Rough and Ready, page 17
“Fuck,” he bellowed, when Keeley’s hand found its way to his erection, firmly stroking him through his pants. The unexpected touch proved she wasn’t the only one teetering at the brink. Unlike Gio, he hadn’t found relief this morning, hadn’t taken the edge off between her legs. So he’d suffered all day, despite the fact he’d jerked off not once but twice in the shower.
Regardless, he’d be damned if he came from an over-the-pants hand job like a damn thirteen-year-old boy.
“Gio,” he said through gritted teeth, still finger-fucking Keeley, who was fighting her own orgasm, determined to give as good as she got.
God, he couldn’t wait to tame this wildcat, to have her purring in his arms. He loved a challenge, loved a woman who knew how to draw out his hidden alpha, his demanding, take-no-prisoners conqueror.
Gio, mercifully, understood what he needed. His friend gripped Keeley’s wrist and pulled her hand away from Rafe’s dick, then caught the other before she could resume her grip. He lifted them both above her head, holding them with one large hand, pressing them against the door, then he cupped her breast with the other.
She made an annoyed sound that quickly morphed to a moan when Rafe added a third finger to the two inside her. It was the equivalent to pulling a trigger, and Keeley jerked roughly as she came, Gio’s claim on her wrists and Rafe’s weight pressing against her the only things keeping her from sliding to the floor.
Once the spasms in her pussy stopped, Rafe pulled his fingers out, eliciting one last, sexy tremor in her body.
True to his word, Keeley’s cheeks were flushed bright red, something he couldn’t resist pointing out. “Pretty in pink,” he murmured in her ear, loving the way she narrowed her eyes at his cocky tone.
Her strength regained, she gave him a light shove, one that wouldn’t have budged him if he didn’t want it to. As it was, he took a step away, catching sight of Gio’s pleased expression.
He was as big a voyeur as Rafe was. They’d had a long talk about their shared kink one night after Vanessa, the second lover they’d shared, had gone to sleep. Gio had admitted how hot he got just watching, and one quick glance at the front of his friend’s pants proved he’d really enjoyed what he and Keeley had just done.
Of course, there was small comfort in the fact they were both sporting hard-ons now because—despite what he’d just done—Rafe was still determined to talk to Keeley about their desires. She was younger than their previous three lovers, less experienced, and, well…he felt protective of her. He didn’t want her walking into their bedroom blind.
His kinks didn’t end with voyeurism and sharing.
He pushed thoughts of that away for now. He had to, or he’d never get his erection under control.
Rafe had only been in Keeley’s apartment one time before, when he and his buddies all helped her move in. He’d never seen it decorated, but as he looked around now, he was impressed. She had good taste, and either she’d cleaned up for them, or she was neat by nature. He tended to believe the latter, having watched her in the mansion the past few weeks, and the way her workspace was always cleared off and tidy by the end of every day.
He walked to the kitchen and quickly washed his hands before rejoining Keeley and Gio in the living room. She had a small clutch in her hand, and she was transferring things—lip gloss, her wallet, a phone—from her larger bag.
“New phone?” Gio asked.
She nodded. “My first stop after you dropped me off to get my car was the phone store. They transferred all my information over to this one, so the only harm done was to my monthly bill because I hadn’t paid off the last one.”
Rafe listened with half an ear, too hung up on something else. “What was your second stop?” he asked, unable to keep the anger out of his tone.
“What?” Keeley asked.
“Isn’t that your favorite bag?” Rafe asked.
“Uh… Yeah.”
Gio scowled when he realized what she was holding. He stepped next to her. “I thought you left that in JT’s car.”
“I did.”
Gio crossed his arms. “Are we playing the twenty questions game again, or are you going to explain how you got the thing back?”
“I called him after I got my new phone. He had spent the night in the drunk tank, but he’d gotten out earlier this morning and retrieved his car from the bar. I drove by his place to get my bag. Met him in his parking lot because it was still in his car.”
“Keeley,” Rafe growled, displeased.
“It was no big deal.”
“No big deal?!” Gio yelled.
Keeley wasn’t the type to ever back down, and right now wasn’t going to be the exception. “It was my mom’s favorite purse. There was no way in hell I wasn’t going back to get it.”
Gio put his hands on his hips. “That’s not the point and you know it. You should have told us you were going. We would have gone with you.”
“Why? I was in no danger from the idiot. We were in public, in a parking lot. He was hungover and obviously regretting his actions.”
“What did he say?” Rafe asked.
“It doesn’t matter what he said. It only matters what I said after I got my purse. I informed him that he was a stupid asshole, right before I said I never wanted to hear from him again, and just after I told him to go fuck himself.”
Gio relaxed, but only slightly. “That’s all?”
She nodded. “That’s all.”
“Pack a bag,” he said.
“What?”
While they hadn’t discussed this, Rafe knew exactly where Gio was going with his demand, so he explained. “You’re spending the night with us again.”
Keeley, the little minx, tapped her chin as if there was some decision to be made. There wasn’t. Even so, she feigned hesitance. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I have work tomorrow and I can’t be late. My boss is a real hard-ass.”
Rafe wrapped one hand around the back of her neck while grasping one of Keeley’s hands with the other. He drew it behind him, to his ass. “All I heard was ‘my boss has a hard ass.’ Now give it a squeeze, naughty girl, then go pack that bag like Gio said.”
“Jesus, man,” Gio said, chuckling. “And you call me the caveman.”
Keeley squeezed his ass, winking at him as she did, then she walked down the hallway to her bedroom.
“Not sure how I’m going to make it through dinner,” Gio murmured. “Especially after watching you two just now.” He paused, then tilted his head. “Little rough, weren’t you?”
Rafe considered that. He had been rough with her. Rougher than with any of his previous lovers. He wasn’t sure exactly why. Part of him could tell Keeley liked her pleasure with an edge of pain. But it was more than that. In the past, he’d held back, kept parts of himself hidden.
“I know you’ve got an alpha side,” Gio continued. “I do too. I’ve just never seen you quite so…” He took a moment before adding what ultimately was the right word. “Aggressive.”
Rafe blew out a long, slow breath, trying to figure out how he could explain in a way that didn’t reveal too much. “Our past affairs have been with women we didn’t know as well as Keeley. I wasn’t sure how they’d react to my more forceful side. I know Keeley better. I can read her responses, can tell by the look on her face or the sound of her voice if she’s enjoying something, if she needs more, or even if it hurts.”
He hoped Gio didn’t look too deeply into that, didn’t realize how much Rafe had paid attention to Keeley not just in the past month but for years. He’d always watched her a little more than he’d let on, fascinated by her.
He’d chalked it up to amusement, but now he could see it had been attraction, plain and simple.
He’d also never felt the need to possess or claim his past lovers. But with Keeley…he could settle for nothing less.
Keeley saved him from having to say more when she returned with an overnight bag. “I have to say, you guys are awfully sure of yourselves. Even when past experience should have proven to you that my dates never end well.”
Gio wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her to the door. “We’re about to break that unlucky streak. Show you how real men treat a woman on a date.”
She smiled her thanks when Rafe took her bag to carry for her. It was light, so she obviously hadn’t packed much more than a toothbrush and change of clothes. He was tempted to tell her to grab more. Because if she decided to go through with this, one night with her wasn’t going to be enough.
“So where are we going?” Keeley asked once they were in the car.
She’d claimed the backseat, while he and Gio were in the front. Gio, as always, made his stupid joke about them “ridin’ eye-talian,” which Urban Dictionary had taught him meant men in the front seat, women in the back. Rafe had no idea why Gio found the phrase so funny, but he used it pretty much every single time the scenario fit.
“We made reservations at Alpen Rose,” Rafe replied.
From the rearview mirror, he saw Keeley’s eyes widen. “Wow. I’ve always wanted to eat there, but it’s super expensive.”
Gio chuckled. “Rafe’s rich now, remember?”
“Is that your way of telling me I’m picking up the check?” he joked.
Gio, shameless as always, said, “Shit, I thought that was implied when we booked the table.”
Keeley laughed. “You guys are crazy.”
Rafe continued to sneak glances at her as he drove, noticing with some pleasure that the smile never left her face. Keeley was happy, and she didn’t bother hiding that fact.
Once they parked, Rafe put his hand on her back as they walked into the restaurant. Gio gave their name to the maître d’, who showed them to their table. They’d requested a booth, so Gio slid into one side as Keeley and Rafe claimed the other.
The intimate restaurant was perfect for their first date, as it only seated forty people. The dining room was cloaked in wood, and the lighting, provided by ornate chandeliers, was dim, which made it easy for them to pretend they were the only three people in the place.
Keeley ordered a glass of red wine, while he and Gio both opted for bourbon on the rocks. Once they’d placed their orders, conversation began to flow.
Keeley had remarked at Eclectic that she’d liked JT originally because talking to him had been easy. Rafe had to admit the same was true for the three of them. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt comfortable enough to simply be himself.
“This place is incredible,” Keeley observed, leaning closer to Rafe. He took advantage of the situation by resting his arm along the back of the booth, encouraging her to nuzzle in even more. He caught the scent of her citrus-y shampoo and marveled over how the smell of lemons had become an aphrodisiac for him lately.
“How’s your ankle?” Gio asked.
“Better. Just a little twinge every now and then. And it’s not swollen anymore.”
Gio nodded, then said, “Even so, maybe you should keep it elevated. Slip off your shoe and lift your foot up.” He gave her a wicked look that was one-hundred-percent dare.
“Are you suggesting we play footsie?” Keeley asked, though Rafe could tell from the way she shifted, she’d already lifted her foot.
Gio reached beneath the table. “Nope. I’m suggesting you play footsie.”
“Gio,” she whispered, glancing around. “Put it on the bench beside you. Not…”
“Where’s the fun in that for me? No one can see,” Gio assured her as he whipped his napkin open dramatically—for effect—then draped it over his lap.
Rafe couldn’t see where Gio had positioned her foot, but he could definitely guess, especially when Gio groaned softly.
“Press a little harder.”
“You two are incorrigible,” Rafe said. “We’ve been here less than half an hour.”
Keeley giggled, then lifted her face to give Rafe an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “You’re the one who made us stop back at my place.”
Rafe nodded, then took the opening Keeley had offered him. “I did. Because I thought we should talk before we let things progress any further.”
Gio sighed dramatically. “Talk, talk, talk. Rafe, man, sometimes it’s okay to leap without looking.”
Rafe shook his head. “That’s actually never okay, and especially not right now.” He turned his attention to Keeley. “Were you okay with everything that happened last n—” He paused and amended his timeline. “Early this morning.”
“Yes,” she said without a moment’s hesitation. “I would have been even more okay with it if you and I…” She let him fill in the blanks.
He ran his finger along the back of her neck, loving the way that simple touch caused her to shiver with need. “We’ll get there. So you’re sure you’re interested? In sleeping with both of us?”
“I am. Very much so.”
He remembered Gio’s comment at her place, and he felt the need to ask, “Did I hurt you earlier in your apartment?”
“No. I mean, it was intense. But…” Her voice had taken on a breathless quality. “I liked it. No one’s ever…”
Rafe watched her face flush. He hadn’t expected shyness from her, and while it wasn’t there often, it did peek out from time to time. It was what told him that while she’d taken men to her bed, her experience was still limited.
“You like it rough,” Rafe mused aloud.
She considered that, then nodded. “I think I do.”
He was glad to have this opportunity to talk to her. “I don’t want to hurt you, Keeley. I’ll never take more than you’re able or willing to give.”
“I know you won’t,” she said with an assurance that hit him hard, blindsiding him. It told him that she trusted him. He never wanted to betray that, but God…he didn’t see a way around it, now that they’d opened the door to this affair. “So, how did the two of you discover you liked sharing women?”
Gio reached across the table, holding his hand palm up. Keeley slipped hers into it. “Rafe and I went to dinner with Layla and her guys right after they got together. After they left, the two of us started talking, and we realized we both wanted to try it.”
“How in the hell do you pick up women together?” she asked.
Gio chuckled. “Rafe knew our first lover, Jennifer, from work. He invited her to happy hour with us, and one thing led to another. We met our second lover, Vanessa, at Eclectic. We asked her to dance, and one thing led to another…” he repeated.
She laughed. “I’m sure it did. I’ve been a part of that bump and grind. It was why I had to walk off the dance floor after one song. So hot.”
Rafe kissed the side of her head. He noticed neither he nor Gio seemed capable of being near her without touching her. “The last affair was with Jill. She and Gio dated in high school. We ran into her at a bar, and again…”
“One thing led to another,” she finished. “I only ever heard about Gio dating Jill. From Liza and Jess. You…” she started, pausing for Rafe to fill in the blanks.
“I didn’t date her,” Rafe clarified. “Only Gio did.”
“So you just…”
Rafe forced himself to nod. This conversation was going exactly where he’d intended it to, and yet he hated what he was about to confess. “For me, it was just sex. You know how I feel about relationships. Gio’s the one looking for a woman to marry. And it was clear Jennifer, Vanessa, and Jill were all looking for the same thing. So I stepped aside after their feelings changed, and Gio…”
Keeley looked at Gio. “You dated them.”
Gio nodded. His friend had been decidedly quiet throughout this part, letting Rafe do all the explaining.
“So…just sex?” she asked Rafe, repeating his words.
“Yes,” he replied, though that answer felt wrong. “That’s all.”
Keeley picked up her wineglass and took a sip. She fell silent, and Rafe got a sense she was mulling over what he’d just told her.
Finally, she said, “I see.” Then added, “And I understand.”
Rafe wondered if she did. He hadn’t come straight out and said their affair would be the same. Had she assumed so? Or did she see what was happening between the three of them as something different? Did he?
A wise man would stop screwing around with the subtleties and just state what he was thinking outright.
The problem was, his thoughts and feelings weren’t in agreement at the moment.
His head still didn’t believe in love. But his heart was starting to have some serious doubts.
So he held his tongue.
Dinner arrived, and the conversation changed, primarily to how delicious the food was. They were debating dessert when Gio growled.
Rafe looked at his friend, confused, until he realized Gio was looking at someone behind him.
He grinned. The Morettis had a special sound whenever a Russo was around, so Rafe had a pretty good idea what he was going to see when he turned around.
He glanced over his shoulder at the exact same time Penny spotted them. The maître d’ was leading her, Gage, and Matt Russo to a table.
Penny detoured to their booth instead, while Gage and Matt reluctantly followed.
“Hey, you guys,” she said cheerfully.
Rafe had grown very fond of Rhys’s little sister over the years. She’d always been a quirky thing, but lately she seemed to have blossomed. Her fashion sense was still a bit out there, but she’d traded her too-big glasses for contacts and had started wearing her hair in an actual style, as opposed to pinning it up in braids or messy ponytails.
Keeley smiled at her friend’s arrival. “Penny! Oh my God, I haven’t seen you since your birthday. Where have you been hiding out?”
Penny shoulder-bumped Gage. “This guy keeps monopolizing all my time after work.”
“Right. Just after work,” Matt muttered grumpily, making it clear Gage and Penny were indulging in some office hijinks.
