And then his shirt was being flung to the ground, and his hands moved to the button of his jeans. I held my breath as he very slowly and deliberately unbuttoned then lowered the zipper.
The sound was so loud I could almost feel the vibrations against the air.
If anything would wake up Slater, it would be that stupid zipper. I licked my lips as his abs actually glistened like he’d just casually rubbed coconut oil on all the chunky muscles in preparation for a photo shoot. I reached out, and my hand caressed the third ab down; it was hard and sizzling hot. I pressed my full palm against his skin then slid that same hand down until I was able to shove his hands away.
“Are you going to undress me now?” he smirked.
“I was toying with the idea.” I ran my knuckles down the front of his abs again. “But I tend to get distracted by big… thick… bulging… things.”
Knox’s laugh was seductive, low, but I noticed he was breathing a bit faster. “Well, you’re in luck. I have just the thing.”
“No way,” I teased. “Think I’ll be impressed?”
“Some may even say obsessed.” His lips met mine in a quick peck before he guided both of my hands to his jeans.
I gripped the fabric and tried not to stare too hard as the curve of his ass came into view. I’d never thought guys’ asses could be nice. Then again, I’d never seen one that looked like Knox’s. Tight in all the right places, smooth. I was almost jealous.
I slid the pants down.
“No boxers or briefs?” I whispered into the night air. “Scandalous.”
“I don’t like restriction.” His half-lidded gaze drank me in. Then his jeans landed on the floor, and something that needed my immediate attention was between us.
“You weren’t exaggerating.” I gulped, but fascination drove me to explore. Almost breathlessly, I ran my thumb over his tip until his length twitched, and he tensed. Amused, I repeated the move. I bent forward, ready to take him in my mouth, but his hands on my shoulders prevented me from tasting. For now.
His mouth crashed against mine as he picked me up in his arms and flung us both onto his bed. We landed with his weight on his elbows.
I met his kiss, deepening it, giving him my tongue, my mouth, pressing my body so tight against him that I could feel his heat pulsing against my thigh, while I too pulsed in intimate places. He was right; clenching my thighs didn’t help — not when my body was demanding he fill it hard and fast. Who was I kidding? I’d wanted him the minute I saw him then I’d fallen hard when he’d opened his mouth and even harder each day after, until it was impossible to say anything but yes.
He moved on top of me, shifting slightly as his hand inched up my skirt, his eyes never losing focus while he watched me watching him. Mouth suddenly dry, I waited for him to say something to break the tension, something to get me out of my head. Wasn’t that what these guys did?
His hand came into contact with my bare butt cheek. He squeezed and gave his head a shake. “I thought you were wearing a thong when we were dancing, and the whole time I could have just bent you over the bar and had my way with you?”
“And risked possible jail time, yes,” I answered with a breathy sigh that made me feel equal parts aroused and stupid. I wasn’t that girl, the one who just randomly slept with guys who looked like movie stars, but it was Knox.
And even if I wasn’t his game changer…
He felt like mine.
He squeezed, his head descended, and his hot mouth pressed an open kiss to my neck as he tugged my skirt down my legs. I was completely exposed to him, his skin so steamy against mine. Yet I shivered. I wanted to feel more of him, more of our bodies sliding against each other, his hard against my soft.
“Remember…” He nuzzled my neck, his words hot against my ear. “…no screaming equals no death.”
“No death.”
With his lips, he tugged my earlobe.
A shiver rippled through me, even though my body burned and throbbed with need. “Yeah, got it, no… death.”
Knox let out a dark chuckle against my neck then pulled back, his eyes searching mine. “I haven’t done this in three years.”
“I haven’t done this… ever.”
His eyes went so wide, his skin so pale, that I nearly died laughing. “I’m joking! You should have seen your face!”
“Oh, you think that’s funny?” He reached for my hips and pulled me first to a sitting position then over his shoulder until my bare ass was facing the ceiling. And next, he slapped — hard enough to make it sting, hard enough to make my thighs clench together with each hit. Then it started feeling different… good. Pain moved toward pleasure at such an alarming rate that I let out a moan.
Each stinging slap drove a spike of tingling desire directly to my core. The muscles at my center clenched and unclenched as my most intimate place literally wept for him to fill me.
Crack. This time his palm lingered, and his fingers that were clenched around my ass cheek squeezed firmly before sliding off. I gasped as air hit the spot he’d vacated, and then…
Crack. His palm slid across stinging skin, and he grazed the sensitive spot between my legs with his fingertips. I writhed beneath his touch, wanting more…
Oh, so much more.
What was he doing to me?
Crack. I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming then his hand was at my mouth, gently covering. I bit down on his fingers lightly. That slap had been harder, but the memory of his fingers brushing against my core at the same time made me tremble as the fiery, throbbing need built.
His hand left my mouth as I let out a gasp.
Crack. One finger breached my most intimate place and stayed inside. Groaning, I clenched my muscles around that finger. My body shook as I tried to hold on. “More,” I ordered. “More.”
With a sharp intake of breath, he pulled back and slapped me once more. I rocked against him, the tips of my breasts rubbing against his naked back, the motion making my nipples ache to have his mouth there.
“Damn, they feel good everywhere, don’t they?” he murmured, rubbing my ass with his right hand then pulling me down so I straddled his lap. His mouth was on mine before I could answer.
My body tingled and shook with awareness. So close… I just had to move a few inches… He rubbed against me, driving me crazy. He was all velvet heat, and I was more than ready to invite him in.
He kissed me harder, deeper. I was lost in his taste, in the way his hair felt wrapped around my fingers as I moved on top of him. His hands left my back as the sound of a condom wrapper tearing filled the air. There wasn’t any fumbling, no laughing, just desperation on both our parts as he broke away from me. I licked my lips in anticipation.
A click then total silence came from the main room. The TV had been turned off.
“Hey…” A knock sounded on the door. “…you guys back yet?”
Knox’s chest heaved as he slowly shook his head at me.
I nodded and grabbed the condom. I unrolled it and slowly sheathed him.
He gritted his teeth as I moved my hand up and down lightly and winked.
“Guys?” Slater called again.
Knox bit down on his lip so hard it turned white.
With one fluid movement, he gripped me by the hips and slid me down onto him. There had been no warning, only complete fullness that had me opening my mouth on a scream.
He clapped a hand over my mouth and moved.
I felt my eyes roll back as my body responded. I gripped his shoulders while Slater stood on the other side of the door.
“Guys?” He knocked again.
Knox moved faster then pulled out and jerked me into his arms. He walked me backward toward the very door where Slater was, no doubt, still standing. My eyes must have been wide because he smirked like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen, and when he pressed my bare ass against the wood and entered me, shoving me harder against the door, I almost kicked him. My lips parted again. I’d never had to be quie
t before. I didn’t think I could now.
But this time I had no choice.
And it felt so good I wanted the world to know that it was Knox doing this, only Knox.
My legs shook as pleasure built between us, nearly combusting when Knox kissed down my neck only to come back to my mouth and swallow my next whimper as if he knew I’d been about to lose it.
And when the sound of footsteps retreating filled the empty space behind the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. Knox clenched his teeth. I was so close, yet impressed that it had been three years, but the guy had the stamina of a rock star.
“Remember,” he panted, “no screams.”
“And…” I moaned as he went deeper, making my vision momentarily blur as my body tightened then gave and adjusted to him. “…if I have to?”
“Death.” He chuckled and slowed his thrusts, driving me crazy. I pounded my fist against his chest.
“You’re stopping why?”
“Eh, just building up your climax, Shower Girl.” He winked. “Lean back.”
“What?”
He sat me on the desk and pushed me back. “Over the desk, lean backward at an angle.”
Then I lost all consciousness, or it felt like it, when our bodies slid together, and with his fingers, he thoroughly explored unknown territory, according to my last ex-boyfriend, whose idea of sex was two minutes long and a nice high-five afterward.
“Knox—” I clamped my teeth together. “—I—”
He slammed his mouth against mine, and I greedily took all I could get, ripping at his hair and pulling him hard against me as wave after wave rocked through my core like a category-12 tsunami. My legs turned to complete jelly when he followed and whispered with a dark promise, “Round one, position two… give me forty minutes. Oh, and Shower Girl? Better hydrate.”
Chapter Thirty
Knox
“Does this mean I get to cut your hair now?” Shawn murmured sleepily.
My body was tight in all the right places. My muscles ached, and all I wanted was a nice massage and a few more rounds before Slater murdered me for screwing his roommate.
I knew exactly how that conversation would go.
Which meant we couldn’t tell him.
Not if I wanted to stay alive.
And not if I wanted to keep my past in the past.
“I might make you work for it a bit more,” I teased, running my hands through her thick hair, giving it a tug and examining how it glistened against her warm mocha skin. Touching her was necessary; my fingers itched with the need to caress every damn time I saw her.
And I would never tell her the effect she had on me. Because it would put the ball in her court. She’d be the favorite to win whatever game this was, and the last time I gave it all…
I’d lost it all.
“You all right?” Shawn turned on her side and faced me, her eyes searching mine. “Or are you just trying to find a polite way to send me back to my room?”
I frowned. “You do realize we have about five minutes before the guys come barging in here, right?”
Her smile fell.
I wrapped my arms around her tighter. “Stay the night.”
“Pretty sure my mom warned me about threesomes…”
I tilted my head. “Wow, progressive mom.”
She blushed. “Okay, maybe not my mom, but you know, books, society, humans— Sharing isn’t caring, at least not in my book.”
“Look at me.” I gripped her chin and gazed deep into her eyes. “I wouldn’t share you with them if they were both being held at gunpoint.”
“Wow!” Finn swept into the room. “Good to know, bro.”
Leo just shook his head. “And to think, I put you in my will.”
I rolled on to my back and clenched my teeth. “You’re early.”
“Yeah, well, Finn drove as slowly as he physically could. A cop even pulled us over because we looked suspicious in that brand new Jeep. I almost told her she had a nice ass then decided you’d be pissed if you had to bail us both out of jail, so we got by with a warning, and I took a mental picture for later.”
Finn nodded, obviously lost in thought. “See? You noticed her ass. I’ll raise you two gorgeous blue eyes.”
Leo squinted. “Touché.”
“Turn around.” I pointed. “Both of you.”
“We’ve seen you naked.” Leo shrugged.
“But you haven’t seen Shawn—” I growled when Leo smirked. “Say what’s on your mind, and I’m going to throw you out the window. We have a rosebush two floors down, so think carefully.”
Leo eyed me with humor then finally lifted his hands into the air and turned around. Finn did the same.
I quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed a pair of sweats and a shirt, and tossed them to Shawn.
Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson as she pulled on the pants, jerking them over her hips without getting out from under the sheets. She pulled the shirt over her head, catching some of that beautiful hair before pulling it out and flashing me an easy grin. Like this was normal.
As if changing in a guy’s room with two other guys was just how she rolled on a daily basis after having sex.
After being with me.
I was completely out of my element.
Because this was the part where I sucked.
The part where I’d forgotten how to be normal.
I knew how to please women after they’d been discarded, tossed aside, and told they were worthless.
What I didn’t know how to do?
Talk to the woman who already knew her worth and saw it reflected in my eyes.
How the fuck was I going to keep her?
How was I going to stay sane?
And how was I going to make sure she didn’t see the ugly part of my past? I wasn’t stupid. I knew she needed my trust.
And no woman in her right mind would trust me.
They had reasons not to.
Ones I was sure Slater would be more than happy to list then laminate so Shawn wouldn’t forget.
I ran my hands through my hair. “You guys can turn back around now.”
“We were just talking about cutting Knox’s hair.” Shawn pulled her knees to her chest. “Weren’t we?”
“Uh, pretty sure it was barely on the table for discussion.” I chuckled and sat back down on my bed.
The room smelled like sweat, like sex, like us. I inhaled deeply then leaned in and kissed her neck. She shivered under my touch.
“You know…” Finn sighed. “…it’s not often that I’m left out of scenarios like this. I’m not sure I like it.”
“I fucking hate it,” Leo piped up. “I feel like I walked into a candy store, and the dickless manager just told me it was closed.”
“You’re the dickless manager,” Finn said, grabbing a pair of scissors from the desk and pointing them at me.
“Got that, thanks.” I rolled my eyes.
“Just one taste.” Leo sauntered over.
I stood and clenched my fists.
He slow-clapped. “That’s how you know—”
“You love her!” Finn joined in on the singing.
“Hey, I love that movie!” Shawn fell back against the pillows and laughed. “That’s how you know you’re the one!”
“Unbelievable,” I muttered. “It’s like I found the one girl who understands how to deal with you two.”
“It’s a beautiful thing.” Leo shoved me out of the way then sat on the bed, pulled Shawn’s feet onto his lap, and started massaging. “So, I hope he was tender with you.”
“Leo!” I roared.
Finn nodded then moved behind her and started massaging her shoulders. “I mean, when it’s been three years, sometimes a little…” They both turned to glare at me. “…enthusiasm can be a bad thing.”
I covered my face with my hands and wished a swift death on both my best friends just as a knock sounded at the door.
“Guys?” It was Slater.
I took in
Shawn’s mussed hair and swollen lips, plus the fact that she looked like I’d just fucked her into the weekend.
“I got this,” Leo whispered and twisted her foot a bit, pressed down first on the middle of it then on her big toe, and suddenly she was shivering as if she was cold.
“Good, Leo! Make her tits show through her shirt more!” I hissed.
“Sorry!” Leo looked and looked again. “Sorry again? I panicked!”
“Wrong pressure point, genius.” Finn sighed then ran over, lit a candle, pulled off his shirt, and rubbed coconut oil down his chest. He did a few jumping jacks and opened the door. “Hey there, sailor.”
Slater backed up, hands raised.
“Oh.” Finn sighed. “Sorry, thought it was Rory. He just got dumped again, wanted to do a little bit of role-playing. You know how he likes the ocean.” Finn flashed him the biggest shit-eating grin I’d ever seen.
Slater just shook his head as if he was thanking God he still didn’t work for Wingman, Inc. then looked past Finn. “Shawn?”
“Hey! We were just going to watch a movie? Wanna hang?”
“No.” Slater sighed. “I don’t want to hang.” He made air quotes then stared me down. “Thought we talked about this.”
“She was with me, dipshit,” Leo piped up. “And she wanted to go out dancing with Alexa. I thought it would be smarter for her to take a sober-buddy than go by herself and get into trouble.”
Slater paled. “Uh, yeah, good point.”
They were both covering for me.
“Plus, the big guy’s sick.” Leo nodded to me.
I coughed. It was weak.
But Slater must have bought it because he visibly relaxed.
“I was just trying to be s-safe.” Shawn choked on the word, her gaze wide as I turned to her.
Finn’s eyes narrowed while Slater came closer.
Then Finn looked to the right, by the chair, and grinned so big I wanted to punch him in the teeth. He leaned down as if he was grabbing something off the floor and picked up a condom wrapper. He mouthed, “One?” then grinned. “Two?” He coughed. “Three?”
I would be murdered tonight.
“Safety…” Finn shoved them in his pocket. “…is extremely important. You never know when you might catch something. I mean, take diseases, STDs—”