by RC Boldt
“Subpar? So-so?” she supplied, eyes wide in innocence.
The smile slipped off his face as he stared at her. “Really, Thompson? That’s how you’re going to be?”
Raine shrugged nonchalantly and gave a dramatic sigh, turning away as if to get up. “Well, I’ll be going, now.”
He rolled to his side, his arm snaking out and grabbing her, pulling her back flush against his front. “Oh, no you don’t, missy,” he growled. “Not before giving me a chance to redeem myself. It’s only fair,” he said, smiling into her hair.
“Well, if I must,” she sighed despondently and wiggled against him as if to get more comfortable. He felt himself start to harden in response to her movement.
“Oooh. Somebody’s ready for round two already?” she remarked. “Too bad I’m too tired,” she yawned loudly. A very fake yawn.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Woman, you should know better than to provoke me.”
“Oh, yeah? You planning to punish me?” she teased.
He slid his hand up over her hip and down to the center of her thighs. Her legs parted easily for him as he glided his fingers over her to slide one inside with ease. The sound of her quick inhalation made him grin.
“I think I’m rather fond of your punishment,” Raine told him breathlessly.
If he were to judge by the way she came apart in his arms after that as well as the other three times throughout the night, he would have to agree with her.
“IF WE WEREN’T friends, I think I’d hate you simply for the amazing view you have,” Raine told Mac the next day. They were sitting on his upper deck with their coffee, watching the sun rise over the ocean. “I swear, it seems so much better than mine,” she yawned widely, trying to cover it with her hand.
“Do I bore you that much?” his mouth quirked.
“Hush,” she cut her eyes at him. “You know very well I wasn’t allowed to sleep much the last few hours.”
Mac looked around as if trying to find something. “Have you seen my little violin? So I can play ‘My Heart Bleeds For You’?”
“Wow, Mac. I don’t think I can handle this much sweetness,” came her dry response.
She returned her gaze to the sunrise because, quite honestly, if she continued to look at him sitting there beside her on the chaise with only pajama pants on, she wasn’t sure she could control herself. Or her drool. It was a toss-up, really.
Luckily, she had an extra pair of pajama pants and a top stashed in his spare bedroom so she didn’t have to even consider putting on her dress again. Without even realizing it, she admired him from the corner of her eye. That tattoo on his left bicep and those abs. She sighed inwardly. Those ranked up there along with cheese puffs as her top weaknesses.
“Quit ogling me. You’ll give me a complex.” Mac’s words made her head whip around to see him watching her with amusement.
“Whatever,” she tried to play it off with a shrug. “I’ve gotten my fill of you. I’m ready to head home.”
She expected a witty comeback but saw his eyes flicker with something that looked a lot like . . . was it disappointment? But, just like that, it was gone and in its place was the usual smirk with that dimple making its appearance.
He raised a brow at her. “Gotten your fill of me already, huh?”
He left his chaise and came over to hers to slide in behind her, bringing her back to lean against his chest, her hips between his legs. His hand cupped her shoulder, sliding down her arm only to graze upward over her breast and repeat the same action over the other.
He put his lips to her ear. “Something tells me you haven’t quite had your fill, yet.” Mac touched his tongue to her earlobe and sucked it between his teeth, his lips continuing on a path down the side of her neck. He swiped his thumb over one nipple, feeling himself harden when she arched into his touch.
“We should probably not do this on the deck,” she told him in a low voice.
Mac looked toward the roof and tinted screens enclosing his upper deck. “We’re safe from wandering eyes.” He placed a light kiss on the side of her neck and whispered, “Turn around.”
She knew that curiosity was showing on her face as she stood up and turned around to face him. Mac tugged her onto his lap, having her straddle him.
“Oooh, what have we here,” she teased as she took notice of his hardness, gently rocking over him.
“Probably nothing you’re interested in since you’re so ready to head home,” he whispered back. He gripped her hips, pulling her down closer as he pushed his hard cock up against her center.
“I . . .” Raine trailed off with a moan as he ran his hands beneath her shirt to swipe the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, repeating the motions. “Changed my mind,” she finished breathlessly.
“Did you now?” he asked quietly, nibbling at her neck where it met her shoulder.
Rocking against him, she let out a moan. “Callum,” she gasped when his cock nudged against her clit. “I need you.”
He began to push her pajama pants down and she came up to her knees to help. They worked her pants down and over her legs quickly before she helped him tug his own pants down over his erection. Mac pulled out a condom packet, quickly ripping it open.
Hmmm. Well, that was interesting.
Her brow quirked at him. “You just happened to have one of those handy, did you?”
Blue eyes met hers, hazy with lust. “Don’t harass me, woman. It was more wishful thinking than anything,” his voice gruff as he slid on the condom.
God, how it turned her on seeing him hard–so impossibly hard- just for her.
Moving closer, she kneeled over him, lowering just enough to graze herself over the tip of his cock. Hearing his sharply inhaled breath, she gave him a saucy smile.
“Oh? You want this?” Raine lowered herself enough to slide over him barely an inch before lifting off.
Mac’s gaze burned with heat. “You’re playing with fire, young lady.”
“Am I?” Her teasing tone fell short, becoming breathless after she slid herself back down over him.
“You know what happens when you play with fire, don’t you?” His one hand moved to her hip, gripping it tightly, while the other reached up to slide into her hair, fisting it gently.
“No, what?” she panted with a moan, taking just a bit more of him inside her.
“This.” The hand gripping her hip pulled her down as he simultaneously thrust up, deep inside her. His hand, fisted in her hair, held her mouth captive to his as he devoured her, tasting her.
“CALLUM,” RAINE GASPED, as she rode him, her hot, wet heat enveloping his cock. He watched her through almost a haze, her head thrown back, hard nipples pressing against the thin, cotton shirt she wore.
That shirt had to go.
Nearly ripping it off her, almost frantically pulling it over her arms and head, he tossed it aside. Instantly, he tugged her to him, his lips closing around a pebbled nipple. Her body arched into him and he felt her inner heat become even more slick. Flicking his tongue over the hardened nipple before moving to the other, he whispered to her. “Touch yourself.”
Green eyes found his, watching him closely as he continued to run his tongue over her hardened peaks. Her right hand went to her clit and, not breaking eye contact with him, she began her circular motions. Mac saw her gaze grow heavier with desire, felt the slickness of her inner walls increase.
When her motions became almost frantic and he felt her inner muscles begin to tighten, Mac gripped her hips in both hands, pulling her down upon him, thrusting as deep as he could. Repeating these motions, his voice was choppy. “I want you to come hard, Raine.”
He had to pause before continuing, his voice husky and low. “I want to feel you come all over me.”
Barely a moment after he got those words out, her inner walls gripped him tightly and she let out a small cry before her body contracted around him again and again. Only then did he let himself go, thrusting deep inside her in an almost fran
tic rhythm before he came, pulsing inside her.
Raine slumped over him, her head against his shoulder, as they both breathed heavily. Closing his eyes, he ran a hand over her hair, pushing back some of the strands sticking to the side of her damp forehead.
They both stayed there for a few minutes, on the chaise, as they let their breathing calm.
“You’ve quite possibly changed my mind about leaving,” he heard her mumble against his chest.
Mac chuckled quietly. “Quite possibly, huh? Well, I guess I’ll have to work on making that a firm change for you, then.”
Needless to say, after a few more attempts, he managed to officially change her mind.
SATURDAY MORNING ROLLED around and since it was the second day of the New Year, that also meant there were bowl games scheduled. Mac and Raine had a long-standing agreement that they would watch them at his place.
Of course, that was all before . . . they went there.
He still couldn’t quite grasp the fact that they had indeed crossed the proverbial line. He caught himself smiling just thinking about it. About how he had actually had fun.
Sure, it was hot and Raine was amazing in bed. But to be able to truly be yourself and not feel like you had to perform perfectly or worry about the other person having expectations of more was a whole new thing for him. A thing he really liked.
But it was over and done. They had scratched their itch, so to speak, and they would go back to the way things had been.
So why was he still lying here on his bed like a lovesick teenager taking the occasional sniff of the pillow Raine had slept on because her trademark vanilla scent still lingered?
Shit. He needed to find his balls. This was getting to be embarrassing.
“Knock, knock. Everybody decent in this joint?” Foster’s voice rang out from inside the living room.
Great. That was exactly what he didn’t need: his friend giving him shit this morning. With a groan, he pulled himself up off the bed, ambling down the hall to his friend.
“What’s up?” he mumbled as he made his way to the coffee pot, barely tossing his friend a glance.
Mac went about getting the coffee maker ready for a few cups worth and pressed the button to start the brewing. Leaning against the counter as he waited for the coffee to percolate, he watched warily as Foster mimicked his stance, leaning against the island across from him. He studied Mac closely, taking in his attire consisting only of wrinkled pajama pants.
“You already do your usual morning run?”
“Didn’t go,” he shrugged, not adding that he was exhausted from being up with Raine for much of the entire Friday they had spent together. She’d been ready to leave right at midnight on Friday, their twenty-four hour mark per their agreement, but he had coerced her into staying a bit longer. He’d actually insisted she get rest before the six-hour drive ahead of her to drive down to see her dad.
Mac didn’t want to look into his reasoning for wanting her to stay longer. He couldn’t blame it on his need to indulge in her more since all they had done for the last few hours before she took off was actually sleep. And that was something he didn’t ever do with a woman.
“I’ll probably head out for a run later.”
Foster seemed to process this for a moment. “Hmm.” He paused. “So where’s Raine?”
Mac checked the time on his watch. “Probably close to arriving at her dad’s place by now.”
“You look pretty rough, man. Especially after having a full day of rest after the New Year’s festivities,” Foster commented.
Mac turned to the coffee that had just finished brewing, reaching up into the cabinet for a mug. “Want some?” he asked without turning around, ignoring his friend’s comment.
“Sure.” Pause. “What’s your game plan for the rest of the weekend?”
Turning from pouring the coffees, Mac handed one to Foster and took a sip from his own before answering. “Probably watching bowl games. Why, what’s up?”
“Feel like heading down to The Dock for some wings and catch some games?”
Mac nodded. “Sounds good. Let me throw some clothes on and we can head out,” he took another drink of his coffee, watching his friend over the rim of the cup thinking that this was going far better than expected. Mac felt himself relax as he drank his coffee. This was good. No real inquisition or twenty questions. Maybe Foster was turning over a new leaf.
Foster tossed his head in the direction of Mac’s hallway leading to the bedrooms. “Go on already.” His friend checked the time. “We’ve got thirty minutes to get over there and stake out a good spot at the bar by the TV’s.”
Finishing his coffee, Mac rinsed his cup and left it in the sink. “Give me five minutes to throw on some clothes and I’ll be ready to roll.” He started down the hallway.
“Yeah, no. More like fifteen.”
Mac turned around, confused.
Foster gave him a knowing look. “You’re going to need fifteen minutes for the shower you’ve got to take so you can get the smell of vanilla off you.” His head tilted as if in thought. “Now that I think of it, that scent is awfully familiar. Like someone we know wears that.”
Mac merely turned around, shooting Foster the bird as he walked down the hallway, Foster’s laughter trailing after him.
RAINE ALWAYS LOVED making the trip down to visit her dad. It wasn’t a terribly long drive down, just about six hours to get to where he now lived in a retirement community in Cape Coral. He seemed to enjoy it which she was thankful for since he had been so lost when her mom had passed away from breast cancer ten years ago. She had been devastated to lose her mother far earlier than she had ever thought imaginable. It was nice to know that her father had finally come out of his shell and was being social, again.
“Ready to cheer for our Gators?” her dad asked her as he sat down beside her on the couch. He had a plate with two of his “famous” chili cheese dogs and handed her a beer.
“Of course.” She accepted the beer from him with a thanks.
“So how’s everyone doing?”
“They’re all doing well. Crazy as ever,” she finished with a chuckle. They turned their attention to the beginning of the game, listening as the commentators critiqued the early run of the ball and discussed some noteworthy players.
“How’s your Mac doing?”
Raine’s head whipped in her dad’s direction but he wasn’t looking at her. His attention was still on the game.
My Mac?
“Um, Mac’s fine,” she answered slowly. Raine looked over at her father. “He’s not my Mac, though.”
Her father mumbled something too low for her to clearly decipher but it almost sounded as if he said something like “Not yet.”
“I’m sorry? I didn’t hear what you said.”
“Oh, nothing, honey. I’m just mumbling at these crappy refs they have for this game,” he told her.
Shrugging her shoulders in dismissal, she turned her attention back to the television. Unaware, she completely missed the way her father’s lips turned up into the slightest grin.
“IF YOU CHECK your damn phone one more time, I swear to God, I will make sure it finds its death in my glass of beer,” Foster glared over at Mac before returning his attention to the television broadcasting the bowl game they had been watching.
“I was just checking the time.” He nearly cringed as soon as the excuse came out of his mouth, hearing how lame it sounded.
“Right,” Foster drew out the word sarcastically.
Okay, so that was a complete lie. He’d caught himself checking his phone periodically for any text messages from Raine. It wasn’t like this was the first time they hadn’t gotten together to watch football because she tried to make a trip down to see her dad every so often. It was just that he thought maybe she’d be thinking of him. Or something.
Shit. He had seriously just sprouted an ovary. What the hell was wrong with him? They both knew it was a one-time thing. They would go back to the
normal way things had been.
So why was he wishing she would send him a text to see what he was up to? Or if he was cheering the Gators on for her? He scrubbed a hand over his face. He needed to get a fucking grip.
“Got it bad, huh?”
Mac looked over at his friend. “What are you talking about?”
Foster just shook his head at him before turning back to the game. “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, you know.”
“Whatever, man.”
They both yelled with the rest of the bar patrons at the bad call just made and then fell into silence.
“If you’re so cool, you won’t be worried about making a little wager, then.”
Mac looked at him, wary. “What kind of wager?”
“If you can’t make it ten minutes without checking your phone, you’re buying the next orders of wings and beer.”
Mac scoffed. “That’s nothing. I’ve got this in the bag.”
Foster grinned. “If you say so, man. If you say so.”
Mac should have known better. Because eight minutes into their bet, Foster picked up his phone to send out a text. Within a few seconds, Foster’s phone beeped with an incoming text. Mac noticed Foster’s serious look, brows furrowed.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just wondering why Laney said that Raine decided to head back early tonight instead of tomorrow.”
What? She was heading back tonight? Did she just decide this? She probably would have sent him a text to let him know so maybe they could go running in the morning. He needed to check his-
Fuck. He didn’t catch himself in time before he’d reached for his phone.
He had been played.
Foster laughed and slapped Mac on the back. “Order up the wings and beer, my friend. Order up.”
He really needed to get new friends.
RAINE AWOKE ON the couch to her father standing above her, gently rousing her. “Hey, honey. Why don’t you head to bed?” he suggested.