by S. L. Scott
“Good, because I want you so much. I want to see your body naked. Will you undress for me?”
There’s that smile again. “For you, I’d do just about anything.”
“Dangerous words.”
“I’m willing to take the risk.” Her words mimic the ones I never said aloud. Fuck me. When she stands and takes off her clothes, slowly, teasingly, as if she’s the present I blew out my birthday candles wanting, wished on shooting stars for, and hoped to receive on endless 11:11s, I’m a goner. She’s taking a risk. On me. She thinks I’m worth it. And that does something I wasn’t expecting; it makes me want to be better. Be the kind of man she deserves. Someone she can’t live without.
And then she puts her hand on my bare chest, right over my heart, and I know it’s no longer mine, but hers.
16
Tulsa
“You’re a lot sweeter than you pretend to be, Tulsa Crow.”
“How do I pretend to be, Nikki Faris?”
“Easy.”
“I think I’m pretty easy,” I say, gesturing to my naked body.
Pressing her warm body against mine, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my chest. “You’re easygoing, but I don’t think you’re the man-whore you claim to be.”
“There’s no mistaking it. I am. I’ll confess right now. I love women. I love their bodies, their faces, their soft places.” Wrapping one arm around her waist, I tuck her hair behind her ear with my hand. “But you’re making me think twice about my past.”
“That doesn’t sound like someone who takes everything with a grain of salt.”
I start to sway, wanting to do a little two-step with her. “No, I guess not.” Resting my head against hers, I add, “I love that you don’t even try to hide. Not your opinions, your body, and certainly not your needs. That’s what not only makes you beautiful but turns me on.”
“So I feel.” She takes a hold of my erection and then uses my words against me. “Do you want to stand or lie on the bed?”
I take a fine second to decide because there are pros to both options. “I’ll lie down.” Moving around her, I sit on the bed and then slide up. Two pillows prop me up, and I rest my hands behind my head. This is going to be one helluva view.
Nikki’s body is killer. She has good reason to want to show it off. From her perfect tits to that . . . I tilt to the side to get a good look at her firm, round ass.
Standing before me, she runs one of her hands from her stomach, between her tits, and back down. She doesn’t even notice I wish I was that hand. I fucking notice. So does my cock. “C’mere, darlin’.”
With her hands on her hips, she says, “You’re not going to let me do this, are you?”
“I’m lying here hard as a fucking rock, wanting to be inside you when you just want to tease me.”
“I’m not teasing you, Tulsa.” She smirks, and it’s damn sexy on her. “I’m taking my time.”
Laughing feels so good. This is what sex is to me, how it should be. Fun. Laughter. Pleasure for her, good for me. Enjoyment of each other.
But here’s the bottom line: I want this woman. I want her sexy smirks and her smart aleck mouth. I want her short skirts and long legs. I want her red lips and blue eyes that remind me of summer skies. I want her.
When she climbs onto the bed and sits right on my fucking cock—the tease—she laughs and wiggles. I’m pretty sure it’s just to torture me some more. I take one of her hands and kiss the five tips of her fingers. “You don’t have to do anything. Like I said, this isn’t a debt repayment situation. We can just lie here together and watch a movie, or listen to music, or order room service and get stuffed on burgers.”
“I’m sitting on top of you while both of us are naked and you want to watch TV?”
“No.” I give her wrist a little tug so her chest is against mine. The sound of her happiness fills the room. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her to me, feeling her smile against my chest. “But I wouldn’t mind holding you like this for a while.”
Her legs straighten, and her body aligns with mine. The full weight of her is resting on me, and I kiss her head. When we’re still, really still, I can feel her heartbeat on my stomach. I hold my breath just to concentrate on each comforting pulse while her nail doodles on my bicep. “If this is foreplay, I might fall asleep.”
My arms tighten a bit more because she’s entrusting me to care for her. She just doesn’t realize how much I already do. And even if my erection is squeezed between us, I wouldn’t trade holding her just to get off.
She lifts up after kissing me on the shoulder. Resting her chin on me, she says, “I’m not sure if you noticed, but there’s a situation.”
“What?”
“Something’s come between us.”
“I think you mean something between us wants to come.”
She pops me on the arm. “Tulsa Crow, do not ruin the moment with your lewd comments.”
When I finish chuckling, I reply, “Sorry. Sorry. What situation were you talking about?”
Pushing off me, she sits back up, straddling me again with her hot little pussy embracing my dick. “Fine. Whatever. I was talking about your cock, but you stole my joke.”
Grinning like a crazy person, I sit up, get a good grip on her ass, and wiggle her just enough for both us to benefit. “Oh, baby, I do love when you talk about my cock. You know what I love more?”
She rubs her temple against mine and then leans back enough to look me in the eyes. “What?”
“This. Time with you. Seeing you smile. Hearing you laugh like you mean it.” When her eyes widen in surprise, I laugh. “Yeah. Yeah. I know. You expected me to say sex or something.”
“But you didn’t. Instead, you said something sweet.” She pokes me in the side. “I think you just got us one step closer to that baby in the baby carriage.”
“No baby talk.”
She laughs again. “Back to your cock . . . lie back.”
“Only because you asked so nicely.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“I know.” I lie back and watch as she slides down my legs, taking my blue underwear with her. Like a cat, her body stretches with her ass in the air. It’s a position I intend to fuck her in one day. Hopefully soon.
Man, my dick needs some relief.
She touches me there, and like a good cock, it reacts and twitches, basically peacocking for her. The show-off. I swear my dick is gravitating toward her mouth on its own.
First, she dips her tongue out and then takes me between those pretty lips.
When she slowly slides over my shaft, my eyes close, and I savor the sensation of her warm, wet mouth embracing me. Kissing the tip, she stays there. “Does that feel good?” The question is genuine, as if this stunningly beautiful woman could feel anything less than incredible.
I slip my hand into her wavy hair, noticing she looks every bit the California dream girl. So gorgeous. “Everything about you feels good. Time with you, your body, your mouth on me.” Raising an eyebrow and the right side of my mouth along with it, I add, “Listening to you outplay everybody on that guitar and hearing you sing. Watching you smile and getting the honor of making you laugh. You are everything I want, baby. You feel good to me.”
“You’re not supposed to be charming and sweet when I’m giving you a blowjob. That’s not how this works.”
“Did I ruin the get down and dirty part of the night with my sweet intentions?”
“Ruin? No. You can’t ruin this for me. I’m not simply attracted to your body, though I’ll give credit where it’s due; you have an incredible body.” Lying here, I happily let her appreciate me because if I turn her on, it’s a big turn-on for me. She runs her hands up my chest and down my abs before she takes me into her mouth again, this time unrelenting in her pursuit to make me come.
I’m not going to last long. Just seeing her take me deep gets me to the finish line. When I hit the back of her throat twice, I cross over and let go.
; My girl doesn’t give up. She makes sure she’s gotten all of it before slowly releasing me and licking her lips. Fuck me. She makes me want to do things to her that are definitely not sweet or charming.
And I can’t resist that. Despite her initial protests, I throw her onto her back and get my head between those sweet legs of hers and lick, suck, bite, and soothe until she’s a writhing mess on the bed, calling out my name, barely breathing in her orgasm. God, I want to see that every day. I’m hard again, but she’s spent. And the smile on her face? It’s peaceful. Sated. I did that to her. To my girl. She shakes her head and strokes my cheek with her hand. So soft. She’s so precious to me. How is that possible so quickly?
Without talking—I think because we’re both so stunned—we clean up, then I bounce back into bed while she leans against the wall near the bathroom and pulls the toothbrush from her mouth. “I was wondering if you’d like to stay?”
With her standing in tiny panties, I don’t fully hear what she says at first. Her bare breasts are very distracting too, but I realize what she’s asking when she adds, “If you want.”
“Oh, I’m staying. I’m already comfortable.”
She looks pleased as she resumes brushing her teeth and disappears into the bathroom again. After a few minutes, she comes out with her hair wound into a ball the size of a grapefruit on top of her head. It’s not her hair that holds my attention. It’s not even her fantastic tits. It’s her face.
There’s not a bit of makeup on her. Thrown off guard, I speak without thinking. “I haven’t seen you without makeup before.”
Her hands fly to her cheeks. “Do I look okay?” Okay? She must look in the mirror every day, so how can she even ask me that?
“Okay? You look incredible. I thought you looked amazing before, but seeing you like this . . .” That damn tightening in my chest happens again. “I feel lucky to be here.”
She sits on the bed next to me, sliding under the white sheet. “Why are you lucky, Tulsa?”
I wrap my arm around her and hold her against me. Because you are bare with me. No pretenses. I’m the lucky bastard who gets to see the real Nikki. Fuck. Yes. I kiss her forehead and then say, “Because you chose me.”
There’s no point in making a big deal out of it. I can see she’s embarrassed, and it’s late. So, I turn out the light and settle in for sleep. Her body against mine makes me wonder if we’ll get any sleep at all.
The curtains are open just enough to spill some light across the bed. She finds my tattoos and runs her fingertips over them. “Three crows for three brothers.” I nod even though she can’t see me. Kissing my chest, she whispers, “Good night.”
“Good night.” I want to say more, but I lock those words away with the emotions that want to surface with them.
17
Nikki
Bang . . . bang . . . bang
Not that kind.
On the door.
Startled from sleep, I jump before my mind catches up to what’s happening, landing on the floor when the banging begins again. I hear, “Nikki,” shouted from the other side of the wooden door. “Are you in there?”
The room is pitch black, but I can hear Tulsa swearing on the bed above me. His feet hit my leg, and when he realizes he’s about to step on me, he swings at the last second, causing him to land beside me. “Fuck. Are you okay?” he asks, his hands roaming my body and then finding my breasts.
Grabbing hold of his wandering hands, I whisper, “I’m okay, and so are my boobs. Now shh.”
“What’s going on?”
“My brother.”
“Fuck.”
“I have to answer.” I lift up to see the time on the alarm clock, 2:19 a.m. “I didn’t answer my phone last night.”
“Because you were with me.”
It’s coming together for him. I push off the carpet just as Laird knocks again. “Nikki!”
Tulsa says, “He’s so fucking loud. Someone’s going to call security on him.”
“I know.” Turning toward the door, I say, “Coming.” I grab the robe from the wardrobe and swing it around me. “That’s why I need to answer. Security might find you. Hide on the other side of the bed.”
“What? Fuck him. No way.”
“Please,” I beg, picking up his clothes and shoes and tossing them so they’re hidden from view.
“Nikki.” Tulsa’s tone is cautionary. “This is bullshit. You’re not a kid.”
My brother calls my name again. I’m torn. I feel terrible for making Tulsa hide, but I don’t want to fight at this hour, and if Laird finds him here, there will most definitely be a fight. “Please.”
“Fine. This one time.”
While Tulsa hides between the bed and the window, I turn on a lamp, then dig out my weapon of choice and toss it on the bed before opening the door. “Laird, what are you doing here? I was sleeping.”
Damn it. He’s drunk. The smile comes first, and then he takes me by the shoulders. “I was worried about you. You haven’t answered any of my texts.”
“You don’t have to worry so damn much. It’s past two in the morning.”
“We’re just getting back.”
“From where?”
He scopes out the room and then says, “A club. A party at some hotel nearby.”
“I don’t need to hear more.” He reeks of alcohol and cheap perfume. “Did Shane make it back okay?”
“Yeah, he went to bed.”
“You should have done the same.”
“I wanted to make sure you were safe.” He moves around me and opens the mini-fridge. “Do you have water? I need water.”
“You need to go to your room and go to bed.”
Stealing a bottle of water from me, he twists the cap and gulps most of it down before looking around the room. His gaze lands on the bed Tulsa and I were just in before I can shove him out the door. He walks to the other bed and falls face first onto the mattress. His head turns, his eyes barely open. The bottle tips over as he says, “I’m just gonna rest here a few minutes.”
“No, you’re not.” I grab the bottle and set it on the nightstand, and tug on his leg. “No sleeping here. Wake up, Laird.” He’s not the lanky surfer he once was. His build easily matches my dad’s—solid muscle and heavy. “Oh, no you don’t. Get up, Laird. Go to your room.”
Without opening his eyes, he points at the other bed. “Is that a pink vibrator?”
“Yes. You’re ruining my personal time.”
And then silence. “No. No. No. Wake up, Laird. No sleeping here.” I tug him again, willing to pull him off this bed if that’s what it takes.
And then the snoring begins . . . “Nooo. Shit.”
Tulsa sits up on the far side of the room, his shoulders and head just above the horizon of the mattress, his hair a sexy mess. I watch his gaze track from my brother to me and then to the vibrator between us. There’s the Tulsa special I’ve come to appreciate. He pushes up off the floor and says, “I think he was already too out of it to fall for your plot, but good try on the scarring your brother for life angle.”
“He won’t remember.”
“I will.” He winks. I swoon. We’re a bad habit I don’t want to break. “Save that for next time, darlin’.”
While Tulsa gets dressed, I flip the covers over my brother’s head, just in case he opens his eyes, and turn the light out. “I’m sorry.”
Tulsa comes to me and cups my chin in his hand, tilting it up. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Using his head to signal to my asshole brother, he adds, “But he does.”
“I’m sorry that—”
“Don’t apologize. I’d have to sneak out anyway. Might as well be at two in the morning.”
Taking my hand, he pulls me to the door with him. When he opens it, the light from the hall shines in, and we stand in the glow. My brother’s snoring is not the melody I want to hear at this hour, or ever, but it’s now the song that plays while Tulsa and I say our goodbye.
He places the
most tender kiss on my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then on my lips where he remains and whispers, “I like you. A lot.”
I smile against him. “I like you too. A lot.” This time, I kiss him before hesitantly stepping away with the door against my back.
Still holding my hand, he kisses my palm and then slides his tongue over his lower lip. We don’t have all the time in the world. We could get caught so easily, but he doesn’t rush. Instead, he seems to savor every second. “I’ve done nothing in this life worthy of this moment with you. You make me want to be better.”
The unexpected confession makes my heart squeeze, and if I allow it, tears would come to my eyes. The beauty of his words is matched only by the look in his eyes. He’s a stunning sight to see. Wanting to hide the emotions welling in me, I lean my head against his chest. “You don’t have to be better for me. I like you just as you are.”
His strong arms envelop me, and I close my eyes, wishing he could hold me all night. But a snort from my brother bursts our bubble. “I’m sor—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He kisses my head and then steps into the hallway. “We have tomorrow.”
“What should I wear?”
“Workout clothes.”
“You’re making me work out on my day off?”
Walking backward, he briefly tugs that lower lip under his teeth, not even trying to hide that sexy smile. “Are you kidding? I get to look at your ass in yoga pants all day. Gold. Oh, and you’ll feel good. I promise.”
That’s my guy right there. Mischievous. “See you later.” I close the door and lean against it for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and pushing off the wood.
I could murder my brother, but I don’t think I’m in a position to adequately hide the body. So, I flip the covers off him and hit his ass instead.
Nothing. Fucking nothing. He’s out cold.
Jerk and other similar names cross my mind while I untie his shoes and slip them off one at a time. Moving to the side of the bed, I dip down and attempt to move him higher up on the bed. I work out, but I’m not strong enough for this job.
