by Lacey Black
Quinn gives it a decent throw, and Jack takes off to retrieve it. He stops once to smell a large boulder at the back of my property, before bringing the toy back. “Good dog,” she coos to my pup, patting his head and scratching behind his ears.
“You keep that up, and he’ll never want you to leave.” My gut clenches.
What I wanted to say was If you keep that up, I’ll never want you to leave.
If she notices my slight panic, she doesn’t say anything. She just gives me a happy grin and snatches the tug rope from Jack. She gives it a second toss and watches as he darts off to get it.
Unable to just stand here any longer without touching her, I join them in the grass. My yard isn’t big and it slopes, but it’s enough for a dog to run and play. When Jack sees me step up beside Quinn, he quickly brings the toy to me. I reach for it, but he moves it just out of my reach. I chuckle as he slowly moves it toward my hand once more. I’m quicker the second time and latch onto the rope. As soon as I do, it’s game on.
Jack tugs, but I don’t relent. I pull back, playfully trying to take the rope from him. Quinn giggles beside me as I get lower and Jack mirrors my movements. We’ve played this game for three days, and it seems to never get old. We pull against each other, trying to steal away the toy. When I finally wiggle it free from his jaw, I throw it all the way to the boulder in back.
“He’s a smart dog,” she says, her arms crossed over her chest as she watches him play.
“He is. I got pretty lucky finding him,” I state, as Jack comes back and plops down on my feet. He just lies there, contently chewing on the rope toy.
Quinn gazes down with the softest smile on her lips. “I’d say you were both lucky.”
We stand there, both lost in our own thoughts and enjoying the warm night air. My thoughts go from the crazy contentment I feel having her here to wondering what she sounds like when she comes. It’s wildly broad, on two opposite sides of the spectrum, actually, but imagining her coming undone around me feels as natural as the comfort that surrounds me just by her presence.
“Do you want to have a seat on the deck?” I ask, not really knowing what to do. My cock wants me to take her inside and fuck her four ways to Sunday, but another part doesn’t want to rush this. That part reminds me of how easy it is to talk to her and how much I enjoy our relaxed banter.
“I’d love to.”
“Would you like a drink? I have water, beer, or orange juice.” She gives me an odd look. “I use it as a base for smoothies,” I add, realizing OJ is probably an odd thing to offer someone I brought home.
“Ahh,” she replies, taking a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs. “I’d love some water.”
“Coming right up,” I reply, heading inside. Jack stays out, dropping down and covering Quinn’s feet with his big body.
I grab two bottles of water and take a few cleansing, deep breaths. I don’t know what it is about this woman. Having her here feels so fucking good, yet so fucking terrifying at the exact same time. A part of me craves a shot of something strong to help calm my frayed nerves, but I don’t want any more alcohol in my system. The few beers I had earlier in the evening weren’t enough to mess with me, yet I feel a little drunk anyway.
On Quinn.
I slip back outside and laugh. Quinn has her heels off—something that looks all too good, seeing them thrown off to the side like that—and my dog has his head resting on her knees. She leisurely pets his fluffy ears, and I swear, when he sees me walk out, he smiles.
“You’re spoiled,” I tell my pup, as I set the two bottles of water down on the little table between the chairs.
Jack barks, as if he agrees.
“He’s perfect,” Quinn whispers, a soft coo that resembles a mother talking to her child.
I open up her bottle and set it within her reach before I open my own. “You sound like a dog lover,” I say before taking a big swig of cold water.
She shrugs. “I never really saw myself as a pet owner, but if I had a dog like Jack, I think I’d be okay.”
Jack whimpers in agreement.
I can’t help but shake my head. “He’s not all sunshine and roses, Bestie. The first night I had him, he ate the twenty-dollar stuffed squirrel I bought him. The second night? He gnawed the corner off his water dish. It no longer sits flat on the floor. And sometime today? He somehow got ahold of one of my socks and turned it into confetti.” Looking over, a bubble of laughter spills from my throat. Jack is just staring up at her, as if she hung the moon and stars, and she’s looking back at him like there’s no way he could have done all that.
“He’s in a new home and learning how to push your buttons,” she responds, scratching him right behind the left ear. I swear I can see his eyes roll around in his head from ecstasy.
Speaking of ecstasy, I haven’t forgotten about the beautiful woman I brought home. If anything, I’m more aware of her here than I was at Pork’s. Here, she’s in my space, sitting in my chair, and petting my dog. Even though we haven’t so much as spoken of anything sexual since we got out of my truck, I’m still hard as nails and uncomfortable as fuck.
But she looks the complete opposite.
She looks at ease, comfortable, and so fucking beautiful it makes my chest hurt.
That’s why I haven’t moved to kiss her yet. I’m letting her set the pace and make the first move. I think it’s important to her, to let her take the lead. No, she doesn’t necessarily look like an “in charge” kinda woman—and yes—I’ve met a few of those in my time. Quinn is nothing like those women. The ones who know what they want and take it, usually on top. A little reverse cowgirl, if you will.
But Quinn isn’t like that.
Even though I’m struggling not to picture her right now in a reverse cowgirl.
What I mean is she’s the type who dates and probably has some bullshit rule about not sleeping with someone until the third date. She thinks everything through, probably too much so at times. And she never leaves the bar with a stranger, despite how attracted she is. I’ve only known this woman for less than a week, but I already know all these things.
There’s also a shit ton of other stuff I’d like to learn as well. How she takes her coffee in the morning, and what kind of music does she listen to? What does she do when she can’t fall sleep at night, and how long does it take her to shower? All little details I’ve never once given a shit about in regards to a woman, yet here I am, dying to know her story.
To know her.
When my eyes meet hers, there’s a shift in the air. It’s thick and heady, much like the heat on the dance floor. Quinn reaches for her water bottle and takes a sip, those intoxicating blue orbs holding my gaze the entire time. I’m actually a little jealous of that bottle and the sweet way her lips wrap around it. She slips the lid back on top and sets it aside.
Then she moves.
Jack moves to the side so she can get up, but we both ignore his sad whimper as he lies on the floor by her chair. I’m not sure what she’s thinking or where she’s going, but I’m not about to ask. I’m letting her take the reins, remember?
Quinn slips one knee along my outer leg and the arm of the chair. When she moves to do the same with her other leg, I reach up and place my hands on her hips, guiding her down on my lap. My cock is screaming in my pants, begging to be released from its confines, as she adjusts her weight on my thighs.
“Hi,” she whispers, placing two tentative hands on my shoulders.
“Hi,” I reply, flexing my fingers on her hips, but holding myself completely still. I won’t move until I know what she wants.
“Can I ask you something?” Her fingers dance along my collarbone and the neckline of my T-shirt before touching bare skin. I have to swallow hard over the lump in my throat.
“Sure.” My voice barely sounds like my own.
“Are you going to kiss me?” There’s a vulnerability in her eyes as she sits on my lap and waits for my answer.
“I’ve thought of nothi
ng else since the moment I saw you across the room,” I tell her honestly.
She swallows and licks her bottom lip, nibbling on the corner of it as she considers my words. “I’ve pretty much thought of the same thing, Royce.”
My fingers grip her hips as she leans forward just a touch. “You want me to kiss you, Bestie?”
She nods. “More than anything.” There’s a flush to her cheeks that’s cute as hell and a glimmer of desire reflecting back in those sapphire eyes.
I slide my hand around to her back and pull her to my chest. “Your wish is my command.”
Then I kiss her.
I finally kiss Quinn.
My Bestie.
I already know I’m never going to be the same again.
Chapter Twelve
Quinn
I’m not sure I’m breathing. As he gently presses his lips to mine, little zaps of electricity spark through the air and my body. It’s tentative at first, light, as if we’re testing the waters, but these waters are already rushing. Warmth spreads through my veins like lightning, and we’ve barely moved our lips.
I take the lead, opening my mouth for him. Royce wastes no time, his tongue delving in deep, licking and tasting me for the first time. His hand cups the back of my head and slightly tilts it to the side, giving him better access.
The kiss goes from zero to sixty in less than five seconds. I scoot forward to get closer. Closer to the heat of his body. When I do, I connect with his erection. It’s big and hard in his pants, and the sexiest little hiss slips from his lips as I grind against him. His kiss turns ravenous as his left hand spans wide across my back and his right hand holds my head hostage.
Not that I’m complaining.
This kiss is probably the best kiss of my life.
Considering I’m thirty-eight years old, that’s a sad realization.
Instead of focusing on my lackluster kissing past, I put everything I have into this particular kiss. And to be honest, it’s so easy. Royce takes the lead and is an expert at it. His mouth is firm, yet gentle, as he nips and sucks at my swollen lips.
“Jesus, I think I could kiss you all night,” he whispers, tracing my mouth with his tongue before slipping it inside in a slow, sensual dance.
“I think I’d like that,” I gasp, sucking in greedy breaths of oxygen. “But…” My words are lost in the moan of pleasure.
“But?” he asks, slowly kissing across my jaw and down my throat.
“But we could move this inside.”
He sits back just a bit and gazes into my eyes. They burn dark with desire, a wild yearning that matches what I feel coursing through my body.
“Are you sure?” he asks.
His question catches me off guard. Didn’t he want this? I thought by inviting me here, by basically telling me in the hallway we were going home together, we were on the same page. Why is he asking me this now?
He must catch the flicker of worry in my eyes, because he quickly goes on. “I really, really want to take you inside, Quinn. I’ve thought of nothing but you since we officially met earlier today, and when I spotted you at Pork’s?” He closes his eyes for a brief second and groans. “I’ve been hard ever since. I want to take you inside more than I want oxygen, but I also want to take this at your pace. I’d be fine with just more kissing, if that’s what you want,” he says, giving me a smirk that makes warmth flood between my legs.
“You’d be okay with just kissing?” I whisper with a tinge of shock, yet when I think about it, I’m not that surprised. Not from Royce. He’s gone out of his way to make me feel comfortable, and I don’t see him stopping anytime soon.
“Of course,” he replies, swallowing hard, as if over a golf ball in his throat.
I scoot forward, rubbing against his erection once more, and give him a coy smile. “Are you sure?”
He huffs a laugh. “Well, I’m not saying it wouldn’t be hard,” he quips, lifting his hips just a little. “I imagine I’d be taking an ice-cold shower after you left.”
The thought of leaving here after only kissing Royce feels more criminal than anything. God, the man can kiss like it’s his job, but I really want to experience more. The kissing is just the tip of the iceberg.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I lock my gaze with his and murmur, “Take me inside, Royce. I’d definitely like to do more than just kissing.”
Suddenly, he stands up. I wrap my legs around his hips and hold on tight. A giggle spills from my lips as he grips my butt and carries me to the back door. He whistles and Jack is by his side a second later. We slip through the doorway and I’m pressed against the wall. I can feel every inch—every very hard and very long inch—of his body as he devours my mouth with another searing kiss. I whimper, melting into his embrace.
“You are going to be the death of me,” he states, grinding his hips between my legs. I swear he could make me come just by rubbing against me like this.
Jack barks, breaking through the lustful haze. I rip my lips from his and try to focus on the dog sitting just off to our left. He’s sitting pretty, his tail wagging eagerly, but his bark lets us know he’s not too happy with waiting.
“Shit. I need to take care of Jack,” Royce mutters. He keeps his hands firmly locked on my butt and starts to move. He carries me over to the kitchen counter and sets me down. I hate to let go but need to in order for him to feed and get fresh water for the dog.
Jack sits beside his food bowl and watches as his owner fills up the dish. He starts eating the moment Royce is out of the way and takes a break only long enough to get a drink when it’s set down.
Once everything is set, the man with golden hazel eyes returns his attention to me. He walks across the kitchen, licking his lips as he approaches. He slides his large palms up the outside of my legs and slithers between them. He takes my lips with his once more and carefully pulls me forward. My legs hitch around his lean hips as he picks me up and walks me backward.
In the living room, he gently lays me down on the couch. Even in the semi-dark room, I can see the dark desire pooling in his eyes. Royce comes down on top of me, covering me with his large body. “So here’s the thing. I need to hang out here for just a little bit. Jack’ll need to use the lawn once more before bed,” he says, nipping at my lip with his teeth. “But I can’t hold off getting you naked for even another second, so we’ll improvise.”
Improvise? What does that mean?
Royce hops off the couch and crouches beside it. He keeps his gaze locked on mine as he reaches down and unbuttons my jeans. I suck in a harsh breath, but only out of nerves. They’ve returned and are making it hard to focus on anything other than the fact I’m about to get naked with who could possibly be the sexiest man alive.
“Is this okay?” he asks. The moment I nod my head, he starts to slide them around my hips and down my legs. Once I’m free of my pants, he tosses them over his shoulder and sets his sights on my top. “I’ve been dying to see what you’re wearing beneath this tank top,” he croaks through a dry throat, as he pushes the purple top upward. I sit up, and he makes quick work of making my top disappear as rapidly as my pants.
I’m practically panting like a dog the moment my shirt is gone, leaving me in my black tank and panties. Funny, I thought I’d feel way more exposed than I do right now, but with that look in his eye—the one that says he’s about to devour me like a Thanksgiving Day turkey—there’s no way I can feel anything but wanted.
After his eyes feast on my body, he reaches for the tank and starts to slide it up my torso. Cool air kisses my skin as his fingers burn a trail up my abdomen. I extend my arms over my head as I’m removed of that article of clothing as well.
“Fuck, you’re even more beautiful than I imagined.” He groans as he takes me in, my simple satin with lace overlay bra and panty set that seems to do a lot for him in this moment. I don’t have a lot of lingerie but do have a few panty and bra sets. All of them are light colors and make me feel feminine and sexy. They cost a pret
ty penny too, despite using Sabrina’s employee discount, but nothing could have prepared me for how I’d feel as Royce gazes down at me wearing this simple white set.
Nothing.
When his eyes finally return to mine, there’s a touch of wild reflecting in those golden orbs. I feel the rough pads of his fingertips brush against my inner thighs as he parts my legs. His touch feels like fire dancing along my skin, and I realize quickly I’m completely helpless against it.
And I’m okay with that.
The pad of his thumb brushes against the apex of my legs. With the layer of satin covering me, it sends me into sensory overload. It’s coarse and gentle at the same time. I suck in a deep gasp of air as his thumb slips beneath the material and comes in contact with my swollen, wet flesh.
“Those little noises? I’ve wondered what they’d sound like when I do this,” he says, pressing and rubbing my clit. Shock waves of lust bolt through my veins as he continues to expertly touch my body.
Just when I think I can’t take any more, he slides one finger inside my body, and I lose all ability to think. All I can do is feel, and right now, I feel everything. Including that second finger he’s slipping inside.
I gasp at the tightness of just two fingers.
“Spread your legs, beautiful,” he whispers, his eyes soft as he watches me.
The moment I do, the stiffness eases a bit and feels incredible. Royce moves his fingers in and out, a slow and steady pace that drives me wild. But the real pleasure hits the moment he lowers his head and swipes his hot tongue over my swollen flesh.
“Damn,” I gasp, my eyes practically rolling back in my head.
Without lifting his mouth from my body, he growls, “I love it when you cuss, Bestie. It’s so unexpected from the school principal.”
The rawness of his words causes a new wave of moisture to flood my core. “I only cuss when the situation warrants it,” I tell him, rocking my hips and taking his fingers as deep as I can.