Rachel couldn’t believe she’d just let all those thoughts fall out of her mouth, making them reality. What the fuck was it about him? She couldn’t think when he was near, his presence made her practically vibrate. He prowled into the house, the command and control he had over his body making her skin come alive, and already she was wet for him. This was what she wanted—someone who knew how to please her, who knew precisely what they wanted, this was her type. The cocky, overly arrogant, physicality of someone whose desire for her was written on them. She craved the way his eyes simmered when he looked at her, the way his gaze dragged over her body as though he wanted to devour her. She’d always been a sucker for this type of person. A thought flitted through her head: Jacob was exactly like Lisa in this way, and a multitude of others before her, who all demonstrated an overt sexual need for her. She barely had time to stamp the thought out when he leaned closer, his lips almost touching her cheek. Almost searing her.
‘Kiss me.’ She put as much command into her words as she could, unable to stop the flutter in her voice. He did, and it was everything she needed and more. He tasted fresh, like mint chocolate, and she wanted to know if Lorenzo had spiked his gelato with something more than the rich chocolate one she’d ordered. Maybe a drug called lust. She opened for him, reaching up on her tiptoes, to get closer to him. He wrapped his strong arms around her, surrounding her, making her senses sigh, and her knees weaken. He hooked one arm under her bottom, lifting her off the ground, her body singing with licks of desire as she was pulled against his hard torso. Her head sagged back a little, and he leaned into the kiss, probing her mouth with his tongue, as though he wanted to taste every piece of her. He lifted his head, his eyes all heavy and hooded, for just long enough to ask, ‘Which way to your bed?’
‘Upstairs. I can walk.’ Or at least that’s what she tried to say, except his lips covered hers again, swallowing her words in an explosion of sensation. He carried her up the stairs, like a damned mythical God, as if 51 kg wasn’t as heavy as two feed sacks. With each step, his muscles shifted against her, creating little abrasions where her clothes rubbed between them. She needed to rip off her blouse, uncaring about minor details like buttons, and get her skin against his.
‘This one?’ he asked. She opened her eyes, staring dazedly at the door.
‘Yeah.’ Rachel waved her hand languidly towards her room, amazed at the way her arms seemed to lack strength. Jacob took the last few strides to her room effortlessly. She clung to his shoulders, her legs swinging down as he held her under her bottom. The back of her legs hit the edge of her bed.
‘Put me down.’
‘No, I believe you promised you would ride me.’ His voice flowed, deep and throaty, rinsing heat over her already alight skin.
‘You still need to put me down first, or—’ Or maybe he’d do exactly as he promised … Swing her around, and lie down on her bed, so she ended lying on top of him. Her breath rushed out of her lungs, as he stroked his hand up her back, and pulled her ponytail out of its elastic band. She shook her head, letting her hair swing around her face.
‘Do that again. In slow motion,’ he croaked out a hoarse command, his hips lifting slightly and pressing his erection against her stomach. Hell, she was soaked, ready for him. She shifted against him, using her elbows to give herself a little room to move, and then slowly, oh so slowly, flicked her hair as he requested. He growled, so she grabbed the end and stroked it like a brush over his cheek.
‘Rachel.’ Her name came out all breathy, so she repeated the action, following the brushstroke with her lips. His stubble roughened her soft lips, the contrast sending a shiver down her body. His thumbs stroked her neck, tracing the taut muscles from her skull down her neck, and across her shoulders. She released her hair, and pushed her hands across his temples, across the short, sharp cut on his skull, prickling her palms. He pressed his thumbs into the tight knots on her shoulders, and she wanted to sink further against him. A moan flew out of her, and she shifted to press her lips against his. He kissed her like a demon, devouring her, as his hands massaged away all the day’s work. Every time he stroked the hard muscle knots, teasing out the lactic acid and releasing tension, she wriggled against him, wrenching her mouth from his as she forced herself to sit up. Her tight skirt stopped her, and she grabbed it with both hands to pull it up to her waist. His gaze followed her hands, a deep guttural growl vibrating through his chest as she exposed her lacy underwear to him.
‘Undo your buttons. Show me.’
She started with the lowest one, pulling her blouse out from the waistband of her skirt, and slowly undoing one button at a time. Her fingers trembled, making it take longer, yet he didn’t seem to mind, as she slowly unveiled her skin. Belly button first, then higher, until her whole stomach was exposed to him, or at least the portion above her scrunched skirt all gathered around her waist.
‘Please. Keep going.’
She flicked open the button under her bra, and the next two popped open as well. A quick glance down to check …
‘Yes, they match. And it’s fucking hot.’ His exclamation came with a hum which she could only explain as awe.
‘Shall I remove the skirt too?’ It dug into her hips all weird, taking away some of the pleasure of having his gaze on her.
‘If it makes you more comfortable.’
She nodded, and rolled off him, wriggling to drag the skirt down into place, before unzipping it, and pulling it off. Before she could return to where they’d left off, his lips were on the skin of her waist, kissing along the red marks left behind by her clothes. Her head fell back against the covers of her bed, as he both soothed her and heated her with his mouth. His evening stubble grazed her skin, sending little shards of pleasure shooting through her, and her breath sounded too loud in her bedroom.
‘I thought you wanted me to ride you?’ Her voice came out husky, and his lips shifted against her stomach. A grin?
‘What do you call it in racing? Throwing a leg over?’
Laughter pushed all the air out of her lungs, ‘A leg up? That’s when you get help to get on the horse.’
‘Let me help you.’ He sounded like sin, in all the best ways. ‘Let’s put this athlete’s physique to good use.’
Did he mean hers or his? The question, and reminder of his athletic prowess, made heat burn her body, raging like a wild bushfire, licking at her skin, and she reached out frantically to touch him. He used her stretch to roll them both, and she landed on top of him, with her legs either side of his face, staring down his long legs still encased in jeans.
‘Jacob!’ She shrieked his name as he ran his hands up her legs, clasping her bottom, his thumbs brushing dangerously close to where she wanted them most. Her bare skin on top of his clothed body, his hard chest against her stomach, added a delightful texture to the sensation. Her hands fumbled as she pulled his shirt up, unable to move it too much without rearing up off him. His breath was hot and fast on her soaked lacy underwear, yet he waited, not touching her where she most wanted it.
‘Please,’ she begged as his fingers teased her, drawing patterns on the insides of her thighs, making her body tremble in anticipation.
‘Put your lips on me,’ he commanded. A little part of her bristled at his tone, a natural reaction to being told what to do, except the command was precisely what she wanted to do. She shifted slightly, enough to give herself working room for undoing his jeans. The zip strained to contain the hard bulge inside, and her fingers trembled as she unzipped his pants as slowly as she could manage. She wanted to taunt him as much as he teased her with his almost touches, and his hot breath like a zephyr over her underwear. He tilted his hips enough for her to push his jeans and silky boxers down, exposing his glorious length to her. Licking her dry lips, she considered her approach. Should she lightly kiss the end and ask him if that met his conditions? Or cup him? Or trace his length? Or … Bold and brave—that was the answer. If he wanted her lips on him, she’d give him exactly that. She opened her mouth and slid down his length, as far as she could take him. With a mouth full of his cock, she felt like a goddess, astride and in control. His sharp intake of breath only added to her sense of power, making her chest expand to contain her racing heart. She slid her mouth up and down his length, savouring his taste, and the perfect texture of soft, delicate skin surrounding his hardness. A dash of salt added flavour and she ran her tongue over the end to lap up his pre-cum. His mouth latched onto her thigh and he sucked hard enough to leave a bruise. Fuck. Why did that feel so good? Her gasp and subsequent moan when he licked the bruise to soothe it made her lips vibrate around his cock. She worked her mouth on him, round lips sliding, taking him as deep as she could manage, as he kissed her thigh better. His fingers dug into the flesh of her bottom, tighter every time she moved. She curled her hand around his balls, and he gasped with a guttural sound, somehow reluctant to release everything for her. She needed to have all of him, all of his submittal to the heat building between them, and still he didn’t touch her. Her legs started to tremble, her palms became sweaty, her nipples ached with unrepentant need.
‘Come on,’ she called out. Although the sound came out muffled by his cock. ‘Touch me, you fucker.’ The vibrations of her plea must have worked a treat, because his stomach tensed underneath her as he shifted his face to cover her. His fingers plucked at her underwear, tugging it out of the way, and his tongue filled her. A million licks from him, and she came alight, as he teased her clit with fingers and tongue. She surrendered to the pleasure, barely moving on him at all, as her whole being focused on his touch. His glorious touch, igniting her, until she moaned around him. He pumped into her mouth, and the gentle rocking of his hips only increased her awareness as he carefully controlled how much he filled her. She drew him deeper into her throat, flattening her tongue until she almost gagged, a flash of tears in her eyes as his cock completely filled her mouth, then she pulled her head back and he slid almost all the way out until the tip of his cock rested on her lips. He worked in the opposite rhythm, filling her with his tongue as she slid him out, then caressing her clit as she drew him in deep. Moans from him and whimpers of pleasure from her created music in the air, their voices joined in desire. His fingers pressed on her clit as he filled her again, and she came, floating away from reality, crashing waves of pleasure with urgent heat swamping her body. He kept one hand in place, asking for more, as her body clenched and released. With the other hand, he stroked up her side, past her breasts, and towards her stretched mouth. He pressed his thumb into the side of her mouth.
‘Off.’ His voice rumbled into her, impossibly sounding as though it followed a path inside her, rather than through the air around them. She growled in protest, working him again with long sucks.
‘Now. Off.’ He pulled her head back and came all over her neck, spilling himself with hard thrusts against the outside of her throat. Part of her wanted him to come in her mouth, and another part gloried in having his wetness all over her skin, a visible sign of his release painted on her. She collapsed on him, half rolling off, her eyes closed and sleepy. Multiple orgasms counted as amazing sex in her book.
‘Let me clean you up,’ he said. He gently untangled her legs from around his face and eased himself from under her. She murmured a response, unable to form proper words. A few minutes later, he rolled her onto her back, and wiped her skin with a warm cloth. She sighed, letting her head loll back on the bed as he cleaned her. There was something comforting about having him demonstrate caring like this, the warmth of the cloth a symbol of the contented warmth in her chest.
‘Come to bed, Jacob. Sleep with me.’
He kissed her forehead and she peered at him lazily.
‘Like actual sleeping?’ he smirked. ‘We never did have that fitness challenge.’
‘Are you out of your mind? I’m not doing fitness challenge sex with you now. I have to get up for trackwork soon.’ She forced herself to wake up enough, dragged her body out of its sated state. Now she was sitting, she may as well go through her bedtime routine, before she tumbled into sleep. She turned to him, kneeling semi-nude on her bed, and smiled.
‘Besides, you’d never beat me with your knee the way it is. It wouldn’t be fair.’
He chuckled, ‘When it’s all healed … Hold on, did you say fitness challenge sex?’
‘Of course. Wasn’t that the point of the challenge? Get me all sweaty at your place, see what happens next …’
‘You have the best imagination.’ He kissed her hard on the lips, ‘What ridiculously early time do you need to get up?’
‘Four. You can sleep in.’
‘And do the walk of shame in front of my sister without you?’ His eyes glinted with humour.
‘Sleep for longer. I’ll be back from work mid-morning.’
‘Can you be more specific?’
She blinked, ‘No. What does it matter? Have you got somewhere to be?’
‘I promised I’d drive out to the farm to see my folks, and I’m picking up The Palace.’
‘Oh. I’m going out that way too. Shannon wants me to do some work with Tsuyoi Red before the weekend, and it’s my day off from racing.’
He nodded. ‘There’s no point in taking two cars. Let’s work it out in the morning.’ He crawled off her bed and left her room. She stuck her head out into the hallway.
‘Hey, I have first dibs on the bathroom. It’s my house.’ She bolted after him and ducked under his arm into the bathroom.
Rachel giggled as she entered the bathroom, enjoying the way she’d beaten him inside. There had to be some benefits in being tiny. She ran through her bedtime routine quickly, throwing her underwear in the laundry basket, and was about to open the door to let him have his turn, when she heard his voice through the door. And Allira’s voice. Raised up. Shit.
‘Rachel said it was a one-time thing.’
She opened the door to see Jacob’s face tighten, his eyes narrow.
‘Um, so apparently, once wasn’t enough. Gosh, this is fucking awkward,’ she said.
‘Rachel. How can you joke about this?’ Allira said.
‘It’s just two adults having sex together. Why give it all the meaning? We both consented. It was fun. End of story.’ She tried to ignore the way Jacob vibrated next to her.
‘If it’s just fun, why does Jacob look like he wants to throttle you?’ Allira asked.
‘Does he?’ She knew he did. She didn’t have to look at him to know his whole body was tense.
‘I’m mad at both of you. You—’ Allira jabbed Jacob with her finger, ‘For messing around with my friend. I told you she doesn’t need a rebound romance.’
‘More of a rebound fuck, really …’ Rachel blurted.
‘Not helping,’ Jacob spat out between clenched teeth.
Allira’s gaze flicked between the two of them, then stared pointedly at Rachel. She lifted her chin, ready for an onslaught.
‘And you …’
Rachel held out her hands in protest. ‘Really, you are overreacting. I know he’s your big brother, but you know he’s a big bloke and he can look after himself. He doesn’t need to be fussed about.’
‘I’m not worried about him. He can look after himself. I’m worried about you. Only a few weeks ago, you were sobbing in my arms over a break-up, and now you are naked in the hallway after screwing my brother.’ Allira put her hands on her hips.
Rachel glanced down at herself. Shit. She shrugged, better than standing there in destroyed underwear. ‘Well, to be fair, I didn’t expect you home. And technically, we fucked each other. It’s not one-way traffic here.’
‘What the hell Rachel.’
‘Are you judging me for having consenting sex? Because that’s a bit unfair if you don’t judge him too. There shouldn’t be one standard for blokes and another one for me.’
Jacob coughed, more of a low grumbling clearing of his throat, and Rachel glanced his way. He’d at least done up his jeans, and looked fairly respectable, and thoroughly sated with his hair all ruffled and smelling faintly like her musk and sweat.
‘You are a piece of work, Rachel …’ Allira shook her head, and Rachel tensed for the inevitable ‘please move out’, except Allira ran her hands through her hair and sighed. ‘I wish I had your bravery. I think I’d die of embarrassment if someone saw me emerging naked from the toilet after having sex … Instead, you stand there, uncaring about your lack of clothes and school me about society’s imbalance of expectations of femininity. Jeez, I love you.’ Allira smiled, her face flushed. ‘And Jacob?’
‘Yeah.’ His voice came out an octave lower than normal.
‘Don’t screw this up. Rachel is amazing.’ Allira stared at her brother, her big brown eyes flashing with a warning which warmed Rachel all the way through. Having a real friend like Allira was the greatest thing, if only she could get rid of the slowly growing bitter taste at the back of her throat. Had she fucked this up? If she’d kept her hands to herself, they wouldn’t be here awkwardly negotiating a new relationship in Allira’s house. Allira—who cared for both of them, even Rachel and her messy way of ballsing up her life.
‘I know.’ His simple acceptance combined with Allira’s view of her made her chest tighten. Really? He really thought she was amazing? Her mouth filled with the taste of baking soda, like she’d left a paracetamol tablet on her tongue instead of swallowing it. She squared her shoulders—there was only one way to deal with this burgeoning ache. Bravado. False confidence, as Dad had said, fake it and everything will be fine. Nothing like a bit of faking to get rid of confusion.
‘Ok, well, now you’ve sorted that out. I have work early in the morning, so goodnight. Jacob, you are welcome to join me, but it’ll be sleeping only. Or just do whatever.’ She pushed past them both, suddenly aware of her nakedness as her arm brushed past Jacob’s jeans and shirt—another jolt of electricity humming in her torso at the simple touch. The sensation scared her, like having your foot stood on by a horse when you weren’t expecting it, a sudden hurt that made her want to curse. She’d enjoyed pleasure with him, from simple banter to mind-blowing sex, but at what cost?