At Ease

by Olivia Brynn

  “Oh.” Good lord, Jaycee. The man has been inside you. Your blurry social media profile pictures were nothing compared to that.

  “Why’d you run?” Tyler’s voice whispered through her hair. “If you don’t want to have anything to do with me, tell me now and I’ll leave you alone.” His words said one thing, his tight hold on her said another.

  Jaycee shook her head into his shirt. “I…I know. I shouldn’t have just left like that. But I heard Shanay—”

  “She wasn’t exactly quiet. I’m sure she wanted you to hear.” He squeezed her tighter against his chest. “Did you think I’d listen?” He swore underneath his breath.

  “I don’t know. We didn’t really talk about what would happen next. I figured if I just left quietly, I’d just be happy with an afternoon fling.”

  “I wouldn’t.” His quiet tone conveyed his seriousness.

  Jaycee’s knees gave out. It was a good thing he held her so securely.

  “I looked for you, but you’re pretty fast.” He tangled his fingers in her hair. “It took forever to get Donnell’s battery, then install it. The whole time I was wishing I had your phone number.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Jaycee blinked up at him, drowning in their expressive depths. “I think we might have something worth exploring. I’m not talking about the sex, though Christ, it’s good.” He grinned, then immediately turned serious. “Does my race bother you?”

  Jaycee shook her head. “No. I think our differences are—” Oh, he’d shaved. She licked her lips. “Exciting. Does it bother you that I’m white?”

  “Hell, no. I think you’re beautiful. Inside and out.” He traced her jawline with his thumb. “What other people say isn’t going to change that. I know the way we started out was a little…unconventional, and although this all started as sex, the thing is…I don’t want this to be a one-time thing.”

  She dropped her gaze to the middle of his chest. Slinking away this afternoon now seemed like a childish thing to do. “I didn’t want to assume anything. And then your sister… But I’m sorry I left like that.”

  “I should have warned you about her.” He kissed her forehead. “I think she even felt a little bad when she saw you’d left. She’s harmless really, just likes to play mother hen. Give us a chance, Jaycee. I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t regret it.”

  Jaycee rubbed her palm against his tight pec, outlined perfectly beneath his ribbed tee shirt. From within his embrace, it was hard to think of her resolution to keep him at a distance. Damn, he smelled good.

  “You’ll have to show me which window is yours.” He pressed his lips against her temple.

  “Or I could just give you my phone number.”

  He chuckled. “Even better.”

  She adjusted her body against his. The proof of his desire nestled between their stomachs, searing her with heat that she couldn’t move away from. In fact, she tilted her hips toward him.

  He pulled her deeper into the shadows of the trees. He didn’t stop until he was leaning against the trunk of one. Before she could say anything, he brought her against his body and lazily explored her mouth with his tongue.

  Jaycee didn’t know how this one man could make her feel as if she were melting and bursting into flames at the same time. She groaned her pleasure into his mouth, reveling in his taste, his warmth and his talented tongue. He cupped her scalp with one hand and used the other on the small of her back, pressing her hips to his. She loved the little grunting sounds that escaped him, proving he was enjoying the kiss as much as she.

  “Tyler…” She rolled her head back onto her shoulders when he dipped down to nibble on her throat. The sun was setting, but it was still warm, filled with the perfume of evening primrose, and the cicadas began to stir. Jaycee was oblivious to it all, lost in the sensuous web this man weaved with his hands and lips. Over and over, his mouth made love to hers, his tongue dipped and swirled behind her teeth until she whimpered in frustration. He was way too controlled, way too patient.

  “Please,” she groaned, and reached to his waistband.

  He stopped her with two strong hands circling her wrists. “Huh uh. I didn’t come here to screw you against a tree.”

  He sucked her earlobe between his teeth, painted it with his tongue, then pulled with his teeth. Oh God. Shivers tickled down her spine. “You didn’t?”

  “Nope. I know I acted like an animal under those stairs, but I can usually control myself.” He kissed her nose.

  Jaycee sighed and held on to his waistband as his mouth ravaged her. “Anything I can do to make you lose control?”

  “You push me to the edge just by making that little noise when I kiss you here…” He planted his mouth below her ear and his tongue swirled a circle of heat. Her shuddering sigh must have been the sound he meant, because he groaned. “I don’t want you thinking I’m the kind of guy who treats a woman like I treated you in the classroom building.”

  “I was pretty happy with how you treated me.” She grinned devilishly.

  He smiled against her mouth. “Okay, sometimes we can be bad, but I like to take my time with you too. Show you how much I like your shape.” He pulled her until his mouth brushed her ear again. “I love to taste you, girl,” he whispered.

  Her sex clenched at his words. Was it possible to have an orgasm from whispered words?

  “I love how you taste,” she replied.

  He groaned again and pulled back to take a deep breath. “I didn’t come here to make out with you under a tree, either.”

  “So,” she breathed against his neck, “why did you come here?” I’ll agree to anything, just don’t stop kissing my ear.

  “I promised you dinner.”

  Chapter Five

  Jaycee licked the honey from the warm sopapillas from her fingers. Even though he’d just eaten, he smoldered with hunger. Her soft pink lips wrapped around finger after finger, sending Tyler into a slow burn. He’d been on fire since he’d tucked her in his car. He didn’t even try to pretend to be disappointed that she chose takeout rather than dining in the restaurant.

  They’d sat cross-legged on the floor, empty food containers littered around them like shrapnel from a Styrofoam bomb. He never thought he could get turned-on by watching a woman eat, but as she sucked the sticky sweetness from her skin, he stared, enraptured.

  Before she finished, he snatched her hand, taking her pinky into his mouth. “You make me wish I had a bottle of honey.”

  Her lids dropped halfway, giving her a sexy bedroom look that sent ripples of lust through his veins. He worked his way around her hand, kissing her knuckles, then the sensitive middle of her palm, encouraged by her ragged breathing. He’d love to crawl on top of her and tear off her clothes, but they needed to talk, and preferably before things got out of control. Again. He sandwiched her hand in his and took a steadying breath.

  “You probably think my mind is always on sex.” He sighed.

  She brought her gaze up from their clasped hands then stuck out her lower lip. “It’s not?”

  “Well, with you around it’s a little hard—”

  “Hard?” She raised one eyebrow and leaned over to peer at his lap.

  Tyler sucked a lungful of air. “You’re distracting me.”

  “I’m sorry.” She didn’t look it, but he tried to ignore the emotion behind her eyes. He had to keep his mind on the conversation. This was too important to screw up.

  “Sorry you missed spaghetti night?” He winked.

  “Not at all. I have a weakness for good Mexican food.”

  He noticed. She’d polished off a big chunk of the chips and salsa, cleaned her plate full of enchiladas, and still found room for sopapillas. He wouldn’t dare point it out to her though, he wasn’t stupid. She even drank her Mexican beer from the bottle after squeezing a slice of lime through the neck.

  “Jaycee,” he began, shoving the empty food containers aside with his free hand and pulling her closer. “I want to explain about my sister.”


  “You don’t have to—”

  “Yes, I do.” He stroked her knuckles with his thumb. “If all I wanted was sex, I wouldn’t need to, but I want to see what else we can be.”

  Jaycee’s mouth snapped shut and her hand jerked in his. He looked up to find her wide-eyed. Surprise? Shock? Fear? He didn’t want her to run again. Didn’t want her to have a reason to. He rushed to continue.

  “I don’t know what we have here, Jaycee. I just know that I’ve been thinking about you for a long time. I know we have some crazy chemistry.” He brushed his lips against the back of her hand and continued, “I think you feel it too.” He raised his eyes to hers in question, and thank God she nodded. “I’m not just talking about the sex, though.”

  She ducked her head with a shy smile that warmed his heart. “What are we going to do?” She squeezed his hand. “Hide from your family?”

  “No,” he answered immediately. “I’m not hiding you.” He waited for her to meet his eyes once again. “Especially after what I said to my sister. If we don’t start seeing each other, she’ll never let me live it down.”

  Jaycee rose to her knees and closed the distance between them until she brushed those beautiful tits against his chest. “What did you say to your sister?”

  He pulled her close, waiting for her to straddle his hips as she sat on the floor in the cradle of his. “First I told her she had no right to tell me who I could and couldn’t date.” He pulled a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Then I asked her when she turned into a bigot.”

  “Tyler!”

  He shrugged. “She’s telling me I shouldn’t see you just because you’re white. She didn’t like that logic.”

  “She doesn’t like white girls?” She dropped her gaze and Tyler cursed his sister.

  He smoothed the wrinkle of concern from her brow. “One of her boyfriends in high school dumped her for a white girl. She’s been crusading ever since.”

  “I think she’s just worried about her baby brother.” Jaycee traced his lips with her finger.

  “Well, she can find some other way to worry about me. I think I can pick my own girlfriends.”

  She met his eyes again, this time with scrutiny. “Plural? How many do you need?”

  He smiled. He would really have to stay on his toes with her. She was sharp. “I have a feeling you’ll be plenty enough to keep me busy. I’m already worn out.”

  “Maybe I should go home.” She pouted. “You need your rest.”

  “No!” He held on tight. “I changed my mind. I’m not worn out.” The last thing he wanted was rest. Not unless she was lying beside him. Exhausted.

  “Would you like to be?”

  They laughed in between kisses, and kissed in between whispers. By the time they pulled away for breath, Tyler’s body hummed. Right on the edge of being past reason, but their earlier activities afforded him some focus. It was going to be a long night. He smiled against her mouth. “Donnell says you’re joining our softball team.”

  “Oh, I forgot about that. You still want me there?”

  “Yes,” he answered quickly. “We’re not in the competitive league, we’ll be playing just for fun. I don’t care if you drop every fly ball either. Have you ever played softball?”

  She smiled, a secret Mona Lisa type of grin. “I’ll try not to embarrass you.” She scooted tighter up against him, grinding the heat of her center against his growing erection.

  “I might embarrass myself.” He slipped his hands down the waistband of her jeans, cupping her soft ass. “I’ll have to wear a cup or the whole team will have something to talk about.”

  She giggled and clenched her cheeks beneath his roving hands. The woman was sexy. He let his lids drift closed, feeling the magic of her tongue on his mouth and her hands on his back, urging him closer.

  This woman could kiss. Rather than a means to an end, Tyler found that he enjoyed simply kissing her, and could probably spend hours inside her mouth. He adjusted her in order to do just that, letting her bottom slip into the cradle of his legs again. Her hands gathered his tee shirt, baring his back until she tried to pull it over his head.

  When she licked up under his top lip, he held his breath. “Mm, salsa.”

  Tyler’s control snapped. He quickly grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back enough for him to devour her mouth with more force. “And you,” he licked the inside of her lips, “taste like honey.”

  She returned his kiss, her tongue brushing against his between their mouths. By the time his jaw started to ache, Jaycee was making those heavy-breathing whimpering noises that he’d quickly learned meant that she was tired of playing around. Her temperature seemed to rise, taking his right along with it. “Jaycee, wait.” He took a deep breath. “I still want to talk to you.”

  “Talk?”

  Fuck, her hips were talented. His own hips instinctively jerked against hers. “Yeah, talk. I want you to know that I’m serious about…” He groaned when she used her hands to tantalize his bare back.

  “So, when you invited me over tonight,” she rubbed herself against him like a stripper on a pole, “you were thinking more of a pajama party? Where we talk about our feelings, do each other’s hair and maybe have a pillow fight?”

  He smiled, his entire body buzzing with pleasure. “No.”

  “That’s good.” She tweaked both of his nipples before lightly scraping her nails down his chest. She peeled her tee shirt over her head, shook out her hair and reached back to release the clasp on her bra. “Because I didn’t bring any pajamas.”

  He eased her to her back, her hair spreading out on the carpet like a halo. He whipped his tee shirt over his head. “Good.” He sat on his heels. “I want your skin against mine.”

  He pulled her jeans over her hips, slowly revealing her to his hungry gaze. He struggled to get her legs free, then tossed the denim aside before draping her thighs over his. Jesus, just looking at her sent his blood pressure sky high. He pulled her higher onto his lap, her legs around his hips and her body angled for his viewing pleasure. Silky red panties covered her pussy, a darker spot proving she was just as turned-on as he was. He traced the leg of her underwear, from hip to crotch, leaving goose bumps in his wake.

  “So hot.” He slid his finger through to the other leg of the silk, and used his knuckle to tease her opening. “I’m going to buy some honey. I’ll squeeze it right here.” He licked his lips, then swallowed hard with the thought. “Then lick it up.”

  “Oh God.” She released her grip on the carpet to cup her breasts and Tyler surged his hips in response.

  “Yeah, baby. Play with yourself. Pull those nipples hard while I fuck you with my fingers.” He pulled her panties aside and slid two fingers inside her heat.

  She squealed and jerked her hips into his hand. His cock ached. God, how he wanted to join her dance. The condoms were in the other room, though, so he had to be content to just touch her for now. He used one hand to massage her clit through the red silk and twisted his other to reach the ridged patch in her channel. Her perfume reached his nose and he opened his mouth to suck the scent in. Delicious. Aroused woman. Her sex opened to him, turning pink with desire. He played with each fold, then tapped her distended clit until she squirmed.

  “Ty…need you…”

  He tore his attention away from her sex, up her quivering stomach, past her hands working on those soft globes of flesh and to her flushed face. Her eyes were wide, glossy with desire. “Need you inside. Please,” she panted.

  He rubbed circles on her labia before plunging deep again to gather more of her moisture. “Can’t yet.” His voice sounded hoarse. He swallowed and focused again on her slit as it peeked from behind her underwear. He brought one hand to his mouth, licked his fingers to thoroughly wet them, groaning at her taste, then returned to rub her vigorously. She jerked again, almost off his lap this time.

  “Please.” She whimpered.

  She was close. The tremors i
n her thighs shook his and her stomach clenched as he watched. “Come now, Jaycee. I want to see everything.”

  “I can’t. I need you.”

  Tyler pinched his eyes shut and had to take a second to think before he could continue working her pussy. His cock pounded against his fly. He imagined his balls exploding from the pressure. “I need a condom.”

  “I need you.”

  He opened his eyes to find her imploring him, her cheeks red, her heart pounding visibly in the hollow of her neck.

  “Inside me.”

  “But, condom—”

  “Please.”

  “Fuck.” Tyler pulled his fingers from her heat and struggled to free his dick from behind his jeans. One stroke inside her, he promised. Just one.

  He placed the head of his cock at her entrance and gripped her hips to pull her higher onto his lap and push himself inside with one move. She moaned, he hissed.

  Bare. Damn. Her walls tightened around him and he threw his head back to stare at the ceiling to regain control. “Don’t move. I can’t. You can’t. Move. Shit. Don’t move.”

  “Touch me. I’m so close.”

  He blinked to focus and looked back down at her as she lay sprawled on his lap, head and shoulders on the carpet, breasts red from her fingers. But when he saw the way he’d impaled her, he had to bite back a groan. Her pussy stretched around the base of his cock, looking like a beautiful ivory kiss, sucking him deeper with each heartbeat. He pushed her panties aside again, wishing he’d had the patience to take them off in the first place. He found her clit and rubbed.

  “Yes. Just like that.”

  Tyler tried not to think about how damn good she felt around him—bare—while he rubbed and pulled on her clit. He tried not to hear her breathy hiccups that turned to sexy grunts and needy groans. He clenched his ass to keep from bucking into her. God, he could not come.

  But she could. And when she let loose with a shuddering sigh, massaging his cock with her rippling release, Tyler clamped his molars and hissed. Before her last wave could suck his orgasm from him, he pulled free and fisted his dick.