by Romi Hart
She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what that meant. “So, do you have a good memory, or are you preparing for a future as my stalker?”
He took the teasing lightly and shrugged. “I just care. I’ll only have to stalk you if you decide to make me watch you from afar.” He winked, and Krys snorted a laugh. She scooted toward him, resting her head on his shoulder, and Dex wrapped an arm around her. She settled in for the ride, completely at ease even though all she could think about was getting down to bare skin and wrapping herself around him. In public, this was as close as she could get. She would take it.
When they’d made it through an unholy amount of traffic for such a late hour and arrived at her apartment, Krys passed her keys to Dex, not wanting him to see how much her fingers were trembling. Her anticipation had her reeling, and she suddenly felt like it was her first time all over again, not just with Dex but at all. It didn’t make sense, considering they’d just been together a week ago, but she couldn’t shake the nerves and the newness she felt.
She stumbled over her own feet entering her apartment, and Dex caught her, frowning at her. “Are you alright?”
She tried to smile, but it was shaky at best. “I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow at her, looking worried, and she decided that maybe honesty was the best course. With a sigh, she averted her eyes and told him, “I’m a little overwhelmed. I don’t know why, but I’m suddenly really nervous, in a good way but nervous just the same.”
Cupping her chin in his hand, Dex forced her to make eye contact. “Listen to me, Krys. I’m never going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You don’t need to feel obligated to me in any way.”
"I know that." And she did. "I want this. I want you." She blushed, realizing part of her problem. "I just feel highly inexperienced, I think, especially in comparison to the history you must have." If she was completely upfront with herself, she'd only orgasmed twice with another man, but she wasn't going to say that out loud.
“I haven’t slept with that many women, Krys,” he told her, sounding slightly offended. “I don’t go from conquest to conquest, and I don’t pick women up to take home at random. I know it sounds crazy, especially the way men are today, but I want sex to mean something, not just be a way to relieve some tension. I can do that all by my lonesome.”
That was how she felt about it, which was why she’d taken care of her own needs for so long. She hesitated to believe him, but he sounded so genuine she couldn’t help but take his words to heart. “What is it you see in me, Dex?”
He kissed her softly. “Well, when I first met you, I saw an absolutely gorgeous woman. Maybe I’m shallow, but you have to admit it’s hard to develop feelings for someone you aren’t at least a little attracted to.” She nodded her agreement. “And then, when I talked to you, I heard intelligence and kindness, and I saw someone who knew how to have fun, even if she rarely ventured out to do it. The more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I’ve admired your personality. You’re a gem, Krys, and you shouldn’t let anyone make you think any differently.”
All choked up, she didn’t speak, not wanting her voice to quake or squeak. She didn’t know what to think. No one had ever said anything like that to her, even after she’d been seeing them for a lot longer than she’d been seeing Dex. “I’m terrible with compliments, you know.”
“Well, you don’t have to say anything. Just know that you’re beautiful, but you’re more than a pretty face to me.”
Krys swallowed hard, and when she finally managed to find her voice, it was barely a whisper. “I think I’d like us to be more than that.”
Her response triggered something in him, and this time, when he leaned in for a kiss, it bruised her lips, his arms crushing her ribs as he wrapped her up so tight she thought they might fuse together into one being. Her fervor matched his own, and she returned the kiss almost desperately. Could this be what she’d wanted all her life? Could it really work out between them?
It didn’t matter. In this moment, they had something resembling a relationship, with emotion and physical drive. It was enough, and she threw her arms around his neck, threading her fingers into his hair so she could hold him to her. She couldn’t breathe and didn’t care. She’d be perfectly content to drown in the kiss, right here and now.
Dex slid his hands down to cup her ass and lifted her off her feet, carrying her to the kitchen and setting her on the counter. She spread her legs, welcoming him as he stepped between them. She wanted him as close as they could get, and she moaned as she felt his erection pressing against her, harder and fuller than last time.
He fondled her breasts and grunted in frustration, literally tearing her shirt and bra to get them out of his way. Krys gasped, but he kissed her to stop her from protesting. “I’ll buy you three of each to replace them. Just shut up and help me get the rest of your damn clothes off before I rip them to shreds.” His voice came out in a growl, and she moved quickly, pushing up with her hands to lift her ass so he could yank her pants and underwear down.
She squealed a little when she sat back on the counter, the cold of the marble hitting her and making her shiver. “Don’t worry,” Dex grunted as he tore at his own clothes to get free of them. “I’ll warm you up just fine.”
Krys didn’t doubt it, the sight of his cock at full attention enough to warm her blood several degrees. If she had to bet on it, she figured she’d melt the counter before it froze her.
When he stepped toward her, he yanked her forward, so she was barely perched on the edge. It gave him perfect access to her pussy, and he grabbed the base of his dick, rubbing the head along her slit and coating it with her juices. “God, you’re so wet,” he groaned as his lips sought out the sweet spot on her neck, just behind her ear. “I can’t believe how wet you get for me.”
“Neither can I,” she moaned as his tongue swirled around her earlobe and just beneath, lighting up some of the most tender nerves in her body. How did he know the spots that drove her mad when she barely knew any existed?
Before she could think anymore, his fingers and thumbs pinched her nipples, rolling the hard buttons which he stroked lightly around her breasts. She sighed, his mouth sliding down to the base of her throat and licking a line from there to first her left peak and then her right. He treated each with equal care, licking and sucking, before moving to the other, always working them both at the same time with the help of his capable fingers.
When he knelt in front of her, Krys held her breath, and as his lips closed over her clit, she thought she might collapse from the insane sensation of his warm wet tongue that felt cool against the heat of her mound. He pressed his tongue flat against her, then flicked it over her, and then he suckled and circled it until she couldn’t breathe, let alone keep her cool. She shattered into a million pieces, the orgasm breaking her and sending her into convulsions so hard she nearly fell off the counter. But Dex’s hands on her thighs tightened, holding her in place as she shook and cried out.
He didn’t stop, either, shoving his tongue into her and thrusting with it in short pushes that kept the orgasm going far longer than she would have believed possible.
When he finished, he stood and kissed her, the taste of her still on his mouth. She welcomed it, the excitement of it making her core tingle again. And as if reading her mind and knowing she needed that itch scratched, he thrust into her, several inches at once. Then, he stilled as she gasped for air, letting her adjust to his size. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to his massive cock, but it gave her such great pleasure she didn’t care if she had to halt for a minute every time they had sex.
When she was ready, she pushed her fingers into his hair and drew him back into the kiss. He took her cue and pushed further, deeper, inch by slow inch. He drew out when he reached the halfway point and thrust again, the movement smoother and easier with the growing lubrication. Krys had never been so wet before. But then, she’d never come the way she did with Dex, either.
He found a rhyth
m, fast and even, and Krys latched onto him with arms and legs, trying to hold herself steady as he slammed into her over and over, deeper with each thrust. His mouth sought out her neck, her ear, her mouth, her jaw, and she tilted her head back to give him access. This was red, hot, glorious sex, and yet, there was an attachment forming between them that made it all the more enjoyable.
Trying not to overthink it and ruin her body high, she took in his scent, as intoxicating as it was, and let herself go. She focused on the way his cock stroked her pussy, the way his hands slid over every inch of her skin, and the way his mouth devoured her. It heightened her arousal, and she got lost in the absolute pleasure of skin against skin. In no time, she was rocked with another heavy release, and she clutched at Dex, feeling like she might float away from the earth if she didn’t hold on tight enough.
He couldn't seem to slow down, either, as his own control slipped. He moved faster and harder, grunting, and when he came, he screamed loudly, his voice deep like a growl. Krys' inner walls convulsed around him, milking his orgasm until he had nothing left, and still, he twitched with the overall sensation.
When he finished, he rested his head on her shoulder while they caught their breath, and then, without a word, he wrapped his arms under her thighs and lifted her, still wrapped around him with their bodies still joined. She was grateful, considering she knew her legs would never work for her. He carried her with choppy motions that belied his usual grace, his own limbs probably exhausted, all the way to the bedroom, where he laid her back and dropped down beside her.
He drew the covers gently over her and lay on his side, staring at her while he stroked her arm. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked.
Krys shook her head. “Not at all. I’ve honestly never had better in my life.” Somehow, she managed to prop up on her elbow to study him. “You are something else, you know that, Dexter Collier?”
“I aim to please,” he joked.
But Krys shook her head. “It’s not that. There’s something entirely different about you from every man I’ve ever known. There’s something about you that makes me at ease, comfortable. And I’ve never truly felt like I could be myself around any man before. Except Jordan, who doesn’t count. Family never counts.”
Dex chuckled. “I can’t help you. I don’t know what it is. But I can tell you that you’re the first woman I’ve ever met who makes me want to be a better man. I feel like I’m a good man, but when I’m with you, I want to be perfect. I don’t ever want to disappoint you or make you angry or let you down.” He caressed her face with the backs of his knuckles and then folded his arms behind his head. “I think there’s just something incredibly special about you, and I’m a lucky man because no one else has snatched you up yet.”
Anyone else would’ve more likely put out the light of her soul, but she didn’t say that out loud. She didn’t want to bring heartache and negativity into the conversation when things felt so right. “Maybe I could take you to Australia one day. We could go to Sydney and to the Reef and maybe on a short weekend in the outback. I think we’d have a good time.”
“I’m game,” he said. “You set it up outside of soccer season, and we’ll make it happen. All of us – you, me, and Amy. I want to see your home and how you live.”
“Really?” She never ceased to be amazed at how much interest he took in her and especially in Amy.
“Of course. I told you, you’re something special, and I want to get to know you inside and out. I want to know everything about you, and I can’t do that if I don’t see where you’re from. But that means you have to come to Dallas sometime, too. Is it a deal?” he asked.
She nodded vigorously. “It’s a deal.”
“Good, then come here and lay down with me. We’ll either fall asleep or get all rowdy again.” Laughing, Krys settled into the crook of his shoulder, already knowing which it would be.
Chapter 8
Krys had never felt such incredible happiness. She’d only been seeing Dex for three weeks, but her life was fuller, her heart soaring like it had when she’d first given birth to Amy. Everything about him was perfect, and though she could probably work herself into a frenzy thinking it was too perfect, she had no intention of doing so. One lesson she’d learned in her life was that time was short and precious, and you had to take things at face value to enjoy them while they lasted. Instead of dwelling on what-ifs, she’d turned to what-is, which had changed her entire attitude toward life.
She glanced at her watch as the train pulled up to her stop, and the weight of the bags in her hands made her smile. She’d taken a couple of hours to shop for Amy’s birthday, which was coming up this week. She’d planned a party for Saturday, and she’d done well with her gifts, which were already wrapped so there could be no peeking.
She walked at a fast clip toward Jordan’s place, only one concern on her mind – how she was going to break the news of her blooming affair with Dex to Jordan. The time had come to share it, considering that he and Kylie were coming to the birthday party and she’d invited Dex. If she didn’t explain things in advance, there would be a lot of drama and maybe even disaster that could ruin the entire day for their precious daughter.
She didn’t know why she felt guilty. Maybe she should never have bothered to hide this from Jordan in the first place, but she hadn’t seen the need to incur his wrath and concern until she knew there was merit and substance to what was growing between her and Dex. And honestly, it had taken him a little time to come clean about Kylie, as well. So, she would pull out the big guns and remind him that those who lived in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, if she had to.
Ringing the doorbell, she took a deep breath, preparing herself. She could hear small footsteps pounding across the floor inside, and Amy greeted her with a giant smile. “What did you get me?”
Smiling, Krys rolled her eyes. “You’ll never get it out of me. You’ll find out on Saturday.” She stepped inside just as Jordan came out of the bedroom, wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts that looked like they’d been to war. He’d always been comfortable in rags, no matter how much he could afford. It was one of his most endearing qualities. “Where’s Kylie?”
“She’s with Reesa, picking out flowers or something for the wedding.” He shrugged. “Power to them for not involving me.”
Krys had hoped Kylie would be around for moral support, but she could get through this alone. She just needed to distract Amy somehow. Looking down at her daughter, she asked, “Could you give us a few minutes? I need to talk to your dad about something.”
Amy’s shoulders slumped. “Can I at least borrow your phone to play a game?”
“Go in the bedroom and get the tablet. Close the door, too,” Jordan told her with a wink. She didn’t hesitate, bounding toward the other room. As the door slammed shut, Jordan tilted his head, considering her curiously. “Please tell me you don’t have some heavy horseshit to tell me right now.”
“Well, that depends on you.” His eyes clouded, and he glanced toward the couch. “Yeah, let’s sit down.” She needed all her strength to get through this, considering what she expected in return, and she couldn’t waste any of it on holding herself up. As he moved toward the seat, she set the bags on the coffee table and sat next to him.
“Okay, what’s the bad news?” he asked, only half joking.
“It’s not bad news,” she argued. And it wasn’t, even if Jordan had a problem with it. “It’s something I want to tell you face to face before you find out some other way.”
His troubled expression wasn’t lost on her. “You’re making me nervous, Krys. Just out with it already.”
She nodded. She supposed she should just rip the Band-Aid off. “I’ve started seeing someone. It’s going well, and he’s going to come to the birthday party.”
“That’s fantastic!” he breathed, relief and excitement clear in his body language. “Who’s the lucky man?”
Krys bit her lip and then charged forward. “It’s
Dex.”
Jordan stared at her a moment, as if not comprehending what she’d said. Then, his eyes darkened, and his face clouded. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am serious, and he’s good for me. I’ve been happy these last few weeks, and you can’t tell me you haven’t been grateful for the extra time with Amy.”
“Don’t play that card with me. You’ve been dropping her off with us so you can go cavorting with Dex?” He shook his head in disdain. “I can’t believe you would be so selfish, and with someone who’s only going to hurt you if you let him get close.”
“You’re wrong about him, Jordan,” she said, her words clipped. The anger roiled inside her, getting worse by the second. “And how dare you talk to me about being selfish? I’ve been a single mother for almost nine years now, and I haven’t been out with anyone since Amy was born. Whether you approve of my company or not, you know it’s not fair to judge my actions as selfish or irresponsible. I’m anything but.”
He stood and started pacing. “You’re not thinking straight, Krys. You’re handing away the best thing that ever happened to you for a fling. Because that’s all Dexter Collier is good for. He’ll make a notch in his bedpost for you, and when he feels like it’s deep enough, he’ll toss you to the curb. And if you’re lucky, your relationship with your daughter won’t suffer in the meantime.”
Krys jumped to her feet. “How dare you suggest that I’m hurting Amy in any way?”
He scoffed. “It seems like you’ve put some asshole higher on your list of priorities, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Amy is always my first priority, and I don’t care if it pisses you off that I’m seeing Dex. You will not make presumptions nor accuse me of neglect. And for the record, I don’t have to try to persuade you that he’s a good man. It’s enough that I know. Besides, did you expect me to be alone for the rest of my life, just because I wanted to have a family of my own before I met the right man?”