Ten Thousand Words (34 page)

Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at me. “Have
you
?”

“I fucking asked you first.”

Her lips mashed together. So, I kissed them, rubbing her harder, until her mouth softened, and she let me plunder inside. I sucked her tongue into my mouth and lightly sank my teeth into it, and she gasped in surprise.

When I released it, I demanded, “Have you?”

“No.”

I kissed her again. “Neither have I. You’re the only one I want.”

Her hips jerked, seeking more pressure, and I obliged. Her eyes closed, and her lips parted. I watched greedily as I made her shiver and quake against my fingertips.

“Oh God…” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I murmured.

I was close to coming myself from just seeing her come undone. When her orgasm washed over her, I realized I’d never truly taken the time to watch my previous partners, to see how they lit up from within. I hadn’t ever been bothered to. I was sure they were beautiful in their own way, but Xanthe was beyond them. She forced me to take notice, to witness the subtle changes in her face and body, as she melted from the inside out.

“Gorgeous…” I whispered.

She moaned, going limp and rolling back. I took my hand away from her heat and caressed her from her delicately rounded belly up to her breast, holding it, so I could dip my head and suck gently at the studded nipple. Her fingers wound into my hair again, tugging, sending far too pleasant sensations shooting through me, into the head of my cock.

I had to pull back. “Fuck.”

“Wh-what?”

“I’m about to come,” I replied.

Her smirk was the cutest thing I’d seen. “Lie back,” she commanded.

I did, and Xanthe knelt between my knees and tugged down my boxer briefs. I was panting, breathless to feel her hands on me. Tossing aside my underwear, she grasped the base of me, and her eyes met mine with a wicked glint.

Oh God…she’s going to…

Her face came in closer, and then she dragged her tongue from root to tip before sucking the head of me into her hot, wet mouth.

“Fuck, fuck, Xanthe, I’m not going to last!”

Her long hair spilled over my hip, a soft whisper against my electrified flesh. Tucking her lips around her teeth, she sucked down the whole of me in one smooth go. My eyes bugged before my head dropped back.

“
Oh
, fff…” My hands tangled into her hair.

Her hand slipped from the base of my cock and went to my balls, and my hips jerked. The woman had no fucking gag reflex. For a split second, I blazed with jealousy. She was too good not to have had ample practice, and I fucking hated every man who had known her like this.

She pulled up, swirling her tongue around the head. She dipped the tip of it into the slit—
holy fuck
—and allowed me to push her back down. She squeezed and rolled my balls, and they responded by drawing up tight. I was fucking throbbing from head to toe.

“Love—” I choked, arching against her again. “I’m close…”

She hummed, and it was such a joyful sound that I was done. I tried to pull her up. I couldn’t speak to tell her I was going to come. But she pressed down until I was hitting the back of her throat.

“Fuck!” I screamed. The fiery pressure erupted, flooding out of me and into her. Drained, I flopped lifelessly, shaking and high.

Xanthe stretched out over me, and my arms tightly wrapped around her. I was still trying to breathe. Her hair was wrapped around my arms, my still hard dick pressing into her soft belly. I raised one knee and hooked my leg around her thigh.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone either,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I want nothing more than to hand you everything that I am.”

I couldn’t speak. My heart beat in my throat, and my eyes burned behind my lids. My arms tightened around her.

Somehow, I managed to force air over my vocal cords. “You already hold all that I am.”

Xanthe

I was strutting my arse around the bookstore on Thursday. Waking up in Oliver’s arms had me feeling goofy, love-drunk, and just way too fine to sit still and write anything. Aunt Ellen threw on War’s
Greatest Hits
, and we drove that lowrider all over the shop.

Jaime came over with lunch a little before noon. It was such a nice day that we decided to bring one of the tables outside and eat in the fresh air and sunshine.

“So, you seem to be in a fantastic mood,” Jaime commented as I bit into my sandwich. “What happened after you guys left last night?”

“We went to Emma’s Kitchen, so he could eat something.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then, we went back to my place, and Beefcake mauled Oliver.”

“Love that cat.”

“And then Ollie was too hurt and vulnerable to be sent home after having his arse kicked.”

“Naturally.”

“So, he spent the night. We didn’t have sex, but we fooled around, and I gave him a killer blow job.”

Jaime nodded. “Of course.”

“And he made it clear that he and I are officially together. I guess Trey took on the responsibility of letting Gabriella—”

“Cow.”

“Know about us.”

I sipped my tea, letting the warmth spread through me. It might be a clear, sunny day, but November was chilly.

“Do you think I’m crazy for doing this?” I asked her.

“No. Why?”

“Because he’s…
Ollie
. He bangs models. Lots of them. Women throw themselves at him. I’m just wondering if I’m in a little over my head.”

Jaime stared at me, her face showing a fair amount of incredulousness.

“What?” I asked.

“You do realize, you’re stunning, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not a fucking troll. But I wouldn’t go
that
far.”

“I would. I mean, come on, Xanthe. You even have your gay best friend ready to fuck your brains out if you were so inclined. Doesn’t that say something to you? And need I mention Deo? A man so scorching hot, he sears women’s retinas if they stare too long at him. No, you don’t dress like Gabriella or Bianca, and sometimes, I wonder if you do
anything
with your hair—”

“Oh, ha-ha. Look who’s talking.”

“But you’re fucking gorgeous. Especially since you’ve met this guy. You fucking radiate.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Shut up. I know you’re not the type of person who fishes for compliments, so that’s why I’m not getting overly annoyed.”

“Just annoyed then?”

She nodded. “Oliver didn’t see you at first because he had blinders on. When he finally did, he had to get to know you, and the motherfucker hasn’t left you alone since. I know he thinks you’re beautiful, more so than all the models he’s banged.”

“Bianca is fucking off-the-chain hot,” I pointed out.

“But Ollie doesn’t want her, Xanthe. He wants you. For him, I’m thinking it’s way more than what you look like. So, no, I don’t think you’re in over your head. He most definitely is though. Have you told him…you know? About…”

“Not yet, no. I think we should see if it’s really going to go somewhere before I drop the bomb about how we’re all in a secret organization hell-bent on saving the world.”

“Yeah, that might be a good idea. Is he hanging out tonight?”

“He, uh…he might have mentioned that he wanted to wake up with me again.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

When we had woken up this morning, we’d both been grinning like idiots. It had felt so wonderful, waking up to his bushy kisses, his hands roaming all over me, him grinding his morning wood into my backside.

“Every morning,” he’d said quietly in my ear, “we’re going to wake up like this, all right?”

“
Every
morning?” I’d asked, laughing.

“Mmhmm.”

“Are you moving in?” I joked. Then, I’d panicked. I had made the mistake of letting my emotions run wild with this man before. There was no way I could be so stupid as to let that happen again.

“We’ll figure that out later. For now, I just want to wake up to you every day,” he’d replied.

That had calmed my panic some.

“Earth to Bro Dawg,” Jaime drawled.

“Huh? Oh. What?”

“Are you staying at his place?”

I shook my head. “He said he wanted to stay at my place again. He’s making me clear out a drawer for him in the bathroom.”

“Uh-oh. That does sound serious. I bet he’s got more hair products than you do.”

“For real. He uses that shit Deo made in his beard. I swear, it’s like vaporized opium. I think that’s how he’s tricked me into this so quickly. Every time I smell it, I just want to lie down and spread my legs.”

“Ricki stank like rotten seafood this morning. Made him shampoo that shit twice before I let him kiss me.”

I busted out laughing.

“Well, speak of the devil…” Jaime murmured.

Turning my head, I followed her gaze and spotted Oliver
and
Bianca walking toward us.

“What’s he doing, bringing her here?” my Bro Dawg huffed.

“He doesn’t look too happy,” I said quietly.

In fact, Oliver looked ready to do some damage. Bianca, on the other hand, looked jubilant. The pair of them came right up, and Ollie bent down to give me a quick kiss.

“Hey, love. You got a minute?”

“Sure. Is everything okay?”

He squatted down next to me, taking my sandwich-free hand. He was making me feel nervous.

“I’m flying to Geneva tonight.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“It’s for Timeless, and Gabriella is coming.”

“Well, I guess that explains the grump face.”

“You could say that. I was looking forward to being with you, but—”

“It’s fine, Oliver.”

He breathed in deeply. “Is there any chance you could come with me?”

I shook my head. “I’ve taken too much time off already.”

He nodded. “I figured you’d say that.”

“When do you come back?” I asked.

“Sunday evening sometime.”

“That’s not so bad.”

Oliver shrugged. “I’d rather be—”

“Ollie! Stop it! Moping will do nothing but make her depressed,” admonished Bianca. “And I need her to be happy when she signs my new copy of
Haunted Bonds
.”

Oliver’s eyes twinkled up at me, and he grinned. “She wants to hang out with you tonight. With Gabby and me in Geneva, she only has Trey, and Bianca’s into more fun things than he is.”

“Oh?” asked Jaime. “What sort of fun things?”

“What do you have in mind?” Bianca asked flirtatiously.

Oliver and I headed inside, giving Bianca my seat. No doubt, Jaime would grill the woman, getting as much as she could about Oliver’s past conquests. Oliver didn’t seem too concerned, instead heading straight for the cabinet behind the counter for his penance box.

“I was thinking of taking these with me just to finish,” he said.

“I wouldn’t. If they got lost, you’d be screwed.”

“Yeah, there’s that. I’ll get as much done as I can now then.”

He set himself up at the one table by the window. “I wanted to take you to my place this weekend,” he muttered, pulling out a silver marker from his camera bag.

“Really?”

He looked up at me. “Yes. I’ve never had a woman in my bed. You’ll be the only one.”

“Never?” I asked, taking the seat across from him. I found that hard to believe.

“Never,” he replied. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever woken up with. I don’t—
didn’t
—actually sleep with my, um…past lovers.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged, and his cheeks flushed slightly. “I never wanted to.”

“You slept next to me with no problem the first time.”

He raised his gaze back to mine. “I know. And the second time. And the third.”

“That’s so weird,” I said.

“I just never wanted to share that with someone. Not until I met you.”

I had to break eye contact. I didn’t know what to do about the heated surge his eyes brought out in me.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” I glanced out the window, still feeling his gaze singeing me. “What time do you fly out?”

“Eight twenty-five.”

The doorbells chimed as Bianca and Jaime strolled in. Bianca picked up a hardcover edition of
Haunted Bonds
before looking around, a brilliant smile on her pixie face.

Seriously, Oliver chose
me
over
her
? It doesn’t make any sense. Why me when that is available to him whenever he wants?

I spared him a quick glance, only to find him staring at me. “What?”

“She wanted to get a book signed. That’s why she came with me.”

“I know.”

“Then, why are you looking at her like you’re about to cry?”

“I am not!” I said heatedly.

I got up so that I wouldn’t have to suffer the Brazilian Inquisition. His eyes narrowed at me, and I ignored him.

“Well, it looks like I’ll be seeing you both later,” said Jaime, opening her arms and giving me a hug. “Ricki’s gonna go apeshit if I take any longer of a lunch break.”

“All right,” I replied, hugging her back.

“Good seeing you, Bianca,” she said, not really sparing the woman another glance.

I watched Jaime walk out, feeling weird to be stuck with Oliver and his ex—or whatever the hell she was.