Lacey twirled the delicate stem of her glass with her fingers. “It’s complicated.”
“Try me.”
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. They were supposed to be getting to know each other, enjoying the meal and the service, not talking about her issues. But what the hell. He might as well know the score. It was an awful cliché, but she could see him as nothing more than a friend.
Monica’s thorough investigation had revealed Malik was as solid as they come. Heterosexual. No baby, no baby mama. Handsome with an outgoing personality. He owned several diverse business interests, including majority ownership of Heaven’s. Lacey had even hoped because Malik was black, it would spur some interest on her part, but nothing happened. It didn’t take long to figure out race was not a factor. Now she was sure her feelings for Rye weren’t by default or coincidence but because he ignited a fire in her no one else could.
“I recently became involved with someone I’ve known for a long time. We’re great together, but we haven’t put a label on our relationship, so I don’t know where we’re headed.”
He whistled softly. “Interesting. A woman who doesn’t want to pressure a man. Are you sure this guy does it for you?” The glint of humor in his eyes let Lacey know he also concluded they wouldn’t be more than friends.
“Absolutely.”
“Well, here’s to new friends,” Malik announced before lifting his water glass.
Lacey smiled and tapped her glass against his. “To new friends. My new friend Malik?”
“Yes, my new friend Lacey?”
“What are you doing this Sunday around one?”
Chapter Four
The wheels of the 747 touched the ground for the first time in four hours, jostling Rye awake. After being on the road for three weeks, he was worn out but glad to be home. He wanted some pussy, a bed, and some sleep, in that order. Correction—he wanted Lacey’s pussy. He missed her. Not just the sex, which was very high on his list, but he missed her. Her smile, her dry sense of humor, the scent of tangerines, lemongrass, and grapefruit. Never in a million years would he have thought someone right under his nose would become so important to him, but there she was. Just thinking about what he wanted to do to Lacey made his dick as hard as a rock.
Glancing up, he found the attractive blonde flight attendant flashing a hungry smile at the bulge in his crotch. Earlier she’d made a point of helping him put his laptop and duffel bag in the overhead bin, and at the same time dragged her chest across his shoulder. Now, if he wasn’t mistaken, another button on her starched white blouse was undone to further expose her surgically enhanced bosom. He wasn’t interested in the obvious offer. Lacey was the only woman he wanted.
The plane whimpered to a stop, and in two seconds flat, Miss Accommodating was at his side again, touching him, maneuvering his seat. At six feet four, one hundred ninety pounds, he was more than capable of unbuckling his seat belt, but he must have looked like he could use some help.
“I hope you enjoyed your flight, Mr. McKay. Is there anything at all I can do to make you more comfortable?” she asked, pure naked invitation in her eyes and voice.
“I’m pretty sure I have everything I need,” he said and gave a polite nod. “I just want to get home.”
He almost didn’t believe it when she took a step back and gave him a genuine smile. Judging by her persistence throughout the flight, her acceptance was a pleasant surprise. “She’s a lucky woman.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Rye said and couldn’t resist a roguish grin before grabbing his gear and walking off the plane.
At two in the morning, there wasn’t much traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, so it didn’t take long to retrieve his Jeep from long-term parking. He chuckled every time he thought of Lacey’s dismay at riding in his beloved method of transportation. His ride was eight years old but in great condition. Its one fatal flaw: it wasn’t windproof. Rye would soon correct the error. The things he was willing to do to please Lacey.
Rye couldn’t wait to see her, to hold her in his arms. Hell, to fuck her. It was late, she would be pissed at him for waking her up. He had appointments for tomorrow, and he needed to rest, but he didn’t give a shit. As if the Jeep could sense Rye’s need, it automatically took Lacey’s exit.
At her brownstone, he used the key she’d given him after growing tired of dragging ass to the door in the middle of the night to let him in. He made his way to her bedroom where the central air unit hummed and a ceiling fan whirred in a slow rotation to cool the hot June night. His stare was so intense he could be mistaken for a stalker, but he loved watching her sleep. Heaven help him, she was beautiful.
He’d convinced her to go sans her nightclothes, a hard task considering her love of the soft cotton staples. When he argued that her being naked would save time in case he came home, she’d grudgingly agreed. Plus, her underwear didn’t fare well around him. There was no telling how many pairs he’d simply torn off in his haste to get to her pussy. Luckily, no disciplinary action such as being banned from between her legs had followed her warnings and dirty looks. So far.
Lacey lay in the middle of the queen bed, sheets draped haphazardly across her torso, her plump breasts exposed. In a world with so much plastic and so many facades, she was the real thing. The lush, round globes sat like pillows atop her chest, the sight making him hard as fuck. To be so generous in size, they were firm with nipples always standing at attention. The sexy cotton bras from her favorite boutique indicated she was a D-cup. On her slim, athletic frame, the tasty morsels seemed larger, and damn if he wasn’t obsessed. Even when he had a mouthful, he was so greedy he tried to fit more in.
Before, he hadn’t given the rich hue of her skin tone a second thought, but now it was a big turn on. In fact, sometimes when they were lounging around, he’d unbutton her blouse and lift her breasts out of her bra just to see the contrast of his lighter hands on her buttery-brown skin. He’d pinch, then soothe her chocolaty nipples until he and Lacey were crazy with lust. She never complained if his hands were a bit rough from his work and from tinkering with wood projects. She let him look and touch his fill, which of course led to them fucking anywhere they happened to be at the time. With pleasure in mind, he shed his clothes and lay next to her.
Lacey moaned when he sent his arms around her soft, supple body. Her hair was wrapped in her sleep scarf, so he buried his face in her neck and breathed her citrusy scent.
He was home.
“Hi, you,” she whispered, groggy from sleep.
Rye grunted a response, then opened his mouth at the base of her neck and sucked. I missed you, I missed you, I missed you. A groan escaped as he pulled her closer. He lifted his head and then attached his lips to hers, gorging on her mouth like a hungry man at a feast.
“I’m so damn glad to see you,” he whispered before working his way down her long, delicate neck. Above the peaks of her breasts, he hovered for a second before swooping down and filling his mouth with her soft flesh.
“Mmm,” she said, twisting and turning until the sheet slipped to the floor. On fire, he lowered his head between her legs and landed his tongue onto her distended clitoris. And sucked. And licked in a quick staccato rhythm, wringing a scream from her. He leaned over, reached into the nightstand drawer, and grabbed a condom. Hands shaky, he barely withstood the tortuous time it took to apply the protection before draping her knees over his shoulders.
“This is going to be a fast, rough ride to take the edge off.”
Straightening his arms, he thrust into her tight channel, only halting when his shaft was completely soaked with her juices. He seated his rod deeply, in the process making sure to massage the spot he knew bought her the most pleasure. With each surge, her tight pussy gripped his cock, and it was fucking fantastic. His need to come bordered on manic. He kept a punishing pace until the unmistakable contractions of her slick tunnel clutched his shaft, indicating her release and making him see stars. As much as he want
ed to stay suspended in bliss, he couldn’t hold out any longer. Head tilted back, he gritted his teeth and spurted waves of cum into the condom.
“Lacey, Lacey, Lacey,” he moaned, basking in the aftershocks of his orgasm. If he was a gentleman, he’d be thankful for the explosion he just experienced and give in to the exhaustion riding him. But he was no gentleman. He was a desperate man intent on satisfying the beast inside only Lacey could tame. He didn’t quite understand this all-consuming need for her. After knowing her for years and doing fine, now he couldn’t last three weeks without her. Having her once was not enough. He didn’t know if it would ever be enough.
With his dick at full mast again, he strode to the bathroom to dispose of the used condom. This shit is for the birds. He had never had sex bareback, but now he wanted to. His cock turned into pure steel at the possibility of sliding his naked flesh in Lacey’s hot pussy and fucking her with nothing between them but the mixture of their juices.
“Rye?” Lacey called.
“I’m here,” he answered in a thick voice as he returned to her side. He took her mouth and at the same time palmed her breasts. When he pinched her nipples, her loud moan made his dick jump. Surprising him, Lacey reached between them and wrapped her slender fingers around his cock.
“I think I found something I like,” she whispered huskily.
“Ah, do not fucking stop,” he muttered before burying his face into her neck. She kept stroking; then she fisted him in slow, deliberate passes. The more she rubbed, the more fluid accumulated at the tip.
“Having fun?” he managed to push through clenched lips.
“As a matter of fact, I am.” She began to make milking motions with her fist. Her smile was that of a siren. “You want me to stop?”
“Hell no,” he growled, then rotated his hips to counter her moves. It felt damn good, but he was running out of patience. He’d dreamed of her touch so often while he was gone that experiencing it for real overloaded his senses. He flipped her onto her knees and spread her legs wide, opening her pussy for his viewing pleasure. He donned latex and sank into her moist tunnel.
“Oh,” she panted.
“Yes,” he hissed. Possessed by his need, he thrust deeply, his pleasure bordering on pain. Right then, he knew with complete certainty he was exactly where he wanted to be. He was high and tight inside her, and it was so good he never wanted it to stop. “Baby, you’ve got me ready to explode again. I couldn’t wait to get back to you,” he said, grunting between strokes.
She moaned and pushed back toward him, as if she knew the power her pussy had over him. The continuous rocking of her ass made him start to climb a mountain. He pounded at triple pace, seeking ecstasy. After her shout, he was there, his release strong. More cum than he thought possible streamed out of him, leaving him sated and weak. Struggling for breath, he disposed of the condom, and then gathered her limp body next to his. Being in bed with his woman in his arms was heaven. Yes, his woman. He’d never weighed anyone down with the title before, but it fit with Lacey.
She was his.
Now he just had to make her aware she belonged to him, but he had to tackle the process in reverse. To say they were mending the fence after the cows got out was an understatement. The first night was so hot he wasn’t able to back away from her body. Having more of her was a necessity, and now several months had passed, all due to the heavy travel for his job. It was time to bring her up to speed, and his mission would require him being at home.
The sun blazed through the old-fashioned shutters in Lacey’s bedroom, announcing the morning. She stretched and felt something long and solid block her movements. Rye.
Smiling, she remembered the night before. Goodness, he was insatiable. If pussy was a drug, he should have eventually overdosed as many times as he had reached for her throughout the night. And morning. His enthusiasm left her with a delicious ache all over her body. The bathroom beckoned, but her leg was trapped between his hairy, muscular ones.
“Where are you going?” he grumbled into her shoulder blade.
“To brush my teeth and take a shower since someone made me all hot and sweaty last night.”
“Whoever he is needs to be punished. He deserves to get all hot and sweaty too,” he said, chuckling.
“I think you would like the punishment too much.” Sighing, she looked at the clock. “I have to get moving. Monica and Troy are going to put out an APB for me if I’m not at the shop in exactly one hour.”
He groaned and tightened his hold on her. “Do you have anything going on tonight?”
“No,” she murmured. “We have a drop-off for a retirement party this afternoon. We should be finished around four.”
“Perfect. Will you have dinner with me?”
Lacey’s eyes popped wide open, and she went completely still. Had she heard him right? Had Rye just asked her on a date?
“Dinner?” She shrugged his arm off; then she sat up, resting her back against the headboard. He sat up beside her.
“Unless you want to do something else?”
“No. I’m just surprised. We’ve never done anything official before.” We usually spend most of our time in bed fucking.
“We’ve eaten together plenty of times. Have you forgotten the many Lakeview cookouts we’ve attended? Hell, how many of your mother’s Sunday feasts have we shared?”
“Sure, we’ve eaten there at the same time, but we weren’t together. I didn’t think we were doing the dating thing.”
Rye tensed behind her. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been doing the ‘together’ thing for a while.”
“Perhaps you don’t remember, but we agreed to one night,” she shot right back.
“Baby, that deal was scratched when you opened your door to me the second time.”
Fury shot through her, making her pulse hammer. Good thing his sexiness overshadowed his arrogance, otherwise she’d be offended. “Listen, McKay. If I hadn’t decided to let you in, you’d still be outside knocking. Believe me.”
He laughed and tried to cover it with a cough when she glared at him. “I’ve arranged for a week’s leave, so we’re going to do a lot of things ‘together.’ All right with you, Miss Bishop?”
She refused to get excited. How many times had he wined and dined a woman, treating her like a queen, only to replace her after a few weeks? The invitation to dinner made her pussy hot, but she wasn’t foolish enough to think she was any different from a long line of women who had already faded into obscurity. “Sure. Fine,” she replied.
“Actually, I was thinking we’d spend the whole weekend together. Do you have many more events scheduled?”
She couldn’t have been more shocked if he had told her he was pregnant. Spend the entire weekend with him? Her pussy went from hot to scalding.
“There’s a buffet wedding on Saturday. I’m pretty sure Monica and Troy can handle it without me,” she said. “Saturday night, the Thymes is catering Logan’s birthday party. Sunday afternoon is my mother’s if I want to live to see Monday.”
He nodded and gathered her closer in his arms. “We’ll just have to make it work. I have some errands to run today, but I’ll pick you up around six.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Now back to the most important thing. You’re soft and naked. I’m hard and hurting. What are we going to do about it?” He growled and cupped her breasts. Then he grabbed her knee, draping it over his until her thighs were open high and wide.
With an accuracy resulting from much practice, he inserted two digits inside her aching slit. As usual, her response was swift and intense. Suddenly, her nipples resembled torpedoes, and her feminine lips were moist and swollen. She clamped her thighs together, trapping him. She’d never been near a horse, but the way she rode his fingers was Triple Crown-worthy. Over and over she swerved her hips, seeking relief for her throbbing, shaking core.
“Right there. Yes!”
He obliged her by digging deeper and massaging the spongy pat
ch of nerves capable of sending her into orbit.
Seconds later, she blasted off.
“Oh, fuck.” He groaned when her juices soaked his fingers and ran onto her precious cotton sheets. He reached around her for a condom out of the nightstand drawer. “You’re going to be late.”
She didn’t care.
Chapter Five
Rye blended into the traffic after another driver let him in. He was leaving the Hanover Logistics building, home to his employer’s corporate headquarters and his thirtieth-floor condo—the condo transferred to him free and clear in recognition of his fifteen years with the company.
The June day in Atlanta was a scorcher, but for once, he didn’t mind the suit and tie he wore, an on-site requirement even on Fridays. His meeting with Hanover’s operations officer and a few other senior people had lasted for hours. The proposal was currently under consideration, but Rye was confident of a favorable outcome.
Hell, they didn’t have a choice. Either they’d give him what he wanted, or he would open his own consulting and training firm. In addition to an expense account and the condo, he’d received per diem along with a generous salary for the past fifteen years. Thanks to his frugality and wise investments, he could easily fund a new company and support Lacey if she never wanted to work another day in her life. He chuckled. Whereas the idea of the two of them taking their relationship to the next level suited him just fine, it would drive Lacey apeshit. His baby didn’t do well with situations she couldn’t control.
Even convincing her to ride in the Jeep with the top down was a battle. He grinned and shook his head. Before Lacey, the only place he was concerned about pleasing a female was in the bedroom. Or the living room. Or the shower. Lacey, in all her stubbornness, was in a class of her own. Convincing her to spend her life with him was going to be a son of a bitch.
The interstate hadn’t yet become a nightmare, so it was a quick drive to Pinnacle Development, the construction company founded by Lacey’s father, John Bishop. Rye hated to drop in on Kyle without notice, but this was the only alternative since their schedules hadn’t allowed them to speak in person in several weeks. Kyle deserved to hear about him and Lacey from the source.
Taste of Lacey Page 4