Love You Better Read online

  With my hands on Ivy—having her, touching her—I realize that every girl I’ve been with up to this point was just practice, prepping me for this. Readying me for this woman. Everything I know, I learned for the purpose of pleasing her.

  Ivy rides my hand, and as her pace quickens and she presses into me, I know she’s about to come. I circle her clit faster and squeeze her ass cheek harder with my other hand.

  “Just like that,” Ivy forces out between pants. “Just like that, Kell. I’m gonna come. You’re gonna make me come.”

  Fuck, I’ve never heard anything sexier than Ivy Rivenbark telling me that I’m going to make her come.

  “Come for me then,” I say, and kiss her lips quickly. She leans forward in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but I evade her, and she whimpers. “No. I want to see your face when I make you come.”

  And just like that, her body tenses, and her mouth falls open with the hottest fucking breathy moan. I massage her clit faster, giving it a little pinch, and she moans louder, tossing her head back and finally giving in to the heavy droop of her eyelids.

  I watch, fascinated, as she rides out her orgasm. I swear I will never forget the look on her face. It’s the sexiest, most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I continue rubbing her clit, extending her pleasure, until she jerks back and stills my hand with hers.

  “No more,” she pants. “It’s too good.” She rests her forehead on mine, eyes still closed, and our heavy breaths mingle as our lips ghost over each other. “It’s so good, Kell.”

  “Mmmm,” I murmur, and glide my fingers back through her folds, coating them in her arousal. I bring my fingers to my mouth, and she watches with wide, heated eyes as I suck on them.

  “I’m going to taste you next.” I lean in and kiss her, tangling her tongue with mine so she can taste herself on me, and she hums in appreciation.

  “I’m going to tongue fuck that pretty pussy until you’re coming on my face,” I rasp into her mouth

  “Oh my God,” she gasps, greedily swallowing my words.

  “I’ll have your cum dripping down my chin before I’m done with you.”

  She grips my shirt in response, digging her nails into my pecs, and then slides her hands down my chest.

  “I want you in my mouth,” she whispers and closes one of her tiny hands around my hard as fuck dick.

  “Yeah?” I ask with a smirk and thrust my dick into her palm. I try to remain calm and confident when inside I’m losing my shit like a giddy kid in an arcade. This is more than I ever could have hoped for. I never even let myself fantasize about this. “You want to wrap your pretty lips around my—”

  The sound of the deadbolt unlocking on the apartment door startles us into silence, and we have just enough time to move our hands into more respectable positions when the door swings open and Jesse walks in.

  I fucking knew I should have taken her to my room.

  Ivy is holding her breath, an embarrassed blush mixing with the lingering flush from her orgasm, red from chest to forehead, and she squeezes her eyes shut. I watch over her shoulder as Jesse scrolls through his phone and drops his bag on the floor by the door without looking up.

  “Kelley?” he shouts into the condo, eyes still on his phone as he kicks off a shoe. “You home? I ran into Cassie in the Student Unio—”

  Jesse stops abruptly mid-sentence, one shoe off, when he looks up from his phone and sees Ivy and me on the couch. I keep my face blank and watch as his surprised eyes take in the scene: Ivy straddling me, my hands on her waist, our hair mussed, and my lips swollen from kissing. Thank god I hadn’t taken off any of her clothes.

  “So...” he says, “what exactly is going on here?”

  Ivy opens her eyes and slowly looks over her shoulder at him.

  “Heeeeey, Jesse,” she squeaks, her cheeks and neck burning red, and for the longest second ever, we all just sit there, stuck in a staring match, holding our breath, and waiting for someone to say something to make this less awkward.

  Then, slowly, a smile starts to creep over Jesse’s face.

  “Has this been going on long?” His question is all playful humor, and Ivy and I answer at the same time.

  “No!”

  “It’s new.”

  Jesse nods, and his grin grows. Ivy lets out a slow breath, and I watch as a matching smile takes over her face.

  Then, Ivy giggles and Jesse throws both hands in the air.

  “MOM AND DAD!” he shouts. “Finally, my family is whole! A child of a broken home no more,” he jokes proudly as he kicks off his other shoe. “Your dick better not be out, Kelley, because we’re gonna have a family cuddle,” and he launches his 6’3” frame on to the couch, tackling Ivy and me.

  “Owwww,” Ivy yells through her laughter. “J, you’re squishing me!”

  “Get your big ass off, Jesse,” I joke and give him a shove, turning in an attempt to take some of his weight off Ivy.

  “Shhhh.” He wraps his arms around us both in a giant, awkward hug. “Embrace the love. This is the happiest day of my life.” Ivy is in a fit of giggles, and I’m smiling so big my cheeks hurt as Jesse snuggles his face into Ivy’s hair.

  “This is nice,” he says on an exhale, and we lie there for a few seconds, laughing at his giddiness.

  “This is nice,” Jesse says again and pushes himself up so he’s propped on one arm, “but it smells like sex in here and that’s hella weird.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Ivy screeches between laughs, and I use all my strength to shove Jesse off of us and onto the floor.

  His big body lands with a thud, but he hops back onto his feet quickly and his laughter booms through the condo. I throw a pillow at his head and it hits him smack in the face, causing us all to laugh harder.

  “I’m gonna let you guys have a minute,” he says as he jogs toward his room, a shit-eating grin on his face. Then just before he walks through his door, he calls over his shoulder, “maybe open a window or something, though, to air out the sex smell.”

  “Jesse!” Ivy yells. I hurl another pillow at him, but he makes it inside and shuts the door, the pillow hitting the wood with a hard thump.

  “Oh my gosh, I cannot believe that just happened.” Ivy giggles. She’s lying on her back beneath me, and her hands are covering her face while her neck and cheeks blush crimson.

  “You can’t believe I made you come harder than you’ve ever come in your entire life with just my thumb?” I tease, and she elbows my shoulder.

  She spreads open her fingers and peeks at me through them.

  With a sigh, she says, “This changes everything, doesn’t it?”

  I nod slowly and can’t contain the suggestive smile that takes over my face. My voice is gravelly, and the way her breath catches in her throat fills my head with all sorts of filthy promises. She has no idea the things I plan to do with her.

  “I sure as fuck hope so.”

  14

  Sunday morning, I hear a knock at the front door. My guess is that Bailey is just getting home and either she doesn’t have her key, or she’s got her arms loaded down with more sugary baking supplies.

  After Jesse busted in on Kelley and me last night, I came home electrified and ready to talk it out with B, but she wasn’t here. When I texted her, she said she was out with the mysterious Alex and after a fairly vulgar and extremely hilarious exchange of emojis, she went dark. I’m not only excited to hear about this guy who seems to have caught her interest, but I am desperate to talk to her about last night. I need to tell someone else before my brain overheats and melts out of my ears.

  I swing my legs out of my bed and pad toward the door just as another louder knock sounds.

  “Patience, B,” I call out as I unlock the deadbolt. “It’s early and I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

  I step back and swing open the door, but instead of seeing Bailey with a bunch of grocery bags, I see Kelley in his running clothes looking stupidly gorgeous for someone who probably just finished running a bajillion mi
les, and he’s holding a to-go cup carrier with three coffees and a brown paper sack.

  “Hey,” I say quietly, and I can’t stop the memories that flood my brain at the sight of his small, knowing smile. Gah. Stop it, brain.

  “Hey. Brought you guys some breakfast.”

  He holds up the coffees and paper bag, and Jiminy Crickets can he just stop doing things that make him hotter? I stare at his hands—his big hands—clutching the coffee carrier and the bag. Has he always had such big hands? Then my eyes wander to his forearm, flexed slightly from his grip, veins popped and muscles rigid and dang it, I am blatantly checking him out. Did he notice?

  Goddess of Attraction, please let him not have noticed.

  I flick my eyes back to his, and his stupid little smirk is on his face, just being all stupid and attractive and smirky. Yep. He noticed.

  “Can I come in?”

  Oh, whoops.

  “Yeah, yeah, of course.” I stammer and step out of the way, awkwardly gesturing toward the kitchen as if he’s never been here before. “Is that from Bakery on Main? The place where Bailey’s contest is?”

  “Yeah,” he says as he sets the stuff down on the island. “I pass it on my runs sometimes. Figured I’d pick something up since I know you and Bailey like it.” He gestures toward the hallway that leads to Bailey’s and my rooms. “Is she here?”

  “No. She hasn’t come home yet.”

  Our eyes are locked in a heated stare. I know what he’s thinking because I’m thinking it too. His hands on me. Mine on him. Our lips locked. My soft body pressed against his hard one. His very hard one.

  I let out a shaky breath.

  Kelley is the first to look away, reaching into the bag and producing the most mouth-watering and perfect looking muffin.

  “I got you a cranberry orange,” he says as he hands it to me.

  “Thank you.”

  “And this one is for you,” he adds, passing over one of the coffees.

  I take a sip, and my eyes fall shut as the flavors burst on my tongue. I give myself a second to savor it, to imagine the caffeine flooding my bloodstream, and then my eyes fly open with a shocking realization.

  “This is a cinnamon dolce latte,” I say, blinking at him in awe. He nods and grins.

  “With oat milk and an extra shot.”

  “How did you know this was my new order? You’ve only been out for coffee with me, what? Once? Since I switched.”

  I’m pretty sure I’m gaping. I don’t mean to come off accusingly, but I’m just so...shocked? Confused? I’m definitely something.

  Kelley shrugs sheepishly under my questioning. That’s twice in thirty-six hours I’ve made him turn shy, and it’s so adorable that I can’t bring myself to feel remorseful. Kelley is never rattled; he’s always so confident and sure of himself. I kind of like this bit of vulnerability. I like that I’m the one bringing it out of him. It’s been years since I’ve seen it.

  “I pay attention. I’ve always paid attention.” His eyes lock on mine, and the heat from them, the thoughts I swear I can read, leave me covered in goose bumps and fighting a blush.

  “Well, thanks, Kelley Pierce,” I rush out, trying to diffuse the tension. The sexual tension. “You’re a good friend.” I grimace a little at my accidental drop of the F-word. Kelley quirks his eyebrow and cocks his head to the side with a smirk.

  “Friend?” My body relaxes a bit at his playful tone.

  “Are we not friends?” My tone matches his, and ohmigosh we’re flirting.

  Holy moley, I’m flirting with my best friend.

  Wait, why is this so surprising? Last night I was dry humping him like a sex-starved lunatic. Jeesh.

  “I was kinda thinkin’ maybe we were a little more than friends now.”

  “Thinking?”

  He takes a step toward me, his stare smoldering. “Hoping.”

  Oh man. Okay. His voice is sex and promise and dang it, I’m warm and tingling again. If he’s trying to disarm me, it’s working. I am never disarmed. I am unshakable. I am an impenetrable freaking arsenal of arms.

  Get a grip, Ivy Jean Rivenbark. Where’s your fierce inner mountain lion? Deep breaths. Two can play at this game

  “Oh yeah?” I set my coffee and muffin on the island behind me and take a step closer to him. I drag my eyes down his torso and back up, biting my lip slightly when they reach his once more. “And why is that?”

  His eyes flare as they drop to my mouth. I run my fingers lightly along my clavicle, and he follows the movement without blinking. I trace them down the collar of my shirt and send a thank you to Last Night Me for putting on a loose V-neck instead of my oversized t-shirt with One Direction on it. His breathing picks up as I reach the top swell of my breasts. I’m not showing any cleavage, but I’d bet he’s getting hard anyway. I resist the urge to look.

  This is a bad idea, the practical part of my brain whispers, but I shush it. I’ll think about that later.

  When I bring my hand back up and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, I peek my tongue out just a bit, making my lower lip glisten, and his breath hitches on a quiet groan.

  Take that, Kelley Pierce. I’m totally going to win this seduction game.

  But then after a moment, he grins, it’s salacious and wicked, and his eyes dance with something daring. Oh shoot. He pops a brow and I try to brace my body for whatever he’s going to say.

  “Do you usually spend Saturday nights grinding on your friend’s dick?”

  I can’t help it. I wasn’t expecting that, and I break with a loud laugh, my eyes wide and my jaw hanging open in shock. Kelley looks so dang smug, and at his loud laughter, I huff and stomp my foot.

  “Kelley Allen Pierce!” I shriek out. “You stop that! That’s not fair. You were grinding just as much,” I protest. My cheeks hurt from smiling. “You were probably even more into it than I was!”

  “Mmm, no way, Ivy Jean.” He takes another step forward and I take one back, my laughter halting. “I pay attention, remember?” My back hits the kitchen island and he cages me between his arms. He licks his lips, a hungry tiger stalking his prey, and dang it, but I want to be devoured. Frick.

  “Your heart was racing. I could feel it on my fingers when they were wrapped around your neck.” He lowers his face to the crook of my shoulder and kisses my pulse point. My eyes fall shut, my breath hitches, and the jerk chuckles. “It was racing just like it is now.”

  Kelley places an open mouth kiss on the tender skin just under my jaw, flicking his tongue against it, and my head falls to the side to give him better access. “Your breaths were heavy and ragged. You were panting for me, Ivy.” I try to scoff indignantly, but it comes out a strained groan. Double frick. He’s winning.

  He brings his hands to my hips, sliding them torturously up my sides, running his fingers just under my breasts, and my nipples pebble in response. “Yeah,” he rasps. “Just like that.”

  He drags his nose up my jaw and grazes his lips over my ear, and he’s right, I am totally panting for him.

  “Your pupils were blown wide when you watched me touching you.” His gravelly voice tickles my ear and shoots straight to my core. “You were dripping wet when my fingers were on you.” I whimper, it’s pathetic and embarrassing but I can’t seem to care. “Your moans were loud when I played with your clit.” My panties are drenched, and my hands move on their own to fist his shirt, desperate to feel the tight abs underneath.

  My body has gone rogue. It’s a sex starved fool. Mountain lion who? I am just a tiny purring kitten.

  He rests his forehead on mine, and I realize I love it when he does that. When he speaks, his lips whisper over mine, and I rein in just enough control not to attack him. “You came so hard for me, baby. The way your head fell back, and the noises you made. Fuck, it was so fucking hot.”

  He’s won. He is the victor. Take me now.

  I crash my lips on his, and his answering groan vibrates over my skin and sets me on fire. Every con on the pros/cons list
I made is forgotten, and all I can focus on is his mouth on mine, his hands in my hair, and his...erection pressed into my hip?

  I reach down and slide my palm up and down his length through his gym shorts. His hips thrust into my hand, and his tongue invades my mouth.

  I hitch my leg around him because I’m apparently a wanton harlot with zero dignity, but he feels so good that I just don’t care. Did I say before that he won? Because I take it back. I definitely am winning. This is definitely winning.

  Kelley runs his hands roughly down my sides and grips my butt. When he squeezes roughly, he lets out the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard.

  “I fucking love your ass,” he grinds out, and I am prepared to jump him right here in the kitchen and let him take me on the counter.

  But then he slows the kiss.

  When he pulls away, I lean forward in an attempt to chase his lips and he dodges me playfully, a teasing smile on his face. I stick my lip out and pout, because why not? I’ve already gone full-on desperate, so I might as well lean in. I add a tiny whimper just for good measure and he hits me with a low chuckle that does stupid things to my sexy parts.

  “I want to take you on a date,” he says abruptly.

  I blink at him. “Huh?”

  “A date, Ivy. I want to take you on one. I know you’ve got to do law school stuff tonight, but this week. Maybe Wednesday? I’ll skip soccer, and we can do something other than watch Netflix and try not to fuck each other.”

  I swat at his shoulder, and he laughs at me. Jerk.

  “You want to skip soccer?”

  He smiles and shakes his head, and I feel like I’m missing something.

  “Yeah, Ives. I’ll skip soccer to take you out.” He presses a soft kiss to my lips. “What do you say? Wednesday?”

  I look at him for a minute. I see the hopefulness, the eager excitement, and just a hint of trepidation in his eyes, and my stomach clenches.

  This could end up being totally bad.