Down and Dirty

by Christine Bell

  urge to leap over it and pounce on her.

  “Shane?” she said again, then pulled the phone away to frown at it.

  “I’m here,” he finally managed through gritted teeth. She jerked up and cried out.

  “Holy shit, when did you—” She moved her hand from between her legs and struggled to sit up, but he crossed the room in a few short steps and stopped at the end of the couch.

  “Don’t stop. Put your hand back.”

  She stared at him, green eyes wide with shock, but the need was still there just below the surface.

  “Lay back.”

  She hesitated for a second but slowly reclined backward, trepidation plain on her face.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. That was about the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” And that was the truth. He stepped closer and took her hand, leading it back between her thighs. “You said whatever I want. This—” He slid their entwined fingers through her wet folds and his knees nearly gave out. “This is what I want.”

  The doubt faded, and a mischievous smile tugged at her lips. She nodded and sank deeper into the cushions. Holding his gaze in the dim light, she found her clit and fell into a hypnotic rhythm. He followed her every move as she slid her free hand up to cover one breast, caressing her nipple.

  Sexy. So damned sexy.

  He stripped off his coat and yanked at the button fly of his jeans. Slipping one hand down the front, he drew out his already-stiff cock and began to work it up and down in long, even strokes. She kept her eyes locked on him and her hips bounced as her hand moved faster. Too soon, her eyes drifted shut, her leg muscles tensing until Shane gripped her wrist, halting her ministrations.

  “Okay. As much as I’d love to watch you for the next hour or so, that’s enough. I want to be the one to make you come.”

  She hesitated, then lowered her gaze to his cock. She wet her lips with the tip of a pink tongue and his shaft surged in response.

  “Can I taste you first?” she asked softly, reaching out a hand toward him and moving to the edge of the couch. She ran a gentle hand down his stomach, and then leaned forward to lap at the broad head of his cock. He growled low in his throat as the heat of her tongue stroked him, but it wasn’t enough. He was just about to tell her so, tell her how desperate he was for her to take him deep and suck, hard, when she opened her mouth wide and worked him into her hot mouth until he felt her throat close around him in a snug embrace.

  He choked out a curse and used his grip on her hair to pull her back while he tried to regain some self-control. She fought him, anchoring him to her with a grip around his thighs and using her tongue to massage him. Helpless against the onslaught, he flexed his hips restlessly, the need uncurling in his belly. She slid him almost all the way out before sucking him hard and deep again.

  She met his eyes in the dim light while she sucked him off, and he wondered if he would ever forget the sight. Her head bobbing between his legs, her plump lips brushing against his cock, glossy from her mouth and tongue. He closed his eyes to block out the view because if he didn’t, he was going to blow it right into her mouth and he still hadn’t tasted that sweet pussy. Suddenly, that seemed to be an immediate necessity.

  He pulled back, encircling her wrist to escape her grasp. She released him but ran her tongue down the length of his cock one more time for good measure.

  “Nice,” she whispered.

  “God, you don’t know how happy it makes me that you think so.” He pulled away for an agonizing minute and stripped down until he was naked, then pushed her onto her back and lifted her hand high above her head.

  “Lift your other arm,” he ground out.

  She did. And she took his breath away.

  “Look at you.” His gaze swept her again, and he shuddered as he nodded. “Seeing you like this, I can think of a hundred things I want to do to you, with you. The night at the hotel barely scratched the surface.”

  “You’re wasting time,” she said, and an instant later, he was on her. His aligned his hips against hers, her belly pressing against his cock.

  He lifted his torso from her, dipping his head to take her mouth with his. Her scent enveloping, wrapping around him like a sensual blanket. He pulled back, his breathing labored as he pressed his forehead to hers.

  His voice was low and hoarse. “All I can think of is you. From the second I saw you again, I wanted to slide my cock into that wet heat over and over. I want that so bad I can taste it.” He slid a knee between her thighs and spread her legs open, then reached between them, covering her core with his hand. Her back bowed in response and a charge of heat blasted through him.

  She let out a long hiss. “You’re killing me.”

  He thrust himself away from her and pressed nipping kisses down her neck to her breasts, making a path to her hip. For a long moment, he just stared. When he finally dipped his head down and put his mouth to her, she nearly bucked him off, but he held her captive. He dragged his tongue over her crease, then traced around her clit with just the tip.

  “Shane,” she whispered urgently, arching upward.

  He growled and closed his lips over the swollen knot. She shuddered and her muscles strained as she threaded her fingers into his hair, urging him to finish it. A surge of satisfaction pulsed through him and at that moment, his only purpose in life was to do it right and make her scream.

  He trailed his hand along the inside of her smooth thigh until he came close enough to feel the heat coming off her pussy. He traced her lips with his fingertips, pressing them into her wet warmth. She cried at the invasion, showing him with her body that she wanted more. He retracted, then thrust deep again, loving the feel of her, the taste of her. She thrust her hips up, grinding against his face as he increased the pressure of his mouth, sucking, licking, pulling. She froze and inner tremors racked her, squeezing him. He steeled himself for the onslaught, hoping he could keep himself from coming on the cushions like a teenager. Then she splintered under his hands, spasms taking her as she cried out his name.

  Her moisture soaked his fingers. Her heat filled his mouth. Her screams filled his ears. He closed his eyes as her pussy clenched tight, tried not to imagine that it was his cock. Tried to hold it together for just a minute more.

  The spasms quieted and she stilled, fighting for breath. He pushed himself onto all fours and crawled up the length of her body until they were face to face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes shone.

  “Nice.”

  He gave her a pained smile. “That’s the understatement of the year.” He nudged forward an inch, then two, until he could feel her slick folds. “We need a condom,” he groaned, then tried to pull back.

  She shook her head. “Not unless you want to. I’m on the Pill, and…it’s you. It’s…us.”

  Just like in his dreams. He pressed forward and she guided him in deep, taking his length with a shuddering sigh. He pulled back, then began the heavenly slide back in. He gritted his teeth against the sensual friction, struggling for control.

  Cat reached back, snaking her hands down his back to cover his ass, then pulled him into her until he was buried to the hilt. They began to rock as one, slow and steady. He tipped his head to take a tight nipple into his mouth, and nearly exploded as her slick inner walls squeezed him in response. He matched her rhythm with long, slow, deep strokes. They moved faster, and he bent his head to lick and suck her nipple, plunging into her again and again.

  “Ah, Shane!” She tightened around him like a fist, pulsing over him in waves. He squeezed his eyes shut and his cock swelled, a dull ache riding low in his balls. She went wild beneath him, rolling her hips and wriggling as she came, calling his name. She dug her nails into his back and he lost it. He pounded into her, faster and deeper until his body convulsed. He groaned her name and emptied himself into her sweet heat. In that moment, all was right in his world. If only he knew for sure that she felt the same…

  Chapter Ten

  Cat stared at the shadows on the wa
ll and snuggled deeper into the covers. Shane’s arm tightened around her waist, and he dragged her closer, molding her back to his front. They hadn’t left each other’s arms for the past five hours except to wash up, and in spite of her professed fondness for sleeping alone, she’d never felt happier. A few orgasms, a warm man in her bed…it had been a long time since that had happened. And never both at the same time until now, she realized with a chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” Shane whispered, tipping his head to press a warm kiss to her shoulder.

  “Oh, just thinking about self-administered orgasms and how nice it is to get them courtesy of someone else for a change.”

  “Well, feel free to take advantage. I’ve got an unlimited supply.”

  She pulled away then rolled in to face him. “I knew I liked you.”

  His face was sleepy and satisfied in the moonlight, and she traced the dark slash of his eyebrows with her index finger. “You are one fine-looking man,” she admitted. “You always were. Even when we were younger, during those rare times you took a break from torturing me, I thought you were hot.”

  He slung his arm over her hip and leaned in to nip at her jaw. “Did you, now? Tell me more about that. Not about the torture part. About how hot you thought I was.”

  She laughed and pulled away. “I did. You had to know that. The night at the lake, and…” She searched his face, debating whether she wanted to open that can of worms when things were going so nicely. But, damn it, she had to know. No point in going in with a nail file. She broke out the sledgehammer. “Why were you such an asshole to me?”

  He stared at her for a long moment and then rolled away. She was just thinking maybe she should’ve come in a little softer when he started propping up some pillows. He settled back, flashing an exceptional expanse of muscled chest, and sighed. “I never meant to be an asshole. I was just doing what your brother asked me to do.”

  She leaned up onto her elbow, resisting the urge to trail her fingers over his abs. “Galen asked you to be an asshole to me?” She knew she was being thick, but she needed to know exactly what had happened that strange year, and more importantly, why Shane had walked away from her that night in the lake.

  “He asked me to take care of you while he was gone. You were a little reckless, he was a lot worried, and he couldn’t be there. It was your junior year. You were just coming into your own, and that body.” His gaze drifted down to scan her sheet-clad form. “You had a sense of adventure and no fears. The whole thing was a like a fucking time bomb just waiting to go off. Guys that age are horny, and a lot of them are assholes. He didn’t want anyone messing with you, and he didn’t want you making any rash decisions you might regret later.”

  Understanding dawned, and she nodded slowly. “Like getting deflowered in the lake by his best friend.”

  “Yeah. Like that,” he said with a tight smile. “Although, until now, I hadn’t realized you were a virgin.”

  “I was. And it was all so romantic with that big moon and the warm water, it seemed like fate. You were so sweet, worried about me. You followed me in and, even when I kissed you, you hesitated. I thought it was because you didn’t like me.”

  “Oh, I liked you. Too much.” He traced the line of her shoulder and frowned. “Jesus, how could you not have known that? I was hard as a baseball bat and breathing like I just went ten rounds with a grizzly.”

  She chuckled. “I knew you wanted me, same as any teenage boy naked in a lake with a girl. I didn’t know you liked me, though. You were always treating me like a sister, dragging me out of places and embarrassing me.”

  “Never my intention. I was doing what I promised your brother I would do. Believe me, it wasn’t easy. I thought about it every minute for a year afterward, and at least once a day since.”

  The admissions sent a thrill through her, and she wriggled closer. “Well, it so happens that I still think you’re pretty fine.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. You’re pretty fine yourself. In fact”—he closed a hand over her hip and squeezed—“if you’re not busy for the next hour or so, I’d like to spend it making up for that night.”

  She pressed closer to him. “Sounds good,” she whispered.

  “I can’t give you the lake and the moon, but you do have that big bathtub, and we can leave the light on,” he said with a brow waggle.

  She laughed and rolled away. “Meet you there!” She stood, buck naked, making an effort not to run, in spite of her nerves…to take it slow so that he could enjoy the view.

  He groaned and let out a pained laugh. “My kingdom for a camera.”

  She made it to the door and faced him. “You should bring us a couple ice waters. And maybe a snack. This is going to take a while.” She shut the door behind her and leaned against it. Why it was such a relief that Shane had suffered as much as she had that night, she couldn’t say. Maybe misery really did love company. Or maybe she was just a bad person. Either way, she felt a lightness and a confidence she hadn’t felt in years.

  She crossed the long room and set a towel on the edge of the chilly white porcelain. The giant, claw-footed tub had been one of her favorite features of the house, and she’d made use of it many times over the past few years, but never with a man. Never with Shane.

  She turned the water on hot and sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for it to fill. It was only halfway when he stepped into the room, arms laden with bottled water and a plate piled high with what looked like peanut butter sandwiches. She nearly snort-laughed. “You bypassed the strawberries and cheese in the fridge for peanut butter?”

  “Peanut butter and Fluff. I didn’t want to be cliché. Plus,” he said, setting the food on the sink and giving her a slow wink, “we might need the protein.”

  Despite his teasing words, the look of naked desire on his face make her heart kick double-time, and she reached for him, tugging his hips closer to line up with her face. “Seems like somebody is already prepped for game time,” she murmured, tugging his boxers down to release his swollen shaft. It bounced and settled high on his belly and she wet her lips. Big strong man, big and strong everywhere.

  He hummed low in his throat and his response came on a growl. “He’s been waiting for some water sex with you for almost ten years.”

  She tipped her head closer, shifting on her perch to get close enough for a long, slow lick.

  “Ah, fuck,” he groaned, tunneling a hand into her hair. She curled her fingers around his thick shaft and drew it down to flick the head with her tongue. His fingers tensed and the tug at her scalp made her smile.

  “I think he likes me,” she whispered, making sure her warm breath washed over the length of him. She reveled in the warm, musky taste of him and went back for another long lick.

  He cursed and stepped in, bringing himself more fully into her mouth, and she took him without hesitation. Steam curled around them, enveloping them in a warmth that settled over her and bloomed in her center as she sucked. She worked her throat muscles to draw him deeper, his whispered broken words of praise urging her on. Power and desire pulsed through her, and her clit ached with need. She played her lips and tongue over the satin-encased steel until he jerked away, legs quivering. His cock pulsed as his harsh breathing echoed through the room.

  “Get in the tub, Cat,” he demanded, closing a hand over his cock and fisting himself as she stood. As desperate as she was to move forward, she couldn’t take her eyes off him, cupping his heavy balls before stroking up the girth of his shaft, milking himself.

  “Do you like to watch me?”

  She nodded wordlessly.

  “Would you like to watch me come like this? I could, so easily. Especially with you looking at me like that. Like the other night. When you were on your back, those gorgeous tits ready, nipples hard.” The chords in his neck stood out and his voice was all grit, his hand moving faster.

  She stared down, mesmerized by the bead of moisture that had escaped the head of his cock. She reached out her hand, and
he stilled, his breath choppy and uneven. “But not today. Turn off the tub, Cat, and get in. Now.”

  The sharp command should have annoyed her. Instead it sent a bolt of lightning through her that settled between her thighs, and she found herself complying without hesitation.

  “Don’t forget your knee,” he added, more softly this time. “It’s going to sting, so take it slow.”

  Emotion clogged her throat. The lightning, or at least a paler form of it, she’d felt before. The sense of being cared for like that? Never. And damn if she didn’t like the combination.

  She slipped into the tub with a sigh, the hot water caressing her toes, ankles, and calves until she sank down, immersing herself. The knee did sting, but the bliss of the water working over her tired muscles was heaven. Shane had given her a workout earlier.

  “Slide toward the center so I can get in behind you,” he murmured.

  She did and he stepped in to settle behind her, his thighs cradling her hips. The water sloshed to the edge of the tub and over, but she didn’t care. The feel of him, hot and hard against her back, was sublime.

  He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter to him, his thick cock branding her back.

  “Nice,” she hissed, wishing she was facing him so her good parts lined up with his.

  He kissed the top of her head. “It’s about to get even nicer.” He released her to trace a winding path over her rib cage beneath the water, gliding closer to the underside of her breasts with each pass. “Your skin is incredible.”

  The tub squeaked as she shifted lower, trying to rush him, hoping to get him to cup her breasts. To pinch her aching nipples. Another slide and his thumb just narrowly missed one. She groaned in frustration as the bead tightened further, pouting for attention. “Touch me, Shane.”

  “I am touching you, Mary Catherine. Just not where you want right now.” His voice was hypnotic and she stilled. He was going to do this his way, and the sooner she let him, the sooner he’d put her out of her sweet misery and reward her with a mind-blowing orgasm.

  “Fine. Do your worst.”

  He tossed his head back and laughed, his chest shaking against her back. “Such a martyr. I’m not trying to torture you like I used to, you know. This is just as hard on me.” He flexed his hips into the small of her back. “Harder, even. But tonight I’m determined to do the things I never got to at the lake.”

  His fingertips skimmed over the swells of her breasts and again narrowly missed the stiff tips.

  “Drape your legs over mine.”

  She did. Her nipples grew impossibly tight, the heat of his gaze from over her shoulder setting her aflame. His hands abandoned her breasts, but before she could miss them, one was cupped over her stomach, the other cradling her pubic bone.

  “You had on peach underwear,” he whispered, grinding the heel of his palm in exactly the right spot. “They were just cotton, boy-cut panties but I swear to God, they were sexier on you than any Victoria’s Secret thong I’ve ever seen. The bra matched. Sort of. Except for the tiny green polka dots.”

  The hand on her stomach traveled up, covering her breast, and she arched into him.

  “I wanted to trace every one of them with the tip of my tongue. Do you know I’ve had a polka dot fetish ever since?” His low laugh held more passion than humor. “You were a fucking dream.”

  His words were as seductive as his hands and she tried to twist around in his arms. “I want…you inside me, Shane. Please.”

  But he held her still, continuing the delicious torture. “When you stepped into the water and tossed that look at me over your shoulder, all sass and dare, with that sweet ass peeking out the bottom of those underwear, a school of piranha couldn’t have stopped me.”

  “P-piranhas only live in the Amazon,” she murmured, not caring that it sounded inane.

  “I couldn’t help but wonder what was under there. A thatch of red curls? A sleek strip of rust? Now I know. So neat, and sweet.” She stared down between her thighs, mesmerized by his fingers, sliding over the smattering of strawberry hair and deeper, to part her folds.

  “Ah, Jesus,” she whimpered, gnawing her bottom lip as his fingers found her clit.

  “Did you touch yourself that night, Mary Catherine?” She didn’t answer, sensation swamping her senses to the point that she didn’t trust herself to speak.

  “Did you make yourself come thinking of me grinding against you in the warm water? Fuck knows, I did. I jerked off when I got home and came so hard, I thought my head was going to blow off.”

  His clever fingers moved faster now, circling her clit in a rhythm that made her throat ache from holding back a scream. “Nothing stopping us now, babe.” He curled his hand, sending two fingers deep, and she shuddered.

  He grunted and froze. “So wet. Jesus, Cat. Stand up. I want to take you from behind so I can see us. See that sweet ass while I fuck you.”

  The need she’d thought couldn’t possibly get stronger doubled up in a rush. She stood and flipped on the shower. He rose behind her and pressed his palm against the center of her back, urging her to bend at the waist. She propped her hands on the slick gray tile, and dipped lower. The feel of his hot gaze encouraged her to take her time, pose a little for him. He must have liked the view because he let out a muffled groan. She gave her bottom a wiggle and peered over her shoulder to see his gaze locked on her.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  He shook his head as if to clear it. “Hell if I know,” he said with a pained smile. He closed his big, strong hands over her ass. He spread her wide, pressing his thumbs into the delicate tissue between her cheeks, and she moaned.

  “That sound is making me nuts. I want to take it slow, but I need you so bad right now.” His voice was harsh, as if he’d walked miles in the desert without a sip of water. All she wanted to do was slake his thirst.

  “I don’t want it slow. Don’t make me wait, Shane,” she pleaded.

  He bit out a curse and then his hands slipped lower, massaging her from