Hardcore: Complete Series Box Set (Hardcore #1-3), Page 2

  His hands moved to my hips as he raised up again and pulled me onto his cock hard and fast. I panted, trying to catch my breath and thoughts until he pulled out far and rammed into me, burying himself, grinding his hips once, twice before he came with a rumbling cry.

  “God … fucking … dammit,” he moaned, each word punctuated by a slow thrust of his hips, and he bent over me, pressing his lips into my hair as he wrapped an arm around my waist. I leaned into him for a moment, feeling him still throbbing inside of me as he nuzzled into my hair and squeezed his rough, callused hand where it rested in the curve of my hip.

  I didn’t know how long we stayed that way, moving slowly against each other, feeling the final tremors roll us as our heartbeats slowed. He finally let me go and backed away, and I snapped back into reality. The heat and urgency had passed, and I was left cuddling with a stranger on a rooftop. He couldn’t know who I was. I had to get the fuck out of there, because if I didn’t, neither of us would walk away before finding out.

  I rolled over onto my back and pulled up my jeans while he took off the condom and stood, looking around for somewhere to get rid of it. I paused with my hand on my pack as I watched him. I saw every detail on the roof — his back as he walked away, felt the cool breeze on my cheeks, everything — before I pulled on my buff and ran.

  MY LEGS ACHED AS I climbed the stairs to the warehouse loft, wanting nothing more than a shower and my bed. I could still smell him on me, feel his touch, and I tried to push him out of my head to the beat of my boots on the steps.

  I slid open the metal door to the sound of music and laughter. Everyone sat around the long table still in their gear, where Jade’s brother, Jace, sat sorting through the loot. Cher was twisting a chocolate curl around her finger looking tired, and Morgan yawned from next to her, her lips pulled into a tall ’o’. Erin looked me over with questions in her bright eyes, but I only shook my head. I didn’t know how much to even tell her.

  Jade stood by Jace’s side looking smug, her blond hair in a tight bun and her hands on her skinny hips. Her face had one mode: full bitch.

  “Where the fuck have you been, Cory?” Jace shot, his blue eyes cold and narrow. His face was permanently set to douchebagger.

  “Picking flowers, asshole.” I took off my backpack and tossed it on the table. “None of your goddamn business.” I turned for the fridge and grabbed a beer. The cap dug into my hand when I twisted, and I couldn’t get the neck to my lips fast enough.

  “It’s my business when you have my merchandise,” Jace answered.

  I hopped on the counter. “It’s not your merchandise, asshole. I’m pretty sure you were sitting here on your smart ass playing World of Warcraft while we ran all over Midtown.”

  “Fuck you, Cory,” the male spawn of Satan said, and I absently wondered if his mother had horns and scales.

  “You wish, Jace.”

  He turned to everyone else, blatantly ignoring me. “Good haul, girls. I’ll have it sold tomorrow, so you can go buy new shoes or whatever the fuck you bitches spend money on.”

  Everyone else shifted with a huff or an eye roll.

  “And you wonder why you have no girlfriend.” I brought the bottle to my lips again.

  “I’m fucking charming, you bitch. I’m a goddamn catch.” His cheeks turned a shade of red that made his hair look almost white. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Jesus, Cory. I don’t know why you have to be such a cunt all the time.” Jade sneered.

  “I guess you’re finally rubbing off on me.”

  She crossed her arms. “In your dreams.”

  I shrugged. I knew every button that Jade had, and they all blinked at me, begging to be pushed. “You’re not my type.”

  “Yeah, we all know that, skank, even though equipment doesn’t seem to be a deciding factor.” She gestured to Erin, whose eyes narrowed.

  “What the fuck does that matter?” I asked coolly as I slipped off the counter and set my beer down.

  She shrugged and looked away with a shake of her head, playing like she didn’t care when I knew better. “I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re a dyke or bi, or whatever it is you are.”

  I smiled and stepped to her. “You’re so fucking uptight. When was the last time you got laid?”

  Jade met my eyes as her lips slipped into a leer. “At least when I did it was with an actual dick. Tell me, when you and Erin fuck, who gets to wear the strap-on?”

  I didn’t think twice, just cranked back and hooked her in the eye with a pop. It was a reflex, I swear. And as many times as Jade and I fought, it barely fazed anyone. She rebounded with her teeth bared, screaming as she lunged for me. I leaned back, dodging her easily as Jace grabbed her around the waist.

  “Calm the fuck down,” he yelled at me.

  “I feel better. Thanks, Jace.” I patted him on the shoulder and left the drama behind me in the kitchen.

  The warehouse was dark, lit only by moonlight that shone in through the windows, casting stretched out rectangles across the concrete floors. I walked through the living room, past our rooms, and into the bathroom.

  It was pitch black, and I felt around on the tiled wall for the light switch, almost hissing when the fluorescent lights buzzed on. I squinted and flipped it back off, opting for the soft vanity lights instead. My reflection was golden in the mirror, my fair skin bronzed by the glow of the low light. I ran my fingers under my eyes, trying to clean up the mess of my kohl liner that brightened my green eyes by shades. I pulled off my buff and tossed it, flipped back my hood and unzipped my jacket, peeling off layer after layer of black until I was naked with my long, dark hair hanging over my shoulders.

  The faucet squeaked as I turned it all the way to hot and shook out my hair with my fingers, stretching my shoulders. My body ached in the best way, and I stepped into the stream once it was hot, lifting my chin to let the water run down my face. I let out a heavy sigh.

  I pressed my fingers into my muscles, wondering where Erin was. She almost always showered with me after a job, always hot after the adrenaline of a run. Tonight, I’d already gotten mine, but I was positive she was still wanting.

  He ran through my thoughts again as I tried to process what had gone down, distantly wondering if it was real. I thought through every moment, replayed it again with my eyes closed and the steaming water beating down on my body.

  “Hey,” Erin said from the other side of the shower curtain, her voice echoing. “You okay?”

  I rolled my neck around, feeling the muscles stretch. “Yeah.”

  “Want company?”

  “Always.” I smiled.

  I heard her boots hit the ground, followed by the shuffle as she undressed.

  “What took you so long to get back?” she asked when she got in behind me, and I turned to face her, unsure what to say about what happened, unsure if I should say anything at all. Her blue eyes were bright, her short, black hair tousled from being in her hood, though it still framed her face, curling around her jaw.

  I dodged her question with one of my own. “Did any of you get caught by those guys?”

  Her brow dropped. “No,” she answered, then realization lit up her face. “Wait … did you?”

  I nodded and reached for the shampoo, avoiding her eyes.

  “No shit. He must have been good,” she said, laughing.

  “He was.” I fought down the smile, but a shock shoot through me, raising my nipples as it passed on its way down my body.

  “Get the fuck out,” she breathed, blinking at me with big, wide eyes. “Did you fuck him?” Her mouth hung open, but the corners tilted up in an awed smile.

  I shrugged and squeezed shampoo out into my hand, then set the bottle down. “Maybe.” My fingers slipped into her hair, and she turned around, putting her back to me. I went to work, kneading her scalp with the pads of my fingers.

  “Where?”

  “Like, what hole?”

  She laughed. “No, you slut. That’s not what I mean.�
�

  “I know,” I smiled and sloughed some of the lather off her hair. It hit the tiled floor with a slap. “On a roof a couple of blocks away.”

  She waited for me to elaborate, huffing when I didn’t. “Don’t make me beg. Spill the details. Was he hot?”

  “No, I fucked a random ratchet on a rooftop with five grand in stolen shit a couple of feet away. Of course he was hot. He kept up with me, really made me work for it. I mean, the dude chased me for blocks, and I thought I lost him twice before he finally caught me. And when he did … I don’t know. I had to kiss him.”

  “Sounds like he earned it.” She shook her head, chuckling in disbelief. “That’s fucking crazy, Cor. It’s been a long time since you’ve had the D.”

  “I kind of forgot how good it is. Is that weird?”

  “Nope, not when you’ve had my magic touch at your beck and call.” She raised her hands and wiggled her fingers, dragging them down like it was raining glitter.

  I laughed, but emotion stirred deep in my chest. I’d never been in love, not with girl or guy, though I’d dated both. Sex was a tool, a way to escape, disconnected from my heart. It was why relationships never worked for me, not outside of Erin.

  For years we’d found comfort in each other, but it was never under any expectation. Just a way for us to be alone, together. Our world was fucked up, and dating was complicated, no matter who it was with. They had needed more than I could supply, but being with Erin was easy. We gave and took what we needed, never asking or wanting more. It was all either of us could give.

  “My turn,” she said and stepped into the stream. Her wet thigh slipped against mine, and she slapped my ass as I took her place.

  Erin poured shampoo into her palm and reached for my hair. “Anyway, I get it, you lucky bitch. I’m always such a horndoggie after a job. I can’t even imagine if I got chased down by a sexy motherfucker. I think the guy chasing me was more into Dunkin’ Donuts than parkour.” Her fingers stilled. “Hang on, he wasn’t rapey or anything, right?”

  “No, I literally had to beg him to fuck me.”

  “Ohhhh, my God,” she said, giggling as she ran her fingers through the ends of my hair. “Fuck, that is sexy. What’s his name?”

  “Don’t know. I took off as soon as it was over, and there wasn’t a lot of talking before that.”

  “Yeah, guess not, huh? I guess Jade’s skank talk was poorly timed.”

  “Everything Jade says is poorly timed. But yeah.”

  She piled my hair on my head, and bubbles ran down my neck and shoulders. “Feeling weird about it?”

  I thought about it as she played with my hair. “Not really. I think I needed that. He…” My eyes went out of focus, and I heard him in my mind, saw his face as he asked what I was running from. It was a question I couldn’t even answer. For just a split second, I felt like he understood me on some level even I didn’t, which was ridiculous. It still gave me comfort. “Yeah, no.”

  “Well, I’m glad. At least one of us got laid. Too bad Dunkin’ Donuts wasn’t exactly my dream guy.” Her hands slipped down to my shoulders, slick with soap, then down my back to my hips. “You’re still a little rattled.”

  She was right. He was still on my mind, but of course he was. I chalked it up to the fact that we’d just had random sex on a rooftop. Nothing more. It was simple, and it was over. Sex was a tool, never tied up in emotion, always black and white.

  I turned to face her, redirecting my thoughts with a smile, not wanting to process it anymore. I focused on her. “Are you still amping from the run?”

  “Mmm hmm,” she said, knowing exactly where my question was going with her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “Well, I already got mine.” My fingers found the hollow under her neck and trailed down between her breasts. “I’d hate to leave you out in the cold.”

  Erin smiled as she rested her forearms on my shoulders, and I leaned in to brush my lips against hers.

  She was so familiar to me, her lips, her body. The hot water beat down on us, and my hands slipped around her waist, pulling her close as we kissed. Our breasts pressed together, soft and slick as the shampoo ran out of my hair and between us. I ran my hand around the swell of her ass, and she broke away, leaning back to rest her shoulder blades against the tile. She licked her lips, watching me lather my hands and slip my palms up the planes of her stomach, to her breasts. I arched over her to kiss her and I touched her, cupped her, caught her hard nipples between my fingers and pulled gently. She moaned softly against my lips and pulled my hips closer.

  “Fuck me,” she whispered with hooded eyes, and her wet, black hair stuck to her cheeks.

  I smiled and trailed my hand down to her pussy, running the pad of my middle finger down her slit as I shifted in slow circles, rubbing her clit with the ball of my hand. I pressed harder until she was slick, then dipped my finger inside, curling it against the sensitive spot inside, and she gasped. I pulled out and rocked back in, flexing my hand to squeeze, and she contracted around my finger in answer.

  She shuddered and sighed against the shower wall, our nipples brushing when I pressed my hips against the back of my hand inside of her. She tangled her hands in my hair as I kissed down her chest, pausing when I reached her nipple to pull it into my mouth and suck, flicking the tip with my tongue before I moved down her body. I sank to my knees and parted her, trailing the tip of my nose over her clit and up to pull it into my mouth, running my tongue along her opening and back up to lick and suck in rhythm. She lifted her leg to rest her thigh on my shoulder and braced herself against the shower walls.

  I reached up for her breast, my other hand finding her pussy to slip my fingers inside, and it didn’t take long for the two actions to bring her to panting, to squeezing, to coming all around me as steam curled up around us.

  “Goddamn, Cory,” Erin breathed.

  “You’re welcome.” I stood as I wiped my lip and kissed her. Her lips were so soft, and I lingered for a long moment, ready again, high from getting Erin off.

  She trailed her fingers up my thighs and to my pussy, swollen and wet, knowing exactly what I needed. “Come here.”

  It only took a moment. I closed my eyes, could feel him against me, inside of me, imagined the scruff of his beard against my neck, and with my palm pressed against the tile next to Erin’s head, I came for the second time that night.

  Erin wrapped her arms around my slick waist, and I leaned into her, all of a sudden so exhausted that I could barely stand.

  “Come on. Want to sleep in my bed tonight?”

  I nodded as she turned off the water and reached for the towels that hung on the wall outside of the shower. She handed me one, and I toweled off before following her to her room. Within seconds, I had blindly pulled on one of her t-shirts and climbed into bed, burying myself in the down comforter without a single thought in my mind. I barely felt her slip in behind me, and I was asleep.

  I WOKE TO THE sound of laughter and shifted, slipping my hands under my pillow, content and relaxed. My body ached, a slow burning through my legs, and for a split second, I couldn’t remember why. But the night before blew through me in a rush, from the store through the chase and everything after.

  Confusion twisted through me, and I took a breath, trying to untangle my feelings. It was over as soon as it began, and I’d never see him again. Maybe that was the appeal. I could own that one moment and never have to answer for more. It was just a second in my life. A blip. A super hot blip.

  My yawn practically unhinged my jaw, and I stretched, twisting my hips as I reached for my phone on Erin’s nightstand. I found a text from my younger sister, Jill.

  See you this afternoon?

  Of course, I answered, and my phone buzzed again almost immediately.

  Awesome. Can’t wait.

  I smiled and texted back. Shouldn’t you be listening to Sister Mary? I’m sure she has some super important and relevant information about calculus that you should be paying attention to
.

  Riiiiight. I know how everyday calculus is. Now stop texting me before you get me in trouble.

  Turn your phone off.

  Don’t tell me what to do!

  I snorted. It’s in the job description. Later, punk.

  Byeeee

  I tossed my phone on the bed and slipped out from under the covers. The concrete was cold under my feet as I walked across the room to Erin’s dresser to dig through it for a pair of leggings. There was no rhyme or reason to her organizational skills, just piles of black clothes shoved haphazardly into each compartment. It took forever before I found a pair and pulled them on, grabbed my phone, then made my way into the kitchen.

  Everyone was sitting around the table eating breakfast, and they all smiled up at me when I walked in. Well, Jade sort of sneered, but that was the most that any of us could hope for.

  The conversation flowed around me while I poured coffee and took a seat on the bench next to Cher, who handed me a plate and laid a bagel on it. She was our tiny little mother figure, a short, curvy brunette with curly hair and big, brown eyes. Every morning, she got up before everyone and prepped breakfast. In fact, she was the only one who ever cooked or emptied the bathroom trash. The rest of us would wait until it got to that point where it had been smashed down so far that even the slightest disturbance would result in a small avalanche of errant Q-Tips and cotton balls.

  I spread an obscene amount of cream cheese on my bagel as Morgan laughed and folded her long legs under her. She was the tallest of all of us, even played basketball in high school. “I totally lost mine at 42nd. I jumped a gap between buildings, and he pussed out hard. I looked back and he was just standing on the other side, looking over the ledge like a dumb shit.”

  “Fucking dudes.” Jade shook her head. “Mine just wasn’t fast enough to keep up. What’s new, right?”

  I glanced over at her where she sat at the head of the table. She really was gorgeous, with a pert nose and full lips, milky white skin, and icy blue eyes. But her attitude was like a baseball bat wrapped in razor wire, and she never stopped swinging.