by Lynn Carmer
“What? What did we just hammer out, then? Rules are specifically set up not to be broken. Now you’re telling me you’re going to break the rules?”
He took a quick swig and suddenly seemed antsy. His leg was tapping, and he was fidgety, as if he could feel that they were close to closing the deal. “Let me explain. I don’t plan on breaking the rules, but—What if it just kind of happens?”
“What?”
“Look, I’m a man, right?”
She couldn’t help but glance down. Gulp. “I’m counting on it.”
He shot her a look and continued, “And my body is going to be reacting to some intense interactions, right?”
“I repeat. Counting on it.”
This time he smiled. “So what if it’s involuntary?”
“Puh-lease. Involuntary.”
“Caelen, if I’m in the moment and reach out without thinking and break the ‘no touching’ rule, I want to make sure I’m not penalized. I don’t want you bolting right in the middle of things.”
“Oh, come on.”
“All I’m saying is that you can explain the rules to me all you want, but my dick has a mind of its own. And he kind of takes over at times. If I react and accidentally break the rules, all you have to do is remind me, and I’ll stop. Immediately. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Damn. He had her there. How to explain that she might be the one begging him to break all the terms if she got caught up? No, no, no. She could do this. For Ms. Belle.
Please let that be true.
“I mean, come on. I’ve conceded to most of your rules. That has to count for something, right?” His lopsided grin was firmly in place. He looked far too confident for a man who’d just ceded control.
“Can you swear you will try your hardest to follow the rules?”
“And if I say yes, you’d believe me?” He snorted and took a drink from his beer.
She stilled, realizing how important her answer was, not to him but to herself. Did she trust him enough to believe his answer? Did she trust him enough to do any of this? Now it was her turn to grip the table. Her voice was much softer than her conviction. “I would.”
His eyes popped up and for what felt like hours, they got lost in the gaze. Somehow, without words, things were heating up, intensifying between them. Her breasts felt as if they were swelling, her skin felt flushed. His eyes narrowed and she saw his chest rise and fall a little more quickly. He cleared his throat. “I will do anything I have to, to make this happen. Anything.”
She licked her lips in nervous anticipation. “Then we only have one more hurdle to clear.”
He ground his teeth, and Caelen could feel the frustration coming off him in waves. “What now?”
Chapter 13
‡
TIME TO HAVE a little fun.
Things had gotten too serious, too fast. She couldn’t help but torture Dare just a little bit longer. Trying to stay as composed as possible, she fought the damn near impossible task of keeping a straight face. “What if I don’t like it?”
“It? What the hell are you talking about?” Dare had been pushed to the limit. He looked seriously frustrated.
“You know,” she gestured with a flick of her wrist toward his lap, “it.”
“What? My cock?”
“Shh! Keep it down. Yes, your ‘man meat.’” This time there was no way she could hold onto her giggle.
“Man meat? That’s disgusting. You must mean, Mighty Man.”
“Oh God. Please, please tell me you don’t call it Mighty Man.”
“Of course I do. Here he comes to save the day! He’s never let me down. Besides, I have no doubts you’ll worship him. ‘Adore’ isn’t too strong a word.”
“You cocky man.”
They both laughed. She might have snorted, just a little, but Dare didn’t seem to notice.
Time to have a little fun. Putting on her most concerned and deadly serious face, she said, “Dare, I’m really particular. If it isn’t just right…” She let her words trail away and shook her head slowly.
Dare paused. A look of incredulity crept onto his face, and it took Caelen everything, everything not to burst out laughing. “Are you seriously worried about this? That you won’t like him?”
Typical man. Such an egomaniac. She nodded, because there was no way she could speak.
“What do you want me to do, whip out a ruler?”
“Actually, it has nothing to do with size.”
He raised his eyebrows as if to ask, really?
This time she did laugh, just a little. “Well, it has a little to do with size.” His eyebrows inched higher. “Okay, a little more than a little to do with size. Hmm. Maybe I should stop saying ‘little.’ You look like you’re going to have a coronary. Honestly, men are so sensitive. I’m not a total size queen.”
“Size queen?” he asked, completely perplexed. He looked like he didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended.
“Haven’t you ever heard that it’s not the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean? No?”
Dare ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Spit it out, Betty. What is it, then?”
“It’s the look, the feel. I don’t know. Some are just gross.”
“I can’t believe we’re even talking about this! Of all the things to be worried about, this is it?”
Now that he had fallen for the plan, it was time to finish him off. Served him right for all the times he’d called her Betty. “I’m going to have to see it.”
He almost spit out his drink. “Now?”
For the first time Caelen hesitated because instead of looking offended, once he’d wiped the drink off his chin, a slow and decidedly wicked grin was growing on his face. She answered, “Well, no. I mean, not right now. I—”
“You know what? I totally get where you’re coming from, and if you need to see it to seal the deal then who am I to stop you.”
What? All humor was gone. Goldie had called her bluff, the despicable man! Her cheeks started to blush a deep red. “I-I, uh, made a mistake. Let’s just forget the whole thing. I was just joking. I didn’t think you would be crazy enough to…”
Dare stood, walked over, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet in one swoop. “Come on.” Pure determination and some really lascivious thoughts must have been jumping around that brain because he looked absolutely gleeful.
“Come on? Come on where? What the hell are you doing?”
He started to pull her toward the back of the club. What a caveman, always dragging her around by the hand. She should be thankful he didn’t have a handful of her hair.
He had to take the fun out of everything, always taking control. So why was she breathless in anticipation? Was he really going to show it to her? And shouldn’t she be really mortified by the thought? “Where are you taking me?”
They found themselves in the back of the bar, right in front of the men’s room. It was completely empty which was something she’d never understood. Didn’t men need to pee? And—Ew! Is there a grosser sight in the world than urinals?
“Dare, okay. Stop. Really. I had a little fun. I was just joking. Now you’re taking things too far. You can’t really be planning on showing me, um…”
“Mighty Man?”
“Seriously, that is a giant buzz kill. If you ever want me to get excited about meeting him, I mean it, never say that name again. Now get out of my way.” She gave him a half-hearted shove. “I’m getting out of here.”
“No way in hell I’m going to let you back out of this. You need to see…” He paused, and she waited to see if he would use the most ridiculous name she’d ever heard for a penis. “…my cock? Then you see it now.”
He pushed open the door to a stall toward the back of the small room while she spluttered, “But… but, I mean—”
She took a quick peek inside the stall and thank God it was cleaner than she would’ve thought. But there was hardly an inch between them in the cramped space. He
stood in front of the toilet, facing away from the porcelain throne, and her back was to the green, plastic-laminate door.
Her heart took a hard gallop in her chest, beating a pattern against her breastbone. She whispered, “This is so gross.”
“We’ll be out of here in a few seconds. It’s not like we’re going to do anything. This is just a sneak peek.”
Before she could protest, beg for sanity, take out her hand sanitizer, he dropped trou. And the boxer briefs were quick to follow.
It was… He was… Caelen took a deep breath, realizing she was gazing upon the singularly most beautiful penis she had ever seen, ever, in her entire life. She hadn’t even thought they could be cute, let alone beautiful.
Lightly tanned, long and full—her eyes followed the veiny trails down his long shaft. His mushroom head jutted forward with a teardrop of milky liquid sitting atop his crown. Just as she gulped down the drool pooling in her mouth, she realized it was at full attention. “You’re hard.” The words slipped out on a whisper.
“No shit.”
“Do bathrooms turn you on?”
“No, you turn me on. Just the idea of your eyes on me makes me hard as hell.”
“It does?” Caelen finally registered his clenched jaw and intense stare. His body was so close to hers that she had to crane her neck to see his face. He felt so warm and large, even though they weren’t touching.
“So? Tell me.”
“What?” She was too fascinated with his dick to chitchat.
“Is it okay?”
Yes. She peeked up again and he didn’t look insecure, but his whole body was still, as if anticipating her next words, ready to jump into action. “Oh.” Her gaze lowered slowly. “It’s…” She almost lost it and told him everything. Almost. But the little devil that sat on her shoulder couldn’t quite capitulate so easily. Feigning a yawn, she said, “I don’t know, yet.”
He groaned long and low, gazing up at the ceiling. “Why? What more do you need?”
His dick jumped forward. She felt mesmerized by the bronzed length that looked to be straining toward her, begging for her attention. “I might have to touch it first to really determine if it passes the test. Remember, I said it was all about the look and the feel?”
His motionless body shot into action. He crowded her further against the stall door, leaning with his hands on either side of her head, caging her in. “Yes. Okay, yes. Feel, now.”
Staring into her eyes, he had her surrounded by his muscled frame and she couldn’t look away. Reaching out with her hand, she lightly grazed his balls with the tips of her fingers.
“Yes.”
She followed up along the underside of his shaft, weighing the feel and size of him. She traced the long ridge that ran along the back of his cock, the tip of her forefinger ringing the edge at the base of his mushroom head. Her thumb swiped out, gathering the drop of milky-white cum perched on his head, spreading the liquid around and around.
“More.” His deep voice made her hand tremble. Not able to wait another minute, she wrapped her small palm around his silky girth, squeezing gently, slowly sliding from base to tip.
He spread his legs wider, pushing into her hand. The heated strength of his dick felt powerful. It really was the most amazing dick she’d ever seen. Hard, long muscle wrapped in satin splendor. So strong.
He reached out to grab her waist and she immediately let go. “Nuh-uh. No touching, remember?” He thought she was being a stickler for the rules, but she knew if he touched her she would be lost.
“Caelen.” He blew out a frustrated breath, and pulled his hands back, eventually linking his hands and resting them behind his neck. His shoulders bunched and the position of his arms lifted the bottom of his shirt.
Just the edge of his washboard abs were exposed. The hard, tanned dips and valleys made her fingers itch to trace a path from his broad shoulders to his grooved waist.
Lovely.
Immediately, her hand returned to his throbbing dick in case he was the one who changed his mind. She just wanted to touch him a little longer. She loved the feel of him; having this powerful man in the palm of her hand hit her like double-fudge brownies straight to the bloodstream.
With her other hand, she traced a trail down the muscled rise of his stomach. The soft golden-brown hair tickling her digits gave her goose bumps on the back of her neck. Her cheeks were on fire and the warmth spread down her chest, transforming her nipples into hard peaks. It was so hard to take a breath; her chest rose and fell, gently scraping against his chest with each breath.
His low groan surrounded them. He was so close she could feel his warm breath against her cheek. Lost to the sensation, she squeezed her legs together against the slow pulse growing with each stroke against his cock.
“Caelen, say you agree. Admit, you want… this to happen.” He grunted the words between gritted teeth.
“Dare—”
A loud pounding rocked the door behind her. The motion had her flying forward, smashing into him, his pants tangling as he just missed smashing into the toilet.
“Get the hell out of there. There’s a time and a place, people.”
Dare pulled up his pants, wincing as he quickly jammed everything in place. He grabbed her forearms and crouched down so they were eye to eye. “Say it.”
She couldn’t resist. “I love it.”
He didn’t smile, still lost in the intensity of the moment. “We seal the deal with a kiss. To make it official. No backing out. Remember? Nonnegotiable.”
Her brain was slow to protest. “But we have to go.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about him. This is between you and me. Do we have a deal?”
Yes, official, she thought in a daze, overpowered by his warm touch and intoxicating scent. Kissing, wasn’t that how all business deals were settled? “Yes.”
He placed his hands on either side of her face. His fingers dug into her hair, gently but firmly, as she watched his mouth descend in slow motion. His full lips parted slightly and her eyes flitted shut. The sensation overload made her feel like she was drowning in silk.
His firm tongue touched her own, probing gently, deeply, intently. Her legs felt like jelly and her hands fluttered down onto his forearms to keep from melting to the floor like a puddle of mush.
The kiss went on and on and on, as if he knew he had to make it count. He—
Bang, bang, bang!
Two seconds later, his hands were gone, his lips had left her, the bolt was unlocked, and they were out of the stall. Caelen felt off balance and so turned-on she couldn’t see straight. Dare had her by the hand and was pulling her from the bathroom. Again. The cocky grin on his face acted like a bucket of ice water to her passion.
Jerkface.
Now she just had to figure out if she was talking to him or herself.
Caelen caught a quick glance of the bartender who’d served their drinks. He shouted out, “Let me guess. You’re scratching one off the bucket list, right?”
Dare laughed aloud, while Caelen shielded her face with her hands in mortification.
Chapter 14
‡
PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY dick. For some reason the words repeated in her mind to the tune of the “Star Spangled Banner” during the short cab ride to Ms. Belle’s. Unfortunately, with each minute passing, the anticipation started to fade, and the exhaustion that’d been sitting on her shoulders all day felt as heavy as a bathtub. Was she moving in sand? Her body felt funny. She glanced around and giggled softly.
Somehow all the beer had made it seem perfectly natural to be riding home to give Dare a blowjob, because she was inheriting a charm school that had her teaching: Fellatio 101.
Yup. Totally natural.
Dare gave her a quick grin, anticipation tightening his features. She wanted this man with a mind-scrambling intensity, but now she worried about making it across the threshold.
Throw in the fact that her second, third and maybe fifth glass of beer ha
d reignited the buzz from the night before, and she knew the combination of no sleep and booze was a recipe for disaster. Maybe she could talk him into cuddling with her in her beautiful, comfortable, and infinitely soft bed.
Sleepy drunk was not a good look for her.
What is wrong with you, girl? You have a hunky fireman at your sexual beck and call, and all you can think about is sleep? If only they’d had a bed in the men’s room when he’d shown her his penis. Holy Moly! His pretty dick, pretty… Touched by the gods.
The thought rallied her. Slightly.
“Shh! Come in.” She teetered toward Ms. Belle’s front door, and it only took her two tries to get the key in the lock.
“I thought you said no one was home.”
“They’re not,” she said with a flourish as the door flew open. Don’t know my own strength. “Your voice is just too loud, sometimes. So just shh.” That totally wasn’t true, and she couldn’t help the snort that escaped her lips. She did so love to insult him.
“Too loud?” he said in a booming tone. “My voice makes women melt.”
“Uh huh.” It’s true, it’s true, it’s true. “Whatever.” Caelen threw her purse on a side table and raised her hands in victory when the purse hit the target, rather than tumbling to the floor.
Somehow they made it to her room on the second floor. The scent of her perfume still lingered in the air from when she was getting ready earlier in the evening. She smoothed a hand over the comforter and just resisted the urge to dive in.
She’d brought over a few more things after their little meeting with Mr. Brown. No need to pretend, now that the girls knew she was homeless.
The comforter was from her apartment. So were the lamp, the throw pillows, the rug, and, of course, her piles and piles of shoes and clothes. It was an explosion of color, and she loved it. Teal, white, and blood orange as far as the eye could see. Well, not that far, just enough to spread out along the spacious bedroom. The place had enough room for a queen-sized bed and a small sitting area with a loveseat and one chair. She had to admit, it almost felt like home.