He hissed. “Jesus, Ells. You don’t make it easy for a guy.”
“I think I’m making it pretty damn easy for you, cowboy.”
His eyes raked over my body and a feral noise escaped his mouth. I couldn’t help but take pleasure in the fact that I was invoking this type of a reaction in this beautiful man. It was liberating. I’d never felt this powerful in my life.
Lawson lowered his head to the fabric of my bikini top and pulled it aside with his teeth. I gasped as he dragged my nipple gently through his teeth and sucked softly. It felt like heaven. His hand found my other breast and he pushed the top out of his way. He began rolling my other nipple between this thumb and finger. The combination had me moaning and grinding my hips against him shamelessly.
“Please, Lawson,” I begged. “I need you.”
“I’ve got you, baby.”
He continued the assault on my breasts, rubbing, sucking, pulling and biting in all the right places. It was perfect torture. His body moved slightly so he had access to the scrap of material between my legs. I tensed as he gently ran a rough finger over the slight swell of my lower belly, and across the line of my bikini bottoms.
“Relax,” he commanded against my breast. I felt my body instantly respond to him, and soften and relax. “You can trust me,” he mumbled.
“I trust you,” I moaned softly back. “Oh god, Lawson, I can’t take much more of this though.”
“You can take it.” His tone left no room for questioning. His hand slipped beneath my bikini bottoms and slowly moved towards where I needed it so badly.
Impatient, I bucked my hips into his hand and shuddered as his fingers made contact with my clit.
“I’ve got you, pretty girl,” he crooned.
He had me alright. The mixture of pleasure and small bites of pain was erotic. He twisted my nipple to the point where I cried out, then soothed the pain instantly with a swipe of his tongue, resulting in an intense pleasure. At the same time, his fingers worked my clit causing the nerve endings to tingle and pulse.
I’m so close.
“I’m so close. Feels so good,” I panted.
He didn’t make any move to give me more, just carried on the torture, leaving me so close to the edge, but just unable to fall off the other side.
“Please,” I moaned again.
“Only because you asked so nicely,” he growled.
He began to grind his hard length against my body through his shorts as he pushed two fingers inside me. The feeling of his long fingers curling and pushing inside me and the heel of his hand pressing and rubbing against my clit was pure ecstasy.
“Yes,” I choked out. “Lawson... oh... shit.”
“Tell me,” he demanded.
He bit down on my nipple again and I fell over the edge. Pleasure exploded through my clit and shot up into my belly. I tensed as it overtook more and more of my body and shook with the intensity of it.
“I’m coming,” I moaned.
He shifted his body so his weight rested on top of me – fingers still inside me, teasing out the last of my orgasm. He claimed my mouth, and I moaned and panted against his willing lips as I came down from my extreme high and he slipped his fingers out of me.
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
“God, you’re so beautiful when you come undone like that.”
I knew it was ridiculous to feel the blush spreading over my cheeks, especially after what we had just shared. “Did you bring condoms?” I asked him.
“I don’t need one.”
I looked at him in confusion. “I’m not actually on any birth control at the—”
“No,” he interrupted me. “I don’t want us to sleep together. Not yet. I want more time to get to know you first. I want you to trust that you’re not just another notch on my belt, Ells. You’re more than just sex.”
My breathing became labored as I listened to his words. How could this perfect man possibly want more than that with me... Quinn told me he didn’t do commitment.
What is he saying? What he thinks I want to hear?
“It’s okay.” I shook my head. “You don’t have to say that. I’m okay with casual.”
His eyes turned hard. “Don’t ever think that I would say something to you if I didn’t mean it, Ellerslie. I’d never lie to you.”
I swallowed. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were full of shit. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say. Q said you’re not a commitment kind of guy...”
“I’m not... I wasn’t,” he replied simply. “But so much has changed since you and your smart mouth walked into my life – for once I want to wait around and see what happens next.” A shy smile spread across his perfect face.
“Well hell.” I laughed lightly. “Just when I think I have you pegged, you go and turn it all upside down again.” I took a deep breath and answered his unasked question. “I don’t know what, if anything, I could possibly have to offer you, but for now can we just agree that I’m happy to see what happens too?”
He nodded his head, and I could see that his mind was focused on something that he wasn’t willing to say aloud.
Eager to lighten the mood, I slipped my hand down against his hard cock. “Time to return the favor I think.” I batted my lashes as I spoke.
“Fuck, Ells,” he groaned as I gripped him through his shorts. “But no. I want to be buried deep inside you when I come.” He kissed my nose and moved off my body, leaving my hand empty. He carefully adjusted my bikini and put it back into place.
“Let’s have that spa.” He laughed at my pouty expression as he pulled me to my feet.
***
I let out a deep breath as I fell back onto my pillow. Quinn wasn’t in our room when I slipped back in to get changed and I was grateful not to have to talk her through the events of the evening just yet. I had a feeling that she might have some talking of her own to do anyway.
I must have nodded off because I woke, groggy, to Quinn bouncing up and down on the bed. “Spill, girl,” she demanded as she bounced.
“Christ, Q, stay still, would you?”
She laughed and flopped down next to me. “Okay I’ll stop, as long as you’re talking.”
I rolled onto my side to face her and smirked. “What makes you think I have anything to spill?”
She looked at me with an ‘I just know’ look.
“For one, I saw the bikini on the bathroom floor, and two, Lawson came downstairs about half an hour ago with a grin bigger than I’ve ever seen on his face. So spill.”
“Detective Pierce reporting for duty,” I joked. I reached over and grabbed the note from the bedside. “He left me a note,” I said in a dreamy tone as I passed it to her.
Quinn gave me a hand gesture that indicated I should keep talking as she read the note.
“So I put on that skimpy-as-hell bikini.” I narrowed my eyes at her as she let out a chuckle. “And I marched my barely-covered ass right on up there.”
“And...?”
“And what?” I shrugged, a smartass smirk on my face.
“Spill it, Rush.” Quinn gave me the evil eye.
“He kissed me, told me I was beautiful, gave me some seriously intense pleasure, said he’d never lie to me and then told me I was more than just sex to him,” I said quickly.
Too much information? This is her brother after all.
I peeked up at Quinn and was shocked to see she had a huge grin on her face. “God, that’s my brother. Ew. But holy shit. I am so happy for you. Finally!” She was literally smiling so big I was worried her face was going to break. “So are you together now then?”
“Whoa. Put the brakes on. We are not together. We agreed that we are happy to just see what happens. And just for the record, we did not have sex... yet.”
“I give it two weeks!”
I cocked my head. “For what? Sex?”
“Oh hell no. I give that 24 hours.” She laughed. “For a relationship. I give you guys two weeks before it’s official.”
/>
“I don’t think I can, Q,” I told her quietly.
She clapped once loudly, giving me a hell of a fright. “We’re not having this conversation again. I see you, and I see him. It’s all gaga eyes and lovey dovey moments. You can, and you will. I’d put money on it.”
I flipped her off and got a shit-eating grin in response.
Damn Quinn. She always ends up being right.
34. Quinn
She looked different. Lighter. More relaxed. This place was clearly a good influence on El. She had left the weight on her shoulders behind when we boarded that plane and I couldn’t have been any happier for her.
El turned her sights on me, and I knew I was about to get grilled. “So... where have you been?” She raised one eyebrow in question. “I haven’t seen you since we got home.”
“Well someone was hogging the shower so I had to go elsewhere.”
“And where was that?” she pressed as if she were talking to a small child.
I scowled at her even though I knew it was a waste of time. I could never hide anything from El. “Okay... so I went and knocked on Colt’s door to see if I could use his shower.” I fanned my face dramatically and El rolled her eyes. “And hot damn. He came to the door in just his boxers. God he is packing. I swear, El. Anyway...”
She laughed at my flustered rambling.
“So he gave me a sexier-than-sin smile, invited me in, and let me use his shower first. To be honest I was a little disappointed he was being such a gentleman. I was about to shut off the water when I thought I heard him knock on the door. It was kinda quiet, but you know me, I just yelled out for him to come in.”
El was full-blown laughing at me now. “Keep going,” she encouraged in between giggles.
“I didn’t hear anything, so naturally I hopped out of the shower to see if I was imagining things, and he was standing right there – mouth open, like he was about to ask me something, but forgot what it was when I stepped out, butt naked right in front of him.”
Ellerslie had tears streaming down her face she was laughing so hard. I abandoned my story for a minute to join her.
It was pretty funny.
“Oh god.” El giggled. “I guess he was owed a little bit of good luck after the beating he took today.”
I nodded and launched back into my story. “So I’m standing there. Naked. And he’s just staring at me. He was pretty much naked too and I thought, screw it.” I grinned at the memory of his face. “So I asked him if he wanted to join me.”
“I bet he didn’t have a problem with that idea.”
“Honestly, El, I have never seen a guy get out of a pair of boxers so fast in my life.”
“So is he good?” El asked, eyes shining.
“We didn’t actually get that far either... god I wish we had. But he was worried about Lawson hearing us or some shit.” I rolled my eyes. “But I can confirm that the man has a magic tongue.” I wiggled my eyebrows up and down.
“I’m glad you’re going for it, Q. I think he’s good for you. Fun. Ya know?”
I nodded my head. “Yeah I think so too. He’s sweet and attentive and hot like nobody’s business. I know it’s not anything more than that, but I’m totally okay with it.”
El sighed and flopped onto her back. “How’d you get to be so cool, Quinn?”
I lay down next to her. “I learned from my brother.”
***
We weren’t left in peace for long – Lawson, who had apparently turned into an oversized teenager, came bounding into our room and dragged us both up off the bed.
“I’m cooking and I need help,” he said by way of an excuse.
“Ah, no. I don’t cook. Well I do, but not well. Remember?”
He gave me a thoughtful look before moving onto El. “You’ll have to do then, blondie. C’mon, let’s go.” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out the door.
I laughed at Lawson and shrugged at El’s perplexed expression. “You’re on your own, girl,” I called after her.
***
I walked into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway to watch Law and El. They were laughing and joking, stealing touches and glances every few seconds. I watched Lawson press himself against El as he reached across the bench for something, and I watched with pride as El teased right back, dropping down to get something from a low cupboard and running one hand down Law’s leg as she went.
Taught her everything she knows.
I smirked to myself. “What’s for dinner?” I asked – judging by the smell floating through the room, they were making something delicious.
They both startled at my voice – clearly too wrapped up in one another to notice that I was even in the room.
“Steak.” El smiled at me. “With a mushroom sauce, crushed potatoes and vegetables.”
My stomach growled. I was starving. “That sounds amazing.”
“Can you set the table, Q?” Lawson asked.
“I think I can handle that, right, El?” I grinned at her.
El knew exactly how shit I was in the kitchen. I lived off takeout. I was incredibly grateful to have her as a roommate these days. Ellerslie wasn’t quite as good a cook as Lawson, but she was a hell of a lot better than I was.
“As long as you aren’t required to touch any food, you’ve totally got this, girl.” El giggled. She turned to Lawson “You should have seen how she destroyed beans on toast, I don’t even know how she...” El’s voice faded out as I went to set the table.
I rolled my eyes at the tart selling me out to my brother.
She was lucky I loved her.
I must have still been wearing a silly grin on my face when Colt found me setting out the cutlery.
“Something funny about those knives, babe?” Colt asked me, an amused expression on his face.
“Yeah, this one was just telling me a knock-knock joke,” I deadpanned.
He looked at me with a bewildered expression. He was probably trying to figure out if I’d hit my head or something.
I couldn’t hold my serious expression for long before I burst out laughing. “You should see your face.” I cackled.
Colt swaggered over to me and pulled me up against him, my back against his front. “Very funny. You know I’m useless at figuring out when you’re joking, and yet you tease me anyway.” He growled and tickled me playfully. “Now quit winding me up and let me help.”
I smiled sweetly at him and handed him a handful of cutlery. “Who said I was joking,” I muttered under my breath.
Colt pointed a finger at me and shook his head with a laugh.
35. Lawson
This girl was full of surprises. First there was the natural skill and fearlessness she’d shown me on the slopes today, then she’d knocked on my door looking like an angel...
A nearly naked angel.
Now she was moving around the kitchen like a boss, giving me help that I didn’t actually need, but had asked for just to have her close to me.
She is out of this world.
This had been one of the best days of my life. The highlight of my day, well of my bloody year actually, was when that beautiful creature gave herself up to me, completely at my mercy. The way her body had responded to me was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. My hands were shaking just thinking about it.
I’m still hard now.
She’d turned me inside out, and it’d taken every ounce of self-control I had left not to take her right then and there. But no, Ellerslie Rush deserved it all, and fuck if I wasn’t going to give it to her.
I could feel the stupid grin spreading across my face as I thought about how we had talked and joked non-stop in the spa pool. She was smart – way smarter than me. She was honest and pure and... good. Ells was the definition of everything good in the world.
And she wants me.
I felt like the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet to be standing here next to her, watching her slice onion – it sounded ridiculous, but doing something so domestic
and normal was doing crazy things to my self-control. I could picture her in my kitchen, cooking with me every night. Making breakfast with me every morning. It was a crazy and dangerous thought, but I welcomed it with open arms.
“Can I show you my house when we get back?” I looked El straight in the eyes as I asked.
“I would love to see where you live, Lawson. If it’s even half as beautiful as this then I know I’ll love it,” she gushed.
I couldn’t wait for her to see it. I had designed every last aspect of it myself. There was no decision I hadn’t been a part of, and I’d been there building every single day. It was my baby. Judging by Ellerslie's obvious appreciation of this place, I had a pretty good idea that she would love my home just as much.
I marveled at the sparkle in her eyes. She was so beautiful. “You’re really enjoying yourself here aren’t you?”
She nodded her head and blushed. “I really am. Thank you so much for this. All of this. You have no idea how happy I am to be here.”
My heart soared at her praise. I had never been so happy with myself for pulling off a plan as I was at this very moment. I don’t know when or how it happened, but her happiness had somehow become my number one priority. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy, Ellerslie. You know that, right?”
Her breath caught in her throat and her hands stopped chopping as she stared at me. I took advantage of the moment and slipped one of my hands around her neck, gently easing her face up to mine. I ran my nose along her jaw line, breathing in her vanilla scent. It was addictive to me. I rested my forehead against hers and felt her warm breath against my face.
“I mean it, Ells. I’ll give you everything I have if you’ll let me.” My voice was husky and thick with emotion. I wanted her to know how I felt, I wanted no doubt in her mind that I was all in on this.
She’s mine.
“You’re making me dizzy,” she breathed.
I pulled back and looked her over in concern. “Are you okay, baby?”
She gave me a small smile. “I can’t think... I don’t know.” She shook her head in what I assumed was an attempt to clear her thoughts. She took a big, deep breath. “I’m more than okay, Lawson. You just take my breath away, like I literally forgot to breathe.” She laughed lightly at herself. “Your intensity... You’re looking at me like I’m the prize. It’s overwhelming. No one has ever looked at me and seen me the way you do.”
Love like Yours Series Box Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 15