Strike
Page 6
Something drew her out of her internal monologue and she realized that he had turned to a door. She expected him to knock, but he didn’t. He just turned the knob and walked right in. Oh, this was going to be worse than she’d imagined. They didn’t even have the couth to knock before entering. She tentatively looked inside and the first thing she saw was another woman. Okay, maybe it wasn’t going to be so horrible after all. She realized he was holding the door for her and she stepped in all the way.
Looking around the room, it dawned on her that the woman was the brunette from the bowling alley and the guy sitting in the chair on the other side of the room had also been there that night. What if they recognized her? Why did she ever listen to Anne? It always came back to bite her in the ass. She turned to leave, but Collin had already closed the door behind her. Damn, it would make a scene if she left now. Okay, calm down. You’ll think of something. How about the truth—that she had just gone there with a friend?
Quickly, everyone’s attention was drawn to the screen. There was a fumble and the Vikings gained possession. Tori cussed under her breath—she was rooting for the other team. From the reactions of everyone else in the room, she assumed they were too.
She sank down into the closest seat with disappointment, watching the players on TV celebrating the turnover. When Collin sat down right next to her, she realized she was sitting on a loveseat. Not the piece of furniture she would have chosen if she had been thinking and not caught up in the game. She would prefer to be sitting in a chair, all to herself, but the only one in the room was taken up by the tall guy she had seen in the bowling alley. At least they hadn’t noticed or recognized her yet. Oh, wait—they were looking her way.
Tori tapped her fingers on her jeans. They were looking at her and she didn’t know what to say. She wanted to sink into the chair, but settled for sitting back against the cushion. That made her shoulder rub against Collin’s shoulder. It was as if the contact brought him to life.
“Hey, guys, this is Tori,” Collin said. “Tori, this is Angie and Steve.”
A male voice came from down the hall. “Did I hear right? Did Collin bring a girl?”
“And the jerk down the hall is David,” Collin added.
Tori laughed at the joke and relaxed a little. No one had recognized her and everyone was smiling. The game was still going and everyone was watching it. She looked around the room and was glad to be here. It was nice to watch the game with other people. She looked back at the screen just in time for the commercials to start.
“Did Collin tell you how we met?” Angie asked.
“Really?” Collin asked Angie.
Tori looked over at him, but he didn’t explain his comment. Instead he apologized. What does he have to be sorry about? Then he gave Angie a look as if he was going to kill her and Tori understood—he was sorry for what was about to be said. Tori turned her attention back to the other woman, suddenly very interested in what she had to share.
“We were both in elementary school and he beat up my little brother,” Angie continued. “The problem was, I was out on the playground and I kicked his ass.”
The image of a young Collin getting his ass kicked by a girl made Tori laugh. Movement to her right made her look up just as David walked into the room.
“Are you the brother?” Tori asked.
“No,” he replied. “I didn’t join this merry bunch until junior high school. They were beyond the ass-kicking phase by then.”
David went directly to the couch Angie was sitting on. With a minimum of movement, they had arranged themselves so that they were as close as they could get while still sitting up. If she had kept her mouth shut a little longer then she would have known that they were not related. She was always awkward in social situations. If she could just speak without looking like an idiot, she would feel much better.
“I’m not the brother, either,” Steve said. “I’ve only known them a couple of years.”
Tori only had to move her eyes a few inches to look at Steve. She realized that he must have thought that she was staring at him. Now she didn’t even have to say anything to embarrass herself. She quickly looked away and fixed her gaze at the television. At least it was a safe direction to look in.
She looked over at Collin, wondering what he must be thinking about her. He probably wished he hadn’t brought her. Except he didn’t look upset. In fact, he had the same contented expression he always had, even when she’d had her little outburst in the bedroom. She suddenly realized it wasn’t just a sexual connection—he really fitted with her in all situations. She turned back to the room unconcerned about what anyone else thought.
“Six,” David said. When everyone looked at him as if they had no idea what he was talking about, he continued, “Angie and I got this place our freshman year of college. That was six years ago. That’s how long we’ve known Steve.”
David untangled his arm from the knot of limbs he and Angie had made to reach the drink on the table. He took a long swig from the bottle.
“Hey, that’s mine,” Angie said. “Get your own beer. You know where they are—it was your turn to buy.”
David got up to go into the kitchen, but he didn’t make it far. They all focused on the television as the Vikings were running the ball down the field. Everyone in the apartment, including Tori, stood up and yelled for the defensive players to keep him from getting into the end zone. Their yelling didn’t make any difference—the touchdown was made. The five of them stared at the screen in disbelief, watching the player do the end zone dance. Tori rolled her eyes, thinking that was a part of football she could do without.
“You know what that looks like?” David asked.
“Collin’s turkey dance?” Steve said.
Collin shook his head and sank back down on the sofa. He looked as if he was trying to ignore the conversation, even if it wasn’t possible.
“What’s a turkey dance?” Tori asked.
The three of them were laughing so hard that it took them a few minutes to answer her. She looked at Collin, but he didn’t answer her. Something told her that his hearing was just fine—he just didn’t want to answer the question.
“In bowling, when you get three strikes in a row, it’s called a turkey. When you get a turkey, you have to do the turkey dance.”
* * * * *
When she had left her apartment, she’d been rehearsing how to tell him that she just wanted to be friends. After a couple of hours with him and his friends, she knew she wanted more. For the first time in her life she was willing to jump into a relationship. With anyone else, the thought would send her running away. This guy was completely different. She couldn’t wait to get him up to her place, where they could be alone.
She took him by the hand and led him up the stairs. She could feel her hips sway as she climbed each step, hoping that it was the sashay that seemed to draw men’s attention. She glanced back over her shoulder, giving him a smoldering look. He was looking past her to the new door she thought he’d already spent enough time inspecting. Oh, she would get his attention.
She floated through the room, lighting candles and turning on the stereo, wanting to feel at home. Her body swayed with the beat of the music. She turned around, expecting that he would be watching her, but he was looking around.
“You’re place is so homey,” he said.
“Is that a polite way of saying how small it is?” Tori asked.
“No.” Collin had been looking at a bookshelf covered not only with books, but also candles, photos and knickknacks. He turned around to face her before he continued. “That is the one thing I would never be polite about. I have a tendency to get claustrophobic, even in my own apartment. But in here it’s different. The way you’ve decorated, my focus is on the stuff in the room instead of how close the walls are. What really impresses me is that you’ve filled up the space without making it feel cluttered.”
She appreciated the compliment he was giving her. Truly she did. It was nice t
o hear that someone liked the way she’d set up her things. The problem was that she wanted him to be focused on her, not her decorating techniques. When they were at his place it seemed as if they were on fire, but here she couldn’t even find a spark. Panic rose inside her. She was afraid that she had somehow messed everything up.
“So is this how it’s going to be?” she asked. “You walk me to my door and then we have a civil conversation about the interior decorating? Have I already been moved into the ‘just friends’ category?”
The friendly smile was instantly off his face and the look he gave her could have melted a glacier. He was devouring her with his eyes. It was as if a switch had been flipped and a hungry animal was now standing where he had just been.
“In my mind, you’ve been wandering around naked since I showed up here the first time. You’ve touched my arm four times. It took all the restraint I had to not rip your clothes off the second the door was closed.”
“But why?” she asked. “Why hold back?”
“Because taking what I want, letting my need for you take over, only gets me a couple of hours with you. I love to watch you come and to hold your trembling body in my arms. But I’m not going to be the person you turn to when you don’t have anywhere else to run. I want more than that.”
He wanted more than that. She had told fate that if they were going to be a couple, it was going to have to do something to bring them together. Well, fate had definitely intervened. She guessed it was time to step up and take a part in making things happen.
“Now I admit that I was a little unsure at first,” Tori said. “I wonder if it would change your mind if I suggested you spend the night here.”
“The whole night?” he asked.
“Well, you can stay here as long as you like,” she said. “I’ll be leaving before sunrise, but only because I have to be at work before 5:00 a.m. I could wake you up before I leave if you wanted.”
The smile blossomed and took over his face, though she didn’t have much time to enjoy it before she was kissing him. The press of his lips was soft against hers. She closed her eyes as she sank into him. His arms folded around her, drawing her tight against his chest. Just when she thought they were done talking, he pulled inches back from her. She opened her eyes to see what was wrong.
“I think I’ll set my cell phone alarm and skip the sunrise,” he said.
He leaned forward and the kiss resumed. Only this time she didn’t close her eyes. She watched the storm clouds brewing in his eyes as she slid her hands down his back. He already felt so comfortable, so familiar, and still there was that excitement of not knowing what was going to happen.
They were walking toward her bedroom. This time she was the one in the lead. It was a lot easier to direct someone backward than she had thought it would be. While she was tempted to shove him back onto the bed, at the last minute she had a better idea. She sprawled out on the bed and left him standing next to it.
“Now, I was thinking that you owe me a show,” she said. “I was kind enough to undress for you the first night we were together. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that the favor be repaid.”
He was in obvious discomfort and couldn’t look her in the eye. She made herself more comfortable, waiting for him to start dancing. The man who always seemed so confident to her suddenly looked awkward and unsure. It was a side of him she hadn’t seen and it made her heart melt.
“Please,” Tori said.
That was a first for her—she never begged for sex. That was what the men were supposed to do. Of course, if she had ever experienced anyone with the sexual abilities Collin had, she might have been pleading to get it from the first time.
She must have gotten across just how much she want to see him, because his fingers slowly started unbuttoning his shirt. A smiled curled the edge of her mouth. Even though he was taking his dear sweet time about it, she was not going to look away.
By the time he’d peeled off his shirt he was starting to get into it. His hips swayed back and forth, matching the heavy beat of the music she had quietly playing. His chest was just as spectacular as she remembered it. The sleek muscles gleamed in the soft light of the lamp and the candles. The long corded muscles ran over every inch of him.
Her eyes were suddenly pried from the perusal of his chest by the only thing that could—he was unzipping his fly. At the same time he was slipping out of his sneakers. She could picture it now—he was going to end up wearing nothing but his socks. She laughed out loud at the thought, but managed to stifle it into nothing more than a giggle.
He must have taken the chuckle as encouragement, because he was getting more into the show. His whole body was moving with the rhythm as he lowered the denim. She had to admit she was impressed by his coordination. Her eyes were locked onto his hands and what was about to be revealed. Even her toes were wiggling, she was so anxious to get him nude. But he knew that she was waiting and slowed down even more.
Just when she was about to complain and try to force him to strip faster, she realized that his underwear was going down with his pants. One eyebrow went up as she wondered if he was even aware he would soon be completely naked. She wasn’t going to tell him, knowing that his amazing cock was going to come into view soon.
He lowered the material so slowly that his penis gently slid out. Of course he was hard and ready to go, just as he had been every time she had seen him. She started to smile, having what she wanted in her sight. Then he turned around and his body was blocking her view.
Any protests about not being able to see his amazing cock were muted. For the time being, she was content looking at his tight little ass. He had the best legs she had ever seen and each movement brought different muscles more prominently into her view. She had something new to look at with every flex.
Her eyes roamed back up his long body when he turned around. He had managed to get his socks off while she had been distracted by his backside. That was when she realized he was just standing there. His hips no longer swayed with the music. He was moving his hands as if he wasn’t sure where to put them and finally decided just to leave them hanging at his sides. Now he was the one who had one eyebrow higher than the other.
She bent one finger to call him over to her. He came down to the edge of the bed, but stopped at her feet. He reached down toward her shoe and she shook her head at him. She repeated the motion with her finger to draw him up even closer to her. His arms and legs straddled her as he crawled onto the bed. He was getting into the perfect position and she didn’t even have to tell him what to do. Well, not with words, anyway.
He continued to crawl up her until his face was even with hers. He reached down to kiss her, but she shook her head before he could. The smile slipped from his face and it was apparent he no longer understood what she was trying to do. She started wiggling, sliding her body down below his. The confused look never left his face as hers slid away. She didn’t stop until the tip of her nose was right underneath the head of his penis. Finally he gave her a look of understanding.
She moistened her lips before planting them on the end of his cock. It was a wet, sloppy kiss that ended with her tongue running over the smooth head. She barely brushed her fingertips along the shaft. Her intention was to tickle and torture him. She flicked her tongue along the exposed front ridge of his cock. The touch was even lighter than her fingers. Then she used just the tip of her nose to nuzzle his scrotum.
Collin wasn’t making a sound. He was like a statue above her while she ran her tongue up the length of him as if she were licking an ice cream cone. His penis, on the other hand, wouldn’t hold still. It twitched every time she touched it.
She loved that he was staying still for her. She hated it when men flexed their hips, grabbed her hair or tried to take over control of the blowjob. She was doing this because she wanted to please him and part of that was teasing. She took a deep breath and relaxed. He really was going to let her take her time and do it the way she wanted to.
With renewed motivation, she wrapped her lips around his cock. She raised her head, taking more of him into her mouth until she could feel pressure at the back of her throat. Once there, she closed her hand around the base so that her fingers touched her lips. Her grasp was tight and she pulled back with her head, keeping her lips touching the side of her hand all the way back.
She finally got a response from him. Thankfully it was just a moan and not a pivoting of his hips. She was just getting into it and didn’t want to have to hold back now. But there wasn’t any need to worry. He had more willpower than she had ever seen.
Control over his hips was good, but control over his orgasms was not. She was getting irritated just thinking about it. She decided she was going to break him, no matter what it took. She increased the frequency of her strokes and grasped his shaft more tightly. With the other hand she started to massage his balls. It took more concentration than she’d thought it would to keep the left hand from squeezing his scrotum the same way her right hand had a steel grip on his cock.
Her saliva was all over everything, making her able to speed the strokes up even more. She could taste a little pre-cum mixed in with the saliva. It was a taste she had never been fond of before, but was cherishing because she took it as a sign that she was pushing him closer to that edge.
Her entire focus was on her mouth and her hands. Well, that was not entirely correct. A part of her was focused on Collin, waiting for any sign that he did or did not like anything she was doing. She noticed that the little sounds he was making increased in frequency.
Her mouth was starting to get tired. She didn’t know how long she had been underneath him, but she was sure it had been at least five minutes. Of course it felt more like ten. It was obvious that he was enjoying what she was doing to him. His eyes were locked on her and his expression was one of bliss.