Manster

by Cari Quinn

  Fuck.

  Soft didn’t cover it. Her skin was as if the softest suede and silk had a baby. “Lean back against me.” She did, but she was still stiff. “Watch the fire. Haven’t you ever just sat quietly by yourself?” I lowered my mouth to her ear. “Taken the edge off with an orgasm.”

  She turned to look at me. “Alone?”

  I chuckled. “I did say by yourself. Besides, it’s the best natural stress reliever in the world.”

  “Not really. I’m too busy most of the time. When I actually sit down, I usually fall asleep instantly.”

  “Must be nice. Takes me ages some nights.”

  “Do you…take yourself in hand then?”

  I choked. “You definitely weren’t born with a filter.”

  “No, I guess not.”

  She sounded so glum that I curled my arms around her tighter. “Sometimes it’s better than a glass of whiskey. It empties out your brain.”

  “Hmm. I’ve had orgasms before. I think.”

  “You think?” Sweet Jesus, that was just wrong. “That means you definitely haven’t had a real orgasm.”

  “Of course, I have. I mean, I’ve taken the edge off when my ex-boyfriend fell asleep. You know, after.” She shrugged. “Most of the time it wasn’t worth the effort. Any of it, really. I’ve never understood what the hype was about.”

  “He should have been castrated,” I muttered.

  “That’s a little excessive.”

  I situated myself on the couch so I could widen my stance as much as possible. She fit between my legs as if she was made for me. Made for this. “No, it’s not. Now concentrate. This is half your grade, kitten.”

  “Getting to orgasm? Then I’m going to fail.”

  I closed my eyes. Yeah, dead didn’t even cover it for me tonight.

  “Especially when I’m doing it in front of someone.” She sighed and crossed her arms.

  “Even if you don’t get to…fruition, learning how you like to be touched only works if you find out on your own.”

  “I suppose that makes sense. Learn by doing. At least that’s what my dad always told me.”

  “Let’s not bring your dad into this.”

  “Right. Not sexy.” She sat up straighter as if I was going to give her instructions.

  Well, I was, but none of them included her being so stiff and attentive. I wanted her a little lost. Out of her overactive brain for a few minutes.

  “Relax.” I let out a long breath. Maybe the yoga I used before a set would work here. “Breathe in and hold it.” She dragged in a big breath and held it, her cheeks puffed out. It was a struggle to stop myself from laughing at her. “You said you’ve done yoga.”

  She let out her breath with a whoosh. “I sucked at it.”

  I let out a laugh. “Then we’ll get you there.” I brushed my fingertips over her middle. The light ridges of muscle surprised me. She didn’t seem like the workout type. Then again, all her climbing and building was probably a better workout than could be found at any gym. “Lean back on me, kitten.”

  A shiver rolled through her like a mini earthquake. Did she react like that every time she heard me call her that name? My dick twitched and I tried my damnedest to ignore it.

  This wasn’t about me. This was all about her.

  “Follow my breathing. In through your nose…” I dragged in a long, slow breath full of Piper. “Then out slowly from your mouth. Again.” I felt her body slowly unfurl with each exhale.

  When she settled into my body and her hands fell to my thighs, I brushed my lips against her ear. “Now I want you to touch yourself.”

  She jolted at my words.

  “It doesn’t have to be your pussy. Not yet.”

  She shuddered and I had to suck back a groan. This was so not a good idea, but I’d put myself in the situation, and I needed to see it through. Her skin was gilded in firelight and her nipples had softened during her breathing exercises. Everything about her had turned soft and pliable.

  I allowed myself a slow perusal of her body. Being so much taller than she was had advantages. The high slope of her breasts, the soft swell of her hips and creamy thighs, the hint of dark hair under her cotton panties—the entire situation was so different than what I was used to.

  The models who erred toward skeletal in their desire to be in the smallest size imaginable, the lush dancers I’d been with in my racing days, the bombshells who fairly dripped with sex—and here, this woman with her surprisingly athletic body and hidden curves.

  I wouldn’t lie and say I hadn’t been turned on by the others, but this felt real and intimate in ways I’d rarely allowed myself.

  Even with the woman I’d almost married.

  The quick sizzle of anger flared up, but having Piper in my lap seemed to temper me in more than one way. And I found myself craving this feeling the more I was surrounded by it.

  I covered her hands with my own and slid our fingers over her thighs. I laced my fingers between hers so I could narrate for a few moments until she could take over.

  “Feel the heat of your skin from the fire. The little chill bumps from the open door.”

  “I’m not cold.”

  “Are the goosebumps from me?”

  “Maybe.”

  I smiled against her neck. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “You’re literally surrounding me.”

  “Think of me as an extension of the couch.”

  “Not likely.”

  I nipped her ear. “Concentrate then.”

  “Right. I’d like to get an A-plus on this exam.”

  I was terrified that a C grade would throw me into cardiac arrest. Surely anything higher would put me in an early grave. “Then show me what you’ve got, Lockwood.”

  She rested her head against my chest. “It feels weird that I’m naked and you’re not.”

  “This is about you, not me. If I take my clothes off, I’m going to be inside you within ten minutes.”

  “Really?” She tried to turn, but I held her still.

  There was no doubt in my mind that I’d have sex with her if I lost even a damn sock tonight. “Eyes front, Miss Lockwood.”

  “Right. I can do this.”

  I let my hands slide to the couch.

  She lifted her fingers so the tips trailed along her legs, then slowly along her inner thighs. She coasted up to her belly and along the undersides of her breasts.

  There was no sound in the place. Just her soft breath and the occasional flicker of the fire. Even the city sounds had faded away as we created a little bubble of exploration.

  I watched in rapt attention as she discovered little places that made her sigh, and others that made her breath hiccup in reaction. I memorized all of them. I hoped to hell I’d be able to use the knowledge someday.

  The fact that I wanted to so badly made me nervous. I stuffed that to the back of my mind. There was no place for that line of thought right now.

  My attention snapped to her fingers as she scraped her short nails over her lower belly along the elastic of her panties.

  “That's it, kitten. Whatever feels good.”

  “I feel restless.” Her nails dug a little more and left quick score marks before they faded. “Heavy.”

  Dear God. I swallowed. “Are you wet?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  How could she not know? “Slip your fingers inside and tell me.”

  She paused with the first knuckles of her fingers hidden by the cotton.

  “It’s all right. Whatever you want, Piper.”

  Her chest rose and fell faster as she dipped between her legs. I wished she didn’t have the panties on. I wanted to see the slick glide of her fingers and the silky wetness I knew had to be there.

  My dick swelled along her lower back and she squirmed against me. “Do you…”

  “Don’t worry about me. Just you. I’ve had hard-ons before. I’ll live.”

  “I don’t mind. I’m obviously lubricated enough.”


  I heard the proof of her claims and the room fuzzed a little. “Jesus, Piper.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and peered up at me in the dark. “I can feel it right here.”

  I took her hand from her panties and brought it up to my mouth. The scent of her was nearly enough to change my mind. Just a zipper and cotton boxers were between us. I could pull her panties aside and ride all that heat.

  But no.

  No, it was about her tonight. Why I’d gotten myself in this mess I didn’t know, but I wouldn’t take this from her.

  I licked off her silky heat with a groan. “And I can taste it. But what I really want is to hear you come.”

  I was pretty sure it was going to leave me a shell of my former self, but I wasn’t lying. I wanted to hear it. I’d prefer to hear it with her thighs around my head, but I’d take what I could get right now.

  “Why?”

  I groaned. “Because a woman’s orgasm is the hottest thing on the planet, kitten.”

  “It is? Don’t we all look and sound like we’re having a seizure or something? At least my ex did.”

  “Let’s not bring him into this, shall we?”

  “Right. Turn off. Got it.” She turned back around and settled back against me. “I can do this. I can totally do this,” she chanted as she slipped her fingers back under the cotton.

  So clinical and innocent with a side of wonderment. I didn’t know what crazy path I’d been put on to get her into my life, but I was thankful. Even with the haze of insanity ready to engulf me, I couldn’t deny that. Especially since I had the time to enjoy her.

  She was the perfect way to spend the weeks we had left before tour.

  “Easy. Just figure out what makes you feel good. It’s not a race.”

  “You’d know all about that, right?”

  I stiffened.

  “Racing, I mean. Don’t you just want to get the race over with? Find that finish line and enjoy it?”

  “Man, I don’t know who you’ve been choosing to spend your time with, but they all suck. And no, it’s not like that. I loved every part of a race. I knew everything about my car, everything about the track, and how my engine worked and how much I could push it. If you want to equate it to sex, then you need to know your fucking engine, kitten.”

  “My pussy is my engine?”

  “Damn right. You need to know just how to run it to get the purr you need.” Hell of a conversation to have with a beautiful woman in my lap, but damn if she wasn’t intriguing as hell.

  “What kind of purr do I need?”

  “You’ll know it when you hear it.”

  “Well, that’s helpful.”

  “Believe me, you will. Now focus on yourself and not car analogies.”

  She huffed out a breath. “All right, all right.”

  Silence descended as she played around with herself. There were no other words to describe what she was doing. I slowly caressed the outside of her hips and thighs as she got more into it.

  The first tremble put me on high alert. “There it is.”

  She rolled her head against my chest and between her, the fire, and her constant squirming, I was sweating and would need to beat off in the shower at least twice.

  “I can’t. It’s so…I don’t know.”

  I brought my hands up to cup her breasts and she arched.

  “Oh.”

  She needed more than just her clit stroked. I knew it and I’d just sat there passively. Discovery would only go so far this first time. I plucked lightly at her nipples and watched them darken and tighten. Again and again, I tugged and pinched when it seemed like she needed it. Backed off when she arched.

  I opened my legs wider and hooked her knees over my thighs until she was splayed out over me. She arched and her hand was buried deep under the cotton. I watched in fascination as she fucked herself with her fingers then backed off and used her thumb.

  The material stretched and molded to her fisting hand.

  I gripped her thighs as the quakes started. Trembles and a shudder that fluttered through her and seemed to reverberate all the way out of her toes.

  I ground against her ass and buried my face into her neck and bit the skin between her shoulder and neck, then sucked as she cried out. She tried to curl into herself, but I held her splayed.

  “More.”

  “There can’t be more.”

  “More,” I growled against her neck. I nipped at her ear. “An A-plus is right there if you reach for it.”

  “Can you… The thing with my nipples.”

  I maneuvered my hands up and around her breasts and tugged. Her head slammed against my collarbone. “God, yes.”

  I plucked and twisted, cupped and tugged in time to her ragged breaths. When she finally arched up and cried out my name, I nearly came in my fucking jeans. Only sheer will stopped me from embarrassing myself.

  “Fuck,” I growled as she shook and then collapsed in my arms. She curled into a ball and I swung her legs up so I could cradle her on my lap as the aftershocks blew through her.

  She buried her face in my neck as her breathing slowed and her limbs loosened. When her arm slid away to fall into her lap, I finally took a breath of my own.

  I reached for the throw blanket at the far end of the couch and covered her as she nestled against my chest. I needed to get up, to stretch, to fucking get rid of this baseball bat in my goddamn pants, but I didn’t.

  I attempted to get comfortable as I held her close with the soft blanket tucked around her. When she purred, I let out a harsh laugh. My kitten actually purred in her sleep.

  How fitting.

  8

  Piper

  I woke to the chirp of my cell phone. I didn’t need my alarm ninety percent of the time, but I set it so I wouldn’t spend too much time in my workshop before opening the cafe.

  But instead of my cool microfiber sheets under my cheek, it was the nubby fabric of my throw blanket. My back screamed from the hole I’d put myself in during sleep last night. I struggled out of the depths of my couch and winced at my state of undress. At least I had a shirt on. Not that I’d had one on when I fell asleep.

  My eyes widened. I’d fallen asleep with Hudson in my house.

  I rolled to an upright position and swung my feet to the floor. My legs were still bare, and my panties intact.

  I would have remembered if he’d gotten me out of those. I hadn’t drunk that much wine. Things got hazy after the…well, the orgasm. Hudson had been right. I’d never had a real orgasm before.

  And definitely never at my own hand.

  My face flushed at the memory. The stupid alarm finally dented my brain again. I hauled myself up and across the room to where my jeans had landed. I found my phone and shut off the alarm, then slung them over my shoulder as I went around the room finding other pieces I’d been wearing last night. I glanced down. I definitely hadn’t gone to bed in my angry kitten shirt.

  I frowned, but spotted my laundry basket on the chair in the corner. Something was draped on the chair behind it. Probably an apron. God, my messy housekeeping had been on full display.

  He’d put a new shirt on me, but had left the rest of what I’d been wearing on the floor. Was it that hard to look at my boobs? He’d certainly seemed to enjoy them last night.

  I wiped my hand over my face. I couldn’t think about that. Not if I wanted to have a semi-productive day.

  I brought my clothes to my laundry room off the side of the kitchen, then stopped into the kitchen to start some water for coffee. My tin of hickory coffee was in the center of the island and my Aeropress was in the drainer. He just couldn’t resist.

  Next to the tin I noticed my notebook was open to a fresh page. Hudson’s bold handwriting filled the page.

  Kitten,

  I would have stayed for coffee, but got a reminder on my calendar that we were heading out today to do some promo in SF for a charity benefit we’re doing next month.

  I totally stole a thermos
from your cabinet. Your coffee is as incredible as you are.

  I’ll be out of pocket for a few days.

  Keep your phone on. Lesson two commences today.

  H

  My heart raced so loud the room faded away as I reread the letter three times. I could count the number of times I’d gotten a note from a man on one hand.

  Actually, I could count it on one finger.

  Hudson.

  I pulled the press out of the drain and set my kettle to boil as I grabbed a quick shower. I didn’t have time to do my hair, so I shoved it up in a messy bun and took a three-minute shower. I ignored the twinge between my thighs and tried not to freak out at the scruff burn on my neck.

  God. I couldn’t exactly wear a scarf around my neck. Everyone would know. Maybe if I left part of my hair down, I wouldn’t attract attention.

  The kettle whistled while I was hopping my way into jeans. Damn Levi and his pastries. I jammed my feet into flats and shrugged into a lightweight cardigan as I ran back into the kitchen.

  The Aeropress was good in a pinch until I got home and could use my gear. And because I was a glutton for punishment, I made the hickory coffee that Hudson preferred.

  Sap.

  My phone buzzed and I raced to get it. Disappointment crashed when it was Tabs instead of Hudson. We carpooled into work most mornings.

  Cripes, he was working. I couldn't get wound up about him. That was beyond stupid. I took down one of my travel mugs and filled it to the brim. I added a cinnamon stick and a healthy spoonful of raw sugar before capping it, then I grabbed my keys. No bag since I’d left the store with pretty much my phone and nothing else.

  Again, so not like me.

  I met her at the end of my street and slid into her little hatchback. “Hi.”

  She sat behind the wheel, her auburn hair piled artfully on top of her head whereas mind looked like a two-year-old had just learned how to use a rubber band. “I’m not moving this car until you tell me what happened.”

  “Nothing happened.”

  “That scruff burn on your neck says otherwise.”

  I pulled forward the layer of hair I’d left down. “That’s nothing.”