by Tara Wyatt
Lauren nodded, holding the card in two hands as though it were something incredibly precious. And honestly, to her it was. “Okay. I’ll call you to set something up.”
“Please do. Because Lauren, I think you’ve got something special. Seriously special,” she added with a wink. Oh, Lauren liked her a lot already. She seemed warm and kind and genuine with a laid-back vibe.
Naturally, she gave a dorky little salute which she immediately regretted. “Wow. I can’t believe…thank you. I will. I’ll call you. Is five minutes from now too soon?”
“Well hey, if you know your schedule, why don’t we get something on the books now?” Both women pulled out their phones. “How about next Friday, three in the afternoon?”
Lauren nodded. She’d have to leave work early, but she was sure she could get Dori to cover for her. “That’s perfect.”
“Great. Give me a call if anything changes.” She smiled and turned, walking off the stage and leaving Lauren alone. A rush of excitement charged through her, and as soon as she was sure no one was watching, she let out a whoop and jumped up in the air, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.
15
Lauren swung idly from side to side in her desk chair, her eyes roving around the nearly empty library. It was a Tuesday night, which was her evening to work, and a glance at the clock told her that it was nearly eight o’clock. She was on the reference desk alone, and aside from helping someone with the photocopier, she hadn’t had anything to do for the past hour. Glancing around again to make sure no one was looking in her direction, she pulled her phone out of the desk drawer and texted Theo.
Lauren: I’m borrrrrreeeddddddddd
As usual, his reply came back almost instantly, but it wasn’t the speed of his reply that had her inhaling sharply, heat creeping up her neck and to her cheeks.
Theo: I just got out of the shower and I’m really wishing you were here. Showering alone is no fun.
She glanced up and looked around again, feeling as though she were doing something very, very bad right now. But there was no one around and she couldn’t resist the opportunity to engage in a little flirty sexting with Theo. It was something they hadn’t done before, and a thrill charged through her at the idea.
It was absolutely fascinating, getting to see this side of him. She knew him so well—how could she not, given how close they’d been for so long? —and yet she was uncovering all of these new, hidden parts of him and it only made her want more.
Lauren: I’m wearing that dress you really like.
Theo: The green one?
Lauren: Yeah. The one that ties in the front.
Theo: I do love that dress. I was wearing a towel...
Her stomach fluttered and her heart picked up its pace at the idea that he was naked right now, his skin damp and warm from the shower. She shifted in her seat, rubbing her thighs together.
Lauren: Unf. You’re killing me.
Theo: No dying on me, Lo. I can’t wait to see you in that dress later.
Lauren: I have to say, I look very put together today.
Theo: You won’t when I’m done with you.
A smile broke out across her face, and she pressed a hand to her heated cheek.
Lauren: What are you going to do to me?
Theo: I’m going to peel you out of that dress as soon as you get here because as good as it looks on you, I think it’ll look even better on the floor. Then I’m going to pick you up and throw you on the bed, where I plan to eat your pussy for as long as I damn well please.
Lauren: And then?
She could barely type the words out, her hands were trembling so much from how hard and fast her heart was pounding. Holy shit, this was sexy. She glanced around again, feeling like if someone saw her, they’d be able to tell what she was doing. She imagined a neon sign glowing above her head that said “sexting with her boyfriend who doesn’t quite know he’s her boyfriend” with a giant arrow pointing directly at her red face.
The thought was almost sobering enough to snap her back to reality, but then Theo replied.
Theo: And then I think I’d like to bend you over the desk in the living room. I love the way your ass looks when it bounces against my hips.
Lauren rubbed a hand over her neck and let out the tiniest whimper. Thankfully, there was no one around to hear it. She wracked her brain for what to write back, but he was so much better at this than she was, in a way that almost made her feel off balance, but didn’t because she trusted him.
Theo: Or maybe I’ll tie your hands behind your back and put you on your knees.
Lauren: I am so wet right now. My panties are soaked.
And she wasn’t being creative—it was true. She could feel the slick heat from between her legs, and she shifted in her chair. It was delicious being so turned on, so achy and wet for him and not being able to do a damn thing about it because of where she was. Delicious and naughty.
Theo: I know, baby. I’m so hard for you right now it almost hurts.
Lauren: Are you touching yourself?
Theo: No. I’m saving it all for you.
Lauren: Good. Because I want it all, and it wouldn’t be fair if you could touch yourself while I’m stuck here in public.
“Excuse me, can I get more time on the computer?” At the sound of the man’s voice, Lauren let out a tiny shriek and almost sent her phone flying. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
She shook her head, setting her phone down beside her computer. “It’s okay. Which one are you on?”
He pointed, and she opened up the window with the computer management software. After she’d extended his time by another thirty minutes, she picked her phone back up again.
Theo: Not to change the subject, but I wanted to check on two things with you.
Lauren: Shoot.
Theo: First, are we still going to Willa and Kayla’s Halloween party on Friday?
Friday. Just the mention of the word had her palms sweating and her stomach clenching. She’d barely been able to stop thinking about the upcoming meeting with Sadie Hopkins and she’d been in a perpetual state of nervous excitement. She was having coffee with a super successful record producer who thought she was talented. Her mind kept racing ahead, imagining things like record deals and hit singles and sold out concerts where thousands of fans sang her own lyrics back to her.
Lauren: Yep. Got my costume and everything.
For half a second, she’d been tempted to ask him how he felt about doing a coordinated costume—like Beetlejuice and Lydia, or Barbie and Ken—but she’d been too worried that it might freak him out, so she’d decided to leave it alone. Things were so good between them that she didn’t want to rock the boat by making him feel pressured in any way.
Then again, she’d been censoring herself a lot lately when it came to her non-boyfriend, and it was starting to wear a little thin.
Time. She just had to give it time.
Theo: Okay, great. Second question.
Lauren: Hit me.
Theo: I’m looking at flights and stuff—you’re 100% good to come with me to Aerin and Javier’s wedding? It’s in Dallas on the 7th, so we’d go for the weekend. But no pressure. If you don’t want to come, that’s cool.
Lauren: I’m in. I’m off that weekend and don’t have any gigs, so we’re all good.
Theo: Okay. I’ll book the flights. I already booked a room a while ago.
Lauren: Oooh, hotel sex!
Theo: You read my mind. I’m going to finish up some work. Text me when you’re leaving, okay?
Lauren: Will do. Don’t work too hard.
His meeting with the senior partners was coming up in just a week and he’d been spending all of his free time—well, the free time leftover when he wasn’t giving her toe curling orgasms—preparing.
Theo: Don’t worry, I’m saving all my energy for you.
She tucked the phone back in the drawer, then swiveled idly back and forth in her chair. Everything important in her life
had felt so stagnant for so long—her feelings for Theo, her music career—that now it felt like everything was moving at warp speed. She closed her eyes for a second, allowing herself to picture everything she wanted, not just for herself, but for them. Theo making junior partner. Signing a contract with a major record label. A future with Theo—one that actually included labels. One that didn’t freak him out.
For the first time in a long time, these thoughts didn’t feel like dreams. They felt like possibilities.
From his spot in the kitchen, Theo heard his front door open and Lauren set her bags down in the entryway. He smiled as anticipation curled through him. He’d planned a surprise for her tonight, and he couldn’t wait to see her reaction. Couldn’t wait for all the things he’d planned in the name of taking her mind off of her upcoming meeting with Sadie Hopkins and the stress she’d been feeling over it. The idea had taken root the other night when they’d been sexting, and he’d spent the past couple of days planning and organizing.
“Hey,” she said, poking her head into the kitchen and smiling at him. His heart did its usual flippy floppy thing in his chest when he laid eyes on her. Like it was a fish out of water gasping for air. Which wasn’t the most attractive image, but it felt like the most accurate because more than anything, he felt like he was flailing. The lines were so blurry that he didn’t know where friend Lauren and more-than-a-friend Lauren began and ended. And while it was what he’d wanted—what he still wanted—he had to admit that the lack of any clarity made him feel restless. But not restless enough to do anything about it because that prospect was completely terrifying.
Did he have feelings for her? Yes.
Did he want to be more than friends? Yes.
Did he want to rock the boat and have everything unravel? Fuck no.
“Hey,” he smiled back, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. Then he grabbed a pair of oven mitts and pulled the tray of nachos out of the oven, filling the kitchen with the scents of melted cheese and warm tortilla chips.
She inhaled and made a soft little moan that had blood flowing straight to his dick. He’d never felt so completely insatiable with a woman before. It didn’t matter how many times he had her, it only made him want her more. Want her over and over again in a way that was both addictive and petrifying.
“You made nachos?” she asked, leaning a hip against the counter. He loved how completely at home she looked in his place. Loved seeing her toothbrush on his bathroom vanity. Loved the sight of her guitar propped up in a corner of the living room.
Fuck.
“Yeah.” He pulled off the oven mitts and went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of her favorite white wine. “And we have this.”
Her eyes lit up. “Ooh, fancy! Let me just go put my stuff away and I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
“You know, Aspen made a joke about renting out my room,” she called over her shoulder as she headed for his bedroom.
Theo laughed, not knowing what to say to that. Was it fucked up that he was totally willing to let her move in, but not willing to call her his girlfriend or make any kind of promises?
Yes. Yes, it was, and he knew it. Knew it and didn’t have the slightest clue what to do about it.
So instead he focused on retrieving two wine glasses from a nearby cabinet, opening the bottle, and then taking the two glasses along with the tray of nachos into the living room where he’d set up everything else.
When Lauren emerged from his bedroom, she’d changed into her favorite comfy outfit—his Columbia Law sweatshirt and a pair of black leggings. He loved it when she wore his clothes—he liked seeing her covered in something that belonged to him. She smiled as she approached, her eyes roving over the coffee table that was covered with the nachos, wine glasses, and an assortment of her favorite candy.
“What is all this?” she asked, sitting down on the couch next to him and tucking her feet up under her.
“I thought you could use a little stress relief. I know how anxious you are about your meeting with Sadie.”
She bit her lip and smiled at him. “Thanks, Theo. This is really sweet.”
Warmth suffused him, along with a happiness that came from making her happy. And she didn’t even know what else he had in store for the evening.
He handed her the remote along with a glass of wine. “Here. Pick whatever you want.”
She put on an episode of Arrested Development and then took one of the plates he’d set out, helping herself to the nachos, then settled back against the couch, munching happily as the show played.
“You know,” she said after several minutes of silent chewing, “from what you’ve told me, your family is kind of like the Bluths.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “I’d never thought of it that way, but they are a bunch of rich, dysfunctional assholes. Please at least tell me that I’m Michael.”
“Of course,” she said, setting her plate down and grabbing a handful of gummy worms. “And Sebastian is obviously Gob. Would Aerin be Lindsay? And I’m not so sure about Lucian and Max.”
“None of the Bluths are as scary as Lucian or as grumpy as Max. Aerin’s got the skinny blonde thing down, but that’s about where the similarities end.” He pulled her against him and tucked her into his side. She laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him. After a few moments of easy silence, he said, “I know you’re freaked about this meeting, and I get it. But you’ve got this.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “She saw your audition and then sought you out. Whatever she wants to talk to you about, I’m sure it’s good.”
“And if it’s not?” she asked, her eyes still glued to the TV screen.
“Then another opportunity will come along. I know it will, because you’re so talented. I believe in you, Lo.”
She let out a little sigh. “That makes one of us.”
He tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Then I’ll believe in you enough for the both of us until you get there.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, her mouth warm and sweet against his. “Thanks, Theo. That means a lot to me.”
He kissed her again, then stood, turned off the TV and extended his hand to her. “Come on. I have more stress relief planned.”
Her cheeks flushed and she laid her hand in his, practically vaulting up off of the couch. He loved that she was just as hungry for him as he was for her. Fuck, his list of things he loved about her kept growing and growing, didn’t it?
He led her into his bedroom, which was dark save for the few candles flickering around the bed. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, trailing kisses over her neck. She swayed back against him, her ass nestled against his growing erection. “Naked and facedown on the bed,” he said, reluctantly letting her go. She turned to face him, holding his gaze as she pulled his hoodie off over her head, revealing her breasts. Then she hooked her fingers into her leggings and tugged them down over her legs. He was almost tempted to tell her to leave her panties on—all the better to tease her and drive her crazy—but then she slipped them off too and he wasn’t about to tell her to put them back on. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she climbed onto his bed and laid face down as he’d asked.
A surge of something so powerful charged through Theo at the sight of Lauren spread out on his bed. Waiting for him. Trusting him. He sucked in a breath and then reached for the small bottle on the bedside table. Carefully sweeping her hair away from her neck and shoulders, he then squirted some of the slippery massage oil into his palm.
“This might be cold,” he warned, just before he rubbed his hands together and then slicked them down her back, from her shoulders to the top of her ass. He splayed his hands over her back, reveling in how much of her he could touch at once.
She moaned into the pillow as he started working on her tense shoulders. “Oh my God, that feels so good.”
He leaned forward and kissed her jaw. “I’m just getting started, sweetheart.” She sighed, and he worked his han
ds over her shoulders, down her back, kneading the pale globes of her ass until her hips were shifting on the bed and his dick was throbbing eagerly against his jeans. With each stroke up and down her back and to her ass, he dipped his hands just a little bit lower, teasing the seam where her ass met her thighs, where her thighs met her pussy. Teasing and stroking and slowly, with each pass, urging her legs a little farther apart.
When he started massaging her inner thighs, the tips of his fingers brushing against her outer lips, she let out a shuddery moan and spread her legs wider, arching her hips up. Pink and glistening, he could see how turned on she was from this, and another surge of powerful lust tinged with something he couldn’t quite name charged through him. Spreading her open with his thumbs, he stroked one finger down her slit.
“Oh, fuck, Theo,” she moaned, writhing against the pillow. “This is so freaking hot. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” She arched her hips up even higher off the bed, a silent plea for more. He groaned and circled his fingers slowly around her clit with one hand, still massaging her thigh with the other. She gasped and pressed into his hand, her thighs shaking a little. Fuck, he loved how responsive she was to him. It was beyond sexy knowing he could turn her on like this. Knowing he could make her wet, make her shake, make her beg, make her come.
He kept circling his slick fingers over her clit, feeling her swell under his touch. He spread her open with one hand, then slid two fingers into her, rubbing her clit with the palm of his hand as he stroked her from within.
“Oh, shit!” She bucked against his hand and he felt her come, spasming around his fingers, fresh wetness flooding him. She rode his hand, her hips jerking. He pulled his hand free and guided her onto her back, and he chuckled when he noticed that her legs were still shaking. She reached for him, grabbing at the front of his jeans and his impossibly hard dick, but he gently pushed her hand away.
“Tonight is about you, sweetheart. And I’m not done yet.” Then he took the little bottle again and squirted more of the massage oil onto his palms. Slicking his hands over her breasts, he teased her nipples with gentle strokes and little pinches. Her back arched up off the bed, her eyes closed, a red flush coloring her from her hairline to the tops of her breasts. He teased and played, massaging her breasts, giving her time to come down from her orgasm so he could give her another. After a few minutes, her hips were once again writhing. Not able to wait anymore, he tugged her to the edge of the bed, dropped to his knees and closed his mouth over her pussy. The coconut flavor of the massage oil mingled with Lauren, and Theo was pretty sure he’d never be able to look at a macaroon again without getting hard.
