Out Of Line

by Jen McLaughlin

  “Right here.”

  She eyed me, her eyes dancing. “Is it you?”

  “I wrapped something with a bow.”

  Her gaze dropped to my cock, and her voice came out breathy. “Seriously?”

  I burst into laughter. “Nope.”

  “Darn, that would’ve been fun.”

  I made a mental note to remember the idea. “It’s better than that.” I reached into her bag and retrieved the item I needed. I brandished her anatomy book with more flair than I knew I had in me. All for the greater good, of course. “We’re spending the night…studying!”

  “Studying. Really,” she said dryly. “I can hardly contain my excitement.”

  “I see that,” I said, laughing. “But that’s not all.”

  She perked up. “Oh? What else?”

  “Every time you get an answer right, I get to kiss you anywhere I want.” I let my gaze dip down low. “And I’ve got a few ideas where I’d like to start.”

  Her cheeks flushed and she licked her lips. “And if I get it wrong?”

  “Then you don’t get kisses and you go home with Cory to study.”

  “I thought you hated him.”

  I gently shoved her down on the couch and laid my body on top of hers. “I do.” I nibbled on her ear, biting a little bit harder than necessary. “So you better get the answers right.”

  She dug her nails into my shoulders. “Fine, but I need time to study.”

  “Time granted.” I gave her a long, searching kiss, my tongue circling hers. When she kissed me back without hesitation, her body melding into mine more completely than her mouth, I almost forgot her need to study. Almost forgot part of my job was to make sure she didn’t get distracted from her duties.

  I was distracting her, and I had to stop.

  With a groan, I pulled back and ended the kiss. “No more of that until our studying session starts.” Hopping to my feet, I handed her the textbook and headed for the kitchen. “I’ll be out on the patio, cooking you dinner.”

  She blinked up at me. “You cook?”

  “Hell yeah, I cook. Better than that, I grill. I have one on the back porch.” I gave her a cocky grin. “I’m more than a pretty face, Ginger.”

  “I already knew that,” she said gently, meeting my eyes. “In fact, I knew it as soon as you opened your mouth and told me about yourself.”

  I froze. I had been mostly joking, but I’d dealt with the assumptions I was nothing more than a pretty boy with no goals all my life. Hell, right now I was playing the part of that exact type of person. She saw the real me? Knew I had goals and aspirations?

  I cleared my throat and forced myself to stop standing there like an idiot. “Uh, good. Now off I go. Study hard, woman. I don’t want you hanging out with Cory.”

  She laughed and cracked open the book while I set about getting ready to grill some burgers outside. But first, I pulled the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and grabbed some milk. I scooped half the container into the blender, added milk, then threw in some Oreos for good measure. I had promised her a milkshake before realizing she had to study, and she’d damn well get it.

  I switched the blender on, and she looked up at me. When she saw what I was making, her eyes went wide. After I switched off the blender, she said, “You make milkshakes too?”

  “Yep.” I pulled two red cups out of the cabinet. “And they’re the best you’ll ever have.”

  “Really?”

  I emptied the contents of the blender into the glasses and stuck two straws into the cups. “See for yourself.”

  I crossed the room and gave her the glass with more in it. She took it from my hand, her fingers brushing mine as she did so. She wrapped her perfect lips around the straw and closed her eyes. And I was jealous of a fucking straw. “Holy crap, you’re right.”

  “I know I am.” I grinned. “Now get back to studying, or I’m taking it back.”

  She hugged it to her chest. “Never.”

  Her phone rang and she dug it out. “Hello?” Silence. “Yeah, of course I can help you. How about tomorrow after class?” More silence. “Sure. I’ll see you then, Keith.”

  Keith. Who the hell was Keith?

  She hung up and smiled at me. I arched a brow. “Should I be worried about this Keith guy?”

  “Nope.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Remember the guy Cory was mean to?”

  Nerd boy. “Yeah.”

  “He asked me to help him plan the booth the school is running at the Relay for a Cure taking place next week.” She set down her phone. “I told him to contact me if he needed help. His parents died of cancer…and so did your mom. So I wanted to help.”

  I swallowed hard, moved by her compassion. “That’s nice of you.”

  “It’s nothing at all,” she murmured distractedly, taking a sip of her milkshake. “I wish I could do more.”

  Her attention was on her book, so I left her alone. She was always so busy wishing she could do more that she didn’t see she was doing enough. Her heart was big enough to encompass everyone around her, including me. I headed back into the kitchen, sipping my own milkshake. As I sliced the tomatoes and onions, I kept stealing glances at her. She sat on my couch, completely silent with her head bowed over the book, and I couldn’t get my mind off how much I liked this little bit of domesticity. I could get used to cooking while she studied.

  And I could definitely get used to helping her study.

  Hopefully when I told her the truth later tonight…it wouldn’t be a thing of the past. I just wanted to let her study before the fighting began. Or so I kept telling myself.

  Though studying hadn’t been in my plans for the night, I hadn’t missed the way she’d hesitated when Cory asked her if she wanted to study. I knew she was torn between doing what she wanted to do, and what she should do. Hell, I knew that particular dilemma all too well. So I made the decision for her. She could have both. She didn’t need Cory to study.

  She had me.

  I might not be going to college to become a doctor, but I could certainly hold up a flashcard and help her cram words into her head. When I finished cooking dinner, I headed back inside. She was still on the couch, but she’d sprawled out across it and was balancing the book on her chest. I set the platter of burgers down on the kitchen counter, cracked open a beer, and took a long draw, my eyes on her the whole time. She’d finished her milkshake. Maybe I’d make her another one later. Anything to make her happy.

  Her mouth moved silently as she read, but otherwise she was still. Yep. I definitely could get used to this. “Dinner’s ready.”

  She jumped slightly and looked at me. “What?”

  “Dinner.” I motioned to the plate behind me. “It’s ready.”

  “Oh.” She set the book down and rubbed her temples. “I didn’t realize I’d been reading that long.”

  “Yep, you were.”

  I stood in front of her and tugged her to her feet. She wrapped her arms around me once she was standing, then kissed the spot directly over my heart. I hugged her close, my heart speeding up at the soft kiss. I wished…

  Wished these things would never change. Wished she wouldn’t have to hate me. Wished I didn’t have to tell her the truth tonight. The cowardly part of me wanted to hold back. Wait. But I knew it was the right thing to do, even if I didn’t want to.

  She rose up on tiptoes and kissed me. “Ready?”

  Hell no. “Yeah, come on.”

  I grabbed her hand and led her into the kitchen. As we built our burgers, mine with mustard and ketchup, hers just ketchup, I kept stealing glances at her. She was tapping her foot as she created her meal, her lips moving silently. I had no idea if she was singing or citing medical terms, but either way…fucking adorable.

  I gri
nned. “You singing a song over there?”

  “Hm?” Her foot stopped mid-tap. “Maybe.”

  I scooped her up in my arms. “Don’t stop. I love it.”

  Her cheeks tinged pink. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She pushed out of my arms and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Well, then, you better get used to it. I’m kind of a dork.”

  “I find you adorkable.”

  She snorted. “That was a pretty adorkable thing to say.”

  “We have to stick together.”

  She flopped down on the couch. “I have to eat this, then give me ten more minutes to study.” She picked her burger up. “Then we play.”

  “Deal.”

  We ate in companionable silence. Once she was finished, I cleared our plates and busied myself with the dishes while she studied. I leaned against the counter and dried my hands. “How’s it going over there?”

  She glanced up at me. “I feel like I ate a house, but I think I’m ready.”

  I crossed the room and took the book out of her hands. I glanced down at the page and scrunched my eyebrows together. “Exciting stuff, huh?”

  “It’s anatomy.” She stretched her arms over her head, baring a tiny strip of stomach. That was all I needed to want her. Hell, I didn’t even need that. “None of it is exciting.”

  “I beg to differ,” I said. I dropped to my knees in front of the couch and pushed her shirt back up. She sucked in a deep breath and held it, her bright blue eyes on me. “I find anatomy, yours in particular, quite exciting.”

  She arched a ginger brow at me. “Oh really?”

  “Mmhm.” I ran my fingers over the bare strip of skin and kissed it. “Really.”

  She threaded her hands through my hair, holding me there. I closed my eyes and practically purred like a cat. This. Right here. I could live like this quite happily for the rest of my life. I nibbled on the patch of skin right under her belly button, tightening my grip on her hips when she started squirming.

  “Don’t stop doing that,” she whispered, her eyes drifting shut. “Like, ever.”

  I didn’t want to. “Are you sore?”

  “No.” Her cheeks turned red, and she opened her eyes to peek at me. “My lower extremities are fine.”

  “Look at you, showing off your medical vocabulary.” I kissed her stomach, this time a little bit lower and grabbed her waistband. “Say something else the book taught you, and I’ll kiss you again.”

  She spouted off some medical jargon I couldn’t really understand, but it sounded legit. As long as I got to kiss her some more, I’d be happy. I undid her pants and pulled them off her legs. She had a dark purple satin thong on that just might be my favorite color in the whole world right now. I ran my fingers over the soft satin, dipping down to brush across her clit.

  Her left leg fell to the floor, granting me better access. I took full advantage of this, slipping in between her legs and nibbling on her upper thigh. “Say something else or I’ll stop.”

  “The way you make me feel…” she moaned. “Will soon cause a series of muscle contractions in the genital region…that will be accompanied by a sudden release of endorphins.”

  I blinked up at her, amusement threatening to overtake my desire. “Did you give me the medical definition of an orgasm?”

  “Yes,” she said through her teeth. “Now kiss me again.”

  I laughed and flicked my tongue over her clit, through her panties. “More.”

  “Argh.” She yanked on my hair with just enough force to make my scalp sting. I liked that too. “When the endorphins rush to my head, I’ll experience a sudden sensation of…”

  I tugged down her panties, listening to her medical talk, but not really paying attention. At this point, I was a little bit too distracted by the fact that I wanted to make those endorphins she’d mentioned rush to her head. Repeatedly. When her thong fell to the floor along with her pants, I nibbled my way up her thigh. The closer I got to her clit, the faster she babbled. And the faster I forgot all about studying, and could only focus on her.

  She whimpered and tried to urge me closer. I let her take control of me. Let her put me where she wanted me…but only because I wanted to be there. When I flicked my tongue against her clit, her legs jerked and she moaned. I liked the sounds coming out of her mouth. I needed more.

  I rolled my tongue in a lazy circle, keeping my touch light. She dug her nails into my scalp and lifted her hips, begging for more. Her soft scent teased me. She smelled like lilies and something else. Something fruity and intoxicating and her. I gripped her hip with a trembling hand, holding her in place, and slipped my other hand in between her thighs. She said she wasn’t sore, but I wasn’t about to thrust inside of her without making certain of that fact.

  I swirled my tongue a little harder this time, then gently slid a finger inside her. She was tight. Too tight. My cock ached to be buried inside her slick folds, but I ignored it. Her muscles clenched down on my finger, hard, and I increased the pressure of my mouth a fraction more.

  “Don’t stop, don’t stop,” she panted, over and over again, her nails digging into any piece of skin or scalp she could reach. She’d apparently given up on medical lingo. “Finn.”

  As soon as she said my name, I pulled out and put another finger in, my tight hold on control slipping fast. I needed her too badly. Power like this wasn’t good. Wasn’t right. Yet, she held it over me without even trying. And worse yet? I didn’t think I stood a chance at breaking free because I didn’t even want to.

  Her muscles clamped down on me, and she froze, her entire body rigid and held taught. Then she breathed my name again and collapsed to the couch, her breathing erratic. I stood up and crossed the room, going to the nightstand to grab protection. As I approached her, I undid my shorts. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was messy. She looked fucking hot right now, right after I made her come.

  She sat up and licked her lips. “Can I…can I do that to you?”

  “Fuck yeah, you can.” I kicked my shorts off and let them fall to the floor. All of the contents of my pockets spilled on the floor, but I didn’t give a damn. All that mattered was her, and making her happy.

  She reached out and trailed her fingers over my abs, her touch feather light. I closed my fists, nearly crushing the condom in the process. This might be the most torturous thing I’d ever put myself through, but it just might be the most pleasurable too. She pulled me closer, and I stumbled forward, letting her put me where she wanted me.

  When I stood between her bare knees, she looked up at me through her lashes, almost as if she tested my reaction before she even started. I slit my eyes, making it look as if I wasn’t watching her, but I’d be dead before I missed the sight of her mouth on my cock. She leaned in and flicked her tongue against the tip of me, and every muscle in my body jerked in response.

  “Hm,” she said, shifting her weight on the edge of the couch. She cupped my balls gently, running her fingertips over the sensitive skin. I hissed and tightened my jaw. She was going to kill me with her almost-there caresses. “Do you like that?” she asked, her tone throaty and whispery and oozing of sex.

  “Yes,” I managed to say through my swollen throat. “Do it again.”

  She grinned and rolled her tongue over the head of my cock, this time doing a complete circle. I’d tried to keep my hands to myself, but she broke my restraint. I dropped the condom on the floor and buried my hand in her red curls. I urged her closer, gently, in case she changed her mind.

  She didn’t.

  Without warning, her mouth closed around me and she sucked me in, keeping the suction constant and the pressure just right. I looked down at her, watching her fuck me with her sweet red mouth, and couldn’t look away. Each time she drew back, she took more of me in. And she didn’t stop
playing with my balls, increasing the pleasure by tenfold. My fingers flexed on her head, and I forced myself to stand still. To not thrust into her warm mouth…but it was the hardest thing in the world to do.

  To just stand there, while I wanted to bend her over and fuck her senseless.

  When she sucked me in more, making me grow horribly close to an orgasm, I placed my hands on her shoulders and pulled out of her mouth. My entire body tensed when she increased the suction, trying to keep me in, but I refused to come in her mouth. I needed to take her gently and sweetly. I needed to make love to her the way I would have if I’d known it was her first time last night.

  “No more,” I rasped.

  “But—”

  “No. If you keep doing that, I’ll come.” I ran my finger over her hard nipple, squeezing gently. “But when I come, I’ll be buried deep inside of you. I won’t accept anything else.”

  I ripped open the condom and slipped it on before bending down and carrying her to the bed. After laying her down gently, I lowered my body over hers and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and tentatively slid her tongue between my lips. It was the first time she kissed me like that, taken the initiative during sex, and the devastating effect it had on me was not missed.

  My arms tightened around her, and I wished I could hold her close forever. Keep her safe forever. Make sure no one ever hurt her again. But I’d be the one hurting her. I’d be the one ruining the very thing I so cherished…her trust.

  She curled her legs around my waist and lifted her hips. “Now,” she demanded.

  After taking a calming breath, I slowly inched inside of her, making sure to be gentle. To go slow. My body shook with the effort it took to hold back, but it was worth it. She deserved this and more. When I pulled out and moved inside of her even slower, she broke free of our kiss and looked up at me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I gritted my teeth when she dug her heels into my ass. “Nothing, babe.”

  “Then move.” She arched her hips up while slamming her heels into my ass, and I surged inside of her another few inches.