Must Love Pogs (Must Love Series Book 3) Read online

  Oliver adjusts his black tie as he clears his throat. “The only reason I spend any time in Middlebrook is because of my family. My parents live out there. My brothers’ brewery is out there. My other brother’s vet business is right on the other side of it-”

  “Wait. How many brothers do you have?”

  “Four.”

  “And by Daisy Dumb’s rambling, I take it you’re the middle one?”

  He grunts in what can only be considered annoyance. “Yeah.”

  I push my glass to the side and lean forward. “Why are you here?”

  Blindsided by the question, his tone becomes defensive. “What do you mean why am I here? I graduated with these people. This is my class.”

  “So?” My callous retort causes his scowl to deepen. “You didn’t have to come. You could’ve taken a real date to the movies-”

  “Online dating hasn’t been that easy for me.”

  “You could’ve grabbed hot wings while doing bar trivia with some friends-”

  “Not a huge fan of hot wings.”

  “You could’ve stayed home, got drunk, and watched Bad Santa-”

  “It’s February .”

  “And good Christmas movies never go out of season,” I snicker, tucking my leg underneath me. “My point is you didn’t have to come. There are a million other things you could being doing instead, a million things you would probably enjoy a zillion times more, but you came. Meaning, like everyone else in this room, there’s something you’re here to prove.” Tilting my face, I push. “I wanna know what it is.”

  Oliver does his best to deflect. “I had nothing better to do.”

  “Liar.”

  His shoulders square off at the same time he grumps, “That’s twice you’ve called me that in this conversation.”

  “That’s twice you’ve been that in this conversation.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “I know that you’re lying .”

  His eyes briefly glance away.

  “Look, Oliver. While I don’t like liars, I’ve come to discover most of the time when people lie to strangers, it’s because they don’t wanna be judged based on the truth. They wanna be better than the truth. They want whatever it is they’re lying about to hurt less or be more amazing than the ugliness.” My fingers slide across the gap so our pinkies touch. “Show me your ugly, and I’ll show you mine.”

  Silence showers the table as expected.

  Of course, he’s not going to simply tell me what I wanna know because I asked. Most people aren’t that vulnerable. Not even when they have nothing to lose.

  “I wanted to be remembered,” he quietly states, eyes now locked on mine. “I wanted to finally be noticed. I have four brothers who were all…basically Gods to these people yet they can never recall my name . It’s like I never existed. I guess I came because I hoped without my brothers’ shadows, they might actually remember I’m more than just a reference point on the Shaw family tree.” His shoulders noticeably drop. “I was wrong.”

  “You were.” I lock my pinky with his. “Because you were noticed….It just wasn’t by who you were expecting.”

  He swallows hard and the hunger in his eyes returns.

  “Life is always a bit more fun when it’s unexpected….”

  An electric buzz blitzes through me when his finger flexes tighter.

  I lean over to close the space between us. “This is the part where you ask me to dance.”

  Oliver grins wide but doesn’t do as told. Instead he simply slips his grip completely into mine, stands, and leads us out to where other couples are dancing to a country song. Both of our hands become connected, and our hips gravitate towards one another. He quietly sings along to the music, and with the way his blue eyes refuse to look anywhere else it’s like he’s serenading me.

  The level of intimacy he’s effortlessly providing whispers to more than just the longing need to be touched. It’s promising me I’ll be loved. Treasured. Wanted.

  I move in closer, more than willing to completely succumb to those feelings, even if it is just for one night. Oliver’s arms wind themselves around my hips while his forehead leans down to rest against mine. He continues crooning along to the new song playing, which only threatens the climax I’m in desperate need of, to make an early appearance.

  My heart syncs up to the beat of the song. In a tempting tone, I command, “And this is the part where you ask to walk me to my room….”

  His fingers dig deeper into my sides eliciting a moan from both of us.

  To my surprise he plays along. “Don’t you mean our room, Sunshine?”

  My mouth surrenders without my consent. “Yes.”

  He pushes the loose curl out of my face and confesses, “I wanna forget the world exists with you, London.”

  I whimper and crash our lips together. The growl from the impact pales in comparison to the one I receive when our tongues tempestuously tangle tightly together. Equally intoxicated by the sound as well as the feeling, I wind my hand around the edge of his tie, and tug him closer. Our kiss increases in celerity at the same time it deepens with each forceful press.

  All of a sudden, the sound of someone clearing their throat halts our spiraling actions.

  We pull back, and I offer my friend a guilty grin.

  He shoves his hands into his dress pants pockets. “Oh good. Your tongues can become unattached.”

  “Don’t be bitchy. We weren’t kissing that long.”

  “Woman, please. I’ve been standing here for at least five minutes.”

  I give him a stern stare.

  “Fine. Three,” Randy corrects with a sneer. “ Still . You two have gained quite the audience.”

  My eyes briefly catch a glimpse at the people who are pretending they weren’t just gawking.

  Well, in their defense, it’s probably not every day they see a girl like me making out with a drop dead gorgeous cowboy who is tucked into an Armani suit. And according to his admission earlier, if they would’ve paid just a little more attention to him they could be the ones about to embark on the noble mission of saving horses by riding something else instead.

  Oliver’s cheeks start to become crimson, and I can’t help myself from stating, “Bet they’ll remember you now.”

  He gives me the same scowl he gave me before.

  Poor guy has a long road with me ahead of him if he doesn’t lighten up more. Learn to embrace the unusual and unanticipated. Wait. No. There is no road. There is no with me. This is all for one night and then back to reality. I can’t forget that. I shouldn’t forget that, even if holding onto it for much longer seems to be something I’m anxious to have happen.

  “You making out with strangers doesn’t surprise me,” Randy sighs with a shake of the head. “It’s just…whose husband or boyfriend is this, and how quickly are we going to be banished once they discover what just happened?”

  Oliver’s grip vanishes. “You make out with married and taken men?”

  “Not on purpose .”

  Judgement appears in his eyes, and I try to ignore the ache it causes.

  “I told you earlier. People lie all the time.…”

  Another harsh drawback to living a life in the limelight. People don’t seem to give a shit about morals when they feel someone or something they really want is closer than it has ever been before.

  My eyes return to Randy’s. “And Oliver isn’t anyone’s husband or boyfriend.”

  “Then why’s he here?”

  Oliver tries to hide his hurt by glancing away. “I graduated with you.”

  Randy’s face scrunches as if trying to remember. “You did?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” He tries to steady the aggravation in his tone. “We had classes together all four years. We had Econ together our senior year. You…sat directly beside me.”

  “Really?” Randy’s voice squeaks, now facing him.

  “Really.”

 
“Damn. I don’t remember you. I swore I remembered everyone here. Did you play sports?”

  “No.”

  “Date a cheerleader?”

  “No.”

  “Tutor me?”

  “No.”

  Randy’s face contorts in confusion again. “Did we party together?”

  There’s a dour shift to his mood. “You often came out to our parties. Just about everyone did.”

  “You said our. Who’s our?”

  “Me and my brothers.”

  My friend’s face starts to gain clarity on his identity. “Wait. What’s your last name?”

  The sigh shakes his entire body. “Shaw.”

  “Oh shit! You’re Blake’s twin brother!”

  “They’re not twins,” I quickly snip and let my pinky drift back to Oliver’s. “I didn’t even go to this school, and I know that.”

  Oliver offers me a small grin of gratitude.

  Randy promptly apologizes, “Forgive me. I…I always thought you guys were. For some reason I swore he graduated with me.”

  “He didn’t.”

  “Randy,” my voice sings sweetly. “Oliver and I wanna go get the money’s worth out of my swanky hotel room. Think you can survive the rest of this thing without me?”

  He gives Oliver’s solid 6’5 frame one long look before muttering, “Yeah….I think I’ll manage.”

  Can’t say it would be wise to cock block a man who has almost half a foot on you. Or cock block a man who has almost half a foot on you who you basically spent five minutes infuriating because you couldn’t remember being in the same class with him.

  “Good.” I wink, noticing the wandering eyes migrating our way again. “And if anyone asks, I’m Oliver’s sexy girlfriend-”

  “ Fiancé .”

  His correction drops my jaw.

  “Not the kinda man who wastes time making someone he loves his for a lifetime.”

  The words, while sentimental, strike me in a troublesome way. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you have to stick a bunch of labels or jewelry on them in order to keep them. They’re a person. Not property.

  “Okay….” Randy’s voice hums with curiosity. “Text me in the morning?”

  I begin to lead Oliver towards the exit. “Mid-afternoon….”

  “Late evening.”

  Oliver’s proclamation purses my lips together at the same time he offers me another heated expression. Thankfully, the elevators aren’t far from the event room and his body isn’t keen on being far from mine. As the doors shut with us inside, his arms snake back around me from behind. I teasingly sway my hips against his rising hard on, and he groans his excitement.

  However, when his lips land next to my ear the words are not what I’m expecting. “I showed you my ugly. Now show me yours.”

  His back to back spats of boldness are exhilarating.

  I turn around in his clutches and confess, “This is the longest romantic relationship I’ve ever had, and it’s not even real .”

  His eyebrows lift as the doors ding releasing us onto my floor. Rather than allow for him to comment on my pathetic disclosure, I grab him by the hand, and lead him towards my room. When we arrive, I pull the key card from where it’s hidden beside my boob and swipe us in.

  The moment we’re granted entrance we slip in and allow our tongues to resume the conversation they were enjoying earlier. Unlike before, Oliver’s mouth doesn’t seem as determined to devour mine. There’s hesitation between each stroke. Second guessing. A disruption of our energy trying to blend.

  I pull back to see the apprehension has reached his expression.

  Of course it has. He’s seems like a decent human being with an actual soul rather than just the hollowed out spot where it should be. That’s a huge part of the appeal.

  “Oliver, I want you to fuck me tonight like I really am the woman you’re crazy about. Like I really am the reason your life is a little brighter. Like my ugly truth isn’t so ugly you feel guilty about giving me one night of something beautiful…”

  At the declaration, his hands roam down and anchor themselves onto my ass, all anxiety annihilated. “Sunshine, I’m gonna fuck you like I plan on never forgetting you.” He leans down to let his lips feather mine. “Because I never will.”

  My bottom lip barely has time to drop before his tongue is twirling around mine, desperate to prove the promise. Oliver squeezes my ass roughly once more and hikes me unexpectedly upward like I weigh absolutely nothing. Like I’m the weight his weights warm up with. The action receives a pleased whimper, and I drape one arm around his neck. Our tongues battle back and forth for control, yet I’m continuously first to surrender.

  It’s not about having control over this situation. It’s about reminding him to keep it at the same time he loses it.

  All of a sudden, I’m dropped onto the king sized bed and bounced much higher in the air than predicted. I start to giggle, but it quickly vanishes at the sight of Oliver swiftly ditching his jacket and tie. With my body resting back on the palms of my hands, I intensely watch him remove the crisp white shirt that’s concealing what has to be a body genetically enhanced by science.

  I thoughtlessly whisper, “Tell me that’s real.”

  Oliver ceases his action. “What?”

  My finger motions in a slow circle. “All of that. Tell me you didn’t get peck implants or have been taking steroids since…I don’t know…kindergarten?”

  His grin widens, and he returns to removing his shoes. “All real, Sunshine.”

  The southern drawl attached to the nickname he’s given me only dampens my thong more.

  Once his feet are free, his large body dips itself onto the bed, and my legs part to accommodate his relocation. On his way up, his hands smoothly graze their way up my calves to my thighs. My body anxiously rocks towards him silently urging him to continue.

  His fingers hook around the edge of my underwear at the same time his voice takes a playful turn. “What about you, Sunshine? Carpet match the drapes?”

  I snicker. “It would if I had any…”

  Oliver whimpers at the comment seconds before he tugs my underwear all the way off. Afterward, he removes a condom from his wallet and tosses the no longer needed object onto the floor.

  When I attempt to follow his actions and remove my dress, he bites, “Don’t even think about it.”

  My head tilts at him in question.

  “You’re mine for the night, London. I get to have the honor.”

  An honor I would give him for life if he asked….Wait. Nope. Not a good train of thought to have with a total stranger. But is he really a stranger if every time I look into his eyes it feels like I’ve known him my entire life? Is he really a stranger if I feel a cosmic connection this powerful? If it feels like our vitalities are two halves of the same whole?

  Oliver’s grin grows as he slips the edge of the purple package between my teeth. “Hold that for a sec.”

  Another light laugh escapes me at the same time he slides the zipper on the side of my dress down. With curiosity, I watch him remove the object and relish in his response to seeing me completely naked for the first time.

  He’s so distracted with his eyes caressing the way my body slightly curves, the article of clothing barely makes it an inch away from us. Oliver’s blue gaze seems unable to fathom the vision in front of him. His jaw is slack. His hands twitchy as if unsure where to start. His breaths so shallow, I’m not even sure he is still breathing.

  His intense stare not only increases the ache between my thighs but the one in my chest I’m trying to ignore.

  I know this whole night would appear to most to be nothing more than some weird fantasy we’re both playing out. But the voice in the back of my mind is screaming this is so much more. That his responses are natural. Primal. That neither of us are playing a role so much as finally stepping onto the path we both belong on.

  When our eyes finally reconnect, he states, “I’ve never seen anyone t
his beautiful before.”

  It sounds like such a line I let myself believe it is.

  “Impossible to forget a body like this,” his volume now just above a whisper. “You’re burned into my memory now, Sunshine.”

  A small moan is offered in gratitude.

  Oliver doesn’t waste any more time using his eyes to enjoy me. He swiftly undoes his pants, slides on the condom, and presses his cock against my dripping wet entrance. Our mouths hastily revive the ravenous feasting they were engaging in earlier, and I wrap my arms around his neck to brace from the pending impact. To my surprise there isn’t a quick, sharp stab. It’s slow. Dedicated. He salaciously stretches my muscles inch by inch. Each time he moves a little deeper, I attempt to let a sigh fall free, yet Oliver’s tongue captures mine to prevent it from happening. Overwhelmed by the domination, my pussy swells in warning of an orgasm preparing to appear despite the fact we’re just beginning. Unexpectedly, he stops his pursuit to reach the brink and breaks the connection completely.