by Rhian Cahill
He scrubbed his free hand over his face. All this self-examination was doing his head in. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the feel of Kelsey against him and the steady rush of her breath warming his skin through his shirt as she slept in his arms.
West woke with a pain in his neck and an elbow in his ribs. The neck ache was due to his head flopping forward in his sleep and the elbow belonged to the woman currently cursing under her breath and trying to crawl off him.
Kelsey.
He sucked in a jagged breath when her knee came dangerously close to his goods.
“Kels,” he warned.
“Shit.” West cracked one eye to see her glaring at him. “Don’t do that!”
“Don’t do what?” he grumbled. “I’m not the one inflicting grievous bodily harm.”
“What?”
He glanced down at his groin where her knee was still firmly wedged between his thighs only centimetres from his balls.
“Oh my God.” She planted her hands, fingers splayed, on his chest and pushed back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”
Her words ground to a stop when she noticed things weren’t exactly quiet down there. His usual morning woody was helped along by the fact she’d been plastered against him in all her curvaceous glory not five minutes ago. And while his jeans weren’t skin tight, they certainly didn’t offer enough room to hide eight inches of hard flesh from view.
“I…um…”
West kept his eyes on her face, so when she stammered over her stuttered breath and licked her lips, he all but burst from the zipper in his pants. “Kels.” He wasn’t sure what he was saying other than her name. Need rocketed through him, and if she didn’t take her delectable arse off his lap in the next five seconds he wouldn’t be responsible for where she ended up. Or down. He’d like her down. On her back, legs wide, waiting for him to plunge deep.
Kelsey’s gaze slowly travelled up his torso until she met his eyes with ones swimming in emotion. West could see the struggle, knew his own gaze reflected the same desperate war of advance or retreat. In the end, it was need that won out.
He wasn’t sure which one of them moved first. It didn’t matter. Their lips fused in a kiss so hot, so wet his mind switched off and his body took over. Every nerve sparked with awareness until he felt like a livewire in urgent need of discharging latent energy. She slid her hands up his chest and scrunched her fingers in the fabric of his T-shirt as they took the kiss deeper.
She opened for him. Let him tease and take at his will. Her surrender fired his blood, filled his already hard cock with pounding heat. He shoved his hands into her hair and pinned her head in place so he could devour her mouth more. God, he wanted so much more. The whimper that slipped up her throat was sucked down his, and West knew if they didn’t stop now, they wouldn’t. And as much as he wanted to overwhelm her with desire to get what he wanted he couldn’t.
Pulling his mouth from hers, he moved his hands to cup her face and waited for her eyes to open. Her eyelashes fluttered, slowly rising to reveal eyes gone black with arousal. A small outer rim of blue was the only glimpse of her normally clear-blue gaze. When her tongue peaked out and swiped across her kiss-swollen bottom lip, he wanted to dive right back in again. But he couldn’t. Not without her full agreement.
“If we’re going to stop it has to be now,” he growled through clenched teeth. “If you want to keep going then we’re moving this party to your bed where I can spread you out and take my fill before starting all over again at the beginning.”
Kelsey’s breath hitched and she curled her fingers into his shirt tighter as her eyes dilated farther. “I…”
West waited for her to finish. She glanced down, air whistling through her teeth as she flexed her fingers on his chest, digging her nails into his pecs. He knew she was looking at his cock. Regardless of the thick denim of his jeans, his width and length were clearly outlined. “What’s it gonna be, Kels?”
Gaze still lowered, she shifted forward, kept moving until her sex sat snug against his. He dragged in a breath, clenching his fingers as he used his grip to tilt her face up. Her eyes were alight with lust and a dark swirl of need lanced through his belly and exploded in his groin. He’d given her an out. Done the right thing by giving her a choice, but with that move, with the way she was grinding herself against him…
He pulled her head to his and slanted his mouth over hers. Any answer she might have given was erased by the swipe of his tongue. She met him stroke for stroke. And when he slipped his hands down her neck and over her chest, she tore her mouth from his and arched back.
“Don’t stop,” she panted.
It was all the invitation West needed. He surged to his feet and, gripping her arse cheeks to keep her wrapped around him, strode from the room.
Kelsey’s heart beat in her chest so hard she thought her ribs might crack. Her stomach fluttered, dipping and rolling, as West carried her down the hall to her room. She knew there were reasons they shouldn’t do this. Knew this would complicate their already confusing relationship, but for the life of her she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of being with him again.
He dropped her to the bed and followed her down, draping his hard body over hers and pressing her deeper into the mattress. His weight was a welcome burden. One she’d craved with a secret yearning for years. And now she was here. Beneath him once more.
“Kels.”
Her gaze met his.
“This is your last chance. Yes or no?”
His eyes searched hers, the need and desire flaring in the deep-gray gaze she knew so well only reaffirmed her decision. “Yes.”
West took her mouth then. But this time he didn’t ravish—he cherished. With liquid strokes and barely there caresses, he drove her out of her mind with need. She wanted them naked. Wanted to be under him skin on skin, hard on soft. His mouth left hers to trail over her chin and along her jaw until his lips toyed with the delicate skin beneath her ear. He licked and sucked and nipped with his teeth, drawing unintelligible words from her throat.
Growling, West dragged his teeth across her flesh and latched onto her earlobe. Sucked it between his lips and flicked it with his tongue. A shiver skipped down her spine.
“I want you naked. Now.” The gravelly need-drenched tone sent a shudder shaking her from head to toe.
He sprang from the bed and Kelsey watched, unable to move as he put his arms over his head, grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged it off with one swift yank. Her mouth watered. His chest was a work of art. She’d felt his sculptured contours earlier, but seeing them uncovered did extraordinary things to her insides. She tightened and loosened all at once. Slick heat filled her core while the rolling clench of her pussy was a reminder of how long she’d gone without the pleasure of a man between her thighs.
West tipped his chin towards her as his hands worked at the button on his pants. “Get naked, Kels, or I’m ripping those clothes off you.”
She had no doubt he’d follow through on his threat, but suddenly the idea of being exposed to this man delivered a sharp blade of fear she had no hope of squashing when faced with such masculine perfection.
“Kelsey?” West’s hands were clenched at his sides, his jeans open but still up, and she brought her gaze up to meet his. “Second thoughts?”
She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she shook her head.
“I’m hanging on the edge. You’re either in this with me, all the way, or you’re not.”
“You’re beautiful.” The words left her mouth without consent and her cheeks filled with heat at her wayward tongue.
He grinned and pushed his pants down his hips, revealing his erection. “Oh no.” West kicked his pants aside and put one knee on the bed. “We haven’t even begun to uncover beautiful yet.”
And then he began to undress her. He started with her top. Inching it up her body to rev
eal a centimetre at a time, he took long seconds to kiss each new section of skin he exposed.
“Here.”
He kissed the curve of her waist.
“And here.”
Another kiss just below her belly button.
“Mmm, here too.”
More kisses were trailed across her stomach until she quivered with anticipation of where he would lay his lips next. It seemed to take forever for him to reach her breasts. But when he did, the attention she was expecting never came. Instead, he trailed his fingers over her, dragging her top with them, up to her collarbones. She trembled as she waited to see what he would do.
“I think we need to get rid of this.” West tugged on her shirt, urging her to lift up and raise her arms so he could whisk the fabric away. “Ah, there. See, now that’s what I call beautiful.”
He stroked his fingers along the lace edge of her bra, his thumbs a whispered caress over her taut nipples where they pressed against the silky barrier that remained between them. Her breath hitched and she held still, every nerve waiting for the next touch, the next word.
“So, so beautiful,” he murmured as he lowered his head to press his lips to the upper curve of her breast.
“West.” Kelsey wasn’t sure what she wanted or how to say it, she just knew she needed him to do more. Yes. “More.”
His mouth found hers and he spoke against her lips. “Don’t worry. There’s definitely going to be more. But first…” He sat up and moved lower on the bed. “These have to go.”
He slid his fingers into either side of her sweat pants and tugged them down her legs. She held her breath as he stared down at the sheer white panties she wore. They were one of her nicest pairs and she briefly wondered if she’d put them on yesterday with this in mind.
“God. Kelsey.”
Her fears of earlier evaporated under his gaze, in the echo of his words. In that moment, she believed he saw her as beautiful whether she saw herself that way or not. She curled her hands around his biceps and pulled him closer as she lifted up to meet him. When her mouth met his, she nibbled on his lips, licked at the seam and pressed inside to taste him again.
He let her have her way, held perfectly still while letting her lead him into the sweetest kiss she’d ever known. As the seconds ticked by, Kelsey’s need grew until kissing him wasn’t enough. She had to have it all.
Chapter Seven
West pulled in a sharp breath and stared at the woman laid out before him. She’d been gorgeous as a teenager but now…with all the curves the years had added, Kelsey was a mouthwatering, mind-numbing dream come true. His dream come true. He wanted to devour her—gobble her up whole—and slake the lust burning in his bones. Except he didn’t want to rush—didn’t want this to be over too soon. Like their first time, he wanted to take his time, imprint every second of being with her on his memory for all eternity.
He traced a finger along the edge of her underwear. Back and forth. Back and forth. When he dipped beneath the flimsy fabric, she sucked in a breath, her stomach rippling, as he teased the skin hidden but not. The sheerness of her lace panties really didn’t conceal a thing. Her dark cleft was easily seen and the moisture seeping from her body rendered the crotch area completely transparent. But even with so little of her covered, he wanted to see more.
“Let’s get rid of these.” West slipped both hands into the sides of her underwear and dragged them over her hips and down her thighs. “Jesus.”
If he thought the sight of her wet panties was a turn on, it was nothing compared to the glistening flesh he’d revealed. His hands shook as he pulled her pants the rest of the way off. He tossed them over his shoulder, uncaring of where they landed, and then he reached for her hands and tugged her up until she sat before him so he could get rid of the last barrier between them.
“And this.” With one flick, he had her bra undone. The straps slipped from her shoulders and he didn’t waste a second removing it from her body and throwing it aside. “Jesus. You’re so beautiful.”
He pushed her back onto the bed as he leaned over and dropped a kiss on her stomach, just below her belly button and the cute little belly ring he’d had no idea she’d gotten. With his tongue, he toyed with the dangling stone and watched as goose bumps rose in a wave over her skin.
“When did you get this?” he spoke while continuing to tease her with his lips, his tongue and finally, his teeth, giving the tiny silver chain that held the sparkling purple stone a tug.
“A-ages. Ago.” Her words came out around her stuttered breath and West smiled against her skin as he nuzzled his way higher.
“I like it,” he murmured against the underside of her breast. “A lot.” He nipped her smooth skin.
Her breath hitched, her chest rising and offering him the perfect place to feast. He didn’t need to be enticed by her curves though. He was already well aware of—and wanted—every part of her. He’d waited so long to get her here. To be hovering over her while she quivered beneath him. And as much as he wanted to take his time, his patience to have her was running out. Fast.
West ran his tongue up between Kelsey’s breasts until he reached the hollow at the base of her throat. Her pulse beat frantically beneath her skin and he figured if that was an indication of her arousal, she was right there with him. On the verge of going over the edge with little encouragement. Did she want him as badly as he wanted her? God, he hoped so. Because at this point, he wasn’t fooling himself any longer. He had to have her and have her now.
“Kels.” He spoke her name but he couldn’t decide if he was asking for something or just reminding himself of who he was with—that this wasn’t a dream like so many times before.
“West. Please.”
He pulled back enough to look at her face, to see her eyes and the need and the want swirling in her gaze. To confirm in his own mind that he wasn’t the only one being driven crazy. “Tell me what you want?”
West wasn’t sure why he asked her, because he didn’t think he could last much longer. If she didn’t want what he did…
Kelsey cupped his face with both hands and pulled him towards her until their mouths were a breath apart. “You. I want you.”
Her words were exactly what he needed to hear. With a slowness that almost killed him, West lowered his body to hers. From toes to chest, he pressed himself against her. His cock found the soft cushion of her pussy and the heat and wetness that surrounded his throbbing flesh dragged a groan from his throat.
“I want you now. Need you now.”
“Yes,” she breathed against his mouth before her lips met his.
The kiss started out soft—sweet—but soon their tongues tangled and their teeth bumped as they ate hungrily at each other. West rocked his hips, his intentions clear, and when Kels arched up to join him in their intimate dance, he knew he’d reached his limit.
He tore his mouth from hers. “Protection?”
“I’m covered and clean.” She chewed the corner of her mouth and West’s balls throbbed.
“I’m clean, but I have a condom in my wallet if you want me to get it.” He had to give her the option. She had no reason to believe him, and while he hadn’t been with a woman since he’d heard her and Bry had split, Kels didn’t know that, and West had no intention of telling her. Yet. Giving her that kind of power over him when this thing between them was so fresh didn’t feel right.
Her eyes searched his and West thought she might have been having second thoughts about the whole thing. In a split second, he made the decision for her. As much as he wanted to take her bare, he wanted her to want that too, and right now he wasn’t sure she wanted him to keep going never mind come inside her.
“I’ll grab the condom.”
West jumped off the bed and raced from the room, cursing under his breath the whole way to the kitchen for taking his wallet out of his back pocket. He found his ke
ys on the counter but no wallet. He could have sworn he’d put them down together. Spinning around, he was about to make his way to the living room when he kicked the missing wallet across the floor. It must have dropped off the counter at some point last night.
He scooped it up and ran back to the bedroom. It probably looked odd, a naked man sprinting through the house, but at this point West didn’t care. All he was worried about was getting back to Kelsey before she changed her mind. Flipping his wallet open, he pulled out the one condom he kept on hand and prayed it wasn’t past its use-by date. Although she said she was covered, he still didn’t want to deal with the stress a broken condom would cause when they already had enough tension in their relationship.
“Got it.” He held it up as he re-entered Kelsey’s room, stopping short when he caught sight of her.
She hadn’t moved. Her legs were stretched out, slightly parted and her hands rested on the pillow beside her head. She really was his dream come to life, and with everything he was, he would make sure he didn’t fuck things up this time.
Forcing himself to move, West made his way back to the bed, dropping his wallet and tearing open the foil packet as he went. He stood at the foot of the mattress looking up at Kelsey, his gaze locked on hers as he fitted the condom over his cock. Covered, he placed a hand either side of her legs and slowly climbed onto the bed and up her body until his mouth hovered over hers.
“You still with me?” He wanted to kick his own arse for giving her another out, but he needed her with him. All the way with him.
“Yes.” She placed her hands on his chest and trailed them down his torso until he shuddered with anticipation of her fingers wrapping around his hard length. Except she didn’t grab him. Instead, she slid her hands to his hips and, digging in her fingers, urged him down.