The next thrust hit her clit just right, making her grit her teeth.
“Don’t hold back. I want to watch you come around my cock.”
She couldn’t breathe.
He eased out of her lazily and then slowly entered her, not hitting her clit with the base. Not going deep enough. Driving her crazy. So close…
“Now,” he demanded as he rocked forward, grinding the base of his cock against her swollen nub.
Her breath caught as she tipped over the edge, coming hard against him, her pussy milking his erection, practically tugging on it. The pulses were strong, and he waited until they slowed before he resumed fucking her.
This time she cried out, the pressure and friction driving her back to the edge at just the right moment.
“Damn, woman. You’re so expressive,” he gritted out.
She held his gaze as he thrust harder and faster for several more seconds, her own arousal rising easily once again. She was just about to tip over the edge of the peak a second time when he stopped breathing, pursed his lips, and closed his eyes. He thrust two more times, so deep he rocked her forward.
She’d never seen anything so beautiful as Rex’s orgasm, but she only got to witness the first moment of it because her eyes fluttered shut also as he took her with him.
Chapter 22
For the first time in his life, Rex struggled to maintain his usual surly manner at work the next day. He couldn’t keep from smiling, and that was so unlike him when he was supposed to be working.
As if it wasn’t difficult enough sharing a room with the woman he’d so thoroughly dominated last night, her damn wrists were indeed a bit pink. Not enough to cause anyone to take notice, but enough for him to keep glancing at them and getting a hard-on.
Erica smiled more than her fair share too, glancing at him often and then switching from a grin to a fake reprimanding glare.
When he returned from getting coffee in the middle of the morning and set a hand on her shoulder, she pulled away from him. Lifting her gaze, she took a breath. “This is so awkward, Rex. It would be easier if you didn’t touch me. I’m struggling to compartmentalize. I need a bit of space when we’re at work.”
He stepped back and nodded. She was right. This was their place of employment. They had a job to do. He needed to separate their pleasure from their work and get his head on straight.
He forgot all about Dayton until her phone buzzed just as she was leaving the room to get lunch. She glanced at him as she picked it up. After typing a response text to the sender, she put the phone in her purse and met his gaze again.
He inhaled slowly. “Let me guess. Dayton.”
“Yep.”
“Are you going to go out with him?”
“Yep.”
He exhaled.
She narrowed her gaze. “I told you I was. Don’t even think of getting possessive of me. I’m not choosing. I warned you. If you can’t keep things light between us, don’t ask me out again. This is your only option.”
He lifted his hands in defeat, palms up. “Got it. I’m good. You date whoever you want.” He was so far from good, his forehead was sweating, but he would alienate her if he pressured her. And things with her were way too good to take the chance. The only way he could win this war was to be the better man and let her figure out how much more she enjoyed being with him than some older guy on her own. Shower her with his best side. Take her out every night she wasn’t with Dayton. Make her head spin like it did last night.
He didn’t have another choice. Not if he intended to win. Five days ago, he’d been infatuated when she first showed up at work. Three days ago, he’d been intrigued when she submitted to him at the club. Last night, he’d lost a corner of his man card. In his head, he was currently on his knees begging her not to go out with some other guy.
Outwardly, he pulled his shoulders back and forced a smile. “Enjoy your lunch.”
She narrowed her gaze at him as she left the room.
He could do this. Share her. For a while anyway. As long as it took to convince her she would be happier with him.
He could.
He had to.
Chapter 23
Erica was certain she had lost her mind. She’d never in her life behaved so recklessly. What was she thinking dating two men at once? Not regular vanilla men either. No. She had to date two overbearing Doms.
As she stepped out of the shower later that evening, she stared at herself in the mirror, wondering who the hell she was lately. The woman staring back at her was far more confident than the girl who’d arrived in Miami a week ago.
If someone had told her she’d be juggling two men and sleeping with both of them in less than a week, she’d have laughed them out the door. And even though she hadn’t exactly had sex with Dayton yet, she knew it was only a matter of time. Semantics, really. She’d been naked with him. He’d thrust his fingers into her. Switching to his cock was hardly different.
She suspected she would end up filled with him tonight in fact. As long as she was throwing caution to the wind and acting totally out of character, why not?
She put on minimal makeup, combed out her wavy hair, and padded to the closet. After choosing a matching lacy bra and panties, she spent several minutes staring at her selection of clothes. If she’d had a few damn minutes in the last five days, she would have gone shopping. She didn’t have the wardrobe for all this dating.
Dayton had told her she didn’t need to dress up tonight. They were going to do something fun. Dress comfortably. Hoping for the best, she put on jeans and then scanned her shirts, deciding finally on a white camisole that she would ordinarily wear as a shell under a sweater or jacket. It was warm outside tonight though. If she wore her flat white sandals, she would look casual but perhaps also sexy.
Sexy? Since when had that been a goal of hers?
She shivered when she returned to the mirror to make sure the silky material wasn’t too see through. It might have been, but she was living on the edge lately anyway. So what if Dayton could see the outline of her bra?
She was still staring at herself when a knock sounded at the door. He had arrived. She took a deep breath and spun around to let him in.
When she opened the door, the first thing she noticed was the bouquet of flowers Dayton held. The second thing she noticed was his smile. Brilliant. Honest. Comfortable. And then his brows shot up as his gaze roamed down her body and back up. His lips parted as if he were going to speak, and then a sensual smile slowly returned. “You… Uh…” His gaze wandered back down to her chest.
She glanced down and then crossed her arms over her breasts and sighed. “It’s too revealing, isn’t it? I wasn’t sure. I’ll change.”
He reached out with one hand and tugged her arms away from her chest as he stepped inside, walking her backward so he could shut the door. “You’re not changing. You’re fucking sexy. I was just shocked.”
She narrowed her gaze, unconvinced. “Why? You’ve seen me in more revealing clothes than this.”
“Yes, but that was at the club. You’re a different woman when you’re at Zodiac. I’ve since learned you’re more conservative in your real life.” He stopped trying to pull her arms away from her body and instead slid his hand around to her back and hauled her against him. His forehead came to hers. “You’re perfect just like this. I love it.”
“You can see my bra through it.”
He shrugged against her. “So? I can see nearly every woman’s bra in Miami. You’re right in style.”
“Am I?” She swallowed. She should change. She had other perfectly good shirts in her closet.
“You are. I’m sorry I reacted so drastically. It was just unexpected.” He was still holding her with just one arm. The other held the flowers at her side. His hand traveled up from her back to her bare arm, and then he rubbed her skin. “I am, however, going to spend the evening repeatedly kissing your shoulders.”
She turned her gaze to the side to take in the bouquet
. “You brought flowers.” She dropped her arms and stepped back, taking the bouquet from him and bringing it to her nose. No man had ever brought her flowers. “They’re lovely. Give me a second to put them in water.” She turned and headed for the attached kitchenette.
Dayton followed her and leaned against her counter as she filled a glass with water and then settled the arrangement inside. “Gorgeous.”
“Indeed.”
She spun her head to find him looking at her, not the flowers. Her face heated.
Dayton reached up to stroke her cheek, which was undoubtedly pink. His voice was lower when he spoke again. “I meant what I said. I love this look.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “But you should know, I’m out of clothes.”
He frowned.
“I mean dating clothes. I’m not used to having a date every night of the week. I don’t own the wardrobe for it. I’m going to need to go shopping if I’m going to keep this up.”
He chuckled. “I gave you last night off.”
She drew in a breath. “Yeah, about that. I went out with Rex last night. You should know I’m seeing him too.”
“Rex, huh. The nerdy guy,” he teased, but he didn’t sound put off or angry. “Where did he take you?”
“Do you really want to talk about another guy I’m dating?”
Dayton’s face grew more serious. “No. You’re right. Did he dominate you?”
She sighed. This was uncomfortable, but no way was she going to keep secrets. That would be a disaster. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
He cocked his head to one side and then slid closer to her, his hand going to her back to haul her against him again. “No. Unless it is for you. We haven’t known each other long. I can’t expect you to be exclusive.”
“I slept with him.” Full disclosure seemed important.
“Okaaay. Thanks for telling me. Maybe don’t provide any more details. I got it.”
“’Kay. Do you still want to take me out? If you don’t, I’ll understand. I can’t believe you wanted another date in the first place after how awkward I was Sunday night. I can be a hot mess when it comes to dating.” She glanced down. “I don’t even know how to dress.”
He gave her a squeeze, his free hand coming to her cheek and cupping her face. “Slow down. Your mind is racing again. Take a breath.”
She inhaled deeply and let it out, but she didn’t feel better. She felt ridiculous. Who blurted out such personal information to a guy on essentially their second date? Hell, who slept with a guy one night and went out with a different guy the night before and the night after?
“First of all, I’m sorry I reacted shocked to your blouse. It’s amazing. Stop worrying about it. Second, your slightly misplaced and ill-perceived awkwardness turns me on. It’s who you are. I like it. Don’t change. And lastly, you are not a hot mess. You’re just hot. So, let’s go.”
She smiled. It was incredible that this man liked her enough to put the effort into making her feel at ease. He was older, wiser, and far more worldly. He smelled fantastic too. Not aftershave, but just whatever brand of soap he used and his personal scent.
Half of her wanted to say forget the date. Maybe they should just stay here and curl up on the couch. Make out. That thought nearly made her laugh. She didn’t think Dayton was the make-out sort of guy. For one thing, he was a Dom. She wasn’t at all sure he did vanilla when he wasn’t at the club. She knew Rex didn’t. But Dayton hadn’t suggested one way or the other.
She remembered how he’d made her feel Sunday night when he stripped her and then spanked her butt. The slow burn. The arousal. She craved it again.
“What’s going through that pretty head?” he asked.
She decided to be brave and bold. “I was thinking about how much I liked your palm on my ass.”
He groaned, tipping his head back for a moment, seemingly regaining his composure before facing her again. “Sweet girl, I enjoyed that immensely, and I’ll gladly do it again, after we go out. I didn’t come here just to dominate you. I really like you. I want to explore our chemistry, both in and out of the bedroom.”
“Will you have sex with me even though I slept with Rex?”
He hesitated. “I feel like that’s a trick question.”
Her eyes widened as she shook her head, not sure what he meant.
He chuckled. “If I have sex with you, it’ll be to prove I’m the better man in bed. Not going to lie. I’ll be fighting to win.”
“Win what?”
“You.” He gave her a squeeze and then cleared his throat, his expression going serious. “Will I seem like a dick if I do everything in my power to make you choose me over him?”
“No, but I’m not choosing. I told him the same thing.”
He lifted a brow, his mouth turning up on one side as if she were humorous. “Ever?”
She shrugged. “Not right now. I’ve been in Miami one week. Two men have taken me out. I’ve never felt so desirable in my life. I like both of you. You’re not even similar. I’m not going to be choosing between you. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to take me out.”
He slid his hand up her back and leaned in to kiss her almost before she finished speaking. He tipped his head to one side, deepening the kiss, his tongue dueling with hers while his hand slid down to cup her breast. When his thumb flicked over her distended nipple, she moaned into his mouth.
Finally, he pulled back, leaving her breathless and dizzy. His voice was gravelly when he spoke. “Sweet girl, I’ve been thinking about you from the moment I left here Sunday night. You’ve submitted to me twice, and both times were phenomenal. We have chemistry. You make my cock hard every time I see you. I want you so badly right now that it’s taking every ounce of energy not to say fuck it and strip you down so I can make your body hum. If you want to date that nerdy guy at the same time, I’m not going to say a word. I’ll just have to pick up my game to ensure that in the end, age wins over brains.” He smiled at that last part, letting her know he was teasing.
She focused on his face. “Good. Glad we had this chat. Don’t pressure me, and we’ll get along just fine. I’m enjoying myself too much right now to even entertain the idea of choosing.”
“Understood. Now, can we get out of here before I lose my willpower?”
“Hmmm. I’m not sure I care for your willpower.”
He slid his hand down to her butt and pinched her ass. “Behave.”
She thrust her hips forward and squealed. “Which one of us needs to behave?”
Chapter 24
As Dayton drove to the spot he’d chosen for tonight’s date, he couldn’t decide how he felt about Erica dating Rex. He’d told her emphatically it was perfectly fine. He came close to puffing his chest out and telling her he was a guy and guys didn’t care about that kind of thing. But that macho act would’ve been a lie. It did bother him.
Really, he shouldn’t be so unnerved. It was hard to imagine the young nerdy guy as competition. But he was. Dayton imagined she could talk rocket science with Rex. Dayton was a smart guy, but not like that. Not when it came to the kind of genius brains Rex and Erica had.
Rex had a leg up on Dayton. He had her all day at work. He would get to woo her for more hours of the day than Dayton could ever dream of. It would help if Rex wasn’t also a Dom. Dayton knew he had her wrapped around his finger in that department. Did Rex? Dayton hadn’t seen them scene together. He’d arrived Saturday night after they were finished.
It got way under his skin that she’d slept with Rex. He wasn’t sure if she meant that they had sex or that he’d slept in her bed. God, I hope not. The thought of the younger guy also dominating Erica in her apartment made him cringe inwardly. And it had nothing to do with Rex. Dayton didn’t even have the ability to not like the guy. From what he knew and the few moments he’d spoken to Rex, no wonder she liked him. What wasn’t there to like?
He could do this. Let her date another man. He could do it because he didn’t have a choice. She
’d made that perfectly clear. For as fidgety and uncertain as she was about her clothes and her lack of social skills, she certainly had a spine when it came to putting her foot down about making a choice. It was important to her for some reason.
He tried to understand. After all, she’d told him she hadn’t dated much. If this was the first time she’d been in a position where two men were vying for her attention, he could understand why she might be reluctant to choose. But for how long?
If Dayton had any sense, he would back down. For about half a second, he considered it after she blurted out that she’d slept with Rex. But then Dayton realized how damn cute she was and how much it endeared him that she was nervous about telling him she’d had sex with someone else. His body had gone rigid too. Jealousy reared its head, letting him know he liked her enough to stay in the contest.
Probably not his best laid plan, but here he was, competing for the affection of a twenty-two-year-old woman who had more brains than he had sense. He couldn’t help himself. He’d thought about her nonstop since he’d left her apartment the other night.
Erica Wendell was under his skin. She was too perfect not to fight for. Maybe he would get lucky and Rex wouldn’t be willing to share and he would give up.
That brought a question to mind. As Dayton parked the car, he turned toward Erica. “Does Rex know you’re out with me?”
“Yes.”
Okay then. That answers that question. She obviously intended to be transparent all the way around. Good or bad, he was in this. At least he had every reason to believe she would be honest and open every step of the way.
He rounded the truck and helped her out on her side, taking her hand and then pulling her against his chest. He was going to take every single opportunity to woo her.
“Where are we?” she asked, her expression quizzical.
“Putt putt golf,” he informed her, watching her face. “I’m going to kick your butt at mini-golf.”
She grinned. “Oh really?”
Taming Rex Page 13