by Nikki Paris
“What is wrong with you?” I yelled. “You’re gonna leave a note, like a pussy instead of talking to me?” I shoved his shoulder and hated how good it felt to touch him.
He folded his arms across his chest and smirked at me. “You left a note first, Princess.”
I gaped at him. “Because I d-d-didn’t know you!” Fucking hell. I was so pissed that I was shaking. There was no way I was going to be able to keep my stutter under control. “If y-you have a a a a problem with m-me, say it t-to my face!” I crumpled up the note and threw it at him before turning on my heel to stomp back to my apartment.
Connor caught my wrist as I tried to leave, and my heart stopped beating. “I do have a problem with you.”
I let out an irritated growl and yanked my arm free from his grasp. I shot Connor a glare, and then he grabbed my hips and pulled my body tightly against his. “You wanna know what my problem is, Dani? Huh? I fucking like you.”
His hands felt like fire on my body. His words were still ringing in my ears.
He pulled me into his apartment, closed the door, and pressed me up against it. My head spun, and my heart raced as his lips crashed into mine. I felt like I was melting from the heat of our kiss, but I shoved him off.
“What th-th-the hell a-a-are you talking about?” I demanded.
Connor didn’t back away. He still pressed his body into mine, and fuck if that didn’t make my panties wet. He kissed my neck and growled in my ear. “I. Like. You.”
“You’ve g-g-g-got a funny way of showing it!” I shoved him again. “You fuck me, don’t speak to me for weeks, and then leave a rude note on my door?”
Connor grinned and kissed me again. “You’ve been avoiding me, too! You’ve hardly even looked me in the eye, and I knew the note would make you come over here.” He kissed me again, and I kissed him back, hard.
“S-s-stop kissing me!”
Connor sighed and backed away, holding his hands up like he was under arrest. That filled my head with some dirty role play fantasies. Goddamnit.
“Can I speak?” he asked. When I didn’t answer, he continued. “Yes, I avoided the hell out of you after we slept together. I had a fucking fantastic night with you that I didn’t think I was allowed to have—”
“You didn’t have to d-d-date me!” I interrupted.
Connor pressed a finger to my lips and gazed right into my eyes. “But I wanted to, and it made me feel guilty. For the first time since I lost Callie, I wanted to move forward, and I wanted to do it with you.” He held my face with both hands and brushed his thumbs against my cheeks. “It was a lot to process, Dani. And I don’t have all the answers for if and how this would work between us, but I fucking want to try. You make me feel alive again.”
My anger was fading with every word he spoke. “I-I-I do?”
He nodded and pressed his lips into mine. I had no desire to push him away again. In fact, it felt like we couldn’t get close enough even though every inch of our bodies touched. I broke the kiss, chest heaving, “I like you, too, Connor. I like you a lot.” Actually, I was pretty sure I was in love with him, but that was too much to say right now.
Connor smirked at me. “I know you do, Princess.”
I laughed as he kissed my neck and slid his hands up the back of my shirt. His hands felt fantastic against my skin. “Whatever, jerk,” I said.
I felt him smile against my lips. “Come on, Dani. I want to feel every inch of your body, and then I want to cook you breakfast in the morning.”
I laughed and bit my lip. “That sounds fun.” I slid my hands down the front of his pants, grasping his hard dick.
Connor groaned and pulled my sweater down on one shoulder. He kissed it and gripped my ass through my jeans. “I’m gonna fuck you right here, Dani, because I can’t wait another second.” He unbuttoned my jeans and yanked them down, followed by my panties. Then he sank to his knees and spread my legs apart.
I gasped and closed my eyes when his tongue found my clit. “Oh, fuck, Connor.” He was good with his tongue, but my pussy started throbbing the second he pulled me into his apartment and kissed me. I was primed and ready to come hard.
And baby. I. Did.
When I finished moaning, I buried my hands in his hair, and his warm brown eyes flashed up to meet mine —yep, they were a warm brown now. Maybe like melted milk chocolate. Yum. “Mmm, I like you on your knees,” I teased.
Connor stood and ran his hands through my hair. “Well, you are a princess.” Then he flipped me around, so my back was to him. “Have I ever told you how much I like your ass?” Connor ran his hands over my bare skin, making my whole body tingle.
I glanced over my shoulder at him, breathing heavily. “You’ve never mentioned it.”
Connor laughed and pressed me up against the door. “But I think you knew anyway.”
I heard his pants drop, and then I felt his hard cock against my backside. I moaned when he slid into me, filling me, stretching me, making me ache with desire. “Fuck, Dani!” He growled in my ear, pressing me harder against the door with each thrust. Connor grabbed both of my hands and pinned them above my head.
I couldn’t move an inch, but I didn’t fucking want to. It felt incredible to have Connor all over me, possessing me. The rough thrust of his hips against my backside was filled with a desire unlike any I’d ever experienced. I’d never felt so wanted, and it made me feel sexy and powerful. I was the one that made Connor feel good again. I was the one that was enough to make him come back to life.
Connor’s movements slowed, but he gripped my wrists tighter. “Mmm…” he moaned.“Fuck, Dani,” he whispered. He released my wrists and gently grasped my hair. He tugged my head back, just a little, and pressed his lips to my cheek as he came.
I could almost feel his waves of pleasure like they were my own. When he finished, he pulled out of me and flipped me around to kiss my lips. “I wish we’d been doing that every day for the last few weeks, Dani.”
A laugh slipped out of my throat. I was so stupidly happy. “Me, too.” I kissed him again. “Can you cook me breakfast at my place, so Lizzy doesn’t piss on my carpet?”
Connor laughed. “Does she sleep in your bed, Dani?”
I bit my lip and shook my head. “Not tonight.”
“Good. I need space for all the things I’m going to do to your body.” He kissed my neck and sent butterflies rushing through my stomach. After we reluctantly made ourselves decent, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me across the hall to my apartment.
24
Connor
I ran my hand down Dani’s bare back, then spooned her and pulled her tightly against me. Her hair smelled incredible. Her body felt like it belonged next to mine. For a split second, guilt tried to slip in.
Callie also felt like she belonged next to me.
But Amy’s sappy as hell little speech about love was right. There was room for Callie’s memory and all the new ones I’d make with Dani. I trailed kisses from Dani’s neck to her shoulder. She let out a happy little sigh and pressed her ass into my cock.
“Morning,” she said. I couldn’t see her face, but I could hear the smile in her voice.
I smiled and nibbled on her ear. “Morning, Princess.” I teased her nipples with my fingers until they were hard. Then I slid my hand down her abdomen and slipped a finger inside of her.
“Oooh!” Dani laughed and pressed her ass even tighter against my cock. “This is nice.”
I rubbed her clit until she was gasping. Right as she was starting to moan, her bedroom door creaked open. I lifted my head to see Lizzy standing in the doorway, giving me a death glare. Then she growled at me. Dani burst out laughing and said, “Lizzy, get out of here!”
The dog didn’t leave.
“What do you want me to do here, Dani?” I laughed.
She grabbed my hand and put it back on her pussy. “Keep going. I was so close!”
I pulled Dani’s blanket up a little further and circled her clit with my finger again. As soon
as Dani started to moan, Lizzy barked at me. “Fucking hell!” I pulled my hand away.
Dani burst out laughing. “Aw, she thinks y-you’re hurting m-me!” She sat up, letting the blanket fall away. “Come here, baby!” She patted the bed, and Lizzy trotted over and jumped up. The dog licked Dani’s face and shot me another glare before settling down right between Dani and me.
“Seriously, Lizzy? Did you forget that I saved your life?” I groaned and leaned back against the pillows.
Dani laughed. “She’s an un-ungrateful b-b-bitch.” Then she frowned. “Shit. I-I’m all s-s-stuttery today. Some d-days I j-just wake up s-s-stuttery.”
I took her hand in mine and said, “So stutter.” I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it. “You don’t have to work so hard to hold it back around me. I don’t care, Dani. Two of my favorite people in the world stutter.”
“Aw!” Dani grinned. “I’m one of your f-f-f-favorite p-people?”
I smirked at her. “No. I meant Marshall, and then this other sexy blonde that I think I’m dating now. We haven’t discussed it yet. We’ve just been having a lot of sex the past twenty-four hours. Like, so much sex, Dani. I think you’d like her, though.”
Dani laughed and stroked Lizzy’s soft tan fur. “Oh, y-y-yeah? What’s she l-like?”
“She’s a brat, for sure.”
Dani gaped at me. “R-rude!”
“She’s dramatic and a little bit ridiculous, too.”
Dani smacked my arm. “K-k-keep talking a-a-asshole!”
I grinned at her and continued, “She’s also funny and sweet. She works her ass off. She’s confident and brave and inspiring.”
“Whoa, Connor.” Dani smirked at me. “Sh-she s-s-sounds amazing. And sh-she likes y-y-you?”
I shrugged. “She told me once that she had a crush on me. It was pretty cute, so I fucked her on my kitchen counter.”
Dani laughed and leaned over Lizzy to kiss me. “I f-f-feel like you p-promised me b-breakfast today. That’s why I-I slept with y-y-you.”
“Oh, is that why?” I laughed and kissed her again. “Did you have a personal chef growing up?”
Dani threw a pillow at me. “N-no, asshole. I-I saved my money.” Then she rolled her eyes. “O-okay… I s-s-saved it until I was eighteen. Th-then I g-g-got a little stupid.”
She frowned and took a deep breath. “Damn. I n-need to pull my shit together. I c-c-can’t stop stuttering right now.”
“Am I making you mad or nervous?” I grinned at her.
Dani rolled her eyes. “Neither. It’s j-just an off d-day.” She took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and rubbed at the tension in her neck. When her eyes popped open, she was smiling. “But every other time, it was nervous.”
“Right, because of the crush?” I laughed.
“Yup.”
I kissed her softly. “It’s okay to have off days.”
She gazed into my eyes with a little bit of hesitation, like she didn’t quite believe me. “Okay. Thank you.”
I’d make her believe me soon enough. I tucked her hair behind her ears. “How do you like your eggs?”
“Scrambled, please. And I like the d-dark roast Kona blend in the c-cupboard above the s-sink.”
“Coming right up.” I slid out of Dani’s enormous four-poster bed that almost filled her entire room and pulled on my pants. When I headed into her kitchen, Lizzy followed me. I laughed to myself and glanced down at the dog. “I knew you liked me.” I reached down to scratch Lizzy’s ears and then got to work in Dani’s kitchen.
When I heard the shower turn on in her bathroom, part of me wanted to join her. Fine. Most of me wanted to join her in the shower, but I was also starving.
Breakfast first. More sex after.
I pulled open Dani’s freezer and grinned when I saw the box of toaster waffles. It was crazy to think that only a few months ago, she’d left a plate of burnt waffles outside my door. I slid a few into her toaster, wondering if I should burn them as a joke. Then I started making the coffee.
Dani came out a few minutes later, wrapped in a towel with her golden hair dripping down her back. “Mmm, coffee!” She smiled and took the mug that I handed her. “I used to have this c-cool coffee maker that was b-basically like having a a a personal barista.”
I smiled and set a plate of waffles and eggs in front of her. “You’ll have one again someday. You just need to start going to auditions again.” I kissed her neck and sat down next to her.
“I have. I got a tiny non-speaking role in an episode of LA Detectives.” She shrugged. “It’s not much, but it’s a start.”
I smiled at her, knowing how hard these auditions were for her, knowing that she’d all but given up on her dreams. “That’s great, Dani. I’m proud of you for not giving up.”
She gave me a half-smile and said, “You too. I guess we both kept our drunken promise.” Then Dani looked down at her plate and burst out laughing. “Oh my g-god, do you remember the waffles in the grocery store? And the burnt ones I left on your doorstep?”
I grinned at her and sipped my coffee. “Did you think I was going to kiss you in the parking lot that night?”
She shot me a glare and nodded. “You left me all wet and practically panting that night!”
“Oh, Princess, you left me hard more times than I can count! It’s only fair.” I reached out and flicked her towel open. “That’s better.” I smiled at her naked body and took a bite of my waffles.
“Okay, do you want me here,” Dani stood, letting her towel drop to the floor, “Or here?” She straddled my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“That’s a stupid question. Right here. Always.” I gripped her hips and kissed her neck.
Lizzy grumbled at us from under the table. Dani laughed and said, “Shh, Lizzy.” Then she gazed into my eyes and said, “To think this all s-started with a super passive-aggressive note on your windshield.”
I laughed. “Good to know you realize it was passive-aggressive.”
Dani slid off my lap and back into her chair. “Oh, absolutely. It was obnoxious! I was mad that you ignored me when I needed help.” She smiled at me and took a bite. “Why wouldn’t you help me? Did you hate me already?”
I shrugged. “It was the anniversary of Callie’s accident. I wasn’t really mentally present. And by the way, Devin is the one who parked my car in your spot. I was too drunk to drive.”
Dani bit her lip. “Shit. No wonder you h-h-hated me.”
I smiled at her and let my eyes travel up and down her beautiful body. “I was annoyed by you. Then I started to look forward to fucking with you because you’d get this adorable look on your face. You know, the one where your mouth drops open and your eyes get all big, like you think I eat puppies for breakfast.”
Dani burst out laughing and covered her face with both hands. “Oh my g-god. I’m the worst!”
I pulled one of her hands away from her face and kissed it. “You were exactly what I needed. You snapped me out of my depression and made me want to laugh and live again.” I pulled her back onto my lap and slid her wet hair to the side, kissing her neck and shoulders. “I want to know everything about you, and I want to take you out on a real date, Dani.”
“Yeah?” She smiled and leaned back against me. “Are you s-s-sure you want to do this? Like, us?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I spent three weeks missing the hell out of you, like an idiot. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from losing Callie, it’s that you never know how much time you have with someone, and I’m done wasting it.”
Dani gazed into my eyes and ran her fingers gently through my hair. “Will you tell me more about her?”
I gazed back into her pretty light blue eyes. “I will, but not today. I just want to be with you today.”
25
Dani
I survived another boring week at Brandon Financial and finished my scene in LA Detectives in one thirty-minute filming session on Friday evening. It was such a tiny taste of
my old life, but it filled me with all this crazy energy. I had to keep doing this. I loved it.
Saturday morning, I helped Gia with her rehearsal and then rushed home to get ready for my first real date with Connor. We’d been spending almost every night after work together, but I was still so damn excited about our date. I even splurged and bought myself a new dress. It fit me like a glove and was made of light blue lace that perfectly matched my eyes. I paired it with black stilettos, dark red lipstick, and loose curls.
Between Connor and acting again, I was starting to feel sparkly— glittery? No, radiant. I was beginning to believe that I was enough, stutter and all.
When Connor knocked on my door to pick me up for our date, I was beyond ready.
“Holy shit,” he said, with his eyes traveling up and down my body. “Maybe…” Connor backed me into the wall in my hallway, lips hot on my neck. “Maybe we stay in tonight because I am not going to be able to keep my hands off of you.”
I moaned and gripped Connor’s ass, pressing his erection tightly against me.
Lizzy padded over and barked when I moaned.
Connor laughed into my neck and said, “Damnit, Lizzy! I’m not hurting her!” He crouched down to scratch Lizzy’s ears and reassure her.
“You can hurt me a little. Tug on my hair, slap my ass…” I winked at Connor and pulled open my front door.
He stared up at me with his mouth slightly open, and his eyes glazed over with desire. “Fuck, Dani.”
“You coming?” I asked and glanced over my shoulder. Connor’s eyes were glued to my ass.
He stood and cleared his throat. “Yep.”
Twenty minutes later, we were seated at a rooftop table in an expensive Japanese restaurant. It was a chilly autumn evening, but there were rectangular fire pits dotted all over the roof to keep us warm. I grinned and clapped my hands. “It’s been ages since I w-went to a f-f-fancy restaurant. I love it!”
Connor smiled at me across the table. “I figured you’d like this place, Princess. You have expensive tastes.” He shrugged, “I hope you know, though, that vets don’t make that much money. So if you want to date me, we’re looking at like two or three fancy dinners a month.”