Going Hard: Boys of Fall

by Cari Quinn

  He paced across the room and back. He glanced down at his watch, then raked his fingers through his hair again.

  “It’s not like you have to be to work. It’s Sunday.”

  “No. It’s not work.” His eyes skimmed her again. He knelt on the bed and her nipples perked immediately. What the hell? Was she Pavlov’s dog for this guy?

  Yes.

  Damn.

  Especially when he did that thing with his tongue. The tongue she already knew about. That had been her first endeavor to Rafe’s Pleasure Palace. Well, at least on her very sensitive breasts. But it was the part where he finally went south of the border that had truly done trick. Who knew he had that kind of talent behind those straight white teeth? He sort of skipped that part last time.

  He flicked her hair back from her shoulder and swore, then withdrew again. This time he crossed the room and didn’t stop until he sailed through the doorway to the bathroom.

  She bounded off the bed and tripped on the tail of the sheet. “Fuck,” she growled. This so wasn’t working. She dropped her sheet. Her gaze locked on his in the darkened bathroom. There was just enough morning light to show his shadowed jaw and granite hard jawline flex.

  Stupid man. Didn’t he know that this was the time for seconds? Not some existential crisis?

  When he fisted his hands at his sides she scooped off a T-shirt off her overflowing chair in the corner. “Obviously you have issues with me being naked. Sure didn’t seem to last night.”

  “Dammit, Hol. It’s not that.”

  She dropped the shirt over her head. It barely skimmed her thighs, but he’d just have to deal. “Yeah? Is that what you call this action?”

  He turned to the sink and gripped the counter. “Do you have a spare toothbrush?”

  Did they drop into some alternate reality? Where the hell had that come from? “Because I have so many male overnight guests?”

  “Jesus, no.”

  She stomped into the bathroom. “Good thing for you it was a three pack at the market.” She rummaged into the pantry then held out a hot pink toothbrush. When he gave her a raised brow she growled. “Really? You’re going to be picky now?”

  He sighed and took it.

  Did she have atomic morning breath or something? Was this a hint? She snatched her purple brush out of the cup next to her faucet. She squirted on a healthy dollop of toothpaste then held it out for him.

  He tapped the counter with this thumb then held out the pink toothbrush.

  They brushed in silence. When he finished and looked around, she sighed. “What else?”

  “Floss?”

  “Of course you want to floss.” She opened a drawer and slapped a plastic spool into his palm.

  “You don’t?”

  “Hate the taste of me in your mouth or something?”

  He wound a length around his forefinger. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because you couldn’t wait to brush your teeth. I’m laying next to you naked and you’re crossing the room like your ass is on fire.”

  He quickly tugged the braided green and white floss between his teeth in a way-too-specific sequence. He was militant about flossing too? Figured.

  “I plan to keep all my teeth as long as possible, that’s all.”

  She leaned her hip against the counter. “This is too weird.”

  “Mouthwash?”

  “Oh, hell.” She opened the medicine cabinet and slapped the blue concoction down in front of him. “Here. It’s Pro-Health. Super good for the gums and teeth health.” She spun on her heel and returned to her room. It was tempting to crawl back under the covers and tell him to shove off. She’d gotten what she wanted.

  And this time he’d more than brought his A-game. He’d brought his B, C, and D game for good measure. Especially the D. For damn that was some good dick. In fact, it had almost been worth dragging out her pom-poms.

  Good thing she hadn’t. Because his morning after etiquette needed a lot of work.

  When she heard the shower turn on she knew she was completely screwed for the day. Yeah, that pillow on her mattress looked really comfortable. She had the entire house to herself for a weekend and not only had she been interrupted by her brother and company, she’d now officially had her one night stand guy running before he even got another helping of sexual chocolate.

  Namely hers, thank you very much.

  She slid back in bed and caught Rafe’s scent on her pillow. She tried burying it and pulling another on top, but again it smelled like them.

  Everything smelled like him. She pushed the pillows off the bed and pressed her cheek to the mattress. Nope. Dammit. Even worse.

  She flung her sheet off and rolled back over onto her back as Rafe came back in wearing a towel low on his hips. Why did he want to shower now? Just for her to durty him up again?

  That could be fun.

  She rolled onto her side and propped her head on her hand. “Is this a fastidious thing?”

  He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  “Wait a minute.” She rolled into a sitting position and stuffed her knees under her shirt to cover all but her toes. “Is this because you slept with me?” She linked her fingers over her ankles and pulled herself in tighter. “Regrets?” she whispered.

  “Yes.” His voice was just shy of a shout. “No,” he swore as his knot loosened. The delicious length of muscular torso and feathery soft hair gave way to the coarser hair around his…interested party. She frowned. He was so freaking contradictory. How the hell was she supposed to figure any of this out?

  He stood there half hard where she was more than willing to help him out, and the idiot was telling her he wish he hadn’t done any of last night?

  He tightened the towel and raked his fingers through his wet hair. It gleamed blue black in the sunlight, with water droplets snaking along the curves of his breastbone and down into the soft hair at his belly.

  She swallowed down a lump.

  Everything she’d ever wanted was right here in her grasp and he didn’t want her back. Hadn’t she been down this road already? This was why she was supposed to be having a grand adventure. Not getting tied up with this man.

  “I’m very sorry you feel that way.” She scooted off the bed and around him.

  “Hollie,” he grabbed her arm. “It’s not that.” He growled. “I’m fucking this up.”

  “Yes, you are.” No crying. There will be no crying. She bit the inside of her cheek until the need to for tears abated and pain turned to anger. Anger she could deal with.

  His dark eyes bore into hers. “It was a little intense.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  He swiped his hand over his face. “Last night was amazing.”

  She couldn’t help the small sniff. God, this man made her so stupid. It was an epic mistake to get naked with him. He got her too wound up. Just when she’d thought she was over him—and their not so awesome first night together had helped move that along.

  But last night?

  No one had ever made her feel too big and too small for her skin at the same time. The way he held her down to accept every inch of him. God.

  And well, he didn’t sound like it was amazing.

  He sounded like last night was about as fun as getting a root canal.

  “I thought so, now I’m not so sure. All you wanted to do was get me off you. Your teeth, your skin…” She rubbed her arms. Unfortunately for her he was all over her. She’d have to drag the sheets off her bed and clean her room from floor to ceiling to get him out. Her skin definitely wasn’t enough.

  He dragged her into him and closed his mouth over hers. He tasted minty and hot. She bowed back with the force of his mouth on hers.

  His fingers slipped under her shirt and around her back to grip her ass. He pushed her back on the bed and nosed her shirt up further to get his mouth on her breast. “All I want to do is keep my mouth on you. To wear you on me,” he said against her skin. The pinch of p
ain at her nipple made her arch her back.

  She wrapped her leg around his hip. Half hard went to full on erection as he covered her. She slipped her hand between them to push his towel away, but he grasped her wrist and dragged her arms above her head.

  “It’s Sunday.”

  She blinked up at him. “You’re not going to tell me it’s the Lord’s day or something right?”

  He laughed and lowered his forehead to her chest, releasing her hands. “No. Well, yes it is. And while my mother would love me in church more often, that’s not what I mean.”

  She slid her fingers through his wet hair. “Okay, then get your mouth back on my very grateful nipple and let’s go for round two.” She was already wet for him. “The house is empty for a few more hours and I’d really like to take advantage of that fact.”

  He moaned against her skin before moving over to her nipple again. He sucked it hard and deep just like she loved, but when her fingers gripped the back of his neck he pulled away.

  “Seriously. If I didn’t have your very impressive cock alive and well sandwiched between us, I’d have a complex.” She flattened her hands on his chest, her nails dug into the little whorls of hair over firm muscles.

  He really was seriously muscular for a paper pusher.

  “My mother,” he said on a sigh.

  “What?” She really wasn’t into that kink. At all. Or the Daddy one. That just squicked her out beyond belief.

  “I was supposed to be at my mother’s place an hour ago.”

  “Oh.” Her fingers slid up to his shoulders again. “We’re already late. What’s another ten minutes?”

  “We?” He frowned down at her.

  “You think I’m passing up Rosa’s famous Sunday dinner? You’re more delusional than I thought. And that’s saying something since you’re actually telling me no.”

  “Does it feel like I’m telling you no?”

  “Rafe, no means no.” She batted her eyes up at him, forcing a serious tone to her voice.

  “Oh, fuck.” He laughed and reached around to tug his towel free. “Quickie’s are not my specialty.”

  “Make an exception.”

  He rolled to the side and reached for the box of condoms she’d put in her drawer. “Yes ma’am.” He slid his hand down between them and hooked two fingers inside the very top of her lips. She jerked under him. “Ah, there we are. Wet for me.” He lowered his mouth to her neck. “You like me on top?”

  “The feminist side of me should be shrieking a no, but…” she lifted her legs and locked her ankles around his lower back. “Yeah, I like your weight.”

  He slipped his fingers deeper, the pads scraping along every tissue and nerve ending until he stretched her. She hissed out a breath. It had been a while for her and last night hadn’t exactly been all about the soft and easy.

  Thank God.

  It had been hard and intense just like she’d always dreamed about being taken. Like he couldn’t quite control himself all the way. She wanted that again.

  He instantly stopped. “Too sore?”

  “Only a little.”

  “We can stop.”

  She clamped her hand around his wrist. “No stopping.”

  He pumped into her slowly. “Maybe just a little easier?”

  She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. “I’m tired of sweet and easy.” She looked up at him and gripped his ass. “Inside me, Rafe.”

  He rocked his fingers inside her a few more times, his thumb doing some delicious twirl around her clit until she was so wound up she surely left nail marks in his butt.

  His breath went from the slow and steady to ratcheting up with a moan. She moved one hand between them, twisting her fingers just under the flare of his head.

  He brushed her away to rip the wrapper open. “You wanted a quickie, you’re going to get it.”

  She dropped her hands back onto the bed and reached over hear head in a lazy stretch. “That I did.”

  His dark eyes bore into hers as he took himself in hand. He was so incredibly intense. Part of her wished for the rare smiles and laughter, but when he watched her like that? Yeah. There was nothing not hot about that.

  He swiped his cock through her folds and hiked her up the bed a little. She tried to maneuver for him, but he tucked his arm under knee and flattened her into the bed as he filled her in one thrust.

  If there was a way for her eyeballs to do the slots thing like Vegas, then it was happening. Holy fuck. He drove into her with and unflinching rhythm. Each thrust was long and hard. She curled her other leg around his hip and pulled him as tight as possible.

  The heat of him and the heaviness of him was almost suffocating. Or was it the friction?

  She couldn’t think.

  Her lungs didn’t seem to be working. She gripped his shoulders and hair. A single drop of sweat rolled down his nose and dropped onto her chest.

  And still he didn’t stop.

  Her body accepted him like there was no other purpose for her on this earth. He widened her and rolled his his with a little swivel and her pretty lavender room went soft as watercolor then bright as a spotlight.

  She hooked her arm around his neck and fused their mouths together. Her shout was buried under his driving tongue and ceaseless hip action that left her shaking around him. He ripped his mouth free from her and his head tipped back.

  The veins in his neck flexed and pulsed. She wanted to taste all of that. She latched her mouth to his shoulder and bit down as her entire body clenched around his.

  He jerked over her. His cock pulsing inside of her. She could actually feel him swelling and filling her.

  Fuck. Stunning.

  Finally, he gently rolled against her and his breathing eased.

  She slipped her hands down his sweaty back. “You said you sucked at quickies?”

  He grinned into her neck. She smiled back, because it was such a rare thing, but she could see the crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. Yep, definitely grinning.

  “I said it wasn’t my specialty.”

  “Felt pretty special to me.” She dragged in a breath. “Oh, and that knee thing. Your arm under my knee to…yeah. We need to remember that. I liked that.”

  He grinned and pressed his sweaty forehead against hers. “You just say whatever’s on your mind, huh?”

  She shrugged. “Why not? What does it do for you to keep everything inside?”

  Rafe’s brows lowered. “Can’t fault your logic.”

  She rubbed her finger between his brows. “Then stop frowning. I liked it, so I told you I liked it.” She sighed. “You can tell me you like something too, Romeo.”

  “Inside you is all I need.”

  “Gee thanks. Glad I’m a willing hole for you, jerk.” She tried to buck him off but he was too heavy.

  He pinned her back down with his hips. “I don’t just fuck anyone. I’m not that guy.”

  She melted under him. “No, I know that.”

  “Then when I say being inside you is the ultimate pleasure believe it.” He rolled his hips against hers. God, he was still partially hard even after he’d nailed her to the mattress.

  Again.

  So freaking good.

  How had they been so craptastic the first time? He was a freaking god in the sack.

  She nuzzled his cheek. When a pulsing buzz followed by a small tone came from the floor she sighed. “So, just how late are we?”

  Rafe looked at his watch. “Half past I’m fucked.”

  “Well, handy that. You were.”

  He glanced down at her. “Cute.”

  “I try.”

  He slipped out of her and hauled her off the bed. Her T-shirt hadn’t even come all the way off. It simply floated down her over-stimulated skin.

  His gaze rested on her chest. “As much as I like looking at your books, think we can find a different shirt for my mom’s house?”

  She glanced down at her shirt. “It’s my favorite sleep shirt.”


  “Now it’s my favorite too.”

  She flipped it off and let it float to the floor. “Are you staring at my books?” face up on the hardwood. Librarian humor was her favorite. “Shower?”

  “We should have had the quickie in there,” he huffed.

  “Let’s see if you can keep your hands off me, shall we?” She dragged him into the master bathroom.

  Evidently it was a no. They were another twenty-five minutes late before they managed to get out the door. Rafe was actually whistling when he pulled down the driveway.

  Rosa’s Restaurant wasn’t far from her house. The winking neon had always been just a little bit futzy no matter how many times Rafe tried to fix it.

  Part of the charm as far as she was concerned.

  As they parked, his phone buzzed another two times.

  “Should I be worried?”

  He scanned his phone, but didn’t answer her.

  “Girlfriend number two? Three?”

  He swung his attention to her. His eyebrow quirked. “I didn’t know I had a girlfriend number one.”

  Her cheeks flamed. God, she hoped he didn’t notice. “You know what I mean.”

  His fingers flew over the keys. “No, just work crap.” He reached behind her and pulled his messenger bag out. “I have to put out a fire.”

  “Sure. No problem. I’ll keep your mom company.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Not sure I like the sound of that.”

  I opened the car door. “Your mother happens to love me thank you very much.” He ran around the car and held her door. “Um, thanks.”

  Well, that was weird. He walked beside her, his hand at the small of her back.

  “Would you cut it out?”

  He frowned down at her. “What?”

  “Stop acting weird.”

  “I’m not acting weird.”

  “You’re so acting weird.” She hurried ahead and grabbed the door.

  Rafe wrapped his fingers around the door above her head and held it open. She rolled her eyes. Weird.

  “Mama?” Rafe called out.

  Rosa Martinez came through the swinging doors, drying her hands on a red towel. “We thought you’d died, mijo.”

  Rafe sighed and enveloped the small woman in his arms, then kissed both cheeks. “I texted you.”

  “You’re never late. Ever.” She peeked around Rafe. “Oh, well then.”