A Tempting Dare

by Cathryn Fox

  Her heart raced. “Like that game we used to play when we were kids?”

  A small grin curled his lips upward as his fingers brushed her panties. “Yeah, just like that.”

  He started downward, running his fingers over her shins. While it felt good to have his hands on her body—incredible really—it wasn’t where she needed him to touch right now.

  “Cold,” she managed to get out, and she was sure she heard him chuckle.

  His fingers started upward, a slow, torturous drag that teased the hungry spot between her legs. “How about now? Am I getting warmer?”

  Lord knows I am.

  “Yes,” she murmured, writhing slightly on the mattress.

  “You have to stay still, Kat.” He removed his hand, and she instantly missed his warmth. “When you move like that, it makes things harder.”

  Her gaze raced back to his boxers. Oh yeah, moving made things harder, all right. She studied his impressive outline and sucked in air when his crown broke free of the waistband. God, he was so big, so perfect. Pre-cum pooled on his head and her mouth watered, hungering for a taste.

  She went perfectly still and he touched her again, a reward for her submission. So this was how he liked to play it in the bedroom. The boy was naughty…downright wicked. And she liked it. She liked it a lot.

  “How about now, Kat?” His fingers brushed the seam of her panties. “Hot or cold?”

  “Hot,” she whispered, forcing herself not to move to drive his fingers to her clit. He’d touch her eventually, right? If she kept doing what he asked? He slid his thumb to her belly button and circled. A whimper of need caught in her throat. “Cold,” she groaned.

  As his thumb brushed her stomach, he waved his free hand over her panties. Palm down, he circled his hand, narrowing in on her pubis. “Ah, I see. The pull is centered right in this region.” He slid his thumb down, and through her lace, zeroed on her clit.

  “Hot,” she cried out, gripping the bed sheets. “So hot, Sebastian.”

  His fingers climbed up her body again, and he brushed her nipples through her bra. “What about here? Does this hurt, too?”

  “It does.”

  He pulled the cups down, freeing her breasts, and took her nipples between his fingers. He gave a little pinch and she whimpered.

  “Hmmm,” he murmured.

  “What?”

  “I’m afraid we’ll have to remove these clothes so I can get a better look.”

  In a move that had eagerness written all over it, she lifted her hips to aid him with her panties, and he chuckled again. “Okay.”

  Warm hands gripped the lace and dragged the slip of material down her legs. He tossed it away and sank to the floor in front of her. “I see the problem,” he said, his voice deeper than it had been a moment ago.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, I do. You have a lot of swelling, and in my professional opinion, this kind of inflammation needs heat.”

  His warm breath fell over her thighs, and her pussy quivered. “Dry heat or wet heat?” she asked as breath rushed from her lungs. She went up onto her elbows and their gazes met and locked. They exchanged a long look, one that shook her to her core and made her question the logic behind this game they were playing. This was Sebastian. Miami’s hottest bachelor. A guy who had a different woman on his arm every weekend—none of which were her. But she couldn’t think about that right now, or about how always being overlooked by him made her feel. No, right now, all she could think about was the way he was moistening his bottom lip with his tongue. A noise crawled out of her throat as his head dipped.

  “Wet heat,” he said. “Definitely wet heat.” He widened her nether lips with his fingers. “Then if that doesn’t do the trick, I suggest we try cold.”

  “Where…where can I find wet heat this time of the night?”

  “I think I can help you out.”

  He slipped out from between her legs, leaned over her, and swiped his tongue over one nipple. Questing fingers closed over her other breast, kneading her flesh, raising the heat in her. She arched into him, and he sucked her swollen bud so deep she could feel the pull in her core. He gave homage to her other breast then licked a path down her body. He settled himself on his knees again and swiped his tongue over her pussy, dragging it from bottom to top. She could barely get air in past the pleasure curling through her.

  “Oh, yes,” she said. “I think that’s exactly what I needed.”

  The soft blade of his tongue curled around her engorged clit, and her hips came off the bed. He pressed her back down again and slid a finger into her. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Holy hell! No man had ever reduced her to speechlessness before. He moved his finger inside her, pumping ever so slowly as his tongue caressed her clit. The duel assault took her to the precipice in record time.

  “Sebastian,” she whispered. Her hair tangled as she tossed her head from side to side.

  He glanced up at her, and there was no amusement on his face. Pure lust and intense hunger darkened his eyes. “Is this helping, Kat?” he asked and wiggled his buried finger like his sole purpose in life was to ease the ache inside her. She grew wetter with the rippling approach of an orgasm, and he groaned.

  “Yes.” She moved against him. “Please…” she said, even though she had no idea what she was begging for. He pushed another finger inside her and plunged deep, knowing what she wanted before she did. “Oh…” she murmured.

  His tongue swirled and circled while his finger found the bundle of nerves no man had ever before discovered inside of her. Moisture broke out on her flesh, the world around her closing in as pleasure spiked.

  “Is this taking the ache away, baby?”

  “Yes,” she said, lost in a haze of arousal. Skilled in ways she didn’t want to think about, he increased the pressure, changed the tempo. Tension escalated and when he drew her clit into his mouth and nipped, an explosion tore through her, sparks lighting her nerves, followed by a hot flow of release.

  “Sebastian,” she cried out, but his hand closed over her mouth to muffle her voice. She lightly nipped his finger, holding it between her teeth as she fought valiantly to keep quiet.

  He stayed between her legs, lapping at her as she rode out the waves. When her body stopped spasming, he stood and gripped his cock. Jesus, that was sexy. He pumped it in his hands, and her body warmed all over again. His jaw clenched, and his head rolled back. A low growl caught in his throat as his palm skated over his cock, each pump increasingly faster. Wait. Was he finishing himself off? Like hell.

  “I see I’m not the only one with swelling,” she said, going up to a sitting position. His eyes shot back to hers, and she leaned in and took him into her mouth.

  He grabbed a fistful of her hair. “Kat, don’t.”

  She wrapped her hands around his body, tugging him to her. Ignoring his protest, she strained her jaw and drew him to the back of her throat, not nearly able to take him all in, and his groan turned into a moan of pleasure.

  The saltiness of his skin danced on her tongue, and she whimpered. Normally she didn’t enjoy oral sex, but it was different with Sebastian. Not only did she like having him in her mouth, she was dying to taste him, to pleasure him. She tugged his boxers down farther and cupped his balls. He jerked forward as she gently massaged.

  “Fuck,” he murmured, his balls tightening in her hand. Her hair tumbled forward as she took him in and out, and he cupped it in his palm and pulled it back. She stole a quick glance at him and found his eyes locked on her mouth, watching the way she was working her tongue over his cock. His throat made a strange sound as he swallowed, and her nipples tightened. She loved everything about Sebastian right now. From the way those baby blues were watching her to the way he was about to come undone from her touch.

  With his hips swaying slightly, she licked and sucked and slid her tongue all over him, building the pressure until his hips were rocking and his eyes were closing. His body tensed, and his cock thickened even more.


  His fingers tightened in her hair and he tried to tug her off. “Kat,” he said, but she kept him in her mouth. His breath hitched. “Oh, fuck.” He pumped once, twice, then he released in the back of her throat. He panted and pulsed, and she swallowed every last drop. She inched back and his cock slid out of her mouth.

  His hands tangled in her hair, and when their eyes met, something intimate passed between them. He angled her chin, his gaze like a sweet caress, as he looked her over. His face softened, the hard lines in his jaw relaxing.

  Still panting, he sucked in a breath. “Jesus, Kat,” he whispered. He brushed her hair back with his thumb and bent down to place a soft kiss on her forehead, so tender and affectionate it tugged at something deep inside her. While his mouth had been all over her body, they hadn’t actually kissed. A lump lodged somewhere deep in her throat. Maybe that was a good thing. What was it Emery had said? You can tell if a guy is your one true love by that first kiss.

  Now she was glad he hadn’t kissed her. No way would she want to discover that he was her one true love. This was Sebastian, Mr. One Night Stand. He didn’t believe in commitment, and she didn’t believe in Happily Ever After. So why, then, was her heart pounding a million miles an hour, wishing fairy tales really did come true?

  Chapter Four

  Even though he was mad with the need to have her again, to finish what they’d started in his bed the previous night, Sebastian couldn’t—wouldn’t—go there with Kat. Last night things had escalated beyond his power to stop it, and he’d given in to her seduction for two reasons. One, he was a man and had wanted her for so fucking long—Christ, the way those lace panties hugged her curvy hips was enough to steal any man’s resolve—and two, some douchebag had hurt her, and he wanted to make her feel good about herself, let her know just how sexy and important she really was.

  Stepping into the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and pulled the carton of orange juice from the fridge.

  “Morning,” a voice said from behind.

  He spun to find Zoe sitting at the table, her eyes locked on his ass. Her gaze lifted when he turned.

  “Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there.”

  “Am I that invisible?” she asked.

  “No, just some things on my mind.” She pouted, then a frown tugged at her lips. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Peter and I got into a fight last night. I’m about ready to call the whole engagement off.”

  Shit, he really didn’t want to be having this conversation with her. He poured the juice into the glass and took a big swig, stalling as he tried to figure out the right comeback.

  “Ah, sorry about that.”

  She pushed a chair out for him, but he leaned against the counter, wanting to keep a measure of distance. He was intelligent enough to know she was coming on to him, gauging his response to her engagement comment, but he wasn’t about to go after another man’s woman. Even if she wasn’t attached, the thoughts of sleeping with her left a sour taste in his mouth. Not because she wasn’t beautiful or his type—she was. But now that he’d had a taste of Kat, he had no appetite for any other woman.

  Great. Just fucking great.

  He raked his hand through his hair and caught of whiff of Kat. Jesus, he’d spent twenty minutes in the shower, but her sweet scent still clung to his skin. Laughter from outside reached his ears and he wanted to excuse himself, but he wasn’t that much of an asshole.

  “Juice?” he asked, holding out the carton.

  “I’ll just have a drink of yours.” She slid from her chair and sauntered over. She stood close—too close—and took his glass from him. Kat rounded the corner when Zoe put the drink to her lips. His eyes met Kat’s, and her steps slowed. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, hesitated, and then closed it again. Zoe finished drinking and handed the glass back to him. She licked her lips, exaggerating the motion. Alrighty then.

  “Morning, Kat,” he said, trying to exude a nonchalance he didn’t feel. The glass slipped in his hand, and he tightened his fingers around it before it smashed to the floor.

  “Morning,” she said, the lightness in her voice belying the stiffness in her body. Dammit, this wasn’t what she thought. Or maybe she didn’t think anything at all. She knew he didn’t fuck around with attached women.

  “Zoe was just—” he began, feeling the need to explain himself.

  “I was just venting.” She touched Sebastian’s arm. “Sometimes Peter can be so possessive. It makes me want to break the engagement.”

  “I get it,” Kat said.

  “Really?” Zoe said, her eyes hardening as she turned them on Kat. “How could you possibly get it? I heard you were anti-marriage.” She lowered her voice and added, “That you were a man hater.”

  Kat’s back went poker straight. What the hell was going on with these two? They were acting like two cats trapped in a duffle bag.

  Kat slid him a glance. “Oh, so that’s what you’ve heard about me, was it?”

  Jesus, she didn’t think he’d said that, did she? “Kat—”

  Before he could get the words out, Danny and his father stepped into the kitchen.

  “Hey Kat Nip,” Danny said, grabbing Kat in a headlock. She punched him in the gut and he let loose a loud oomph. “Good morning to you, too.”

  Sebastian took that moment to extricate himself from Zoe. He slid along the counter and tried not to stare at Kat—or drool over the awe-inspiring frayed shorts and snug T-shirt she wore as she reached for the coffee pot. His brain stalled, memories of last night swamping him. His cock thickened, and he shifted his stance.

  “Stop hogging all the juice,” Danny said, pulling him back from his stupor. He handed the carton to Danny, and his friend angled his head, those too-astute eyes moving over Sebastian’s face.

  “What the hell is the matter with you lately anyway?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Thanks for the drink, Sebastian,” Zoe said. She gave a little finger wave and slipped outside to where the young kids were already swimming and running around the gardens. Sebastian watched her go, and Danny nudged him. He turned back to his friend and caught the note of amusement dancing on his lips. “Ah, never mind.”

  If Danny wanted to think Zoe was messing with his head, then so be it. Better that than the real reason. While he’d never want to do anything to hurt Kat, maybe it was better for her to think that, too. Last night was a mistake—a sweet, beautiful mistake that couldn’t happen again. Otherwise, he just might not be able to keep his feelings locked behind the barricade he’d erected years ago. Kat wasn’t looking for anything more for him, anyway, of that, he was sure. She knew his reputation and had straight up called him a player. Yeah, he got around, but fear of commitment wasn’t the reason he had a different woman in his bed every weekend.

  “What are you all still doing inside?” Danny’s mother Janice asked, stepping into the kitchen through the patio doors, her smile so bright Sebastian wished he had his sunglasses on. “Get on out here. The sun is shining, breakfast is set up in the gardens, and we have games to play.” She clapped her hands, and everyone followed her out.

  The brilliant morning sun beat down on him, and his body began to burn, but he was pretty sure it had more to do with Kat than the powerful rays. She stood beside him at the buffet table and filled her plate with fruit and pastry.

  “Sleep well?” she asked.

  Sleep? After she left his room, he’d tossed and turned and spent the remainder of the night fighting the urge to go to her room to bend her over her bed and slide his cock all the way into her.

  “For the most part,” he said.

  She turned to him, and when she gifted him a smile, he nearly bit his tongue off. “Listen, Kat—” he began.

  “Yeah?” She plopped a strawberry into her mouth and his body trembled, instantly rewinding to last night and the way she’d taken his cock between luscious lips he was dying to taste. Shit, he had oral sex with her, but hadn’t even kissed her. Talk a
bout a douchebag move. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. She blinked up at him. “You okay?”

  He pitched his voice low for her ears only. “I just…last night. That can’t happen again.”

  There was a long pause and then, “I know.” She gave a small wave of her hand like she was completely unaffected by last night when it had totally rocked his world. “It was a one-time thing.”

  What the fuck? He should be happy, right? She just agreed with him. Agreed that it couldn’t happen again. Why then, did he feel like someone had just sucker-punched him? Did he want her to protest? To declare her undying love and tell him she wanted him again and again?

  Yeah, I fucking do.

  Kat walked away, and his gaze latched onto her ass until she took a seat next to her aunt Judy. Sebastian fisted his hands at his sides, summoning every ounce of strength he had not to go after her—to tell her how he really felt about her.

  Walk away, Sebastian. Walk. The. Fuck. Away.

  Sebastian filled his plate, even though he only had an appetite for one thing, and plopped down into a chair at one of the shaded tables, as far away from Kat as possible. Kids ran around, laughing and playing, their parents already filling their glasses with Mimosa. Loneliness nipped at him as he took it all in. It was always hard going back to his empty condo, void of personal touches, after a weekend at the happy Quinn estate. Okay, so he’d be lying if he said he hated this. Hell, he looked forward to these damn reunions. These people were his family, his friends, and if he lost this… Well, it would damn well kill him.

  He forced himself to finish his food then went back in the house to grab his swim shorts. He didn’t care if the pool was filled with screaming kids all dunking each other, he needed a good hard swim. He changed, jumped into the pool, and did a few laps. Afterward, the young cousins wanted him to play water volleyball, and he joined them. Laughing and playing with the kids took his mind of Kat, and he found himself enjoying the morning as it slipped away.