by Mari Carr
Sara laughed. “Seriously, Kellan? Given the amount of time you spend with those particular things, you would think you’d start to get a feel for real versus fake.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Not sure it makes that much of a difference. They’re fun either way.”
“Yeah, well, there’s no way I have enough money for boobs like that. Or even enough upper body strength to lug them around. So I guess I’m screwed.”
He snorted. “Upper body strength?”
“Those things aren’t exactly lightweight, you know.”
“Do I want to know how you know that?”
She grinned. “Guys aren’t the only ones who talk about boobs. I have plenty of well-endowed friends. One night, after a few glasses of wine, two girlfriends got into a contest to see whose weighed the most. I was the judge.”
“Do me a favor. Invite me the next time you go out with those women.”
Sara lightly punched him on the shoulder. “Perv.”
He shook his head, wondering how she always managed to distract him from what he intended to say. It wasn’t unusual for her to veer into these silly side conversations until he forgot what they were talking about. “My point is you look fine just the way you are. Hell, you look fucking hot tonight. With your hair down and”—he pointed at her breasts—“that dress, it’s a wonder every guy in the place hasn’t hit on you.”
Sara leaned back in her seat, glancing down at her own cleavage. “I can’t decide if that was an insult or a compliment.”
Kellan bit back his laughter. “I meant it as a compliment.”
“Yeah. I thought so. That’s why I’m letting it slide. But the hard truth is I’ve been sitting here alone in an outfit I had hoped would spark some sort of attraction between my date and me. Instead, he’s a no-show, and not one man has approached me in the last hour, not to chat or to buy me a drink or to make an indecent proposal.”
Kellan considered her comments and realized she’d lied to him. “You said you weren’t interested in a hookup. But it sounds like that’s exactly why you’re here.”
She shrugged. “The reason I’m here doesn’t matter. Apparently I’m not the kind of woman men want to take home for wild, kinky sex.”
Kellan’s cock woke up and took notice, going rock hard in record time. Tonight was the first time he’d ever considered what it would be like to take Sara to bed. Now that she’d said two of his favorite adjectives in the English language, he couldn’t think of anything else.
A gentleman would have put those desires in a vault, locked them up, and melted the key. After all, they were friends. She’d been the girl next door when they were growing up, and now she was an employee. Hooking up with Sara would be a bad idea.
Unfortunately, he had never mastered the art of being a gentleman, and it wasn’t uncommon for him to think with the wrong head.
He forced himself to concentrate on their conversation, to stop fixating on the word kinky. Or wild. Wild was a pretty distracting word, too.
“When was the last time you had sex, Sara?”
She gave him her standard disapproving glare. The one she seemed to have patented especially for him. “None of your business.”
Backing off wasn’t his strong suit. When he wanted information, he pushed, persuaded, or figured it out on his own. If she wouldn’t reply, he’d reason it out. “You and David split up, what? A year ago?”
Her lips were pursed, and a flash of anger lit her gaze.
It didn’t faze him. “Please tell me you’ve had sex since then.”
Sara’s continued silence and the slight flush of her cheeks told him what he needed to know.
“You haven’t fucked a guy since David?” The idea of not sleeping with someone for an entire year—Jesus, twelve months—was unfathomable.
She sighed. “Actually, David and I stopped having sex before we stopped being a couple. Timeline is probably closer to two years.”
His eyes widened as she rolled hers. David had stopped fucking her a year before the breakup? He reconsidered his previous opinion of her ex. The guy was a moron.
“You know, it’s not that incomprehensible, Kellan. The rest of the world isn’t like you. We don’t let our genitals drive our actions. Most of us need some sort of emotional connection to go with the physical one in order to enjoy sex.”
Kellan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A seed was taking root. “But you were willing to throw that emotional shit out the window tonight, weren’t you?”
She didn’t respond for a moment, and then she nodded slowly. “Yeah. I was.”
“You need to get laid.”
“And like I said, that’s not going to happen here tonight.” She started to rise, but once more Kellan caught her by the wrist and held tight.
“Are you sure you’ve considered all your options?”
She shook off his grip, but maintained her seat. “What do you mean?”
Kellan gestured around the bar. “There are a lot of available men here.”
“Please tell me you’re not trying to hook me up with Josh.”
“You could do worse than Josh. But no, I think he’s already spoken for tonight.” Both of them watched as their friend stroked his hand along the blonde’s back.
“That’s right. He is. And so are most of the others. I’ve watched at least half a dozen guys walk up to other women and offer to buy them drinks.” Kellan could see her frustration was real. Otherwise, she would never have engaged in such a personal conversation with him.
“Well, yeah. But—”
“What’s wrong with me, Kell?”
He considered her question seriously. He’d known Sara Connelly his entire life. Had attended every single one of her childhood birthday parties until the year she had turned thirteen and opted for an all-girls slumber party. And he’d even crashed that one, making out with her best friend Elena until Sara’s parents caught them and sent him home.
Teasing her was part and parcel of their friendship. He gave her shit for being a stick-in-the-mud and too practical, and she returned the favor by calling him an immature playboy. The thing was, Sara’s work ethic was something he’d always admired and secretly emulated. And he suspected there were times when she followed his lead when it came to partying and cutting loose. They evened each other out. Always had.
The more the thought about it, the more he realized the men in this bar were a bunch of fucking idiots. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Not a damn thing.”
She studied his face carefully. He got a sense she was waiting for the punch line, for the other shoe to drop. When he let his statement stand, her brow creased.
“How much have you had to drink tonight?”
He chuckled. “Three beers in two hours. I’m not even close to wasted.”
“And everything is okay? You didn’t fall and hit your head or anything?” She leaned closer as if checking his pupils for a trauma.
“You’re a regular Amy Schumer. You asked me what was wrong with you, and I gave you an honest answer.”
“Maybe my question was too broad.” She leaned back and gestured to her dress. His dick thickened at the unobstructed view of her cleavage. “Like this outfit. Does it say I’m available for sex, or about to attend a PTA meeting?”
“Sex. Definitely sex.”
She continued cataloging all the special effort she’d taken in getting ready tonight. “And the hair?”
“Inviting.” He imagined himself accepting that invitation, wrapping his fingers in the silky waves and pulling it as she sucked on his cock.
“The makeup? Too heavy?”
“Perfect.” He fantasized about those sexy eyes gazing at him over her shoulder as he fucked her from behind.
She twisted in her seat and drew his attention to her shoes. He hadn’t seen them before, but now that she pointed them out, he was in serious trouble. His erection was becoming uncomfortable, his pants too tight.
“The heels?”
“Scream ‘fuc
k me.’ But you’re hiding them under the table. You’re hiding most of your outfit in this booth.” That wasn’t exactly true. He’d honed in on her the second he spotted her.
She bit her lip as she chewed over that tidbit. “So when it was obvious I’d been stood up, I should have moved to the bar?”
He nodded.
“Interesting. Okay, that’s helpful. Thanks.” The smile she gave him was wholly Sara, nothing more than friendly, but it took him down like a house of cards, drew his attention to her full, shiny lips. He wouldn’t mind having that lip gloss smeared on a few parts of his body.
“Can I ask you something else?”
Now that he’d proven he was sincere in his offer to help, she was loosening up, taking advantage of the tutelage.
He lifted his hand. “Fire away.”
“If I was sitting at that bar, in this outfit, would you approach me, hoping for a hookup?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
She laughed softly. “Badly-worded question. Would other men look at me that way? Am I approachable, or do I give off a standoffish vibe?”
Kellan felt like there was something behind that question, but he answered it honestly just the same. “You are very approachable, Sara.”
“Great. I appreciate your help.” Once more she attempted to leave the table.
“Where are you going?”
She shrugged. “I think my window of opportunity has closed for the night. Most of the guys in here have found their hookups, or they’re too drunk to bother with. Besides, my vibrator is missing me.”
Kellan groaned, wishing she hadn’t painted that picture. He shook his head in an attempt to clear out the image of what he’d like to do with her and a few sex toys.
“I’ll consider your suggestions and give it a try some other night.”
“You’re not leaving.”
She tilted her head curiously. “What?”
“Let me clarify. You’re not leaving alone. You’re still missing the obvious answer.”
She frowned, confused. “Really. And I suppose you’re going to enlighten me?” She glanced around the room. “Which Prince Charming have I overlooked?”
“Me.”
She laughed. Loudly. Kellan didn’t take offense. If someone had told him he’d be propositioning Sara tonight, he would have told them to fuck off. Kellan prided himself on his his role as Mr. Right Now. And even though she said she was looking for something like that tonight, Sara was ultimately searching for forever. That wasn’t him.
Plus, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Sara had never indulged in anything more scandalous than doggy style. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want to. It just meant David was a bigger ass than Kellan had realized.
When Kellan didn’t crack a smile, she sobered up, looking at him curiously. “That was a joke, right?”
He shook his head.
She opened her mouth to tell him all the reasons why what he was suggesting was wrong. He wasn’t interested in hearing them.
“My offer is sincere. And before you launch into that grocery list of excuses why we shouldn’t sleep together, I want you to consider the reasons why we should.”
Sara invited him to continue, with a crooked grin that told him she had zero expectation of him changing her mind. “I’ll admit I can’t think of one reason why this is a good idea, so color me curious. Why do you think we should have sex with each other?”
“Because, despite your assertions that you’re interested in a one-night stand with a stranger, I know you better than that. You won’t cut loose, won’t indulge in all those kinky, wild things you’re dreaming of with a man you don’t trust. And, the truth is, you shouldn’t. It’s not safe.”
She bit her lower lip, her expression telling him he’d hit the mark.
“You trust me.” It wasn’t a question that needed to be asked.
“That doesn’t mean—”
“I’m more than able to give you what you want, Sara.”
“Able doesn’t mean willing.”
“I’m very willing.”
“That’s not overly encouraging, Kellan. You’d fuck anything with two legs.”
He narrowed his eyes angrily. He’d let her sucker punch him before because she’d been hurt, but that didn’t mean he’d continue to be her whipping boy. “Sara—”
She raised her hands. “I’m sorry. God. What a hateful thing to say.” Sara rubbed her forehead, weariness laced with depression coloring the action.
Kellan reached out and grasped one of her hands in his. “It’s okay. I know what you meant.”
She didn’t try to pull away from him. “You’re my boss.”
He chuckled. “I’ve never noticed that stopping you from doing whatever you want anyway.”
She was his biggest adversary at work, the two of them continually butting heads.
Maybe starting this had been a mistake, but he wasn’t taking the offer back. Now that he’d spoken the words aloud, he wanted Sara with a need that was painful in its intensity.
“You’re my friend.”
Once she said it, he understood that was probably the biggest—maybe the only—thing holding her back from what he was suggesting, which was smart on her part.
Regardless, he wasn’t backing down.
“For the first time in our lives, we want the same thing. You want a one-night stand, and I want to have it with you. You want to explore your wild side, and I have the experience to guide you through those desires—safely. You don’t want a lifetime with me, and I have no intention of making a long-term commitment. Everything lines up. It’s fate.”
Sara laughed. “Please. Don’t attach such a lofty term to something so…visceral.”
“You think too much. There’s nothing wrong with being impulsive every once in a while.”
She didn’t bother to argue with him. In fact, her brow furrowed as she sincerely considered his proposal.
He cut through the silence that had fallen between them. Letting Sara think through the rights or wrongs of this for too long wouldn’t work to his advantage. Her practical side was powerful, so he needed to keep her focused on the offer at hand.
“Pretend I’m a stranger and I’ve walked over to buy you a drink,” he prompted. “We’re hitting it off, and it’s clear we’re going home together tonight. What would you want to do?”
She blushed. “I can’t believe I’m actually having this conversation with you.”
Kellan pressed her for more when it was clear she was weakening. “Tell me.”
“I’ve always wanted to take a sexy bath with a guy, or skinny dip in a hot tub.”
He frowned. That was her idea of wild and kinky? Then he realized she was holding back, still resistant to telling him was she really wanted. He shook his head. “Lame answer. You’re playing it safe. Try again.”
“I want us to go down on each other.”
Her list was vanilla in the extreme. On purpose. “I thought the idea was for you to try things you’ve never done.”
She shrugged. “It is.”
“You’ve never given a blowjob?” That wasn’t possible.
“Of course I have,” she said. “It’s just, no one’s ever…David acted like…” Her cheeks were flaming.
“He never went down on you? Never sucked your clit in his mouth. Never fucked you with his tongue?”
She gasped, squirming on the booth. Kellan’s opinion of her ex plummeted once more. The guy wasn’t just an idiot. He was a selfish bastard.
“I’m going to do all of that,” Kellan said, fighting for some semblance of control. Now that they’d opened the floodgates, his mind was whirling over everything he wanted to do to her. Sara was clearly too inexperienced for all of his desires, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted. What she deserved.
“Anything else?” he asked.
She never broke eye contact as she spoke. “Role-play.”
Those two words fired u
p at least a thousand fantasies in his mind, each one hotter than the next. Rather than let her see how much her request affected him, he simply said, “Done.”
She blinked a couple of times. “Just like that? You don’t want to talk about it?”
“I’m perfectly aware of what role-play means. Unless you want me to explain it to you.”
As expected, he’d tweaked her pride. “No, thanks. Do you want to discuss what kind of roles we’d play?”
He grinned. “I’d hate to make all those decisions now. We need to save some surprises for later.”
Sara tried not to smile. It was clear she still considered this all just a game. If only she knew exactly how serious he was. “So,” she said at last. “There’s my list. What would you like to do?”
He had her in just the right state of mind, so he decided to go for broke. If her third request had been as vanilla as the first two, he would have lied, but as it was…
“I want sex in public. I want to tie you up in bed and fuck you. And I want to pull you over my lap and spank that sexy ass of yours.”
Her mouth was open. He sensed she wanted to speak, but no sound emerged.
“I…” she whispered, finally finding her words. “I don’t think we can do all that in one night.”
She raised a valid point. And now that the expectations were there, lying between them, Kellan wasn’t willing to chop anything from the list. He wanted it all. “You’re right. We can’t. So the parameters have changed. You’re going to go home with me tonight and stay there until Sunday. Our one-night stand is now a weekend thing.”
Silence hovered between them, but Kellan didn’t seek to fill it this time. The more they talked, the more resolved he was. She wasn’t going home alone tonight.
Sara wasn’t impulsive by nature. She reasoned things out and made educated, well-informed decisions. It was another major difference in their personalities. It wasn’t unusual for him to drop everything and fly to Vegas for an evening just because he felt like taking in a show and hitting the tables.
“I need a moment.” She looked over her shoulder toward the back of the bar. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”
She was going to say no. He could see it in the stiffness of her shoulders, the wariness in her gaze. She intended to escape for a few minutes to batten down her hatches and return with a rejection.