The Exception by Lauren H. Mae

Twenty-seven

“And then Adam said ‘how much you wanna bet Emma will bust out ‘Baby Got Back’ for karaoke if I buy her another shot?’” Dylan slapped his knee and tossed some microwave popcorn in his mouth. “She didn’t do it.”

They’d been listening to The Dylan Show for the last fifteen minutes while Emma heated up snacks and served them like she was hosting a drunken tea party. Sonya thought she was going to scream from the frustration of it all. Just when she’d finally decided to go for it, she was cock-blocked by the entirety of her friend group.

She waved off a peanut butter cookie for the fifth time, and Emma finally collapsed onto the couch, resting her feet in Sonya’s lap.

Trav perched on the arm beside Sonya, his thigh brushing against her every time he moved.

When they’d come up from the dock to greet everyone, baby monitor in hand and a story about needing some fresh air, she was sure her friends would be tucking into bed any minute. Cat had already put on pajamas and Josh kept finding reasons to touch her. He clearly wanted the night to end too, but Dylan and Dani weren’t about that eight hours of sleep lifestyle.

When Dani turned on the stereo and poured herself another drink, Sonya’s fingernails nearly punctured the couch cushion.

Trav must have been feeling daring, or just as desperate, because his fingers brushed the skin on the back of her neck making her shiver and reminding her of all of the other places she wanted to be touched.

That’s it.

She stood abruptly, pushing Emma’s feet to the floor and nearly knocking her off the couch. “I’m going to bed.”

“What? We just got back?” Dani waved a hand at her to sit back down, but Sonya was already halfway to the stairs.

“Thanks so much for babysitting, Sonya,” Josh called after her.

She gave him a salute on her way up. “No problem. Night. See you in the morning. Bye.” She took off in a sprint, hoping Trav caught the gimme five, then get up here look she sent him.

* * *

What seemed like years later, Sonya heard a quiet knock on her bedroom door. She jumped up to open it.

“What took you so long?” She grabbed a fistful of Trav’s t-shirt, tugging him into her bedroom like the hallway was on fire. His room was two doors down, Dani and Dylan between them, and she wasn’t going to get interrupted or caught by either of them.

“Where I come from, it’s no man left behind,” he said.

His mouth was back on hers, smiling as he parted her lips and let himself in. They stumbled toward the bed, nearly tripping over the various outfits she’d tried on and discarded before heading down to that dock. Who was she kidding, thinking it wasn’t going to end up like this? God, she wanted to climb him. She’d never been like this before.

She pulled away and pushed up the hem of his t-shirt, exposing that stomach she’d been dreaming about. Literally.

Trav reached between them to unbuckle his belt. “Dylan got this bartending book out,” he said, kicking off his shoes as he walked her backward toward the bed. “And then Emma decided to bake another batch of cookies. Finally, Josh picked Cat up fireman-style and told them all that whoever woke Lucia up was sleeping at the bottom of the lake. I used the diversion to escape.”

It would have amused her, picturing Trav’s face while her friends continued to be themselves, except they’d stolen at least fifteen minutes of the time she could have had her hands on his body.

She touched him now, tracing the line of hair that disappeared into his jeans. “I gave you too much credit.” She pulled away to lift her tank top over her head. “I thought you could extract yourself better than that, soldier.”

“Oh no,” he said. “None of that competitiveness tonight.” He lifted her off her feet like he had on their run, and dropped her on the bed. “You’re going to admit that you beat your own record time running up here like that because neither of us has any chill.”

“You’re right.”

A smile broke out on his face as he crawled his way over the mattress. “I’m what?”

“Ugh, you’re right. Kiss me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her hard, practically stealing her breath, and it only made her more desperate for him.

He paused to pull his shirt over his head and a pair of dog tags fell free, dangling in front of her face. She reached up to touch them. “You weren’t wearing these before. On the boat.”

His grin turned mischievous. “I knew you were checking me out.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I just would have noticed.”

“I didn’t want to lose them in the lake.” He did a push-up on the bed, lowering until the tags brushed her nose. “Or take one to the face on a wave.”

She laughed and he spun the tags around to his back. The scent of sunscreen and cocktails cocooned her as Trav let his full weight press her into the mattress. He wasn’t gentle, a hand to her throat as he tipped her mouth into a better angle, and a thrill bloomed inside of her.

She never had any complaints about her sex life with Marcus, but it had always been a bit bland. In retrospect, she could see all of the problems with that. With them. With it not being this. She couldn’t blame her ex for the things she never thought to ask for, though. It was possible she hadn’t known who she was or what she wanted until right now.

As much as she didn’t recognize the rough, commanding way Trav touched her, she also didn’t recognize herself because she was becoming greedier for it by the minute.

He pulled away and eyed the bra she still wore like it insulted him. “I’m going to take this off, okay?”

“Mm-hmm.”

One little flick of his thumb and finger and the front clasp gave way. Trav brought his fist to his teeth, biting, and she laughed.

“You’re like a painting.” He started at her collarbone, dragging the pad of his finger downward over the curve of her breast. “So beautiful.”

She already knew she’d be just as enthusiastic. “Pants,” she said, reaching for his fly.

He pulled to his knees and unbuttoned them, and her hand reached out before she could stop herself. She cupped him over his boxers and his head fell backward with a loud groan.

“I hope you’ll take this as a sign of how much I planned on respecting our friendship,” he said, “but before we get too far, I should tell you I don’t have anything with me.”

At the mention of protection, her breath rushed out with both relief and embarrassment. How was she going to explain this one?

“Um. I’ve got it covered.” She rolled to her belly and stretched to reach her overnight bag on the floor, pulling out a condom from the front pocket.

“Okay, then.” He chuckled, taking the condom from her and setting it on the bed beside them. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy with this turn of events, but I gotta ask—was this your plan all along? Because I would have been all-in without the ruse.”

“No! I mean. I don’t think it was. Dani gave that to me.” She covered her eyes and sighed. “I think everyone might have known before I did that this was going to happen.”

Silence lingered, and she peeked through her fingers to find Trav chewing on his lip. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you want this as much as I do, Sonya? Because I don’t want to wake up tomorrow feeling like I took advantage here.”

Their eyes locked in the dim light of the moon peeking through the curtains, and her heart pounded. It was impossible to hide it now, with him straddling her thighs, biceps caging her on either side, but maybe it was time to admit this wasn’t a new epiphany, how much she wanted him. It was only that her excuses and denials had completely run out of steam.

Honestly, they never had a chance after seeing him shirtless on that boat today.

“I do want this,” she breathed. “I’ve wanted it since I accidentally kissed you.”

His cheek twitched in amusement. “Maybe it wasn’t an accident.”

She groaned. “Right. I guess since before that, then.”

His smile was more relieved than cocky, despite her admission, and it only made her want him more.

“Good,” he said. He sank down, his tongue finding the valley between her breasts, making her gasp. “Because I’m going to make you want a repeat before we’re even done.”

“Promises, promises—” His fingers between her legs put a quick end to her smart retort, the words melting into a moan.

“For what it’s worth,” he said, lips traveling down her belly as he slid her underwear over her hips and down her legs. “I would have accidentally kissed you a hundred times before that if I didn’t think you’d fire me.”

“Technically, I can’t fire you.”

He shook his head. “Shhh.”

Yes. Shut up, Sonya.

The last thing she wanted was to discuss the professional ramifications of this. She could ignore them for as long as she was beneath him, his mouth inching closer to her center. Besides, this was so far from the dynamic they maintained at the hospital that picturing the two of them under the harsh fluorescent lighting of work felt oddly surreal. They’d completely flip-flopped. Trav was in charge here, and the thought of that soaked the skin between her legs.

At the first press of his tongue, her hand clapped over her lips to keep from alerting the whole house that the dream she’d had after the mattress store? Yeah, that was nothing compared to the real thing.

Trav’s free hand came up quick, looping around her thigh and sliding her bottom closer.

The way he so easily put her where he wanted her prickled her skin with goosebumps. She felt small but safe beneath him—free to just lay back and be explored by his strong hands and mouth. Free to let him teach her a few things.

This is what happens when you stop thinking and let things happen, Sonya. This is how good losing control can feel.

As if he’d said it himself, he tipped his chin to peer up at her, a question swimming in the blue of his eyes.

She nodded, her hips arching to meet his mouth. Yes, she wanted to say. I get it. But instead she moaned, “Just like that.”

That was clearly all of the encouragement Trav needed because he doubled down with his tongue and his touch, relentless and consistent. It would be quick, there was no helping it, but the thought of what came next already brewed in the back of her head and deep inside her belly.

“Let go, Sonya,” he said, words muffled and strained. “I’ll catch you.”

Her body took it from there, contracting in waves around his fingers and stealing her breath. He slipped a hand between her thigh and his head to keep her from suffocating him, but he didn’t stop.

When her limbs stopped shaking, Trav crawled toward her and pressed a hand to her neck, grinning. “You okay?”

“Objectively, that was the best orgasm of my life.”

Trav flopped onto his back, laughing. “Please don’t tell me you have a spreadsheet somewhere where you rank them.”

“If I did, I’d throw it away and start over.”

“Mmm. Still grading my performance.” He tugged her onto his chest and kissed her, hungrily.

His eyes stayed fixed on hers as she adjusted herself, straddling his waist, and reached for the condom. She handed it to him and watched as he tore it open with his teeth, then passed it back to her with an expectant smile.

Oh. She suddenly felt wildly insecure about her ability to be sexy about this. How had she lived this long without putting a condom on a man?

To be fair, she and Marcus hadn’t used them in years. And her hookups in college mostly took place in dark dorm rooms. There had been a few guys in between but it never came up.

No matter. She was an experienced, confident woman. And a medical professional, for God’s sake. She could obviously handle this.

She shuffled backward and her belly swooped as she took him in for the first time in the dim light.

That was distracting, but she still had this.

Careful not to puncture the latex with her nails, she pulled the condom from the packet and held it up to the window to inspect it. When she quickly discerned which side was right-side out, her confidence ticked up. But then she realized she couldn’t see all that well in the dark room, and the fit was important.

She leaned closer, rolling it slowly with the pads of her index fingers, checking for gaps or bubbles or anything that looked wrong. It looked right, though. She’d nailed it first try.

She was mentally congratulating herself when Trav chuckled. “What are you doing?”

Her head popped up. Oh God. She’d been studying him like a science experiment. Her face burned. “Nothing! Don’t laugh at me.”

“Hey,” he said, touching her cheek. “I would never. I just think you’re cute when you get all analytical.”

She smiled. He did look sort of taken by the whole thing.

He moved her hand and adjusted the base of the condom. “I’d let you work all night on this, but it’s better to be safe.”

“Right.”

“And I kinda wanna be inside you now.”

“Right.” Now she flushed for a different reason.

She’d inadvertently slowed their pace and the air in the room felt charged with anticipation.

Trav’s hands landed on her hips and he helped her rise to her knees. “God, I want you, Sonya. This weekend, us together… it’s good.”

“It is.” She flattened her palm on his chest and lowered herself until she felt his tip brush her.

His eyes turned hazy. “This is going to be so, so good.”

“It is.” Her thighs trembled as she held herself just out of reach, teasing to the last minute. “Take it.”

That seemed to light a fire under him. His grip tightened on her hip and he thrust upward, groaning just a little too loudly when he’d filled her.

She wanted to shush him but her mouth was stuck in an O, eyes clenched shut. Instead she patted around blindly, finally connecting with his face. She flattened her fingers on his lips, but he freed himself and nipped at her hand. “They’ve got to be passed out by now,” he said, breath short.

She decided to believe him, finding a rhythm while he rocked beneath her.

He met her with another upward thrust and the headboard slapped the wall. They laughed together, clearly on the same page. Consequences be damned, they weren’t doing this half-way.

“Come here.” He slipped a hand up her back, pulling her to his chest.

The give of the mattress quieted, but the new friction of his hips pressed against her made her cry out even louder. It was all just so hot—the way his athletic body worked beneath her, the way he palmed her ass, holding her in place, her chest flush to his. She reached behind him and grasped the pillow in her fist. She was so close again but she didn’t want to be greedy.

Trav was onto her, though. He smiled through his clenched jaw. “Even better than I thought,” he muttered. “Give me another one, Sonya. I want to be in the spreadsheet and your diary.”

“You are a cocky son of a—oh, God.” Her belly tightened, pleasure rolling downward all the way to her toes. She had to sink her teeth into his shoulder to keep from shouting.

Trav hugged her tighter and rolled them over, his body covering hers. She was boneless, her muscles uncooperative when she tried to touch more of him.

“I like this,” he whispered. “You taking orders from me for once.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and held her arm above her head, taking over for the both of them. “I like that smart mouth too. In fact, I like everything about you.”

He finished with a low growl, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “Holy shit.”

She nodded, still minutes from being able to form words.

“I knew you and I would be good together.”

“That’s definitely going in the diary,” she said when she’d found her breath.

“Maybe the employee newsletter.”

She giggled, slapping her palm on his tight ass and deciding she needed to explore more of his body the next time.

Damn it. His prophecy came true. She was already planning a repeat.

Trav sighed and dropped his cheek to the pillow beside her, his lips at her ear. Another thing she could have guessed about him, he was a cuddler. His arm tightened to pull her flush to his side and she let herself melt under the weight of it.

The room was peacefully silent when he finally spoke. “You’re going to make me leave, aren’t you?” he asked.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing. “Not just yet.”