Dirty Deal (A Perfectly Matched Novel) (Entangled Brazen) (8 page)

With a whoosh of air, the bra fell to the floor, and she was bare before him.

There was a long, heavy silence until he spoke again. “Now the pants.” He nodded toward them. This time, his voice was gritty, like he’d been sucking on glass, and it sent her pulse skittering.

He was breaking down her wall of resistance, brick by brick, and if she let herself stop spackling the holes for even a second, she was going to wind up defenseless and primed for a hurting.

“Since when do I take orders from you?” she murmured halfheartedly, though a shiver went through her at the intensity of his gaze, and she hooked her thumb under the elastic of her pants all the same.

“Since I told you to.”

“You first.” She gestured toward him, all too aware of how her naked breasts bounced as she moved.

“Will that put an end to your stalling?”

“It’s the best chance you’ve got,” she shot back.

He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Jesus Christ, when would she learn to be careful what she wished for? Had she thought that his panty-dropping hotness had been a trick of the light last time? Or, really, every time she’d seen him since? If she had, she was woefully mistaken. His wall of muscles rippled, his biceps flexing as he worked open the fly of his jeans.

“I’ll do you one better.” He pulled the jeans off and stepped from them one leg at a time until he was in nothing but dark red boxers.

That thin scrap of fabric was the only thing blocking him from her touch. All she’d have to do was go over there and pull, close the distance between herself and the hard, impressive bulge beneath…

Her heartbeat sped more, pounding in her ears until it was a constant, rhythmic reminder of just how fragile it was. If she pulled off her pants and let him have her again, she’d lose something to him this time. She knew it in her gut, and while she couldn’t bring herself to turn away, she couldn’t bring herself to step toward him either.

Time to stall until she could think straight.

“Looking good.” She nodded. “Now give us a little spin.”

“Excuse me?” He crossed his trunk-like arms over his chest. Good God, the man was built like Thor. He made it hard to think about anything but him.

“You heard me. Shake what your momma gave you.” Thank God her mouth operated so frequently without her mind’s input.

He’d apparently had enough of her teasing because he crossed the room toward her, closing the distance with remarkable speed.

“Listen—” she started, her body trembling with a heady mix of adrenaline, anticipation, and abject terror.

“Nope. Time’s up.” He picked her up like a rag doll, hauling her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. She squealed as he carried her across the room and set her down on something cold and hard. The kitchen counter.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, though her protest sounded weak even to her.

“Showing you my move. Isn’t that what you wanted?” His voice was a low rumble in his chest.

Did she want that? She didn’t even know anymore. With every touch, he was weaving a spell around her. One that felt unfamiliar, wonderful, and terrifying all at once. If there was something more intense than this that he hadn’t shown her…

She shoved the thought away, unwilling to examine it any further because it didn’t matter. Walking away right now was impossible.

Without waiting for her reply, he slipped his hands around her waist and trailed them downward, tugging the fabric away as he went, panties and all, until she was utterly exposed to him. She hadn’t even lifted her butt from the counter. Her whole body slid toward him until her ass was at the very edge, perfectly aligning her soft center with his hard cock.

“That’s the move? Pulling a girl’s pants off?” she breathed, trying to sound unimpressed.

“When I do the move, you won’t have to ask. Now be quiet and let me work here, woman,” he growled. Her pants were at her ankles now and he lifted them toward his shoulders, pulling one leg free and then the other. It was sensual, the ritual of it, the reverent way he circled her ankle in his fingers, and she found herself mesmerized by the ceremony.

He held her ankles in each of his hands now and lifted one to his lips, brushing his tongue along the inside of her ankle, teasing at her calf. A sizzle snaked through her entire body.

“D-don’t boss me. I’m not one of your patients, Doc.” She tried to say the words defiantly, but instead they came out like a breathy plea.

“That’s good, because if you were, what I’m about to do to you would be illegal.” His wolfish smile held more promise than humor as he placed each of her ankles delicately on his shoulders.

“Lean back on your elbows,” he murmured. The last of the fight drained out of her as she obeyed his command and waited breathlessly for his next move. He stared down at her, molten gaze lingering on her aching breasts before drifting lower.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous, I can hardly stand it.”

Then he dropped to a squat and closed his mouth over her clit. The sensation was so sublime, she couldn’t make a sound. She arched her back and closed her eyes to savor the sensation of his clever tongue on her. It was like her flesh was infused with light, and every nerve ending was on high alert. She went from wet and needy to soaked and ready to scream in thirty seconds flat.

“Please, Bryan…I need…”

She broke off, gasping as his tongue rubbed her in a brutal rhythm that made her head spin. She opened her eyes to watch his dark head move between her thighs, and that only made the pressure there build to a fever pitch. He tugged her closer, palming her hips before sliding one hand to play in her slick folds. He groaned against her clit, the sound vibrating his lips against her in a way that made her muscles tense. Then, he eased two fingers into her needy, waiting heat. She let out a muffled sob that mixed with the sound of the breath sawing in and out of his lungs as he tore his mouth from her.

“Repeat after me”—he flexed his fingers deep, the pads of them rubbing her G-spot with unerring accuracy—“I want you.”

“I want you,” she whimpered, helpless to deny him, willing to say anything if he would just—

“To slide that cock deep inside me until I scream,” he urged.

She groaned and shook her head. He slid his fingers out before plunging deep again, in a slow, relentless slide.

“Tell me, Serena. Say the words. I want you to fuck me until I come. Tell me you want it, and it’s yours.”

She shook and sobbed and tried to press harder onto his fingers. She was close, so close, she could touch it. Her breathing was labored, her face feverish with wild heat.

“What is there to be afraid of?” he urged in a low voice. “I’m not a half-measure kind of guy. If we’re going to have tonight, let’s do it, no holds barred. Now tell me what you want.”

“I c-can’t,” she gasped, desperate to end the torture, but some deeper part of her knew if she didn’t draw the line she was going to drown in him.

“You can.” He straightened and stepped back, letting his fingers slip away, and she cried out at the loss. Her ankles slid from around his neck to his waist. Never taking his eyes from her, he tugged his cock free of his boxers and palmed it in one hand. “I’ll tell you what I want. That sweet pink pussy.” He groaned as stroked his cock up and down, pumping his fist. “On my tongue, on my cock, in my face. I could come right now just looking at you like this, and that’s the truth. Now your turn.”

She could hardly form a coherent though as he stepped closer to rub the head of his cock against her, tracing her slick folds with that thick tip until she arched into him, desperate for it. He was the worst kind of tease, pressing himself against her clit and circling, dipping down and running himself along her core, making her think that he was about to fill her, and then making his way back to her clit again.

The blood pooled between her hips, and she trembled with need. She knew exactly how he felt because she wanted him everywhere, all at once. To take him deep into her mouth. To have him stroke himself until he came, spurting hot and fast on her belly. But right now…most of all…

“I want you to fuck me until I scream,” she begged.

“That’s my girl,” he murmured. He pulled away, and she could hear him fumbling behind her. A tear of foil and a quick snap later, he was back, looping her ankles around his neck and pulling her toward him until he’d nearly bent her in half. She could feel his heart pounding in rhythm with her own. His skin was so hot…

Oh God. He pushed inside her, and her body stretched to accommodate every last inch of him, clenching over him as her body primed to come.

“You feel so fucking good.” He steadied his grip on her hips as he pressed into her with slow, deliberate strokes.

Her only answer was to moan, low at first and then louder as his hands moved to cup her ass. He was squeezing, then massaging, filling every inch of her body with sensation. Her toes curled around him, and she pulsed her hips, desperate for everything he had to give her.

His lovemaking was even more maddening than his foreplay, the rhythm fast and demanding as he pounded into her deep and hard and then, just as she was about to peak, he would slow again, moving to massage her breasts and nipples. Driving her insane.

It was like she couldn’t focus on the sensations; they were everywhere, all at once. Every cell in her body was shooting off warnings, firing into overdrive.

“Please.” She clawed at the counter, using it to leverage herself forward, urging him deeper with the motion of her hips in a desperate attempt to quell the rising pressure between her legs. This time, he didn’t hold back. His jaw went tense and his hips worked like pistons, driving him into her in long, steady strokes.

He leaned down then, until they were chest to chest, her ankles locked around his hips, and he pressed his mouth to hers, dipping and swirling her tongue against his, catching her bottom lip between his teeth as he dragged her over the edge. There was only the pulsing of his cock inside her and this kiss. The entire world around them could be on fire and she wouldn’t have cared.

He rocked against her harder, and she ground her hips against him in equal time, matching her kiss to the tempo. “Bryan,” she breathed against his mouth, and their eyes met. In his was something beautiful and terrifying, something she was pretty sure was reflected in her own.

But worst of all? That look was the thing that drove her over the edge. Her toes curled again, and the tingling began, traveling from the crown of her head through every inch of her body. The need was all consuming, and she met it with all the demand it required, drawing him deeper and deeper still until her walls quaked around his throbbing shaft. She clutched at the countertop again, curling her fingers around the edge, and held on for dear life, but there was nothing that could ground her.

She was flying, and he flew with her, stiffening, groaning her name as he came. She’d never felt so alive.

And it terrified her.

Chapter Seven

Serena peered through the window, stomach doing somersaults as she waited for him to show. Maybe things would feel less completely weird once she saw his truck pull up.

Maybe.

In the two days since she’d last seen him, he’d texted her a couple of times. Once with the details for tonight’s reunion, and once with a list of pertinent information about him that they’d never gotten around to discussing, which she returned in kind. Neither of them had mentioned what had happened, and neither of them had suggested getting together to go over their backstory again, either.

But she couldn’t get through a moment of the day without wondering what the hell she was going to do about him. What she did know was that, no matter how good it was, she couldn’t sleep with him again. He was leaving for Afghanistan in a few more weeks, and beyond their two dates and the last photo shoot, she’d really have no cause to see him before he left. That was a good thing. She kept letting her guard down around him, and every time she did, it was harder to rise back up again. A sure recipe for heartache.

If he tried to make another move on her, she’d just have to let him down easy—nothing she hadn’t done dozens of times before.

At last, his truck slowed to a stop in front of her house, and she stepped outside before he had the chance to get out of the car and make his way to the front door. That would’ve felt too much like a real date.

She opened the truck door and then looked at the step. She had forgotten about this part when she’d chosen to don a micromini for the occasion, and if she was going to haul her ass into the cab, it wouldn’t be without him getting yet another look at her cookie.

“Need some help?” He popped the car into park and got out without waiting for her reply. Within seconds, he was standing next to her, his warm hand on her forearm. Jesus, what if he kissed her hello?

“Uh…”

He didn’t wait for a response but hoisted her up to her seat in one smooth motion before striding back to the driver’s side. God, he was strong. She might have been sure of her options, but her stupid organs clearly had minds of their own. Her heart thumped harder in her chest with every passing second, her stomach ached, and the heat of his touch lingered on her skin, even as he settled back into his seat.

“Thanks for that.” She swallowed hard.

Shit, shit, shit. Get it together.

But the other part of her brain was too busy sifting through sensations—the leathery cinnamon smell of him that lingered in the air. The light stubble on his jaw that made her mouth water.

“How’ve you been?” he asked. Like they were friends. Like he didn’t notice how completely fucking bizarre she must have been acting.

Get a hold of yourself, woman.

“Me?” she snorted. “I’m grrreat.”

Just like Tony the Tiger. She barely resisted the urge to lean forward and bash her head against the dashboard in frustration. As aware as she was that her behavior was getting weirder by the second, she couldn’t seem to stop it.

“Good,” he muttered absently and then leaned forward to toy with the radio.

For the first time, she realized something was a little off about him, too. In fact, he hadn’t made eye contact or even really looked in her direction since he’d pulled up. And not only had he not mentioned her behavior, he seemed too preoccupied to even notice it.

Was Bryan’s brain buzzing with ideas of how to make sure they didn’t wind up in bed together again, too? It was true he’d left before she’d gotten up the next morning, and he’d avoided the topic just as skillfully as she had, but it had been so intimate that night.

Maybe it just hadn’t been as good for him as it was for her.

She wrestled the thought away. Over the past days, it had come up more and more, but she knew it couldn’t be right. She’d had guys camped out on her lawn for a week trying to get back into her bed. There was no doubting she was dynamite in the sack.

Maybe he just didn’t like her.

That thought had come up a lot too, but something told her that wasn’t quite it, either. As far as she could tell, Bryan liked her as much, well, as much as she liked him. Which was exactly why she had to get this out of the way.

His reasons didn’t matter. Better to take the bull by the horns and get it all out there, so they could both start acting normal again, or it was going to be an excruciating night.

“Listen, uh, I think we need to talk about the other night.” She held her head high, no matter how low the rest of her felt.

“Yeah, me, too.” His words were as thoughtful as her own, which was fine. Better than fine. If they were both on the same page, that would only make things easier. So why did she still have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach?

“Is that so?” she pressed on.

“Yeah, but how about you go first?” They turned into the main part of town, speeding past all the rickety gift shops. She stared at one after the other, willing the universe to give her a speech that would make sense.

After they passed the fourth thrift shop in a row, she started, “I’ve put a lot of thought into this. Bryan, you’ve been really nice. And the other night was…fun. However, I think it would be best if—” She took a deep breath and blew it out in a rush. “We can’t ever sleep together again.”

The words were finally out, but the relief she’d been so looking forward to never came. What she did feel was hard to say, since all of her attention was now focused on Bryan, who had finally decided to look at her.

He wore a strange expression. Not angry or upset. He sort of looked…amused. She was about to open her mouth and continue, but he cut her off, not with his hand but with a raised eyebrow and a half smirk.

“I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with you there,” he said.

She stared at him for a long moment and then blinked. Okay, so maybe they weren’t on the same page, but… “Um, there’s nothing to disagree with. It wasn’t an opinion-type deal. I’m telling you, we’re not going to sleep together again.”

She should have been angry. She should have been annoyed. Hell, she should have been a lot of things, but mostly she was…strangely aroused and feeling rather giddy.

She’d had men try to get her to change her mind about walking away a lot of different ways. Bartering. Remorse. Bribery. Outright refusal was a new one. His confidence, combined with the cocksure half smile on his face, left her with her mouth opening and closing like a guppy.

She cleared her throat and tried again. “Am I being unclear or…?”

“You’re being clear, all right. You’re telling me that you don’t
think
you want to sleep with me again. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to. It just means that you’re fooling yourself.”

She took in his profile, remembering how that firm mouth felt on her skin and how those strong hands felt on her hips, but then shook it off. The fact that she was still craving him after she’d already had him was just another reason to run the other way. She was halfway to a Bryan Metcalf addiction, and that kind of dependence on any guy was a surefire train to Misery, population one.

“Well, we are apparently going to have to agree to disagree, then,” she said primly, raising her eyebrows in an expression she hoped would mirror his. Confident. Sure.

Sooo sexy.

He pulled up to the old high school and stopped in the very back of the parking lot.

“Fine by me.” He unlatched his seat belt and slid from his place, and while she tried to do the same, he was already at her side of the car before she could beat him to the punch.

Without another word, he held out his hand to help her down, and she reluctantly took it, though she knew there was no avoiding his seeing her panties as she jumped from her seat.

All the way through the parking lot, he never released her hand, and when she finally tried to pull away, he leaned in close and whispered, “Dating, remember? What would people think?”

His hot breath against her ear sent memories of their nights together surging to all the wrong places, making her more aware of his touch than ever. Damn him.

When they finally reached the door to the high school, he turned to face her and stared down at her for a long minute. With every second that passed without speech, she felt that much stronger.

Sure, she was holding his hand still, but she could desensitize herself to that. This would be fine, no matter what he thought. By next week, sleeping with Bryan would be a very distant memory.

“Okay, are you ready?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think so.” And she was. Ready to be done with it. Ready to put an end to the constant sexual torment he seemed determine to put her through. He started toward the door, then paused and pulled her in again.

“What now?” she breathed. “Did you forget to tell me that the guys on the football team used to call you Scooter or something?”

“No. But I did forget to tell you something. Maybe it can wait, though.”

“Just tell me,” she sighed.

“Well…”

Her heart sped up while he paused and met her gaze with an intense one of his own.

“It’s just that I never got to show you my move. So I guess, if you’re determined not to sleep with me again, you’ll never get to see it. Kind of sucks, is all.” He frowned and released her hand, then walked through the wide glass doors without so much as giving her a second glance.

She stared after him for a long moment. He was just lying to get under her skin and into her bed. There was no way, with all that they’d done, that he hadn’t done “the move.” Assuming there even was a move to begin with.

But if he was telling the truth…

She squeezed her thighs together to quell the fresh ache. God damn him.

He thought he could make her uncomfortable all night? He thought he could make her pant after him like a lovesick puppy?

Well, if that was his plan, he had another think coming. Two could play at that game, and whether he knew it or not, he’d declared war on the grand master.

She stared at the glass doors and steeled herself for her newfound mission. She was going to take a moment and collect herself. And when she finally got in there? She was going to make him pay.

…

“Apparently we missed a memo.” He turned to his side, but apparently Serena hadn’t followed him.

That was fine. She was probably doing what he’d been doing since the first night they met. Flip-flopping. Trying to decide what to do about the problem of him.

What surprised him, though, was that the situation wasn’t as clear to her as it had become to him last night. The sex was electric, and the best part was that neither had any expectations beyond that. He’d be gone by the end of the month…so where was the harm in enjoying that time while it lasted? There had been that moment where things had gotten a little too deep, but they’d rebounded and gotten back on track. The fact was, she wasn’t anything like the nutty girls he’d been with in the past. He liked her. He wanted her. And, while it couldn’t last, and they’d have to call it quits soon, it didn’t have to be now. He’d deal with the aftermath when it came. Until then? Depriving themselves didn’t make a lick of sense.

Waiting for her to join him, he stared around and tried to avoid eye contact with any of the people surrounding him. In a crowd this big, it should have been easy enough, but since Serena was taking her sweet time, he’d have to be extra careful.

“You came!” A female voice said behind him, and he flinched for a second before realizing it was Q.

When he spotted her, he wasn’t so sure he’d been right in assuming her identity. She barely looked like herself with a giant star painted over half of her face. But once he saw her smile and those loose brown braids, he knew for sure that he was staring at his sister.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Was this shindig planned with a boss?” he asked.

She gestured around the massive space. “All my handiwork. It’s an eighties theme.” She pointed at her face. “You dig?”

He should have known that this was the sort of thing only Q could dream up. The gym of his old high school was transformed into the sort of bandstand that only really existed in movies about the eighties. Neon lights and colors abounded, and women in full-body spandex circled the crowd on roller skates while carrying trays of neon green drinks.

When one of the waitresses finally rolled past, he picked up two cups and handed one to his sister. “You definitely have a talent.”

“Why thank you. Now where’s your lady love?” Her face twisted into a knowing smile, and he fought the urge to give her a noogie like he had when they were kids. She knew the scoop, but he was fully aware that she was holding out hope that this farce would become a reality.

“What did you say about a lady love?” Serena sounded beside him, and he tried his best not to seem affected by her presence. Instead, he handed her a drink, and she took it with a coy grin. Gone were the baffled eyes, pink cheeks, and fluttery hands. Ballsy, sexy Serena was back, and she’d clearly rethought her strategy pertaining to him.

Very interesting.

“My sister was asking where you were. Q, meet Serena. Serena, meet Q.” He gestured between the women and they shook hands.

“Nice to actually meet you, officially. I saw you at the auction but didn’t get a chance to say hello before this guy dragged me out of there.” She jerked a thumb in his direction. “I’ve heard so much about you,” Serena said.

“Is that so?” Q eyed him and then focused on Serena again. “Well, I’m very pleased to meet you, too. Let’s get to know each other better at a table, huh?” Q sliced through the crowd, and they followed behind, Serena taking the lead.

This time he didn’t worry about recognizing the faces around him. He didn’t even bother to look. The sole of his attention was on Serena’s form as she walked, her ass swaying like a cartoon vixen.