Page 17

Cian

I woke up the next morning with aching muscles and a hard dick. Beneath me, a warm body wriggled against my not so little problem, giving the dumb handle the idea that it might be time for round two.

But if I was sore, Blair must be ready to bring out the bath salts and heat rub. I hadn’t gone easy on her last night. In fact, I’d been an absolute caveman. There was just something about her that had me addicted. With a herculean effort, I pulled my hips back so she could rest without being poked in the ass, but she followed, grinding against me in a way that had me tightening my grip on her. Was she awake?

I couldn’t tell, and as much as I wanted to roll her over and take her, I didn’t think we were at that level of familiarity yet.

Maybe we could have the conversation today, and in the future, I could wake her up with my tongue. My erection kicked against her ass, keen to make the idea a reality sooner rather than later.

I smoothed her hair back from her face, noting how much younger she looked without her glasses on. How reliant was she on them? I’d never asked, but I’d also never seen her without them.

She blinked her eyes open, squinting up at me with a cute little crease between her brows.

“I’m hungry,” I whispered, running my hand down her belly to cup her pussy in case she needed help with what I wanted to eat.

“You’re insatiable. And I need a shower before we do any more… eating.”

I grinned, taking it as a maybe, and pushed out of bed to start the shower.

There was a scraping sound and a groan, and as I glanced over my shoulder, she blinked through her glasses at me, gaze fixed firmly on my ass.

We cleaned up quickly, then I dropped to my knees and dirtied her up a couple of times before she returned the favor. By the time we toweled off, we were both flushed despite the water having gone cold several minutes before we finished.

“We should start going to my place,” I said, scrubbing the towel through my hair. “Unlimited hot water, and no neighbors to get into our business.”

I dried off my legs and straightened to find her staring at me.

“I don’t even know where you live.”

She didn’t know…? We had started, or ended, here every time we’d hung out, so of course she didn’t know.

“I’m in Barton Creek, around the corner from Oscar and Mia. We should go there tonight.”

She nodded slowly, her face screwed up the way it did when she was overthinking something. Did she think I’d been trying to hide her? Surely not, I’d literally sent my friends in to advocate for us. Still…

“I’ve been coming to you because you’re central. I want you in my space, though. Maybe we can have a cookout, or invite some friends over for dinner.”

“That sounds kind of couple-y, doesn’t it?”

It did, but that’s because I was warming her up to the idea of being a couple. Slow and steady. Don’t spook her.

“Friends have dinner together all the time.”

She didn’t believe me, but she didn’t have to, as long as she agreed.

Dropping her towel, she slipped into her panties and another soft cotton bra and wandered out of the bathroom. I picked up after her, hanging both her towel and mine side by side on the rack, then followed her into the bedroom.

“What’s on your agenda today?” The question was muffled as she pulled a sweater over her head, her wet curls making an appearance before her face popped through the collar.

“Ahh, I’m supposed to meet Oscar at the training center at ten to get our workout in, then I’m going to spend some time with Seelie. I’ll see if Oscar and Mia want to come around tonight for dinner, then I’ll sit by the phone like a lost puppy waiting to see if you join us.”

She laughed, like I hoped she would and bent to pull a pair of pants out of her drawer.

I bit my knuckle, but a moan still slipped out at the sight of her sweet ass, and the thin panel of fabric covering that pussy I could still taste on my tongue.

“Change of plans. Get on the bed.”

She laughed, ignoring the erection that had popped up between us and finished getting dressed.

“Are clothes in your plans today? Because I don’t think my neighbors will warm to you if you go around looking like that.” She paused, chewing her lip.

“Or maybe they will. I’d better take care of that for you. You can say thanks by giving me a ride into work and shouting coffee.”

She wrapped her hand around my hard dick, pushing up onto her toes to lick at my lips before she sank to her knees and swallowed me whole. One hand pumped me into her mouth while the other tugged and rolled at my balls.

Don’t thrust. Don’t thrust.

I widened my stance and balled my hands by my sides, praying for restraint as she scraped her teeth along my shaft.

She released me with a pop, looking up at me with pre-cum glistening on her lip.

“I won’t break. Use me.”

Reaching out to take my hand, she guided it to her hair and resumed blowing my mind. I thrust cautiously, trying to test the limits of her gag reflex, but then she grunted and dug her blunt fingernails into my ass and I let go.

Hinging at the hips, I drove into her mouth, loving the sloppy wet sounds she made. Her hand crept down the front of her pants and I groaned as she thrust against her palm in time to my strokes in her mouth.

“Coming,” I grunted, looking around for a towel, in case she didn’t want… those fingernails bit deeper and I lost my rhythm as I came in pulsing waves that threatened to buckle my knees.

“Where have you been all my life,” I rasped as I hauled her to her feet. Her tongue tasted of bitter salt, and knowing that a part of me would be inside her today made me feral.

“Tell me you’ll come tonight,” I demanded as I shoved my hand down her pants and finished her off. She gave me a lazy grin.

Watching for her response, I reluctantly pulled away and dug fresh clothing out of my overnight bag.

“Tell me where to go, and I’ll be there.”

“Good answer. Now, get your butt in the car so we can get this day done.”

* * *

Oscar agreed to dinner as we sweated our way through a cardio session, and grilled me on the state of things with Blair.

“Come tonight and see for yourself.” Was all I said, and I knew he was going to find a way to retaliate at some point in the near future.

I was prepared for it.

I spent a few hours at the shelter with Seelie, surprised to be greeted with a small tail wag when I sat in her cage. After only a few minutes, she army crawled out of her nest and curled up against my leg, barely flinching when I stroked her flank.

I told her about Blair. About how much I liked her and wanted her to be mine.

Seelie let out a soft snore and a fart that rivaled anything that could come out of a locker room.

“Shit, Seelie. What are they feeding you?”

I waved a hand over my nose, praying for the smell to dissipate as my eyes watered.

“How are we doing in here?” Katie asked, recoiling as the smell hit her.

“She’s good. Stinky, but good. Is it time to lock up?”

The shelter closed to the public at four PM daily to give staff a chance to have vets in and clean the enclosures of the less friendly animals without risking people who hadn’t signed indemnity waivers.

I shuffled away from the sleeping canine, my heart hurting when she startled awake and bolted to her nest of bedding.

“She trusts you so much.”

“Yeah. I’m terrified of fuc—er, I mean screwing it up.”

“I’m old enough to hear you swear, Grandpa,” she sassed, lightly punching my shoulder.

“I’m only eight years older than you, you know.”

“Yeah, like I said.”

“Kids these days.” I shook my head in mock disappointment and headed for the exit.

Traffic was light, and I made good time getting home, stopping at our local grocery store for supplies on the way. I’d already texted Blair my address and told her to come when she could, and the bar fridge was full of a variety of beer and soda.

I double checked the ice trays and looked around my little home. What would Blair think of it?

Admittedly, I hadn’t personalized it a whole lot since moving in. While Oscar and Mia’s house was full of knickknacks and memorabilia from trips they’d taken and homey furnishings Mia had used to brighten up the place, mine still had the paintings that came with the house and the original wall colors.

Did it look too much like a museum? I’d never cared to show off my trophies and medals from my years in hockey, and despite living alone, I always felt as though I’d be taking up space having them out collecting dust.

The front door creaked open, and Oscar and Mia strode in, arms laden with food.

“I told you not to bring anything,” I said, pecking a kiss on Mia’s cheek and slapping Oscar’s back.

“I was working out a routine in my head today, so I baked. And roasted.”

The slow roasted beef smelled amazing, and a glimpse under the cover on the second tray revealed cinnamon buns.

“Since when can you cook?” I asked, remembering the early days when Oscar had been in charge of their diet.

“You’re looking at my entire repertoire. Enjoy.”

I chuckled, retrieving two beers and a soda from the fridge.

“So… Is she here?” Mia asked, close on my heels.

“Not yet, but hopefully soon?” A knock at the door interrupted me. Mia let out a squeal and rushed to let in the last guest.

“Don’t scare her off.”

She returned a couple of minutes later with a wide-eyed Blair in tow.

“This place is really nice.”

“I’ll show you around.” Mia took her by the elbow, leading her through my too-small-to-need-a-tour home. I headed out to the back deck where Oscar had already pulled up a chair in the outdoor dining area.

“You don’t need to hover. Mia’s been desperate for you to find someone, and she likes Blair. She won’t do anything to screw you over.”

Was I that obvious?

“It’s all so new, I feel like I’m walking in a minefield. It’s bad enough she wants to label us friends with benefits. How long before I can tell her we’re dating?”

Oscar snorted.

“Maybe wait for her to bring up that conversation. She seems almost as skittish as Mia was.”

I grunted, sipping at my beer.

I could be patient.

Maybe.

But I couldn’t handle the idea that something outside of my control might blow this whole thing up in my face. It had been a near miss with that social post, but what if people got louder? Bolder? What if they said that shit to Blair’s face and she believed it that way she believed the shit her family told her? I was going to drive myself crazy with all this questioning, so for tonight, I would enjoy good friends and good food. Tomorrow, I could work out how to make the ground beneath us more solid.

Blair’s laugh drifted from inside, and I wondered what they were talking about.

“I’m making myself crazy,” I growled, dropping my head in my hands.

“Welcome to love, my man.” Oscar raised his beer in a toast and took a long pull.

“Love? No, I’m not…” I thought about how I felt toward Blair. The urge to possess her. Needing to be near her and talk to her and hear what she’d done while she was away from me.

“No,” I said definitively, because who the hell fell in love this quickly.

“Whatever, man. I’m just calling it as I see it.”

“Fuck off.”

“Maybe you need to touch some grass.”

I flipped him off as the girls joined us. Apparently, they’d found the fixings I’d bought for a charcuterie board. Mia held the cheese board that had been on display when I bought the house, and along its length, cheese, sausage, olives and crackers sat in neat little rows. Blair had two sodas in her hands, and passed one to Mia as they settled across from us.

“This house is gorgeous,” she said, knocking her foot against mine as she shifted in her chair. “It’s small, but with how often we’re away, it’s enough.”

“Hmm.”

Oscar started up a conversation at that point about some flamenco dance night he and Mia were heading to, and I sat back to watch as Blair interacted with my friends. She was funny and thoughtful as she asked questions designed to keep the conversation flowing. Some of the things she asked I didn’t even know the answer to, and I’d known them for forever.

As the sun set, I excused myself and prepared dinner, returning with platters of meat and vegetables that we all picked at as conversation moved to the rest of the season and upcoming events.

“Are you going to the Thanksgiving event?” Blair asked.

“The charity? Yeah, I’m… really keen to help orphans.” Mia smiled sadly as Oscar rubbed her back. I didn’t know much about her childhood, but it hadn’t been great. Maybe she understood what those kids were going through better than any of us.

“How about you?”

Blair grinned. “I’ll be there with bells on. Especially because it means I won’t be around for my own family’s Thanksgiving dinner.”

The girls shared a knowing look and changed the subject to lighter things.

The sun was long set, the table cleared and dishes washed and put away when Oscar and Mia made their excuses and headed for the door.

“I had a really great night. It was lovely getting to know you better, Blair,” Mia said as they hugged a brief farewell.

“Me too,” Blair replied with a shy smile.

I waved goodbye to my friends, closing the door once they reached their car, then turned to my girl.

“So I know Mia gave you the tour, but did you see the bedroom?”

She pursed her lips, fighting a smile as I stepped into her space.

“Y’know, I’m not so sure. Do you think you could remind me?” she asked, backing out of arm’s reach.

“Run.”

She let out a small shriek, curls bouncing as she sprinted toward the back of my house.

I caught her at the door to the bedroom and threw her on the bed.

And introduced her to my bedroom a half dozen times.