His eyes had grown dark. He kept his gaze on her and wet his lips to answer. "Ladies choice," he said in a near growl.
She squeezed him. He grunted. She squeezed again and he slid up her body and kissed her hard, his tongue invading her mouth, his teeth scraping her lips. She drank him in but didn't stop her intimate massage. Not yet. He wasn't so in charge now, was he? He wasn't slow and intentional. Since he'd delighted in torturing her, it seemed only fair to return the favor.
"Losing some of your control, I see," she said. She toed away his pants, slipping them down his legs. When they got tangled at his shins, he wrestled himself free with one hand, bracing his weight with his other arm. When the muscles lengthened and tightened there, she grasped his bicep with her free hand and pursed her lips. "Nice."
The nudge of his erection pressed against her core. Oh, no he didn't. She'd had about enough of him calling the shots. She pressed her palms into his chest. "On your back."
His eyes narrowed but she could see the flare of excitement there. He wanted to let go. To let her have her way with him.
"You said I could get whatever I wanted." She was paraphrasing, but whatever. He was in no position to argue. "Lie down."
He obeyed and she climbed on top of him. He caught her hips in his hands. "Like on the patio," he said. "You like this position."
"You're about to like it, too," she promised, moving one of his hands above his head and anchoring it to the pillow. She lifted his other hand, and his eyes darkened to almost black. "Don't move." Oh yeah. He liked this. He watched her under hooded lids, his muscular chest heaving as she pulled his briefs down his legs and freed his springing erection.
Wow. His penis was as beautiful as the rest of him. Long and hard, yet velvety soft. It bobbed. She met his eyes and he grinned. The site of an easy grin on Landon's face nearly undid her. He was so relaxed, so easy to be with right now. No shutters blocking out the light in his eyes. No proper rigidity protecting him like armor.
Tin Man, my ass.
Afraid her thoughts were straying outside of the confines of their agreement, she licked her lips seductively, thrilling when he tensed. She cupped his balls and his smile vanished. She was okay with that. He could smile later, when she was done with him. Lowering her head, she took him into her mouth. His body bucked the moment her tongue stroked him.
She pulled the most exquisite groan from his throat and mentally high-fived herself.
Oh, yes. This round would definitely go to her.
CHAPTER TEN
Landon had escaped Kimber's room before sunrise, showered, dressed, and reconvened in the kitchen. Lyon was in the living room, watching cartoons upside down, his head on the ground, feet propped on the couch.
"Good morning." Evan grinned. A shit-eating one. He abandoned the newspaper spread across the breakfast bar and studied Landon through narrowed eyes.
"How was your room?" Landon fired up the espresso maker and pulled a petite mug from the cabinet. Then traded it out for a larger size. Better make it a double. He was exhausted. In the best way humanly possible.
Flashes of what happened with Kimber lit his brain like a flickering movie reel. Her hot mouth wrapped around him, her caressing hands on his skin, her soft mewls of pleasure when he'd finally entered her. The way she'd laid against him after they'd made love: her hair sticking to her damp brow, how she'd been nearly incoherent as she praised his hard work. They'd finally stopped because they had to, collapsing in a heap of sweaty limbs and labored breathing. They'd managed a few hours of sleep before sunrise.
But he wasn't done with her. Not by a long shot. He planned on extending the list to ensure they didn't reach the end too soon.
"How was yours?" Evan hopped off the stool and rummaged through the refrigerator.
Landon shook his head, watching the espresso maker empty the black brew into his mug. He refused to grace his nosy brother with an answer.
"Oh man." Evan leaned against the counter and took a bite out of an apple. He chewed, pointing with the hand that held the Red Delicious. "Her room. Nicely played."
Yes, they'd played. They'd laughed and moaned one another's names and panted and played. It was cathartic and amazing, and not something he'd been used to. Over the years, sex had yielded a much-needed release, but he didn't remember it being particularly fun. Then again, he hadn't had sex in … a while. If he admitted how long, Evan would laugh him right off the balcony.
"When you taking off?" He collected his cup out from under the maker and spooned in a few granules of raw brown sugar.
"Okay, fine. I guess this isn't the time or the place to talk about your sexcapades." Evan took another bite out of his apple.
Landon sipped his coffee. Strong and sweet. Like Kimber. "Do you really expect me to talk about her with you? Lyon's in the other room and she is-"
Amazing. Honest and pure. Transparent.
Her words from last night crashed into him. I need to be cherished. How could he not grant that request? Her feminine tenderness was a call his masculine strength had to answer. He couldn't begin to describe the way she'd been so … there with him in that room last night. Present.
In the past, he'd wondered if Lissa had been reciting her to-do list or mentally packing for her next trip for how little she'd been involved in the act. But Kimber … her eyes on his, their breathing in sync as he slid in and out of her body … she'd been fantastically different from what he'd grown accustomed to in the past.
Or what you settled for. There was an alarming idea.
His lips turned downward. He had to get a grip. She'd laid out the rules, and he'd promised to adhere to them. They knew what this was. He couldn't start thinking about how amazing she was, couldn't fold her close when she was supposed to keep him at arm's length. Enjoying himself was one thing, starting to think of her as anything else was forbidden. He didn't remember his emotions being a problem he'd had to contend with before now.
Except with Rachel. He scrunched his eyes to block that thought. Any thoughts of her, of the tragic summer sixteen years ago. Don't freaking go there.
Evan finished chewing and chucked the apple core into the trash can across the room.
"Good shot," Landon commented.
"So. You going to keep seeing her?" Evan asked.
Only as long as they had the list. Not like he would tell Evan about that, though. His brother would either accuse him of taking advantage of her, or accuse him of being a machine.
He took another drink of his coffee to buy himself time. Another thought hit him and he pulled the mug away and mumbled a curse. "I have to pay her," he said.
"Yes, you do. Cheapskate."
He sent his brother a bland look. "That's not what I mean."
"I know what you mean. Money exchanging hands is awkward at this point." Evan clucked his tongue. "Couldn't have waited one more day?"
"Right," he said, his brother's sarcasm apparently contagious. "Because timing could have cleared all this up."
Kimber picked that moment to step into the kitchen. She wore a white sleeveless shirt showcasing her toned, slender arms and a pair of cotton shorts revealing way more of her luscious legs than he wanted Evan seeing. She ran a hand through her damp, freshly showered hair and a memory lit his brain. Kimber beneath him, arms pinned over her head, face flushed, mouth open in a sensual sigh.
He'd have to see about adding to that list.
"You look refreshed," Evan told her.
After his boneheaded brother left.
She offered a light punch on Evan's arm as she passed by, eyeing Landon through her lashes. "Have one of those for me?"
"Sure." He reached for the cabinet, using the excuse to send Evan a telepathic message to give them a minute. But Evan was already backing out of the kitchen, palms raised as he mouthed the words "Good luck."
Landon got to work on Kimber's coffee while she leaned against the counter and studied her sneakers. "You don't have to feel strange about paying me."
He pressed his lips together. "You heard."
She shook her head. "I'm not going to be weird about it. It's fine. It's good."
The television in the other room was tuned to cartoons. Zany, silly sounds punctuated by Lyon's and Evan's laughter assured him they weren't being overheard. He stepped closer to Kimber, using whatever excuse he could to be close to her again. A voice in his head warned that wasn't advised. He ignored it.
"How are you feeling today?" He laid a kiss onto her temple, hiding the smile he couldn't keep off his face.
She turned her head and spoke into his ear. "Amazing."
Gooseflesh erupted on his arms. Hands he didn't remember grasping her with tightened their hold on her body.