Chapter 21
Trevor
Those words were the last thing I expected to come out of Maren’s mouth, which is probably why I’m staring at her dumbly as she strips off her clothes.
Or maybe I’m just stunned speechless at the sight of the first naked woman to grace my bedroom in years.
Technically, I haven’t actually seen Maren fully naked before now, and honestly the view is melting my brain. It’s a little shocking to me how tiny she actually is. Not because I don’t rationally know she’s short and slim, but because she seems to take up so much more space in the world.
In my world.
Once the last article of her clothing is piled on my floor, she props both hands on her hips, cocking an eyebrow. “You’re staring.”
“I’m not staring.” My gaze travels down the column of her neck and over the ridge of her collarbone, sweeping over the slight swells of her breasts before tracing the dip of her naval. “I’m memorizing.”
Maren snorts. “You’re so weird.”
I don’t think she has any clue how much it turns me on when she gives me shit. How much easier it makes it for me to want to be around her. How much safer I feel being myself because of it.
I hook my fingers beneath my already loosened tie, tugging it free of my neck. “You’re not gonna be saying that in two minutes.”
“Two minutes?” Maren watches my movements as I shuck my wrinkled jacket and begin working the buttons of my shirt loose. “That’s almost not worth taking my clothes off for.”
“Tell me that in four minutes.” I work the shirt down my arms, letting it rest wherever it falls. Then I advance, urging Maren back with the press of my body against hers. “And again in six.”
I’ve never been one to half-ass anything. And while she might be a little judgy about my work ethic, I think Maren’s going to change her opinion about my dedication pretty quickly.
Encircling her waist with both hands, I lift her feet off the ground, tossing her onto my bed. Before she can fully recover from the sudden shift in her location, I crawl over her, dragging my nose up the center of her body as I go. “How long do we have?”
Maren’s fingers grip my shoulders. “Ten minutes. Tops.”
“You might want to set a timer then, because if I do this right, you’re gonna lose track.” Pushing up to my knees, I wrestle off my undershirt before dropping back down over her. “And I’m gonna do this right.”
So far, Maren hasn’t seen the best I have to offer. Not by a long shot. But that changes today. Because I don’t plan for this to be it between us. I know it can’t ever be all I want, but I’m positive I can make it worth her time to continue seeking me out.
I pull my phone from the pocket of my slacks, tossing it to her before shucking them along with my underwear. “I’m serious. Set an alarm.”
I can’t even begin to imagine how to be a good parent, but I do know letting Zara find me balls deep in her sister isn’t a great start. So, while Maren unlocks my phone with my face and opens the clock app, I get to work.
There’s so much I want to do with her, but I’ve got to be smart about this. Use my time wisely.
And I know exactly how to do it.
Gripping Maren behind the knees, I lift her legs, spreading them wide as I drag the flat of my tongue up the line of her pussy, tracing the path of her seam.
She’s so distracted by attempting to set a timer, she must not have seen me coming, because she gasps sharply.
Then drops my phone on her face.
“Goddammit, Trevor.” There’s no anger in her voice. She sounds more exasperated than anything. “Stop distracting me.”
“No.” It’s a blanket statement. One she won’t know the full extent of until tomorrow, when I do everything in my power to distract her into visiting my office. And a conference room.
And maybe the back seat of my car.
The next swipe of my tongue ends at her clit, where I settle in just as she throws my cell back at me. The device lands on the covers next to her thigh, the countdown I’m racing displayed across the screen.
I wish I could take my time and enjoy this moment, but that’s not the opportunity offered. So, I’m going to make the most of every fucking second. Wring every orgasm I can out of the woman already riding my face like she bet money on the results.
I manage to send her over the edge within the first minute and a half, exploiting every bit of the knowledge I’ve gained about how she likes to be touched.
Maren doesn’t appreciate teasing, which makes me think she’s been left hanging a lot.
I’m going to show her she can trust me to satisfy her. As many times as possible.
Because I very much intend to tease her at some point. If for no other reason than to earn her claws.
I check the timer as she tries to catch her breath, shifting my phone up the bed before rolling Maren to her belly.
She wanted me to fuck her from behind the day of Toby’s wedding, but logistically, that wasn’t an option.
It is now. And I want to know if she chose it out of preference or convenience.
Wedging one knee between her thighs, I pry myself just enough room to fit my body into hers.
Letting my chest rest against her back, I nuzzle the shell of her ear as the head of my dick nudges at her slick pussy.
I slide deep, eyes rolling back at how fucking good she feels.
Once I’m fully seated, I straddle her thighs, pressing them together as I rock against her. “Yes? No?”
Maren peers at me over one shoulder, cheeks flushed, brows pinched. “What?”
That doesn’t sound promising, so I reach for a pillow.
“We don’t have time for me to try to read your mind.
If you tell me what you like, we’re both gonna have way more fun.
” Shifting up to my knees, I hook one hand under her body, lifting her hips enough I can wedge the pillow into place.
“I’d love to figure it out myself, but that’s gonna take a minute, and we’ve only got six left.
” Once the pillow is situated, I roll my hips, testing the new position.
This time, I get a pretty obvious reaction.
The moan Maren lets out is exactly what I’m looking for, but it’s also loud enough to give us away. I quickly clamp a hand over her mouth as I blanket her back with my front, lips against her ear as I warn, “Gotta be quiet, or I’ll have to stop.”
Maren shoots me a glare, but it’s short-lived since her eyes roll closed on my next thrust.
I can’t stop the smirk that curves my lips at the sounds she’s making behind the press of my palm. I also can’t stop myself from antagonizing her. Just a little. “If I’d known this is all it takes to calm you down, I would have fucked the hate out of you months ago.”
The next sound she makes is a growl, and it comes as her teeth sink into my finger.
This time I’m the one groaning. I’m not a masochist. It’s not the pain pulling my balls tight and threatening my control. It’s knowing she can handle me. That Maren will never let me walk all over her. She won’t hesitate to tell me when I’m wrong or dumb or being a fucking idiot.
And I’m a wrong, dumb idiot a lot.
“You are so fucking vicious.” I bury my face in her hair, trying desperately to keep my movements consistent, as I fuck her into the mattress I’ll never sleep on the same way again.
“So fucking fierce.” Knowing I’m running out of time, I wedge my free hand between her body and the pillow, cupping her pussy in a way that puts pressure on her clit without rubbing directly against it. “And I love it.”
Maren bucks against me, her fingers gripping tight to the comforter covering my bed as her pussy clenches around me. It’s only through sheer willpower and determination that I manage to keep going a few seconds longer. But the instant her climax seems like it’s on the down swing, I’m gone.
Unable to hold back any longer, I have to let go, losing all coordination as I fight for some semblance of consistency. I collapse just as the timer on my phone goes off. I don’t know that I’ve ever had sex on a deadline, but I didn’t hate it. The race added a little bit of excitement to things.
And God knows I love a challenge. Probably yet another reason I’ve been so fascinated with the woman beneath me.
I switch off the timer, closing my eyes for just a second to catch my breath before we have to get up, put on our clothes, and pretend like nothing happened.
Brushing Maren’s hair away from her face, I run my lips along the curve of her jaw. “Was that all you hoped it would be?”
“All ten minutes of it?” Maren’s lips curve, softening any bite her words might have carried.
“Careful.” I slowly work my body from hers. “I’ll sneak into your bed tonight and keep you up until we have to leave for work.”
Maren rolls to her back, frowning up at me. “You know you can’t keep sleeping on my couch, right?”
I head for my bathroom, planning to take a quick shower before we leave. As much as I don’t want to wash her off my skin, I haven’t cleaned up since yesterday and I don’t want to smell worse than the animals Zara’s petting today. “Why not?”
Maren sits up, looking from one side of the bed to the other. “Because you just can’t.” She debates a second more before sliding off the edge closest to the door, grabbing her shirt and bra as she heads for the water closet. “I don’t want Zara to get any wrong ideas.”
Leaning into the shower stall, I twist on the water. “And what sort of wrong ideas would that be?”
I learned a long time ago not to ask questions I don’t already know the answers to, so I don’t think I’m going to be surprised by any of Maren’s reasons.
Maren’s voice carries through the gap in the partially closed door. “I don’t want her to think you’re always going to be around.”
Well… Fuck. I didn’t see that coming.
And that means I don’t have an easy reply ready. All I have is the truth, and I know Maren isn’t ready to hear that. Not any more than I’m willing to say it.
Because I’ve already decided I’m not going anywhere. I may not be able to give Maren everything, but I can give her some things. Stability. Security. Safety. I know ultimately that won’t be enough, but I guess that’s a bridge I’ll cross when I have to.
Today isn’t that day.
Turning away from the running shower, I angle a brow as she reappears. “Are you already planning ways to get rid of me?”
“I’ve been planning ways to get rid of you, Trevor.” Maren huffs out a breath that could be a frustrated sigh if it didn’t sound amused. “You’re too freaking stubborn for any of them to work.”
My eyes stay glued to her tits as she straps her bra into place, savoring the view until it becomes obstructed. “I didn’t expect you to give up so easily.”
Maren shoots me a glare before her head disappears under the fabric of her sweater. “No one said I’m giving up.” She tugs the garment into place, shoving both arms into the sleeves. “So don’t get your hopes up.”
She clearly doesn’t have any clue what my hopes are, because hearing she intends to continue giving me hell satisfies me on a level that should probably be dissected during therapy.
Talking to someone about the shit that goes through my head has never been a serious consideration for me.
While I’m happy it’s working well for my brothers, I really don’t have time for it.
But it would be interesting to know a little more about why I am the way I am.
It might even make me better at my job. Could help the success of the company in a roundabout sort of way.
“Don’t tell me what to do.” I back toward the shower, looking over the bare skin still on display in front of me. “I don’t like being bossed around.”
Maren’s lips curve in a hint of a smile as she goes to retrieve her jeans and panties. “That is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.”
I ogle the curve of her ass as she bends over, before finally forcing myself into the shower, squeezing shampoo into my hand. “Maybe I like being selectively bossed around.”
Probably another thing Bert, my brothers’ therapist, would love to dissect.
I wait for Maren’s snarky retort as I quickly scrub my hair, but it doesn’t come. She must have gotten dressed and rushed downstairs to check on Zara, which is probably for the best.
But I can’t ignore how much I liked having her in here to talk to while I got ready. It’s the sort of normal activity I’ve never been able to participate in, and getting to experience it—even if it’s a temporary sort of thing—was really fucking nice.
I rush to rinse the shampoo out of my hair, barely getting the suds clear before grabbing my body wash. I want to get downstairs with everyone else as quickly as possible. Even if it means skipping my skincare routine.
I’ve got my upper half covered in lather when Maren comes running into the bathroom. She steps right into the shower, holding my phone up in front of my face before snapping the screen away so quickly I can’t tell what she’s trying to show me.
Then I realize she wasn’t trying to show me anything. She was unlocking it.
Her eyes fuse to the device, skin pale as she stares.
“What’s wrong?” I quickly swipe a washcloth over the remaining high points, before mostly rinsing off. I’ve got a pretty good idea what she’s looking at, and I’d rather not explain it soaking wet and naked.
Grabbing a towel, I sling it around my middle. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I was just trying to—”
Maren’s eyes come to my face, rage pooling in their depths. “Someone just broke into my house.”