Downbeat (Lightning Strikes Book 4)

by Jodie Larson

  I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.

  Pulling him down on top of me, I inch us to the top of my full-sized bed.

  “Pax, I want you,” I say, cupping his face so he can’t look away. “I need you.” I mimic his movement from seconds ago. “Deep inside me.” Another kiss. “All night long.”

  Without another word, or our lips breaking contact, we strip the remaining articles of clothing from our bodies. His hard erection presses into my hip as I open for him. Pax pulls away and leans over the bed, fishing out his wallet from his jeans. A foil wrapper appears, and he rips it open with his teeth, making quick work to sheath his cock. I stare, mesmerized, as he holds it in his hand, ready and waiting.

  “Last chance, Kylie. Once I start, I won’t be able to stop.”

  Replacing his hand with mine, I guide him inside me, spreading my legs wider to accommodate his body.

  “Fuuuuuuuuck,” he hisses in my ear. I practically draw blood from biting my lip, trying my best not to cry out. The feel of him fully inside me is too much.

  We start out slow, taking our time. I grip his hips, his back, the sheets, anything within reach as he moves in and out in a steady rhythm. When the springs start to make noise, we slow down and move over, letting that side of the bed rest. We’ll come back to it later.

  “So. Good,” I pant out, my lungs on fire as I try to keep up. Years of pent-up frustration and need come to a head as he swivels his hips, hitting that magical spot inside me.

  I roll my eyes into the back of my head, my lids fluttering before squeezing shut. I can’t…I can’t…

  “Don’t scream,” he whispers into my ear before taking my mouth as I fall over the edge, piece by piece. Every muscle tightens then releases as the orgasm rocks my body to the core. I can’t even make myself come that hard, yet Pax did it in a matter of minutes.

  Opening my eyes, Pax looks down with a satisfied smile.

  “That’s one.”

  He quickly rolls us over, putting me on top. I lay my palms flat against his chest and use my hips to ride his cock, relishing the feel of being in control. This time, the tempo is mine to command. And I use it to my advantage, leaning back to take him deeper then quickly going forward to tease the tip with shallow, slow motions.

  “Fuck,” he growls out, barely audible. “I’m not gonna last long if you keep doing that.”

  I smile and lean down, continuing my teasing as I lick the seam of his lips. “We’ll see.”

  Repeating my torture, I break out every move I know, being bolder than I ever was with my past relationships. There’s something about Pax that makes me want to be more than the person I show to the world. He makes me feel secure and safe. And right now, the best way to show him how is with my movements and actions.

  With his hands cupping my breasts, teasing my nipples, the build-up happens so fast, I barely have time to prepare before I come again. Pax sits up, changing the angle as I ride out the last of the spasms while he consumes my screams.

  A few short motions and he digs his fingertips into my hips, panting into my mouth as I feel his whole body tighten then pulse inside me as he finds his release. I cling to his back, slick with sweat as our tongues tangle and mix, breathing air into each other.

  Once our heartbeats regulate and slow, he leans back slightly to brush away the hair clinging to my damp face.

  “You. Are. Perfect.” His staccato breaths pepper my face. Running my fingers through his hair, I pull him gently toward me for a final kiss.

  “Perfect doesn’t even describe it.” I’m not sure there’s a word in the entire English language that could describe the magic that happened between us.

  I climb off his lap and find the towel I had used earlier in my hamper. Pax takes the condom off, knotting the end of it. I point to the trash can next to the table and he wraps it in a Kleenex before disposing of it. I offer him the towel to clean up, which he takes with a smile.

  “If you stand there naked for too long, we just may need to do this again.”

  Tempting. But I’ll freeze to death if I do, so I put the towel back in the hamper and crawl into bed next to him, fitting perfectly into his side.

  Pax kisses my forehead. “Should I go?”

  I don’t want to move. Every muscle aches deliciously and his steady heartbeat in my ear is lulling me into sleep.

  “In the morning,” I say with a yawn. “Before Jayce sees you.”

  “Okay,” he says quietly.

  With a final yawn, I let the sleep I’d been pushing away take over.

  It gets harder and harder to sneak out of Kylie’s house after I spend the night. For the last few weeks, we set an alarm and it takes every ounce of my being to leave her warm embrace to head back to my empty bed. It’s incredibly hard to drive a motorcycle and be quiet about it, so I’ve been taking an Uber or use Brecken’s car.

  I hate it. I mean, I get why we’re doing it this way. It makes sense. It’d be different if Jayce didn’t like me or had no idea who I was. He’s an amazing kid, so smart and funny, full of energy and life. I get why Kylie is tired all the time. Between her job and studying and raising him, she has a full plate.

  But tonight, I get the chance to help. I wore her down enough and she finally agreed to let me take him while she finishes a paper that’s worth over half her grade.

  Luckily, Brecken and Lizzie decided they needed a weekend getaway, so they rented a place up the coast. Maybe they’ll come back with some happy news.

  The woman at the grocery store thought I was insane when I came through the line with five bags of chips, juice boxes, fruit snacks, milk, and the makings of a killer pizza. She knows me well enough to find it an odd mix. I just smiled and quickly bagged it up.

  As I put away the last of the groceries, a knock sounds at the door. I look around to make sure nothing is out of place before opening the door and finding two very happy faces staring at me.

  “Pax!” The same excited greeting I get every time I see him. He leaps into my arms and gives me a high five.

  “Bud, you ready to have some fun?”

  He nods, wiggling out of my hold. “Uh huh. Mama said I had to behave though.”

  I lean down with a smirk. “Only until she leaves,” I say with a wink.

  Kylie looks unamused. “Funny.” She crouches down to Jayce’s level. “You need to listen to Pax and behave, okay? Or we can’t do this again.”

  “Okay, Mama.” He gives her a hug before turning to me. “What should we do first?”

  I smile down at him. “Why don’t you go pick out a movie from Netflix, okay? Let’s start with that.”

  I left the program up on the TV so he’d be able to search on his own, mindful to pick the kids option.

  Kylie smiles and runs a hand down my chest. “You’re a lifesaver.”

  Pulling her into my arms, I lean down and take her lips with a soft, gentle kiss. “It’s not like this is a hardship, by any means. He’s a great kid and I love hanging out with him.”

  She leans back, letting her smile reach her eyes. “I packed a bag with extra clothes because, well, he is a boy and tends to get messy.” She drops it to the side. “I shouldn’t be too late, assuming I can crank out this paper with minimal distractions.”

  “Hence why I suggested going somewhere other than here. I can’t guarantee to keep you busy on your work.” I wiggle my brows suggestively.

  “And on that note, I need to leave, or I may let you distract me.” She kisses me again, cupping my cheek before running her fingers through my hair.

  “Pax! I found one. Come on.”

  Breaking our kiss, I smile and push her to the door. “I’m being beckoned and there are no girls allowed during guy time.” I open the door and lean against the jamb as the elevator doors open. “I’ll see you later.”

  With a final smile, Kylie blows me a kiss as the doors shut. Latching my door, I head into the living room to see what Jayce has picked out.

  “Do you lik
e Chicken Little?”

  I shrug my shoulders and slide next to him on the couch. “Don’t think I’ve seen it.”

  Jayce clicks on the movie and proceeds to explain the whole plot to me. Technically, I don’t need to see it now that I know exactly what’s going to happen.

  “Are you hungry? Want some chips?”

  He nods his head, eyes glued to the TV. I go to the kitchen and take a few selections back with me. Jayce picks the Cool Ranch Doritos. Excellent taste.

  Now, I’m not one for Disney movies. I can probably count on one hand how many I’ve seen. However, this one I actually enjoyed, probably because of the cast. I mean, who doesn’t love Don Knotts? And anything with Adam West is an instant winner. Too bad his part was so short. And I’m a huge Scrubs fan, so I was digging Zach Braff as Chicken Little.

  After another movie, we decided it was time for games. I dug my old Wii out of the closet and hooked it up earlier, making sure to only have appropriate games out. We played every game on the Wii Sports disc. I didn’t even have to let him win in a few of them. He’s really good. Then we tried the Wii Resort. Jayce struggled a little with a few of the games, but once I showed him how to do it, he excelled and even beat me a few times.

  It was when we put in Mario Kart that I really had to work. He picked Toad, which means he’s played this before. Everyone knows he’s the best avatar to use. I stuck with Mario and let Jayce pick the worlds. We kept it pretty close, usually taking first and second.

  Our stomachs rumble after the fifth round of tournaments. It hardly seemed like we wasted half the day.

  “You hungry, bud?” I press pause and turn to him.

  Jayce nods. “Yeah, super hungry. What are we gonna eat?”

  “Come on, I’ll show you.” We set the controllers down and head into the kitchen. I help him onto one of the chairs by the counter and start digging out our supplies from the fridge.

  His little brows furrow as he stares at the ingredients. “What’s this?”

  I wave my hand over everything. “Pizza.”

  “That’s not pizza,” he says. “That’s just food.”

  “Ah, but we’re going to make pizza.”

  His eyes light up. “We’re gonna cook again?”

  I nod. “Yep. What do you want on your pizza?”

  “Cheese.”

  Which I already knew and came prepared for with four different types of cheeses to put on top. “You can help make mine, okay?”

  “Awesome.”

  I start chopping an onion and red pepper while Jayce tells me about his week at school and how music is his least favorite subject.

  “Really?” I slide the cutting board over to him. He sprinkles the vegetables over most of the pizza, though one section has a little more than the others. I even it out before handing him the pepperoni.

  “Yeah, it’s boring.”

  After putting the cheese on top, we place both pizzas on a pan and slide them into the oven. I set a timer and turn on the oven light to monitor the progress.

  “I think I can change your mind.”

  Grabbing his hand, I walk us down the hall and into the room where Breck and I have put together a make-shift rehearsal room. We had to add extra padding to muffle the sound, so the downstairs neighbors don’t complain. Jayce’s eyes go wide when he sees the drum set.

  “Whoa.” He walks over and runs a hand along a cymbal. “This yours?”

  I nod and sit on the stool. “Yep. Wanna see?” He nods, and I take the drumsticks off the snare. Jayce stands to my side and watches in awe as I start with something simple—a drumroll. Then I add the toms, the bass, finally breaking into the full set with hi-hat and cymbals. His eyes widen with excitement as I end with a flourish.

  “Do it again!” he yells, clapping his hands. “That was amazing.”

  In the kitchen, we hear the timer for the oven. “After dinner, okay?”

  We take the pizzas out and make sure they’re to our liking.

  “They need to cool off, so we can play the drums some more.”

  Music is boring my ass. He just needed a good teacher.

  By the time Kylie shows up, Jayce learned how to play the snare and incorporate the hi-hat. He’s a little short to add the bass, but we’ve got time.

  “Looks like you guys have been busy,” she says, eyeing the mess in the kitchen. Bags of opened chips litter the counter, along with two half-eaten pizzas and a few empty bowls of ice cream.

  “Yeah, we have.” A cymbal crashes in the background, grabbing Kylie’s attention.

  “You left him alone with your drum set? Are you mad?”

  She walks down the hall and smiles when she sees Jayce playing what I taught him.

  “Hi, Mama. Look what I can do.” He plays the beat again, much better than the first time.

  Kylie smiles down at him. “That’s awesome, buddy.”

  “Have you heard Pax play? He’s really good.”

  I shrug. “I mean, I’m okay.”

  “Here.” He brings the sticks to me and practically shoves me behind the set. “Play that one song again for her.”

  Twirling the sticks between my fingers, I glance over at Kylie, who’s sitting on the couch with Jayce on her lap. “Well, impress me.”

  Oh, how I love her smart mouth. Playing “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters won’t be the same without the other instruments, but I doubt she knows the song anyway.

  I close my eyes and play, imagining the other instruments in my head as I sing the words aloud. It’s not often I get to take the lead vocals since I’m usually a backup singer. Channeling my inner Grohl, I play with every ounce of my heart, letting the song take me fully. When I finish and open my eyes, Jayce is clapping and cheering. Kylie, on the other hand, stares at me in awe.

  “Wow,” is all she says.

  Jayce runs over and gives me a high five. “I wanna be just like you when I grow up.”

  An unexpected pang hits my chest, damn near knocking the wind out of me. Emotions I never thought I’d have, come to the surface. He’s not my son, but with all the time we’ve been spending together, I’d like to think that maybe someday he could be.

  Leaning down, I hug Jayce but keep my eyes on Kylie, who’s trying her best not to cry. She knows it too, otherwise she wouldn’t be feeling this way.

  Pulling back, I choke down the emotions again and stand. “Let’s see if your mom can beat us at the Wii.”

  Jayce grabs Kylie’s hand and drags her from the couch and to the living room. I laugh behind them and make a quick detour to clean the kitchen.

  Before we realize it, it’s ten o’clock. Jayce can barely keep his eyes open as we watch Chicken Little for the second time today.

  “We should get going,” Kylie says, pulling away from my side.

  I halt her progress. “Stay here tonight. I’m all alone, so there’s no one to bug us. Besides, what if I’m afraid of the dark?”

  Jayce yawns and curls into my side more. “Mama can sing you the brave song. That’s what she does to me when I’m scared.” He looks over and tries to form a smile on his overly tired face. “Can we stay?”

  Kylie looks between the two of us, clearly at war with herself.

  “I promise to behave,” I whisper in her ear.

  “You’ve said that before.” She smirks, but nods. “Okay, we’ll stay.”

  Wrapping my arm around her waist, I hold her against my side as we wait for Jayce to fall asleep, which takes all of ten minutes. Kylie tries to move, but I wave her off and scoop the little boy into my arms, carrying him to my room and setting him in the middle of the bed. I leave the door cracked slightly, in case he needs something.

  By the time I get back to the couch, Kylie is sprawled across it, propping her head up while searching for a movie. I crawl behind her and run my hand up her arm. Her skin pebbles beneath my touch; a clear sign of arousal. She doesn’t believe me when I tell her that yoga pants and t-shirts turn me on. Really, it doesn’t matter what she’s w
earing. She turns me on.

  She finally finds a Lord of the Rings movie and hits play. Good. Something with a lot of action. Action means noise, which means I can make her moan a little without waking up Jayce.

  Clearly, she has the same idea because she presses her ass directly into my growing erection, grinding against it ever so slightly. I reach behind me and toss a blanket over us. I’m all for letting go, but we don’t need to scar Jayce anytime soon.

  Dipping my hand into the back of her waistband, I follow the rounded curve of her ass, over the satin fabric of her panties to the apex of her thighs. Kylie leans her head back, laying it on my shoulder as I run my lips up and down her neck, pressing two fingers against her core. I can feel the heat from her pussy, feel the wetness start to coat my fingers through the thin scrap of material between us. She reaches around and starts massaging me through my joggers. My cock aches for her touch, swelling with each brush of her fingers. Slipping past her barrier, I bury my fingers deep inside. Kylie lets out a small gasp, fueling me on.

  I want to be buried inside her, more than my fingers. I want her soul meshed with mine.

  We keep working separately, bringing each other to the brink before backing off, letting the waves ebb before starting again. It’s torture in its grandest form.

  “Pax.” Her breathy plea is all it takes. I push down her pants and underwear as she reciprocates.

  “Damn it,” I say into her hair.

  “What?”

  “Condom. I don’t have one handy.” The need to be inside her is more than I can handle. If I’m not inside her soon, this show will be over before it starts.

  Kylie stays quiet, slowing her movements but not pulling away. I’m about to re-clothe us until she says, “Go ahead, it’s okay.”

  I freeze, not daring to move in case I heard her wrong. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” She twists her body to stare into my eyes. “We’re still protected. Don’t worry.”

  Lifting her body to the appropriate angle, I grab her leg, hooking it over my arm, and deftly slide inside her. We moan simultaneously, trying to keep it muffled. The feel of skin on skin almost has me coming instantly. So soft, so wet…so perfect.