Not the Stand In: A BBW New Adult Serial Romance (Not the Hot Chick series Book 2)

by N. Raines

  But he'd been into her that night, no question. They'd burned up the sheets. Layla felt a tingle as she remembered how he'd made her come twice—first teasing her to orgasm with his fingers, then insisting she get on top and ride him.

  He'd wanted her once. Could she make him want her again?

  The tingle became a chill, turning her palms clammy. She'd never seduced anyone before. What if she made a mess of it? What if Cam thought she was crazy, or worse, felt sorry for her?

  Once again that door yawned open, the one she'd faced the night she and Cam hooked up. The choice between taking a chance and risking rejection or letting fear win and forever regretting the road not taken.

  One last look at the chick whose name started with B cemented her decision. I'm going for it.

  Cam, blissfully ignorant of her struggle, sucked down his last bit of pop, wincing at the slurping sound of his straw. "Sorry." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back, politely waiting for Layla to finish her meal.

  No longer hungry, she looked down at the slice left on her plate. "I'm done."

  "You sure?" He eyed her plate. "Uh, do you mind if I…?"

  She pushed it toward him. "Help yourself."

  He accepted it happily, folded it in half, and took a big bite. His appetite belied his lean frame. Where did he put it all? At least the food wouldn't go to waste.

  Her palms grew damper and the hair on the back of her neck prickled. Their meal was almost over. He'd have no reason to linger. If she wanted to make a move, she needed to do it now, before he got away.

  But her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, as though she had a mouthful of peanut butter. She couldn't speak. Her panic grew as he made quick work of the cheese slice.

  Say something, dummy!

  But what? Her mind was a total blank.

  He stuffed the last bit of crust into his mouth and chewed, grabbing another napkin to wipe his greasy hands.

  "How about we get a drink after this?" The words popped from her mouth of their own volition, before her brain had a chance to censor them.

  He went still a moment, then blinked rapidly. Layla's stomach churned with dread. "You want to get a drink?"

  She ducked her chin in a quick nod. "Yeah. That is, if you don't have plans."

  He crumpled the napkin slowly. "No, no plans. I mean, I have to go in to work later tonight, but I've got some time. Sure, let's do it."

  Layla hoped he'd agreed because he wanted to, not because he was too polite to say no. She had to give him a way out. "It's all right if you don't feel like it. Don't be worried about hurting my feelings."

  His expression turned serious, and when he spoke, his tone was almost reproachful. "I don't say things I don't mean, Layla."

  All righty, then. She pushed back from the table. "Awesome. So where would you like to go?"

  As she and Cam left Federico's together, Layla felt Blair-Bella's eyes burning holes in her. She did her very best not to gloat.

  Since Cam had to work in a few hours, they decided to go to the Shamrock. Because it was still early on a week night, they had no trouble finding a table. "What would you like?" he asked as Layla took her seat.

  Just as she was about to ask for a beer, she remembered her plan to seduce him. What had Jessi ordered the night they came here? Oh, right. "I'd like a Hard Fast Screw." Layla looked him straight in the eye and hoped she wasn't blushing as she ordered the bar's version of a screwdriver.

  A light glinted in his hazel eyes and he pressed his lips together as though trying not to smile. "Coming right up."

  Layla let go a sigh as he headed to the bar for their drinks. Channeling Jessi seemed to do the trick. Tonight, Layla decided, her mantra would be WWJD: What Would Jessi Do?

  Cam returned to the table with her cocktail and his bottle of beer. "Cheers." He clinked the mouth of his bottle to the rim of her glass and they both drank. The tangy juice slid easily down Layla's throat. She couldn't taste the vodka but felt its kick as it landed in her stomach. Warmth pooled in her middle and spiraled through her.

  She admired him as she sipped her drink. The separate parts of his face—his square jaw, his strong chin with a hint of a cleft, his straight nose—all came together beautifully. Add to that his dark, wavy hair and a pair of greenish-brown eyes flecked with gold and he was a perfect work of art. And when he smiled… God. It was enough to make any girl drop her panties.

  Fear fluttered through her. Was she crazy, thinking she could get with him a second time? He had his pick of women. Just looking around the bar, Layla spotted two or three cute, hot girls who were much more his type than she was. She felt a sudden urge to slug back the rest of her drink and bounce before she made a complete idiot of herself.

  No, you're not going to run. You have to try. The worst he can do is say no.

  She sucked in a deep breath and scraped up all her courage, then maneuvered her chair closer to the table to purposely bump Cam's knee. He went still a moment, pausing as he brought the bottle to his lips. His eyes narrowed as though gauging her intent. But he didn't shift away. In fact, he seemed to settle his weight so their knees made fuller contact.

  "How's that drink?" he asked, his voice lower by an octave.

  "Delicious," she answered, managing to keep her voice steady.

  Their eyes connected. Heat sizzled between them. "Good." He tipped the bottle to his mouth and drank. After swallowing, he licked his lips. "Nothing I like better than a hard, fast screw."

  Lust flooded her as the air between them crackled with tension. She had the sense he was waiting on her to make the next move. Maybe testing her, seeing how far she'd go?

  Come on, girl, up your game. Think. What would Jessi do?

  Lean forward and flash her boobs. But Layla hadn't anticipated the need to show off her assets. The top she wore wasn't cut low enough to flash anything. She went with Plan B instead and slowly ran her calf along Cam's leg. Her breath hitched and her panties flooded when he shifted to open his legs, caught her knee between them, and held her fast.

  The gold flecks in his eyes flickered like sparks. "You're playing with fire, little Layla."

  Her pulse raced with excitement. It was working!

  Keep it up. Don't back down now that you've got him interested.

  But short of flinging herself across the table at him, what was her next move?

  Get him alone.

  She licked her lips and cleared her throat. "So. What's a girl gotta do to get the fifty-cent tour around here?"

  "You want to check the place out?"

  I want to check you out, but first I need to get you alone. "Sure. I've never been behind the scenes of a bar before. I bet there's a lot of interesting nooks and crannies to explore…" She let her voice trail off mysteriously.

  "One or two, I guess." He took one more swallow of beer, letting her hang for a moment. He squeezed her knee between his own, sending her a look that told her he knew exactly what she was up to.

  He clapped the bottle down on the table and stood. "All right, then. Fifty-cent tour it is."

  She stood too and came around to him. He rested his hand lightly on her waist. "Well, you've seen this section before." He gestured to the guy wiping down the bar. "That guy there is Paulie. Hey, Paulie, say hi to my friend Layla here."

  The young bartender gave her a short wave. "Hi, Layla."

  She nodded a greeting. "Hey, Paulie."

  Cam pointed to a door off to the side. "Back that way's the kitchen." The Shamrock served finger foods and light meals like burgers and sandwiches. "I'd take you back there, but the cook's kind of touchy. Doesn't like his space invaded."

  "That's cool." Layla wasn't interested in the kitchen, anyway. She just wanted someplace she and Cam could be private.

  "Nothing much to see there, anyway. Couple of fridges, stoves, a deep fryer." He pointed to a set of stairs leading up. "Second floor there's a room for large parties. Bachelor parties, showers, that kind of thing."

  "Okay." She
tugged him toward a hallway. "And bathrooms down here, right?"

  "That's right." As they moved further down the hall he pointed to a door straight ahead. "And out that back door is a lot behind the building. Employees can park their cars there and head out for a smoke break when it's slow."

  "And meet up for quickies when they're horny." She gave him a look. "Wasn't that where you planned to hook up with Jessi?"

  He shrugged. "Yeah, but all I did that night was take her home. You know that. You were there."

  "That night, yeah. But she came back, didn't she?" Though she'd only wondered before, Layla was certain now that Jessi had done exactly that. "For a whatta-ya-call, a rain check."

  Cam's forehead furrowed and mouth flattened in annoyance. "She told you?"

  No, you did, just now. Of course Jessi, livid that Layla had "gotten to" Cam first, would have wanted to prove herself the better, hotter woman. Cam was the prize that should have been hers, and Layla was the spoiler who'd stolen him right out from under her.

  "No, but I'm not surprised." Not surprised, but stupidly disappointed, though she had no right to be. So what if Cam had taken advantage of Jessi's offer? The girl was sex on a platter, everything a guy could want. What male in his right mind would turn that down? Layla had no claim on him. He had surely hooked up with other girls since their time together.

  But she didn't know those other girls. What rankled was thinking of him with Jessi. Pure vinegar spiked her tone when she said, "Well, I hope it was everything you expected."

  "What?"

  "You and Jessi. Out back, up against the wall. That was how you were gonna do it, right?"

  "Huh." Cam's shoulders fell. He rubbed his palms on his thighs. "You remember a lot."

  "Uh, yeah. Kind of hard to forget, considering you two made your plans right in front of me."

  Damn, why was she getting snippy with him? Like he'd said, he was a free agent. "Sorry. It's none of my business what you two did." If he screwed Jessi once a day and twice on Sunday, Layla had no right to care. She shook her head to free herself of images of the two of them getting it on.

  "Wait a minute." Cam's voice snapped with annoyance. "Who said we did anything?"

  Layla's mouth went slack. "You mean she didn't come back?"

  "Hell, yeah, she came back. That doesn't mean we hooked up." He seemed insulted she even suggested it.

  "So—"

  "Yeah, she came by maybe a week or so after you and I got together. Acting all flirty, hitting on me. But I kept remembering what a bitch she was the first night, when you were just trying to help her. Turned me off. So I ignored her and she got pissy. Ended up leaving with some other dude. End of story."

  Layla blinked, the revelation leaving her somewhat dizzy. "You guys didn't hook up?"

  He threw up his arms in frustration. "What did I just say? No."

  "Okay. All right." She felt like she should apologize, especially since the look he gave her was not just one of annoyance. He looked a bit…hurt. "Sorry."

  "Hey, I know I joke about being a bartender and how easy it is to meet women." He wasn't joking now. His face, his demeanor were deadly serious. "I do have standards, you know. I don't just fuck anything that walks."

  "I didn't mean to imply—"

  "Yeah, I would have gotten with Jessi that first time. But that was before I knew what she was really like. When I found out how she treats people—nice people—I lost interest. I don't like her. Doesn't matter how hot she is. I don't fuck girls I don't like."

  Layla believed him. He had no reason to lie. After all, he wasn't pretending to be a saint. He didn't claim to be celibate. He just hadn't been with Jessi.

  She didn't know why that mattered so much to her, but it did. He turned Jessi down. Wow.

  Her desire for him flamed up to red-hot levels. Without thinking, she grabbed his head, pulled him down, and planted a hot, hungry kiss on him.

  Cam made a muffled sound of surprise, then grasped her around the waist and hauled her up on her tiptoes as his mouth opened to claim hers. They captured each other's gasps as their tongues caressed. Layla's breasts filled. Her nipples ached as they hardened against his chest. Need swirled through her, gathering between her thighs.

  She had to get him alone. Get naughty. The hallway, where anyone might pass, wouldn't do. The bathrooms? Not sexy at all. The lot behind the bar? Sex in public made an awesome fantasy, but if anyone caught them, she could kiss her career dreams good-bye.

  As they kissed, Cam backed her up until something hard prodded her lower back. A doorknob. Layla tore her mouth from his and whispered "What's back here?"

  "Just a storeroom." He kissed her again.

  She pulled back just far enough to catch her breath and tried the knob. "Is it locked?"

  It wasn't. She turned the knob and, fisting his shirt in her free hand, pulled him into the small room. Shelves lined the walls and boxes sat one on top of another, stacked high. A bit of fading light streamed in from a tiny window high on the wall, but when Cam kicked the door shut behind them, the room went dark.

  It didn't matter. Layla didn't need to see because all her other senses flew into overdrive when Cam scooped her up against him. Every gasp and murmur between them resounded in her ears, blending with the thud of her heartbeat as they hungrily ate each other's kisses. She savored his yeasty taste, the velvety feel of his tongue. Wrapped in his arms, her entire body tingled from head to toe. Bolts of desire zinged straight to her core.

  Cam walked her back until something solid behind her stopped further movement. A moment later his large hands grasped her waist, scooped her up, and sat her on top of several stacked boxes. He swooped in for a hard kiss. "Stay there."

  She blinked, her head spinning. Where would she go? But what was he up to?

  She found out soon enough. Cam moved her legs apart and wedged himself between. The pose left her vulnerable, exposing the thin panel of her sensible substitute-teacher's cotton panties as Cam teased his fingers up her thigh. A slight stir of air wafted up her skirt, caressing her, adding to her excitement.

  His thumb traced the leg opening of her panties, making her shiver. He hitched her skirt higher up her thighs and sank to his knees to nuzzle between her legs. Her eyes rolled back in her head when he blew a stream of hot breath directly at the thin strip of cotton between her thighs.

  His thumb coasted along the tender skin at the edge of her panties, then eased underneath the cotton, nudging her clit. White sparks crackled down her spine.

  Her moisture made it easy for him to play. "You're so wet, baby. Is that all for me?" His thumb dipped and swirled.

  A thrill raced through her. Before Cam, she'd never realized what a turn-on it was to talk dirty during sex. "Yeah. Just for you."

  "Aw, honey." He backed off and she nearly cried. But her heart sang when he ordered, "Take them off."

  She shifted, lifted her ass, and awkwardly wriggled the panties down her thighs. Cam snatched them down the rest of the way and tossed them aside.

  "I'm gonna need those back," she murmured as the panties disappeared somewhere in the dark.

  "Later." He dug his fingers into her hips, tugging her forward until her ass perched at the edge of the box.

  The swirl of cool air between her legs was soon replaced by a puff of warm breath as Cam's head disappeared beneath her skirt. Layla jolted and bit her lip when his hot, quick tongue flicked her.

  She dug her fingers into the edges of the box and hissed in pleasure as he worked between her thighs. Though her body sizzled and her brain boiled, she was a bit surprised by Cam's decision to put her first. Too many guys seemed to expect a woman to "take care of" them before they'd consider pleasing her. Luckily, Cam wasn't one of those guys.

  He played with her mercilessly, alternating between licks with the flat of his tongue and teasing flicks at her clit. A ball of heat formed low in her belly, growing larger and larger. Her legs stiffened as the pressure built and an orgasm wavered before her. She moane
d. "I'm close. Just a little more."

  He upped his game, toying with her a bit more before concentrating on the hard bud of her clit. She stiffened as waves of release splashed over her and rolled through.

  As she tumbled into orgasm, she tipped forward and tumbled off the box, on top of Cam. He grabbed her to take most of the hit himself, but the fall knocked the breath out of her.

  She scrambled off him as soon as she righted herself. "Oh, God, are you all right?"

  He laughed, leaning up on his elbows. "Yeah, I'm fine."

  "God, I'm sorry. I almost smothered you."

  Her eyes, having adjusted to the darkness, made out the flash of his grin. "But what a way to go."

  His laughter triggered her own giggles, which she soon tried to smother. "Shh, somebody might hear us."

  He got to his feet, swooped in for a kiss. His lips were soft, possessive. Layla tasted her own tangy flavor on them.

  "Feeling good?" His voice was a whisper.

  Though she knew this was no more than a naughty hookup, Layla was touched by his concern for her satisfaction. "I'm super." She wanted to make him feel good, too.

  He went still as she unbuckled his belt and unsnapped his jeans. "My turn now." She unzipped him, a thrill of pride rippling through her as she noticed how hard he was. "Is this for me?" She purposely echoed his earlier question to her.

  His eyelids lowered. "All yours, baby."

  She eased his jeans and briefs over his jutting cock and pushed them down to midthigh. Though she'd felt too shy to go down on him their first time together, she now wanted to give him this. He'd been so attentive to her. She was eager to return the favor.

  The floor was hard on her knees, but Layla didn't care as she stroked Cam's cock with one hand and used the other to fondle his balls. She swirled her thumb, smoothing clear precum around his corona, then kissed the mushroom-shaped tip.

  He settled his hands gently on her shoulders as she took him into her mouth, shallowly at first, then deeper. She caught a rhythm that seemed to please him, causing him to thrust lightly as she bobbed her head. When Cam grasped her head in his large hands, Layla tensed for an instant, worried he meant to push her to deep throat him in porn-star fashion. He simply threaded his fingers through her hair and tenderly caressed her skull.