A Friendly Arrangement

  “Somehow I doubt that.” She rubbed her palm against his erection as she slowly lowered his zipper. Every inch of him pulsed in anticipation.

  “My underwear isn’t as sexy as yours.”

  “Says you.” Her husky laughter sent a ripple of heat across his flesh. She flicked her tongue out to lightly graze his cock through his briefs. She glanced up at him, and then she tugged his pants down in one strong yank, taking his boxer briefs along for the ride. Her small gasp sent a dose of pure masculine pride through him. Apparently she liked what she saw.

  “I don’t remember your underwear, but I’m definitely not disappointed…”

  In what seemed to take a lifetime, the tentative pressure from her fingertips grazed down his length, and he lost all ability to think, but when the wet tip of her tongue touched his shaft, he almost fell to the floor.

  His body tensed as he waited for more. He laced his fingers through her hair as she moved her mouth over his cock and slowly introduced herself. Within seconds her tentative touch turned greedy, and she groaned against him, the slight vibration adding another element to his already shaken senses.

  She cupped his balls with her warm hand, squeezing lightly as her tongue approached and then moved back up to the head. The moment she took his tip in her mouth he arched his neck, his back, and pressed his palms against the wall as if that would support him, or at least keep him grounded enough to stay upright.

  His legs shook as she released his shaft and nipped around the edges before taking his full length into her mouth once again.

  He just might die.

  But what a way to go.

  A few more repeats of her hot lips wrapped around his cock and he’d lose it. And he so didn’t want to lose it.

  Yet.

  “S-stop, Holl.”

  But she didn’t listen, instead her mouth moved faster, her head bobbed up and down, her fingers squeezed his balls a little tighter, and her groans increased. She sucked, nipped, and licked her way across his flesh, stamping ownership with her mouth.

  Although he didn’t want to—because her mouth on him felt just way too fucking good—he squirmed out of her grip and lifted her chin with the tip of his finger and then pulled her upright until they stood toe-to-toe.

  “You’re amazing. So hot. I want to…”

  “Fuck me?” she whispered in the sexiest goddamn voice he’d ever heard.

  Shit. He never talked like that to a woman, but Holly made him lose control on so many levels.

  “Don’t look so shocked. It’s not like I haven’t heard or used the word before.” She rubbed up against him.

  He could barely think. “It’s just most women—”

  “Prefer the term ‘making love’? Well, I prefer to keep that word out of it. No sugarcoating needed for me. Let’s keep it what it is. If you feel the need to soften it up, say sex. But, right now, with the way I feel—and the way I think you feel—the word fuck seems to fit the moment. I want it hard, fast, and crazy.”

  “Heaven help me.” She had the looks of the girl next door mixed with a little bit of naughty. Hell, a lot of naughty. Every man’s fantasy. Well, at least yours.

  She stepped back, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she reached for the clasp behind her dress and unfastened it. The silky material slid down her body to pool at her feet.

  Sexy. As. Hell.

  She unclasped her bra and let it fall on top of her dress before sliding her thumbs along the edge of her thong, pulling it lightly, then releasing the flimsy material so it snapped softly against her skin.

  “Do you like my striptease?” She wiggled her hips.

  “No complaints.”

  She held his gaze as she slid the thong down her legs, bending at the waist to let it drop when she reached her calves. Her gorgeous, perfect calves. She stepped out and moved her hands up over her tummy, then her breasts.

  His heart beat so fast, he really thought he might die. But then she smiled, bending to remove her heels, and he put up his hand. If she was going to be his fantasy, he might as well go for broke.

  “Leave them on.”

  One fine eyebrow rose, and she grinned. A dirty grin that sent his heart racing. “Hmm. I like how your mind works.”

  “Ditto.”

  He kicked off his shoes, pants, and underwear already gathered at his ankles. Then he tugged Holly up to his chest with a solid thud. “Have I told you how beautiful you are? Because if I haven’t I should be shot.”

  He claimed her mouth mid-laugh and lifted her into his arms. She squealed, and the sound rushed through him, making him feel protective and powerful at the same time.

  “I love the caveman approach, Roth. I never knew.”

  “I think tonight we’re going to surprise each other.”

  She squealed again as he tossed her onto the mattress. Her breasts gave a very rewarding bounce. He joined her in one fluid movement and took her into his arms. The feel of her naked flesh against his felt better than he’d anticipated. He felt drunk, or as if he were having an out-of-body experience as his fingers slid over Holly’s flesh. He deepened their kiss and forced her head back onto the pillow. She wrapped one smooth leg around the back of both of his and pulled him close.

  He shifted so that she lay beneath him, and she purred as she opened her mouth, drawing him in.

  “You have a beautiful mouth.”

  “I feel beautiful when you kiss me,” she said breathlessly.

  The feel of her breasts against his chest, the soft skin of her belly, and the insides of her thighs wrapped around him drove him insane. But when she arched up and her moist heat met with his cock he almost came unglued.

  “God, Holly…”

  “Tell me you want to fuck me.”

  He grunted, but although he was half out of his head with desire, and he’d fantasized about being able to talk like that with a woman, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Not with Holly. So instead he answered the pleading look in her eyes by taking her lips and showing her with his kiss just how much he wanted her.

  Holly yawned, arched, and stretched, wiggling her fingers and toes. She felt sore but satisfied. She tingled all over, because last night Roth had awakened parts of her body that nobody else had ever found.

  She smiled to herself and then opened her eyes as he came out of the bathroom, a hotel towel wrapped around his lean hips. He looked amazing—all shiny from his shower, and muscular, and deliciously tempting. Although the towel covered him, it still managed to show off the package between his legs. He was a lucky man. And she definitely was a lucky woman. Her eyes took a slow walk north, and the smile on his face sent frissons of heat through her belly, but his eyes held something else. It was as if he saw her for the first time.

  Hell, he probably had. More than likely she’d surprised him last night with her sailor talk and maybe some of the things she’d done and asked him to do. Heat scorched her face, and she turned away, embarrassed for herself. For him.

  What must he think?

  They’d always been up-front and honest with each other, but never on such an intimate level. She felt naked on the inside and the outside, and she didn’t know how to handle it.

  He stopped at the edge of the bed, leaned forward, and gently lifted her face with his finger so he could give her a kiss. A lingering kiss that sent another swoop of heat circling low in her belly. He trailed his finger down her jaw as he pulled away.

  “Good morning, lover.”

  She released the breath she didn’t know she’d even held, warmth from his words spearing her heart. “I’m glad I didn’t scare you away last night. I know sometimes my mouth doesn’t quite go with my face.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, you surprised me, but in a good way. Who knew little Holly Haggerty talks like a trucker?”

  “I thought I talked like a sailor. Are you saying I fuck like a sailor?”

  She giggled at his wide-eyed look of surprise.

  “You just keep going fo
r the shock factor, don’t you?”

  “Guilty as charged. I kind of like your reaction.”

  “I kind of like you.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and gave her another quick kiss.

  Her body heated. His words felt good. “I know last night I got a little carried away. You had me so…well, horny, I didn’t know what the heck I was saying.” That’s an understatement. “Not that I’m a prude, but I’ve never acted quite like that before.”

  He brushed the smaller towel in his hand over his head, wiping away more of the water dripping from his hair. “Then I’m honored you saved it for me. It was another side of you I’ve never seen, or expected, and it was a major turn-on.”

  “Good. I wasn’t sure, since you didn’t reciprocate.” She tugged at the edge of the sheet.

  “You have no idea how much I wanted to. I just couldn’t.”

  “Why?” She gripped the sheet so tightly the tips of her fingers grew white.

  The room went still, and she sobered as Roth stepped into a fresh pair of briefs and ran a brush through his hair.

  “I couldn’t bring myself to talk like that to you. Isn’t that crazy?” He turned away from her, but she caught him gauging her reaction in the mirror.

  Her heart melted a little more at his words and actions. She loved how he’d bared his feelings. Somehow it made her brazen actions of last night a little easier to accept. If she believed in romance and all that gooey stuff, this moment would rank right up there.

  His words also kind of sealed the deal. After last night, one tumble between the sheets wouldn’t be enough. They needed to up the ante on their arrangement. And pronto. Watching him as he dried his hair, slid on his briefs—hell, just the way he moved—made her body ache for more. And that damn tattoo. The ink filled his back, and every time his muscles flexed it drew her eyes to the intricate design.

  “Your tattoo is so sexy. It moves along with you, in perfect tune.” Her fingers itched to trace the pattern. To feel his muscles beneath her fingers. Again.

  “A friend from college designed it for me. The moment I saw her drawing, I knew I wanted it as a tattoo.”

  Not usually the jealous type, a stab of something that must be jealousy pierced through her. Was his friend from college more of a friend, as in maybe a girlfriend? And why the heck should she even care? It’s not like she didn’t know Roth had women in his past. Lots of them. But for some reason, the idea of one being so special as to have a permanent reminder of her work plastered on his back kind of tortured her. And that in itself was crazy. Just because she and Roth had sex didn’t mean she had some special rights to him.

  Twenty-four hours ago she’d have asked outright about his relationship with the tattoo designer, but now that they’d had sex the question might come off a bit…stalkerish? Possessive? Presumptuous?

  If he had feelings for this woman, wouldn’t he have told her at one point over the years?

  “Did you want to head downstairs and meet everyone for breakfast?” He grabbed a fresh shirt from the closet and slipped into it, leaving the buttons undone.

  Her stomach growled on cue. Although she could go for a couple of eggs and toast, she wanted to talk to Roth before they left. Otherwise it’d eat at her the entire time.

  “Breakfast sounds good. But could we talk first?” She pushed herself up so that her back rested against the headboard. Their eyes met in the mirror.

  “Is this the part where you tell me you were drunk and last night shouldn’t have happened? Because I hate to break it to you, but you weren’t drunk.”

  She couldn’t help grinning. “No—”

  “Or you really were disappointed and now you have to let me down easy so our friendship will remain intact? Please don’t tell me I’m your rebound.” His eyes danced with mischief.

  “Disappointed? Not quite.” She highly doubted he’d ever disappointed any woman when it came to sex.

  He put his brush on the dresser and turned toward her, crossing his arms as he rested his backside on the mirrored bureau. His shirt hung open, and the view of his chest teased her. How come he looked sexier now with the shirt hiding some of his muscles than when he’d walked out minutes ago bare-chested?

  “Okay. Shoot.”

  A smidgeon of panic gripped her. What she had to say was kind of awkward, but it shouldn’t be. Not after last night. “I had never planned on acting on our mutual attraction, although I’d thought about it. Actually, lately, I’ve fantasized about it quite a bit.” Her laugh came out nervous and tinny. “But last night…last night…”

  His gorgeous smile lit his even more gorgeous eyes, and a new round of desire sent a wave of heat straight to the spot between her legs. She adjusted her position, more to alleviate the sensation than anything else.

  Concentrate, Holly.

  “I never wanted to jeopardize our friendship. The wonderful relationship we already have. But…” Holly could swear like a sailor all night long, but she couldn’t ask him if he wanted to add an addendum to their arrangement? She really did have issues.

  “But?” His face sobered.

  “I think—and this is just an idea, so feel free to shoot me down—that we should add an addendum to our arrangement. A friends with benefits clause that will perk up our little dating agreement with a mutually satisfying physical one, too. I mean, I think it was mutually satisfying. At least it was for me. I’m not sure how—”

  “You’re rambling again, Holl.”

  She took a breath. Her words were coming out of her mouth quicker than she could think.

  “I know.” Heat rushed across her face, and she only now realized the bedding lay bunched and belted around her waist. She grabbed at the sheet and pulled it up to cover her chest.

  He grinned. “You’re not hiding anything from me that I haven’t already seen, tasted, smelled, and touched.”

  And a few other things she probably couldn’t put a name to. She tossed a bed pillow at him, but he caught it one-handed before it had a chance to connect with his head. “Jerk.”

  He laughed and tossed the pillow back at her, and she grabbed it mid-air, shoving it behind her back. She shifted against the headboard, stripping him slowly with her eyes. Damn he was gorgeous. Even more so since last night.

  “After what went down in this room, I don’t see how we can’t change the terms of our arrangement. I, for one, definitely want a repeat.” His bold glare held her prisoner.

  “Me, too.” Her body tingled at his words. He wanted her. She wanted him. What better arrangement could they have? “It’s not like we haven’t both thought about it before. I mean…”

  “I know I’ve thought about it.”

  Now that we acted on it, why not do it again? And again, and again to infinity.

  He walked to the edge of the bed and swept his mouth over hers. Light and gentle at first, then more intense and demanding as he forced her lips apart and brushed his tongue against hers. He pulled back, searching her face with a boldness that took her breath away.

  “I like your contrast. All shy and demure this morning, and a wild woman last night. A bona fide—”

  “Sex kitten?”

  He nodded, a slow smile taking over his face. “I like that, Wonderful Woman. You are definitely a sex kitten, with claws.” He ran his hand over his shoulder where several red marks marred his skin.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I wear them proudly.”

  “Isn’t that a little chauvinistic on your part?”

  “Not at all. I like reliving last night, and these are the perfect reminders.” He trailed his finger along her jaw.

  She took his hand, squeezing his fingers. He could distract her way too easily, and she wasn’t finished yet. “I think we need to establish a few rules since we’ve changed the game.”

  He folded his arms over his chest and grinned. “Why am I not surprised?”

  She licked her lips, shifting her position in the bed so she sat up higher. “One. Da
ting and sex are exclusive. Although after last night you might think I’m a little more promiscuous than you thought, I’m not. I’ve only been with three guys in my entire life, and I never overlap.” How come she felt so self-conscious with her confession? And how come she always went off into a ramble?

  “You prefer one relationship at a time. I’m the same.”

  His confession surprised her. Whenever they went out, women practically knocked themselves out trying to get him to notice them. He could be a total player if he wanted. Of course, she’d never seen evidence of it, but he could be a closet player. Right?

  “Good. Although I’d prefer you use another word besides relationship.” She hugged herself. That word always made her uncomfortable. “This isn’t really a relationship, more of an arrangement.”

  “Whatever makes you sleep at night.”

  “Which brings me to rule number two, because after last night we both have to realize there’s no sleeping when we’re in the same bed all night.”

  His deep laughter hit her straight in the gut. “What’s rule two?”

  Holly cleared her throat as she ticked off her second finger. “Two, no slumber parties.”

  “A little late for that.”

  “We can’t avoid last night, but from this point forward, once we get back home, we avoid sleepovers at all costs.”

  He bobbed his head slowly. “Okay.” He dragged the word out. “I don’t believe you’re that concerned about lack of sleep. So, why?”

  “It just adds another level of intimacy that I think we should avoid.” She’d never allowed sleepovers and didn’t want to change her ways now. Not even for Roth. “It shouldn’t be a big deal, either way. It’s not like one of us has a long drive home.”

  “Fine. I’m good with your rules.”

  “Do you have anything you want to add?”

  He studied her for a minute, then shook his head. “Can’t think of anything.”

  “Okay. I have one more. Three. We have to remember this part of our relation—arrangement—is built entirely on convenience. Neither of us wants anything that involves commitment—”

  He joined her by sitting on the side of the bed. “Are you worried I’ll throw a wrench in things like Clark?”