Missed Connections: Stepping Out (7 page)

“Yeah, and brush your teeth. You whore,” Mia added with a fake sneer.

“Thanks. Love you too.” Gwen stuck out her tongue.

“No, thanks. Man-kisser.” Mia laughed. “I’ll be in the office, sharing your article with the world. You have half an hour to get working.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Not with these breasts. I’m a ma’am all the way.”

“Whatever. More like a fishwife with all that nagging.”

“Yak yak yak.”

Gwen left her cousin nattering on, smiling at how great she felt. Talking with Mia had given her some clarity. As she showered, she decided to take things with Conlan as they came. A new pattern for her, being easygoing. She’d often been accused of being too controlling, yet last night she’d let Conlan take charge and had been in heaven. Maybe taking things as they came and having fun would be the answer to her fledgling relationship. Or maybe they’d have sex some more and call it quits. Either way, she had to work with the guy. No sense in creating drama where there didn’t need to be any.

She hummed as she cleaned up, then returned to the office five minutes earlier than planned. Smiling, with a full cup of coffee waiting for her, she responded to comments online. Before she knew it, her day flew by, leaving her elated that she’d accomplished so much in so little time.

With only an hour to go until Conlan arrived, she hurried to pick up the house. What to have for dinner?

As she stared into her freezer, another thought hit her. What would he bring for dessert? Had “dessert” been a euphemism for sex, or was he bringing cheesecake?

Either way, her mouth watered. With a grin, she settled on chicken and prepared to wow him with her mother’s favorite recipe.

* * * *

Conlan sat in the upscale diner and stared in dismay at Aaron. He’d had to push off their meeting for a few hours due to some editorial issues with his current novel-in-progress. After dealing with a picky editor, he wasn’t in the best of moods. And having to handle Aaron before meeting with Gwen put a serious damper on his evening plans.

“It wasn’t my fault, I’m telling you. I think I’m a sex addict.”

Conlan knew no such thing. He’d once done research on the subject of sex addiction for his column in the paper. The addiction existed. Yet because of assholes like Aaron—who glommed on to a compulsion such as sex addiction to excuse their behavior—many people doubted sex addiction to be real.

Conlan did his best to be patient with the asshole. “I see. Let me ask you something. Are you an obsessive type of person?”

Aaron blinked. “Uh, no. I don’t think so.”

“Have a low self-esteem?”

Aaron snorted. “Dude, the problem is I’m too sexy for women to handle. They all want me. I can’t say no.”

“No to self-esteem issues. Do you have sex every day?”

“Not every day,” Aaron said defensively. “I have a life and a job. I mean, my nights are my own, but if I don’t focus, I can’t function at the firm and—”

“I rest my case. You’re not an addict, just a man with a high opinion of himself and little care for anyone else. You’re selfish and obviously not ready to settle down.” Conlan had no problem telling Aaron the truth, gratified when the man looked away. “Do Lisa a favor, man. Get out of her life. Let her find someone who’ll love her and treat her right.” To his discomfort, Aaron glanced up at him with glassy eyes.

“Don’t you get it? I screwed up. I love her so much.”

“So much that while she’s six months pregnant with
your
kid, you’re busy trying to hook up on craigslist? Really, Aaron? Come on. Yeah, you screwed up, and you got caught. Problem is, you have a kid on the way, and that’s not going to change. Lisa told me you didn’t want kids this soon.”

Aaron wiped his eyes, not even trying to be subtle about it. “I know. I’ll love the kid, but I…I don’t think I can do it. Not fatherhood when I’m not even out of my twenties.”

“So let her go. Quit bugging her to stay when you know you won’t commit. Can you seriously tell me you’ll get back with my sister and not stray? No more looking at other women. No more flirting or fucking strangers. Just Lisa. Forever.” Hearing the relationship described in terms of such finality even made Conlan uneasy about the institution of marriage. But he wanted this guy out of his sister’s life. If Aaron remained close, she’d live in misery. Hormonal, pregnant, and dealing with a fiancé who didn’t love her enough to be faithful, Lisa was already suffering stress she didn’t need.

“I don’t know if I can let her go, Conlan.” Aaron stared at his untouched plate of food.

“Yeah? Well, you should have thought of that before you fucked around on her the
first
time.” Disgusted and aggravated by the idiot, Conlan stood, shoved his chair back, and left.

Aaron could foot the damn bill. A dry part of himself noted he’d done just what Gwen had done to him a few days ago. At least this time, the right guy was being stiffed.

Frustrated and worried he’d done more harm than good for interfering, he swung by the grocery store and picked up a few items. By the time he pulled up at Gwen’s, he’d just made it without being late.

Determined to have a great night even if it killed him, he left his car and hustled to her door.

She answered after the first knock. “Hey.” Her smile faded as she looked at him. “What ran you over?”

He blew out a tired breath and entered when she stepped back. “I had a run-in with the cheater.”

She frowned and closed the door behind him. “Um, Ally? That’s her name, right?”

“Huh? No. Not her. Dickhead. Aaron.”

“Oh.” She gave him a sympathetic smile and took the bag he handed her. “I’ll put this in the kitchen.”

He followed her and shared with her the discussion he’d had with Aaron, unable to keep his frustration to himself.

She listened in silence, interrupting only to hand him a beer. He sipped it as he struggled to put into words his emotional reaction to the whole situation.

Without breaking eye contact, she stated, “You might have really stepped in it, you know.”

He glared at her. “Oh?”

“Your sister, your sister’s fiancé. You said she hasn’t totally booted him yet. The engagement is off, and he’s physically moved out, yeah. But she has to make that final call.”

“Shit. I know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But he’s such a putz. She can do so much better. Why the hell do women tolerate this shit?”

“Why do men?” She took a sip of her own beer, her keen gaze on him.

“You thought I was treating you like crap, and you still came on to me,” he reminded her, angry and unable to shelve his emotions.

“Really? As I remember it, that erection under me was all you, honey.
Before
we kissed.”

He set his beer down, his emotions churning. “Please. You were hot for it, and you know it.”

“As hot as Aaron was for Mia, I guess.”

“That was harsh.”

“Yeah? Well, you’re being an asshole.”

He contained a wince, knowing she was right. He shouldn’t have come over until he’d settled down. Then he recalled her recent column comparing men to dogs, and he couldn’t help himself. “Too bad you don’t have a collar and a leash to contain me.”

She smirked. “Don’t you mean a newspaper? I think I have one nearby. Hey, you can use it to smack Aaron on the nose the next time he hugs your sister while making eyes at some other woman.”

“That was just bitchy.”

“Yep, it was.” She glared at him, as if daring him to do something about it.

Somehow during the conversation, he’d gotten rock-hard. His anger transformed to lust from one breath to the next.

She stared from his eyes to his lips, her breath coming faster.

He didn’t ask. He took. Before she could snipe at him again, he pushed her back against the wall next to the refrigerator and kissed her.
Hard.

He didn’t let up, even as she squirmed and twisted in his hold to pull him tighter. Caught up in his emotions, scared of losing his sister, of losing Gwen after being such a jerk, of ruining a happiness he could feel just around the corner, he held on the best way he knew how.

Reaching between them, he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them and his underwear down. Her greedy hand wrapped around him, and he hissed his pleasure. “You want it, don’t you?”

She dragged her head back, and her eyes glittered with anger. “That cock? Yeah. Your attitude, not so much.”

Then she yanked his head to hers and kissed him until he knew nothing but Gwen. She sucked his tongue with a carnality that ruined any semblance of control he might have had left.

He pulled her pants and underwear down and shoved a hand between her legs, ecstatic to find her dripping wet. With little effort, he pulled her pants and panties off, then lifted her in his arms and rammed inside her. Fucked her against the wall in a brutal, unending wave of lust.

Gwen met him thrust for thrust, gripping his waist with her sleek thighs. “Yeah. Give it to me. All of it, you bastard.” She nipped his neck, her teeth leaving a bite, enough of a sting to send his need through the roof.

“
Fuck
. You want it. You got it,” he snarled and slammed into her without waiting for her to come.

She did anyway, crying his name as he shoved one final time and came, his sight going blurry as he let go of everything and basked in the pleasure of her warm, welcoming body.

He’d never come so hard before, or so violently. At the thought, he froze. She’d been with him every step of the way—angry, horny, desperate for something out of reach… Hadn’t she?

Ragged nails stroked the back of his neck as she kissed her way up his throat. “Angry sex. Hmm. I think I like it.”

He sagged against her. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Gwen. I should have—”

“Worn a condom, but we talked about safe sex already. It was inevitable, I guess.” She laughed against his neck.

He hugged her tighter, light-headed with relief that she wasn’t upset. “God. You destroy me, you know that? I’m an ass, a total dickhead, and instead of making me leave, you started a bigger fight. You got me so that I wanted nothing more than to fuck you senseless.”

“Mission accomplished.” She nuzzled him. “Who won?”

He flinched when her lips moved over a sensitive part of his throat. “Did you bite me?”

“Yep. Nice mark you have there.” She chuckled, then groaned. “You’re sliding out of me, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” He sighed and withdrew, looking for something to wipe her up with.

She found a towel and cleaned them both, not speaking. Once she’d set her clothes to rights, she met his apology head-on.

“You had something you were saying?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you are. Sorry for involving yourself in your sister’s mess. Sorry for taking it out on me.”

“Guilty.” He smiled, more than satisfied at how their evening had panned out.

Her eyes narrowed. “But not too sorry about coming inside me.”

“Hell, no. You felt like hot silk. I get hard, thinking about what we did last night. Now, knowing how you feel around me when I’m coming? I’m never going to be flaccid again.”

She laughed. “
Flaccid
. Haven’t heard that one in casual conversation in a while. And Mia made fun of me for using
quagmire
.”

He pulled her in for a kiss and a hug.

She drew back and braced a hand on his chest. “Now hold on. I thought you came for dinner.”

“Actually, I came for dessert, but we had that first.”

“I
knew
that was a euphemism.”

He grinned. “Euphemism is another gold-star word. Let’s see if I can top that one.”

“Sure thing. Put that in with all the groveling you’re going to do for sexing me up after making me livid.”

“Quite the brouhaha, eh?”

She made a face. “Really?
Brouhaha?
That’s pushing it.”

“Yeah. I know. But I love that word. Brouhaha. A cacophony of violence and—”

“Just stop, wordsmith. It’s time to eat. And for screwing me against the wall
in my kitchen
, you have dish duty.”

“And more dessert,” he said as she wriggled away from him. “That’s not a euphemism this time. I brought the makings for hot fudge sundaes.”

She turned to stare at him with wide eyes and brought her hands to her heart. “I think I love you.”

His chest felt tight as a part of him wanted to take the words seriously. Considering he was already starting to lean away from affection into serious crushing, her loving him would be more than welcome. Reciprocating that love with Gwen wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. He swallowed hard.
Far from it.

“But before you get giddy on me,” she warned, “let’s return to the topic at hand. How you’re going to tell your sister you might have permanently ruined her chances with her baby’s daddy without sending a pregnant woman into hysterics.”

He swore under his breath.

“Best case, she loves you for your loyalty and for saying what she couldn’t.”

“Hell,” he swore again. “Worst case, she takes dickhead back when he whines to her about how mean I was. That, or she says I don’t value her own judgment when it comes to men. Which I don’t.”

“All that circumspection after hot sex, which frankly scrambled my marbles. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“It was hot, wasn’t it?” he mused, moving closer to plant a kiss on top of her head. “Next time, wear the glasses.”

Chapter Six

All in all, Gwen thought their dinner had gone well. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to consummate dessert in its sexual and nonsexual forms, because Lisa had called needing an emergency trip to the hospital.

Two hours later, still waiting to hear how things had gone, Gwen readied to call him when her phone rang.

“Is Lisa okay?” she blurted before he could speak.

“She’s fine.” He sighed. “Stressed out but fine. She had a few contractions, but nothing some rest and relaxation won’t cure.”

He paused, and they both knew what he was thinking.

“You have to tell her,” she said softly. “Just not tonight.”

“I know. It’s like you’re reading my mind.”

“What can I say? Great minds think alike.” He laughed, and she softened, imagining his smile.