Tempting Sophia

by Jessica Prince

  “Please,” I begged, teetering on the edge of bliss.

  Two of his long fingers dove in, curling up to brush a spot inside of me that only Dom had ever found. I cried out in pleasurable pain. “Am I driving you wild?”

  My head thrashed from side to side on the pillow. “Yes!” I shouted into the darkness of my bedroom. “Yes! God, Yes, Dominic!”

  The thick head of his cock nudged my entrance but went no farther. I opened my eyes when he didn’t push inside me. He was studying my face as though I was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. The muscles in his biceps strained with his weight as he held himself up.

  The air in my lungs stalled at the intensity of his gaze. “Never stopped loving you,” he whispered reverently. Then he drove into me in one hard thrust.

  I yelled his name at the top of my lungs. The feel of him stretching me was so intense, so intoxicating, that every nerve in my body turned into a live wire as he pulled out and shoved back in.

  “Fuck me,” he groaned as he pumped in and out at a rapid pace. “You feel even better than I remember.”

  My nails scored down his back, coming to a stop on his tight ass. I dug in, pulling him against me harder as I tilted my hips up. I wanted him deeper. Needed him deeper. “Oh God,” I whimpered. “So good. Dom, baby, don’t stop.”

  My entire body shifted with each powerful drive of his hips. My breasts bounced as he fucked me into the mattress. “Never,” he growled. “Been waiting ten fucking years for this. Never going to stop.”

  I dropped my hands from his body and clawed at the sheets. It was almost too much. I felt like I couldn’t hold on to anything tight enough to keep me grounded.

  Dominic shifted, but he didn’t let up on his erotic assault. His fingers twined with mine, and he lifted our joined hands over my head and pressed them down into the pillow. I gripped tightly as our bodies moved in perfect sync with one another.

  “Dom….” My voice quivered, somewhat frightened by the force of what was building inside of me.

  “Give it to me, butterfly.”

  “Oh God. It’s too much. I’m com—” My words cut off as I toppled over the edge into the abyss, screaming his name until my voice nearly gave out. It felt like I came for an eternity. Our sweat mingled between us as he thrust once, twice, three more times. I was just coming down from the best orgasm of my life when he planted himself balls-deep, threw his head back, and came with a roar that threatened to shake my walls. His cock twitched as he poured the last of himself deep inside of me, and then he collapsed.

  I took his weight, wrapping my limbs around his strong frame and holding on tight as we both slowly floated back down to earth.

  Dominic nuzzled my neck, making goose bumps break out all over.

  “Never stopped, baby. Swear to God.”

  My heart could barely take everything I was feeling at that very moment. My arms clenched tighter, pulling him even closer. I opened my mouth to return his words, but I just… couldn’t.

  I felt it, but there was something holding me back, keeping me from saying exactly what I was feeling.

  We lay in silence, the only sounds in the room our heavy breathing for several minutes. That was until he spoke again. “I know this isn’t the most ideal time to bring it up, seeing as I’m still inside of you, but are you… are we…?” He let out a heavy huff against my shoulder. “I didn’t use a condom.”

  Fuck, shit, damn, hell! “I’m on the pill,” I whispered. But that didn’t mean… “Are you—”

  “I’m clean,” he finished, like he could read my mind. “I promise, butterfly. I never would’ve let it go that far if I was putting you at risk.” He lifted onto his elbows and looked down at me, smiling like he was the happiest man on the planet. “You know, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you got pregnant.”

  I somehow managed to push the epic panic attack that built at those words to the back of my mind, but he must have read my face like a book, because he continued with a chuckle. “Too soon?”

  “Yeah,” I said on a sigh. “Maybe just a little.”

  He started laughing, and I couldn’t help but join in. “We’ll take this day by day, yeah? Until you trust me completely. Sound good?”

  I grinned up at him, my smile damn near splitting my face in two. Brushing my fingertips along the stubble on his jaw, up to his temple, my body relaxed beneath his. “Sounds perfect,” I whispered.

  And that was the God’s honest truth. Everything in that very moment seemed absolutely perfect.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Dominic

  I rested near the headboard with my arms propped behind the back of my head so I had the perfect view of the bathroom door. When it opened, it revealed Sophia, illuminated from behind by the bathroom light.

  She stopped just inside the doorway, wearing nothing but the bed sheet wrapped around her. Chewing on her bottom lip nervously, she ran her foot along the back of the opposite calf, looking very unsure all of a sudden.

  I pushed up on an elbow and threw the covers back, hoping she’d take the hint and get back in bed with me. “What’s the matter?”

  She shuffled across the floor, eyes downcast until she made it to the bed and climbed in. “Nothing’s the matter. Why would anything be the matter?”

  I pushed up to sitting and turned my body to face her head on. “I don’t know. Maybe because you suddenly look like you’re waiting for something terrible to happen?”

  Sophia heaved out a sigh and fell back onto a pillow. I followed suit, lying down so we were facing but not touching. “I guess I’ve been living the last several years like that, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m kind of accustomed to it by now.”

  I squeezed my eyes closed. Her admission sliced through my heart like a goddamn razorblade. “I’m sorry,” I croaked.

  “Hey, no.” Her fingertips brushed the wrinkles on my forehead, prompting me to open my eyes. “No. I didn’t mean it like that.” She interlaced her fingers with mine and pulled our joined hands to her lips, placing a kiss on my knuckles. “I swear. I—”

  I silenced her with a kiss. “I get it, baby.”

  “Are we…?” She swallowed thickly and scooted an inch closer. “Are we okay?”

  I closed the rest of the distance between us until I could reach her lips with mine. “We’re good as long as you promise you don’t regret what just happened between us.”

  “I don’t,” she answered vehemently against my lips. “Not at all.”

  The pressure in my chest began to ease. Unfortunately, there was a “but” hovering in the back of my mind that refused to release the pressure completely. “So what does this mean? For us?” I asked. It was the one question I feared the answer to.

  “It means….” The silence in the room was deafening as her face twisted in thought, attempting to come up with an answer. “It means we’re seeing where this goes, taking this one day at a time and enjoying our time together.”

  I’d been inside her just minutes ago. I’d confessed my fucking love for her. I’d been hoping for a lot more than just “seeing where this goes.” The rejection I felt must’ve been written on my face clear as day because she pulled back, her gaze bouncing back and forth between my eyes. “Dominic, I—”

  But I didn’t have it in me to hang around to hear her excuses. “No, it’s fine. I get it.” I threw the covers off my legs and moved to stand. Locating my boxer briefs on the bedroom floor, I slid them up my legs and started for my pants when I heard rustling coming from the direction of the bed.

  “Where are you going?” I looked up just long enough to see Sophia stand, her naked body wrapped in the bedsheet. “You’re leaving?”

  I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice as I spoke. “Yeah, well, I figured since we’re taking this one day at a time and this day’s almost over, we’d call it for now. You know, see how tomorrow goes,” I ground out.

  I didn’t bother buttoning my fly before I snatched my T-s
hirt up and started trying to pull it on, but her hands were in the way.

  “Dominic, stop.” I continued to fight her off, my pride having taken a hit so massive my heart throbbed. “Stop! Will you just listen to me for a second?”

  She yanked the tee from my hands and threw it across the room. “Stop it!” she shouted, planting her hands on my chest and shoving hard enough for me to rock back on my left foot. “Stop throwing your little temper tantrum for two goddamn seconds and listen to me!”

  The shrill pitch in her voice finally broke through my pity party and I stopped moving, staring down at her with a narrow-eyed glare. “What?”

  The sheet hung precariously from her breasts as she held it up with one hand and propped the other on her curvy hip. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not downplaying what just happened between us, or trying to claim it was just sex.”

  “Really?” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my bare chest. “’Cause it sure the fuck sounded like that was what you were doing.” Fuck, she was turning me into a goddamned chick. I was losing control of my emotions and being totally irrational all because she’d hurt my feelings. I wanted to reach down and make sure my balls were still attached but worried how she’d react to that. Sophia’s temper could be off the charts when something set her off, and that burning in her bright baby blues was like a warning sign.

  She rolled her eyes at my dramatic behavior. “I meant that I wanted to take it one day at a time because I don’t want either of us to feel any pressure. That was what screwed us up last time. We had the pressure of a long-distance relationship sitting on our shoulders and look at what happened!” She threw her free arm out and waved it around. “We’re just starting something here, Dominic. I want to take it slow, build on it.”

  Build on it? Was she out of her fucking mind? “Did you not here me when I told you I’ve been in love with you for. Fucking. Years!” I roared, leaning forward.

  Her entire body language changed. I could see it as my words slowly crept over her. Her eyes went wide and round as the color slowly bled from her face, leaving her pale. “I….”

  The struggle on her face was almost too much to bear. I sounded like I’d swallowed a mouthful of gravel as I said, “I’m not asking you to say it back. I know that’s too much. I know I don’t deserve it—”

  “I c-care about you,” she stuttered, her big blue eyes welling up with unshed tears. “I care about you, and most days it feels a whole hell of a lot like love. But I’m scared, Dominic. I’m scared. You’re the only man who’s ever hurt me so badly that I felt like I couldn’t breathe.” Her voice hitched mid-rant, but she kept going. “I want this. So badly. You have no idea. But I’m scared because I don’t know if I could survive you breaking my heart a second time. I care about you, but I need to take this slow. Please, understand. I want this to work between us. I need this to work. I just have to take this slo—”

  I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her flush against my body, squeezing so tight she was forced to quit speaking and finally pull in a breath. “Hey, hey. Stop. It’s all right.” Sophia’s breathing hitched as her tears leaked through onto my chest. “I understand, okay? I swear, I understand. And we’ll take this as slow as you need.” Pulling back, I cupped her damp cheeks. “I understand,” I repeated on a ragged whisper.

  Her inhale stuttered and she whispered, “I don’t want this to be over. I want to see where this can go. But….”

  “You need to take this slow,” I finished for her, understanding overtaking my earlier anger and frustration.

  Sophia’s chin quivered as my tears fell. “Please,” she whispered brokenly.

  My thumbs brushed across her cheekbones, wiping away the tears. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  I took her weight the moment her entire body sagged into mine. It was like that promise was everything she needed to hear.

  “Please don’t go,” she mumbled into my chest as her arms wrapped around my waist.

  “The sexiest woman I’ve ever known, the woman I’m in love with, is wrapped in a sheet with nothing underneath. I’ve just been inside you for the first time in ten years. You really think there’s any fucking chance in hell I’d leave?”

  Her breath fanned across my chest as she giggled, causing goose bumps to break out across my skin. And I knew—thank Christ—that we were back on normal, familiar footing.

  “Besides,” I continued, knowing my girl so well I understood that the mood needed to be lightened, “I have about thirty different moves I’ve been dying to use on you.” She pulled back and grinned up at me, her pupils expanding with lust. I placed my lips against hers and spoke through kisses. “You really think—” Kiss. “—I’d leave—” Kiss. “—without trying—” Kiss. “—every single one?”

  I could feel her heart beating frantically against my chest, and my dick stirred back to life beneath my jeans. I was just about to go in for another kiss when a scratching at the door distracted us.

  “Crap,” Sophia muttered against my mouth. “It’s Lancelot. I need to let him out.”

  I’d only known the damn dog for a few hours and I already kind of hated the little cock-blocker. Sophia laughed hysterically as a growl emitted from deep within my chest. Pulling away, she wrapped the sheet tighter and started backing up in the direction of her bathroom. “It’ll only take a minute. I promise.” She gave me a wicked little wink and grabbed her short silk robe hanging on the back of her bathroom door. “I’ll be right back, and then we’ll do all those moves you want to do.”

  Oh hell yeah.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sophia

  From: Sophia

  To: BigSpoon

  Subject: Honesty is the best policy

  Spoon,

  I want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed talking to you these past few weeks. I really do feel like we’ve formed a friendship, and I want you to know how much that means to me. But I need to be honest with you.

  There’s someone else.

  I felt that you had a right to know considering how we came to meet. I truly cherish the friendship you and I have built, but that’s all I have to give you. Friendship.

  I hope that’s enough.

  I wasn’t expecting it, and I tried really hard to fight it. I’m not even sure where it’s going between us, but I want to give it a shot. I’m scared to death, and the shitty thing is I have no one to talk with about it. He’s my best friend’s brother, and I don’t want to put her in the middle of our drama, especially with her wedding right around the corner. What’s worse is because of this competition, I have to keep it a secret or the station will throw a fit.

  I kind of feel like I’m losing my mind.

  ~Sophia

  From: BigSpoon

  To: Sophia

  Re: Honesty is the best policy

  Sweet Sophia,

  I’m not going to lie, this is a bit of a bruise to my ego, but nothing I won’t recover from. ;) I really appreciate the honesty and cherish your friendship as well, so that’s more than enough for me.

  I had a feeling there was someone else when you asked me about forgiveness a while back. Is this the guy? The one who hurt you?

  I hope he knows what a lucky bastard he is that you gave him another shot.

  ~Your friend,

  BS

  From: Sophia

  To: BigSpoon

  Re: Honesty is the best policy

  He is. We were together a long time ago and it ended badly. We got into a fight and I said a lot of things I didn’t mean. I basically broke up with him, but I didn’t mean it. I went to try and make things better and found him with another woman. It gutted me. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to forgive him. Hell, I’m still not sure I totally forgive him.

  Am I an idiot for even trying this? I don’t have a clue what I’m doing and I feel so alone in this. Please, tell me what to do.

  ~Sophia

  From: BigSpoon

  To: Sophia

  Re: Honesty i
s the best policy

  You are NOT an idiot. And you’re not alone. You have me. Friends lean on each other when life gets tough, so lean on me, Soph. That’s what I’m here for.

  In the spirit of full disclosure, when I decided to fill out that questionnaire for the contest, it wasn’t because I was looking for love, or even a long-lasting relationship.

  I did it because I thought it might be a good way to get my mind off the woman I lost.

  I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, so I hope you take my advice to heart when I tell you that you have to go with your gut, babe. If being with this guy is really what you want, then you owe it to yourself to give it your all. There’s nothing worse in life than regret. Trust me, I know.

  It might work between you guys this time, and it might not. There’s no way to tell the future, but at least at the end of the day you can say you did everything you could.

  ~BS

  From: Sophia

  To: BigSpoon

  Re: Honesty is the best policy

  Spoon,

  When did you get so smart? LOL.

  Does your woman know you have a gift for saying the right thing? Because if she did, she’d definitely come back.

  I’m sorry for what you’re going through, and I hope with all my heart that you get what you want, because I know you’re a good guy with a kind heart.

  Since you’ve proven yourself to be a true friend and an awesome shoulder to lean on, it’s my turn to return the favor.

  Don’t give up on her. Don’t quit fighting to make it right.

  If she’s the one, you have to show her. Words don’t mean nearly as much to us as actions, so you have to SHOW her. If she’s smart and worth your time, she’ll eventually catch on.