Her eyelids fluttered open once she’d crashed back to earth, and rather than feel lethargic or limp like she usually did after coming, every nerve ending in her body crackled to life and triggered a burst of energy that shot her up into a sitting position.
She jabbed a finger at him. “Get on your back. Now.”
Humor danced in his eyes. “Someone’s a little bossy.”
“A lot bossy,” she corrected. Her gaze landed on the erection jutting from his groin. “As of this moment, I’m in charge. So get on your back.”
Jeez, where were these brazen orders coming from? She wasn’t quite sure what had spurred them. All she knew was that she needed to explore every inch of this man’s body. Make him come apart, the same way he made her come apart.
Reed didn’t seem to be complaining. With a crooked grin, he stretched out on the sofa. His muscles flexed enticingly as he propped his hands behind his head and offered an expectant look. “There. Is this submissive enough for you?”
Her eyes never left his cock, which was practically beckoning her to touch it. “Oh yeah. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
Darcy scooted lower and straddled his knees, leaning forward to flatten her palms on his chest. His pecs quivered beneath her touch, telling her that he wasn’t as relaxed as he was letting on.
She swiped her tongue over her bottom lip, then flashed him an impish smile. “You’re not the only one, by the way.”
His eyes narrowed. “The only one who what?”
“Who’s thought about this.” Her palm grazed his tight abs before finding his cock. She slowly curled her fingers around the thick shaft. “I’ve also pictured you coming on my tongue.”
Then she lowered her head and took him in her mouth.
…
Reed felt like he’d been poked with a cattle prod the second Darcy’s lips enclosed his cock. His lower body jerked upward. The sensation of her hot mouth surrounding him was so intense he struggled not to prematurely blow his load and end things before they even got good.
And boy, did they get good. Darcy’s mouth was pure heaven. Warm and wet and firm and—his brain swiftly blanked in the adjective department when she sucked him all the way down to the root, her happy little moan vibrating through his body.
“That feels so good,” he mumbled. “Keep sucking me deep, just like that.”
She licked a path along his shaft on the upstroke, then kissed the blunt tip before teasing the slit with her tongue and lapping up the moisture leaking out of it. Holy hell. He never wanted this to end. He never wanted her to stop.
Reed’s fingers threaded through her wavy hair, but he didn’t guide her head. He just stroked the silky strands as she gobbled him up with deep strokes and tight suction. Christ, he’d fantasized about this for months, but his meager imagination hadn’t done it justice. He gazed down at the beautiful naked woman sucking his cock, floored by the sight, and more turned on than he’d ever been in his life.
“I love doing this.” Her breath teased his engorged head, and then she began licking up and down his shaft like she was savoring a cool ice cream cone on a hot summer day.
Every sound she made brought on a violent shudder. He’d never witnessed a woman enjoying a blowjob this damn much, and he had a feeling that if he slipped his hand between her legs right now, he’d find her even wetter than before.
“Keep doing that,” he groaned when her tongue found the sweet spot at the underside of his dick. Then she moved lower and he groaned louder. “Oh yeah, baby, use your tongue to play with my balls. Hell, that’s good.”
Her wicked mouth continued its torturous exploration, until his grip on her hair grew so tight he was scared he might be hurting her. But she didn’t seem to mind. Her breathy moans echoed in the air, mingling with the wet sounds of her mouth devouring his cock.
Reed’s pulse careened when she squeezed his sac, her lips wrapped firmly around his shaft as she increased the pace from fast to furious and propelled him to a whole new realm of mind-blowing pleasure.
“Fuck.” As his balls drew up from impending release, he abruptly pulled out of her eager mouth. “I need to be inside you, Darce. I want to feel you squeezing my cock when I come.”
She peered up at him with hazy eyes, and he’d honestly never seen a more beautiful sight. Her hair was tousled, cheeks flushed, lips glossy from sucking him.
Reed yanked her back in his lap, snapping one arm over the side of the couch in search of his jeans. His fingers collided with denim, frantically sliding into his pocket for the condoms he’d shoved there before he’d left the club.
Once he was sheathed, he gripped Darcy’s slender hips and drew her down on his cock. The second their bodies were joined, his heart stopped beating and white dots flashed in front of his eyes. Sweet Jesus. Being inside this woman was the best feeling in the world.
She brought her mouth to his and he welcomed her kiss, his hips rising in an upward thrust as their lips met. Reed swallowed her moan of pleasure, kissing her so deeply his lungs were screaming for oxygen by the time he broke their mouths apart.
“Ride me hard,” he ground out. “Take me straight to heaven, baby.”
A faint smile lifted her lips. “I love having sex with you, Reedford.”
“I’d be worried if you didn’t, considering my cock is buried inside you right now.” He chuckled. “Now are you going to fuck me or do I need to give you some incentive?”
She looked intrigued. “Hmmm. Like what?”
He placed his hand directly over her mound and dug the heel of it into her clit. A yelp flew out of her mouth, blue eyes instantly darkening with desire.
“That works,” she said breathlessly, before raising herself up and then slamming down again.
Reed’s pulse drummed between his ears as she rode him. Lord, her pussy was like a steel vise, clutching him so tight he didn’t stand a chance in hell of restraining himself.
He came way too fast, and so hard his head slammed into the arm of the couch and his body went limp with mindless need. Hot waves of pleasure drowned out his thoughts, his surroundings fading away. Darcy was all he could concentrate on, and another shudder rolled through him when he felt her inner muscles spasm and heard her cry of release.
She collapsed on top of him, her firm breasts crushed against his chest. Reed’s arms wrapped around her and stroked her back while she came down from the orgasmic high.
“You doing okay?” His voice was rusty thanks to his dry mouth.
Darcy responded with a sated mumble, her hair tickling his chin and bringing the sweet smell of her shampoo to his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, memorizing her scent, the way she felt in his arms.
The guilt he’d felt when he’d first entered her apartment didn’t surface again. He was so content lying there with her, amazed that it was actually happening. He’d wanted this for so long. Long enough that his expectations could’ve easily been thwarted, the reality a disappointing contrast to his fantasies, but it was every bit as good as he’d imagined. No, it was better than he’d imagined.
Darcy gently eased herself off him. Her hair cascaded over one shoulder, so long that it covered her nipples.
He reached up and pushed those strawberry blond waves aside, his thumb and forefinger closing over one pink nipple to give it a teasing pinch. Immediately, heat flared in her eyes. She glanced down, sighing when she noticed that his cock was still semi-hard.
“Don’t tell me you’re ready to go again.”
Reed grinned in challenge. “Don’t tell me you’re not.”
“Dude, I’m a woman. Multiple orgasms, remember? I can go all night.”
Damned if he didn’t like the sound of that.
But her teasing expression quickly transformed into one of regret. “Actually, I can’t. It must be one o’clock by now, which means I have to go to bed. My workdays start at eight in the morning.”
“Right.” Disappointment tightened his chest. He often forgot that not everybody started work at
six p.m. like he did.
“Tomorrow is our last self-defense class,” she reminded him.
“I know.” He hesitated. “Maybe we can grab dinner afterward? You know, build our strength before all the wild sex we’re gonna have.”
She seemed equally hesitant. “I’m totally on board for the wild sex part. But, um, I’m not sure going out to dinner is a good idea.”
Reed searched her face. “Why not?”
She proceeded to do that cute lip-biting thing again, an indisputable omen that he wasn’t going to like what she had to say.
“I think…” Darcy sighed. “I think we both need to be clear about what this is.”
“You wanted a fling. It’s a fling.” He couldn’t stop the edge that crept into his voice.
“Yes, but we need to establish what each of us considers a fling.” She nervously toyed with a strand of hair before tucking it behind her ear. “I don’t want anything serious.”
Reed bit his tongue before he could call bullshit.
But…bullshit.
Darcy Grant had serious written all over her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Hell, she’d started referring to AJ as her “boyfriend” after two measly weeks of dating.
No, she didn’t want anything serious with him.
That’s what she’d really meant.
The notion made his gut clench.
“So you’re saying there’s no chance this will ever turn into a relationship?” he asked carefully, trying to mask his unhappiness.
“I don’t see how it can,” she confessed. “We’re so different. And…well…I’ll just say it. You’re not really my type.”
Annoyance streaked through him. “I get it. I’m good enough to screw, but not good enough to date?”
“It’s not about being good enough,” Darcy protested, misery etched into her face. “It’s just…you really don’t seem like a guy who’s interested in relationships.”
“You hardly know me,” he said stiffly. “That’s a rather big assumption to make, don’t you think?”
“How many relationships have you been in?” she shot back. “And I don’t mean flings or affairs or any other arrangements that revolve around sex. I’m talking about serious, long-term relationships. Commitments.”
He supposed he could’ve lied, but he found it difficult to lie to Darcy. “Not a lot.”
“How many?”
“None,” he admitted.
Her forehead wrinkled. “None? Really? I figured you’d at least say one. What’s the longest you’ve ever dated someone?”
“Never more than a month.”
She nodded, as if it was just what she’d expected to hear. Although her expression didn’t convey disapproval, he sensed it radiating from her body.
Reed could have elaborated. Explained how during his fighting days he’d been too immature to even think about commitment, too lazy to put in the effort required to make a relationship work. Or that lately, relationships hadn’t interested him because he hadn’t found anyone he truly clicked with.
But what was the point? She obviously had her own preconceived notions about his player status, but he suspected that even if he’d been living like a monk, Darcy Grant would still find him unworthy of the coveted boyfriend status. He was just a punk from Southie, a far cry from perfect, saintly guys like AJ, who clearly made up Darcy’s “type.”
Enough with the self-pity.
The angry voice in his head gave him pause. Yeah, he definitely needed to stop all this internal wallowing. He might’ve been a punk for most of his life, but damn it, he was trying to walk a different path now.
AJ had told him to prove to Darcy that he wasn’t a screw-up anymore—evidently it was time to start proving.
“Look, I’m just trying to spare us from all the messy stuff that comes when people try to make things more serious than they are,” Darcy said softly. “I think the best way for this to work is if it’s a sex-only thing. No dinners or movie dates or heavy conversations about heavy topics.” Her gaze probed his face. “Are you okay with that? Because if you’re not, there’s no point in going forward.”
Was he okay with that?
Not fucking likely.
But he also wasn’t an idiot. If he so much as hinted that he wanted something more, he knew she’d shut this fling down faster than a health inspector at a restaurant with a roach problem.
Maybe he and Darcy had a future, maybe they didn’t. But he’d be damned if he didn’t give himself the opportunity to find out.
So like an obedient schoolboy, he nodded and said, “Sounds good to me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
He didn’t miss the flicker of relief in her eyes. “Okay…well, good, then.” She slid off the couch, distracting him with her naked body and the perfectly round ass she flashed as she bent over to pick up her clothes. “I’d offer to let you crash here, but I think sleepovers should be added to our no list.”
“Naah, I get it. It’s cool.” Reed hopped to his feet, unfazed by his own nudity, then gave an exaggerated stretch because he knew damn well that it caused every muscle on his chest to flex.
As expected, Darcy’s eyes glazed over as she stared at his body.
At least he had that going for him. The woman was wildly attracted to him, which was a damn good start.
As for her no list?
Well, he just happened to be a man who enjoyed a good challenge—and he had every intention of chipping away at Darcy’s reluctance until he turned every last no into an eager, resounding yes.
Chapter Ten
The following evening, Darcy walked into Sin through the staff entrance she’d used dozens of times before when she’d visited AJ at work. Tonight, she was still there to see him, except this was the first time they’d be seeing each other as dreaded Ex-Boyfriend and Ex-Girlfriend.
She had steeled herself for what was bound to be an intensely awkward conversation, so when she entered his office and was greeted by a warm smile, her surprise was genuine.
“Hey, Darce.” AJ rose from his desk chair and wasted no time striding toward her. The hug he gave her was sweet and familiar, and she found herself sinking into his embrace.
No matter how uneventful their sex life had been, she’d always loved AJ’s hugs. He had a way of making her feel safe and protected, and she was glad to see that the warmth between them still existed even though they were no longer dating.
“Hey. How are you doing?” She pulled back to meet his eyes, her question laced with more than one meaning.
His green eyes glimmered knowingly. “Do you mean how am I doing with the breakup, or how am I doing with the fact that you’re hooking up with my best friend?”
She winced. “AJ—”
He interrupted with a laugh. “I’m just being a brat, Darce. I’m fine on both counts.”
“But why?” she couldn’t help but blurt out. “Shouldn’t you be yelling at me? I mean, most guys would not be cool about their ex-girlfriend turning around and sleeping with one of their closest friends. Which means you’re either a saint, or a total dumbass.”
“I’d wager a little bit of both.”
AJ cast her the boyish grin that had charmed her off her feet the day they’d met when he’d approached her at a coffeehouse in Beacon Hill and informed her that she had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen. They’d had coffee that day, dinner the following night, and within a week they were seeing each other exclusively. AJ was so damn easy to talk to, and so attentive to everyone else’s needs, often sacrificing his own to make another person happy.
And now he was doing it again, stepping aside while she and Reed…did their thing, for lack of a better phrase.
“Honestly?” AJ said ruefully. “I can’t say I was surprised when Reed told me what happened. He’s usually good at keeping his cards close to the vest, but he did a pretty shitty job hiding that he had a thing for you. It was wicked obvious.”
She bl
inked in surprise. “It was? Why didn’t you ever tell me you thought that?”
“Because you were my girlfriend, dumbass.” He rolled his eyes. “And at the time I still thought we might have something special. The last thing I wanted to do was plant the idea in your head and then watch you dump me for Reed.”
“I never would have done that,” she said firmly.
“I know. I just didn’t want to risk it.” He shrugged. “But like my mom always says, the universe has a plan, and obviously it wanted you and Reed to get together.”
“We’re not together, per se. We’re…” Her cheeks heated up. “I’m not really sure what we are. I honestly don’t think it will go anywhere, though.”
She figured it was wiser not to tell him that she knew for certain it wouldn’t go anywhere—she planned on making sure of that. Taking her mother’s advice, Darcy had plainly laid out the ground rules to Reed, and she was going to adhere to each and every one.
AJ obviously disagreed. “I think it will go somewhere, Darce. You and Reed make sense together in ways that you and I never did. I think it’s the way you challenge him, and the excitement… That’s what fuels a relationship. That’s what we didn’t have.”
She smiled sadly. “But we had other things. Good things.”
“We had friendship.” With a smile of his own, he tweaked a strand of her hair before taking a step back. “Don’t get me wrong, friendship is important too. But it can’t be all there is.”
He was right, but his quiet assertion still evoked a pang of sorrow. AJ Walsh was a standup guy. Sweet, funny, kind, supportive. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with him? He was the perfect man, for Pete’s sake, and if the perfect man wasn’t enough for her, then who was?
There was a knock on the door, and then Reed sauntered into the office. “Hey, man, do you—” He stopped short when he spotted Darcy. “Oh. Hi. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Uh. Yeah. I decided to stop by tonight instead of tomorrow. My friend Shannon has this improv show she wants me to go to tomorrow night, so I’ll be busy…doing that…” She trailed off, her discomfort rising steadily.