by Ali Parker
I snuggled into him, and his erection swelled against my ass. I pushed back against it, feeling the familiar rush of heat between my legs. No matter what was going on with Talon, I still loved him, and he was the hottest man I’d ever seen. Secrets aside, I needed this.
I needed him.
He planted gentle kisses along my neck, sending shivers through my body. I moaned softly and leaned my head back, giving him access to my skin. He kissed up my neck to my jaw, and then he nibbled on my earlobe. Electricity roared through my body. I loved when he toyed with my ear like that, and he knew it.
His strong hand trailed along my leg, grazing up my hip and then sliding beneath my pajama top. I wasn’t wearing a bra, and his rough palm scraped against my sensitive flesh. My nipples hardened immediately. His fingers stroked my breasts in slow, lingering circles while he continued to nibble at my ear.
Liquid heat rushed between my legs. My hips started moving with a mind of their own, and my ass gyrated against his thick, throbbing cock. I could feel the heat of it radiating against my skin, telling me he was as turned on as I was.
His hand slid down from my breast, slipping into the waistband of my pajama bottoms. He ran a thick finger over my panties, along my slit, and his palm applied pressure to my aching clit, sending shocks of pleasure spiraling through my body.
Every time I was with Talon, it was like the first time. He always explored my body like it was new to him, like he was fascinated by every inch of my flesh. He never rushed into anything. He always took the time to build me up slowly, and it made everything so much better.
Talon continued to stroke me, stoking the fire inside me to a howling blaze. When he slid my panties to the side and ran his finger through my silky folds, I thought I would explode.
He pressed his fingers into me, and I gasped at the sensation of him moving inside me. Every caress of his fingers sent thrills rocketing through me, and I couldn’t hold back the moans that escaped my lips. Talon shifted up, and his lips finally found mine, stifling the sound of my ecstasy.
Our tongues clashed together, tasting each other. I was dizzy from the feelings rampaging through me. He knew exactly what my body needed and how to work me up into a frenzy. His fingers continued to slide inside me, and every time they did, his palm pressed against my clit, sending shivers through me.
The fire between my legs roared into a raging inferno, threatening to consume me in its flames, but what a way to go. My breathing sped up, and every breath was punctuated with a short moan. Talon groaned into my mouth, like he was excited by how turned on he was making me feel.
The feelings overwhelmed my senses, and there was no holding back anymore. Pleasure exploded inside me, and the sweet fire filled every fiber of my being. Wave after wave of hot bliss washed over me, and I gushed against Talon’s hand.
His body curled against mine, holding me while I came. He trailed light kisses across my cheek, and even that gentle touch felt orgasmic on my sensitive skin.
When I came back down and could think again, I twisted around so we faced each other. Talon’s blue eyes glimmered like sapphires as he gazed at me, and they smoldered with desire.
“I love you, Charlotte,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
“I love you, too, Talon.”
He kissed me then, hard and long. His lips lingered over mine, and I savored the connection I felt every time he kissed me. His lips silently told me more than his mouth ever could. They told me how much he cared about me, and how much he wanted me, even after being together for so long. It was intoxicating, like a drug I couldn’t get enough of. I could kiss this man for the rest of my life and never stop.
I ran my fingers down his shirt and over the hard lines of his chest. When I got to the hem of his t-shirt, I yanked it up and over his head. Our lips separated just long enough to do so before meeting again, slamming together like waves crashing on the beach.
His skin was warm and taut beneath my hand, and I felt the strong muscles of his torso flex powerfully with even the smallest movement. His heart beat so hard in his chest that I could feel it through his skin. Every beat of his heart sent blood racing down to his cock, and it swelled against my leg, thick and hot.
I unfastened his jeans and jerked them down his hips, along with his boxers. His cock sprang out in front of me, eager and ready. I slid my palm over it, and Talon groaned. His hips pushed forward, silently begging for more.
I stroked his length, and Talon undressed me. His hands roved over my body as he stripped my clothes off, and he left hot trails of fire along my skin wherever he touched me. When we were both naked, bared to each other, he pressed his body against mine, like he wanted every part of him to touch every part of me, all at once.
His rock-hard cock probed between my legs, sliding across my wetness without entering me yet. He slid along my slit, coaxing heated moans from between my lips. I loved when he did this. It was a delicious form of torture for both of us, letting the pleasure linger and build before he buried himself in me.
But today, I was too hungry for him. All of him. It had been too long since we’d been together like this, our bodies intertwined and connected. I didn’t want to wait any longer.
I slid my leg over him, pressing his back against the mattress while I straddled his hips. He grunted in surprise at how eager I was, and his eyes darkened with lust. I reached between us and grasped his hard cock in my hand. It was already slick with my juices, and I stroked him before guiding him to my aching entrance.
I lowered my hips onto him, sliding his cock inside me, filling me up. I inhaled sharply at the feeling of him stretching my walls. Neither of us moved. We just savored the feeling of being joined together in the most intimate way possible. Then slowly, I started grinding my hips over him.
I planted my hands on his rippled chest, giving me leverage so I could rock my hips faster. My eyes closed at the feeling of his thick cock pressing into me. Talon’s palms grazed over my breasts, teasing my hardened nipples and sending jolts of pleasure down to my clit.
I moved faster and raised my hips higher so that I could slide over the full length of him with every stroke. Electricity crackled through me, setting my nerve endings ablaze. I didn’t realize how badly I’d needed this until he was buried inside me, overwhelming me with pleasure.
Talon started bucking his hips beneath me, timing it so that when I moved down, he thrust up. Our bodies collided together, and he plunged into my depths, finding my most sensitive places. Talon let out a sexy growl and rolled me over onto my back, his body pinning me to the bed.
With his arms on either side of my head, he hammered his cock into me. I moaned, and my back arched, thrusting my breasts out. He dipped his head down and took my nipple into his hungry mouth. His tongue swirled around my skin, thrilling me. I could feel myself slipping closer to the edge again, and my body cried out for me to jump off.
Talon pounded into me with a steady rhythm. Every stroke of his amazing cock had me gasping and moaning and writhing beneath him. His thrusting sped up, a sure sign he was getting close to coming as well. I gripped his powerful wrists with my hands, digging my nails into his skin.
“Fuck me, Talon,” I moaned. “Just like that. Come for me, baby.”
He groaned at my words. He loved it when I talked dirty. He kissed me hard and thrust his cock one last time inside me, burying himself as deep as he could go. The feeling of it sent me flying over the edge. My whole body tensed and shook as pleasure rocketed through me.
My walls clamped down on his cock, and I felt him twitch inside me, filling me with hot jets of come. He was still kissing me, and the feeling of being connected in every way made my orgasm all the sweeter.
Talon collapsed beside me, gathering me into his arms. I laid my head against his chest and held onto him. The pair of us were a sweaty, panting mess of tangled limbs, and I couldn’t be much happier than I felt at that moment. Everything was almost perfect.
Almost.
; Now that our passions were spent, my doubts about everything came creeping back in. I couldn’t quite relax and enjoy the afterglow of our lovemaking when my nagging thoughts wouldn’t leave me alone.
I had to do something about it. I couldn’t let our most intimate moments get ruined by fear and unanswered questions.
“Talon,” I said.
“What is it, gorgeous?”
“You know I love you, right?” I asked.
He lifted his head so he could look at me. “Of course, I do. I love you, too. I certainly hope you know it, too.”
I nodded. “I do. It’s just that things have been weird between us lately. If there’s something going on that I should know about, I want you to talk to me about it.”
He shook his head. “Everything is fine. Better than fine. It’s great.”
I felt like he was doing it again, deflecting my questions instead of addressing them head-on.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because whatever it is, I just want you to talk to me. I don’t like secrets.”
He kissed the top of my head. “No secrets. Things are amazing.”
I desperately wanted to believe him, but I didn’t. I peeled myself away from him and went into the bathroom to take a shower. I didn’t want to end our wonderful afternoon together like that, but I couldn’t stay in bed with him. Not when I knew he was lying to me.
Chapter 11
Talon
The next morning, I was in the kitchen making breakfast, while Charlotte slept. After the amazing sex the day before, she could probably use the rest. The memory of holding her in my arms brought a smile to my face.
I loved the feeling of being so close to her. Physical intimacy always made me feel a deep connection with Charlotte. There were no lies and no secrets in the bedroom, tangled up in each other, loving each other. It was the rawest expression of affection, and it always reaffirmed how much I loved her and how much she loved me.
Charlotte felt it too. I was sure of it. At least, she felt it while we were making love. After, when the talking started. That was when she pulled away from me. Not that I blamed her. She knew I was keeping something from her, and she could feel me holding back.
And yes, I was lying to her when I said there was nothing going on, but she legitimately had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, she was worried. After she left the bed and showered, she’d been distant the rest of the day. She wasn’t cold, exactly, but cool. I didn’t get the silent treatment, but she wasn’t what I would call ‘chatty.’
I was hoping after a good night’s sleep and a warm breakfast, she would be in a better mood. It was part of the reason I was up early, making her breakfast. I made breakfast for her all the time, but this morning, it was more of a peace offering than just something I did. If it was possible to infuse eggs and toast with love, I was giving it my best.
Charlotte walked into the kitchen, her eyes still bleary with sleep. I glanced over at her while I stirred the eggs.
“Perfect timing,” I said. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
She gave me a weak smile and sat down at the table. I poured her a cup of coffee and set it in front of her.
“Thanks,” she said.
It was all she said, but I told myself she was still waking up and wasn’t really in the talking mood. The food would wake her up.
I finished up the eggs and buttered the toast. Then I put her plate in front of her, and I sat at the table.
“Dig in,” I said.
She pushed the eggs around on her plate with her fork, but she didn’t eat more than a couple of bites.
Without thinking, I said, “Is there something wrong with the eggs? Would you like something else?”
She looked up at me and then back down at her plate. “The eggs are fine. That’s not the problem.”
I cringed internally, wishing I’d never opened my stupid mouth in the first place. My plan was to avoid any conversation about my secret, but I’d just given her the opening she needed. Fuck.
I didn’t say anything back to her, hoping to end the discussion before it even started. But now that the idea was back in Charlotte’s head, she plowed right ahead.
“The problem,” she said. “Is that you refuse to open up to me. And honestly? It’s bothering the hell out of me.”
I put my fork down. “I’m sorry you feel that way. There’s nothing to open up to you about.”
“Really? Because you haven’t been acting like yourself at all. So, I don’t see how you can sit there, look me in the eyes, and tell me nothing’s wrong.”
I shrugged, unable to meet her gaze. “You know how it is. It was just finals. I was seriously stressed out about some of those classes. I’m fairly certain I failed chemistry. It just makes everything feel off.”
She shot me a skeptical look. “Finals are over, Talon. Way over. They shouldn’t be stressing you out anymore.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m just saying, if I’ve been acting weird or whatever, that was why. I mean, I’m still a little stressed out, and I will be until the grades are in. But other than that, everything is all good. I promise.”
Charlotte shook her head. “To be perfectly honest, Talon. I don’t believe you.”
“I’m sorry you don’t trust me,” I said miserably. “But I don’t know what else to say.”
“Say anything,” she said. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours. Is it something with me? Is it about my parents being here? Or is there something else going on?”
“Things are good,” I said, reaching across the table for her hand. She yanked it away from me.
“No, they’re not,” she said. “And if you won’t talk to me, they’re never going to be good again.”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. She nodded, as if my silence was answer enough. Then, she got up from the chair and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
***
I figured the best thing I could do was give Charlotte some space right now, so I went over to Mike’s place. He was already up, watching some movie on Netflix when he let me in.
“What’s up, dude?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said, sighing. “I just needed to get out of the apartment for a bit. Charlotte’s pissed at me.”
Mike nodded and sat down in his recliner. I took a seat on the couch.
“Yeah, you were telling me the other night you two were going through a rocky patch,” he said. “You want a beer?”
I laughed. “It’s ten in the morning.”
He shrugged. “We’re on vacation.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” I said.
“Goddamn, who pissed in your cornflakes, dude?”
“I told you, Charlotte’s mad at me,” I said.
“Well, no shit,” Mike said, laughing. “You’re keeping secrets from her. What the hell did you think was going to happen?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Not this. I guess I didn’t expect her to find out in the first place.”
“Yeah, but she did,” he said. “Apparently, you’re not as sneaky as you thought, moron.”
“Hey, lay off, would you? I came here for a sympathetic ear. Not to get shit on some more.”
Mike grinned. “Then you came to the wrong place, bro. I’ve got your back for almost anything, but sneaking around behind your girl’s back isn’t something I can get behind. Especially with a sweet girl like Charlotte. Shit, you’re lucky she even puts up with your dumb ass on a good day.”
“I’m not sneaking around behind her back,” I said.
Mike shot me a look. “Oh, now you’re gonna lie to me, too?”
“Okay, fine. I am sneaking around behind her back, but not in the way you think. I’m not cheating or anything.”
“Fine, but it’s bad,” he said, shaking his head. “So bad you won’t tell me.”
“Do you really want to know what my secret is?” I asked.
He sighed. “I’d rather stay the hell out of it at
this point. But I have to admit I’m curious.”
I thought about telling him. It would be nice for someone to tell me I was doing the right thing. That I wasn’t a complete idiot for trying to pull this off without letting Charlotte find out. Would Mike understand? Would he support me if he knew?
I nodded. “Do you promise to keep it a secret and not tell Charlotte?”
“Absolutely not,” he said without hesitation.
“What?”