by Rhonda James
“That’s it. Come for me, baby. I want to feel your tight pussy squeezing my fingers.”
My head falls back as the orgasm rolls through me. My fingers tighten in his hair as my muscles clamp around his soaked fingers. He never stops pumping as his lips crush against mine to swallow my impassioned screams.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DEREK
The guys are waiting for me when I finally make it back to our table. I’m not sure how long I’ve been away, but it’s clear they’ve been dying to ask what the hell is going on.
“Dude.” Jordan holds out his fist, and we pound it out the way we always do.
“What the hell just happened up there?” Cage is smiling, but I see a lot of confusion behind that mega-watt smile.
“I think it’s pretty obvious what happened. He just hooked up with GLU’s resident stripper. Double-D helping you take your mind off Atlanta?” Rivers holds out his fist, but I ignore it and leave him hanging. “Dude, where’s the love?”
“What did you just call her?” It comes out sounding angrier than I intend, but I’m not sure I heard him correctly. Did he just call her Double-D?
“What? Double-D? By the way you two acted up there, I figured you knew who she is.”
“Well, I didn’t, okay?” I swallow a mouthful of beer and meet Cage’s understanding gaze. “But I do now, and that’s all that matters. By the way, her name’s Laney. Okay?”
Rivers looks at me with his eyes narrowed until he finally catches on and claps me on the shoulder. “Yeah, okay, buddy. Laney.”
“Yeah. Laney.”
Masterson looks around the table, clearly dumbfounded. “Wait a minute. Are you saying Doub—“ He catches himself. “Laney is the same girl you met in Atlanta?”
“Brother, I think it’s time you lay off the beer.” Cage laughs and pulls the pitcher away from him before turning back to me. “You really had no idea?”
I shake my head no and scrub a hand over my face. “Truthfully? I think I’m still in shock.”
“So, obviously you two haven’t spent a lot of time talking about this sort of shit. You’ve been talking to her for weeks. What the hell are you two up to when you’re on the phone every night?” He flashes me a knowing smile and shakes his head.
“A gentleman never gives away those details.” I pocket my phone and throw a wad of cash on the table.
“Shit. You ain’t no fucking gentleman,” Masterson mutters over the rim of his glass.
“Damn straight, Jordan. There’s a reason the girls gave D the nickname Dirty Gentleman. They even created a hashtag for him,” Cage reminds them and everyone’s quick to start laughing.
“Ha ha. Very funny, assholes. Listen, I think I want to run home and get my truck then come back here, just to make sure she gets home safely. You okay to drive me?” I ask Rivers.
“Yep. I’m good. Designated river. Only one beer in the last ninety minutes. I’ll take you now.”
“Cassie coming over tonight?” I ask Cage as I stand to leave.
“Yeah, but Roni had her out shopping all day, so she’ll probably crash early. I’ll be around if you need to talk,” he adds, reading my unspoken question.
“Thanks, man. Catch you later.” He brings up a fist, and we pound it out. “Hey, guys, thanks for tonight. It means a lot.”
Cage grabs the wad of cash and tries to hand it back to me, but I wave him off and bend down to where only he can hear me. “Save your money for that engagement ring you’ll be buying soon.”
I turn and leave before he has a chance to respond. He may not have said anything to anyone, but I can tell by the way he looks at Cassie she’s his forever girl. If I know Cage the way I think I do, I’m fairly confident he won’t wait much longer before putting a ring on her finger. That boy is whipped, and it’s blatantly obvious Cassie feels the same way about him.
I’ve never envied anyone more.
***
I’m waiting in the parking lot when she steps into the darkened alley behind The Library. It’s a little after one in the morning, and I’m sitting on the tailgate of my truck. The windows are down. My playlist is set on repeat. And Ariana Grande serenades us as she stalks toward me looking much different than she did a few hours ago. She’s changed into a pair of those skinny jeans girls like to wear, and they look as if they’ve been painted on her smokin’ hot body. A soft, pink sweater clings in all the right places, and though I love the way the sweater looks on her, I’ll admit I’m a little disappointed she’s not wearing my jersey. When she reaches the tailgate, I spread my legs apart, creating an opening for her to fill. When our eyes meet, she bites her bottom lip and tilts her head to the side, stepping into the vacant space.
“I like this song,” she says huskily, wrapping her fingers around the strings of my hoodie to give them a tug.
My arms circle her tiny waist, drawing her in so I can steal a kiss. “I know.”
“I’m a little surprised you stuck around, even after…you know.” She lowers her gaze, angling her face away from mine.
“Hey,” I growl, grasping her by the chin and forcing her attention back to me. “I meant what I said in there, you know? I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I have a confession to make.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
My lips brush against the shell of her ear, and I feel her shiver beneath my touch. “I’m crazy about you.”
Her eyes slide closed for a split second as her arms tighten around my neck. “That’s good to know, Ace. ‘Cause I’m pretty crazy about you, too.”
Laughter rumbles from my chest, spilling out and echoing through the alley.
My thumb traces over her lower lip, and she catches the pad between her teeth. Our eyes connect, and I watch, mesmerized, as she uses her tongue to draw my thumb deep inside the warmth of her wet mouth. Her hand closes over mine, holding me in place while she licks and sucks her way up and down my thumb.
I’m not gonna lie. The act is hot as fuck. Watching her reminds me of our time in Atlanta. Me sprawled out in the center of the bed. Her between my legs, the sheet pulled over her head. The feel of her lips circling around my cock. The way her head bobbed up and down. My fingers tangling in her hair, holding her in place as I filled her with my seed.
Fuck.
I palm the back of her neck, pulling her close.
Needing her.
I withdraw my hand and bring my mouth to hers, needing more. My tongue slides across her lips, and they part for me, allowing me access to her delicious mouth. My tongue lazily strokes the inside of her mouth, tasting her, savoring everything she has to offer. A strangled moan erupts from her throat. I swallow it, pinning her against me while I make love to her with my mouth. I pull her into my lap, lips still locked with hers as she settles in, rocking against me in a sexy rhythm that quickly has me moaning.
“Derek?” She stops moving and meets my heated gaze. “Take me home.”
I suppress a groan and blow out a ragged breath. “Whew. Okay, baby. Just tell me where you live, and I’ll drop you off.” I go to lift her off me, but she pushes against my shoulders.
“That’s not what I meant. I was hoping maybe we could go back to your place,” she says sheepishly, tucking her chin against my chest.
Relief spills through me as I chuckle into her dark mane of hair. “I think I’m going to like having you close by.” I carry her around to the passenger side and pat the seat. “Plop your fine ass right here, and I’ll have you there in no time.”
We’re a mile down the road when she reaches across the seat and threads our fingers together.
“Thank you for being here with me tonight,” she whispers softly.
I look over at her then glance down at our joined hands. Never before has anything felt so right. And that’s when I know.
I lift her hand to my lips and give it a kiss. “There’s no place on earth I’d rather be.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LANEY
“You okay? I d
idn’t hurt you, did I?” He crawls back under the covers and slides over on my side of the bed, molding his body against mine as one hand curls possessively around my hip. “I may have gotten a little carried away there at the end.” His light laughter vibrates against my back, and I can’t help smiling, though I know he can’t see me.
“That’s okay.” The other arm snakes around me, and within seconds, I’m cocooned in his embrace. Our fingers seek each other in the darkness, craving further contact, and when they connect, I have the sudden urge to kiss him. But not on the lips. I lift our joined hands, turning them slightly to place a soft kiss in the center of his palm. “I love it when you get carried away. In fact, I love everything you do to me.” My other hand slips between us to stroke his partial erection.
He groans low and deep before pressing two kisses on the side of my neck. “Don’t tempt me, woman. I’d love nothing more than to have my way with you again, but you’re gonna have to let me get some sleep first.” His fingers tickle down my side, and I giggle.
I look over at the two open condom wrappers he tossed on the floor during his haste to lose himself inside me. His words, not mine. But I have to admit I like the idea of him getting lost in me. In fact, I want him to get so fucking lost he never finds his way back out. I’ll hide the key. Close down the borders. Burn the fucking map.
Anything to keep him with me forever.
But nothing lasts forever. At some point in time, everything good must come to an end.
Sex.
Kisses.
Orgasms.
Life.
“Hey,” he whispers from behind me. “Did you fall asleep on me?”
“No. I’m still awake,” I squeeze his hand a little tighter against me. “Just thinking. I thought you wanted to sleep.”
“I will in a bit.” He snuggles closer, and I catch myself sighing. “Whatcha thinking about?”
“Oh, lots of things. Kissing. Orgasms. Maps burning,” I mumble.
“Something’s burning?” He sniffs the air a couple of times.
“Nothing’s burning,” I giggle. “It was just something silly I was thinking of. Never mind.” I lace my fingers through his, and he releases a contented sigh. “Your friends, the ones with you tonight, are they your teammates?”
“Yeah, we play hockey together. We’re best friends and they’re also my roommates. I’ll introduce you in the morning, if you like.” He says this so casually, as if his best friends meeting a girl he’s sleeping with is an everyday occurrence.
Then I start thinking maybe it is something that takes place often with him. After all, how would I know?
The fact that Derek may have been with a lot of women doesn’t actually bother me as much as I thought it would. I’m not saying I like the idea. But it doesn’t make me want to stay away from him. I like him. I like him a lot.
Maybe it’s too soon to like him this much.
But, dammit, I do.
“Baby, I’ll understand if you’re not ready. I don’t want to rush you. But these guys are pretty special to me, and I’d like for you to meet them. You know,” he places soft kisses on my shoulder, “you’re pretty special to me, too. I’d like for them to meet the girl who stole my heart.”
Despite the fact he’s saying all the right things, I fear he’s saying them because he thinks it’s what I want to hear. And while I like to think I may be capable of stealing his heart, I know for a fact he’s already stolen mine.
It’s heady stuff. But completely scary at the same time.
I roll over to face him and run my fingers lazily through his hair. “You know, you don’t have to say that. You barely know me. How can you already say I’ve stolen your heart? I mean, that’s crazy. Right?”
Please say no. Please say no.
“No. Not to me, it isn’t.”
I think my heart may have just smiled.
“I think I knew the moment you answered the door in that Iron Man tank. The way you looked all freshly showered. You hair was pulled up, and your face was scrubbed clean of makeup. It was just you. I saw a vulnerability that made me want to get to know you better. Protect you. Take care of you.” My body stiffens at his choice of words, prompting him to lean forward and kiss the tip of my nose. “You know, letting someone take care of you isn’t so hard.”
“It is when the only person you’ve been able to rely on is yourself,” I murmur against his chest.
He tightens his hold on the back of my neck and releases a shuddery breath. “You wanna talk about it?” Soft kisses rain across my forehead, an act that says he cares and he’s there for me if I’m willing to trust him.
“It’s not easy to talk about. Maybe one day I’ll be able to tell you everything, but for now, I can only handle small amounts.”
I want so badly to pour out my heart, ask him to carry some of the load I’m carrying, but it’s not that simple. While the financial burden weighs heavily on my mind every single day, it’s not the only demon I’m fighting. While my mom’s death has been a hard loss to accept, losing my dad has been the most difficult to understand.
Mom may have been the victim of an unfortunate circumstance. But Dad is a victim of his own choosing. He chose to deny his feelings by turning to alcohol for answers. Too bad the answers he found only led him further down the rabbit hole.
Saying goodbye to my mom was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but as they lowered her casket into the ground, I was able to grasp the finality the act itself represented. With my dad, it’s different. He wants me to treat him as if he also died, but he fails to understand that as long as he’s alive, I’ll never have the same sense of finality I had with Mom’s passing. And until he draws his last breath, I’ll do whatever it takes to show him I still love him. Regardless of everything that’s happened, I miss him, and if love is truly as powerful as I believe it to be, maybe my love can be the CPR he needs to help bring him back to life.
“My mom died in a car accident,” I confess.
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.” I’m not sure how it’s possible, but he manages to draw me even closer, and I willingly melt against him. I feel safe in his strong arms. I would stay just like this for the rest of my life if he’d let me.
Something inside tells me he may be open to that request.
But I don’t voice it. Not out loud anyway.
He rubs a hand lovingly over my back, not in a sexual way, more like an I’ve got you sort of way.
I like it.
“What about your dad? He didn’t—“ He can’t bring himself to say the words, but I know what he’s asking.
“He’s gone, too,” I whisper.
Even though Dad didn’t die, he is gone in a sense.
Don’t judge me. Right now, it just seems easier this way.
“Shit,” he murmurs. “When did it happen?”
“Two years ago yesterday,” I whisper.
“Christ, Laney. You were dealing with all this yesterday and then I went and—“ He draws back to look me in the eye. “God, I feel like such an inconsiderate asshole.”
I push myself up on a forearm and give his chest a shove. “Stop it! I don’t want your pity, Derek. You’re not an asshole. I wanted last night to happen just as much as you. I needed you, and you were there. You’ve always been there, even that first night. Don’t you see? Being with you makes me happy. When you hold me, I don’t feel alone anymore. And when you’re inside me… You take all of that pain away.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m always here for you, and I’ll always hold you.” Our lips meet, and he fills my mouth with his warm tongue. I moan into him, taking what he’s offering. As quickly as it started, it’s over, and his blue eyes gaze into mine. “You’ll never be alone again. Not as long as I’m around.”
I smile and rest my cheek against his broad shoulder. “Guess I’ll just have to keep you, then.”
He laughs heartily, his mouth hovering just above mine. “That’s good, ‘cause I’m afraid you’re stuck wit
h me. I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”
“Tell me about your friends,” I say once we finish kissing.
He pauses, thinking about it for a few moments. “Cage is the kind of guy who’ll always be there for you. Out of all the guys, he’s probably the one I’m closest to. Rivers is a great guy, but he can be a bit of a hothead. But if there’s ever something going down, you want him on your side, ‘cause that boy can throw down. Then there’s Masterson. He’s probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but he’s a little on the quiet side.”
I like hearing him talk about his friends. Although he didn’t tell me much about them, they way he said it spoke volumes. You can tell just by watching him speak of them these guys are more than just friends or teammates. They’re family. I like the idea of being with someone who has a family, seeing as how there’s not much left of mine.
“Why do you call all of them by their last names? Is that a guy thing?” I ask curiously.
“Honestly? I guess it’s just part of being on a team. Everyone’s name is on the back of their jersey. Coach calls everyone by their last name. It’s just easier that way. Sometimes, I use their first name, but it depends on the situation. It’s sort of like a nickname.”
“I know all about nicknames,” I shudder.
He rolls onto his back, pulling me along with him until I’m stretched out over the length of his hard body. I stare down at him, my hair cascading around us like a waterfall. He tucks a strand behind one ear, caressing my cheek with his thumb before pulling away.
“You don’t like nicknames?”
“Depends on the situation,” I retort, mimicking his words. He gives me a hard look until I elaborate. “I’ve been called a lot of names. Many I don’t care for. Delaney Dixon. Laney. Pole Grinder.” I hesitate before adding one more. “Whore.”