“Only to appease her, and I didn’t say yes to the marriage, just that I’d consider it. We had only just seen each other.”
“He’s playing you.”
There was no need to clarify who he was talking about.
“My father is,” I admitted, nodding. I took my hand from his chest and went back to picking at the bottle label. “Can I tell you something important? About my family?”
He turned his head, narrowed eyes on me. His lips twitched, like he couldn’t figure out how to respond. I took that as my cue to continue. I shifted so I wasn’t leaning on him, but still facing him. I was close enough that his hand rested on the back of my neck, fingers trailing through my hair.
“My dad is stepping down.” Those fingers tensed in my hair. They dug into my scalp slightly but not enough to sting. “I don’t know why, but I think that because of my mom, he’s just had too much to deal with. Or maybe it’s time. I don’t know. I heard something tonight about other families thinking he’s growing weak. Anyway, he’s handing down everything he’s built to someone else. They want me to marry the man who’s going to take over to keep someone from the family still connected…” I paused, bile rising in my throat as I continued with a scoff, “They want to ensure another Galecki can someday take over.”
“Fucking hell,” Tyson groaned and slid his hand out of my hair.
His feet dropped to the floor, his elbows hit his knees, and his head hit the palms of his hands. He scrubbed his hair wildly while he visibly shook to stay in control. “He’s using you like fucking cattle.”
The thought made me sick. He wasn’t altogether wrong.
“I went on a date with Malik, the man who’s stepping up to lead.”
His head snapped toward mine, and those dark blue eyes turned absolutely glacial. “When?”
The inside of my cheek found its way between my teeth and I chewed on it nervously. “That Monday you were out of town,” I admitted with a quiet voice.
Tyson pushed off the couch and paced the living room. I sat there, wide-eyed and stunned at his demeanor and the way his hands kept flying to his hair. He growled indecipherably except for the curse words falling from his lips.
I managed to take a few sips of my beer, before disliking the taste while he ranted and raved to himself, continuing to pace back and forth.
“Tyson?” I finally asked when his anger seemed to be a reaching a boiling point. “I told him I wouldn’t do it.”
He froze mid-step and spun to look at me, hands falling to his hips. “When?”
“Tonight. When my father said Malik has to take me to the benefit.”
His nostrils flared and his chest heaved. “And you said?”
The question lingered in the air. From my silence, Tyson figured out the answer. “Fucking hell, Blue.”
He shook his head, and I clambered from my perch on the couch to walk toward him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, lifting my hand and placing it on his chest. His heart was beating much too fast. I knew this would upset him, I just hadn’t realized how much.
“I made it clear to Malik that Saturday night is only for my parents’ sakes and that I won’t have anything else to do with him after. I just…”
“You just love your mom and don’t want her upset.”
He spoke the truth, but in a voice I didn’t like. Even if I thought my mom would understand, I still felt the need to do this one last thing for her, when given the circumstances of how I was raised, she had asked so little of me. I swallowed a lump in my throat. His anger dissipated even though I could still feel the thumping of his heart.
“I want you,” I said softly, pressing into him further. “It’s just complicated right now.”
One of his hands reached out and snagged me around the waist. He pulled me toward him until we were chest to chest and I had to tilt my head up to look at him. His chin dipped down and his eyebrows bunched together.
“I won’t be hidden from them this time, Blue. I can’t play that game again.”
“You won’t be,” I assured him. “I told Malik there was someone else in my life, anyway. It will get back to my parents soon, I’m sure.”
Moments passed before he blew out another breath, visibly expelling his tension. Then his lips pressed against my forehead.
“Let’s go.” He turned, his hand still on my back, and began pushing me toward the bedroom. When I glanced at him, an eyebrow raised in question at his sudden shift in demeanor, one edge of his lips kicked up. “I have some work to do so that come Saturday, the only man you’re thinking about, the only man you’re wanting, is me.”
My breath caught in my throat as I let him guide me down the hall. I could have told him that whatever happened tonight or Saturday or anything in between would be pointless, because the only man I’d ever wanted was right next to me.
But a bigger part of me wanted to see exactly what he felt the need to show me.
Chapter 14
By the time we reached his room, my body was buzzing like a live wire. Tyson didn’t say much as he walked me toward the bed and spun me around slowly until I faced him. The light from the hallway hit our profiles, giving me only an idea of the look in his eyes.
They were dark and angry, and full of want, too.
I hesitated as his eyes slowly trailed down the length of my body before pausing on my breasts and lifting back up meet my gaze.
“Stop chewing on your cheek,” he admonished and brushed his thumb against the side of my face.
I didn’t realize I was doing it, but as soon as he touched me, my lips parted, letting go of the abused flesh.
“Better,” he murmured and ran one hand down my cheek and then ran both down my shoulders to the tips of my fingers.
Pleasured bumps rose on my skin, leaving a trail of desire and need following his soft touch. I lost track of everything else I wanted to tell him, actual good news that might have made him smile instead of frown like he was still doing, when his hand fell to hem of my shirt. He lifted it and pulled it off my body slowly, then dropped his hands to my back and undid my bra strap. I quivered under his touch as he gently slid the straps down my arms and dropped the bra at my feet.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, his voice thick with lust. His hands continued moving, fingers undoing the button and zipper at the waistband of my wide-leg black trousers before he let go. They fell to the ground and pooled at my ankles. I lifted my feet, kicking them off. Tyson’s lips dropped to mine as soon as I did. His tongue slid across my lips and I opened to him.
I had no other choice.
It was always him.
As our tongues slid together, he pushed me backward and down until I fell to the bed and then continued pushing me until I was lying down. He pulled away from our kiss, trailing his lips down my flesh until his lips found my nipple. As soon as his tongue swirled around the hard tip, my fingers flew to his hair.
“Tyson,” I groaned, arching into him.
He pulled and tugged, causing my hips to arch and writhe against him. He was wearing only athletic shorts and a T-shirt, and I could feel his erection press against my center as I moved.
It felt delicious.
Perfect.
“Want to taste you,” he murmured, moving down my abdomen, pausing only to press his lips against my navel. His fingers dug into my underwear and he removed them, dropping to his knees on the floor while he slid them off my legs and ankles.
“Lay back,” he ordered.
I loosened my grip on his hair and complied, lying down until I was propping myself up on my elbows. Before I was able to blink, his mouth brushed against my core and he inhaled my scent before pressing his lips just above my pubic area.
“So fucking beautiful. Hated not knowing where you went, where you were. Ten fucking years and I always wondered, even when I tried not to.”
My breath caught in my throat as he spoke. We hadn’t spoken much about when I left since the night we had ice cream and walked along the riverfront. I had no idea he still thought of that time. My heart stung inside my chest when he closed his eyes and inhaled again, sliding his tongue around my sensitive bud.
“Holy shit,” I gasped, dropping my head back to the bed. My arms slid out from underneath me and my fingers dug into the bed sheets. “Tyson.”
His name. It was all I could think. It was all I could say. All other words escaped me, but I continued chanting his name when he gripped my backside in his large, warm palms and pressed my sex directly to his mouth.
And then he devoured me.
His tongue slid in and around my folds, teasing me until I became a whimpering mess. He murmured encouraging words, telling me how much he loved the taste of me, spurring me on as my hips began bucking against his mouth. He slid his tongue to my clit and flicked it back and forth, loosening his hold on me to slide two fingers into my wet flesh.
“So perfect. Love the way you taste.”
I moaned loudly, highly aware that I was shameless with the need to be closer to him.
“Tyson,” I gasped, as my orgasm began tightening in my inner thighs. The heat and tremors spread to my stomach and down to my core until I couldn’t contain myself. The pleasure was explosive and I felt every part of me clenching and convulsing around his fingers and tongue while he threw me over the edge of abandon with his sure movements.