by C. C. Wood
The cabinets were black and the countertops were white quartz and sparkling clean. White subway tiles created a backsplash around the kitchen as well. Even the brushed stainless steel appliances were clean, without a single fingerprint or smudge. He even had a six-burner gas stove with two ovens.
It was a dream kitchen for anyone who loved to cook.
“Wow, I love this kitchen. It’s beautiful,” I breathed. Then I turned toward him, “And seriously clean. Do you even use it?”
Landen threw his head back and laughed. “Not as much as I should.”
My eyes narrowed. “So you can cook?”
He nodded. “I can make the basics.”
Feeling feisty, I asked, “And what are the basics?”
“Eggs, roasted chicken, pasta, salad, and a few other things.”
“Really?” I lifted my brows at him. “That sounds like more than the basics.”
Landen shook his head as though I amused him. “I’ve been on my own a long time and I didn’t always have the money to eat out, so I had to learn how to cook.” He tugged me into his side and put his arm around my shoulders. “Plus women love a man who can cook.”
“That was a broad generalization,” I commented, nudging him with my elbow. “Some women prefer a man that will take them to nice places.”
He smirked as he glanced down at me. “Well, you’re a woman, so you tell me. Do you like it when a man cooks for you?”
I cocked my head and pretended to think about his question. “I’m not sure. I’ve never had a man cook for me.”
“Seriously?”
I nodded. “Yes. None of the men I’ve dated ever made me a meal, unless you count a ham sandwich.” I paused before continuing, “Though I think I would like it as long as you didn’t give me food poisoning.”
Landen chuckled and shook his head. “I can manage that.” With his arm still around my shoulders, he walked us out of the kitchen and into the formal dining area. “This is the dining room that I never use.”
I bit back a giggle at his dry delivery. As with the kitchen, the walls were white and a rectangular wood table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by eight chairs. The table was bare but all it needed was a colorful and exotic floral arrangement in the center and the room would look like it had been pulled from the pages of a magazine.
He didn’t stop as he continued on into the entryway. The foyer was spacious and opened up into the living area. The furniture was sleek, modern, but not intimidating.
I was also noticing a theme. The walls in every room so far were white. It was nice, but he needed a bit more color, whether with artwork, rugs, or toss pillows. Something. The overall effect was clean and comfortable, but not warm. It looked like a showroom rather than a home, beautiful but not a place you’d want to sit and stay a while.
He also had an enormous flat-screen television mounted to the wall. It had to be at least seventy inches, probably more. I wanted to laugh at the sight but suppressed the urge.
“The living room,” he stated, pausing just for a moment so I could take it all in.
I found myself mentally re-positioning some of the furniture and adding a bright painting or photograph to the bare wall opposite the TV. And maybe some plants.
After a few seconds, he turned, still holding onto me, and headed toward the staircase. “I have an office on this floor but we aren’t going in there because it’s a disaster right now.”
“Why is it a disaster?”
“I bought a new computer system and there’s stuff everywhere. Wires, monitors, and everything else. One of us will end up tripping and breaking an ankle and I have plans for tonight that don’t include a trip to the ER.”
I laughed as we climbed the stairs. The loft at the top was large and also held a sofa, two chairs, a coffee table, and another television, also mounted to the wall. It was smaller than the one downstairs but still bigger than the one I had at my apartment. Two hallways split off from each side of the loft.
Landen lifted a hand and gestured down the longer hall. “Those are the guest rooms. I have four but I converted one into a home gym.” That explained why he was in such good shape, I realized. As he was speaking, he moved toward the end of the hall to our left, which was shorter and ended at a set of double doors. “And this is my bedroom.”
He reached out and pushed the doors open and I froze just inside the doorway. A huge bed sat in the center of the room. It must have been specially made because it was bigger than a king-size. It had to be. It looked as though it could comfortably hold five or six people.
“What the hell?” I asked, gaping at the monstrosity.
Landen laughed, pulling me into the room. “It’s huge. I know. I wouldn’t let the interior designer order it at first. I mean, who needs a bed larger than a king? But in the end, I admitted she was right. This room is too big. Even a king looked too small.”
His arm dropped from my shoulder as I wandered toward the behemoth mattress. I stopped at the foot and just stared.
“Have you ever lost anyone in this thing? I mean, will some other woman pop out from under the covers if I pull them back?”
He laughed again and this time I joined him because it was a funny mental image.
“I haven’t had anyone here since I got it, so I can promise that won’t happen.”
His statement shocked me. I twisted around to look over my shoulder at him. “What?”
Landen tucked his hands in his pockets, his jacket open to reveal his black shirt. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a men’s magazine. Then he shrugged. “I’ve been too busy to date,” he said. He didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable with this admission.
I studied him. “Not even a one-night stand.”
“I think you overestimate my ability to pick up women,” he declared with a chuckle.
My brows lifted. That was bullshit. He wouldn’t have to pick up women, they probably threw themselves at him with glee.
At my expression, he grinned. “Unlike you, I don’t like to be chased.” When my eyes narrowed, he took a step toward me and his amused look faded. “I’m not the kind of man who has sex with a woman just because she offered. I got my fill of meaningless fucking in my twenties. I want more than that now.”
I read between the lines of his words and understood he wanted a relationship. Over the past few years, I’d met so many men who were always looking for something else, someone better, that I’d given up hope of finding a partner. It seemed Landen was searching for the same thing.
A tiny thrill raced up my spine at the way he watched me. I decided we’d talked enough. For now.
Chapter Seventeen
I turned to face him but kept the distance between us. The bedroom was lit by two lamps, perfect lighting for what I planned to do next. My heart beat faster with both nerves and anticipation and my legs were weak.
Landen’s stance didn’t change as I reached up, hoping that he couldn’t see the fine tremors in my hands as my fingers moved to the bow at the base of my neck. I untied the smooth straps and let them fall. Because the back was non-existent, I hadn’t bothered with a bra. I liked the way Landen’s eyes flared as the fabric covering my torso fell away to reveal my bare breasts. It soothed the nervousness that buzzed in my belly.
Without taking my eyes from him, I reached to the side of the jumpsuit and lowered the hidden zipper at my waist. Then the material fell to the floor, leaving me in nothing but a lacy black thong and heels.
I shivered as his eyes moved over my body. His gaze swept slowly over me, taking in every detail. Though his hands were still in his pockets in a nonchalant pose, his expression was anything but casual. He looked…hungry.
Goose bumps broke out on my flesh and my nipples hardened as he continued to devour my body with his eyes. I wasn’t exactly shy, but I also wasn’t the type to stand naked in front of a fully clothed man before we’d even had sex. With Landen, it wasn’t as intimidating as I would have found it before. He show
ed his appreciation in every line of his body and the look on his face.
I waited, still and breathless, as he watched me. Landen had said more than once that he wanted to be in control this time and I wanted to give that to him.
After a long moment, he withdrew his hands from his pockets and moved toward me. As he walked, he reached up and pulled the jacket from his shoulders, dropping it on the floor. Then he stopped less than a foot away and lifted his hands in front of him, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt.
I watched as he rolled back his sleeves, revealing the corded length of his forearms. I’d never taken the time to study his hands before, but now I couldn’t take my eyes off them as they moved. His fingers were long and his palms were wide. I already knew how they felt on my body and seeing the way his wrists flexed as he moved made hot prickles burst on every inch of my skin.
My gaze remained locked on his arms and hands as he finished rolling back his cuffs and reached for me. I lowered my head and sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers grasped me just below my waist, his thumbs rubbing over my hipbones before they curved beneath the waistband of my panties and shoved them down.
Landen knelt in front of me as he tugged the lacy thong over my thighs and past my knees to my ankles so I could step out of them. He clasped each ankle in turn, pulling the stilettos from my feet and setting them to the side. Then his hands returned to my hips and he urged me back until my ass rested on the edge of the mattress.
He tipped his head back and his dark blue eyes met mine, the heat in them making me shiver yet again.
When he spoke, his voice was low and rough. “Spread your legs,” he commanded.
I released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and shifted my feet apart. His palms moved to my inner thighs and urged me back onto the bed until my ass was perched precariously on the mattress. Then he lowered his gaze and stared at my pussy. His thumbs ran over the inner edges of my labia and I had to lean back on my hands to keep from sliding off the bed.
God, he was barely touching me yet I felt like I was ready to explode.
I could feel his hot breath on my skin as he used his thumbs to spread the lips of my pussy and expose my clit. I knew what he was about to do, but nothing prepared me for the first firm swipe of his tongue.
My head fell back and I gasped as he repeated the caress with additional pressure. My nipples tightened even more until they were aching, sensitive points. Other than the orgasm he’d given me on Sunday, I hadn’t been touched by a man in over a year and my entire body throbbed with desperation.
His lips closed around my clit and he sucked gently as he flicked his tongue against me and my legs trembled wildly.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered, one of my hands leaving the bed to fist in his hair. If he didn’t slow down, I was going to come, hard and fast.
Landen made a noise against my pussy, a deep groan or growl and I felt the vibrations against my clit. Then he moved a hand and I felt the long length of his finger ease inside me.
Arching my back, I pressed my hips closer to his face, unable to stop the undulation as one finger became two. He slipped them deep inside me and rubbed them hard against the front wall of my channel.
Then he sucked harder on my clit as he flicked his tongue faster and I was done.
I shuddered hard as the orgasm hit me and cried out. My upper body fell back onto the bed as his fingers left my pussy to grasp my ass and lift me to his mouth. My thighs clamped around his head as he licked and sucked, drawing out my orgasm until the pleasure was nearly agonizing.
I moaned and muttered unintelligibly, torn between riding the waves of bliss that he created and pushing him away because it was nearly too much for me to bear.
Finally, his mouth slowed and he gave my clit one last lick before he rose from his crouch and hooked his hands beneath my armpits to move me further up the bed. Weakly, I used my elbows to pull my weight up. Then I lifted my body until I was kneeling in front of him, our eyes nearly level.
Still breathing heavily, I watched as he ran the back of one hand across his mouth before he reached for me. When our mouths crashed together, I could taste myself on his lips but I didn’t care. Even after that earthshattering orgasm, I wanted more. I wanted another one, but this time while his cock was deep inside me instead of his fingers.
My hands went to the buttons of his shirt, fumbling slightly. After two buttons, his hands brushed mine aside and he jerked the fabric apart. I heard the tiny pings of buttons hitting the hardwood floor, but I didn’t care because I was finally getting my hands on his body.
I laid my palms against his chest, feeling the firm muscle and the hair dusting his pectorals. Sliding my hands downward, I brushed my thumbs over his nipples and Landen nipped my bottom lip. Intrigued, I wanted to do it again but chose to continue my exploration of his body. I hadn’t seen him naked or even touched his cock through his pants, so my fingers trailed over his abdomen, feeling the shift and flex of his muscles as he wrestled his shirt off his shoulders and arms.
Then my hands were at his belt and I managed to undo the buckle with less fumbling. Moving quickly, I unbuttoned his pants and lowered the zipper before my hand delved inside.
Landen groaned into my mouth as my palm cradled his hard cock through the thin cotton of his underwear. But that wasn’t enough either. I wanted to feel the heat and sleekness of his skin, to touch him the way he’d touched me earlier and learn what he liked, what made his breath catch in his throat.
I shoved at his pants until they fell down to mid-thigh and curled my fingers in the waistband of his briefs, pulling them down over his erection.
When I saw what I revealed, I froze. He was perfect. Thick, hard, and smooth. My mouth watered at the sight. I never shied away from oral sex, giving or receiving, but I’d never experienced this wild urge to taste a man’s cock before. I wanted to run my tongue over every inch of him then take him as deep in my mouth as I could.
Licking my lips, I leaned down, placing one hand on the bed, and using the other to guide his erection to my mouth.
At the first swipe of my tongue on the tip of his cock, Landen took a deep breath. When I licked him from base to tip, his hands threaded through my hair, pulling it away from my face. I glanced up and saw that he was watching me with burning eyes, his jaw tight.
Then I slid him into my mouth as far as I could, my gaze still on his.
“Fuck,” he whispered as he watched me.
I couldn’t hold his eyes any longer and closed mine as I sucked and licked at his length.
His grip tightened on my hair and then he pulled me back and upward, forcing me to straighten my upper body.
“Landen—” I began.
He shook his head. “You can do whatever you want to me later. Right now, I want to fuck you.”
His arms went around me, one across my shoulder blades and the other beneath my ass, and he lifted me up. My hands flew up to grasp his shoulders and my legs wrapped around his waist. When my pussy came into contact with the hard ridge of his erection, Landen stopped moving and we both groaned.
Then he turned and walked us around the bed until we were at the head and he leaned over to drop me on the mattress. Bending over me, his mouth closed over my nipple and he sucked gently at first, then harder. My back arched and I dug my nails into his shoulders when he released my nipple and lightly bit the inner curve of my breast.
Then he straightened and reached for the nightstand. A few seconds later, he pulled a condom out of the drawer and tore it open. I took the condom from his grasp when he removed it from the package and rolled it over his erection, giving him a firm squeeze when it was in place.
“Shit, Chelsea, do you want me to come before we even get started?” he growled.
I grinned up at him. “Are you a one-and-done kinda guy?” I asked.
He didn’t answer. Glaring at me, he put a knee to the bed between my legs and hooked his hands beneath my arms, dragging me to the center of the monstr
osity. When I reached for him, he grabbed my hands and wrapped the long fingers of one hand around my wrists, pinning me to the bed. His knees nudged my inner thighs and I spread my legs for him. I felt his other hand moving between us then the tip of his cock nudged my pussy.
Once he was in position, he pressed inside, giving me just the head of his erection before he stilled. Inch by inch, he worked his length into my body, invading and withdrawing a bit at a time.
When I tried to wrap my legs around him, to urge him to move faster or harder, he used his free hand to press my knee down to the bed, leaving me open and helpless beneath him.
Finally, he thrust home, his pubic hair rubbing my clit, and I moaned. But he didn’t move, his eyes glittering and hard as he stared down at me.
“When I fuck you later, I’m going to strap you down so that all you can do is lay there and take it. You’ll beg me to let you come and when I do,” he paused and lowered his head until our lips were nearly touching. “When I do let you come, I won’t stop until you’re begging me for that too.”
If any other man had said that to me, I would have laughed and told him no way in hell. But looking into his eyes, I understood then what he’d been trying to tell me before. Landen needed to be in control. He didn’t just like it, or want it. He actually needed it.
And deep down, I wanted exactly what he described.
Still, I couldn’t resist taunting him because, right now, at this moment, I needed him to move or I might die. “Are you at least going to fuck me now?”
His eyes flashed with both amusement and something else, something darker and maybe even a little scary. He shifted against me and brought his other hand above my head. Landen threaded our fingers together, bringing my arms down so that our hands were next to my head.
Then he fucked me.
He withdrew from my body and thrust back in hard, fast, and deep. Again and again. I moved with him, even with my arms pinned to the bed, eager for everything he gave me. But I still wanted more.