Page 39 of What I Like About You

She’d insisted that they drive all the way to this small town in rural, southern Georgia just to watch a movie she owned on the big screen. Hell, she not only had a DVD, he had a copy on his laptop. But he’d taken her anyway, because even then, he’d been a sucker for that smile. He'd laid out a blanket on the hood of his car and they’d hopped up there and watched the movie, like it was something they’d never seen before. He’d held her in his arms for pretty much the entire thing too. How he’d managed to keep his hands to himself was something he still didn’t know.

“Confession—I spent a good portion of that movie wishing you would kiss me,” she said, still staring out over the water. Dalton could feel her body tense in his arms as she said it, so he gave her a little squeeze, hoping it comforted her.

“That’s funny,” he responded. “Because I distinctly remember having to remind myself to keep my hands to myself the whole time.”

“You did not!” she exclaimed, twisting in his embrace to face him.

“Remember how I kept shifting positions, and you kept telling me to stop wiggling?” he asked, staring into her deep-green eyes. She nodded in confirmation, her brow furrowed slightly. “I was shifting because I didn’t want you to feel my reaction to holding you against me. I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

She looked down briefly as if she were ashamed, but looked up and returned his gaze quickly, an impish smile spread across her face. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me feeling it now,” she said coyly. “And you certainly don’t need to worry about keeping your hands to yourself. In fact, I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

* * *

Before Zara could even thinkabout what had possessed her to actually say those words out loud, Dalton was kissing her. His lips were soft and strong all at once, and the feel of them against hers excited her in a whole new way. He ran his hands up and down her back, which only helped lull her even more into the trance that kissing him had brought on. She hadn’t meant to be so coquettish with her statement, but given the results, no part of her regretted it.

His tongue found hers with a new sense of urgency, even though his actions were slow and unhurried. There was a purpose to each one of his movements. A purpose that Zara didn’t quite understand but was enjoying regardless. It was as if her whole body came alive with each little stroke of his tongue or caress of his hands, and if she wasn't careful, she was going to be a puddle before this was all over. Somehow every single kiss from him got better and better.

Dalton gently ran his hand down her body until he found where the hemline of her dress sat on her bare knee. He toyed with the hemline, never once letting up on his deep, searing kisses. The feel of his fingertips tickled slightly as he slid them under her skirt and up her thigh. Zara could feel a shiver run down her spine at the feather-like touch, and let out a soft whimper in response. Her hands grabbed ahold of his waist, trying to close the almost imperceptible gap in between them. Even with their bodies touching, she wanted nothing more than to be closer to him as they explored each other's mouths.

“Tripp…” Zara whispered as his hand reached her hip, flirting with the fabric of her thong that rested there.

He pulled away from their kiss slightly, moving from her lips to her jawline. The light kisses he peppered in slow succession toward her neck caused another shiver to rush through her. “You’re in control here, Zara,” he muttered into her ear. “We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. I’m more than happy to just hold you in my arms all night long.”

“Tripp…” she repeated, unable to find any other words. Her heart skipped a beat thinking about what he’d just said. In all her teenage fantasies, he’d always been a gentleman on the streets and a freak in the sheets, but it turned out he was just as much of a gentleman in bed too. And it might have just made her want him even more. He returned to lightly kissing her jawline and even gave her earlobe a little nibble, causing a bolt of lust to shoot straight to her sex. She wanted nothing more in this moment than to let him have his way with her until she was screaming his name at the top of her lungs.

“I want to feel your hands all over me,” she said, her breath ragged.

Sitting all the way back in the lounger, he looked longingly into her eyes. His ocean-blue irises were dark with desire, and her own hunger grew with anticipation. No one had ever made her feel more wanted than the look in his eyes did right now. In this moment she wasn’t just some chubby girl. She was the one that Tripp Sutherland wanted.

“We can do better than just my hands, baby,” he said, his voice low and husky. “But first, we need to rid you of this dress.”

Dalton made quick work of pulling her dress up over her head and discarding it next to the chaise. Zara suddenly felt very on display, even though the only light was from the small lantern Dalton had flipped on. She followed his gaze to her cleavage and saw him lick his lips like a cartoon character waiting on his next meal. She could feel the wetness start to pool between her legs as the rest of her body tingled with need. Reaching behind her, she swiftly undid her bra, letting her large breasts unceremoniously fall from the cups.

“Holy shit,” Dalton muttered, his gaze never leaving her chest. He reached up, taking a breast in each hand, and gave them a firm squeeze. She felt her nipples pebble from the attention, and she desperately wanted more. “These are perfection. Complete and utter perfection.”

Zara felt the heat rise up her body as he continued to take her in. Unable to form a response, she let out a small laugh. Feeling his gaze on her bare breasts was better than she’d ever imagined. His reaction was better than she’d ever imagined too, and it fed the need inside her.

Without another word, he took a breast in his mouth, quickly finding her nipple with his tongue. Zara moaned as he took the other in his hand, rolling her nipple in between his thumb and forefinger. She felt his touch all over, as if she were swimming in a sea of pleasure. Her hands found the back of his head, holding it in place, urging him to continue. Each new flick of his tongue or pinch of his fingers sent her soaring into oblivion. No one had ever touched her with such passion before. It was as if each movement communicated something, like this wasn’t a means to an end for Dalton; it was his way of expressing everything words had failed to.

Moving his mouth to the other nipple, Dalton lazily skimmed his finger down her belly toward her center. Mewling quietly as his fingers toyed with the waistband of her thong, she could feel the anticipation starting to build and her sex start to tingle. Her nervousness took over for a moment, and she had to fight the urge to clench her legs together. Instead, she chose to focus on her pulse thrumming through her entire body as he slipped his hand into her panties. The anticipation of his making contact with her wetness was almost too much, driving her absolutely wild. His fingers finally found her folds, and she let out a long, throaty moan as he made contact.

“Holy shit, baby, you are so wet,” he said, as he started to run his fingers through her slickness. Each back and forth motion sent her flying even higher, and it was all she could do to nod in response.

Zara slowly started to swivel her hips, trying desperately to force his fingers to make contact with her clit. With a popping sound, he let go of her nipple, his free hand finding the back of her neck, pulling her in for another scorching kiss. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Dalton slipped a finger inside her, causing her to buck her hips and cry out. She threw her head back, gasping for air as his finger found a steady, unhurried rhythm inside her.

“Oh shit,” she moaned, feeling that telltale throb in her tummy. The orgasm that was building inside her seemed to be coming from every direction, and she wasn’t sure which of the many intense feelings to concentrate on. He knew exactly how to touch her, unlike those who had come before him. No one had ever made her feel this good. Returning his mouth to her breast, Dalton slipped a second finger inside her and found her swollen clit with his thumb. This new combination was enough to send her over the edge as fireworks burst inside her. Slamming her eyes shut, she grabbed Dalton’s shoulders, holding on for dear life as she shook and cried out.

Dalton finally let his movements subside as the last of her aftershocks racked her body. Collapsing forward, she rested her forehead on his shoulder, fighting to catch her breath from what was easily the best orgasm of her life.

“Oh my gosh, that was…” she said, leaning back to look at him. His eyes were still laced with desire, almost as if he were drunk off it. A swell of pride swept through Zara, knowing that she was the reason for that look.

“We’re not done yet, Zara. There's something else I’ve waited a long time to do,” he said. She could feel the look of surprise cross her face as he rolled them over in one fluid movement, so that she was now on her back underneath him. His weight felt glorious on top of her. He kissed her again, his actions once again unhurried, as if the only thing he had to do in the world was kiss her. She squeezed her arms around him, trying to keep him there, so she could bask in the feeling of his body against hers.

Pushing up from her, Dalton sat back on his haunches and started to glide her thong down her legs. He carefully removed it from her body, tossing it over with her dress. Zara’s breath caught as he eased her legs open and took his first look at her sex.

“Your pussy is exquisite,” he said, as he nestled himself in between her legs, his hands finding their way to her ass. A little laugh escaped her lips uncontrollably. Leave it to Dalton to use five-dollar words in the heat of the moment.

Her laughter was quickly forgotten, though, as she felt his tongue slide through her wetness. She gasped at the sensation, loving everything about it. That telltale throb returned almost immediately, even though she had come only a few minutes ago. She had no idea how he had this power over her, but every single touch was like a lightning strike, sending heat racing through her. He teased and sucked her folds, avoiding her clit with each pass of his tongue. No one had ever gone down on her before, and she’d never understood the hype behind it. But now, with Dalton worshipping her this way, she understood. She felt like a goddess as he nibbled and taunted her. She wiggled underneath his grip, trying desperately to get him to make contact with that bundle of nerves aching for his attention.

“Please…please…” she begged, when the teasing became too much. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to force the contact she wanted.

“You want me to make you come, baby?” he said, not letting up on her. “Your pussy tastes so fucking good, Zara, I could tongue fuck you all night long. But I think what you really want is this…” he trailed off, turning his attention back to her sex. He flicked his tongue across her clit, and Zara felt herself start to unravel. Apparently he was both gentleman and freak in the sheets.

“Yes! Yes!” she screamed as he continued, not slowing down. Back and forth, back and forth he continued lapping at her until her climax exploded within her. She thrashed and bucked underneath him, grasping at the cushions, trying to ground herself as she soared through the air. So much for the best orgasm ever resulting from that magic he worked with his fingers. Turns out, he worked even better magic with his tongue.

Coming back up to join her, Dalton pulled her spent, naked body into his still fully clothed self. For all the spas she’d been to and all the treatments she’d experienced, Zara had never felt so relaxed in her entire life. She could feel her eyelids grow heavy, and the warmth radiating off of Dalton’s body was incredibly soothing.

“But…but…you,” she murmured, trying to fight off sleep.

“Shhhh,” he whispered. “I got what I wanted. She’s right here in my arms.”