Bad Intentions

by Carmen Falcone

  When her inner muscles relaxed around him, he plunged deeper, tapping her clit, rolling his fingers over it to help her focus on pleasure. “So good,” she hissed.

  Damn it, he wanted to do this for hours, no, days. He wanted to fuck her until she killed a part of him that’d been sick and twisted for so long. He wanted to fuck her until he no longer existed—unless he was with her.

  7

  A scorching heat wave raged through Nikki’s body. He expanded her sex, stretching it to adjust to him. A pang of discomfort stabbed at her—still, she couldn’t stop him. She wanted him inside her, thrusting into her with a fierce need she’d never experienced before. Screw the consequences.

  He worked her clit, sending jolts of excitement rippling within her. She arched herself into him, welcoming more of his delicious cock into her. She clenched her inner muscles around him, and she felt the tremor from his body. Good. She wanted him to lose control too.

  When he completely filled her, she shifted to an angle to better accommodate him. That did it—the position brought them to a sinful mold, so close, with him completing her in a way that went far beyond physical. The sound of her ragged breath blended with his. A cloak of intimacy blanketed them, making her even lighter-headed than before. Need she’d never experienced until then stirred her up inside. “Do it.”

  “Do what?” He ran his index finger over her lips, and she caught it with her teeth. She nipped at it, her gaze locked on his.

  “Fuck me,” she said, her own raspy voice raising goose bumps on her arms.

  He produced a low, growly sound, and possessively crushed his lips on hers. He began moving inside her, slipping out his cock midway only to slam her all the way to the hilt. Her inner walls contracted on their own accord, eagerly clinging to his cock. In that space, she felt the blood rushing through her, the pulse of her clit against him, and pressure built in her core. She undulated her hips best she could, the bareness of her ass scraping the surface of the ledge. It would hurt later, but now, she turned into one hot throb and wouldn’t change it for anything.

  With his plunge, air was sucked out of her lungs, and the sound leaving her lips reminded her of a primal animal she’d seen on the Discovery Channel. She’d never felt so raw, so attuned to her libido, so fucking…real.

  Sweat sheened her limbs and forehead. “Cole, I’m so close,” she said, losing energy at the end, like she had to use all her strength to choke out the words.

  He increased the tempo, slamming in and out of her, pushing her to the edge of the precipice one thrust at a time. She closed her eyes, unable to focus much, legs wobbly and tingly from all the action. He surprised her by touching her clit again, and it didn’t take her longer than a caress or two for the pressure that’d been building to contract her body for one hot second—then, release it.

  Pleasure rocketed within her, spreading through her entire self, burning her insides. She called out his name and opened her eyes to find him studying her with a mysterious half smile. The pulse in his jaw jumped, and soon, he too let go, emptying himself inside her until they both embraced each other, spent, sticky and gloriously sated.

  Consciousness returned in increments. He slipped out of her, composing himself and zipping his pants. She watched him, her breath catching up to her heartbeats, all her pulse points still shaken. As if to make sure their sexual rendezvous really happened and she wasn’t having a wet dream, she touched her mouth, her lips tender and swollen.

  When she crossed her bare legs, the stickiness from his cum was another reminder. Hmmm. Yes. He stretched out his hand, helping her to slide down from the ledge, and the simple touch belted a shot of awareness up her arm.

  “Where do we go from here?” she asked. Hell, she could have meant about his search for the place, but deep down she knew she couldn’t lie to him. After having shared that intense sexual connection, she couldn’t go back to pretending they hadn’t. Her stomach contracted, and she mentally braced herself for deception.

  He stared at her. “I’d like to do this again, but I can’t promise to give you what you deserve in the long run.”

  His elusiveness made her roll her eyes. A bit of disappointment pinched her heart. She’d be better off with the truth than some condescending spiel. “What do you know about what I deserve?” Or what I want?

  He tilted his head, staring deep in her eyes. A twinge of sadness twinkled in his irises, like what he was about to say affected him more than her. “You deserve a man who stays with you and marries you and spends the rest of his life making you happy.”

  “Well I’ve been married before. Didn’t exactly work,” she said. Sure, Luke had never provoked these intense carnal urges in her, but when she married him, she’d thought they’d last forever.

  “What are you saying?”

  What would Noelle do? Her beloved friend always jumped at opportunities to try new things, meet new people and learn new skills. Meanwhile, Nikki had been too measured, too concerned, too freaking fearful to take leaps of faith. Determination simmered in her bloodstream. “I say let’s have fun. For once in my life, I won’t worry about the future. It’ll be a task for a paranoid person like me, but maybe I’ll exercise some character building.” Or she’d end up having the best sex of her life. Either way, she’d take it.

  He chuckled. “You’ll use me for my body.”

  She erased the gap between them and kissed his neck. “For as long as you’re in town.”

  Cole shut the door of his car. For the past two weeks, he’d been visiting potential retirement places with Nikki and during lunch break, they scurried to his hotel room. Though they kept it light and playful, each time he had her, the window until he could wait to have her again and not lose his mind shortened. He missed the sway of her hips as she walked, the sound of her laughter or the cute way she peered at him.

  He walked up to her house. They’d agreed on meeting for drinks after work, but why not pick her up this time? So he’d arrive a few minutes earlier and hope he’d catch her at home. He rang the bell, and when she opened the door, wearing purple sweatpants and an oversize shirt from Berkeley University, a part of him deflated. Had she changed her mind about going out with him?

  “Cole? What happened?” she asked, welcoming him inside.

  He shrugged. “I thought I’d show up earlier.”

  She slapped her forehead. “Right.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them with an apologetic look. The contours of her face softened, the hint that even though she looked lovely in her casual gear, chances were no date would take place tonight. In or out of the house. “Sorry, but I have to cancel. Luke was supposed to have the kids today, but he caught a flu and I don’t want the boys to get it from him.”

  A bucket of iced water poured over him, cooling his bloodstream. “I understand,” he said, managing to conceal his disappointment.

  “So if you want to have a night in, great, but if not, rain check?” she asked casually, perching her hands at her waist. She tilted her head to the side, probably assuming his reply.

  “Sure. Rain check sounds good,” he said, and a pang of frustration clogged his throat. Was it because she didn’t look fazed?

  He heard the sound of boys’ voices and a thumping noise from the second floor.

  She waved him off. “Well then, good. I’ll see you at work.”

  He turned to go home, but after she closed the door behind him, a heavy invisible armor vest snugged his chest and shoulders, keeping him from dashing to his car and leaving. A chilly sensation of shame spread in his chest. She’d been understanding when he walked away—she hadn’t expected any more of him.

  Was that the reason why he was so confused? Because his presence there wouldn’t have made a difference for her? Of course it didn’t. She was a mother and did this kind of thing often. She didn’t need him to come and save the day.

  His gut clenched so tight it cramped. Without understanding or hell, thinking further, he returned to her house and knocked on
the door, but also twisted the handle, which she still hadn’t locked.

  He stepped inside and followed the noises from the second floor. He went up the stairs leading to an open play area filled with cars, toys and a desk where crayons and sheets of construction paper lay. A built-in shelf displayed many kids’ books, neatly stacked.

  His mother had always read to him and Keith, even when they couldn’t understand much. The memory of his mother and brother lying by the beach of their vacation home unraveled in his mind, and he touched his chest, willing the thumping away.

  Then, a much different thump barreled into him, faster than a blink. He glanced down to find one of the boys’ head butting into his gut. “Whoa. What are you doing?”

  “Get back, Bad Guy,” he said, using kid-size boxer gloves to smack his leg.

  “What’s going on?” Nikki appeared from one of the rooms. “Cole? Did you forget anything?”

  My common sense. He touched where the boy had head-bumped him, a slight discomfort spreading across that area. The little one could throw a punch. “I came to stay. For the night.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, not for the night, but the evening.”

  She crossed her arms, flashing him a skeptical look. “Did David whack you?”

  He straightened his shoulders. Maybe David had a future in football or kickboxing. “He tried.”

  David removed his glove and peered up at his mother. “He could be a bad guy, Mom.”

  “Mr. Myler is a friend of mine and coworker. He’ll stay for dinner,” she said to David, but her gaze studied Cole. A shiver traveled beneath his skin. “Why don’t you go change and help your brother do the same? I’ll see you guys downstairs.”

  David dashed to one of the rooms, and she ushered Cole downstairs in silence until they strolled into the kitchen.

  She glanced around them, folding her arms over her chest before whispering, “What are you doing here? I thought you were in a hurry to leave.”

  I was. Heat ran over his cheeks, and he jammed his hands in his pockets, embarrassed and still not sure he’d made the right choice by returning—though sure he didn’t have any other option. “I missed you.” He stepped toward her, but she lifted an arm in disagreement and shook her head.

  “You know there’s no sex with my kids around, right?”

  He cleared his throat, feeling a knot pulse there. “Yes. I missed you. Not just having sex with you.”

  A small smile curled at the corners of her lips. Silence cast over them for a beat or two, the tension in the air thickening. Their arrangement entailed sex while he was in town and nothing more. What if she sent him away? He wouldn’t blame her—not after what he’d revealed about himself already. He was a complicated man, with enough emotional baggage to fill a dump truck. He sucked in a breath, unable to tear his gaze from hers. Who would want a man like him around their kids? A guy who had no idea about children and who’d neglected his own brother?

  “All right,” she said, breaking the silence, and that simple word unknotted the lump in his throat, sending a wave of relief over him.

  The boys came down, lively and excited. They all ate dinner together, with the kids often interrupting each other’s stories about kindergarten, and Nikki explaining to him a thing or two he had no idea about.

  After dinner, they returned to the play area, and this time, invited Cole to play along. He did some puzzles with them, then checked out their car remotes and participated in a little race. A sense of contentment, of belonging pierced through him.

  “Mom, can I stay up late?” Henry asked. Cole now knew Henry was the one with both front teeth missing. Otherwise, it’d be hard to tell them apart.

  “No, honey, it’s time. You two, bed,” she said, pointing to their bedroom. “You have soccer tomorrow.”

  “Yes. Soccer is important. I used to be good at it,” he said. Probably still was, but damn it, modern life made exercising at a gym much easier than joining a sport club of any kind. Though after losing Keith, he dove deep into sports because the more extra curricular activities he tackled, the longer he’d be out of the house and away from his father’s accusatory eyes.

  “Let me guess. Attack?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  She nudged his elbow. “I had a hunch.”

  David pulled his shirt, demanding he look down at him. “Hey, maybe he can come see us play sometime,” David said. “Or play with us.”

  “Sure.”

  “We’re free tomorrow. Since Dad is sick,” Henry said.

  “Tomorrow it is,” he said, making himself a mental note to call his assistant and change his schedule around. Poor Brian had his work cut out for him due to the short notice, but the excitement in the kids’ eyes convinced him he made the right call.

  She summoned the kids to go to bed, and ushered him away from the play area. Playing with the pendant in her necklace, she said in a nervous voice, “Cole, you don’t have to—”

  He lifted his hand in protest. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

  She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. He half expected her to deter him from spending time with her kids. Why would she let him? It’d just complicate things further. Granted, tonight, he wasn’t making the best decisions. Still, his heart skipped a beat, shoulders stiffening. “I’ll walk you out,” she said.

  She closed the door behind them. “Thanks for staying. And seriously, if you don’t wanna do the soccer thing, it’s easier to tell me now and I can tell the boys. Not a big deal.”

  He glanced down at her. “I’ll be there.”

  A lovely shade of pink spread across her cheeks. “Sorry my weekend got highjacked.”

  “Not your fault.”

  She kissed his cheek, then dragged her lips to his until their mouths collided and the kiss turned into a hot clash of tongues. He pulled her to him, and the softness of her sweatpants and shirt made her body adjust to his, and he caressed her with his hands in a frantic attempt for some kind of contact to extinguish the fire brewing inside.

  The sound of throat clearing prompted him to stop the kiss and reluctantly disengage from her. A woman in her sixties, with pixie blonde hair with some white streaks at the temples stared at them. She held a sparkly leash, and her fluffy dog smelled the grass. “Nikki.”

  Nikki tucked her hair behind her ear. “Mrs. Farrow. What a surprise.”

  Mrs. Farrow gave him an unapologetic once-over. “Same for me. I was going on my evening walk with Bridget and couldn’t help but notice you have company.”

  Nikki gestured to him. A shade of red stained her cheeks. “Oh. Yes. This is Cole. Cole meet Mrs. Farrow.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He waved at her.

  Mrs. Farrow nodded slightly. A glint sparked in her eyes, the hint she was the type of woman who didn’t take any bullshit. “Same here. Glad to know our Nikki finally found someone. You’d better be nice to her. We’re a very close-knit community,” she said, drawling the last words like a veiled threat.

  Nikki lifted her hand, then waved it, flustered. “Hmmm, Cole was on his way, but it was nice catching up.”

  Unfazed, Mrs. Farrow pulled at the leash and the dog quickly heeled next to her. “Of course. See you around, honey.”

  Nikki turned to him. “Sorry, I’d like to be able to blame it on early-onset dementia, but Mrs. Farrow has been butting her way into people’s lives since she was a fetus. Rumor has it when she was born and the doctor slapped her butt, she slapped him right back.”

  A chuckle floated up his throat. “How long has it been since you haven’t had anyone?”

  “A while,” she said, looking away.

  His pulse skittered at an alarming rate. Her answer made his skin prickle with pleasure.

  She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Fine. I haven’t slept with anyone before you in years, and I can’t remember my last date. Maybe Mrs. Farrow does.”

  Damn. Had she agreed to a fling with him because she physically needed sex and intimacy, or because she co
uldn’t resist the idea of being with him? The doubts played in his head like a drawn-out tennis match. He took her hand in his, lifted it to his mouth and kissed it. “You’re one of a kind, Nikki Brady.” Then, he dipped his head and deposited a kiss on her cheek. “Goodnight.”

  8

  “Good job,” Cole said, kicking the soccer ball back to Henry. “Let’s do it again.”

  Nikki fanned herself. After a fantastic soccer practice with their little league team, Cole had pulled Henry and David aside and showed them some of his moves. Nikki bit her lip, her gaze following his powerful body zipping around from feet away.

  Most parents had left the field with overly excited, sweaty kids in tow. Nikki cleared her throat. What did Cole hanging out with her kids mean? She had never let any man close to the boys like this. They already had a good father and didn’t need a pretentious male figure to mess things up in their brains. She’d always been overly careful.

  “Hey, lady. Ready to tear it up tonight?” Lara said, walking up to her, then laughed.

  Nikki shushed her, afraid someone would hear them. When Cole had shown up in his soccer shorts, with part of his muscly legs and calves exposed, she’d listened to the devil on her shoulder and texted Lara—asking for her to take the boys home.

  Damn it, she needed to be with Cole, far from her home and doubts. She needed him all for herself, to slam him against the wall and stop thinking about the consequences of their affair.

  “Thanks for taking the kids home,” she said, not an ounce of guilt for cashing in the favor Lara had offered.

  “No problem. I’ll give them a shower and cook for them,” she said, then removed her sunglasses and waved at the kids. “Shit, girl, your man is fine.” Lara whistled.

  “He’s not my man.”

  “Well, he should be. If you two become an official couple, your couple nickname would be your two names mashed up. Nicole. Do you know how easy that is to remember and make fun of?” Lara nudged her elbow, chuckling.