Play With Me by Kristen Proby

“It’s ten am, sweetheart.”

  “I didn’t go to bed until four,” I remind him.

  “I’m sorry, I forgot.”

  “It’s fine. I didn’t want to sleep my whole day away anyway.” I get up and start the shower. “I’ll let you get back to your tape.”

  “Okay. Do you have tomorrow off?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I have to train in the morning until about noon, but then I want to spend the rest of the day with you.”

  God, his whispery voice is sexy as fuck.

  “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

  “You’ll find out tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at noon.”

  He hangs up and I take a long, scalding hot shower. It wakes me up and invigorates me. I dress in a loose, floaty black tank dress and head into the kitchen, open my laptop on the countertop. While it wakes up, I brew some coffee.

  Thank God for coffee.

  I hear drilling and see the security system guys bustling about the townhouse, one in the front and one in the back. So while they work, I decide to work a little too, catching up on email, Facebook and bills, while I bring up my favorite station on internet radio.

  By the time the alarm workers are done at around six, I’m caught up with my virtual social life, emails, made a few calls and I’m broke. Well, I will be, anyway, when I send Sylvia her check.

  I’m shown how to set my alarm, disable it, punch in my passcode, and call for help. It’s incredibly scary.

  Not the idea of being burgled, but how many damn steps I have to go through to arm this fucker.

  When I’m finally alone, I slip on my flip-flops and head out for a walk through the neighborhood. I don’t know why Will is so freaked out about my safety. My neighborhood isn’t that bad. It’s just an average, middle-class area of Seattle. In fact, the majority of my subdivision is townhomes. Some are condos, and most are single or childless couples who live there. Surrounding us are single family homes, all rather cookie-cutter, built in the last five years or so.

  It’s not the freaking ghetto.

  But if it helps him sleep at night, whatever.

  It’s unseasonably warm for a late-summer day in Seattle. There’s not a cloud hanging in the bright blue sky, and the trees are just barely starting to turn yellow. Before we know it, they’ll turn red and then fall, leaving the trees bare.

  I wave hello to my neighbor and cross the street to my house, to see Will sitting on my front steps, elbows braced on his jean-clad knees, wearing a black Nike t-shirt and black Oakley sunglasses. I can’t see his eyes, but his mouth is tilted in a half smile and I can feel him watch me saunter up to him.

  As I get closer I put a bit more swing in my hips, enjoying the way the dress floats around my thighs, and grin down at him.

  “I thought you were picking me up tomorrow at noon.” I plant my hands on my hips and try to look stern, but it so doesn’t work. I’m happy to see him after his trip to San Francisco.

  “I am. But I decided to drop by, make sure the alarm was installed okay.” He reaches his hand out for mine and pulls me into his lap. I squeal in surprise and then giggle and wrap my arms around his neck.

  “Is that the only reason?” I smile up at him and tug his Oakleys off. His blue eyes are happy and hot.

  “I needed to see you,” he whispers and hugs me hard, burying his face in my neck and breathing me in.

  God he feels good.

  “I missed you,” he murmurs and kisses my cheek, then pulls back and looks me in the eye again. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. It was a busy weekend at work, between football games and deliveries and those pesky things we call patients.” I giggle and push my hand through his dark blonde hair. It’s soft and feels so good, I do it again. “Seriously, thank you, for everything you did for the kids, and for me, this past week. It far surpassed anything any of us were expecting.”

  “So, you watched the game? Not just half-time?” He smiles, but I can tell he’s hopeful that I did, that I watched him to support him and because I’m proud of him.

  And I am.

  “I watched most of it, yeah. I have to cover my eyes when you get tackled. I hate that part. And thank you for half time. That was cool.” I grin.

  “You’re welcome.” He brushes my hair behind my shoulder and looks so serious all of a sudden.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He shakes his head and smiles down at me again. “I brought pizza.”

  “I will never turn down a man with pizza.” I scramble out of his lap and unlock the door, then lead the way inside.

  “Why the fuck isn’t your alarm set?”

  Chapter Six

  I spin around and glare at him, and plant my hands on my hips. “I was gone for fifteen minutes, Will. In the sunlight. Why the fuck are you freaking out?”

  “Will you please, for the love of God, set the damn alarm when you leave the house?” His words are measured, and it’s obvious he’s trying really, really hard to stay calm.

  “Can I leave it off when I check the mail?” I ask sarcastically.

  He purses his lips like he’s thinking really hard, the smart ass.

  “Yes.”

  “Gee, thanks. Now, give me that pizza before I throw you out for being so bossy.”

  He grins, holds the pizza out of my reach, and shuts the door behind him and locks it. “What’s your code?”

  “What if you’re the one I’m trying to keep out?” I ask with a sassy grin. He raises one eyebrow at me and waits for an answer. “That look doesn’t work on me.”

  “I won’t share my pizza if you don’t tell me.”

  “Bribing me with pizza?” I scoff. He grins and shrugs, and he’s so damn adorable in this moment, I’d tell him my blood type, social security and grandmother’s maiden name, if I knew it. “Fine. One two three four.”

  “Your code is one two three four?” he asks with a laugh.

  “I’ll remember it.”

  He shakes his head and leads me to the kitchen, still holding the pizza over his head.

  “Will you please explain to me why you’re so adamant about the alarm? I’ve never had any issues in this neighborhood, Will. It’s perfectly safe here.” I follow him and pull down plates for our meal.

  He takes a look around the small kitchen and grins. “It looks different in here in the light.”

  Ah yes, the last time he was here, I was drunk as fuck and he had to take care of me.

  “I like this kitchen,” he continues.

  I look around the space and grin. This kitchen is what sold me on the townhouse. It’s open to the living room, has light granite countertops and light wood cabinets, making it feel bright and cheerful.

  “Thanks. Now spill it, Montgomery.”

  Will sighs and slides pizza on the two plates, and hands me mine.

  “Beer?” he asks.

  “Fridge.”

  He pulls out two beers, pops the tops and leads me to the living room. I sit on the couch and he folds himself onto the floor, leaning against the couch. I can feel the warmth of him against my leg.

  “I know I sound really controlling about the alarm, Meg. But it’s really important to me because as our relationship progresses, people will try to get to you. Press, weird fans, people with morbid curiosity. And like I said before, I’m gone a lot, and I don’t live here with you, so I can’t be here all the time to protect you.” He pauses to eat and frowns as he thinks.

  I’m just speechless. As our relationship progresses? I’m stuck like stupid on that one sentence.

  “What relationship?” I ask, confused. “We’ve known each other for three minutes. We haven’t even had a whole date.”

  Will’s jaw drops and he blinks rapidly, then clenches his jaw and glares at me.

  “What, exactly, do you think I’m trying to pursue here, Megan? If I just wanted to fuck you and bail, I would have backed off as soon as you told me no at my sister’s party.” He shakes his head and pushes his pizz
a away.

  “I just…” I begin, but he interrupts me, not hearing me.

  “Yes, it’s early, but fuck Megan, all I do is think about you. You’ve gotten under my skin. I want to learn your body. I want to know what it feels like to sink inside of you.” He swallows hard and so do I as I squeeze my thighs together and feel myself go wet.

  “But I also want to know what makes you laugh. What pisses you off. What you’re passionate about. I just want to learn everything about you. You’re in my head, and I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Jesus, I don’t give shout-outs to women during every game for fuck sake.”

  He looks truly rattled and I soften, just a bit. Moving fast? A little. But he wants me safe, and I can appreciate that.

  We have a relationship. Huh.

  “I want to get to know you too,” I murmur and smile happily.

  “So,” he continues and looks up at me with serious blue eyes. “Please be patient with me, and just set the damn alarm when you leave, and when you’re alone inside.”

  “Okay,” I shrug like it’s no big, and continue eating my pizza.

  “You’re not going to argue?”

  “No, why would I? It’s just an alarm. But I don’t like being bossed around, so just talk to me about stuff, okay?”

  Will smirks and sets both of our empty plates aside. He lifts himself onto the couch, his arms flexing all sexy-like and I just sit back and watch him move.

  He’s just so… hot.

  Suddenly, he’s pulling me in his arms, settles me against him, kisses the top of my head and grabs the remote to my television.

  “What are you doing?” I ask with a laugh.

  “Watching TV.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you won’t let me make love to you, so I have to distract myself somehow.”

  Holy shit on a stick.

  I gape up at him. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about the three date rule?”

  “Are you turning this whole pizza and TV thing into a date?” I ask him, suddenly hopeful.

  “You noticed.” He kisses my nose and smiles proudly at me.

  “Then no, I haven’t changed my mind.” I settle against him and watch him flip through the channels. When he gets to the movie channels, and finds them blocked out, he frowns down at me.

  “No movie channels?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “They charge an arm and a leg for them, and I wouldn’t watch them often anyway. I just go to one of the kiosk things for movies when I’m in the mood.”

  “Hmm, okay.” His hand is moving rhythmically up and down my side, gently caressing me through my dress. My arm is around his lean waist, and I really, really want to feel his smooth skin, so I lift the hem of his soft shirt and slide my hand under it against his ripped abs. He sucks in a breath and his stomach tightens, but as he gets used to my touch, he exhales and kisses the top of my head.

  I smile smugly as I feel him lift the hem of my dress and slide his hand under it, caressing my skin along my thigh.

  God, that feels good.

  I sigh and continue to touch him, enjoying his skin, the way his breath hitches when I hit a ticklish spot. I feel him wince when I touch one of his ribs and I frown up at him.

  “Does that hurt?”

  “A little,” his face is calm and he doesn’t explain further. I move my hand lightly over the rib again and he grimaces.

  “A little, my ass.” I climb over him and pull his shirt up so I can see his ribs and sure enough, there is a deep purple bruise. “Sunday?” I ask.

  “Yeah. No big deal.”

  I glare up at him and then down at the bruise again. “I don’t like it.”

  “I’m not in love with it myself, sweetheart,” he laughs and pulls me back to him.

  “Does this happen a lot?”

  “Meg, I have three hundred pound guys crashing into me. Of course I get bumped and bruised. I’ll live.”

  I frown again and look down at his chest, not saying anything. I hate the thought of him getting hurt.

  He tilts my head back with his fingers on my chin and smiles softly down at me. “I’m okay.”

  I run my fingers down his smooth cheek. His eyes close as he leans into my touch, then he kisses my palm, and pins me with those blue eyes.

  “I’m going to kiss you,” he whispers.

  “It’s about time,” I whisper back. He grins and kisses my forehead, down to my nose, over to the dimple in my cheek, and then lays those lips on mine, resting them there, for just a second, and then he starts to move. Those amazing lips nibble mine, and finally his tongue licks my bottom lip and leisurely makes love to my own, dancing and twirling, gently exploring me.

  This is so different from when he kissed me at the party. This is intimate and tender. I love both sides to him, and can’t wait to learn more about him.

  I push my fingers up into his hair and moan contentedly as he continues the soft assault on my mouth.

  He pulls back slightly, breathing hard, his eyes on fire. “I wouldn’t mind kissing your lips all fucking day.”

  “I wouldn’t mind that either,” I murmur and grin at him.

  “I hate your rule, you know.”

  “I kind of hate it right now, too,” I admit and chuckle.

  “You’re worth it.” He runs his knuckles down my cheek. “Hey, what happened to the pink?”

  I frown at the change of subject, not understanding what he means and then I remember; my hair. “It’s not permanent. It’s this hair chalk stuff that I can paint my hair with, and then it washes out.”

  “Oh, that’s cool.” His hand glides up my thigh again, under my dress and I sigh. When he gets up to my hip, his eyes widen in surprise. “You’re not wearing any underwear?”

  “I rarely do.” I shrug.

  “So, no pajamas and no underwear.” He swallows hard, clenches his eyes shut, and swears under his breath. His hand has stilled on my hip like he’s afraid to move it.

  Maybe my rule is stupid.

  Maybe it would be okay to break the rule, just this once. He’s already told me that he wants to pursue something more than just sex with me, and isn’t that the point of the rule anyway?

  He opens his eyes and gazes down at me, and smiles gently. I brush my fingers through his hair, then cup the nape of his neck and pull him down to me. I nuzzle his nose and kiss him chastely.

  “Touch me,” I whisper.

  He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, and sighs deeply.

  “I won’t be able to stop.”

  “So don’t stop.” I grin at him and he glares at me, making me laugh.

  “You can’t change the rules, Meg.”

  “Why not? It was my rule.”

  “Because, you’ll resent me for it later.” His hand clenches on my hip for just a brief second, and then glides back down my thigh.

  Okay, he’s going to be all gentlemanly. Damn him.

  “Will,” I whisper and kiss him again.

  “Yeah.”

  “I really need you to touch me.” God, please touch me.

  In one large, smooth move, his hand glides up my thigh, over my ass, to my back and back down again. I groan and push my hands under his shirt, running my hands over his smooth, warm skin.

  “Can I take your dress off?” he asks.

  “Yes, please.”

  It’s dark in the living room now, the only light coming from the glow of the muted television. He sits up and pushes me to my feet before him, grips the hem of my dress and pulls it over my head and tosses it on the floor. He sucks in a loud breath and his deep blue eyes are hot as he looks me up and down from my hair, down my black-bra covered chest, my stomach, waxed pubis and legs, and then they travel back up again and find my own eyes.

  “Take your bra off,” he murmurs.

  I comply and throw it on top of the dress.

  “Dear God, Megan, you’re beautiful.”

  I grin down at him and suddenly he pull
s me down into his lap and cups a breast in his palm as he kisses me senseless. I trace the muscles in his shoulder with one hand and bury the other in his hair and hold him close to me while his hands roam over my sensitive body.

  God, his hands feel so damn good!

  Finally, he trails kisses along my jaw and over to my neck where he pays extra-special attention as his hand travels oh-so-slowly south.

  “I knew you felt good, and I knew you’d look fantastic, but you surpass every fantasy I’ve had about you, sweetheart.”

  “Hmm. I want to see you,” I mutter but he shakes his head and chuckles.

  “Not yet. This is about you, honey.”

  I start to protest, but then those magical fingers slip down over my pubis and find my center and everything in Will, those fingers, his breath, even his heart, still.

  “What is this?” He pulls back and stares down at me in awe.

  Oh, that.

  “It’s a piercing,” I respond and lean up to kiss him again but he pulls back and his eyes narrow.

  “Your clit is pierced?” he asks incredulously.

  “No, technically, my clitoral hood is pierced.”

  “Fuck, I have to see this.” He stands abruptly with me in his arms, and just when I think he’s finally going to take me up to my bedroom, he lays me gently down on the couch. He turns off the TV, but flips on a soft lamp and kneels on the floor next to my head.

  “You’re amazing, you know that, right?” He kisses me softly, gently teasing my tongue with his, and then nibbles his way down my jaw again to my ear and down my neck to my collar bones.

  “Will,” I grip his shirt in my fists and try to pull it over his head but he backs away.

  “Honey, I can’t get naked.” He swallows and shakes his head. “I can’t. We’re going to respect your goddamn three date rule, but I want to explore you a bit. Is that okay?”

  “Okay,” I whisper and he smiles wickedly.

  “Just lay back and enjoy.” He captures a nipple in his mouth and suckles it gently at first and then a bit harder, making me moan. His hands are everywhere. Brushing up and down my ribs, down my thighs, and up again. Finally, after he pays special attention to the other nipple, he begins to gently bite, suck and nibble his way down my stomach as his hand glides up the inside of my thigh.