by Ava McKnight
“All of that is why you dropped out of school to get a job.”
“We were both ashamed,” I told him honestly, though I had no idea why I shared so much of my sordid past. Ky was just incredibly easy to talk to and seemed genuinely interested without being the least bit judgmental. “It’s humbling, even when you’re a teenager. As for my mom… She was just so devastated and humiliated she didn’t have the means or the skills to provide for me the way she wanted to, or thought she should. Even though I never asked for anything, she wanted me to have the same things other girls at school had. Namely, dolls and dresses that didn’t come from Goodwill.”
“How’d you feel about that?” he asked in an empathetic, not pitying, voice.
My gaze snapped up and I said, “I didn’t care about that part. You quickly outgrow clothes and toys when you’re young—and besides, it honed my skills for scouting killer deals on shoes and handbags later in life.” I made light of my lack of material possessions because all that had really mattered to me was that my mom and I stuck together and worked as a team after losing my dad. “Back then, nothing held my interest long enough to make me feel I was missing out on anything. That is, until I got to Scottsdale…”
I remembered feeling too similar to Little Orphan Annie among the women who all seemed to have been left hefty inheritances by Daddy Warbucks. Melodie had helped me to cultivate a style that had allowed me to fit into my upscale environment, though I was the only one at the magazine who lived in a small studio apartment outside the city limits.
“What mattered most to me,” I told him, “was to make things easier on my mother. And all that mattered to her was that I live a better life.”
“So you’ve both made concessions for each other. I bet she’s proud of you, Giselle.”
His fingertips grazed my temple as he swept back long bangs from my face. His fingers skimmed along my jaw and then rested beneath my chin, gently lifting it.
I stared into his mesmerizing eyes as he seemed to commit every detail of my face to memory.
My breathing turned shallow and my chest rose and fell a bit faster. My appreciation of Ky’s grounded nature aside, I was intensely attracted to him. I felt an exciting current arc between us, connecting us and drawing us closer together, despite the fact that neither one moved. Only a few inches of space separated us, and while I wanted to close the gap, I was paralyzed by the electricity running rampant through my body.
I tingled and sizzled from head to toe and my inner walls clenched involuntarily, as though my pussy were anticipating being filled by this magnificent man.
The thought sent a shiver of exhilaration down my spine.
His irises darkened in color and his jaw clenched for a moment before his head dipped and his lips brushed over mine. I jumped back almost instantly, as though he’d poked me with a cattle prod.
I sucked in a breath as heat erupted in my belly and shockwaves rippled through my body.
I pressed two fingers to my lips for a second. Ky’s jaw tightened again as he seemed to process, the way I did, what had just happened between us.
Finally, I asked, “You felt that, right?”
With a slow nod, he said, “To the core of my being.”
“That’s a little scary, don’t you think?”
The shake of his head was a decisive one. “Considering I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since the moment I laid eyes on you in the pits… Guess I’m not surprised.”
My heart beat so hard, I wondered if he could hear it. My pulse raced and that pressure in my pussy put me right on the edge again of wanting to jump his bones.
He reached for my hand and coaxed me back to him. “You’re fascinating and gorgeous and compassionate. Yeah, I’m gonna feel a jolt when I kiss you. I like it.”
“I wasn’t complaining,” I told him, his words bringing a smile to my face. “I’ve just never felt my insides flip so dramatically. Made my toes curl too.”
“Aw, I can do better than that.” He bent his head to mine again and kissed me. A full-on, openmouthed, tongue-tangling kiss that sent every fiber of my being haywire.
His arms circled my waist and he pulled me to him, our bodies instantly melding together. His kiss was nothing short of mind-blowing. Searing. Powerful. Passionate. I clutched one of his massive biceps to hold myself steady, not that I was going anywhere in his tight embrace. My other hand plowed through his silky hair, twisting in the long strands.
He kissed me as though we’d both been waiting our whole lives for this moment. I realized I had been. No man had ever captured my interest so quickly or sent my heart soaring and my soul rejoicing. He held me against his hard, hunky body in a possessive way that was thrilling and as arousing as everything else he did to me—as arousing as everything about him.
He deepened our kiss, as if he couldn’t get enough of me. My stomach flipped again and my pussy ached for him as a rapacious need tore through my body. An almost animalistic nature replaced my usually sensible one. I had the sudden desire to strip his clothes from him and touch and taste his hot flesh. My fingertips burned to press into his rigid muscles as he drove into me, hard and fast.
Oh yeah, my emotions were way out of control…as was my physical response to him.
The fiery sensations obviously burned within him too, because he broke our kiss and muttered, “Getting hot in here, isn’t it?”
He reached for the zipper on my sweater and whisked it down its track. I had no desire to relinquish my hold on him, but wanted out of the heavy garment. I yanked it off and tossed it toward the sofa. Then I gripped fistfuls of T-shirt at his waist and pulled, lifting the shirt up. Ky grabbed the material at the back of his neck and hauled the tee over his head. It went the way of my sweater.
As he stood bare-chested before me, I fought to make my ragged breathing slow, but it only came in heavier pulls as I stared at him. To say he had a killer body would not do the man justice. His biceps bulged with rock-hard muscles and his forearms were equally strong. Above his collarbone, his traps had just the right definition to them, with an enticing display of pecs below. Small, pebbled nipples called to me and I couldn’t resist the urge to scrape a manicured fingernail over one, which made his body jerk as he groaned.
The pads of my fingers trailed down his remarkably sculpted abs, his muscles flexing beneath my touch. I reached for the top button of his fly and toyed with the metal disc.
He said, in a somewhat strained voice, “Know what you’re doing, sweetheart?”
“I know what I’m doing,” I assured him. “The more accurate question is, do I know what I’m getting myself into?”
His sexy grin twisted my insides in knots and did incredibly crazy things between my legs. My clit tingled and my inner thighs quivered.
“You don’t have to get yourself into anything you’re not sure of, darlin’. I’d be content stretching out on the couch and kissing you all night long. I’ll keep my clothes on. Or I can walk you back to the hotel.”
I suspected the latter would be the safest approach, but it wasn’t at all what I wanted. Though a one-night stand with a sinfully delicious man like Ky was most definitely not the norm for me—one-night stands in general weren’t—I couldn’t muster the decency to walk away. And while his first offer was appealing, I knew deep in my heart I wanted more.
Innate, electrifying connections such as this didn’t grow on trees, that was for damn sure.
“I’m not ready to leave just yet, if that’s okay with you.”
The glimmer in his eyes told me it was more than okay with him. He said, “Stay as long as you want. I’m in no hurry for you to go anywhere.”
“I like that you always say what’s on your mind,” I told him. “You’re not out to win someone over for your own benefit or hold back to protect yourself. That’s very rare.”
“Not really. You’re the same way.”
“Oh I have plenty of defense mechanisms,” I admitted with a laugh. But then something profo
und occurred to me and I found myself saying, “The world I live in isn’t exactly known for warmth and sincerity. Scottsdale can be a very superficial and pretentious town. Not everyone is that way, of course. But more so than not. I guess that’s why I don’t talk about where I come from or let people know who I really am.”
“Why do you stay? The magazine?”
I nodded. “And the people I work with, as I mentioned. They’re all very different and all very wonderful. I actually don’t live in Scottsdale. Can’t afford it and I wouldn’t enjoy it if I did. North Phoenix is nice, much more down to earth. If I could convince my mom to move to Arizona, I’d be surrounded by a beautiful family. But she won’t leave Seattle because that’s where my father is buried.”
He studied me a moment as he lifted a plump curl from my bare shoulder and rubbed the strands between his finger and thumb, as though sampling the texture. Finally, he said, “I can see you in an upscale environment like Scottsdale. Yet you fit in here at this race too. Sure, you stand out with your clothes and makeup, but there’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve got a sophisticated look. But you also seem comfortable here. Relaxed and natural and… I don’t know. As though you’re having a good time.”
“I am having a good time. In fact, I’m having a great time.”
My fingers had been hooked in the waistband of his jeans this entire time and I used the leverage to tug him closer to me.
His soft laugh reverberated deep within me. His next words convinced me I was making the right decision by staying.
“You got my adrenaline flowing. But all the major moves are up to you.”
“Seems to me we’re on the same page.”
“Consenting?” he asked with the lifting of a brow and a suggestive glint in his eyes that set my pulse racing again.
“I’m still here, aren’t I?”
Another low groan fell from his lips. Desire flashed in his blue irises and I couldn’t stay away from him a second longer.
My hands splayed over his cut abs and then moved upward to his chest. Without missing a beat, his arms wound around my waist and he pulled me to him. In a surprisingly daring move on my part, I shifted a hand to the back of his head and stretched on tiptoe, needing the extra height despite my four-inch heels, to plant a very solid kiss on him.
I didn’t retain control for long, though. Ky’s head lowered so I was no longer on my toes and he took over the kiss with what could only be described as a scorching-hot lip-lock that commanded my passion and conveyed his.
His tongue delved deep at the same time one of his hands left my waist and eased between us, moving upward to palm a breast and squeeze it almost roughly. My body reacted instantly to the aggressive touch and a moan lodged in my throat as fire roared through me.
His other hand shifted from the small of my back to my ass. He cupped a cheek and pressed me tighter against him. I felt his erection and heat and—in a strangely enlightened, visceral way—his need for me. It mirrored my own need.
I let him have his way with me. The hand on my chest quickly slipped under my top to cup my breast more intimately. I felt the warmth of his skin through the satin and lace material of my bra and though it made my insides burn, I craved so much more. I desperately wanted skin-on-skin contact. I wanted to feel his hands on my naked body. I wanted to feel my bare breasts pressed to his bare chest. I wanted it all.
Disentangling myself from him, I reached for the hem of my shirt and quickly stripped it off. I didn’t question my uncharacteristically wanton behavior. All I could think of was how much I wanted Ky, and how dynamic we were together.
Not surprisingly, he didn’t handle me in the traditional sense. He took one look at me, let out a sexy grunt and then turned me around so my back was to him. He leaned in close and his hands glided over my stomach and up to my breasts. Palming them, he kneaded and massaged in a confident, territorial way. As though I belonged only to him and he knew it.
He nuzzled the crook of my neck, his lips swept over my skin, kissing and nipping until my body was so limp, I practically slumped against him as his hard chest sealed to my back and his entire essence enveloped me. He kissed me just below the ear and I felt the effects deep within me. A hot and restless sensation blossomed low in my belly as he pushed the cups of my bra down and tucked them under my breasts. He caressed the mounds again with his erotic blend of gentle roughness. His touch was highly arousing, sending me into sensory overload.
With skilled hands, he pinched and rolled my nipples until I was delirious with desire and in need of relief from all the sexual tension he created. Clasping one of his hands, I dragged it down my stomach to the apex of my legs. His strong fingers rubbed my labia through my pants. His arm at my chest stretched across me to cup one breast while his forearm covered the other, the soft hairs teasing the nipple.
“You’re making me unbelievably hard,” he whispered in my ear.
His words sent a shiver of delight down my spine. “I’m not exactly in control of my own body at the moment.”
“There is a serious amount of chemistry between us.”
It was more than that. His raw sexual intensity sparked something inside me that had me buzzing more excitedly than a bee in a honeycomb.
When he released me, an unchecked murmur of protest fell from my lips.
“Patience,” he said in a slightly amused though mostly strained tone.
His large hands slid behind the waistband of my black pants and he pushed the material down my legs. Crouching behind me, he helped me out of my boots and socks as I flattened my palms on the smooth wood of the credenza for support. He discarded my clothing before standing again. With one hand, he flicked the fastening on my bra and I slipped out of the lingerie. I wore nothing but the thong panties that matched my bra.
A low, almost primal groan from Ky told me he liked what he saw.
With his arms around me from behind once more, he said, “You are damn sexy.”
He certainly made me feel that way.
His arm crossed my chest again, and he palmed a breast as his other hand returned to my labia, stroking the sensitive flesh as I ground my ass against his erection.
Kissing and nipping my neck as he increased the pressure of his touch between my legs caused my pussy to throb with an erratic beat. When he whisked aside the satin covering me and his fingers glided over my clit, a small cry passed my parted lips and filled the otherwise quiet air.
My nipples were impossibly hard, but as he rolled one between his finger and thumb, they both seemed to pucker even tighter. The sensation was an erotic and tantalizing one, again making me crave so much more. I suddenly became the poster child for the term hot and bothered.
Ky seemed perfectly in tune with my increasingly relentless desire. His hand between my legs slipped a little lower and he worked a long finger into my pussy. I bit back the scream of sheer ecstasy that bubbled in my throat. No need to draw attention to us.
A sharp moan eked out of me anyway.
“God, you’re tight,” he muttered against my neck, his warm breath teasing my skin. “And wet.”
I had no doubt.
His finger inside me caressed my inner walls as the heel of his hand massaged my clit. My head fell back on his broad shoulder and my deep breaths turned into short, staccato ones laced with sounds of pure pleasure.
This seemed to turn him on—and inspire him—even more, because he disentangled himself from me and dragged my panties down my legs as he knelt behind me.
“Spread your legs a little wider, sweetheart,” he said in a gruff tone that excited me.
I did as he instructed as his hands moved up the backs of my thighs to my ass. He squeezed the cheeks before leaning forward and lightly biting one.
I let out a tiny squeal of exhilaration at the unexpected move.
His thumbs rubbed my swollen labia, then stretched the fleshy lips apart as his tongue swiped over the knot of nerves he’d already brought to life.
I bent forwar
d and rested my forearms on the waist-high credenza, propping myself up. I gave him better access to me as I arched my back and lifted my ass a bit higher. His fingertips pressed into my cheeks as his thumbs kept my pussy lips spread and his tongue did sinfully delicious things to my clit.
My nerves endings sizzled and fiery sensations blazed through my body. When he suckled my clit, I gasped as mini lightning bolts struck all the right places.
“Oh God.” I moaned. “Ky… That feels so good.”
His naughty side thrilled me, as did everything else about him.
The tip of his tongue flickered over my clit with enough pressure to make my pulse jump and my inner muscles clench. My stomach coiled with anticipation, because I suspected he had much more in mind when it came to getting me off.
Sure enough, he suckled my clit again and a wave of pleasure washed over me, so strong, my legs shook. He flicked the nub and I groaned.
“Yes,” I whispered on a harsh breath. “Lick my pussy. You’re driving my wild.”
My unbidden cries of delight filled the quiet cabin, and my heart beat so hard and fast, I was certain he could hear it. Flames danced along my skin and heat prickled the erogenous zones between my legs.
He licked and suckled until I was panting harshly and drowning in the sexual bliss he so easily incited.
Clearly he felt inclined to kick things up a notch.
Using his hands instead of his tongue now, Ky stood and eased two fingers into my wet pussy from behind as his other hand slid around to the front of me and he rubbed my clit. His fingers pumped in and out of my cunt, quick and determined. Myriad sensations overwhelmed me and they all felt so incredibly fantastic, I wanted to cling to them forever. But I was too lost in the pleasure to not barrel toward the release from all the tension mounting within me.
Ky didn’t let up and moments later, a sensational and breath-stealing eruption deep in my pussy made me cry out again.
“Oh God, yes!” I moaned as I succumbed to the wicked beats and the pulsating heat radiating inside me.
His fingers continued to work their magic as I orgasmed, prolonging and intensifying the glorious sensations as my heavy breathing echoed all around us.