Constructing Us (New Adult Romance)

by Lake, C. J.

  Andy’s eyes locked with his. Their gazes held for what felt like a meaningful moment, as her mouth curved open and she nervously wet her lips. With his pulse speeding up, Tragan almost reached for her when--

  The fire alarm erupted again, screaming in their ears, and Andy nearly jumped at the sound--before she quickly got back on task.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Seconds after the front door slammed, Andy heard, “Damn, what are you making? I need some of it--now!”

  “Good morning…” she called to Tragan, who soon appeared in the kitchen. Clearly he’d see for himself what the aroma was: thirty-two chocolate cupcakes, lining the counter and table, which Andy was in the process of frosting for her nephew’s birthday. “Don’t touch,” she added, while she concentrated on piping blue icing around the edges.

  “Oh, man…” she heard Tragan murmur with a kind of boyish wonder in his voice. “All these cupcakes…”

  Practically wrinkling her brow, Andy held her hand steady for the last swirl around with the piping bag, then blew out a sigh. “Okay, done with that tray,” she said, turning toward him. When she looked at Tragan, her breath halted. Oh, God… she thought, as a nervous kind of excitement fluttered in her chest, what am I going to do about him?

  He looked breathtakingly handsome today. Clean-shaven, his dark hair not too messy--and even though he was dressed simply, in a navy tee shirt and jeans, the memory of seeing his naked body flooded back to her. His strong arms, his thick, masculine chest, stomach…his smooth back and perfect, firm butt… Something had broken in her last night, some stopper she’d been trying to put on her growing attraction to him, and now it was all she could do not to drool over him. In fact, she had a sudden, spontaneous fantasy of pulling off his tee shirt right here in the kitchen.

  “Hello…?” Tragan said, breaking her trance.

  “Oh, what?” she said, distracted.

  “I said: how come I can’t touch? Then I said: I need some of it now--please?” He leaned against the counter, adding, “If that’s not the magic word, then I’m at a loss.”

  Crooking a smile, Andy shook her head. “Sorry. These are for Jake’s party today.”

  “But I’m your taste tester,” Tragan argued, roving his dark eyes around the room, which appeared scattered with cupcakes the way a meadow might be scattered with flowers. “How are you gonna know if they’re any good?”

  Andy laughed at that. “Actually I’ve made these before. Though I appreciate your concern; I know it comes from a selfless place.”

  He responded to her sarcasm with a brief, wry grin. “But you’ve got like a thousand here,” he protested.

  “I have thirty-two and I need all of them.”

  “Aw, man…” Tragan said on a sigh, “kids get everything.”

  “Aww…” Andy teased him, giving him mock pity--and tilting her head in a way that was borderline flirtatious. “So…you’re up and dressed relatively early on a Saturday. What are you up to today? Do you have to work?”

  “No, helping Pellican move. I told him I’d be there by 11:30. By the way, how are you feeling this morning?” he asked.

  “Oh, I feel fine, really,” she replied. And just like that, the details of the night before careened through her mind, like a sequence of digital images. Tragan lifting her in his arms, holding her close, carrying her to her room, tucking her in, protecting her, caring for her, talking with her, and then there was that moment…

  She was almost sure he was about to kiss her before they went downstairs for the fire alarm.

  And she knew that if he had, she would have wanted with every ounce of her body to kiss him back. Which was why, after they returned to the apartment, Andy had hurried off to bed--claiming she was exhausted. Honestly, she’d been afraid of what might happen if she stayed up with Tragan any longer.

  Last night she could tell that he felt a physical attraction, but she had no idea how deep his feelings ran. Maybe they were purely opportunistic and carnal. On the other hand, he was genuinely a friend, so maybe there could be more between them…

  She only knew that she’d tossed restlessly in bed last night thinking of him, picturing him, wanting him--and then feeling horribly guilty about it. It wasn’t fair to Brad, and last night had been the final turning point. The moment when indecision became conviction. No matter what might or might not lay ahead with Tragan, she would have to break up with Brad, once and for all, and she planned to do it tonight.

  “I’m glad you’re better,” Tragan remarked now, eying the cupcakes covetously again. “Not even one?”

  “No. And just so you know…I left Brad a message this morning and told him that I’m pulling out of the drug study.”

  Tragan’s brows lifted at that. “For real?”

  Andy nodded. “Yes. He has rounds so I figured I wouldn’t reach him, but I wanted to give him a heads-up so he doesn’t hear it from Dr. Lassiter. Anyway, I left him a voicemail and told him that I’m definitely quitting it.”

  Tragan looked like he wanted to tell her it was a good thing, but was hesitant to do so. Instead he asked, “How do you feel about it?”

  “Great. Honestly this is a huge relief.”

  “Good,” he agreed, smiling at her now. Then pushed away from the counter. “Well, I guess I should get going. By the way, where’s the party today?”

  “My sister’s house in Newton. My mom’s giving me a ride there so I can transport all the cupcakes.”

  “But doesn’t your mom live right near your sister? It doesn’t make sense for her to drive all the way out here just to get you, and then have to drive all the way back.” Shaking his head, Tragan dug into his jeans pocket. “Here, take my car.”

  At first, when he held his car keys out, Andy just stared at them.

  “Take ‘em,” he said.

  “Um, are you sure?” she said, both flattered by the offer and hesitant to take him up on it. “Won’t you need your car to help your friend move?”

  “Nah. He lives right off the C-line. I can walk to his place from the T. And we’ll have Matt’s truck anyway.”

  “Well…okay, if you’re sure,” Andy said after a stunned moment. “Thanks.”

  “Sure, no worries. You remember where it’s parked, right?” He jerked his thumb toward the back of the building.

  Distractedly, she nodded, overwhelmed by him for a second. It was so generous to let her take his car today, and to relegate himself to public transportation. And yet, he was clearly unfazed by it. God, his laid-back confidence really turned her on. Like so many other things about him. In fact, now that she was no longer mentally downplaying her attraction to Tragan, she had to admit: his forearms really turned her on, too, and so did his laugh…and that tattoo on his right bicep…plus, his gaming skills got her kind of hot…and of course there was his sexy, thoroughly masculine voice…

  “All right, Andy, if you’re really not going to let me have any cupcakes, then I’m gonna get going,” he told her with a grin. “Later.”

  “Okay--oh, wait--real quick. Could you hand me that lid over there?” Andy said, pointing to the cake cover resting on the opposite counter.

  “Sure.”

  When Tragan lifted it up, he froze--then turned his head toward her, his dark eyes narrowing. “What’s this?”

  “Hmm…let’s see…” Playfully, Andy held back a smile as she ambled closer. “A jumbo-sized cupcake--set apart from the others--with a T scrawled in blue icing…”

  “For me?” Tragan said, breaking into a full smile.

  “Of course! I’d never forget about you,” she said with a little laugh.

  “Yes!” he said, messily pulling the cake right out of the ramekin cup and assailing it with his mouth. “Awesome!” he mumbled, totally un-self-conscious about the frosting on his lips.

  “You’re such a guy,” Andy said, shaking her head, and then without thinking, reached up to wipe the underside of his lip with her thumb.

  The
second she made contact, she realized what she’d done. Her hand was on his face. More than that, she was touching his mouth. Something so intimate--too intimate for friends--and yet, her fingers lingered. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him, grazing her thumb over his lower lip, as if there was still frosting there. As if she didn’t have an impulsive desire to slide her thumb inside his mouth and to feel his hot tongue on her flesh. Her breath became shallow as her eyes traveled up--and she found Tragan watching her. His gaze was intense, fully aware of her--and then she panicked.

  Self-consciously, she swallowed and pulled back.

  Trying to act natural, Andy snatched a dishtowel off the counter and handed him that instead. “Here, you can do it,” she said awkwardly, as hot embarrassment flooded her cheeks. If people saw this now, would they really be surprised that Brad was her only boyfriend ever? As much as she wanted Tragan, she was inexperienced enough to fear rejection and nowhere near confident enough to be a seductress.

  Wordlessly, Tragan took the towel and wiped his mouth.

  “Better?” When she nodded, he tossed the towel and said, “Actually, it’s just as well I get cleaned up. I’m supposed to meet some girl later.”

  At that, Andy’s mouth fell open. “W-what girl?” she asked, feeling her brow crease with concern.

  “Pellican’s sister’s friend is supposed to be there today, helping out,” he told her.

  “Oh.” Andy swallowed down a hard lump. Suddenly she started to feel queasy, and it had nothing to do with the drug trial. This was 100% anxious jealousy, churning in her stomach. Why hadn’t she considered that Tragan could be interested in other girls, too?

  “And you, um, like her?” she asked, attempting to sound pleasant and unaffected--as if she were simply taking a friendly interest in the topic, as his roommate.

  He gave a one-shouldered shrug, while his face remained noncommittal. “Never met her. But Pellican thinks we’ll hit it off.”

  The painful knot of jealousy in Andy’s belly swelled, then spread to her chest, making it hard to breathe normally. Still, she forced a smile that felt brittle, but it was the best she could do. Then nodded maybe a bit too vigorously. “That’s great, Tragan. I really hope it works out,” she lied.

  “You do?” he asked, never taking his eyes off her face, as though studying her reaction.

  “Sure. If it’s what you want.” She quickly turned away from him and walked back to the counter where she’d been frosting cupcakes and tried to think of what she could busy herself with until he left the kitchen.

  Mere seconds later, she felt Tragan come up behind her. Her whole body stilled, as her pulse began to pound. “Andy…” he said softly, and came even closer. The heat from his body spread across her back, igniting every nerve ending in her body. “What if that’s not what I want?” he said huskily, murmuring into her hair.

  She drew a sharp breath, too stunned to speak, as hot arousal washed over her and swelled relentlessly between her legs. Her racing heart began thundering in her ears. Was this really happening? A scatter of conflicting emotions tumbled through her. She felt unsure, hopeful, hesitant, eager. Then again, maybe they weren’t conflicting. Maybe they all led to the same exhilarating thing.

  One of Tragan’s hands slid around her waist. As his palm lingered on her stomach, his other hand climbed up her neck, gently pulling her hair back. And then she felt his mouth.

  Hot shivers of excitement rippled through her as Tragan softly kissed her neck. His mouth was warm and gentle at first, but still so utterly arousing that Andy let out a breathy little sigh. “What if I want someone else?” he finished--to which she had no answer other than to let her eyes slide shut and her head fall back against his chest, as he tangled his fingers in her hair and deepened his angle.

  Instinctively, she arched her back enough to nudge him with her bottom. He groaned in response, tightening his hold on her stomach and pushing into her. Soon he was gripping her hair and placing hot, suctioning kisses on her neck, as he began grinding against her. She was nearly panting when she felt his breath hot on her ear. Then he ran his tongue inside. “Tragan…” she whispered weakly.

  “What?” he said, his voice thick with desire. “Stop?”

  “No,” she breathed, turning in his arms. Feeling reckless and sexy and aching to have him. “Don’t stop…” she whispered, reaching up to dig her fingers into his hair and pull his face toward hers. Vaguely she registered the look of raw hunger in his eyes--right before his mouth covered hers.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Andy gasped softly when their mouths finally broke apart. She was breathing hard and so was he. Then he was pulling her closer, kissing her again.

  Being this entangled with Tragan was surreal for that first second, only because she’d imagined it so many times over the past week. And because the actual experience was so mind-blowingly hot. His lips were soft and passionate, his tongue was hot and skillful, and his hands--God, his hands…they were suddenly possessive on her. One hand cupped the back of her neck and the other had snaked around her lower back and pulled her snugly against him, like he never planned to let her go. The desire she felt radiating off him reassured her that all the excruciating lust wasn’t just her; knowing that made this moment even more intense.

  He kissed her deeply, again and again. At first she was so helplessly aroused, all she could do was cling to him and sink into it. “Andy,” he rasped, “I’ve wanted this like crazy.”

  “Me, too,” she whispered, clutching the front of his tee shirt, before he took her mouth again. Gripping the back of her neck, Tragan dominated her with his kiss, edging her up against the counter, sucking her lower lip, then sliding his tongue against hers until she was practically whimpering. At first she didn’t even realize she was moaning--that’s what an incredible kisser he was--he had her so turned on, it was like she was in some scorching haze and she couldn’t even think straight. She couldn’t think at all.

  Then something snapped and she needed so much more. Impatiently, she began tugging at his tee shirt. “This needs to go,” she told him in a shaky voice. She could feel how flushed her face was, how rapidly her chest was rising and falling, how overheated her whole body was. And she almost felt like she’d die if she couldn’t have him right now.

  With a dark, hungry look, Tragan yanked off his tee shirt and tossed it. “Is that better?”

  “Yes…” Andy murmured, dropping her gaze to his chest. She ran her eyes longingly over his body, his shoulders, his arms, the hair that fanned lightly across his chest and trailed down his stomach…which led her eyes to the significant bulge in his jeans. Without meaning to, she let out a soft sigh and licked her lips.

  “Jesus, don’t look at me like that,” he growled, grabbing her by the waist with both hands and moving her toward the kitchen exit.

  “Why not?” she asked breathlessly, running her hands up his chest.

  “Because you make me want to take you right here,” he said. “Right here on this floor,” he warned, kissing her again. “Against this wall.” He backed her up against the archway. Andy’s breath came up shorter, thinking he might really do it--and realizing that she’d be more than willing. She’d be eager and wanting it, having lost all sense of propriety in the last fifteen minutes. It was like her sense of control had shattered completely. The sexual energy between them was undeniable and seemed to obliterate everything else; he had to feel it, too.

  Pressed up this close--feeling his hands on her ass and his tongue in her mouth--she was so mindless with his heat, his scent, his blatant sex appeal, that she was even about to urge him, “Yes, please, against this wall...” when suddenly, he lifted her up. Straddling her legs around his waist, he tried to balance kissing her with carrying her. He crossed the hall and accidentally knocked them into the door jamb as he made his way to her room.

  With his foot, Tragan shoved Andy’s bedroom door all the way open. In thrilling anticipation for whatever--and everything--that was to come, she
dug her fingers into his hair and sighed, restlessly. She brushed kisses along his jaw and ran her tongue on his ear.

  “Fuck, I want you so much,” Tragan muttered in a low, gravelly voice, and then tumbled them both onto the bed.

  ~

  He peeled off her hoodie and tank top while she eagerly fumbled with his fly. She’d rubbed his cock through his jeans only for a few seconds before she’d grown impatient with that. So Tragan reached down to jerk his zipper open for her, and dipped his head so he could run his mouth over her nipples.

  As soon as he felt Andy’s warm hand close around his dick, his eyes slid shut for a moment. With a low groan, he pressed his face in her breasts, breathing her in as she squeezed and stroked him--but before long, he realized it was a mistake. He was so turned on, way too turned on, and he needed this to last. He needed to make it so good for her. So he reached between them and eased her hand off of him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.

  “Nothing,” he assured her, moving up so they were face-to-face and he was half-lying on top of her, half-lying by her side. “It’s just you’ve got me so worked up…” he added gruffly then kissed her lips again.

  She responded instantly to his kiss, grabbing at his shoulder and fusing her mouth to his. In seconds the kiss turned feverish--hotter, wetter, hungrier--while his hand went to the waistband of her pajama pants.

  Andy moaned, breaking their kiss, as Tragan slid his hand inside her panties. Sucking in a breath, he tried to focus on making her feel good--and not on how unbelievable touching her felt for him. He began rubbing her between her legs, moving his fingers in a circle, gently at first, then a little harder, until she was rocking against his hand, coaxing him on. When he slid a finger inside her, her back arched and she whispered his name.

  Tragan drove his tongue deep inside her mouth as he slid another finger in. Andy arched up higher, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back as ravenously as he was kissing her. When their mouths broke apart, Tragan pulled back a little to look at Andy’s face; he found her gazing at him under heavy lids, breathing hard, her lips puffy and wet. The sight of her panting and yearning for more was almost enough to make him burst. Keyed up, he plunged his fingers a little deeper, and she cried out. Then rode his hand, urging, “More…”