Fighting Love (Love to the Extreme) (24 page)

or drive around, neither of which appealed to him, he had to face Julie.

Watch a movie. Right.

Unless it entailed a pizza boy showing up at some scantily clad woman’s home, a movie was not

what Julie had in mind. No matter how much she was trying to convince him otherwise. The image

of her ass up in the air swept through his mind. He shifted on the bench. It had taken everything

in him not to grab her hips and yank her backside against his crotch. She’d wanted that, had been

egging him on. Hell, she’d actually told him to fuck her. Had given him goddamn permission.

Even if her wiggling ass had been a clear come-and-get-it invitation this morning, she hadn’t

been thinking clearly when she’d said it. Probably didn’t even remember the very valid reasons

he’d given as to why he couldn’t do it.

She deserved more than being used and then abandoned.

And if he had to be the voice of fucking reason, so be it. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to

get the taste or smell of her out of his senses, or the sound of her coming out of his mind since

Friday night. His resistance was waning. That spelled trouble.

And trouble was exactly what was waiting for him at home.

Tonight.

A slap to his shoulder made him jump. “That was a hell of a sparring session, Tommy.”

He glanced up at Mac. “Thanks.”

His friend’s brows drew together. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Tommy sighed, leaning back as he scrubbed his hands down his face. “Fine.”

“You sure?”

What could he say? He was scared of a tiny woman and her not-so-subtle messages? That for

the first time in his entire damn life, he was terrified of having sex? “Yep. Just been a long week.”

“How’s Julie doing?”

The very subject he wanted to avoid. “Much better. Seems to be back to normal.”

If trying to get him to bend her over and have his way with her constituted being normal. In

his mind, it did not.

“Well, good. I’m glad that back thing didn’t keep her down for long.”

Mac didn’t know the half of it. Nothing kept her down, not even him saying no—twice—when

she had her mind set.

And what she had her mind set on right now could not happen.

Somehow he’d have to derail her. Blow her plans straight out of the water.

The question was: how?

…

Julie parked in front of The Carnal Cat and stared at the scantily clad mannequins in the display

window. All three pieces of lingerie were gorgeous, but two of them had a sweet, innocent vibe

with their pastel colors and baby-doll style. The last thing she needed to do was wear something

that would make Tommy think he had to handle her with care. That was the whole problem.

Which the third one definitely didn’t inspire. It screamed naughty. Seductress. A woman who

wasn’t looking for caresses and lingering kisses but wanted to get straight to the nit and the grit.

A sheer ribbed black corset with satin red trimming hugged the mannequin’s torso. The top

ended at the midriff, leaving the stomach bare. A wispy, see-through skirt hung low on the

mannequin’s hips and barely covered the tops of its thighs. Two red bows were sewn above each

of the satin-ribboned garters and held up black silk stockings.

It. Was. Perfect.

She checked the time. A little after six now. Only a couple of hours to prepare. She needed to

bust some ass. When she entered the shop, a woman with light brown hair turned and smiled.

“Can I help you?”

“I’d like to try on the black corset in the window.”

The woman’s smile grew. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I have one. My husband loves it. Can’t keep his hands off me.”

Julie hoped Tommy reacted the same way, and didn’t completely shut down the moment he

saw her in it. She was prepared for that reaction, but everything would go much more smoothly if

he’d just play along.

The woman went to a rack and sifted through, finally pulling one off the hanger. “This is a

small. It should work.”

After Julie closed herself inside a dressing room and stripped down to her panties, she quickly

put the corset and skirt on. As she examined herself in the three-way mirror, her eyes kept going

back to how the sheer skirt hit directly below her butt cheeks and showed off the silhouette of her

red panties. The lingerie came with a matching black thong, which she had no intentions of

wearing. As far as she was concerned, the less she had on between him and his goal, the less

chance he’d have a moment to stop and think. The whisper-thin skirt would bring his eyes directly

to the naked skin beneath.

She smiled. Tommy was such an ass man; he wouldn’t know what hit him. Excited anticipation

shivered through her. He’d be stunned the moment he walked through the door, taken completely

off-guard. She’d have the advantage.

Round two goes to me.

Feeling confident, she purchased the outfit and left. By the time she got home, some of her

triumph had faded. Traffic had been horrible and the food she’d ordered had taken too long to be

prepared. Tommy would be here in less than an hour, and she still hadn’t showered.

She popped the food in the oven, then hurried to the bathroom. As she bathed, primping for a

night she’d only dreamed about, the reality of what was about to happen crept in. Butterfly flutters

swarmed her chest, momentarily stealing her breath away.

Pushing aside her anxiety, she blow-dried her hair and styled it so it fluffed around her head,

then she quickly dressed, choosing a pair of black, four-inch spiky heels she rarely wore to top off

the outfit. She applied her eye makeup darker than normal for a sultrier look. As she gazed in the

mirror when she was ready, she barely recognized herself. The woman staring back at her

appeared confident, knowledgeable in the ways of a bedroom, didn’t shy away from a little kink.

She loved it.

Now she just had to get the living room ready. There was still a chance that Tommy would bolt

the moment he walked in the house. What would she do if that happened?

There was always his room. She could wait for him to return—in his bed.

She went to the kitchen and plated the food on her best dishes. After she poured two glasses

of wine, she set the dining room table. As she flicked the lighter to the tapered candles, she heard

the sound of a key being inserted into the door.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She tossed the lighter on the sideboard and did a little don’t-know-which-way-to-go dance

before her eyes locked onto the couch. She rushed across the room and threw her body on the

cushions. She’d propped up on her elbow, her chest pushed forward, bottom lip jutted out, just as

Tommy walked into the room.

With Mac following right behind him.

Horror rounding her eyes, she scrambled for a pillow. Tommy let out a stream of curses as he

did an about-face and shoved Mac outside.

When she heard Mac’s “Sorry, dude,” her skin scorched with embarrassment. She pushed into

the corner of the couch, drew her knees to her chest, and buried her face in her hands.

How utterly mortifying.

Round three to Tommy.

She didn’t need to question why he’d brought Mac home. It was painfully obvious. A buffer.

With his friend here, no hanky-panky would happen. Oh God, how would she ever face Mac again?

A few seconds later, Tommy slammed back into the house, murder on his face.

She hurried to her feet, feeling very stupid. “Tommy, I’m so sorry. I had no idea—”

“Shut up, Julie,” he said as he stormed toward her, lifted the Braves hat off his head, and

tossed it on the coffee table. When he reached her, he curled his hand around the back of her

neck and yanked her forward. His mouth crushed to hers.

Wetness gushed between her legs as desire shot through her. She moaned against his mouth.

His tongue sailed past her lips and his other hand shot around her waist, pulling her to his chest.

After he had her kissed stupid, he ripped his mouth from hers. He walked her backward until her

back met the wall. Tangling his hand in her hair, he tugged her head back. Her nipples tightened

into painful peaks. She loved it every time he did that, loved the dominance and possessiveness of

the action.

Anger tightened the muscles in his face as he slipped his other hand between their bodies.

Fingers probed between her legs. “Widen them,” he demanded. “Now.”

She nearly melted. And did as she was told. One finger circled her clit before he inserted two

fingers deep inside her. The pads of his fingers pressed forward. As his palm rubbed her clit, he

pumped his hand, causing those fingers to grind against that sensitive spot deep within her.

Pleasure shot through her whole body and she gasped, latching her hand onto his wrist. “T-

Tommy.”

His grip in her hair tightened. “This is what you want, isn’t it? What you’ve been pushing for.”

The sound of his harsh breathing filled her ears, intoxicated her. The sensations he created in

her as he zealously rubbed his fingers inside her made her legs weak. Staring up at him, gaze

locked with his, she could do nothing but feel what he was doing to her. The pressure he built, the

pleasure he gave. She panted out a cry from between parted lips. Then another. She couldn’t stay

quiet. There was no way. Only moan, whimper, and hold the gaze of the man who was doing such

wonderful things to her body.

As his jaw clenched, his pupils dilated. “Oh. Fuck. Yes,” he bit out. “That’s it, baby.”

He pumped harder. Every muscle in her body seemed to tighten and shake. An unfamiliar

sensation built deep inside her. Different from any pending release she’d ever had. “T-Tommy?”

“Don’t fight it,” he grunted. “You’re almost there.”

A powerful orgasm erupted over her, rolling pleasure through every inch of her flesh. Unable to

make a sound, she rode the intense wave, jerking as her entire body was consumed by it. Never

had she felt anything like this climax. Legs mush, she started to crumble. Fingers still thrusting

deep inside, he pressed her into the wall with his shoulder, keeping her from falling. As the

intensity slackened, she sucked in a deep breath, then released a long, agonized moan.

“So goddamn beautiful,” he murmured as he removed his hand and placed his lips against her

ear. “You’re going to get what you asked for, Julie. I’m going to fuck you. Hard.”

Then his mouth was on hers. She fisted her hands in his shirt, both to stay standing and to

bring him closer, and met each fierce swipe of his tongue with hers. He groaned into her mouth,

his fingers releasing her to grab the backs of her knees and haul her up around his waist.

The man had already turned every muscle in her body to liquid. And now he was devouring

her, all his control gone, just as she’d planned.

He might have won the battles, but she had won the war.

And now he was going to do amazing things to her.

He set her on the arm of the couch, moved his hands to cup her face, and assaulted her mouth

with deep, hungry kisses. Then he ripped his mouth from hers and buried his head in her neck,

biting the skin. She arched against him, gasping.

When he ended the kiss, she was shocked to still see anger on his face. “You know I’m going to

have to kill Mac for seeing you like that. But for now, I’ll exact punishment from you.” His gaze

lowered to her breasts. “Take that thing off.”

The authority in his voice, the determined glint in his eyes, made her body throb with need.

Reaching behind her, she started popping the hooks free. His hands settled on her hips and

tugged her closer. The feel of his cock pressing against her center almost undid her. When the

corset fell from her body, he caught it and flung it across the room. Then his mouth was on her

nipple, sucking deeply. No gentleness or subtlety. Just pure taking.

She gasped, thrusting her chest up as she wove her fingers into his thick hair. As he drew

deeply on one tip, he tweaked the other between his fingers, sending a flood of desire rippling

through her. Without lifting his head from her breast, he made some movements, and she heard

the sounds of his zipper and ripping foil. Then he yanked her forward by the knees and thrust

inside her.

Just like that.

She cried out. “Oh, God!”

Not from pain, but from the intense feeling of being so empty one second and then so

incredibly full the next. As he thrust deep and fast, their moist skin slapping at his frantic pace, he

nipped her earlobe and whispered gruffly, “Julie, you feel so fucking good.” He plunged deep, then

ground hard against her. His groan warmed her neck. “Never felt this fucking good.”

His words sent her arousal into hyperspace. “Oh, God. Tommy.”

His hands roamed over her hips and slid to cup the naked mounds of her butt. Muttering a

curse, he pulled out of her. She started to protest, but the words were lost when he tugged her off

the arm of the couch and spun her around.

A whistling inhale came from him. “Bend over,” he commanded gruffly.