Swiftly, Matt yanked her panties down to her ankles. Holding her breath, she kicked them off the rest of the way, anxiously waiting for his next move. His hand rested on her knee for a moment, the touch in itself sending pings of electricity racing along her skin. Then he jerked it high and pulled it back to rest on his thigh, leaving her open, her center exposed.
“Did I, or did I not, lick your beautiful pussy last night until you lost consciousness?” He plunged two thick fingers inside her, making her moan loudly. “An answer, Lucy.”
“Y-yes,” she answered on a shudder. “That happened.”
He rotated his fingers, leisurely stroking her sensitive inner walls. “So when you say ‘about time’ it makes me wonder what the hell you’re talking about.”
It didn’t seem possible after the countless climaxes she’d reached last night, but her belly tightened again like a snare drum, an ache forming low and heavy, all controlled by Matt’s hand. She racked her brain for a way to answer him that would make him continue touching her. “I was talking about you. You didn’t—”
He delivered a sharp smack between her legs. “I didn’t what?”
“Ah!” Shocked pleasure flooding her, Lucy searched for an adequate response. Her clitoris throbbed where he’d delivered the stinging slap. There was pain, but oh, mostly just driving need so strong she shook. “I wanted you inside me.”
“Oh, I remember.” His amused answer sent warm breath washing over her ear. “All your hot begging and moaning. ‘Please, Matt. Fuck me. Fuck me. I need it so bad.’” Another ringing slap between her thighs, right over her sensitive bundle of nerves. “Do you enjoy making me crazy?”
Lucy whimpered as his thumb stroked her clitoris. “A little bit, yeah.”
“Wrong answer.” Without warning, he drove his erection home inside of her. “Fuuuuuck.”
The same long, drawn-out blasphemy echoed in Lucy’s head, but all that came out was a muffled scream. After hours of needing to be filled by Matt, it had finally happened and somehow it beat the memory of the last time, an incredible feat since he’d blown her mind in that motel room. He felt enormous, throbbing deep inside her, but he didn’t move. She suspected he was calming himself, getting used to the sensation of their joined bodies. The evidence that she affected him as much as he affected her filled her with confidence. Made her feel wanted. Needed. Vital.
“Pull your knees up to your chest.” His voice was gravel. “Keep them there. And hang the fuck on.”
She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms beneath them, eyes fluttering closed in anticipation. When he mimicked her actions, overlapping her banded arms and pulling her tighter against him, they let out a simultaneous groan. She didn’t think two people could get any closer than they were at that moment, her curled up on her side with his body enveloping her. “Oh, please. Please,” she breathed, needing him to move.
Slowly, he withdrew, then rammed in deeper than before. “No more begging or you’ll be doing it from your knees. Do you hear me?” He sounded as though he spoke through clenched teeth.
She nodded frantically. “Yes.” Again, again. Please keep moving.
He took himself out inch by inch before driving back in, to the hilt. “I can still taste you on my tongue, baby. I woke up twice last night wanting more.” Five quick thrusts had her sobbing his name. God, he went so deep. Deeper than she’d thought possible. “You trying to make me an addict?”
“Yes!” She shouted the word without thinking, but knew immediately it was true. Yes, right now, with him pinpointing every need in her trembling body with perfect precision, she wanted him addicted to her. She didn’t care who knew or what he thought about it, either. Just needed more.
“Is that so?” His teeth bit into her shoulder, hips beginning to pump wildly. “Mission accomplished.”
Her orgasm rose swiftly to the surface. Using what little leverage she had, Lucy worked her hips back and forth, meeting his thrusts. The friction sent her closer, so deliriously close, she could taste blood from where her teeth sank into her lips. A scream formed in her throat as it began to overtake her.
Matt slowed his assault, laughing darkly when she cried out. “You will wait, Lucy. I’m not ready to stop fucking you yet. And that’s exactly what will happen if you tighten up on me. I’ll blow straight into your pussy.”
She felt dizzy and hot. Her legs were shaking out of control, but she had no choice but to absorb his long, measured thrusts, even though she wanted to scream for him to go faster. “Oh God. I’m going to die.”
Matt withdrew completely and flipped her onto her back. She had no time to prepare before he shoved her thighs wide and slammed into her. Over and over and over. He took her hands and pinned them over her head as he groaned into her neck. Lucy could only cry his name toward the ceiling as her release hovered close once more. She tried to hold back, knowing he would slow down if she showed signs of reaching the end. The sight of his sleek body and handsome, concentrated face above her wouldn’t let her, though, and her core started to clench desperately around his arousal. She knew he felt it when he threw back his head on a moan.
“Matt, please. I can’t wait.”
Without pausing his brutal thrusts, he leaned down and bit her bottom lip. “You come because I allow it. You only do it for me.”
“Yes. Yes!”
“Squeeze me, then. Milk it out of me.”
Lucy raked her fingernails down his ass, yanking him closer as she contracted her inner walls. She kept her eyes open, memorizing the way his jaw went slack, eyes unseeing as he imploded, jerking heavily inside her. His potent reaction combined with the muscled flesh of his backside pumping beneath her palms sent her spiraling over the edge, her surroundings becoming insignificant as he worked her through a stunning orgasm.
“Goddammit, Lucy,” he growled, collapsing on top of her. “I can’t stop this. How can I stop?”
Her brain a pile of mush, Lucy could only thread her fingers through his hair, the action soothing them both. When he started to move off of her, she locked her legs around his hips to keep him there. He looked down at her for a quiet moment, then buried his face in her hair.
Shortly after, they fell back asleep.
…
Matt slowed his hurried gait as he walked into the kitchen and found Lucy perched on the counter, wearing an oversize Syracuse T-shirt. She didn’t see him enter at first, looking deep in thought as she…roasted a marshmallow?
He shook his head and propped a shoulder against the wall to watch her, sure he was seeing things. She’d stretched out a wire coat hanger and impaled the fluffy white confection on the end, holding it over the gas burner. Beside her on the counter was an opened box of graham crackers and a king-size Hershey bar. She was making s’mores. At eight o’clock in the morning. The very idea seemed ridiculous, but when paired with Lucy, somehow it made perfect sense. Sunshine streamed in through the kitchen window, picking out the strawberry coloring of her hair, the entire scene a brutal reminder that she was everything he wasn’t. A beacon of light while he stood across the room in the shadows. Everything inside him pushed him toward her, needing to touch that light, but he rebelled against it, convinced it might dim with his influence.
Minutes ago, when he’d woken up and found her gone, he’d been unreasonably panicked. They were in her bed, this is where she was staying. She couldn’t have gone far. It hadn’t stopped him from hurriedly dragging on his pants and striding out of the bedroom in pursuit of her.
Irrational. Everything about his reaction to this girl was irrational. He hadn’t even meant to stay the night, merely wanted to hold her for a while. To know what it felt like. Next thing he’d known, he’d woken up and found her ass molded to his lap, his cock so hard he couldn’t see reason or think straight. There had been no turning back at that point. Get inside her or die. The thought had rung in his skull, setting him on her like a starving man. He’d lacked control, dominating her, making demands…and loving the hell out of
He’d been too rough. Exposed too much of himself. She’d run.
He still didn’t know if that was the case. She sat with her brow furrowed, rotating the marshmallow above the flame, a gentle hum emanating from her luscious lips, but she gave nothing away. Yet.
“S’mores aren’t exactly a nutritious breakfast,” Matt remarked, walking toward the refrigerator.
“Oh!” She jerked, knocking the box of graham crackers onto the ground. With a scowl, she shoved her curls behind her ears and slipped off the counter to retrieve it, careful to keep the marshmallow positioned correctly over the burner. As she bent over, he caught a glimpse of her pink boy shorts and barely restrained a growl. “Don’t be grumpy. There’s enough for both of us.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Watching your figure?”
No, I’m watching yours. He cleared his throat and opened the refrigerator, seeing that it was empty save a carton of orange juice and green grapes. She’d gone to the store and bought the materials to make s’mores and nothing else? He sighed, shutting the fridge door. “All right. Make me one.”
Her face lit up, cutting off the oxygen to his brain. “When Brent and I were kids—” She cut herself off, her pretty gaze flying to his when she realized she’d referred to the pink elephant in the room. Her brother. His best friend. Matt felt an uncomfortable churning in his gut but didn’t say anything and after a moment, she notched her chin up and continued. “When we were kids, my mom refused to take us camping. She hated bugs. Anything wildernessrelated, really. So once a year our dad moved the table out of the kitchen and pitched a tent. We made s’mores this way.”
The way she smiled fondly at the memory made him want to dive across the kitchen and drag her into his arms, but once again, he stayed put. “Camping, Queens-style,” he said, instead.
Her eyes twinkled. “Have you ever been camping?” When he only looked at her, she paled, obviously remembering the time he’d spent overseas living mostly outdoors. “Never mind. That was a stupid question.”
Matt felt the insistent need to make her feel better. “Extreme camping, maybe. Minus the s’mores.” He waited until she smiled again. The pressure in his chest eased. “We ate MREs. Field rations. Not as appetizing as what you’re cooking, but they got the job done.”
He watched as she very carefully placed a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker, then stacked a marshmallow and another graham cracker on top. Looking satisfied with herself, she handed the creation to him. When their fingers brushed, he felt it down to the soles of his feet. Judging from her intake of breath, she felt it, too. Her tongue danced along her lips. “What was your first meal when you came back?”
Such an odd question. Hell, this whole situation was odd. So why did he feel so at home? He bit into the s’more as he thought about her question, a grunt of approval escaping him before he could stop it. Damn, it tasted good. Not half as good as her, though. “A foot-long sub sandwich. Two, actually.”
“Not something your mom made?” Oblivious to how her question threw him, she stuck another marshmallow onto the end of the wire. “I would ask for meat loaf and mashed potatoes. And several kinds of pie. Let’s just say I’d be wearing sweatpants for a while.”
He decided she could use some extra weight. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so guilty about manhandling her. Stop that line of thinking. You can’t continue to have her. Leave her alone. “My parents weren’t there to cook for me when I got back, but the sub did the trick.”
“Where were they?”
The s’more felt stuck in his throat. “My dad lost the use of his legs when I was young. They have a difficult time traveling.” Matt didn’t add that he hadn’t seen his parents since before his deployment and only spoke with them on holidays. His father had long ago become his mother’s full-time job, leaving very little time to travel. Or cook special meat loaf. Lucy didn’t need to be dragged down with that knowledge, though, nor did he know how he’d react to her sympathy. He was very much afraid he would like it and take advantage. Bask in all that light as long as he could. Quickly, he diverted the attention from himself. “What’s on your bucket list today?”
For long moments, she stared as if she wanted to question him further on his parents. He realized he was holding his breath, hoping for both of their sakes she’d let it drop. If she showed him an ounce of compassion, he’d be across the room buried in her before she could blink. He couldn’t explain it. Only knew it would undo him, and he’d never shown that side of himself to another person. What lay on the other side of exposing himself like that?
“Are you sure you want to know?” she asked hesitantly.
Now he did. Was it dangerous? It better not be. “Tell me,” he demanded.
She visibly shivered. Why? “Trapeze classes at Chelsea Pier.” Her gaze flew to the clock. “Actually, I better go. One should not be late to defy death. It’s bad luck.”
He frowned when she jumped off the counter and started to leave the room. “Forgetting something?”
Her expression was puzzled. Until he turned off the stove’s burner with a flick of his wrist. Looking sheepish, she rubbed her bare foot against the opposite leg. “Don’t tell Hayden?”
“I won’t, if you promise not to break your neck today.”
“I’ll give it my best shot, coach.”
“Jesus.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Go get dressed. I’m coming with you.”
Chapter Ten
Lucy stood with her arms raised as the trapeze instructor, Justin, harnessed her into the safety equipment. She actually worried for the poor guy’s life more than her own, thanks to Matt standing ten feet away watching every movement through dangerously narrowed eyes. It was obvious that he didn’t like the instructor having access to any part of her body, and based on Justin’s strained expression, he’d picked up on Matt’s not-so-subtle warning, too.
The trapeze school practiced outdoors during the summer, right on the Hudson River. A gentle summer breeze flitted across her skin, warm morning sun heating her neck and shoulders. It would be nice if she knew what the hell his possessive attitude meant. She’d been shocked when he offered to come with her today, but he’d just muttered something about it being his day off and having nothing else to do. Was he simply doing her brother a favor by looking out for her, or did he actually want to be here? Last night and this morning, he’d effectively scrambled her brain with extraordinary sex. Somewhere in Hayden’s town house, her panties were still smoking. Talking to him in the kitchen afterward had felt…natural. Well, as natural as possible when a big man-panther who dripped sensuality stood bare-chested licking chocolate off his fingers. She’d been silently begging for him to lose the pants and commence round two, but she’d sensed him holding back.
Talk about confusing. Any other time, she would poke him in the chest and demand answers. It’s how she operated. There was little sense in holding back and not speaking your mind. With Matt, however, she feared it would send him packing. It made her nervous. Set her off-balance. He sent mixed signals and she didn’t know how to receive them. He’d told her he didn’t tolerate liars, but he continued to show up, as if he couldn’t stay away. She liked having him around, even if his intentions were far from clear, so she kept all her confusing thoughts to herself.
She tuned back in to Justin’s safety spiel. “Your first jump, we’ll keep it very simple. You’ll swing back and forth a few times, just to get used to the bar. Then you’ll release and fall into the net. Once you know the net is there and you’ve experienced it, you’ll feel more confident about the next phase.”
Matt crossed his arms. “Next phase?”
“I-if she’s comfortable, we’ll attempt a knee-hang.”
Lucy did a little dance. “Swinging upside down? Boom, let’s do it.”
Justin nodded, shooting Matt an apprehensive look. “Only if you’re comfortable.”
“Okay, your belt is secure. Once we’re on the platform, we’ll attach it to the very secure safety lines.” Justin looked as though he were embarking on a death march. “I’m going to take you up now.”
“Cool—”
“Wait,” Matt barked. Before she could decipher his intention, he strode toward them, looking incredibly determined. With one tug of her safety belt, she collided with his body and he was kissing her. Not a good-luck-I’ll-catch-you-on-the-flip-side kiss. It was a brain-melting, I-will-make-you-very-sorry-if-you-get-hurt kiss that nearly buckled her knees and sent her crashing to the ground. His tongue swept in and claimed every corner of her mouth, his hand curling around her ponytail to tilt her head back in a gesture of ownership. She moaned into his mouth, surrendering to him on every level possible, but he pulled back all too soon, steadying her with a firm hand on her elbow.
“Wow,” she breathed, immediately wanting to slap herself. Honestly, could she not take his lead and shroud herself in a little bit of mystery, too? Instead, she seemed bent on showing her hand at every opportunity. Perhaps that was the reason he showed up whenever he felt like it. She welcomed him with little urging on his part every time. The annoying realization caused her forehead to crease.
Matt frowned at her. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m too easy.”
“You’re forcing me to watch while you put your life in the hands of a man wearing purple spandex.” He shook his head. “You are anything but easy.”
She felt her mouth stretch into a grin. “Thank you.”
His jaw flexed as he moved closer, lowering his voice. “At the risk of distracting you, baby, you should know I’m dying to spank your ass right now until you scream.”
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