The Lineup Read online

  I slip in another inch, and then another as I feel her relax with each pass of my mouth, until I’m fully inside her and fuck, does it feel good.

  “Christ,” I whisper in her ear. “Dottie, I need to pump my hips.”

  She nods. “I need that too.”

  Thank fuck.

  Lifting up with my arms pressed to the mattress, I start to piston my hips in and out, but keeping it relatively slow, drawing my attention to our connection. So hot.

  Watching my dick slide in and out of her—claiming her—sends a jolt of lust through my veins, causing my hips to move even faster.

  Then she moans, her hands falling to my shoulders where she pierces me with her nails. The sensation of her pussy squeezing my cock and her nails digging into my skin sends me into overdrive. My toes start to go numb and my impending orgasm is just out of reach.

  “Fuck,” I grunt, pumping harder and harder. “Ahh, fuck, Dottie.”

  She pulls my head down to hers and drives her tongue into my mouth. I match her intensity, each thrust, each lick, until we’re both tensing together. My head falls to her shoulder as she cries out my name, her pussy clenching around me, her hips erratically flying with mine.

  That’s all it takes. My body seizes and I spill inside her, my pelvis stilling as euphoria shoots through me, touching every limb, every nerve ending, every goddamn part of my body until I collapse on top of her.

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” I mumble, reeling from what just happened between us.

  “I . . . never . . . Jason.” I get what she’s trying to say, because I’m feeling the same damn way.

  I’ve never felt anything like that before.

  I’ve had sex, plenty of it, but the connection we share, the way she listened, relinquished herself to me, fully trusting her body into my hands, it was a combination of so many untapped sensations that I’m not sure I’ll fall off this high easily. Nor am I going to be able to let go of this woman.

  Tough as stone on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, with a need to be taken care of . . . she’s fucking perfect.

  I press a kiss to her cheek and rest there with her wrapped around me. Together we catch our breath, and then we spend the rest of the night snuggling. Fuck, this is almost too good to be true. I found her. My woman. My future.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  DOTTIE

  “There she is,” Lindsay says, clapping obnoxiously loud as I make my way through the restaurant to the table where Emory, Milly, and Lindsay are sitting, waiting for me.

  It’s been a hectic week, or last two weeks I guess. The Carltons have put their decision on hold and extended their vacation instead, leaving me in the balance. They haven’t been super responsive, but they said when they get back—not sure when—they’ll let me know. They’ll set up a time to have dinner.

  Their email seemed short, almost like they might not be going with our proposal, which has made me unattainable as a friend and desperately neurotic.

  The only good thing about the situation right now is Jason has been over to my place almost every night. I’ve come home to home-cooked dinners—I gave my chef some much-needed time off—and then we’ve spent the rest of our nights talking . . . naked.

  We’ve been on a few other dates, not many though given my schedule, which terrifies me because I’m already busy. What happens if we continue to date and he begins his season? We’re barely going to see each other. When I brought that up, he kissed me on the nose and said it’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there.

  Must be easy for him to not worry about it, just sweep it under the rug, but uncertainty isn’t easy for me. I like to have a plan. I like to know what’s ahead. I like to be able to prepare myself for what’s to come.

  But lately, it seems like my entire life is full of uncertainty, and it’s driving me crazy.

  “Sorry,” I say, pulling out my chair and taking a seat, letting my entire body flop into the chair. Emory set up brunch a few days ago and begged me to come since they haven’t seen me in well . . . two weeks. “I ran into the office quickly this morning to pull some numbers. But I’m here.”

  “Yes, you are, and what a glow you have about you, don’t you think, ladies?”

  Milly, the shy one of the group, nods over her mimosa, but Emory has a giant smile on her face . . . a knowing one.

  “It’s so strange that we haven’t seen you around lately,” Emory says, lifting her plain orange juice to her mouth. “I wonder why that is.”

  “Have you seen Jason?” Lindsay asks, looking like a doofus with the way she won’t stop wiggling her eyebrows. My girls know me well enough that I was going to order a mimosa, so they had one already brought to me. Thankful for the refreshment, I down half of it.

  “No, he hasn’t been around to annoy us lately.” Emory taps her chin. “I wonder where he could be.”

  “You guys are so immature.” I shake my head. “Why don’t you two be more like Milly? She’s sweet and doesn’t pester.”

  “I don’t, but I like their pestering,” Milly replies with ease.

  Ugh damn it, Milly. She’s supposed to be on my side.

  “When have we ever been mature?” Lindsay asks, plopping a piece of fruit from the plate in the middle of the table in her mouth. “Just tell us what’s going on with you and Jason. We’ve given you space, now it’s time to dish.”

  “I’m surprised you guys don’t already know,” I say, picking up a piece of pineapple. “Jason has zero ability to keep anything to himself. I assumed he’d told Knox and Carson, who in return told Emory and Milly and of course, relayed the information to you, Lindsay.”

  “He’s said nothing,” Emory says, looking disappointed. “And I even forced Knox to ask, but he said Jason has been dead silent. Believe me, we are just as shocked as the guys.”

  It’s because I told him if he said anything to Knox and Carson, I wouldn’t be sucking his dick anytime soon. In the last two weeks, I’ve sucked it at least six times. I finally figured out the way to keep Jason Orson quiet—just stick his dick in my mouth.

  “It’s why we called for brunch today, because we need to know what’s going on.” Lindsay pokes me. “Spill.”

  Smiling, I lean back and cross one leg over the other. “I’m not going to go into detail, so don’t ask for it. Got it?” I specifically look at Lindsay, who rolls her eyes and agrees. Good. Unable to contain how giddy I am, I say, “Jason and I are dating. He’s been at my house almost every night for the past two weeks.” Emory claps her hands. “He’s unlike any man I’ve ever been with. He annoys me to no end, but at the drop of a hat, has me begging for his attention. He can make me laugh and swoon all in the same moment and”—I clear my throat and lean forward so the people around us can’t hear—“he’s the best sex I’ve ever had. Like surpasses any and all men.”

  “Seriously?” Emory asks. “I thought he’d be a gentle lover given his personality.”

  “Very gentle,” Lindsay says. “Probably asks you for consent before every coupling, right?” Lindsay jokes. Little does she know.

  “He’s an animal,” I say, shocking them, even poor Milly, whose face turns bright red. Carson told us a while back she didn’t have many girlfriends growing up or even in recent years, so when they got married, we took her in as our own. She’s slowly opening up, but I can tell every time she hangs out with us, she’s out of her element. And when we have gatherings at Knox and Emory’s apartment, she always drifts over to the guys, not because she needs to be by Carson all the time, but because she wants to talk baseball. She’s sweet, we love her, and she’s about to get a small eye-opener.

  “He’s what?” Lindsay asks, setting her drink down in shock. “No way. Jason?”

  Now I know I said I wouldn’t go into detail, but I feel the need to prove to them that his personality doesn’t quite match his actions in bed.

  “First of all”—I point to all of them—“none of this leaves this table. You hear me? If Carson and Knox tell Jaso
n what I’m about to tell you, he’ll never let me live it down. So, keep your mouths shut.”

  “That’s easy for me since I’m not dating a hunky baseball player,” Lindsay says, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I won’t say anything,” Milly says, looking distraught over the idea of not telling Carson.

  “You know me, I keep everything from Knox,” Emory says flippantly, but that is a boldfaced lie. She tells that man everything.

  “I’m especially talking to you, Emory. You and Knox are gossip gatherers, and your apartment is an infestation of gossip.”

  “No, it’s not. I won’t tell him. Promise.”

  Satisfied, I say, “First of all, Jason has the biggest penis I’ve ever seen. Girth, length . . . THE towel picture is all that and then some.”

  “Shut up. Guh,” Lindsay groans. “You lucky, lucky girl.”

  “Have you seen the towel pic?” Emory asks Milly, who pushes up her glasses and brings her mimosa to her mouth.

  “Um, I think Carson showed it to me once. He wanted to compare himself.”

  We all chuckle, because that’s definitely something Carson would do.

  “Let’s just say the picture doesn’t do him justice. And if you think he’s docile and meek in bed, you’d be wrong.” I flip my hair over my shoulder and say, “He’s all alpha. It’s like he flips this switch and turns on this side of him I never expected. He’s controlling, demanding, and . . . adventurous.”

  “Stahp.” Lindsay fans herself. “God, I can see it. All those muscles, all that testosterone.” Lindsay sets her hand on the table and leans forward. “Oh God, you’ve seen his bare ass. Is it everything you’ve ever dreamed of?”

  “It’s like a freaking juicy shelf attached to his back.” The girls laugh. “And it’s tight, really freaking tight. And I’m going to tell you this, watching him shower should be a sin. He’s such a specimen. Rippled abs, thick pecs, and ass that pops like Jennifer Lopez. I can’t keep my hands off him.”

  “And let me guess,” Lindsay says, sounding jealous but also happy for me at the same time—if that makes sense, “he cuddles you afterwards, strokes your hair, and continuously whispers in your ear how beautiful you are.”

  A slow smile perks up on my face.

  “Every. Time.”

  “Ugh, I need a Jason.”

  Emory smiles gently and places her hand on mine. “So what does this mean? You really like him?”

  I nod. “I do, I like him a lot. And not only for the great sex, but because he appreciates me and doesn’t want me to change. He likes how I can get angry at the drop of a hat. He enjoys watching me work until the late hours of the night because he understands drive and goals. He’s there for me, even if I come home late and all he gets to do is hold me. And on those off days, when we get to spend time together, he makes me forget about everything stressful happening in my life, every last taxing piece of it, and helps me relax. I know it’s been quick, but I honestly can say this without hesitation, I’m falling for the man.”

  “Oh my God,” Emory squeals.

  “I think I might cry,” Lindsay says.

  Clearing her throat, Milly says, “He’s a really good man, and has one of the prettiest swings in baseball.”

  We all pause and then laugh together, because Milly is so . . . Milly, and it’s why we love her.

  * * *

  “There’s my girl,” Jason says as I walk through the door.

  Like every other day, he swoops into the entryway of my apartment and brings me into his embrace.

  He grips the back of my head and places a searing kiss on my lips before pulling me into a hug and kissing the side of my head. Sweet and demanding simultaneously. I haven’t even set my purse down before he already has me wired up and ready to go.

  “How was work?”

  “The same,” I answer, taking my heels off and setting my purse down. I leave them in the entryway. I’ll take care of them later. I untuck my merlot-colored blouse and then unzip my skirt, letting that fall to the floor as well. In seconds, I’m like the father from The Goldbergs the minute he walks through the door.

  “It’s so hot when you do that.” Jason’s eyes fill with lust as he takes his hand in mine and leads me to the couch. “Dinner is still in the oven.”

  “Smells amazing.”

  He takes a seat on the couch and then pulls me on top of him. He’s in nothing but a pair of athletic shorts, just the way I like him, his chest exposed for my staring and touching purposes.

  I get comfortable, and his hands immediately go to my bare ass. He gingerly strokes each globe before his fingers start toying with my thong.

  “I missed you today. You weren’t a very good texter.”

  “I was not about to sext with you while having a meeting with our board of directors.”

  “But where’s the fun in that? That’s what being adventurous is all about. Getting wet and turned on when you shouldn’t be.”

  “And then what?” I ask him, drawing circles on his chest. “I’m horny for the rest of the day?”

  “No, that’s when you call your man to your office so he can take care of your needs.”

  “Ohhh, I see. You want office sex.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?” He grips my sides and shifts me so I can feel his already hardening erection. This man’s virility is unbelievable. “Think about it. You bent over your desk, me behind you.” He rubs me up and down and I let him, because even though we had shower sex this morning, I still want him. I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting him. “Making you beg for my cock until you fall apart with desperation.” Yup, I want this. I pick up the pace, letting my arousal lead the way as I dry-hump his cock. “And even when you’re on the verge of tears, begging me to fuck you, I’d still wait. I’d wait until I felt like you’d completely break, and then I’d fuck you from behind.”

  “Jesus, Jason.” That’s one thing I overlooked with the girls. The dirty talk. The man drives me wild with every word that leaves his sensual lips. I reach up and undo the buttons of my shirt, letting it fall to the side, and then I undo my bra, watching as Jason’s green eyes turn a shade darker. His hands fall to my breasts where he brings them to his mouth and starts sucking. My head falls back, my hair dancing across my back, as this passionate man begins to own my body once again.

  I slow down my hips to a torturous pace, and it doesn’t take Jason long to get sick of it because he tosses me to the side of the couch, shucks his shorts, and tears my thong off me. Determination and heat build right before he descends on me. He lifts one of my legs to the back of the couch and then spreads the other to the floor—thank God, I’m flexible.

  Hands on my hips, he presses his cock to my entrance and then fully inserts himself. He slides in with ease from how turned on I am.

  He grumbles something to himself and then starts rocking his hips, holding me down so firmly I have nothing to do but give in to the sheer force behind his body.

  I grip the arm of the couch and hold on as Jason takes over.

  “You’re so fucking tight, so fucking perfect.” Sweat beads at his brow from his exertion, from his controlled movements. I know he wants it harder—and he’s given it to me harder before, shaking my bed around on the floor—but when we have sex first thing after work, he seems to hold back, as if to give me a second to breathe. I appreciate it, but not this time. I want all of him.

  “Harder,” I say, causing his brows to narrow and his hips to still. “Wh-what are you doing?” I ask, looking up at him.

  “Let’s get one thing straight, Dottie. You might be the boss in the boardroom, but you’re sure as hell not the boss in the bedroom. Got it?”

  I should be startled, shocked even, but I’m not, because this is Jason, this is his kingdom and I’ve given over to it. I trust him enough to rule our lives in the bedroom, to take over and be in charge of our pleasure. I never knew that choosing submission could be so freeing. Allowing him to use and tantalize my body to his heart’
s content. Lindsay was right. I’m a lucky, lucky girl.

  Nodding, I say, “Yes, got it.”

  “Good.” He starts moving his hips again, but this time, he goes at a snail’s pace. “Trust that I know what you need, Dottie. Trust that in the moment, I can not only feel your desire, but I can read it as well.” He starts to pump a little harder. “Know that I don’t just fuck you, but I read your body, I watch how tight your nipples get, I wait for the moment you bite down on your lips right before your pussy clenches around my thick cock. I know the pattern of your breathing, the arch of your back before you come, and the sounds you make right before you hit that precipice.”

  My body climbs toward my orgasm with his every word, his every stroke.

  “Trust that I know how to not only fuck you but pleasure you so every other man is worthless to you.”

  Already there.

  “What’s that?” Jason asks.

  Did I say that out loud? Oh crap.

  He slams into me now. Moving my hips with his hands, pulling me onto his cock. “What did you just say?”

  Crying out his name, my orgasm toying with me, I breathe out a heavy breath and say, “Already there.”

  “Already there, what?” he says through clenched teeth, both of us rocking to the point of no return.

  “You’re . . . ahhh.” I cry out when he pinches my nipple. Pleasure shoots through my legs, to my stomach and before I can stop it, my orgasm crashes into me like a tidal wave, rocking me harder than I’ve ever felt.

  “Mother . . . fucker,” Jason says, as I feel him tense and spill inside me. “Fuck,” he groans, rocking his hips slowly. He opens his eyes and stares at me. Leaning down, he captures my lips and kisses them sensually and sweetly. I bring my hands to the back of his head and entwine my fingers. Keeping him close, never wanting to let him go as the emotions and feelings for this man overwhelm me.

  Tears threaten to fall. I realize what I’m about to say holds such impact on our relationship that once I put it out there, I won’t be able to take it back. But I’m not sure I can hold it in either. He needs to know how much he means to me, how desperate I am for him.