by Eva Moore
“So you’re saying you weren’t driven out of your mind by lust over my hot body?” There was that confident humor again, the one that shook her and made her want to laugh at the same time.
“More like the idea of sanding more drywall was going to push me over the edge,” she teased.
“I am disappointed in your imagination. I’m definitely a better choice than drywalling.”
“We’ll see.” Sofia snuggled closer to his side, her actions at odds with her words.
“Listen, we can just watch a movie and relax. We’ll see where things go.”
“Yeah, it’s where we might go that’s tripping me up.”
“Pick a movie. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”
“Okay. How about the original Fast and Furious? I haven’t watched that in ages.”
Adrian’s face blanked with shock, and she laughed as he reached for the remote.
“What? You expected me to say Pride and Prejudice or something? Actually, the version with the zombies was pretty funny. We could watch that instead.”
“Just when I think I have you figured out.”
At least I’m not the only one off-balance here…
Adrian settled back into the couch and started the movie, watching Sofia out of the corner of his eye. He’d gotten used to seeing her in her full makeup. She looked younger and more real without it. His protective and possessive instincts were battling for control, but he was determined to give her the space she needed. He clearly had some figuring out to do, too. He couldn’t believe he’d missed how much she hated her job. She definitely hid that well. What else was she hiding?
He rubbed his fingers over the shoulder of her super-soft sweater, and she snuggled closer. Okay, so shoulder strokes were okay. He tried to focus on the movie and go slow, but with her warmth pressed up against his side and her lovely breasts just a glance away, it was hard. So hard. He shifted slightly to readjust the pressure in his lap, and she took that opportunity to snuggle deeper.
Oh God. I’m going straight to hell.
His fingers gripped reflexively against her shoulder as he fought for control. Slow might kill him, but he’d honor his promise. He slid his hand farther down her arm, giving her time to decide if she wanted to settle into the side hug or retreat.
He felt a ridiculous leap of pride when she pulled her feet up beside her on the couch and leaned her head on his chest. She was blocking his view down her shirt now, but the scent of her hair flooded his senses and he forgot to care. Close enough to kiss. He hadn’t been this physically excited by a cuddle since high school. The wave of well-being that washed over him was completely new.
Slow. Down. Think glacial. He had a better understanding of the threat to the Arctic now. What chance did a glacier have of withstanding this persistent rise in heat?
About the time Paul Walker’s car blew up, she leaned forward to place her empty beer bottle on the floor.
His lap was momentarily filled with warm, beautiful Sofia. His mind flooded with wicked thoughts, and he couldn’t stop the groan and involuntary cock twitch. His sweats weren’t doing much to help hide his situation. She froze, and so did he, determined to make good on his promise.
She looked up at him over her shoulder and grinned. “You okay there?”
“Mmhmm.” The mumble was all he could muster. She put a hand on his thigh to push herself up, pulling the gray cotton taught over his erection. She tried to hide a gasp, and his quads spasmed in response. “Jesus, Sofia.”
She chuckled like a goddess confident in her power over her mere mortal man.
“Is there a problem?” She slid her hand farther up his thigh, and it was all Adrian could do to keep his hips from arching off the couch.
He nodded, unable to find words.
“What is it?”
He took her hand and removed it from his thigh so he could think again. Holding it loosely in his own hand, he leaned back to look her in the eye. “I promised I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t like.”
“Yes, you did. Is that a problem?”
He nodded. “I don’t know what you don’t like. Or if you’ll like what I think you’d like.”
She considered the problem carefully and he barely breathed. There was no way she was as turned on as he was, but he was hopeful that she was a little curious. Enough to give him a chance.
“Why don’t you tell me what you think I’d like, and we’ll see?”
He raised his other hand to her face, needing to see her eyes, to read her emotions as he laid his hopes and needs bare. “I’d like to kiss you.”
“I’d like that, too,” she answered quickly.
Adrian shook his head. “I’m not done.” He brushed his thumb over her bare lips. “I’d like to kiss you here and here.”
He moved his thumb with his words, tracing her cheek and down her neck, where her pulse beat madly beneath his fingers, despite her calm expression. So she was good at hiding her feelings.
“I’d like to take my kisses even lower.” He didn’t break eye contact as he moved his hand lower to toy with the edge of her sweater against her ample cleavage. He moved his thumb to the nipple he could feel hard as stone even through the layers and teased her, flicking back and forth. “I’d like to pull off your sweater, take off your bra, and kiss your gorgeous breasts.”
Her eyes flickered away at that. First barrier. He took his hand away, and she looked back, questions and unspoken uncertainty in her eyes.
“You didn’t like something about that, so I won’t.” He clarified his intentions, and moved his hand back to her cheek and safer ground.
“I liked most of that. I just… I don’t…”
“Whatever it is, tell me. I want to make this good for you.”
“I don’t want to take my clothes off.” She blurted it out. He could see the shame filling her eyes, and he hated it with a passion he didn’t fully understand. “I don’t want you to see me.”
How could she feel ashamed of any part of her beautiful body? Maybe if he could pull her back into the heat of her own response, she’d forget long enough to let him show her shame had no business between them. “So me kissing your breasts, licking you, squeezing you, teasing you, is okay if I leave your sweater on?” She nodded, and he resumed his verbal seduction. “Can I pull your sweater down for that? If I leave it on?” She nodded again.
He hooked a finger into the low neckline of the sweater that was keeping her hidden. God, she tempted him. He planted teasing kisses on her chest before continuing his verbal mission.
“And if I wanted to touch you here? Kiss you here? Could I?”
He slid his hands lower to her hips and the top of her thighs, letting his fingers tease the space where her thighs compressed tightly together.
“If I wanted to run my hands over your beautiful ass to pull you closer to me, would you like that?”
She lowered her lids, and he couldn’t tell if she was overwhelmed by the image or if she was hiding again. She hesitated to answer.
“If you’re not sure, would you let me try to convince you?” Her eyes snapped open, and the wariness was written all over her face. He had to erase it. “I’d like to show you how every inch of your body turns me on.”
“I’d like to see that, too.”
That approval was all he needed. Clothes stay on? No problem. He was up for the challenge. Literally. Straight up and throbbing. He went back to the beginning, taking her lips in a gentle kiss that he poured all of his longing into. He’d been waiting years for this. His kisses down her neck drew shivers of pleasure in response, and he tried to chase them with his tongue. When she sat up and reached behind her to undo her bra strap, he knew he’d won.
“Dios mio, querida. You are so…” He couldn’t help but gasp as he tugged her sweater and bra down low enough to expose one of her breasts.
“Big?” she supplied with a grimace.
“Gorgeous, beautiful, sexy. None of these words are enough.” He’d al
ways admired her breasts, but now that he’d seen their natural magnificence, he was a confirmed fan. He wanted to rip the sweater off so he could see all of her at once, but she wasn’t ready for that. So he’d take what she’d allowed and adore it. She didn’t like the way her body looked, so he’d take the time up front to convince her to see things from his perspective. Which was that she was a smoking hot goddess who could slay him with a twitch of her hips or a bounce of her tits. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, holding her firmly with one hand. Using his tongue, he pulled all manner of delicious sounds from her lips. She was so lost, she barely hesitated when he reached his other hand around to her ass.
So far she hadn’t done anything but kiss him back, and he was already hard as a rock. When she slid her hands up into his hair to grip his head, he groaned and buried his face in her chest, enjoying the hell out of her willing touch.
He rolled and slid off the couch to kneel between her legs as she sat back on the couch. He tugged her sweater back up over her beautiful breast and was pleased by her obvious chagrin. But he didn’t let her linger in disappointment long, tugging the offending sweater back down on the opposite side, determined to be fair and impartial. Both of her breasts were magnificent and deserved to know it. His new position allowed her to tighten her grip on his head, and he let her lead the way, guiding him where she wanted more. It had the added benefit of aligning their pelvises perfectly. He found a small measure of relief, even through the layers of denim and cotton separating them, as he rocked forward to kiss her lips. She moaned and arched her hips against his, encouraging him.
Soothing her fears had made him feel strong before, but the way she was responding now made him feel damn near barbaric. He was tempted to toss her over his shoulder and haul her off into bed. But a firm voice in the back of his head warned him to keep his promise of control. Making out on the couch would have to do for tonight.
He hadn’t tried to make a girl come with her clothes on since high school. Same rules still applied. Follow her lead. Read her cues. Stop when she stops enjoying it. His father had been more open than most and had made the rules abundantly clear from an early age. He pulled back from Sofia’s wicked kiss to make sure he was on the right track.
“Do you like that?” He rolled his hips again, and her eyes rolled back in her head.
“Yes, Adrian. God, yes. That feels so good.”
It was as if she’d broken the seal on her resistance with that yes. She gripped his head and kissed him hard before guiding his head back to her chest.
“You do this to me, Sofia. I watch you walk through a job site barely contained in your tight sweaters, and I want to take you into the nearest dark corner and set you free.”
He needed little encouragement to match her frantic pace. Every lick, every tug, every pull of his lips drew him in closer to her fire. He took her hand and guided it to his hard length, and she gripped him firmly as he thrust into her hand.
“This is what you do to me. You sit behind that desk of yours like a queen, and I want to kneel at your feet and lick you here.” He moved his hand between her legs and almost got burned by the heat. She shifted hers back to his shoulder and held on tight. “I want to hear you come for me, before I lift you onto your desk and finish the job.”
Each sound he drew from her lips, each twitch of her body was driving him mad. The thought of how she’d feel beneath him, surrounding him, nearly pushed him over his edge.
“I want to slide my hand inside these jeans and see how wet you are for me.” He moved his hands to the button keeping him from heaven and waited.
When she nodded frantically, he leaned her back on the couch and slid the button free. His fingers slid along the bare skin of her hip and dipped below her cotton underwear. Searching for her hooded clit, he reached lower until he found the spot that made her hips twitch off his couch. He took her nipple back into his mouth while he slid even lower to discover that she was indeed dripping wet for him. Still kneeling, his hips moved of their own volition, sliding hard against the edge of the couch as he tried to hold on to his sanity.
“I want…” He panted, trying to find the breath to keep weaving his spell. “I want my fingers inside you, Sofia.”
He explored between her lower lips, tracing and teasing, until she tilted her hips, encouraging him inside. With every finger thrust, he pictured his cock enjoying the same exploration. He was seconds from coming without her.
“I need you, Sofia. Come for me.” He pressed his palm against her clit and pleasured her tight pussy with two fingers now. Her gasps were coming closer together, and he tugged her nipple hard with his lips in time to her labored breathing. A long, shattered wail emerged from her throat as everything clenched. Her hands on his head, her legs around his hand, her grip around his heart. He was flung into his own orgasm by the aftermath of her pleasure.
That was beyond anything he’d expected. Making out with Sofia was his new favorite pastime. Sorry, baseball. He laid his head against her chest to catch his breath and reveled in the rapid drumbeat of her heart.
Whatever this was, it was off to an excellent start.
Chapter 15
Oh, God. This was terrible. What had she done? How could they go back to work and not be weird with each other? She’d agreed to the movie date in a weak moment, and now she had his O-face seared in her mind. She couldn’t lie though. If he’d been terrible, this would be easier. He’d been amazing, attentive and exciting, and she’d been powerless to resist. How on earth was she going to keep a stupid grin off her face while they were filming now? Her control was good but not superhero good.
It had been so long since someone else had taken charge of her orgasms that he had left her undone, raw nerves exposed, despite obeying her request to leave her clothes on. Sweet Lord, what would this man do to her if she were naked? She tried to snatch her defenses, but her mind was a swirling mess of pleasure and pain.
Thank God he’d listened though. The thought of this gorgeous man seeing her stretch marks and belly rolls was scary. She didn’t want to see the disappointment overtake the desire in his eyes. Maybe next time, they could turn off the lights—
What was she thinking? Next time? They couldn’t do this again, no matter how much her body craved his touch. She’d been caught in his magic, frozen by his words, unwilling to break the spell. But once she’d decided to take a more active role in her own downfall, she’d been mighty tempted to pull his shirt over his head so she could run her hands over what she was sure were gorgeous abs. But fear had stopped her. What if he took it as an invitation to reciprocate? The idea of never seeing him naked almost made her cry. Nope. She was not going to be that girl who cried after she came.
She eased from beneath him, embarrassment beginning to spread its nasty, prickly venom through her veins. He lifted his head with a sappy grin that quickly faded when he saw whatever was making it through her shield. Damn it.
Fear, shame, guilt, anger—take your pick. It could be any of them. She tugged her sweater up into place. She had to get out of here before she did something stupid. Like stay.
“Well, that was fun.” Too late to avoid stupid. She stood and buttoned her jeans. “I mean, thank you, but I need to go. Go home. Um, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With every syllable she uttered, she felt more and more ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that her bra was dangling beneath her sweater, simultaneously making her feel awkward and aware, while doing nothing to keep her overly sensitive girls from bouncing against the cashmere, reminding her of where his tongue had worked its magic. She had to get away.
“Sofia, wait. Why are you rushing off? I thought we were having a good time.” He glanced at the TV. “Look, Vin Diesel hasn’t even hijacked the truck yet.”
“It was good. A good time. But I don’t think we should do that again.”
“I agree. Next time, no clothes.”
“Adrian, be serious.”
“I am serious. Why wouldn’t we want t
o do that again? I’d like to do that and more every day of the week. You’re amazing, Sofia.” He reached for her, and she stepped back before she gave in to the impulse to tackle him to the floor and ride him like a cowgirl. The image sent a flush to her cheeks, this one definitely desire. But no. She didn’t belong with a guy like him.
They needed to work together. She could be friendly and totally forget that she had pants feelings for him. The alternative was too scary to consider.
“I can’t.” Before she could make the situation any worse, she ran.
Thankfully, she made it into her car and out of his driveway before the tears began. She pulled over around the corner so she didn’t end the night in an accident with her bra unhooked. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she grimaced at the thought of the splotchy cheeks and puffy eyes that would follow. Adrian would back off fast if he could see her now, with her careful façade disintegrating. The cashmere sweater, the tight jeans, the hair and makeup—it was all a shell to make her palatable for the home audience. He’d been attracted to the artifice, not the real her, or he’d have made his move a long time ago. The tears overflowed her dam for the second time that week, weakened by the passion of the evening. She cried over her cowardice and her wounded pride. She cried over her fear that she’d just screwed up big time. She cried over what her life had become. By the time the tears wound down, she was utterly spent.
Sofia felt like a fool, but she was a fool who could recover from this. She just had to pretend like it never happened.
Adrian was still confused as hell the next morning. Sofia had torn out of his apartment like a bat out of hell after what he thought had been an excellent make-out session on the couch. What had he missed?
He’d replayed the evening in his head so many times, he had entire swaths of her dialogue committed to memory. And he still couldn’t read between the lines. What would he say to her today? He felt like there was a bomb ticking down and he was the only one who could detonate it. And he had no manual, no wire-cutters, and no backup. He hoped his MacGyver skills were up to the challenge.