11
He came out a few minutes later as she was pouring herself a cup of coffee. He looked tousled with his hair still wet, wearing low-slung lounge pants. Clearly freeballing it. Yum.
His expression lit when he saw the coffee. “Oh, just the thing. Can I have some too?”
She poured him a mug. “There’s milk in the fridge.”
He sipped with a happy sigh. “What shall we do today then?”
“Daisy called and invited herself to dinner with Levi. You’ll have to share the gumbo though.”
“Sounds good to me. I like your friends.” He sat across from her.
“I’ll need to run to the market to grab it and a few other things. They’re bringing wine. As for what to do between now and then?” She checked the clock. “We’ve got six hours. Can you think of anything?”
“C’mere.”
He pushed his chair out and she climbed on his lap. “Now then.” He parted her robe and took the sight of her in. From her neck to her p-ssy. The curve at her waist and the beauty of her breasts. “You’re so beautiful, I don’t know where to start.”
She squirmed and got his attention.
“Stop that.”
She laughed and he leaned to kiss her collarbone.
“You don’t really want me to stop, do you?” She undulated, stroking herself over his cock.
He grabbed the material of her robe, gathering it at the small of her back to hold her arms in place. Her pupils got very large and her breath hitched as her nipples drew tight.
“Well now. Someone likes it a little rough.”
She said nothing, just waited for his next move, which only made him hotter for her. He kept the robe tightly gripped in one hand and slid the other down to tease across her labia.
“You’re wet.”
“You said you liked me wet.”
It was his turn to laugh. He bent to lick over and then bite her nipple. She made a low sort of whimper when he did. The heat of her cunt sat right against his cock, the only barrier the thin material of his pants.
“You’re so hot.” He spread her open as he looked between them, down at the slick darkness of her cunt. He took those fingers to his mouth and she gasped. He traced over her lips and groaned when she licked them.
“I’m going to make you come.”
“Yes.”
He kept her arms bound as he went back to her p-ssy, barely touching her * with the tip of his middle finger. She arched to get closer and he moved his finger back. “Be still.”
She frowned and he had to kiss her before he got back to work.
“Your * is hard.” He brushed against it harder and she swallowed. “And slippery.” He slid down to circle her gate, just barely dipping inside and then back up to her *. The way he held her arms she was arched toward him, close enough that all he had to do was move just a bit to lick and bite her nipples.
He held her there for some time. Teasing. Taking. Seducing her. He wanted her to want him to come back. Wanted to see her again after he went home to Oregon. Wanted to burn himself into her skin so she needed him as much as he needed her.
He squeezed her * gently. Over and over and then back into her gate, turning his wrist to find her sweet spot. She froze and groaned, her head falling back. “Ah, there it is.”
But when he came up again to touch her * she arched, grinding herself against him. It was so close he knew he had to push her over that last bit so he did, biting her nipple as he plumped her * over and over as she came in a hot rush against his hand.
“I love to watch you come. Goddamn.”
“You’re certainly good at it,” she managed to say.
He picked her up and deposited her on the table, standing between her thighs. He took his cock out, stroking it slowly as she watched, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“I don’t quite know what to do with you.”
He kept stroking, f*cking his fist as she watched, lying on the table they’d be eating dinner at in a few hours. Christ.
She made him so f*cking hot.
“I’m going to jerk off and come all over your belly.”
Hey eyes widened and she whimpered. Not a bad whimper. No, Mary Whaley got off on what he just said.
Which was good because he sure as hell did too.
“While I was on the road all I could think about was you. Being in you. That soft little squeal you make when I first get my dick inside you all the way. God, I love that.”
“I could help, you know. With that.” She tipped her chin to his cock.
“That so?”
She slid off the table to her knees, licking around the head as he fisted down to the root.
He cursed under his breath at how good that felt. She did it again and again before kissing and licking over his balls.
“F*ck yes.”
Then she kissed back to the head and slick fingers brushed against his a*shole. Slowly, with just the right amount of pressure.
He breathed out slowly, but she made it impossible not to rush toward orgasm. The balls of his feet began to tingle, his scalp, even his teeth. And then she pushed in just a little and he grunted, speeding his pace as she licked over the head and crown, keeping him wet.
Over and over again, dragging him into climax and then tossing him over the edge as he began to come. He pulled back and let go on her tits and down her belly. She gasped, arching into it, which brought a second aftershock round to his orgasm until he had to stumble back to the chair to sit or he’d have lost his ability to stand.
She got up. “I’ll be right back.”
He watched her sway down her hallway and knew he was a total goner.
After pulling his pants back into place, he drank the rest of his coffee and let himself enjoy the quiet for a bit. After the chaos of the road, he’d learned to appreciate the silence. And that he also had a pleasant, post-orgasm buzz was icing.
Some minutes later, he heard the shower turn off and stood, stretching before heading for his phone. While he still had a quiet moment he figured he’d check in back home to be sure everyone got in safely the night before.
He called the main house and his mother answered.
“Hey, Momma. Everyone get back okay last night?”
“Hello, darlin’. I haven’t seen either one of your brothers but I know they got in all right. Vaughan’s car is in his driveway and Paddy came to collect his mail while we were still asleep. How are you? You’re with your Mary?”
He smiled. He’d talked some with his mother about Mary. About how she felt different than the other women.
“I’ll be here for another day or so. I’ll come home this weekend.”
“Take your time. Bring her if you like so we can meet her.”
“She’s got a business. A successful one, remember? She even worked yesterday morning before coming out to the Gorge. She’s got today off but she runs a supper club thing and I’ll go to that tomorrow night. Her friends are a little wary, I think.”
His mother sighed. “Well, sweetie pie, you have a reputation. I’ll refrain from telling you I told you so. You’ll just have to prove them wrong. Put in the time.”
“I know. It’s all right. Give everyone my love. I’ll see you this weekend.”
“Love you too.”
There was a knock at the door but Mary was still in the bathroom, so he went to look. It was the blonde, Jules, so he let her in, pulling on a T-shirt as he did.
“Mary’s in the bathroom. Come in.”
She looked him over. “What are your intentions with Mary?” Jules demanded.
“Um. What do you mean?”
“She’s not some skank groupie, you know.”
“I know. What makes you think I’d believe otherwise?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Let’s say, fourteen pages of Google results with you with your face in one floozy after another’s cleavage. Usually holding a glass of something alcoholic. I know about you.”
Mary came out, starting when she caught sight of Jules.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Jules here just came over and I let her in.” Whatever her friend’s deal, he wouldn’t solve it by involving Mary.
But Mary wasn’t a dummy.
“Jules, I need to get dressed. You can come with me.” She pointed to the bedroom, a storm brewing in her beautiful features. Jules skirted past him and into the bedroom.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes. If my brother comes to the door, don’t answer it.”
He took her hands. “Is everything all right?”
She smiled. “Yes. Yes. Small town. Nosy friends. It’s fine. She didn’t say anything offensive, did she?”
He shrugged. “It’s fine. She’s concerned for you, and I do have a reputation.”
She cursed under her breath.
“I’ll be back out in a bit. There’s coffee. I have cable. Music is over there.” She tiptoed up and he bent down, meeting her mouth in a kiss.
She stomped off and he didn’t envy Jules one bit.
* * *
“Why are you here?”
“You didn’t call me back.”
“So you came here to insult him? What the f*ck is wrong with you?”
“Before he came around you never said the F-word very often.”
“Yes, well, my friends were sane then. You are out of line, Juliet. This is none of your business. You’ve been really rude, not only to Damien, who is my guest, but to me. I expected better of you.” Mary quickly got dressed, catching her hair back from her face.
“I came over to apologize.”
When you had been friends with someone since kindergarten, you knew how they did most things. Jules knew when Mary was sad and trying to hide it. Mary knew when Jules was upset too. But they also knew how the other fought. She fought with Jules right then knowing that no matter what, they’d be friends when it was over. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to give her friend a piece of her mind.
Mary put her hands on her hips. “Well then, A-plus effort. You are a total dookiehead, Juliet Lamprey. I like him. He likes me. What the hell is your deal? I helped you when you were struggling with the whole Gideon and Cal thing. I never, ever tried to make you feel guilty or bad. I accepted what you wanted and I helped you make it happen. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you stop acting like a self-centered dumbass and realize I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were stupid.” Jules slumped, sitting on the bed. “I worry about you. Have you searched this guy online? He’s got quite the reputation. I want to protect you from that.”
“I know what he is. I know what he’s done and I know what he is to me. Last I checked Cal had a reputation too. Also, in case it’s escaped your notice, I’m a grown woman. I am absolutely capable of making my own decisions, so step back. What he has done with other women before me doesn’t matter as long as it was consensual and all that. Otherwise it’s not my business as long as he’s not treating me that way. And he isn’t. He’s respectful of me. Of my job and my life. We’re having a good time, not planning a wedding. Back. Off.”
“Is that so wrong? Am I bad because I care?” Out came the eyes and Mary’s anger wisped away into amusement.
“You look like a Precious Moments figurine. I’ve known you too long to be swayed by your game. You’re wrong. Admit it. Really be sorry. Apologize to him for being rude and we can move on. Otherwise, you need to leave. He’s a guest in my home and I’m not going to let you make him feel bad. He’s a nice guy, Jules. You should give him a chance.”
Jules sighed. “I want him to be perfect.”
Mary laughed; she couldn’t help it. “Oh Jules, what man is perfect? Huh? He makes me happy. I like him. He likes me. That’s really it. There’s nothing more complicated here than that. Be a big girl and own your shit or get the hell out of my house.”
“You’re mean.”
Mary put on some moisturizer, waiting Jules out. Jules wouldn’t leave without doing the right thing. That’s why she’d come over to start with. She was a good person and in the end, she’d do what she knew she should.
Heaven knew she’d been on the other end a time or two. That’s what friendship was. Give and take. And when you messed up, you made it right.
“Fine. But only if we get to come to dinner tonight.”
“I should disinvite all of you for this petty bullshit. In fact, I want to go to dinner. I’m not making anything here.”
Jules got up, moving to Mary and taking her hands. “I’m sorry. I was a bitch. I won’t make excuses. I called Daisy because I hate it when you’re mad at me. Anyone else and I can deal. But you? I just can’t. She didn’t go around you, I swear. She only told me about dinner because I said I was going to come over here. Please forgive me? I’ll be your best friend.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you’re so full of shit. You owe me. And you owe Damien a real apology. You guys can come to dinner.” She held up a hand to silence Jules. “But only if you tell my brother that if he so much as gives a mean look I am really, truly, pinky-swear going to cut him off. This is not all right. I mean it.”
Jules hugged her. “I love you. I’m sorry.”
“Mm-hm.”
“I am. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. I did it all wrong. I told your brothers how smart and awesome you are and how you can manage your own life and sex life and stuff, and then I went and did this and undermined everything I said. I don’t think you’re stupid. Not by a long shot. And I know you can handle your own life.”
Mary opened the door and jerked her chin. “Go on. You have an apology to give.”
True to her word, Jules went out to the living room where Damien had settled in on her couch, listening to music and reading a magazine. “I was pretty rude to you just now. I’m sorry. I promise I’m not normally like this. I’d really like if it you could forgive me.”
Damien worked hard to keep a straight face. Which only amused Mary more. “Apology accepted. You wanted to protect your friend. As it happens, I like Mary a whole lot too. So I get it. We can hit the reset button.”