8. Crossland

CHAPTER 8

Crossland

It was a rare thing when our monthly poker game and a Calgary versus Reaper game ended up in the same weekend.

And it was even rarer for everyone, including spouses and girlfriends, to have the time off to attend both.

The fact that I had my entire chosen family in one hotel suite was the only thing that took the sting out of losing to Asher’s team.

It was a close game, one that I spent half of my time watching Aspen enjoy more than I did watching my players. I couldn’t help it; it was sexy as hell to watch her cheering on my team from the owner’s box that Asher and I shared that night.

She had no qualms about rubbing it in Asher’s face every time we scored, but in the end, the Reapers had pulled out a win. Aspen had been supportive through the loss, taking my hand in a comforting squeeze once the clock ran out.

Asher had been doing his fair share of gloating during dinner, or as much of gloating as Asher allowed himself to do, but now we were all back in the villa I’d rented for all of us, and we were gathered in the living room for after-dinner drinks.

I lingered behind the marble kitchen island, playing bartender and mixing up several requested gin and tonics for Aspen, Daisy, Alexandra, and Brynn. Then I poured whiskeys for myself, Asher, Ethan, Weston, and Gareth.

“Are you sure you don’t want a drink?” I asked Serenity, who had been left with a few security details that we’d demanded remain outside the villa. Her father, Doyle, was unfortunately included because of the poker game, but he’d gone out for the night. And thank fuck for that. I didn’t want that asshole mucking up an already losing night.

“No, thank you,” Serenity said, her voice so soft it was almost like she never spoke up or she’d been reprimanded enough about being loud that she’d trained herself not to. And from what I’d seen of the interactions with her asshole of a father, I was betting on the latter.

Sympathy pricked me as I noted her gazing longingly at my friends that had gathered with their drinks among the plush sofas and armchairs in the center of the living room that connected to the kitchen.

I hated that she likely felt separate when it came to our little group, although she’d become a staple part of it since Doyle won a seat in our monthly game. The man rarely traveled anywhere without her, but treated her like this prized commodity that wasn’t worth respect or affection. And that was just what he showed us.

“How about a mocktail?” I asked her. “I make a mean cranberry and soda with lime.” I smiled at her, reaching for another crystal tumbler.

Serenity’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

I quickly mixed the ingredients before passing her the glass and motioning for her to join us in the living room.

“I haven’t played that game since college,” Gareth grumbled as we joined the group.

Serenity split off from me, electing to sit on the floor near where Gareth sat in an armchair. It almost looked comical, the sweet and innocent-looking Serenity folding her legs beneath her near the grumpy, fierce-faced Gareth. Maybe she gravitated toward him because he’d spoken on her behalf when Doyle berated her, but I always thought there was something more there, even when Gareth constantly assured me there couldn’t be.

“What are we playing?” I asked, taking a seat next to Aspen where she sat on the love seat.

Asher, Daisy, Brynn, and Weston took up the sofa across from us, a little mahogany coffee table situated between us. Ethan and Alex sat just to the right of us, Alex on Ethan’s lap where he sat in the other armchair.

“Daisy wants us to play Never Have I Ever,” Brynn explained.

I cocked a brow at her.

“What?” Daisy asked innocently. “It’s for book research.”

I barely held back a laugh. I eyed Asher, who told us just enough about her book research to make her request for this game viable.

“I’m in,” Aspen said, raising her hand in the most adorable way.

I leaned back against the love seat, effortlessly smiling down at her eagerness to play a game with my friends. She’d folded herself into this group without a hint of hesitance. It didn’t matter that this was a contract between us, she was unequivocally and unapologetically herself.

The only thing fake about her was our relationship. That fact sat heavy on my chest for a few moments, but I shifted in my seat, distracting myself from the feeling by taking a moment to admire how freaking beautiful she looked sitting next to me.

She still donned the Calgary jersey I’d gifted her that morning, with black leggings accentuating her long legs that she’d tucked beneath her, a pair of rainbow socks covering her feet. Her colorful hair looked silky soft and almost iridescent thanks to the crackling fire roaring behind us.

“Crossland?” Ethan said my name like he’d said it a few times before, and I blinked out of my appreciation of Aspen, slowly drawing my gaze to my friend.

“Hmm?” I asked, and my friends chuckled.

“Are you in?” Ethan asked.

I quickly realized they were asking me about the game, and I nodded. “I’m so in.”

“Yay!” Daisy clapped and raised her glass. “I’ll start us off and whoever wants to go next can, and so on and so forth. Got it?” Everyone nodded, and she smiled. “Never have I ever used restraints in bed.”

Every single person in the room took a sip of their drink, openly admitting that they had, in fact, used restraints…Except for Serenity.

I was shocked to see Aspen drinking too. I cocked a brow at her, and she smiled with a shrug.

“Why do you look so shocked?” she asked, her voice lowered between just the two of us while the others laughed and joked among themselves.

“I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing,” I admitted.

“You never asked,” she said so simply I suddenly felt foolish for not asking.

But in reality, I had no business asking.

We weren’t actually dating, regardless of how real that kiss felt last week. Jesus, every time I thought about it, I had to lock down my muscles to not take that thought any further. She’d been so damn responsive, giving me every bit that I gave her, and it made me think all sorts of little things about just how responsive she’d be in other areas.

Nope. Can’t go there.

“Never have I ever kissed a stranger,” Alex said, continuing with the game.

Everyone but Aspen, Serenity, and Brynn took a drink.

Interesting. Aspen had never kissed a stranger. I made a mental note to thank Daisy later for bringing up the game. I was suddenly learning more intimate details about Aspen than I’d ever thought to ask before, and I thirsted for every new answer.

“Never have I ever role-played,” Brynn said.

Everyone but Serenity drink.

And while I was gobbling up the details about Aspen like an eager boyfriend, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Serenity, who had yet to take a drink on any question. Just how sheltered had Doyle kept her all these years? It wasn’t a bad thing to not have these experiences, but that was only if that was her choice. With the way Doyle kept her cloistered, I highly doubted it was up to her.

“Never have I ever said I love you to a partner,” Daisy said when no one else offered a question.

Everyone but Aspen, myself, Serenity, and Gareth drank. And yeah, I guess that one was pretty obvious since the rest of the people in the room were all either technically engaged or married.

“Never have I ever sexted,” I said raising my drink to my lips. Everyone but Aspen, Serenity, and Gareth drank.

Aspen eyed my confused look, then shook her head. “If you have something to ask me Crossland, just ask me.”

I smirked, loving how she didn’t hesitate to call out what she could clearly read on my face. I leaned closer to her, making sure we were the only two that could hear. “How is it that you have experience with restraints, but you’ve never sexted? I know they’re both a trust thing, but you think one would come before the other.”

“It is a trust thing,” she said.

“So you trusted someone to restrain you but not to sext you?”

A delightful little flush rushed over her cheeks. “Who said that I was the one restrained?”

My lips parted, shock barreling through me at her sassy little remark. The idea of her being the one to tie me up completely unraveled me, almost so much that I damn near missed the next question.

“Never have I ever had sex in the office,” Asher said, immediately raising his drink to his lips. Weston, Ethan, Brynn, and Daisy followed suit, leaving Alex, Aspen, myself, Gareth, and Serenity to not drink.

“Never have I ever come within five minutes,” Weston said.

Not one of my male friends drank, and where I expected all the women in the room to drink, only Alex, Brynn, and Daisy did.

Serenity didn’t.

Aspen didn’t.

“Oops,” Weston said, his eyes widening as he noted Aspen’s lack of drinking before he gave me a squeamish look.

The same look that Asher, Gareth, and Ethan were now giving me.

And I understood why they were looking at me with such confused disappointment. Aspen and I had been together for a month now, which meant I was doing something horribly wrong in the bedroom if I’d never made her come in less than five minutes.

I quickly set down my drink and stood up, turning toward Aspen with a hand outstretched. “If you’ll excuse us,” I said the second she took my hand, a look of confusion on her face as I tugged her out of the living room, up the stairs, and down the hallway to our shared room.

I quickly shut the door behind us and had barely turned around to face Aspen before she was apologizing.

“I’m so sorry, Crossland,” she said urgently. “This is my second drink. I’m a little buzzed, and I wasn’t thinking.” She cringed a little, shaking her head. “I didn’t think about how my answer would make you look⁠—”

“Aspen,” I said her name softly, cutting her off as I crossed the distance between us to look down at her. “I didn’t bring you up here to reprimand you.”

Her shoulders dropped slightly, and it killed me to see how tense she was.

“Did you really think that’s why I brought you up here?” I asked, baffled at her reaction. Fuck, had I been treating her so badly that she thought one assumed misstep would send me into lecture mode?

“I…” She blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I just figured I’d embarrassed you and in my world that usually means trouble.”

I tipped her chin up, so she’d meet my eyes. “Not in my world.”

Her bottom lip trembled slightly, and I grazed my thumb over it.

“Then why did you bring me up here?” she asked, her voice a whisper between us.

Why had I?

Fuck, the truth wouldn’t be an answer she’d want to hear.

“Crossland,” she urged, leaning closer to me like she just couldn’t help it.

“Partly because I wanted to make sure you weren’t about to get grilled about that answer by everyone, in case you were uncomfortable⁠—”

“I wasn’t,” she assured me. “I love your friends. And I’d never be embarrassed about my answers. They’re my experiences. I own them.” She shrugged.

I tilted my head. “You’ve really never…”

“Gotten off in five minutes?” She filled in when I couldn’t. “No, I really haven’t.”

“Fucking hell, Aspen,” I said, my muscles clenching with need. “You’re missing out. An experienced partner would’ve⁠—”

“That’s not fair,” she said. “I’ve been with plenty of⁠—”

“Inexperienced partners,” I cut her off, no room for argument in my tone. “Any partner who doesn’t take care of you first is nothing less.”

Fire churned in her eyes. “Maybe it’s me,” she said. “Maybe I take longer than other people. That’s not a bad thing.”

“Of course it’s not a bad thing,” I said. “But I feel like it’s more a lack of knowledge from previous partners, and less to do with you.”

She tipped her chin, defiant as ever, and I dropped my hand, no longer needing to gently hold her attention. She was all fire now, no hint of hesitance or insecurity about her. “What was the other part?”

I furrowed my brow.

“You said you brought me up here partly because you wanted to make sure I was comfortable. What was the other part?”

Oh. Well, I guess there was no getting around it.

“Instinct,” I answered. Maybe she’d be satisfied with that.

“What instinct?”

Or maybe not.

“You don’t want to know.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”

I raked a hand through my hair.

“I’m not some delicate princess, Crossland,” she said. “Tell me⁠—”

“To get you off in less than five minutes.” The words rolled off my tongue quick and solid. I rarely tried to hold myself back from saying anything, but with Aspen, the last thing I wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable with our arrangement and bolt as a result. “But don’t worry,” I hurried to add. “I’m a big boy. I can control my instincts⁠—”

“You couldn’t,” she cut me off, and my brows rose.

“Excuse me?”

She shrugged. “I told you before, I never have. It takes me longer. You couldn’t.”

“I could,” I said, with every ounce of confidence I possessed.

A wild sort of grin shaped her lips as her eyes flickered to my mouth. “So cocky,” she said, shaking her head.

“Confident,” I countered.

Her eyes met mine. “Then prove it.”

Flames speared through my veins, the sensation so intense I took a step away from her. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” she said. “I think it would do you good to be proven wrong for once.”

I half-smiled, half-gaped at her. “Careful, kitten,” I said. “If I prove you wrong, it’ll be all I can do to keep you from begging for more.”

“Ha!” she huffed, nothing but delight in her eyes. “And you’re so sure it won’t be the other way around? See, all cockiness with nothing real to back it up.”

“Oh, I assure you, I have everything to back it up.”

She popped her hip to the side, a little move that I tracked and filed away as a tell of hers—she was digging in. “There’s nothing in our contract that says we can’t,” she said. “So, prove it.”

I turned around, walking toward the door, hearing her sigh that sounded a hell of a lot like disappointment. I reached for the doorknob and flicked the lock before turning to face her again.

Her eyes widened and she visibly swallowed.

She’d thought I was leaving her.

Thought I was disregarding what she so openly offered. A challenge for sure, but I’d never been one to back down.

I crossed the distance between us, rolling my shirtsleeves up to the elbow, my suit jacket already discarded somewhere downstairs. I slid my hands into my pants pockets to keep them contained for the moment.

“I need you to tell me you want this,” I said. “Need you to tell me this isn’t a joke or some sassy banter. You’re not pressured into this just because you started this game. You say you don’t want me to touch you, and I won’t.”

“Seriously?”

“Absolutely,” I said. “I need to know you’re one-hundred-percent into this moment with me or we don’t move forward.”

She grinned softly. “Yes,” she said.

“Yes, what?” I asked, allowing my eyes to trail the length of her gorgeous body. I lingered on the curves I was desperate to worship, but somehow made my eyes move back to hers.

“Touch me,” she said. “I want you to touch me.”

I took my hands out of my pockets, reaching for her as I gently cupped her face. “I need you to get more specific, kitten,” I said, lowering my face to within an inch of hers. “Tell me exactly what you want me to do to you.”

Her breathing hitched, and her lips opened and closed a few times as she tried to find the words. I grinned down at her, content to drink in the lines of her face, trace them with my fingers before slipping them into her silken strands.

“Crossland,” she said. “I…I want you to make me come.”

“If you insist,” I said, my mouth instantly capturing hers.

In seconds we were tangled, her body flush against mine, her fingers fisting my shirt as she parted her lips for me. I slipped my tongue between her lips, picking up right where we’d left off at the fashion show. Only now, we weren’t preforming or playing a little game. Now, we were fully entering into a little bit of fun and the clock was ticking.

I wanted to take my time with her, wanted to explore every inch of her body and figure out just how to make her tremble with pleasure, but this wasn’t about that. This was about the fact that for some reason, no one had ever taken the time to get her off in a rapid burst of passion.

And she deserved that.

Deserved to know what it was like to be desired by someone so much they couldn’t wait to make her come.

And I was more than happy to be that someone right now.

I licked into her mouth, teasing the roof, the edges of her teeth, every spot that made her clutch my shirt harder, made her arch against me again and again.

“So fucking responsive,” I growled into her mouth, gently gripping her hips as I walked us toward the bed until the backs of her knees touched it and she tumbled backward.

I grinned down at her, loving the way her lips were kiss-swollen and her cheeks were flushed. I made a show of looking at my watch.

“We’re only a minute in and look at you, all breathless and needy.”

Her lips parted. “Cocky prick,” she said, but there was laughter in her tone.

“Confident prick,” I countered. “Let’s get that clear.” I bent down, hooking my fingers in the band of her leggings, meeting her eyes as I slowly tugged them down. She lifted her beautiful ass off the bed, allowing me to fully slide them off her legs and toss them and her socks to the side.

“Goddamn,” I said, taking a moment to look down at her. She had nothing on but black lace and the Calgary jersey, and I’d never been so damn attracted to a woman in my entire life.

Did that mean I had a fucking ego on me? Being turned on by her wearing my team’s jersey?

Yeah, but I sure as shit didn’t question it.

“You’re fucking stunning, Aspen,” I said, smoothing my fingers down her thighs.

She looked like she wanted to argue with that statement, so I stepped between her thighs, leaning over to kiss her again. I slid my hand between her legs, teasing her over the lace with light strokes that had her hips arching off the bed, silently begging for more contact.

I smirked against her lips, sucking her bottom one into my mouth and relishing the sweet little gasp that came out of her mouth.

“So eager,” I teased, backing up enough to look down at her. Fuck, she was gorgeous, all splayed out on the bed, eyes needy and breaths quick. “And I thought you said you were slow to fire.”

“I am,” she groaned, her back arching as I continued to tease her. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel good.”

Heat coiled beneath my skin. “What feels good?” I asked. “This?” I drew a light circle over the lace, right above her clit.

“Yes.”

“What about this?” I trailed my fingers lower, just barely grazing her center, my entire body going taut when I felt a slip of wetness there. Fuck, my dick ached, growing rock hard in my pants to the point of pain. I silently told him to calm the fuck down. It wasn’t about him tonight.

“God, yes. Crossland,” she said my name like a demand, and it only made my grin widen as I watched the need play out over her face.

My girl was strung out and begging to be pushed over the edge. Maybe she’d been that way since our first kiss, maybe it’d been too long since she’d had a good orgasm, but either way, I was more than happy to oblige.

I continued to play with her, leaning down and planting kisses down her neck and lower, pushing up the jersey to lay kisses over her hips. She arched into my every touch, her little gasps and moans feeding into every aching need I had. I glanced at my watch.

“Two minutes left,” I whispered, before hooking my hands behind her thighs and dragging her to the edge of the bed.

Her shocked little squeal abruptly cut off the minute I sank to my knees between her thighs. She propped up on her elbows, looking down at me, and I swear the way she looked at me made me want to come right then and there.

I kept myself together, just barely, before dipping my head enough to tease my mouth over the lace.

“Crossland,” she groaned, her fingers digging into the comforter. “Please.”

And there it was. That breathy please was what I’d been waiting for, her tone laced with equal parts need and irritation. She was on edge, right where I wanted her.

I smiled up at her, gently adjusting her knee over my shoulder to bring her pussy right where I wanted it. Fuck me, I wanted to rip the lace off and sink my cock into her until she moaned my name over and over again.

“What?” I asked, knowing damn well what. I pressed the lace against her clit, using the textured friction to work her up even more as I drew circles around the swollen little bud. “You can’t be there already,” I teased, dipping my head and dragging my bottom lip ever so lightly up her slit.

Her thigh clenched where it rested against my face, and I knew she was, in fact, right there.

In that case…

I shifted the lace to the side and lapped my tongue through her heat, groaning at that first heady lick of her. Damn, she tasted divine, like salt and honey and whatever fucking dreams were made of.

She gasped, arching into my face as she sought her pleasure.

“Goddammit,” she groaned as I lapped and sucked and licked. “Goddamn you.”

I smiled against her swollen flesh, not once stopping, her little pleasured curses only fueling my need to devour her entirely. I brought my hand up, sliding two fingers inside her while flattening my tongue against her clit. I pumped and curled my fingers in time with her breaths, quicker and quicker until she clenched around me.

“Cross!” she moaned, her body trembling as her orgasm rippled through her. Fuck, hearing her say my name like that, too worked up to get my full name out, made pre-come bead on my cock. I ignored its demands to unzip and sink into her, and instead focused on pumping her through the aftershocks of her orgasm, my fingers working in slow strokes until she went limp beneath me.

Gently, I pulled my fingers out, shifting the lace back in place over her gorgeous glistening pussy, and stood back up. I kissed her again and relished the little whimper that escaped her lips as our flavors collided.

I pulled back, grinning as I glanced at my watch. “I still have thirty seconds left,” I said, more than proud of myself.

She fisted my shirt. “Then let’s keep going,” she said, her voice slightly breathless.

My eyes widened. “You want more?”

“Please,” she said.

I saw it play out in my head, all the wonderful things I could do to her body, all the places I could explore to make her come again and again.

But…

“Aspen,” I said before her lips met mine in a more than tempting kiss. Fuck me, I didn’t want to stop. “We can’t,” I said.

She immediately backed up, confusion flickering in her eyes.

“I want to,” I hurried to say. “Trust me.”

“Then why⁠—”

“You’ve been drinking,” I said. “And there is a huge difference between making you come and fucking you so hard I’ll ruin you for anyone else.”

Her lips parted in shock, her features telling me everything about how much she loved that idea without her having to say a word.

I kissed her again, a deep, hungry kiss so she wouldn’t take what I was about to do next as an insult.

“Get your gorgeous ass in this bed,” I said, hefting her up slightly so I could situate her under the covers. “And relax. Sleep.”

She leaned back against the pillows, looking only half convinced. “What about you?” she asked. “Where are you going?”

I shifted off the bed, standing as I looked down, admiring her. “I’m going to take a very long, very cold shower.”

She bit her lip, trying to stop her smile, and that look alone had me groaning.

I reluctantly made my way into the bathroom connected to our room, stopping to look over my shoulder at her. “Oh, and Aspen?”

“Yeah?” she asked, sitting up to look at me.

“I win,” I said, winking at her before I walked into the bathroom.

I heard her mumble cocky prick before I shut the door behind me, and the laughter in her tone made me realize that I’d never enjoyed being called a prick quite as much as I did when it came from her lips.