Torque: A Bad Boy Next Door Romance (Burns Brothers Series Book 4)

by Gillian Archer

“What about that was funny?” I glared at him, my heartbeat still pounding in my ears.

  Nathan shook his head. This time he laughed out loud. “The part where I ruined his sex life? Come on, that’s pretty funny.”

  I rolled my eyes. Brothers.

  After taking a few deep breaths to calm my still racing heart, I tilted my head back and found Nathan slowly surveying me. His eyes skimmed from my black heeled sandals over my flared black skirt to the white button-up shirt that’d been so practical at work today, but suddenly felt too sexy. Especially with the way Nathan’s eyes lingered on my hint of cleavage. I didn’t have much, but I’d tried to work with the little I had and unbuttoned an extra button before coming over. Judging by the way his eyes flared, he approved.

  My heart raced again, but this time it had nothing to do with almost getting caught by his brother.

  Nathan took a step toward me, and I couldn’t breathe. That look in his eyes, the intensity, had me gasping. I knew what it meant, knew what he wanted, but in that moment I wasn’t ready. Faced with everything I thought I’d wanted—I froze. I couldn’t just brazenly wrap my arms him and kiss him like I’d always fantasized.

  I couldn’t measure up to his experience. I’d only ever been with three guys, and they weren’t anywhere near as magnetic as Nathan. Suddenly, I felt very much like the little kid he’d long thought me to be.

  I couldn’t do this.

  All this zipped through my mind as he stared down at me with that hunger in his eyes.

  I broke our little staring contest and examined the casserole in my hands. Aching to fill the charged silence with something, I spewed my verbal diarrhea all over him.

  “I made some baked ziti. We just have to, you know, bake it.” I laughed unevenly. “I was hoping you’d have stuff to make a side salad. But if you don’t that’s fine. There’s plenty of veggies in the ziti—tomatoes, onions, and I hid some zucchini in it too because my mom always—”

  “Maddie,” Nathan cut in softly as he took the dish out of my hands. “Look at me.”

  I really didn’t want to. I mean I wanted to—I wanted him!—but suddenly it was all so freaking intimidating. I could literally reach out and grab him, but I couldn’t, all at the same time.

  I don’t know if any of that made sense. It was all a crazy fustercluck in my head. And I should probably just go home.

  Oh wait, I didn’t have one of those.

  “Maddie.” He sounded so gentle and patient and so un-Nathan-like that I had to look up. His eyes were just as gentle as his voice as he stared down at me. “I thought I told you that we’d take this at your pace? No pressure. No expectations. We just see how this goes. Remember?”

  I nodded slowly, mesmerized by that tone and look in his eyes.

  “Okay then.” He held up the casserole and raised his eyebrows. “You said something about a salad and baking this?”

  I nodded again, still mute.

  He sighed and wrapped his free arm around me. “Come on. I think I have an oven. I’ve never used it, but I’m pretty sure this place came with one.”

  My sigh echoed his as I let my head fall on his shoulder. I loved how he tried to calm me down and just…everything about him. I’d loved him as a kid with that hero worship kind of mentality, and I was quickly falling for him now as an adult, given the man he’d turned out to be.

  I let him guide me into the kitchen, relishing the feel of his arm around me and his body so close to mine that his hard chest bumped into me with every step he took.

  That feeling of anxiety crept away and my earlier excitement over tonight was rapidly replacing it.

  “See? Yup, I do have an oven after all.” Nathan set the casserole down on the counter and bent over to peer at the control display. “I have no fucking idea how to turn it on though. Do I just…?” The oven beeped as he tapped a few buttons. “But how does it turn on? Son of a bitch.”

  I bit my lip to hide my smile as he increasingly got frustrated with every button he pressed.

  “Why is there a clean button and not a fucking start button? This is the stupidest machine.”

  Finally, I couldn’t hide my laughter. “I’m amazed you can get to be thirty-one and not know how to turn an oven on.”

  “Now she speaks!” Nathan turned and gave me a mock glare. “And only to laugh at me? Seriously?”

  I smiled up at him, not intimidated in the least anymore. “How about you look and see if you have any salad fixings, and I’ll handle the big, mean oven?”

  Nathan shook his head but obeyed me, turning to open the fridge.

  I tapped the correct buttons to preheat the oven and turned back to find Nathan bent over the crisper drawer of his French door style fridge.

  His ass was round and taut and just so freaking perfect.

  “…know I bought some a few days ago. I don’t think I used it yet.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about. All I could do was stare at his perfect ass.

  And then I blinked and suddenly I was standing behind him, reaching out toward his butt.

  “Aha! I knew I had a bag of…” He trailed off then cleared his throat, his head still buried in the fridge. “Maddie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Is that your hand on my ass?”

  I looked down. It was. When did that happen? “Apparently.”

  “I take it you’re over your sudden case of shyness?”

  Laughter bubbled out of me. “Apparently.”

  It wasn’t the jeans. His butt was just as round and firm as it looked.

  Nathan’s shoulders hitched with his breath. He spun around so I wasn’t touching his butt any more. Wrapping his arms around me, he dropped a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Thank god.”

  And then his lips were on mine. Kissing me. Nipping at my lips. And I was kissing him back. His kisses were just as yummy as I remembered. I don’t know why I’d been so freaked out. Everything about this just felt right. The fridge door crashed shut as I buried my hands in his luscious hair and kissed him back.

  Minutes or hours later—who knows—I was dimly aware of a beeping coming from somewhere in the background, but I was too busy kissing Nathan to think about it.

  Nathan tore his lips from mine. “Can you turn that off?”

  I blinked dimly up at him. Turn what off?

  Me? Not hardly.

  I opened my mouth to tell him as much when I realized what he’d meant. The oven. Turning, I tried to take a step toward the oven, but Nathan wouldn’t let me. His arms wrapped tighter around me. Laughing lightly at his cute gesture, I half-dragged him the few steps to the oven and tapped the off button.

  “Fan-fucking-tastic.” Nathan muttered against my mouth just before he lifted me up and tossed me over his shoulder in the classic fireman hold.

  “Nathan!” I shrieked, laughing. “Put me down.”

  “Nope. I got you where I want you, and now I’m gonna drag you to my bedroom like the caveman I am.”

  I put up minimal protest—mostly laughing and trying to catch my breath. It was beyond sexy that he could carry me so easily. But still a little painful as his shoulder dug into my belly with every step. It was almost impossible to catch my breath.

  And then the world flipped around again as he playfully dropped me on the middle of his king-sized bed. I had a second to take in the minimal décor I’d never seen before—a gray tallboy dresser and the giant gray wood four poster bed with an iron headboard—before Nathan was all I could see. He stepped between my splayed legs hanging over the edge of the bed then bent forward, trapping me with his hands on either side of me.

  Despite my racing heart, I wasn’t interested in getting away. I was right where I’d always wanted to be. And judging by the gleam in Nathan’s eye, he had me right where he wanted me too.

  His head ducked down over me, he kissed me, and I couldn’t really think much after that. He stole my breath and my thoughts with every move of his wicked mouth. His tongue dueled with mine, rubbing, teasin
g, making my heart pound and my hips arch up toward him. We kissed endlessly. Until we were both panting. Until I was out of my mind with need.

  Breaking our kiss so I could breathe, my panting ended in a moan as his lips cruised from mine to my jaw to that delicate bit of skin just under my jaw. He did something with his teeth and lips and tongue that had me clenching my Kegel muscles.

  I felt so achingly empty. And only one thing would make me feel whole.

  His clever fingers skimmed over my white blouse, caressing my nipples through the silk of both my top and bra. I don’t know if it was the material or just his magic fucking fingers, but I felt an answering throb deep inside me.

  “Oh my god,” I groaned as I arched into his touch. “I swear if I don’t feel those fingers on me, I’m gonna go crazy.”

  With his head still tucked against my neck—and my eyes closed—I couldn’t see his smile, but I could feel it against my neck and hear it when he spoke. “I had no idea you were such an eager and dirty girl, Maddie baby.”

  Then his body heat left me.

  I opened my eyes and found him standing at the foot of the bed with that naughty gleam in his eye. Before I had a chance to even ask him what he was doing, he grabbed the bottom of my blouse and ripped it open.

  Buttons pinged across the room, and I didn’t think it was possible, but I swear to god, I got even wetter. My chest heaved with my breath, my newly revealed nude lace bra now on display to Nathan’s hungry eyes. “Holy shit.”

  Nathan’s head tilted like he was checking that I was still okay.

  “That was hot as hell.” I croaked.

  A wicked little smirk stole across his face. “Ah, we’re just getting started.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Nathan

  I could tell by the way her chest heaved with her breath that she loved me ripping her shirt off. I was tempted to do the same with her skirt, but I had a little fantasy about her fucking librarian skirt that I was dying to act out. But maybe not tonight. Tonight was just the first night of many I’d have with her. There was plenty of time for fantasies about naughty librarians and their sexy skirts.

  I bent down and took her mouth again in another scorching kiss. I couldn’t get enough of this woman. She was like a fucking addiction—every taste I’d gotten so far had been better than the last. I was more than prepared to OD on her. And I couldn’t think of a better way to go.

  But I was dying to get a taste of her perfect breasts and finally find out what color her sensitive nipples were. I left a trail of kisses from her erotic mouth down her neck to her flesh-colored bra. Pulling back the delicate lace, I groaned at the sight that waited for me. Fucking perfect. She was a wet dream in the making. Perfect tits topped with pale pink nipples, the same color as her lips.

  I ran my thumb over the tip and her body jolted like I’d shocked her. Dragging my gaze away from the tits I’d no doubt be dreaming about tonight, I took in her hooded eyes and the undeniable lust all over her face, and I smiled. “You are so fucking perfect, Maddie baby.”

  Then I leaned down and did what I’d been fantasizing about for so long—I took that pale pink nipple in my mouth.

  Maddie’s body jolted again before she threaded her fingers through my hair and held me tight to her breast. Like there was a chance I was gonna pull away. I would’ve laughed at the thought, but I had more than a mouthful to occupy me at the moment. Instead, I pulled her nipple deeper into my mouth and suckled.

  It only took a few seconds for Maddie’s hips to twitch against me. I hummed deep in my throat, and her hips twitched again. My left hand plucked at her other, neglected nipple while I devised new ways to torture her. Rasping her nipple with my teeth. Pulling back to blow on the moist tip. Rolling her other nipple with my work-roughened fingertips.

  In minutes, Maddie was moaning and arching her hips toward me. Her body doing a restless dance while her mouth made wordless pleas.

  Fuck, I’d had no idea that behind her sedate librarian façade was the body and sex drive of a siren. But it was sexy as hell and I wanted more.

  I wanted all of her.

  My hand skated over her skirt before diving under the soft fabric to caress her panty clad hips. I ran my thumb over her cleft, the material already wet and clinging to her.

  Maddie shuddered and took a few rasping breaths.

  “Too fast?” I murmured against her breast.

  “Uh uh.” Maddie groaned, rocking her body against me. “If anything, you’re too freaking slow. Hurry up already!”

  I chuckled darkly even as my fingers dipped under her panties. I ran a finger over her smooth labia, teasing her, gathering her wetness.

  Maddie moaned and rolled her hips toward me.

  “Ask and ye shall receive.” I smirked as I rubbed my thumb against the hidden nub of her clit.

  She whimpered then smacked my shoulder weakly. “Do not imitate a preacher right now. Not while you have a finger…there.”

  “You mean here?” I asked as I caressed her clit again. Then I rubbed my middle finger against her opening before pressing the tip inside her. “Or here?”

  “Oh yes! There. Either. Both. I don’t—” Her whole body arched toward me. “Just…yes. Do that. Again. Please.”

  “So polite.” I chuckled against her tit as my fingers worked her body, learning what she liked, how she wanted to be touched. Too much direct contact on her clit had her shying away from me. But if I mixed it up, circled around, barely brushing her clit while I buried a finger deep inside her, she groaned and arched into my touch.

  My dick throbbed against the press of my fly. I wanted—ached—to unzip and let the fucker breathe, but that would mean letting go of Maddie. And there was no fucking way that was happening any time soon.

  I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore the pain. The last thing I wanted was me blowing my load in my pants. Again. It’d been fucking mortifying the last time. I really didn’t want Maddie thinking I couldn’t satisfy her. That I wasn’t man enough to last ten minutes of heavy petting with her.

  Because in reality I wasn’t.

  This woman was like sexual napalm—so fucking dangerous and explosive with the slightest of touches. And I was fucking addicted.

  “Oh god.” She moaned, her hand still clutching the back of my head. She held me against her tit like there was a chance I was gonna escape. “Nathan! I can’t… I’m gonna—” Her words ended in another groan as she thrust her hips into my hand.

  Then I felt the telltale flutters around the finger I had buried deep inside her. My lips quirked into a satisfied smirk as I held on and let her ride it out. Christ, there was nothing better than the feeling of making the woman you’d been chasing orgasm around you.

  Check that. There was at least one thing better, and I really couldn’t fucking wait to feel it around my dick in a few minutes.

  Finally, Maddie relaxed back into the sheets, all that glorious tension gone from her body. I flexed my finger still inside her, and she yelped before pulling away, rolling onto her side—away from me.

  “No. Too much.” She groaned.

  That was fine. I’d let her recharge her batteries while I got a few things literally out of the way. I quickly stripped down and snatched the box of condoms out of my nightstand drawer. The way this was going, I’d need more than one tonight.

  Tossing the box onto the bed within reach, I crawled onto the bed so I was facing Maddie. She had her eyes squeezed shut, like she was embarrassed or something. She was definitely too tense to be asleep.

  I pressed a peck on the tip of her nose. When that didn’t get a response, I swept her hair away from her neck and nuzzled at that spot that’d made her break out in goosebumps earlier. “Maddie.”

  “Mmmmm?” She hummed in reply, but I could tell without looking that she still had her eyes shut.

  “What’s going on in that computer of a brain you got? You okay? Tired? Angry?”

  “What? No!” She rolled to her back and covered her fac
e with her hands. After a few beats and a chest heaving breath that did amazing things to her tits, she lowered her hands and blinked up at me. “I’m embarrassed.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. You’re you and I’m me and I never thought this would happen and I orgasmed after like a millisecond and I know what happens next but I’m kinda freaking out about it because, like I said, you’re you and I’m me.”

  It all came out of her in one breath, and I had no fucking idea what any of it meant. I’m me and she’s her. What the hell was I supposed to make of that? Damn, it was times like these that I wished I was smarter and not just a mechanic with abs.

  I sat up. “We don’t have to do anything more tonight.”

  I thought that went without saying. I wasn’t going to pressure her for more than she was comfortable with. What the hell kinda guys was she used to dating?

  “But you’re all…” She waved a hand in my direction. “You know.”

  “Hot? Dreamy? Hungry?”

  Her laugh had me smiling in return.

  “No!” She all but wailed. “Hard. Aroused. I’ve had an orgasm and you haven’t. That’s not fair.”

  This was a bizarre conversation. “It’s not like I’m keeping track. Would it make you feel better if I went into the bathroom and rubbed one out?”

  It was mostly a joke, but I’d do it if it made her feel better.

  “Oh my god.” Her hands went back to her face as her shoulders shook.

  I didn’t know if she was laughing or crying since she wasn’t making any sounds. Why did I think this was gonna be easier because of our friendship? Women—no matter how well you thought you knew them—were fucking confusing.

  “Seriously?” Maddie finally dropped her hands from her face, and I saw the smile she’d been hiding. She looked at my confused expression then rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why I thought anything in my life would turn out like I’d dreamed. My apartment is insane. My job is…yeah. Why should this be any different?”

  If anything, I was insulted that she’d compared our first time with her shitty apartment and whatever the hell was going on at work. This was fucking hot sex. She just had an orgasm while I was sitting here hard as a rock. How bad could’ve it have been? What the fuck was I doing wrong? “What did you expect?”