Top Notch (Man on Top Book 1)

by Nicole Richard

  “I had a boyfriend in college, but you know how that goes.” I shrugged.

  “That’s it? You had a boyfriend?” he mocked.

  “Um hmm.”

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this boyfriend than you’re telling me?”

  I shrugged.

  “Was it bad? Did he break your heart?” he asked sincerely.

  I twisted my lips to the side, embarrassed. “You could say that.” I met his waiting stare. “It’s more cliché than heartbreak. My ego hurt worse than my heart.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because he cheated on me . . . and I forgave him . . . the first time.”

  “He cheated on you multiple times?”

  “Twice.” That’s where the embarrassment came in. “I had been so naïve to believe him when he said he would never do it again. But then two weeks later, he did it again. And I ended it.”

  “What an asshole.”

  “He was. I couldn’t believe I gave him the benefit of the doubt.”

  “You’re an angel, that’s why.” He kissed me softly.

  “Other than that, my love life, or lack thereof, has truly been uneventful. I’ve put everything I have into building my career, which is quite difficult for meeting people. And I’m not into the online dating thing—too risky.”

  “Smart woman.”

  I nodded. “After that, I worked my ass off to get to where I am. My career became my one and only priority, and . . .” I shrugged, leaving it at that. I should’ve asked him the same question, but I didn’t really want to know. Not tonight. Men like Levi were married to the game, and I didn’t know how this could work, if there even was a chance for the two of us.

  “Angel,” he whispered just as our lips touched. The reverence in that one word and his tongue seeking mine said more than any speech or declaration ever could.

  I moaned softly into his mouth, my hand wrapping around the back of his neck and holding him to me, telling him to never let me go—that I’d be there, no matter what.

  Knock on wood, I wasn’t giving either of us false hope.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Rowan

  Waking up in Levi’s bed for a second morning in a row had me feeling like a fairy tale princess. The only thing that worried me as I kept my eyes closed for a minute longer, listening to him breathing steadily beside me, was the clock striking midnight and I’d have no choice but to go back to my common life. The magic—the fantasy—it would all come to an end and sooner than I would have liked.

  “What’s got you thinking so hard over there?” Levi muttered, turned on his side, facing me, and laid his strong arm across my waist.

  My lids fluttered open and I was greeted to warm, sleepy eyes and a lopsided smile. This man didn’t have to try, my heart melted at the mere sight of him.

  I reached up and ran my fingers through his sleep-tousled hair, appraising his roguish handsomeness. My eyes flickered to his mouth as my hand moved to caress his cheek, his stubble scratchy beneath my palm.

  “Just how criminal it is that you wake up looking this handsome,” I answered jokingly, although I was dead serious.

  “Well, then . . . why don’t you put me under arrest? Handcuffs are in the drawer . . .” His eyes dilated and he lifted one brow.

  I scoffed. Was he serious? “You’re joking.” I swallowed, not sure if I should be concerned or excited—or both. And there was no way of telling; his face was a mask of secrecy.

  “You could have your answer if you simply opened the drawer instead of analyzing and picking apart my every word.” He chuckled. “Go ahead. Take a look.”

  “W-why would you have handcuffs?” I stuttered, excited.

  He shrugged one shoulder, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “You tell me. Why would a man, other than an officer of the law that is, own a pair of handcuffs?” he challenged, the gleam growing darker by the second.

  My body teemed with warmth, and I replied, “Because his sexual exploits are of the kinkier kind?” He smirked. “Am I right, Mr. Montgomery?” I challenged back, any concerns I might have had disappearing into thin air.

  He let the thought hang between us, making my mind race with inappropriate thoughts. Thoughts of him handcuffing me to his bed, holding every ounce of control and owning my body, taking whatever fed his desires.

  My breathing picked up. My eyes flickered to the drawer he spoke of, and just before I could comment further, he had to go and douse my flame.

  “I was just messing with you, but it looks like I might have to invest in some . . . to satisfy my kinky exploit.” It wasn’t lost on me that his use of exploit was singular.

  I playfully smacked his bare chest. “You’re a jerk, you know that?”

  He chuckled harder.

  “I’d have to disagree. It was an easy way to find out what you like.”

  “All you had to do was ask.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

  * * *

  Levi and I decided the best way to spend our Sunday was poolside, filled up on burgers and sipping margaritas while working on my tan. Basking in the summer sun was a level of relaxation I wasn’t normally privy to, a result of remaining indoors and working.

  Most of my weekends were usually reserved for doing laundry or making the quick trip to the grocery store. On occasion I’d hang out with Spencer or Gabby, if she was in town. Other than that, I didn’t have another reason to leave the house.

  But sitting beside him, doing normal people things, I couldn’t be any happier. No pretenses. The fact that he was a household name to quite a number of people should have deterred me. But it didn’t. I was comfortable around his easy-going and fun-loving nature.

  “I swear, if I keep eating like this, I’ll have to find someone to run the bases for me.” He huffed out a chuckle before taking another bite.

  “I highly doubt that. Look at you. It’s obvious you take pride in your body. Your diligence shows.”

  “The only thing I’ve been diligent about is making sure you come multiple times when I’m buried in you, deep.”

  I almost choked on my burger, always catching me at the most inopportune time to toss an innuendo out. I covered my mouth as I chewed, and after swallowing my food, I replied, “You are too much.”

  “Nonsense. I’m not enough.”

  “Oh, you’re more than enough,” I reaffirmed.

  “I like that I’m more than enough for you,” he said smoothly, in that low sexy voice of his as he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, bringing my face closer to his, his lips teasing, coaxing mine open. The taste of tequila and salt from his margarita had me moaning softly, deepening the kiss.

  All too soon, he pushed back an inch. “Why don’t we move over to the lounge chairs?” he suggested, lifting both margarita glasses and standing.

  “Good idea.”

  We had barely lain out for ten minutes—the sun warming our skin, sipping our drinks, and listening to the music playing from the outdoor speakers like two lovers on a tropical island getaway—before Levi grumbled about it being “too damn hot.”

  He got up and dove into the pool, splashing me in the process.

  “Levi!” I chided, squirming as the ice-cold water hit my warming skin, my nipples puckering beneath the tiny blue triangles.

  “Jump in, the water feels great.” He smirked unapologetically.

  I contemplated his offer as I sat up and set my bare feet on the warm concrete. I removed my sunglasses and placed them on the small table, making a show of everything I did. From standing and adjusting my skimpy bottoms to grabbing our drinks and setting them next to him on the deck. I peacocked my way to the shallow end of the pool, opposite him, to the steps before submerging my body gracefully into the water and settling into a lazy breaststroke.

  His groan was audible.

  I swam up to him, wrapped my legs around his waist, and locked my fingers around his neck. “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself.” He brushed his lips
across mine, teasing me with just a taste.

  “You’re right. The water does feel great.”

  “Told you,” he said, pleased with himself as he waded us lazily through the water. “Thank you for spending the weekend with me. I enjoy having you here.”

  “Thank you for having me.” I tightened our embrace. “So, tell me something about you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Something.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Anything.”

  “Let’s see.” He turned his gaze toward the sky opposite the sun and lowered his hands to rest under my ass. I cocked a brow and he merely shrugged. “My middle name is James. My parents tried the whole L.J. nickname thing, but it didn’t work. And could you imagine—?”

  “Imagine what? L.J. is a cute name.”

  “Not when you’re five and your T-ball team already has a C.J. and an A.J. and his little brother is R.J. That would have caused all kinds of confusion to our feeble five-year-old brains.”

  I giggled, picturing the cute chaos on the field.

  “Did you ever take a break from baseball, or did you always play from a young age?”

  “I took a break when I was thirteen. Football was the cool sport, but baseball has always where my heart is.”

  “I like that answer.”

  “Good. It’s your turn.” Without effort, he glided us around, traipsing as if he didn’t have a hundred-fifteen-pound leech connected to his body.

  “I’m not that interesting, really.”

  “There has to be something you can tell me.”

  I leaned back and let my head fall so I wouldn’t have to look into his eyes. “I don’t have many friends that are girls. It’s always been easier to hang out with boys.”

  “Why is that?”

  We stopped moving when he was chest deep and my back touched the side of the pool. A puzzled expression cemented on his face.

  “Girls are catty,” I stated simply. It was the truth. With guys, or the ones I had been friends with, they always had a straightforward, no bullshit attitude. And I appreciated them for it. “Not much else to it.”

  “I have to agree with you on that one. I’m glad my sister was never that type of girl. I think you’d love her . . . and her best friend, Lilly, too.”

  “You’re inserting me into your life again.” I thought but refrained from voicing it.

  “Tell me more.”

  “I’ve always wanted an older brother. I love my sister dearly, but I’d always wanted someone to protect me growing up. Were you a protective brother or a meanie?” I giggled, locking my fingers at the base of his neck.

  “Both.” He shrugged. “I don’t think it’s possible for a brother to never pick on his little sister. But I was the only one allowed to. If someone tried to hurt her, I’d hurt him first.”

  That’s exactly what I meant. Why I would have loved having an older brother. Can you imagine all his hot friends too? I smirked at the thought. “Tell me something mean you did.”

  He gave it some thought and then looked at me with a smug grin. “There was this one Christmas,” he started and then chuckled, enthused by the memory, “Addie was about five or so. I had convinced her it was Christmas morning—”

  “No,” I gasped, imagining the trouble he caused.

  “Yup. I made sure it was dark out and my parents were still in bed. I went to her room and practically dragged her to the living room, excited like it was actually Christmas morning. I told her to go ahead, that Mom and Dad would be awake soon and we could open our one present before breakfast like we always did.”

  “Levi Montgomery, you’re just mean,” I said dryly.

  “Eh.” He shrugged it off. “Serves her right for letting my pet lizard go.”

  I laughed. Tit for tat. “So, what happened?”

  “As soon as she had the paper peeled back, I ran to my parents’ bedroom and told them what she had done. They made us wait until the next day to open all our presents.”

  I laughed harder this time. “Never did anyone any good being a tattletale. Or worse, a meanie brother.” I stuck my tongue out, forgetting what it did to him.

  Levi’s eyes dropped to my mouth, and from where he held me, I could feel how much our bodies melding together affected him, which did nothing good for my thought process.

  Aside from being turned on, I was drawing blanks.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Levi

  “Levi?” she urged against her rising body heat. Even in the cool water, I could feel her warmth beneath my hands.

  “Yeah,” I answered in that low rasp she liked.

  My eyes dipped to her mouth and back. I pressed my hips into her belly, followed by leaning into her waiting lips. The way she was always ready and willing for me turned me on like no other woman ever had. Or ever could, for that matter.

  I sliced my tongue through her mouth, drowning in our kiss. It was possessive and demanding, yet sensual and passionate. Dragging my palm from her throat down the center of her chest, I gripped one breast, rubbing the tiny material against her skin, the friction causing her nipples to peak under my touch and my dick to harden in my shorts.

  Desperate for more, she wrapped her legs around my waist and I groaned. I pulled back and paused, and when her mesmerizing blue eyes gave me permission, I reached behind her and tugged on the strings, freeing the knot at the back of her neck.

  Her top fell, floating to the top of the water.

  “Fucking beautiful,” I murmured and took one tight peak into my mouth; the taste of her supple flesh mixed with the alcohol, made for one potent concoction.

  Her hand came to rest on the back of my head, holding me to her, assuring her aching breasts got the attention they desperately wanted. I rotated between the pair, squeezing and caressing, sucking and lavishing, making sure I was driving her wild.

  Then my hand skimmed lower.

  My knuckle grazed her sex. Adding a bit more pressure, I did it a second time. We remained silent through all our exploring of each other’s bodies, heightening the sensations.

  I slipped two fingers in her and her body jolted, eliciting a deep moan. That’s it, baby.

  I made every effort to work her body in slow, deliberate movements, driving her mad with desire. Playing her body as if I were the maestro of her delicate instrument.

  But my intentions went to shit the minute she placed her feet on my hips and dragged my board shorts down my thighs. My cock jumped in both anticipation and from being directly exposed to the cold water. I’ll warm you up real quick, buddy. I couldn’t wait to sink my dick in her heat and fuck her.

  The tequila, the sun, and her amplified the heady combination, making me almost delirious with desire.

  “I need you.” I broke the silence, needing to be in her—at that very second.

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  I reached between us to pull her bottoms to the side. My cock jumped, eager to feel her warmth and take cover. The second I pushed in, she sighed and her body went slack, her head falling back and resting against the side of the pool; a satisfied smile pulled at both corners of her lips.

  “I love when you fuck me,” she sighed again and rotated her hips.

  Damn, she was hot.

  Indulging in the Georgia heat and her, I sucked on her neck, I fucked her nice and slow. There was no reason to rush, although my instincts were to take her hard and make her come harder. I took my time, concentrating on each mewl and whimper as my cue.

  Each time I thrust in, the water lapped around us, giving away what we might be doing to anyone close by. It was a good thing I didn’t have neighbors on either side of me, not that I’d care if I did.

  “Your pussy feels amazing wrapped around my cock,” I whispered in her ear before I sucked on that little spot behind her lobe that I knew would cause her to squeeze me.

  “You feel amazing,” she murmured.

  I pushed harder, something about this time feeling way better than any of the past t
imes I was in her. Maybe it was the alcohol that allowed us to let go of our inhibitions, not that I had many. I picked up the pace, my balls full, wanting to burst.

  Rowan grabbed my hips and started moaning, urging me to move faster. My greedy girl knew what she liked. Until something about what we were doing changed.

  “Levi, we need to stop,” she breathed out.

  “Why, baby?”

  “Because.” She choked back a moan. “Levi . . .” She tried to push me back, but I was so close and so was she. Her pussy holding my dick in a vise grip told me so. “Levi, stop,” she whimpered. “Oh, god, don’t stop. Please don’t stop. Fuck,” she sighed and grabbed my hips. She rocked her pelvis against mine, harder, moaning so fucking loud I had to force myself to concentrate on not losing my shit. But then she hit my shoulder and practically yelled, “Levi, stop!”

  I pulled back, scared out of my mind that I hurt her. “I’m sorry. Shit! What’s wrong?” Frantically searching her face, I braced myself, hoping it wasn’t what I was thinking. I’d never taken a woman by force, ever.

  She shut her eyes, inhaled a controlled breath, and whispered, “You don’t have a condom on.”

  She was right. “Are you not on birth control?”

  When she hesitated answering, I knew I had my answer. And that made my blood run cold.

  “What the fuck?” My voice boomed. I pushed back in the water, confused as to why she would be having sex if she wasn’t on some kind of protection. Is this some kind of sick game she’s playing? “Rowan?” I questioned, the guilt on her face had me going out of my fucking head. Madison and the shit she pulled flashed a dire warning in the recesses of my mind. This couldn’t be happening again, could it? “Fuck!” I pulled my shorts over my dick and swam to the steps. This wasn’t happening. No. This girl was different. She wouldn’t. There wasn’t a manipulative bone in her body. She wasn’t the type to use someone for personal gain. Would she?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Rowan

  Levi disappeared into the house, leaving me to wonder what the hell had just happened. I knew it was my responsibility to tell him I wasn’t on birth control, but honestly, we weren’t far enough into our relationship where I thought we’d be having sex without a condom. Even then, I’d probably still be a bit paranoid. It wasn’t only to protect us against pregnancy. Wasn’t he concerned for his own well-being?