by Carew, Opal
She leaned forward and picked up her drink, then took a sip.
“But with Quinn, I could feel it.”
She stared silently at the contents of her glass. At her long hesitation, Austin leaned forward, watching her teeth tug on her lower lip.
“What are you not saying, April?”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Just that it also made me afraid. If I let myself believe I was special to him, that he really cared, and then he left…” She frowned. “I didn’t know how I would deal with that.” Her words were hushed, as if she didn’t want to say them out loud.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her he cared about her. That he would never leave her if she wanted to be by his side.
Fuck, what the hell was he thinking?
“So you pulled away?” he asked.
“No. I loved being with him. I loved how it made me feel. Especially at the beginning when he was very attentive. Spending every day with me. Calling or texting when we were apart. But then life kicked in again, and he turned his attention back to his work. I mean, it makes sense. We’d both fallen behind on our academic deadlines with being so focused on this wonderful new relationship. I totally understood Quinn jumping back into his work. His dedication to what he’s passionate about was one of the things I loved about him. But once I’d experienced what it was like to have someone put me first, not seeing him for a week or more at a time made me miserable.”
“You didn’t tell him?”
“No. When we were together, everything was great.” She gazed wistfully into space. “Better than great.”
She set her drink down and leaned back with a sigh.
“I finally realized that it was just the way he is. It wasn’t his fault that I had issues. And I wasn’t going to put that on him. It was my flaw.”
“So you broke up with him.”
She gazed at Austin, her eyes pleading for understanding.
“I had to. Losing my heart to him would have been a disaster.”
Austin saw the pain in her eyes and squeezed her hand. Maybe it was a disaster she hadn’t actually avoided.
“But, April, if you had told him—”
“No,” she interrupted. “Telling him about the problem would have been the same as asking him to choose me over his work, and I would never do that.”
He settled back on the couch and swirled his drink.
“So I’m curious. Why did you agree to this arrangement with Quinn?” he asked.
“It’s really important to me to pay back my debt to him,” she said, “and this is the only way I have to do that. This arrangement allows me to give him something he wants. I still intend to find a way to give him the money, but as he keeps reminding me, I’m not in a position to do that right now.”
Austin nodded. It’s too bad that Quinn’s emotional turmoil didn’t allow him to see the April that Austin saw. A woman who wanted to live up to her responsibilities. Who cared about others. And who just wanted to be loved.
“And why did you agree to me being part of it?”
A soft blush blossomed across her cheeks, and she stared at her fingers.
“When he suggested it, it caught me off guard, but it’s what Quinn wants.”
“I see.” He didn’t like the idea that she felt like she had no choice.
She glanced his way, and her eyes widened at his frown.
“I didn’t mean that to sound like it did. I’m not doing it because Quinn’s forcing me. I wouldn’t have agreed if I didn’t feel an attraction to you.”
He smiled. “Good to know.”
The moment hung between them, their gazes still locked. Then an awareness prickled through him. They were alone together. They shared a very strong mutual attraction to each other.
And she wore no panties.
His groin tightened, and he wanted to lean in and capture her full, pink lips. To slide his tongue inside her warmth, then draw her close to his body.
She seemed mesmerized as he leaned in closer. He wanted her, and the agreement between her and Quinn gave him permission to have sex with her. Quinn might have decided to go walk off his emotions, but did that mean Austin had to hold back?
The door opened, and Quinn strode into the room.
Austin eased back and in his head let loose a string of expletives. He’d almost made a reckless move that could have ruined his friendship with Quinn. Because, of course, it wasn’t all right for Austin to put moves on Quinn’s woman. Not unless Quinn was a part of it.
11
When Quinn had strode out of the room, he’d had no idea where he was going. He’d just needed space. After walking for a while, he’d found himself in a courtyard staring at the moon.
He’d had feelings for April once, but that was done. Now she was just a woman from his past that he’d helped out this morning. She wanted to pay him back and made an interesting proposition that meant he could finally act on their mutual attraction. They would both enjoy it, so it was good for her, and it was definitely good for him.
It was a win-win situation. Actually, win-win-win since Austin would be a part of it.
This arrangement between them was just about sex. Any feelings he had for her were squarely in the past.
So what the hell was he doing out here? He should be back in that room doing what he’d longed to do for years.
He walked into the lounge and approached the bar.
“Good evening, Mr. Taylor,” the bartender said.
“Good evening. Give me a bottle of the best champagne you have. On ice with three glasses.”
“Would you like it sent to your gaming suite?”
“No, I’ll take it up myself.”
“Very good, sir.”
The bartender signaled another staff member, then disappeared in the back. Five minutes later, he appeared with a bottle in a silver ice bucket and three finely cut crystal glasses.
Quinn signed the bill, giving the bartender a 20 percent tip, which was in the three digits. Quinn didn’t care how much it cost. Tonight was going to be a very special night.
He tucked the bucket against his body and curled his fingers around the delicate stems of the glasses. Moments later, he was at the suite door. He pushed it open and strode inside.
Austin and April were sitting on the couch and …
“What the hell’s going on?”
The two of them had been sitting close together, leaning in as if they were about to kiss. Then Austin had pulled away when he saw Quinn.
“We were just talking,” Austin said.
Quinn knew damn well they weren’t just talking, and jealousy trickled through him that April was so comfortable with Austin. But he pushed it aside. It was actually a good thing. That meant that she was fully on board with what they were about to do.
“Actually, I think you were about to kiss.”
April stood up. “Quinn, you’re not really going to be mad at Austin, given the situation, are you?”
He laughed. “Not at all. I just didn’t want you starting without me.”
He walked toward them, the cold bottle of champagne tucked under his arm. He set it on the low table and popped the cork. As he poured, the liquid tumbled into the glasses, frothing with bubbles. He handed a glass to each of them, then sat down in one of the armchairs and leaned back.
He lifted his glass. “To a night none of us will ever forget.”
* * *
April watched Quinn tip back his glass as she took a sip of hers. Her stomach quivered, and she barely tasted it, both nervous and excited at the prospect of what was about to happen.
Quinn turned his gaze to her, then patted his thigh.
“Come here, April, and sit on my lap,” Quinn instructed.
Her stomach fluttered as she walked to him. As she got closer, his gaze darkened. Gone was the tenderness she’d seen in his eyes when he’d kissed her like he had that first time. It was replaced with a lustful hunger.
She sat on his lap. His thigh
s were hard and muscular beneath her. He turned her to face him and pulled her tightly to his chest.
“No more reminiscing and sentiment. This is about straight-up sex.” Quinn stared straight at her, a predatory hunger shining in the depths of his midnight-blue eyes.
His mouth swooped down on hers, and his hand slid down her back, pulling her closer still. Her heart thundered, and heat blossomed inside her. He caressed her ass and then squeezed. Her skirt pulled up a bit, reminding her that she was naked under the fabric.
His lips were firm and demanding, taking her breath away. Then they turned coaxing, and she found herself melting against him, conscious of her breasts crushed against his chest, her nipples spiking forward. As he continued to stroke her ass, his fingers sometimes brushed over her intimate flesh through the thin cotton. Her inner muscles contracted, and she could feel dampness forming.
Finally, he drew his mouth away and smiled at her.
“Now turn around and face Austin.”
She turned on Quinn’s lap. Austin was on the couch watching them, his teal eyes dark and glittering with desire.
“Show Austin how you’d like him to touch you,” Quinn murmured in her ear, his breath sending tingles along her neck.
She pressed her hands to her breasts and stroked, aware of Austin following her movements. Thinking about his fingers moving over her. Electric heat surged through her as her nipples blossomed to hard buds.
“Mmm, I love watching you touch yourself like that,” Quinn murmured softly. “Are your nipples growing hard?”
“Yes, sir.” Her words came out a hoarse whisper.
His fingers curled around her waist, and he stroked up and down. Then one hand glided over her stomach and pulled her tighter to him. The feel of Quinn’s cock, hard and thick, pressing against her back, almost made her gasp. Her heart pounded as heat washed through her.
Austin sat mesmerized, his gaze locked on the two of them. She could see a bulge forming in his pants. She longed to go and touch it. To wrap her fingers around it through the fabric. To hear his breathing accelerate as she stroked him.
She reached around behind her and found Quinn’s cock, then squeezed it. The feel of his thick column in her hand made her quiver with need. But he drew her hand away and placed it back on her breast.
“Baby, if you want to feel a cock in your hand, I want it to be Austin’s first. Austin, do you want her to stroke your cock?”
From his flushed cheeks and the yearning in his eyes, clearly he did. But he hesitated.
“Come on, buddy,” Quinn urged. “April’s really okay with it. Right, baby?”
“Yes, sir,” she murmured.
“I might believe you more,” Austin said, “if she didn’t sound like she was following orders.”
Quinn chuckled. “But she is following orders. Part of the arrangement is that she follows my commands. And she calls me sir. But that doesn’t mean she’s doing anything she doesn’t want to do. Right, baby?”
Staring straight into Austin’s eyes, she nodded. “That’s right, sir.”
Quinn grabbed a handful of her skirt and drew it upward. Austin’s gaze locked on her rising hem. April shifted a little on Quinn’s lap, wondering if he was going to expose her intimate flesh to Austin. Her cheeks flushed at the thought.
But when the hem of her skirt hovered over her upper thighs, he stopped pulling it, and she felt his hand glide over her inner thigh. Goose bumps danced across her sensitive flesh. His hand slid higher, disappearing under her skirt.
“You remember she has no panties on?” Quinn asked.
Austin’s gaze was riveted on her skirt. “How could I fucking forget?”
Quinn laughed again. His fingers grazed her intimate folds, and she sucked in a breath. He stroked over them. His quickening breath whispered across her neck, sending wisps of hair fluttering over her skin. Then he slid deeper into her folds, finding the dampness just inside.
“Fuck, man,” Quinn said. “She’s wet. This is definitely turning her on.”
Pleasure quivered through her as Quinn stroked a few times. When his fingers slipped away, she stifled a murmur of protest. Quinn held up his fingers, and they were glistening with her dewy arousal. Austin licked his lips as if longing to taste her.
“I think Austin might be ready for you now, baby. Go over and pull out his cock, then show him how much you want him.”
“Yes, sir.” She stood up and walked toward Austin.
Austin watched her approach and kneel in front of him. She pressed her hand against his chest, loving the feel of the solid wall of muscle beneath her fingertips. She dragged her fingers down his taut stomach, then lightly over his cock. It twitched at her touch. He still seemed tentative, but didn’t stop her.
She stroked him with a firmer pressure. He was thick and hard beneath her hand. She stared at the growing bulge, longing to bring it out where she could see it. Oh, God, she wanted to feel his shaft, hot and naked, in her hands. She unzipped his pants, then shifted her gaze to his.
“May I touch your big cock, sir?” she asked in as seductive a voice as she could.
His jaw twitched, but he nodded.
She slid her hand inside his pants and found the hot, hard rod. She drew it out and stared at it. The head was purple and as big as a plum. Veins pulsed along the side of the shaft.
“God, it’s so hard and thick,” she said, stroking it in awe.
The feel of it throbbing in her hand delighted her. She loved that he was so aroused by her.
“I want to take it in my mouth. May I do that, Mr. Wright, sir?” Her gaze was locked with his.
“Just call me Austin,” he said, his voice tense with need. “Not sir.”
“Of course. May I take it in my mouth, Austin? I really want to suck on it,” she said persuasively.
“Fuck,” he said tightly, his need overcoming his reluctance. “Just do it.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his tip. He groaned at the contact. She slid out her tongue and lapped at him. She swirled it around the ridge at the base of the crown.
His fingers slid into her hair, tangling in the long strands. She opened her mouth and glided her lips down his cockhead. Taking him in slowly.
“Fuck, sweetheart, you’re torturing me.”
She smiled, then opened wider and swallowed his whole cockhead. She suckled, and he groaned, slumping back on the couch. She glided downward, taking him deeper. His fingers tightened around her head, but he didn’t guide her. Just followed her movement.
She slid back, then glided down again. Going even deeper.
She continued pumping his cock with her hand and mouth. Moving up and down. His already heavy breathing accelerated. She glided to his tip and sucked on his cockhead again, while her hand continued to squeeze and pump.
“Oh, yeah,” he groaned. “I’m getting fucking close.”
She slid off the top. “Don’t hold back. I want you to come in my mouth, Austin.”
She covered him again and bobbed up and down.
“Fuck, sweetheart.” His fingers tightened around her head, urging her a little faster. “That is so fucking sexy.”
Then she felt his groin tense. He groaned, and his hot seed erupted into her mouth. She kept moving, wanting to give him as much pleasure as she could.
* * *
Quinn watched April’s head move up and down on Austin’s cock. Quinn’s hand was already around his own cock, stroking up and down. The sight was an intense turn-on. A little jealousy flickered through him, but the sight of her sucking off his friend … knowing that Austin was coming in her mouth … overrode his possessiveness.
April was not Quinn’s woman. This was just an erotic interlude. He would enjoy fucking her, and watching Austin fuck her, for a month. Then it would end.
Exactly as he wanted.
But watching the two of them together, he couldn’t help but be envious of the easy way they enjoyed each other.
April drew back, still ho
lding Austin’s now flaccid cock in her hand. She kissed it, then stood up, but Austin grabbed her hand.
“Wait a second,” Austin said. “You don’t think you’re getting away that easily, do you?”
He tugged, pulling her onto his lap. His arms slid around her, and he kissed her passionately. Finally, he released her lips, but didn’t let her go.
“That was incredible.” Austin smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Now it’s your turn.”
April’s gaze jerked to Quinn as if seeking his permission, but Austin gave her no chance to protest. He twisted, rolling her onto her back on the couch, then he knelt on the floor. His smile broadened as he glided her skirt up her thighs, then lifted.
Once it was around her waist, Austin’s smile faded, and his eyes glittered in awe. Quinn’s gaze locked on her fully shaven pussy. Fuck, his cock jumped at the sight, need burning through his groin.
* * *
As soon as April felt herself tumbling backward, she knew Austin’s intent. The look in his eyes as he stared at her nakedness made her feel intensely desirable.
He rested his hands on her lower thighs and slowly glided upward. Goose bumps danced across her skin, and she ached with need. His thumbs brushed her inner thighs as he drew closer to her intimate flesh. Then when his fingers were almost at her folds … he stopped.
She whimpered.
He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. The delicate brush of their lips set a fire blazing inside her. She rocked her hips, wanting him to touch her. He drew back and chuckled softly.
“You’re beautiful.”
His finger grazed one of her petals, and she groaned softly.
“Tell me, April. Do you want me to touch your pretty pussy?”
“Yes, Austin. Please.” The words came out a hoarse whisper.
His eyes glittered in delight, and he stroked the length of her intimate flesh, right along the damp seam.
“Oh, yes,” she murmured.
She couldn’t believe how incredibly aroused she was. His touch was barely perceptible, but it had her practically panting.
