Size Matters

by Stephanie Haefner

  Bryn was at a complete loss on how to help her friend, so she offered the only thing she could. “Want me to take you out so you can get drunk and have a one-night stand?”

  She got a small laugh out of Penny. “I like the get-drunk part.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  Penny actually let a small grin touch her lips. “You’re such an awesome friend.”

  “As soon as the craziness of the fashion show is over, we’re gonna get you laid.”

  Penny shook her head and actually laughed, her mood seeming to lift. They grabbed their things from their own vehicles and went into the shop. There were a dozen messages on the machine, all from Gilles. Apparently there was some kind of mix-up with the catwalk rental, and he was freaking out.

  Bryn called and tried to soothe him. “I’ll call the company and figure it out, okay?”

  “But it was supposed to be here yesterday and it’s not, and I can’t get ahold of anyone there.”

  “I know.” He’d said it five times in their three-minute phone conversation. “The owner is a friend of mine from high school. I have his private number.”

  That seemed to calm Gilles and his voice lowered a few octaves. “Okay. That makes me feel a little better. Thank you. But can you and Mia stop by this afternoon? I’m having the hardest time picking out the music.”

  Crap. She hated to say no. Gilles was so fragile right now, but so was Penny. “Sure. I can stop by later on.”

  Bryn kept Penny busy on the computer working on a social media blitz for the fashion show. Then she had her stuffing goodie bags. By the time Mia came in for her turn at the afternoon shift, they had a good amount of fashion show stuff taken care of.

  “This is awesome,” Mia said as she peeked inside one of the bags. “I’m kinda sad I don’t get to take one of these home myself.”

  The swag bags really were awesome. They’d somehow managed to gather all kinds of samples and coupons from businesses around the city.

  “Yeah. I’m real happy with them.” Bryn looked over to Penny. She seemed okay, but every once in a while she’d get a far-off look in her eyes. If no one was there to make her laugh in those moments or give her another task to do, what would happen to her? Bryn tugged Mia’s arm and lowered her voice. “Come to my office real quick.”

  Mia followed her there and closed the door behind. “She’s not doing real well, is she?”

  “No. Not even remotely.” Bryn relayed the morning’s conversation.

  “What a dickhead.” It was rare for Mia to use that kind of language, so she must be really mad.

  “And now Gilles is having a meltdown over music. You mind if I run over there?”

  “Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on Penny.”

  AFTER FIGHTING lunch-hour traffic and pulling Gilles off the ledge over which eighties and nineties tunes to choose, Bryn headed back to the shop. But when she got there, a patrol car was parked in the lot. A dozen scenarios crowded her brain as she rushed in the back door.

  She made it to the shop floor, her head swiveling so fast trying to see what the problem was she felt a little nauseous from motion sickness. But all she found was Mia on the phone and a few customers in the shop browsing casually. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

  “You okay?” Mia asked after she set the receiver down.

  “Do you know there’s a police car in our parking lot? I thought something was wrong.”

  “I can’t attest to a problem or not, but I do know there is a certain officer waiting for you in your office.”

  Ugh. Eli had been so mad the last time they’d seen each other. Maybe she could leave and he’d never have to know she was there. But that was wrong. Time to put her big girl panties on and face him.

  Bryn stepped toward her office. Through the open door she could see the back of Eli, his hair, his broad shoulders, that oh-so-sexy uniform. Why did every little thing turn her on? Deep breath. Just get it over with.

  “Hey.” She tried to sound cheerful, like she had completely forgotten the unpleasantness of their last meeting, and closed the door behind her.

  He stood, his gaze drilling into hers, his lips a straight line.

  Oh shit. Her stomach flip-flopped, fear taking over. Was this how bad horror movie characters felt right before they were stabbed to death?

  But instead of turning her into a bloody lump of flesh, he crossed the small room in two steps, put his lips to hers, his hands to her ass and tits. He closed the door with a thud, his body pressing against hers. She’d been caught so off-guard it took her a few seconds to realize what was going on, and to decide if she liked it or not. But as his lips left hers and suckled a path down her neck, she got her answer. I like this. So. Fucking. Much.

  Bryn wound her arms around his neck, her fingertips on his scalp, raking through his hair, pushing his head closer to her. His lips had moved to her breasts, the hem of her shirt now up to her neck, the bra, too. Soft nibbles sent shivers of lust to her core. But she needed those lips back on hers, their tongues dancing, the language of saying so much without uttering a single word.

  She tugged at his chin and he stood tall for a moment, staring at her, the hunger in his eyes so strong he looked as if he might attack if he wasn’t satisfied soon. She wrapped her arms around his body, kissing him, her hands searching out the tight muscles in his back and the way they tensed with every movement. But she couldn’t feel them. He was in uniform, which included a bulletproof vest. The more she touched him, unable to feel him, the crazier it made her.

  Eli pressed into her even harder, the cool metal of his handcuffs digging into her stomach. She slipped her hand through them, tugging him to her.

  She hadn’t even realized his hand was up her skirt until he flicked her clit, sending a spark of pleasure through her body and a moan from her lips, still pressed against his.

  “You like that, baby?” he asked, his voice heavy with desire.

  “Yes,” she breathed out, unable to say anything else, wishing she could beg him to keep doing it. But she didn’t have to. He rubbed her again and she thought she might explode with orgasm right then and there.

  “You’re dripping wet,” he murmured, his kisses back on her neck.

  Hearing the words, Eli’s voice hot and moist on her earlobe, she needed him. Now. Pulling at his leather belt, Bryn got it open somehow, even with all the heavenly things happening to her body at that moment. She pushed his pants to the floor, the weight of his firearm aiding her in that, and reached her hand inside his boxer briefs.

  Holy fuck. There was nothing small about the cock in her hand. A bit on the short side, maybe, but it felt like she was stroking a beer can. Now it was his turn to moan, and he pressed her even harder into the door, his mouth on hers.

  “Fuck me now,” she said against his lips, and he wasted no time. He yanked her panties off so fast she thought she heard the faint sound of ripping fabric.

  Still against the door, he lifted her up, fingers pressing into her ass. He pushed into her. Oh yes. But the thickness of him would only allow it to go so far. He pulled out, his gaze locked on Bryn’s as he pushed in again. She gasped, gripping on to him, as his eyes fluttered shut. They reopened, his chest heaving, and kissed her again. He started moving, the river of moisture flowing from her easing the motion as jolts of ecstasy vibrated through her body.

  How could he have been so insecure? Who the hell had made him think he had a small, inadequate dick? No time to ponder that now. Instead Bryn concentrated on the magnificent things happening to her.

  Moving one of his hands to her back, Eli stepped backward away from the door and tried to ease them into the chair, but that didn’t exactly happen. He plopped down, sliding even deeper inside her. Oh. Fuck. Yes! Bryn disconnected herself from Eli’s lips only long enough to yank her shirt and bra off, then dove back in for more of his luscious tongue.


  She rocked her pelvis in his lap, and hot damn, it really was like riding a bicycle. She found her rhythm, the thickness of him rubbing inside her, stretching her, each thrust sending a wave of pleasure through her body. Did he really not know how awesome he was?

  Eli pulled away from her kiss and looked at her, scanning her entire body. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, then yanked her back, his arms wrapped around her as she rocked faster.

  Pert nipples raked against the stiff fabric of his vest, heightening the sensation, pulling her closer to the edge.

  “That feels so fucking good,” he murmured, his mouth on her ear.

  Her arms wound even tighter around his neck, his fingertips digging into her waist. Him inside her, her clit rubbing on him, all of it was so intense. He was close. So was she. Bryn moved faster, pulling away just enough to look in Eli’s eyes. Gone was the insecure sap she’d felt sorry for. All she saw was a man—a fucking hot man—who was currently fulfilling every one of her sexual desires.

  Bryn kissed him and ground her pelvis harder, faster. Yes. That’s it. Almost there. His grip on her tightened, his body tensed. The knowledge that he was about to get off sent her right over, and together their bodies pulsed with pleasure.

  Resting her head on his shoulder, he rubbed her back, their labored breath mirroring one another’s. That was friggin’ amazing.

  She stayed there, waiting for him to say something, because she sure as hell didn’t know what to say. What had this whole thing been? What did it mean? Did she want it to mean something? The questions swirled in her brain and she brushed them away. She just wanted to lie there and enjoy the moment.

  “I should probably go.”

  What? Bryn pulled back, the chill of her office surrounding her. “Did I do something wrong?”

  He reached a hand to cup her cheek and smiled. “No, ma’am. Not at all.”

  “Then why are you in such a hurry to get out of here?”

  “Well, for one thing, we’re in your office . . . naked. And I kinda have to get back to work.”

  “Oh.” The answer didn’t make her feel much better. Had he only come there for a quick fuck?

  “But I’ll call you later.”

  The obligatory postsex promise. She forced a smile and nodded. He helped her climb off of him, his entire pelvic region covered in a mix of her juices and his semen.

  “Wow. You’re a mess. I think I have some baby wipes in my desk.”

  She found them in the middle drawer and handed him a few, pulling some for herself, too. After a quick cleanup, they both redressed. As Bryn smoothed her shirt, she wondered what was next. A “Hey, thanks for the amazing fuck?” She risked a glance at Eli, who was buckling his belt and making sure his holster was in its proper place.

  He smiled as he stepped to her, her lungs suddenly not working properly, and took her hand. He brought it to his mouth and kissed her palm, placing it on his chest. “I love you, Bryn.”

  Her heart stopped, then started beating like a hummingbird on acid. Her bottom jaw fell open. Had he really said what she thought he had?

  “We’ll talk later, okay?”

  All she could do was nod. He kissed her lightly and let go of her hand. The door opened and he was gone, leaving her there with no explanation for what had just happened.

  CHAPTER

  Twenty-seven

  ELI COULDN’T wipe the smile off his face, even while answering a fender-bender call. The poor teenage girl who’d rear-ended a guy in a BMW was a mess of tears.

  “You think this is funny?” the suit asked Eli.

  “No, sir, I don’t.”

  “Then wipe that smirk off your face and do your job. I need to be somewhere.”

  He was in such a good mood the disrespectful comment rolled right off his back.

  He finished up, writing the girl a ticket for following too closely, and made her promise to leave the radio alone while driving. He could have lectured her more, but she’d been traumatized enough for one day.

  He got back into the patrol car and caught Bryn’s scent floating through the air. Her aroma must still be on his uniform. His brain immediately flashed him the memory of her in his arms, naked, writhing in orgasm. God, he wanted to feel that again. Every day for the rest of his life if she’d let him.

  It had taken a few days, but he’d calmed down and accepted what she’d said to him after the party. Yeah, he’d been pretty fucked up after the divorce, and all the bullshit Kristen had filled his head with, so maybe he’d been a little insecure after that. And he’d been defensive.

  But the comment about sucking at oral sex had stung and pissed him off the most. When he was finally able to step back and think about it logically, the reality was that he hadn’t actually done it much in his life. Kristen would never let him—she’d thought it was disgusting. It had been a long time since he’d gone down on a woman, and he’d been inexperienced back then. How good can someone with such a lack of experience be? He really just didn’t know how to do it properly.

  So he did some research and read a few articles online, tips for giving good oral and ways to maximize sex with a small dick. He wasn’t going to let stupid male pride prevent him from being with the woman he loved. He chose to suck up his fear and insecurity and give it one last shot. Sweep her off her feet—literally—and show her what he was capable of, what they were capable of together.

  And damn, they were capable of fireworks. There was no way she’d faked it with him this time. Knowing the previous orgasm had been bogus, he could tell the difference. And it was huge. The way she’d trembled, dug her fingers into him, the loss of breath. She couldn’t fake that.

  He hadn’t planned on saying those three words, but once he was there, he had to lay it all out. Go big or go home. It had been either the beginning or the end, but at least he knew he had given her everything in him.

  Now he just had to wait and see what happened next.

  “I KNOW that look,” Mia said as Bryn walked back into the shop after fixing herself up as best she could.

  “Huh?”

  “I’ve had office sex before, remember? I know what it looks like. And sounds like.” She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the counter. “I had to make something up quick when a customer asked what that thumping was.”

  Bryn’s cheeks burst into flames. “Oh.”

  “Plus, the giddy look on his face afterward gave it away.”

  Bryn tried to hide her glee, but that wasn’t going to happen.

  “And the giddiness on your face right now tells me you enjoyed it just as much as he did.”

  She turned away, still unable to stop her lips from stretching so far across her face it hurt. “Maybe.”

  That was an understatement if she’d ever uttered one. It had been one of the most erotic experiences of her life, being ravished like that. It had been exactly what she’d needed. And he was so much better than he had led her to believe. That damn ex-wife of his. She wanted to march over to Kristen’s house and bitch slap her for making him feel so inadequate.

  “Yeah. If ‘maybe’ is code for ‘hell friggin yes.’ I need details.”

  Mia knew her so well. Bryn peered around the store and it was empty, so she spilled. Every last second of the experience. It was all still so vivid in her mind.

  “And then, just before he left, he told me he loved me.”

  Mia’s eyes went as wide as double-D bra cups. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing—he didn’t give me a chance. He said he’d call me later and left.”

  “Wow. How do you feel about it?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I liked hearing it, but . . . this is huge.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure how I feel. I’ve only loved one man my entire life. And he died. I knew I wanted to fall in love again someday, but now? Part of me says it’
s too soon. What do you think?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think, or anyone else for that matter. It matters how you feel. Do you think he’s someone you can spend the rest of your life with?”

  It wasn’t a difficult question. It was a definite yes. She and Eli were good friends. They’d laughed together, had fun together, both alone and with the kids. He was a good man and a good father. The kids loved him. Until the sex issues had arisen, they’d really been enjoying each other’s company. She hadn’t planned on anything more than friendship, with maybe some benefits on the side, but as she’d learned, repeatedly, life has a way of throwing things at you, good and bad, when you least expected them. And love was one of those things.

  She knew the answer to Mia’s question. “I do.”

  “Do you love him?”

  But that was something she couldn’t be sure of, just yet. “I don’t know. But I’m sure as hell gonna find out.” She looked at her watch. Almost three. Eli still had another hour of work. But she needed to be with him again. And not just for sex. She needed to see how she felt with him. She needed to sort through the feelings swirling in her head and gut like a tornado.

  “Do you care if I leave? I need to fix myself before I see him.”

  “No. Go ahead. Oliver should be here soon anyway. He got out of work early. He can help out if I need it.”

  Ugh. The mention of Oliver made Bryn remember she had a date that night with Troy. A family date. They’d made plans to go to Bouncy Housy for dinner and some bouncing bonding fun. Could she call and cancel? Would that be bad form? Considering she might be in love with another man, it seemed like an okay thing to do.

  Bryn pulled out her cell phone and dialed Troy’s number. Nothing. It went right to voice mail, which meant it was either shut off or dead. Should she leave a message on his phone? That seemed wrong. Guess she’d have to try later. But if she couldn’t get through to him, he’d show up at the bounce place at six o’clock.

  “So, is it over with Troy then?” Mia asked.

  She hated to answer, considering how big a cheerleader Mia had been for her and Troy to get together, but she had to be honest with herself and her friend. “Yeah. I think I realized that a few days ago. He’s nice and all, but just not right for me. I think I got caught up in the hotness factor.”