Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men Book 9) (17 page)

But still, everything felt…wrong again.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” I whispered, shaking my head and almost about to cry because that wasn’t what I really wanted to say. “This is getting complicated.”

He shook his head. “It’s not complicated at all, baby doll. Do you want me or not?”

Everything inside me screamed yes, but I gulped. “But what about…he who shall not be named?”

“That’s why I made that condition because this right here is between you and me, not him. He doesn’t belong here, and I don’t want him involved. And if he knew about it, he’d
make
himself involved.”

I nodded. “Okay, but just for the record, I don’t still have a thing for him.”

“Whatever.” He stepped in closer to me and ran a single fingertip up the side of my throat. It felt...wow, really good, but I think he was trying to distract me because he didn’t believe me and he didn’t want to hear what he thought was a lie.

I grabbed his wrist, making him look into my eyes.

“I’m serious, Colton. I was over him that night. I just didn’t realize it yet. You were right. One taste of you and I forgot all about big brother.”

He cupped my cheek and whispered, “Okay.” This time, I think the words actually sank in. He believed.

Releasing a breath of relief, I smiled. Then he smiled. And we leaned toward each other to kiss. At first, it was just lips pressing against lips. I had to close my eyes against the utter sweetness of it. But soon enough his mouth opened and tongue came out, so my tongue came out.

Before I knew it, we were stepping closer, then right up
against
each other. I gripped his shirt with two fistfuls as he slid the straps of my book bag off my shoulders. So I did the same for him. Once both packs dropped to the floor at our feet, he smoothed his palms along my back until he gripped my ass and picked me up. I hooked his waist with my legs, and he spun to press my spine against the wall.

When the hard ridge of his erection slammed against my clit, I sucked in a breath and clutched him, gripping and releasing, almost like a cat kneading a lap before sitting on it. I think I even purred when his lips found the base of my throat.

“Yes.”

He angled my hips using his grip on my ass and hit another sensitive spot. “Dammit, Colton. You’re going to make me come before we even get to the good stuff. Please tell me you have something.”

When he froze against me, his face still buried against my neck, I almost wept. “Oh my God, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

He finally looked up and met my gaze, his eyes wide. “I forgot to refill my wallet after the wedding.”

The wedding…where he’d heaved his unused condom across the room.

Shit.

I guess that meant he hadn’t been getting frisky with any other woman since then, which was good to know, but
fuuuuck
…a condom sounded like air right about now, I
needed
one to keep breathing.

“We, uh…we can just go back to my place then. My roommates have tons of condoms in our bathroom for their boyfriends. You can follow my car, and—”

“Sounds good,” he said, cutting me off as he set my feet back on the floor. “Except we’re not leaving this room until
one
of us comes. And I choose you.”

He slipped his fingers into the waistband of my yoga pants and whipped them along with my panties down my legs, making me screech in surprise, then slap my hands over my mouth, hoping no one had heard me through the walls. An instant later, Colton was kneeling in front of me and cupping the outsides of my thighs with warm fingers.

“Holy shit,” I gulped as my frantic gaze veered toward the doorway, hoping no one with a key tried to enter.

When his tongue touched me, I sank deep into the corner of the wall. My hands slapped out for any kind of support but grasped at nothing.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmi…
god
.” My head fell back, and my eyes rolled up. The muscles in my legs loosened, and Colton took that opportunity to open them wider so he could discover more of me.

My lashes fluttered and I finally looked down. There was a swirl of dark hair around the crown of his head, like a cowlick. I became obsessed with watching it as his tongue kept swirling and working at me without ceasing. Unable to help myself, I continued to splay out one arm against the wall but dropped the other so I could grip a handful of that soft, silky hair.

He made a hungry, aggressive sound in his throat, letting me know he liked the hold. So I used the grip I had on him to force his mouth harder against my pussy.

“Fuck,” he hissed, and his fingers pushed inside me while his tongue flicked faster. A few more mumbled words tumbled from him—about the only one I understood, or thought I understood, was “shaved”—and then he began to thrust two fingers into me with more fervor as if he himself were getting close.

His tongue paused, pressing hard against my button, and then bam, he flicked it again, and that was it.

“Oh my God.” A current shimmered through me, almost hovering over my skin as if warning me I was about to be invaded completely, before holy fuck, I was.

I let go of the wall to shove my hand against my mouth to muffle the sound, and my gaze shifted to the door, hoping to God no one entered, while the rest of my body tried to transform into something else entirely. It was so fucking big, I fought it. I didn’t mean to, but shit…this could not be natural. Orgasms weren’t supposed to be earthquakes or hurricanes. Right? They were just little speed bumps of pleasure.

But whatever ripped through me was no speed bump, so I tensed and braced against it, biting deep into my knuckles until, sigh…it began to subside. Waves, like a tide sweeping back out into the ocean, lapped over me as the tsunami quelled.

I looked down just as Colton sat back on his heels and looked up. “You fought it again.”

I swallowed. “I couldn’t help it. That was just…it was too big. I don’t think anyone could survive the full intensity of an orgasm from you.”

A grin overtook his face as he pushed to his feet and gazed down into my eyes. “Challenge accepted. Let’s go back to your place now. I’m going to teach you the proper way to take on an orgasm.”

J
ULIANNA’S
C
HAPTER
|
17

I
swear, little aftershocks kept afflicting my pussy after Colton had walked me to my car. If I could’ve driven to my apartment with crossed legs, I would have. It was all just so bizarre. I felt completely sated and pretty much ready to nap a month away, and yet I was wired and giddy for more, knowing we were going to continue this in minutes.

Minutes!

I’d get to feel him inside me and finally wrap my legs around his hips as he spiked himself deep.

With another shudder, I pulled into the parking lot outside my building and jammed my fist against my stomach when his souped-up red pickup pulled in and stopped beside my Camry.

Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.

I closed my eyes and jumped when I heard his truck door slam. Then his footsteps echoed throughout the interior of my car as he walked around to my driver’s side. The door opened.

“Second thoughts?”

Opening my lashes, I glanced over and got a face full of the fly of his jeans. My first impulse was to undo the buckle of his belt, undo him and draw his cock into my mouth so…no. No second thoughts. I just couldn’t remember being this nervous or excited about sex in a long, long time. Maybe ever.

After snagging my purse and backpack, I climbed out and straightened before him, meeting his seeking gaze directly. Neither of us spoke, we just stared at each other as if we were waiting for the other to get cold feet.

Then I took his hand and said, “Come on.”

He followed me inside the building and down the hall. When we had to pause so I could dig my keys from my purse, he shifted in close behind me and kissed the back of my neck. I sighed and let my head fall forward, enjoying his lips. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed his hips against my butt so I could cradle the hardness of his erection between my cheeks.

His hand climbed up and claimed one of my breasts through my shirt, and I jerked, my fingers fumbling to fit the key into the lock of my door.

But when I finally got it slotted in, I realized it was already unlocked. “Huh.” I straightened, on alert. “That’s weird.”

“What?” Colton must’ve noticed the change in me because he dropped his hand from my chest.

“The door wasn’t locked.” I turned the handle and swung it open.

Behind me, Colton freaked. “Julianna,
wait
!” He gripped my waist to keep me from entering, but the sight on my couch was already making me gasp and stumble backward into him. “Holy shit!”

I lifted my hands to my eyes, immediately shading them and wishing I had some bleach to kill them.

Because someone’s bare ass had just fucking mooned me from my couch.

A scream followed, and then Sasha yelped, “Oh my God,
Juli
! What’re you doing home?”

Chad. I’d just seen Chad’s ass. Lovely. I was never going to be able to look him in the eyes again.

“What’re
you
doing home?” I demanded right back, peeking through my fingers enough to see that the couple had yanked a throw blanket over them and covered all the naked parts.

“We were skipping class so we could get nasty on the couch,” Chad answered bluntly, only for Sasha to slap his naked arm with a loud whack.

“What a coincidence,” Colton spoke up congenially from behind me. “That’s what we were doing. Please say you have some extra condoms? We got nothing.”

“Colton!” I hissed, whirling around to gape at him.

But from behind me, Sasha screeched, “Colton? Did you say
Colton
?”

“She did.” He shimmied past me into the apartment to smile and wave at her. “Hi, you’re the roommate I didn’t meet the other morning, but you know my name. That must mean you guys talked about me after I left.” Lifting his eyebrows, he glanced meaningfully at me before turning back to Sasha. He seemed totally comfortable about the fact that we’d just walked in on her having sex. “Please tell me you were pro-Colton and encouraged her to try me out.”

While Chad burst out laughing, Sasha’s mouth dropped open. It took her a few tries, but she finally answered, “Actually, yeah we did encourage her, even though
she
insisted there was absolutely nothing there.”

“Oh really?” He glanced at me with a contemplative arch of the eyebrows before he turned back to Sasha and nodded. “Well, thank you for
your
support…”

When he drew out the ending as if asking her to supply him with a name, she blushed and said, “Sasha.”

He flashed his panty-dropping grin and then freaking winked at her. “Thank you, Sasha. I owe you big time.”

Chad burst out laughing, slapping his knee and leaning into Sasha because he was so overcome. After wiping a few laughter tears from the corners of his eyes, he asked me, “Who the fuck is this guy?”

“A dead man,” I ground out, punching Colton in the shoulder. “What the hell? How could you tell them what we were going to do?”

His eyebrows lifted in question. “What? Were we supposed to keep that a secret? Because I think they’re going to figure it out in about ten minutes anyway when I start making you scream.” Then with a conspiratorial grin toward Chad, he added, “Though my goal is really five minutes.”

This time, Sasha and Chad both hollered with surprised laughter.

Steamed beyond all anger because oh my God, this entire moment was so utterly embarrassing and he was just being so blasé about it, I fisted my hands at my sides and growled, “The only thing you’re going to make me do—in about five
seconds
—is kick your ass right back out this door.”

The bastard didn’t even look concerned. In fact, I swear his gaze heated with hungry primal intent. His nostrils flared and eyes twinkled naughtily as he stepped toward me. “Is that so?”

‘That is
so
fucking so,” I assured him, my jaw clenched tight.

He grinned. “Game on, baby doll.” And he picked me up, freaking
picked me up,
and tossed me over his shoulder in the fireman’s carry.

“Colton!” I screamed, too afraid to kick or slap him in fear he’d drop me. I mean, I was staring at the
floor
!

He gave an affable wave to Sasha and Chad and started for the hallway. “Carry on,” he told them. “We’re getting out of your hair now.”

“Thanks,” Chad called, only to add, “oh, hey, man. Here you go.” He tossed something our way, and Colton let go of one of his hands holding my leg to catch it one-handed, which made me shriek and clutch his torso for dear life.

By the time I could focus on what Chad had thrown at us, Colton was grinning and holding up a strip of condoms, saying, “Awesome. Thank you.”

And down the hall we went.

“So why were you so against the idea of your roommate knowing about us?” he asked as he entered the room and toed the door shut. “Because, you know…a girl doesn’t tell her friends about something for only two reasons: because she doesn’t deem it important enough or because she’s ashamed of it.” He bent down and helped me back onto the floor, then he helped me straighten until I was facing him. “Where does that leave me?”

The blood was still rushing from my head from hanging upside down. It was hard to concentrate. I wanted to be all upset that he’d just picked me up and entered my room without my permission, but I was still rocking some crazy attraction for him, and yet my skin felt all flushed and tight from the embarrassment I’d gone through in the front room. I wasn’t sure how to feel or react.

But when I focused on his face and saw the tinge of worry, I just couldn’t make him think I was ever ashamed of him.

“I just… You can’t… Damn you,” I muttered, scowling. It wasn’t right how he’d so easily flipped this around on me. Flustered and tongue-tied, I glared at him a moment before very slowly and succinctly saying, “I thought we agreed we weren’t going to tell
certain people
about our arrangement.”

“Certain people,” he repeated slowly. “Yeah, like my
brother
, because he’d give us both fucking grief about it. You think your roommate Sasha would give us grief? She seemed pretty cool about it to me.”

“No, I don’t think she’d…” Still too agitated to talk right, I took a moment to draw in a deep breath, then I more calmly explained, “It’s not
her
exactly that I’m worried about. I just…dammit, I don’t want my dad finding out, okay? And she might accidentally slip and let the cat out the bag if he called, or something.”

Colton blinked, stunned silent. Then he shook his head. “Your
dad
?”

With a nod, I sighed and scrubbed my face.

“Why don’t you think your dad would like me? Everyone loves me.” He looked genuinely confused.

I dropped my hands and stared at him a moment, feeling defeated before finally admitting, “He’s an investigator for this equal rights group where he works. All he sees day in and day out are his people getting treated unfairly, and it’s given him a certain perspective on life.”

“Okay,” Colton answered slowly, still not catching on. I frowned at him a moment, wondering if he was being purposely obtuse or if he really just didn’t get it.

Grinding my teeth, I shook my head and whispered, “I’ve never dated a white guy before. I’m not exactly sure how he’d handle it.”

“Oh.” This time it sank in clear as day. He glanced down at his forearm, the light skin peppered with some freckles and short, dark hairs, and he frowned. “Yeah, that’s not something I can change.”

I felt suddenly shitty as if I’d just told him he wasn’t good enough or something. Unable to help myself, I stepped forward and cupped his face in my hands. He finally moved his gaze from his skin to my face. Worry laced his stare. “You’re, like, not going to get in trouble or anything for being with me, are you?”

He seemed so concerned about my safety, I shook my head even as I gulped unsteadily. The truth was I had no idea how my dad would react. I mean, he’d never hurt me. But disown me… I wasn’t sure.

What I said, however, was, “Of course not. I’m just a daddy’s girl. Determined to seek his approval, no matter what. I just don’t want to unnecessarily disappoint him, especially since there’s nothing here…” I motioned between the two of us, “for him to even worry about because we’re not attempting anything serious or anything like that. We’re just…”

When words failed me, he said, “Fucking.”

I swallowed hard. “Right,” I agreed in a small voice, even though it felt all kinds of wrong to call it that.

Colton nodded as if understanding. Then he threw me for a loop when he asked, “What about Brandt?”

I blinked, not expecting that name to come up at all since we had just agreed it never would. “What about him?”

“You wanted something with him, and he’s white.”

Not sure what point he was trying to make, I shook my head. “What?”

“Didn’t you worry about what your dad would think about
him
?”

“No,” I answered before I could even censor myself. “I mean…” Huh, I really hadn’t worried about that with Brandt. Strange. I wondered why that was even as I tried to
explain
why to Colton. “Brandt and I didn’t even make it through a single date. Why the hell would I start worrying about my father’s opinion unless I actually thought something might come from—why the hell are you grinning like that?”

It felt as if I was slamming him and his entire race, and this goofy grin just kept spreading across his face as if he’d won the lottery. It kind of freaked me out.

“You’re worried about your dad’s opinion of
me
, yet you’d never even considered what he’d think of Brandt. That means I’m already further along than he got.
Boo-yah
!”

“Oh my God,
really
?” Of course he’d gotten further than Brandt. The moment my lips had touched his at the wedding reception, he’d been further along than Brandt had ever gotten. Setting my hands on my hips, I glared. “This is not a fucking competition between brothers.”