“Out. Now.” She broke free of his embrace, need swirling through her body, and climbed out of the pool, reaching for Ian to follow. “I need you now. We can talk after.”
She didn’t know what she would say, or what the hell had just happened. All she knew, as they raced across the grass to the treehouse, her fingers linked with Ian’s, was that she wanted him everywhere right now.
“Are you still drunk?” she panted. She was worried, but Ian stayed steady as he clambered up the slats on the trunk and held out a strong hand to help her into the treehouse.
“Sober enough to fuck you, baby.”
“You better be,” Diana breathed.
He pushed her backwards onto the soft pile of blankets that still covered the treehouse floor. His wet hands all over her yielding curves, squeezing her breasts, massaging her sensitive folds, were driving her insane. She stroked his damp chest, the touch her only guide at first in the near-darkness.
“You could have had both of us.” Ian’s voice was urgent in her ear. “You wanted it.”
“Yes. I wanted it.” She cupped his face in her hands. “But I love you.”
“Diana…” he groaned softly. “Sweetheart.”
“I just want to feel you everywhere,” she whispered. “I want you to come all over me.”
“You’re going to.” A powerful arm surrounded her, pulling her tight against Ian’s hard body as he stretched out full length next to her. She buried her face in his warm shoulder, tasting skin wet from the pool, as his hand worked between her legs.
“Did you mean what you said?” he whispered. “About it being scary to want someone so bad?”
“Yes.” Her legs opened to him, allowing him access to every nook and crevice, and God, her thighs were trembling. She stroked his wrist. “It’s scary to love you so much.”
He swore. “Yeah. It so fucking is.”
“Ian—” she gasped when pressure met her clit, rubbing the exposed bud in firm circles. “I don’t know anything. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“You like it that way, don’t you?” His possessive touch on her silky pussy was driving her insane. “You like not knowing everything the way you do in the rest of your life. You like being on the edge of what you can handle, dirty girl. You like pushing yourself there, or me doing it for you. Am I right?”
“You’re — you’re not wrong.” She kissed his neck.
“Didn’t think so.” A finger suddenly slipped inside her. He was just using one, but his probing touch was so intimate that her whole body cried out for more.
Her hands roamed over Ian’s sculpted back and shoulders. God, his neck tasted delicious, salty and warm, and she just needed to wrap her mouth around it… His pained grunt of arousal told her to suck harder.
“You like the edge too,” she managed when she pulled back
“You always knew that.” White teeth flashed at her in the dark. “Why’d you hang out with us? I got you excited, and Brendan made you feel juuust safe enough to keep coming over.”
“Are we talking about when we were kids?” she panted. “Or more recently?”
“Do I have to choose?” His hands left her body, and she moaned in protest. Ian’s low chuckle met her ears. She felt him climbing over her, and silky flesh brushed her lips.
“Suck me, love,” he ordered.
Jesus, there was a time when taking orders from Ian O’Brian would have seemed like the worst fate imaginable. Now, the simple command sent a wave of need over her.
Eagerly, she took him in, licking his velvet cock. The outline of his chest loomed above her face. Ian was fucking her mouth, cursing softly as she sucked. She was just getting into it, wrapping her hand around his shaft, caressing his heavy balls, urging him on with her tongue, when he pulled free of her lips with a soft pop and moved down her body.
Thickness nudged her opening, then plunged in.
“Diana. So fucking perfect.” He held her tightly, unmoving, his cock fully buried in her clasping cunt.
“No, you are.” She squeezed him as hard as she could, with her arms and legs and pussy muscles. Ian grunted, hugging her even closer.
“Do you need me to go easy on you, baby? After last night?”
“Another time. I want all of you.”
He groaned, but held still.
“Really? Your sweet pussy isn’t too sore?”
“A little,” she admitted, and gasped when his cock throbbed inside her. But all he did was brush her bangs off her forehead.
“What you said today,” he whispered, still unmoving. “In the hall.”
“I meant it.” She pulled back to stare into his eyes. “I meant every word.” To get the message across, she buried her fingers in his hair and tugged. Ian’s eyes opened wide, and his heavy body seized on top of hers, his cock jerking again in her tight embrace. “You’re good, Ian. You’re so good. You’re all good.”
His animal growl sent a rush of heat down her whole body. “And you’re bad, Diana.” He gave her a wicked smile. “You’re so bad.”
Flexing his hips, he slammed his cock into her wetness. Diana cried out, digging her fingers into his back.
“Harder, Ian,” she pleaded.
Fingers curled in her dark hair, pulling. When her head fell to the side, a hot mouth closed on her neck, sucking the soft skin. The treehouse tipped under her. She was so open to Ian, so full of his cock, shuddering from his hard, hard thrusts and his teeth on her neck.
“Dirty girl,” he growled. One firm hand gripped her ass, angling her so he went deeper. Diana gasped when his cock bumped her cervix. “You insatiable little bitch. I love you.”
Oh God, his crude words sent ripples of painful arousal over her body, and she was so close to coming, and right on the edge of her orgasm, Ian pulled out.
His hand blurred on his cock, the glossy rod emerging from his fist. Desire contorted his face, and his whispers were all around her.
“Fuck yes, baby, take my cum. All over your sexy body. Spread your legs, bad girl.”
She obeyed, shaking with excitement. A spurt of warm liquid streamed over her breasts. When the next jet of cum hit her clit, she cried out. More cum ran down her lips. She was beyond wet, and when large fingers met her folds, she lifted her hips, the need building.
“Don’t stop…”
“Come for me, you hot slut,” he rasped. He was using steady pressure, rubbing their juices firmly into her cunt. Caresses on her clit made her back arch. “Soaked in my cum like I’ve always wanted you to be.”
“Yesssss.”
She felt unbelievably open to Ian, trusting him to handle her most tender places. Floating in air, sinking into darkness, there was only his hot skin on hers, until she peaked. Sensations swirled, rushing over her body, spiraling from Ian’s fingers inside her.
When he withdrew, she felt like jelly, puddled on the blankets. But she managed to turn on her side and let Ian spoon her. His head rested against her shoulder, his body heavy and relaxed behind hers. Diana sighed and snuggled closer. A brief twinge of soreness made her wince.
“Oooh…” She shifted, squeezing her thighs together.
Ian stroked her hip. “Okay?”
“Mm-hm. Better than okay.”
“Good.” He wrapped his arms more firmly around her.
Crickets chirped rhythmically in the warm night air. Ian smelled like pool water. His damp hair tickled Diana’s cheek, and his breathing, slow and even, felt warm on her neck. Her nipples tingled, wet with his cum.
The treehouse was dark and quiet. Safe. Just big enough for them to lie down together.
“Do I need to be worried?” she murmured.
“No.” Ian sounded half-asleep.
“Do you even know what I'm talking about?”
“No.”
“All those empty beer bottles on the patio.”
Ian lifted his head. Diana turned to see him. There was just enough light from the lanterns, coming through the treehouse door, to show his whit
e grin.
“Oh, you mean Brendan's drinking problem?”
“Ian…”
“Don't worry, baby. My brother holds his liquor better than anyone I know.”
“I’m talking about you. Not Brendan.”
“Diana, listen.” Ian rolled into his back. Stars peeked through the slats in the treehouse roof. “This was nothing, believe me. And it's the most I've had since we got together.”
She stroked one fingertip over his arm. “My parents are wrong,” she said softly. “They just don't know it yet.”
Ian whispered into her neck, pulling her into his arms again. “No parents in the treehouse, Diana.”
“No girls either. Right? I remember the sign you put up when we were kids. Brendan tried to get you to take it down.”
“Yeah, well, I make an exception if they're naked.” Ian’s wicked smile tempted her to laugh with him. Instead, Diana flopped onto her back and blew out a breath of frustration.
“I am never going to catch up with you guys.”
“Why would you want to?” Ian stared at her.
“You've done so much—”
“And I don't even remember it all. You don't want that.”
“How many girls have you brought up here?” Diana gazed around the treehouse as she lay in Ian’s arms. “You can tell me. I want to know.”
“One. You.”
“No, really.”
“Really.” Ian turned to face her, his hazel eyes serious. “Diana, don't try to be like me. Don't try to be like Brendan either. We’re us. You’re you.”
She thought it over. “I just want to be myself. Don’t you?”
Silence. “With you, yeah.” Something about Ian’s face…the way he was looking at her…made her breath catch.
“Look, about tonight,” she began.
“Tonight. Okay. Me and Brendan were pretty drunk. You were naked and burning up the pool. There were fireworks.” He gave her a crooked grin. “What’s your excuse?”
“Do I need one?”
“Nah. You’re just crazy.” When he tried to pull her in for a kiss, she stopped him with a finger on his lips.
“Seriously, what happened tonight? Did you want things to go further? Did you want to have sex with me in front of Brendan? You were practically showing me off to him.”
He rubbed his damp hair, visibly uncomfortable. “I wasn’t thinking about it like that,” he said finally. “I guess it felt natural. It was happening, and it was hot, but I was glad when you stopped it.”
“That’s fair,” she murmured. Someday, maybe, she’d tell Ian about her dream, where he was fire and Brendan was air. Or not. The dream was smoke, and she shouldn’t try to chase it. “I had a weird conversation with Brendan in his room this afternoon.”
“You mean, when you found my brother's cheap-ass handcuffs?”
Diana exploded with laughter. Ian’s body shook against hers. “I— yeah. He told you?”
Ian caught his breath. “I come into his bedroom. You're bright red and Brendan gives me an 'everything's fine' look. Yeah, he told me.” He stroked her back, settling on her rounded ass. Diana shivered when he smacked it lightly. “Did they turn you on?”
“They’re silly,” Diana said quickly. “Over the top. Too crazy for me.”
“Hmmm.” One large finger traced her breast. She squeezed his waist. “Didn’t know there was such a thing.”
“You?”
“It’s hot once in a while. Brendan’s really into it. He loves being in control. Big surprise there.” Ian nuzzled her neck.
“Is he going to be okay?”
Ian laughed softly. “Sweetheart, Brendan’s always okay.”
“Always? Because I don’t think that’s true. As much as he wants people to think so.”
The treehouse was quiet. Her fingers tangled in his hair. “Yeah. You’re right. But Diana, I promise he was okay tonight. He understood. So you gave him a case of blue balls —”
“Oh, that’s my fault?” Diana interrupted.
Ian chuckled. “But I guarantee he called someone else to take care of it. Girls like Brendan a lot.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Her mind flashed to a beautiful girl kneeling in front of Brendan, eagerly sucking his cock while he stroked her hair. Brendan turning her over, caressing her from behind until he coaxed her to a shaking orgasm. Handcuffs, locking her wrists to the bed while he murmured words of encouragement, then fucked her into a frenzy.
A girl with a face that could be anyone’s.
She nestled closer to Ian, opening her thighs to take his leg between hers. Hot as the fantasy was, she had to wonder: what about someone to love him?
Ian brushed her wet bangs off her forehead. “Brendan doesn't work like you or me. There's not a lot that bothers him. You didn't hurt his feelings, baby.”
“Maybe not. I suppose he doesn’t allow much to hurt him.” She laced her fingers through Ian’s. “Except you.”
Silence. “Guess so,” he said finally. “That’s why we’ve made agreements.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Fuck me. Is that an O’Brian twin standing in the doorway?” Janelle craned her neck, followed by the rest of the group standing by the stage. “What’s he doing here alone?”
Diana glanced at the tall male figure just inside the door. Ian surveyed the crowded club, his hands in his pockets, but his eyes didn’t catch on hers — yet. She was surrounded by her friends. Everyone from her year who’d been on the literary magazine staff was here, along with half the people from her AP classes. Onstage, Shaun and his band were doing a sound check, fiddling with microphones and amps.
It was her turn for a surprise date, and this was probably an evil move on her part. But she’d been caught so off-guard meeting the twins’ friends on the Fourth of July, even if it had been Brendan’s fault, that she couldn’t resist inviting Ian to see Shaun’s band play tonight. After all, her friends had asked her to.
They still didn’t know. The barbecue had pushed her relationship into the open with her parents, the O’Brians, and the twins’ friends, but she’d kept the news from her own friends, even Marissa. She’d wanted to hang on to that last piece of privacy.
But it was the beginning of August now. She’d leave for Yale in three weeks, and there was only so much she could control — with Ian, with the rest of her life.
“What’s he doing here, period?” Marissa repositioned herself to get a better view of Ian, leaning on their friend Lin.
“Damn, he’s fine. They just improve with age. I can’t tell which one it is.” Janelle was practically jumping up and down.
“Whoa there.” David put a hand on her shoulder.
Everyone who was a friend of a friend was here, which meant that Alex Noriega stood a few feet away from her. Diana hadn’t run into him over the summer. She’d said hello and returned his hug, aware that most of her friends were watching her and expecting some kind of reaction.
“Does it matter which one it is?” Lin asked.
“Sure it matters. If it’s Ian, we’re three minutes away from the club going up in an explosion, and Shaun’s band hasn’t played yet.”
“Diana, can you tell? What’s your hot neighbor doing here?”
She shrugged. “Maybe he wanted to hear some good music. Obviously Shaun’s show is the place to be.”
“I think it’s Brendan.” Marissa hopped up on the stage and assessed the figure in the doorway. “He looks too happy to be Ian.”
Brendan. As far as Brendan was concerned, it was like the Fourth of July had never happened. Except that their good-morning hug ritual went from affectionately sensual to one hundred per cent unsexy bear hugs, and when he ruffled her hair, it left her wanting to check a mirror afterwards.
As Brendan had suggested, she and Ian had gone on the world’s most awkward double date with him and his work friend. Katherine was out of college, pretty and polished, and looked unimpressed as Diana and Ian bickered over appetizers and got
in a napkin fight.
Brendan had joked about being at the kids’ table, and Diana had to resist the urge to pull off his tie, lash him to his chair, and show him there weren’t any kids here. That made her think of the handcuffs in his bedroom, so she switched the daydream to an innocent ice fight that involved her drink going down Brendan’s pants…no, still not innocent.
Ian had just looked amused by the whole thing, and when she grumbled afterwards about Brendan’s girlfriend being boring, he assured her it wouldn’t last long.
She smoothed her postcard-printed dress and occupied herself with a swipe of lip gloss, not ready to wave to Ian just yet.
“It’s Ian,” she announced. “Their walks are different, and Brendan would never wear that muscle tee to a club.”
“It’s hot in here. Right?” Lin nudged Janelle. “I think that shirt needs to come off.”
Ian was squinting through the crowd, looking for her. She had under a minute and a half to do what she needed to do.
She beckoned Marissa down from the stage and put an arm around her. “That’s the boy,” she whispered.
“What? Which boy?” Marissa was still standing on tiptoe, openly checking Ian out.
“Ian. He’s the boy.”
“WHAT?” Marissa kept her voice to a whisper, but it felt like a shout. “Ian O’Brian? You’re shitting me.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I promise you, I’m not.”
“What— How— Jesus, Diana, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now. I invited him tonight.”
“Oh. My. God. Oh my fucking God. You and Ian O’Brian.” Marissa’s eyes took up half her face. Diana turned quickly toward the doorway. Ian must have spotted her, because he was making his way through the crowd. She’d been right: Marissa was losing her shit. “I can’t even process this! You should have told Janelle. She’s going to asphyxiate, and it’ll be your fault, and I’m making you call 911 when she does.”
“She’ll be fine.” Diana squeezed Marissa’s hand. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise. It’s just Ian.”
“Just Ian?”
“Oh my God.” Janelle gulped audibly on her other side.
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