He lowered his head, eyelids dropping, and his firm lips pressed to mine. My mind went blank as his tongue teased to gain entry to my mouth. One small press of his body between my legs and I gasped, granting access.
The kiss that followed consumed me. Thoughts dissipated and self-preservation went out the window. The rasp of his short beard against my skin and the sound of our breathing barely registered as he worshipped me, and everything faded away.
With his hands running along my sides, he worked me up until I was trembling, only to end framing my face. There he held me like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let me go.
By the time he broke loose and hovered over me, panting, I was ready to say to hell with every worry I’d ever had and let him take me right then and there, consequences be damned.
Except sanity prevailed and I knew if we made whatever this was all about sex, I would lose myself. Trailing my fingers across the short, soft hairs that covered his jaw and chin, I searched his eyes, looking for a sign that I was dreaming or that he had changed his mind during our foray down the rabbit hole.
“You are the singularly most beautiful woman I know. Perfect in every way.” Leaning down, he breathed me in as he ran his nose behind my ear and down my neck.
Reverently, he feathered kisses across my chest, pausing to give extra attention to each nipple. I arched as he sucked the metal rings in his mouth, then kissed between my breasts before he worked his way down my body.
Every touch, every movement was adoring and soft. When he reached my belly button, he laid his head down and held me tight in his arms. “I never want to leave you. Can I just stay here in your bed forever?”
The words he spoke sent warm puffs of air across my skin and caused me to tense with sheer unadulterated lust. I had to tell myself not to try to undo his pants with my toes. He was worth waiting for, and if it meant I had the chance to see if we could make this work, then I would wait as long as it took. My feelings for him went deeper than sexual gratification, even though the night before had been like nothing I’d ever experienced before.
“I wish.” Raising my head slightly to look down at him, I smiled as I sifted my fingers through his thick, soft hair.
“What time do you work today?” Again his words whispered across my skin like he was touching me as he spoke.
“I have to be there by ten forty-five to prepare for lunch. We close early today since it’s Christmas Eve.”
He pushed his hands up under me until they splayed under me across my back. “Mmm, so we better get you up and in the shower.” The thought of him being naked in the shower with me kicked my heart into overdrive and had my breath coming in ragged inhales.
“Yeah,” I breathed.
With a final kiss to my pubic bone, he untangled himself from me and stood. Holding his hand out to help me up, he waited on the side of the bed.
Pausing, I was overcome with self-consciousness. I wasn’t perfect. My boobs were too big for my frame, my hips were a little wide, my thighs were thick, and I could’ve gone on and on picking myself apart. But he stopped me in my tracks.
“Don’t. I see you overthinking this. I told you, you’re beautiful. Perfect. Never be ashamed to be naked in front of me.” That sweet tip of his lips had me taking a fortifying breath and climbing out of bed.
As soon as I stood, he tucked me close and wrapped his arms around me. One hand cradled my head and pressed it to his warm chest.
“I’m so afraid you’re going to wake up and realize you messed up,” I mumbled into his pecs that I seriously wanted to lick.
“No way. Now come on.” Popping my ass, he chuckled.
The sharp sting had me yelping and jumping back. “You smacked my ass!”
“Did you like it?” The lecherous leer on his face made it impossible to even act mad at him. I could only shake my head and hurry to the bathroom.
Leaning into the bath, I turned the water on. When I stood back up, he was right behind me. Rough hands grasped my hips, then slid up and around to cup my breasts.
I moaned, my head falling back to his shoulder. Plucking at my nipples, he sucked my earlobe in and nipped it, causing a whimper to slip out. Releasing my ear, he whispered, “I love the red print of my hand on your ass.”
“The water’s ready.” Breathless, I turned in his arms and glanced up at him.
He pressed a kiss to my lips and set me back. “Get in, and I’ll join you.”
Chancing a glance to his dick, I was disappointed because I really wanted to watch him undress. Except I was too nervous to tell him, so I did as he said and climbed in the shower and wet my hair.
Through the textured glass, I watched him unzip and step out of his jeans. Lathering my hair, I never let my gaze waver from him.
When he stepped in, I was rinsing the suds down the drain. “Turn around.”
I really wanted to stand there and stare at him, but I did as I was told—then nearly expired because his hands worked conditioner through my hair, massaging my scalp as he did. It was, without question, one of the best feelings ever.
“Rinse.” Without question or fuss, I did as he said. But after I was done and had wiped the water from my face, I chewed on my lip in indecision.
While I debated whether I should do what I really wanted to, he soaped my body and rinsed me. Taking the scrubby, I returned the favor.
When I reached his groin, I froze in shock. My eyes darted to his. A low chuckle escaped him. “Yeah, you’re not the only one who has metal in your body.”
There was no way I could resist. Taking half a step back, I dropped my gaze to his thick, hard length as it rested in my palm. There were three piercings along the underside.
“What the hell?” My wide eyes rose to his laughing ones again.
“Never seen a pierced dick?” He was chuckling at my disbelief.
I could only shake my head; of course I hadn’t. I mean, how many guys actually did that?
“Now you know how I felt when I found out you had your tits pierced.”
“I still can’t believe I woke up to your hand holding my boob that day.” The memory had my cheeks burning.
“Me either, but I can’t say I’m complaining now. Speaking of… what made you get them pierced?” His cock pulsed in my hand and I dropped my eyes to watch as it slid in my hold.
Shrugging, I focused on what my hand was doing to him. “Dare. You?”
A tortured “Same” was ground out as his answer.
I took my time, sliding my hand up and down his partially erect length until it was hard as a rock. Bracing himself on the wall and the shower door, he dropped his head until his chin rested on his upper chest.
As I reveled in the smooth thickness of him, I caught the ink on his side that I had noticed the last time we were together. Slowly I traced over the letters until he grabbed my hand, stopping my movements. “Don’t.”
Confused, I glanced back at the inscription.
The Lord your God is with you,
The Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
In his love he will no longer rebuke you,
But will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
On his other side were simply the words Romans 12:10, John 3:16, and Romans 14:13 one over the other. Then,
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
inwardly we are being renewed
day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16
Respecting his wishes, but hurt that he didn’t want me to touch him, I let go of him. “Stella…, it’s not you.” Head still bowed, the water beating against his body, he breathed deeply.
“Then what is it?” I questioned softly.
With an almost imperceptible shake of his head, he sighed. “One day, I’ll tell you.”
“Okay.”
Suddenly unsure, I stood there shifting my weight from one foot to the other. In front of me, he raised only his eyes. The water ran over h
is hair, causing it to hang in his face, and his green gaze stared at me through the wet strands. “Touch me.”
Blinking the water from my lashes, I timidly reached out to graze his chest with my fingertips. At the contact, he hissed in a breath and held it.
Gathering courage, I let my fingers feather across his pecs and down over the ridges of his abs. Following the trail of darker hair that led to where my hand had previously been, I enjoyed how his body reacted to my touch: the trembling as I tickled over his skin, the hardening of his shaft, the ragged breaths that shook him.
Closing my fingers, I encircled him. The tighter I closed my fingers, the more labored his breathing became. Stroking him slowly, I ran my tongue along my bottom lip. Still he watched me.
Lips parted.
Breaths jagged.
Water running in rivulets down his face and dripping from his hair.
Glancing down, I knew what I wanted to do, but I also knew I wasn’t the most experienced at that. Worry that I may disappoint him had me hesitating. I’d only done that to a guy twice.
He was aware of my thoughts as much as if I’d spoken them aloud, but he remained silent, letting me decide what I was comfortable with.
Jumping in with both feet, I lowered myself to my knees. Cautiously, I ran the soft tip along my lips, relishing in the smooth glide. Chancing a brief glimpse at his expression, I saw him close his eyes tight before he opened them again. The brilliant green held me captive as I closed around him, running my tongue along the metal piercings.
“Fuuuuuck.” His drawn-out response gave me courage, and I moved further down, swallowing more and more with each foray. I kept it up until he was in my throat and my eyes watered. And that was with my fingers still wrapped around the base.
The hand that had been hanging at his side suddenly fisted my hair. He didn’t do anything else, simply held my wet strands as I gained confidence in his reaction. My eyes fell closed as I continued to revel in him as he’d done with me last night.
“Fuckin’ hell. Stella…, you need to stop. I’m going to come if you don’t.” His hold on my hair tightened when I didn’t quit. “Stella….” His voice cracked as he issued the warning.
When he physically tried to stop me, I growled and glared at him. “Jesus Christ” was all he uttered, and then he was losing it.
Sucking him deep into my mouth, I worked him over like my life depended on it. The empowerment of having his pleasure literally in the palm of my hand was intoxicating.
Listening to his soft moans and ragged breaths, I knew he was almost there. Giving him no respite, I circled my tongue around him as I withdrew along his length, then swirled it in the opposite direction as I slid him back in.
That’s when he completely lost control and grabbed my head, pulling me in as he thrust down my throat. A split second later, his cock swelled in my mouth, and with a shout, his warm, salty come burst down my throat and across the back of my tongue.
Sucking and swallowing every drop, I didn’t stop until he jerked, shuddered, and begged me. “Fuck, Stella…, enough. You’re going to kill me.”
I allowed him to slowly slip from my swollen lips. Before I could even process, he pulled me up and pushed me against the shower wall. His lips crashed against mine and his tongue invaded my mouth.
Realizing what I’d done and that he was kissing me, I tried to pull away. He only held me tighter and ravished my mouth. Caving, I met him and tangled my hands in his hair.
Finally, out of breath, we broke apart and he leaned his forehead against mine. “You think it bothered me that my come was in your mouth?”
“I mean… it’s… umm….”
“I don’t give a fuck, Stella. Not one single fuck.”
“Was it okay? I mean, you’ve probably had better, but….” Insecurity at my lack of experience had me questioning whether I’d been good enough for him.
“Are you fucking serious?” He gave a choked laugh. “That was…. I don’t even have words. You, Stella…, you are the absolute most. The best. More than I deserve and better than I ever hoped for.”
Warmth spread within me, and with it was pride at my ability to make him lack for words. Especially considering he was a songwriter and musician; words and music were his talent. Well, that and his ability to give me orgasms, evidently.
That thought sent me into a giggling fit.
“You think that’s funny?” He tickled and teased me, alternating between biting and kissing the sensitive skin around my neck and shoulders. Finally, he pulled the skin in his mouth, suckled hard enough to leave a mark, then let go.
“Now you’re mine,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the spot he’d just bruised.
“Yours.”
After staring in my eyes for several wordless moments, he swatted my ass with a wet smack. “Let’s get dried off and dressed so we can get some breakfast before you have to go in for work.”
With another giggle, I shut the water off, grabbed a towel, and dried off. We dressed in between kisses and caresses.
Once I applied a light layer of makeup, I stepped out of the bedroom into the living room… and stopped dead in my tracks.
He’d put up a tiny pre-lit tree, but that wasn’t all. Twinkling lights filled the room, garland wrapped the window, and a plush, fuzzy snowman blanket was draped over the back of the couch. A pile of presents nearly dwarfed the little tree where it sat on the end table.
“Oh wow.”
“You like it?” Turning, I saw him in the kitchen setting a glass of water on the counter.
“Like it? It’s beautiful! But you didn’t need to do this. Oh my God, you didn’t need to get me gifts! I didn’t get anything for you.” Before I could utter another word, he had me in his capable arms. Touching his nose to mine, he smiled.
“Yes, you did. You gave me you. And I’ve never received a gift that made me happier.”
“Iris”—The Goo Goo Dolls
After taking Stella to work, I called my mom.
“Logan! How is your visit going with your friend?” Mom was trying really hard to sound nonchalant, but I could almost visualize her jumping with glee in the hope that I had finally found someone. Well, she was about to be doing backflips.
“Good, Mom. Really good. Thank you so much for encouraging me to come out here. I’m sorry I’m not with you all for the holidays, but she….” I blew out a heavy exhale. “Mom, you were right. I needed to be here.”
“Oh?” Again my mother tried to convey innocent disinterest.
Chuckling, I leaned against the brick building down the street from where I’d left Stella at work. As I laughed, it created puffs of visible breath. “Yeah, oh.”
“You never told me this friend’s name, you know. Do you think I’ll ever meet this friend?”
My smile threatened to split my face in two as I thought about my mom meeting Stella. “Yeah. I think there’s a real good chance you’ll meet her. Mom, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“How long did you know Dad before you knew he was the one?” Silence on the other end of the line had me checking to see if we were still connected.
Then I heard her take a deep breath and release it. “Two days.”
“Two days?” I shouted incredulously.
“Two days,” she confirmed.
“Wow. Well, that’s not what I was expecting. Not that it’s bad; I just thought you guys dated a while before you knew.” Shocked that I was learning something about my parents I’d never known before, I was damn near speechless.
She laughed. “Son, I won’t get into the details and scar you—”
“Thank Jesus,” I muttered, causing her to peal with laughter.
“Let’s just say that I’d never experienced feelings like I did when I was with your father. I’d never felt so safe, loved, and connected as I did when I was with him. At the same time, I never felt so wild, reckless, and free either. There was no ‘ah ha’ moment; I simply knew.”
&n
bsp; “Hm.” Lost in thought, I watched people pass by as I chewed on my lip. She’d pretty much described the way things were with Stella and me.
“Logan? Do you think you can tell me the name of this woman who is the one for you?”
My heart rate ramped up and slammed against my ribs.
The one.
Was she?
Thinking back on every phone call and our visits, I realized that what had started as friendship had probably been more than that for a while. At least for me. She’d been an important part of my life since that day in the coffee shop. Each call and visit only solidified my feelings, making them grow stronger, deeper.
“Stella. Her name is Stella. And yeah, I think she’s the one, but we’re taking things slow for now. Even though I don’t want to.”
“Well, only you know what’s in your heart. I think you’re both wise to take your time, except don’t let fear keep you from experiencing all the happiness you deserve. Either way, I’m so very happy for you. She must be pretty special to have earned the love of my baby boy.”
Love. Fuck. Did I love her? I was crazy about her—no doubt. It seemed like love. But was I jumping into this blind and wild?
“Yeah. She’s amazing.” Talking to my mom about Stella being the one had me thinking about our relationship. There was still so much I didn’t know about her. I found myself wanting to know every minute detail of her life.
“Mom?” A pregnant pause followed
“What’s wrong, Logan?” Her soft voice that had soothed my worries and fears my whole life seemed so far away.
“How do I know if it’s really love? What if it’s only infatuation? Or lust?” Blowing out a frustrated breath, I closed my eyes.
“Well, I don’t know that you do right away, and I’m sure that’s an individual thing too. But what I can tell you is for your father and me, love isn’t about how happy we make each other, but more wanting each other’s happiness over everything and deriving contentment from it. It’s not codependence or about needing them. Well, yes and no… there’s a saying that I read once. Something about needing them because you love them, not loving them because you need them.”
No Treble Allowed: A Straight Wicked Novel Page 10