Her Kind of Man (21 page)

“I really hate to say this, but she does have point,” Syd said.

“Who has a point?” Red asked, strutting into the kitchen with Morgan right behind him.

“I do,” Cali chirped. “Hey, babe.” They greeted each other with a kiss.

Morgan leaned down and planted one on Syd. He looked up at her and grinned. “What's up, Allina?”

“Hi.” It warmed Allina's heart to see her two friends happy in their relationships. It gave her hope that she could be with them sometime in the future. With Kent. That's what it all boiled down to. Even though her relationship with Isaac had crashed and burned, she was willing to step out there with the right man.

“Where's Kent?” Morgan asked. “I've been trying to reach him all day.”

Allina shrugged. “I guess he's at work. He said he had a couple meetings.”

“He'll probably call when he's done,” Morgan said. “Syd, did they finish?”

Syd nodded and stood. “Most of it,” she said as they left them in the kitchen to go look at the living room.

Red slid into Syd's vacant chair. “What were you all talking about?”

“Allina and Kent,” Cali said, rubbing his hand affectionately. “And sex.”

Oh God
.

Red's eyes widened. “Oh hell no.”

“Wait, baby.” Cali tilted her head, peering at Red. “Maybe you could settle this.”

He covered his ears and shook his head rapidly. “I don't want to hear about Kent and Allina doing anything.”

Cali pulled his hands from his ears. “This is for a good cause.”

“I don't care,” he argued. “Let Kent and Allina handle their own sex life. You stay out of it.”

Allina dropped her head on the table.
I need to get out of here
.

“Listen, as a man,” Cali forged ahead, obviously not caring that both of them were traumatized by the conversation. “What should Allina do to get Kent's attention?”

Allina peeked up at her friends.

Red appeared to be mulling the question over, because he stared at the ceiling. Then he met Allina's gaze. “Show him some leg. I'm hungry.” He stood up and walked to the fridge.

Cali smacked her hand on the table. “See? I rest my case.”

W
here the hell is she?

Kent glanced at his phone. It had been almost an hour since Allina had called and told him she was on her way back. Morgan and Syd lived only fifteen minutes away. She should have been there by now.

The alarm sounded, signaling the front door was open. He heard Allina announce she was back and he relaxed. She must have stopped by the store. Realistically, he knew it wouldn't be too long before she would start doing things on her own, leaving without him, but he liked coming home to her smiling face in the evening. And he loved waking up to the smell of hot coffee and Allina in those damn basketball shorts. The weather was warming up, so she'd taken to sleeping in a tank instead of a T-shirt. A little skin went a long way.

They'd been steadily getting closer and closer to doing the deed, and he'd had to keep reining them back to reality—by making sure she went back to her bedroom at night. He'd decided that waking up with her body pressed against his was not an option if he wanted to slow things down. Of course, she seemed willing. He saw it in her eyes, felt it in the way she'd always find a way to be near him and the way she kissed him. But he wasn't sure she was really ready, and he needed to know beyond the shadow of a doubt. It was killing him. He'd taken too many cold showers for his liking.

Sighing, he turned back to his laptop. A co-worker had hired him to do some graphic work for a start-up business venture. It had started with a logo, but now he was working on the company's website. Allina's words kept ringing in his head, egging him on to make something happen with his designs.
Can I really do this, though?

A few minutes later, the bedroom door swung open. Allina poked her head into the room. “Got a minute?”

He nodded and set his laptop down on the bed next to him. “Yeah, come in.”

When she entered, he almost forgot to breathe. His eyes followed her across the floor. She was wearing nothing but a nightgown. A see-through one that barely covered her knees, leaving her toned legs visible. It clung to her body as she sauntered over to him. Under the thin material, he could see the outline of her full breasts.
Is she doing this on purpose?

She climbed on the bed, crossing her legs.

“What's up?” he managed to say.

“I've been thinking, about the last few nights.”

Shifting, he cursed his mind and his body for skipping straight to the gutter. Her leg brushed up against his and he fisted his hands in the sheets. It was either that or pull her on top of him.

He watched her smooth a hand up her leg and before he could stop himself, he reached out and mimicked her movement, pulling her closer to him.

“Oh,” she whispered, biting down on her bottom lip. The same lip he wanted to bite down on himself.

“What about the last few nights?” he asked, his gaze flickering from her lips to her eyes then back down to her lips.

“I really enjoy spending time with you, and I love kissing you.” She paused, dropped her gaze. “I want—”

He couldn't stop himself even if he tried. He braced a hand on the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss. Lifting her up effortlessly, he set her on his lap, never breaking the kiss.

When he reluctantly pulled back, it was only to breathe before he went back in for more. Urged on by her soft moans, he lowered her to the bed and climbed on top of her. He placed soft, wet kisses down her neck to the skin above her breast. As his mouth moved lower, he lifted her short nightgown.

His blood seemed to burn hot, and the desire to make love to her eclipsed everything. He gazed down at her, took in her flushed skin, swollen lips, and hooded eyes. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her ear.

“I want to make love to you,” he whispered. “Now.”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Perfect. She was absolute perfection to him—warm and soft in all the right places. He wanted to make this right for her. And not just that night. He wanted to build his life around her, take his time showing her just how good it could be. He cared about her that much.

Slowly, his hand inched up her thigh. When his fingers brushed against the band of her panties, he slipped them under and pushed one of them into her heat. She sucked in a deep breath as he prepared her, moving his fingers in and out. He smiled when she lifted her ass off the bed in time with his movements. He circled her clit with his thumb and was pleasantly surprised when she ordered him to keep going. Picking up the pace, he added another finger. It didn't take long before she stiffened and cried out as her orgasm washed over her. Rubbing his nose against hers, he bit down on the inside of his cheek. His body was throbbing with a need to be inside her, but at that moment, it was all about her. It was her first time, and he wanted it to be good for her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him, a seductive grin. And he knew he'd die remembering her face. He brushed her hair back and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and finally her lips.

“Are we really going to do this?” she asked.

“Only if you're okay with it.”
What the hell will I do if she says no?

“I am,” she said, searching his eyes. “I want to.”

Without another word, he slowly slid her underwear down her legs and tossed it behind him. Then he pulled her nightgown up and off. Finally, she was lying under him naked. He took a minute to smooth a hand over her skin, enjoying the way she shivered underneath his palm. Tracing her navel, he watched as she threw her head back and to the side. He took the opportunity to kiss her neck before trailing his mouth down her body to her breast.

Suckling one mound into his mouth, he flicked her nipple with his tongue. He felt her nails digging into his shoulder and lifted himself up. “Are you okay?” he asked, gazing down at her beautiful face.

Instead of answering, she pulled him into a wet kiss before she tugged his wife beater off. “I can't be the only one without my clothes on,” she said, winking at him.

Fumbling with his shorts, he cursed when he realized he'd tied the drawstring into a knot. He tried to untie it, but it wouldn't budge. Her hands on his made him pause. Slowly, she worked the knot until it came loose and pushed his shorts down.

He yanked his nightstand drawer open and rummaged inside it for protection.
Damn it
. He was liable to shoot someone if he didn't have any condoms. The gleam of the silver package caught his eye and he pulled it out.

She watched as he opened the wrapper and put it on. Once it was in place, he relaxed between her legs, her skin against his. She ran a finger over his jaw. Gripping her thighs, he lifted them up and gently pushed inside her.

Her mouth fell open, but no sound came out. Holding himself still, he gave her a minute to adjust to his size. She was so wet, so tight, so
his
. When her eyes fluttered open, she grinned and he knew she was feeling no pain.

Starting slowly, he thrust in and out. His mouth covered hers as they moved to their own rhythm. Everything about her had him teetering dangerously close to the edge—from her perfume, her smile, her hair…to her legs. But he wouldn't fall over yet. It had to be good for her, memorable. As he picked up the pace, he ground his teeth together. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand it.

He felt her breath, hot on his ear, heard her whisper in his ear that it felt good. His heart swelled in his chest. She wanted him, she'd chosen
him
to be her first. He was the man she trusted with herself and he wanted to live up to it. Because no other man would ever get this close to her, if he had a say.

Damn
. He started to unravel, and he looked down at her. “Look at me,” he ordered softly.

She complied, her big, expressive eyes locked on his.

“I want you to come for me, baby,” he coaxed. “Let go.”

He felt her insides quiver, signaling she was close. She squeezed his hips with her thighs and he pushed into her one last time. Then she fell over, pulling him with her.

They lay there silently, him still on top of her, still inside her. She was trembling hard beneath him.
Oh shit, what did I do?
He didn't think he could deal if she looked at him and told him she'd made a mistake—especially when it had felt so right to him. Bracing himself, he looked down at her, shocked when he saw that she was laughing.

Suddenly self-conscious, he frowned. “You're laughing?”

Beaming up at him, she giggled. “I was just thinking about something Red said.”

Confused, he asked, “We just got done…we finally made love and you're thinking about Red?”

She ran her hands over his shoulders. “It's not what you think.”

He tried not to feel annoyed. He really did. But after a bout like that, she
should
have been spent, clinging to him, and only thinking about
him
. Not Red's ass. And certainly not laughing at something Red said.

“Do I even want to know?” he grumbled.

She laughed and brushed her lips over his. “Seriously, it's not what you think,” she repeated. “Cali asked him what I should do to get your attention.”

“And?”

“He told me to show you some leg.”

Wow
. His friend had sold him out. Years ago, he'd confided to Red that Allina's long legs were one of his favorite things about her. “I guess he was right,” he confessed, chuckling with her.

Allina rolled over, perching herself up on her elbow. Kent was asleep next to her. They'd spent the past few hours basking in the afterglow of her first time. Just thinking about it made her blush. She'd never known sex could be so enjoyable. She'd shattered into a million pieces and he'd put her back together again.

She let her fingers trace his hard muscles. There was something about his sharp intake of breath when she'd touched him earlier that made her feel powerful. She relished the fact that she could affect him the way he had affected her. Lying next to him, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, she purposed within herself to enjoy the ride. She wanted to learn everything he wanted to teach her.

So far he'd already taught her the art of resting her body. After they'd made love a second time, he carried her into his bathroom and gave her a sponge bath. Of course, the “rest” came after he showed her that the bed wasn't the only good place to make love.

Now her body was screaming at her, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be with him. She nuzzled into his side, smiling when his arm wrapped around her.

“You're up?” he asked.

“I couldn't sleep.”

“That means I didn't do my job,” he joked. His hand was splayed over the small of her back. He smoothed it lower.

“Oh, you did your job.” She dragged her fingertips over the taut muscles of his stomach. “I'd always heard it was a painful experience so I didn't really expect much.”

He leaned back and opened one eye. “Seriously? You thought I was going to go out like that?”

Grinning, she nodded her head. “I thought it was a given. Everybody I know has had an awful first time.”

“Everybody?” he asked, raising his brows.

“Yep.”

“Hm.”

She cringed, thinking about what would have happened on her wedding night with Isaac had she not left. Kent had made losing her virginity special. He was gentle and sweet and giving. “I'm glad it was with you,” she said after a moment. She hugged him, closing her eyes when he kissed her forehead.

“I'm glad it was too.”

She flicked a loose thread in his sheets with her finger. “What happens next?”

Making love to Kent, as good as it was, didn't change their circumstances. Or did it? They weren't an official couple or anything, hadn't made any promises to each other. But she knew that she couldn't imagine her life without him. She wanted to hold on to what they shared with everything she had. Except she wasn't sure he felt the same way.

“What do you mean?” he asked, drawing a circle on her shoulder.

She turned to look at him. “I mean, with us?”

He swept a thumb across her jaw. “I don't know.”

Allina didn't want to be one of those women that Kent said he didn't have time for, the virgin who attached herself to his hip after one night of sex. But denying herself the opportunity, the chance, to be with him, would be akin to denying herself water, or access to her sewing machine. Her survival seemed dependent on him. Because she was in love with him. She'd realized that she'd always been in love with him, even when she was with Isaac.

“This is new territory for me,” he continued. “I don't usually have sex with my friends.”

She winced at his use of the word “friend.”
Is that all I am to him?

“It was a joke,” he told her, chuckling.

She let out a slow breath that she hadn't realized she was holding.

“Of course you're not just my friend, Allina.” He gazed at her. “You're so much more than that. I wouldn't have made love to you if you weren't. What happened between us is no accident. It's not a mistake because I went into it willingly, with both eyes open.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying I want to be with you. Not just like this, but I want to work toward something—with you. I don't want you to move out. I'd rather you stay, with me.”

Her hand flew to her chest. “Are you asking me to move in with you permanently?”

“I'm asking you not to leave.”

Allina was floored. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but she knew that wasn't it. He wanted her to stay with him. Could she? Instead of feeling elated, she felt guilty. He was being honest with her, open. And she was hiding something so terrible that it could destroy everything.

Swallowing, she told him she didn't want to leave. “But I can't make that big of a decision right now. Everything is still so new between us.”