“Connor?” she whispered. “Are you okay?”
His voice was brisk. “Fine.”
He pulled her away from the car and opened the passenger door. “Get in, Kira.”
She touched her mouth before climbing into the car. As Connor walked to the driver’s side, she could see Daniel still standing in the parking lot. He was studying Connor, but it was too dark, and he was too far away for Kira to tell if it was jealousy on his face.
Connor climbed in, a flash of pain crossing his face when he bent his right knee, and slammed the door shut. Without speaking, he started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
She didn’t speak on the way home. Her heart was pounding, lust was flooding through her entire nervous system and she was desperately trying not to reach across the car and press her hand against Connor’s crotch. Was he still hard for her? Was he going to come in to the house with her, take her upstairs, undress her and give her exactly what she needed? What she wanted?
Kira! What is wrong with you? One hot kiss from Connor and you’re gonna give up your v-card to him?
It was a really great kiss…
Her inner voice didn’t reply, and she kept her hands in her lap and her gaze locked out the window. Okay, so, things were getting a little weird in her brain but that was probably just the lust. If the previous two guys she’d kissed, had kissed like Connor, she would have been tempted to sleep with them too.
Her reaction was perfectly normal. Connor was an amazing kisser and a woman would have to be completely dead inside not to be affected by it. She was normal, her reaction was normal. Everything was normal.
Perfectly normal.
“Kira?”
She jumped at the sound of Connor’s voice. “Uh, yeah?”
“We’re here.”
She stared blankly out the windshield at her house before turning to Connor. “Thank you for the ride home. Good night.”
Was that disappointment that crossed his face? Did he want her to ask him to come inside?
“Good night.” His voice was brusque.
She opened the door, feeling weird and uncertain and… goddammit, horny as hell. She squeezed the door handle before blurting, “Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Kiss me in the parking lot.”
“We’re dating. People who date kiss.”
“You specifically said that you were against PDAs. You basically made me swear that I wouldn’t do anything more than hold your hand in public and then you-you had your tongue shoved down my throat in the parking lot of the Thirsty Beaver. That’s one hell of a PDA, Connor.”
His nostrils flared. “Why were you alone in the parking lot with Daniel?”
“What?’ She blinked at him.
“You were alone with Daniel.”
“I… he wanted to talk to me.”
He didn’t reply and she licked her still swollen lips. “Why did you kiss me like that?”
“Because we’re trying to make Daniel jealous, remember?”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?” He gave her an impatient look, his hands gripping the steering wheel. “You’ve asked me to help you make Daniel jealous. I’m doing what you asked me, Kira. Is there a problem with that?”
“No,” she said. “Stop being a jerk about it.”
He sighed and rubbed his temples. “I apologize. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”
He stared out the windshield and when he didn’t say anything else, she climbed out of the car. “Good night, Connor.”
“Good night, Kira.”
She climbed the porch steps, her knees were shaking and she was weirdly disappointed that she was alone. She glanced behind her as she opened the door. Connor was still sitting in the driveway and she gave him an awkward wave before stepping inside. She closed the door and leaned against it, staring up at the ceiling.
She couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss in the parking lot. Had Connor really only kissed her just to make Daniel jealous? And if so, why did that bother her so much?
Chapter Nine
Connor studied his cell phone before hitting Kira’s number. His knee was throbbing again. It had felt better when he got up and, stupidly, he’d gone for a run. He should have known better. He rubbed it absently as he sat in the kitchen chair.
He’d been a real dick last night and he’d spent most of today feeling guilty for how he’d treated Kira. But when he walked out of the pub last night and saw Kira alone with Daniel, that weird jealousy had immediately reappeared. He hadn’t thought about his actions. He’d been driven by a primal need to show Daniel that Kira belonged to him. His stance against PDAs had disappeared into thin air, which both perplexed him and worried him a little if he was being honest.
He’d always been a bit standoffish with his parents, with Lisa… hell, with everyone in his life. He didn’t think he was cold or distant like Lisa would sometimes point out, he just liked his personal space. Only, that seemed to go out the window whenever he was near Kira. The urge to touch her, the need to feel her soft skin was almost impossible to resist.
He gulped down the rest of his water as the phone rang in his ear. He was being affectionate and touchy-feely with Kira because he was playing a part, that was all. He was getting all tied up in knots about nothing. He would apologize again and ask her if she wanted to hang out. He really should learn more about her if he wanted to be an effective fake boyfriend.
Oh yeah? So, you’re telling me you’re not planning on asking her if she wants to practice kissing again?
No, he wasn’t. If she brought it up again while they were hanging out, then yeah, maybe he’d be up for some practice sessions, but he wasn’t calling her specifically for that. He was calling because –
“Hello?” Kira’s voice spoke into his ear.
“Hey, uh, it’s me.”
“Oh, hi.”
There was a moment of awkward silence and he cleared his throat. “How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
“Fine.”
“That’s good,” she said.
He rubbed his knee and said, “Listen, I wanted to apologize for -”
“Hey, Kira? You got any chips in the cupboard? We’re all out.”
The voice was muffled but he knew exactly who it was, and anger flared through him, making his knee pulse and his face hot. “What is Daniel doing at your house?”
“Top left, above the sink,” Kira said.
He waited impatiently as he listened to the muffled sounds of Daniel grabbing the chips. After a few seconds, Kira said, “We’re watching the game.”
“You’re watching the game alone with Daniel at your house?” More heat crept up the back of his neck.
“Not alone,” she said quickly. “Jesse and Brad are here too.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” he snapped.
She was silent for a moment before saying, “Nothing’s happening. We’re just watching the game.”
“I’m on my way over.” He hung up before she could reply.
Ignoring the way his knee throbbed and burned, he grabbed his jacket and his keys and limped out of the house.
* * *
The look on Connor’s face when she opened the door, suggested he was this close to putting her over his knee and spanking her. Kira ignored the weird surge of excitement that thought brought on, and said, “Nothing’s happening, Connor. We’re just watching the game. We’ve done this tons of times before.”
He stepped inside, hanging his jacket on the hook before following her into the kitchen. “You should have called me.”
“Why? It’s not like it’s just Daniel and me alone in the house.”
He stepped close and cupped her face. Her stomach dipped and dived, her mouth parting in anticipation of his kiss.
Instead, he said in a low voice, “Anytime Daniel or his friends are here, I’m here. Is that clear?”
She nodded, feeling like maybe she should be
put out by his actions, but oddly turned on instead. He studied her mouth and she made a soft sound of encouragement in the back of her throat.
His thumb stroked along her bottom lip and she moaned quietly. “Connor, please.” God, just the heat of his body made her horny.
“Please, what, little Kira?”
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
Before he could kiss her, Daniel stepped into the kitchen. “Kira, can I steal some of that beer you have… oh, hey, doc. What are you doing here?”
Connor stepped back and she controlled the urge to give Daniel an angry look. He was always friggin’ interrupting her chance to be kissed.
“I’m her boyfriend,” Connor said.
“Yeah, so you keep saying.” Daniel lifted his shirt and scratched at his washboard abs. “Doll, you mind if we take some of your beer too?”
“No, it’s fine.” Her gaze drifted back to Connor. Normally, the firefighter lifting his shirt would guarantee to have her gaze glued to his stomach. But today? Today she couldn’t seem to stop staring at Connor’s mouth.
“Thanks.” Daniel grabbed the beer from the fridge. “You stickin’ around to watch the game, doc?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Nope. The more the merrier.” Daniel tossed a beer at him.
Connor caught it and set it on the counter. “Thanks.”
“Seventh inning stretch is almost over,” Daniel said with a wink at Kira. “You guys comin’ or what?”
Kira took Connor’s hand when he held it out to her. They followed Daniel into the living room. The room was big with an old, but large and comfortable sectional, two recliners, and a wooden coffee table. The coffee table was covered in snacks and empty beer cans. Jesse was sitting at one end of the sectional and Brad was lounging in a recliner. Daniel sat down in the empty recliner next to him before cracking open a beer. “Brad, meet the doc. Doc, meet Brad.”
The redhead didn’t look away from the TV. “Nice to meetcha’.”
“You as well.”
“Hey, Connor.” Jesse grinned at him before holding out a bag of chips. “Want some?”
“I’m good, thanks.” Limping slightly, Connor led her to the empty end of the sectional. He sat down at the end and she sat beside him, making sure to keep some space between them. Connor frowned and put his arm around her shoulders, tugging on her until she slid over, and her thigh pressed up against his.
She leaned against him and he stroked her hair before running his fingers over the top of her shoulder. She was wearing a tank top and the warmth of his fingers as he brushed them along her bare shoulder seared into her skin. She shifted a little and he pressed a kiss against her temple before staring at the screen. Little shivers running up and down her spine, Kira tried to concentrate on the game as well.
* * *
It was the top of the ninth and she was tense and squirmy, and her nerves were on the brink of being completely shot.
Not from the game. She didn’t give a shit about the game at this point. Not when she’d spent the last hour or so being touched continuously by Connor. As if he was reading her mind, his fingers traced across her shoulder again before – oh dear God in heaven – swooping across to trail along her collarbone.
He hadn’t stopped touching her since they sat down. Just light grazes of his fingertips across her exposed skin. She held her breath as his index finger dipped into the hollow of her throat before he traced her collarbone again. When his fingers slipped a little further down, running along the neckline of her tank top, she arched her back.
She couldn’t help it.
Her hands clenched into tight fists and her breathing turned shallow when one finger slipped under the neckline.
Oh, please, she silently begged. Please, oh please, oh please.
Kira! You are not going to let him touch your tits in front of Daniel and the others.
If he did, she wouldn’t object. The others were glued to the screen, they wouldn’t even notice if Connor put his hand on her breast. What was the big deal? Her breasts felt heavy and achy and her nipples were throbbing. She wanted to know what it would feel like to have those warm fingers rubbing against her nipples, wanted to know if…
Her breathing stopped when Connor’s finger traced the edge of her bra cup. She arched her back again and bit back her moan when Connor retreated. He pressed his mouth to her ear, his warm breath sending goosebumps popping up on her arms. “Behave, little Kira.”
“I am,” she whispered indignantly.
“No,” he pressed a kiss against her earlobe, “you’re not. Arching your back to show off your hard nipples is not behaving.”
She glanced down at herself, her face going red with mortification. Her nipples were rock hard and pressing against the thin fabric of her bra and top. They were extremely noticeable, and she snatched her cardigan off the back of the sofa and quickly put it on.
Connor tugged her back against him, his fingers rubbing the exposed skin of her chest as he put his mouth close to her ear again. “I’ve never had a woman’s nipples go so hard without me even touching them, sweet Kira.”
His fingers touched the neckline of her tank top again. “I’m curious to see what will happen when I touch them,” his fingers pulled on her shirt, “or pull on them.”
Oh my God. Connor was talking dirty to her. For the first time in her life, she had a man talking dirty to her and it was… was turning her on like a damn faucet.
She squirmed on the couch, trying to ease the ache between her thighs as Connor stroked his fingers back and forth over her upper chest. His voice was barely above a whisper in her ear. “Have you had your nipples sucked on before, Kira?”
Her moan was drowned out by the roar of the crowd on the TV screen and the groans of dismay from Daniel and the others.
“Have you?” Connor nipped her earlobe.
“You know I haven’t,” she whispered.
“Would you like me to suck on them?”
“Yes.” There wasn’t even a hint of shame in her voice. “Yes, I want that.”
“Are they aching?” he asked.
“So much,” she whispered. “I can’t stand it, Connor.”
“It’s too bad we’re not alone,” he said. “If we were, you could take off your shirt and your bra and show me your sweet nipples. Maybe I could do something about that ache for you.”
He nipped her earlobe again. “If we were alone.”
“You guys have to go now.” Her voice was low and shaky, and she cleared her throat before trying again. “Hey, it’s time for you to leave.”
Daniel glanced at her. “What? The game’s almost over, Kira.”
“You need to go,” she said.
Connor squeezed her shoulder before giving her a teasing grin. “They gotta finish watching the game, honey.”
“Yeah,” Brad said. “Seriously, Kira. You can’t kick us out now.”
She glared at Connor who kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s the bottom of the ninth.”
Feeling achy and unsettled and horny as hell, she settled back against Connor, trying to ignore the touch of his warm fingers against her skin.
She gave the back of Daniel’s head a grouchy look. Dammit, she was never letting Daniel, or his friends come over to watch the damn game again.
* * *
“Thanks, doll. I really appreciate you letting us watch the game over here.” Daniel grinned at her.
“Yeah, of course, no problem. I had fun.” She could hear the impatience in her voice. Jesse and Brad had already left but Daniel was lingering in the hallway and she wanted to screech with frustration. She glanced behind her. Connor was in the living room. He was in the living room and waiting for her to come back so he could do what he said he would do.
Her nipples throbbed anew, and she crossed her arms over her chest, pretty certain that at this point they were so hard, not even her cardigan would help disguise it. “Okay, Daniel, bye.”
He gave her a teasing look.
“Trying to get rid of me, doll?”
“Connor and I have plans,” she said.
Hell, yes, we do. Plans that involve his mouth and your nipples. Get this guy out of here before Connor changes his mind.
“Right.” Daniel opened the door. “I’ll see you soon, all right?”
“Yeah, sure, okay. See you soon.” She glanced behind her again before giving Daniel a distracted smile. “Bye, Daniel.”
He leaned in to press a kiss against her cheek. Without thinking about it, she stepped back, pressing her hands up against his chest to stop him. If Connor didn’t like that she was alone with Daniel, he sure as hell wouldn’t like Daniel kissing her.
Daniel cocked his head at her, and she gave him a faint smile. “Uh, sorry. Just having a big personal space bubble day, today.”
He stepped out onto the porch. “Bye, Kira.”
“Bye, Daniel.” She shut the door in his face and tried not to run back to the living room. She stopped just inside the living room, giving Connor a look of apprehension. He was sitting on the couch and staring at his phone. What if he had changed his mind? What if he’d decided to leave and she would be alone with an aching pussy and nipples?
“Connor? They’re gone.”
He glanced up at her and her legs went a little shaky at the hunger in his eyes. He studied her mouth and then her tits before saying, “Come here, little Kira.”
She stumbled across the living room, sinking onto the couch beside him. He leaned down and kissed her, a coaxing, teasing kiss that made her moan and press her body up against his.
He stroked her back with his big hands as he teased her lips with small nips and licks that set her on fire. She loved Connor’s kisses, but she wanted – needed – more.
“Connor, please, you promised,” she moaned.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Kira?”
Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls, Book One) Page 11
