Rough and Ready, page 18
Rafe grinned briefly, then schooled his features when Gio frowned at him.
Gage obviously noticed as well, and Rafe’s respect for the guy rose—despite his last name—when he decided to take himself out of the equation. He looked around and saw the maître d’ waiting on them. “Stay here and talk to your friends, Penny. Take as long as you want. Matt and I will head to the table and order a bottle of champagne.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then he and Matt walked away.
“I guess you don’t want to hear me tell you that they really are good guys,” Penny insisted.
Gio sighed. “Gage seems like a decent man, but Matt’s an asshole.”
Penny shrugged but wisely didn’t try to plead the man’s case any further.
“Champagne…?” Keeley asked, deftly changing the subject.
Penny’s face erupted in a smile so big, Rafe wondered if it hurt her cheeks. Then she lifted her hand, revealing an emerald-cut diamond engagement ring. “Gage proposed!”
Keeley’s eyes widened with glee as she looked at the ring. “Holy shit. That ring is gorgeous!”
“I know,” Penny gushed. “I couldn’t believe it when he asked me last night. I was going to text you and the girls to invite you to happy hour one day this week. I wanted to tell you in person.”
Rafe frowned. “Didn’t you just start dating the guy?”
Penny nodded. “Well, yeah. I guess officially we started dating at my birthday party, but before that, we…” She shrugged, making it clear she didn’t intend to finish whatever she was about to say.
“And your birthday was only a month ago,” Rafe pointed out. He’d never taken Penny as the impulsive type. Awkward and a little shy, sure, but never impetuous.
Penny shrugged. “Gage said we could have a long engagement. Of course, two minutes later, he was talking about how awesome a winter wedding would be.”
Penny and Keeley laughed.
“If he’s moving that fast, you definitely need to set up that happy hour,” Keeley said. “We have a wedding to plan.”
“We do!” Penny grinned even bigger, something Rafe wouldn’t have thought possible. Then she said, “I should get to my table. I’ll text you later, Keeley. Bye.”
“Wow,” Keeley said after Penny walked away, clearly tickled for her friend. “That is so awesome.”
“That is so fast,” Rafe replied, recalling how his mother’s marriages had all happened about five minutes after the first date. He hated to think of Penny making the same mistake.
Rafe expected Keeley, Miss Romantic Hearts, to argue with him, but he hadn’t anticipated Gio beating her to the punch.
“Tony said it was the same with him and Rhys. Said they both knew within days that Jess was the woman for them. Took them a little longer to convince her, but I think when you know, you know.”
“Yeah. I think so too,” Keeley agreed.
Rafe wanted to debate that. After all, his mother “had known” that same thing five times in her life. But he didn’t say that because he was too distracted by Keeley’s face, by the way she was smiling at Gio. And the way he was smiling back.
They knew.
He could see it in their eyes.
And suddenly, he didn’t want to tell them they were wrong.
Instead, he wanted her to look at him like that.
Chapter Eleven
Keeley considered pinching herself as she walked into Rafe’s mansion for the second night in a row. Dinner had been absolutely perfect. Only Gio and Rafe could ensure a date was the perfect blend of romantic, fun, and naughty.
Gio had trapped her foot between his thighs the entire meal, encouraging her to play footsie with the hard-on tenting his dress slacks. Meanwhile, Rafe hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her. He spent the entire night with his arm wrapped around her shoulder, or his hand cupping the back of her neck in a way that was strangely erotic, or with his fingers running through her hair. Gio reached for her hand whenever they weren’t eating, and Rafe had placed no fewer than twenty kisses on her cheek or brow. The restaurant lighting was low and encouraged their sensual, nonstop touches.
The entire evening had been one long session of foreplay. Now her body was a live wire, and she was ready for the real fireworks to start.
Gio’s arm was wrapped around her waist, and he started to guide her to the living room.
“Should we have a drink?” he asked.
Keeley dug her heels in. “No.”
“Impatient much,” Gio teased.
Rafe chuckled. “I think someone is finished being wooed. Ready to move this date to the bedroom, Keeley?”
She grinned. “You read my mind.”
Rafe took her hand and the two of them headed for the stairs. Gio ran up behind them, then grasped Keeley’s upper arm, spun her around, and tossed her over his shoulder. “You two are walking too slow.”
“And I’m the impatient one?” She laughed as he sprinted up the steps. She’d never been with such a physically strong man. It took her breath away—figuratively and literally as her midsection bounced against his shoulder.
Rafe followed closely behind, though she couldn’t really see his face, given her current upside-down position.
When they reached the top, Rafe said, “My room, Gio.”
Gio headed that direction, the three of them entering together. Then he set her on her feet, holding onto her upper arms until she was steady.
“Caveman much?” she joked. “Why not just grab me by the hair and drag me?”
Gio reached up and closed his fist in her thick tresses. “Is that your way of asking me to pull your hair, little one?” He increased the pressure, using his grip to tilt her head back. She expected him to kiss her, but Gio missed her mouth, his lips finding her throat instead. He drew his tongue along the curve of it, the stroke so sexy, her insides began to quiver.
Her panties had been damp with arousal most of the night, and this wasn’t helping that state. Her nipples tightened, and she was overwhelmed by the desire to strip off her dress, the material clingy and annoying.
Gio released her when they heard a bark.
She turned around and smiled when she saw Cricket sacked out on the foot of Rafe’s bed. Her bark hadn’t been the manic, nonstop intruder kind. This one was a short, single yap that told them they were disturbing her beauty sleep.
Her amusement morphed to a laugh. “Oh my God. Are those steps?”
At the foot of Rafe’s bed was a small staircase, three steps that allowed the tiny dog access to the tall bed.
Rafe sighed. “I didn’t put them there. Grandpa Albert did. Cricket slept with him every night and I haven’t figured out how to evict her from the bed yet.”
Keeley walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Liar. You haven’t even tried, have you?”
Rafe narrowed his eyes, but it was all for show. Then he pointed to a dog bed in the corner. “I bought her that, but she’s not interested.”
Keeley flexed up on tiptoe to kiss Rafe on the cheek. “I think it’s sweet that you let her sleep with you.”
“Me too,” Gio said, making it clear he was enjoying the information a little too much. Keeley could just imagine the teasing Rafe was about to suffer from the Morettis. She saw a lot of stuffed dogs, puppy treats, and squeaking toys in his future.
Gio reached for Cricket, picking her up. Now, as always, she showered him with an onslaught of affectionate licks. “But, Miss Cricket,” he said to the dog, “the bed’s going to be a little too crowded and the waves a lot too rough for the next hour or so for such a tiny dog.” Gio placed her in the dog bed but, just as Rafe said, she wasn’t impressed. She stepped out of it, and Gio pushed her back in, then raised one finger and pointed at her. “Stay,” he said firmly.
Keeley doubted that was going to work—and was surprised when Cricket whined for only a second before laying down. She didn’t close her eyes, though, her doggie gaze locked on Gio, who held it, letting her know he was serious.
Rafe, who’d been far too indulgent with the dog as far as Keeley had seen, stepped next to Gio. “Damn, man. You’re going to have to teach me how to do that.”
Gio placed his arm around Rafe’s shoulders. “You’ve been treating her like you saw your grandpa treat her. He spoiled her rotten too.”
Rafe shrugged, not bothering to deny it. “I know she misses him.”
Keeley’s heart panged, touched beyond measure by Rafe’s sweet admission.
Confident the dog was going to stay put, Gio turned to look at her. “Now. There’s something that’s been driving me crazy all night,” he said to her. “And I need an answer right now.”
“What’s that?” she asked, her tone pure flirt.
Gio crossed his arms. “Are you wearing a bra under that dress?”
She smiled widely. “What do you think?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think you are.”
Rafe chuckled. “I could have put you out of your misery before we’d even ordered the drinks at the restaurant. Slid my finger into her dress. No strap on her shoulder.”
“You’ve never heard of strapless?” she teased.
Rafe smirked. “You don’t give me enough credit for being observant. I had the better view in that booth. You reached for a piece of bread and your dress gaped a little. I got treated to a flash of one of your gorgeous tits.”
“Next time, I get the seat beside her,” Gio said, calling dibs.
“Who says there’s going to be a next time?” She was having way too much fun with them. “This date isn’t over yet. You’ve yet to stick the landing.”
“Take off that dress,” Rafe said, his tone taking on that demanding quality that never failed to turn her on.
Keeley reached for the ties on the side, slipping the knot free. Then she unfastened the two buttons there as well. It was a wrap dress, but because it dipped low in the front and the back, she couldn’t wear a bra with it. Luckily, she wasn’t so overly endowed that it was a problem.
With one flourish and a shrug of the shoulders, the dress slid off, leaving her standing before them in nothing but her thong.
“Keeley,” Gio breathed, and again she was overwhelmed by the way they looked at her. Neither man shielded his…
God. Appreciation.
She crossed her arms, not to hide herself but to use them to her advantage, lifting her breasts and making them look fuller. “Am I the only one losing clothes in this scenario?”
Rafe shook his head, as if he wanted to chastise her, but couldn’t after Gio took the bait.
Gio began unbuttoning his deep purple shirt. He’d paired it with black slacks that hugged his tight ass to perfection. Rafe, the more conservative and less flashy of the two, wore a simple pale blue button-down and khakis.
Keeley stepped in front of Gio when he shrugged off the shirt, her fingers itching to touch, to stroke, to feel. Gio’s chest, unlike his bearded face, was smooth, his skin tanned dark, thanks to so much time in the sun and his Italian genes.
Bending forward, she ran her tongue over his brown nipple, then smiled wickedly before she sank her teeth into the tiny nub, her eyes locked with his as she did so.
Gio was passive for only a moment before his hands found her breasts. He cupped them, rubbing his thumbs over her taut nipples. Her breasts were super sensitive, and she moaned before she could stop the sound.
Gio gave her a charming smirk. He was a cocky lover—she’d discovered that this morning. Of course, he had every reason to be, so it wasn’t like she could call him on it.
Rafe didn’t seek to join them, but she didn’t forget his presence. He shifted closer, his body mere inches away. He still hadn’t taken off a single piece of clothing, and she started to panic that tonight—like this morning—he wouldn’t go all the way.
“Rafe,” she whispered.
“Unzip his pants, Keeley. Pull his cock out, fist it.”
She did as he asked, though part of her was distracted by her concerns.
“I’m going to direct the show for a little while,” Rafe said, easing her thoughts. “Going to show you how to bring Gio to his knees.”
“Rafe,” Gio said, his voice growly, laced with a promise of retribution. One he couldn’t verbalize because Keeley had already gotten his pants unfastened, his rock-hard dick in her hand.
“And after that lesson,” Rafe continued, unfazed by Gio’s warning, “I’m going to bend you over that bed of mine and fuck you until you forget your own name.”
“Ohhh,” she breathed, certain she’d never heard anything hotter. She’d had a couple of lovers who liked to talk dirty in bed. Fool that she was, she’d thought it was hot. Now, everything those guys had said sounded like gibberish compared to Rafe’s bedroom dialogue.
“Tighten your grip, Keeley. You can stroke him harder. He likes it that way.”
Gio held still, remaining uncharacteristically quiet as Rafe gave her directions.
She clenched her fist, her gaze locked with Gio’s. The sudden unsteadiness of his breathing proved Rafe was correct.
“Pull your fist along that thick cock,” Rafe murmured, stepping closer, his lips scant inches from her ear. “Start out slow, ease him into it. Tease him into it.”
She obeyed. Gio’s tight jaw, the growing hunger in his gaze, her reward.
“That’s it. God, you’re perfect,” Rafe praised. “So fucking perfect. Now pick up the pace, stroke him faster, but don’t loosen your grip.”
“Jesus, man,” Gio muttered, but neither Rafe nor Keeley relented.
She increased her motions, Gio adding his own fuel to the flames, his hips thrusting toward her on each downstroke. He still held her breasts in his hands, squeezing them tightly. Every stroke, every squeeze drove them higher, both grasping, reaching, anxious for what came after.
Keeley pressed her legs together tightly. She needed more. So much more. She’d never been this hot, this bothered.
She felt something brush her feet and she glanced at the floor. Rafe had tossed a pillow between them.
“Get on your knees, beauty,” he instructed.
She lowered herself down without thought, too hung up on his term of endearment.
Beauty.
Her gaze was now level with Gio’s cock. She’d only opened his pants, but Gio took it further, shoving them down completely, toeing them and his shoes off.
His thighs were thick, muscular. He was built like a tree trunk, strong, unshakable. She still held his dick in her hand, so she directed the head of it to her mouth.
She’d just parted her lips when a firm fist found her hair, holding her back.
“Did I tell you to suck it?” Rafe asked.
Keeley closed her eyes, drawing in as much air as she could. She’d never…fuck…she’d never been this aroused.
“Please,” she whispered.
“I like it when you beg, beauty.”
Beauty. Again.
“You’re going to do a lot more of that tonight,” Rafe promised.
“Fuck, Rafe,” Gio said, in a way that caught Keeley’s attention. They’d shared women before…but Gio seemed as blown away by this dominant side of Rafe as she was.
“I didn’t tell you to stop stroking him,” Rafe said, as he stepped behind her and knelt, his fingers toying with the elastic waist of her thong. He didn’t remove them, didn’t do anything more than pull the elastic away from her skin. She was so hung up on what he was doing, she forgot to move her hand.
Until he released the elastic and it snapped against her, stinging.
She jerked with surprise, the pain turning inwards, the same way his pinch to her nipples had this morning.
“Move your hand,” he commanded. “Like this.”
He placed his hand over Keeley’s, and it was Gio’s turn to jerk in surprise as he watched, his furrowed brows telling Keeley they were in uncharted territory.
Rafe used his grip to move her hand, and together they began stroking Gio’s cock.
Keeley wet her lips, wishing Rafe would give her the…what was she waiting for? An order? Permission?
She had never allowed anyone to call the shots in the bedroom. Hell, that wasn’t something she’d ever really thought she wanted. Until now.
“Open your lips, Keeley,” Rafe said at last, releasing his grip on her hand. “But don’t take him inside. Gio’s going to fuck your mouth.”
Keeley thought maybe that should sound scary. She’d given blow jobs before, but she’d been in control of the situation, taking what she could, pulling away when it was too much.
But she wasn’t scared. Because this was Rafe and Gio, and she trusted them. More than anyone she’d ever been with before.
Gio cupped her cheeks, lifting her face until she was looking up at him. He gave her one of his characteristically charming winks, though his expression was otherwise serious. “Rafe might be giving the orders, but you’re still in control. You know that, right?”
She nodded. “I want you,” she whispered.
“You’ve got me, Keeley. For as long as you want.”
She could have played those words over and over a thousand times, but Gio didn’t give her a chance. The head of his cock brushed her lips and she opened, allowing him to slide inside. He really was big, almost uncomfortably so.
“Grip the base of his dick like I just showed you,” Rafe said. “Close your hand around him nice and tight, then hold on.” As he spoke, he rose, standing behind her.
No sooner had she done as he said, than Gio began thrusting in and out of her mouth and hand. He’d kept his grip on her head, holding her still, fucking her mouth just as Rafe said he would.
There was no mistaking this for a blow job. It wasn’t that. It was something she’d never done, never experienced before. And she loved it.
Loved being surrounded by these two men, obeying their dirty demands, turned on by their rough, sensual touches.
Keeley had spent her entire adult life searching for this.
Now…
Her vision blurred with tears—the happy kind as well as the trying-to-catch-her-breath kind. Gio was pushing in deeper, and she had to fight against her gag reflex.
