by Regina Cole
He could quite happily bury himself inside the glorious, dripping well of her, but he had to make sure she was ready first.
Kissing lower, he drew a peaked, pink nipple into his mouth and tugged.
“Trey!” She shouted his name, pulling at his hair as her back arched. He smiled against her breast, taking harder, deeper draws.
As he moved to her other breast, he splayed his hand over her flat belly, then lower, over the little nest of hair that covered her. Her gasp of delight fueled him on as he rubbed a finger over her clit.
She was slick, and hot, and sweet. So sweet. His finger dipped inside her, only for a moment, then back out again, circling her clit and moving back down.
He repeated the circuit, over and over, suckling her nipples as his hand worked her. Up and down, over her tender flesh, his tongue flicking the bud of each nipple in turn, his thumb circling her clit before dipping slightly into the hot well of her.
“Trey,” she gasped, her head thrashing against his pillows. “Please.”
“Please what?”
“More!”
“More what?” He breached her deeper that time, his question blowing warm breath across her damp skin.
“More you.”
Well, he wouldn’t argue. He added a second finger inside her, stretching her inner walls slowly, gently. Her shuddering cry told him that was exactly what she’d wanted. Her body was needy, her core aching, and she needed him to fill it.
Rising up onto his knees, he gripped his cock with the hand that had been touching her. The warm honey of her body slicked his hand’s way up and down the length of his cock. He indulged in a couple of quick pumps, leaning his head back at the feeling of Bethany’s desire coating his length.
But they’d been teasing this thing between them out so long, and he wouldn’t make her wait any longer.
He reached into the bedside table, glad he’d stowed some condoms there even though he’d never had a woman in his bedroom. It was the work of a moment to rip open the foil and roll the latex over his slick cock.
Bethany watched with an expression that could only be termed ravenous. One hand covered her breast, fingers tweaking and teasing her nipple as she bit her lip and waited for him to come to her.
He poised himself between her thighs, his cock ready at her entrance.
Looking into her eyes, he asked one last time. “Are you ready?”
In answer, she reached up and pulled his head down to kiss her.
Then, with a deep, sure plunge, he was inside her.
Heat. Tight heat. Slick, tight heat. His mind was gone, lost in the feeling of Bethany surrounding him, Bethany holding him, Bethany’s body welcoming him, gripping him, refusing to let him go.
And he was gone, lost in her. Pumping against her, their bodies straining, her cries soft against his chest, his arms straining with the effort of holding himself upright as his hips pistoned into her.
Nothing could have prepared him for this. He closed his eyes, intending to lose himself in the feelings, but then her hand cupped his cheek. Startled, he looked down into her eyes.
“Be here with me,” she whispered, looking up at him with what could only be termed trust. “I’ve got you.”
He hesitated for only a second, and then he gave himself to her. For once, he held nothing back, showing her the heart of him as they moved together. She held his gaze as they moved faster, Trey spiraling into passion he’d never imagined as her legs wrapped around his hips, her body matching his, stroke for delicious stroke.
“More,” she cried, reaching down between their bodies to find her clit. “I want to feel you come, Trey, please.”
She rubbed her clit as he sank to the hilt inside her, the fluttering muscles of her core squeezing him, milking him for all he could give. She shuddered and came, her hoarse scream of his name muffled against his chest. Her body strained against him, her hips trembling, sweat dotting her skin.
He wanted to last longer, wanted to give them hours of pleasure, but the squeeze of her body around his aching, heavy cock was undeniable. The ripples of her orgasm wrenched his from him, and he lost all control.
As the shudders racked his body, he looked down into her dazed blue eyes, shocked at the emotion cracking open within his chest.
“Beth,” he said, his voice a husky rasp. “My Beth.” And for this moment, it was true.
Chapter Fourteen
Bethany woke with a start, disoriented as she stared up at a plain, white ceiling.
Where was her ceiling fan? She couldn’t sleep without the slight breeze on her, the still air reminding her of the suffocating conditions at her grandmother’s house. This wasn’t her room.
A soft noise beside her drew her attention, and she let out a little gasp.
“Did you forget where you were for a minute?”
She smiled, shy suddenly as she looked up at him. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
The sheet was up to her chest, and she was grateful for the little covering, even as she snuggled close to Trey’s chest.
That had been…unexpected. Incredible, but entirely out of left field. Well, not entirely. After all, Trey had been the star of quite a few fantasies since she’d first clapped eyes on him a little over a month and a half ago. But he was supposed to be off-limits.
So much for that resolution.
Her body ached tenderly, sore in places that hadn’t been used for far too long. Trey ran a long, strong finger up and down her arm, his big body taking up most of the space in the bed. She didn’t feel crowded, though, which mostly had to do with the way he was curled protectively around her.
God, she could get used to this.
A question floated into her mind, and she slammed her eyes shut. No, she couldn’t ask that. It was too clichéd.
“Yeah. It was good.”
Thank Christ, Trey was a mind reader. She opened her eyes and gave him a tentative smile. “Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm,” he growled, pulling her tighter into his arms. “Ready to do it again?”
She laughed. “In a little while. I’m not exactly used to that kind of activity.”
“Stay near me, Strong Girl, and you’ll definitely get used to it.” He rolled on top of her, bracing his weight on his arms as she laughed and pushed at him.
But both of them went silent when her cell phone started ringing.
“Crap,” Bethany said, scooching out from under Trey and dashing to the puddle of her jeans in the middle of the floor. “Crap, crap, crap.”
Trey frowned a little as he sat up in bed, the sheet falling to his hips. She tried hard not to notice how sexy he looked with his nakedness and mussed hair as she yanked the phone from her pants pocket.
It was Mama Yelverton. With a quick shhh gesture to Trey, Bethany answered.
“Hey, Mama Yelverton.”
“Bethany? Are you okay?” Mama Yelverton’s voice was concerned.
“Oh yeah, I’m totally fine. Why? Is something wrong?”
“I just got a phone call from Trudy Jernigan. She said that she had been looking for you and couldn’t find you.”
Bethany rolled her eyes. Grandmother hadn’t even bothered to call her. If she had, Bethany would have told her exactly where she was. “I’m so sorry she bothered you. No, everything’s okay.”
“She said you were with a stranger that she didn’t trust. I know she’s prone to exaggeration, but I thought I should call and make sure you were okay, just in case.”
“No, I’m not with a stranger.”
Trey snorted at that, and Bethany waved at him with a mock glare.
“All right then. As long as you know I’m here if you need me.”
Bethany smiled down at her toes. “I know, Mama. Thank you.”
“I love you, Bethy.”
“I love you, too.”
&
nbsp; “Oh,” Mama Yelverton’s tone brightened, “I wanted to check with you. Have you heard from Trey about the invitations?”
Bethany winced. The invitations. She’d completely dropped the ball there. And Trey had wanted to work on them that afternoon. If she didn’t cover for him, it would look like he was behind.
“Oh yeah,” she said brightly. “He’s got some mock-ups to go over with us whenever we’re both free.”
“Oh great! How about tomorrow afternoon?”
Bethany gulped, glancing around frantically for a clock. Five p.m. Surely they had enough time to get something together. “Sure! That sounds good to me.”
“I’ll give Trey a call and confirm he can make it.”
“No, no, don’t trouble yourself. I’ll contact him.”
Mama Yelverton laughed, seeming not to notice the frantic note that had crept into Bethany’s voice. “I did want an excuse to talk to him.”
“Oh. Right. Okay.” Damn it. Bethany tucked the phone into the crook of her shoulder and yanked on her panties, then her jeans. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow then.”
“Great. See you tomorrow!”
As the call ended, Bethany sighed and zipped up her jeans. Movement from the bed caught the corner of her eye.
Trey was leaning back against the headboard, his arms crossed and pillowing the back of his head against the wood. His colorful tattoos stood out brightly against the dark sheet that barely covered his pelvis.
Bethany swallowed hard.
“Sure you want to get dressed already?”
Bethany just closed her eyes, shook her head, and bent down to scoop up his pants.
Trey frowned. “You got somewhere to be?”
“We both do.” She shook her head as she tossed his now-ringing pants to him. “Mama Yelverton wants to talk to you.”
She laughed a little as Trey scrambled for his phone. At least she wasn’t the only one who was discombobulated by the interruption. He, however, played it much smoother than she had, easily conversing with his mother like he wasn’t naked in a room that smelled like sex. With Bethany.
Oh God. She couldn’t tell Sarah any of this.
Anxiety started churning in her belly as she finished dressing, the sound of Trey’s half of the conversation ringing in her ears.
She’d never kept a secret like this from Sarah. They were best friends. Sisters, almost. They shared everything. But Sarah still wasn’t sure how she felt about the whole Trey situation. How could Bethany complicate that by gushing about the fact that she’d had the best sex of her life with Trey? And that she hoped to do it again really, really soon?
Simple. She couldn’t.
Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as Trey casually fastened his belt, the phone tucked between his cheek and shoulder. He was so unlike anyone she’d ever been with. He was all male bluster and control, with a chivalrous side she’d never expected.
Could she give that up for Sarah, if she was asked?
Bethany wasn’t sure. And to be honest, it scared her not to know.
She walked into the living room, partly to give Trey some privacy to finish his conversation, and partly because she needed the distance to think. Her body was still humming from his touch, the faint pulses of her orgasm long since faded, but the pleasant tingling of the aftermath warming her blood. He’d been so careful of her pleasure, readying her body thoroughly, waiting for his pleasure until she’d reached orgasm.
Thoughtful. Caring. Strong. Everything she’d ever wanted and never gotten in a lover.
Bethany sank onto the leather couch in his living room, sighing a little to herself.
Of all men, why did it have to be him? She didn’t know anything about him, not really. Other than the fact he’d been separated from his family.
How had he grown up? What had caused him to be so tough, so strong? He couldn’t have had an easy life.
She cradled her head in her hands. She didn’t know anything about him, but she was dying to be with him physically again. That wasn’t a fact that she enjoyed.
Trey killed the call as he came into the living room. Bethany straightened quickly. He didn’t have to know she was all up in her head after what they’d shared. He might get the wrong idea, and she didn’t want that.
“So, I guess we need some invitations for tomorrow afternoon.”
Bethany stood and shouldered her purse. “Guess so. Sorry. Want to head to my apartment, and we can work on them? Maybe we can pick my car up on the way.”
“No problem,” Trey said and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
As he led her out the front door of his little house in the woods, Bethany looked over her shoulder longingly.
She hoped she could come back here soon. But she wasn’t sure how to do that without feeling guilty, like she was doing something she shouldn’t.
And that sucked.
* * *
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this good. With Bethany on the back of the bike behind him, her legs and arms wrapped around him, the memory of sinking into her sweetness fresh in his mind, he found himself smiling for no reason other than her nearness.
It was damn strange, but he was enjoying it.
As the trees gave way to buildings, and traffic increased, he found himself resenting the fact that he’d be giving her up to her car in a moment.
He wanted to keep her there on his bike, close to him. Such a strange feeling.
“I’m over there.” She pointed as he pulled into the lot. “Green Corolla.”
He stopped next to the car she’d indicated and cut the engine.
She stepped off his bike, unbuckling the helmet strap. He tucked the spare in the saddlebag on the back of his bike.
“I guess I’ll see you at my apartment,” she said. Just then, her stomach rumbled, and her eyes widened as he laughed.
“We didn’t really finish lunch, did we?”
“No, we didn’t,” she said, mock-glaring at his smirk. “I’ll call in some delivery on the way. Chinese food?”
“My favorite,” Trey said, balancing his bike. “I’ll eat anything.”
“Great,” she said with a smile and a little wave, and climbed into her car.
He waited for her to crank up and make her phone call, then he pulled out behind her, following her the whole way to her apartment.
She drove well, handling her car like an extension of her body, maneuvering through the traffic with patience and confidence. It was good. Made his chest swell and his uncertainty ease just a little.
He frowned at himself as they stopped at a light. This protective feeling he had toward her was getting out of hand. Bethany was hot, and she was sweet, and he sure as hell wanted to have sex with her again, but he wasn’t looking for anything more. Right?
Damn it. He hadn’t exactly made that clear to her. But the idea of keeping her by his side was more appealing than it should be.
Trey shook his head and kicked off the pavement as the light turned green and the Corolla started rolling through the intersection.
Forget about all that complicated stuff. His motto for most of his life had been to enjoy the moment, because in the blink of an eye, everything could—and usually did—turn into ash. He’d enjoy this little piece of happy for as long as it was his.
He’d managed to cool his jets by the time they turned into the lot at Bethany’s apartment complex. Of course, just as he cut his bike’s engine, his cell rang.
He waved Bethany ahead of him, hanging back to take the call.
“Harding.”
“Boss, it’s Jameson. Look, we’ve got a problem.”
Trey crossed his arms, his gaze following Bethany as she walked up the stairs. That little wiggle in her walk made him think of all sorts of carnal things h
e’d like to do to her.
“Vinnie just got off the phone with Lynn. He asked for a loan.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Trey said, his attention snapping back to the conversation. “That low-life sonofabitch has the balls to ask Lynn for money?”
“He heard about her sister getting married. Said Ginger’s new husband had to be rolling in it, so Vinnie deserved some of that child support back.”
Adrenaline crashed through Trey’s veins, his hand curling into a fist.
He’d thought Vinnie had gotten the message last time. That losing all his bankroll would be enough to show him Lynn had backup, and she and her family weren’t to be screwed around with. But Vinnie was definitely stupider than he looked.
“Boss? What should we do?”
A vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the building, a little sign on the top announcing it as the Ming Garden Delivery. A tall, skinny kid with hair sticking up in eight directions got out of the car and mounted the steps two at a time to Bethany’s apartment.
Trey couldn’t leave now. Not only did he have a promise to keep to Mrs. Yelverton, but walking out on Bethany now would be like abandoning her. They’d just had sex. Things between them were tender, feelings were raw, new. His brothers had backup. Bethany? She only had him. And he wasn’t about to leave her alone at that moment.
“Handle it.”
“What, Boss?”
Trey walked toward the apartment building. “You and Wolf. Plan it out. Handle it. I’m in the middle of something tonight.”
“But, Boss! You—”
“You heard me, Jameson. Keep it running tight. I’m counting on you.”
Trey cut the call and passed the delivery kid on his way up the steps to Bethany’s.
Yeah, he probably would regret shoving off his brothers for his girl. But at the moment, he had to make a decision. And right or wrong, he was choosing Bethany.
He only hoped he didn’t regret it later.
“Everything okay?” Bethany met him at the door with a slightly concerned expression.
“Sure,” Trey said smoothly, letting the door close behind him. “Just a little work thing that needed smoothing.”