Chapter 18
just once
HAYDEN
The kiss is deep and passionate from the moment our lips meet. I hold her tightly, her warmth radiating into my bare chest. Arms draped around my neck, Riley eagerly kisses me back. Her tongue slips into my mouth, curling around mine in a frenzy.
I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her. It felt like I’d fall apart if I didn’t.
She clings to me, her fingers in my hair as she tilts her head to deepen the connection. I might have been the one to initiate it, but she instantly took control. And I fucking love it.
We break apart to catch our breaths. Then, I press my lips to her cheek and kiss down her neck. She throws her head back, giving me better access, moaning as I suck on the delicate skin of her throat.
“I’m so tired,” I whisper against her skin. “Tired of pretending there’s nothing between us. That I don’t want you. That I don’t think about you all the time.” I rear back, searching her face. “Ry baby, what are you doing to me?”
“Pretty much the same thing you’re doing to me,” she murmurs, her lips puffy. She grinds against me, and my vision cuts in and out. Jesus Christ.
“This will complicate everything,” I tell her. “Our lives are too connected. Our families—”
She pinches my nipple and tugs, effectively silencing me.
“You can’t seriously tell me you think of me as family.” She twists harder, sending bolts of pain and pleasure through me.
I groan, head thrown back. “Fuck no…not anymore. I haven’t thought of you as family for a while now.”
“Good.” She pulls back, eyes dancing with mischief. “There’s too much tension between us. It just finally reached its boiling point.”
“What do you suggest we do with all this tension?” I slip my hand to her ass and give it a hard squeeze.
“We need to get rid of it.”
My heart skips a beat. When she walked in with that bouquet after I’d waited hours for her to come home, I went feral. I lost all sense of right and wrong. Now, I’m acting on pure emotion.
Do I want her? It’s not even a question.
But the consequences could be severe. I’m still dealing with grief and guilt.
I’d hate myself if I hurt her, and I worry I’m a ticking time bomb.
It’s only a matter of time before I detonate.
Piper would never forgive me for hurting her sister.
Fuck, no one in my family would forgive me for that.
“Ry…”
She traces her fingers down my throat, following the design of the tattoo there. She continues the path, drawing lines over my ink. Eyes half closed, I dig my fingers deeper into her ass. The remnants of my restraint are disappearing.
“Just once,” she whispers.
She likes you, my inner voice reminds me. She’s liked you for years.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I tell her quietly.
She pops up onto her toes, and soon, our lips are an inch apart. “I won’t let you. Just once, Hayden.” She kisses me, her lips soft, her hands roaming my body, setting my skin on fucking fire. I’m weak when it comes to her…so fucking weak.
“Just once,” I mutter.
With a step back, I snag her hand. Fingers twined, I lead her to my bedroom. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it fucking right.
By the time we stumble into my room, our lips are glued together. She smells so damn sweet, like caramel. I bury a hand in her long hair and gently rake my fingers through it. Everything about her is soft. I can’t get enough of her.
I back her against the wall and break our kiss, drinking her in. Her blue eyes glimmer, her chest rising and falling rapidly. I’m dying to taste her.
Decision made, I drop to my knees and slide my hands up her skirt until I find the elastic band of her panties. Slowly, I drag them down her thighs, heaving in breaths, willing my heart to slow.
Her panties are lacy and blue. Of course they are.
Blue is quickly becoming my favorite color.
“Spread your legs,” I tell her.
Back pressed to the wall, she obeys. She pulls up her skirt, baring herself to me. I inhale deeply, my mind going hazy at the view. Already, she’s glistening, wet for me. Fuck me.
I’m a goner.
I drag my tongue in a circle around her clit, moving slowly, testing to see what she likes. She bucks her hips, and a loud moan slips from her. I lick and suck, alternating between gentle and hard. She tastes so fucking sweet.
With her fingers in my hair, she moves her hips in time with the movements of my tongue. Moans as sweet as she tastes fill my room. I lap at her clit, relishing the way her arousal coats my face.
“You taste so fucking good, Ry baby…”
As I continue caressing her clit with my tongue, I slip one finger inside her. In and out, I stretch her little by little. I add another finger and then a third one. When I’m knuckles deep, I pump faster. Lips and tongue on her clit, fingers deep inside her, I drive her closer to her release.
“Please don’t stop,” she begs, tugging on my hair. “Please, Hade, don’t fucking stop…”
I suck her clit hard into my mouth and curl my fingers inside her, and her grip on my hair gets tighter.
When she lets out a long, low moan, I know she’s close.
I double my efforts, seeking her sweetest spot.
Her insides clench around my fingers, and then she’s coming, legs shaking, incoherent words leaving her mouth.
She holds me where she needs me the most, and I’m happy to oblige, licking at her until she sags against the wall.
Eventually, she lets go of my hair. Only then do I stand and cup her cheeks. With a weak smile, she grasps the back of my head and pulls me to her for a kiss. It’s slow at first, but it quickly heats up, sending electric sparks through my veins.
“I want you,” she whispers against my lips.
I grab her ass and pick her up, depositing her on the bed.
“Take your dress off,” I order as I take a step back. “I want to see you. All of you.”
Eagerly, she stands and tears the garment over her head. It’s fascinating how demanding yet obedient she is. Looks like she has a praise kink, but what else? I’ve yet to find out, and damn, if I’m not excited to discover more.
Her dress lands on the floor, followed by her lacy blue bra.
At the sight of her, I swallow hard. Her round tits and her perky nipples make my mouth water. Her abs are toned from all the years of dancing. Her hips are soft, and her legs are perfection. She is a masterpiece, beautiful and so fucking hot. I’m losing my mind just looking at her.
I reach for the nightstand drawer and pull out a condom.
“I have an implant,” she says quietly as I tear open the foil packet.
“Good, but I’d like to use this too. I just want to be as responsible as possible.” I give her a small smile.
She is so damn precious, and this is so much more than simple sexual attraction. Tonight, I’m tearing down a boundary I set years ago.
I push my sweatpants down, then my briefs.
Cock hard, I stand in front of her, fully naked.
She drinks me in, her attention moving from my face to my neck, my chest, and settling on my dick.
There, she blinks twice, and her mouth falls open.
She’s staring as if she’s never seen a cock before.
With a harsh breath in, she looks up, eyes wide. Damn, she’s adorable.
“What is that?”
I smirk. “It’s a piercing.”
Despite how shocked she is, she rolls her eyes at the smugness in my voice. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Not even a little. I had it done years ago. It’s a part of me, just like my tattoos.”
Eyes still glued to my dick, she bites her bottom lip. A pink hue creeps onto her cheeks as she counts. “One, two, three, four, five, six… You seriously pierced your dick six times?”
Amusement weaves its way through me, but I keep my reaction in check and nod.
“That’s a lot of metal.” She looks up, her pupils blown. “Does Piper know?”
I snort. “You really think I’d tell my brother’s wife about the things I do with my dick?”
Her cheeks flame, but her surprised expression quickly morphs into curiosity. “The barbells are like a ladder.”
I hum. “Yeah. It’s called a Jacob’s Ladder.” I take a step closer to the bed, towering over her. “If it makes you uncomfortable, we’ll stop. Just tell me, and that’s absolutely okay.”
She licks her lips. “Will it hurt?”
“Not if we take it slow. If we do this right, it’ll feel incredible.” I gently grasp her chin and tilt her face up. “And believe me, I will do it right.”
“It’s just…I’ve never seen a piercing like that before. I didn’t even know it was a thing.”
I caress her cheek and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “All I want is to make you feel good. That’s the only thing that matters.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Then why don’t you get to work?”
I roll the condom on then climb onto the bed. She shifts back, making room for me between her thighs. With my gaze locked on hers, I brace myself above her.
“First time, I’ll go slow. I’ll check in with you, and if something doesn’t feel right—you tell me,” I murmur. “Though I’m sure you’re gonna fucking love it.”
Her lips twitch. “You’re pretty confident…”
“You have no idea.”
With one arm, I hold myself over her and use my other hand to line up with her entrance. Slowly, I push inside an inch, then another. I stop there and examine her face. “Is this okay?”
She whispers, “Yes. Keep going…”
I roll my hips slowly, slipping in farther, taking my time so she can adjust to the sensation. When I’m almost fully in, she clings to me as if she’s afraid she’ll drown if she lets go.
I pinch my eyebrows together. “You okay?”
“More than okay,” she breathes. “I feel everything, all of you…and it’s so good…”
Pride consumes me. I fuck her slowly and gently at first, lips on hers, my tongue moving in time with my hips. Breathing is overrated anyway. I’d much rather keep my mouth fused to hers.
The way her body responds to me is indescribable—moans and whimpers, the roll of her hips as she lets me slide deeper, her hands on my body as if she wants to memorize every inch.
“Jesus, you take me so fucking well, Ry baby,” I praise her. “So good…”
When she begs for more, I pound into her faster, my movements rougher. She moans, arching her back and taking me to the hilt.
“I’ve never felt this good,” she moans. “Please don’t stop. I’m gonna come… Hade, please…”
Heat pools in my lower abdomen, my skin on fire. My release builds and builds, the base of my spine tingling. I clench my ass to keep myself from coming as I continue working her over. “You feel so good around me.”
“Oh God.” She trembles, eyes falling closed. “I’m coming…”
A gush of warm liquid hits me, sending my need soaring. When she comes down, I push myself up, hover over her, and grin. “You’re a squirter, Ry baby.”
She stares up at me, her eyes fathomless, her breaths heavy. “I’ve never done that before…”
I smirk. “My win. Between that and my piercing, I’ve claimed two of your firsts.”
“Show-off.”
I grab her hips and slide inside her in one, rough thrust. Body arched, she closes her eyes again, her sweet moans washing over me in a way only music ever has. She plays with her nipples, squeezing and twisting them.
I fuck her hard, relish every inch of her, until my mind goes blank. When my orgasm hits, stars dance behind my eyelids. I’ve never felt like this. I’ve never been with a woman I have shared a deep level of trust with. It makes every sensation more meaningful, stronger.
Breaths labored, I drop onto the mattress beside her. “That was everything…”
She giggles. “You weren’t kidding when you said I’d like the piercing.”
I roll onto my side, propping my head on my knuckles. “Do you want to eat? We kinda skipped dinner…”
She presses a hand to my chest and pushes me onto my back. “I want to eat you,” she says, looming over me. She rests her hand on my upper thigh and gives me a questioning look. “Can I?”
With a quiet laugh, I ease the condom off and tie it so it doesn’t make a mess. Then, I interlace my fingers behind my head. “I’m a simple man, Ry baby. If you think I can say no—”
My words are cut off abruptly when she takes my cock into her mouth.
Goddammit. In this moment, I know my life will never be the same.
Not after this.