Mine to Hold (19 page)

Because he’d never wanted to keep someone open for him, and him alone, like he wanted with Del.

Tyler inched down her body. Her plush breasts waited for him, so soft, topped with hard, swollen nipples. He took the unspoken invitation and circled one with his tongue. God, those were good. He loved the scent of her, the flavor. She groaned as he shifted to the other, thumbing the hard tips, nipping at them, gratified when she whimpered his name.

“I like this. Mmm.” He swiped his tongue along her abdomen, loving the way she shivered. “I remember my first night in Lafayette the week after I left your house. I had an empty apartment and a full bottle. I missed you . . .”

It was the first night he’d let himself masturbate to the thought of her. But not the last—not by a long shot. He always saved her for the times he was too drunk to remember that Del had thrown him out of her life. Even so, she’d still affected him like no one else.

“I fantasized about doing this.”

Tyler slid farther down her body, bracing himself between her thighs. She was slick and succulent. The tangy-sweet scent of her went straight to his cock. He glanced at her, wide-eyed and restrained, before dropping his gaze again.

Lowering his weight to his elbows, he eased her folds apart with his thumbs. Her clit looked tight and red. Needy. She clenched, and Tyler salivated at the thought of his tongue, his dick, working into that tight little spot.

“I’m going to eat you up, angel.”

She drew in a trembling breath. “Please . . .”

Fuck, he couldn’t wait another second. He bent and ran the flat of his tongue from her hole slowly, slowly up to the hard berry of her clit. With a little moan, he swirled his tongue around it, his thumbs keeping her open wide.

Del stiffened as she cried out. Her entire body went taut. A glance up at the rapid pulse beating at her neck told him that her heart was racing.

He loved the idea that he’d already driven her to the brink of orgasm—and that he could keep her there and build on her sensations for as long as he wished.

With that thought, he dove right into that sugar-slick flesh and gorged on her, sliding his fingers inside her cunt, probing, testing, searching . . .

“Oh my God!”

He found her G-spot. Leisurely, he rubbed at it with firm fingertips as he took her clit into his mouth. With every second, her skin flushed rosier, her body grew more tense, her breathing more ragged.

“Tyler. Tyler . . .” She sounded desperate. Her long fingers closed into fists.

And he loved it.

He swiped a thumb across her clit, toying, keeping her on the edge. But no way was she going over before he was ready. “You like my tongue on you?”

With a devilish grin, he demonstrated again.

Del gasped. “I’ve never—” She clenched her fists, swallowed hard.

“Never what?” he prompted.

“Come like this.”

Eric had never done this for her? No man had? Damn if that didn’t motivate him to make her scream with pleasure.

“Oh, angel. I’m not letting you get away until you do.” He gave the pad of her pussy a playful tap.

Her whole body twitched. Around his fingers, she clenched in need.

Then Tyler set about to prove that he wasn’t all talk. He bent between her legs again, his hands at either knee, prying her apart even more. She hissed and arched, both protesting and begging.

He couldn’t wait to give her this experience. And he controlled it completely. The way she’d put herself in his hands turned him on. Hell, everything about her did. No way would he let her down. Tyler intended to take very good care of her.

Latching onto her pretty, wet clit, he dove in, already addicted to her flavor, her pillowy-soft flesh that swelled with every swipe. God, she was like heaven, and responded to every touch with a gasp, a wriggle, an arch. He loved every offering of her passion.

Nothing about this experience was normal. He wasn’t trying to get her off fast so that he could get his cock into her and get back home to his big screen or so she wouldn’t be late for her “dance” number around a pole. Nothing else was in his head except making her feel good and giving his all to ensure that she wanted him.

“Tyler . . .”

Now her breath came fast and heavy. He smiled, staring up at her as he lashed her with his tongue again. “I’m right here. You going to come for me?”

He had no doubt she would. Every muscle in her thighs was taut. Her clit twitched. The power of holding her pleasure in his hands gave him the biggest rush.

With a smile, he plunged two of his fingers right against the sensitive spot deep in her pussy again, then sucked the hard little bundle of her nerves into his mouth. Within seconds, she screamed his name, then began jolting wildly. Tyler stayed with her, riding her to the very edge of her climax, milking every moment.

When she went limp and sighed, Tyler untied her and eased off the bed to grab a condom out of his jeans. Yeah, he was assuming. Or hoping, anyway. But if she said no, he’d respect it—and keep trying to convince her they were good together.

After donning the condom, he slid back onto the bed, right between her legs. He grabbed a thigh in the crook of his arm and started kissing his way up her body, lifting her leg with him, opening her to his seeking cock.

Spreading soft kisses around her breasts, he sucked in her nipple, savoring the plushy-hard texture with a moan. Delaney wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m going to get inside you, angel. Make you feel good.”

“Hurry, or I’m going to roll you on your back and take over,” she panted.

Later, yes. Much later, he’d indulge in the visual of her straddling his hips, taking every inch of his cock inside her, breasts bobbing, hair flowing, face racked with pleasure.

But now, he needed control.

“That’s not a threat. That’s a great idea.” He grinned. “We’ll get to it. But first . . .”

He pushed his way inside her.

Dear God, she was a tight, wet heaven, gripping him as she spread kisses across his face and neck. No way could she take him all in one thrust, and he stopped trying to fight his way in.

“Hey, angel, relax. We’re going to get there.” He kneaded the muscles of her hips and lower back with his fingers, slowly feeling her give way and let go. He pushed in a bit farther, pausing when she tensed and gasped.

“There’s more?” she squeaked.

More than she probably wanted to know. “Just a bit. We’ve done this before. We were good together the first time.”

“Yeah.” She sighed.

Nuzzling her neck, he smiled against her skin, then eased back languidly. He took her free leg into the crook of his other arm and spread her even wider. It would keep her from being able to tense up too much, and he didn’t want to hurt her. Just make her feel so damn good. And happy to be with him.

Once he spread her completely, he slid in slowly, like butter melting over a hot stack of pancakes. Finally, he pressed deep, deeper—all the way in. Del cried out, but it wasn’t in pain, thank God. Her skin flushed rosy. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she arched up to him.

Fully seated, Tyler released his hold on her thighs, then wrapped his arms around her, cradling her. He took handfuls of that luscious ass into his palms and tilted her up to his cock as he pounded down.

On the first stroke, her eyes flew wide open, deep blue pools of wonder. She grasped at him, lips parting.

“I’ve got you,” he promised.

Slowly, she nodded, then arched up, taking him a fraction deeper. Del didn’t just feel good, she felt important. Perfect. He’d had so much sex in the last twenty years. Skanky sex, sweaty sex, forgettable sex, indoors, outdoors, under water, in a car, on a boat, on a plane, on a train. Hell, he could rhyme better than freaking Dr. Seuss when it came to all the places he’d fucked someone.

But the one and only time it had really meant anything . . . that belonged to the woman under him.

Tyler brushed the hair from her face and fused their lips together, shuttling inside her over and over, feeling her body tense, build, reach out for another orgasm. He closed his eyes, intentionally filling her with long, deep strokes that awakened both her G-spot and all the nerves he nudged around her cervix.

“Touch your clit for me,” he whispered, propping himself on his elbows to give her room to maneuver.

Del reached a slender hand down her belly—then stopped. “Really? You want me to touch myself while you’re inside me?”

“Is it going to get you off?”

“Probably.” She bit her lip, eyes closing shyly. “I’m really sensitive there.”

He grinned. “Get your fingers on your pussy, angel.”

She didn’t hesitate again, just slid her fingers between them and started rubbing that little sweet spot with slow, gentle strokes. He filled her, deep, sure thrusts, one after the other, that rasped over all the dark, sensitive corners inside her. With every thrust, she tightened until she forced him to take shorter, faster strokes, dig right at those nerve-laden spots that had her gasping once, twice, as she wrapped her long legs around his hips and thrashed under him, silently begging for release.

“Do you want to come?”

“Yes.” She sounded as if she’d run a marathon and stroked her clit faster. “Please!”

“Now,” he growled the command at her, feeling his own pleasure creep up his spine and tingles gnaw their way through his belly.

An instant later, her entire body jolted, and she let loose a guttural cry. A rosy hue flared across her cheeks. God, she was so fucking beautiful. Tyler fought to stave off his climax. He wasn’t ready for this to end. For the last two years, he’d been floating through life. In Lafayette, he’d found the place he now considered home. He’d found the friends he knew would always have his back.

But he’d been missing Del, trying to fill her void with anyone he possibly could. He knew now that no one else would do. And he couldn’t keep from releasing the need boiling inside him.

Del held him tightly, her pussy gloving him perfectly, squeezing and pulling him in. Pleasure suspended him seemingly in midair. The tension reached its zenith until he didn’t breathe, didn’t hear, didn’t think. He simply felt Del—then released everything he had inside her in an outpouring that exploded through him, damn near overwhelming him. Tears stung the back of his eyes, and his throat closed up. He clutched Del tighter.

Under him, she clung to him, sobbing softly. He brushed the dark strands from her rosy cheeks and dried her tears. “I’m here.”

She nodded but closed her eyes against him. “Don’t do this to me. Just . . . go.”

Fuck, her dismissal was frustrating, but not surprising. She’d known him for years as a player. Her first impression of his life in Lafayette wouldn’t have changed that. He’d gotten her pregnant and left before she could tell him. She’d been through a messy divorce and birth all by herself. And now he’d worked his way right back into her panties. Naturally, she was cautious and questioning how long he’d be here for her.

Withdrawing from the warm clasp of her body, Tyler disposed of the condom and grabbed his towel. “Del . . .”

She shook her head and rose, clutching the sheet against her. “I’m going to shower.”

Before he could reply, she’d darted across the room and closed the door.
Shit
. How ironic was this? All the times he’d fucked and run, leaving some female most likely wondering how he felt about her. Tyler winced. Now he knew that feeling. And it sucked.

He sat on the bed with a sigh. What the hell did he do now? Go with his gut and pursue her? Did he have more staying power than his old man, or had his mom been right all along?

Tyler could still hear his mother and the bitterness that dripped from her every word. She would get drunk and tell him how much like his father he was. After a while, it had become the background noise that filled his childhood, but Del was bringing it all back. Was he like the old man? Destined to ruin everyone around him?

He had no clue, and he certainly didn’t have time to deal with his past boo-boos now. He’d call his mom at some point, tell her about Seth . . . but not today. Now, he had to focus on Del and what was happening between then. He wasn’t calling the old bitch and letting her crawl in his head now.

With a sigh, he picked up his phone and dialed.

Jack answered on the first ring. “You okay there?”

Define okay
. “Since we got out of New Orleans, it’s been pretty smooth sailing. Xander’s contacts, while scantily clad, have been helpful. But the asshole trying to kill Del is about to be named DA.” Tyler filled Jack in. “See if you can dig up any dirt on him.”

“Will do.”

“And Del’s got this friend, Lisa. I didn’t get a last name. Here’s her phone number.” Tyler prowled through Del’s phone until he found her last call and repeated the digits to Jack. “Del says this is a friend who’s been helping her. I just want to make sure she checks out. If not, we might have a very unwelcoming party once we hit L.A. tomorrow.”

“I’ll look into her and get back with you in a few hours.”

“Thanks, man.”

“You sound tired.”

Tyler sighed, rubbing at gritty eyes. “Fucking exhausted.”