Lickety Split Read online

  “Well, you know how lickety split means fast?” Tor dipped a finger into Waverley’s bowl then licked it, his eyes locked on hers. “I believe some of the best things in life happen fast.”

  The spoon Waverley held clattered to the table. The smoldering look he gave her made Waverley instantly wet between the legs.

  “Fast isn’t lasting though.” She was fairly sure relationships were not built on freezer sex.

  “It can be if you want it.” Another long digit dipped into her ice cream. “You have to take advantage of those lickety-split moments when they come along. They can change your life, precious.”

  “Wow,” Martha murmured, her eyes on the man before her. “Waverley never likes to share ice cream.”

  “Doesn’t she?” Tor smiled at the woman in question.

  Against all common sense, Waverly watched as he sucked the cream off his finger. Oh boy.

  “You make it sound like kismet.”

  “Anything so fast and wildly passionate is as unstoppable as kismet.” They all knew they were not talking about some cosmic law. “How about a tour of the store when you’ve finished your ice cream, ladies?”

  “Oh damn, I have to get back to work.” Martha did not sound like she was disappointed as she looked at her friend. She scooped up the last of her ice cream in a hurry.

  “Me too.” She knew what Martha was going to try to do. The ratfink. She was going to leave her with Tor. There was no way Waverley felt she could handle him alone without doing something silly.

  “Waves, you have today off work.”

  The daggers Waverley shot at her friend just bounced off her. Before she could say any more, Martha was waving goodbye.

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “There is nothing you don’t do,” Waverley muttered at her friend’s back as she left the store. She turned to look at Tor.

  “Hello.” His voice was husky and full of amusement.

  Oh boy. “I need to finish my ice cream.” Waverley suddenly felt like she was completely out of her depth. No man had ever bothered her like this one.

  “It’s melting.” Tor indicated the bowl before her.

  As am I. “Yes but—”

  “I will get you more.” He slid off the seat and held out his hand to her. “Come with me.”

  “Oh that’s what I’m worried about,” she mumbled. When Tor chuckled at her words, she felt the breath catch in her throat. He had such a sexy laugh. “Where are we going?” It seemed natural to place her hand in his.

  “On the tour I promised.” Tor moved them past customers and staff as they made their way through the kitchen and beyond. “Wanna see the freezers?” He grinned and nudged his hip teasingly against hers.

  There was something about this man and his smile that made Waverley feel good.

  “Tor, I—” I, what? I feel hot all over and want to rub my body against yours?

  “I just want talk to you, precious.”

  “Just talk?” Waverley hoped that did not sound as disappointed as she felt. Realistically it was crazy to be getting excited over a stranger and yet against all common sense she was.

  “Among other things,” he told her as he led her into a large room and shut the door.

  “This is a storeroom.”

  “Yeah, it’s nice and quiet and only I have the key.” He turned it in the lock. “We can talk and do stuff.”

  Uh-oh.

  Chapter Three

  “I believe in indulging women in two things—ice cream and—”

  “Shopping?”

  Tor smiled at the nervous woman before him. He would never take a woman against her will. The thing that interested him about Waverley was she was on edge but not through fear. She radiated this sexual intensity that had him enthralled but he suspected that she was confused by her reaction to him.

  “No, sex, but we seem to have a problem.”

  ‘“We’?” The word came out in a breathless rush.

  Tor leaned against a wall and watched as she shifted her feet uneasily. Waverley only had to ask to leave and he would let her. However, he had a feeling she wanted more but was unsure about the wildfire attraction between them. Tor would not have taken just any woman as he had Waverley. There had to be more than just lust. There had to be that spark of recognition that could only be felt between like-minded souls.

  “Yeah—you and me.” He pushed off the wall and moved toward her slowly. “I really need to kiss you.”

  “That’s a problem?” Her eyes were wide with fear mixed with excitement as she licked her lips.

  Tor wasted no time claiming the space between them.

  “Only if you won’t let me.” He smiled when she gulped loudly.

  Waverley started backing away from him. “I just think this is all going too fast.”

  “What is, precious?”

  “You and me.” Her back hit the shelves behind her.

  “Us?” I like the sound of that. Tor held his body an inch from hers, waiting for permission from her to touch and taste.

  “Yeah—I mean, er, we had a moment. It was good and now we move on.”

  He did not want to move on and when her hand reached out to rest on his hip, Tor knew Waverley didn’t either. She was not pushing him away, she holding him there. Permission granted.

  “Do you believe in coincidence?” When his body met hers, Tor closed his eyes for a moment, giving in to the sensual warmth and scent of her. My woman.

  “No.”

  Tor lifted her chin and looked into her green eyes, seeing the need and intense passion within.

  “Liar.”

  “Okay, but I know where you want to go with this and I am not as au fait with your lickety-split logic.”

  “Where do you think this thing between you and me is meant to go?”

  “We did not meet to just have sex.”

  “No, I agree.” Tor could see his words confused Waverley. “We met because we are meant to be together.”

  “This is too fast and I—”

  Tor kissed her before she could say another word. His mouth took hungry possessions of hers as he reached down for her hands and entwined his fingers with hers. He had not dreamt it. Waverley tasted as good as she did last week.

  She pulled her lips from his. “We have to stop.”

  He liked the way she bit her swollen lip nervously. “Why, precious?” Her response matched his own. They were two people who needed each other and that was not something that could be faked. “I like kissing you.” He lifted their linked hands above her head, resting them against the shelving. Tor looked up and frowned.

  “What?” Waverley waited breathlessly for his next move, knowing it would be a good one. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest and she knew Tor would have felt it as close as they were.

  “There are boxes of strawberry syrup missing.”

  Huh? She had not expected to hear a declaration of undying love but nor had she expected to be second best to syrup.

  “We’re just about to have sex and you’re focusing on toppings?” It was not the most flattering thing for a woman in heat to hear.

  Tor’s eyes instantly locked on hers. “We’re going to have sex?”

  “Weren’t we?” Oh please don’t let me have misunderstood. She had gone from wanting to be rational and careful to needing to have Tor hot and hard inside her once more.

  “I want to.” Tor looked up again at the shelf. “I was thinking how great it would taste as I licked strawberries off your skin.”

  Oh boy. The wetness between her legs intensified.

  “So someone nicked the boxes?” Am I going to miss out on getting licked? She mentally slapped herself. One minute she didn’t want him and the next she did.

  “We have a thief.” Tor did not look happy about it.

  “Stealing from the register is tacky.” People always got caught. Waverley had never worked out why they thought they could get away with it.

  “No, ice cream and to
ppings.”

  “Oh well, that’s different.” She shrugged her shoulders at his words. So the staff was eating some of the profits. You had to factor in shrinkage like that when you had an ice cream shop, surely.

  Tor’s eyes focused on hers. “How?”

  “Well, it’s ice cream,” Waverley responded, wondering why he was looking so puzzled. And why were they even discussing this when there were other more interesting things they could do? The cock that pressed against her was turned-on and ready to go and not because of ice cream.

  “Let me get this straight. It’s okay to steal ice cream but not money?”

  “Well yeah, it’s a perk of the job—like stationery.” Everyone knew that.

  Tor shook his head and looked bemused. “So ice cream theft is okay?”

  “No, it’s more like acquiring stuff because it’s part of your job.” But then he was an employer so maybe he did not understand employee logic. “If it was a candy store, you’d be missing bonbons. It’s not rocket science.”

  “Uh-huh,” he murmured as he rubbed his pelvis against hers.

  Nice.

  “So if you are the only one with the key…”

  “No, Malcolm the store manager has one and clearly someone else does too.” Tor unlinked their hands.

  Waverley’s fingers moved to the broad shoulders she longed to caress.

  “Is it just strawberry syrup that’s gone missing? No ice cream?” Strawberry wasn’t exactly one of her favorite flavors so in her eyes no great harm had been done. Missing ice cream, though, would be a tragedy.

  Tor pushed back from her slightly.

  “How does that matter?”

  “Just interested.” She shivered as he ran his hands down her back to her ass. Why did it feel like she had known Tor forever and not just a stolen moment or two? And why do I feel like I have to be with him? Some people would consider her haste morally wrong. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe feeling right was more important than following rules.

  “Chocolate, butter pecan and licorice-flavored ice cream have gone missing as well.”

  “Licorice? That’s just wrong in an ice cream.” Waverley pulled a face. “Why would anyone steal black ice cream? How pukeable.”

  Tor laughed at her words. “But stealing other flavors is morally okay?”

  “They’re popular. You’d have to expect they would get stolen first.” Waverley did not want to discuss ice cream. To hell with being careful and good. She longed to kiss Tor but she had never been one to initiate contact. In some things she was fearless but with intimacy she was scared of messing up. “I would have expected French vanilla and anything with caramel in it to go missing as well.” Now kiss me please.

  Tor pushed back from her slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You’re an interesting woman. You’re worried about having sex with me but stealing ice cream is okay.”

  “Well, there is a big difference.” As much as she loved ice cream, it was not what was on her mind at that moment.

  “How so? Both are enjoyable.”

  “Yes, but ice cream is a pleasure that you don’t always need.” And I can walk away from ice cream but for the life of me I can’t walk away from you right now. That worried her. She barely knew him and hot sex in a freezer was not your standard getting-to-know someone etiquette.

  “Don’t always need.” He repeated her words slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. “Do you need me, precious?”

  Waverley knew for the first time in her life what it was like to crave someone. Her past two lovers had never elicited that response from her. So why this man? What made him so different? Even Tor calling her “precious” was not enough to turn her away from him. Waverley liked the deep, husky timbre of his voice when he called her that. It made her feel like she was special.

  “I don’t have to have you.” Her hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer to her.

  “Says she pulling me close and lying.”

  Tor’s breath was hot on her neck and all she could think of was tasting him. Maybe lickety-split logic was doable.

  “Yeah, well, it’s self-preservation.”

  “I’m very interested in preserving you.” Tor’s hands slid down and started to unbutton her shirt.

  “Hey,” she pushed half-heartedly at his hands. “What are you doing?” What am I doing? Thinking?

  “I need to see you naked.” Tor pulled open her shirt, his eyes fixed on the full swell if her bra-encased breasts. “Thighs included.”

  “I don’t just have sex with anyone at any time.” Waverley’s hands caught his. “If I have given you that impression, then I was wrong to do so.” She was many things but she was not a slut. Sex for the sake of sex was not something Waverley ever did. It had to mean something even if later on she slapped her head and wondered at her logic at the time.

  “I know that.” Tor leaned in and kissed her. “I want you because you are so damn sexy it would kill me not to touch you. I dreamed about you all last week and how damn good and right it felt to be inside you.”

  “You could have anyone.” And he could. Tor was all hot male and the type of man who would be on any woman’s Christmas wish list.

  Tor ran his finger along her bottom lip. “Yeah, but I want you. Tell me what you want, precious.”

  “I’m thinking I should never have done what I did in the freezer and not had that orgasm.” Waverley noticed the puzzled look in eyes. “I rarely have a male-induced orgasm and I’m not sure I have more than one in me.” It was something that worried Waverley. Was she somehow undersexed because while turned-on by the thought of a nice, hot man, she rarely came with one? Until Tor. “I don’t know if I should.” God knows I want to. She was wet with need and the thought of Tor inside her once more made her tremble with desire. But previous lovers had been pissed off that she had lain there and not oohed and aahed and panted in rapture. Waverley did not believe in faking it. Either it was or it wasn’t. She could see how that could be a smack to a man’s ego. While Waverley did not know Tor, she didn’t want to hurt him. “I think I’m frigid. Probably explains why I was able to come in a freezer. It’s my natural environment.”

  Tor threw his head back and laughed at her words.

  “Oh precious, you are anything but.” One of his hands cupped her face. “It’s all about chemistry. If the man’s not right, then it’s a wasted exercise.” His eyes were tender on hers. “I’m right for you as you are for me and I have the most ardent desire to be with you again. Will you do me the honor?”

  Waverley gave a loud gulp. No one have ever spoken to her so sweetly before. How was it possible that this man, a virtual stranger, understood her so well?

  “Yes, Tor.” To say anything else would have been crazy. The need to feel overrode any other worries. She slid the shirt off her shoulders and moved her hands around to her back and undid the clasp of her bra. His deep intake of breath as her breasts were freed gave Waverley a crazy feeling of power.

  “Thank you,” Tor growled, his voice full of raw emotion. “You are so beautiful.” Without further delay his mouth descended on one pink nipple, sucking hard.

  “Oh my,” Waverley gasped. It was exactly how she wanted a lover to act, with skilful yet insistent force as if he was unable to control himself with her. That it was more than just sex by the numbers. She could feel Tor’s hands on her capri pants tugging, pulling them down as his mouth never lost suction. “Oh God—stop…” Tor pulled his mouth from her breast and looked at her in concern. “I mean go. No, stop. This is crazy.” What the hell do I mean? One nipple was swollen and the other was begging for attention. Her whole body was on fire. She made a conscious decision and turned the lights out on her “good girl” thoughts. Lust tonight, penance tomorrow.

  “How do you feel?” Tor asked as he placed soft, wet kisses along her jaw.

  “Hot…so hot.” The pride she saw in his eyes dazzled Waverley. It was so primal, so possessive and it thrilled her.

  “For me?�
�

  “Yes, only you.” Waverley knew in her heart after this man there would be no others, for no one else could follow Tor. If I sit and think about the one that got away when I’m old and gray, so be it. I have the here and now and I am going to make it count. Waverley kicked her pants free from her ankles.

  Tor groaned as his eyes locked on her thighs. “Wow, what an idiot.”

  “Huh?” Who was?

  “Your thighs. I never noticed them fully in the freezer.”

  Waverley swallowed hard on her disappointment. She knew where this was going. “Okay—yep, they’re pudgy and—”

  “And magnificent.” Tor dropped to his knees before her, his hands firm yet soft as he caressed her flesh.

  His touch made her tremble. “Really?

  “May I?” Tor’s fingers caught at the sides of her panties. When Waverley nodded her consent, he pulled them down and off.

  Before she could say anything, Tor’s tongue parted the cleft between her legs with one long licking stroke.

  Waverley staggered. No man had ever done that to her before. They had considered it gross. But not Tor it seemed. He licked and sucked on her clit as if he could not get enough. She pulled his head close, threading her fingers through his hair, enjoying every wet, delicious moment.

  “T-Tor…” she stammered, finding it hard to stand on her weakened legs.

  He stopped and looked up at her, his eyes filled with lust. “Yes, precious?”

  “I need you now.” Waverley was about to come in his mouth and she wanted more than that. She wanted the full, thrusting weight of him inside her.

  “Thank God. I am about to explode.” Tor rifled through his pockets quickly. “I’d better have one.” He smiled in triumph as he pulled out the foil pack. With one deft move, he slid down his zipper.

  Waverley licked her lips as she saw his cock spring out. There was something so nicely wicked about being completely naked when your partner wasn’t. She felt like she could come just watching him stroke the rubber over his shaft. When Tor was fully sheathed, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with a hungry passion that left her breathless.