“One.”
“Two.”
“One.”
Another step toward me, his lips only inches from my own. My stupid legs quiver, waiting for his mouth to drop to mine.
“And we’re spooning.”
Abruptly, he pulls away, spins on his heel, and leaves me standing there wanting more…for the umpteenth time tonight.
How I am going to survive this?
“You’re drooling.”
“I am not.”
“Are too.”
“I’m not even asleep, you ass.” I pry my eyes open and stare at the TV, not watching what’s happening on the screen.
Shep insisted on watching Bob’s Burgers, and since I secretly have a huge crush on Bob Belcher, I didn’t argue.
“Are you sure about that?”
“If I am, this is the worst dream I’ve ever had.”
I go to pull my feet off his lap, but he puts his hand on my calf, stopping me.
“Where are you going?”
“Bathroom. Wanna wipe my ass for me?”
“That’s the weirdest foreplay I’ve ever heard. No thank you.”
“Then let me up.”
“I will, but…” he draws out.
I groan. “What do you want, Shep?”
“Remember that ice cream you made me drive way out of my way for?”
“You mean way out of your way to the store that’s on the way to your apartment? Sure, I remember.”
“Wanna grab it?”
“I can do that.”
I pull my feet away again and this time he lets go.
“But I get the mint chocolate chip!”
I haul myself off the couch and dart for the kitchen.
I don’t make it far.
Those damn baseball player reflexes have him on me in seconds, wrapping his arm around my middle and hauling me into him.
“Nice try, shithead.”
“Let me go.”
“And give up my favorite ice cream to my arch nemesis? Not happening.”
“Arch nemesis?” I pout. “I thought we were friends now.”
He loosens his hold at the fake sadness in my voice and I try to wiggle away.
It’s no use. He’s too strong and not dumb enough to fall for my shit.
He shifts around, and that’s when I feel it.
“I’m sorry, Shep, but is that your dick poking me in the ass right now?”
“Yes,” he grunts as I push into him. “Fucking quit or I’m going to…”
“Going to…what? Kiss me again?”
Without warning he spins me, crushing his lips to mine. His tongue plunges into my mouth, twisting around my own, kissing me like he’s never kissed me before.
My body sags against his and he uses the opportunity to lift me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, his dick sliding against all the right places as he carries me over to the island in his kitchen.
He drops me onto the counter, his mouth traveling down my chin and over my neck. He sucks and kisses and bites and I’m certain there will be marks on my skin tomorrow.
I don’t even care. It feels too good to care.
Everything with Shep just feels too good.
His hands on my body. His lips on mine. Just being around him.
It’s too good.
Which is why I can’t help but give in, even when I know I shouldn’t.
It’s why I don’t push him away as his hands trail up my legs, my thighs, and dive under the shirt of his I’m wearing, why I don’t run when his fingers brush the undersides of my tits. If he’s surprised to find I’m not wearing a bra, he doesn’t show it.
It feels good.
Too good again.
But I don’t care anymore. I need it.
Besides, it’s just physical…right?
“God, I fucking love seeing you in my clothes,” he practically growls.
I knew last week he was enjoying the view, which is why I intentionally didn’t pack pajamas for my overnight stay.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are, Den? How hard I had to fight every day of the last five years to not touch you? To not pull you into the nearest empty closet and have my way with you? And tonight, seeing you in that dress…god, it was killing me.”
He covers my nipple, sucking the hard peak through the t-shirt, and I nearly fall off the counter at the touch.
“Oh hell,” I mutter. “Stop talking.”
“No. You need to know this. You need to know how you’ve affected me.”
I push him away, bringing his face up to mine. “No, Shep, I really don’t need to know. I don’t want to know, because if I know, it’s going to make me all too aware of how bad an idea this is. I shouldn’t be doing this—we shouldn’t be doing this. I should have my guard up around you because you hurt me beyond belief. Yet, here I am, sitting on top of your counter wanting this more than my next breath. So, no, I don’t want to hear this. I just want to feel good.”
He looks like he wants to argue, to try to convince me I’m wrong, but that’s the problem…we both know I’m not.
This is a horrible idea.
And we’re going to do it anyway.
Like he flips a switch inside himself, he gives me his signature grin and says, “I can help with that.”
His mouth closes around my nipple and he bites down—hard. I arch into it, wanting more, needing more. He complies with my demands, sucking on me until I can’t take it anymore.
“Shep.”
That’s all it takes and he’s pulling at my bottoms. The shorts of his I’m wearing slide off me with ease, leaving me sitting on his kitchen counter in nothing but my t-shirt and panties.
His large hands splayed across my thighs send my mind reeling, and I squirm at the thought of him burying his head between them.
His eyes meet mine, starved, wanting this as much as I do.
He doesn’t voice his question out loud, but I see it anyway and spread my thighs in answer.
With a grunt of approval, he hauls me to the edge and I fall backward, my back resting against the cool countertop.
My legs shake as he pushes them apart even farther and I feel his eyes on me, on my light pink lacy boy-shorts.
“This is what you were wearing under that dress all night long?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Fuck, Den.”
“You should see the ass.”
With ease, he flips me around until I’m facedown on the counter, arching me until my ass is in the air.
“Hashtag no filter, huh?”
He lifts the edge of my underwear, just enough to see the bite mark he left there earlier, and he kisses it. The gesture sends my heart into overdrive as he flips me around again, jerking me back to the edge of the counter.
Maybe it’s the anticipation driving me nuts as he stares down at me, fingers on the edge of my panties. Slowly, he pulls the fabric aside, exposing me to him for the first time.
“Give me your hand,” he instructs, never taking his eyes off me.
I slip my hand into his, not questioning him.
He replaces his fingers with mine so they’re holding my underwear back then gives me the most wolfish grin.
“Hold these for me.”
And then his head disappears between my thighs.
“F-Fuck me,” I stutter as his tongue sweeps over my skin.
“Later,” he teases, using his fingers to spread me open even more. “Goddamn, Den. I knew this would be good, but I didn’t think it would be this good.”
His mouth covers me again and I’m so fucking mad at myself because this is what I’ve been missing for the last five years.
His tongue covers my clit, swirling with the right amount of pressure. He uses his shoulders to push my legs apart, spreading me to the point of my underwear digging painfully into my thigh, but I don’t care.
He dips his tongue inside me then moves to my clit again, sucking and pulling it into his mouth as he slides two fingers in.
Suck, pump, suck, pump.
I can’t handle it.
I release my panties and pull myself up, missing the feel of his tongue against me the moment I move.
“Finger me like you mean it, Shep.”
I crush my mouth to his, loving the taste of myself on his lips as he quickens his pace and pistons his fingers in and out, sweeping his thumb up to rub circles on my clit.
It’s almost enough to send me over the edge, but not quite. I need more. I need it harder.
“More.”
“My fucking hand is cramping.”
“Utilize those baseball player muscles and finish this, Shep.” I press a quick kiss to his lips. “If you can.”
With a growl, he withdraws his fingers as he shoves me backward again. I smack against the counter, relishing the pain in my shoulder blades as he spreads me wider than I could have imagined and covers my pussy with his mouth one last time…through the fabric.
I combust beneath him, riding his face as my orgasm rages through me.
“Holy hell,” I rasp out, pushing myself up onto my elbows and looking down at Shep once my breathing returns to normal.
“You’re welcome.”
I groan and swat at him. He grabs my hand and pulls me until I’m sitting up.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hey.”
He gives me a self-satisfied grin. “So, you were saying something about how I know how to use my mouth?”
18
Five years ago, February
Shepard: I just want to put this out there because I feel like it’s super important to remind you of this.
Denver: Okay…
Shepard: Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday and I will NOT be participating in it.
Shepard: No cards. No chocolates. And definitely no flowers.
Denver: You saying you’re NEVER going to buy me flowers?
Shepard: Not never, but when I do, they’re going to mean something. They won’t be a “holiday” obligation.
Denver: Duly noted.
Shepard: So that means tomorrow when VDay rolls around, don’t be upset that I didn’t send you anything.
Denver: Wait a second—why would you send me something?
Denver: OH MY GOD. Are we dating and I didn’t know it?!
Shepard: No.
Shepard: But we have intentions to date.
Shepard: I feel like that’s the same thing.
Denver: It’s…close-ish.
Shepard: I’m not seeing anyone else.
Shepard: Well, not anyone other than Penny.
Shepard: But since I still don’t have a vagina, that’s not working out.
Shepard: While we’re on the subject…does it bother you that Penny and I are “dating”?
Denver: If I’m being 9% honest with you, I do think it’s a little weird because I don’t really know how into the fake dating you two are, but I also understand it.
Shepard: We don’t kiss.
Denver: Yes, we’ve established that.
Shepard: Sometimes we hold hands, but it’s not in a…sexual way.
Denver: You can hold hands in a sexual way?
Shepard: Definitely.
Shepard: I’ll show you one day.
Denver: Okay, but only because I’m intrigued.
Shepard: And because you like me.
Denver: Sometimes.
Shepard: Quit trying to take it back.
Shepard: Anyway, that’s about the extent of it. She just comes over once a week for dinner and I accompany her to dances. We’re more like siblings than anything else.
Denver: So you and Zach also hold hands?
Shepard: All the time. Especially when we’re watching something with bunnies.
Denver: Excuse me?
Shepard: He’s scared of them. Don’t ask.
Denver: Please tell me I can meet him one day.
Shepard: We’ll see.
Denver: Can I just say I think it’s kind of cool of you to be so protective of your friend and give up your single man status for her.
Shepard: What can I say? I’m a gentleman.
Denver: Oh, Shep. I don’t know if I’d use that word to describe you. Utter shithead, maybe, but not gentleman.
Shepard: You say the sweetest things to me sometimes.
Shepard: If it makes you feel any better about Penny, she told me at Christmas she plans to dump me before school’s out. I’ve been practicing my fake crying for weeks.
Denver: I’m sorry to hear that.
Shepard: So…uh…are you seeing anyone else?
Denver: I’m not. Not even fake dating anyone either.
Denver: Though I did just turn down someone who asked me to the dance tomorrow.
Shepard: I want to feel bad that you’re not going and experiencing that, but I’m also really fucking happy you turned him down. I don’t think I could handle knowing someone was dancing all up on you all night long.
Denver: He still picks his nose. I didn’t do it for you, Shep. I did it for myself. Quit being so full of yourself.
Denver: (okay, that’s a lie, I did it for you)
Shepard: So you’re telling me you’re into nose-pickers? That might be a deal-breaker.
Denver: Well, this was fun while it lasted.
Denver: One more thing though…
Shepard: Shoot.
Denver: You said no cards, chocolates, or flowers…
Shepard: No pugs either.
Denver: *cries*
Denver: Why do you torture me?!
Shepard: God, Bucky, forever with you is going to be so much fun.
Denver: DOWNLOAD ATTACHMENT
Denver: YOU ARE A LIAR!
Shepard: I am not.
Denver: You do too believe in Valentine’s Day!
Shepard: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Denver: You said you weren’t sending anything, but you did. You’re a closet romantic.
Shepard: I said I wouldn’t send a card, chocolate, or flowers.
Shepard: Or a pug.
Denver: But you sent me pug-shaped cookies?
Denver: You looooooove me.
Shepard: I tolerate you. On a good day.
Denver: Uh huh. You wanna kiss me.
Denver: UGH. Why’d I say that? Now I want to kiss you.
Shepard: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP IT.
Shepard: Shit. Now I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.
Denver: I’M SORRY!
Denver: Kind of.
Denver: You totally have a boner now, don’t you?
Shepard: Pft. No.
Denver: You know, I heard your dick shrinks half an inch for every lie you tell.
Shepard: I don’t have a boner!
Denver: It’s perfectly natural, Shep. Even ladies get boners—in our nipples.
Shepard: Stop talking, Denver.
Denver: Oooh, using the full name huh? You’re totally thinking about my nipples, aren’t you?
Denver: Bet that boner is real painful right about now.
Shepard: Quit saying boner!
Shepard: You’re too exhausting for me to have one right now.
Denver: You’ll have one later. I’m certain of it.
Denver: Shep?
Shepard: What?
Denver: Boner.
Shepard: GODDAMIT!
19
Shepard
“Do you want bacon, eggs, and toast or waffles?”
“Biscuits and gravy.”
“That wasn’t an option.”
“Well it should have been.” She sips her coffee—which is loaded with her own creamer—and eyes me from across the kitchen island.
Memories of her moaning as she rode my fingers and face flash through my mind, making my cock jump to attention.
Texting Box Set: The Complete Series Page 77