I bent my head low to suck on her other tit as my hand moved down to the hem of her skirt. She let out a little moan, and I knew what I’d find when I reached her panties—they’d be damp with desire. For me.
Although I knew it would rip my control to shreds, I couldn’t wait to feel that wetness. I slowly pushed her skirt higher, giving her the opportunity to protest. When she widened her legs, I continued on to her panties and brushed my fingers over the drenched fabric. “Fuck, you’re soaked.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this turned on before.”
Too soon. Too soon.
I mentally chanted the reminder to help firm up my resolve to wait as long as I could before I sunk my cock into the tight heat covered by the wet fabric. There was still plenty I could do before that happened, and I was more than willing to settle for getting the taste of her sweet pussy in my mouth.
Releasing her nipple with a pop, I shifted her off my lap and laid her out on the couch cushions. Levering myself over her with one hand braced against the back of the couch, I glided my mouth along her jaw. “Can I taste you?”
“Fuck, yes,” she panted.
I chuckled with satisfaction at her quick, needy response. Licking and sucking, I left little love bites on her chest as I flipped up her skirt and pulled her panties to the side. She cried out and gripped my shoulders. I wanted to feel the bite of her nails digging into my skin, so I rose up on my knees and pulled my shirt off to toss it on the floor.
“Tattoos and muscles, two of my favorite things and you kept them hidden underneath those fancy clothes you like to wear. I love it.”
“You’re going to love this even more,” I promised as I stripped her panties from her body. Her knees were bent, with her feet pressed against the cushions. I settled between her legs and kissed my way from her knee to the apex of her thighs. Her pussy lips glistened with desire and her hard clit practically begged for my attention. “And so am I.”
I licked her from top to bottom and groaned as her flavor filled my mouth. It was even better than I’d imagined. Sweet and addictive; I couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of it. I dove back in and devoured her pussy. Nibbling and sucking at her pussy lips, thrusting my tongue inside her tight hole, flicking at her clit. I kept working at her while she shuddered beneath me.
“Mark! Oh my God! Please! Yes! Oh, fuck!”
I circled her clit with my tongue and sucked it into my mouth as I thrust two fingers inside her pussy. It was a tight fit with walls clenching around them.
“Come for me, gorgeous. I can feel how much you need it.”
“Yes! Please! I’m—oh, fuck! I’m coming!”
Her cries rang out in the room and her back arched off the couch. She exploded, and the sound of my name on her lips as she came was the best thing I’d ever heard. I lifted my head, licking my lips, and watched her while she fell apart. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were hazy, and her top teeth were buried in her bottom lip.
“You’re the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.” She ducked her head to the side, trying to hide from me, but I wouldn’t let her. I cupped her cheek and turned her until she met my eyes again. “You’ve got no fucking idea what you do to me.” She offered me a shy smile as I moved up her body to thrust my hips forward and press my cock into her wet heat. “It was everything I could do to not come in pants while I watched you fall apart for me.”
The only thing that had stopped me from busting a nut like a teenage boy the first time he went down on a girl was my determination to be buried deep inside her the first time I came with her. And I knew this wasn’t when that should happen. Not yet. Not until she’d gotten the time she needed to feel safe with me.
“Really?” Her smile shifted from shy to smug.
I rubbed my nose along hers and whispered, “Yes, really.”
“I should feel bad about taking without giving, but my body feels like a limp noodle.” She nuzzled her cheek into my palm. “And if I’m going to be completely honest, I’m more than a little proud of myself.”
“Stick with proud.” I pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. “And if you’ll let me borrow your shower before I head out, the cold water will help to make sure I’ll be able to walk through the lobby without scandalizing anyone.”
“You’re more than welcome to the shower, but I’d love it if you’d stay the night.”
“Whatever you want, gorgeous.”
I crawled off the couch, pausing to nip at her lower belly one last time before I moved away from her to head into the bathroom. I took a quick piss before turning on the shower. Ariana’s scent clung to me, and it made me reluctant to step under the water after I stripped off my socks, pants, and boxers. But it was the only way to get my raging cock to go back down without jacking off, and at least I’d be able to spend the night afterwards with Ariana wrapped in my arms.
Chapter Nine
Ariana
Waking up next to Mark had been amazing. Our date had been perfect, the orgasm he’d given me afterwards was fantastic, and I’d slept better than I had in forever. Saying goodbye to him after breakfast in bed—which he’d ordered for me while I was in the shower—and knowing it would be days before we saw each other again? That was the opposite of great.
It was kind of awful, actually. Which was scary considering we’d only met each other on Friday. Four days in, and I was already in deeper with him than I’d been with any other guy. And we hadn’t even slept with each other yet...technically, anyway.
I kept reminding myself that although it felt soon, it wasn’t any quicker than how things progressed with Alessia and Alec. After all, I’d given my sister a giant nudge in his direction that ended up with them getting married the same day they met. And look where she was now…blissfully in love with her husband and pregnant. Not that you could tell how happy she was with the way she was glaring at me from across her kitchen table.
“What do you have to be so cranky about this morning?” She pointed at my coffee. “You can sit there, drinking your third cup of nectar from the gods while I’m bleary-eyed and desperate for another jolt of caffeine to help me wake all the way up. You should be grinning from ear to ear, grateful for it.”
I leaned over and peered into the mug sitting in front of her. “Herbal tea isn’t quite cutting it for you?”
If looks could kill, I would have been dead right then and there. “Do. Not. Even. With. Me. Not while you’re drinking coffee and I’m stuck with tea.”
“Here.” I nudged a cheese and cherry danish in her direction. “Try one of these. They’re delicious.”
“Fine,” she huffed. She didn’t quite smile while she ate it, but at least her frown wasn’t as pronounced by the time she was done. “You’re right. These are really good.” She grabbed a raspberry one next. “Thanks for stopping to get them.”
“No worries. They were left over from our room service breakfast this morning.”
She stopped mid-bite and set her pastry on the plate in front of her. Her green eyes narrowed while she chewed. As soon as she swallowed, she asked, “Room service? Since when do you order room service?”
I’d never had many opportunities to when we were growing up because money was always tight. The only times I could remember having room service before this was when Alec had ordered it for all of us back in Vegas. “Um—”
She didn’t even give me time to answer before she continued, “And did I hear you right? Did you say ‘our?’”
I offered her an apologetic smile. “Yes, actually I did. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it for the past few days. Now that it’s just the two of us, this is the perfect time to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“About my date last night.”
"You went out on a date!” Alessia screeched. “With who? When did you meet this guy? Where did he take you? C’mon, I need all the details.”
“If you’ll give me a minute to get a word in edgewise, I’ll give them to you.”
“Okay.
I can do that.” She pretended to zip her lips and waited with an excited gleam in her eyes.
“You know how Alec suggested I hit up Ice and The Box this past weekend so I could figure out if I wanted to take a job at either of them?”
She pressed her lips together more tightly and nodded.
“I met a guy while I was at Ice Friday night.”
She made a circular gesture with her hand to indicate that I needed to tell her more.
“Then I saw him again at The Box on Saturday.”
Her lips parted, she sighed, and then she blurted out, “I give up! I can’t not ask questions. I just don’t have it in me.”
“Go ahead,” I laughed.
“Did he know you were going to be at The Box? Is that why he was there, too?”
“Yes, he knew I was going to be there. And no, that’s not why he went. That was a lucky coincidence since he had to be at The Box that night for work.”
“For work?” Her brow wrinkled in concern. “Is he going to be your coworker if you decide to take a job at Ice or The Box? If so, maybe you should pick one of the other places Andrew owns instead. Dating a coworker can get super awkward.”
“Yeah, well dating your boss can be even worse and that didn’t stop me.”
“Your boss?” Her head tilted to the side, and her eyes narrowed. I could almost see the wheels turning in her brain. “Is he a manager for one and was just helping out with the other because they were short on staff or something like that?”
I shook my head.
“What’s his name? Rourke Hospitality is pretty big, but I don’t think there are many people in upper management. Maybe I’ve met your guy.”
I knew for a fact that she’d met him before. It’s why I’d wanted to have this conversation when it was just the two of us. “His name is Mark.”
“Mark Anderson? Andrew’s best friend?” I nodded. What she did next completely threw me for a loop—she clapped her hands together in excitement. “That’s awesome! I haven’t hung out with him often, but he seems super nice and he’s definitely cute. I totally approve.”
“I’m glad. I was worried that maybe it would be weird for me to be dating your husband’s brother’s best friend. Wow, that’s quite a mouthful,” I laughed.
“Calling him my brother-in-law’s best friend isn’t much better,” she added with a giggle.
“It really isn’t.”
“But seriously, though,” she said after our laughter died down. “Even though the work thing might get awkward, I’m totally cool with the two of you dating each other.”
“That’ll be a relief for Mark to hear.”
“Aww,” she cooed. “Is he worried about your little sister liking him? That’s sweet.”
“I’m sure that’s a little bit of it, but mostly he’s hoping that if you like the idea of us together then Alec won’t get pissed and try to kick his ass.”
“Oh my God! He’s totally right,” she laughed. “You know how Alec can be; super overprotective to the point of being unreasonable sometimes. And with you living in Chicago, I’m sure he’s going to want to check out any of the guys you date while you’re here. Even the ones he’s known since he was in diapers.”
I thought about everything that had happened between Mark and me since we met on Friday. How I was drawn to him. The way it had felt to wake up in his arms. “It’s still early yet, but I don’t think he’ll be busy screening dates for me. It’ll probably only be this one, and he already knows Mark so that should make it easier.”
“You said you were planning to be here until I’ve had the baby and the hockey season is over, including playoffs if Alec’s team makes it that far,” she reminded me.
“Yeah, I know.”
“That could go as late as June if they make it all the way to the championship.”
I took a sip of my coffee before asking, “And your point is what exactly?”
“Your longest relationship was only three months long. But here you are, casually talking about not dating anyone else for the next five months when you just met Mark a few days ago.”
“Four days ago,” I corrected, as though that extra day made all the difference. “And you have no room to talk since you married Alec hours after meeting him.”
That wasn’t a super mature response, but I was okay with it. Sometimes arguments between adult sisters turned childish. This time, it just so happened to be my turn to bring it to that level.
“Whatever, Miss Smartypants. You’re the one who talked us into it while I was drunk and couldn’t think straight.”
“You’re welcome.” I flashed her a superior grin. “As a way to show your gratitude, I think you should name my niece after me.”
“How about I just hook you up with a nice guy instead? Oh, wait!” She snapped her fingers together. “I basically already did that since you wouldn’t be in Chicago if it weren’t for me, and it was my husband who suggested you pop into the nightclubs last weekend. So, you’re welcome, too.”
“Whatever, Mrs. Smartypants. It’s not like you actually set us up on a date or anything, so you can’t take much of the credit.” I managed to keep a straight face, but I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up my throat. Getting into these verbal battles with my sister was too much fun. It was one of the things I’d missed since she moved.
“Maybe if you’d given me a couple of weeks, I would’ve come up with the idea myself. Probably not though, since I wouldn’t have pegged him for your type.”
I licked my lips, remembering the tats I’d discovered the night before. “I didn’t know it at first, but underneath those suits he’s very much my type. Even better since he really is a nice guy, which is a totally new experience for me. It’s like I’m getting the best of both worlds.”
Alessia waggled her brows, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous gleam. “So what you’re trying to tell me is that he’s a gentleman in the living room and a bad boy in the sheets?”
Considering how he’d expertly he’d wrung an orgasm from my body, it was a fair description. My cheeks felt like they might crack from my wide grin as I nodded.
“Wait! How do you know that? Have you slept together already?” She slapped her forehead with the palm of her head. “Duh! Of course you did if he was there this morning to order room service.”
“We’ve slept together and done some stuff, but we haven’t slept together. If you know what I mean,” I explained with a wink.
“Considering the current status of my uterus, I definitely know what you mean.” She patted her swollen belly. “When are you going to see him again? If you’re letting him spend the night and are already thinking of this as exclusive, then I hope it’s soon. Like super soon so you can get all loved up and decide you want to move here permanently.”
“You’ve lost your touch. I figured it would take you about a minute to figure out Mark might be another avenue to explore in your ‘convince-Ariana-to-stay-in-Chicago’ campaign.” I swiped the screen on my cell phone to check the time. “But it’s been at least five or ten minutes and you’ve just now realized it. The baby brain must be getting to you.”
She tapped her fingers on the table. “Not so much that I’ve forgotten the question I asked.”
“Probably not for a few more days.”
“But why?” she complained with a pout. “Is he busy? Do I need to haul my pregnant butt over to their offices and tell him he’d better make time for my sister or else?”
“I’d love to say yes and watch you go into protective sister mode. With your adorable baby belly leading the way, it’s bound to be hilarious. But, he’s not the one who’s too busy to make plans. I am.”
“You do realize that you don’t have to keep your eye on me every second of the day when Alec is out of town, right? It’s not like I’m on bed rest or anything like that. The adorable baby belly and I are quite fine on our own for hours at a time.”
“I do understand that,” I reassured her. “But I don’t think Alec
will be quite so understanding, and it won’t do us any favors when it comes to Alec not wanting to kick Mark’s ass for dating me.”
My sister got a determined gleam in her eye. “No worries there. Make your plans with Mark, and leave my husband to me.”
Chapter Ten
Mark
Much to my surprise, Ariana stopped by my office to take me to lunch on Tuesday. I was pleased as fuck to hear that her sister had been happy about us dating—even more so when she mentioned that Alessia was going to ensure that Alec was also cool with it.
I still planned to have a talk with him about it, too. It was the right thing to do since he was my friend, and I was dating his sister-in-law. But with Alessia’s support, I figured the conversation would go a hell of a lot more smoothly. It was even possible that no punches would need to be thrown, and I was all in favor of that. Not only had it been about a decade since the last time I was in a brawl, but fighting with a friend didn’t hold any appeal for me. I was happy to avoid it altogether.
My week just kept on getting better. We’d closed on a big deal Tuesday afternoon, without any unexpected hitches. Ariana met me for lunch again on Wednesday. I didn’t have to go into the office today, so I got to sleep in. And to top it all off, Alec was due home from his road trip late tonight, which meant I was going to have Ariana all to myself.
While she spent the day hanging out with her sister, I used a nice chunk of my time planning what we were going to do tonight. Alessia had insisted we go out on a dinner date since Ariana hadn’t backed down the last few days on spending most of her time—including her evenings—with her sister while Alec was out of town. Knowing I had to work at the nightclubs over the weekend, Alessia had threatened to push Ariana out the door if she refused to leave. But it wasn’t until Alessia mentioned wanting to do something special for her husband’s return that Ariana decided she wasn’t needed at their apartment tonight.
Or at least that’s what Ariana had told me this morning when she’d called to see if I had any plans for tonight. At the time, I hadn’t. But as I picked her up outside her sister’s apartment building, I sure as fuck did. And seeing the awe in her pretty green eyes as she twirled around in a circle when we reached our destination, every second it took to set those plans in motion paid off.
Chased into Love (Bachelorette Party Book 4) Page 6