Naughty at 30 (Love Without Batteries #2)

by Cassandra Lawson

ME: I have to go. Luke saw your text, and now he’s going to spank me in front of all these people at the bar.

  DELANEY: OMG! Tell me all about it. Better yet. Call me and put me on speakerphone so I can listen.

  ME: I’m kidding, you pervert.

  DELANEY: Such a pity. You really got my hopes up for a minute.

  ME: Luke is back at the table. I’ll update you later.

  “Try your tequila,” Luke said in a tone that sounded like an order. “Just a sip, and then you need to eat some appetizers before you have anymore.”

  “Need I remind you I don’t like bossy men?” I asked.

  “Need I point out that you’re squirming in your seat right now? We both know I’m not going to try to run your life, and that you’d never let any man do that again,” he began.

  “Damn straight,” I agreed.

  “We also both know you like a stronger man,” he continued. “I’m not talking about a bully like your asshole ex. I’m talking about a man who can hold his own with you and won’t let you walk all over him. Now, are you going to try that tequila? Or are you going to sit there acting like a stubborn brat who needs a spanking?”

  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to object to the threat or beg him to follow through, but I definitely needed that drink.

  When I started to bring the glass up to my lips, Luke spoke again. His deep voice wrapped around me, practically caressing my skin. “Just sip it. Good tequila should be savored like sex.”

  It was a miracle I managed to keep my hand from shaking as I brought the tequila to my lips and sipped it. This wasn’t like the stuff I usually bought. There was no burn, and no bite to it. There were faint traces of caramel and honey, and I savored the smooth taste, letting out a little moan.

  When I looked at Luke, his blue eyes were dark and his jaw was clenched tightly. He wanted me. I knew it with every fiber of my being, not that I’d had any doubt in my mind before. I was going to sleep with Lucas Robinson. One night, I reminded myself. This was one night to get this crazy obsession out of my system.

  “I’m really out of practice,” I admitted, grabbing a slider off the plate.

  Luke didn’t pretend to misunderstand my meaning. “We don’t have to rush anything, Chels. I’m fine with waiting and spending more time just hanging out first. Nothing has to happen tonight.”

  “That sounds an awful lot like dating, and that would be really awkward, don’t you think?” I asked.

  “Nope,” he replied. “I don’t think it would be at all awkward. We’re having fun. You like me, and I like you.”

  My finger moved absently along the glass of tequila. “I don’t know. It just feels wrong in some way.”

  “How about if I promise to make everything feel very right for you?” he asked.

  I swallowed hard, unable to break eye contact. His offer had me struggling not to squirm in my seat.

  “How exactly would you do that?” I asked, proving I was a glutton for punishment. The last thing I needed was to get more aroused. Now was the time to stop thinking about sex, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  “I’ll take you back to my place and kiss you until you’re ready to beg me to take you. Then I’ll strip you naked and worship those gorgeous breasts of yours. Wanna know what I’ll do next?”

  Words were beyond me at that point, so I just nodded.

  “After that, I’m going to slide my tongue between your legs and find out just what I need to do to make you come. Only after you’ve screamed my name am I going to fuck you from behind, while I fantasize about taking you just after I’ve spanked you. I’m going to love looking at your freshly spanked ass, all pink and warm as I fuck you. Not this first time. I’m not going to spank you tonight. Do you wanna know why?”

  “I do,” the elderly man at the table next to ours said, and it was then that I remembered we were having our discussion in a public place. My cheeks heated again because I’d never acted this way in public.

  Luke chuckled. “I plan to turn your ass the same shade of pink as your cheeks very soon.”

  “Paddle her good!” the elderly eavesdropper said loud enough to catch the attention of several other people in the bar.

  “Oh, God,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

  “Don’t you worry, young lady,” the man assured me. “My Gerty always enjoyed getting her bottom warmed. I’d have her tell you how much spice it can add to the bedroom, but she’s in a better place.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Luke said solemnly.

  “Loss?” the man asked in confusion. “I just meant she’s at a better bar with her girlfriends. They like to get together and talk about sex once a week. You know how ladies can be.” He looked at the time. “I think I can safely go pick Gerty up without her having a fit. All of a sudden, I’m in the mood to make Gerty scream my name. I might even warm her bottom first if she’s feeling frisky. We recently picked up a new riding crop I’ve been itching to try out.”

  We both watched as the man slowly made his way out of the bar.

  “That man is my hero,” Luke remarked.

  “I just want to know why I’m always running into senior citizens who are getting more sex than I am,” I added. “I had no clue the senior community was so kinky.”

  “Don’t worry,” Luke drawled. “I’m going to resolve that situation about you not getting enough sex as soon as we’re done here. Eat some more and then finish your tequila. Drink it slowly,” he reminded me.

  “Slowly?” I asked. “I’d think you’d be in a hurry to get out of here.” Then I had a sudden moment of insecurity, wondering if I was the only one affected by the conversation, which was an insane thought. Luke was clearly trying to seduce me. That wasn’t my imagination. There was definitely no reason for me to feel insecure.

  “Savor it just like sex,” he reminded me. “Anticipation is half the fun.”

  “I’m not so sure I agree with that,” I grumbled.

  “I’m looking forward to teaching you just how much fun anticipation can be. Go ahead and ask me why I’m not going to spank you tonight.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to know.”

  Luke chuckled. “You are such a liar, Chels. You definitely want to know why I’m not going to spank you tonight, and I’ll bet you’re disappointed. I’ve watched you squirm every time the subject of me taking you across my knee has come up.”

  “Could we please stop talking about spanking,” I pleaded, shifting in my seat again, annoyed when Luke smirked at the confirmation of my arousal.

  “After you ask me why I’m not going to spank you, I’ll tell you why, and then I promise not to bring it up again while we’re in the bar,” he assured me.

  “Why aren’t you going to spank me, Luke?” I asked in a somewhat bitchy tone. “Have I not been naughty enough?”

  Luke leaned forward to respond, his voice just above a whisper. “Being naughty won’t get you spanked. You have to be a very good girl to earn it. Only then will I let you have that reward.”

  Chapter Eight

  Luke

  We didn’t talk much on the way back to my place. Chelsea had argued that we should go to her place since she didn’t have anything at mine, but I’d assured her I’d give her whatever she needed and drive her home in the morning. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that her irritation at my refusal to do things her way was turning me on even more.

  Chelsea was a control freak, in many ways, but it seemed to arouse her when I took some of that control away. After what she’d gone through with Jason, I didn’t blame her for being afraid of losing control. I hadn’t been around to witness their marriage, but when they’d been dating, I’d noticed how he’d tried to isolate her from everyone. Back then, he’d been a binge drinking asshole who’d gone out and gotten drunk off his ass every time things weren’t going his way. To the best of my knowledge, he’d never hit Chelsea—at least, I hoped he’d never hit her. In the end, he’d made her feel like she had very little control
over her own life, and I knew Chelsea didn’t like that feeling. Hell, I didn’t want to control her life, but I wanted her to trust me enough to let me take charge part of the time.

  She was also nervous. That was clear from her silence and the way she kept picking at the polish on her fingernails. The way she squirmed in her seat the entire ride to my place, convinced me she was also really turned on, which was good since my dick was so hard, I thought I might die if I didn’t get it out of my pants soon.

  Patience, I reminded myself.

  Taking Chelsea home with me hadn’t been my plan until I’d read some of her texts with Delaney. Reading her texts was kind of a fucked up thing to do. I hadn’t been lying when I’d said it had been force of habit, but I also wasn’t truly sorry I’d done it. I was actually glad I’d given in to that temptation since it meant I now had confirmation Chelsea wanted me. She might think she only needed one time to get me out of her system, but I was definitely going to prove her wrong. Originally, I’d planned to convince Chelsea to spend more time with me, go out on a few dates. I’d intended to seduce her slowly, but I was definitely on board with this plan.

  “What’s on your mind, Chels?” I asked as I parked in my carport, figuring we should probably start talking so things wouldn’t be completely awkward when we got inside.

  “Dick,” she replied with a sweet smile.

  I let out a startled bark of laughter at her crude response, loving the fact that Chelsea was so unpredictable. I was also relieved she was joking around since it meant she wasn’t as nervous as I’d guessed. As much as I wanted her, I wasn’t convinced things would go all the way with her tonight, and I was okay with that. Chelsea was definitely worth the wait. Sure, I’d have a serious case of blue balls, but I’d survive.

  “My dick, I hope,” I remarked.

  She shrugged. “It would be hard to think about yours when I’ve never seen it.”

  “I don’t remember you being this brazen. You really don’t hold anything back, do you?” I asked.

  “Not often,” she admitted. “When I’m working, I always behave in a professional manner, but outside work, I figure there’s no point pretending to be someone I’m not. Even if I had been this bold when we were younger, I wouldn’t have said anything like that to you.”

  “You were definitely outspoken when we were kids, just not about sex.” Her outspoken nature had been one of her best qualities when we’d been kids, and it had greatly contributed to my crush on her.

  “You’re so damn beautiful,” I uttered. “I want you more than you can know.”

  Chelsea shifted in her seat again, looking down at her lap this time, and I was worried I might be embarrassing her, but I still needed to tell her the truth. I needed her to understand my feelings and my intentions.

  “I’m also fine if you want to wait,” I assured her, even as Excalibur cursed me for being a fool. He insisted we not offer her the no sex option unless she asked for it.

  She gave me a sweet smile. “I figured after reading my text you were already preparing to add that notch to your bedpost.”

  For some reason, her comment really pissed me off. I wasn’t about to claim I was innocent when it came to women. I’d had more than my share of women since leaving for college, some girlfriends and some casual encounters. After being the nerdy kid obsessed with his friend’s older sister for so many years, I’d enjoyed the attention I was suddenly getting from women, even if most of them ended up being crazy. Still, I wasn’t the type to keep a running count to feed my ego, and Chelsea sure as hell wasn’t some conquest.

  “What exactly is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

  “It was a joke,” she told me, before adding, “I’m nervous and I tend to make really stupid and inappropriate jokes when I’m anxious. At my divorce hearing, I asked the judge if the best part of his job was meeting newly single women.”

  “You didn’t really ask him that.” When she didn’t say anything, I pushed her again. “Tell me the truth, Chelsea. There is no way you asked a judge that.”

  “I really did,” she admitted. “The judge didn’t seem at all amused by my humor. In fact, my attorney advised me to avoid talking in court after that.”

  “Did you succeed in keeping quiet?” I asked her.

  “I’m lucky I was never held in contempt of court, but that’s all I’m saying on the subject today,” she insisted. “Nothing is going to make me reveal any more of my embarrassing divorce court stories.”

  “All right.” I nodded and climbed out of the car, meeting Chelsea at her door. I cupped her face in one hand and leaned forward to brush my lips against hers, satisfied when she shuddered. “I’ll consider that a challenge.”

  “Challenge?” she asked, looking almost dazed when my hand slipped around her lower back.

  “I’m sure I can find a way to get you to tell me what happened,” I explained, brushing my lips against hers again because I couldn’t resist the urge to tease us both with the promise of our first real kiss. “I’m sure I can find the right incentive to get you to tell me what I want to know.”

  Not giving her time to respond, I kissed her, allowing my lips to slowly move against hers, coaxing out her response. This was one of the things I truly got off on. Enticing a woman to respond excited me, and with Chelsea, I had the added turn on of having a long-standing fantasy coming to life.

  Breaking the kiss, I decided we should take things inside rather than giving my neighbors a show. While I had a lot of kinks, exhibitionism wasn’t one of them, and I didn’t think it was Chelsea’s thing either.

  “I haven’t done this in a very long time,” Chelsea admitted.

  “Kissing?” I asked.

  “Going home with a guy,” she clarified.

  “But the kissing you’ve done recently?” I asked.

  “Only with Delaney,” she replied before letting out a groan. “Oh God! Why did I tell you that?”

  “Because it’s too hot to keep quiet about?” I asked, as I led her to my apartment. “I need details. Are there photos? Video would be better.”

  “It wasn’t what you think. We’d both been drinking, and Delaney said we should become lesbians, because men all suck. So, we decided we’d make out a little to see if it was something we’d both be into,” she rambled.

  “Clothes on or off?” I asked, because these are the details a man needs when he’s thinking about two attractive women kissing. Personally, I was hoping for clothes off, but what guy wouldn’t be hoping for that?

  “You are such a pervert!” she accused, smacking my arm lightly. “We were both fully clothed.”

  “Too bad,” I said with a sigh. “Any groping?”

  “No,” she replied quickly before adding, “A little groping.”

  “I take it since you’re here with me tonight, you decided not to become a lesbian,” I deduced. “Did you enjoy the groping?”

  “It felt weird with Delaney,” she admitted. “I liked touching her breasts, because they’re really nice, and they’re also perfectly even. I’ve never seen a woman with breasts that symmetrical, and I’d always assumed it was her bra, but her bras aren’t even lined. So, even though I wasn’t as into it as I thought I should be, I kept touching her boobs and thinking about how perfect they are.”

  “Fuck me,” I hissed as I tripped on a stair and nearly fell on my face.

  “Great, Chelsea,” she muttered to herself. “Your mouth is not only going to cause you utter humiliation, it’s probably going to be the death of Luke.”

  I groaned, because I honestly couldn’t help myself. Chelsea was embarrassed by the stuff she kept saying, but it was all hot. Even knowing she didn’t mean it that way, mention of her mouth being the death of me brought forth images of her full lips sliding around my dick and driving me to the point where I was ready to beg for mercy.

  Chapter Nine

  Chelsea

  “Are you okay?” I asked, grabbing Luke’s arm, and kicking myself for my mouth.

&
nbsp; “I’m fine, Chels,” he assured me in a strained voice.

  “You almost fell on the stairs, and you just groaned in pain,” I argued. “Clearly, you are not okay. There is no reason to act like the big tough guy about this. Tell me what’s wrong. Do you need to sit down? Should I run into your apartment for ice? Maybe I can call Ty to come help you get up to your apartment.”

  Luke started laughing, which led me to believe he probably wasn’t seriously injured.

  “I guess you don’t need me to call Ty to help you,” I said, releasing his arm.

  “I definitely don’t want Ty to come help me,” he assured me. “Same goes for the ice. This is not a problem I want handled with ice.”

  And that was when I felt like an idiot. “That wasn’t a pain groan.”

  “It was,” he told me. “Just not from falling on the stairs.”

  “This is part of the reason I didn’t want to date. I’m really bad at this sort of thing. It’s why I didn’t have many boyfriends in high school. I have a knack for saying the wrong thing around guys,” I admitted.

  Luke led me the rest of the way to his apartment and gestured me inside before speaking again. “Chelsea, I’m having a great time with you, much better than I could have ever hoped for. The fact that you’re acting like yourself is the best part. You not realizing I was groaning because I’m turned on is adorable.”

  “Which is exactly how I want to be described when a guy is taking me back up to his place for sex,” I muttered. “Some girls go for sexy, but I figured I’d go for adorable.”

  “You’re doing fine with the sexy part, too,” he assured me. “Chelsea, I don’t think I could find you any more attractive. I know you aren’t usually this insecure, so why are you worried about my reaction?”

  “Like I said, I’m just not used to this sort of thing,” I admitted, not entirely certain what was going on with me. I was acting shy and insecure, which hadn’t happened in a very long time. I knew I was attractive, fun, successful, and intelligent. I was the whole damn package, and I didn’t need anyone to tell me my worth. Still, I wasn’t just going home with any guy. This was Luke, and sleeping with him could definitely complicate my life.