by Shauna Allen
“I am sorry about tonight,” she finally said in a shy whisper.
Alarm sliced through me. If she regretted us, if I was totally fucking wrong . . . “Why?”
She must’ve heard the insecurity in that one word. “No. I’m not sorry about that. I meant I’m sorry we were interrupted. But it was still pretty special.”
My shoulders relaxed and I closed my eyes. “It was pretty damn spectacular. And you have nothing to be sorry about. It comes with the territory of being a parent.”
“I know.”
“Is that gonna be an issue?”
“What?” She sounded confused.
“Ryder.”
“An issue? No. What do you mean?”
My eyes slid open and in my peripheral vision, I caught sight of Ry’s baby picture on my nightstand. I’d taken the shot when he was sleeping and peaceful, wrapped up in the sheets of my unmade bed after a particularly restless night. I was exhausted and frustrated and feeling more than incompetent at this fatherhood thing, but in that moment, I knew I’d be fine. We’d be fine.
“A kid’s a big responsibility,” I said. “I totally get why it doesn’t make me ideal boyfriend material.”
“Boyfriend, huh?”
I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. “Whatever. You know what I mean.”
“Trace.” Her voice was suddenly serious. “You being a father isn’t a problem for me. I adore Ryder. I adore you. I’m not that shallow.”
“I never said you were shallow. I just know my life isn’t for everyone.” Why was I giving her an out?
Because I wanted her to want me . . . baggage and all. What a needy bastard I was.
“Is that a statement or a question?”
“Just a fact.”
“Well, that may be, but I’m not like that, and I’d hope you know that by now or tonight was definitely a mistake.”
I sighed. “I do know that. I guess I just . . . I’m so caught up in you that it scares the shit out of me that you could walk any minute when you get tired of my obligations.”
“Obligations?” She spat the word. “Is that seriously how other women have treated Ryder? As an afterthought? An unfortunate piece of baggage they’ll have to accept to have you?”
My mouth opened to reply, but she was on a roll.
“That’s a bunch of bullshit. If anyone can’t love both of you, then they don’t deserve you. Ryder is a special kid and he has you to thank for that. You’re an exceptional father, Trace, and that only makes you sexier. Believe me. Any woman who can’t see that isn’t worth the breath it takes to tell her to go fuck herself.”
“Go fuck herself?” I smiled.
“I’m being serious.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Wanna come over?”
“I . . . what?”
Definitely one of my most brilliant ideas. “Ryder’s sound asleep in his own bed. It’s dark and quiet and I’m in my big, lonely bed by myself. Come over. You can prove that sexy dad thing to me.”
“You’re serious?”
“You have no idea.”
Her hesitation was so thick, it clogged the line.
“Hey, no pressure. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get a sitter and we can start over another time.”
She agreed, but sounded distant. I wished her a good night and ended the call before things got weird. But I did text her my address with a winkey face, just in case.
My cell phone’s buzz yanked me from a deep sleep. I wiped a hand down my face and tried to focus on my clock. Who the hell would be texting me at . . . quarter til one?
I rolled over and grabbed my phone.
What r u wearing?
What the . . . ?
What’s going on Tori? I texted back, still half-asleep.
Open ur window
I blinked at the screen of my phone, my brain waking up.
Hurry up
I scrambled from my bed and yanked up the blinds. I drew in a breath at the sight of Tori, shadowed in the dark. She waved, a tentative smile on her face.
I slid open my window and leaned down. “What are you doing?”
“I’ve been throwing pebbles at your window for half an hour, but you sleep like the dead apparently.”
I scanned the empty grassy area and distant parking lot. “Why were you throwing rocks at my window?”
It was dark, but I’m pretty sure she rolled her eyes. “You gonna let me in or send me home with my wounded pride?”
I opened my mouth, then slammed it shut as I realized what she was wearing. My gaze raked her silky robe up and down. I was awake now. “Don’t. Move,” I commanded, spinning away. I grabbed my own bathrobe and jogged to the front door. I slipped out as quietly as I could and loped around to my bedroom window. I swallowed my tongue at the sight of her shivering in the night as the moonlight glinted off the crimson red of her tiny covering.
She faced me, her eyes showing her nerves in spite of her outward bravado. I collected her to me, wrapping her snugly in my robe. Without a word, I tugged her inside and locked the front door behind us. She padded behind me to my room, my robe swallowing her and dragging on the ground as we went.
I was fully awake now, and not going to waste a second of this gift she’d given me.
I locked my bedroom door and slid my robe down her arms to take in the sight of her. She didn’t move, didn’t touch me. We gazed at each other, the air alive with promise.
Spearing my hands through her hair, I sunk into her lips, silently thanking all that was holy that she’d come to me tonight.
Our tongues intertwined as our kiss grew desperate. Her nipples pebbled under the silk of her robe and pressed into my chest. She had her hands all over my naked abs, my chest, my shoulders, then grabbing my head and pulling me even closer as I swallowed her moan.
I bit the pulse in her neck and backed her toward the bed as I found the knot on her belt. Her hands trembled as she found the waistband of my pajama pants and yanked them as far as she could without ripping our mouths apart. Using my feet, I drew them down until I could step out.
Her robe fell apart in my hands and puddled at her feet in a shimmery whisper.
I stood back and took her in. One hundred percent naked, she was a magnificent goddess, her milky white skin glowing in the moonlight like a pearl. Reaching out, I fought the desperate urge to take her like an animal, and cupped one breast and brushed my thumb over the sensitive peak.
Her eyes fluttered closed. “Trace . . .”
I translated her need. It matched my own. Sinking to my knees, I laved both breasts with my tongue, suckling her with enough force to have her gripping my head and swaying. I kissed my way down her naval to her hips, squeezing her perfect ass in both hands. I was drowning in her and would’ve gladly died in her arms.
As I moved to taste her again, she stepped back. “No.”
I peered up, confused. The scent of her desire had my mouth watering. She found my hand and tugged me up. “My turn.”
I toppled onto the mattress with her gentle shove. Standing at the foot of the bed, she studied me, her eyes dark and stormy with lust. She licked her lips and crawled up the bed until she was straddling my knees.
A painful groan ripped from my chest as she leaned down and took me into her hot little mouth. Definitely dying a happy man.
She took her time with me, loving me like I’d never been loved before. I couldn’t take it. Gripping her shoulders, I drew her up and kissed her. “I can’t . . . I don’t want this to be over too soon,” I murmured between kisses. “You’re a dream come true.”
We made out like teenagers. Well, naked, grownup teenagers. Kissing and grinding and writhing on top of me, she had me about to burst.
My erection slid past her dampness and I instinctively pressed closer, then froze.
She drew back, panting. Her knowing gaze pierced me. “You have a condom around here?”
“Listen—” I sta
rted to apologize.
She kissed me to shut me up. “Don’t,” she warned. “It’s fine. Just find a damn condom before I explode.”
I tipped my head toward the bedside table. “Top drawer, under the Bible.”
She smirked as she leaned over and opened the drawer. “Bible, huh?”
“Well, we are getting to know each other in the Biblical sense.” I smiled back. “Plus, it’s a good hiding spot.”
“Mmmhmm . . .” she mumbled as she tore open the package and sheathed me with deliberate slowness.
I bucked up into her hand, all joking forgotten. “Tori,” I warned as she played a bit more, her lips on my chest now.
Settling herself over me, she suckled my neck as she slammed down her hips, taking me deep.
“God . . . holy . . . fuck . . .” I was incoherent as she began to move.
I felt her smile against the skin of my throat. Then she bit.
The wild animal in me roared to life and I spun her around, pinning her beneath my weight until she was at my mercy. “Like to play rough, huh?”
“You have no idea,” she said, echoing my earlier words.
Oh, I think I did. Grabbing both of her wrists, I pinned them above her head in a one-handed grip. Her eyes flared and she opened her legs wide, letting me sink in deeper.
“You ready?” I asked, my voice gritty. Needy.
Biting her lip, she nodded.
Her eyes closed on a low groan as I slammed home. My skin slid over hers in our sweat as we moved together. Our moans filled the thick air, her heady scent branding itself on my flesh.
Desperate.
Incendiary.
There was no other way to explain the ferocity of our lovemaking. As hard as we were, there was an underlying softness. An aching tenderness that seeped through the edges of the sex, making it the most intimate thing I’d ever experienced.
Overwhelmed, I was shaking, straining to hold myself up. I released her hands and her nails raked up and down my back, urging me on with her panting cries.
“Trace,” she begged, her breath hot in my ear. “Please . . .”
“I’m here, baby,” I promised, shifting and wrapping my arm around her hips and dragging her higher. “I’m here. Come with me.”
Two strokes later, she was convulsing around me. I stifled her scream with my mouth as my own body let go.
Breathing heavy, I collapsed on her. With an oomph, she rolled me to the side and moved to lie next to me face-to-face, where we studied each other for several long moments.
She reached out and brushed the hair from my sweaty forehead with a smile. “Thanks for letting me in.”
I yanked her toward me, basking in her warmth. “No problem. Couldn’t have you freezing to death out there.”
“Ah, so you acted out of charity, huh?”
“Absolutely. Damsel in distress and all that.”
“So, that makes you my Prince Charming?”
Drowsy now, I let my eyes drift closed. “Glad you finally figured it out.”
Her lips brushed mine. “My hero.”
I was smiling when I fell asleep.
Not so much when my alarm startled me awake to find cold sheets where she’d been, her honey scent on my pillow the only proof she’d been there at all.
Tori
Trace Berringer had me in a tizzy.
I had no idea what had come over me and urged me to go to his condo in the middle of the night in only a silk robe, my heart on my sleeve. And it’d been perfect. I’d always known it would be hot between us, but I had no idea how perfectly we’d fit together. Or how badly I’d want this to last. The past weeks as we’d gotten to know each other, and last night when we made love, had given me glimpses of what it’d be like to be special to him. To imagine it could work.
Then, other times, like whenever his ex came up in conversation, I felt him rebuilding his wall. That was what had planted a tiny seed of doubt in my mind and made me crawl out of his bed in the middle of the night without a word.
Thankfully, it had been a crazy day at school, keeping me so busy I couldn’t obsess like some crazy girlfriend. After work, I sunk into Betsy and kicked off my heels, letting my head drop to the headrest. The idea of a frozen meal did nothing for me so I stopped at Schlotzsky’s for dinner. While I waited for my order, I toyed with my phone and reread his text messages that I’d ignored all day.
Waking up alone sux . . . u OK?
Prince Charming misses his Princess
Guess u busy . . . call me when u can xo
“Hey, you!”
I glanced up from my phone to Rachel’s smiling face. “Hey.”
She plopped down across from me with a smile. “Fancy meeting you here. Getting the lazy woman’s dinner, too?”
“Guilty.” I set my phone aside. “How are you? Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thanks, we’re excited. And I’m awesome. Minimal morning sickness.”
“That’s great.”
She stood. “Gimme a sec to order then we can chat.”
I rechecked my phone like a freak while she was at the counter, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Why was I being weird? We’d had sex. Big deal.
I’m good, I finally wrote back. I’ll call u later <3
I tucked my phone in my purse and smiled at Rachel as she sat back down.
“So, how’s work at the school going?”
“Good. Busy.”
“Tell me about it. We’ve been swamped with cases at the firm.” She told me some about her caseload while my meal was served, waving me to go ahead and eat. “The pro bono cases are my favorite,” she confided.
I bit my pickle. “I’ll bet that’s rewarding.”
“It is. Especially when you help put a creep behind bars for hurting a woman or child. When they catch the freak who’s running around town raping women, I’ll gladly prosecute his ass for free.”
“What?” I swallowed thickly.
Rachel tilted her head. “Don’t you watch the news? Girl, there is some weirdo who’s attacked three women in town and maybe a couple more further toward the coast. They haven’t caught him, but they’ve got his DNA and it’s only a matter of time. I think Micah’s been talked into teaching some self-defense classes at his gym because there’s such a demand now.”
“Micah?”
Rachel smiled at the girl who brought her to-go order. “Yeah. The quiet, dark-haired one? He does some kind of fancy martial arts.”
“Oh. Sure. He’s with Jewel, right?”
Rachel laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing. Delilah and I were just talking about this. They’d be perfect together, but no, they’re not an item.”
“Oh.” Oops.
We chatted a few more minutes, then Rachel stood, sweeping her bright red curls over her shoulder. “Well, I’d better get going. Jesse will be home soon and starving.”
“Sure. It was nice talking to you.”
“You, too. Make sure Trace brings you around next time we get together.”
I smiled and waved as she breezed out with her sandwiches.
I finished my meal quietly then slipped back out to my car. Before I could start Betsy up, my phone rang from the cavernous reaches of my purse.
I scooped through my junk and found it, answering on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful. I couldn’t wait to talk to you.”
My heart began to beat to rival a marching band at Trace’s deep voice. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. Are we okay? I’ve had this weird vibe ever since I woke up and you were gone.”
“You didn’t want Ryder to catch me there, did you?” I hedged, admitting part of the truth as I started the car and cranked the AC.
“Well . . . I guess you’re right. But I still wish you would’ve woken me up so I knew you didn’t regret anything.”
He’d cut right to the heart of the matter. I swallowed, the sandwich I’d just eaten now heavy in my gut. “I d
on’t regret anything.”
“But . . . ?”
“But, what?”
“But, that sounded like there was a ‘but’ at the end. Which would negate the whole first thing you said, by the way.” Sigh. “Please just tell me what happened. I’m a guy. I don’t do vague.”
“I’m not trying to be vague. I’m just working out some stuff in my mind.”
“What kind of stuff?” There was a rustling on the other end of the line, then a muted little voice.
“Is Ryder there with you?”
“Yes. He doesn’t want to eat any vegetables with his dinner tonight. Now, what stuff?”
“Should he be hearing this?” I squeaked.
The noise behind him silenced. “I left the room. But, just so you know, he was busy with a video game and I happen to know he wouldn’t waste any of his allotted game time deciphering a boring adult conversation.”
I sputtered.
“Now. About that stuff on your mind . . .”
God, he was relentless. “I worry we’re not exactly on the same page, and now that we’re taking things to the next level . . .”
“Same page about what, exactly?”
He was literally going to make me spell this out. Okay, fine. “Us. Our friendship slash friends with benefits slash whatever the hell we are. Not to mention I work with your son.”
“I thought we’d worked all this out. We’ll go as slow as you want. You have all the control here. I just wanna be with you.”
“What about Ryder’s mom?” I blurted the question that had been dogging me.
The pause on his end was palpable. “What about her?”
“You said yourself she wants back into your life. What if—?”
“Wait a second. It’s not . . . God, it’s not like that. She’s making noises about fighting me for Ryder. There has been no talk of anything more than that. I’d never go down that road again. Hell, I barely went down it the first time. She was an unfortunate mistake in my past that ended up giving me the greatest blessing. I can’t be sorry about it, but her and I? Never gonna happen.”
My thundering heart slowed and began to melt. “Oh.”
“I’m serious, Tori. No Kristi. No other women. If you want me, I’m yours.”
For now. I heard the unspoken words. He’d commit as far as the fun lasted. He wasn’t going to risk a permanent relationship, and I couldn’t necessarily blame him. I hadn’t gone into this thinking forever myself, but unfortunately for me, my heart had other ideas.