Something else?
“I thought you said that show was fake.”
“Ugh!” He scraped his hands over his face. “Can we forget I ever said anything, please?”
No. No, they could not. Because now he wasn’t the only one imagining the two of them doing the horizontal mambo. What did that mean?
“How long?”
“What?”
“How long have you thought I’m beautiful? How long have you imagined having…sex with me?”
“You’ve always been beautiful, Pru.”
Oh. Well. That was just about the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.
Men had called her beautiful before, but none of them had ever known her the way Finn did. The compliment from him held such weight. He wasn’t just calling her outer shell beautiful but all the stuff inside, too, because he knew the inside. Better than anyone.
When he called her beautiful, she felt it in her soul. A warmth that started in her chest and spread out through every inch of her body. Heating her blood. She felt beautiful, really, truly beautiful, in his eyes.
“And the sex?”
His hands reached up, locking behind his head. The movement made all the muscles in his chest flex. Her eyes flew to them. The ache between her legs intensified.
“This is the weirdest conversation ever,” he said.
“How long, Finn?”
He blew out a breath, dropping his hands. “I don’t know. There’ve been moments here and there for a while, I guess. Look, I’m not saying I want to switch from friends to dating or anything. I’m just admitting that yes, I have thought about having sex with you. Okay?”
A guilty expression crossed his face, but she didn’t like it there. If she were truly honest with herself, with him, she’d had those thoughts, too. Ever since senior year when she noticed her bestie was kind of hot. Not that she ever did anything about it except for lock those weird feelings away in a box and shove it so deep down she’d never have to examine or reason them out.
Finn didn’t want a family. He’d made his thoughts on the idea clear over the years. His job was too dangerous, and he couldn’t put the worry of his possible death on a wife and kids. She understood that. Having lost her parents at such a young age, she commended her friend for his forethought. No child should have to lose a parent. It ripped a hole in you that could never be filled.
“I’ve thought about it, too.” The words were out before she could realize she’d said them.
His head snapped up, eyes going wide. “You have?”
Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “You’re not exactly hideous. Some might even say you’re hot.”
The left corner of his lips lifted in a knowing grin. “Some?”
“Fine, me. I think you’re hot. Happy now?”
He lifted one shoulder. “Kinda.”
“So, I think you’re hot and you think I’m beautiful and we’ve both had…curiosities about each other.”
One pale brown eyebrow rose. “Curiosities?”
“What would you call it?”
“Sexual fantasies. Like a normal person.”
Oh. Well then. Now she really wanted to ask him what sexual fantasies he’d had about her.
No. I want him to show me.
And why not? Maybe it was just the booze talking, but why couldn’t they have one night of passion? They both knew this wouldn’t go anywhere. They both had different life plans. So why not extend their celebration tonight from the drinking kind to the naked kind?
Do it! Have some wild monkey sex with the hot guy who thinks you’re beautiful!
The voice in her head sounded an awful lot like Mo, but she decided it made a solid point. They were attracted to each other, single, friends. She was sure that neither of them had any expectations of this turning into something more. It was just an itch they needed to scratch. A question that needed an answer. A desire that needed sating.
She took a step forward.
“Pru?”
She reached out, placing her hands on his chest. Holy cow, he was warm. So warm.
In all their years of friendship, she’d never touched his bare chest. Seen it, sure. They’d gone swimming together, worked out—when he dragged her ass to the gym, which was rare. But she’d never touched him like this before. With a clear intent that had nothing to do with playfulness or friendship.
Her fingers traced the Maltese cross tattoo over his chest. His heart beat a fast tempo against the pad of her finger as she followed the curved line of the fireman’s hat in the middle, the straight lines of the axes behind, the bold typeface proclaiming Fire Rescue she knew he’d gotten one night with his crew to celebrate their solidarity to the job.
“Prudence,” his voice growled, low and dark, full of heat, like nothing she’d ever heard before. “What are you doing?”
She had no clue, but damn if it didn’t feel so very good.
…
His head was spinning, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the booze or the touch of his best friend. She was killing him. Seriously, Finn was going to die of un-sated lust or a massive boner if Pru didn’t stop her little sensual touchy-feely exploration right now. He was hanging on by a thin wire and she was playing with fire.
Silly Pru. That’s my job.
Soft fingers traced the tattoo on his chest. How could a touch so light create such a maelstrom of sensation inside him? He and Pru touched all the time. Hugs, high fives: friend stuff. But this… She’d never touched his naked flesh before. At least not like this. Not with the hesitance of a new lover, the eagerness of unmasked desire. He knew why this affected him, because Pru was finally touching him the way he’d fantasized about. The way he’d never allowed himself to fully admit to wanting. Desperately.
Because they were friends, and friends didn’t cross those lines.
Sure as hell looked like Pru wanted to cross some lines now.
“Pru, what are you—?” He sucked in a sharp breath as her delicate hand traveled downward, fingers trailing over his stomach and lower still until her hand rested on a very hard part of his anatomy.
“Oh my God,” she gasped as she gently cupped him.
His body burned with need. Need for Pru. His hands flew out, automatically grabbing her hips and pulling her closer, trapping her small hand in-between their bodies. Her head tilted up, eyes closing in invitation. An invitation he would gladly accept.
Bending slightly, he captured her lips with his, a satisfied growl rising in his chest when her mouth opened on a gasp, allowing his tongue to plunge into the depths of her sweet, tempting mouth.
Her hand slipped from between them to wind around his neck. Perfect. Now he had better access to what he really wanted.
Moving his hands down to her ass, he grabbed two handfuls of glorious heaven and lifted. Pru, understanding his intent, eagerly complied by raising her legs and winding them around his waist as he stepped away from the counter. With their mouths still fused together, refusing to break for anything, even air—who needed air when he was kissing Pru?—he took the few steps to his bed and tumbled them down onto it. As they fell, Finn twisted, knowing the mattress was soft but not wanting anything to jar her. Not even a soft fall onto a cozy cushion.
Holy hell. He had no idea Pru could kiss like this. She was driving him mad. His body burned hotter than any fire he’d ever put out. Every nerve in him lit up with excitement and energy, as if he was a keg of gasoline and she was the damn match to spark him into an explosion.
Now he understood fire’s scorching, hungry need to devour, because every bit of him screamed out its need to consume Pru.
Pru was amazing, she was unexpected, she was…his best friend.
The thought hit him like a bucket of water. Not cold water. Nothing could chill the raging inferno she’d ignited in him, but it did make him pause and pull back. What the hell was going on? Where was all this passion coming from? As he released her lips, she made an adorable little whimpering sound.
<
br /> Much as he hated to kill the moment, he had to know. “Pru, what are we doing?”
She gazed down at him, dark brown eyes clear and filled with a burning need. A need for him. And hell, if that didn’t make him feel ten feet tall.
She shook her head, gaze falling to his lips once more. “I have no idea.”
“Well…as long as we’re on the same page.”
And with that, her lips crashed down on his once more. They stayed that way for minutes, or it could have been hours. Lips caressing, hands exploring. When she finally rose, sitting up on his lap, pressing down in just the right way to make his eyes cross, Finn knew they had to talk before things went any further.
What are you doing, dumbass?
He told his inner high school horndog to shut up. He was a grown ass man and he could control his impulses enough to make sure they were both aware of what they were doing before they crossed a line that might irrevocably impair their friendship.
“Pru, hold on.” He grabbed her arms as she reached to take off her shirt.
She stopped, an impatient expression twisting her lips as she glanced up at him. “What?”
He tried to get the words past the giant lump of need in his throat. It was hard, but he managed. “How drunk are you?”
She paused a moment, considering his query before she shrugged. “Sober enough to know this is probably a dumb idea but drunk enough to want it anyway.”
About the same as him, then. Still… “Are you sure you want to do this? Why now?”
Her head tilted, the way it did when she worked through a really big problem in her brain. He’d seen that look a lot during their honors algebra class. Pru was the only reason he’d passed. He also knew without Pru’s instigation, he’d never be in the situation they were in now. Sure, he might have imagined it a time or twenty over the years, but he’d never have made a move. That always had to be her decision.
“I’m about to be celibate for eighteen years.”
He laughed. “Single moms can have sex. They’re called SMILFs.”
She landed a light smack to his shoulder. “Don’t be an ass.”
At that, he squeezed his hands, which were currently on her ass. “I’m just saying, you could get sex if you wanted to.”
She shook her head. “It’s not just about sex. It’s about trust. I trust you, Finn.”
His heart pounded so loud he was sure she could hear it.
“I know I seem like I have my entire life in control, planned out, and I do. I like it that way. When you have a plan, you can handle any obstacle thrown in your path—”
She was wrong. You couldn’t plan for everything. Some obstacles could never be handled.
“—but before I tie myself down with late night feedings and sleep schedules, I want to know.”
“Know what?” He held his breath.
“Know what it would be like. To lose myself, just for one night. To give myself over totally and completely to someone I trust. Someone I know will take care of me and give me everything I desire.”
He would. Nothing on this earth would be more important to him than this. This task. This gift she was giving him.
But he didn’t want her to wake up tomorrow and regret anything. It would kill him if, in a moment of weakened desire, they threw away years of friendship.
“I don’t want this to ruin us.” The fearful confession left his lips on a whisper.
She smiled, cupping his jaw with a gentle hand. “It won’t.”
“Are you sure?”
“Friends can have sex and still stay friends.”
He scoffed. “I’m fairly certain there’s about a dozen movies that prove that theory wrong.”
“I didn’t realize you were so well versed in Romcoms.” She leaned down, brushing her lips across his in the barest of kisses. “We’re solid, Finn. Nothing can break us. We’re both consenting adults, and we know this isn’t going any further than tonight.”
“Things won’t get weird?”
She shook her head. “No weirdness. I promise. Now, get those pants off, and let me see what the big fuss is all about.”
“Oooh, I like it when you get all bossy on me.”
She laughed as he rolled them over, rising from the bed and grasping the button of his jeans. He shucked his pants and boxers in one move, tossing the clothing across the room. He stood in front of Pru, aroused and at full attention.
“Hello, Finn’s Fun Boy.”
“Oh God, please don’t call my dick that.”
She giggled. “Well, can you blame me? Look at it!”
He’d rather look at her. Naked. She had far too many clothes on. He was starting to feel like this whole situation was a bit one-sided.
“So what nicknames do your good parts have?”
Her gaze drifted from his painfully hard erection to his face. “Good parts?”
He lifted one shoulder. “Let’s start with the breasts.”
“They don’t have nicknames.”
Bending down, he grasped the bottom of her shirt, tugging the soft material. “Good. Then I get to name them.”
She lifted up, allowing him easier access to strip the shirt from her, leaving her in a simple beige cotton bra. She quickly rid herself of it in that magic way women had of removing undergarments before a man could blink.
“Well?” she asked, her hands twisting nervously in the bedding as she glanced at him, brown eyes filled with excitement.
“Magnificent.” The word left him without a thought because that’s exactly what she was.
He leaned down, capturing one stiff, peaked nipple between his lips. Pru cried out, grasping his head with her hands, pressing him closer, encouraging his movements. He spent long, delicious minutes worshipping the bounty that was her breasts before working his way down her stomach. He paused at her hips, fingers quickly working the fastening of her jeans and pulling them down her legs.
“Shit,” she muttered. “My underwear doesn’t match.”
Seriously? Did women think men cared about underwear fashion? He sure as hell didn’t mind if she wore a beige bra with blue panties. As long as she gave him permission to take them off, she could wear polka dot boxers for all the shits he gave.
“You’re beautiful, Pru.”
She smiled at his compliment, lifting her hip in an invitation he would never refuse. His fingers tucked into the sides of her panties, drawing them down her legs and tossing them…somewhere. Who the hell cared?
The sharp yapping of a tiny pup permeated the thick fog of lust filling Finn’s brain.
“Oh crap.”
He turned to see Bruiser running in circles, a pair of blue panties covering her eyes.
“Oh no!” Pru covered her mouth, laughter escaping between her fingers as she stared at the poor, temporarily blind pup.
“Hold on one second.” Finn stood, grabbing his wayward dog and lifting the clothing from her face. “Sorry, Bru Baby, but Daddy and Pru need some special adult time. How about I give you some treats and let you play in the bathroom for a bit?”
At the word “treats,” Bruiser stopped barking, tongue hanging from her mouth in anticipation. Once he had his dog settled and happy behind closed doors, he returned to the bed.
“Now, where were we?”
“I believe you were right about here.” She smiled, pushing his shoulders down.
He grinned, following her direction to the place he was only too happy to go. He grasped her thighs, gently pulling them apart to settle himself in between, taking a moment to glance at the heaven that awaited him.
“Finn?” Pru’s soft voice wavered hesitantly after a moment of his silent stare.
“I’m trying to think of a better word than magnificent, but I can’t.”
Her chuckles turned into a loud moan when his lips pressed to her center. Finn nearly lost his damn mind at the pure utopia that was Pru. He kissed, sucked, and explored every inch in front of him. He knew if he didn’t get inside her within minutes
, he was going to lose it. But not before she did. He wanted—no, needed—to make this good for her. Amazing. The best she’d ever had.
Her moans became louder. Breathing rapidly, he could feel how close she was. But not close enough. He slid a hand up her thigh, fingers joining in, delving inside as his tongue focused on the center of her need. In seconds she was crying out with release, nails digging into his shoulder. The sharp bite made him roar inside with pure male satisfaction.
“Holy shit, Finn!”
He chuckled, crawling up her body to relish in the view of the soft, warm flush on her skin.
“That was amazing,” she said.
“It’s not over yet.”
His cock surged toward her, now resting precisely where it wanted to be. She arched against him, positioning her body so he slipped in, inch by inch. His damn head nearly blew off.
“Pru!”
Her hands slid down his back, grasping his ass and tugging, forcing him deeper inside. His mind blanked completely. Nothing in life had ever felt as amazing as being inside Pru. He shifted his hips, plunging in until he was fully seated. Something tickled in the back of his brain. Something important that he’d forgotten. But his mind was so consumed with Pru and the way she felt, the way she made him feel, that he quickly dismissed whatever tiny warning his lust-and-booze-filled brain was trying to communicate to him.
“Finn.”
His name, a broken whisper on her lips. The sweetest sound he’d ever heard.
“More. Please.”
Okay, second sweetest.
He moved, starting a slow tempo, but she arched her hips and pulled at him, demanding he go faster. Since he was hanging on by a thread as it was, he took his cue from her, increasing his pace, driving into her with a desperate need. One of her hands reached up, cupping his face. Her dark gaze stared into his, fire, need, passion, and trust all swirling in their depths. He’d never felt so turned on and humbled during sex.
“Pru.” His voice came out as a growl. Her name. Nothing more.
The Best Friend Problem Page 5
