Lia reached up and gripped her br**sts, squeezing her ni**les in her hands as he plunged quickly inside her while still rubbing her swollen pink pearl.
It didn’t take long before she shattered around him, and only a few more thrusts and he joined her, draining them both. When she could breathe easily again, she lifted her head to look into his eyes, but refused to budge from lying on top of him.
“See how good this can be? It’s just our secret,” she said, loving that she’d won in their little disagreement.
“You can easily distract me, Lia, but eventually we’ll have to drag ourselves out of this bed, and the first chance I get, I’m talking to Rafe.”
It took a moment for Shane’s words to get past her euphoria to the rational part of her brain, but when they penetrated, her temper rose to the surface. She climbed off him and grabbed the sheet.
What should she say next? He wasn’t listening to her. If Rafe got involved, it would make their relationship complicated, and she didn’t want that. She just wanted easy.
“This discussion was held and now it’s over. What man doesn’t want no-strings, no-holds-barred, repeatedly orgasmic sex?” she asked in disgust.
“Lia, I plan on taking you over and over again. I plan on doing all sorts of very wonderful things to your body that I won’t tell Rafe about. But I won’t keep our relationship secret from my best friend.”
Shane sat up next to her, pulling the blanket up over his lap, thereby shielding her favorite part of him from view.
“What is wrong with having a secret affair? No one has to know and no one has to get hurt.”
“That may be OK with strangers. It’s not OK to carry on an affair like that with a woman I've known for over ten years.”
“You’re an idiot, Shane. Fine! I don’t want to do this.”
Before she could get up, he had her flat on her back as he looked deep into her eyes and his hand slid down her body. Her traitorous ni**les instantly responded to his touch, contradicting what she’d just said.
“You do want to do this — and we will. You chased me — now you’re stuck. We’ll continue this argument after I’ve spoken to Rafe,” he promised as his head descended and he latched onto a peaked nipple.
Lia groaned as he ignited her once again. But before she could get lost in desire, she pushed him away and jumped from the bed, taking the sheet with her.
“If you decide to pull your head out and keep this between the two of us, you can join me in the shower,” she offered before dropping the sheet and turning around. She put a little extra wiggle into her h*ps as an added incentive.
When Shane didn’t join her after a few minutes, she glared at the door before angrily scrubbing her skin until it was red.
“Stupid men and their ethics,” she grumbled before trying to thrust any and all thoughts of Shane from her head. She had more important things to do.
She decided she’d gotten what she wanted out of Shane, and she was done with him anyway. If only her aching body hadn’t disagreed…
*****
Shane paced the hallway, taking deep breaths as he passed Rafe’s door for the tenth time. What was wrong with him? He didn’t run from a fight — he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, and he certainly wasn’t afraid to tell his best friend anything.
He and Rafe had been through hell and back together. Rafe was the one who’d put him back together when the pieces of his life had completely fallen apart. It would all be fine, and later the two of them would have a good laugh over an exceptional bottle of single-malt scotch.
Drawing in a deep breath, Shane stopped on his next pass and knocked on Rafe’s door. Standing there felt like an eternity as he waited for his friend to answer.
“Shane, I thought we were meeting downstairs. I’m not ready,” Rafe said as he opened the door wider for Shane to walk through.
“I need to talk to you privately.”
“Are the girls all right?”
Rafe’s immediate concern reminded Shane why he had so much respect for him. Under his hardened exterior, Rafe was truly one of the good guys.
“Yes, everything is fine. I just need to let you know what’s going on with Lia and me.”
As Rafe’s eyes narrowed, Shane knew he’d been too optimistic. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. He thought back to the limo ride and the way Rafe flipped out over Rachel’s teasing comments.
“I thought nothing was going on between the two of you,” Rafe said as he made his way to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot. Shane noted that his friend wasn’t offering him anything, so he walked over and helped himself. He needed a bracer to get through this conversation.
“Nothing was going on then, but…” Shane didn’t know how to finish that sentence. He certainly didn’t want to tell Rafe about last night.
“I have the feeling I’m going to have to kick your ass.”
At Rafe’s words, Shane’s shoulders stiffened and he looked his friend boldly in the eye. Lia wasn’t a child anymore. She had a right to date whomever she wanted, and Shane had no reason to be feeling guilty.
“I like your sister a lot, Rafe. We’ve decided to give a relationship a try.”
Rafe returned the stare. Refusing to back down even an inch, Shane held his gaze, and silently let his friend know he wasn’t going anywhere.
“We both know you’re a screw-’em-and-leave-’em type, and one-night stands are your well-known M.O. Hell, Shane, a week with a woman is a major accomplishment for you. So if you don’t stay away from Lia, our friendship ends right now.”
Fire shot through Shane’s blood at the assumption that he’d just back down. He loved Rafe, would take a bullet for the man, but right now he was fighting the urge to plant a solid right to his cheekbone.
“It’s not that way with Lia,” he said, his voice dangerously low.
“Bull! Like you can be any other way,” Rafe thundered.
“Look who’s talking, Rafe. Where in the hell do you get off telling me I mistreat women? Do you even know how to respect one? You are so good to your family and friends, the few of them you allow in your life, but when it comes to women, it’s as if they’re no better than wild animals to you — you tame them for your sport, and move on. I’ve never belittled even one of the ladies I’ve been with, or treated them with indifference or contempt the way you do — and I never would.”