"Oh, my God," she cried, her fingers knotting around the dark strands of her hair. "You don't even understand why that's infuriating! I was the one who worked for those degrees, and I was the one paying for them. No one else."
Because you learned a long, long time ago that no one else will take care of you, look after you, treasure you.
"I'm sorry that I've made you upset or uncomfortable, or whatever you're feeling right now. I should have said something before I did it."
"Yes," she said, still hopped up on her indignance. She was fired all the way up, but as she stood there, hipshot and hands fisted, it occurred to me that this issue was suitably talked out. The next stage was fair game. "You should have."
"Right. That way we could have argued on the front end, and eliminated the element of surprise," I said, scratching my jaw as I stepped off the treadmill.
My fingers curled around Tiel's elbow, and I led her across the room to the antique pool table Riley brought home last month.
"But that would have reduced the likelihood of you accusing me of 'wifeing' you. I've come to appreciate your assault on the language," I said, smirking as I gathered the skirt of her dress and pressed her chest to the table.
Tiel jerked up and glared at me over her shoulder. "You can't whip out your dick and make this better. I'm upset right now."
"Oh, sweetheart, I know you're upset," I said, pushing her back down. "You've expressed your aggravation. I've articulated my rationale and apologized. Since there's nothing more for either of us to say, I'm going to lick you until you've calmed down, andthenI'll whip my dick out. Now shush."
With her red skirt bunched in one hand, I drew her panties down and placed them beside her on the pool table. It was a warning: be good or be gagged. She rolled her eyes at that, but there was no doubt in my mind that she'd enjoy nothing more than some aggressive sex and balled-up panties in her mouth.
I dropped to my knees and flipped her skirt over her waist. "So pretty," I murmured, running my knuckle between her legs. She shivered, and her feet edged further apart, but she remained stiff, as if she thought she could carry on this dispute while I ate her out.
That wasn't within the range of possibilities.
My fingertips ran from the sweet, round globes of her ass down to her ankles, and back up again. Leaning closer, I brought my lips to the soft skin of her inner thighs, kissing and nipping until she sighed, and I could almost hear her body surrendering to me.
"You're delicious," I murmured while I licked across her leg. My teeth closed around the curve of her ass, and I smiled as she squealed.
"You're saying that to soften me up," she said.
"I'm saying that because it's true. I don't know how to function without tasting you every day," I said. My fingers passed over her folds and found her clit, and her sighs stuttered into moans. I stayed there, circling her most sensitive spot and biting her legs, until she was rocking back in search of more.
"Sam," Tiel whispered.
My hand dropped to the hollow of her knee, and I inched her leg up. "So beautiful," I sighed as I kissed her pussy. I was taking my time, savoring and scraping my teeth over her skin, and drowning in each of her pleas and hums.
"Sam," she repeated, this time more urgent, more frantic.
I slipped a finger inside her, then another. "Who takes care of you?" I asked.
I heard balls knocking against each other on the table and clattering into the pockets, and Tiel drawing in a breath. "You do," she said.
My tongue traced her slit until it circled that eager little pearl and she drew in a ragged breath. I sucked—hard—until her hips were rolling against the pool table and her fingers were clawing at the green felt, and her arousal painted my face and her walls pulsed around my fingers, and I couldn't think of anything but getting her there, giving her this.
"Sam," she cried. "Please."
"Are you sure? You didn't want anything to do with me a few minutes ago," I said. "Tell me you forgive me, Sunshine."
"Yes." Tiel groaned, and I felt the vibration of her words all the way down to her legs. "I can be upset, accept your apology, and want your cock all at once," she said.
I was teasing her now, my tongue only ghosting over her clit, and she was shaking and panting with need.
"You're going to be my wife, and I have to care for and protect my wife. Are you going to let me do that?" I asked. "Please, baby. Stop fighting me. Let me do that for you, Tiel."
"Yes," she cried. "But that doesn't mean I won't freak out about it sometimes. And is this really a conversation we need to have right this minute? Holy hell, Sam, we can talk about this later because I need you to fuck menow."
I kept my fingers moving inside her while I attempted to shove down my track pants and boxers with one hand. I was drunk on the taste of her, the promise of sinking into her, the desire to claim her, and couldn't comprehend the noise coming from the stairs.
"There's plenty of room down here for the beer, wine, and barware. I'll show you where to deliver everything. Let's not leave any major prep work for the day of the wedding because I also have catering and floral coming that day. I don't need a traffic jam outside. We're keeping this event clusterfuck-free, boys."
