Do I trust him not to hurt me? Absolutely. Niall is gentle and kind. A truly good man, through and through.
When he pushes into me with his big cock, I will myself to relax. The piercing feels unfamiliar but when he starts to move, I understand the hype. In seconds, I’m whimpering and begging for him to make me come, urging his hips forward with bossy hands, my mouth kissing him hungrily.
It’s bliss when he thrusts into me with his big cock. The kind of bliss that arches my back and forces my lips into an ecstatic O shape. The bliss is almost unfathomable when he moves, hitching my leg around his waist and rising up over me so he can drive deeper. The flickering light of the candle casts his face in light and shadow. The warmth of his eyes is deeper, the cut of his cheekbones in sharper relief.
If I was a painter, Niall would be my muse for a masterpiece.
But I’m not a painter, just a person who lives to keep things neat and orderly. A person who finds security in control.
Tonight, my solace comes from the freedom I feel caged within Niall’s arms as his body owns mine, over and over, and when I come, it’s with his name dripping from my lips.
The stars gaze down at us, lovers for just a flicker of time in the age of the universe as he seeks his pleasure in my body.
And he finds it.
He finds it so well that his cry disturbs the birds who had disappeared into the forest around us. They take flight as his spirit soars.
Afterwards, Niall paints pictures onto my skin with his fingertips. He tells me myths and legends that the stars are named for, and we laugh at stories of his childhood with two annoying identical brothers.
I let him take me home and kiss me goodbye, like sweethearts who can relive their perfect night any time they want.
Except we can’t because in a blink of an eye, we played a game and won.
And tomorrow there will be a new player at the controls.
19
KYLA
It turns out that the day after my night with Niall is actually my day off. I’ve been so caught up in the game and my new job that I only realize when I check my messages to find one from Carl saying, Thanks for your contribution. I hope you enjoy some well-deserved time off. It’s so sweet of him, and it saves me from the embarrassment of turning up to the shop when I’m not supposed to be there!
In the morning, I take a quick shower and sort through my mail as I sip my super healthy berry smoothie. When it’s a respectable time, I give Dawn a call.
“Want to meet me for lunch?”
“Hell yeah, sista! You just rescued me from the most boring task ever. I swear my boss is purposefully trying to destroy my last will to live today.”
“Tacos?”
“You read my mind.”
“Twelve o’clock.”
“Be there or be square,” she sings before hanging up.
My apartment is spotless by the time I leave, and I glance in the mirror by the front door, finding a new glow to my skin and brightness to my eyes that hasn’t come from cleaning. Dawn’s going to notice. I know she is.
She’s also going to give me shit for making her wait days to find out what’s been going on between the inked gods I work with and me.
But that’s okay. I needed time to process what’s been happening and time to work out how I feel about it all.
Outside our favorite taco restaurant, Dawn waits, wearing a perfectly fitted scarlet trouser suit and black spiked heels. Her hair is twisted into a knot, which mostly conceals the bright colors that tint the ends, and she’s holding a small pink gift bag. She grins hard when she sees me, already filled with glee about the gossiping we’re about to do.
“There you are, with a warm glow to your skin and pep in your step. Someone’s been living their best life.”
“Can we get inside before you start the interrogation?”
“I don’t know. Can we?” Dawn threads her arm through mine and practically hustles me inside. A server shows us to a booth that’s away from the other diners, which is a relief. I’m sure they won’t want to hear the ins and outs of my recent sex life.
I don’t even need to look at the menu. I’m so familiar with this place. We order sodas, and reel off our regular choices, and Lana, our waitress, leaves to relay everything to the kitchen.
“Tell me you’ve been having the best sex of your life. I just can’t take the waiting anymore. It’s not fair.”
“I’ve been having the best sex of my life,” I say with a sly smile.
Dawn’s hands fly to her face, and her eyes bug out like a lizard. “Are you serious? I mean, I’ve been hoping that Dex, who shall from this point on be called genius, had convinced you to go ahead, but I wasn’t sure he had it in him. I mean, you’re a hard nut to crack.”