Three Little Words

by Maggie Wells

Swallowing hard, she tried to shake the stat off, but the irony of being bitten in the butt by her favorite number hurt too bad. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling when Will caught two fingers under her chin and turned her face toward his.

  “Now that part is total bullshit. You don’t look a day older than twenty-eight, Josie.”

  A choked sob broke from her. A torrent of scalding tears spilled over her lashes. Hiccupping softly, she went willingly when he pulled her into a tight hug.

  “Shh.” He ran a clumsy hand over her hair and patted her back. “I’m sorry, I meant twenty-five.” He sucked in a sharp breath when another wave of fresh emotion crashed over her. “Shh. Don’t cry, sweetheart. I mean it. I swear you don’t look a day over twenty-two.”

  The assertion earned him a watery chuckle, and some of the tension from his body. Jo settled into the warmth of the embrace. “You’re the one who’s a sweetheart.”

  “Let’s not go that far.” He released her. “The only reason I didn’t try to hit on you last night was I was sure you were under age.”

  She snorted. “I know your type. I’m way too old for you now.”

  One side of his mouth kicked up, knocking the smile off-center enough to make him look almost vulnerable. “Hell, I’m too old for me now, but you’re still a hot piece, and I’m as much of a lech as old Greg.”

  The casual mention of Greg’s name unleashed a fresh wash of mortification. Wiping her eyes with the heels of her hands, she took a shuddery breath. “Oh, God. Greg.”

  He cocked his head and pulled a sympathetic grimace. “I think most women say the same thing after the fact. Amazing what dim lighting can do for a guy.”

  The utter ridiculousness of his statement scored him shocked gasp from Josie. Will’s crooked smile widened, crowding the corners of his eyes and carving a set of nearly irresistible grooves on either side of his mouth.

  “You’re the worst friend ever,” she chided.

  “Me? I’m the best friend that jerk ever had.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “You should have stayed, Josie.”

  “What?”

  “Footwear fetish or not, he’s the real deal. You should have stayed.” He tipped her chin up with his knuckle and looked her straight in the eye. “You should stay.”

  “Too late,” she whispered.

  Will huffed. “Say the word and I can make it happen.”

  “Why would you want to?”

  “He’s my best friend.” He raised one shoulder in a shrug and his mouth ticked up on one side. “You’re my biggest mistake. I shouldn’t have let you slip away. Let me do one thing right.”

  Warmth spread through her. Cupping his cheek in her hand, she wagged her head in wonder. “You are a knight in a dusty white pick-up.”

  * * * *

  Ben and Kaylin settled in the airport limo, and Greg prized his phone from his pocket. Three feet away, his ex-wife wiped her eyes and waved as though their boy was shipping off to war rather than the Cayman Islands. Having had his fill of Emily’s dramatics and demands, he ducked back into the hotel lobby.

  The minute he stepped off the elevator at his floor, the call was bouncing off cell towers. Relief whooshed from his lungs when Will picked up. “Hey, did you get her home?”

  “Who?”

  Greg heard the teasing note in his friend’s voice, but it didn’t stop him popping off like a bottle rocket. “Josie. Did you take Josie back to her house?”

  “Oh, Josie.” Will’s casual dismissal rubbed exposed nerves. “Yeah, I thought I was supposed to bring her to my place….”

  His inner drill sergeant insisted he refuse to take the bait. Never one to follow orders well, he bit. “You were not. You were supposed to take her home, keeping your eyes and hands to yourself the entire time.”

  “What about my mouth?”

  “You wanna get punched in the mouth?”

  “Not today, thanks.”

  “So, uh….” His brain stalled out. The silence stretched between them like a rubber band. Desperately, he searched for a way to ask for what he needed without sounding like a complete pansy. Unfortunately, he bypassed wimpy and hit moron head on. “Did she say anything about me?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” Will snorted when Greg growled his frustration. “You want me to pass her a note in study hall?”

  “Stop being a dick.”

  “I can’t. Dick is my default setting.” Will snorted at his own joke. “Besides, I knew her first.”

  “Are we still in tenth grade?” Greg shot back.

  “And to think I tried to talk you up.”

  “I don’t need you to talk me up.” A long, tension-charged moment passed. “She’s okay?”

  Will shrugged. “Other than a hole in her porch.”

  “What?”

  “Termite damage. I told her I’d take a look at it.”

  He swiped his key card and shouldered his way into the room. A light, floral perfume mixed with the damp musk of sleep and sex. His gut tightened, but he was too keyed up to do anything but allow his pal to jerk his chain. “You don’t do residential work.”

  “Well, I wasn’t planning on billing her.”

  His friend’s laconic drawl jabbed at him. Exhaling soft and slow, Greg unloaded the contents of his pockets onto the desk. “Leave her alone.”

  “She’s an old friend going through a rough time. I’m only trying to help out.”

  “I’m going over there. I’ll look at her porch.” Casting about, he spotted the paper and pen beside the hotel phone. “Give me her address.”

  “You can both look at my porch.”

  Greg whirled, his heart hammering against his breastbone as the phone spurted from his fingers. The sight of Josie standing in his bathroom doorway wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel left him fumbling. He scooped the phone from the floor and waved it in the vicinity of his mouth. “Gotta go.”

  The phone hit the carpet with a thud. The sound of his ragged breathing filled the room. “What are you doing here?”

  Damp, dark curls speckled her shoulders with drops of water. Shifting her weight, she placed one foot atop the other. “You asked me to stay.”

  His feet moved even if his brain hadn’t yet caught on. Crossing the room in three strides, he came to a stop in front of her. One lustrous droplet clung to her collarbone. He wanted to lick it off. “You left.”

  She cocked her head and the tantalizing bead of water started a slow roll toward the hollow of her throat. “I changed my mind. Is that okay?”

  Unable to resist, he caught the droplet on the tip of his index finger. The water soaked into his skin, cool and refreshing, a sharp contrast to the relentless heat pumping through him. Steam from her shower fogged the mirror behind her. He trailed his damp finger over dewy skin to the knot of terry cloth between her breasts. “Better than okay.”

  Holding his gaze, she slipped her fingers under his and gave the towel a tug. It fell heavy and damp at her feet. Her breasts swayed, hardened nipples grazing the front of his shirt. His dick went from hopeful to hard as a hammer in the blink of an eye. He caught her wrist as she lowered her hand and used the leverage to pull her flush against him. “I’m not even going to ask how you got in here.”

  “Will’s a good friend.”

  “The best,” he agreed without hesitation. Wrapping her up in his arms, he lifted her clean off her feet.

  She buried her face in the crook of his neck. “Careful, you’ll hurt your back.”

  “I’ve got this.” He might not have been as confident as he sounded, but he made it to the bed without a hitch in his step. Resisting the urge to pump his fist, he deposited her on the rumpled sheets and grappled with his belt. “If I’d known you were coming I’d have stretched.”

  “Next time I’ll call ahead.”

  “No need.” He pulled the belt from the loops and tossed it aside. Feasting his eyes on the bounty of curves and dips displayed for his pleasur
e, he freed his shirt from the waistband of his pants and set to work on the buttons. “I was coming after you.”

  “I saved you the trip.”

  Skipping the last few buttons, he yanked the shirt over his head. “Christ, you’re beautiful,” he rasped when he emerged again.

  “You must need glasses.”

  “Lasik.” He planted one knee on the edge of the mattress and climbed up over her. “I see twenty-twenty.”

  Her attention lowered to his chest then slid lower. “I wish you hadn’t told me.”

  “Josie—”

  Her chin popped up she and she met his gaze head-on. “I’m not Josie. I’m just Jo.” She drew a shaky breath. “I’m not some crazy party girl who tosses back tequila and seduces strange men.”

  The urgency in her tone made him swallow his chuckle. “Did you seduce me?” A glimmer of his amusement fired his eyes. “Damn. I thought I seduced you.”

  “I’m not kidding.” The flat rejoinder wiped the smile from his face. “I don’t do what I did last night. I haven’t done anything like this in too long to even remember.”

  He arched his eyebrows. “I’ll be sure to pass the information along to Will. He seems to think he’s unforgettable.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?” The question seemed to surprise her, but she didn’t retreat. “I slept with your friend.”

  A white-hot shaft of jealousy lanced his gut. “Years ago.”

  Stubborn defiance tensed her jaw. Her eyes sparkled with challenge. “Doesn’t make it less true. Am I freaking you out?”

  “What would freak me out would be if you wanted to sleep with us both at the same time. I like the guy, but not that much,” he added wryly. “Probably freak me out more if you told me you were a virgin. Everybody has a past, Josie—”

  “Jo,” she corrected.

  “I even have a past, lame as it’s been,” he continued, unabated. He fumbled in his pocket then extracted the tiny box of condoms he’d secured at the hotel gift shop. “I plan on having a more interesting future.”

  She fell back with a frustrated huff.

  Settling on his hip, he stretched out beside her. “I know this is crazy.” He brushed a damp curl away from her mouth then traced the slope of her cheekbone with his thumb. “I know we’re too old to be acting like a couple of impulsive kids, but damn, last night was the best night I’ve had in I don’t know how long.” Again, with the easy smile. “The hangover this morning sucked, I’ll admit, but I don’t regret one thing about meeting you.”

  “Greg—”

  He cut her off with a brief, hard kiss. The imprint of his lips lingered even after he pulled back again. “We’re also too old to play games. I want to keep seeing you. Preferably without the tequila, but if that’s what it takes to get a shot with you, I’ll line them up all night long.”

  “I don’t need the tequila.”

  “What do you need?”

  “You. I think I need you.” She blinked. “Crazy, huh?”

  “Insane.”

  “We should be committed.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “To each other?”

  Hooking her fingers in his waistband, she tugged. “You’re still wearing too many clothes.”

  “So I am.” He grinned as he rolled up to his knees. Plucking another box of condoms from his other pocket, he offered it to her. “Hold these for me?”

  A burst of laughter sprung from her lips, but the shock didn’t slow her reflexes. She grinned as she held the box aloft. “I love an enthusiastic man.”

  “Oh, I’ve got enthusiasm,” he drawled. “Not sure if I still have the stamina, but I’m certainly determined to give it a go.” His voice broke when she trailed her fingers over the button fly of his jeans. “Check the back pockets.”

  Jo plunged both hands into the snug seat of his jeans, copping a healthy grope of his ass as she extracted additional three-packs of condoms from each one. “Oh, my. Were you a Boy Scout?”

  “Not even close.”

  She stretched provocatively, letting his carefully procured provisions fall to the bed beside her. “You sure are prepared.”

  “Motivated. The last thing I wanted was to get caught short.”

  Falling forward he caught his weight on his hands and her mouth with his. Her lips parted, yielding the sweet rush of her tongue. He drank deep, taking everything she offered in great, greedy gulps.

  “This is nuts.” She whispered her final protest to the ceiling even as she surrendered her neck and throat.

  “The sanest thing I’ve ever done.” His breath danced across her skin. The throb of her pulse against his tongue fired his blood. A throaty mewl of protest escaped her lips and arrowed straight for his groin. “And I know better.” He traced her jaw with his thumbs, leaving her no choice but to look into his eyes. “Make no mistake, you might look like Jo to the rest of the world, but to me you are Josie. Always will be. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. I want you so much right now it hurts.”

  Pink-tipped breasts bobbed when she propped herself on her elbow. Slender fingers burrowed under his waistband and popped the top button on his jeans. His dick twitched, eager for her caress. The rounded curve of her stomach was pure temptation. A riot of dark curls covered her pussy. The flare of her hips made his fingers itch. She was every inch a woman, ripe and mature, earthy and irresistible.

  His mouth ran dry as button after button gave way. He held his breath as she worked his pants and briefs over his hips. Her lips parted when his dick sprang free. The memory of Josie’s mouth wrapped tight around his cock slammed into him. Stilling her hands, he held her gaze as he slid off the bed and shucked the remainder of his clothes with single-minded determination.

  Jerking his chin at the condom boxes scattered around her, he rasped. “Open one of those.”

  Josie did as he asked with gratifying alacrity. Whipping the wrung-out linens from the bed, he cleared the playing field.

  Her smile turned sultry as she scuttled back. “You look like a man on a mission.”

  He plucked the packet from her fingertips and fell beside her. The curve of her stomach fit his palm to perfection. Dark pink nipples furled into tempting points. He ducked his head and captured one rosy tip between his teeth. Josie gasped and arched, forcing the tight bud deeper into his mouth. He suckled hard, warming the pebbled flesh with the flat of his tongue then teasing it taut with the sharp edges of his teeth. Her hips bucked, seeking his touch—the touch he was all too willing to give. Smoothing his hand over her stomach, he cupped her pussy, allowing only the tip of his middle finger to graze her damp folds.

  She clamped her thighs together, trapping his hand in the wild tangle of curls. “Sorry.”

  “Hm?”

  Bits and pieces of breathy explanation trailed after him as he peppered her ribcage with wet, open-mouthed kisses.

  “I didn’t know… I would have neatened things up a bit…bikini wax.”

  The last part struck him just as he reached the Promised Land. His head jerked up as a flash of memory took hold. Mere weeks after his divorce was final he found himself stripping with the requisite girl half his age. His date got carded at dinner and that was bad enough, but the sight of her stripped bare pussy totally threw him for a loop. Shaking his head, he buried his nose in Jo’s damp, fragrant curls. “Oh, hell no. Don’t you dare.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you dare?” she repeated.

  “You’re perfect.”

  Her unladylike huff said she begged to differ, but Greg refused to be deterred. He stared up at her from the spot he’d claimed as his own, cupping her full breasts in both hands then tracing the smooth dip of her waist to the rounded curve of her hips. “Soft and sweet.” His breath stirred the downy hair. “Perfect.”

  Chapter 6

  Sweet, slow, and sensuous. The man seemed to have a kiss for every occasion. Greg lifted his head and pushed up on his hands. His long, lean body
blanketed Jo’s. She shivered when his slick, talented tongue tangled with hers. Crisp chest hair teased her nipples. The press of his thighs threatened to bruise hers. Josie smelled her own arousal on him, still she couldn’t stop kissing him.

  God, she wanted to come. She wanted to come on his face, in his hand and all around his big, hot cock. She thought she might when he picked her up and carried her to the bed. The tantalizing rub of cotton and denim on bare skin. The rock-hard ridge of his erection positioned against the right spot. One kiss bled into another until she tumbled head long into oblivion. There was no damn way she would pass out this time. Not until she had wrung every ounce of pleasure out of them both.

  Apparently, Greg was thinking along the same lines. The kiss stretched on and on, one moment sweet and sensual, the next pulsating with need. Lord, he felt right. So right she might shatter into pieces if he stopped. His mouth molded to hers as if they’d been meant for one another all along. His fingers found their home in her hair. Her fingertips traced the long line of his spine as if she’d been mapping it all her life.

  “Josie.”

  He whispered the name across her cheek, into her ear and along her jaw, christening her with tender kisses and tantalizing nips. He laved the pulse in her throat, humming his pleasure into her skin when she tensed and writhed underneath him. She grasped the taut muscles of his ass and pulled hard, circling her hips in wanton invitation.

  She groaned and wagged her head in frustration. “Don’t make me wait.”

  A chuckle rolled from his chest, soft and sexy. Undeterred by her plea, he kissed his way along the curve of her neck. “I’m going to do this right.”

  She arched like a bow when his tongue traced the same path his finger had taken earlier. A trail of tingles blazed along her collarbone. He lapped at the hollow of her throat, drinking the moisture from her skin. Rising onto his knees, he claimed her breasts with both hands and left himself wide open for her perusal. His cock stood thick and long, jutting from the thatch of dark curls at its base, unapologetically aroused. The memory of him pulsing on her tongue, nudging against her throat, filling her with urgency came rushing back. She wanted him, all of him, now.