Top Notch (Man on Top Book 1)

by Nicole Richard

  Angel: Hi. Win?

  I smiled. It was cute that she didn’t know, but kept it optimistic. And of course she was going to get the cocky response.

  Me: What do you think?

  Angel: I think you should be sleeping since it’s late. Some of us have real jobs ;)

  Shit! It wasn’t my intention to wake her.

  Me: Sorry about that. I just wanted to say good night.

  Angel: I’m awake now. Don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily.

  Staring at the phone in my hand, I grinned like a pubescent fourteen-year-old fool. Something I was doing a lot of lately when it came to Rowan. Then I decided to take the conversation in a different direction.

  Me: What are you wearing?

  Angel: Wouldn’t you like to know!

  Me: I would actually.

  Why the fuck were we texting when we could be video chatting, and if things went in the direction I wanted them to, I would be watching her face glow with a late night/early morning orgasm.

  I clicked on the green app and tapped her name. It started to ring and a few seconds later, her sleepy but beautiful face illuminated the screen.

  “Did you just get in?” she asked, smiling while trying to stifle a yawn.

  “I did. These late nights are starting to kill me, but I had to see your pretty face.”

  “I don’t know about that. I can imagine how I look right now.”

  Beautiful. You always look beautiful.

  “Yeah, you’re right. You look a mess.” A hot mess. “Have those fuzzy nighttime monsters been keeping you awake? Next time I’m there, I’ll have to check under your bed and in your closet.” I laughed, teasing her. Like I said, she was beautiful in every way. And I particularly liked her in that sleepy and sexy state.

  “Shut up.” She hid her face. “I was asleep—”

  “Angel, relax. I was kidding. You look absolutely gorgeous. Day or night. You could be wearing a tunic covered by a scapular and cowl, and I wouldn’t think differently.”

  “Oh my goodness!” She laughed. “You’re lying—”

  “Now, why would I do that?”

  She shrugged and yawned again, but I wasn’t ready to call it a night. After propping my phone against a pillow, I stripped out of my clothes, leaving my boxer briefs on. The whole time I kept my gaze on her, waiting for the reaction I knew was coming. Her eyes widened for a brief moment, and she pressed her lips together and perked up a bit in bed.

  “What are you doing?” Her voice was a sexy kind of husky.

  “Getting ready for bed. What does it look like I’m doing?”

  She didn’t answer. Not with her mouth at least, but her eyes darkened as they drank me in from head to cock.

  “Angel, I can see those dirty thoughts filtering through those pretty blue eyes of yours. You wanna play?” I got comfortable lying on my side, facing her.

  She swallowed hard. “Play what exactly?”

  “I think you know very well what we’re going to play.” I lifted a brow. “Although, I wish you were here . . . Why don’t you get yourself in the same state of undress—”

  “Just to make things fair?” She removed her shirt.

  I loved how she could read my mind.

  “I may play dirty, but I always play fair.” I licked my lips at the sight of her perky tits in plain view. I groaned, my dick pushing against the expensive cotton. I stroked my cock over my briefs. “Massage your tits and tug your nipples,” I grunted, almost losing my shit. It had been way too long since I last touched her, let alone was buried deep inside her.

  “Hmm,” she moaned. A sexy smile pulled her lips up and she let her eyes close. “I miss you.” She massaged her plump tits and my dick jumped.

  “Fuck,” I hissed. “Stick one hand in your panties.”

  “Like this?” she purred, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

  “Yeah, just like that.” I stuck my hand in my underwear and started to stroke my cock. Seeing her almost completely naked and touching herself was a million times better than watching any kind of porn with two strangers fucking. It didn’t matter that we weren’t there physically touching each other; the fact that we could carve this time for one another was all that mattered.

  “I want to see you touch yourself,” she asked coyly. “Let me see all of you.” She slid her panties off and made a show of tossing them to the side.

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What the hell was I thinking? This woman turned into a little devil whenever it came to the two of us in the bedroom. I liked that she didn’t shy away or hold back.

  “Fuck, Levi,” she murmured, fueling the fire. “Your hands feel so good rubbing my tit and fingering my pussy.” I scoffed. Holy shit! That was the first time she had been that vocal about it. “But I wish it was your thick cock sliding in and out of me and making me come. God, you’re so deep.”

  A mixture of a groan and growl rumbled from my chest. “Angel?”

  “Yes,” she purred again, and fuck, I found that shit sexy.

  Watching her play with herself, making sexy noises each time, I was close. The telltale signs of my balls drawing up and the tingle in my spine. I knew after a few more hard tugs I’d be shooting my load.

  “Keep fingering yourself, and talking dirty, and we’ll both be coming in no time.”

  “Isn’t that the endgame?” she asked breathlessly and then moaned.

  Was it?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Rowan

  “Smells delicious, what are you making?” Levi locked the door behind him as I rushed into the kitchen to tend to the skillet with our dinner in it.

  “Cashew chicken and sticky rice.” I snuck a quick peek over my shoulder. “I’d say ‘I hope you’re hungry,’ but I already know the answer to that.” I stirred quickly and reached over to pop the cover to the rice cooker, letting the steam out.

  “Among other things you know so well about me,” he murmured huskily, hugging me from the back, kissing the curve of my neck, the one place he knew would set my body off.

  When Levi suggested a quiet night in, dinner and a movie with some much-needed cuddle time, there was no way I could resist that—or him. Trying to synchronize one hectic and another chaotic schedule, fitting in quality time proved to be a bit of a task, but we both agreed we were up for the challenge and would do our best to make it work.

  “Do you mind keeping an eye on the chicken? It should be done in about five minutes or so. I’d like to take a quick shower.”

  “Go ahead. I’ve got this.”

  “Thank you.” I reached up on my tippy-toes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back.” I scurried off to wash the day away.

  “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thank you,” I called from the hallway.

  First things first, I set my phone on the counter and searched my playlists for the one I reserved for days like today where I needed a serious dose of unwinding. Spencer had stopped by my office thirty minutes before quitting time and asked if I could fill in for him at one of the public hearings he was supposed to attend the next day so he could make his pre-bid meeting. That meant I would be awake for a good portion of the night, preparing and familiarizing myself with this particular project. That didn’t include the meeting I needed to prepare for. I’d have to see if I could push back my site visit I had scheduled for the afternoon.

  My intention was to hurry, knowing I had a handsome man waiting for me. And as promised, I was back in his presence fifteen minutes later, towel drying my hair. I was beyond starving, but I got a whole lot more than I expected.

  Not only had Levi taken the liberty of setting the table, he had decorated it with candlelight and a vase of what I had already counted as sixteen roses while music played softly on the television.

  “What’s all this?” I stepped closer, letting the giddy feeling run freely.

  “Just my way of showing you how much I appreciate and care about you,” he said sinc
erely, wrapping his arms around my waist and lowering his lips to mine. “How special you are to me.”

  Tell a girl how you really feel.

  “You’re pretty special yourself.” My palms slid down the front of his chest as I tilted my head back, looking into sincere brown eyes. We kissed for a short while, slow and soft, silently sharing our feelings. It was moments like these, when he was tender and gentle, that made my heart swell with that emotion.

  I had felt it for a while but was content with following his lead. However fast or slow we were going, I’d savor every minute we shared.

  Levi broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to mine. Soon after, he whispered, “Time to eat.” He pulled out my chair like a true gentleman before sitting on the one beside me. “How was your day?” He dug right in to a conversation and his dinner. He hummed appreciatively while chewing, and after he swallowed his food, he complimented, “This is delicious.”

  “Thank you. It’s one of my favorites and easy to make. And to answer your question, my day was busy—monotonous—lots to do and never enough time. What about you?” I took a bite.

  “It was good. I worked out, signed an endorsement contract, and went grocery shopping. Same shit—different day. Although I would have much rather spent my day off with you.”

  I smiled, tickled at his admission.

  “Are you allowed to say who your endorsement deal is with?”

  “They’re a new company, wanting to promote their sports drink,” he replied, his tone indicating he couldn’t care less. “It helps pay the bills and keeps me busy in the offseason.”

  I laughed. “If you’re not excited about it, why do it? It’s not like you need the money.” I realized my slip up a second too late. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “That was rude of me.” I never wanted him to think I liked him for the size of his bank account. Because I didn’t. “But are you not excited?” I asked again.

  “Honestly?” He set his fork down and looked at me. “I like helping out the underdog, but being in front of the camera, I’m not all that fond of. That’s more Chase’s thing. He’s the pretty boy with the nice face. Eats that shit up, really.” He chuckled. “I’m much more comfortable advocating from behind the scenes, donating for a good cause while the professionals do their thing.” He picked his fork back up and ran his tongue over his teeth, calling attention to his mouth, biting back a grin. “I do like to attend the formal events though.”

  “I’d love to see you all dressed up in a tux.”

  “And I’d like for you to undress me from a tux.”

  “Oh my god, you are too much.” I started laughing.

  After settling down a bit, we ate our dinner in companionable silence. Just two people enjoying the evening and each other. We finished off the early night talking about random this and that we saw on the news, and he brought up a project our firm was working on. I told him the developers secured a large sum from an undisclosed investor.

  “What’s the projected completion date of your project?”

  “I hate to jinx it, but probably another couple of years.” I held up my crossed fingers and sipped my wine, happy I had grabbed the bottle of Pinot Blanc at the last minute. “I hate that our schedules don’t coincide with each other’s. It would make finding time like this a whole lot easier.”

  “We’ll figure something out.” He kissed my cheek.

  I nodded, hoping he was right.

  After dinner, Levi was kind enough to clear the table and wash the few dishes in the sink while I was instructed to put my feet up, take a load off, and decide what movie we were watching. He said he didn’t care, as long as it wasn’t some drawn-out drama, but he wasn’t opposed to a chick flick if that was what I ended up choosing.

  Not finding anything remotely interesting, I handed Levi the remote when he came and sat next to me. We settled on prime time television, which I was totally fine with. I had some work to think about, but with his arm around my shoulder and snuggled into his side, I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to be doing.

  I closed my eyes for a bit, breathing him in. Never had I expected to be in this position with a man like him. He may have had a reputation, but I couldn’t help but wonder if most of it was true, if he really was that big of a playboy. Some of it could very well have been hearsay.

  I sat up, tucking my legs under me. “So I’ve been thinking.”

  “Uh oh,” Levi teased.

  “Shut up.” I giggled and softly jabbed him in his side. This was some serious stuff I was about to suggest.

  “Go on.”

  “Well . . . I’d like to go to one of your games.”

  “Okay.” He eyed me skeptically. “But you already go to some of the games and you don’t need to ask my permission. Unless you want me to get you tickets—”

  “No. I mean, one of your away games. I was thinking, Chicago—Wrigley Field. It’s close enough to Gabby that I could kill two birds with one stone.”

  He pinched my chin gently, bringing my face closer to his.

  “You can visit Gabby, but you’re staying with me.”

  I tried to hide my smile but failed. I loved his possessiveness. It wasn’t over the top, just enough to get his point across. Show me he was committed and taking the two of us seriously.

  “Okay.”

  “And I’m paying for your airline ticket,” he insisted, but I had to draw the line there.

  “Absolutely not! I can pay for my own ticket.” He pressed a finger to my lips, quieting me.

  “The ticket and anything else you might need while in town is not up for discussion.” His expression begged me not to fight him on it. “We have a three-game series in Chicago coming up soon; maybe you can swing that one.”

  “Give me the dates and I’ll talk to Spencer.”

  He nodded, and I tucked myself back into his side. That ever-present giddy smile stretched across my face. I couldn’t help it. Levi did that to me. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and like I was the most special person. He made me feel loved.

  We were quiet and content, him switching between sports channels and me simply soaking up the moment. These were the kind of cherished nights I looked forward to.

  “This is nice.” I cuddled into him more.

  “It is,” was all he said.

  Then it started. The fidgeting—the shifting in his seat—the sighing. He tapped the remote on his knee, which drove me insane, and it went on for at least thirty minutes, until finally, he cleared his throat and my body grew slightly stiff. Something was on his mind.

  Trying to remain still, I listened to the sound of him breathing, and when he blew out a long breath, I knew his thoughts were weighing heavily on him.

  “Angel?” He spoke carefully, too careful, if you asked me.

  “Um hmm.” I couldn’t form words for fear of what was taking place.

  He hesitated. “I’ve been thinking too.”

  I sat up, both feet flat on the carpet, and turned at the waist to give him my full attention. “I’m listening.” I could feel the quiver in my voice.

  “I’m not sure how to say this.”

  “What is it?” My nerves dialed up to twenty.

  He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. His eyes searched mine, and he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, the gesture giving me tingles. Something about the tenderness of the moment had me wondering if he was going to say those three little but powerful words that I was sure he felt, because I knew I felt it.

  He cleared his throat and said, “You and me. All of this, it’s unexpected.”

  I nodded. This was it. He was going to tell me he loved me. And as soon as the thought came to mind, a dark cloud loomed over it. Maybe he was trying to tell me it was all too fast. That he wasn’t a one-woman man and he needed a bit of space. Oh, God, I was going to be sick.

  “It is . . .” I answered cautiously while trying to fight the bile rising up my throat.

 
“But the more time we spend together and all that I learn about you, I like. There is a lot that I like.” His wink earned him a giggle. Sometimes he was just too dang cute for his own good. And as if it were humanly possible, I swear my heart stopped beating for a second.

  “I thought we already established that we like each other.” What the heck was he getting at? “What are you saying?” I asked in a soft voice, my poor heart teetering back and forth: he loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. What was it?

  Not that it should matter, because I knew what I felt. What I had been feeling for some time. My heart just needed him to say it first, so I knew where he stood. I wouldn’t knowingly set myself up for another failed relationship.

  “Well . . .” He paused, his eyes looking over my head. He shifted in his seat and said, “I just wanted you to know that.” That’s it?

  My heart sunk. He didn’t say it. I sighed, a little disappointed, asking myself if I had imagined it all. Maybe he wasn’t ready, or he’s the kind of guy who can’t commit exclusively. Maybe his intention was to let me down easy, but he couldn’t figure out how to come out with it.

  How could I have read it all wrong? But it surely didn’t feel like it.

  “I like spending time with you too.”

  “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

  Too bad we weren’t and before he could tuck me back into his side, I stood, needing a tiny bit of separation. To clear my head and make sense of our conversation and the very different route we had both been traveling. “I’m gonna try and get some work done.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Levi

  That night at Rowan’s house, the two of us sat on her couch watching television like any normal couple, and it hit me. It hit me fucking hard. How much I loved being with her, the familiarity, doing simple everyday things with her. How much I was in love with her.

  Then I freaked out.

  I thought that being on the road and not seeing her as much, the strength of my feelings would wane, justifying it as infatuation and not love. Our physical chemistry was off the charts after all. And without conscious effort, there wouldn’t be much to grow on.