Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

H ad a simple car ride ever been so filled with tension? If it had, Penny couldn't remember. Her knuckles gripped the steering wheel until they'd turned white. Kismet was a small town. If she got a speeding ticket, everyone would know by morning. Including her sister and parents, but at the moment, she didn't care.

Tonight, she'd finally get to sleep with BJ.

Finally? The word struck her as odd. Had she been waiting to have sex with him? Before he brought the notion up, had she been planning this? Truthfully? No. But that didn't mean she hadn't imagined it from time to time. Who could blame her? Her best friend defined the word sexy. Of course she'd given it a thought or two over the years.

Which was why she was currently going forty down Goldmine Street when the speed limit was a cautious twenty-five. Eagerness thy name is Penny.

They decided to drive separately to avoid any rumors. Silly. Kismet loved its rumors. The townspeople fed on them like locust. Besides, when she became pregnant, they'd have to tell everyone…something. Once the baby was born, it'd be obvious who the father was. Jackson genes were strong. And it wasn't like they planned to keep it a secret or anything. True, their plan was a little unconventional and some people wouldn't get it, but who cared what they thought? With the promise of the night ahead, Penny sure didn't.

She finally pulled into her apartment complex—thankfully ticket-free—dismayed to see BJ had beaten her there. He stood, leaning against the passenger door of his truck, casual as can be. Like they were having one of their movie nights or something.

Turning off her car, she stepped out, grateful to see a bit of nerves play along the edge of his smile. She didn't want to be the only one with butterflies in her belly.

"Hey."

"Hey," his smile turned down. "What's wrong?"

She ducked her head. "I wanted to beat you home to…prepare some stuff."

His grin returned, eyebrows bobbing. "What kind of stuff? Handcuffs and whips?"

"You wish." She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Nothing kinky. I just wanted to change into something…sexier."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her close until their bodies pressed together in the most intimate of ways. "You look sexy as hell, Penny. That dress has been tormenting me all night long."

"Really?"

He dipped his head, nuzzling her neck with his nose, his warm breath causing shivers to dance along her spine.

"Mmmmm hmmmmm." His tongue traced a pulsing nerve. "Had to cover a hard-on from hell all night long."

"Oh," she moaned as he bit down gently on the fleshy part where her shoulder met her neck. "I'm sorry about that."

"Mmmmm," his voice growled like a lion. "Why don't we go inside, and you can make it up to me?"

Stumbling on her heels, she somehow made it into her apartment building and to her front door. She'd wager it had more to do with BJ moving them both in that direction than her actual feet moving. She fumbled with her keys as he did wicked, wicked things to her neck with his mouth. Finally thrusting them into the lock and turning the knob.

They stumbled into her apartment, saving themselves from a face plant only thanks to BJ's quick reflexes. He spun her around, pressing her against her entryway wall while closing the door with his foot. Once the door had been closed, his attention focused solely on her. Sky-blue eyes seemed to gleam in the darkened entryway.

"Bravo."

It was all she got out before his lips descended on hers, taking, giving, ravaging.

Her hands flew to his hair, constrained by a simple hair-tie she quickly pulled off and threw across the room. Once his strands were free, she sunk her fingers in, reveling in the soft yet strong feel. Much like the man himself. His worship of her body started at her face, gently caressing her cheeks, stroking the skin as they moved down her neck and to her shoulders, coasting down until his calloused hands cupped her breasts.

"Oh!" She pulled her lips away from the magic of his mouth to exclaim at the tight sensation winding its way through her body. "BJ, that's…"

"Good?" he asked, gently pinching her tight nipples between his thumb and forefinger, the rough rasp of his skin heightening the thrill it sent to her core.

"So good, don't stop."

"Don't plan to, honey."

He wasn't kidding. The man paid homage to her breasts, revealing secrets Penny hadn't even been aware of. By the time he moved down her body to her hips, she thought she might melt into a puddle of goo. And they were both still fully clothed!

"Clothes."

"What?"

Grateful that his breath seemed as out of control as hers, she smiled and expanded on her statement. "Clothes. We have too many on."

Lips curling in what could only be called a wolfish grin, his hand went to the zipper on the back of her dress. "I couldn't agree more."

With what she assumed was practiced skill; he divested her of her dress in less than three seconds. They hadn't even moved more than two feet from her front door and here she stood in nothing but her black, strapless lace bra and panties. The set she'd specifically bought yesterday with tonight in mind.

After a moment or two of silence, she got self-conscious. She wasn't the curviest of women. With zero hips, A cups, and what the kids in school like to call "Pancake butt Penny," she didn't have the best body confidence. His silent staring was not helping matters. She started to cross her arms over herself when his hands snaked out, grabbing her wrists, and placing them high above her head.

"BJ?"

"Holy shit! You're fucking beautiful."

Well, that went a long way to improving her confidence. BJ rarely swore around her, only when he lost his cool. The sight of her barely clothed body made him lose his cool. Definitely a confidence boost. "You really think so?"

"What do you think?"

Then he pressed himself against her and she could feel the reaction of his body to her near nudity. Holy cow! For a moment she had a slight fear things might not work out so well tonight, but then he was kissing her again and all rational thought flew out the window.

"Bedroom."

The cloud of lust had permeated her brain so much she couldn't understand the mumbled word against her lips. "What?"

"Let's take this to the bedroom.

Never one to argue with a good plan, she nodded and headed in that direction, but soon found her feet swept from under her as BJ scooped her into his arms and ran to her bedroom, her shoes falling off in the rush down the hall.

A laugh escaped her. "In a hurry?"

"Honey, I need you in the next ten minutes or I'm going to embarrass myself."

She highly doubted that. Kissing BJ was near orgasmic. She could only imagine that she'd be going off like a rocket within two minutes of actual intercourse.

Once in her bedroom, BJ placed her gently on the bed, in contrast to his earlier statement. He followed her down when she held up a hand in protest.

"Wait! This feels a little one-sided." She motioned to their states of dress.

"Let's fix that then, shall we?"

Delicious lips she never imagined craving this badly, curled in a wicked grin before he stood, quickly ridding himself of the tux jacket and shirt he wore. Thankfully, he'd already gotten rid of the tie and cummerbund at the reception. Next, those firm hands—deadly to a woman's self-control—moved to his pants. Slipping open the button and slowly, ever so slowly, tugging down the zipper. When he stepped out of them, she praised all that was holy that her best friend preferred to go commando.

"System overload."

He chuckled, "Did you just make a computer joke about the size of my cock?"

"Maybe." She licked her lips, body humming with anticipation. "I can't help it if my brain thinks in STEM."

"Such a sexy brain," he whispered, crawling onto the bed like a panther stalking its prey. "In such a sexy woman."

She meant to ask him if he really thought she was sexy, but his mouth latched onto her breast through her lace bra, and all thought flew from her mind. He sucked and laved her tight nipple, hands reaching around her back to unlatch the hook. She leaned forward to assist him in removing the super push-up wonder bra, lamenting the fact of her deception for only a moment. BJ didn't seem to care about the actual size of her breasts as he threw the garment across the room and worshipped them with his mouth and hands.

"BJ! Please!"

She didn't know if she was begging him to stop or continue, but he seemed to understand because his hands started a downward trail past her stomach to her hips and into her panties. A keening cry left her lips as he touched the most intimate part of her.

"Like that?"

She couldn't answer. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was nod and move her body closer to his, seeking what she desperately needed. Her hands reached out, grasping a part of her best friend she'd never touched before. A very hard, yet smooth part. She stroked up and down, eliciting a deep groan from him as his finger wreaked havoc on her body.

"Bravo?"

"Yeah?"

"I need you. Now!"

He grunted an agreement, tearing her panties from her hips with a soft apology. "I'll buy you more."

She didn't care about the underwear. All she cared about was getting him inside her in the next five seconds.

He rose above her, positing the head of his cock at the entrance of her body before she placed two hands on his chest, stopping him.

"What?"

"Do you have—" she stopped abruptly, laughter bubbling up inside her.

"What? What is it?"

She bit her lip. "I almost stopped you to ask if you had protection, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of all this, wouldn't it?"

His eyes turned serious for a moment before a smile crinkled them. "Yeah, it would."

"Proceed."

"You say the sexiest things."

His mouth came down on hers as he pressed himself inside. She gasped at the intrusion. He was big. Bigger than she was used to, but he fit. They fit. Perfectly.

"Okay?" he asked, his voice shaking as he held himself back.

"More than."

He grinned, claiming her lips again as he began thrusting, pumping inside her, hitting spots she'd only read about in books and on forums. It wasn't long before her body tightened. She screamed out his name in ecstasy. Cresting the most amazing orgasm she'd ever had in her entire life. She heard him shout her name and felt his release inside her, tears gathering in her eyes at the sheer beauty of what had just happened.

"Fuck, Penny."

Indeed.

"Such a sweet talker," she laughed, exhaustion pulling at her.

"You want sweet talk?" His lips kissed the shell of her ear. "That was the most amazing experience of my life."

"Mmmmm, better." A yawn cracked her jaw. "We should shower."

"Later," he murmured, pulling the comforter over them. "Can I stay?"

"You can always stay, BJ," she mumbled, turning on her side. "You know that."

"I know." He snuggled up behind her, wrapping her close in his powerful arms. "Sweet dreams."

"I don't need dreams. Tonight was sweet enough."

As she drifted off to sleep, she thought she heard him chuckle and say, "Hell yeah it was."