To him, at least.
A dark fear momentarily seized him, and he caught her by the waist to stop her from moving. ‘Do I hurt you?’
That knowing feminine smile came back. Leaning forward, she spread her hands wide over his chest. ‘Do you need to hear how big you are, Colton King?’
His balls drew up. ‘No, I –’
‘You are,’ she whispered. Her hips undulated sexily. ‘And I love it.’
‘Oh, damn, Erin. Don’t do that.’
‘Don’t do what?’ she teased. She trailed her soft hands over his chest, tracing his pecs and the lines of his abs. ‘This?’
Leaning down, she licked across his nipple. His fingers bit into her waist when the sensation gave him more pleasure than he expected. She did it again, and he cupped her pert breast. He placed his thumb over her nipple and every time her soft tongue stroked against him, he flicked it.
With a hum, she sat back on her haunches again. Her thigh muscles bunched. She rose briefly, letting him feel the stroke of her soft pussy, and then dropped on to him again. ‘Or this?’
Colt gritted his teeth. He was fully erect again. Swollen and aching. ‘Forget I said anything.’
He pulled her down for a kiss, and she let him.
When their mouths broke contact, she braced her hands on the bed on either side of his head. Her nose was only inches from his. ‘Why did you leave the pool that day? The one after my graduation?’
‘Because my control was shot. I was heading after you when Dustin caught me by the nape of the neck.’
Her eyes were big in the moonlight. ‘Really?’
‘Honest to God.’
She rose over him and slowly began to pump. ‘I masturbated in the cabana when you didn’t show.’
Colton’s body arched, and sweat broke out over his entire body.
Her head dropped back, and she grabbed her heels as she ground onto him.
‘Fuck me, baby.’ He wrapped his hands over her breasts as she found her rhythm. And then it became a show so beautiful and sensual, he lay back to simply watch her. Watch her and feel her.
She was amazing as she rose and fell, taking him into her over and over again. So warm and wet and fist-tight. He looked down to the spot where they were connected so intimately. Seeing his cock disappear into her was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen.
‘Erin,’ he said when he felt his balls tighten.
‘I know,’ she said, her voice going high. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders as she began working more urgently.
Colton let her lead, but his hips were thrusting up to meet her every time she drove down. She was beautiful to watch as her body worked and strained. She arched hard, her breasts thrusting into the air when he caught her by the hips and drove deeper than she’d been taking him.
He did it again, and she cried out. The third time, she came.
He watched her come apart and wasn’t far behind. His fingers bit into the comfy flesh of her bottom as he emptied himself into her. She let out a squeak of surprise when a second wave hit her, and he barked out in victory.
And then he collapsed against the wrinkled sheets.
This time, the sex took. His brain turned off. Satisfaction and contentment made his body feel heavy. The problems they faced were still right around the corner, but at the moment he didn’t give a rip.
For a short while, he had what he wanted most.
‘Oh, yeah,’ he murmured into her ear. ‘On top is good.’
She giggled, but in the next moment was asleep in his arms. Colt tucked her up close. He’d take the night for as long as it lasted.
Chapter Ten
His bedroom felt different when Colton awoke the next morning. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but there was enough light to push back the pitch darkness. He propped himself up on his elbows to take stock. It looked different, too. The bedspread was crooked, the sheets were untucked and clothes were strewn across the floor. The scent of Erin’s shampoo lingered on the pillowcase next to him. The room was a mess, but he liked it that way. For the first time ever, the place felt lived-in…like more than just somewhere to crash.
For once, he didn’t bound out of bed.
Mornings usually meant a shower, some cereal, a quick check of the news, and then a deeper dive into whatever case he was working on. Today, morning meant Erin.
His gaze lazily took in her blue dress on the floor. It was crumpled into a ball by the nightstand. He didn’t need the evidence that she was still here. She wasn’t in bed with him, but he could feel her.
He could also hear her. A clatter was coming up through the floorboards from the kitchen beneath him.
Was she making breakfast for him?
He looked down at the sheet tenting below his waist. She was so damn sweet, but he’d have to teach her the proper order of things.
Sex before eating.
Lying back, he stretched until he heard his back pop. Damn, he was already in deep.
He swept back the covers and got up. He found his phone in the mess of clothes and texted the office that he’d be working from home this morning. That task out of the way, he headed to the bathroom. It was their first morning after, not counting breakfast at the Apple Tree Grille. He winced at the memory. Today he wanted to make a better impression. He headed to the bathroom and cleaned up. Finally, he put on a pair of jeans and went down to find her.
She was in the kitchen, all right, but that wasn’t what made him come to a dead stop in the archway. She was wearing his dress shirt, the white one he’d thrown on in such a haste last night. The thing covered her down to mid-thigh, and she’d rolled up the sleeves to keep them out of her way. When she heard him she turned, and he saw just how far she’d left it unbuttoned.
It was a good look for her. His jeans started to feel tight. Excellent, really.
Her hair was still tussled, and her feet were bare. She looked so kissable, that was exactly what he did. Without a word, he walked straight up to her, trapped her against the cupboards and settled his open mouth on hers.
‘Mmm,’ she crooned. Her hands danced up his chest, and she arched into him as their lips ate at one another’s.
‘Good morning, Sunshine,’ he said against her lips. ‘What’s cooking?’
‘An egg casserole,’ she said with pride. ‘Are you hungry?’
He stroked her hair back from her forehead. With her face scrubbed free of makeup, she looked young and exuberant. He slid his hand under the bottom of his shirt and caressed the back of her thigh. ‘Starved.’
‘Colton!’ she gasped. She drew small circles on his stomach. ‘Should I have waited in bed?’
He nuzzled against her neck. ‘You do whatever feels good.’
Her nails scraped against him. ‘Cooking for you feels good. You need to relax more. Slow down and take it easy.’
His morning erection jumped. He’d love to take it slow and easy with her. ‘Promise?’ he whispered.
She shivered. ‘Promise.’
He patted her bare bottom and pulled back. With the oven running, the kitchen felt warm. The whole place felt almost homey.
‘You’re getting pretty handy in the kitchen,’ he said.
‘So are you.’ She gave him a teasing shove when his hand moved on her butt and became intriguingly more intimate.
‘Don’t make me burn our breakfast.’
Laughing, he held up his hands and stepped away.
It felt good to have her here. Too good.
He pushed the traitorous thought to the back of his head and poured himself a cup of coffee. She already had one of her own on the table, so he warmed it up for her.
‘My mom doesn’t cook. She caters in.’ Turning on the oven light, Erin checked her concoction. ‘I wanted to learn how to do things myself. It’s all part of my strategy.’
Colton leaned his hips against the counter. ‘Strategy for what?’
‘To make myself less boring.’
His coffee damn near went down the
wrong pipe. He coughed and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. ‘You can’t be serious.’
When she grinned and ran over to kiss him, he knew he’d said something right.
He watched her flit around his kitchen, finding hot pads and a serving spoon. She looked so damn cute and sexy in his clothes, he wanted to scoop her up and take her back to bed. Instead, he settled for the quick flashes of breast she was showing when she bent over to work.
He took another sip of coffee, and this time it went down smooth. ‘Marilyn told me you’ve been sending out your résumé, too.’
‘I have, but I haven’t had any responses yet.’ She pulled out a chair from the table, sat down and tucked a leg underneath her. Her face scrunched up. ‘How stupid was I to just let that all go? I had such big plans, but I let myself get diverted.’
He took a chair next to her. He did not want to have a discussion about Marty the weasel. Not here, and especially not now.
‘I think I just turned my attention to designing a wedding. The cake, the colours, the flowers, the reception…Hm. Maybe I should look into that.’ She pushed back her mussed-up hair. ‘I did enjoy that part.’
‘Did you want to redo this place?’
Her big blue eyes opened wide. ‘Were you serious about that?’
He glanced around. He didn’t usually pay much attention, but now he could see that most of the walls were still bare and the big-screen TV was the most interesting thing in the living room. The sofa was one that he and Dustin had bought way back in their undergrad years, and it had been second-hand then. ‘Yeah,’ he said, deciding on the spot. ‘Why not?’
It wasn’t like he didn’t have the money. He was a DC lawyer. He had bags of it in the bank. And stocks and bonds and mutual funds. He liked having security underneath him. It was the one thing he’d inadvertently learned from his parents. Not from things they’d done right, but things they’d done wrong. From the time he’d received his first paycheck, he’d tucked away as much as he could.
Maybe it was time to start spending it. He glanced at Erin. Maybe it was time to start enjoying it.
‘It would give me something for my portfolio.’ Her eyes shone at the prospect. ‘I promise I wouldn’t do anything too wild or girly. I’d make a proposal and give you a budget.’
He almost told her she could do whatever she wanted, but instinct made him stop. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. ‘Sounds good,’ he said instead. ‘You come up with some ideas, and we’ll negotiate.’
He liked the idea of having her around, even if it was only to turn his house into something that didn’t look like a sterile institution.
She beamed at him, but then a more devilish light came into her eyes. She traced her finger along the lip of her coffee mug and looked at him through her lashes. ‘It just can’t interfere with the other classes I’m taking.’
‘You’re doing more than the cooking thing?’
‘Si,’ she said. Her ankle rolled sexily, and he noticed her toenails were painted a dusty pink. ‘I’m taking an online Spanish course.’
‘That could prove useful.’
‘And I’m trying a new exercise class.’
He let his gaze run down her figure. She was rocking his shirt. He couldn’t remember a time when her legs had looked so good – and that was saying something. ‘That’s working too,’ he murmured.
‘It’s pole dancing.’
She damn near caught him with another mouthful of coffee. Colton stared at her. ‘Pole dancing?’ he wheezed.
‘Mmm hmm. It looked interesting, and it’s a really good workout. The owner has a chain of them, and she’s here this week to lead some classes herself. Her name is Angel, and she’s the real deal.’
He still had not found the capacity to move. Erin the perky pompom girl was now into erotic dancing? ‘Can I come watch?’
She shook her head. ‘Uh-uhn. Visitors aren’t allowed. They don’t want anybody to be shy or inhibited. If you’re in the room, you have to be dancing. That’s the rule.’
He mulled over his options. ‘I could –’
She unfolded from her chair, took two steps and smoothly straddled his lap. Ever so slowly, she dropped down. ‘Sexy.’
His hands automatically came to her waist. ‘You got that right.’
She held his gaze. ‘Dancing sexy, silly.’
There was nothing silly about it.
‘Show me.’
The chair squeaked against the floor as Colton pushed it back to give her more room. For a moment, she hesitated. Then her eyes went dreamy, and she lifted her hair off her neck in a move so sensuous his cock jumped. Pole dancing, all right. Leaning back, he watched as she began to arch and sway.
Damn, he’d always known she’d been able to move, but like this?
‘She teaches lap dancing, too?’ he said hoarsely.
‘Yes, but I haven’t made it that far yet. I’m making this up.’
‘You’re a good student.’ His eyes locked on her hands when her fingers raked up her bare thighs. She left trails of white behind on her skin and then the material of his shirt began to climb. ‘Really good,’ he rasped.
She’d just unfastened another critical button when his phone rang, making them both jump in surprise.
Erin pressed a hand to her breastbone. ‘Don’t answer it,’ she said with a pant.
He was tempted. So damn tempted. ‘The case.’
Swinging an arm around her, he made sure she didn’t leave his lap as he dug into his pocket for his phone. What the interruption hadn’t cooled off, the Caller ID did when he saw it.
‘Fuck,’ he breathed.
Erin twisted to take a peek. She flinched when she read the name.
It was Dustin, her well-meaning but territorial big brother.
Colton sat up straighter in the chair. He expected Erin to climb off, but this time she was the one who latched on and stayed right where she was. Her hands caught his shoulders and she wiggled up closer until she was practically straddling his crotch.
He gave her a helpless look, but she teasingly ran her finger deep, deep down into the V-shaped opening of his shirt.
He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. ‘Hey, Dusty,’ he answered.
‘There you are, man. Everything OK?’
Colton circled his jaw. That depended. On the one hand, things were fantastic – but he supposed that wouldn’t be the case if you were his lap dancer’s older brother. ‘Yeah. Fine. Why?’
‘You ran out of the basketball game like your ass was on fire.’
Colton pinched the bridge of his nose. That seemed like weeks ago. ‘Yeah…the case…’ he lied.
Dustin chuckled. ‘I thought maybe you had a hot date waiting.’
He had. Hot and sweaty and spine-curling…
Time to change the subject. ‘Did you win?’
‘Hell, yeah. We even pulled away at the end.’
‘Good.’ Colt cupped the back of Erin’s head as she nibbled on his neck. ‘That’s…’ he said tightly, ‘real good.’
She giggled, and his hold tightened in warning.
Her giggle turned into a soft moan.
Shit. Colton struggled for control.
‘So I found your watch in the locker room,’ Dustin said. ‘Do you want me to drop it off at your place?’
‘No,’ Colt said quickly. Too quickly. He cleared his throat. ‘I’ve got things to do this morning. I’ll catch up with you later.’
‘All right.’ There was the sound of a car horn on the other end of the line. ‘I’ve got to get going.’
‘Thanks, Dust.’
‘No problem.’
‘Bye.’
Colton’s arms sagged to his sides when the call finally ended, yet a surge went through him when Erin lightly bit his earlobe.
‘I hope I’m one of those things on your to-do list,’ she said sexily.
He caught her, pulled her up with him as he stood, and quickly put her back in her own chair. Circling
the kitchen, he blew out a long breath and scrubbed his face.
That had been too close. Dustin didn’t always call first.
And the problem was that it wasn’t that unusual. Dustin dropped by all the time to just hang out. Marilyn would call to chat and check up on him. Hell, even Harmon had come by last week with Caps tickets.
Her family was his in a lot of ways – and they were the ones who wouldn’t approve. They’d blow a gasket if they found out what was happening behind his closed doors. He could still remember a vein popping out in Harmon’s forehead when he’d given him the lecture.
Colton had only had to be told once.
He looked at her.
‘Don’t say it,’ she warned.
He had to. ‘Erin, we…we shouldn’t do this.’
Her sunny expression clouded over. ‘Don’t do this again,’ she said in a small voice. ‘Don’t do this to us.’
He held up his phone as proof, but she just met him in a stare-down.
A stare-down that was becoming more watery by the moment.
Panic started to set in. He looked at her sitting in his kitchen, wearing his clothes and nothing else, and he couldn’t argue his way out. She was right. Her family’s friendship was important to him, but the idea of keeping away from her now? After he knew how good they were together?
He tossed his phone on to the kitchen counter.
What the hell was he going to do?
He wrapped his hand around the back of his neck and tried to think. They’d never be able to go back to the way things had been. She’d ground his willpower to dust. ‘Then we need to keep it quiet.’
‘It?’
Was she going to make him say it out loud?
‘This,’ he said, gesturing back and forth between them. ‘This thing between us, whatever it is. We know we can’t stop, but we can keep it private.’
The tension in her relaxed, and her hair dropped to the side as she cocked her head. ‘Are you saying you want to sneak around?’
Boom.
‘Yes,’ he said, pointing at her.
She looked down into her coffee. ‘Sleep together behind everyone’s backs?’
It was the best answer he had – other than doing what he should. If he was stronger, he would keep it to a one-night stand. He was a man of his word, and he’d faltered. That didn’t mean he couldn’t pick himself up again and get back on track.
Courting Innocence Page 14
