More Than Friends (Kingsley #4) (19 page)

Michae
l’
s mouth went dry as Renee left his hand cupped over the curve of her breast and slid her palm up his arm. He swallowed, closing his eyes and dropping his forehead to her chest
.“
I have
always
seen you
,
” he whispered
.“
I just did
n’
t know what I was seeing
.
”

Her hand left a streak of electrified heat up the length of his bare arm, over the muscle of his shoulder and down his back. It was the most intimate touch they had ever share
d
– the softness of her body in his hands as she touched him.
“
You did
n’
t see me like this
,
” Renee whispered back. Her hand had moved down over his shoulder blades and under his arm to come back up his chest, and as her palm passed over the hard nub of one nipple, goosebumps scattered over his body. She knew everything about him as a man, probably knew him more intimately than anyone else. She knew how he liked his coffee, what he liked on his pizza, that he hated green beans. Now, she would know the shapes and sizes of his body, the feel of his skin, the pressure of his touch.

And he would know hers. But crossing the line from
just friends
to
something more
meant more than just adding sex to their usual movie nights, more than just holding hands at family functions. It meant a change in their dynamic, a change in what they meant to each other and how they would meet each othe
r’
s needs. Michael did
n’
t know if it would work ou
t
– he could
n’
t know that. But what he did know was that he was ready to try again. He had found closure in Nicolett
e’
s letter, and had felt the weight of his own loneliness in the moments after Sherry had walked away from him.He did
n’
t want to carry that weight with him anymore, and she was the only person he knew that could lift it.

It had been a chaotic few days, and as Michael kissed his way over the exposed curves of Rene
e’
s chest, swelling up over the neckline of her tank top, he marveled at how his life had changed so much in so short a time. In less than ten days, he had seen his mother hospitalized, finally let go of his failed marriage, and learned how terribly he had missed an opportunity to move o
n
– but the past, no matter how far in the past it is, is the past regardless, and Michael Kingsley was firmly in awe of his present. The woman who had been his best friend for years moaned softly under him, her hands buried in his hair. Renee. She opened her thighs as Michael moved over her, allowing his knee to slip between hers, and he braced himself on his forearms to protect her from his weight.

He had
n’
t done this in so long; it had been years since he had held a woman in this way with no plans to strip her clothes off and claim her body. He had
n’
t taken the time to truly enjoy just being with a woman since Nicolette, and even the memory of his time with her did
n’
t compare to the strength of emotion now coursing through him.

Renee whispered his name, just as he had imagined she would, and he ground his hips against hers, moving his weight to one arm to allow himself the use of one hand; she sighed as he scraped a palm over the fabric that covered her breasts, writhing beneath him as the hand moved lower. Michael could
n’
t hold back the groan as he touched her through the soft cotton of her smiley capris, and he buried his face against her throat as her heat radiated through his fingers
.“
How did we not realize this, all this time
?
”

She gasped, her breath catching as he rubbed slow circles into her heat, her fingernails digging into his wrist as she guided him
.“
Who cares, we know it now
,
” she whispered back. Her leg curled around his waist, and Michael brought his arms up to keep her close as he rolled; she sighed as she settled above him, her hands flat on his chest. She stroked the planes of his stomach, traced the lines between his ribs, both of them watching the lazily erotic movements of her fingertips on his skin
.“
How have I known you this long and seen you without a shirt so many time
s
… just like thi
s
… without realizing how utterly beautiful you are
,
” she said quietly, smiling down at him, rocking against him, the heat of her core searing against the thick rod of his erection.

His balls were aching with need, and every instinct in his make-up told him to throw her down, strip the protection of her clothing away, and bury himself inside her before he lost the chance. Instead, he pillowed his head in his hands and grinned up at her
.“
Beautiful? Renee, come on. Men are not beautiful. Men are men. Big and burly and butch an
d
… something else that starts with a B maybe. But no
t
–“

“
Beautiful
,
” she broke in, dragging her fingernails down his stomach. She watched the muscles flex beneath her touch, and he watched the glow shine a little brighter in her eyes. The sight of her enjoyment made his heart leap and his chest tighten; he watched her hands flatten over his stomach and slide back up his chest as she lowered herself, and his blood rushed through him as she brought her lips to his
.“
Trust me, it fits.
‘
Beautifu
l
’ is not a girl-only adjective
.
”

“
Haha
,
” Michael retorted, still trying to get his breath under control.

“I’
m serious. It fits you perfectly
.
”

Her nipples were hard against his chest, and she was still grinding her hips slowly against him;his thoughts were shattering around him like glass, but as he brought his hands down to settle on the curves of her hips, he grinned
.“
Tha
t’
s what
she
said
.
”

“
She did, huh
?
” Renee whispered in his ear. She ran the tip of her tongue over the shell of his ear and kept whispering
.“
Le
t’
s see if
she
was right, then
.
”

Michael watched in shock as she sat up, her weight solidly centered in his lap. Her ass slipped through his hands as she moved, and he held her thighs as she swept her tank top over her head. He had thought it likely, by the thickness of the fabric over her chest, that she had a bra underneath the little to
p
– but she did
n’
t, and he saw the elastic of what Nicolette had called
a‘
shelf br
a
’ as the top sailed over the end of the bed. Her breasts bounced slightly as she lowered her arms, small but beautiful, perky and creamy and topped with tiny raspberry colored nipples. Michael was mesmerized, watching those breasts come closer to his chest as she lay down on him again, watching the space between their bodies grow smaller and smalle
r
– and when her body was pressed from chest to thighs against him, those pebbled nipples scraping against his bare chest as her softness pressed flat against him, the fragile hold h
e’
d been keeping on his control finally snapped.

She squeaked in surprise when he rolled them again, and he felt hard kernels of unpopped popcorn digging into his forearm as he settled himself between her thighs. He braced himself on his knees, sitting up to look at her, returning her appraisal of him
.“
Beautiful
,
” he murmured, echoing her own choice description back at her, smiling as she shook her head in denial
.“
No, do
n’
t try that on me, you know you are. We both know you are
.
”

“
Maybe. But you did
n’
t think so befor
e
… so wha
t’
s changed, Michael
?
” she asked, looking up at him.

In answer, he wedgedhimself more tightly between her thighs, lowered himself atop her body, and sighed
.“
I do
n’
t know, really
,
” he said quietly. Her breathing filled her stomach, lifted her chest beneath his, and he lifted himself on his arms to give her space
.“
Maybe i
t’
s something that was there all along, bu
t
… I do
n’
t know, seeing you at the hospital, and the way you stayed with me. After you went on that stupid dat
e
–“ Michael broke off, dipping his head to inhale the scent of her skin, the tip of his nose brushing the pulse in her throat
.“
You came to me
,
” he went on, kissing her shoulder
.“
You were afraid, and you needed someone, and you came to me
.
” He listened to her quickening breath as his lips moved down her chest, felt her body jerk as he flicked the tip of his tongue over one peaked nipple.

“
It was the first place I thought of
,
” Renee whimpered, squirming as Michael moved to her other breast.

He brought his hand down between them, touching her again, stroking her heat as she whispered his name again
.“
Tha
t’
s exactly the point
,
” he whispered back, lifting his mouth from her stomach and looking up the length of her body
.“
You could have gone to Cass, your mom, wherever. Your friends. You came to me. And maybe it made me realize that if I needed someone to run to,
I’
d come to you
.
”

“
You would
?
” She looked down her body at him, her stomach flexing as he kissed his way lower.

“
I would
.
” He caught his thumbs in the waist of her pants, pausing to look up at her again
.“
Renee, are you sure about this
?
” he asked
.“
Ther
e’
s still time to go bac
k
… if you want to
.
”

“I’
m sure. And I do
n’
t want to go back
,
” she said quietly. She watched as he pulled her capris down her legs, laughing softly as he sucked in a breath at the sight of her panties
.“
The
y’
re just panties, Michael
.
”

“
No. These are not just panties
,
” he said, staring up at her.

Renee quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking as he pressed his lips to the rose that covered her lower stomach; the shades of pink that made up the flower were the only bright colorsto be seen, as the boy short panties themselves were a dense black lace
.“
What did you expect
?
” she asked
.“
Obviously not those
.
”

“
Obviously
,
” Michael answered dryly. He sighed, looking up at Renee before glancing back down at the swatch of lace that was all that stood between them
.“
I do
n’
t know, yo
u’
re like a yoga queen. I guess I expecte
d
… cotton. Polka dots. I do
n’
t know, hemp? Granola bars?But these are lik
e
–“ he broke off, slipping the tip of one finger beneath the black lace that wrapped over the curve of her hip and swept over the line where her slender thigh met the slight dip of her lower stomach. Running his fingertip along that line, he reveled in the velvet feel of the skin along her hip and inner thigh; he closed his eyes when his knuckle ran close enough to her core to feel the heat still radiating. She was damp there, aroused and ready for him; the waiting was killing him, but he wanted to savor her, to enjoy her while he had the chance. In case he lost it.

“
The
y’
re like what
?
” she asked, distracting him. She was laughing at him; her eyes sparkled with amusement when he glanced up at her again.

His face heated, knowing how silly he would sound if he said out loud what he had been thinking. She pressed harder on his shoulders, urging him to answer, and he crossed his arms over her stomach, propping his chin on his wrists
.“
Rock star panties
,
” he said
.“
They look like something you might see o
n
… I do
n’
t know, Pink. Or Madonna or somebody
.
” At this, Renee laughed outright, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling.  She moved to sit up, crossing her arms over bare breasts, and Michael rolled onto his back, watching her
.“
Wha
t’
chacovering up for
?
”

She shook her head, still smiling
.“I’
m not. Just cold, I guess
.
”

“
Alright, get up
.
” Michael waited until she stood up, before he stood with her. Taking the edge of the blanket that covered her bed, he flicked it, sending popcorn flying all over the room. Rene
e’
s mouth fell open, and he laughed
.“
Well, you ca
n’
t get between the sheets with popcorn everywhere. I do
n’
t want it where it does
n’
t belong. Here, get in
.
” He held the blanket up, waiting for her to slide beneath, and then stood looking down at her as he unbuckled the belt around his waist.

She watched him unbutton and unzip his jeans, and as they opened to reveal bare flesh underneath, her eyes flicked to his before flying back to the obviously hard length of his erection, standing out behind the fabric the covered him
.“
Commando, Michael
?
”

He shrugged
.“
Now and then
.
”

Pushing his jeans down over his hips, he let them fall to the floor and stepped out of them, his body flushing with warmth as her eyes swept over his work-hardened body. He stood proudly in front of her, his nakedness on display, his aching arousal reaching toward her like a homing beacon. He heaved a sigh, watching her watch him, and lifted the blanket again to slide into the pocket of warmth Rene
e’
s body had already created. She moved over to make room for him, and he turned to pull her into his arms.  Renee melted against him, her body pressed tightly to his as he slipped a hand down her back; his hand edged her panties down as he cupped her hips and pulled her closer. Her hands were moving too, down his chest and stomach, over his hip, down the sensitive skin of his lower stomach. When her hand closed tightly around him, soft but firm, Michael groaned and thrust himself into her grip. She smiled against his mouth, biting softly at his bottom lip as she stroked him. He heard the rip before he realized what he was doing, felt the give of the lace, and knew that her panties were ruined.

“
Oh, w
e’
re doing it like that, are we
?
” she asked, laughing softly against his throat
.“
Okay, then
.
” Releasing him, she reached under the blankets and tugged the ripped panties from around her hip, sliding them down her leg and tossing them to the floor
.“
Yo
u’
d better be glad that was
n’
t my only pair
.
”

“
Oh GodRenee, really
?
” he groaned. He had never imagined her this way, strong and in control. Until his feelings for her had changed so suddenly, he had never imagined her as a sexy woman, but here she was, naked against him, sexy and proud to be sexy, but still somehow not at all slutty. She still felt like the same wholesome beauty he had met at his brothe
r’
s wedding, the same fun-loving girl he had danced with at his siste
r’
s wedding. She was still his best friend, still everything she had ever been to hi
m
…

Except that she had just torn open a condom wrapper and rolled it down his dick without even a slight hesitation. Except that she had just settled with complete confidence on his lap and guided him into the wet, hot center of her body with a strong and steady hand
.“
Oh, dear God
,
” he whispered, closing his eyes as she lowered herself, taking him deeper.

He reached out, grasping her hips, wanting to slow her down, wanting to draw out the moment, but she took his hands in hers and brought them to her breasts, squeezing his hands in her own
.“
Just touch me, Michael
,
” she moaned, rocking against him. She moaned again as he pinched her nipples gently between his fingers, and she threw her head back and cried out when he gave an experimental twist
.“
Again
,
” she cried, grinding harder against him
.“
Just like tha
t
… do it again
.
”

Michael waited until she brought her face down again to look at him, giving another slow, gentle pinch. Her eyelids fluttered, but she maintained the contact as she moved against him, sliding up and down along the length of him. He throbbed inside her, responding to the vibrations of her inner muscles, and his blood was coursing through him so fast it was almost as if he could hear it. She took him again, all the way to the base, and he groaned, still staring into her eyes. She was panting, her hands braced flat on his chest as she rose above him again, and he glanced down to watch her body swallow his.

When Michael rolled her beneath him and she hit the bed, her hair flew out around her shoulders, but she laughed, bringing her legs up to circle his waist
.“
Could
n’
t take that sight, huh
?
”

Michael laughed, too, looking down at her as he braced himself on his knees. He took her hips and dragged her up, watched her legs fall open, watched as he buried himself inside her
.“
No, I wanted to keep watching
,
” he whispered. Still thrusting with aching slowness, he flicked his thumb against her clit, drawing a throaty moan from her that sang all the way through his body. He did it again, listened to her moan, felt his balls draw up tight against his body, watched himself disappear inside her again. And again.

“
Look at me
,
” she whispered, and he did; he watched himself slide out of her, saw the shine of her juices covering him, watched her body arch as he filled her again. He watched her breasts bounce, watched her reach to squeeze them. He watched her bite her lower lip, moaning as he quickened his pace.

But he watched her eyes, too, watched the pupils dilate as she neared orgasm. Every sense in his body was heightened by the intimacy of the eye contact, strengthened by the sight of her face as she panted under him. Her breathing came faster as she tightened around him, but she did
n’
t look away; she kept her eyes on his as her mouth popped open, a moan slipping between her lips
.“
Michael
,
” she whispered again, and finally, Renee closed her eyes.

Still watching, Michael saw her body arch in pleasure, saw the flash of her teeth as she bit her lip. Looking down, he watched their bodies coming together, watched her wetness spread to his skin as he slammed into her, harder now, his skin tingling as her body tightened in an iron grip around him. He could see the impressions his fingers were leaving on her hips, but could
n’
t seem to make his hands relax.

And then he was lost, spinning into oblivion, shudders running through him with his release.