Sweet Obsession (Men of Whiskey Row Book 1) (32 page)

Music poured out into the open air as someone else exited the bar. Instantly Avery knew it was him when she smelled the clean scent of cypress pine and sandalwood tease her nostrils. He came to stand close behind her as she viewed the starry sky and mountains. The heat emanating from his body seeped through her clothes. With any other man, the lack of space between them would be deemed inappropriate; but Avery felt perfectly comfortable being in such close proximity to Darby, with the exception of the achy feeling uncoiling in her stomach that she didn’t want to label. “Everything alright, Ms. Avery?” Darby asked in that southern drawl that always made her toes curl.

“Yes, I’m just getting some fresh air. I haven’t danced that much in…well forever,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm, though her heart was racing.
Don’t turn around
, she told herself. She feared that if she did, she might do something silly like beg him to kiss her.

“And why is that? You’re a great dancer; hell, you caught on to the line dance so fast, I didn’t have a chance to impress you with my skills.” His voice dipped an octave lower, the sexy tone made her skin break out in goosebumps all over her body.

Avery gave a breathless laugh as she stepped to the side before turning around to face him. His dark green eyes, locked on her face, were stormy looking and she shyly dropped her gaze.
Big mistake
, she thought, taking in the outline of his manhood pressing against the front of his jeans, before quickly averting her gaze to the side.
Holy good wood, Batman!
No wonder he was so confident.

“Well to be honest with you, my boyfriend feels that when we dance, we….
I
draw too much attention to us,” Avery amended. “He says that my body brings us too much attention; that I should lose some weight to try blending in,” she said softly. She was now embarrassed that she’d admitted such a thing to carefree Darby of all people. There was a heavy silence before he leaned against the rail and looked down at her with eyes like emerald ice.

“Did you ever just tell your boyfriend to go fuck himself?” Darby asked with a pleasantness he wasn’t feeling. Inside, he was livid that this goddess was being forced to walk with mere mortals when she should be dancing among the clouds in all her curvaceous glory. He wanted to find her prick of a boyfriend and beat the ever-loving shit out of him.

Avery gave a startled laugh, but admitted, “I’ve thought about it a couple of times, just haven’t gone there yet. Wanted to, but haven’t.”

Darby gave her a serious look. “You shouldn’t be with someone who treats you like you’re ordinary or wants you to fit in— unless they’re your AA or drug sponsor.” They shared a laugh.

“So your boyfriend has a problem with your body, huh? How long have you guys been goin’ out?” Darby asked curiously as his eyes slid over her again. Avery was the kind of woman that needed a label stuck on her forehead. One that read:
Warning: If you can’t stand the curves, get off the highway.
Numerous times tonight he’d given his death glare to regulars who couldn’t keep their eyeballs in their sockets. It annoyed him, but he understood completely. He was in that percentile that wanted to be the one to mark her knees and leave her lips bruised and swollen in the best ways possible.

“We’ve been together for over a year and are compatible everywhere except in this area and …” She trailed off in embarrassment.
Ahhhh,
Darby thought.
They weren’t compatible in the sack because her man didn’t know how to handle her sexually. What an asshole. So because he was lacking, he put that shit on her.

He decided to go easy on her. Well, as easy as someone like him could go. “You’re not sexually compatible because you have a girlfriend, Ms. Avery.” Darby said bluntly watching her eyes go big with indignation.

“What?! That’s not true! Pierce is very manly, Darby,” Avery said defensively and Darby snorted. Of course the douche’s name was Pierce. Maybe she would understand better if he showed her.

“I don’t think so, darlin’. Your man is extremely threatened by all you have to offer. For instance, can he do this?” Quickly he picked Avery up and pressed her against the wall. He had to stifle a groan as through the layers of fabric separating them, his hardness found the soft apex between her thighs and he barely managed to restrain himself from grinding himself against her. Automatically, Avery wound her arms and legs around him, holding on for dear life, her big brown eyes wide with disbelief and awareness. The weight of her breasts against his chest would be forever imprinted in his mind and she smelled so good that he wanted to push her clothing aside, bury his face in the crook of her neck, and fuck her senseless

Instead he settled for leaning in close to her; he knew she felt his thick erection by the way her breath caught. Their lips were mere inches apart, and he could count every one of her curly lashes in the bright moonlight. Their gazes remained locked as he held their position effortlessly.

“You are perfect just the way you are. Don’t change for anybody. You’re beautiful, smart, kind, caring, and sexy as hell. Since I’m such a fucking gentleman, I’m just going to leave you with this bit of advice. If your man can’t pick you up against the wall and fuck you like this, it’s because you really do have a girlfriend. Just sayin’.”

Slowly he slid her down; and Avery clutched at his shirt, her wide eyes never leaving his. Clearing her throat, she whispered “I think I understand what you’re trying to say. Thank you for the…er… demonstration.”

Darby cleared his throat and looked up at the moon. Christ, the things she made him
feel. T
he spell was broken when he stepped back. “It was my pleasure, Ms. Avery. Sumthin’ else to think about: bones are for dogs and meat is for real men. Now how about we get you and Ms. Sidra fed? She’s got to keep her strength up for her next rumble with Casey, and we need to keep score. This time, no interferin’.”

He chuckled at Avery’s heartfelt groan and slipped an arm around her shoulders to lead her back into Hooligans, breathing in her scent every step of the way.

***

Sidra exited the ladies room and was surprised to see Casey leaning against the opposite wall in the narrow hallway. He’d obviously been waiting for her, and she glanced down the empty hallway before warily returning her gaze to his steady one.
It really was a crime for a man to be this good looking,
she thought, letting her eyes travel down his tall, hard frame encased in a pair of khaki slacks and a worn, dark blue, denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looked like a Ralph Lauren model with his streaked, tousled hair and faint shadow covering his square jaw.

Slowly she raised her gaze back up to his and met hazel eyes now filled with hot turbulence. “Skulking outside of bathrooms, Sullivan? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

His lips twisted into a wry smile. “No skulking, Sidra. I just wanted to take a moment to apologize for my shitty behavior earlier. I was completely outta line and neither you nor Ms. Avery deserved any of it.”

“Ummmm…wow…okay. I was NOT expecting that. Apology accepted,” she said, and then feeling generous, she added, “It wasn’t just you. I was completely over the top and should apologize too.”

There was a pause and then another as their stubborn gazes remained locked. Casey raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled sweetly. “I said I
should,
not that I would.”

He gave a small smile and nodded his head in acknowledgement before pushing off the wall. “Fair enough. Well, I’ll leave you in peace then. I believe Darby will be bringing you and Ms. Avery back to Jack’s later this evening.”

Wow. She’d gotten a small victory. So why didn’t it feel as fantastic as she thought it would? He turned to walk away, and strange as it was, Sidra was reluctant to see him go. “Wait!” Casey paused and slowly turned around, an inquisitive look on his face. “Can I ask why you refer to Avery and Noelle with the ‘Ms.’ title, and I’m just plain, old Sidra?”

Sidra suddenly found herself backed up against the wall, and he was in her space. His lean body pressed into hers, with his mouthwatering scent surrounding her. She held her breath, staring up into his smoldering eyes. His voice was low as he spoke. “You wanna know why I address them that way and not you, right?”

His cool breath tingled against her lips, and she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, she nodded her head dumbly. Casey framed her face with his palms, watching as her beautiful brown eyes burned brightly in response to his touch.
Damn she took his breath away.
He was so attuned to her that he’d known she was present as soon as she entered the bar. Like a sixth sense, the hair on the back of his neck stood up and his dick was instantly hard.

Clad in a long muscle tank and a denim cutoff miniskirt, Sidra’s long legs were on display for every man in the bar checking her out. She wore black ankle boots, a black fedora, and lots of bangles on her wrists. Just like her laugh, the sound of them jangling had him focused like Pavlov’s dog. She looked exactly like who she was- a sexy and beautiful woman with a wild streak. Her look screamed she only dated rockers, so staid lawyers need not try to step up; and although he wasn’t interested in
dating
her, it still annoyed the hell out of him.

Her bumping and grinding on Guy was almost enough to break an eighteen-year friendship as he considered walking up to them and knocking one of his dearest friends smooth the fuck out. Normally he liked hanging around his friend and couldn’t wait to shoot the shit with him, but not tonight; not when he was looking at Sidra like he was on death row and she was his last meal.

“Because I don’t think of doing unladylike things to
them
. I don’t dream of being buried so deep inside of
them
that I wake up fucking my own hand, okay? It’s
you
. You’re the one I want to fuck ‘til we’re both speaking in tongues. You’re the one whose pussy I want to eat like it’s my three square meals a day with snacks in between.” His thumb slowly caressed her bottom lip, causing a deep tremble to run through her body. “This is the mouth I want swallowing my dick whenever I whip it out. That’s why I don’t call you
Ms.
, because I
don’t
want to do polite, ladylike things with or to you, Sidra.”

For once she was speechless, breathing ragged as her body responded to his enticing words. The images that they created in her mind were so bold and erotic that she didn’t know what to say. Casey took advantage of her silence and licked her bottom lip before slowly sucking on it. Her response was instantaneous as she captured his lips in a hedonistic kiss. His hands slid into her curls, knocking her hat back as he voraciously claimed her mouth. Casey wedged a muscled thigh between hers and she rode it, her skirt bunching around her waist as he rubbed it between her legs; their kiss turning hotter and hotter. Grasping at the front of his shirt, she sucked on his tongue, so turned on by just kissing him that she could feel the beginning signs of an orgasm tingling between her legs. She clung tighter to Casey as she rode his khaki-clad thigh with abandon, desperately trying to soothe the ache inside of her.

Suddenly he broke away with a ragged breath and pained expression, leaning his head against the wall next to hers. “We’re not doing this here, Sidra. I will be in New York in two days. You have until then to decide if you want this. If you don’t, I’ll never mention it or come at you like this again. Two days.”

Then he walked away, leaving a sexually frustrated Sidra panting and yearning for more of him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next morning, Noelle busily cracked eggs into a bowl at the kitchen counter; humming under her breath as she added salt, pepper, and a little half and half to the bowl before whisking the concoction briskly. Next she moved on to biscuit preparation. She gathered the ingredients: cold butter, shortening, all-purpose flour, salt, and milk. As she mixed the dough, another yawn escaped her. Noelle still couldn’t believe that she was up at eight in the morning after the night of loving she’d had.

When they finally made it into the house, Jack led her upstairs to the master bathroom where he pressed Noelle against the shower glass and fucked her slowly from behind. As the warm water cascaded over them, her screams of pleasure bounced off the glass. Then he gently bathed her as she leaned against him weak-kneed and spent, before picking her up and carrying her to the bed. Laying her naked body down, he kneeled on the floor, hooked her legs over his broad shoulders and buried his tongue deep in her pussy. Growling low, he told her how much he loved to eat her sweetness.

Noelle clutched at his hair, gasping from the multiple orgasms he wrung from her. His hands gripped her hips tightly in place as it became too much for her and she tried to wiggle away. But Jack wasn’t done yet. Flipping her over onto her knees, he licked from her quivering slit up to her rosette over and over again. She writhed helplessly on the bed, grasping at the covers as she pushed her ass into his face, silently begging for more. He tortured her like this endlessly before finally plunging his tongue into her nether lips while his thumb fucked her other hole and Noelle shattered under his expert ministrations.