Rumor Has It (4 page)

He looked at her face for a status check and saw it was all crunched up. She was working extremely hard to make this happen.

“Raina, you don’t have to try to control it. Just feel it.”

He took a deep breath as he prepared to do something he didn’t usually do. Kissing. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how. He really didn’t enjoy it. He took a moment to look at the pretty lips with the fuller bottom matched with the bowed top. The shocking part was how much he wanted to do this and how much he wanted her to like it.

He kissed her mouth, and if he’d thought he was hard as granite before, he was like diamonds now. She tasted unbelievably good, and when her soft lips parted and invited him into the sweet cavern of her mouth, he accepted. He needed to get back to solving her puzzle, but he was creating one of his own. He reluctantly ended the kiss. He was going to have to clear his head from the sweet fog her kiss had put in him.

He allowed his hand to travel back down to her sweet panties. They were plain soft cotton, nothing flashy, but he was giddier than a schoolboy with his first crush moving his hand into her private territory. She was trying to control what her body was doing instead of just letting the sensations go through her.

That was his Raina. Always trying to make things work the way she thought they should, instead of just letting things go their natural course.

“Maybe more diversion would help.” He kissed her again but just nips as she worked at capturing his mouth for a longer kiss. She clearly liked to kiss, and though he didn’t do it generally, he was enjoying the back and forth. It was like a type of communication, and she was obviously saying she was close.

“Open up your legs for me.” The quick intake of breath made him want to see what other things could make her breath hitch.

He plunged his hand into her panties and was rewarded with the wet warmth of sex at its finest. “You feel so ready, baby. Hot and silky. I love that you’re so wet for me.”

Her pants and moans were spurring him on, making him feel as aroused as she sounded. “You like this, don’t you?”

“Y…yes,” she said, nodding and arching her hips up to meet his hand.

She was laid out before him like an all-you-can-eat buffet, and there was so much he wanted to taste and savor he could hardly decide. “Are you ready to come?”

She said something that sounded like assent, but she was on her way—he knew it. He slid one finger into her tight passage, not sure who was groaning louder, and opted to suck one of her hard nipples into his mouth. Damn she was tight. He added another finger and pumped into her a few more times, coordinating the rhythm of his mouth with the cadence of his thrusting fingers. He released her nipple when her moans grew throaty and she was fucking his fingers with abandon, because he wanted to see her face when she came for him.

“Let me see you come for me, baby.”

Her eyes opened for a brief second, and seeing the desire in her whiskey-brown eyes excited and thrilled him. She closed her eyes again and came apart.

He held her and gentled his manipulations as her body shuddered, coming down off the waves that were rolling through her. He watched her face, fascinated at how easily she responded to him and maybe a bit worried that she held more of his heart than he suspected. She opened her eyes and smiled, looking satiated and naughty.

Listening to her attempts to quiet her heaving breaths commanded a response from deep within him, and he had to take a few seconds to bring own his arousal down a few notches.

That was one of the best sexual experiences he’d ever had, and he hadn’t even made it out of his pants yet.

“That was incredible,” she whispered. “How did you do that so fast?”

“I would love to tell you that it was because I am just that talented, but your sweet body responds like a fine instrument. The problem is with the guys you’re picking.”

“That can’t be it.”

“It could be because you like a man to talk to you during sex, or maybe they didn’t suck your nipples hard enough.” The blush that stained her cheeks was fresh, letting him know he must have struck a chord. He’d made his words a bit dirtier just because he liked to see that pretty pink flush making her skin glow.

“What would make you say that?”

“Beside the fact that it’s clear you like hearing me talk like that? I notice that you were trying hard to make the magic happen. It was working in the beginning, but you started to think too much and doubted it would work. It was written all over your cute, scrunched-up face.”

He could see she was listening attentively.

“I wanted you to get out of your mind and into your feelings. You were working so hard I thought I’d shock you out of all your thinking. Imagine my surprise when I found out talking about how hot your nipples looked, and how sweet they taste, seemed to get you going.”

Her face was the reddest he’d ever seen it, and that was saying something. She had a sweet blush that crept up now and again when he’d said something off-color, but this was different.

“So that’s a hot spot for you, huh?”

She nodded but remained quiet.

“Did you ever mention that to anyone? Maybe that’s the reason it’s been hard for you to come. ’Cause, honey, you pop like a firecracker, fast and hard. Different people have different triggers.”

She looked at him as if he’d grown another head.

“I don’t think I could ever just blurt that out. How does one say that? Hey, could you say something sexy? If someone said that to me, that would guarantee that I’d have nothing to say.”

“That’s mighty considerate of you, not wanting to inconvenience your partner with what you like, but you want to get something out of it too. You could always use that breathy voice that appears when you get turned on and say ‘Talk to me.’ He should get the message.”

“How did you figure it out?”

“You just have to pay attention. I already know you like to hear me moan. Anything I moan over, you make sure is in this house and ready for me. That tells me you like to hear sexy noise. I just went from there.”

They lay there talking as if discussing the weather, but he honestly wanted her to pick a better man for herself next time. If that gave him a twist in his gut, well, he’d just ignore it for now.

“You are a pure sensualist. Anyone who knows you should notice that. You just dress so prissy. It may take a while for a guy to find out you actually want to be a dirty girl.”

“I never said I wanted to be a dirty girl,” she said as if she were offended, but he knew she wasn’t. He loved to hassle her, but there was truth to his words, and he wanted her to admit it. If not to him, at least to herself.

“Don’t lie to yourself, and don’t lie to me. You want to be treated like a princess until you hit the sheets or the wall or someone bends you over the couch, and then you want your partner to know you won’t break if they want to slide their cock into your tight, slick pussy.”

She huffed out a breath that sounded like a cross between an aftershock from her orgasm and the start of something new. He watched her gaze cloud over as she tried to say something. He waited to see what would come out of her kiss-plumped mouth, but she was having trouble getting her words together. Just as he’d thought, his words were beginning to heat her up again. He sat up and pulled her to a sitting position next to him.

“Tell me you don’t like feeling powerful and in control when a man wants you, and I’ll take it all back.” The whimper told him all he needed to know. Unfortunately it didn’t make him want to stop what they were doing. Damn it, he was interested in this multifaceted Raina. He had so much information on her, he must have been studying her more than he thought he had, and he’d been keeping good notes. What he needed to do was bail before he got in too deep.

She bit her lip and straddled his lap. She closed her eyes as she positioned her core against his denim-covered cock.

“What have I unleashed?” He placed his hands on her panty-covered bottom and stopped himself from pulling her closer to give himself relief.

“I guess you’ll just have to find out.”

“You don’t need me. I thought you just wanted to know if you could come with another person. You proved that. Right?” He found her so enticing. He didn’t know what would happen to them if they actually went through with the full deed. Maybe this was enough.

“Actually, I wanted to see if I could get off with another person in a sexual encounter. I know that one counts, but I was talking about sex…intercourse.”

He wasn’t sure this was going the way they’d both thought it would go. He guessed she wasn’t satisfied with the answer she’d gotten, so maybe she figured she hadn’t asked the right question.

“So you think us”—he waved his hand between them—“going all the way is going to solve your problem?”

“I don’t know. It just seems so overrated. I thought since you did such a magnificent job with the first thing, maybe you could help change my mind about the second.”

“Overrated?”

“I don’t get what the fuss is about. It’s pleasant sometimes, and I like the closeness it brings, but other than that, I just don’t get it. The thing is, I really want to get it. Everyone can’t be wrong.”

“You want me to help you get it?”

“I know you have the talent. If you can’t do it, then it probably can’t be done.”

“No pressure.” He watched her smile and knew that he certainly would try to help her see what the fuss was about. There wasn’t a time he hadn’t been attracted to her, but it seemed easier to ignore that part and keep the friendship portion, since he wasn’t in the market for a relationship and she wasn’t the type for a fling.

“It’s not about talent. You just have to let people know what you want.”

“Okay, then I want you…to show me what the fuss is about.”

The slight pause at “you” made him shudder. Whether from delight, terror, or a mixture of both, he wasn’t sure.

“So that’s what you want.”

“The full monty,” she said, and he chuckled at her look of seriousness.

“I don’t want this if it means our friendship may be changed.”

“We are two consenting adults. What could be the problem. I see you at the Fire Hydrant Club all the time, talking to past conquests.”

“Conquests… What is this? The Middle Ages?”

“You know what I mean. You’re very civil to the women who graced your bed, so why couldn’t our relationship have one bubble in it and remain the same?”

“It would be a big bubble,” he said, but he could tell she didn’t believe it would make much difference, and he could feel his competitive spirit being aroused with everything else.

She was straddling his lap as if they sat like this all the time. Her soft cotton panties met his denim jeans, creating a provocative picture. As they talked, she was lightly rocking herself against him again. It was revving him up higher.

He continued to kiss and pet her, and he could tell she wanted to move faster. He was on board with that, but she needed to figure out she would have to talk more to get what she wanted. One suggestion from those pretty lips would get this party started faster.

IF SHE LEFT it up to him, this would just be a public service announcement. She wanted action. She needed answers, and she knew he was the guy to give her both.

What she couldn’t believe was the hot Southern accent that came out of his mouth when he was telling her how explosive she was when she came. She’d thought she knew pretty much everything about Liam, but there was a lot she didn’t know. He must have tucked that accent deep down. The husky voice she heard regularly was enough to do her in, but add in a drawl, and she was ready for round two.

He hadn’t seemed to notice her slight rocking movements when he was talking to her, but she could feel how much he was noticing now. At first it had been involuntary—she looked down and was rocking back and forth, teasing herself with his thick, denim-encased package—but after she realized what she was doing, she continued. She’d been trying to get his attention for a good few years, but before tonight nothing had seemed to work.

She couldn’t believe they’d gotten this far—his hands in her panties and his hot mouth on her breast. Thinking about it was almost enough to make her come again. She wanted to know if she could come with another person during sex. This was almost like masturbation with exceptional masturbatory aids.

His attention was on her now. She didn’t know how long he would let himself be available like this. Every minute had to count. He was doing that thing he always did with his mouth, when he was deliberating what he was going to do next—the slow slide of his thumb along his bottom lip. That was always fun to watch…Mr. Decisive trying to work out a verdict.

Opting to give what he’d asked a try, she got off his lap. Covered only by her white panties, she did her best not to be self-conscious as she walked to the hallway. Hesitating for a quick second, she took a deep breath and turned around to find Liam watching her.

“Come talk to me back here.”

He got up and followed her to her room. What could she say to end the silence? Usually quietness was normal and pleasant for them, but this time it just seemed awkward. She turned around when she got inside her room. She was so nervous she was almost ready to call the whole thing off… Almost.

He was on her as soon as she turned. He must have been taking off clothes as he walked down the hall, because his broad chest was out and on display. As always, when she saw that spectacular sight, her breath caught and she could feel the arousal spreading throughout her body. She couldn’t count how many times she’d seen his chest and wanted to rub it, touch it, lick it…bite it. Now she would get her chance.

His smile was warm, and it was making her hotter. He kissed her and guided her to sit down on the bed. She was eye level with the bulge in his jeans, and she hummed in anticipatory excitement when he put his hands on the top button and opened it.

“Let me do it,” she whispered so low she thought he might not have heard her.

“What?”

“I…I want to do the rest,” she said, looking up into his handsome face. “Do you have a problem with that?”