Page 18 of Playing with Desire
After their conversation, she was going into this situation with her eyes wide open, knowing and accepting that nothing would come of their short time together. He was a man who didn’t do relationships or commitment, and for good reason. She respected him for being so up-front and honest with her from the get-go, even if a part of her knew the potential for heartbreak on her end was possible. It was a risk she was willing to take.
After one more languorous stretch, she got out of bed and padded to the adjoining bathroom completely naked, smiling at the brand-new packaged toothbrush sitting on the vanity, along with fresh towels. The thoughtful gesture warmed her. She dared to glance in the mirror and wasn’t too shocked by what was reflected. Yes, her hair was tousled, but it looked... surprisingly sexy. She had slight smudge marks beneath her eyes from her liner, but her skin had a rosy glow to it, and her eyes sparkled happily. And the rest of her body, well, there were various faint red marks here and there, but she’d enjoyed receiving all of them.
She brushed her teeth, then found her purse and retrieved the elastic band she always carried with her for times like this when she needed to put up her hair. She piled it into a loose knot on the top of her head, then walked into the shower and beneath a stream of hot water, which felt heavenly. She had no choice but to use Declan’s body wash for now, and a few minutes later, she was done since she didn’t shampoo her hair. Stepping out of the shower stall, she dried off, let her hair back down, and wrapped the large towel around her body, very aware of the woodsy, masculine fragrance of his soap clinging to her skin.
Back in the bedroom, she saw her dress and panties on the floor where Declan had stripped them off her a second time. Since she wasn’t heading home immediately, she walked into his closet and chose a sage-green T-shirt withUS ARMYacross the front and below it the word “Hooah,” which at first glance she mistook for “hoo-ha,” which was an euphemism for a woman’s vagina. Realizing her mistake, she giggled to herself as she put it on, the hem reaching mid-thigh. Declan’s shoulders were wide, but her larger breasts filled out the front of the tee, slightly stretching the material to accommodate her chest. She didn’t know whathooahstood for, but she intended to find out when Declan returned. If she only had three weeks with him, she wanted to know everything about him and his life in the army that she could.
Not bothering with her panties, she left the bedroom, following the hallway down to where it opened into a spacious family room and connecting kitchen. Spying the Keurig on the counter and desperately needing caffeine while she waited for Declan, she beelined in that direction.
Opening the cupboard above the coffeemaker, she found mugs on the second shelf and had to stand on her tiptoes to reach one. When she stretched her arm high, the back of her T-shirt rose a few inches to expose the curve of her butt, not that it mattered since she was all by herself.
“Good morning,” a deep, familiar voice greeted her.
Startled by the sound when she thought she was alone, she let out a squeak of surprise and whirled around before she could grab a cup and quickly yanked down the hem of her shirt—as if modesty mattered to a man who’d already seen her completely naked, head to toe and everywhere in between.
Rick sat at a small table in an alcove, a cup of coffee and an open laptop in front of him. He chuckled devilishly, clearly enjoying the fact that he’d caught her off guard and had undoubtedly gotten a glimpse of her bare ass. His gaze passed over her breasts, and her damn nipples stiffened against the fabric.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded, flustered by his presence and her reaction to him. Her chemistry with Declan was far stronger, but she’d always been attracted to Rick and that still held true. She found her feelings and the situation all very perplexing and complicated.
Amusement danced in his eyes as he stood and crossed the kitchen toward her, dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a collared shirt. “Well, I happen to live here.”
Her jaw dropped open. “You do?” she asked, confused. “You weren’t here last night.”
Not knowing what he intended, her heart raced as he neared, but he merely brushed past her and reached up to the second shelf and brought down a mug for her and placed it on the counter. Then he turned around to face her again.
“I was at the Players Club until four, and when I got home, all was quiet, so I assume you two were sleeping.” He shrugged. “That’s probably why you didn’t see me. Until now.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, feeling bad about her rude outburst. “Declan didn’t tell me you lived here, too, so seeing you this morning was a bit of a shock.”
Rick grinned, a teasing light in his eyes. “I’m sure he had other more important things on his mind last night than giving you his living arrangements.”
Summer’s cheeks warmed at his insinuation, which was ridiculous because she and Rick had been just as intimatebeforeher exclusive pact with Declan.
“Half-and-half is in the refrigerator,” he said, shifting back to regular conversation. “And sugar is on the first shelf in that same cupboard, which you should be able to reach.”
He strolled back to the table, and Summer exhaled a deep, calming breath as she popped a pod into the Keurig machine and hit the start button. Once her coffee was brewed, she added a bit of half-and-half, stirred in a spoonful of sugar, and took her mug to the table, sitting across from Rick, who’d shut his laptop and was now finishing his coffee.
After a sip, he met her gaze and broke the silence that had settled between them. “So, did you have a good time last night? Was The Players Club everything you imagined it would be?”
She laughed, even though she could feel herself blushing again. “Actually, it was.” She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, debating on whether to say more, but decided that a man like Rick, with his own proclivities, would understand. And considering what they’d already shared at the club, being frank with him about sexual preferences was probably commonplace and not a big deal for Rick. She was learning to accept her own desires. Embrace them, even.
“I’d always fantasized about kinkier sex,” she said, wrapping her hands around the warm mug in front of her. “The thought of being restrained has always excited me. Same with being dominated. And me submitting. All the things we indulged in last night. But the men I’ve dated and had sex with prior to The Players Club were very vanilla, and it just wasn’t enough to...” Her words trailed off as she sought the appropriate words.
“Get you off?” he suggested blatantly.
She laughed, appreciating his straightforward approach. “Yes.”
A smirk hitched up one corner of his mouth. “That clearly wasn’t a problem last night.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she admitted, and took a sip of her coffee. “And I honestly don’t think I could ever go back to vanilla sex all the time.” She’d never had multiple orgasms without a whole lot of vibrating toys and dirty fantasies in her mind. Last night, she’dlivedthose filthy fantasies, and she couldn’t imagine going back to bland and boring sex.
“And to answer your first question, yes, I had a good time last night.” She wanted him to know that she’d enjoyed everything the three of them had done together. No shame or regrets. Even if she was now exclusively Declan’s.
“Good,” he said, his voice a low, sexy rumble. “I did, as well.”
He relaxed back in his chair, his gaze dipping down to her breasts before lifting back up to her mouth, as if he was remembering all that had transpired between them in the playroom. He’d touched her, kissed her, and fucked her, all while Declan watched and participated, and now Rick was sitting in front of her like it was completely normal, while she shifted awkwardly in her seat. She hadn’t thought how it would be facing Rick again after he’d done such wicked things to her body, and she had no idea what the protocol was for enjoying a very hot threesome that had become a twosome and he was now the odd man out.
“Don’t overthink things, Summer,” he said in an amused tone, as if he was inside her head reading her disconcerting thoughts. “It was one night of the three of us being together. It was consensual and incredibly hot, but I totally respect Declan’s wish to spend time with you.”
