by Katie Allen
“I can...enjoy it.” Her words were interrupted by a rough inhale of breath as he withdrew his wet fingers and moved them back to her other, tighter hole.
“Good.” He played with her, circling the sensitive, puckered opening before moving his hands to her hips. The tip of his cock brushed her clit, and every muscle in her body clenched for a moment. “I know I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this.”
This time, her groan was a protest of his teasing. She’d never considered doing anal before, but Topher was starting to love the way Jamie played with her ass. He squeezed her still-aching cheeks and then yanked her hips higher, burying his cock in her pussy. She yelped at the suddenness of his entry into her still-sore body, but she quickly adjusted, clenching around the huge intrusion as if she was trying to draw him deeper.
Jamie withdrew, sliding out until just the head stayed buried, before plunging back inside her. As he thrust again and again, another orgasm began building in Topher, this one deeper, more intense, than her last. Every time his cock burrowed into her as deep as it would go, his pelvis slapped against her still-sore ass cheeks. The heat and ache transferred directly to her pussy, transforming to pleasure and growing until she felt like she was about to burst out of her skin.
Her fingers clawed at the sheet beneath her, grasping two handfuls of the fabric in a desperate need to hang on to something. She missed being face-to-face with Jamie for a brief moment, missed being able to wrap her arms and legs around him, to hold on tightly, anchoring herself to him. She quickly dismissed that desire, however. The slap of his body against her ass brought a pleasurable soreness to every thrust, her desire building with each plunge, climbing to a pinnacle she’d never even imagined she could reach.
His thrusts increased in speed, driving into her in a quick, hard rhythm. Topher realized that she was making a needy sound every time he plunged back into her, but she didn’t care. Even if everyone in the house knew that Jamie was getting her off, she was okay with that.
Jamie slid his hand from her hip and across her lower belly. Tensing as his fingers drew closer and closer to her clit, she turned her head and bit the pillow. He barely touched her before she climaxed, her scream muffled by the fabric clenched between her teeth. Her body clenched around him, and she was vaguely aware of Jamie’s groan, of him drilling his cock even deeper into her body as he came.
Boneless, her legs wouldn’t support her any longer, and her hips lowered to the mattress. Jamie’s body shifted to her side, although he was large enough that he still covered most of her. It was nice beneath him, pinned under his weight and heat, like her own Jamie-Bear cave. She giggled.
“What’s funny?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He tickled her in the ribs, and she jerked, trying to curl up into a defensive ball.
“Really!” Now she was really giggling as she tried to bat away his hands. “I thought of a joke, but if I try to say it out loud, then it won’t be funny at all.”
“I like those kinds of jokes from you,” Jamie said, although he stopped the tickle torture. “You say something that’s not funny at all, but you laugh like a loon, and that makes everyone else laugh.”
“What?” She wasn’t sure what part of that statement to be offended at first, but then she just blew it off. She was too blissful to be offended.
As if he could read her mind, Jamie didn’t try to defend what he’d just said. Instead, he just kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck, making her scrunch her shoulders and giggle again.
“What time is it?” she asked, her words muffled by the pillow she’d burrowed into, trying to escape Jamie’s scratchy jaw. His five o’clock shadow was heavier than most men after a week of not shaving. Turning over onto her back, she ran her fingers over his cheek, marveling for the hundredth time that she was able to caress him so casually.
“Six.” He pulled her tight against his chest so that he was spooning her. “If you promise to hurry getting ready, we can take a nap before dinner.”
“I’m always quick getting ready,” she objected, yawning. Grabbing his hand, she linked her fingers with his and tucked it under her chin. “Especially when you do everything for me.”
Instead of laughing like she’d expected, Jamie just made a humming sound.
“What?” she asked, turning her head so she could see his face.
He studied her intently, and she started to get nervous. All her insecurities darted around inside her like a swarm of bees, buzzing and stinging. If he told her that what they were doing was too freaky after all, that she was too freaky, Topher wasn’t sure if she could handle it. She’d told herself that they’d have fun for two weeks and then she could let Jamie go, but her growing anxiety proved that she’d lied to herself. If this was the end, then it was going to hurt. A lot. Sitting up, she twisted around so she faced him.
“What is it? You’re giving me a very serious look, but I’m not sure if that’s an ‘I want you to be quiet and take a nap’ look or an ‘I want to fake break up with you’ look or maybe you just ate something that’s giving you gas, and you’re not sure if we’re at the stage in our relationship where you’re allowed to fart in bed.”
His somber look had given way to one of amused bafflement. “None of the above.”
“Okay.” She didn’t lie down, though, worried that, even though it wasn’t any of her guesses, there was still something that Jamie wanted to say, and it didn’t look like it was a positive thing. The words bubbled up in her throat, but she bit her lip before she started another monologue.
“Are we to the point where we can fart in bed?”
“I guess?” Her nose wrinkled. “If you have to. I mean, if the choice is between literal explosion and letting one rip, then I wouldn’t want you to damage your insides just to be polite.”
“That’s...good of you.” His expression grew serious again. “I need to ask you something.”
“Nooo!” She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. “I knew there was something serious you needed to talk about, and those things are never good. Never, ever, ever. Okay, just tell me. Rip the Band-Aid off in one painful tear. Ready? Go!” When he didn’t say anything, she opened one eye to see him staring at her, bemused. “Well? Tell me your terrible secret. Do you have a crazy wife in the attic? Because you should know that I don’t find that romantic at all. Mr. Rochester was a total dick, in my opinion.”
“You are making no sense at all right now.”
Figuring that he wasn’t going to get the painful part over with and just rip off the proverbial Band-Aid as she’d requested, Topher opened both eyes and braced herself. “Okay, I’m ready. What is it?”
“Do you have any auditions scheduled after New Year’s?”
She blinked at him. It was her turn to be confused. “Yes? I mean, yes. I do.”
Jamie frowned and rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Important ones?”
“Well, sure.” Topher was doing her best to read him, to figure out where the conversation was going, but he had his stoic expression in place. “There’s one part for a small role on a new sitcom. That would be nice, because of the steady money and exposure. Why?”
“Okay.” He nodded like he’d just made a decision. “I’ll buy a place, then.”
She stared at him. “Um...that’s nice, but what does buying a place have to do with my audition schedule?”
“I’ll buy a house in LA,” he explained, settling back against the pillows.
“That’s...nice.” Topher marveled that he could talk about buying property in Los Angeles as casually as he’d mention picking up a gallon of milk. Even though she’d grown up with money, Ben was always a firm believer in kids earning their own way. She’d paid for college with multiple jobs and work study and as few student loans as she could manage. In the six months since she’d graduated, she’d worked two jo
bs, took all the acting work she could find, and she still struggled to pay her share of the rent each month. “Do you want me to show you around?”
He frowned at her. “I know my way around LA. We have a satellite office there. I just haven’t had the need to buy a house there until now.”
As the idea settled into her brain a little, she bounced on the mattress in excitement. This thing with Jamie was amazing and wonderful and all sorts of other superlatives, but she hadn’t allowed herself to think of the future. She’d been pretending they were in a Christmas time warp, and she could continue to ride Popcorn, and sleep all she wanted to, and not make coffee or clean offices, and eat a ton of Leigh’s food, and play muddy football, and have mind-blowing, kinky sex with Jamie forever. Now that he was planning to have a place in LA, though, she could let herself think of the future without getting enormously depressed. “Really? So you’ll be around sometimes?”
Even though he frowned, his eye was amused. “Tophie. What did I say about jumping on the bed?”
Her stomach thrilled with excited flutters even as she made a face at him. “I’m not jumping, Daddy. I’m just...knee-bouncing.”
“Knee-bouncing.” His voice was flat, and she squirmed in a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation.
“Yes?” Her bottom was still a little sore where it pressed into her heels, so she quickly changed the subject. “You’re really going to get a place in LA? Can I see you while you’re there?”
“Of course you’ll see me,” he said in a matter-of-fact way, and excitement grabbed Topher’s stomach again. It had just been a few days, but the thought of not seeing Jamie-Bear after the two weeks were up was too depressing to think about. “You’ll be living there, too.”
“Wait, what?”
“You’ll be staying with me,” he explained, as if it were obvious. “At the house I’m getting for us.”
“Uh...nope.” To soften her answer, she patted his cheek. “I have an apartment.”
“With roommates. We’ll be alone at my place.” Catching her hand, he brought it to his mouth and kissed her palm.
“Exactly.” She hid the shiver of pleasure that ran through her at his touch. It wouldn’t be helpful to show him how easily he affected her, how little effort he would have to put into swaying her. “Roommates. We have another ten months on our lease, and they’re depending on me to pay my portion of the rent for those ten months. I can’t just leave them in the lurch and live with you.”
“I’ll pay off your portion of the lease,” His mouth turning up in a satisfied smile.
“No,” she said, and his grin disappeared. “Jamie-Bear, I’ve known you for just a few days. I’m not going to give up my apartment or my independence or any of my jobs until we’ve been together for much, much longer...and maybe not even then. I really, really like you, and you get me off like no one’s business, but we’re just starting to get to know each other.”
He looked so adorably sulky that she couldn’t help herself. Topher reached out and booped his nose.
“Don’t look so grumpy, Mr. Bear,” she teased. “We’ll still go out and have fun and lots of amazing kinky sex, but I’m not moving in with you. Yet.”
His eye narrowed, and she could tell that he was plotting, especially when his smile returned. It was a little too shark-like for her peace of mind. “Yet?”
“That could mean months or even years,” she warned, but his predatory grin didn’t change.
“Fine. It’s settled. I’ll get a place in LA, and you’ll keep your apartment...for now.” He tugged her down so she was lying in his arms again.
She didn’t trust his smug expression, although there was nothing in his last statement that she could argue with. Snuggling against him, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him in an impromptu hug. “I’m so glad I get you and LA!”
With a low, warm laugh, he hugged her back. “I’m just glad I get you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Grabbing a caramel roll fresh out of the oven required getting up painfully early, but Topher decided it was totally worth it.
“You’re right,” she said to Leigh. “I’ve forgiven you everything. Every single brutal tackle has been forgotten. I want to marry you again.”
“Told you so.” Leigh didn’t look up from the eggs she was whisking.
Sneaking another roll onto her plate, Topher skipped out of the kitchen, almost running into Lester in the hallway. “Hah!” she said, putting a protective hand over her rolls. “Beat you to them this time.”
“Did you leave us any?” Without waiting for an answer, Lester rushed into the kitchen.
Topher, feeling quite smug, headed toward Jamie’s office, picking sticky bites off one of her rolls on the way. Once she arrived at the door, she reached to open it, but hesitated when she saw it was already ajar. Topher started to smile, thinking that he’d left it open for her, but Peyton’s voice made her pause.
“...did this because I consider you a good friend, James.”
“Peyton...” Jamie sounded annoyed, Topher was happy to hear. “I don’t need you to watch out for me, and I definitely don’t need you hiring private investigators to dig into my business.”
Private investigators? This sounded interesting. Despite her punishment for eavesdropping the day before, Topher couldn’t help but take another bite of caramel roll and continue listening.
“Hear me out.” Peyton didn’t sound as assured as usual. “They found that her parents have cut her off. She’s completely broke—works two jobs, lives with three roommates in a rat-trap of an apartment... She’s barely surviving.”
Topher frowned. Even though she wasn’t embarrassed by those things, it was still uncomfortable knowing that strangers had been digging into her life on Peyton’s behest.
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.” Jamie’s voice was so chilly that Topher shivered, but Peyton didn’t seem to pick up on his cold anger.
“Can’t you see?” Peyton asked almost desperately. “She’s obviously using you for your money!”
“Enough!” Jamie’s roar made Topher jump and then grin. It was good to hear Peyton getting her metaphorical ass kicked. “That’s enough. I can’t believe you hired investigators to look into my girlfriend. We’ve been over for years, Peyton. You said you did this as a friend, but this is not how friends behave. We’re done. You need to leave today.”
“What? But she—”
“Just stop.” Jamie’s voice got closer to the door, and Topher hurried to back away. “Call off the investigators. If I hear that you’re interfering in my or Topher’s life in any way, you will regret it. Leave. Now.”
The door swung open, and Peyton rushed out. Topher dodged out of the way just in time, and Peyton sent her a look so angry that Topher wouldn’t have been surprised to find two smoking holes burned into her face.
“Good morning, Pey-Pey,” Topher said, giving her a bright smile.
Peyton opened her mouth, but closed it again before saying anything when Jamie cleared his throat from the doorway. Putting her head down, Peyton fled.
“Good morning, Captain Hottie Pants,” Topher purred. After hearing him defend her, she was even hungrier for him. “I’m here to offer you a caramel roll and a rain-check blow job.”
His mask of anger relaxed into a slight smile, his eyes softening as he looked at her. “Come here.”
She did, eagerly, even that tiny command turning her body liquid and molten. When she reached him, he bent to kiss her gently on the mouth. As he pulled back, he licked his bottom lip. “Sweet.”
Topher beamed at him, holding up the plate. “I brought you one.”
Glancing down at it, he gave a bark of laughter. “It looks all nibbled on.”
With a shrug, Topher slipped past him into the study. “T
here might have been a mouse attack between here and the kitchen.”
That made him laugh again. “A mouse attack. Of course.”
* * *
The day was overcast, the wind sharp with the threat of snow. As she and Jamie stepped outside, Topher tugged up her borrowed scarf. Her helmet covered the top part of her ears, but the lower halves were exposed to the cold.
“Are you sure you want to go riding?” Jamie asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Burrowing against his warmth, Topher questioned her sanity even as she answered. “Yes. I’m sure. Peyton left, and Barb and Danny bailed. I’m not letting a little cold get in the way of a ride alone with you. I wouldn’t care if it were raining rocks; I’d still want to go.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, although Topher was pretty sure she detected a pleased undertone in his voice. “If it starts snowing, though, we’re heading home.”
“Do you mean ‘snowing’ like in that episode of Little House on the Prairie when Pa had to tie a rope from the house to the barn so he didn’t get lost, or ‘snowing’ as in a few flurries, because I think it’d be kind of awesome to have a tiny blizzard. It’d be like riding in a snow globe.”
Jamie opened his mouth, but Charlie came around the corner of the house, interrupting him. A guilty look passed over his face, and Topher gave him a smile. It wasn’t his fault he’d tripped and accidentally tackled her. The poor guy had to do it right in front of Jamie, too, and had gotten his head chewed off because of it. Even now, Jamie was glaring at him.
“Hey, Charlie,” Topher said, hoping to forestall any awkwardness. “What are you doing out in the cold?”
He shrugged, his expression easing. Topher figured he was worried she—or Jamie—would tear into him. “Just taking a walk, getting some fresh air before it snows again.”
“We’re doing the same—only on horseback.”
“Just the two of you?” Charlie asked. “I thought a bunch of you were going.”
