by Vivian Arend
“Drove away. Same difference.” He adjusted position, his muscular arm pressed to her side as he slipped her farther forward on the barstool. She went willingly enough, glancing to the side to make sure no one had noticed, but everyone was busy in their own little worlds.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” she taunted.
The change in position meant he had enough room to slide his hand all the way down, calloused fingers coming to rest on her mound. “I plan to do a lot, but first let us get this straight. I highly doubt I’m too vanilla for you.”
She shrugged, partly to cover up that she wanted to rock into his hand so he would get to the good parts. “Going by what I remember. I didn’t say you suck in the sack, just that I found I have a little more varied tastes than what we tended toward before.”
She pressed her lips together to trap the hiss of pleasure he drew from her as he slipped a finger between her folds, rubbing back and forth over her clit.
“And that’s why we need to start over. You and me, because some of what we had before was good, and some of it wasn’t. But that’s in the past, and what we’ve got now is a whole lot of time in front of us to work on making good new choices and avoiding stupid mistakes. You need to give me another chance.”
Melody laughed, leaning her head back on his shoulder so she could speak into his ear. “You got your hand down the front of my pants in the middle of a bar. I think you’re getting a teeny bit of a second chance, don’t you?”
She stuck out her tongue and flicked his earlobe, quick enough that unless someone was watching closely, the move would be ignored.
The only one who knew what she’d done was Steve, and he growled in approval, his fingers continuing to tease her. “Then in light of your earlier comment, I’m going to set down a few rules.”
Melody held back her amusement. “You think so?”
In response, he curled his hand around her and pressed a finger into her core. Deep inside for a moment before pulling back to apply hard pressure against her clit.
Her little gasp seemed all the approval he needed.
“I thought about you a lot when you were gone,” he confessed, his words a rumble in her ear even as his hand worked her body. Heat from his chest scalded her, and she adjusted her hips to line them up in the exact right position, working to keep her breathing as calm as possible. “It took me a while, but I figured out how important you were. How special you were, and I’m determined to show you that. And I’m not going to hold back any longer.”
She couldn’t resist moaning with pleasure as he pushed in another finger, holding her pinned in place as he forced her body to respond. “You were holding back?”
“You called me lazy. Give that as an excuse, but the point is it’s not happening anymore. I want you, and unless you tell me no right now, I’m going to take you any time, and anywhere I want.”
His words should have infuriated her, or put up her back and made her instant response a decisive no, but she couldn’t force out the syllable.
If he was serious, this was exactly what she was looking for. “You’re talking about sex, right? You don’t have some half-assed idea about trying to boss me around outside the bedroom?”
“Let’s not confine it to any room, considering I’ve got my hand in your pants in the middle of a bar. But yes, this is about sex—at least the me-being-bossy part.”
It was more than she’d hoped for. While he’d been a bastard before, he hadn’t been a dangerous one. More like neglectful and thoughtless. “You got three months,” she offered.
He withdrew his hand, circling her clit lightly with his fingers before pulling free. Steve adjusted his position until he stood beside her, an elbow on the countertop as he faced her. Then he lifted his hand to his mouth and licked his fingers clean.
Ohmigod.
“You kids are avoiding the party.” Steve’s little brother Lee appeared out of nowhere, and Melody blinked for a moment before smiling at the young man. “Come on, we’re going to start some drinking game Ashley made up.”
“We’ll be there in a minute,” Steve assured him before tilting his head to send his brother away.
Melody glanced at Steve, her body vibrating from his touch. “You saw him coming.”
He placed his fingers under her chin, his thumb caressing her jawline as he stared into her eyes. “I’ll take care of you, I promise. Whether that means giving your body what you need, or exploring all the things we haven’t yet tried, you and me. I won’t do anything that hurts you.”
She was surprised how serious he sounded. “That’s never been an issue. Trusting you that way.”
“Three months,” he agreed. His smile tightened. “And Melody? I fully intend to prove you can trust me in other ways during that time.”
The volume across the room was rising, and in spite of the buzz of anticipation in her body, Melody looked forward to more time with the others. “Let’s talk about it later.”
“When I take you home,” he said, his expression hungry enough to make her shiver.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected would happen tonight, but hell, yeah, this was what she needed. She accepted his hand as she slipped off the barstool, wavering for a moment as she hurriedly tucked in her T-shirt. He didn’t even try to hide his grin as he pressed a hand to her lower back and led her toward the game. Eyes lingered on them as they rejoined the group, knowing smiles breaking free.
By the time the evening was done, everyone in Rocky would know they were together again. Melody took a deep breath and hoped like hell that Steve really had changed.
Chapter Seven
It was trite, it was stereotypical, but even as he celebrated that he and Melody were back in the game, only one thought filled his brain to the exclusion of everything else.
He and Melody were going to have sex, and he couldn’t fucking wait.
They’d snuck away from the party, Melody leaving just before him. He pulled up outside her house and marched toward her door like his ass was on fire.
He glanced in the window, feet faltering to a stop as her silhouette moved past the thin drapes.
She pivoted, every curve clearly delineated against the background light, and he couldn’t wait to put his hands on her. To touch every inch of her all over again.
He took the steps three at a time and didn’t bother to knock.
Melody spun, her blonde hair flaring as she moved. She hadn’t had time to do more than take off her shoes and coat, and he soaked in the sight.
“You got here quickly,” she teased.
He stepped across the room and caught her in his arms, glancing around the room to decide where to take her.
“Am I a maiden about to swoon?” Melody asked, laughter in her voice.
He dropped her on the small island countertop in the kitchen area, pinning her in place with a hand on either side of her hips. “You can be any damn thing you want as long as it involves screaming my name and begging for more.”
Damn if she didn’t laugh. “You think that’s likely?”
That’s what they were about to make sure of, because he didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding between them. “Sweetheart, let’s get one thing clear. What we had before was good, but if you’re able to handle all of me? It’s going to get so much better you’re gonna walk around with a permanent smile on your face. Everyone in town will think the reason you’re tired at the end of the day is because you worked so hard, but you and I will know it’s because I worked you over even harder.”
He watched carefully as he spoke, and her response was better than anything he could have imagined. The flush on her cheeks grew rosier, and her breathing picked up. Her pulse fluttered visibly at her neckline.
He leaned in, licking the spot.
A tiny whimper escaped her, and he couldn’t resist. He went back and nipped, then did it again when she caught hold of his shoulders and let her head fall to the side.
It’d been too damn long
. He left the tender spot under her ear and went for her lips, soaking in every moan and gasp as she undulated against him, her breasts rubbing his chest. She arched upward and opened her legs, thighs spreading wide to accept his body against hers. He used the hand around her back to drag her hips forward so his hardness connected with the heat between her legs.
He thrust his other hand into her hair, closing his fingers and tugging her head back so he could kiss her more easily. Licking her lips before slipping his tongue into her mouth to taste her. Feasting greedily until there was a roaring in his ears and a pulsing need everywhere in his body.
Her hands danced over his shoulders, her short-cut nails digging in as she dragged them over his muscles. Not enough. Her touch was only a hint of what he needed, so he broke them apart, grabbed hold of the bottom of her shirt and ripped the fabric over her head.
Her neon-yellow bra wasn’t enough to distract him from his need to reclaim her lips. This time his hand on her back made contact with the warmth of her skin. He pressed her thighs farther apart, dragging her hips forward and rocking them together until she was squirming.
“Oh God, I need you inside me right now,” Melody muttered, her hands diving between them as she attempted to undo his jeans.
He caught her wrists in one hand, holding her in place as he pulled back slightly. Gazing into her eyes and letting her see how much he wanted her as well. “Not yet. Not for a long time.”
She frowned. “Here’s a hint, Steve. Right now, I’m pretty much what you call a sure thing.”
“You’re not ready, and I haven’t finished getting you there. We were interrupted back at the pub.”
He lowered her until she lay flat on her back on the island countertop, chest moving rapidly with every breath. Her pale-blue eyes burned him with white-hot fire as she waited in anticipation for what came next.
“Now, where were we?” He leaned over, sliding a hand down her belly to open the button of her jeans and lower her zipper. “That’s right. I was just about to get you off when my brother interrupted.”
“That was rude,” Melody agreed before qualifying her statement. “It’s very impolite to ever take a break in the middle of giving me an orgasm.”
Steve grinned as he slipped his fingers through her folds and into her body. “Next time I won’t stop.”
Her eyes widened at his words, and Steve made a note of it, stroking in farther as her body wet his fingers. “Oh, you like that idea. Is that one of the things you played with while you were away?”
“Getting fingered in public?”
“Any kind of fooling around in public. You like the idea of getting caught, or the idea of being watched?”
She shivered, and he increased the tempo of his hand, slipping into her warmth then pulling back to tease her clit. Her underwear and jeans rubbed the back of his hand as he sped up, reading her body cues.
He leaned over, staring into her eyes as he continued to torment her. “It’s been too damn long, Melody, and it’s going to take days to do everything I want.”
She lifted her feet to the countertop, knees spread wide as she rocked against him, the tension in her face increasing as he brought her closer to orgasm.
He kissed her, this time using his upper body to pin her in place as he continued to pump his fingers deep, dipping his tongue into her mouth at the same tempo.
The most amazing noises escaped as Melody wrapped her hands around his shoulders and tugged in an attempt to move him.
No frickin’ way. He wasn’t going anywhere.
He pulled back far enough his lips brushed hers as he spoke. “We have so many things to try that we’ve never done before. Everything you’ve ever imagined, everything I’ve ever dreamed of. I’m going to take you so far past your fantasies your feet don’t touch the ground.”
She whimpered, her breath puffing against his lips as she struggled for air. “Oh lordy. Oh, that’s good.”
Under his fingers her clit was a tight little ball, and he pressed down. Flicking his thumb back and forth rapidly until she cried out, her head tilting back as her body arched.
He moved away just far enough to watch as she came, her entire body bowing as he stroked her to climax. She shook, clutching his shoulders, her mouth tightened into a rosy pout, her eyes half-closed as she purred out her satisfaction.
He could watch her do that all day long. “Damn, that was sexy.”
He slowed his touch, gentling the motion as aftershocks continued to rack her body.
“Nice.” Melody sighed happily.
Nope. “Wrong word,” Steve warned, shifting back into a position between her legs.
Melody leaned up on her elbows, confusion building. “What you talking about—?”
Then she didn’t say anything else because he’d put his mouth between her legs and put his tongue in to play on her clit. Her thighs trembled under his hands, hips rocking as she moaned her approval.
He paused for a moment, glancing up to see a broad smile stretching her face. Steve hummed. “God, you taste so good.”
He went back to work, lapping like a starving man. Melody thrust her fingers into his hair and held him in place, one gasp of pleasure after another escaping her lips until she was quivering.
Another burst of satisfaction rang out as she came, and the sound thrilled him even as his cock pressed harder against the confines of his jeans. It had been too long, and with every touch, Steve remembered a little more why he had enjoyed being with Melody so very much.
She lived life without holding back—he needed more of that. But for now he would take this opportunity to prove they needed this new start.
Melody lay motionless with her eyes closed, body totally relaxed as she sprawled on the countertop. “Oh Lord, Steve, let me breathe.”
He chuckled, slipping his arms under her. “You don’t need to breathe, darling. I’ll do it for you.”
She draped her arms around his neck as he carried her toward the back of the house. Her smile? A whole lot of naughtiness. “You taking me to my bedroom to ravish me?”
“Sort of.”
Only when he got there and placed her gently on the bed, he stepped back. She was naked from the waist down, her bright-coloured bra still covering breasts that he couldn’t wait to see again.
He’d been given a challenge. Three months to rock her world, and he had every intention of starting that right now.
She shimmied up on her knees. “What are you doing way over there?”
Steve glanced around the room, eyeing the drawers and small table beside her bed. “Just getting my bearings.”
He marched forward and tugged open the drawer beside her bed as she scrambled toward him.
“Steve, what are you—? Oh, no.”
He’d guessed right. He pulled a fabric bag from the drawer and hefted it a few times. Under his fingers an assortment of cock-like objects rolled, and he laughed. “From the shape of things, you’ve got a few more toys than you used to have.”
Her cheeks had gone bright red. “Variety is the spice of life.”
Steve had no objection to adding a little spice to their sex. And no better time to start than right now.
Steve hadn’t lied. Something was different as he prowled up the bed to her side, his expression one of lustful intent. Sex had never been bad with him, but so far today had been extraordinary.
If he kept upping the ante like this, his threat would come true. She would have trouble walking, at least without a satisfied grin on her face that would far too clearly tell everyone what she’d been up to.
“You have a favourite?” he asked, the lumpy fabric bag in his hand making her smile even as shivers of anticipation rolled up her spine.
“All depends.” The temptation to tease was too great to resist. She wiggled back to make room beside her and went to tug her toy bag from him.
“Reach in and take out what you need,” he ordered.
Well, that little bit of bossiness earned him no mercy. M
elody slipped up on her knees and thrust her hand in, going unerringly for the biggest vibrator in the collection. She pulled it out, keeping her face as neutral as possible as she laid it in his outspread palm.
She was impressed when he didn’t flinch. One brow rose slowly, though, as he examined the plastic shaped like a thick, ten-inch cock, with a full curved head, veins on the exterior, and everything.
His lips curled into a full-out masculine grin. “Aww, you missed me.”
Melody laughed. She couldn’t help it. “Your ego is just fine.”
He leaned in, caressing her cheek with his lips. “I’m going to make you feel good, and it’s not going to be the toys, it’s going to be me. My fingers. My tongue. My cock—no matter what else is touching you, I’m the one taking you there.”
“Bring it,” she whispered back, the dare all too clear.
He placed the bag on her side table, laying the vibrator on the mattress beside them. Then he placed her in his lap and proceeded to kiss her senseless as he stripped away her bra.
She liked kissing, and she especially liked kissing Steve. He didn’t seem to think it was a part of the journey on the way to the fucking, or something to get past as quickly as possible. He made it an awesome part all on its own.
He caught hold of her lower lip and nipped, the slight sting making her gasp. The moment her lips opened, he slipped his tongue inside, this time teasing and retreating until she didn’t know if she needed to lean into him to demand more, or take advantage of the brief moments when he’d let her breathe so she wouldn’t pass out from a lack of oxygen.
She sat in his lap, the coarse fabric of his jeans and the soft cotton of his flannel shirt brushing her naked skin. Sensitizing every nerve to the point that when he finally took one hand away from where he’d been cupping her face, she stiffened in anticipation of where he would touch next.