Random Acts of Marriage (Wedding Favors)
Page 13
From the heat in her gaze, wedding planner Kinni had successfully been booted from the party. His hands glided over her ass and gently pressed her to him. With each move, she rubbed against his hardening cock. A sly smile quirked the corners of her mouth, letting him know she not only felt his erection, but liked it.
Twice they’d been interrupted, and he was anxious to get her upstairs and naked, but dancing with her like this was a kind of organic foreplay that would have them ripping each other’s clothes off when they finally got alone.
He managed two more songs before his self-control broke. “Let’s get out of here.”
For a second, indecision flashed in her eyes. He hauled her against him and kissed her, driving home just how much he wanted her. After an exquisite few seconds of toe-curling mouth play, he broke the kiss. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”
To her credit, she didn’t glance around the reception hall to see if anybody was watching, but instead nodded. “Let’s go.”
Leading the way, he maneuvered them off the dance floor and through the mingling crowd. Thankfully, nobody noticed their exit and they made a clean getaway without any interruptions. Once in the elevator, he shoved his key card into the slot and pressed the button for his apartment. More than anything he wanted to ramp up his seduction right there inside the elevator, but having not dulled his wits with alcohol, the surveillance camera and the fact that he owned the hotel kept his hands in the appropriate zone.
She clung to him, her fingers locked onto his lapel, and lifted on her toes. At first he thought she was going to kiss him, but instead she leaned her mouth against his ear. “You’re not going to touch me when we get inside.” Her tongue flicked along his earlobe, followed by a nibble from her teeth. “That is, not until I have my way with you.”
What the hell was taking the elevator so long to reach his floor? With her held against him, he turned and pinned her against the back wall. “I can’t wait.”
Finally, the elevator hitched and the metal barricade opened. Keeping her tight against him, he backed to the door, shoved his key in, and stumbled into the foyer, bringing Kinni with him. After which, he gave the front door a final kick to seal them inside. The apartment was dark except for the distant glow of the city lights, but he had no problem steering by the dim glow. Their hands were all over each other, pulling at various pieces of clothing. At the living room they paused just long enough to peel off his jacket and bow tie. In return, he freed her hair from the complicated maze of twists and curls.
Pawing at each other again, they worked their way into the bedroom, leaving a trail of shoes and clothes in their wake. Now left in only his boxers, and Kinni in a tiny pair of pink lace panties, she made true on her promise. She knelt in front of him and hooked her fingers on the waistband of his boxers. With aching slowness, she eased them down to pool at his feet, freeing his cock. It tightened and lifted when her warm breath brushed against it, and more than anything he wanted to feel her hot mouth on him.
Her hand skimmed along his shaft and gently squeezed the head before descending again to repeat the action. He pushed against her hand and then eased back. The urge to bury his fingers in her hair and guide her mouth to him boiled inside, but he stayed his hands, wanting her to go at her own pace. The waiting was the worst and best torture.
He didn’t have to wait long. Hot and wet, her mouth surrounded him and slid down his shaft. The breath in his throat hitched, and his eyes closed of their own resolve. When her teeth grazed the head of his cock, he couldn’t resist pushing into her mouth a fraction of an inch, letting her know he liked what she was doing. Her hum of appreciation vibrated against him before she took him in again.
He couldn’t look away, loving the erotic scene playing out at his feet. The way her head slowly bobbed up and down amped up his lust and the need to be buried deep inside her. Again her lips reached the tip of his cock, but instead of grazing him, she sucked and licked, igniting sparks of heat. Her fingers massaged his balls, her mouth moving faster down his shaft.
With calculated pressure, he thrust into her mouth and pulled out. When she descended again, he met her with another shallow push. If they kept this up, he’d be finished before they ever got started.
“Kinni.” He grabbed her arms and dragged her to her feet. “I don’t want to come yet.”
“Then I’ll go slower.” She smirked and started to kneel again, but he caught her.
“Just seeing you on your knees is enough to make me pop.” He drew her panties down and tossed them to the side. “Lie down.”
He followed her onto the bed and covered her body with his, giving her a deep but brief kiss on her mouth, but broke the connection and shifted a few inches down to focus on her neck. Her heartbeat raced against his tongue when he glided it over the pulse point on his way to her breasts.
She arched and wrapped her arms around his head in invitation. Whimpers and gasps escaped her with each suck and pull on her taut nipple, growing louder when he reached between her legs and found the wet junction. Her thighs widened, allowing him access. With gentle pressure, he slid his finger inside and then pulled out of her. His mouth continued to ravish her nipple, grazing and sucking, drawing gasps and pants from her.
She reached for him and pumped the head of his cock with one hand while gripping his hair with the other. When he flicked and then massaged her clit, she bucked against him. He loved the way she moved against him, the way her composure frayed at the edges as she slowly fell apart with his every stroke. Every second he’d had to wait to have her in his bed had been worth it. Now he needed to be inside her.
He rolled to the side, snatched a condom out of the drawer, and tore open the package. Kinni’s nails stroked his back while he fitted himself. When he was finished, he rolled back to cover her body with his, wedging between her legs. She flattened her palms against his chest, her nail scraping over his nipples.
“You doing okay?”
She smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist. “Very okay.”
“Good, because I have so much more planned.”
Reaching between them, he guided his cock into her, slowly pushing until he was buried inside. Tight, so tight, and hot. He pulled out and then pushed back in. She braced her feet on the bed and lifted her hips, meeting his thrust. Each thrust grew a little quicker, a little harder. The beginning of his orgasm spiraled at the base of his balls, inching its way up his shaft. He hooked his arm under her knee and lifted her leg so he could drive deeper.
The sensation of his climax expanded with each thrust into her, but he didn’t want to finish before she did. He reached between them and found her clit, working her as he drove into her over and over. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and with each breath she took she whispered his name against his ear. The sound of it sent him to a place he had never been. A single moment joined with her, where her pleasure, his name on her lips, her skin against his made him want to give her everything.
As the swell of his orgasm shot through him, Kinni arched, a cry ripping from her throat. He gripped her ass and thrust one last time, riding out the shudders of ecstasy deep inside her.
Neither spoke until their bodies quieted. Then he rolled to the side and they both lay staring at the ceiling, slick with sweat and panting. “That was worth the wait,” he said.
“So worth the wait.”
He rolled to his side again and draped his arm across her chest, pulling her against him. “We should do that again.”
“I agree.” Shifting a little, she snuggled closer to him. “Maybe even tonight.”
“Definitely tonight.” He kissed her temple. “And tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon.”
“I can’t tomorrow afternoon.”
“Why not, it’s Sunday? Everybody will be doing their own thing. Kyle and Roxy will be gone on their honeymoon.” His hand drifted over her stomach and settled just below her navel. “We could do it in every room of the apartment and then order Chinese.”
> “Well, as tempting as that offer is…” She rolled to her side to face him. “I have to go to my parents’ tomorrow.”
“Postpone it.” A day in bed with Kinni; he couldn’t think of anything better. “You can go next weekend.”
“No, I can’t.” Even though she was smiling, she wasn’t giving in. “They invited me up for tomorrow specifically. It’s been over three months since I saw them. I have to go.”
“All right then, I’ll go with you.” He’d been more than a little curious about her family. This would give him a chance to check everybody out.
“You don’t want to go with me.” She shifted to her back and then sat up. “It would be really boring.”
He sat up as well and rubbed his hand across her back. “I’ll be with you. It couldn’t possibly be boring.” He gripped her shoulder and gave her a little shake. “Unless you don’t want me to go.”
“It’s not that.” Despite her denial, it sounded very much like she didn’t want him to go. She pulled her legs to her chest and rested her cheek on her bent knee. Her brown eyes darted to his face and then to a point across the room. “It’s just that my relationship with my parents is a little…strained.”
“All the better for me to come.” This was his one chance to meet the folks, and he wasn’t about to let it slip away. “Besides, you’ve already met my parents.”
“Not by choice.” Her eyes drifted back to him and she sighed. “Fine, you can come, but remember that I warned you.”
“I consider myself warned.” He wrapped his arm around her, trying to joke away the apprehension marring her brow. “Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. They’ll love me.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about.”
He didn’t reply to her comment, deciding it was better if he came to his own conclusions. How bad could it be? She still stayed in contact with them and was willing to visit. Nah, she was probably just overanalyzing.
Wanting to get rid of the dark cloud that had settled between them, he grabbed her and threw her down on the bed. He could think of only one way to put the fun back in the evening, and from her shriek of delight, she was game.
Slanting his mouth over hers, he kissed away all her worries about tomorrow.
Chapter Fourteen
Never in a million years would she have believed she’d be introducing Price Lyons to her parents. Only one guy had ever been bestowed the honor, but they had dated for a year before she opened that can of worms, and he’d broken things off a few days later. Not that she blamed her parents for her breakup, just that it was a bit of a coincidence.
She glanced at him. His expression was pleasant, one of contentment. Poor, clueless fool, he had no idea what he was in for. If he made the classic mistake of thinking the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, assuming they were rigid, smart, and scholarly, he was in for a rude awakening.
He turned onto the gravel road leading to her parents’ house. “I’ve never been in this area of Washington before.”
“Really?” She stared out the passenger window and mumbled, “I’m sure you won’t forget it after today.”
“It’s beautiful…and more rural than I expected.”
Uh-huh, just as she suspected. He’d assumed her parents lived in town, probably in a nice house with a manicured lawn. “It’s definitely rural.” She pointed to a hand-painted arrow. “Turn here.”
He did as she asked and slowed. “They don’t maintain the roads very well out here.” Cranking the wheel, he circumvented a large pothole before spinning it back in the opposite direction. “Your parents should call the city about this.”
“This is private property.” Her fingers drummed against her leg.
“Do your folks own it?” He inched around a set of three deep ruts.
“Yes, along with some others,” she said cryptically.
“A joint venture. Smart. Then they don’t foot the bill for everything, like road maintenance.”
“Yep.”
They rounded the last curve and she held her breath, not sure what they’d see. Things were always changing out here, depending on whatever weird seasonal ritual her parents were celebrating. She only hoped the place bore some degree of normalcy.
“What’s going on?” He pulled the car to a stop alongside a raised flowerbed. “Are they having a party?”
“I have no idea.” She released the breath she’d been holding. This wasn’t so bad. Actually, the place looked amazing. Colorful flags and Chinese lanterns hung across the drive. “Come on.” When she opened the car door, the fragrance of lilacs enveloped her. She inhaled. “I love that smell. It reminds me of when I was little. I used to pick handfuls for my mom. She’d put them in Mason jars with water and set them all over the house.” An unexpected chuckle escaped her. “Of course the blooms didn’t last, and by the next day the house was littered with shriveled purple flowers.”
“What did your mom say?” He walked around the car and took her hand. “Did she ban you from lilac picking?”
“No, she swept them up and set them in a pile on the stone fence out back.” Her fingers locked with his. “She told me they were perfect hats for fairies, and if we left them there, they’d be gone by morning.”
He looked at her, his expression full of wonder. “Were they?”
“Gone?” She smiled. “Yes. Of course, now I know she’d swept them over the fence, but for a long time I believed the fairies had taken them.”
“That’s cute.” A strand of her hair fell forward, and he brushed it back. “It’s hard to imagine you as a child.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”
Leaving the subject alone, she pulled him forward. An arch, dripping with purple and white blooms, straddled the stone slab walkway leading to the expansive white house.
“Coming through,” said a woman carrying a large, foil-covered metal tub. “Oh, hey, Kinni.”
“Hi, Marianne. That sure smells good,” she replied as they stepped off the path to let the woman pass.
“Tofu lasagna. It’s always a hit.” Marianne bustled up the steps. “See ya inside.”
“Okay, see you inside.”
They moved onto the walkway again and climbed the steep narrow stone steps to the farmhouse. People buzzed back and forth along the wide porch stretching across the front. They carried a variety of items, ranging from food to folding chairs.
“Kinndalynn.” Her mother’s familiar voice called behind her.
She inwardly groaned and pivoted to face her mom. How many times had she asked her parents to call her Kinni? At least a hundred, and they still insisted and using her full name.
“Is that woman calling you?” He pointed to the screen door. “Kinndalynn.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.” She released his hand and strolled back across the porch, meeting her mom halfway.
The long green skirt her mother wore fluttered around her legs and made her look like she was floating toward them. A single strip of white about an inch wide framed the right side of her face, but the rest of her mother’s long hair was still black. She’d turned fifty in April, but could have passed for early forties. Good genes ran on the women’s side of the family, and with any luck, maybe she’d passed them onto her daughter.
“You made it.” She wrapped Kinni in a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I wasn’t sure you would.”
“I’m here.” Stepping out of the embrace, she gestured toward the decorations. “What’s going on? Some kind of a festival or party?”
“Something like that.” Her mother’s eyes were too round and her smile showed too many teeth, putting Kinni on alert. “You know, we love to entertain.”
“What kind of party, Mom?” A thousand awful possibilities danced through her memory. “This isn’t another moss tasting, is it?”
“No, we don’t do that until the fall.” Her mother’s eyes cut to just over Kinni’s left shoulder. “Who is this?”
She stepped to the side and ushered P
rice forward. “Mom, this is Price Lyons. Price, mom.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Corbett.”
“Call me Helena. Mrs. Corbett makes me feel old.”
“Okay, Helena.” He smiled and extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She waved it away and made a poo-pooing sound. “And we don’t shake hands, we hug in this family.”
“I see.” He glanced at Kinni, as if silently asking her how this woman could possibly be her mother, a second before an ear-to-ear grin split his face and he threw open his arms. “Well then, Helena, bring it in.” Her mother laughed and complied. “Come on, Kinni.” He grabbed her arm and dragged her into the mix. “Get in on this.” So there they stood, locked together like some corny scene out of a romantic comedy. When she tried to pull free, he tightened his hold. “Just let it happen.”
She growled and he finally released her.
“That’s the best hug I’ve had all week,” her mom said.
He fisted his hands on his hips and nodded. “Ya know, me, too.”
Kinni clasped her hands behind her back and gnawed on the inside of her cheek. Her mom and Price were two peas in a pod, she could see that now. They been here a total of five minutes and already she was the odd man out—as usual.
“So, Mom.” She made eye contact and held it, letting her mother know she wanted an answer. “What kind of gathering are you having?”
“Well…” Helena clutched Kinni’s hand, and then did the same to Price. “This last year was kind of a tough one with your dad’s rotator cuff surgery, and him unable to work for several weeks.” Her voice dropped an octave. “Eight excruciatingly long weeks. Really took a toll on my patience—and sanity.” She shook her head a couple of times and then smiled. “But now that he’s healed and we’re back to our routine, we thought we would”—she tucked Kinni’s arm under hers, trapping her in place, and guided them toward the screen door—“renew our commitment vows.”
“Oh no.” Kinni dug in her heels and pulled to an abrupt stop. “Get back in the car, Price. We’re leaving.”