Chapter 7

7

ELECTRA

M y heart is racing as Trey's fingers creep into the back of my hair, pulling me against him in a way that tells me very clearly that he wants me. All of me.

Yet he doesn't make a further move, simply kisses me hard and deep until we're both breathless.

Kissing Trey makes me feel so many things at once. His warm, masculine scent fills my senses as I listen to every ragged breath, every moan. His right hand presses to the top of my chest, but instead of moving lower, it wanders up, caressing my throat, then the side of my face.

How am I making out with a guy I only met yesterday? Mind you, this isn't like a giant city, where you might end up having coffee with a serial killer and not even realize it. Ray Harrison is well respected in Sandersville, and if there were something terribly wrong with his son, I would've heard about it by now.

"You're delicious," Trey growls softly, as his thumb glides along my cheek.

He makes me feel like a woman. Everyone in my circle has known me since I was small, and I've been treated like a little girl for so long. I love that Trey only knows me as an adult. The thought gives me the courage to caress the back of his neck with one hand, as the other drifts around his shoulder, then across his thickly muscled chest.

Our deeply intense kiss transforms, becomes lighter. Playful. He nips at my bottom lip, then kisses me again before pulling back. His thumb grazes my mouth. "Is that shock all healed?"

Staring into his molten chocolate eyes, I can barely breathe. "It's turned into a different kind of shock. I never expected this."

"Me either." He lifts my legs, setting me back beside him. Then he grabs a blanket from the back of the couch and tucks it around us before handing me the remote. "You must've been terrified when that outlet sparked, worried about your family studio. The healthiest thing would be to turn your brain off for a couple of hours so you can sleep well tonight."

"Good thinking." How can I ever thank him for taking such good care of me?

"Plus, you're going to need all your energy for singing tomorrow." He grins, nudging his shoulder against mine. "Are you excited?"

I start flipping through the movie selections, my body instinctively cuddling against his. "Wow. I guess I am…yeah." I'm blown away by how curious he is about every step of my process. "At first I was just nervous to be touching the gear, for fear I might, you know…breathe on something wrong."

"Well, with a giant hole in the wall, I guess you've gotten that phobia out of the way," he chuckles.

"Seriously. But yeah. I really am excited about singing." I pause, as he waits patiently for me to organize my thoughts into words. "Even though the demo is just for me, there's a huge difference between singing quietly to the wall in your room, and singing with your full strength and energy into a professional mic."

Trey nods. "I could see that. It's not really the same, but my work is completely different if I'm alone compared to having Dad in the room, or if the client is breathing down my neck."

I pull his t-shirt down over his collarbone, and lean in to breathe across his throat.

"Gorgeous, you can breathe down my neck as much as you like. Except for right now, when you need to be spacing out to get some mental rest." He takes the remote from me, clicking through movies quickly. "Have you seen this?"

"No. What is it?"

He reads from the screen. " A wrestler turned actor is now the keeper of the time travel key, and has to beat up underground mob bosses throughout his allotted fifty-year time zone ."

"Oh my god, sounds awful. Let's do it."

We laugh and chat throughout the entire film, which is, unbelievably, better than it should have been. When it finishes, Trey turns off the TV. "Are you all relaxed now?"

"Yeah. Mostly." Then reality comes flooding back to me, and I remember how much still has to be done this weekend.

He frowns. "I can see you tense up every time the studio repair comes up. Look, you're doing the responsible thing. You're having it taken care of."

"But they can't know I was in the studio at all."

"Maybe you just went in for a minute to grab something?"

I shake my head. "No. I've avoided the studio like the plague for the past few years because Mom keeps pestering me to sing backups. She thinks the whole musical family vibe will shoot them to the top again. The woman is relentless. She can't know that I was in that room for anything."

As soon as Trey faces me, I see the look in his eyes. Something about having our bodies pressed together for a while now is making us both heat up.

"Tomorrow, we'll see how noticeable the repair is. If you think she might figure it out, we'll come up with a cast iron reason why you were in there." His hand lands lightly on my thigh, where he's been randomly caressing me for the past few hours. "I'm more concerned about you being well rested so that you can sing tomorrow, to be honest. I'd hate for you to only have a short window of time, and not be at your best."

"That's very sweet of you to think like that." Though really, everything about Trey is sweet. It's hard to imagine what it would be like to have a boyfriend like him.

"I think maybe I should help you relax a little more. Then I'll do that last thin coat of plaster, and get out of your lovely hair for the night." He grins at my pouty expression. "Yeah, the thought of staying over briefly crossed my mind too. But I don't want you getting any ideas, cutie. I'm a relatively proper man who wants to start this relationship off on the right foot."

My breath stutters as my heart slams wildly in my chest. He actually used the word relationship. Without me prodding.

Trey turns slightly, pulling me to him as his lips meander along the side of my throat. His hand skims up my thigh and over my hip to grip my waist.

Every touch makes me light up, although as I wrap my arms around him, I feel a slight twinge of embarrassment. I have no idea what I'm doing here. I don't know what steps are supposed to take place. All I know is that I want to be close to him in every way I can.

His fingertips sneak underneath my shirt, then skim along my ribs. "Do you want me to stop?" he murmurs, as his mouth hovers over mine.

"No."

He kisses me lightly, then gives me a smile and a wink. "I feel like you're nervous. Would it help if I told you exactly what I'd like to do?"

I'm already nodding. "Yes, please."

He kisses the tip of my nose. "First, I want to kiss you. Then I want to push up your shirt and suck on your nipples until I hear those little moans that drive me crazy. Then I want to slip a hand into your panties and caress your hot little pussy until you come while I'm kissing you."

I can hardly breathe, so I simply nod eagerly.

"Is that a good plan?" he asks as his hand slips higher, caressing my breast.

"Y-yes. A v-very good plan."

"Of course, if you change your mind at any time, just say the word."

I already know I won't. I grab his shoulder, pulling him tight against me. His warmth, the bulk of his huge body… Feeling pinned by him like this ignites my long-ignored lust.

Something changes in the way he kisses me. The way he holds me. We end up facing each other across the wide couch, with him on the outside.

He slowly pushes up my shirt, and for a brief flash I remember: we've only known each other for twenty-four hours . Yet it's so right. I can feel it in the backs of my knees, in the way I shiver as his palm circles my breast. My entire body wants him to touch me.

His head tilts as he kisses me more deeply, my moans mingling with the noises of the couch creaking under the weight of our bodies. He tears his lips away with a low growl. "You're so sexy, Electra. Been driving me crazy from the second I laid eyes on you."

This incredible man is hungry…for me . It lights me up from the inside and makes my body start to feel hot and bothered even before he dips his head down to wrap his lips around my nipple. My soft sigh makes his eyes glow.

He takes complete control, caressing my breasts, tonguing my nipple, holding me close. I sink into his touch, then gasp as I realize the thick, hard ridge of his shaft is jutting all the way out the top of his jeans. It makes sense that a man this large would be a big boy. Good. I want to be overwhelmed.

His right hand snakes into the back of my hair as his teeth scrape lightly over my nipple. His left hand skims down my stomach, then straight into my yoga pants and inside my panties. Rough fingertips brush my outer pussy lips, leaving me fluttering and gasping.

The vibration of his deep moan ripples through my sensitive skin as he murmurs, "You're already so wet for me."

"That feels incredible," I whisper, clutching at the back of his shoulders.

His tongue swirls gently around my nipple at the same time that the tip of his middle finger circles around on my clit. My legs splay apart, inviting him to do whatever he wants. The feeling of giving myself to him like this is deeply arousing.

"So hot," he whispers, pulling my shirt down, so that he can kiss along the side of my throat. "Beautiful and creative and unbelievably sweet and sexy."

As his lips meet mine, we both moan as the tip of his thick finger slips inside just enough to make me shiver. His hand instantly jerks back. "Sorry. Yes?"

" Yes ."

He kisses me more softly, as if he can tell how breathless I'm getting just from his skin sliding across mine. He's so gentle, exploring every curve of my pussy, then settling right on my clit, almost teasing me.

My hand slips into the back of his t-shirt to caress his bare skin. "You want me to take my shirt off next time?" he chuckles.

"Yes."

He grins. "So you're telling me there's going to be a next time already?"

"Yes." My eyebrow arches.

"I'd take it off for you right now, but I'm afraid I can't interrupt this." His hand picks up speed, stroking through my crease and nudging across my clit in long, smooth, firm strokes. "It feels like you're getting close."

"Mmm hmm." I can't trust myself to say any more. Various parts of my body are tensing up as the heat of the moment overtakes me.

When Trey's warm, brown eyes stare into mine, he's slightly breathless. There's also an almost savage energy to him, as if he's holding back. "Come for me, gorgeous," he growls. "Let me feel you."

My feet press against the end of the couch, and I stiffen up. Just as I think I'm going to scream, he kisses me hard and deep, our mouths frantic and searching as we clutch each other desperately. The climax races through my entire body as I quiver and shake, finally collapsing against Trey's shoulder.

"God, that was so hot," he murmurs, kissing across my cheekbone. "Thank you, beautiful."

I know I should be the one thanking him, but can't find the words. He understands, simply rocking me in his arms for a moment before pulling my clothing back into place.

After that incredibly intimate experience, I would assume Trey would want more. But he stands up, tucking the blanket around me. "Okay. Plaster time. Do you want to stay here and chill, or be my lovely assistant again?"

"I'll help." It feels like I'm floating as I follow him to the studio and fill the yogurt container with cold water again. His large hands are quick and efficient as he mixes the compound and skims another light coat around the seam.

He gets the fan in place again, washes up, then flashes me a heart-melting grin. "Normally I'd tidy up completely, but I'll be back early in the morning to sand it down. Is it okay to leave it like this?"

"Of course."

At the front door he turns, caging me with his arms and pinning me to the wall. "Electra, not only are you the best assistant I've ever had, you're also heart-stoppingly gorgeous." He kisses the tip of my nose, then under my ear, until I'm quivering again. "Are you going to think about me tonight?" he breathes into my ear.

"You know it."

"Good. I'll be thinking about you too." He kisses me gently as he caresses my hip, then steps back. "Sleep well. Tomorrow is your big singing day."

"Good night, Trey. Thank you for everything." I close and lock the door, leaning against the side window as I watch him drive away. I can't believe how much has already happened this weekend.

And I certainly don't have a clue how I'm supposed to sleep tonight.