by K B Cinder
The angle was wild, my body bared. There was nothing to hold him back, and he took everything, embedding himself again and again, the grind brutal as he buried himself deep with each thrust.
My pussy clenched at the sudden intrusion, but it was everything my body needed after a night spent tossing and turning in fervor. Yes — I had a whole room of sex toys, but they weren’t Sage. I knew they’d only disappoint, even the best of the best.
“Look how fucking perfect you are,” he groaned, nuzzling my neck as he nipped at the skin.
The push and pull of it all was too much. The tug on my hair. The tender kisses he feathered on my neck. The rough grip of his hand on my hip as he fucked me — raw and unrestrained. I was lost in him. Drunk on him. And I never wanted it to end.
He bit down on my neck suddenly. “I said look,” he growled against the flesh.
My eyes popped wide, staring at the bare bodies rolling into one another; bodies that were gradually becoming more distorted as steam clouded the mirrored glass.
“You’re perfect.” he repeated. Another pound came, powerful enough that I couldn’t help but scream. “Perfect.”
I leaned forward, trying to relieve some of the force, but he hauled me down again, drilling in harder. He gripped my hair tighter, his lips hovering at my ear. “Say it, Karine.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, only to open them immediately when he slapped my ass. Hard. “I’m perfect!” I cried out, tears springing to my eyes.
It was all too much. I needed relief.
And he gave it to me.
He pulled out and lifted me from the counter, guiding me to the shower where he pinned me against the wall under the hot spray, my face tilted to keep my stitches dry.
He ran his hands over my body, caressing every inch of flesh. My nails sunk into his back as he did, and he matched the move by sinking two fingers into me.
As soon as his thumb joined the party and started rubbing my clit, I was on my tippy toes, desperate to relieve the constant toying, but he kept up his brutal pace.
At the apex in the dance of heaven and hell, he dropped to his knees and spread my legs wide, his mouth falling on my slickness. Every time I thought I was going to fall to pieces — he stopped — the repeated back and forth a cruel game.
I wanted him in me again, but he wouldn’t deliver, only gifting me with his tongue inside and generating an orgasm for the history books. I would have collapsed right there in the stall as I came if it weren’t for his hands holding me up by the hips, his mouth grazing my body as he rose to his feet once again.
I expected him to take me then, to give me every glorious inch again, but he didn’t. He washed me, rubbing my body clean with a loofah and then his, before shutting the shower off.
I stood there in a daze as he lightly toweled the two of us, tossing the condom in the trash before throwing me over his shoulder and setting me on the bed a heartbeat later.
I sunk into the pillows, watching him pluck a condom from his wallet and slide it on before sinking onto the bed. He crawled toward me like a beast after his prey, his body heavy as it slid over mine.
“None of your little toys tonight,” he ordered, spreading my legs wide with his knee. “I’m not playing Sage Against the Machine.”
He entered in one slow thrust, sinking in until he was embedded, the size as punishing as before.
“Fuck!” he groaned, the throaty sound muffled as he devoured the delicate skin of my neck with his lips. “You feel so good, baby!”
He lifted my legs, hooking my ankles on his hips. “So perfect!” he grunted, grinding himself against me. “Fuck, I missed you.”
I blinked back tears as I stared at the ceiling, feeling the very same thing in every fiber of my being.
16
“Okay, so I know this is ridiculously early to ask, but I can’t wait any longer: will you be my maid of honor?” Juni admired the rose gold beauty on her finger as she asked.
And a beauty it was.
Dash hit it out of the park with the ring, a floral-pattern stunner that was as bubbly and adorable as Juni. I couldn’t have picked something more perfect myself after two decades of friendship.
My best friend was really getting married. It was still surreal, despite having known about Dash’s plans for weeks. I swore we were just teenagers gushing over boys during sleepovers yesterday. Back then, Dash was Sage’s icky best friend to her. And for me, Sage was the moon, stars, and then some.
Funny how some things changed while others, well, others didn’t change at all.
I rolled my eyes with a laugh, catching a strand of her hair to wrap around the curling wand. “I would be honored, Juni.”
I would always be by her side. When she got married. When she had babies. When she bought her first box of adult diapers. That’s what best friends were for.
She wiggled with a squeal from her perch on the bathroom counter, the wand in my hand dipping dangerously close to leaving a searing kiss of death on her ear as she bucked like a bronco.
I steadied her gently by the shoulder, saving her skin from harm. “Simmer down, Seabiscuit, or I’ll burn you.”
The last thing she needed for her rooftop dinner date was a super-sexy red line on her ear. She’d asked me to make her look like a boner queen, and somehow I doubted singed skin was Dash’s fantasy.
Despite interrupting an epic after-sex cuddle session with Sage, I didn’t mind helping her. I liked dolling her up. She didn’t let me do it enough, and as a kindergarten teacher, she of all people deserved pampering. I didn’t know how she dealt with the shrieking goblins day in and day out and stayed sane.
She stilled, her eyes narrowing as a wicked smile spread across her cherry-stained lips. “If you’re not interested, I could always force Sage to wear a dress.”
I released a perfect curl with a laugh. “Don’t tempt me.” I would pay money to see someone try to force big, macho Sage into a dress. The man breathed testosterone, whey protein, and jock straps.
Juni smiled wider, seeming to read my mind. “Do you think he’s more of a tea-length kinda guy or a mermaid?”
“Oh, definitely mermaid,” I murmured as I grabbed another lock of hair. “But make sure it’s strapless, so he can show off his pecs and delts. You know how much he loves those.”
She giggled, pausing to reach out and grip my arm gently, her fingers splayed next to the healing half moons inflicted by Trey. “Thanks for getting along today, by the way. It was nice to see you two cordial for once. Let’s hope this little truce lasts.”
If she knew how well her brother and I had gotten along right where she was sitting an hour or so earlier, she’d lose her ever-loving mind.
I swallowed the truth, hesitating before I grabbed the next section to curl. “We’ll see.”
Her cheeks reddened, and she bit her lip as she cast an eye to the door behind me as if he’d walk in at any second. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that he would. I chased him out when she texted that she needed my help getting ready.
“Don’t tell him I noticed, but he was totally checking you out at the airfield. I think he wants to try Brazilian, if you know what I mean.”
Well, shit.
It was my turn to blush, but I hoped she wouldn’t notice. “Oh, yeah, totally, Juni,” I said with a dramatic roll of my eyes. “Sage and I are like oil and water. ”
I kept my eyes on her hair and off of her face, knowing that I had the poker face of a sticky-faced toddler hiding cotton candy.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, the green hue the same as Sage’s. “You’re not interested in him at all?”
I released another gorgeous curl, annoyed that I had at least half of a head of questions left. “Are you playing matchmaker today or something?”
Her shoulders slumped with a sigh. “You’re my best friend, dude. Of all the women in the world for him, you’re by far the best. I know he’s not exactly Prince Charming, but he can be polished if you spit on him.”
<
br /> God did I know that.
I’d more than polished his knob earlier. Honestly, I was a little shocked at how much we, ahem, accomplished in such a short amount of time. While Juni was chasing clues, we chased orgasms.
I clamped down on my cheek so hard I tasted blood to hold back a laugh at the thought.
Her brows pinched together. “What’s so funny?”
I burst into a fit of laughter, a side stitch finally calming them after a solid minute. “It’s just the way you said it; that’s all,” I said as I wipe tears with my free hand before grabbing another hunk of hair. The sooner I finished, the sooner I was out of the line of fire.
She crossed her arms. “I’m serious. If you marry Sage, you’ll become my sister.”
Nope, not going there. The moment I started entertaining marrying Sage someday, I was a goner. Fuck, letting myself imagine dating him was enough of a mind fuck.
“In law,” I corrected, twirling the strand around the wand. “We’re sisters now, Juni.”
We lived together, shared makeup, and gossiped over ice cream late at night. I was closer to her than my actual blood sisters, for crying out loud.
She frowned. “Stop getting all technical on me, and answer the damn question, Rini!”
“You’re asking me to marry your brother while I’m styling your hair. Are you sure you weren’t the one to get your head whacked last night?”
I checked my reflection at the mention, relieved to see that the swelling had completely vanished. Unfortunately, the area was still the color of the night sky, and the stitches, well, stitches were always unattractive.
She rolled her eyes. “I just find it bizarre you’re not interested in him. You drooled over him as a teenager.”
I cocked my head at her, releasing the next tumble of hair so I didn’t singe it off accidentally. “What?”
There was no way she knew. I never told her.
She threw her head back with a groan. “Don’t even bother trying to lie, you little trollop. Just own it.”
I set down the curling wand and grabbed a comb, sinking it into the next section of hair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She leaned back, the action pulling her hair entirely through the comb and leaving me holding the tool awkwardly. “Rini, seriously? You’re my best friend. Don’t lie to me. It’s not a big deal. You had a crush on him like every other girl. So what?”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Why are you trying to pimp your brother out to me?”
“Because obviously he likes you, and you used to like him. Why not knock boots and see if magic happens?” She shrugged, the level of cockiness on her face rivaling another overconfident Mullen.
I already knew damn well what kind of sorcery that man could whip up. It was precisely the reason he’d needed to get the fuck out of my room ASAP earlier.
“Why don’t you focus on your relationship and let me worry about mine?” I asked, holding a finger in the air as soon as she perked up to strike. “Or, rather, my lack thereof.”
Juni eventually abandoned her quest for information and let me finish her hair, and as she left, I knew I achieved her boner-beckoning goal — especially when I saw Dash’s face.
With the two lovebirds on their way to an enchanted evening, I had a chance to finally roll up my sleeves and jump into work. I ordered materials to cover the pending sales and wrote thank you emails to well-wishers while my stomach growled.
I’d call room service when I reached goal one, aiming to knock out 200 emails before dinner. I’d worked up a hell of an appetite using muscles I hadn’t in ages with Sage.
I might have been up to my nose in sex 24/7, but that didn’t mean I partook in much of it at all. With others, that is. I’d long-known most men couldn’t find a clitoris with a bloodhound and a map.
After a series of duds, sticking to solo fun seemed like a better route much to the dismay of Juni, who always seemed to have someone by her side before Dash. I was happier that way, really. I made my body soar higher than almost anyone else. Besides, my vibrator couldn’t break my heart unless it ran out of charge mid-session.
I sat cross-legged on the bed with my laptop, the bedspread still deliciously scrambled from earlier. I couldn’t bear to smooth it out, as if doing it would make what happened disappear. I didn’t want to forget just yet. I needed to hold onto it for a touch longer.
After email #250, I gave in, overshooting my goal considerably. I dialed the concierge and ordered a gigantic BLT with fries, ready to feed the sex monster roaring inside.
The knock came twenty minutes later, and I practically ran to the door with my mouth watering like a bulldog after a steak.
When I pulled the door open, there wasn’t food, however. There was something tastier: Sage.
He’d changed into a tank top and basketball shorts, his body slick with sweat. “Mind if I use your shower?”
I blinked, staring at the exposed muscles glistening in the light. “What?”
He leaned down, pressing a hard, salty kiss against my mouth. “I just got done working out. Mind if I take a shower?”
“Do you not have one in your room…?” I trailed, spying a gym bag under his arm.
“I do. But I prefer getting naked in here. With you.” He brushed past me, dropping his bag with a thump before tugging his shirt over his head and exposing a muscled back that still showed my nail marks.
My mouth went dry at his honesty and the skin show before me.
“I just ordered food,” I stammered, realizing what a ham I sounded like as soon as I said them, not that I cared. I was hungry, dammit.
Sage grinned, sliding his shorts and boxers down in a single tug before I had the door shut all the way, revealing his hardened cock. “Good. I’ll go clean off. You fuel up in the meantime. I have plans for you.”
He reached out and thumbed my lower lip gently. “And that.”
I stared slack-jawed as he turned and strolled to the bathroom, his chiseled body an ode to the hours he put in at the gym. He caught me, too, the bastard winking just as he shut the door.
Fuck.
The last place Sage Mullen needed to be was butt-naked in my hotel room.
Another knock sounded while I was still reeling.
“Room service!”
I opened the door with clammy hands and a tray was immediately thrust forward by the college-aged worker, the scent of toasted bread making my stomach roar as I gripped it.
“Thanks…” I muttered, handing over a ten for a tip before shutting the door, my stomach continuing its best humpback whale impression as I did.
I devoured half of the sandwich and some fries, leaving a portion for Sage out of decency despite being more than capable of eating the whole plate without a second thought. I laid back on the bed with my eyes closed, keeping the delectable dinner out of view.
I could practically hear the voice of reason screaming in my ear to run. To get the hell out of that room before I was in too deep. But I silenced her by smooshing either side of the pillow over my ears.
With the pillow earmuffs, I felt weight on the bed some time later without hearing Sage re-enter the room. His lips met mine, his stubble tickling my skin.
I released the pillow, hearing the thud of his heart as he hovered above. “You taste like bacon.”
“Gee, thanks,” I muttered, unable to keep my hands to myself as they gripped his biceps, not even making it halfway around when fully extended.
His eyes fell to my hands before kissing me again, every glide of his lips coaxing me higher. Before long, I was breathless and gasping, my hands roaming to his back to grip the bared flesh. He was cooking up trouble with that mouth of his, overloading my senses with a blur of nibbles and caresses.
Any hesitation was obliterated as my legs spread, accepting the naked man readily between them as I squirmed beneath in anticipation. My shorts did nothing to soften the rigid peak rubbing against my sex, the familiar ache spreading as he toyed with me.
Toyed.
I slid my hands to his chest and pushed, his eyes opening to meet mine in a lusty haze.
“Miss me?” he asked with a lopsided grin.
I did miss him. Every fiber of my being sang when he was with me. That was precisely the problem.
“How was the gym?” I reached up to stroke the hollow of his cheek with my knuckles, its shadow scratching my flesh.
It’d been a lifetime since I’d been so close to him, inhaling the man that made my heart skip a beat for what felt like forever.
“Decent,” he said with a shrug. “Obviously it’s nothing like my spot. I got some lifting in and called it a day. Don’t want to blow my training regimen just because I’m on vacation.”
I narrowed my eyes as I studied his skin, noticing the tiny white scars from sparring sessions of yesteryear. “What are you training for?”
He’d blown his knee a few years back, eliminating his hand-to-hand sessions. I doubted he was starting that life back up.
“Armageddon? Tax Day? Who knows?” he chuckled. “I’m always on the grind, Rini. You know that. If I slow down, I get bored.”
At that, I rolled from beneath him to climb off the bed, leaving the naked giant sprawled across it.
“Time to get dressed.” I threw the words over my shoulder as I walked to the desk to grab my phone, needing a distraction.
“Why?” he asked, rolling to his side and propping himself up on his elbow. Doing so revealed the delectable source of the stiffness that had been between my legs.
“Juni will be back soon.” I wasn’t sure if that was true, but it was the lie I was sticking with. I kept my eyes glued on my phone as if Facebook was the most fascinating thing ever.
It wasn’t. Honestly, I was tired of seeing my little sisters’ Super Sexy Saturday selfies. I could remember them in diapers. I didn’t need to see them with duck faces and strange boys.
“And?” he prompted.
