Burn for You (Flirting with Forever Book 3)

by Amanda Bailey

  When I don’t immediately continue, he rolls his chair backward and stands. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to do a count and make sure all the books I loaned out have come back.” He turns away from me and stalks into the supply closet.

  With my heart in my throat, I follow him, not at all sure what I’m about to do or say. I have to try something, so I shut the door behind us. “Damon …”

  He eyes the closed door behind me. “What? Admit it, you did all this on purpose. This is all a fucking game to you.”

  Before he can see what’s coming, I take his head in my hands and pull him down to me, kissing him squarely on the lips. He hesitates for a split second, and I imagine I’ve succeeded in throwing him off balance. Our breaths mingle, and on a groan, he clasps me to him, deepening the kiss. The hunger between us is an angry storm filled with torment and longing. His hands tighten on my hips, and I moan in relief. I’ve missed his touch. I’ve missed his taste.

  But mostly, I’ve just missed him. My friend. The man I work side by side with every single day. Without realizing it, I’ve come to depend on our daily banter and the way he looks at me. The way he cares for me. And when those things were taken from me, it’d been nothing short of devastating. And to have lost Prof.M. at the same time? I’ve been in turmoil wondering how to fix things, not knowing how to make things right. Until now. This is what we’ve both needed … to shut up and just feel.

  When we finally unlock lips, I don’t want to back up, don’t want to leave his arms because it feels so right. He is where I want to be. “Would you stop with all the yelling and accusations and listen to me for a minute?”

  He exhales heavily and nods, looking at me, his eyes half-hooded. I hope I can get out what I need to say before our lips get in the way again.

  “I’ve never tried to hurt you. I didn’t know it was you until the night before.” My breath hitches. I don’t know how to do this, but I’ve already lost everything, so I’m going to have to just lay it all out there. What’s the worst that can happen? He shoots me down? My throat goes incredibly dry at the thought, but I manage to rasp. “Damon, I have feelings for you. And now that I know you’re him? They’re stronger. Please don’t throw us away over this.”

  He backs me up to a bookshelf, lowering his mouth a hair’s breadth away from mine. I exhale, and he drinks in my breath. I see it in his eyes; he’s trying to come to a decision. I don’t know if he will continue to blame me or decide to believe what I’m telling him and give in to what he feels. I know he wants me. I feel it in the way he looks at me, the way he holds me. And most of all, I’ve always felt it in the way he kisses me.

  His mouth slants over mine, his hands curling around the back of my neck, thumbs stroking my jaw. His tongue meets mine and the need flowing through me is like wildfire, the flames licking every part of me—my body, my soul. He fills in all the missing pieces of my heart.

  Damon groans as he runs his hands over my breasts, squeezing one, then they continue down the sides of my torso, and finally rest on my ass. His fingers dig into me just before he pulls me close, and I whimper at the feel of his erection pressing hard against my stomach. I can’t help myself; I strain closer, wanting to know all of him. My breasts feel full and tingly, and my nipples pebble almost painfully as we grind together.

  He hitches my leg on his hip, and I take the cue, wrapping it around him. He reaches between us, gathering my skirt and pulling it up, fingers burning me everywhere he touches. My thigh, my stomach, and finally—finally—they slip down the front of my panties.

  “Oh God, yes.” The words are ripped from my lips, totally surprising both him and me.

  He growls deep in his throat. “Fuck, Piper. You’re completely soaked.” His mouth falls to my neck, kissing and sucking on my skin as he slides his fingers through my folds, dipping into my core and gathering moisture. His arousal-slickened fingers rub tight circles around my clit, making me gasp before I release a heady moan.

  My body bucks against his hand, seeking a release from the building pressure, and I lose myself in his touch. He’s rough, then gentle, sweeping me up in the moment until I’ve forgotten everything—where we are, who I am, even my own name. The leg I’m standing on begins to quake and go weak, but he just wraps an arm around my waist, holding me in place while he continues to work his magic with his fingers. All at once, my whole body begins to shake with the force of the orgasm as it slams through me. His mouth covers mine in a heartbreakingly gentle kiss as I go limp and my muscles twitch and spasm with a pleasure so keen, I don’t know if I can handle it. I gasp into his mouth, “Damon.”

  My whole world has just been rocked. Hard. I don’t understand how we haven’t yet even talked about everything, don’t know where we stand, but our bodies sure as hell understand when something is right. Oh. So. Right.

  He holds me until I can stand on my own, then steps back, all while sucking my moisture from his fingers. He props his hands on his hips, studying me. I’m sure I look like a hot mess. Somewhere in the background is the sound of the last bell of the day ringing, and it brings both of us crashing back to reality—he’s just made me come in the supply closet. During school hours, no less. My cheeks color as I straighten my skirt and tuck my hair behind my ears. It also doesn’t escape me that while I’d told him how I feel, he’d never really responded. My eyes flick up to meet his. I’m relieved to see warmth there, not the icy stares I’ve been getting all week.

  He clears the roughness in this throat. “I have to meet Frank for practice in thirty minutes, so I have to go. But I think we still have more to say to each other.”

  “Considering you really didn’t say anything, yes, I agree.”

  “On the contrary, Sherlock. I just said everything I needed to—with my eyes, with my lips, with my body. Put your detective skills to work.” The edges of his lips twitch into a smile.

  His overconfidence is actually exactly what I need right now, no matter that it makes me want to kiss that cocky grin right off his face.

  “Can I see you after I’m done at the gym?”

  Chapter 28

  Damon

  Frank and I circle each other, our gloved hands up in defensive stances. We’re running drills again, as we so often do right before big fights. I strike three times. He does the same. Repeat. Should be a pretty simple practice. I just need to focus, pay attention, and defend myself when needed. Frank is a great student, and he’s fast, dodging my strikes and doling them out like a pro.

  Over and over in my head, I run through everything Piper told me. She’d said she hadn’t known it was me until just before we’d met. In fact, thinking back, she’d been close to tears when she denied knowing it was me the whole time. And if that’s the case, she hadn’t been using the app against me. The thoughts and feelings we’d shared there had been real after all.

  Dare I hope that I could have Piper and Sherlock4Love? Fuck me, how’d I miss that she’s the total package? She’s a naughty-talking, Sherlock-loving, sweetly-curved, English-teaching goddess. Piper is Sherlock4Love. I have to keep reminding myself because in my head, they are still separate people. But put those two together, and I think I may have found what could be the love of my life.

  Frank’s fist slams into my cheek. I reel backward several steps, shaking my head. Damn, that hurt. Totally my fault, too. Here I am, pondering all aspects of my potential relationship with Piper, when I should be doing my damn job and paying attention to Frank. I deserve to take one to the face.

  “Shit, Damon. I’m so sorry.” Frank winces as his eyes are drawn to the side of my face where he just hit me.

  I blow out a quick breath, trying to get my head back on straight. I hadn’t even tried to defend myself. I work my jaw around until I’m convinced I’m okay. “Not your fault. My focus slipped. Good lesson for you to see learned.” I chuckle. “Again. Seems like I keep trying to point this one out to you. Awfully generous of me to keep taking hits to teach you something.”

  “I can
totally work with the bag if you need to be somewhere else, man.”

  I shake my head. “No, we’ll finish. Just call me out if you see me not with you again, would you? I don’t need a fist to the face twice in one night. You’ve got some heavy hands.”

  And so Frank and I circle each other, going right back to sparring. I struggle through about ten more minutes before my mind starts to wander. I can’t even help myself. If everything Piper said was true, there’s just one thing that’s standing between us. It’s the same thing that has always been there—the job.

  I know what I need to do.

  Chapter 29

  Piper

  I’m a bundle of anxious anticipation. I look back over our earlier conversation via Tryst, wondering what exactly Damon, aka Prof.M., has to say to me.

  Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: I’ve been doing some thinking.

  Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: So much so that Frank nailed my cheek.

  Sherlock4Love to Prof.M.: Ouch. I have ice here.

  Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: Don’t worry, it’s not the first punch I’ve taken to the face.

  Sherlock4Love to Prof.M.: Well, I know that. I witnessed another one.

  Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: Right. I’ve been distracted by the same person. Twice. Thanks for that.

  Sherlock4Love to Prof.M.: Oopsie.

  Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: Quit being cute and send me your address, would you?

  Sherlock4Love to Prof.M.: 870 Shady Grove Lane, Apt 2.

  Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: Be there in twenty.

  I’m nervous. Anxious. A little overwrought wondering how this is all going to go down this evening. Biting my lip, I open my text messages. I’d been filling the girls in all week on how crappy things were and how badly I’d messed up by not being up-front the second I’d seen Damon at the restaurant. But what can I say? He’d started pushing my buttons like he always does. It seems what I’d actually witnessed was a very jealous Damon, hurt when he’d thought I was dating someone else. I’d be more irritated about how irrational that jealousy had been, only I’d felt it, too, realizing he thought he was meeting someone else. Not that I had any claim to him at all; we’d only shared a few kisses and some growing feelings. Ugh. What a mess.

  I tap out a quick message to my girls and am relieved by their quick responses.

  Me: Things are finally turning around. Damon and I sort of … spoke earlier.

  Quinn: You “spoke”?

  Me: Well, yeah. I finally got him to listen. He’s been thinking awful things about me all week.

  Zoey: This is what happens when people don’t communicate.

  Hadleigh: Um, I think there was at least some form of communication going on earlier in the supply closet.

  Me: OMG.

  Hadleigh: So, I was right! That’s fucking stellar. I’m so happy for you.

  Madison: Holy crap, did you …?

  Me: No! Not that. But things happened. OMG this is embarrassing.

  Sophia: So, what’s going on now?

  Me: He’s on his way over here. He had to practice with Frank so we didn’t get to finish talking. We’d have finished talking earlier, but our lips kept getting in the way.

  Quinn: Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. At least you’re on the same page there.

  A quiet but firm knock sounds at the door.

  Me: OMG, he’s here.

  Sophia: Good luck!

  That’s the last thing I have a chance to read before another knock sounds. I pause to calm my racing heart before I answer the door. It’s okay. You can do this. You can talk to him. Tell him everything. He is still just Damon.

  Damon who’d kissed me senseless and had his hand in my panties in the middle of the school day, turning me into a wanton puddle of need. So yeah. Just Damon.

  I take in a ragged breath as I open the door and set eyes on him. His hair is still damp from the shower, and he has on a pair of dark jeans and a simple black T-shirt that stretches to fit over his broad chest. A low-level buzz fills my ears and my mouth waters. My gaze meets his and without thinking about it, my only real worry comes spilling to the forefront and rushes right from my lips. “Please don’t be disappointed that I’m her.”

  In one step, he’s slammed the door shut behind him and is in my space, his face inches from mine. He’s close enough that my skin is warmed by the heat radiating off of him. We stare into each other’s eyes, and I couldn’t have looked away if I’d wanted to. He grits out, “Never.”

  I blink, and his lips crash over mine, firm and unrelenting. All at once, I’m in his arms. The freshly showered scent coming off him whips me into such a frenzy, my mind goes haywire. I grab at his shoulders, pulling him to me, hanging onto him tightly, anything to bring him closer. His tongue strokes mine, and a blistering fire burns its way through my veins, the sensation zooming straight down my spine to my core. His tongue licks mine with heat and passion like I’ve never known before. My heart beats wildly inside my chest, looking for an opportunity to break free—to join his in a chaotic, rhythmic dance. Damon is all-consuming, burning me up from the inside out.

  Our hands roam and begin to claw at our clothing. Impatient, he shrugs out of his coat, taking only a second before his hands dive into my hair to pull me in for another savage kiss. I’ve never felt like this in my whole life. I’m going up in flames.

  He grips the hem of my blouse and pulls it over my head, then yanks his shirt off, too. We come back together, hands squeezing, touching, needing to feel all of each other. Before I know it, somehow, we’re on my living room floor. Damon unzips my boots and pulls them from my feet at the same time I begin to slide my skirt down over my hips.

  “Let me.” His fingers hook onto the waistband, pulling it down and off in one smooth motion. Once he’s tossed my skirt over his shoulder, he kneels and his mouth immediately begins to savor every square inch of flesh he can find. The cups of my bra get yanked down, freeing my breasts, and his hot mouth descends on one, his tongue sliding over my nipple before he sucks it into a peak. While his mouth worships one breast, his hand has claimed the other, kneading my flesh and tormenting my nipple with the rough skin of his palm. I throw back my head as his demanding mouth switches to the other breast. The wetness of his tongue on my nipple sends a fresh jolt of arousal between my legs.

  I can’t hold back my moan as Damon lowers his body to mine, letting me feel his arousal against my center. My hips move involuntarily, grinding against his jeans-covered erection. Oh my God, Damon’s got a big C-O-C-K. I almost laugh to myself, my disbelief warring with my refusal to think right now. I reach down and make quick work of the button and zipper of his jeans, pushing them down over the most muscular ass I’ve ever had my hands on.

  Oh, shit. My hands are on his bare ass. His boxers must be somewhere down there around his knees with his jeans. My breath comes fast as his long, hard length teases my lady parts through my panties. I whimper somewhere in the back of my throat.

  Damon nips his way down my torso, rearing back on his knees before he grasps my panties and slips them down, baring me to him. I don’t know what has come over me, but nothing has ever felt so right as this. I’m not embarrassed, I’m not nervous, and I want to be his in the worst way.

  He helps me as I kick the panties off, and then he’s back to kissing me with such intensity I’m half out of my mind. I can’t think. I don’t want to think. I only want to feel. I just want this man. I want him. I grip the back of his neck and kiss him until we are both senseless with it, drugged by it. I reach between us, take him in my hand, and stroke the silky soft skin over steel a few times before I guide him to my entrance.

  He groans and clasps my chin in his hand, kissing me breathless. As he drags his lips away, he rasps, “Is this what you want, Piper?”

  My hips move against him, his cock sliding against my wet flesh. “Yes.” That one word comes out strangled, a desperate plea.

  Damon drives into me in one powerful stroke. There are no pretenses.
And it’s everything I’ve always wanted. He’s taking me. Fucking me. Claiming me.

  And he’s driving me out of my mind with every thrust of his cock. He’s so deep inside of me, I don’t know how I’m handling it, but all I want is more, so I meet him stroke for stroke, needing to feel his possession. With every kiss, every touch, he’s making me his. Oh God, I’m his.

  Ripples of pleasure roll through me as an orgasm hits out of nowhere. My head falls back and my lips part on a satisfied moan. He stills, content to drop open-mouthed kisses along my neck as I lie beneath him, enjoying the heady sensation of his weight on top of me and his cock inside me.

  Damn, that was good.

  It takes me a few seconds to gather my wits. When I do, Damon pulls out of me, kneeling. I’m momentarily stunned, but then his lips coast down over my body, nipping and kissing everywhere he goes. My breath catches in my throat as I realize where he’s heading. I must be having one of those out-of-body moments because I would never in a million years have dreamed I’d say the words that tumble from my mouth. “Damon, I want you to taste me.”

  He growls, “I’ve never wanted anything more in my whole fucking life,” right before his mouth begins to feast on my sex. He’s everywhere at once, hands holding my thighs wide, lips nibbling at sensitive skin, tongue finding my clit. My back bows off the floor, heat flooding my face at the sight of Damon fucking me with his tongue.

  Tears trickle out the corners of my eyes as my body comes absolutely undone by this man and the way he’s making me feel. My legs start to twitch and shake as an elusive orgasm looms on the horizon. His hand coasts from my thigh to my clit, his thumb rubbing and applying pressure.