by Sasha White
“I was there when they met, and I’ve seen them both almost every day since. Yesterday he was a bear, today he was unbearable.” He gave a dramatic shudder. “Lara’s crept up here and reached out more in the last few weeks than the last two years, but at this rate… I’ll be pregnant before she admits she wants a happily-ever-after with him.”
Peter gaped. “Pregnant?”
“Don’t worry, big boy, it’s just a metaphor, I’m not ready for kids.” He swept through the doorway to the living room practically dancing with glee. “Those two are perfect for each other, but they have so many walls and head issues that they’re never gonna get past them until one of them stops tiptoeing around and punches through the other’s wall. We both know Lara’s tough, but she’s no match for my boss.”
Peter followed his lover, unable to take his eyes off him. “Graham, come sit with me.”
Graham sashayed across the living room, grinning. “I wish I could see what happens when he gets to the pub. Maybe we should go have a drink?”
Rolling his shoulders to release some tension, Peter sat on the edge of the sofa. His stomach was tight and his pulse was racing. This was it…this was the perfect time.
He reached out and snagged Graham’s hand, pulling him down onto the sofa beside him.
“Graham, listen to me.” He turned and cupped a hand around the back of Graham’s head, his fingers massaging his lover’s soft skin. “Are you still worried about me wanting Lara? Is that why you’re so determined to get them together all of a sudden?”
Graham’s eyes flicked away and then back. “Maybe,” he admitted softly.
“I only want you. I’m sorry that my remark about sometimes wanting a female hit you so hard. I’m sorry I didn’t understand what it would do to you. I’m sorry that I even considered you might get a little hysterical and slash her tires. But this has to stop. You are who I want. Stop worrying about her, or any other woman okay?”
Graham nodded, but Peter still saw the doubt in his eyes. And he knew how to get rid of it. He sucked in a deep breath and slid off the sofa, and onto one knee. With a trembling hand he held out the little blue jewelry box that had been burning a hole in his pocket for the past month.
“Graham Nelson, will you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me, and only me?”
“Oh my God!” Graham’s hands fluttered about, and Peter saw pure love and happiness shine through his tears as he stared at the gold band in the box.
But he didn’t reach for it.
Peter’s heart stopped, then kick started again at triple the speed. He hadn’t answered. Why didn’t he answer?
“Graham?”
Graham folded his hands primly in his lap and met Peter’s gaze. “Before I say yes, I need you to tell me, honestly and completely…”
“Anything,” he breathed the word.
“I want only you. Can you commit to the same thing? Only me? Don’t lie to me, or yourself about this, Peter. Is this just your way of making up for thinking I was a crazy stalker?”
“No!” Graham’s face went white and Peter scrambled to get everything out at once. “I mean yes, only you! No, Graham, this isn’t out of guilt. I bought this ring over a month ago. I just never got up the nerve to give it to you, and now seemed like the perfect time. I’m never going to let you doubt me, or my commitment to you again.”
“Ohhh.” Visibly melting, Graham stared at Peter with cheeks flushed and eyes wide. Then he snatched the ring from Peter’s hands. “Then yes! Yes!”
Once the ring was on his hand, Graham launched himself off the sofa and on top of Peter, taking them both to the floor. As Graham planted kisses all over his face Peter laughed, feeling lighthearted for the first time in way too long. “I guess this means you don’t want to go have a drink at the pub anymore?”
31
Karl strode into the pub, determined to find his little runaway and make her face what was happening between them and acknowledge it. He spotted her at the pool tables right away, and the breath rushed from his body. Those black leather fuck-me boots accentuated her curvy calves and made the length of bare thigh beneath her barely there tartan skirt all the more enticing. Her upper body was completely covered, but only with a layer of sheer material that hid nothing, including the shiny black PVC push-up bra she wore.
PVC? His girl had a PVC bra that he’d never seen yet? That had to change.
He knew the instant she saw him coming. Her facial expression didn’t change, but her stance shifted and her shoulders went back. She thought she was ready for him.
Stepping up, he put his name on the board to play with winner, and went to stand at the high table a few feet away. Close enough to see and hear everything that happened at the table, but far enough away that she would have to come to him.
“What can I get you to drink?”
Karl turned his gaze on the waitress, and smiled. The pretty girl’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushed, and she tilted her head. “I’ll have a beer, please.”
“I remember you,” she smiled. “And I remember what brand.” With a saucy wink, she left to get his drink.
“Come on, baby, you can do better than that.” Lara taunted the guy she was playing with a teasing smile. “You said you were going to give me a run for my money.”
“The game’s not over yet, sweetness. You have to bank the eight to win.”
Karl saw her eye twitch at the endearment, but she hid her distaste well. “Not a problem,” she said as she studied the table.
When she bent over to line up her shot, every asshole in that corner of the room saw the matching PVC thong she wore under her skirt.
“You okay?”
He cut his eyes to the waitress standing at his table, and she stepped back. He realized he must not be hiding his emotions very well and made an effort to smile. “Sure,” he said pulling a bill from his wallet. “I’m great. Keep the change.”
Sudden jeering and hooting laughter erupted and the waitress grinned. “Sounds like Lara won another game. That girl’s been cleaning house tonight.”
“You know her?” That surprised him.
“She comes in to shoot some pool every once and while. She usually wins.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Weren’t you with her last time you were here?”
He nodded. “I was, and I’ll be taking her with me when I leave again tonight, too.”
“I’ve heard that before.” She laughed. “But Lara’s not one to go where she’s already been.”
So his girl was scared of relationships, but she had them all over the place. Graham and Peter obviously cared about her, the waitress knew her by name, and she’d had the same job for almost five years. There was definitely hope.
Lara avoided his gaze while the next guy racked the balls and she got ready to start the next game, but her body language couldn’t hide her awareness of him. She talked and flirted with every person there, men and women alike, except him.
Which was fine. He wasn’t there to flirt. He watched her play and knew he could beat her. She was good, but she played the player, not the table. He would not be distracted by her bending, flirting, and sassy attitude. He also wouldn’t be playing for money.
Pride filled him when she sank the eight while the other guy still had five balls up. She was good.
She swept the bills up off the side of the table and tucked them into the top of her boot. Ignoring the way his cock twitched at the sight of those boots, he put down his beer and stepped up to the table. It was his turn now.
Lara stood at the head of the table cue stick in hand, her gaze burning into his as he racked the balls. When they were set, he strode around and stood too close to her.
“I see you like to play for money,” he said.
She stepped back and he saw the flare of anger in her eyes at the automatic reaction. “Money is good,” she said, tilting her head up.
He stepped closer, trapping her between him and the table. “I’m not interested in your money, sugar.�
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* * *
The fire in Karl’s eyes made Lara’s heart stutter. It was all she could do to string her words together in some sort of sense at his closeness. “Then what are you interested in?”
“You.”
Oh God, how had he found her there? Why had he found her there? “I thought you said we weren’t going to see each other until next week?”
“Are you guys going to play, or talk all night?”
The loud call made her start, and Karl turned his head slowly. She didn’t need to see the look he gave the speaker; she saw the reaction to it and adrenaline shot through her. “Sorry, man. Take your time.”
“I though we were going to stay in contact,” Karl said when he turned back to her.
She lifted her shoulders and let them fall. “I emailed you.” It was a fight to stay casual, but she couldn’t let him know how much he affected her. He already had too much power over her.
His voice was a soft purr. “One email isn’t staying in contact.”
Tilting her head at the table she dredged up a flirty smile and changed the subject. “What are we playing for if not money?”
He searched her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. The air between them heated and the room around them disappeared. All she could see was him, all she could smell was him. She could feel his energy reaching out and wrapping around her. He leaned in, his hands bracketing her hips against the pool table, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. “I’m done playing. I’m here for you.”
Her chest tightened and she fought to breathe. He must’ve felt her nod, though, because he stepped back and took the pool cue from her hand. His hand at the small of her back guided her away from the table and she went.
“The table’s yours,” Karl said to the guy who’d backed off moments earlier, and they left the bar.
His hand burned through her thin shirt as they walked and she struggled to remember what it was she had to say to him. By the time they were in the parking lot, her head was starting to clear.
“My car,” she said. “I drove.”
Karl nodded. “Follow me to my house.”
“But I live close.”
He arched an eyebrow and she nodded. “I’ll follow you.”
He walked her to her car, and once she was in, he went to his truck and she waited for him to pull out. She followed him automatically, and she was glad for that because she needed time to think.
Why she didn’t think he would come looking for her when she hadn’t emailed back she didn’t know. She should’ve known. If she’d written something so…personal and sincere and not gotten a response, she’d have been pissed off, too. Only Karl didn’t really seem pissed off. More determined.
Her heart pounded. Scarily determined.
Really, he said everything she wanted to hear. He hadn’t pressured her, just told her that talking to him, telling him what she felt was good. He was being patient and caring and confident…and after seeing Graham and Peter and feeling the raw emotion in the room when they were arguing. Then when they were making love—it was too much.
She just needed time. That was all. Time to get her feet back under her and her life back on track. Time to remember that sex was good, but she sucked at relationships.
* * *
She was surprised to see the modest bungalow style house Karl lived in. It was nice and homey, and exactly what she always wanted for herself. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside, unsure of where to go.
“Follow me,” he said, and headed down the short hall.
“Wow.” She stopped dead inside the kitchen. “This is beautiful.”
Karl was at the fridge a couple of water bottles in his hand. “When you cooked me dinner the other night I knew you’d love it. I had it renovated a couple of years ago.”
Lara examined the dark wood cupboards, a gleaming countertop, and a center island with a sink. Her fingertips itched to pull down a shiny pot from the hanging rack and whip up a batch of home-made soup. “I’ve always wanted a kitchen like this,” she whispered.
“It’s yours.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“Everything I have is yours, Lara.” He came toward her, his gaze intent, his movements primal and predatory. “I’m man enough to admit when I make a mistake, and trying to play it cool with you, trying to train you as a traditional submissive, was a mistake. You’re not traditional. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met, and that’s what makes you special.”
“What? Wait, Karl.” Lara held up a hand for him to stop. “This is too much. I don’t think I can do this.”
He didn’t stop until he was inches from her. He braced his hands on the kitchen island behind her, boxing her in. “Do what, exactly? Talk to me, sugar.”
Her chest tightened and her pulse raced. Blood rushed to her head with a roar and she put her hands on his chest to push him away, only to curl her fingers into his shirt and pull him closer. She leaned into him, burying her nose against his neck and breathing deep.
“Talk to me, Lara. Tell me what is going on inside that pretty head of yours.”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “You mess me up, Karl, until I don’t know what I want anymore.”
His jaw rubbed against the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. His hands were still on the countertop, and she longed for the feel of them holding her.
When it became clear he wasn’t going to say anything, she closed her eyes, took another deep breath, and jumped in. He went after her, he took her to his home, and he made it clear he wanted a relationship. She was not going to be the chicken shit and run away again.
“When I’m not with you, I can think straight and life is normal. I know that what we have is different than anything I’ve experienced, but I also realize that we barely know each other! Then, when I’m with you, all I want is you. It’s like I’m hypnotized or something. I want your hands on me, your mouth on me, your cock buried deep inside me, filling me up. That’s good, I can handle lust. The kink doesn’t bother me, either. Whether or not I’m submissive, I have no idea, but I do know that I enjoy everything you do to me, and I fantasize about so much more. Fantasies I’ve never even acknowledged until I met you. I’ve always loved cock. I love to feel it, touch it, smell it, and taste it. My deepest fantasy would be to surrounded by cock. Two men would be good, but three would be better, four would be…too many. I want to be filled at every entrance… I want to be fucked.” She stopped. Karl’s heart was pounding beneath her ear, his entire body hard in her arms.
Yet, he still said nothing.
Opening her mouth, she admitted the scariest part. “And then I want to be held and cuddled and loved.”
A growl rumbled up from Karl’s chest as he shifted. His arms came around her, squeezing her tight, before one hand slipped under her jaw and tilted her head back. “Look at me,” he commanded.
She opened her eyes, her breath catching at the emotion she saw.
“What I want is to make you mine. I know that scares you, but you are a brave and bold and adventurous woman, and I know you won’t let your fear get in the way of what you want. Even more than that, I want to give you what you need—and what we both need to exist in a way that is true to our basic nature, is each other.” He stepped back, his arms dropping to his sides, not touching her, not pressuring her. He just stood there, letting her see him, and the desire he felt so clearly. “Will you give us a chance?”
Adrenaline shot through her veins and her body flushed with heat. Her hands rose, automatically reaching for him even while her mind tried to form the right words. “Yes, but—”
“No buts allowed, Lara. You either give us a chance, or you don’t.”
“I want to, but I’m scared!”
Shit! She hadn’t meant to say that! “Karl, I suck at relationships, I told you that. I want this. What you say sounds so good, the way you make me feel is so good, but I don’t know that I can give that back to y
ou.”
He reached for her then. His hands cupped her cheeks, holding her face close as he stared deep into her eyes. Searching, seeking an answer as a rough thumb drifted across her lower lip.
“Don’t you worry about that. And don’t let your fear rule you. It’s okay to be scared, just don’t let it stop you from going after what you want. I’m not saying it will be easy, but I am saying you’ll never be alone in this. I’m here for you.”
He leaned in and her eyes slid shut as his lips pressed against hers. Slow, soft, and oh so seductively. Strong fingers slid to the back of her head, buried in her hair and then applied steady pressure, tightening, pulling, and tilting her head back until she couldn’t move.
Everything inside her tensed, then relaxed, melting until she was mass of a quivering desire, straining to be closer to him.
It hit her then, she believed him. She trusted him.
There was only one thing left for her to say. “Yes. I want it all.”
32
Finally! Tension rushed from Karl’s body, his knees weakened, and he pressed his forehead against Lara’s, leaning into her. Leaning on her.
When he’d gone after her earlier that night, he’d been scared and angry. His plan was to find her and drag her back to his place, by her hair if he had to. The whole scene had been planned in his mind. He’d tie her up and sensually tease, torture, and torment her until she admitted she wanted more than sex with him. That she felt the emotional connection and admitted that she couldn’t run from it anymore. He wanted her promise she wouldn’t run from him again, and he’d been ready to demand it from her.
Instead, she’d sucker punched him with her soft, panicked words. She’d just given him everything he wanted without having to demand it.
Suddenly, his intense need to own was replaced by the intense need to cherish the gift she’d just given him. His arms went around her and he lowered his head. Her soft lips parted and her eager tongue welcomed him inside her.
