by Marie James
I don’t ask though because that would reveal too much. I simply accept my room key from Hound when he passes them out and head to my room alone.
Chapter 32
Cannon
It’s weird being involved in Cerberus business now. I’ve been working with Dad for a couple of days and have learned a million different things, including that the team got stuck in Mexicali last night because of some issue with the jet. I also know that they were flying in this afternoon, touching down at the municipal airport at four, or sixteen hundred hours as Dad said.
What I didn’t know is that Rivet would come straight here instead of going back to the clubhouse with the other guys. I grin when the front door opens and she saunters in. I know she’s going for casual, but her eyes dart to the bar the second she’s inside. She isn’t here for a beer or to hang out with the guys. I’m her sole purpose for being at Jake’s, and just the sight of her makes me want to jump over the bar and wrap my arms around her, or act like Simone and fake a stomachache so I can spend some time alone with her.
I do my best to act casual as she approaches, but there’s a little deeper sway to her hips, and the playful smile on her face speaks of the sexual familiarity we have with each other. My mouth suddenly runs dry, and my fingers ache to reach out to her. This woman has somehow changed the way I see the world, and although I know it should scare me, all I want is more. More of her. More time together. Just… more.
“What can I get you?” I ask as she settles onto the stool at the very end of the bar.
There aren’t many people here yet, but she’s still just as diligent as ever.
Her eyes rake down the front of my body, and as she lowers her gaze past the hem of my t-shirt, it’s like my dick knows that he’s being examined. My cock jerks, missing everything about her, especially after the promises I made to both her and him about her return.
Right now, I’m regretting wanting to feel more like an adult by taking this job. I want the freedom to wrap my arms around her, to drag her to the back and take everything she’s willing to give me.
“Not thirsty,” she says, and I swear her husky voice sinks inside of my skin, planting itself there like it’s found a home.
“Most people come to a bar to drink. If you’re not thirsty, then there must be another reason you’re here.” I wink at her.
“Is that so?” Her voice is playful, and my eyes can’t stop looking at her perfect mouth. “Maybe I’m here for the ambiance.”
Just then Mike coughs like he’s about to spit up a lung on the bar top. We both laugh.
“Is the shirt a walking advertisement?”
I glance down at the red t-shirt. I’M A HUGE FAN OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR is printed in black on the front.
“You should know,” I say when I look back at her.
“What time do you get off?”
“Wanting to know if I’m interested in inappropriate behavior?”
Her eyes dart to the zipper of my jeans where I’m not even trying to hide the fact that I’m thickening behind the denim with each word she says.
“I’d say you are.”
“Nothing gets past you.”
She bites her lip, and I know it’s probably to keep from laughing, but now that I know how those lips feel on mine, how her teeth feel sinking into my skin, I can’t help but let my mind wander to all the things I’ve been dreaming about doing to her since our encounter in the hallway yesterday morning.
This woman is sex in combat boots. She’s everything I want, yet nothing I thought I’d ever have.
“I still have a couple of hours left,” I confess with disappointment. “Simone doesn’t come in until six.”
“Mind if I hang out for a while?”
“Nope.” This woman could follow me to work and sit at the bar every day that I’m here and the only problem I’ll have is focusing on her instead of my work. “Sure you don’t want anything?”
“A Coke would be great.”
I get her a drink before turning to the group of women that just entered. They flirt relentlessly, but it doesn’t even faze me. I know who I’m going home with tonight, so there’s no point even messing with other chicks at the bar. Even if Rivet wasn’t sitting down at the end of the bar, I wouldn’t be tempted. Of course the women flirting with me are dressed to the nines. They smell amazing, and they’re all beautiful in their own right, but something has changed. I’ve changed. I’m no longer interested in quick, simple fun.
I’m interested in a Marine with abs that rival my own, and damn if that isn’t a change of pace. I’m no longer looking for soft curves, instead I’m focused on someone who can wrap her legs around my waist and actually hold me in place if that’s what she wants.
The women giggle, cutting their eyes to me before dipping their heads low to chatter for the better part of an hour before they give up their hopes that I’ll show them any more interest than serving them drinks. When they get up and leave, a huge tip is left behind and a phone number. I pocket the cash and drop the lipstick stained napkin in the trash.
“You may be missing out,” Rivet says when I check in with her again.
“I doubt it. I know what I want, and I know what I’ll get.”
“You sound so sure of yourself.”
I lean in close, halfway across the bar so the other patrons can’t hear me. “Are you going to tell me that you aren’t wet right now? That watching me with all of those nasty thoughts in your eyes doesn’t translate into that pretty pink pussy of yours getting slick and desperate for the slide of my cock?”
She swallows, her throat working before she speaks. “Umm…”
“I can take you to the back.” I hitch my thumb over my shoulder. “Take the edge off a little if that’s what you need.”
Her eyes dart over my shoulder, and I know she’s actually thinking about it. My dick is down for all of it, but I’m the only one tending the bar right now. Responsibility sucks sometimes.
I don’t get to wait for her response because a couple of guys belly up to the bar and place an order. Of course they want mixed drinks instead of whiskey straight or a couple of bottles of beer.
When I look back down the bar, Rivet is missing, her empty glass of soda abandoned on the bar.
After a few minutes, she doesn’t return, and I’d bet money she’s in the restroom touching that needy cunt of hers. I’ve been semi-hard since she walked in the damn door, but that thought shoots me to full mast in the blink of an eye.
Making sure everyone at the bar is provided for, I slide out from behind the bar and arrow toward the hallway, propping myself against the wall, waiting for her to exit. I expect to see a flush to her cheeks when she opens the door, but she’s on the phone.
“We’d have to leave town for that,” she says as she exits, but then she notices me, jolting before quickly ending her call with, “See you soon.”
I raise an eyebrow at her, hoping she’ll tell me what the hell is going on, but she doesn’t. The same seductive smile from the bar crosses her face as she walks closer.
I want to shake her, to demand that she explain, but I know pushing her wouldn’t end well for me. Hell, I don’t know where we stand. I don’t know if we’re just having fun, or if there’s more building between us. We haven’t spoken of exclusivity or where we’re heading, but the thought of her hooking up with anyone else hurts more than I ever thought it could.
I’m not one to get attached. I have fun and move on and so do the women I’ve been with. Yeah, I’ve had a few “relationships” if you can even call them that. There have been a handful of women I spend a few weeks with or whatever, but they all end amicably because they were never meant to last. Now I’m struggling because I haven’t had that conversation with Rivet. She came to me that first night, and then the only expectation was an orgasm, but before she went to Mexicali, it felt like things were shifting between the two of us. We were getting closer to each other. Hell, we didn’t even fuck that night in her hotel room. We merely slept
in each other’s arms.
I’ve never in my life been in this situation before, and the realization that this woman has the power to hurt me makes me want to turn the tables. I can do casual. I can be seductive and get off with her. I can do all of that while she’s making up her mind on what and who she wants, but if there’s competition, I want to make sure that when she leaves to meet whoever this douche is, that she feels the echo of my cock between her thighs. I want the reminder that I’ve been there when she’s with him.
Yet, I can’t do much while I’m at work, and as much as I want to confront her about what I just heard, I also don’t want to piss her off. She’s more stubborn than I am and if she runs, I can’t leave the bar unmanned to chase after her. I have to play this smartly.
Without a word, I pin her to the wall, my hips driving against her so she can feel both my irritation and my arousal. I’m no fool. I know she allows it. She proved her strength the day she laid me out on the clubhouse floor, but this evening she allows me the upper hand.
When I finally lower my mouth to an inch away from hers, she’s panting, her chest heaving up and down.
“Cannon,” she whispers, and the huskiness in her voice does what it always does. My cock is a steel pipe in my jeans, and when she wiggles her hips, to get closer not to move away, I know that she feels it too. She whimpers with need, her eyes half-mast and full of desire.
“I get off in half an hour,” I say against her mouth, our lips barely brushing. “I want you naked and that pussy ready for me when I come to your room.”
I nip at her lip when she tries to speak.
“Don’t argue with me, Rivet. Being bratty right now just means I’ll take it out on that sweet cunt of yours later.”
“Jesus, Cannon. Your filthy mouth—”
I nip at her again. “Is going to lick every inch of your body, and if you argue with me right now, I won’t even let you come.”
She opens her mouth to speak again, but when I raise an eyebrow, she snaps her jaw shut, and I just know my dominance is making her wet.
“Good girl.” Her eyes narrow, and I know she’s ready to spit fire at me. I press my hips closer, bending my knees slightly so I can line myself right up against where she needs me.
“What were you going to say?”
She doesn’t utter a word. She simply shivers.
It’s then that I kiss her. I press my lips to hers, and when she moans low in her throat, I use the opportunity to lick inside of her mouth. Her fingers grip my sides, just above the waistband of my jeans, but I somehow manage to pull away before we end up right back in the bathroom.
That’s not how I want tonight to end. I’m going to ravage her, leaving her exhausted yet begging for more before we fall asleep together in each other’s arms.
We may not be official, but I’ll be damned if I don’t bring my A game and leave her unable to think of another man.
“Thirty minutes, baby,” I whisper, pecking her lips one last time before taking a step back.
Once I’m sure she’s steady on her feet, I walk away. If I hurry and Simone is on time for once, I may be able to get out of here in twenty minutes instead.
Chapter 33
Rivet
I’ll take it out on that sweet cunt of yours.
Who even says shit like that? And more importantly, why does it turn me on?
I should’ve slapped him in the face for disrespecting me, yet the thought never even crossed my mind. I don’t want to hit him. I want him to put his money where his mouth is… or even better put his mouth where—
“This isn’t exactly what I instructed, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed.”
I spin in the shower to face the bathroom door, using my free hand to wipe away the condensation so I can see him more clearly. My other hand is well… lower on my body.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Cannon says as he takes a step closer, pulling his shirt off.
What is it about a man grabbing the fabric of a shirt at the back of his neck and tugging it over his head? Sexy as hell is what it is.
Jesus, do they teach sexual seduction in a class at SDSU? If they do, there’s no doubt in my mind that Cannon Griggs aced the advanced placement version of it.
“I-I’m showering,” I stutter.
“And those fingers on your clit are just to make sure you’re clean?”
I don’t bother pulling my hand away from the apex of my thighs. It felt so good before he showed up, and now those sensations have only heightened tenfold.
“It started out that way,” I tease, my fingers making big circles on my flesh.
“Have you made yourself come?”
“Not yet,” I pant, but just the sight of him watching my working fingers brings me to the edge.
“If you do, that’ll be all you get.”
I almost shrug, letting him know it’s no big deal. Self-achieved orgasms were the only sexual part of my life before he came along, but deep down I know my fingers getting me off are nothing compared to his talented mouth and cock.
“Are you just going to stand there?” I ask when he doesn’t move closer to the shower. “Get naked and join me.”
“Can you keep your hands to yourself?” He bends at the waist as he pulls off his shoes before shucking out of his jeans and boxer briefs. His cock is thick and pointing like an arrow in my direction.
My mouth nearly falls open at the sight of his straining length. He doesn’t even reach for his erection, doesn’t stroke it. His focus is one hundred percent on me, and my skin tingles with the attention.
“I don’t want to keep my hands… or my mouth to myself.”
His cock jerks with my words, but he continues to focus on me rather than his own needs.
“I need to shower.” He opens the glass door and steps inside. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
I’d be ashamed if any of my teammates saw the way my lips pucker in a pout, but here I am looking like a petulant child with his demand. He knows what I want but refusing me right now is all a part of his game. It would piss me off if I thought I wouldn’t eventually have all of my filthy desires fulfilled.
“You’re different than I thought you’d be,” I confess as he lathers up my bar of soap and runs his hands down his slick body. Fuck, he’s a temptation I never saw coming. “You walk up to me with those stupid pickups lines, and yet when we’re alone—”
My words freeze on my tongue when his eyes lower to my breasts. The tips harden to the point of pain under his perusal, yet he doesn’t make any move to touch me. I ache for him, and he damn well knows it.
“When we’re alone…” he prompts.
“You’re controlling, demanding, and kind of a bossy asshole.”
“And you love it.”
“I do not,” I argue.
He leans in closer to me but makes sure not to touch even an inch of my skin.
“Suck my cock.”
My knees weaken, and I know he’s proving a point, but God help me do I want to do exactly that.
His eyes challenge me, and even though I don’t want to give in, I know that there will be a moment later when I’ll be the one with the upper hand. We trade our power back and forth, and that’s one of the things I enjoy so much when we’re together. It’s always been give-and-take between us, and instead of the scale tipping one way or the other, we always end up tied and satisfied in the end. The journey there is amazing.
So, I do the only thing I can think of right now. I slowly lower myself to my knees in front of him, making sure not to touch him at all until he uses the tip of one finger to aim his thick cock at my lips.
I’m not so sure he’s the one with the power right now when he hisses as I wrap my lips around the fleshy head of his dick.
He fists his hands, holding his arms out, one hand against the tile on the wall and the other on the glass of the shower door as I take him deeper. His control, the way his muscles flex to keep from ramming down my throat is a level of res
traint I don’t think I’d be able to manage if the roles were reversed. If he were between my legs, my fingers would be tangled in his hair while I flexed my hips to draw him in deeper.
Before I can get a serious rhythm going, he pulls his hips back. I nearly fall forward from the abrupt action, but I manage to catch myself on my hands and knees.
The water sloshes down my back, running in rivulets over my breasts before dripping from my nipples. The sensation is amazing, and a moan escapes my lips.
“You look good down there,” Cannon praises, but he doesn’t sound condescending.
He isn’t trying to humiliate me, and I close my eyes and imagine seeing myself though his eyes. No matter how much I work out, I’ve never lost the curve of my hips or the roundness of my ass. I’m a woman and I don’t want to be anything else, but squats have done amazing things to my ass, and I know that’s what he’s praising.
“Get out,” he commands as he shoves open the shower door.
He has filthy thoughts in his eyes when I stand, and that’s why I listen to him rather than argue. If him bossing me around right now leads exactly where I think it’s going to go, he can tell me what to do all damn night.
He grips my shoulders, touching me for the first time, as I try to leave the bathroom to go to the bed.
“Wha—”
Before I can question him, he’s bending me over in front of the vanity. My blond hair is sticking up all over the place, but when my eyes find his in the mirror, I’m enraptured. I don’t give another single thought to how I look right now. He’s all I can focus on; all I want to see.
There’s no warning, no pretense, no threat and no promise. Cannon grips his cock, swipes it once along my slit to check for my readiness, and then he slams home.
My mouth opens, but no sound comes out. I’m struck mute, the pleasure combined with the tiny bite of pain from thrusting into me so deeply preventing me from screaming.
“Fuck,” he groans when I’m left unable to form coherent thoughts.
His fingers flex against my hips as he stands behind me, pushed as deep as he can go inside of me.
