Chapter 10
The knock at Naomi’s door startled her. Nine on a Saturday night? She glanced down at herself in yoga pants and a red tank top sans a bra. Not exactly dressed for company. She threw a zippered hoodie over her top and glanced through the peephole before opening the door wide.
Rex, the little punk, darted by her and nearly tripped Reid in the process.
“Reid?” She stood back to let him in and gaped at his bruised and bloodied face and ripped T-shirt. “What happened to you?”
“I’m really sorry to barge in on you like this. Would you mind giving me a ride ho—”
“To the hospital? Sure. Let me grab my keys.”
“No.” He stopped her by the arm. “A ride home. I just need to wash off my hands and I’ll be fine.”
She took hold of his arm and dragged him down the hall to her master bathroom. She pushed him not so gently onto the toilet. “You sit there. I’ll fix you up while you tell me exactly what happened.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He winked, then winced. “Ow.”
“Idiot.” She grabbed a washcloth and gently wiped the blood from his right eyebrow. It wouldn’t stop bleeding, and she started to panic.
“It’s okay. Head wounds have a tendency to bleed a lot.” He took the washcloth from her and pressed it to his brow.
“You have a bruise on your cheekbone and your shirt… It’s done, I think.” She helped him lift it over his head and tossed it into the trash. “Talk, Griffith,” she ordered as she dabbed a tissue with some antiseptic.
The rest of him appeared fine but for a bit of bruising on his ribs. And then there were his knuckles, which had taken some knocks.
“I was out for a run.”
“At nine at night?”
“Visits with Mom can be…stressful.”
She didn’t comment. She felt like eating tubs of ice cream after talking to her family, so she could relate.
“Cash went out, but I had work to do after our visit. When I finally got home, I was too tired to go to sleep, if you can believe that. I decided to go for a run.”
“Around here?” She couldn’t help feeling suspicious.
He chuckled. Fortunately, his gorgeous mouth hadn’t been injured, though he groaned and clutched his ribs. “I live in Phinney Ridge. You’re not very far from me or my office.”
“Oh.” Phinney Ridge was a nice area—then it clicked. Chris Jennings had mentioned renting a place to Reid. “That’s a great neighborhood.”
“I know. We’re renting from a friend of mine who gave us a deal.” He assessed her with a shrewd glance. “Chris Jennings owns the house.”
“I know. He mentioned it at coffee last week.”
“Yeah. He’s got a girlfriend, you know.”
She frowned. “So what?”
He shrugged carefully. “So if you’re angling for a date, you might want to try elsewhere. Teresa doesn’t share.”
“You’re an ass, you know that?” She wiped his knuckles a little too hard.
“Ow!”
“Baby. Now are you going to finish your story? Or do I have to get mean?”
He gave her an odd look. “Um, no. Don’t do that. I don’t think I can handle you being mean.”
She made the mistake of looking down and saw his erection. “God, Reid.”
“Well, it’s your fault,” he snapped. “I’m in pain, woman. Not here for your personal amusement.”
She couldn’t help it. She started laughing.
“It’s not funny.”
“It is.” She tried to stop but couldn’t. “You’re bleeding and yet still ‘standing tall.’ I thought the Marine Corps slogan was always faithful, not always hard. Does that thing ever go down?”
He laughed, then groaned. “Stop it. I’m injured. I could be bleeding internally, you know.”
“All the more reason to get you to a hospital,” she said and turned to leave.
Reid reached out and grabbed the sleeve of her hoodie, tugging her back. “I’m fine. Just bruised a little, and the cut above my eye stings.” He tugged again, and her hoodie parted. More accurately, the zipper fell off.
“Darn it.”
“Sorry.” He let her go.
“It’s old. Was bound to happen sooner or later.” She shrugged out of the thing and stepped closer to her injured patient. Removing his hand holding the washcloth, she saw that the wound had finally stopped bleeding. It didn’t look as bad as she’d expected either. “You should probably get this stitched up.”
“Yeah.”
He sounded hoarse, and she glanced down, only to see him eye level with her breasts.
The tank top molded to her, and it was obvious she wore no bra.
He swallowed and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. “Right. Sorry. So, what happened… I was running a new route and came on two guys roughing up a woman. I tried to stop them, but apparently it was a setup and the woman was in on it. I got in a few punches and would have done more damage—not to the woman, mind you—if she hadn’t pulled a knife on me. That distracted me. Next thing I know, one of the guys got up from where I’d planted him and socked me in the ribs. The other knocked me in the head. Bastards.”
“You need to report this to the police.” She dabbed his eyebrow and put some antiseptic on it, then covered it with a butterfly bandage. She did the same to his knuckles. She could do nothing for his bruises but get him some ice.
“The cops won’t be able to do anything, but I did use a passerby’s phone to report it. Unfortunately after all that, the bad guys got away.” He sounded disgusted with himself. “Cash would have taken care of them with no problem. I got a beatdown. Man, promise you won’t tell him about this?”
“I promise, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to notice his brother with bruises all over his face.”
“I’ll make something up.”
She didn’t like how tired he looked. What if he’d suffered a concussion and didn’t know it? “I still think you should go to a hospital to get looked over.”
“No.”
Stubborn man. She stared down into his gray eyes, amazed that even beaten up, Reid Griffith attracted her like no one ever had.
“What’s that look?” Reid made no effort to hide the effect she had on him. He glanced down her body, zeroing in on her tight nipples. “Fuck, Naomi. You have an amazing body. And you’re beautiful.” He cupped himself, and the sight of Reid holding his cock seduced her right past her default thinking of “no.”
She stepped closer, between his legs, and put her hands on his shoulders, her breasts now closer to his face. “You know this is a bad idea.” She had to clear her throat to continue, especially when he put his hands on her waist. “We both know we need to have clear heads about this.”
“Yeah.” He licked his lips. “I want to touch you so bad. Need to kiss you, taste you.”
Not exactly poetic, but the raw honesty in his words drugged her with desire. “I made a mistake like this before. Got involved with someone I worked with. It ended badly.”
He blinked up at her, and she saw a man who’d gotten hurt doing the right thing. A Marine who protected, acted on instinct. A man who wanted her desperately. “I won’t hurt you.”
“You won’t try to.”
“Naomi, I’m so busy right now, a relationship is the last thing I have time for. I won’t lie to you. I want to fuck you like crazy. But it can’t go further than that.”
“Oh?”
“Look, I’m not after you because I’m in between women. I don’t lie or cheat.”
“Yeah? I don’t either.”
“I know.” He groaned and gently slid his hand up her waist, over her shirt, to pause on her ribs. He watched her as he ran that large hand up and over her breast, cupping her before rubbing his thumb over her nipple.
She shuddered, her body like soft, willing putty in his hands.
“Yeah, that. We’re attracted to each other, and we have some unbelievable chemistry. I don’t normally get hard for a woman all the time. And I sure the hell don’t come in three seconds, like I did the other night.” He grimaced and arched his pelvis up. There was no question but that Reid was massively aroused.
“I don’t either, though I admit it’s been a long time for me.”
“How long?” he asked, continuing to caress her.
Her knees felt weak. She clutched his shoulders, hoping she wasn’t hurting him. “A y-year? Maybe more?” Had she been with anyone since Tanner? Frankly, she could barely remember her name right now.
“Months for me.” He lifted his other hand up to cup her other breast, giving it the same attention and making her knees shake. “It’s up to you, Naomi. Do you want this? You tell me no, I leave. It’s not a problem, and working together won’t ever be an issue. You tell me yes, I stay. I fuck you until you can’t walk, and working together won’t ever be an issue.” He stared at her mouth with an intensity that left her breathless. “I don’t kiss and tell either. You don’t have to worry I’d ever screw with your reputation. But if you don’t—”
She put her hand over his and squeezed her breast. “How’s that for an answer?”
He pinched her nipple, and she couldn’t stop the moan that left her.
“I didn’t bring any protection,” he confessed and stared at her without blinking.
“I have some. In the bedroom.”
Reid wiggled on his seat, then frowned. “God. Am I really holding you while sitting on the can?”
She burst out laughing, feeling the sexual tension ease into a comfortable, if not easy, desire. “Let’s not tell anyone.”
“Ever,” he said fervently.
They made it to the bedroom, and Reid watched her take out a condom. “Grab another one while you’re at it.”
She swallowed. “You sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Naomi, the only way you could hurt me right now would be to tell me to get lost. But I’m a big boy. I’ll recover if you change your mind.”
She looked at him, seeing past the superficial bruising and gorgeous looks to a man of real character. Something in her shifted, but she didn’t want to examine it. Not yet.
“You’re not going anywhere.” She lifted her shirt and tossed it aside. Now clad in her yoga pants and panties, she waited, proud, unafraid.
“Fuck me.” Reid stared at her with reverence. “Might want to take out a third condom. You know, because I doubt I’ll ever be soft around you again.”
His chest and arms were things of beauty. Reid had a streamlined build, but he was by no means small. Several inches taller and much more muscular, the man was a living statue.
“Have I told you how much I like a well-developed chest?” She walked toward him and put her hands over his pecs, then ran her fingers over his hard nipples.
He swore softly, his erection prominent.
“Take those off.”
He removed the rest of his clothes. “You sure? I might spontaneously come all over the place.”
“Nice image.”
He groaned when she licked her lips. “Don’t do that. You’re giving me all kinds of dirty thoughts.”
“I’m not going down on you.” No matter how much she wanted to, she didn’t really know him. And despite not being that smart when it came to relationships, Naomi never messed with her health.
“I’m not asking you to, though I wouldn’t say no if you begged.” He stared as she slowly removed her yoga pants, leaving her in nothing but white panties. “It’s a matter of trust. You mind if I want to go down on you?”
“Not smart. You don’t know me.” She found it hard to breathe at thoughts of him licking her up and eased her panties off.
“You told me it’s been over a year. You won’t go down on me because you don’t really know me. And you’re one of the most in-control women I’ve ever met. I know you, Naomi. Yeah, you’re safe. The question is can I make you come before I do? Because you have to know, the first time’s gonna be quick.”
“But your injuries…” She watched him stalk toward her. “Use a condom so you can come in me the first time.” She turned to grab one for him and felt him plastered against her, his front to her back. She gasped, loving the sensation of closeness.
Carnal need overwhelmed everything.
“Fuck, yes, I’ll use a condom the first time. I need to be inside you.”
He turned her around and gave her a gentle shove back. Naomi fell onto the bed, her knees bent over the edge, spread on either side of him.
Reid donned the condom while watching her, then leaned down and lifted her up as if she weighed nothing. He scooted her back so that she lay fully on the bed and came down over her.
She expected him to fuck her fast. But he bent down and took a nipple in his mouth instead.
She gripped his hair, holding him close while he suckled. He moved to the other breast and teethed her, driving her wild. She felt his cock against her, pushing back and forth as he ground against her pelvis while loving her breasts.
Frustrated, she shifted and felt his cockhead brush her clitoris.
“Oh,” she moaned and tried to move him closer.
Reid caught on, licking and sucking while he positioned himself to do the most good. He rode her clit, rubbing with delicious strokes but nowhere near to penetrating her.
“Reid, please.”
He trailed kisses up her neck, across her cheek, to her ear and whispered, “Gonna fuck you so hard. Once won’t be enough.”
She agreed and arched into him, undone by the rough friction of his chest against her breasts. The feel of such a powerful man between her legs, undone by passion for her, was too much.
“In me. Now.”
She yanked his mouth close and kissed him, sucking on his tongue the way she imagined to suck his dick at some point in the future.
He gasped and slid into her.
Finally.
They both moaned as he surged deeper, not giving her total fullness in a rush, as she’d wanted.
“More.”
He kissed her back and seated himself fully. Then he leaned up and stared at her. “You’re fucking gorgeous, you know that?”
He withdrew little by little, then just as slowly eased back inside.
She was going crazy with lust. He continued to give her tantalizing, tiny thrusts.
“I thought this was going to be fast,” she complained. “Keep it up and I’ll come without you.” She was so close, every push and pull stirring her climax.
“You asked for it.” He looked serious, determined. Excited. Reid withdrew again, then shoved deep inside her in one sudden push.
The shock of his intrusion pushed her into climax, and she cried out as he watched her, riding her with harder thrusts, the power of his penetration overwhelming. The orgasm was brutal and enveloped her completely, so when he shouted and stilled inside her, she felt his pleasure as intensely as her own.
Reid, so thick and full inside her, emptied into the condom, his arms shaky as he held himself over her. “Jesus, Naomi. I’m still coming.”
“So maybe just once tonight?” she said, thoroughly sated. If she smoked, she’d be lighting up right now.
“Hell no. That’s just the beginning.”
He didn’t pull out. Instead, Reid kissed her. Her lips, her cheeks, her neck. Then he started again on her mouth, making love to it. To her.
To her shock, he remained half-hard as he moved within her.
“I’ll take it off and use a new one,” he promised. “Just give me a minute.”
“Take your time,” she croaked, and he laughed.
Joy blanketed them both, the rush of pleasure swelling once more.
Naomi couldn’t believe how good it was. Like a spiritual awakening with Reid, being the focus of his intensity.
He finally withdrew and left her to dispose of the condom.
Languid and satisfied on the deepest level, she just lay there.
He returned, bruised but not beaten, looking like a savage warrior come to take his prize.
“What’s that look?” he asked her and leaned down to run a hand up her leg.
She spread her thighs wider, encouraging him. “What look?”
“That one. You seem happy to see me.” He kissed his way up her leg and explored her with his hands and mouth. By the time he’d worked his way to her face, he was hard again.
“Need a condom,” he managed.
She scooted under him to turn over, grabbed it, then handed it to him over her shoulder.
He put it on as she moved up on her hands and knees, aroused anew to have him take her from behind.
“Fuck. I’m coming in.”
She laughed, and then she wasn’t laughing as he entered her. The sensation of closeness was indescribable. He felt locked inside her body. And then he pulled back before slamming inside once more.
The rough taking excited her, and when he reached around to fondle her clit, she exploded.
He rode her through her climax into his own, the rough pounding more than welcome as he emptied once more.
Naomi had never felt so replete, and as she knelt before him, her head hanging low while he moaned and came, she knew a sense of peace.
Reid withdrew and came back to her moments later. Spent, she flopped, boneless, to the bed and just lay there. When he joined her, it felt only right to snuggle, chest to chest, before he left.
“God, Naomi. I don’t think I can move. Give me a few minutes and I’ll head home, okay? Can I get a raincheck on that third condom?”
She gave a muffled okay, then relaxed into his strong arms, loving the low chuckle that vibrated through his body. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes for just a second…
And woke to his fingers absently stroking her back, his erection pressing against her belly. It was dark, but she could see Reid’s outline in the hint of moonlight peeking through her window. A moonbeam illuminated his face, and she saw his smile and eyebrows raised in question. She rolled onto her back, excitement bringing her wide awake.
He kissed her belly, then moved down her legs.
His mouth took over, and Naomi lost herself to his touch.
The next morning, she woke with a groan, feeling pleasantly sore.
She was alone this time, and not having to deal with an awkward morning after relieved her.
After a trip to the bathroom, she put on her silk robe and looked for Reid.
“Reid?”
She heard nothing and didn’t know if she should remain relieved or be annoyed he’d darted off like a thief in the night. A three-time wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am?
Laughing at herself, she left the hallway to find a fresh pot of coffee in her kitchen along with a note.
Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. But I did make good on that third condom. :-) I left so you didn’t have to see my ugly mug so early this morning. (Trust me, I’m best with teeth brushed and a shower.) I’ll see you tomorrow for coffee. And Naomi, this won’t be weird unless you make it weird. Yes, YOU.
XO Reid
P.S. You’re even beautiful when you snore. Ha.
She stared at the note, bemused at the warmth it engendered. Reid hadn’t snuck out. Okay, so he kind of had, but his reasons were as valid as her need to look good when she saw him again. Oh God. She’d snored?
She reread the note several times and had to laugh.
Naomi had a meeting with her new lover the next morning. And like he said, it would only be weird if she made it weird. But could she see him and not think of him between her legs? Would she ever be able to have sex again and not expect such complete abandon? She’d come three times.
She could chalk up the first time to being needy. But the second and third? An unselfish lover, Reid paid attention to her, seeing to her needs before his own. Damn it. She was really coming to like this guy. Loyal. Sweet. Sexy. Unselfish. And a killer lover with some seriously talented equipment.
Naomi knew she’d have to do her best to mentally keep him in the friends-with-benefits category. Seeing him tomorrow would be a challenge. Would she be able to look at him the same?
She groaned. Once again, she’d ruined a good thing with sex.
Would she ever learn?