by Maya Hughes
“I told her we’d be able to take it off her hands.” He grinned at me. His mom’s food was the stuff of legends.
I grabbed a plate from beside the sink and loaded it up with some turkey, stuffing, green beans, and every other treat the saint who was Heath’s mom had made for us. And then I sat at the table and I couldn’t even eat it. My mouth and my stomach were not in agreement.
Mak would be here soon, and my gut churned with equal parts anticipation and worry. Heath finished up in the kitchen, wolfing down his food while we went over what had happened over our two days away from campus. Nothing.
He got up and headed into the living room and up the stairs. Poking his head down over the banister, he called out, “Did you know Mak is standing out on the porch?”
I pushed my chair back, and it scraped against the floor.
“What?” Peering out the small pane of glass beside the front door, my heart sped up. Mak stood in a cream coat that hit her just above the knee. A navy skirt peeked out from under the coat. She had her gloved hands clasped in front of her as she fidgeted with them. And her hair was out just the way I liked it, falling in gentle waves around her face. It was topped off with a cute little hat I wanted to drag off her head so I could bury my face in her hair.
Glancing up at her lips, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She alternated between nibbling on them and talking, like she was rehearsing what she was going to say. I probably watched her a lot longer than I should, but I couldn’t help myself. If this was the end, I really didn’t want to speed things up.
Heath came rumbling down the stairs with his coat on and a backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Why don’t I give you two some privacy?”
Before I could stop him, he wrenched the door open as she stood there wide-eyed with her hand raised midknock.
“Hi, Mak. Bye, Mak,” he said cheerily as he hustled down the steps. We watched him go because it was easier to do that than to look at each other. The nervous coil in my chest made it hard to breathe. And then like a rubber-band snap, our gazes flew to each other.
“Can I come in?” She broke away from my gaze and stared down at her gloves. I soaked her in. Only when she glanced up did I realize I was still standing in the doorway and I hadn’t in fact said, Please, why don’t you come in? May I take your coat?
I stumbled back on numb legs, letting her in. She skirted past me, careful not to touch me as she stepped into the living room. That hurt.
Closing the door behind her, I took a deep breath and followed after her. She stood in the middle of the room like a vision of composure and restraint. My body hummed being so close to her. Wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans, I motioned for her to sit.
She dragged the hat off her head and held it in her lap. I sat and tried not to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. The silence stretched on between us, going from slightly awkward to someone-walking-in-on-you-in-the-bathroom levels of awkward. She sucked in a deep breath and glanced up at me with tears in her eyes. The moment I saw them, everything around us transformed. All I wanted to do was make it better.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out.
“I’m really sorry,” she said at the same time. Her voice was shaky, and she pursed her lips together like she was trying to hold back the tears.
She took another breath. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run out on you like that, and I shouldn’t have ignored your calls and texts. I was scared. I was really scared, Declan.” She peered up at me, pinning me with eyes filled with so many emotions I couldn’t catch on to one long enough. I was stunned. Frozen and unable to move as she poured it all out.
“I’m not exactly the best with being open about things.” She made a cute little noise like understatement of the year. “And I freak out, as you saw.” Her eyes lifted to the ceiling, blinking rapidly.
“I’m sorry about the paper. I should have made sure we were up and we turned it in together. I know you didn’t want to go to the party, and you didn’t want to be out late, but I got so wrapped up in the win and being out with you that I fucked it up.”
She tentatively put her hand over mine.
“No, you have nothing to be sorry for. It was me. If I didn’t want to go, I wouldn’t have gone. If I didn’t want to drink, I wouldn’t have. I should have made sure I was up to turn in the paper. Actually, I should have turned it in five days before it was due once we’d each proofread it once. I freaked out because anything less than a B+ in the class meant I wouldn’t be able to get into the BA/MD joint degree program.”
My stomach plummeted. I’d stopped her from getting into med school. She squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile that kept me from wanting to jump out a window. I put my other hand on top of hers, rubbing my thumb along her warm, smooth skin.
“It’s okay. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and it ended up being a good thing.”
I lifted an eyebrow, not seeing how her not getting into med school was a good thing.
“This gives me more time. Being a doctor was always Daniel’s dream. He’d wanted to be a doctor since he was five, and I kind of took that on as my own dream. I was doing it for the two of us. When we missed the deadline, I freaked out not just because of the program, but because I was letting him down.”
“You can’t live your life for him, Mak. I have no idea what it was like for you and your family to go through what you went through and are going through right now.” Her dad being sick was another blow. “But you can’t hold yourself to impossible standards I’m sure your brother wouldn’t have wanted you to have for yourself.” The standards she had for herself were higher than any coach I’d had. Hell, they were probably higher than Heath’s, and everyone knew he was insane.
“I know.” Her voice was quiet, and she stared at our hands wrapped up in each other on my lap. “I know I can’t. I’m slowly figuring that out. I’ll start talking to someone about my guilt and anxiety over everything that happened before, but you helped me see that the way I was living wasn’t really living.”
“I’m glad I could help, but don’t crap all over old Mak. She kept me in line this semester. It’s on track to be my best semester ever, even with the B- from Alcott. You got me to knuckle down and get my stuff done. You rubbed off on me.”
“You’re good at keeping me from going overboard, and I keep you in line. I think that’s a good combination.” She peered up at me with a small smile. Unable to hold back anymore, I lifted my hand and cupped it along the side of her face. When she closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, the tightness in my chest ebbed away. This was it for me. She was it for me, and the thought that I might never be able to touch her like this again had almost eaten me alive.
Dragging her onto my lap, I stared into her sky-blue eyes and pressed my lips to hers. It was gentle at first, but she wrapped her arms around my neck and all bets were off.
“I know you don’t think you are, but you’re perfect.”
Her mouth opened with a sigh, and I pushed my tongue in, needing to taste her. Two weeks had been too long. I slid my hand into her hair, the smell of citrus filling my nose even on a cold winter’s day. “You’re perfect for me, Mak.”
“And you’re perfect for me.” She stared into my eyes and nipped my bottom lip. My growl made her jump, and she squirmed. My shaft sprung to attention at her little dance of contentment on my lap. Palming her ass, I squeezed her even tighter, pressing her against my chest.
“We’re perfect for each other.” Coming up for air, I rested my forehead against hers. Our chests rose and fell in sync as we panted after breaking a lip-lock that had me threatening to burst through my jeans.
“I missed you.” I stared deeply into her eyes. I wanted her to know there wasn’t a minute we were apart that I hadn’t been thinking about her. Dreaming about her.
“I missed you too. I’m sorry.”
I pushed my finger to her lips. “We’ve said our sorries, but I think it’s time for you to make it up to
me for not talking to me for two weeks.” I put on a pout, and she laughed. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as that tingle shot down my spine. I wanted more of that.
“And how exactly do you propose that I make it up to you?”
Without another word I lifted her up off the couch and stalked toward the stairs.
“Declan, put me down! You’re going to drop me.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me.
“I won’t drop you as long as you stop fidgeting.”
She went stark stiff, and I laughed as I climbed the steps two at a time. Kicking the door to my bedroom shut, I set her on her feet, letting her slide down the front of me.
“All is forgiven on two conditions.”
She nodded before she even heard my terms.
“One. Never do that again. If you’re mad or you’re upset, I need you to talk to me.”
She nodded again. “I promise I won’t do that again. What’s the other condition?”
“You have to do one thing for me…” The corners of my mouth turned up, and I was sure I looked like a sneaky, villainous character out of a cartoon. Only I could assure her that both of us were going to love this devious little treat…
31
Makenna
“You have to do one thing for me…” The mischievous smile on his lips should have clued me in to the fact that I was in trouble. My body hummed in anticipation of what he wanted from me. It was written all over his Cheshire cat face.
“Can’t I take a shower first?” I glanced at his bedroom door. Maybe I could make a quick break for the bathroom.
Using his chest to corral me, he backed me up until my knees hit the edge of the mattress and I plopped down on the bed. My eyes got wide as he sank to his knees in front of me.
“No.” One word, laced with so much hunger and desire I could already feel the wetness pooling between my legs. My choice to wear a skirt seemed appropriate.
“Let go, Mak. Stop thinking and just feel. Not worrying about anything else. Not worrying about me or any other thoughts in your head other than how this feels. The only words out of your mouth should be telling me how you like it, my name, and I’ll even let you throw in a few ‘oh Gods.’”
My breath caught as he slid his hands along my thighs, pushing my skirt up my legs. The fabric scraping across my skin made me hyperaware of every inch of me he exposed.
“So bossy.” I meant it to come out jokingly, but it came out all breathy and hungry.
“I learned from the best.”
He slid his hands under my ass, lifted me, and tugged my underwear down. Keeping his gaze on me like he was afraid to break the trance, he slid them down my legs. Goosebumps rose all over my body as he crumbled them up in his hand and lifted them to his nose.
“You smell gorgeous. But I’m ready to sample straight from the source. Are you ready?” He stared into my eyes, searching for my decision.
I nibbled my lip and nodded as a broad smile spread across his lips. It lit me up like a Christmas tree.
“I don’t think I’m convinced yet. But don’t worry. I will be.” His hands were back on me, the rough skin traveling up my thighs. I parted them without any urging. My pussy was on fire, screaming out for his touch, but he seemed determined to draw this out.
Using his thumb, he traced the seam of my pussy, and my fingers dug into the bedspread under me. My hips jerked up, and he clamped his other hand down on my thigh so I couldn’t go anywhere. Pressing his thumb into me, he kneaded my thigh as an electric jolt shot up my spine.
“Declan.” I moaned his name and pleaded with my eyes for him to do it. Taking his thumb out, he replaced it with two fingers, getting in close between my legs, his chest between my knees. The fullness from his fingers had the crest of my orgasm close already.
“How does it feel, Mak?” He pumped his fingers in and out, and my pussy fluttered and clenched around them. The pleasure rolling through me stole my breath away. I might have made a noise that kind of sounded like good. I couldn’t even form words.
He pulled his fingers out of me, and I gasped at the sudden loss. Cool air replaced the heat of his fingers, and my core screamed for more. Keeping his eyes on mine, he lifted his fingers to his mouth and sucked on them like he was savoring the sweetest treat.
He repeated the torture all over again with his other hand, bringing his fingers to his mouth, and I writhed on the bed, so close to my peak. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I need you. I want you to go down on me.” The words nearly stalled in my throat, but I pushed them out. I needed this. I needed to finally let go and let him show me what it was like to not be in control of everything.
“Finally!” His smile turned into a look of overwhelming desire and hunger, and he shoved my skirt up around my waist and lowered his head. Licking my dry lips, I let him spread my legs farther. His stubble scraped against my thighs, and I sucked in a shuddering breath.
Instead of going for a slow introduction, Declan had other ideas and went for complete and total implosion. Like a man starved, he delved into my pussy, his nose nudging my clit. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I knew he was right. What I’d felt before was nothing like this.
Shooting my fingers into his hair, I cried out as my legs jerked and shook. There were too many sensations going on. It was too much, and I tried to close my legs. Overwhelmingly rapturous indulgence plunged me off the cliff into a pool where only my throbbing clit, clenching pussy and his tongue existed.
“Now that I’ve had a taste, don’t think you’re going to be able to get me from between these legs. I’m planting a flag. This is the New World, Books.” He pumped three fingers inside of me like his tongue wasn’t already enough to send me into a spiral of pleasure so fast my stomach clenched and my toes curled.
Writhing, I fell back, my body aflame as he feasted on me. Every nerve focused on the pleasure pulsing from his tongue. He sucked my clit into his mouth, lapping and tugging on it like he did my nipples, and I clamped my legs around his head. It was too much. Too good, almost painful.
“Fuck!” Screaming into the air, I couldn’t catch my breath. My heart pounded, and my eyes rolled back in my head. My orgasm built as the waves crested higher until I was seconds away from blacking out.
“Declan—” My voice came out reedy and needy, cut off by a jolt that rocketed through my body as he curled his fingers inside me, rubbing against the spot only I’d been able to find before.
His tongue and fingers were everywhere. They were everything. My body trembled, and there was a thin sheen of sweat covering me. I didn’t know if it had been a minute or twenty, but I knew I might die and I was completely okay if that was how I was going to go.
32
Declan
Watching Mak come apart under my mouth and my hands was the most satisfying feeling I’d ever felt in my life. Her deep, rich flavor made my mouth water even as I lapped at her pussy and sucked on her clit. She might have thought I was joking when I said this was my new favorite place, but I wasn’t.
My cock throbbed in time to my heartbeat, and I was tempted to take it out and wrap my hand around my shaft, to relieve some of the pressure, but this was about her. This was about giving Mak what she needed, and right now she needed me eating her out until she didn’t remember her name.
With her thighs clamped on either side of my head, I knew she was close. Her pussy clenched around my fingers as I sucked on her clit. My pride soared as she thrashed on the bed and her cries of pleasure fell from her lips. Lapping up her sweetness, I couldn’t get enough. Her grip on my hair tightened to the point of pain, but I’d endure it for the way her eyes blazed into mine.
It was a cross between surprise and the sexiest look on her face ever.
But the scream.
My name on her lips as her back arched off the bed. Every muscle in her body tightened, and I tapped on her clit, sending her even higher. She was in sweetness overload as I ran my tongue up and down her lips
, savoring every last drop. Pushing my head away, she collapsed into a boneless, panting heap on the bed, trembling and shaking, gentle moans bursting free from her parted lips.
Triumphant, I stood at the end of the bed and soaked her in, my face covered in the evidence of just how good it had been for her. I would wear that cologne any day. Every day if I could.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she gave me a lazy smile. Her eyes glittered with amusement. I’d turned my girl liquid. Licking her lips, she beckoned me forward. I climbed onto the bed, still fully clothed.
“How was that for you?” Lying down next to her, I ran my fingers through her wild hair.
“It was okay.” She shrugged and actually managed to keep a straight face.
“Just okay?” I ran my hand over my stomach.
“I mean, it was passable.”
“Passable?” I wiggled my fingers, digging them into her stomach and sides. She jumped and laughed, trying to push my hands away as I tickled her.
“Okay, okay,” she said through her gasping laughter and giving in. “More than passable, but I think we’re going to have to do a lot of research about this. I don’t want to make a snap decision.” A mischievous smile turned up the edges of her lips. “But there is one other thing I think we’re going to have to investigate tonight.” Her hand skimmed down my chest, cupping my shaft. I was rock-hard, but my entire focus was on her. All her. She nibbled on her bottom lip, and I captured it between my lips, nipping her.
“I think that can be arranged.” I let her push me over onto my back and get to work undoing my jeans. Tugging them down, my cock sprang out, tapping against my stomach. She wrapped her soft, warm hand around it, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of hard work tonight. Are you up for it?” She stroked me, running her thumb over the crown of my dick, spreading the glistening precum. I resisted the urge to throw her down on the bed and sink inside her. Letting her have her fun was almost as good.
