Or maybe it was because he still felt her body shuddering against him as she came apart under his hand. His erection might never go down again. Maybe he was doomed to be one of those poor Viagra patients who occasionally showed up at the hospital with hard-ons that wouldn’t soften.
Chrissie stepped out of the bathroom and brought him his glasses. He put them on and blinked at her. She was still wearing her those green leggings, and he kicked himself for not getting rid of them when he had his hands all over her.
She cocked her head and gave him a scorching head-to-toe scan. “I take it back. You’re even sexier with those glasses on. You look like Clark Kent, but naked. And then there’s this.”
Coming right up close to him, she closed her hand gently around his erection. It pulsed hot against her touch. He hissed in a breath through his teeth and clamped down on his automatic response. “What about it?”
“It’s hot as fucking hell. I’m really hoping there’s a condom in this house.”
“There is. Bathroom,” he managed.
“Could have mentioned that before.” After one last stroke of his penis, she skipped back toward the bathroom. He closed his eyes and thought about things that didn’t turn him on. Scrubbing in for surgery. Analyzing scans. Chopping onions. But nothing made a dent in his arousal.
With a sigh, he opened his eyes in time to see her dancing toward him, waving the entire box of condoms. “Just in case,” she said teasingly. “Also because I’m lazy and I’ve made enough trips to the bathroom.”
The fact that she was naked from the waist up, but completely lacking any kind of self-consciousness, was the final straw for him. His cock pulsed and he knew he didn’t have long.
“If you want this to happen, you better get your sweet ass into bed. Either that or stop looking so sexy. But that’s not going to happen, so come on.”
He grabbed the box from her, took her hand, and hurried toward the bedroom. She laughed as she kept pace with him. As soon as they were past his bedroom door, he tossed the box of condoms on the bed and snatched her against him.
“I’ve got to get these off you,” he muttered. He peeled the leggings down her body, exposing creamy flesh and teal-blue panties. She helped him, lifting one foot at a time so he could get them all the way off. Then she kicked them to the side and he feasted his eyes on the glorious triangle between her legs. She was all curves and sleek skin and dark curls peeking from behind her underwear. He couldn’t drag his eyes away from her. He could come right now, just from looking at the sweep of her hipbones and the long subtle curve of her thighs.
She tucked her thumbs under the waistband of her panties and performed a seductive little striptease, turning around to show him her ass as she exposed it, inch by inch.
“God,” he said thickly. “There. Right there. Don’t move.”
She froze in position, partly bent over, her underwear at about the level of her upper thighs.
He snatched up one of the condoms and rolled it on, then strode to her and put his hands on her hips. The smooth curves tempted his hands to explore and shape. Her skin heated as he touched her and she made a little sex-kitten “mew.”
Moving one hand around to her front, he dipped down to explore the moist warmth between her legs. Fresh liquid greeted his fingers, and he spread it across her lips, searching, sliding, probing. Was she ready for him? Did he need to spend more time with the delicate little piece of flesh that he’d worked into an orgasm earlier?
She swished her hips back and forth, bumping against him like a cat looking for some petting. He got the message. She was ready.
“Come on, big guy.” Her husky voice had a rough tension that he hadn’t heard before. “Don’t you want to put that cock somewhere sweet and warm?”
“Don’t tease me.” He gave her a light slap on one cheek. Her flesh quivered and turned pink. Her breath caught in a gasp. “Unless you want me to stay out here.”
“No. I want you inside me.” She pushed against him again, even more eagerly. He swatted her one more time, just playing, and then soothed the spots where his hand had landed. “Inside.”
Okay then. Message loud and clear. “Yes, but you owe me for rushing me through this. I just want to feast my eyes on you and you’re making me hurry—”
She reached back and fumbled for his cock. If she touched him, he’d be through. So he circled his hand around her wrist, making a handcuff with his thumb and forefinger, and set her hand on the small of her back.
Her other hand was resting on her thigh, but even so this position couldn’t be very comfortable. Good thing she wouldn’t be in it for long.
He fisted his cock and positioned himself at her shadowed entrance. He was so thickly aroused that it took some work to ease himself inside. Her body clung to his cock. It also took some work not to explode on the spot. Deep breaths. Focus. Get inside.
She helped him by changing the tilt of her hips as he made his way deep inside her. He released her wrist, in case that was getting awkward for her, and so he could grip both of her hips. One inch, then another. A soft thrust, then a stronger one.
There. Deep inside her, buried all the way to his balls, he let out a sigh that came straight from his soul. God, she felt good. Even through the condom, he felt the flutter and heat of her inner channel. His hips flexed with the need to pound into her. But he clamped onto his control with every last bit of his willpower.
“Chrissie,” he murmured. “How does this feel? Are you all right?”
He and Stacy had tried this position once, but she hadn’t liked it at all. They’d switched midway through and never gone back to it. He’d fantasized about it more than once, but he had to make sure Chrissie was on board with it.
She croaked her answer, as though she could barely get her throat muscles to work. “Mmm-hmmm. It’s good. Keep going.”
With that encouragement, he released the hold he’d put on his lust. He pulled out and plunged back in. He grasped her hips so he could move her body around as he pleased. She gasped, her flesh quivering as he plowed into her. Her silky juices lubricated his strokes, making each one easier and slicker than the one before.
He didn’t have time for many before his spine tingled and his testicles went tight. He was going to come. Any second now. “I’m…about to—“ He managed to grunt. She contracted around him; it felt as if her whole body was sucking on his cock. The wild sensation pushed him over the edge and he went rigid. He poured his entire essence into her—physically, into his condom, but emotionally, into her. His hips flexed, his hands clenched, his world went blank. The climax sent stars spinning around his head.
This is it, he thought, almost dizzy. This is it.
He didn’t know what it meant, just that those were the words that came to him.
It took the world a bit of time to reassemble itself. Chrissie stirred first, wiggling her rear to release him from her body. He helped her adjust her panties and straighten up. She turned to face him, and he braced himself for what he might see on her face. Would she be upset that their first time wasn’t face to face in a bed, gazing soulfully into each other’s eyes? Would she think he couldn’t control himself? That he’d gone for such an animalistic position?
But nothing of the sort showed on her face. Instead she wore an impish, knowing expression. “Whoever would have guessed you have so much throwdown inside you?”
“Throwdown?”
“You know. That caveman thing. That ‘toss me over your shoulder and ravage me’ thing.”
“To be honest, I don’t believe I have the physical strength to toss you over my shoulder.”
“Literally, maybe not. But metaphorically…” She lifted her eyebrows knowingly. “I think you just did.”
He assumed from her suggestive smile that she was happy about that, but then again, interpreting signals was his weak spot. “Is that a good thing?”
“I’d say it’s a good thing. It worked for me. Didn’t it for you?”
He turned
his attention to his condom. He hated the feeling of used latex clinging to his penis. “Obviously. But we didn’t even make it to the bed. I’m sorry about that. I ought to be more disciplined than that. I usually am, but—”
“Ian!” She swatted his arm lightly. “Don’t insult me.”
His head shot up. “Insult you?”
“Do you think for one second I wouldn’t tell you if I didn’t like something?”
He contemplated her as she planted her arms and her hips and faced him in nothing but teal panties. Her full breasts rose proudly from the graceful arch of her torso. “I hope not.”
“Also, you asked me several times if it was working for me. I appreciate that. Means you’re paying attention.”
“I’ll always pay attention to you.” Even though he said it in a matter-of-fact tone, it felt—and sounded—like a promise. “You can count on that.”
“I believe I can,” she said softly, cocking her head at him. “So…about that bed…”
Twenty-Eight
“Where’s Shuri?” Ian asked at some point in the middle of the night, when Chrissie was drowsing in the warm cocoon of his arms. “Does she need to come inside?”
“I left her with Toni. She was all worn out from the beach, and then I had to hose her off so she didn’t get sand all over the couch. The poor thing could barely lift one eyelid when I left.”
“You’re a good dog-mama.”
She stiffened for a moment. Had he touched a sore spot? “Thank you. I try.”
He nuzzled the sensitive area below her ear. “Your muscular tension just increased. Did I say something wrong?”
“No, no, nothing like that.”
“You sure? Because this tendon along your neck says otherwise.”
“It’s…a long story.” He felt her relax under the caress of his lips on the tender skin of her neck.
A short pause while he focused on his task. He could practically see the “keep out” sign that she’d just planted. There was something here that she didn’t want to talk about, and that piqued his curiosity. Chrissie talked so easily about so many things. She didn’t even mind talking about her flaws. So why not this, whatever it was?
Once he got interested in something, it was really hard for him to move on. That was what made him good at diagnosing patients. But it could make him a pain in the ass, or so he’d been told. He didn’t want to scare her off. Maybe he should try a different angle. “How long have you had Shuri?”
“Had her? It doesn’t really work that way with Shuri. She came to me.”
“She came to you?” He raised himself on one elbow. “How did that happen?”
She sighed softly. “You’re really not going to let this go, are you?”
“I will if you want, of course. I’m sorry. I’ve been told I can be annoyingly relentless.”
A low laugh vibrated through the warm bundle of her body. “I noticed that. I didn’t find it annoying the first time, or the second time or even the third time.”
He smiled to himself. The fact that he’d brought her to a shuddering climax several times made him feel like a champion. “I want to know everything about you that you want to share. That’s all. You and Shuri both.”
For a long moment she said nothing, and he thought that was the end of the conversation. Maybe she’d even fallen back asleep. Instead, she lifted herself on one elbow and peered over his body at the nightstand.
“Is that my grandfather’s journal?”
“Yes. I’ve been reading bits of it as I have time.”
She dropped back onto the pillow. “Have you deciphered any of it? Discovered the secret to the universe?”
“No, but I found out something about you.”
Her head swung to the side and he felt her curious gaze on him. “Uh oh, that can’t be good.”
“You’re wrong. He said you were very loyal.”
“Loyal?” Her voice sounded a little wobbly, he thought.
“His word. That seems to be the reason that he left the property to you.” For a moment she didn’t say anything in response. “Do you want to see it for yourself?”
“No. No. Not yet.” She tangled her legs with his. “Funny he should call me loyal, after he kicked me out. That’s not very loyal.”
“I haven’t seen any mention of that yet.” He spread his hand over the soft skin of her shoulder.
“Hmmm.” She sounded as if she was falling asleep again. “Thank you for reading it,” she murmured. “That means a lot to me.”
“It means a lot to me too. It’s like time travel to your past.”
After a soft laugh, she fell quiet again, and this time he was sure she was asleep. He nearly was too, when she spoke again.
“It was right after my ex-husband left.”
“Excuse me?”
“When Shuri came into my life. You wanted to know how that happened, yeah?”
“Yes. Of course.” He dragged his eyes open and focused on her instead of the dreams closing in.
“I think I mentioned that he disappeared with what money I had, which wasn’t nearly what he thought I had. But—that wasn’t the only reason he left. I’d just found out that I was pregnant and that really flipped him out.”
“He didn’t want children?”
“Well, you know, a child would have really thrown a wrench in his plan to take what he could and move on.” The lightness of her tone couldn’t completely hide the pain underneath—or at least not from him, not now that he knew her better. The next time she spoke, the joking part was gone. “Anyway, he shouldn’t have worried because I miscarried about two weeks after he left.”
A miscarriage. That was why she’d reacted to his comment about her being a good dog-mama.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It was so early on. Some women wouldn’t have even known they were pregnant, it was so early. It was just one of those things.”
“What things?”
“You’re so literal, Ian. Things that happen. You know. Sad things. Things you have to move on from. Life is full of them. Jeez.” She turned over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “Sorry, that was mean. I don’t even know why I’m talking about this. I never talk about this. I haven’t even told my friends. Truth is, it broke my heart, even more than my ex leaving. The combination was…whew…well, it left a scar, that’s all.”
He held his breath, wanting to say something comforting, but afraid to break her flow of thought.
“Anyway…Shuri. After that last ultrasound, I was sitting on a bench outside the OB/GYN’s office, with absolutely no will to do anything other than sit there. I was thinking all kinds of crazy stuff, like maybe I could literally become a statue right there on the bench and never move again. They could call me “No Heartbeat” or “UltraSad” or “You Can Always Try Again.”
She was making jokes again, but it wasn’t hard to figure out why. She was using her jokes like patches for her broken heart. He stroked her hair, hoping a sympathetic touch would take the place of words.
“And then all of a sudden I felt warmth on my leg,” she continued. She let her head fall toward him, her eyes glistening in the moonlight pouring through the window. “It was Shuri, and she was peeing on the grass right next to the bench. Marking her territory, I guess.”
“She peed on you?”
“She peed on me! Well, not really on me. She just got a little too close. You know how bad she is at judging distances.”
“I’m guessing your short career as a statue ended at that point?”
Chrissie actually laughed, which felt almost as good to Ian as when he’d made her come. “It did. I jumped up and scared Shuri half to death. There was no human with her, but she had a collar with a phone number on it. I called the number but it had been disconnected. I went back into the doctor’s office—she followed me all the way to the door, then sat outside waiting for me. I asked if they knew whose dog she was. No one did, but they gave me directions to the nearest shelter.”
/>
“So she was following you even after you scared her?”
“Yup. Like we were best buddies. Wouldn’t allow me to get more than six inches away from her.”
Ian had heard stories about how dogs could tune into their owner’s emotions. But Chrissie had been a stranger to Shuri at that point. Remarkable. “And you’d never seen her before? She didn’t know you from somewhere?”
“No. Anyway, I walked her to the shelter. I planned to leave her there, of course. Someone might come looking for her, and my life had just imploded like a freaking supernova. I didn’t have room for a pet, and especially not a dog. I kept explaining all that to Shuri while we walked.”
He moved a strand of hair away from her face. “I wish I could have heard that conversation.”
“It was along the lines of, ‘look, doggie, you’re cute and all but I’m really more of a cat person or maybe at most, like, a fish tank girl.’ But then we got to the shelter and I took one look at all those dogs in their cages and I burst into tears. I sobbed like a maniac right there in the lobby of the shelter, and I even yelled at the poor receptionist. ‘You’re not getting this dog!’ I think they were about to call the cops on me. Then Shuri kind of herded me outside.”
“Part yellow lab, part angel?”
Her smile glowed like a candle in the dark. “Exactly. I called them later and gave them my information in case someone came looking for their lost dog. But I prayed no one would, and no one ever did. Shuri absolutely saved me during that time. And I had no money. Dustin took everything and I was so upset I couldn’t work. I’d just lie in bed and she’d drape herself across my feet and it was just so comforting. Occasionally I’d get up and try to do something, like get food for Shuri. Not for me, I had no appetite. I lost like fifteen pounds because I couldn’t keep anything down. I spent my last seventeen bucks on dog food. But it was money well spent.”
He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone. “I’m never going to look at Shuri the same again. She deserves a gold medal.”
“As long as it’s made out of steak, I’m sure she’d love it.”
Flirting with Forever Page 19