16. Body Talks

CHAPTER 16

BODY TALKS

THE STRUTS

Pongo retreats to the safety of the house after another giant splash sends water sloshing over the edge of the pool. Lulu swims to me, licking my face as she climbs up on me. Pongo does an amazing job at keeping me calm, but Lulu? She’s perfect at just being a dog. I hoist her up and out of the pool. Water goes in every direction as she shakes and gets ready to jump in once more.

The buzzer for the front gate interrupts our playtime, but it’s too early for Jamie to be here, and Devin has already left for practice. It must be Dani, but she never uses the buzzer. I open the app on my phone and when I spot the car; I hit the button without hesitation. I hurry out of the pool and run for the door, my hands shaking and my stomach in knots as I reach for the knob. I throw the door open just in time to see Ren park her car.

“Hey,” is all I can squeak out as I stand by her car door, still dripping. I clear my throat. “I, uhm, didn’t know you were, uhh?—”

“Dani invited me. She called it a dinner party with artsy people.” She hasn’t looked up at me yet, and she sounds annoyed. “I guess she didn’t expect me to recognize the house in the daylight. Based on the lack of cars, she also lied about the time.”

“I didn’t tell her to do that, but I… I’m glad you came. I mean, I get it if you want to leave, but you can, you know, stay.” I can’t even make sentences. “Food is good.”

My shoulders slump and the butterflies get stuck in my throat, but she laughs and shakes her head. I missed that sound. She climbs out of the car, and, risking it all, I take a step forward. My arms cage her against the car, but she still doesn’t look up.

“Chase, don’t do this.”

“You haven’t said it.” She shivers at my voice, but there’s no fear in her face. We haven’t seen each other in almost a month, but it’s still there. That crackling spark, that desire, that need.

“Said what?” she asks, her voice breathy. Her fingers twitch, fighting the urge to reach out and touch me. Taking another risk, I slide my finger under her chin and tilt her head back. Her long lashes hide what I want to see until they flutter and lift. We’re reflections staring back at ourselves, hunger and lust filling both of us. I want to rip her clothes off right here; bend her over the hood of the car and show her how much I want her.

“The one thing you know will stop me.” I lick my lips and cup her face, staring into those deep brown eyes. I cash in my last hope, praying to every god I’ve ever heard of. “If you’re uncomfortable, you say the word. You say ‘octopus’.”

“Coming out here with your shirt off was cruel. You’re all…wet.”

“I thought that was my line?” My head dips down, and there’s an intense jolt of electricity that hits when our lips crash together. Fuck, I forgot how good this felt. Without breaking the kiss, I pick her up and her arms wrap around my neck.

“Wait!” she yells, and my heart sinks. I overstepped, and she hates me even more now. “I need my bag.”

I grin as I carry her to the back, pop the trunk open, and throw her bag over my shoulder. She screams and laughs as I run her into the house. The second we’re inside, I have her against a wall and her legs wrap around me like they belong there. Because they do.

“You taste like a pool.”

“You taste like a fucking drug.” I slide my hand down her leg, but I can’t find an end to the fabric. I glance down and shake my head. “Pants? Really? I mean, I want in your pants, but how the hell am I supposed to do all these things I want to do to you against this wall when you’re wearing pants?”

“You’re ruining my clothes. Not in the way I like, either.” She kisses the tip of my nose. “Put me down, Chase. We should talk first.”

“Is this a terrible idea?”

“Without a doubt.” Her eyes follow her fingers down my bare chest, and I push my hips into hers. “We need to get it out of our system, right? That’s all?”

“I’ll never get you out of my system, Renate Silva. You’re there, you’re etched on my fucking heart. But if this is it, if all you’ll give me is this one last night, then yeah. Sure.”

I kiss her until neither of us can breathe. The dogs are going nuts and running around us wanting to get her attention, too, but I outrank them, at least for now. When I put her down, she takes the bag away from me and heads upstairs to my room. I, of course, follow her like a lost puppy, with Pongo and Lulu on my heels.

“You know, the way you follow me around earned the name Snuggle Puppy on my phone.”

“Really? I’ve got you listed as Hots for Teacher on mine. I even downloaded the song for your ringtone.”

“You keep your phone on mute.”

“Yeah, but it’s the thought that counts, right?” She laughs as she heaves her bag onto my bed. “Should I make a joke about how much you packed for a dinner party with artsy people?”

She keeps her hand on the bag, and sighs. “I had planned on heading out to the club tonight after. To blow off some steam.”

The club? Oh fuck, she means the sex club. My eyes flick to the bag again and my heart races at the thought of what’s in it. I step toward her with a wicked grin. “Why don’t you pretend you’re at the club now? With me.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be cooking?”

She’s right. Jamie will kick my ass if I’m up here with my dick out and don’t have dinner ready. But there’s a devious shimmer in her eyes as she stares at my bare chest. She’s in my room with a bag of toys meant for a sex club. I’m not about to miss this opportunity.

“Yeah, I should probably get changed,” I say, staring right back at her and dropping my swim trunks. Her eyes drop along with them and she bites her lip.

“Me, too.”

She looks me dead in the eyes and pulls her soaked top over her head, tossing it at my feet. I can see her large brown nipples through her wet bra, that gorgeous soft belly—god I want her. Her thumbs hook into the band of her pants, and she pushes them down until they pool at her feet. My jaw drops, but my cock stands at full attention.

Let the games begin.

“What are we going to do now, Puppy?”

“Fuck Jamie and dinner. We can order pizza.”

“I’d rather you just fuck me .”

We’re on each other in seconds, ripping her bra off and tossing it over my shoulder while he squeezes my ass. I reach for her panties, but she stops me from pulling them down. I whine in response. I’m rock hard and my cock begs for her mouth, her cunt, hell, my hand—anything.

“Tell me you’re a bad boy, Chase,” she says in a sultry moan. My name sounds so fucking pretty on her lips.

“I’m… I’m a bad boy.” She looks into my soul while her fingertip slides up my shaft. “S-so fucking bad. Let me make it up to you. I’ll do anything for you.”

“No more relationship talk.” I swallow hard, and she raises an eyebrow, waiting for my answer. I drop my shoulders and my head, not wanting to answer her. “Not yet.”

My head snaps up. “What?”

“I need time, Chase. I need to figure this out on my own terms.”

“Yes. Yeah. Okay. I promise I’ll drop it until you’re ready. I swear. I’ll be so good to you, beautiful.”

She nods and I lift her up and carry her to the bathroom counter. With my hands on her knees, I spread her legs wide and swallow hard at the head to toe goddess in front of me. I hesitate, though, as what she said sinks in. I have to prove to her I’ll treat her like the queen she is. We can have sex, but I still can’t have her. Yet.

Our tongues tangle and I grab a handful of her hair, pulling it hard as she moans. I try to break away from the kiss, but she bites down on my bottom lip, holding me there while her nails claw down my chest. Just as she releases my lip, my hips crash against hers, grinding my cock against her panties.

“Now you’re all wet, Ms. Silva. But I’m gonna make sure you soak these panties for me.”

“Good, Mr. Cooper. Then I can shove them in that brat mouth of yours.”

She rolls her hips and rubs her pussy along my shaft. The sparks between us are enough to ignite the fire that’s about to consume us both. I grab hold of her ass and move her closer to the edge of the counter. My teeth drag down her jaw and to her ear and I bite down as her nails dig into my shoulders.

“Tell me you want me, Renate.” I whisper, feeling her clit pulsing with each thrust. If I keep this up, I’m going to come before I’m even inside her.

“I want you, Chase. I want your pretty cock splitting me in two. I want you to fuck me so hard you break your counter.” She grabs my cock and squeezes it hard. “Now, how bad do you need me?”

“You’re all I’ve wanted for weeks. I should have never let you leave the house. I can’t even come unless I’m thinking about how fucking perfect you are. Your big tits, your sweet pussy, your dirty mouth, everything about you.”

“Mm, tell me more.”

“I dreamed about the way your cunt feels when you squeeze my fingers before you come. About your hands around my throat while you ride my cock. I came so fucking hard in the shower when I imagined going to an audition with your lipstick all over my fucking cock.”

“You’re a dirty little boy, aren’t you?”

“No. I’m your dirty boy.”

“Get on your knees and show me, Puppy.”

The name has my knees shaking, and I drop hard. She’s my altar, and I am more than ready to worship. I stare up at her like she’s the sun. “Tell me what you, my queen. Tell me how to please you.”

She smirks. “Oh, you already know.”

The tip of my tongue slides through her panties and when I make it to her clit, she grabs a fistful of my hair and moans like an angel mumbling about her bad boy. I’ll be the devil for her if that’s what she wants. I suck hard through the lace as I push the fabric to the side and slip two fingers inside her soaking cunt. I curl them until her back arches and I thrust nice and slow, building up an electric current that has her squeezing my head with her thighs. She pulls hard on my hair. I’ve got her knocking on the door, so I keep fuck her deeper and faster.

She clenches my fingers so hard I almost can’t pull them out. I release her clit, but don’t stop my fingers. “What’s my name, my queen?”

She cackles as her head rocks back, screaming as loud as she can. “PUPPY!”

“Good girl. Now, eyes on me.”

I use my teeth and free hand to rip her panties off, tossing them aside. The tips of my fingers slide through her slit as she moans. I hold them up and watch her red lips wrap around them, humming while our eyes remain locked on one another. She releases them with a pop, and I lower my head, kissing up and down her legs until neither of us can take it anymore. The sweet, sharp taste of her hits my tongue and my arms wrap around her thighs, holding her in place so I can feast. And I do. I want her legs to shake for me; I want her back to bow so hard it almost breaks. I want her to deafen me with her siren’s screams.

“Oh god! Oh, Chase! Just like that!”

Her thick thighs squeeze my head and both of her hands have a firm grip on my hair. She’s at her own private carnival and my face just became her favorite ride. The heels of her feet dig into my back as I reach up, pinching her nipple. She’s close.

I use my one remaining brain cell to concentrate on holding back my own climax as she fucks my face. With one last flick of my tongue, she explodes in my mouth, holding my head to her as she rides out wave after wave. I don’t stop until her eyes close and her body goes limp. She smiles down at me through sex drunk eyes, so I lick her clean as she lazily strokes my hair and mumbles blissed out nonsense.

When I stand, she reaches out for my cock, but I step away, shaking my head. She looks equally confused and ruined as she leans against the mirror; it’s fucking glorious. Her legs still spread wide, inviting back for more. It’s tempting as hell, but I also need to show her I understand my role.

I open a drawer and fish out a condom, tossing it next to her on the counter. “For later, assuming I earn it. I should finish dinner.”

“Puppy?” It’s a pitiful sound I’ve never heard come from her before.

I put my hands on the mirror next to her head and lean in, nudging her nose with mine. She tries to wrap her legs around me, tries to pull me into her, but I’m too tall.

“I will worship you in every way I can. I will devour you, shatter you, and tear you apart. I will do everything and anything you want, my queen. Including denying myself for you. I’m your toy, and all I need is your satisfaction. But right now, I need to go make dinner. And if I’m a very, very good boy, I hope I’ll earn the need to open more than one foil wrapper tonight.”

Her eyes are wide and her mouth hangs open as the reality of what she’s unleashed hits her. Without another word, I pick up my t-shirt and leave her there in the bathroom. I toss my swim trunks in the hamper and pull on a pair of jeans before I head downstairs.

I’m trying hard to think of things like cold showers or sports statistics as I organize everything I’ll need to finish dinner. But my brain keeps going back to how perfect she looked, dripping wet on my bathroom counter for me. My dick begs me to go back up there and finish what we started, but I told her I would behave. I told her I would earn it.

I take a deep breath and let my shoulders relax. This is my space, my sanctuary. I check the short ribs that I’d put in earlier, and as I’m getting into the groove, two small hands wrap around my waist and her head presses against my back. Warmth floods my entire body, and it’s not from the oven.

“Are you okay, Chase?”

I turn around, pulling her closer as I smile. I like how she has to put her chin on my chest to look up at me with those big doe eyes. “I like it when you make me work for it.”

“Good to know.” She glances around the counter. “So, what should I do to help with dinner, since Dani had me show up way too early?”

“You came right on time, Sunshine.”

“You are so cheese, Chase Cooper.”

“And yet, you came back for more, Renate Silva.”

Why am I such a fucking mess?

“Renate, I need to…I should…” I need to get this out. But it’s hard to concentrate when she’s in one of my shirts again, and no pants. How am I supposed to have a serious conversation with her when I can’t stop picturing her riding my dick? I turn back around and lean against the counter, letting out a slow breath to focus. “Look I, uhm, I don’t?—”

“Want me in your kitchen?” She asks, taking a handful of blueberries. “I mean, I’m a shit cook, but I can chop a mean onion.”

“No, that’s not it.” The conversation gets away from me again. I have to get this right, but I blurt out, “I have a therapist!”

“I assumed,” she shrugs, unbothered, as she reaches around me and grabs a spatula. I cock my head to the side, and she cackles. “Chase, you’re a Hollywood actor with a support dog and deep-seated anxiety issues.”

“Deep-seated anxiety? Is it that obvious?” She’s not wrong. I pick her up, putting her on top of the counter and spreading her legs wide. “I’ll fucking show you deep-seated.”

“I’ve seen you cry, tough guy.”

“Once! It wasn’t… it’s not like I—” Her smile turns me to jelly, and I press my forehead to hers. “Yeah, okay. So, I told him about you and about our friendship .”

“Situationship,” she sighs.

“Yeah, well, he told me I need to be more upfront with you. To be more open and tell you about my past.” I kiss her forehead gently before turning and hopping onto the counter across from her. “Yes, I have anxiety and a plethora of other diagnoses. Some I’ve always had, some are kind of new and I’m still learning to deal with them. I’ve had some shit relationships, not as bad as yours?—

“Luckily, it’s not a game of who had the worst relationship.”

“Fair. You should know about a few of them before you make your decision about our situationship. Well, one of them—Cassidy Landon.”

Ren leans forward, listening in a way I’m not used to from the women in my life. This conversation should have a lump in my throat and my head spinning, but there’s something in the way she’s looking at me that makes it…easier.

“She came from a tiny town in the Midwest to study art. We met at a gallery and ended up talking at a diner until sunrise. The media dug into her past the moment we went public, but she didn’t have skeletons to expose, so they made things up. They attacked her body, her clothes, her career daily in the magazines. To my face, she ignored them, pretending it didn’t bother her. Spoiler alert, it bothered her.

“After she moved in here, some sick fuck hid up a tree that used to be outside and took a dozen nude photos of her while she showered upstairs. The press ate it up, posted them everywhere. Even her parents saw them. The humiliation ended up being more than she could handle. She stopped going out, stopped talking to friends, stopped eating. We got her a therapist that made house calls, and she made improvements, but it ended up being too much for her.”

“That’s awful.” Ren hops off the counter and puts her hand over mine. “Hollywood has never been easy on people. Remember, I grew up here.”

“I did a bunch of stupid shit in the name of keeping Cassie safe. In the end, none of that mattered. You said you lost part of yourself in your relationship? Well, I kind of did, too. When I lost Cassie, something broke inside me. It made problems I could handle before worse. That’s why I have a therapist. And Pongo, too. But I don’t want to fuck things up like that between you and me. I want to apologize for Dani tricking you to come here. I’m sorry she did that, but I’m also glad she did.”

“I’m glad you found help, Chase. And I’m glad you trust me enough to open up like this. Also, Dani is my sister, so you don’t have to apologize for her. I’m glad she did that, too.”

“You are?”

“You’re cute when you’re confused,” she says with a smile. “Now, how can I help?”