[Ryan]

Emma continues to stroke me and I grow hard again. She tears at the foil package with her teeth. God, that’s hot.

I shudder when she rolls the tight condom onto my cock. Jesus, I’m not going to last long. The excitement is already coiling inside me, tightening in my balls, boiling in my blood. I can’t wait to be inside her. She lines me up and rocks her hips. The head of my penis slips in. I tremble at how perfect her body fits to me.

“All the way,” she whispers. “Please, Ryan. Take me all the way.”

I roll my hips and in a few steady strokes, I’m deep inside her. It’s like a glove. A hot, perfect glove. Her body squeezes my cock and I freeze before I come. We’re hip-to-hip and I hold her, knowing if I so much as breathe right now, I’ll lose it. She seems to sense it and stays still, holding me just as tight.

After several tense seconds, I move. Slowly at first, long thrusts that drive my cock in and out of her body. She tightens around me as she whimpers. I don’t know where the words come from as they fall from my lips. “Sweet Emma. You’re so tight. Shit. This is even better than I ever imagined.”

“More,” she demands, her voice shaking. I lift her in my arms and thrust deep inside, burying my cock to the hilt. She cries out and locks her ankles behind my ass. “Ryan!”

Holy shit. When she says my name I can’t control myself and nip at her neck. She hisses in a breath and grips my shoulders. Using the corner to hold us up, I drive in and out, in and out. Her cries grow louder as her nails dig into my shoulders. Jesus, I love that. It pushes me to move faster. Her body tightens around me. “Emma,” I groan. “I’m going to—”

She screams and her body clamps down on me. I see stars and detonate, pumping hard inside her as my orgasm takes over and drives my movement. Her mewls and cries excite me and keep me going, and I jet my never-ending release deep. Only when her noises die down to whimpers do I slow.

I rest my forehead against hers. Our breath combines as we both gasp for air. I hope I did it right. From the way she’s shaking in my arms, I think I did.

“Where,” she says and swallows, “did you learn to do that?”

“Do what?”

“Ryan, you practically fucked me into a coma, and in record time. You aren’t allowed to be so good at that, having never had sex before.”

“Uh…” I don’t know what to say to that, but damn do I feel good about her comment. “Sorry?”

She giggles and kisses me. “Quit being so damn cute, would you?”

“I’ll work on that.” I give her a wink and she loses her smile. We stare at each other as the water beats on my back, the spray bouncing around and drenching us. She has mascara running down her cheeks, her hair plastered to her face and neck, and still she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I’m in serious trouble here. This is not real, but no matter how much my brain tries to force that reason, the rest of me refuses to listen.

My heart is pounding as I whisper, “Now what?”

“Now comes the least sexy part about taking a shower together. Scrub up fast so you can get out. There’s not enough room in here and I need to shave my legs.”

“With my razor?”

“I don’t have one here.”

I toss the condom in the trash just outside the shower before grabbing the soap. She already has her back to me, so I slide the soap across her shoulders. She stiffens at first as she glances over her shoulder. I meet her gaze. She says nothing as I wash her.

“Turn around,” I order. She does, and I take my time moving the soap across her body, making sure I cover every inch. Her lids slide closed when I concentrate on cleaning her breasts.

“If you keep that up, we’ll never get out of this shower.”

I grin and chuckle as I give her hard nipples one more brush of my thumbs. “Yes, dear.”

She opens her eyes and narrows them. She doesn’t say anything, only stares at me.

“What?” I finally ask after too many tense seconds.

“I’m just wondering how real you are.”

“I don’t understand the question. Was that a question?” I seriously cannot keep up with how fast her mind works.

Her expression cools. “Never mind. Hurry up so I can have the shower to myself.”

What’d I do? I’m completely baffled as to why she’s mad, but know better than to push. I quickly scrub and jump out, still dripping. She jerks the shower curtain closed and I stand there, stunned.

“Is, uh, everything okay?”

“Go away.” Her voice is low, cautious.

“Emma?”

“What part of go away do you not understand?”

I put my hands up at first, ready to give in and let her have her privacy. But the angst clawing at my midsection won’t let it go. I rip open the shower curtain, drawing a scream from her. She glares at me as she attempts to cover herself. Why, I have no idea. It’s not like I haven’t already memorized every inch of her body.

“What the hell are you doing?” she demands.

“What the hell are you doing?” I counter. I don’t know where the nerve is coming from. I’m usually the pushover, the one everyone else uses to get what they want. Not this time. This time I’m going to stand up for myself. “Why are you being such a bitch?”

“What did you just call me?”

“You heard me. I’m doing everything you tell me to do. I’m even making shit up as I go. If I did something wrong, you need to tell me.” She remains stubbornly silent and it pisses me off. “Emma!”

“You aren’t doing anything wrong!” she snaps and buries her face in her hands as the water bounces off her and sprays me. I wait several seconds, praying she’s not crying. If I even see one tear, it will be the end of me. When she came running in after Brad bombed her with the water balloon, her eyes swollen with tears, it took everything I am not to run out and kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands. No one makes Emma cry.

Eventually, she drops her hands. Thank God, no tears. “You’re doing everything right.”

I’m back to being baffled as shit. I will never understand the opposite sex. “Then why are you mad?”

“Are you playing me?”

Why does she keep asking me that? “No, Emma. I’m not playing you.” I jerk the shower curtain closed and grab a towel as I storm out of the bathroom.

I barely make it to my bedroom before the shower stops and Emma rushes in after me, a towel around her torso but still dripping all over my floor. That fire flashing in her eyes scares me and I say nothing, knowing she’ll start in on me any time.

“I’m sorry,” she snaps, shocking the shit out of me. “You just seem…”

“What?” I set my jaw, readying myself for the next insult.

“Too good to be true.”

I did not see that coming. The breath whistles from my lungs. With it, my anger. I’m once again baffled as shit. “I’m what?”

She pulls in a breath as her expression softens. “It’s just that most people don’t surprise me. I can read them pretty well. You, on the other hand, I can’t read. You surprise me and I don’t like it.”

“I’ll try to be more predictable.” I offer her a hint of a grin.

She laughs and shakes her head. “Goddamn you, Ryan. There you go being irresistible again.”

I close the gap between us and remove the towel from her before pulling her against me. The feel of our bodies together, flesh to flesh, has my cock perking to life. I brush the hair from her face and hold her gaze. “Quit trying to find a reason to think there’s more to this than there is. We’re two friends, helping each other out, just as you said. There’s nothing more to it.”

“Then why are we naked? And why are you hard again?”

“Because I’m a guy. You’re a sexy-as-hell girl. You should be more worried if I don’t have a hard-on around you.” I scrape my thumb over her hard nipple, and she sucks in a breath. I then lower my hand along her hip, to her thigh, and up the middle, resting it at the heat between her legs. I know how she likes to be touched, how to draw those destructive little noises from her. I slip my fingers between her wet folds and play with her tight, swollen clit.

I push my knee between hers and spread her legs to give me better access. I ease my finger inside her.

“Ryan.” She moans and rocks her hips against my hand.

I bite her neck and then lick it. She cries out and throws her arms around me, grinding against my hand. I want to be inside her when she comes and move her to the bed. I grab a condom out of my nightstand and lift her legs by the knees before kissing every inch I can reach. I make my way to the center and lap her delicious juices.

“Oh, Jesus. Oh, shit. Ryan,” she whimpers. I feast on her flesh, focusing on her clit, as I slip on the condom. Some things must come naturally for a guy, like multitasking during sex. When I’m ready and she’s writhing, I position myself between her legs, the blunt end of my cock pressing against her saturated entrance.

In a single slow, calculated movement, I slide into her pussy and shudder at the fisted warmth. I’ll never get tired of being inside her. “You’re so tight, Emma. Holy shit.”

She rolls her hips and gives me even greater penetration. Just when I didn’t think it could get any better, I move, pushing my cock in and out at a deliberate pace. I want to take it slow instead of shooting off like a goddamn bottle rocket like last time. She deserves more.

But then she locks her heels on my thighs and dictates our rhythm. I match it, slamming into her hard. She’s making those little noises again, and I’m lost in her. “Emma,” I whisper against her lips. “Oh, Emma.”

She cries out and moves faster. I match her, and soon both our bodies are rising and lowering, slapping into each other as we search for release. Her entrance squeezes me, milking me as she arches her back and screams out. I pump into her as I drive myself to my own release, erupting inside her. She clamps her teeth down on my shoulder and I surprise myself as I howl.

After all the strength leaves my body, I collapse to her and kiss her before rolling onto my back. Holy shit. I could really get used to this sex thing.

“Jesus in a wheelbarrow,” she whispers. I laugh and turn onto my side to face her. Without a thought, I trace her hipbone with my finger. She’s staring at the ceiling as she pants. “Are you sure you’ve never had sex before?”

“I’m sure,” I laugh again. “Why?”

“You’re really good at it. I could get used to this friends-with-benefits thing.”

I lean in and kiss her shoulder as an odd fluttering tightens my chest. “So could I.”

“You’re so cheesy.”

“I’ll work on my lines.” I move her to me. She cringes. “Sore?”

“Do I have to go jogging tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’ll keep us on even ground tomorrow. Now, go to sleep. We have an early date with the pavement before I drop you off at work.”

“Normally, I’d protest the shit out of going to bed before midnight on a Saturday, but I really do just want to collapse into a deep, dreamless sleep.” Her eyes are already closed.

As much as I want to bury myself inside her until she makes those little cries in the back of her throat, she’s ready to pass out. I’ll have to live with having her body curl against mine for the rest of night. I pull her closer and rest my lips against her ear.

She giggles. “That tickles.”

“So will this.” I run my tongue along the ridge of her ear. “Now, go to sleep, babe.”

“I like that.”

“Like what?”

“When you call me babe.” She nestles closer to me.

I like calling her babe. “Good night, babe.”

“Good night, babe.”