Easy released me as abruptly as he’d kissed me, whatever this was between us operating in fits and starts that left me unable to catch my stride. Or my breath.
I closed my eyes, not quite ready to face what I’d done, not even sure what that was. He’d kissed me. And yeah, I’d kissed him back, but in this moment the salient fact seemed to be that he’d kissed me. How long had that been going on? Was this a result of us hanging out more lately? He’d always had a reputation in the squadron, but I’d never noticed his interest in me. Had I missed it? Did it matter if it had been there before or if it was here now?
I opened my eyes, my heart pounding, my body already protesting his absence, wanting to close the distance between us.
Easy stared back at me, his face pale, his eyes wide. His lips were swollen, a red mark on his neck I’d apparently given him somewhere along the way. His shirt was rumpled and disheveled from where it lost a battle with my hands in the fight for skin. And it was impossible to miss that he was still hard.
“Fuck.”
He looked away, the oath falling from those beautiful lips sending another tremor through my body. It sounded so harsh, so male coming from his mouth, and suddenly, I wanted him to give me the rest. I wanted the brash fighter pilot who turned swagger into a verb. I wanted to lose myself in tonight. It had been so long, and I was tired of feeling as though I’d died, too, nothing in front of me but fifty-plus years of being alone. I wanted to be touched, kissed, held. I’d deal with the guilt later. In this moment, I just wanted Easy.
“Dani, I’m sorry, I—”
I took a step toward him, and then another, my legs shaking as I erased the distance between us. Three steps. Three steps that might as well have been a mile.
He didn’t speak. As soon as I took that first step toward him, his mouth slammed shut, his body tense as though he was holding himself back. His eyes—
I faltered on the last step, my gaze locked with his. It was as though a mask had been torn away and suddenly I stared at a stranger. We’d been friends for years; how could I have missed this? How could I have not seen that he looked at me as though—
I didn’t even know how to classify the emotion in his eyes. I wasn’t sure there was a word for it. At least not one that came to me now. But he’d put a feeling to it when he’d kissed me, and I wanted the feeling again. Needed it.
I reached up—God, he was tall—and laid my palm on his cheek, my fingers skimming his cheekbone. I studied him—the bone structure that would have made a male model envious, the blue eyes that looked so utterly ravaged, the full mouth that had a hint of a pout that the guys gave him so much shit about, the dark blond hair that always seemed to be a touch too long, an inch out of regs. He was the same Easy I’d always known, and yet he wasn’t. He’d somehow become someone new and I saw him for the first time, as someone other than my friend.
“Dani . . .”
Had he always said my name like that?
My hands moved to his neck, stroking the skin there as he shuddered against me, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath and then another. I stepped into his body, inhaling the scent of him. His heart pounded between us, his mouth tempting me.
Neither one of us moved as we stayed together, locked in an almost-embrace, adjusting to this shift between us, to this new sensation that had sprung up unbidden. His hands found their way to my hips, settling over my hipbones, not quite holding me to him, but not pushing me away, either, his fingers moving in little circles over me. He stood there in limbo, waiting for me to make the next move, offering me his body, all the want inside him that stole my breath away.
So I took it.
I stood on my toes, tugging his head down, making him meet me halfway so I swallowed the breath that passed between his lips, and then his tongue slid in next, and whatever invisible leash had been holding him back finally snapped, and I got a glimpse of Easy in all his unfettered glory.
It. Was. Glorious.
He pushed away from the wall, his hands coming to my waist, lifting me up as though I weighed nothing at all. My legs wrapped around him instinctively, my body rocking forward as he pulsated between my legs, hard and heavy. His hands came to my ass, holding me up, squeezing, while his mouth unraveled me.
God, he could kiss.
Our tongues tangled as I rubbed myself over him, my body turning greedy. His mouth left my lips, and then he grazed my neck again, his tongue sliding over the skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.
My ass hit the counter, and he laid me down, his hands that had been so hungry now turning gentle. The cool granite hit my back and I looked up at the hanging pot rack above the kitchen island and then the man before me.
Ohmigod.
Easy stood in front of me, staring down at me, that look in his eyes again. And then his fingers grazed my knee through the denim, drifting higher, higher, stroking the inside of my thigh, sucking the air from the room.
“I want you naked.”
His words had a bite to them, a bite I felt as keenly as though he’d put his mouth between my legs. I didn’t have a response beyond lifting my hips in invitation.
A ragged breath escaped his lips.
His fingers found the button of my jeans, my heart fluttering, his knuckles grazing my skin in a move that had me biting back a moan. I was sensitive, so sensitive everywhere, the year of celibacy taking a toll on me, my body ready to combust if I didn’t come soon.
He undid the button, dragging the zipper down, hurtling us over the edge.
You’re going to have sex with Easy. You’re having sex with Easy.
I lifted my hips another inch as he pulled my jeans down, yanking them off my feet—I’d lost my shoes somewhere between him lifting me up and setting me on the countertop—a groan filling the silence as he slid his palm over my thong, as his fingers drifted lower and discovered the wetness seeping through silk. Whatever shyness I might have had disappeared as the sound hit me, as his thumb ghosted across my clit.
I grabbed the hem of my shirt, sliding the fabric up over my stomach, over my breasts, and then it dropped to the floor, and I lay on Easy’s kitchen island, dressed in a bra and underwear.
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, drawing my attention to his tanned skin, and suddenly I wanted him naked more than anything. Wanted more of the hint I’d gotten the day I watched him paint and what I’d seen in his swim trunks.
I sat up, his palm still inches away from my clit, resting there, branding me. It would take a woman with greater willpower than I possessed to walk away from Easy without him leaving a mark.
I reached out and tugged on his shirt, lifting it up, revealing the six-pack I’d seen before. He had to finish the job, yanking the shirt off his shoulders, because as soon as I saw his body, I leaned forward and put my mouth on him.
He shuddered the second my lips connected with his skin, inches away from his belt buckle. I inhaled his scent, rubbing my mouth against the muscle there, the throb between my legs growing more intense with each moment that passed. His hands found my hair, rubbing the strands between his fingers. My heart clenched. This was sex and yet I was old enough to know this wasn’t some casual hookup or one-night stand. I’d loved him as a friend before, and now we’d added lust, sex into the equation, and I didn’t know where we’d end up.
Easy’s hand cupped me, tilting my head so our gazes locked.
I blinked, needing to break the connection, wanting to get back to the point where we put our mouths on each other. This wasn’t a night for trying to figure things out; it was a night for letting go.
I leaned back, ducking my head and averting my gaze, getting a little bit lost in the view in front of me. He really was beautiful. So, so beautiful.
I didn’t realize I’d said the words aloud until I looked up and saw the flush settling over his cheeks.
Something ab
out it, knowing I’d evoked such a reaction in him, spurred me on.
He stood still as a statue while I took my time exploring him, my hands stroking, caressing, feasting. He reached between us, pulling me to the edge of the counter and spreading my legs so that when he stepped forward, he was right where I wanted him. And then his big body arched over me as he pushed me back down on the granite, taking control, his fingers moving to my bra, sliding the hooks out and pulling the lace from my body.
My bra hit the ground as his lips closed over my nipple.
The pull of lust was instantaneous, the sensation of his mouth . . . Holy hell, he had moves, orgasm-inducing moves. My hands threaded through his hair, holding him close while his tongue broke me apart and put me back together again, while I arched my back, as my eyes fluttered shut, and I gave myself over to the incredible ride that was Easy.
EASY
In all the years I’d been in love with Dani, all the dreams I’d had about her, all the times I’d been with a woman and her image had taken root in my mind, I’d not once considered that she might want me. Not like this. I hadn’t fathomed that she would come apart in my arms, her nails digging into me, her hips thrusting against me. I was fairly sure I’d burn in hell for this later, but right now, I couldn’t resist a shot at heaven.
This was a dream I never wanted to wake from. Her fingers tugged at my hair as I sucked on her, as my tongue laved her tight nipples. She moaned, her hips jerking toward me, and it took everything I had to hold myself back, the need to be inside her eclipsing all else.
My hands slid down her torso, fumbling when I reached the waistband of her thong. I broke away from her, my fingers still on the silky fabric, my chest heaving as I struggled to breathe.
Our gazes locked as I stared down at her, as the absolute fucking beauty of her registered with a punch to the chest.
I opened my mouth to speak, to give her an out, her name hovering on my lips when she answered the unspoken question for me.
She sat up, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me toward her, her nipples rubbing against my chest, her mouth unraveling any resolve I might have had.
“Tell me to stop,” I begged, needing her to be sure, needing to know she wouldn’t regret this, that I wasn’t taking advantage of her grief, that she wanted me as badly as I wanted her.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, her voice ragged with need. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”
Fuck it. This was happening.
I had her thong off a minute later, my heart hammering in my chest, Dani in all her naked glory spread before me—pale skin like silk, soft curves that were more understated than I normally went for yet were absolutely perfect.
She was absolutely perfect. Mine for the night.
I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her, cradling her against my chest. She left a trail of kisses across my pecs as I carried her to the bedroom.
I set her down on the mattress, my heart clenching at the sight of her there. How many times had I imagined her here? Dreamed of her? Now she was here, and all the fantasies I’d had about her vied for attention. I hovered over her, my hand on the inside of her knee, my fingers idly tracing the smooth skin there, my eyes eating her up.
Her hair was spread out over my pillow, her mouth swollen from my kisses, her skin pink in all the places I’d touched her, kissed her, sucked on her skin. Her nipples were tight and flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was close. So close. And suddenly I wanted nothing more than to watch Dani come, for her control to shatter.
There were so many fantasies I’d had about her over the years, and because this was apparently my chance at them, I drew it out, starting with my head between her legs, my hands spreading her open, my mouth over her clit, the taste of her on my tongue. As soon as I put my mouth on her, her body bucked beneath mine, her hands grabbing my hair, pulling me closer, sighs and moans escaping her lips.
I’d always loved going down on a woman; there was something about giving pleasure that made you feel like a god. But with Dani?
Fucking incredible.
DANI
Oh my God. Oh my God.
There were no words; I was so far gone I could barely think. I was going to come, and considering it had been over a year since I’d had an orgasm, this one was going to be pretty life-changing.
It built inside me with each stroke of his tongue, with his breath on my clit, his lips rubbing over my sensitive flesh. His teeth nipped at me, playful and so fucking hot, and a rush of heat flooded my body, my skin sensitive, the sensation building under the surface.
And then it hit. Hard. It was as though a year’s worth of frustration and quiet built to a screaming crescendo as my body bowed, my neck thrown back, and I rode the first wave. And holy hell, what a wave it was.
He didn’t let me go, ravaging me with his mouth, swallowing shudder after shudder, laving my swollen flesh. When the tremors subsided, when my body finally came back to me, my eyes fluttered open and my gaze locked with Easy.
The look in his eyes said it all. For tonight, I was his.
He stroked between my legs again—once, twice—sending another tremor through my body.
“Too sensitive,” I gasped.
A wicked smile covered his lovely mouth, sending another flutter through me, and then his big palm slid between my legs, pushing them apart as he settled his body against me.
He felt good—large, strong, so fucking male—and I reached down, pulling him toward me, my nails raking down his back, settling at the base of his spine while he groaned against me, his face buried in my neck, his teeth scraping my skin.
The head of his cock brushed me, sliding across my wetness, rubbing over me, grazing my clit, sending another spark through me. He groaned again, stroking back and forth, creating a delicious friction that had me throbbing, my legs falling open, wider, taking him into my body. I grabbed his biceps, pulling him toward me, needing, wanting him closer, inside me.
He entered me with a smooth thrust, his body surging forward, stretching me, filling me. He didn’t move; he stayed there, fully seated, and something shifted—the realization that we’d reached a turning point in our relationship, that we could never go back to the way we were. A moment of panic hit me, a moment that took me away from him and back into my own head, which right now was a scary place to be—and then he began to move, erasing the fear and doubt, and nothing else mattered.
He took my hand, linking our fingers as he thrust in and out in a delicious slide, our bodies slick with sweat, as he made us one. His lips found mine, his kiss sharp, savage, taking more than it gave, building me up only to tear me back down in a delicious loop that invaded every part of me.
Everything—our clasped hands, the roughness of his kiss, the way his body fit with mine—felt right. And now, more than anything, I needed it to be casual, unremarkable. I didn’t want to feel the greedy possessiveness running through me as I stroked the hard planes of his back, as my legs locked around his hips, pulling me closer to him.
I didn’t want the word “mine” running through my head like a chant that gained momentum with each thrust, as his fingers tightened around me, as we shared the same breath.
He shifted, the angle of his hips changing, and then he hit a really good spot, and I moaned, writhing beneath him, my control shattering as I came again. Easy increased his pace, his hips pumping, body shuddering. His lips left mine, his head buried in the curve of my neck once again, his teeth sinking into the skin there, hard enough that he’d leave a mark, holding on to me as he came.
I rode out his release, coming down from my own, my arms wrapped around him as sanity soon began to filter in, forming tiny hairline cracks that erupted over me.
We’d had sex. We’d actually had sex. He gave me not one, but two amazing orgasms. And then I caught sight of it—resting against his back, next to a red m
ark where my nails had scored his skin—the glint of my engagement ring, the diamonds on my wedding band staring back at me.
I choked back a sob.
Slowly, I released him, my hands falling to my sides, my heart pounding. He slid out of me and the cool air hit my body, bringing with it the harsh reality of what I’d done, the line I’d crossed.
The bed dipped and I heard him walking to the bathroom to get cleaned up, but I couldn’t make myself look at him, worried I’d fall apart if I did. I stared up at the ceiling instead, the image going blurry the longer I focused on it.
I was a virgin when I met Michael; had only ever been with him. That I could no longer say that was another loss, a piece of him I’d never get back. I couldn’t deal with seeing Easy, couldn’t even begin to think of what I’d say to him.
He was deploying tomorrow. I couldn’t say good-bye, couldn’t face him, but more than anything, I couldn’t face myself.
I ran instead.
TWELVE
DANI
The drive home passed by in a blur, my mind struggling to come to grips with what had happened, with the irrevocable shift in my relationship with Easy. Numb inside, I clung to the void, fairly certain if I did let myself feel, if I really faced the fact that we’d been together, that I’d had sex with one of Michael’s closest friends, I’d fall the fuck apart. I’d thought I had a crush on Easy, had known I was attracted to him, even when I didn’t want to be, but somehow I hadn’t imagined we’d end up here, that it would have been as intense as it was—that my body would feel so worn out and electric, a dull ache between my legs.
How was I supposed to face him now? How did we go back to the friendship we’d had? Were we supposed to pretend it hadn’t happened? That he hadn’t been inside me, his hands and mouth all over my body? Maybe that was normal for him; maybe one-night stands were supposed to be left in the rearview mirror, treated as little more than bumps in the road. I was so out of practice, I had no idea where to even begin.
On Broken Wings Page 13