Chapter 16

Sixteen

Nick

A bby couldn’t meet until Friday. I picked up lunch, thinking she’d be hungry. She’d mentioned in our texts she tended to work nonstop when Hunter was at school, rarely breaking or taking a moment to herself.

I knocked on the door, thinking about how different it would be at her house without Brody and Hunter as buffers.

Opening the door, she wore a white chunky sweater over black leggings, and her feet were in cozy-looking slippers. Her dark hair was thrown into a messy bun. She looked soft and warm and completely touchable.

I resisted the urge to pull the clip out of her hair and let her hair tumble around her shoulders. The desire to kiss her until her lips were swollen and she was needy with lust filled me. I bit my lip against the overwhelming need to make her come undone.

Abby tipped her head to the side. “Did you want to come in?”

“Sorry, I was—” I broke off as I stepped inside. What the fuck could I say? Distracted by your lips? Thinking about all the ways I could get you undressed and satisfied before the boys got off the bus in a few hours?

“It’s weird being here without the kids, isn’t it?” she said, her hip resting against the island countertop.

“Hmm.” She looked so soft and inviting and seemingly unaffected by my presence. The electric fireplace was on the living room, and a candle was burning some autumn scent in the air. The entire effect was intimate.

She pushed off the counter and moved toward her office. “Did you want to get to it?”

My entire body heated at her words even though my brain registered she wasn’t referring to getting naked. I swallowed hard and lifted the bag of food. “I brought carryout.”

She smiled, slow and sweet, almost like she had a secret she wanted me to guess. “I see that. I thought I’d get you started in the office on the paperwork. We can eat while we work, and then I wanted to talk to you about something.”

I didn’t care about the food or the numbers on a spreadsheet. I wanted her laid out on the countertop for me to feast on her. But my naughty thoughts stumbled to a stop over her wanting to talk to me. What could she possibly want to talk to me about? Was she pulling Hunter from baseball? Was it too much for her to handle? My mind was reeling with the possibilities.

She moved past me, her shoulder brushing mine as her scent, a vanilla lavender, trailed after her. She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you coming?”

I moved into action, my brain interpreting her question differently. I wanted her to come with my fingers, my tongue, and then my cock.

In front of me, her hips swayed. Her ass perfectly outlined in those soft-looking pants. There was no chance she was wearing panties underneath.

“Nick?” Abby turned to face me in the doorway of the office.

Her brow furrowed as she took the take-out bags from me. “Are you okay? You’re acting weird.”

I decided to go with honesty. “I can’t be around you and not touch you.”

I moved closer as her eyes widened in surprise. I brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. “I can’t be around you and not wonder what it’s like to kiss you.”

“But you know,” she insisted softly.

“I have a very good memory, and I want a repeat. I want to explore your body. And I don’t want you to walk out on me this time.”

Her expression pinched. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I know why you did it. You were protecting yourself and your son.” I understood her so much better now, and it would make us coming together that much better. My fingers tingled with possibilities.

She let a breath out. “That’s what I wanted to talk about.”

Her words cooled my over-heated body. She wanted to put the brakes on us. She wanted distance, space. She wanted nothing to do with me. I should have known it would happen. There was a roaring in my head I couldn’t shake.

“I wanted to propose an arrangement.” Her words were hesitant as if she wasn’t sure of my reaction.

Was she talking about me being an accountant or something else? My heart tripped over the possibility of “something else.” “How so?”

“Together,” she gestured between us, “we don’t have a future, but what if we gave in to our desires with no strings attached. No expectations. No one catches any feelings.”

“It’s like you read my mind.” My voice was gravelly, my muscles pulled taut. I practically vibrated with anticipation.

“So, we have an understanding?” She looked up at me through her lashes, but I was already gone. My hands gripped her hips as I pulled her roughly into my body. I spread my legs, giving her room to stand between them.

“Just so we’re clear—you want me to fuck you.” My words were crass, but I didn’t want there to be any confusion or misunderstanding. It was almost painful to hold back, to wait the extra precious seconds for her to respond.

But her eyes flashed with desire, not fear. “That’s right.”

I cupped the back of her head and tipped her to the perfect angle. “Just wanted to be sure before I did this.”

Her lips parted on a gasp as I kissed her with the pent-up frustration from her walking out months ago. Her reluctance to take it further when we reconnected. I kissed her with the passion I remembered from our first night together. She was sweet and pliable, warm and soft. I hated the time we spent apart, and I wanted to make up for it.

I walked her backward until her ass touched the desk. She reached for the edge as I kissed her harder. I’d never felt that desperate for anyone before.

I ripped my lips from hers and growled into her neck. “I want you.”

She hummed in approval, and the sound vibrated through my body to my hard-as-a-rock dick. “Please don’t stop.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not.” My hand drifted under her sweater, encountering yet another shirt and not the warm skin I was after. I groaned in disapproval, so she ripped both over her head.

With a smirk, she said, “Is that better?”

But my gaze was on her breasts practically spilling out of the blush-colored bra. I couldn’t stop myself from pulling the cups down to see if her nipples matched the dusky color. And when they did, pleasure pulsed in my body as I leaned down to suck one into my mouth.

She sucked in a breath as she held on to me.

I wanted to get lost in her body. I wanted to lose myself and never come up for air. I was almost frantic with desire, yet something told me to ease up, go slow. I felt like a kid in a toy store who was told no all his life and then, when he was told he could have anything and everything he wanted, didn’t know what to do first.

“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured as I moved from one pert nipple to the other.

She answered by arching her back and thrusting her breast deeper into my mouth.

I loved a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to express it. She was very clear: she wanted more—more kissing, more loving, more of me.

She tugged my shirt up, and I obliged, tossing it over my head. Her hands ran over my pecs down my stomach to the dusting of hair that led lower. Her fingers fumbled with my jeans, then lowered the zipper.

I didn’t lift my head from her breasts. I didn’t want to because she was making these noises deep in her throat. A combination of whimpers and moans. She was driving me wild.

“It feels so good,” she whispered in my ear as she shoved my jeans over my hips and ass.

“ You feel so good,” I corrected her. I wanted her to feel like the most desirable woman in the world because she was.

She sucked my earlobe into her mouth, her teeth lightly scraping over the sensitive skin as her fingers moved under the band of my briefs and slowly pushed them lower. I pulled back slightly because she placed light kisses on my sternum, then lower.

“Fuck.”

She lowered gracefully to her knees, looking up at me from under her lashes as she leaned closer, seemingly breathing me in, before licking the tip like it was the thing she wanted most in the world.

“You’re driving me crazy.” My voice was rough.

She pulled back with a smirk. “That’s the idea.”

I wanted her mouth on my cock, but I didn’t dare touch her or urge her forward with anything other than my eyes. I was afraid one false move would break the bubble we were in and she’d come crashing back to reality. The one where we didn’t have any business touching each other.

Her fingers drifted over my stomach before she gripped the base of my cock. “You’re so hard everywhere.”

My cock twitched at her words and the blatant approval I heard in them.

Then she sucked me into her mouth, and my head fell back as pure ecstasy shot through my body, making my knees weak.

She alternated gripping me tightly, sucking me deep, and pulling back to lick me from base to tip. I didn’t remember her being so bold the night we’d spent together. She’d let me take the lead then, but now, she was showing me all of her, and I fucking loved it.

My body was flush with desire, but I had the wherewithal to release the clip in her hair. Her hair tumbled down her back in dark waves as she looked up at me, her eyes shining with lust. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything so erotic in my life. Dark hair, creamy skin, and her warm, wet mouth. She felt like pure heaven, but I wanted to take care of her.

With a hum of frustration, I tapped her shoulder and pulled her to standing. “That was…” I couldn’t even come up with the words. “But I want to pleasure you. I want you spread out over this desk and work you until you’re trembling with desire for me.”

She didn’t hesitate to push her leggings down. Then she straightened and arched her eyebrow. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Where was that woman the night we spent together? Was she hiding behind years of feelings of not being enough for her ex? I wanted to disavow her of that notion. Because she was passionate and gorgeous. I reached behind her and swept the notebooks and pens from the desk onto the floor. I didn’t register where they fell. I didn’t care about anything other than pleasuring her.

She lifted herself onto the desk. A spark of uncertainty entered her gaze for the first time, so I kissed her as I gently pushed her back onto the hard surface.

I murmured sweet words in her ear because they were my truth. “You’re beautiful. Gorgeous. Soft and warm. I love everything about you.”

I was lost to her. Helpless to turn back. She had me unraveling faster than a kitten pulling the end of a spool of yarn.

With each word, she relaxed more until she was languid on the desk. Then I spread her legs and dropped to my knees. Her pussy was at the perfect angle for me to lick her. Her thighs trembled around my ears as I devoured her with my mouth, tongue, and fingers.

I’d never been more determined to give a woman the best orgasm. The one that would be harder than any other she’d ever experienced.

Her moans and whimpers became louder, echoing around the room, as I slid a finger inside her channel.

She tugged my hair. “I need you inside me.”

I couldn’t deny her anything. As much as I wanted her to come on my face, I needed to be inside her. I grabbed the condom I’d placed in my wallet before I came over and slid it down. I didn’t think we’d end up here, but I’d hoped.

Bracing my hands on the desk on either side of her head, I said, “Are you sure? We don’t have to.”

Her entire body stilled, and the gaze that met mine was indignant. “Don’t you dare stop.”

I chuckled until I slid forward, the tip of my cock encased in her slick heat. I sobered quickly. “Fuck, you feel better than I remembered.”

Probably because I’d been drinking that night and the sensations were slightly dulled. But with her spread out over her desk in the daylight, everything was magnified. The feelings, the sensations, the sense that it was the most meaningful moment of my life thus far. Being inside Abby was everything.

I slid inside to the hilt, pausing to make sure she was okay and I didn’t go off like a teenager with his first girl. I hadn’t been with anyone since that night in the hotel with Abby. I was desperate for her.

“Nick. Move. Please.”

I curled my body over hers as I moved in and out so I could kiss her, then her nipples. I couldn’t get close enough to her. Her body quivered beneath mine. She was perfection.

Her eyes were wild with desire as she pleaded with me to make her feel good. I suspected she needed a little help to go over. I circled her clit, driving her higher. Her head tipped back, and her body bowed off the desk as she cried out. She was beautiful when she came.

I gritted my teeth but couldn’t stop the orgasm building inside me. I thrust hard, lodged deep inside her, and let go. I lowered my lips to her shoulders, kissing her lightly as my vision dimmed and the pleasure poured through my body into hers. I gave myself a few seconds to get lost in the sensations.

I lifted myself off her. My body stuck on how good she felt. There was a weird twinge in my heart as I headed to the bathroom hallway to get rid of the condom. Closing the door behind me, I knew I was trying to avoid the feelings being together brought up.

I tossed the condom, washed my hands, then threw cold water on my face. It was supposed to be an arrangement. It was purely physical, so why did I feel so vulnerable? I took a deep breath before opening the door and returning to her office.

“I thought you’d never finish,” she teased lightly as she touched my arm, squeezing the muscle as she passed.

Did she sense I was spiraling? Was she giving me a moment to decompress?

I ran a hand through my hair while the toilet flushed and the water ran in the sink.

She was back way too soon. I needed more time to process what just happened.

Catching my expression, she winced. “You’re overthinking this.”

She palmed my chest, pushing me back slightly as she straddled my thighs. Then she rested her forehead against mine. “This feels good, doesn’t it?”

Her pussy was nestled around my cock. It felt like heaven. I must have grunted something resembling my agreement because she undulated her hips, my cock sliding between her folds. My cock was already growing hard. I wasn’t a young guy anymore, but she got me revved up again.

“You have another condom?”

“In my wallet, but I want to take you to bed.” While the desk was hot, I wanted something softer. I wanted to take my time with her.

She moved off me, and I immediately missed her slick heat. I admired her tits as she grabbed my wallet from where I’d thrown it on the floor earlier. Holding up the wrapper triumphantly, she said, “Follow me.”

I followed her up the stairs to the only bedroom on the second floor. The roof was sharply angled, her bed taking up most of the space. She pushed me so that I collapsed onto the bed. Then she knelt on the bed next to me, ripping the condom wrapper and sliding it down over my cock.

I was mesmerized by her pink nails, the smoothness of her skin, and the warmth of her body. She straddled me before holding my cock at her entrance while she slowly slid down. I cupped her breasts, sliding my thumbs over the stiff peaks.

She moaned as she moved up and down, lost in her pleasure.

It was purely physical. I wasn’t growing attached to Abby. I shouldn’t. Not when she’d been clear she wasn’t looking for anything serious, and I always had to be ready to move if Brody needed me to.

I would take a cue from Abby and enjoy whatever we had while we had it. I bit my lips as she clamped around my dick. She was perfect for me.

I tweaked her nipples as she moved faster. Her head tipped back, and her lips parted when she went over that time. I thrust from underneath her, wanting to extend her waves of pleasure. When I sensed she was coming down, I flipped us so that she was on her knees on the bed. I lifted her hips so that they were higher than her shoulders and slid back inside.

Being with her was like heaven, like nothing I’d ever felt before. I never wanted to stop. I paused a few times, forcing myself to hold still. I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want to experience the pleasure because when it was over, our time together would be, too.

Brody would be home soon, which meant I needed to go, too.

Abby glanced over her shoulder at me, her brow slightly raised.

I leaned over her, covering her back with my chest. I kissed her skin, reassuring her I was in the moment with her. The position was more intense. I was deeper. Her pussy clamped down harder around me.

That time when I went over, we fell to the bed, me spooning her from behind. I needed to get up and take care of the condom, but I didn’t want to.

I didn’t want to leave the warmth of her body.

“Are you okay?” Abby asked, her eyes closed.

“Never been better.” And it was the truth. I’d never felt anything like being with Abby.

She shifted on the bed until she was facing me and touched my cheek. It felt far too intimate for our arrangement. “I need to get up,” she whispered.

I kissed her forehead. “Me too.”

“The boys will be home soon.”

My heart clenched. “I know.”

What if we lived in the same place and the boys were coming up to us? A draft of cold air drifted over my skin. I hated that our time together was so limited.

She angled her face toward me.

I kissed her softly, like I was sipping a fine wine. I could so easily sink into her and get lost. She was so easy to love. The problem was, she was prickly about receiving it.

I’d need to be patient with her. Bide my time until she realized there was more between us than rules and guidelines. With one last kiss, I got out of bed, then moved around the room, putting on my clothes. She tracked me with her gaze, unmoving.

“You all right?” I didn’t usually leave a woman after sex, but we didn’t have a choice.

She nodded, not speaking.

I moved to her side of the bed and crouched to her level. “I need to get home before the bus.”

I wasn’t sure if she was okay with the arrangement. If maybe she felt too much like I had.

“You should go.”

I kissed her softly, then did as she asked. We’d talked about what it would be before we’d engaged, so there was no need to set it out again. I didn’t feel quite right leaving, but I had to. Brody needed me, and Hunter needed her.

Our lives didn’t mesh. Our boys couldn’t handle any more upheaval or disappointments. They needed us to be their stability, their rock.

I got where Abby was coming from because I was in a similar place. The only difference was I hadn’t been hurt by a woman because I never let myself get close.

I wasn’t used to having feelings for anyone. That was why it felt like too much, too soon while she was seemingly unaffected. I needed to be strong if I was going to survive our arrangement.