Page 2 of Play for Power (Central Sparks #3)

the great wall of heels

Rosie

Eight Months Later

W hen he smiles at me, it’s like the first sunrise—exquisite and bright… No, that isn’t quite fitting. This particular line in my recent edit was proving tougher than I thought. I hadn’t gelled with the writer’s phrasing, but I wanted to give an alternative before I tore down their wording.

My breath stalled, he smiled, and it felt like ? —

“God, babe, you’re so hot.” Ugh. Dorian’s stupid words pull me out of my thought process, interrupting what I am certain was going to be the sentence I’ve been looking for.

“Does that feel good?” he continues. I don’t quite know how to break it to him that, if I thought it was good, he would know, and he wouldn’t need to ask.

“Mm-hmm. Sooo good. You’re so…” Think of something, Rosie.

Look, I don’t usually like to placate a man’s ego, but it’s been a while since I came during sex, and that is atrociously horrific to admit given I never have this problem.

But for some reason I cannot seem to get a good lay.

Just a string of dull dick. I even had to increase my toy collection to get some variety.

“Big. You’re just sooo…big.” Yeah, he’s okay, and I love a big dick as much as the next girl, but I’m a solid believer that it’s less about size and more about the conductor. While Dorian is on the larger end of the scale, he’s just so fucking vanilla; I haven’t even had a tingle.

“Mm-hmm. Yep, that’s the spot.” I’m still trying to work my way through this tough scene I’d been stuck on and my Dorian-led distraction is doing nothing to spark thoughts to help me out. I really need to get home.

Right. Game face, Rosie . Just one dick-induced orgasm and I can go home at least somewhat satisfied.

Combing through my last few conquests I try to pick at any memory that will help get me there. A fantasy even, something. I’ll take a well-written smut scene. I just need something to help Dorian get me across the finish line.

Pushing him off me, I suggest a change-up. “Let’s try this.” I turn around and shove my ass in his direction. At least then I won’t have to look at him.

“Fuck yes,” he growls, acting quick, taking my hips in his hands.

A slow drag of his cock through my folds has me moaning as I scrunch my eyes closed.

I feel him push through and then he drives home with speed as I try to find something hidden in my memories that is going to make this end a lot faster.

Reluctantly, or…rather desperately, I open my mind and travel back to a time I can never seem to shake, I let myself indulge in the fantasy.

My back hits the cold mirrored walls of the elevator to his apartment, and he’s on me like an animal starved. I feel his need through his kiss, straight between my legs, and my hips roll toward his body in search of friction.

“You promised to blow me in the elevator, but fuck, I want to make you come first. Say I get to make you come.” Oh sweet, sweet baby Jesus.

“Makemecomemakemecomemakemecome,” I pant into his mouth, and before I can catch my breath, he hooks a hand under my knee, lifting my leg up and wrapping it around his hips, his free hand lightly runs the length of my center before his fingers dive straight in.

“God, yes.”

“So fucking wet,” he groans, stealing my lips in another kiss.

“Curl them ? —”

“You’re close already, so responsive.”

“Yes!” I shout. “There. Fuck, don’t stop.”

“So fucking tight. I can’t wait to feel this pussy grip my cock.”

“Oh shit. Calebbb.” I don’t give a fuck if his neighbors can hear me, his fingers work their magic as his lips leave a searing path down my neck and across my collarbone.

“Look at you.” He grips my chin with the hand that was holding my knee, forcing my eyes open and twisting my head to the side so I can see the full picture of me writhing against his skillful hand, while he bites my neck and curls his fingers.

“You ready, Rosebud?”

“For-r w-what?” I stammer.

“To lose your voice screaming my name.” Before I have the chance to calculate his words, his knees hit the floor and his tongue is inside me.

One quick stroke along my clit, a finger thrust inside, his teeth latch gently to my clit, and I fly off like a rocket.

Doing exactly as he said: screaming his name.

“Who’s Caleb?”

Oh shit.

“What?” I pant, still coming down, because of course the one memory that got me there was the sex pest himself. “No, I said…” Words, think words, Rosie. “Baby.”

“Uhhh?”

“Yeah, you’re just so good…you know, so it came out weird and sounded like balebeb .” Oh, because that makes sense.

Of course, Dorian is chuffed with the compliment because his strokes continue.

A few more times, and I relish in the aftershocks of my orgasm, tightening my inner walls, further urging him on so we can be done with this already.

“C’mon. Come for me. Let’s go.” I try to sound unhurried; I’m really hoping he didn’t pick up on that.

“You’re so fucking hot, yes!” he groans, and after another pump, he stills, shatters, and some strange sound comes from his throat. For some reason, the only image that comes to mind is the sound of that screaming goat from the Taylor Swift Vine for “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Jesus, I needed to get off the internet.

I give him a second or two to get his bearings before lurching forward and leaping from the bed.

“Oh, you don’t want to, like…cuddle?”

“Oh, absolutely not.” I shake my head and smother a chuckle. “Thanks though. You did good.” I smile at him over my shoulder, racing around the room to gather my clothes.

“Oh…sure, no worries. So, ahh…” Oh here we go. “Can I get your number?”

“Look, Dory…I can call you Dory, right? Anyway, I had fun, your dick”—I give him an overexaggerated wink, making an okay sign with my hand—“but, I just have so much on my plate right now, you know? Trust me. If it wasn’t for how crazy my life was, I think maybe, we could even be long term… ” Three, two, one.

“Relax, woman, I was thinking about a booty call, not a wedding.” He grunts, pulling his blanket over his body and rolling over. “Thanks for the lay, see you around.” I laugh under my breath. Predictable. Male egos, fickle things.

I grab my purse and hightail it out of there, sending an SOS to Casey for some pasta because momma is ravenous for some comfort food.

“Honey, I’m home!”

“In here!”

“Addy?” I call back, excited to hear her voice.

She moved into Noah’s brownstone a couple months ago, so it’s been a bit of an empty nest around here.

Especially since Casey and Jessie are all in love—it’s disgusting—I barely get the two of them together anymore.

Casey still lives here, but I get the sneaking suspicion she hasn’t moved out only because she feels bad leaving me alone.

Despite my protests, she is a people pleaser like that.

She’ll hang around until I force her out or Jessie kidnaps her.

One of those two options was bound to happen soon, I was sure of it.

Waltzing into the kitchen, I toss my bag by the hall table. Swinging into the kitchen, I grab a wine glass and chilled bottle of white, heading for the couch and greeting our guests on the way.

“Greek god, lumberjack, how are we this fine evening?” I beam at them as I plop beside them on the couch, feeling awfully like a fifth wheel right now.

“Splendid, Rosie. You’re home early tonight?” Noah teases and Jessie laughs under his breath.

“Yeah…unfortunately another piece of vanilla dick, but you get that on the big jobs.”

“Why don’t you start going for quality over quantity.”

“I know you are not slut shaming me right now, caveman.” I hit back at Jessie with the look I know makes both his and Noah’s balls shrivel up.

He just throws his hands in the air. “I’ll shut up.”

“Smart choice.” Addison taps him on the shoulder as she giggles and heads for Noah’s lap.

“So, what brings you two around our neck of the woods?” I direct to Noah and Addy.

“Casey invited us for dinner, so we agreed.” There is something strange in the undertone, but I shake it off and chalk it up to the weird experience I just escaped.

The sex was less than mediocre, but the orgasm itself…the memory that got me there…ooft.

I was still breathless. The bad part wasn’t the sex or the orgasm, it was the person that handed it out. Caleb was a pest.

Perhaps that’s harsh. He’s a nice enough guy, he is just so goddamned persistent. And arrogant, if he found out how thoroughly he’d rocked my world, I’m certain his head would explode, since it couldn’t possibly get any bigger.

I told him that night I was a one-time girl and he agreed.

But boy has he been blowing up my phone ever since.

And don’t get me started on the casual catch-ups we have at Pucks or Bozzelli’s.

He is good at not being obvious—I told him I didn’t want our friends knowing, I didn’t want it to become a thing—but he still tries it on every time.

Like I’m going to wake up and suddenly decide, today’s the day I cave and have sex with Caleb again .

No matter how good the sex was, I will hold strong to my rules. I don’t have a lot of them…but when it comes to sex, I’m a stickler.

But it was good. So, so incredibly good. Mind-blowing even. He promised eight…it was twelve. TWELVE. I can’t…just thinking about that magic tongue gives me shivers.

Casey knows, but only because she caught me at a weak moment one night. I haven’t told a soul since.

“Speaking of, dinner is up. Let’s eat!” Casey sing-songs, and we all jump up, heading for the table. The usual seating arrangement has me at the head of the table—just how I like it. Because let’s face it, I am the king of this little group. They should be so lucky to be in my presence.