He studied her without a hint of a smile, and handed her the jeans. “Thanks for drying my clothes.”
“No problem.” She stuck them in the dryer. “I should probably dry mine too while I’m here.”
Scott helped her take her shirt off, then slid her jeans down her legs. She threw them in the dryer and pushed the button to start the timer. The dryer usually went for thirty minutes, and a whole lot could happen in thirty minutes. Gran could come back early, for instance, and find Diana half naked in a lip lock with Scott. Or she might have lunch with Pop and not come home for another hour.
Possibilities.
He could be your rebound guy, Mandy had said.
She stood in her matching pink panties and bra, shivering a little bit either from the cold or the thrill that spiked down her back and made its way due south. He didn’t say a word while one finger ran down the length of her arm, skimming over her waist then sliding down to her hips. He squeezed her ass.
“Kiss me,” Diana said.
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled her to him, and proceeded to kiss the hell out of her, his tongue darting in and out possessively, making her crazy.
He kissed her over and over again and she melted right into him. The man was the world’s best kisser, hands down. His kisses were foreplay. They were a promise to something bigger and better. She wanted bigger. She wanted better.
She had trouble catching her breath because this might be the single most erotic moment of her life and it was in a laundry room while she waited for dry clothes. He moved to shut the door, then teased the strap of her bra down with his teeth, and pushed the cup aside. His thumb played with her nipple for a moment before his mouth took its place. He sucked, licked and tasted, and Diana’s knees almost buckled. When his finger went under her panties, touching and teasing her in all the right places, she almost came on the spot. She pushed him back, earning a surprised look out of him. Then she fell to her knees in front of him, tugging down his boxers, that last piece of cotton still between them. She felt his body stiffened, and he moaned when she took him into her mouth.
“Wait,” Hand in her hair, he groaned and moved her head back. “We can’t do this.”
Diana wondered if he was going to choose now to bring up the fact that they were supposed to be just friends. Because she couldn’t take that. “Why not?”
“We have a history of being interrupted,” he said, bringing her off her knees.
“My bedroom. Now!” Diana grabbed his hand, and he stopped only long enough to reach for his wallet. With any luck he had a condom in there. Or two.
She opened the door to her bedroom, and Scott stopped in his tracks, checking out the ‘N Sync’ poster and side by side twin beds. And possibly trying hard not to laugh.
“My Gran is stuck in the past! One problem at a time.”
But then there was another problem, because no way would Scott fit on her twin bed. At five foot ten she barely fit in it, able only to sleep in a fetal position. It would not do for six foot three Scott, who might even break the bed. Then how would she explain that to Gran?
Necessity being the mother of invention, Diana worked quickly, pulled the bedcovers and pillows off both beds and threw them on the floor. The floor was plenty big enough.
“Lay down, soldier.” She pointed to the ground.
He did. “I take it back. I like it when you’re bossy.”
She joined him, intent on getting back to where she’d left off. She slid his boxers completely off this time, but before she could do anything else he’d rolled on top of her and pinned her under him.
“Now I’m in charge.”
“Hey, I was starting something there.”
“It was something all right. Much more of that and I wouldn’t have lasted.”
She squirmed under him, smiling. “Let me get back to it.”
“Later. How is it you still have your underwear on?” He remedied that swiftly, sliding off her panties and unsnapping her bra.
She lay naked before him, splayed out for his viewing pleasure. Strangely, under his lust-filled gaze she no longer felt even slightly inadequate about her body. Whatever size she was at the moment, eight or twelve or two hundred, it didn’t seem to matter much to Scott.
What a turn-on.
Diana removed her glasses. “We don’t have much time.”
“Don’t rush me.”
She started to protest, but was only able to suck in a shaky breath when he began a slow tour of her body with his tongue. He seemed to know exactly which destinations to stop, where to linger, where to park. He sucked in one nipple and she arched into him, then went temporarily insane when he nudged her thighs open and put his mouth on her. That tongue, flicking in and out of her took her to the edge and back again two or three times before she came, whispering his name, shuddering under his touch.
When she was able to breathe again, she opened her eyes to see that he was already slipping on a condom. “Hurry.”
“Why? Are you worried we’ll get caught?”
“Um, yes?”
“Does that turn you on?” He flashed a wicked grin.
She smiled back. “You, Scott, you turn me on.” She wrapped her legs around his back. Right here, right now, naked as a hairless cat, she could admit to that fact. “I don’t need anything but you.”
His eyes softened. “Right back at you.”
She opened up to him as he thrust into her not so gently, as if he realized it was what she wanted. She wanted this, wanted him. Maybe even needed him, hard and fast, meeting him with every thrust as they both prepared to drive right over a cliff.
Chapter 12
Scott tried to slow down, but it wasn’t easy with Diana bucking under him, her hips gyrating, egging him on. He’d never have guessed this wild thing underneath him was the same woman who shyly looked away when he’d caught her checking him out. The one who apparently gave dream blow jobs. He tried thinking of puppy dogs and rainbows but there was no way in hell he would last much longer. Holy shit she felt so good, creamy and tight and eager for him. All bets were off on him holding back another second when she arched and came again, tightening around him like a vise.
“Oh, fuck.” He came so hard he would have fallen over had he been standing.
Groaning, he rolled on his back and pulled her on top of him. She tucked her head on his chest, her ragged breathing slowing down. After a minute he was able to suck in a breath and recover his composure.
“Told you.”
She lifted her face to his, and that shy and reluctant smile pinched his heart. “Off the charts.”
Outside, he heard the sound of a car. Scott froze, immediately recognizing the sound of Pop’s Cadillac, the one Billy bought him ten years ago that Pop kept in mint condition. Scott worried about Pop, still driving around town occasionally, but no one could argue since he passed his eye test every year. Probably out of sheer stubbornness.
A car door closed, then another opened. The sound of Pop’s baritone rang through the light summer breeze. “No rush, my dear. It’s a beautiful summer day, the kind made for strolls.”
Diana jumped up naked. Hell, forget the lingerie. This was definitely her best look in his humble opinion.
“You need to get out of here.”
“I have a sink half out.”
“Get dressed!” She reached for her bathrobe.
“Take off your shirt, kiss me, lay down, get dressed. You like to order me around.” He stood up and shoved his boxers on before he remembered that his clothes were in the dryer.
She ran around like a half crazed woman throwing pillows and sheets back on the bed. “How can you be so calm? They’re here!”
“Trust me. It will be ten minutes before they’re at the door.”
He, above all people, understood his grandfather’s pace. Slow and steady like the tortoise, noticing the lady bug on the rose. Meanwhile, Scott had once dressed in three seconds flat when he’d had to move camp quickly. He now strode towards
the bedroom door.
“Where are you going in your underwear?” she called after him. More like hissed.
He turned back to her. “Did you forget we took off our clothes in the laundry room?”
She stared at him.
“Thought so.” He left the room and grabbed his now shit-fire hot clothes out of the dryer, managing to dress without getting second degree burns.
He went back in the bedroom, carrying her clothes with him and dumping them on the bed. The sight of her standing in the middle of the room in her bathrobe, glasses back on, turning in little circles, did something to him. This wasn’t going to be easy for her, and he should have realized it. Should have stopped it, but he’d have to blame the lack of blood flow to his brain on his lack of self-control.
He pulled her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay. I have a plan.”
A few minutes later, when Pop and Mrs. Paulsen walked into the house, Scott was at the sink, lifting it out. Diana was in her bedroom, either getting dressed or hopefully still enjoying the afterglow and not beating herself up about the liberties they’d taken with each other.
“Hey guys.” He called out from the kitchen. “This sink gave me a little trouble coming out, but I’m about to put the new one in.”
Mrs. Paulsen walked into the kitchen, Pop two steps behind her. “Where’s Diana? Surely she’s not ignoring you?”
Oh hell no. Not at all. “She needed some quiet to write so she went in her bedroom.”
“I’m sorry, Scott. That’s not very welcoming of her. I insist you both stay for lunch.” Mrs. Paulsen set her purse down on the kitchen table.
“No, that’s fine. I’m good,” Scott said.
“We’d love to stay for lunch,” Pop answered for him.
Great. He didn’t mind staying, but wondered how Diana felt about that. They hadn’t had any time to talk about what had happened between them. They’d just crossed over into new territory for each of them, a friends-with-benefits scenario he’d wager a guess had never been a part of Diana’s repertoire before today.
“Sure.” He lifted the new sink into place, then dove under to wrench for a few minutes. In the quiet semi-dark under the sink, maybe he could think for a minute.
True, he hadn’t done too famously in the self-control arena today, but he couldn’t conjure up an ounce of regret. The whole event had possibly been the most erotic of his life. With his pal. His buddy. He’d promised to be a friend to Diana, because that’s what she needed right now but today he’d folded like Julie at a poker table. He could have done better, should have done better, taken the high road and all the rest of the crap. Done the honorable thing and turned her down.
His other conscience spoke to him. “Need a hand, son?” Pop said.
“Nope. I got it.” He needed a minute or two to let the blood flow get back full force into his brain.
Diana emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later. From underneath, he got a look at her bare legs as she passed by either wearing those jogging shorts or if he was lucky the sundress she’d worn once, for his eyes only, apparently.
“How was bingo?” she asked.
“Didn’t win this time,” Pop answered. “Can’t win ’em all.”
“He got close, though,” Mrs. Paulsen said. “Pat is just lucky. What have you been doing all morning, dear?”
Causing a flood in the kitchen? Driving a weak man crazy? Coming twice?
“Just hanging out. Doing a little writing.” Interesting. He felt a smile tugging at his lips.
“Scott and Pat are staying for lunch!” Mrs. Paulsen announced.
“Sure,” Diana said. “What a good idea.”
Not so much, he guessed by the tone of her voice. It was getting to where he could read her pretty well and the hesitancy in her answer gave her away. He climbed out, ready to get a good look at her eyes. If she wanted him gone, he’d find a way to get gone and stay gone. It was easy as faking an emergency. He’d just pull out his phone and stare at it, mumble something about the wildfires, then explain he had to leave. Duty called.
“I’m done.” He stretched. “I’ll go turn the water back on so you can make lunch.”
Outside, he turned the lever back up. He was not surprised to find Diana walking out to meet him. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
“Okay? Hell, I’m better than okay. I passed okay a while ago.”
“I mean, you don’t have to stay. I don’t want you to feel like you have to, you know? I’m fine. Really.” She gave him a small smile. “No regrets.”
Well, damn. He hadn’t expected that at all. She was worried about him. “None.”
“I never do this, you know.”
“Never? You could have fooled me,” he said.
“I mean, smartass, I never have sex with my…pal. I never have sex without a commitment. But you don’t have to give me one retroactively! This was just...just…fun. We did this one time and that’s it. All it’s going to be. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to get all clingy and possessive and—”
He put a finger on her lips. “Stop. I believe you.”
She looked at her feet. “Oh good.”
“And I won’t stay if you want me to go.”
She didn’t answer him, still looking at her feet, and he tipped her chin up. “Diana, what do you want?”
He wished she’d tell him and stop holding back. She hadn’t held anything back from him a few minutes ago.
She chewed on her lower lip but didn’t answer for a minute. “I want you to stay for lunch. It would be weird if you didn’t.”
“Right.” Not quite the answer he wanted, but he followed her inside anyway, prepared to have lunch with the elders. Ready to chat about bingo and the weather as if he hadn’t just had the greatest sex of his entire life.
***
Diana still moved in a hazy state of euphoria. Just thinking about Scott reminded her that for the first time in years she’d let go. She didn’t know how that had happened. Six years with Bradley, who on paper was everything she should want and need, and he’d never once made her feel like her skin had been turned inside out. But her teenage crush, the bad boy every girl in town had lusted after, was her rebound guy. Only he couldn’t be the guy. She wasn’t quite ready for him. First she had to get her life in order, and go back home at the end of the summer. To face Mom and the bridal boutique one last time. She had to do the smart thing. If it killed her, dammit. Because no man could solve her problems now. She had to figure out life on her own.
Sunday morning, Diana moved into her baby-studio apartment. She’d brought Gran, who insisted on coming along to help clean and give her opinion on drapes and paint. Not that Diana could afford to redecorate. Or buy much furniture which, fortunately, at least made the place look bigger.
“I don’t know about this,” Gran said, turning up her nose. “It’s too small.”
“I don’t need much.”
“It’s a crime how much they charge for rent. When your grandfather and I bought our house, our mortgage payment was two hundred dollars a month. Everyone thought we were crazy to pay so much!”
“Yeah, times have changed.”
“What about a bed?” Gran asked. “Would you like to bring your bed over?”
Bringing her twin bed over would accomplish two things at once. “Would you mind?”
It was a running start to dismantling the spare bedroom, and getting rid of its homage to the nineties. First her bed, then Mandy’s. Next all the boy band posters and pictures of horses in mid-gallop would come off the walls. Gran would have her sewing and reading room.
“Of course not dear, it’s your bed. I probably shouldn’t have kept it for so long but you know. Memories.” She let a hand drift over the windowsill in the six by six area that passed for a kitchen. “But it sure will come in handy now, won’t it?”
“Yep. Sure will.”
Diana let her mind drift back to the time she’d spent on that bedroom floor with Scott
. She was positively sure her eyes had rolled to the back of her head. Certainly her toes had curled. But he’d seemed distant, and she understood everything had changed. Not in any small and unidentifiable way, but in a seismic earth shifting way. She’d told him it would only happen once, but what did it say about her that she couldn’t stop thinking about a possible second time? Or maybe a third time could be the charm.
“You won’t need much furniture,” Gran said. “Since there’s no place to put it.”
“Convenient for me.” There was a nook area for a bed, the kitchenette, a small bathroom and a living area big enough for a loveseat and not a whole lot else. “It’s only temporary.”
Gran patted Diana’s arm. “There’s no need for you to move, dear. You can stay with me as long as you like.”
“Thanks, but I’ve been in your way long enough. I want to clear out that spare bedroom for you.”
“Tell me the truth, dear. Have I come between you and your mother? Because I didn’t mean to do that.”
“No, that’s silly.”
“Is it? I talked to your mother a couple of nights ago and she said she hasn’t heard much from you.”
“You know how busy I’ve been.” Diana cast her eyes down to the well-worn taupe carpet in the living area. “And she’s hard to talk to. Not like you.”
“But you must try.” Gran studied Diana with ageless dark eyes. The light in them was dimming a bit, a thought which strangled the breath from Diana.
She couldn’t lose Gran. She was still the wisest woman Diana had ever met. Her rock. “I will.”
“Now tell me what’s wrong.”
Did she have to do this here and now? The words seemed stuck in her throat and she opened and closed her mouth twice before speaking. “I don’t know if I want to write anymore.” There. She’d said it out loud.
Gran studied her again, but this time her eyes narrowed. “Why? Don’t you enjoy it?”
Unforgettable You (Starlight Hill Series Book 4) Page 14