by Tawna Fenske
Her hips seemed to be moving all on their own, taking what she craved, what she needed. She ground harder against him as the pleasure mounted. Ty threaded his fingers into her hair and pulled her down for a kiss.
“That’s it, El,” he whispered. “Use me.”
She rocked against him as flickers of light danced behind her eyelids. It was ridiculous how fast this was happening, but she didn’t object. She cried out as the first wave of orgasm hit her.
“Oh, God!” she screamed, thankful her brother didn’t live next door anymore. Not that there was any way to contain it, so intense was the pleasure that blared through her body. “Ohmygod, Ty.”
The intensity was unreal, pulsing through her whole core as she ground against him. Her brain flashed on images of the Happy Jammer vibe, the one that claimed to hit the G-spot and clitoris at the same time.
Happy Jammer has nothing on this man, she thought as thick threads of pleasure spun through her, twirling and twisting and knotting up tight before releasing in a burst of color and friction.
When the sensation finally ebbed, she rocked her hips more slowly, then stopped altogether. She opened her eyes.
Ty grinned. “That was impressive.”
Her lips tugged up. “I’m not usually that fast.”
He laughed and stroked a palm over her breast, making her shudder. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
Still grinning, he dipped his head to kiss the underside of her breast. “Actually, I don’t think I get much credit for that,” he said. “That was all you, Ellie.”
“It’s, uh—been a while.”
“You’re very responsive,” he said, curling his tongue around her nipple to make her shudder.
Ellie grinned and shifted on his lap. He was still rock hard and still deep inside her. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t come yet.
“Want to slow things down a little for round two?” she murmured, rocking her hips just a little.
Ty laughed and moved his attention to her other breast. “You sure you don’t need a second to rest?”
“No. I don’t want to rest.”
Heat flashed in his eyes, and he nodded once. “A woman who knows what she wants.”
Before Ellie said anything, he slid an arm around her waist, gathering her against him. Then he lifted her up, sliding them both to the floor so he was on top of her.
She tilted her head back, marveling at the well-muscled arms on either side of her head, at the weight of his body pinning her to the carpet. At the fact that he’d somehow stayed nestled inside her.
She arched up, signaling her readiness for more.
Ty laughed and eased back, then slid deep again. “You’re amazing,” he breathed, drawing back only to slide back in. “And you feel so good.”
Ellie moaned and tilted her hips, amazed at how incredible he felt. The firmness of the floor, the hardness between her legs, everything about it was a delicious contrast to the soft heat inside her. She gasped as he drew back again then drove into her hard. She clawed at his back, spurring him on.
“Fuck, Ellie,” he groaned. “You’re driving me crazy.”
His words rippled through her, morphing her into a sex goddess. That was new. Selling Madame Butterfly had empowered her, equipped her with a sexual knowledge she’d never had before. But putting it into practice, experiencing it with a man who triggered every last nerve in her body—that was something else entirely.
The sensation was building again, and Ellie wondered if he was close, too. His pace quickened, his breath was growing ragged. He slowed his movements, buying time. Hesitating.
She dug her heels into the back of his thighs. “Don’t stop.”
“El,” he gasped. “If I don’t slow down, I’m going to—”
“Do it!” she cried, amazed by her own boldness. “Please, Ty.”
He hesitated only a second before complying, slamming into her again. His hips moved with shocking strength, driving in hard and deep. Ellie rose to meet him.
“That’s it,” she whispered. “Please. I’m close, too.”
That’s all it took to tip them both over the edge. He gave a low growl in the back of his throat and plunged in hard, hitting that spot again and again as he pulsed inside her.
“Ellie,” he groaned, his weight pressing her shoulder blades into the carpet. The rawness of that friction, the pulsing of heat inside her, the echo of his pleasure in her ears, ripped through her whole body, triggering one mind-blowing tremor after another until they both lay spent on her living room floor.
When they caught their breath, Ty rolled to one side and lay panting next to her. Ellie curled against him, warming as he slid an arm around her and pulled her to his chest.
“That was incredible,” he said.
Ellie smiled to herself, giddy at what had just happened—thrilled by her own pleasure and that she’d managed to please him.
Sex goddess indeed.
She giggled, making Ty turn to look at her.
“Should I be offended that you’re laughing after sex?”
Shaking her head, she leaned close and planted a kiss along his stubbled jaw. “Definitely not. I’m just happy.”
“Me, too.” He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. Ellie snuggled against him and rested the heel of her hand on his chest.
“I have a confession,” she whispered. “That was my first casual hookup.”
“Ever?”
“Yep.” She smoothed her palm around his chest, making lazy circles over his heart. “I’ve never slept with anyone who wasn’t a boyfriend or husband or something.”
“Huh.” There was a note of warmth in that single syllable, something that sounded almost like pride. “I’m honored.”
Ellie giggled. “You should be.”
“So, was it everything you expected?”
She nodded slowly, considering how she felt. Dreamy. Tingly. Mind-numbingly satisfied. “Yes,” she said. “I loved it.”
“Good.” He pulled her closer, his face still buried in her hair as her fingers caressed his nipple. “Me, too.”
She didn’t say anything after that, content to stroke his chest as she savored the contours of his pecs, his abdomen, his ribs, then moved back over his heart. Her pulse still thudded in her ears as she circled her palm over the middle of his chest.
You stay out of this, she thought, not sure whether she was talking to his heart or hers.
Chapter Nine
Ty woke with a start the next morning, mild alarm washing through him as he noticed he wasn’t in his own bed.
The panic abated the moment he realized where he was.
“Morning,” Ellie said, giving him a sleepy smile as she propped herself on one arm beside him. Her hair was rumpled, her cheek was pillow-creased, and she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Morning,” Ty murmured, wanting her all over again.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Great,” he said, surprised to realize it was true. He’d spent the whole night in her bed, which was rare for him. Sleepovers were not his thing. They made him edgy and restless.
Besides, spending the night at someone’s house tended to spell “relationship” instead of “casual fling.”
But as Ellie shifted under the covers and revealed a swath of skin at the top of one breast, Ty reconsidered his objections.
“Thanks for last night,” Ellie said. “I had fun.”
“Fun,” Ty repeated cautiously, watching her face for signs that last night had meant more to her than that. Was she still okay with the casual-sex agreement they’d made?
Was he?
Of course, you idiot, he told himself, annoyed that his brain would even toy with the possibility of more. Not even with someone as amazing as Ellie.
“Last night was terrific,” he said. “We should do it again sometime.”
“For sure!”
Was he imagining things, or were they tr
ying way too hard to sound breezy and casual? As Ellie sat up and slipped out of bed, Ty’s imagination took a completely different turn. He admired her bare back, appreciating the curve of her breast as she moved through the doorframe and padded naked out the door. She returned seconds later, cinching the silky pink robe around her. His dick went hard under the covers, and he shifted the blankets around him so she wouldn’t notice.
She wasn’t meeting his eyes.
“So, Henry should be home around noon,” Ellie said in a cheerfully casual tone that seemed forced. “I suppose we should get cleaned up and, uh…”
Ty sat up in bed. “I’ll be out of here way before that.”
Ellie sat down on the edge of the bed. “You don’t have to run off. I was just letting you know so we wouldn’t get carried away again.”
She fidgeted with the sash on her robe, and he wondered what she was thinking. Did she have any regrets?
The sex had been amazing, no doubt. But so had everything that came after—dishing up fragrant helpings of salmon chowder to eat in bed, laughing together as they mopped the empty bowls with thick slabs of homemade sourdough. They’d snuggled and talked and then set the bowls aside to devour each other again.
It was a great night.
It was the best damn date of his life. Even without the sex, he would have thought so. Spending time with Ellie was like nothing he’d experienced before.
Ellie smiled, and the beauty of that simple gesture made his chest ache.
Dumbass. Don’t fall for her.
Ty cleared his throat. “You doing okay?”
Ellie nodded and tossed her hair, still fiddling with the robe sash. “I’m great! You?”
“Never better. I just wanted to make sure you’re still good with…well, this.”
The words sounded lame once he’d said them out loud, but as relief lit her face, he knew they were exactly the right thing. She sat down on the edge of the bed, close, but not touching him. When she met his eyes, her sweetness took his breath away.
“I think so,” she said slowly. “This is new to me, you know?”
“Sex without a relationship?”
“Exactly. I’m sitting here thinking I want to jump you again—”
“By all means,” Ty offered. His dick throbbed.
Ellie laughed and kept going. “But I’m also thinking this is all sort of strange. Like I’m not sure how to act around you. Do we snuggle, or is that too relationshippy? Do we spend time together outside the bedroom, or is this just a sex thing? Or right now—do I get up and make you breakfast, or shoo you out of my house so I can tidy up before my family comes home?”
The raw honesty in her words filled him with warmth, and he took a moment to savor that before answering. “You definitely don’t have to make me breakfast,” he said. “That much I can answer. As for the rest of it, let’s go with what feels right.”
She gave him an uncertain look, and Ty scooted down on the bed to place a hand on her knee. “You’re nervous about Henry coming home, so you probably want a little space and downtime to get ready. Am I right?”
Ellie nodded, relieved. “Yes. Exactly.”
“But you think it’s rude to shove me out of the house before I have my pants on, and you’re also not sure about the etiquette involved in hookups.”
“Yes,” she said, flashing him a grateful smile. “That’s exactly right.”
“Fuck the etiquette,” he said. “It’s our hookup. We make the rules.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I like spending time with you, Ellie. Not just the sex, but talking, eating—hell, fixing your sink.”
“I like spending time with you, too.” She smiled, and Ty’s chest tightened. “I like the idea of hanging out with you sometimes. Outside the bedroom, I mean.”
“That sounds great,” he said. “We’re on the same page, then.”
“But I’m also used to having my own space,” she said. “And it feels a little odd to wake up with a naked man in my house.”
Ty grinned, touched by her honesty. “Ellie, you can ask for what you want. If you want space, ask for space. If you want to know what I’m thinking, ask what I’m thinking.”
“I do want to know what you’re thinking,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. “But I also kinda want to have you again. Just once more.”
“Once,” he repeated, trying not to let the dismay show on his face. “So, you’re thinking of this as a one-time hookup?”
Ellie blinked then shook her head “No!” Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. “I meant once more this morning. Like—before my family comes home. After that—um—well. How about we just see?”
Ty laughed, still reeling from the surge of unexpected emotion. Still shocked to discover how much it stung in those five seconds he thought he might never get to have Ellie again.
He didn’t like it one bit.
But he did like the way Ellie was looking at him now, with heat and desire and warmth flooding those bright blue eyes. Ty held out his hand and smiled. “Come here,” he said, relieved when she put her hand in his without question. “Now that we’ve established the terms of our hookup, let’s see how we do with the quickie.”
Ellie laughed and let him pull her back down onto the bed, curving her body against his like she belonged there.
It took everything he had to convince his heart not to believe that.
…
Two hours later, Ty was home watching football and eating Doritos straight from the bag. They tasted stale and chalky, nothing at all like the homemade waffles and bacon Ellie had insisted on feeding him before he’d left her house just before eleven.
They’d said good-bye on her porch with a hug that warmed him to the core and a kiss that tasted faintly of maple syrup.
“Let’s do this again sometime,” Ty had murmured into her hair.
“Definitely.”
Neither of them had named a date.
When his phone buzzed on the couch beside him, a jolt of excitement hit him in the gut. Maybe it was Ellie. Maybe she wanted to meet for lunch or set a date for later in the week.
He glanced at the readout on his phone and tried not to be disappointed at the sight of his sister’s name.
“Hey, Anna,” he said. “Sorry I haven’t emailed back. Work’s been crazy.”
“No problem.” Her voice was cheerful and much more understanding than he deserved. “Did you have a chance to figure out if any of those dates will work for you? To meet Martin, I mean.”
“Right, yes.” He tried to remember the dates she’d listed, pretty sure the next week was wide open. “I was thinking next Friday.”
“Ugh. I was afraid you’d pick that one.”
“Am I too late?”
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s just that my new in-laws called last night and asked to take us out that night to celebrate. They’re super jazzed about the wedding. Martin is an only child, so they’re going crazy putting engagement announcements in the paper and offering to help with wedding plans.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Good, I think. Actually, really great. I’ve had friends complain about their meddling in-laws, but I don’t feel like that,” she said. “Honestly, it’s just nice to have someone care. My mom isn’t into weddings, and, obviously, Dad’s not involved.”
“Obviously,” Ty muttered, the familiar prickle of ice trickling through his chest.
“I guess it’s kinda fun to have family that takes an interest.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.” Ty closed his eyes, wishing he’d done a better job of being there for his sister. He hated the thought of disappointing her. “I know I haven’t always been there for you, and I promise—”
“What? No, Ty—that’s not what I meant at all,” she said. “You’re a great brother. I was talking about adults.”
He snorted and stuck a hand in the Doritos bag. “And all this time I thought I did a pretty good job imperso
nating a grown-up.”
Anna laughed. “You know what I mean. Parental figures. My mom had so many different boyfriends after Dad left, and they were all such jerks. Between that and Dad making all kinds of promises he’d end up breaking because he was going back to prison, I kinda learned a bad father figure is worse than none at all, you know?”
Ty did know. He found himself nodding, which was dumb. It wasn’t like Anna could see him. But whether she meant to or not, her words struck chords deep inside him.
“Yeah,” he said. “I think we both learned the only things you could count on grown-ups for was disappointment.”
“Sometimes, that’s true,” she murmured. “Anyway, that’s what I meant. Just that it’s nice having Martin’s parents fussing over me now. It’s like I finally have the parents I always wished for. I’m pretty attached to them.”
Attached. Something about that word made him think of Ellie, reminded him of his resolve not to fall for her. It was asking for disappointment. For her, for him, for her son—for all of them.
Ty’s chest hurt, and his fingers traced his tattoo through his shirt. Fucking Johnny Cash, his father’s idol. A constant reminder of where he’d come from.
He took a few breaths to get his voice under control. “I’m happy for you, Anna. Seriously.”
“Thanks. I can totally reschedule Friday if that’s the only day that’ll work for you.”
“Nah, that’s fine. How about Thursday?”
“Thursday works! Or Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday—” She laughed, and Ty found himself smiling again. “Pretty much any day next week is good for me.”
“I’m open, too,” he said. “Pick one of those days and let me know.”
“Will do!” She laughed again. “I’m so excited for you to meet Martin!” She sounded delighted, and Ty flashed back to a memory of his happy, pigtailed kid sister when they were little. It was one of the only times they’d lived in the same household. He remembered someone shouting in the apartment next door, and the smell of Twinkies, and the warmth of his sister’s shoulder pressed against his as they waited at the door for their father to come home from a meeting with his parole officer.