Surrounded by Pleasure (6 page)

“So, how’d it go with Toby last night?”

Krista jerked her head up to see Mikaela casually looking
over some paperwork.

“Fine.” Crap, why did her voice have to crack? And now
Mikaela was looking at her.

“Really?” Mikaela smirked. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Another squeak of a response.

“Hmm. I don’t believe you, counselor. Let the record show
you were flushed when I came in this morning, and Toby was even more evasive at
breakfast than you’re being now.”

“Don’t you ‘counselor’ me, counselor. And enough with the
interrogation business. I’m not talking about it.”
Oh, God.
Mikaela saw Toby this morning at breakfast. Krista wanted
to see him, but then again, she wanted to avoid him. She was insanely attracted
to him, yet totally embarrassed by the idea of having to face him again. She
knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever, but if she buried herself in
her work, she didn’t have to think about what she should do about him.

Mikaela sighed, moving closer to her. “Listen. I just
want to help. He seemed to really like you, and—”

“They all did,” Krista muttered, watching her hands as
they twisted together.

Mikaela chuckled. “Yes, well, they’re men and you’re
beautiful. Of course they’re interested in you, but Toby seemed to have genuine
interest going on.” She leaned closer, whispering, “And I think you reciprocate
that interest.”

“Yeah.” What else could she say? There was no use denying
the fact Toby was a hottie. “But I messed up.” Big time.

“So, what happened?”

Krista groaned and looked up at her. “He, er, kissed me.
A lot. We were in my room, making out, and I, I,
shit
.” She shook her head. “I blurted out I’m a virgin, and he
wigged out and bolted. There. Are you happy now? I’m a total idiot.” She
slumped back in her chair and covered her face, hoping to shield her
humiliation.

“You never said you were a virgin,” Mikaela said
woodenly.

Krista’s hands slid down her face. “That’s not something
I go bragging about. Granted, I don’t think there’s any shame in it. The right
guy just hasn’t come along, not that I’ve been waiting around for Mr. Right.
I’ve just been too busy to go fishing in the sea of bodily lust.” Then why did
being in Toby’s arms feel so incredibly right, as if she’d been saving herself
for him all along? Ridiculous. That was what that was.

Mikaela seemed lost in her thoughts, so Krista didn’t
continue. Then Mikaela looked over at her with an odd expression. “They’ll
never believe you’re in a loving relationship that’s open sexually if you’ve
never had sex before. What boyfriend in his right mind would not have sex with
you but allow you to have sex with other men?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend, remember?” But even as Krista
said it, she realized that Mikaela was really talking to herself and not to
Krista. “Hey? What’s the big deal?”

Mikaela blinked as if she’d snapped out of whatever
trance she was in and looked at Krista, finally seeing her. “Huh?”

“I said what’s the big deal about the guys knowing I’m
not in a relationship?” Hell, if what Mikaela said was true and they shy away
from commitment, then maybe Jack and Rob would back off if they knew she was
actually available. Maybe finding out she wasn’t really a challenge by being in
a relationship or some kind of loose woman who’d fuck anything that moved
because of an unorthodox relationship they’d just leave her alone.

Seemed to have worked for Toby. As soon as she’d told him
she was a virgin, he’d lost interest immediately. A heavy feeling settled in
her chest, and she didn’t understand why.
Unless
that’s what real rejection feels like
.

“No. No.” Mikaela stood, stalking around the room. “Let
me think.”

What in the world was there to think about? Krista had
only been here a day and had already screwed up any chance she had at finally
discovering what sex with a living penis felt like.

After several minutes of Mikaela pacing the room, she
finally turned. “I got it. Just tell Toby you don’t want anybody else knowing
about your virginity. That it’s a personal thing and you don’t want everyone
knowing about your personal life.”

“Even though I like that idea very much,” Krista began, because
she definitely didn’t want people talking about her sex life, “how does that
help, exactly? Not that I want Toby to believe I’m in a relationship, but you
said it yourself. No man will not have sex with his girlfriend if they’re in an
open relationship.” She rubbed her head and looked away. “Besides, I don’t
think he really cares anymore.”

Mikaela came over and sat next to her. “I think you’re
wrong. If I know Toby, he stopped because he
does
care. At least about not taking advantage of you.” She patted
Krista’s knee. “We just need to convince him to keep quiet about the news, and
you need to show him you’re sure about taking this step with him.”

“I was already out of my comfort zone last night when we,
er, last night,” she finished lamely. “I’m not sure how to convince him that
it’s him I want.”

Mikaela clutched Krista’s shoulder. “Answer me this one
question. Is it Toby that you truly want? I mean, I figured you wanted him over
the other two guys, and I admit I wanted you to cut loose while you were here
and have some fun. But I didn’t know you were a virgin. So, when I ask if it’s
Toby you want, I mean would you still pick him if you were at some random bar
and he was there with a hundred other guys all vying for your attention, or is
it a case of getting the pick of the litter, so to speak?”

Krista chuckled at Mikaela’s terminology, but then
sobered as she considered her answer. She knew she was here on business, but
she also understood there’d be men around. She did pack accordingly, bringing
the new lacy underclothes and whatnots, hoping she’d get laid. But the truth
was she was attracted to Toby, and she didn’t see that attraction being a
product of convenience. “Yeah,” she finally answered. “Yeah, I think I’d still
pick him out of a crowded room. There’s just something about him. I can’t
explain it, but I want to get to know him, and I want him to be my first. I’m
just at a loss of what to do now.”

Mikaela smiled. “Don’t you worry about that. If it’s Toby
you want, then it’s Toby you’ll get. As of tonight, you’ll let your preference
be known to all the guys, and Toby will not be able to resist you.”

Dubiously, Krista asked, “How so? What am I doing
tonight?”

“
We’re
crashing
the guys’ poker game with a little game-playing of our own.”

Trying to soak up some of Mikaela’s enthusiasm, Krista
hoped the gamble would pay off.

* * * *

Toby sat in the den around the card table with his
brothers, nursing his beer and fighting the urge to get something stronger to drown
his sorrows. Last night had been magic, electrifying, and over way too soon. He
wanted Krista as much as he needed his next breath. He knew it’d been years since
he’d been with a woman, so he tried to blame his insistent need for her on
that. But it just felt like an excuse. He’d long ago grown accustomed to not
having sex with the occasional taken woman after his brother died. The way he
saw it, he was nearing thirty and had experienced enough casual sex to last him
a lifetime.

Or so he’d felt before touching Krista. When she’d put
her fingers on his cheeks, she’d ignited an urgency inside him to take her. He
wanted nothing more in that moment than to sink inside her welcoming heat and
pound into her throughout the night, over and over, until neither of them could
move. Hell, her touch had been just an innocent caress because the only reason
she’d put her hands on his face was because she was trying to comfort him about
his sweaty hands comment.

And his hands had been sweaty, but it hadn’t been his
hands on her hair last night, either. She’d called him out on him licking her
hair. Just like he couldn’t eat before her last night, when he’d seen her hair
slightly disheveled, he instinctively tried to groom her.

Just like the
fucking cat I am
.

As soon as he’d touched her hair with his tongue, he knew
his mistake, but there’d been no going back. He’d just been grateful his nerves
had provided a valid excuse, leading to more intimate touches.

And he’d have fucked her all night long if she hadn’t
told him she was a virgin.
Jesus!
He’d
never had sex with a virgin. Hearing her say those words should’ve been like
dousing ice water on his dick, but instead all he could think was
mine
. It’d taken a monumental effort to
turn away from her last night, but he’d done it. He respected her too much to
take something as precious as that from her.

No matter how much he wanted to be the one to do it.

No matter how much he wanted to be the only one to ever
have sex with her ever again.

“Deuces wild,” Jack muttered as he dealt the next hand.

“Still not talking about last night, eh?” Rob asked as he
shoved his cards into his hands.

“Nothing to tell.” Toby shrugged, organizing his own
cards. Whatever happened—or didn’t happen—last night was nobody’s business as
far as he was concerned.

“You had your chance and struck out,” Rob said as he threw
some chips into the pot, raising the bid. “I’m sure I’ll have better luck.”

Josh matched Rob’s bid, and Jack folded. After Toby
raised again, Rob called. Josh won, and the other guys tossed their cards into
a pile.

“Not if I get to her first,” Jack growled, taking a swig
of his beer.

“You both need to just back off and give her some damn
breathing room,” Toby barked as Rob dealt the next hand.

Josh smiled at him as he took a pull on his beer,
thankfully not voicing anything.

“Oh, no, brother, you didn’t do any backing off last
night,” Jack said. “You got lucky getting the opportunity to take her to her room,
and it’s not our fault you weren’t able to charm the panties off her.”

Toby growled and slammed his beer down, holding it in a
death grip. He was about to come across this table and punch the daylights out
of his older brother when the door to the den swung open and Mikaela and Krista
walked in.

Toby stood, as did his brothers, since it was the polite
thing to do, but the moment his eyes landed on Krista, he couldn’t look away.

Oh, God.
She was wearing jeans and cowboy
boots and an unbuttoned flannel shirt exposing a white tank top. A sexy,
little, low-cut, white tank top.
Shit.
His dick was getting hard just staring at how incredibly hot her curvy body was,
showcased in such casual clothing.

Mikaela fanned her hands. “Sit, sit. We just got bored
hanging out by ourselves and figured we’d see what you guys were up to.”

The guys all sat. Toby immediately grabbed his beer and
took a long drink.

“Hi, kitten. Did you get a lot of work done today?” Josh
asked Mikaela as the girls got closer to the table.

Mikaela sat on Josh’s lap and kissed him. “Mmm-hmm.”

But Toby wasn’t paying attention to his brother and his
brother’s wife. His eyes were glued on the hot goddess sashaying around the
table.

And she was staring right back at him.

Fuck, she was coming closer.

Then to his utter shock, she sat on his lap.
Holy shit!
He gaped at her as she took
the beer out of his hand and guzzled it, her pale throat working as she
swallowed it down. Reflexively, he put his arm around her to steady her on his
lap, but he was unable to take his eyes off the smooth column of her neck. He
couldn’t help it—he groaned and leaned closer to her, smelling her freshly
washed skin. Finally she pulled the bottle away from her luscious mouth and
turned to him, licking the rim.

“Yummy. Tastes like you.”

What the fuck! I
thought you said nothing happened last night
, Rob yelled mentally.

But Toby didn’t acknowledge him. All he could do was
watch his little vixen lick that bottle like she was relishing the taste of his
cock. His already hard dick grew impossibly harder.

“Is that right?” Toby murmured.

“Oh, yeah.” After one last lick, she handed the beer back
to him. “You should see if it tastes like me now.”

Keeping his eyes on her, he brought the bottle up to his
lips and licked before taking a swig. Krista nuzzled his neck and brought her
lips up to his ear. “I love the way you taste,” she whispered.

Oh, fuck it.
He could do a whole hell of a
lot of things with this woman that didn’t actually include penetration.
Starting with the both of them tasting each other all over. As he put the beer
on the table, he leaned in for a kiss. The beer bottle did have a faint flavor
of her, but he wanted it directly from the source.

But as he got near to her lips, she turned and picked up
his cards. “Can I play with you?”

“You can play with me anytime, baby.” He pulled her
closer to him, her thigh rubbing against his erection. Her gaze cut to him, and
a knowing smile teased her lips. She pressed her leg harder against his cock,
and his mouth fell open on a soft growl.