More Than Words: A Novella (3 page)

Chapter Four

“What comes after doggy style in your lesson plan?”

Landon gets back on my bed and lies down on his side facing me. He pats the bed in front of him. “We're going on to more advanced moves.”

“Oh, advanced moves?” I raise an eyebrow as I come closer. “More advanced than doggy style?”

He scoffs. “Doggy style is just a fundamental. Part of the introductory portion of this course.”

I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Whatever you say, teach.”

He heaves a heavy sigh. “Just get over here already, Darling.” I get on the bed, facing him. He shakes his head and turns me around, settling me next to him, my back to his front. We're spooning. Landon Sinclair is spooning me. His hand is on my thigh, and then he's hitching one of my legs over his hip as his leg slips between mine.

I gasp at the move.
How...?

“In this one, he would enter her from behind.” His hand smoothes over my thigh and my breath catches from the close contact. We're not even doing anything. This is just two friends pretending to have sex...wishing they could be having it.

This is not good.

“You okay?” he asks as he moves my hair away from the nape of my neck, his nose ghosting across my skin.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“Playing my part. This is research, right? I know a little about research. It can either be boring or it can be fun. I choose the latter. Sometimes you've got to enjoy yourself and clearly I am.”

“Maybe you shouldn't enjoy it so much.”

“Why not?”
 

“Because it's—it's distracting,” I admit.

He chuckles warmly. “I'm distracting you?” His hand skims down my arm, guiding it back until my hand is on his thigh. His arm slips around my waist. It may not seem very sensual, but it is. “There's a lot of room for intimate caresses and kisses.” His lips press to my neck and my fingers grip his thigh, pulling him closer. He complies, holding me tighter until I'm fully aware of how much he's enjoying this lesson.

I gasp, wriggling out of his arms to stand up. My legs are shaky and I have to brace myself with a hand on the bed as I face him. “What is that all about?” My heart is thudding in my chest, a little fluttery from the strange feeling overcoming me.

He stares for a moment as if trying to read me. Then he sits up, scooting closer until he's sitting right in front of me, his face inches from mine. In a matter-of-fact tone, he says, “It's a natural reaction to being near you. I'm not going to apologize for it.”

Landon is attracted to me. It's no wonder he was so reluctant before. It probably wasn’t the greatest of ideas to ask him to do this. At the time, I didn't think I had another option or anyone else with the expertise. What's worse is that I'm just as attracted to him. The nearness of him alone is sending signals to my core, and I begin to throb down there like I never have before.

“It's getting weird now,” I tell him quietly.

“No, it's not.” His hand covers the hand I'm using to hold myself up. My knees almost buckle at the feel of his skin on mine.

“We shouldn't.”

“We haven't done anything yet,” he replies, his eyes darkening. “I would like to adapt my lesson plan.”

“Adapt it?”

“Let's change your field of study from quiet observation to participation.”

My eyes widen, and my heart rate quickens at the thought. I can't deny my desire to be an active participant in the real thing. What keeps holding me back is our friendship.

“I want to kiss you.” His eyes are blazing, his gaze piercing me. “You want me to. Admit it.”

He already knows I do. My body language isn't sending mixed signals. But he's my friend and once we cross that line, we can't go back. Yet, what if this moment has already crossed that line? “This isn't a good idea,” I say, standing upright.

“It's just research, right?” His gaze holds mine, his voice serious. “You can only learn so much from the surface study. Sometimes you have to dig deeper. The depth of your research depends entirely on you.”

For Landon, it's only research. He said he didn't mind being used. Did he have an inkling this would happen?

Why didn't
I
?

He cocks his head to the side. “We don't have to. However...if you say no, I may have to leave. I'm finding it difficult to touch you and not stop. Just tell me if I'm going too far.”

The hands-on experience would make my words more realistic and I want to be thorough in my research, but... “Kissing would be too far.”

“Why?”

“Too intimate. And it could lead to other things.”

“Not all kissing leads to sex.”

“It would for us.”

Sitting up straighter, he asks, “What makes you so sure about that?”

“Because...you're making me
feel
things.” I turn my face to the side.

I hear him get off the bed, and then he's in front of me. Cupping my cheek with his hand, he makes me look up at him as he asks, “What kind of things?”

I pause before I answer. “Things I've never felt before.”

“Dana.” His other hand comes up to my other cheek. “Dana, please let me kiss you. Let me show you what you've been missing.”

The sweetness of him is my undoing. My confidence comes forth like I've never experienced with anyone else. “Sit back down on the bed,” I tell him. He complies, and I slowly climb into his lap, my legs on either side of him. I'm just on his lap, nowhere near his erection. As much as I feel the urge to be closer, to feel him pressing up against me, I'm not courageous enough. His hands fall to my waist, and he allows me to be in control of this. Our faces are close. My hand reaches up, fingertips grazing across his lips. My eyes lift to find his. “Show me, Landon.”

And then he kisses me. His lips are soft, gently parting mine as his fingers weave into my hair. I kiss him back, eager for more. He tentatively sweeps his tongue into my mouth in sweet exploration. I moan and he takes that opportunity to deepen the kiss. He devours my lips, tasting me hungrily. I can barely keep up with him. I had no idea of the extent of his kissing talent. None. If this is how he kisses, how would the rest of it...

Well then.

He pulls back, but our mouths are only an inch apart. “Damn it, Dana. Your lips are luscious.”

A shiver runs through me. In all my dating years, nobody has ever said that to me. Then again, I've never been with a man who had a vocabulary and knew how to use it. “I could kiss you all night.”

He runs his fingers through my hair. “Would you?”

“Do you want me to?”

We should slow down. We should quit while we're ahead. Before the clothes come off. We could go back, couldn't we? We're pragmatic enough, right? Trouble is, one taste filled my senses and we've already struck the point of no return before even getting started. Despite the nagging in my head, now that we're here I don't even care. Not one bit.

He grips my hair and brings our foreheads together. “Yes,” he answers.

“Maybe I will,” I whisper, pressing my lips back to his.

Chapter Five

The second my lips touch his, he takes over. His lips are like sin, blistering hot against mine. I've never been kissed like this before—with such passion that it overpowers all my senses. He tangles his tongue with mine, and I grip his shirt in response. The throbbing between my legs increases, begging for release. I know that I shouldn't. It's just supposed to be kissing, carefully exploring the boundaries. Not crossing them.

But I can't help myself.

I scoot closer until I press against the hardened ridge under his jeans. I grind against it, and the pleasure surges.

Landon tears his lips away. “For someone who doesn't have much experience, it certainly feels like you know what you're doing.” His voice is hoarse.

“I'm just going with it.”

“Your instincts are impressive.”

“I graduated at the top of my class.”

“You'll be on top in this class.” He gives me a lopsided grin, pulling us back until he's lying across my bed. He pulls me down to his chest, our noses touching. “If you keep grinding against me like that, I may not be able to hold back. I don't know how much research you're planning on doing tonight, but you might want to give me an idea now.”

Right...research. That's what this is. Where do I want tonight to go? How do I want it to end? My desire for him has deepened and, just like him, I don't think I can restrain myself any longer. Everything that's happened so far tonight has been with clothes on and I've felt more pleasure from that than all my other experiences combined.

I answer him by reaching down and tugging his shirt. He sits up long enough for me to remove it and toss it to the floor. It's the first time I've seen him without a shirt and, damn, have I been missing out. The hard planes of his chest are impossible to ignore...or keep my hands off. I touch him, discovering how amazing it feels to run my hands over his body. Not to mention how sexy chest hair is when it's on him. He looks more rugged than boyish now.

“Maybe you shouldn't enjoy this so much,” he teases, reminding me of my words from earlier.

“It's not my fault you look like sex on a stick.”

He laughs out loud, and it creates a gentle rumbling between our bodies. I sit back up, taking off my own shirt while he stares up at me, hands behind his head. I give him a shy smile. “Are you enjoying the show?”

Landon grins, sitting up again to place his hands on either side of my ribcage. “Obviously. May I?” he asks, slipping a hand back to the clasps on my bra. I nod slowly, and his fingers make quick work of getting it off. The cups fall away, exposing my breasts for his eyes to feast on. He stares for a moment, taking it all in. A hand covers one of my breasts, while the other holds on to my waist. “Exquisite.”

I sigh as he squeezes gently, my nipple hardening under his palm. He does the same with my other breast. I bite my lip and close my eyes. The way it feels holds me like an embrace. It spreads through me, from my core to my fingers and toes. His touch is delicate, treasuring. I can't get enough. “More,” I say, not even knowing the word was on the tip of my tongue until I said it.

Before I can process it, his mouth is around my nipple, sucking and licking. My fingers delve into his hair, holding tight. He teases the tight bud, swirling his tongue around it. It almost becomes too much, so I pull him away and shove him back down, pressing our bare chests together. With eyes full of desire, he says, “There's my tigress.”

A powerful feeling comes over me, making me brave. I kiss him hard, and he responds by wrapping his arms around me, holding me close. His kisses become rougher, insistent. I start to rub against him again, and he growls. I pull away, getting off his lap. He seems concerned for a second, then he sees me unbuttoning and yanking off my jeans and he hurriedly does the same. I slip off my panties. Before he kicks his pants off the bed, he pulls a condom from his pocket.

“You had one in your pocket?” I ask, my jaw dropping.

“A good man is always prepared,” Landon replies with a shrug.

I shake my head and reach out to pull down his boxers. His erection springs free and I gasp. Holy moly. How will we even be able to...?

“Don't worry, I'll fit,” he assures me.

I pull his underwear off the rest of the way. “How can you be so sure?”

“Trust me.” After putting on the condom, he pulls me on top of him. I let out a yelp and a giggle, which causes him to laugh. “Hey, stop the laughter or we won't be able to get down to business.” He settles me right in front of his erection.

Am I about to have sex in a position that's
not
missionary? “You want me on top?”

He nods, his topaz eyes ablaze with arousal. “There would be nothing more beautiful than watching you come while on top of me.”

It's the dirtiest thing a man has ever said to me...and...I like it. I really like it. It's also invigorating, the idea of it, but I'm still a little bit unsure of myself. I bite my lip. “Help me?”

“Here,” he says, moving me up and forward. “Just use your hand to guide me in.”

I reach down and follow his instructions. When my fingers touch him, he sucks in a breath. “You okay?” I ask as I gaze at him.
 

“I'm perfectly fine. You touching me is just...beyond enjoyable, that's all.”

I blink a few times in surprise. “Oh.” I line us up and press down so that the tip of his cock is inside.

“That's it,” he says through a hiss. “Now ease down all the way.” His hands are gripping my hips, holding back from pushing me down himself.

Not wanting to wait any longer, I press down until he's fully sheathed inside of me.

Oh my...this is...I can't believe...

My eyes close, and a sound I've never heard before comes out of my mouth. It's like a cross between a squeal and a moan. It's very primal and unlike me. Then again, I haven't had a man this far inside me. And I can't believe the man inside me now is Landon.

I finally look down at him, and his gaze is on me. “Wow,” he rasps, his fingers digging into my hips.

“Yeah,” I gasp.

His hand brushes along my jaw. “You ready?” I nod. “Because you control this. Remember that.”

I nod again. Bracing myself with a hand on each side of him, I lift up, and then press back down again. A rushing swirl of pleasure increases every time I move against him. “God, that feels amazing. You feel amazing.”

He lets out a light laugh. “I don't think you need to work on your dirty talk.”

I giggle. “That wasn't dirty talk.”

He shakes his head. “Nope, that was straight-up dirty talk. I liked it. A lot.” He pulls me down for a kiss, long and lingering. His hands slide over my body from my legs up to my breasts then back again. I hold myself up, increasing the speed. He assists by thrusting upward, meeting me with every downward stroke.

My previous lovers were nothing compared to Landon. Everything about him—from his lips and hands to his hard length buried deep inside me—is better than anything I ever could have imagined. The books are right about sex after all. It feels like a train speeding toward oblivion, a rushing river pushing me toward a waterfall. The pleasure builds in intensity like never before. It’s practically unreal. I don't know how much longer I can hold on before it explodes.

“Dana,” he says in a throaty voice. He brings his hand up to my face. “Are you—”

“Yes,” I pant. “Almost...there...”

He reaches his other hand between us and presses down on my clit. The dam bursts open at that, shooting the tingling sensations in every direction. It flows through my entire body, pulsing like a current. I cry out his name, gasping for breath. He thrusts into me one last time and releases with a low moan. My elbows give way and I fall onto his chest, floating away with the feelings I never thought I would get the chance to experience.