Inked on Paper

by Nicole Edwards

  I remembered what he’d done to me that morning in his kitchen, how he’d expertly fingered me to orgasm within minutes. His hands, his mouth… I’d never felt as though I was at the mercy of anyone, yet Jake made me feel that way, made me want to be at his mercy.

  Reaching for his head, I curled my fingers in his silky black hair, needing the touch to ground me as his tongue trailed down my stomach, then lower. I felt warm breath across my mound as he shouldered his way between my thighs.

  Already I was wet, aching, in desperate need for him to do those wicked things his eyes promised.

  Jake’s gaze met mine again, and the seductive smirk that tilted his lips sent a frisson of heat slamming into me. That was obliterated as more sensation accosted me when he leaned down and stroked me with his tongue, his thumbs parting my folds, baring me to his gaze. I couldn’t look away even though my eyes wanted to close as my body reveled in the pleasure.

  His wicked mouth was on me, his tongue delving into me, then curling up to stroke my clit. And when my orgasm rocketed through me, I didn’t expect it, every muscle in my body coiling tightly as an electrical storm invaded my insides. Before I could come down completely, Jake was on me, his mouth on mine, my breasts crushed against his chest, his big hands cradling my head.

  I felt safe in his arms. Safer than I’d ever felt before.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered against my lips.

  Yes, it had been.

  But I wasn’t done yet.

  Before he could get too far along, I rolled out from under him, forcing him onto his back as I unwrapped the condom. His eyes were like fire as they trailed over me. I sheathed him with the rubber, then straddled his hips. When he tried to pull me down, I refused to go, forcing him to sit up, his big arms wrapping around me, crushing me against him. I managed to work my hand between our bodies, taking his cock in hand and guiding him to me.

  Not once did I break eye contact, nor did he.

  He hissed and I moaned when the head of his cock breached my entrance, stretching me wide.

  “Presley,” he growled seconds before his mouth claimed mine.

  At that point, I couldn’t hold back, my tongue sliding against his as I lowered my hips, taking him deep into my body. I was unable to control my movements, so when he fell back on the bed, I went with him, crying out as he rocked his hips upward, filling me completely.

  Holy shit.

  It was like the first time, just as overwhelming, only better. We weren’t two strangers scratching an itch; this was more than that. A connection had been made, and ultimately, that was playing a huge role in the intensity of our coupling.

  Jake cupped the back of my head, holding me to him, his other arm banded around my waist. He allowed me to control the pace as I rocked against him, whimpering because the pleasure was too much.

  “Ride me, Presley,” he mumbled against my lips, his arms releasing me.

  I sat up, placing my hands on the broad plane of his chest as I lifted my hips, then lowered them slowly, loving the way he filled me, stretched me, stole my breath.

  Another cry escaped my lips when he tweaked my nipples, his eyes locked on my face.

  “Fuck me, Presley,” he commanded. “I need to feel your sweet pussy squeeze my dick.”

  Oh, God. He was a dirty talker and fuck if I didn’t like that. A lot.

  My body took over, my mind obliterated by the tingles that ignited inside me, starting at my core and working outward.

  When Jake’s big hands clasped my hips firmly, I opened my eyes to look at him, not realizing until then that I’d closed them. His hips pumped upward as he fucked me, his hands holding me still, my body hovering inches above him as he impaled me over and over again.

  Neither of us said anything as I soared, mind-numbing bliss gripping me until I couldn’t hold back any longer, giving in to the impending climax, this one even stronger than the first. Shouting his name, I came in a rush as he slammed into me, his hands pulling me down onto him as his dick plunged into my depths. Deeper than I ever thought possible.

  A muted roar sounded from Jake’s chest, and I leaned down, crushing my mouth to his when his hips jerked once, twice, then one last time as he growled, a primal sound that triggered another orgasm.

  Only when his fingers stopped digging into my flesh did I relax against him, our tongues languidly exploring as we traded breath.

  That had been, by far, the most incredible orgasm I’d ever had.

  But for some reason, I got the impression that was only the beginning.

  And I damn sure couldn’t wait for more.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Jake

  I was right and I’d known it from that first time at my condo. Once with Presley would never be enough. Twice wasn’t going to tide me over for long. Hell, a million times might not be enough.

  Even now, as I caught my breath and tried to settle my mind, my dick was once again returning to full mast. This woman was quickly getting under my skin. I didn’t want to let her go, enjoying the way she relaxed against me as we fought to catch our breath.

  “That was incredible,” she mumbled, lying on top of me as I ran my hands over the smooth skin of her back.

  “It was a good start,” I teased.

  Presley’s head lifted and her eyes met mine, amusement brightening them. “Is that right?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I told her. “We’ve got to make the most of our time here, don’t you know.”

  “And you propose we do this the entire time?” Presley rocked her hips, my cock still lodged inside her.

  Fuck yes. This and only this. “What other way would we do it?” The pleasure assaulted me once more, causing me to grit my teeth.

  Her soft chuckle made me laugh.

  Presley sat up, and much to my dismay, she eased off of me, my cock sliding from her body. When she rolled to her back, her arm going over her eyes, I admired the smooth lines of her body. She was so damn soft, which I fucking loved, but the hard edge to her turned me on just as much.

  “Be right back. Don’t move.”

  She peeked at me from under her arm. “Can’t move.”

  While she lay there, I quickly disposed of the condom, turned off the lamp, and returned to the bed, pulling the blankets over us as I did.

  “Tell me about your tattoos,” I suggested.

  “What about them?” Presley asked, snuggling up to me once I was settled.

  “Which ones are the most significant?”

  Presley shrugged. “They all are.”

  “Which is your favorite?”

  “The sugar skull,” she replied.

  That didn’t surprise me and I understood why. “What about the sunflower?”

  “That was a dare,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Yeah?” I glanced at her. “You don’t seem like the type to get a tattoo on a dare.”

  “Gavin said I wouldn’t put another flower on my body. I proved him wrong.”

  I kissed the top of her head.

  “What about you? Why the double-headed dragon?”

  I stared up at the ceiling, remembering the day I’d come up with the idea. “It’s a reflection of how I feel when I’m writing.”

  Presley shifted, her head tilting so she could look at me. “How so?”

  I wasn’t sure I could explain it, but I decided to try. “When I’m writing, it feels like I’m two people sometimes, but in the same body. The characters are real to me, living in my head.”

  “So you have conversations with them?”

  “I do,” I admitted, chuckling. “Even arguments at times.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “The arguments?” I asked.

  “No, the talking part. Writing a book doesn’t seem like an easy thing to do,” she said softly.

  It wasn’t. There were so many things at play, and sometimes the characters surprised even me. But I didn’t share that. “From where I’m sitting,” I told her, “writing a book is incredi
bly easy in comparison to drawing the way that you do.”

  Presley shifted. “For me it’s natural. At least when I’m in my element. So I don’t see the difficulty.”

  That made sense. When I thought about the books I’d written that had practically told themselves in the first draft, I got where Presley was coming from.

  “I have an idea,” she said, her hand sliding over my stomach.

  “If it requires me to make you come again, I’m game.”

  She chuckled softly, but that was quickly stifled by a yawn.

  Knowing she was too tired for another round at the moment, I adjusted her in my arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “What’s your idea?”

  “How long is your book supposed to be?”

  “As long as it needs to be,” I told her, not sure where she was going with this. I had always aimed for a word goal, but every book was different, every story was different, and this one, I hadn’t yet determined how long it would need to be.

  “Okay, then how about for every chapter you write, we’ll … do that again.”

  I was only half acting when I pretended to move out of the bed, but Presley quickly pulled me back. My mind was already laying the groundwork for the next chapter.

  “Starting in the morning,” she added, her head dropping onto my chest once again.

  “You drive a hard bargain, you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Apparently she was exhausted, because within seconds, Presley’s breathing had slowed and her body had gone lax. Lying there in the dark, I continued to hold her, thinking about all that had happened since we’d met. How we’d ended up in this place.

  For a moment, fear seized me. Or was that hope?

  I wasn’t sure since I’d never felt anything like it. With Presley, things were different. And the honest-to-God truth was that I never thought I’d be the one to think something like that.

  Was I ready for something like this? Something serious? Perhaps permanent?

  It had been a long time since I’d been in a relationship. Years, in fact. But the worst part of it all was that I didn’t have good memories of relationships to compare to. My mother had been married nine times, my sister had married her high school boyfriend shortly after she’d gotten pregnant with Abby; however, they’d divorced within the first year. And I … well, I’d never intended to settle down, figuring what was the point.

  Not that I was jumping the gun. I was not ready to get that far into it, to think that far into the future. Or was I? I couldn’t deny that what was happening between Presley and me was significantly different than anything I’d felt before.

  She made me feel things that I’d never expected to feel. I would even go so far as to say that my emotions were relatively level when I was with her, not like the boat was sinking and I was scrounging for a life vest, hoping to be rescued. With her, I wanted to stay where I was, sinking or not. As long as she was with me, I felt safe.

  And then there was the sex.

  Holy. Fucking. Hell.

  Sex with Presley was definitely the most intense thing I’d ever experienced. There was a connection there and I was looking forward to exploring that further.

  But first, she needed sleep.

  And I … well, I needed to write.

  So, being as quiet as I could, I slipped out of bed, grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from my suitcase, then snuck downstairs.

  After all, she had told me for every chapter I wrote, we would do that again.

  And I fully intended to pick up where we left off, just as soon as she woke up.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Jake

  One chapter, that was all I needed, so the moment Presley was fast asleep, I had slipped out of her bed and made my way downstairs. After grabbing my pen and notebook, I dropped onto the couch, trying to be as quiet as possible so that I wouldn’t wake her.

  Then, with Cat snoozing on the cushion beside me, the fire having burned itself almost out, I stared at the page…

  And knew right where this was going.

  Kora hadn’t been home long when her cell phone rang. She knew it was her mother before she even fished it out of her purse.

  “Hello,” she greeted, hoping she sounded sick.

  “Kora? Are you okay?”

  “Not feeling well,” she lied.

  “Did you go home?”

  “Yeah. Figured if I came down with something, y’all wouldn’t want Trina to get it.”

  “No, definitely not,” her mother agreed. “Is it a stomach bug?”

  “I think so.” It definitely wasn’t her stomach that hurt. This pain was coming from her chest and she had no idea why it was there. She should’ve been walking on a cloud, reveling in the glow of the orgasm that Donovan had invoked.

  “Do you want me to stop by and check on you when we’re done here?” her mother offered.

  Hell no. “No, I’m good, Mom. Thanks.”

  There was silence on the other end, and Kora could imagine her mother sitting there, the questions filling her mouth, but somehow she managed to swallow them down.

  “Okay, honey. I’ll call you later.”

  “’Kay.” Kora hung up the phone before her mother got the nerve to ask her if Sam and Trina had been the reason she’d left.

  Although she would’ve been able to honestly tell her no, she wouldn’t be able to tell her the real reason she’d fled like her ass had been on fire.

  “Shower,” she said to herself as she headed for her bathroom, stripping off her clothes along the way.

  For a minute, I allowed my mind to call up the images of Presley in the shower, how beautiful she’d looked naked and wet. I swallowed hard.

  While she scrubbed her body, she tried not to think about what it would feel like to have Donovan’s hands on her naked skin. She should’ve known she wasn’t the type who could have a one-night quickie with a guy and be able to not think about him. Especially with a man like Donovan Brashwood.

  “You don’t even know him,” she reminded herself as she turned off the water and grabbed a towel.

  I thought about that for a moment. About the fact that Kora didn’t really know Donovan. But it didn’t matter to me. She knew enough about him to be intrigued, enough to know that she wanted to see him again and this wasn’t merely physical.

  I glanced at the stairs, picturing Presley sprawled out on her bed. I wanted to go back to her, to crawl beneath the blankets and pull her naked body up against mine.

  One chapter. I had to finish this one chapter and then I’d be in the clear.

  Her house was cold, but Kora didn’t even care. She was hot, and her skin felt too tight for her body, so she kept the towel wrapped around herself as she made her way to the kitchen in search of food. The buzz from the alcohol had long since faded, and though she was tempted to drown herself in more alcohol booze just to forget what had happened, she didn’t think it would help, so why bother?

  She opened the refrigerator, peered at the contents, then sighed.

  Maybe she wasn’t hungry.

  Not for food, anyway.

  Kora grabbed the container of orange juice, then twisted off the cap, taking a swig right from the bottle.

  While she contemplated adding a little vodka, her cell phone rang. She glanced down at it sitting on the bar, narrowing her eyes when she saw who it was.

  “No fucking way,” she mumbled to herself.

  There was no way he had the fucking balls to be calling her.

  No. Fucking. Way.

  Hmm. I definitely liked where this was headed.

  The instant he heard her voice, Donovan smiled.

  “What the fuck do you want, Sam?”

  Yep, just as he’d thought, she didn’t want to talk to her back-stabbing ex. But since he wasn’t Sam, he hoped she wouldn’t be angry for too long.

  “Not Sam.”

  He was met with silence. It lingered for several seconds, and he didn’t say a word as he
made his way out to the porch. When the baby shower had wound down, Donovan had decided to go back to Sam’s for a little while. And under the guise that his cell phone battery had died, he’d asked Sam to borrow his. Just as he’d suspected, Kora’s phone number had still been in his contact list.

  “What do you want?” Kora asked, her voice still firm but not quite as deadly as before.

  “Your address,” he told her bluntly.

  “What? Why?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Donovan didn’t want to play games with her.

  Not once in his life had he found himself this consumed by a woman. Since she’d snuck out of the restaurant, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. He didn’t think he would be able to until he saw her again.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she mumbled.

  “I think it’s a fucking fantastic idea,” he told her, keeping his tone firm.

  He didn’t know much about Kora, but he suspected she was used to making the rules. And though Sam was the type to let someone railroad him, Donovan had never been that guy.

  “Donovan…”

  “Yes?” he asked, glancing back at the door, making sure his brother wasn’t eavesdropping.

  “We can’t.”

  “We can, Kora. And we will. I’m only asking one more time. What’s your address?”

  More silence, and for a second, Donovan thought she wouldn’t give it to him. He hadn’t thought things through completely, because he wasn’t ready to give up, but luckily that didn’t matter.

  Because, although she sounded reluctant, Kora rattled off her address and then hung up on him.

  Donovan stared at the phone, grinning like a fool.

  I knew I needed to do a lot of modifications on this chapter before it was complete, but for now, I was content. I’d put it out there and now I could go to Presley.

  And suddenly, joining her in that big bed again was all I could think about.

  Chapter Fifty-Four