It seemed a shame to remove the piece of lace, but he wanted to see all of her. With his eyes locked on hers, he slid the panties down her legs and she held his shoulder while she stepped out of them. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at the apex of her thighs. He could see her sex glistening through the neatly trimmed hair there. If he didn’t taste her now, he’d lose his mind. Getting to his feet, he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside before pulling her against him for another mind-drugging kiss. Her skin was silky smooth beneath his palms as he memorized her shape and feel. “Oh, Dylan,” she sighed into his mouth as he sucked the delicate skin below her ear. This isn’t high school; don’t give her a hickey. The urge to mark her was making him crazy and he had to wrench away before he let it happen. Shit, when was the last time he’d actually done something like that or even wanted to? Everything was different with Zoe.
He lowered her gently to the bed then positioned her on the edge. Her thighs parted and nirvana awaited. The scent of her arousal was all around him. The vivid image in his head of the first graze of his tongue through her folds was driving him insane. At the same time, his hands were shaking as the importance of the moment washed over him. He was crossing the friendship line with Zoe. Things would likely never be the same again, but even that jarring thought wasn’t enough to give him pause. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone in his life. That realization alone gave him the strength to slow the pace. He wanted her first time to be perfect, and even if he died of blue balls right here on her bedroom floor, it would be worth it. She deserved the very best of him and he’d give it to her, no matter what the cost to himself.
• • •
Zoe discreetly pinched her thigh just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. I can’t believe I’m lying here naked in front of Dylan! So far the whole experience had been amazing. There had been none of the shyness or awkwardness that she’d suffered from with other men. In fact, everything just felt right. Like they’d always been destined to end up here. As he got to his knees on the floor in front of her and pushed her thighs farther apart to gently wedge between them, Zoe thought she might die of bliss. Shouldn’t she be freaking out right now? He was inches away from no-man’s-land. Instead, her legs were like butter as he maneuvered them onto his shoulders. “Touch me,” she whispered. That bit of encouragement seemed to be all he was waiting for as he lowered his head and she felt him lick her from top to bottom. Her body jolted as an electrical shock flew through her. Sweet Jesus, how could I have missed out on this for so long? Her toes were curling and she was making enough noise to wake the neighbors when he slid a thick finger into her wet heat. Like most women—especially the single ones—she had a vibrator, so it wasn’t as if she’d never had anything inside her before. But it was a completely different feeling to have someone else in control of her pleasure.
“You’re so tight, baby,” Dylan growled out as if in pain. When she felt another digit join the first, she shifted uncomfortably against the full feeling. As if sensing her discomfort, he stilled his movements, letting her adjust. Then he sucked her throbbing clit into his mouth and she immediately forgot everything else. She could only focus on the fire racing through her veins as her orgasm came out of nowhere. “Let go, sweetheart—don’t fight it,” Dylan coaxed raggedly. Her world fell away, then came back in Technicolor as she shuddered around his fingers. Her body was so loose and wet by this point that she was barely aware of what was going on around her. She heard Dylan’s husky laughter before he dropped a kiss on the inside of her thigh. “I take it you liked that.”
“Mmmm-hmmm,” she murmured. “What’s next?” Did I seriously just ask that question? She’d have cringed, but she was simply too relaxed to care. Does he expect me to return the favor now? When he moved away, she struggled to sit up. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she realized that he’d removed his clothes at some point and she’d missed it. Holy big penis. She couldn’t help gawking at his size. He could give the guys in the porno movies a run for their money. When he started laughing, she realized she’d voiced her thoughts aloud.
“Thanks, sweetheart. I think I’ll keep my day job, though.” She felt her cheeks flush for a moment before curiosity got the better of her. “Can I . . . touch it?” she asked, unable to stop staring at his erect cock.
She almost swallowed her tongue when he fisted himself, shaking his dick lightly before pinching the tip. “Any other time, that would be great, but I’m too close to the edge right now and I really want to be inside of you when I come.”
“That’s so hot,” she said fervently. Then she watched completely captivated as he pulled a condom from his wallet and proceeded to smooth it down over his long length. In what she hoped was an amusing display of eagerness, she scooted backward on the bed and waited for him to join her. If he had any doubts before that she was willing, he probably didn’t now. She might as well be holding up a sign that read, COME AND GET IT. That was the beauty of experiencing this with Dylan, though. They’d been friends for so long that she didn’t feel self-conscious. He knew she was slightly goofy and awkward about most everything in life. Why should sex be any different? And it certainly didn’t appear to dampen his desire for her.
Then he was over her and settling his weight between her legs. His cock slid through the slickness at her opening before he pushed the tip inside. She braced her hands on his shoulders, tensing for the first time. “There’s no way I can keep this from hurting, sweetheart, but I promise I’ll go slow,” he said as he looked at her tenderly. He lowered his head and took one of her nipples into his mouth, teasing the peak into stiffness before moving to the other one. Zoe’s case of the jitters was gone as she moved restlessly against him. Then he was pushing inside her. Her breath caught as a twinge of discomfort threatened to pierce the haze of desire surrounding her. “I’ve got you, baby,” he whispered against the shell of her ear as he stopped. “Let me know when you’re ready to go on.” She could feel his big body tremble as he fought to give her the time that she needed to adjust. The sting of pain was fading now and in its place was a fullness that demanded that she move. She shifted her hips warily and felt pleasure explode as his dick rubbed against her nerve endings. “Zoe,” he groaned, but remained still, letting her experiment for another moment.
Zoe dug her hand into one of his butt cheeks and said, “I’m all ready to rock here.” He chuckled before twining his fingers through hers. He began a series of shallow thrusts before she wrapped her legs around his hips and forced him deep. “Oh, Dylan, right there!” she cried out as he rubbed against a spot that had her seeing stars. Thank God the man had always taken direction well, because he continued to pound what she thought of as her magic button and within moments she was free-falling as the most powerful orgasm she’d ever experienced tore through her body. She screamed his name again and again as he increased his speed, causing her body to continually clench around his.
When he’d found his own release and collapsed on top of her, she could only stroke his sweaty back limply. She was so drained, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to leave the bed again. How could I have waited twenty-nine years for this? Simply put, sex was everything she’d never known she was missing. “How am I supposed to go back to a vibrator after that?” she asked idly. “You’ve ruined me for plastic, buddy.”
Dylan’s body began shaking against hers and she smiled when she realized he was laughing. She really could tell him anything. Not that she’d ever been this vocal about what she did in her alone time before, but what was the point in hiding it now? When a man had licked you intimately, embarrassment over little things seemed pretty silly. He rolled to his back as he continued to chuckle. “Are you expecting an apology for that?” he asked as he came up onto his side to grin down at her. Almost as if unaware that he was doing it, he reached out to stroke the tender skin of her stomach.
“Nope,” she wheezed out, unable to believe that she could feel
excited again so soon after being thoroughly sated. Which brought up the interesting question of “What now?” This was only supposed to be a one-time thing. So would he leave and then tomorrow they’d both act as if the whole thing had never happened? She darted a quick glance at him and noted that he appeared to be staring at his hand on her skin in utter fascination. She was struggling to come up with something to break the sudden silence that had fallen between them when her stomach took pity on her and growled loudly. Dylan jumped as if a bomb had gone off in the room. Rolling her eyes, she smirked, “Relax, that wasn’t from the other end. Apparently, I’m a little hungry. I guess I worked up an appetite—you know, doing all the work just now.”
And just like that the tension was broken. Dylan surprised her by leaning over to drop a kiss onto her mouth, followed by one on her nose and lastly her forehead. “I’ll go warm the pizza.” She stayed where she was and openly gawked at his fine ass as he strolled to the bathroom without a hint of embarrassment. She assumed he was discarding the condom and cleaning up. He was back a few moments later, pulling his boxers and shorts on while running his eyes lazily up and down her naked body. She could have pulled a sheet over herself, but again, why bother? He’d already been up close and personal. “Take your time, beautiful,” he teased as he walked out of the room.
I’m so screwed. Zoe rolled over on her stomach for a moment, curling her arms around a pillow. Dammit, she should have known that Dylan would be just as good in the lover department as he was in friendship. He was gentle, patient, sexy, and dominant. He was prime rib. So how in the hell was she supposed to downgrade to hamburger? Not that it was really even an issue at this point. It wasn’t as if she was seeing anyone else. There sure wasn’t a line of men waiting to sleep with her. But still . . . at some point if she dedicated herself to actually having a social life, then the opportunity could arise. She was very much afraid that she’d compare every man from this moment on to her best friend.
Her rumbling stomach forced her from the bed. She took a quick shower then tossed on a sundress sans undergarments. He’d already seen it all, right? She laughed to herself, thinking she was using that rationale a lot now. But really, why bother with a ton of clothes? His T-shirt still lay across the bottom of her bed. She wanted to hide it so that she could keep it, but figured he might miss it when he went to leave.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to enter uncharted territory. Was this the walk of shame? Wait—that was when you left a guy’s apartment in the same clothes from the night before. At least she thought that was it. No, this was simply the slightly uncomfortable after-sex moments with your friend. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but if he punched her on the shoulder like he did occasionally, she’d probably kill him. You’ve got this, girl. Just act casual, like you do this all the time. Somehow, though, she felt like this next few minutes would set the tone for their relationship, and she only hoped that it was a step forward for them and not three back.
Eight
Dylan was seriously rattled as he slapped pizza onto two plates and shoved the first one in the microwave. He’d really done it. He’d slept with his best friend. The sex had been so hot that his dick was still hard. He wondered if the damn thing would ever go down again. Certainly not if she was anywhere in the vicinity. Hell, he wasn’t sure how he’d work in his office during the day knowing she was in the same building. Visions of lunchtime quickies with her bent over his desk had him swearing under his breath. Don’t go there.
Now he had no idea what came next. If she were any other woman, he’d already be gone by now. He didn’t stick around afterward because it led to expectations. But he simply couldn’t take Zoe’s virginity and then say, “Catch ya later.” She was different from other women. He cared about her. Hell, he loved her like a sister—didn’t he? Shit, that thinking was all wrong now that they’d slept with each other. He needed to admit to himself that his love for her was a different kind than that for family. He’d never taken the time to analyze it because men just didn’t do that. In this one instance he wished that maybe he had at some point. He might not be this mixed up over the whole thing now.
This was only supposed to be a one-time thing. He’d been careful to make that clear, but now he wondered which one of them needed reminding, him or her. Because he was having a hard time accepting that she’d never been in his arms in that way again. Fuck, come to think of it, he wasn’t even sure that they’d discussed the one-time thing that thoroughly. That part of it was supposed to have happened tonight, but, well . . . they’d gotten carried away. That made this even more uncomfortable. He didn’t want to bring up something that would fuck this up, and truthfully, he thought he was possibly having a harder time letting go than she was. Maybe he’d just play things by ear and see what happened. She knew him better than anyone else. It wasn’t as if she’d be picking out china and telling the hotel staff that they were an item. It was probably silly to worry about that at all.
He was still floored by how responsive she’d been. And some of her questions and comments had been adorable. Despite it being her first time, she hadn’t seemed nervous at all until he was sliding inside her. And that had only lasted a moment and then she’d relaxed and damn near killed him with her enthusiasm. She was quite simply every man’s dream in bed. The jealousy roaring through him at that thought took him by surprise yet again. He’d hoped that those feelings were because he didn’t want another man who didn’t care about her like he did to be her first. But now the thoughts of her being the same way with anyone else made his stomach turn. The possessiveness was even worse now, not better. His heart kept insisting that she was his in every way while his mind was damn near in a panic. Never had he been so at war with himself over a woman.
This was a bad idea. You should have known better, you fool. What choice did he have, though? Let her sleep with some loser like Paul? Hell, knowing Dana, she would have probably joined them.
“Mmm, that smells so good,” Zoe said from close behind him. He jumped, having been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard her walk up. “Is sex like smoking pot? You know, getting the munchies and all that?”
A laugh burst out of him despite the anxiety that was threatening to weigh him down. She said the damnedest things. She always had, but now the topics included sex, which was rather unsettling, to hear her talk freely about her vibrator. Down, boy. Don’t think about that mental image.
“It’s been years since I’ve smoked weed, so it’s hard to compare the two.” He smirked. “Go ahead and take the plate in the microwave and I’ll heat mine next.” He realized too late that he should have shifted down some when she stretched past him to open the door of the microwave for her food. Her breast pressed against his arm and the smell of cherries filled his nostrils. His cock, which had subsided to half-mast, was now up and eager to go once again. He attempted to be discreet as he looked her way and saw that she was wearing a short sundress with tiny straps. There was no sign of a bra. Fuck, what about panties? Something told him she was completely bare underneath the thin fabric. She was so comfortable around him that it was torture. He needed her to bring the sloppy clothes back out. Where was the damned khaki when you needed it?
He quickly warmed his own food and took a seat at the table while she fixed them both a glass of Coke. He figured it was the safer option over the sofa. At least he thought so until she took the chair right beside him and settled in with her leg firmly against his. You’ve sat this close a thousand times before. What’s the difference? You’re both wearing clothes. Well, actually he hadn’t bothered to put his shirt back on and suddenly he felt too exposed. She’s not going to lose control and attack you. Calm the fuck down. “So . . . um, you wanna watch a movie next?” He had no idea why he was talking about prolonging the evening since he was a jittery wreck, but for some bizarre reason, he wasn’t ready to leave either.
“Oh, yeah.” She elbowed him. “We haven’t
seen that last Nicholas Sparks movie yet. It’s on HBO Demand now.”
“Ah, hell,” he grumbled. “You know someone always dies in those and you cry for the last hour of the movie. Why do you do this to yourself time and again?”
“Hey, I caught you wiping your eyes the last time too. Don’t even pretend that you don’t like them,” she teased. “I won’t tell any of your macho brothers. It’ll be our little secret.”
“I’m pretty sure that Seth is doing the same shit with Mia now, so I’m not worried about it. On the other hand, if you tell Ash, I’ll have to go into the witness protection program or something like it. He always gives me a hard enough time about you without knowing we watch chick flicks together. He’ll automatically assume that we do each other’s hair and nails as well.”
“Poor baby,” she mocked him. “Ash is rather intense, though. You know it’s kind of strange that as long as you and I’ve been friends, I don’t really know your brothers that well. I mean, of course I’ve spent time around them at company events, but shouldn’t I be closer to them or something? Dana was so disappointed when she figured that out. She had this whole fantasy built up in her head about a Jackson brothers sandwich.”
Dylan dropped his slice of pizza as he stared at Zoe. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m telling you, sweetheart, she might be your friend and employee, but that girl has a screw loose somewhere. And for the record, that whole sandwich thing will never happen. Although I can’t rule out one of my brothers having a lapse in judgment where she’s concerned at some point in the future. I’m surprised they haven’t already.” He made a mental note to warn them away from her. They all had enough going on in their lives and didn’t need to add any crazy to the mix.
They finished their food and then returned to the living room. As they usually did when they were watching a movie together, he took one end of the sofa and she the other. Dylan winced as the film started and he found himself drawn into the plot. His friends would laugh their asses off if they knew how many of these things he’d watched with her. Somehow, though, the routine felt off tonight after what they’d shared earlier. It wasn’t that things were awkward between them because they weren’t. Zoe hadn’t even mentioned anything about them having sex. It was as if she’d accepted that it had happened and was content for things to return to normal. So why wasn’t he? Because right now he wanted to pull her into his arms and do something totally mushy like watch this absurd movie with her head on his chest while he played with her hair. You’ve completely lost it. In some freak reversal of roles, Zoe appeared to be the guy and he the girl. Was he actually needing some kind of reassurance from her? A quick glance in her direction showed her riveted by what was happening on the television screen. She didn’t look as if she had a care in the world. When her foot brushed against his leg, he could barely stifle a groan. Fuck, she turned him on. Even her innocent touches were sheer torture.