Whirling on my sock-clad foot I hurried into the bedroom and quickly stripped off my wet clothes, pulling on a soft pair of sweats and a t-shirt. A quick inspection of my bottom dresser drawer revealed what I’d hoped would be there. A pair of ratty denims and paint spattered t-shirt from when Josh had helped me paint the living room right after I moved in. He’d changed here at my place before heading out to meet his brother and a few friends. I’d laundered the clothes but somehow had never given them back.
It might – or might not – have been on purpose. Don’t judge me. It was going to come in handy now.
Sprinting back into the living room, I placed the garments on the coffee table. Josh had done exactly what I’d told him to do and was kneeling on front of the crackling flames of the fireplace, his hands outstretched toward the radiating warmth. “I’ll put your clothes in the dryer after you change into these.”
Frowning, he inspected the worn garments and then he smiled. A real one and perhaps the first of the evening. “These are mine.”
“Of course, they’re yours. You left them here after you helped me paint.”
It took me a moment for my mind to wrap around what Josh meant. He’d thought I was offering him another man’s clothing. And he didn’t like it one bit from the look on his face.
“I washed them so they’re clean.”
He’d picked them up but hadn’t made a move toward the bathroom. Was he contemplating dropping trou right here and now? We had slept together…but in the dark and in the position we were in I didn’t get to see much.
“Yes,” he finally said, dragging his gaze from the clothes and back to me. “Thank you. I’ll go change.”
“Hot chocolate or a glass of wine?”
“Does it sound terrible to say that I could use a glass of wine after the night we’ve had?”
“I have whiskey, too.”
I kept it around for him. Personally, I thought the stuff tasted like old, dirty socks that were on fire. I’d only contemplated drinking it the night of the robbery and never again since then.
“Wine is fine. Thank you.”
Josh ducked into my powder room in the hallway and I went into the kitchen to pour two glasses of wine. Now we had the trifecta of seduction….
A toasty fire.
Wine.
Not many clothes.
There was also the bonus fact that I was incredibly attracted to Josh and couldn’t put our one time together out of my head. I’d been so sure nothing would happen tonight but I was now in the position that something definitely could happen.
I couldn’t say that I was innocent, either. If I’d truly not wanted anything to happen I should have said goodnight at the door. But I hadn’t done that. If anything, I’d insisted he come in and take off his clothes. Was I the seducer tonight? Had I unconsciously done all of this so that I could get Josh in bed again?
The entire situation was ridiculous because Josh was a guy. It probably didn’t take much to convince him to have sex. Even with me.
All because there was something in the air between us. A tension that wasn’t about the date going well or wanting to impress me. It was more primitive than that, more…sexual. As stupid as I was I could feel it. Josh had wanted to leave because he’d felt it, too. We were both thinking about the other night.
What did either one of us intend to do about it?
CHAPTER THIRTY
Josh
In my head, I kept repeating it’s just Mia over and over but the rest of my body wasn’t receiving the message. My heart was slamming against my ribs and parts farther south were perking up at just how incredibly adorable she looked in her old sweats. Her hair was still damp from the rain and I wanted to reach out and pluck at a red-gold ringlet, stretching it and then letting it bounce back.
She held out a glass of wine and I could see her hand tremble. Slightly and ever so briefly. But it made me feel better. She was nervous too even if she didn’t outwardly display it. I accepted the glass and took a fortifying sip. It had been one crappy night, and I was still a little on edge wondering what was going to happen next.
“This wasn’t how the date was supposed to go,” I found myself blurting out. “I had it all planned.”
Her smile was gentle and she stepped past me to settle on the floor in front of the fireplace.
“I know. But I’m actually kind of glad it all went the way it did. I think I would have been way more nervous if it had all gone the way you planned it.”
She was admitting to being nervous. Courageous. I wasn’t quite as brave as that. I was supposed to be the kind of guy that knew what to do with a woman. Not that you’d know that by how I’d acted tonight. My father’s words echoed in my brain for the millionth time. Women had come far too easily to me.
I had to work now.
“I just wanted our first date to be special.”
“It was special but it doesn’t always have to be, Josh. I’m happy just hanging around the house or eating barbecue and watching the game.”
“You hate sports.”
“But I like it when you try and explain it.” She patted a large pillow next to her. “Come sit and get warm.”
“I think you secretly understand football but pretend not to. No one can be that confused about first downs.”
She held up two fingers. “Sure they can. There are two types of first downs. Two, Josh.”
“No, just one.”
“Two.” She counted off on her fingers. “The first is the first down when they get ten yards. The second is the first down out of four downs. Two.”
“The second one is just down number one. It’s not a first down. See? You do understand it.”
She grumbled under her breath about men and not being good at naming things which only served to make me smile. This was the Mia I’d come to know and love. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to be or do anything differently. I wanted her just the way she was.
“It’s the first of the four downs,” she finally said. “You know I’m right. How’s the wine? It’s a new one I picked up at the store last week. It’s Australian.”
I took another sip as if I knew about wine. I didn’t know shit. “It’s good, although I prefer a dark ale.”
We’d run out of conversation again, that tension that had followed us around all night firmly planted between us. I’d begun to think of it as a threesome. Me, Mia, and Tension. That little asshole was really starting to get on my nerves.
I’d also noticed that the atmosphere was really romantic with the two of us sitting in front of the fire and the lights low. I was getting all sorts of ideas but I didn’t do a thing about them, instead sitting next to her and saying nothing.
Awkward.
“How about I pop in a movie?”
A movie? Yes, that would be a good idea. I wouldn’t be expected to talk and make conversation like a grownup. I could stare at the television and take my time thinking up things to say. Or I could simply talk about the film. A nice, neutral topic.
“That sounds good.”
“What are you in the mood for?”
Not romance. Or any love scenes. Or feelings. I didn’t want a bunch of messy emotions because I had my own. I needed fiery explosions, gunfights, pulse-pounding suspense danger.
“How about Jurassic Park?”
There wasn’t anything remotely romantic about dinosaurs.
* * *
Josh
I’d chosen the wrong damn movie. I’d forgotten that Mia hated the part when the velociraptors chased the kids into the kitchen and those scaly bastards sniffed and snuffled their way around, scaring the bejesus out of the woman sitting next to me on the couch. A few minutes ago there had been about six inches between us but now she was cuddled up close and semi-hiding her eyes. Her fingers had a death grip on my arm and I placed it around shoulders to assure her that there were no rogue dinosaurs in her condo. She’d done this many times before when we’d watched this movie but tonight…
Or I was different. No quibbling on the details but I was hyper aware of every centimeter of Mia pressing against me. Her unique fragrance. The heat and weight of her body. Living dangerously, I allowed my fingers to rub a silky strand of her hair. The blood was already beginning to drain from my frontal cortex to my cock. Soon I wouldn’t be able to make any decent decisions or even do basic math. All reasoning skills were off the table and my caveman needs were firmly in control. The ones that told me to drag her off to my three-bedroom air-conditioned cave and show her who she belonged to. An action that would surely get me kicked in the balls.
She shuddered and cuddled closer. “This part is so scary.”
“I won’t let any mean dinosaurs get you.”
Mia looked up at me, total trust in her expression. It was like a punch in the gut and I could barely breathe. “I know.”
The moment was here. Her face was upturned at a perfect angle. I only needed to lean down a few inches and our lips would be touching. I’d been thinking about this all damn night. Hell, who was I kidding? I’d been thinking about this for days. A gentleman would have backed off but I couldn’t do that. I was only human and this woman had been driving me crazy to the point where I’d barely slept or ate.
Leaning closer, I hesitated for only a split second, trying to give Mia a chance to back away and say no. Instead her eyes fluttered closed and I pressed my lips against hers, so full and soft.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Mia
Saying no never crossed my mind. I’d been lying to Josh and myself about seeing other men and not sleeping with him. I wanted to make love with him. Only now, I wanted to take my time and savor every moment.
That night in the car I hadn’t been able to see or even touch him all that much. He’d been mostly dressed but I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t want to see him gloriously naked, every inch of him exposed for my exploration. I would happily lend him my body as well if he wanted to return the favor.
The kiss changed from tentative to demanding, his hand curling around the back of my head so I couldn’t pull away. Not that I would have. I was in this, totally willing and on board with every dirty thing he might want to do. In fact, I had a few on my list too. We could take turns. I wasn’t planning on lying back and being a silent partner in the bedroom. When I’d said that I wanted to go after what I wanted in my life, I meant in all facets. Especially sex. Too many times it had been mediocre or unsatisfactory because I’d been too timid to tell the guy what I wanted or needed.
Of course, Josh was practically a mind reader when it came to lovemaking. I hadn’t had to tell him anything that first night but the whole thing could have been simply dumb luck. I couldn’t count on that every time.
His lips trailed over my jaw and down the sensitive flesh of my neck. Shivering with arousal, I gripped his shoulders as the world tilted and spun on its axis. So very good. Rough fingertips stroked the exposed flesh of my belly where my sweatshirt had ridden up. These clothes were in the way and I was already impatient, wanting to get closer. As close as we could possibly be. Garments just slowed us down.
“Yes,” I whispered as his questing hand slipped down past the waistband of my sweatpants to cup my bottom. There would be no misunderstandings tonight. We both wanted this. “More.”
Josh’s answer was to kiss me again, harder and slightly more desperate. I slid my hands under his thin t-shirt, loving the way his muscled back shifted under my palms. It was romantic here in the firelight but the thin rug on the floor wasn’t the best place to slowly make love. We’d both end up with sore backs and knees tomorrow.
“Let’s take this to the bedroom.”
* * *
Josh
Nothing had ever felt this good in my entire life. We’d shed our clothes, tossing them carelessly aside on the way to Mia’s bed and now we were skin to skin, completely bare. The only light in the room was a few candles Mia had quickly lit and they flickered with each turn of the ceiling fan, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
There were no more secrets between us, including whether Mia’s freckles continued farther down than her face. She did indeed have them all over her body as if magic dust had been sprinkled on her creamy skin. I pressed kisses to her shoulders, connecting the dots with my tongue just as I had in my fantasies. Her response was even more than I’d hoped for, her torso bowing off of the mattress and her fingers tangling in my hair. She whispered my name a few times as I kissed a damp trail down her torso, determined to hear her scream it as she orgasmed.
“Josh.”
Her voice was a mere whisper in the dark silence. I could hear our breaths and gasps, the sound of skin on crisp linen but it was hard to see her expression in the dim light. I had to go on instinct as to whether she was feeling as much pleasure as I was. Just being with her this way was more than I’d hoped for just a week ago. I thought for sure that I’d blown it forever.
Forever. Would I be lucky enough to have this woman that long? I could see us in thirty or forty years sitting on the back porch of a large family home and watching our grandkids playing in the backyard. Our hair would be gray and our bodies not as fit but that glint in her eye would tell me that she still felt the same passion that we had tonight.
Pushing her thighs apart, I let my tongue trace patterns on her inner thigh, watching her writhe and moan as I grew closer to where she needed me the most. I pressed one then two fingers inside of her, crooking them to find her sweet spot that would hopefully send her over the edge while my mouth played with the shiny pearl on the outside. A winning combination that immediately sent her flying into space, calling my name as the climax took control if only for a little while.
Eventually she came back to earth, her fingers carding through my hair and rubbing at the stubble on my cheeks. I loved that Mia was so tactile, wanting to touch me as much as possible. I wanted to do the same with her.
“Wow,” she said softly. “That was amazing.”
I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks at her praise. I’d heard it before from other women but this was the only one that truly mattered. The others? Sadly, they’d only been a warmup for the real thing. The one. Although I was damn glad that I wasn’t an inexperienced boy that didn’t know how to please a woman. I was damn proud that I could make her come so easily.
“You’re pretty amazing too.” I slid up her body, pressing kisses on the way until we were eye to eye. “You’re so responsive.”
Her soft hands were running up and down my back now, sending shafts of pleasure straight to my balls and cock. They were demanding their pleasure as well, my lower back already aching from holding back. But we’d rushed it last time. I wanted to make it last more tonight. I’d fantasized so many times about what it would be like with Mia. This might not be our first time, but it felt like it.
Her lips turned up in a smile and my chest tightened as my heart grew too large for my ribcage. I loved this woman so much and she had no idea. How was that possible? And how did I not know before? I was fucking stupid, that was how.
“How could I not be responsive? You know what you’re doing.”
“You’re good for my ego.”
That made her laugh, a sound that was music to my ears. “I don’t think your ego needs any help but I guess that’s alright. You know, I kind of want to make love to you, too. What do you say? Can we switch places?”
Hell yes. I eagerly rolled onto my back anxious, to feel her hands and mouth on me. In the car we hadn’t had much time for foreplay and it was good to have the chance to savor each other a little. Just seeing Mia straddling my hips, her incredible nude curves hovering above me had me harder than solid steel.
So detail oriented, Mia started at my forehead, pressing baby kisses all the way around my face and then down my neck. She nipped at my shoulder where she’d placed a bruise that first night but much softer this time. Her tongue ran over my collarbone and then down between my pecs befo
re taking a side path and running around my nipple. My breath caught in my throat and the blood thickened in my veins as my arousal soared. She’d barely touched me and I was hard and ready to go.
That devilish tongue danced down over my abs, dipping in my belly button on the way down, before taking a long lick from the base of my cock to the tip almost like I was a delicious ice cream cone. Giggling, she did it again and again until I was cursing and gritting my teeth, an explosion imminent if she didn’t give me a moment to collect myself. Running my hand up her silky thigh, I gave her bottom cheek a squeeze.
“I wanted to take this slow, honey, but I don’t think I can wait anymore. I want you so much.”
I barely recognized my own voice, so full of need and desperation. Mia didn’t even blink an eye though, so perhaps she felt the same. Reaching into her nightstand, she pulled out a box of condoms. Thank goodness one of us was thinking straight. I didn’t have any blood left in my brain to do anything more complicated than fuck us both into paradise.
With shaking fingers, I rolled on the condom before grasping her hips. She anchored her hands on my chest as she lowered herself down slowly, inch by damn inch, her eyes closing and a smile blooming on her face when I was balls deep. So fucking good. Mia was hot, wet, and tight, hugging my cock with a velvet grip. I had to grit my teeth not to come right away like a callow teenager. I wanted Mia to come again before we were done.
Mesmerized, I watched as she rode me, her breasts bouncing with every thrust. Reaching out, I cupped those beauties in my hands, caressing the pebbled nipples with my thumbs. As beautiful as Mia riding me was…and it was goddamn gorgeous…we’d done this before in the car. Now that we had a comfortably soft mattress underneath us I had something else in mind.
Quickly rolling her underneath me, I captured her lips with my own, letting our tongues mimic our bodies. We were both giggling but it turned serious as I snapped my hips forward, my groin stroking her clit as I thrust in. Again and again I did it, watching Mia’s expression go from playful to blissed. Her walls were tightening on my cock and I could tell she was close, which was good. I wasn’t sure I could hold off my own orgasm much longer.
Tempt Him Page 17
