The Gritty Truth

by Melissa Foster

  He moved lower, kissing her belly, running his tongue around her belly button as he untied the bow holding up her sweatpants, and slowly peeled them down. Desperate to see his reaction, she watched as he found her scars. And like before, he didn’t flinch, didn’t look away, just brought that sweet, loving mouth of his to the rough patches of skin, as tenderly as he had to the rest of her.

  “You’re beautiful, baby. Every inch of you,” he said huskily.

  He continued stripping down her sweatpants and taking her panties with them, kissing and touching each and every scar on her hips and legs, and all the smooth spots in between, until she lay naked, her heart beating frantically. In those moments, she knew there was no greater luxury than being adored by Quincy Gritt. He kissed his way up her legs, his mouth lingering on her inner thighs, making her needy parts clench with anticipation. As his kisses inched closer to her center, she could barely breathe. She fisted her hands in the sheets, Ohgodohgodohgod playing like a mantra in her head, along with things she didn’t want to think about, like What if I taste bad? What if—

  He slicked his tongue along her wetness, and her hips shot off the mattress, causing her to smack him in the nose with her cooch. His head snapped back, and he let out a painful sound, rising onto his knees, his hand covering his nose, confusion staring back at her.

  “Ohmygod. I’m sorry!” She slammed her legs together, rolling onto her side, and covered her face. “I’msorryI’msor­ryI’msorry!”

  “Did I hurt you, babe?” he asked far too kindly for what she’d just done.

  She shook her head, mortified. “I’ve never…”

  “Never…?” He lay on his side next to her, bringing them face-to-face.

  She spread her fingers, peeking out from between them, and whispered, “Done that.”

  A wolfish grin appeared, and she closed her fingers, blocking him out, but nervous laughter escaped, and she peeked at him again. “I’m so embarrassed. Do you want me to leave?”

  “Do you want to leave?”

  She shook her head. “I want to be invisible.”

  He chuckled and moved her hands, gathering her in his arms, and kissed her. “If you were invisible, I wouldn’t be able to see where to touch you.” He slid his hand down her back and caressed her ass. “Or where to kiss you.” He kissed her again, slower and sweeter. “Did it feel that bad when I licked you?”

  Her cheeks burned, but she managed to shake her head and whispered, “That good.”

  “Aw, babe, we’re just getting started. I’m going to light your world on fire, if you let me.”

  The wickedness in his eyes made her entire body shudder. “You’re not afraid I’ll break your nose?” She giggled, which made him laugh, easing her embarrassment.

  “Hold on. Let me just get my nose guard.” He pushed up on his palm as if he were going to get it, making her laugh harder.

  “If you didn’t have a bionic tongue, you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

  “You like my tongue, huh?” He started kissing her neck, which tickled, and they rolled around, kissing and laughing, obliterating her embarrassment.

  And then his mouth covered hers, turning all that laughter into insatiable passion. He buried his hands in her hair, taking their kisses deeper, their bodies grinding together. She ached for more, and hungry sounds climbed up her throat. He trapped her bottom lip between his teeth, tugging gently, sending shivers of delight rippling through her.

  His eyes bored into her. “I’m going to make you feel so damn good, baby.”

  “Yes” came out greedily.

  He slithered down her body, tasting and kissing. Her pulse raced, anticipation pounding through her as he spread his hands on her lower belly, and his thumbs moved in a hypnotizing rhythm on either side of her sex. She curled her fingers into the sheets as he lavished her with tantalizing kisses all around her center. Her eyes closed, every touch of his lips taking her higher, drawing a gasp of exhilaration.

  “I love kissing you, tasting you,” he said between kisses. He moved his thumbs outward and licked beside her sex, making her squirm with desire. “I cannot wait to devour you.”

  The hunger in his voice and his dirty talk had her lifting her hips, craving his promises. When he sealed his mouth over her inner thigh and sucked, lightning scorched through her. “Oh God…”

  She felt his hot breath between her legs and clamped her mouth shut, fisting her hands tighter in the sheets and pressing her butt deeper into the mattress to keep from embarrassing herself again. His tongue slid along the sacred place that yearned for him, sending fire racing through her core. An unstoppable moan parted her lips, and he did it again and again, stroking and sucking, sending all her fail-safes out the window, but not his. As she arched and moaned, trying to lift her hips, he held them down. She loved that he was taking care of both of them.

  “That’s my girl.” He eased his grip and said, “Enjoy me, baby. Let yourself go.”

  He slid his fingers inside her and did something magnificent with his mouth at the same time, electrifying her entire body. He continued zeroing in on all her needy spots, taking her on a wild roller-coaster ride of sensations, wreaking havoc with her ability to think. Blood pounded through her veins, tingles clawed up her limbs, and heat ignited in her core. She felt a tantalizing tug low in her belly, as if her insides were trying to reach him, and her toes curled under. She could barely breathe, had never felt anything like this before.

  “Come for me, baby,” he said roughly.

  His fingers moved quicker, and his mouth covered that mind-blowing bundle of nerves, devouring her so rough and scintillating, her heels dug into the mattress and pleasure crashed over her, tearing indiscernible sounds from her lungs. He didn’t relent, mercilessly devouring her, sending her up, up, up until she shattered into a million pieces, and “Quincy—” flew desperately from her lips.

  Her voice echoed in her head as her body thrust and bucked, until she finally, blissfully, collapsed blurry-eyed and boneless to the mattress. He kissed his way up her overly sensitive body, reigniting her with every touch. When he pressed his lips to hers, she expected to be turned off by the taste or scent of herself. But as his tongue swept over hers, the taste of her mixed with the rugged, sensual taste of him, and it was absolutely perfect.

  NEVER BEFORE HAD Quincy felt someone else’s pleasure as his own. Emotions whipped through him like a hurricane. He brushed his lips over Roni’s, and the truth came out. “I’m so into you, baby, you fucking own me.”

  “I want all of you, Quincy.”

  His heart stumbled, unable to believe they were there in that moment. The look in her eyes untethered him, and he took her in a fierce, loving kiss. They continued kissing as he stripped off his sweatpants, both of them expelling greedy sounds when he broke their connection to grab a condom from the nightstand drawer. Roni’s eyes were riveted to his cock. She reached up and touched it, one single stroke, light as a feather along his length, igniting his entire body anew. He gritted his teeth as she touched him again, tentatively. He had a feeling she’d never experimented like this before, and the fact that she wanted to do it with him brought an onslaught of new emotions.

  “That feels good, baby,” he encouraged her.

  She sat up and wrapped her fingers around him, her curious eyes meeting his as she stroked him again, a little tighter this time. He lifted her hand to his mouth and licked it from palm to fingertips and placed it on his hard length, wrapping his own hand around it.

  “Tighter,” he said hungrily. “Like this.”

  He showed her what he wanted, moving her hand tighter along his length. She breathed harder, stroking faster, and licked her gorgeous lips. He gritted his teeth, craving her mouth on him, but not wanting to ask for too much. Her eyes moved to their joined hands, and he let go. Her tongue swept across her lips, and her innocent, eager eyes darted up to his, then to his shaft again. She was killing him second by second, dragging him so deep into her, he knew he’d never
climb out. He brushed his fingers down her cheek and said, “What do you want, baby?”

  Without a word, she leaned forward and ran her tongue around the broad head. His chin dropped with a hiss, and her beautiful, unsure eyes flicked up to his.

  “It’s good baby, so good. I’m yours, Roni. Touch me, play, explore, whatever you want.” Just don’t stop.

  She licked his length, and then she slowly lowered her mouth over the head and about a third of his cock, sucking and sliding him in and out of her lips. Quincy stroked her jaw and slid his hand beneath her hair, fighting the urge to thrust, to pull her mouth further over him. “That’s it, baby. Holy…You feel so fucking good.” She took him deeper, moving quicker. Excruciating pleasure tore through him, and “Jesus…” escaped through gritted teeth. “Careful, babe. You’re going to make me come, and as much as I want that, I really want to make love to you.” The words slammed into him. He’d fucked and he’d taken, but he’d never made love to anyone. As Roni drew him out of her mouth, her beautiful, trusting eyes met his. His chest constricted, and he knew the words had come straight from his heart.

  “I want that, too,” she said softly.

  He sheathed himself and came down over her, that hurricane inside him whipping violently. He didn’t push those feelings away. He wanted to get swept up in them, to lose himself in her and feel everything she had to give. Their mouths joined ravenously, but when her arms circled him, instead of thrusting and burying himself deep inside her, he had the overwhelming urge to see her face as their bodies came together for the very first time. It was another foreign desire, and he reveled in it.

  He kissed her softly and cradled her face in his hands, gazing into her eyes as he entered her slowly. Her eyes widened, and he said, “You okay, baby?”

  She nodded, her hands sliding into his hair. “Better than okay.”

  His fucking heart was going to explode. He thrust deeper, burying himself to the hilt, and the world tilted on its axis. She let out several fast breaths, holding him tighter, her eyes brimming with untamed desire.

  “Oh,” she said with surprise. “You feel so good. I never knew it could feel like this.”

  “Christ, baby. Neither did I.”

  A thousand sensations ravaged him as their mouths came together, and their sweet kisses turned feverish. He tried to go slow, but it was like their bodies were not only made for each other, but they also knew exactly what to do. She met every thrust with a tilt of her hips, every demanding kiss with a devouring of her own. Her softness conformed to his hard frame, allowing him to sink into her entire being. He pushed his hands beneath her ass, lifting her hips so he could take her impossibly deeper, earning one sinful sound after another. He pumped his hips faster, and her head fell back, her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

  “Quin….Quin—”

  Her inner muscles clamped like a vise, and she cried out as her climax consumed her. He didn’t even try to hold back. They’d have plenty of time for long lovemaking and fiery fucks. Pleasure crashed over him, into him, stealing the last of his control. He gritted out her name, thrusting animalistically as their passion ravaged them.

  When the last of the aftershocks claimed them, he dipped his head beside hers, their hearts racing in tandem. He kissed her cheek and neck, their bodies still connected as he cradled her in his arms and rolled them onto their sides. As the world came back into focus, he gazed into her loving eyes and knew without a shadow of a doubt he’d never be the same again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  RONI SAT ON the floor of her classroom Saturday just before noon, scrolling through the pictures of her and Quincy they’d taken at the scavenger hunt and in the days since. She loved who she was with him, who he was with her, and everything about their coupledom. Their happiness radiated from every picture. It had been only a few days since they’d come back together, but they’d become so close, it felt like much longer.

  “Did you find the songs?” Angela asked as she walked into the room. She looked cute in black leggings and a pink tank top, with her hair pulled back in a barrette.

  She winced. She was supposed to be finding songs for a teenage contemporary dance duet for the winter performance. They were going to work through lunch on the choreography. “I got sidetracked. I sat down to look for them, but then Quincy sent me a video message asking how my day was going, and I got distracted looking at pictures of us. The video was so cute, I watched it three times. In it, he’s holding Sarah’s little girl, Lila. Sarah brought her into the bookstore because Lila missed him. How cute is that?”

  “Ridiculously adorable. I want to see Loverboy and Lila.”

  Angela sat beside her, and Roni showed her the video of Quincy holding Lila. Roni’s heart fluttered as he said, Hey, babe, miss you. How’s your day? Wave hi, Lila. Lila waved. Quincy blew Roni a kiss, and Lila puckered up and blew one, too. Then Lila kissed his cheek, and he flashed a devastatingly happy grin. He said, Say bye-bye. Lila said it and he winked, said, Bye, babe, and ended the video.

  “Girl, he is so…” Angela sighed.

  “I know.” Roni had told Angela all about the meeting, their first night, and first sexy morning together. Angela had again apologized for coming across so harsh about his past, but Roni was kind of glad she’d said all those things, because it had helped her to realize that she did need to know more about recovery and what it entailed.

  “Seriously, Roni. He’s brawny, melts like butter for little kids, and sends you to work every day with your head in the clouds. That man is a definite keeper.”

  Elisa peeked into the room and said, “While you girls are at it, find a song for Roni’s solo.”

  “Elisa…” Roni shook her head.

  Elisa shrugged with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes and said, “It was worth a try.”

  As Elisa walked away, Angela said, “She’s not going to give up.”

  “I know, and I love her for it. But I’m just not ready.”

  “If it’s up to you, you’ll never be ready. You’re too good not to get out there and strut your stuff. It’s like hoarding cookies when you know your friends would love them.” Angela pointed to Quincy’s picture and said, “That guy right there deserves to see you onstage, in all your spectacular glory. And I don’t mean naked.”

  “Why not? He’d like seeing me naked onstage if it was a private performance.” The idea sent a thrill through her. She still couldn’t believe he not only didn’t mind her scars, but he continued to touch her all over like they didn’t exist.

  “Can I tell you how great it is to hear you say that after how worried you were about your scars? I love that Quincy adores all of you. I feel like you should give him extra lovin’ tonight as a thank-you from me.”

  Oh, how she’d love to do that. But she didn’t know if they were seeing each other. They’d spent the last three nights together, but they hadn’t made plans for tonight.

  She held up her phone, and Angela said, “What are you doing?”

  “Making him a video message.”

  “Oh my God.” Angela laughed. “You two take cute couple to a whole new level.”

  “Thank you,” Roni said, wiggling her shoulders. She started the video and waved. “Hi. My day’s been great. Even better after seeing your video. This is so much better than texting. Let’s keep doing it. Angela and I are working through lunch on the winter performance choreography.”

  Angela popped up over Roni’s shoulder and said, “Hi, Quincy!”

  “Okay, I’m keeping it short. Have a great day!” Roni waved and blew him a kiss, then ended the video. She sent it to him and said, “Can I ask you something about relationships?”

  “I already told you. Do it often and do it dirty. It makes everything better.”

  “You’re such a weirdo. I think we have that down pat.”

  “You’re in the salivating over each other stage, when you want to spend every second together, and even that doesn’t feel like enough. That’s the greatest fe
eling.”

  “That’s exactly how I feel, but he hasn’t said anything about seeing me tonight, and it’s Saturday night. I want to ask him, but I don’t want to sound clingy, and it’s totally fine if he wants to spend time with his friends or do something else without me. But shouldn’t we talk about it? Should I expect him to say he’ll see me Sunday, or Tuesday, or whatever day he wants to? Does he want space and he’s not telling me? What if he thinks he’s smothering me?”

  “You definitely should know where you stand, especially on a weekend night,” Angela said firmly. “He pursued you for months, and you can’t stop talking about how special he makes you feel. I bet he’s chomping at the bit to get you into his arms tonight. Bring it up. Tell him what you just told me. Guys don’t always plan, the way we do.”

  “You’re right. I’ll talk to him after work. We should get started before we waste our whole lunch hour.”

  Angela got her phone, and they started looking through their playlists. “I’ve got one,” she said. “How about ‘Delicate’ by Taylor Swift?”

  Roni wrinkled her nose. “I’d like to see them dance to something more powerful. Maybe ‘I Was Here’ by Beyoncé?”

  “That’s not bad. Let’s add it to the list.”

  They chose a handful of songs and then began narrowing down their list. They were listening to their final three choices, putting together dance moves to see which felt best, when Elisa walked in with Quincy. When Roni’s eyes connected with Quincy’s, she was sure the wood floor would ignite a path between them. Good Lord. She’d just seen him hours ago, had made love with him that morning, and still he stole the oxygen from her lungs, all rugged and manly in his leather jacket, hair brushed back, faded jeans clinging to his thick thighs. It was all she could do to keep from running over, scaling him like a mountain, and sealing her mouth over his.

  “Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” Elisa said with a knowing smile, tearing Roni from her lustful thoughts. “It seems this fine young gentleman didn’t want his girlfriend or her bestie to go hungry.”