Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men Book 9)

by Linda Kage

  Say what?

  I froze, before slowly sliding my gaze his way. He was addressing Brandt, who was shaking his head in confusion. “Not sure what you mean,” he answered slowly. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Well, he got laid,” Ten announced. “And he got laid good. I mean, I guess it happened the night before he came over to our place, and he was still rocking the happy juice then. I’m telling you, the kid looked as if he’d just been kissed by the goddess of all postcoital excellence. Some woman rocked his world right off its fucking axis.”

  Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod! He was talking about me.

  My face flamed hot, and I pressed my lips together, starting to turn away only to catch Pick watching me speculatively.

  “No,” Brandt was saying with authority. “If Colton was seeing someone, I’d know about it.”

  “Well, if he is,” Pick murmured, still watching me, “I’m sure he’ll talk about it when he’s ready.”

  I blew out a breath and turned away, pressing my hand to my abdomen. He was going to keep our secret. I wasn’t sure I liked him knowing it in the first place, but I was glad he wasn’t going to tattle on us.

  “Evening, guys. We’re not late, are we?” a new voice asked from behind me, making me turn back to take in the new arrivals.

  Two more joined the group, taking stools on either side of Pick and Ten. Both of them I’d seen at the bar before and knew their names.

  Dr. Hamilton was tall and hulky and about the most gorgeous young surgeon on the face of the planet. And what was even more amazing about him, he was also the nicest, sweetest and shiest man I’d ever encountered.

  On the other side of him, equal parts as hot and nice as Dr. Hamilton, but maybe not quite so shy, was Mason Lowe. He was related to Pick, or their wives were related to each other, or something. I wasn’t quite sure. He stopped by a lot and went straight to Pick’s office. It was kind of strange to see him stop at the bar for a drink, though.

  Oddly enough, I’d come to learn he was also the brother to Brandt’s wife, Sarah.

  So, while Brandt headed straight to greet him, I turned my grin to Dr. Melt Me.

  “Hi, Dr. Hamilton,” I greeted, my voice maybe, possibly a tad bit breathless. “What can I get you?”

  His smile made my insides melt a little (yeah, I’d definitely nicknamed him aptly) before he said, “I’ll take a—”

  “No, hey…” Ten lifted a hand across Dr. Hamilton’s chest. “We are not overworking the lovely Rihanna tonight and making her serve us. Butthead can fetch your drink.”

  “Rihanna?” Dr. Hamilton frowned in confusion. “I thought her name was Julianna.”

  “No shit? Is it really?” Ten swung his gaze to me with surprise. “So the name I assigned you actually rhymes with your real name? That’s so awesome!” He held out his hand to fist bump with me.

  I couldn’t help it, I laughed and fist bumped him back.

  “Here you go,” he added, handing me another five dollars. “This one’s for having an awesome name.” Then he clapped his hands to get Brandt’s attention so he could serve Dr. Hamilton.

  And thus the night continued. No one mentioned Colton again—much to my disappointment—or tried again to theorize who his new fuck buddy was—much to my relief—but I kind of stuck near the group anyway. It wasn’t busy in the place and there was just something very drawing about them. I liked them, but more…I liked knowing about their ties to my man.

  I knew I probably shouldn’t be labeling Colton as mine. But he was. After hearing how our night together had affected him, he was most definitely mine. I just wasn’t sure yet how long I would get to keep him.

  One thing was certain, I wasn’t ready to give him up anytime soon.

  JULIANNA’S CHAPTER | 21

  I was jumpy and nervous as I walked into philosophy the next morning. I still wasn’t sure what Colton was going to do.

  I’d woken up to a text from him.

  I hadn’t responded. I was too on edge, stressing about class. Would he sit by me, flirt with me, kiss me?

  Of course he’d sit by me. Aside from that little glitch after the wedding where he’d been upset, he’d always come to me and flirted and talked whenever we were in the same room. But the kissing…I didn’t know. Did he do public displays of affection with the women he saw? Not that we were technically seeing each other, as in relationship-wise, but yeah, would he even touch me?

  A part of me craved just that. After hearing last night how I’d rocked his world enough to make his brother-in-law notice the change, I was ready to grab his shirt, yank him close and molest his mouth senseless, while another part of me kind of dreaded it.

  Was I really ready for this big of an announcement to the world yet? I was involved with a guy not of my own race. I had no idea why I didn’t stress about that issue as much when I’d been wanting to date Brandt. But now that something was actually happening between me and Colton, it was just…I didn’t even know. I was beginning to worry what everyone else would think, which I knew I shouldn’t, even as I did anyway.

  My breath caught when he walked into the room, sipping from my mug, and suddenly I knew. Hell yes, I was ready to be seen in public with him.

  My stomach fluttered as I straightened in my chair and glanced at the empty seat beside me. Thank God no one had sat there yet. I might’ve been forced to kick them out in order to make room for my man. But when I glanced toward Colton again, he was no longer in the doorway. Frowning, I searched the aisles until I spotted him falling into a seat clear on the other side of the room and behind me. My mouth fell open. He didn’t glance my way or even seem to notice I was present.

  What the hell?

  Wait, maybe he hadn’t seen me. I dug my phone from my backpack to text him when the professor arrived and immediately started class. Biting my lip, I set the phone down by my notepad and sighed. Too late.

  I tried to take notes of the lecture—I really did—but I kept glancing over my shoulder toward Colton, who never once glanced back. I plopped my face into my hand as I rested my elbow on my desk and brushed my long bangs to the side out of my eyes just as my phone buzzed.

  When I glanced down and saw Colton’s name, my stomach hitched with excitement. But then I read his message.

  Excuse me?

  I glanced back at him, frowning, and not at all sure what he was telling me to stop. Was he annoyed because I kept looking at him? Was this his way of telling me he was tired of me and ready to move on to a different woman now?

  Clenching my teeth, I typed back:

  I rolled my eyes and started typing.

  He replied seconds later.

  Grinning because he’d mentioned the top I had specially picked out to wear today just to drive him crazy, I set my phone down and purposely stretched as if yawning, lifting my arms over my head and arching back my shoulders, which pushed my chest forward.

  An immediate text came through.

  I pressed my hand to my mouth because it felt as if I probably shouldn’t be grinning quite this wide in the middle of philosophy class.

  And then Colton wrote:

  From that point on, I couldn’t control myself; I burst out laughing.

  All my fellow students turned to gape at me, and even Dr. Taris stopped talking to arch an eyebrow in my direction.

  “Though I’m sure the fact that Socrates was attracted to teenage boys might be amusing to some of you,” the professor intoned, staring down his nose disdainfully at me, “if you could contain your mirth for the duration of the lecture, that’d be great.”

  I slapped my hand over my mouth and slumped low in my chair before mumbling, “Sorry.”

  I’d had no idea we’d been discussing a philosopher’s freaking sexual proclivities in the middle of class. With my cheeks scorching with embarrassment, I risked a glance toward Colton.

  He wasn’t looking at me, but there was a grin stretched across his face from ear to ear.

  The bastard.

&nb
sp; He added a winkie face, and that was the end of our foreplay in philosophy class. When we were finally dismissed a few minutes later, Colton left without approaching me or talking to me. But I received one more message that said:

  And that was it.

  Honestly, it was probably for the best that we didn’t get too close to each other right now. We really would’ve skipped class again and ended up at my place. But the sneaky devious devil, he must’ve known that he could wind me up without even speaking to me. I think I was more anxious to see him now than if he’d come straight up to me and started making out with me in the middle of class.

  By the time five o’clock rolled around and he knocked on my door, I flung it open, beyond eager for round two of our sex-only agreement.

  “Hey,” he started to greet me, only to be cut short by me grabbing a handful of his shirt. Then I jerked him into my apartment and kissed him. Hard. Before he could really orient himself, I dragged him back to my room, pushed him onto my mattress and crawled onto his lap, flashing him a glimpse of my pussy when my skirt came up enough to reveal I’d already taken my panties off.

  “You have thirty seconds to get inside me, or I’m kicking you right back out of my bed,” I ordered as I ripped open his fly. “Is that perfectly clear?”

  He was already hard when I pulled him into my hand.

  Purring appreciatively, I wrapped my fingers around the base and stroked up until a bead of precum appeared from the tip.

  “Christ, baby doll.” He grunted and dropped the condom he was trying to open.

  “I’ll take care of that.” Snagging the package off his abs where he’d dropped it, I ripped it open with my teeth and rolled it on.

  Colton had been half sitting up on his elbows, watching me. But then he fell back onto the pillows and gaped up at the ceiling with his lips parted and eyes dazed. When I sank down on him, he gasped and his incredulous gaze went to my face. “What the…uhhh.”

  His eyes rolled back in his head as I moved, taking him deep and then pulling almost all the way off before lowering myself back onto him.

  “Holy shit,” he rasped before tumbling us across the bed until he was on top. Then he sat up and began to thrust fast and hard, his gaze glued to my face the entire time. “You started this,” he warned breathlessly, telling me he’d reached a point beyond his control and was feverish to finish.

  I just laughed and arched up my hips to meet each plunge, taking all of it in. Reaching around, I sank my nails into his bare ass and pulled him even more flush against me. Bracing his hands on either side of my face, he stared down at me and pierced my pussy hard with each word he gritted out. “Best…fuck…ever.”

  When my cervix contracted and an orgasm started, I spread my arms wide and split my legs apart, letting it devour me. It flowed through every nerve ending in my body and felt like some kind of divine consumption. I relished every second.

  God, I loved sex with Colton.

  Panting above me as he spent himself, he hung his head and gasped for a breath, before exhaling and meeting my gaze. “Okay, these clothes need to come off.”

  He sat back on his haunches so he could yank my skirt down my legs and then had me sit up so he could remove my top and bra.

  I sent him an odd look but complied without protest. “But we’re already finished.”

  He snorted. “With round one, yeah. Next time I plan to enjoy a couple more body parts along the way.” Then he hopped off the bed to remove his clothes as well as dispose of his condom. When he returned, he collapsed next to me on his side and grinned.

  “So, hi,” he said, still a bit out of breath. “How was your day?”

  “Fine,” I answered, rolling toward him and running my hand up his chest, then grinning over the skin I’d caused to get all flushed and moist. “How was yours?”

  “It’s looking up.” He gripped my shoulder when I pushed him onto his back and then leaned over him so I could trail kisses up his torso.

  “Yeah,” I had to agree. “Things are definitely improving as the day progresses.” Moving my attention up until I was hovering over his face and grinning down at him, I spiked my fingers into his hair and kissed him flush on the mouth.

  “Mmmph.” His surprise muffled through his throat until he kissed me back.

  Our tongues tangled and fingers gripped. Flesh slipped against flesh until he rolled me onto my back and he was on top again. He caged my face in his hands and kissed me a moment longer before pulling back and pressing his lips briefly to my forehead. Then he gazed into my eyes as if seeing me for the first time.

  “Um…not that I’m complaining, but Jesus Christ, baby doll. What the hell’s gotten into you tonight? I could’ve sworn there for a minute that you were actually glad to see me.”

  I wrinkled my nose, dismissing that idea. “Of course not. I think you just made me momentarily soft with that stupid cuddling bullshit you forced me to take part in last time. I’m sure I’ll get it out of my system soon.”

  His grin flashed. “In that case.” He hopped off me and turned me onto my side so we were spooning. “We need to restock more cuddling powers into you so you’ll stay like this longer.” Then he sighed and relaxed into me, caressing his leg up the back of mine and fitting his resting junk right up against my ass crack as his chest pressed into my back. “Yeah, that hits the spot, doesn’t it?”

  Yes, it did.

  “Hmm, it’s not awful,” I allowed as I clutched his arm and held him right where he was. “I may even allow cuddling into our arrangement if you don’t fuck anything up in the next few minutes. But I still fully plan to pay you back for making me laugh in class at the worst moment ever.” Except even as I warned that, I closed my eyes and tipped my head back to rest it against his shoulder, totally unable to be mad at him for anything.

  “And I’m still looking forward to it,” he answered, his fingers trailing up from my waist until he was cupping my breasts. Then he was rolling the ends of my nipple under his thumb. Arousal pierced me. I pressed my butt more firmly against his lap and shifted my legs restlessly alongside his. His other hand snuck down and found my clit.

  “Damn you,” I said with a gasp, unable to keep from arching my hips into his hand. “How do you always make me like whatever you do?”

  “I think it’s because you like me.”

  I shook my head, totally denying that notion. “Impossible.”

  He chuckled. “I am so going to make you admit it,” he warned, rolling us until he was on his back and I was on my back too, but on top of him. We both faced the ceiling as he toyed with my breasts and pussy simultaneously. “But until then, I’m going to fuck you, just like this.”

  I blinked, not sure how he was going to accomplish that. But he showed me by grabbing another condom and then tilting my hips after he was suited up and pushing into me from behind. I arched up my back, surprised by the entrance. He couldn’t go very deep from this angle, but with his fingers on my clit and nipples, it only felt like that much more of a tease.

  The tension in me built quickly, needing more and not quite getting it. I arched on top of him, trying to contort my body so that he could go deeper, but it wasn’t enough.

  “Dammit,” he finally exploded before he rolled us across the mattress. As soon as I found myself on my stomach with him behind me, Colton came up onto his knees and started to pound, deep and fast.

  I cried out, grateful to finally be getting what I needed. Gripping the sheets, I pressed my face into the bed and ground my ass back, forcing him to the hilt, and then I was finally able to come like I’d been aching to.

  His fingers bit into my hips as he slammed forward. With a roar of release, he followed me into oblivion.

  Once his passion sated, he collapsed on top of me, smooshing me into my mattress, though surprisingly, it was comfortable.

  “Admit it,” he whispered pleadingly, pressing his face against the back of my shoulder.

  “Okay, maybe I like you,” I whispered back.r />
  I felt him smile in return.

  “Are you staying the night?”

  Colton glanced up from his textbook where he lay stretched out on the other side of my bed. “I don’t know. Am I?”

  He’d stuck around after our two-timer, and somehow we’d ended up doing homework, of all things, on my bed together. For some reason, I hadn’t asked him to leave and he hadn’t suggested it. So for the longest time, we sat side by side, quietly studying with the occasional footsie game, until we both grew hungry. Then and only then did we leave the room—him to use the bathroom, me to make a plate full of cheese, crackers, and apple slices…oh, and Doritos along with a couple cans of pop. You know, survival food.

  Both Tyla and Sasha were gone somewhere with their significant others, so I hurried back to my room where he was already once against stretched out on the bed and frowning at the worksheet he was supposed to fill out.

  As I entered, he looked up and broke out grinning. “You rock. This looks perfect.”

  We ate sitting with our legs crossed on the bed, facing each other and unable to stop swapping smiles as we polished off all the chips and a good portion of the goodies on the plate.

  After that, we returned to studying until I grew tired. And since I wasn’t in any hurry for him to leave, I’d blurted out the question before I really thought through the implications. But when he gave me an out in case I changed my mind, it only made me want him to stay even more.

  So I found myself saying, “Yeah. You’re staying.”

  His smile was immediate. “Cool. I just need to check in with Aspen and Noel, let them know I won’t be home tonight.” He grabbed his cell phone and began to type out a text.

  The name Noel made me remember the conversation I’d heard the night before at Forbidden, how his sister-in-law Aspen was suffering from postnatal depression and he’d had to help her and his brother end a fight.