Lust Next Door - S01 E41

Story 4 months ago

Lust Next Door - S01 E41

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 41

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The sun was a circular tangerine high in the sky, casting its orange rays through Serena's airy curtains. The night seemed to last so long yesterday that she forgot the sun could rise at all. They seemed lost under a blanket of darkness and stars, becoming settled under its security, that the beaming light on them now almost burned.

The night caught up to them though, lulling Serena to a deep sleep where she lay drawing circles on Connor's chest. They had gone to bed with their voices trailing off to hushed whispers, fatigue making them unable to move their lips any longer.

Serena's eyes fluttered open against the blazing light. A lazy groan sounded as she leaned into the warmth she laid on, her cheek rubbing across tanned skin while her hand slid along hard abs.

That's when her eyes shot open. Dawning on her that the comforting warmth she was basking in wasn't from the sun but from Connor.

They'd fallen asleep tangled up in each other, Connor flat on his back with his arm propped up behind his head and the other dangling loosely around her waist. And she was there sprawled across his chest nestled between his legs.

Serena's eyes widened the longer she stared into his peaceful features. Every hard edge was erased, softened by his vulnerable sleep. That permanent smirk and intimidating stare subdued, leaving behind something sweeter and sugar-coated.

Her body went rigid above him, not quite sure what to do next from here.

He wasn't supposed to stay the night, but he also wasn't supposed to melt her the way he did. His words flooded back to Serena, the way he touched and handled her like she was always his. His fingers felt like stitches over the open gashes on her body, warm kisses on her skin.

She shivered and shifted on him, fear bubbling up with the memories. What she said, what she admitted to him. All of it made her feel slightly sick in the daylight. Serena never talked about that, she did her time in and out of Therapy, resolved it, and left it where it belonged in the past.

Except for last night. Now he knew a little piece of her that she thought was ugly, he knew now and he made her feel beautiful.

How fucking terrifying.

Connor groaned from her rigid movements, lifting his head slightly and wincing away his sleepy face as he looked down at her.

"Morning, Shortcake." A smile hinted at the corner of his lips, making her heart beat faster in her chest.

Serena shot up and awkwardly shifted off him to the other side of the bed, no doubt looking like a deer in headlights.

"You okay?" Connor mumbled, his voice scratchy and deeper having just woken up. It tickled her ears and made something warm fill her.

"We didn't do a good job forgetting." Serena fidgeted, nervous, like a kindergartener confessing to their playground crush. She felt tender and naked under his gaze like he saw into her, and it made Serena squirm.

"We were never very good at that." He said through an easy chuckle, watching her with a smirk.

"This is...weird for us right?"

Connor shrugged, "yeah, I don't mind it though." He sat up against her headboard, leaning closer to her now with a glint in his eyes. he brought his face close to hers, propping himself up with his arm on the mattress, his other raised to cup her face.

He guided her close to his lips, and she felt the muted warmth from his body, "Do you mind it? If you do I'll leave and we can really forget it." She sighed, his thumb coming around to rub across her lips. "Say the word, Rena." His words were a whisper on her lips.

"You're playing dirty." She mumbled back and edged closer to him on the bed.

"Oh really? How so." Connor punctuated his sentence by dragging his thumb down her bottom lip, pulling it gently.

"Getting so close to me...touching me...looking at me like you might devour me." Her words were breathy, filling with her own desire.

Connor's eyes darkened at her whispered words, a groan sounding from the back of his throat. That hunger festered somewhere deeper in his eyes.

"Maybe I like playing dirty." He smirked and pushed his lips so close to hers now, they grazed with every word he spoke

Then Serena felt his hands at the ticklish area of her waist, attacking her weak spot and sending her straight into a giggling fit.

He laughed as he watched her fall onto her back, wincing and laughing over her words while she tried to wiggle away.

"Mercy! Connor!" She squealed and pushed at his hands desperately.

"Mmmm fine." He conceded and stilled his fingers, letting his hands linger there on her waist while she caught her breath.

They looked at each other with huge smiles and something warm bloomed in their eyes, "I have an idea." Connor said after a beat, looking so deeply into Serena's eyes she was sure she would turn into a puddle.

"That's rare."

"Shut up or I'll tickle you till you pee." He narrowed a look at Serena, making her laugh and wordlessly zip her mouth shut. "The wolves have a private rink nearby, and it's closed today because we don't have practice. We can go ice skating and I could teach you some hockey."

Her face fell a bit, "I barely know how to skate let alone play hockey."

"I'll teach you, c'mon it'll be fun." Connor nudged her with an easy lopsided grin, "Plus ipletely empty. You won't have to deal with anyone other than me."

Serena narrowed an uneasy look at him, she felt a nagging urge to ask him what the catch was. Find some scheme in his proposition. But what surprised her was the booming flutter in her chest, it tickled and made a smile spread across her lips.

It melted the unease from her face in one steady motion, and their smiles were brighter and bigger than the sun filling the sky.

"Fine."

•

"Are you sure we are allowed to be here, Connor?" Serena asked as he flicked on a bunch of lights, making big fluorescent fixtures snap on one after the other.

"Of course, I'm the captain, I've got my own set of keys."

Serena looked around the big rink, wrapping her light coat tighter around her as the chilled air enveloped her. She was nervous, she didn't want to admit it before but she had zero skating experience. Stuff like this never interested her, she never did it as a kid either.

Connor looked back at her, his eyes flowing over her tense face. "C'mon, let's go to the locker room and get you a pair of skates." He smiled and reached over to grab the strings on her jacket, slowly twirling them around his fingers before tugging her gently along with a stupid smirk.

Serena ignored the way butterflies tickled between her legs, focusing now on his smooth movements and hands by her chest.

She followed Connor, staring at his long strides, following up his large body remembering the contours of his muscles underneath.

They went down a hallway that led into a room lined with lockers and cubbies. He dropped her strings and walked over to a wall of cubbies filled with new-looking skates.

Serena's attention was caught by the cubbies filled with jerseys and equipment. She mindlessly strolled by them, reading the nametags nailed there while Connor called out behind her.

"What shoe size are you?"

"Seven." She called back as her eyes followed the names, Giovanni, Hall, Feller, and then she saw his.

Deluca.

Stopping in front of his cubby, Serena looked at its contents. Pads and some sort of shoulder gear were hung up. His skates sat there, scuffed and used, at the bottom. A couple of jerseys were hung up too, the wolf emblem there on the back along with his colors.

She reached up and pushed it forward a bit to see his last name there printed in even blocky letters, she smiled and dragged her fingers along the letters.

"Daydreaming about me again?"

Hearing his raspy voice so close to her made Serena jump and yank her hand back. A blush fanned across her face when she whipped around to see him standing behind her.

"You're delusional." She quipped but her flushed completion did little to hide her embarrassment.

Connor just rolled his eyes and held up a brand new-looking pair of hockey skates, "Ready to get suited up?"

"Have those been used?"

He shrugged, "Some over have been, they're extra, but most of the guys keep a pair of their skates here so they don't get used often. These have never been on a sweaty man's feet, promise." Connor's voice was a deep lull, his words punctuated with a quick wink.

Serena had to do everything in her power not to crumple right there, every word sounded velvet and flirty off his tongue. She had the pleasure of knowing what that tongue felt and tasted like, igniting new desires in her.

She took the skates from him and sat down on the bench, focusing on putting them on and calming her roaring body down.

Connor grabbed his own and laced them up in about thirty seconds, she could feel his eyes on her as she fought with the laces. The chill of the rink floated right through her small zip-up and made her fingers nearly stiff now.

He laughed and knelt down taking the skate from her and propping it up onto his lap, he tied it in seemingly one fluid motion, "Is that the only jacket you brought?"

Serena thought she might faint from embarrassment while he tied her skate, she wasn't even on the ice yet and she was already making a fool of herself.

Gripping the edges of the bench tighter, Serena looked down on his head of dark waves, "Yeah."

Connor looked up at her and smiled, his lips were stretched in a way that made her heart catch. As if she amused him, her actions bringing him pleasure. It only made her feel more flustered.

"You're a ditz, wear this over your coat." Getting up Connor grabbed one of his jerseys from the cubby, tossing it over her head.

Serena yelped and immediately whipped it off, "Is this clean?"

"Unfortunately yes, I would have loved to throw my sweaty one on you."

"Asshole," Serena mumbled behind a smile. She pulled the jersey on over her, the thick material was long and hit her mid-thigh when she fixed it. His last name is now displayed between her shoulder blades along with a large wolf on her chest.

He had that same amused and satisfied smile on his face as he took long looks over her, shoving his hands into his pockets he took a step back to admire his work, "Ready shortcake?" Serena pulled the hood out from under the jersey and stood up shakily on the covered blades, not sure if her wobbly legs were from the skates or the way Connor was looking at her.

"As I'll ever be."

•

Serena was convinced she'd have permanent tailbone damage after her eighth fall.

Every time she stood up on the ice her legs started shaking like Bambi taking his first steps, and after her first or second attempt at moving she was on the ground.

Her nose was pink, her fingers red and wet where they braced on the ice, and her leggings were soaked to her ass.

Connor skated effortlessly over to her, stopping slowly and suppressing a laugh.

"You just brought me here to laugh at me." Serena's head swiveled around slowly, following Connor while he skated around her. She made sure her glare stayed on him.

He laughed again and held out his hand, "No I didn't, this just happens to be hilarious."

Serena groaned and grabbed his hand, she was astonished he could help up a whole person while being on those thin blades. She couldn't even manage herself.

Once steady on her feet, knees bowed, she made small scoots across the ice, "I'm leaving."

"Oh really?" Connor smirked.

"Yes."

She very carefully turned away from him and made steady strides for the exit, on her fourth successful push she lost balance. Serena did her best to steady herself as her footing slipped, but she was clearly going down.

Her steps flew up from under her the more she tried to control them, and she fell back. She winced her eyes closed ready to meet the ice, but instead, she heard the sharp sound of blades cutting through ice and felt a warm embrace slip under her arms. She fell into a muscled chest and heard that deep purr of his chuckle tickle her ears, "How'd that go for you?"

Serena blushed and groaned, with his help she steadily came back onto her two feet, she faced him and crossed her arms.

"It would go better if you helped me instead of laughing."

Connor held up his hands, "I'm sorry. No more laughing, My coach will be begging for you to join the team after I'm done with you, Rena." His smile dissolved every ounce of anger from her, but she kept that scowl on to save face.

"Okay lesson one, you aren't standing right. You go straight leg and keep your feet too close together, you'll fall every time like that. Instead, bend your knees a little-" Connor did as he said, looking at her, "Then spread your feet about shoulder width." Slowly he spread his feet and planted himself firmly.

Serena watched him closely, feeling his gaze all over her body while she did as he said. Bending her legs slowly and pushing them further apart. Immediately, she felt the difference in her balance.

He smirked and glided over to her, "Good girl." Spinning so he was behind her, Connor put his hands on her hips and firmly dug his fingers into her. This small touch made Serena feel stable, where his hands touched felt warmer. Spreading that excited warmth all over her chilled body like rolling lave.

Serena breathed while a chill ran down her spine. She looked to her side and mumbled, "Do you always have to be so dirty?"

He leaned in closer to her face, his body grazing desire against hers.

"I can't seem to control myself around you." He mumbled in a hushed raspy voice, it slid all over her like honey and made her heart sputter in her chest. Every nerve in her body was keenly aware of his large hands on her hips. "To go forward, you don't take steps in front of you. Keep one foot planted in the direction you want to go. We'll start with your right one."

The hand that was resting on her right hip slid slowly down to grip her thigh, holding it there firmly. Serena looked down where he held her, her body humming in response to his touch. She took a shallow breath and did her best to focus.

"Then with your left leg, push it out to the side. I'm gonna hold onto you still to keep you balanced so do it slowly. Got it?" His voice was a husky whisper close to her ear, her face felt hot despite the cold arena. The heat was dripping slowly between her legs, she felt him all over her, invading every one of her senses.

Serena nodded and looked down at her feet, gently gliding her skate out to her side. As the skate she had planted pushed forward as he said.

"Good, just like that," Connor moved with her, keeping his voice level with her ear, "Now do the same thing but switch feet."

Serena used her right leg this time, pushing outwards and guiding forward with her left. She kept repeating this motion and found a shakey rhythm. She only stumbled a few times which Connor would grip her hips harder and press himself into her back, whispering so dangerously low, "Easy."

He helped her with her turns, and Serena gained her confidence on the ice, doing laps around the rink. Connor slowly let go, she was so focused on not wiping out that she barely noticed she had been on her third lap without him.

She was moving faster now, her hair wiping behind her. Using her momentum to glide on the straights, she smiled. She was pretty good at this and zipping across the ice felt free, she felt like she was flying.

Her wings were spread behind her, airing out the years they spent bound by someone else's chains. She was going faster than the dark things in her past, not weighed down by them when the cold air wrapped around her and her skates dug into the ground. She propelled off them instead.

She looked around her, finally confident enough not to stay glued to her feet.

Serena's eyes instantly found Connor across the rink as if their gaze was magnetized, that same larger-than-life smile glued to his face while watching her. She could feel her own grin plastered on her face, her breaths were visible in front of her, and her nose tinged pink from the cold.

Connor had his arms folded across his chest, and with a short jerk of his head, he called her over. Every drag of his smiling eyes over her felt special and made her skin tingle with life. Looking back down at her skates, she turned to him slowly before taking off down the ice.

As she approached him, it suddenly occurred to her she didn't know how to stop. That smile they held fell, and realization replaced them. Connor held up his hands and made a foreign motion to her with his skates, pointing to something at the tip.

"Toe pick!" He yelled as she did her best to slow down, but he might as well have been speaking french to her. Serena's face twisted with fear, this was gonna be a crash landing.

She was gliding pretty fast toward Connor, he just held open his arms and nodded as if he'd catch her. Serena was almost sure she was going to leave this rink with a broken limb but she didn't have long to dwell on it before she tumbled into Connor's chest.

He made a small groan and wrapped his arms around her, his skates had been rooted into the ice so when she hit his chest they barely moved. Serena's heart was soaring in her chest, and from where she was pressed, his was too. After a beat, his arms wrapped around her tighter and he pulled his face back only enough to look down into her flushed features.

A smirk slowly infiltrated that stone-neutral expression, then a short laugh that brought a hand to cup her face. Before she knew it Connor pushed off with his skate and they were gliding backward together.

"Lesson one probably should have been how to stop, huh?"

Serena laughed too and let him pull her slowly around the ice, the quiet of the arena was comforting. It made them seem like the only two people on the planet.

"Probably, I'm sorry for slamming into you."

"Don't apologize, I think that was the highlight of my day." Connor tangled a few strands of her hair around his fingers before brushing his thumb across her red cheeks. His gaze was drowned in warmth as he took his time to look over her face.

Serena could feel her breathing catch in her throat and that welcomed warmth coated over her. Once he was done looking at her their gaze snapped together again, and this time their one look felt intimate. She was glad it was just them now, the way they were touching and looking at the other felt too precious for others to see.

Even now it made her shy and flustered.

Connor loosed a soft breath, leaning down her captured her lips in a gentle kiss. That hand on her face tightened, and he breathed heat into her body. His wet lips slipped across hers like the last puzzle piece finally snapping into place.

They were gliding to a stop now as their tongues broke the seem of their lips and met, hinting at the other's familiar taste before Connor pulled away.

Even though the kiss was short and seemingly small, Connor looked utterly breathless. His eyes welled with some foreign longing as he stared down at her, his hold on Serena only tightening.

"I Just realized we forgot about the greenhouse today," Connor mumbled and pressed another kiss to the corner of her mouth, everywhere his touch grazed burned her.

"I think we slept in till twelve anyways, we can always do it some other time this week," Serena replied and placed her hands on his chest.

"Deal." He flashed her that crooked toothy grin, and her heart ached.

It was painful, the words and feelings she was afraid of were waking in her again and it made her feel like she was sick. But Serena knew that's how these things worked, they felt like daggers. Love felt dangerous. It was so many dangerous things wrapped in a pink bow. She had convinced herself a long time ago that gambling or drugs were a better situation than falling in love again.

Staring up into Connor's deep eyes, rocked her boat, stabbed needles in her scared heart, and tore open old wounds she had sewed shut. Was it worth it? Serena had no idea.

But she did know she couldn't keep seeing Liam when they looked at each other like this.

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