The Stick Handler Read online

  She reaches for her beer and takes a big drink as the characters on screen shift positions.

  “Nonverbal clues huh?”

  My heart beats a little faster as the girl on screen takes the man’s cock in her throat, giving him her best porn star blowjob. “We can practice, if you like,” I suggest. “I can teach you how to show a man what you need in bed. I can show you how good it can really be.”

  She rolls her eyes, and whacks my stomach. “Yeah, right.”

  I grab her hand, hold it in mine, until her gaze flicks my way. “I’m serious, Katee.”

  “What…what about Ari?”

  “We’re over,” I say bluntly

  “I’m sure it’s just temporary—”

  “I’m a free man. I can do anything I want, and what I want is to show you what to expect in bed.”

  She blinks once, twice, the smile falling from her sweet mouth. “Really?”

  “Yeah. What are friends for, right?”

  4

  Katee

  OMG. OMG. OMG.

  One minute I’m watching porn with my best friend, the next I’m in the shower alone, staying under the needle-like spray, and gobbling up all the hot water until it’s icy. I can’t believe for one second Luke is suggesting we sleep together. At first I didn’t think he was serious. Then when I realized he was, I bolted to the bathroom like I was being chased by demons, saying I needed to shower after a long day of traveling—and that I would think about it.

  Am I really going to think about it?

  Luke wants to help me out in the bedroom? Teach me how to show a guy what I like, how good sex really can be?

  Okay, apparently, I am going to think about it.

  What the fuck is going on, and why on earth would he suggest that? Oh, maybe because I admitted my shortcomings to him, confessed my fears and he’s just trying to be a good friend and prove there is nothing wrong with me. But what about Arianna? Would that be considered cheating on her? I’m not a homewrecker, and wouldn’t do anything to come between my best friend and his fiancée.

  Ex fiancée.

  Right! I guess technically they’re not a couple anymore. As I consider that, I slide my hand between my legs, feel the dampness that has nothing to do with the tepid water pouring over me. I hadn’t watched porn in years, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t arouse me. Heck, maybe I should take him up on his offer, let him take care of my needs while teaching me a thing or two about how to get what I want between the sheets. Lord knows I’d love for sex to be better than it has been. Once, just once, I want a man to touch me the way I need to be touched, to bring me to heavenly bliss, so I don’t have to do it myself once the night is over.

  I stroke my clit lightly, and my entire body trembles as I consider sleeping with Luke. But he’s my best friend, has always treated me like one of the guys, and sex between us would be weird, right?

  Or would it?

  Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I’m not about to have sex and risk ruining what we have. Besides, why is he thinking about having sex with me in the first place, when he’s waiting for his fiancée to come to her senses and carry on with the wedding?

  Unless…he’s not.

  Oh, cut it out, Katee. Of course he is, and thinking he’s not, is just wishful thinking on your part.

  Wishful thinking?

  No. No. No.

  I don’t want Luke like that. Never have and never will.

  I turn the shower off, grab a big fluffy towel and wrap it around myself. I look at my pile of clothes on the floor. In my hurry to get away from him, I forgot to grab something clean to wear. I inch open the door, search the room, and find Luke on the bed exactly where I left him. I’m about to call out to him, but stop. I crack the door a bit more, let my gaze rake over his body as his fingers race over the keyboard on his laptop, which in now on the bed beside him. Is he still watching porn, or searching for something else, something more appropriate for best friends to watch? My gaze searches his handsome face, takes in the intensity in his dark eyes before my eyes travel downward, to examine his broad shoulders and…omg…huge bulge in his pants. The man is seriously turned on.

  He’s not the only one.

  I clear my throat to gain his attention. “Hey Luke, can you grab me my pajamas. There in my bag.” I tug the towel around myself tighter, and the hiss of my suitcase zipper reaches my ear as he searches through it. A moment later, he sticks his hand through the door and I snatch my bra and panties from him. Dammit why didn’t he grab me a shirt or something. Oh, probably because he knows I wear next to nothing to bed. I can’t stand to have clothes bunching up around me when I sleep.

  I hurry into them, brush my teeth and comb out my hair, my entire body on hyperdrive. My hand shakes slightly as I reach for the door. I pull it open, working to pretend nothing is out of the ordinary, when in fact everything is out of whack. Not to mention my body. It’s completely and utterly off kilter. How can it not be? I mean my best friend just offered to have sex with me. Is there any coming back from that? I sure as hell hope so, because I wouldn’t want it to come between us, make this week awkward. The warmth of the place hits me like a slap as I cross the room. Luke is no longer on the bed. I scan the chalet and find him in the kitchen, dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans.

  Lord have mercy.

  For the first time in my life, I’m looking at him differently. Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true. Maybe, just maybe, there was a small part of me that imagined what it would be like to be in bed with him. But I shut those thoughts down as fast as they came because friends don’t fantasize about each other, right? Not that Luke is fantasizing about me. I’m not a total idiot. He’s just looking to help me out. The same way I’m here on his honeymoon with him, helping him out. Maybe he just wants to do something nice for me as thanks.

  His eyes slowly lift to mine, and I don’t miss the heat in his gaze as they travel the length of my body. He’s seen me in my underwear hundreds of times. Heck he’s even seen me naked, but never, ever in my life has he looked at me with such hunger. A reaction to watching porn, no doubt.

  Working to appear casual—even though everything about this situation is messed up—I walk across the room. But it’s suddenly difficult to put one foot in front of the other. I’m conscious of my every movement, the intensity in Luke’s gaze. I struggle to keep things light as I tear my gaze from his chest, and glance at the television above the fire. Passionflix is still playing.

  “Want me to change the station?” I ask. Holy shit, is that my voice.

  “Whatever you want to watch.” He turns his back to me and sets the dishes in the sink. “I’m easy.” My gaze drops to his perfect ass, and a whimper I have no control over catches in my throat. He turns but I’m far too slow to react, and when he catches me blatantly checking him out, a small smile curls his mouth.

  “Like what you see?” he asks again, but this time he’s talking about his body and not the porn.

  Okay yeah. Of course, I like what I see. How could I not? I’ve always admired his body, but now I’m suddenly looking at it differently. I consider his question. If I say yes, there’s a good chance I’ll end up in the bed beneath him. If I say no, it might make things awkward between us.

  Not knowing which way to turn, my gaze flickers to his closed laptop—like my answer is to watch more porn—then flies back to him. That small smirk is still turning up the corner of his mouth.

  He dries his hands and comes back into the room. “I think I’ll take a shower,” he says and peels off his jeans. I quickly avert my gaze as he kicks them away. Lacking any sort of modesty, he walks into the bathroom.

  “I think I used all the hot water,” I squeak out as warmth prowls through my body at his near nakedness.

  “That’s good. I should probably take a cold shower, anyway.” Before he shuts the door, my eyes drop, settle on the large bulge in his boxers. My mouth instantly waters. I’ve never really loved giving oral sex before, so for the life
of me I can’t quite figure out why I’m dying to put his cock in my mouth.

  A strange strangled noise crawls out of my throat and I race across the room, jump under the covers and pull a pillow over my head. The water turns on and I stifle a chuckle when Luke yelps. I really did gobble up the hot water. But that chuckle turns to a moan as I visualize him naked in that shower, his hand all over his body…his cock. I shift restlessly, and put my hand between my legs. If I said yes, I could be the one in there soaping and touching his body.

  Is that what you want, Katee?

  A little moan rises in my throat and I slide my hand into my panties, lightly stroke myself. My clit pulses in my hand, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never been more turned on in my life. I close my eyes, and stroke myself, all the while imagining it’s Luke between my legs.

  I’m imagining Luke is between my legs?

  I jackknife up, and my breath comes in ragged bursts when he comes from the shower in nothing but a big white towel that does little to hide his erection. He walks to his suitcase, and drops the towel, giving me an unobstructed view of his perfect backside as he bends to grab a pair of boxers. He tugs them on, and flicks off the lights as he slides in next to me.

  “So Passionflix, huh?” he says as I stare at the TV.

  I twirl my hair around my finger. “Yeah, it’s a station that showcases all romance movies.”

  “For a girl who doesn’t believe in love and marriage, you’re kind of a romantic at heart.”

  “Yeah, except romances aren’t like what we see on the screen,” I say and wave toward the TV, “It’s not like that in real life, Luke.”

  He gives a non-committal shrug. “Maybe it’s better in real life.”

  “Like your porn and sex?”

  Okay, Katee, why are you bringing the conversation back to sex?

  Oh, because maybe I really want it.

  He grins at me. “Take your time, Katee. Think about what I said. There’s no rush. We have all week.”

  As I listen to his raspy voice, revel in the way it scrapes over my flesh, my nipples harden. I tug the blankets up tighter, to hide my body’s reaction. Oddly enough, things already feel different between us, and I hate that. I don’t want to lose what we have. I can’t lose what we have. Just then another thought hits.

  Maybe we have to have sex to save the relationship.

  How is that for logical thinking at its worst?

  5

  Luke

  Last night I tugged one out in a cold shower, but that did little to diminish my need for the beautiful woman sound asleep beside me. Jesus fuck, I want her. In so many goddamn ways it’s making my head spin. After my offer to help her out in bed, I noticed the way she started looking at me. Like I was a real guy. Yeah, okay, I get it. What I’m doing is risky. I can’t ruin what we have, but I have to take a chance with her, otherwise I’m going to go fucking insane.

  In the end, if I fail at what I’m doing—and she doesn’t want more—I can simply assure her I was just helping out a friend, and nothing more. Sure, I’ll be miserable for the rest of my life, but isn’t that better than a life without her in it?

  I swallow down a groan as my gaze slides the length of her body. With her blankets kicked to the bottom of the bed—she does have a tendency to thrash around in the night—I’m gifted with a view of her near nakedness. Jesus how I’d love to slip those lacy panties from her hips, put her legs around my neck and bury my face in her sweet sex. I take a deep breath and pull the sweet scent of her skin into my lungs.

  “Ah, good morning,” she says, and reaches for the blankets to pull them up. My gaze flies to hers. Never before has she covered herself up in front of me. Then again, I’ve never blatantly ogled her before, either. Still, I can’t let things get awkward between us.

  Trying for casual, I push from the bed and head to the kitchen. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t. I was half awake.”

  “Sleep okay?”

  “Not really,” she says honestly, then hurries out with, “Probably all the traveling yesterday.” She taps the mattress. “And the first night in a strange bed always messes me up.”

  Teasing her I say, “Oh, you sleep in many strange beds?”

  “Numerous,” she says. “I’m the queen puck bunny, remember?”

  “Liar.”

  She tosses a pillow at me. “Why did you ask if you already knew the answer?”

  I open and close the cupboards. “I need coffee.”

  “Me too.” As if she suddenly forgot that I’d been mentally undressing her only seconds before, she jumps from the bed and helps me search. I reach over her, grabbing the grounds from the upper shelf. It’s a position we’ve found ourselves in numerous times, but today, the electricity arcing between us is enough to power the gondola for a week straight.

  “I’ll fill the carafe,” she says and ducks out from beneath my arm. “You think the water from the tap is good to drink?”

  “I’m sure it’s fine, but there is bottled water in the fridge if you want it.”

  “You know how I feel about bottled water.”

  “I know. I know.” I roll my eyes at her even though I totally agree we shouldn’t be using bottled water, but Ari drinks only Fiji water, so we had it stocked. “We need to protect that planet.”

  She glares at me. “Are you saying we don’t?” Before I can answer, she pinches my side, a pleasant reprieve from my nipple, which is what she usually abuses when she’s pissed at me, or trying to make a point about something.

  I flinch. “Jesus, that hurts.”

  “It’s because you have no fat on your body.”

  I turn to her, wait for her to fill the carafe with tap water, then pinch her side. “Hey, that hurts.” She swats my hands away. “What’d you do that for?”

  “Why do you get to pinch, and I don’t?” I challenge

  She bobs her head. “Oh, is that how it’s going to be?”

  “Yeah, it’s exactly how it’s going to be. For the rest of this week, what you to do to me, I get to do to you in return.”

  Pink creeps into her cheeks, and I put my hands on either side of her, pinning her against the counter.

  She angles her head, draws her bottom lip between her teeth. I can almost hear her mind racking. “Are we still talking about—”

  I move closer, and lacking any sort of modesty, push my early morning arousal against her. “I’m talking about everything, Katee.”

  “Oh,” she says, and her eyes leave mine to travel down my body. “So you’re saying if I pinch you here,” She pauses and rolls her finger around my nipple.

  “Then I get to do the same to you,” I say. “Tit for tat.”

  Her eyes go big. “I’m not sure I’d like for you to pinch my nipple.” Her words say one thing but there is a breathless quality to her voice that might suggest otherwise.

  “How do you know?”

  She opens her mouth like she’s about to say something, then closes it again. Her brow furrows. “I guess I don’t.”

  I make a tsking sound. “Katee, I have so much to teach you.” I cup her chin and lift it until her eyes meet mine. “All you have to do is say the word and we can get started.”

  Her eyes darken, a storm brewing in their shadowy depths. She opens her mouth, but I put my finger to her lips. “Not yet,” I say. “We actually have ski lessons planned this morning. Part of the package.”

  Yeah, I could suggest we skip them, and spend the day in bed, but I’d prefer to build the anticipation between us. Let her think about all the things we can do to each other in that bed, let her warm to the idea. When she finally comes to me, I want her ready, willing, and quivering with need.

  “I can’t ski.” Her voice is so low, a breathless whisper, I have to strain to hear it.

  “That’s why we’re having ski lessons,” I tease.

  She glares at me again, and is two seconds from pinching my nipple when she catches herself. “Oh.”

 
; “Yeah, oh,” I say. “Why don’t you get dressed? The coffee will be ready when you finish, then we’ll grab breakfast at Pasticceria Alvera,” I say with a botched Italian accent. “I hear they have the best breakfast pastries.”

  Her mouth drops open. “You want me to eat cake for breakfast?”

  “Sure, why not? We’re on our honeymoon.”

  She plants one hand on her hip. “I am not eating sweets for breakfast. I…I won’t fit into my pants by the end of the week.”

  “Pants are overrated.” I shrug. “But if you’re worried, there are ways we can work that off.”

  “I…you…ugh.” Flustered, she storms from the kitchen and I chuckle as I finish the coffee. The shower turns on and I inch open her door. “If you plan to take all the hot water, let me know now, and I’ll jump in there with you so we can conserve.”

  “Very funny,” she says.

  “Wasn’t trying to be funny. I nearly froze my balls off last night.”

  Her chuckle reaches my ear and I grin. “Save me a tiny bit, okay?”

  I go back to the kitchen and when the shower turns off, I fix her coffee. She comes out in nothing but a towel and roots through her suitcase. Jesus, does she always have to stick her ass in the air like that when she bends over.

  I walk over to her and hand her a cup of coffee. She takes a sip and briefly closes her eyes. “Thanks.” Her lids open. “There should be plenty of hot water,” she says as she takes another sip.

  “Aww, look at you.” I wink at her. “All worried about my balls.”

  She chokes on her coffee, and spits it all over me. “Ohmigod Luke, don’t make me laugh when I have a mouth full.”

  A mouth full.

  Oh, fuck, now all I can visualize is my best friend with a mouth full of my cock. Giving me a porn star blow job. My dick grows another inch.

  Coffee drips down my chest and she grabs a paper towel and starts blotting it against my skin. Her fingers brush my flesh and I groan, letting her blatantly know when her touch is doing to me.