Puck Me Baby

by Lili Valente

  “Most people don’t think so,” I say, dropping the angry act.

  “Most people don’t see what I see.” Her eyes meet mine, catching and holding as the energy in the room changes. “Thanks for letting me see the real Alexi.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice,” I confess. “There’s something about you, Esposito.”

  “Yeah?” she whispers.

  “Yeah.” Something that’s probably going to break me, I add silently. I’m seventy-five percent certain I’m making a mistake, but that doesn’t stop my lips from parting or my next question from emerging into the charged air. “Will you move in with me? Monday morning? After Sofia leaves?”

  Doubt and excitement flicker across her features as she traps her bottom lip between her teeth. “Are you sure? I’m fine with living separately. We don’t have to rush into anything.”

  “I’m sure. I want you in my bed every night, myshka. What about you?”

  “I’m very interested in being in your bed every night,” she says, heat in her eyes. “But I want you to cash my last rent check before I move out of the pool house. I noticed today that it hadn’t cleared.”

  “Absolutely not. I don’t want your money.”

  “But that was part of our deal.”

  “There’s a new deal now.” I push my chair away from the table. “And the new deal is that you’re my girlfriend, we’re living together, and the only thing you have to pay me for is oral sex.”

  She snorts in surprise. “What? You’re going to make me pay for it, now? Is that how you work, Petrov? You get a girl hooked with free samples and then start charging her for a fix once she can’t imagine going without?”

  I stand, circling the table. “That’s exactly how I work. And if you want what I’ve got, you’re going to have to pay.”

  Mandy takes my hand, letting me pull her to her feet. “Name your price.”

  I draw her close, bending to kiss her long, slow, and deep, waiting until she melts against me before I whisper, “Back scratches.”

  She hums as her nose brushes mine. “Back scratches?”

  “The way you scratch my back while I’m going to sleep. I like it. A lot,” I explain, kissing her again before drawing her across the room. “I also enjoy being kissed awake before the alarm goes off. Starting the day with kisses is way better than a machine screaming at me from the bedside table.”

  “These are both relatively tame requests,” she murmurs. “I was expecting payback to involve blow jobs or coming on my face or something.”

  I stop abruptly. “Come on your face? Why would I want to come on your face?”

  “Well, I do similar things on your face,” she says, cheeks going pink. “Or your mouth, anyway. That’s what this payback thing is all about, right?”

  “That’s not the same thing,” I say with a shake of my head. “Not even close.”

  She shrugs. “Oh, well…I don’t know. Men like to come on faces, don’t they? I mean, isn’t that a thing with most men? Because they watched too much porn when they were teenagers or something and think it’s normal?”

  “I’m not most men.” I lift my hand to her cheek, brushing my thumb over her bottom lip. “And you’re not most women. So don’t let anyone come on your face again, okay? If we don’t work out and you start dating someone else, just say no. Okay? For me? Or, if you hate me for some reason at that point, for your mother who loves you and knows her baby deserves better than some loser unloading on her pretty face.”

  She leans into my touch with a soft smile. “It’s hard to imagine hating you.”

  “Promise me,” I insist, genuinely disturbed by the thought of my heart-on-her-sleeve girl on her knees in front of a douchebag who wants to come in her eye so he can feel like a bigger man.

  “I promise.” Her palms come to rest on my chest. “But unfortunately, you’ve reminded me of another promise I made, and now I need to call my mother.”

  “What? Right now?” I’m positive she’s joking until she turns, crossing back to the front door where she left her purse on the floor.

  “Yes. Right now.” She bends down, digging through the small red bag. “I promised myself I would do it as soon as I made it through meeting your grandmother. I’ve put it off for way too long already.”

  “Put what off?” I prop my hands low on my hips, fingers digging into the denim of my jeans as my dick shoves against my zipper in despair, wondering what the hell went wrong and why we aren’t getting our favorite person naked at this very moment.

  Mandy stands, glancing back at me as she scrolls through the contacts on her phone. “Telling her about the baby.”

  My eyes go wide. “What? You haven’t told your mother that you’re pregnant yet?”

  She shakes her head as she taps her screen. “Nope.”

  “But you’re…really pregnant.”

  “I know.” She smiles as she brings the phone to her ear and whispers, “It’s ringing. I hope she answers. I can’t wait to introduce you two.”

  Chapter 15

  Petrov

  *

  I shake my head, panic dumping into my bloodstream as I back toward the door leading out to the patio on the other side of the kitchen. I’m about to escape into the darkness, where I will happily jump into the pool fully clothed if that’s what it takes to avoid an awkward first phone-meeting with Mandy’s mom only seconds after she’s learned that her daughter is pregnant, when Mandy coos, “Hey, Mom, so glad you picked up!” and waves her hand in the air, urgently motioning me over. “Yeah, I know it’s a little late, but I’ve got some news I’ve been wanting to tell you, and I figured I might as well get it over with tonight. I’m pregnant! Surprise! You’re going to be a grandma!”

  There’s a squawking sound on the other end of the line and Mandy winces, pulling the phone away from her ear as she adds in a louder voice, “Yes, Mom, I really am. I’m not kidding. I’m pregnant. A little over four months pregnant, in fact.”

  More urgent-sounding words I can’t make out from across the room seethe from the speaker as Mandy covers the bottom half of her cell and whispers to me, “Come here! I’m going to tell her about you. I want you two to say hi.”

  My mouth goes dry and my pulse leaps frantically in my throat, but I force my feet to shuffle in her direction. This is going to have to happen sooner or later, I guess. Might as well face the music now.

  Though, I would have preferred at least a few fucking minutes to prepare.

  What the hell am I supposed to say to this woman? Do I apologize? Pretend the baby was planned? Avoid saying anything of substance and try to come off as the supportive boyfriend type who’s here for Mandy, while avoiding potentially uncomfortable questions about how the baby came to be?

  “Yes, Mom.” Mandy nods some more, her smile frozen on her face as she takes in the seemingly endless freak-out coming at her from the other side of the line. “Yes, I know I haven’t mentioned a boyfriend in Portland, but you’re going to love Alexi. He’s a professional hockey player for the Badgers. Yeah, Alexi Petrov.” She rolls her eyes. “Yes, he’s the big, scary one, Mom, but he’s not scary in real life. At least not too scary. Just scary enough to, you know, keep things interesting.”

  I widen my eyes dramatically, silently asking her what the hell she’s thinking, but she simply grins and waves a dismissive hand in the air before continuing. “Yeah sometimes he yells, and he frowns a lot—he’s got, like, twenty different frowns and those are just the before breakfast ones—but that’s his personality. It’s fine. I’m used to it by now.”

  I frown, intently, severely, willing her to stop throwing me under the bus.

  “Yes, Mom,” she says, beaming angelically up at me. “I know I usually can’t stand grouchy people, but Alexi is different. Which is good because we’re moving in together on Monday! Yeah, as soon as his grandmother leaves.” She shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess he doesn’t want his grandmother to know that he’s living in sin with a woman he got pregnant out o
f wedlock. So it’s going to be our little secret for now.”

  At this point, I’m pretty sure my eyes are bulging out of my head, but Mandy’s voice is breezy as she adds, “No, seriously, it’s fine with me. He’s a great guy and the sex is incredible. So yeah, with all the orgasming I’m doing, I really have no reason to complain. You want to say hi?”

  Before I can recover from the shock of hearing Mandy tell her mother about our incredible, orgasm-heavy sex life, she taps a button and holds the phone up between us, chirping cheerily, “Say hi to Alexi, Mom! You’re on speakerphone.”

  I’m choking on my own tongue, frantically trying to think of something to say to repair the damage Mandy’s worked in the past ninety seconds, when a familiar voice fills the air.

  “I’m sorry, Alexi. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”

  “Diana?” I croak.

  “Yes, it’s me, and Mandy’s Mom has no idea you’re a champ in the sack. You’re safe, my friend.”

  “Oh, thank God.” My ribs unlock, allowing the trapped air to rush out of my lungs.

  Mandy giggles maniacally, pointing a finger at my chest. “You should have seen your face! Oh my God, you were so terrified! I’ve never seen you terrified!”

  “You’re an evil little witch,” I say, grinning in spite of the fading adrenaline rush turning my muscles to jelly. “Pure, witchy evil.”

  “I am not,” she says, still laughing so hard her cheeks are turning red. “I just thought it would be educational for you to get a taste of what it’s like to be tossed into the arena with your grandmother without a warning that she’s out for blood.”

  “She was out for blood,” Diana agrees over the speaker. “Super cute, but scary, too. I see where you get it from now, Alexi.”

  “Totally,” Mandy agrees with a happy sigh. “Thanks for playing along, Dee. Talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Okay, but you really do need to tell your mom,” Diana says, censure in her tone. “If you wait much longer, she’s not going to have enough time to bargain shop for baby clothes. And then she’ll be really sad, and we don’t want Deborah to be sad.”

  “No, we don’t. I’ll call her first thing in the morning, I promise,” Mandy says with a resolved nod. “Bye, sweet pea.”

  “Bye, sexy mama,” Diana says before adding in a sly tone, “Don’t spank her too hard, Alexi. But definitely spank her a little bit because she likes that. She’s usually closed-lipped about that kind of stuff, but as her best friend, I’ve gotten her drunk more than anyone in the world, and I’ve managed to weasel a few gems out of her when her defenses are down and—”

  “Good-bye, Diana.” Mandy raises her voice to drown out the rest of Diana’s very interesting sharing. “Talk to you later.”

  She ends the call and tosses her phone back into her purse before turning back to me with a guilty grin. “You’re not mad, are you?”

  “No, I’m not mad. I do have a new level of respect for your pranking skills, however.”

  Mandy rocks back on her heels, crossing her arms at her chest. “Yeah, well, not to toot my own horn, but I’m a pretty amazing prankster. No one sees me coming until it’s too late and there’s nowhere to hide.”

  “Is that right?” I ease closer, slipping a hand around her waist. “And why’s that, I wonder, baby elephant? The sweet face? The big, too-innocent-to-torture-people-for-fun, brown eyes?”

  “That’s probably part of it, but I think it’s mostly quantity and quality.” She tips her head back, smiling up at me. “I mess with people very, very rarely, but when I do, I do it well.”

  “You can mess with me anytime.” My hand drifts down to her phenomenal ass, squeezing it through her jeans. “And I’m happy to return the favor, if there’s something you’ve been craving that you’ve neglected to mention…”

  Her cheeks flush. “We’re talking about pranking, not spanking.”

  “We don’t have to be talking about anything.” I tighten my grip on her bottom. “We can be in the bedroom, with you bent over, hands on the footboard, waiting for me to redden your ass in thirty seconds or less.”

  “You’re horrified by the thought of coming in my face, but you’re okay with spanking?” Her lids droop to half-mast as I slip my free hand up the back of her sweater, popping the clasp on her bra.

  “I’m okay with whatever turns you on.” I urge the cup of her bra out of the way, finding her warm, tight nipple with my fingers, desperate for that moment when I’ll be able to strip her sweater over her head and have her skin bare against mine. “Anything that inspires those sexy sounds you make when you need me to fuck you, does it for me, myshka. And you have been a bad girl…”

  “So bad.” Her breath comes faster as she works open the buttons on my shirt. “I should be punished. Gently, of course.”

  “Gently,” I echo, molding my hand to the soft swell of her belly. “This time. But once we’re alone again, I’m going to be ruthless with you, beautiful. I’m going to turn you over my knee and spank you until you scream.”

  Mandy makes a sound that’s part giggle and part hum of arousal that goes straight to my dick. “That sounds lovely, thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” I take her hand, pulling her toward the bedroom. “Wait until I’ve proven I know how to discipline you properly.”

  “Oh, you’ll know what to do,” she says, following me into the darkened hall. “You always do, baby.”

  I turn back to her, grateful for the shadows. I’m not ready for her to see what her words do to me, the way they make me hope that this wild ride isn’t going to be over any time soon. She’s the one who wanted a commitment, but I’m the one who’s desperately hoping that this time will be different.

  That this time the magic will stay.

  “What?” She touches her fingers to my face in the darkness, tracing the curve of my forehead down to my eyebrows. “Well, you’re not frowning. That’s good.”

  “I like it when you call me baby.”

  She leans into me, pushing my shirt open to press a kiss to my chest. “Then I’ll call you baby more often, baby. And we don’t have to do any silly stuff tonight. It’s not a big deal. As long as I’m naked with you, I’m a happy girl.”

  “Not a chance, Esposito. The sweet stuff won’t work this time,” I say, voice gruff, determined to get us back on kinky ground before I make a fool of myself saying things I’m not ready to say. “You’re going to be punished. The only thing left to decide is if you’ll get a spanking or something more creative.”

  “What kind of creative?” she asks, a lilt in her voice that makes me think she’s intrigued.

  “You’ll have to wait and see. But I guarantee you won’t be laughing by the time I’m finished with you.”

  “No?” She shivers as I lead the way to the bed in the dark.

  “No.” I bend low, whispering my next words against her neck, “you’ll be begging, myshka. Begging for mercy.”

  “Oh yes.” Her arms go around my waist as I pull her closer. “That sounds wicked and lovely.”

  And it is. I throw myself into the erotic torture of this woman, my woman, with everything in me, and when she finally breaks—trembling as she begs me to put her out of her sweet misery—I give her everything she’s asking for and more.

  “Yes, oh, God, yes.” Mandy’s head falls back, sending her hair rippling around her shoulders as I grip her hips, pulling her down, down, until my throbbing cock is buried inside her. “Oh God, Alexi. Yes, please, yes.”

  “Brace your hands on my chest,” I order through a clenched jaw as I push deeper into where she’s so fucking hot and wet, so ready for me I don’t have to wait for her to adjust before I begin taking her, shifting my angle until I’m grinding against her clit with every thrust.

  After only a handful of seconds, she cries out, coming so hard I can feel the velvet heat of her gripping my cock, tempting me to give in, give up, and go along for the ride, but I bite my lip and hold on. Tonight, I want m
ore than her release or her pleasure. I want her complete surrender.

  “Hands on the headboard,” I murmur as her breath begins to return to normal, my fingers encircling her wrists and guiding them over my head. The movement makes her baby bump press tighter to my stomach, reminding me this position might not be available to us for much longer.

  All the more reason to make the most of tonight.

  “I want your nipples in my mouth this time. When I make you come for me again.”

  “I don’t know if I can.” Her arms tremble as she obeys my command, fingers curling around the slats in the wooden headboard. “It was so intense, Alexi, I don’t if I— Oh, God…”

  Her words become a moan and then a gasp as I nip her breast, teasing her sensitive flesh with my teeth as I take control of her ass with both hands, pulling her against me again. I advance and retreat, advance and retreat, giving her just enough friction against her clit to make her squirm and gasp and, finally, to beg for me again.

  “Please!” She arches her back, bringing her nipple into even more intimate contact with my mouth as I lick and suck and bite. “Please now. Please, I’ll do anything.”

  “Anything?” My breath comes faster as I reach down, gliding a finger through the slickness near where we’re joined and teasing it back to the puckered hole she’s refused to let me anywhere close to thus far.

  She tenses, but relaxes with a shiver as I begin to pulse my finger gently against her rear entrance in time to my thrusts between her legs. “You’re terrible.”

  I smile against her lips as I kiss her. “I’m not terrible. You’re going to like it. Let me show you, sweetheart. Let me make you come even harder.”

  “All right.” Her breath rushes out as I breach the puckered ring at the same moment I bring my free hand between us, arranging my fingers so the pressure on her clit is firm and constant, making her shiver. “Oh, God… Wow…”

  “Told you,” I whisper. “Now ride me, beautiful. Ride me until you fall apart for me.”

  With a sound of surrender that goes straight to my heart, Mandy rocks against me, into me, taking my cock deeper and a second finger without breaking rhythm as we begin the wild, breathless race to the top.