We both stepped forward at the same time. I pressed my hands against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist, tugging me close, the way we'd been at the club when we'd danced.
But this time there was no music, no loud driving beat. The only sound in the room was our equally heavy breathing.
"You're gorgeous." He ran his hands up and down my back, around my ribs, to my stomach and up between my breasts. His calloused fingers were rough against my skin, a delicious friction. His hands paused in a few places, fingers exploring. I knew he had found the light bumps of some long-healed scars, but he didn't say anything about them. This wasn't the time for questions.
Nathan bought his lips back to mine. I clung to him, wanting to feel his solid body against my own bare flesh. His firm length dug into my hip through his jeans. I ground down against it. He groaned and the sound sent a fresh wave of heat flooding through me. My panties were already damp.
I needed his touch. I hungered for it.
I took one of his hands from my back and pressed his palm to my belly. I made sure to capture his gaze as I slid that hand lower.
He didn't pause, continuing the path himself, slowly, teasing, until the tips of his fingers had inched under the elastic band. He tugged my panties down my legs, to my ankles. I kicked them away easily and rolled my hips forward, urging him to continue.
His thumb brushed the sensitive nub at the apex of my thighs. I let out a small moan. He pressed his thumb down and I whimpered as he rubbed in circles, soft yet firm. One finger slipped between my lower lips, tracing my entrance. I held my breath. He pushed in, that delicious friction feeling a thousand times better from the inside. I dug my nails into his arms as my legs went shaky.
He pumped in and out with a steady rhythm. My thighs trembled. I was barely able to keep on my feet. I should have let him lower me to the bed first, but I wasn't about to make him stop.
He pushed two fingers in and my head fell forward onto his chest. I squeezed my eyes shut as the pleasure took me higher and higher, stealing my breath, taking away all reason, until—
I cried out, long and loud. A distant part of me was glad he'd told me he had no neighbors. I didn't think I'd ever been that loud in my life.
My legs did give out then as the last aftershocks went through me. Nathan caught me, keeping me upright. He pressed a kiss to my hair as I caught my breath.
"So fucking gorgeous," he murmured quietly, as if I weren't meant to hear the words.
I was still panting when I registered a hardness poking into my hip.
I took him by the shoulders. This time I was the one walking him backwards. When the back of his knees hit the bed, I pushed him down, climbing on top of him with my legs spread to either side.
His eyes went wide, surprised, but not displeased. I popped open the button of his pants and tugged. He quickly helped me divest him of his jeans before settling back down, content to let me hover above him.
His stiff length was now on display, thick and glossy at the tip. I took him in my hands and stroked lightly, cataloguing the feel of him, the warmth, the texture. I darted down to give an experimental lick, startling him just like I'd planned. He let out a muffled hiss and sat up to scramble at his nightstand drawer. He took out a foil packet, ripped it open and quickly rolled on protection.
Our eyes met as I brought him to nestle just between my folds. I shifted my hips until he was in just the right spot. I slid downward, enveloping him in my warmth.
My eyes squeezed shut at the burn of it as my body tried to accommodate him. I bit my lip, holding my breath.
My eyes flew open when a hand pressed to my cheek. Nathan's expression was concerned, alarmed.
"Are you okay?" he breathed. He was halfway inside me and yet it felt as if I'd taken every inch of him already.
I nodded, letting out a shaky moan.
His eyes went wide for the second time that night.
"You're not—?" he gaped.
"No!" I said, my voice strangled. "I'm not a virgin. It's just… been a while."
I didn't tell him he was now the only other man I'd been with, since my first.
The worry on his face didn't ease. "Tell me if you want to st— Fuck!"
He let out a grunted curse as I released the tension in my thighs and let myself fall, taking him in one quick slide.
It burned, yes, but it wasn't exactly painful. I felt full, stretched, as my insides fluttered and pulsed around him.
I rose up and pushed down again.
"Shit," he groaned, head falling back against the bedsheets.
I leaned forward as far as I could go while still keeping him inside me, and gave him a kiss. He returned it, cupping his hand against my head and crushing our mouths together, hot and slick, and that inferno inside me ignited once again.
I continued the steady rhythm, lifting up then falling down, enjoying the curse words leaving his lips with every slide in and out.
But before long, my already tired legs began to give out and I struggled to keep going.
Nathan sensed it, wrapping his arms around me and flipping us in one smooth move until I was underneath him. He pinned me to the bed, both my hands above my head, and thrust back inside. I moaned at this new angle, feeling the stretch in a completely different way.
Nathan dropped his forehead until it was touching mine, his lips mere inches from mine.
"Come on, gorgeous," he murmured. "I want you to come for me."
I let out a whine at the back of my throat. My muscles strained. My breath came in fits and starts. I was so, so close. His thumb returned to my clit and I groaned. He circled and flicked and rubbed and played with me incessantly.
"Come for me," he demanded.
It hit me at all once, shocking me senseless. Every limb locked tight as my orgasm sang through my body. My vision went dark, sight taken from me as my mind exploded with raging pleasure. My inner walls clenched down and I heard him groan. He twitched and jerked inside me, finding his own release.
We trembled together, clutching each other, panting and gasping, until the waves subsided. Nathan flopped onto the bed next to me, still breathing heavily.
"Fuck," he said, running a hand over his face.
"Damn," I groaned, agreeing with the unspoken sentiment.
I snuggled up to his chest, and even as I did so, I wondered if he would let me. But Nathan wrapped his around my waist and pulled me closer, tangling our limbs together as we lay there quietly.
My body still buzzed with the aftermath, but my breathing slowly evened out. I traced my fingers along the tattoos on his chest, enjoying his occasional shiver.
I didn't think I'd experienced anything like that in… ever, maybe. I certainly couldn't remember the last time I'd come hard enough to black out.
I was no longer so jealous of Nathan's guitar, now that I'd experienced those fingers myself. He certainly was talented with his hands.
Was it only a few hours ago that we'd been joking about him feeling up his instruments? It felt like a lifetime. The whole night had been a whirlwind. An unexpected, amazing whirlwind.
But unfortunately, that whirlwind couldn't rage on forever.
I pressed a quick kiss to Nathan's cheek and slid out of bed to slip back into my clothes.
"You cold?" he asked as he sat up, reclining on his arms. "I can turn on the heat."
"No, it's okay." I grabbed my phone from my purse and tapped on the taxi app. I turned back to Nathan. "Tonight was wonderful."
A smirk played on his lips. "Did you doubt it would be anything less?"
I laughed. I really liked this guy, despite the ego. I went back to the bed and leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. He buried his hands in my hair, angling the kiss, trying to deepen it. I pulled back reluctantly.
"Thank you," I said softly. I grabbed my purse and double-checked I had everything. I looked back up. "I had an amazing time."
His deep blue eyes grew confused. "You don't want to go again?"
"Insatiable," I teased. A pang of sadness hit my chest as I headed toward the door. "Good luck, Nathan. When you get that shot at a solo, you're going to kick ass."
I closed the bedroom door behind me, leaving Nathan alone, tangled in the bedsheets, looking bewildered.
I wondered if he was always the one who left first. Maybe he'd never had a girl walk out on him before.
It was for the best, I reminded myself. I'd known exactly what this was going into it.
My lips still tingled and my insides still ached as I climbed into the waiting taxi, sensations I hadn't experienced in years.
The whole evening had felt like a dream. Nothing about tonight felt like real life.
I hugged my purse to my chest.
Who wanted to live in real life, anyway?
6
"You okay, honey?"
I blinked up at my mom, spoon halfway to my mouth.
"Yeah," I said cautiously, not liking her concerned tone. "Why?"
She nodded to the utensil in my hand. The spoon was empty. I was about to take a mouthful of air.
I lowered it back to the cereal bowl.
"I'm just a little tired," I said. "Didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"You went to that author signing at the library, right?" my mom asked as she poured me a glass of orange juice. "I wouldn't think it would go on so late. Did you have fun?"
"It was great," I lied. "I went out with some people for coffee afterwards. I had a good time."
The dull ache in my thighs betrayed that lie. I'd had way more than just a good time. I'd had one of the best nights of my life.
"I'm glad, honey," my mom said. "You deserve to have some fun." She sat down across from me at the kitchen table with her own bowl of cereal. "Do you think you'll see him again?"
My spoon clattered against the table.
"What?" I squeaked.
"The boy who told you about the event," she said. I remembered the half-truth I'd told my mom. "Do you think you'll see him around the hospital?"
A flutter of panic gripped my chest just as tight as I gripped my spoon.
Crap. I hadn't thought of that.
Nathan Walker was rich, famous, a celebrity. I'd never expected to see him again.
But he'd been visiting someone at the hospital. There was a chance, if his friend was still there, he'd be back to visit.
"You should thank him for telling you about that author signing," my mom said. "It sounds like you had a nice time."
I nearly choked on my tongue.
"Yeah, it was nice all right." I pushed back abruptly from the table and stood. "I've got to run if I don't want to be late for my shift."
"Take it easy today, okay?" my mom said. "If you had a late night, you don't want to overdo it."
Nodding silently and trying to push down the twinge of annoyance rising in my chest, I washed my bowl and spoon in the sink, then headed downstairs to my bedroom.
I technically lived in my own studio apartment, but the door separating the main house from the downstairs was always kept unlocked so I could come and go as pleased. I ate most meals with my family and often raided their fridge, but that one door kept up the polite fiction that I was an independent adult living on my own. It was the closest compromise my parents and I could come up with. At least I had my own private entrance.
As I got ready for work, I cleaned up random pieces of clothes and papers and candy wrappers. My place wasn't a complete mess, but compared to Nathan's tidy apartment, it was a disaster zone.
Nathan. It had been less than twelve hours since I'd walked out on him. I wondered how he felt about that. He might have felt slighted or upset. Or maybe he'd simply shrugged and rolled over to go to sleep.
I didn't know which bothered me more.
I shoved those thoughts aside, laced my sneakers, and headed to work.
When I got to the pet shop I nodded to my coworker, busy at the register, and put on my store-branded apron. No sooner had I tied the strings behind my back than I was approached by an older woman with short, bright purple hair carrying a small corgi in her arms.
"Excuse me, miss?"
"Yes, how can I help you?" I replied in my cheerful, polite customer-service voice.
"What would you recommend for dental bones?" the woman asked.
She peppered me with questions about the various kinds of dog toys we had available. It was almost enough to distract me from my thoughts. But even as I talked her through the various options, I couldn't help but wonder.
I'd had a really fun night, even before the sex. Bantering before the concert, flirting at the club, grinding against each other on the dance floor…
Had Nathan enjoyed himself as much as I had?
"Thank you, dear," the woman finally said. Her basket was overflowing with dog toys and treats. "Where do I check out?"
I guided her to the cash register. Too bad I didn't make commission. That would have been a nice chunk of change.
I worked steadily all day, with barely enough time to say a word to my coworker. The store was near closing when the last customer left. As the employee responsible for the closing shift, I did my usual routine of putting away items left lying around in the wrong places. I was so focused on trying to put back a large box on the top shelf that I didn't hear the bells jingling at the doors to signal someone entering.
"Let me help with that." A man's hand took the box from mine and set it carefully on the shelf.
"Thank you," I said as I turned. "I appreciate it—"
I stopped mid-sentence.
Nathan Walker's face was three inches away from mine. His handsome, flawless face. I stared at him. The world turned fuzzy. His dark blue eyes sparkled, almost dazzling me.
I blinked, my gaze focusing again.
"Hey," I said numbly.
"Hey," he replied with a wicked curve to his lips.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Shopping."
I'd mentally prepared myself to perhaps run into him some time in the future at the hospital. I hadn't been mentally prepared to run into him less than a day after he'd screwed my brains out.
"Are you stalking me?" I blurted.
That curve spread from ear to ear. "Would you like that?"
I took a step back. I bumped into the shelves, making them wobble dangerously. He put a hand out to steady them. I thought maybe he'd say something to knock me even more off balance, but he didn't.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'm not a stalker. I'm just taking care of my mom's place while she's away and this is the closest pet shop."
I was torn between disappointment and relief. As flattering as it would have been to have someone like Nathan Walker try to track me down, to hear that he'd wanted to see me again after the night we'd spent together, I knew nothing good could possibly come of that.
"I'm looking for cat stuff," he continued. "Maybe you can help me out?"
"Cat stuff?" I repeated.
"Food. Chew toys or whatever. Those rocks that go into a litter box." He shrugged. "You know. Cat stuff."
It didn't matter that his beautiful eyes were as blue as the depths of the ocean, or that his smile was enough to make my knees weak. It didn't matter that I had the sudden urge to pull him into the backroom and have my way with him again. I had a customer to take care of.
And said customer wanted cat stuff. Like rocks.
"Are you a new pet owner?" I half-dreaded his answer. I hated when people bought pets before doing any research. It seemed like the kind of impulsive, irresponsible thing someone like Nathan might do.
"No. It's my mom's cat. Why?"
"It just seems like you don't know a lot about cats, is all. I'd be worried for the poor thing if its owner didn't know how to take care of it."
"What's there to know about cats?" He spread his hands wide. "You feed them and water them. Done."
I held back a smile. "It's plants that get watered. Cats have food dishes."
"See, I knew yo
u'd be able to help me."
He flashed me a grin. My head went dizzy again. I'd read about charming smiles, but I'd never thought it was an actual thing people could do in real life until I'd met Nathan Walker.
"So," he said, breaking my thoughts. "Cat stuff?"
"Right." I waved my hand to the bags of litter, determined to remain professional. "Let's go with the most important thing first. Do you know what brand the cat likes?"
"Nope."
"Cats can be picky sometimes."
"I'll get one of each, then."
"We have ten different kinds."
But he was already moving on, acting as if there was nothing more between us than a simple shopping trip.
"I don't know what kind of food she eats," he said. "Maybe I'll get one of each of those too."
"We carry fifteen brands of cat food."
I had a feeling he wouldn't care about that, either. World-famous rock stars made a lot of money. Now I really regretted not making commission.
"And what about toys?" he asked. "I don't want Cleo to get bored."
"Her name is Cleo?" I asked. "Short for Cleopatra?"
"Cute, right?" A fond smile crossed his lips. "My mom named her."
"It is cute," I agreed. "How old is she?"
"Only a year. My mom got her to keep from getting lonely once I started going off touring."
He looked around and fiddled with some catnip bags. I noticed the thin red lines all over the back of his hand.
"You're all scratched up," I said, alarmed.
"Cleo doesn't really like me," he said with a rueful grin. "Animals in general don't like me." He examined the scratches on his hand. "What about toys? You got anything cool? Maybe I can keep her from using me as her scratching post."
My eyes lit up. "We just got these great new cat trees. They've got multiple levels and tons of scratching posts and this part where you can hang a dangling toy for them to bat at."
"You've sold me on it," he chuckled. "Sounds fancier than the toys I got as a kid."
"Some people do pamper their pets like children."
"So you work at a pet store and volunteer at a hospital?" Nathan asked as I rang everything up. "Must keep you pretty busy."
Hard Rock Kiss Page 4
