by Audra North
The popularity of Cori’s articles had probably helped that somewhat, too. Her pieces were interesting and funny, with great race recaps and no gossip. People seemed to be taking her words as the cue to move past the rumors.
He considered her suggestion. “Maybe. I’m not sure. I mean, now that the season has started, I’m on the road so much—”
“Which is exactly why you should get it started now so the program is up and running when the season ends. You could take the next step without giving up what you already love.”
He squeezed the phone, a poor substitute for wrapping her in his arms and hugging her tightly, and closed his eyes. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. I have to run. I’m due at the track soon.”
“Okay. I’ll text you as soon as I check in.”
He grinned. “Best text ever.”
He hung up the phone after saying good-bye, then headed out to the lobby.
Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter 10
Knock knock knock.
Ty was here.
Inside her hotel room, Cori stopped breathing.
She smoothed a hand over her skirt and walked to the door, then pulled it open to find Ty standing on the other side, wearing his usual dark jeans and an untucked button-down shirt.
Damn, he looked good. They hadn’t known each other long—it was barely a month since they’d first met—but even so, it felt like she hadn’t seen him in a lifetime. She looked him over, drinking him in and letting the very sight of him soothe her like nothing else could.
He was holding a book in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. He raised both. “I come bearing gifts.”
“Ty,” she breathed, and he grinned, his eyes taking their turn to roam over her body before coming back up to her eyes. She took a step forward, incapable of resisting the pull between them.
She wanted him so much. She’d waited for too long already. After her pieces from the last race had performed well, she’d cast away any lingering reluctance to introduce sex into their relationship. She was absolutely going to be the victor in the deal with Alex. Ty would never know.
She was beyond ready for him.
But he raised a brow. “Is it okay if I come in?”
Right. It wouldn’t do to maul him in the hallway. Anyone might walk by.
And yes, yes, she wanted him to come in. To come in her room and in her body.
Every night, he’d called her. Every night, she’d fallen asleep and dreamt about him, and what it would feel like to have him sliding in and out of her body. She wanted him so desperately. But not just that. She cared for him. More than cared.
She stepped back, opening the way for him to walk into her room. She shut the door behind him, but she’d barely turned back to face him before he was on her, his mouth hot against hers, the flowers and book dropping to the floor as he slid her skirt up her thighs so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.
Yes. Finally. They’d both been waiting for this for too long. They were both eager and needy and so into each other that all other thoughts fled as he backed her against the door, pressing into her with his hips. She hadn’t worn any panties. Only stockings and a garter under her skirt. Because she’d been hoping for—expecting—this to happen.
It would be foolish to pretend otherwise.
She groaned so loudly at the sensation of his denim-clad erection rubbing against her opening that he pulled away and looked down to where her body was pressed against his. He grunted, a sort of whoosh of breath that sounded almost pained, and her gaze followed his.
Oh.
She’d never seen anything more sexy than the sight of Ty’s legs between hers, the tops of her stockings emphasizing the bareness of the rest of her body. The front of his jeans bulged out, pressing into the light curls that she could just see beneath the hem of her skirt that was rucked up around her waist.
“God.”
The single word from his lips made her grow even more wet between her legs, the sound of his rasping groan enough to nearly make her beg him to fuck her right there, against the door. As they both watched, he jammed his hips against her body, knocking her back against the door and making her inner muscles squeeze, desperate to feel his hard shaft inside of her.
“Yes. Ty, please.” She slipped one hand between them, to work at the button on his waistband, but he pulled her close to him, turning and carrying her over to the bed instead.
They tumbled down together, Ty cradling her head as they hit the mattress. His weight was solid and warm atop her, and she couldn’t stop herself from bucking her hips against his, shamelessly grinding against him.
He groaned, leaning back and kneeling between her legs. He stared down at her for a minute, just long enough for her to become self-conscious, before he pushed her thin sweater up and yanked it over her head, bringing his mouth to the soft skin of her stomach to nip and suck his way up her body.
And all the while, she was writhing in near-agony, wanting only one thing—to have his body inside of hers, stroking her to completion. But he still didn’t give her what she wanted. Instead, he slid one big, warm hand behind her back and opened the clasp on her bra, pulling it down and away, her nipples immediately coming to tight points as the cool air rushed over them. Slowly, he ran his other hand over her body, from a light grip around her neck, down to cup the wet heat of her mound.
“Oh. Ty. Oh.” She pushed into his hand, and he slipped one long finger through her folds while his thumb stroked over her clit. She practically convulsed with pleasure to have some part of him inside of her.
But she wanted more. She wanted to come with him. That wasn’t going to happen when she was almost naked but he was still wearing all of his clothes. Even his shoes were still on.
Cori curled her body upward, bringing her fingers to the placket of his shirt to unbutton it, but he pulled his hands from her body, making her whimper in protest, before he grabbed her wrists and slid her hands to his jeans instead.
Yes.
She made quick work of the button and zipper as he ripped his shirt off, then helped her to push the jeans and his underwear down around his hips. His cock sprang out, large and dark, the head a deep purplish brown, veins standing out along the sides.
Oh, my Lord. He was big. So thick and hard, and the dense thatch of curls at the base of his heavy shaft covered even more of his length. She brought her hands to it and only then did they stop their frenzied pace, both groaning with pleasure as she stroked over the tight flesh.
His hooded gaze was darker than she’d ever seen it before. His mouth was drawn tight, though, his jaw tense, as though he was holding himself back from saying or doing something—
“I want this inside of me. I want you inside of me,” she moaned, and spread her legs even wider, trying to get closer to him, but he jerked away, coming off the bed to step out of his shoes, kick off his clothes all the way, and fall on top of her once again.
He was shaking. As his tongue probed her mouth, the head of his cock pushing at her opening below, mirroring the actions of his mouth, she could feel the way he shuddered over her. Could hear the harshness of his breath. He still hadn’t spoken since growling out that sexy Fuck, just before he’d brought her to the bed, but he was communicating well enough. He wanted to be inside of her, too.
“Please, Ty.” She couldn’t stop begging. She lifted her hips, trying to get him to take the final step, to push inside of her and thrust deep, but he took his mouth away and nibbled a trail of kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, to bite at the sensitive skin at the top of her right breast.
She whimpered.
He licked over the place he’d just bitten, then looked up at her and grinned.
“Please . . . what?”
She was too far gone to care that he was teasing her. If she were ever a secret agent, the other side would get her to talk in seconds by torturing her with Ty’s mouth, Ty’s body.
“Please fuck me. Please s
pread my legs and slide your incredible cock inside of me. I’m so wet and so hot for you and I—”
“Holy shit.” He was practically gasping, throwing himself off the bed to rummage in the jeans he’d kicked onto the floor, grabbing a condom out of the pocket.
Seemed he hadn’t quite expected her to be so responsive. But she didn’t care. She wanted him, and she was ready for him.
He ripped open the packet and slid the condom on so fast that she’d barely blinked before he was back between her legs, positioning himself at her opening, and pushing his hips forward.
“Oh!” She arched back, trying to open herself further, to let him in, but she was too tight and he was too big, and when he thrust again, going a little bit deeper, she tried to close her legs, which only brought him deeper.
She writhed beneath him, reveling in the sight of his lean, toned body between her legs.
“Am I hurting you, gorgeous?” He spoke through clenched teeth.
She shook her head, her hair coming out of the loose ponytail she’d tied it back in. If she said yes, he’d stop. She knew he would.
“No.” She reached her hands up to stroke the hard muscles of his arms. “I want more. I want all of you.”
He smiled, almost a predatory grimace, and lowered himself to kiss her until she softened beneath him, her legs coming up to wrap around his back.
“Cori . . .” He braced his arms on either side of her head, and she couldn’t look away from him. “You already have all of me.”
And then he thrust in to the hilt.
* * *
Ty’s arms were aching.
He’d gone at it hard in the gym this week, and he hadn’t taken enough time to rest. He needed to be strong enough to manage the car at top speeds for a couple of hours, but he shouldn’t have overdone it.
But he’d had so many pent-up thoughts about Cori. So many needs. She was genuine and smart and so sexy . . . he hadn’t done a good job of moderating his workouts.
He hadn’t exactly counted on riding her naked body within minutes of seeing her today, but he hadn’t ruled out the possibility at some point in the night.
But he also hadn’t expected the sex to be this furious and wild. And now his arms were starting to tingle from holding himself up for so long, tiring him while simultaneously magnifying the pleasure, enhancing the sensation of being deep inside of her.
She was the sexiest woman he’d ever known. So responsive. So hot for him.
It excited him as much as the sight of her, flushed and wide open for him, making greedy little sounds with every thrust of his shaft into her tight channel. She was looking up at him, her eyes slowly growing less focused as those noises got more primal. Guttural moans instead of words.
And then . . . he saw it the moment before she came. She shut her eyes tight and bared her teeth and bucked her hips.
Yes. Do it, gorgeous. Come for me.
He thrust hard, once, twice, and she shattered, her inner muscles squeezing around him as she let out a shout. He couldn’t hang on in the face of so much . . . sex. So he didn’t even bother, just followed her into climax, growling as he felt his cock jerk and pulse out an electrical shock of orgasm that traveled up his back and blew out his arms, making him collapse onto her with a groan.
Chapter 11
Cori stroked over Ty’s back and smiled.
That had been everything she’d expected it to be, and then some. She loved talking to him, and now she knew she loved sex with him.
She loved him.
Oh. Shit.
He must have felt her stiffen beneath him at the thought, because he pushed up on his arms again and reached between them to grab the condom. “Sorry for crushing you.” He dropped a kiss on her lips as he pulled out, making her wince at the pull on her swollen inner muscles. “And for that.” He kissed her again, then rolled away. “I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared into her bathroom. She heard the water running, and she took the opportunity to take off her wrinkled skirts and stockings. Once she was completely naked, she walked to the entryway to retrieve the flowers and the book that he’d dropped earlier.
She laughed when she saw War and Peace.
He came out of the bathroom, wolf-whistling at her nakedness. She grinned and held up the book. “Were you planning to get some reading time in tonight?”
He laughed, too, and lay back down on the bed, slipping under the sheet and holding out an arm to her to join him. “Actually, I brought it for you. I mean, not because I’m trying to be smug or anything.”
She laughed, turning onto her side to mock-punch him in the arm before he caught her close and kissed her.
When they finally parted, he finished. “I’m serious. I want to at least try to be worthy of you. I want to give you what you give me. Beauty and brains.” He looked a little embarrassed, then gave her a sly grin. “And orgasms.”
She ignored his joke, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Flowers and a book. Beauty and brains. It was the simplest and yet the most symbolic, romantic thing anyone had ever done for her.
She wanted to tell him.
I love you.
But she held back. It didn’t feel right, for some reason.
Instead, she said, “You give me much more than that, Ty.”
They kissed for a long time, until she could feel his erection stirring against her thigh.
She broke away from him long enough to ask, “Don’t you have qualifying rounds tomorrow?”
He nodded, but his hands stroked down her body. “Right now, the only pole position I care about involves you and me and no clothes.”
She swatted at his chest and groaned. “Ty.”
He stopped and looked at her, but his hand kept moving downward. “It’s important, yeah, but not as much as the race on Sunday. I don’t need my beauty rest or anything tonight. But tomorrow night, I definitely will. I think we might have to spend it actually sleeping.”
She raised a brow at him. “But what about tonight? You might be able to waltz onto the track tomorrow and kick ass in the qualifying rounds, but remember that I have to report on that and the Diamond race, and then be fresh as a daisy for your race on Sunday.”
She shivered as he stroked his fingers between her thighs. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit. You’re too good a journalist to let a little thing like lack of sleep get to you.”
She desperately hoped he was right about being a good journalist. Only a few more races to go before they could secure all the funding they needed from advertisers, to make up for whatever the anonymous investor was offering Alex.
Just a little while longer.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed into his mouth.
“Fine. But I’ll take it out on you if I miss anything good because I was sleeping in the press box.”
He grinned. “Trust me, gorgeous. You won’t miss anything better than this.” And then he took her mouth again.
* * *
On Sunday, Ty placed second, but he missed seeing Cori after he’d finished wrapping up everything after the race. She’d left to go back to Virginia as soon as the race was over, and he found himself feeling impatient to be with her again.
Friday night had changed things in a way that he hadn’t anticipated. He’d been putting off sex with her, afraid that it might change whatever they had between them. But it had done just the opposite. Made him do more than just think about her all the time. It had made him need her. Crave her like she was something fundamental to his existence.
They’d parted early Saturday morning—too early. He’d had to get out to the track and she to the press box. He’d asked her to spend the day in the pit, to report from there and be near him, but she’d refused. For the first time, he’d struggled with accepting her insistence that she not be seen with him, because things had changed. He didn’t want to hide her from the world.
But she’d remained firm, and eventually he’d had to agree that she was probably right.
Someone had to keep their feet on the ground. Even if they acted completely professional in the public eye, someone would see the truth. Hell. Dad would probably realize right away and crumble under the worry and stress that Ty was only adding fuel to the fire.
Someday. When this had died down completely, he’d introduce her into his life. Someday soon, he hoped. He contented himself with that. Maybe it might take a little longer than he wanted it to, but he wanted Cori to feel comfortable, as well, about making their relationship public. And maybe he could set it up so that she could still meet Mom and Dad, but without reporters and cameras all over the place to witness it.
He’d earned a fifth place pole position in the preliminaries on Saturday, which had been good enough for him. But he’d wanted to be in top form for the actual race on Sunday morning, so when he’d gone to her room again last night, he’d only made love to her once.
Then he’d made good on his promise and pulled her close before falling asleep for the rest of the night. He’d stayed in her bed, woken up early, and ducked out after dropping a kiss on her forehead as she’d slept on. It had taken every last ounce of his willpower not to crawl back in bed with her and wake her up by making her come. She’d gotten under his skin, and for the first time in too long, he felt like everything was going to work out okay.
He hadn’t had a chance to see her again after the race. She’d had to leave immediately after the event was over, and he’d spent his own return flight trying to fight the urge to ask Wendell to take him on to Norfolk. Thank God the next competition was in only a week. Usually they were spaced two weeks apart, but this early in the season there sometimes was less time between races. Otherwise, he’d have to miss practice for a day and fly up to Norfolk to sweep her out of her office and steal her away for the day.
He’d been glad at first that she didn’t live in the same city, since it would be more likely to be spotted together. But now the distance frustrated him to no end.