A Better Man

by Candis Terry

While they kissed, he moved that hard-­muscled sexy body against hers and it didn’t take long for that needy ache to reappear.

  She filled her hands with his strong back and firm buttocks while he moved against her. But when she thought he’d push inside, he didn’t.

  “That was a first?” His deep voice rumbled against her breasts, waking them up like they had a connection straight between her legs.

  “Yes.” Should she feel embarrassed? She didn’t. She felt . . . amazing. But she wanted more. She wanted him.

  He grinned down at her. “Then here’s your second.”

  Before she could move, he slid down her body and stirred up a whole lot of magic again that answered her long-­wondered question.

  Yes, there was such a thing as multiple orgasms.

  Chapter 13

  From somewhere in the apartment an alarm beeped. Jordan jolted awake, once again on the sofa. After he’d given Lucy several orgasms, she’d fallen asleep in his arms. He’d held her all night until the wee hours of the morning when he’d slipped from bed and gone into the bathroom to take a shower.

  Holding off from slipping his aching cock inside her sweet, slick body had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. But he wanted Lucy to know that he wasn’t just thinking about himself. In more ways than one she came first. He’d never been a man who’d given before but he’d excelled at taking. With Lucy, he wanted to give. He wanted to feel her relax in his arms and make those sexy sounds that told him she’d left her past at the door and trusted him enough to let him go places no man had ever been.

  He’d never cuddled before in his life. Yet when he got out of bed, he wanted to crawl right back in next to her.

  The middle-­of-­the-­night shower had been a necessity to relieve the ache of wanting her. His own hand had been a poor substitute, but making Lucy happy came first. Because he didn’t want Nicole to wake up in the morning and find him in bed with her teacher, he’d gone back to the cold sofa and eventually fallen asleep with Ziggy snoring by his feet.

  When the alarm buzzer shut off, he knew Lucy would soon make an appearance. He got up and folded the blanket. Then he went into the kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker and start throwing something together for breakfast. If it had just been him a protein shake would do, but he had two females to think about right now.

  That knowledge made him smile.

  He’d never had to think about anyone else’s needs before. It made for a nice change.

  The only blonde in the place just needed a bowl of kibble to keep him happy. Jordan rubbed the dog’s head as he reached into a bottom cupboard for a skillet. Several minutes later Lucy shuffled in wearing her big fluffy robe, bed hair, and a confused look. She stopped at the end of the counter as if she didn’t quite know what to say or do.

  “Good morning.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Sleep well?”

  She nodded. “I’m not sure I’ve ever slept that well before.”

  He gave her a knowing grin. “I’m glad to know you were satisfied.”

  “Obviously several bone-­melting times. But you . . . ?”

  Ah. There was the reason for the confusion.

  “I slept good too,” he joked, trying to pull her from her state of concern.

  “But you didn’t . . . I mean we didn’t . . . I mean you—­”

  “Last night wasn’t about me.” He pulled her close. Kissed the top of her head while the coffeemaker gurgled. “We have lots of time to figure things out. I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want to do.”

  “Jordan?” She curled her fingers into the front of his shirt. “I want to. I really really want to.”

  “Ah. I love the sound of my name on your lips.”

  A cute little frown wrinkled between her brows. “You’re dodging the subject.”

  “I’m not. I was about to say that if my sister wouldn’t be walking in here in a few minutes—­which is why I went back to sleeping on the sofa last night—­I’d be carrying you off to the bedroom for lesson number two just so I could hear my name on your lips again.”

  A sleek dark brow lifted from behind her glasses. “Just?”

  “Just one of the many reasons.” He slipped his hands down her back, gripped her rear end in his hands, and gave her a little squeeze. “We still have tonight.”

  “Can you have sex before a game?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good.” She lifted to her toes and planted a kiss on him that made him rethink the whole waiting thing.

  “I’m taking a shower,” she said as she sauntered away. “Just in case you’re interested.”

  “You’re killing me, Lucy,” he said, but the grin on his face said he liked the new, playful Lucy.

  He liked her a hell of a lot.

  Though Lucy had sworn she didn’t mind cooking dinner again, Jordan insisted on taking her and Nicole out to a place called Peach Magnolia Grill. When they walked into the converted Victorian house, Lucy immediately liked the traditional Southern décor. The aroma from the food at the surrounding tables made her mouth water. Nicole, however, looked slightly unsure.

  “They have everything here from fried chicken to alligator,” Jordan told his sister. “I’m sure you’ll find something you like.”

  “Alligator!”

  He grinned as he pulled out a chair for her. “Tastes like chicken.”

  Lucy wanted to laugh at the horror on Nicole’s face but decided nothing that seemed to be a form of making fun of her would be a good idea. They wanted to have a nice evening. And while Jordan and his sister had made some strides last night, things were still touchy.

  “I’ve been thinking about turning vegan,” Nicole said. “Now might be a good time to start.”

  “They also have pan roasted duck if you change your mind.”

  “Oh sure, make me think of Daffy at a time like this.”

  Lucy smiled. Watching brother and sister tease each other was like getting hit with the warm rays of the sun.

  The server appeared at their white linen–­covered table—­a gorgeous blonde with a narrow waist and long legs in a pair of perfectly fitted black pants. Her bustline filled out the simple white shirt like nobody’s business. She arrived at their table with a smile that let Lucy know before the woman even spoke that she was on very familiar ground with Jordan.

  “Hey, handsome. I haven’t seen you for a while. I thought you were going to call me when you came back into town.”

  “He’s been busy,” Nicole snapped. “Our parents were killed in case you didn’t know.”

  The server’s flirty smile fell. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  Jordan’s expression shifted between the amusement of his sister’s response to the server’s flirting and the horrifying truth of their parents’ deaths.

  “Well now you do,” Nicole grabbed her cloth napkin from the table, settled it on her lap, then looked up at the blonde with big innocent eyes. “So maybe we could have another server who doesn’t know our personal business?”

  “Of course.” The woman turned on her heel and disappeared into another part of the restaurant.

  “Nicki, that was rude.” Jordan’s stern look failed to impress.

  “I don’t know.” Nicki lifted a shoulder. “Her coming on to you when she didn’t know who either me or Ms. Diamond were was pretty rude if you ask me.”

  Jordan looked at Lucy who shrugged. “She has a point.” Not that she was really anything to him, but the blonde didn’t know that.

  Lucy knew Jordan had been with women like the server. She’d seen dozens of pictures of him out on the town with similar females—­women who were long-­legged, busty, and gorgeously blond. But last night he’d been with her—­kissing her in places that had never been kissed. Licking her in places she’d never imagined. He made her see stars and rainbo
ws by giving her the most unbelievable orgasms she’d ever had. From now on, her battery-­operated boyfriend didn’t stand a chance.

  Afterward he’d held her in his arms and made her feel special. Cared for. Wanted. Thanks to him, she now knew what sexually satisfying for both partners meant. Tonight she’d make sure she gave Jordan just as much satisfaction as he’d given her.

  They had a long time to look at the menu before the new server appeared at their table, a young man this time, who humorously appeared equally as smitten with Jordan as their previous server had been. After Jordan ordered roasted pecan salads with fried green tomatoes for all of them, Nicole excused herself to use the restroom. Once she disappeared, Jordan reached across the table and took Lucy’s hand.

  “Nervous?” he asked with a cagey smile.

  “About what?”

  “What I’m going to do to you tonight when we get home.”

  Lucy thought about the server who’d flirted so openly. She thought about all those other women who’d caught Jordan’s eye. Before she became completely intimidated she dismissed them. Because for the first time she was living in the moment. Reaching for the brass ring on a quickly spinning merry-­go-­round. It was time she stepped outside her comfort zone and grabbed hold of a dream, even if she woke up in the morning and everything disappeared. At least she’d have taken a chance.

  “Maybe . . .” She squeezed his hand. “It’s about what I’m going to do to you when we get home.”

  Okay. Forget about stepping outside that comfort zone.

  She’d freaking leaped.

  Dinner had been a Southern feast without the grits and fried chicken. Jordan had selected an Italian rosé for their meal while Nicole grumbled about having to drink a virgin mint julep. The conversation mostly centered on a new song Nicole was creating and Jordan’s upcoming game. Lucy had little to add to the discussion other than that she’d like Nicole to hand in her lyrics for extra credit on her final grade. She didn’t mind her lack of participation in the conversation. Because watching the man she cared so much about reconnecting with his sister was like opening an early Christmas present.

  It was late by the time they got back to the apartment. Mildly tipsy from the delicious rosé, Lucy followed Jordan and Nicole inside, where they were greeted by a happy-­to-­see-­them tail-­wagger. While brother and sister discussed plans for the following day leading up to the game, Lucy escaped by taking Ziggy outside to do his business. The break was what both she and her dog needed—­for drastically different reasons.

  Every minute spent in Jordan’s company only increased her want and need for the man. She knew she was dreaming of the impossible; their lives were too completely different. But trying to tell a heart what it couldn’t have was like explaining to a two-­year-­old that ice cream was bad for them.

  The breath of fresh air helped clear her mind a little so she could still grasp the fact that while she might want and might take whatever Jordan wanted to offer right now, it was short-­term. Eventually he’d go back to his regular life and so would she.

  When she came back into the apartment both Nicole and Jordan were absent from the room. One look at the sofa where last night Jordan had pulled her down on top of him created a crazy tingle inside her body before reality shoved it aside and her earlier bravado shriveled like a rotten apple.

  How did she compare with the other women Jordan had been with? His celebrity allowed him to attend exclusive parties and red carpet events. He dined in the finest restaurants and dated supermodels while she was accustomed to home-­cooked meals and not dating at all. She had no worldly experience. Even when she’d been married to a man with money, she’d never fit in with his family, his friends, or his colleagues. So how in the world did she think she could ever fit in with Jordan’s?

  Not that he’d asked her to.

  The women he dated were gorgeous and far more experienced at pleasing a man than she’d ever be. Last night he’d pleased her multiple times. But really, what did she know about turning the tables? Yes, she was an eager student. But what if she did something wrong? What if he laughed at her?

  When nerves got the best of her she escaped to the bedroom where she could hear the shower running in the adjoining bathroom. Trying not to imagine him in there naked with soap bubbles on his perfectly muscled body; she pulled on her sweats, grabbed a pillow and blanket, and headed for the sofa.

  A few moments later he came out into the living room with a towel wrapped and knotted at his waist. Moisture clung to all the dips and ripples of muscles, and a drop of water slipped from his wet hair and trailed over the tattoo on his shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Curled up beneath the blanket on the sofa, she tried to keep her gaze steady and not let it wander all over his body.

  Tried and failed.

  “I’m not letting you sleep on the sofa tonight.” She punched her fist into the pillow. “You need to get your rest.”

  His head tilted. “You want me to rest?”

  While he stood there looking like some kind of sun-­kissed god with his bare chest and rippled abs on full display, Lucy swallowed hard and nodded because, really, that’s about all she could manage.

  “Well, I guess you’re right. I could use a good night’s sleep,” he said while he stalked closer. His clean scent waved before her like an aphrodisiac.

  Not that she needed one where he was concerned.

  “My thoughts exactly,” she said in a reasonable tone even while her heart pounded and her blood rushed through her ears like an ocean wave. “So I’ll sleep out here. You can have the bed.”

  “I always sleep better after I’ve worked out a little.”

  “So you’re going down to the gym after a shower?”

  Coming closer, he gave her a grin that said, Nice try.

  The towel knotted at his hip looked like it was about to slip as he stopped right in front of her. Which put her at eye level with . . . whoo boy.

  “Not the kind of exercise I had in mind,” he said with a chuckle.

  Lucy squeaked when he picked her up, easily tossed her over his shoulder, and carried her into the bedroom.

  As soon as they reached the door his towel slipped off and she had a perfect view of his tight and rounded gluteus maximus—­a true thing of beauty.

  Though she appreciated the visual, and though a large dose of estrogen sent her awareness into overdrive, doubt and anxiety dug in their heels. “But . . . Nicole’s not asleep yet.”

  “She’s all the way on the other side of the apartment.” He gently tossed her on the bed and leaned over her; completely aware he was naked, and confident with the exposure. “Plus earlier she recorded the music to her new song. And right now she’s wearing the headphones I bought her and listening to the track while she’s working on the lyrics. So you can moan and scream all you want. She won’t hear a peep.”

  “I won’t scream.” Because she knew with him, she had nothing to fear except maybe falling for him fast and hard.

  A smirk lifted his mouth. “We’ll see about that.”

  Jordan wanted her with an urgency he couldn’t ever remember feeling before.

  Maybe it was just the chase. Maybe he was being too bold to assume she wanted this. If she’d told him no instead of confirming she wouldn’t scream he’d never have gone caveman. Fortunately he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t slow down or stop. It was still all about her. If tonight was a repeat of last night and he ended up taking matters into his own hand afterward, so be it. But the way her hungry eyes roamed his body and the fact that she was voluntarily staying put on that bed gave him a proceed-­until-­otherwise-­noted signal.

  “You want to run, Lucy?”

  She shook her head. “But tonight I do want to touch.”

  Had she not licked her lips at the end of that statement his knees woul
dn’t have nearly buckled from the white-­hot flash of need.

  “Tonight it’s your call.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “We do anything you want.”

  “Anything?” She looked up at him from behind her glasses. “Even if I’m not sure what I’m doing?”

  “Baby, as long as it makes you feel good, that’s all that matters.”

  “So I can explore all I want?” She came up to her knees and ran her soft palms up his chest. “I can be the boss?”

  Holy shit.

  Stuttered breath clogged his lungs and every muscle in his body tightened.

  “You can be and do whatever you want.” He threaded his hand through the side of her silky hair and pressed his mouth to hers in a tongue-­tangling, teeth-­nipping kiss. The little purr that came from her throat went straight to his head like a double shot of Patrón. “As long as it’s with me.”

  Her head tilted as she dropped her gaze to his chest. “So it’s okay if I do this?” With a hum of pleasure her fingertips walked down his pecs, circled his hard nipples, and gently plucked them. Her touch sent a jolt of urgency into his erection and it was all he could do to keep from taking her hand and wrapping it around his cock.

  “You’re the boss,” he managed through gritted teeth. Her sensuous experimental touch was probably going to kill him. But at least he’d die with a smile on his face.

  “Oh good.” Next her fingers danced down his abs and gripped his hips. “I think I’m going to like being in control.”

  He would have expressed his delight but she leaned forward and slowly licked his stomach from his belly button downward. Then her fingers tentatively touched his cock. It jumped at the contact and she gasped.

  “Did I do that?”

  “Uh-­huh.” Oh good, he was reduced to muttered responses. Pretty soon the anticipation would melt him into a big needy puddle at her feet.

  She touched him again, this time wrapping her fingers around him with one warm hand while cupping his testicles in the other. His need for her was ruthless. Primitive. But with the eager curiosity on her face he knew he’d suffer to give her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it, and for however long she needed it.