Thoughtful (Thoughtless #1.5)(39)
Author: S.C. Stephens

She sputtered for something to say, like I’d just told her I was an alien or something. “No!” was all she came up with. After a second, she gathered herself and added, “You were right. I want Denny. I choose Denny.”

She was pleading, but I really couldn’t tell if she was pleading with me or with herself. And if there was a grain of doubt in her mind, then I couldn’t walk away. Doubt inside her was hope inside me.

Smiling, I reached out, touched her cheek, and traced a line across her succulent mouth. Almost instantly she reacted to me. Her breath quickened, her eyes half closed, and her lips parted when I brushed against them. I knew if I continued exploring her body, I’d find her just as ready for me as I was for her.

With a great deal of willpower, I stopped myself. I had to chuckle at her reaction. Be as stubborn as you want, your body doesn’t lie. “We’ll see,” I said, forcing my hand to return to my lap, when all it wanted to do was explore hers.

Irritated, Kiera jerked her head Denny’s way. “And him?”

My vision sank to the table. Yes…Denny. No matter how I spun the situation, I was betraying Denny. Hurting him wasn’t something I wanted to do, which was why I was okay with keeping this a secret, keeping it just between us. If Denny didn’t know what we were doing, Kiera could keep him. If she chose. Whatever she wanted to do with her boyfriend was up to her.

Hating what I had to say, I told her, “I had a lot of time to think last night.” I peeked back up at her. “I won’t hurt him unnecessarily. I won’t tell him, if you don’t want me to.” I’ll keep quiet about this forever, if you never want him to know that you share your life with both of us. Whatever will make this easier for you. Whatever you want. So long as I get a part of you, no matter how small, I’ll be happy.

Her answer was immediate. “No, I don’t want him to know.” She looked pained by that admission. I understood. I hated that Denny was a part of this at all, but unfortunately he was. But their relationship would be separate from ours, and I was…trying to be okay with that. Kiera didn’t appear to share my acceptance. She looked torn and confused. “What do you mean…unnecessarily? What do you think we are now?” she asked.

My smile came back to me as I reached across the table to hold her hand. It felt so nice to hold her again. Once she got over the shock and the guilt, she’d remember how great it felt to touch me, how amazing the connection we had was.

She flinched and tried to pull her hand away, but I securely held it as I stroked her fingers. She needed to remember how easy it was to hold me. That was the only way we could return to how we were. “Well…right now, we are friends.” I ran my eyes up and down her body, wishing we were completely alone again. “Good friends.” And so much more. Let me in, and I can be your everything.

She gaped at me, then she got angry. “You said we weren’t friends. Just roommates, remember?”

I knew I couldn’t explain everything that I was feeling to her, not when she was still clouded with guilt, so I playfully told her, “You changed my mind. You can be very…persuasive.” Not able to resist, I lowered my voice and asked her, “Would you like to persuade me again sometime?” Maybe right now? I would love to run my hands over your body again, hear you pant my name, feel you clench around my body. I’d love to make love to you. I’d love to take care of you. Just give me a chance.

She stood up so fast she scraped the chair against the floor. I let go of her hand, but I wasn’t about to let go of her. She’d have to forcefully send me away this time, and I knew she wouldn’t. Not anymore.

Her abrupt movement got Denny’s attention. “You okay?”

Looking flustered and embarrassed, Kiera called back, “Yes. Just going upstairs to take a shower. I have to get ready for work…for Emily’s shift.”

I immediately pictured her soaking wet—her dark hair slicked back, soapy bubbles sliding between her breasts. My jeans started getting uncomfortable as I let my fantasy run away with me. While she glanced back at Denny, who had already turned back to the TV, I quietly asked her, “Would you like me to join you? We could continue our…conversation.”

She glared at me, so I took her response to my playful suggestion as a no.

While she went upstairs and took a shower, I sipped on my coffee. My every thought swirled around her as I absentmindedly watched the TV show Denny was watching. I pictured her undressing, I pictured her turning on the water, I imagined her stepping inside, goose bumps on her skin until the searing water soothed them. I pictured her hands running over every curve. With that lewd movie playing in my head, sitting still at the kitchen table was difficult; all I wanted to do was go upstairs and join her. I could tease her with soft caresses, gentle kisses. Rile her up until she begged me to take her again. I’d love to do that…but not while Denny was here. That felt too far over the line, and I’d already stepped farther than I’d ever intended. It was too late to go back now though, so all I could do was be as good as I could be when he was around, and a charming but devilish bastard whenever he wasn’t.

Chapter 14

Addicted

Once things calmed down around the house, I relaxed, but I had the hardest time stopping myself from relentlessly flirting with Kiera at every opportunity. I couldn’t help it. Even if Denny was around I did it, which always made me feel a little guilty afterward.

I touched her in intimate places, kissed the back of her neck and shoulders, and mentally undressed her with my eyes. I just wanted her to touch me back…kiss me…make love to me again. It was all I thought about. I had Kiera on the brain twenty-four/seven.

And I knew Kiera felt the same, even though she resisted, even though she pushed me away. Her body reacted to every place I touched her. Just running my fingers across her shoulder blades nearly gave her an orgasm. It was fun to watch, and it made the anticipation that much stronger. I knew, with the passion between us, that the next time we were together, it would be explosive. I was addicted to Kiera, plain and simple, and I couldn’t get enough.

She called me out on my change of behavior. Shivering under my caress one morning, she pushed me away, and with an irritated tone of voice, said, “You are so…moody. I can’t keep up with you.”

She had a cute glare on her face. It quickly slipped off though, like she was afraid she’d angered me. I supposed I did seem moody to her. I had been icy cold after our first time, and now I was fiery hot. But I’d loved her the entire time, and she’d been very misleading with her feelings, so if I was moody, it was only because she made me that way. Smiling, I playfully told her, “I’m an artist…not moody.”

Her lips pursed into a perfect pout. I wanted to suck on them. “Well, then you’re a moody artist.” Under her breath, she added, “You’re practically a girl.”

Amused by her comment, I backed her into the counter and pressed my body against hers. It felt so good to be so close to her. It reminded me of our first time. My half mast hardened in an instant, and grabbing her leg, I hitched it around my hip so she could feel me. Running my hand up her back, I pulled her flush against me. In her ear, I breathed, “I assure you…I am not.”

My lips trailed down her neck, tasting her, teasing her. She pushed against me, but it was a weak attempt, with no real effort behind it. She wanted this. “Please…stop…” she whimpered.

Even as she said it, she minutely exposed her neck to me, begging for one last kiss. I fulfilled her unconscious request, sucking hard on the skin I loved to touch. Then I pulled away with a sigh. Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she gazed at me. “All right,” I told her. “But only because you begged. I love it when you do that.”

It sprinkled a few days later, and I knew Kiera wasn’t big on rain, no matter how light it was, so I decided to do the gentlemanly thing, and I showed up at her school to offer her a ride home. But honestly, being a gentleman wasn’t the real reason why I drove out there with a huge smile on my face. I’d missed giving her rides. It was a part of our old routine that I wanted to start up again.

When she spotted me, her breath caught. I didn’t know if that was because she was happy to see me, since I hadn’t been here for a while, or if she was upset. I hoped it wasn’t the latter. I wanted to tease her, to break down the wall of resistance between us, but I didn’t want to hurt her.

She rolled her eyes after I smiled, so I figured she wasn’t as happy to see me as I was her. I hoped she would accept my invitation instead of being obstinate. It wasn’t like I was going to shove her in my car, lay her down on the seat, and have my way with her. Unless she wanted me to, of course.

Kiera walked over to my car like she was trudging through a swampy mire. I took it as a good sign that at least she was headed my way. Pearls of dew lined the hair around her face and small beads had collected on her eyelashes and lips. She was gorgeous.

When her inquisitive eyes looked up at me, I said in a smooth voice, “I thought you might want a ride.”

“Sure, thanks. I’m going to Pete’s.” Her tone was light and breezy, but nothing else about her was. She was breathing faster and she kept staring at my lips and hands, like she was debating which one she wanted on her first.