Page 21

Chapter 21

Flustered and off-balance

Cooper

She was blunt. So blunt. Why did I find that such a turn-on?

It was a shitty day and I felt like shit. Bad enough for me, but to inflict it on Callie? I never should have done it. But she surprised me again. Being insulted and looked down on didn’t faze her. And then… Want to fuck?

I’d had a lot of women proposition me. Sometimes they weren’t subtle at all—hand on my dick non-subtle, and we both knew what that was about. This was something totally different—her posture stiff and the words thrown out like a challenge.

We’d become close, friends and encroaching on more. Despite the platonic rule she’d set up, I’d never been able to ignore Callie’s body. Something about her made me want to map those freckles, see if they were everywhere. Did she like someone playing with her tits? Was she ticklish? What did she look like when she came? I wanted to see her lose that control she wrapped around herself.

But she’d never indicated she wanted to get physical. “Where’s this coming from?” I shook my head. “I don’t do pity sex. Or reluctant virgins.”

“I’m not—” She broke off. “Sorry. I’m not reluctant, or a virgin. I’m interested.”

“But you said no sex?”

“I know. It’s not…it was never that I don’t find you attractive. But…” She shrugged. “Selfishly, I didn’t want to mess up our deal. And if you wanted someone, you have models like that watch ad woman—I’m not really your type.”

“You have no idea what my type is.”

She crossed her arms around her waist. “It’s okay, you can say no. I just…”

“Just?”

“I think you need someone to take care of you. Not only to get off, but to be appreciated.”

To be appreciated? How long since I’d been appreciated for something other than my face, or body, or wealth, or hockey skills? When had someone wanted to take care of me because they thought I’d had a rough day?

“Callie, I don’t want you to feel obligated, or indebted, but you can appreciate me any time you want.”

“Really?” She looked hopeful, unsure if I’d turn her down.

“Anytime.” This shitty day was looking up. Way up.

Her brows lowered. “It’s either that or I’m going to be slapping some of your relatives tomorrow.”

I laughed, something I’d never have expected after an evening of my father’s insults. “Sex would definitely be better than you taking on my family.”

“Slapping them would feel good.”

“Sex will feel better.”

There it went, that stubborn chin lifting, but there was a smile fighting to come out. “Oh, you’re that good you can make guarantees?”

I cocked my head. “I’m confident. Well, there could be mitigating factors.”

“Mitigating factors?”

I grinned at her. “Being in a war zone—an active one. Serial killer on our heels. Gunshot or stab wound. Flu or pneumonia.” I dropped the grin. “If you’re asexual or in pain or mentally incapable of getting into sex? Then no, I couldn’t make sure you came. But otherwise, all it takes is time and paying attention.”

“Time?”

“I don’t have other plans tonight.”

I stared at her wide eyes and flushed cheeks. The arms around her waist had loosened. She might not know it yet, but we had already started. Before I touched her, I was going to seduce her with words.

She ran her teeth over her lush bottom lip. “And paying attention. Like, how?”

“Well, I use all the senses.” I lowered my voice. “Like sound. Some people are good at vocalizing what they want, others you have to listen to the nonverbal sounds. Moaning, panting, catches in their breath—that all can tell you how they’re feeling.”

“But what if you’re also panting and moaning?” Her voice was a little breathy, like she was imagining those sounds in context.

“I make sure my partner is doing that first.”

She frowned. “Huh.”

Had none of her partners made her pleasure a priority? But I didn’t want her to dwell on her past. “And sight. If it’s not pitch black, and I do prefer some light, there are dilated pupils, flushed skin, hard nipples. Those are pretty good indicators. Shivers and twitches—the body has a lot of ways to indicate how it feels, if you’re watching.”

The flush from her cheeks was moving down her neck and chest. “Um, touch next?”

“That’s also good. A wet pussy, for example.” And there, a sudden intake of breath. Something about that had Callie getting into the game. “That one also covers smell and taste— at least I hope so.”

My voice was rasping now, and I was getting hard just imagining her smell and taste. We were standing two meters apart, not touching, but this was already more intimate than most of the hookups I’d had.

“How did your partners pay attention, Callie?” I kept my voice low, soft. Seducing her with the tone.

She looked down. “With a hard dick and a guy yelling he’s coming. It didn’t normally take much time.”

“Tonight is going to be different.”

I reached for her hand and she let me thread our fingers together. I led the way to my room.

Callie paused in the doorway.

I turned. She was staring at the bed. “Want to sit, talk a bit first?”

She turned her attention to me. Then the chin went up again. “No.”

She crossed to the couch at the side of the room. It was a lightweight wool, in a rich brown, comfortable to relax in. She ran her hands over the surface, then bent her arm up to grab the zipper at the back of the dress.

She frowned as she twisted, trying to get the zipper to cooperate.

“May I help?”

A frustrated growl. “Please.”

This close, I could see the patterns of the freckles on her shoulders and neck. I clasped the pull of the zipper, pausing to make sure she was good with this. I slowly lowered it, exposing more of those freckles. I pressed closer, breath touching her skin, and goose bumps came up.

“May I kiss you?”

She shuddered and nodded. I pressed my lips to her neck, tasting sweat and skin, with a hint of something unique to Callie. I lowered the zipper, following with my lips as she relaxed into my caresses.

Her bra strap was yellow, matching the dress, wide to support her ample breasts. I whispered in her ear. “Can I take it all off?”

She nodded again, inhaling a shaky breath.

I finished lowering the zipper and brushed the straps off her shoulders. The dress pooled at her feet, leaving her in a matching set of undergarments. I ghosted my fingers up her spine, then reached for the hooks on her bra.

She tensed, and I paused.

“I should tell you, I’m okay giving oral, but anal is a hard no. Don’t try to talk me into it, I’ve tried it and I’m not doing it again. Condoms are nonnegotiable. And I’m on birth control.” The words rushed out of her.

“Good to know. I’m also strict about condoms. I won’t push you on your boundaries.”

Her shoulders relaxed.

I wanted her to stay relaxed, so I stepped back. I could remove the lingerie later. “My turn.”

She twisted around, eyes wide. I slid off my jacket and tossed it on the couch.

“You can wait on the bed and watch if you want.” I put a teasing note in my voice and she pressed her lips together, fighting a smile.

“Sure.” She turned and walked to the bed.

No, she fucking sashayed, those hips swinging, and I took an involuntary step after her.

She climbed on the bed, legs curled up beside her. She waved a hand. “Okay, take it off.”

It didn’t take long to get rid of the shirt and tie. Callie’s eyes traced over my chest, so I flexed. The way her eyes widened made me want to do it again, to impress her.

I unbuckled my belt, sliding it slowly through the loops on my pants. She watched closely as I unzipped and let the pants fall. For once, I didn’t care if they wrinkled. This was more important.

There was a little gasp, my cock pressing against my branded underwear. She looked amazing, pupils wide and a flush on her cheeks. She curled one finger to bring me over.

I watched her watch me as I took three steps to the bed. She kept still.

“I’m going to touch you now, okay?”

Her head moved up and down, but she didn’t speak.

I started with her collarbone. My finger moved gently, delicately…a whisper of contact that startled a shiver from her. I traced from freckle to freckle, watching as her chest lifted on each breath before a trembling exhale. The freckles made a path to the strap of her bra, her skin like silk beneath my fingers.

Clear, creamy skin, with those tantalizing freckles that covered all of her body that I could see. Her bra didn’t reveal much, but I traced over the top of the garment, pausing in the middle. I could see the faint raised bumps as her nipples hardened.

I followed the path of her bra around to her other strap, and up toward her neck. A flush moved down her chest, adding a rosy tint to her skin. Had anyone done this to her before? Had she only had quick, negotiated encounters? If so, I was going to ruin her for assholes like that. After me, I wanted her to insist on being treated well.

But I didn’t want to think about that, not now.

As my fingers neared the other side of her neck, I wrapped my hand around it and nudged her forward. Her eyes, which had closed, flashed open. I dipped down to kiss her.

* * *

Callie

I couldn’t focus, flustered and off-balance. Cooper wasn’t keeping to the plan. There was a goal for these things—orgasms, preferably mutual. It wasn’t that difficult to follow the road map. My breasts were always the main attraction, so guys would play with them, I’d go down on them, once in a while someone might go down on me, then penis in vagina and hope for the best.

Cooper wasn’t taking the interstate, but back roads I’d never explored. He was revving me up like his fancy Ferrari and I couldn’t even understand. How the hell had a finger on my neck and shoulder shot heat to my pussy? Like, why had no one told me this was an erogenous zone?

Then he brought me closer, and finally his lips neared mine for a kiss.

My brain scrambled to keep up. Okay, kissing. He was aroused, since what looked to be a good-sized dick was hard in those fancy underpants he was wearing. I braced for that kind of kiss. Hard, fast, possessive. Instead, he brushed my lips with his. Gentle, teasing, and nowhere near enough. I wanted more. I pressed toward him and he retreated, just enough to keep up those soft touches.

I melted, no defenses against tenderness.

He smiled and moved his lips to my cheeks. My temple. Down my nose. I couldn’t help it, a whimper slipped out.

Then along my neck, pressing behind my ear. I almost levitated, only his hand on the back of my neck keeping me close. I shuddered, and needed more. I pulled away, sliding back across the bed. He followed me, grinning, dimples at maximum power. Breathing hard with flushed cheeks, but still, grinning.

No, not going to let him get away with that. He obviously had a shit ton of practice, and I wasn’t in that league, but I had learned: people did to you what they wanted done to them. Cooper gave light kisses and touches around my head and neck, so let’s see how he would respond to that.

I pressed one hand against his chest—skin and hard muscles hot beneath my hands, light enough that he could have easily resisted—and pushed him down on his back. Then I leaned my head down and rubbed my nose against the bottom of his chin. He shifted, breath in my ear, so I licked. From his neck up to his ear, and he groaned.

“Do that again.”

I did, adding a gentle nip. His hand curled into my hair and I let my fingers explore.

It was an awesome chest. Muscled, lightly tanned. He probably never burned, lucky sod. My hands wandered, brushing over his nipples, chasing down his ribs while I kissed and licked my way over to his mouth.

This time there was no gentle brushing. This time his mouth was firm and his tongue pressed past my lips, dueling with mine. This kiss was heat and passion, like in the books Darcy read and I sometimes borrowed. I couldn’t compare it to anything I’d experienced before. It was new and exciting and took me to greater heights of arousal. Alarms rang in the back of my brain, but for once my body was taking the lead.

His hands moved to my bra and released the catch. He slid the straps down as I pushed closer to him. I didn’t realize how much I was hampering his progress until his hands framed my face and he gently broke the kiss.

I leaned back. He hadn’t touched my breasts or my ass or any expected areas, and I was already wet and wanting. My previous lovers had been missing some essential skills.

“Holy fuck.” His eyes were glued to my boobs, now free of the bra I’d been wearing, almost in his face.

I had big breasts. Developed early, and partly because of that, I had a kind of love/hate relationship with them. They were heavy, made running a challenge, and were often in the way. But at times like this? They were powerful. This man, a freaking gift of nature, was staring at them, amazed by them. Moved by them.

I knelt up, enjoying the power I felt as he stared at me, admiring and desiring. I reached my hands to my panties to slide them off, but Mr. Pro Athlete used his quick reflexes and rock-hard abs to sit up and put his hands over mine.

“I’m in charge of removing those.” His whisper was in my ear, and a shiver ran over me. “Wait.”

But first…he slid off the bed, removed what were undoubtedly extremely expensive underwear, and bent to the suitcase on the luggage stand, grabbing a condom. I barely noticed, staring at an incredibly fit ass.

He looked fantastic in those posters and billboards, but they were photos, right? Airbrushed, enhanced—no one could be that perfect. And he wasn’t perfect, but I had no complaints. Damn, how did one man look that good?

He had the body, the face, the attitude. But what really made my breathing speed up was the look in his eyes when he turned back to me. Like I looked as good to him as he did to me. I was glad I’d bought these panties. He was not complaining about colors now.

His eyes ran over my body, my skin tingling in response as if he’d touched me. “Where do I want to start?”

I wanted him everywhere. But as his eyes lingered on my boobs, I knew his answer. It was the boobs. Always the boobs. I cupped them in my hands and his eyes flared. “Maybe this is where?” I reached my thumbs to touch my nipples, already embarrassingly erect.

He groaned and then crawled on the bed. I waited for his hands on my breasts, but he surprised me. He reached over for another kiss. The only part of our bodies that met were our lips, but I was burning, everywhere.

I gasped when he pulled his lips away. He gently nudged me to lie down, and then resumed kissing me, over my chin, my neck, and down, finally to my breasts.

Oh my god…