In Full Bloom [Second Chances 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Michelle Roth

  “LOL. Do that. Now, can I go back to bed?”

  “You may. Thank you,” Taryn typed quickly.

  * * * *

  Taryn had successfully avoided Evan since their encounter on the roof. There had been no stopping by the shop, no hanging out, no dinner and a movie nights. She’d decided that Cora was right. This was torturous to keep putting herself in his path. Whether he wanted her or not didn’t matter if he was unable or unwilling to do something about it.

  The Halloween thing at Darla’s was tonight. Maybe she’d meet someone or at least find a distraction of some kind. God knows, she could certainly use a distraction.

  Hearing the knock on her apartment door, she opened it. Cora was dressed in a cheerleader uniform that Taryn recognized from high school. She took one look at Taryn and said, “Dear lord. You weren’t kidding. That is the sluttiest Little Red Riding Hood costume I’ve ever seen. I’m impressed!”

  Laughing, Taryn said, “Thanks. I think.”

  Cora flopped down on the sofa and asked, “Are you almost ready?”

  Putting on a coat of cherry red lipstick, Taryn said, “I am ready.”

  Slipping into a pair of spike heels, she grabbed her purse and keys. After locking her door, they walked across the street to Darla’s. The entire place was packed.

  Cora shouted over the music to be heard, “Whoa! This is the most people I’ve seen in here. Ever.”

  “No kidding!” she said, as she scanned the crowd for the rest of the girls from work. Spotting everyone at the bar, they worked their way toward them.

  Over the next hour they managed to snag a table and chairs. The crowd began to thin out just a bit when karaoke started. As per ritual, she and Cora each put in one song for each other. Knowing Cora’s previous choices, it was likely to be something mildly embarrassing. Last time it had been “Milkshake” by Kelis. She couldn’t even imagine what the song would be this time.

  She always chose some ridiculous power ballad for Cora as payback. Tonight she’d gone with a little Journey. She grinned into her glass.

  As the first singer was about to be called up, her eyes moved toward the door. Jamie and Evan had just walked in. She watched as his eyes scanned the room, until they locked on hers. Any thoughts of moving on withered and died on the vine right then. He was still as sexy as ever, but all that aside, she really missed him.

  “Seriously?” she asked, as she turned her head toward Cora.

  Cora looked up from her phone and asked, “Seriously what?”

  “Evan and Jamie are here.”

  “Oh. Shit,” Cora said. “Do we need to leave?”

  “No,” Taryn said. “Nope. I’m going to have a good time. All this back and forth is so exhausting. I’m just going to let it go.”

  “Good idea. By the way, here they come,” Cora said, taking a sip of her soda.

  Chapter 6

  He really couldn’t escape her. He didn’t even know why he bothered trying. When Jamie had suggested they go to the little dive across the street, he hadn’t expected her to be there in the tiniest Halloween costume known to man.

  She was like some sort of erotic fairy tale with her endless legs and low-cut dress. He really hoped Jamie didn’t want to hang out with Cora, but had seen him perk up as soon as he’d spotted her, Evan realized he wouldn’t be that lucky. Trailing behind, Evan dreaded having to go over there.

  She’d made it clear that she didn’t want to be friends. That she couldn’t be. He got that. He’d been really close to the breaking point more than once, himself. Since their conversation, he hadn’t seen her. She didn’t stop by the store or hang out with him like most evenings. It was like they had broken up but they weren’t even dating. God, he fucking missed her.

  Jamie slid around the back of Cora’s chair and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Hey gorgeous,” he said.

  She smiled, happy to see him. She didn’t look all that surprised. He realized now, this had been planned. Dropping into the chair next to Taryn, he looked over at her.

  She looked at him, her eyes a little sad, and said, “Hi.”

  “Hey, Princess.”

  “This really sucks,” she said, staring into her drink.

  “It does. I miss you,” he said quietly.

  “Being around you wouldn’t be so difficult to deal with if I didn’t like you. But I do. And it is,” she said, standing up. “I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry.”

  He watched her walk away and then stood up.

  He said, “I’m gonna get going, Jamie.”

  Jamie immediately stood up and said, “No, no. Shoot a game of pool with me. Have a beer. It will be fine.”

  Not really in the mood, he let Jamie drag him to the pool table. A couple beers later, he was feeling a little better. He’d been able to mostly block her out. Cora had gone up and done karaoke, which had been really funny. That poor girl was tone deaf.

  He was in the midst of kicking Jamie’s ass in pool for the second game in a row when he heard Taryn say, “Cora! Really? You picked this song?”

  Looking across the room, he saw Cora laughing hysterically at the table along with a few other women. Setting his pool stick down, he listened. Shaking his head when he recognized the tune, he decided that the world must be conspiring against him. If he wasn’t mistaken, the song she was about to sing was “I Touch Myself” by the Divinyls.

  He looked over at his brother who was trying not to laugh but failing miserably. He looked up at Evan and said, “The universe is trying to tell you something, Ev.”

  “Ya think?” he asked, rubbing a hand over his face.

  She actually sang fairly well, which made it even worse. He hadn’t been able to look away from the time she’d started singing until the time she’d handed the microphone back to the deejay. Setting his pool cue down, he said, “I need another beer.”

  Jamie laughed and said, “Grab me one, too, Ev.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, heading up to the bar.

  Walking toward the bar, he decided, to hell with it. He’d been fighting this attraction since he met her and it was clear that she felt the same way. It was making them both miserable. He’d been trying to avoid complication, since every other part of his life was in flux now, but every time he walked away from her it seemed to make things worse.

  He was being an idiot. He may not have much to offer right now, but at the very least, he decided, he’d be willing to try. Feeling a flooding sense of relief, he waited for Darla to head down so he could place his order.

  As he waited, four deep at the bar, he heard Taryn’s unmistakable laughter further down the bar. Glancing down he bar he saw a college guy a little younger than her toying with the ribbons that tied her cape on.

  Without much thought, he walked over to them. Standing next to her, he looked at the frat boy and said, “Go. Now. She’s busy.” When the boy continued to stand there, he gave him a hard stare.

  The guy looked a little confused for a moment, then must have realized that he hadn’t been kidding, because he scurried away with a backward glance at Taryn.

  A second later he felt her shove her hand into the middle of his chest a second before she yelled, “What the hell was that about?”

  She dragged him off to the side of the bar and angrily asked him, “Do you not think that I might enjoy talking to a guy that might actually want me? You won’t touch me but no one else can either?”

  “I don’t normally do jealousy, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m not entirely pleased by it either, I have to say.”

  “Oh, no? Gee, sorry you’re not having a good time,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was wrong.”

  She seemed a bit more calm when she replied, “Okay. I’ll accept that. That doesn’t change any of what’s going on between us though. We keep going back and forth. I don’t want—”

  “I mean that I was wrong about us.” Seeing the confused look on her face, he said, “
I moved across country and sank my life savings into a business that I’m not entirely sure I know how to run. The majority of my time and energy are going to be directed that way. My life is complicated. I’m not sure if getting involved with anybody is a great idea, let alone with a tenant. There are logical reasons why I should walk away but I don’t want to. Not again. Just be sure this is what you want.”

  He saw her face change as she considered what he’d said. She was quiet so he said, “Think about it. Come see me later if you want to.”

  Nodding, she said, “Okay.”

  One of her coworkers shouted her name, and he saw her head turn, so he gave her a small wave and wandered back over to Jamie. He said, “I’m going to head out. Sorry, man.”

  “No worries,” he said. “Everything okay?”

  “I think it will be,” he said. “Tell Cora I said bye.”

  Grabbing his jacket, he slid it on and left Darla’s. Walking across the street he felt like he was able to breathe for the first time in a while. He wasn’t entirely sure this was the wisest move, but at this point, he didn’t care. He wanted her so badly that he ached with it.

  Unlocking the outer door to the apartment, he went inside and climbed the stairs to his apartment. He didn’t know what to do now. He was pretty sure she’d stop by at some point. The question was when, though.

  He walked into his office and turned on the light. He’d put off setting up his accounting software. That would occupy his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was to sit around and wait for her to come by.

  Twenty minutes later, he was on the verge of calling technical support when he heard a knock on his door. He closed his laptop and went to answer the door. He was both relieved and anxious.

  “I didn’t realize you were just going to leave. I figured you’d at least stay and shoot pool,” she said, somewhat confused.

  “I wasn’t really in the mood to go out. Jamie kinda dragged me,” he said. Backing up to let her in, he added, “Come on in.”

  She entered the apartment and turned to face him. Picking up the thread of conversation exactly where they left it, she said, “I’ve done nothing but think about this for weeks, Evan. What I don’t understand is why you’re trying to talk me out of it in the same breath as you’re telling me that you want me, though.”

  Evan rubbed his hand through his hair. On a sigh, he said, “I thought full disclosure was a good idea. I don’t know that I have a whole lot to offer right now. I was trying to be a gentleman, because this is probably a bad idea, but you’re making it really hard.”

  She stared at him for a moment, silent again. Then her lips quirked and she let her eyes roam down his body to settle on his zipper. Smirking, she asked, “Am I? Making it hard?”

  As some of the tension dissolve between them, he rolled his eyes. He said, “You’re killing me, here. Be serious.”

  He was a little shocked when Taryn reached out and placed her hand on his chest. She pressed him back against his front door and slid her hand down until it rested on his zipper. Wrapping her hand around him, she squeezed. The teasing grin gone from her face, she said, “I am being serious.”

  Apparently, he realized, the conversation was over. His hands reached up to grip her shoulders. Even through the cloak, he could feel the warmth of her skin against his palms. He closed his eyes for a moment, unable to focus on anything except the sensation of her hand as she gently squeezed his cock. After a long moment, his hands tightened on her shoulders as he said, “Last chance to walk away, Princess.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t want to walk away,” she said, staring at him intently.

  On a groan of surrender, he snaked one arm around her waist to tug her closer as the other slid into her hair. Giving it a sharp tug, he tilted her head back and crushed his mouth down on hers. Hungrily, he nipped at her lips until she parted them on a sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  His hands roamed restlessly over her back as he continued to devour her mouth. The myriad of reasons that they shouldn’t do this flew out the window the moment she’d pressed her lush curves against him. He really hoped she didn’t change her mind, because he had a feeling that after tonight he’d have one hell of a time walking away.

  Chapter 7

  When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing heavily and her pulse was racing. She backed off slightly, so he wasn’t trapped against the door and watched as he appraised her slowly.

  “I think this costume was my undoing, sweetheart,” he said.

  She saw the pure hunger in his eyes now. She had moved her hands up to untie the ribbon knotted at her throat when he placed a hand over hers and said, “No, let me.”

  Her hands stilled and she dropped them to her side. He reached up, gently tugging on the ends of the ribbon. Slipping the cape from her shoulders, he let it fall to the floor. As he took her in, she heard him suck in a ragged breath. He reached out, tracing his fingers across her now bare shoulder. Shifting his eyes back to hers, he eventually asked, “Were you really interested in that frat boy tonight?”

  “No,” Taryn said quietly, “I was just hoping for some distraction.”

  Evan gave a sardonic laugh and said, “That’s why I went out tonight. I wanted to shoot some pool, relax, and not think about you. I’ve been going slowly insane since the day I met you.”

  Taryn felt her pulse begin to race as his finger dipped to trace along lacy edge of her bodice. Looking into her eyes, he said, “Your skin is so soft. I want to taste every inch of it.”

  She let out a shuddering sigh as her body came to life under his fingertips. He was only lightly touching her and she already ached. The way he watched her with barely leashed desire was almost overwhelming. Her voice thready with need, she said, “Touch me, Evan.”

  “I am, Princess,” he said as he moved his hand to toy with one of the straps of her dress. “I’ve been thinking about this moment since I first saw you in that ugly khaki polo on the stairs. I’m going to take my time.”

  He watched her intently as he slid the strap down her shoulder. Stepping forward, he lowered his mouth to her bare shoulder. He placed gentle, nipping kisses and swirled his tongue across the newly exposed flesh. She gave an involuntary hum of pleasure at the warmth of his mouth and the scratch of his five o’clock shadow against her bare skin.

  She slid her arms around him and explored the hard contours of his back, dragging her nails lightly down toward the hem of his shirt. When she slid her hands underneath, she traced her fingertips across the lean muscle of his lower back.

  He backed away from her shoulder, quickly stripped off his T-shirt, and turned to face her. He watched her closely, as if he was waiting for her to change her mind.

  Her eyes never leaving his, she reached to the zipper under her arm and drew it down. Sliding the straps of the dress off her shoulders, she pushed the dress slowly down her body until it fell to the floor. Stepping out of it, she kicked it aside. She stood before him now in a black strapless bra, matching thong, fishnet thigh highs, and heels.

  Her breathing was rapid as she waited for him to speak. Finally he said, “I don’t even have words…”

  Reaching out, she grabbed the buckle of his belt and pulled him toward her. Repeating her earlier request, she said, “Touch me, Evan.”

  Quickly closing the remaining space between them, he lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss started out gentle, but quickly grew out of control. He nipped sharply at her lower lip, then stroked his tongue over it to soothe. His hand slid up her rib cage to cup her breast, squeezing it. Taryn sighed against his lips and pressed herself into his palm, clutching his shoulders.

  He slid his arms behind her back and deftly unclasped her bra. When he leaned back, his eyes were heavy lidded as he took in the sight of her bare breasts. On a groan, he leaned down to take one tight peak into his mouth. She was unable to look away as he flicked his tongue against it. The sight of her nipple disappearing between his lips and th
e sure strokes of his tongue were almost too much to bear.

  When he grazed his teeth over her nipple, she cried out. Feeling his teeth nip at her more sharply, she moaned his name. After a few moments, he moved to her other breast and gave it the same treatment. She was almost incoherent with want now, her nails digging into his shoulders.

  The hand cupping her other breast drifted lower, his fingertips brushing gently over her thighs. When his fingers shifted the crotch of her soaked thong aside, he groaned against her breast. His fingers teased the bare outer lips of her pussy.

  He released her from his mouth and said, “Fuck, Princess. You’re so wet. Is this all for me?”

  Taryn pressed herself shamelessly against his hand and said, “Yes. It’s all for you.”

  She almost gave a sigh of relief when he slid a finger between her wet folds and stroked it over her clit. Tilting her head back, she let out a soft whimper as she flexed her hips and pressed against him. She felt that familiar tension start to bloom low in her belly, and was surprised when he tilted her chin down to say, “Look at me, Princess. I want to see.”

  She looked at him, for the first time uncertain. His voice thick with desire, he swept his thumb over her lower lip and said, “I want to see you come for me.”

  She sucked in a ragged breath as he continued to slowly rub tight circles against her. Working her hips against his hand, she felt the tension build to an almost unbearable level. Still, she hovered right there at the edge.

  Maybe he sensed that she needed the extra push because a moment later he slid his hand further into her panties and pressed two fingers inside her. He fucked her with them as he ground his palm against her aching clit.

  “Oh. Oh, god. That’s it,” she moaned. Seconds later, she came apart, shuddering and crying out as she bucked against his hand in release.

  He continued to slide his fingers into her until she stopped rocking against him. Watching her, he slid his fingers out of her panties and said, “That was so sexy.”