“’Kay,” I said breathily, swaying a little when he moved away from me.
When he was gone, I looked around the room for a couple of minutes, but there wasn’t much of Kier’s childhood in there—and I figured that had more to do with him wanting to forget it than it did his parents not being a big part of his life. I walked into the bathroom, and my eyes widened when I saw the massive garden tub and shower, and I thought I’d died right then and gone to heaven.
Looking into the bedroom, I worried my bottom lip as I eyed the shower again. Not letting myself think on it any longer, I reached in and turned it on. With how cold it was in the house, a hot shower in this shower was too good to pass up—especially when we’d been in a car for close to four hours.
I waited until steam was billowing out above the glass before stepping out of my clothes and piling my long hair on top of my head. My body shook as I tested the temperature of the water with my fingers before stepping in, and the sting of the heat against my freezing skin burned for long moments until my body got used to it—and then I was in heaven. I hadn’t even seen the closet and it didn’t matter—this shower was all I needed to decide this was my favorite room. Ever.
The door to the shower opened, and I instinctively covered myself as I turned away from where Kier was standing. My eyes widened as my gaze trailed down his long, naked body. My breathing deepened when his golden eyes heated and he stepped inside the shower, shutting the glass door behind him. I swallowed roughly as he pressed himself behind me, and looked up just in time for him to drop his head and press his mouth firmly to mine.
A moan moved up my throat, getting lost in the kiss as his tongue teased mine in unhurried strokes. His hands moved around to the front of my body, sliding over where my arms were still covering myself—and at the reminder, I shakily moved them away, bringing my hands up to fist in his hair as he deepened the kiss.
One hand made a path down my stomach as the other moved up to my breasts, and I broke away from the kiss on a huff when his fingers spread me apart, stroking me and circling my clit just as slow as his tongue had been circling mine. I widened my stance, and my back arched off him when he pressed two fingers inside me.
“Kier,” I breathed before his mouth captured mine again.
His arm was pressed against my wet breasts, trailing up my chest so his hand could lightly trace the front of my neck as he demanded more from the kiss, and I gave everything I had. My hips rocked against his hand and his thick erection pressed against my bottom as hot water pelted down on us. I felt like I was losing myself in Kier, and I loved it and the way it felt like he couldn’t get enough of me.
For the first time in a long while, I was enough for someone . . . more than enough.
My head fell back against his shoulder as the knot in my belly grew, and the hand resting on my neck slowly trailed down toward my chest as he nibbled on the soft spot behind my ear.
“Come on, Indy. Let go for me.”
His thumb pressed against my clit as his fingers moved harder, faster, and I fell apart with a cry as my body shattered. When I was limp in his arms, he reached in front of us to turn off the water before turning me around and wrapping his arms tight around me.
I looked up to see him smirking at me, his golden eyes bright as he stepped out of the shower with me still in his arms. Grabbing a towel, he dried us off through lingering kisses before dropping the towel on the floor and taking my hand in his, leading me back into the warmed-up bedroom.
He started to let go of me, his body moving in the direction of a set of dresser drawers, and I knew what he was doing. Not pushing me, but making sure I wanted this just as bad as he did. Holding tight to his hand, I pulled him back to the bed and pushed him down until he was sitting on it.
“Are you—”
“Yes,” I said, cutting him off. “I want this. I want you.”
Leaning forward, I teased his lips as I climbed onto the bed, placing a knee on either side of him. He smiled through the kiss and scooted back on the bed before lying down and bringing me closer to him. I took the tie out of my hair, letting it fall down around my shoulders and back as I curled my body over Kier’s and positioned myself above him. He ran his hands through my hair, letting them trail down my waist to my hips, his fingers flexing against the skin when he got there, and then he guided me down on top of him.
Kier groaned as I took him inch by inch, and when I was fully seated on him, he kept me there—not moving—as his eyes held mine, his chest rising and falling heavily before he quickly sat up, crushing his mouth to mine.
A surprised gasp left me and turned into a laugh, and then a moan when he gripped my hips harder and moved me off him, only to push me right back down.
“Oh God,” I whimpered against his lips as I took control and started moving on top of him.
Soon kissing became too difficult as we struggled to breathe, and I pressed my forehead to his seconds before Kier rolled us over. Dropping his head into the crook of my neck, he trailed his hand up my leg to curl around my knee, bringing it up around his hip as he moved inside me. His pace quickened and his grip on my body tightened before he stilled above me as he found his release.
As his body slowly relaxed, he placed a line of kisses across my collarbone and up my throat until he reached my lips, his body stilling when he saw the tears in my eyes. “Are you okay?”
I brushed my hands through his hair and smiled against his lips. “More than okay.”
“Indy,” he crooned, and cupped my cheeks. “Then why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
My head shook back and forth as I tried to find the right words to say, and finally I just locked my eyes with his and whispered, “Thank you for saving me.”
His body sagged in relief, and he kissed me soundly. “I’ll always save you.”
fouling out
Tiffany King
chapter one
Courtney
“What can I get you?”
“How about something hot and spicy like you?”
“Really? That’s the best line you got?” I asked the guy who’d been hitting on me the last couple of nights. “I think I heard that one from a balding used car salesman back in high school when I waited tables at Denny’s.”
His friends, who’d been egging him on a few seconds ago, hooted with laughter. “Dude, I told you you’d be toast again,” one of them said, clapping him on the back.
Mr. Flirt didn’t seem to mind the razzing, shooting me a slow grin as he sat back in his seat. I bit back a snort. Guys were so typical. They gave you a little wink and a smile and somehow convinced themselves your panties would drop. I played the game, though, and gave him a coy smile in return. “Besides, you’re not ready for this kind of heat. I’ll bring you some volcano wings,” I added, bumping his shoulder with my hip. Just the mere suggestion that he had any kind of chance lifted his spirits once again as everyone at the table high-fived like they had just scored some sort of victory. It was all part of the waitressing game. Tease them just enough that they keep coming back for more, all in the name of good tips. It really wasn’t much of a hardship for me. I’d been waitressing since I was fifteen, so I was a pro at working the customer. Not that I didn’t deserve the tips I earned. I worked my ass off, always had. Even back in high school, my manager at Denny’s loved me because I never called in sick or missed a shift. At fifteen, I’d been more responsible than most of the employees he kept on staff.
Things were the same at Gruby’s, the loudest and busiest sports pub around campus. I’d only been working here for a couple of months, but my manager, Chris, pretty much gave me any hours I wanted. With money always so tight, if I wasn’t in class or sleeping, I tried to be here, squeezing in homework and studying during breaks. The holidays had basically wiped me out financially, so I’d been working nonstop since Christmas. For the past three weeks, the only time I’d seen my three roommates was to say a quick good-bye on my way out, or a tired good night when I g
ot home. Lately, the house we all shared had become nothing more than a place for me to shower and then fall into bed.
I finished taking the guys’ orders around several more innuendos before walking away. I could feel their eyes all over my ass without turning around to look.
“How’s it going?” my best friend and fellow waitress, Amanda, asked, grabbing a bottle of ketchup from the servers’ station.
“Typical. They’re all God’s gift to women with heaven in their pants.”
“It’s jock syndrome. Don’t you just love basketball season? I swear this school acts like the sun rises and sets on their players’ asses.”
“It’s all about the money, babe. The university isn’t stupid.” Not that I didn’t agree with Amanda, one hundred percent.
“Preach it, sister.”
Amanda was putting on a show for my benefit. I knew from experience that she was all about the basketball team. She was one of those hard-core supporters who painted her cheeks for every game and cheered as loud as anyone when the games were televised on the big screens scattered throughout the restaurant.
“Who are you trying to kid? We all know you love the players in more ways than one,” I teased, wagging my eyebrows. I filled my drink order and placed the glasses on the round tray I was expertly balancing on my hip. “I bet you’re already scouting for your next recruit.”
She grinned. “Well, now that you mention it . . .” Her voice trailed off as she looked over her shoulder.
“Come on. Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“I’ll fill you in later. I need to deliver this check to table six before they have a fit.”
I shook my head, watching her walk away. Over the past year that we’d been friends, I’d watched her fall for at least half a dozen guys. She claimed dating someone taller than her was a must, which was why she always went for athletes, especially basketball players. I tried to put myself in her shoes, but I couldn’t see anything bad about being a long-legged five-foot-nine goddess. At five foot nothing, I was shorter than pretty much every guy on campus. Mom called me pixie cute, which was a nice way of saying I was short.
After delivering drinks to the flirty table, I headed over to greet another group that had been seated in my section. Within twenty minutes, the restaurant was packed as the dinner rush began. Amanda and I didn’t have another chance to talk other than to exchange notes on particularly difficult tables, especially those that felt the need to be touchy-feely. Ass grabbers were nothing new. Gruby’s was located on the outskirts of campus, so it attracted a combination of college students and local residents. Mainly middle-aged men sporting beer guts and receding hairlines believing they still had enough game to close a piece of college ass. That is, if they ever had any game in the first place. They were usually the best tippers, but the problem was you had to put up with a lot more shit, including “accidental” ass grazes or boob brushes. They were all the same. Most didn’t even try to hide their wedding rings. Of course, the waitstaff at Gruby’s had our own way of keeping them in line, like spilling drinks in their laps, or a plate of food in the crotch if they’d taken too many liberties with their hands. Thankfully it didn’t have to come to that very often. A little flirty banter was usually all it took to keep any guy in check, no matter how old he was.
Five hours into my shift and my feet were begging for a break. Today had been a long fourteen-hour marathon. An early cram session at the library had me out of the house earlier than normal, followed by art history class and then more studying before my final class of the day.
As the dinner crowd slowly trickled away, I stood out of view of the few remaining patrons and rolled my shoulders, trying to work out a kink in my neck. Feeling marginally better, I left the drink station to hand over the check to what would hopefully be my last customer of the night.
As luck would have it, Felicia, everyone’s least favorite hostess, squashed that thought as she walked by. “Hey, Court. I just sat another group at table twelve in your zone.” Like I needed her to tell me table twelve was in my zone. I had worked here long enough to know the layout of the dining area.
That was Felicia. She was a witch who had an annoying habit of telling everyone how to do their jobs. Worst of all was the way she would brag about how they used to do things at the last sports bar where she’d worked. After several not-so-subtle hints, Amanda had finally told her to go back to her last place if it was so fabulous because maybe she’d be happier there. Felicia missed the hint. She was on the verge of having her mouth taped closed, but thankfully we felt her days were numbered since she’d called in sick twice in two weeks. Chris had a low tolerance for employees who missed shifts. We were already planning the celebration party.
I straightened up and pasted a smile on my face to greet my new table.
“Welcome to Gruby’s. I’m Courtney, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Drafts are buy one, get one for another twenty minutes,” I parroted, finally looking at the occupants as I pulled my notepad from the pocket of my half apron. My eyes widened and my mouth went dry when I took in the group sitting at the table. Actually it was because of one person in particular. I knew there was a chance this day would come. I was just hoping to be better prepared for it.
Dalton Thompson, my first best friend and onetime crush, sat in front of me, flashing his signature grin that I knew all too well. It had been years since that grin was aimed in my direction, but it was forever burned in my brain. Not that I could forget it, considering where I went to school. That same cheeky smile could be found on banners splashed all over campus, along with local TV news stations and even the national sports channels. Dalton was the face of the university’s basketball team. After he’d won two state championships in high school, every big-time program in the country wanted Dalton, but he chose to stay home and play for Michigan. He was practically a legend to everyone in the local community, and one day in the not too distant future would be a top ten pick in the pros. To me, he was so much more. At least, he was at one time. When I decided to attend the same college as Dalton, I figured I was safe because the chances of us running into each other were pretty slim, and yet here we were.
chapter two
Dalton
“I’ll take the Gruby’s burger, medium, and an extra order of fries.” I handed over the menu to Courtney Leighton, recognizing her right away even though I hadn’t seen her in years. We were best friends when we were kids. Then we drifted apart and it was like she became a ghost. We stopped talking and even though we went to the same schools, we never seemed to see each other.
Checking her out now in her short skirt and tight black T-shirt, I was surprised at how much she had changed. She definitely wasn’t the tomboy I remembered who used to climb trees with me or trade Pokémon cards. She was still short, but her body had developed and filled out the package nicely. Who would ever have thought she’d grow up to be such a knockout? As a matter of fact, the longer she stood in front of me, the cuter she was getting. The height difference might be weird. I bet if I stood up she’d barely reach my chest, which actually could make for some interesting possibilities. She had a tiny waist with a gorgeous ass that looked like it had been crafted for my big hands. Not to mention she was completely stacked. I shifted in my seat since I was suddenly more than a little turned on just looking at her. I needed to get a grip. This was Courtney. How weird would it be if we hooked up after all these years?
She took everyone else’s orders but still hadn’t looked at me. It was like she didn’t recognize me. I remember being pretty bummed back in seventh grade when we started drifting apart, but at the time my dad was riding my ass hard, claiming my days of screwing off were over and that I had to get serious about my game. After that, he made sure I had no time for anything in my life except basketball.
“Anything else?” Courtney asked, finally looking at me like she was bored.
Her expression threw me off. Maybe she did recognize me and just didn’t care or was too e
mbarrassed to say anything. Even though this was a different situation, I’d had my fair share of awkward encounters with women. I always tried to be up front with any girl I met, but sometimes they wanted more than I could give them. Unfortunately basketball took up the majority of the free time I had after classes. That was why I’d never gotten serious with anyone. I never made false promises about where any relationship was going. Up to this point most ladies had been cool with that.
I decided to go for broke. “It’s good to see you, Courtney.”
“Hey, Dalton.” She looked extremely uncomfortable. I guess that answered my question as to whether she remembered me.
“It’s been a long time. Do you go to Michigan?” I was doing my best to break the ice, but she still wouldn’t look me in the eye.
“Yeah, I do. I’ll get your orders in.” She hastily tucked the menus under her arm and flashed the others a smile before hurrying away. I got nothing.
“That was a little cold. Is she an ex or something?” Collin asked once she was out of earshot.
“Man, I wish I could have ordered a beer,” Dave muttered.
“Nah, we knew each other way back in grade school,” I answered. “And don’t even think about it, Dave. You never know who’s watching.” Coach had laid down the law now that the season was heating up. No drinking and no staying up late chasing ass. Dave, who was hoping to get more court time, had taken those words to heart. He’d given up partying and even dumped Jessica, his girlfriend for the past six months. That was why we came to Gruby’s tonight. We hadn’t been here in a couple of months and figured good food and hot waitresses in skimpy uniforms would do him some good.
“That’s cool. Talk about some small-world shit, though,” Collin commented about Courtney. “I had to ask to make sure I wasn’t about to eat a burger that had been dunked in toilet water or something, you know?”
When We Met Page 18
