Vivian Arend - Turn It On

Ryan dropped his head on her shoulder and increased his tempo, thrusting hard enough the bed rocked, her body compressed against the mattress on each stroke. She remembered his earlier words and lifted her legs up, pulling her knees to the sides, digging her heels into his butt. His cock pressed farther in and she gasped, the rigid thickness seeming to grow and fill her even more. As he continued to take control, her desire built again, his body rubbing her clit and the relentless motion of his firm thrusts taking her back up toward another climax.

The air around them grew hotter and moister as sweat broke out on their bodies. She threw her head back and welcomed him in, dragging her fingers down his back, feeling the flex of the muscles under her palms. She’d never been so cared for and so consumed at the same time. Each time he shifted position, adjusted her slightly, it changed the sensations hurtling her back to the edge of the chasm. Her nerves were on overdrive, her skin suddenly too sensitive to be touched for much longer and still he held her body in thrall to his touch.

Ryan grasped one of her legs, propping his arm under her knee and opening her even farther. The crown of his cock drove so deep she swore it ripped her in two as explosions set off once more. Her pussy clutched him, and he slowed slightly before locking their hips together. His cock jolted within her, heat scalding even through the barrier. They stayed frozen like some erotic statue until Maxine laughed out loud and pulled him on top of her. He collapsed gratefully, molding her to the bed with his weight for a moment before rolling them both to finish with her resting, panting for breath, on his torso. Still intimately connected, she closed her eyes and listened to the rapid beat of his pulse under her ear.

“That was sex,” she said quietly.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “Well, it’s one way to do it. Give me a little while to recover and we’ll try again.”

“Hmm.” Maxine could barely keep her eyes open. Peace rolled over her. Every muscle in her body was relaxed and happy. Naked, and cradled in his arms, all she needed was a rest. Tomorrow would be soon enough for discussions.

Ryan twisted them to the side, leaving her for only a moment before returning to spoon together, his hand taking possession of one of her breasts in an intimate cuddle. The warmth of the heater on their bare skin was enough to feel like a quilt. Maxine closed her eyes and the world faded away.

The scent of bacon, eggs and coffee pulled him toward the kitchen. He paused in the doorway to watch Maxine bustle around. Something tightened deep in his belly as he noticed how wonderful she looked in his robe, how natural it was to see her in his home. It surprised him to be making those kinds of observations. If this was supposed to be about friendship and sex, nothing more, he’d already stepped over the line.

Sexually, she was even more inexperienced than he’d expected, but he could deal with that issue. Had dealt with it twice already, and since the teaching experience seemed pleasurable for both of them, it was certainly no hardship.

She raised her head in the middle of pouring two coffees and smiled at him. “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed,” she said, her voice low and sultry.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her thoroughly. When he finally drew away he was sure his foolish grin matched her own. “I was hoping for something else in bed but you were gone when I woke up.”

She laughed. “You couldn’t possibly want to fool around anymore.”

He finished preparing their coffees. “Max, you’ll find the words ‘couldn’t possibly’ and anything involving wanting you just don’t go together. But you’re right, we need to eat and then we need to talk.”

They moved to the table in companionable silence. Maxine pulled a hotplate filled with scrambled eggs and bacon slices from the oven. They ate hungrily, suddenly ravenous. Ryan watched her openly, her enthusiasm for the food pleasing him. The way she licked her fork drove him nuts, but it was wonderful to see a woman who didn’t hide her appetite. It boded well if he could continue to convince her to release that passion in the bedroom.

When the mountain of food trickled down to a small molehill, Maxine laughed. “I love breakfast, but that was ridiculous.”

“We never did eat dinner last night.” Ryan pointed out.

“Whose fault is that? I mentioned it a few times but you seemed to have other things on your mind.”

He grinned at her. “I still have other things on my mind, but food finally trumped the rest. Thanks for fixing the meal.”

She shrugged. “I like to cook, which is good since I like to eat.” She refreshed their coffees. “This is nice. I thought it might be awkward, but it feels good.”

“What might be awkward?” he asked, leaning back and enjoying the rich flavor of the drink and the view across from him. Her robe had loosened and the curve of her breasts teased him.

Max waved a hand. “This. The morning-after-sex thing. I thought it would be tense and uncomfortable but…it’s not. It’s right to be here.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. “It’s right to be here with you.”

Ryan frowned. He felt the same, but what the fuck? “You keep saying things that confuse the hell out of me.” Her expression clouded over and he hurried to reassure her. “I’m not talking about you and me. I agree, this feels wonderful, and the only thing that will make it better is when we head back to bed. But it sounds like you’ve never woken up at a lover’s house before. Didn’t you ever spend the night with your ex? Didn’t anyone ever stay with you?”

She shook her head. “Jamie had a roommate and I did too, and it just never happened. The house Gramma gave me will be the first place I’ve lived on my own.”

He kept forgetting how much younger she was than him. “For the record? Jamie is a fucking freak.” When she opened her mouth he cut her off. “Don’t defend him. Makes you take a shower before you make love? Only makes love in the dark, and then doesn’t stay the night? Freak. Jerk. Asshole. Complete asshole.”

Maxine giggled as Ryan held out a hand. He pulled her onto his lap and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. There was no way he’d had enough of her, in the bedroom or out of it. While part of him wondered what the hell he was doing, he couldn’t stop feeding his new addiction for her. “Spend the weekend with me?” Fuck. He was expected at his brother’s. “I have to go out for a couple of hours, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He hesitated. Maybe he should tell her about Carl. Just to let her know about him, even if she couldn’t meet him.

“I need to plan the menu for Thanksgiving dinner, but that’s all I’ve got on my schedule.” She buried her face in his neck, her soft breath floating over his sensitive skin, tickling and priming him once again. “You want to help? You’re invited.”

“Are we talking a small intimate gathering, or is this an invasion of maximum proportions?” he teased.

She poked him gently. “Boo, like I’ve never heard that one before. Yes, it’s the entire clan gathering. I offered to host so Gramma could feel like she still had the house to return to as often as she wants. I feel like I’m cheating, in a way, having the house and the grounds before she’s gone.”

Ryan soothed a hand down her back. “But you said she couldn’t really take care of it by herself anymore. It’s not like you’ve taken advantage of her.”

She nodded slowly. “I still feel like I’m rushing, taking my inheritance early. While a family legacy is nice to look forward to, it’s not sitting as comfy as I hoped it would, what with all the issues.”

Ryan held her chin. “Speaking of issues. Why didn’t you tell me about the obscene phone calls?” She stiffened in his arms like he thought she would. Fuck it, he wasn’t going to skirt around the topic. He’d left it alone for the night, but he didn’t care how uncomfortable the conversation made her feel, he wasn’t going to let it slip past. Forget the fact they were now lovers, he ran a security-system business—what the hell had she been thinking? “Hey, I’m not mad. Well, at least not at you.”

She wiggled to get off his lap and he let her go. Max dragged a hand through her hair, the tight curls bouncing everywhere as she paced the small kitchen. “I know, but it didn’t seem like a huge deal. It started shortly after I moved back in with the fax-machine calls, and I told you about them. Then this week on Tuesday the guy phoned. I contacted the police right away. They traced a couple of calls and discovered the prankster uses a disposable cell phone—there’s no way to track him.”

Maxine fidgeted with the dishes, stacking them as she spoke. “I didn’t know how to mention it to you. He called the last few days at dinnertime, and again around midnight. I’ve been turning off the phone so I can ignore him.”

Ryan reached to clasp her hand in midmotion. “Ignore him? Sweetheart, while I agree some things in life have to be accepted, others are warning signs of danger. This is one you don’t ignore, you fix.”

She pulled her hand away firmly and picked up the pile of dirty dishes. “Well, I’m not sure how you fix a person who’s got a juvenile sense of humor, when it’s impossible to track him. The police said they didn’t think there was any danger but they have been doing drive-bys every day since it started. I refuse to let some jerk chase me out of my home. Occasionally it just scares me a bit more, but that’s my imagination going overtime, not any real danger.” Maxine turned to the sink and started the water.