by Cathryn Fox
“What’s that?”
“I always play to win, and yet I said I’d never do anything to hurt you. So how am I supposed to win the game and keep you out of the mud if you’re on the other team.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle a mud bath. Besides, who says you’re going to win?”
I touch her hand, stroke her warm skin with my thumb. “Is that a challenge, Eliza?”
She visibly quakes, and my chest practically puffs out. I do this to her. Me. Not Jason.
“Maybe.”
“You’re not going to like eating mud,” I say.
“Care to make a wager?” she asks with a tip of her chin.
I grin at her tenaciousness. “Okay, sure, if that’s what you want. What do you suggest we lay on the line?”
“I’ll have to think about it,” she says.
I take another huge bite of my hamburger. “You do that, and in the meantime, you might want to change into something old. I’d hate to see you ruin those clothes.”
She whacks me, and I nearly choke on my hamburger. “Maybe you should do the same.” Her gaze rakes over me, and my pulse jumps when I catch the heat in her eyes. She might be here for another man, but there is no doubt that the physical attraction between us is off the charts.
“What do you want if you win?” she asks.
As my cock thickens, my brain shifts gears. “I’m not sure yet, but I bet it will come to me when I see you all dirty,” I say, my voice low for her ears only. “Come to think of it, I do remember you saying something about liking…dirty.”
Pink crawls into her cheek. “I…Braxton. I never meant I liked mud,” she whispers, and casts a quick glance around the table. Once again, her best friend is watching us, a smirk on her face, like she knows something we don’t.
“Yeah, it gets in all those hard to clean places,” I say as I envision us in the shower, my hands all over her.
She swallows, and sets her hamburger onto her plate. With a shaky hand, she reaches for her cold drink. Condensation drips off the cup and beads on her flesh I slide my thumb over it, and then brush it over my tongue.
“Ohmigod,” she whispers under her breath.
“So you still want to be on the other team?”
“Yes,” she croaks out, and I wonder if she’s imagining me in the shower with her, cleaning all those sexy crevices.
We finish our lunches, and we’re all led to another part of the yard where a great big, man-made mud hole has been dug. The teams get divided, and I walk past the mud. I glance at Eliza.
“Second thoughts?” I ask.
“None.”
Alex and his girlfriend take up position in front of me, and Tamara glances at us over her shoulder. “Let’s take them down.”
“You bet.”
“Although I have to say,” Valerie says, as she slides in front of Tamara. “Eliza is going to kill you if you drag her through that mud hole.”
“Yeah, I know.” I wink at her. “But the clean-up will be fun.”
“On the count of three,” Richard says, and I wrap the rope around my waist and dig my feet in. “One. Two. Three.”
We all start pulling, and cheers and laugher ring out. I grin when I see Eliza glaring at me, a challenge in her eyes, and maybe something else. I lean back, tug harder, and we move them a couple of inches.
“Pull,” I yell, and Jason does the same as he anchors the opposing team. I might not win the war with him, but I plan to at least conquer him in a tug of war, as juvenile as that sounds.
We gain a few more feet and cheers erupt from our side as groans sound from the other. “We got this,” Valerie yells out. “Prepare to eat mud,” she says and we all laugh. Another huge tug and we’ve got them, the person at the front of the rope is teetering near the mud hole and screaming at her team to save her. But there will be no saving. If Eliza had stuck with me, she wouldn’t be seconds from eating mud—a hard lesson.
“Okay everyone, one last big pull. Go.” We all lean into it, then the rope goes slack and we tumble backward like dominos as the other team lose their balance and get dragged into the mud.
I jump up, untie myself from the rope and follow my team to the mud hole as they reach in and help the others out. Eliza is laughing and wiping mud from her face and a tenderness comes over me as I take her hand in mine.
“You should have stuck with me, Lizard,” I say, and she turns those dark eyes on me. I’m about to pull her free, when she tugs on my hand. “Jesus,” I yell as my feet go out from underneath me. I land in the water with a splash, and everyone starts laughing.
I sputter, wipe mud from my eyes, and reach for Eliza. I pull her to me as Jason slicks mud from his hair beside her. “You’re going to pay for that one, Liza,” I say, purposely using my favorite bedroom nickname for her.
Her expression changes, heats as I scoop her up and carry her to the dry grass. Richard, Michelle and Mason are laughing and clapping as we all climb from the mud hole. Richard points to the house. “Okay, everyone to the showers.”
I wipe my feet on the mats provided and carry Eliza to our private room. Electricity arcs between us, a new kind of need taking up residency in my gut as I glance at the beautiful woman in my arms.
“Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are when covered in mud?”
“Yeah, right,” she shoots back as I enter our bedroom and kick the door shut behind us. Last night Eliza wanted sex without a condom—for experience. That’s exactly what I plan to give her right now. It’s not smart, it’s not wise, considering we’ll soon be staging a breakup. But before I do, I need to take this woman again, to see if I can finally get my fill of her and get her out of my system once and for all.
I carry her straight to the bathroom, set her on the counter and turn on the water. I turn back to find her staring at me, like she has no idea what comes next. “Arms up,” I say, and when she obliges I peel her shirt off, careful to avoid her face. She remains silent, her eyes locked on mine as I reach around her body and in one smooth move, unclasp her bra.
She lets out a little breath of air. “You’re pretty good at that.”
I grin, but the truth is, I haven’t had as many relationships as most think. No matter who I’m with, if it’s a female, pictures are taken and splashed everywhere. I’m not saying I haven’t had my fair share of women in the past, but I’m not sleeping with every woman I come into contact with. But now that I’ve had a taste of Eliza, how the fuck am I ever going to be with another, without comparing her to this woman?
I pick her up from the counter, and set her on the floor. “So dirty,” I say as I sink to my knees and drag her shorts down with me. She wiggles out of her underwear and I toss all her wet clothes into the sink.
I frown. “I think they’re ruined.”
Her little fluttery breath washes over me. “I think it’s going to be worth it.”
“Think?”
Her entire body quivers as I run a finger up her thigh, imagining the path my tongue will go once I scrub the mud from her body.
“Okay, I know,” she says, more conviction in her voice as her fingers rake through my wet hair. “Are you mad that I dragged you in?” she asks, a teasing warmth to her voice. Did she want me mad? Want me to retaliate? Oh, Eliza, you’re definitely the good girl I always thought you were, but behind closed doors, you’re so much more.
“Definitely, and like I said, you’re going to pay for that. I open her nether lips, and nearly bite off my tongue when I see her wet pinkness. She’s so fucking hot and ready. For me.
“How do you plan to do that?” she asks.
I grin at her, and swipe my finger over her quivering clit. “You’ll see.” I stand and take in her nakedness as I make quick work of my clothes. “But something tells me you’ll like it.”
I back up, and pull her into the shower with me. The hot spray falls over our bodies and I turn her until she’s under the overhead rain shower nozzle. She sputters and looks down as the water washes the mu
d from her hair and body. I reposition her, lather my hands and clean her hair. Once I’m done, I grab the soap pump, squirt a generous amount into my hands, and move her until she’s out of the spray. Starting with her gorgeous breasts, I run the soap all over her, taking my time to clean her nipples thoroughly.
Her head falls back on a moan as her nipples swell, and my mouth waters for a taste. “Hands on the wall,” I command in a soft voice as I turn her. She puts her back to me, and braces her hands against the tile.
“Time for me to get at all those hard to reach places.”
I touch her breasts again, then slide my hand downward, over her quivering stomach until I reach her pubic bone. I linger there for a moment, and place warm, open mouth kisses to her back as my slowness amps up her impatience. She wiggles, trying to force my hand lower, but I’m not done teasing her yet.
“Brax,” she cries out, and I fucking love the eagerness in her voice.
“Yeah, baby?” I ask, like I have all the time in the world. I don’t. My cock is so fucking hard, I’m ready to shoot a load all over her back.
“I need you to touch me.”
“You do?”
“Braxxx….”
I grin. “Where do you need me to touch you, Liza?”
“Between my legs.”
I slide my hand between her legs, brush my thumb over her warm inner thighs. “Here?”
“Higher,” she murmurs and squirms.
I go higher, and circle her sweet sex, never touching where she really needs it.
“Oh, god, is this payback?” she asks.
I chuckle against her ear. “It’s just the start. Now tell me exactly where you want my hand. I want to hear you say it.”
“Touch…touch my pussy,” she says and it brings a smile to my face. She moves, wiggles, and I run my finger along the length of her like she asked.
“See all you have to do is ask.” I circle her clit, and she trembles.
“My clit,” she whimpers. “Please touch my clit.”
I do as she demands and her hands slide a little on the wall.
“You do know you have the prettiest cunt I’ve ever seen, right?” As soon as the word cunt comes from my mouth, the good girl trembles. “What, you don’t believe me?” I press down on her clit, and she’s a trembling mess beneath my fingers.
“I…believe you.”
“Where do you want my fingers now, Liza?”
“Inside me. I want them inside me.”
“Inside what? I think you’re going to have to be more specific.”
“Brax, you’re killing me,” she pants out.
“I know.”
A deep fueling breath and then, “I want your fingers inside my cunt, Brax.”
“Yeah, that’s it. When you talk like that it makes my cock so fucking hard.”
My encouragement seems to do something to her. She rears back as I slide one thick finger into her.
“That’s it,” she says. “I want you to fuck my cunt with your finger, I want to come all over your hand, then I want to come all over your face, Brax.”
Holy mother-fuck. What have I turned this sweet girl into? I have no idea, but I damn well like this wild, open woman who makes no qualms about what she wants. That shit is seriously hot.
“I want you to put your tongue inside my hot pussy, then I want you to kiss me so I can taste it.”
My cock twitches, throbs against her ass, and she gives a little moan, a telltale sign that she feels the power and likes it. She’s fucking sexy like this.
I push another finger inside her, and the base of my palm against her clit. “Oh, yes, just like that,” she whimpers. Her head falls forward, and while I like her in this position, I wish I could see her face. My other hand goes to her ass. I squeeze her lush cheeks gently, the slide my thumb along her crevice. She freezes.
“Brax…”
I press into her ringed opening, just slightly, all the while working my fingers inside her pussy and applying pressure to her clit.
“Oh, Brax,” she says. “That feels…” Her words fall off as a powerful orgasm tears through her, sucking my fingers in deeper and scalding them with her sweet release. I stay inside her, moving slowly, prolonging each pulse from her body until she’s sagging against the tile, her body a quivery mess.
I step up to her, put my arms around her and hold her to me. I move her back under the spray, warming her body as she comes back down. Her breathing slows, and she turns to me. Her beautiful breasts press against my chest, her nipples scratching slightly as she goes up on her toes and puts her mouth on mine. Her kisses are slow at first, languid, and I match her rhythm. She moans softly into my mouth, a contented little sound that makes me smile. She inches back.
“Something funny, Brax?”
“No, nothing at all. I just really like seeing you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Relaxed. Contented. Well fucked.” I brush her hair from her face, and say, “I have to say, Liza. I love it when you let go and come undone for me.” She frowns slightly. “What?” Shit what did I say?
She steps back, and my raging hard-on juts out. The elephant in the room. In more ways than one. “Well, let’s see if I can do the same for you,” she says and drops to her knees. Her sweet mouth wraps around my cock, and I grip a fistful of her hair, push it from her face so I can watch. She works her mouth over me, and my heart squeezes. From her sexy sounds to the way she’s worshipping my cock, it’s clear she’s enjoying this as much as I am. Okay, maybe not as much as I am, but still, no woman has ever given me oral pleasure quite like Eliza. My mind races back to her worries about not being able to please me. Fuck man, they were definitely unfounded. No one can please me like her. Then again, maybe it has more to do with the fact that it’s sweet Eliza kneeling before me.
She swirls her tongue, and cups my balls. “Eliza,” I groan, doing my best to hang on. Fuck, I don’t want to shoot off like a pre-teen who found his first Playboy. I suck in air, gather my control, but the more I do, the harder she tries to get me to break. If I unleash myself with her, let down my guard, I’d be crossing another line, then I’d be totally fucking done for when this is over.
She licks, swirls, takes me to the back of her throat until she’s choking. I try to inch out, but she grips my ass, and keeps me locked inside her hot mouth. The water pours over my back, turning a bit cooler, but I don’t care. The whole house could be on fire, and nothing or no one could get me to move a muscle. She moans, rocks against me, takes me impossibly deeper. Lightning bolts of pleasure zap my balls, and I punch my eyes shut for just a second, struggling to hang on, but not wanting to take my eyes off Eliza. My blood rushes, my veins fill with blood, yet I continue to fight it. I need to keep some measure of control if I want to walk away from this thing unscathed.
Who am I kidding? I’m already fucked, in more ways than one.
She looks up at me, her tongue pressing against all my pleasure points, like we’ve been doing this for years, and she knows me inside out. She eats at me, my cock steel beneath her lips as my chest expands. Goddammit, it’s a struggle to breathe.
“I’m going to come,” I say and work to pull her off, but she won’t have any of that. Jesus, she wants my cum in her mouth, wants to swallow. That knowledge fills me with a new kind tenderness. I jerk forward, once, twice, then let my cum spurt down her throat. She swallows, and swallow and swallows some more and I’m so fucking hot for her, I’m not sure I’m ever going to stop coming. When I eventually do, she eases her mouth from my cock, strokes the length like she’s petting a beloved animal. My heart goes into my throat at how much I love her.
Yeah, I fucking love her.
She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and I shake my head. How can she make that gesture look sexy? I pull her to me, and once again I remind myself what this affair is about—and more importantly what it isn’t. Eliza presses her head to my chest, and my heart pounds hard against her cheek. We’re day one into
a three-day weekend. We’re supposed to stage a breakup Monday, but how can I do that? How can I possibly walk away from the woman I want in my arms, my bed…my life? This asinine ruse is actually working, and Eliza’s is getting attention from the man she wants, but goddammit, he’s not the right guy for her, and it’s damn well time I proved it. I’m not sure how I can do that, all I know is that I’m a smart, successful guy and I didn’t get ahead by taking a passive stance. No, I’m a guy who fights for what he wants—and what I want is Eliza.
6
Eliza
As the last of the dinner dishes are cleared, and the sun begins its nightly descent over the bay, I sit back and stretch out, my body sore after all the physical games we played today, everything from the tug of war to the scavenger hunt. I’d taken a few spills as we raced across the beach and the surrounding trees looking for clues to a puzzle. Then again, perhaps my muscles are aching thanks to Brax and the dirty, delicious way he pleasured me in the shower.
As the sexy image slams into my mind, my entire body quivers. I steal a glance at the man sitting close, but all I see is the back of his head as he chats with Alex, who is seated on the other side of him at the long table. The two seem to have hit it off quite well. I’m happy about that, because Tamara is my good friend at work and a few times we tried to get together outside the office. Unfortunately, we’ve yet to coordinate schedules. I chuckle quietly. I can’t even imagine how hard it would be to coordinate the schedules of four very busy people.
Wait. Shit, what am I thinking?
The four of us will never see each other outside the office. Heck, after this weekend the only time I’ll see Brax is during the holiday or special dinners at Mom’s. Brax is always invited to those. Of course, I’m sure I’ll see San Francisco’s Most Eligible Bachelor in the papers, though. A knot forms in my stomach at that thought. Geez, I hate the jealousy that arouses in me. Brax isn’t mine, never was. He made that clear the day he laughed when I tried to kiss him.