Abruption (18 page)

Thinking of a way to bring it up without sounding like an ass, Jules surprised me, rose up on her tiptoes, pressed her lips to the corner of my ear and whispered, “Maybe we should fuckus on working off some of this food.”

My mind blanked. Our conversation could wait.

We had calories to burn.

I
was completely unprepared when Lucca showed up tonight. He hadn’t been to a family dinner in months, not since moving back to Manhattan. I expected the DeMaios—they were always there. They were my parents’ oldest friends and their neighbors since my parents first immigrated over. Heck, I called them Zio and Zia out of respect. You think they would have given me a heads up that their son was dropping in after everything. I cringed remembering how Lucca strutted in, in typical Lucca style, like he owned the place, and introduced himself to Guy as my best friend. I had half-choked on my cappuccino. And not because he wasn’t my best friend, he was. God, was he.

We grew up together since we were two. We lived across the hall from each other, went to college together. We knew every secret the other ever had, we did everything ... together. Literally. I just wasn’t ready to explain all of that to Guy. And since I hadn’t mentioned to Lucca that I was dating (technically since this morning), someone with kids no less, it was unbearably uncomfortable.

When Guy raved about my rapport with Max and Finn, I had to get out of there. Lucca was stunned and my mother was about to simultaneously cry and pray the rosary for the tenth time. It was all too much.

Somehow, I had allowed myself to get wrapped up in Guy’s bubble. It felt good; it felt safe. Even if deep down I knew the splinter was inevitable. Selfishly, I wanted more time. More time of feeling alive and whole. More time to establish a strong foundation, so when Guy figured out who I really was, we’d at least have a friendship to connect us. But the awkwardness compounding the evening was hard to miss. I sensed that Guy could see right through it.
Maybe that’s why I practically mauled him in front of nosy lady Russo’s ground floor window.

Please, just a little more time.
Right then nothing mattered but our bubble. I wasn’t ready for it to burst.

As soon as we got back to my place, Guy plopped down on the couch to give Casey a better head scratch. “Are we going to address the elephant in the room?”

Guess our make out session didn’t work as well as I thought. And since I couldn’t open that titanium sealed can yet, or ever for that matter, I opted for the alcohol diversion. “Beer? Wine? I can open a good bottle.”

“You trying to get me wasted? Case, you listening to this?” He paused a second to scratch Casey down. Lucky dog. “Think she’s trying to get me drunk and have her way with me.”

“Maybe I am?” I shocked myself with my boldness. Maybe it was the slight buzz from dinner, but I’d never been like this with a man.

“Because your dad’s vino wasn’t strong enough?”

I laughed. “True. That’s why I only have one glass. You might want to avoid Tylenol for a few days while it clears from your system.”

“No shit, I think that stuff could eat a hole straight through your liver.” He wasn’t wrong. “Come here, beautiful.” He beckoned me to join him with a finger curl. Staring at his bright blue orbs darkening by the second, I couldn’t resist. I toed off my boots and slid into his open arms. They felt strong enough to fight demons. Why did they have to feel so good? “I get the feeling tonight’s uncomfortable moment is off the table. And since I’m done talking—especially when you’re looking at me like that—I’m gonna let it pass. Besides, I have something more pressing.”

I knew Lucca wasn’t off the table. He was going to bring him up again. But I was thankful he let it go for now. There was a never-ending ache behind the wall holding the pieces of my broken heart in place. A few cracks were one thing, but risking a wide open break was something I might never recover from.

His teeth grazed across my lips, my jaw, and my neck, soothing the twinge with his warm tongue bringing me back to the present. This I could do. I could take this moment and relish in the reprieve. I released a deep breath and relaxed enough to let his touch consume me.

Lowering me onto my back, he continued to trail nips and kisses down my chest. Any reassurance I needed to confirm we were on the same page was pressed into my thigh, so I boldly raised my hands.

“I like how you think,” he mumbled.

With one swoop, my top drifted to the floor. His eyes widened and his lips curved into a knowing smirk. He liked. I was proudly showing off my new bra. All right, so maybe I squeezed in a quick shopping trip (aka a worthwhile distraction) while I was taking a minute to get my head together.

“Fuck, you’re sexy. What I want to do to you and this body.”

Yes, please.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes while flashes from our first morning together danced under my lids. Nudging the lace fabric, he exposed my nipples. They instantly pebbled against the cool air, sending a jolt straight between my legs. His contrasting warm tongue slid across my breasts, swirling and sucking before licking a path down toward my stomach. I arched up when he reached around my back to unhook my bra. I squirmed against his hard chest and wrestled with his sweater.

“Want me naked?” he asked, perfecting his smartass voice.

“What gave it away?”

He chuckled at my retort. I didn’t recognize myself with this man, but I liked who he brought out in me. She was sexy and strong. She was unbroken. At least now.

He lightly ran his fingers down my abs, popping the button on my skinny cords and easily freeing my legs from my tight pants. Dipping his tongue under the waistline of my thong, he drew a line from hip to hip. It was too much and not enough all at the same time. A tiny gasp burst from my lips as he inhaled a sharp breath and groaned, “Turn over.” My eyes shot open and my heart rate skyrocketed. His piercing gaze and now bare torso (how did I miss that) fueled the fire of what his demanding words actually meant.

And I was loving every second.

Except I didn’t budge, caught in a trance by the hunger in his eyes. A sexy smile tugged at his lips as he dipped his head to find mine. He nipped my lower lip before gently sucking it into his mouth. I curled my hands around the back of his neck and urged him closer. Any closer and we would be one, but I wanted closer. A deep moan vibrated up from his chest as he tasted and explored my mouth. With each stroke and caress, our breathing morphed into needy pants. Our kiss became desperate, both of us greedy for more. His hand abandoned my face in pursuit of my breast, sliding past my ribs only to grip my bottom, lifting me to connect our cores. I rocked against him, aching for skin on skin.

Completely distracted by tongues and hands, I had forgotten his previous demand until he broke away and said, “Turn. Over. Jules.” Right. Even though his lips were to blame for my immobility, something told me to keep my sass to myself and follow his direction. He’d yet to steer me wrong. I shifted on the couch with his help. “You make me crazy.” His growl was uncontrolled and raw. I grinned into the cushion thinking how much it turned me on. He kissed my low back then right behind my ear, and an explosion of little shivers traveled down my spine. The weight and warmth from his bare chest felt amazing against my chilled back. Sitting back up, he slipped off my thong and dragged his fingers through my wetness. “I’m gonna fuck you like this. Lift up, beautiful.”

Oh My God.

Jeans and boxers hit the floor a split second later, and I heard the crinkle of the condom wrapper. My hips lifted and his thick erection slid down from behind. He pressed the silk tip against my slit, finding my entrance. I gripped the cushion and buried my face to buffer my cry.

“Let me hear you. Don’t hide, Jules. I want every gasp, every moan, every little sigh and puff of air. Those sounds are only for my ears. Yeah?”

My mind could barely process, but my body yearned to hear more.
I peeked over my shoulder into his smoldering eyes and whispered the only response I could come up with, “Yeah.”

He plunged the rest of the way inside me and this time heard exactly what he was doing to me. My sensitive walls clenched around his length as I squeezed the pillow in front of me for leverage. “That’s it. Push back … let me fill you. Fuck, you feel so good. You make me so hard, doll.” He had to stop speaking or I was going to fall apart with his words alone.

Please keep talking.

Gripping my hips, he moved me so he was almost completely out before thrusting back in. I bit down on my lip and pushed against him. Little beads of sweat began to trickle between my cleavage as the intensity of our movements increased. His groans grew louder and his breathing got heavier. Leaning forward, he pressed his chest to my back, reaching around to find
that
spot. His fingers trailed along my soft and wet folds, stopping to circle over my sensitive flesh. Little stars flashed before my eyes, and my legs started to tremble. I arched my back, and he ground into me harder.

“Ah yes. Don’t stop,” I pleaded, making him stroke me more urgently, creating the pressure and friction I needed to fly over the edge and keep my wave cresting. “Ah Guy, you feel so good.” My words were breathy, my heart rate a million as the blissful haze engulfed my body.

“Jules,” he rasped, pumping into me a few more times.

Hearing my name, the only word on his lips as he found his own release, squeezed something inside me. This wasn’t just uninhibited sex. This was
more
.

My legs gave out and I dropped to the couch. He landed on top of me, briefly kissing my neck, each shoulder blade, the middle of my back, and the two dimples at the base of my spine before rolling to the side and standing up.