Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2) (23 page)

It was his turn
to keep from laughing. “They aren’t doing karaoke right now, and you know me,
I’d hate to show off,” he deflected, pretending to be modest.

“Oh, I bet
they’ll make an exception, maybe after they score these cards and decide the
winner. We’d love to hear you sing,” Tami encouraged, getting out of her chair
and making a beeline for the activities director.

She came back
squealing with joy. “They said after dinner tonight they’re having karaoke.
What song will you sing?”

Brian was momentarily
speechless, then finally recovered. “Uh, I’m not sure.”

I enjoyed the
moment, but it was short-lived.

Brian came back
with a doozy. “What was the name of that song playing the night I met you? Do
you remember, cupcake? You were on the pole, and we swore it would be our
song.”

Oh, no, he
didn’t. Now I was a stripper? I reached over, my nails digging into his
shoulder, and I heard his grunt from the pain.

“I thought you
guys met in high school,” Tami remarked, confused.

Oh, sure, in an
effort to try to one-up me, he had now cast doubt on the entire thing. Luckily,
I was always good in a pinch. “He met me doing one of those strip exercise
classes with my sister, who was the one who suggested it. Should have known
about her, right? Anyways, him and his buddies were working out at the gym and
came to watch.” I swatted him on the shoulder. “I can’t believe you had them
thinking I was a stripper in high school.”

He looked amused
by my recovery. “See? Hellcat. Taking strip aerobics in high school. How the
heck was a boy to keep up?”

How, indeed? “I
believe it was ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me.’ God, I love me some Def Leppard.” Checkmate.

But of course he
wasn’t backing down. “You know, I’d rather sing a ballad for the woman I love.
How about I let it be a surprise?”

I tried not to
let that fake term of endearment affect me, but my stomach fluttered with his
declaration. “I look forward to it, pooky bear.”

Tami suddenly
had an idea. “We absolutely have to do dinner tonight. We have a reservation
for the Italian place, and you could join us. It would be fun to go as a
foursome.”

She wasn’t
leaving us much choice, but that was good because I realized having dinner
together would ensure that Brian had to sing.

“Well, now
that’s right kind of y’all. We’d love to join you, don’t you think, baby?” I
responded before Brian had the chance.

“Great, tell the
front desk that you will be with the reservation at seven o’clock for Gordon.”
Tami squealed, clearly excited.

Oh, boy, it
should be an entertaining evening.

We spent the
afternoon snorkeling and swimming and then took a long luxurious bath together
before arriving for our dinner reservations. Brian hadn’t once tried to back
out of the plans for the evening or the singing. Could’ve been male competitive
pride, but more likely he’d figured out how he was going to embarrass me via
the microphone. I could only guess what crazy song he was planning to pick.

At dinner that
evening, they seated all four of us, Tami, Lester, Brian, and me, at a corner
table of the restaurant.

“We’re
celebrating our fifteen-year anniversary. The three kids are with the
grandparents,” Tami revealed when a champagne bottle arrived.

“Congratulations,”
Brian said, toasting them.

I instantly felt
terrible. “Are you certain you want us joining you this evening? We don’t want
to impose.” To make fifteen years was something not many couples did anymore.
Suddenly I worried, both about intruding and the faking it thing. The game was
quickly losing its appeal.

Tami smiled.
“We’ve had only each other all week long. This is exciting for a change,
especially on our last night. You guys are so much fun.”

And there it
was. Even amongst my closest friends, I’d never be considered a lot of fun or
the type ever to let loose. But Mary Beth had possibilities. The idea was
thrilling. I let my hand wander to Brian’s thigh, happy that the tablecloth and
darkness would help conceal what I was about to do.

“What are you
doing, muffin?” he whispered.

I smiled at that
absurd term of endearment. “What does it feel like, lamb chop?” I got the
satisfaction of his intake of breath when I rubbed him through his slacks.

“I thought you
weren’t into public displays,” he ground out, tensing when my fingers
unbuttoned his top button.

“Oh, I’m not,
but Mary Beth is. She’s quite assertive when it comes to her man.”

“Remember
turnabout is fair play.”

I shivered in
anticipation of what that might mean for later tonight. Then I looked up to see
Tami studying us across the table. I removed my hand, too embarrassed to
continue with an audience. Damn, Sasha was back and overriding Mary Beth’s
minute of brazen confidence.

“Sorry to stare,
but you two have this amazing chemistry. I guess since we’ve been together
fifteen years, Lester and I seem dull to y’all,” Tami sighed.

I wasn’t sure
how Lester would’ve felt being called dull on his anniversary, but luckily he’d
made his way to the men’s room.

“All you need is
one night to rekindle the magic. You have to keep it fresh, Tami. Buy some toys
if you have to,” Brian commented.

I swatted him,
horrified that he would suggest something that private. “We just met them. Stop.”
He merely laughed it off. Yeah, I definitely wasn’t letting loose like Mary
Beth would.

“I’m sorry if I
offended you. But I could have a little talk with Lester,” Brian hinted.

Tami’s eyes got
wide. I was about to swat him again when she practically lit up like a
Christmas tree. “Oh, my goodness, that would be wonderful. I love my husband,
but we’ve got to spice things up. And you two—Man alive, you both are so hot
for one another.” She blushed and then looked at Brian. “Was it love at first
sight with her, and you never stopped loving her all those years you were
apart?”

I sipped my
champagne, not knowing what he would to say to that.

He contemplated
the question and then smiled. “I reckon I have a hard time remembering when I
didn’t love her.”

***

Arriving at the
bar, I could see them setting up for karaoke and decided it was time to give
him an out. His earlier words had put me off my game and suddenly I wasn’t sure
I wanted to hear another fake love declaration. It made things weird. Plus
Brian was much too relaxed not to have something up his sleeve—and with a
microphone. Lord help us.

“We could say
you strained a vocal cord or that singing is a painful reminder of a career
gone wrong,” I offered.

He only smirked.
“Afraid I’ll embarrass you in front of the entire bar, Mary Beth?”

I rubbed my
hands on his chest. “Keep in mind we’re here for five more days. If you choose
to humiliate me, I may not want to face anyone here the remainder of the time.”

He kissed me
playfully. “There’s always the thought of holing up in our room.”

Now I knew he
was definitely up to something. “I’d allow you to bow out gracefully.”

“Not a chance,
snuggle bunny. I’m in it to win it.”

I rolled my
eyes. Brian would never say something silly like that.

“Did you get
signed up, Austin?” Tami inquired, coming up with her husband and clearly
enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Brian nodded.
“Yes, ma’am, I did. Lester, you want to go get some drinks with me while we
wait for them to set up?”

I watched the
men walk away and wondered what advice he was giving an unsuspecting Lester.

“I hope he can
talk to my husband. For once, I’d like to be swept off my feet. Have him make
the first move for a change,” Tami confided.

“You always have
to make the first move?” I pried, curious.

She nodded. “For
the most part, yes. It’s like he thinks I’m fragile. After all these years, you’d
think he’d realize sometimes a woman needs to be tied down and ravaged. Oh, my Lord,
I can’t believe I shared that. I’m sorry, I’ve had a lot to drink.”

I only laughed.
“Don’t worry. Lester is definitely talking to the right guy.”

***

They called
Austin’s name, and in slow motion, I observed Brian get up on stage. My heart
was in my throat. Not only was he sexy with his stubble and tan, but he only
had eyes for me.

“The way he
looks at you. It’s sigh worthy,” Tami exclaimed.

I took another
long drink of my margarita. Something told me I was going to need it.

“I’d like to
dedicate this song to my beautiful girlfriend. Baby, you are the firefly to my
summer day,” he crooned.

I grinned like
an idiot at the declaration while Tami clapped, thinking it was the most
romantic thing she’d ever heard. I prepared myself. My entire body was stiff
with anticipation as to what form of embarrassment this would take. Then the
music started, and it wasn’t anything kitschy or obnoxious. It was Johnny
Cash’s Ring of Fire. Oh, no. If you were going to do a parody or sing something
poorly, you did not do it with Johnny Cash.

He winked at me.
Then his baritone voice started, and I froze. It was good. Like, really good,
and I was completely transfixed. Holy shit, Brian could actually sing.

“Oh, wow, he’s
fantastic. And look, he’s singing it to you, Mary Beth,” Tami squealed.

I nodded dumbly
and merely sat there, soaking in the words. I was completely intrigued with
this man up on stage of whom I had very intimate knowledge, while having no
clue about his hidden talent.

He finished the
song to a standing ovation, me included, and made his way over. Dipping me down
in dramatic fashion, he kissed me fully to another round of applause.

I could only
stare at him, completely stunned.

Once karaoke was
over, we said our goodbyes to Lester and Tami and returned to the room, both
happily buzzed. When the door shut, I took him completely off guard by
launching myself at him.

“Damn,” he
cursed.

My hands worked
his pants, and I had my dress over my head before he could even help me.

“Someone is a
fan of Johnny Cash,” he quipped.

I unbuttoned his
shirt. “That was seriously hot, Austin,” I drawled, smiling.

He took my hands
and tried to take over the kiss.

I pulled away.
“No way. I’m Mary Beth, you’re Austin, and tonight I get to call the shots.”

He froze.

I stepped closer
to him, caressing his face. “Please, Bri. I want to explore you the way you
have me. Give me one night.”

“Sash—”

“One night,” I
repeated, watching him wrestle internally.

“If I say yes,
then you agree to anything I want to do for the remainder of the week.”

I shivered,
thinking about what that could entail, but I wanted him too badly not to take
the deal. “Would you let me tie you up?”

He hesitated.
“It’s probably better that you do. Otherwise I can’t promise I wouldn’t try to
take over.”

Smiling, I
crossed to the closet and came back with my silk robe tie.

He took my
wrists. “Do we have an agreement on the rest of the week?”

Swallowing hard
at the implication, I nodded. I’d take it. “Yes.”

His wicked grin
made me wonder if I’d made a deal with the devil himself.

“Tie them tight,
baby, because once you release me, I won’t be responsible for my actions,” he
vowed, watching me thread the silk ties around his hands.

I made short
work of tying his wrists together and then maneuvered him on his back in the
middle of the bed. I shed him of his boxers and took a moment to appreciate how
very sexy he was. Normally he was so busy giving me pleasure that I didn’t have
a chance simply to study him.

His eyes were
fixated on me. “Christ, I love the way you look at me.”

I smiled a slow
smile. “And how am I looking at you?”

“Like you want
to eat me alive. Like what you see, do you?”

Taking off the
rest of my clothing, and I moved up the length of his body. His chest was
strong and tan, and at the moment, I had all access.

“Talk to me.
Tell me if you’re turned on.” His voice was hoarse.

Straddling his
thigh, I rubbed my wet sex up the length of it watching him hiss out a breath.
“Oh, I’m turned on, all right. I love your chest.” Caressing it, I bent down to
capture his nipple between my teeth, enjoying the air he held in response. “I
think it’s my second favorite thing about you.”

“And what’s the
first thing you like?”

“Oh, that would
be your smile, especially when it’s only for me. It makes me feel things.”

“Like what?”

I flicked my
tongue down his abs and enjoyed the way he was practically panting for air. “It
can mean a lot of things, but it makes me want you. Every. Damn. Time.” I punctuated
the words with a flutter of my tongue on the tip of him.

“You’re enjoying
this torture, aren’t you?” He attempted to lean up to watch me.

I took pity and
propped his head up with a pillow. “Mm, is this what you’d call pleasurable
torture?”

He chuckled.
“It’s pleasurable, but no. That will have to wait for another time unless you
want to give up control right now.”

“Not a chance,”
I smiled, licking his impressive length from root to tip and causing him to
test the knots in the ties.

He gave me a
pained smile. “I’m dying here. I want to touch you so badly that I’m ready to
start in on the ties with my teeth.”

Sweat was
beading on his forehead, and I knew I was on borrowed time. Swallowing him
whole, I enjoyed the fact that he practically convulsed from the pleasure. I
worked him with my tongue and moved lower. My eyes met his, and I saw such
naked desire that I shuddered with ecstasy. I could feel him getting close. His
thighs trembled, and his cock swelled. When he exploded in my mouth, I
swallowed down the thick, hot evidence of his orgasm with enthusiasm knowing
how much it turned him on to watch me do so.

“Untie me,” he
begged.

I shook my head.
“You said all night, and I’m not done.” I was enjoying this way too much to
stop now.

He groaned when
I pressed my wet center into him, pressing our heat together. I could feel him
start to harden again already.

“Sasha, honey, I
need to touch you.”

I smiled
sweetly. “Not yet.”

Stroking him between
the sensitive lips of my sex, I enjoyed the aroused expression on his face. I
rose up and fed him into me slowly, savoring every inch as I sheathed him deep
inside of me.

“You feel
amazing. I want to touch your clit and make you come,” he pleaded.

My hands found
his chest and rubbed down his hard abs. “What if you watch me do it?”

His eyes closed and
a tremor ran through him. “Yes.”

I dipped my
finger into my slick entrance, locking my eyes with his. The heat reflected in
his depths sliced through me like a knife.

“Let me taste
you,” he whispered.

Offering up my
index finger, wet with my desire, I watched as he leaned up and took it into
his mouth. I watched while he worked it with his tongue thoroughly. Taking it
back, I placed it on my swollen clit and rubbed.

Shifting my hips,
I started to move. The string of muttered curses let me know that he was
getting close.