by Alice Ward
“Don’t even say that word unless you’re going to follow through,” I warned him. “That’s her favorite treat. She goes crazy for it. Although I think I did kind of promise it would be here waiting for her.”
Seth chuckled. “Luckily I’m a man of my word, and I can deliver the goods.”
“She did eat dinner, but she can have a little bit. Just like an ounce or two.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll go get my scale out.”
I laughed. “Sorry.”
He grinned. “I really do have a scale, don’t worry. I measure everything.”
He lightly squeezed the back of my neck and turned back to me. Our eyes reconnected, the brief uncomfortable moment vanishing. Perhaps I’d just imagined it.
“Chicken is good,” I said dumbly. When had I turned into a cave man? Me Quinn. Me like chicken.
Seth laughed and edged closer to me. “What else is good?” His hand slid down my neck, all the way to my lower back.
“You,” I breathed as his face came within an inch of mine.
My eyelids grew heavy, sagging to half-closed as Seth’s lips hovered near mine. His exhale kissed me first, warming my skin in preparation for contact. When his lips brushed mine, I sighed in near ecstasy.
His mouth pushed against mine, tender and sweet but also sure. Seth knew what he wanted, but he went slowly, only demanding a little bit from me at a time. His hand ran up my back to grasp the hair at the base of my neck. He curled it between his fingers, twisting it into a ball.
I pressed my weight forward, pushing my shoulder against his. Seth stopped kissing but didn’t move his face from mine.
“I think Starlet wants something,” he whispered against my mouth.
I turned my face just enough so I could see the dog staring at us from the other couch.
“You know what she wants,” I laughed.
“Mmm. We better give it to her then, so she doesn’t interrupt us.”
I licked my lips and rasped, “Okay.”
Taking my hand, Seth lifted me from the couch and led me out of the room. Starlet followed us to the kitchen, where her new best friend presented her with a little plate heaped with chicken breast. The second the plate hit the floor, Seth wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. Our mouths and hips collided. His hands free, he lifted me off the ground and pressed me against his waist. I wrapped my legs around him and pushed my hips tight against his. Our tongues intertwined, eager to taste each other. Seth broke off the kiss to bite my neck, and I groaned, letting my head drop to the side.
The room grew fuzzy as he carried me through the foyer and down a hallway. He kicked a door open and crossed a bedroom, then laid me down on the bed. Twilight entered through the open curtains, as the first artificial lights of the evening came on across the street.
His gaze burning down on me, Seth climbed onto the bed on his knees and slowly advanced on me. I watched him, barely breathing, tracking his every move.
When I could take it no longer, I reached up and grabbed his shirt, yanking him down and fully onto me.
He responded immediately with a hot kiss, his hands cupping my head and disappearing in my hair. I gasped into his mouth, the kiss sending so much pleasure through my body that it made my toes tingle. I worked my high heels off and kicked them onto the floor.
The movement of Seth’s lips was slow and steady as the twilight shone on my closed lids. His lips dipped down and found their way across my jaw and below my ear, then to the nape of my neck. I sighed as he sucked delicately on the skin there, pushing up the hem of my dress. The dress out of the way, he pushed my panties to the side and flicked his fingers against my skin, making me jerk with pleasure.
I muttered something that even I didn’t understand. Seth chuckled slightly and yanked my underwear off the rest of the way, pulling it down my thighs and over my feet. Lowering his head, he trailed his gentle breath over my inner thigh, taking it up, and up, and up.
I squirmed as the warm air hit my most sensitive spots. Sensing my ticklish moment, Seth grabbed my hips in his hands and pushed them down against the bed, holding me in place. His mouth was hot and soft between my legs, and as he licked and sucked, the pleasure doubled each second. In only a moment, I was crying out as an orgasm burst through me. Seth kept sucking, never releasing his grip on my hips, and even when I laughed and pushed against him, he didn’t stop.
I gave in to the uncomfortable feeling, happy just to have his touch, and when the pleasure streaked through my body again, it was even stronger than it had been before. I came a second time, gasping and clutching at Seth’s shoulders. My moans seemed to invigorate him because before my legs even stopped shaking, he was moving forward with a growl.
He broke off to pull off his shirt and then I helped him take off his pants as he rolled on a condom, then pushing them down as our lips pressed feverishly together once again. His hard dick brushed against my inner thigh, and then it slipped between my folds, hitting the right spot, deep in me immediately.
“Seth,” I gasped, burying my head in his chest and clutching at his shoulders.
He muttered something into my neck that sounded vaguely like my name, sweat rolling off his back and slipping beneath my palms. The movement of his hips was slow and steady, and he seemed to read the pleasure building in me, knowing when to give more force and when to back off.
As the ecstasy took me over again, I dug my nails into his side, yelling into his chest. He kept going, driving into me deeper and faster until it seemed he would meet his own release any moment.
Instead, he slowed, pushing my knee up and accessing a new angle.
I gasped from a mixture of pleasure and fatigue. He kept going, picking up the pace then bringing it back down, over and over. My legs ached from being spread so wide for so long.
Suddenly, Seth pulled out and flipped me over and onto my side. A hard smack sounded, immediately followed by a tart sting on my butt cheek. I barely had time to process what was happening before he spanked me again.
I jerked from the strike, arching my back to get away from him. He hooked one arm over my chest, though, holding me in place. His mouth came down on my neck to suck and bite there. Sweet pleasure filled me, flowing from his mouth on my neck to my belly. Seth hit me again, and this time it felt delicious. Another spank and the sting mixed with the pleasure from his pounding into me. The pleasures layered on top of each other, stronger and stronger.
Seth grabbed my breast and tweaked it, twisting the nipple between his fingers. It hurt. Bad.
And damn it was good.
I screamed out, the orgasm racking my body. Seth groaned, releasing deep into me.
I gasped for air as I stared out the open window, the end of our second romp in the sheets much like the first one.
Seth turned me over onto my back and kissed me deeply. I waited for the kiss to end, but it went on and on, slow then more intense. I grabbed his hair, testing its weight and thickness between my fingers. His palms ran over my shoulders and down my torso, lavishing attention on each inch of my body.
We kissed and kissed. Eventually, my growling stomach broke the mood.
Seth broke away with a laugh. Propping his elbow on the bed, he rested his chin in his hand and looked down at me. “I guess it’s dinner time, huh?”
I shrugged. “Got any of that chicken left?”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “For you, I think we can do better than that.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Traffic honked and squealed, and a gust of wind picked up, making my skirt billow. The Windy City had its days and today was one of them. I picked up the pace, darting around a grate a millisecond before my heel slipped into its cracks. I pushed my skirt down and climbed up Rory’s front stoop to hit her apartment’s call button.
She buzzed me in without asking who it was. I grabbed the door and scurried inside. Rory’s building had an elevator, but it always smelled like a weird mixture of bleach and vomit. Thankfully she only live
d on the second floor.
“I’m here,” I sang as I knocked. The door opened right away, Rory’s peering eyes traveling up and down my body.
“Finally.”
I rolled my eyes. “Traffic, all right?”
She smiled. “I’m joking. Thanks for coming to help me.”
She waved me in then shut the door behind us. Her one bedroom apartment was small, but thanks to her knack for decorating, maybe the coziest place in Chicago. Strings of white and blue Christmas lights lined the living room walls. An oriental screen sat in one corner, and paper lanterns hung down from random spots.
“This thing is heavy,” Rory said, stepping around her loaded laundry basket and picking up one end of her new curtain rod.
I dropped my purse on the couch and went to test the other end.
“Oof,” I gasped. “You’re not kidding.”
“Okay,” she said through gritted teeth. “One, two… three.”
We both lifted and climbed onto the chairs she’d stationed at each end of the window. With another grunt or two, the new curtain rod was up, Rory’s beautiful deep purple curtains sweeping the floor.
“It looks great,” I commented, climbing down from the chair.
“Thanks. I don’t know how you manage to do everything in high heels.”
I lifted a shoulder. “Years of practice, I guess.”
Rory pushed hair from her face and went into the little open kitchen. “Want a beer?”
“Got anything else?”
“Iced tea?”
“Hit me.”
I brushed off the seat of the chair I’d just stood on and settled onto it.
“So what’s up with Lover Boy?”
I tried to suppress a smile but couldn’t do it. “We’ve been texting. I’ve been too busy to get away from work.”
“Just texting?”
“The good kind.”
“Hah! So sexting, you mean.”
“Sometimes.”
“Okay, let’s see them.” She waggled her fingers at me. “Come on.”
“No way.”
Her eyes went wide. “Since when do you keep text messages to yourself? Did he send you a dick pic or something?”
“Ew, no, thank God. Seth is way too good for that.”
“Okay.” She smiled in a knowing way.
“Tonight will be the first night I’ve seen him since Monday.”
Rory poured tea into two glasses and raised her eyebrows. “You sound pretty happy about that.”
I bit my bottom lip. I was happy about the event, but admitting it was a whole other thing.
“I like him… a scary amount.”
“Hmm. I can see that.” She brought me a glass and settled cross-legged onto the couch. “You’re coming up on your limit, aren’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Most guys you keep around for about a week, if they’re good enough. This is your third or fourth date with Seth.”
“Fourth.”
“Ah.”
I gave her a stern look. “I haven’t forgotten what you said about his reputation. Don’t worry.”
Truthfully, I had, thanks to being a little too distracted by all of his positive attributes.
Rory shrugged. “It’s just something I heard. What do you think about it?”
“I don’t know… I haven’t really been obsessing about that. But you know, I’m sure that if I have a reputation myself, it’s not all that different from Seth’s.”
“Wow, that’s forgiving,” she snickered. “And I can tell by the way you get when you talk about him that you’re really into him. You’re all glowy.”
“Damn it.” I grinned.
Rory laughed. “Plus, you’re hoarding your texts, which means you would feel bad about betraying his trust and sharing them.”
I lifted a shoulder, purposefully not giving her much to work with.
“Hey, again. About his reputation… that was just something I heard. Maybe the people who mentioned it were wrong. You know how rumors grow. Or maybe Seth’s changing.”
“I’m not looking to hook a man and change him.” I grew serious.
“I know you’re not. Relax.”
I let out a slow breath. “Sorry. Of course, you know I’m not doing that.”
“I really can tell that this thing with him is different, though. You’re trying to act all coy, but I can see it in your eyes, Quinn.”
I groaned, the dam finally breaking. “Oh my God, it is different, and I don’t know what to do about it! I’m going crazy, Rory!”
“Calm down, first of all. The earth is still spinning. The sun hasn’t died yet. It’s still rising and setting. So, calm down.”
“I don’t know if I can even do that.” I bit the inside of my cheek.
“It’s scary falling in love.”
I held up my palm to stop her. “I didn’t say I was falling in love.” Not out loud anyway.
“No, I said it, and it kind of seems like you are. You’re focused, Quinn. You have a lot on your plate, and you have a thick skin on top of it all. A guy wouldn’t be shaking you up like this unless you were really, really, really into him.”
“I’ve known him, like, two weeks. Not even, really.”
“It can happen in that amount of time. My aunt and uncle got engaged after four months of knowing each other, and now they’ve been together for forty years. And it’s not a sham. They have one of the best marriages I’ve ever seen. So, don’t tell me true love can’t happen.” Her dark eyes pierced mine, daring me to question her.
Elation filled me, followed by a desire to throw up. Falling in love was one thing. Finding your “true love” another. I didn’t even know if I believed in soul mates.
“What time is it?” I asked, suddenly realizing I had no clue how long I’d been there.
She glanced at her wristwatch. “Seven ten.”
“I have to go. I’m meeting Seth at this rooftop bar downtown.” I stood up.
“Ooh la la. Now that’s romantic.”
“His friends are going to be there.”
Rory laughed. “Okay, that makes it a little less romantic, but he definitely at least wants you to be his girlfriend if he’s introducing you to his friends.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You think so?”
She looked at me like I was stupid.
I gasped. “God, you’re right. Wow… I’m not even thinking straight.”
“You don’t need to be. It’s all part of the experience.”
“This is gonna blow up in my face.”
She stood and took my glass from me. “Don’t say that. You’ll sabotage it yourself if you have that kind of attitude.”
“It just seems too good to be true.”
“What did I just say? Stop talking like that.”
“Okay,” I nodded.
“Tell me one more thing before you go. Whatever happened to him being a cocky bastard?”
I bit back a grin. “He still is sometimes.”
“But he has other attributes that make up for it?”
“Yes.” I laughed.
Rory rolled her eyes. “Go have fun, you crazy girl.”
I called an Uber on my way out the door and met it around the corner from Rory’s. The driver took me to a spot downtown, midway down a block. I scanned the sidewalk as the car pulled up, looking for Seth, who’d said he would meet me out front.
To say he stood out from the crowd would be an understatement. While everyone else pushed and scurried around him, he stayed in one place, his feet still and his hands in his pockets. The dress pants and button-up shirt were a new thing for him and gave him a look that was smooth and shined and sexy as hell.
When he caught sight of me climbing from the car his face lit up, his eyes sparkling and his smile stretching from ear to ear.
He’s just as happy to see me as I am him. Heat spread over my face. Funny, I’d rolled around naked with the guy, and yet I still blushed in his prese
nce.
“You look beautiful,” he told me as I approached.
He slipped a hand from his pocket to take mine. The warm touch of his fingers against my own sent a wave of peace traveling up my arm and throughout the rest of my body. I sighed slightly. And had to fight an actual swoon.
“Thanks. You look great as well.”
He squeezed my hand and then let go to press his palm against the small of my back. We entered the lobby and rode the elevator up to the rooftop with a gaggle of college age girls in cocktail dresses. I shifted my weight to lean against Seth, proud to be seen with him.
The elevator opened to trance music, its beat filling up a rooftop swathed in blues and whites. Golden light spread across the sky, peeking between the skyscrapers before it disappeared for the night. Seth guided me around cocktail tables and to a bar lit up by blue lights.
I glanced around us as he ordered our drinks, wondering if any of his friends were there yet. How would Seth introduce me to them? If he called me his girlfriend, what would I do?
I’m not his girlfriend. Chill.
Yet I was so proud to be here with him. My heart fluttered when I remembered Rory suggesting he wanted a relationship status from me.
“Seth,” someone called.
He spun around to greet a young, buff blond guy. The two men clasped hands and hugged.
“Troy,” Seth crowed. “Where have you been, man?”
Troy’s eyes flicked toward me, noting my presence. “I’ve been traveling out west. Did some backpacking for a couple weeks with my friends out there.”
“Sounds great. Troy, this is Quinn Laurent.”
I extended my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Troy’s eyes lit up, his surprise over my very existence obvious. Just by reading his subtle expressions I could assume my being there was unusual.
So, Seth doesn’t bring girls around much. Damn, that made me feel smug.
All my earlier anxieties about what it meant to meet Seth’s friends went out the window. I was honored to be in the thick of Seth’s life.
Troy led us to a low table at the other end of the bar, where three more people clustered together on white cushioned seats — three guys and a girl, which I hadn’t expected. For some reason, I’d assumed I would be seeing Seth’s “buddies,” and that women wouldn’t fall into that category.
