Breathless

by Maya Banks

  When I carry her in, I lay her down on the bed and lie on top of her. I’m not ready to kiss her yet, because I just want to look at her in my bed. I’ve pictured her more times than I can count, and none of the images did it justice.

  “I’ve never done this before,” she whispers, and I see her cheeks turn pink.

  I could make a joke and lighten the mood, but I don’t want to. This is important to me, and I want it to be important to her.

  “Then I’ll be gentle.” I rub my nose against hers.

  “I’m on the pill.” She shrugs, and then opens her mouth to say something else, and I place my fingers on her lips.

  “I’m clean, you’re clean. No condoms.” I wait a beat, and she nods.

  When I take my finger away, I replace it with my lips. The kiss is soft at first, but when her hands get on my skin, I’m like an animal that’s found its mate.

  Reaching for the hem of her tank top, I pull it up and over her head, throwing it to the ground. Her breasts are bared to me, her pink nipples tight with desire. I suck one into my mouth as I slip my hand down the front of her jean shorts and into her panties.

  Her warm honey greets my fingers as I spread her folds and pet her clit. She moans my name, and her hips rise as I rub little circles inside her shorts. I look down and see my hand disappearing below the waistband, and I feel pulse in my cock. Fuck, I want in there so bad, but I have to go slow.

  Slowly, I push two fingers into her tight opening, rubbing her clit with my palm. I ache to rip her shorts and panties off, but somehow watching it like this is so fucking hot. I suck her other nipple in my mouth when I feel her body tighten around my digits. She’s tight, but relaxes as I love her delicate body. I pet her as I would a kitten, gently and with ease. She responds in kind, moving her hand between us and rubbing the bulge in the front of my shorts.

  The feel of her hand on me there is too much, and before I can control myself, I’m in motion.

  CHAPTER 9

  Pandora

  Suddenly my shorts and panties are gone and I’m left naked in the middle of Royce’s bed. Heat and desire have pooled between my legs like never before, and I want him so much I may combust with need.

  I watch with anticipation as he stands up to kick off his shorts and climbs back on the bed only wearing his boxer briefs.

  “Wait,” I say, holding out my hands. “Take those off, too.”

  He gives me that cocky smile that I love but also want to smack off his face. But he does as I ask as he reaches in his underwear to fist his cock and then slides them off his body. Fuck, could this guy be any sexier?

  “Spread those thighs, baby. I’ve waited long enough to get a taste of heaven.”

  I throw my hands over my face to hide the blush. I’m never shy about anything but right now I can feel my whole body blushing. I feel my legs being jerked open and his mouth biting the inside of my thigh.

  “Eyes on me, Pandora. I want to see you fall in love.”

  The bastard winks at me, and just before I can reach out to smack him, his face ducks between my legs and I feel his mouth on my center.

  “Oh Jesus,” I groan as the delicious sensation flows up my core and through my veins.

  “Royce will do just fine, baby. No need to call me anything else.”

  I want to growl. I want to kick at him for being such an arrogant asshole. But the things his tongue is doing to me have made me lose all thought.

  He slides his hands under my ass and lifts me up to him. My legs go over his lower back, and my bottom half is completely off the bed. He’s right, though. I watch him with such focus that I can’t possibly look away, and I might actually be falling for him at the same time.

  No one has ever made me feel this good, and I don’t just mean between my legs. My heart is full as I run my fingers through his hair, and he tells me how beautiful I am, how good I taste. Passion floods every cell in my body as he seduces me with endless praise on just how perfect I am for him.

  If I had known it would be like this, I would have sat on his face the second he walked into my office.

  Reaching up, I rub my breasts and play with my nipples as he looks up from my sex. His eyes narrow, and he moans in agonizing pleasure as he enjoys the view. I’m teasing him and I’m temping his control, but I’m so close to orgasm that I can’t stop myself.

  He knows I’m close, too, because every time my breath hitches and I’m at the peak, he pulls me back in. He’s edging me, keeping me on the cusp, and I’m insane with want.

  “You going to beg for it?” he asks as he kisses the inside of my thigh and runs his nose against my clit.

  “Never,” I say, and I damn well mean it.

  “That’s my girl,” he whispers, and winks at me.

  Goddamn him for making me fall even harder for him.

  I open my mouth to protest, but before I can get a word out, Royce has flipped me over on my hands and knees and is pulling my back to his front.

  His arms come around my waist, and I feel the large length of his cock resting between my legs. He’s sitting back on his feet and brings me onto his lap, with my legs on either side of his.

  “I want you like this the first time. This way you can control it.”

  His big hands run up my stomach. One cups my breast and the other slides back down to my pussy. I feel his rough digits gently stroke my sensitive clit, and my orgasm is barreling down on me again. My body is wound so tight he’s playing me like a guitar.

  “Slide down real easy, baby.” He kisses my shoulder, and I feel him nuzzle my neck. “I want to make slow, sweet love to you.”

  He’s handed me the keys and told me to drive. I didn’t expect this from him. I thought he’d get on top and it would be something I’d have to grit my teeth to get through the first time. But like Royce, he’s never what I think.

  The head of his cock presses against my entrance, and I feel the girth of him. But his hands roam my body, and his kisses trail up and down my neck, and I relax. I breathe through the pinch of pain and slowly lower myself onto him. I can feel the slight tremble in his touch as I take more and more of his length until I’m fully seated.

  There’s nothing in the world that can explain just how good it feels to take him into my body. I can’t describe the fullness not only between my legs but in my heart as I hear Royce’s voice in my ear. I expected it to hurt, and I never expected it to feel this good.

  “So perfect. So beautiful,” he whispers, and pets my clit.

  “I’m so close,” I breathe, already on the edge of pleasure.

  My body is locked tight around his, and I feel his lips at my ear. “Slow, baby. Real slow.”

  I rise up, and his length drags out of me, letting me feel every hard ridge. The head of his cock rubs some perfect place inside me, and I cry out when he hits it.

  “Now let’s focus on that. Right there,” he says, rocking back and forth in short bursts right against that secret place inside me.

  The feeling is torture of the sweetest kind, and it’s like I’m being branded from the inside out.

  “Royce. Oh shit.” I grab his arms and dig my nails into his skin. Somewhere in the back of my mind I hear him encouraging it, telling me to mark him.

  The slow, steady thrusts right on that one spot have my eyes closing tight and sweat breaking out all over my body.

  “I’m going to come right there.” He thrusts against it, and I cry out.

  My body shakes, and I scream as the orgasm ignites in my blood and sends pleasure to every inch of my body. My fingers and toes feel like they’re on fire, and I nearly collapse onto the bed.

  But Royce holds me tight, and I feel heat between my legs as his seed spills inside me. The two of us combined spread on the insides of my thighs, and I can feel every pulse of his c
ock as he gives me more.

  His orgasm triggers another wave of pleasure between my legs, and his fingers slow their steady thrum. My gasps of breath have slowed down, and my heartbeat is beginning to return to normal.

  His lips kiss my shoulder, and I can feel him smile against me. “Mine,” he says, and hugs his arms around my body.

  A wave of exhaustion hits me as he lays me down on the bed and spoons in beside me. There’s a blanket pulled over us, and his strong arms keep me safe. I’ve never felt more at peace in my life, and I snuggle against him.

  “Get some sleep, baby. You’re going to need it.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Pandora

  Kisses rain down my spine and slowly wake me. I look over my shoulder to see Royce’s lips lingering in places before he moves to the next spot. This is the second time he’s woken me up with his mouth. The first was with him between my legs. He ate me until I came and I fell asleep again.

  “We gotta go, baby,” he says against my skin, but makes no room to move.

  “Hmm,” I mumble, wanting to fall back on the pillow, but I like watching him kiss me.

  “I don’t want to move from this bed,” I admit. I glance over to the window and see that the sun has already set.

  “I have a fight tonight,” he says before he gives me a long lick up my spine. “I feel like I’ve been waiting to get you in my bed since forever.”

  His words make me smile. “We’ve known each other maybe two weeks,” I tease, rolling over.

  He comes down on top of me, his big body blanketing mine. I reach up and run my finger along his lips. He smiles at me. That perfect smile that always drives me crazy. I lean up and kiss his dimple.

  “I thought it would take me months to turn you into a cuddler,” he says. It’s then I notice that I wrapped my arms and legs around him. I’m pretty sure I slept on top of him, too, for most our nap.

  I want to say something smartass about it, but I just hold tighter to him and bury my face in his neck. I want this. I don’t know why I’ve been fighting it. It feels good to be wrapped around it. It feels like where I belong.

  Before I know what’s happening, we’re moving. I hear the twist of knobs, then warm water hits my body. I pull back to look at Royce. He takes my mouth in a soft kiss before placing me on my feet.

  “You really have a fight tonight?” I’m torn between wanting to see him in action again and wanting to crawl on top of his naked body.

  “Yeah,” he says, putting soap on his hands and rubbing my body to clean me. It’s so natural and intimate. For some reason, jealousy shoots through me at the thought of him doing this with someone else. “What’s the face for, babe?”

  “Nothing,” I lie, not wanting to tell him what I’m thinking.

  He leans down and places a kiss below my ear. “Don’t do that. Don’t put those walls up,” he says.

  “Do you have a lot of women in here?” I finally bring myself to say. I want to do this, and I know if I do, I need to be open, say what I’m thinking and not hide or act like I don’t care when I really do.

  That smile spreads on his face. “I’ll smack you,” I tell him.

  I raise my eyebrows at him, but then his face grows serious. He leans down, cupping my face in his big hands.

  “No,” he says simply, and I can see the truth on his face. “I’ve never been serious with someone before. For a while I thought something might be wrong with me. I didn’t have an interest in women, or even men, for that matter. I felt nothing. But then you walked into my life, and I knew. I just hadn’t found my woman yet. I found the one who challenges me and makes me feel things I’ve never felt.”

  I lean up and kiss him. It’s slow and soft, and before I know it, I’m in his arms, wrapping myself around him again. I’m lost when his lips touch mine, and it’s like drowning in a pool of love. I’ve never experienced anything so safe and free.

  It takes us thirty minutes to finally pull ourselves from the shower, and when we do, my fingers and toes are wrinkled like raisins.

  “You’re not wearing that,” Royce says.

  I glance over at him. He’s dressed in dark jeans and a tight gray shirt that molds to his body. He’s got a gym bag slung over his shoulder, and he’s glaring at me.

  “Well, this is all I’ve got, unless you want to run by my place,” I say, walking toward him. “Besides, I wear whatever I want.” I walk right past him and don’t stop as I walk out the front door. I know he’s going to follow me, because I feel him behind me. I didn’t have much choice in what to wear, but I can’t say I don’t like poking the bear.

  I have my jean shorts on and one of Royce’s white undershirts. My black bra is easily seen through the white material. Luckily I had some boots in my car, because I wasn’t going to wear flip-flops to a bar fight. Or whatever this is called. This isn’t something I would normally wear, but I’ll tough it out. I’m showing off more skin than I want to, but it will be fine. Plus, when I saw Royce’s eyes heat up as he looked me over, it only solidified my view on this outfit. I like it even more now that I know how he feels about it.

  “I have a feeling I’m going to be fighting more than my opponent tonight,” I hear Royce say from behind me. A little squeak leaves me when I’m lifted up and thrown over his shoulder. He slaps me on the ass before putting me back on my feet. I glare up at him, but he only leans down, kissing me and ignoring my stare.

  His hand cups my ass. “Come on, baby. We gotta get going.” I pretend to be mad as I walk around his car. He opens the door for me, and I slip in. He reaches in and buckles my seat belt. I want to tell him I can take care of myself, that I know how to put my own seat belt on. But something about him taking care of me, just like in the shower, gives me a warm feeling in my stomach.

  He slides in the driver seat and we take off toward the bar. “Do you get nervous before a fight?” I ask, because he seems completely calm. I would at least be a little jittery.

  “Nope,” he says easily. “Been doing it awhile now.”

  “Your face seems too pretty to fight all the time,” I tell him, earning me that cocky smile of his.

  “I’ll try and keep it that way tonight. Wouldn’t want my woman thinking I’m not the best-looking guy in the room.”

  I roll my eyes at his comment.

  When we finally make it to the bar, I start getting excited. Everyone seems to know who Royce is. He keeps a possessive arm wrapped around me as we make our way through the crowd. It’s weird having a man hold on to me and stake his claim, but I like it. I know I can take care of myself, but it’s nice having his protective body telling everyone in here I’m his.

  “You know you’ll have to let me go so you can get in the ring, right?” I look up at him. For once his face doesn’t have that smile. No, now he looks a little irritated.

  “Yo, Rolly, who’s the girl?”

  Royce’s arm tightens around me even more. I glance over to the man who called his name.

  “She’s none of your fucking business. That’s who she is,” he throws back. The other man is big. He looks like he spends ten hours a day in a gym. I wouldn’t be shocked if someone said he was on steroids, but Royce doesn’t seem to care. “If I were you I’d watch myself. No point poking me before we get in that ring. Don’t make it worse for yourself.”

  Jesus, he’s going to fight this guy? He looks like the after picture in a bodybuilder commercial, but Royce doesn’t seem to care.

  “Never seen you on a girl before. Got me wondering.”

  I look around and see other people are looking at us, too.

  I go to say something, but Royce drops his arm from around me. “You need to go somewhere else.”

  “Damn, that pussy must be good if it’s got you all riled up. How about we bet on her own little ass? Whoever wins the fight to
night gets her,” he challenges.

  Now I’m fucking pissed. I try to step forward, but Royce beats me to it. His arm shoots out, and he swings. His fist meets the guy’s jaw, and there’s an audible crunch throughout the room. Before I can even blink, he’s throwing his other fist and connecting with the other side of his face. The man sways back, and Royce thrusts an uppercut, sending him down hard to the concrete floor.

  Everyone start cheering and yelling Royce’s name. I stand there a little shocked, but the crowd is going nuts.

  Royce comes back to me, wrapping his arm around my back.

  “Guess the fight is over,” I murmur through a smile.

  Something about him getting jealous and possessive makes the warm feeling come back to my stomach. I never thought I would have something like this, or even want it. Now I’m starting to see why Penny loves it when Ivan gets all territorial. It makes you feel special.

  “Told you not to wear that outfit.” He shakes his head, but I just keep on smiling as his hand moves down and squeezes my ass.

  CHAPTER 11

  Royce

  I growl when I feel her press her lower half against my cock. She knows exactly what she’s doing with that ass of hers.

  “You trying to get fucked down here tonight?” I ask, looking in those dark blue eyes.

  “Maybe.” She bites her bottom lip, and I swear to God I wrap tighter around her pinky.

  “I bet you didn’t know you were such a dirty girl.”

  “Yo, Rolly!” I look up and see my boys coming down the steps.

  Ezra looks at the ring behind me and shakes his head. Donovan just laughs and looks at me with a questioning expression. “Guess there’s no fight tonight?”

  “No,” I say, and don’t elaborate.

  “Someone went caveman,” Pandora says, and waves to the two of them.

  “I don’t blame him,” Ezra says. “You’re coming down to the lion’s den dressed like that. I’m surprised another fight hasn’t broken out.”