Until You

by Denise Grover Swank

  “Randy, she knows I’m leaving anyway.”

  “Since you came to see me about your contract, she knows there’s a strong likelihood that you’re leaving…your company. She’s conniving to keep you here.”

  Well, shit. “I’ll keep it to myself for now, but if I take the job, I’m telling her.”

  “Fair enough.”

  She turned to walk over to Britt but saw Tyler watching her with undisguised interest. She stopped in her tracks as a new worry hit her.

  “Randy,” she said, turning back to him. “You said another attorney in your firm was working on the case—”

  “Lanie—”

  “Just tell me this: Is Tyler the attorney?”

  “No. I can assure you it’s not him.”

  She closed her eyes. Thank God. She gave him a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  “I wish I could do more.”

  “You’ve been great.”

  Tyler was still watching as she walked toward them, but so was Britt. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Great.” Lanie gave her a big smile. “We were discussing your wedding present, so no questions.”

  Relief washed over Randy’s face as he wrapped an arm around his fiancée’s back. “Turns out Lanie is pretty terrible at this.”

  “I’ll say,” Britt teased. “Remember the juicer?” But then her eyes danced with excitement. “Now, about the man who dropped you off…”

  “He’s an old friend,” Lanie said, playing it coy. “He’s in town for the weekend on business and wanted to see me. So we spent the afternoon together. End of story.”

  “Friend?” Britt asked suspiciously. “You realize every guy you’ve had a relationship with since college has been labeled as a friend?”

  Lanie grinned. “I would hope I wouldn’t be fraternizing with my enemies.”

  “Lanie…”

  She gave her cousin a hug. “Britt, I love you, but your matchmaking is never going to work. I’ll have a relationship when I’m ready. And then I’ll tell you about it when I’m sure it’s solid.”

  “Most people introduce their significant others to their friends and families.”

  “Then how about this? If I ever get a significant other, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know.” Her answer had been flippant, but something caught in her chest. She was thirty-two years old and she could honestly say she’d never had a significant relationship other than a yearlong relationship in college.

  “Okay.”

  Lanie did a double take, surprised Britt had conceded so easily, but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  “Is Aiden coming back to take you home?”

  And there it was. “No, Tyler offered to take me home.”

  That caught Britt by surprise. “Really? Randy and I can do it.”

  Tyler picked up Lanie’s purse off the picnic table and handed it to Lanie. “She lives less than a half mile from me, so it’s not a problem, but we need to leave now or I’ll be late for my dinner plans.”

  “And since he’s being so generous, I don’t want to keep him waiting,” Lanie said. “So I’ll see you at your barbecue tomorrow, Britt.”

  “Okay.”

  Britt was surprisingly quiet about their departure, which made Lanie suspicious as she walked with Tyler toward his car. “Why didn’t she ask more questions?”

  “Because we gave her a good reason for me taking you home…?”

  He started to head toward the passenger side of the car, and she shot him a glare. “No. You can’t open my door for me. You’re just a casual stranger giving me a ride home.”

  He stopped and looked down at her with an amused expression. “News flash: I would open your door whether I wanted to take you home and sleep with you or not.”

  A tingle ran across her skin. “So you’re claiming to be a gentleman as well as a player.”

  He grinned. “And how do you think a player gets the women?” He continued toward the car and opened the passenger door. “It will be more out of character if I don’t open your door.”

  She started to get in but cast a quick glance toward Britt. Sure enough, she was watching with open curiosity.

  Tyler shut the door after she got in, and when he got inside, she said, “Britt’s suspicious. Not that I can blame her. She probably noticed us being all handsy. We can’t do that again.”

  He backed out of the parking spot and laughed. “You really are paranoid about her interference, aren’t you?”

  “She’s devious.” The way he shook his head proved he didn’t believe her, but she had no plans to let him find out firsthand with her.

  “Then I’ll have to be more careful.” He rested his hand on her leg and began to caress her thigh through the lilac satin.

  Electricity shot straight to her core, and she sucked in a breath.

  “Besides, Britt was too busy with the photos to notice us.”

  She hoped so. She’d gotten so caught up in the moment with Tyler, she hadn’t even considered who was watching, which was totally out of character for her. Sleeping with a guy two nights in a row also fit that out-of-character category. But then she remembered his excuse for their quick departure. “Do you really have dinner plans?”

  “I do,” he said as he focused on the road, returning his hand to the steering wheel. “I have lots of plans with you, and dinner is only one part of them.” He turned to her and flashed her his sexy smile.

  Her stomach fluttered and caught her by surprise. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had given her butterflies. “You’re not taking me to my apartment, are you?”

  His gaze turned hungry. “Not a chance in hell.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was a fifteen-minute drive to his condo, but it felt like an hour. He wanted to ask her about Aiden, but he knew better than to broach the subject. Did he accept her statement that they were simply friends? According to what she told Brittany, she’d called all the men she slept with friends. But they’d set no parameters, and they definitely weren’t exclusive, so did it matter? Strangely, it did, and he wasn’t sure what to do with that.

  “Tell me about your brothers,” she said, shifting in her seat to look at him.

  He shot her a look, then turned back to the road. “There’s not much to tell. I’m the oldest. Alex is two years younger than me, and Eric’s a junior in high school.”

  “That’s a huge age difference,” she said.

  “I suspect Eric was a last-ditch effort to make my parents’ marriage work. My mother took off a year later.”

  “Oh, God. I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged, pretending indifference, but this many years later, her abandonment still stung like a bitch.

  “My parents are divorced too,” she said. “But they waited until I graduated. They stayed together for me. But I wish they’d divorced back when I was younger. They made most of my life after I turned eight miserable with their fighting. I didn’t have any siblings to commiserate with, so I used to spend a lot of time at Brittany’s house.”

  He didn’t want to talk about their parents’ failed marriages. He pulled to a red light and turned to face her. “Are you hungry?”

  A smile spread across her face.

  “For food,” he said with a grin.

  “Are you?”

  “I’m more hungry for you.” He leaned toward her, cupping the back of her head and giving her a deep kiss. A car honked behind them, and he grinned when he saw the light had turned green.

  “Do you see your brothers often?” she asked, shifting in her seat to face him.

  “Not as often as I should,” he said, as he rested his hand on her thigh again.

  “But you went to the ball game with them.”

  He tugged the fabric of her skirt higher so he could see her bare thigh. “Delayed gratification,” he said in response to her questioning grin. “I’ve been wanting to touch you all day, and now I finally am.”

  Lanie laughed. “I g
et the hint.” She pushed his hand away and ran her fingertips up the inside of his thigh, stopping just before his crotch, then slid her fingers slowly down and back up again. “Do you like this topic better?”

  “Much.”

  She found the bulge in his pants and covered the length of him, rubbing him with the palm of her hand. “You’re so hard already,” she murmured in his ear.

  Groaning, he grabbed her hand and held it still. “Jesus, Lanie.” His erection throbbed, and he sucked in his breath. All their earlier foreplay had made him eager, but damned if he’d come in the car. He had other plans.

  She laughed in his ear and nipped his earlobe with her teeth.

  He barely held it together the rest of the way to his condo. When he parked in the dark parking garage, he unbuckled her seat belt and hauled her partially over the console. He captured her mouth and kissed her until they were both breathless.

  “Part of me wants to fuck you right here in the car,” he murmured against her mouth. “But I’d rather have you in my bed.”

  He got out of the car before he changed his mind, then opened her door and helped her out of the car. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he took a step back and grinned. “The next time I touch you, I might not be able to stop, so I suggest we wait until we get into my condo.”

  She grinned, that mischievous grin that drove him crazy, and he second-guessed his decision.

  He put his hand on her lower back and led her to the elevator bank, thanking the stars above that there was an elevator waiting.

  “Which floor?” she asked.

  “Fifth.”

  “That’s easy to remember since I’m also on the fifth floor.” She pushed the button and pressed her back against the wall while he stood in the middle. “So you can’t touch me, right?” she asked. “But I can touch you?”

  “Lanie,” he said under his breath.

  She moved in front of him and put a hand on his hip, then slid it toward his groin, cupping him in her hand.

  “Lanie,” he growled through gritted teeth. “If you keep this up, I’m going to pull up your dress and take you right here in the elevator.”

  She reached up on her tiptoes and brushed her mouth against the side of his neck. “You’re full of promises.”

  His erection throbbed even more, straining against his briefs, and all he could think about was burying himself inside her again. He pushed her against the wall and grabbed her leg, lifting it to his hip as he pressed himself to her core. She moaned into his mouth, and he was vaguely aware that the elevator door had opened.

  He dropped her leg and took a step backward, bringing her with him. But her heel caught in the hem of her bridesmaid dress, and she stumbled. He bent and scooped her into his arms and carried her into the hall.

  She wrapped an arm around his neck then said, “My shoe!”

  “That damn thing is possessed. Leave it.” Then he kissed her as he took several steps toward his apartment. It was only fifteen feet down the hall, but it felt like fifteen miles.

  He stopped in front of his door and lowered her to the floor, still keeping his hand around her back while he fished his keys out of his pocket.

  Get the door open.

  He reluctantly dragged his lips from her and took a breath as he inserted his key into the lock.

  “Britt is going to kill me if I lose that shoe,” she protested.

  “If you’re still thinking about that shoe, then I’m neglecting my duties.” He pushed the door open. “I’ll buy you a new pair, Killer.”

  “You’ll buy me an entire new wardrobe before this is over.”

  “Or keep you naked in my bed.” Covering his mouth with hers, he dragged her across the threshold and slammed the door behind them. But thoughts of her naked in his bed only made him more impatient. He grabbed her zipper and tugged it down her back.

  “It’s a good thing you had your key,” she said, pushing off his jacket and letting it drop to the floor. “I don’t possess the badass skills you do.”

  He grinned. “Don’t underestimate your own badass skills.” He pulled her toward the bedroom, leaving her dress and remaining shoe on the floor.

  She worked on the buttons of his shirt while he continued to lead her down the hall. By the time he reached his room, his buttons were free and she slid her hands inside his shirt, running them over his chest before moving to his pants. She made quick work of his button and zipper, then took a half-step back, her hands on his hips.

  Her hooded eyes stared up at him, and he ached to be inside her. He started to pull her down on the bed, but she smiled at him as she pushed his pants over his hips and to the floor. When she dropped to her knees, he sucked in a breath of anticipation.

  She slowly tugged down his briefs while she licked his tip. His blood rushed to his erection and he sunk his hands into her hair as she took him in her mouth.

  “God, Lanie,” he groaned, pushing deeper into her mouth.

  Her hand cupped his balls, squeezing gently as she licked and sucked until he was so close to the edge, he barely pulled her away in time. He lifted her to her feet, unhooked her bra, and pulled off her panties before he pushed her down on the bed sideways, covering her with his body an instant later.

  She wrapped her leg around his waist and lifted her hips as she sunk her fingers into his hair and held him against her mouth.

  He needed to slow down or he wouldn’t last more than a minute.

  Pushing up on his hands, her stared down at her, taking in the sight of her swollen lips, then lowered his gaze to her hard nipples and her bare mound. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he growled before he took one of her nipples in his mouth.

  She arched her back and gasped.

  He shifted his weight to his elbow and reached between her parted legs, sliding his fingers into her wet folds.

  Lanie gasped again, and lifted her hips as she released a soft whimper.

  His tongue trailed across her cleavage to her other breast, circling her nipple with his tongue before he sucked it into his mouth.

  Crying out, she dug her hands into his hair, holding him in place.

  He slid his finger deep inside there, then rubbed her nub until she moaned his name. “What do you want, Lanie?” he murmured against her breast.

  “You,” she gasped, lifting her hips. “I want you inside me. Now.” Then her eyes flew open. “Please, dear God, tell me you have a condom.”

  He laughed, then he kissed her because he found her utterly irresistible. “Gorgeous, we wouldn’t be in this situation if I didn’t have one.”

  “Then get it,” she said, pushing him up. “Get it now.”

  He chuckled as he rolled over and reached into his nightstand drawer… and found nothing.

  “Tyler…”

  “I’ll be right back.” He jumped off the bed, bolted into his bathroom, and yanked the cabinet door open. He hadn’t used a condom in months, but he knew he’d had a box under his sink.

  “Tyler…” She sounded panicked.

  He reached into the cabinet, behind the toilet paper, and found the box. He tossed it onto the counter and grabbed a handful of condoms. “Got it.”

  He went into the bedroom and stopped in his tracks. Lanie lay on the bed, her legs spread so he could see her in all her glory. Her fingertips skimmed the flesh of her inner thigh, moving slowly upward.

  “Jesus, Lanie,” he gasped as he tossed all the condoms but one on the bed. “Where the hell have you been all my life?” He ripped the condom open and quickly rolled it on.

  She grinned as she reached for him. “Waiting for you to find a condom.”

  He lowered himself onto the bed, then lifted her as he filled her with one deep thrust.

  She pushed herself against him and groaned.

  He knew he wouldn’t last long. He’d waited too damn long to be inside her, but he sure as hell wouldn’t come before she did.

  He reached between her folds and coaxed her higher as he thrust into her, his pac
e quickening. His balls tightened when he felt her tighten around him. “Come for me, Lanie.”

  She moaned his name as she clamped around him. He grabbed both of her hips, pounding into her while they both came. When he finished, he collapsed on his side and reached an arm around her, pulling her tightly against him. She slung her leg around his waist and she looked into his eyes, a slight grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

  He couldn’t remember feeling like this after sex. Satiated yet still hungry for more. But it wasn’t just his sexual hunger that was satisfied. Something else deep in his chest felt full.

  He kissed her, a deep passionate kiss, and he felt himself hardening already while he was still inside her.

  She looked up at him with her grin. “Again?”

  “Killer, we’re just getting started.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tyler roused when he felt a jostle and reached for Lanie as she started to roll out of bed.

  “Where are you going?” he murmured sleepily.

  She grabbed her phone off the bedside table. “I have to go.”

  He bolted up right. “What?”

  “It’s late. I have to go. Don’t worry. I’ll get an Uber.” She bent down and picked up her underwear off the floor and went into his bathroom to pee.

  She was wearing her bra and panties when she came out. Tyler was sitting on the edge of the bed, still naked, but he stood when she emerged and pulled her into his arms. “Why are you leaving?”

  She froze and looked up at him. “Because it’s late. Because the only clothes I have is my stupid bridesmaid dress. And because…”

  His hand cupped her cheek, and his thumb stroked her jaw. “And because…?”

  She hesitated before she said, “Because I don’t have a toothbrush.”

  “I have a toothbrush.”

  She scrunched her nose. “I’m not using yours.”

  He laughed. “I’m glad to hear that, especially since I have a spare.”

  “For all your other women?” she teased.

  “No. For me. I like to have spares.”

  She pulled free and padded out to the living room, looking around his apartment.