CALLIE (The Naughty Ones Book 1)
Page 71
The statement and the fact that Law has somehow managed to sneak up on me and is plastered to my back—Oh Lord have mercy, the man smells amazing!—makes me start, and I turn around at the counter I’m busy working at, trying unsuccessfully to inch my way to the side and away from his heat.
“Gee thanks, Law, you’re such a flatterer.”
His mouth tips down, and I see him frown before he reaches out and lays a hand on my cheek, stroking a thumb beneath my eyes.
“You didn’t sleep last night, did you?”
“Law.”
“I didn’t either. I thought about you the whole time. I remembered how you like to sleep naked most nights. Then I got so worked up thinking about your skin against the sheets that I got hard. Know what I finally did around three this morning?”
My mind has officially shut down, and I let my body take over as he says the words. I shiver at the heated caress of his breath so close to my lips and feel my body respond to his nearness—even as he steps closer, letting me feel the hard length of his erection against my belly.
“I flung the sheets off and started stroking myself. It was so hot, Nic. I pretended that my hand was yours, and I shot off so quickly I was still hard when I stopped coming.”
Oh cripes. Oh sweet Lord above.
He knows how much I like dirty talk, and this time is no different from any of the times he seduced me using nothing but words and his hot gaze.
“Law.”
He leans closer, and I almost feel his lips graze against mine with every whispered word.
“It felt so good, Nic. I came all over myself, whispering your name, wishing you were there, wanting your sweet tight heat wrapped around my dick. Did you think of me too, babe? Did you lay in bed and crave my touch, my mouth?”
God yes.
I bite back a whimper and bite at the seam of my lips, needing the small pain to center myself against the need to lean in and seal our mouths together.
Yes, I thought about it all. The soft, wet caress of his lips against mine. His tongue and the out of control way he had of kissing me when he was so aroused he practically attacked me.
The feel of his hands, as he caressed them over my skin, pinched my nipples, or pressed in lower where I’m wet and aching.
And his mouth. God, just thinking of last night’s dream and the all too real sensation of his lips, teeth, and tongue feasting on me…
“That’s it, babe. Picture it all in your head. You remember what it feels like to have my dick stretching you. My mouth eating you to orgasm.”
He’s closer now, his body surrounding me, dominating mine, turning my resistance into a puddle of aching need.
“Law, please…”
“I will, Nic. I swear to God I will pleasure you so well.”
Chapter Nine
Law
Her breaths are sawing in and out, and she has that dazed look about her that tells me that not only have I succeeded in stripping away her barriers, but she’s actually thinking about what we once shared and what we will again.
Leaning closer, I press my lips to hers, just enjoying the satiny soft glide of our mouths meeting. No tongue yet, not till she gives me that breathy sigh I’m waiting for.
When it comes, when she opens that slight bit and moans into my mouth, I will take full advantage and spear my tongue deep, a groan rumbling forth when the unique flavor that is Nic bursts on my tongue.
My dick is so hard I can feel my pulse throbbing there and the telltale wetness of pre-cum. My body is screaming for action, yelling at me to rip her clothes off, throw her against the counter, and fuck her till we’re both boneless and insensate from the pleasure.
I don’t. I use every bit of steely control I can muster and deepen the kiss, only letting my hands come into play when Nic moans deeper and starts rubbing against me.
That’s my sign that she’s as into this as I am, so I go ahead and palm her breasts, her sweet, soft, abundant breasts, that fill my hands and make me want to do the naughtiest things to them.
Her nipples are hard points that I take my time tweaking and admiring before I let my hands wander down to the skirt of her soft pink sundress. She’s still kissing me, her hands thrust into my hair, as if she fears I’ll pull away, keeping her distracted as I raise her skirt and quietly shred her panties, giving my hands free access to paradise.
She’s so wet and hot I feel a growl of lust escape me when my fingers slip through her cleft and head straight for her opening.
“Oh my God.”
She’s coming back to her senses. I feel it in the way her body tenses and the slackening of her lips. I can’t have that. Not now when I’ve just dipped my toe in the pond.
I’m not a greedy guy, but I’ve never spent much time on making sure my lovers get theirs. All they’re after anyway is my money, so why should I go that extra step and sacrifice my pleasure for theirs?
This time, though, I feel the need to bombard her with it, to make sure that when I’m done she won’t ever forget what I can give her. Before she can pull away and regain her scattered wits, I hoist her onto the glass and wood counter, drop to my knees, and dive in.
Her taste hits me hard, so hard that I’m not sure I could stop even if she wanted me to. Thank God we seem to be on the same page because not a second after my first tongue swipe she grabs my hair and pulls me closer, her moaning sighs doing strange things to my heart.
I lick and suck, enjoying her pleasurable groans even as my hard-on starts throbbing so hard it hurts. I can’t get enough, though, so I ignore the monster and set back in with a vengeance, using every memory of her I’d stored up.
When she’s all but clawing at my scalp and begging for mercy, her yells of “harder”, “more” and “yeeees” ringing in my ears, I thrust two fingers home and suck at her so hard she bows back and climaxes on my tongue.
“Law! Aaaah, yes. Please. Yes.”
She’s so wild and uninhibited in her pleasure that all I can do is give her what she wants, gentling my strokes till she finally settles and slumps forward, her chest heaving.
She remains that way, all drowsy and out of it while I rise and nestle back into the cradle of her thighs.
“Nic.”
Her body goes stiff suddenly, and when she peers up at me, I see her mind is still hazy but rallying very quickly. Regret and a whole lot of anger rushes forth, and I can hardly contain a grin when she rears back and scowls.
“That was a mistake.”
I’m still planted between her thighs and close enough to push myself into her heat.
“Feel that Nic? That’s how much you turn me on, babe. Feel all that moisture? That’s how much I turn you on.”
“I-this is no good, Law! Things can’t—”
“But they will.”
“No. I don’t want you.”
“Keep telling yourself that when you’re lying in bed alone, craving my dick. Now come on, babe. I need to get some food in you and put you to bed. I tuckered you out, poor baby.”
The fact that I end up with a fist in my gut and her sweet ass in my face a minute before she straightens her dress and prances out of the store, leaving me doubled over, is priceless, and I find myself renewing my determination to have this woman once again.
Only this time I’m smart enough to know what I want.
Forever.
Whipping my satellite phone out of my pocket, I dial my old man’s number and get him on the second ring, my heart still singing at the taste of her on my tongue and the knowledge that I’m about to get my woman.
“Law, son, everything alright?”
“Yup, just getting a few things done. Listen, I want to do something for Nic’s son. She said he likes hockey and soccer, really sporty little dude apparently.”
The line is silent before Dad clears his throat and speaks.
“She told you about Cody?”
“Not really. Just a few snippets. What I managed to drag out of her at least. She doesn’t seem too k
een on me meeting her boy. Says I’m not a safe bet for an impressionable little guy like Cody. But I’d like to prove to her that I am, that I can be a dad to her kid—once I manage to convince her to give me another chance.”
Why I tell him all this is beyond me. Jack James has always been a firm Nic supporter from day one, and I’d had a good ass chewing about my actions after leaving home.
Suffice it to say that Dad is and always will be looking out for my girl, even against his own son. Can’t say I’m not impressed by that—since I love the fact that Nic is still like a daughter to my parents. It’ll make the coming transition a lot easier for all concerned—and maybe these two weeks Cody has with the old coots will solidify the bond I’m hoping to renew with his mom.
“Uh, Law, I don’t think using your charm on Cody is going to earn you any points, son. Nic doesn’t want you hurting the kid, and I can’t say I blame her. You haven’t been all that trustworthy thus far. What happens when you decide—?”
“That won’t happen, Pop. I’m back to stay—and that includes winning my girl back. If that means being a decent father to another man’s kid, that’s exactly what I’ll do. Hell, I plan on giving the squirt a few brothers and sisters in the not too distant future, so I may as well get started bonding with him.”
And God help me if my dick doesn’t hear that and perk right back up at the thought of making those babies.
Dad laughs, a full-bellied chuckle that has my hackles rising and my eyes narrowing in irritation.
“You might wanna take that up with Nico, son. Far as I know, that girl swore never to ‘have her vagina ripped apart again’ and that’s just one of the curses I heard coming out of her delivery room.”
He was there? At her delivery?
“Why did you go to her delivery? Wasn’t her husband there?” I demand, feeling betrayed at the thought of my dad being involved in any way with her dick of a dead husband. Juvenile, I know, but I already feel as if she cheated on me with another guy, and now I hear my own father was in the mix, too.
“Course I was, boy. Nico is my daughter; I wasn’t about to let the girl go through that without my support. One day I’ll tell you the story about how that kid came into the world, and you’ll be glad I was there. For now, I suggest you prove to her that you can be trusted and get everything out on the table. And Law?”
“Yeah?”
“Do me a favor. If you’re not a hundred percent sure that things will end with your name on her and the kid, just back off. That girl has suffered enough heartache already. I won’t see her hurt again.”
He’s right, dammit, but that doesn’t take away the sting of his words or the fact that he’s in her corner and leaving me to fend for myself.
“Fine. Just…get the kid some of that sports equipment and get Mom to book a rink for the first Saturday after we get back. I’m going to teach my stepson a real man’s sport.”
“You’d better do right by that girl. Now go romance the shit out of her, and for the love of God, don’t just think with your dick.”
Chapter Ten
Nico
I’ve died and gone to heaven. Angels are prancing around on my back and shoulders, and I swear I feel my muscles shriek in delight when a strong set of hands travel down from my shoulder blades and rub at the knot just above my butt.
“Oh heaven help me, that feels great.”
Liesel, the goddess who’s been with me since I walked into the spa, chuckles huskily and keeps up her magic, rendering me to nothing more than a blissed out puddle of goo beneath her kneading mitts.
“You’re wound tight as a spring, little lady. Tell Doc Liesel what ails you.”
Besides another sleepless night and the almost irresistible urge to strip naked and fling myself at Law for another round of bone melting pleasure?
Try the fact that I spent the other half of my night feeling an extra-strong wave of guilt about keeping him in the dark about Cody. So yeah, this is not something that I want to share with “Doc Liesel” no matter how divine her hands are.
“Nothing. Just missing my kid and wondering how I’m gonna make rent and school tuition at the end of the month since I missed a meeting with my bank manager to come on this God forsaken trip.”
Her palms dig deeper at my shoulder blades, and I let off a renewed groan.
“Tell me.”
For some reason, maybe because my brain is turning to mush along with my muscles, I start telling her everything. At one point her hands leave my skin, but they return seconds later, stronger and definitely more assured.
“I’ve got a pretty good job that pays me really well but my son, Cody, is in a private school for gifted young minds and that is just…exorbitant. Add to that the fact that I have to pay rent, buy food, and I only just finished paying off the loan I took to pay for my husband’s funeral.”
Her fingers dig deeper, going a little too hard, and I squeak out a protest.
“Too hard.”
“Hmmm.”
Relaxing back beneath her gentling hands, I take a deep breath and try to remember what I was saying.
“And then there’s Jude. She’s this really cool old broad who looks after Cody when school gets out. I pay her less than I should but really more than I can safely afford. If I didn’t, she’d probably end up in some old age home since her kids don’t care one way or the other.”
Liesel keeps kneading, and I spill my whole story about how Brody died and left me alone with a one-year-old baby and debt that I had to pay. (I still adore the guy, but his wardrobe came at a high cost to his grieving widow and the baby I had to care for.)
I don’t tell her the whole sordid mess about Cody’s father, or even that it took me almost two years and Brody’s strong-armed support to keep me going.
But I do for some inexplicable reason spill about Law and his tricky hands. And mouth. And the way I’m losing sleep because of his damned flirting.
When my skin starts tingling and I start feeling a spurt of something scarily close to arousal, I tense and become still, feeling so mortified that I can’t speak for a full minute.
Getting turned on by a female? Oh Lord above, if this is what happens every time I talk about that man, I’m going to have to go to a hypnotherapist to get him out of my head.
“Er, Liesel? Um, that’s, uh, fine. I think…” Swallow. “I…my muscles are fine now!”
A deep masculine chuckle greets my ears, and I feel a hand smooth over my ass—where the heck is my towel!—before I can so much as move.
“Relax, babe.”
“Law! Stop it. No, no don’t do that. Get your hand off my…aaaahhh.”
Another chuckle follows, and I feel his hands cup my ass and start a squeezing rhythm that has my mind blinking on and off. Who knew you could carry that much tension in your butt?
“Laaaw, you need to stop.”
Please, don’t stop. Please keep touching my butt as if it’s a prize-winning pie and you want it bad.
I keep telling the hussy in my head to shut her mouth and be sensible, but it’s been so long since I felt anything but pressure and exhaustion that I can’t help but moan and push up into his hands.
“Sooo, you’re not doing so well. Want to tell me why you’re struggling when you could just tell Dad and get a raise?” he asks.
The question banishes any and all relaxation, and I shove off the table, realizing too late that I’m buck-ass naked and putting on a good show for Law.
Too late to dive for cover now, so I just stand there, loud and proud—or as proud as I can be knowing that I’m a few pounds shy of slim and my boobs are less perky than they used to be.
“That’s none of your business, Lawson James.”
His eyes never leave mine though I can see how he’s struggling not to stare at my wares. That’s pretty nice of him—if I do say so myself—but nowhere near as nice as it is when he silently passes me a robe and waits for me to cover up.
“Nic.”
“Law. P
lease. You weren’t supposed to be here, and don’t even get me started on how pissed off I am that you fooled me that way. My problems are mine, and I don’t want to talk about them.”
This seems to frustrate him, and I watch a range of emotions play over his face before he sighs and meets my gaze.
“Just because you hate me—”
“I don’t. I never did,” I whisper, giving him and myself the truth for once. “I was angry for a long time, and it took me even longer to stop feeling hurt and numb about it all, but I had more to live for, and I finally just had to let it all go.”
“You don’t hate me?” he asks hesitantly, and I can see how important the answer is to him.
I could backpedal and spew a lot of garbage at him, nine months’ worth of resentment that I’d built up and lived off of before Cody came into the world and I fell so in love it was impossible to hate a man who shared half of my son’s DNA.
Add to that the fact that I am and will always be one of those sad women who falls in love once and never looks at another man ever again. No, I won’t love him again the way that I loved him in all my youthful glory, but I can’t deny that he will always hold a piece of me.
“No,” I finally whisper, smiling sadly at him. “I loved you too much once to ever truly hate you, Law. I just can’t ever feel that way again.”
Now I know Law; he’s the type who hates to lose, and to him, not having every piece of a person can be considered a loss. I expect him to get angry at my statement, maybe pull me close and kiss the daylights out of me. Definitely a scowl, or something to show his annoyance.
Instead, I get a dazzling smile and two dimples that remind me so much of Cody that I feel my heart throb.
“I can so work with that, babe. Come on. Let’s go get you changed. We’re having lunch at the bar, and then I want to hear about that meeting you were going to have with your bank manager.”
“Law.”
God, I should have known the guy won’t quit.
Chapter Eleven
Law
She’s struggling to hold onto her composure, and I hate that a part of that struggle comes from my knowing that she’s in financial trouble and working her ass off just to make ends meet.