by Jodi Redford
“Now you have an excuse to see me again.”
Like he needed one. He’d stop over for steak and eggs every damn day if he thought she’d let him get away with it. He crossed to the stove, where she was busy whisking eggs in a large glass bowl. “Need any help?”
“Nope.” She cocked her head to the side as if she was reconsidering that statement. “On second thought, if you don’t mind grabbing a couple of plates and the silverware, that’d save me a few steps.”
“Your wish is my command. Point me in the right direction.”
She gestured toward the far cupboard on the right and he carried out the task. Locating the silverware drawer, he grabbed a pair of forks and knives. “Do you want me to set the table?”
“That’d be great.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Do you mind eating in here? I don’t technically have a formal dining room. Right now I’m using it as my office.”
“Don’t mind at all.” He stacked the plates and carted them to the small table in the corner. With only two settings, arranging everything took no time at all. He’d never performed any remotely domestic act for a woman before. Doing it for Charlie? Quite possibly the most awesome feeling in the world. It was too easy to picture them dividing chores like this on a regular basis.
You’re getting way ahead of yourself. Yeah, he knew it. But damn if he wanted to put on the brakes. “Need anything else from me?”
“Besides your cock?”
He stared at the back of her head. It took him a moment to remember his claim at the restaurant last night. “Fuck dinner. I’m not all that hungry anyway.”
She chuckled. “You can wait.”
He strode to the stove and spun her into his arms. “Clearly you’re mistaking me for someone who hasn’t abstained from sex for six months and is starved for your pussy.” Swallowing her gasp, he backed her toward the butcher block island adjacent them and lifted her up onto it.
She clung to his shoulders and returned his kiss with a ravenous hunger that matched his. Her fingers twisted in the hem of his shirt, tugging it upward. More than happy to get her hands on him, he yanked the garment over his head and tossed it on the tile floor. She stroked his pecs and sighed. “Clearly God was not asleep behind the wheel when he created you.”
He’d had plenty of flattery thrown at him from countless women throughout the years. Not one of them made him feel a thousand feet tall like Charlie did. “You like what you see?”
“I’m trying not to be shallow. Truly. But I could come just from looking at you.”
He sifted her hair through his fingers and nibbled the corner of her lips. “It’s the same for me, sweetheart. I’m half worried I’ll shoot in my jeans any second now.”
“Mm, that so.” Without warning, she cupped him through his fly.
He sucked a breath between his teeth. “You’re not helping the situation.”
She massaged his cock through the worn denim covering his crotch. “Do you want me to stop?”
“Do, and I’ll cry like a damn baby.”
“We can’t have that.” She continued to stroke him boldly, molding her fingers to his thickness. “I couldn’t stop looking at your pic last night.”
Her admission stoked the fire already building inside him. “Did you play with your pussy while you were staring at my dick?”
She licked her lips, her dusky eyelashes sweeping shut as she shivered. “Yes.”
Fuck. “How many times did you come?”
“I stopped counting after number five.”
He tipped her chin up with his knuckle and swept his tongue inside her mouth, chasing her moan. His free hand fell to her breast and he squeezed the full mound before sliding lower. He bunched the fabric of her dress in his fist and hiked it up to her waist. Her legs fell open and he grazed his fingers over the crotch of her panties. Wet. So fucking wet. Unable to resist, he dipped inside. Groaning, he tore his mouth away and glanced down. The sight of his hand buried in her virginal white bikini was hot as hell. And the feel of her dripping on his fingers? For as long as he lived, nothing would compare to this moment.
Strike that, eating her out then filling her with his cock would probably be a whole other level of heaven.
He grazed his fingertip over her clit and she clutched his chest, trembling. “Grady.”
The sound of his name on her lips sent a shudder through him. He wanted to hear that desperate edge in her voice as he pushed her past her limits, until she was shaking and coming beneath him.
“Fuck, why didn’t I buy condoms on the way here?” He didn’t realize he’d voiced his frustration until the gentle pressure of her palms on his chest jogged him from his irritation with himself. Feeling like an asshole for complaining at such a pivotal intimate moment, he returned his focus to where it damn well needed to be—Charlie. Dropping a soft kiss on her mouth, he caressed her pussy. She wiggled sideways and he caught her by the hip. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Bedroom. I bought condoms this morning too.”
He gaped at her. “What?”
She chewed her bottom lip. “After last night, I figured it would eventually happen for us. Sex, I mean. I decided to take the bull by the horns because you were talking about all this behaving stuff—”
He kissed her hard on the mouth, preempting any further explanation on her end. Like it was remotely necessary. Pretty much everything was irrelevant beyond the fact she had condoms. In her bedroom. There is a God.
Without further ado, he hauled her into his arms again and carried her toward the hall. “Which door?”
“The last one on the right.”
He nudged it open with his knee and crossed to the queen-sized bed parked up against the far wall. Overwhelmed with a craving for the luscious woman consuming every one of his thoughts, he barely registered his surroundings. He had a vague impression of purple walls and floral bedspread. Beyond that, he might as well be in the wilds of Africa for all he knew. Maybe that’d explain the ferocious needs gnawing at him. He’d turned into a primal beast who only cared about fucking and feasting.
With both of those tantalizing and oh so basic desires forefront in his mind, he lowered Charlie onto the comforter and flipped up her dress. Too impatient to remove her panties, he tucked the crotch aside and licked her from her drenched slit all the way up to her clit. She whimpered, her fingers tunneling in his hair, holding his face tight to her pussy. He had no intention of going anywhere anytime soon.
Spreading her legs wider with one hand, he went to town, flicking the tip of his tongue over her clit while he fucked her with the fingers of his other hand. Velvety soft and juicy sweet, she bucked up to meet the demands of his mouth. God, she was the hottest fucking thing alive. He couldn’t get enough.
“Grady.”
He momentarily lifted off from her pussy. “I’m here, baby.”
“I want to come with you inside me.”
He shuddered at her words. “I want that too.”
“Then get that condom on. Please.”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. “Where are they?”
“Dresser.”
His legs so unsteady, it was a fucking miracle he could walk, he grabbed the box of Trojans and ripped it open with enough force to send the packets flying everywhere. He snatched the nearest one and returned to the bed. Charlie worked on removing her dress while he stripped out of his sneakers and jeans. She unhooked her bra and the silky cups fell open, revealing the creamy magnificence of her tits. If he’d kept his briefs on he would have busted out of the damn things. He opened his mouth but adequate words to express his sheer wonder over her beauty refused to budge loose. Fortunately, Charlie seemed too preoccupied with his cock to notice.
She lifted her wide-eyed gaze up to his. “Your pics didn’t do you justice.”
“You like?”
“Very much. I’d like it even more if you brought it over here.”
More than happy to oblige, he climbed onto the bed. He s
tarted to put on the condom, but she shook her head. “First I get a taste.”
“Well, if you really insist.”
“Had to twist your arm on that one, huh?” Grinning, she pumped his cock with a fluid twist of her wrist before sliding her mouth over the head.
Seeing and feeling her lips wrapped around him, her soft pink tongue sliding along the shaft and swirling over the crown, it was fucking incredible. Beyond anything he could have conjured in his craziest dreams. And he’d fantasize endless times about moments exactly like this with Charlie. The real thing? Way better.
She continued working him over, getting him harder than he’d ever been in his life. Worried he’d prematurely blow, he gently disengaged from her mouth and flattened her onto the bedding. He slipped the condom on with three downstrokes of his fist and settled between her legs.
“Um, are you intending to take my panties off first?”
“Did you forget my promise last night?”
“I thought maybe it was just you being outrageously kinky.”
“I am outrageously kinky. And I’m going to prove it by coming inside you while you’re in those panties.” Positioning his cockhead, he eased in a fraction, relishing the snug way she instantly gripped him. Everything about this moment was surreal. More than he could have ever hoped for.
She caressed his face. “What are you waiting for?”
“I fantasized about this, a million times. Easily.”
“Only a million?” she teased.
“I lost track after that.” He brushed a kiss on her lips. “Are you ready for me to give you the full Grinder treatment?”
She dragged her fingertips along his spine. “Give me all you’ve got.”
“You might regret saying that.”
“Never.”
“Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” He pinned her down and rolled his hips, undulating to a beat that only his body could hear. Within seconds Charlie apparently heard it too, because she gasped and writhed in countermotion to his strokes, her pussy sucking at his dick. The ease with which she came for him, damn, he was the luckiest fucker on Earth.
Her nails dug into his ass, no doubt leaving crescent moons in his flesh. Fuck, he hoped so. He wanted to be marked by her. Claimed in that small way. Dropping onto his elbows, he buried his face in her neck and sucked hard enough to leave a hickey. The clenching on his cock intensified. Tightening the reins on his looming orgasm? Not a chance in hell. Gripping her hips, he pumped into her once...twice...on the third stroke her pussy squeezed him tight, milking the come right out of him. Eyes rolling back in his head, he shuddered through the most intense climax he’d ever experienced.
Convinced his head had just been blown off—both the one upstairs and the one still throbbing deep inside her—he slumped on top of Charlie. Crushing her would probably be a major post-coital glow killer. Mindful of that possibility, he eased onto his side and snuggled her against him. “That was the best damn steak and eggs of my life.”
Groaning, she tweaked his nipple. “You’re the one who insisted on eating me first.”
“And I completely don’t regret it.”
She smiled up at him. “Me either. The only question is if you’re up for a second helping in say half an hour?”
“Half an hour?” He pulled out his wickedest grin. “Sweetheart, I’ll be digging into fourths by then.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
He had no damn idea what was the appropriate attire for discussing an acting gig with an ex-porn legend. Black jeans, matching tee, and one of his rockabilly shirts should play it safe. Rolling his sleeves up, he inspected his image in the mirror one last time and deemed himself presentable enough. His gaze caught on the slip of pink fabric resting on the edge of the vanity. He hesitated for a second before snatching the panties and stuffing them in his back pocket. Yeah, maybe it was weird to take them along with him. But Charlie had always steadied his nerves when he needed her most. And fuck, he needed her more than ever today. Plus it felt good to have a part of her with him, even if it was just a piece of her clothing.
After he’d left her house yesterday, a real sense of purpose had settled over him. She was his purpose. A beckoning promise of endless days of happiness, laughter, and more kinkiness than he could throw a dildo at. Yeah, he’d never been in a real relationship before. Not one beyond the phone line. He was gonna have to learn this shit as he went along, but he couldn’t see himself walking away from this chance with Charlie. No fucking way.
He fetched his keys and booked it for his truck. Half an hour later, his speed somewhere between a crawl and a dead stop, he scanned the address markers on Manchester Lane. Just when he was convinced he’d taken a wrong turn he finally spotted Beckett’s house number. “Thank you, Jesus.” He pulled onto the shade-dappled street and gave a low whistle at the sprawling Tudor sitting at the end of the flagstone drive. Apparently, Ford took all of those money shots straight to the bank.
Grady parked next to the pristine white Lotus holding down the center court in front of the carriage house. He didn’t bother to lock up his pickup. Anyone who’d steal his ride over that sexy beast would need their damn head examined. Wiping the drool from his chin, he strode to the entrance of the main house and rang the bell. Preoccupied with admiring the ornate overhead lighting fixture, he didn’t immediately notice the door opening. He dropped his focus and locked gazes with Charlie’s sister. It might have qualified a bit more as a glare on her end.
Yeah, he’d sure as shit bungled that pivotal first impression. He anted up the most charming grin in his arsenal. She appeared distinctly unimpressed. Tough crowd. He cleared his throat. “I’ve got a two o’clock with Ford.” Hell, that made him sound vaguely important.
“He’s around back, in the garden.”
“Oh. Should I just walk back there, then?”
“Yes. But first, you and I are going to have a chat.”
Aw, shit. Any conversation that started with those words seldom ended well. “Okay.”
“I don’t know what’s the deal with you and Charlie, but I meant it when I said I’d rip off your penis and beat you with it if you ever make her cry.”
“Uh, I don’t remember you mentioning anything about my penis.”
“It was implied.” She stacked her arms over her chest. “Here’s the deal. We have a dilemma. On one hand, I’m not at all convinced you can be trusted with my sister.” Her palm shot up as he opened his mouth to set her straight there. “It’s nothing personal. I automatically assume all men are potential dirtbags with hidden motives where my baby sis is concerned. You’re no different as far as that goes.”
A fraction of the suspicion eased from her features. “Where you are different is that Charlie genuinely seems to like you. So that makes me want to like you too.” Her squint returned the moment he let his smile slip free. She poked a finger in his chest. “Don’t fuck up. Otherwise, you’ll be sleeping every night of your life with one eye open.”
“The potential penis beating?”
“Glad we understand each other.” She jutted her chin to the right.
Assuming that was his signal to scram, he pivoted and strode in that direction. “I enjoyed our talk, Kaitlin,” he called over his shoulder.
“Don’t even try to butter me up, Slinky Hips.”
Chuckling, he rounded the corner of the house. A wooden archway overrun with a purple flowering vine marked the entry to a cobblestone pathway that spanned the entire side of the property. He stepped into the backyard. Calling it such was an understatement. The space was easily half the size of a professional football field. Ford was pacing in front of a pool, his cell phone pressed to his ear. The man glanced Grady’s way and grinned broadly before waving him over. Grady took the necessary steps to join him—and was immediately pounced on by the world’s biggest dog.
“Hairy, off.”
The beast reluctantly obeyed Ford’s command and sat on Grady’s feet with the mopiest expression in existence. Feelin
g bad for the dog, Grady scratched the mutt’s head and was given an adoring stare in return.
“Hairy, you are a whore. Have no damn idea where you get it from.” Humor dancing in his eyes, Beckett snapped his fingers, calling the dog to his side. Ford returned his scrutiny to his phone and scanned the screen before tucking away the device.
Uncertainty percolated in Grady. “Hope I didn’t interrupt an important call.”
His pop chose that moment to make an unwanted appearance. “Fucking up already, dumbass?” A knot of tension balled in Grady’s stomach. He jammed his hands in his pockets and his fingertips brushed up against a satiny surface. Charlie’s panties. Calmness washed over him, pushing his anxiety to the background.
“Not at all. Just some last-minute business to attend to.” Ford cocked a grin as he scritched Hairy behind the ear. “See you found the place okay.”
“Not gonna lie. There was a moment there I questioned if I’d taken a left when I should have gone right, and accidentally ended up in Minnesota as a result.”
Ford chuckled. “The streets around here are tricky. It could happen.”
“It’s a helluva nice neighborhood, though.” Shit, that probably sounded incredibly uncouth. Why didn’t he just ask Ford how much he paid for the Lotus out front while he was at it? Or if his toilet paper was made out of rolls of hundred-dollar bills?
“It’s not bad. Though to be honest, some of the old money around here is snooty as all get out. Which makes it extra enjoyable for me and ole Hairy when we go joyriding in the Bronco.”
“No shit. You have a Bronc?” Okay, Ford had just officially achieved hero status.
“I’d take you out for a spin but she’s getting some dings knocked out after I rolled her.” Ford dismissed Grady’s concern with a wave of his hand. “It was during an off road rock climb. Hasn’t killed me yet, though God knows I keep trying.”
“Damn, I had no idea you’re—”
“A redneck?”
Grady laughed. “I was gonna say badass.”
