Bad Case of Loving You

by Deborah Cooke

  Theo.

  There was no point in being coy. There never was, to Lyssa’s thinking. She smiled, grabbed his hand and tugged him into the suite. He glanced around, maybe surprised that it was more than just a room, but Lyssa didn’t give him time to comment. She caught his face in her hands, stretched to her toes and looked Theo in the eye.

  “I want you,” she whispered with heat and saw an answering flare in his gaze. “Now.” And then she kissed him.

  She felt his resistance and couldn’t blame him for having doubts. She backed him into the door and flicked her tongue against his mouth, smiling into their kiss when he groaned and locked his arms around her. He angled his mouth over hers and deepened his kiss with a hunger unexpected. Lyssa didn’t hold anything back and in a heartbeat, Theo scooped her up and headed for the couch. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed herself against him so that he caught his breath.

  “Lyssa,” he whispered, a delicious edge to his voice. “I don’t have anything...”

  “I stopped in the lobby,” she said, indicating the condoms she’d just bought.

  “They hadn’t run out yet.”

  “Another vote for sex in the afternoon,” she said with a smile. “I always liked it.”

  “I remember. You planned this,” he murmured, his gaze searching.

  “Yes,” she said, unafraid to admit what she wanted. She smiled. “Aren’t you glad?” She kissed him again before he could answer. She felt him growl and knew he wanted to swear, but there was a better way to use that energy. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and ran her hands over his shoulders. He was wearing a black T-shirt and there was a bandage on his upper arm, as if he’d gotten a shot or something. Lyssa didn’t care. She slid her hands under that shirt and pushed it up, peeling it off of him and flinging it aside. He still wore that silver medallion on a chain, but it looked a lot smaller than it had once-upon-a-time. The sight of it made her throat tight with the memory of its meaning.

  Of course, Theo still wore it. He was the most constant man she’d ever known.

  “Yum,” she said and flattened her hands to run them across his chest. “It’s not fair that you look better than ever.”

  “It’s not fair that I can’t see to compare,” he said and tipped her onto the couch. She laughed as he tugged off her sweater, then she pulled the band out of her hair and shook it loose over her shoulders.

  “Purple,” he said, eying her lace bra.

  “White is so predictable.”

  “So I’ve heard,” he murmured and she liked that he remembered their first time. He cupped her breasts in his hands, his thumbs caressing her taut nipples through the lace of her bra, his eyes glowing with heat as she arched her back with pleasure.

  “Can’t be predictable, can we?” he said softly and before she could decide what he had planned, he had unzipped her jeans and pushed them over her hips. His hand was inside her panties, his fingers sliding into her slick heat so that she moaned with pleasure. Lyssa wriggled out of the panties and flung them across the room, not caring where they landed, and Theo chuckled.

  He was tracing a line of kisses from her lips to her throat, leaving a burning trail of fire across her skin. He opened the front clasp of her bra with his teeth, then captured one nipple in his mouth, suckling it to a hard point. His other hand teased her, and Lyssa gasped when he caught her clitoris between his finger and thumb. He pinched and rolled it, making her want to thrash beneath his touch.

  It was faster and hotter than they’d ever made love before, and the change was just perfect. She was starving for him and the pleasure he could give. She felt as if she’d survived a massive drought and needed Theo’s caress like a precious sip of water. He took her to the very cusp of release, then eased up, making her gasp with outrage that she’d been cheated.

  “You’ve become a tease,” she accused and he laughed.

  “I had to learn something in eleven years.” She heard his chuckle as he claimed the other nipple. His kiss was a little rougher on this one and she felt the graze of his teeth against the tender flesh. She gripped his head, snared in a haze of pleasure, knowing he could do anything he wanted to her.

  Of course, what he did was give her pleasure. His kisses trailed lower and she heard herself moan in anticipation. She parted her legs, welcoming him, and threw her head back as his mouth closed over her in possessive demand. This was a kiss she’d missed, and it was a thousand times better than she recalled. His tongue, his lips, his hands—and then his teeth. That little nip sent her to the moon, just the way it always did, and she shouted with ecstasy at her release.

  She was panting when she opened her eyes, only to find Theo smiling down at her with obvious satisfaction. “We’re not done,” she whispered, reaching for the condoms.

  “We certainly aren’t,” he said and kicked off his jeans. She liked that he was more forthright.

  That deserved a reward.

  Lyssa eased off the couch, kneeling in front of him, and took him in her mouth slowly. She heard him inhale sharply and felt him go taut, just the way he used to. His hands landed on her shoulders and she knew he’d tipped his head back. She wished the room had a mirror, like the one in her old apartment, so that she could watch him as she pleased him. She caressed him and teased him, remembering what he liked and how he liked it as if they had made love only the day before. She felt his muscles tighten as he came close to his release and felt once more that wonderful realization that she could hold this powerful man temporarily in thrall with her touch.

  “Lyssa!” he whispered in wonderful desperation. “Not like this.”

  She opened the package of condoms with one hand and pulled one out, flicking the end of her tongue one last time against the underside of the tip of his erection just to hear him catch his breath. Then she slid the condom over him, smoothing it with her fingertips and watching as he seemed to get even larger and harder. He didn’t move and she knew he was waiting for her to choose their position.

  “Always a gentleman,” she teased and he smiled, but his eyes were blazing with heat. She beckoned to him and they stretched out on the carpet together, kissing once more. She rolled him to his back and straddled him, liking how his hands landed on her waist.

  “It won’t be slow this time,” he warned her.

  “Good. I want to ride you hard,” she whispered as she took him inside her. He was huge, so much bigger than she recalled, but felt exactly right. She watched his nostrils flare, then his grip tightened on her waist and his gaze locked with hers once more. “Maybe I’ll make it slow,” she threatened as she moved.

  He rolled his hips, tipping his pelvis so he rubbed against her with every stroke. He knew exactly what he was doing and so did Lyssa. They’d learned long before how to prolong each other’s pleasure and she was glad not to be the only one who remembered.

  Their gazes locked and held as they moved together with greater and greater urgency. There was nothing in the world except the strength of Theo beneath her and within her, the power of him as he drove her to the cusp of pleasure once more. Lyssa felt alive and engaged in the moment as she once had been all the time. She saw the pattern in the Oriental carpet beneath Theo, the smooth darkness of his skin, the glitter in his eyes and the dark spikes of his lashes. His chest was smooth and superbly muscled and she could see a pulse at his throat. A chance beam of sunlight came through the window and fell across them, illuminating the contrast between the skin of her hands on his shoulders. She looked and she saw and she felt a powerful sense of union with him, one that stole her breath away.

  If only this moment could last forever. She’d sign up for that, but Lyssa knew it was the most fleeting moment of all.

  Still, she’d savor it.

  She lowered herself against Theo, gasping when the change of angle ensured her own pleasure. Her pulse was racing and so was his. Her breath came quickly and she felt hot, as if a fire simmered beneath her skin. She wanted more and she wanted release, both
simultaneously. Theo closed one hand around the back of her waist and the other at her nape, an embrace Lyssa found protective and possessive. When his lips touched her temple and he whispered her name, the combination made her feel cherished—and not just for how she looked. This man knew her for the impulsive disorganized passionate woman she was—and he wanted her even so. He’d seen her more naked than anyone else ever had and still he touched her with reverence.

  She tightened her grip upon him, heard the thunder of his heart, and knew they were both on the cusp of release. Then he moved with decisive power, a bold stroke that made her gasp as pleasure flooded through her. She cried out and ground her hips against him, then Theo roared, his arms locking convulsively around her as he found his own release.

  Lyssa closed her eyes and collapsed against his chest, knowing her memories hadn’t done Theo justice in the least.

  It took a while for Theo to catch his breath. He had nowhere to go and nowhere to be, though, nowhere as important as on the floor of Lyssa’s hotel room with her sweet heat on top of him. He could have stayed there, content, for hours.

  “Boom,” Lyssa finally said, such satisfaction in her tone that Theo smiled.

  “Boom,” he agreed and opened his eyes to look at her. Her eyes were sparkling with the mischief he remembered so well, and she looked on the verge of laughter, just as she had that first day. She slid down to the carpet beside him, disheveled and still smiling, and he felt that strange sense of being in exactly the right place—and prepared to stay.

  A beam of sunlight shone across their faces and he could see the few freckles on her nose and cheeks. He reached out and brushed a fingertip across them. “I thought I’d imagined them. You never have them in your pictures.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Freckles aren’t allowed when the goal is perfection.” She raised a hand to the outer corner of her eye. “Neither are crow’s feet.”

  “You don’t have crow’s feet.”

  “But I don’t have the smooth supple skin of sweet sixteen anymore either.” She sat up, her smile dismissed. “It’s all about appearances.”

  Theo watched her, wondering at her dissatisfaction. “There was a time when you said the only thing of importance was the surface.”

  “There was, and I still believe it.” Her smile was tight, as if she was trying to make a joke but didn’t find it funny herself. “I’m just on the wrong side of the proverbial line now.” She surveyed him and sighed. “How can you look better than ever?”

  “I think you look great.”

  “I think you’re being diplomatic, as you tend to be.” She bent and gave him a kiss that was quick enough to be dismissive. “And it’s different for men anyway.”

  Theo reached up and caught her nape in his hand. “Don’t run just yet,” he murmured and her gaze collided with his. Her expression softened and she smiled again.

  “It was really great, wasn’t it?” she said, an awe similar to his own in her voice. He felt as if he had her back again.

  “This or then?”

  “Both. I always think I must have imagined that it was so good and so easy. So powerful.”

  “Me, too,” Theo admitted.

  “But boom.”

  “Boom.” He let his thumb slide across her skin and watched her eyes widen a little. “Remind me again why this could never work out.”

  Lyssa caught her breath. “We’re too different. You’re the romantic. You’ll probably say we were making love.”

  “That explains boom.”

  She shook her head. “No. It was sex. Great sex. Awesome sex, but just sex. We always had great sex.” She turned to get up but Theo caught her hand.

  “Not to me.”

  “See? I told you we were too different.”

  He slid his fingertips up her arm and felt her shiver. “Maybe I could change your mind.”

  “Maybe you don’t give up easily,” she said and pulled her hand away. “Mr. Constant. Consistent. Steady as she goes. Always the same.”

  “You’re going to tell me that you always change?”

  “A moving canvas, or a work in progress. I have no desire to be the same two minutes in a row, never mind for my whole life.” She shook a finger at him. “You plan. I make impulsive choices. You’re conservative and traditional. I’m not. Too much difference, Theo, for more than good sex.”

  “Maybe we’re not as different now as we used to be,” he suggested, but she wasn’t having any of it.

  “Maybe you don’t know enough about me to see the truth.”

  “What do you want to tell me that’s going to take an hour?” he asked, remembering a suggestion she’d once made.

  “There’s no time now.” She got up and headed for the bathroom.

  “I can’t believe that you could tell me anything that would change my mind about you and who you are.”

  She flicked him a glance. “Hang on to that, Theo,” she advised and he wondered.

  He followed her, feeling as if he was missing part of the story.

  “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you on the rink,” she said when the water was running. “I remember how hard it was to convince you to dance, although I could never figure out why. You’re a great dancer.”

  “Just never liked the spotlight.” He leaned in the doorway, watching her. “But that changed.”

  “Why?” She met his gaze in the mirror, apparently curious.

  He frowned a little. “I had to do something for the club. I organize celebrity appearances and was hoping to make a splash with our New Year’s Eve party.” He gave her a look and she blushed.

  “I’m going to have to talk to Mercedes.” She waved that concern away. “But tell me more. Why is it so important?”

  “New Year’s resolutions. People join fitness clubs in droves around the first of the year, and it’s a competitive market. F5’s visibility as a cool place brings us a lot of new members, but each year, we have to work harder to get a lion’s share.”

  “Social media to the rescue,” she said. “I’ll be there. I promised.”

  “But Mercedes declined and I had a problem, so I asked Kyle for suggestions. He came up with this lip-sync contest, which meant I had to step out.”

  “Tough?”

  “Big change.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “You know, I actually do.”

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I am. But it’s fun and the team is great, and new registrations are up at the club as a result. I’m glad to be pulling my weight.” He met her gaze steadily, wishing she would confide in him now. “Maybe I should have listened to you sooner.”

  “I never told you to change.”

  “No, but you challenged me with your example.”

  She didn’t comment on that. “And I’m sure you really have a line of fangirls now.”

  “Yes, and that is strange.”

  “I don’t think so.” Lyssa’s gaze slid over him with obvious appreciation. “Doing this makes you more approachable.” She shivered suddenly and he realized the room was chilly.

  Theo stepped into the small room and pulled her close. She didn’t fight him but leaned against him in invitation. He kissed her slowly, reveling in the sense that he’d found her again. He wanted to keep this Lyssa, the one who challenged and provoked him, the one who made him feel so alive, but Theo sensed that the clock was ticking. She’d push him away or run any minute now.

  He was right. As soon as he lifted his head, she stepped out of his embrace. “You’re as seductive as ever,” she said, as if complaining about it, and reached for a towel.

  “Sounds like a criticism.” Theo noticed how her body language changed. She was brisk now, cleaning up, keeping her back to him. She wouldn’t even meet his gaze in the mirror.

  Why was she afraid just to be herself?

  What was she trying to hide?

  “Maybe it is. You might start talking about romance and love and forever and all that idealism—even po
etry!—and I might be tempted to forget everything I know to be true.” She made it sound like a joke, but he was sure she’d almost been convinced once upon a time.

  Until something reminded her of her earlier convictions.

  Had something happened when she went home that Christmas break?

  Theo leaned in the doorway to watch her, wondering if he’d glimpsed part of an explanation. “I can’t believe you’re still convinced that there’s nothing beyond the surface of things.”

  “But there isn’t. We judge everything by appearances.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “You must! You’re in the business of helping people look good.”

  “But it’s also the business of helping them feel good and be healthier. Being in shape isn’t superficial at all.”

  “I could argue that when people are in better shape, other people interact with them differently and that’s what changes their lives.”

  “That’s part of it. But feeling good is part of it, too. It affects confidence. I agree that a lot of people make a lot of conclusions based on appearances, but those convictions can be challenged by what’s beneath the surface.”

  “Like?”

  “Dreams. Goals. Insights.” He smiled. “Choices. Actions.”

  “There you go, sounding like my college mentor again.”

  “Don’t you think she was right?”

  “No, I still don’t.” Lyssa brushed her hair into a ponytail, then twisted it up, exposing her neck. Before he could touch her, she spun to face him. “You have to go,” she said flatly. “I have to be somewhere in forty minutes for Christmas Eve.”

  “Don’t tell me you have a date with another guy,” Theo said, intending to tease her, but she averted her gaze in a way that made his heart drop.

  “Okay, I won’t.”

  “Lyssa!”