Time to Pretend (13 page)

“More than you could possibly understand.” Still dazed, she blinked up at him. “What?” He grinned as he guided her to lean against the wall. He kissed his way down her body until he knelt before her. He pressed one more kiss to her swollen nether lips. “You’ll get your turn, Alaina, but I get to go first, if only because I’m bigger and stronger and I get grouchy when I don’t get my way. Don’t worry. You’ll come to love my faults as much as you love Danny’s.”

There was no time to analyze that claim because he parted the lips of her labia and kissed her there the same way he kissed her mouth.

100

Michele Zurlo

Alaina’s body jerked as if she’d been electrocuted, and then she melted.

Evan lifted one of her legs and propped it on his shoulder. “I’ve got you, little lady. I won’t let you fall.” She leaned her head against the tiled wall, but her hands roamed the hard planes of his shoulders in search of something to hold. His teeth grazed her clit as his tongue traveled in long laps, pausing to circle her hole whenever it came close. He alternated sucking her clit and nibbling at it.

Never had a man been more gentle while maintaining the firmness and pressure she needed to climax. Tiny waves pulsed through her tissues, and her moans came faster and higher pitched. Evan added two fingers, moving in time to the rhythm she unwittingly set with her pelvis.

He pumped his fingers into her faster, increasing the frequency of her cries. When she was close, he slowed down. She dug her nails into his shoulders, not caring if she marked him.

“Evan, please.”

Whatever he said in response was lost because he didn’t move his mouth away from her pussy. The sounds were nothing more than intimate vibrations. His fingers slid from her hole to caress the needy tissues just outside of her vagina. Alaina whimpered and thrust her pussy against his fingers in an effort to maneuver them inside.

He sucked harder, and one wandering digit found her back entrance. Alaina was no stranger to this kind of stimulation. She usually waited until she knew a man better to ask him about anal interests. For her, this was something guaranteed to make her come fast and hard.

She relaxed against his finger and whispered consent. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense the surprise in his expression. She grinned at finally having the trump card.

He circled his finger before pressing it gingerly into her anus.

Time to Pretend

101

Sweet pleasure made her buck hard against his mouth. “You don’t have to be so gentle.”

He inserted a second finger, thrusting them into her as slowly and gently as he had fingered her pussy. The effect was stunning and immediate.

Alaina lost control as her climax smashed through her body. She barely noticed the chill air raising gooseflesh over her flushed skin as Evan opened the curtain and closed it again.

He sheathed his erection with a neon green condom and lifted her.

Oh, she wanted to feel him inside her, but now that she had a taste of what he had to offer, she wanted to feel him in more places than just her pussy. The fantasy of having both Daniel and Evan at the same time reasserted itself. Once again, she tamped it down. Men didn’t really do those kinds of things, no matter how close their friendship.

There would be too much incidental touching.

She spread her legs, automatically responding to Evan’s need, and wrapped them around his hips as he slid into her pussy. It still pulsated with aftershocks that caressed Evan’s cock, pulling it deeper.

His blue eyes darkened even more, and Alaina glimpsed a stark loneliness and fierce possessiveness she would never have predicted.

The feeling that he was more than what he seemed gripped her, and she submitted to him, trusting him with a part of her soul she had vowed never to give away.

He twisted his hand in her hair, yanking her head back in that sweet-tempered way he had of handling her. With his mouth, he branded the skin at the base of her neck. A series of sharp pains let her know he was leaving his mark, and for the first time, she didn’t care. He claimed her with every thrust, chaining her to him with pleasure.

The sound of bodies slapping in the wet spray competed with the sharp cries wringing from both of them. Alaina climaxed first, and she didn’t bother to mute her shouts of pleasure. Her violent contractions wrung one from him.

102

Michele Zurlo

He collapsed against her, pinning her to the wall. She fought for air as he panted into her shoulder, and she held him as the last of the tremors shook his body.

At last, he pushed himself back. When she met his gaze, she found awe and a bit of reverence there. The emotions were disconcerting.

She reached over and turned off the water. The hot had long ago run out, and his heat was the only thing that kept her from shivering.

With the urgency sated and the last vestiges of the climax receding, commenting on the intensity of the sex seemed like a bad idea.

As they toweled dry, she noticed he kept sneaking glances at her.

Finally, she lifted an inquiring brow in his direction.

He leveled a direct stare at her and responded to her silent urging.

“Most women are very against being touched the way you seem to like to be touched.”

Alaina lifted one corner of her mouth in a coy smile. “I could argue that most men are against touching a woman’s anus. I think it turned you on as much as it turned me on.” His speculative expression encouraged her to continue.

“If I’m not wrong, you’re imagining using more than your fingers, aren’t you?”

His eyelids fell to half-mast, and his cock lengthened, halfway there. “Have you ever had a man’s cock in your ass, little lady?” It was definitely a term of endearment, but Alaina couldn’t help wonder how often he had used that line. Amused by his apparent awe, she laughed. “That happens to be one of my favorite positions. How about we give it a whirl after we put away the leftovers downstairs?” Evan glanced from her to his fully erect cock and back again. His sapphire eyes sparkled with mischief. “Or we could head to the bedroom and worry about the cleanup later.” With a laugh that was a bit huskier than usual, Alaina reached behind the bathroom door and snagged her bathrobe. It was a plain, white robe much too large for her, but she found it to be the perfect
Time to Pretend

103

size for cold winter mornings. She tossed it to Evan. “Temporary covering.”

Opening the door that led into her bedroom, she threw a directive over her shoulder. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

* * * *

Evan frowned at the heavy material balled in his hands. It felt like a man’s robe. He knew it wasn’t Daniel’s. Jealousy gripped him, and he hated it. This was the emotion from which he was trying to escape.

He already felt too much of it where Daniel was concerned. He didn’t want that poison to spill over to his relationship with Alaina.

She wasn’t theirs yet. Swallowing his pride, Evan donned the robe. A quick sniff revealed nothing but the scent of her bath products. As he now smelled of her shampoo and soap, the odor told him nothing.

By the time he made it to her kitchen, his mood was black. He wished Dan was there. Alaina was everything Dan had promised, and she was so much more. The loss for words Daniel had experienced when he described Alaina now made sense. Did she feel the same connection to him that he felt for her?

Though Daniel’s charm would calm him considerably, Evan reminded himself of the reasons for courting her separately. She had to fall in love with each of them. Dan had the advantage of time, and Evan wondered what ground he had gained that evening.

His eyes fell on the folder with the contract for fixing her house.

She didn’t seem like the sort of woman to sleep with him just to get a discount.

“Why the scowl?”

Her voice rasped a bit, no doubt from the amount of screaming she had done in the shower. Evan shook his head. “Just thinking.” He hadn’t turned to face her. From the corner of his eye, he watched her come closer. She wore something white. He closed his
104

Michele Zurlo

eyes, fervently hoping it wasn’t the women’s version of the robe he wore.

Her scent invaded his nose, and he could feel the little electrical sparks she caused whenever she came near. The folder slid from beneath his fingers. “Oh. The contracts. You didn’t change your mind, did you?”

His eyes flew open. “No. Did you?”

She turned a thoroughly cocky grin on him. “Oh, Evan. Even if we never do this again, I’m going to have stimulating memories whenever I look at you. I think I have a thing for tool belts. You wear yours well.”

He knew exactly what she meant. Daniel looked damn good in a tool belt. Hell, he looked damn good in nothing.

She rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a pen. “Let’s get these out of the way. I want to see how much stamina you have.” She flipped through the pages and signed her name in the places he indicated.

“Don’t you want to read them?”

She shook her head and threw the pen on the counter. “I don’t understand the majority of what’s in there. Don’t tell Daniel, okay?

I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Her grin was contagious, but he knew the reason for the secrecy.

She had gone out of her way to assure Daniel that she knew what she was doing when it came to the repairs on her home. The little minx didn’t know Daniel all that well, though. Danny wasn’t the kind of person to lord it over her. Besides, Daniel already knew she was in this over her head. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited so long on companies to submit bids.

“Evan, I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay here. If you want to leave now, I won’t be upset. A little regretful, maybe.” She shrugged.

Shock hit Evan, smacking him upside the head like his mother used to do. Did she want him to leave?

Time to Pretend

105

Alaina licked her lips and tugged at the lapel of her robe. “I mean, I didn’t sleep with you because you’re working on my house. These are completely separate events. I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything.”

It wasn’t a robe. Her nervous gesture brought his reluctant attention to her attire. She wore a lab coat. It was loose, not the tight kind the female doctors always wore in porn films.

He reached for her, grasping her hips to pull her closer. “I don’t feel obligated to sleep with you. I feel a driving need and a crippling desire, but definitely not an obligation.” She shook her head as if she didn’t believe him. “There are so many women out there who are younger and more attractive. I don’t understand what draws you to me.”

Younger? Yes. More attractive? No. Evan decided to not say anything about the age difference. It was only eleven years, and she wore them extremely well.

He caressed her face, tracing the contours with the tip of his finger. “Alaina, you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. The first moment I saw you, I knew I had to have you. I’ll admit you’re not my usual type, but I see the error of my ways. You’re sexy and passionate. You’re not shy about what you want, and you don’t expect me to do all the work. You have to know how hot that is.” As he spoke, he moved closer and closer to her lips. Her breath caught and released in short, soft bursts. By the time he finished, the words were a murmur against her lips. He loved the taste and texture of her kiss. It was so different from Daniel’s, soft and sweet where Dan was hard and frequently beer scented.

Evan pushed thoughts of Daniel out of his head. Tonight was all about Alaina and the hope she offered.

He closed his mouth over hers, taking everything he wanted. She pressed her hands to his chest and moved them up to grip his shoulders, giving him everything he demanded.

106

Michele Zurlo

Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her, cradling her small frame in his arms. She settled into his embrace perfectly, snuggling against him and straining to get closer. He tightened his grip and headed toward the stairs, vowing to never let her go.

He released her lips when he set her down next to her bed.

Her chest heaved. When she looked up at him, her heavy-lidded cat eyes blinked blearily. “You’re damn good at that.” Evan unhooked the three buttons holding her coat closed. It was a shame for so few buttons to cover so much lusciousness. “Kissing?” When she nodded, he grinned. “You’re pretty damn good yourself.” He kissed a path down her chest and across her stomach. Lifting the lab coat, he paid special attention to her hips and thighs before turning her around. While he didn’t want to rush her, he had been hard and ready for nearly a half hour. His cock needed to feel the tightness of her ass very soon.

The scent of her arousal made his mouth water. He bent her over the edge of the bed and nudged her legs apart. Kneeling behind her, he spread her cheeks wide and licked from the tight puckered ring to her clit and back again. She tasted sweet and tangy. He wrapped one hand around his cock, torn between wanting to sample her further and wanting to bury his throbbing length inside her tiny hole.

“I have lube in the drawer.” She reached back and shoved his head away. “I’m sorry, Evan. I know you really like oral sex, but I need to feel you inside me or I’m going to go insane.” He chuckled. “Actually, I’m not a big fan of oral sex.”
Not with a
woman, anyway.
“I just can’t seem to get enough of you.” She rummaged in the drawer of her nightstand until she found her prize. Turning to him, she flashed a spicy smile that accented the feline slant of her eyes. Then she set more than just a tube of jelly on the bed. In addition to the special, heat-inducing variety of lubricant, she also produced a vibrator.

Evan had seen vibrators before from a distance. He understood their use, but he didn’t understand why she would bring one out now.

Time to Pretend

107

Was she planning to have him watch as she used it on herself? The thought made his cock twitch, both in anticipation and jealousy.