by Moira McTark
Sexual.
It wasn’t enough.
After that, she couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t get her mind off the possibilities that lay beneath her best friend’s pants. Even now, months later, she wasn’t any better off than she’d been that first night. She needed to get him out of her system. She needed relief. And after that kiss—she intended to get it.
Her justifications were firmly in place as she met Lindy’s stare. “I’m going crazy. He’s all I can think about.”
Trying to beat out all of Lindy’s buts and what-ifs, she raced on, defending her plan, “If we do it—quickly, and it’s over and done with—it’ll finally be out of my system, and we can go on as friends. Yes, I harbor strong feelings for him. But I’ve come to terms with them. I just want us to be like we were. Easy and comfortable, with nothing coming between us.”
“Nichole,” Lindy took her hand and squeezed it gently. “If you do this, what you had before won’t be enough for you.”
“Yes, it will.” Her chest tightened painfully. She wouldn’t accept that possibility. “He gives me everything I need.”
“Except a stiff cock between your legs on a regular basis, the need for which is why you begged me to bring you a new vibrator tonight. I can’t believe you killed the last one already. With an appetite like that, you actually think sex with Matt one time is gonna do it? Two motors dead in two months? They should last for…well, a hell of a lot longer than they do in your clutches.”
“Why did I ever confide in you?” Nichole’s face flushed hot, and she scrunched her eyes closed. “What was I thinking?”
“That I could get you a wholesale price on a replacement—and you were right. I’ve got your new little buddy packed in a red bag next to the back door. Seeing as how you came through for me on these goodie bags, though, this one’s on the house. Now, let’s hit the bar. I’m parched.”
“Any chance you’ll settle for the VIP room upstairs?” Nichole cast a glance to the stage, where Matt planted one foot on the front of the chariot and shot multi-colored condoms out into the crowd. “I need to make sure everything’s running smoothly up there.”
“Wait a minute.” Lindy flared her nostrils on a long draw of breath and shook her head. “After that kiss in front of the entire club, you’re too chicken shit to go out where he’ll see you?”
“Yes.” Nichole answered, nodding her head emphatically. “Absolutely.”
—
The party still raged on at midnight, but the PR portion of the night was over. The chariot had been parked, the curtain drawn, and Eros and his cohorts were free to go. Several of the dancers opted to stay and mingle with the crowd, but Matt, who was now dressed in jeans and sneakers, had had enough of the techno beat and the increasingly erotic antics of the club goers. Plus, he needed resolution to what had happened with Nichole.
She’d blindsided him. How in hell was he supposed to defend himself against a kiss he didn’t see coming? She’d said it was part of the act. Sure, Nichole. It was part of the show. Bullshit. Just like the outfit she’d made him wear and the innuendo that had been coming out of her mouth in spades. He couldn’t deny what was happening any longer. Not after her breathy plea against his lips. Not after that kiss.
He glanced over to the table across the room where she stood with her back to him, stacking a few bags next to her binder. As if sensing his eyes on her, she turned. Something tentative lurked in her gaze, but as he watched, her uncertainty evaporated and determination glowed in its stead.
Not on his watch. No way.
She cocked a hand on her hip and let her head drift to one side. “So…I’m ready. You want to come?”
Nice try Nichole. I’m on to you now. “Definitely,” he answered, without missing a beat. He was unfazed. Immune. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve fulfilled my obligation to spread flavored condoms far and wide across Club Kink. I’m spent. Let’s hit it.”
“Okay.” Nichole grabbed her belongings and, once her arms were full, jutted her chin toward the exit. “The limo’s out back. Will you get the door?”
“Let me help you. You’re about to drop that red one.” He reached out to take the bag off her hands, but she clutched it in her fist and awkwardly fumbled the binder.
Catching it out of the air, he reached for the door. “I’ll just take this.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure.” At the exit, a blast of cold air rushed around them, reminding him what a jackass he was for agreeing to leave his shirt and jacket behind. The limo sat parked only a few feet away, but the temperatures had dropped and the wind had picked up. Matt stuck his head outside and looked at the ground. “It’s frozen over slush, Nickie.”
She peeked out, took one faltering step, and shifted her weight. Her heel skidded forward.
Matt frowned. There was no way she’d make it to the car in those heels without landing flat on her ass. So much for keeping his distance.
He shoved the binder back into her arms, cursed as he levered down, and with one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, swept Nichole into his arms and carried her to the limo door where the driver waited. He dropped her, giggling, onto the seat and then climbed in next to her.
“My hero,” she cooed, snuggling close to him. “God, I’m cold. Wrap your arm around me, will you?”
Blowing the breath out of his nose, he reluctantly stretched his arm across her back, resting his hand at the top of the seat rather than on her bare shoulder.
She wouldn’t have it. Instead, she grabbed his arm and tugged it around her, so that his hand hovered over her breast. “Come on, aren’t you freezing?”
God, she wasn’t playing fair. He tried to hold his hand away from her, but gravity and temptation worked against him. She looked so soft, so full, he wanted to touch her and find out if she really felt that way.
No! Get a grip.
Matt closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the seat. “Nichole, about what happened earlier. That kiss—”
She twisted and pressed her chest closer to him. “It was incredible. I knew you’d be good.”
He opened his eyes, pulled back a bit, and stared at her. She was beautiful. She looked up at him expectantly, and he could hardly force out the words. “Like you said, though, it was just for the show.”
She blinked, but didn’t look away. “I guess so.”
I guess so? He didn’t like the sound of that.
Her teeth chewed at her bottom lip as she waited for him to respond.
He bit back a groan. It was official. He was in hell.
As the car wove through downtown, city lights streaked beyond the windows. Nichole glanced around the vehicle’s luxurious interior, trying to figure out her next move. She’d pushed, but Matt was pushing back, and her confidence in her plan to end up in bed with him was waning. Then her gaze landed on the bar on Matt’s far side, and inspiration struck.
“How about a drink to top off the night? I’m wound up. You want one?”
“No, thank you.” He kept his eyes straight ahead; his voice, flat. “I’ll have a beer at home, kick back, and watch the fight.”
Inwardly groaning, she recognized the kiss off for what it was. He’d watch the fight, undoubtedly because he was pissed off and aggressive entertainment appealed to him. He’d drink a beer and kick back because it smacked of the unromantic. Screw that.
“Well, maybe I will have one.” Rather than give Matt a chance to get the drink for her, she shifted, squashing him against the seat, and crawled across his lap until her knees rested on one side of his thighs, with her hands planted on the other. He didn’t move. Didn’t make a sound, didn’t let out a breath. God help her, she was terrified. But it was too late to turn back now.
She arched her back and reached for a glass—and a horn blared. The limo swerved and ground to a stop, jolting Nichole with enough force to buckle the arm she was using to support herself, sending her flopping across Matt’s lap. Her breasts mash
ed against his denim-covered thigh, while her ass cocked up in a humiliating display. There was no way her short, gauzy skirt still covered her candy red panties. Heat rushed into her cheeks and burned the tips of her ears. No matter what kind of effort she put into her sexy, she always ended up ass over elbow and looked like a fool. That’s why she and Matt would be friends forever—and never friends with benefits.
“Sorry, Matt.” She slunk backwards across his lap, the burn of tears building behind her eyes. He wouldn’t even acknowledge her. She wanted to die, wanted to plaster herself against him and beg him to forget what an idiot she’d just made of herself and promise she’d never try a stunt like that again.
Only through her retreat, her chest grazed his thigh—and encountered the unexpected ridge of his thick, jean-clad cock jutting against the side of her breast. His low, hissing exhale made her halt.
Then the limo was on the move again, and Matt slid his hands under her armpits. His jaw clenched, his muscles working as he blew out a harsh breath through his nose and hauled her into the seat next to him.
Afraid to meet his eyes, she stared at her hands in her lap. This was not the way she’d hoped tonight would play out. “Matt—”
“Don’t. Not a word, Nichole,” he growled. She’d never heard his voice sound so deep, so threatening. God, he was livid.
She closed her eyes and sat still, waiting out the rest of the ride.
Chapter Four
“Get out of the car, Nichole.”
She jerked her head up. She hadn’t even noticed the limo had stopped in front of their place. The driver opened the door and a blast of icy air, as chilly as the tone of Matt’s voice, rushed around her. With her key in one hand and the PR materials in the other, she bolted for the door, praying Matt would let her go to her room without making her face him. She was humiliated and furious with herself for being so stupid, so overly confident, so demented that she believed accosting the man who had been subtly but steadily rejecting her for twelve years would get her anything but more rejection.
As she reached the second stair, the door slammed behind her. She ignored it and kept going. Just as she put her foot on the top step, Matt caught her arm in a savage grasp and shoved her against the wall, sending her bags and binder falling to the floor.
“What are you trying to do? Ruin everything?” he gritted out, his eyes flashing with fury.
She shook her head and fought the tremble in her lips, trying to steady her voice enough to answer. “No,” she cried. “I—I’m sorry.”
She’d never seen him so angry before, and certainly not at her. She’d seen him pushed beyond his limits, and she’d seen him frustrated. But the only time she’d glimpsed anything close to this kind of rage was in college when a frat boy wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Matt happened to drop by just in the nick of time to save her. Then only the campus police were able to save the frat boy from Matt.
She searched his eyes, which glared down at her now, and saw resentment and betrayal in his gaze. “I shouldn’t have tried—”
“No! You shouldn’t have.” His stare narrowed, and he lowered his head. “Is that all this was about? Did you set up this whole emergency just to have me under your thumb while you strutted around half naked?” His voice rasped thick with emotion. “I thought we were friends. Don’t you care at all what happens?”
She owed him the truth. There wasn’t any choice but to tell him.
“I swear my dancer broke his leg. I thought his absence would blow the event, but then you rescued me like you always do. Then I—I thought I saw something. When you were holding me, I thought you wanted to…kiss me. I wanted you to want to me. I’ve wanted it for so long, Matt. I know we’re friends, but I thought that maybe this one time, you’d save me and give me what I’ve always wanted. That you’d help me get past it.” She rushed on, frantic to get the whole explanation out before he cut her off and shut her out. “I was praying that if you wanted me, we could have just one night where we both knew there was nothing more than friendship behind it, but we could be together in this other way. Then it would be out of our systems. Out of my system. I’d be able to sleep again. I’d be able to stop fantasizing. I’m ruining what we have because I can’t control my physical reactions to you. All I can think about is what we would be like together.”
“Nichole—”
“Matt, I’m sorry,” she said, cutting him off. “I thought if I made it happen, I’d finally be able to stop acting so crazy. That we wouldn’t have this…this…tension between us. I know it’s because of me.”
She peered up into his eyes and saw the change. His rage was gone, but the intensity remained.
“We’re friends, Nichole,” he said. “That’s it.”
“I know you don’t love me. I know it wouldn’t have been—”
“I do love you,” he countered, his gaze steady.
She shook her head. “You know what I mean. It would have been just sex. One night of fabulous—”
“Shut up.” Matt tightened his grip on her arms and stared into her face, his shuttered expression unreadable. Then he pushed in on her, his gaze fixed on her mouth as his chest inched closer. Responding to his proximity, she held her breath.
He unclamped his hands from her arms, planted them on the wall at either side of her head and closed the distance between them, pressing the full length of his body against her.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, his voice low, rasping over every nerve in her body.
Her heart slammed against her ribs and the surface of her skin heated with a tingling charge.
His mouth lingered near her ear, his warm breath teasing the tender skin beneath it. “Tell me, Nichole.”
“I want you,” she whispered. “So much.”
“Just tonight, and then it’s over? We’re friends.”
“Just tonight.” Oh, God, was this real?
His mouth crushed down over hers, forcing her lips open. His tongue thrust deep, retreated, and then thrust again. She groaned around him, throwing her arms around his neck, and molded her body to his.
Pleasure raced through her system, melting the icy fear that had settled into her core. His hands were on her, rough and commanding. They gripped her thighs and jerked her off the ground, demanding she lock her legs around his waist.
“How do you want it, Nichole?” he growled against the side of her neck, rubbing himself between her spread thighs. “Do you want me to fuck you? Hard and fast?”
He clamped one hand around her breast, squeezing it as he pushed it up. He bit her through the filmy fabric around her tight nipple until she cried out and arched her back, offering him more.
“Or do you want me to love you slowly?” He eased his grasp, cupping her breast and circling her nipple with the pad of his thumb. “I can make you wait all night…until you beg me to let you come.”
Moist heat flooded Nichole’s sex. She pulsed with the need to be filled. She was so close to coming right now, there was no way she’d make it all night. It wouldn’t take more than one thrust of Matt inside her body, and she’d be over the edge.
He braced her groin to groin, pressing her shoulders to the wall, and slid his hands down her ribs, circling the curves of her hips and hooking his fingers in the waistband of her panties. He pulled his head back against the confines of her arms and, for one paralyzing moment, she thought he might stop. But then his eyes met hers, and she couldn’t deny the hunger and heat reflected in them. He wanted her. Finally.
Something deep in Nichole’s chest broke free, and she struggled to rein in the fugitive emotion before it screamed its existence through her eyes. This was about sex, about relief and satisfying a rogue need that threatened everything she loved. This was about tonight, and tonight only. Matt wouldn’t have it any other way. She wouldn’t let him see anything else.
With his fingers wrapped in the band of her panties, he rocked his hips against her. “This has been a long time coming, Nichole,” He scraped his
teeth over her bare shoulder. “I’m going to make it worth the wait. So how do you want it? Hard?”
She gasped at the bite of elastic and silk as he snapped the band of her panties with a quick jerk of his wrist, making her clench and throb against him. Then, ever so lightly, he traced his fingertips down her abdomen and slowly tugged the torn fabric from between them, letting the friction of sodden silk heighten her arousal. “Or do you want it soft?”
Nichole couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. She locked her arms around his neck, her legs around his hips, and all she could do was feel. The sensations ripping through her were like nothing she’d ever experienced.
“Yes,” she answered desperately.
Matt’s gruff laugh rumbled against her neck. He wrapped his hands around her hips, eased her away from the wall, and raised one eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Anything.” She met his hot stare with no reservations. “So long as it’s you.”
The light smile slid from his lips and he took her mouth, filling her with his tongue, taunting her with his teeth, searing her with his breath. He carried her effortlessly down the hall, kicked the door to his room open and tossed her onto his bed.
Nichole fell back on the mattress with a gasp and watched as the man she wanted more than anyone in her life stood at the foot of the bed bare-chested, his muscles rippling, and stared at her with a need that swept away twelve years of unrequited desire.
His hands moved to the fly of his low-slung jeans and Nichole parted her legs, baring herself to him completely. His gaze flickered to her sex. He popped the button open and groaned.
“God help me.”
His body was the sexiest she’d ever seen. His chest and arm muscles, which still gleamed from the oil she’d rubbed into his skin, flexed and shifted as he pushed the denim down over his hips, revealing a thicket of soft, sandy brown curls and a jutting erection that bounced free of its confine. He was bigger than she’d expected. Bigger even than he’d looked in those tight red shorts he’d left at the club. Her mouth watered and her pussy throbbed, releasing more of her juices.