Broken Course

by Aly Martinez

  "You want something to drink?" I ask as soon as we walk in.

  "Nah, I’m good," she replies, eyeing me as I walk to the fridge and retrieve a beer for myself. "You’ve never asked me why I don’t drink. Why is that?" she asks curiously.

  "I figure you’ll tell me when you want to," I say quickly.

  But I know exactly why she doesn’t drink. There’s a lot I know about Sarah. However, those aren’t the parts I want to talk about tonight.

  "What if I were a recovering alcoholic?" She walks over to the kitchen to stand directly in front of me. "You’ve never asked about drinking in front of me either."

  I can tell by the twitch of her lips that she is just giving me a hard time, but the gleam in her eye exposes her insecurities. Insecurities I plan to put to rest.

  "You agreed to meet me at a bar on our first date," I say simply while tipping the beer to my lips. "I’m assuming that, if you were a recovering alcoholic, you wouldn’t have chosen a sports bar tonight either."

  "Oh, yeah. Probably not." She gives me a weak smile.

  I place the beer down on the counter and grab her hips, sliding my hands down to splay across her ass for the very first time. Her eyes go wide, but she doesn’t back away. Instead, she casually rests her hands on my chest.

  "Just so you know. If you were a recovering alcoholic, it wouldn’t bother me in the least." Leaning forward, I place a soft kiss to her lips. Then I slide my hands up her sides and guide each of her arms around my neck. "Because the fact that you no longer drink would mean that you have overcome it. It would mean that you struggled, just like we all do, and that you didn’t succumb. You would’ve had to fight to get where you are today, and that kind of strength should not ever be interpreted as a weakness. That kind of strength is a rare thing of beauty."

  "Jesus," she whispers as tears sparkle in her eyes.

  I watch for a moment as something passes over her. Her shoulders relax and she lets out a sound that can only be described as a whimper of relief. I rub her back as she takes a second to collect herself. Finally, she laughs, dropping her forehead to my chest.

  "How the hell did you just make alcoholism sexy?"

  "It’s a gift." I smile, using a finger under her chin to lift her eyes back to mine. "Now, Sarah, are you a recovering alcoholic?" I ask even though I know the answer.

  "No," she breathes.

  "Do you mind if I drink in front of you?"

  "No." She leans forward, brushing her lips across mine. "But I do mind that you haven’t properly kissed me yet." As she drags her hands down my chest, reaching them around to grab my ass, I can’t help but smile at her boldness.

  "Mmm, we should really take care of that." I cup her face between my hands. My thumbs stroke her flawless skin as her cheeks begin to flush.

  "I agree." She sways even closer, pressing her chest against mine.

  Very slowly, I move toward her mouth, pausing at the last second to say, "In my bed." I release her and step back against the counter. I casually pick up my beer and take another sip.

  "That was mean," she says with a smile.

  "I know, but I’m just not sorry." I smirk, using my beer bottle to point toward the hallway. "Lead the way. You remember where my bed is, right?"

  "You have lost your damn mind if you think I’m sprinting down the hall and jumping into your bed like some desperate woman just because you told me to." She cocks her head with false attitude. "Don’t get me wrong, Leo. You’re a good-looking guy and all, but that’s not my style." She crosses her arms over her chest, forcing her already large breasts together to the point where they almost pop out of her dress.

  "Ah, now you’re playing dirty," I groan, staring at her cleavage and praying to God that the thin straps suddenly break. When I drag my gaze back to hers, I find her eyes dancing with laughter. "I see what you’re doing here." I release the buttons at my wrists. Then, with one swift movement, I tug my shirt and undershirt over my head.

  She bites her lip as I flex my abs just for good measure, and I can tell the minute she sees the tattoo on my side. It’s the same look of heat every woman gets until they realize what it says:

  Liv

  Love

  Lie

  I’m not sure if it’s the name Liv or the word ‘lie’ that makes women pause, but if history is any indicator, she’ll ask about the part that bothers her in three, two, one…

  "Nice tattoo."

  "Thanks."

  She swallows hard, and I once again tip the beer bottle to my lips, preparing my lies for the questions that are sure to follow. But they never come. Instead, she slides the straps of her dress down her arms. My mouth goes dry as she pauses to make sure I am watching. The twinkle of mischief in her eyes is unmistakable.

  "See, now I feel like you’re challenging me. I’ve never been able to turn down a challenge." She shrugs then pushes the thin cotton dress down her chest. It falls down over her curved hips and pools on the floor at her feet.

  My mouth would have gaped open at her confidence, but that would have required at the very least an involuntary reaction. Currently, every single brain cell I possess is ensnared by the unbelievably sexy woman standing in front of me wearing only a strapless black bra, lace panties, and black heels.

  Holy. Fuck.

  I suck in a deep breath, loving every second of where this is headed.

  "Me either." I toe off my shoes and lean down to remove my socks, never tearing my eyes away from her knowing smile—except maybe to look at her breasts. I stand up and grab my belt, not moving any further. "Your turn."

  She lets out a small laugh and slips off her heels. I obviously didn’t think that move through very well, because the idea of her long legs and heels wrapped around my waist makes my already hard cock throb.

  "You know what? On second thought, you can put those back on."

  She giggles and shakes her head. Placing her hands her on her hips, she very pointedly looks down at my pants.

  Not one to disappoint, I quickly drag my jeans down my legs and dramatically toss them over my shoulder, making her laugh again. She immediately stops when her eyes make it down to my cock, which is all but tenting my boxer briefs. I tease my thumbs in the elastic waistband and give her a questioning quirk of the eyebrow.

  "Jesus, Leo," she breathes and finally looks away.

  "I vote we call a truce and both go to the bed together," I announce, taking a step toward her.

  She nods. "On three?"

  "Okay. One, two…" With absolutely zero intentions of ever making it to three, I charge forward, crushing my body into hers and covering her mouth with my own.

  I wanted to catch her off guard. Sarah might have just been playing a game with this, but I’d like for her to see how much I want her. However, as she frantically shoves a hand into my hair and rolls her tongue in my mouth with a hungry moan, I’m overwhelmed by how much Sarah wants me.

  Her tongue slides around mine as the tingle of her peppermint gum invades my mouth. I trail my hands over her back and down to her ass. It’s only when I meet the smooth, uncovered skin that I realize those sexy lace panties are actually a thong. Suddenly, visions of Sarah’s barely covered ass prowling up my bed invade my mind and force a growl from my throat.

  It’s definitely time to move this to a horizontal platform.

  I spin us around and back down the hall, careful to never to break the kiss that has gone wild. Her feet barely move as I begin to drag her toward my room. But barely is just not fast enough for me right now. When I lift her up, she thankfully gets the message, wrapping her legs around my hips. Unfortunately, what I didn’t prepare for was the moment when her covered core slides against my painfully hard cock. Two scraps of cotton are all that separate us.

  "Fuck," I hiss, almost tripping over my own feet.

  Sarah lets out her own breathy expletive. It may very well be the only thing that keeps my legs under me and moving toward the bedroom.

  THERE IS nothing gentle or sensua
l about the way I’m kissing Leo. It’s ravenous. This may make me easy like Casey said, but I don’t give a damn what Leo thinks right now. I want him. It’s an added bonus that he seems to want me just as badly. But honestly, with the way I feel right now, I wouldn’t even care if he was only mildly interested.

  I don’t have amnesia. I remember sex. I know it’s amazing. I know I used to love it. But what I don’t remember is this feeling of passion and urgency. I forgot this physical rush that builds with every stroke of Leo’s tongue. I also didn’t remember the spark I felt the second I came into contact with his hard-on. It ignited an uncontrollable flame inside me—one that threatens to consume me if I don’t get closer to him. But I just can’t get close enough to damper it. I absolutely remember sex, but I forgot all of the feelings that made it so spectacular—instead of just a mindless, self-induced orgasm.

  Until now.

  Leo blindly carries me down the hall. His eyes are closed as he kisses me. He uses one hand to support me, and the other is against the wall to guide his steps—and to occasionally prevent himself from falling. When we get to his room, he crashes us both onto the bed. His body crushes mine and our teeth painfully knock together.

  "Shit. I’m sorry," Leo says, leaning away.

  "I’m okay." I shove my hands down the back of his boxer briefs, and squeeze his firm ass.

  He pushes up on an elbow, resting it next to my head. It lands directly on top of my long hair, which has fanned across the bed.

  "Ow, ow, ow. You’re on my hair."

  He quickly moves his arm away. "Shit. I’m sorry…again."

  "I’m okay," I repeat, crawling backwards up the bed, pulling on his shoulders so he’ll follow me.

  I’m desperate for this to continue. So desperate that I don’t pay attention to anything besides trying to regain the full contact we just lost. I’m so focused that I don’t realize where my leg is located in relation to Leo’s body. I lift my knee to maintain the forward momentum up the bed…

  "Fuck," he groans, rolling over on the bed with his hands cupped between his legs.

  Oh. My. God. I just kneed him in the balls.

  Kill me now.

  "Oh my God! Shit. Damn. Fuck. I’m so sorry!" I gasp as my face flushes with embarrassment. "Are you okay?"

  Leo doesn’t say anything. He just lifts a finger into the air, asking for a minute with his eyes wrenched shut.

  Another thing I didn’t remember was how much it sucks when that sexual rush is extinguished prematurely. I sit cross-legged on the other side of the bed and patiently wait for him to speak, feeling like a bumbling idiot. I’m out of practice in the bedroom, but for fuck’s sake, this is just ridiculous.

  "Phew. All right," he says, still recovering. "Come here." He reaches out and grabs my arm, pulling me down onto the bed next to him.

  "God, I’m so sorry."

  "I’ll be fine. You got me good though."

  "If I didn’t puke the first time we went out, I would consider this the most embarrassing moment of my dating life," I whine, rolling into his side.

  "I once spit on a woman’s foot on a date." He begins teasing his fingertips up and down my arm.

  I tilt my head back to see him better. "What?"

  "Yeah. I was walking her to her door and a bug flew into my mouth. I paused to spit it out, but she kept walking forward. My spit landed directly on her sandal-clad foot. Bug and all." He smiles and shrugs.

  "No way." I begin to laugh.

  "True story. Needless to say, we never went out again."

  "She wouldn’t go out with you again because you accidently spit on her foot?" I ask incredulously.

  "Oh, no. I was just too embarrassed to call her back. I spit a bug on her." He starts laughing, and just like that, whatever awkwardness was still lingering completely melts away.

  Easy.

  "How do your balls feel?" I ask with a genuine concern.

  "Not the way they are supposed to be feeling right now. That really started off well in the kitchen."

  I let out a disappointed sigh. "It really did."

  "You think, if I try to take this back in that direction, you could keep that ninja knee under control?"

  I burst out laughing, but Leo rolls me to my back.

  "Is that a yes?" He kisses my lips.

  "I can try. Maybe you should start wearing a cup?" I tease then run my fingers through his short, black hair.

  "I’ll take that into consideration," he responds with a sexy-as-hell grin before leaning in and sealing his mouth over mine.

  It doesn’t take more than just a few strokes of his warm tongue to transport me right back into a sexual high. His hands travel over my breasts, but it’s not nearly enough. I sit up carefully—we don’t need any more injuries—and unhook my strapless bra. I toss it off the bed, and before it even hits the floor, Leo sucks my nipple into his mouth.

  "Fuck," I breathe, arching off the bed.

  I definitely did not remember this feeling. Leo is all over me. It’s unbelievable. He moves his mouth to my other breast but continues his assault on my nipple, rolling it between his fingers.

  After kissing down my stomach, he stops just before my panties. His big, brown eyes flash to mine, and I lift my hips off the bed, giving him silent permission to continue. His fingers loop around the lace and drag it down my legs.

  "God, you’re beautiful."

  I squirm under his gaze, causing him to smirk.

  He doesn’t touch me like I expected—or hoped. Instead, he prowls back up and takes my mouth in a hard kiss. We become all hands and mouths. He’s still wearing his boxers, and it’s completely unfair. I begin trying to tear them down.

  "Something wrong, ángel?" he asks, amused.

  "You’re wearing clothes. It’s your turn."

  He laughs but pushes them down his legs, kicking them off the foot of the bed.

  Unlike Leo, I take plenty of time to catch an eyeful of his naked body. He’s long, lean, and hard everywhere. Emphasis on the long. While I blatantly stare at his package, he takes the moment and slides a hand between my legs.

  "I fucking love that look on your face right now. That is how you are supposed to look at a man’s cock." He pushes a finger inside me.

  "Ahhh," I moan at the surprise.

  "Holy fuck, you’re tight." He presses his thumb to my clit, and I swear I could probably come right now.

  "Yeah, it’s been a while," I say breathily.

  "A decade?" he teases.

  "Not quite. Seven years," I answer as I try to roll my hips against his hand, which has suddenly stopped moving.

  "Seriously?" he asks in disbelief.

  Yes, it’s been seven years since I’ve been with another man. The vibrator in my nightstand is not a suitable substitution, but it’s been good to me for the last few years while I got things straightened out in my head. However, judging by his reaction, he was not expecting that answer.

  "Seriously," I confirm.

  He stares at me for a few seconds and swallows hard.

  "Leo?" I call to catch his attention, which has suddenly drifted—even while his finger remains inside me.

  Finally, he shakes his head and gives me a smile that doesn’t look even half as genuine as what I have come to expect from him. "Well, then, you are long overdue," he says as he settles on his side next to me and begins moving his finger inside me. His lips glide over my neck and a strangled sound escapes me. "You like my mouth on your neck, don’t you? You’re always so quick to reward me with one of those moans you know I love so much."

  Just out of the goodness of my heart, I reward him with another. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he pushed another finger inside me or his thumb continuously rubbing circles over my clit. Okay, maybe it had a lot to do with that.

  "I’d love your mouth just about anywhere, but especially on my neck," I whisper as he rakes his teeth across the already sensitive flesh.

  His hand picks up pace, silencing any furth
er conversation. Not even a minute later, an orgasm roars through my body. I cling to Leo’s shoulder as I cry out his name.

  He places slow kisses over my face as I try to collect my thoughts.

  "Seven years," he says against my lips. Obviously, I’m the only one who moved on from our earlier chat.

  "Is that a problem?" I ask, feeling very uncomfortable about why he’s still stuck on this.

  "No, it’s great. You’re a virgin." He smiles.

  "I am not a virgin. I was married for seven years!" I exclaim, immediately regretting it when I realize that this is the first time I’ve ever mentioned Brett to Leo.

  But he doesn’t even bat an eye. "Sarah, I’m a thirty-three-year-old man. A woman who hasn’t had sex in seven years is as close to a virgin as I’m ever going to get."

  "Oh Jesus, Leo. You have no idea what you’re talking about. I could probably teach you a few things in bed," I huff, and it makes him laugh.

  "Maybe. But not tonight." He reaches down and drags the blanket over us.

  "What?" I ask, shocked.

  Did he just shut me down?

  "Don’t give me that look. My plan never was to have sex with you tonight. And especially now that I know you’re a virgin."

  "Stop saying I’m a virgin. And you sure as hell could have fooled me!" I snap, catching a sudden attitude.

  This sure stings like a rejection.

  "Shhhhh." He wraps me in his arms, pulling me to rest on his chest. "I don’t have a condom. I really didn’t think things would go this far tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll hit the drugstore and we can spend the day in bed. But tonight, I want you to get some sleep.

  Well, I guess that’s a little better.

  "There’s other stuff we could do that doesn’t require a condom." I place a soft kiss to his mouth.