Reaching down, he scoops me out of the car and into a baby hold against his chest. I laugh as he runs toward his door. Swinging my feet down, he unlocks it and throws it open.
My back is pressed against the back of the door before my eyes adjust to the darkness. As he leans on me, my body is aware of every single place we touch. My knees. Hips. Chest. Lips. They"re igniting under my skin like flares.
His lips are warm, firm, and when he slides his tongue against my bottom lip, I grant him access. His tongue dives into my mouth, sliding against the roof, with my tongue, and against my lips. All the while, his hands travel in the opposite direction, one large, flat palm cupping my breast. My s.e.x aches at the touch, and I arch my back into him.
He lowers his lips to my ear, sending chills down to my toes. "G.o.dd.a.m.n it, luv. I"ve waited for this moment. To feel you against me again."
Before I can respond, he grips my upper arm and pulls from me. Leaving me breathing hard and wanting him. I don"t ask questions as he guides me through the cluttered apartment. He wasn"t lying; his bed is one of the only things up. I"m thankful.
Shutting the bedroom door behind him, he stands in front of me. The ridges in his arms strain as he breathes harder, his chest rising and falling quickly. "Take your clothes off, luv."
Blood heats my cheeks. His eyes are still, he is obviously not joking. I haven"t been naked in front of a guy since him. Only him. Biting my lip, I close my eyes for the briefest moment. Licking my lip, I glance up at him.
His light green eyes are bright against his dark, black hair. His tongue darts against his lip, causing my s.e.x to ache. Christ. Reaching up, I grab the edge of my shirt and pull. I"m mentally thanking Heather for making me wear my lacey bra and panty. Hungry eyes roam over me, and his hand twitches. He wants to touch me. G.o.d, I want him to.
Taking a large breath, I gently guide my jeans down my legs until both items are puddles of fabric beside my feet. Lachlan"s eyes stroll down my body, and slowly back up to the top. He growls and storms toward me.
His breath at my ear, he slides his tongue against the curve, stopping when he takes the fleshly lobe between his teeth. Before I know it, he"s carrying me toward the bed. I land in the soft covers, and relax.
Lying down slowly on top of me, his lips play over mine. "Are you comfortable, luv?"
"Yes," I say weakly. "Lachlan...it"s been a while." He stiffens. "I mean...I haven"t since senior year."
His eyes widen and he snaps his head back to get a better look at me. "What? You mean...you haven"t been with anyone since me? Since senior year?"
Swallowing, I shake my head slowly.
"Christ, Laney," he presses his forehead against mine. "Do you want me to stop now?"
"No," I whisper.
"Thank G.o.d." He leans back down, plunging his tongue into my mouth as I dig my hands into his hard biceps.
Stroking his tongue with mine, I suck it harder into my mouth. A low grown rumbles from his chest, causing me to wrap my foot around his ankle and pull. Agitation flutters over his face and he reaches behind me to unhook my bra. My b.r.e.a.s.t.s fall free, and Lachlan has a nipple in his mouth before I blink.
"f.u.c.k," I mumble, as his other hand trails along the cup of my bra. Both hands palm my b.r.e.a.s.t.s and my breath stops for a few seconds.
"You feel so good, baby," he coos into my ear, biting down where the flesh meets my shoulder. "So b.l.o.o.d.y good."
His thigh has pushed my legs open, his jeans rubbing against the fabric of my panties. Black swarms my vision. Something erupts inside of me. I let out a cry. "I need you, Lachlan. Please, f.u.c.king touch me. I"ve waited so long-" He silences me with a kiss. Rolling us to our sides, he slips his fingers inside of my lacey underwear. His fingers settling on the spot, he rubs slight circles against my wet flesh. "Ah," I cry out, arching my back.
"That"s right, luv. You"re so b.l.o.o.d.y wet for me."
He leans his head down and kisses me again. It feels like a marking. Like he is branding my heart. Whether he knows it or not, it never left.
Slipping his fingers up the ridge of my underwear, he slips them down my thighs and I help him take them off of my ankles. My flesh is warm, heated from him. Lachlan sits between my legs, gazing down at me. A flutter of nerves wrack through me. I haven"t had s.e.x in so long. Will I be good? Will it hurt like the first time?
"We don"t have to do this, luv. I can wait as long as you need me to." His green eyes flicker toward me, his thick neck constricting when he swallows.
Biting my lip, I take him in. He will wait...he was always patient, but the evidence in his jeans shows he"s ready to take me to bliss.
Sitting up on my knees, I reach for his jeans. My fingers shake as I unzip him and start to pull. He helps me until he is sitting on his knees in front of me. My mouth dries when my eyes flicker toward his boxer briefs. They"ve filled out more since high school.
"Like what you see, luv?" he whispers, sliding fingers against my bare stomach.
"Yes," I mumble, grabbing his waistband. "Lachlan, I need you to f.u.c.k me. I feel like my body is going to explode. Please."
Lachlan lays me back, his light eyes searching my own. "No need to beg, luv. I"ll give you what you want."
A laugh slips from my throat but stops when he pulls a condom from the pocket of his jeans. I watch as he pulls down his underwear. His c.o.c.k springs to life. Rolling the condom over his length, he keeps his eyes fixated on mine. "Relax, baby. I"m going to make you feel good."
He is so f.u.c.king s.e.xy, hovering over me. I feel like I may die if he doesn"t touch me soon. He pulls me up to crush his full lips against my own. I try to wrap my fist around him, but my fingers barely touch. Definitely bigger. Much bigger. He growls, dropping his head and closing his eyes. I stroke him up and down. The sound of a male being pleased pa.s.ses his lips. Gripping my wrist, he brings it over my head, trapping me between him and the bed.
"If you keep touching me like that, this isn"t going to take very long. Let me take care of you, luv. You b.l.o.o.d.y well deserve it."
Bending down, he kisses the hollow of my ear. "Laney." Just his one word sets me on fire.
"Please, no more stalling. I want it."
Lachlan smiles, the corner of his mouth crawling dangerously slow up his jaw. "My pleasure, luv. We aim to please, do we not?"
My world tingles when I feel him at my entrance, his thickness making my s.e.x ache with a need unimaginable. I toss my head against the mattress as he slides into me. G.o.d. He fills me so deep. So long.
"Christ," he grunts. "So. f.u.c.king. Tight. G.o.dd.a.m.n." He still has my wrist in one hand, as he slowly slides in and out of me.
Keeping my wrist in one hand, he slides the other hand down to where we meet. His calloused finger glides against my wet folds. My eyes flutter to the back of my head. This. Is. Heaven. Pulling out, he glances down at me. "Are you mine, luv? Say it."
Deliriously, I nod. I feel undone. Gone. "I"m yours."
His face is stern, jaw tight, eyes fixated on mine. "You want me inside of you? Now? All of me?"
"f.u.c.k, yes," I whimper. In one second I"m filled with him again. Hard. I cry out, clenching my muscles in the most dangerously magical way. He starts slowly, then his pace quickens. He is pulsing furiously in and out of me. My muscles wrapping tightly around his length, begging for more.
His hot mouth takes my nipple in and he bites. An o.r.g.a.s.m is building. Pumping my hips toward him, I long for it. Long for that release. I tilt my pelvis his way, giving him better access. "Laney, Jesus Christ. You"re so f.u.c.king tight." He releases my hands, and my own go straight to his neck, interlocking my fingers in his hair. He plunges into me harder, making me cry out. Trembles race through my body. I let go, my body shuddering with want. Need.
"Laney," Lachlan sighs, clutching my hips harder. "You want me?"
I"m still riding a wave from my o.r.g.a.s.m, but I nod. "Yes," I scream, my voice foreign.
"Okay, baby." He plunges harder into me, back and forth. He growls before he comes down in front of me, his c.o.c.k jerking powerfully inside me.
Our breath is hard, fast, and the only noise in the room. I feel him shift off of me and hear him tearing the condom from him. A second later I"m wrapped in hard arms.
"Laney."
My eyelids flutter closed, unable to stay open. "Hmm."
"I think I"m right where I"m supposed to be. Where you are."
Smiling into his pillow, I nod. "I think so, too."
Epilogue.
Laney "And in the end, the love you take Is equal to the love you make..." The Beatles My clenched fist hovers over the door.
This is a bad idea.
But, it"s the only way to make any of this better. I have to right my wrongs, even if I have to grow a pair to do it. A few guys walk behind me, mumbling something under their breath. Bet and b.i.t.c.h are definitely two words I hear. It"s been like this since the party. Everyone at school knows about the bet now. The girls applaud me while the guys treat me like a leper. I guess I deserve it; I should have never done it, but I did. So, it"s live with the guilt or grow up and apologize. I"m going with the latter. It"s been two weeks since the party. Aiden has turned the other way every time I get near him. He goes straight to his room, at least that"s what I"ve been hearing.
Before I lose my nerve, I bang my fist against the door three times. There is stirring behind the door and I hope another girl doesn"t answer. A few seconds later the door creaks open. Aiden is standing with one hand on the doork.n.o.b and the other tucked in his sweats" pocket.
His jaw clenches when he sees me and his brown eyes widen with hurt. "Do you need something?" His voice is deep, snarky and rude. Can"t say I blame him.
"Can I come in?"
Anger washes over his face. Closing his eyes, he opens the door wider, allowing me access. His roommate is sitting on his bed, earphones plugged in his ears.
"Hey, can you give us a minute?"
The guy looks up. "Oh," he mouths, letting out a low whistle. "I will definitely be leaving now." He grabs a bag and scurries out of the room.
The guilt has wrapped around my chest, squeezing the life out of me. I stand with my back to him for a few seconds, trying to regain my breath. "Aiden, I"m sorry."
He scoffs, and I hear him start to dig around in his mini-fridge. "Right," he mumbles.
"What I did was wrong, I shouldn"t have agreed to it, and the more I got to know you the more I didn"t want you to ever find out about this. But you found out anyway."
Aiden sits down on his bed, drink in one hand and the other twisted into his blond locks. "I just-I liked you, Laney. I did."
I slide his desk chair out and roll over until I"m sitting in front of him. "You didn"t, Aiden. You liked that I was hard to get. You liked that I was a challenge. That I didn"t give in. It"s imbedded into your DNA, you can"t help it."
Glancing up, he rolls his eyes from the top of my head to my feet. "You said it was a bet. Who bet you to do it? You don"t seem like the kind of person to just do this to be mean. Who talked you into it again?"
"Bethany. You slept with her a few weekends back. She was my friend at the club."
"Brittany?"
I roll my eyes. "Can"t you see that you hurt girls when you do this? I mean, I think they should keep their legs closed, but a lot of women are engrained with it. They want to please their potential mate, and so they give it up. It"s inevitable."
Aiden scratches his head, before making eye contact with me. "You"re not into me at all? Not even a bit."
Tucking my lip inside my mouth, I give him a slow, one-shouldered shrug. "No. I-I love someone else. I have for a long time."
Aiden nods. "British guy."
"Australian, but close enough."
"Well, congratulations to you and him. He throws a mean right hook." He points toward a yellowing bruise on his cheek.
Smiling, I reach over and brush my fingers against his. "I"m sorry. I should have never done this. I hope you can forgive me."
He grunts and stands up. "There is no way I couldn"t forgive you. You broke my heart and, even if it was fake, I cherish the time we had. It was...nice. I"m sorry for the way I treated your friend."
"Thank you, Aiden. Maybe you should tell her yourself?"
Grabbing my arm, he pulls me toward his chest. I fit my head into the crook of his neck and exhale. "Thank you, Laney. I will."
Aiden grips my hair when I reach up and kiss his cheek. "See you around?"
Aiden nods. "Yeah, maybe we could hang out sometime. Just for old time"s sake."
"That would be nice."
My hands is on the doork.n.o.b when Aiden stops me. "Tell Lachlan that he has a good girl. That I"d be proud to call you mine."
Tears are forming in my eyes but I push them back down. "I will."
Lachlan is hanging a photo on his wall when I get there. The place is actually starting to look like home. His low-rise jeans are the only thing hanging on his hips. His back muscles are hard, moving as he hammers the picture frame into the wall.
The faint sound of music hums from his living room speakers. Shutting the door, Lachlan turns around to see me. His green eyes are bright, a smile curling up his strong jaw.
"Did you see him?"
I nod and toss my brown paper bag on his kitchen cabinet. "Yes."
He lifts an eyebrow and turns completely toward me. The lines in his abs are deeper than I remember from high school, his shoulders wider. Age has done him well. "And?"
"He says he forgives me."
Lachlan clears his throat and nods toward the brown paper sack. "What do you have in the sack, luv?"
I shake my head. "Girl stuff. You want to take a break?"
A wicked grin crawls up his face. "Do you have something in mind, baby?" his voice drips with s.e.x. If that"s even freaking possible.
I take a few leisurely steps toward him. "I think I may, luv," I mock.
Lachlan wraps an arm around my waist, bringing me close to him. "Well, why don"t I jump in the shower and then we can put said plans into motion."
I nip his ear with my teeth, making him growl. "Or we could forget the shower." Laughing, I push him toward the bathroom.