by Tess Summers
“Only when you finally get sick of me.” He sat back and reached for his coffee, eyes intently on her face.
“Oh.” She was suddenly very interested in the little dessert menu at the edge of the table by the wall.
“Do you see that happening?” he asked in a low voice.
The vulnerability in his tone struck her as she flipped the laminated sheet over, pretending to peruse the available pies and cakes. She felt cocky at the sudden shift in power that had transpired in a matter of seconds. The question was, what was she going to do with that unexpected control?
With great power comes great responsibility. Doesn’t the saying often associated with Spiderman go something like that? She wouldn’t necessarily classify the revelation Luke Rivas was feeling vulnerable about their relationship as great power, but she wasn’t going to abuse it. She put the menu back where she found it, looked him square in the eye and smiled.
“Not a chance.”
The smile he gave her made her want to crawl over the table and into his lap to emphasize she meant it. She knew being exposed wasn’t something Luke allowed very often, and she felt honored he’d let his guard down with her.
The server appeared with their breakfast. She set the plates down, along with the check and disappeared.
As Cassie began buttering her fluffy pancakes, he asked, “You didn’t answer me. Does today count as Date Six?”
She poured syrup over the hotcakes. “I think so. Don’t you? It feels like a new date.”
He took a bite of toast and grinned. “But with the same ending.”
“Well, hopefully, they’ll be some twists to last night’s ending,” she flirted.
“Oh, there will be. You’ll never be bored, doll.”
The power had once again shifted. Her alpha was back.
“Aren’t we supposed to ask each other questions on each date?” He was cockily grinning as he took a bite of bacon.
She smiled at him, shaking her head in amusement. “I’m assuming you have some in mind?”
“A couple.”
“Shoot. I can come up with some on the fly, I’m sure.”
“What’s your full name?”
She quirked her eyebrows. “You know my name. Cassandra Jo Sullivan. What’s yours?”
“Luke Santiago Rivas.” He laid his Spanish accent on thick, rolling his r’s and enunciating the pronunciation.
“I like it,” she smirked at him. “It’s distinguished, yet sexy.
“That is the perfect definition of me. Distinguished and sexy.”
Cassie made a show of rolling her eyes. It was her turn.
“How old are you, oh sexy and distinguished one?”
“Thirty-five. You?”
“Thirty-four.”
He smiled like she’d confirmed something for him.
“Next question. When’s your birthday? When will you be thirty-five?”
“Not until May eleventh.”
He jerked his head back. “Mine’s the ninth. We should have a party to celebrate.”
“I don’t know,” Cassie grimaced, “I don’t think two Tauruses make a good match.”
“Why not?” he asked with a frown.
“Come on. Two bulls? Butting heads?”
He typed something into his phone and tutted. “It says here when two Tauruses are in a relationship, it’s rock solid. They are fiercely committed and passionate, value the same things, and will have a long, loyal love.”
That surprised her. “Oh. That’s good to know, I guess.” Somehow, she wasn’t entirely convinced and did her own Google search. “It also says we could get stuck in a rut, we’re both stubborn, and it could be war with neither willing to compromise.”
His look was one of amusement, and she scowled, “What’s so funny?”
He grabbed her hand, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. “Cass, does that sound like us?”
She pursed her lips and took her hand back. “Well, not the rut part. But I could see the stubborn and unwilling to compromise part. I know I can be pretty damn willful, and I suspect you could have a tendency to be pig-headed on occasion.”
He was still smirking. “I’m not worried.”
Exasperated, she sighed. “Fine. Whose turn is it?”
“Yours.”
She looked at him reflectively. “Hmm. Do you have siblings?”
“An older sister. She lives in Florida, but just got divorced not too long ago, so she might be moving back to Cali with my two nephews.”
“How old are they?”
“I’m not sure.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “I think something like sixteen and ten.”
“Oh, rough ages to move.”
“Yeah, I think that’s why she hasn’t done it yet. But really, is there a good age to haul your kids across the country, away from everyone they know?”
“No, probably not,” she conceded. “But I think some ages are easier than others.”
“That’s true. I guess we’ll see what happens. What about you? Is Brenna your only sibling?”
“My only one. My parents tried for a lot of years before getting pregnant with me. That’s why we’re over ten years apart. It sucked growing up. It was almost like I was an only child, but it’s been amazing as an adult.”
“My sister is only two years older, and there were many times growing up I wish I’d been an only child,” he laughed.
“Are you close now?”
“I love her more than anything, but she went off to the University of Florida when I was a junior in high school, met her ex her freshman year, and never came back. So, we’re kind of the opposite of you and Brenna. We were close as kids and have grown apart as adults.”
“Do you miss her?”
“Sure, especially when she went through her divorce. I really wanted to be there for her and the boys, but it was hard being so far away.”
She shuddered. “Divorce sucks. Watching Brenna go through hers was heartbreaking. I can’t even imagine having to go through that, especially if there are kids involved.”
Luke’s expression changed briefly, but before she had a chance to ask him about it, he was asking his next question.
“Did you go to college?”
“I did. UC San Diego. Brenna said she’d pay for my schooling if I stayed here, so I did. It was a pretty easy decision, Danielle, my niece, was only like four, so I wanted to be close. What about you?”
“I joined the Marines fresh out of high school. Did two tours, and when my time ended, I didn’t re-up. Instead, I came home and was fortunate enough to get hired right away by San Diego PD.”
“Do you like it?”
He looked at her like she was crazy for even asking. “I fucking love it.” He took another bite of bacon, then asked, “What about you? How d'you come to be a pharma girl?”
She rolled her eyes at the name. “I was planning on going for my Ph.D. and becoming a pharmacist, but after I graduated with my bachelor’s, recruiters were pounding on my door. The promise of six figures when you’re twenty-two is pretty hard to say no to.”
He snorted. “Pretty hard for a thirty-five-year-old to say no to as well.”
“I was really lucky, no doubt about it.”
“I don’t know if luck has anything to do with it,” he disagreed. “It sounds like you’re pretty great at what you do.”
“I can’t take all the credit, my company makes it easy with all the research and development they do. They’re able to roll out new drugs regularly.”
“Just what the world needs,” he mocked.
She felt her hackles rise and threw her napkin on her finished plate. “Tell that to the mom beating cancer because of our drugs, or the dad who doesn’t reject his new liver, or—”
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he cut her off. “Whoa, whoa. I was just teasing. I’m in no way against Big Pharma. I totally understand the need for it.”
That soothed her feathers. “Sorry, I guess I get a little defensive.”
Luke stood and picked up the check, offering her his hand. “No need to be defensive with me, Cass. I’ll always be in your corner,” he said as he kissed her cheek once she stood.
“Thanks,” she smiled and reached for the check. “I believe I said I was buying breakfast.”
He pulled the slip of paper out of her reach. “Yeah, no can do, doll.”
“Luke, I’m not sure if you realize this, but I make a shit-ton of money. Probably way more than you do.”
He pressed against the small of her back and urged her toward the front of the restaurant.
“Well, I don’t give a damn how much money you make. I have a pair of balls, so I’m buying.”
She shook her head and muttered, “You know, the whole premise of a man always buying was because men traditionally made more money than women.”
He stopped her before they reached the register. “You know the whole premise of why I will always buy is because I fucking take care of what’s mine.”
It was so Neanderthal-like, and yet she felt herself getting turned on. She didn’t know if it was his claiming her or his declaration that he takes care of what’s his, maybe both. Regardless, it was sexy.
Maybe it was because she’d never dated a Taurus before.
Chapter Twenty-One
Luke
Spending the day playing hooky with Cassie was better than he’d imagined. Morning sex followed by a walk on the beach with his dog, then breakfast where they talked nonstop. With a little afternoon delight at her place and a nap. He needed the rest, sex with Cassie was mind-blowing. She seemed to be submissive by nature, at least with him. Judging by her initial insistence they were equal, he assumed she’d never been with a man strong enough to tame her.
He was taming her all right.
She woke up from their nap to find his face between her legs. He knew the second she was fully awake because she went from being compliant and wanton to self-conscious and unsure and tried to scoot away from his mouth. Luke grabbed the backs of her thighs and tugged her pussy back to his face.
“Excuse me, I’m not finished with you yet.”
She was tense and rigid and tried pushing his head from between her legs.
“It’s just that… I don’t think…” Her protests were replaced with a low moan when he spread her pussy lips apart and plunged his tongue inside. He momentarily replaced his tongue with a finger in order to correct her.
“It’s just that you taste so fucking good, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of your cunt.” He dipped his mouth back to suck on her clit while he continued fingering her, then lifted his head to resume admonishing her. “Don’t ever think I don’t love this, Cassie, because I do. Your pussy is fucking beautiful.” He stroked one finger down her ass crack. “And I’ll be having this ass sometime soon, too.”
She froze.
Idiot. He scared her with that admission. He knew he needed to ease her into that. He wasn’t going to let her think about it and dove back to pleasuring her.
As he licked and sucked, he felt her holding back, so he paused and kissed her inner thigh, asking, “What’s wrong?”
“I told you, this makes me uncomfortable. I know I get really wet, and that can’t be…”
He was in action before she could finish her thought, hovering over her body and completely enveloping her frame with his. Kissing her mouth thoroughly so she could taste herself, he pulled his lips away and murmured, “How do you taste, doll?”
She refused to answer and tried to kiss him again instead. He jerked his face back.
“How do you taste?” he asked more insistently. They weren’t going any further until she acknowledged his question.
“I don’t know. I taste different.”
“You taste fucking delicious.”
She gave a small smile. “Really? You like that?”
“Like it? Are you kidding me? I fucking love it.”
“But I get so… wet. Isn’t that a turnoff? Especially when you’re doing… that.”
“Are you serious right now?” She was batshit crazy, there was no other explanation. “Do you have any idea how hot that is? Your body’s telling me you like what I’m doing. Your soaked pussy is like a fucking round of applause. I could lick you all day long.”
She smiled and murmured, “Oh my” and ran her fingers through his hair with both hands, drawing his face back to hers.
Luke kissed her again, her body relaxed and pliant now. He slithered down her body, stopping to suck on her nipples until she moaned and bowed her back off the bed, then kissed down her core to settle back between her legs. Stroking her slit, he asked, “Now, where was I?”
She spread her legs wider and whispered, “I think there.”
“That’s my girl,” he murmured into her labia before running his tongue up and down. Cassie gasped and pressed against his mouth. He tried not to smile.
Swirling his tongue around her clit, he slid one finger inside, then two, finding her G-spot. He wiggled his fingers in time with his tongue until she cried out, her pussy making the most delightful sounds with the added wetness from her orgasm. He looked up at her with a devilish grin.
“Hear that? A fucking round of applause.”
She lay panting and quivering but breathlessly whispered, “Bravo, Sergeant Rivas.”
He smirked and pushed his fingers deeper inside her. “What’s that? Encore?”
“Oh my God,” she moaned. She let him continue for a moment before pushing his head away. “No more! Mercy!”
“Mercy?” he asked, pausing his ministrations.
“Yes, mercy. Please.”
“Mercy?” he repeated as he began fingering her again.
“Yes, Luke!” She squeezed her legs together, giggling loudly. “Stop! I can’t take it.”
He pulled his hand away and chuckled. “I think we just found your safe word, doll.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cassie
“Safe word?” she squeaked.
She’d heard of safe words, read about them in her dirty books, but never in a million years did she think she’d have the need for one.
“Why would I need a safe word?” her voice went up an octave.
He touched the tip of her nose with his finger. “Because, Cassie, even though I am the one in charge, you always, always have the final say. From now on, anytime you say mercy, things will come to a stop.”
“But I say that in jest sometimes,” she frowned. “Like, I might not really want you to stop when I say it.”
“Did you want me to stop just now?”
“Well, yes. But sometimes I might not.”
He furrowed his brows. “Hmm, then we’ll need a different word.”
“How about red?” she suggested. It seemed to be a standard safe word in the books she’d read.
She jerked her head back. Wait! Did she not only agree to use a safe word but come up with one, too?
“Red works.”
She pushed him down on the bed and mounted his stomach, leaning down to kiss his chest as she glided her wet pussy over his left hip and down his thigh so she was straddling his leg. She firmly stroked his shaft while kissing his stomach.
“Green, Mr. Rivas?” she murmured against his skin.
He wound her hair in his fist and directed her mouth to his dick.
“Green, Ms. Sullivan. And you can call me Sir.”
Yeah, doubtful.
He thrust into her mouth and grunted, “Suck my cock, slut.”
What did he call me?
Using her hair as a guide, he moved her mouth up and down his shaft, occasionally pushing her head so he was deep in her throat.
“That’s it. Take it. Take all of it like a good little whore.”
No one had ever dared speak to her that way-in or out of the bedroom. She’d never been so turned on in her life.
“Mmm, yes, Sir,” she said after slurping off him and stroking his slippery shaft. She cupped his balls and he groaned, “Fuck,
yes,” urging her mouth to them. Cassie circled her tongue around his sac, then sucked one nut into her mouth. She started to stroke his shaft as she tugged his skin between her lips, releasing him with a pop! before drawing in the other.
His cock was hard as steel, precum leaking from the tip. She smeared it around with her thumb, and he drew her mouth back to his cock where she began to suck and stroke like a woman on a mission, which she was. A mission to taste his cum.
He abruptly pulled her off him.
“What’s wrong?” She was worried she’d hurt him somehow.
“Not a goddamn thing,” he growled. “Other than I’m ten seconds away from coming down your throat.”
Cassie cocked her head and resumed stroking him slowly. “Maybe you aren’t aware of how this works. There’s this end goal people like to achieve…”
Luke burst out laughing and pulled her wrist to position her on all fours. Grabbing the back of her neck, he pressed her head into the pillows with one hand and smacked her ass with the other.
“Naughty girl,” he said in between swats. “Your ass looks so nice in this shade of pink. It matches your beautiful pussy.” He then tenderly caressed her bottom before covering her body with his, taking care to keep his weight on his forearms. He began kissing the back of her neck, which was her undoing. She rubbed against him, trying to convey her want without words.
Wrapping his arms around her front, one hand around her neck beneath her chin and the other across her tits, he continued kissing her neck as he thrust himself deep inside her needy pussy. She arched back, compelling him farther inside her and reached behind his neck to pull him closer to her. It was like she couldn’t get close enough to him.
They moved in time together, both moaning and panting. Their bodies caressed each other since their hands were occupied. She’d never felt this connected to a man before; their rhythm seemed to match their desire.
He continued to thrust inside her, his speech incoherent with lust until they came simultaneously. It was the most euphoric orgasm she’d ever experienced. He must have felt the same because his words only became intelligible when he hugged her body tightly against him while they came down from their high.
“I love you so goddamn much,” he panted in her ear.