Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Zara
Y ou are insane , I whispered to myself as I dropped the cash bag into the safe and locked it up .
Taking strangers up to my room wasn’t something I ever did. Too risky. I didn’t even have a credit card receipt with this guy’s name on it. Dave always paid cash .
But that wasn’t even the biggest problem with this plan. I knew in my gut that Dave wouldn’t have gotten that invitation to my bedroom if it weren’t for my Griff Shipley heartache. I was going to let my disappointment in one man guide me toward a bit of foolishness with another man .
Smooth, sister. Really smart .
Griff and I had been finished three months ago, and I’d told myself I was over it. But tonight was the first time I’d seen him with someone else. Audrey something-or-other. A cute little blonde, all smiles and curves. My polar opposite .
Of course she was .
If Griff were a different man, I wouldn’t be feeling so much rage. But he was a smart guy with a degree in chemistry, a zeal for farming, and a head for business. When he broke off our arrangement, he’d said he was too busy. But what I heard was, You’re not a good fit for a man who’s moving up in the world .
Enter Audrey. When I’d taken the recycling outside, I’d caught them together. Bad timing. Griff had her leaning up against the side of the building, his mouth inches away from her adorable rosebud lips. But it was the expression on his face that had really killed me. It was so…warm. Like something in her eyes fed his soul .
The excuse he’d given me played on repeat in my brain: I’m not in a place in my life where I can make time for a woman . But he had time for cute little Audrey from out of town. He’d never once looked at me the way he’d looked at her tonight .
I’d felt such anger when I’d seen him so happy. I’d wanted to burn my whole life right to the ground. They were probably having fantastic sex right now while I closed down the bar for the millionth time in a row. Afterward, they would probably plan their wedding .
Tonight made me so damn lonely I wanted to punch something. Since I couldn’t do that, I was going to settle for a few hours with Mr. Green Eyes. Dave . He wasn’t my type at all. Coppery hair and a clean-shaven face? I usually liked ’em scruffier. Dave was wearing casual clothes like everyone else in the bar, but somehow he gave off a rich-guy vibe. Maybe it was the luxury watch on his wrist. Maybe it was the small pack of friends he often turned up with—they dropped fifty and hundred dollar bills for their tabs and never drank cheap beer .
I knew I should send him home alone. But I wasn’t going to. I wanted his eyes on me a little longer. And his hands, too. I wanted to feel the way I felt when his eyes traveled over my body .
What did I need from a rich guy from Connecticut or New York? Nothing. Guys like that weren’t interested in the bartender except for easy sex. Which I was about to give him. In return I was getting a night of forgetfulness .
He was pretty nice to look at , too .
I took one last glance around the kitchen, making sure nothing was left out of place. I was stalling, I supposed. A one-night stand was nothing new to me—I’d been having them since high school. But taking a risk on a stranger wasn’t usually part of the bargain .
Hopefully I’d be able to look myself in the eye in the morning. Because I wouldn’t be looking at Hot Ginger. He’d be long gone .
When I reentered the bar area, he was waiting for me, chin in hand. “You okay? You can still kick me out, you know.” He gave me a friendly smile. “I’ll only take it a little bit personally .”
That smile made me remember why I was doing this. Wowzers. I felt a little more alive every time he looked at me. That buzz in my chest wasn’t fear, but anticipation. The man had a seriously hard body that even a polo shirt couldn’t disguise. I hadn’t had a good frolic in months .
I was due. And he was waiting .
“Come on,” I said crankily. Grumpiness came naturally to me. And I’d be damned if I’d let the man see that I was uncomfortable. “ Let’s go .”
A minute later I had the bar locked up tight for the night. I put my key in the other door, the one leading to my upstairs apartment. After letting myself in, I pocketed the key and flipped the lights on over the narrow little staircase. He followed me, and it was odd having company in this cramped space. The first stair creaked as I stepped on it .
This would be the awkward part. He and I both knew what would eventually happen upstairs. But first we had to get past the small talk. I’d offer him a drink. He’d say something kind about my tiny little apartment. I’d try to figure out who was going to make the first move …
Suddenly, a warm hand reached out to curl around my forearm, stopping my progress up the stairs. Then another hand closed firmly around the length of my hair. It might have been terrifying except that warm lips softly kissed the skin at my neck. Goosebumps broke out all down my back .
“Zara, sweetheart .”
“I’m not sweet ,” I said in an almost normal voice, though my heart thudded as his grip tightened on my hair .
He laughed. “Touché. But keep your cute, grumpy ass right here for a second. There’s something I need to say .”
“Then say it .”
A low, growly noise of approval came from somewhere deep in his chest, and I barely managed to contain another shiver of excitement. “You are a feisty one. I like that. I’m going to show you a very good time now,” he whispered. “But if there’s anything I do you don’t like, just say ‘ time out .’”
“Okay,” I rasped, a little scared and a whole lot turned on .
“Say it for me right now. For practice.” He kissed me again on the back of the neck, his tongue touching me so tenderly .
“Time out,” I breathed .
His hands dropped away and he stepped back. Only cool air kissed my neck now. “That’s all you have to do,” he whispered. “I’m not having fun unless you’re having fun .”
“O-kay,” I stammered .
A big hand palmed my ass. “Now get up those stairs so I can get you out of these clothes .”
Well . Small talk must be off the table , then .
Trotting up the stairs and into my darkened one-room living space, I tiptoed over to a lamp beside the bed and switched it on. Two seconds later, he was right there beside me, giving me a nudge until my back hit the closet door. He cupped the side of my face and bent down to kiss my throat. The sound of his happy groan vibrated in my chest. “Fuck, you’re beautiful. Been wanting to taste your skin since the first time I stepped into that damn bar .”
I wasn’t used to hearing compliments and didn’t entirely trust them. But his lips and tongue worshiped my sensitive neck, sending shivers down my body. His breath whispered across my skin as his hot mouth placed yet another kiss on my neck. He gave a gentle suck, and I melted back against the door .
My life choices were starting to seem pretty damned smart. I reached up to cop my first feel of his sculpted pecs, and he chuckled against my skin. “Find something you like? Take my shirt off, beautiful. Do it now .”
Eager to obey, I pushed the cotton fabric up his chest, my palms indulging in every bump and ripple while his smirking eyes watched my progress. The humor in his expression made this easier. His mix of bossiness and amusement put me at ease .
Apparently I was taking too long, because he reached up and opened the button at the collar of his polo, then grabbed the back of his shirt and shucked it over his head. And, wow . He was built. Even his muscles had muscles .
“You must spend a lot of time in the gym .”
“You have no idea. Enough talking, beautiful.” Grasping both my hands, he put them on his warm chest. Then he leaned in and kissed my neck again. And damn . His eager lips and bossy tongue did wonderful things to my mood .
He didn’t kiss my mouth, though. Maybe that was too intimate for a stranger. I hoped he wasn’t lying about being single. Because …
I lost my train of thought when one of his hands tugged my jaw aside so he could kiss the other side of my neck, while his other hand tagged my hip. He yanked me roughly against his body and then groaned as we connected .
The needy sound echoed through my body. I gripped his rock-hard biceps and kissed the skin beneath his ear. He smelled like fresh air and eager man .
And he’d been right. This was exactly what I needed tonight .
Dave slowed down, teasing me with a single touch of his tongue to my ear. His hand squeezed my ass, slow and dirty. And when I inhaled with surprise, that’s when he kissed me for real. His mouth slid over mine, his lips confident and firm. I opened to him immediately, and when his tongue met mine, our heartbeats clicked into sync. As if I’d known him for years .
Finally my critical mind fell silent. Everything went quiet, except for the sweet sounds of lips and tongues. Kissing had always been a language I understood. With deep, dark kisses he drew me in further, until I was pancaked against his incredible chest, panting into his mouth. He tasted me again and again, our kisses bottomless .
I’ve got you now , his body told mine. You can let go . His strong arms held me like a scaffold, not a cage. I leaned into all that strength, and he encouraged me with a happy moan from deep inside his chest .
At some point the room spun around. My back hit the surface of the bed. A second later he was straddling my thighs, looking down at me. “You don’t need this anymore,” he said, tugging my top up to expose my belly. And as I grabbed the fabric and pulled it over my head, he groaned, because I’d been wearing a top with built-in support, and no bra .
Baring my meager bust to someone I didn’t know should have felt weird. But his look of eager joy steadied me. He bent over to begin dropping kisses on the swells of my breasts. I let my hands sift through the soft strands of his autumn-colored hair, and I shivered when his lips closed around my nipple and began to suck .
“You like that, don’t you?” he muttered .
So much . But I didn’t say that out loud. I’d always been a very sexual person—more easily aroused than women were supposed to be. And I’d been teased for it my entire life. Slutty Zara .
But nobody would ever have to know about my adventures tonight .
Dave’s hands and mouth were everywhere at once, tonguing my nipples and tweaking them, kissing the underside of my jaw. “See?” he grunted. “I know what you like .”
No kidding . My hands trailed down his neck to his muscular back. And when he hitched himself a little higher to kiss me again, I moaned as he fit his hips against mine, and I arched to meet him .
Things were escalating fast. I sank into the mattress, submitting to sensation over logic. He tasted of beer and temptation, and those were my two favorite flavors .
Examining his powerful body became my new hobby. His broad shoulders were deliciously freckled. I kissed my way across one of them and bit his neck .
“Naughty girl,” he rasped into my ear. “I have other uses for that mouth of yours .”
“Do you now?” I challenged, my hands sliding down his chest, my fingers sifting through the fine hairs of his chestnut-colored happy trail .
“Unzip me,” he ordered .
With shaking hands, I did. The sound of his zipper opening ratcheted my blood pressure up a notch. It had been far too long since I’d had sex .
“Keep going,” he growled .
I shoved the fabric down, and the boxers, too. An ambitious erection sprang free. He was long and rosy-hued and leaking for me. Whoa . And he was a redhead everywhere. My mouth watered with anticipation .
A big hand palmed the back of my head. He wrapped his hand with my hair, and tugged me toward his body. The grip was firm and steady. “Suck me, honey .”
I did. Immediately and shamelessly. As I took his salty sweetness into my mouth, he was heavy on my tongue .
“Aw, fuck,” he said, his voice raw. “Good girl.” The praise lit me right up. I gave him a good, hard suck and heard his breath hitch. “Jesus.” He put a hand under my chin and stopped me. I looked up with wide eyes to see his pupils blown and his face red. He smiled at me. “Off with those jeans .”
I released him. But I didn’t move fast enough for his taste. He pushed me down on the bed again and reached for my zipper. I wriggled out of my clothes, kicking off the shoes that were still clinging to my feet .
And then I was naked with a perfect stranger named Dave .
“Fuck,” he groaned. “You’re stunning .”
Or just stunned, maybe. Because, holy hell, his body was not to be believed. There was a naked superhero on my bed. Impressive abs led down to the deep V of muscle between his hips. He had powerful thighs, and when I ran a hand over one of them, the wiry hair on his quads tickled my palm .
Impatient, Dave rolled toward me, interrupting my train of thought with another mind-melting kiss. But now his hands free-ranged over my naked body. One callused thumb gripped my hip and then squeezed, showing me just how strong he was. Instead of scaring me, the treatment made me moan into his mouth .
I liked to be manhandled, and somehow he knew that. Or maybe it was just a lucky guess .
We rolled around, kissing, as I tried to kick the last of his clothing off the edge of the mattress. He grabbed his jeans and drew his wallet out of the back pocket .
“I have fresh condoms,” I whispered. “If that one’s been in your wallet for too long …”
“Put it in there today.” He grinned at me. “I had big plans for you .”
Good lord , the ego on this man. “And what if I said no?” I grabbed his chin and held him. We regarded each other for a long moment. He wore a feral expression, but he didn’t shake off my grasp, even though we both knew he could .
“Then you would have missed out,” he rasped. “Now shut up and let me demonstrate .”
Maybe I should have been offended. I’d thrown all my principles to the wind tonight. But none of it mattered as he spread his naked body over mine and kissed me again. He had a bossy tongue and questing hands. His erection was a hot brand against my stomach .
I expected such an overconfident man to move things right along, but that’s not what happened. His brand of cocky was the teasing, torturous kind. Thick fingers eased between my legs, sliding over my clit until I was achy and slick. I was close to climaxing. But when I sucked on his tongue, he moaned and sat up .
The crinkle of the condom packet made me sigh with relief. My limbs fell heavily onto the comforter as I waited, anticipating the main course .
So what did that bastard do? He leaned over me and took my nipple between his lips, rolling it until I wanted to scream .
“D-Dave,” I tried, my hips writhing on the bed. I reached down his body, seeking my prize .
But he batted my hand away. “No you don’t. Not until I say so.” He switched to my other tit, his mouth burning my tender skin with its pleasant torture .
Frustrated, I pushed his head off my boob .
He responded by grabbing my hands and pinning them to the bed. He moved up my body, poised over me, looking down at me from inches away. “Is there a problem here ?”
“ Seriously ?”
“Did you forget the rules? On the stairs, I was very clear about who was in charge tonight .”
I blinked .
“Now when I let go of you, I want you to roll over,” he demanded, not releasing my hands. “On your hands and knees. Got it ?”
My breath came in gasps, but I nodded .
He let go of my hands and I quickly rolled over onto my forearms .
“Up. On all fours .”
“You are such a pain in my ass,” I panted, just to retain my equilibrium .
That’s when the sound of a slap rang out, and my left buttock begin to sting. “ That’s a pain in your ass .”
Did he really just spank me? Stunned, I turned my head to look at him .
He smirked at me, then cupped a hand around his ear. “I still don’t hear you calling a time out. So get over here.” He took my hips in two hands and tugged my body backward. I felt myself slide along the cotton fabric, and the loss of control was startling .
His large palm began to rub the skin he’d just spanked. I felt heat and friction and shock wherever he touched. And when he spoke again, his voice was remarkably gentle. “Don’t worry, beautiful. You’ll get what you need .”
I waited, holding myself up on shaking hands. This was already the strangest sexual encounter of my life. Someday when I was old and gray I’d think back to it and wonder, Did that really happen ?
Behind me, Dave made an achy, needy sound. I trembled as the blunt head of his cock eased between my legs, teasing me. I held my breath and closed my eyes. And then he finally pushed inside, filling me completely. There was a pause, and then he pushed again, adding even more of himself, even as I quivered and threatened to shatter. I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood, but the pain wasn’t sufficient to stave off my first orgasm. I opened my mouth in a silent cry as waves of pleasure overtook me .
I didn’t make a sound, though. There was no need to advertise his power over me .
“Damn.” Dave let out a shuddering breath. “Wow.” He knew, that bastard. He pressed a kiss against my shoulder. “You sexy thing. Aren’t you glad you invited me upstairs ?”
“Getting there,” I lied. Then I filled my lungs with air, trying to calm down a little. Some men thought it was freaky the way my body responded so quickly. “Do you always talk this much when you’re naked?” I asked, just to be a pain .
“No.” He chuckled. “You make me crazy.” Then he thrust even deeper, rocking me forward. I bit my lip again to keep from moaning. “I don’t know why,” he panted. “You just do .”
He gave another slow pump of his hips, and I couldn’t hold back my gasp of pleasure. I let my head fall to the pillow and just took him in. With another chuckle he nudged my ankles even farther apart. I was completely at his mercy .
This was the best I’d felt in months .
“That’s right,” he whispered in my ear. “Just like that.” He gave it to me deep and slow. I pushed my face against my pillowcase and took stock of all the places my body hummed. My overly sensitive nipples were erect and brushing against the sheet. I felt the heavy swing of his balls against my body .
God, it was beautiful. I felt my pleasure building again. All it took was a moment’s concentration—I drew my awareness to the press of his cock inside me. I steadied myself against the bed and let it happen. This time, I didn’t hide it. I moaned softly as my body tightened around his .
“Fuck yeah,” he said, picking up the pace. “So beautiful .”
He pumped his hips a few times then slapped my hip and ordered me to roll onto my back. Drunk on pleasure, I did as he asked .
The view improved. He took both my knees in his hands and pushed inside. I looked up at his incredible body as he put it in high gear. Hips pumping, chest flexing. I squeezed his trim hips with my knees to encourage him .
He looked down at me with lust-filled eyes. “One more, gorgeous. Give me one more.” With a wicked grin he reached down to finger our connection .
I threw my head back and came for the third time .
Roaring with satisfaction, he followed me over the cliff .