22. Jude

TWENTY-TWO

JUDE

I followed Brooke up to her place, my hands on her hips as she unlocked her door. Once she had it open, I had her back against the wall before her purse hit the floor. Her fingers pulled at my suit jacket, mine sought out her zipper, neither of us very careful.

This wasn't an experiment or practice.

This was a culmination. Pure and simple.

We no longer had to pretend we were doing this for a reason. We were doing this because we wanted to. Because we loved each other. Because she was the only woman I'd want to do this with.

After we kicked off our shoes, I chased her down the hall to her bedroom, her dress half falling off, my shirt open, pants unbuttoned. She flicked on her light then threw herself at me like some kind of feral animal, and we tumbled to her bed in a tangle of clothes and laughter.

We kissed until we were nothing more than swollen lips and panted breaths, still not even completely undressed. Brooke's hair was a mess, the sparkly barrette hanging off the side of her head, while I was pretty sure she'd sucked a bruise into my neck. I stood up to toss my shirt on her dresser, followed immediately by my pants as she shimmied her dress the rest of the way off, leaving her in a matching beige set.

My gaze roved over her, my mouth dry. She didn't know how sexy she was as she finally plucked the clip from her hair to throw on her nightstand, letting all of her silky milk-chocolate hair fall over her shoulders. She was long and supple, her muscles gentled with curves, the dip of her waist flaring out to hips I loved to hold and up to breasts I loved to admire. Of course there were her scars, the barely visible one below her right collarbone and the larger one parallel to the line of her underwear. I loved them both. I would love any and every part of her, but especially the marks left behind because she had survived. She was alive.

"You gonna come over here or what?" she asked, all sugar and spice, one leg extended, the other bent in a come-hither pose.

I crawled up the mattress, kissing my way up her stomach, leaving goose bumps in my wake, then helped to remove her bra—because I was nothing if not a gentleman—and bent to suck her nipple into my mouth.

She moaned, her fingernails digging into my shoulders, and I wrapped my hands around her hips, so she couldn't squirm away as I gave the same treatment to her other nipple, licking at the sensitive pink peak.

Her little groans of pleasure were like a shot of adrenaline to my veins, and I couldn't take it anymore. I sat back on my heels to peel her underwear off like I was unwrapping a gift on Christmas morning. Eager to get to it but relishing the anticipation. I curled my fingers around the thin strips across her hips, skimming my knuckles over the outsides of her thighs as I dragged the thong down her legs, revealing her completely.

"You're gorgeous," I murmured, gripping the insides of her knees, not exactly delicate when I pushed them open, creating more room for me to lie down .

But she stopped me from lowering my head. "Wait. I want to talk."

With the tip of my nose mere centimeters away from the thatch of curls between her legs, I heaved a tortured sigh. " Now ?"

"Yeah. I…" She glanced to the digital clock on her nightstand, the one that lit up in the morning and played nature sounds instead of ringing with an alarm. "You said Sebastian has tryouts tomorrow, right?"

I nodded. "Nine a.m."

"So how late can you stay?"

"Not much later than midnight." My parents were probably passed out on my couch by now. My kids long since fast asleep.

Brooke ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, so that's enough time."

"Enough time for what?"

She moved closer to me, completely naked, all that glorious, creamy skin calling to me, and she wanted to talk . A half smile tipped her lips. "We always talk about what I like, what I want to do, but what about what you want?"

"Hm?"

She skated her hands down my chest and stomach to tug at the elastic of my boxer briefs, as if my dick wasn't confused enough as it was. "I want to hear your fantasies. What do you like in bed? What have you always wanted to try?"

My jaw loosened, every possible thought escaping my brain in the moment.

"You always give me what I want. I want to give you what you want," she went on, and I turned, hanging my legs off the side of her bed. She followed, kissing my shoulder. "You can tell me. You know I won't care. I won't judge you."

"I know. It's…" I shook my head because I'd never been asked that question before. Our dating pact had basically morphed into sex lessons, and it wasn't like I didn't need th em. I did. I wasn't at all experienced in terms of…kink. I had no idea what I liked. So I told her, "I like what you like."

She sent a shiver down my spine when she breathed a laugh against my ear, and I grabbed hold of her ass cheek, squeezing, eliciting a halfhearted protest. Which really meant give me more because she nipped at my ear. I squeezed again, and she whined my name.

I kissed her. "What do you want me to say, honeybee?"

The little minx coiled herself around me, settling on my lap, her hot pussy rubbing over my cock, and I sucked in a breath, seizing her hips. "Tell me what you want," she ordered in a siren voice. "Tell me your fantasy."

Staring down at her naked breasts, swaying with every roll of her hips, and feeling the heat of her… I was done. "I want to use you."

She stilled. Her brows high.

"I want to tie you up and use you. For whatever I want. However I want."

Her top teeth sawed into her bottom lip, and I held her chin between my thumb and forefinger so she'd stop. Only so I could then trap that lip between my teeth. I tugged on it, at the same time I plucked at her nipples.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Yes, what?" I asked, my mouth against hers.

"Let's do that."

I tipped my head back. "Really?"

"Yeah. I trust you. You trust me. So, yes, use me."

I swallowed the boulder in my throat and stood with her in my arms, walking to the foot of the bed, where I deposited her back down to consider my possibilities. Her headboard was plain white with wooden slats. Usable but not super sturdy. I would know since I put the IKEA bed frame together myself when she'd purchased it a few years ago. She'd bought all her bedroom furniture to match. Farmhouse chic, she'd called it .

"I need cables or zip ties or something," I told her, and she slapped her hand over her mouth when she snorted.

"Zip ties? You gonna murder me too?"

I waved her off. "Reading one too many of your dirty books, I guess."

She jutted her chin toward her closet. "You can probably find something in there."

Her walk-in was only a few feet wide, overflowing with hangers and clothes. I searched for a scarf or something long enough to use, but the only thing available was a black leather belt. I held it out for her, and she shrugged.

"Lie back," I told her, and she scooted up the mattress, extending her arms above her head. I wrapped the belt around her wrists and quickly realized it wouldn't work. I couldn't cinch it. I took the end out of the buckle and attempted to wrap it around a few times, but that didn't work either. "How do you do it?"

She tipped her head back, checking out my work upside down. "Maybe loop it around the frame first."

So, I did that too. "Why is this so difficult?"

She sat up. "My books always make it seem so easy. Look it up."

We both found our cell phones and brought up our own searches, coming back together on the bed, peering over each other's shoulder to see what the other found.

"I got a YouTube video from some…is he Russian?" I turned the volume all the way up. I couldn't tell what Eastern European country he was from, but that accent meant business.

"Reddit says to make sure the insides of my wrists are facing each other, and you should be able to get a finger between the restraints."

I nodded at Brooke's notes as I viewed the video again, making sure I understood how to loop the belt.

"Ooh, we could use ACE bandages. "

I glanced over my shoulder at her. "You have ACE bandages?"

"No." She shrugged with a laugh. "But good to know for next time."

I growled and stole her phone from her hands, placing it on the floor along with mine. "Enough fucking around." I flipped her over on her stomach and smacked her ass. "Time to get to work."

She wiggled away, her butt cheeks jiggling, and I prodded her to crawl up the bed as I started in on the makeshift handcuffs. Once she was on her back, she slid her hands through the loop I'd created, and I pulled it taut. "Okay?"

"Yeah. It's good."

I waited until she got herself comfortable then circled the long end around one of the slats in the bed frame and pushed it through the handcuffs. One good tug, and it would come undone from the frame, but with how Brooke's nipples pebbled and her skin flushed, she liked this game as much as I did.

With her sufficiently bound, I stood up to observe my rather shoddy handiwork. "We'll have to do more research."

"Yeah," she agreed, hips and legs absently swiveling. "We will."

We will.

That was all I needed. Us.

I settled on the bed, nudging her thighs apart, even as she raised her head. "I thought you wanted to use me."

"Yeah. I do. So shut up and let me use my mouth on you like I want."

"Well, if you insi—" Her laugh cut off with a gasp when I licked up her slit. She thought she was clever with her sassy attitude.

I'd leave her a mess, too tired to even smile when I was done with her.

I draped her legs over my shoulders, winding my arms around her hips so I could hold her soft flesh open with my thumbs, sucking on her clit, and her thighs clamped down around my ears. By now, I knew what she liked, and I didn't hold back, flicking the tip of my tongue over that little sweet spot. The tension in her muscles built slowly and steadily, exactly like her soft pleas, and I reached my right arm up to grip her breast, squeezing it roughly. I rolled her nipple between my fingers, rubbing my tongue over her at the same time, not letting up until I felt her contract, every part of her coiled tight, and then release, and I lifted myself up above in time to catch the flush in her cheeks.

"How was that?"

She licked her lips, blinking into awareness. "So good."

"I think you like being tied up."

"I might."

I bent, dragging my tongue up her throat. "You have a vibrator?"

"In my drawer."

I wasted no time opening her nightstand, rummaging around reading glasses, chargers, eye drops, hair ties, and lotion to finally find some lube and what appeared to be a penguin with a suction cup in place of a head. I held it up, my head angled in silent question.

"I thought it was cute."

I pressed the power button, and the thing came alive in my hand. "Oh, it's cute, all right."

Positioning myself back between her legs, I squirted a tiny bit of lube on my index finger, smearing it over her clit before placing the vibrator against it, and Brooke's legs immediately spasmed.

"This guy's got some power," I said in amazement, and it wasn't long before she was on the verge of coming again. I placed my hand on her hip to keep her still, my cock practically pulsing at the way her neck arched, her feet scrambling for purchase. Her belly quivered, and I loved how she didn't seem to be in control of herself anymore. Especially with the high, keening sound she made when she orgasmed again.

I hit the power button, giving her some time to catch her breath, and so I could take off my underwear, a wet spot marring the cotton from where my dick reminded me of its need. It would have to wait.

I brushed strands of hair off her face, slid my palm over her damp brow, cupping her cheek as I kissed her, drinking in the salty taste of her skin when I dipped my tongue into the hollow of her collarbone. "You ready for another one?" She didn't answer, so I did it for her. "Yes, you are."

I situated her legs outside of my thighs so she couldn't move them as much then skated my hand over her torso, teasing at her nipples. "You told me I could use you. So I am."

"You're going to kill me."

I wrapped my hand around her throat, letting her feel the weight of my fingers over her pounding pulse. "Not quite yet."

Powering on the penguin once again, I settled it on her clit, and I knew it wouldn't take long, she was already so keyed up.

"Oh fuck," she groaned. "Oh my god."

I drank her in. Her face flushed, her eyes shut, her skin pink and glistening with sweat, and I couldn't stop myself from pushing my knees wide, holding her open, as I released her throat to circle my hand around my cock instead. I gripped it roughly, cutting off the growing strength of my own orgasm. I couldn't come yet. Not until I was buried deep inside her.

Which wouldn't be much longer.

She thrashed her head side to side, mumbling nonsense, her hips jerking off the mattress without my hand to hold her down, but I kept that little son of a bitch penguin sucker on her, carrying her through her high, waiting until she settled back on the bed to power it off .

That was when I popped open the lube, squeezing some onto her and on my fingers. I spread it down the length of my cock then rubbed the bit on her over the seam of her pussy and into her, giving in to my impulse to make her come just one more time.

She moaned, her body jolting when I found her most sensitive spot. A few strokes of my fingers, and she went off like a bomb, cursing and gasping, and then I was the son of a bitch, driving my cock into her before she had a chance to rest. I hoisted her legs straight up into the air, holding them against my chest, as I found my rhythm.

She fought the binding, writhing in earnest, and I couldn't help but grin into her calf. Her eyes snapped up to me when I nipped at her ankle.

"Who's going to replace me after you've killed me?" she asked, her breasts bouncing with each of my thrusts.

"One of the boys. Probably Nate since I've known him the longest."

"He—ooh!" It took her a few seconds to return to her thought. "He won't fuck you as good as I do."

"No." I released her legs, the burn at the bottom of my spine too hard to ignore anymore, and I held myself above her with my hands on either side of her shoulders. "He probably won't. Guess that means I have to keep you around."

She bent her knees, hitching her legs around my hips, the sweetest "Please, Jude" dripping from her lips.

But I'd freely offer her anything. Everything. She never even had to ask.

She could take all of me.

I curled my hand around her hip to press up against her lower back, changing her angle, and she cried out, both of us falling over the edge at the same time.

Relaxing my grip on her, I eased my cock in and out of her a few times, allowing both of us moment to float back to earth, to calm our racing breaths and heartbeats. Before slipping out of her entirely, I undid the belt from around the headboard and her wrists, placed a quick kiss on her lips, then hopped off the bed to clean up in her bathroom and wet a washcloth with warm water.

When I returned to the bed, Brooke was rubbing at her wrist.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

To see for myself, I picked up her left wrist, examining it, and when I found nothing except for a faint red mark, I kissed it then checked out her right wrist, skimming my nose over the thin skin there. "Did you enjoy that?"

"I did."

I kissed her wrist and placed her hand on the bed, nudging her legs open so I could wipe the cloth over the insides of her thighs and between them. After a few swipes, I folded up the washcloth and chucked it into her laundry basket, set outside of her closet.

Facing her, I kissed the slope of her shoulder. "Didn't use you too hard, did I?"

She smiled sleepily. "It was perfect."

I hummed an agreement against her throat and tunneled my fingers into her hair, holding the back of her head, so I could kiss her mouth, lazy and long. Leaving her on the bed, I dressed then dug through her drawer for a T-shirt, which I held out for her so she could slide her head and arms through.

"You want underwear?"

She shook her head. "Just shorts."

After finding a pair, I knelt so she could step into them and got in a kiss above her pubic bone before I covered her up completely. I stood, gathering her in my arms. "I love you."

"I love you," she said against my throat, and it struck me again how weird it was that it wasn't weird.

This was the easiest relationship of my life .

I hoped it stayed that way.

Holding hands, we walked to her door, and she told me to let her know how the tryout went tomorrow. I agreed with one last kiss. "Sleep well."

She offered me her crooked smile. "Night, babe."

I tapped her nose. "Night, honeybee."