Sex, Money, and the Price of Truth (The Price Series Book 2)

by PE Kavanagh

  “Fuck!” He cried out, before laying his head down on her shoulder. She wanted to turn around, kiss him, see him, but she couldn’t move. She was not confident that her legs would hold her if she shifted even one inch.

  He planted slow kisses down the center of her spine, and whispered something she could not hear. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to hear it.

  He eventually loosened his grip around her and she straightened. He bent his knees and took one step back. The fullness of him inside her became the cool emptiness of his absence.

  Lola turned around to see him pulling the condom off and throwing it into the garbage can under the sink. His pants were at his ankles. Her skirt was bunched around her waist. Her underwear was on the floor.

  Before she could become self-conscious about the scene, he kissed her passionately.

  She pulled away to look at him. She wanted to see, in those blazing gold eyes, if what was happening inside him was the same thing happening inside her.

  As if he could read her mind, he answered, “Yes.”

  “Yes?”

  “Whatever you’re thinking, questioning, the answer is yes.”

  “I was wondering if I should finish making the guacamole."

  A wry smile filled his face. “Were you?”

  “After I clean up a little, I mean. Someone made a mess out here.” She pulled her skirt down to cover her bottom half, bent over to pick up her underwear, and walked to the bathroom.

  She had to look in the mirror for some time to get her bearings. She was trying to play it cool, but was feeling anything but. That was intense, not only because it was so unexpected, but because of how she lost herself with him. She felt as bare as her bottom had been moments before.

  Take it easy, Lola. You have just started here. Don’t let yourself get carried away. Don’t drown in this feeling. Keep breathing.

  She jumped when she heard him outside the bathroom door. He was singing along to the song that was playing. Okay, everything’s fine.

  He had changed to dark blue cotton drawstring pants that fit loosely around his chiseled body, hanging at the very bottom of the V of his stomach. He was still shirtless.

  He noticed her looking.

  “I put on some pajama bottoms. Hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s your house, Aidan. Be as comfortable as you want to be.”

  “Would you like to change? Your suit is beautiful, but maybe something a little less formal might feel good. You can borrow anything you want.”

  She considered his offer and decided to accept.

  He took her hand and led her through his bedroom into the closet, which was nearly as big as her entire bedroom. It looked like a closet from one of the full page ads in her magazine. Meticulously organized, with suits and formal clothes on one side, and more casual clothes on the other, all sorted from light to dark.

  He opened a drawer and revealed a series of solid and patterned pants. “Bottoms here… and t-shirts here,” he revealed in the drawer below. “Sweaters and sweatshirts are in the corner, if you’re cold.”

  “Thanks.” She remembered the disaster in her own closet, where she had thrown the enormous pile of dirty clothes. Take care of closet, she made a mental note to herself.

  Lola picked a forest green pair of pants with a white cross pattern and a white shirt. She expected him to move out of the room so that she could change, but he stood, looking at her. Then he walked around behind her, slid her jacket off her shoulders and laid it carefully on top of the chest of drawers. He then drew her silk shell up and over her head. “Would you like to keep your bra on?” His hands were already on the clasp.

  “Off, please.” She heard him exhale. With his palms, he peeled her bra off, then ran his hands over her breasts, down her abdomen and around to the back of her skirt, which he unzipped. This time he slid it down toward the floor. Since her underwear had already been dismissed in the kitchen, she was completely naked.

  He took two steps to place himself in front of her and took the pants in one hand. Then didn’t move. Just looked at her.

  “You’re making me feel self-conscious, Aidan.” She wanted something to cover herself.

  He shook his head. “Why?”

  “Because I’m naked.”

  He examined her face, perhaps trying to understand how she could feel bashful in front of him after what they’d done.

  “You’re just staring at me. It’s disconcerting.”

  “I would like to spend enormous amounts of time staring at your naked body. I hope that the discomfort goes away soon. Besides, have you looked at yourself in the mirror recently? Your body is… perfection.” He shook out the pants so they unfolded and held them out in front of her. She put her hand on his shoulder for balance and stepped into the pants. He adjusted the waistband so that they stayed up on her smaller body. He slipped the shirt over her head, and helped her arms through.

  He stood, surveying his work in dressing her. “This look is definitely rising to the top of the list.”

  “Freshly fucked Lola?”

  He grinned at her brashness. “My absolute favorite, in fact.”

  “Freshly fucked and hungry Lola.”

  “Let’s get you fed.”

  He stepped out first and while she walked behind him, she brought her nose to the shoulder of her shirt. She smelled like him.

  * * *

  Dinner was delicious, as expected, but there was only one thing on her mind. Or two things - his body and her body.

  * * *

  “You’re going to stay over, right?”

  “Okay. But only because my heels would look foolish with your pajamas.”

  “That’s the only reason?”

  “Were you expecting something else?”

  “Maybe, but that’s okay.”

  He got undressed and into bed first. "Come on in. The water's fine," he said patting the large space next to him.

  His bed was like a vacation. She loved everything about it, especially the feel of the cool, silky sheets against her skin as they made love again. They lay facing each other, on their sides, when Aidan drew her leg up and over him. They were in such a tight embrace, there was not much room for movement. Instead, their hips rocked back and forth together while their mouths stayed in constant contact.

  "This feels really good, Aidan," she whispered to him. A gentle orgasm rolled through her as a rumble escaped from her mouth to his.

  "Lola… what have you done to me?" he whispered back as his own body began to shake. Her hand found his face just as the moan escaped his lips. She had an unexpected sense of home.

  * * *

  Lola opened her eyes in the still dark room to find her beautiful man emerging from the bathroom. She slipped the sheets down to her legs, inviting him to view her naked body.

  "Lola…" Pure desire set his eyes ablaze.

  He pounced on the bed, swept her into his arms and sat her astride him as he knelt. She burrowed her face into his neck, inhaling the scent of him and her, and all they had shared hours before. One of his hands slid to her bottom, separating her cheeks and skimming her pucker. She bit into the muscular flesh of his shoulder.

  "You're going to give me everything, right Lola?"

  "You can have anything you want, Aidan." She meant it, lifting her hips to give him more access to her.

  His finger pressed in enough to push a gasp from her lips, as his mouth pulled on her breast. All she could think about was having him inside her. His erection pressed against her mound, and, steadying herself with her hands on his shoulders, she tipped her hips enough for him to slide between her lips. He moved his hand to place himself, but she had already begun to take him in. He returned his finger between her cheeks, and pressed the tip in as she descended on him. Her body had not yet gotten used to the fullness of him inside her, and the extra digit was almost too much. She began to pant.

  He held her still. "Baby, are you alright? Tell me you're okay.”

  It was so hard to
breathe, much less speak. "Yes, Aidan. I… I'm…" Reeling with the pleasure of his cock and his finger and his mouth, her body pounded into him with an intensity she could not control.

  His hold on her got firmer when she became unable to hold herself up. "Yes, my love. Yes…"

  In a cascade of waves that began between her legs, her body rolled and pulsed while her throat opened in a primal groan. Over and over, she followed the rise and fall of orgasm, until there was nothing left.

  Lola didn't try to speak again until she had caught her breath. "Aidan…"

  "What can I do for you, Lola?” He ran a hand over her hair, then down her body draped over his.

  She struggled to focus. "Do for me?"

  "I'm going to lay you down, okay?”

  He moved them both down onto the bed and pulled out of her.

  "Wait. What… Why are you stopping?"

  His face was soft. "I think you might be done. And I didn't want to… we didn't have a condom."

  Lola squeezed her eyes shut. "Shit. Sorry. That was my fault. I was overcome…"

  "Not a problem, baby. Totally worth it. You are truly amazing."

  She rolled into his waiting arms. "We'll have to have the safe sex talk soon, I guess. I have an IUD. And I'm clean."

  "Me too," he whispered as she fell asleep.

  * * *

  The morning came too soon. Lola wanted to spend days in that bed. And she wanted more of that man. She was already plotting how she would make up for the fact that he had to hold back during their last round.

  She reached for her phone to check the time. "Dammit. I have an important meeting this morning. I wish I could stay and thank you for… everything."

  “You’re referring to the enchiladas, right?”

  She wasn’t going to let him deflect the tender moment. “No. I mean, yes, the enchiladas were delicious. But I was talking about being with you. It’s been incredible.”

  "I should be the one thanking you, Lola. What you did with my body was award-worthy."

  "There's more where that came from." She ran her fingers through his messy hair. "You look like you got worked over pretty well."

  "Take a look in the mirror, sweetheart. You're not going to be able to wash off the wild sex look anytime soon."

  "Small price to pay, I suppose." She gladly accepted the kiss he offered.

  "By the way, I have a clean medical test from right before we met. Haven't been with anyone else since."

  "Oh, that." She wrinkled her nose, unexcited about the necessary conversation. "I don't have a clean medical test." His face froze. "I mean, I don't have any test. I haven't been with anyone in about nine months. I'm glad to get a test, though. Probably a good idea."

  His face was unreadable. "Why do you have an IUD if you're not having sex?"

  "I had one when I was in my last relationship. And they're sort of a pain to put in and take out, so I just left it in."

  "Hmmmm… that's convenient. So, would you like to go bare?"

  Was that why it had been so much more intense? “Absolutely. But now I have to get home, get ready and go to work."

  “I’ll get the car and drive you.”

  “That’s silly. I’m only a few blocks away.”

  “But, as you said, your shoes are not going to work with my pjs. And it’ll save you having to put your suit back on.”

  “It’s not a big deal, Aidan. Really.”

  “I insist.”

  She threw on his pants and shirt, and grabbed the pile of her clothes he had folded so neatly for her.

  * * *

  Aidan pulled the car in front of her building. “Any requests for tonight’s dinner?”

  “I don’t think I can do tonight.”

  His face fell.

  “I need a night at home. I haven’t unpacked from the weekend, my dirty laundry is threatening to take over my apartment, and I need to go to the gym. The way you’re feeding me, it’s going to be a problem. And I need to see Maddie.”

  Disappointment clouded his eyes. “I understand.”

  She stroked his cheek. This version of him, sweet and soft, tender, vulnerable, little-boy-like made her heart melt.

  She leaned over to kiss him. “I’ll talk to you later. Have a great day.”

  “You too, Lola.”

  Fatigue hit her like a brick around mid-afternoon. After having gotten very little sleep, she had rushed in the morning, and that adrenaline had kept her going until her short break at lunch. She didn’t know how she was going to find the energy for a workout with Maddie and then get all her laundry done. All she really wanted was to run into Aidan’s arms and stay there. There was no doubt she had fallen in love with him. But it was too soon.

  Canceling her date with Maddie was not an option; the consequences would be intolerable. The rational part of her brain suggested it was probably a good idea to take a break from him. Regain her bearings.

  As it happened, a workout was helpful in releasing the acute emotions of the previous days. Instead of dragging her tired body around the gym, Lola moved like a woman with a mission. Maddie noticed.

  “You’re on fire today, girl. What’s going on?”

  She had barely had time to fill Maddie in on the series of important events of the past two days. She knew her best friend had guessed - they knew each other so well - but was being patient. Lola was grateful.

  “Yeah, I didn’t realize I had so much energy. I needed this.”

  “Yup,” Maddie said with a knowing look.

  They picked up sushi on the way to Lola’s house and settled themselves in. The conversation began immediately and stopped only for bathroom breaks and trips to the basement for laundry.

  Maddie offered astounded expressions and copious expletives to accompany Lola's retelling of Aidan's return to New York and the consummation of their relationship. Over and over again. Lola held nothing back, and in return, Maddie made each piece of information sound more intriguing than the previous. The story began with finding Aidan in front of her door, and included the kitchen and both of their bedrooms.

  “Who are you?!” Maddie could hardly believe her ears.

  “I think I’m in love with him, Mads.”

  “No shit, Sherlock.”

  “Seriously, Maddie. I’m scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “It’s so fast. And he’s still kind of a mystery. I mean, I don’t know how we went from celibacy to fucking in the kitchen. And all night long. Part of it doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “Listen, Lo, you’ve got to let go a little bit here. Love doesn’t always make perfect sense. I have no doubt that he’s in love with you. I knew that since that night you guys were at my house.”

  Lola sighed and stared at her hands. “I hear you. I want to believe you. I just don’t know.”

  “Well, I for one am totally jealous about all the sex you’re having. Ever since we started on the baby project, things haven’t been the same with Trev. We need to juice things up again, I think. You’ve inspired me.”

  “Glad to be of service.” The response was all sarcasm.

  “Lo! How can you possibly be anything but thrilled? Seriously! There are no guarantees in life. All you get is to enjoy the good parts. Enjoy this. It’s nothing short of a miracle.” Maddie got up to give her friend a hug.

  “I’m happy for you, babe. And it makes all those hours at the gym kinda worth it, right? With your fierce body, someone has got to be appreciating it.”

  “It’s actually a little creepy. He just wants to look at me, naked.”

  “Could be creepy, could be sexy. Why not think of it as the highest form of appreciation? A man who wants to look at you, wants to love you. Now, I’ve got to get home and seduce my husband.”

  “Good luck. Not that you’ll need it. Thanks for tonight.”

  “I love you, Lo.”

  “Love you, Mads. See you Thursday?”

  “Unless you’ve got another kind of workout planned?”

&
nbsp; “Thursday is good. I’ve got to build up my stamina for all that sex.”

  * * *

  Lola went to bed happy. She always felt better after spending time with Maddie. What she said made a lot of sense. She would relax more and enjoy more. What was there not to enjoy?

  She looked at the space on the other side of the bed, and all of a sudden felt Aidan’s absence. She ran her hands over the sheets and imagined that he was there, her palm moving over that amazing body of his.

  It was only 10:30. He wasn’t an early sleeper, she knew that.

  Lola picked up her phone and composed a message.

  * * *

  LOLA: Hi.