He pulled out his phone and ran through her text messages, the longing inside of him only building faster.
"Shit. How do I fix this?" He pulled up a picture he had of her laughing on the beach in Jamaica. The trip had been so right, so fun, so peaceful, especially Sunday after the wedding. Nothing was better than spending the day testing out her body and hearing her moan. So fucking hot.
"Kendal. Or Matt." He sat up. He needed help. Matt was a derp with girls by choice, but Kendal, he could help. Damon dialed his old friend without thinking too much more about it.
"Hey, buddy, what's up?" Kendal answered on the first ring.
"Has Beth come to work for you yet today?" He glanced at the clock to see that it was just past lunch. He couldn't stay in the office any longer and took the day off after lunch, which didn't seem like the best of ideas now that he was walking around, stewing in his misery alone.
"No. She's coming in around three today. Why? Everything okay?"
"No." Damon got up and grunted. "We're fighting non-stop."
"That's because you forced the relationship too fast, Damon. You asked her to marry you three weeks after meeting you. What did you expect, man?"
"Right. Fuck you too. I need your help."
"Oh shit. What do you need me to do? You know I hate getting caught up in drama."
"I know. I do as well, but I need you to take her to dinner and order some beers. Get her to relax a little."
"And then... no way am I seducing her Damon. This isn't one of our fucked up college games, right? I'm not into that sharing a girl shit anymore."
"No. Fuck no. You touch her, and I'll break your face." Anger burst through his center as he stopped by the back door. Between his raging hard cock and the pulse beating frantically on the side of his head he thought he might blow.
Damn this woman for pushing me over the edge and doing nothing to cause it.
"Good answer." Kendal sighed loudly. "What do you want me to do? Just get her there and talk about how great you are?"
"Hell no. I hate lies. Just get her there and then I'll show up. I need to see her. We can make it look like you brought us both there."
"No."
"Yes. I need you. You've always been my wingman. I love this girl, but can't get over myself to call her. Please. I'll return the favor."
"I won't need a favor." Kendal chuckled.
"Yeah, you will. Just help me."
"I like this girl, Damon. She's a good woman. Don't fuck this up."
"I'm trying not to do just that. Help me."
"All right. Vincent's Bar by the Museum of Science. It's far enough from the college that I won't have to deal with running into a million students. Be there at six. I'll get there at five thirty with her, but I'm warning you..."
"No need to warn me. I promise I'll make things right. I can't imagine trying to get through another night without her."
"Fuck me. Maybe it is love. Wouldn't that be some shit? The biggest whore from our college days finally settles down. I want to be the best man at the wedding."
"That's Matt's job, and I wasn't the biggest whore. You were."
"True. I thought I'd try and pawn it off on you, buddy. See you in a bit."
Damon hung up the phone and pressed his face into his hands. "Please let this work. Please. I'm running on empty with this shit and have fucked it up too many times. Let her see the 'me' she needs to see to come back and help me save us."
***
A nervousness he hadn't experienced in a long time bubbled up inside his chest as he pulled the door open to the bar a little while later. Kendal stood by the far end of the bar with a warm smile on his face.
Beth had her back to him, giving him a few minutes to appreciate how beautiful the swell of her ass filled up her jeans. She had plenty to hold on to, and the thought of some man worshiping her body instead of him left him wanting to stop in place and drop to his knees.
One night. He only needed one night with her, and they could be back on track.
"You told him to shred his test? Why?" Her voice reached him, brushing across his skin and leaving his heart racing.
His facade was in place, but he was willing to strip it away the minute he got her alone.
"Because he cheats, and he's an asshole. He's not going to make it in accounting. Period." Kendal glanced over at him and extended his hand as he approached. "Hey, buddy. Glad you could make it."
"Yeah, thanks for the invite." Damon shook his hand and moved to put his arm around Bethany's shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the side of her head, squeezing a little. "How are you, beautiful? Long week?"
"Yeah. Too long." She glanced up at him but turned her attention back to Kendal. "You didn't tell me you invited Damon."
"I sort of invited myself." Damon released her and moved to the bar, getting a beer and returning to find Bethany alone. Kendal was far too good of a friend.
"I'm not sure what you're expecting from me, but-"
"Nothing." He lifted his finger and pressed it to her lips. "I don't want anything from you tonight, but for you to have fun. I needed a beer and called Kendal. I have very few friends, and he's one of them. I asked if I could join you guys. Besides, I wanted to see you."
He ran his hand down the side of her throat and gripping her lightly. "Fuck, you're beautiful. I don't tell you enough."
She nodded and lifted her beer to her lips. The fire he'd seen over the last three weeks had all but died out. She looked at him like she would Matt, or she was playing it off well.
He released her and took the seat next to her. "So you decided to stay on Zarpeth with us? I'm a little surprised."
She turned and finished her beer before responding. "I've never let anyone push me away from something I wanted. This time is no different."
"And what do you want, Beth?" He reached out and gripped her hand, pulling her a little closer.
"A solid job and a good future. What most women with a head on their shoulders want." She tugged her hand free and turned as the bartender stopped beside them. "I'll take a shot of patron and another beer."
Damon glanced over at the guy, not surprised to find him eye-fucking Beth. Any man in his right mind would.
"I'll take a shot as well." He turned back to her and gripped her belt loop. "You can't be mad at me forever. You still have my ring. Right?"
"It's somewhere. I keep forgetting where I've laid it seeing that I can't act like a normal woman who's supposedly found the love of her life and said yes to his promise of forever." She was being sarcastic, ugly, bitchy.
"Then wear it when you want to. If someone asks about it, tell them what you think is best." He pulled her closer. "Maybe I was wrong."
"Maybe I was." She glanced down as his heart constricted in his chest.
"No, not at all." He slipped his hand into her long dark hair and brought her down for a probing kiss that she fought against. Her tight lips were in a tight line, her body stiff and unyielding to his subtle demand. "Open up for me."
"No." She pulled back as the liquor showed up. "I can't."
"Are we not together anymore, Beth?" He bit his tongue on telling her that as an adult, people usually dealt with childish shit and got over it. She didn't need any more coaching or training, and he needed her beneath him. She had a few more minutes of him playing a nice guy before he toted her from the bar over his shoulder.
She lifted the shot and handed him his. "To what we should have been."
He tossed it back and stood up, pulling her to him as he leaned down and pressed his nose to hers. "I'm not the one giving up."
"I don't want to give up, but what choice are you leaving me?"
"I'll change." He hated himself the minute he said it. It was a lie, and they both knew it. He'd wake up in the morning and decide that there was nothing to change. He liked who he was most days of the week, and would come to resent her if she changed that. "Come home with me."
"And what? Ride your dick until we both pass out from p
leasure?"
"Yeah. That sounds about right." He nipped at her aggressively.
She gripped the sides of his neck as her breathing got off. "I hate you right now."
"Then take it out on my body. Don't deny at least one more night before you destroy me."
Chapter 40
Bethany
His hands felt so damn good gripping her tightly as she stood pressed to the front of him. Damn Kendal for setting them up. He had no clue what he'd done. She had worked all week at pulling herself from wanting to fall at his feet like a weak, needy bitch and here he was, in her face, forcing her to beckon to his lust. It was consuming, a fire in the middle of a blizzard. Only a fool would deny the sexy bastard another night trapped beneath him.
"One more night." She lifted up and pressed her lips to his as the liquor warmed her core, adding fuel to the fire he started the minute she was made aware of his presence. They needed so much more than one more night together, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen.
He hated her. He had to. Maybe it was because she had a bit of power over him, or because she'd forced him to consider a normal future with marriage and god-forbid kids, but either way, he hated her. That was the only logical explanation.
"Come on." He gripped her hand and turned, half pulling her out of the bar. It reminded her too much of their night on the dance floor at Masquerade when everything began to spiral out of control.
Him hiring Bridget's sister to Lord over her was the straw that broke the camel’s back. And why the fuck would he hire Philip to join the Zarpeth team? Was he hoping that she would cheat on him and thereby allow him to break things off and get back to his unattached life?
He handed the valet his ticket and turned, pulling her tightly against him as his strong arms wrapped around her. The smell of his cologne left her dizzy.
"I'm going to remind you how good we are together tonight. If you can walk away from me after what I plan to make you feel... well, fuck it. I deserve to lose the best thing in my world." He kissed her several times and licked her lips, leaving her legs weak.
"Don't make this about me leaving, or I'll go home now. You left me the minute we landed in Dallas from our trip to Jamaica." He started to protest, but she pressed her fingers to his lips. "No. I don't want anything from you but your body tonight. That's all I can handle right now."
He nodded and moved her hand slowly before leaning in for another kiss. "Then it's yours."
Warmth spread through her like electricity as he kissed her deeper, forcing her to open up and let him explore her. She groaned and tightened her grip on his shirt, needing more of him and not wanting to wait until they got back to his place.
"Let me get you home." Damon opened her door and helped her in before walking to the other side of the car and getting in. He buckled up and reached for her hand, kissing it a few times before starting the car and pulling out into the darkness of night. "You look so good, Beth. Those jeans fit your ass beautifully, baby."
"Thanks. You look good too." She leaned her seat back a little and let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know about this, Damon. We're so far from where we were just a week ago."
"No more talking about our fucked up situation. Undo your pants and let me touch you."
She turned her head to study him, falling in love all over again, though she hated herself for it. "Let's wait until we-"
"It wasn't a request, Beth. Do what I said, baby." He touched the side of her face and licked his lips. "Let me feel you against my fingers."
She nodded and worked her jeans open before lifting her ass and tugging at them.
"No. Leave them on." He shifted toward her and slid his hand down her stomach before working his way into her panties.
A shiver raced through her, and she moaned loudly, the liquor forcing her to comply much more than she wanted to. His fingers brushed down the top of her sex and worked to spread her lips, teasing and rubbing softly before pressing lower.
"So fucking silky, Beth. Hot and wet just like I like you." He rolled the tip of his finger along her entrance before pressing in a little.
"Shit," she groaned and pressed her hand to his on the outside of her jeans, forcing him to push in farther. Pleasure danced between her thighs as her nipples budded and heart began to race. "Be rough."
"Anything you want, lover." He jerked the car over to the side of the road, pulling his hand from her and put it in park. "God, I love you. I don't care what the fuck is going on with us. I want you so bad."
He moved halfway into her seat, pressing her to the comfortable leather chair and slipped his other hand into her panties, penetrating her and working two of his fingers deep into her as he brushed her hair back and made love to her mouth.
"Harder," she whispered, not quite sure where the need to have such violence in their sex was coming from.
"Mmmhmmm," he grumbled against her neck as he moved down to lick the top of her breasts, his fingers working pure magic against her tight slit.
She arched her back hard as an orgasm burst from her center and dragged her from the edge of depression.
"That's it, baby. Ride it hard. Don't let it go." He kissed her lips softly. "Don't let me go."
"I don't want to." She gripped him tightly as he petted her wetness and brought her down. "I don't want to, but I'm not sure how else to make this work."
"We'll figure it out together." He kissed her again and moved back into his seat. He replaced his hand with the other and rubbed her softly as she closed her eyes and tried hard to simply enjoy the pleasure of having his hands on her.
***
They barely made it into the house before he tore her shirt off of her. She reached for his and returned the favor. Thick muscle shivered under her fingers as she gripped his arms and wrapped her leg over his hip.
"God, you smell so fucking good. Like vanilla and sex." He gripped her other leg and forced her to wrap her legs around him as he walked them toward the bedroom.
The beer and shots from earlier had fully engulfed her to the point of being drunk. She had little inhibition before, and it was much worse with her state of mind. She lowered herself a little and rubbed against the thickness of his erection.
"I want you inside of me." She lifted back up, rubbing her nipples over his hardened skin. "Take my bra off."
"So demanding. I almost like it." He worked her bra off as she kissed and licked at his neck, pressing her teeth into the soft skin below his ear as he growled, "Be careful. You'll mark my skin."
"Good." She pressed her mouth to his ear as she reached between them to slip her fingers into the top of his slacks and tugged on the meaty head of his cock. "You left an ugly mark on me. Seems only fair that I return the favor."
"I'll keep that in mind." He popped her ass and dropped her on the bed. "No putting your teeth near anything that matters too much."
She laughed and stretched out on his bed as a silly smile formed on her lips. "Are we fucking tonight, or are you still waiting for me to need you.” She was throwing punches under the guise of being drunk, but it felt good.
"You already need me. Who else is going to fuck this sexy little body of yours?" He worked her jeans down her legs and snapped her panties off of her as she yelped.
"I can think of lots of guys who would love to try." She laughed loudly as he rolled her over and pulled at the front of her thighs as they pressed to the bed below.
"And they would die." He pulled harder. "Hands and knees. Now."
"I love doggie style. It's so deep." She stretched her hands out and pressed her face to the cold sheets as the room spun. Some part of her consciousness screamed for her to stop. Sleeping with him would only confuse things more. It's what had them in the hot mess they were dealing with in the first place. "We should talk." She hiccupped and laughed again.
"No more talking, baby. Not tonight." He pulled at her thighs and pressed his tongue to her wetness as she groaned loudly and spread her legs farther.
"I love it
when you do this." She gripped the sheets as desire for him swelled in her belly. "Touch my ass."
"There's my girl." He licked up the length of her body, taking the time to lavish her ass before pressing his thumb against it. "Fuck yourself, Beth. Take it from me. I'm the only man who's touching your body. Period."
"You're the only one I want." She pressed back against him as she cried out loudly. Nothing felt better than having him against her, taking her in any way he wanted to. Sex was healing, but what if it was all they had? It couldn't be. She loved him, and he'd mentioned earlier that night that he loved her.
She came hard against his tongue, and he lapped at her until she pulled away.
"I want your dick." She gripped the sheets as another wave of white-hot lust ran through her. She'd never been a whore, and yet with the man behind her, something about the part felt fitting. Like it was right to do so with him.
"I know you do, baby." He moved off the bed for a second, keeping his hand on her ass, gripping it tightly. He moved back up and rubbed himself against her entrance as she panted softly and pressed back.
"Not yet, Beth. I wanna toy with you a little." He pressed in and gripped her ass tighter as she yelped in pleasure-pain. "You know you belong to me, right?"
"I know. I hate it, but I know." She pressed back again and sighed in relief as he gave in to her. The thick press of his body into hers was like coming home, like being welcomed into a place that didn't belong to anyone but her.
"So fucking beautiful." He caressed her ass and gripped her hips, rocking forward, massaging her until she shook.
"Slow down. I'm gonna come again." She slid her hands out in front of her, leaving her ass in the air on full display for him like an offer to him alone.
"I want you to come a few more times. You're so sloppy wet down there. I love it." He ran his hands up her back, gripping her sides tightly until he reached her shoulders and pulled, forcing himself the final few inches in.
Mister Big Stuff_A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel Page 72
