by Elle Kennedy
“You were right,” he choked out. “This is even better than your hand job.”
She smiled, then swiped her tongue around his head in teasing circles. The floor beneath her knees was cold, but she barely noticed because flames had engulfed her body and turned her into a hot mess. Her nipples tightened painfully, sex tingling as pressure coiled inside her. She loved the taste of him, the way his cock throbbed against her tongue and filled her mouth.
Her gag reflex was nonexistent, which made it possible to scarf down the inedible food her roommates prepared—and made it easy to swallow Gage’s cock effortlessly until his tip hit the back of her throat. She sucked hard and fast, relishing the husky sounds that left his mouth and heated the air.
“Jesus, did you take a fucking workshop on deep-throating?” Agony and pleasure mingled in his voice. When she looked up, his features were stretched taut, eyes glittering with pleasure.
All she could do was smile again, a rush of female satisfaction coursing through her veins. He was getting close. She heard it in his labored breathing, felt it in the erratic thrust of his hips. She couldn’t wait to taste him, but he didn’t give her the chance. With a low groan, he pulled her up by the hair, then grinned when her disappointed grumble echoed between them.
“Look at that sad face,” he teased. “You like sucking my dick that much, huh?”
“Mmm-hmm, and you’re a jerk for taking it away from me.”
The accusation didn’t faze him. He was too busy leading her to the bed, hurriedly tugging at her pajamas before curling his body over hers until she lay on the mattress, flat on her back with his heavy chest crushing her bare breasts.
“Maybe, but I’m giving you something in return,” he rasped, then inched lower and closed his mouth over her nipple.
Skyler’s hips shot off the bed. When he gently bit the sensitive bud, the sensation was so intense she cried out and clasped her hands on his head, begging for more.
“These are the prettiest tits I’ve ever seen.” His hot breath fanned over her tingling flesh. “I never want to stop playing with them.”
God, she didn’t want him to stop. Everything he did to her was pure heaven. The deep pulls on her nipples, the roughness of his hands as he stroked and squeezed her breasts. He moved one hand between her thighs, callused fingers seeking her clit, finding it, and rubbing so expertly her vision became hazy.
“You gonna come for me if I keep doing this?”
She rocked wildly into his hand, but it wasn’t enough. “No,” she wheezed. “I need more than your hand.”
“Do you want my mouth?” He peered down at her with heavy-lidded eyes, painting the most appealing sight. The bruise on his cheek, the dark stubble slashing his jaw, the nose that had clearly been broken more than once—every yummy detail combined to create a sexy, masculine package that thrilled her to the core.
“No,” she blurted out, the pressure too painful to handle. “I want your cock. I want you inside me while you touch my clit. The way you did yesterday.”
His mouth found hers in a hot kiss, that wicked tongue doing the most amazing things to hers. Skyler couldn’t breathe. She’d forgotten how. Gage had reduced her entire world to one thing—need. She needed him, damn it.
“Don’t. Move.” He uttered the husky command as he went to get a condom, returning to the bed a moment later, fully sheathed.
Anticipation rippled through her. She parted her legs in a blatant invitation, but he didn’t take it. Instead, he stretched out on his back beside her, hooded eyes locking with hers. “Ride me,” he ordered.
He didn’t have to ask her twice. Skyler’s pulse raced as she climbed on top of his long, sleek body. A fighter’s body with the scars to prove it, though she was careful not to jostle his torso when she glimpsed another bruise forming beneath his rib cage.
His tattoos fascinated her. Neither of the guys she’d slept with had been tattooed, and if she’d known how frickin’ hot an inked man was, she would’ve started stalking tattoo parlors years ago. But this time it wasn’t the intricate flames on his biceps that captured her attention, but the set of initials above his left pectoral.
S.J.H.
She wanted to ask him what the letters stood for, but now wasn’t the time. Not when she was dripping wet and his cock was standing upright, waiting for her to ride it.
“Don’t be shy, baby,” he taunted. “Sit on my dick.”
She swallowed hard, too turned on to move, which was damn ironic because the only way to ease the ache was to move.
“C’mon, bad girl, what are you waiting for? I was wrestling with a sweaty dude before I got here, and sinking into your hot pussy is my reward. Give it to me.”
She slammed down on his cock, then collapsed on his chest. “You say the filthiest things,” she moaned.
His warm lips grazed her cheek. “That’s ’cause I’m a filthy boy. A very filthy boy who needs to be punished. So now ride me until I can’t see straight.”
Sitting up took a serious amount of effort; she was trembling too hard. She laid her hands flat on his tight abdomen, needing an anchor, something solid to hold on to. She rose up and sank down again, her inner muscles clamping around his shaft as pleasure bolted through her.
“Why does it feel so good?” she whispered. “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
“Me neither,” he said hoarsely.
Something hot and sweet and unfamiliar sizzled between them. A sense of connection, maybe. She tried to cling to the feeling, but Gage’s fingers had found her clit again and the sensation of dizzying pleasure distracted her.
“Come on, baby,” he muttered. “Make us feel even better.”
The knot of urgency snapped like a bungee cord, propelling Skyler into a frenzied rhythm that left her breathless. Her hair flew in her face as she bounced on his cock, over and over again, until the pressure became too much, the arousal too painful, sending her falling against him again. She moaned with each flick of his fingers on her clit, and eventually stopped moving altogether and let him take over.
He thrust upward, hard and merciless, his rugged features straining as his chest rose and fell rapidly. Fast, deep thrusts, filling her again and again until she came in a blinding rush of bliss. Gage wasn’t far behind. As he groaned in release, he held her so tightly she could barely draw a breath.
Once the pleasure abated, they lay there in silence, his large hands stroking her back, his breath tickling her forehead. Then, with a pained look, he gently eased her off him and left the bed to dispose of the condom.
He was back a moment later, sliding in behind her. One muscular arm wrapped around her to pull her flush against his body, and she practically melted into him, wiggling her bare butt until she found a comfortable position. She became aware of the voices murmuring on the TV, but she was too sated and drowsy to pay much attention. And still very naked, she realized.
“I should find my PJs,” she mumbled.
Gage tightened his hold on her. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.”
He wasn’t lying. His body was like a furnace, making her feel warm and safe and utterly contented. The first night they’d met, she never would have dreamed she’d be snuggling in bed with this man, and yet…here they were.
“He’s using too much garlic.”
Skyler pried her eyes open. She hadn’t realized she’d closed them. “Hmmm?”
“The dude on TV. He put too much garlic in that dish.”
A soft laugh slipped out. “Yeah? You think you know better than a professional chef, is that it?”
But then to her sheer amazement, after the judges tasted the chef’s dish, all three of them staunchly declared that waaaaay too much garlic had been used.
“I told you.” Gage’s smug voice heated the back of her neck.
“Fine, clearly you do know better.” She paused, then gave in to the spark of curiosity. “Do you like to cook?”
“I don’t mind it, I guess.”
“What else do you like to do? You know, in your free time?”
“I read.”
She twisted her head and grinned at him. “Your monosyllabic responses are adorable. Okay. What kind of stuff do you read?”
“Fantasy. Sci-fi. Some true crime.” He sounded so completely unenthused about the conversation that she wasn’t surprised when he turned the tables on her. “What do you like to do?”
“Uh-uh. We’re not discussing me right now. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m trying to get to know you better.”
His heavy sigh echoed behind her. “I don’t like talking. Especially about myself.”
The wave of laughter that hit her would have knocked her off her feet if she hadn’t been lying down. “Are you kidding me? When we’re having sex, you talk so much you could script an entire porno movie.” The giggles kept coming, until she had to curl into herself to ease the stitch in her side.
“Sex talk has nothing to do with me. It’s about all the dirty things I want to do to you.” His defensive grumble only made her laugh harder.
“Uh-huh, whatever you say.” Her eyelids started to droop again, probably because the heat of his body made her feel like she’d stepped into a sauna. “Gosh, I’m really sleepy.”
His palm grazed her hip before settling on her belly. “Go to sleep then.”
She snuggled closer and tucked her feet between his, cocooned in his warmth. She was just drifting off when she felt him trying to slip away.
“This was a bad idea.” Uneasiness clung to his voice. “I should go.”
She answered in a fierce whisper. “Don’t you dare. I’m too warm and cozy. You can’t leave.”
After a beat of silence, he smoothed his hand over her hair. “All right. I won’t.”
Skyler gave a little sigh of satisfaction and closed her eyes again.
When she woke up the next morning, Gage was gone.
Chapter Six
“You know what sucks about saying I told you so? You don’t even get to enjoy it! I mean, you’re right about something, which means you should be stoked, but at the same time, it means having to see your BFF bummed out, and that’s no fun at all.” May blew a strand of blond hair out of her eyes while maintaining an awkward-looking downward dog.
On her bright pink yoga mat, Skyler held the same pose, but craned her head to look at her friend. “You don’t get to say I told you so yet. Not until I know for sure if it’s over.”
“He’s been avoiding you for a week,” Lacey grumbled from the neighboring mat. “I think that means it’s over.”
On the television screen, the perky blond yoga instructor finally broke the position and hopped to her feet. All three women sighed in relief and followed suit.
Lacey had found the Yoga for Beginners DVD in a grocery-store bargain bin, and after months of putting it off, the three roommates had finally found the time to watch it. Being on her feet at the restaurant every night and walking across campus on a daily basis, Skyler got enough of a workout, but she’d promised her friends she’d try yoga, and now they were holding her to it.
Didn’t mean she had to enjoy it, though. Because she wasn’t, not in the slightest. Yoga was hard. And it was too slow and motionless, which made it difficult to expend all her pent-up energy. She’d much rather run her frustrations off on a treadmill.
God, it wasn’t really over with Gage, was it?
Sure, he hadn’t responded to the three texts and two voicemails she’d left him, but maybe he was just…busy.
Oh, you silly, pathetic girl. Face the facts.
She bit her lip and moved her gaze back to the TV, hoping the next pose would distract her from the rush of disappointment that flooded her belly. It didn’t. Nope, her mind stayed focused on the intense, sexy man who’d rocked her world and then disappeared like Houdini from her life.
“I don’t know…I just don’t get it,” she blurted out. “I know he was into me.”
“You sure about that?” Lacey asked in a careful tone.
Skyler thought about the urgency of Gage’s kisses, his rough touch, the way his eyes burned when he’d moved inside her. Then she nodded. “I know it.” Her teeth dug into her lip again. “I think I scared him off by asking him about his life. I was trying to get to know him and—”
“Aha!” Lacey cut in triumphantly. “I told you you’d end up doing that! See? No-strings sex is impossible.”
“I guess it is,” she said glumly.
“Guys, mountain pose!” May chided. “You’re falling behind.”
Skyler and Lacey quickly refocused their attention on the yoga at hand. For the next five minutes, they dutifully followed instructions, but it was obvious none of them had a clue what they were doing.
“Now we’re going to transition into the pigeon pose,” the female instructor said serenely.
“I don’t know what that is!” Lacey yelled at the TV. “Why don’t you ever explain it to us?”
With that, yoga was over.
As a wave of laughter overtook her, Skyler collapsed on her back and waved her hand in surrender. “Screw this. I hate it. Let’s just buy a treadmill.”
“Deal,” Lacey chimed in.
“Yeah, I don’t have the discipline for yoga,” May grumbled. “Treadmill it is.”
Lacey shut off the TV, then flopped on the couch and glanced at the others. “You guys wanna order takeout and watch a movie or something?”
May was quick to nod, but Skyler hesitated.
“Uh-uh,” Lacey said instantly, wagging a finger. “You can’t go see him.”
“But I need closure,” she protested.
May sighed. “So you want to get dumped in person? Is that it?”
“If that’s what it takes, then yes.” Skyler undid her ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair. “I just want to know why he changed his mind, okay?”
She didn’t miss the concerned look her roommates exchanged. “What?” she muttered.
“Is this guy really worth it?” May asked in a gentle voice.
Skyler swallowed. She pictured Gage’s deep gray eyes, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was about him that fascinated her so damn much. What drew her to him like a moth to a flame. The night they’d met he’d told her she was playing with fire, acted like he was some scary, dangerous monster who would burn her alive.
But she wasn’t afraid of him, and she didn’t sense a lick of danger coming from him. If anything, his intensity only fueled the attraction.
It might have started out as a desperate need for change, for fun, but spending time with Gage had turned into something more than simply stepping out of her tedious rut. She liked the bold, confident woman she was when he was around, and she wasn’t ready to stop exploring that part of herself yet.
“Sky?” Lacey prompted. “So is he worth it?”
She exhaled in a slow rush. “I guess I’ll find out tonight.”
…
“If I catch one more motherfucker snorting coke in the bathroom, I’m going to lose my shit,” Gage snapped as he stormed into Reed’s office.
Two sets of eyebrows shot up, accompanied by a low curse of amazement from AJ. “Jeez. What the hell is up your ass?”
Gage scowled at his friends and made a beeline for the mini-fridge in the corner of the office. He yanked open the door and grabbed a beer, angrily twisting off the cap.
“And now you’re drinking on the job?” Reed piped up, equally astonished. “Seriously, man. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” he mumbled.
Everything, a voice corrected.
Fine, not everything. Just one thing. One person.
Skyler.
He hadn’t seen her in a week. One very long, very frustrating week, and the ironic part? It was his doing. He was the one avoiding her calls and texts.
Not that she was flooding his inbox with please-please-call-me requests. Her messages had sounded more concerned than desperate, and Gage knew he was a bona fide ass for ignoring he
r. But damn it, what else was he supposed to do? He was too jaded and messed up for someone like her. Skyler was sweet and funny and unbelievably good. She practically radiated sunshine.
And he was terrified his darkness would dim all of that incredible light. Or worse, extinguish it completely.
Sometimes he wished he were a different man. An easygoing, worry-free dude who could open up to people, trust them, lean on them, but he wasn’t. He was closed off and prickly and a total bastard at times, and Skyler deserved better than that.
Lord, she made him want to be that man, though. She made him feel things no other woman ever had, and the thought of disappointing her—or worse, hurting her—tore at his insides like a dull razor blade. Better to cut ties now before either one of them got too close.
Only it seemed he’d underestimated the woman’s tenacity.
No sooner had he taken a swig of beer than a knock came on the door, and suddenly Skyler marched into the office unannounced.
Gage’s heart leaped the moment he saw her. She was wearing a red skirt and white tank top, with sneakers on her feet and her brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Lord, she was the cutest goddamn thing he’d ever seen. And great, now he was thinking a woman was cute. Some manly man he was.
“You’re avoiding me,” she announced. When she noticed the grinning faces of Reed and AJ, she glanced over with a cheerful smile. “Hi, I’m Skyler. Nice to meet you.” The smile vanished as she turned back to Gage. “Why are you avoiding me?”
Discomfort rolled around in his stomach. “I’ve been busy.”
“Uh-huh. I’m sure you have.” She narrowed her eyes. “My roommates told me not to bother coming here. They said I should just accept that you’re not into me, and move on. Are they right?”
Reed spoke up before Gage could respond, sounding so delighted by the situation that Gage wanted to slug him. “Oh, he’s definitely into you, honey.”
She looked intrigued. “Is he?”
“Trust me, he is. He’s barely said one word to me about you.”
“I didn’t even know you existed,” AJ piped up, green eyes twinkling.
