by K. K. Allen
I’d already texted Chelsea, so she was expecting me when I walked up to her door. I didn’t even knock before she opened it and whisked me inside. I didn’t know what to expect when I saw her, though I’d let a fairly intense scene play out in my mind in the hours leading up to my arrival—one that consisted of throwing her against the wall and kissing the hell out of her before picking her up by her arse and carrying her to the bedroom. But the second I saw her, I forgot all about my lucid fantasies and turned my attention on the now, the present, my reality, not the produced reality of my former world. The differences were not too subtle.
There was a numbness that came along with being the British Bachelor, almost a form of subliminal force that constantly put me at the top of my game, but that wasn’t me. I wasn’t the man who wore suits to attend fancy affairs or even one who needed the constant publicity to make me feel whole. I wore ripped jeans and T-shirts on the daily, and I much preferred quiet nights to lavish social gatherings—preferably with someone who made life feel effortless, no matter the season, someone who reminded me to value my time rather than rush it. Someone like Chelsea.
All of these reasons played into my restraint, which was why her clothes were still on. I stopped at the door, my gaze slow and sweeping around the room. The lights were dim, with only a tall lamp lit in the corner of her living area along with another light coming from her bedroom. Her small house looked perfectly tidy with every loose article placed where it belonged. I couldn’t help but feel like it was a gesture that told me she cared, and my heart grew warmer because of it.
“Do you want anything to drink? Wine. Beer. Water?” She was already walking over to the refrigerator when she asked the question.
It was then that I realized she hadn’t met my eyes at all. Alcohol was the obvious choice, but I wanted to have a clear head for tonight, for whatever was about to happen.
“Water would be fantastic.”
She nodded and pulled out two bottled waters from her fridge, then walked back to me, still not making eye contact.
“Thank you,” I said, biting down on my smile. I decided to see how things went.
She was obviously nervous, but I wanted to make sure it was for the right reasons. I watched her fiddle with the record player near the lamp.
When a familiar tune by The 1975 came on, I walked forward, impressed. “Good choice.”
She turned to look at me over her shoulder. “I think I’ve listened to their new album about a hundred times in the past two weeks.”
“I haven’t heard it yet. Turn it up a little?” I stepped around the sofa then sat down on one end, my eyes drifting over Chelsea.
The woman always looked put together. She never had to try, but tonight I think she had. Her hair was down in perfect waves, like she’d just gotten back from the beach. Her skin was bright and flawless, covering up the freckles I had already fallen a little bit in love with. Her sleeveless dress was short and flowy with thin white-and-tan stripes running horizontally from top to bottom. Each of her ears held a small diamond, bright enough to catch my eye but small enough to pull my focus back to her beautiful face. After spending months dating thirty women, all with personal care teams ensuring their makeup was packed on for the cameras, Chelsea was more than a breath of fresh air.
Chelsea took a sip of her water and set it down on the coffee table before turning around to face me. She looked unsure of what to do next but took a seat in the small chair adjacent to me. I wanted to cut through her thoughts for fear she would talk herself out of whatever could happen tonight.
“How is your book coming along?”
I loved the way her eyes lit when I asked her about her passion. Her cheeks pinked slightly, too, and I knew she was excited to talk about it.
“Good. I’ve written a lot this week. The whole story is coming together. Oh, and the story I submitted to my editor is due back to me tomorrow.”
“Can I read more? The sexy bits, perhaps?”
Her blush deepened, and she let out a breathy laugh. “I don’t think I could look at you ever again if you did.”
It was my turn to laugh. “But you’ll publish it for the world to read? What would stop me from picking it up and reading it?”
Her smile was infectious. “Nothing, I guess. But by then it’s already out there, no take-backs.”
She was afraid of her own passion, which for some reason, was overwhelmingly endearing to me. I decided to shift the subject. I would love to read whatever came out of Chelsea’s brain but only when she was ready.
“So, what happens when you get your edits back? How long until you publish?”
She talked fast through the rest of the editing process, how she would go about getting a cover created, and how everything combined could take weeks before she could actually hit publish. I was fascinated with how much she knew and how familiar her process was to that of any entrepreneur.
“What about you?” she asked when she was done. “Have you given more thought to what your next move will be after you get back to London?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot actually.” I adjusted my position on the couch, wishing I had a better answer for her. “I still love to swim, and I really enjoy coaching Brendan on his technique. I’ve thought about teaching or becoming a private instructor. I’ve also thought about starting a tattoo shop somewhere.”
I shrugged, knowing my last thought was silly. I couldn’t even look at Chelsea as I said it out loud, but when I looked back up at her, her expression made me feel the opposite of silly. I hadn’t told anyone else about the dreams I’d been having lately to own my own small business, most of which had been inspired just by being in Providence. I loved the thought of walking to a small shop downtown where my regulars would come for me to draw up artwork for them and get tattooed.
“I think both of those ideas sound perfect for you, Liam. Much different than banking on money from being a social media influencer. Are you ready for the change?”
I swallowed. Hadn’t I asked myself the same questions a million times over the past two weeks? “I’m ready to feel fulfilled, so yes, I’m ready for the change.” My eyes drifted over her again, my heart quickening in my chest. “I’m ready for a lot of changes.”
Suddenly the distance between us was too much. Why was she sitting so far away?
“Have you thought more about getting a tattoo?” I didn’t want to assume she still loved the one I’d drawn for her.
She smiled. “I don’t know. The temporary still looks pretty good.”
My eyes widened, and my trousers tightened. “Can I see it?” I spit the question out without actually thinking about the words first. Chelsea was wearing a dress, which meant if I were to get a peek at it, she would have to—
“Sure.” Chelsea rose from her chair and took a couple of steps toward me.
Her shiny and tan legs were right in front of me when I forced my gaze to slide up her body to meet her eyes. “What? Really?”
She shrugged. “I mean, you’ve seen me in a bathing suit already, and you were there when I got it.” She smiled as she took in my reaction. “Unless you don’t want to look under my dress. I won’t force you.”
Panic seized my chest, and my hands practically leapt to her body, gripping behind her knees to keep her steady. If she walked away from me right then, I might weep. “Oh, I’ll do it. I just wanted to make absolutely sure I understood what you were offering.”
Before I could say another word, Chelsea gripped the bottom of her dress in both hands and started to slowly pull it up. Inch by inch, my gaze followed the movement. Out of all the experiences I’d had in my life, this was definitely the most erotic.
She halted just before the reveal. My mind had been spinning, trying to guess the color of her panties. When she didn’t go farther, I looked up into her eyes again and watched her take her next deep breath.
It was like she wanted to be brave but faltered slightly. That breath signaled a line we had yet to cross, a
line she was less than an inch from letting me explore. This time, I wasn’t walking away from the opportunity.
Her body shifted slightly, and I realized she was lifting her arms again. The anticipation would kill me. I hadn’t even glanced back down yet, and I was already harder than I’d ever been in my life.
My gaze fell to find silk black panties, the waistband of them thick so only the top of the tattoo peeked out over the fabric. An internal growl ripped through me, my hunger for this woman on a completely new level. Something beastly was set to emerge, and I had no idea how I would control it.
Without thinking, I moved my hands up her silky-smooth legs. I had to bite my bottom lip in an attempt to contain the trouser snake below my waist. When I reached her panties, I let one hand drift to the top of her waistline before I made eye contact with her again. “May I?”
She nodded, her smile gone but her shallow breathing an acceptable indication of my welcoming touch. I swallowed and focused on the little ink I could see of the tattoo. I pulled one side of her panties down over her hip so I could get a full glimpse of my creation tattooed on the woman in front of me.
I moved with instinct, tracing over the tattoo as I remembered how fast my hand had moved that day. With Chelsea as my inspiration and with my passion for art and ink as my guide, it had come together like magic. As I looked at it now, no words could describe the emotions swirling inside of me.
“You’re right,” I said, my voice low. “It still looks good.” I continued to trace the design down to the bottom, where I knew I was coming close to another part of Chelsea I so desperately wanted to see.
My finger slipped below the fabric, dragging along her skin and moving farther away from the tattoo. It was a tease, a question, and when Chelsea didn’t flinch or jerk away, I looked up to find her eyes falling closed.
Permission granted.
22
Chelsea
My eyes fell closed as his touch sent a wave of electricity through my body. I was still gripping the bottom of my dress, giving him access to a part of me I wanted him to take without question. No more questions, just action.
I inched forward slightly until I felt his knees on either side of my legs and his hot breath on my skin. I dared a look down in his direction, finding his blazing eyes back on mine.
Holy shit. I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t know why this beautiful man was here with me or why he looked like he would devour me slowly just to torture me in the best possible way. All I knew for sure was that I wanted him and that he wouldn’t leave this pool house without knowing it.
He continued to graze the skin beneath my panties, slowly, cautiously, but also easing his way down, like he was testing my reactions. I wouldn’t give him any reason to stop.
I lifted my dress over my head, revealing my bra, and I tossed the garment to the chair I’d just been sitting on. When I turned back to Liam, he let out a heavy breath, slammed his lids closed, and moved his head so it was resting on my stomach.
“Holy hell, woman. You’ll be the death of me.”
I bit down on my smile, flutters coming alive inside of me as heat spread between my thighs. “Not if you kill me first.”
When he looked at me again, it was with an intense glare that had my heart pounding fiercely in my chest. “I can only promise to try.”
Keeping his eyes locked on mine, he peeled my panties from my body, inching them down around my legs until they fell to my feet. His mouth hovered over my tattoo before he pressed his lips against it. I shivered at the touch, and he gripped the back of my thighs.
Liam ran his lips against my skin, traveling away from the tattoo until he was right above my bare mound. “You’re so sexy.” His voice was gravelly and hot on my skin as he spoke. “And sweet.” His mouth lowered. “And so bloody hot.”
His tongue slipped out and swept between my legs, which were only marginally parted. Liam must have realized the same thing because he scooted back as far as he could on the couch then patted the edge of the couch on either side of him. “Put your knees here.” Then his eyes flashed to mine, his intent clear. “Spread your legs around me.”
With shaky muscles, I moved forward, dipping one knee onto the couch then the other, with my hands straight down by my sides. When his thumb touched my clit and started to rub, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold myself up.
My hands wrapped over Liam’s shoulders as he kissed my belly, all while his thumb ran circles around my sensitive bud. A second later, his other hand joined in on the action as he ran a finger along the length of my slit, all the way to my ass, and back to my front. The motion was slow and agonizing as I shook above him.
“Liam,” I begged when the sensations were getting to be too much.
I didn’t have to elaborate, and I didn’t have to wait much longer for two fingers to push inside me. My lids shot open at the intense pressure.
“Come closer,” he demanded, his pace set as he pulled me onto his lap and took my mouth with his.
We became heated breaths, tangled tongues, and grazing teeth as I moved around his magical fingers fluttering deep inside me.
His lips dragged from my mouth to my neck as his thrusting fingers quickened their pace. He wanted me to come for him before he’d even stripped off a single article of clothing. Suddenly, I was eager to meet my climax, eager because it meant I was that much closer to seeing Liam come alive too. Just the thought of our naked bodies tangled together dizzied my mind.
The moment I felt the start of my orgasm, it was like a stick of dynamite had just been lit, the flame teasing me as everything at my core heated until its final detonation. My moan was soft as my entire body absorbed the effects with every aftershock that came. I fell into Liam, his fingers sliding out of me, leaving a trail of my sticky wetness before he cupped the nape of my neck and pulled me to his mouth for another heart-stopping kiss. With his fingers gone, I could feel him hard beneath me—rock-hard and practically throbbing to get inside me.
Then his mouth moved to my ear as his free hand gripped my ass. “Consider that the hors d’oeuvre in a five-course meal,” he rasped. He lifted his hips, the thin fabric of his sweats leaving little to the imagination.
I was still coming down from my high when he unsnapped my bra, and it slid down my arms. He lifted the fabric from my skin and tossed it to the floor, his eyes glued to my heaving breasts.
“Fuck me.” He cupped me, filling his palm with me while his eyes rolled up and his head fell back on the couch. “Holy shit, woman. You’re unbelievable.”
A smile lifted my cheeks at the compliment, and I shifted on his lap to get a better feel of him. “You haven’t even fucked me yet.”
His lips curled into a smile. “The first few courses are just a warm-up to the main event.”
I laughed lightly, my head still spinning from my climax. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a five-course meal.”
His eyes widened in a challenge. “I’m happy to introduce you.”
My finger slid against his bottom lip. I wanted nothing more than to place it between my teeth and suck. “What course comes next?”
His gaze darkened as his brows lowered. “The appetizer.”
Before I knew what was happening, Liam scooped me up into his arms then laid me down on my back. In a quick move, he swiped his white T-shirt over his head, and it met the floor, which was quickly becoming decorated with our wardrobe. His chest was smooth, just like my pussy, like he’d waxed it for the occasion. I’d never had sex with a man who looked like Liam—perfectly cut, his strength undeniable as I ran my eyes over the cut of his chest and abs.
He cupped my breast again while he kissed my mouth, this one rough, unlike before. Then he moved to my neck, his teeth grazing my soft skin until my eyes rolled back into my head. Holy shit, it was like my entire body was on fire.
When his mouth moved to the breast he’d been cupping, a guttural moan slipped past my throat. Liam took the sound as an invitation to suck hard on my n
ipple before adding his teeth. It was just a pinch, but it was enough for me to gasp in surprise at the sensation. No one had ever done that to me before.
He flicked his tongue against me before sucking again and finally sliding down to where my thighs parted. He didn’t tease my center as he had before. His tongue swiped at my entrance as his hands gripped my thighs and squeezed them around his head.
While I’d never had a five-course meal, I’d eaten plenty of appetizers, none of them at all this satisfying. Liam went straight for the kill. The pressure built so fast within me that I tried everything I could think of to stop my impending orgasm.
His tongue delved into me as he swiped each time, his pacing quick but steady as I started to quiver beneath him. I cupped my breasts, needing something to hold onto as he devoured me whole. The fire he’d already lit inside me built to an inferno, blasting through my body at a rate I could no longer control. His hands slid under my ass and gripped it hard while his final suck had me coming so hard, my entire body convulsed beneath him.
“Please tell me the main course comes next.” I gasped with my words, afraid I would never be able to regulate my breathing again.
He chuckled as he rose from between my legs. “Nope. One more course to go.” Liam pulled me off the couch, tugged me close, and breathed his hot breath in my ear. “Take me to your room.”
I met his intense gaze before nodding and stepping backward with him still pressed against me. Once inside, we stood at the foot of my bed while my heart pounded chaotically in my chest. I looped my finger into the top of his sweats and tilted my head. “I think you’re a little overdressed for this meal.”
He cocked his head, his smile widening. “What are you going to do about it?”
Swallowing, I bottled up my nerves and slid my eyes down to his drawstrings, where my finger rested. Why was I so damn nervous to see a guy naked? It wasn’t like it was my first time, but in a way, it felt a whole lot like it. My head felt light. My stomach was doing somersaults, and I had to suck in a slow breath so I didn’t sound shaky.