The Best Friend Bargain (Kisses in the Sand)

by Robin Bielman

  “Okay,” he whispered, his heart hammering. How could he say no?

  He didn’t want to say no.

  …

  Liv couldn’t believe how calm and cool she sounded when her insides were doing a double back flip with a twist. She’d be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t thought about Will during the past few minutes. What names would he have liked? Would he insist they find out the sex of the baby ahead of time or would he also want to be surprised?

  This past week things between her and Danny had been uneasy and she’d thought about Will more often than she liked. But the second she’d put Danny’s hand on her stomach at the doctor’s office yesterday, everything changed.

  Skin to skin like that, his warm, calloused palm on her expanding baby belly, turned their tense relationship on its head again. Liv had never felt more protected and safe than she had in that moment. Having Danny by her side made everything okay. Better. Right. The touch, while innocent, had felt more intimate than anything she’d experienced before. And ever since, all she could think about was having him inside her. Loving her the only way he hadn’t yet. Would he move with slow, deliberate strokes? Or fast, desperate thrusts?

  “Knock, knock,” she said to take her mind off those dirty thoughts.

  “What?”

  “That’s not what you’re supposed to say.” She made a face at him. “Knock, knock.”

  “Who’s there?”

  “Dwayne.”

  “Dwayne who?”

  “Dwayne the tub. It’s overflowing.” She grinned. Danny gifted her with his I’m-smiling-because-it’s-you smile in return. “Thought we needed to lighten the mood.”

  “With Dwayne.”

  “Dwayne usually does the trick.”

  “It’s not a bad boy’s name.”

  “Don’t you dare! I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with the name, but there are a lot cuter ones.” This might be harder than she thought, not giving her opinion on a boy’s name.

  “So cute is a prerequisite.” He took Hannah’s tiny sock-covered foot in his hand.

  “And manly.” She winked at him. “A cute, manly name. Like Danny.”

  He mulled that over with a twinkle in his eye before saying, “What name do you have picked out?”

  “Not telling.”

  “Got it.” He furrowed his brows in a way that told Liv he might have accepted her secrecy, but he planned to get it out of her.

  She’d like to see him try.

  Chapter Nine

  A woman wearing only a T-shirt and swaying her hips to “Shake It Off” while she flipped pancakes at the stove made for a nice Sunday morning visual.

  Add that the woman was Liv, and Danny stood mesmerized, afraid to make the slightest movement for fear she’d stop. Her shoulders bounced in time to the beat, her back moved to and fro. She’d always loved to dance, and his fingers itched to wrap around her waist and bring her ass flush against his front so they could move together.

  His gaze stayed there, on the generous curve of her rear end. The cotton material was clingy enough to give his imagination something very nice to work with. Slowly, like a present he wanted to savor opening, he let his eyes drift down her legs. Long and toned from her years of playing soccer and smooth like melted butterscotch, he once again wanted to lick his way up them.

  After a restless night of thinking about nothing but her, he’d decided to hell with the consequences. He couldn’t go another day without having her.

  Ignoring their feelings didn’t mean they’d go away. The kiss they’d shared made sure of that. And if they continued the way they’d been going, he feared the tension would ruin their relationship anyway. There was no one he trusted more than Liv. Maybe for right now all they needed was to trust these new feelings and worry about everything else later.

  The attraction between them might be of-the-moment, but it was anchored to something much deeper. To Danny, that meant stop acting like a coward and go for it.

  She sang along with the pop lyrics, and he was done for. Hearing and seeing her keep time to the rhythm turned on every hungry cell in his body.

  She placed the cooked pancakes on a plate, put the spatula down, and ladled more batter onto the pan. Then she lifted her arms and spun around in a dance move that earned her a slow, appreciative smile from him.

  Her hand flew to her chest. “Holy crap, you scared me.”

  “Sorry.”

  “How long have you been standing there?”

  “A few minutes.” Salivating. I’ve been doing that, too. She was supposed to be Olivia, his best friend. Not Olivia, the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She could be both.

  She stared so hard into his eyes that he knew her curiosity reached the right conclusion—he wanted her. Her chest rose and fell. “Danny,” she said breathlessly, like her defenses had finally crumbled.

  “You seem happy this morning. I wasn’t expecting all this.” He lifted his chin toward the stovetop.

  “Oh!” She twisted to tend to the pancakes.

  He took advantage and stepped closer. She smelled fantastic, and as he reached around her to turn off the burner, he inhaled. The spatula slipped from her hand, landing with a clink on the floor. He picked it up, placed it on the counter, and shut off the music on her iPhone.

  Liv turned and looked up at him. “I am happy. I decided this morning to go with the flow and pancakes seemed like a good place to start.”

  “They are. There’s just one problem.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re not wearing anything but a T-shirt.”

  “So? You’ve seen me this way dozens of times.”

  “No.” He brushed the hair off her shoulder. She shivered, making his heart pound even harder. “I’ve seen my best friend, not a woman whose legs I want wrapped around me while I make her scream my name.”

  Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. He’d never seen her do that before, and he let out a groan.

  “I’m not supposed to be one of those women,” she said.

  “You’re not. You’re in a class by yourself, Maybug.” He trailed his finger over her collarbone, down her chest, and between her breasts. Her nipples poked against the cotton material of her sleep shirt. He had something poking against the fabric of his boxers.

  She put her palm on his chest and in slow methodical circles got to know his pec through his shirt. “You’re one of a kind, too.”

  “Then I think the logical thing to do is act on what’s happening.” He rolled his thumb over her nipple and was rewarded with a slight arch in her back.

  “I’m not sure logic has anything to do with this, but I don’t care anymore. I can’t stop thinking about you.” She slid her hand underneath his shirt. His stomach muscles tightened in pleasure.

  “Rip apart the caution tape?”

  “God, yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “You?”

  “Positive. Are you wearing any underwear?”

  Her fingers dipped inside the waistband of his sweatpants. “Why don’t you find out?”

  The invitation shredded the last threads of his self-control. He gripped her waist and hoisted her up. With nothing but undisguised desire in a one-two punch from her emerald eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his middle.

  He did a one-eighty, took two steps, and set her down atop the kitchen island. That’s as far as he could go. His need to taste her overwhelmed his senses.

  He spread her legs and bent to kiss the inside of her thigh.

  She gasped. Jesus, if one press of his lips made her breath catch, imagine what would happen when he used his tongue. He lifted his head.

  “What?” she asked, like the pant never happened.

  He grinned. “Just making sure you’re okay.”

  “You’d better make me feel a lot more than okay, mister. This has got to be spectacular, understand?”

  “Oh, it will be.” He lifted her left l
eg, dropped a kiss to her ankle. Soft and gentle, he kissed his way up her calf, taking it slow so he could savor every inch of her skin. When he reached the back of her knee, he took his first lick. She let out a whimper. “You have the sexiest legs, Liv.”

  “Uhh-huhh,” she mumbled. He smiled against her skin.

  His patience wearing thin, he kissed and tongued her inner thigh with shorter, quicker strokes. When he reached the hem of her shirt, he pushed it up. Liv wiggled her bottom and tugged the material to her waist.

  The move made him so hot he tore his shirt off, tossed it to the side. Then he took a second to look his fill. She was swollen and glistening. And he was more turned on than ever knowing his innocent ministrations had aroused her to this extent.

  “Please, Danny.”

  She didn’t need to ask him twice. He’d been dreaming of this moment for weeks. But… “You’re absolutely sure about this, right?”

  “Yes! I’m going to die if you don’t get on with it already.”

  Hands on her hips, he buried his face between her legs. The second he made contact she jerked against his mouth, her fingers dug into his shoulders. He danced his tongue over her folds, took his time circling around the spot he knew would get her off, and then he pulled back a fraction.

  Her thighs clamped around his head to keep him in place. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Just want to make this last longer than two minutes.” He nipped at her inner thigh before returning to her curls and learning the rhythm that made her body quiver, her breaths hitch.

  He ate her up, taking turns at light and soft, firm and vigorous. Her sexy sounds guided his attention, had him slipping one, then two fingers inside her.

  “Yes, just like that,” she said in a strangled voice. She gripped the back of his head as he stroked her inside and out.

  “Mmm,” he murmured, lapping her up like a man who hadn’t had a sip of water in days.

  It took only one more swipe of his tongue over her sensitive flesh to make her come. Her body shuddered, convulsing in spasms as she cried out his name.

  Danny brought her down slowly with gentle licks and an arm wrapped around her thigh as he eased his fingers out of her.

  She let go of his head and leaned back on her elbows. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips were parted, and her eyes were half closed in satisfaction. “That was…”

  “Fantastic?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes opened fully, her gaze diving into his before her stare went to his mouth. Two seconds later she threaded her fingers through his hair and brought him in for a kiss.

  Open-mouthed. Hot. She kissed him like she wanted to taste herself, swirling her tongue around his as if she were licking her favorite frozen treat. Holy hell, he’d never imagined Liv being so uninhibited and taking possession of his entire mouth like this.

  “God, Liv,” he groaned, kissing along her jawline, down the column of her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. He splayed one hand over her thigh while the other slid under her shirt and roamed up her back.

  “I need you inside me,” she whispered.

  “Wrap your legs around me.” Part of him wanted to take her right here in the kitchen, but a bigger part of him wanted this to happen in his bed so he could keep her there all day.

  She latched onto him and, nose-to-nose, he carried her upstairs to his bedroom. With every step the connection they’d always shared intensified.

  The line they’d crossed downstairs nothing but chalk in the wind.

  He placed her on the edge of the bed. Before he could make another move, she reached out and touched his stomach. Traced the pads of her fingers over his skin at the same time she licked her lips. He didn’t think she could make him any harder, but when her exploration moved lower and she took him in her hand, he swore his dick could cut through metal.

  “Liv,” he growled.

  “Yes?” She dropped her arm and, without breaking eye contact, lifted her T-shirt over her head. No hesitation. No modesty. She sat before him completely naked and entirely his.

  What hit him the hardest wasn’t her voluptuous breasts or the ideal view of her sex, but the rounding of her belly. The bump of velvety, soft skin that housed her baby. He dropped to his knees and put his hands on her stomach. “You are so unbelievably beautiful.”

  She covered his hands with hers. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

  He kissed her knuckles. “Yeah.” He got it now. Got how Zane went batshit happy whenever he’d looked at Sophie’s pregnant stomach. To know Liv had a life growing inside her and he was the guy lucky enough to touch and observe all the changes made him damn happy. And put every possessive bone in his body on watch command.

  Kisses to Liv’s stomach followed.

  “One of us has too many clothes on,” she said.

  It took him a second to leave her gorgeous belly before he got to his feet and remedied that, tugging down his sweats and boxers in one fell swoop. She took him in from head to toe and then gave him something else he’d never seen from her before—a coy look that had him ready to pounce.

  …

  Just like the two other times she’d seen Danny naked, it took effort not to stare there. But this time, she reminded herself, she could look all she wanted, because this time his nakedness was for her.

  And oh, how she wanted everything he had to offer. He’d given her the best orgasm of her life in the kitchen and her girl parts were tingling with anticipation for another. He totally deserved the nickname Master Tongue.

  “Scoot back,” he said, his voice growly. Sexy.

  She scooted back. Incredibly, he didn’t need to be touching her to make her skin feel ablaze.

  “Lie back with your arms above your head.” One knee, then the other, pressed into the bed as he came after her with a slow, deliberate pace.

  She did as he said, loving that he wanted her to submit to his commands. She didn’t want to think or second-guess. She only wanted to feel. And Danny had her feeling hot, shivering sensations just by looking and talking to her. Imagine how her body would respond when he slid inside her.

  “Good. Stay still.”

  Yeah, like that was going to happen. But she’d try. For him.

  He nudged her legs apart and kissed her belly again. The light touches were a stark contrast to his demanding tone. These turns between sweet and assertive had her sinking into a pool of aching desire.

  As he skimmed his lips closer to her breasts, though, the pressure increased. She moaned and arched her back, hinting at exactly where she wanted his mouth next. Her nipples were so hard they were about to explode if he didn’t hurry up and suck them.

  His ministrations stopped. He lifted his head and cocked an eyebrow at her.

  She hissed out a sigh of frustration and he laughed, his breath warm against her skin. “I can’t not move. It’s impossible,” she said.

  He gave her a wicked smile, one corner of his mouth lifting higher than the other.

  “Do not look at me like that.” His knowing she wouldn’t be able to keep still only made him more appealing.

  “Like what?”

  “Just keep going.” She almost made a gesture to go along with her order before remembering to keep her arms in place.

  “You know, all this sexy talk is really making me hot,” he said.

  “Do you like to be talked to during sex?”

  “I’m not opposed. What about you?” His mouth hovered over the aching nipple of her left breast. “Do you like hearing dirty things?”

  “I think you could read a manual on carburetors to me right now and get me off.” She’d always loved the deep timbre of his voice, and naked Danny sounded a million times better.

  “I’ve got one…” He lifted away from her.

  She grabbed his shoulders. “Don’t you dare get off this bed.”

  He smirked. A cocky tip of his lips that said, you moved. She lifted her arms back over her head and pressed
the back of her hands into the bed, wiggled her hips. Then she made some foreign sex kitten sound she’d never sighed before, hoping he’d get the hint that she couldn’t take his teasing anymore.

  It worked. He looked at her with something she couldn’t name before finally lowering his mouth to her breast. Super sensitive, she lifted off the bed as he sucked her. His hands were everywhere. At least it felt that way, her entire body quivering with pleasure.

  When he lined their hips up, his muscled abdomen brushed her swollen one, and touching that way was so erotic and personal that emotion filled her eyes, her heart, her muscles, and her bones. Making love for the first time like this—and with Danny—was something she would never forget.

  He moved his attention to her other breast, fingers found her wet and needy center.

  “Danny, I want to touch you.”

  The care he was taking with her, one arm holding his weight while his mouth and hand caressed with perfect pressure, sent vibrations through her body, love through her mind. He rained kisses up her neck, to a little spot behind her ear that made her shiver.

  When his mouth crushed against hers, she kissed him back with equal intensity. He positioned himself at her center, thick and hard. His fingers laced with hers above her head and they both squeezed, as if they never wanted to let go.

  “Wrap your free hand around my cock and guide me inside you,” he said against her cheek as his lips skimmed over her chin, under her jawline.

  She bent her legs at the knees and reached down, taking him in her hand. He was by far bigger than anyone else she’d been with and she wondered how he’d fit in her mouth. Later, Miss BJ. Sheesh.

  “Wait.” Danny raised his head. “Let me grab a condom.”

  “You don’t need one. In case you haven’t noticed I’m already knocked up”—she grinned—“and I’m in good health. I trust you are, too.”

  He let out a hiss as she stroked him. “I am. And I’ve never not used—”

  “Okay, then.”