by Juli Valenti
He told me how he’d built his business, some of his projects, his clientele. As the sun was setting, I felt like I knew him, really, truly, knew him. In turn, he’d asked me tons of questions, asking where I’d been – that was a short conversation, since I hadn’t been anywhere – what I studied in college. He asked about Elle and our friendship, my job, my home life growing up. I was surprised he hadn’t asked about my mom, but then, he avoided the whole “family” conversation, my father being the exception – I had my suspicions it was because he was ashamed of his own.
“Are you hungry?” Dane asked, pulling me out of my familial thoughts.
I was surprised to find that the sun was starting to drop in the sky, the colors morphing into the beauty of dusk. Before I could answer, my stomach rumbled loudly. I covered it with my hands, my eyes wide as I looked up at the man before me, who was laughing, his smile full and wide.
“I’m going to assume that’s a yes. Come on, pretty girl, let’s blow this popsicle stand.” He grabbed my hand once more and led us to my apartment, which, to my surprise, wasn’t that far away from our position in the park. We’d come full circle.
As we made our way into the elevator of my building, I could feel the draw to him, strong and heavy in the air. I became uncomfortably aware of the fact that I’d been outside all day, the sun warm against my skin. Dane looked scrumptious, small spots against his shirt showing color, while I simply felt gross. Despite it all though, I wanted him.
Uncharacteristically nervous, I glanced up at him, his handsome face tilted downward, gazing at me as the elevator came to a stop. He raised his hand, caressing it down my face and kissing my lips softly as the ding announced our arrival and the doors opened. I was at once frustrated we’d arrived on my floor as well as relieved. This girl needed to shower before anything.
At my door, he propped himself against the jam and stared down at me.
“May I come in?”
“I had assumed you would.” My words may have come out a bit breathless and hoarse; I was still recovering from the tension in the lift.
“I’ve got to shower before anything.” I sauntered toward the staircase. “Make yourself comfortable,” I told him over my shoulder, before turning and making my way up toward water bliss.
Chapter Twelve
“Wasn’t I just here?” I asked aloud, to myself, as I stood beneath the warm spray for the third time in twenty-four hours. It felt so good and I allowed the water to cascade over me. I didn’t often shower more than once during the day, but after park shenanigans and the knowledge that Dane was in my apartment, I longed to feel clean. Closing my eyes, I savored the relaxation that seeped into me. Through the noise of the shower, I didn’t hear the door open and shut.
A shadow caught my eye through the glass of the shower door and I jumped, letting out a surprised yelp and covering myself with the loofah in my hand. The shadow grew closer and the door opened, revealing Dane; revealing all of Dane. My heart, having paused in trepidation from before, caught up, hammering hard in my chest as I took in the view.
His stomach was the same, all tight and cut abs, as well as his chest, his tattoo seeming to stand out starkly against his skin. My eyes drifted to his feet, making their way up, taking in the strength and muscles of his legs. I couldn’t help but blush as my eyes traveled higher, finding him thick and hard, curving to touch his stomach. Dane cleared his throat and my gaze snapped to his.
“You said to make myself comfortable… Is there room for one more in here?”
He didn’t wait for my answer, instead stepping forward into the spacious shower. Probably a good thing too, since I couldn’t find my voice. I shuffled to the side, allowing him to step up into the water, steeling myself to keep my mouth from hanging open. Standing behind him, I got a great glimpse of his butt, and I wanted to squeeze it, see if it was as tight as it looks. He has to work out.
I couldn’t help but stare as he turned, facing me. Water fell down his body, hypnotizing me, each droplet coursing a path along his skin. I wanted to trace them with my tongue, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. There was something about him, something about this ridiculously great-catch of a man that turned me timid, almost submissive. It was a change, the nervousness he brought out in me, one I couldn’t decide was welcome or not, since I was usually dominant in all aspects of my life. Hadn’t I wanted an alpha-type man? Hadn’t I been bemoaning that I was the only one who had any gumption between Chris and I? Be careful what you wish for, indeed.
“Come here,” Dane summoned, his arm outstretched to me, his eyes heated, roving my body just as mine had been his. I’d completely forgotten that I was nude as well, too distracted ogling him. Dropping the loofah that had been dangling uselessly from my hand, I placed my hand in his, allowing him to pull me close. Warmth filled me, and I shivered, unable to tell if it was the heat from his body or the water. Cupping my chin, he drew my face upward as he lowered his mouth onto mine.
His lips were soft, warm, wet from the shower. The spray continued behind him, falling down his face to mine, doing nothing to cool me. I gasped as his other arm circled my waist, my body flush against his, and he took full advantage of the opening. Dane’s tongue circled mine before exploring my mouth and I couldn’t help the moan that sounded from my throat. He released me, his hand trailing over my shoulder and down to grip my hip, his strength evident.
“Ryen,” he whispered, placing kisses on my temple, my cheek, my ear.
“Dane?” The word I’d meant to come out as a statement came forth as a question and he hesitated, meeting my eyes.
“Yes?” he asked, letting his hand fall to squeeze my ass. “Or no?”
The question wasn’t a hard one for me. I knew I wanted him; I’d wanted him earlier on the table, hell, I’d wanted him last night. Unfortunately, my brain was still on a hiatus and I hesitated. He motioned for me to back up but I didn’t listen. Instead, I crushed my mouth back to his, my hand on his chest, caressing him. I told him yes with my body, pressing my breasts against him and wrapping my arms around his neck. Thank all that’s holy he understood.
Passion erupted between us and he turned, roughly slamming my back into the shower wall. I moaned as Dane grunted, our lips never parting. I let him press me there, kissing me, taking my mouth as I wanted him to take my body. He was all muscle and strength between my legs, his body holding me in place as his fingers seared my skin. I was lost in the feel of him.
Abruptly he dropped to his knees, bending to kiss my ankles, my calves, making his way upward, his hands following as he went. I shivered, knowing where he was headed. Part of me was embarrassed, I barely knew him, but another part of me, the winning part of me, wanted him more than I’d wanted anything. Nothing could’ve prepared me though, for the moment his mouth pressed into the most sensitive part of me. His tongue darted out, circling the tiny nub of nerves, and it was all I could do to stay standing. Using his fingers, he separated my folds, his tongue continuing its ministrations as he inserted one inside me, circling me, stretching me. The sight of him, kneeling in front of me, stray water droplets falling from his hair to his face, to me, was incredible.
“Fuck, Dane!” I squeaked, my legs shaking. It had been a long time, far too long, and if he kept doing what he was doing, I was going to collapse. My hands went into his hair; I wished there was more of it, give me something to hold on to. He merely moaned against my flesh, eliciting a hoarse sound from me, and inserted another finger, adding to the extreme pleasure I was feeling. Too much, so good, not enough, too much. I felt my body quicken, my muscles tightening – I was close, so close.
“Yes. Let go, Ryen, I won’t let you fall,” Dane growled against me and it was enough. I felt my body come apart, crumble into a thousand pieces, before floating in space. Dimly, I became aware that Dane had stood, his body holding me up, keeping me from falling, just like he’d promised. Swoon.
When the fog cleared from my brain, I noted he was hard against me, his excitement
evident, yet he made no move to grind into me. He rested his forehead against mine and kissed me, his lips barely grazing my lips.
“I want you, Ryen,” he murmured, sending chills through me, right to my groin.
“So have me.” I more than wanted him, I needed him. My orgasm had merely dulled the passion and want I felt for this man; I wanted more, so much more. I wanted it all. I arched into him, capturing his lip between my teeth and grinding my hips against his.
“Condom,” he said huskily, starting to pull away, but I hooked my leg around him, forcing him to stay.
“I’m on birth control, clean, don’t leave.” I sounded like I was begging, pleading with him, but I was pretty sure I was going to die unless he took me now. Sure, I was usually all for the double protection, but my period had just ended two days ago. That meant that I was at my least fertile, despite birth control, and chances of pregnancy were low.
Dane pulled back only slightly, looking at me, assessing my words. Nodding, he lifted my legs and I eagerly wrapped them around his waist. Without saying anything further, or giving me any time to prepare, he thrust into me, hard, and I cried out. Jesus he’s big.
“Are you alright?” The strain was evident in Dane’s voice as he stilled inside me, concern overriding the desire I could see in his eyes.
I nodded. “Don’t stop,” I whispered, tightening my hold on him.
He took me at my words and pressed me harder into the tile as he pulled out, only to slam back into me. His hands were gripping my cheeks, my back flush against the wall. Dane leaned forward and kissed me, not missing a beat in his punishing, rough, amazing, movement. I couldn’t stop the moans that escaped my lips on each stroke as he pushed me harder, further, driving my body to quicken once more. He smiled as he felt me tighten around him.
“That’s my girl,” he said roughly, tightening his hold on my ass, and it sent me over the edge. I yelled a mangled version of his name as he stilled, his orgasm following mine. His face rested in the crook of my neck and I shuddered as he placed his lips on my skin.
We stood there panting together, using each other as support for what seemed like hours, neither of us willing to move or break the spell between us. The water was starting to drop in temperature, the once-relaxing spray now making goosebumps break out where it touched my skin. After a moment longer, Dane straightened, still holding me.
“Come on, baby, you’re shivering. You’ll catch a cold.”
He walked us both out of the shower, and sat me down on the toilet before wrapping a fluffy towel around me. Draping a towel across his waist, he grabbed another, and wiped the water from my face. For some reason it felt indescribably intimate and I blushed. My stomach chose that moment to grumble again, my forgotten food hunger returning. Dane looked at me and we both burst out laughing.
Once we were relatively dry, me dressed in a different pair of yoga pants and a tee, him only in jeans, we ordered Chinese takeout. We sat on the couch and ate out of the cartons with chopsticks while watching Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares on BBC. Dane kept mimicking Gordon to perfection, poking fun at our food, while I giggled and tried to keep from spitting, very unladylike.
I was surprised that things hadn’t become awkward between us. A small part of me had expected it; thankfully, the pessimist in me was denied. Dane was still Dane, except now he sat right beside me, jacking the small corn on the cobs out of my carton while I swatted at him. When we’d finished our food, he’d taken the containers back into the kitchen, putting away the leftovers.
“You don’t have to do that; I’ll do it,” I told him, starting to stand, but he waved me back down.
“No. Stay.”
“Did you really just tell me to stay? Like a dog ‘stay’?” I asked him, feigning petulance at his command. Who was I kidding, I was enjoying just watching him.
“Ha. No. I’m almost done – no point in getting up.”
“So tell me,” Dane asked as he picked my feet up off the couch and sat down, resting them in his lap. His hands started to massage the arch of my foot and I sighed happily. A girl could get used to this. “Why did you come up here, Ryen? To New York, I mean.”
“I needed a distraction or four.”
“From what?” he urged, his hand moving to caress my ankle.
“I told you.” My words were clipped – despite the fact this hands were magic, and I’d do pretty much anything to ensure he didn’t stop, I didn’t want to talk about this again. For the life of me, I could never figure out why people asked questions they already knew the answers to.
“The asshole? The one that stole your trust from the entire human race?”
“Pretty much, yes.” I shrugged, pulling my legs back and my knees to me. I held onto one, allowing my head to rest on it.
“That’s sort of pathetic.”
Okay … not what I was expecting at all. I started to open my mouth, to argue with his assessment, but I decided to think first – a novel concept for me, I’ll admit, but still. Maybe he was right. I mean, I was on my death bed – shut up, you know how sick I was – and then just happened to run into Aaron. That meeting prompted a pity party of epic proportions, before an OCD cleaning spree to vacuum up the mess I’d made because of said pity party, and then a breakup with a baby who called himself a man.
“Okay, so it was pathetic … asshole, much, for pointing it out?”
Dane’s laughter rumbled from him, the sound sexy and masculine, enticing. A smile lit his whole face, and I couldn’t help but joining in. Ass.
“Well, someone had to tell you … I mean, didn’t Elle tell you the same thing?”
“No, she actually thought it was a good idea…” my thought trailed off as I recalled our conversation. She hadn’t really said it was a good idea, but she didn’t fight me on it – she’d accepted the things I’d said, what I’d declared I was doing, and helped me accomplish them. “Okay, she didn’t say it was a good idea. She just … she knows me. She and I have been friends forever and I’m sort of stubborn. When I decide I’m doing something, or not doing something, I stick to it.”
“You’re going to be a pain in my ass, aren’t you?” he asked, pulling on my leg to release the hold I had on my knee. Once freed, he grabbed me from behind both knees and tugged, forcing me to him. I opened my mouth to answer him, but he interrupted me. “Shut up, Ryen, don’t even deny it. You’re going to be a class-A, pain in my ass, and one hell of a distraction.”
With that, he lowered his mouth to mine, effectively shutting me up. I wasn’t sure if I was impressed that he’d learned how to quiet me so quickly, or if it pissed me off. When his tongue played against the seam of my lip and I opened to him, I decided it didn’t matter. He was like a gift from someone above who knew just what I needed – a man who wouldn’t take my shit, regardless of how frequently I spouted it or gave it; a man who was strong enough, and grounded enough, to be his own person, and was independent. And, along with all those, a man who knew that sometimes a woman just needed to shut the fuck up, accept hands on her body, and surrender.
I was surrendering now, my body responding to him, his palms moving a trail up my legs. I’d never wished so hard that my pants would magically disappear – I wanted him to touch my bare skin, to feel him. Stupid fucking yoga pants – why did I even buy yoga pants, it wasn’t like I actually yoga-ed in them. Is that even a word?
Dane’s hand lifted my shirt, his fingers on my stomach snapping me out of my clothing despair. Heat blossomed in my center as he pushed the tank top up, up, up and over my head, baring my chest to him. He broke the kiss, pulling back to take in my breasts as if he’d never seen them before.
“So fucking beautiful – your last boyfriend was a dumbass,” he said before he bent and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking hard, stealing my breath. When I moved my hands to tug his head away, overwhelmed from the sensation of his tongue playing circles on my sensitive skin, he clamped his teeth down, tugging, not releasing me.
“Eep
!” Yes, I’m slightly ashamed that was the actual sound that escaped my lips, a mixture of pleasure and pain and surprise. And, of course, a chuckle escaped Dane, vibrating against me and making me moan again.
“I want to take you to bed,” Dane told me as he finally lifted his head. I glanced down at his face, deliriously wrapped up in him, my arms entangled around the parts of his neck I could reach. I opened my mouth to answer him, to say yes, when he spoke again. “I’m going to take you to bed, Ryen.”
Before I could approve or deny his plan, him being Alpha, he lifted me in his arms and walked toward the stairs. He hesitated only briefly at the bottom of them, and I looked up, counting the steps. There were a lot of them … I couldn’t even calculate the numbers in the state I was in. My gaze dropped to his face as he cradled me, thinking he was nuts. Sure, he was … buff … but that many steps? If he fell, I was going to break my neck and be seriously pissed.
“Dane…”
“Trust. Trust me, Ryen.”
With that, he trudged us both up to the master bedroom, never missing a step or faltering. He held me strongly, firmly, and ironically I felt safe – despite the possibility for imminent death. Wordlessly, I pointed to the door to my room, and as he put my feet on the floor, I bolted to the closet to shut the door. I didn’t want him to see the mess I’d left my clothes in … I wasn’t a slob, but when you’re frantically trying to get dressed and pick the right outfit, things sort of fly around small rooms.