by Nina Lane
She glanced at Tyler, who was staring at her cleavage as she removed her silk blouse. His breath escaped on a hiss.
“Damned if you don’t look incredible,” he said. “Get over here.”
She approached the bed. Her blood thickened at the thought of straddling his hips, positioning herself right over his thick cock and then sliding herself slowly onto him, feeling every inch of his veined shaft penetrating her…
“Here,” Tyler growled, indicating the bed.
Kate climbed onto the bed and knelt beside him, resting a hand on his chest. She bent to press her lips to his, loving the heavy beat of his heart beneath her palm, the way he captured her lower lip between his teeth and gathered her hair in his fist to hold her in place.
Even lying on his back, control radiated from Tyler like an aura. He shifted her position with minute tugs of his hand until she was splayed over his chest with her knee sliding between his legs. Heat flared between them, igniting her need. He pushed his leg upward between her thighs, and Kate flashbacked to that first encounter in the library when he’d commanded her to move.
With a moan, she pressed her sex against his thigh, the rock-hard length delicious against her cleft. She wiggled up and down, stimulating her clit on him. Tension coiled through his muscles. He pulled her down for another kiss, sliding his hands down her back and into her panties.
He gripped her ass, positioning her farther up his thigh.
“Turn around,” he ordered, his voice rough. “And ride my dick.”
“God, Tyler.” Kate lifted her head, staring down into his lust-dark eyes. Her hair fell in a curtain on either side of his face. “I’m nervous.”
“Why?”
“It’s embarrassing. My rear is kind of big, and in that position it’d be right there…”
He groaned, sliding one hand farther down to the folds of her sex. Kate gasped, curling her fingers against his chest.
“First, your ass is goddamned fucking perfect,” Tyler said, “which is exactly why I want to see it bouncing up and down right there. Second, your little pussy is already nice and wet, which means this idea turns you on as much as it does me. Third, you never…I repeat, never need to be embarrassed or shy around me, okay? And you need to trust that I’m not going to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. God knows there are a million dirty things I want to do with you, but if you ever want me to stop, you just have to say so. Remember that.”
Kate nodded. Her heart hammered. She’d already done so much more with him than she’d ever done with another man—and loved every minute of it. Why would this be any different?
“And in this position, you’re in control,” Tyler said. “I just get to lie here and enjoy the show.”
The thought of being the one in control mitigated some of her anxiety.
“Okay.”
He smiled and plucked at her panties. “Then take these off and turn around.”
A tremble rocked her. She slithered out of her panties, aware of his gaze raking down her body. He unfastened her bra, groaning at the sight of her bare breasts. He grabbed a condom package from the nightstand and rolled the sheath over his cock.
“The lousy part is I don’t get to watch your tits if your back is turned,” he said, taking hold of her hips. “Next time I’ll put a mirror at the foot of the bed so I can see you from both the front and back. And so you can see yourself.”
“Tyler!” Kate’s arousal skyrocketed.
He chuckled, putting one of her legs over his hips so she was facing his feet. “Turn around and let me see your gorgeous ass move, Darling.”
Kate’s teeth sank into her lower lip. She scooted backward and straddled his waist. She felt strangely vulnerable not being able to see his face or read his expressions. His hands flexed on her hips, and his big cock stuck straight up right in front of her.
She took a breath and grasped his shaft, positioning herself right over him. A hot flush swept over her. Oh lord, he was staring at her bottom. Slowly she lowered her body, feeling the head of his cock penetrate her. Tyler’s grip on her tightened.
“Ah, fuck, yeah…” He thrust his hips upward, as if he wanted to impale her.
Kate moaned. Sweat trickled between her breasts as she lowered herself onto him inch by exquisite inch, his thick shaft sliding into her like hot wax. When he was fully seated inside her, she stopped and took a breath.
“Oh my God, Tyler…”
She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his thighs. He felt impossibly big, throbbing against her inner walls. She lifted herself up and down experimentally, adjusting to both the position and his sheer size.
Behind her, his heavy breath sawed through the air. Kate swiveled her hips, moved up and down, wiggled a little from side to side.
“Fucking amazing.” Tyler stroked his hands over her ass, parting her cheeks. Kate shuddered, pausing for a heart-stopping second when he ran his finger down the cleft of her bottom. Her spine tingled.
“Tyler…”
“Kate.” He withdrew his finger and squeezed her cheeks. “After you come, I’m going to rub my dick up and down your ass, over your pussy, and then I’m going to shoot all over your pretty cheeks. I can’t wait to see you dripping with my come.”
God in heaven, he was going to be the death of her. Or the life of her. His raw words sank deep inside her, setting her nerves on fire. Shaking with excitement, she continued riding him, her arousal mounting higher and higher with each thrust. Her thighs trembled with strain, and her body burned. All lingering embarrassment slipped away, replaced by the drenching heat of pleasure.
Every time she lowered herself onto him, the tip of his cock stimulated a spot deep inside her. She braced her hands on his thighs and circled her hips before moving up and down, her ass hitting his pelvis with every stroke.
A dim part of her realized she was sort of twerking naked, given the way her bottom was bouncing up and down, but wow, did it feel good. She felt Tyler’s gaze scrape hotly over her back, his hands sliding everywhere he could reach, his body heavy and hard beneath her.
Then he spanked her, a light stinging slap that sparked through her. She gripped the bedcovers beside his legs and leaned forward, rounding her ass out further to indicate she wanted more. He grunted his approval before spanking her again, the little smacks creating a pattern of heat that intensified her arousal to the breaking point.
“Tyler, I’m so…so close.”
“Touch yourself, Kate.” His voice was hoarse with lust. “Bring yourself off.”
Kate slipped her fingers into her cleft. Her clit throbbed. One light press of her fingers, and an orgasm exploded through her, tearing a cry from her throat. She shuddered, clenching around his shaft. The sensations flowed and ebbed.
Tyler cursed, one hand digging into her hip as his cock slid out of her. Panting, Kate twisted to peer at him over her shoulder. Her heart slammed into her chest at the sight of him—eyes smoldering, sweat glistening on his muscles, and his jaw set with restraint.
He pulled the condom off and, true to his word, rubbed his thick cock between her bottom cheeks. Kate shivered, her fists tightening on the bed sheets. He pushed his cock between her legs, up her cleft again, his breath getting faster and faster. He gave a rough shout, his body tensing beneath hers before warm seed splashed over her ass.
Kate lowered her head and closed her eyes, fighting to catch her breath. Her whole body trembled with lingering aftershocks over having indulged in something both dirty and delicious.
He expelled his breath on a hard sigh and tugged her back toward him. She collapsed at his side, her eyes closed. He brushed his hand against her forehead, pushing her hair away from her face. She opened her eyes to find him watching her, his expression warm with affection.
Her heart tightened, like it was being gently enclosed in his hand.
“Okay?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. I can’t wait to try the mirror next time.”
He grinned and pressed his lips
against her temple. She tucked herself against his side and closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her.
She woke with a sudden start, disoriented and thirsty. She peered at the clock. 1:00 a.m.
Beside her, Tyler was sound asleep. She rose to one elbow to look at him. She traced his dark eyebrows, touched the spiky lashes resting against his cheekbones, and rubbed her finger over his beautiful mouth.
A warm, smooth feeling, like a shiny red ribbon, wound through her heart. Not love. She knew better than to fall in love with Tyler. But she liked him a lot, and in many ways—not all of which were physical—he’d become as close a friend to her as any she’d ever had.
She eased out of bed, pulling Tyler’s discarded T-shirt over her head before going to get a drink of water from the fridge. As she drank it, she surveyed the mess.
She rummaged through the cupboards for black plastic garbage bags and went on a cleaning spree. She dumped the trash into the bags, cleaned up the living room, wiped down the granite countertops, hung sweatshirts in the front closet, and swept the floor. She was just putting away half-finished bags of chips and crackers when the front door opened.
Her heart leapt into her throat. Before she could call Tyler’s name, male voices rose from the foyer. Three men ambled into the kitchen, two of whom Kate recognized from last Friday night at the Treetop Café. With them were two pretty girls wearing heavy makeup, miniskirts, and tight T-shirts.
They all stopped at the sight of her. One of the guys—Ben, she remembered—set a grocery bag and a twelve-pack of beer on the counter.
“Oh, hey, sorry,” he said. “Didn’t know Tyler had a girl over.”
“I didn’t realize he was supposed to check with you first.”
Ben blinked, like he didn’t understand her caustic tone. The two girls exchanged glances. One of the other guys—John—scratched his head.
“Uh, sorry about this,” he said. “I texted Tyler that we were stopping by again, but I guess his phone was off or something.”
Or something.
Kate felt one of the girls looking at her. The scrutiny made her acutely conscious of the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything under Tyler’s T-shirt. Not to mention, their combined fluids and sweat still lingered on her skin. She suppressed the urge to dart back into the bedroom and close the door.
Ben squinted at her. “Aren’t you the girl Tyler was having dinner with the other night?”
“Kate,” she replied stiffly.
“Yeah.” He looked her up and down. “Nice to see you again. Didn’t know you and Tyler had hooked up.”
“Shut up, man.” John smacked Ben on the back of the head.
Kate crossed her arms and leveled Ben with a cold look.
“We were just over at the Snowflake Club and thought we’d come here for a little after-party.” He headed toward the fridge. “You can join us, if you want.”
“What’s going on?” Tyler’s irritated voice pierced through the air. He stood in the bedroom doorway, wearing only his jeans and a dark frown.
“Tyler!” One of the girls swept over and wrapped her arms around him. “Omigod, I haven’t seen you in so long. You look amazing.”
She kissed his cheek, leaving a red imprint of her lips, and patted his bare chest. Tyler scowled and moved away from her.
“Get the hell out, all of you,” he snapped.
“Miscommunication,” John said quickly, stepping forward to grab the twelve-pack. “We’re going. Sorry about the interruption.”
“You don’t have to go.” Kate started toward the bedroom. “I need to leave anyway.”
Tyler grabbed her arm as she tried to pass him in the doorway.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “They’re leaving. Now,” he added, with another glare at his friends.
“You’re seriously kicking us out?” The other girl’s gaze slanted from Kate to Tyler and back again. “Come on, we’re going to have some fun.”
“Get out.”
The harsh order stunned them all into silence. Kate slipped past Tyler and marched into the bedroom. Her hands shook as she retrieved her crumpled suit from the floor. Old feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment crashed over her. She could only imagine what Tyler’s “friends” would say about his new fuck buddy when she left.
Then again, why should she care? She wouldn’t see any of them again after this affair was over. Tyler either.
“Kate, they’re gone.” Tyler came into the bedroom, frustration and anger still tightening his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know they were coming.”
“Do they often just show up like that?’ She dressed quickly, crumpling up her stockings and shoving them in her bag. “I thought this was an apartment, not a frat house.”
Tyler compressed his mouth into a thin, rueful line. “I’m changing the locks. It won’t happen again.”
“They have a key?” Kate shook her head in disbelief.
“Kate.” He stopped in front of her, blocking her path to the door. His jaw was set, his expression dark. “I want you to stay.”
Her breath hitched. She wanted to stay, too. But she wanted to stay because she and Tyler meant more to each other than just good sex. Because they were more than “a hook up.” She wanted them to do all the things together that she’d imagined last night—travel, dinners, movies, adventures, curling up on the sofa to watch TV.
But while they were friends and having a good time together, they were also from totally different worlds. They could never succeed in an actual romantic relationship.
Self-disgust rose in her. She’d broken Unwritten Rule #1 of the fuck buddy relationship. Don’t let your heart get involved.
Her heart was involved, all right. Deeply, painfully, irrevocably involved.
“Please stay,” he said.
A sudden weight pressed down on her shoulders. She had two choices. Admit that she was head over heels for Tyler and break it off with him before she ended up flat on her face—which was the only feasible conclusion to falling in love with a fuck buddy. Or remember why she’d suggested this whole plan in the first place and try to keep her emotions in check.
Her intellect told her to do the former, while her heart begged for the latter.
She wasn’t ready to give him up yet. And at Sugar Rush, she was a pro at concealing her emotions behind a wall of composure.
She could do that with Tyler, too. And if she was in love with him…well, that would be her own little secret. At least she’d know for the rest of her life what love felt like. Wild and exhilarating, but also warm and comforting. The heady anticipation of wanting to be with one person alone. Private jokes, teasing, trust, giving and taking, pancakes at 2:00 a.m. Bliss.
Maybe she’d already experienced more than most people had. And maybe she could make it last just a little bit longer.
“I’m going to go,” she said.
Tyler’s expression fell. Before he could open his mouth to protest, Kate held up her hand.
“I need to sleep at home, or I’ll be a disaster at work tomorrow,” she explained. “I’ll try to come to the library before lunch, and we can keep working on putting books into the system.”
The creases on his forehead cleared. Kate picked up her bag and walked toward the door. Tyler caught her arm as she passed him, tugging her closer. The heat and scent of him filled her blood and expanded her heart.
“So we’re still okay?” he asked, his dark gaze searching her face.
“Tyler, we were never not okay.”
Chapter
NINETEEN
“Kate? Kate.”
The familiar voice sounded as if it were coming from a great distance. Kate jerked her head up. Luke looked at her expectantly. She sat up, pushing a wayward lock of hair away from her forehead and trying to refocus her scattered brain on the fact that she was sitting at a meeting with the department heads of Alpine Chocolates, and her boss had apparently just asked her a question. About something.
“Er, excus
e me?” she stammered.
“You have the trade reports with the new tariff regulations?” Luke asked.
“Yes, of course.” Kate straightened, fumbling to distribute the reports she’d compiled a couple of weeks ago.
Before she’d gotten together with Tyler. Before he’d charmed her with his dance moves, made her laugh, kissed her, touched her, changed her whole world…
“Kate?” Luke repeated, his voice taking on an edge of impatience.
“Sorry.” She shook her head as if to rid herself of her wayward thoughts. “If you’ll open the reports to the first page, you’ll see a summary of the regulations that will affect the import of chocolate from the Ivory Coast.”
The executives all turned their attention to the paperwork. Kate struggled to maintain her focus for the next hour as they discussed tariffs and import fees. Under normal circumstances, she would have devoured all the information, but circumstances were far from normal. She didn’t think they could ever be “normal” again.
When the meeting finally ended, she gathered her things and hurried back to her desk in the hopes of hiding behind work. Or the pretense of work.
She hadn’t seen Tyler yet today. After last night, she was still feeling fragile, even a bit brittle, and she didn’t want her façade to crack at work.
Her phone buzzed with a text.
T. STONE: Did you hear about the new library at the prison?
K. DARLING: No.
T. STONE: It’s filled with prose and cons.
Before she could type a response, Luke strode to the desk, his face etched with a frown.
“You feeling okay, Kate?” he asked.
Much as she hated lying to him, even worse was the thought of telling him the truth. Actually, I’m fuck buddies with your incredibly hot, sexy brother, but I desperately want more from him even though I’m not supposed to…
“I just have a slight headache,” she assured him. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking.”