He interrupted her with a kiss. "Stay. It'd give me a perfect excuse to f.u.c.k you all night long. And I'll be a nice, obedient boy toy and give you morning s.e.x before taking you to work."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized asking her to stay overnight was a far cry from his usual never-stay-the-night, f.u.c.k-and-fly stunts. In fact, that they were at his place, half-naked, eating and joking after having s.e.x was already a huge aberration for him. They were heading into relationship muddle, but f.u.c.k if he could stop himself. He liked being with her.

She snorted. "Obedient? Somehow I don't see you that way."

She had that right. "We can ride together to the library, give the volunteer ladies there something to talk about. Unless you're scared it'd ruin your reputation."

"Oh, I'm okay with the walk of shame. Besides, I think my reputation is ruined already. I don't think there's a soul in this town that would believe you're up for immaculate dating."

He traced his thumb over her lower lip. "What do you usually eat for breakfast?"

She shrugged. "All sorts of things, as long as they don't have refined sugar or flour."

So not a cereal girl. "Bacon, eggs, and coffee then."

She puckered. "No coffee, I don't like it. Anything that needs tons of sugar and milk to disguise its taste is not good."

He chuckled. "Ah, and your diet soda is...?"

"A problem, I know. I'm working on it."

Her smile was so s.e.xy. "Okay, so bacon and eggs and diet soda it is."

"Cole...?" she asked, her voice shaky as he parted her legs and wedged his thighs in between. "What are you...?"

"It's three a.m.," he said, nipping her throat. "I'm being a nice, obedient boy toy and giving you morning s.e.x. Take the shirt off."

She began to shake her head, but he curled his fingers on the side of her neck and, tipping her head back, kissed her. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. He could work around her hang-ups. And Christy was much more agreeable when she was aroused.

It took several minutes of him kissing and petting her, but soon she was panting and didn't complain when he slid her shirt off. She was flushed and for a second looked embarra.s.sed, but she complied.

"You're so beautiful," he said as he tugged her mussed-up hair behind her, leaving her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and her stomach exposed, his hands gently exploring her.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to try flattering me with empty words. You're getting into my pants."

He frowned. What was with her and compliments? He didn't like the way she acted when he complimented her, how her chin jutted out stubbornly, how her eyes narrowed in disbelief. Every time he said she was beautiful, she acted as if he was lying.

Not willing to have an argument with her now, he decided to let it slide. Picking a fight with her wouldn't help her loosen up.

"You need to learn I don't say things I don't mean, but you're right about one thing: I am getting into your pants."

He lowered his gaze to the glistering moisture falling from her puffy pink folds, dampening her inner thighs. Just the thought that she'd gotten that aroused by him kissing and fondling her made his c.o.c.k pound in desperation. "Make yourself come, babe...for me." She blushed even harder. "Come on, Christy, I want to see," he said as he kissed her again and again, until she was back in that haze state where she seemed to forget all her inhibitions.

"You lick them this time," she whispered, placing her fingers in front of his lips.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. Her fingers were small and cool, and her eyes glimmered in excitement as he licked her.

Slowly she took her fingers from his mouth and brought them to her p.u.s.s.y. Just like that he was ready to come.

She played with herself, a bit awkwardly, eyes closed, head tilted forward, hair falling over her face-hiding.

"Don't hide," he commanded, harshly stroking himself.

She obeyed, her hungry stare roaming over him, almost undoing him as it settled on his raging hard-on.

Little by little, as her cute fingers became bolder, she got more adventurous and tipped her head back, her legs opening more. Breath labored, her back arched, pressing herself against her hand.

She was trying and she was close, but she didn't know how to get where she needed to go.

"Do you need any help, sweetheart?"

She nodded. "Yes, please. Make me come, Cole. I ache."

"What do you want, sweet thing-my fingers, my c.o.c.k, my mouth?"

She blushed. "I...ah, I want it all, Cole."

At her words he got even harder. She was such a contradiction. Shy and embarra.s.sed one moment, daring and wicked the next.

He kissed her hard. "Let's start with my fingers, shall we?"

While she kept playing with her c.l.i.t, he burrowed two fingers in her clenching p.u.s.s.y, then hooked them and rubbed her G-spot.

She whimpered.

"You feel amazing, baby." He took one of her hands and brought it to his c.o.c.k. "Feel how hard I am? You do this to me. Come for me, Christy. Show me how much you want me."

"Oh G.o.d, Cole, I-"

"I got you. Give it to me, Christy. Now."

He flicked his tongue over the side of her neck and took a bite, suckling and drawing her flesh inside his mouth.

She came, long and sweet, her tight p.u.s.s.y squeezing him, her whole body trembling in his arms.

c.o.c.k leaking like a motherf.u.c.ker, legs shaking, and heart about to come out of his mouth, he watched her, mesmerized. He loved the way she came. Her body tensed while her whole expression relaxed, mouth slightly parted, eyes closed.

As she began relaxing, she covered her face and shuddered in silent laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"I hate kitchens. Nothing good ever happened to me in a kitchen. Except for now. I think I love your kitchen."

He pulled her to the edge of the counter and, taking himself in hand, directed his c.o.c.k to her puffed-up folds. "And you're going to love it more by the time I'm done with you." He slid up and down her slit, circling her tender c.l.i.t, reveling in her shudders. When he was totally wet from her juices and completely crazed from need, he poised at her entrance.

"Are you ready for me now? I need you so f.u.c.king badly it hurts."

Eyes glazed with pa.s.sion and residual pleasure, she nodded.

He slid the crown in, the instant heat zapping his brain. Oh G.o.d. He was halfway in when he realized he was bareback. He froze. "f.u.c.k. Condom."

What the h.e.l.l was wrong with him? He didn't do fluids...at all. h.e.l.l, he would have had his d.i.c.k laminated a long time ago if that were a possibility. Apart from risking diseases, it was too intimate. The same as kissing. Or hugging. With Christy, though, it came naturally.

"I have to go for a condom," he said, but he didn't move. Couldn't actually.

"Wait, Cole." She looked at him with uncertain eyes, her p.u.s.s.y pulsing around his c.o.c.k, her sweet hands clutching his shoulders. "I know now is not the moment to talk about this, but I am on the pill, have been for years because of irregular menstruation. You can come inside me if you want to. I'm safe. And clean." She giggled quietly. "I guess you'd need to see some paperwork-"

He would have thought so too. He thought he'd need to have a long and extensive conversation with her. Go through her s.e.x history, check some blood work, but apparently his c.o.c.k didn't need all that, for he surged into her. The extreme heat engulfing him robbed him of his last shred of control.

"f.u.c.k, Christy, too good. Too f.u.c.king good."

He should have told her before thrusting in that he was safe too, but at her offer he'd lost his mind. Along with his speech capabilities.

He didn't have any elaborate words to describe what he was feeling. The condoms, thin as they were, allowed him to keep his distance and his cool. Being bathed in her heat, without any barrier, had him in total sensory overload. He could already feel the coming o.r.g.a.s.m hurdling at the base of his nape, tightening his b.a.l.l.s, his c.u.m already pulsing at the head of his shaft, begging to jet out.

"Hold on to me, sweetheart," he ordered in a guttural tone as he tugged her against him and began thrusting into her. He wanted her arms hugging him, her legs clasping around him, her p.u.s.s.y sucking him in. Suddenly he couldn't stand the physical distance he craved during s.e.x. All he needed was for her to hold on to him tight and let him come inside her-deep inside.

He stared into her eyes. Witch eyes. Hypnotizing him. "Sorry, babe...can't make it last... Going to come."

She kissed him deeply and squeezed her muscles around him. f.u.c.k. Checkmate.

With bruising force, he let himself go and o.r.g.a.s.med for what seemed like forever. When it was over, he had the weird feeling she'd taken more from him than just his c.u.m.

Chapter Nine.

Christy paid for her soda and looked around. Tonight was a low-key event, no fund-raising dinner or dance, just good old outdoor-movie night. And thank G.o.d for it. Alden was a small town, but boy these people knew how to party.

The whole park was packed, but she soon found Sophie at the far end and walked toward her, dropping onto a wooden chair the second she reached her, tired after a long day. She hadn't had time to properly sit when Rose and her entourage approached them, the beautiful blonde glancing around and then focusing on Christy, disdain oozing from her.

"Where did you leave Cole? Or has he gotten tired of you already?"

Sophie snorted. "Wouldn't you wish that."

"He's filling in for Mike down at the gym-karate lesson. I'm very surprised you aren't there drooling."

"We weren't drooling," Rose retorted.

Ah, so they'd been there. What a surprise.

"I still can't believe he's dating you. Did he lose a bet or something?" she asked, looking toward her friends.

b.i.t.c.h. Christy shrugged and offered her a sweet smile. "What do you want me to say? I just want to f.u.c.k the man, but he insists on dating me. Go figure that one."

Rose's malicious eyes narrowed on her. "Enjoy it while it lasts. You can't hold on to a man like that. You don't have what it takes."

And with that parting shot Rose strode away, all long legs and swinging hips.

"'You don't have what it takes,'" Sophie repeated, mocking Rose's tone. "And what's that, Botox and a bad case of s.l.u.ttiness?"

Christy smiled, although deep down she agreed with Rose; she didn't have what it took to keep a man like Cole. Not that keeping him was part of the deal anyway.

"Ignore her. Rose is a grade-A b.i.t.c.h. She was insufferable back in high school, and she's insufferable now. She's one of those girls who can't stand the fact that their glorious teen years are gone."

Christy so knew the type. Time had pa.s.sed, but Rose was still stuck shaking pom-poms and offering her a.s.s to the captain of the football team. Pathetic.

"That she's making herself available for Cole and he's pa.s.sing on her must be killing her."

"It seems to be killing many. I'm getting tired of this s.h.i.t. It was fun at the beginning to see all those girls throwing themselves at Cole, but jeez, it's annoying." She'd been his make-believe girlfriend for a week, and all the vamps buzzing around him were already getting to her.

The truth was, she really liked spending time with Cole, and not only in bed. Aside from a couple of afternoons in Boston shopping with Annie for a gown for the gala, she'd spent all her free time with Cole. He was a dominant, take-charge male who took a lot of s.p.a.ce, but in spite of it she enjoyed herself in his company-a lot. Too much probably. There was something about him that drew her in. He wasn't as easygoing or laid-back as his brothers were-he was more contained, more reserved. With an edge of hardness in him that his brothers lacked, but he was considerate and fun to be around. And he was a great date. She loved the way he looked at her, as if she were the only woman in the world, never mind who else was around. And the way he listened to her, genuinely listened to her. Although they didn't agree much about anything and he was highly opinionated, he always respected her views and never put her down. He was so unlike Todd, who used to roll his eyes condescendingly at her comments and always mocked her.

"How are things in the library? Are you still swamped with volunteers?"

Volunteers her a.s.s. "Let's just say that the several leeches hanging around take a lot of s.p.a.ce." And their b.i.t.c.hing and their ordering around. Christy tried to stay out of their way as much as she could, but the annoying women gravitated toward Cole as if the man was their sun or some s.h.i.t like that, and as Cole spent a lot of time around her, she was stuck with them too.

Their attempts to get her fired hadn't worked, yet try they did. But whatever, they were welcome to her job, although she seriously doubted they could find their way around a computer.

"Anyway, the opening will be right on schedule. I won't have to put up with them for too long," she said as she unwrapped a lollipop and, opening the lid of her soda, dipped it in and then put it in her mouth.

Sophie laughed. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Cherry-flavored diet soda. Or soda-flavored cherry lollipop. Take your pick."

As Christy munched on her lollipop, she looked up to find Aunt Maggie and Mrs. Patty from the Salvation Army smiling at her. Before she could react, Mrs. Patty hugged her effusively.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Christy blushed. She'd dropped the ring off at the Salvation Army anonymously. Although she should have known better than to a.s.sume anything could stay anonymous in this town.

"I...hmm...my pleasure."

"h.e.l.lo, dear." Aunt Maggie kissed and hugged her too. "We're seeing each other this Sunday, right?"

"About that. I don't think I'll be able to make it."

She could make it, but she wasn't sure she should. Barbecues at the Bowens were a family affair, a bit outside her sphere of duties. And Cole hadn't even invited her. Their faked dates probably didn't include intruding into his personal life, where he didn't have to fend off groupies.

"Nonsense. Of course you can make it. Don't be late. And don't worry-no wheat. I know." Before Christy could complain, they turned around and left.

Christy had run into Cole's aunt several times during the last week, and although she'd hugged and kissed Christy to death, she hadn't made any comment about her relationship with Cole until two days ago, when she'd met her on her way home and invited her to the barbecue. Well, invite would be too mild a word. She'd told her the day and the time and all but ordered her to come with Cole. By the time Christy had thought of a comeback, the old lady had gone. It looked like attack and run away was a regular tactic of hers, because she'd done it again.