by Ranae Rose
“Wasn’t that bad,” he said. “Even if it had been, it’d be worth it, because it’s not going to hurt you – just the opposite.”
A frisson zipped down her spine. “What do you mean?”
“Let me show you.”
Before she even realized what he was doing, he pulled the condom out of his pocket and tore the foil.
“Wait,” she said, her heart in her throat.
His raised his gaze to meet hers. “What?”
“Your clothes… Take them off. I want to see you, this time.” Her pulse rocketed as she raked her gaze over his body, imagining what lay beneath. “What’s the point of all those tattoos if you’re not going to show them off?”
He returned her smile, but there was a hard look of lust in his eyes that didn’t soften.
To her relief, he complied, tearing away his shirt before she could so much as draw another breath.
When she laid eyes on what his clothing had been hiding, she remained breathless for several more moments.
His torso was inked, which came as no surprise considering the fact that even his hands were tattooed. She let her gaze drift over the designs, focusing on the twin swallows below his collarbones. When he stripped off his jeans, she was half-surprised to discover that the lower half of his body wasn’t tattooed.
No matter how decorated his body was, no amount of ink or steel could distract the eye from how badly he obviously wanted her. More rigid than ever, his cock drew her gaze and her hand.
She gripped his shaft, thumbing the blunt curve of the head before sliding down, letting her fist drift all the way to the root of his dick, where the captive bead kissed the edge of her palm.
He exhaled hard, breath smelling like coffee and mint. The combination was sweet and bold, a temptation. Arianna leaned into him, tilting her head back so that her lips brushed his.
He crushed his mouth to hers and slid his hands from her breasts, wrapping his arms around her instead. Her head spun, and for a second she thought it was a side-effect of the kiss. Then she realized she was halfway airborne, still in James’ arms, but with her feet no longer touching the floor.
Before she knew it, she was sinking into the mattress, the soft comforter against her back. Even better, James was on top of her. Her hand had slipped from around his thick shaft, and now that same hardness pressed against her belly. Somehow, he’d ended up between her thighs.
A shiver of delight raced down her spine – if only she hadn’t been wearing her jeans.
Something scratched her side where he was touching her, a sharp contrast to the feel of his skin against hers. Glancing down, she saw it was the condom package – he was still holding it.
Rising to his knees, he looked like he was about to finish what he’d started to do while they’d still been standing. Instead, he dropped the package, laying his hands on her hips instead.
He had her jeans unbuttoned and unzipped in the blink of an eye. Several breathless seconds later, they were off altogether. Her panties were next to go, whisked off her hips and over her ankles as he swore softly under his breath, eyes shining with a look that had to be mirrored on her own face.
Bare beneath him, with her thighs spread and his body between them, she couldn’t remember ever wanting anything so badly. He was so hard, and as he rolled the condom on, fingers sliding down the sides of his shaft and coming to a halt by the jewelry above, her heart skipped a beat.
She’d fantasized so many times about this, about being with him. At Hot Ink, while he’d been tattooing her, and at home, when she’d been unable to shake the desire that he’d left her with, seemingly just as permanent as the ink in her skin. But her mind hadn’t been able to fabricate this degree of desire, or the way a never-ending shiver seemed to zip up and down her spine, causing her body to tingle all over, rendering her skin hyper-sensitive as her nerve endings sizzled beneath the surface.
The memory of his touch left her feeling drugged, and the anticipation of feeling it again leant a sharper edge to the sensation.
When he really did touch her, it was with the head of his dick. Lowering himself over her, he guided it with one hand, pressing hot, hard flesh against her clit.
The moment of contact stole her breath away. The condom was only a thin layer, and she could feel his heat and hardness through it. When he rubbed himself against her that way, it felt even better than the way he’d touched her in the kitchen.
Still, she ached to have him inside her. He was so close; each second that ticked by without him pressing inside her was torture. Sweet torture that was just as good as it was agonizing, but still – she was glad when he finally slid a little lower, teasing the lips of her pussy.
Her skin was slick and he slid inside easily, stretching her inch by inch. It had been a while since she’d been with anybody, and as he filled her, she could hardly remember the last time, or any other time, really – a fact she appreciated. He felt better inside her than anyone else ever had, especially when he was buried to the root and the piece of jewelry there pressed against her clit.
It’s less about how it looks and more about how it feels. What he’d said made sense now. Hard against her sensitive bud, the captive bead made it feel like he was still touching her externally, adding an extra thrill to the sheer bliss of penetration.
It was almost too much to process all at once. Almost. Her inner muscles drew up tight, embracing his shaft.
He sighed, breath hot against her cheek. “Been thinking about this all day.”
She sighed too and when he rocked his hips, her sigh bled into a moan. Each thrust provided a dual burst of pleasure, the back-to-back sensations of internal and external friction. And on top of that – on top of her – there was the view: James’ body, a temple of defined muscle decorated with ink that set it all off. Looking up at him was definitely the hottest thing she’d ever seen.
He looked back down at her like he couldn’t look away either, and the thought cut through Arianna like a hot knife through butter, melting her from the inside out. In that moment, it seemed ludicrous that she’d ever doubted this would happen. How had they waited so long, and how would they keep their hands off each other after this?
He rocked her, supporting himself against the mattress on his elbows, biceps bulging faintly beneath dark ink. She saw stars – literally; they trailed down one arm, inked there permanently – and then it became difficult to focus on anything as he thrust harder. When he said her name, the sound of his voice broke her concentration completely.
She met his eyes for half a moment before shutting them, tilting her head back against the pillow and focusing on the tension mounting in her core. Every time the head of his cock delved deep, forcing her softer flesh to yield to his, she was thrust one step closer to the edge. The pressure of the bead rocking against her clit nearly pushed her to climax every time. A little more, and she’d be there.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, unable to resist pulling him a little closer. He kissed her, still tasting like coffee and mint.
Her climax crashed down on her as her tongue twined with his. Shrinking, her pussy drew tight as contractions swept through her core, leaving her even more breathless than the pressure of his mouth against hers had.
He kissed her harder, fucked her harder.
Her moan got lost somewhere between her lips and his.
Whenever she began to come down from the peak he’d pushed her to, she realized she’d gone from embracing him to clinging to him, her nails anchored in his shoulders. Before she had a chance to let go, he gathered her up in his arms, muscles shifting beneath their cover of ink as he held her close.
When his lips cracked, it seemed like he might kiss her again. Instead, he sighed, breath escaping along with a ragged sound that sparked fresh lust inside her. They were so close she could feel his heart beating, and when he came, she felt that too.
Every muscle in his body grew a little more tense, and his grey-green irises disappeared beneath the sweep of blond lashes.
Inside her, he was harder than ever, thrusting with enough force to make the bed shake beneath them.
Or maybe she was trembling. It was hard to tell, he was holding her so tightly. Him coming inside her felt so good she might’ve shattered into a million little pieces if he hadn’t been cradling her like that.
He didn’t pull out right away. For a few moments, he stayed hard, stayed inside her. “So good,” he said when he finally eased out of her, sitting up on the bed beside her, his hip touching hers. “Do you think…”
Several silent seconds ticked by, and she used them to find her voice. “What?”
He met her eyes, locking her in eye contact that nearly stopped her heart. His gaze was intense, and his lips were swollen from being pressed so long and hard against hers. “Do you think we have time to do it again?”
His words went straight through her as she turned onto her side and pushed herself up into a sitting position. “Right now?” The idea was electrifying, though they’d already been lucky in that Emily hadn’t woken from her nap yet.
“Yeah. Unless you don’t want to. I know that could’ve lasted longer, but I didn’t know how long we had and I couldn’t stand the thought of having to stop. You were too perfect, and it felt too good. I think it might’ve killed me to have to leave here without finishing.”
Heat swept over her from head to toe, and she could only hope he wouldn’t notice the blush. Her skin wasn’t as fair as his – unmissable patches of color had spread across his face, highlighting his sculpted cheekbones.
“It was perfect the way it was,” she said, biting the tip of her tongue. She’d had an orgasm – an amazing one – and it was her second of the day. Sadly, that was more than she could credit to any other guy she’d been with in the past – with anyone else, she would’ve counted herself lucky to have just one. What would James think if he knew that?
Wondering embarrassed her. A decade ago, Cody had more or less crippled her ability to trust a sexual partner, which had stunted her experience right out of the starting gate. Afterward, it’d taken her years to get to the point where she was comfortable enough to even be capable of having an orgasm during sex.
James, on the other hand, had apparently had his genitals pierced for the sole purpose of clitoral stimulation. No doubt her past sex life was lame compared to his.
“Yeah?” His lips quirked in a half-smile. “So does that mean you wouldn’t be averse to giving it another try?” He ran a hand up her leg, his fingertips brushing her inner thigh.
Her nipples hardened in instant response.
He must’ve noticed. Cupping one of her breasts, he stroked the stiff peak with his thumb.
“Not averse, no. But we might get interrupted.” Would trying for a second round of incredible sex be pushing their luck? Maybe, but the lure of doing just that was undeniably tempting.
“We might.” He leaned in, brushing his lips across the arch of her neck. “But right now we’ve got time on our hands, and when that’s the case, I don’t think I can keep my hands off you.”
Her gaze drifted south, to his groin. Amazingly, he was still erect. The sight of him so ready for more after what they’d just done was irresistible, and she couldn’t help but notice that the jewelry above the base of his dick shone more brightly than before – it was wet.
So was she, even after the best sex of her life.
“I’ve got another condom,” he breathed. “I’ll switch out.”
Her core clenched as longing gripped her. “Okay. And if we have to stop… Maybe you could stay here tonight. You and Emily. I’m sure you and I would have a chance to pick up where we left off eventually if you stuck around.”
He raised his head, meeting her eyes. “You mean that – you really want me to stay overnight?”
“Yes.” Just the thought filled her with anticipation and a sense of deep satisfaction that was somehow separate from the physical gratification her climax had left her with.
The bed shifted beneath them as he leaned even closer, lowering his face to her breast and capturing her nipple between his lips.
She shut her eyes, reveling in the knowledge that he’d be staying. He’d be hers for the entire night – reality was turning out even better than she’d dared to fantasize.
* * * * *
Waking up was like being dragged to the surface of deep water after a long submersion. James drew a deep breath, stretching limbs that ached, too weighed down with sleep to move efficiently. And then he realized that the deep breath he’d taken had filled his lungs with the scent of lavender.
Lavender? He turned his head, cheek sliding against the pillowcase, and the aroma intensified, released from the fabric.
He’d never done anything to make his pillows smell like lavender. Hell, he was lucky if he remembered to wash the cases every week. Or two.
A distant squawk snapped him into full consciousness, tripping an internal alarm that sent something like fear slipping into his system. Why had the cry come from so far away? He extended an arm, reaching for Emily’s bassinette.
It wasn’t beside his bed.
Or maybe it was, but he wasn’t in his bed.
“Fuck,” he muttered, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress, limbs flailing.
His attempt at a quick escape took a turn for disaster as the sheet tangled around his ankle, drawing tight. He slipped over the side of the bed and hit the carpet with a thud.
“James?” A female voice called from somewhere he couldn’t see – a familiar voice.
“Yeah,” he called back, his own voice rasping through his dry mouth as he struggled to free himself from the twisted bedclothes.
Arianna appeared in the bedroom doorway just in time to see him flailing his way free of her sheets. She held Emily cradled in one arm and a half-empty bottle in the other.
“Don’t let her see me like this,” he said, uncomfortably aware that the only thing he was wearing was the steel ring above his dick. “It’s – it’s creepy as hell.” He grabbed a fistful of sheet and held it balled in front of his groin as he stood.
Arianna laughed. “She just finished eating – she’s half asleep now. Her eyes aren’t even open.”
Arianna’s eyes were sure as hell open. She stood staring, her gaze lingering … everywhere.
He shot a similar look back at her just because he could. She wasn’t naked, but he could see her nipples beneath the thin blue cami she’d worn to bed, and her cotton shorts showed a lot of leg. A little bit of her ass cheeks, too, when she turned around.
His cock stirred beneath the wadded-up sheets.
“I’ve gotta stick the rest of this in the fridge,” Arianna said, raising the bottle as she retreated to the kitchen. “I have a feeling she’ll want to finish it soon. Breakfast is on the table, by the way.”
There was a clock on top of Arianna’s dresser – the sight of it almost stopped James’ heart. Eleven o’clock? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept in so late. He had to be at work in an hour, and being late wasn’t an option – his first appointment was booked for noon.
He pulled on his underwear and jeans in a hurry, then rushed out into the kitchen.
“Fuck, I’m sorry, Arianna. You should’ve just kicked my ass out of bed. How long have you been up with her?”
Arianna shook her head as she put Emily down in her swing. “It doesn’t matter. This is the first time you’ve had a chance to sleep in for nearly two weeks.”
“That shouldn’t be your problem.” There were two places set at the table. He didn’t have time for breakfast, but the sight of a full cup of coffee was irresistible. He gripped the mug and raised it to his mouth.
The coffee lapped against his lips, so cold it might as well have been tap water. He barely resisted the urge to spit out the sip he’d taken.
“Oh God,” Arianna laughed. “Let me heat that up for you. And your food… By the way, ‘breakfast’ might’ve been an exaggeration. I started out wanting to cook something, bu
t somehow that turned into making instant oatmeal in the microwave. I hope you like strawberries and cream.”
He set down the cold coffee. “I appreciate it, but I’ve really gotta go. My first appointment is in an hour.” His gut twisted with guilt. First he’d kept her up for the better part of the night, then he’d slept half the day, leaving her to take care of Emily. Now he was about to leave her alone with her for the rest of the day.
Arianna turned, directing her gaze at the clock above the kitchen stove. “Eleven already?” She frowned. “Time goes by fast when you’re getting spit up on.”
James winced. “Sorry about that. I feel like shit for running out on you like this.” Especially after what they’d done. Even now, a part of him – a semi-erect part of him, thanks to her skimpy pajamas – ached to stay with her. His sexual appetite didn’t seem to know any end with her.
Still, even just holding her would’ve been nice.
It’d been a hell of a long time since he’d woken up in someone else’s apartment and had that thought. “Listen, Arianna—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’ll see you tonight. And feel free to take a rain check on the cold coffee and store brand oatmeal.”
He got ready for work, pulling on his shirt, shoes and jacket before grabbing his keys from the kitchen counter. He didn’t have much of a choice, though that fact didn’t do much to make it feel any less wrong. Especially since as he walked out the door, he thought he heard Arianna sigh – an unhappy sound so different from the noises she’d been making all night that he wondered whether she’d be glad to see him when he returned after the end of his work day.
The thought that she might not be left him feeling just as cold as the coffee he’d turned down.
* * * * *
9 Years Ago
It was cold. Freezing, actually, but James didn’t dare turn on the car to run the heat. He only had a quarter of a tank of gas left, and it’d be two more weeks before he got his first paycheck from his new job. Until then, he had exactly fifty-two dollars and six cents to make it on. He shoved his hands deeper into his hoodie’s front pocket, rubbing the bills and coins between his fingers, clenching them in his fist. Touching the money was a small comfort and a huge temptation. He could buy more gas, or food…
