by Emery Jacobs
Beau isn’t a jabberer. Hell, he’s only said two words since I opened the door, but he’s watched me intently the entire time, taking in every single word that’s come out of my mouth.
“Here,” I mumble as I hold the keys out in front of me. Beau’s gaze travels from my eyes, down my neck, across my chest, and stops at my hand. He slowly reaches out and slides the keys from my grip, his fingers cool and callused as they touch mine. A ripple of excitement travels up my spine, and I shiver in response. There is so much tension in this room. Sexual tension is something I’ve never felt before. Max and I never had it, and Andrew—well, Andrew was a joke.
He shoves the keys into the front pocket of his jeans before taking a step closer to me. Please kiss me. I want to say it out loud—beg—plead.
“I’m going to take your car to the shop tonight and lock it inside. Dave will come by and pick it up in a couple days,” he says, his voice deep and husky.
“Sounds good. You can call me when it sells, and I’ll take care of whatever he needs me to do.” I push out the words with a shaky voice. “Or, you can give Dave my phone number and he can call. Either you or him—I mean, it doesn’t really matter who calls me.” Shit! I’m doing it again. I just can’t shut up once I start talking.
Beau nods and turns to leave. He’s leaving. Why did he walk inside my house and shut the door? I was only grabbing the keys. He could have waited outside, but he didn’t. He came inside. I thought that gesture meant something, like he wanted to kiss me again, or rip my clothes off in a mad panic and fuck me hard… so hard.
“You’re leaving,” I blurt out.
He stops and spins around to face me again. “Yep, unless you need something else,” he says as a smile covers his face. My heart flip-flops in my chest and a thousand butterflies fill my stomach. I swear his smile is brighter than any star in the sky.
“I may need one more thing,” I whisper.
“Just one?” His eyes slowly rake over me.
Suddenly, I’m at a loss for words, so I offer him a small smile as I stop only inches from him.
“Emmie….” Beau’s voice resonates throughout the room.
We’ve been here before—twice, actually—but never somewhere we are completely alone. I want Beau more than I’ve ever wanted another man, including my ex. Harsh? Maybe. Cruel? Definitely. I’ve just never felt so aware of being near another person in my entire life.
Beau cradles my face with his big hands and leans in toward me. His breath softly fans my skin before he presses his lips to mine, and his slow, intoxicating kiss takes me back to the first night I was with him in the hallway of Vic’s Place. When he pulled me into him that night, his kiss was everything, and tonight, it feels like so much more. My eyes flutter closed, and I swear I could live in his embrace forever.
My hands travel across the hard planes of his abs and then I rise to my toes in an attempt to get closer. I need to feel more of him.
“We have to stop,” Beau whispers across my lips.
No! No! No!
“Why?” I pull away, tilting my head back so I can look into his eyes. The bright silver of his irises are now dark with desire—a desire he’s obviously fighting against.
He leans down and kisses my cheek before softly whispering against my skin. “I can’t give you a relationship. You deserve better than anything I could ever give you.”
Wait a second, what? When did I give him any indication I want a relationship? Hell, I just got out of a dysfunctional marriage. My goal is to find me, to allow myself to have a good time. If that means I’ll have a couple of one-night stands, then so be it. I don’t plan on turning into the girl who sleeps with anybody and everybody, but right now, I have to get my feet wet, have to jump back into the game, and Beau is all I’ve been able to think about since the day he dropped my Jeep off at the office.
He brushes my lips with his again, and this time I allow myself to meld into his body.
“I don’t want a relationship. I only want this, us, tonight,” I mumble between kisses.
Beau forces my lips apart with his thrusting tongue. His hands leave my face and slide down my waist. He pulls me in, wraps his arms around me, and holds me tight. A long, slow moan escapes his throat as he pulls back again. His gaze finds mine for a beat, and then he nuzzles his nose in the crease of my neck.
“There’s so much I need to tell you before….” His lips touch my shoulder gently.
I tear myself away from him and shake my head, because I don’t need to know anything else.
“Touch me, Beau.” My voice trembles with desire. My body is throbbing in places that haven’t had any attention in more than a year. I need him so damn bad, and I’m tired of waiting.
So, I rip off my clothes piece by piece until I’m standing in front of him, wearing nothing but my panties. As our gazes meet, my heart jolts and my pulse pounds. Something intense flares in his silver gaze—hunger, desire, want, need.
“Touch me,” I repeat slowly.
Beau closes the short distance between us and gently slides his hands across my belly. He hooks a finger under each side of my panties and then eases them down my legs gently. I step out of my last bit of clothing and use my foot to sling the silk material across the room.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, his hands lightly tracing a path over my skin. I suck in a shaky breath, close my eyes, and drop my head back. Electricity surges through me as he cups my breasts and drags his mouth over my right nipple and then my left. The throbbing between my legs grows more intense with each flick of his tongue.
“Clothes. Take off your clothes,” I moan as I reach for the hem of his shirt. He hurriedly removes his shirt, boots, and jeans. I pull and tug at his boxer briefs until he’s stepping out of them. The second his clothes are gone, my eyes trail over his body, taking in every single inch. His right arm is covered in tattoos, but other than that, he’s nothing but hard planes and muscle. When my gaze lands on his long, thick cock, I can’t look away.
“Beau… I need you to fuck me,” I tell him in a husky whisper, my boldness still alive and pumping through my veins. I’ve never felt more in control of my own wants and needs.
“Emmie.” He says my name almost like it’s one last plea to stop something we both want. I don’t understand, and I don’t want to understand what could be going through his mind at a time like this when it’s so obvious we both want this.
“Birth control?” he mumbles as I skim my fingers across his stomach and over his chest.
“Hmm…yes,” I whisper before rising to my toes and peppering kisses along his neck and jaw.
“Yes, you’re on birth control?” he reiterates.
“Yes,” I repeat softly. He moves his head slightly until his lips recapture mine. His mouth is desperate, greedy, and demanding.
He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me from the floor. My legs instinctively wrap around him as he starts moving toward the couch. I press my core against his hard length and move my hips. With just the right amount of friction and a little more pressure, I could come already. With each of my movements, Beau’s breathing quickens and intensifies. Within seconds, he’s sitting on the couch with me straddling him. I close my eyes and bury my face in his neck. God, he smells so fucking good.
I can’t wait another minute for him to be inside me, so I lift up slightly and position myself over Beau’s rock-hard shaft. My fingers skate across the hot flesh of his cock. It jerks a few times in my hand and then I’m rewarded with the sexiest throaty groan I’ve ever heard. I slide my slick wetness over his head several times, taunting and teasing him. I nibble on his neck and then follow with slow, wet kisses. When my gaze meets his, there’s no denying what he wants.
He slants his lips over mine and all the gentleness from earlier is gone. His mouth is forceful, assertive, and determined. His tongue pushes past my resistance and tangles with mine. He grips my waist and aggressively lowers me down onto all of his hardness, my breath catching as
pain shoots through me. It only lasts a couple seconds. The pain is quickly replaced with rocking hips, fingertips skimming my breasts, and silver eyes watching every breath I take.
“You okay?” Beau mumbles with his gaze still locked on mine.
“Better than okay,” I whisper.
I arch my back, resting my hands on his legs as I continue to swivel my hips and meet every one of his thrusts. Beau’s tongue brushes across my right nipple before he tugs it into his mouth and assaults it with his teeth. When he moves his attention to the left one, I feel a tightening in my belly and a tingling in my spine. I lean forward, wrapping my hands around his neck. I rest my forehead to his and watch him watching me. His intense stare combined with the friction between my legs sends me chasing that feeling of complete ecstasy, and when I catch it, my breath hitches and my body shudders. I whisper his name softly over and over again. He pulls me into him until our bodies become one and his thrusts become more driven by his need to come. Deeper. Harder. Wilder. He moves his hand between us and finds my clit. He flicks it a time or two and then presses his callused finger into the center. He repeats his flicking and pressing until I’m coming again.
I want to keep watching him watch me, but I can’t, because the orgasm is so intense I have to throw my head back and close my eyes.
“Harder. Please, harder!” I scream.
And that’s what he does—harder, harder, harder until my orgasm washes over me and I return to this moment, to our moment.
Beau’s pace picks up and then slows again. It’s a cycle: fast and hard then slow and soft. He brushes his lips along my cheek and down my neck. My skin is so sensitive that just the simple touch of his lips causes me to shudder.
His breathing is heavier and his movements are jerky. I wrap my legs tighter around his waist and grind into him. Without warning, Beau comes on a low, long groan, and just for a second, he looks away. He is by far the sexiest man I have ever seen in my entire life. Even if tonight is our only time together, I will never regret it.
I slowly peel myself off him, because now that it’s over, I don’t know what else to do. I’ve never had a one-night stand. Max was my first boyfriend at fifteen years old. Not only was he my first boyfriend, he was my first kiss, and my first love. I’ve never had sex with anyone else but Max until tonight, and sadly, at twenty-nine years old, the only other man I’ve ever kissed other than Beau was that asshole, Andrew. But I refuse to get bummed out on a night like this by thinking about my past.
“Don’t go,” Beau mumbles as he pulls me back down onto him. I can’t believe he just spoke. He barely said a word the entire time we were having sex, mostly grunting and groaning, but I’m good with that, wouldn’t expect anything different. It’s his style, who he is, but those two words mean everything.
I look down at his face, and he rewards me with a sexy smirk.
“Okay.” I smile, and we both lie back onto my large black leather couch.
I nestle my body into his and reach for the oversized blanket folded over the back of the couch. This feels good… almost too good. I spread the blanket over us then rest my face on his chest. Beau brushes a few strands of my hair away from my face and gently kisses the top of my head. I sigh silently and my eyes flutter closed. I’m going to let myself enjoy this for as long as he’ll stay. Beau doesn’t say anything else, but after a few minutes, his breathing levels out and I know he’s asleep. I breathe in his manly scent and relax. Once my eyes close completely, I fall asleep easily with a smile on my face.
The sound of a vibrating phone pulls me from my sleep. My eyes slowly open, and it takes me a second to realize where I am: in my living room lying on a hard, naked body. His left hand is resting on his stomach and his right is wrapped around me. I gently trace his hand with my fingers. It’s stained with oil and grease, multiple calluses covering the surfaces, though his touch is so gentle. He’s unpolished and raw. He’s rugged and sexy. He’s everything Max wasn’t, everything I needed tonight. I can’t believe I had sex—with Beau. I want to squeal like a little girl, but I don’t want to wake him.
The phone vibrates again, so I rise up and sling my leg over Beau’s body. I look around the room for a lighted phone screen but see nothing. My phone is in my room, so it has to be his. Maybe I should wake him, or maybe I should kiss my way down his chest until my mouth finds his erection, which is pressing into my belly. I don’t have a chance to do either, because Beau jolts up and quickly looks around the room.
“I think your phone—” I barely get the words out of my mouth before he’s leaned over the edge of the couch, digging in the front pocket of his jeans. When he pulls his phone out, I peer over his shoulder and look at his screen. I read the text and immediately regret it.
Hannah: Where are you??? It’s after 11!!
My heart sinks to my stomach, and I feel sick. Who’s Hannah? His wife? Oh, God, no. Maybe I should have let him tell me all the things I don’t know. He tried to stop us, but I persisted until he gave in.
I jerk my head back so he doesn’t catch me looking over his shoulder. I can see his hands moving in my peripheral vision, and I know he’s texting her back. I’m glad I can’t see his response, because I’m afraid it would make me feel even worse.
He stands and begins pulling his clothes on. I wrap myself up in the blanket, his scent still lingering in the air. As soon as he’s dressed, he pulls the key to my Lexus out of his front pocket.
I stand, still enveloped by the Beau-scented blanket.
“You can go out through the door in the kitchen. It opens up into the garage. That way you don’t have to walk around,” I say as I force a smile onto my face.
He walks over to me and presses his lips to my forehead then whispers my name softly.
God, I hate this. Just minutes ago I was so happy, and now I don’t know what to feel. I want to ask him if he’s married, but it’s a little too late for that. I’m just going to convince myself he’s not married and Hannah is a friend. Not a girlfriend, only a friend.
“Thank you again for helping sell my car,” I say, mostly because it’s the only thing I can think of that doesn’t remind me of what happened tonight.
He nods and I lead him to the kitchen. I reach for the door, and he grabs my arm before I open it.
“About tonight…,” he mumbles, pulling me into him.
I shake my head. “There’s nothing to say except that it was great.” I smile, sliding my fingers between his and squeezing his hand gently. “I mean, I’m not sorry it happened. Are you?” I ask. Please don’t tell me you’re married.
“No, I’m not. I just need to know you’re okay.”
“Of course I’m okay.” I release his hand, open the door, and turn on the garage light.
“I’ll be in touch.” His gaze drifts to my lips for a moment, and then he leans over and kisses me gently.
He steps down into the garage and heads for the car. As soon as he’s backing out of the driveway, I close the garage, shut and lock the door, and set the alarm. Then I pull the blanket tighter around my body and make my way to my bedroom.
15
Beau
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a date last night?” Hannah asks as she stands and folds her lawn chair closed.
“I didn’t have a date. I was late getting Rhys because of something I had to take care of for work.” My eyes scan the football field and stop on the lanky ten-year-old gathering his things from the sideline.
Today is his first football game of the season. He plays for a local youth organization that offers football, soccer, basketball, and baseball. Right now, it’s football season, so most of my Saturdays will be spent watching him throw the ball down the field and hoping like hell someone on his team catches it. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the way he played today. Every season, he plays a little better. He’s a natural, unlike me or his uncle Leo. I still don’t know where the kid gets it. If it involves a ball, he’s ready to play and play well. If I wasn’t
so proud of him, I’d probably be jealous.
“You know it’s okay if you occasionally have a date, right?” Hannah says, turning to face me.
“Yeah, I know it’s okay if I date. Shit, I’m a grown man. I don’t need anybody’s permission to date. What makes you think I had a date?”
“Leo mentioned that he dropped you off at some woman’s house before he came by Mom’s place to eat dinner.”
Fucking Leo.
“Leo needs to keep his damn mouth shut, especially about me,” I tell her.
She grabs her bag, and I collect our chairs as we walk toward Rhys.
“So, you didn’t have a date.” She laughs.
“No, I didn’t. If you have to know where I was last night, then I’ll tell you, but I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.”
“Please do tell your sister all about your disappointing night.”
“Leo dropped me off at a customer’s house, and I picked up one of her cars that she wants to sell. I drove it into Dallas for Dave to take a look at and put on his lot. Then I had to catch an Uber back to the shop to get my truck.” I breathe in deeply and look away for a moment before returning my gaze to hers. “Are you happy now?” I hate to lie to my sister, but she doesn’t need to know my business.
“No, I’m not happy, because I was hoping you had a date.”
“Why? You know I don’t date.”
“I know you don’t date, but you need to. You need more in your life than work and taking care of Rhys. I know how much you love your kid, but you need some grownup time, too.” She pats me on the back.
“I have nothing to offer anybody right now. Plus, I don’t have any extra time. I work so much there’s hardly any time left for my son, and he’s the most important person in my life. So, when I make time to do something for me, it always includes him.”
Rhys runs up to us, ending our conversation. Thank fuck, because I’m not comfortable talking to Hannah about anything personal, especially my nonexistent dating life. Rhys gives me his helmet. His face is still flushed from the heat, and his dark blond hair is wet with sweat.