I’d do anything to keep him.
The idea hit her like a tsunami, sucking the breath from her lungs and the strength from her legs. The cashier, having undoubtedly seen more dramatic reactions, didn’t comment and might not have even noticed.
Sucking in a fortifying breath, Emily locked her knees and reached for her purse.
“Yeah, I know. This stuff ain’t cheap,” the girl said. Obviously she had noticed and had drawn her own conclusions.
“Hope it’s worth it.”
The clerk, who looked much too young to be working in such a place, nodded. “Yeah. Guys get really hard when you put those things on them. I guess they like the way it feels, or maybe it’s just the idea of having their junk decorated. We have some Christmas versions, too. Did you see those?”
Emily shook her head. “Must’ve missed them. Expensive?”
“Not really. The seasonal stuff is made a little cheaper. Probably just painted plastic, rather than actual gold or silver. They’re really cute, though.” She pointed to a display next to the greeting cards.
Emily figured she had nothing to lose by checking them out and was pleasantly surprised. “Wish I’d seen these sooner.” Pasties that looked like Christmas ornaments. Cock straps complete with tiny Christmas trees and dangling bells. Thongs with big red bows in the front. They weren’t expensive, but at ten bucks a pop, the total would add up pretty quick. “Maybe just this one.” She tossed the cock strap on the counter.
“Aren’t you going to get something to wear yourself?”
“And get myself killed?” Emily chuckled. “Trust me, he’s a self starter.” Deriving a certain satisfaction from the girl’s expression, she added, “Don’t have anything that’ll decrease a guy’s sex drive, do you?”
“Uh, no. We don’t. Never had anyone ask that, either.”
“First time for everything.” Emily couldn’t help feeling rather smug until she saw the total. “H–how much?”
“Two eighty-five ninety-nine.”
“Putain de merde,” she whispered. Doing her best to remain upright, she handed over her credit card.
Ho, ho, ho…
* * * *
In the end, Emily opted to leave her clothes on and take her chances. If nothing else, having to undress her would slow him down. A little.
At precisely six twenty-eight, tires screeched in the driveway. A car door slammed and moments later Alan came flying through the front door without bothering to knock. Tossing aside the two sacks he was carrying, he grabbed her around the waist.
“We’ve got to do something before we eat, Em. I’ve been a total basket case all day—never been so horny in my life.”
Which, given his history and tendencies, she found rather difficult to believe. “Prove it.”
Alan didn’t hesitate for a second, but continued on down the hall to her room, threw her on the bed, pulled her pantyhose down to her knees and, having flipped her legs up, proceeded to nail her with as much fervor as a stag in rut. After having gotten off three times in the space of perhaps twenty highly-charged minutes, he stopped long enough to ask her if she liked hummus.
“It’s okay, I guess.”
“I brought some other stuff, too. Sorry for being so abrupt. I had to do that first or else I was gonna fuckin’ explode.”
Judging from the amount of semen puddling on the sheet beneath her, she’d have said that exploding was exactly what he’d done. “Didn’t miss me much, did you?”
“You have got to be kidding. I’ve been dying to do that ever since I got to work this morning. I saved it up for you, too—didn’t even jack off in the restroom.”
Since he seemed rather proud of that fact, she deemed it best to congratulate him. “Good for you. Although the next time you decide to fuck me that hard without the benefit of foreplay, you might want to douse your dick with a little lube first.”
His mouth fell open. “You mean you weren’t wet enough? I’ve been pumping out gallons of pre-cum for the past two hours. Guess my underwear soaked up most of it. Damn… I—” He paused, arching a brow. “You’re joking, right?”
She nodded, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing. “Yeah. Sorry.” Sighing, she trailed a finger down the middle his chest. Somewhere along the line, his shirt had come unbuttoned. She couldn’t recall having done it, but since his hands had been busy elsewhere, she was undoubtedly the culprit. “I’m surprised my hose weren’t stuck to my legs. I was wet clear down to my knees waiting for you.”
Leaning down, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s my girl.”
“You told me to be ready.”
“True. Of course, if you’d been as ready as I’d like, you’d have been naked. Speaking of which—” Backing away from the bed, he pulled her hose off the rest of the way and then stripped off his own clothes. “That’s better.”
“What? You’re leaving me dressed?”
“Well, it is late December. I’m used to running around in the nude, but you probably aren’t.”
“You’re such a gallant fellow. So thoughtful and kind.”
He snorted a laugh. “I brought you some chicken salad—made with organically raised chickens, of course. Thought you might like it better than a tofu, hummus, and alfalfa sprout sandwich.”
“Hey, I’m open to trying new things.” After her trip to Samantha’s toy shop, she’d have said she was downright adventurous. “I’ll even undress for dinner.”
“See? There are definite advantages to getting takeout. I’ll be right back.”
He scurried out of the room—there was no other way to describe the way he moved—and was back before Emily had even taken off her blouse.
Pausing in the doorway, he leaned against the jamb, licking his lips. “Keep going, babe. Dunno about you, but I know what I’m gonna have for dessert.”
She slid off her skirt and patted the bed beside her. “Come on over here. I’d like an appetizer, myself.”
He started toward her then shook his head. “Nope. Get your pretty little ass to the bathroom, sweetheart. No more bladder infections.”
“Oh, all right,” she grumbled, scooting to the edge of the mattress. “Don’t start without me. I’m starving.”
“Don’t worry. I can wait for food. It’s you I can’t wait for.”
As a serious rush of the warm fuzzies swept through her, Emily knew that if she hadn’t already told him she loved him, she would have done it then. There’d been times when she thought she’d simply fall apart when he said such things—always coming when she least expected them. Gulping back a sob, she stood up, a little unsteadily at first, and then walked past him—or tried to.
Tossing the bags on the bed, he pulled her into his arms. “I need a better kiss.”
His lips slanted over hers in a kiss so filled with love and tenderness, it choked her up even more.
As he drew back, his expression changed from simmering passion to one of concern. “Why are you crying? Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”
Tears stung her eyes and her throat tightened, making it as difficult to see him as it was to form a reply. “No, you didn’t hurt me. You’re always so sweet. I–I guess I’m still not used to it.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm. “I don’t mean to make you cry, Em. I want you to be happy.”
She felt like howling. “You see? You did it again.”
“And I’ll keep on doing it until you start expecting it.” Holding her face in both hands, he kissed her again before wiping her tears away with his thumbs. “Okay now?”
“I think so.”
He nodded toward the door. “Go pee. I’ll be right here when you come back.”
“You should go too—and you might want to wash your dick,” she said, trying to smile. “We can’t have you getting prostate infections.”
“I’m not the only one who’s sweet,” he said with a wink. “No one has ever voiced a concern about my prostate before.”
“Not even your doctor
?”
“Nope.” Alan paused, scratching his head. “Not sure anyone’s ever checked it. I’m not old enough to need a yearly exam.”
Laughter bubbled up in her throat. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He frowned. “I don’t think so.”
“I gave you a pretty thorough prostate exam a couple of days ago. It felt fine to me.”
“Right. Forgot about that.” His grin was a bit sheepish. However, a slight lift of his brow proved he hadn’t forgotten the episode entirely. “Maybe you should check it out again.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Every chance I get.
Chapter 22
Alan hadn’t been kidding when he’d said Emily was making him do things he’d never done before—like making sure a woman took care of herself. He wasn’t doing it simply because he wanted her to be healthy enough to fuck, either. Her wellbeing was important because he loved her and wanted the best for her, whether he ever got her in the sack again or not.
The concept was staggering. How could he possibly have gotten so far into his life without ever feeling this way?
You’ve never been in love, dipshit.
Was it really that simple?
He chuckled to himself for the sheer stupidity of thinking that love was simple—or easy. Washing his dick just as she’d told him to, he noted that for the first time in hours, it was actually flaccid.
Won’t stay that way for long.
Not the least bit worried about his future performance, or even the lack thereof, he rejoined her in the bedroom.
Emily was going through the grocery bags, laying the contents out on the sheets. “Never had supper in bed.” She paused, as though searching her memory. “Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever had breakfast in bed.”
“A deficiency I shall remedy in the morning.” He gathered up the oatmeal, stevia, and blueberries. “I’ll put these in the kitchen. The rest is for tonight.” He made quick work of stowing the blueberries in the refrigerator and hurried back.
“Ooh, whole wheat tortillas!” she said, holding up the package. “I love wraps made with these. And there’s chicken salad, you said?”
Alan nodded. “The tofu salad, hummus, and alfalfa sprout wraps are already made.”
“And I promise I’ll try one,” she said, crossing her heart. “What’s for dessert?”
“Um, dried cranberries?”
For a second there, he thought she was going to cry again. “That’s so thoughtful of you. Imagine, all this, and you were even on time.”
“Are you nuts? I’ve been about to come unglued all day. Of course I was on time. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You could’ve gotten busy at the last minute or gotten cold feet. Women may leave you, Alan, but with me, men quite frequently never show up.”
A smile twitched the corner of his lips. “Not this man. I think I’d have to at least be like…maimed before I would ever stand you up.”
“And you always say the sweetest things.” Cocking her head, she gave him an impish smile. “Next time I won’t be waiting for you at the door. I’ll be right here, naked, with my legs spread apart—or perhaps you’d prefer me to wear something like a garter belt with fishnet stockings, spike heels, and a see-through teddy?”
His dick, which had risen to attention the moment Alan laid eyes on her, seemed to approve of that suggestion, because with a rather stupefied gulp, he shot out an arc of semen that narrowly missed the tub of chicken salad. Fortunately, the lid was still on it.
She chuckled. “Obviously I need to get another set of sheets. Something tells me my washer and dryer are going to be working overtime as it is.”
Snatching a few tissues from the box on the nightstand, he wiped the cum off the bed. “A few white stains here and there have never bothered me. Changing the sheets once a week is plenty often.” He gave her a wink. “Don’t want to make any extra work for you—or your washing machine.”
“I think we can handle it.”
Tossing the tissues in the trash, he went around to the other side of the bed and crawled in beside her. “Speaking of which, I have to work tomorrow. When I made out the schedule, I didn’t have anyone to spend the holidays with, so I put myself down.”
“I have to work too. We’re trying to get all the January statements done in time to mail them out early. What time do we need to be at your parents’ house?”
“Everyone starts getting there at around five, but dinner won’t be until seven or so. And don’t worry about bringing anything. I always contribute a bowl of tofu salad. It’s kinda traditional.”
“Tofu on Christmas Eve? Now, there’s a tradition you don’t hear of very often.”
He shrugged. “Everyone always makes fun of me for bringing it, but it never fails to disappear faster than anything else.”
“What about Christmas Day with your cousins?”
Alan snorted a laugh. “Travis’s mom would be offended if we brought any food. She’s very old school. Actually, his whole family is like that. His father would’ve disowned him if he’d known Travis had fallen for a married woman.”
“Miranda was married? Really?”
“She was actually a widow, but Travis didn’t know that. She was still wearing her wedding ring, and he made that assumption. Miranda didn’t believe a younger man would be interested in her, so she never told him.” He shook his head at the memory. “He actually called me for advice about having an affair with her.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“Not to do it. The guilt would’ve destroyed a guy like Travis—not to mention his relationship with his family.” He blew out a breath. “It damn near destroyed me, and I didn’t have the kind of upbringing he had.”
“You had an affair with a married woman?”
“Actually, there were two of them—and don’t sound so surprised. Given what you already know about me, you probably could’ve guessed it.” He eyed her curiously. “Sure you want to hear about this?”
“Only if you want to tell me.”
He handed her a tofu wrap. “I really don’t want to talk about it, but I think maybe I should. The first one was ages ago. She was in the middle of a divorce and used me to get back at her husband. That wasn’t the first time I’d been used, of course. I’m a pretty easy mark for a woman looking for a convenient man. The other one…well, she was the reason I swore off sex.
“Carol had left me a few days before, and I was a total wreck. This lady was a regular customer—you know, the kind of person you see all the time and have a conversation with once in a while? Anyway, she saw how upset I was and sat me down at a table in the deli and got me talking. I’m still not sure how it happened. I honestly can’t remember if she offered or I begged. It was probably me begging, though. Afterward, when I realized my pathetic selfishness had gotten a happily married woman to break her marriage vows, I felt like I ought to go to confession—and I’m not even Catholic. I cried like a damn baby.”
“Did she ever tell her husband?”
“I have no idea—although I doubt it. She’s still married and nobody ever came after me with a stick. It wasn’t even a real affair. More like a pity fuck—or an act of mercy.”
“I’m assuming Travis knows about it?”
“Oh, yeah. He got the truth out of me eventually. Never told him her name, though.” He locked his gaze on hers. “And I won’t tell you, either.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.” He took a bite of his wrap and chewed it thoughtfully. “She’s such a sweet, lovely woman. I still see her once in a while at the store. We both act like nothing ever happened.”
“But it did happen, and it changed you.”
“Yeah. It changed me all right. Made me realize I’d fucked up too many other people’s lives because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants.”
“So why did you talk to me that night?”
A painful sob welled up
in his chest. “I don’t know, Em. There was just something about you… I couldn’t stop myself. I saw you sitting there in your car, and it was like I knew I wouldn’t be able to breathe again if I didn’t say something to you.”
“Maybe you sensed how much I needed you. Sort of like that woman at the store knew you needed something from her.”
“The wrong thing, as it turned out.”
“Maybe not. Maybe she was exactly what you needed at that moment.”
“Might seem that way now.” He paused, blinking back tears. “Sure as hell didn’t seem like it then.”
Emily didn’t know what to say. She was pleased that he’d trusted her enough to tell her the truth, but at the same time, his confession made her wary—especially the part about being an easy mark for a predatory female. He hadn’t given her any reason to believe he still fell into that category—the best she could tell, his focus was solely on her—but she wasn’t with him all the time. How many other Good Samaritans—or desperate women—frequented that store?
Still, she couldn’t help but be grateful for the one who’d made him see the light—or perhaps it was the error of his ways. Without that lady’s intervention, Emily might not be sitting here with Alan right now.
“Thanks for telling me all that,” she said finally. “I know it wasn’t easy for you.”
“Certainly not the most shining episode of my life—nothing like the moment you held out your hand and I helped you out of your car.” Pressing his lips together, he took several slow, deliberate breaths. “You have no idea what that meant to me. I was a complete stranger—and yet, you seemed to trust me.”
“I did trust you. I probably shouldn’t have, but somehow, I knew you were a good guy, no matter how peculiar you seemed. If I’d been a little less depressed, I might’ve followed you home.”
“And gotten the monster version of my dick right off the bat?” He shuddered. “That might’ve been enough to scare you off for good. No. It was better this way. The way it was meant to be.”
Uninhibited (Unlikely Lovers) Page 21
