Lea laughed. “I hope Scott doesn’t know you watch hotties while he’s at work.”
Rachel blushed. “Well, actually...”
Lea smacked her shoulder. “Actually what? Spill!”
“It’s no big deal! We just...we’ve started doing this swinging thing.”
Lea choked on the sip of water in her mouth. “What? You two are swingers now?”
Rachel shimmied her hips and smiled. “It just so happens women like us are like fine wine. Our bottles are curvy and we get sweeter with age. We get calls all the time for people who want to see me naked. It’s so exciting. At first Scott wasn’t sure about the whole thing, but then the women wanted to see him too. He opened up to the idea and here we are. So...we’ve only had two dates, but it’s been so fun, Lea.”
Lea pulled her friend in for a hug. “Whatever floats your sexy boat, sis. Have fun. Does Stacey know?”
Rachel blanched. “Hell no! You can’t tell her. I don’t think she’d understand.”
Lea grabbed her friend’s hand and led her to the free weights room. “You never know. I didn’t think you and Scott would be so wild. Maybe they have a sex swing hidden under their bed.”
“Holy hell could you imag—” Rachel’s voice cut off.
“I know, maybe some lube in the bedside drawer? What? What’s wrong?” Lea traced Rachel’s gaze. “Oh no.”
Colin’s sweat-soaked body glistened under the fluorescent lights. The thick sinew straining in his thighs rippled as he knelt under the metal lifting cage. Hernandez stood close by, tossing encouraging words while Colin stood up with the heavy bar balanced behind his neck. When he spotted them standing by the doorway, he racked the bar and waved.
Rachel tugged Lea’s hand until they were next to the bikes closest to the wall of disc weights. “He’s so damn gorgeous,” she said. “He’s a walking wet dream. I wish he’d take off those shorts and show us his other muscle.”
Lea slapped her arm. “Stop it.”
“Do you think he has a big one? I bet he does. Jesus take the wheel, he’s sex on a stick.” Unable to stop staring, Rachel lifted one leg over the bike, missing her step and almost landing on her ass. The falter never deterred her as she kept her focus on Colin. Once planted on the seat, she began slowly pedaling. “I’ll bet he jacks off twice a day. Wait, you live with the guy. Does he? Come on don’t hold out on me.”
Lea wanted to crawl under the padded floor mats and die. The image of Colin on top of her, licking her juices from his fingers, made her shiver. It’d been two nights ago and she still couldn’t stand in the shower without touching the sensitive flesh between her legs.
She saddled up on the bike seat and pressed the numbers to track her progress. “How would I know? I’m not following him around the house.”
“Seriously,” Rachel said, looking out the corner of her eye where Colin stood wiping a towel over his face. “Why doesn’t he take that tank top off? It’s a crying shame to cover up all that man candy.”
Lea snorted. “You’re crazy. Come on.” She tried to refocus her friend. “Let’s try to ride for a solid thirty minutes today. Let’s get sweaty this time.” Rachel turned her attention back to the handlebars. When she snagged a chocolate protein bar from inside her bra, Lea burst out laughing.
“Hey,” Colin said as he draped the small towel over his shoulder. “I thought you guys did yoga today.”
Rachel bit the corner off the protein bar and kept pedaling. “Zumba,” she corrected while chewing. “We don’t just dance; we shake it to a Latin beat. Lea is awesome with her hips.”
Colin slid the towel over the back of his neck, drawing Lea’s attention to the way his thick forearms rippled with the movement. “I bet she is,” he said with a smirk.
Lea felt her cheeks go from warm to blistering. Each time her tennis shoe turned the pedal, a pulse of vibration shot deep inside her pussy. She needed to squirm, to do something to relieve the maddening ache. Her hands itched to feel the length she knew rested underneath his loose shorts. She’d felt every inch of the hard shaft, knew the cap was wide and smooth.
Lea studied the bike’s electronic screen and kept pedaling. She knew damn well she wouldn’t burn the calories needed to take off the extra weight, but in truth she didn’t mind. Her time in the gym had become more about getting out of the house and having fun with her friends.
“You girls got started without me!” Stacey’s voice traveled from the doorway. She walked up and tossed her towel onto the bike next to Rachel. “Seriously, Rach, do you have to eat while we exercise? Hey, Bub, you don’t have to work today?” She patted her son on the shoulder before hopping up on the bike.
Lea figured Colin would back away from her bike, but when he didn’t, her first instinct was to hop off and run out of the building. Figuring that would cause more suspicion, she willed her arms to relax and let her shoulders ease into a more comfortable position.
Without a care, he rested his forearm on the handlebars and appeared as casual as ever. Lea popped her eyebrows letting him know he was too close. He smiled. She didn’t. “I go in tonight. I’m taking an extra shift.” He pushed off the bike and put his hands on his lean hips. “So, am I to assume you ladies come in here to check out the guys? You are aware the girly machines are in the other room, right?”
Lea snorted and Rachel spoke out. “So? Your mom is usually the first one to comment on the cute butts.”
“Rachel!” Stacey said and reached over to slap her hand—the one not holding the protein bar of course.
“I always knew that about you, Mom,” Colin teased. “Dad always says you liked ’em young. He is two years younger than you.” He glanced at Lea and winked.
The tightness in her chest from before didn’t come close to the suffocation about to happen. Jesus, she hoped his mother couldn’t see the downward spiral of panic and lust whirling her brain down a steep drain.
“Bub! Stop it,” she said and started cycling. “You guys are crazy.”
Colin walked over to the weight rack and picked up two black-and-grey dumbbells. Seeing as they were at the complete opposite end of where Lea and the girls picked their workout weights, she figured they were at least fifty pounds each. Trying not to gawk, Lea sat up straighter and quickened her pace.
Colin stood in front of the bench across from the exercise bikes. When Lea started to look away, he shook his head and slid his lips into a grin. When he lay back on the red padding she sighed. Finally, he didn’t have his eyes on her, making her skin feel prickly. She was irritated now. A hot bath and a glass of wine was going to be the only cure for this case of guilt.
When he straddled the bench, her foot slipped almost sending her chin to crack on the handlebars. With his head in her direction, he let the weights hang on either side of the bench. Please. Please. Please. Don’t look. She focused her eyes on the small screen between the handlebars and counted the fluctuating red lights. Don’t look. Don’t look.
When she glanced over at Rachel, she almost burst out laughing. Her friend’s eyes were glued on Colin. Stacey had pulled out a magazine and had it propped on the little ledge attached to the screen.
She flipped the pages and said, “Why do all these things have to have so many advertisements? No,” she said to the magazine. “I don’t want to know Victoria’s Secret. She’s some skinny tramp who won’t let me fit into her clothes.”
They all laughed until the thud of Colin’s weights on the padded floor caught her attention. He sat up and wiped his hands on a towel. “Mom, seriously, those women are like hangers. All they are good for is wearing clothes. Now...a woman like, say…”
Lea almost choked. God, don’t say my name. Geeze, check your ego much, Lea?
“Who’s that woman on Mad Men? The redhead secretary is fucking hot.” Colin curled in his impressive shoulders. “Sorry, Mom. I meant that pretty secretary. And, yes, ladies, I bought the series on DVD and binge watched last month.”
Lea knew exactly who he was talki
ng about because that was one of her favorite shows, too. “Christiana Hendricks,” she blurted.
“Yeah, that girl. She’s built like a woman should be, all soft curves and big—”
“Colin James Marshal! Don’t say it. I may be open-minded, but I’m still your mother. I don’t need a visual of you lusting after some woman.”
When he turned his attention back to Lea, she only hoped no one was watching the expression on her face because there was no way she was going to be able to hide the fact she was infatuated with the man standing across the room. He didn’t flash his cocky grin, no wink or smart comment. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and sat back down on the bench.
Lea felt the hot sting of tears waiting at the corners of her eyes. Stacey would always see him as her little boy. Lea saw the man, had felt the strong grip of a man’s hands as he brought her so much pleasure. She was a horrible friend.
“Mom,” Colin said as he grabbed the weights. “I hate to tell you this, but I’m not a virgin.”
Stacey kept moving her feet and stuck her fingertips in her ears. “La... La... La.”
Lea and Rachel laughed then Rachel reached out and smacked Lea on the arm. When she nodded up at Colin, Lea almost choked. His silky shorts lay flat against his crotch; the hem of his tank top had ridden up, making the tight bronzed skin stretched across his abdomen peek out.
Lea gasped when she caught a glimpse of what Rachel was really checking out. The bulge beneath his shorts tipped to one side, revealing the outline of the impressive shaft. Even relaxed, it stole Lea’s breath. Colin was all male, a thickly built package of testosterone and strength wrapped up with a sexy muscular bow.
“You’re staring,” Rachel said as she leaned over and patted Lea’s hand.
“No, no I’m not.” But she was. Holy hell, her soul was damned. She was staring at her best friend’s son.
From the tip of Colin’s cropped dark hair, over the bunched muscles of his chest when he lifted and lowered the heavy weights, down his flat stomach, all the way to the tempting bulge and the thick length, Lea looked her fill.
“I told you! I knew it!”
“Knew what?” Stacey asked.
Rachel leaned back. “I knew Lea wouldn’t be brave enough to go out with the guy I tried to set her up with from Scott’s office.”
Lea sighed, grateful for the save.
“What guy?” When Colin turned around, the scowl on his face was directed at Lea. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out with a total stranger. It might not be safe. What about someone you already know? What about m—”
Lea coughed, shook her head, and dramatically waved her hand. “I don’t think I want to date anyone right now.”
“What about that girl from the clinic?” Colin asked, talking to Stacey while keeping one eye on Lea. “Dad said she’s cute and interested in me. Maybe you could hook me up with her?”
Lea’s heart clenched. She hated her body’s reaction but couldn’t stop the boiling sensation passing through her head. “I thought you said dating strangers wasn’t a good idea?”
Colin twisted all the way around, straddling the bench. Lea’s breath caught. The loose hem of his shorts revealed more of his thighs, the smooth muscles traveling north to a place she wanted her lips to explore. Damn him.
“Sometimes, the best risks are right in front of you. You have to take them and see what happens. I’ve always been one to jump on an adventure and see where it takes me.” He smirked. “What do you think? Should I go out with her—take her to dinner?”
Lea didn’t know what to say. She felt like she’d put herself out there plenty of times and always swallowed the disappointment. She understood his point, but this situation could end with all three brokenhearted.
Giving her blessing for Colin to date other women might ease some of her guilt for lusting after Stacey’s son, but it did nothing for the heaviness in her heart. She needed to be an adult and put the practical before the desirable. “If you think it would be enjoyable,” she said, followed by a deep swallow. “It could be a good idea.”
Colin dipped his head, wiping his hands with the towel. “And what if it wouldn’t be enjoyable? What if I only want to take one person to dinner, but I’m afraid she’ll say no if I ask her out?”
Well, hell, what did she say to that? She pressed one of the buttons on the display, not caring which one. She needed to redirect her attention—keep the anticipation of him asking her out far away from reality.
Before she could respond, Stacey said, “Colin, things don’t have to be so complicated. You meet a woman, you fall in love and make a million grandbabies. It’s not all about taking risks in the fast lane. You make things so hard sometimes.”
He turned back around. Lea caught his mumbling voice as he lay back down to position the weights. Before he lifted, he said, “I’m going to ask out the woman I want to be with and, dammit, she’s going to say yes.”
Lea covered her mouth. The heat traveling through her cheeks was enough to tell everyone about her excitement, but adding the goofy smile she sported was plain ridiculous. She had to admit the fantasy of sitting at a table across from Colin for a romantic dinner sounded perfect. Instead of another five star restaurant with a one star guy, a date with Colin would be fun and relaxed.
The men she’d dated were always so dull, one beige color painting a flat canvas. Colin was oranges and blues, greens and reds—everything she’d grown to feel. Being in the prime of her life meant no more beige and boring. The life of a single, attractive, smart woman meant she had choices. She pedaled faster. This phase of her life should be filled with excitement and exploration. Colin was right. A canvas full of colors was so much more fun.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lea turned under the water letting the spray massage her tight neck muscles. She’d managed to get an interview in for the paper, edit two columns, and get some work done on a book project she’d been babying for months. The long hours in front of the computer had taken a toll.
The sound of the shower door clicking open made her turn away from the water. As steam rolled out, Colin stepped inside naked. “Colin! What are you doing?”
“Turn back around,” he said, as he gently pressed her against the wall. “We both want this, Lea. I know you can’t ask for it, so I’ll give you want you can’t ask for.”
With his palm planted between her shoulder blades, her body screamed at her to submit. “What are you—”
“Doing?” he asked. “Spread your legs for me. Come on, Lea. Close your eyes and let the world fall away. Just feel me.”
She let the deep timbre of his voice bury her reservations and she did as he wanted. As she wanted. She closed her eyes and let him in.
“Colin,” she murmured, unable to do anything but plead his name. She wanted more, needed more, but was too ashamed to ask for what her body craved.
He wrapped his hand against her chin, gently tipping her head back. “I got you, baby. I love your ass. Jesus, Lea.” She felt a firm column work its way in the crease of the round globes. “I want you here,” he said against her ear. When his fingertips pressed against her folds, her knees gave. Spreading her feet farther apart to steady her balance gave Colin more access. The deeper his two fingers snuck into her pussy, the more her stomach contracted.
“And here.” She felt a slight pressure on her virgin backside. Was he going to fuck her there? She’d never had a man take her in the ass. The thought was both exciting and terrifying.
Fear overtook the desire and she spun around. “No, Colin, please. I’ve never done that.”
“Shh, not until you’re ready. It’ll feel good, I promise.” She should’ve shut down the whole encounter, but the thought of a next time made her brain go hazy. Nothing seemed to matter, not even the guilt, but the feel of Colin’s solid body hugging her in a heated cocoon.
The water cascaded over the contours of his handsome face, his eyelashes batting the droplets away. “I can’t wait
. I’ve waited too long already. I can take you and we can pretend like you didn’t want to, but we know the truth. You want this as much as I do, and I’ll be Goddamned if I let you go out with another man. I’m all you need.”
Her body hummed with the need to be filled and maybe if she put her guilt aside for a bit, she could allow herself one small pleasure. A secret ecstasy.
She slid her hands over his chest, feeling the hills and valley between the muscular mounds. “Please, Colin. Please keep this between us.”
His lips came down on hers, coaxing her mouth open. The coil in her stomach tightened as she rubbed her thighs together. The pulse in her clit hummed, making her pump her waist, trying to encourage him to plunge his fingers faster. She needed to feel full, to let her body soar—just once—with wild temptation.
“Lea,” he said on a breathless sigh. She almost slipped on the wet tile but he caught her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist to pull her in close. He made a promise to keep her safe and with his words he made her feel cherished and precious.
“Come on,” he said and reached behind to grab the knob, turning off the water.
Still in a daze, she needed Colin’s strong arms to keep her standing while he wrapped a towel around her and sat her on the bed. “I want to taste you,” she said, the brutal honesty taking as much space in her head as the guilt.
No man had ever made her want to crawl on the floor for just a touch, one fingertip gliding over taut skin and hard muscle. For the first time in her life, she was consumed with the desire to submit.
“This, baby?” he asked as he placed his fingertip under her chin and lifted. “You want to suck on this?” A playful smirk lifted the corner of his mouth as he stroked the length in a long hypnotizing rhythm. He swirled his hand over the broad tip. “Get on your knees for me.”
She gratefully descended to the carpet. God, she felt helpless, defenseless...exhilarated. Feminine. She opened her mouth and he slipped the smooth head onto her tongue, feeding the hard length toward the back of her throat. He pressed too far and she gagged, feeling the heat from her cheeks seep down her neck.
In His Bed Page 6
