Kate's Crew

For all the ladies of International Heat. This steamy read could never be as hot as you. Thanks for making
me one of the gang.

Kate wiped her palms on her paint-splattered cutoffs before adjusting her grip on the rebuilt window casement. A flash of tan skin drew her attention to glistening muscles. They rippled over five sexy frames as the crew renovating the townhouse next door hammered nail after nail into their first-story roof, just a few feet below her perch.

From inside the bedroom where she worked, she inched to the edge of the ladder rung then craned her neck through the opening in front of her for a glimpse of the intricate tattoo spanning Mike’s broad shoulders.

Instead, she caught him reaching up to their stash of supplies for another pack of shingles. When her gaze latched onto the drop of sweat that slid along his neck, she forgot to breathe. She watched in fascination as it journeyed over his defined pecs and six-pack abs. After it was absorbed in the ultra-low-riding jeans snugged to his trim hips by a bulging tool belt, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Kate swiped at a blob of paint that had plopped onto her wrist unnoticed while she’d ogled Mike. Her tongue moistened her lips as she imagined licking a similar trail down his body. The edge of the fresh trim gouged her thigh as she strained for a better view. The gasp she made busted her. His head lifted, catching her spying. Great, now she’d never convince him to take it easy with his persistent innuendo or date invites. And, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t indulge either of their desires.

Mike threw her a dazzling victory grin. The anticipation sparkling in his cocky stare blasted a shockwave through her, screwing with her balance. The ladder wobbled then tipped. She probably could have righted herself if she hadn’t been standing on tiptoes to maximize her view of the scenery. In slow motion, she watched his expression morph from flirtatious to horrified.

Kate flung out her arms in an attempt to catch the frame before she tumbled through it but the momentum swung her around. Her temple grazed the custom-made pewter latch she’d instal ed the day before. She hung, suspended in midair, as Mike rose from his crouch. The other guys began to turn toward her, but he was already sprinting for the edge.

Terror froze her insides when he launched himself across the ten-foot gap between their houses. Then she spun away, losing sight of him. She braced for imminent impact.

Shit, this is going to hurt.

Everything happened at once. Air whooshed from her lungs when she slammed, on her side, onto the roof.

She rol ed, flexing her ankles in an attempt to find purchase that would halt her skid toward the brink. But her knee wrenched at an awkward angle while she continued to rake over the slate. Her hand caught the ridge of an attic vent, slowing her descent, but gravity overcame the tenuous hold. Her frantic fingers recoiled from the sharp metal edge.

The gutters rushed closer, her last hope. After that, she’d have to pray the evergreen shrubs would cushion her, preventing any broken bones. The heels of her work boots hit the aluminum edging but kept going. Her legs dangled in thin air.

Then a strong hand banded around her wrist. Her arm nearly jerked from the socket as she lurched to a stop.

Kate shoved on the edging shingles with her free hand, fighting to stay on the roof.

“Son of a bitch!” Mike hauled her the rest of the way up.

“Sorry, been eating too much fast food on this job.” She surprised herself by squeezing false bravado past the thudding of her heart and the constriction of her throat. Mouthing off beat bursting into tears of relief in front of the construction-chief-turned-action-hero she’d lusted after for months.

“Now’s not the time to be a smartass. You could have gotten yourself killed.”

“It was your damn fault.” She didn’t wait for him before scaling the slope toward the safety of her window.

“
My
fault? We told you that ladder’s a piece of shit. You’re too stubborn to get a new one.”

“My grandfather’s ladder works just fine.” She ignored his helpful boost. The way his hand spanned her ass, cupping her, would pitch her off the precipice again if she wasn’t careful.

Mike climbed in so close behind her the heat of his defined chest scorched her bare arms. She attempted to leap away from the temptation of his security, but a spike of agony rolled up her ankle, buckling her knees.

His solid biceps banded around her, molding her to his chest as they sank to the floor together. “Jesus, I’ve never been that scared before.”

No kidding.

“You shouldn’t have pulled that stunt, Mike. Who do you think you are? Jackie Chan?” She struggled to break his hold before her adrenaline rush coerced her into doing something stupid, but the weak attempt didn’t budge him. Unable to fight them both, she surrendered, resting her forehead on the side of his neck. She bit her cheek to keep from licking the pulse pounding within reach of her lips. “But thank you.”

He framed her face, lifting it to his scrutiny. His forest green eyes widened at her automatic compliance. He stroked wisps of hair from her cheek with the knuckles of one hand. Mike’s hunger etched into the rugged set of his full lips, igniting a flame of longing in her core. They leaned into each other, mouths parting, when the clomp of work boots shattered the moment.

Bulky forms honed by years of manual labor invaded al the free space in the spare bedroom. Then a chorus of testosterone-laden cheers stifled her hushed conversation with Mike.

“That was awesome!”

“Way to go, Mike! Dude, when you nailed that slide I thought for sure you were going over the edge with her.”

Joe leaned down to give Mike’s back a solid clap. The impact jostled Kate, making her wince.

“Careful, she’s hurt.” James knelt beside them, running his capable hands over her arms, verifying she hadn’t broken anything. She flinched from his touch but not because it hurt. Of al the guys, he seemed the most reserved—quiet, confident and sensitive. She’d been tempted to spil her guts to him on more than one of their shared breaks. But she’d never figured out how to phrase her longing without coming off like a slut. What would he have thought of her decadent curiosity?

“No, I’m fine. Really.” As long as you didn’t count the throbbing in her head, the zing racing up her leg every time she moved or the lust saturating her nerves at every place she made contact with Mike.

“I’m going to take her over to St. Anthony’s. It looks like clear skies. We’l finish the roof tomorrow.”

Though the five men were partners, Mike seemed to make the majority of the decisions. He had a knack for business, handy for managing their house-turning enterprise. They’d bought the brownstone next door not long after her grandfather had passed away, bequeathing his home to her. She couldn’t count the number of times they’d sacrificed progress on their project to give her a hand with the minor renovations she’d taken on, or lent her their tools. Sometimes she suspected they hung around longer than necessary when they’d sensed her melancholy at roaming the big house alone.

She’d also lost track of how often she’d found herself daydreaming about one—or more—of them bending her over a sawhorse, their tools clanking together as they sought payback for their assistance. Or spread her out on the lush grass under the oak tree for an entirely different kind of refreshment at the end of the day.

Kate had stopped counting the depraved permutations at a mil ion and one. But how could she watch their sexy bodies in motion, share lunch and beers after a hard day’s work, or observe their camaraderie without wanting to be a part of it? Wanting them?

“Come on, Katie.” Neil gave her shoulder a tiny shake that broke her from her reverie. “You’re zoning on us.

Let’s get you checked out.”

“Not necessary.” She tried to smother their objections but one versus five weren’t good odds.

In the end, Dave sealed her fate. “If you’re not going to the doctor then you better decide who’l be camping out here tonight.”

“What?” How could she choose Mike and risk leading him on or offending the others? How could she spend the night locked in here with any of them and avoid making a fool of herself?

They misjudged her alarm for outrage.

“You just took a header out the window, you’re bleeding al over Mike and you’re hardly able to focus. No way are we leaving you here by yourself, babe.”

And no way could she control herself through a sweltering summer night with a fantasy or five hovering nearby.

“Fine. Let’s get this over with. But you’re only wasting your time.”

They might have taken her grumbling more seriously if she hadn’t blacked out the moment she struggled to her feet.

Sure hands travelled the length of her exposed back. A heated torso slid across her pebbled nipples. She closed her fingers around a pair of straining erections while someone smacked her ass then kissed away the sting.

Kate reveled in another steamy dream about Mike and his crew. Practice made perfect because this time she swore the heat of an intimate embrace seared her skin while she writhed on the cool sheets of her bed, half-awake. When she rolled her hips, her slick mound nudged a rock-hard shaft larger than any she’d imagined.

Her eyelids flew open to confirm her suspicions. Mike!

He was sprawled across her bed, making the queen mattress look like the rickety cot she’d slept on when camping as a kid. She remembered now. He’d escorted her home from the emergency room then refused to leave, though she’d been given the al clear.

Holy shit, she’d practical y humped his leg. Attempting to hide it would be futile. His nostrils flared as he blinked against the golden glow streaming in the east-facing window.

“Morning.” The sleep-roughened greeting accompanied by his sexy smile sent her heart into overdrive, but he only made it worse when he said, “Don’t let me stop you. Sounded like you were having a good time.”

She would have rolled away, locked herself in the bathroom for a week then ignored the whole fiasco, but he refused to let her flee. Faster than she thought possible, he flipped her to her back, pinned her wrists to the pillows with his forearms and trapped her ankles beneath his shins. The coarse hair on his legs abraded her as she struggled to escape. Every delicious rasp teased her sensitive flesh.

The weight of his cock thudded onto her bel y as he closed the space between them to stare into her eyes.

“Tell me now if you don’t want me.”

How could she lie like that? He’d be buried inside her within sixty seconds if she didn’t object, but the greedy part of her screamed for her to take what they both needed now and sort out the consequences later. With a moan, she lunged up then covered his wicked mouth, devouring his stunned smile.

Mike groaned, sinking onto her. Her bruised hip protested, but she forgot all about the minor pain when he settled against her, skin on skin, from head to toe. Her instincts ran wild. She wrapped her thighs around his waist, crossing her ankles at the base of his spine.

Their tongues tangled, stroking, thrusting, licking. Her nails raked the length of his back until she grabbed his ass. The thick muscles there tensed beneath the pressure that left ten miniature crescents in the perfect globes.

When he broke the contact of their lips then rested his head on the pil ow beside her for a moment, his harsh breaths buffeted the curve of her neck. “Now you…want…to rush? Damn it, Kate. I don’t have any condoms.”

“I’m on the pil ,” she whispered. “And I’m safe. Tel me you are, too?”

“I promise.”

She nodded and sighed.

He dipped his head to suck on her tight nipple but she squirmed, angling her pelvis until the head of his cock bumped the mouth of her pussy. They moaned in unison. He teased her with tiny rocks of his hips that tapped the full head of his erection against her ultra-responsive tissue. After a few passes, her dripping slit transferred enough lubrication that he began sliding instead of nudging her.

The ridges of his heavily veined shaft stroked her clit while he rode the furrow of her labia. Dark hair feathered over his brow as he wandered lower, engulfing the tip of her other breast in moist suction. Her legs trembled.

Each glide buffeted nerves already on edge.

Months of anticipation had made her needy. Nights of masturbation hadn’t eased her desire. She didn’t want to come again without him fil ing her.

“Fuck me, Mike.” She shifted one hand to tug on the silky strands of his midnight hair, forcing him to look into her eyes. The instant he recognized the scale of her appetite, he lost al restraint.

“Shit, yes. I need you, too.” He scooped his arms between her and the mattress, curving his hands so they cupped her shoulders. When his ass rose beneath her feet, gravity caused the head of his cock to sink. It dipped into her entrance.

They paused to take a synchronized breath. Then his arms flexed, the bulging sinew cushioning her as he impaled her with his erection. She screamed at the simultaneous pleasure and pain. His monstrous flesh spread her, stretching even as it fanned the raging inferno in the pit of her stomach.

He clasped her tighter, drawing her down while he thrust up until he worked his ful length into her welcoming sheath. A shudder ran through her when his balls tapped her ass.

“You fit me perfectly. I knew you would.” The satisfied possession gleaming in his eyes caused her pussy to clamp around his embedded hard-on. He nuzzled her neck, alternating biting with licking. When she’d adjusted to his intrusion, he began to thrust.

For the first few strokes, her swol en passage clung to his cock as though afraid he would abandon her. But his skil ed mouth, roaming fingers and the circular motion of his hips teasing her clit coaxed more wetness from her until his entire girth was coated. Slick and hot he tunneled inside her, driving her to pleasurable heights she’d never before experienced.

Lasting more than a few minutes when subjected to such ecstasy would be impossible. The liquid fire spreading through her surpassed even her wildest dreams. Kate bit her lip, struggling to resist the primal urges encouraging her to crash into the best orgasm of her life. She didn’t want it to be over so soon.

“Let go. I’ve got you.”

She resisted the blanket of pleasure suffocating her.

“There’s more, I promise. I’l give you more. Let go.” She opened eyes. When had she scrunched them shut?

Generous yet commanding, Mike left her no choice. His lips latched onto hers, drawing her tongue into his mouth, sucking in time to the rapid lunges of his hips. She had to obey.

Mike swal owed her scream when she shattered around him. She bucked, grinding her pussy into his waiting abdomen. She expected him to come with her, to end their long-awaited bout yet he preserved his restraint.

Not without effort.

She came hard, the orgasm clenching her channel. For each squeeze, she swore his jaw gave an answering clench as he gritted his teeth. He tipped his head back then groaned but held on.

His motions slowed until she wondered if she’d missed his climax. Stil , the length of his shaft twitched inside her, triggering aftershocks of delight. She stroked her hand over his sculpted chest, fingers flexing in time with the periodic squeezes of her pussy.

The relief suffusing her didn’t last long. In place of the mindless hunger she’d surrendered to, an undeniable yearning built within her. She had to return the pleasure this man had given her. At least this one time. Kate knew what he needed. After all, she’d refused to let him win for weeks.

With a sigh of regret, she separated their bodies. His cock abandoned her pussy with a slurp. Instead of evacuating the bed, she rol ed. She presented her ass for his enjoyment as she knelt before him, shoulders flush with the mattress.

He growled. Then his hands gripped her hips as though he held on for dear life. “You trust me?”

“Of course.” She trembled when she thought of al he could do to her in this position. When something nudged her rear passage, she jumped before she realized the digit was far too thin to be his cock. He swirled his thumb around the pucker before coating it with some of the juices that had spil ed onto her thighs.

Kate rested her cheek on the sheet once more. She moaned when the thril of his taboo touch sparked her lingering arousal. What would it be like to take a man there?

“Relax.”

Mike teased her until her anxiety transformed into pleasure, al owing her muscles to go slack. Then his thumb sank into her virgin hole. She didn’t expect it to feel so damn good. Just when she’d started to embrace the novel sensation, the bulk of his rigid cock prodded her pussy once more.

This time he glided in to the hilt. The combination of his thick shaft and his thumb in her ass had her undulating beneath him in minutes. When he leaned forward, resting his forearm across her shoulders, lightning bolts of desire struck her nervous system. Pinned under his bulk, she embraced his desires only to find she had adopted them as her own.

“Yes. Please, Mike. Take me.” He answered her cry, riding her hard and fast. The knowledge that she could make him wild drove her higher. She craved the ultimate proof. The grunts he made as he slammed into her indicated she’d have her wish before long.

The thought made her muscles contract, hugging him tighter. The constriction of her pussy increased her own pleasure. She hovered on the cusp of another huge orgasm. “Mike!”

Her urgency broke through his pounding rhythm. “Yes? Tell me, Kate.”

“I want you to come on me.”

“Fuck!” His groin smacked the back of her thighs as his thumb rotated in her ass. Three, four more times, he pounded into her before he yanked his cock from her with a roar. The searing splash of his come on her spine triggered her own release. When her ass seized his thumb, the sensation amplified her orgasm. She came in his arms as stream after stream of his semen marked her.

She drifted in a haze of bliss with him on top of her, his heavy presence comforting. Eventually, he reached to the floor beside the bed to grab his discarded T-shirt. He wiped the evidence of their debauchery from their skin before turning her to face him. The tenderness mixed with contentment on his face spurred her to confess.

“I’m sorry, Mike. You can’t stay.”

He flinched, but refused to budge. When she tried to avert her face from his persuasive gaze, he captured her lip between his teeth then nipped her. “Enough. Enough running, Kate.”

Her brain struggled to catch up to this alternate reality where she finally had what she wanted, but she couldn’t keep it. If she could just get dressed maybe she could usher him out with a modicum of pride intact.

“What happened to our clothes?” Her question came out a bit garbled since he maintained his hold on her lip a few seconds longer. “I remember fal ing asleep with pajamas on.”

“It’s fucking hot up here at night. I’l have James take a look at the air-conditioning later. You stripped after you’d been asleep for five minutes.” His eyelids drooped at the memory. “Now quit stal ing. Why are you fighting what’s between us?”

He dusted her mouth with his even as he left a sticky trail of arousal in the wake of his half-hard shaft, which traced a shal ow arc across her abdomen. She forced her hips to stay glued to the bed instead of tipping up to align her aching pussy with the head of his cock. Even as endless passion threatened to obliterate her better judgment, guilt corrupted her bliss.

“It’s not fair to do this to you,” she whispered.

“To tempt me until I swear blue bal s isn’t some high school myth? To rile me up with those sweet smiles and naughty looks, then bolt whenever I get within arm’s reach? To refuse me all damn summer until I end up fucking you like an animal before I’ve even taken you out to dinner? What? What exactly isn’t fair about this bullshit?”

He’d never shown her even a hint of impatience before. It left her no choice but to be honest. To be direct.

“It’s not fair to start something serious with you when I want to fuck your partners, too.”