9. Chapter Nine
Chapter nine
M elody parked outside the apartment complex she’d watched change as construction crews refurbished the old building. Rumor was someone from out of town bought the building, renovated, then never advertised for renters, though judging by the cars, there were plenty of folks living here.
Now she guessed that Fox must be the out-of-town owner.
Fox had given her the code to enter the building and she admired the clean and spacious lobby area with mailboxes on the right next to a door that had a PACKAGES sign and a lock that required you type in a code. A security camera surveilled the area.
She hit the button on the elevator and the doors immediately opened. She stepped in and hit number 4. She exited on the top floor, turned to the left, and found Fox standing in an open door down the hall in nothing but a pair of low-slung jeans, showing off lots of abs, his wide chest and shoulders, strong arms, and sleepy grin.
“Hey,” he called out softly.
She raised a brow. “How’d you know I was here?” She’d texted him before she left the bar, wondering if he was still up for her coming over tonight, or if he’d fallen asleep and she should just go back to her place. He’d texted back immediately saying, I can’t wait to see you.
“I can monitor the camera feed downstairs from my phone or laptop.”
Of course her tech dude could do that.
She glanced at the door across from his. “Dean’s place.”
“How’d you know?”
“Good guess you’d keep your brother close.”
He hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her close. “How do you do that?”
Her cheek pressed to his bare chest and his heart pounded beneath her ear. Such a reassuring and strong sound. “What did I do?”
“You understand.”
She looked up at him. “I try, because you matter. And I want to know the you that you are now.”
He pulled her into his place, backing up and pushing the door closed.
She glanced around the open living room and kitchen area. “Wow. This place is not what I expected.”
He let her loose and glanced around the place. “You don’t like it?” He punched in a code on the alarm keypad by the door.
“I love it. I wish I had a place like this.” It was spacious and clean and completely updated with white cabinets, black countertops, an island that sat four. Stainless steel appliances and brushed nickel fixtures. Recessed lighting and black pendent lights over the bar. In the living space sat a long black leather sofa, wood coffee and end tables, a black entertainment center with a huge flat-screen TV. On the right she spotted a doorway that led to what looked like an office. On the left a bathroom. And behind her, past the huge pantry cupboards, was a door to his bedroom. “How big is this place?”
“About eighteen hundred square feet. When I renovated the building, I expanded some of the units. Most on this floor for me, Dean, and Max. There’s one smaller unit at the other end we can use for guests, though we haven’t had any. The first three floors are for the teachers and employees for the center. There’s another apartment building a block up where the students stay. Those units are much smaller.”
She tilted her head and studied him. “I know the tech world is lucrative, but…you own all this?”
His lips pressed tight. “Yes.”
She shook her head, then smiled at him. “It’s really impressive what you’ve done to give back.”
His eyes went wide. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She pressed her hand to his cheek and brushed her thumb under his eye. “What were you doing before I got here? Because you look tired.”
“I was working in the office.”
“I guess your company doesn’t run itself.”
“No. And I’ve been away for a while now. I can do a lot remotely, but I’ve got to head back soon for a couple of days.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “Want to come with me?”
“Um. Maybe.” She could probably take a couple of days off. Her siblings would cover for her if she asked, which she hardly ever did. She was usually the one who covered for everybody else.
She brushed a kiss against his lips and trailed her fingers over his amazing abs. Seriously, how did a guy who spent his days coding get abs like that? “But first, you should take me to bed?”
Fox took her by the hips and pulled her close. “I have wanted you for so long. Not sure how long I’m going to last the first time. But I’ll make it up to you the second and third and fourth. Promise.” He took her mouth in a ravenous kiss that heated her blood and made her grab onto his sides so tight her nails bit into his skin.
He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he picked her up and held her close, so he could change the angle of the kiss, his tongue sweeping deep into her mouth, sliding along her tongue. He tasted like chocolate and peanut butter.
“What were you eating?” she asked against his lips.
“Protein bar.” He carried her into the bedroom. Light spilled in from the attached bathroom. “Need it to spend the night making you feel nothing but pleasure.” With that declaration, he leaned over, pulled back the bedcovers, then laid her out on the bed.
She wanted to keep kissing him and holding him, but he slipped from her arms, stood by the bed, grabbed her foot, unzipped her boot, and pulled it and her sock off. He used both hands to massage her foot and she moaned like it was the best thing ever, because damn his hands were magic on her sore foot. She’d been hustling around the bar from table to table for hours. He did the same with her other foot and she lost track of time, closing her eyes and enjoying every second of what he was doing to her.
It wasn’t lost on her that he was taking care of her. She needed it. She often put herself last and pushed herself too hard. It felt nice to let someone do something nice for her for a change. He had her willing and desperate for sex, but he didn’t dive on top of her and take. No. Not Fox. He wanted to make her feel good. He cared.
Tears gathered in her closed eyes and a tear slid free and into her hair on both sides of her face.
Fox’s hands stilled, then he gently set her foot on the bed, and crawled over her, his hips settling between her thighs, and his thumb brushed away the tear on one side of her face. She didn’t open her eyes, she just leaned into the sweet touch.
“What’s wrong?”
She didn’t want him to think he’d done something to upset her. She opened her eyes and found him staring down at her, concern clouding his blue eyes. “You…make me feel so much.”
“Oh, Mel, all I want to do is make you feel how much I want you. More than just as a friend. I want you to be mine.”
She got that by the way he’d let Brian and Josh know tonight that they were together. She liked that he didn’t want any other guy trying to get with her. Because she only wanted to be with him.
He kissed her again and rocked his hips to hers, his hard length brushing against her sensitive folds.
Not enough though. There were too many barriers between them.
She wrapped her arms around his back and held him close as he laid a trail of kisses down her neck, his hand skimming over her chest and covering her breast. He molded it to his palm and brushed his thumb over her aching nipple. She arched her back, pressing into his warm palm. “Fox.” His name came out as a greedy plea.
He slipped his hand under her shirt and pulled it up and over her head. He stared down at her full breasts encased in a fuchsia-colored bra. “Damn.” He kissed the swell of her breast and slid his hand to her back to unhook it, then pulled the barrier away and tossed it off the bed. His gaze blazed down at her.
She wrapped her legs around his hips and rubbed herself against him.
“Fuck that feels good.” He lowered his head and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking and laving as he gripped her hip in one hand and pressed his hard cock to her clit.
Their clothes needed to go. She needed him. Desperately.
“Fox.”
He kissed a trail from one breast to the other and licked her other nipple, then sucked it gently and blew some air over the tightened bud, making her groan.
“Oh, I like that sound.” The deep rumble of his voice sounded like a purr.
“Stop teasing.”
He answered that by licking her nipple again, then taking it into his warm mouth.
Suddenly he was tugging the button free on her jeans and unzipping them. He left her breast to pull her jeans and panties down her legs. They went the way of her bra.
Then he was just staring at her laid out on the bed, naked, wanting him. “I need you.” She ached for him. She wanted to be filled with him. She wanted to make him hers.
Instead of ditching his clothes, he leaned over and kissed her knee, then her thigh, then her hips. His hands settled over her breasts and squeezed as he placed another openmouthed kiss on her belly, then sank lower and licked her pussy from bottom to top, the tip of his tongue flicking against her clit. She rolled her hips and her sex up to his mouth and his tongue sank into her.
“You fucking taste like heaven.” Fox had a dirty mouth during sex.
She liked it. She liked everything he was doing to her. Especially when he sank one finger deep inside her and stroked her.
His gaze shot up to hers. “You are so fucking gorgeous.” He thrust two fingers into her and sucked her clit.
Her eyes rolled back as she moaned his name.
He kept working his fingers in and out of her as his tongue did wicked things to her clit and the tension coiled and she could feel her orgasm building.
“Give it to me.” That guttural order sent her over the edge as wave upon wave of pleasure washed through her. Fox kissed her inner thigh and slowly withdrew his fingers, setting off a round of aftershocks.
He finally ditched his clothes.
The man was glorious naked. Abs and rippling muscles for days. Wide shoulders, lean hips. His big, thick cock stood proud.
Her mouth watered. With her eyes glued to him, she reached up.
“One sec.” He pulled a condom from the nightstand drawer beside her and rolled it on, then settled back between her legs and kissed her like a hungry man. It was all tongue and desperation as the head of his cock nudged her wet, slippery entrance.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in as he plunged deep. He filled her, stretching her sensitive walls, and she let out a sigh and rocked into him, taking him just a bit deeper.
He swore, pulled out, then plunged back in, his breath coming out a sultry groan. “You feel so fucking fantastic, Mel.” He took her mouth again and kept up a slow but steady rhythm as his dick moved in and out of her, his length gliding against her clit each time he sank into her.
She had one arm around his back, her other hand on one ass cheek. He had a really firm ass. Her nails raked his back as he increased the tempo and slammed into her, setting off another orgasm. Her tight core clenched at him as he continued to rock in and out, setting off more aftershocks as he slammed into her one last time, his body tense as his cock pulsed inside her.
She pulled Fox into her arms and he collapsed on top of her, his face in her neck. He pressed his lips to her pounding pulse point, then licked the spot. She held him close and never wanted to let him go.
The quiet settled around them. She didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. Not with him. She heard everything he didn’t say in the way he held her. His body covered hers. His fingers played with her hair. His breathing evened out with a soft moan of pleasure as she stroked his back with her fingertips.
“Will you stay?”
“Someone made promises about doing this two, three, and four times. I intend to collect.”
He raised himself up on his forearms and looked down at her. “No. I mean, will you stay with me?” His parents had hurt him and abandoned him to the system. He had no siblings. His closest friends had become his brothers. God knew how many families had taken him in, then let him go.
As kids, they’d been torn apart, too young to do anything about it.
They weren’t those kids anymore. This time, they’d made the choice to come back together and build a better relationship.
She understood his need to know that she would never walk away.
She cupped his face and looked him in the eye. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He kissed her, the passion banked by a tenderness that melted her heart. “I’ll be right back.” He slipped from the bed and walked naked into the bathroom.
With the light on in there, she got a perfect glimpse of him in all his glory before he disappeared from view to ditch the condom. But he turned off the light and came right back as promised and slid in beside her, pulling her back to his chest and into his arms, then he rolled onto his back with her lying on top of him, one hand over her breast, the other on her belly.
“What are you doing?”
“This,” he whispered in her ear and slid his hand down her stomach and over her mound, where his fingers slid through her soft, wet folds. He stroked her slowly, tenderly, making her legs fall apart and a moan pass her lips. The hand on her breast molded her flesh to his palm as he squeezed her nipple between two fingers.
She rocked her sex against his fingers. He sank one, then two deep, keeping up a slow and steady pull and plunge as his thumb stroked her clit. Pleasure pooled low in her belly. Her clit was so sensitive after the last two orgasms that it only took a few masterful strokes to have her panting and writhing on top of him before she let go and the pleasure pulsed through her.
Fox hugged her close and held her as she relaxed into him, the sense of utter bliss filling her. “You are so beautiful in every way.” He turned to his side so she was lying beside him. He settled in, his face pressed to her hair. He probably thought they’d get some sleep.
She had other ideas for the swelling cock nestled against her ass. This time, she reached for the condom, then turned to him. She nudged him back onto his back and straddled his thighs.
“Baby, I thought you might be tired after your shift.” He was so sweet.
“I’m not done with you quite yet.” She stroked his long, thick length in her fist.
He hissed, then sucked in a ragged breath.
“You like that.”
“I like everything you do to me.”
That got her even hotter. “Good. Because I want you.” She rolled the condom on him, then moved up, brushing her sex along his hard length before she reached between them, placed his dick at her entrance, and sank down on him.
He groaned and clamped his hands on her hips. “Nothing has ever felt like you.” He rocked his hips into her deeper, harder as she rose and plunged back down on him. He pulled her down for a kiss, then left her mouth to suck her nipples as she rocked and rolled her hips over his hard length, the pleasure building in both of them.
Melody rode him fast and hard.
Fox slid his fingers to where they were joined and stroked her clit. She went off like a rocket and his hands clamped onto her hips and held her down on him as his orgasm slammed into him. The pleasure was so intense and pleasurable she let out a soft giggle as she fell on top of him.
He kissed her on the head and wrapped his arms around her. “You fucking blow my mind.”
“Sex has almost always been fun. A release. A moment to feel connected. But with you…”
“What?”
“It’s a whole other level. It’s not good. It’s not great. It’s amazing. Everything I hoped it could be with the right person.”
He was still inside her. She could feel his heart beating against hers. His breathing matched hers. They were in perfect sync. At least, that’s how it felt.
And she’d never felt like this. Like even the thought of losing this, him, would break her heart.
“Melody, look at me.”
She lifted her head and stared at him in the quiet darkness.
“You were my everything when we were kids.” He cupped her face and kissed her softly. “You still are, my sweet Dee.”
He hadn’t called her Dee since they were kids. It brought back so many good memories. Especially when they were in preschool and he could barely say Melody. It always sounded like “Eldy.” After a while, he had just gone with Dee.
She loved having a nickname.
She loved that he gave it to her and was the only one who used it.
“You remember,” he said.
“I never forgot anything about you.”
He kissed her softly, then pulled her back down on him and into his arms. She listened to his breathing even out along with hers as they fell asleep and into sweet dreams for both of them, she hoped, because he was back and they were just getting started on making new happy memories.