Swoon (24 page)

“We have one more really important issue to discuss,” Lawrence said.

“What’s that?” I asked, groaning. “You promised we were done with hard topics.”

“This isn’t bad. We just need to decide what we’re going to name this thing. How about No Arm, No Leg, No Problem?”

I had taken a sip from my beer and it went spraying across the room. I sputtered and laughed and gulped in air, my eyes tearing up and nostrils burning.

Between fits of inappropriate laughter, I managed to say, “That is the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard anyone say. You’re fired.”

“You laughed.” He tipped his beer toward me.

“I’m not proud of it.”

I stood to go get some paper towels to clean up my mess. As I concentrated on wiping up beer that had landed in mind-boggling locations, I finally said, “I was thinking of something like The Shane Brooks Riding Center.”

I looked up when silence was my only response. Lawrence hadn’t moved from his position on the couch, but there was a suspicious glisten in his eyes, making the blue seem brighter, like rippling Caribbean waters.

“Come here,” he said quietly, waving me over.

I stood, leaving the paper towels in a heap on the floor, and approached to straddle his lap. His hands settled on my hips and he leaned forward, resting his head against my chest and wrapping his arms around my middle.

“You know,” he continued, “I forget sometimes that you’re such a softie.”

I chuckled and raked my nails over his scalp.

“I’m not a softie.”

He nuzzled into my boobs. “Mmmm, soft.”

I snorted and used his ears to pull him off me.

He looked up into my eyes. “I love you.”

“I know you do.” I smiled. Because I really did know it.

“Are we done planning?” he asked hopefully.

I nodded. “For now.”

“Good!”

He stood suddenly, making me squeak as he hoisted me into the air. He carried me into my bedroom and tossed me down on my pink comforter.

Lawrence stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at me with a thoughtful expression. “These sheets have to go, sweetheart.”

I wriggled out of my clothes and pulled the blankets down to snuggle under them, peering out over the top. “I love these sheets.”

He shook his head and stripped off his clothes.

“Nope. They’re goners. They almost make it hard for me to perform.”

I let my eyes wander over him. “Doesn’t look like it from here.”

He kneeled on the bed and pulled the covers off me, tossing them to the ground, his gaze boldly moving across my body. My knees came up around his hips as he settled himself above me, braced on his forearms. He kissed my nose.

“It looks like Pepto-Bismol vomited on your bed.”

I laughed. “It does not. They’re girly and I love them.”

“I love you, girly. But I cannot properly service you in this bed as it stands.”

My eyes widened. “That is a problem.”

“A grave one.” He nodded solemnly. “You see, there are things I want to do to you in here. Bad… bad things. Dirty things.”

“I do see. Are you saying that you aren’t man enough to do them to me on my pink sheets?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

I laughed again and pushed my hips up against his hardness. “I feel like you’re up to the task.”

“Well, that particular part of my anatomy can’t see and isn’t turned off by much.” Lawrence flexed his hips back, and I started laughing harder. “But there are other things…”

I wound my arms around his neck. “What sorts of things?”

Suddenly he leaned over the back of the bed and grabbed the top sheet, pulling it back up. Gripping it in both hands, he jerked as hard as he could in an attempt to rip a shred off. Nothing happened except his knuckles turned white with the effort.

I was slightly horrified thinking he was going to rip my sheets, but I threw my hands over my face in another fit of laughter.

After I cleared the tears from my eyes, I looked up to see Lawrence chewing his lip, trying to hide a smile of his own. He hopped off the bed and jogged into my kitchen. Which honestly left me wondering how he could run in his current state of arousal. I hoped he didn’t break anything. Or run into a wall.

He returned seconds later, brandishing a pair of kitchen shears.

“No.” I shook my head furiously.

He nodded and smiled.

“No!” I laughed and screeched, clutching the sheets to my chest.

“Oh darlin’”—he shook his head—“if you’re thinking to save your sheets, you ought to know better than to cover yourself up with them. I’d love nothing more than to rip them off you.”

I started to laugh again and sputtered out, “You can’t rip them. You already demonstrated that.”

“That’s because these sheets have superpowers.”

My eyes widened dramatically. “Superpowers? What kind?”

“Emasculating superpowers.”

He took the sheet from my hands and looked into my eyes as he made the first cut, then the second. Then he held the scissors in his teeth and ripped a strip off, holding it up in triumph.

“That was cheating.” I pursed my lips.

“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

He took the scissors from his mouth and repeated the process two more times. Then he set the scissors on my nightstand and laid the three strips of pink across one of my bare thighs.

He picked up the first one and straddled my hips. He took my right arm and looped the satin around my wrist and extended it over my head. Leaning over, he tied it securely to the iron headboard. Then he did the same to my left wrist. My eyes alternated between watching my wrists being bound and the look on his face while he performed his task. He smiled wickedly as he laid the last strip softly over my eyes. I didn’t even think to protest as I picked my head up slightly so he could tie the strip behind my head.

I was so crazy turned on that I physically ached and rubbed my thighs together to try to find some relief. I couldn’t see anymore, but I felt Lawrence move away. Then his hands were on my thighs, spreading them wide. I held my breath in anticipation. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, but I felt him watching me.

I wasn’t sure how long I lay there, bared to his gaze, but between my thighs I was throbbing, and I couldn’t take it anymore. My body started to move again, my thighs closing, desperate for a touch.

His fingers pressed into the soft inner skin above my knees and pushed them apart again.

“Lawrence!” I growled, squirming my hips around.

“Yes, queenie?”

“If you don’t touch me right now, I swear I’m going to kill you and put you in a pink casket.”

I heard his soft laughter. “Patience, my love.”

Agonizing seconds later, the bed dipped under me as he knelt between my legs. A few more agonizing seconds and I felt his tongue, just his tongue, touch me right where I needed him, ever so lightly. That one touch and I was so close to coming that I couldn’t believe it.

I saw nothing.

I heard nothing but my own panting.

I felt nothing except the warmth of his tongue and the occasional breath skating over my skin.

He stopped moving and I froze as well, waiting. One touch. One touch of his finger, added to his tongue, added to his breath, and I was gone, straining against the satin wrapped around my wrists, groaning and possibly screaming. I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t hear anything over the rushing and roaring in my ears.

The pulsing in my body slowly faded as the magic of Lawrence’s mouth slowly drew out my orgasm. I was still aching and sensitive, and when he finally pushed himself into me, I realized what I was missing. His light touch stoked a fire in me, gave me blinding pleasure, shocking pleasure, but I needed more. It was an empty feeling if he wasn’t inside me.

Still good though. Let’s not pretend.

He reached up and wound his fingers in my hair, tugging it and sending tingles throughout my scalp. He kissed my face everywhere. Raked his teeth along my ear, down my neck, nipped where it met my shoulder. He whispered to me, but I couldn’t comprehend the words. Then he untangled his fingers from my curls and entwined our hands, spread wide above my head. He used the satin as a brace, the fabric burning my wrists and adding to the sensations warring in me. Our mouths met as his movements became furious and desperate, our kiss frenzied as well. He broke away, and we both sucked in a rush of air. His teeth returned to my neck and I tucked my head so I could return the favor to his shoulder, needing an outlet for the aggression building in me. He was keeping up a pace I could hardly fathom, but when I boldly clamped down with my teeth on his shoulder, he groaned loudly, muscles tensing, and stilled his motion, the pulsing release in him triggering aftershocks of my own.

We lay still, breaths heaving for a long minute until I began wiggling my fingers to regain circulation. Lawrence pressed a kiss to my damp forehead and slipped the blindfold off me. I blinked to reorient myself and smiled up at him.

“I think you showed this pink who’s boss.”

“Maybe.” He snorted. “But I think I’m gonna have to cut these off ’cause I can’t untie them. I’m not sure who won here.”

“I did,” I sang as he cut me free.

* * * *

Lawrence

Four weeks later, my front door clicked, the knob turned, and I threw it open, grabbing Steph’s arm and pulling her inside, tossing her bag to the side somewhere. My mouth attacked hers, teeth clashing as I parted her lips with my tongue. My hands threaded into her hair as I walked her backward to my stairs, not bothering to step up them, just leaning her back on the lower step. Her arms wound around my neck, pressing her chest against mine, her legs wrapping around my hips.

I didn’t even have any clothes on. It was well after midnight, and when I’d heard her tires approach the house a few minutes ago, I woke fully from being half-asleep due to my anticipation of seeing this girl I missed so damn much it was torturous. And from now on, she was mine whenever I wanted her.

I ripped the shirt from her head, flicked off her bra, and sent it flying over the banister. I held her hips up and wrestled off her shorts, tossing them at our feet. One touch between her legs let me know how ready she was and I slid into her with a long sigh. We rested our heads together, breathing deeply in satisfaction as all went right in our world. I started to move, one hand protecting the small of her back from the wooden steps as we moved in rhythm, panting and gasping, kissing and nipping, licking and biting, until her head was thrown back and I captured her screams in my kiss. Not because I cared if anyone heard, but because I wanted to absorb every piece of her I could. Nothing lost in space.

We hadn’t spoken a word yet, but I picked her up in my arms, her legs locked around me, her arms locked around me, head on my shoulder. I kissed her hair as I carried her up the stairs and into my bed.

* * * *

Sunlight streamed through my window the next morning, and I blinked against the glow around my bed. I reached out to Steph and slid closer to her, reveling in her warmth and her scent. Hey, I might have been a pussy, but any man would understand my position right now. At least, any man who knew.

I buried my head in her neck, inhaling her deeply, trying to get as close as I could, smoothing a hand over her naked belly, dipping lower between her legs, then back up, teasing around her breasts and up her throat. I felt her start to awaken, and I reached around her back and pulled her onto her side, facing me, and hitched one leg over my hip. My lips found hers lazily as I continued to caress along her spine, and lower. She sighed and turned around, pressing her backside into me. I smiled against her neck as I pushed inside her, neither of us finding the energy to do much more than rock back and forth until I flipped her over, pulling her hips up and pressing her hands against the headboard, finishing us off roughly and hurriedly. I didn’t know why, but it was perfect.

One thing gave me pause, and I registered it as I rested my cheek on her damp back. Slowly I sat upright and trailed my fingers down her sides, reading the new script, still slightly raised, that graced her skin.

Flying ain
’
t nothing. It
’
s just falling with style.

It was written down alongside her spine, so I had to tilt my head to read it. Down at the bottom, at the back of her hip, was a small American flag, waving in a breeze.

I traced it with the tip of my index finger, then leaned down to press a kiss to it. “What’s this?”

She turned her head to the side, biting her lip, and I rolled onto my side to face her. “An impulse.”

“You got an impulsive tattoo?” I asked, incredulous.

She rolled her eyes. “Well, kind of. I mean, I spent some time researching the best shop around me, and I’d had the idea for a while.”

“That’s pretty much the opposite of impulsive, my dear.”

She smacked my shoulder. “The flag was impulsive, you ass. But fitting, I think.” Her eyes were downcast, and I tipped her chin up to look at me.

I gently kissed her lips. “I love it. All of it. Do you want to explain why you have a Jason Boland song written on your back?”

Her wide eyes met mine. “I’m surprised you know it.”

“I’m surprised you do.”

“I’m from Texas,” she scoffed. “We know these things.”

I nodded my assent. I’d learned a long time ago never to argue with a Texan about things they considered Texan. It was mind-boggling.

“Anyway,” she continued. “It’s one of my favorite songs. And a while back, when you told me that you fell for me a long time ago… do you remember that?” She kept talking without waiting for my nod. “It popped into my head. This quote. It’s so us. Or me. Or… me because of us. I don’t know. Then your flag, plus our whole plan, and so I…”

I cut off her rambling with a kiss. I got it. And I loved it. I was honored and impressed and so damn in love with her. It was also crazy hot.

I pulled away and she gazed at me.

“I love you,” she said with all sincerity.

I smiled. “I know, queenie. I love you too.”

“I’ve missed you.”

I kissed her again. “I’ve missed you too.” I’d only been able to make one other trip down these past weeks, but now she was officially done with her job, the property was halfway to being bought, and she was all mine.

“What are we doing today?” She rolled over to face me.

“I’m going to make you breakfast.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “Then I’m going to help you take a shower.” I kissed her forehead and she mumbled her approval. “Then we’re going to take a nap that will necessitate taking another shower, which I will help you with.” I kissed her ear. “Then lunch. Then… we probably need to get ready to spend the rest of the day with my family.”

She groaned loudly.

“Yeah, there’ll be a lot of that going on too. Except it’ll be happier sounding.”

Her shoulders started to shake in laughter, and I smiled into her hair.

“You want coffee?” I whispered to her seductively.

She nodded her head, and I swatted her behind as I rolled out of bed.

“Then let’s go!”

“I thought you were making me breakfast.”