Heat of the Night (7 page)
He didn’t take them off, just let them fall down to her ankles, and then his hand was between her legs, stroking the crotch of her panties. Annabelle’s entire body was on fire. The dark closet, the sound of footsteps out in the hall, Ryan’s talented fingers poking underneath her panties to rub her clit…it all aroused the hell out of her.
“Close your eyes,” Ryan whispered.
She obliged, listening to the sound of plastic tearing—he’d remembered to bring a condom—and then a zipper hissing open. A moment later, she felt his cock pressing between her ass cheeks, teasing her puckered hole. Her heart did a somersault. For a second she thought he would venture into the forbidden, but to her relief—and odd disappointment—he moved aside the crotch of her panties and pushed into her wet core with one smooth thrust.
God, it felt good. She tried to think about the last time she’d made love to Bryce, tried to remember if it had felt as good as this, but her brain promptly stopped functioning as Ryan began to move.
It didn’t last long at all. Four, maybe five strokes, and then she was coming, a fast, pounding orgasm that seem to come out of nowhere. Annabelle gasped as pleasure rocketed through her. Her breasts tingled, her clit throbbing as waves of ecstasy pulsated in her core. She ground her ass against Ryan, milking him, taking everything she could get, and his husky groans heightened her pleasure.
His fingers dug into her waist as he pistoned his hips, fucking her hard, his balls slapping against her ass with each deep thrust.
“Fuck,” he wheezed, and then he released a harsh cry and shuddered inside her.
36
Heat of the Night
She loved feeling him come, loved the guttural sounds he made, the way he nuzzled her neck, heating her skin with his ragged breaths. She wanted to cry out in disappointment when he finally withdrew, leaving her empty and sated and wanting more. So much more.
It had never been this way with Bryce. Never.
Her legs were still shaking as she bent down to pull up her jeans. She buttoned them up, turning to face Ryan. His blue eyes glimmered in the darkness, satisfaction etched into his handsome features. He removed the condom, tossed it in the metal garbage can near the door, then zipped up his pants and stepped toward her.
“So…was
that
fun?” he teased.
A breathy laugh exited her mouth. “Oh yeah.”
37
Chapter Five
“So what do you want to watch tonight?” Ryan asked, holding up two DVD cases.
From her spot on the couch, Annabelle snorted. “Rambo one or Rambo two? Seriously, those are my options?”
“It’s my pick, remember?” he said defensively. “Last night I sat through
P.S. I Love You.
I think my sperm count dropped in half.”
“Don’t worry, you looked very manly when you teared up.”
“I did not tear up—”
“You did!” she chortled. “Right after Gerard Butler died. It was like ten minutes into the movie.”
“You were imagining it.” He waved the DVDs. “So which Rambo do you want?”
“Neither. You choose, and I’ll just go into the bathroom and slit my wrists.”
As usual, her sarcasm never failed to make him burst into laughter. They’d spent an entire week together, and each time she unleashed one of her biting remarks, he liked her even more. He was used to women treating him like he was some sort of god, especially when they found out he was in the Navy, but Annabelle remained completely indifferent to what he did. She didn’t take any crap, from him, or anyone, he suspected, and he loved that. His friends loved her too, even Shelby, who’d given birth to an eight-pound girl bound to be the apple of her daddy’s eye. Annabelle and Ryan had gone in to see the baby, and when they were leaving, Shelby, looking sleepy and relaxed, had pulled him aside and said, “She’s a keeper.”
Shelby might be right. Ryan had never felt this way about anyone, except maybe Jane, but he was trying very hard to banish those inappropriate thoughts. He and Jane would never be together. He knew that. But his heart simply needed to get the memo.
Annabelle was helping, though. He loved being with her, and Jane was never on his mind when Annabelle was around.
He smiled as he watched her stretch her legs out. She looked so cute sprawled there on the couch, wearing a pair of tiny black shorts and a yellow halter top. Her long brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail, which made her look like a little girl. Except there was nothing girlish about her body. All curves, all sex appeal.
His cock stirred in his loose shorts, and just as he was about to toss the movies aside and suggest they have hot sex instead, the door to the apartment swung open and Matt walked in.
Heat of the Night
“Thank the Lord that’s over,” Matt said with a groan. He dropped the blue duffel bag he was holding and it landed on the floor with a thud. “I swear, I love my sweet mother to death but sometimes I could just strangle—oh, hello there,” Matt drawled, noticing Annabelle on the couch.
She sat up awkwardly. “Um. Hi.”
Ryan wasn’t surprised to see her eyes widen at the sight of his roommate. O’Connor usually evoked that wide-eyed response from females. Probably the shaved head. It made him look all tough and lethal.
Most chicks totally dug it, and it looked like Annabelle wasn’t the exception. Ryan noticed her checking Matt out, her brown eyes moving up and down Matt’s tall, muscular body. He didn’t mind, though. He’d never been the jealous type, and he and Matt had indulged in enough threesomes that he was used to sharing the attention.
“Annabelle, Matt, Matt, Annabelle,” Ryan introduced.
Matt flashed Annabelle a grin. “It’s nice to meet you, darlin’.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Oh no, he darlin’ed you. That means he likes you.”
“Where are you from?” Annabelle asked curiously. “The South, I assume.”
“Nashville,” Matt confirmed. He looked from her to Ryan. “Mind if I hang out with you guys for a while? I need to be around people my own age.”
Ryan laughed. “I take it Nana O’Connor drove you nuts.”
“As usual.” Matt drifted toward the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, “Anyone want a beer?”
“Me,” Ryan called back. He glanced at Annabelle. “You?”
She sighed. “What the hell.”
Matt came back with three bottles, gave two away, and flopped down on one of the comfortable leather recliners flanking the couch. Ryan took the other chair, while Annabelle stayed sprawled on the couch, leaning forward a little to take a sip of the beer Matt handed her.
It didn’t take long for Matt and Annabelle to hit it off, though Ryan wasn’t surprised. Matt was the most laidback guy Ryan had ever met, and Annabelle, well, she was thoroughly entertaining. By the time the next round of beers was polished off, the three of them were laughing like old friends. Matt regaled them with stories about his trip home, and Annabelle told them about one of the worst weddings her company had ever planned, something involving feathers and swans and a very drunk uncle.
Annabelle’s cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, but Ryan knew she wasn’t drunk. Tipsy, maybe, but not drunk. Neither was he, and he’d noticed Annabelle admiring Matt several times in the past hour.
Again, he wasn’t concerned. He was, however, curious to see how far she was willing to go. He’d meant what he said in the hospital—he was having fun acting out all the fantasies on her list. And he knew she was having fun too. Except that she kept insisting the list didn’t mean anything.
Which he knew was a total lie.
39
Elle Kennedy
When Matt left the room to take a quick shower, claiming he was grimy from his trip and now sweaty from the three beers he’d consumed, Ryan joined Annabelle on the sofa and said, “Do you think he’s attractive?”
She set down her beer bottle, furrowing her eyebrows. “Matt? Well, sure. Why are you asking?”
Ryan slid closer and placed his hand on her thigh. “I thought maybe he’d be a good candidate for number three.”
His remark got him a pair of wide brown eyes. “Are you crazy? That’s…just wrong.”
He offered a wry look. “And why is that wrong?”
Annabelle squirmed a little, and he wondered if she was squirming from discomfort or arousal.
Probably the latter, though she probably wouldn’t admit it. “Threesomes are…sleazy. No?”
“Technically, what you wrote isn’t a threesome.” He bent close to her ear and said, “You said you wanted to get fucked by another man while I watch.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I didn’t say I wanted that… I just…” She looked away.
Ryan grasped her chin with one hand and made her look at him. “Why did you write the list, Annabelle?”
“I told you already.” Her cheeks turned pink again. “I wanted to show Bryce all the things I’d be willing to do.”
“Willing to do, or
dying
to do?”
Her blush deepened.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do wicked things,” he teased.
“Okay, yeah, maybe
some
wicked things, like sex in the hospital, or on the floor, but having sex with another guy…that’s so slutty.” Embarrassment flickered in her eyes.
“Says who? Who decides what’s slutty, what’s right or wrong when it comes to sex?” Ryan shook his head. “As long as all the parties involved are consenting adults, why should it matter?”
Annabelle gulped. “Have you…and Matt…done stuff together before, with a woman?”
“Yes,” he said honestly. “Does that bother you?”
Annabelle’s heart was pounding hard in her chest. How did Ryan always manage to catch her off-guard? She hadn’t doubted he was a ladies man, or that he’d probably slept with dozens of women, but somehow she hadn’t imagined him in any threeways.
“No. I mean, I don’t think so.” She froze for a moment. “Wait—did you and Matt and
Christina
…?”
“Yeah.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. Wow. She couldn’t picture Christina with Ryan and Matt. Christina didn’t seem like the type. But along with surprise, Annabelle experienced a wave of envy. Jeez, was she actually jealous that her friend had been fucked by two guys at once?
40
Heat of the Night
Annabelle glanced at Ryan, then Matt, who had just strolled back into the living room wearing a pair of faded jeans and no shirt. No, it wasn’t just two guys that appealed to her. It was
these
two in particular.
“It turns you on, doesn’t it?” Ryan said in a low voice.
But not low enough. “What turns you on?” Matt asked instantly, swiveling his head toward Annabelle as he sank back into his chair.
To her horror, Ryan answered for her. “Doing you while I watch,” he said to his roommate.
Matt’s jaw fell open. Then a sexy little smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “For real?”
Annabelle met his deep green eyes. She found herself nodding.
Matt looked intrigued. “Huh. Okay then. Let’s do it.”
Her breath jammed in her throat like a wad of chewing gum. Oh God. She couldn’t believe he’d just said that. And she couldn’t believe how quickly her body responded. Her nipples hardened into two tight buds, straining against her halter top. Both men immediately zeroed in on the sight, which only made the tingling worse. She wished she’d worn a bra. She wished Ryan had never seen that list.
“Well?” Ryan said, meeting her eyes. “What do you think?”
Think? Her head wasn’t capable of producing thoughts right now. She’d turned into a pile of mush on the couch, her pussy aching so badly she squeezed her legs together. What was happening to her? Ever since she’d met Ryan, she’d become a total sex addict. And Matt wasn’t helping her condition. He was as gorgeous as Ryan, and…yep, just as well-endowed, she noted as she saw an impressive hard-on pushing against his jeans.
“I…this is crazy,” she finally blurted out.
“What’s wrong with crazy?” Matt said in that charming Southern accent.
“Um…nothing, I guess?”
Laughing, Matt got off his chair and moved to the couch. He flopped down right beside her, his hard thigh touching her bare one. “I just spent the entire week in Nashville, listening to my mother nag me about why I’m not married yet and following my grandmother to every fabric store in the city so she could pick out wool to crochet me a sweater I will never wear.” He placed his hand on her knee. “I could use some crazy right now, Annabelle.”
“You’re as bad as he is,” she grumbled, hooking a thumb at Ryan.
“Yeah, but I think you want to be bad with us,” Matt said with grin.
He was right. She
did
want to be bad. She was twenty-five years old and she’d only had sex with one other man, Bryce, who she’d lost her virginity to. Now that she’d been with Ryan, her eyes had opened to all the sexual possibilities out there. Sex didn’t have to be planned, it didn’t have to be a three-times-a-week routine and last for ten minutes before Bryce rolled himself off her. This kind of sex was
way
more exciting.
41
Elle Kennedy
Taking a breath, she looked over at Ryan, who had moved back to sit in one of the chairs and was watching them with amused blue eyes. “Come on, Annie, kiss him. Be bad for a while.”
She stared at Matt’s mouth. She wanted to. God, she wanted to kiss him and touch him and sleep with him. As if a magnet was pulling her toward him, she leaned into that waiting mouth, gasping when his lips closed over hers. His mouth was firmer than Ryan’s, his tongue more insistent, and she was breathless by the time the kiss ended. Little sparks of heat danced along her skin, growing hotter when she noticed the desire glimmering in Matt’s green eyes.
“Undo my pants,” Matt said gruffly, locking his gaze with hers.
She found it hard to breathe as she followed his instructions. Her fingers trembled over the button at his jeans. She undid it, then pulled the zipper down, and her entire body burned up when his long, thick cock sprang up into her waiting hand. No boxers. God, that was hot.