A Matter of Honesty (20 page)

playfully.

She looked at him from underneath wet lashes. “Well, you know how much I

like trouble.”

He disappointed her when he pulled away, taking the soap from her hands.

However, the heated look of lust didn‘t disappear from his eyes. He finished the job of

washing himself quickly, then rinsed off, his eyes never leaving hers. She exhaled

softly as he turned off the water, all thoughts of sleep leaving her mind. It was difficult

to stand still as he began to dry her off with the towel. She tried to pay him back in

return, but instead he took the towel and did a haphazard job before tossing the

towel aside. He tugged her into the bedroom, his goal visible in his eyes, but she didn‘t

plan to let him have his way so easily. Not after this morning. He led her to the bed

and she surprised him by pushing him onto his back. She smiled as surprise flickered

across his expression.

“My turn for a little payback from this morning.”

He tried to speak, but Lauryn climbed over him, straddling his waist, lowering

her mouth to his. When her lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen, she pulled

back. She ran her hands down the chest she loved so much.

“I love the way your body feels.”

She leaned down and alternated between light nibbles and kisses on his lips,

smiling to herself as he moaned in pleasure. She strove to drive him mad now like he

had driven her to the brink of insanity earlier. She loved the empowering feeling of

having him under her control. Sliding her hands downward, she grasped his manhood

firmly and gradually began to move her hand up and down. He moaned, arching

upward and she increased the speed. Wanting to add to the sensation, she lowered

her head, touching him lightly with her tongue. He almost came up off the bed, a low

growl rumbling in his throat as she took him into her mouth. He gasped, reaching

down to thread his fingers into her hair.

“Oh baby, I‘m not going to last long if you keep that up.”

She lifted her head and looked at him before speaking. “I don‘t intend for you

to.”

She lowered her head once more and Steve‘s hands clutched the sheets. She

alternated between using her hands and mouth. When he could no longer stand the

pleasure he pulled her up and under him. She went willingly but she wasn‘t done

with him yet. She inhaled deeply when his thumb brushed over her nipple and he

cupped the full globe, bent his head to kiss it, and then looked up to meet her gaze.

“I want you, Lauryn.”

“I want you too,” she whispered. She didn‘t doubt his words in the least as he

stared deeply into her eyes, feeling the proof of his desire for her in his touch.

He raised his head, sealing his mouth to hers, while his hands continued to

knead her breasts, his mouth dueling with hers, his stiff sex between her thighs,

taunting and torturing her as it rested against the juncture of her thighs. This was

supposed to be about payback for this morning but now she could no longer bring

herself to care.

His hands skimmed down her body then back up again. He kissed her throat,

then licked and lightly sucked as if he couldn‘t get enough of the taste of her. He was

beyond sexy to her. Beyond size and strength and manliness. The pressure that had

been building in her very center was coiled tight, waiting to burst free. She reached

for him when he moved away but he was back before she could. He placed a condom

in her hand.

“You do the honors,” he whispered.

He didn‘t have to ask her twice. She took the condom out of his hand and

ripped the package open. She sheathed him, smiling at the primitive sound he made. A

gasp of surprise escaped her when he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him.

Before she could draw her next breath he was lifting her over him. She braced her

hands against his chest, lifting slightly then easing down, encasing him within her

slick heat.

She moaned, tightening her thighs against his hips as she moved together with

him. Her back arched and she took him as deep as she could, relishing in the feel of his

body against hers. He penetrated her, filling her, and filled the emptiness that had

been inside her for the past several months. She had never been so physically

possessed.

She moved with him as if she had been doing it all her life. Moved as gracefully

as horse and rider. Excruciatingly slow at first, getting her bearings, adjusting to the

thickness of him. She rocked her hips, pushing lower and lower until her cleft pressed

directly against the base of his hard arousal.

“Yes, Lauryn, that‘s it, that‘s it,” he whispered.

She continued to move, spurred on by the passion in his voice, until something

changed. A deep need raced through her. Her body opened even more to

accommodate him and slowly she sat up. This time when she began to move it was

with urgency. To obtain something they both had denied themselves for too long. Her

hips began to move again in the age-old rhythm, speeding up with each rise and fall

until her bottom was smacking against his hips, extracting the most erotic sounds

from him she had ever heard.

Soon it seemed the whole room was vibrating from the frenzied motions of

their bodies. She tried to prolong the pleasure but it was a waste of effort. Her body

flew apart, her climax hitting her with the force of a battering ram hitting wood. Her

entire body was engulfed in a scorching, quaking release that started between her legs

but unfurled throughout her entire body. She gasped incoherently, shuddering,

holding on as Steve threw his head back and groaned her name, delivering three long,

deep thrusts into her. His whole body convulsed underneath hers as he reached his

own explosive release.

She collapsed against him and lay her head on his chest. His heart was

pounding and his breath matched its rhythm. They were both covered in sweat but

the moment couldn‘t be more perfect. She snuggled into him, feeling him kiss her

forehead. Several minutes later he surprised her by maneuvering her so that she was

under the covers before joining her. Worn-out, she cuddled closer to him and tried to

stay awake. She wasn‘t going to spend the night in his bed. She needed to return to

hers. There would be fewer questions from the already inquisitive Hannah. Yet the

warm coziness of his arms overpowered her and she fell asleep. His gentle kiss on the

tip of her nose was the last thing she remembered.

Lauryn opened the door, not able to hide her surprise at who stood on the other

side. Sabrina smiled weakly at her before stepping over the threshold. Lauryn looked

at the other women with concern.

“Are you okay?”

She turned and looked at Lauryn. “Is anyone else here?”

Lauryn shook her head. “No. Steve and Hannah have gone to the store. I‘m sure

they‘ll be back in a while.”

Sabrina nodded as she walked past her into the kitchen, going straight to the

liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle. Sabrina tilted the bottle in her direction.

“You want some?”

Shaking her head, Lauryn leaned against the counter and watched Sabrina pull

out a glass and pour herself some then toss it back. What in the world could have

brought her from Stillwater to Norman in the shape that she was in? Whatever it was,

it had to be serious. She had to find out so she knew how to deal with the situation.

She sat down at the table, hoping Sabrina followed suit, because Lauryn didn‘t know

if she had enough strength to pick her up if she fell down drunk. The way Sabrina was

sucking down the liquor that could be a real possibility. A sigh of relief escaped her

when Sabrina did sit down at the table with her.

“What happened, Sabrina?”

Sabrina laughed. “What didn‘t happen?”

“Okay then, tell me everything that happened.”

Sabrina shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner, but Lauryn knew

something major had happened. “Where should I start, with the part where Will

asked me to marry him, or the part when he broke up with me when I told him that I

wasn‘t ready for that commitment?”

Lauryn could barely keep her mouth from dropping open. This was more

serious than she‘d thought. She knew how Sabrina felt about committed

relationships. Still, there had to be more to this. “Why did you turn him down?”

Sabrina looked at her as if she had grown two heads. “What do you mean why

did I turn him down? I don‘t want to get married.” Sabrina dropped her face into her

hands and groaned. When she lifted her head again there was a wild look in her eyes.

“I don‘t even want to be in a serious relationship. I should have broken up with him

when I had the chance.”

Lauryn frowned. “Did he do something?”

“No, not really. I just should have known better than to date a man who eats

Twinkies. What kind of man eats a cream-filled puff pastry?”

Lauryn coughed to keep from laughing. Sabrina was really distraught and she

didn‘t want to make the situation worse. What did the type of dessert a man ate have to do

with anything? Steve ate cream-filled desserts. He had even come up with a creative way

to share them with her. Lauryn‘s eyes widened. Maybe that was why Sabrina had a

problem with Will eating them. That sort of intimacy could scare anyone if they

weren‘t prepared for it. She tried to think of a way to soothe Sabrina. What better

way than to get to the bottom of the real problem?

“What are you more upset about, the fact he asked you to marry him, or that he

broke up with you after you said no?”

Sabrina shrugged before slamming the bottle down on the table. Lauryn

flinched.

“Both actually. Will knows I don‘t want to get married.”

“Do you not want to get married now or do you never want to get married?”

Sabrina sunk down lower in her chair. “I never want to get married. He knew it

from the beginning, so it was very selfish of him to ask me, then break up with me

when I said I wouldn‘t.”

Sabrina looked on the verge of tears as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

Lauryn had a feeling Sabrina cared more for Will than she was letting on.

“Don‘t you think it‘s selfish of you to not give it any thought?”

Sabrina dropped her head on the table and a sound of distress erupted from her.

“I guess I was a little selfish, but I told Will the first time we met. I swear it.

Why would he do this to me? I like him. I really do, but I don‘t know if that‘s enough

of a reason to agree to marriage.”

Lauryn reached over to give Sabrina a reassuring pat on the back.

“Do you think you‘re in love with him?”

Sabrina‘s head snapped up. “What? Don‘t be ridiculous.”

Lauryn rephrased the question. “Do you think you could fall in love him if you

allowed yourself to be completely open to him?”

Lauryn watched Sabrina give her words some thought. Lauryn was positive

Sabrina could love Will if she allowed herself to. He was a good guy. It was hard to

believe Sabrina wouldn‘t at least consider the idea of marriage to him.

“I don‘t know, Lauryn. I love my independence and don‘t plan on giving any of

it up. Yes, maybe I could meet him halfway. Try moving in with him and see how that

would work out. But right now, that is as far as I‘m willing to go. Marriage is not on

my radar at the moment.”

“What do you have against marriage?”

Sabrina shrugged. “I don‘t have anything against marriage. I just know it isn‘t

for me.”

“How do you know if you don‘t try? You haven‘t only made it obvious to Will

that you don‘t want to get married, but also that you don‘t want a serious relationship

either. I think that if the two of you went into this wanting to make it work, you

could.”

Sabrina didn‘t respond. Instead she took another drink. Lauryn watched her

shudder after she swallowed. This was going to get messy soon if Lauryn didn‘t come

up with the right words to say to get the bottle out of Sabrina‘s hands.

“Look Sabrina, all I‘m saying is it wouldn‘t hurt to give Will a chance. Who

knows what could happen? It doesn‘t mean the two of you have to get married, but

you can at least give your relationship a chance. In the short time that I have known

you and Will, I know he is crazy about you and he treats you like a goddess.”

Sabrina stared at Lauryn for a long moment, then dropped her face into her

hands. “Oh my God, Lauryn. What have I done? I‘ve been such a fool.”

Lauryn leaned forward and placed a hand on Sabrina‘s shoulder. “No, you

haven‘t been a fool. You‘ve just done what any irrational woman who is afraid things

are getting out of hand would have done.”

“I have been known to be irrational at times.” She rubbed a hand over her eyes.

“Lord, I‘m so tired. A lot‘s happened in the last twenty-four hours, starting when Will

sprang his surprise proposal on me last night.” Sabrina shook her head. “I‘ve never felt

so overwhelmed. I couldn‘t even sleep, which is how I ended up here. I was hoping to

find refuge. You and Steve were the first people I thought of.”

The corners of Sabrina mouth curved upward. “I was right. You have been a

good listener and great advice-giver, just the reality check I needed. I really appreciate