Chapter 4

TYLER

CHAPTER FOUR

This woman is killing me. I love how honest she is. Her awkwardness is alluring and makes me want to care for her. It must be hard to always see the world numerically. There's not a lot of gray area for Ariana.

I can tell she's turned on. Her pupils are blown, her breathing is fast and short, and her nipples are beading against the green top that allows a hint of skin to show above her shorts.

My cock is trying to fight its way out of my clothes. I don't want to rush this, but she's not making it easy to be a gentleman. "I want to touch you too, and I want you to feel like you can ask for anything, but maybe we go for a walk first and you can tell me while we walk."

A hint of a smile shines through her thoughtful expression. "That seems counterproductive."

It does, but I'm sticking to my guns. I take her hand. "Maybe so, but I'm determined to have a second date."

"And it's not a date if we don't leave my house?" She threads her fingers through mine and searches the room. Once she's identified the location of both cats, she grins. "We can go for a walk."

There must be something wrong with me. I knew she was going to offer to make love, but I kept her from it. I'm a nice guy, but not so nice that once the offer was out there, I could have said no. I never want her to think this is about sex. It's something more and I don't even have the words to explain it. She's the first woman I've ever met who, from the moment I saw her, I wanted to know. She walked out of the house and started yelling at me, and I was lost.

Once on the sidewalk, I turn toward the square. Even on a weeknight, Roseville is a busy little town in the summer.

We walk a block when she says, "My brother Aiden is getting married."

It's random, but maybe because I told her about Kathy. Even that makes me smile as I try to figure her out. "Has he known the lady long?"

"Yes and no. I say yes, but Meghan says no." She waves to a man and woman who are strolling across the square. "That's my aunt and uncle."

I smile and nod toward the couple. If the Lanes are anything like my family, they already know who I am. "Why do you and your sister disagree about Aiden and his lady?"

"They were pen pals since they were eight but only met in person a few months ago. I think those letters, emails, texts, and phone calls are enough to know each other, but Meghan thinks people need face-to-face contact." She stops at the corner and looks at me. "What do you think?"

Flattered that my opinion matters, I give it some thought. "I guess it depends on the correspondence. Much like an in-person conversation, if it's small talk, the parties learn little. If it's deeper, they get to know each other."

She nods and smiles. "I don't excel at small talk."

"No. I don't imagine you do." We turn and keep to the outer part of the square. "Is that ever an issue with work?"

She shrugs. "I try to be polite and not say everything I'm thinking. If the conversation lags…" Frowning, she's clearly remembering something unpleasant.

"Are you hungry?" I break through her memory.

"I didn't eat dinner. There's a good place for hot dogs around the corner." She walks faster and we cross to the center of town. I watch her as she orders her hot dog with relish and ketchup.

I get mine with mustard, then pay. We sit at a picnic table.

During the course of the very brief meal, I meet five Lane cousins and the aunt and uncle. I have to admit, dating a Lane in Roseville is a little intimidating.

It's still light at seven-thirty, but the shadows are getting long as we round the far side of the square.

Holding my hand, she walks faster. "Can I tell you now?"

"What do you want to tell me?" My heart is in my throat.

"Maybe it's a question?" She cocks her head.

As we leave the center of town, we have about three blocks to get to her house. The apartment I'm renting is on the square. "Ask or tell me, and I'll understand."

We turn down her street. She says, "If I asked for us to have sexual intercourse, would you be offended or think that I'm superficial?"

No small talk there. I have to hold in a bit of a nervous laugh. "No. If you asked me to make love with you, Ariana, I'd feel honored."

"You wouldn't think it's too soon?" She drops my hand as we walk up to her front door.

Once she opens the door, I cross the threshold and pull her close. Cupping her cheek, I'm mesmerized by how blue her eyes are. "There's no right answer to that question. I've only known you for four days. I've wanted you for four days."

Her eyes shift to somewhere over my shoulder, and I'm almost certain she's calculating to the second how long we've known each other. She looks back into my eyes but says nothing.

I run my fingers through her hair and marvel at how soft it is and how the golden blond shines in the last light of the day. "It probably is too soon by most people's standards, but you're the only person who matters right now. Will you regret making love because we've only known each other for a short time? Will you think things that aren't true because we didn't wait for more conventional timing?"

"What things would I think?" She sounds so in earnest, wondering what other people might think.

The longer I know her, the more she wraps me up in her world. "You might think that you gave yourself to a man who isn't in your league." I laugh without humor. "Of course, that would be true."

She frowns. "What else?"

"You might think that I'm only interested in sex with you." I hate the idea of this one.

"But that's not true?" She runs her delicate fingers over my collarbone.

Stepping farther into the house, I close the front door and move so she's against the wall. I kiss her neck along her pulse. She doesn't wear perfume, it's only soap and Ariana that fills me with need. "No. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Tipping her head to the side, she makes the most delicious mewing sound. "What's the truth?" She runs her hands along my ribs, distracting me from the question.

"The truth is that I should tell you how much I like you and want to begin something long-term with you. The truth is that I should leave now and see you on Saturday. The truth is I'm not strong enough to leave if you're still asking me to make love with you. So, if that's not what you want, you should ask me to go home." I nibble on her ear and kiss her jaw.

She wraps her leg around mine and presses her center against my raging hard cock. Breathless, she asks, "Do you know what ‘chaos theory' is?"

Thinking back to an article I read on the train years ago, I try to bring up the memory. "Something about patterns within randomness."

"This is like that." She cups my face in her hands and stares into my eyes. "I don't care what other people think, most of them think I'm nuts anyway. If you leave because you're being a gentleman, while that's nice, I'll still be here, longing to have you touch me. Nothing will change between now and Saturday except I'll be unsatisfied for four more days. If you believe Einstein, time is relative. Four days or eight days makes no difference. I want you and from the bulge in your pants, I think you want me too." She grinds against me. "I'm asking you to stay and…make love with me."

The way she says "make love," I'm sure that was the first time she'd ever used the term.

She turns and walks into the hall.

I follow as she enters a bedroom.

Digit and Cipher are lounging on a chair in the corner, but after looking at the two of us, they both run out the door past me.

I can't take my gaze from her as she strips out of her clothes and lies naked on the bed. Her body is lean from running and her small perfect tits make my mouth water.

Closing the door, my cock aches with the need to be buried deep inside her pussy. I strip and step to the edge of the bed where I can admire all of her. "You're so beautiful."

Needing some relief before I go too fast, I grip my cock and ease some of the tension.

Wide-eyed, Ariana bites her lip and watches. "You're big."

It's not fear so much as wonder I hear in her voice. I lie next to her and run my fingers over her ribs. "You say no, and we stop. Do you understand? At any point, if you don't want this, tell me, Ariana. You're in control here."

With a hint of a smile, she runs her hand over my shoulder and down my arm, then explores my ribs one by one. Her touch is electric. She leans in and kisses me, then pulls my bottom lip between hers, then the top.

I explore her skin, tracing a path to cup her tit and worry her nipple between my fingers.

"Oh, that's—Yes." She arches against my hand.

She tastes so good, and I want to taste her everywhere. I lick her neck and kiss her collarbone.

Threading her fingers through my hair, she makes high-pitched mewing sounds that remind me of a cat.

It makes me want to make her purr. When I reach her nipple, I draw it into my mouth and suck gently, then hard.

Gripping my hair tighter, she clutches me to her breast. "I like that." Releasing one hand, she presses her fingers between her legs.

I should close my eyes before I embarrass myself, but I can't look away from her wet fingers touching her clit.

Like a moth to a flame, I ease down the mattress, lay her thighs over my shoulders, and breathe in her heady scent.

She stares down the length of her body, her chest rising and falling fast and hard.

Cupping her ass, I lick her fingers first, sucking her sweet juices. I press my tongue along her slit, then swirl around her sensitive clit.

"Tyler. Oh, god." She returns her hands to my head, pressing my mouth against her pussy.

Nothing will ever compare to this first taste of her. Cock straining against the bed, I need her to come like I need my next breath. I lick, nibble, and suck until she's bucking against me and calling my name. I slip my tongue inside her, then suck her clit again and again.

She's wild beneath me, but holding herself tight.

"Let it go, Ariana."

"I can't." She arches, gripping me tighter.

A small move and my thumb presses inside her tight pussy. Changing the pace, I suck her clit slowly, methodically.

On a deep moan, she comes apart, pumping her center against me until she collapses. Staring at me, a tear escapes.

I'm up and next to her in a second. "Why are you crying?" Panic tightens my chest.

"That was the best thing I've ever experienced."