by Marilyn Lee
"Because if all you want is sex, I'll give you as much as you want." He used his free hand to run it down her backside and squeeze.
She shuddered, but shook her head and tugged at her arm. "You're going to leave bruises."
He released her arm, but stepped in front of her. "Angie, I know what you're trying to do and you should know by now that it's not going to work."
"What won't work?"
"Using Rick to try to make me jealous."
"You're flattering yourself, Troy. Being with you has reawakened my sexual appetite. I want sex—pure and simple. I can't do sex with no strings attached with you. You know I have…feelings that get deeper every time we sleep together. But I can do meaningless sex with Rick very easily—and often."
His nostrils flared. "He's not going to sleep with you."
She lifted her chin, her dark eyes glinting angrily at him. "Why not? As you pointed out not all men are turned off by full-figured women."
"That's not what I meant!" He touched her arm. "You know it's not."
"Then what did you mean?"
He glanced around them, aware that more than one person stared in their direction. Troy, tonight is supposed to be about business. Not about trying to keep Angie out of Rick's bed. "He won't sleep with you." At least he wouldn't if he didn't want his head knocked off.
"Then you have nothing to worry about, Troy.” She turned a bit on her heel. “Good night."
"Angie! Wait a minute."
She stopped, turning back around to face him. "Yes?" Her dark eyes roamed over his face. "Is there some reason I shouldn't leave with him, shouldn't sleep with him tonight?"
He looked frantic. "I don't want you to."
"I know you don't, but why don't you want me to?" she murmured.
"You know I want you."
"Yes, I do know that, Troy. And you know I want more than that. If you're not prepared to give it to me, why don't you just leave me alone?"
He touched her arm. "Angie, I could…we could be…happy together. You know that. "
She shook her head. "No, I don't."
His eyes bore into hers. "You have to know it whenever we're together. Whenever we make love."
Angie sighed. "You mean that you could be happy, Troy. I admit that you could and do satisfy me physically every time we make love, but that's not enough."
"Why the hell not?" He bit back the urge to say she always seemed plenty happy when they made love.
"Because I know there's something more, something better,” she said softly. “I know how utterly fulfilling a real, total, complete commitment feels. I knew I could and did fulfill all Dan's needs and he mine."
He sucked in a breath and spoke quickly. "You do that for me too, Angie."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then why can't you do it for me, Troy?" she demanded. "Do you want to be with other women?"
"When we made love the last time, did it feel like I wanted to be with other women?" he asked hoarsely.
"No, but I don't know what you want from me."
"I just want to be with you."
"Regardless of what my needs are?"
"No."
"Then why are we having this conversation? You know what my needs are." Her lips trembled. "Why can't you fulfill them?"
The pain in her eyes and voice touched a cord somewhere deep inside him. He slid his hand down her arm and linked his fingers with hers. "Don't you think I want to make you happy?"
"I don't know. Do you?" she challenged.
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. "Yes! I do."
"Then what's the problem?"
"There is no problem. I'm just not ready to make this big commitment that you seem to want…now."
She pulled her hand away. "Fine. Then leave me alone now. Because I am ready—now."
He threw up his hands, exasperated. "How is spending the night with Rick going to change anything?"
Her chin went up a notch. "I'm getting you out of my system, Troy. Even if I have to sleep with every willing man in the city to do it."
He recaptured her hand. "Angie! You just met Rick. I know you're not going to sleep with him."
"Why not? I let you screw me the night we met. And I've already known him well over a week."
"That was different," he growled.
She nodded. "Yes. And so is this. He reminds me of Dan. When I close my eyes, I'll pretend he's Dan."
"Pretend he's Dan?" He stared at her. "Is that what you did when we made love? Did you pretend I was Dan?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, it matters! I am not Dan!"
She snatched her hand from his. "Damn straight you're not!"
He felt as if she'd knocked the air out of his lungs. "What? You want me to compete with your perfect Dan?"
"No! I want you to leave me the hell alone!" She turned and walked quickly away.
He started after her, then came to an abrupt halt.
Okay, Troy Boy. Don't lose it. She's messing with your head. So you're not perfect like Dan. That hasn't stopped her from falling for you. She's just admitted she's practically in love with you. There's no way she wants you to leave her alone and there’s sure as hell no way she's going to sleep with Rick. And even if she were so inclined, he wouldn't. He knows enough of how you feel about her not to sleep with her.
Troy let her go and forced himself to mingle. When he glanced up and saw her and Rick heading for the exit an hour later, he gritted his teeth, but didn't follow them. Rick would not touch her.
He wasn't so sure several hours later, when neither she nor Rick answered their phones. And when he drove pass Rick's condo, his car wasn't there. Firmly in the grip of a jealous rage he could barely control, he drove to her house.
His heart beat an angry tattoo against his chest. Not only was Rick's car parked in her driveway, but the light in the second floor front room, her bedroom, was out. His hands shook so hard, he turned his engine off and sat forward, his head pressed against his steering wheel.
He sat outside her house for over an hour, until twelve-thirty when he finally realized that Rick really was going to spend the night. He began to sweat. Rick was actually sleeping with his woman—his Angie. Even now Rick, who never went anywhere without several condoms, was probably in her pussy—a pussy that was rightfully his. And his alone.
He drove home and fell across his bed fully dressed, the muscles in his stomach clenching, his chest feeling as if a giant band had been wrapped tightly around it making it difficult to breathe. How could they do this to him? How?
He tried to sleep, but he couldn't stop thinking about Rick and Angie together. The knowledge that he'd driven her into Rick's arms made it worse. All she'd asked from him was a commitment. Why hadn't he given it to her? It wasn't as if he wanted to see or sleep with anyone else. He'd lost all desire for other women after making love to her for the first time.
The thought of one day settling down with a tall, willowy blonde no longer held any appeal. There was only one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and have bear his children. Now, thanks to his stupidity and pride, he was going to have to try to romance her away from Rick. After he decked him.
The fact that he didn't even consider not trying to win her back, knowing she'd slept with Rick, was the surest indictor he needed that his fancy free days were over. His heart belonged to Angie. And come hell or high water, he was going to get her back.
Now.
Right now.
Chapter Twelve
After speeding over to Angie's house, Troy sat outside for several minutes, breathing in deeply, trying to get his temper under control. He glanced out of his car window and saw that her bedroom light was still out. It was now nearly three a.m. She and Rick were probably sleeping after spending hours in each other's arms.
Well it was time to get the hell up. He got out of his car and stormed up the path to her front door. Boy, wouldn't he love to kick it in and give Rick a backhand he'd never forget! Backhand hell. He was going
to knock him flat on his ass.
He pressed his finger against the bell and held it there. He could hear the loud, clear pealing in the quiet night. He clenched his other hand into a fist. He was about to start pounding on the door when he saw a light go on in the foyer. He kept his finger on the bell.
Moments later the door was wrenched open. Rick, dressed in a pair of briefs, stood there grinning at him. "Troy. What are you doing here?"
"I've come to kick your ass!"
"I was afraid of that. But before you lose it completely, let me tell you that this is not what it looks like." Rick lifted his hands and backed away from the door. "Now, don't lose your temper, Troy."
He followed Rick inside and slammed the door shut. "Don't lose my temper?" He advanced on Rick, who backed against the nearest wall. "You, my so called best friend, sleep with my woman and then tell me not to lose my temper?"
"Your woman? That's news to me, Troy. Last I heard you weren't ready to commit."
At the sound of Angie's voice, he swung around. She stood at the top of the steps. Her hair was down and she wore a cotton nightshirt that ended halfway up her thighs. God, she looked lovely.
Forgetting his desire to deck Rick, he walked over to the stairs and stared up at her. "Angie! How could you do this?" His voice shook. He stopped. He sounded desperate and needy. Hell, he was desperate and needy. "How could you sleep with him knowing how I feel?"
Her eyes widened. "But that's just it, Troy. I don't know how you feel. You've never bothered to tell me anything except that you're not ready to give me what I need from you."
He sucked in a breath. He could barely breathe. He felt as if his heart was shredding. "You shouldn't have done this, Angie!"
She lifted her chin. "Why not?"
He ran up the stairs and clutched her arms. "Because you're mine! You are mine, Angie. Mine."
She pulled away from him. "I am not yours. You've made it plain that you're not interested in anything but an occasional fling."
"That's not true." He swallowed slowly. "You know it's not."
She hesitated. "How could I know that?"
His nostrils flared. "Fine. I admit that I haven't been as forthcoming as I should have been. What do you want from me?"
"The truth!"
He spread his hands. "I…okay. What's the use? I can't help how I feel.”
“And how is that? What do you feel, Troy?” she whispered.
He shrugged, glancing away. “I love you," he murmured.
"Oh, my God, Troy!" Her eyes welled with tears that quickly spilled down her cheeks. “Do you mean that?”
He pulled her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. "It's all right. You don't have to cry. You shouldn't have slept with him, but I can overlook it and forgive you." His teeth gritted. God he had it bad.
She stiffened and pulled away from him. Her dark eyes glittered angrily as she wiped at her damp cheeks. "I don't need your forgiveness, you big, clueless jerk! I did not sleep with him!"
"What?" He turned and looked down the foyer.
Rick, still leaning against the wall, shook his head. "Come on, Troy! Get real, man. Where are those supposed brains of yours? Do you really think I'd betray you by sleeping with your woman?"
He shrugged. "I never told you how I felt about her."
Rick sighed, long and martyr-like. "You didn't have to, man. I've known ever since we came back from the cruise that you were in love with her."
“Really?” Angie’s voice fairly dripped with acid. "I wish someone had told me he was in love with me."
"I think this is my cue to skidoo," Rick said. "Back to the living room sofa for me."
Back to the sofa? Troy blew out a breath. He'd been right after all. Angie and Rick's so called dates had been designed to bring him to heel. And bring him to heel they had. He'd been played like a damn fiddle. But, strangely, he no longer cared. Not as long as Angie was the one wielding the bow.
Troy watched Rick disappear down the hall before he turned back to face Angie. "Would you like some cheese to go with all your whining?" he asked, smiling.
"What I would like is some cock." Lifting her nightshirt, she took his right hand and pressed it against her pussy. "You know where I can get some?"
His cock hardened as he dipped a finger into her warm channel. He leaned forward and kissed her soft lips. "Depends," he teased. "You got a prescription?"
"Yes," she breathed the word against his lips.
"Where is it?"
She pulled away and nodded towards her bedroom. "I'll show you."
He followed, pulling his clothes off as he went. By the time they reached the middle of the room, they were both naked. She lay on the bed, staring up at him with dark eyes full of desire. "Well? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?" She tapped a finger against her dark mound. "Well, here it is. Come and get it."
He joined her on the bed, slowly running his hands over her body. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, kissing her shoulders.
She ran her hands through his hair. "Oh, Troy, I wish I was beautiful and slender for you."
He lifted his head and stared down at her. "You are beautiful. And as for being slender, I love that there's was so much of you. Everything is big: your breasts, your legs, and of course, your lovely behind. Everything except your pussy, which is exquisitely small and tight."
He slid his body over hers and kissed her slowly, warmly. "I adore you, Angie Harding—just the way you are. I wouldn't trade a single ounce of you for a million bucks."
"It's just as well, since I'm sure no one is waiting in line to give you a dollar, let alone a million bucks for me," she teased.
He laughed and hugged her. "Good. That means I get to keep you all to myself."
She stroked her hands down his back to his buns and his cock hardened. "Troy, are you sure you want me…all of me…just as I am?"
"Yes!" He lifted his head and sighed. "I know I'm not Dan, but I'm just as capable of loving you as he was."
She caressed his face. "I don't want you to be him, Troy. I loved him with all my heart…just as I love you. I don't expect you to be another Dan. I love you, Troy—just as you are. I only want and need a man who loves me just as I am."
"That would be me," he murmured.
Angie smiled. "Troy, my sweet, sweet, Troy. Make love to me."
"Actually, I thought you might want to make love to me." He released her and rolled onto his back. As he did, his cock popped up.
Her eyes gleamed and she licked her lips. "I don't have a condom."
He reached out and touched her mound. "Why do we need one? I haven’t been with anyone without wearing one in years. Have you?”
She shrugged. “No.”
His eyes roamed over her body. “If you don’t mind the idea of having my baby,” he murmured, “then we don’t need one, do we? We're committed to each other now."
"I've been committed to you since the moment we first made love." She stroked his face. "Make love to me, my Troy."
He grasped his cock in one hand and held it up. "Stop talking and climb aboard, sweet."
Angie grinned, then moved over him and lowered her body to his. As the head of his cock slipped into her body, he gripped her hips. Groaning, he pulled them down so that she was completely impaled on his cock. "Shit!"
She leaned down and kissed his lips as he gasped for breath, fighting for control. "You like that, big boy? There's more coming. Lot's more coming, my Troy. Next stop…paradise."
He shuddered and nearly came. God, it had been so long since he'd been in her sweet, heated pussy. And he’d never been skin to skin with her like this. He wanted to talk to her, tease her, whisper how much he needed her as they made love. But the sensations emanating from his cock engulfed him, overwhelmed his senses, and shut out the world. There was just him and the beautiful woman he loved, gyrating her hips and gleefully riding his cock, cupping his balls, nibbling at his nipples. He couldn't think, could only feel. He couldn't hold o
n.
He gripped her behind and held her still, as he pumped his cock up into her pussy, over and over, harder and harder until he blew his load. As he did, he was relieved to feel her cunt began to quiver and spasm around him. The intensity of his climax left him emotionally drained, but he kept thrusting into her until she gasped and collapsed onto his body.
They lay there for several long moments, trembling and shuddering together. Finally, the ability to think coherently returned. He stroked a hand down her back. "Ah, shit that was good!"
"Too good," she murmured, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.
He laughed, cupping a hand against the back of her neck. "Angie, you are everything I ever wanted in a woman."
"Really?" She climbed off of him and lay beside him. "I think you mean that."
"I do."
She propped her chin on her elbow. "Then why was it so hard for you to admit how you feel?"
He sighed and turned to face her. "When we met, I didn't plan on settling down for another year or two. Falling in love was not in my immediate game plan. I knew I liked you more than any woman I'd ever met, but…I didn't want to settle down." He sighed. “Sounds kinda stupid now that I say it out loud,” he grumbled.
She grinned. "Why didn’t you want to settle down?"
"Have you ever heard a country song, I think it's called Long Line of Love?"
She nodded. "Yes. The guy talks about how his father and grandfather are still in love with his mother and grandmother."
"Well that's the view Hunter men have of love and marriage. When we fall in love, it's with the idea of staying married and in love for life. My father is still in love with my mother after forty years of marriage. I wanted to play around for a year or two before I settled down for life."
"With a blond bombshell?"
He grimaced. "That was the original plan—until I met you."
"And now?"
"How could I possibly be turned on my any other woman, after meeting and falling for you?"
She smiled and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."
Troy groaned, completely and utterly defeated. "How could I say anything else? I want and need you like I never thought possible. Now I want to know you'll be my woman for the rest of our lives."