The Other Room (Door Peninsula Passions Book 2)

by Katherine Hastings

  “You’re incredible,” he said as his hands slid up my body, each finding a home on my breasts. I arched my back as he took one in his mouth, his tongue caressing my nipple. The sensation of his warm breath and the cool air sent shivers down my body, and I whimpered at his touch.

  His free hand drifted down my stomach and dipped beneath the only fabric keeping us apart. When his fingers slid between my legs, I bit my lip to keep from screaming out his name. Pure ecstasy flooded through me as his fingers sunk inside me, moving in rhythm with the tongue still tormenting my breast.

  “Oh my God,” I breathed as I rocked my hips with him, pressing myself into his palm. The friction combined with the sensation of his fingers inside me and his tongue twirling around my nipple had me ready to explode in moments.

  I dug my fingers into his back while I rode the tidal wave of pleasure his touch induced. Clamping my eyes shut, I inhaled a breath, holding it while I reached the crest, floating there in ecstasy for a moment before tumbling back over the other side with a cry.

  Boneless and satiated, I opened my eyes to find him staring down at me, a victorious smirk plastered across his face.

  “Hi,” he said.

  A lazy smile lifted my lips. “Hi.”

  He brushed a piece of hair out of my face, and I pressed my cheek into his palm.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” he said, lowering himself down for another kiss.

  “We’re just getting started,” I breathed into his mouth, reaching down and grabbing his cock in my hand. I captured his moan in my mouth while I pulled him toward me.

  “Don’t. Move,” he said, pecking me with kisses to punctuate each word.

  I lay back and watched him dig into his jeans, pulling out his wallet, and then a condom from inside.

  This was happening. Me and Matt. Together, we’d reached the point of no return. Not that I’d ever want to go back. Everything I’d ever wanted was finally within my grasp. And I wanted it between my legs.

  Now.

  Matt slid off my underwear, then lowered himself over me, pushing my knees open with his thighs. Our eyes locked while he pressed at my entrance, his eyes begging for permission. The weight of this decision passed between us in a silent conversation, and I answered by wrapping my arms around his hips and pulling him inside me.

  A surge of emotion ripped through me as he filled me with the full length of him. Our moans, saturated with pleasure, mingled into one and I dug my fingers into the small of his back.

  Pure uninhibited ecstasy traveled between us while he moved inside me. But as his speed increased, the boat rocked harder, the waves slapping against the sides. Matt slowed his movement to settle the boat, and the slow, deliberate thrusts nearly drove me over the edge.

  Forced to contain our passion, we moved together in a slow dance, our bodies connecting in the one way they never had. The fantasies I’d had about this moment, a moment I’d never dared to dream would come, paled in comparison to the reality. My fantasies faded into black and white movies compared to the technicolor of the real thing.

  Matt leaned down, pressing his lips to mine while he continued the slow movements that had me ready to explode again. I pulled his body into mine, holding him tight while I felt his rhythm speed up. Whimpering into his mouth, I pushed against him while my body tightened in anticipation. His body froze as he moaned his release, and his name rolled off my tongue on repeat while my body exploded with his.

  As we lay wrapped in each other’s arms, the boat rocked beneath us, slowing back down to a gentle sway. Matt collapsed at my side and pulled me up against his chest. His lips pressed into my forehead and I closed my eyes and sighed.

  “Okay. That was worth the wait.” He chuckled.

  “Definitely worth the wait.” I traced his stomach muscles with my finger.

  “Remind me again why we didn’t do this years ago?”

  “Because we’re stubborn idiots.”

  I looked up to see his familiar smile. His features were the same... the one’s I’d always admired on my best friend Matt. But this time he looked different to me. Better. He looked like someone I wasn’t done kissing.

  I climbed up his body and peppered his lips with kisses. His arms tightened around my waist as he returned them.

  “Now don’t go getting me all riled up again. I only had the one condom stuck in my wallet.”

  Furrowing my brow as I pouted, I broke off our kisses. “Just the one?”

  “Well, I didn’t exactly expect this to happen when I planned on confessing my feelings to you, now did I?”

  “You... you planned on telling me tonight?”

  “Yep. Thanks to your sister’s encouragement.”

  “I knew it!” I slapped his chest. “I knew she was up to no good with you tonight!”

  Matt caught my hand in his and squeezed it tight. “Well, I would say she was dead on with her superpower, and I for one am grateful she was up to no good tonight. If she hadn’t meddled, I never would have had the guts to tell you how I felt. And then we’d have spent another few decades pretending we didn’t have feelings for each other. So, I for one, say thank you, Jenna.”

  Even though I was pissed as hell she’d gone and put her nose where it didn’t belong, I’d also never been more grateful in my life. “Thank you, Jenna.” I chuckled.

  “And don’t you dare freak out and bolt on me, Jo. I know you. And I’m not letting you talk yourself out of this. Understood?”

  “Is that why you planned on telling me in a boat? So I couldn’t run?”

  He waggled his eyebrows. “Always thinking. Now no running. Got it?”

  With a deep sigh, I nodded. He was right. This would be the time when I would look for the escape hatch and bail before I had a chance to get hurt. Push him away before he could leave me. But if a man existed worthy of forcing myself to ride out my issues, then this was the one.

  This was Matt. My best friend and the man I’d loved since I was a little girl. And now I held him in my arms... and I had no intention of letting go.

  “So only the one condom, huh?” I bit my lip.

  “Yep. No corkscrew. No glasses. One condom. I’m crushing it over here.”

  “Do you know where there are more condoms?” I peeked up at him.

  “Where?”

  “Our cabin.” Waggling my eyebrows, I gestured toward the shore.

  Matt nearly dumped me on the floor of the boat. “Get dressed. I’ll paddle.”

  Laughing, I yanked on my sweatshirt while he pulled up his pants. I snuggled under the blanket as he grabbed the oars and paddled toward shore as fast as if he was in an Olympic rowing tryout.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  MATT

  If it didn’t mean moving and waking her up, I’d have pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Waking up with Jo wrapped up in my arms was a dream I’d had before. Many times in fact. But in the dream version of this scenario, I couldn’t feel the warmth of her skin, hear her shallow breaths, or smell the vanilla hues of her shampoo.

  I glanced down toward the end of the bed and saw Petunia’s eye boring into me.

  That answered that question.

  Nope. Not a dream. A terrifying feline interloper didn’t exist inside my Jo dreams. While I stared at Petunia, a thought did cross my mind. At least she’s near me without growling, hissing, or swatting at me. In fact, Petunia was lying on my legs.

  Shit. Was this a dream?

  I blinked hard and pressed my body tight against Jo’s. She shifted, wiggling in my arms before settling back against me.

  Not a dream.

  “Good morning, Roomster,” I whispered into her ear.

  Her body stiffened for a moment, and then a slow turn of her head brought us face to face.

  “Holy shit,” she breathed while she blinked back at me.

  I knew that look. I’d probably worn the same one when I woke up with her in my arms. Memories had flooded through my mind while I pieced back together
every moment that brought us here.

  Every incredible, perfect, mind-blowing moment.

  “Yep. I’m here. In your bed.”

  She brushed against my legs and her eyes widened even more. “And you’re naked.”

  “Yep.” I pulled back the covers and peeked beneath them. “And so are you.”

  “Holy shit. We’re naked. Together.”

  “And we did a lot of fun stuff naked.” I grinned and waggled my eyebrows.

  The shock on her face started to dissipate, and I felt her body relax.

  “I mean, I remember everything, but it still feels...”

  “Surreal.”

  “Yes! Surreal. That’s the word.”

  “Right there with you, Jo.”

  She pinched her brows together. “Good surreal, or bad surreal for you?”

  “Good surreal. Amazing surreal. It feels like... it feels like a snow day.”

  “A snow day?” she snorted. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  I pulled her tighter against my chest and rested my chin on the top of her head. “Do you remember when we were kids and a big snowstorm was coming the night before school, and we’d go to bed wishing and praying that we’d wake up to find school was canceled?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, on the mornings of snow days when I would wake up not to my alarm, or my mom yelling at me to get up, or my sisters screaming at each other over the bathroom, I would realize I’d gotten to sleep in because they had canceled school. And that feeling of excitement... of pure, unadulterated bliss was the happiest I’d ever felt. Just sheer fucking joy. And my whole life I’ve compared moments of happiness to how I felt waking up on a snow day. Very few have come close, and none have ever matched it. But waking up with you? Well, it feels like a snow day.”

  “Oh,” she breathed, and then wrapped her arms around me tight. I felt her warm breath drift across my skin with her sigh. “It kinda does feel like a snow day.”

  I kissed the top of her head and left my lips resting in her hair. Closing my eyes, I squeezed her tight, and I didn’t think I’d ever convince my arms to let go.

  Not after waiting all this time to hold her.

  “Too tight,” she squeaked out. “Can’t breathe.”

  I released my grip. “Oops. Sorry. I guess I got a little excited you’re actually in my arms.”

  “You’re excited? I’ve been dreaming about this forever.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything? Damn it, Jo!” I laughed.

  “Why didn’t you say anything? You’re as much to blame in our delay to the sack as I am!”

  “Ugh. Biggest dumbasses ever.”

  “Ever.”

  “But,” I said, pulling her around to face me, “we’re here now. And I’m not going anywhere. And I know you, which also means I know deep down you’re wanting to bolt out of here and run away.”

  “That’s not true.” She scowled. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”

  Lifting her chin with the tips of my fingers, I drew her in for a soft kiss. “I’m just saying, when you got freaked out about relationships, it has always been me you ran to who’d talk you down from the ledge. But now I’m the relationship, and I want you to know you can still run to me and tell me how you’re feeling. I’m still me. And you can be honest when you start to freak out, because you will start to freak out. And I sure as hell don’t want you bolting out of this... bolting from us.”

  “You want to be the guy I run to so I can talk about the guy I want to run away from, which will also be you?” She arched a brow.

  “Yep. I am still your best friend, Matt. Always will be. So, don’t you dare go through your freak-out phase without me.”

  She smiled and pressed another kiss to my lips. “I have a feeling we’re not going to go through that phase this time. I ran because I was scared of being hurt. I ran because I didn’t trust them. I ran because... well... because they weren’t you.”

  My heart swelled inside my chest, pushing against the walls trying to constrain it. “I love you, Jo.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She crawled up my body and pressed against me, our skin heating as our bodies tangled together. Grabbing her face, I pulled her in for a deep kiss. Tongues twisting, breaths quickening, our hands restarted the exploration they’d indulged in last night. I stroked the soft skin on her back, sliding my hand down to cup her ass and pull her on top of me.

  A low growl vibrated through the room, and we paused, turning our heads to see Petunia glaring at us.

  “Um,” I whispered into her ear, “I think we need to kick out the cat.”

  “Hey, she’s in the bed with you! That’s a big step!” Jo turned back and smiled. “She’s starting to like you!”

  “She’s also got really sharp claws, and she’s extremely close to my nuts. I’m having visions of how this could go and none of them end well.”

  Jo laughed and kissed my cheek. “Come on, Petunia. Let’s get you some food and... oh shit! Is that the time?” She snatched up her phone.

  “I haven’t looked yet.”

  “Shit. I’m covering the day shift, and I have to be at JJ’s in thirty minutes!”

  She started off the bed, but I caught her by the wrist and yanked her back into my arms. “It’s a snow day, remember?”

  After putting up a half-hearted fight, she settled back into my arms. “Unfortunately, I don’t think JJ’s will agree considering it’s August.”

  “Just call in sick.”

  “Don’t you have to work today, too?”

  I sighed. “Nope. Day off. You can have a day off, too, if you call in sick.” Waggling my eyebrows, I brushed a finger against her nipple.

  “Not fair!” She swatted it away. “Don’t tease me.”

  “It’s not teasing if I intend to follow through. And I definitely intend to follow through.” I dragged a finger down her abdomen and heard her breath hitch as I neared the place I’d given lots of attention last night.

  Her ragged breathing sped up as I inched my way closer, but just before I reached the spot I wanted to touch, taste, and plunge myself into, she stiffened and pushed my hand away.

  “You’re terrible. Mean and terrible. Now I’m going to be all fired up at work today.”

  “I can put that fire out.” I grinned.

  “I’ll be off work around five tonight, so we can pick up where we left off then. Deal?”

  Grumbling, I tightened my grip. “No deal.”

  “Matt!” She laughed and swatted my shoulder. “I have to shower!”

  “Grrr. Fine. But I get you the second you get off work. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  She started to get up, but I held her tight. “Wait. One more requirement to our deal before I let you go.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A date.”

  “Huh?”

  “Tonight, I’m taking you on a date. A real one. A real couple date.”

  “Matt, we don’t need a date. Dates are for getting to know each other before we get to this part... the sex, video games, and Netflix and chill nights. We’re already there!”

  “Nope.” I shook my head and squeezed tighter. “We are a couple now, and couples go on dates. Tonight, it’s you and me, romance all the way. If we’re going to start this thing, we’re going to do it right... not just add sex to what we already have. I say dinner at The Boathouse. We’ll sit up on the flybridge and watch a spectacular sunset, have cocktails, and indulge in those lobster rolls I keep hearing about and have yet to try.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she pressed her lips together. “I have wanted to try the lobster rolls.”

  “Lobster rolls, mojitos, a gorgeous sunset... this guy.” I waved a hand over my chest. “Date night. Deal?”

  She chewed on her cheek and then nodded. “Deal.”

  “Yes!” I grabbed her face and pulled her down for a kiss.

  “Okay,” she mumbled against my mouth. “I have to shower.”
>
  “Fine,” I breathed against her. “Abandon me. Go on.”

  “I’ll be counting the seconds until I can be back in your arms.” She pressed her face against my chest, then stiffened. “Are you wearing my deodorant?”

  “What?” I said, stalling.

  “Um, your armpits smell like my cocoa butter scented deodorant.” She lifted her head and impaled me with a knowing stare.

  A sheepish smile lifted my lips as I clenched my teeth and smiled. “Um. Maybe?”

  “Matt!” She slapped my shoulder. “Gross!”

  “Gross?” I huffed. “We just spent an entire night exchanging bodily fluids, but you’re grossed out by sharing deodorant?”

  “Don’t use my deodorant! There’s probably like, armpit hair in it now.” She pulled a face.

  “I ran out! And I was so freaked out about confessing my love for you last night I didn’t want to be seducing you in a pool of sweat, so I may have...” I shrugged, “you know, used yours.”

  “Get your ass to the Piggly Wiggly today and get your own damn deodorant!” She laughed. “We are going to share a lot of things now that we’re together, but deodorant and toothbrushes will never be on that list. Deal?”

  Chuckling, I sniffed my armpit. “It does smell pretty good, though.”

  “Matt!”

  “Deal!” I laughed and yanked her back down for a kiss.

  She pecked me one last time and then stood. The sight of her naked body sent blood racing back down below.

  “You’d better hurry up out of here if you don’t want me to pull you back into this bed.”

  She peeked over her shoulder, and the look in her eyes would have dropped me to my knees if I wasn’t already laying down. Desperate to touch her again, I sat up and reached for her, but she danced just out of my grasp.

  “Ah, ah, ah!” She shook her finger as she backed toward the door. “Later. Now I shower.”

  With a kiss blown off her fingertips, she ducked out of the bedroom.

  Holy fuck.

  I was with Jo. My Jo. This thing between us was happening. Finally. And even though I’d just held her in my arms and kissed her, I still struggled to believe it was real.