Interception (Distraction #3)

by Angela McPherson

  "See you tomorrow."

  "Yeah, see you." Bret's face twisted in agony.

  "You okay, man?"

  He stiffened and glanced up at me. "All good here." He opened the door and stumbled out of the truck. "Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow." He slammed the door before I could say anything.

  I waited until he got inside. As I pulled out of the driveway, I caught sight of Alyssa standing in the window. She seemed frail, rubbing her hands up and down her arms with an unsure expression coloring her face. I dialed Elle, and she answered on the first ring. "Almost home?"

  I smiled, loving the excitement in her voice. "Dropped Bret off at his house a second ago."

  "Great! Hope you're hungry because I'm making dinner."

  "Starved for you," I said, then paused, closing my eyes in pleasure at the hitch of Elle's gasp and imagining the blush creeping up her neck and across her high cheekbones. Other than her staggered breathing, no other noise filtered through the line. I followed up with, "And dinner."

  "You never play fair, do you?" she said with a shy laugh.

  I smiled, loving how easily I could rile her up. We said our goodbyes, and I gunned the gas, ready to see my girl.

  Elle

  I finished half the wine in my glass when the loud rumble of Bret's truck pulled into the driveway. A minute later, Tristan walked into the house.

  "Hey," I whispered. My heart thudded as though I laid eyes on the man for the first time. What got me? To start, the after-hours stubble from not shaving this morning. Next, the baby-blue V-neck T-shirt fit his muscled chest perfectly, so much so my imagination turned naughty. Pair it with the aviator shades distinctly reminding me of Maverick from Top Gun, and my system damn near hit hotness overload. His homecoming definitely turned into an aerobic workout.

  Tristan's lips kicked up in a grin more sinful than the devil. He stalked to me, slowly, adding enough excitement that I fidgeted in place. I glanced in the direction of the bedroom, and my pulse quickened.

  "Miss Richards, do you see something you like?" He quirked a brow.

  Oh this man. I took another gulp of wine. "Damn." I frowned. "Thought you were someone else." I shrugged. "Sorry 'bout ya."

  He removed the sunglasses, tossing them on the counter, his eyes glued to mine. Tristan's body crowded me, and sliding an arm around my waist, he jerked. "Let's make sure you forget this other guy." He backed up just enough to allow room for his gaze to soak up every inch of my body. A hot flush covered my skin.

  A desperate sound escaped my parted lips, possibly a whimper. "Hungry?" My voice squeaked. Tristan's low rumble of laughter encouraged me to press closer into him.

  "You've no idea, Spud." His hands fisted the back of my hair the same time his lips fell onto mine. A hard shiver rolled through me, and heat electrified my flesh. As much as I wanted to stay in Tristan's embrace, the smell of garlic cheese bread brought me to my senses. Still, with difficulty, I pushed away from the kiss. Tristan's arm around my waist tightened.

  "Let's eat dinner first," I said, winded.

  Tristan quirked a brow again, though he dropped his arm.

  I scraped my bottom lip between my teeth, fighting what we both wanted. "I've planned a nice dinner." I moved away, happy my willpower remained intact. My inner voice encouraged me to pull Tristan close, strip him bare, and enjoy his body. Instead, I said, "Dessert is later." I glanced over my shoulder. "But only if you're lucky."

  Tristan growled. "You're killin' me, Spud."

  I laughed. "Sit. Tell me what happened this weekend while I get the bread out of the oven."

  We ate, laughed, and chatted about the fun we each had. I finished the bottle of wine because Tristan continued topping off my glass. The man and his terrible influences.

  Tristan popped the cap from a beer. "So what's with the dinner?"

  I shrugged. "After spending a weekend talking sense into Alyssa, I realized how lucky we are."

  Tristan leaned in, smiling so big my breath seized. "I'm the lucky one." He brushed his knuckles down my cheek.

  "I feel the same about you, Daniels."

  Tristan grinned, then sat back in his chair, drinking a long sip from his beer.

  "Remember last year when I brought you home from the hospital?"

  Tristan grimaced, probably recalling the football injury. "Yeah." He rolled his neck. "What makes you bring that up?"

  I nodded toward the dish of spaghetti and garlic cheese bread. "I made this meal for you."

  The heart-stopping smile from earlier returned, and the golden hue in his dark eyes brightened. "Spud, I remember you, the way you looked, your perky nipples, and how they fucking teased me." He smirked. "I remember wanting to bury myself inside of you, claim you as mine, and make you forget all about Green."

  I crossed my legs and shifted in the chair as desire throbbed between my thighs.

  Tristan continued. "I wanted to make you forget about all the times I'd messed up by not telling you how much I loved you." Tristan shifted, crowding my breathing space. "So, no, I don't remember the food, but more so the fact you agreed to stay. You decided to be with me."

  "I chose you then," I admitted.

  Tristan nodded, his expression between longing and awe and something else. "Eventually, yes."

  I shook my head as wetness filled in my eyes. Emotions ran so high, and my single thought revolved around us and our future. "So funny because I only ever wanted you."

  He let out a low chuckle. "Same."

  I wiped under my eyes and grinned. "Anyway, that's kind of why I made us dinner."

  "Elaborate."

  "So, as I was saying earlier. This weekend I realized how much we've been through. How many times we missed loving one another because of miscommunication or pride." I pushed the strain in my voice down, regret threatening to consume me. If time could be turned, I'd spin it like a top and confess the moment I understood love.

  "You came up with all that during your girls' trip?" Tristan's eyes lit with amusement.

  "Pretty much." I brushed away the pieces of dark hair hanging over his eye.

  "Take as many trips with the girls as you need." He frowned. "Well, make it a day trip. I'm not willing to share you every weekend."

  I shoved at his chest and laughed. "You don't have to worry about too many weekend trips. Alyssa told Ginger, the roommate from hell, she'd be moving in with Bret before we left."

  Tristan paused, tilting his head. "Amazon's moving in with Bret?"

  "That's the plan. Why?" I snatched the last piece of garlic bread. "Did Bret say something?"

  "First, that's gonna cost you." He forked more spaghetti. "Second, when I dropped Bret off, Alyssa didn't look too happy."

  "Really? She had a full night of activities planned." Warmth rushed up my cheeks.

  "Hmm? Don't know, then. He was pretty trashed after golf," he admitted around a mouthful of food.

  A growing noise emerged from my stomach. I'd not had much of an appetite the last few weeks and spaghetti had sounded amazing. Thank goodness it tasted as good. "Are you gonna eat the rest of that?" I pointed to the small scoop in the pan.

  "Nah, go ahead."

  I spooned the last of the spaghetti and dug in. Heaven. "Thanks."

  "Work up an appetite while you were away?"

  "No, just so hungry. We didn't stop to eat on the way home." I pointed my fork at him. "And you know how much I eat."

  Tristan guzzled the last of his beer. "True." He picked up the empty dishes, carrying them to the kitchen sink. "I'm gonna hop in the shower. I'll be back." Tristan bent to kiss my forehead. "Wanna watch some TV when I finish up?"

  "Sounds like a plan."

  Tristan headed to the bedroom, and I got busy. His showers took at least fifteen minutes. I'd need every second just to cool the jitters before he finished.

  After the click from the door latching, followed by the sound of water spraying, I jumped into action. I rinsed my mouth out in the kitchen sink, stripped down to the o
utfit I'd bought while in Vegas, and positioned myself on the bed.

  Time for dessert.

  Tristan

  Had Elle planned something? Oh yes, she did.

  I knew Elle better than she knew herself at times. Tonight she fidgeted in her seat, twisted her fingers, and bit her bottom lip. Tells of a hidden agenda. As much as I'd urged Elle to be forward, for reasons unknown, her insecurities kept her from letting go.

  I'd intended to take my time washing up, but excitement won over, and I cleaned up quickly. With a towel fixed around my waist, I headed out to see where the night would lead us.

  Elle lay across our bed, sexy as hell in a white lace bra and panties, just as pure as her. She held her head up with one hand while the other rested in front of her, her long legs bent slightly. Words lodged somewhere between my throat and the throbbing in my dick. My feet momentarily forgot how to move, or rather, the signal from my brain to my feet got lost in translation. I stood in a daze, studying the expanse of her tanned skin.

  "Something wrong?" Elle glanced down the length of her body, and when her gaze reached mine again, electricity shot out, and the signal zapped my limbs into action.

  It took a second to control the many thoughts streaming through my head. "Wrong? Um, no." Smooth, jackass. Elle had turned me into a babbling fifteen-year-old.

  Elle crawled to the edge of the bed, lifted up on her knees, and rested her hands on my shoulders. Her body heat radiated into mine.

  "I don't ever want to take what we have for granted."

  I skimmed my knuckles down her arm, relishing the shiver she tried to control. "For the record, I don't take any of this for granted."

  "I didn't say you did, but…" She draped her arms around my neck. "It took so long for us to get here."

  "Spud?" Unhooking the snaps, I looped a finger under a bra strap and slipped the silky material down. Only she stopped me.

  "Not finished." She fixed the silk material.

  Damn.

  "Stop pouting." She giggled. The angelic sound ignited the devil inside me.

  I growled, aching to taste her sweetness.

  "Tonight is about us." Finally, Elle let her bra fall down her arms.

  I pulled her to me, pressing my hardness against her flat stomach. Time to change the game plan. Elle shook her head, slinging her brown hair around her slim shoulders, covering her breasts. I dipped my head to one and swirled my tongue around the hardened nipple. Elle gripped a handful of hair and tugged, arching into me.

  Now we were getting somewhere. "This what you like?" I wrapped an arm around her middle, keeping her hostage. I traced a line from one breast to the other with kisses and sucked the other nipple into my mouth, tugging a little with my teeth.

  "Oh, God. Tristan," she said, her fingers yanking my hair harder.

  It wasn't enough, I wanted her guiding me, telling me what to do to her. But not without a sample of what I'd reward her with first.

  Keeping Elle's panties on, I skimmed one finger down her side, then sloped across to the top line of her panties before slipping inside.

  Elle gasped, throwing her head back.

  I dipped two fingers inside her, pumping in and out, in and out, while rubbing my thumb against her clit. "Do you like my fingers inside you?" Elle's hands drifted from my hair to grip my shoulders, her nails biting into the skin. I felt her clenching around my fingers and removed them, collecting her trembling body in my arms.

  "Why… why'd you stop?" Her green eyes were alive, and her cheeks flushed with the first hint of her orgasm.

  "Tell me what you want. What do you want me to do to you?" The towel around my hips fell to the floor.

  "I want you."

  The grin I returned promised more torture for my sweet, sweet Elle. I swept her into my arms and positioned her on her back on the bed. Standing between her legs, I dropped down, trailing my tongue up her calf to the inside of her thigh.

  "Baby, tell me what you want me to do."

  Elle fisted the sheets. "You, I want you."

  Nope. I opened her folds and skimmed my tongue over her clit before sucking on her sensitive flesh. Elle dug her feet into the mattress. "Tristan. Tristan."

  "Like that? You want more?" I sucked again, harder this time and she whimpered.

  "Yes," she agreed. Still not good enough, but my cock begged for some sort of relief. I hovered over her and lined the head of my dick with her opening, waiting until Elle met my gaze. Once her green eyes found mine, I rocked into her in one stroke then stopped.

  "Please," she begged as I pulled almost all of the way out.

  "Please, what?"

  Elle closed her eyes, and I slammed into her again, then stilled. The fucking restraint it took to not ram into her tightness and give us both what we desired nearly killed me.

  Elle lifted her hips, her body saying what she wouldn't verbalize. I wanted to please her and give her every goddamn thing she wanted. "I love your pussy." I rocked into her and stopped. "I love how you clench around me." I pulled out and slammed into her again. This time, we both groaned.

  "Elle, open your eyes."

  She did and desire drenched me. I pulled out slow and went back in fast and hard. Her gaze never left mine.

  "I want you to fuck me, Tristan. Hard." Elle hitched a leg around my hip, thrusting her pelvis up, taking me in deeper. This time, only I groaned.

  "God, you feel so good."

  Elle bit her bottom lip. "Don't stop, please. Keep– Faster," she encouraged.

  "I love you." I rammed into her tightness once more. Lifting her leg, I hiked it over my shoulder. Another stroke. "You were made for me."

  "Only you," she said, breathless. Elle surprised me, pushing at my chest and maneuvering out from under me to straddle my lap instead. "This better?" Elle reached between us and lifted up then lowered herself on me. Both of us froze, relishing our connection.

  Elle had never done this before, but holy fuck, my mind blanked out. When Elle found her rhythm, I gripped her ass, encouraging her. Up and down, every stroke brought me closer to my release.

  "Elle," I said, jaw tight.

  I wrapped my free arm around her waist to scoot into a sitting position. Our heavy breathing mixed together. We moved slowly, building up to our release. Redness crawled up her cheeks.

  "You're perfect. Amazing." I tucked hair behind her right ear.

  "Did I do it wrong?" Elle scraped her bottom lip between her teeth. "Did I hurt you?" She sat back.

  Shocked, I immediately tamped down her worry. "No pain, trust me."

  "Okay." The love reflecting in her eyes deepened.

  "Come here." I grabbed the back of her head and brought her full lips to mine, kissing her thoroughly. Our tongues danced and teeth clanked in a need to feel more.

  Always more.

  Elle

  Tristan spent more time at the gym, and his morning jogs were longer, pushing himself to excellence. The subtle changes in his routine had me on edge. While Tristan never said outright that he was nervous about the NFL draft, his behavior told another story. After the bowl games, Tristan and his dad had interviewed several agents to represent him, but they hadn't even come close to narrowing it down.

  In a way, I understood Tristan's apprehension. The draft and graduation were only a few months away. It was so hard to believe we'd be entering the world with degrees. Reaching our goal… Yeah, the hard work would pay off.

  My energy level was at an all-time low. Would I even make it to the end of our last semester? I'd overslept every day for the past two weeks, and by the end of the day, my stomach rolled. It didn't matter if I'd eaten or not, though most days I tried not to eat.

  Alyssa invited me to dinner with her and Tisha, but I opted out and ran by the pharmacy to pick up my birth control pills before heading home to catch up on sleep. I'd already settled under the covers when Tristan flipped the lights on. "Tristan, turn it off!"

  "Are you getting sick?"

  I jerked the covers over
my head, my eyelids heavy as bricks. "No. I don't know. Maybe. But I'll deal with it tomorrow. I just want to sleep right now."

  The lights switched off, and a second later, Tristan tugged the comforter back. "Spud, it's the afternoon." He brushed the back of his hand over my forehead.

  "I really don't care." Man, the green chili fries he had for lunch did not settle well with me. I held my breath. "Move." I pushed at his chest to roll over in the opposite direction.

  "Um, you gonna get sick?"

  "If you keep breathing on me, chances are pretty good." I shooed him away. "I'm just tired. I've been up late working and studying."

  "Uh, sure. I'll let you rest." He hesitated. "You're not mad are you?"

  God, why couldn't he just get the hell out and leave me alone? "No, I'm good. Just tired, so please, go."

  "All right," he said, I could hear his frustration, but I didn't care. As soon as the door clicked shut, my eyes closed and I drifted to dreamland.

  The next morning, I woke up thinking I'd feel super refreshed. Not so much. My muscles begged me to fall back against the hill of pillows and close my eyes for another few hours. When I turned to see the clock, I freaked out. Sixteen hours. Holy shit! Maybe I slept too long? Could that be why my eyes dragged ass? Ugh! I needed to get my butt up and ready for work. Tristan left a note on the bathroom sink.

  Spud, hope you're in a better mood today. Love you, even when you're grumpy. See you later.

  The sweet letter brought a smile to my lips. I definitely should apologize for bitching at him yesterday. But later. Showered and dressed, I walked into the living room, grabbed the new set of pills, and opened a bottle of water.

  I loved the fact that I didn't have a period for three months at a time. The problem– Wait. The new set of pills. The last seven days–nothing. No period. Nothing. Air whooshed in my ears, and thank God a chair sat behind me. I slunk down, hitting the cushion with a thud. Shit! Shit! Shit!

  "Okay, take a deep breath, Elle." I eyed the room, unable to focus on any details. My hands shook.