The moan grew deeper when he captured her nipple in his mouth, worrying the flesh with his teeth before moving to the other and giving it the same treatment. He wanted to devour her completely, but this wasn’t about gorging. This was about savoring, enjoying every second of her. He never got to savor her.
He sucked her for long moments, loving how she squirmed beneath him. It was his turn to groan when her hand found his cock. She gave him the long, slow pulls he loved, milking him from root to tip. He pressed three fingers inside her, filling her up. Her hand faltered on him, but then she caught the rhythm again, rubbing faster and harder. He tried to match her motions, her slick pussy making those wet sounds he loved to hear, but he was far too distracted by her grip on him. He arched his back and let her have her way, her hand speeding up, twisting with every upstroke.
Long hair flicked against his skin and he shouted as her tongue traced the head of his cock and her mouth settled on him, sucking in time with each movement of her fist. A few strokes and he was gone, thighs tensing as he came.
After long moments, Nicholas leaned over the bed and grabbed the towel he’d carelessly dropped on the carpet after his shower. He cleaned his come off his belly, fingers, and cock, hissing as the terrycloth rubbed over the too-sensitive head of his penis.
He balled up the towel and tossed it in the general direction of the hamper. He’d pick it up in the morning. Normally, he made sure everything in his house was perfectly in its place before he fell asleep, but these were abnormal times.
He checked the watch on his wrist. It was past midnight. He was always asleep by 11:30, at the latest. His alarm was set for 4:30 and he functioned best with at least five hours of sleep.
He draped his arm over his eyes and exhaled, the sound loud in his silent, empty bedroom. He would not get anxious about being off his schedule. He would not. He already had too many things on his mind.
Mostly Livvy. Livvy was the biggest thing on his mind. He couldn’t escape her, especially not in his fantasies.
He pulled his arm away and studied the skin. He’d scrubbed and scrubbed the damned tattoo when he’d come home. Now he could barely make out the outline of the naked fairy.
Compartmentalize, damn it.
That was his superpower. When he was at work, he thought about work. When he was with his family, it was family. Thinking about Livvy was relegated to one single day out of 365. His cheat day.
But it was far easier to shove Livvy aside when he was hundreds of miles away from her and there was no chance he could run into her. Within driving distance? Impossible.
You need to make it possible.Think of your family. Think of every person who relies on you to be at your peak physical and mental capabilities.
Be realistic.
They could never be together, so thinking of her was silly. He was not a silly man. Done.
He readjusted his boxer briefs and resettled himself into his bed. Closed his eyes. Tried to focus on his breathing.
You can’t be with her, but you could fuck. You’ve been doing that all along, and no one got hurt.
He banged his head back against the pillow. No he couldnot, brain. Because... because...
With a low growl, he sat up. Because they couldn’t.
Back in the case. He had to get back in the case. He could only jerk off so much, so maybe he would go work out again. Run until his feet developed blisters. Abuse his flesh in the hopes that he could excise her.
Before he could move, the ring of his cell phone cut through the silence, and he jumped. He grabbed the device from his nightstand dock. He frowned at the name that popped up on the screen. Why was Eve calling him well past midnight? “Eve? What’s wrong?”
There was the static of air. Butt dial, maybe, but it was so late. Evie went to bed far earlier than he did.
Then he heard the murmur of a feminine voice. He reared back and looked at the phone, wondering if his lust-ridden brain was now fueling hallucinations.
Livvy?
No, it couldn’t be. Why the hell would Livvy be with Eve?
He pressed the phone tighter to his ear. “Eve? Eve, honey? Eve.”
He heard a voice that was unmistakably Eve’s, but saying a very un-Eve-like thing. “Shit.”
LIVVY FINISHEDwashing her hands in the bathroom and came out to the bedroom. Eve barely made a bump under her white ruffled coverlet.She was curled on her side, hands stacked under her flushed cheek. Livvy crept over, feeling foolish until she saw Eve’s chest moving up and down under the T-shirt she’d gotten into. She was pale, but there was a bit of color back in her cheeks. Her long lashes fluttered and she looked up at Livvy. “I’m so mortified.”
Something eased within Livvy at this miserable confession. “Don’t be. We’ve all thrown up at one time or another.”
“After two drinks?”
