Swagger

by Liz Lincoln

  It was the best sex she’d ever had in her life. By a landslide. And they were just getting started.

  *

  —

  Holy fucking shitballs, she felt amazing. Sex with Bree was so good that Marcus felt pleasure in his teeth.

  He’d had sex before, but this, this was on a whole other plane. This was some cosmic shit.

  Until this moment, the most pleasure his dick had ever felt was with a woman he’d been in love with back in college. Since then, he’d had plenty of good sex, great sex even, but nothing quite as good as with Renée.

  Until now.

  Being with Bree blew all other sex out of the sky. Sliding in and out of her tight, hot pussy caused the most intense pleasure he’d ever experienced. He knew one reason things had been so much better with Renée was because of the emotions attached to everything. But it wasn’t like he was in love with Bree. Sure, he cared about her, he liked her a lot.

  But he wasn’t in love with her.

  Shit, he was definitely in love with fucking her, though.

  “That’s so good,” Bree moaned.

  Yeah it was. So good didn’t even begin to cover it. “You feel amazing,” he gasped. Each time he pulled out of her, she squeezed him as tight as she could. And each time he shoved back in, he trembled with the effort not to come yet.

  But he wasn’t going to be able to hold back much longer. And because she’d already had a monster orgasm, she probably wasn’t as close as he was.

  He’d have to give her more help. He started to roll his hips in a circle, grinding down against her clit each time he was deep inside her.

  She screamed. Honest to God screamed, arching into him, panting. Her fingernails raked down his back, leaving scratches the trainers would surely find tomorrow.

  He pulled her earlobe into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue, making sure she felt the scrape of his teeth. She seemed to like that, shuddering beneath him. Which worked out well, because so did he.

  “Are you close?” His words were more pant than speech. His body was slick with perspiration, the effort of holding back costing him.

  But oh, it would be worth it to feel her coming on his dick. She’d been so strong and tight around his fingers; she was going to blow his mind this time.

  One of her hands released its grip on his ass—God he loved the feel of her hands there. But he loved the feel of her hands anywhere on him.

  She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand to her breast. Movements clumsy, she manipulated his fingers until he pinched her nipple.

  “This.”

  He might not be the smartest man, but this was direction even he could understand. He squeezed her at the same time as he ground his hips into hers. Her thighs tightened on him, and she arched herself deeper into him.

  “Now fuck me. Hard.”

  He couldn’t have stopped himself from kissing her if a nuclear bomb detonated in the next room. He shoved his tongue into her mouth, thrusting the way his hips thrust into her body.

  And he fucked her. Hard, just like she asked. Her fingers had an iron grip on his ass, pulling him in as tight as he would go, and the world reduced to the sounds of their panting breaths, their moans, the faint thump of her bed against the wall, and the incredible pleasure of being inside Bree.

  Beneath him, she started to shake. He bit her swollen lower lip, then soothed it with his tongue. “That’s it, baby. Come for me. Again.”

  Her pussy clenched him tight, an iron grip on his cock, contracting around him as her orgasm took her. She moaned his name, then it dissolved into unintelligible sounds.

  He couldn’t hold it back any longer. He wanted to wait, get the full experience of Bree coming while he was inside her. But he just couldn’t anymore.

  So he let go.

  His orgasm roared up from the base of his spine with blinding intensity. His balls were so tight they practically climbed inside him. Pleasure like he’d never known coursed through him, making him shake, making him growl like a goddamned animal. And he loved it. Holy fuck, he loved it.

  Somewhere in the back of his head, he was aware Bree had settled beneath him. Her voice murmured in his ear, but he couldn’t make out the words. She continued to squeeze him, inside and out, letting him ride through his orgasm the way he’d done for her.

  For crazy reasons he couldn’t understand, that touched him. He’d been with plenty of generous lovers, but something about this entire encounter was different.

  “Shit,” he exhaled past her ear.

  She let out a sound he was pretty sure was a giggle, but he was still somewhat in another realm, so he couldn’t be sure. “Yeah,” she said breathlessly. “Shit about covers it.”

  “Holy. Shit.” He couldn’t hold himself up any longer, his muscles having gone slack. At least he had the presence of mind to reach down and hold on to the condom before he slid out of her and rolled to the side. That in and of itself was a minor miracle.

  He should get up and take care of it, but he wasn’t ready to let go of her. So he wrapped his arms back around her and held her close. They both still trembled with aftershocks, their bodies clearly overwhelmed by the intensity of their sex.

  Bree slid her hand up the center of his chest, tucking her head in under his chin. “Thank you.”

  He chuckled. “I promise, the pleasure was all mine. And then some. It doesn’t feel right for you to thank me for the best sex I’ve ever had.”

  She pushed his shoulder until he rolled onto his back. Her expression was incredulous as she stared at him. “Don’t lie.”

  He grinned. He did that a lot around her. “I’m not.”

  She stared at him for a long time, her expression assessing. He didn’t like that she didn’t believe him, but he had no way to prove the honesty of his words.

  Then her expression softened, along with her posture. “Really? The best?”

  Even fully satiated, he couldn’t keep his hands off all that soft, smooth skin. He ran a hand up and down her arm. “Someone has to be. Why, did I not measure up?”

  She came twice. They seemed like intense orgasms. But maybe she had an ex who was some sort of mega stud.

  “No, you did. Definitely. I mean, I would say…” She dropped her forehead to his chest. “This is so awkward.”

  Yeah, it was definitely easier to have sex than to talk about it. But he wanted to hear what she had to say.

  She whispered something, but he had no idea what. So he bent his head toward hers, brushing a kiss across her forehead. “What was that?” he asked gently.

  “I said,” she mumbled into his chest, “you were my best too.”

  Pride swelled inside him. There’d be a little extra swagger in his step tomorrow for that one. Yeah, he could have an ego about that compliment.

  “So why is it so hard to believe the same is true for you?”

  “I guess I just figure…you’ve had a lot more opportunities than I have. I figured you’d have been with someone who knew what they were doing more than I do. And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go die of embarrassment.” She started to roll away from him, but he stopped her with a hand on her hip.

  “First, there’s no need to die of embarrassment. Though it’s kind of adorable how pink you are right now.” He lifted himself onto his elbow and cupped her cheek. Her skin was hot against his palm. He hated that she was so uncomfortable.

  “Second, I know I have a reputation. Some of it is deserved, but not nearly all of it. I won’t apologize for liking women or sex. My position affords me plenty, and I’ve definitely taken advantage of it. Sometimes with hookups, sometimes women I’ve dated longer.” Christ, this conversation really was uncomfortable.

  Now that the sweat was drying on his skin, he was starting to get chilly. But he had no idea if he was welcome climbing under her covers. He certainly wanted to stay longer, but it wasn’t up to him.

  On the other hand, it was definitely not the moment to start getting dressed.


  “I definitely prefer having sex with women I’ve been dating longer. I like to know someone before I go to bed with them.” He tilted her chin so she looked at him. Putting as much sincerity into his expression as he possibly could, he said, “I found that’s the best sex. And for whatever reason, you and I, we’re the best of that.”

  Her mouth opened in an O shape, but no sound came out. Her expression softened, then she closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Soft, gentle, more a breath than a kiss.

  “Thank you,” she said just as softly against his mouth.

  “Once again, the pleasure is mine. And thank you.”

  “I don’t just mean all that. I mean thank you for staying. Thank you for being an alternative to my anxiety meds. A much better alternative.” This time when she kissed him, she slipped in a tiny bit of tongue, tracing the seam of his mouth.

  When he pulled back, he was smiling. “Happy to be your drug of choice.”

  They stared at each other, grinning like goofballs, for a long moment. Finally, the chill got to him.

  “Now that we’ve gotten the awkward stuff out of the way, I’m gonna go take care of this.” He waved vaguely in the direction of his junk. “I will gladly stay, either as an anxiety buffer, for a second round, or both. But I am not the least bit offended if that’s too much too soon for you. Rather than have another awkward conversation, if you want me to go, put on some clothes so you don’t freeze, and that’s my signal I should do the same. If you want me to stay, get under the covers, again so you don’t freeze, and I will gladly join you.”

  He slipped off the bed and headed for the bathroom before she could respond.

  *

  —

  Judging from the level of darkness in her room, it had to be around two in the morning when Bree woke. The faint glow of the streetlight allowed her to make out only basic shapes.

  But she didn’t need her eyesight to know she was alone in the room. She could sense that. She’d fallen asleep with Marcus’ big, warm body wrapped around her. Now she felt a chill she wasn’t used to. She didn’t typically sleep naked, and without a human or flannel buffer, the early November chill got to her.

  She slid her hand to the other side of the bed and found it warm. So he hadn’t been gone long.

  The flush of her toilet from the next room answered her next question before she could worry that he’d had second thoughts and left without telling her.

  She was barely awake, and there was no way she could handle the intensity of another round of sex with him, so she continued lying still, eyes closed, keeping her breathing steady. She listened as he came back into her room, the floorboards of her old house creaking under his weight.

  The bed dipped as he got back in, and there was a brief moment of cold as he lifted the blankets. But then he was there again, his skin warming hers as he slid up behind her. His arm came around her middle, a welcome weight.

  He pressed a wet, openmouthed kiss to her shoulder and made a content sound. Bree couldn’t help answering with her own hum of pleasure.

  “You awake?” Marcus’ voice whispered in the stillness.

  She gave a sleepy murmur to let him know she was, but only barely.

  His chuckle was hot breath over the damp spot he’d left on her shoulder, making her shiver.

  “Sorry, baby,” he whispered. “I’ll let you sleep.” He settled on the pillow next to her and tightened his arm a little more.

  With another happy sound, she snuggled in closer and fell back to sleep.

  *

  —

  Marcus had a raging case of morning wood, and Bree wanted a piece of it. Or, to be more accurate, she wanted all of it.

  The smart thing to do would be to get out of bed, take a shower, and get dressed for her day. Then they could share coffee and discuss where to go from there.

  And she was a smart woman. She had the almost-PhD to prove it.

  But instead of shoving back the covers, she ducked under them. In the stuffy dark beneath, she felt out Marcus’ cock, wrapped her hand around it, and lifted it to her lips.

  She placed a gentle kiss on his tip, then sucked gently. He smelled fundamentally male, arousing something primal inside her. Part of her wanted to get a little rough, but she wouldn’t scare him this early in the morning.

  As she started stroking up and down his length, she heard a muffled moan from outside the covers. He shifted his legs, one foot kicking her, but she didn’t mind. She gave him a gentle squeeze hello and resumed stroking. Her tongue worked a circle around his head, then moved lower to trace the ridge at the base of his head.

  “Oh fuck.” He raised his hips toward her, just a little. “That feels so good.”

  Taking him deeper, Bree hummed her acknowledgment.

  He tasted delicious. Like salt and sex. A thrilling combination. Almost as big a jolt in the morning as her coffee.

  “Oh yeah, baby. So good.” Marcus’ hand slid over the back of her head. Not guiding her or controlling her, just connecting.

  She slid her free hand from his knee to his thigh, then traced the dip where his leg met his torso. Another muffled sound came through the blankets, so she did it again.

  Suddenly, light poured over her as Marcus threw the blankets aside. “Need to see you.” He wrapped a lock of her hair around his fist, but still didn’t move to take control.

  Taking him still deeper into her mouth, she moved her tongue in long, smooth strokes over his hot skin. He moaned and shifted restlessly against her.

  “Jesus, what a way to start the day.”

  She licked up his length, then pulled off for a moment to say, “It could be worse.” Then she squeezed his balls and took him back into her mouth.

  “Fuck, you’re good at that. I’m not gonna—”

  The unwelcome blare of her cellphone ringer cut him off. Bree froze. Who would call this early in the morning? She didn’t actually know what time it was, but she always naturally woke before seven. Judging from the light in the room, it was earlier than that.

  The vet. Oh shit, the vet. What if something was wrong with Diablo?

  Marcus’ cock made a pop sound as she released it from her mouth and sat up. He gave a long, disappointed groan and rolled to the side.

  “You should get that. It could be the vet.”

  At least he understood.

  Too worried to be self-conscious about her nakedness, Bree hopped off the bed and dug around for her jeans. Her phone had been in her pocket.

  Sure enough, she recognized the number on the screen as the one she had called the previous night.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, this is Corey, one of the vet techs at We Care. I’m calling about Diablo. I’m trying to reach Miss Novak.”

  “This is Bree Novak.” She sank down on the edge of her bed, feet still on the cold wood floor, waiting for what the woman had to say.

  “I just wanted to call with an update about Diablo. He had a little bit of a rough night. He doesn’t want to drink anything, and we really need to get him hydrated. That’ll help his recovery a lot. So we’ve got him on an IV to get him some fluids. He’s gonna need to stay at least through the day.”

  How much was that going to cost?

  No, what a horrible thought. This was his life. She would do what she had to and figure out later how to pay for it.

  “Okay.” What else could she say? It wasn’t like she could tell them how to treat her cat more effectively. “So I can bring him home tonight?”

  “We’ll have to see how he does today. We want him off the IV for at least twelve hours before we send him home.”

  So even if he started drinking now, he’d be there until well into the evening. Knowing how stubborn Diablo was, he was probably staying another night.

  Shit.

  The press of wet lips to the base of her spine startled Bree. Then Marcus’ big hand settled on her hip, and she instantly relaxed into his touch. With slow, gentle precision, he kissed his
way up her spine. Each kiss was gentle and wet, and turned her on like crazy. And she’d already been wound up as hell from giving him a blow job.

  “Someone will call with another update, probably around seven this evening,” the woman from the vet’s office told her.

  “Would it be possible for me to visit him today?” Was it ridiculous to go visit her cat at the vet hospital? She’d go visit Reina or Tomás if they were in the hospital. And Diablo must be feeling abandoned and scared. Here she left him with strangers to get poked with needles and have some sort of surgery. And she just abandoned him.

  Oh God, she was a horrible cat mom.

  “Sure, you can come by anytime. We’re not going anywhere.” Bree could hear the smile in Corey’s voice.

  “Okay, well, thanks for the update.”

  Bree and the woman said goodbye, and she set the phone on her nightstand.

  For a moment she just sat there, enjoying the feel of Marcus’ simple touch. He was up between her shoulder blades now, working his way to the back of her neck. He shifted behind her, and she could feel his body heat as he moved in close. Then he bypassed her neck, instead pressing a wet, open kiss on her shoulder.

  “How’s he doing? I can give you a ride over there if you need to see him, and we can check on him.”

  We. It touched her more than it should that he gave a shit about her cat.

  She quickly told Marcus what the vet had said about hydration, then said, “I have class this morning. And a meeting with Kevin. So it’ll have to be later.”

  He rested his chin on her shoulder. “Just let me know. It’s funny, I also have class today.”

  He drew one finger up her side, his touch so light it tickled. Bree yelped and jerked away from him, smiling.

  Marcus grinned back at her. “Ticklish?” He grabbed her waist with both hands, wiggling his fingers to tickle her again.

  Shivers running through her, Bree collapsed onto the bed in a fit of giggles. She couldn’t quite catch her breath, and she loved it. Loved that she was able to be this playful with him when they were naked in bed together.

  He dropped down on one elbow, his chest settling against hers. His other hand continued to tease her waist. Eyes dancing with humor, he stared down at her. “I definitely like this new discovery.”