by Nalini Singh
Page 26
She was sotight, he always took the greatest care not to hurt her. Except sometimes, like tonight, she took matters into her own hands and pushed down. "Oh!"
Leaving her impaled, he gritted his teeth and pointed to the T-shaped handle near her head. "Put your hands on either side of the bar. "
"What? Why?" She wiggled on him.
He tightened his grip and made her stop. "Do it," he commanded, unable to restrain the dominant part of himself. Then again, his wife didn't seem to mind the way he loved her. He'd never had a lover more suited to his temperament and sexuality. In bed, she could be a demanding tyrant or a sweetly submissive witch, but whatever mood took her, she was always with him to the end. "We're working out, remember?"
Arching her back just a little, she put one hand on either side of the horizontal bar. Once she was in position, he sat up fully and pulled her snug against him, cupping her breasts and squeezing just because he could.
"Now you have a sports bra. " She gasped and let go of the bar. "Keep holding on. And pull down. "
"Why?"
"I think it's time you did all the work. " He wondered if she realized that the mirror on the left wall afforded him a very interesting view.
It took her a moment to gather the strength to pull the bar down. She could only bring it as far as her upper chest. "Now what?"
"Release the weights but control their descent. "
As he'd guessed, she wasn't strong enough to perform that part of the maneuver easily. And with her feet hanging off the floor, she had no traction. She almost rose off him, her inner muscles reluctantly releasing him, as she tried not to clank the weights.
"Oh!" Understanding his intent, she pulled again and slid lusciously down his body.
He kneaded her breasts with his hands, loving the feel of her skin, loving the way she fit him like the most exquisite glove, as if she'd been made just for his most extreme pleasure. His wife. Only his.
"I like this. " She sounded breathless.
He groaned. "Why are we torturing ourselves?"
"Because it feelsgooood . " She slid half off him.
"I was going to lay you down and just thrust the first time, after allyour teasing. " He squeezed a nipple with his fingertips, taking advantage of her sensitivity.
"Me!" She let the weights go and put her hands over his where they rested on her breasts. "I'll show you teasing. " And she did something with her inner muscles that just about brought him to climax.
"Where did you learn to do that?" His voice was hoarse as he fought the urge to pour his seed into her.
"Secret. " She was smiling smugly at him, looking over her shoulder. "I think I could do with some thrusting now. It's probably good for making a baby. "
He couldn't believe she'd said that. Just like he couldn't help himself from holding on to her hips and taking over. There was a lot of thrusting. Hard. He went deep and then deeper. His desire had gone over the edge into madness by this stage and it wasn't deep enough. When he pulled her off his body, she protested. "Jackson, get back!" There wasn't even a shadow of fear in her.
He nipped the side of her neck. "I want you spread out on your back. "
In less than ten seconds, he had her arranged as his imagination demanded, lush and ready for his pleasure; creamy skin touched with pink, against soft black leather. The word sexy didn't begin to do her justice. With his hands under her calves, he lifted her long legs high, spreading her thighs wide. His original intent had been to put her in a position where he could indulge his need to thrust deep, but now that he had her where he wanted, temptation beckoned in the silky wet folds of her body. How could any man resist such a delicious feminine invitation?
Sinking to his knees in front of her, he pulled her bottom to the edge of the leather bench. Continuing to hold her legs high in the air with his hands, he spread her thighs farther apart. Musky heat and the scent of feminine arousal rushed over him like a powerful drug.
"No!" She tried to pull away. "I won't survive. "
"Be still, wife. I want to indulge my hunger for you. " Slow and deep, his first stroke down her parted flesh made her scream.
"I'm going to kill you!" Her whole body quivered as he stroked again. "Oh . . . oh!Jackson!"
Using his strength to tilt her body a little more, he thrust his tongue into her, tasting her, marking her, branding her. Again and again and again. She thrashed and writhed but her body was a fountain for him, giving him the taste he craved - the flavor of her passion for him.
"Again!" He thrust his tongue into her after she went over the first cliff, forcing her to the second precipice. "For me. Come, cara . For your husband. " She didn't disappoint him, her spine arching as she trembled in a release that made her skin ripple.
His ownbody roared with triumph at her shuddering orgasm. But it wasn't enough. Not yet. Rising above her, he put his hands under her thighs and pulled her further from the bench, until her entire bottom was off the leather. Her body was on an angle that made his entry deeper than he'd believed possible.
She screamed as he slid into her and he felt her internal walls contract again and again as pleasure ripped through her, without mercy. Pulling out, he thrust deeper, clasping her buttocks in his palms. Forced to remain in position by his body, her legs ran up his chest to point at the ceiling. Her breasts moved as she rode the wave of ecstasy, but it was the sound of her calling his name over and over that finally destroyed any control he might've had. He surrendered to the rampaging heat inside him and thrust so deep, he thought he'd touched her heart.
Sometime afterward,Taylorpropped herself on his chest and said, "I have one question. "
Under his back, the exercise mat was cool. "Hmm. " He was idly stroking her bottom.
"Did you think this was a one-shot thing? If you did, you'd better invest in some heavy-duty locks because I intend to watch at every opportunity. " Her warning was delivered in a tone usually reserved for serious matters.
He thought it over. "You can watch so long as I getpostworkout sex. "
She nodded. "Fair enough. "
"Lots of sex. "
"You get that anyway. "
"What did you mean about making a baby?" He didn't want to get his hopes up, not when she had been so honest about her fears.
"Pretty self-explanatorydon'chathink ?" She began kissing his chest.
"Taylor. " He fisted a hand in her unbound hair and forced her head up.
"I'm fertile and unprotected," she said simply.
A kind of hesitant wonder lit his face. He touched her cheek. "A baby?"
"Yup. "Taylorfelt the impact of that smile deep inside. Tonight for the first time,Jacksonhad totally let go of passion's reins and she'd never felt more powerful as a woman. Yet, the unexpected tenderness of his smile threatened to shatter her.
"Are you sure it's not too soon? I know I have been arrogant in my demands but I can wait. "
She felt her heart jump. "You're the only man I can imagine taking this risk with. And now is the time to take that risk, while I have the strength to fight the fear. " While she was still floating high on the success of conquering her sexual demons. "Who knows what could happen in the future? I don't want to let this chance go by. "
He hugged her tight. "Thank you, cara mia . " After a while, he freed her from his almost bruising embrace.
"We haven't made a baby yet. "
"Yes, we have. " He touched her stomach. "Our child is growing inside you right now. "
"What? Are you in contact with all your little soldiers?" She laughed. "Has one breached the castle walls?"
"Wait. . . " He curved one hand around his ear. "I've just received a transmission. Castle walls have been breached. Our bambina is on the way. " He smiled at her and it was a smile of such pure delight that her heart was shocked into a sort of frozen wonder.
"It might be a bambino ," she whispered, amazed that she w
as going to have a child with this magnificent man. What a terrible and wonderful gift, she thought.
He chuckled. "Have you been studying Italian, mia moglie ?"
"I have no idea what you mean, mio marito . " She put the same possessive emphasis on the word husband that he'd put on wife .
His delighted laughter gave her hope. Yes, having a baby terrified her, but so had making love. With Jackson, anything was possible.
Chapter 12
Amonth later, she toldJacksonhe'd been right. To her shock, they'd made a baby on the first go.
Standing in front of him, while he sat in his armchair, she couldn't miss the joy that lit his dark eyes from deep within.
"A baby," hewhispered, his voice rough. Shaking visibly, he put his hands on her waist and looked up at her. " Nostrobambina is inside of you?"
"Our baby is definitely inside me. I did six of those home pregnancy tests. " She was touched in the most secret part of her heart that he trusted her enough to show her his vulnerability. JacksonSantorini's reputation did not allow for eyes glazed with elation at the announcement that he was about to become a father.
"Come sit with me, piccola . "
With a woman's instinct,Taylorknew that this was the closest her very masculine husband would ever come to asking to be held. Going into his arms, she embraced him while he digested the news, her heart overflowing with tenderness sogreat, she was afraid what it meant.
LikeJackson, Nick couldn't contain his happiness when he was told the news. "Really, a baby? Cool!"
He made a face. "I won't miss anything when I go to the soccer camp?"
Taylorhad to stifle a grin. "No, honey. You've got almost eight months to look forward to. "
He glanced from her toJackson. "Are you . . . I mean. . . "
She frowned butJacksonapparently knew what was causing her brother's anxious expression. Tousling Nick's hair, he said, "The adoption papers have been lodged. You are my eldest son, Nicolas. Make me proud. "