Chapter 17
“Lift your hips, Zoe,” Trevor said softly.
Gripping the comforter, Zoe did just that as she worried her bottom lip. She could not believe she was doing this. Well, not the sex part. She’d always liked sex and she’d really missed it. It was one of those things she’d hoped to do again, soon, really soon.
What she couldn’t believe was that her gorgeous landlord, a man totally drool-worthy, was turned on by her. She shouldn’t even be a blip on his radar. Where he was hot and incredibly handsome, she was, well...
She was not. Good looking, that is. She knew that she wasn’t ugly, but she also knew that most people wouldn’t rate her above a five and that was being generous.
She was plain-looking and still overweight.
Even to attract a guy, she hadn’t been able to make herself go through with the makeover the lady at the makeup counter offered her.
She just wasn’t a girly girl and probably never would be.
Although her new clothes and undergarments made her feel more feminine, she would never be one of those women that made guys trip over themselves to get to her or even someone like Haley, who seemed to make every guy smile and fall all over themselves to make happy.
She was just average with absolutely nothing special about her.
She’d accepted that fact a long time ago and was even fine with it.
One day when she had her act together, she’d find a nice, average guy and live in an average home and lead an average life.
In all honesty, it was something for a girl like her to aspire to.
After her childhood and the last few years, an average life with an average guy sounded like a fairytale.
But for right now, she was going to enjoy having this incredibly handsome man in her bed for as long as his moment of insanity lasted.
She knew that one day he’d come to his senses and go find a woman in his league and once again forget that she even existed.
Until then, she was going to enjoy every minute with him.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” Trevor asked in a husky voice as he placed the pillow beneath her stomach and gently encouraged her to lie back down.
Was she ready?
Was he kidding?
“Five years, Trevor. Five long years,” Zoe stressed, licking her lips in anticipation.
He chuckled softly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
She was about to open her mouth and demand that he get on with it when she felt him press a kiss against her left cheek. A moan may have escaped her. She’d never had a man pay so much attention to her bottom before and she was surprised to discover just how much she liked it.
He pressed a kiss to the right cheek before she felt him move over her and his erection slid between her cheeks.
“Oh, God,” she choked out as he gripped her hip and ground himself against her. Even though all of his attention right now was on her bottom, it was a different part of her that ached and throbbed in reaction.
“Ready?” he whispered next to her ear.
Unable to talk at this point, she nodded.
“Here we go,” Trevor said softly, pulling away. Seconds later, he was positioned between her legs. “Nice and slow,” he promised her as he pushed the large tip of his erection inside her.
“We’re going to take this nice and slow,” he said tightly to her or himself, she wasn’t sure at the moment. All she knew was that nothing had ever felt as good as Trevor Bradford sliding inside her.
She wanted to thrust back, but his weight on top of her stopped her from doing anything more than lay there. It was pure hell lying there and needing him so damn badly. He was barely halfway inside of her when he pulled out and slid back inside.
“Nice and slow,” Trevor said through what sounded like clenched teeth as he continued his agonizingly slow pace that was killing her.
At this point, she couldn’t even find the words to beg him to move faster and she desperately wanted him to move faster. He felt so good, so incredibly good.
“You feel so damn good, baby,” he said, turning her on more than she ever thought was humanly possible. She knew that he didn’t really mean the endearment, but right now, she allowed herself to enjoy the way it made her feel.
“I could stay in you forever,” Trevor said, groaning as he pressed hot wet kisses against the back of her neck as he slowly thrust inside her.
She’d never made love to a man in this position before, but there was something about having a man lying on top of her, taking her from behind and not being able to move that was intensely erotic.
“Do you like this?” he asked, pressing a kiss against the corner of her mouth.
“Yes,” she said, tilting her head back so that she could kiss him. The kiss started off slow, but soon turned hungry as Trevor slid his hands over her arms until their hands met and their fingers entwined.
His slow pace started to become a little less controlled and a little more frantic as his thrusts became harder and quicker. One minute, she was kissing him and loving the way he made her feel and the next, she was crying out her release.
She barely heard Trevor when he muttered tightly, “Next time, damn it. I’ll make it good next time.” Before she could register his words, he was slamming into her from behind and she loved every single second of it.
Before her five-year stint, she’d had a few lovers.
They were attentive and she’d guess they were good lovers since they always made sure that she found her moment, but they’d never made her feel like they were desperate for her or that they couldn’t get enough of her.
They’d certainly never lost control like Trevor was currently doing.
“So, fucking good,” Trevor gasped, igniting the fire once again inside her. It wasn’t long before he had her screaming again as her body burst apart on an orgasm so intense that it left her gasping for air as little black spots danced around her vision.
Trevor’s deep groan of satisfaction had her biting back a pleased little smile.
She knew that she hadn’t done much, but it was still satisfying to know that a man like Trevor had enjoyed being with her and clearly, he had.
There was no way that she could have misread his enjoyment.
She wondered if this was the best sex he’d ever had as well.
“Thanks,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head as he pulled out and climbed off the bed.
That was it? Thanks? After the mind-blowing sex they’d just had? Granted, she hadn’t had sex in five years and a thirty-second romp in the hay probably would have earned an eight by default on her Richter scale, but still...
She thought she’d deserved something a little more than a “Thanks” like she’d just handed him the remote or something. It wasn’t as if she was expecting his undying love or something, she wasn’t an idiot after all, but something with feeling would have been-
“That was great,” he said as he gave her bottom a little rub and a pat.
Well, that was something, Zoe supposed as she blew a strand of hair out of her face. The great part was true, at least, she thought with a sniff as she heard him moving around in her bathroom.
At least she didn’t have to figure out a polite way to get him to leave.
In the past, she’d had a few boyfriends that she’d cuddled with and spent the night with, but Trevor wasn’t a boyfriend and never would be.
Not only was there no way in hell that he’d date someone like her, have sex with her?
apparently and shockingly, yes, but men like Trevor didn’t settle on plump, plain nobodies like her.
This was just going to be sex, mind-blowing, life-altering sex, but sex nonetheless, and she was going to make damn sure she remembered that.
Besides, he’d never really treated her like she was anything special, so she didn’t foresee herself doing anything stupid like falling in love with him.
He sure as hell wasn’t going to fall in love with her.
Just the thought of Trevor dropping to his knees and professing his undying love for her had her laughing softly.
As long as they both remembered that this was an arrangement and nothing more, then there shouldn’t be any problems. She rolled over, deciding that she could use a long, hot soak in the tub before she took Toby out for his last walk for the night and went to bed.
“Where are you going?” Trevor suddenly asked, drawing her attention to the bathroom door where he stood naked and hard, she noted with surprise. “Get your ass back on the bed, Zoe. We’re not done,” he ordered softly as he ripped open a condom and slid it on.
“We’re not?” she asked, unable to hide her surprise.
Shrugging lazily, he shook his head. “We need to catch you up,” Trevor explained as he walked back over to the bed, running his hand lazily over his condom-covered erection and making it really difficult for Zoe to think at the moment.
“Catch me up?” she repeated numbly as she wondered how he got that thing back up.
A few of the men she’d dated in the past had been able to go at it a second time, but that was much later and after a nap or a long break.
The thing between Trevor’s legs looked really angry as if it had been denied its own moment, making Zoe wonder if maybe it had.
Could men fake orgasms? she wondered even as Trevor climbed on the bed.
He settled between her legs and gently pushed her until she was lying on her back.
“Mmmhmm,” Trevor said absently, positioning himself between her legs, but not quite entering her yet. “Yes,” he said on a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to keep having incredible sex until we’ve made up your five-year dry spell.”
“And, um,” Zoe said, feeling her lips twitch with amusement, “you’re willing to suffer through having great sex with me to do that, huh?” She couldn’t help but feel pleased to discover that he’d enjoyed himself as much as she had. It did amazing things for her self-esteem.
“I said incredible sex,” he corrected her, sounding put out, “but yes, I’m willing to make that sacrifice because that’s just the kind of guy I am.”
“That’s, um,” Zoe said, choking back a laugh as he wiggled his eyebrows playfully, pleasing her immensely since he wasn’t normally playful, “very generous of you.”
“I know,” Trevor said, sighing as he sank into her, making her hiss in a breath of surprise.
“That’s just the kind of guy I am,” he said, sounding completely serious.
She couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing and couldn’t stop until he gave her a very delicious diversion, and then, for a good while after that, she couldn’t stop screaming.
“I’m going now, Zoe,” Trevor said quietly, ducking out of the way and laughing when Zoe went to swat him away.
“Stop touching me, you pervert. I’m tired,” she grumbled crabbily, but he noted the very pleased expression on her face that probably matched his own.
Of course, that was why he was waking the poor thing up at three in the morning after the seven-hour marathon of mind-blowing sex they’d just had. He had to make sure that they were on the same page here. This was sex, fucking incredible sex, but nothing more.
Before he left, he needed to make sure that she knew that there would never be anything else between them.
This was an arrangement, nothing more. As long as she remembered that, and please God, let her remember that so they could continue with this.
If she started acting like she thought this was more than it was, he’d be forced to cut his losses and end this.
Well, maybe after he slept with her one more time, just to get it out of their systems. He’d be an asshole not to have sex with her again, Trevor decided.
He was just so damn giving sometimes...
“I’m going,” Trevor said, brushing a strand of hair off her bare shoulder before he pressed a kiss against it because he simply couldn’t be near her and not touch her.
She groaned about something as she rolled over away from him, baring one large pale breast and rose-pink nipple that had him licking his lips and his poor dick whimpering.
He forced himself to step back, knowing that there would be a tomorrow, hopefully.
Besides, they ran out of condoms a half hour ago and he never took chances.
“Are you okay if I leave?” Trevor asked, waiting for her to start whining and pouting for him to stay.
Then, it would be over. Well, after he got his hands on another pack of condoms and sated himself between her legs for a few more hours, it would be over.
Still, if she became clingy it was the sign that Zoe truly didn’t understand their arrangement.
“Why are you still here?” Zoe mumbled, sounding close to tears. “I’m so tired and if you touch me one more time, I’m going to kick your ass,” she promised, well mumbled really against her pillow as she buried her face in it, making Trevor smile.
Oh, yeah, she understood all right and unlike Haley, he had a feeling that Zoe knew exactly how to take a man down, so he took it as his cue to haul ass.
“Fine, I’m out of here, grouchy,” he said, smiling as he leaned over and pressed a loud kiss against her lips just to piss her off.
She whimpered pathetically as she pulled the pillow over her head. “Bastard.”
“Don’t forget that you have to get up in three hours to make my lunch,” he said cheerfully, knowing that it would just piss her off more. For some reason, he was really enjoying himself, probably more than he ever had with any other woman, which he decided was just post-sex euphoria.
“Jerk,” he thought she said, making him chuckle as he left her bedroom.
He couldn’t help smiling as he jogged down Zoe’s stairs to the living room where he found Toby, they really needed to do something about that name, sitting by the door holding that damn teddy bear leash in his mouth.
“You’re killing me here, buddy,” Trevor said, taking the leash out of the dog’s mouth and exchanging it for the black leather one he’d purchased, and he noted the dog could have easily reached as well but apparently preferred the damn sissy one.
“You and I are going to have ourselves a talk, man-to-man,” Trevor said, clipping the leash to the black leather collar he’d switched out late last night after he’d helped Zoe into bed when the woman could barely see straight.
“Let’s go,” he said, fighting the urge to look back at the stairs one last time and winning.
This was just an arrangement, a brilliant arrangement, but an arrangement, nevertheless.