House Rules

by Rebecca Brooke

  My hand landed on her ribs, trailing up over the fabric of her dress. When I reached her breasts, I noticed her nipples were tight and hard, pushing through the material, begging to be free of their confines.

  Who was I not to listen?

  Sparks danced between us when her mouth join mine, making the kiss even more electric than before. Impatient fingers slid up to the deep V of the gown, and I wasted no time in slipping my hand past the material and down over her breast.

  I didn’t think it was possible but her nipple hardened even more when I rolled it between my fingers. That was all it took for moans of passion to push past Tess’s lips. A desire to own her, have her, fuck her into tomorrow came over me. I slid my hand around her nape and into her hair, holding her captive. I finally pulled away and took the glass from her hands, setting it on the table.

  Tess watched every move I made, her eyes glazed over with desire and I realized she wanted the same thing that I did. That was all the push I needed.

  Bending down, I scooped her into my arms and took the stairs two at a time to get to my bedroom. I was so hard I was going to have zipper prints on the underside of my cock if I didn’t get them off soon.

  I’d been in this position many times before: bring a woman home, fuck her, and kick her out before I went to sleep. But something was different about tonight. About Tess. Maybe it was the way she ended up in my bedroom. Maybe it was how responsive she was to the simplest of touches.

  Either way, I didn’t give a damn. I wanted her underneath me, and I really didn’t give two shits how she got there. As long as she wanted to be there, that was a good enough reason for me.

  CHAPTER 4

  Theresa

  The heat of his body, combined with the wine I’d consumed, obliterated any rational thought that I might have had. Somehow Miller, the hard, scary man I’d met only hours earlier, made me drop all of my defenses. I was the idiot girl in the horror movies who opened the door, but instead of some crazed killer behind it, there was a man whose looks would send most women into a frenzy. And suddenly the circumstances of how I ended up here no longer mattered. The dumb girl had already opened the door.

  Might as well enjoy myself.

  My feet touched the floor and I curled my hand around his nape, bringing his lips to mine. The passion from earlier hadn’t abated with the trip upstairs. The moment our lips touched again, it was as if fire spread through my body. For the first time in my life, I didn’t want a man to be soft and gentle. Sweet was not in the cards tonight.

  His hand slipped around my back and in the blink of an eye, the zipper to my dress was down. Miller moved back to let it pool at my feet.

  “Fucking hell,” he murmured, eyes roaming down my body, the pink lace bra and panties not leaving much to the imagination.

  He quickly undid the buttons of his shirt, letting it and the T-shirt he wore underneath drop to the floor. My fingers itched to trace the smooth layer of golden skin along his clearly defined abs. Miller put Ray to shame in more ways than one. I flattened my hands on his chest, sliding them down to cover his stomach at the same time Miller pulled my lips back to his and popped the snap on my bra. With only one piece of fabric separating us, he took hold of my shoulders and flipped me around so we stood back to chest.

  Even through his pants, I could feel his hard length pressed against me. His fingers encircled both hips and warm lips tasted the skin at the back of my neck. Never in my life had I’d been so aroused with such a simple touch. Lust, desire, need—whatever the hell it was—made my body clench in anticipation. I dropped my head back onto his shoulder, letting him guide me wherever he wanted to go.

  One of his hands snaked down my body, slipping inside my panties, his fingers so close to where I needed them most. When his finger circled my clit, never touching, I clenched my legs together.

  His lips left my neck and there was a soft nip there, before a soft whisper hit my ear. “Is there something you want?”

  “Please touch me.”

  My breathing came rapid and shallow. His finger grazed my clit and I moaned my appreciation. A few light strokes and all I wanted was this man deep inside me, fucking me.

  “More,” I begged.

  “Is that really what you want?”

  “Yes.”

  Miller pushed me forward and bent me over, face to the bed. A warm finger traced lightly down my spine. I felt him press up against me, his pants still on. Then again, so were my panties.

  “I can give you more, but are you sure you can handle it?”

  His finger slid lower over the crease of my ass. My body craved this. I knew my panties were soaked and I had to do everything in my power to keep my legs from shaking from suppressed desire. If he kept this up, I just might die of unrequited lust.

  “Yes. Anything. Just don’t make me wait.” A small voice in the back of my head screamed that this was the wine talking, that I would never usually act this way after meeting someone for the first time, but my body didn’t care.

  I ignored the voice. I could deal with the consequences of my actions later. Right now, I needed to have him. All of him.

  “Your wish is my command.”

  I heard the rip of foil and my underwear was yanked down my legs. Barely a breath had passed before he was sinking deep inside me. He pushed all the way in, his body flush against mine and my insides quivered at the delicious friction, the feeling of being filled. And that was before he pulled almost all the way out and slammed back inside. I moved my hands up by my head, fisting my fingers in the blanket.

  Miller continued with hard, driving thrusts, pushing me closer and closer to the edge. The bed was just the right height, my body rubbing in the right spot to send me flying of the charts. As his body possessed me, his hands slid down my arms, his fingers threading through mine, forcing me to release my grip on the blanket.

  He drove into me.

  Over . . .

  and over . . .

  and over again.

  My mind was mush with pleasure, my body wound so tight I thought I might explode. His tongue traced a path up my spine, taking little nibbles along the way until, finally, my body built as high as it could go and a release so overwhelming and so mind-numbing crashed over me. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to move, much less walk the next day. Through the convulsions of my orgasm, Miller found his own release, shouting out and collapsing on top of me, the weight of his body was a welcome feeling. I wouldn’t have been able to move anyway.

  A few minutes later, Miller stood and let his body slip from my own. The cool air would have been sobering if I wasn’t ready to let myself fall into a deep sleep. He returned and I felt a warm cloth run over me before I was lifted into the bed. My eyes still firmly shut, Miller’s heat enveloped me from behind. More content than I’d been in a while, and even though a part of me knew that staying was a bad idea, I let myself fall down the rabbit hole.

  There was always tomorrow.

  ***

  I woke with a start, my eyes snapping open to a completely unfamiliar room. The dream that pulled me from sleep was slowly fading from my mind. I tried to reach for it, hoping to gain some clues about the night before. I racked my brain, but nothing came to me. Deciding the dream wouldn’t be any help I looked around the room, searching for clues. The moment I made the slightest move of my head, the room began to spin.

  Shit, how much did I drink last night?

  The answer died in my throat when I realized, for the first time since waking up, that I wasn’t all alone in the bed.

  Slowly, so as not to mess with the hangover gods, I shifted my head on the pillow to face the man lying next to me. The sight of Miller’s face had the whole night rushing back, like a bad soap opera flashing before my eyes.

  What the hell had I been thinking? Oh, that’s right, I hadn’t.

  I let myself glance over at Miller one more time. The man was gorgeous. Why would he get into bed with me? He looked the type to date movie stars and models. Emb
arrassment poured through me, the blush covering my whole body. I needed to get out of this mess and I needed to do it right now.

  Miller’s arm covered my stomach and chest, his hand cupping my breast even in sleep. I could see the faint bit of light coming from the window as I tried to figure a way out of this. I moved only my upper body, hoping I could get myself out of his hold. If I had any luck, he was a heavy sleeper and wouldn’t have any idea I left until he woke up.

  Inch by inch I slid out from underneath him until I was able to sit up and place my feet on the floor. When I glanced over my shoulder he was still sound asleep. I’d have to do the walk of shame, but anything was better than being here and having to face the music when he woke up.

  Miller had taken his winnings to the extreme. Not that I wasn’t an active participant, but his night was over and he’d probably want me out of his hair as soon as humanly possible. I didn’t want to give him the chance to ask me to leave. Memories of the night before were enough embarrassment for a lifetime.

  I located my bra and dress, but skipped the panties, knowing there was no way in hell I’d force myself to put those back on.

  After stuffing my underwear into my purse I dressed quickly, tiptoeing out of the room and shutting the door softly behind me. When the latch clicked into place I froze, waiting to make sure he was still asleep. No noise came from the room so I decided it was safe to make my way downstairs where my phone and purse waited for me, both still in the front room of the house where I’d so casually discarded them.

  I pulled out my phone and called a cab to take me home. Not wanting to make any extra noise, I took myself outside to wait on the porch.

  I still couldn’t believe the way I’d acted the night before. It was like someone else had been in control of my body. I wasn’t a virgin by any means, but that didn’t mean I went around having sex with every new guy I met, and all it took was a few glasses of wine and some well-timed kisses for me to practically rip my clothes off.

  There was a bit of comfort in the fact that I sat alone outside, the early hour keeping people from witnessing the bright red color of my cheeks.

  A few minutes later, the cab pulled up. The look in the driver’s eyes should have sent me running for cover, but this walk of shame was better than facing the inevitable boot from Miller’s bed in a few hours. I climbed in the backseat and gave the driver my address. The urge to looked back to see if he would be coming through the door to stop me overcame me for a brief moment, but I fought back the impulse and forced my eyes to stay on the back of the driver’s seat. There was no doubt in my mind that when Miller woke, he’d be relieved.

  No matter how much the fleeting images of a nice guy below his tough exterior intrigued me, I wouldn’t let myself dwell on a man who only saw me as a one-night stand. I had more self-respect than that.

  The closer we got to the heart of the city, and to my apartment, the more I thought about the possibility of a confrontation with Ray. After paying the driver, I climbed from the cab and braced. I reached for the door and hoped the little shit found somewhere else to sleep. If I was lucky, he’d have already packed his clothes.

  Snoring reach my ears from the living room down the narrow hall.

  That bastard. I slammed the door shut so hard it rattled in its frame. The neighbors would probably complain later, but I was too pissed to care. My hands shook as I stormed down the hall, the only thing on my mind being the prey awaiting me. I reached the living room and there he was, sound asleep, his casted arm elevated above his head. I let all of the anger from the night before fuel my strength as I shoved the back of the couch as hard as I could, the movement enough to send him toppling to the ground, landing on his broken arm.

  “Jesus Christ,” he howled, cradling his arm to his chest. “What the hell was that for?”

  I stalked toward him. “Are you fucking serious?” I screamed. “You offer me up like some cheap whore and have the nerve to come back here to sleep in my apartment.”

  Panting, he forced himself to his feet, his arm still held tightly in a protective embrace. “Our apartment. You and I are team.”

  “A team? A team?” I grabbed the first thing my fingers came into contact with off of the table and threw it at him. He dodged the picture frame but the movement unbalanced him and he fell sideways, landing on his ass. “The only person you give a shit about is yourself.”

  Once again he stood, his good hand held out as he walked to me. “Please, baby. I would never have done it if I didn’t think I would win. You saved me yesterday.”

  His hand reached out to caress my cheek but I slapped it away. No way in hell would Ray ever touch me again. “It shouldn’t have mattered if you would win or not. If you loved me, you’d never be willing to give me to another man—even for one night.” I felt the backs of my eyes burn, but I wouldn’t let this asshole see me cry. Not over him.

  “They would have killed me.”

  “You could have folded,” I snapped.

  “I love you,” he said. And before I could call him on his bullshit, his hand wrapped around my nape and pulled my mouth to his. I planted the heel of my shoe into his foot and shoved at his chest with my hands.

  “Don’t you ever touch me again!” I slapped his face, the burn of my palm oddly satisfying given that I was not a person predisposed to violence. “Now you have three minutes to grab your shit and get the hell out of my place. If not, I call the cops and fill them in about all of this.”

  His faced turned red and his eyes searched mine. Lines creased his brow and I waited for him to explode. He clenched his fists by his side and spun on his heel toward the bedroom.

  I set the timer on my phone. No way would I budge on this. The sooner he was gone, the sooner I’d be able to shower, change, and start the process of forgetting this week ever happened.

  With twelve seconds to spare, he emerged from the room, a duffel bag in hand. “I—”

  “Don’t bother letting another word leave your lips. I never want to see you around here again.”

  The corners of his mouth turned down. He stalked forward and wrapped his hand around my upper arm. “You listen to me. I’m only leaving right now to give you time to cool the fuck down. This isn’t over. We aren’t over.”

  For the first time since meeting him, I worried about what Ray might do. “Let me go.” I try to yank my arm from his grip.

  “No.” His head bent to kiss me, but I wasn’t letting the bastard touch me again. With my free hand, I reached into my purse that still hung from my shoulder and pulled out the pepper spray I always carried. I stomped on his foot once again, forcing him back and hit the button.

  He screamed. The mist hit the side of his face, touching the corner of his eye. He grabbed his face and hunched over at the waist, the duffel bag forgotten on the floor.

  “You fucking cunt.” His words were slightly muffled by his hands.

  “I said, get the hell out of my apartment.”

  He snarled, but picked up his bag with one hand and staggered through the door. Of course the sleazy asshole went running. I followed quickly, throwing the deadbolt across because he had a key and could come back at any time.

  I grabbed my phone and called a locksmith to come and change the locks. I only had to worry about him coming back that night, and although I had a feeling he’d spend the night whining about his eye and drinking away the pain, it was a relief to know the locks would be changed by the time I got back from class tomorrow.

  I sunk to the couch, the familiar softness the comfort I’d been looking for from the moment I’d opened my eyes this morning; something to settle my already frayed nerves. Without Ray’s share of the rent and utilities, I’d have to save even more money to make sure I had enough to pay the rent at the end of the month. But eating out less and making coffee at home would be worth it to have the little twerp gone. Besides, a roommate could help with all of that. There had to be someone on campus looking for a place. I could put notices up in the studen
t union tomorrow.

  I rested my head on the back of the couch and without any prompting or thought, my mind drifted back to the night before, my nipples tightening at the mere thought of the way Miller’s tongue had flicked against them, and how well his body molded to mine.

  “Damn it.” I sat up and gave my head a brief shake, which only made it throb harder.

  It wasn’t like I’d ever see him again. The sooner I got him out of my head, the better.

  Forcing myself up, I trudged down the hall to the bathroom. No matter what the rest of the day might bring, I needed a shower.

  Once the water warmed I climbed in, watching as the room slowly filled with steam. That didn’t stop me from standing there, my head under the water, doing nothing to clean my body because images of the night before danced across my eyelids. Of its own volition, my hand sank down my stomach to slip a finger between my folds. One flick of my fingertip and I couldn’t stop the soft moan that pushed past my lips.

  But it wasn’t enough. Not now. I needed something . . . more. Using slow, rhythmic circles, I pushed my body further and further, until something snapped inside and the sweet feeling of release overcame me. Panting, I leaned against the shower wall, my mind wonderfully blank.

  Hopefully, that was enough to start to help me forget about Miller Hawes.

  CHAPTER 5

  Miller

  Something was off. Like I was reaching for a dream but just couldn’t get my mind to put it together.

  Last night was the only time I’d ever let a woman stay in my bed. Most of the night I had dreams about her naked; of the two of us rolling around the sheets in the morning. Every inch of her curvy frame screamed for a good fucking—something I’d given her last night. This morning I wanted slow. I needed to take my time, savor every inch of her.