Cassandra sat next to him, slipping into her boots. “I told you it would be fun.”
He shot her a disgusted look from the corner of his eye. “I can think of some other things that are a hell of a lot more fun than going around in circles.” He lifted an eyebrow and let his gaze roam from her pink glossy lips to her purple scarf and black jacket, imagining her perky breasts and tight nipples underneath. She must have caught on because when he connected with her gaze it was glowing a beautiful emerald green.
She scooted closer and laid a hand on his thigh. “That does seem like more fun.” Giving him that now familiar irresistible look, she squeezed his leg, sending a clear signal to exactly what he was hoping their next activity would be. Nice to see they were on the same page.
Her mouth touched his ear and she lightly nipped on his lobe. “Are you up for more fun right now then?”
“You know I am.”
Standing, she pulled him with her. With the expression she was still sporting, he didn’t care where she took him. Just as long as it was secluded. Actually, it didn’t even have to be that. He’d be fine out in the open right here if that’s all he could get. Yes, he was that desperate for her.
She led him away from the rink, past the food vendors, and down a narrow walking path. They passed vacant buildings and parked cars. Other people walked in the opposite direction, but became sparser the farther they walked.
Cass stopped at an old brick building that had a worn sign with the name of the Latino restaurant it used to be. Vines climbed the facade and rust gleamed on the metal roof. The building overlooked the Inner Harbor—a vast body of water with boats and thriving businesses on the other side in the distance. This was a long-since forgotten part of town that no one seemed to visit except to ice-skate in the winter.
She shoved him against the side of the building and pounced on him. His back hit the rough surface, but it only hurt for a second. When her lips crashed onto his it was nothing but the sensation of their pleasure riding out until the end. She smashed her body against him. His hands went to her waist, heading south.
“That was the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen,” she breathed.
“What?” He lightly bit her lip, then asked, “Me looking like a complete ass?”
“Yes,” she said, then wrenched his mouth to hers. She tilted her head for a better angle, and he took full advantage, diving in like a man who needed her in order to survive.
“If that’s all it takes,” he said. “I’ve got more where that came from.”
“Good.” Her hand landed on his zipper, and he sucked in a breath. Yes.
“I feel so bad that I made you do all of that today.” Her cute bottom lip jutted out. “You were such a good sport. I should do something to make it up to you.” Her coy smile and a glance down at her hand on the outside of his pants was suggestion enough. But he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted it spelled out in delicious, explicit detail.
“Why don’t you tell me how you’re gonna make it up to me,” he said. “I’d like to know what I’m in for. There can be so much left to interpretation.”
She pulled each of her gloves off in turn, and tossed them to the ground. Then she started to lower herself into a squatting position, reaching for his zipper.
Hell. Yes. He could almost feel her hot mouth on him already.
Zzzzzzzip and then the taut pull at his waistband as she popped the button open on his jeans.
Luke lowered his gaze, watching every amazing second of Cassandra in front of him. She looked up with so much need, he almost came right there.
“Well?” he said. “You’ve got me, now what are you gonna do with me?”
“Suck and stroke you until—”
He didn’t hear the rest of what she promised because Ash’s voice came over the COMs that he’d forgotten he was linked to.
“Hey, dickhead,” the team leader said. “Forget you have an audience?”
Fuck. Luke’s entire body froze and the hard-on he was packing melted faster than an ice cube in the sun.
Cassandra’s head tipped to the side and some of the desire in her eyes died. “What is it? You don’t like it this way?”
Was she insane? Of course he liked it.
“I do,” he said. “I, uh, just don’t know that now’s the right time.” He started to reach for her, but she already had her hand in his pants.
God, kill him now. Please. End his misery.
He could give two shits if the guys heard or saw him get off. Hell, the team had been through enough together. But it wasn’t about him. He didn’t want the guys to hear her. To see her. To experience what Luke was experiencing right now. The beauty and wonder that was Cassandra Stone. She was his to enjoy, and he wasn’t fucking sharing.
She glanced over her shoulder. “There’s no one here. We’re alone if that’s what you’re worried about.”
No. No, they weren’t. Not at all.
She started to wrangle him out of his pants.
God almighty.
Clenching his teeth, he spun away from her so fast he almost lost his footing.
Cassandra pulled back with a surprised, yet hurt expression. “Oh. I’m sorry. I…I thought you’d like it. I figured most guys…well, I just wanted to do something for you… But if you’re not into it…” She watched as he tucked himself away, then zipped and buttoned his pants. “It’s freezing out. Is that it? He’s shriveled? Don’t worry, I’ll make the allowance given the temperature.”
They might as well change the name of the COMs to the comedy channel because laughter seemed to be the only communication passing over it lately.
“Whip it out, Calder,” Tyke said, seeming to be struggling for oxygen. “Just show her your tiny pecker and get it over with.”
“Naw,” Ash said next. “Then she’d see how crooked it is.”
“Hey, some chicks dig the bend,” Tyke responded next.
“It’s not tiny or bent,” Luke said through tight lips.
Cassandra’s eyes widened. “Um…well, that’s good.”
“I wasn’t talking to—” Luke pressed his fingers into his eye sockets. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with my dick. It’s just not a good time, okay?”
Her expression dropped even more and she stepped back. “Is it me then? You just don’t want me doing it?”
He wanted to scream. He almost did. Shit, he still might. They can’t have sex at Maybel’s. They can’t have sex in public. Where can he finally lay her down and pleasure her thoroughly? Or was he just destined to think about it, dream about it, and imagine it for all eternity?
“Of course not.” Luke placed a gloved hand at the base of her neck and touched his forehead to hers. “I want you. Believe me, you have no idea how bad I want you. But not like this. Not here.”
Some of the brightness came back in her eyes.
He kissed her, and she swayed toward him, eyes still closed even when he pulled back.
She blinked a few times as her eyes opened. “You’re the most confusing man I’ve ever met.”
Yeah, he was pretty confused, too. “Let’s get out of here.”
Her shoulders lifted once on a sigh. “Okay. Sure. Now that roads are clear, I should probably head back to my condo and check on things anyway.”
“I’ll take you.” Crouching, he retrieved her gloves and helped her put them on.
Walking to the car, he tried to place his hand in hers, but she moved it ever so slightly as if to not be obvious about avoiding the contact. Walking a step in front of him, she crossed her arms and didn’t look in his direction the entire walk back to his car.
“I’m going off-line,” Luke said under his breath to his teammates. “You guys need me, call my cell.”
“Fine,” Ash responded. “But you better fucking pick up on the first ring or call at the first sign of trouble.”
…
Cassandra thought long and hard on the ride to her condo about not inviting Luke up. She needed time to clear he
r head and think about where their relationship was going. If there was even a relationship. They hadn’t known each other that long, but they’d spent a good amount of time together. She was falling and she was falling hard. So the important piece of the puzzle was whether Cass wanted to be in a relationship. She had. Up until he’d freaked about her going down on him.
Getting on her knees had never been something she’d loved before. It had always seemed like a chore that she’d never enjoyed. This time, though, she couldn’t explain the feeling, but she had to do it. Craved it. Wanted to taste his salty, smooth skin like it was her dying wish. She still did.
But his reaction. Familiar feelings of doubt crept in. She’d been left in her previous relationship because of what Daniel had said was her lack of sexual desire. It was hard to move past that. So she needed to know why Luke had pulled away. He admitted that he wanted her, but in what capacity? She wasn’t suggesting an ultimatum, but she did want to know where they stood.
Luke followed her into her condo and closed the door behind him. Glancing around, he wore an expression of approval. “Nice place.”
“Thank you.” She’d remembered when she’d walked through the front door that first day and a sense of calm had infused her. It had felt like home. After leaving her family to move across the country knowing only Daniel, this condo was what she’d needed to feel more confident in her decision.
It had two bedrooms, an open kitchen and eating area, and overlooked a busy Charles Street. Most of the area was foot and bike traffic from Johns Hopkins University.
“Have a seat,” she said. “I’ll be right back.” She went in the kitchen to flip the coffeemaker on. Then she checked all the windows to make sure they were closed and locked. Cass checked her faucets next since the last bout of winter weather had frozen the hundred-year-old pipes and sent a foot of water onto her bathroom floor. All seemed in order this time.
When she came out of her bedroom, Luke was standing at her front window, overlooking the snow-covered scenery outside.
“So,” she said, walking up beside him. “Are you one of those guys who just doesn’t like blow jobs or what?”
He coughed, swallowing hard as he turned to face her.
“Didn’t think your kind existed. But I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
Luke swiped a finger across the corner of his mouth. “You don’t pull punches, do you?”
Normally she did. She would’ve never asked such a brazen question to Daniel. Hell, she wouldn’t have been able to even say blow and job in the same sentence around her ex. She hadn’t been comfortable telling him what she wanted and needed in bed. It had always been that way. She couldn’t explain what made her bolder with Luke, but she was grateful for it. Life was too short for weak orgasms and lousy lays.
She was done with that. “What’s the point?”
He stared at her, a small smile playing on his lips. “Agreed.”
Cass found herself smiling in return. She appreciated how frank she could be with him. How he didn’t balk or chastise her for some of the more outlandish things she’d said or done. She could pretty much say or do anything and he usually laughed and played right along. The trend had started that first night they’d met at Max’s. It filled her heart knowing there wasn’t judgment in his eyes. It gave her added confidence to open up even more.
“A lot,” he said, his smile now a full-on grin.
“A lot, what?”
He tried to stifle his smile and failed miserably. “BJs. I like ’em a lot. One of my favorites.”
A laugh erupted from her chest. “Of course it is. I knew you weren’t the Bigfoot of men.”
His face contorted, but humor still shone in his eyes.
“Bigfoot,” she repeated. “The mythical creature no one can seem to locate. Everyone’s heard of him, but no one actually has evidence he exists. I don’t think there’s a man alive who doesn’t love a good BJ.”
“Or a bad one, for that matter.”
She lifted a brow.
He shrugged. “Hey, even a shitty blow job is better than no blow job at all.”
“You said before that you like women to know exactly what they can expect from you. Do you tell them what you expect from them as well?” She let her gaze travel down his body, landing on the topic at hand, which seemed to be a little more prominent than it was moments ago. “Are you vocal to your women about what you like and don’t like?”
She wanted to please him. He’d rescued her from that bar the first night. He’d done everything in his power to try to get her home for the holiday. He’d given her a place to stay during the storm. He’d fed her. Looked out for her. Embarrassed himself for her.
She wanted to repay him in the most elemental way she knew how.
When she brought her gaze up and connected with his eyes, they were lit like raging storms on the open sea.
“Doesn’t make much sense to let her do all that work for nothing, does it?” he asked.
“No.” Her body temperature spiked and her head felt light. She could practically taste his fullness in her mouth. “She should know exactly how you like it, shouldn’t she?”
He nodded slow and deliberate.
“Every lick, suck, and bite.”
Luke stepped toward her, standing close enough that she could feel his heat, but not so much that he was on her. It heightened her senses. Made her more aware how quickly her body sizzled having him so close. She wanted to reach out and pull him against her. Rub herself on him to ease the desperate ache in her breasts and between her thighs.
He lowered his voice when he spoke next. “Just promise me we’ll save the biting ’til you’ve taken your mouth away from my cock.”
Feeling pretty damn confident, she started to lower to her knees. “I’ll try to do my best.”
Cass glanced up at him before opening his jeans as effortlessly as she had earlier. He watched, heaving in deeper breaths as she reached inside his zipper. She placed her hand on him and paused.
“If you’re waiting for me to stop you,” he murmured, “it’s not gonna happen. Not this time.”
Good. Because she wasn’t planning on stopping.
The power she held was too strong. Too euphoric. On her knees one would think she was at a disadvantage. That he looked down on her from a higher vantage point. In appearances, yes. But power—absolute power—was with the one whom controlled the circumstances. And she was going to control him with every piece of her being.
Cass closed her fingers around him, the heat a direct contrast to the rest of his body. She slipped him into her open mouth, closing her lips, feeling the silkiness of his skin glide along her lips as she pulled him out. He released a gruff moan, fueling her already heated blood, so she did it again. Keeping her gaze on him, she watched his jaw lock down and he seemed to be fighting the urge to hurry her along. The thrill of how much she influenced his response overtook her.
When his hands started to shake at his sides, she pulled him back into her mouth for one long suck. His fingers tangled in her hair in seconds, gripping sections in his fist, holding her exactly where he wanted her.
Pulling back to the point that it almost slid him completely out, she curled her tongue and flicked it against the underside of the tip, repeating the move until it elicited a strong groan and an even stronger hold on her hair.
“Fuuuuck you’ve got a talented tongue,” he growled.
“Mmmm,” she hummed, sliding him back in.
She continued torturing him a few minutes more before he swayed a little.
“Forget what I said before about bad blow jobs.” He sounded dazed. “From now on, it’s amazing ones like this or nothing at all.”
Damn right. She couldn’t help but smile, more than satisfied to be the pinnacle to which other women would be compared.
Other women. That quick, the thought of another woman doing this to him made her angry. Irrationally angry. She didn’t want anyone else touching him this way. O
r any other way.
He jerked in her mouth and yelped. “Teeth. Too much teeth.”
Oh, right.
She relaxed her jaw and stopped thinking. Instead, she reveled in the fact that this was their time and he was hers for the taking. And she was going to give him her all.
…
Cass had blown his ever-loving mind. Literally. As she’d finished him off, he could’ve sworn he’d seen stars and heard freaking angels singing. Now it was her turn. He was determined to return the favor and leave her so absolutely spent she wouldn’t have the energy to get up and walk afterward.
He stared down at her, lying on her back on the sofa, looking so beautiful. He’d taken her jeans and socks off, leaving her in nothing but her turtleneck sweater and panties. The flush on her cheeks and coy smile told him she was nervous, but also ready for him. And he was more than ready for her.
“Do you have any idea how amazing you look right now?” he asked, skimming a glance down her body and back up.
She swallowed and lifted her chin just enough to show off that confidence he loved so much. “Then why don’t you quit the small talk and show me?”
Like he’d said before, he took direction really well.
He moved forward and clasped a hand behind her knee to prop it up over the back of the sofa. He took the leg closest to him and pressed the bent knee back so she was opened wide for him. It was the hottest sight he’d ever seen, and she wasn’t even naked yet.
Sinking to his knees, he glided his hands over the soft skin on the inside of her thighs. “So perfect.”
She let out a loud exhale and shuddered. “G-get on with it, will ya?”
“No way,” he said, and she tensed. Before she got it in her head that he might’ve changed his mind, he said, “I’ve got you all to myself without any interruptions for who knows how long. I’m going to savor every single second of your body in front of me.”
One swipe of his finger across the center of her, hot and damp, and she let out a moan so powerful he nearly came a second time. He also almost ditched his idea about taking his time.
In Walked Trouble (Under Covers) Page 17