Chapter Sixteen #2
“I can’t get enough of you.” He nipped at her neck. “Can’t stay away.”
“Don’t.” She smoothed a hand over his chest, toward the bulge in his pants.
He let out another string of profanities and urged her into the bedroom. “Need you.”
“Take me.”
Before he even pulled down the covers on the bed, Claire began to tug at her clothes. Right now, she hated each garment. She wanted to be nude and pliable in his hands.
Nick whipped off his shirt, but his gaze didn’t leave her body. The desire in his eyes made her feel such power and she rejoiced in it. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her, which was good, because she wanted him to see everything.
He stopped undressing, rapt. Claire stripped, anxious to have him inside her.
Only, as she got down to the final barrier, her flimsy panties, he interrupted her with a word.
“No.”
“No?”
“Leave your panties on. For now.” With that, Nick sat on the bed, planted his feet on the floor and patted his lap.
“You want me to sit on your lap?”
“No, Claire. I want you over my knee.” Lust radiated from him, from the hard glint in his eye to the tendon flexing in his neck.
This was new for them. They hadn’t indulged in this sort of play before, and even though she was in no way opposed, it felt like a big step. She and Arthur had had their kinkier moments, but she’d always been so comfortable with him.
Sometimes, with Nick, she still got the sense that he was an unknown quantity. Part of her wanted to keep him at a distance, but the other part of her wanted to learn all his mysteries.
Friends with benefits. There was nothing that said those friends couldn’t get a little kinky when the occasion called for it.
At the same time, she recognized this called for a different level of trust.
Nick sensed her reticence. “Have I crossed a line?”
“No. Not at all. I told you before I was open-minded. I meant what I said.”
“So you have no issue being spanked, friend?”
God. That word again. When it crossed Nick’s lips, and in that tone, it sounded absolutely filthy. “I like being spanked.”
“Well, then, I guess I’ll have to monitor your behavior. Come here, beautiful.”
Claire’s body responded, moving for her. Moving toward him. She couldn’t stay away, and she couldn’t wait to see what he did, what sorts of boundaries he might explore.
She got on the bed and positioned herself over his lap, so that her core was right over his legs. Bracing herself, her elbows on the mattress, she let her legs dangle on the bed.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous.” Nick’s voice was hoarse. He stroked a hand down her bare back, smoothing it over her ribs and waist. As he neared her butt, he lifted his hand, putting it on her thigh instead.
Claire ground against him, frustrated at the lack of contact with her intimate parts.
His hand remained firm on the back of her thigh. “Hold still.”
But she couldn’t. Her sex throbbed and she was so needy. The mere suggestion that he wanted her over his knee had already put her over the edge, and now she just wanted him to touch her there.
“I said, hold still, Claire.”
Petulant, she writhed. He was clearly trying to tease her, and she needed release.
When his hand came down on her ass, she let out a cry of exultation. “Yes!”
As she absorbed the sting, her juices dampened her seam.
“Are you going to be a good girl now?”
She grunted.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Do I want to be good?”
His chuckle was laced with velvety threats. “I see what you’re doing, you know. You liked that little slap, and now you want another one. My dirty girl might have to wait.”
She fisted the sheets, determined to play it cool, even though she knew she was already at a loss here.
Nick saw through her, far too easily at times. How had he known she would appreciate some rough play? Was it that obvious? He was so in tune with her body.
Then again, maybe he just wanted to get her back for daring to suggest they have a strictly sexual fling.
“You have such a juicy ass.” He palmed one of the globes, toying with the elastic of her panties.
With aching slowness, he traced the lines.
“I’m been dreaming about doing this. From the moment I had you under my roof, I wanted to explore your body.
Every freckle, every mole, every goddamn pore. I want to see it all.”
“Nick, please.”
But he didn’t show her mercy. He just kept tracing the line of her panties, up to her hips and over each butt cheek, never touching her where she wanted. It might have been minutes since he’d started caressing her, but it felt more like hours. He seemed determined to torture her.
What about her benefits? She wanted her darn benefits.
Just as she thought she might die of deprivation, he eased the top of her panties down. Little by little, he drew them over her ass, exposing only a centimeter of skin at a time.
“Did you know you have three little freckles on your right cheek?”
“No. I can’t exactly see them.”
“I can.” He continued to tug at her panties until he had exposed three-quarters of her cheeks. He tweaked her flesh. “Right here. Three of them. If you drew a line between them, they’d make a triangle.”
“Equilateral or isosceles?”
“More scalene, I’d say. If you connected them, the sides would all be different lengths.”
As she pondered their strange sexual math lesson, he adjusted her panties so that they hung just above the tops of her thighs. Her entire ass was exposed now. Her underwear might as well not even be there at all, for all the coverage it currently gave her.
“Are you going to finally take them off?” she asked.
“Not yet. There’s something very sexy about this picture. You, over my knee, your panties practically hanging off your body. I need to memorize this image.”
He continued to play with her behind, kneading and plumping. It would be so easy for him to slip a finger between her legs and give her satisfaction, but he seemed insistent on delaying her orgasm.
Claire knew it would only come harder when he eventually took pity on her.
Over and over, he massaged her skin. If it had been any other part of her body, she might even have relaxed. But because his hand kept dipping so close to her core, she remained on guard. Her wetness must be all over his shorts now. She could feel it between her thighs.
“Do you want me to beg?”
“You want me to touch your pussy, Claire?”
“Yes.”
One finger came perilously close. “This pretty pussy?”
“Yes. Please.”
“You don’t need to beg, gorgeous.” Nick snaked his finger lower, teasing her entrance. Her skin throbbed with want. Moaning, Claire pushed back against his hand, yearning for penetration. Just then, she would have gladly cut off her right arm to have him inside her.
He finally showed her a modicum of mercy. He inserted a finger, pressing into her with a steady rhythm, but avoided her clit altogether.
“Oh God,” she cried.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are right now? You’re driving me wild.”
He hadn’t even taken his shorts and boxers off yet, but his cock moved below her. All she wanted right now was to have that strength between her legs. “Nick, I can’t take any more.”
“But you will.”
He finger-fucked her as if it was his one goal in life. Claire couldn’t even believe the animal noises that emanated from her throat. She needed to come, would die if she didn’t. She was convinced of it.
“Tell me what you want,” said Nick.
“I…” She couldn’t even articulate it.
Another stinging slap brought her fully into awareness.
“Tell me.”
“I want you to fuck me.”
“Hmm. I’ll be sure to consider your request.”
She moaned like a child who’d just dropped her lollypop onto an anthill.
Nick yanked her panties off her legs and tossed them into a corner of the room. He moved her off him and stood.
When he started removing the last of his clothes, Claire almost jumped for joy. She needed him naked yesterday.
When he finished undressing, he beckoned to her with a finger. His erection was formidable and far too intriguing. She crawled toward him, famished for a taste.
“Take it, my dirty girl.”
She stroked his length, loving the feel of him in her hand, before she took him in her mouth. Nick let his head fall back, cursing, as if he’d never been touched before. He tangled his hand in her hair, in an assertive caress, and tugged.
Yes! She loved that, loved his feral energy and his power.
“God, Claire.” He clenched his butt. “Holy shit, that feels so good.”
She released him. “And to think you denied me the same pleasure.”
“Oh, you think you’ve been denied, huh?” He made her lie back on the bed. He loomed over her and kissed her deeply. He ran his thumb over her lip, considering her face. “I would never deny you anything. You must know that.”
In that frenzied moment, she did.
In her heart of hearts, she believed Nick would move mountains to bring her pleasure. But there was more to it. She knew he would always cheer her on, that he would always be honest with her, and that he would fight to keep her safe.
The knowledge scorched her, like a hot poker to the skin.
“I will always do whatever it takes to make you come, sweetheart.” When he touched her clit, she almost went off like a firecracker. “So soft, so wet.”
“Please, Nick. No more teasing, no more foreplay.”
“Your wish is my command.” With a devilish smile, he buried his face between her legs.
He touched her as if he’d never seen skin before, or felt heat on his face. Each kiss, each nibble, made her feel cherished. She swiveled her hips, wanting him closer, deeper.
It didn’t take long. Her legs began to shake and her hands found purchase in his hair. A whirlwind of mad energy cycled inside her, ravaging every limb. Nick sucked and feasted, dragging his fingernails over her ass. She cried out his name, and he whispered hers against her skin.
It was almost too much.
Too much pleasure, too much wonder.
Too much wanting.
God, how she wanted him.
Only as her orgasm started to wane did he move. He produced a condom from the bedside table drawer and quickly rolled it on.
Carried away on a wave of strange emotion, Claire could only lie limp. His face tight with passion, Nick dragged her closer and moved between her thighs.
“I’ve got you, my Claire,” he murmured.
My Claire.
She could barely ponder the meaning behind the words before he quietly cursed.
His erection had lost some of its oomph and he was stroking it to bring it back to life.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“Are you okay?”
There were so many conflicting emotions in his eyes, but the one that hit home was his vehement desire. That, and something that looked an awful lot like fear.
“I, um,” he said, still stroking, “I’m just in my head a little bit.”
“Want to talk it out?”
“No.”
That hurt more than she would have expected. “Okay. Take your time. Try going to your happy place.”
His half smile almost shattered what was left of her walls. “That’s easy. You’re right here.”
Her eyes stung but she blinked until the sensation disappeared.
As for Nick, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He continued to touch himself and Claire watched, rapt. He was so goddamn beautiful, and to know he was comfortable enough to share this experience almost winded her.
It wasn’t long before his dick was gloriously erect. Claire wanted to cheer, but figured it might not be appropriate.
His jaw tight, he drove inside her.
Caressing the length of his strong back, she held him close. How was it that she could never seem to get close enough?
It hardly mattered. She’d held on to Arthur too, but he’d been taken from her.
So she held Nick with greater ferocity, digging her nails into his back.
“Aw, fuck. So good.”
“Yes,” she encouraged him. “So very good.”
“Look at me.”
She held back. She’d seen enough emotion in his eyes. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more. It was hard enough being witness to him transforming into a raw thing of beauty. He penetrated her, and not just physically.
“Claire, look at me.”
So she did.
What she saw almost broke her down completely. The ferocity in the lines of his face. The tenderness in his eyes. His brow was furrowed and full of confusion.
Just like whatever emotion currently rode her heart.
This wasn’t just a hookup between friends. Something else was happening here, had been happening, whether she was willing to face it or not.
And Nick knew it too.
She needed to get them back on track.
No emotions—they’d promised it to each other.
Just pure physicality.
“Fuck me, Nick. Fuck me hard.”
He pounded her to the point of delirium. Caught up in his own orgasm, Nick let out a series of grunts. A few more thrusts, and they were there, tumbling. She hadn’t even realized she’d climbed so high until she was falling.
He ground against her with his final thrust, trembling from the impact. When he collapsed, neither of them said anything for a while. She just lazily stroked circle patterns on his lower back, wishing they could stay like that forever.
He finally moved and she sighed as their bodies lost contact. After bestowing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he went to the bathroom to get rid of the condom.
Claire rolled over to face the bathroom door, unwilling to lose sight of him for one minute. Would he see the need etched into her face? She hoped not, because she was in no position to school her features right now.
Not after that.
His face had changed too. When he walked out of the bathroom, all the wildness had disappeared from his eyes. In its place was awe, shocking in its clarity.
Claire’s bottom lip wobbled, but she bit it back.
She’d thought she could keep her emotions at bay.
She’d been wrong.