The Rules Page 9

  Desire pumped strong in his blood as the fire between them raged out of control. He shoved papers out of the way and several fluttered to the floor as he lifted her onto the desk. He tasted the flavor of her skin, pressing his mouth to the little crater in the middle of her neck where her rapid pulse steadily hammered a beat.

  Gavin dragged the edges of the loose bodice aside to get at her breasts. The beautiful caramel mounds sat perfectly in his hands, overflowing from his palms while he showered them with kisses. Each dark nipple pouted so prettily in anticipation of his mouth that he spent a little extra time caressing them, licking them, sucking them. All the while, Terri moaned her pleasure and bent backwards, encouraging the workings of his mouth.

  Gavin unhooked his belt. He hadn’t planned on sex tonight, but moved quickly, unable and unwilling to stop the mad rush to ecstasy needed to satisfy the hard throb of his erection.

  Terri tugged at her thong with her thumbs, wiggling on the desk until it dropped to the floor. Right after he put on the condom, she lifted her legs around his waist without prompting. Then he was inside of her. Knees weakening at the warm wet texture surrounding him. He cursed violently, taut fingers gripping the tender flesh of her thighs. She felt too good. He didn’t think he could last very long.

  She balanced on the edge of the desk, one arm around his neck, the other firmly planted on the wooden surface. Each thrust took an inordinate amount of effort to control his natural inclination to explode in her slick channel. Over and over, his hard flesh sank into her wet sex. He made her groan. He made her gasp. And when the orgasm hit, she tossed back her head and let loose a keening cry—a high-pitched scream that could easily be heard by anyone loitering in the hallway.

  Gavin, at almost the exact moment her muscles spasmed around him, unleashed his come in a violent shudder that forced a burst of air from his lungs and a low, long grunt of satisfaction from his throat.

  Clinging to each other in the aftermath, several long minutes passed before they each caught their breath and slowly pulled apart. Gavin took a good hard look at Terri. She leaned back on both hands, legs still spread apart, the hem of her dress pushed up around her hips. Her large caramel breasts were exposed—their dusky tips still hard—with the necklaces settled between them. She looked like every man’s wet dream.

  He picked up her thong, nothing more than two pieces of string and a thatch of cloth. Terri extended her hand to accept it, but Gavin shook his head. Lifting it to his nose, he inhaled the heady scent of her feminine musk.

  Terri’s eyes darkened. “Can I have my underwear, please?”

  Stuffing the lingerie in his pocket, he said, “You’ll get it the next time I see you.”

  “Which is when?” she demanded.

  His mouth lifted into a sideways smile. “Tomorrow.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Gavin crossed the mahogany floors of his rented house and stepped onto the balcony to escape the raucous party inside for a few minutes. He rubbed a hand across his throbbing head. His friends had invited a bunch of women and other hangers-on over for a party. Loud talking, laughter, and alcohol filled almost every room on the second floor. He’d been there all of thirty minutes and couldn’t summon the energy to engage in the revelry, which used to be easy to do.

  When he saw the house months ago, the petite real estate agent droned on and on about the lakeside view, heated floors and driveway, massive master suite that occupied half of the top floor, and the chef’s kitchen with the latest appliances. At the time, Gavin hadn’t cared. He only needed a place for he and his friends to stay while temporarily in town, but he grew to like the tri-level house immensely and idly considered buying it as a permanent residence.

  The door slid open behind him and deafening rap music poured out before dulling to a faint thump when the door closed again.

  “Hey, bro, what’s wrong?”

  Rob, the typical surfer dude with sun-bleached hair and blue eyes, joined him at the railing. He and Rob had surfed dangerous waves in Australia and Hawaii, along with their partner in surfing crime, a native Hawaiian who was just as fearless.

  Rob handed him an open bottle of beer. “You seem distracted tonight.”

  “I think it’s all the work at the office,” Gavin joked.

  The real reason he hadn’t been himself was the fault of a voluptuous female about five foot six with ass and hips for days. She had him by the balls. That was the only way to describe the Terri effect. The few times they’d hooked up since The Underground simply weren’t enough.

  Rob nodded. “Work will suck the life out of you. That’s why you need to relax, man. Indulge in the ladies.”

  “Nah, you go ahead. Have fun.”

  It was quiet out here. Exactly what he needed, with only the distant sound of a car breaking the silence.

  “You sure, man?” Rob leaned close, as if anyone could hear them. “The one with the green eyes won’t even look at the rest of us. She only has eyes for you.”

  Gavin had seen her, and she was gorgeous—a different kind of gorgeous than Terri. Tall, leggy, light-skinned, she had a mane of long tresses swept over one shoulder, with a man-eating look on her face that used to turn him on. Yet he was completely uninterested. None of the eight women entertaining his friends piqued his interest.

  I’m getting too old for this shit.

  “I’m sure.” Gavin held up the bottle. “Thanks for the brew. I’m going to stay out here for a bit.”

  Rob shook his head. “All right, man.”

  He opened the door and for several seconds the music and laughter disturbed the quiet. Then Gavin savored the silence, alone again with his thoughts. He rested his forearms on the wood railing and gazed out into the shadowy night. Large trees loomed around the perimeter of the property, and in the distance the moonlight reflected off the surface of Lake Washington.

  Before he changed his mind, he pulled out his phone and dialed Terri’s number.

  She answered on the second ring. “Hello, Gavin,” she said in a cheerful voice.

  Gavin rested on his elbows, face creasing into a smile at the sound of her voice, his body already relaxing. “What are you doing?”

  “Cooking dinner.”

  “What’s on the menu?”

  “Breakfast for dinner—shrimp and grits with bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese.”

  Gavin straightened. He never figured Terri for the cooking type, much less something like shrimp and grits, one of his comfort foods. “That’s one of my favorite dishes. What do you know about cooking shrimp and grits?”

  “Plenty.”

  “Oh yeah? Any chance I could have a taste?”

  “Hmm…I don’t know. Didn’t I just see you two days ago?”

  “You’re overdue for another visit, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Maybe,” Terri said, dragging out the word.

  In his mind’s eye, he saw her cute little pout and eyes narrowing into a seductive smile.

  “Save me some of those grits. I’m coming over.”

  “I didn’t say you could.”

  “You didn’t have to, but you want me to. I can hear it in your voice.” Gavin swiped the bottle of beer from the railing and turned toward the door. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

  ****

  Terri opened the door to find Gavin leaning a shoulder against the wall in a maroon long-sleeved Henley and dark jeans.

  “Hello,” he said, eyes dropping to her chest in the tight white T-shirt before flicking back up again. He produced a bottle of wine from behind his back.

  “Chardonnay. You came prepared.”

  “Always.”

  He entered the apartment, and with one arm around her waist, he drew her into a kiss. Gavin only had to touch her and she complied to his wishes. Heat radiated against her skin everywhere their bodies touched. Terri smoothed both hands over his hard pectorals and then higher up to grip his shoulders. As she arched into him, her nipples pebbled against his chest and that quickly, Gavin
turned her body to warm liquid. His hand came up to the back of her neck and deepened the intensity of their erotic mouth to mouth. Just when she felt ready to forego eating and invite him back to the bedroom for a quick session before dinner, he withdrew his lips and left her panting for more.

  “Those grits ready?” he asked.

  “Almost,” Terri replied, a little breathless. “Whew, that was a nice greeting.”

  Gavin chuckled behind her as she walked over to the stove.

  “Glad you liked it,” he said.

  While he poured the wine, she spooned grits into the bowls and then added the red shrimp stew on top. Then she bent over to get the bacon from the oven. The black leggings showed the curves of her body to advantage, and she stuck out her behind way more than necessary, smiling to herself at the sound of Gavin’s soft groan when she did. She removed a sheet of bacon from the oven and set the strips to drain, then broke them up, sprinkling the pieces on top of each serving of grits.

  “So do you do this for all your non-boyfriends?” Gavin asked, watching her work.

  “Nope. But don’t tell me you never had a woman cook for you and serve you before.”

  “It’s a rare treat, believe me.”

  “What kind of women are you used to?” she teased.

  “Touché.”

  With no dining area, Terri set the bowls on the green coffee table in front of the sofa. As she gathered silverware and napkins, Gavin went to her five-shelf bookcase, stuffed with so many books she’d shoved two shelves of novels as far back as possible and placed another row horizontally in front of them. A tablet sat charging on the second shelf from the top.

  “You read a lot,” he commented.

  “Mostly thrillers. Nice escape, you know?” She fixed her gaze on his broad back as he lifted a book from the shelf and leafed through the pages.

  “I can’t remember the last time I read a book.” Gavin set the glass of wine in front of four Lee Child books and pulled out a James Patterson novel. He flipped through the pages. “My father collected books. Rare ones.”

  “When I lived in Atlanta, I used to visit the Decatur Book Festival’s rare books display.” Terri lifted her glass and took a sip of the wine, recalling the walk through the climate controlled rooms where she oohed and aahed over rare finds. “Some of those books cost a fortune.”

  Gavin stopped flipping through the pages of the novel and gave her his undivided attention, appearing genuinely interested in the conversation about rare books. “You ever bought any?”

  “No.” Terri shook her head. Her ex didn’t allow her to spend that kind of money on books. Cars, jewelry, and clothes were another matter altogether.

  Behind her, Gavin had gone quiet, probably browsing the pages of the novel as he waited for her to finish.

  She set the scrambled eggs on the table with the grits. Then they sat down to eat. After a mouthful, Gavin turned to her with admiration in his eyes.

  “This. Is. Delicious.”

  “Told you,” Terri said, doing a confident little wiggle. “Breakfast food is my specialty.”

  While they ate, they talked about all kinds of topics, mostly the latest celebrity gossip. Gavin knew everyone, it seemed. From singers to actors to reality stars, and offered insight into their real personalities versus the personas presented in the media.

  After they ate, he washed the dishes, insisting she’d done enough. A surprise for her. Gavin lowered himself to washing dishes and wiped down the counters while she put her feet up on the table and pretended to read a novel on the tablet. Instead, she secretly watched him. The muscles under the close-fitting Henley moved as he worked, and she had to admit that watching him wash utensils and tidy the kitchenette was almost as sexy as his seductive moves in the bedroom.

  Suddenly he turned and she dipped her gaze back to the electronic device in her hands and the story she hadn’t read a word of.

  “Dinner was great. Thank you.” Gavin sat beside her and flung an arm along the back of the sofa. “You have any plans for the night?”

  “No, I’m staying in.”

  “Mind if I hang out here?”

  Her eyes slid over to him. “You want to hang out. Here.”

  “Sure, why not?” He patted his abs. “I have a full belly and I’m feeling kind of good. Or do you have something else you’d rather be doing?”

  “I don’t have any plans at all.”

  “Perfect. You can tell me about some of the books you like.”

  “You’re serious?” Surely there were other things he’d rather be doing?

  He laughed. “Yes, I’m serious.” He eyed the device in her hand. “What are you reading?”

  The screen had gone dark, and Terri woke it up by running her hand over the surface. “He’s a new author.”

  Gavin edged closer and peered at the words. “What’s his name?”

  She relaxed into the crook of his arm, resting the back of her head on his bicep. He smelled earthy and manly, and warmth from his torso seeped through the material of his shirt to her arm wedged between them.

  She tilted the screen toward him so he could see better. “His name is Dane Stewart. This is the only book he’s published so far. It’s a legal thriller and really good. I’m only on chapter three but I’m already hooked.”

  “Lemme see.” Gavin swiped backward to get to chapter one and read the first few paragraphs. “You’re right, this is good. Caught my attention right away,” he murmured, eyes glued to the screen.

  Terri watched his profile—the faux hawk haircut, the downcast eyes, the barely-there stubble on his jaw. She felt rather relaxed with him. “We can start over if you want.”

  “But you’ve already read this part.” His eyes shot to hers.

  “It’s okay. I’m only a few chapters in.”

  “Are you sure?” He frowned.

  Rich. Handsome. Considerate. Gavin Johnson wasn’t so spoiled after all.

  “I’m sure,” she replied.

  He pulled her closer. “You comfortable?” His fingers played with the shell of her ear.

  “Yes. You?” Heat seeped into her limbs, but not the heat of desire. The heat of comfort, relaxation, and contentment.

  “Yeah.” Their eyes lingered on each other. “More comfortable than I’ve been in a while.”

  His fingers delved into her hair and the tips massaged her scalp, and a random, crazy thought entered her head. She never wanted him to stop touching her. Temporary panic seized her heart, forcing it to thump a fierce beat against her ribs.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do tonight?” she asked quietly.

  “I said it is, didn’t I?”

  “Yes you did, smart ass.”

  “Perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black if I ever heard one.”

  She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and he bit the corner of her neck in retaliation.

  Leaning away, she shoved his face. “Behave.”

  He grinned, a smile so bright it stole her breath. Terri quickly looked away and stared down at the electronic device in her hand, mildly worried about the state of her emotions. She couldn’t afford to get emotional.

  “You mind reading out loud?” Gavin asked.

  “No.”

  Taking a few seconds to regroup, Terri emptied her mind of hope and joy and accepted the moment for what it was—an isolated incident. A segment of time that may or may not be repeated.

  “The building loomed overhead, casting long shadows across the street. The sound of a gun popped off down the alley and broke the morning silence…”

  Resting against Gavin’s side, she read chapter after chapter, and he listened. Once he got up to get a drink of water, but he told her to keep reading. Every now and again they discussed the events in the book, whether or not the characters were making mistakes, and tried to guess the resolution to the story.

  Men didn’t look at Terri and see art and culture, and she didn’t have a lot of girlfriends. Except for Alannah
, women didn’t like having her around because they viewed her as a threat.

  So to spend this time with Gavin, chilling at home and reading, was simultaneously relaxing and worrisome. She could easily lose her heart to him, and based on experience, losing her heart to a man was a very bad idea that resulted in foolish mistakes and agonizingly painful consequences.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Three weeks had flown by in a glorious haze of lovemaking, late night talks, and teasing conversation.

  “You promised to be good,” Terri said as Gavin’s hand found its way between her legs.

  The tight-fitting shorts presented the bottom curve of her butt and he couldn’t resist touching every time she wore them. The cotton shorts were so tiny initially he mistook them for a pair of panties. She only wore them in the apartment, and only for him.

  “You know I can’t be good with you lying on top of me like this.”

  He squeezed one thigh. “Open your legs.”

  She remained still, playfully refusing to budge.

  “I said, open your legs.” Lifting his knees, Gavin forced her legs apart. One hand slid down the curve of her bottom and nestled in the gap between her thighs. Gently, he rubbed until she moaned his name, so indecently wet that moisture soaked the shorts. His hand sought and found her breast under the camisole top and squeezed, dragging his thumb across her nipple. The additional stimulation left her gasping and grinding against him.

  He started breathing hard and let out a shaky laugh. “You’re gonna make me come in my pants.”

  Terri ignored his comment, rubbing against his hand until he twisted her onto her back. Panting, she arched her body against his busy hands and then came hard, her hands fisted behind his neck.

  Gavin panted hot breaths beside her ear and fumbled for a condom. Abruptly, he yanked off her shorts and turned her onto her stomach. With her face in the pillow, she lifted her hips into the slide of his finger between her legs. She gasped at the slow caress, her body aching for a repeat of orgasmic bliss.