“That was nice,” I said.
I was two glasses of wine deep, warm from spending the day outdoors, and tired from all the talk and laughter. Junior and I were on the way back to my place, and the sun was setting over the cityscape in the distance, painting the sky orange and pink. I yawned and leaned back in my seat. A nap sounded so nice.
“I’m glad you had a good time,” Junior said, forearm flexing as he downshifted.
Or maybe some slow, lazy sex, I thought, eyeing him. His hair was mussed from the wind rushing through his open window, and the short-sleeved shirt he wore was pulled tight across his chest and stomach.
I’d never been so attracted to him before. And not just in a sexual way. Earlier, when Aly asked what I do for a living, I faltered, not knowing how to respond. In any other situation, I would have told her with pride, but I hadn’t known if that was the right call. It was one thing for Junior to say he accepted what I did, but I knew firsthand how complicated family dynamics could be. Even though Aly seemed equally accepting—especially given who she was engaged to—I didn’t know how she’d feel about her cousin dating a camgirl. Junior had surprised me by placing his hand on my low back and nodding, telling me without words that I should be honest.
I knew right then that he was serious about not being ashamed of me. In the past, I’d had to skirt around my work on more than one occasion because of a partner’s discomfort. That I could be open now filled me with a euphoric feeling of relief, one that fizzed through my body like champagne bubbles, leaving me energized and excited. And when Aly and the other nurses we’d been talking to didn’t bat an eye? A weight lifted off my shoulders I wasn’t even aware of.
Things were changing. People were kinder and more accepting than ever before. At least in our generation. It gave me hope that someday in the future, sex workers would be able to speak openly about their lives without any fear of judgment or reprisal. And maybe that made me naïve, or overly optimistic, but so much had changed for the better just in the years I’d been camgirling that it didn’t seem like a fantasy; it felt not only possible, but inevitable.
Junior shifted gears, picking up speed as we raced down the highway. Had I been too quick to judge him? Too quick to discount what this was between us? We’d agreed to keep it casual, a way to finally explore the spark between us, but this afternoon had me questioning myself, had me questioning him.
The man had spent ten years looking out for me. That didn’t speak of a passing attraction or idle interest. It spoke of determination. Commitment. And sure, maybe he could have been protecting me out of guilt for not being there when I’d needed him most, but if it was only guilt, wouldn’t he have stopped when he realized I was okay? That what happened hadn’t actually ruined my life?
This clearly wasn’t casual. Not for Junior, and I was beginning to realize not for me either. I cared what happened to him, wanted to see him succeed in going legit, was even willing to help in whatever capacity I could, though I doubted he would let me. And I liked the way he made me feel when we were together: cherished, special. I liked the little glimpses of his humor that were starting to peek through more and more. I liked that he shared my voyeurism kink. I was excited to explore more with him. God help me, part of me even liked the darker aspects of his personality. My line of work didn’t come without risks, and knowing there was a scary motherfucker with a skewed moral compass looking out for me made me feel safe and protected. I had no doubt that if a sub ever crossed the line and tried to find me, Junior would take care of it before I was even aware of the danger.
And who knew, maybe we weren’t compatible in the long run and our time together was only fleeting, but after today the thought of something more with him didn’t seem as frightening as before. So, when he pulled onto my street, I turned toward him. “Do you want to come in?”
He sent me a sideways look. “Not if you’re planning to feed me to your big scary dog.”
“Walter can make up his own mind. It’s not for me to say who he should or shouldn’t eat.”
Junior grinned. “You seem worth the risk.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ll come in.”
He dropped me off in front of the brownstone and went to find a parking space while I went to let my roommates know we were about to have company.
Ryan met me at the door. Behind them, Walter was whining his head off.
They stuck their leg out to keep him from escaping. “How’d it go?”
“I asked Junior to come in,” I told them.
Surprise flashed across their face. “I take it that means it went well?”
I nodded. “I’ll catch you up on everything later. Where’s Taylor?”
“Out with Jackson,” Ryan said, swinging the door wide and grabbing the leash off the rack just inside. “And I need to go get dinner, because it’s her turn to cook, of course. I’ll bring Walter with me so you and Junior can have some alone time.”
Walter rushed me as soon as he had clearance, wiggle-butting so fast that his rear end was a blur. I dropped down to pet him. I loved my roommates, but nothing made my heart sing like this animal and how happy he always was to see me when I came home, or woke up, or walked into whichever room he happened to be in.
“Hi,” I said, trying to pet him as he squirmed. “Oh, goodness. Yes, that’s your nose.” He turned, his tail slapping my arm, my back, my shoulder, and came around for a second pass.
Ryan managed to clip his leash on in the middle of the frenzy, and I thanked them as they led him down the stairs and then in the opposite direction from Junior as he strode up the sidewalk, waving hi before they turned.
“Change your mind about me and Walter meeting?” Junior asked as he took the stairs up.
I shook my head. “Ryan offered to give us some alone time.”
The grin that bloomed over his face was wicked. “Oh, really?”
Need crashed through me, my earlier sleepiness forgotten. I’d been holding my desire back all day, trying not to look at him too much, spending time with Aly while he was with Josh so I could put some space between us. Every whiff of his cologne, every touch, reminded me of our past interactions, him getting me off in the stairwell at Velvet, then the photo booth, the way I rode him in the voyeur room, the way he’d managed to hold so still when he was inside me at church. Every time we’d hooked up, we’d either been in cramped quarters or a heartbeat away from getting caught, and while that had been exciting, I couldn’t wait to get him alone in my room, where there was a large, comfortable mattress waiting for us and every toy under the sun.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing his hand and leading him inside.
His fingers tightened on mine as we took the stairs up to the third floor. I swung open my bedroom door, and he stopped short, tugging me to a halt. My eyes went to his face, a question on the tip of my tongue, but then I saw his expression, the way his gaze danced from one spot to the next: my bed, the oversized armchair, the blank corner opposite the door—all the places I regularly filmed.
“Fuck, Lauren,” he said, his eyes smoldering as they finally slid back to mine.
I released his hand and stepped into my room, loving the way he stalked after me, loving the feeling of being pursued, even over such a short distance. He paused just long enough to shut the door and take one last lingering look at our surroundings, and then he was on me, reaching me in a final stride, bracing his hands against the wall on either side of my head.
“I can’t believe I’m in your room,” he said, his voice gaining a rough edge. “You have no idea the things I’ve fantasized about doing to you in here.”
“Tell me,” I said, heat gathering in my core. How many times had I gotten him off without even knowing?
He shook his head. “I don’t know how long we have alone, and I’m not wasting another minute of it talking. Now turn around. As much as I like you in this dress, I’d like you out of it even more.”
I spun, tugging my hair over my shoulder so he had easier access to my zipper. Instead of undoing it, his hand snaked around my neck, and the memory of the last time we’d been alone together like this surged into my mind.
“That fucking confessional booth,” he growled.
I released a breathy exhale. “I know.”
His fingers tightened on me. “I will remember the feel of you coming on the head of my dick until the day I die.” I nearly moaned as he dragged me backward. “And your pulse,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll never forget the way it fluttered against my fingers. Just.” He tapped my neck. “Like.” Another tap. “This.”
My knees trembled at the memory, warmth coiling in my belly. I gripped his wrist. “Junior.”
His hold on me eased. “I need to fuck you. No holding back, no being quiet.” The fingers of his free hand fell to my side, bunching the hem of my dress up. “You never did tell me what you have on under here.”
I widened my legs and grinned, waiting for it.
His fingers kept on going, all the way up, finding me completely bare because I’d liked his reaction so much that first night at Velvet that I’d wanted to see if it drove him just as wild a second time. I knew right when he figured it out, because his progress froze, forehead dropping to my shoulder, hand falling away from my neck.
“All day?” he croaked.
I giggled. He sounded like he was in pain. “Yup.”
He made a low, tortured sound and spun me around, and then we were kissing. I tugged at his shirt, wanting it up, off, but he ignored the obvious request, and it made me wonder how bad the wound on his side really was. Our feet tangled, the back of my knees hit the mattress, and down we went, Junior managing to control the fall so we landed sideways.
He rolled us into a more central position with me on top and then pushed at my shoulders until I was straddling him. His hands landed on my hips, biceps flexing. With a tug, he dragged me over his body. “Get up here,” he said, voice rough with impatience.
“What do you—”
Another yank, and I was on his chest.
“Grab the headboard, Lauren.”
I did as he said, and he scooted lower, clearly intending for me to ride his face.
“What if I suffocate you?” I asked.
“You don’t have to look so excited by the idea,” he shot back.
I grinned. “It’d be the perfect murder.”
He laughed. “Then I guess that makes me your willing victim.” With a final shove, he disappeared from sight beneath the skirt of my dress.
My answering chuckle turned into a gasp as he tugged me down. Straight onto his face. One thing I was learning about Junior was that he didn’t fuck around; instead, he got right down to business. His tongue tasted my entrance and then pushed inside, curling, twisting. Oh, fuck. My fingernails dug into the headboard, and I held perfectly still, kneeling there, unable to bring myself to put any more weight on him, despite his If I die, I die attitude.
A low growl vibrated through me, and I shivered, despite his obvious displeasure. He tugged again, harder this time, hard enough that I was finally pressing down. My eyes fluttered shut as he continued to devour me, that magic tongue of his making me want to grind on him despite my lingering hesitation. One hand left my hip and slipped beneath my dress. His thumb brushed against my clit. I moaned for him, loud, making up for how quiet I’d had to be the last time he touched me.
He pulled his mouth away. “Move, Lauren. I won’t say it again.”
And then his tongue was back and his thumb kept working me, and I swear I was going to do what he said but it just felt so good to stay right where I was that—
He spanked me.
I yelped, caught off guard, my eyes flashing wide.
Another slap, not hard enough to really hurt, but with enough force that it was obvious he was trying to get me to move. This was probably a good time to mention that I actually enjoyed a nice, firm spanking.
His hand left my ass again, and I glanced right to see it hovering behind me in idle threat. I shifted forward over his face, still thinking this was risky, but the act of squeezing all my inner muscles as I rolled my hips felt so good that I decided to it again. And again. And, oh, fuck, now that I’d started, I didn’t want to stop, because every fall had me pressing into his tongue and every rise had me thrusting into his stroking finger, and based on the encouraging noises Junior was making, he didn’t want me to stop either, so I kept going, my hands gripping the headboard and my hips picking up speed. I really hoped he knew his own limits and had the strength to push me off him if this was too much, because now I couldn’t seem to control myself.
His tongue stroked deeper, thumb worked faster, the hand on my ass shoving me forward like he was more than into this, and soon my back was arching and my head fell forward, lips open on a strangled scream as my pleasure peaked and I came all over his face. It was rough, messy, the first time I’d come in this bedroom in a long time without having to worry about lighting or camera angles or if what I was doing looked good. For once, all that mattered was how I felt, how he’d made me feel.
I tumbled off him, boneless. “Oh my god, Nic.”
He crawled up my body, slowly, dropping kisses every few inches, shoving my dress up as he went. “Mmm,” he said. “I like hearing you call me that.”
I lifted my head to meet his eyes. “Nic?”
He nodded. “Say it again.”
“Nic,” I breathed.
“That’s the name I want on your tongue,” he told me. “Not Junior. And yes, I know you’ve been using it intentionally to keep some space between us, but I don’t want you to anymore, so cut it the fuck out, Lo.”
My pussy spasmed at the authority in his tone. “Don’t boss me around or I’ll come.”
He dropped his forehead to my belly, shoulders shaking with laughter. I wound my fingers into his hair, just because I could, just because I wanted to, and relaxed deeper into the mattress, loving the weight of him pressing me down, loving the fact that I had actually made him laugh.
A sharp ring cut through the room. His phone, always ruining the mood.
I let my arms fall away, forcing myself to keep quiet instead of telling him to ignore it. He’d promised to never interfere in my work, and the least I could do was return the favor. If he had to take the call, he had to take it, and I had to accept that this would be part of our dynamic if we continued spending time together.
With a groan, he rolled off me, tugging the device from his pocket and bringing it to his ear. “What?” He shot upright. “Where?” He swore. “I’ll be there in twenty.” He hung up, and the expression on his face as he turned toward me was tortured. “I’m sorry.”
I sat up. “Don’t be. It’s okay.”
“I’ll come back,” he said.
“No worries.” I shrugged. “Casual, remember?”
His eyes darkened, and in a blink, he’d flattened me back to the mattress, elbows braced beside my head, hips pinning mine. He rolled into me, his jean-covered erection rough against my sensitive skin, sending an aftershock of bliss rocketing through my core. “What if I said I want something more than casual?”
I stilled beneath the weight of his gaze, digging deep and trying to find courage, trying to ignore the memories of how badly he’d once hurt me. “I’m scared,” I confessed.
He tipped forward, pressing our foreheads together. “I know. We can take it as slow as you need.”
I searched his eyes, wondering if I was making a huge mistake. Slowly, I nodded. “Okay.”
He surged forward, kissing me, tongue merciless and demanding, working my mouth like he’d just worked my pussy. I wrapped my legs around him and drew him closer. With a shallow thrust, he ground his erection against me, making me squirm, making me wish we had more time. I wanted his dick inside me. His entire dick this time, hard and fast and brutal, but I doubted we had the time.
With a groan, he broke away. “God, I want to fuck you.” His eyes were wild in the dying light. “And I want to talk about what’s going on between us, but I have to go, and I hate that I’m leaving you like this.”
I grinned. “Like what? Wrung out from how good you tongue-fucked me?”
He shook his head. “You know what I mean.” His brows drew together. “I don’t know how long this will take.”
I leaned forward, pressing one last kiss to his lips. “It’s all right if you can’t make it back. Just let me know you’re safe.”
Several minutes later, we crept downstairs. I didn’t hear any sounds in the apartment, so I figured Ryan was still out.
“Incoming!” they yelled as we hit the first floor, making me jump.
Walter came tearing around the corner toward us, and I had just enough time to get really nervous, because this wasn’t how I wanted him and Juni—no, Nic—to meet, but Nic held a hand up and said “stop” in the most commanding tone I’d ever heard, and Walter scooted to a halt and sat without having to be told.
The two eyed each other for a long moment.
“We good?” Nic asked.
Walter ducked his head, tail thumping, and I knew everything would be fine.
“All right,” Nic huffed, squatting down to Walter’s level. “Come on, then.”
Walter went bananas, sprinting the final few feet to Nic, sniffing every part he could reach and whacking him with his tail more times than I could count.
“I’ve never seen him so instantly obsessed with someone before,” I said.
Nic shot me a smug look. “Takes after his mother.”
Ryan guffawed from nearby. Taylor let out an answering snort, and I yanked my gaze up to see my roommates and Jackson all spread out on the couch. Huh. We must have been in my room longer than I realized. It felt like the face riding had lasted all of a minute, but now I was starting to wonder if sex with Nic was so good that I’d ended up in a time warp or something.
“All right. I know,” he said, straightening. He gave Walter one last pet before raising his gaze to mine. “I’ve got to go.”
“Drive safe?” I said.
He nodded and turned to wave at our onlookers. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Taylor waved back. “You, too, you dirty little slut.”
Nic shook his head, dropped a parting kiss on my forehead, and left.
