For Keeps (Real Men Crave Curves Book 3) Read online

  Ashley nods and smiles. “Okay, just let me tell Liz where I’m going. She’s my ride and I don’t want her to worry.”

  I watched Ashley move to the bar and whisper intently with her friend. They both looked back at me as they spoke, and I gave them my most charming, “trust me, I’m a cop” smile.

  It seems to work. After another couple of seconds, Ashley is headed back in my direction, and I hold out my arm for her. She takes it and I enjoy the momentary press of her breast against my flesh.

  I want to throw her down right then and there. I have to take a steadying breath as I hold the door open for her and I’m grateful for the cool night air on my face.

  As I watch Ashley exit Murphy’s, I find myself giving much more of a damn about the younger woman with the generous curves than I probably should.

  I’ve already put myself out there and threatened a man to keep her safe, and now I was breaking my rule about no booty calls at home.

  I better watch out, before it’s her that claims me, instead of the other way around…

  Chapter Four

  Ashley

  I never dreamed I would be sitting in the passenger seat of a smoking hot older cop’s muscle car, barreling along the dark streets toward his house – at his invitation, no less.

  Jason’s classic Camaro rumbles beneath me, and the combination of the heat of my own excitement and the vibrations from the powerful engine leaves me feeling like I might melt into a puddle right there in the passenger seat.

  Jason pulls into the driveway of a well-kept little house on the outskirts of town and cuts the motor. Silence engulfs us and I can still feel the delicious echoes of the vibrations in my legs.

  He hurries over to my door to open it and help me out of the bucket seat. I don’t mean to do it, but I give him a glimpse of my panties as I climb out, and I hear him give a soft groan.

  I smile to myself and take Jason’s hand. He leads the way up to the front door, let’s us both inside, and flips on a nearby lamp. I have just enough time to get a glimpse of an equally well-kept living room.

  And then I’m in Jason’s arms. He’s pressing my back up against the front door and claiming my mouth with his. I melt into him and give a frustrated moan when he pulls back.

  His voice is raw with longing and he never takes his eyes off mine. “You sure about this, Ashley?”

  “God, yes, I’m sure,” I managed to breathe out.

  Jason doesn’t bother to respond. In one smooth movement, he’s lifted me up into his arms and is heading down the hallway.

  He sets me on my feet near the bed and then sits down. My head is spinning and I’m not sure what’s going on, but I know that my whole body is thrumming with desire right now.

  “I want to see all of you, Ashley. Take off your clothes.”

  I’m taken aback for a few moments. I’ve never been talked to like this or had a man be interested in truly seeing me. Before now, sex had always been something done in a hurry and in the dark.

  I feel my face flush, but I do as I was told. Jason sits and waits as I strip off my clothes and let them fall to the floor. He never takes his eyes off me, and for a moment, I simply stand there before him in my bra and panties.

  “No!” he barks as I try to lift my hands and shield my body from his view. “Don’t ever hide that beautiful body.”

  Jason is on his feet and moving toward me. My heart is thudding in my chest and I feel as if my skin is on fire. He reaches out and trails a finger from my lips, down my neck, and between my breasts.

  I moan and he takes me by the arms, turning me around and pressing his body against my back. He slips my hair over one shoulder and presses his lips to my neck, sending shock waves of pleasure down my spine.

  Jason’s hands slide over my hips, across my belly, and up to cup my breasts. He pulls me back tighter against him and I can feel his cock pressed in between my ass cheeks.

  I give a gasp at how hard he is already and the size of him. He feels massive and I find myself grinding against him, seeking pleasure in any way I can get it from the mountain of a man standing behind me.

  Jason spins me around and devours my mouth with his. He slips his fingers into my hair and presses the back of my head to deepen our kiss even more. His tongue darts in between my lips and I open my mouth to meet him, tasting him as we merge together as one.

  I’ve given over all control to Jason at this point, and when he strips away my bra and panties, I moan and beg for more, which causes him to lift me up once more, this time depositing me on the big, soft bed behind us.

  He lays me down on the sheets and just stares at me for a long moment. “Jesus Christ, you are so beautiful, Ashley.”

  I feel myself blush and attempt to cover my body again, but Jason is having none of it. He grabs my hands, pulls them away, and presses kisses into them.

  And then he’s kneeling next to me on the bed, caressing my breasts and tweaking my nipples, causing my back to arch and wrenching a moan from deep inside of me.

  When Jason slides a hand down my thigh, I let my legs fall open, giving him full access to what he desires. He slips one finger between my plump lips and trails it over my clit, causing me to buck my hips toward him and call out his name.

  “Like that, do you?” Jason pants. “Honey, you haven’t seen anything yet…”

  Jason

  I’m trying to take my time with Ashley. She’s so young and I can tell she’s inexperienced. But I can’t hold myself back any longer. Not with her begging for me with every move she makes.

  I shift my body until I’m directly between her thighs and I’m staring at what I want so bad that it hurts. I press my lips into her swollen center, licking my way from top to bottom.

  Ashley’s thighs clamp around my head and she moans, pressing her sopping wet sex up to meet my mouth, and opening herself up even more to me.

  I wrap my lips around her clit and suck gently, and then I work a finger in and out of her hot hole. My cock is pressing painfully against my pants, and I struggle to unbutton them with my other hand.

  I manage to kick my pants off without having to release my claim on Ashley’s pussy, and soon I’m just as naked as she is, and my throbbing shaft is pressed against her smooth, plump calf.

  Wanting to kiss her again, I slide my body up along hers and find my cock resting in her hand as I push my lips against Ashley’s mouth.

  She instinctively wraps her fingers around my shaft, but she can’t quite get them all the way around. She moans with longing and gives me a squeeze, and then slides her hand up and down, wringing drips of pre-cum from my head.

  I know I won’t last long if she keeps that up, and I haven’t even made her come yet, which has become my main focus, somewhere along the line, even though I’m much more “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” with other women I take to bed.

  With one hand, I roll her over onto her back, and with the other, I rub her clit in tight circles, causing her breathing to become sharp and shallow.

  I press my mouth against hers and swallow her whimpers as she begs for me. “Please, Jason, please…”

  “Tell me what you want,” I pant into her open mouth, never taking my hand off her pussy or stopping my tight circles on her clit.

  “I want you. You inside of me! Please, God, please...”

  Just then, her thighs clenched around my hand as she crashed into an intense orgasm, screaming my name as she came.

  It was music to my ears and all I could take. Without a moment’s hesitation, I’m between her legs and sliding home, pressing myself into Ashley as she moans and writhes underneath me.

  Our bodies move together, flesh slapping against flesh, ragged breath in the air, the smell of our sex filling the room, and I know I won’t be able to last much longer. She just feels too fucking good.

  “Come for me, Ashley,” I pant. “Come for me, honey…right now!”

  I feel her deepest muscles tighten around my cock and then we’re both coming, grinding ag
ainst each other as I fill Ashley up and she milks every drop out of me.

  We lay there motionless and breathing hard for several seconds. And then I lean down and kiss her, pressing myself into her one last time before I slip out and roll over, pulling her with me and nestling her in the crook of my arm.

  The last thing I remember is thinking I should get up and clean myself off, but then I’m drifting toward the edge of sleep, and I slip over without ever saying a word.

  Chapter Five

  Ashley

  With a soft groan, I roll away from the morning light that’s doing its best to pull me out of the deep sleep I’d been enjoying up until then, and find my cheek resting against a chiseled chest.

  I bolt upright, panic flooding through me as I look around the unfamiliar surroundings. The night before comes crashing back as I take in Jason’s bedroom.

  It’s all dark-wood furniture and masculine chic, and I have to admit that I’m impressed. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m in a stranger’s house and about to do the walk of shame.

  Shit! I don’t have a way out of here, I thought and my cheeks flamed. Liz was my ride last night and she’s probably still passed out in the bartender’s bed.

  Jason’s a nice enough guy, but I have no interest in doing the awkward “day after a one-nighter” routine. I’ve only done it a couple of times before and it was not fun.

  Plus, I knew what guys like Jason are after. They wanted a wham, bam, thank you ma’am kind of evening. In fact, if we hadn’t fallen asleep, Jason probably would have given me the boot last night.

  The way I look at it, I’m doing him a favor if I leave now. Hell, doing both of us one. So, I crawl slowly out of bed, get dressed in silence, find my shoes and purse, and let myself out onto Jason’s front porch.

  His neighborhood is even nicer than I realized. It was dark when we got here the night before and I’d had my share of beer, so it’s no real surprise I hadn’t taken the time to look around.

  The streets are quaint and quiet, with trees lining both sides, and manicured lawns leading up to well-maintained homes at the top of slightly curving driveways. It was obviously a family neighborhood.

  Which makes this whole thing even more embarrassing!

  I wish I could disappear totally, but sadly, that’s not possible, so I make my way down the sidewalk and find a little nook between a hedge and a massive oak tree to sink into and hide.

  I pulled my phone out of my purse and requested a ride on the Lyft app, thanking God for the miracle that is GPS, since I had zero clue where I was.

  I did some deep breathing and was just about to congratulate myself on handling things pretty well when I heard my name being called.

  I froze in place. Was it my Lyft driver? I’d never had one yell my name before, but you never knew what you were going to get with one of those ride share services.

  “Ashley! Where are you? I just want to know you’re okay. Answer me, dammit!”

  There was something about the voice that was familiar. It was deep, rumbling, and just this side of dangerous. I knew I’d heard it before. And then I poked my head around the hedge to take a look.

  Oh, my good Lord!

  Jason was striding down the sidewalk toward me wearing nothing but last night’s jeans and a scowl…

  Jason

  I wake up with a start. Something isn’t right. I reach out my arm and feel nothing but empty space and cool bedding. I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but waking up to find myself alone in bed wasn’t it.

  “Well, this is new,” I mutter to myself as I look around for signs of Ashley. I run my hand over my scruffy cheeks and wonder what the hell I should do now.

  I’ve never been the one that was walked out on. I’d done plenty of cutting and running before, but having it done to me was a whole new experience. And I didn’t care for it.

  Even though I’d brought Ashley back to my place instead of a motel and had put myself on the line to keep her safe from some random pervert, that didn’t mean I wanted anything more than a one-night stand. Right?

  I sat there in bed and realized I could still smell Ashley in the sheets and the air. That was something I’d never noticed before after a wild night with a woman.

  Hell, I was getting hard just thinking about what we’d done together. Of course, that was nothing new. I got hard in a stiff wind, especially if there was a hot chick around.

  But somehow, things were different this time, and I knew it. The question was, what was I going to do about it? I’d never bothered to get Ashley’s phone number and had no way to contact her.

  Way to be a grade-A detective, you asshole, I thought to myself as my mind whirred and I tried to decide what to do next.

  Then it hit me – she didn’t have a way home, so her first course of action would be to get a ride. That would either mean calling a friend or using a taxi or ride share service.

  I hopped out of bed and yanked on the jeans I’d worn the night before. I had a feeling Ashley wouldn’t just be sitting on the porch, waiting for her ride, although that would make my life much easier.

  I hurried through the house, banged out the front door, and quickly scanned what I could see of my neighborhood from where I stood.

  There wasn’t a soul on the street and as I rushed toward the sidewalk, I realized I had no idea what I hoped would happen if and when I did find Ashley.

  Worry about that once you find her, I told myself. This is a good neighborhood, but there are bad people everywhere, and she could be in danger.

  I began calling out Ashley’s name and my voice echoed off the homes around me, spreading quickly in the quiet early morning air of a Saturday in suburbia.

  I couldn’t help thinking I was going above and beyond what I’d ever done for any other woman I’d taken to bed. I felt kind of like an idiot, stalking a virtual stranger through my own neighborhood.

  All I know is I have to find Ashley. I’m not done with her. Not by a long shot…

  Chapter Six

  Ashley

  I watched Jason come closer to my hiding spot. I’m not exactly sure why, but instead of stepping out so he could find me, I stayed put and did my best to be quiet.

  Hoping he couldn’t hear my heart pounding in the peaceful silence of his suburban neighborhood, I pressed myself even further back into the shade of the hedge and held my breath.

  Jason got so close to me, I could see a vein throbbing in his neck and hear his ragged breathing as his eyes swept the street from side to side.

  He called out my name once more and my body jerked involuntarily. I had to press my lips together to keep myself from instinctively responding to him.

  Which is probably the main reason why I’m staying hidden. That man draws me to him like a powerful magnet and it’s scary…

  I watch as Jason shakes his head and turns back toward his house. My Lyft driver shows up not long after that and I climb into the back seat of a much less sexy car than I’d ridden in last night.

  I’m still trying to figure out what the hell it is I’m feeling as the Toyota Corolla makes its way to the apartment I share with Liz, when my phone buzzes and I look down to see her face flash across the screen.

  Suddenly, I’m furious with my friend, and I can’t wait to let her have it as I answer the call. This whole situation was all her fault, as far as I was concerned.

  “Good morning,” Liz chirped into my ear. “I hope your night was as satisfying as mine! I really got to blow off some steam and get that jerk Robbie out of my head, let me tell you.”

  “I’m so glad to hear things worked out for one of us,” I snapped. “Meanwhile, I don’t know what the hell to think about anything right now.”

  Much to my surprise, I burst into tears right then and there. I had no idea what was going on with me, but I do know something’s just off and I need my friend’s help.

  “Where are you right now?” After hearing me crying, Liz was all business. “Can you meet me at the coffee
shop?”

  “I guess so,” I sniffle. “But I’d rather go home and take a damn shower, Liz.”

  “Of course, you would. I’m an idiot. I’ll run and grab us a couple of lattes and meet you at our place. Love you, Ash, and don’t worry about a thing, okay?”

  I could hear concern and determination in her voice and I couldn’t help but smile through my tears, even though I’d been ready to kill Liz just minutes ago.

  “Sounds like a plan. Love you, too!”

  Feeling a bit better about things, I slipped my phone back into my purse and leaned back, looking forward to a hot shower and a sugary shot of caffeine.

  I knew that Liz would listen to my fears and shoot me straight. She would tell me flat out that disappearing the way I did was the smartest thing to do.

  After all, she was an expert when it came to cops and their tricky ways. I couldn’t imagine she would encourage me to get involved with Jason.

  But no matter what Liz had to say or what I considered to be the right thing, I had to admit there was still a part of me that wished I was back in Jason’s neighborhood.

  Only this time, instead of staying hidden, I’d rush out and fling myself into those strong arms of his…

  Jason

  After pacing the floor of my living room, punching the wall in frustration, and then taking a cool shower to try and calm myself down, I discover nothing has changed.

  I still can’t let Ashley go and I know it’s time to get serious. Putting myself into full investigation mode, I think back over the previous night, trying to make a connection and figure out how to find the woman I can’t leave alone.

  Then it hits me – the bartender at Murphy’s had been getting pretty damn friendly with Ashley’s friend. Chances were good she went home with him.

  Maybe he’d succeeded where my overly confident ass had failed, and he’d managed to actually secure the friend’s phone number.

  Not wanting to waste another minute, I throw on some clothes, grab my gun and my badge, and hurry out to the Camaro.