at this stage in his life. “This is close to work, I have all the amenities I need including a pool and gym, and I don’t have to worry about a yard to maintain.”

  “Spoken like a true bachelor.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “Who knew you’d become such a city boy.”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I love everything about Chicago. The energy, the culture, how everything feels larger than life.”

  She visibly shuddered, but she was smiling at him. “And that’s all the reasons I hate the city.”

  He chuckled, because, yes, her severe dislike of Chicago had been well established. As they stared at one another and her smile faded away, he reached out and dragged the pad of his thumb along her soft cheek and didn’t hold back what he was feeling. “Is it selfish of me that I’m glad that you’re stuck in the city and here with me right now?”

  “No,” she whispered, not bothering to hide the longing and desire shining in her eyes. “Is it selfish of me that I want you, even knowing it can only be for this one night?”

  Another bold and daring invitation that was wreaking havoc with his dwindling willpower. “Ella . . . ” His voice was gruff as he watched her tongue shyly skim across her full bottom lip. “You’re making it so damn hard to be good.”

  “I don’t want you to be good. I really want you to be bad. With me.”

  She lifted her hand and touched the cool tips of her fingers against the hollow of his throat, then slowly, gradually caressed them down the middle of his chest, along his abs, and followed the thin trail of hair that led to the waistband of his boxer briefs and the hard length of his eager cock.

  He groaned, his chest heaving, and before she could cup him in her hand, he grabbed her hips and hauled her body up against his. She gasped, her eyes widening, but not in shock. No, they were fucking triumphant because she’d finally gotten what she wanted.

  Then again, when it came to Ella, she’d been his greatest weakness, and he’d always given her whatever she desired. Why had he thought this would be any different?

  He backed her up, and when her ass hit the edge of his dining table, he lifted her so she was sitting on the flat surface. Holding her gaze, he pushed her thighs wide apart and stepped in between, making sure she could feel every fucking inch of his aching dick pressing against that sweet spot between her legs.

  He buried his hands in her hair, gently tugging on the roots to tip her head back so she couldn’t look away. And Jesus, the need in her eyes, all for him, nearly slayed every last bit of his control. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, because he didn’t want her to wake up in the morning with regrets.

  She was already unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing, revealing the soft, delectable curves of her breasts, her smooth, flat stomach . . . “Absolutely sure,” she breathed huskily. “Just this one night, Kyle. Please.”

  It was that last word that shattered his resolve and had him crushing his lips against hers in a hungry, endless kiss while she desperately shrugged out of his shirt until it pooled around her on the table. His tongue swept over hers, the connection turning hotter, deeper, as he angled her head so he had full access to every part of her mouth. Jesus Christ, he wanted to fucking own her.

  With a soft, sensual moan, she tightened her thighs against the sides of his legs as she once again trailed her fingers back down his chest and pushed her hands straight into his briefs before he could stop her a second time. Her palm slid down the length of him, and when her thumb slicked over the head of his sensitive cock, already slippery with pre-cum, it was his turn to groan from the sheer bliss of having her soft, slender fingers touching him, stroking him.

  He released his hold on her hair and caught both of her wrists, pulling them out of his briefs. She protested with a soft mewling sound, but he wasn’t about to let her dictate how tonight was going to go, because if he gave her the smallest bit of leeway, this situation was going to be over before he even had a chance to get inside of her.

  And before that happened, he wanted to savor her. He wanted to luxuriate in her pleasure and her soft, sweet moans and sighs. He wanted to make her come, so hard that her body shook with the force of it, then come again and again. He wanted her pussy to be sore tomorrow morning so she’d think of him all day and remember all the ways he’d marked her, claimed her, and had been a part of her.

  They were lofty goals he was more than prepared to achieve, and he had hours to make her ache so fucking good.

  “Put your hands on the table behind you,” he ordered as he let go of her wrists.

  She didn’t hesitate to do as he requested. She braced her palms on the flat surface, which, in turn, arched her back and pushed her bare chest out like an offering. He had a clear view of her exquisite body, and he took a moment to appreciate the womanly curves she’d developed over the years. Her breasts were full and generous, her pink nipples already tight and begging to be sucked. His avid gaze leisurely made its way lower, taking in the slight indentation of her waist and the swell of the feminine hips he couldn’t wait to grab on to as he fucked her.

  He smiled lazily when he reached her panties, which were white silk and lace with a tiny pink bow right in the center of the waistband. Pure innocence worn by a temptress, all wrapped up like an irresistible present. He did another slow trek up her torso, and when he met her gaze, her eyes were already dilated and half-dazed with lust. As he watched, she bit her bottom lip, then closed her eyes and tilted her head back so that her wavy hair cascaded behind her and the delicate arch of her throat beckoned for him to taste.

  Flattening his hands on either side of her hips, he leaned in and brushed his lips along her neck in soft, fleeting kisses, inhaling the familiar scent of sweet lemons. She shivered and sighed as he nuzzled his beard against her skin, then moaned long and loud when he placed hot, damp, open-mouthed kisses up to the shell of her ear. His tongue flicked out, he gently bit her skin, and she gasped and strained forward impatiently so she could rub her breasts against his chest.

  Without pausing, he dipped his head lower and captured a pert nipple between his lips, sucking hard and strong while dragging his teeth across the hardened tip. She cried out at the unexpected sting of pain, which he instantly soothed with a slow, wet, swirling lick of his tongue before moving on to her other breast. As he worshiped her perfect tits, she squirmed impatiently and started to pant, then beg.

  “Please, please, please,” she chanted softly, breathlessly. And when that didn’t make him speed up the process any, she finally moved her hands and clutched at his shoulders, digging her fingers into the muscle and ten
dons in a frenzied attempt to pull him closer. She spread her thighs wider and bent her knees back slightly so that they were pressing against his sides and she could curl her long, slender legs around his waist and pull him forward, until the thick length of his pulsing cock nudged against the damp silk fabric covering her sex.

  Kyle groaned, low and deep. He was a man who knew his limitations. It didn’t matter that they were both still wearing their underwear. With her using her best moves to seduce him, he didn’t stand a chance, and he wasn’t about to blow his load prematurely. And that’s exactly where this was heading, because Jesus fuck, seeing Ella so wild and uninhibited was making him hot as hell.

  He didn’t have a condom on him, and besides, before he sank into her pussy, he intended to acquaint that part of her with his mouth, his fingers, his tongue. He wanted to eat her up and make her scream his name. He wanted to make her mindless with ecstasy. And for that, he needed a soft bed to spread her out on.

  He slid his hands beneath her ass and lifted her into his arms. “Tighten your legs around my waist,” he said, and she immediately obeyed, clinging to him like he was her lifeline.

  He started down the hall, and she slid her hand around the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to mold to hers once again, the taste of her intoxicating, like a drug he couldn’t get enough of. Somehow, someway, he made it into his bedroom and laid her back on the mattress. She was reluctant to let him go, but he untangled their limbs because he didn’t have a choice.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, and went into the adjoining bathroom to retrieve a few condoms. He left the light on so that it was just bright enough in the bedroom for him to see every part of her. Her gorgeous body and especially her expression when she climaxed.

  When he returned to the foot of the bed, he found Ella exactly where he’d left her, except she was about to start the party without him. She had her hand in her panties, her fingers moving slowly, rhythmically between her legs, a naughty come-hither smile on her face. She looked stunning spread out on his bed, her hair tousled around her head, her breasts bared, and her hips subtly moving as she touched herself.