by Wendi Zwaduk
“Sure.” She drew the word out. “Why didn’t you give up?”
Time to unload the true contents of his heart. “Mace, I saw a picture of you on the internet—one of those social network sites. That jerk, Will, never realised what a gem he had and how jealous I was.” Images of her through the past fifteen years overloaded his brain. Each smile had imprinted itself on his permanent memory. She was the type of woman a man kept—the type he wanted to settle down with and love. “All the times I wanted to pick up the phone to ask your mom where you lived so I could… I don’t know, ask you out or try to talk to you. I was an ass, but you moved on with grace.”
“I had no other choice.” She twined her arms around his neck. “I lived my life.”
“Without finding out what might have been if we’d hooked up.” God, it hurt to admit the truth. At the same time, the weight of uncertainty he’d carried melted away. “I started Connolly Incorporated to do something worthy with my life, something permanent I could leave to my children.”
“Your children.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Tanner, how was I to know you cared? Last I knew, you weren’t interested.”
“You couldn’t know, and that’s a mistake I have to live with.” He gulped air, waiting for her response. She could embrace his apology and thinly-veiled suggestion, or tell him to go to hell. He hoped for the former.
She traced his bottom lip with her index finger. A mischievous light sparkled in her eyes. “Then redeem yourself and make love to me.”
She’d used the word love. Again. Holy hell. “You read my mind.” He eased her up onto his lap and nuzzled her breasts. Her hips moved in a sensual rhythm on his thighs. A low groan escaped her lips when he took her beaded nipple into his mouth. Damn, she tasted of salt, sweetness and flowers—sin embodied.
“Tanner.” Her nails dug into his shoulders, but he didn’t care. She could brand him wherever she pleased.
His thoughts ran slack until he realised he didn’t have protection. Tanner released her breast with an audible pop. “My love, we’re out of condoms. I’m a piss-poor planner sometimes.”
Her shoulder edged up in a tiny shrug. “I trust you. I’m on the pill.”
Before he could answer, she mashed her lips against his in a hungry kiss. The contact scorched him to his core. His brain clicked off rational thought and headed straight to sheer hyper-awareness. He slid into the moist heat of her body in one strong stroke. Her pussy clamped onto him like a fist.
“Oh, God!” Macy slid her hand down his stomach to the base of his penis. She bit her bottom lip hard as she wound her fingers around his sac, caressing his balls. A rush of blood engorged his cock and adoration surged through his veins.
Call him a lovesick man—he didn’t care. She could cuff him to the bed and have her wicked way with him just like the women in her books. Hell, he wanted her to dominate him. Did that make him a sub? Nah, adventurous. Then again, the idea of seeing her in a leather teddy did things to his dick he’d never have thought possible.
Tanner gyrated his hips, slamming himself deep into her pussy. A series of whimpers escaped her throat. Skin to skin suited him. Damn, he could love her slow and sweet—or frantic and frenzied—for the rest of his life.
Macy’s nails dug into his shoulders once again as she pressed her face against his neck to muffle her scream. “Tanner.” Her hair tumbled out of the clip and over her shoulders.
“Macy, fuck, yes.” He tangled his fingers in her tresses.
Her hips moved in a sensual dance on his lap. With her eyes closed, she threw her head back to scream again. “I’m coming.”
Water sloshed over the side of the tub from the force of their lovemaking.
He released her hair and grabbed her ass, tugging her hard against him. “Baby, I can’t hold back.” At the last second, he pulled out of her body and ejaculated into the water.
“Tanner.” Macy panted and slumped against him. “We should get out.” Her breath came in succession of puffs across his damp chest, creating goose pimples on his flesh.
“Because I made a mess in the water?”
“Because it’s cold.” Her teeth chattered, as if to illustrate her point.
“Then I’ll carry you to bed.” He stood with her locked tight within his arms.
“Stay with me tonight.” Macy cupped his jaw and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Keep me warm tonight.”
Tanner sighed and slipped into bed next to her. “What if I want more than one night?”
Chapter Six
Macy snuggled in the spoon of Tanner’s body. Could a man smell sexy scented in a woman’s shower gel? If Tanner was the measure, then yes. She glanced around the hotel room at the impersonal furniture and bland wallpaper. Over the course of twelve hours, Tanner Connolly had showed her how much she missed having a home—a place where someone cared about her. Damn it. She didn’t belong in a relationship. Solo suited her fine…
Well, it suited her enough.
His arm tightened around her waist and she sighed. Prior to meeting up with him, she’d never made love in the bathtub. Hell, she’d never had sweaty, can’t-wait-another-minute sex pressed against a door. Macy smothered the grin curling her lips. Did acting impulsively make her a closet wanton? What if he found out her desire to dominate? Would Tanner run? What if he wanted to participate? She shivered. A girl could only get so lucky.
Lucky? Well, fuck. In less than forty-eight hours, she’d be on her way to New York. After the signing, she’d board the plane for Los Angeles for the publicity shoot. The one man she’d wanted for so long, and her career threatened to take it away. She fisted her hand.
I won’t think about it now. I’ll save the sweet romance of the day and the hot sex for memories.
What if memories weren’t enough?
“Macy, what are you thinking about?”
The sexy, slow rumble of his voice slithered through her being and pooled in her belly. She wriggled her ass against his growing erection to shift her thoughts from their imminent goodbyes. “I’m plotting how I should go about turning you on.” When he slid his hand up her ribcage to fondle her breast, she backed into him and caressed his cock with her ass cheeks. “You’re stabbing me, so I assume it’s working.”
“Hell, yes. You can do with me whatever your heart desires, babe.”
Macy paused. With his casual statement, he opened a floodgate. “Are you serious or just saying that to score again?”
“I loved your feisty streak in school. You were the only girl to go to prom stag. That took serious guts.” Tanner turned her around within his embrace, meeting her gaze. His blue eyes darkened with passion. “What can I do to prove I’m giving you control, that I’m all yours? I want to find out what it’s like to be under your…control.”
“You want to be controlled? Then let me tie you up.” She pinched his nipple and gave him time to consider her suggestion.
Tanner groaned and closed his eyes. The sound slipped between his lips as the corner of his mouth curled into a lazy smile. The muscles in his jaw tightened and flexed, as if he was deep in thought. He slipped from the embrace and offered his wrists. His hands trembled and a shiver racked his body. “Ropes or handcuffs?”
Pleasure rocketed through her. With his question, he’d stepped out onto the edge and declared himself scared but comfortable with giving her the reins. “Just binding your hands with my scarf while I tease you until you scream my name.”
Slowly, his eyes opened. The smile widened. “And we can use the vibrator I found in the sheets?”
“You saw that, huh? Good.” She chuckled. “Have you ever used a vibrator? When used right, it creates a lot of pleasure.” She dragged out the last three words, adding extra emphasis to the syllables.
His breath came in pants and his nipples spiked. “On the giving end, but the idea of receiving has possibilities.”
“Deal.” Make or break time. What would he say? Macy rubbed her hands over her belly and shifted her hips in a sile
nt invitation.
Tanner’s eyes widened and he froze for a second. He clenched and unclenched his jaw once more. The smile returned to his lips and pink tinged his cheeks. “Then I’m all yours, babe.”
Macy shuddered with excitement. She slid out of bed long enough to retrieve the purple paisley scarf from her suitcase. Anticipation flowed through her system. Some men disliked dominant women. Seeing Tanner willingly grant her access to his body turned her on and made it hard to concentrate on giving him pleasure while sating her desires.
“Did I ever tell you, you have a sexy ass?” he asked in a low voice that resonated clear down to her toes.
She stood and slid the silk between her fingers as if the scarf was his cock. His erection bobbed under the sheet and his lips parted on a hiss. His eyelids drooped. “A damn sexy ass.”
“You could tell me again. I forgot.” She ripped the covers off the bed to display his delicious, naked body.
Starting at the end of the bed, she crawled towards him, using the very edge of the slippery fabric to trace a line from his ankle up to his bellybutton. He fisted the fitted sheet. “Macy, you’re a tease with a sexy body.” A bead of pre-cum glistened on the tip of his penis.
“Give me your wrists.” The curt tone vibrated all over his skin, making the hairs stand on end. His eyes widened for a split second as he processed her command. Just as quickly, he relaxed against the pillow and complied, holding his arms out for her. “Do your worst, vixen.”
Macy wrapped the silk around his wrists enough to bind him, yet left a little slack in case he wanted to get free. But how long until he demanded freedom? That was the real test. So far, so good.
A ripple of arrogance shot through her veins. She’d fooled around with bondage with others, but never with a man that she had strong feelings for. Macy brushed the tips of her fingers along his shin and up to his thigh. He wriggled as she did the same to his left leg. “Macy.”
Seeing the lust burning in his eyes spurred her on. She moved up to his chest and drew circles around his areolae. His eyelids fluttered shut and his cock stood straight up. Moisture glistened on the blunt head of his dick.
“Look at me, Tanner.” When he met her gaze, Macy swiped her index finger through the pre-cum and traced her fingers across her lips. His hips jerked.
She licked his taste from her mouth and savoured his salty essence on her tongue. Tanner followed her actions with darkened eyes. “You do like the stuff you write about in those books. Holy shit, can I get on board…? This is hot.” He nodded. “You are hot.”
Her heart hammered behind her ribs. Macy wanted to ride him, to take him to places he’d never been. She scooted onto his thighs to grab the vibrator. “You want me to touch you. To allow you release. Don’t you?”
“Fuck, yes, Macy.” Vulnerability shone in his eyes. “Please?”
Toy in hand, she slithered up his body until his cock sat nestled against her clit. The heady beat sent pleasure-filled jolts to her core. Although she drew an abstract design on his chest with the vibrator, she yearned to bury him in her body, to make them whole together. She bit her bottom lip hard to stave off the forever feelings bombarding her brain. She needed to see this through and unleash her innermost desires, not lose her heart in the deal. “How do you want me?”
“Everywhere. Forever.”
She licked her lips and palmed his cock. “I want to taste you now.” Macy slid down his thighs and knelt between his knees.
“Fuck me.” His voice came out ragged and tight. Raw desire shone in his eyes. He panted. “Please?”
“Now?” She sat up and trailed her fingers down his thighs. “It’s more fun when you have to wait.” She traced the tattoo on his calf. “I’ll be right back.”
Macy strolled into the bathroom. She smoothed her hair a bit and dug through her overnight bag for the bottle of lube. In the other room, the bed creaked. She bit back a smile. “Trying to get away?”
“Babe, I’ll explode. Come back?”
He could wait another moment. Macy spied the tube of lip gloss on the counter. She swiped the sweet balm over her lips and grasped the lube bottle. When she re-entered the bedroom, Tanner grinned. “There’s my beautiful.”
Macy climbed back onto the bed and settled between his thighs. Her gaze roved over his body. Where to start first? Go right for his ass, or tease other parts of him with the vibrator? So many yummy places to tease and so little time.
“What are you looking at?”
She leant forward and twisted the control on the vibe, sliding it over his nipple. “You.” She swiped her tongue over his bottom lip, but inched away when he tried to control the kiss. “This is my show.”
“Oh, yeah.” He groaned and his eyelids fluttered shut as she rubbed the toy over his other nipple. She slid down his body and rested between his thighs. Not an ounce of fat on him.
With her free hand, Macy caressed his balls. She dipped her head to nuzzle his upper thigh. The brush of the downy hairs tickled her nose. She caressed the pucker of his ass with her index finger, not entering, just teasing. Tanner bucked against her ministrations. “Babe, ride me. I won’t last, you’re too damn good.”
“I haven’t done anything.” With one flat lick, she caressed the thick vein on the underside of his dick. He bobbed against her mouth. Her gaze connected with his as she took his steely length to the back of her throat before pulling off. “But I will.”
Moving the vibrator down his stomach, she ran her tongue along the blunt head of his cock. Tanner bucked against her actions. His hands fisted tighter. The crinkles at the corners of his heavily-lidded eyes deepened, as if he was deep in thought.
The lube rolled towards her, chilly against her leg. He probably wasn’t ready for insertion, but a little experimentation would rock his world. She nudged the bottle away and eased the vibrator over the base of his cock. Tanner jerked and his eyes flew open. “Whoa.”
The gravelly word sent tingles to her pussy. Macy reached between her legs and fondled her clit. Using her juices, she then lubricated his prick and pumped up and down. Sweat mixed with his musky seed on her tongue.
Alternating between caressing him with her hand and licking his pre-cum, Macy traced his inner thigh with the toy. His breath came out in short puffs. When she touched the vibrator against his sac, he planted his feet and his torso came up off the bed.
“Damn, Mace. Just…damn.” The muscles in his legs strained and flexed. “You’ll kill me, babe. I won’t last.”
Macy held the sex toy away from him, giving him a moment of rest. “Now why would I want to kill you? Might be messy.” She reached between her legs and pinched her clit. If she kept playing with him, she’d come herself. He needed to be more on edge. She brought the vibrator down the cleft between her thighs, lingering in the liquid excitement. Her body quaked. Just when she thought she’d lose it, she took the toy away and tickled the spot below his sac.
“Macy.” Her name sounded like sheer lust on his lips. “I can’t… I can’t hold back.”
She pressed the tip of the vibe against his asshole. “Not yet. You’ll come when I let you.” Macy leant forward and once again took him in her mouth, alternating the tempo of the blow job with the teasing of the toy.
Tanner moaned but didn’t ask her to stop. He didn’t beg to come. Had he had enough? She stole a look at his face. With his eyes closed, he was biting down hard on his bottom lip. He’d had enough. Macy tossed the vibrator onto the mattress and sat back on her heels.
Tanner’s eyes opened. Instead of just lust, she saw passion and trust burning in the azure depths of his eyes. Hell. Macy sat up and brushed her hair off her face with the back of her hand. Who held the control? His submission and the raw desire in his soul burned themselves onto her heart. She crawled onto his lap and pulled him into a sitting position. She locked herself within his bound embrace and impaled herself on his steely length, breast to chest and face to face. “Fuck me, Tanner. Now.”
Tanner nippe
d kisses all over her face. “Not when I can make love to you.”
Macy writhed, whimpering with each thrust. Her heart ached. Despite his proclamations, he would probably still walk away after just one weekend. Men acted impulsively all the time. What made her actions different?
She screamed her release as he brought her to climax Tears burned behind her eyes. God damn her choice in men. In the space of thirty-six hours, she’d fallen in love with him all over again. And where would she be when the weekend ended?
Heartbroken.
She needed to rebuild the walls surrounding her heart before she said something totally off the wall—like she loved him.
Well, hell.
Tanner panted to catch his breath. Macy’s body should come with a warning label. Each time he pegged her as more than he could ever want in a woman, she blew his mind again. Anal play had never factored into his ideas of pleasure, but with her at the helm, he loved it. He gazed down at her nude form curled up on his lap.
He didn’t consider himself a controlling male. Yes, he liked to be a manly man, but when she’d dictated the course of their lovemaking, he’d realised he liked it. He worked the slippery silk off his wrists and eased down onto the mattress. Giving her the power to control him turned him on and inside out. Pleasing her satisfied him as much as coming. Watching her glow during orgasm heightened his climax.
“Macy, babe?”
She shifted and sighed. “Hmmm?” She rubbed her cheek on his chest. “You wore me out.”
“What’s your dream house look like?”
“A white farmhouse with a big porch and a swing.”
Tanner blinked. She’d answered rather quickly, but honestly. He tugged the comforter over their bodies and cuddled her close. Her description, though vague, matched the image in his mind. He’d never considered a swing, and that minute detail added to his overall plan. “Let me build you that house.”
“On the north end of town?” Her sleepy voice muffled against his chest. “I always wanted to live on the north end of town.”
