“Then let’s go.” They had jackets in the living room, and his keys were on the coffee table next to her old cup of latte. When they walked in, she grabbed her things before she noticed Sam sitting in the chair playing a videogame.
He smiled. “Hi, I’m Blaze’s roommate, Sam.”
She nodded. “Kaylee.”
“Yeah, I think we had a history class together last year.”
“Did we?”
“Yeah, it was a big class, but you were sitting in the row in front of me.”
Blaze started feeling a bead of sweat form just under his hairline. The reason why Sam noticed her in his history class was because Blaze had pointed her out; otherwise, Sam wouldn’t have been able to tell her apart from fifty other brunettes.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Make sure this guy takes good care of you.”
Blaze rested his hand on Kaylee’s lower back, leading her toward the front door. “Like I’m gonna be a dickhead.”
“You never know.” Sam sat back down and started playing his game again as Blaze and Kaylee walked out the door.
Once the door was closed, Kaylee grabbed his hand and rested her head against his shoulder as they walked down the hallway. “For the record, I can’t imagine you ever being a dickhead.”
Those words warmed his heart more than she could imagine.
* * *
Kaylee was going to be sad sending Blaze on his way, but she had so much studying to do, it wasn’t even funny. She could see how having a super hot boyfriend who was really good in bed could be a major distraction.
Hell, just having a boyfriend who was good to her was disconcerting. It was such a weird feeling. But that wasn’t what was throwing her off so much. Kaylee was thinking about it as he walked around the car to open the door for her to let her out. That wasn’t so strange. She could get used to that treatment. What was throwing her off was how quickly they’d seemed to ease into relationship territory. He wasn’t her boyfriend, not yet, but he felt pretty close to it. She hoped he was feeling the same way. If not, she was turning into a sucker.
She couldn’t help it, though. Her feelings for him had deepened over the past twenty-four hours, and there was no stopping the way her heart was trying to wrap itself around him.
Once out of the car, he took her hand and they started walking toward the front door. As they took the steps to the door, Kaylee said, “I don’t know that you should come in.”
Blaze turned his head to look at her as they slowed near the top. “Why not?”
She might as well tell him the truth, that she was starting to wonder how she’d get anything else done the rest of the semester, because she could see him keeping her from obligations, even if that wasn’t his intent. “I have a lot of studying I have to do. I don’t think I can with you around.”
He grinned. “I can leave in a little bit. I just want to say hi to Rachel real fast.”
Oh. Oh, yeah. There was the matter of his sister. Talk about awkward. She sucked in air. Well, Rachel might have already figured it out. Shannon and Maddy knew, and if Rachel asked any questions, even if they hadn’t come out and said it, she very well could have put two and two together. And, now that he mentioned it, it might be easier to face her with her beloved brother by Kaylee’s side. Before she could say anything, though, Blaze asked, “What’s wrong?”
She forced her lips up in a smile. “Nothing.”
She could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe her, but he was going to let it go. She grabbed the handle but he placed his hand on hers and said, “Not yet.”
“Hmm?”
“I might love my sister, but I’m not going to kiss you like this in front of her.” He pulled her close, his hands rough and possessive on her ass, pressing himself into her. Oh, that was not good, because the way his tongue played with hers and the way his fingers felt on her flesh, even through fabric, made her want to throw caution to the wind. She could study tomorrow, right? Her hands had their own ideas and slithered up his neck and then wound through his hair before she could even register what she’d done.
He was relentless with his kisses too, leaving her breathless and wanting more. When he moved his lips to her neck, she eased her eyes open and noticed the porch light had been turned on since they’d gotten there. Obviously, someone inside knew they were out there, and Kaylee did not want a spotlight on their heated moment. “Um…”
“Oh, guess that’s an invitation to come inside?”
Kaylee nodded, hoping the fresh embarrassment wasn’t registering on her features. “Looks like it.” So she turned around and opened the door, taking a deep breath and hoping her arousal wouldn’t be noticeable. Maddy was sitting in the recliner, but she looked up with a big grin on her face. Kaylee just said hi and kept walking.
“Rachel in the kitchen?” Blaze asked.
“Probably.”
Maddy said, “Yeah, she is.” She got up and followed them.
Rachel sat at the table, typing out a text on her phone. Kaylee didn’t even stop to think that Blaze was with her and so Rachel might not want to answer when she asked, “How’d last night go?”
“Oh, it was fucking fantastic,” she said and then looked up from her phone. “Blaze, what are you doing here?”
Oh. A moment of truth. Kaylee tried to find the words, but he answered first. “I’m here with Kaylee.”
“You…oh. Oh. Really?” She blinked and then smiled. “Really? You two are…?”
“Yeah. Dating.”
Rachel chuckled. “I never saw that coming.”
Maddy walked into the kitchen and over to the fridge, pulling a beer out of the door. “Seriously?”
Rachel got a bemused look on her face. “Why? Should I have?”
Blaze moved to the table and sat next to her. “Why is that so strange?” Kaylee was feeling odd, being part of the focus of the conversation while not being part of the conversation itself, but she didn’t know that she wanted to be involved, so she sat down next to Blaze and kept her mouth shut.
That didn’t matter, because Rachel looked right at her. “No offense, my friend, but”—she looked at Blaze before finishing her sentence—“she’s not your type.”
“My type? I have a type?”
Rachel laughed. “Yeah. They’re usually earth muffin type girls. You know, they look like they bathe once a week and live in the woods, feeding off only what the earth will provide.”
“That’s bullshit, Rachel. Laurie was the only one who didn’t bathe all the time.”
“She never bathed.”
“She showered once a week. Trust me—I know this.”
“Still…Kaylee’s clean and wears nice clothes. She puts makeup on and does her hair. Laurie didn’t do that.” Blaze frowned. Kaylee felt like sliding down the chair onto the floor. “Stop acting embarrassed, Kaylee. It’s not like I haven’t seen you with a boyfriend before. Just…as long as I don’t have to hear about my brother’s dick or his prowess in bed, we’ll be good.” Kaylee closed her eyes as her cheeks flamed. She just wanted the conversation to be over already. “Seriously, it’s cool.” She pinched Blaze’s cheek. “I love my brother and want him to be happy.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “So…when the hell did you guys start dating?”
Blaze said, “A few days,” at the same time that Kaylee said, “Yesterday.”
He turned to the side to look her in the eyes. “Well, yeah, okay, sure. Yesterday.”
Rachel’s brow lowered. “Hmm. Which is it?”
Kaylee’s eyes widened but Blaze looked Rachel in the eyes and said, “Yeah, yesterday.”
“Oh, cute. You already have couple secrets. Okay, I can respect that.”
Blaze was grinning. “That’s not it. It just wasn’t official till yesterday.”
“You are such a shit, and if you weren’t my big brother, I’d flip you off.”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
“This is…different.”<
br />
“How so?”
Rachel grinned, her eyes twinkling. “You have your secrets; I have mine.”
Kaylee noticed that Maddy too had pulled up a chair to the table. Why, all of a sudden, were her friends so interested in whom she dated? They had never reacted this way before. But, as she analyzed it, she knew why. Not only was Blaze Rachel’s brother, but he was a guy they all knew fairly well and liked.
That could be a problem, especially if they didn’t work out.
She couldn’t think about that right now, though. Instead, she had to focus on her homework. That, too, could make them upset if she chose other things over Blaze, but it couldn’t be helped. She wasn’t going to blow the remainder of the semester just because she had a boyfriend.
Okay, so he was more than a boyfriend. He was an incredible lover, one who’d awakened a beast inside her. She had to admit that she wasn’t just fighting the perception of her friends’ thoughts in her mind. She was also fighting herself…because deep down she knew that she had a lot of time to make up for, and she knew Blaze would be the man to help her do it.
Chapter Fourteen
IT SEEMED A little abrupt, but Kaylee couldn’t worry about that. She said, “Sorry, guys, but I’m way behind in my schoolwork. I really need to study.” She smiled at Blaze and he could tell she felt awkward. He knew without even asking that she wasn’t going to get involved in a public display of affection in front of her roommates, even if he only wanted to hug her before he left. He knew that to his core, because that was the kind of vibe Kaylee put off. That was her chilly side.
He could respect that. “Can I stop by your room and say good night before I leave?”
A small smile. Rosy cheeks. A twinkle in her eye. “Sure.” Good enough.
So he sat at the table and even drank a glass of water while chatting with Rachel and Maddy. He found it funny that Maddy seemed to be one of Kaylee’s best friends and yet the two women couldn’t be less alike. He supposed, though, that opposites attracted, and maybe they complemented each other in ways he couldn’t even imagine. Maybe when Kaylee had to be outgoing, her friend was there to help her do it, and when Maddy had to be subdued, she could follow Kaylee’s example.
No, that didn’t sound right.
That was probably why Kaylee did have a friend like Rachel, though. Although Rachel was outgoing and had her moments, she was ordinarily calm and the voice of reason. The past week, she’d been rather boisterous, but that was the exception for his sister. Out of the two of them, she was the more levelheaded, rational one. Blaze was known as the one who walked on the edge, did things his way, danced to the beat of a different drummer. He was regarded as a dreamer too. It had always worked for him, though. He’d always managed to have friends and he never asked for the spotlight, although it often shined on him anyway.
Maddy disappeared after a while to get ready to go dancing. She asked Rachel if she wanted to go, but Rachel said she’d had enough partying the night before. Once her roommate was gone, Rachel asked, almost whispering, “So…you and Kaylee, huh? How the hell did that even happen?”
He grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
She punched him in the arm. “Listen, shithead, she’s my friend, and I might have talked about your type, but Kaylee has a type too…and you ain’t it. It makes no sense. It’s almost like you guys tried to figure out how to date the exact kind of person you didn’t like.”
Blaze frowned. “You saying Kaylee didn’t like me before this? Is there something I should know?”
Rachel laughed. “No. No. Hell, no. I just…know the kind of guys Kaylee likes. She usually dates jocks. You know, big, beefy guys who aren’t the brightest, even if they are college students.”
That didn’t do much for Blaze’s confidence. He was in great shape, but he didn’t look like a jock—far from it. Blaze was lean and trim. He wasn’t bulky in the least. And he considered himself to be pretty intelligent. He was big about reasoning things out, analyzing situations, thinking critically. He hoped Kaylee knew that about him and liked him because of it, not in spite of it.
But he couldn’t let Rachel’s words shake his confidence. She’d said the same thing to Kaylee about how he had his own type…but what the hell did she know? He’d wanted Kaylee for a long time and had just assumed there was no way she’d give him the time of day. It had nothing to do with her being his type or not. And what did Rachel know anyway? Yeah, he dated earthy girls once in a while, mainly because they were the girls he was surrounded by, but that didn’t make them his “type,” any more than brain-dead athletes were Kaylee’s style.
At least that was what he had to tell himself.
He shrugged and said, “Well, you know they say opposites attract.” Funny, that was something he’d just been thinking moments ago but not about himself.
“Yes, that’s what they say.”
“So what about this guy in Boulder?”
“What about him?”
“Anyone special?”
“I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Yeah, she had the upper hand, and she wasn’t about to tell Blaze about the guy. Blaze would only hear more if they grew serious. Well, he wasn’t prepared to talk to his sister about his love life if she wasn’t willing to spill some of her own secrets. “I’m gonna go say good night to Kaylee and then hit the road.” Rachel nodded. Blaze felt a little nervous, because he had only been in her room once, and that was last week…and when he’d left, it had been tense. Yes, things seemed a lot better now, but Kaylee seemed to go from warm to cool at a rapid pace. He wasn’t sure what to expect.
He had to hope for the best.
* * *
Kaylee lay on her bed, having changed into a long t-shirt nightie, her legs bent at the knees to prop up the history textbook she was scanning. She’d already read this chapter once, but she was going through it again to be sure she had a good handle on its contents. Unlike some of her earlier lower-level history classes, this one was heavy into cause and effect, and Kaylee sometimes had a hard time wrapping her head around some of the concepts. She enjoyed the class, but it was a challenge.
Unfortunately, tonight she wasn’t up for that. Her mind was thinking too much about Blaze, the guy who was probably still somewhere in her house, the man she was starting to think might be her next boyfriend.
The guy—holy shit!—who had helped her achieve her first orgasm. And her second. And her third.
Damn. He was good. Really good.
She was lucky.
Oh, God, her youth leader had been right. Up until this week, she’d thought he was full of shit. He’d always talked about how having sex would cause people to have continual prurient thoughts. Engaging in copulation, he would say, especially unwedded copulation, would cause youth to focus on nothing but the act. They wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else. It would consume them.
Up till now, she’d scoffed. Sex was fun, sure, but it didn’t dominate her brain, didn’t overcome her normal thought processes. Now, though, was another matter entirely. Since Blaze had rubbed her to climax just a few short days ago, she could think of little else. It was like the O was a huge drug, and she was looking to score her next hit.
It was bad. She was aroused beyond belief and almost surprised she wasn’t ready to start humping the chair across the room.
She looked up from the book to the chair.
No. Absolutely not.
However…
NO!
Oh, no. She could almost hear the youth leader’s voice in her head chastising her. Now she was actually considering touching herself. She needed relief, and she needed it desperately. But she remembered—there were a couple of verses the youth group leader always quoted, some things the apostle Paul had said, ordering Christians not to touch themselves. If they did, a fiery pit surely awaited.
The problem? Well, three solid years of college had begun to make Kaylee think she didn’t believe or accept the entire Bible. That didn�
�t change the fact that there was residual guilt and irrational beliefs lodged in her head. She might not think there was a real hell anymore, but she believed in hell on earth, and her parents—if they were to find out—might make sure she knew it.
She’d managed to let so much of it go, though…so much. The past three years had, in a lot of ways, been liberating, but deep down she knew she was still the same old Kaylee. Maybe doing something like that…she couldn’t even think the words touch herself…maybe doing something like that would help her really let go of the shackles of her past.
She knew she was simply justifying it in her mind so she could make the excuse to do it, but she didn’t care. She took a deep breath and slid the textbook off her lap to her bed. Her nightshirt was bunched up at her hips, leaving her thighs bare, and she rested her hands on them. And then her eyes grew wide. No way could she do it with the lights on. No way. What if one of her roommates were to barge in and catch her? She. Would. Die. Yes, she would die, and that wasn’t putting too fine a point on it.
She took a deep breath. Her resolve was not firmly in place, not by a long shot, but she was going to create the ideal environment. Music was already playing in the background, the latest Halestorm CD, so she’d be able to tune out whatever her roommates decided to do in the other room, whether she decided to sleep or…something else. As she draped her legs over the side of the bed, there was a knock at her door. She blushed furiously. It was almost as though they’d known what she was thinking.
Of course, it wouldn’t matter. Her roommates were all forward thinking, contemporary women who were sexually liberated. They’d tease her, no doubt, because they knew her better than she knew herself, but they’d have no problems with her actually doing the deed. That much she knew.
Still, she felt a little ashamed. She hoped the guilt wouldn’t show on her face as she walked to her door. She could have just asked whoever it was to come inside, but she needed those few seconds to gather her wits about her.
She opened the door and saw none other than Blaze, the man of her dreams, the guy whose face had been inside her head all day long when he hadn’t been by her side. He was starting to talk, but she did something so uncharacteristic of herself: she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him inside her room, laying a heavy kiss on him. He was the solution to her heated problem. She was horny as hell, and Blaze was the answer.
Finger Bang Page 10
