by Kaily Hart
“That’s childish.”
He shrugged.
She put her hands on her hips. “I…okay.”
Okay? Shit. “And you go first,” he threw out there before he could stop himself.
“No deal. You go first.”
Ward let out a rough breath. Yeah, well, after she got a look at what he was packing these days, they probably wouldn’t ever get to hers, but what the hell?
Damn if his hands weren’t shaking when he undid the button of his jeans, slid down the zip. He stilled. “Are you sure—”
“Yep.” She sat down on the edge of the coffee table, put her hands on her thighs, looking all business. “Let’s do it.”
He yanked down his jeans, underwear and all. He’d never been shy. Why be coy at this point? Besides, it didn’t give him a chance to chicken out. He waited, focused on the wall in front of him. He couldn’t look at her, didn’t want to see what she felt when she looked at him because sure as shit it’d be written all over her face.
“Um…you’re…”
“Hard?” he choked out. “Seems to be a common occurrence around you.” Even when he was shit scared and self-conscious as hell.
The silence stretched until he thought he wouldn’t be able to stay still any longer.
“Do—do you want to know what I feel when I look at you like this?” she whispered. “Exposed? Vulnerable?”
Did he? Probably not and…vulnerable? Christ.
“Sure,” he forced out.
“I feel…out of breath. Hot.” At that, his gaze dropped to hers, but she was still looking at him. She licked her lips. “Um…wet.”
“Quinn.”
“And,” she cleared her throat, “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it probably wasn’t exactly ‘pretty’ to begin with. Just sayin’. At least, that’s not the word I would have used.”
Ward felt the tension ease out of his shoulders. Some. “Yeah? What word would you have used?”
“All I can manage right now is…wow,” she breathed.
She wasn’t seeing his scars. She wasn’t thinking about them. He could see it in her face and in that instant his heart felt as if it had cracked wide fucking open.
“This…doesn’t lessen the man you are, Ward.”
“I know that.” He closed his eyes, clenched his fists, fought to make his throat work. “God, I do. It’s just…”
“A trust thing?”
“Maybe. Yeah.”
He trusted her. With this. She knew it as well as he did. And exactly why the fuck was that?
“I’ve seen everything now, haven’t I?”
He unclenched his jaw with an effort, pulled his jeans back up. “You have.”
And what do you know? Except for doctors and medical staff, she was the only one. And the world hadn’t even ended.
“It’d be fine, you know.” Her voice was quiet, but strong.
“I doubt it. This isn’t about me. Not really. I’m not— I’m not one hundred percent sure I could guarantee an adequate conclusion for you.”
“A what?”
“I’m not confident I could make you come, all right?”
She gave him a glance up and down, pausing between his legs. It was just long enough for his heartbeat to kick back into high gear. “You have to be kidding, right?”
He’d thought he was hard before. Nope, now he was hard. “You’d have to be on top,” he managed.
Her mouth dropped open. “Um… Okay.”
“You’d probably have to do all the work.”
She swallowed, her eyes went wild and she licked her lips. “Okay.”
He groaned, ran his hand over his hair. “What if you don’t…”
“Then you can tap into your creative side.”
“Yeah,” he snorted. “That might be a side I don’t have. I’m a facts and action kind of guy.”
“I can, um…you know, take care of myself. If required.”
He groaned at the visual—instant and graphic and so fucking hot the jolt to his dick almost made him swallow his own damn tongue.
“No. Not on my watch. And that’s the other thing,” he ground out. “I haven’t been with anyone in all that time, Quinn. Do you know what that means? It means it’s probably going to be over before— What the hell are you smiling about?”
“Because in less than five minutes, you’ve gone from no way in hell is this happening and I’m here to tell you why, to we’re so going to do this.”
He let out a rough breath. “Is that all you heard? Did you understand what I—”
“Oh, yeah. I did. I’m going to be on top and I’ll be doing all the work, calling all the shots.”
His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t say anything about you calling the shots.”
* * * * *
Quinn’s heart was beating so hard and so fast she couldn’t hear a thing over the roaring in her ears. It didn’t matter because as soon as Ward walked through her bedroom door he grabbed his t-shirt at the back of his neck and jerked it off in a single, fluid move. Everything was good as long as her eyes still worked, which they did, and God…
He was beautiful and sleek and more…male than any man she’d ever seen. Her mouth went dry as he yanked down his jeans and underwear before turning and sitting on the edge of her bed, kicking them off the rest of the way.
Ward. Naked. In her bed. Hard and ready. Big and thick and long and…
He reached down and grabbed something out of the pocket of his jeans and her heart skipped a beat. He watched her, his gaze bold and steady as he put a condom on her bedside table. The move was slow, deliberate and gave her plenty of time to process exactly what he was doing.
“You—you came prepared then,” she managed.
“I—” His jaw flexed. “It’s in my nature to be prepared for any possible scenario but I never had any expectation of this happening when I came here, Quinn. I swear. I only wanted you to know I was sorry, that I didn’t deliberately try to hurt you. But fuck. Yeah,” he choked out. “After that kiss? I’d fantasized, okay, and I’d hoped, for the first time in longer than I can remember, I hoped.”
She gave a slight nod because right this minute she wouldn’t have been able to manage anything past the thickness in her throat.
He drew her between his spread legs with a hand on either side of her hips and her stomach jolted at the sensation of his hands on her.
I’m—I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she finally managed.
“Yeah, I’m not exactly aiming for ‘fine’ here. It’s your turn.” His voice was low, guttural, the look in his eyes hot and daring.
Her breath caught when he undid the button of her shorts, the backs of his fingers brushing quivering skin. She shivered when he tugged the zipper down, curled rough fingers under the waistband and eased them down her legs with a long, slow sweep of rough palms down the backs of her thighs.
It was only when the cool air hit her skin that she realized he’d taken off her panties as well. Heat exploded low down in her stomach, between her legs.
“Your top,” he bit out. “Off.”
She took a shaky breath, lifted her t-shirt up and over her head, heard him groan.
“Pretty,” he murmured, one hand skating around her back to the clasp of her bra before her shirt reached the floor. He undid it with a quick flick and pulled it off, tossed it aside.
“Holy fuck, Quinn.” His big hands covered her breasts, cupped their weight, the roughness of his hands causing her to tremble, for the heat to surge between her legs, liquefy, deep inside where she ached. His thumbs brushed across her nipples, over and over until she could barely stand, had to steady herself with hands on his hard, hot shoulders.
“I thought I was hard before. I might just split my own skin here.”
She gasped when he leaned forward, his tongue a hot swipe between her breasts, sucking and licking until he reached her nipple. He drew it into his mouth, flicked it with his tongue, back and forth, over and over.
She curled her hands up around the back of his head, the short strands of hair rasping over her palms. She threw her head back, whimpering at the sensation of his mouth against her. Pulling and sucking, licking and teasing. The flesh between her legs pulsed in response.
He pulled back, grabbed for the condom and tore off a corner of the packet with his teeth. He rolled it on with a series of easy, practiced moves without taking his eyes off her that said more about his expertise than anything he’d done to her so far.
“Ward—” He lay back on the bed and urged her forward until she straddled his hips, his hardness a hot brand against her stomach, between her legs.
“I can feel how hot you are, how wet.”
So could she. She fought the urge to rub herself against him, to grind her aching flesh against his.
“Told you,” she managed, her throat thick, dry.
His hands tightened on her hips. “I’m really sorry, Quinn.”
“For?”
“For what’s about to go down here. I wanted to—” He shook his head, his eyes dark and fierce. “I don’t have the control for anything more than a quick fuck and—”
“It’s okay,” she cut in. “It’s been a long time for me too.”
She bit down on her lip when he urged her up, positioned himself under her, nudged against her opening. The tremble, when it started, went bone deep.
“Easy,” he grated when she began to sink down on him. His hands framed her hips and held her back from pushing harder, faster.
“Ward,” she groaned. He was barely inside her, teasing, tantalizing. All she wanted to do was fill herself with him, but he held her firm.
His eyes were screwed shut. “So fucking good,” he forced out through clenched teeth as he lowered her, slowly, carefully.
“Ward, God, I…” She sucked in a breath when he was finally buried deep. She whimpered, even though he hadn’t moved. Maybe it was just her imagination thinking what it would be like when he did.
“What are you waiting for?” he forced out.
“What? I, um…”
His eyes were glazed, his cheeks flushed. “You were going to do all the work, remember?”
“I…” She tried to catch her breath, but it was pretty much impossible. “I’m…scared, Ward.”
“Scared?” His hands tightened on her hips, his whole body stiffened under hers. “Of?”
“Of—of how good it might be,” she breathed.
His gaze went dark and wild and hot. “Yeah. Me too.”
She sighed, tried to ignore the shaking of her legs. “Really?”
“Yeah. I think you’re about to blow my mind. Actually, I’d put money on it.” The look in his eyes was liquid fire. “You need to move, baby. I can’t stay still for much longer.”
“But…what if it’s not? What if—”
“Quinn,” he groaned. “You’re killing me here. Let’s fuck and worry about how good it was after, okay?”
Heat scorched through her when she flexed her hips and her muscles clasped around him—fast, intense—a blast of sensation that seared every single nerve ending.
“Quinn,” he gasped.
She moved again, more confident this time, more daring, sliding his length deep inside until she could barely keep her eyes open.
“Aw, Jesus,” he groaned and stilled, his fingers tightening on her thighs. His eyes were glittering slits, his lips a tight line.
“Ward?”
“Don’t move,” he hissed.
“But—”
“I’m serious, Quinn. I need to catch you up. Fast.”
“I…” She flexed her hips again, not because she wanted to tease him, but because there was no way she could help it. Her body wanted her to move, wanted her to grind herself against him, long and hard and deep, over and over.
“I don’t need any catching up,” she gasped. “I— Oh…”
One big hand trailed down over her stomach, his thumb finding her clit, stroking, circling, driving her wild with soft, gentle pressure. He used her own moisture to caress her, smooth and hot and wet. Her muscles contracted around him again and she trembled at the intensity of it.
“I don’t know exactly how the hell you take me all the way like this,” he breathed. “But I fucking love it.”
“I’m not going to be able to stay still if you do that,” she panted.
“A minute. Tops. I’m not coming without you. Got it?”
Quinn saw the flash of uncertainty on his face. God, who knew harsh and tender went together so well or that it would be such a turn on?
“Ward,” she whimpered, digging her nails into the thick muscles of his chest. Her heart was beating so fast, her breathing so rapid, she might just pass out.
He reached up, grabbed her around the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair and brought her down to him, chest to chest. His eyes were dark, glittering with need. He ran a shaky thumb across her bottom lip and she caught the faint scent of her own body at the same time he did. His nostrils flared.
“Ward, please…”
He leaned up and licked her lip, drew it into his mouth and sucked. She trembled, the sensation so intense it almost sent her over.
“Yeah?”
“Please…”
He sucked at her lip again, his tongue delving inside her mouth, touching hers, hot, fleeting, not nearly enough.
“What do you want?” His voice was deep and rough and washed over her and through her like rough velvet.
“You know,” she managed.
“You wanna come? Now? Like this?”
He flexed his hips, his hardness a hot brand inside her.
“God, yes, yes, Ward…”
“Say it. Tell me.”
“Ward…”
“Tell me what you want, Quinn. I want to hear you say it. God, I need to hear you say it. Only to me. Out loud.”
Wicked. Evil. Mean. Also hot and sexy, dammit.
She licked dry lips, tried to take a steady breath but that was pretty much impossible. He was inside her, buried deep, hard and hot and mind-destroying.
She leaned forward, rested her palms flat on the bed on either side of his head and put her mouth against his ear. God, he smelled amazing. Soap and pine and man. Even though he couldn’t see her face, she still closed her eyes.
“Make me come, Ward,” she whispered. “Make me come or—or else.”
He groaned and surged up against her and it was all she could do to keep her grip on the bed. He curled a hand around the back of her neck, the other clenched on her thigh and began pumping in long, easy strokes, filling and stretching her with each thrust.
Sensation rolled through her in a pulsing wave of pure heat, out from where they were joined, the relentless friction an intense burning tingle she felt all the way to her toes.
“Now, Quinn.” His breath was a hot wash against her neck, his voice so hoarse she could barely make out the words. “Now.”
He stiffened beneath her, hard hands clutching her and he groaned, deep and long, the sound coursing through her. She screwed her eyes shut and let the wave of pleasure so intense it was almost pain wash over and through her. Her heartbeat was a roar in her ears until the only thing she was aware of was Ward, his hand clenched in her hair, his skin hot and damp against hers and his body as he bucked beneath her—over and over—drawing out her own pleasure until she couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak, could only feel.
Quinn lay back against the cool sheets of her bed. She was still having trouble catching her breath. And making her legs stop shaking. And focusing her eyes.
The sex had been furious and intense. And over way too fast. Who would have thought a surly bad boy had an attention to detail like that? God, and he’d been worried.
She propped herself up on an elbow when Ward came back into the room from the bathroom. She’d still been too dazed when he’d gotten up to take care of the condom and this time she was determined not to miss anything.
His limp was way more pronoun
ced or maybe it was just that he wasn’t trying to hide it anymore. The marks that littered his body were pale against the darker tone of his skin and the jagged line on his head was an obscene white through his short, dark hair. The damage done to him was on full display yet he exuded power and male beauty in every line of his body.
“God, you’re…perfect,” she whispered. It was a wonder she could make any coherent sound at all because… Holy. Crap. The guy was built, every lean, solid inch of him. And fully naked? Yowza. The scars and marks did nothing to detract from the rugged maleness that oozed from him. And…aroused? Yeah, she didn’t have any words.
“You know that’s not true,” he forced out.
Quinn frowned when she noticed what he had in his hand. “Ah, Ward…”
“Yeah?”
She tore her gaze away from his hands as they rolled another condom on over his hard length, his movements slow and easy and God, almost mesmerizing. Her stomach tightened at the look in his eyes, hot and dirty.
“What—what are you doing?” she managed as he walked over to the bed.
“You don’t know yet?”
Her eyes went wide. “I—I don’t think I can. I mean—”
He smiled. Wicked and sexy and confident. “Sure you can.”
Her throat went dry, her heartbeat kicked up. “No. I’m not— I can’t— Look, I’m a one ‘O’ a night girl, okay? I’m good. Done. For real.”
“I’m not.” He lowered his big body onto the edge of the bed. “I’m nowhere near done. Do you know I smell like you? And do you know how hot that is?”
The jolt low down in her stomach at the look in his eyes was so strong she almost gasped out loud at the intensity of it. The flesh between her legs clenched. She was still wet and swollen and…
“Okay, but fair warning,” she managed, her voice anything but steady. “I won’t be able to—”
“Let me worry about that,” he murmured, as he lay down on his back, one hand adjusting the condom. Or maybe he was just touching himself for her benefit.
“I— You’re wasting your time. Seriously. I don’t want you to be disappointed when I don’t…you know…”
The corner of his mouth tilted up, sinister and sexy all at once. “Are you ever going to be able to say it?”
