by Meg Buchanan
He took a swig. Bloody hell, he didn’t know why Luke drunk this stuff. He couldn’t see the appeal. Wine and spirits were more his thing.
Ash giggled and still didn’t drink.
“Don’t you like it?” he asked. Giving her a drink she didn’t like. Not smooth.
She shook her head. “I usually drink RTDs but I forgot to get some.” Note to self. Stock up on RTDs if you are going to pick up young girls.
She sighed. “I’ve probably had enough to drink anyway.
Maybe if she’d already had a lot to drink, he should tell her to go and find her friends. Or maybe he could even take her home?
No. She didn’t seem drunk and seemed really obliging.
He put his own bottle down beside hers. “What sort?” he asked. Maybe the supermarket around the corner was still open. He’d get a bottle of wine, so he had something to drink and get her some RTDs. It beat drinking that shit Luke drank.
“Vodka and lime.”
“Really?” She nodded. Fancy wasting good vodka by tainting it with lime. Then he had an idea. No need to risk driving to the supermarket. “I’ve got vodka in my room. Should I go get it?”
“Or we could go to your room.” She gave a shiver. “It’s cold out here.”
It wasn’t. But if she wanted that, he was up for it.
“No lime,” he warned.
She shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nice without lime.”
“Yeah.” He stood and helped her up. They made their way through the people to his room and found the door was closed. Everyone seemed to have respected that tonight.
He bowed her through. “Welcome to my castle.”
She curtseyed, all little light-coloured skirt and cowboy boots. He followed her into his room.
“Shit,” he said. “No ice. Wait here.” He shot out, back to the kitchen, opened the door of the freezer and grabbed the ice tray.
“What are you up to?” Tessa had moved from beside Luke on the couch to the kitchen and was getting a glass of water.
“Got a guest,” he said.
“Where?” she asked.
He nodded in the direction of his room.
Tessa filled the glass from the tap. “Wonders never cease,” she said. “What about Natalia?”
“Fuck her.”
Tessa laughed and wandered back to Luke.
Ash sat on the edge of the bed waiting for him. She really did look young and unsure. He wavered for a moment. She couldn’t be that young. Anyway, they could just talk. He didn’t need to bounce straight into sex with someone on his first night of freedom.
“Where do you live?” he asked. He got out the vodka he had in the wardrobe. Good stuff, he’d bought it with the vague idea one day Natalia would come here. He’d had a fantasy she’d come and watch Stadium one weekend and they’d share the vodka in his bed. That wasn’t going to happen now. He might as well drink it.
“At home with Mum and Dad. I grew up in Hamilton.”
She’d never left home. That could be why she seemed so young.
He put a couple of cubes in each glass and then a splash of vodka. He handed a glass to her.
“See what you think.”
She took a sip. “It’s nice.”
“Who did you come to the pub with?”
“Friends. They’re here. They’ll let me know when they want to go home.” She held up her phone. “They’ll text.”
He sat beside her. “What are you studying?”
“Accounting.”
“My dad’s an accountant.”
“I know that. Mine too.” She smiled then took another sip. “You’re at Waikato too, aren’t you? I’ve seen you there.”
“Really? Where?” He’d never noticed her, but he’d never really been on the look-out for girls. Just went there to attend lectures and tutorials and study.
“Just around campus. You’re studying engineering.”
How would she know that and what his dad did?
He grinned. “Have you been stalking me?” Funny. He’d never thought of that happening.
Ash shrugged. “Just a little bit. I liked you the best, and I wanted to know more about you, so I looked you up.” Oh well, he was on Facebook and all the social media stuff, and he guessed that was what it was for. If he was getting into the swing of things he’d have to start doing more of that stuff. Tinder even, maybe.
She put her glass of vodka and ice on the side table, turned to him and kissed him.
And he thought he’d be in charge of all the moves in this situation.
“Hmmm,” he said when she pulled back a little. “What was that all about?”
“I wanted to see what it was like.”
“And?”
“Nice.”
He laughed quietly. Easy. And this was pleasant. He put his glass beside hers and swivelled a little on the bed. He brushed her hair away from her face and moved in. The kiss was sweet and gentle. He didn’t feel that pulse of electricity through him he felt when he kissed Natalia, but this was nice. And maybe that came later, when they were used to each other.
He slowly manoeuvred her until they were both laying back on the bed, heads on the pillows, feet on the covers. Not smooth again. He should have at least sorted it, so they kicked their boots off before they started this.
But she didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. Her hands tangled in his hair as she kissed him. She didn’t call him Lion or give him any instructions but then nothing was familiar.
Actually, she didn’t give any feedback at all, and he would have appreciated a bit. He’d only ever been with Natalia so wasn’t sure what girls liked.
But this seemed straight forward. He should have tried it years ago.
A bedroom with two willing people in it, what could go wrong?
Chapter Fifteen
They lay quietly on the bed. She stroked his cheek then his lips and kissed him again. She seemed happy to be here, but she moved tentatively. He could hear the party in the lounge, heard footsteps in the passageway, then someone go into the bathroom as he went through the motions, touching and kissing. He still felt nothing. With Natalia from the moment they touched something lit up.
But with Ash, nothing. They could have been having a cup of tea together. Surely, he should feel something. Ash seemed nice. He liked her.
Noah undid a few buttons down the front of her dress, slid the sleeve off her shoulder and kissed the bare skin. He heard her sigh but there was no response from her body. She just lay there on her side letting him touch her. He slid his arms around her.
“What do you want?” he asked quietly.
Ash shrugged. “I don’t know.” Her breath felt warm against his skin where the top couple of buttons were open. “You choose.”
Jesus. Ash closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace. He slid his hand to behind her head and kissed her again. Her lips were sweetly pressed against his and their tongues touched. He deepened the kiss, but he still didn’t feel any urgency in her and definitely no spark to ignite him. Her hands lay softly against his chest, but even they didn’t move.
He ran his hand under her skirt, up the outside of her thigh, touched the edge of lace at the top of her leg. As he kissed her, he traced the line of lace to the V. Her thighs were clamped together. Not that she seemed to be resisting. It just seemed like she felt no impulse to open or relax them.
He couldn’t figure out what was happening. What did she think they were doing? Playing Scrabble? He’d die of boredom if he didn’t do something.
He moved his hand back to her waist and his lips to her ear. “I think I should at least take our boots off,” he said and felt her nod.
He rolled off the bed, and she rolled onto her back and went to sit up to just haul her boots off herself.
He leaned over her, put his hand on her chest, and kissed her.
“No, I’ll do it. Lie back.” She nodded, rested on her elbows and watched him in the half light. She still looked cute and sexy in the little cotton dress, half unbutt
oned and skirt pushed up past the lacy underwear, the little cowboy boots, her hair all over her face.
The thin curtains and the streetlight right outside his bedroom window could be annoying when he was trying to get to sleep, but they bathed the room in the perfect amount of light for having sex with someone. Enough to see everything with softened edges.
But where was the passion, the flush, the eyes dark with longing, the heat in her? And the fire in him? He wanted it. He wanted to lose himself in her for hours the way he knew could happen.
He sat on the end of the bed and unbuckled his boots and kicked them off. He could do this. He’d turn her on if it was the last thing he did. He’d have her writhing in his arms, her legs tangled with his, moaning and wanting the way Natalia did. The way he wanted her to be. He’d been fucking since he was sixteen, and Natalia said he was good at it. He knew what to do.
He stood, leaned over her again, and gently pushed her down. “I want to make love to you.”
She nodded.
He smoothed the hair from her face and kissed her, then slid his lips over her chin and down her throat. Her head dropped back. So, she was capable of a response. He knew he was too. It hadn’t happened yet, but it would.
He slowly unbuttoned the rest of her dress and kissed his way past the white scrap of the bra that encased the small breasts. His hands spanned her waist as his mouth moved down her stomach to the matching white lace. She smelled of soap and baby powder, and some sort of perfume. Light and flowery, not dark and exotic like Natalia’s.
Ash’s head popped up again. “What should I do?”
Anything, would be the answer there. She’d asked the question like they were out grocery shopping and wondered what flavour ice cream he’d like.
He suppressed the sigh. “Just lay back and enjoy.”
“I haven’t done this very often,” said Ash.
No surprise there. Maybe not at all even. He dropped soft kisses across her stomach and moved lower.
“I’ll teach you,” he said. Should he get rid of the lace barrier? No, the boots first.
He moved his mouth further down. Her thighs were still like an Egyptian mummy’s. He could force them apart but that didn’t seem quite right. He ran his hands down to one ankle, lifted her foot, touching her under the knee to bend it, and took the boot off. Got rid of the little sock thing too. He dealt to the other foot then kissed his way back up to the inside of her thigh. It still felt like she was letting him do it more than she wanted this, still not moving or pushing against him.
His hand found her belly and then the edge of the lace. He slid the underwear down her legs and felt her lift her body to help. So, some part of her must want this. He lay down beside her again and touched and kissed and caressed her body. He pushed the dress out of the way.
She tentatively caressed his chest then down his belly. But all on the outside of his shirt like it never even occurred to her to try unbuttoning it. He buried one hand in her hair and consumed her mouth, then kissed his way down the front of her again. He teased her nipples until the cotton of the bra was damp and clinging. But it was like playing with a doll, an inanimate object.
He moved his lips back down her body and ran his hands over her legs then up to where they joined. He touched the wisp of hair then slid his fingers down, expecting to find heat and dampness. But nothing. Just a little intake of breath from her. What the hell?
Getting desperate, he slid off the bed again, knelt on the floor and leaned forward nudging her knees apart so he was between her legs. He felt her tense.
“Relax, you’ll like it.” He moved her legs apart. His fingers slid between her legs, and he felt her tense again.
“It’s okay.” His tongue followed his fingers and a sob came from Ash. She buried a hand in his hair and her back arched a little.
He gently stroked her and moved his tongue hoping for more from her, that she’d fire, but she’d gone still again.
He still felt that, going to die of boredom soon, feeling.
Maybe time to ramp it up. He kept up the stroking with one hand and reached for the vodka glass and found an ice cube. He carefully ran the cube from the edge of the bra down her stomach, the ice melting on her warm skin, the wisp of hair, then between her legs.
She went totally still.
He felt her touch his shoulder. “Noah.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to do this.”
He looked up. “Do what?”
She waved her arm to take in the bed and him.
“All this. I want to stop.”
“Stop?” She wanted to stop? Her timing was shit. He’d just started to enjoy himself.
She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Okay. He’d heard of this happening, and he wasn’t even out of his clothes, so it shouldn’t matter. But stop now?
He sat on the end of the bed beside her legs. “That’s okay. If you’re not into it.”
She sat up, so they were sitting side by side on the end of the bed. Naked from the waist down she still looked sweet and innocent.
She glanced at him nervously. “I don’t think you’re into it either,” she said. And he thought he’d done a good job of faking it. “I want you to want me, and I don’t think you do.”
Well she was perceptive. But if she wanted him to want her she could have done something to show him that.
He shrugged. At least with Natalia he had practice at dealing with no happy ending sometimes.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked.
She reached for her phone and checked the texts. “I want to go home.”
“Are your friends still here?” If they weren’t, he could probably drive her. He hadn’t had anything to drink.
She looked up from the phone and smiled sweetly at him. “You’re being so nice about this.” She stood up “There’s no text to say they’re going, so they must still be here. I’ll go and find them.” She felt around on the floor, found her underwear then didn’t seem to know what to do with it, just stood there holding her dress closed.
“I won’t look,” he said. Though he wouldn’t see anything he hadn’t seen close up moments ago.
“Thanks.” She waited while he lay back and shut his eyes. He could hear her soft movements. He guessed she stepped into the scrap of lace and pulled it into place and buttoned up the dress.
“I’m really sorry,” she said. He looked up and watched as she balanced wobbly on one leg and pulled a cowboy boot on. “I don’t usually do this, but it didn’t feel right. I do like you, but I’m not sure you like me.”
He sat up again and scratched his neck. Yep, perceptive.
“You’re sweet,” he said.
She pulled the other boot on. “You don’t mind, do you?”
He shook his head. “No. Your choice.”
She hesitated for a moment and then slipped out the door.
Chapter Sixteen
Noah lay back on his bed and put his arm over his eyes. Nothing about that was a success. His first venture into picking a girl up at a party, and she bales on him.
He could hear the music and the talking. He could join the party. Maybe even find another girl, one who looked like she had a bit of experience.
He heard the door open and lifted his arm to see who it was. Maybe Ash had changed her mind.
Tessa stood there in the half light.
“Hi, flatmate,” he said.
“Hi,” she slipped though the gap and closed the door behind her. “I didn’t think you’d be asleep. She nodded at the passageway. “I saw your guest leave. That was quick.”
“Yeah,” He linked his fingers and rested them on his chest. “My first effort at Don Juan, and she decides I’m not what she wants.”
Tessa came over and sat on the edge of the bed. She patted his hands.
“Poor Noah. What did you do wrong?”
“No idea. One minute its all good, and suddenly she changes her mind.”
“Move over,
” said Tessa. He shifted over a bit, so she had room to lie down. Sometimes they’d do this on a Sunday afternoon when one of them wanted to talk, but not usually at night or during a party. Someone could get the wrong idea. Luke mainly.
“Are you thinking of taking her place?” he asked.
Tessa snorted as if the idea hadn’t even entered her head. “Not likely. We’re just friends.”
“Yeah.” And it made sense to keep things like that. But tonight was getting hard on his ego.
She lay flat on her back, fingers linked under her head. “I just went to my room, and someone has beaten me to the bed.”
“Rude.” Bloody annoying when that happened. They all should have got locks on their doors years ago. He usually just booted the occupants out and took their place, but Tessa always changed the sheets first. “Where’s Luke?”
“Coma-ed on the couch. He’ll be there until morning.”
“So, neither of us are going to get laid to night?”
“That’s the way it looks. What really happened with the little cowgirl?”
He shrugged. “You want the gory details?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I was dying of boredom and decided to spice things up a bit.”
“How?”
He waved at the vodka and ice.
“How?” Tessa asked again.
He grabbed a bit of ice and ran it up and down the V between his first two fingers. Tessa roared with laughter.
“She didn’t like it?”
“Nope.”
Tessa grinned at him. “Why did you choose her?”
“She chose me. Been stalking me since the beginning of the year apparently.”
“Then changed her mind?”
“Yeah. I think I shocked her. I’m not used to females who don’t know how to ask for what they want.”
Tess rolled over, rested her chin on his fist and studied him.
“The truth is, Noah, you’re not used to females who aren’t Natalia.”
“You’ve got me there.”
“You haven’t been with anyone else?”
He shook his head. “She was my first, my one and my only.”
“That’s nice. I think.” Tessa studied him a bit more. “So, what’s gone wrong? You’ve been acting weird since the holidays started. You go missing for a week, then last night you write yourself off with a bottle of whiskey, and you hardly drink, then tonight you try this experiment with the little cowgirl.”
