Erica's Choice (3 page)

“Make what happen?”

Erica started guiltily when Corey reappeared, then chastised herself. She had nothing to feel guilty about. Corey was not her boyfriend, no matter how strangely familiar he might already seem to her. No matter how surprisingly human he was when she’d expected more arrogance from a man who looked like he did. She was a free woman and had every right to do as she pleased with Griff or any other man here.

“Give Erica a ride home,” Griff replied. “You can both fit in with me.”

“My car’s in the shop,” Corey explained ruefully. “It’s kind of a rust bucket.”

“Kind of?” Griff mocked.

“Griff was going to give me a lift.” Corey ignored his friend’s razzing. “Do you want to come with us?”

Did she want to
come
with them? She wanted to in every way that word could be interpreted.

Erica had taken the train straight here from work. If she hadn’t, she would have been perfectly willing to lie about it and leave her car here overnight for the convenience of the local car thieves. “Yes,” she said when she at last found her voice. “I’d like that.”

I can make it happen
, Griff had said. And he just had.

It was an awkward fit in the front of Griff’s car, but as the Ute didn’t have a backseat there wasn’t much choice. Not that Corey minded. Once Erica was buckled into the middle space and he was wedged in beside her, he saw the benefits of having her so close. Her hair smelled like a spring garden and warmth emanated from her skin. Corey angled his body to the side to give her as much space as possible, and the soft curve of her shoulder pressed lightly into his chest.

Yep, there were definite advantages on his side.

Erica gave Griff her address and he pulled the vehicle out of the car park, having to reach between Erica’s legs for the gearstick. Corey noticed the way Erica stiffened, and winced inwardly. She must think him the classiest guy ever for cramming her in the front seat of a car like a slice of cheese in a club sandwich.

“Erica?” Corey asked after they’d gone a few blocks and the tension in Erica’s body didn’t ease. “Are you comfortable?”

She turned toward him and smiled. Corey recognized irony in the gesture. “Not really.”

“Would you rather sit on my lap?”

She made a tiny whimpering sound. Her face darkened in the dim light emanating from the dashboard instruments. “Do you make that offer to all the girls?”

“No.” He’d sent Madison away, hadn’t he? And thank God he had, or he wouldn’t be here with Erica. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Erica quirked her brow in disbelief, apparently assuming, as most people did, that he never had to wait for any girl. Corey thought of telling her he hadn’t been with as many women as she seemed to think, that he wasn’t nearly as smooth as he wanted to be. A lot of the time his emotions ran away with him, so he wasn’t good at no-strings, casual sex. That was Griff’s department. Corey didn’t see the point of screwing some random woman whose name he could barely remember. Experiences like that left him cold.

Afraid Erica wouldn’t believe him, he simply tried to be as honest as he could without getting into all that. “Erica, I really like being with you. I’ve seen you come into the Sovereign before and I wanted to meet you every time. I wish I’d done it sooner.”

“You wanted to speak to me?” Her surprise was obvious. “Why didn’t you?”

Corey shrugged. Across the car, Griff coughed into his hand meaningfully.

Erica glanced at Griff. “Pardon me?”

“You’re not exactly the most approachable woman in the world,” Griff said baldly. “You have a ‘don’t touch’ look going on.”

“Jeez, Griff.” Corey groaned.

When Erica spoke her voice bordered on icy. “I see.”

“There it is.” Griff glanced toward her before returning his attention to the road. “The
look
.”

“Erica.” Corey tried for a soothing tone. “I think you’re a stunner.”

“But you also think I’m frigid, is that it?”

Corey could have sworn there was a smirk in Griff’s voice. “I never said that.”

“You’re just a bit…daunting.” Her eyes narrowed, and Corey hurried to fix the damage. “I mean to me. A bit. Because you seem really smart, and probably date doctors or lawyers, blokes with degrees, instead of guys like me.”

Guys who barely finished high school and had to take the aptitude test twice before they’d let him become a fiery. Corey figured his verbal fumbling was only highlighting the notion he wasn’t as intelligent as her or the men she was probably used to hanging out with. His heart felt heavy as he finished. “I thought you might tell me to take a walk.”

Her anger seethed in the silence for a few moments during which Corey was certain he’d blown it completely. Why did Griff have to open his big mouth?

Then abruptly, Erica spoke, her words coming out in a staccato rhythm. “The last man I dated was a history professor. His name was Doug. We dated for over two years. We had plenty to talk about, but he was hardly interested in touching me. I want someone who’s interested in touching me.”

Corey was so stunned by the idea that Erica’s ex-boyfriend hadn’t been all over her every minute of every day that he didn’t speak for a moment. Into the silence, Griff’s laugh danced. His voice was warm and raspy. “I think you can stop looking, Red.”

Corey watched in astonishment as Griff reached up and smoothed a hand over Erica’s hair. It was a gesture filled with surprising affection, with tacit apology for his frankness. It was also a liberty taken that Corey was amazed Erica allowed. But she didn’t upbraid Griff or wrench away. Instead she closed her eyes on a sigh, as though his touch contented her, made her…

No way. No way is Griff turning her on.

Corey curled a hand around Erica’s nape. Her skin was supple and soft, the dark discs of her eyes like pools of melted chocolate. Shallow breaths puffed out of her, as though she was excited.

Because of Griff or him?

“Erica.” Corey hardly recognized the steely determination in his voice. “
I
want to touch you.”

The simple declaration didn’t cover it, not when every muscle in his body strained from the effort of not mauling her where she sat. Corey fought to moderate his actions as he pulled her to him, covering her mouth with his. He had often imagined kissing Erica. In those dreams he’d always seduced her slowly, with patience and skill, turning her into putty and making her plead for more.

As much as he wanted to live up to those intentions, reality wasn’t like that. Whatever finesse he possessed was obliterated by the plush invitation of her open lips, by the intoxicating mix of wine and sweet soda on her tongue. Her kiss drugged him, made him thirst for too much, too fast. He fed on her, devoured her.

She responded with enthusiasm, allowing him to take what he needed. Her keen little moans, the way she grabbed his shirt in frantic fistfuls as though she wanted to rip it off, lit a fire inside Corey. He’d been kissed with gusto before, but never quite like this. It was as though the first touch of his lips had released her from some unseen bondage, ties that kept her deep within herself. Once they got started it seemed like Erica drove the kiss, but it wasn’t about her taking control. It was about her losing it.

It made Corey think she needed protecting. She was different from most other women he met. Erica was shy and soft and sweet, with a passionate center that electrified his senses. Their lips and their bodies fit together like a hand fit a glove. He
would
take care of her, give her whatever she needed.

Erica would be his.
All his.

Her grip on his T-shirt tightened. She dragged the material upward and touched a hand to the bared skin of his torso. Corey’s abs, along with everything else in the vicinity, went as hard as forged iron. “Erica.” He wrenched his mouth away from hers and tried to catch his breath. “Slow down.”

“Why?”

Right, Wachawski. Why?
When she moved her touch downward and her fingers brushed his full-blown erection, Corey remembered. He winced and grabbed her wrist to keep her from exploring further. Aware that Griff was so close, Corey lowered his voice to a whisper. “I might come in my pants if you touch me there.”

Erica flagrantly disobeyed him, settling her hand over his fly. Corey closed his eyes on a groan. It was as if her fingers were made to curl around him. He wondered how well they’d fit together everywhere else. Intuitively, he knew.
Perfectly.

“Touch me, Corey.”

Corey could have kicked himself for making her ask it in that heartrending voice. He was holding back to keep from making a fool of himself, not because he didn’t want to put his hands all over her. How could she not know that?

Stupid professor dude.

He dipped his head and kissed her again, until she melted against him. Then he gently cupped a breast in his hand and squeezed. She was full and round, a bounty of soft womanly flesh. Through the filmy blouse she wore, her nipple thrust against his palm.

Corey rubbed his hand back and forth until her breath caught. “Is that how you want to be touched?”

“Yes, please.”

Erica’s hand flexed, lightly squeezing his cock. Corey couldn’t prevent his hips from rocking into her grip. The thick denim was the only thing saving him from losing it completely. That’d be great, unloading prematurely while Griff was driving them home. Corey would never hear the end of it.

Glancing across the space that separated them, Corey thought he saw the ghost of a smirk on the other man’s face and knew he was right. He also wondered if Griff’s silence wasn’t a tacit invitation for he and Erica to continue what they were doing as though he wasn’t there.

Corey murmured, “Erica, how far away is your place?”

“I’m not sure.” Erica blinked dazedly and glanced beyond him to the cityscape whizzing by.

“Five more minutes.” Griff’s voice was a thick husk, tinged with impatience rather than the amusement Corey would have expected. He gestured to the car in front. “Ten if this guy doesn’t get a wriggle on.”

Corey wondered if Griff was pissed off at him. “Are we bugging you, Griff?”

Griff flicked a glance his way. In the red-tinged glow from the traffic light, his eyes burned like lava. His jaw was set in a tense line that belied the lopsided grin he offered. “Not bothering me at all.”

Something hot and prickly chased itself over Corey’s already sensitive flesh. Griff was tense, but anger wasn’t the cause. Was it possible…?

Erica settled her face into the curve of Corey’s neck and swirled her tongue over his skin. As the car eased through the suburbs, Corey was now peripherally aware of his friend’s presence. Of his friend’s interest. He wondered if Erica was. If so, it did nothing to subdue her wild responses to his kisses. Neither did she stop him touching her breasts. And if Griff wasn’t forced to concentrate on driving, he’d be able to see everything they were doing to each other.

Sure as anything, he could hear it.

“Corey, I want your hands on my skin.”

God, he wanted that too. Corey wondered if she’d let him undo her blouse. If she’d let him part the fabric and unhook her bra right here in the car with Griff beside them.

The idea didn’t horrify Corey. He could barely speak over the shock constricting his throat. “Now, Erica?”

“Yes, now.”

The ugly sound of grinding gears punctuated Erica’s plea. Griff was always so careful with his precious car that realization hit Corey. He wanted this. Griff wanted Erica too, so much so he was driving like someone on their learner’s permit.

After Griff maneuvered into the correct gear he moved his hand off the shift…and settled it on Erica’s leg.

Erica didn’t object when Griff gave her thigh a squeeze. Corey stared at the sight and wondered why he didn’t object, either. When Griff started slowly stroking his hand up and down, Erica caught her breath and glanced over at Griff.

Griff met her gaze. “Sure this is okay?”

Erica nodded, gasped again when Griff trailed his touch higher on her thigh. As Griff steered them through the maze of Friday-night traffic, Corey’s gaze remained fixed on the sight of his friend’s hand massaging Erica’s leg, shifting her skirt upward, exposing the pale column of her thigh. Griff slipped beneath the shroud of grey material.

Erica said, “Oh
God.
”

Inwardly, Corey echoed the sentiment. Griff was touching Erica’s most intimate place. Stroking her and making her hips rock in helpless response.

Corey wondered why he didn’t stop this, why he wasn’t angry. Erica was shocked but not surprised by Griff’s advances, giving Corey the distinct impression they’d hatched this plot together. He’d wanted to make Erica his, but at some point Corey’s plan had been snatched out from under him. He should be seriously pissed at Griff for intruding on the intimacy he wanted to create with Erica.

Yet he wasn’t. He was too turned on to think, so caught up in the unexpected, dirty beauty of watching Griff finger Erica that objection was the last thing on his mind. Perhaps he was in shock, or so swamped by arousal nothing else could penetrate his lust-fogged mind. All Corey knew was that he wanted to watch Erica come. This way, he’d be free to see every beautiful expression on her face while she lost herself at Griff’s hand.