Love and Music (Small Town Secrets Book 3), page 10
Jesus. I was like a limp noodle. Tyler was probably glad we weren’t together anymore. Who wanted to fuck someone nearly unconscious?
But maybe he knew how much his artful massage had drained me earlier and he was trying to perk me up. As he moved his hands below my breasts, he kissed between my cleavage before drawing another line of kisses down to my navel, and then past it, right to the top of my pubic bone. There he paused his hands just on my hips and I felt something. An awakening of sorts.
The fire in my veins began to burn like it should have from this man’s first kiss. As though it were from a dam bursting, blood began to rush to all the nerves throughout my body before the entire area between my legs began to tingle, growing tight and wet, anticipating what was to come. My body felt relaxed but alert, ready for whatever Tyler was about to do.
His fingers felt hot as he unbuttoned my pants. Unzipping them quickly, he pulled them down along with my panties in one short movement. I didn’t even have time to marvel at how he’d managed to do it. Then he returned to his previous spot, his hand coaxing my legs apart at the thighs. There was little persuasion that needed to be done, as my breathing quickened in anticipation—and now it felt like he was taking too long. After the sensation of feeling rushed and tense earlier in the evening, this was almost like the universe’s cruel joke as I agonized, waiting for his touch. Finally, his lips on the inside of my right thigh sent a thrill throughout my body as he sucked at the flesh there. Drawing another deep breath, a sense of desperation overcame me, and I had to force myself to be calm. His mouth moved closer and closer to the spot where my legs met, one excruciating centimeter at a time. My arms started to move as if they’d awakened from paralysis, although it felt I had little control over them. They were like lifting gallon jugs of milk, but they obeyed my commands just the same. I needed to feel some sense of control, and operating my limbs helped.
It definitely made me feel less like a needy sex junkie.
Running a hand through Tyler’s soft hair, I relished the way it felt, glad that it was at least long enough to wad it up in my fists. It didn’t take me long to realize I was gripping too hard, though, and I forced myself to relax. It was difficult as I felt the heat of his breath closing in on my desperate pussy, and my breathing grew deeper, almost jagged. I had to bite my lower lip, willing myself to be patient.
It would be oh, so worth it.
Needless to say, it was no surprise that, when Tyler’s tongue actually touched me, I let out a loud groan. He’d given me but one simple stroke with that warm wet muscle and yet it felt like he’d done more to me in that short instant than my last lover had managed in an entire evening of sex.
“Oh, God!”
How the fuck was I already so close to orgasm?
I wanted to savor every moment, every stroke, but I knew it wouldn’t take long. How the hell had Tyler known exactly what to do with my body?
As his tongue flicked at my clit again, he pushed me closer to that peak, and my thighs tensed up. My brain was hyper-focused, commanding my breathing to deepen rhythmically, pulling air in through my mouth as I bit down on my lip again and shifted my pelvis ever so slightly for maximum pressure. Tyler’s touch was so soft yet firm, so warm, so perfect.
“Mmm.”
I felt Tyler’s breath again, and I imagined he was pleased that he could tell how much I appreciated what he was doing to me. And, just as I thought I might snap, my brain flipped that magical switch, causing my legs to quiver and my mouth to utter all manner of noises, deep moans and sighs and unknown phrases, as I soared to a place damn near close to heaven. I couldn’t even register what was coming out of my mouth, but I even heard Tyler’s name once. He continued with a relentless rhythm until my legs collapsed as if I’d turned into a ragdoll.
My breathing slowed and, after several seconds, Tyler was kissing my belly, working his way back up my body. Soon, I felt his weight resting beside me on the bed. Forcing myself to open my reluctant eyes, I smiled back when I saw the huge grin on his face. “Think you could handle a little more?”
No way was I going to be honest with him. At the moment, I felt like a bowl of gravy—warm, liquidy, and probably not much to look at. But I wasn’t going to turn down this man who’d just made me feel like a fucking goddess. Smiling back, I nodded my head, and he wasted no time, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans before sliding them off his legs. My eyes lusted after him as I continued drinking in the tattoos all over his muscular body and, soon, he slid on a condom.
Kissing my breasts again and then consuming one of my nipples, Tyler woke my body back up again, and I realized maybe I did have a little more life in me for the evening. Our mouths connected like two magnets drawn to each other, and he slid inside me, filling my pussy me like Cinderella’s foot fit that damn slipper perfectly.
Tyler’s rhythm was slow at first, like the beginning of a song before it builds to a thunderous crescendo, and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. But as I took air into my lungs, I noticed that Tyler’s breathing almost matched mine. The sensation of his cock against the walls of my pussy, creating friction as he moved back and forth, was exquisite—and yet I wanted more.
“Deeper, Tyler.”
I knew he could, and I wanted it to feel like he was nearly ramming my throat. Why I needed him to bury himself as far inside me as he could, I wouldn’t know, but he obeyed, hitting spots that had perhaps never been touched. I opened my eyes long enough to look at him, and as if he knew, he too lifted his lids. His pupils were darker than I’d ever seen them, not that there was much difference between his almost-black irises. His expression took me back to when we were kids doing this very same deed in the back of his car—but Tyler had control over his body now and knew how to pleasure me. He looked like a Greek god, drawn to perfection—his jaw tight, eyes glinting, arms taut with muscles bulging. As he continued drilling into me with intensity, he tilted his pelvis so that he again touched a foreign place inside, and I cried out, unable to hold back. This orgasm was far more intense than the first, and Tyler continued to rock my body until he finished with me before resting his warm forehead against mine.
Soon, sleep overtook me in its merciless grasp…and I didn’t give a fuck if I never woke up.
Chapter Twelve
Stretching, I couldn’t deny how my neck and back felt like smooth velvet. And there was no stopping the ridiculous smile plastered on my face. I was awakening from a satisfying, happy dream, but I couldn’t entice the memory of it to the surface of my consciousness. Instead, it was just a fading bundle of emotions and blurry images.
As I breathed in the smells in that room and felt his warmth next to my body, I admitted to myself that the dream wasn’t the only reason I was smiling. Sure, I’d slept soundly throughout the night, but I’d come close to wakefulness more times than I could remember—and, rather than waking with a sour stomach or pounding head, I felt amazing, relaxed, and at peace.
It didn’t hurt that Tyler had held me close most of the night. I remembered lying on my side with Tyler snuggled up right next to me, holding me against his body. Wrapped in the cocoon of his arms, I felt safe and warm.
Loved.
At that thought, my eyes popped open. Holy shit. It had fucking happened.
No, not the sex. That had been all but inevitable—and I was okay with it. As the evening had progressed, I’d even embraced the idea.
What I wasn’t okay with was the fact that I was letting my emotions go way too deep when it came to Tyler. They were taking root in my heart—and what that meant was it was going to be fucking hard to watch him walk away again.
Rolling my head on the pillow, I took the risk of gazing upon him and his perfect body. He was on his side with his back to me. Trying to figure out what the big black swirly tattoo on the top half of his back represented, I ultimately concluded that it was just an artistic design—no picture or image, just swirls.
Focus, Megan.
Getting distracted was probably the worst thing I could do right now. Instead, I needed to figure out how the hell I was going to handle the rest of this weekend.
For starters, I was going to give my best friend a ration of shit for first persuading me to come to the reunion and then for abandoning me just five minutes in.
But, really, I couldn’t be too angry at Lisa. In fact, I missed her terribly right now and wondered what she was doing. I’d have to find my phone and text her later.
As I lay there becoming more wakeful with every breath, I wondered what time it was.
I also wondered how sound asleep Tyler was—or if he, too, was beginning to stir.
And I wondered if I should just dress and bolt or if I should bother waking him to say goodbye.
Too much wondering and not enough action. But I had no fucking idea what I should do at this point. As I sat up in bed, I marveled—and not in a good way—at how quickly I’d caved to Tyler’s charms. It really hadn’t taken much.
Stretching my arms and neck again, I took in a deep breath, again reveling in the fact that I felt pretty good. Glancing around the room, I marveled at the fact that this was actually a hotel—because it didn’t look like any kind of hotel I’d ever stayed in. This place looked more like an apartment, between the large polished mahogany dresser on one side of the room and, on the other, a matching desk, not to mention what looked like a door to a rather large closet. Next to that were two other doorways—one that led back to the living area and the other, I hoped, to a bathroom, because I realized that my bladder was full and I needed to take care of business.
The bathroom, too, felt like an expensive apartment that came with a maid and carefully chosen artwork. I considered taking a shower, especially because the fixtures looked lots better than the leaky ones in my apartment, and thought better of it. I was delaying the inevitable, and that would only make it hurt worse. Better to just get it done now—I could only heal once I’d stopped injuring myself.
My only question: would it be easier to get over Tyler now than it had been back then?
When I walked back in the bedroom, I saw a digital clock on the nightstand next to Tyler’s side of the bed. It was a few minutes before eight o’clock. No wonder I still felt sleepy—but that might be to my advantage. If Tyler was still really tired, he might not make a big deal out of my leaving.
I even considered completely chickening out and leaving without saying a word, but that would have been childish, even if it made things easier right now. This was something I had to do.
But there was nothing in my rule book that said I couldn’t get completely dressed and ready to dash out the door before saying a quick goodbye.
That plan, however, required that I get dressed.
I saw my pants on the floor at the foot of the bed, one leg under Tyler’s jeans, as if our clothing were a metaphor for last night. When I scooped them up, I saw my panties inside. I almost cringed as I put both on, hating to wear dirty fucking clothes. Then again, I hadn’t showered, so what the hell did it matter? I had to tiptoe around the room before I found my shirt on the floor next to the nightstand, but my bra was nowhere to be found. And what about my shoes?
They had to be in the other room.
Sure enough, there they were. My bra was on the arm of the sofa, while my shoes were on the floor in front of it. I sat down there to put on everything else and noticed that the fake fire wasn’t on anymore. It would have been nice under the frigid air-conditioned atmosphere. Standing up, I made my way to the kitchen and, when I opened cupboards, I discovered plenty of dishes, including a tall glass that I immediately filled with water. The hydration was quite welcome but, God, what I wouldn’t do for some coffee.
Later. I had to get this over with first.
I spied my purse on the counter of the entryway next to the kitchen as I gulped the water down. Sucking down a deep breath, I decided it was time to hit the road. The question now was if I was going to cop out: be a complete coward and tuck my tail and run out of Tyler’s suite and never see him again…
Or was I going to do my best impression as a mature adult?
The chickenshit way really appealed to me, but I would reward my bravery with a mocha latte before heading home. Taking another deep breath, I walked toward the bedroom, grateful that my shoes were quiet on the carpet so I wouldn’t wake Tyler before I got there. I wanted a clean break, quick and drama-free.
Not that I expected anything outrageous from Tyler—but my nerves were on edge, making me overly anxious.
After I entered the room, I tiptoed to his side of the bed, not sure how to go about this. As teens, we’d never spent the night together, so I didn’t even know if Tyler was a light or heavy sleeper or if he woke up cranky or happy.
It didn’t matter. I had to do this regardless.
Sucking down another deep breath, I placed my hand on his upper arm, just where it started curving into his shoulder. Loving the firm feel of his muscle underneath my hand reminded me of how Tyler had felt last night, a memory I desperately needed to push out of my brain. Thinking about how amazing Tyler had been in bed would only make this more difficult.
Worse, Tyler covered my small hand with his warm strong one. Because his eyes were closed, I wasn’t sure if he was even awake until he talked. “What’s up?” He moved a little before opening his eyes slowly.
Oh, Jesus. Having to look at him was only going to make this harder.
But enough. Just two minutes and I’d be out of here. Swallowing the pool of saliva in my mouth, I forced myself to give him a small smile, hoping it didn’t appear as fake as it felt. “Just wanted to say goodbye.”
Tyler squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again and sitting up halfway. “You don’t have to leave this early, do you?” He glanced over at the clock as if needing affirmation. “Don’t you want some breakfast?”
Fucking A. As if this wasn’t difficult enough.
“Or a shower?”
Oh, God. Did I stink? Or did he just know I’d skipped taking one?
And why the hell was he making this more difficult than it had to be? “I’m not really hungry. And I’ll just shower at home. I have everything I need there—clean clothes, a toothbrush…”
Those things had nothing to do with why I was leaving—but I knew they sounded legit. I needed to get the fuck out of Dodge—now.
Tyler sat up the rest of the way in bed, causing the sheet to fall off his chest, once more exposing his perfectly chiseled body covered in art. Jesus. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“See you later, though, right?”
He looked so fucking adorable with his sleepy eyes, so vulnerable and sweet, and my heart throbbed just gazing upon him.
But I had to leave.
Nodding my head, I gave him the brightest smile I could bear, and my voice sounded genuine, even to my own ears. “Yep.”
So genuine, I almost believed the lie.
Chapter Thirteen
It probably would have been easier to push my damn car up a hill than to get out of that fucking hotel alive, but I did it.
No thanks to Tyler.
He’d insisted upon walking me to the door, even giving me the sweetest kiss on my cheek. And I still couldn’t get out the door because he held me close while asking me if I needed him to call a cab. I lied, telling him one was already on the way, so I had to hurry.
Instead, now that I was outside in the fresh, early summer morning air, I was on my Uber app taking care of business. What I really wanted was to get the fuck out of here soon, because I was pretty sure brunch was happening around eleven. I didn’t know how many of my former classmates would arrive early or how many were staying here, but I wanted to avoid any more encounters. Not only did I want to get home, I needed time by myself.
That meant I was also going to skip coffee. I didn’t want to have to pay the Uber guy to go through the drive-through at Starbucks or wait for me outside, racking up money—or, worse, having to get another driver. I was just going to get my ass home and make an entire pot there.
And then I’d contemplate what to do with the rest of my weekend.
Lisa obviously didn’t need me at the reunion, so I wasn’t planning to go back. Besides, waking up with Tyler was a painful reminder of why we weren’t together today. Long-distance relationships would never work, so why had I opened myself up to heartbreak again? Last night, while the most amazing sex I’d probably had in my entire life, was a mistake.
Thus, I had to decide what to do to take my mind off it all. Maybe shopping at the Chapel Hills Mall in Colorado Springs, and I could catch dinner and a movie after. Or maybe I could take in some culture in downtown Denver. I’d been planning to check out the Botanic Gardens for years. This might be the perfect time.
When the Uber driver got there, I ran my fingers through my hair again, feeling self-conscious about how I looked. It was probably pretty damn evident what I’d done—but why would this guy care? Not only was he earning some money to pay for his brand-new sedan, but I was also going to give him a hell of a tip.
After all, he’d saved me from a fate worse than death.
And thank God the guy wasn’t chatty.
Okay, now I could read my text messages. When I’d used the Uber app, I’d pretended like I couldn’t see all the texts from Lisa, but I’d read them now on the way home. How could I be mad at my bestie? I couldn’t bring myself to, even though I knew I could have been justifiably angry for a solid week.
Hey, Meg. Please don’t be mad at me, but I’m looking at you right now sitting at that table all chatty and intimate with Tyler. Randy and I are gonna bug out of here. If you need a ride…well, just give me an hour or so, okay? Just call if you need me but this HAS TO HAPPEN!
That message was followed by two others, both sent last night. One was simply three smiley-face emojis. The second simply said, Love ya!
