“Yeah. Syracuse. Photography degree.”
“Oh, you should be on the other side of the camera, Sophia.”
Her heart fluttered. Other guys had said such things before but always seemed to mean something by it, like they wanted a gold star, a blow job, or more. Connor seemed genuine for reasons she couldn’t put her finger on. She could spend her whole life listening to him flirt with her and not care about anything else. Feeling like confessing her interest, she asked, “How is that you’re single?”
“Why do you assume I am?” he asked, smiling.
She answered confidently, “You’re not the sort of man who flirts like this if he’s got a girlfriend.”
He nodded, admiring her ability to size him up. “Bad luck, I guess. Maybe that’s changing,” he added suggestively.
“Maybe it is, Connor.” She bit her lip and flushed when he smiled in understanding.
“Your turn. How is it is that you’re single?”
She hesitated, unsure he should know the truth, but if he wanted her heart and not just her body—and she sensed this was true about him—then he ought to know where other guys had tried to take it.
She admitted, “Boys seem to think sending me a picture of their junk is flirting. It’s such a turn-off.” She saw her words startle him.
Shaking his head, Connor said, “I’ve heard about that, but I can’t imagine ever doing that. Certainly not to you. I mean, if you wanted to see it…” he added suggestively, as if offering.
A burst of embarrassed laughter erupted from her, worse than the scene of Julia Roberts cackling in Pretty Woman when Richard Gere closes the necklace box just as she reaches for the jewels. She covered her hot face, hardly noticing that Connor had turned crimson, too. A few moments of silence passed as she tried to focus on dinner and he nibbled on cheese.
“This is homemade bread, isn’t it?” Sophia asked, putting some butter on her slice.
“Yes. Not handmade. I used a bread machine.”
“Still impressed.” She took a bite and then scooped up some scampi, her hair threatening to fall into it. She brushed her hair back from where it had hung over one shoulder, revealing several dark red drops on the fabric. After noticing the other signs of trouble, Connor had no doubt this was blood. Sophia saw his troubled eyes on her shoulder and looked down, seeing the spatter for the first time. She slowly pulled her hair back before it, trying to think of an excuse.
“I don’t mean to pry,” Connor began quietly, “but are you in some kind of trouble?”
She shrugged and tried to play it cool. “No.”
He pursed his lips. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not a very good liar.”
Suddenly her pleasant mood vanished, leaving her cold. Her eyes grew dark with thoughts of Seth.
Connor added, “It’s okay, I’m not judging you.”
“Well, you must be judging me some,” she observed.
“The judgment is favorable. Very. I want you to feel safe here. With me.”
She looked into his mocha eyes and saw calm strength, resolute clarity, and sincerity. Quietly, she confessed, “I do feel safe here. With you. Thank you for everything. The food, the wine. The room. The company, most of all.”
“There’s more of everything if you want it. Just help yourself. This is your home for tonight.”
Sophia’s gaze roamed over him as if he was the thing she wanted more of. They returned to silence, sipping wine and making eye contact that alternated between amorous, sweet, and shy.
Connor felt compelled to reassure her. “The house has an alarm, which I can turn on right now if you’re sure you won’t go outside. Opening a door would set it off.”
“I won’t.”
“Okay.” He got up and went into the foyer. Several beeps sounded before he returned and sat down. “Every window and door on the ground floor is shut and armed. So are those on the second floor that can be reached by the deck or even someone climbing a tree. Anyone trying to get in will trip the alarm and the police will be called at once. There are also glass-breaker alarms in the kitchen, foyer, and other rooms, in case someone tries to get in that way, instead of opening the window or a door.”
Relaxing more, she asked, “How fast do the police get here?”
“A few minutes. I have guns in the house, too, and know how to use them. I’m not the expert marksman that my brother Riley is, but I’m a damn good shot. Used to go hunting with him all the time. Anyway, your room will be across the hall from mine. If you need anything at any time, just knock.”
“I will.”
“How recent is that blood?” Connor asked. “We should soak your shirt to prevent it staining.”
She nodded in agreement but said, “I don’t have anything else to wear.”
“I have some things you can borrow, if you don’t mind men’s clothes.”
“Not at all.”
Thinking she looked interested in the idea, he excused himself. “I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared into the foyer and up the long wooden staircase above the family room. He returned as she finished eating, placing a folded T-shirt, sweatpants and pair of socks on the table.
“Perfect,” she said. “Where’s your bathroom?”
“Through there.” He gestured and she rose, took the clothes, and laid one gentle hand on his arm as she passed by. Connor watched her go, feeling his heart stirring at her touch. He almost envied the bathroom walls for the view they’d get. To clear his mind, he cleared the table.
In the bathroom, Sophia noted the alarm sensor on the window while she closed the yellow curtains. Then she stripped off her socks, pants, shirt, and bra to stand nude; she hadn’t been wearing panties. Her nipples puckered from the air conditioning blowing down on her, contrasting with the heat between her legs. Connor was having more effect on her than she’d realized, and all without touching her. Well, except for those two gentle probes he’d done when exchanging keys. The memory of the feel of Connor’s fingers on her palm gave her a rush, but the scratch on her arm from Seth was a harsh reminder of the reason she was here. Funny how two guys could be so different from each other.
She put her clothes in the sink’s warm water. Then she put Connor’s dark blue sweatpants on, noting how they snugly fit her ass. Not until pulling the white T-shirt over her head did she catch the scent of it. She pulled it to her nose, breathing in. Much of the smell was laundry detergent, but something deeper and more masculine filled her nostrils. Maybe she’d be wearing Connor’s clothes until he took them from her. After slipping on the socks, she pulled her hair into a quick ponytail, using a narrow scrunchy she’d had around her wrist.
She tried to clean up her face, regretting the scant makeup she wore because she wanted to make a better impression on Connor. That’s when she noticed, in the mirror, her nipples poking at the shirt. She flushed at the idea of him seeing her in this, but then pursed her lips. Connor had a good reputation in high school and much of what she’d heard about him being a great guy seemed true, though he was far flirtier than she would’ve thought, in a way she liked. Feeling confident that everything would be fine with him, she tucked the shirt into the pants, making her generous globes strain at the fabric more than she really wanted, but at least her nipples weren’t hard enough to show that way. The sight made her hesitate, bite her lip, and then walk out before she could change her mind. When she quietly padded into the kitchen, Connor turned and promptly dropped the silverware in one hand, mouth popping open and eyes bulging.
“How do I look?” Sophia asked, flustered by his reaction and her dirty thoughts about him.
Connor swallowed hard and muttered something that sounded like, “Holy hell.” He struggled to control his eyes and bent for the dropped silverware. Earnestly, he replied aloud, “You look great.”
She suddenly worried they might embrace right then and there if she didn’t do something to avert it. “Um, I’ve had kind of a long day, so maybe I should just go up to m
y room now.”
He nodded, seeming both disappointed and relieved. “Let me show you to it.”
Connor put the silverware on the counter and followed her toward the stairs, which she climbed first. Her firm ass swayed inches from his face all the way up. He cleared his throat and untucked his shirt so it would cover his growing bulge. One hand went to the oak railing to steady himself.
“Straight ahead,” he advised as she reached the top, where a carpet runner lay atop the wooden floor. “In the rear.” She giggled at the statement, hearing innuendo, which he only now noticed himself, chuckling. When they reached the hall’s end, he said, “This room on the right is yours. I’m just across the hall.”
“Sounds good,” she said, going in. She turned and gazed up at him, wanting to kiss him on the cheek but knowing it might lead to things that could wait.
“If you need anything…”
“I know where to find you, Connor,” she said, turning on her best smile.
His eyes sparkled. “Goodnight, Sophia.”
“Goodnight.”
Chapter 3 – Safe Harbor
Connor entered his master suite, shutting the door while sighing in relief and regret. One hand touched his bulge and he groaned. He needed release, so he locked the door, though the idea of her walking in on him piqued his interest. He yanked off his shirt and furiously undid his belt buckle, waistband button, and pants zipper. With a quick jerk, shorts and underwear fell around his ankles and his boner sprang free, standing big, tall, and proud in the dim light. It throbbed with each heartbeat, so sensitive with desire that even the way it swayed as he walked to the bed stimulated him. He threw back the silk sheets and lay on his back, yanking off his socks to lie nude.
Memories of Sophia danced behind his closed eyelids. Her smile, that laughter, those twinkling green eyes, that flash of red hair. Then he remembered the spatter of blood, the look of fear, the shadow of something dark hovering around her. His heart ached and he glanced at the gun safe. Once done on the bed, he’d load a gun. Another gun was cocked and loaded now, a generous line of precum oozing from its tip to his flat stomach.
He spread the precum around the head, his cock throbbing. One hand worked the shaft, balls lifting and falling with the motion. He wrapped a second fist around himself, already so close to cuming that he had to pause moments later, the first orgasm leaving him bemused. He kept from ejaculating by holding still, savoring the pulses of pleasure spreading through his balls, anus, and belly. Licking two fingers, he slid them past his neatly trimmed, almost hairless sac to his perineum. Massaging this quickly brought him to a second orgasm without ejaculation. The arousal spread farther down his legs and up his belly as if he was preparing himself for a full-body rapture.
Connor changed his grip, the new sensation bringing him toward the edge again. This time he pushed past the limit, losing control. For a moment, he hovered in that magical place between the point of no return and the impending eruption, anticipation making his body tingle from scalp to fingers and toes. In a rush, his balls coiled, his anus clenched, his mouth and eyes widened, and then a fountain of cum surged from his cock, splattering on the headboard. Subsequent throbs pumped more onto his cheek, then his chest, his abs, and finally oozed out in a thick trickle over his cock’s head and down the shaft, over his thumb. Connor’s body spasmed throughout, the muscles tight, a flood of pleasure filling him. The years of practice stifling all sounds due to guests in other rooms kept Sophia from hearing his ecstasy.
“Oh, my God,” he whispered, going limp. He felt woozy. Sleep loomed over him, but he cleaned himself and the headboard up and slipped on some underwear so the silk sheets wouldn’t continue stimulating his hard-on. He drifted off serenely, imagining Sophia snuggling beside him.
Sometime later, a quiet knocking slowly woke him. He thought it was a dream before recognizing Sophia’s voice at the door, murmuring his name. He sat up, looking for a pair of shorts to put on.
Sophia was about to knock again when the door suddenly opened, revealing a bare-chested Connor. The sight of him in the dim light rattled her in a different way than what had brought her to his door. The brief sleep had ruffled his short hair so that her hands ached to run through it. He was lean and smooth, the nape of his neck and Adam’s apple beckoning her lips. His washboard abs caught the shadows, adding definition, a small line of hair descending under the waistband of his shorts and drawing her eyes to his package.
She began, “I, um, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“It’s no bother.” His voice sounded deeper than she remembered.
“I...I heard a noise. Downstairs. I know the alarm is on, but…I just…”
He stepped into the doorway, gaze on her dark eyes, then her bare legs. She’d left the sweat pants behind, the shirt he’d loaned her reaching only to mid-thigh. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
“I know. I just, I don’t really want to be alone. I mean, I know you’re right here and everything…” She paused. Only then did he see her trembling, but she misinterpreted his troubled gaze. “I’m sorry, I’ll just go back to my—”
“No, no, it’s okay. Come here. Come in. We can talk or something.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” His fingers firmly closed on her arm. “Sophia, come in here. Don’t make me throw you over one shoulder.”
That startled her. Then she caught the joking tone. “You wouldn’t?”
He smirked and started to bend over for her.
“No, no! I believe you!” She quickly backed away, laughing. If her butt was in the air like that, he’d realize she wore nothing down there if one of his hands found its way up. At home, she slept in a shirt and panties but didn’t have the latter now. Having only wanted him to check the house, she hadn’t put on the sweatpants. Now she felt vulnerable but in a way that turned her on a little, and that’s when she realized how much she trusted him. Already.
Oh hell, she thought, maybe I should let him pick me up after all. The worst thing that could happen is the time of my life. She flushed as moisture gathered between her legs.
“You bite your lip a lot,” he observed, eyeing her mouth.
“I’ve been known to bite men, too,” she lied playfully, coming into his bedroom. The sight of his blue sheets in disarray caused a sudden image of riding up and down on him, both bare to the bone, to pop into her head. She had to control her thoughts better.
“I’m sure they didn’t mind,” he replied, turning to watch her.
She let out a deep breath and passed a bathroom and walk-in closet on her way to a sitting area with a loveseat by the window, moonlight streaming over it. Connor followed. She gazed around and noted the quiet masculinity of his room. Deep cherry furniture covered the hardwood floor except where lush rugs filled spaces. The paintings were scenes of forests, mountains, and waterfalls, wildlife making themselves at home. Not one single piece of sports memorabilia could be seen, to her surprise. A leather chair sat in one corner, with only a few pairs of sneakers, a hat, and a few things he appeared to have used lately in view.
Once seated, she kept her legs firmly closed and her eyes above that kissable neck of his while he gazed at her, shadows making his eyes seem mysterious.
Connor murmured, “Do you want to stay up and talk?”
“I’m actually exhausted and really want to sleep. I drove down from Syracuse today.”
“That’s a long drive.”
“Yeah. It’s just...you’re right that something happened before I got here. It has me on edge a little. I heard the noises when I was in the other room. Now I don’t want to be alone. I know that sounds needy or something...”
“It’s okay, Sophia. Why don’t you sleep in the bed and I’ll sleep on that sofa? It was probably one of the cats, by the way. The noise, I mean.”
She’d seen a cat earlier. “Are you sure? This couch isn’t big enough for you.”
“Yes. Now get in my bed before I change my mind.” He smiled.
>
She smirked and rose, heading for it. “Yes, sir. I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Hardly. You’re the first one up here in…” He frowned and stopped himself. Then he headed for the door to close and lock it for her sake.
She watched him, surprised that he hadn’t been with anyone in a while. Were the girls around here that stupid? She sat on the bed and slid under the covers, her bare ass against the fabric, which felt sexy against her legs and bare bottom.
“Silk sheets, huh?” Sophia asked, running a hand over them. “It seems unlike you.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, grabbing a blanket and pillow from a cabinet.
She shrugged, thinking his muscled back could only be improved by her scratch marks down it. “I don’t know. It’s just so sexy and you’re so…”
“Not sexy?” he finished skeptically.
She chuckled. “Oh no, that’s not how that sentence ended!”
“Then what?” He put the pillow on the loveseat and lay down, his legs sharply bent so that he fit.
“You’re just very…stable. Rock solid. Safe.”
“Boring?”
“Not in the least, Connor. I don’t find you boring at all. You’re the most interesting man I’ve met in forever. If you were any more interesting...” She stopped herself and flushed, especially when he grinned at her.
“The sheets feel good, so I have them. That’s all. I’m all about what feels good, natural, and right.”
She bit her lip, thinking that him buck naked would be good, natural, and right. She flopped back into his pillow, a waft of his scent filling her nostrils. Feeling she could get very used to it, she turned her face into the cool pillowcase. He should have cologne made.
They lay in silence, listening to each other breathe, both wanting him in the bed beside her. That she trusted him so much—and so soon—after what another man had tried to do today was odd, but Seth and Connor were nothing alike. She wasn’t the greatest judge, but Connor wasn’t going to try anything overnight, she was certain, even with her lying almost naked in his silk sheets. She wouldn’t have minded an advance of some kind. Part of her was almost surprised he hadn’t done more than just flirt. He’d hardly touched her. Maybe he wasn’t so interested after all. She frowned.
Connor (The Kendall Family Series Book 2) Page 3