“If you do that, I’ll never speak to you again!” she hollered.
He barked out a laugh.
“I mean it!”
“Okay, okay.”
“Fingers fisting in the sheets!” she demanded, making him feel damn giddy. She might be nervous, but she sure was determined. Far be it from him to deny a woman like Sophia what she wanted.
“All right, all right, you talked me into it.”
“Good.”
He bit back a smile. Once they got back to his place, Sophia wandered around his living room, touching the stone on the old fireplace, looking all around at everything but him. He crossed to her, helped her off with her coat, and hung it on a hook by the door. Then she was on the move again, inspecting everything in the room. Normally he just headed straight upstairs with whoever he brought home. He didn’t want to be like that with Sophia.
“I’ll get the wine,” he said.
She startled like she’d forgotten he was there. “Okay, thank you.”
Slow was the way to go. She wanted it, she just had to be eased into it. He headed for the kitchen, uncorked a bottle of merlot Angel had brought for a family get-together at Vince’s place, and poured them each a glass. He returned to the living room and nearly dropped the wine.
Sophia stood there in just a purple lace strapless bra, panties, and those fuck-me stilettos. “I’m waiting,” she purred.
“Fuck,” he muttered, quickly setting down the wine.
He closed the space between them, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her. She sank against him all soft, satiny skin, tasting faintly of the wine from dinner and pure sin. His pulse thundered in his ears. His hand slid under her leg, lifting it, opening her to him. The moment his pelvis connected with hers, she moaned, and he just lost it. Consumed with a driving need to have her, his mouth fused with hers while his hands roamed all over, as he’d longed to do since he’d first met her. She clung to him, her tongue tangling with his, and he lifted her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, and he took her straight upstairs to his bed.
He set her down gently while he hurried to catch up with her, undoing his tie, unbuttoning his shirt, but his fingers were fumbling because Sophia’s hands were all over him. Across his chest, down his tight stomach, drifting lower to undo his belt. He jerked, already feeling like he was going to lose it. He grabbed her hand and backed away a step. “Take off your bra,” he ordered.
She did. Holy hell. Her breasts were full, the nipples beaded tight. “Vince, I want to touch you.”
He quickly shed the rest of his clothes and joined her on the bed. “Let me touch you. Let me show you what you crave.” He didn’t wait for an answer, merely pressed his mouth to hers, hot and greedy, while his hand shifted down to cup her full breast. His finger rasped over the tight nipple, and she moaned into his mouth. Slow, he told himself even as his body urged him to take hard and fast. Her hips moved restlessly. He kissed his way down her throat to her breast, which he sucked hard and deep. Her hips came off the mattress. Damn, she was responsive. How could passion be new to her?
He turned to the other breast, giving it the same treatment while his fingers rolled and tugged her other nipple. She was moaning, her hands digging into his hair, her hips restless. He slid his hand down her soft belly, let his finger dip under the waistband of her panties, teased her with a soft touch along the entire waistband. She yanked her panties down and off. Couldn’t get a clearer signal than that. His fingers delved into hot, wet folds, and she cried out. Sweat broke out on his forehead because he’d never wanted so badly to thrust into oblivion. But he wouldn’t rush this. He’d promised Sophia. He wanted her to feel more than she’d ever felt and know it was all because of him.
He removed his hand and returned to kissing her, lying on his side. She rolled to her side, hooking an arm and leg over him, pulling at him, trying to make him roll on top of her. He would’ve laughed if he wasn’t in such a desperate state. He shoved a hand in her hair and held her head, waiting for her to open her eyes. She slowly opened them, her eyes soft and unfocused.
“Soph, this is gonna be slow. This is gonna be roll-your-eyes-back-in-your-head slow, so I suggest you lie back—” he pushed her flat on her back “—and take it.”
She whimpered and reached for him again. He took her hands, entwined his fingers with hers, and raised them above her head, pinning them there. Then he proceeded to kiss her from her forehead to her closed eyelids, her soft cheeks, her jawline, and finally he took her mouth. She opened with a soft sigh. Nothing had ever felt so good.
He released her hands and kissed his way down her body, using his hands and mouth to touch every part of her, but especially her breasts and inner thigh, where he teased her before settling between her legs and sucking her hard nub into his mouth. Her hips shot off the bed, and he took advantage, sliding his hands under her ass and holding her there. She got loud then, moaning and calling his name, which only spurred him on. She tasted like honey, and he couldn’t get enough. Her nails dug into his shoulders. He stopped and looked up at her, blowing softly over her sex.
“Grab those sheets now,” he told her because it felt like she was going to draw blood from his shoulders.
Her fingers immediately fisted in the sheets. He felt a certain sense of pride he’d given her exactly what she’d wanted, and then he pushed her for more because he didn’t want just soft whimpers and his name from her. He wanted everything—full-throated screaming in ecstasy. He gentled his touch, his mouth exploring near where she wanted, but not quite. His fingers trailed lower, circling around her opening. She clenched and unclenched in response, and then he finally slid his fingers inside.
“Vince!” she hollered. More like a demand.
He smiled against her. Then he placed soft kisses up and down her, pausing to lick in broad heavy strokes while his fingers did a slow in and out. She started trembling.
He paused to look at her—head thrown back, eyes closed, her hands fisted in the sheets, her hips lifted, silently begging for her release. He’d never seen anything so beautiful. “Sophia.”
“Vince!” she hollered. “So help me, if you don’t—”
He shut her up, using his lips and tongue and teeth, had just barely gotten started when she screamed and bucked against his mouth. Damn, that was fast. But he didn’t release her because feeling her come against his mouth, so thoroughly, so helplessly, only made him want more. He kept going, kissing and licking at her as she quivered underneath him.
“Vince, Vince, I came,” she moaned.
He grinned, like he didn’t know that. “Now you’re going to come again.”
“Oh-h-h,” she said in a shaky voice. Then he pressed his mouth firmly to her again, and she yelped. He gentled his touch, and she went crazy, writhing and moaning. “Oh, oh, oh.”
He looked up to find her fingers fisted in the sheets again. Good. He kept going for himself as much as her. He couldn't get enough of the taste of her. She came violently, bucking against him and screaming his name. He placed one last kiss to her sex, and she moaned and curled up on her side.
He gave her a break to get the condom. Then he joined her on the bed and nudged her so she rolled to her back. “Open those legs, darling.”
She did right away, not even opening her eyes. After how much he’d worked her over, her immediate response to open to him again made his heart squeeze. He stroked her hair, silently thanking her for that, before he rose up over her and kissed that luscious mouth just as he thrust deep inside. She gasped into his mouth. He stilled. He probably should’ve taken that slow, but she’d seemed so ready. “You okay?”
She opened her eyes. They were glazed over with passion. “I’m more than okay,” she said in a throaty sultry voice that made him pulse inside her.
He moved slow and deep, trying to draw it out for as long as he could. Their gazes locked, and he felt like he was going to drown in those deep brown eyes. They took him in, held him, loved him. He moved faster, ov
erwhelmed by the depths of his feelings, and closed his eyes. Her nails scraped down his back and when she grabbed his ass, he lost control, pounding into her.
“Come again,” he urged.
He lifted her hips as he thrust. He shook with the need to release, and then she cried out, and he let go, shuddering and pumping several more times until he felt emptied out. He lay there for a moment, still shaken by the whole experience, and then took his weight on his forearms so he wouldn’t crush her. She just lay there, eyes closed, arms and legs thrown out to her sides in complete abandon, making him smile.
He rolled off her and let out a long breath. He felt incredibly good. Usually he just had a few moments of oblivion, but this was something else. Some powerful afterglow. He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers.
“You were right,” she said.
“About what?” He could barely speak after that.
“You did know what you were doing.”
He barked out a laugh.
She rolled to her side and propped up on his chest. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. You knew what you were doing too.”
“All I did was lie back and take it like you told me to. You did all the good stuff.”
He opened his eyes, wanting her to understand that this was more than just his technique. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks flushed, her lips slightly swollen from his kisses. Unbelievably, his cock stirred. “Soph, it’s never been that good. That was us.”
“Really?” She sounded like she didn’t believe him.
“Something’s different about it with you.”
She settled her cheek against his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her. “What?” she asked.
He struggled for the words. He didn’t know exactly what it was, it just was. “I don’t know.”
She lifted her head. “I should go.”
“Stay. Please.” He wasn’t done with her. Not by a long shot. “This wasn’t a one-night stand.”
Her lips formed a flat line. “I know. Two nights.”
He groaned. “No. Soph—”
“Three.”
“Stop counting. Just—” He pushed her head down on his chest and held her close and tight. “Stop,” he finished.
She stayed very still, and he held his breath. Finally she slipped an arm over his chest and her leg curled over his. He rested his hand on her head, stroking her hair back from her face. She let out a soft sigh that made his chest ache. He held her for a while, until her breathing deepened, and only then did he relax, knowing she was going to stay.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophia woke the next morning, Saturday, with a satisfied smile. Vince had come through as promised. She stretched. He’d even woken her in the middle of the night for another explosive orgasm. He was amazing. A whole new world opened up to her, and she planned to take full advantage. He’d said it wasn’t a one-night stand. She opened her eyes and caught Vince heading out the door, gym bag in hand. Her giddy feelings vanished.
She sat up and glanced at the clock. It was only eight thirty. “Where are you rushing off to on a Saturday?”
He stopped and looked guilty. “Nowhere. I just have someplace I gotta be.”
She eyed the gym bag. “Can’t skip one workout, huh? Muscles too important?” More important than me, she added silently.
He laughed. “Yeah. See ya. Oh, hey.” He pulled out his wallet and set a couple of twenties on the nightstand. “For cab fare.” He shook his head. “Almost forgot. Call me, okay?”
“I won’t.”
“Fine, I’ll call you.”
She flopped back down. “Don’t bother.”
She squeezed her eyes shut tight over the stinging threat of tears. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She should have known he’d treat her as casually as any of his conquests. He was just trying to sweet-talk her last night.
The bed creaked under Vince’s weight as he sat next to her. He gave her a smacking kiss on the mouth. “I’ll see you tonight.”
She scowled at him.
“Are you mad?” he asked.
“No, Vince, I love when men race out the door after they sleep with me.”
“I’m not racing. I told you I have to be someplace.”
“Where?”
He stood and grabbed his bag. “I’ll call you.”
She threw a pillow at him. “I want some sweet talk! Maybe a few cuddles after a night like that.”
He blew out a breath and looked to the ceiling. Finally he met her eyes. “I held you for seven minutes last night.”
Her jaw dropped. “Were you watching the clock?”
“It was in my line of vision!”
Grr.
“Look, Soph, if you want round two, then I’ll see you tonight.”
“That’s what you tell all the girls,” she spat.
“What do you want from me? I let you spend the night. I never let anyone spend the night.”
She propped up on an elbow. “So you just take them home right after?”
“Yeah.”
“Are they mad?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“They didn’t say they were mad.”
Was he really that clueless? “Were they quiet?”
“Heh.” He smirked. “I wear them out.”
She was so beyond petty jealousy of his prior women. She was fascinated that he could be this dense. Vince, the confident player, had no clue about women. Zero.
“Do they slam the car door?” she asked.
“Nah. I open the door for them and shut it for them. Why?”
“Then what happens?”
“Then I walk them to the door and tell them to call if they want round two.”
She got out of bed and was smugly satisfied to see him take in her naked state with a hungry gaze. She crossed to his side. “Show me.”
He groaned and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. “Soph, you’re not like them.”
“Do it! Exactly like you do.”
He rolled his eyes. He huffed and puffed. What a man.
“Fine.” He put his hand on her waist and walked her to the bedroom door. He stopped. “I had a great time, Sophia.” He kissed her quickly. “Call me if you want round two.” He patted her on the butt and walked away.
“What was the pat on the butt for?” she asked incredulously.
“You know. Good job. Like in basketball when someone scores or makes a good play.”
“Hmm…how many call you for round two?”
He shrugged.
“Ten? Fifteen?”
“I dunno. Maybe three called.” He crossed his arms. Was he blushing? The tips of his ears were red. He grabbed his bag and jerked his chin. “I’ll call you, okay?”
“Not okay.”
He dropped his bag and stalked toward her. She let out a squeak and rushed back toward the bed. He caught up with her, pinned her on the mattress by the shoulders, and kissed her. He pulled back. “I’m calling you, Soph. This isn’t over.”
“Don’t you dare pat my butt.”
He grinned. The next thing she knew she was face down on the mattress, one beefy hand holding her down by the shoulder. He gave her butt a pat. “You liked the butt rub to seal the deal.” Now his hand was stroking her bottom.
“Did not.”
“Why are you so hot, then?”
“Argh!”
And then he left her there, hot and bothered and alone.
~ ~ ~
Fool me once, Sophia thought bitterly. She was back in Vince’s bed Sunday morning after another crazy night of passion, and Vince had once again snuck out early. No note, no goodbye. Just gone. At least she’d taken her car here, so no twenty-dollar bills on the nightstand. She groaned. This was her own fault. Just because she’d never felt anything like the sex they had. She dressed quickly and went downstairs just in time to see Vince take off down the driveway, wearing a dress shirt and tie. Where wa
s he going all dressed up?
She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She felt pathetic, but she had to know where he was sneaking off to. Was she his nighttime conquest and he had an early morning conquest somewhere else? Though where he’d get the stamina, she didn’t know. They’d done it three times last night. Only once in the bed. Heat rushed through her, remembering. He’d manhandled her—flipping her this way and that, bending her over, tossing her around, carrying her, moving her as he pleased.
And she’d liked it.
She went damp. Fucking damn hell. He couldn’t treat her like this. Just have his way with her and sneak off.
She headed to her car and took off down the driveway, following him at a distance. He left Eastman and headed to Clover Park, finally pulling into the parking lot of St. Joseph’s Catholic church. This was his big secret meeting that he had to sneak out of bed for? She would’ve gone with him if he’d asked. She was Catholic, though of course he wouldn’t have known that because he rarely spent any time with her just talking. She watched him get out of the car, pull his tie away from his neck, and head resolutely inside.
She waited a few minutes before following him in. He was near the front, sitting with a beautiful woman, smiling and chatting. What the hell, er, heck? She couldn’t bring herself to curse in church, even in her head. She waited as people filed in. No one joined them. Just Vince and his mystery woman going to church. Omigod. Was he married? Was the carriage house just where he brought his many mistresses? No wonder it was mostly empty. His real house was somewhere else with his beautiful wife.
She sat through the service, feeling slightly queasy, but determined to find out what the bleepity bleep was going on. He passed by her on his way out, not noticing her in the crowd of people. She went after him and walked right up to him outside, where he was still talking to that beautiful woman. She was stunning up close. Curly hair in casual, careless layers, slender, high cheekbones. Just the kind of woman Vince would want.
Vince still hadn’t noticed her. She gave him a light jab to the gut and met rock-hard abs.
“Hey!” he exclaimed. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Not My Romeo Page 14