Page 38 of Play for Keeps

Millie moaned when he pinched the sensitive flesh between his thumb and middle finger. Thrilled by her responsiveness, he slid his other hand over her ass and ran his fingers slowly along the crevice. As far as he was concerned, her bold talk gave license to test her boundaries. Millie was a woman who wasn’t afraid to use her words. He pressed the pad of his index finger to the tight pucker of her anus, and she let loose with a sharp cry.

Ty tucked his chin to his chest, frantically scanning her face for a hint as to whether the squeal was one of ecstasy or revulsion. He needn’t have bothered. With the next thrust, she pressed back against the invasive finger and came completely unspooled.

Watching Millie climax was a revelation. No artifice or enhancement. No overly theatrical moans or exaggerated head thrashing. She didn’t claw, bite, or even scream. She just…came. Beautifully. With abandon. And he wanted to go there with her.

He pushed back against her restraining hand and rolled up to meet each rise and fall of her body. He gripped her ass and started to thrust up into her, each jerk of his hips awkward and a little sloppy, but he was beyond caring about style points. “God, you’re beautiful.” He panted the words, his gaze locked on her heavy-lidded eyes. “I wanna watch you come over and over again.”

The sentiment was accompanied by a particularly sharp push into her tight, pulsing heat. Whether the thrust or his near-orgasm confession shook her from her trance, he didn’t know, but she threw her head back and laughed the husky laugh that zinged straight to his balls every time.

Helpless, he tucked his face into the sweet curve of her neck and let go. His teeth scraped tender, fragrant skin. He roared long and loud, not caring if the whole damn neighborhood heard him. Grasping the soft, round cheeks of her ass, he spread her wide, bucking like a fired-up bronco as the first pulses ripped through him. At last, he gave in and let his eyelids slide shut. For the first time in a long time, he loosened his hold on his impulses and let momentum carry him.

Their bodies slowed long before their ragged breathing. Gradually, Ty became aware he was wrapped around her like a cartoon coyote who’d run face-first into a telephone pole, but he didn’t move. Couldn’t. She smelled like perfume and powder and a half dozen other delicate feminine fragrances. He wanted to stay right where he was until he identified every one of them.

Millie ran her hand over his hair. The gentleness in her caress was almost too much but, at the same time, not nearly enough. She was soothing him, all the while stoking the embers of his need again. Embers, hell. The woman ignited him. Smiling, he nipped playfully at the curve of her neck, then roused himself enough to lift his head.

Her sleepy-eyed gaze made him want to pull her down, tuck her into the curve of his body, and drift off. But he couldn’t. They had the logistics of the condom disposal to contend with and various other nuts and bolts to discuss. And now, the warmth in her eyes was tempered with more than a little wariness. The tension in her supple thighs wasn’t only from exertion. He got the feeling Millie would bolt from his bed the minute he gave her the opening. And he had no intention of leaving the lane open for her.

He kissed her. It started as a simple covering of her mouth with his but soon melted into temptation. They fit together so well. His lips. Hers. Their teeth touched once, but rather than jarring, the collision sent a bolt of lightning zipping through his body. Her tongue was velvet soft but strong and every bit as sly as the woman in his arms. Christ, he wanted to kiss her crazy and keep right on kissing her until he’d tasted every flavor of her. Like one of those desperation-fueled teenage make-out sessions that left a guy aching and antsy, willing to promise the moon and the stars for one glimpse of the heaven between her legs.

He let his lips cling to hers as he tried to find the power to extricate himself. If he didn’t take care of some business, things would get messy. And that wouldn’t be good, because when things got messy, Millie went into fixer mode. Ty didn’t want her to start spinning what happened between them. He liked her right where she was.

Still, the condom situation had to be handled. With a grumble of frustration, he broke the kiss. “Up.”

Millie looked down at him, lingering hunger glowing in her eyes. “Hmm?”

Lord, he wanted to snap a picture. Her riotous hair was even more tousled than usual. Her skin flushed a pearly pink. She looked sleepy, sated, and yet, stirred. And he’d been the one to wreck her. Pride gave him the strength he needed to disengage. If he’d made her go boneless once, he could certainly do it again. And better. Practice led to perfection.

He slid a hand between them to hold the base of the condom, then gave her bottom a playful tap. “Up. I need to get rid of this thing.”

Heaving a put-upon sigh, Millie rose up on her knees. They both groaned when his dick slipped out of her. She swung her leg over and fell back onto the bed with a huff.

Flashing her a reassuring smile, he leaned down to plant a firm kiss on her mouth, then rolled to the edge of the bed. Pausing only long enough to free his feet from his shoes and his ankles from the fabric binding them, he strode toward the adjoining bath. “Be right back.”

Disposing of the condom took about thirty seconds. He chanced another few seconds checking his reflection in the mirror and making sure he had no reason to suck in his stomach. His usual regimen didn’t include six weeks of steak, scotch, and golf, but not too much damage had been done. Other than a farmer’s tan.

Shrugging, he turned away from the vanity. He wanted to get back before Millie’s mind started to whir and click. When he opened the door, he regretted taking those precious minutes to spruce up. He was too late.

Millie glanced up as she tugged the hem of her skirt into place, and his heart flipped over in his chest. She still wore only the bra on top but held a crumpled wad of fabric in one hand. On closer inspection, he concluded they were her panties. Panic morphed into determination.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

She looked him square in the eye, then arched one brow. “Hoping to avoid awkward conversation?”

He took the panties from her hand and tossed them over his shoulder. “Fine. We won’t talk.”

Millie laughed, then gave her head a rueful shake. “Listen, I appreciate your enthusiasm, and I definitely look forward to a rematch, but neither of us are kids. I don’t need you to cuddle me and make pretty promises you can’t keep, Ty. Let’s not make this more than what it is.”

Her tough talk coupled with the challenging set of her jaw both amused and annoyed him. Winding an arm around her waist, he hauled her up against him. “What if I need you to cuddle me? What if I’m the one who wants pretty promises?”

She tipped her head back. The expression in her eyes was flat and serious. “I don’t make promises.” She gave his arm a consoling pat. The caress was a clear signal for him to release her, but he chose to ignore the cue. If she truly wanted him to let her go, she was going to have to use her words. “I’m also not very cuddly.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge?”

She smiled and leaned in enough to press a conciliatory kiss to the base of his throat. “We can plan a sleepover another time. A girl likes to pack her toothbrush and PJs, you know.”

“You don’t need any PJs.” He raked his fingers through her hair, marveling at the extraordinary color and wondering how the hell some women knew exactly what to do to make them unforgettable. “Stay, Millie. I’ll unpack my suitcase and keep you happy.”

“Sounds suspiciously like a pretty promise to me. Besides, I’m scheduled to get ten in before work tomorrow, and I don’t have my gear.”

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