Payton's Passion Page 2

  Angie left her perch on the bed and moved to help her friend with the basket of clean clothes. “Don’t I know it. They always made sure you were too busy with projects at home to have any fun. That used to bug the hell out of me. You’re here, though—miles away. They don’t run your life anymore.”

  She grabbed Payton’s shoulders, turned her around, and forced her to look in the mirror. “You see that pretty girl looking back at you? You’ve always been there, hiding inside.” A quirky smile appeared on Angie’s face. “You just needed me to spruce up the ‘old’ you a little, and voila—the beauty queen appeared. And, the prince is just waiting to get his hands on you.”

  Payton trembled slightly and remained serious. “I think he’ll try and kiss me tomorrow night.”

  Laughter bubbled in Angie’s throat and escaped a moment later. “So? Let him! Quit being such a virgin. Christ, you’re twenty-three years old! A goddamned dinosaur! Your parents ought to be horsewhipped for keeping you hidden out there in the country. You’re not on the farm anymore, Payton. You’re an adult that can make decisions for yourself. You’ve got a body that won’t quit; you’re smart and beautiful. Enjoy it. If he wants to go to bed with you, what the hell? He’s a great specimen. May as well lose your cherry to him than someone who shovels cow shit on a daily basis.”

  “You’re impossible!” Payton’s cheeks deepened to an even rosier hue.

  “But I’m right. I don’t know if it was your mom and dad who pounded it into your head that you had to be a virgin when you got married or what. That’s not the way of it, kiddo. It’s not the dark ages anymore. Have some fun—and have it with Andy.”

  Payton picked up a pile of clothes and placed the folded items into her drawer. “I have to admit that the thought of him kissing me gives me tingles, but to go to bed with him? I think not, dear friend. I’ve got too much work ahead of me the next few years to become that deeply involved. I can’t jump into bed with someone I just met.”

  “Tingles?” Angie’s jaw dropped with an incredulous shake of her head. “The man makes my panties wet and all you can do is tingle?”

  Angie placed a fist on her hip, and she laughed again at her roommate. “As much as I want to see Andy and Tony’s place, you’re going alone tomorrow. If you don’t come back to the dorm, I’ll know you’ve spent the night.”

  “I’m not sleeping with a stranger.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see about that. Even if you do stop him from feeling you up and putting his dick in you, I still want to hear all the juicy details.”

  Chapter 3: The Date

  True to her words, Angie disappeared the following evening before Andy stopped by to pick up Payton. Now she sat on his living room couch at the party with his arm slung casually across her shoulders.

  Payton had to admit that she enjoyed his attention immensely. He was funny and watched over her, assuring that everyone in the room was aware she was his date by the constant handholding and his nearness. She found herself looking forward to the end of the night, innocently hoping he would kiss her when he dropped her off. It was beyond her realm that he would want to jump in bed with her so quickly—they had just met a mere week earlier.

  Payton’s brain was a little fuzzy—no doubt caused by the three screwdrivers she’d downed already. She wasn’t used to drinking all that much, but discovered she liked the warm wooly feeling that threaded its way through her limbs. Lifting the plastic glass to her lips, Payton downed the last few remaining sips of her drink. Feeling totally at ease, she glanced up at Andy’s chiseled face and smiled.

  “Want to get me a refill?” she hiccupped.

  His gaze settled on the empty glass in her hand. “Are you sure?” He peered into her eyes. “You look like you’ve probably had enough.”

  Finding courage, she leaned closer to him. “Oh, come on. I’m a big girl.” She was, wasn’t she? For the first time, she was actually enjoying the ‘extra curriculars’ that college had to offer. “You’ve already had two to my every one. Are you going to call it a night? I’m really having fun.” She waited patiently for him to do her bidding.

  Andy felt the unintended slight pressure of one large breast against his arm. Instantly, his stomach muscles tightened. It was going to be tough keeping his hands off of her.

  Earlier, as he drove to her dorm, all he could think of was somehow manipulating her into having sex with him. After spending time, however, talking with her through a simple meal of hamburgers and fries, he realized there was a lot more depth to Payton than the beautiful exterior. She spoke to him about her family and growing up on a farm; about working hard in school and her dreams and goals for the future.

  Once back at his house—the one that his parents financed—and the party that was in full swing, every guy in the room continually eyed her up and she didn’t even notice. There wasn’t an ounce of phoniness in Payton, and he wanted to explore that. As he sat on the couch with her slim body protectively held in his curved arm, Andy had come to the decision that he didn’t want to take the chance of losing her by fulfilling his earlier fantasy. He was determined that the evening wouldn’t end as a one-night stand.

  “I really would like another drink.” She stood, albeit a little wobbly, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up from the couch. “Let’s find the bar.”

  Giving in, Andy rose and led her to the kitchen. He let her walk through the swinging door first, enjoying the smell of her perfume as she drifted by him, and then nearly walked up her heels when she stopped on a dime. They both stared at another couple wrapped in the deep throes of a passionate embrace. A young man had a girl backed up to the counter while he kneaded her breasts and kissed an exposed shoulder. The girl’s hand reached down to caress the bulging crotch of his pants with encouragement. It wasn’t long before the lovers realized they weren’t alone.

  Payton simply stared at them as the embrace broke apart. She also heard the smile in Andy’s voice when he spoke behind her.

  “Excuse us. Didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” He wiggled his empty glass in the air. “Just needed a refill.”

  The woman took her drunken boyfriend by the hand and strolled past them. “No problem. We were just thinking about heading upstairs anyway.” She winked at a wide-eyed Payton before the two disappeared through the doorway.

  Andy cleared his throat and walked around a silent Payton, then took the empty glass from her hand. “Okay. One screwdriver coming up.”

  It wasn’t long before he had both drinks poured and ready to go. “Here, taste this and see if it’s okay. I made it a little light so you’re not sick in the morning.” He held the glass to her lips. Payton took a sip as she met his gaze over the rim.

  Andy watched her slender throat quiver slightly as she swallowed. When she didn’t make an attempt to take the glass from him, he reached down, took her hand and wrapped her fingers around it, never taking his eyes from hers.

  “Could I kiss you, Payton?”

  Her tongue instantly darted out to wet her lips. “I…I think I’d like that.”

  Andy set her glass on the flat surface beside him, moved to stand before Payton where she leaned against the counter, and placed a hand on either side of her.

  She blinked and wet her lips again.

  He lowered his mouth and brushed his lips against her moist ones. The slight intake of her breath encouraged him to deepen the kiss, but he kept it soft. She tasted sweet.

  He ended the kiss and hugged her gently. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment we met,” he whispered against the soft mantle of her hair.

  She lifted her arms and clasped them around his neck. “Then, do it again.”

  He complied, this time a little more sure that she enjoyed it as much as he did. Andy ran his tongue across the seam of her mouth, slanted his head, and pulled her closer.

  Payton came willingly, but didn’t open her mouth as he thought she would. Funny…you’d think that at the age of twenty-three, she wouldn’t mind a French kiss.


  He didn’t wait for her to come to that decision. Andy gently forced his tongue between her lips, and he was inside her mouth. Andy groaned with pure enjoyment. After searching for her tongue and not getting much response, he ended the kiss and leaned back. Payton glanced up from beneath heavy lids.

  “Kiss me back. Kiss me with your tongue.”

  She nodded and pulled his mouth back to hers. She met his tongue tentatively, and then discovered the joy of kissing this way. Andy swirled his tongue against hers and they were lost in the intense sexual feel of the intimate embrace.

  He couldn’t help himself when he slowly dragged his hand around her slim waist and clasped a succulent breast. Payton gasped against his mouth, withdrew her tongue, and opened her eyes wide to stare at him.

  “Is this okay?” He didn’t pull his hand away. “God, you have beautiful breasts.”

  Her nipples hardened instantly. It was the first time anyone had ever felt her breasts. The heat of his caress was overwhelming. Her answer was to simply start kissing him again. What could it hurt to let him touch me? I’m a grown woman…

  Waves of heat radiated from his light strokes across her nipple. Her intense pleasure doubled when his lower body pressed her more firmly against the counter and her other breast was grasped. The outline of his erection burned against her stomach, but didn’t frighten her. She met his kiss with even more enthusiasm.

  Andy was in heaven. Having her huge breasts in his hands was unexplainable—as were the emotions that ran through his brain. Exploring Payton’s body was utterly unlike any other encounter he’d ever had. As much as he wanted to drag her up the stairs for some hot sex, he knew he wouldn’t do it. Andy didn’t want their relationship to start that way.

  A thought pricked at his conscience while he kissed her. Relationship? He’d never used that word before, because he’d never had a relationship. He’d enjoyed some fantastic sex with willing girls who meant nothing to him. But, Payton?

  His hands dropped from her chest and wound their way around her waist again, and then dropped to her ass. He pulled her against him and ground against her. He wanted to fuck the hell out of her.

  “Whoa!” Andy dropped his hands and took a quick step back. Payton would have toppled forward if he hadn’t caught her by the arm to steady her.

  “Andy?” Confusion shot from her heated blue gaze.

  He breathed in deeply and ran his hand through his thick hair as he continued to steady her with one hand on her upper arm.

  “Andy? What’s wrong? Did I do something I shouldn’t have?”

  He dropped his chin for a moment before he answered her. Finally catching his breath, he met her questioning gaze.

  “Oh, no. You did everything right. I…Payton, this is going to get out of hand if we don’t stop.”

  She couldn’t forget the unexplained heat she felt building in her body. Through the course of the embrace, her curiosity had changed to slight fear at first, and then to an emotion that she had never felt before. She wanted it to continue.

  Payton reached up and caressed his chin. “I’ve never felt that way before.”

  “Me either. That’s why we need to take our drinks back in the other room and join the party.” Andy needed some time to cool off and examine these new feelings—feelings of wanting her naked in his arms, yet needing something else. He was confused about the instant emotion of wanting to protect her always, to do this right and to not push her into something that might make her disappear from his life.

  The drinks that she had already consumed made her brave. Payton didn’t feel like herself. At the moment, the young girl from the Iowa farm had disappeared. In her place was a woman who had experienced her first sexual tension.

  She placed her arms around his neck and smiled up. “Kiss me again.” She rose on tiptoes and brushed her parted lips against his, searching for the jolt of heat to run through her belly again.

  Andy firmly removed her arms from his neck and set her away from him. “I think it would be best if we just left this where it was.”

  Her swollen lips turned downward in a frown.

  “Payton, don’t look that way. I don’t know what it is, but be assured I want to keep touching you. In fact, I would love to take you upstairs and spend the night with you, but it’s not going to happen.”

  She reached behind her, grabbed her drink, and took some hefty sips to cool her sudden embarrassment. He was right. What on earth had gotten into her? She handed him her half empty glass without looking directly at him. “Would you freshen this up?”

  Payton couldn’t meet his eyes. Now that her heart had slowed and she wasn’t so caught up in the physical excitement of his touch, reason returned.

  She watched him from the corner of her eye as he added ice, vodka, and juice to her glass before he silently grasped her elbow and guided her back to the living room.

  Chapter 4: The Awakening

  Two hours later, Payton slowly swiveled her head to ask Andy for another drink and faintly wondered why everything in the room blurred somewhat. The evening had flown by as she downed one drink after another, bereft because Andy had not touched her again.

  She had to go to the bathroom again but couldn’t, for life of her, remember where it was. She heaved herself up from the couch, waited for the room to quit spinning, and looked around.

  Andy glanced up with a crooked smile and watery eyes. “Where ya goin’?”

  Payton held onto the arm of a chair to steady herself and forced a smile to her lips, even though she felt like weeping. “Gotta find the restroom again.” Her gaze bounced around the room again. “You know, I can’t remember where it is.”

  Andy pushed himself up from the soft cushion. “Come on.” For the first time since the episode in the kitchen, he took her hand and weaved a course through the many bodies occupying the living room. When they reached the hallway, he discovered a long line of giggling women. He sighed heavily and glanced over his shoulder.

  “There’s another toilet upstairs. Let’s go.”

  She followed him back across the living room and up the stairs. Andy took her hand again and pulled her down the hallway. One more turn brought them to an empty hallway. He stopped before a painted door, bent at the waist, and swept an unsteady arm outward. “Here you go, Mi Lady. I’ll wait for you.”

  Payton brushed past him and closed the door a second later.

  Andy leaned against the wall and closed his eyes with a heartfelt sigh. He‘d purposely avoided touching her since the incident in the kitchen, something that despite the cavalier attitude of the last few hours, was getting more difficult to manage. Normally he would have had his date between the sheets by now. With Payton? No.

  He suddenly found himself thinking about the future. Andy sighed deeply and crossed his arms. He’d never given much thought to being with one woman exclusively. Payton was different. She’d crept unexpectedly into his life and blindsided him. He wasn’t about to mess it up by tossing her on her back.

  It wasn’t long before he heard the toilet flush. The lock clicked, and she appeared shortly to stand before him. He straightened—and wondered why she remained silent and only stared up at him through wide, blue eyes. She wavered slightly and, he could have sworn, blinked back tears.

  “Are you angry with me?” she asked.

  “No. Why would you think that?”

  She drew in a breath. A breath, he couldn’t help but notice, that tightened the material across her mounded chest. He quickly brought his gaze back to meet hers.

  “You’ve hardly said a word to me. I felt like your date when we got here. Now, it’s like you want to get rid of me. That’s fine,” she shrugged. “I’m ready to leave anytime you want to bring me home.”

  He watched her struggle to hide a hiccup. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. Andy couldn’t stop himself when he reached out a single hand, laid it on her slender shoulder, and then gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Sorry, Payton. I didn’t mean to ignore you. It’s just�
��” he looked at the ceiling and tried to figure out what he wanted to say. “It’s just that I don’t quite trust myself around you—especially after what happened in the kitchen.”

  She blinked again, but failed to stop the single tear that escaped down a smooth cheek. “Was it so bad kissing me? I haven’t kissed many boys.” I’ve never kissed any boys…

  Christ—she thinks I didn’t like it… “That’s not it at all. Payton,” he grasped for the right words of explanation again. “I don’t want this to be our only date. I want to continue to see you.”

  “But, why wouldn’t you want to kiss me again if that’s true?” She adjusted her stance with eyes closed, lost her equilibrium, and swayed forward. Her breasts innocently brushed his chest. Andy quickly captured her in his arms to stop her fall, which nearly sent them both tumbling to the carpeted floor. His chest immediately burned where her nipples touched him through his thin cotton shirt. His semi-erection grew even harder.

  “Payton, you’re pretty drunk. Maybe we should get you back to your dorm room.”

  Her arms snaked firmly around his waist. “Andy, please. I want to be like the girl in the kitchen. I want to kiss you.” Payton’s chin came up. She stared at him and unconsciously licked her lips. The simple action drove him crazy.

  His erection was now rock hard. He’d never held a woman in his arms and experienced a reaction like the one that now heated his blood.

  Before he could utter another word, Payton drew his head down and kissed his mouth. A small mewling growl emitted from somewhere deep in her throat as she worked her tongue between his lips.

  Andy was lost. The many drinks he’d consumed to forget the feel of her in his arms now spurred him to pull her closer. His lips slanted across her full ones as he forced his tongue deep in the warm depths of her open mouth.

  It took only two steps to have her pressed against a closed door on the opposite wall of the hallway. A strong hand urged her thigh to wrap itself around his muscular leg. It was the first time he had molded her feminine mound squarely against his erection. She fit perfectly. He reached up and kneaded a swollen breast.