18. Lux

EIGHTEEN

LUX

"What's another word for conquer? "

"Subdue. Vanquish. Defeat. Overpower…"

Radley turned to me with wide eyes. "Okay there, Mr. Thesaurus. Just needed one."

"Hey," I said as I prodded her ribs, making her squeal loudly. "You ask, I deliver. Don't hear you complaining when I overachieve with anything else."

Shifting her laptop to the side, she tilted her head and quirked a brow. "Like what? Can't think of anything you've been overachieving at lately."

Oh, okay. That's the game she wanted to play.

We'd been lying on my bed for three hours and had sex twice, five orgasms between us, and during the intermissions, we'd been working on her essay. She was working on it, I was reading and passing on any knowledge I had, even though it was clearly unappreciated.

Marking my page, I closed my book and tossed it to the side.

"Do I need to remind you, young lady? "

"Remind me of what?"

She might be trying her best to appear indifferent, but the second my fingertips brushed along her ankle, the typing paused.

"Remind you of what your body wants when I'm around. Of what it needs from me. Of what I can give it." I dragged a finger along the center of her panties. "Remind you that this is my pussy."

She shrugged. Fucking shrugged , and went back to typing. "Yeah, maybe."

I bit down on my grin. I didn't know who this almost naked girl was in my bed, but it certainly wasn't the Radley I met over two months ago. The sometimes angry, sometimes shy, mostly nervous Radley had been replaced by someone so full of sass… actually, nah, she'd always had sass.

But this Radley, my Radley, was also confident, demanding, assertive, and sexy as fuck. And a demon in the sack.

I'd created a monster.

I hadn't bothered putting on a fresh shirt, and she'd barely looked up from the laptop as I kneeled in front of her. If it weren't for the shallow breaths, or the way her thighs parted an extra inch, or the damp patch on her panties, I'd say she didn't give a fuck that my palms were now running up the inside of her calves because her acting skills were on point today.

I'd show her Mr. Overachiever. I'd make her come so hard she'd black out.

My dick was already awake by the time my lips brushed the inside of her thighs, trailing a hot, wet path upwards. I briefly glanced up to see if she was watching, but nope, she was still typing.

Okay then …

Shifting onto my knees, I smoothed my palms over her soft skin, only stopping when they grazed the edge of her panties.

"You can pretend all you want, but you think I don't know you're going to be freshly drenched when I take these off?" Her eyes flicked to mine, filled with challenge before she returned to the screen. I inched them down, tugging them over her hips, and paused right before her pussy came into view. "I told you: I licked it so it's mine, and I know what it wants."

Goosebumps erupted over her skin; her tank top had ridden up enough that I could see a slice of her belly trembling through unsteady breaths – waiting for me – only for it to kick up when I ran my nose along the bunched white cotton, just so I could hide my smile.

I'd learned a lot about Radley in the past few weeks.

I'd learned that the anticipation of my touch was almost enough to make her come. Her body was so responsive that when I eventually provided the friction she needed, it would only be a matter of seconds before she crashed around me.

I'd learned that her toes would bunch the sheets before her fists did; that she loved my fingers inside her but she craved my tongue, and when my lips hummed around her clit, she'd cry my name in a way that almost made my heart stop; yet when the first thrust of my dick stretched her out, hers would hammer so hard it would bring mine back to life.

I was so gone for this girl.

Easing her panties down and over her ankles, I tossed them to the side. Her thighs had already flopped open, and I spread her further just so I could watch it drip for me.

Yeah, that's what I was talking about.

"What a pretty pussy I own. So pink and perfect." Her breathing pa used as I leaned forward, running my nose along her thigh, first the left then the right, and her toes curled into the mattress. "And it's so delicious too," I murmured as my mouth found her tiny, hard clit.

Her pelvis arched, pushing into me; my laugh vibrated against every hyper-sensitive nerve until she cried out.

"Lux…"

Fuck, I loved hearing my name falling off her lips, so did my dick, and buried my face between her thighs.

"Ohhh Goddddd."

"I told you I know what this pussy wants." My tongue speared inside her, and another deep groan rumbled through her.

"This pussy is mine to conquer..." lick. "Unless you'd prefer I subdue it…" lick … "vanquish…" lick … "defeat…" lick … "overpower."

The laptop was finally dropped to the side. "Oh, Lux… God. Yes, right there."

I paused, my eyes flashing to hers; dark bronze, hooded, and staring at me under her thick lashes. Her entire body was flushed peach, and under the soft glow of the sidelamps she almost looked luminous, with nipples so hard it looked like they were about to shred her tank top.

"You mean here?" I flattened my tongue again, and dragged it through her glistening center one more time.

The moaned "uh huh," hit me right in the dick.

I'd always prided myself on my staying power, but she'd stolen it – along with my heart.

I'd wanted this to be about her, I'd wanted to taste her exploding on my tongue and suctioning my fingers, but my dick was screaming louder .

I was so close to bursting that I nearly came from rolling on a condom. The black spots blurring my vision as I plunged inside her didn't help either.

"Fuuck… give a girl a warning…"

My lips dropped to hers, letting her taste my smile. "You can take it."

My smile died when her pussy clenched hard, reminding me I was so close to the edge this was going to be quick for both of us. My balls were already swollen from the pressure bolting down my spine, coiling me so fucking tightly I couldn't tell who was quivering more – her or me – especially when her back arched, pushing herself further down onto me.

"My girl is so impatient," I mumbled.

She responded with a grin and another roll of her hips.

I'd intended to start slowly, but her and my dick had other ideas.

There was nothing slow about this. It could only be described as frenzied fucking. I gathered her hands in my fists above her head as I tried to hold onto a semblance of control, but the pistoning of my hips meeting hers said otherwise.

"Harder!"

Jesus Christ, my balls couldn't take it.

"I want you coming, Goldilocks," I gritted out. "I can't hold this any more."

The corkscrew in my spine was making it impossible to breathe; short bursts were all I could manage. I ground down on her, hitting her clit with each drive forward.

Her eyes rolled back and her jaw had slackened; she was so close I could taste it.

"Fucking let go, Radley."

She exploded a nanosecond before I did, pulling me with her into a f reefall I never wanted to land from. I would die if she hadn't already killed me. Hot spurts shot out of me with every violent clench of her pussy until I'd been wrung dry. I had nothing left to give.

Collapsing to the side, I found myself almost impaled by the laptop.

Best study session ever.

I turned to face her on the pillow, soaking in her flushed, sweaty cheeks. "Let's clean up, then I'll make you dinner while you finish this, and we're having an early night."

"Okay," she replied and pressed her lips to mine before hopping out of the bed and peeling her tank off.

I took a second to watch her ass jiggle on the way to the bathroom. My dick was hard before I heard the water switch on. It was going to fall off at this rate.

I couldn't get enough of her.

Grabbing the laptop before it fell off the bed, I glanced at the screen. A roar of laughter barreled out of me. The last paragraph of her essay was merely a jumble of letters. She'd been typing nothing but nonsense.

Indifferent my ass.

"Are you coming?" Radley called

I'd never sprinted so fast.

" W hen's that paper got to be in ?"

"Tomorrow."

"How much have you got left?"

She slammed her laptop closed and looked up with a smile, a blinding one. "None. I'm done."

"You've finished it?"

"Yup."

I slapped her outstretched palm. "Well done, Goldilocks. Can I read it?"

Her golden eyes sparkled under a flutter of batted lashes. "Once you've fed me."

I turned back to the stove, picked up the pan of fresh pasta and drained it. Throwing a handful of parmesan into it, along with a drizzle of oil and chopped parsley, I spooned it into a bowl and placed it in front of her. "Eat up, then."

"Where'd you learn to cook like this?" she mumbled through a Tanner-sized mouthful.

One thing I'd discovered about Radley was that she loved to eat, and I fucking loved watching her. It was almost foreplay. I scooped another portion and sat down next to her at the island.

It was just the two of us as Tanner and Parker had hit the bars, Ace was with Payton, and I found myself thinking I could get used to this.

Radley and me.

"My grandma taught me. She lived with us before my mom met Steve, and when Steve moved in, my grandma found a place on the same street. I used to go over every day after school, and we'd make dinner together."

"She taught you well."

"She did. I'll tell her you said that."

Her head dropped and she looked at her bowl. "Have you told her about me? Have you told your mom about me? I mean, I know you told Maddie, but I get it, parents are different, and…"

The entire time she'd been talking, she'd been twisting the pasta ribbons on her fork, round and round, until everything left in her bowl was loaded up. She shook it off and started again, or would have if I didn't hold onto her hand.

"Radley?"

She glanced up at me, eyes wide. "Yeah?"

"Yes, I've told them about you," I grinned. "Technically, Maddie got there first because she's a big mouth and can't keep a secret, but I would have told them."

Her shoulders dropped down six inches. "Really?"

"Yeah. I tell my mom about everything that's important to me."

"I'm important to you?"

"You are." I picked up my beer and sipped, holding her soft, beautiful golden gaze as I was hit with a ball of nerves, punching me directly in the gut. Because the next question was logical, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer. "What about you? Have you told your parents?"

She shook her head, but didn't look away. "No, I wanted to do it in person. I didn't want them worrying or whatever… I didn't want my mom to flip out and order me home."

I ignored the way my chest seized at the thought of her not being in New York. "She'd do that?"

She shrugged, and shook her head again. "No, she wouldn't, but it's been hard for her seeing me go through everything, plus everything I put them through when those photos were leaked."

"That wasn't your fault. "

"No, I know. I just mean… it added a lot of stress to them when they didn't need it. And then on top of that, they worry about me. I didn't want to tell them over the phone, I wanted them to see I was okay. Great. I wanted them to see how great I am." The smile she gave had me leaning in to kiss her. "Plus, there's the biggest issue…"

"What's that?"

"You play for The Lions," she laughed, then stopped herself. "Seriously, it'll be a big deal, especially for my brothers."

I topped up her glass of Diet Coke. "I think I can handle your brothers and your parents. Parents love me."

"How many parents have you met?"

Smacking a kiss to her pursed, indignant lips, I said, "None, but I'm sure if I had, they'd all love me."

She picked up her fork again, only to move it around her bowl, none of the frantic twisting, but I preferred that to this listless silence.

"Talk to me, Goldilocks."

"Would you want to meet my parents?"

"Of course, I would. They're your parents."

"It doesn't scare you?"

I sat back while she continued pushing pasta around, because there were really two questions she was asking. If I was honest, yeah, it scared the shit out of me, but there was a greater chance of getting Tanner in a room with a spider than of me ever admitting that.

"You mean because your parents happen to be the President and the Secretary of State? Or because I'd be meeting your parents?"

"Both."

"No. "

"Really?"

I nodded, which seemed to be the correct response, because the rest of her pasta got forked up in one.

"Okay, you can meet them."

"What time are you going home?"

"After the lunchtime class ends tomorrow. Millie and I have to be back in D.C. for late afternoon."

"Tomorrow? I thought I had one more day with you."

"I have to go back. There's official stuff with my brothers. My parents are hosting a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for local charities or something, and we have to be there." She smiled, but I could see a tiny sliver of dread behind her eyes. "And my mom wants me to come to a breakfast with her."

When she was sitting here in my kitchen, eating pasta in my sweats, it was easy to forget she was America's First Daughter. Come Thursday morning, she would be splashed across the front pages of every paper and news report alongside the President of the United States, with details on how they were spending Thanksgiving.

"Will Millie be there?"

She shook her head. "No, but she'll come for Thanksgiving. We do it every year, since we were kids. She has two brothers like me, and we're an extension of each other's families. It's a fun day with lots of food, and the football, obviously."

"Are her parents in politics too?"

She shook her head. "No. Her dad was in the C.I.A. with mine, they were stationed together, but he was killed on assignment a few years ago. Her mom stopped working so she could be at home with Millie and her brothers."

My chest lurched; my dad wasn't dead – that I knew of – but I knew what it was like to grow up without one. "Poor Millie, that had to be tough."

"Yeah, it was, so we still make sure we're doing all the family things together. She's like my sister; I protect her as much as she protects me. She's carried me the last couple of years."

She leaned into my hands as I cupped her cheek. "She's a great friend."

"Yeah, she is." She sat up and asked, "What time are you going home?"

"I'm flying to Florida the day after tomorrow, meeting everyone at Disney." I tried not to groan.

Yeah, that's right. I was the guy who'd promised to take his baby sister to Disney if she made the track team. My Thanksgiving was going to be spent in the most wonderful place on earth – or whatever it was called.

A grimace twisted her face. "It's supposed to snow on Wednesday."

"They've been saying that for two weeks, and I'm going south. It's not going to snow in Florida." I stood up and grabbed the empty dishes; Radley's was so clean it looked like it had come fresh from the cabinet. "How's your list coming?"

"Good. Now my essay is in, I can dedicate more time to it. I've only added a couple of things."

"Like what?" I turned around when she went silent again.

"Promise you won't think they're dumb?"

"Of course I won't. They're important to you, important enough to list, therefore important to me."

She smiled softly and sat up straighter. "Okay, it's small stuff, like go to the Columbia gym by myself, I want to go eat in a restaurant by myself. I know I met you before… you know… but you were going to join me. I want a full meal. I want to go to th e movie theater."

"By yourself?"

"I know, I know… the agents will always be there, but I can't ditch them, so I have to pretend they're not there." She sighed, and I felt the weight of that sigh deep in my chest.

"No, I mean, I wanna come to the movies."

"You can come."

I leaned over the island and kissed her. "Thank you. We'll pick a bad movie and make out in the back row."

"Sounds perfect," she grinned as I went back to cleaning. "Hey, what's this?"

I turned to find Radley holding up an envelope which she'd taken from the old baseball mitt we kept stuff in. An envelope with her name on. Oops . In my defense, Radley was entirely distracting.

"I was supposed to give it to you. It's from Holiday."

"Oh," she replied, ripping it open while I finished tidying the kitchen. By the time I was done, she was holding something small in her hand, turning it over and over.

"What's that?"

She held it out to me; a tiny gold four leaf clover ringed with emeralds hanging from a gold chain.

"This is cute…" I replied, "and kind of her. But what's it for?"

She picked up the note Holiday had left with it. "She said it would bring me luck and strength."

I placed it back in her open palm. "I think you're strong enough all by yourself, and I've never seen anything to convince me otherwise."

Her fist curled around the clover, and she hopped off her stool. "A little more never hurt anyone. "

"Very true." I threw the dish towel in the sink. "Now, you have options. There's ice cream and popcorn, a movie on the big screen where we can practice making out, or we can make out in bed."

"What movie?"

"Your choice." I nodded to the couch where she'd find the remote, and she wandered off.

I was pulling out a third tub of ice cream when my screen flashed up with a new message. Three missed calls and one voicemail all from Lowe Slater, the New York Lions head of communications. And a text.

Lowe: Lux, call me back, I'm sure you know what this is about… thx.

I could take a guess.

If Lowe was calling, it meant our secret was really out, and I couldn't give less of a shit.

Radley was still flicking through movie options as I dropped a scoop of each flavor in a bowl, and grabbed the popcorn.

Lowe could wait until tomorrow.

I had more important things to do.