Their gazes never left each other as the air in the room took on its own life force, the electricity zapping all around them. He had no idea what he was doing and no plan beyond the moment, but his fingers twitched at the desire to touch her. Forcing his hands to stay at his side, he knew she had to make the first move to assure that there were no regrets.
Time stood still for what felt like an eternity, and then, with a swiftness he did not think was possible, she leaped at him, arms flying around his neck, legs clutching around his waist, and her lips firmly planted on his. Just like last time. And just as magnificent.
Rose had no idea what she was doing other than she was desperate for Jason’s kiss. She had hesitated at his admission, wondering if he was going to make the first move. She could see desire flashing in his pale blue eyes, but he held himself back, and she knew it was up to her to make the first move. With no more hesitation, she leaped.
As soon as their lips met, all of her senses began firing. The feel of his soft, firm lips moving against hers. His powerful arms banded around her, holding her steady. The pounding of his heartbeat next to hers. The taste of him as she plunged her tongue into his mouth. The scent that combined his work, his hard-earned sweat, and all man filled her nostrils. Overwhelmed, she was sure she would slide into a puddle on the floor if he was not surrounding her, now taking over the kiss, short-circuiting all other thoughts.
Her hands plunged into his thick hair as his tongue plunged into her mouth. With no finesse, their tongues tangled, noses bumped, and she shimmied up and down, pressing her core against his jeans.
She swallowed his groan, feeling the rumble deep within his chest, and nipped at his bottom lip in response, eliciting another groan. She was barely aware of him walking until he pulled his lips back and she realized they were standing next to his bed. Instead of the small bed from before, he had a large bed, a dresser against another wall, and a chair near the window with a bookshelf close by. That was all she had a chance to take in before he brought her attention back to him with the question, “Are you sure? I don’t want any regrets, Rose.”
She hesitated for a second, wondering if having sex with Jason again was a mistake. Would it be awkward in the morning? Would they hide it from their friends? Would it be an ongoing friends-with-benefits relationship or one time only?
Suddenly, she did not care about the answer to any of those questions. “No regrets, Jason. I want this. Tonight. I want you.”
With that, he closed the distance between them, their lips meeting again. The intensity and desperation had not decreased. Instead, they became a tangle of movement as they pulled at their own clothes and each others. The items landed where they fell, and within a moment they were both naked, falling onto the mattress in a continuous tangle of arms and legs.
He rolled her underneath him, giving her enough room to breathe but seeming to want to feel every inch of her pressed next to every inch of him. His hair fell all about, tickling her chest. Shifting to the side slightly, he continued to kiss her as his hand slid down, rolling and tweaking each nipple before moving between her legs, which she eagerly opened wide.
He inserted a thick finger inside her slick channel while kissing his way over her jaw, down her neck, across her breastbone, until he latched onto a nipple. Her body, already primed and ready, barely lasted through the beginning of his seduction before she gripped his hair and cried out her orgasm. Too overcome with pleasure to be embarrassed, she slowly released her grip, her fingers massaging his scalp.
As rational thought returned, her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled widely, saying, “As you can see, it’s been a while.”
Again, his chuckle rumbled from deep within, and she felt it against her chest just before he kissed his way back up her neck, sucking on her earlobe, sending shivers throughout her body. Suddenly electrified, she wanted to give back as much as he was giving to her.
Pushing against his shoulders, she caught him off-guard, and he rolled to his back, allowing her to throw her leg over his thighs and push up against his chest so that she was straddling him. She loved the heady feeling of power as she sat astride him, his eyes flashing surprise before morphing into pure lust.
Shimmying down his legs until she was straddling his ankles, she slid her fingers down his chest, gently raking her nails over his tight muscles, eliciting a hiss from his lips. His cock was standing at attention, thick and long and beckoning. She bent and licked the tip, collecting the pearl of pre-cum on her tongue before sliding her lips over his girth.
She worked her mouth up and down his shaft, occasionally stopping to swirl her tongue around the head, before sliding him back into her warm mouth. She wanted to keep going, but his hand in her hair gave a gentle tug as he growled, “We can do this later, Rose. For right now, I come, I come in you.”
Acquiescing, she pulled her mouth slowly off his cock, then scooted up his thighs and lifted her sex over the tip. She reached down, and with her fingers gently wrapped around his erection, she teased the tip through her slick folds, eliciting another hiss from his lips. She settled down around him, impaling herself on him, his fullness reaching every spot deep inside that was craving friction.
His hands circled her hips, his fingers digging into her ass as she moved up and down. Lost in the rhythm, her eyes jolted open as he stilled her movements before easily lifting her off his cock.
“Fuck!” he growled.
“I’m trying to,” she groaned, wiggling her hips to settle back down.
“Condom,” he muttered, reaching his arm out to his nightstand.
Blinking, Rose could not believe that they had both forgotten, but she leaned over and pulled open the drawer, her fingers digging around until they found the foil packet. A strange thought hit her that if he used them a lot, they would have been right on top of everything else in the drawer instead of buried under pens and paper.
Ripping open the packet, she rolled the condom over his erection, then repeated her earlier actions of sliding down on his shaft.
He soon took over the movements, holding her hips slightly up as he pistoned in and out of her sex. Her breasts bounced with each movement, and his eyes stayed locked on her body. He moved one hand toward the front, his thumb rubbing over her swollen nub.
Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as she cried out her release, followed quickly by his own orgasm. She watched as his neck tensed and he groaned through his clenched teeth, continuing to pump until he was drained.
Unable to hold herself up anymore, she flopped on top of him, barely aware of the slight umph leaving his lips. Muttering an apology, she attempted to move but his arms banded tighter around her, holding her in place.
They lay, arms and legs entangled for a moment as their breathing steadied and their bodies cooled. Mumbling, “Stay here,” he climbed from the bed and walked into the bathroom. She admired the view of him walking away, his tight ass and muscular body mouthwatering. A moment later he returned, and she admired the front view walking toward her just as much. Before she had a chance to wonder when she should gather her clothes and leave, he climbed back into bed, pulled the covers over them, and rewrapped his arms around her.
Exhausted from her recent stress, the day’s activities, and the sex they just had, she decided not to argue and immediately fell asleep.
Rose had no idea what time it was when she awoke with a start. A sense of déjà vu hit her, and she lifted her head to peer down at a sleeping Jason. Jesus! Again? The last time she slept with him, it was supposed to be for one night only, and yet the memory stayed with her for the past several years, tempting her and teasing her with what might have been if she had stayed in town, mixed with the uncertainty that for him it might truly have been a one-and-done.
Wondering if she was a glutton for punishment, she heard a noise outside in the street. Realizing that was what woke her up, she slid carefully from the bed, grabbed her T-shirt, and jerked it over her head before sliding on her panties. Grabbing her pan
ts, she dashed to the living room windows of his apartment, and she saw the electrician’s truck parked outside her shop.
Shit! He’s already here! Jumping into her pants, she snagged her flip-flops from the floor and raced down the steps to the street below.
“I’m here!" she called out, gaining the electrician’s attention. He looked her up and down, his gaze landing on her feet as she slid on her flip-flops. Following his gaze, she noted her dirty feet and cringed at the thought that she had slept in Jason’s bed, forgetting to wash her feet.
Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she unlocked her building and led the electrician inside. She had already been over everything with him, so he was ready to begin. He warned her that he would be turning the electricity off to her building and she begged him to let her get clean first. Gaining his nod, she ran upstairs to shower. Wanting to finish before he turned the electricity off, she scrubbed her hair and body, paying particular attention to her feet. Back out of the shower, she moisturized, ran a comb through her hair, and grabbed clean clothes.
A bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice completed her breakfast, and she popped a coffee pod into her coffee maker, desperate for the caffeine. By the time she made it back down into her store, the plumber had arrived as well.
It appeared the two men knew each other and had worked together before, so she left them to it, deciding to continue cleaning the storeroom that she had been doing the previous evening before Jason arrived. She glanced across the street, hoping that he would come over to see her before his day got started in the garage. Halting those thoughts, she inwardly grimaced. We didn’t define that we are anything more than another one night together. Walking toward her storeroom, she hoped she could get her heart and her mind on the same track.
10
As the morning light came into his bedroom, Jason stretched and opened his eyes. Having gone to sleep with his body wrapped around Rose, he had woken in the middle of the night, and they had another round of explosive sex, followed by more sound sleep. Feeling nothing but cool sheet around him, he jerked up in bed, finding it empty.
Jason could not believe it had happened again. Sure that there was no way she would have slipped out, he stalked to the bathroom, finding it empty before turning around and seeing that her clothes were no longer scattered about the floor. Frustration moved through him, and he jerked on his boxers before stalking into the living room to peer across the street.
As soon as his gaze landed on the electricity and plumbing trucks outside her store, he let out a long, slow sigh of relief, realizing that she had left to get back to her business. Just as he was about to turn away, she stepped outside, and his breath caught in his throat. Her hair was wet, slicked back from her face, a pink T-shirt and jeans fit her curves, and instead of flip-flops, her feet were encased in bright pink sneakers. A grin curved his lips as he watched her speak, her hands animated as she was talking to one of the workers. Adorable.
His hand roamed over his chest as his gaze stayed steadily on her. He thought back to the previous night, the explosive orgasm he had obliterating thoughts of anyone else from his mind. The truth was he had rarely had sex in the years since she had been gone, and never brought anyone to his apartment.
Building his businesses had taken most of his time and energy, leaving little time for anything else other than the American Legion and time spent with friends. Occasionally, a woman would come in for a tattoo and think that the artist came with the ink. He quickly disavowed them of that notion, not about to mix business and pleasure.
As Rose finished her conversation, her gaze drifted up toward him, and a smile spread across her face as her hand shot up in a wave. He grinned and waved in return before watching her move back into her building.
She had gotten her day started early, but he knew his mechanics would soon be coming. Hurrying through his shower and breakfast, he had just opened up the garage when the others arrived.
“You’re in a much better mood than you were yesterday,” John commented.
“Yeah, well, that’s what a good night sleep will do for you.”
Opening the bay doors, he gave out the day’s assignments and battled the desire to jog across the street to see Rose. Rubbing his chin, it dawned on him that they had not defined what last night was. He definitely wanted to see her again but had no idea what she was thinking. Deciding to give her some space, he turned and began working on the first car inspection that rolled in for the day.
He could not help but continually glance across the street at the activity. The electrician and plumber were still there, as well as the mailman stopping in, delivery trucks bringing packages, and several townspeople passing by all wanting to pop their heads in to see the progress.
He had finished with the inspections and gone into the garage office when suddenly the bell over the door rang, and he looked up to see Rose standing there.
Before he had a chance to greet her, she rushed, “I hate to be a bother, but can I use your customer restroom? I drank two cups of coffee, and I’ve got to pee, and the plumber has my water turned off!”
Hopping up, he showed her where to go and grinned when she emerged with a calmer, satisfied expression on her face.
“Oh, my goodness, you saved my life!” she said. Nodding her head out the window, she added, “As you can see, my place is full right now, but I don’t have water or electricity.” She looked back up at him, her nose scrunched, and added, “I was surprised to see the plumber because I know he couldn’t work at the same time that the electrician had all the lights out. But apparently they’re friends, and the plumber is helping the electrician right now, and then later the electrician will help the plumber.”
Chuckling, Jason said, “Don’t try to figure it out. Since I’ve been out here, I’ve discovered it’s just a ‘shore thing’. Everyone knows everyone else and is always willing to help.”
Her response was to smile again, and he stepped closer, saying, “While your building is being worked on, just plan on coming over here whenever you need.” He started to offer more, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear when a noise outside caught her attention and she whipped her head around. The electrician had come outside and appeared to be looking for her as he opened the side panel to his van again.
“I’ve got to go,” she said, dashing for the door. “Thanks for the bathroom break!”
She was out the door before he could say anything else, and he stood numbly in her wake, watching her dart across the street. She chatted with the electrician on the sidewalk for a moment before disappearing back inside her building.
He had never wanted a woman to become clingy, not having time for a relationship nor having found anyone that he wanted one with. But Rose? She was different…and definitely not clingy, which strangely made him frown.
He stomped back out to the garage, determined to get work on the next vehicle. Several hours later, the electrician and plumber emerged from her building and walked down the street together. Assuming they were going to lunch, he decided to see if Rose wanted to eat with him. Just as he was wiping off his hands, he spied Ben Sommers heading into Rose’s place. Hell, no.
Throwing the rag down, he growled, “I’m going to lunch!” Stalking across the street, he ignored the laughs coming from his men behind him.
Entering her front door, he observed her standing in the middle of the room, wires dangling precariously from several places in the ceiling. She was once again talking, her hands animated, and it was easy to see that Ben was entranced. His boots on the wooden floors caught their attention, and both turned as he stalked over to them
With a curt nod, he rumbled, “Ben.” Not giving Ben a chance to respond, he placed his hand on Rose’s waist and bent toward her. He had planned on planting a kiss on her lips, but hesitated, not wanting to take advantage of a situation or her surprise. At the last second, he detoured and kissed her cheek instead.
“Thought I’d see if you wanted to get some l
unch.”
He watched as she stared up at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Adorable. Grinning, he stood back up to his full height.
Rose had spent the morning in the storeroom, in the back office, and running up and down the stairs getting some work done in her apartment as well. The boxes that had been there when she first viewed the building had not been taken out, and she had called Ben to ask about them.
He had offered to come by, and when he did, surprised her with an invitation to lunch. She had just explained that she had so much to do when Jason came striding into the room. Her heart skipped a beat when he walked through the door, even though she was stunned to see him since the garage was so busy. He continued to walk toward her, not stopping until he was directly in her space, and with his hand on her waist, bending forward.
Her breath hitched as she thought he was going to kiss her mouth, but he turned his head slightly so that his lips landed on her cheek. They may have slept together twice, but public displays of affection were not something she was expecting from him.
With the feel of his lips still tingling on her cheek, she stared dumbly up at him as he asked if she would like to go to lunch. Her eyes were devouring his face as he looked down at her, but her mind blanked.
His hand, still on her waist, gave a little squeeze, and he said, “That’s usually not too hard of a question to answer, babe.”
Babe? She knew it was a throwaway title for lots of guys, but she had never been called babe before. There was a part of her that wondered if she should be insulted, but then a bigger part of her liked the way the word rolled off his tongue. Another squeeze of his fingers and she jolted out of her musings.
“Ben had just asked me to lunch, too,” she said, and immediately felt a dark vibe swirling off Jason. “But I explained that I have so much to do and feel too grungy to go out.” Her last words were emphasized with her hand sweeping down her clothes, where once again a few smudges of dust had gathered.
Sweet Rose: Baytown Boys Page 8