Popped

by Elizabeth Stevens

  Chapter 18: Paige

  I got to Bash’s, as agreed, at eight. Pizza arrived soon after – and I can’t tell you how much I LOVED having pizza two nights in a row; girl’s dream come true – and it was eaten with much enthusiasm while we watched movies on the couch.

  But it didn’t take long for the movie to be forgotten and I was once again back in Bash’s lap and kissing him like I was never going to get enough of him.

  I’d been a right tease and purposefully worn a skirt and no tights. So as not to be totally weather inappropriate, it was a longer, thicker skirt and I’d worn knee-high boots that had been discarded by the couch before the pizza had arrived.

  So, Bash had one hand on my arse under my skirt and the other on my waist. I couldn’t help but rub against him and everything from my lips to my neck to my clit remembered how good he’d been the night before. I was definitely leaning towards letting him deflower me. The guy turned me on like I’d never been before and I was more than hopeful it’d be as good a first time as it could be.

  The hand on my arse shifted and he rubbed it over my clit and I rocked towards him. I felt him smile against my lips and it was becoming one of the best feelings in the world. I moved a little as he made to get into my undies to make it easier for him and I couldn’t help but moan as his fingers found the exact right spot.

  It didn’t take him long to send me over the edge and I rubbed against him sub-consciously as I got my breath back.

  My eyes opened and I found him looking at me. There was a question in his eyes that I wanted to answer. I didn’t care whether it was too soon, or too stupid. The question wasn’t demanding, it wasn’t an expectation. The way Bash just held me gently and kissed me softly, I suspected the question wasn’t even conscious.

  Bash turned me on – he made me feel amazing – more than any of my exes. Physically, my answer was already a resounding, shouted from the rooftops, yes.

  But mentally?

  I couldn’t find a lot left to argue with.

  Georgie hadn’t been wrong. With my exes, I’d used withholding sex as a sort of power over them, over our relationship. That power was irrelevant with Bash; his self-confidence and the way he behaved with me told me that power was pretty even between us. So, I didn’t just lose nothing by withholding, I also won nothing.

  As for me giving it up and him walking away after? Wasn’t that the plan? Wasn’t I supposed to dump him before the formal? So surely me giving in and both of us getting something out of it was okay?

  I wanted to sleep with him. This guy. I didn’t want to say no anymore. I knew it the same way I’d known every guy previously would never get a yes, and that not every guy after would get a yes either. Not that I wanted to waste time analysing why that was just then. Not when there was a better use of my time.

  Because all that culminated in me deciding now was the time and this was the guy.

  “Bash?”

  “Hm?”

  “I’m ready.”

  He smiled lazily. “I spoilt you last night. You going to expect multiple–”

  “No, Bash,” I said, making him look into my eyes. “I’m ready.”

  It took him a moment, but then his eyes widened. “Oh. Oh!” A cocky smirk crept into his eyes and I knew his mouth would have started it. “You sure?”

  I nodded. “I’m sure. I want you.”

  “You teasing me, princess?”

  I shook my head. “Not this time.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Okay.”

  As he stood up, he helped me find my feet. He took my hand and then we were running upstairs. As soon as we were up the stairs, we were kissing again as he awkwardly led me to his room. As he helped me get his t-shirt off, he surprised me.

  “My dad’s dead,” he said.

  I paused for a heartbeat. “Okay.”

  “I mean…” Bash kissed me again and I helped him get my jumper off. “I dunno. I just thought you should know.”

  My chest fluttered alarmingly as a single thought flickered through my head; he was opening up.

  “My dad’s a dick,” I told him.

  We looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, then our lips met again in a frenzy.

  I didn’t know what was happening, but the whole situation was intoxicating. My whole body tingled in excited anticipation and I felt like I couldn’t kiss him enough.

  I dimly registered Bash get me through a door, then he’d picked me up and slammed me against the wall, the bulge in his pants pressing into me tantalisingly. When I looked at him, the heat in his eyes drove me nearly over the edge. Our eyes locked for the space of five heartbeats, our breathing low and heavy. I felt about ready to combust. What was it about this guy that got me going in all the right ways? Why him? Why now?

  Actually, I didn’t care.

  I grabbed his face and pulled him to me again.

  He rubbed against me none too gently, but all I wanted was more. And not just anyone would do. It had to be him.

  “Bash? Bash?” I panted against his lips.

  “Yeah?” he murmured.

  “Just fuck me already, please,” I begged.

  I felt him shake his head. “Nope.”

  “Why?” I whined and he smiled against my lips again which was actually almost as good.

  “I’m taking my time with you,” he said, his voice low and sexy.

  My head hung back as far as it was able. “Of course, you are.”

  He kissed my neck as he laughed. When he nipped me playfully, I contracted against him as I giggled. He bundled me up in his arms and carried me over to put me on his bed. But he didn’t join me.

  “What are you doing now?” I asked, then I stopped as I saw something I didn’t remember seeing before. I leant up on my knees and ran my hand over it.

  High on his left pec was a tattoo. And it was something I recognised. It was the dragon from Leo’s stories, curled around with its wings spread behind it like it was about to let go a fireball in mid-fight.

  “How long have you had that?” I asked him, looking up at his face.

  “Only a couple of weeks.”

  I smiled. “Full of surprises, aren’t you?” I asked.

  He shrugged cheekily. “Wait until it’s finished.”

  “It’s not finished?”

  He shook his head. “I have a whole thing planned.” He took my wrist and directed my hand over his pec, across his shoulder and down his arm to the elbow. “All down there.”

  As fascinated as I was by it, there was a part of his body I was more interested in. I took hold of his jeans’ waistband and used it to pull myself up so I could kiss him again. He smiled as I started undoing his pants, then pulled away to finished the job. When he was just in his boxers, he crooked his finger at me and I clambered off the bed eagerly.

  As he kissed me again, he asked, “How do I get this off, then?”

  I laughed as I undid the side zip and let it fall to the floor, leaving me in my bra and undies. He looked me over and smiled.

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he said.

  I didn’t quite have time to register just how amazing that made me feel – yes, I know, insides count and all that but it’s always nice for your sexual partner to find you attractive – as he’d picked me up again. He leant over awkwardly as he pulled the blankets back, then he lay us in his bed.

  His kiss was soft and gentle now, his fingers tracing over my body lazily. Every time his fingers trailed down, they’d stop just shy of where he damn well knew I wanted them.

  “You know how I feel about teasing,” I warned him and he smiled.

  Instead of slipping his hand under my undies again, he hooked two fingers in either side and pulled them off me. He surprised me by keeping his eyes on my face the whole time.

  My eyes darted down his very fine body. “Fair is fair,” I told him ruefully and he smirked as he took his boxers off.

  My hand went to his di
ck and he pulled back quickly as he breathed out.

  “What?” I asked.

  He chuckled roughly. “I just… I really want you.”

  “Then have me.”

  He shook his head as he rearranged us and pushed my legs apart. “Not yet.”

  Bash’s fingers danced up my leg with the lightest of touches. When he got to my hip, they came over and I felt him rub across my clit. A tingle of pleasure shot through me and I couldn’t stop my smile.

  His touch was more languid than the night before, like he wasn’t in any rush. But the way he was making me feel? I had very few complaints. He was just as good as he thought he was. He was just as good as the rumours. I would swear under oath that he had magic fingers.

  I lost track of the small bursts of release he gave me at three. They weren’t like when I touched myself – big and totally satisfying. In some way, these were better. They were concentrated, like all the pleasure happened much more suddenly, and left me craving more.

  When his finger started circling my opening, I could tell how wet I was and I felt very ready for him. I reached over and stroked him meaningfully and he smiled.

  “You sure about this?” he asked.

  “I know what I want.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  He reached over to the bedside table and made quick work of the condom before he nestled between my legs.

  I was filled with nervous excitement and I think he could tell.

  “Just relax,” he whispered, kissing the spot under my ear.

  I remembered what Georgie had said about friction. On my next exhale, I forced my body to relax.

  Bash reached a hand down between us and guided himself into me. He went slowly and I was distracted from the discomfort as I tried to stay relaxed.

  “Okay?” he asked as he kissed my neck again.

  I nodded. It was okay. I felt stretched but not overly sore.

  “Okay.”

  God, I would never tire of feeling him smile against me. There was something about knowing he was smiling for no one’s benefit that made me feel amazing.

  Bash went slowly as I got used to him.

  I had no idea how big he was compared to other people, but he felt big. Then again, I imagine whoever my first dick was would have felt big.

  It didn’t take too long for me to start to enjoy it and when my relaxation felt less forced and more natural, he seemed to be able to tell and pulled back to look at me as he thrust. He was smiling and it reached those beautiful blue eyes of his.

  “You’re amazing, princess,” he told me.

  It was at that moment I wondered if this was what love could feel like. Not the physical act of sex, but that accompanying feeling of warmth and safety and happiness. Was that what love felt like? Was that what love could feel like?

  Could I fall in love with Bash?

  I didn’t bother worrying that I thought the answer might be yes right then, I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed us. And I was pretty sure he enjoyed it too – in more ways than one.

  When he came, he kissed me hard, his hand on my cheek, and this little zing shot through my chest that I’d never felt before. It left me feeling energised but relaxed, sated but expecting. And it was gone as quickly as it had come, but the feeling echoed madly through me as Bash looked at me with such a look of reverence in his eyes that I never wanted him to look anywhere else.

  Then he ran his hand over my side and I giggled as I scooted away from him and he laughed.

  “That’s fucking adorable,” he chuckled as he sat up and dealt with the condom.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I replied and he smiled at me over his shoulder.

  We stayed in bed for the rest of the night. We watched Netflix on his computer. We ate pizza – which obviously required a short hiatus from bed. We played with each other. We tickled each other. We just were and it felt like the most normal thing in the world.

  When it was well past time for me to go home, I looked around for my skirt.

  Bash wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my shoulder. “And where do you think you’re going?”

  “Home,” I said, twisting in his embrace and looking at him.

  “Do you have to go now?”

  I looked over at his clock. “Yes,” I laughed as he nuzzled my neck. “Yes! It’s after one.”

  Bash sighed heavily and overly dramatically, but let me go and pulled himself out of bed. He pulled a pair of trackpants on that nearly made me drool. Low-slung and accentuating EVERYTHING, I was tempted to rip them off him right there. But I was a little achy and thought it was probably better to work my way up to bonking like rabbits.

  “One skirt,” Bash said, holding it up by one finger.

  I held my hand out. “Thanks.”

  But he shook his head and he half-slid across his bed. “I took it off. It’s only fair I put it back on.”

  I laughed. “There is really no need.”

  He nodded sagely. “Oh, but there is. Arms up.”

  I gave him a semi-defiant grin.

  “Come on, please,” he said, dropping my skirt on the bed and wrapping me in his arms and nuzzling back into my neck, making me laugh.

  “Bash!” I squealed as he trailed his fingers over my side and tickled me.

  “Yes, princess?”

  “I need to get dressed.”

  “I’m helping.”

  “You are not.”

  “I am. See…”

  His hand slid softly over my side, then my hip until he found the hem of the t-shirt he’d loaned me when we did our pizza run and started dragging it up my body.

  I breathed out heavily. “Sebastian,” I warned him.

  He only chuckled, his breath tickling my neck pleasantly. “Princess?”

  “That is not helping,” I breathed.

  “Isn’t it?”

  Bash kissed me before he helped me get his t-shirt off me, then he picked up my skirt.

  “How does this go on, then?” he asked.

  His eyes were heated, his voice was low, and it all sent a tingle up my spine that had me wavering on the whole getting dressed thing. But I could resist him. Maybe.

  “I can do it.”

  As I reached for it, he whipped it out of my reach with one of those cheeky half-smiles. “I’m helping.”

  I smirked. “Fine. I step into it.”

  He nodded and crouched down to hold it open for me. I stepped both feet into in and, as he pulled it up my legs, he kissed his way up my body. When he was at my stomach, I was forcing deep, steady breaths, and he was giving me a look that said he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

  “Zip,” I whispered.

  He slid it up slowly as he kissed me deeply. Then he was pulling away.

  “Socks?”

  I nodded. “Socks.”

  The hunt for my socks went equally well.

  When I’d bent over to look under his bed, he came up behind me and peppered my neck and cheek in kisses, making me giggle.

  “Is your plan to help me right back to your bed?” I asked him ruefully.

  I felt him smirk against my skin. “Not at all.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Did you want to stay?”

  I paused for long enough that we both knew the real answer. “No.”

  “You’re welcome, you know…”

  I nodded as I grabbed my sock, then stood and turned in his arms. I ran my hand over his chest. “Thank you. But I should get home.”

  He nodded. “All right.”

  My other sock was less difficult to find and Bash was following me downstairs where I had to find my jumper and boots.

  I didn’t think I’d ever laughed as much in such a short period of time as I did in those few minutes. And to think, the moment was had with Bash ‘Casanova’ Baker as I was putting clothes on.

  It was as surreal as it was great.

  When I was finally
dressed and had one boot on, Bash stole my other one and hopped over to the other side of the living room.

  “I need to go,” I laughed, holding my hand out for it.

  He shook his head as he hid my boot behind his back. “Gotta pay the toll, princess.”

  “And, what’s the toll?” I asked.

  He winked. “Tease me, princess.”

  I laughed and got up, hobbling towards him. “How about a kiss?”

  He pretended to think about it, then nodded. “Yeah. All right then.”

  I stopped in front of him expectantly but was blown away by the look in those pale blue eyes as he stared down at me. It was like he was committing me to memory.

  “Planning to draw me again?” I asked.

  He smiled and it lit his eyes like magic. “Might be. That okay?”

  “Depends highly upon what you plan to draw.”

  He leant his lips to my ear and said, “How about that gorgeous flush your cheeks get in the height of passion? Your hair fanned out on my pillow, your eyes closed, and the curve of your mouth soft as you’re lost in ecstasy.”

  I felt a shiver run over me as the urge to feel all that again swept right along with it. “Sounds like you have it firmly committed to memory,” I replied, just as softly.

  “Princess, that’s the last thing my dementia-riddled brain is gonna remember before I die,” he sighed happily as he snuggled his cheek against mine.

  My heart stuttered and my breath caught as I fought the ridiculous smile that was threatening. I took his other cheek in my hand and made him look at me.

  “My trust isn’t easily earnt, Bash,” I said quietly, pointedly.

  There was understanding in his eyes. “And I don’t plan to take that for granted.”

  I searched those eyes, not sure what I was looking for or if I found it. “I don’t care if I’m like the rest of them.” Lies, I totally did. “But, all these nice words… I just need to know.”

  He took a deep breath, one arm wrapping around me and pulling me close to him. “You’re not like the rest of them, Paige. There’s something different about you.”