Page 12

Stone

I ’m early for my meeting with Remy.

About twenty minutes early, in fact…

It looks thirsty, over-eager, but I’m too wound up to care.

I’ve been rehearsing this conversation in my head since lunch, imagining all the different ways it might play out until my stomach is in knots.

Now, I’m just ready for it to be over. Ready for her to pop my deluded hope balloons and bring me plummeting back to earth. After all, Rem made it abundantly clear from day one that she didn’t want to be anyone’s girlfriend, let alone their happily ever after.

But fuck…When I think about ever after, I don’t see it being happy with anyone but her. She’s my person, the one I want to love, laugh with, and lick for the rest of my life.

“Love, laugh, lick,” I mutter to myself. “Someone should put that on a t-shirt.”

Reminding myself of the look on her face in the storage room this morning and how good things have been between us lately, how honest and real, I take a breath and reach for the door handle. Remy won’t mind if I’m a little early. And if she’s still on the phone, I’ll just park my ass on the little couch in the corner and wait for her to be done.

I haven’t zoned out on my phone in days, and I’m probably overdue for a doom scroll through whatever horrific news is slouching toward Bethlehem to be born.

“Hey,” I say softly as I push inside. “I’m a little early but?—”

The words die in my throat as my mouth goes dry.

Because there Remy is, standing by her desk in nothing but a lacy black bra and matching underwear, her back to me as she rummages through a gym bag on her chair. My jaw drops as I take in the delicate curve of her spine, her toned shoulders, and the perfect round deliciousness of her ass in those barely-there panties.

I close the door behind me with a firm snick , making sure no one heading home down this stretch of hallway catches a glimpse.

At the sound of the door closing, Remy yips in surprise, spinning to face me with wide, panicked eyes.

When she sees it’s me, the panic fades into relief as she exhales. “Jesus Christ, Stone! Have you heard of knocking?” she hisses, flapping a hand my way. “Lock it. Quick.”

Not taking my eyes off of her, I reach back, flipping the deadbolt with a flick of my fingers. “No, don’t do that,” I murmur as she grabs her t-shirt and presses it to her chest, her cheeks flushed. “Why are you covering up?”

“Because I’m changing clothes! Why are you here already?” she demands, her voice firm, but still hushed. “I said a few minutes after five.” She glances at her computer screen. “It’s barely 4:40.”

I lean against the door with a shrug. “Sorry. I couldn’t wait to see what kind of ‘paperwork’ you had for me.” I make air quotes with my fingers, grinning as I add, “So far, I’m a big fan.”

She rolls her eyes, but I can tell she’s fighting a smile. “Sorry to disappoint you, but this isn’t the paperwork. I was just changing back into my clothes from this morning so I could hang my emergency office outfit back in the closet.”

I glance over at her small coat closet in the corner, nodding. “Ah, right. I was thinking about that earlier. The emergency office outfit. She’s always prepared.” My gaze tracks down her torso, past the wadded-up t-shirt at her chest, to her lace panties. “Why haven’t I seen these panties before? They’re…really nice. They might be my favorite, though I’d have to see them from behind again to be sure.”

“We can’t,” she warns, but she’s already weakening, I can see it in the flush creeping up her throat.

“Why?” I push off the door, taking a step toward her. “Everyone’s gone or about to be gone.” Another step. “The door’s locked, and we can be quiet. At least I can…”

She huffs, but I don’t miss the hitch in her voice or the way her teeth dig into her bottom lip. “My dad doesn’t have a meeting after work today. He might decide to come up and say hello before he heads home.”

“He usually doesn’t,” I say, still stalking my gorgeous prey.

“But he could ,” she maintains.

“Probably won’t,” I counter. “And you just had me lock the door. Why bother with that, if you’re not going to let me eat your pussy?”

“As a precaution, you horndog,” she says, but she’s blushing, and she doesn’t back away as I close the last of the distance to her desk.

I stop a foot away from her delicious self, close enough to feel the heat from her skin, to catch the familiar scent of her, this woman who turns me on like no one ever has.

“Here’s what I think,” I say, my gaze tracking over her flushed chest, up to her slightly parted lips. “I think you were hoping I’d show up early.”

She scoffs, but it’s half-hearted at best. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it? So, if I were to touch you right now, you wouldn’t be wet?”

She arches a brow. “Because you think just the sight of you is enough to wreck my panties, Tyler Stone?”

“Yes,” I say.

She gives a little shake of her head as I wrap my arm around her waist, drawing her against me. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“I’d rather be full of you,” I murmur.

“That doesn’t even make sense.” She laughs, but her gaze is full of wicked intentions and fixed on my mouth.

“Valid, but you get my drift. And I stand by the subtext. I just want to make you feel good, Bossy,” I say before adding in a huskier voice. “With my dick. Is that so wrong?”

She sighs my name, and it’s all the invitation I need.

I close the distance between us, capturing her mouth. She makes a small, needy sound against my lips that sends blood rushing south so fast it makes my head spin. Her t-shirt falls forgotten between us as she wraps her arms around my neck, pressing her nearly naked body against mine.

“Quietly,” she murmurs as her hands slip under my shirt, her nails scratching lightly at my back.

“Very quietly,” I agree, walking her backward until she bumps into her desk. I skim my palm up her chest to her throat, letting my fingers wrap lightly around the delicate column. “Or, we could talk first…and be less quiet a little later, once we’re sure everyone’s gone.”

Recognition flickers behind her eyes, assuring me I’m not the only one who has things to say. Maybe that should make me nervous, but it doesn’t, not when she’s looking up at me like she can’t decide whether she wants to kiss me or confess all her darkest secrets.

And yes, I’m already hard enough that my jeans are getting seriously uncomfortable, but I suddenly decide I want the secrets.

I need them, in fact…

I pull back and drop my arms to my sides, putting a few inches between us. “Tell me what you were going to say this morning, before Tank came in. You were about to say something, I could tell.”

She swallows, her throat working. “I was just...” She trails off, uncertainty in her gaze. But after a beat, she takes a breath and adds in a rush, “I was thinking that I like you. Maybe even…more than like you.”

“I more than like you, too,” I say, not wanting to leave her in doubt about that for a fucking second. “I’m pretty crazy about you, actually, Rem. And I think you feel the same way.”

“But I don’t know how to do this, Stone. Not well, anyway.” She clutches a handful of my shirt like a lifeline. “I haven’t had a serious boyfriend since I was in high school, and this situation is still complicated as hell, and…I don’t know. I know we’re good together, and I think you’re a great person, but honestly, I’m still a little scared.”

My hand drifts up to cup her cheek. “I get it. I’m scared, too. Falling for someone, anyone, is scary. And you’re right, this is extra complicated, which makes it extra scary. I am fully aware that your dad could ruin my last season if he decides he doesn’t like the thought of me being with his daughter.”

“And would it even be worth taking that risk?” she asks. “I mean, I’m hoping I end up in Seattle next year, and you’re aiming for L.A. Would we just be setting ourselves up for heartbreak for nothing?”

“You’re not nothing,” I say, as serious as I’ve ever been with her or any other woman. Heart beating faster, I add, “In fact, I have a hunch you might be everything, Rem.”

She blinks, her eyes beginning to shine as she whispers, “Really? Do you really mean that?”

“With every piece of me.” I slide my hands down to her waist, then lower, cupping her ass and lifting her onto the edge of the desk. “Now, about these pretty little panties...”

“I don’t think we’re done talking,” she says, but she’s already spreading her thighs to make room for me between them.

I bend my head, pressing a kiss to her throat, where her pulse is beating as fast as mine. “Not for forever, no, but maybe for now.” I reach behind her to unhook her bra, guiding the straps down her arms as I murmur against her skin, “We don’t want to go too deep, too fast.”

“I don’t know,” she says, her breath catching as her bra joins her t-shirt on the floor. “I like deep and fast sometimes.”

“I know you do.” I pull back to look at her, soaking in the sight of her perfect breasts with their dusting of freckles across the top. I adore every single one of those freckles, and I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want this woman.

“You’re staring,” she whispers, uncharacteristically shy.

“Can’t help it.” I cup one breast, running my thumb over her nipple, relishing the way her lashes flutter. “I’m a big fan of all your sexy parts.” I dip my head, taking one nipple into my mouth, circling it with my tongue until she gasps and her hands thread into my hair

I take my time, savoring every little sigh and the way she arches closer to my mouth, silently begging for more. When I finally drop to my knees in front of her, hooking my fingers into the waistband of those lacy black panties, the look she gives me—hungry, eager, wild—almost finishes me on the spot.

“I really love going over paperwork with you,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh as I drag the panties down her legs.

Her tongue sweeps across her lips. “Me, too.”

The first stroke of my tongue has her gripping the edge of the desk. The second and third have her trembling, her breath coming in stuttering gasps. By the fourth, she has a hand at the back of my head, dragging me closer.

“Yes, more,” she breathes, her voice barely audible. “Harder, and please, don’t stop.”

As if I would. As if I could tear myself away from her, from her sweet saltiness, her fire. I lose myself in pleasuring her, in the desperate sounds she makes as she gets closer to the edge. She’s clearly trying so hard to be quiet, but I catch every moan, every gasp.

When she comes, she clamps a hand over her mouth as she arches off the desk, drenching my tongue. I stay with her, gentling my pressure as she shudders through the aftershocks.

“You,” she pants as I press one last kiss to her inner thigh and rise to my feet. “You. Inside me. Now.” She reaches for my belt with shaking hands.

As soon as she’s pulled it through the buckle, I shove my jeans and boxers down around my knees, and then I’m back between her thighs, groaning as she wraps her legs tight around me. The feel of her slick, swollen pussy against my dick is enough to snap the last of my will to go slow.

I push forward, sinking into her in one slow, steady stroke that has us both gasping. The feel of her around me—tight, hot, perfect—is overwhelming.

I have to close my eyes for a moment, fighting to breathe and not to come.

Her thighs clamp around me like a vise, her nails digging into my shoulders as I bottom out inside her. My forehead presses against hers, both of us panting, sweat already beading at the base of my spine.

“Fuck, Remy,” I grit out, my hips twitching instinctively as I brace a hand on the desk beside her. “You destroy me. Every fucking time.”

Her answer is a sharp bite to my lower lip as her hips arch off the desk to take me deeper. The wood creaks beneath our combined weight, the groaning strangely loud in the quiet room. Her breath catches as a sound comes from outside, and we both freeze—her wide eyes locked on mine and my cock throbbing inside her.

Distant voices drift in from down the hall, muffled but close enough to make her tense.

“Really hard to stop right now,” I grit out.

“No, don’t stop,” she whispers, her voice frayed. “Just quiet. Maybe slower will help.”

Slower. Right.

I drag my mouth down her neck, tongue swirling as I pull out, then glide slowly, oh-so-slowly forward. She gasps and reaches around, digging her nails into my ass. Her heels leverage against the backs of my thighs, urging me deeper on my next thrust. I can feel the coil in my gut tightening, the pressure building too fast, but I clench my jaw and push it down.

I’m not even close to done with her, not until she comes for me again.

Her eyes squeeze shut, her brow knitting as she whimpers, “More. Need more. Need you hard, Stone.”

“Wall?” I pant.

“Yes,” she says, nodding fast.

I kiss her deep, our teeth pressing together through skin as I grip her bottom with both hands, lifting her into the air. Her arms wrap around my neck and her legs tighten around my hips, keeping my cock buried inside her as I stumble toward the wall. I don’t stop moving until her back hits the plaster.

The impact makes her gasp. Or maybe it’s the fact that I can push even deeper from this angle, so deep every inch of me is encased in her pulsing heat.

“Feel so good, Rem, so good,” I whisper as I pin her there, one hand gripping her ass, the other braced beside her head as I take her hard, just the way she asked.

“Oh God, oh God,” she chants as I piston into her, giving her everything I have. “I’m going to come. Going to come, Stone.”

“Look at me,” I breathe. “I want to see you.”

Her eyes fly open, glittering and wild as we strain toward the finish line together. When her head falls back, I cover her mouth, muffling her cry against my palm. Her pussy clenches tight, tighter, milking my cock, and I’m right behind her. My release slams into me, tipping me over the edge, my hips stuttering as I empty every drop inside her.

Afterward, I sag against the wall. She drops a foot to the ground, helping us both stay upright as we catch our breath.

“Thanks,” I whisper, once I’m capable of speech.

“Anytime,” she says, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “That was insanely hot.”

“I know,” I tease, grinning when she pinches my waist. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Hold on a second, let me see if I can reach the tissues from here.”

“Just scoot to your right,” she says. “I have a spare towel in the closet.”

“Again, she’s always prepared,” I say, inching that way, keeping myself buried deep. Partly to contain the mess until we’re ready to mop up. Partly because I never want to leave her pussy.

If I die buried eight inches deep in Rem, I’ll consider myself a lucky man.

We clean up as best we can. I retrieve scattered papers from the floor that I don’t remember knocking off the desk as Remy slips into her underthings.

When we’re both dressed and looking reasonably put together, I ask, “So…what now?”

She looks up from where she’s zipping up her duffle bag, her expression relaxed, hopeful. “I guess we just take it one day at a time. Have fun. Be good to each other. Try not to freak out when we remember that this is all kind of scary.”

“Sounds good,” I say. “And no other man gets to touch you or look at you or smell you or even think about dating you, right?”

She laughs. “Not sure I can control half of that, but if you’re asking if we should be exclusive, the answer is yes.” She gives a little roll of her eyes as she adds, “I mean, I don’t want other women touching or smelling or looking at you, either, so…”

“Yay,” I say, beaming with such undisguised happiness, it makes her laugh again. She’s matching my grin, ear to ear, until her phone buzzes on her desk. The second she looks down, though, her smile falls away, and the color blanches from her cheeks.

“What is it?” I ask, instantly on alert.

She turns the screen toward me.

It’s a text, from her dad…

Need to talk to you about a few things off the clock. I know Tuesday is your night off from coaching. Let’s do dinner at my house. 7 P.M. Make sure Cruise comes along. And Stone, too, if he’s free.

My eyebrows shoot up. “Wait. What? Why me?”

“I have no idea.” Her voice is tight with anxiety. “I mean, Justin is the team captain, and Dad always likes to have the captain over for dinner at the beginning of the season. But as far as I’m aware, he doesn’t even know we’re friends. I have no idea why he would want me to bring you along unless…”

Unless we’ve been caught…

The unspoken words hang in the air between us.

Finally, I shrug, trying to appear calmer than I feel. “Maybe it’s something harmless. Maybe he wants to talk about me backing Justin up with the rest of the team or something. I mean, we are the oldest Badger players and the only ones retiring this year.”

“That could be it.” But she doesn’t sound convinced, and her cheeks are still pale enough for her to pass as one of the marble statues at the Portland Art Museum.

I take her hand, squeezing gently. “We’ve been careful. And he was cool today when I talked to him about missing the meeting. I think we’re fine.”

She bites her lip. “Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

As I leave a few minutes later, endorsement paperwork tucked under my arm—surprise, I actually am being offered a chance to sell a sports drink—I refuse to let Coach’s surprise invitation put a dent in my happiness.

Remy is my girlfriend and open to seeing where this thing goes between us long term. It’s a miracle I wouldn’t have believed possible even a couple of weeks ago, and one that’s absolutely worth fighting for.

No matter what her dad has planned for us tomorrow night…