Trying To Be Good Book 2 Read online

  “Promise?” I asked.

  His growl against my ear was my answer. I succumbed to him, and he built me up again, pushing closer to the most delicious orgasm. As if he needed to make it easier on me, his fingers moved to the front of me and circled my clit. His cock thrust into me repeatedly, hitting all the right spots as if he had a direct connection to my soul and felt everything I did.

  I let out a sound which I never thought would come out of me. I clamped my lips together and held back a wild moan as my orgasm came in waves, flooding my body with the most intense pleasure of my life.

  Reese hummed against my ear and nibbled at it. He slid out of me, and my legs weakened. Reese could tell, and he grabbed onto me as I stumbled over to him. He scooped me into his arms, and the dripping wetness trailed down my thighs.

  He brought me over to the couch. The city skyline stretched into the distance, and yet the most spectacular sight was right in front of me.

  I kissed Reese again, pulling his face as close as possible to mine.

  He sat on my couch and held me in his lap. I straddled him, feeling his incredible hardness under me. I wanted to slip him back inside, but something shifted in Reese’s eyes. The heat from before remained on the edges of his gaze, but a sense of more filled them now.

  His hands moved up my sides and cupped my breasts, massaging them slowly. Whenever his fingers brushed over my sensitive nipples, I sucked in a breath.

  I held on to his shoulders and rocked back and forth, keeping him hard and myself ready for the next round. Before Reese, I never had multiple orgasms in one night. He was about to ruin me for whatever other men stepped into my life. But I wasn’t sure I wanted other men at all. It wasn’t just because I was in the middle of a sexual encounter with the hottest man I’d ever met, but we connected on a deeper level, and he had to feel the same way.

  He kissed my breast and pulled the nipple into his mouth. He sucked and swirled his tongue around, and my head fell back. His hands cupped my cheeks and brought my mouth against his again. I lifted my butt and grabbed onto him, guiding him inside of me.

  His jaw dropped and so did his head. His eyes fluttered closed as I moved, stroking him. His hands held me against him, but I was in control. I lifted onto my knees so that I could take his entire length inside of me from base to tip.

  I only did it a few times before his fingers dug against my skin, and he held me in place on his lap. I rocked again and gripped his shoulders for balance. He was ready, and I was getting there too. He tugged at my hair, and my nerve endings fired at once.

  I couldn’t help how quickly I moved against him. My hips gyrated on auto-pilot, wanting him to pant more and get to the place he’d brought me. His breathing came quickly, and his eyes closed.

  “Look at me,” I said.

  His blue eyes bored into mine as I pressed myself against him. I kissed him hard. I wanted him to be inside of me in every way. He had the same idea. Our kisses were feverish and eager. He tugged on my hair again, exposing my neck. He kissed and licked the sensitive skin there, while wrapping his arm around my waist and holding me in a vise grip. I could barely move, but when I did, he hit me in the perfect spot to make me cry out each time he touched my clit. I was out of breath and panting, unsure if I had enough strength to make it to the end.

  “Come for me,” he said, a smile curling his lip. “Again. I want to see what I do to you.”

  I licked my lips and kissed him again. The orgasm hit me like a smack to the face. I grabbed onto the back of the couch while moving against him.

  His mouth opened, and his eyes squeezed shut as he came inside of me. Even when we were both spent, I continued to pull everything out of him as he had for me.

  When I finished, I collapsed against him, and his arms rested at our sides. I snuggled into the crook of his neck and breathed him in. His scent was a mix of sweat and his typical woodsy cologne.

  I wished I could bottle up that smell and keep it with me forever.

  As much as he’d relaxed while we made love, after a few minutes of still silence, his body stiffened. I knew he was going to try and leave, but I had to stop him before he did.

  “Can you stay the night?” I asked. He glanced at me, and I met his eyes. “Do you need to get some work done tomorrow? If you do, I can set the alarm.”

  He licked his lips. “You don’t mind?”

  I smiled and kissed him. “Not at all. But maybe we should move somewhere more comfortable.”

  He hugged me against him. “Anywhere you are is comfortable enough for me.”

  I’d spent more than one night on the couch, since it was the most comfortable one I’d ever been on before, but I wasn’t sure if that was what Reese had in mind. Instead of forcing the issue, I let him make the choice.

  He grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and pulled it closer. “Is this big enough?”

  “Yes,” I said, not wanting to ruin the moment.

  Reese laid down, and I squished behind him, getting a full view of the portraits and gnarled scars on his back. As much as he didn’t want to talk about them, it didn’t mean I couldn’t look. They were right in front of me every time we were intimate together. If he wanted to hide them, he would have kept his shirt on.

  Reese reached over himself and took my hand in his, slinging it over the side of his body before spreading the blanket over us. He took the small decorative pillows and propped them under my head. “You comfortable?” he asked before letting out a yawn.

  “Yes,” I said, rubbing my hand across his arm.

  “Good,” he muttered sleepily.

  “Thanks for staying,” I said.

  He murmured something else, but I didn’t catch it. As his breathing got heavier, I traced the edges of his scars, noting how many there were across his back. Soon enough, his breathing became heavier, and he was completely out within a few minutes. I kissed a few of the scars before snuggling closer to him and closing my own eyes.

  Chapter 3

  Even though I’d spoken to Jonah about messing with me and Paige’s life, I thought the worst when I walked down the hallway toward my office Monday morning and saw the door open. I crossed my fingers, praying Chance just needed some office supplies. Anything would be better than having another one of Jonah’s goons checking in on me. Paige and my safety hinged on the deal, and I’d already sealed our fates.

  A tuft of red hair peeked up from the edge of my desk. Sounds of pens, pencils, and other supplies clinked around in my drawer. Chance’s hand appeared, placing a box of staples on my desk before he rooted around for more. In his act of stealing, he didn’t notice me.

  My heart calmed, and I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. “How many more papers did you screw up?”

  His head snapped up, and a sheepish grin crossed his pale face. “Ah, I don’t need White-Out this time.”

  I shook my head. “I’m wondering if I should call this your office from now on. You seem to be comfortable enough here.”

  It was a good thing I kept my lives separate. If not, he might have stumbled upon several pieces of weaponry which might cause questions to arise.

  Chance raked a hand through his red hair, mussing it up on one side. If I were a better friend, I would have told him he looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, but his secret office supply thievery needed payment. Humiliation would do.

  “Sorry, man,” he said. “I haven’t had the chance to get to the store for more post-its.”

  I glanced at my desk and the heaping pile of supplies. “Or pens, staples, or paper clips?”

  “Don’t bust my balls over this,” he said, his cheeks flaming. “I was going to tell you. I had to get into the office early today to finish grading papers.”

  I smirked. “I’m fucking with you.”

  Chance let out a breath. “I knew that.”

  Both of us knew he was lying.

  “Busy weekend?” Typically, I completed my work on time so I had the opportunity to leave
my weekends open. Chance? Not so much.

  “Oh yeah,” he said. “Back-to-back dates from this new app I’m trying out. Let me tell you, these women are ready to party.” He thrust his hips out a few times, showing the lewd behavior he participated in over the weekend.

  I frowned. “If you’re going to do that, do it somewhere else. Your office perhaps?”

  “You should join in,” Chance said. “There are plenty of women on there. They tend to be on the less expensive side, since we skipped the formality of a date and went right into it.”

  I brushed off how little he thought I had in my bank account. “No thanks.”

  He shrugged. “I guess you don’t need to use an app. You seem to put in the smallest effort to find the hotties. What’s your secret?”

  I grinned. “I’m not desperate.”

  “Har-har,” Chance said, bobbing his head. “Although maybe you’re right. Maybe I should appear more aloof to these women. Take them on a date somewhere. Drag out the suspense. Then they’ll beg for me.”

  I found it hard to believe any woman would beg for Chance, especially if he spoke that way around them. “Or you could have an intelligent conversation. I’ve heard that works.”

  He pulled a face. “You know I’m not looking for long term with these girls. I’m saving up my charm for my future wife.”

  “You could put in some effort to find her instead of flitting around on a dating app,” I said.

  “Nah.” Chance waved a dismissive hand at me. “This is much more pleasurable.” His light eyebrows waggled, and I made a show of almost losing my breakfast on the floor.

  I shook my head. “Please, don’t talk to me about your pleasure. I just ate.”

  Chance laughed and tucked his supplies against his chest. I couldn’t exactly tell him no at that point. “What did you get up to this weekend?” he asked.

  Paige and I had taken part in our own sexual escapades, but I didn’t want to risk Chance thinking it was more than it was between Paige and me. While I wanted more with her, our relationship had a ticking clock running against it. Each day brought me closer, and I wanted nothing more than to put it out of my head for the time being.

  “Nothing to write home about,” I said.

  He clicked his tongue. “You didn’t meet up with the investment chick? I thought for sure you two were hitting it off.”

  I shook my head. “It’s just a business relationship. That’s all.”

  “So, you wouldn’t mind me asking her—”

  I shot him a hard look, and he shut his mouth. “She’s a business professional who I’m working with,” I said. “I don’t need you to say something to her and screw this up for me.”

  “I won’t, man. I didn’t think you were serious about her.”

  “The work,” I corrected. “That’s what I’m serious about.”

  Chance thought I had no money to my name. The easiest way to get him off my back about anything was to move to that topic of conversation. He had some idea about Paige’s business and most likely thought I was so hard up for cash that I was desperate to keep my side job with her.

  “I get it,” he said. “I’ll say no more about it. Is her co-worker single?”

  I snorted. “Allison’s much too young and out of your league. She was a student of mine, remember?”

  “She wasn’t my student.” Chance mock pouted. “Well, maybe after you finish the building’s construction, I’ll take my chances. Unless you want first dibs?”

  My stomach churned at the thought of anyone getting dibs on Paige except for me. “Can we stop talking about this? Or else I’m gonna make you give back those supplies.”

  He grinned. “Ah man, you like her, don’t you?” I glared at him, and he lifted his hands in protest. “Fine.” He cleared his throat. “So, finals next week. You ready? We have that meeting later with the department head to discuss the timeline for grades and all that bullshit.”

  I blinked, completely blanking on the date. I was prepared, as usual, but I’d forgotten finals were so soon. Between helping Paige and setting up the plans for her building, finals had slipped my mind. Normally at this time of year, I was excited to have a break for the summer. Before Paige, I’d planned to travel, which I did every summer. As much as I liked the city, jetting off to hot locations filled with barely clothed women had been a primary thought in my mind.

  “I have a lot to do,” I said, rubbing a twinge at the back of my neck. “How about you?”

  “Of course, I’m not ready,” Chance said. “You see me scrambling for supplies here, right?”

  “You always do this. You’ll be fine.”

  He nodded. “I know I’ll be fine, but the added stress is annoying. They don’t want our tests to be the same every year, so I have to spend time changing the questions so these kids don’t cheat. Did you know I have students filling up my office hours for the next week? It’s as if they made the snap decision to join my class when they’ve had all semester to get it together.”

  I glanced at my computer, wondering if I had an inbox of emails from students as well. It always happened at this time of year, but I didn’t feel like dealing with it when I had an entire skyscraper to help construct.

  I never had an issue with working under pressure, but I wanted to be sure I had all my ducks in a row before committing to my part of the deal. A lot had to happen in the next month or so, and I had to get my head on straight before handling all of it.

  I somewhat regretted allowing Paige to get in the way of my job, but picturing her face close to mine erased that thought from my head. I glanced at the clock. I had a half hour until my first class. I needed every minute. “If you’re finished raiding my desk, I’d like to get to work.”

  Chance gave me a two-finger salute. “See? I’m good for something. If I didn’t remind you, your head would remain in the clouds.”

  I tossed a glare his way. “It’s not in the clouds. I remember everything. And I have enough forethought to change my tests weeks ahead of time.” I wasn’t lying, but there was other work to be done before finals. I wanted my schedule to be clear as soon as school let out so I could finish the work with Paige before I had to move on.

  “Whatever you say, Reese.” Chance winked and left my office, closing the door on the way out.

  I stared at the door, wondering what he meant by that. Did he know more about Paige and me? I felt a little bad for lying to him, but it was necessary. As much as I wanted to be with her, it wasn’t a long-term prospect. She’d get busy once her office opened, and that would fit perfectly into the situation I’d find myself in soon enough.

  I shivered at the thought and forced myself into the present. I clicked my mouse to turn on my computer, and I dug into my inbox. I already had over a hundred messages since Friday. I wouldn’t have a moment to think about much else while setting up appointments with my students. Within ten minutes of working, it appeared as if I’d have to extend my hours. A part of me wanted to keep nights open for Paige. I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but I wanted the opportunity to be there whenever she wanted me.

  With two minutes to spare, I left for class, tucking my bag under my arm. On the trek over to the building, my heart rate spiked. Even though I knew Jonah wouldn’t back down on his word, I couldn’t help the hint of fear looming over me. I wasn’t sure if there would be an unwanted guest in my classroom today. My students had most likely forgotten the encounter from last week, but if it continued to happen, they would have more questions for me than what was on the final exam.

  I already had enough trouble keeping Paige as far away from my past as possible, which led to my choice. But if Jonah didn’t follow up with his side of the bargain, he’d still owe me. I knew him well enough to know he tried to pay off debts as soon as possible so he’d owe nothing.

  I stepped into my classroom and immediately scanned the students in the seats. No overbearing, frowning thug sat in any of the chairs. Only my students.

  I released a brea
th and closed the door. I almost locked it, but if one of my students was late, there was no need to embarrass them by forcing them to knock on the door. Besides, I had work to do with these kids.

  Since I usually arrived on time, everyone sat in their chairs, ready for my lecture. In high school, finals week tended to be easier for these kids, and they weren’t all ready for a college final. I wanted a captive audience until the day of exams, which meant I reviewed the semester’s most important topics that would make an appearance on the exam.

  I knew my reputation for reviewing exams preceded me. Everyone had notebooks or laptops at the ready for every nugget of information I was about to give them. I didn’t purposely make my exams hard, but I expected a lot out of my students and gave them the opportunity to excel in their futures. If they couldn’t be bothered to show up, why should I make it easy on them?

  I plopped my bag down on the desk and stood in front of the class. “Final exams are next week. So, I hope you’ve had your coffee this morning and are ready to work.”

  They collectively leaned forward ever so slightly. I couldn’t help the growing smile on my face. I hoped to keep this part of my life a reality since the feeling was like no other. But only time would tell where my future brought me.

  Chapter 4

  Monday morning, I woke with a start. Being with Reese over the weekend added an extra zip of energy to my steps. As much as the memory of the mind-blowing sex rested at the front of my mind, his help with the building gave me hope that I would finally beat all the naysayers. I wasn’t sure how he’d done it. He was secretive about it all, but everything fell into place somehow.

  I couldn’t believe I’d doubted him for a second, though the secrets of his past were building up. I wondered how long it would take him to open up to me. He’d done everything for me when it came to the building. I supposed I owed him more than he owed me.

  While in the shower, I recalled tracing the physical scars of his past. Had he been a victim of assault as a child? Or were they scars from a bad adolescence among the streets of New York? In our time together, I’d only gotten a snapshot of his life, while I’d told him much more about me. I supposed I wanted to impress him, show him that I made something of myself after digging out of a hole from childhood.