A jagged-looking cut sat on the side of my middle finger. It wasn’t deep enough to require stitches but it was definitely deep enough that I was going to have a new scar to add to my ever-growing collection.
I sighed, more annoyed than anything else. Elsie ran up to me, face pale as she watched blood trickling down my palm and over my wrist. “Oh no. Oh God. I’m so sorry. What—”
She cut herself off when her gaze dropped to the bag. “Shit. I should have warned you. My Christmas decorations wouldn’t fit in any of the boxes I had leftover.”
I winced but not from the pain. “When we tell other people about this, can we please not tell them that I sliced myself open on a fucking Christmas decoration?”
It didn’t appear that she’d heard me. She touched her fingers to my uninjured hand instead and gripped it tightly. Panic seeped into her voice and her eyes were wild. “I know where my first-aid kit is. Come with me. I’ll fix you right up. I can’t put in stitches, obviously, but I can—”
“Relax,” I said once she’d sat me down on the couch and went in search of her kit. “I’m fine. I just need to run it under some water until the bleeding stops. Trust me. This isn’t my first cut and it won’t be the last.”
Thankfully, she didn’t stop to question me. She kept chattering nervously as she ripped open a box in her kitchen and came back to me. In addition to her kit, she also carried a bowl of water and some paper towels.
“How’d you find all of that so fast?”
She shrugged. “Adrenaline. Now open your hand and let me get to work.”
She sat down so close to my side that she was practically in my lap, but I didn’t mind. Her touch was so gentle that I almost didn’t notice she was fixing me up until she was all done.
Instead of watching what she was doing, I watched her. The way her eyelashes fanned across her cheeks as she kept her gaze on my hand. The way her chest was heaving as if she was running a marathon.
And okay, I also had a pretty decent fucking view of her cleavage from here. A fact that I couldn’t ignore and not something I could stop looking at. Thinking I was safe to stare, considering how attentive she was being to my wound, turned out to be wrong.
Her throat cleared, and when I lifted my eyes, it was to find hers on mine and an arched dark eyebrow. “Enjoying the view?”
“I was actually.” I smirked, but then I noticed that her eyes had dropped again. Only this time, it wasn’t to my hand.
She was looking at my mouth, her chest still rising and falling faster than normal. When her tongue dashed across the fullness of her lower lip, my resolve crumbled.
I’d wanted this woman since the first time I’d laid eyes on her. While I wasn’t the prolific ladies’ man Andrew was, I knew what she wanted at that moment. A kiss.
It was the first definite sign that she wanted me too, and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity to taste her pass me by.
Bringing my hand to her face, I cupped her chin and lifted it until her eyes were back on mine. Electricity passed between us and the air itself thickened with tension. “I’m going to kiss you now. If you don’t want me to, this is your chance to say it.”
When the only response I got was a soft moan and another swipe of her tongue across her lip, I lowered my head and brought her mouth to mine.
Sweet baby Jesus. Finally, fucking finally, but holy shit has this kiss been worth the wait.
Chapter 17
Elsie
Holy hotcakes in heaven.
If there was one thing every girl knew, it was that kisses could either be the mother of all disappointments or the very best feeling in the world.
Unfortunately, despite what romance novels and movies wanted us to believe, it was very often the handsome cocky guys who disappointed. Beth and I had discussed the conundrum numerous times and believed it was because they thought their looks, money, or whatever else made up for the fact that they’d never bothered to ask what they were doing wrong. It was almost like they thought possessing one or more of those attributes would make up for any shortcomings they had in the kissing department.
Newsflash, boys! They don’t.
Taydom, on the other hand, kissed like he had a doctorate degree in the art. And with him, it definitely was an art form.
Sparks exploded behind my eyelids when they lowered of their own accord, and an angelic choir started singing in my ears. Hold the presses, people. The hottest guy in Dallas, who’s also one of the ones with the most money, actually bothered to slow down to learn how to kiss at some point.
It was a revelation, but it was also dangerous. My nipples peaked against the lace of my bra, and my panties grew damp, but he wasn’t even really touching me. Not like I wanted him to anyway.
Both of his hands were way above the waistline. One large palm was fitted to the back of my neck while the other was on my back.
As enveloped by him as I was, it was impossible to miss the expensive, woodsy yet spicy scent of him. It shouldn’t have been possible for him to smell good after he’d spent all morning lugging my stuff around, but there was only the faintest hint of fresh sweat.
Somehow, that only added to the intoxicating cocktail of his aroma. Note to self: find out what deodorant rich people use.
I wasn’t sure I smelled anywhere near as good as he did, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. With his strong arms encircling me and his magic mouth on mine, I would vow never to wear deodorant again if that was what it took.
Eww. Take that back.
I did, but at the same time, I also yanked myself all the way out of my head and focused on the man who was kissing me. His hand had dropped from my back to caress my sides and he now had one thumb brushing the underside of my boob. Ooh, he’s good, this one.
A moan fell from my lips between kisses, only to be echoed by one of his own. The next moment, a large hand found my thigh and expertly hooked around it to spin me so I could be laid back on the couch.
I obliged the request without him needing to put it into words, wrapping my hands around his neck and bringing him with me. His upper body pressed against mine, but his lower half remained in the same position he’d been in before.
“No.” My voice was breathy but insistent.
Taydom broke the kiss immediately, his hair messy from having my fingers in it and pools of regret in his eyes. “No?”
Oh, God. No. “No, not that no.”
“I’m sorry.” He frowned. “I was taught that no meant no. I told you to say no if you didn’t want me to kiss you. You said no.”
“I didn’t say no to you kissing me,” I whispered. “I said no because you…”
“I what?” he asked, the muscles against me flexing as if he was about to pull away.
I locked him into place with my body and lifted my head to kiss him again, but he only lifted his farther. A hint of laughter was entering those gorgeous brown eyes now, though, making the golden flecks seem bright again. “I’m not putting my lips back on you until you tell me what you were saying no to.”
Heat crept to my cheeks. “I, uh, I was saying no because your legs were still—you know—there.”
“Well, yeah, they’re attached, you see?” he teased, lowering his head so that his lips brushed against my neck with every word he spoke. “If you want something from me, just say it.”
Tingles ran down my arms and goosebumps appeared on my flesh from the soft caress of his mouth. My thoughts scattered, but the ache below my belly reminded me of what it was I wanted. “You weren’t getting on top of me.”
I felt his head tilt and his body froze above my own, not even his chest moving to breathe. “Do you want me to? I’m fine with just kissing you, Elsie. Really. I’m not some boy who can’t control himself.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to control yourself,” I breathed. “In fact, I very much want you to lose control.”
“Be very careful about what you say next because it sounds like you want me to fuck you.” His voice was low and
raspy, slathered in want and coated in need.
I pulled my head back against the pillow and slid a hand between our chests to push him away slightly. My body protested the loss of the weight of his, but I was hoping it would be back there soon.
When his half-lidded eyes rose to meet mine, I pressed a kiss to his lips and spoke against them. “That’s because it’s exactly what I want.”
I felt the rumble of his answering groan in my hand still on his chest. It traveled from there, up my arms, and into my chest before making its way lower and settling at the apex of my thighs.
“What are you waiting for?” I asked. A tiny pang of worry hit my gut when I realized he hadn’t exactly told me what he wanted. The mere fact that he’d kissed me first didn’t mean—
“Stop overthinking it, baby,” he rasped out as he moved back and held his hand out to me. “Trust me. I want you. I was taking a minute to make sure this wasn’t a dream and to decide if I wanted you on the couch or the bed.”
“The bed’s not made yet,” I said before the former part of his sentence sank in. “Wait. Why would it be a dream?”
He tugged me to my feet with his lips curving into a smirk. As soon as I was standing, he pulled me into his arms, flush against his hard body. I realized then that every inch of him was hard. Painfully so.
One of his hands traveled up my back to grab the ends of my ponytail, giving it a light pull to indicate he wanted me to look up at him. He waited until I did before leveling me with his gaze. “Because I’ve dreamt about fucking you pretty much every night since we met.”
“You have not.” I gasped, and I wasn’t even a gasper. He looked like he was serious, though, which I figured was pretty fucking gasp-worthy.
He grinned and shook his head, then smacked my behind before letting me go. “I never joke about dirty dreams, babe. Now come on before I change my mind and fuck you right here.”
“What’s wrong with right here?” I asked but took the hand he held out for me again and followed him to the bedroom. “Wait. The bed’s not made up, remember?”
“It is. I got you new bedding yesterday. They’ve been washed, too.”
“You got me new bedding?” I frowned when we walked into the bedroom and I noticed that he was right. The bed was made up with bedding that definitely wasn’t mine.
It was beautiful, though. A deep purple with turquoise paisley patterns edged in black. Pillows matching the colors of the comforter stretched almost halfway down the mattress, and when I ran my fingers along the linen, it was softer than anything I’d ever slept on before.
Taydom watched me patiently but with lust and hunger darkening his gaze. “Yes, I did. I didn’t dream I’d get to see you on them, but I couldn’t resist.”
“What did you dream then?” I asked as I turned to face him.
“It’ll be way more fun to show you.” His slightly swollen lips curved into a devilish smile. Closing the distance between us in two long strides, he brought his hands to my face. “May I?”
“Yes,” I said with absolutely no room for doubt in my tone. “Please show me.”
His grin widened as he moved around me, stopping once he was behind me and standing so close to my back that I could feel his heat. I didn’t quite understand what he was doing behind me at first, but then his lips came to the column of my throat and it was too difficult to even wonder.
Big hands closed over my hips. His fingers splayed as they flexed and his mouth lavishly nipped and licked and kissed all the skin he could reach. My head rolled back and landed against his broad chest.
Taydom’s arm slid around my waist and he pulled me closer, his lips leaving my skin to come back to mine. While he kissed me senseless, I felt his featherlight touch on the hem of my tank top. He rolled the fabric up slowly, exposing my flesh inch by inch.
The cool air in the bedroom met my heated skin, and more goosebumps rose as if he had managed to use the very air itself as part of his seduction technique. I wasn’t complaining, though.
When he finally reached my breasts, he stopped the slow ascent of my shirt and took one in each hand. His thumbs flicked my hardened peaks, and as I moaned, so did he.
Patience apparently wearing thin, he yanked my shirt off the rest of the way before peeling my shorts off next. Standing in front of him in just my underwear wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be.
He broke off the kiss to walk around me, his pupils dilated. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one breathing heavily as he took me in.
“Even better than my dreams,” he said, placing one hand on the center of my chest and using it to push me back against the bed.
I went willingly but wound my arms around his neck so he would lie down with me. He spread out over my body, his weight making me sink deeper into the mattress.
Feeling him like that made my own patience decide to up and go, leaving me a clawing, writhing mess who couldn’t wait any longer. “Taydom.”
“Yeah, I know. Going slow isn’t fun anymore.” He pulled back to look into my eyes, dropped a kiss on my nose, and then, thank all the gods, got busy.
My bra and panties were just about ripped clean off my body, and his clothes followed. My mouth dried up when I caught sight of the body he had been hiding beneath all those pesky layers. Holy shit, he was perfect. As I’d suspected, his muscles weren’t bulky or bulging, but they were certainly there.
His broad shoulders and chest tapered down to a narrower waist while his arms were toned and lean. His abdomen was ripped, and every line that made every girl salivate was there, right down to those cut hipbones.
“Damn,” I breathed. My gaze dropped to the smattering of hair below his belly button, the happy trail that was partially obscured by a very large, very enticing erection. “I thought going slow wasn’t fun anymore.”
“It’s not.” He groaned as his eyes raked over every inch of me, the same as I’d just done to him. “Jesus Christ, woman. You’re gorgeous.”
I wanted to argue. In comparison to him and the standards he had to be used to, I couldn’t be anything special. The way he was looking at me stopped me from saying anything, though, because it was like he’d never seen anyone or anything more beautiful than me.
“So are you,” I said and reached up to pull him back to me. “Are we doing this or what?”
“Oh, we’re doing this,” he replied before sealing his mouth over mine. Our bodies came together like two pieces of a puzzle, like they had been made for each other.
As good as Taydom was at kissing, he was even better at sex. From the minute he buried himself inside me, I was climbing toward the stars.
He never stopped kissing me, not until those very same stars exploded behind my eyes and the angelic choir reached their crescendo. Taydom tensed above me, his moans mingling with my own as he speared me with the sexiest look I’d ever seen and followed me over the edge.
Even so, I soon learned that he wasn’t done. Using his mouth, his hands, and eventually his cock again, he gave me more pleasure than I’d previously thought I was capable of.
When he was finished rocking my world, he collapsed on the bed beside me.
The sun was starting to set outside as I rolled to my side to face him. “Wow. We were at that for a while.”
He smirked and hooked his arms behind his head, his hair mussed and his lips now well and truly swollen. “Yeah, but we waited long enough for it.”
“True.” I smiled as we lay there in the darkening room catching our breath.
Taydom rolled over and pressed kisses to my forehead, my eyes, and finally my mouth. His eyes blazed into mine when he pulled back. “I’ll let you get settled in. Otherwise, I’m going to keep you busy all night, and you’re not going to get the chance to unpack. I’ll be right next door if you need anything, okay?”
“Okay.” I lifted my head to give him one last kiss, then watched as he covered his fine ass in clothes again before giving me a wave and walking out.
Nothing bet
ween us had felt awkward after at all, but now that I was alone, it dawned on me what I had done. I had sex with my landlord on my first night here.
That can’t have been a good idea.
Chapter 18
Taydom
Maybe Andrew had been right all along. I’d been a miserable bastard to be around this last couple of months, but I was on top of the world this morning. It turned out I really had just needed to get laid. Or rather, to get laid by Elsie.
No other woman would have done the trick. Hell, now that I’d had her, I wasn’t sure another woman would ever do the trick again.
Not that I wanted a relationship, with Elsie or anyone else, but there could be some definite benefits to being friends and neighbors with her. It was something I would keep in mind. All I knew was, despite what I’d hoped for, one time with her was not going to be enough.
Just the thought of her was making me hard, and I was at the goddamn breakfast table. Grown-ass men who possessed even a sliver of self-control did not get hard at the breakfast table, but it seemed Elsie had broken something in me.
I blamed her dusky pink nipples and smooth, soft skin against mine. She kissed like an angel and fucked like a devil, and I’d be damned if I didn’t admit that I fucking loved it.
Since jerking off at the breakfast table wasn’t an option, not even in my current state, I shoved all thoughts about Elsie forcefully out of my mind. As much as I would have loved to go over there and give her a proper Welcome to the Neighborhood wake up call, I didn’t think we were anywhere near the point where she’d want to wake up with my dick inside her.
There was more to it than that, though.
After what I’d read about Illinois last week, I needed to check in with my parents. I swallowed the bite of cereal I’d just taken and picked up my phone.
My mother answered on the fourth ring. “Well, would you look at that? He does know that a phone works both ways. How are you doing, sweetheart?”
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