Size Matters

by Alison Bliss

  He shook his head. “Stop it. It’s not going to come to that. We’ll figure something out way before we get ushered down an aisle.”

  Leah opened her door and climbed out of the truck before adjusting the elastic waistband on her broomstick skirt. “I don’t know what else we can do. We tried everything already. I’m just going to have to do what I’d started to from the beginning—tell them the truth.”

  Sam slid out of the truck and rounded the front bumper with her bag in hand. “No, you don’t have to do that. I know you’re upset that things didn’t work out like we’d planned, but I’ll fix this, I promise. I just need to…”

  “What?”

  He closed his eyes and breathed out hard. “I just need to think about all of this for a while. I’m sure there is a solution.”

  “Well, good luck with that,” she said, reaching for her bag.

  He held it away from her. “What, no invitation to come inside?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t think you would want to.” Especially after what had happened between them on the beach earlier in the day.

  He grinned. “You owe me, remember?”

  Leah squinted at him, not knowing what the hell he was talking about. Owed him? He could have taken her up against the pier, and he opted not to. She didn’t owe him a damn thing.

  “You promised me something sweet, remember?”

  “What, when?”

  “The day we arrived at your grandparents. You owed me for helping out Valerie, remember?”

  Oh. Right. “So you’re holding my bag hostage until I agree to make you a dessert? That’s real mature, Sam.”

  His smile grew wider. “Is it working?”

  She sighed, then motioned for the door. “All right, fine. I’ll whip up something fast. Come on.”

  Leah unlocked the door and led the way through the dimly lit bakery and into the back room, where she flipped the light switch on the wall next to the door. The fluorescents blinked on, and she set her purse down on a nearby counter, motioning for Sam to do the same with her bag. As always, Valerie had left the kitchen clean and organized after her morning shift.

  She removed a ceramic coffee cup from the cabinet and a spoon from the drawer, placing both on the counter before heading to the dry ingredient pantry. Sam had leaned against the sink, waiting for her return, and he was standing in the same position when she came back carrying a handful of items she needed and placing them on the counter.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, glaring suspiciously at the coffee cup.

  “Making your dessert. Have you ever heard of a mug cake?”

  “A what?”

  She grinned. “A mug cake. It’s a single portion cake made in a coffee mug. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and cooks in the microwave in seconds. I’ll give you the recipe so you can make them for yourself once this thing with my family is finally over.”

  Sam’s brows furrowed, but he remained silent. Guess he didn’t like the idea of making his own desserts. Well, too damn bad. After tonight, she was done with all of this. No more lying to her family. And definitely no more torturing herself by pretending to be engaged to a man who didn’t want her.

  She was going to stop by her parents’ house after work and tell them that she and Sam had gotten into a fight on the way home and he dumped her. And that would be it. End of story.

  Leah measured out the dry ingredients and added them to the mug one at a time. “Chocolate, right?” she asked, though she was already adding two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the cup. She measured the wet ingredients and gave the concoction a good stir.

  She pulled out a container of high-quality imported chocolates she normally used for melting and coating truffles or strawberries and dropped a couple of them into the center of the soupy brown mixture before carrying it over to the microwave.

  A minute and a half later, the glorious scent of warm chocolate filled the room as she carefully pulled the mug cake out of the microwave with an oven mitt and set it down on the stainless steel table. She tossed the mitt aside and turned to face Sam. “Let it cool for a few minutes so you won’t burn your tongue.”

  “Damn, that was fast.”

  “Well, yeah. That’s kind of the point,” she reminded him.

  His eyes held hers. “You trying to get rid of me?”

  God, no. I’m trying to keep from breaking my own heart. “No, Sam. I…I’m just being realistic.”

  “What the hell does that mean? Realistic about what?”

  Jesus. He wanted her to say it out loud? “I’d really rather not discuss it. I know it’s my own fault that it happened, but I’d rather let it go and save myself the embarrassment.”

  “What’s your fault?” Sam asked, his brow quirking ever so slightly. “I don’t think I’m following you here.”

  She lowered her head and rubbed at her face. Christ, why did she have to open her big mouth? “Look, I know you said not to read into anything that happened between us while we were role-playing for my family during this whole shebang, but…well, I did. It’s not your fault though, and you don’t have anything to feel bad about.” Her eyes misted over, and her voice trembled as she added, “It’s fine. Really.”

  His gaze darted back and forth between her watery eyes and pinched mouth, then his jaw tightened. “Obviously, it’s not fine.”

  Leah turned away from him. “I said it’s fine. Just leave it alone.”

  He sighed. “Come on, Leah. Why don’t we just sit down and talk about—”

  “Damn it, Sam!” she yelled, wheeling around to face him. Her emotions were running high, and she didn’t want to have this conversation. “I said no.”

  With narrowed eyes, he strode toward her so fast and with such intent that she stepped back until the stainless steel table bumped against her ass. Sam stopped in front of her, his hands fisted at his sides. His assessing eyes searched her face, as if he was looking for an answer to an unasked question.

  Mortification burned through her, and Leah’s heart shriveled. She didn’t know why he was staring at her like that, but she no longer cared. She’d had enough of him screwing with her head. With heat crawling up her cheeks, she tried to maneuver around him.

  He placed his hands on either side of her, blocking her escape.

  She sighed. “Jesus, Sam. What do you want?”

  “You, goddamnit. I want you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sam hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

  But now that he had, he damn sure wasn’t going to take any of it back. He did want her. And it was about damn time she realized it. Without warning, Sam grasped her waist and lifted her until her ass was firmly planted on the steel worktable.

  She squeaked at the unexpected maneuver, and her eyes widened. “Um, here?”

  “Right here. Right now,” he said firmly, pausing long enough to give her a chance to deny him the pleasure of her body.

  When she didn’t, he strode over to the light switch on the wall and flipped off the overheard fluorescents. The room went dark, except for the yellow security light in the alley behind the bakery beaming through the uncovered windows.

  Upon his return, he bent down to remove her sandals and tossed them onto the tile floor. Then he reached under the hem of her long skirt and slid his hands up her legs, taking the skirt with them. When his fingers reached her bare thighs, a shiver ran through her, and she tensed.

  Sam stopped the motion. “Do you trust me?”

  Leah nodded.

  “Then close your eyes.”

  Warily, she did as he asked, and Sam reached for the mug at the end of the table. He dipped one finger into the center of the warm, sticky cake, then swept the melted chocolate gingerly across her bottom lip. The sweet scent of the chocolate filled his nostrils, and apparently hers, because she sighed at the heavenly fragrance and her mouth opened in invitation.

  Sam teased her with his chocolate-coated finger, rubbing it lightly across her lips until her
impatient tongue darted out and licked it. Then she took it into her warm mouth and greedily sucked away every bit of the remaining chocolate. His stomach muscles tightened, and his cock twitched in his jeans. Fuck me.

  Wanting to taste the sugary residue on her lips, he bent his head and covered her mouth with his. She inhaled a sharp breath and gripped his biceps as if she were trying to steady herself as the erotic kiss took on a life of its own. He dragged his lips over hers again and again until, unable to help himself, the burgeoning frenzy had his hands moving to unbutton her blouse.

  When she tensed again, his fingers slowed, and he pulled back to look at her. “I’ve already seen them, remember? Unless you’ve somehow grown a third breast since last night, they’re going to look basically the same. “

  She smiled. “I know. I’m just…nervous, I guess.”

  “You have nothing to be nervous about. Especially when it comes to your body. You’re gorgeous, baby.”

  Her eyes lit up, and the tension in her posture seemed to melt away. When she appeared completely relaxed, Sam lifted his hands once again and began unbuttoning her shirt. When all the buttons were undone, he slipped the garment off her shoulders and let it fall down her arms before tossing it aside. Then he reached around her and flicked open the clasp of her bra. Her bra loosened, but stayed mostly in place.

  She shifted uncomfortably as he drew the straps down while he kissed her, hoping to occupy her mind with something other than her being half-naked in front of him. Then he eased the bra away from her, dropping it to the floor.

  Sam dunked his finger back into the chocolate cake’s gooey center, then painted it in a circle around her right nipple in slow, sensual strokes. After quickly sucking the leftover chocolate from his fingertip, he suctioned his mouth over her tightly puckered bud and rolled his tongue around it, chasing the sweet flavor.

  God, that’s good.

  Leah clearly thought so too. She threw her head back, arching her body forward, as a deep moan vibrated from her throat. His hands roamed freely over her breasts as he switched between them with his lips and tongue, lavishing attention onto both. When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he reached down between her legs.

  Since her skirt was still riding high on her thighs, he easily slid two fingers beneath her damp panties. She gasped as he penetrated her, then again as he began working his thick fingers inside her. The heel of his palm applied pressure to her swollen clit as she squirmed relentlessly, thrusting and bucking against his hand. When her inner muscles quivered, alerting him to her impending orgasm, he removed his hand and nudged her onto her back.

  He felt a shiver run through her as the cool metal touched her skin, but he didn’t plan on keeping her cold long. Within moments, he would be reigniting a fire under her that would have her body heated to a sweltering degree. And then he had every intention of continuing to fan those growing flames until she combusted.

  Sam yanked her panties down her legs and discarded them over his shoulder. The scent of her arousal had his mouth watering, and he licked his lips in anticipation. He couldn’t wait to taste her again. But before he even touched her, Leah did something provocative that he never expected.

  She spread her legs.

  His brow rose as he gazed down at her, taking in her glittery green eyes and the shy, impish smile she wore. Hell, the last time they were together like this, he’d practically had to use the Jaws of Life to get her legs open. Now she was willingly providing him access to her nether regions and, if he didn’t know any better, was eager to do so. And it was incredibly fucking hot.

  Lowering himself in front of her, Sam grasped her hips and brought her to his mouth. His tongue slid over her, teasing her slick folds and traveling in slow, lazy circles around her clit. She moaned loudly, but her body strained toward him as if she wanted him to apply more pressure. When he didn’t, her fingers wove into his hair, gripping his head tightly to her body. Yep, definitely eager. And that enthusiasm only charged him with more excitement than before.

  He wrapped his arms around her thighs and held her in place, taunting that sensitive bundle of nerves with hard flicks of his tongue while she trembled helplessly. The soft murmurs changed to panting pleas as her skin grew hotter and her breath bottomed out. Oh, yeah. She’s fucking close.

  For a moment, Sam considered standing and shoving inside her, needing to feel the clasp of her inner muscles as she accepted him into her warm body. But he had other plans right now. Parting her slick folds, Sam continued to torment her flesh until she screamed out his name and began convulsing uncontrollably.

  As she came, the stirring of his primal needs clutched at his balls, making them ache. Sam tasted the aftermath of her pleasure and reveled in the flavor of her heat soaking his taste buds. He was never going to get enough of this. Of her. It wasn’t possible.

  Only when she dug her nails into his shoulders and her knees clamped around his head did Sam stop. He grinned triumphantly as he rose, wiped the wetness from around his mouth, and tore his shirt over his head. Not wasting a second of time, he pulled her to a standing position and spun her around, slapping her hands down on the table. “Don’t move.”

  He jerked open his constricting jeans in order to free his rock-hard erection, and then pulled a condom packet from his back pocket. After ripping it open with his teeth, he rolled the condom on and bent his knees, poising his straining length at her entrance. Her wild response as she’d climaxed had heat swirling in Sam’s gut, and his dick had hardened to the point of pain. He wanted to drive himself inside her and pound her flesh with his. Until they both came so hard that their eyes crossed.

  With one powerful thrust, Sam buried himself as deep as he could go. As he filled her, Leah cried out and arched her back until her head lay on his shoulder. His teeth gently grazed her neck. “You all right? You want me to stop?”

  “No. Not ever,” she whispered.

  Normally a comment like that from a woman would have made Sam cringe, but his dick throbbed in response. As crazy as it was, he rather liked the idea of staying buried inside her forever. He gripped her hips with both hands and ground himself more fully into her. She moaned.

  Her soft center quivered around his rock-hard cock as he pumped into her, quickening his rhythm to a maddening pace. The strangled sounds escaping her throat pushed him to take more of her, but her undulating hips made the urgent need to spill his seed unbearable. Heat flooded his lower half, and he knew the dam wouldn’t hold out much longer.

  With sweat beading on his forehead, Sam tilted the angle of his penetration to a shallower depth in order to prolong the inevitable as long as he could. But it was as if her tight inner muscles latched on to him, trying to draw him farther inside her. When he finally felt the first ripples of her climax, he threw his head back and grunted his release as they both flew over the edge together.

  Leah collapsed forward onto the table with her skirt still bunched around her waist. Sam loomed over her, hauling in deep, raspy breaths. Neither of them seemed all that worried about separating their connected bodies or doing anything other than existing in the moment of bliss they’d gifted to each other.

  But after a moment, reality quickly set in.

  Leah stirred and slid out from under him while awkwardly shoving her skirt down to cover her lower half. “There’s a bathroom by the back entrance,” she said softly, pointing in the direction he should go.

  He hated when she did that. As if she were trying to get rid of him to maintain some form of dignity while she got dressed. Frustrating, since her rocking body was one of the things he loved most about her. Wait…loved? Where the hell did that come from?

  Maybe she had the right idea, after all. He obviously needed a few minutes to himself to clear his mind.

  Sam headed in the direction of the back door and found the small bathroom beneath the staircase. He went inside, closed the door behind him, and then rubbed a shaky hand over his face. What the hell had he been thinking taking her like that
? Especially after she’d admitted to having feelings for him.

  He disposed of the condom and shook his head. There was no way they could be friends with benefits now. Not when Leah would get hurt in the end. But he wasn’t willing to give her up either. So now what the hell was he supposed to do?

  As he washed his hands, an idea popped into his head that made him wince. But whether he liked it or not, he had no other choice. He needed to take sex out of the equation if he was going to keep Leah in his life. And if that meant going back to being just friends with her, then that’s exactly what he would do.

  Sam returned to the bakery kitchen to find it empty. “Leah?”

  She didn’t answer, but the creaking sounds coming from the ceiling above his head hinted at where he could find her. So he retraced his footsteps and climbed the stairs leading to her home over the store.

  He’d never seen her place before, but the cozy one-bedroom apartment had an open floor plan which left the impression that it was more spacious than it was. A small but tidy kitchen connected to the dining room, where a little round pub table sat against a wall surrounded by three high-back chairs. The nearby living room held a sparse amount of furniture, but it all looked like solid, sturdy pieces.

  Through an open door off the living room, Sam noted her bedroom and a light seeping from beneath the connecting bathroom door. So he walked in and sat on the edge of her queen-size bed, which was covered by a white down comforter and adorned with several throw pillows.

  Moments later, the door crept open, and an already-dressed Leah stepped out of the bathroom, spotting him immediately. He must have been wearing a somber expression because she took one look at him and said, “If you want to put an end to all of this, I’ll understand.”

  Sam’s heart squeezed in his chest. “Leah, come here.”

  She did as he told her, sitting beside him on the bed. He turned his body to hers and gazed into her sad eyes. He knew what he needed to say, but the words were stuck in his throat and choking the life out of him.

  So instead, he kissed her.

  * * *