She burst out laughing. “Someone thinks highly of himself.”
“Oh, I think very highly of my dick, honey,” he said solemnly. “And with good reason. Fuck Helen of Troy—bigger wars have been fought over my cock.”
As Claire rolled her eyes, Dylan settled back on the bed and got comfortable. “Now, where were we? Oh, right, you were about to get naked.”
With Dylan lying there half-naked, she no longer felt as self-conscious, but her hands did tremble as she reached for the hem of her top. After a beat of uncertainty, she ordered herself to quit being a wuss and swiftly took off her shirt. Her shorts were next, which left her in a black bikini-style bra and matching panties.
She hesitated, fingers poised over the front clasp of her bra.
Dylan’s nostrils flared. “Lose the underwear, Claire. I want to see you naked.”
A shiver skated through her. Taking a breath, she flicked the clasp and let the bra fall to the floor. Then she wiggled out of her panties and stood in front him naked, just like he’d requested.
No man had ever looked at her the way Dylan was looking at her now. His gaze traveled over her body as if he owned it, leaving little pinpricks of desire in its wake. She felt exposed standing there, and yet at the same time, wanton and feminine and so very sexy.
Dylan didn’t say a word as he got his fill. He stayed quiet for so long she shifted her feet awkwardly. “Now what?” she murmured.
“Now you come closer.”
Her heart thudded as she did what he asked, but just before she reached the side of the bed, he shook his head and said, “Stay right there.”
She stayed put, wondering what he was planning to do. Anticipating it.
God, why wasn’t he touching her?
He chuckled when he saw the impatience in her eyes. He hopped off the bed and rose to his full height, the sheer size of him sending her pulse into another tailspin. He was so much taller than her, his big body dwarfing her petite one, making her feel both vulnerable and…safe. Because no matter how much bigger he was, no matter how much stronger, she knew this man wouldn’t hurt her.
When he lightly rested one hand on her hip, she shivered again. She tipped her head back, expecting him to pull her close and kiss her, but he didn’t do either of those things.
What he did was get on his knees and press his mouth directly on her pussy.
“Oh God.” Nearly keeling over with pleasure, Claire’s hands once again grabbed hold of his shoulders so she could steady herself.
“Now, this isn’t fair,” he said in a raspy voice, peering up to look at her.
She blinked. “What isn’t?”
“You’re totally bare.” His finger traveled along the length of her slit. “How will I know if you’re a natural redhead?”
A laugh lodged in her throat. “I guess you’ll have to take my word for it.”
“Guess so.” His breath tickled her sensitive flesh, unleashing a new flurry of shivers.
He leaned in and planted an open-mouthed kiss on her inner thigh, then dragged his tongue across the top of her mound so he could kiss her other thigh. “You’ve got the softest skin,” he muttered.
When he moved his head away again, she glanced down and almost stopped breathing when she noticed his hot gaze focused on her most intimate place.
“Fuck, you’ve got the prettiest pussy.” He ran his finger over her folds again, all the way down to the wetness pooling at her entrance.
They both groaned when he pushed just the tip of his finger into her opening.
“You’re so fucking wet,” he hissed out. “Fuck, Claire, I wanna shove my tongue inside your pussy and taste you.”
Oh. My. God.
She hadn’t expected the dirty talk. At all. And it turned her on so much her clit began to throb. Painfully. She was so aroused it actually hurt.
She was unsure whether he was waiting for permission to follow through on the wicked picture he’d painted, but when he didn’t make a move, she parted her legs wider in invitation.
His eyes burned with approval. “That’s it, honey, open yourself up to me.”
And yet he still didn’t do a damn thing.
“Please. Do something.” An unsteady breath flew out of her mouth.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked innocently.
“Don’t you dare tease me, Dylan. Do something.”
“If you insist.”
His tongue touched her clit and Claire promptly saw stars.
The warmth of his mouth surrounded that swollen bud as he suckled on it, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her system. It felt so good she almost fell over again, but Dylan gripped her hips to keep her in place.
He made little sounds of happiness as he devoured her pussy. The stubble dotting his chiseled face abraded her sensitized skin, only adding to the mounting pleasure. His tongue moved with a skill that should have annoyed her—because jeez, he must have gone down on hundreds of women in order to get this damn good at it. Yet the notion only sparked gratitude for all the women who’d—no pun intended—come before her because, well, because he was this damn good at it.
“Yes, just like that,” she whimpered when he flattened his tongue and started licking her as if she were a tasty lollipop.
The tension began to build, gathering in her core, a tight knot just ready to burst apart, but Dylan had apparently mastered the ability to control the female orgasm, because each time she got close to toppling over the edge, he abruptly yanked her back from it.
“No coming,” he chided after he’d stolen an orgasm from her for the third time. “I’m not done yet.”
He punctuated that by spearing his tongue into her opening and fucking her with it until she was close to exploding once more.
“Not yet,” he growled, and then that tongue disappeared and stopped doing all the wonderful things it had been doing.
“Are you always this bossy?” she wheezed out.
“Yes. Are you complaining?”
Was she? Hell fucking no. If anything, his dominance was…liberating. So was his confidence—he didn’t peek up every few seconds to gauge if she was enjoying it, didn’t stop to ask her if he was “doing it okay”. He just licked and sucked and teased and dared her not to like it.
It was a whole new experience, and the incredible sensations he produced inside her were ones she’d never felt with any of her previous lovers, Chris included.
Do not think about Chris right now.
Her brain’s sharp command didn’t go unheeded. Banishing all thoughts of Chris, she brought one hand to Dylan’s head and threaded her fingers through his short blond hair. “Does it look like I’m complaining?” she said in a breathy voice.
His expression turned smug. “Didn’t think so. Now be a good girl and come for me.”
“But you just said—”
He latched his mouth onto her clit and shoved two fingers deep inside her, and she exploded like a firecracker. The orgasm swept her away in a flash flood of ecstasy, seizing every muscle in her body and pulsing through her nerve endings. She’d never come standing up before, and her knees buckled involuntarily, rocking her equilibrium.
Dylan’s grip on her waist tightened, holding her in place as she rode out the release and trembled against his hungry tongue. The second she’d recovered he was on his feet and kissing her, his tongue filling her mouth the same way it had filled her pussy.
She tasted herself on his lips and there was something so deliciously dirty about that. Moaning, she tugged on the waistband of his boxer briefs, but her fingers were shaking so hard she couldn’t seem to rid him of the pesky garment. She cursed in frustration. Damn it, she needed him naked.
Chuckling, Dylan pushed her hands out of the way and took over. His underwear hit the floor, and she got her wish—he was naked.
And he was incredible.
Her mouth watered as she stared at the long erection that rose up and slapped his navel, prompting him to arch a dark-blond eyebrow.
“Enjoying the view?”
“Oh my God. Yes.”
She reached out and touched his chest, ran her palm over that hard male flesh, traced the occasional scar she discovered beneath her fingertips. The scars were a reminder of what he did for a living, the danger he faced and the risks he took, but that only heightened her excitement. This man was a warrior. Lord, was there anything sexier?
Her hand continued its southward progression, fingers skimming the defined ridges of his abs before moving even lower. The line of hair arrowing down to his groin fascinated her. She followed the path of those wiry hairs until her hand finally reached his erection.
“Wrap your fist around my cock.” His eyes glittered as he voiced the command.
She circled the wide shaft with her fingers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Dylan hissed out a breath. “I want you to suck me off, Claire. I want your hot mouth on my dick.”
Liquid desire pooled between her legs, her body completely forgetting that it had reached climax mere minutes ago. Her heartbeat accelerated as she gazed at the hard cock in her hand. Oh yes, she wanted to taste him. She wanted to feel the thick length of him lodged inside her mouth.
But before she could experience either of those things, Dylan scooped her up in his powerful arms and deposited her on the bed. She landed on the mattress with a not-so-graceful thump, her jaw dropping.
“What the hell?” she grumbled. “What’d you do that for?”
The predatory gleam in his eyes said it all. He loomed over the bed, gloriously naked, his body so hard and chiseled it may as well have been carved out of marble. A second later, he ripped open the condom box, tore one of the plastic squares off the strip, and rolled the latex onto his erection.
“I thought you wanted my mouth,” she teased.
“Couldn’t do it,” he muttered as he climbed onto the bed. “I would have shot my load in two seconds flat. Almost did the second you put your hand on me.”
“And that’s bad because…?”
“Because I want to feel your pussy squeezing my cock when I come,” he said in a strangled voice.
He covered her body with his, the weight of him sending a jolt of exhilaration through her, and then his mouth captured hers in a punishing kiss that left her gasping for air. His heavy erection rested between her legs, but he didn’t thrust it inside her. He just kept kissing her, propping himself up with one arm while his free hand drifted to her chest.
She moaned when he squeezed one breast. “You lied before. You said you would play with my tits.”
“I didn’t lie. I simply got distracted by that tasty cunt of yours.”
Oh sweet Jesus.
A knowing gleam filled his eyes. “You like the dirty talk, huh?”
“So much.”
“Good. Because I like talking dirty.” Flashing a roguish grin, he slid a few inches lower and closed his mouth around her nipple.
A wave of pleasure rocked into her. Her breasts were not particularly sensitive, but Dylan’s talented tongue coaxed an unprecedented response out of her. Her nipples grew stiffer than they’d ever been, tingling in a way she’d never felt. They ached, pulsed, and each time Dylan took another deep pull, she felt it right between her legs, until every square inch of her body cried out with impatience.
Whimpering, she shoved her hand in his hair and tugged on those silky strands. “Please, I need you in me.”
He slid back up with a smug smile. “You know, only an hour ago you were cursing about being stuck here with me, and now you’re begging me to put my cock inside you. Who would’ve thought?”
She gritted her teeth. “Can we laugh at the irony of this later? Like maybe after I come again?”
“Are you always this bossy?” he mimicked.
She threw his words back at him. “Yes. Are you complaining?”
“Not one damn bit. Now brace yourself, honey, because I’m about to fuck your brains out.”
“Bring it on, honey.”
Boy, did he bring it.
Claire wasn’t prepared for his first thrust. It was so fast and so deep she gasped in startled delight as her body stretched to accommodate him.
“Holy shit, you’re tight,” he mumbled.
Dylan’s features tensed, as if he were trying desperately not to lose control. He eased out a few inches, then slammed right back in, and sure enough, his face took on a tortured expression.
“Sorry, honey, but there’s no way I’m going to last. You can blame the kung-fu grip of your pussy for that.”
She shuddered with laughter, which only intensified the agony burning in his eyes.
“Don’t. Move.” He choked out the words, gripping her hips to keep her still. “And please, please tell me you’re close to coming again.”
“No, but I could be.” With an amused look, she brought her hand between their bodies and started stroking herself.
Dylan groaned, but he didn’t move a muscle. She stared up at him as she rubbed her clit. The tendons of his neck were straining, twitching, as if he could barely hold it together. She could see his pulse throbbing in his throat, and she marveled over his restraint, the willpower he exuded as he allowed her to stoke the fire, to build up to climax.
She moved her fingers in little circles over her clit, getting closer and closer and closer, until a little moan finally slipped out, followed by, “Oh gosh, now. Fuck me now.”
He pulled out, then plunged in with a hard stroke that hit a spot deep inside and sent her soaring. As she got swept away into orgasmic oblivion, Dylan grabbed one of her legs and lifted it up to his hip so he could drive deeper. A moment later he let out a hoarse groan and started to come, the heat of his release warming her core right through the latex.
She’d never had sex like this before. Never come that hard, never felt this sated, and as they both took a few minutes to catch their breath, Claire knew her entire world had just changed.
If anyone had told him when he’d woken up at dawn that he’d be ending the day naked and cuddling with Claire McKinley, Dylan would have accused them of smoking too much crack. But here he was, lying in bed with Claire’s warm body nestled beside him.
On sheets that smelled like Aidan.
Fuck.
As he breathed in that familiar citrus scent, he battled a spark of guilt, then ordered himself to snuff it out. He refused to feel guilty. Aidan had known exactly what would happen when he’d barricaded the two of them in this bedroom. He’d even left them protection, for chrissake.
But although the guilt faded, it was replaced by a tremor of distress and a pang of longing. Aidan should be here too, damn it, and his absence brought an ache to Dylan’s heart.
“You don’t still think I’m a gold-digger who hates homemakers, do you?” Claire’s quiet voice broke the silence.
He had to smile. “No. Do you still think I’m a selfish manwhore who couldn’t be bothered to help his mother through her gambling addiction?”
“No,” she said softly.
“Good.”
He stroked her bare shoulder for a second, then reached up to rub his forehead. Just saying those words—gambling addiction—had reignited his anger and confusion. He couldn’t believe Chris and their mom had been keeping such a monumental secret from him. They’d almost lost their family home, for fuck’s sake. Why the hell wasn’t he told?
“I should call her,” he said absently. Then he thought better of it. “No, I should fly home and talk to her in person.”
“Your mom?”
“Yeah. I want to hear all this from her. I want her to explain to me why she and Chris felt compelled to lie to me for more than a year.”
“I really do think she was trying to protect you. You’re her favorite, and I bet she was scared of disappointing you. I mean, you should hear the way Shanna talks about you. She’s insanely proud of every little thing you do, and she acts like the sun rises and sets for you. That woman adores you.”
He swallowed the lump in his thr
oat. “I know, but that’s no excuse for lying to me about something so important.”
“I’m sure everything will make more sense once you sit down and talk to her,” Claire assured him. “Just don’t go in ready to attack. Coming clean about the addiction was difficult for her.”
She should have come clean to me.
He bit back the juvenile response. Claire was right. His mom had tried to shield him from the darkness, the way she always did.
“Okay, I’ll reserve judgment until I hear what she has to say.”
“Well, that was easy,” Claire said with a laugh. “Are you always so quick to see reason?”
“Hey, I’m a reasonable guy. Aidan’s the pigheaded one who needs a lot of convincing.”
The thought of Aidan evoked another rush of distress. He drew in a deep breath, only to inhale a lungful of Claire’s lavender scent. Damn, she smelled good. Felt good too, pressed up against him like this.
But it was wrong.
This was wrong.
“You okay?” she murmured. “You tensed up all of a sudden.”
Misery crawled up his spine. “Shit. Claire. I think this was a mistake.”
It was her turn to tense up. “What are you talking about?”
“Us sleeping together. It was a mistake.”
The sheets rustled as she sat up. Her ponytail was a mess, most of her hair falling out of it, and she yanked the elastic off as she stared at him with hurt in her eyes. “I thought you wanted it.”
“I did. I wanted it badly.” He paused. “But we can’t do it again.”
Her mouth tightened. “I see.”
He sat up too, a weary sigh slipping out. “What happened between us just now…it was amazing. No, more than amazing. Probably some of the best sex of my life. But I can’t let it happen again.”
“Why? Because of Chris?” She ran a frazzled hand through her tousled auburn hair in an attempt to smooth it out.
“No, because of Aidan.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Because he wants me too,” she finally said.