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“Goddammit.”
Justin tossed his helmet into the locker as soon as the coach left after he’d finished reaming the team on another loss.
This time it’d been to the second worst team in the division. The Maine Flying Foxes had handed them their asses in a shutout. Due in some part to Justin’s sloppy passing.
He’d been completely off his game tonight and he’d turned over two pucks to the opposition. The Foxes had scored on one of those turnovers.
Redtails goalie Kyle Deangelo, who’d joined the team before Christmas, probably wanted his head on a stick. Or to shove that stick in one of Justin’s orifices. Yeah, most of the team had been off tonight, but Justin had been taught not to shirk his responsibilities.
He’d sucked and at least two of the goals Maine had scored had been while he’d been on the ice.
Shit.
The room was fairly silent except for the sound of gear being removed. No one had anything to say. Even Derek was quiet, which was a minor miracle. And showed just how pissed off and dejected the entire team was.
“Perry. Coach wants to talk to you after you shower.”
Justin glanced up at the assistant coach standing in the doorway to the hall and nodded. He’d been expecting to get pulled aside. He’d had an absolutely shitty night and he’d affected the ability of the team to work together.
“Be right there.”
He didn’t talk to anyone as he made his way to the showers. After, he dressed and headed to the away coach’s office. It was barely big enough for a desk and two chairs, but it had a door and Justin closed it behind him.
Cary Lenville nodded as he entered the room.
“Tough game. You didn’t play up to your potential tonight, Justin. Something going on I need to know about?”
“No, Coach. Nothing going on. Just need to work harder.”
Coach leaned back in his chair, staring at him like he could read his mind. Justin wasn’t sure what he’d find there if he could. Honestly, his brain was a jumble of crap right now. And he really had no idea why he’d had such a crappy game.
Leaning back in his chair, Coach tapped a pen on the top of the desk. “You’re not the only one having some issues lately. Anything happening in the locker room? What you say stays here. I hope you know that.”
“I know. It’s not the team. I just...I’ll work harder.”
Coach nodded and Justin hoped that would be the end of this little talk. He hated being the center of attention and this was almost excruciating for him.
“I’m going to be switching up the lines.”
Justin held his breath, waiting to be benched.
“The Colonials are sending down Brody Mitchell for conditioning. I know you two played together in juniors and did pretty well. I know that was a while ago, but I’m pairing you for the game tomorrow night. He’ll meet us in Rochester.”
Well, hell. Brody Mitchell was being sent down.
The guy was one of the Colonials’ biggest up-and-coming stars. He was a year younger than Justin, but he’d come out of the draft in the first round and had landed a spot on the Colonials’ roster the very next season so he’d had two full seasons with the Colonials.
But a training injury over the summer had sidelined him and he hadn’t played at all this season. Justin had heard gossip that the injury hadn’t been in training but the result of something else. Something the team wasn’t talking about and neither was Brody. Which was unusual because Brody was a lot like Derek when it came to his mouth. Whatever was in his head came out of his mouth. But where Derek was genuinely a decent guy, Brody was kind of a dick.
At least, he had been when Justin had played with him in juniors.
“Uh, sure. No problem, Coach.”
Cary’s expression showed he understood the hesitation in Justin’s voice. But his next words made it clear he wasn’t changing his mind.
“I think you two’ll work well together. He’s a little more offensive than you are and he should draw you out a little. He’s a damn good player and I know you can match him. Send Derek in, please. Thanks, Justin.”
The praise gave Justin a boost in his sorely failing confidence and he nodded as he stood and headed out the door.
But as he got closer to the locker room, the reality of the fact that he was going to have to deal with one of the biggest egos in the league, one he had a history with...
Yeah, that was gonna be fun.
Not.
*****
The doorbell rang and Vivi forced herself not to run out of the kitchen, throw open the door, and leap at Justin.
Aly was in Philly with Riley so she and Justin would have the house to themselves tonight. She’d been trying to manage her expectations for the past few days but every time she thought about him, she got...giddy.
Seriously, she couldn’t catch her breath and her heart pounded and she had that weird pit in her stomach.
She hadn’t felt like this for so long she’d almost forgotten what it was like.
It was kind of scary. And also exciting.
And maybe you really need to dial it back a little before you fall even harder.
She wasn’t even sure they were totally compatible.
Then again, that kiss...
She opened the door with a smile on her face and nearly swallowed her tongue at the man standing on her porch. Which was stupid because it wasn’t like she didn’t know what he looked like. He hadn’t changed in the past few days. Except for the black eye.
“Oh no!” Grabbing Justin’s arm, she pulled him through the door then put her hands on both of his cheeks and turned his face so she could look at that shiner. “How did that happen?”
His mouth curled up at the corners, making his eyes crinkle. “You do know I play hockey, right?”
Wrinkling her nose, she shut the door behind him and tugged him toward the kitchen.
“Smart-ass. I meant what exactly happened to give you a black eye. You didn’t get in a fight, did you?”
She couldn’t imagine he had. She didn’t think he was a fighter.
“Nothing that exciting. High stick in the face. Looks worse than it feels now.”
Leading him through the house to the kitchen, she sat him on one of the stools at the breakfast bar so she could get a better look.
“Then it must have hurt like a sonuvabitch when it happened. Do you need anything for it? Icepack? Ibuprofen? Want me to kiss it better?”
Batting her eyes at him, she smiled, pleased that he smiled back in a way that was more like the Justin she knew. He didn’t quite look like his normal self. He actually looked kind of angry. And that wasn’t like Justin at all.
And maybe you just don’t know him at all.
“I might take you up on that a little later. But I could go for the ibuprofen now, if you don’t mind. Last night’s game was tough.”
“Sure, hon.” Getting him a glass of water first, she dug the pain reliever out of the cabinet next to the sink and handed him the bottle. He shook out three.
He must be in more pain than he was letting on.
Letting out an almost inaudible sigh, he looked up again at her and smiled, a little wider this time.
“Thanks. Sorry. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“I’m not frightened. I’m worried. There’s a difference.”
His smile widened even more. “Nothing to worry about. A black eye’s common. A few broken bones can be an inconvenience. Now, if I tear a ligament, then I’ve got a real problem. The superficial stuff is just that.”
She couldn’t help herself. She reached out to run a finger along his clean-shaven jaw. He must have done that just before coming over, it was so smooth.
“Do you have other ‘superficial’ bruises I need to be worried about? You know, if I want to...touch you anywhere else?”
His smile disappeared but the heat in his gaze burned hotter.
“It wouldn’t matter if I did. You can touch me wherever you want.”
She let her finger slip down to his chin then lightly tapped his bottom lip before pulling away.
“I’m going to hold you to that later. But for now I’m going to feed you.”
“Viv.”
She turned away from the stove where she’d turned on the heat under the pan of water for the pasta. She’d already made the sauce and not just from a jar.
“Thanks for having me over.”
“Oh, I totally have ulterior motives.” She gave him another smile. “I never get to cook for anyone anymore. Aly’s never home and my parents aren’t here.”
“You like to cook?”
She grabbed wineglasses off the counter, put them in front of him then held up a bottle. He nodded though she noticed he didn’t even look at the label.
As she opened the bottle and poured, she said, “I do. And don’t tell anyone but I love to watch all those shows on Food Network with all the different chefs. I really love Ina Garten’s recipes. Ree Drummond has these amazing desserts. And Giada’s sauces are great. The pasta sauce I made is one of hers. And you have no idea who I’m talking about, do you?”
He shook his head, huffing out a laugh. “Not at all. But I’m sure whatever you make I’ll love.”
“Damn, you’re easy to please. Gotta love a guy like that.”
His cheeks went pink and he shook his head, his smile tempering a little. “I’m not that easy.”
“Good. A challenge is fun, too.”
Still shaking his head, he reached for the glass of wine she’d poured. “And sometimes it’s too much work.”
“Who told you that?”
“No one. Just the sense I got when my girlfriend broke up with me.”
“Then she wasn’t the right woman for you. How long did you two go out?”
“Six years.”
Holy crap. She tried not to show her surprise, but her longest relationship had lasted less than eighteen months.
“That’s...a long time to finally realize someone’s too much work. So she was either lying or she was a total bitch.” For a second, she wondered if she’d offended him. “How long ago did you break up?”
“Last summer. Just before I returned for training camp. She wanted me to give up and come home.”
“Total bitch.”
He smiled but shook his head. “Nah. I think she just got sick of waiting for me to make it.”
“I don’t understand. Haven’t you made it already? You’re playing pro hockey, right? No, maybe you’re not at the top level yet, but Jesus, you’re only twenty-four. Not quite dead yet.”
And there was the smile she wanted to see more of. The one that made her insides go all gooey.
“Yeah, maybe if I haven’t made it by the time I’m thirty, I’ll figure out what’s next. Or maybe I’ll play until I can’t, no matter what league I’m in. And then maybe I’ll coach. Or go to college. I don’t know.”
“Sounds like she wanted you to have it all figured out. But life’s never easy like that. And who the hell was she to tell you when it was time to stop chasing your dream?”
Behind her the water started to boil and she turned to put the pasta in so she wasn’t facing him when he said, “Sounds like someone told you something similar.”
She stirred the pasta for a second before she turned back to face him. “My dad worked as a linesman for the power company all his life. Made good money. My mom was a nurse. They’re on my ass constantly about getting a real job.” She shrugged. “I get it. I mean, sure, who wouldn’t want a steady paycheck and health care and a 401K? I just...don’t want to be tied to a job I hate for the rest of my life.”
“I get that. I love hockey. I can’t imagine doing anything else. And if I can’t play professionally, then I’ll find some other way to be involved.”
“But your ex wanted you to do something else. Good riddance, if you ask me.”
“I kinda feel like I dodged a bullet. For a while, I thought...maybe I got lazy. Didn’t put the effort into the relationship and she was right. I should go home and make it work. And then she told me she was breaking up with me. And I was relieved. Makes me feel like a jerk sometimes.”
She shook her head. She didn’t think this sweetheart of a guy could do anything that would make him a jerk.
“No, this is on her. Besides, if she hadn’t broken up with you, you wouldn’t be here with me tonight and I’m glad you are.”
His smile made her want to climb over the island, crawl into his lap, and kiss him. This time with tongue. Lots of tongue. And hands. All over him.
Some of what she felt must have shown on her face because the flush on his cheeks got brighter and his gaze narrowed before slipping to her lips.
He totally wanted the same thing. But he wasn’t the type of guy to just take it. He was going to need permission.
And she was totally going to give him permission.
But first...she was going to feed him. A big guy like him needed fuel. Especially for what she wanted to do to him tonight.
Luckily, the timer went off, making her turn with a jerk to get the pasta.
She deliberately kept herself in line during dinner, kept the conversation low key. Justin didn’t push either, seemingly content to discuss the merits of wine versus beer, fresh pasta versus boxed, and the necessity of always wearing a cup when playing hockey.
That last conversation had her doubled over with laughter as he told her about a high school friend who’d learned that lesson the hard way.
“He couldn’t walk for days. He’s lucky he didn’t lose a testicle. I don’t think he was able to have sex for weeks and I’m pretty sure his girlfriend dumped him for being a dumb ass.”
“Why are teenage guys so clueless?”
Justin had a grin on his face that made his eyes nearly disappear. “Probably because most of our blood flow’s diverted to places other than our brains when we’re teenagers.”
She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “Just teenagers? I know a few guys in their thirties who still act like that. I can’t believe you were ever that clueless.”
“I like to think I wasn’t, but I had my moments.” He shook his head, sandy brown hair falling into his eyes before he brushed it back. “Mostly, I was too busy with hockey to mess around like that. I knew if I got hurt, it could put me on the bench for weeks and that would be hell.”
“You’re really dedicated, aren’t you? To hockey, I mean.”
“It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do and I’m good at it. Good enough to play professionally. I mean, I’m always looking for ways to improve my game.”
“And that’s what’s going to get you where you want to be. Your willingness to put in the work.”
“I can’t imagine you’re not willing to put in the work. That’s all you seem to do.”
“Gotta pay the bills somehow.”
“No.” He shook his head decisively. “That’s not you.”
“How do you know that?” She couldn’t help her smile.
“Because that’s not the woman I’m getting to know.”
Man, this guy was a total charmer. And totally sincere. She’d never met anyone like him.
“Maybe you just don’t know me well enough.”
“Nah. I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
“Well, I definitely can’t say that.”
His lips curved in that smile again, the one that made her panties melt. The one she’d only ever seen him give her.
“Sure you can. You invited me in.”
Her own smile was a slow burn.
“Okay, I’ll give you that one.”
“Yeah? What else are you going to give me?”
Suddenly, the pit in her stomach opened wider as heat spread all through her body. And now it was hard to breathe.
“What do you want?”
He didn’t answer right away, just continued to stare into her eyes. Normally, that would make her uncomfortable. Nothing about this man made her uncomfortable. At least, not unpleasantly uncomfortable.
Yes, she knew that didn’t make a lot of sense. Right now, she didn’t care.
“Can I kiss you?”
Now the heat spread through her like a forest fire.
“Absolutely.”
And the kitchen timer went off.
His grin spread. “I guess we’ll put a hold on that.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to forget.”
*****
“You don’t have to help. Just sit. You must be exhausted.”
“Carrying dishes to the sink won’t wear me out. You do know I’m a big tough hockey player, right?”
“Well, that’s good because I have plans for you.”
He didn’t answer right away as he set their dinner plates in the sink, and she looked up. To find him looking down at her.
“Oh yeah? What kind of plans?”
“The kind that don’t require a lot of talking.”
He grinned outright. “I like talking to you.”
“I’m glad. But I’d really like to kiss you again.”
That grin still on his lips, he took her hand and pulled her along with him as he headed toward the living room.
He sat her down beside him on the couch and she thought he’d finally kiss her.
“Thanks for making me dinner. You’re a great cook.”
If the man was planning to charm her panties off her, he was doing a damn good job of it.
Then again, he hadn’t made a move except to kiss her.
Justin wasn’t like any other guy she’d ever dated. She was used to guys trying to get into her pants seconds after they walked her to the door after a date. Hell, sometimes they didn’t even wait to get to the door.
And she didn’t think it was because he didn’t want to get into her pants. The way he looked at her...
“Thanks but I’m not really that good. You work in enough kitchens, you pick up a few tricks.”
“Yeah, well, I’m really not a good cook but I have to eat or I can’t make my body perform like I want it to. But I can’t live on hamburgers and pasta and eggs all the...time.”
She couldn’t help herself. When he mentioned his body, her gaze dropped to his chest.
She’d already checked out his body but she didn’t have a problem looking at him. Far from it.
He was really-really-really not hard to look at.
“Viv?”
She swallowed hard and looked up into his eyes, the most beautiful shade of brown she’d ever seen. She hadn’t noticed how unusual they were until she was this close and staring straight into them. They were mesmerizing.
“Yeah?”
“I thought we were going to be kissing.”
His grin made her panties even more damp.
“Trust me, I want to.”
“Then why aren’t we?”
“Haven’t you heard that anticipation is foreplay?”
Her own lips curved in a smile. “So this is foreplay?”
“Your smile could be considered foreplay. You look at me like that and I burn for you.”
And now she couldn’t breathe. Holy hell, who was this guy? He looked at her and she got hot. He smiled and she went up in flames. And he told her that anticipation was foreplay and she was ready to climb all over him, strip him naked, and ride him right here on the couch.
She hadn’t heard from Aly yet so she had no idea if her sister was coming home tonight or staying with Riley. At the moment, she wouldn’t care if her sister walked through the front door and caught them in the middle of sex, as long as she didn’t want to sit down and have a conversation with them.
“Justin—”
He leaned down and kissed her.
And this time, there definitely was tongue.
But of course Justin didn’t just stick his tongue down her throat. He would never be that...rushed.
No, his tongue flicked at her lips, caressing the sensitive skin and causing her to make needy little noises as her hands reached to curve around his neck, trying to bring him even closer.
A second later, she found herself being lifted over his lap. Her legs parted so her knees settled on either side of his thighs. Now her arms wrapped around his shoulders, bringing him even closer.
In this position, she could rise up on her knees and be in more control. Because the damn man was going much too slow.
She opened her mouth over his and let her tongue slide between his lips. The sound he made was closer to a growl than a groan and every muscle in her body tensed in anticipation.
Of what? She wasn’t sure. She only knew she wanted to hear that sound again. Because when he made it, his mouth pressed even harder against hers and his hands on her hips pulled her even closer.
Yes.
Victory rioted through her like adrenaline. She’d finally gotten him to respond in a way she knew how to handle.
She understood lust. Understood how to handle a man who lusted after her. She had much more trouble knowing how to handle a man who teased and talked to her about anticipation.
But her victory didn’t last long.
Justin kissed her with a thoroughness that blew all her brain circuits. Moving his hands to her face, he tilted her head just enough to deepen the kiss. And then he kissed her like he could do it for days. He kissed her so completely, she felt her heart trip into a deeper rhythm. Like he’d flicked a switch she didn’t know she had, triggering some deep-seated need inside her to let him take over.
She’d never felt this way before. Not with any other man she’d ever been with. And it wasn’t like he acted like a caveman. He wasn’t a dominant asshole who treated her like she was a toy. Or a possession. She’d dated a few of those. One date only.
No, this had something to do with the way she responded to Justin. And only Justin.
Maneuvering closer, she sank her fingers into his hair and tugged his head back, leaning over him more fully.
He let her take the more dominant position but he continued to kiss her in that slow, steady way that made her want to melt. And eventually, it made her slow down as well.
She matched her kisses to his. Long. Slow. Deep. Her tongue tangled with his but it wasn’t a furious duel. It was more like a dance.
His hair felt like silk and she found herself rubbing it between her fingers like she would cloth. She wanted to have him rub it against her skin, her belly, her thighs.
Okay, she wanted to feel it against her skin while he went down on her and put his mouth between her legs. Just the thought made her shiver.
She crept a little closer and let her hands drop to his shoulders, smoothing across the broad plane of them then down to that hard-muscled chest.
Damn, she really wanted to get this man naked.
But he’d drugged her into this state between hypersensitivity and an almost zen-like satisfaction.
She’d never had these competing sensations while making out with someone.
She wanted more.
But Justin seemed in no hurry. At least not to do anything other than kiss. And she had to admit she was kind of surprised by how well he did it. That seemingly shy, quiet exterior belied the experience in his kiss.
Then again, he’d had a girlfriend for the past six years. Obviously, they’d done a lot of kissing. He must have refined his technique over that time.
Now she was benefiting from that. Her gain. His former girlfriend’s loss.
She didn’t know how long they kissed like this but suddenly she realized his hands had shifted lower. Where before they’d been on her back, now they were closer to her hips, almost to her butt.
Her breath caught in chest as she realized he was petting her, stroking his palms up and down. Every time he went down, he got a little closer to her ass.
God, she wanted him to stroke her. Smack her, not hard enough to hurt, just enough to sting. Anticipation built again, this time impossible to ignore.
Pulling her lips away from his, she panted a little as she leaned her forehead against his.
“Are you ever going to touch me?”
She felt rather than saw his smile as he ran his hands up her back again, making her stifle a groan.
“I thought I was.”
“You know what I mean. I want you to put your hands on my skin.”
His hands swept back down. “You mean like this?”
He slipped his fingers beneath the hem of her shirt, barely grazing the skin of her lower back.
She arched at the shivery sensation that shot through her, just from that slight touch.
“Two can play this game, you know.”
“I didn’t know we were playing a game.”
Her eyes opened to stare into his, because she’d heard something in his voice. He sounded...concerned. His expression definitely had a more serious edge to it, as well.
She couldn’t resist the urge to tease him. A little payback for driving her crazy.
“Oh, this is a very serious game.” She bit back a smile as his gaze narrowed. “And you should know I’m a master at it.”
His expression lightened a little. “Oh yeah? What’s this game called?”
“Payback.”
Now his eyebrows rose. “What’d I do?”
“You’re driving me crazy.”
There was that grin again. Now his fingers began to sweep up her back, sending more of that delicious sensation through her body.
“In a good way, I hope.”
“I never expected you to be a tease, Mr. Perry.”
“What were you expecting?”
She let her hands slide from his shoulders to his chest, where she rubbed her fingertips over his pecs, smiling when she felt the stiffness of his nipples. Pinching them between her fingers, she felt his chest expand on a huge breath.
“You have to watch out for the quiet ones.”
“What are you watching for?”
“You may look innocent on the outside but you’ve got a wild streak hidden under all that boyish charm.”
His smile gained a wicked edge. “You think I’m charming, huh?”
“I do. And dangerous.”
“Why dangerous?”
“Because you make me want...”
His smile disappeared as his eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Whatever you want to give me.”
He didn’t say anything else for a few seconds and she wasn’t exactly sure what he was thinking. And when he did speak, her insides melted.
“I’ll give you whatever you want.”
It took her a second to think of the right thing to say, mainly because her brain wasn’t working. And when she did think of something, she wasn’t sure it was the right thing to say. But she said it anyway.
“I just might want everything.”
His chest rose and fell at an ever-increasing pace. “I might be willing to give it to you.”
She’d never had a man say he’d give her everything before. It took away her breath. It took several seconds to regain it before she could answer.
“Then shut up and kiss me.”
He sealed their mouths together and this time, his kiss wasn’t so innocent. In fact, it was downright dirty.
His tongue slid between her lips and teased hers until they tangled. The brush of his tongue against hers stole the breath from her lungs and left her gasping.
And then his hands flattened on her back beneath her shirt. The man had huge hands, rough and warm and, oh my god, she wanted him to put them all over her body.
She’d been lulled into thinking maybe he was shy. Now he blew that idea out of the water.
His hands slid from her back around to her sides, a hard caress, until he reached the barrier of her bra. She thought maybe he wouldn’t go for more, wouldn’t press further.
She would’ve been wrong.
While he kept her mouth busy with a kiss that made her brain spin, he went for the back snap on her bra. And realized there was none.
Pulling away, she smiled at him. “Snaps in the front.”
“Gotta make things interesting, don’t you?”
“I try.”
He rubbed his nose against hers in possibly the sweetest way any guy had ever shown her affection. Her eyes widened and her lips parted and then he put his hands on the bottom of her shirt and arched his eyebrows, asking a question.
She nodded, still a little flustered by him, and he lifted her shirt over her head. Her nipples tightened into tight peaks as a shiver swept through her. But she wasn’t cold. Not at all.
His gaze held hers for several long seconds, deepening the connection between them before he looked down.
“I like this. It’s pretty.” His eyes flicked up to hers for a few seconds. “Like you.”
The man continued to smash every single conception she’d had of him as shy and maybe a little awkward with women. At this moment, he knew exactly what to do to make her want to collapse into a pile of female goo.
She didn’t know what to say in return. Turns out she didn’t have to say anything.
He slid his fingers beneath her bra straps and tugged them down her arms, slowly enough to be considered teasing but fast enough to take away what little breath she had left.
When the straps hung down to her elbows, she thought he’d unsnap the latch holding it together. Instead, he ran his palms back up her arms to her shoulders and around her neck. Then he drew her back down for another one of those amazing kisses that made her wish for magical powers to make their clothes disappear.
Her hands gripped his shoulders, felt the flex of the muscles beneath as he took her mouth with a thoroughness that left her light-headed. And sent heat pulsing through her body.
That heat settled low in her body, between her legs where her underwear were already wet and clinging. Shifting closer, she spread her legs a little wider and sank lower.
She sank down until she felt the ridge of his erection press against her aching pussy and her eyelids fluttered shut.
His groan made her grin. She loved knowing she’d gotten to him, thought maybe now she’d get a bit of an upper hand.
Instead, he renewed his seduction by tilting her head to the side and deepening their kiss.
His tongue tormented until she found herself grinding against his erection. She had no idea how long she’d been moving against him but she didn’t want to stop now. The friction was pushing her closer and closer to an orgasm—
Justin grabbed her hips and held her away, still tantalizingly close but not close enough.
With a little gasp, she pulled back. “Hey.”
He was breathing hard and the look in his eyes burned.
“When you come, I want it to be because I made you.”
Her lips parted in shock at the blatant dominance in his statement. She couldn’t believe those words had come out of his mouth. They seemed so out of character and yet...
That mouth had been kissing her into a state of bliss for the past however long so she obviously needed to revise her opinion of him.
This man was not shy. He wasn’t inexperienced. And he definitely knew exactly how to kiss. And how to seduce a woman because she was ready to strip herself naked and let him have her however he wanted.
Finally, she swallowed hard and nodded. “Then do it.”
His gaze burned even hotter, if that was possible, and when he moved back in to cover her mouth with his, she closed her eyes and gave up all control.
She’d never allowed herself to do that with any other man. Not even with Jamie, whom she thought she’d loved and had loved her back.
She’d been so wrong about him.
She didn’t think she was wrong about Justin.
Before she slipped away from this pleasurable haze, she shut down that line of thought. Not going to go there. Not while his mouth took hers with an increased demand. A demand to let him give her what she needed.
His hands began to move again, from her hips to her waist and finally to her ribs, where he brushed the underside of her breasts with his thumbs. He stroked her so lightly she could barely feel it but knowing he was made the sensation much more intense.
Her nipples tightened so much they ached and she wanted him to cup her and squeeze her and make it better. Or just do something.
She got her wish seconds later when he released her mouth to trail kisses along her jaw and his hands moved to cover her breasts.
Her groan echoed in the room as he pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger then rolled the tight points, making her pussy clench. She wanted him to take one of those hands and—
He nipped at her neck, hard enough to make her gasp and shudder with desire.
“Justin.”
“I’m going to take your bra off now.” He spoke against her neck, his breath soft and warm against her skin.
Yes. Please. She slowly nodded and had to swallow before she could answer.
“Go right ahead.”
She felt his lips move in a smile against her collarbone.
“You have to let go of me first.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
She realized her fingers had dug hard into his shoulders and made a conscious effort to release him.
“Don’t apologize. I like having your hands on me.”
And she loved having his hands on her. The words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t get the words to leave her mouth. Some defense mechanism kicked in at the last second and shut the words down.
She had no idea why. Shoving the thought out her mind, she leaned back just enough that Justin pulled away and looked into her eyes.
With a deliberately sexy grin, she arched her eyebrows and waited.
His gaze dropped to her chest, where he watched the rise and fall of her breasts with an intensity that burned.
After a few seconds, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you—”
He reached out with one hand and flicked open the catch of her bra. The lace pulled apart but didn’t fall away completely. Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth dried when he lifted both hands to peel the bra away and expose her completely.
Now, he cupped her naked breasts and she exhaled in a rush as every nerve ending in her body went on high alert. She tingled from head to toe as he rubbed his thumbs against her already tight and pointed nipples, making a rush of arousal clench her stomach.
“Am I what?”
He spoke like he wasn’t making her body ache with desire. Like he wasn’t driving her slowly crazy with lust.
Her hands had returned to his shoulders and had dug in tight, holding on to him like he was the last stable point in her universe. Maybe he was. Her world had pretty much narrowed down to him right now.
His every move made excitement sizzle through her veins. His hands on her breasts moved so slowly, she wanted to force him to touch her rougher, harder. But there was another part of her that was enjoying this slow, almost sweet seduction.
But there was nothing sweet about the way he stared at her.
She felt the heat radiate from his body like a furnace, making her own body flush with heat. She wanted to strip naked and sit on his lap so she could tease the hell out of him while she took off his clothes, piece by piece.
Would he even give her that much control?
Probably not.
Another rush of heat poured through her, raising goosebumps.
“Are you cold?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer as he leaned forward to put his mouth on her neck, his hands molding her breasts, tweaking her nipples.
At that moment, she gave herself over to him.
With every other guy in her life after Jamie, every other guy she’d allowed herself to get this close to, she’d never allowed herself to completely let go. There had always been a part of her that remained alert, kept watch.
Waited for...something. For the guy to be a jerk, to be a dick.
She couldn’t turn off her vigilance.
With Justin, she had no fear. Just an overwhelming desire to give herself over to him.
She had no idea if he sensed her surrender, but his hands tightened for a split second before his kiss changed. Became even more demanding.
A groan worked its way up her throat, the sound seeming to give Justin even more confidence. His hands became even more assured and now they slid from her breasts to her waist, to the button on her jeans, which he undid with one hand. His other hand curved around to splay against her back. Every finger felt like a brand.
And again, she loved it.
Coming up on her knees, she gave him more room to work, to explore, her fingers moving to the buttons on his flannel shirt—
She pulled back with a quick inhalation of breath.
“Wait.”
He looked at her with raised eyebrows, his cheeks flushed and his lips parted as he breathed hard.
“I want to see.”
His grin was instantaneous and so hot she nearly forgot what she’d just said. Then she shook her head and gave him a mock-scowl.
“Don’t even think about getting out of showing me your tattoos.”
“I wasn’t planning to. I just got a little caught up in you.”
She wanted to say likewise but she could barely breathe as it was.
Instead, she reached for his shirt buttons and began to push them through the holes. She worked fast, her only goal to see what lay beneath.
At first, she could only see glimpses of skin and hints of color. She didn’t bother to undo all the buttons, just enough to push the shirt off his shoulders and uncover her prize.
“Oh wow. This is amazing.”
She let herself stare at the expanse of skin. She knew he’d have a great body. The guy was a professional athlete and took care of himself. But combined with the art on his body...
He took her breath away.
Her fingers found their way to his skin, tracing the designs with slow appreciation. The heat of his skin seeped into her fingers and spread through her body like fire.
“Your brother is a fucking genius.”
His short burst of laughter made her pussy clench.
“No argument from me.”
The art was tailor-made to his body. And created by someone who knew Justin down to the bone.
The three-dimensional chest piece looked as if the skin had been peeled away and you could see inside Justin’s chest, exposing his heart and his ribs. Throughout the design were pieces of his life. A hockey puck, hockey stick, a team logo she wasn’t familiar with, his number. There were two small portraits worked in as well, close to the heart.
She ran her fingers over those.
“My parents.”
Then she ran her fingers over the logo.
“My junior team.”
Then she ran her fingers over a blue rose.
“For my Nana. She loved roses. She lived with us when I was a kid. Helped out a lot with running me around to practice and games.”
Something in his voice told her there was more to it than that but she filed it away for later.
There was so much more in the design but it would take her hours to dissect it all. And there was so much more of him that she wanted to explore now. This would not be the only time she saw him naked, that was for damn sure.
Because she hadn’t even gotten to his arms. Or his legs.
“I want to lick my way down your body and suck on your cock.”
Every muscle in his body clenched. “Holy hell, Viv. You talk like that and I’m going to come in my jeans.”
She’d gotten him to swear. It felt like a victory. “Oh no, you will not. I won’t let you. You told me you were going to come inside me and I’m going to hold you to that.”
He didn’t say anything for a few seconds and she flipped her gaze to his. “I said I was going to make you come. I’m not expecting more than that.”
Of course, he wouldn’t. She smiled.
“Well, I am. You told me you’d give me whatever I wanted. Well, I want this.”
Pressing her hands against his pecs, she pressed him back then leaned forward and put her mouth on his collarbone.
She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent, and rubbed her nose against his neck. His turn to shudder as her lips curved in a smile.
Then she let instinct take over.
She bit and licked and kissed as she explored his body, discovering how to make him respond.
Her lips brushed across his pecs made him shiver. Her tongue flicked against his nipples made him hiss in a breath. And when she teased the little nub between her teeth, he groaned. Her hands tightened on his waist, where they’d fallen to hold him in place. Or hold herself steady. Either one worked.
Now she moved them around to his front to pull his shirt out of his pants. Releasing the last couple of buttons, she spread his shirt wide and pulled back to look down. His rippled abs made her mouth water. In this position, she couldn’t lean down to lick him. And she really wanted to lick him.
Scrambling off the couch probably wasn’t the sexiest thing she could do but she did it fast. When she stood in front of him, she dropped the bra that was still clinging to her arms to the floor and held out her hand.
His grin spread slowly as he took her hand. For a few seconds, he didn’t move, even though he knew what she wanted. When he finally did stand, she smiled back. And when he grabbed her around the waist, he lifted her off her feet, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist.
The second her naked breasts pressed against his naked chest, her pussy ached. Hell, her entire body ached with desire. Even knowing he was going to give her what she wanted, she couldn’t help feeling a tiny hint of anxiety that maybe, just maybe, he’d walk away.
“Where are we going?” he asked against her lips before taking them again and cutting off her reply.
After several long seconds, he released her to answer.
“Up the stairs. First door on the left.”
He didn’t move right away. Instead, he kissed her again. And again. Until she didn’t know whether to just press him back onto the couch and they could make do or physically force him up the stairs so she could tie him to her bed and not let him up again for days.
Finally, he took a step and then another while she sank her fingers into his hair and spread kisses up and down his neck with stops to bite his earlobes.
The man was pure catnip. She couldn’t get enough.
He moved fast but sure, no hint of his occasional awkwardness. He took the stairs two at a time, and they were in her room before she realized. Luckily, she’d left a light on in the hall so he had some visibility.
She almost expected him to throw her on the bed and strip off the rest of her clothes. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Instead, he stood beside her bed for at least a minute just letting her kiss him.
When she made it back to his mouth, he took over again. And she let him.
Setting her back on her feet, he kept their mouths sealed, kissing her so deeply, she almost missed his hands at her waist, unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans and pushing them down her hips.
But as soon as she noticed, she couldn’t stop, wanting him to go faster.
Of course, he didn’t. Not even when she ran her hands down his back, nails scraping against his skin, pulling him closer. She couldn’t get him to go faster.
The man had a plan and he wasn’t deviating from his course. It made her crazy. It made her hot. And it made her fall even more deeply in lust with him.
Lust?
She shoved the question out of her head. She had no time for it now.
Not when he was falling to his knees and stripping her jeans down her legs. Her fingers wove through the long strands of his hair and gripped him tight, the brush of his breath against her bare stomach an aphrodisiac so potent she felt her muscles tense from head to toe.
Her breathing was so harsh, she heard it loud and clear in the silence of her room. She heard his, too. And every time it was followed by the exhalation of air on her belly.
Holy hell, she felt her body tense as if she were going to come, just from the thought that his mouth was so close to her pussy.
She still wore her underwear, an uncomfortable barrier to that hot, achy part of her that wanted his hands. Wanted his fingers to explore her. To pinch and rub and tease.
She wanted to get closer but found she couldn’t because he held her too tightly.
Damn, she really liked that, too.
“Justin.”
“Yeah.”
“When are you going to—”
“I’m going to make you come with my mouth and my fingers and then I’m going to lay you down on the bed and make love to you. Is that okay?”
Her lips parted in awe of the sensuality in his words and in his voice as her pussy clenched.
“I’m ready to come right now. All I need is for you to—”
She gasped as he put his mouth low on her belly, right above her miniscule panties. Now her pussy actually hurt, she wanted him so much.
No more words now as he brushed his lips against her skin and slid her panties down her hips. The second they were down around her ankles, he moved his hands to her hips and lifted her hips onto the bed.
“Lie back.”
She didn’t think twice. She lay back, her legs bent over the side, and sucked in air as he parted her thighs and put his mouth on her.
He didn’t tease now. He went straight for her clit, flicking it with his tongue while he pressed two fingers deep into her pussy.
Her groan was heartfelt and deep, her body already poised on the edge. And, oh my god, the man knew how to use his tongue and his fingers. Every touch stole a little more of her breath until she was panting. Her now-boneless body was his.
His fingers stroked high inside her, hitting every sensual trigger she had and a few she hadn’t known she had. The way he used his tongue made her rethink everything she knew about him.
Shy, quiet, and a little awkward were nowhere to be found.
Forceful. Masterful. And fucking amazing.
She lost all track of time, another first. Usually she couldn’t shut off her brain long enough to let a guy truly seduce her.
Justin had no trouble making her forget where she was. Everything faded away except his hands and his mouth and him.
And her impending orgasm. Every nerve ending in her body tingled with it. All he had to do was—
His teeth brushed her clit and she detonated. Stars flashed behind her eyelids as she convulsed around his fingers while he kept working her until she couldn’t take it any longer.
Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she met his intense gaze as he slipped his fingers out of her body.
“You need to be naked and on top of me right now.”
The flush on his cheeks spread, as did his grin. That grin held true warmth. And maybe a little bit of male triumph.
Not undeserved, she had to admit.
“I was kind of hoping you’d want to be on top. I want to watch you.”
Oh my god. Did this man want to make her burst into flame? Or just make her heart stop?
She scrambled to her knees on the bed and reached for the button on his jeans. She didn’t tease, didn’t take her time or draw it out. She wanted him naked as soon as she could possibly get him.
His hands dropped to her shoulders as she unzipped his jeans, then shoved them down his legs. She took a few seconds to appreciate the sight of his strong thighs and the outline of his hard cock in tight black boxer briefs.
But she couldn’t wait any longer to feel him in her hands.
She did take a second to run her hand along his shaft beneath the cotton of his underwear. The fabric felt hot to the touch and she knew his cock would be so much more.
His fingers wove through her hair to cup the back of her head, but he didn’t pull her closer or try to influence her in any way. He just flexed his fingers in a steady massage that made her bones turn to jelly.
Her fingers began to shake as she pulled his underwear down, exposing him and making her smile.
What woman didn’t enjoy the sight of a guy hard with need for her? She certainly did.
Letting herself stare for a few seconds, she wrapped her hand around his shaft and stroked him, watched his eyes narrow and his chest rise and fall in a fast-increasing rhythm. On her knees on the bed, her mouth was level with his neck and she leaned forward to nip him just at the junction with his shoulder.
He hissed in a breath and his cock pulsed in her hand. But he didn’t tell her to stop.
So she dragged her lips along his body, from his neck to his chest, stopping to lick his tight nipples before pressing a line of kisses down the center of his chest to the trail of darker hair that led straight to his cock.
She thought about teasing him, but she’d already decided she wasn’t waiting another second.
But he held her back and she looked up at him.
“Condom?”
She heard the question in his voice and shook her head.
“I’m clean and on the pill.”
Maybe it was reckless but she’d been on the pill for years and never missed a dose. And she trusted him implicitly.
“I’m clean. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
She knew that.
Smiling up at him, she made sure he was watching as she licked the head of his cock, enough to let him know she meant business.
When she was sure she had his undivided attention, she opened her mouth and took him inside. Just the tip at first, silky soft against her tongue. She moaned a little at the taste and at the sound he made deep in his throat.
How his left hand came to join his right in her hair but still he didn’t force her. She felt the control radiating out of him and grinned as she began to suck him off with every trick she’d ever learned made a guy crazy.
She wanted to make him crazy. Wanted him to be thinking only of her.
“God, Viv.”
Yes. That’s what she wanted.
Sinking down to the root, held him there for several long seconds before rising back up to the tip and sucking hard, making him groan before sliding down again.
His cock felt hot and sleek against her tongue, his scent clean and masculine.
Every taste of him made her greedy for more and she loved him with her mouth until she’d convinced herself she wanted him to come on her tongue.
“Viv.”
She heard the restraint in his tone and gave herself over to making him give her what she wanted.
He did, but only for a few short seconds.
Then he pulled her away. She let him go reluctantly, releasing his cock with a wet pop, and had a second to look up at him before she found herself spread out on the bed and covered with a hard, hot body and her mouth taken by an extremely determined man.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist and let him kiss her with a bruising passion, welcomed him with fierce intensity.
He took her mouth and didn’t let go, sucked her tongue into his mouth before following hers back. He kissed hard, her need building every second.
When he flipped them over, him on his back and her draped over him, she didn’t miss a beat.
Keeping their mouths sealed, she rose up onto her knees above him as his hands on her hips pulled her forward, moving her into position.
She felt him grab his cock and moved a hand down to help him, holding herself upright with one hand braced on his chest while she spread the lips of her pussy with the other.
The second his cock touched her sex, she shivered and took him in, a half-inch at a time, savoring each centimeter.
He wasn’t long but he was thick and he filled her almost to the point of pain. But this pain she welcomed. She couldn’t wait until she had every inch of him inside and then she could drive him over the edge.
She had no doubt Justin would hold out on her as long as he could and make her work for it. She was so looking forward to stealing that control.
With her hands firmly planted on his chest, she pushed up until she was sitting astride him and waited for him to open his eyes. They were an even darker brown now.
She smiled and began to ride him. Slowly. Every move deliberate and designed to create the most friction she could.
Every time she drew herself up, she let him slide out so she could feel him spread her wide again. And when she sank down, she enjoyed each burning inch.
His gaze held hers steady, only his rapid breathing betraying his need.
She felt that need coiled inside him and now she wanted to break that restraint, to make him lose himself as she was.
Her pace had picked up without her knowledge, her hips grinding against his as she worked them both toward climax.
The fact that she was ready to go off so soon after he’d made her come was a testament to how hot she was for him.
She just couldn’t get enough.
“God, Justin.”
His hands gripped her hips and yanked her down, filling her hard and fast and making her groan.
“Move, Viv.” His moved a thumb over her clit and began to rub her in time with her movement. “Come on, sweetheart. I want to come as you’re creaming around me.”
Whether it was his voice or his thumb on her clit, she felt her pussy tense around him just before she convulsed into orgasm a second time in an hour.
Justin kept thrusting into her for another couple of seconds, prolonging her climax until he groaned and pumped his seed into her.
He was still pulsing deep inside her when she collapsed onto his chest, snuggled her head under his chin and sighed, long and hard.
“I really hope you don’t have to leave soon because I want so much more of you.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere tonight if you don’t want me to, Viv.”