Can We Try? (Everlasting Ink #5)

Prologue

Lachlan

Two by two, my best friends and their wives head up to bed. The fire is still roaring in the fireplace, giving off not only warmth but a comforting glow. Maggie and I remain on the loveseat with her feet in my lap, and I’m too damn comfortable to move.

“Are you going to bed on me too?” Maggie asks. Her voice slurs just slightly from the alcohol we’ve all consumed tonight.

“Nah, not yet.” Not only am I relaxed, but I’m enjoying her company. “This has been a good trip, getting away and just hanging out with everyone.”

“It has been. Who knew the men of Everlasting Ink were really just big, old snuggly bears.”

“Hey, we’re not all snugly bears,” I counter.

“Are you trying to tell me that you don’t like to snuggle?”

I shrug. “I don’t usually stick around long enough to find out.”

“Lachlan!” Maggie scolds me playfully.

“Would you rather I lie to you?” I ask, holding in my laughter. “I’ve never had someone in my life who I wanted to spend time with. The women who come on to me in bars want the bad boy. They don’t care about anything but hooking up with the guy covered in ink, who puts it down on people’s skin for a living.”

“That’s sad,” Maggie says softly.

“It is what it is.” You can’t miss what you’ve never had, right?

“Don’t you want more?” she asks.

I give myself some time to mull over her question before answering. “Maybe. Watching the guys with their wives, yeah, I can see the appeal, but I don’t know. It might happen for me and it might not.”

“You have to manifest it.” She grins. “And maybe get some practice.”

“Practice?” I huff out a laugh. “Trust me, Mags. I’m good.” I wink at her, and I like the slight blush that coats her cheeks.

“Not that.” She rolls her big blue eyes that remind me of a cloudless sky. “Snuggling.”

“I get plenty of snuggle time with the kids.” I know that’s not what she’s referring to, but that’s the extent of my snuggle sessions these days. Hell, ever.

“It’s different,” Maggie insists.

“So what you’re telling me is that you’re clingy after sex?” I watch as the slight blush turns to a bright red coasting across her cheeks.

“No. I mean, yes, I like the intimacy of it. I think cuddling can sometimes feel more intimate than sex. That’s precisely why my ex hated it. He was a closed off, narcissistic asshole.”

“Fuck him,” I say, feeling the words as they wrap around my being. “You deserve better.” A protective feeling washes over me.

“Yeah,” she agrees softly. “It took me some time to believe that, after all the shit he put into my head. Sometimes, I still struggle with believing it.”

“What did he do?” There is a demand to my voice that even I don’t recognize. I try to mask it by picking up her foot that’s resting on my lap, and start to massage.

“Oh, that’s… heavenly.”

I chuckle. “Good. I’ll keep going and you tell me what the fuck off of an ex said to you.”

“You know, I’m a nurse, right? And that I spend hours on my feet. If talking is all it takes for you to keep up with that, then you better settle in.”

I grin. I love her sass. “Good to know. But if you don’t say the words I want to hear, this stops,” I say, digging into the arch of her foot. She moans, a deep throaty sound that has my cock twitching in my sweatpants. I only hope she tones it down, because I can’t hide what that sound does to me in these. I’m a man, after all, and Maggie, well, she’s beautiful. It’s a natural reaction.

“Eric was sweet at first. He said and did all the right things. Until he didn’t. It started slow. He’d ask me if the outfit I was wearing was really what I wanted to wear. Then we’d be at dinner and I’d order a steak and he’d ask me if a salad might be better. Little by little he tore me down, and I know you don’t have to tell me that I’m the fool that let him.”

“Did you love him?” I don’t know why I ask, but I can’t take the words back now.

“I thought I did at the time, but once I was away from him, and I could see the abuse for what it was, I knew it wasn’t love. I think maybe I was in love with the idea of him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanted to be wanted. I wanted that one person who was all mine. I wanted someone to look at me the way those guys upstairs look at my friends.”

“You deserve that,” I tell her, leaning a little closer than before.

She rests her hand on my arm. “Thanks, Lachlan. It would also help for him to want me… like, really want me,” she says.

“You said you wanted to be wanted,” I remind her.

“I did, and I do. But I just want someone who wants to spend their time with me. It would also be nice if they wanted to be inside me just as badly.” She slaps her hands over her face. “Forget I said that. Why am I spilling all of this to you?”

Abandoning her foot massage, I move in even closer and pull her hands from her face. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” I assure her.

“Having your boyfriend tell you that he no longer finds you desirable and that’s why he had to get his rocks off somewhere else, that destroys a girl’s ego, you know?”

“He’s a moron,” I spit out. “Maggie, look at me.” She lifts her head from where she’s been staring down at her lap. “He lied. You’re beautiful, and any man would be damn lucky to have you in his bed.”

She stares at me as if she’s trying to decide if my words are sincere. They are. She’s not going to find any deceit. Maggie is a fucking knockout with blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and a body I’d like to wrap myself around. She’s also an amazing person. She’s been there for Emerson, Monroe, Briar, and Brogan. She’s great with the kids, she’s a hard worker, and I’ve seen her in her scrubs.

Sexy as fuck.

“Would you?” she asks, her voice soft.

It takes me a minute to understand what she’s asking. “Yes.” I swallow hard. My cock thinks that her question is an invitation, and I’m hard as stone. I shift to try to hide the evidence of my arousal, but her eyes drop to my crotch, and when she licks her lips, I can’t stop the moan that falls from my lips.

“Mags, you can’t look at me like that,” I warn her.

“Like what?” she asks innocently.

“Like you want to find out what it’s like to be in my bed.”

Her eyes find mine. “What if I do?”

“Aren’t you worried that’s going to complicate things?”

“We’re both adults, right? I know the score, Lachlan. This is a one-time thing.”

“So, when we wake up in the morning, you’re going to pretend like this never happened? That you didn’t spend the night riding my cock? Because I promise you, it’s going to be all night. If we’re doing this, I’m getting my fill of you.”

“Is that supposed to scare me away?” she asks with a small laugh. “Lachlan, it’s been years since I’ve felt a man’s hands on me. His body hovering over mine. Hell, I haven’t kissed a guy since breaking things off with Eric.”

“How long?” My voice is gruff as desire courses through me.

“Years.” I stare at her, and she gives me what I want. “Since I graduated from college three years ago. He missed my graduation, and I went to his place worried about him, only to find him on the couch, with some random woman, both of them naked as the day they were born, exploring each other’s bodies. Something he hadn’t done with me in months. So, yeah, three years, probably more like four. I can’t remember exactly. I just know it’s been a long damn time.”

I take a minute to process what she’s said. “No dates since then?”

“Yeah, but none that I wanted more from. Part of that is my issue. I just… don’t want to go through that again, so my trust of men is tainted.”

“But you trust me?”

“Yeah, I mean, I know you. I know you’re a good man, and I know you won’t expect anything else from me other than a hot night between the sheets. That’s your thing, and for once, just this once, I want it to be my thing too. Maybe it’s because I’ve been surrounded by loved-up couples all weekend, and maybe it’s the gentle massage you were giving me, but whatever the reason, I want to do this with you.”

I stare at her big blue eyes, trying to find a chink in her armor, that she doesn’t really mean what she’s saying, but all I find is desire and absolute honesty, which appears laced with the pain of what that asshole did to her and how he made her feel.

“Lachlan?”

I don’t say a word as I stand and offer her my hand. She grins widely, placing her palm in mine before she leads me to my room. I chose the sole basement bedroom because I didn’t want to have to hear my buddies making babies or practicing with their wives all night long. It turns out that was a smart move on my part, because I meant what I said. If I get to have it, it’s going to be all night long.

I try not to notice how perfect her delicate hand feels in mine as I turn off all the lights and turn off the gas fireplace as we head toward my room in the basement. With each step that carries us closer, my heart rate kicks up. The anticipation is as thick as the chemistry that’s flowing between us.

I didn’t see this night turning out with me buried between Maggie’s thighs, but I’m also not one to kick a gift horse in the mouth. Maggie knows what this is; hell, she basically laid out the terms, and as she said, I don’t know if it’s because I had my hands on her or the fact that our friends are upstairs doing this very thing. Hell, maybe it’s the forbidden aspect. Our lives are tangled together; so much so, that I should tell her that I’ve changed my mind, but that’s not going to happen. I’ve always been one to trust my gut, and my gut is telling me that this night with Maggie will be one I’ll forever remember, and when she tells me it won’t be weird, I believe her.

Pushing through my bedroom door, I flip on the light—a lamp that gives off a soft glow—and lead her into the room. I close the door softly and engage the lock. Dropping her hand, I grip her hips and turn her so that her back is against the door. I push her up against it and stare down into her bright blue eyes.

“You sure about this, Maggie?” I don’t want to give her an out, but what kind of asshole would I be if I didn’t?

“Shut up and kiss me.”

I grin. “Yes, ma’am.” Sliding my hand behind her neck and beneath her long blonde hair, I guide her lips to mine. I mean for the kiss to be slow, to ease us both into this, but when Maggie buries her hands in my hair and tugs, all bets are off. I kiss her harder, nipping at her bottom lip, and she opens for me, allowing my tongue to explore her mouth, to get a thorough first taste of her.

She tugs again, and my cock throbs in response. “Hold on.” My words are the only warning she gets before I bend, grip the backs of her thighs, and lift her into my arms. My lips mold with hers as I blindly carry her to the bed. As soon as my knees hit the mattress, I toss her gently on the bed. Her laughter rings out in the quiet room, and it sounds like music to my ears.

I pause, just staring at the beauty laid out before me. Have I ever said a woman’s laugh sounded like music? Damn, the guys and their mushy shit they have for their wives are in my head. There’s been far too much coupled-up love since we’ve been here. That has to be what that thought was about. Shaking out of my head, I focus back on Maggie.

“I’m going to need you naked, Mags.”

“Race you?” she says, scrambling to her knees.

I stand back and watch as she rips her sweatshirt over her head and tosses it behind her before reaching around her back and unclasping her bra. That too gets tossed, and my eyes zero in on her tits. Damn, they look like the perfect handful, and those dark pink nipples of hers have my mouth watering for a taste. I lean in to do just that, but her hand to my chest and more laughter stops me.

“I’m going to need you naked, Lach.” She smirks, tossing my words back at me.

“That’s right; this was supposed to be a race,” I muse as I pull my sweatshirt over my head and drop it to the floor. My hands slip beneath the waistband of my sweats, and I tug them over my thighs.

“No underwear?” she asks.

I shrug. “We were in for the night.” I nod to her bottom half. “Looks like I won.” I wag my eyebrows.

Maggie just grins and moves to sit on her butt, leaning back on her elbows. She lifts her hips. “I think I need your help.”

I shake my head, because I’m once again grinning. Have I ever had this much fun during sex? I try to think back to a time, and the answer is a resounding no. Maybe it’s because we know each other so well or because we know we’re both on the same page. I’m not worried about Maggie trying to convince me she’s the one for me. This is pleasure between two consenting adults.

Leaning over her, I press a kiss to her lips, ignoring her tits that are begging for my mouth. Grabbing on to the waistband of her leggings, I tug those, as well as her panties, down at the same time. She lifts her hips, allowing me to pull them over her ass and down her thighs. I yank until they’re off and on the floor with the rest of our clothing.

Maggie turns and crawls up the bed, giving me the perfect view of her round ass and her pussy that’s already glistening for me. My hand goes to my cock, and I squeeze before stroking myself a few times while her eyes track my movements.

“Want some help with that?” she asks, licking her lips.

“Not yet,” I tell her. “If you touch me now, this is going to end before it starts.”

“What? The great Lachlan Noble is a two-minute man?” she teases. There’s a happy glint in her eyes.

“It’s been a while for me too, and you’re a fucking knockout, Maggie. A man can only resist so much.”

“How long?” She tilts her head to the side, her blonde hair splaying over my pillow. She looks like a goddess.

“Over a year.”

“What?” She rises, resting her weight on her elbows. “Really?”

I nod. “I’m picky.”

“So, we both really did need this.”

“Yeah,” I agree.

“What are you waiting for?” She eases back on the pillow. She looks perfect, and I can’t help but imagine her in my bed at home.

“Just admiring the view.”

“You about done admiring? I’m lonely here.”

Again, I chuckle, knowing my grin matches the one she’s wearing. “Spread those thighs, Mags.”

“Oh.” Her mouth falls open. “You don’t have to… do that,” she says. “I know guys don’t really like that. Well, some don’t.”

“I want his full name and last known address because I want to kick the shit out of him. Real men eat pussy, Maggie.” I slap my hand over my chest. “That’s me. I’m going to devour you, and I’m going to love every single taste, and every moan that falls from those plump pink lips while I do it.”

She swallows hard, and I imagine my lips pressed to her neck, feeling the action against my lips and tongue. Climbing on the bed, I nod toward her thighs. “Open for me, Mags.” A shy look crosses her face, but slowly, she parts her legs. I keep my eyes on hers when I say, “Pull my hair, ride my face, take what you need, because I’m not coming up for air until you’ve soaked my face. Understood?”

Her face is a beautiful shade of pink, but she nods. Good enough for me. I settle on my belly, slide my arms beneath her legs, and place my hands on her ass, pulling her pussy to my mouth. I don’t start slow, and I don’t take my time. I do exactly as I told her I would and devour her. Her taste explodes on my tongue, and my hunger for her intensifies. I suck on her clit, while exploring her with my tongue.

“Lach—” she starts, and then her hands are buried in my hair.

I lift my head just slightly. “Good girl,” I praise, and go back to my meal. Her hips lift off the bed as if she’s seeking more, and who am I not to give her exactly what she needs? Moving my arms from under her legs, I press one hand flat on her belly to hold her still. With the other, I slide one finger inside her, and the moan that I’m gifted with lights a fire inside my soul. I thrust toward the mattress, needing friction. I need to get her there, because my cock is weeping.

As I add another finger, I keep working her clit with my tongue, and it doesn’t take long for her to call out my name.

Best. Fucking. Sound.

I don’t let up until her body slumps to the bed. Only then do I remove my fingers and lift my head to smile at her. I wipe my face with the back of my hand and slowly kiss my way up to her. I stop on my travels to taste those perfectly pert nipples, giving both of them equal amounts of my attention until I finally reach her lips.

“Hey,” I say, kissing her lightly.

“Hi.”

“You still with me?” I smirk.

“Definitely.”

“Good.” I kiss her again, because her lips are soft and inviting, and I like kissing her. Not that I need an excuse. Not right now. Quickly, I climb off the bed and dig through my suitcase for a condom, only to come up empty. “Fuck,” I mutter.

“What? What’s wrong?”

I stand to face her, my cock pointing at her like a beacon. The ache of not being inside her has already started to set in. I dig around in my suitcase again. I thought I had a couple in here from my last trip. Not that I thought I’d be getting any action on that trip or during this one. It was more out of habit. And better safe than sorry. I’m starting to feel like this night is going to end in disappointment. I reach to the very bottom of the front zippered compartment and smile when I feel the small, foiled strip. Pulling it out, I smile at the three condoms.

That will have to do.

Ripping one off, I bring it to my lips and tear it open with my teeth. It takes mere seconds to be sheathed and back on the bed, nestled between her thighs. “I need to hear you say it.”

She rolls her big blue eyes. “Again?”

“Humor me, beautiful.”

“Yes, Lachlan, I want your massive cock inside me.”

My body shakes with silent laughter. “That’ll do,” I say as I push inside her. She gasps, and once she’s taken all of me, I still, giving her time to get used to my size.

“Eggplant is more like it,” she mumbles.

“What’s that?” I smirk. I heard every word, and we both know it.

“Do you know how to use that bat between your legs?” she taunts.

“You’re about to find out.” Pulling out, I thrust back in and repeat the process over and over. Maggie’s hands dig into my back as she tilts her head back and bites down on her bottom lip. With every thrust of my hips into hers, my orgasm builds. Her pussy squeezes me like a vise, and it’s been too long. She’s too hot, too wet, and way too fucking tight for me to be able to last. I open my mouth to tell her to touch herself, that no way do I come before she does, but she cries out my name, and her nails I’m pretty sure draw blood—her grip on my back is so intense.

However, it’s not until she opens her eyes, when they lock on mine, and I see desire, and longing in her eyes, I lose it. I grunt out my release, and when we’re both finally spent, I rest my forehead against hers.

“You still alive there, big guy?” Maggie asks.

“I’m not sure,” I tell her. I lift my head, then drop my lips to hers and kiss her slowly. It’s not until we eventually come up for air that I allow myself to leave her body. I rush to the en suite bathroom to take care of the condom. Grabbing a rag, I wet it with warm water, and help her clean up, much to her dismay.

“I just need about fifteen, and we can go again.”

“I think we should nap.” She pulls the covers up over us and snuggles into my side.

This is new for me. I don’t snuggle. I’m not a complete asshole, but I don’t have women in my bed, which makes it easy to leave theirs or the hotel or wherever we end up. I never wanted to stick around and snuggle, but this is Maggie, and there is no denying her. At least not for me.

Instead, I wrap my arm around her and take a quick nap before I ravish her twice more before she sneaks out of my bed and back to hers. My room feels empty without her, and this bed is far too big for just me, but I ignore those feelings and close my eyes, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep before we head home later today.