“I'll see you tomorrow.” She opened the door.
He gently touched her cheek. She took two steps back and his hand dropped to his side. “Don't pull away.” They'd followed her rules. It hadn't mattered. “It'll be okay. Think about the baby.”
Her hand went to her stomach. “I could be pregnant.”
Or not. He needed this week to convince her that friendship was the best foundation for a relationship. Tomorrow he'd work on breaking a few more of her rules. Tonight he'd leave her to sort through the confusion. Hell, he needed the time, too. Being together had been magic. Krissy claimed she wasn't ready for commitment any more than he was ready for fatherhood. He'd plunged into, well,
her
. And if it took every breath from his body, he'd convince her of the rest.
“I have a break in classes at ten.” He took his keys from his pocket. “Are you sure you're okay”
She nodded. “Just tired.”
“Call me if you need me.” He knew she wouldn't. As much as he hated leaving, he did.
Krissy closed the door behind Johnny, her worst fears realized. No touching, at least no unnecessary touching. No kisses, no caresses, and Johnny still gave her the best orgasm of her life with the perfect length, girth, and acumen to spiral her into oblivion. She was in trouble. He made her pulse race, and her skin tingle. Even now, when she should be sore and completely sated, she wanted him back— she wanted more.
She went to the window and watched him leave. He took purposeful steps to his truck. The span of his shoulders and the tapering of his torso reminded her of how he looked braced above her. Hot and sexy and totally into her. So much for her brilliant idea of keeping their encounter without passion.
The engine roared, and the truck pulled out of the parking lot. Releasing a deep sigh, she spun around. The couch now reminded her of the way she'd straddled his lap, careful to keep her hands on the couch backrest. However, her nipples had brushed against his incredible, bare chest. Had she not worn the tank top, Johnny would have had his mouth on her breasts. Moreover, she would've initiated it.
Any other day he'd crash on her sofa. Tonight sleep would be impossible with him in the next room. She'd known Johnny practically her whole life and never considered it could be so intense between them. Men never took the upper hand during sex or any other time. She made her own rules and lived by them. After one night of sex with Johnny, her hope to keep their involvement simple melted away. Somehow, he got inside and now she found herself invested. Damn him for turning her on and being so good.
Her heart pounded and her stomach flipped with just with the memory of the tenderness in his eyes. Not googly- eyes. She saw straight into his heart. How were they ever going to keep their encounters impersonal if she fell
in
love? Steeling her resolve, Krissy decided the solution would be simple enough. She just wouldn't.
She went to her room and snuggled into bed. Her eyes closed and she sighed. Time felt as if she'd barely fallen asleep when she woke and squinted against the morning sun streaming through her bedroom blinds, feeling as if she hadn't rested at all.
Johnny never crossed into her sanctuary last night, yet he invaded her bed, weaved himself into her dreams. Sitting up, she combed her hair with her fingers and focused on the alarm clock numbers. Nine thirty- seven! Twenty- three minutes to grab a shower, brush her teeth, and get ready for Johnny to come have non- committal sex with her. It
would not
be making love.
Krissy scrambled down the hall and into the bathroom. After turning on the shower, she stuffed her toothbrush into her mouth and brushed her teeth while the water warmed. Oh hell! Staring at her reflection, she groaned. Mascara smudges had given her raccoon eyes. A pink pimple shined on her chin, such a lovely image for Johnny to focus on. Better than her eyes.
Ugh. What was she doing thinking about whether Johnny found her attractive? For that matter, maybe she should stink. Anything to speed him up on the follow through because she couldn't take another two- hour romp and still obey the rules.
Standing in the shower, inspiration struck. She had the perfect solution.
Paying attention to the lecture was impossible. All Johnny's thoughts centered on Krissy and last night. Krissy with her jaw locked, gritting her teeth, trying hard not to come, but breaking apart anyway. He'd never before felt a surge of adrenaline as he did when her body convulsed around him. That he brought her pleasure increased his own.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Flipping open the phone, he read the text message, then accessed the photo attachment. Drew stood next to the hot tub at his condo with a couple of hot and wet girls wearing bikinis and wide smiles. Might sound appealing before last night, but now he had ten minutes left in class and a five minute drive until he had a hot, wet and willing woman of his own. Johnny returned the text message.
Another time
.
If he bailed out of class a couple of minutes early, he'd have time to stop for coffees and bagels. He joggled his knee. Glancing around the room, looking for the most convenient path to make his escape, he grabbed his satchel and made a beeline for the south door exit.
Fifteen minutes later, he was at her apartment door, but she wasn't answering his knock. Putting his key in the lock, he let himself in. “Krissy, it's just me.” He shut then relocked the door. Making his way through the living room, he couldn't help smiling as he remembered their encounter.
“Krissy?” He set the coffee and bagels in the kitchen. That's when he heard the shower.
He had two choices. He could let himself into the bathroom and join her. Erasing her rules in one act— guaranteeing himself a slippery hellcat. Instead, he took his coffee into the living room, sat on the couch, and kicked off his shoes. Picking up the remote, he turned on the television.
“You're early.” Krissy stood at the threshold of the room with one towel wrapped turban style and the other around her body. Legs bare nearly to her ass, cleavage cresting the top of the towel as her arms held it closed. His body's response was instant. He moved on instinct. Crossing the room, he almost smiled as she countered his steps until her back was against the wall.
“Johnny, wait.” She put her hand on his chest.
He grabbed the towel on her head and pulled it off. Her damp hair cascaded past her shoulders, clinging to her skin. “I want to see you naked.” He tucked his finger between her breasts and hooked the towel. “All of you.”
“Renegotiate the contract? I had a similar thought when I was in the shower.”
His smile widened. She could've hit him with a truck. He thought he'd have to get her hot and whimpering before he asked for at least one of the rules to be broken. Before he had a chance to ask if he could kiss, touch, caress, or heaven help him, taste her, she continued.
“I'll compromise. I won't get dressed, but I need a distraction. Last night was too intimate. Don't give me that look.” She pushed him back. “You know it was good.”
“Great, actually.”
“For your information, that's the problem. So this morning while I showered, I remembered this one really disturbing event in my life. It seemed to me that it just might be the perfect solution.”
Johnny followed her to the couch. She tucked the corner of the towel tightly between her breasts and picked up his coffee.
“I'll get the other one. I think I need to be sitting down for this.” He hurried to the kitchen, came back with the second coffee and the bagels and set them on the coffee table. “Can't wait to hear what you've come up with, so lay it on me.” He sat in the recliner and rested his forearms on his knees.
“It's a long story, but basically I once had this dream. I remember it well because Shelby, Casey, and I laughed for weeks. Granted, it was funny. But I was permanently scarred. Disturbing doesn't come close. I couldn't use my vibrator for weeks.”
“I want to see your vibrator. Can I use it on you?”
“Focus, I'm telling you a story. At one time, I loved having sex in my dreams. After this...event, I went to bed terrified I'd have a recurring nightmare because I couldn't stop thinking about it.”
“Sounds serious. So what happened?”
She took a bagel from the bag. “I was having a perfectly great erotic dream. All the players were there.”
“Who was it?”
“Doesn't matter, never reached the peak. The dream went scary wrong. We headed for the shower.”
“I want to know who the
we
were.”
She rolled her eyes. “Imagine that it was you.”
“Was it?”
“Maybe.”
“Were we as good in your dreams as we were last night?”
“This particular dream didn't reach climax. There was a slight problem in the bathroom. Someone was already in my shower.”
It didn't sound scary to him. Sounded interesting.
“I pulled open the shower curtain.” She demonstrated the action. “Regis Philbin asked for the soap.”
Johnny laughed.
“He was naked in my shower and I swear to god, I cataloged every part of his body. Every wrinkle and let's just say I had the image of those wrinkled parts burned into my corneas. I saw his penis! I woke up in a sweat. Not the good sweat, but the kind that leads you to believe you have the flu.” She took a bite of bagel, a drink of coffee, and swallowed. “So I was thinking that I might be able to control my body's response to you if we watch Regis and Kelly while we're having sex.”
He didn't know what to say, so he just stared.
“I will compromise on the bed. I've got a TV in my room and— ” She looked at the clock above the door. “We're in luck. It's after ten and the show is on.” She took one last drink of her coffee, stood, and held her hand out to Johnny. “Do you need motivation?” She loosened the towel but didn't let it drop.
“Some less secure men might take offence to your micro- managing. Since I'm secure in our arrangement, I think you should know I'm looking at these new developments as a personal challenge.”
“You're going to make me come?”
“As many times as I can.” He followed her into the bedroom. “Since we're renegotiating, do I get to touch your breasts?”
Johnny left after lunch. He loved the smirk on Krissy's face when he said good- bye. That was, right before she slammed the door. She issued the challenge and he rose to the occasion. Several times.
Now back to the grind. Krissy had to work and he needed to get down to some serious studying. For the next semester, his education still needed to be a priority. The grants and scholarships required a minimum grade point average. However, he had another concern.
When Krissy had the baby, he needed to be in a financial position to care for his new family. He had at least nine months to get to a point where cutting his school hours wouldn't mean giving up his dream of being an attorney. Krissy's timetable took precedence.
Driving home, he went through a fast food drive- thru for dinner. Once he sat down to study, he didn't intend to leave his apartment until tomorrow afternoon when he would meet Krissy after work.
However, that changed when Drew text messaged and told him the gang planned on meeting for an impromptu gathering to christen the hot tub. He returned the message and asked if
everyone
meant a full six- pack.
His phone rang while he waited for Drew to answer.
“Are you coming?” Krissy asked.
He chuckled. “Not at the moment. I could be. Do you want to come over?”
“Add phone sex to the banned activities list.”
“You take all the fun out of making love.”
“Just sex. So are you going to Drew's?”
“I'm thinking about it. If you're going, I will, too.” He listened to dead air between them. “Well?”
“What if everyone can tell we're sleeping together? I don't want them to know you're
Mr. Perfect
.”
“Perfect, huh?”
“Don't get cocky.”
“I thought that's all you wanted me for.” Johnny could almost hear her roll her eyes.
“I can be good,” she said. “Can you?”
“You should know. Was I good? You know you are.”
“Johnny,” she said on a breathy exhale.
He chuckled because he did know. She couldn't hide her response, but then he wasn't hiding his either. “See, you are willing to talk dirty.”
“Yes. No. Be serious for a minute.”
“You don't have to explain.”
“At first, I didn't think I'd care if our friends knew. I do.”
He felt the same way. They couldn't stay away from the six- pack and keep up pretenses. Yet his stomach clenched when he thought of Krissy and not telling the world that they were taking this monumental step.
“We can keep a secret.” She sounded determined.
“We'll put on our game faces.”
“So let's go.” Then she sighed. “Because I might not have many more months left to wear my bikini.”
Oh, hell. He hadn't thought of that. Krissy in a bikini. Drew and Ryan might not be inclined to touch, but every warm- blooded male looked. Including Johnny. And did he ever want to touch. Between her gecko tramp stamp, sexy curves, and her belly piercing, her body screamed sexuality.
After agreeing to meet at Drew's, Johnny put on his swim trunks, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed for his truck. So much for studying.
Normally, hanging out at Drew's meant beer and barbeque. More than likely, Krissy wouldn't drink. Stopping by a convenience store, he grabbed a couple sodas. Climbing back into the truck, he marveled at his new outlook.
Thoughts of Krissy flitted through his mind several times a day, however, not with the same intensity as the last two days. Since Lora Drummond, he'd had plenty of women in his bed. Nothing compared to the feeling of being buried balls deep in the body of the woman he loved.
Already his palms were starting to sweat. Maybe tonight he could get her to break another rule. As long as she was in a bikini, he might be able to find some way to get his hands on her. Before yesterday, touching Krissy was no big deal. An arm around her shoulders, cuddling on the couch to watch a movie, or sitting hip to hip in his truck now brought deeper sentiments to mind.