by Riley Murphy
“My—I don’t know how to do that.”
“I’ll show you.” He took the condom out of the packet and rolled it a good inch down his length. Once he was snugly capped he leaned back and said, “Use your mouth. Roll it down with the tip of your tongue. Do it.”
She was worried she wouldn’t be able to stretch it over his generous girth, but she’d try. She curled down over him and opened her mouth. After a few less-than-graceful flicks she got the hang of it and before she knew it he was pulling her off him. Telling her, “That’s enough.” Telling her to stop. God Lord, she was achy and wet and panting. What the hell just happened? “S-sorry.”
“Come up here.” He lifted her onto his lap so she straddled his thighs. “You have a fine mouth, baby girl.” He put a hand to her neck and stroked her. “Your throat opens for me. I can get deep down here.” He stroked her. “Real deep and I like it there.”
“Ethan.”
He clasped her face in hands and whispered, “I want to go deep somewhere else inside you. Somewhere warm and tight and wet.” He brought a hand down and slipped it between her legs. Finding that place. Stroking it, until with one swift move, two of his fingers slid into her and she nearly passed out.
She grabbed hold of his shoulders. Ah. Her head fell back and she arched forward to better ride his hand.
“Nice and easy. All the way down. That’s right. Let me in.” He shifted forward and she saw stars. “Mmm…” he gruffly purred, rubbing his jaw against her shoulder. “So silky and tight.”
She hissed in a breath. Her heart raced as her inner muscles clenched and unclenched while she drenched his hand. “Please…”
“I knew you had perfect rhythm. Keep it up. Soak me.”
Quivering, she did just that.
“You have beautiful nipples. I want you to feed one to me. I want to suck on it.”
She didn’t think, only circled her palm around her breast, which made her cry out. The pleasure-pain that stabbed right through her nipple was wicked and intense. The spasms cascaded through her from chest to toes.
“Come on, don’t be shy.”
If she thought the sensations were intense before, once his hot mouth latched on and suckled her, she nearly bucked right off his lap. With each hard draw, the intimate muscles between her legs contracted with a bolt of pure lust that made her dizzy.
“Fuck me, Ethan. Please…”
He gave her stone-hard nipple one last devastating lick. “Oh yeah, lift up. Let me share your secrets. Look at me.”
She did as he directed, keeping eye contact with him as he helped her to readjust.
“That’s right. Easy. Slow. Relax.”
He fit her over the wide tip of him, spreading her folds as he pushed in. “Ease your muscles. That’s it,” he whispered as his hardness stretched her core. “You can take it. Deep breath in and exhale…”
She slid down on him, slowly, gently as her muscles gave way and allowed him deeper and deeper inside. With each push a new territory opened for him and her adrenaline roared and soared until—
“Oh honey,” he grunted and flexed to fully impale her. “I’m going to have to train you to be more patient.” He ground her down on top of him and sighed. “Your pussy’s so fucking wet and warm. So inviting. So eager.” He grunted again and anchored his hands on her hips.
“Yes! Ethan!” She gasped because now he was the one who controlled the rhythm. The pace. The race to the finish that had her bouncing and sliding. Rocking and riding him until her adrenaline swelled once more. It beat and battered as she lost coherent thought. Until she felt his power explode as he slammed one last time up into her and she burst from inside out, collapsing in his arms.
She didn’t know how long she lay against the rocketing pounds of his chest. She only knew when she’d become conscious of his stillness. Attuned to the quiet in the room, she had a need to be close. Which was silly because how much closer could two people be after having sex like that? But the need was real. It was there and she wasn’t going to deny it.
With one hand still fisted in his hair, she slid the other one around his shoulder and octopused him. “Don’t let go,” she whispered against his neck, worried she’d said too much until his arms closed around her, squeezing her tight.
“Never. This is where you belong.”
* * * * *
Ethan didn’t know precisely what time it was, he was guessing just after midnight. Even though they’d had dinner a few hours ago he’d given her quite a workout so he asked, “Are you hungry?”
Colin inhaled deeply and snuggled closer. “No. You?”
“I’m okay.” He brushed his fingers up and down her forearm and closed his eyes. She felt good in his arms, in his bed.
“Ethan?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you a question?” Her hand splayed on his chest and began stroking him. He liked that.
“Sure.”
“What made you interested in the lifestyle?”
His eyes opened and he shifted his head off the pillow to peer down at her through the darkness. “Such a big question.” He fell back against the pillow and took a deep breath. “Why do you want to know?”
She started stroking him again. “I was just curious, that’s all.”
“I knew from the time I was a young teenager, but it wasn’t until I was seventeen or so before I started exploring.”
“Must have been a hard time for you without your parents.”
“Ah, so you did do some digging into my history before you came to me.”
“Of course.”
He chuckled. “You are too much.” Kissing the top of her head, he adjusted the covers around them and sighed. “My parents were good people. Had they lived I don’t think they would have passed judgment. Not that I’d be discussing my choices in detail or anything. But I know what you mean.”
She rubbed her cheek over his rapidly beating heart and whispered, “I’m sure. They raised a good son. Is it true you fought for custody of your little brother when you turned eighteen?”
“Yes. I promised them I would.” He frowned. Where had that come from?
“What were they like?”
“Like?” He lay there for a moment, loving how her warm breath fanned the skin on his chest while he thought about his parents. How long had it been since he’d done this? After a few seconds he remembered why he didn’t do it often. It hurt.
“Yes, was your dad tall? Did he have black hair too? What about your mom? Did your dad drive her crazy?”
He chuckled. “To answer your shockingly transparent attempt at stacking up similarities, my dad and I looked very much alike. I think I was taller by a few inches. And, yes, he drove my mom nuts on occasion, but she loved him. I’d say in spite of that, but somehow, now that I’m older, I like to think it was because of that she adored him.”
The minute he started talking about them he couldn’t seem to stop. He spent the next ten minutes sharing intimate stories about his childhood. He surprised himself with the wealth of things he’d remembered about his life when his parents were alive. It was almost as if he were talking about someone else. Some other person’s great family. Until—
“But then that afternoon…” He fell silent and clenched his jaw so tight it ached. He wanted the physical hurt. It distracted him from the real pain.
“Tell me.” Instead of withdrawing and changing the subject as even his closest friends had always done, Colin curled her arm around his waist and burrowed more solidly against him, as though she wanted to share her strength.
Maybe she did and that was why he decided to tell her the one thing he’d never told anyone else. “That afternoon they weren’t going to leave. They were supposed to leave first thing in the morning, but then my little brother threw one of his famous adolescent fits and they toyed with the idea of staying home and canceling their weekend plans. It took me all morning and the better part of the afternoon to convince them to go. You see…”
&nb
sp; He could feel his muscles tighten. Colin must have felt it too, because she rubbed her chin against his shoulder and kissed his collarbone in the lightest touch imaginable. Almost as if she didn’t want him to know she’d done it. “I wanted them to go. I promised I’d take care of him. That they didn’t have to worry. I wanted them to go because I’d planned my first kinky sexual encounter and if they’d stayed— If they’d…” He sighed.
“They wouldn’t have been at that intersection? Is that what you’re thinking? I read about that. And they’d still be alive?” Ethan didn’t answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried not to choke on the familiar burn that rose like bile in his throat. “It was an accident, Ethan. Bad things happen in life and when they do, we have to accept them.”
He didn’t trust himself to speak, so he grunted.
“Really. I mean, if you applied that kind of logic to the whole scenario your brother’s guiltier than you. He was the reason they hadn’t left early after all.”
His eyes snapped open and he swallowed. No one. No one had ever said that to him. Oh, they may have alluded to it, but it was nice to hear her say it with complete conviction. It was as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off his chest. And too, he’d never really looked at the situation from any other angle than the one where he’d talked them into leaving. She was right. Even recognizing it now he couldn’t blame Caleb for their deaths.
You’ve blamed yourself. He scowled at that thought.
He didn’t realize he was holding his breath either, until he released it. It was the first cleansing breath he’d taken in a long while. It felt good. He took another and another, until his whole body gave in and relaxed. Then he smiled. Colin really was full of surprises.
She tapped his arm. “I think I get it now.”
“Get what?” He was happy for the distraction.
“You.”
“Really?”
“You have to control everything around you now because weren’t able to control what happened to your parents.”
“You think so?” His heart beat a little faster.
“Sure. It’s textbook psychology.”
Textbook— For a full year after his parents’ accident, the court had set him up with a plethora of shrinks. None of whom mentioned anything about his emotional pain being textbook anything other than something that time would heal. What a lie that had been. In fact, now that he thought about it, none of them had come close to this kind of truth. Hell, maybe they had, but he’d been too young to listen. The grief too fresh. But he was listening now. Colin was touching on something pertinent. He was sure of it. Otherwise his heart wouldn’t be beating out of his chest.
“You blame yourself for your parents’ deaths because you wanted them out of the house so that you could,” she waved her hand, “well, you know. So tell me, do you participate in the lifestyle to torture yourself regularly?”
“No. That’s ridiculous.”
“Of course it’s ridiculous. You were kinky inclined long before you lost your parents. So, why did you feel the need to make the lifestyle your business? I mean two huge sex clubs and a resort. What’s next, an airport for the kinky-inclined flyer?”
He had to catch himself. He’d almost mouthed the word “wow”. He was less concerned about her rubbing off on him than he was with her powers of deduction. Damn, she was wicked smart.
“Why else do you think you push yourself to be the best at it? You should be able to enjoy yourself more, ya know? You’re kind of…”
“What?”
“Intense about it all. In my opinion you need to lighten up a little.”
Ethan thought about what she was saying. There was a certain truth to it. Hadn’t he been thinking about how nice it was to laugh again? To feel some levity? Mulling it over, he decided maybe he had been subconsciously punishing himself. Pushing to make it more for him than what it was originally.
He pulled her up until she was looking into his eyes. “What about you, Miss Smarty Pants? Why don’t we spend a moment trying to figure out how fucked up you are?”
“Umm…” She waved her hand again, only this time she nearly hit him in the nose. “Sorry.” Pressing a finger against his cheek she mused, “We don’t have to because there’s no need.”
He arched a brow. “What? Are you telling me you’re perfect?”
Just as he’d planned, his dubious tone made her laugh. “No.” Then after a moment, she added, “Well, maybe.”
“Maybe?” He reached out and tickled her until she rolled to one side of him and begged.
“Stop! I only meant—” She paused here to catch her breath. “That I figured a few things out the other night on the dock after our talk.”
He held his hand up and motioned for her to tell him. It was a clear case of misery loving company, so he’d force her if need be. “Okay, after spilling my booze-soaked guts the other night and later thinking about my feelings, I’ve decided that my dad, don’t get me wrong, I love him, is weak. So me and John? With or without Marlene’s interference we wouldn’t have worked.” She leaned up to his ear and whispered, “John likes to be the girl in the relationship.” Settling back down she sighed. “Long story short? My mom married a weak man and it didn’t last so it’s no wonder I’m only attracted to strong men.”
“I love that about you.”
“What? That I’m super smart and intuitive?”
“No, that you freely admit that you love strong men. It will make it easier when it comes time to face one.”
“Face one?” Her head came up and she frowned. “I am facing one. You.”
He tightened his arm around her to get her to pay attention to him. “I haven’t had to be strong with you yet, Colin. You haven’t met my version of strong. But you will.”
“Seriously?”
He relaxed his grip, giving her an encouraging squeeze. “Scared you, huh?”
“N-no. Why would you say that?”
He grinned. “No nose scrunch.”
“Hmm…” She closed her eyes when he kissed her ear. “I’m trying to wean myself off them.”
“Don’t.”
“But—”
“Shh. The discipline I mete out when the time comes will not be unbearable. Uncomfortable?” He bit her lobe and she flinched. “Definitely, but not too hard that you won’t go down on your knees afterward and suck my cock. That’s your reward, Colin. If you take your punishment without complaint and work through it with grace, I’ll let you slide this beautiful mouth over my naked dick until you swallow my cum.”
He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip and when her breath hitched, he smiled. “Is your heart pounding, baby girl?”
“Yes.”
“Let me see…”
Chapter Eighteen
Ethan had finished his errands early and hoped to surprise Colin with his return, but he was the one who wound up surprised. He halted as he arrived at his office doorway.
“Colin.”
The second he called her name, she barked out a laugh, which drowned his greeting. That didn’t interest him as much as where she’d chosen to sit. The chair may have been turned so the back was facing him, but he saw her all right. She was sprawled out in his maroon leather chair with her bare feet braced against the windowsill. She had a pencil in her right hand and was waving it as if she were conducting an orchestra while she chatted on her cell.
“Yeah I called my real estate agent back and left him a message. I’m worried. He sounded upset. I know you’re probably right.”
Ethan was just about to clear his throat when he changed his mind as he heard her say, “Ethan? Nope, creampuff. I know, I know. You could have knocked me over with a toothpick. He looks like trouble, but he’s really sweet.”
Hearing this, his sweetness crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. He was grinning until he heard her next words.
“Alpha? Umm.” She paused mid-pencil twirl and then jabbed it out as if she were literally maki
ng a point. “I’m not sure. Aren’t they supposed to be mean dudes that roar and growl all the time?”
Creampuff? Not sure?
He’d heard enough. Without breaking stride he walked to the desk and stood there, knowing she’d eventually see his reflection in the glass. Once she got her head out of her ass, that was.
It didn’t take her long. “Jo.” Her feet shot off the sill and she sat right up. “I gotta go!”
He waited.
“Ethan.” She swiveled around in his huge leather chair. “I didn’t expect you back so fast.”
“I gathered that.”
She went to put her phone in her pocket and he shook his head. “Hand it over.”
“My phone?”
“Yes.” He reached for it. “Good, now please stand up. I think I told you, you weren’t to sit in my chair or at my desk.”
“I know.” She stood and had the decency to eye the desktop as she grumbled, “Sorry.” When he didn’t reply, she hastily looked up. “I said sorry.”
He continued to scowl at her, purposely making her uncomfortable.
“Gee, I guess this is you being the ‘strong man’ you were talking about last night.”
“Not even close.” He turned her phone off and tossed it on the desk before he pulled his own out and did the same. “Follow me, Colin.”
He didn’t wait for her. He just went directly to the kitchen. Once there he got out his black gloves and dug around for another pair. Finding them, he handed them to her. “Put these on and have a seat on the stool.”
He was glad when she didn’t question him. He went to the fridge and retrieved the bag with the ripened ginger in it. “We’re going to carve this. I’m going to show you how, but first I’m going to tell you why we’re carving it.”
Collecting two paring knives, he shut the cutlery drawer with his hip and handed one over to her.
“Thanks, but first I want to explain.”
“No.”
“What do you mean no? Yes.”
He stared her down. “No.” Her scowl made him sigh. “I suppose you want to tell me that you didn’t see the harm. That you thought I’d be gone to the store and I wouldn’t be the wiser about you sitting at my desk.”
