From the Start

by Cheryl Etchison

  “If you say so,” Michael said, the corner of his mouth lifting.

  Although he answered, it was obvious his attention was elsewhere. He reached out and pulled the pink elastic from her hair and dropped it to the floor, and then his hands were buried in her curls. He gently tugged her head back, tipping her face upward to his.

  Never had she wanted to be kissed so badly in her life.

  She licked her lips in anticipation and that seemed to catch his notice, his eyes darkening as he watched her tongue swipe across the plump flesh of her bottom lip. He lowered his face to hers, and just when she believed she’d won the battle, he hovered above her, his mouth inches away.

  “You sure about this, sunshine? I just might ruin you for all other men.”

  She huffed a laugh because the man’s arrogance knew no bounds. “Let me worry about that later.”

  And yet, he still made no move to kiss her.

  Kacie pressed up on her toes in an attempt to reach him, but he dodged her advances. Finally, she caved. “Will you kiss me already, dammit?”

  That was all it took.

  In an instant, Michael wrapped one arm about her waist and lifted her high as his mouth crashed down upon hers. His kisses were not tentative or gentle. They weren’t polite getting-to-know-you exchanges. They were the kind that said, “If you’re looking for a summer of meaningless, no-strings-attached sex, I’m your man.”

  The kind of kiss that easily leaves a mark and could truly devastate a woman if she wasn’t careful.

  As they stroked and teased each other with mouth and lips and tongue, Kacie had no choice but to hold on to him for dear life. Not because she was short, but because he was so tall. And when it felt like they were losing their balance, he tumbled them onto the bed, careful to not crush her beneath his large frame.

  Michael again tugged on her hair, demanding access to her jaw and neck. Her breath rushed in and out of her lungs as he nipped and kissed the length of her throat while running his hands all over her body. She wanted to touch him, too, to feel the strength and tension in his arms and shoulders, to feel his heart race beneath her palms, to make him feel as good as he did her. But he pulled her hands away from his body and raised them above her head, trapping them between one of his.

  She opened her mouth to protest, only to be silenced with a kiss. One that left her breathless and dizzy and unable to remember why the hell she had a problem with what he was doing in the first place.

  He released her from his grip, his fingers twining with hers as he eased down her body, pausing to nuzzle and suck her breast. As he toyed with her nipple using his tongue and teeth, his hand smoothed over her stomach and came to rest between her legs, his fingers stroking over the little bit of clothing she still wore. Which left her to question why the hell hadn’t she removed her panties herself when given the chance? Because now he used that thin satin barrier as a means to torment her, to build the ache and tension coiling low in her belly all the while refusing to touch her in the way she craved. And then, when she was distracted by the teasing of his fingers, he bit down on her nipple, sending arcs of sensation shooting through her.

  Time and time again he brought her to the edge of release, only to slow his pace or remove his hand completely. Somewhere around the third or fourth time, she realized the man was completely evil. And taking great enjoyment in driving her to the point of madness.

  “Michael,” she said forcefully. “I need you to get on with it.”

  He looked up from where he’d been kissing the soft skin of her hip, a puzzled expression on his face. “You can’t be serious?”

  “Oh, but I am. I really, really am.”

  That slow, smug smile returned. “But I planned on spending some quality time right about here,” he said while taking hold of her panties and easing them down her legs. He pressed a kiss to the newly revealed flesh.

  “Michael, we’ve got six weeks until the wedding. There will be plenty of time for that later.”

  She felt him laugh against her skin. At least she was a source of amusement for him.

  Kacie flung her arms out wide on the mattress and her hand landed on the small cardboard box he’d tossed there while undressing. Grabbing hold of it like it were a lifeline, she tore it open. “What I need right now is for you to put this condom on and get inside me. Now.” She threw a small square at him, bouncing it off the top of his head.

  He laughed in surprise as he looked at the packet, then back to her. “To just look at you, no one would ever imagine you’d be so damn bossy.”

  “Like I told you earlier, I don’t know what it is about you, but you bring it out in me.”

  “Sunshine, you certainly won’t hear any complaints from me.” Michael slid off the end of the bed and stood upright as he tore open the foil packet. “Now then, on your knees.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Excuse me?”

  His cocky smile returned. “You heard me. You want it now? Then get on your knees and back it on up to the edge of the bed,” he said, waving his hand, directing her.

  But she wasn’t in any hurry to move.

  “Trust me, Kacie.” His tone was notably softer this time. “You’re short. I’m tall. And this will be a helluva lot more fun than missionary.”

  He grasped her ankles, waiting a moment to make sure she was game before he playfully tugged her to the end of the bed. “I swear to God, Michael,” she said, while rolling over and pressing up on her hands and knees like he suggested. “You better not get any ideas about spanking my ass. Or making me call you ‘sir’ or ‘daddy’ or any other crap like that because it is not going to happen.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  At first his strong hands caressed her thighs and butt. Then, with his palms spanning the width of her back and his thumbs followed the gutter of her spine, he smoothed his hands upward until he reached where her hair draped over her shoulders. With one hand, he gently gathered the strands and brushed them to the side. His other hand continued upward over her shoulder, down the front of her arm as he leaned over her, bringing his body flush with hers. He placed kisses across her shoulder and to the curve of her neck, nuzzled her ear, then gently nipped her lobe, igniting an involuntary shiver that raced through her body.

  “Is this okay?” he asked.

  Already her body hummed with desire and forming a coherent thought provided difficult. As a result her reply was something along the lines of “gnuh.”

  She felt his smile against her skin as his hands retraced their path, this time skimming along the underside of her arms alighting every nerve. He continued to take his time, cupping and molding her breasts in his palms, using his fingers to pinch and pluck her nipples. Meanwhile his erection remained nestled between her thighs, so close to where she wanted him and yet . . . not.

  Kacie shifted restlessly beneath him, trying her damnedest to get him into position on her own. Finally, he got the message.

  “Hang on, sunshine,” he whispered as he positioned himself, then eased inside her.

  Although her body was more than ready for him, he took his time, working himself deeper with slow, measured strokes until he was seated to the hilt.

  “Two weeks I’ve been thinking about you, about doing exactly this to you,” he said, no longer moving slowly or otherwise. “Just so you know, Kacie, I refuse to race toward the finish like a horny teenager. At least, not this time. I’m gonna savor this no matter how much you might want me to get on with it.”

  As far as she was concerned, two could play at this game. “Is that so?” she asked while simultaneously contracting her muscles and squeezing him tight.

  Somewhere in the middle his low chuckle transformed into a groan. “Someone likes to fight dirty.”

  He started to ease in and out of her and she let her head hang languidly from her shoulders. As his hands roamed her body, he whispered how great she felt, how soft her skin was. How she drove him crazy and he had a million and one ideas of things he
wanted to do to her.

  Then, without any warning at all, he gripped her shoulders and pulled her upright so that her back was nearly flush to his chest. And directly in front of her, in the full light of day, was the reflection of the two of them in the mirrored closet doors.

  Her insecurities got the best of her and she tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. “Don’t run away. Just give it a second and watch the two of us.”

  Watching him was easy to do. Watching herself, however, was something completely different. But now, trapped in his embrace, there was little she could do. Her eyes tracked his movements in their reflection as his left hand caressed her breast and his right skimmed down her stomach to between her legs. Although she knew his intentions, she still gasped at the first stroke of her clit. Then, within a matter seconds, he’d found the perfect rhythm, his fingers moving in counterpoint to his thrusts, playing her body like a highly skilled musician.

  And just like that, he seduced her. With words and touch. With how he moved with her instead of just using her for his own satisfaction. It was a feeling she could at the very least become accustomed to. At worst, she might have found a new addiction.

  “God, you are beautiful,” he growled in her ear. “Look at you.”

  She studied their reflection in the mirrors and even she had to admit he was right. As she watched their bodies move in unison, despite the wildness of her hair and the smudged makeup around her eyes, she was beautiful. And the fact her maid of honor dress didn’t fit was all but forgotten.

  Kacie lifted up one arm and draped it around his neck. When she turned to look up at him, his lips crashed down on hers, his tongue diving deep into her mouth, tangling, twisting around hers. His hand fell from her breast to grip her hip tighter as their movements became more hurried. He groaned into her mouth and worked her body harder, causing the tension to ratchet higher and higher until she shattered beneath his touch. She gasped for breath as Michael relentlessly raced toward his own finish, finally coming with a muffled groan.

  As Michael draped his arms about her waist a tiny bead of sweat trickled down her breastbone and disappeared against his skin.

  “I guess we’re both sweaty now,” she said.

  He nuzzled her ear, then took a quick taste of her neck with his tongue. “Mmm. Salty. I like it.”

  Kacie laughed. “And here I thought you were a good boy.”

  “Sunshine, I can assure you no woman has ever put those two words together in the same sentence when they were talking about me.” He stared back at her with those dark blue eyes and the one corner of his mouth hitched up. Again, a little shiver of excitement coursed through her body.

  Michael released her from his embrace and lowered her back down onto her hands and knees. After he eased himself from her body, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the base of her spine. And then, once her eyes met his in their reflection, he followed it with a playful smack to her ass.

  She swung around to look at him. “Hey!”

  “Sorry, but I couldn’t resist,” he said with a laugh as he headed for the bathroom.

  Kacie fully collapsed onto the bed and pulled the sheets up to cover herself, her body still humming with satisfaction.

  And then, like a man who knew his own sexual prowess, he strode back into her bedroom wearing nothing more than a smile.

  “So . . .” Michael fell into the bed next to her, not bothering to cover himself with the sheet. “Did that meet or exceed your standards?”

  Oh, this arrogant, arrogant man. He knew damn well that performance was one for the record books.

  Kacie smiled and patted his forearm. “I think you’ll do.”

  Chapter Ten

  Michael returned home a few hours later, leaving Kacie exhausted yet satisfied. He would have been happy to stay the night in the event she had a middle of the night craving that required an intervention, but he didn’t want to wear out his welcome.

  It was still early evening though, and he spent the next couple of hours sitting on his couch, surfing through the channels, unable to find anything that held his interest. What he really wanted to do was text her, to ask what she was doing the following day and whether or not she’d be interested in seeing him. But he found himself uncertain of how to proceed since Kacie clearly held all the power in the situation. She had established the guidelines. She had set the end date. He was merely along for the ride.

  He picked up his phone from the table and scrolled through the messages she’d sent earlier in the day. What the hell for, he sure didn’t know. Was he searching for some deep and hidden meaning in her words? She’d been nothing but straightforward from the get-go about what this was and was not between them. And theoretically, he should be adhering to that age-old guy rule that said he should wait two days before initiating contact. But waiting in this instance could result in missing a window of opportunity.

  Fuck the rules.

  His fingers flew over the screen as he typed, then quickly hit Send before he could change his mind.

  Any plans for tomorrow?

  He stared at the screen several seconds, anxiously waiting her reply.

  “Goddammit.” Michael tossed the phone to his coffee table. “Don’t be pathetic.”

  He should go out. Drink some beer. Do manly things, whatever that might be.

  Finally, he headed into the kitchen, yanked open his refrigerator, and stood there staring into the barren space. When his phone rang, he practically killed himself dodging the breakfast bar and his reclining chair to reach it. But the dream died the moment he turned over the device and saw his father’s name on the screen.

  Dammit.

  Michael swiped his thumb across the screen and dropped into his recliner. “Hey, Dad.”

  “You should’ve seen this shot I had today,” his father began.

  No pleasantries or easing into the conversation. No “Hey, how are you, son?” Michael kicked up the footrest and made himself comfortable, knowing this would likely take a while, especially since Mac MacGregor was known for two things: his undying devotion to his late wife, Lily, and his gift of gab. And gab he did. Ever since Danny married, their dad never wanted to “disturb the newlyweds” during the evening hours. As if people never had sex during the day. But the fact his dad sure as hell didn’t have any problem calling him on Saturday night said a lot about his lack of social life. His. Not his father’s.

  His father was always quite busy; although he’d been considered one of Myrtle Beach’s most eligible bachelors for nearly twenty-five years, he’d never been captured by his female pursuers. Oh, he’d happily escort women to the occasional social event (weddings, company parties, charity events, even a concert here and there). He likely did more than that, although Michael never let his mind wander in that direction. But his dad always made it known his heart was, and would always be, taken.

  “Are you coming down this weekend?” Michael asked when Mac finally took a breath in the midst of his storytelling.

  “Not this weekend. The fellas and I are playing in a charity four-man scramble down at Caledonia.”

  Michael was hit with a twinge of jealousy. Caledonia was one of his favorite places to play golf and he hadn’t been there in years. But the feeling only lasted until his phone beeped notifying him of an incoming text message.

  Not much. Going for a run in the a.m.

  He found himself smiling at the screen, happy she’d responded even if it did take her thirty-two minutes. Not that he was counting.

  “Michael?” came the voice from his phone. “Michael? Are you still there?”

  Shit.

  He quickly lifted the phone to his ear. “Yeah, Dad. Sorry about that. It’s just that I’ve got some messages coming through and I really need to answer them.”

  “Sure thing. You go do your doctor thing,” his father replied. “And by the way, son, I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

  The momen
t he ended the call he, of course, felt guilty as shit, ditching his old man for a text conversation with a woman, while his dad believed he was off to save lives or something of the like.

  Eh. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

  Was planning the same. Want to run together?

  Again, he stared at the screen in anticipation.

  Depends. What time do you go?

  0600

  OMG. Did you just military time me?

  Sorry. 6:00 a.m. Better?

  Not really. Enjoy your run.

  Dammit. No way was he going to let her get off that easily.

  What time works best for you?

  9:00

  Jesus. Michael shook his head as he typed.

  Half the day is gone by then.

  I’m not the one begging for a running partner.

  Fine. You win. I’ll meet you at your place at 0845. Sorry, 8:45.

  Okay.

  BTW. I promise to go easy on you.

  Michael stared at the screen, just waiting to see what she’d say in response.

  You just did not?!!?

  Michael laughed as he read his screen.

  I’ll have you know I run a seven-forty mile, she added.

  Good. You shouldn’t fall too far behind.

  While Kacie might not have been amused, Michael found himself smiling as he went to bed that night and again in the morning when he woke well before sunrise. And at a quarter to nine, he was knocking on her door.

  It swung open to reveal a woman who was clearly not a morning person, even minus the hangover.

  “Should’ve known you’d be prompt,” she grumbled. “Come on in.” Kacie stepped back and waved him in. “I still need to get my shoes on.”

  He waited just inside the door as she headed down the short hall and disappeared into the bedroom. He had half the mind to follow her in there with ideas of how to brighten her mood, but thought better of it.

  She returned within a matter of minutes, shoes on and apparently ready to go as she tugged her hair into a pile on top of her head and secured it with an elastic.