by Kris Bryant
“There isn’t much privacy here, Kate,” I say. She smiles at me. She knows this and doesn’t care. Her eyes look so blue and I can’t help but just stare at her. I reach out and run my fingertips across her cheek and down to her very red and full lips. “I miss your mouth against mine.”
“Then why are you backing away from me?” So many inappropriate things pop into my head, none I can share with her just yet.
“Because I know for a fact that once we start, we won’t stop.” I take another step back.
“Start what?” She’s teasing me, moving closer. Perhaps now would be a good time to teach her a lesson. I stop moving and she is right up against me again. She pulls on my shirt and I surprise her by lifting her up and setting her on the conference room table. I stand between her legs and pull her closer to me. I’m curious if she’s wearing underwear right now. I move my face closer to hers. I watch her reaction as I snake my hand under her skirt. They widen with surprise and her right eyebrow arches. Her thighs feel like silk and I remember how they shook around me the last time she came. I find lace under the skirt. Her mouth opens slightly and her nostrils flare. She hasn’t broken eye contact with me. A slight blush creeps up her neck and spreads across her cheeks. I find the transformation fascinating. I’ve never taken the time to watch somebody become aroused. Goosebumps cover her arms and I can see the faint outline of her nipples straining against the lace of her bra. I want to skip dinner and make love to her. We aren’t going to make it to the room. I lean close so that my lips are almost touching hers. I dart my tongue out and barely touch her upper lip. She makes a noise that sounds like regret when I pull away. I move slowly back to her and nip at her bottom lip. Her hands are grabbing the table, her knuckles white against the dark wood.
“What are you hungry for, Kate?” I ask. My other hand finds its way up her skirt, both palms now tight against her thighs. If I slide my fingers a few inches, I know I’m going to find her pussy wet and swollen with need.
“You, Tristan.” Her honesty is refreshing and almost brings me to my knees. I move away from her and reach my hand out to her.
“Then let’s get out of here.” I shove all my paperwork into my bag, grab my laptop, grab Kate’s hand, and we leave. “Where are you?” I ask. She points down the hall. I’m glad it’s not on the second or third floor. We’d never survive the elevator ride. As we walk to her room, I start worrying that she thinks I’m in this only for the sex. She seems as much into it as I am, so I remind myself to settle the fuck down and just go with it.
“Here, Tris.” She stops and pulls out her card.
I’m patient. I have decided to be patient. I curb the part of me that wants to take the card from her hand and try to unlock the door myself because she isn’t having any luck. Instead, I lean against the door and watch her. Her brow is furrowed in frustration and she’s biting her bottom lip. She turns to me, card in hand. Before she says anything to me, she leans over and delivers a kiss that leaves me shaking.
“Help, please?”
I take the card from her. “Is this the right room?” We both look at the number on the door.
“Yes, this is it.” She sounds frustrated. I turn her toward me and rub her arms.
“Let’s try again.” I gently place the card in the slot and the door clicks to green. Cards are convenient, but keys are a sure thing.
“Thank you,” she says. I push the door open and she walks by me, grabbing my hand and pulling me in. I don’t hesitate to follow. When we hear the click of the door locking, she turns and is immediately in my arms, fighting to take off my clothes. Her nails are scratching me, but I don’t even care. I accidentally pop a few of the buttons off her blouse in my haste, but she doesn’t seem to mind either. I don’t even bother with the skirt. I pull it up with one hand and tear off her panties with the other. One day we will make slow, sweet love, but not today. My body is pulsing everywhere, my heartbeat almost frantic. I’m desperate to feel her skin against mine again.
“I’ve missed you,” I say.
She stops for a moment and gives me a heart-stopping smile. “It’s been dull without you.”
Okay, so it’s not what I wanted to hear exactly, but I’ll take it. We start kissing again and I lean forward until she falls back onto the bed. Amazing body. I’m ashamed at my roughness. I lean down and kiss her stomach while my hands find the zipper on the side of her skirt and unzip her. She is panting, her body rising against my lips and falling down with each exhale. She takes off her thin, lacy bra and is finally naked beneath me. I love that her body is smooth and perfect. She smells like strawberries and sex.
I lower my head and start a trail of kisses from her collarbone all the way down to the junction of her thighs. She is wet and eager for me. The closer my mouth gets to her core, the higher her hips lift off of the bed to reach me. She moans and hisses loudly when I enter her. She feels tight and warm and I wait for her to adjust to me. I gently suck her clit and start moving my fingers in and out of her. I’m moving slowly on purpose. Every gasp, every moan, every slight buck of her hips I feel physically and now emotionally. I’m becoming far too attached to this woman. She tightens her grip on my shoulders and her legs start closing around me. She is close. I move deeply inside of her until I feel her release surround me. I drown myself in her orgasm, riding the waves with her, marveling at the way she embraces it. Not too many women are as open as Kate. I lay my head on her thigh until her breathing returns to normal. I’m about to get up when I feel her fingers twirling my hair. Maybe I can wait a few more minutes.
“I’m going to check on Maddox and Hunter. Then we can grab something to eat if you want,” I say. I look up at her and am surprised by the sad look on her face. She tries to cover it up, but it’s too late. “Hey, are you okay?” I slide up her body and rest beside her, drawing her close to me. “Did I do something wrong?” She smiles and waves like it’s nothing, but not before I see a tear slide down her face. I feel like a jerk right now. I don’t know what to do to help her because I don’t know her like I should. All I can do is hold her. Everybody needs to be held from time to time. I wait until she is ready to talk. I stroke her long hair, playing with the waves, watching them cascade through my fingers. I tell her about a few funny things that happened to us yesterday. Finally, she smiles. She looks at me, but this time her eyes are bright and the sadness is gone. She brings my hand up and puts her palm against mine. Her fingers are slender and pale.
“We can always order room service,” she says. I look around and laugh.
“This hotel doesn’t have room service, doll. Maybe they serve some snacks down in the bar, but if we want food, we’ll have to leave this room,” I say. She pouts. I kiss her. “Or I could bring us back something.” That makes her smile. “Okay, let me go check on everybody and then I’ll bring us back nourishment in the form of greasy, fattening food.”
“Or a salad,” she says. I laugh.
“Or a salad,” I say. I find my T-shirt and throw it back on. I really don’t want to leave her, but I think she’s better now and I do have to get some things done. “I’ll be back in an hour, okay?” She nods at me, the sheet covering her body. I lean down and kiss her firmly again. “Call me if you need anything else.” I gather up my stuff, look at her one last time and head out. I have no idea what just happened in there. Even the really great sex is confusing to me now. Something is eating her up inside and I don’t know what it is or how to help her.
❖
“Did Kate find you?” Hunter asks when I walk into the room. Maddox greets me with a hug and a kiss. I rub his ears and tell him to get his leash.
“Yeah, she found me in the office downstairs. I’m going to get us dinner and head to her room, if you don’t mind. I can even take Maddox with me.” I’m feeling guilty at abandoning my road family.
“Don’t worry about it. Time apart is good for us. Me and the boy need to bond,” she says. “Do you want me to pick you up some food, too?” I ask. She nods hap
pily. “Let me take him out for a bit and then I’ll be back to grab a quick shower.” I grab Maddox and we head out for a quick walk. We stop at the restaurant across the parking lot and I slip in to place an order to go. Maddox patiently waits outside. He’s anxious to go for a run and the empty field across the street is perfect for him to expel his energy. I let him off his leash and he takes off at full speed. He’s so happy. I keep looking at my watch. It’s been thirty minutes since I left Kate and I have an incredible desire to be back with her. I cut Maddox’s time short and he reluctantly returns to my side. We grab the food and I head back to the hotel. I have fifteen minutes. I give Hunter her food and jump in the shower. This time I shave. Everywhere. I now have two minutes to get downstairs.
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll see you in the morning,” she says. How she can talk coherently with a mouth full of fries is impressive. I grab the food and head downstairs. Kate answers the door immediately.
“You are late. By one minute,” she teases. She pulls me inside. She looks at my yoga pants and T-shirt. “Comfy?”
I nod. “And most importantly, clean.” She laughs. Even though she’s dressed comfortably, she still looks refined and polished. I hold up the bag of food and she claps with delight. She’s adorable when she smiles. I melt a little.
“Let’s have dinner in bed,” she says. She’s definitely in a much better place mentally than she was an hour ago. We pull back the covers and I prop up pillows and point for her to sit. She does and I hand her a salad. I have a sandwich and chips.
“It’s a good thing I know you a little bit because deciding on dinner wasn’t hard.” I’m proud of myself as I watch her devour her salad.
“You know a lot about me,” she says.
I can’t help but laugh. “I don’t know about that, but I’d like to give it a try,” I say. She stares at me for a long time and I wonder if I have something on my face.
“You know what I like to eat, the music I like, what I do for a living for now, my favorite clothes. You probably know me better than anybody else, Tristan.” That surprises me. I decide to try to lighten the mood.
“Tell me about your best friend back in Stillwater,” I say. “You know my two best friends already. Hunter and Maddox. I couldn’t imagine life without them.” She smiles when I mention their names.
“I really don’t have much of a life.” I wait for her to elaborate. She puts down her fork. “But I guess if I had to pick, my closest friend is probably Gail. She lives in my building. She’s older and is very much like a mother figure. She’s super sweet and is constantly baking for me. At school, I keep to myself for the most part. Sometimes my brother and I hang out, but he’s got frat life going on so it’s not as much as I would like. I talk to Gage and a few others, but I’m not close enough to them to call them friends.” She picks the fork back up, but doesn’t take another bite.
I’m in disbelief. Sitting in front of me is a beautiful, smart woman who is simply fantastic and very few people know this. Whatever happened to Kate, it was bad enough that she walked away from every single person in her life before OSU.
“Well, I am thankful I got to know you. And not just because of…” I wave my hand back and forth between us. “Not just because of this. I think you’re a lot of fun and you’re very sweet. Maddox loves you and I go by his judgment.”
“I have a lot of baggage, Tris. But I’m working through it because it’s nice to have somebody like you in my life again.” She smiles and leans forward to kiss me. It’s a gentle and smooth kiss. More of a promising kiss than a passionate one. I’m giddy, but I keep it together because I have to maintain some level of calm or I’ll freak her out. Nobody likes clingy.
“Well, you know pretty much all of my demons. The only thing that’s on my plate is coming up with money for next season. God, Kate, I don’t know what I’m going to do if Hunter has to go elsewhere. I need her close by,” I say. I run my hands through my hair and exhale heavily.
“Is there anything she can do for the department before the chasing season?” she asks.
“I honestly don’t know. We joke about a rich uncle showing up, but I really don’t know what she’s going to do if I can’t come up with something. The other teams are important, too, but Hunter is my responsibility and I failed us both.” I know I sound whiny and tonight isn’t supposed to be about my problems. Tonight is supposed to be about us getting to know each other better. So far, she’s opened up nicely and I feel more confident about us already. “I’ll just have to keep plugging along and see what happens. I might even play the lottery.”
She smiles at me. I could just sit here all night and look at her. Her hair is pulled back in a long ponytail and she is wearing leggings and a lightweight long sleeved cotton shirt. She has on entirely too many clothes.
“Are you done?” I ask her. She nods and I rid the bed of our impromptu picnic. I can feel her watching me as I move around. She’s not shy about staring. That’s something I’m going to have to get used to. I head back over to her, but this time I lie flat on the bed. I need to stretch. Before I have a chance to roll and face her, she pounces on me. Her playfulness tugs at my heart and I hold her close to me. “You saw how much I ate, right?” She nods. “And yet you are willing to lie on top of me.” She leans up.
“Deal with it,” she says and kisses me. Dealt. I hold her close as her body molds into mine. Our curves match. Her breasts press gently into mine. I could get used to this.
“Let your hair down,” I say. She leans up and pulls the tie out. We’re instantly cloaked by her soft hair. It’s a small, private world for just us. I cup her face with both hands and bring her down slowly to my mouth. This is a different kiss. This one is full of promises. She welcomes my gentleness and slows her movements. She leans up to slip off her shirt. I slide my hands up to cup her beautiful breasts, their heaviness fill my hands. She closes her eyes and I hear her moan slightly with each touch. Her nipples are hard against my palms. I’m anxious to taste her again. I pull her down to me until I can raise up enough to bring one to my mouth.
She gasps. “Your mouth is so warm.” She starts moving her hips and I still them with my hands. I need to show her that it’s okay to enjoy the feeling of touch without needing to orgasm immediately. She stops and relaxes in my arms. I move my mouth to her other nipple, and I feel her hands working their way through my hair to rest on my neck. I know she wants to pull me closer to her. I can almost feel her frustration. I run my hand between the valley of her breasts down to her stomach and back up again, my fingertips drawing an imaginary path. Chills break out across her skin and the nipple inside of my mouth hardens even more. I bite it slightly and her nails dig into my neck. She rolls her head back, giving me better access to her. I wish it could be like this always. I move my hands down to her thighs. I can feel their warmth on either side of my hips. I can feel that she is already wet for me. I cup her gently and watch as she slowly rocks against my hands. I love that she knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. She opens her eyes and stares at me. The look is raw and filled with appreciation. We keep eye contact and I rub my thumb along her slit. I apply slight pressure on her clit and her eyes widen with desire.
“Take these off, Kate,” I say. She climbs off of me and strips, her fingers shaking with need.
“Please, take off your clothes, too.” She reaches out her hand to me and I climb out of bed and take off my clothes. I’ve always been shy around previous lovers, but not with Kate. The lights are on and she can see all of me and I don’t even care. I know she likes my body and what I can do to hers and that’s all the confidence I need. She leans over and runs her tongue along my shoulder blade. I love that tingling feeling. Her wet tongue only promises more pleasure later. I pull her to me and we continue kissing. She breaks away and gently pushes me back down on the bed. She straddles me again, like before, only this time we are both free to touch wherever we want. I automatically slide my hands up her thighs while she reaches down an
d gently touches my breasts. She slides her body down mine, her thighs no longer within reach. I frown and she smiles at me. “We have all night.” Reaching over to the nightstand, she grabs her hair tie and pulls her hair back. I frown again. I like her hair surrounding me. She kisses me and slowly works her mouth all over my body, stopping only to nip and lick key areas that make me gasp and moan. When she reaches my pussy she runs her fingertips up and down, then gently slides two fingers inside of me. My hips lift to greet her soft thrusts, the feeling so incredible that I close my eyes and let my body just enjoy her touch. I know she is watching me. When her tongue touches my clit, I gasp at the warm, wet contact. Her mouth devours me while her fingers continue to stroke me closer and closer to the brink. I want to be greedy so I stretch it out as long as I can because I don’t know when I will see her again after tonight. I manage to prolong my orgasm for only about a minute before I give up and ride it out, wave after wave of pleasure engulfing my entire body. I feel spent and raw.
“Come here, Kate. I need you,” I say. She is right next to me in an instant.
“You’re beautiful when you come,” she says.
I look at her and know she is dead serious. I smile gingerly at her and push my hair out of my face so that I can see her better. Her blue eyes are round with admiration, her cheeks flushed from passion. She licks her lips and I lean up and kiss them. They are so soft and full and smooth. She lays her head down on my shoulder. I can feel her heartbeat against my chest, her warmth against my skin. She is my Heaven. Shit, I’m falling for her. And it’s only been a few weeks. I bring my hand up to my forehead at that realization.
“What’s wrong?” Kate asks.
“I just remembered something I have to do…tomorrow,” I mumble. We’re nowhere near ready to share feelings. Plus, I need to figure out if I’m feeling this way because I just had an amazing orgasm or if it’s something deeper.