Chapter 40

40

ROAN

S he smiled and shook her head. "You are hard to say no to."

"Good." I grinned. "Would you like a drink? Wine? Something a little stronger?"

She bobbed her head. "Well, since I'm not driving, I guess that would be nice. Wine would be great, thank you."

Relief washed over me. She was staying. She wasn't in a hurry to run away from me.

Nodding, I stepped away to retrieve the bottle from the wine fridge. I kept telling myself this meant nothing. This was a couple of friends hanging out. Nothing more. There could not be any sex. We had agreed.

As I poured the wine, I thought about how comfortable it felt to have her here with us. She belonged here. She fit into our little world perfectly. She made it better.

I walked to the living room, glasses in hand to find her standing by the fireplace, staring at Beau's sleeping figure. She turned when she saw me. The only light in the room was from the flames dancing. It cast her in a warm glow, highlighting her features and making her look like an angel.

"He looks so peaceful." She smiled. "I think I might get one of those portable type fireplaces. I see them at the thrift stores all the time. I think he might really enjoy it."

"He does look very cozy." I handed her the glass of wine. "To a successful dinner and friends spending time together."

"To an amazing evening," she said, returning the toast. We raised our glasses and sipped at the wine. It was a good vintage—smooth and rich—with just enough edge to make your taste buds tingle. She closed her eyes with a satisfied hum as she savored it. I wasn't a big wine drinker, but this was pretty good.

"He did a nice job on that lasagna, didn't he?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's amazing," Alaina replied, staring at the flickering flames.

"He loves cooking. Unfortunately, I'm not great at it and I can't teach him much. He really had a lot of fun learning from you tonight."

She turned to look at me, her gaze softening. "He's lucky to have you." There was such genuine warmth in her voice that it warmed my heart. "You don't have to be a good cook. He just likes hanging out with you and learning from you. I think it's very sweet."

"You think so?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light even though her words meant more to me than I cared to admit.

"You know I do."

I took her hand and led her to the couch. We sat down, enjoying each other's presence. It felt right, even though the inner turmoil I felt at wanting her but denying myself was tearing me up. I had to be the stupidest man alive not to jump in with both feet with this woman. Trauma from my past was messing up my present and possibly my future.

Alaina put her glass on the coffee table before silently taking mine from my hand and doing the same. I watched her, enchanted by her every movement. She calmly turned and straddled my lap, her hands gently cupping my face.

It was like a fantasy coming true. Her beautiful blue eyes locked onto mine, her soft curves pressing against my hard muscles as she positioned herself on my lap. The fact that she was making the first move was a relief. It was like she had read my mind and understood I needed her to take control.

She brushed her lips over mine. As they met, a jolt of electricity shot through me. Her kiss was deep and passionate, her tongue teasing my lips to open for her. The way she tasted was intoxicating. I found myself lost in the sensation, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.

Now that the dam had been broken, I didn't hold back any longer. My hands found their way to her waist, pulling her tightly against me as if I never wanted to let her go. The heat between us was intense as we both surrendered to the moment. All thoughts of friendship and boundaries melted away as our passion ignited, consuming us in a fiery embrace. The kiss deepened, becoming more urgent and desperate.

She pulled back just a little, breathless and flushed with desire. I searched Alaina's eyes for any sign of regret or hesitation. But all I found was raw need and longing mirrored in her gaze. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. That was all the assurance I needed. I slid my hand up her back and cradled her neck, pulling her mouth back to mine. I wasn't finished. I wanted to devour her.

Our lips met once more in a fierce, hungry kiss, our bodies moving with a primal need that had been simmering beneath the surface. Every touch, every caress sent shivers down my spine, igniting a fire within me that consumed all reason.

Alaina's fingers tangled in my hair, her breath mingling with mine. I wanted to lose myself in her completely, to forget everything except the exquisite sensation of her skin against mine.

As if reading my thoughts, Alaina leaned in closer, her lips blazing a path from my mouth to my jawline, leaving a trail of scorching kisses in their wake. I groaned and cupped her face, guiding her back to meet my gaze. Our eyes locked, a silent understanding passing between us. Without words, we both knew that this was more than just a fleeting desire—it was a connection that ran deep, a true connection we had suppressed for far too long.

She slid her hands up my shirt, her fingertips brushing across my skin, causing me to jerk. Alaina's touch seared through me like a wildfire, leaving me breathless and needing more. My senses were ablaze with a hunger that only she could satisfy. The chemistry between us was undeniable.

She slid back on my lap and quickly undid the button on my jeans, slowly pulling my zipper down. I watched as she moved off my lap and knelt between my legs. My heart was pounding hard in anticipation of what was to come.

She looked up at me with a half-smile. I watched as she reached for my throbbing dick, wrapping her hand around it and gently pulling. A moan escaped my lips. I had to be quiet but she was making it nearly impossible.

She began to stroke me gently, increasing her pace in a torturous way. I slid down a few inches on the couch, silently begging her to take me into her mouth.

When she did, I was certain I would just keel over and die of exquisite pleasure right there on my couch with my cock in her mouth. Her lips wrapped around me. The heat and wetness of her mouth were overwhelming. I gripped the couch cushions tightly, trying to stay in control as she slid her lips down my cock, taking me deep into her mouth.

I watched as she looked up at me, her eyes full of lust and desire. She increased her pace, taking me deeper and faster, every stroke causing a jolt of pleasure to run through me. I could feel my release building, the tension inside of me mounting.

But I didn't want it to end. I wanted this moment to last forever. I wanted to savor every single second. I wanted to engrave her in my memory so that I could replay it over and over in my mind whenever I needed to feel her again.

I reached down, gently grabbing the back of her head, lifting her face away from me just enough to catch my breath. But she wasn't ready to stop. Her hand fondled my balls as her tongue lapped up and down my shaft, driving me out of my mind. I let out a loud groan and dropped my head back against the couch, closing my eyes and giving myself to the moment.

"More," I gasped, unable to hold back my plea for more of her arousing touch. Alaina seemed to understand and continued her skilled attentions, driving me closer and closer to the edge.

I could feel my body trembling, the pleasure building up inside me, threatening to consume me whole. I held on to the couch, trying to ground myself. My entire body was tense, the sound of her sucking me echoed around the room. And then, just as I thought I couldn't take any more, she took me deep into her throat and held me there. I cried out in ecstasy, my release flooding through me as I gave in to the fierce passion between us.

As I came down from my peak, I opened my eyes and found Alaina looking at me with a satisfied smile. She gently pulled away from me, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Holy fuck," I groaned.

She smiled and slowly got to her feet. I grabbed her and jerked her back onto the couch. "Where are you going?"

"I was going to go to bed." She giggled.

"Alone?"

"Well, I was hoping to have company, but I suppose I could go alone."

"Like hell," I growled.

I looked into her eyes and felt the need to tell her how I felt. This was the right time. We were clearly feeling a lot more than friendly feelings. This could be the start of something new. Something really good.

"Alaina, can we talk for a minute?" I asked.

She raised her eyebrows. "Right now?"

Before I could say anything more, my phone rang. I saw it was Jake and quickly declined the call. I put it down, prepared to pour my heart out to Alaina when it rang again.

"Hold on," I said with irritation.

I snatched the phone. "What?" I answered irritably. "What's going on? If you're in jail or in trouble, I'm sure it was your fault."

"We've got a problem," Jake said. "More like you have a problem."