The Bottom Line (6 page)

“Everything,”
she whispered.
She liked everything
, which reminded her of the slippery slope she teetered on with Connor. She had to remember to keep a firm grip on her emotions. Any relationship between them was sex for mutual pleasure. That’s all. No long-term partnership. No expectations. Just sex.

He repeated the move, dragging her attention back to the present, the jolt of pain smoothing out until she drifted in a heavy fog of desire, each lingering caress ratcheting up her sexual appetite. Her pussy throbbed, clenching with fresh hunger at each pinch, every sensual kiss.

Connor watched the play of emotions over her face, the desire and growing hunger. It echoed in him, burning like an inferno. He’d imagined how it might be with Maggie. Wondered. Nothing he’d come up with did justice to the reality. She was beautiful. Responsive. Captivating with her honest reactions. They’d barely started, and he wanted to keep her forever.

Yeah, like she’d want to hear that. If he told her the truth, she’d run a mile. He was pushing things now, proposing a
friends with benefits
arrangement. His bloody reputation didn’t help the situation. Forcing aside his doubts, he leaned over and cupped her breast, taking a nipple into his mouth. Her soft groan sped straight to his balls. They pulled tight, pre-come dampening his boxers.

“Connor.” Her harsh whisper told him she felt the magic between them. A start. He had to believe there would be more.

Connor lifted his head to stare at her. “I wanted to go slow, babe. Explore you, but if I don’t get inside you right now, I’m going to explode.”

“Yes.” The grip of her hands on his shoulders signaled urgency on her part, which suited him fine. “Me too.”

Connor yanked off his underwear. Seconds later, condom in place, he settled between her legs. Fire and chills warred within his body, the need to hurry pounding him. Instead, he pushed only the head of his cock into her, resisting anything more, wanting their first time to be memorable for her. Their lips met, the kiss seductive and without haste, a mating of mouths that promised so much more.

Maggie wriggled beneath him, pushing him deeper into the tight heat of her pussy. Damn, he couldn’t go slowly. He thrust, filling her completely with one seamless stroke. Fully embedded, he paused to savor her heat, kissing her again without haste. Tenderly. She undulated against his body, pressing sexy curves to his chest and tempting him to move.

“I’m a weak man,” he admitted. “I honestly wanted to go slow, but—”

“Fast is good,” she murmured before nibbling the cords of his neck.

Taking her at her word, he started to thrust, watching her face and monitoring her reactions. Her pussy rippled around his cock, squeezing it tight. They fell into an instinctive rhythm, the slap of flesh and sounds of fucking loud and unrestrained. Frissons of excitement whipped him. She felt so
damn
good. The tiny noises she made at the back of her throat, a sound between a whimper and a cry, pushed at his restraint. He thrust harder.
Faster
. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders until he felt the edge of pain. It rippled straight to his cock. Damn, if she kept touching him that way he’d lose
all
semblance of control.

He manacled her wrists above her head, curbing her wandering hands. A low groan emerged when he started to move faster again, pounding into her pussy with controlled passion. Hot. Tight.
Perfect
. Her slick heat caressed him, a surge of wetness making his cock buck.

“I love the way you feel,” he murmured, needing to let her know how much he was enjoying making love with her. “Tight and wet.”

“More, please.” Her needy whimper whispered past the rim of his ear, while her pussy gripped him sweetly.

“I don’t want to come first.”

She ground against his erection, panting slightly when the walls of her sex pulsated. “It doesn’t matter. We can do it again.”

Connor plundered her mouth.
Anytime
. Hell, yeah. He’d take any excuse to touch and explore her body.

He thrust again. Once.
Twice
. Clawing tension rose until he couldn’t control it any longer. His cock jerked in explosive contractions, heart pumping while he froze, deeply embedded in her. He gasped at the pleasure roaring through his body. His own private fantasy turned into flesh. He didn’t think he’d ever felt this good before. In the past sex had been all about getting off. With Maggie it was different because he
cared
for her. Cared about what happened to her, her feelings, her needs. He came back to reality and realized he was probably squashing her.

“Damn, I’m sorry.” He pulled free and dealt with the condom, wondering if his early climax would cause a problem between them. Women were funny about that sort of thing, even though she’d encouraged him to take his pleasure. “That hasn’t happened before. I’m usually more disciplined.”

Maggie laughed, setting his fears at rest. “Don’t apologize. I’ve enjoyed it.” She cocked her head to one side, teasing him. “So far.”

“Only enjoyed? I’ll have to see if I can do better.”

Grinning, Connor moved between her legs, lifting her to his mouth. Her sweet flavor exploded across his taste buds. He parted her folds, rasping his tongue over her clit. Her groan was music to his ears. He’d do almost anything to hear more of the ragged sound, the whimpers she couldn’t contain.

He pushed two fingers inside her and settled in to give her pleasure. A puff of air against her engorged clit. A stroke of his tongue. He pumped his fingers, curling them to hit her sweet spot. She shook and moaned, hips jerking beneath his touch. When he covered her clit with his mouth and gently sucked on it, the tiny bundle of nerves pulsed. He felt the rhythmic clenching of her pussy around his fingers. Groaning, she jerked beneath his touch, shaking uncontrollably before slowly relaxing. After a final swipe of his tongue, he lifted his head and moved up the bed to draw her into his arms.

Maggie curled into him, her soft sigh filling him with contentment.

His
.

She mightn’t know it yet, might fight the idea, but he had enough patience for both of them.

Boy, did he.

Chapter Four

I dreamed about spanking. Not surprising considering the subject loomed large in my mind. I found myself in a meeting with one woman and two men.

“Why do you want to be spanked?” the woman asked. She wore a prim black suit with a crisp white shirt. Her blue eyes glinted with intelligence from behind horn-rimmed glasses.

I stiffened, my spine hitting the back of the chair. It was her attitude, her intense scrutiny. She made me feel like a freak.

The men sitting with us laughed, whispered asides to one another.

“Spanking is considered kinky,” the woman said. Her tone implied not normal.

“It’s hard to explain,” I said. “I read an erotic romance where the hero spanked his heroine. Just reading about their romance made me hot all over. It made me consider the possibilities. The couple really bonded. They seemed so intimate. They communicated. The couple was close and attuned to each other’s needs. I wanted that.”

“A book?” the woman scoffed. “You got all this from a book?”

“She’s confusing fiction with reality,” a dark-haired man said.

“Bottom line, she’s weird,” the second man said.

“Haw. Haw! Bottom line.” The dark-haired man smirked. “She wants a few thwacks on her ass, and you call it the
bottom line
. It’s her ass all right, her bottom.” He leaned over and poked my hip with his forefinger.

Suddenly I was naked.

Applause rang through the room. I whirled around and found myself face-to-face with hundreds of men. They varied in age, but had one thing in common.

A leer.

I let out a horrified shriek.

“Maggie. Maggie!”

Her eyes flew open, heart pounding.

“Are you okay? You were screaming.”

“Connor?” Maggie suddenly realized she was naked, the cotton sheet pooled at her waist. With a gasp, she grabbed the sheet and tucked it around her breasts. She inched away from Connor. The events of the previous night came back to her. They’d made love…had sex. The
friends with benefits
thing.

“Don’t you think it’s a little late for that? I’ve seen you, touched you.” Connor’s voice grew husky. “Kissed you.” The amusement twinkling in his eyes intensified. “I’ve explored your body, babe. I know what you like, the little sounds you make when you come.”

Maggie closed her eyes briefly, heart pumping far too fast. She’d done it now, slept with him.

All night.

He hadn’t run off to sleep in another room.

Greg had never liked sleeping all night in the same bed with her.

“You’re shaking.” Connor drew her into his arms and pressed her against his chest. “Are you going to tell me why you woke up screaming?”

Maggie swallowed, recalling the vulnerable feeling of being naked in front of a fully dressed crowd. She imagined how coming out about her interest in spanking would make her feel the same way. Exposed.

What would Connor think if she asked him to spank her?

Greg hadn’t thought much of the idea. But now it was all she could think about. A rush of heat exploded in her lower belly. She opened her mouth to speak and shut it again, hiding her face to mask her topsy-turvy emotions. The need to continue with her experiments in spanking ate at her. Giving up wasn’t an option.

“Aren’t you talking to me today?”

Maggie lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I had a really weird dream. I was a bit disorientated when I woke.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” she said, then realized she’d lost another opportunity to state her wants.

Connor nodded, his face strangely serious for a change. “In that case, how about if I distract you?”

“I’m listening.” If he suggested coffee or breakfast she’d be crushed. This
friends with benefits
thing wasn’t as easy as he’d made it sound. She felt as if she were navigating a mine field. “What did you have in mind?”

His eyes twinkled with definite mischief. “This,” he said seconds before he moved.

Without warning Maggie found herself on her back with Connor leaning over her. His strong arms caged her in position as he stared down at her. “Now I have you exactly where I want you.”

“What are you going to do to me?”

His grin never wavered. “Why don’t you wait and see?” He leaned closer and kissed her, a gentle kiss that pierced her objections.

He could do anything. Anything at all, if he continued the pleasure he’d started last night. The wet rasp of his tongue over the pulse point at her throat made her breath stall. This close she could see the dark stubble on his jaw and feel the faint rasp against her more tender skin. He looked up and caught her staring. He had flecks of gold in his eyes and eyelashes long enough for most females to envy.

“What? Don’t you like that?”

“I like it,” she admitted, although she was sure he knew that. Her body wasn’t exactly holding back on visual clues. Her breath caught each time he touched her.

“I’m going to explore every inch of you,” he said between kisses. Slowly he worked down toward her breasts, nibbling her collarbone, nipping then laving the sting away.

“And do I get a chance to explore?”

“Not yet.” He grinned at her before lowering his head and licking around one nipple. They both watched when it pulled tight.

Sighing her enjoyment, she plunged her hands into his hair, silently encouraging him to continue.

“No touching. Hands above your head.”

Maggie frowned. “But that’s not fair. You’re touching.”

“My game. My rules.”

Is that all this was to him?
A game?
She stared at him, trying to read his mind. And they said women were bad. He had an impassive thing going and she didn’t have an inkling of his thoughts. Clearing her throat, she said, “Is this a game to you?”

“What we’re doing right now. Yes. But our
friends with benefits
deal is serious. I’m not playing games or stringing you along. I promise.” Not a hint of humor showed on his face or in his blue eyes.

She needed to trust him. It was that simple. Letting her breath ease out, she relaxed. A tremulous smile communicated her acceptance of his conditions.

“Hands above your head,” he ordered. “Grasp the headboard and don’t let go.”

Maggie hesitated a fraction before following his instructions.

“Good girl,” he said with a grin.

“Should I wag my tail?”

Connor chuckled. “Maybe later.” He ran his fingers down her torso, bypassing her breasts to skim across her ribs and trace around her belly button.

“That’s ticklish.”

“Ah,” he said, his mouth moving against her skin as he spoke. Gradually, he moved down her body. A kiss here. A touch there.

She thought he’d hurry things along and get to the good stuff. Instead he explored her body, learning what she liked. A nip on the tender skin of her inner thigh. The firm stroke of his hands down her calves. Her breasts grew heavier while clawing tension swelled inside her.

“Connor, no more.”

“You want me to stop?”

“No more teasing. I can’t take any more.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Fuck me,” Maggie said bluntly. “That’s what I want.”

The air crackled with sudden tension as he stared at her. A grin crept across his face and glittered in his eyes. “I like your plain speaking, Ms. Drummond.” Without taking his gaze off her, he reached for a condom. He ripped open the foil packet and rolled the condom onto his erection. Instead of pushing into her pussy, he rolled onto his back and grinned at her. “Ride me. Put me through my paces.”

A splutter was the only sound to pierce the silence that fell in the bedroom.

“Well?” he prompted, placing his hands beneath his head, his grin never wavering.

A dare
. He thought she’d refuse. Little did he know. Maggie clambered over him, parting her legs so she straddled his hips.

“Take what you want, babe.”

She sucked in her stomach, self-consciousness hitting her. With the morning sun streaming through the net curtains, he could see her clearly. It made her uneasy, and brought back bitter memories of Greg explaining to her why she should lose weight. Her hesitation made her clumsy.

“I want you. Never forget that.”

His soothing voice lent her courage, and she guided his cock to her entrance. “How do you know exactly the right thing to say?” she asked with a hint of chagrin.

“Natural talent,” he said with a boyish smile.

“Is that right?” Maggie inched downward, impaling her body on his cock, parting sensitive tissues and filling the empty spaces inside her. “Does that feel okay?” But not ridding her of all the doubt.

Connor reached for one of her hands and interwove their fingers. His smile warmed her, boosted her confidence and she found herself returning it. She started to ride him with steady strokes, shifting her body, experimenting to find the perfect angle. Her breasts bounced, the hot intent in his eyes pushing her to the edge of control much quicker than normal.

“You’re doing a good job.” Connor’s hands rose to grip her hips. His fingers branded her flesh, the bite of pain bringing relief.

She quickened her strokes, reaching for pleasure. Her womb fluttered, tension creeping through her limbs. The pleasure swelled, soared, pressure climbing with each rapid slide of his cock then fading. It was like a wave had splashed over her on its run to the shore, and she desperately wanted a return of the blissful sensation.

“Help me, please,” she pleaded.

“My pleasure.” He slipped a finger between her legs and wiggled it across her clit. “Like that?”

“Yeah.” Her eyes closed to focus on the sweet agony of his touch. Inside and out, he knew how to touch her with delicate precision. They fell into a rhythm. She rose and fell on his cock and on each downward sweep, he delved between her legs, fingered her clit. It was a slow buildup this time. She soared each time he stroked her clit. Her head fell back and the tension ramped up, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

“Come for me, babe. I want to hear you, feel you clasp my dick tight.” His erotic whispers pushed her off the plateau, and she shattered, the ferocious heat of the pleasure pulsating the walls of her sex.

When she came back to herself, she fell forward, wrapping her arms around him, still breathing hard.

“Damn, I wish you could see yourself when you come,” he whispered, stroking his hand over her hair in a rhythmic manner. “You’re so pretty with your pink cheeks and your tits bouncing, your loose hair. Let me kiss you, babe.”

She offered her lips and he took. He ate at her mouth, consumed her until the passion roared between them again. His fingers tangled in her hair, holding her in place, slanting her mouth to fit. He nipped and licked and took possession, stroking their tongues together in a sensual dance that could only lead to one place. Greed and hunger burst to life, heat and lightning flaring between them.

He lifted her off him and seconds later, he had her on all fours in front of him. He stroked her ass, cupping and squeezing the globes of her bottom. Then he took possession, sliding his cock into her wet, sensitive pussy, his warm breath teasing the whorl of her ear. She grew wet with want, loving his unrestrained passion, his need for her. Short, sharp strokes massaged her inner tissues, then he started in on the long, slow slides that drove her crazy. She trembled with each smooth erotic glide, overwhelmed by his demand, his masculinity. He was hard, thick, just what she needed.

“Come again,” he ordered.

The sensations gathered at his words, growing like a whirly wind. An abrupt explosion and she milked him with recurring squeezes. Connor plunged his cock into her and stilled, his release starting even before she finished. Together they toppled into ecstasy, and all Maggie could think was there was no way she could give up this kind of magic.

“I tried to ring you in the weekend,” Julia said. “Where were you?”

“I needed to…um…” Cripes, she had to take care. She couldn’t blurt out the details about her time spent with Connor. A wash of color heated her face. Think. “Um…I needed some time alone…to think.”

“What were you doing?” Susan asked.

Christina scrutinized her. “Your nose is sun burnt.”

Maggie squirmed, trying not to act guilty. She failed. She felt her blush spread down her neck.

“Did you do something with spanking?” Julia asked, wriggling her eyebrows up and down until she looked as if she belonged in standup comedy.

“Don’t tell the world,” Maggie snapped.

As one, her three friends stared at her, varying degrees of interest showing in their faces.

“It’s just us,” Christina said in a mild voice. “We’re your friends. We’re not going to judge you.”

“I find it hard to talk about. Susan, you don’t like talking about your ex-fiancé, and Christina, you never talk about that married man you dated. It’s the same thing.” And wasn’t that the truth. Maggie hadn’t found either the words or the time to tell Connor what she wanted. Part of it was fear and the other part was Greg’s astounded reaction still ringing in her ears. Ever since Connor had dropped her at her flat, doubts had set in like a plague. She offered her friends a weak smile. “I’m sorry. Give me time, okay?”

Julia patted her hand. “Of course we will.”

“Take all the time you need,” Susan added.

“Not too long,” Julia said. “I’m dying here.”

Connor appeared, grabbing the seat they’d saved for him in the lunch room. He tweaked Julia’s nose. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know.” He grinned at them all. “What did I miss?”

Maggie didn’t know how he did it. Not a flicker of guilt crossed his face.

“Maggie won’t tell us what she did in the weekend,” Susan said. “She says she needed time alone to think.”

Connor smirked. “Looks like our girl saw some sun. Her nose is sun burnt. Did you burn anywhere interesting?”

“Only the sheets.” Aghast, Maggie clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes widening in shock. Her heart beat out three distinct thumps before stalling. It only started racing again when she dragged in a harsh breath.