by Galli, Lynn
“How’s the place?” Molly greeted me at the door to her apartment.
“Perfect.”
She pulled me inside and kissed me hello. God, what she could do with her lips. Just like that, I went from feeling excited to see her to hot and breathless to see more of her.
“That means you’re all set to stay in town, right? No more worries there?” Her hopeful eyes searched mine when she stepped back.
“She’s got to get the author’s okay.” I didn’t realize until that moment how much I was hoping she would get his approval. I didn’t want to leave my job or Molly.
“He will. Glory likes you and, according to Nat, this guy listens to anything Glory says.”
“Keeping my fingers crossed.”
She held up her own crossed fingers. “Oh, hey, Kelsey called. She and her boyfriend are playing pool tonight. She asked if we wanted to join.”
“I like Kelsey. She’s funny.”
“But?”
“But,” I started, thinking about it for only a moment.
Her pupils dilated before my eyes. Breath came faster from the lips she was alternately biting and licking. The action spiked my pulse and that was all it took.
In the next second I was pressed up against her. “I can think of something more fun to do tonight.”
29
Her smile kicked up a tornado in my stomach. “Yeah? Me, too.” She gripped my sides and walked us backwards to the couch. Halfway there, her lips found mine.
“God, you’re a good kisser.” I barely held back the moan that had been threatening since she’d touched me at the door.
“You’re a good everything,” Molly whispered.
“Bedroom this time,” I insisted, not wanting to have to break apart at any point tonight to fall asleep later.
Molly’s laugh vibrated against my neck where her lips had wandered. I shivered and clutched her arms. She spun around and reached back to pull me with her. I wrapped my hands around her waist from behind. My pelvis cupped her exceptional rear as we walked glued together.
She reached out for the remote to flip on her stereo as we made our way into the bedroom. Someone I’d never heard but instantly liked sang to us about love. How very appropriate.
I took control once we got to the bedroom. She got it first last time. It was only fair I had my turn first this time. Her wide eyes showed both surprise and delight when I pushed her onto the bed. I didn’t let her think about wanting to protest before I straddled her and started working on her sleeveless shirt with what looked like a million buttons.
“Why did I wear this shirt?” Molly’s hands mixed with mine to get it free of her body.
I laughed and leaned down to kiss her as I got the last button free. I pushed it off her shoulders and sucked in a breath at the black cotton bra she was wearing. Her small breasts were tucked away. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the hidden gems.
My hands cupped them, forgetting about getting her naked right now. She leaned back, allowing me to do whatever I wanted. Damn, that was sexy. A woman so secure and so generous that she didn’t need to rush this experience.
“Feels good, Falyn,” she breathed out.
I kissed a trail down her neck to her chest. One of her hands came up to grip the back of my head. I flicked the front clasp of her bra and watched her breasts come into view. My lips immediately went to the closest nipple. With one lick, it puckered and stiffened in my mouth. I moaned at how responsive her breasts were. She seemed to enjoy this as much as anything I did to her.
The hand gripping my head reached down to pull up my shirt. I didn’t want to let go of her nipple, but I needed to be naked with her. Decisions, decisions. I popped off her nipple with a loud slurp and helped Molly pull my shirt over my head. She eased my hips back until I was again standing. She took her time pulling my jeans and panties off. Her eyes lingered on what she revealed. The look hot and penetrating.
“Stand up, Mol.”
Her eyes pinged up to mine. She saw the urgency I’d been trying to hide. She stood so I could get her all the way naked. Every glorious inch of her toned and, in some places, buff body. If it was possible to look better the second time I saw her even though nothing had changed, she somehow pulled it off.
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered.
Her eyes widened before a smile graced her lips. I would bet money that no one had ever told her that before. Handsome, striking, hot, sexy, all those things, but the kind of women Molly usually went for would expect to be called beautiful not expect to find Molly beautiful.
My hand skated down her chest and mapped out the ridges of her abdomen. It flexed as she reached around to undo my bra. I felt instantly free.
“You are even more beautiful,” Molly told me before bringing her lips to mine and pressing her gorgeous body against me.
My hands slid up her sides and raked fingernails down her back. She trembled in my arms, moaning into the kiss. I’d been worried that the second time wouldn’t live up to my memories of the first. How could it? It was the best sex I’d ever had. But knowing everything I knew about this glorious body in my hands, I knew this time would be better. And the next would continue the trend.
I coaxed her back onto the bed, crawling up over her as she inched up to the pillows. Her eyes watched me study her, again confident enough to let me take my time. Her breasts called out to me and I couldn’t resist. I leaned down to kiss one then the other. Breath hissed out in a sexy exhale she couldn’t keep in.
“I love what you do to my tits,” she sighed, closing her eyes as my tongue lashed against one hard bud. She practically vaulted off the bed when my teeth closed around it and applied pressure.
I loved what I was doing, too. In fact, I was beginning to love pretty much everything about this and her. “So sensitive.”
“God, yes,” she said through a clenched jaw. She brought her hands up to squeeze my breasts. Her index and middle fingers tightening around my hard nipples and pulling toward her. Damn that felt good.
I lifted a leg and settled it between hers. Her thighs, burning hot, clamped my knee between them, hitching up to get me prone. “Impatient.”
She pulled on my nipples again, making it so damn hard to concentrate. “Don’t hold out, foxy.”
“Oh, I won’t, hot stuff.” I glided up her body and shifted to the side.
“Where are you going?” She tried to roll to line our bodies up, but I held her in place.
“Right here. Let me have my way this time. You got first go last time.”
She frowned. “And last time, you were on top of me. That worked. Like really worked.”
I chuckled at the desperation clogging her tone. She was worried that I wouldn’t bring her off. “I know what I’m doing, Molly.”
“But you did so well last time.”
I tilted up and over, kissing her worried mouth. My tongue dove inside, winding around hers in a teasing little chase. A hand slid over her breast, flicking her nipple as my thigh pressed against her center.
When she rocked her hips for more friction, I pulled away. Breathless and amped up, I tried to keep from spontaneously climaxing.
She groaned in frustration. “You stopped.”
“I’ll say it again,” I told her, bringing my hand down her flat stomach before rotating to glide over the soft bristles of her mound and skating along her wet, plump lips. “I know what I’m doing.”
We both groaned when my middle finger delved through then back up to her engorged clit. Molly’s hips lurched up toward my hand, wanting more pressure. I ignored the hint and lightly began to rub circles over the slick bundle of nerves.
“Harder, Falyn.”
I continued with the same pressure, liking the sway of her hips as she reached for what she wanted. I set my palm on her trimmed mound and kept circling her clit.
“Harder,” she moaned again, tilting her hips up. “I need it.”
“No, you don’t, Mol. I’m not going to almost hurt you again.”
/> “It’s the only way.” Her voice was strained.
I gave a soft laugh and kissed her mouth again to ease her tension. “We’re learning a new way. Soft and light and teasing and so, so good.”
My finger continued its swirling dance over her pulsing clit. I dragged my mouth over the column of her throat, pulling skin between my teeth at the bend of her neck. My hips brushed against her thigh and I seized up, holding back my climax. I couldn’t believe I was that close and she hadn’t touched me with her hands yet.
“Oh God, Falyn,” she groaned, her hand coming around my back to grip my side and the other moving up to cup a breast. “I’m close. How are you doing this?”
“You’re doing this. Feels good soft, doesn’t it?”
“Yes!” she shouted when my finger went from circles to swipes. “Falyn, ahh, God, Falyn.”
“Yeah, Molly, you’re right there.”
My finger drummed lightly against her clit. I tilted my hips down for full contact on her muscular thigh. Goddamn, I had to last longer than she did this time. I went back to circling again as I slid up her thigh. Her hands gripped my hips and helped me rock against her.
“Come with me,” she cried as she climaxed against my hand.
I was mesmerized by the violent jerking of her head and torso as she came harder than any of the times before. When her thigh twitched against me, I forgot how mesmerized I was and exploded with my own fierce orgasm. My body roiled and rocked through the spasms. I tried to stay upright and wring every twitch from her. Her hands pulled me down on top of her, and the extra stimulation set off another mini-climax for me.
“Molly, oh God, you’re amazing.” My face pressed into her neck and kissed softly while I shuddered through everything she’d done to me.
“You should be giving master classes on your technique,” she mumbled against my forehead.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to bruise you this time.”
“You didn’t last time either, but this was incredible.” Her lips skated over my face. “I’m not walking away from this tomorrow, foxy. You better not want to either.”
I tilted up to look into her eyes. “Not going to walk away.”
“I’m not talking about a friends with benefits thing, either.” Those intense brown eyes got my heart pumping. They would never hide how much she cared about me.
“I get it, and I’m in.”
“How in?” She smiled and her eyes flared.
I swallowed to keep my mouth from drying out. “All the way in.”
She nodded and tipped her head up to kiss me. “Me, too.”
30
Her hand slipped into mine, the feel both soft and strong. I looked over and caught her smile. She squeezed my hand once then let go, placing hers on my back to guide me ahead of her on the sidewalk as another couple passed. That had always been my role. Always taller than my dates and girlfriends, always adjusting my stride to match theirs. It felt odd having Molly make these same gestures, her face bobbing beside mine at the same height. Odd, but pretty wonderful, too.
“What next?” she asked. Normally she had suggestions. She knew this town much better than I did, but she was asking what I wanted to do. Yet another question I’d usually ask my dates.
“What do you feel like doing?”
She smiled, knowing I’d just done what she was used to doing. Lust flared in her eyes. What she wanted to do became suddenly clear, but I was having too much fun edging the pleasure and forcing her to edge. I doubted anyone had made her do that. I loved being different for her in all ways.
A familiar face drew my attention across the street. A man stood in front of the library, acting as if he owned the street. His familiarity was slightly clouded being older with less hair and more flab. When his eyes met mine, I came to a sudden halt. Molly’s shoulder brushed against me, surprised by my standstill on the walkway. Someone grunted behind us as a couple had to make their way around our little roadblock.
Brock Porter tipped his head and disappeared into the evening stream of pedestrians through town. My mouth popped open, disbelief hanging in the air.
“What’s wrong?” Molly’s hand came up to glide over my back. “Did you roll an ankle?”
I swallowed hard, tension tightening my chest. I blinked to clear my head, staring at the spot where I’d seen the man who’d recruited me for the burglary team. He’d gotten five more years than I had. How was he out? Was he really out or was my imagination playing tricks on me? A lot had happened in the last month, and stress always made things a little too vivid for me. Nightmares had plagued my dreams recently. It was possible that I made someone on the street look like Brock.
“What is it?” Molly searched my line of sight.
“Nothing,” I said then thought better of it. Should I tell her? Our relationship was just getting to solid ground again. The subject of my record and storied past wasn’t a good one for us. Keeping something from her, though, might be a more ill-advised.
My eyes scanned the area again. He wasn’t there. A few guys with the same color shirt walked among the slow moving pedestrians. I must have imagined it. Even if he was out, he couldn’t be here. He’d be tied to Denver like I was on parole. He didn’t know anyone in Aspen. My eyes had to be playing tricks on me. Paranoia and relief mixed together to make me see things that weren’t there.
“Nothing,” I repeated, shaking my head. “Thought I recognized someone, but it was my imagination.”
Molly tipped her head once. “Everyone starts looking familiar after a while. There aren’t that many of us in town.”
Yeah. That had to be it. It couldn’t be someone from a town four hours away after so many years when there was nothing but bad memories left between us.
“So? What do you feel like doing?” Molly wriggled her eyebrows, suggesting more than the agreed upon dinner date. Her playful question snapped me back to the wonderful present.
“Hmm,” I stretched out coyly. “We could head back to your place and…”
“Yes.” Her eyes glittered.
“Watch another episode of that show that Viv and Nat were on.”
Her laugh was loud enough to startle a guy passing by. “You didn’t even like the show.”
“I didn’t get it. How can the word ‘housewives’ appear in the title when only two of them are actually married?” I joined her laughter, remembering the numbing feeling I experienced while watching the first episode of the most pointless show I’d ever seen. The six minutes that Vivian, Dwight, Natalie, and Miguel appeared as the star walked through the renovation, acting like she was the one doing most of the work wasn’t enough to make me want to see the rest of the show. “And how can they spend more time out of the title city where they were supposedly housewives? Shouldn’t they just call it Bratty, Spoiled Attention-Whores?”
“Hey, those attention-whores made our friends a pretty penny on that contract.”
“I know, but come on. I assume Viv manages to make it through the season without killing anyone. She sure looked like she might lose it with that bimbo.”
“You should have been here when they were going through it. She needed a night at the bar three or four times a week. It was great.”
“I’ll bet.”
“The show’s not on until Thursday.” She reached out and slid her hand down my arm like she couldn’t go another second without touching me. I really liked this about her. Her touch set off all kinds of delicious sensations inside me. “That leaves us with a big gap in our schedule tonight. What else did you have in mind for tonight?”
“Hmm,” I repeated, loving the look of anticipation in her deep brown eyes. “How about we take the bikes up Smuggler Mountain?”
Her face fell for just a second. It was pretty cute to see her get all worked up and not get what she wanted. She’d learn that she needed to voice what she wanted instead of leaving it up to me to decide. I liked winding her up too much.
I leaned forward and kissed her lips quickly. “Y
ou had the chance to tell me what you wanted to do. Next time, speak up, hot stuff.”
She laughed and cupped my nape to bring me in for another kiss. “You’re too much fun, foxy.”
31
Dwight and Molly were bickering again. It was far more entertaining than any television show I’d seen recently. They had bickering down to an art form. It didn’t seem to bother them that the bickering was always about inane stuff.
“Just be thankful that Natalie let Falyn borrow her truck. Otherwise, you’d be riding the jump seat in my king cab, and I know how much you hate that.” Molly reached back to smack one of his long legs to emphasize how uncomfortable he would have been if we’d taken her smaller pickup.
“I am grateful, but I’m also thinking it would have been better if you’d just loaned me your truck to pick up the armoire and you two skipped the trip.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the backs of our seats. “I could have found more stylish clothes for you without any whining. I wouldn’t be about to go into a western store for the first time in my life. And I wouldn’t be arguing with you for the entire afternoon.”
I knew we’d horrified him with our shopping habits in the mall. I chose some casual clothes to retire my worn-out khakis and Oxfords. Molly got some nice things, too, but apparently they weren’t stylish enough for the clotheshorse that was Dwight. Since neither of us liked shopping, we appeased him by purchasing a few of his choices and letting him drag us through some shops for him.
It felt so good to have the funds to build on my fairly nonexistent wardrobe. I would be paying rent soon, but Natalie’s place was the best of all worlds, affordable and decent and roommateless. With the new contract, I wasn’t worried about her keeping me on out of obligation. I could afford some new clothes and needed to expand my work wardrobe. All summer, I’d been forced to run laundry every three days for a clean pair of jeans to work in.
“You’re not putting me in a dress, Dwight,” Molly shot back.
We all laughed at that. Molly in a dress. Something would be terribly wrong with the world. I didn’t wear them either, but I had worn a few skirts for weddings and funerals in my lifetime. I doubted Molly had ever been in a skirt before.