Bad Intentions

by Carmen Falcone

  Oh, shit. She was right. “I doubt I’ll have to worry about this moniker. Besides, he’s here temporarily.” He’s not my man, she repeated inwardly.

  “Whatever. He’s still hot and wants you.”

  Yeah, but for how long? What would he do when the novelty wore off? She assumed he didn’t usually date women with kids, and maybe because of his short stay in Tulip, he allowed himself to be carefree. “And I shall take advantage of those truths.”

  They watched him play with the boys for minutes that stretched into an hour. Why did he chastise himself so much for what happened to his brother? He’d been a child. And now, seeing how he played with her boys—following the rules of the game and not throwing any kick harder than they could take it—she knew it. Despite what he thought of himself, Cole wasn’t a bad guy. Hell, he might even make a good dad one day.

  Nikki slapped herself mentally. Maybe he would, but didn’t mean he wanted to. She’d had to endure parents who didn’t want to be parents, then a husband who didn’t want to be married to her. Enough. Get your heads out of the clouds.

  “Mom, did you see us?” Henry asked, waving his hands.

  “Yes, did you?” David said.

  “Yes. You all did wonderful.” She handed them their water bottles. “As a prize, Aunt Lara will take you home and play with you while I catch up.”

  “Yay,” they said in unison.

  Lara took charge and grabbed the kids’ backpacks, promising them all kinds of fun, energetic games they loved. The boys kissed her goodbye and left with her dear friend, who had parked close by.

  When Cole walked up to her, he carried the bag he’d taken from work on one shoulder, and wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. “Where did they go?”

  “Lara offered to take them home so we’d have some alone time,” she lied, unable to tell him she’d called and begged her friend to come meet her.

  A devilish smile danced on his lips. “Alone time, huh? We’d better make every minute count.”

  Nikki finished her room service order, then hung up the phone. She glanced around the hotel suite she’d visited many times. Lines of intricate golden pieces harmoniously blended with white furniture and textured walls.

  “Thanks for ordering,” Cole said, coming out of the bathroom. They’d arrived less than twenty minutes prior, and she had the task of choosing their dinner while he showered. She ordered oysters and a hearty seafood salad. Although, judging by the lust-filled look in his eyes, they wouldn’t need the aid of any aphrodisiac.

  Her gaze slid down his impossibly manly body. Droplets of water still fell from his hair to his broad shoulders. She studied the ridges of his hard body, sculpted to make women swoon. When he moved, the hard edges bunched and shifted.

  She licked her lips, arousal heating her flesh. She bridged the gap between them until she was in front of him, pulling in the scent of clean soap. Without tearing her gaze from his, she clasped his towel and ripped it from his body, exposing his blatant male nakedness for her eyes only.

  An invisible drum formed in her body, and with each passing second, it thumped, rattling her entire system. Her heart floated up her throat, pulsing in her mouth.

  Shameless desire gleamed in his eyes. His pupils dilated. Even with not looking down at his hard-on, she felt it poking her, pressing, demanding attention. Like she was in some hypnotic trance, she dropped to her knees until she was at eye level with his cock.

  She stroked him, loving how he grew harder and longer in her palm. A groan filled the air, egging her on to continue her sweet exploration. She ran her fingers along his rod, feeling the pulse of his veins, the undeniable rush of blood. Her sex clenched, lust wetting her own folds. She took him inside her mouth, unwilling to wait one more second.

  “God, Nikki,” he whispered, his voice edgy and pained.

  She cupped his balls, working her lips around him, grazing her teeth over his velvety, salty flesh. In response, he thrust his fingers into her hair, grabbing a handful and tugging at it a bit.

  The act of possessiveness, of showing her who was in charge, belted another wave of lust through her. His strong hands sizzled her scalp, and the scorching sensation rippled down, increasing her internal temperature so much she thought she was in a sauna and not in an air-conditioned hotel suite. Her clothes stuck to her, clinging to her, sweat sheening her limbs. She gave his balls a squeeze, and with her other hand clasped his cock, running the tip of her tongue lazily along his flesh only to ramp up the pace and bring him inside her mouth again, in and out, sucking.

  “Baby, you suck me so good.”

  She withdrew his cock from her mouth, reveling at her saliva glistening on his skin and branding him as hers. Hers? A part of her laughed. Why did she insist in blurring the lines that had been so nicely outlined? When she peered up at him, a fiery glint blazed in the depths of his irises, and for a furtive moment, she wondered if he’d shared the same insane thought.

  A shudder coursed through her. He gripped her wrists and lifted her up, hooking his arms under her knees and carrying her to the bed. She swallowed hard, unsure why the silence between them thickened and crackled. He covered her mouth with his, his lips swiping over hers and claiming dominance.

  A hot tingle formed in her core and spread within her. She circled her arms around his head, and barely noticed when he eased her on the mattress. Hungry, he stroked her tongue with his, exploring her, savoring her, and making her his in a way that was so organic she had no power over it.

  He pulled her blouse over her head, then unclasped her bra, quickly exposing her breasts. Men had never fussed too much over her small breasts, not like she expected otherwise. But to catch him contemplating them, then lower his head to swipe his tongue across them…. A twinge of empowerment made her nerve endings sizzle. He closed his mouth over her tit, then grazed his teeth over her nipple while his free hand delved lower, slipping into her jeans.

  She drew in a breath and helped him undo her jeans. He pulled them off and she bucked her hips forward to get rid of them. He switched his attention to her other breast, licking it, and she threw her shoulders back, moaning.

  “I love when you touch me,” she said in a low sultry voice she didn’t recognize as her own.

  “What else do you love?” He gently bit her nipple, stirring a blend of excitement and pain in her chest.

  “Your kisses.”

  He licked the valley between her breasts, tracing a path south. “What else?” His voice dropped an octave. He pulled down her underwear and tossed it on the floor.

  An extreme lightheadedness took over her, like she had drunk some powerful hard liquor or snorted an illicit drug. “Your tongue,” she whispered. “Inside me.”

  “We have a lot in common,” he said, then dipped between her thighs.

  She grabbed a handful of sheets, clenching the fabric in sheer anticipation. He teased her, kissing her thighs, his breath whispering over her sex so close she could feel his lips brushing on her most intimate part. “Cole.”

  At last, he stroked his tongue onto her bare flesh and outlined her folds. Little circuits of electricity charged through her, a silent warning she’d been waiting for release for too long already. Relentlessly, he played with her, working his tongue in her pussy, sucking her cream like it was the very air he needed to breathe.

  Pleasure built in her core, spreading through her body, until she couldn’t take it anymore and let go. Desire conquered her, with the experience of a seasoned maestro at a coveted opera presentation. Heat exploded inside her, flooding her cheeks and limbs, making her tremble with acquiescence.

  When her heartbeats calmed down, she opened her eyes to find him contemplating her. The intensity of his eyes carried a message far more intimate than what they’d just shared.

  She flushed, and reached for the sheets to cover herself, but he touched her wrist and deterred her from her goal.

  “Watching you come is what I love,” he said, with a soulful voice like she was
some kind of goddess and he a simple peasant.

  Maybe her female essence had a crazy collateral effect. In what world would a man like him, so incredibly good looking, look at a woman like her with so much adoration?

  He brought her hand to his lips, and kissed her wrist where he’d touched her.

  “I’m glad to be of service,” she said, half playing, half praying that he wouldn’t change his mind about her before he left town. A planned abandonment she could deal with—an unexpected one would rip her to microscopic pieces.

  He caught her index finger with his lips, and she dipped it in his mouth. Without breaking the stare, he sucked it, and her heart rate spiked again. She cleared her throat, squirming on the mattress. There was no way they’d talk right now—they would first finish what they’d started.

  He positioned himself on top of her, and when he lowered his lips to hers, she kissed him like it’d been months since their last kiss. She wrapped her legs around him, every part of her vibrating and eager. In response, he nipped her bottom lip, then sucked it, releasing it with a pop.

  She groaned, scratching her nails on his shoulder blades. He thrust into her, and she gasped, surprised. He filled her completely, forcing her walls to stretch to adjust to his size and girth. She exhaled, willing herself to relax and enjoy. When she loosened her legs around him and he retreated a little from her, she brushed her lips on his cheek. Their hoarse breathing blended, and he must have sensed her adjusting to his cock, for he plunged inside her again. This time, deeper.

  “You’re so tight, my love.”

  His words drew her like fresh blood to a vampire. My love. He meant it as endearment, in the heat of the moment. Was it so wrong to get lost in such a moment?

  Growling, he removed himself completely, then flipped her around. She blinked, in a haze of sexual need. When he lifted her ass in the air and propped her to bend her shoulders, everything made sense. She followed his cue, clasping the pillow in front of her, her teeth sinking in her lower lip. He kneeled behind her, making an indent on the mattress. Then, he nudged her thighs apart, the head of his cock probing her entrance.

  She arched her hips for him, and he responded by stroking her folds, rolling a finger over her clit as a sign of familiarity. She bobbed her head, enjoying how much he’d come to know her body and exactly what to do with it. Then, he plunged his cock inside her pussy, and she shifted forward a bit, which made him press his hand on the small of her back to keep her in place.

  That gesture heightened her desire, and that crazy idea of belonging to him stabbed at her again. He withdrew his rod halfway, only to drive into her again, all the way to the hilt. Each thrust became stronger, deeper, and more powerful than the last. Her inner walls clung to him, contracting around him, recognizing his power over her.

  She splayed her hands on the linen, and rocked her hips against him, even if a stab of pain shook her for a moment. She moaned, and he massaged her ass, coaxing her into taking him again. For the next minutes, he pushed in and then out of her, each time going deeper and taking her one inch closer to the precipice of a mind-blowing orgasm.

  When he dropped over her and kissed her back, a shiver spread through her spine, the last stimulation she needed to come undone. Calling his name, her voice sounded raw and hoarse. Bursts of pleasure rolled through her, setting her nerve endings on fire, shaking her limbs to the point that staying on all fours proved difficult. Dazed by the waves riding her, she did her best not to fall.

  His manly growl filled the space, and after a couple more vigorous thrusts, he came, spilling his seed inside her. Unable to take it anymore, she fell on the mattress, unsure if the intense experience had made her heavy with sensations or light from them. Somewhere in between, she closed her eyes, sated and scared.

  9

  “What are your thoughts?” the real estate agent asked.

  Cole glanced around the vast space only thirty minutes outside of Tulip. Due to recent bankruptcy, the building had become available. With enough square footage and a greenbelt behind, it checked all the marks. The price was slightly above what they’d paid in Dafield, but the space would make up for the small difference. Great Escape might be able to take new residents, which would certainly help.

  Excitement pumped in his veins. “I love it. Can you please send me the paperwork with the price so I can show it to the board?”

  “Of course.”

  Nikki held his hands in hers. A glint of hope brightened her eyes. “How wonderful,” she said when the real estate agent walked to the other part of the room to text someone.

  “This is not a guarantee. It’s only a try,” he said, needing to alert her. If this was his business, he knew what to do, but now, the only thing he could do was convince the board and his father of the wonders of this place.

  “It’s a better prospect,” she said. “I really appreciate you trying.”

  “I’ve been delaying the remodeling in Dafield as much as I could. At least with this option even though the lease is higher, there’s less to change so it’s a wash.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll present this to the board this coming weekend in L.A.” He glanced at his watch. Damn time he went home to check on his place and run some errands. He’d meant to go back more often, but after getting with Nikki, he spent every minute with her when he wasn’t working. The idea of wrenching himself away from her for a couple of days deflated his heart like an old balloon. “Why don’t you come with me?”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. For a couple of days.” When he heard his own words, they made sense. Why not? If she could get away with him, what would keep her from saying yes?

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked up at the ceiling, probably considering his proposal. “I’ll have to check with Luke to make sure he can take the kids—”

  “They can come with us if you want. I have a beachfront property. They’d like it.” And a tennis court, too but he kept that to himself. Blood throbbed in his temples. Get a hold of yourself, man. The anticipation of a shelter dog asking to be picked bolted through his veins. No woman had ever made him so anxious for a reply.

  She leaned in, but a pang of skepticism darkened her eyes to a matte dark brown. “It may be better if they stay. They really like you, and are getting so attached to you already,” she said, concern lacing her voice.

  “Of course,” he said, nodding, then fished his phone out of his pocket and pretended to look at something. His heart squeezed, even if he told himself he had no right to be upset. He’d been honest from the start, and she was being a good mother and thinking about her children first. “Let me know when you can.”

  “Mr. Myler?” asked the voice of an old lady behind him.

  Cole stopped in his tracks on the hallway to his office and turned around. Sue, Nikki’s grandmother, stood with the help of a cane that had several sparkly embellishments along the dark purple stick. “Yes, Mrs. Brady?” He’d met her a couple of times before, one in passing and one when Nikki had introduced them.

  “I’d like to have a word with you.”

  “Of course. Please, come with me.” He ushered her inside his office, then closed the door behind him.

  She sat and kept her cane close, and he chose the seat across from her.

  “Would you like anything to drink? Water? Coffee? Juice?”

  “I’d love something stronger please,” she said in a voice that accepted no protest.

  He shrugged, then headed to the wet bar and picked a scotch, pouring its contents in two tumblers. “Sure.” He hoped she wasn’t on a special diet like a lot of residents, but a silly part of him wanted this to be a good interaction. Wanted her to like him, like he was taking Nikki to the prom and her parents decided to grill him before letting them out the door.

  He handed her the tumbler, and she smiled at him with mischief before lifting it to her lips. Returning to his seat, he had his own sip of scotch—maybe this conversation required it. He’d
never met a girlfriend’s parent before, a clear indication of how he sucked at relationships.

  “My granddaughter told me she’s been seeing you after work.”

  “She has?” He took another gulp of scotch. The smoky liquid burned down his throat, leaving a woodsy aftertaste. She’d told him she preferred her grandma not know about their affair, and he agreed. Had she changed her mind? He sat his tumbler on the glass desk and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Well, not really.” Sue waved him off. “But I may be old, but not blind or unaware. I’ve seen how she looks at you, and she blushed when a few residents mentioned how good looking you are.”

  He drummed his fingers on the tumbler, unsure about what to think. “Have you asked her?”

  “No. I wanted to talk to you first. I know there’s been a lot of rumors going around about what will happen to this place and if some residents will be relocated, and somehow you’re part of these changes.”

  Frustration clogged his throat, and it became dry even though he just had a drink. For his move to work, he couldn’t include more people or flame the rumors and lose the upper hand. “I can’t discuss work projects with you, unfortunately.”

  “How about life projects? What is your plan including my granddaughter?”

  “I’m very fond of her, and we’re enjoying each other’s company. She’s a great woman,” he said, injecting energy in his voice. He scratched his chin, wondering if he should add the problem wasn’t Nikki, it was him. She probably already knows. That’s why she’s here.

  “Yeah. She is, which is why I’m making sure you don’t plan to dine and dash if you catch my drift.”

  Dine and dash? He stifled a chuckle. When his gaze met hers, he found a set of very serious eyes giving him a once-over. Sue found no amusement in whatever was going on between him and Nikki. His stomach curled and immediately uncurled. He couldn’t, wouldn’t lie to this nice old lady about the status of their relationship, so elusive answers had to work. If you give Nikki what she needs, you won’t need to lie. “I understand.”