Bishop's Pawn Read online

  She pulled him to her mouth, he thrust his tongue in unison with his cock. Her fingers dug into his neck and shoulders. He was dimly aware of nails raking his back and the way he bellowed with pleasure.

  He never faltered, not even when her tight pussy squeezed his shaft so tight he saw stars. Grunting from the effort of each powerful stroke, he surrendered to her ferocious sexuality and lost himself.

  She came. He watched and absorbed the mind-blowing sensation of her pussy exploding with an orgasm.

  Waiting like a surfer gauging a massive wave, he let her climax build and then as she hit the top of the pleasure swell, he thundered for home. They were both vocal and loud as the skin prickling consummation rolled them around and finally sucked them under.

  Roman was aware in a way he’d not known previously of his cock pulsing and spurting as her luscious cunt claimed its prize. It felt never ending too. He let out a tremendous roar and finished inside her. She was shaking uncontrollably at the end. Fuck, the whole bed shook from the power of the earthquakes overtaking them.

  It took forever to come back and the moment when he pulled his cock from her body provided an added shock that made Roman freeze. He didn’t need the lights on to know they’d experienced a condom fail. A major condom fail.

  Struggling to process what happened left him unprepared when Kelly sat up straight like a marionette whose strings were pulled. She looked at him, her eyes wide and an unreadable expression on her face.

  He was still fumbling awkwardly to untangle from the bedding they’d made a mess of when she bolted for the door.

  What the god damn fuck was going on?

  Frantic, he tugged the corner of a sheet wrapped around his calf and growled angrily. Free at last, he took off after her and found she’d taken refuge in the bathroom.

  Not knowing what to do, he paced back and forth in the hallway and picked up the faint sound of water running. Scraping a hand on his head, he scowled at the barrier she’d thrown up with the closed door.

  That was the exact moment the power came back on. Glancing down his front, he grimaced at the irrefutable evidence of the debacle his out-of-bounds sexuality created. A condom split in two still hung from his dick and because that wasn’t enough to freeze his nuts, there was something else. Something that fucked with his head in a major way.

  Straightforward was the only way to say it. The ripped condom wasn’t the only shocker. The in-your-face proof of Kelly’s virginity was more than evident.

  Returning to the bedroom, he disposed of the useless condom and stared at the blood-stained bedding.

  Oh dear god. What had he done?

  He looked at the doorway. She fled the second she could. He couldn’t help imagining her attempting to clean up, by herself, when he should have taken care of her.

  Guilt flooded his heart.

  So did a primal satisfaction that confused the holy shit from him.

  Jamming his feet into his heavy work boots, he stomped from the crowded little room, eyed the still-closed bathroom as he walked by, and made for the back door. He had to give the screen door a vicious kick to push back the foot of snow far enough that he could step out.

  Brushing the snow out of the way with a swinging leg, he made it down the steps and marched about fifty feet from the house and then stopped. It was cold but he didn’t care. The falling snow clung to his hair. Flakes hitting his sex-warmed body melted instantly.

  In the biting cold, his naked body exposed to the elements, the truth barreled into him like a herd of buffalo moving at high speed.

  Kelly Anne James was the soft whisper calling out from his soul.

  Heaviness seized his heart and he clutched his chest. He’d waited forever to find her, even let himself believe it would never happen. And now that he had, their rash actions might prove his downfall.

  For the first time in a very long while he thought of Vanessa and felt at peace. He’d loved her as much as he was capable of back then. She tried to love him the same. They certainly loved the promise of their child. But when he was honest, and the remorse of finding fault in things that death cut off didn’t railroad the reflection, he’d come to admit they would have struggled as a couple. Eventually. But knowing that didn’t mean he wouldn’t continue to love and honor the family he almost had every day for the rest of his life.

  But the gaping hole losing Vanessa and their baby left inside him wasn’t there any longer. Had it been there yesterday? Or the day before? He couldn’t remember, and that was the whole point. Nothing seemed to exist before the boldly self-assured girl he’d just made devastating love to appeared in his field of vision. Without any effort on her part she filled the void.

  And what had he done while she was saving his soul from an empty purgatory?

  Throwing his arms wide, Roman turned his face to the sky and howled. Guilt, remorse, and fear that he’d killed another chance for happiness before it had an opportunity to grow fueled the harsh sound.

  What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

  “Okay you silly twit,” Kelly mumbled out loud. “Get a grip.”

  Turning off the shower, she flung the curtain open and grabbed her towel from the hook, wrapping it quickly around her body. The flowered shower cap got tossed in the sink. With a second, smaller towel, she vigorously rubbed from face to toes, wicking away the water clinging to her skin.

  Swiping condensation off the mirror above the sink, she pointed to her reflection and continued scolding.

  “You are not your mother. Having your world shot full of goose bumps and sparkles won’t lead to losing who you are, so snap out of it. It was just sex.”

  She looked away guiltily and winced. With nothing for comparison, she might be operating at a disadvantage, but Kelly was pretty damn sure what she and Roman did in her crappy, old metal bed was a lot more than just sex.

  Without the accusatory finger pointing, she griped to her reflection, “And what the hell with the running away. That was a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

  Busted.

  Snatching a bottle of body lotion off a shelf, she dropped the toilet seat with a loud clang and sat down. Absent-mindedly pumping far too many squirts into a cupped palm, she energetically set about rubbing the sweet smelling cream onto her legs until none remained. Cupping a few more squirts into her hand, she dropped the towel and smoothed the cold lotion all over her torso.

  When her hands drifted over her breasts, she flinched. Roman’s mouth did quite a number on her nipples, evidenced by the faint bite marks and chafed tenderness.

  Kelly ran her hands beneath her naked breasts and gauged their weight and fullness. She’d been more than a little surprised to discover how sensitive they were and how susceptible to her lover’s attention.

  Her lover. Wow.

  She’d taken a man she knew for less than a day as her first and only lover.

  Why did everything feel so right when what she’d done, what they’d done, had probably been so wrong?

  A movement outside the bathroom window caught her eye. She used her fist to clear a spot to look through and swept the snowy backyard scene looking for clues.

  Her breath caught in her throat when Roman’s backside came into view. “What’s he doing?” she wondered in the silence.

  A naked man in her backyard in the middle of a snowstorm didn’t happen every day, but how wrong was it that she tingled with pleasure at the sight? The man was built like a marble statue. Hard and with muscles on top of muscles. He had a backside that needed a Grade A Prime Seal of Approval stamped on one mouth-watering cheek, and those thighs? Holy guacamole. Were those things legal in all fifty states?

  She startled and jumped back when he suddenly flung his arms and roared at the sky. The sound came through as if the glass window wasn’t there.

  Shame shot through every corner of her being. The anguished howl cut her to pieces. This was her fault.

  He turned around slowly. His head hung at a dejected angle. The veil of
snow covering his head reminded her of a white hat. The symbolism ate away at her composure. Her fancy man lover was one of the white hats. Matty would get the symbolism in a flash.

  The tingling turned to a shudder as she watched him slowly shuffle through the deep snow. The front view was even more devastating than the rear. Along with the illegal thighs, his chest had to either be dangerous to one’s health or flat out the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen. How the hell did he get that definition? Was it natural?

  And then her eyes caught another slight movement and drifted lower. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she muttered right about the time her nose pressed against the frosty windowpane for a better look.

  Swinging in a mighty arc, a priceless work-of-erotic art at the juncture of his thighs melted her brain. She blinked and made a small grunt. He was huge. Like seriously huge, and unless he had magical powers and could maintain an erection while buck naked in a blizzard, what she couldn’t tear her eyes from was a cock at rest.

  Oh, that tingling shudder? About that. She was going to need a mop to clean up after her if the aching pulse didn’t quit.

  Feeling lucky, her conscience snorted?

  Um, well, yeah. Duh.

  Then get your ass out there and explain your damn self. He deserves better than to suffer from Deb’s from-the-grave bullshit. Take responsibility Kelly Anne, and claim your man.

  His teeth chattering from the bone-chilling cold, Roman quickly pulled on his jeans. The ice-cold metal buckle touching his skin made him suck his stomach in as he slid the belt into place.

  He looked around for his wallet, found where he’d tossed it on the floor, stooped and picked it up. With it firmly in his pocket, he flopped onto the side of the bed to put his socks and boots on correctly. The sound of the metal creaking and the mattress bumping the wall reminded him why he was so twisted up in knots.

  Making fast work of the boots, he stood up and reached for his shirt. His eyes caught sight of the dark stain on the bed. Pulling the shirt over his head, he got one corner of the front tucked in as he searched around the bed until he located the ripped condom packet.

  This whole situation was of his making. He was one hundred percent responsible for everything. Period. When he got the chance, he intended to man up. He’d been a brute and handled her badly—especially considering it was her first time.

  That was thing one.

  Then there was the Liam thing. It didn’t matter that she went into it acknowledging they were crossing a line. He was the man. It was up to him to do the right thing. He was gonna ignore the fact that she’d been right there with him the whole way. Or that she started it. He was an adult for Christ’s sake and should have known better.

  Right?

  “So serious,” a gentle voice said. He turned toward the sound and found Kelly leaning casually against the doorframe. Her hair was gathered on top of her head. She wore a pair of stretchy gray pants and a big oversized sweater that hung to mid-thigh. He lowered his gaze to the magnificent breasts he knew lay beneath. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

  When he met her eyes, he shook his head and did a double take. Wait a minute. What? “Are you making fun of me?”

  “A little,” she laughed. And then she made a frowning face and added a grunt meant to convey that she was serious.

  Feeling like he’d stepped off a whirling merry-go-round and had to catch his balance, he stood completely still and gaped at her. The wounded little virgin he created in his mind that he’d ravished like a wild animal was nowhere in evidence.

  Well, shit. Another first. How the fuck much more was he going to get wrong?

  Throwing her a hard glance and sounding like a grumpy old man snarling at kids on the lawn, he said, “We need to talk.”

  “Ya’ think?” she replied with some knee-smacking hilarity. “Come on,” she added with a jerk of her head. “Let’s talk next to the fire. In case you haven’t noticed it’s freezing in here.”

  Left foot, right foot. That’s all it’d take to start moving, but he stood frozen to the spot. That’s how bad it was. She’d stolen his ability to function.

  When he didn’t move, she sighed heavily and came to him with her hand out. “It’s okay, Roman. You didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s get warm, and you can ask me the hundred questions I hear clanging in your head.”

  She took his hand and led him from the room like a confused child. He followed along and spent more time than was appropriate wondering if she went commando beneath the stretch pants.

  The fluffy pink socks captured his attention. His mind flashed to holding her legs open as he pounded her tight passage, and how her sock covered feet swung with each thrust.

  In the living room, she gently guided him to the sofa and stroked his face when he sat.

  “The fire looks good for now. I’m going to put the pot on to boil. Would you like some tea? Or coffee? I can make coffee if you’d like.”

  “Tea’s fine,” he croaked.

  Grabbing his shoulders, she playfully shook him and chuckled. “The power came back. We didn’t accidentally kill each other in the dark. I’m taking that as a win.”

  Who was this girl? Why wasn’t she berating him for being a macho pig? How come he wanted to drop her to the floor and do it all over again? What the hell was happening?

  “Kelly, I’m out of my depth here. Why aren’t you tearing me a new one for what happened?”

  “Er, yikes,” she muttered. “The hymen thing sorta’ freaked you out, huh? Sorry.”

  “The hymen thing?” His voice could not possibly have sounded more incredulous. He facepalmed and shook his head. Feeling full solidarity with every guy throughout all of human history who found himself dealing with a smart-mouthed female, Rhiann’s amused snicker sounded in his head. So did Liam’s grumpy ‘Welcome to the club.’ A sentiment quickly followed up with laughter and fall down finger pointing courtesy of his former Justice brother comrades.

  Using the sleeve of her sweater, she covered her hand and rubbed the top of his head. “Don’t want you catching a cold from wet hair.”

  Oh.

  My.

  Fucking.

  God.

  She was after-caring him and doing it with an ease and naturalness that blew his mind. Wasn’t that his job? Feeling like he’d stepped into an alternate universe, he continued being a clueless idiot with limited powers of speech.

  “You know,” she kidded, “there’s a bottle of Jack tucked away on the top shelf of the pantry. I could drag it down and pour you a drink. I don’t think tea will be much help.” The way she eyed him and the obvious way she tried not to laugh brought him at least part way to his senses.

  Forcing a smile to his face, he arched a brow at the same time. “Mmm,” he drawled. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Adding whiskey on top of what you’re doing to my head wouldn’t end well.”

  “I’m not doing anything! That’s all on you. I get that the virgin thing probably needed a declaration of some sort but everything after that? Roman,” she playfully chided. “Come on. You, me and a bottle of whiskey? It’d end exactly like the picture in your head.”

  “And how do you know what I’m picturing?”

  Her laugh wrapped around his heart. “Oh, good grief. When are you going to stop with the ‘but you’re just a girl’ crap? How do I know what you’re picturing? Really?”

  She pulled him from the sofa and curled around him like a sexy, clinging vine. For no reason other than it was a knee-jerk reaction, he grabbed her ass and helped himself to a glorious handful. Her sultry smile hit him like a ton of bricks.

  “You like to fuck. And you aren’t a wimp about it.”

  “Kelly…”

  “Shh, I’m just getting started.”

  He gulped.

  “You feel bad because I took your power away. I’d offer to go over your knee as a penance, but then the tea will never get made.”

  “Have you ever been properly spanked?”

  “Goo
d lord, no. Roman. Get with the picture, would you? I’ve never anythinged. Never been kissed, fondled, fingered, or fucked.” He was aware his eyes narrowed. She kissed his nose and raised up higher. “I don’t want nicey nice, and I suspect you don’t either. And before you growl or frown some more, no. I don’t talk like this normally.” She shrugged a shoulder. “This feels very real to me. Careful, polite language doesn’t fit.”

  “I like how blunt you are.”

  “Good because I’m still answering your question and yeah, I’m going to get vulgar.”

  “Vulgar has its place.”

  “I’m glad we agree. Back to what you’re picturing. Even though you feel like shit because you think I’m some delicate, innocent flower, the very nice butt grab just now tells me that a little face in the carpet, ass in the air action is a safe bet.”

  The things he could do, the sounds he’d get out of her in that delicious position, turned him on quicker than flipping on a light.

  “So let’s stop dancing around the obvious. You want me, and I want you. Is it complicated as all get out? Yeah. Just don’t let the complex part of things change what’s happening between us.”

  “But you’re so young, and…”

  She wasn’t taking his shit and cut him off with a ferocious squeeze. “And you’re ancient. Whatever.” Her annoyed growl made him smile inside. “Look. Stop overthinking. First of all, it isn’t fair ‘cause I’m not a fool. You know way more about me than I do. You get me, right?”

  Oh hell yeah.

  “And secondly, can I have some credit, please? Unless I imagined things, what went down earlier? I started it. And knowing whatever the hell else it is that you know didn’t stop you from letting me. So the overthinking after-the-fact is a little self-defeating.”

  “There’s something you don’t know.”

  She kissed him so sweetly he wanted to cry. With a small, encouraging smile she nodded. “Okay. Tell me.”

  “The uh, condom broke,” he blurted out.

  “What does that mean exactly?”

  A thousand random thoughts and emotions shook his previously well-ordered life.