Twenty (novella) (Love By Design Series)

by M. C. Cerny

  “Cynical.” She turned, giving me a dirty look and I wondered how we got here, to this impasse. I pointed at her, letting my finger playfully flick her pert nose. “But not entirely untrue.” I thought about my two friends Hunter and Damien, cousins and different as night and day. They were a perfect yin and yang. Hunter just fessed up to loving his best friend Taylor for years while Damien was still playing the field hard. “I said I found it overrated, not that I didn’t think it was impossible.”

  Truthfully, I was somewhere in between. My work schedule made dating difficult at best. I wasn’t currently seeing anyone, but I also wasn’t bar hopping for bratty girls who wanted dollar pitchers of margaritas and fifty cent wings every Friday night. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but what I had also wasn’t working for me either.

  Chapter 7

  Lia

  I thought about what Whit said, love was overrated…or at least what I had thought passed for love. Certainly all the flowery bullshit that never happened made it all so unrealistic. I was no expert and who was I to judge? I tried to hook up with Ryder West and ended up lost in the woods with a real honest to goodness Boy Scout. A Boy Scout who was resting his arms around me while the heat from the fire left me lightheaded and lusting for more than his cargo pocket uniform pants.

  Humming, I let my thoughts wander and instead of the football player, I imagined a bare-chested man wearing dark green fighting off bears and mountain lions. Ridiculous really, but a little giggle escaped my mouth and Whit rocked behind me.

  “What’s so funny?” I could feel his junk pressed against me as he scooted closer, but not because he was being a pervert. My previous exhaustion dissipated into renewed energy in his presence. It was cold inside the cabin and our options were limited. All things considered, I liked Whit exactly where he was, warming me like a solid piece of granite you’d find in the woods.

  Staid.

  Perfect.

  “Nothing…I just…um…how do you feel about one-night hook-ups?” I winced as I said it. It was a stupid thought once it was out of my mouth. I wasn’t sure where my lady balls dropped from that I actually pulled words from my brain and let them escape out loud.

  Whit stayed where he was like he was thinking how to play this out and my nerves sparked into overdrive. “I can’t say I’m opposed under the right conditions.” My brashness was fizzling away until the pads of his fingers slowly traced my shoulder in mesmerizing slow circles dipping down my arm under the blanket.

  Trying to get Ryder to notice me was a fail and I realized now how ephemeral my feelings were for him. I would have had better luck with Connor or Mateo, but neither had enough electrical impulses between them to carry on enough intelligent conversations to get me wet. It was a sad state of affairs my mind worked that way. Was I just being desperate with my hurt ego to go for it here, right now with Whit? I might feel that way tomorrow, but right now in the heat of the moment I wanted that one crazy experience I could keep to myself. A little something I could whisper to those damn cats I was destined to own once I resumed my wickedly boring life. Each stroke of his fingertips lulled me closer to those bad decisions I’d regret later but indulge in right now.

  “Um…” Focus, Lia, for Christ’s sake, the hottest guy under thirty is paying attention to you! Don’t blow it! “I’ve never really been into them myself, but I’m not exactly warming up here with just the fire going.” Who is this sassy version of myself? Hello, world, Miss Amelia Rae Faust has finally got her groove back! Coyly, I let the musty damp wool slip down in between us and let my back fully lean into hot, velvet soft, hard skin.

  “Hmm, you do feel a bit chilled, and it is my duty here to protect and serve.” Whit should have sounded like a cocky bastard or a cheesy bullshitting fool…but he didn’t. His breath heated my neck and he brushed my hair to the side over my shoulder. His hand, large and rough, gathered the braided rope of hair before pulling on it in a controlled manner. One hand was in my hair, and the other snaked around my middle to pull me farther back into his embrace.

  I coughed out the last of my uncomfortableness. “Well, you’re doing a good job so far,” I muttered whatever shit popped into my head and let Whit take the lead. I didn’t want to insult him because his touch felt so damn good, like I’d been waiting for him or me or one of us to make a move this entire time. My eyes watched the flames of fire dance red and yellow, my body flushing in tandem, warming with the bloom of more than desire for my savior. I really needed to shut up now.

  “I can do better than that, Amelia.” My full name on his lips made me shudder. He was serious and it was unbelievably hot the tone of voice he used. “First, I have some questions.” His teeth nipped at my neck and he tugged my fisted hair to direct my head.

  Groaning, I really hoped he wasn’t going to pull any weird sex business. I was all right for some kinky stuff, but I’d just met him and I swear my butt was off limits. I tried wiggling away and he pinched my ass, stilling me with a slight panic.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t know you well enough for that kind of kinky shit.” As if he read my mind, he was chuckling and kissing my neck, licking me and palming my breast with just the right amount of roughness to keep it hot.

  “Shit, I said that out loud?” Me and my damn mouth.

  “You sure did.” Laughing, he pinched my nipple, this time slipping a hand inside my bra to pull it down. “God, I love a handful,” he muttered against me and I pushed back to let him know I’d be okay with more than just touching.

  “Questions. You s-said you had q-questions.” Pants replaced speech as he kept working me over.

  “Boyfriend?”

  “No. You?” Mind racing, I hoped he say no.

  “Ha, I’m into girls, sweetheart. There’s none I’m currently into, present company excluded.”

  “Thanks for clarifying.” He turned my head the other way to kiss down over my shoulder inch by inch, pulling me back.

  “No problem. Now are you sure you want to do this? I thought we were having a nice philosophical discussion on relationships before this. I mean is that all you would want it to be? One night only?” his voice trailed off with the question. He kept his lips connected to me, kissing my skin, and warmth bloomed at each touch of his lips connecting to me.

  “If by this you mean sex, then yes, please, unless you want a dick punch for getting me hot and bothered like this.” He was driving me insane and if I didn’t get off I might have to run out into the frigid mountain rain to cool my shit.

  “Mouthy.”

  “I can put that to good use later.”

  “Noted.”

  He palmed me again and I knew I was nearly drenched, waiting for him to continue. “So where were we on the questions?” I asked, trying to control my ragged breathing.

  “Sex.”

  “Check.” I was all ready to go if he would hurry up his inquisition.

  “Protection?”

  Groaning, now I was really pissed I left the campsite in such a hurry. “My backpack was full of condoms…it’s back at the campsite.”

  He paused a moment as if he was thinking and my mind was spinning. I was sure a backpack of condoms sounded pretty shameless. He probably thought I was some slut chasing after guys. Brain please shut up. “So that limits playtime significantly.” Fingers played with me, spider-crawling down my stomach, and I wanted to cry with frustration. It was so un-fucking-fair.

  “I’m on the pill and very responsible.” My response comes quickly between pants. He barked a laugh as his hand slipped between my legs, tugging my panties to the side, rolling his finger over my slick lips and clit.

  “Not to be an ass, but you did wander off willy-nilly necessitating my rescue.”

  I was trying not to whine when he pulled his hand away, but it was hard, really hard. “Noted, however, I’ve been nothing but the most pleasant and compliant companion.” He guffawed and I elbowed him hard enough he grunted. “Why, I even discarded my clothing as per your orders.” No
w I just sounded desperate and too quick to agree. I was betting he thought for sure I was some eager campus slut.

  “Dually noted.” Nodding, he stroked his hands up and down my body, my skin super sensitive, craving more.

  I was embarrassed throwing myself at him like this, but his touch felt better than anything I’d felt before. Whispering in the dark, I told Whit, “If it helps, I haven’t had sex in eighteen months and I’m clean.” This time it was Whit who groaned, grinding his erect cock between my ass cheeks. I guessed my dry spell turned him on. Guys could be such cavemen.

  “I ended a relationship about four months ago and I’ve been tested since then at my annual physical for work. I’m clean. I’d show you because I have the results emailed to me from my doctor, but my cell is kind of dead. No Wi-Fi.” For some reason I believed Whit, though I didn’t know how I’d deduced this, but I knew it.

  I just couldn’t help myself and went on rambling. “Excellent…a good bill of health means you won’t have a heart attack in the middle of what we’re about to do.”

  “That sounds like ageism to me, six years is nothing baby.” Whit growled and the vibration of his voice made me hotter.

  “Your death would likely scare me off from men completely further condemning me to a life of furry feline ownership.”

  “We can’t have that, now can we, chatterbox?” Babbling with embarrassment, he played with my hair, twisting loose locks from my braid around his fingers to release them into thick straight pokes of hair.

  “Definitely not.” I tried to take my hair from his fingers, but Whit was persistent, so I gave up, letting him play with it. The movement was surprisingly soothing. “Purple, huh.” He rubbed the strands against the firelight.

  “It won’t match the…uh…rest obviously.”

  “M-match what, Lia?” He was moving against me refusing to let me go as we tussled on the floor.

  I grumbled knowing he’d make me say it. “My p-pussy, you jerk.” Whit laughed out loud before squeezing me tight against him.

  “I should hope not, but thanks for clarifying.”

  “Ugh!” My eyes rolled as he wiped what I’m sure were tears of laughter from his own eyes.

  “But maybe I should check just in case you have any other surprises down there? Piercings? Tattoos?” His head moved downward and I grabbed him to pull him back up.

  “You better not be eyeing up my pussy.” It was hard to be serious when I thought about what he could have seen just a month prior. I thanked Heaven I remembered to grow out my thunderbolt trimming down below.

  Whit stilled and looked me over thoughtfully before saying, “It’s strange, but I’d swear you have a thing against cats.”

  “Personally no, but I dislike their judgy looking eyes and their desire to kill their owners when it suits them.”

  “Not to be an asshole, but you’re kind of killing the mood here, sweetheart.” His chuckle sent a blush over my skin and a zing right down between my legs saturating me, and clamping them shut, squeezing his hand that was so delightfully stroking me a moment ago.

  “Ah, well, I told you I’d put my mouth to good use later.” God, he felt so good working me over.

  “Hmm.” Whit flipped us over and I found myself on my back, his knees slipped between my open legs.

  Looking up, I saw his face over mine, boyishly handsome in his adult face. I blinked a few times, wondering how I got so lucky that it was him who saved me and said a little halleluiah. His hair was short, buzzed down and tingled against the pads of my fingertips. My eyes flitted to his lips, which he’d licked, and I gulped down dry air. “I don’t suppose you’d like to drive the point home anytime soon?”

  “Am I boring you, Lia?” Smiling, Whit pressed deep against me and my groan was probably audible on the other side of the mountain with the jerk of his body into mine.

  “N-not at all.” What could possibly be boring about more than six hard inches of all male anatomy pressed against me?

  Nothing.

  Nothing at all.

  Chapter 8

  Whit

  She winked at me, running her smartass mouth. I wanted to drive a lot of things home right then, but having an attractive and willing female who was giving me as good as I was giving got me turned on. She was funny, self-deprecating and refreshing. I hadn’t thought that way about a woman in long time.

  My forearms rested wide, holding me up over her so I could look down at her face. The firelight played tricks on my eyes, making hers glow and her hair sparked shades of red and deep purple in the refracted light. “I guess I better give you something good to brag about later.” She let her lip pop out from between her teeth, swollen from her bite and deliciously wet. I nudged her legs farther apart and let one hand caress down her body. She was still wearing her bra and panties, so I slipped my fingers inside the front to find her still wet. Silky fluid coated her lips, saturating the thin cotton, and my fingers spread it, generously coating her. She made me feel wild to the point of not wanting to be gentle with her.

  “Oh, Whit.”

  “Yeah, like that. All good stories should start with my name. I want you screaming it.” I let my body cover hers and she clutched my shoulders with her hands. Nails grazing my skin, her back arched and moved closer to me. My fingers continued to strum up and down over her clit. The nub puffed up and I pressed against it, listening to her keening into the dark cabin.

  “Whit, more.”

  “I want to make you come first.”

  “If you don’t….”

  “Yeah, yeah, dick punch, I got that, Lia. Every guy is typically one dick punch away when he leaves a girl hanging.” I pressed one finger to start and found her to be tight, giving me measurable resistance. I curled it upward, searching for the engorged spot of spongy tissue that was swollen, slick, and begging to be tapped gently inside her. I stroked, playfully drumming until I found a rhythm that had her panting and nearly pushing me away.

  “Feels so good.” Her moan was sinful and made me think of other sinful things like how she might taste with my lips sucking her clit and lapping at her mound while the honey of her lips filled my mouth. I wondered if she was sweet like maple syrup on pancakes or tart like lemon sorbet. I wondered if she tasted different the second and third time she released, but sadly realized I’d probably never know beyond tonight. She had already decided this one a one-time thing and I would enjoy every second of what she was willing to give me.

  “Good isn’t good enough.” I wanted this to last and I wanted her wobbling on her legs tomorrow morning when I brought her back to her friends and that prick football player. A sadistic part of me wanted him to know that I had her and he missed out. I pressed a second finger inside to stretch her out in slow pumps. Her tissues contracted, squeezing my fingers, and her cry told me she was hot for it, followed by a rush of her dew.

  Her hands left my shoulders and grabbed the top of my boxers, pulling them down over my member, which bounced out against my stomach in salute, happily escaped from its confines.

  “Remember…turnabout is fair play,” she whispered into my ear, biting the lobe, and squeezed my dick in her hand. The crown was sensitive as she ran a finger down the slit, spreading my pre-cum, and I felt her pump me between soft hands.

  “God, I hope so because that, Lia, feels amazing.” I coaxed her to continue as I fingered her to climax. Her hand worked me over and I had to grab her wrist to stop her from jerking me to completion.

  “Seriously?” It was the pout on her face that got me harder.

  “Most seriously.” I pulled her panties off a bit more roughly than I intended. I was pretty sure I ripped one side of the lace and cotton. She followed suit by pulling my boxers off. I was pretty sure she ripped the elastic band in her eagerness and I didn’t particularly care. It made us even if I’d ruined hers. She wrenched me back to her and I pressed inside in a slow, agonizing stroke. The slower I went the more she fought me, trying to hurry things along. Hell no. We’ve got all
night for this and I plan to take full advantage of that. She was so eager and snug I felt my balls draw up and my thighs tingle.

  The dam of restraint burst and we were both panting and meeting in skin slapping thrusts. She was whimpering to take all of me and her ankles wrapped around my waist, pulling me down to seat in her fully. Her hips gyrated and satisfied grunts erupted from her chest. I felt like a beast rutting bare inside her relentlessly. She encouraged me to continue until we were both shouting, completely spent in front of the dying embers of the fire. I wrapped us up in the blankets, rolling to my back and pulling her over me off the cold floor before passing out.

  There was something supremely satisfying about rolling over in the morning into warm and willing arms on the cold hard floor. It gave my hard dick a place to slide into, but not just any place. Lia seriously felt like she could be something more when I was slowly rocking between her thighs. Breathy moans and gasps with each motion of my hips into the cradle of hers spurned me forward.

  “Oh God, I’m going to have bruises all over.” Yeah, she definitely would but nothing my kisses couldn’t fix.

  “The best kind.” I rolled us over so she was on top and picked up her hips, changing the rhythm.

  “Whit…” Lia closed her eyes. The lids fluttered down and her mouth opened on a low moan. She clenched around me, nails clawing my shoulders, and I lost myself letting everything go as I jetted inside her. There was something primal about filling her up as she hugged me tighter to her and our chests resumed normal heartbeats.

  I’d never felt this kind of connection to another girl before and it was strangely satisfying basking in the afterglow.

  Chapter 9

  Lia

  Best. Sex. Ever.

  I was young, so I was sure there was always room for improvement, but Whittaker Jones rocked my world so hard I wasn’t sure I was up for better any time soon. Heck, if there was better, my mind would be permanently blown. Why was I ever attracted to Ryder West was beyond me. That boy could talk football all day long without taking a breath and I’d still be sitting on the sideline without a clue.