Sweet Affection (Truth Book 3)

by Henderson, Grace

  “Tyler.” She hums through a sultry smile, then hops off the counter to walk towards him. “I was just suggesting to this one that we go for round two. He could join us?” Her hand strokes over his chest before resting it on the waistband of his jeans.

  “One, I don’t share with another dude. If there’s gonna be three, there’s gonna be two hot as hell women that are going to have to share me. And two, I don’t do seconds. Told you that last night. Time for you to go, I got shit to do.” He peels her hand from his waist and gestures to the door, then takes a swig from the milk carton.

  “There better be a bloody good reason why there is a naked female in my kitchen!” Laurel comes strutting through the door in her tight little pyjama shorts that show off her long legs and a vest with no bra underneath. Even next to a female with no clothes on, my eyes are drawn to her body. As are Tyler’s. Asshole. I pull Laurel next to me, and just slightly behind so he can’t see her anymore. His eyes meet mine and he smirks as though he knows what I just did. The nameless female huffs and narrows her eyes at Laurel.

  “Who is that?” She asks Tyler, and edges in closer to him. I want to laugh so hard. I know what Tyler’s like, I used to be exactly the same.

  “None of your goddamn business. Get your shit and leave. I’m going in the shower. Later.” He walks out with the milk carton leaving the girls standing there with their mouths wide open.

  “Is he seriously just going to leave her here with us?” Laurel bites out in a frustrated whisper.

  I chuckle and shrug my shoulder.

  “Of course. He doesn’t care. He would have told her exactly how it was last night. Not his fault she thought she was going to be different.”

  “Oh my God, I’m living with such douchebags.” She raises her eyes to the ceiling then glowers at me. What? What did I do?

  She disappears into the laundry room and comes out with a towel.

  “Honey, you’re more than welcome to a shower. I’ve got this strawberry shampoo that’s to die for.” She wraps the towel around the other female’s shoulders, and that’s when I notice the tear rolling down the girl’s face. Well shit, now I do feel like a douche bag.

  “I’m going to make some breakfast.” I try to make up for my lack of sensitivity. “Have some before you go.”

  The girl looks up at me and offers me a weak smile. “Thanks.”

  She walks out the kitchen with Laurel and I hear her mumble through a few more tears, “But he was so sweet last night.”

  Maybe he didn’t make it clear enough then.

  After a breakfast filled with awkward tension, the brunette whose name we learnt was Rosie, leaves, and Tyler comes down the stairs at pretty much the same time as the door slams shut.

  “Thank fuck for that. Thought she’d never leave.” He mumbles with relief, slumping onto the stool and pouring himself out some coffee.

  “You’re such a jerk.”

  His eyebrows shoot up at Laurel. “Why’s that, abuela?”

  I don’t like that name he has for her in the slightest so I narrow my eyes at him. Again. He chuckles and raises his hands in front of him.

  “The fact you even have to ask, just shows exactly how much of a jerk you really are. How can you just treat women like that? You got the wam bam, but left out the decent thank you ma’m!”

  He frowns. “If I had said thank you, she would have taken that as I want to see you again. Not happening. I told her the deal last night. I’m not having that guilt put on me.”

  Laurel rolls her eyes in frustration and growls as she looks over at me. Fucking hell, she wants me to get in the middle of this too. Fine!

  “Not in my house, dude. That shit’s not cool. I don’t want to come downstairs to see that before I eat.”

  “Alright, throw me to the wolves. I get it.”

  “That’s so not the point!” Laurel cries out. “It’s not the fact it’s in this house. He can have all the sex he wants here. I don’t care. It’s the way he treats them. It’s disgusting.”

  “Kind of like our first night together, huh? How’s it any different to what you did?” She looks shocked, and I see her mind going over my words. I’m going to be in trouble for bringing it up. She doesn’t like to talk about it, but it’s the same kind of thing.

  “What she do?” Tyler asks, looking between us. He’s too damn interested all of a sudden.

  “That is nothing like this.” She grinds out. Yep, her eyes are shooting daggers at me. I’m in trouble.

  “Wait, you two started with a one-nighter?” Tyler laughs, and butters a slice of toast. “That is too damn funny. Who did the kicking out the next day?”

  I pause and wait to see if Laurel’s going to answer, but she stays silent, lips pressed together in a straight line. If I cared what Tyler thought of me, I might not wanna admit to it. But I don’t.

  “There was actually no kicking out the next morning. Laurel left before I even had the chance.” Her eyes fly to mine. “Not that I would have kicked you out, babe.” I quickly add when I feel the heat of her anger burning into me.

  “So you’re annoyed because I didn’t do the whole thank you crap, but you didn’t either? A little hypocritical isn’t it?” Tyler asks with a grin.

  “No. We both knew where we stood. It was just expected that it was going to happen like that. Rosie was clearly expecting more from you. That’s not okay.”

  “You don’t remember that night, babe. How do you know I wasn’t expecting a relationship with you? It broke my heart for you to just leave. I felt used.” I say dramatically clutching at my chest. Even though I know my words are like a red flag to a bull, I can’t stop taunting her. She’s so damn cute when she’s all worked up.

  “Oh piss off.” She mumbles, stealing a slice of bacon from my plate, and walking to the door.

  “Thief!” I shout out and she smiles deviously as she kisses her middle finger and waves it at me.

  Laurel

  “Which one of these would you pick for your wedding?” Jess asks me as she runs her fingers across the whole rail of gowns, eyeing them in wonder. “I mean, how would you even pick? There’s so many.” We have a welcome ten minute breather before our next appointment gets here, it’s been non-stop all day.

  “I don’t know.” I say honestly. I wouldn’t have a clue where to even start. I always see dresses I like, but I’ve not once thought about what I would actually want for my wedding.

  Jess swings her eyes back to me. “You mean, you’ve never tried any on, in all the time the shop’s been open?”

  I laugh at the sceptical rise of her eyebrows. “No, when would I do that? You think I’d stay after work and spend my free time in dreamland?” I roll my eyes. I have better things to do with my time.

  “I just thought that as you’re with J and everything, you may have thought about it. You wanna get married don’t you?”

  Her question tugs at something inside me. Since my ex Darren, I’ve not been one of those girls that sits around and dreams about her wedding. I’ve been too much of a realist for that crap, but now I guess marriage could be a real possibility. James has mentioned it in passing but I can’t help but wonder if he really was serious. I’ve known him as a total ladies’ man longer than I’ve known him as the perfect monogamous boyfriend.

  “Sure, I guess.” I shrug off her question and busy myself moving some files on the desk. I don’t really want to talk about it.

  “What about you?” I grin up at her. “What would you choose?” I see her eyeing the dresses again. She looks at a couple thoughtfully then taps against her chin. “These aren’t right. I want something….different. Something ‘out there’.” She sucks in a sharp breath and her eyes light up. “I’ve got it. This one.” She skips over to another rail and picks out the dress of choice.

  My eyes widen and I can’t help laughing loudly as soon as I see it. It’s Ian Stuart’s Rock Star dress; an ivory mini-dress with a ridiculously large oversized flower at the side, teamed with a jacket tha
t has huge puff sleeves. It’s definitely ‘out there.’

  She holds it up against her body in front of the mirror and shakes her head, “Actually I think I’d look like a total dork.” I bite my lip to stop from agreeing with her.

  Her phone beeping on the desk snaps her away from the mirror. I let her have her phone out while she’s been dealing with Brian and the shop-fitters.

  “Hey, Laur. Can I take a few minutes?” She holds her phone up to me and there’s something in her eyes that softens me, an anxiety I haven’t seen before.

  “Sure chick.” I wave her off and rearrange the wedding magazines on the coffee table and sweep a few bits of fluff off the doormat. I want people to have the best impression as they walk in.

  My eyes narrow at the office door when I hear her raised voice. Her anger dissipates and turns into a placating murmur. Apologies come tumbling out her mouth and immediately my hackles are up. She doesn’t have any family that I know of, so what would she be worried about? Most of her friends are my friends now. There’s only a couple of other girls that I’ve met over the past four years. Who’s she apologising profusely to, and what the hell for?

  I watch her carefully out of the corner of my eye as she comes out the office, sighing with her shoulders slumped and watery eyes. I don’t think she realises just how much her face gives away how she’s feeling.

  “Everything okay?” I ask tentatively and see the change in her immediately. She straightens and paints a fake smile on her face.

  “Yep, all good. Thanks for that.” She turns her phone on silent and tosses it in the drawer where my bag is. “Let’s get this show on the road.” She walks over to the bar as a gaggle of women come pouring through the front door. With a bottle of Champagne in her hand she greets the Bride-to-be with so much enthusiasm, I stand back and admire her professionalism with a content smile.

  ***

  “Huh.” I muse as I stand in the middle of the bedroom, statue-still, my eyes not leaving the phone in my hand.

  “What’s up?” James asks as he strips off his t-shirt. My eyes lift to his chest, of course. But I’m that stumped that it does little to derail my train of thought. That was way too weird. Jess has been excited for the day of training I’ve got planned for her tomorrow, for weeks, and she never rings in sick.

  “Jess won’t be in work tomorrow.” Even as I say it, I know how crazy it sounds. Everyone’s entitled to a sick day if they need it, but she just hasn’t been herself lately anyway, so this on top of all that and the phone call has got my mind thinking all sorts of crazy ideas.

  “Oh, she’s sick?” He asks as he walks through to the bathroom and I hear the buzz of the electric toothbrush start up.

  “I guess. I mean, that’s what she said.”

  He appears in the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe, and my mouth curves a little at the sight of him shirtless, looking hot as hell, but with a white frothy rim of toothpaste round his mouth as he brushes his teeth and speaks to me at the same time.

  “You don’t believe her?” He tilts his head then walks back in and spits into the sink.

  “No, yes, I don’t know. She’s just been a bit depressed lately. I haven’t really been able to talk to her much. She’s closed off. Doesn’t really talk to me about how she’s feeling.”

  He wanders back out the bathroom and over to me, still motionless in the middle of the room. He bends his head and his lips meet mine slowly and thoroughly. I stand up on my tiptoes and run my hands through his hair to deepen the kiss. The fresh, cool mint taste of his tongue as he slips it gently over mine, gets the familiar, heated ball of need coiling low in my stomach. All too soon he pulls away and leaves me breathless and panting at the loss of his body pressed against me. He rests his forehead against mine, then pulls my body back towards him.

  “Closed off. Doesn’t talk about how she’s feeling. Remind you of anyone?” He says light-heartedly, and I struggle to focus my mind again as his hands stroke my back softly.

  “Hey,” I pout, “I’m an open book nowadays.”

  He grins playfully. “Chick lit?”

  “Nah, I don’t think so.” I take a slight step back and reach down to the hem of my top. My hands slowly lift it over my head and bare my black and red, lace and satin bra to his eager, lust-filled, starving eyes and he takes a determined step forward. I unzip my skirt, and slip my thumbs into the waist band, shimmying it down my thighs so it pools at my feet. My heart thumps when his attention moves quickly down to the black suspender belt and further over the hold-ups covering my legs.

  “Fuck.” He breathes out quietly. “That, is X-rated erotica. Damn.”

  He twirls his finger in the air gesturing for me to turn for him, and I step out the skirt, flinging it across the room with the tip of my heels. His eyes roam impatiently, ravenously, over every inch of my body on show for him. I keep my eyes watching him and turn my back slowly, throwing a sultry smile over my shoulder as I pause to let his gaze take in my thong. I gently sway my hips, and when I hear his sharp intake of breath, it gives me the confidence to play a little more.

  I turn back round and push against his chest so he falls down seated on the end of the bed, and run the tips of my fingers down his stubbled cheek.

  “Has anyone ever danced for you before?” I whisper while my hands stroke down the side of his neck, and tease over his pecs. I bite my bottom lip and smile with satisfaction when his adam’s apple bobs up and down and he shakes his head. Perfect.

  James

  Fuck. She’s gonna dance for me. I thought this just happened in movies, or strip clubs. I never imagined she’d actually wanna do it. Sure I might have thought about it, dreamed about it even, but now it’s really here, I think I’m gonna come in ten seconds flat if she rubs herself against me. The black and red push up bra she’s wearing does amazing things to her perfect, round tits showing just enough to get me salivating, needing to see more. The suspenders are sexy as hell, I want to snap them off with my teeth, and the thong is something I can’t even talk about right now. Speechless doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve always got something to say. But fuck me, if I can’t think of one damn thing that’ll make sense when the most beautiful body is about to bring me to my knees.

  The music pulls my mind out of the gutter long enough to recognise the song, J. Holiday, Bed. Old-skool, that song was out in the clubs when I was at uni. But the beat and Laurel’s body loosening up in front of me, focuses my mind back to what’s about to happen. That CD wasn’t in there earlier, which means she put it in. But not just now because she hasn’t left my sight. Which means…Shit, it means she planned this. She’s been here, thinking about dancing for me.

  She steps back a few paces until she’s nearly against the wall. If I wanted, I could still reach out and touch her, but I won’t. I manage to keep my hands fisted in the covers, on either side of my thighs. My eyes desperately follow her hands as they roam over her tits, then down her sides and over her stomach while she sways her whole body. My jeans tighten over me and I immediately wish I’d taken them off to be more comfortable. Her right hand comes up above her head to the wall behind her, and she gradually lowers herself down to the floor. God, I can’t look away from her eyes as she does it.

  They tell me everything I need to know.

  There’s excitement and lust and pride and confidence shining in them, and a coy smile gracing that beautiful mouth.

  The mouth I desperately need locked against mine.

  I want to tell her how sexy this is. But once again I’ve lost all ability to form a coherent sentence.

  She walks over to me, fucking struts actually, and my heart pumps out a million beats a minute.

  She runs her hands through her hair whilst she sways her ass in front of me, then bends right over to touch the floor and I swear my eyes nearly bust out my head. The hands I’m now sitting on come straight out to palm the soft round globes level with my face. A resounding slap across one cheek makes her squeal and lift her
head, eyes looking at me round her shoulder. She bites her lip as she waggles her butt, and I slap again, this time the hands don’t leave and they move over her hips, and pull her down against me. She lowers her butt into my lap and I have to put my fist in my mouth to keep from touching her again as she rubs her ass teasingly up and down my dick. Her head falls back to my shoulder and she pulls my slightly unsteady hands round her front, first on her stomach as she continues to roll her hips, then her soft firm tits.

  “I need to be inside you, babe.” I whisper in her ear. I’m not one for delayed gratification, and my achingly hard cock needs to find its release soon.

  “Yes.” She gasps when I quickly unzip my jeans, then move her thong to the side and sink inside her incredible warmth. She moves up and down torturously slowly, my hips and hands cradling her ass, taking us both spiralling off into the atmosphere. As we come crashing down hard around each other, a long, comforting wave of satiated bliss flows right through me and I pull her close, knowing nothing will ever be better than this.

  ***

  “I’ll stop by Jess’ house now. I’m seeing a client on her side of town so I’ll just check in on her and makes sure she doesn’t need anything.” Jess doesn’t have any family round here and as of a year ago, when I first met her, I’ve taken on the role of her protector. She’s a feisty, determined but slightly naïve little thing that needs someone to look out for her. Laurel’s not just been a boss, she’s been a friend and sister to her at the same time. But there’s things I’m good for too, like the big brother act. I push thoughts of Tyler to the back of my mind. I haven’t seen much of him lately. I get the feeling he’s staying away to give Laurel and I time together again, and I find that notion irritatingly noble.

  I rinse out my mug and kiss Laurel on the cheek before texting Jess to let her know I’m coming round. Just as I’m putting my phone back in my pocket and walking out the door, it starts buzzing incessantly. Jess.