Fate on Fire (Stars Book 3) Page 6

  “Yeah…and she has him all night.” I didn’t know why I blurted that out. I felt like a woman who was solely focused on getting laid. The outburst embarrassed me, made it seem like all I cared about was sex.

  His eyes narrowed slightly, picking up on my meaning. “Good to know.”

  I felt my cheeks flush with heat because Stacy had put hot thoughts in my mind. Images of Kyle and me popped into my head over and over. Sometimes he was on top of me, and sometimes my dress was pulled to my waist while I bounced on his dick. When we slept together in the past, my mind hadn’t been there at the time so I couldn’t remember if he was good in bed. I knew I came, but that was all I could recall. But even if the sex was bad, it would be nice to be connected to someone, to be touched and kissed, to feel desirable again. Lately, I’d been breastfeeding and changing diapers all the time, and I didn’t exactly feel sexy. “How was work?”

  “Good. I got a raise.”

  “You did?” I asked in surprise. “Good for you.”

  “It was unexpected. But since I’ve been there the longest, they promoted me to manager. If you stayed longer, they probably would have given the job to you. But you took off.”

  “I’m glad you got it. You’re a lot more laid-back than I am.”

  “But you’re smarter than I am.”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, I’m not.”

  He drank his wine and continued to stare at me, his blue eyes striking like two pieces of sea glass. He was such a burly man with little to say, but his wordless attitude was so sexy. He’d always been a manly man, and I knew he would be a good role model for Kingston.

  I stared back, wishing I had something interesting to say. We were together all the time, so sometimes we ran out of things to talk about, but if we were out as just friends, I’d probably have something to say. Now that I knew this was a date, I was tense and nervous, like we were getting to know each other for the first time.

  Kyle seemed completely at ease, like he was comfortable now that he’d finally gotten what he wanted. He’d been waiting for this moment for over a year, and now that he had it, he was at peace. “I’m glad Stacy and Vic weren’t mad about the lie we told everyone.”

  “The lie I told everyone. And yes, they were okay with it. They were just happy to know Neil left something behind. Now they both have a nephew, one related by blood. They lost a family member but gained another.” It was getting easier to talk about Neil. He was a man I could never forget because I had to keep his memory alive for our son.

  He nodded before he took another drink. “I told Stacy how I felt about you a long time ago. I’m surprised she kept her word.”

  “She’s a loyal person.”

  “But you’re her best friend. I think if I were a different guy, she wouldn’t have been happy about the stunt. But since it was me…I think she’s okay with it.”

  “They definitely like you a lot.”

  “They are cool people.”

  Dinner arrived, but I hardly ate. I didn’t want to be bloated when I took off my clothes and let him see me naked for the first time in years. It was the first time anyone had seen me naked since I had a baby.

  Kyle didn’t have that problem and ate everything.

  When the tab came, I snagged it.

  He grabbed my wrist so I couldn’t pull away. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I asked you out. I’m paying.”

  “No.” He took the tab away. “Forget it.”

  “No.” I snatched it back. “You’ve done so much for us, so I want to treat you.”

  “I didn’t mind in the least, Char.”

  “But still. You can get it next time.” I put my card inside and handed it to the waiter.

  Kyle backed off, smiling slightly. “Well, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. But since I paid…I expect you to put out.”

  His eyes darkened at the request. “Oh, I definitely will.”

  I pulled into his driveway, and we walked into his house together. It was strange for it just to be the two of us without Kingston in tow. We got to appreciate the silence, the cleanliness, the lack of dirty diapers in the trash can.

  Normally, Kyle would grab beers from the fridge, and we would sit on the couch to watch a game or something. But since everything was different now, he faced me in the entryway, his hands in his front pockets as he looked at me. It was a predatory look, like he could lunge at me any moment. He could press me up against the wall and kiss me, pinning my hands against the wall and trapping me in place.

  But he didn’t do that.

  “Is this what you normally do on dates? Stare at them in the entryway?”

  “No. Not at all. But I don’t want to do what I normally do on dates with you…” He came closer to me but didn’t touch me. But his presence was enormous. He had such a strong physique, with so many powerful muscles, that he looked like a brick house.

  “Well…I don’t mind.”

  He stepped closer to me, his hands moving to my hips so he could get a hold on me. His chin tilted down toward my face, and he rested his lips against my cheek. His large palms slowly wrapped around me, gripping my lower back and pulling me into him.

  I could feel him…all of him.

  His lips moved to my ear, and he placed a kiss on the shell of my ear.

  I closed my eyes, my arms circling his powerful back and resting underneath his shoulders. It was nice to feel a man like this, to feel so much strength underneath that hard skin. It made me feel safe, like I would always be taken care of, along with my baby.

  He continued to breathe against me but didn’t kiss me, as if he preferred to treasure me like this, when it was just us holding each other. We’d hugged before, but this was more than a hug. It was more intimate, more sexual.

  One of his hands slowly slid into my hair until he cupped the back of my head. He turned my face to him, bringing our noses so close together they were almost touching.

  My eyes closed again, my skin coming to life at his touch. The chemistry was there, like he was pressing all the right buttons to make me throb. He’d been my friend for so long, but now he was something else entirely.

  He pulled his hands away and stripped off the unbuttoned collared shirt. Not caring about getting it wrinkled, he let it fall to the floor. Then he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

  Jesus.

  He was ripped. With a powerful chest with the density of concrete and tight abs you could strike a match off of, he was beautiful from head to toe. He didn’t have any hair, and his skin was subtly tanned like he jogged outside after work. His jeans fit on his narrow hips, his belt keeping them up before he was so fit his clothes could barely stay on.

  I couldn’t believe a man this beautiful loved me. He loved me at my best…loved me at my worst.

  His hand reached for my neck then slowly slid up until he found my lips. Then his thumb brushed across my bottom lip, like he wanted to feel its softness before he got to taste it.

  I wanted to rip off my dress and throw it on the ground. I wanted this man to take me, to remind me how it felt to be a woman. I wanted my toes to curl, wanted to scream as loud as I felt like because there wasn’t a baby in the house. I just wanted to be two sweaty bodies.

  I grabbed my black dress and slowly pulled it up my frame, getting it past my tits and over my head. I’d skipped the bra because the dress had padding stitched into the material. I let it fall to the ground, standing in nothing but a black thong.

  His eyes never strayed from mine. He looked at me like I was just as beautiful with or without clothes on. His hand moved to my hip, and he guided me backward, down his hallway to his bedroom. He placed my hands on his belt, silently telling me to take it off.

  I pulled it free then unbuttoned the top button when we reached his bedroom. His jeans slid off, but he kept his boxers on, the outline of his dick noticeable even in the dark.

  His hand slipped into my hair once more as we stood near his bed, both of us near
ly naked and so hard up our brains were about to explode. He brought me closer so my tits pressed against his hard chest. Then he kissed me…kissed me good.

  My hand slid up his chest, feeling how smooth and hard his body was. When I got to his shoulder, I treasured the intricate muscles of his back, understanding just how cut he was. My fingers glided up to his neck and felt his short strands. My hand formed a fist and grabbed on to nothing, but it felt so good to clench.

  His large hand grabbed my tit, and he squeezed it, flicked his thumb over the nipple as he breathed deep into my mouth. Our tongues came together, and the erotic dance began. He touched me the way a man should touch a woman, held me like I was his. He yanked me closer to him so I could feel his arousal pressed against my stomach, feel just how hard he was for me.

  I couldn’t be more turned on than I was at that moment.

  He guided me down into his bed, placing me on the sheets with my head on the pillow. Then he separated my thighs and moved between my legs, keeping our underwear on as the kiss continued.

  My hands explored him for several minutes, feeling every strong muscle and groove in between. My nails dug into him slightly, feeling the small slice as it penetrated into his skin. I moved all the way down, feeling his dick against my clit, and then grabbed the top of his boxers and slowly pulled them down.

  Yes…he had a nice dick.

  Big, thick, and perfect.

  He let me remove his bottoms, but he didn’t take off mine. He continued to grind against me gently, making my pussy wetter and wetter. His powerful arms kept his body off of mine, holding himself up with ease. His kiss became more passionate, his aching lips sucking mine like he never wanted to stop.

  Take off my panties.

  His kiss moved to my neck, and he tasted me everywhere, made me moan into his ear as my toes curled. I was so anxious to take him that my arousal was going to spill all over the sheets and leave a stain.

  “Kyle…” My hands kept grabbing on to him, kept yanking. I ground back against him, loving all that sweet friction between our two bodies. “Please…” Enough with the foreplay. I was wet, and he was throbbing. Watching this man be a father to my son was foreplay enough.

  He stopped his kiss and looked at me, his blue eyes a darker shade than they were earlier. “Let’s take it slow.”

  Disappointment flooded through me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  He rubbed his nose against mine. “It’s our first date.”

  “I bought you dinner,” I teased.

  He didn’t smile, but his eyes lit up slightly. “I don’t have to be inside you to make you come.”

  I didn’t doubt it. “But I would rather you be inside me. And we’ve already slept together before.”

  “Not like this.” He started to grind back into me, rubbing his body against my clit and making it throb in pleasure. With determination in his eyes, he kept moving, waiting for the argument to subside so the kissing could continue.

  “I thought I was going to get laid tonight. Now I know how every man in the world feels.”

  He gave me a quick smile before he started to kiss me again, his body thrusting and moving in the sexiest way. He drew my lips in between his, gave me a heated breath, and then gave me his tongue.

  It wasn’t sex, but at least it was affection, at least it was something. I’d been sleeping in my bed alone for so long, missing the arms of a strong man around my body. I missed being drenched in affection, miss feeling safe and protected. Just having Kyle there at all was enough for me.

  Naked under the sheets, I lay beside Kyle in the dark. Our faces were pressed close together, and he slid his large hand up and down my leg, his fingers lightly touching my skin as he sprinkled me with affection. It was late, but he continued to keep his eyes open so he could look at me. His jaw was so strong, so chiseled in masculinity. His blue eyes were the perfect color for his face, the perfect tone to match his silence. He reminded me of a strong lumberjack in the mountains, a manly man.

  But he was also so sweet…so unbelievably sweet.

  “I never thought I’d sleep in this bed.”

  “I doubt we’ll get much sleeping done,” he said, slightly smiling.

  “It’s comfy.”

  “Pottery Barn.”

  “Wow, didn’t know you had such classy taste.”

  He shrugged. “Actually, my mom picked it out for me. I had been sleeping on the same mattress since high school, so she made me buy a new bedroom set and sheets. Must have been afraid I wouldn’t get married if I didn’t make it comfortable for my guests.” He rolled his eyes in a joking way.

  “That’s sweet. She doesn’t want you to be alone.”

  “Her plan backfired. You don’t bring women home if you’re looking for a wife.”

  “Then where do you bring them?”

  “In the back seat of my truck. Come on, my future wife is gonna be kinky.”

  I chuckled because that sounded like something Kyle would say.

  “So now I gotta get you back there.”

  “You’re the one making us wait, and now you want me to lift up my dress and screw you in the back seat of a pickup?”

  “Romantic, isn’t it?”

  I rolled my eyes but couldn’t wipe the smile off my lips. My fingers slowly glided up to his chest, feeling all the bumps and grooves in his abs along the way. He was ripped, more muscular than I remembered him being. He looked like he was ready for a cover spread in a dirty magazine.

  “It’s nice having the night to ourselves. We need to get Stacy to babysit more often.”

  “It is nice…but I do miss him.”

  “Yeah, I miss him too. If we lived together, we could have privacy like this more often.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So, you won’t sleep with me, but you expect to move in with me?”

  He shrugged. “Or maybe I’ll sleep with you if you let me move in.”

  “Sneaky.”

  He pulled me closer to him, bringing our bodies right next to each other as we lay in the dark. He studied my eyes like he couldn’t get enough of them, like they were two Van Gogh paintings. “Would you ever want to have more kids?”

  “I don’t know…haven’t thought about it. Until I became pregnant with Kingston, I didn’t think I could have children. Now, I can have as many children as I want. It opens up a whole new world.”

  “If we start right now, we could pop out ten before your prime is over.”

  “God, I’m not having ten.”

  “Five?”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Hey, I have four siblings. It’s not crazy.”

  “Well, five is too many for me. I’m thinking, like, two.”

  “Alright. So, we’ll make another one.”

  “That’s gonna be hard since you won’t sleep with me,” I jabbed.

  “Baby, when the time is right, I’ll sleep with you all night.” His hand glided up my thigh, over my ass, and up my back. He slowly drifted it up, his fingertips lightly grazing the ridge of my spine. “You wanna make one right away? Keep the kids close in age?”

  In theory, I would love that. But I didn’t want to rush into a lifelong commitment with Kyle that quickly. I didn’t consider myself to be old-fashioned, but I wanted to be married before there were any more additions to my family. “Not right now…but eventually.” I noticed the way we both talked about the future, how it always included each other. He assumed I would be his wife, and I assumed he would be my husband. We hadn’t even slept together, but the future was clear. It didn’t scare me. There was no one else I’d rather be with than Kyle. He would be a great husband and a great father…and with a body like that, he would be a great lover.

  “We’ve got time. We’re both still young.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But we should practice as much as we can…you know…to get it right.”

  “So…did he stick it to you good?”

  I grabbed Kingston from the crib and greeted my baby wi
th a smile. Like he knew exactly who I was, his eyes lit up with joy. His small hands rose toward my face, his fingers anxious to touch my skin. “Hey, baby. Were you good for your auntie?”

  “He was perfect, like usual.” Stacy had Victor in her arms, so she placed him in the crib. “And you never answered my question.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh my god.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Actually…no. We just fooled around and went to sleep.”

  Stacy’s jaw dropped with shock. “You’re kidding me. I watch the baby, and you didn’t even get laid?”

  “Look, I tried. Kyle wants to take it slow.” I rolled my eyes. “Ugh.”

  She rolled her eyes back. “Ugh.”

  “Ugh,” I repeated, keeping the exchange going.

  “That’s so not Kyle. When did he become such a stuck-up prude?”

  I gently rocked Kingston from side to side while he rested against my chest. “I don’t know. I was definitely disappointed, especially since he’s built like a brick fucking house. That guy has no fat on him anywhere.”

  “Ugh, I hate men. Vic is like that too. I could eat an almond a day and still never look like that.”

  “At least he puts out.”

  “Yeah, true.”

  I rocked my baby back and forth then picked up his bag. “Well, thanks again. It was nice to have the night to myself. I haven’t been on a date in so long…”

  Stacy smiled at me. “You deserve to have some fun. Kyle does too. He’s been waiting for you for so long, and now he finally has you.”

  I continued to look into Kingston’s face, always seeing Neil, but also seeing Kyle in a strange way. “A long time ago, Kyle told me the only reason we weren’t together was because of the timing—not because of us. Now, I wonder if that’s true. If I hadn’t been with Cameron when we met, would he have asked me out and that would have been the end?”