No Promises Required

by Cari Quinn

  Before he had a chance to see what she was talking about, she’d scrambled out from under him and rushed across the room to her dresser. She grabbed something pink and cylindrical and shoved it in a drawer.

  Hmm. He wasn’t sure what he’d just seen, but he had a pretty good idea. He’d definitely investigate the contents of that drawer later.

  After turning back to him, she clasped her hands behind her back in her best imitation of a misbehaving schoolgirl. Add in the corset and the silky black stockings, and he was toast.

  “Where were we?” she purred.

  He rose and walked toward her, taking his time. Making her sweat it out. He reached up to caress her cheek, mesmerized by its silky softness. He grabbed a handful of her long hair and tugged her head back, pleased when her pout gave way to a moan. “You’re going to be glad I negotiated for a longer duration by the time I’m done with you.”

  He didn’t know where the words came from, because he wasn’t the kind of guy who angled for more with a woman. Ever. The revolving door had always suited him perfectly.

  But Jill was proving to be different in every way.

  …

  Jill didn’t balk when he picked her up this time, probably because he didn’t tote her over his shoulder like a child. He caught her beneath the knees and back and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently. On her back beneath him, she stared up into his grass-green eyes, wondering how she could feel dizzier in this position than she had upright.

  “Where are your condoms?” he rasped, shifting away. She still had time to feel the massive wood he was sporting. Massive wood that would soon be inside her.

  Again.

  “In the cabinet under the bathroom sink.”

  Once he’d disappeared into the bathroom, she struggled to get her heartbeat under control. What was she thinking by agreeing to more? He obviously didn’t truly want to, he was just feeling guilty about the virgin thing. She should’ve made him finish in the kitchen.

  Right. Like she could make him do anything. Bryan did what he wanted, when he wanted. Always. She admired his single-minded focus on his career and, well…himself, though she knew that was one more reason he was bad for her. Her mother had loved and married a man like that, Jill’s father, and she’d ended up dying alone.

  Not her. Never her. Multi-night stands withstanding.

  Bryan swaggered back into the bedroom, completely at ease with his nudity. Her gaze darted from the washcloth in his hand to his latex-covered hard-on. Whoa. “Has it grown?”

  She didn’t expect him to chuckle as he dragged her to the edge of the bed. “Sure has, darlin’. Open up these pretty knees for me.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Shh. Just relax.” He smoothed the warm wet cloth over her folds and offered her a crooked smile as she released a soft moan. “A bit sore, huh?”

  How embarrassing that she was. That he knew she was. But that probably was him ego-stroking himself about his enormous member, so she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  She jerked a shoulder. “I’m fine, thanks.” She swallowed another moan as he rubbed the washcloth over her clit.

  “Sure about that? Maybe I should test and see.” He eased a finger into her and flexed it, gauging her reaction. “Mmm, you feel so much better than fine to me.”

  Her face flooded with heat, and she fought not to squirm as he removed his hand and gave her a few more casual passes with the washcloth. The warmth on her tender flesh felt so nice that she couldn’t even pretend to not appreciate the extra care he took. “Thank you,” she said as he rose to take the washcloth in the other room.

  “No problem.” He came back to the bed and gestured. “Sit up.” Once she’d obliged him, he sat behind her to undo the laces of her corset with deft fingers. As the bodice dipped, she clutched it to her chest and shut her eyes.

  He didn’t chastise or tease or demand, just eased her hands away so he could cup first one breast, then the other, gently flicking their tips.

  “Beautiful,” he said.

  He drew the fabric away from her body and moved on to her panties, sliding them down her legs. “Now lie back for me, sweetheart.”

  She couldn’t do anything else. Not when his voice was so rich and his molten gaze stirred things to life inside her she’d begun to believe she would never feel. But here he was, offering them to her, if only she had the nerve to reach.

  Lifting her hand to him, she reclined against the pillows and inched open her legs again. Each time was a bit easier. He took in an uneven breath before he laced his fingers with hers and somehow fit his big body between her thighs on the narrow bed. Then he worked his way down, his mouth sparking tiny fires on her breasts and belly, his palm pressing her fingers into the mattress to hold her still when she would’ve tried to escape.

  She knew where he was headed. The intimacy of that act still freaked her out, and lying before him, naked and vulnerable, made it even worse.

  He would make her scream. Own her, just as he’d said.

  The appreciative sound he made in his throat caused her to shiver again. “You need this, don’t you? Just this.”

  “Yes,” she whispered as he slid his tongue down her slit. She was still sensitive, but his tongue coaxed her desire back to the forefront. When he added a single finger, working it in and out of her passage while he licked her clit, she closed her eyes and gave in. There was no running from this. She wouldn’t try. Couldn’t if she wanted to. It was a freight train bearing down on her, fast, unstoppable—

  The first orgasm punched through her system, leaving her shuddering against her dark sheets. She clutched the bedding in her free hand, hips still pumping, wordlessly rising to meet his erotic kisses. He released her other hand, and she drove it into his hair, cupping him against her as he slipped a second finger into her still-pulsing sex. He sealed his lips around her clit and sucked so hard that rockets exploded behind her eyes, better than any Independence Day.

  This was hers. Virgin be gone. Halle-freaking-lujah.

  “I know there’s more where that came from.” He spread her thighs open, fastening his mouth to her without shame. He licked her, fingers on a mission inside her, crooking upward, seeking that secret spot he’d exploited so thoroughly earlier. “You’re not going to hold back on me. I’ll eat you all night if I have to.” He nipped her lower stomach, and she jolted, stunned at how the flash of pain only stoked the fire higher. “I’ll never fucking stop.”

  She believed him. Oh, did she. He sucked on her lower lips, pulling at the swollen flesh, using the thumb of his other hand to torment her overloaded clit. She twitched and moaned, caught between wishing he’d relent and desperate that he wouldn’t. Dying by orgasm would make for one hell of an obituary.

  “Bry,” she gasped, flexing against his relentless mouth.

  “Yes, baby.” He eased his strokes, making her sob in frustration until his thumb circled just right and he drove his fingers deep. “I love you like this. Wet and open, just for me. Let me taste all of you.”

  She buried her face in the nearest pillow and screamed at the spasms rolling through her body. He continued nuzzling her as she came, his tongue nursing her through the contractions. Her trembling went on and on, and he didn’t cease. And neither did she.

  By the time he climbed up to kiss her, she was adrift on the closest thing to euphoria she’d ever known. He turned his head to laugh into her hair, but it didn’t feel like he was making fun. More like he was delighted.

  She totally understood. She could’ve levitated on the power of her afterglow alone.

  Eyes still closed, she walked her fingers through the smattering of hair on his chest. She’d barely had time to appreciate it before she’d glimpsed his sword of doom. Or glory.

  Definitely glory.

  “You okay?” He kissed the side of her neck, his teeth grazing her skin. Always edging their pleasure with a hint of pain. She had no complaints. She might never complain again, ever.

/>   “So okay. You really are a champion p—” Catching herself, her eyes flew open, and she found him studying her with a lazy smile. “Nothing. Never mind.”

  “Aww, say it. Maybe something starting with p? So many of my favorite words start with that letter. Pizza. Porsche.” He bit her earlobe. “Pussy.”

  She hated that she startled. Hated more that he chuckled until that laughing mouth closed over hers. His kisses drugged her, carrying her along on his amusement and the heat still humming through her body. It was so easy to twine her arms around his neck and open up to him in every way. Mouth, legs, even heart. Just for a moment.

  Just for tonight.

  His erection brushed her mound, and then lower, lower. He rubbed against her, encouraging her to arch into his movements. Relaxing her so that when he stopped teasing and slid the tip of his cock inside, she didn’t make a noise. Barely felt a sting. But God, the fullness of him. So incredible. Even though they’d done this once already, this time was different.

  She finally knew.

  Her gaze locked on his as he inched in farther, going slowly enough to drive her mad. That infuriating self-satisfied smile on his face grew until he’d seated himself deep, and then he bent his head to tongue her needy nipple, never shifting his focus from her face. She burned everywhere from his touch, his looks, his strokes. He encompassed her so completely that she basked in his attention, a plant leaning toward denied sunlight.

  “Good?” he asked, and she could only nod, trapped in the green glass of his gaze. It was like being inside a prism, all color and light, while he glided in and out of her, pulling moans from her throat. She gripped his side, grinding into his thrusts, thrilled beyond measure when he hiked up her leg and used it as a lever to power deeper, faster.

  She was breaking open, the glass shattering, shooting shards everywhere. She cried out, straining to match his pace, blinking away the sweat that dripped into her eyes. Seeing him finish seemed vital, and she fought to maintain their eye contact.

  Not yet. She needed more.

  Then his thumb found her clit again, and she went spiraling, lost in his eyes and the needs she’d freed. A cry of triumph burst from her when he surged home and finally claimed his own release with her name on his tongue. He impaled her with his driving thrusts, and she couldn’t get enough.

  “Jill,” he moaned. Just Jill, over and over until he collapsed on top of her.

  Grinning, she closed her eyes. Goodbye, virginity. Hello, whole new world.

  Chapter Five

  Jill woke up sore and feeling like she was hungover. Did sex hangovers exist? She grinned and threw her arms wide. She’d be happy to take more of the hair of the dog for her cure.

  Leaning up on her elbow, she looked around her deserted bedroom and tried to stifle the disappointment. No Bryan.

  “Hey there sunshine.” The sound of his voice made her startle enough to drop the sheet she’d clutched to her chest. From his position in the bathroom doorway, he raised a brow. He just happened to be naked, with his glorious abs on full display. Hell, glorious everything. “Don’t hide those beautiful babies on my account. I’m on my way out.”

  “Oh.” Of course he was. Because swaggering men used to adoring audiences never lingered for long. Like her father. He’d been a singer who’d chosen to do gigs all over the country for pennies rather than spend time with Jill and her mom. She understood having a dream, and she admired him for going after it, but she’d always felt like she was not quite enough to interest him in staying home.

  As for interesting Bryan beyond horniness? She didn’t have any illusions there. She was shocked he’d even stuck around until morning. Was it guilt? Or was he simply fascinated by the oddity of her inexperience? She doubted he encountered many women like her among the starlets and famous types he normally hung around with.

  Behold the virgin, nearly as rare as the albino deer. Tread gently. They spook easy.

  “I have an early-morning training session with my—” He broke off and held up a pink razor that looked like hers. “I have to work out. Anyway, sorry, I used the last one of these. I’ll buy you more.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Condoms aren’t the only thing I buy in bulk. There’s a new box of razors under the sink.” She tried not to ogle his newly clean-shaven jaw. She enjoyed scruff on a man as much as any red-blooded female, but Bryan definitely rocked the so-not-a-Boy-Scout look. “You train early on Saturday?”

  “I train seven days a week. Football isn’t for pussies.”

  Instead of holding the sheet to her chest, she grabbed a pillow and rolled onto her belly. Only when his eyes fired with interest did she realize she’d exposed her bare butt. But she’d be damned if she blushed and covered up. She was trying on a new persona as an adventurous wild woman, right? So she hadn’t made it all the way there yet. Baby steps were good.

  “I understand. Vic and I do yoga four times a week, and I’m only in training to be a sex goddess.” She gave him a bright smile and tossed back her hair.

  “Judging from the size of that condom box, I’d say you’ve come equipped for the job.” He grinned and crossed to the bed, catching her chin in his big hand and drawing her mouth to his for a minty kiss heavy on tongue. When he drew back, he licked his lips and let his gaze wander avidly over her bare backside. “So, five dates. You game?”

  “Wait…you were serious about that?”

  “You bet your naked ass.”

  Well that was a surprise. She figured he’d said that to smooth things over.

  Five wasn’t too many, especially since he agreed about discretion. No one would know, and she could have all of the sex.

  She nodded enthusiastically before she could think it through any longer. Thinking was for the birds who weren’t getting their feathers fluffed. “Sure,” she said, impressed by how nonchalant she sounded. “Why not?”

  “Good.” He smiled. “When are you free?”

  Not are you free, but when. Bryan Townsend wasn’t a man easily denied. These discreet dates she’d agreed to pretty much guaranteed that she wouldn’t be left to deal with the questions after he’d gone back to his golden life, and he wouldn’t be left dealing with his sister. Heck, sneaking around like teenagers might even be kind of exciting.

  “Monday night could work. My Algebra class was cancelled for this week.” See, she was casual as could be.

  “You’re in college?”

  “More like pre-college. I’m catching up on some basic requirements before I start Vet-Tech school in the fall. Right now I’m working part-time at the Haven Cat Rescue to earn credits.”

  His brow furrowed. Amazing that she even noticed when the dude was standing there with his impressive schlong about eight inches from her face. “You work for Vic, too, right? Interior designing or whatnot?”

  She nodded. “Lots of whatnot. I considered making that my major, but those scholarships are hard to get.”

  His grin took her off-guard. “No wonder you didn’t want to spend time with me. You don’t have any. School, two jobs, all that sex goddess training…” He leaned down to brush his mouth over the top of her head. “Though I think you’re well on your way there.”

  “Well, I don’t want the condoms to go to waste,” she muttered as he retreated into the bathroom.

  The next time he emerged, he was fully dressed—dammit—and smelling sinfully minty and fresh. His wet hair skimmed the collar of his shirt, which increased the green of his eyes to stun-level. “Oh, they won’t,” he murmured, dropping another quick kiss on her hair as he passed.

  It took her a second to get his meaning, though when she did—oh, right, not letting the condoms go to waste—she had to bite the pillow to keep from making an inappropriate comment. Like, hey, feel like swinging into an open bay right now?

  “Monday night,” he said meaningfully, rapping the wood above her bedroom doorframe. How easily he reached that high wasn’t even sexy. She swore it wasn’t. “Be ready for me.”

  �
�Don’t think that’ll be a problem,” she said under her breath. Heck, she was ready right now.

  “See you.” He flashed her that killer smile. “Don’t work yourself too hard. Leave that up to me.”

  “See you,” she echoed weakly.

  She dropped back into her thoroughly mussed bedding and stretched her arms over her head. She had to admit the possibility of more sex worked for her. Seriously worked.

  Rising, she pressed her thighs together and winced. Maybe it was just as well that he’d taken his big, hungry toy and gone home. Her toolbox needed a rest.

  Later that afternoon, she headed out to her shift at the shelter. Halfway to the lot, she realized her car was still parked at Triple Threat. Lovely.

  Then she noticed her vehicle tucked in a corner spot. What the hell? She opened her purse and found her keys and the folded paper beneath them. Bryan’s cramped handwriting filled the page.

  Yeah, I went in your purse to borrow your keys. Yeah, I drove your car back here without your permission. Sue me. Ever heard that phrase drive it like you stole it? Guess I’m still high on the thrill of stealing you for a night. And driving you.

  She couldn’t help but blush, and she couldn’t fight the smile that cracked her cheeks as she texted him a quick thank you.

  So Bryan Townsend could occasionally be sweet. Who’d’ve thunk it?

  …

  Sunday meant studying and another shift at the shelter. By the time Monday rolled around, she’d stopped thinking about Bryan every minute. Mature, sex-having woman that she was, she’d moved on to dwelling on him every other minute.

  And if so much as her toes flushed when she laid eyes on Bry’s sister as she walked into Vic’s home-based interior design studio, she was certain it was only because she was overtired. She wasn’t embarrassed by the fact that she’d had intercourse with her best friend’s brother. That would be ridiculous, especially for a liberated, independent woman of the world like herself.

  “Whoa.” Vic turned her cell toward her shoulder. “You did it!”