He couldn`t help it. He began thrusting wildly. To his delight, she wrapped her legs around his back and began meeting his powerful movements as he lunged faster and faster, pounding his cock deep between her slick thighs.
Then she opened her eyes wide, their gazes locked and her entire body went still. She cried out as her orgasm overtook her. Reaching for his neck she pulled him forward until she was able to kiss him with savage passion.
Their lips met as his own orgasm rocketed through him with all the power of a riptide. Then he slumped forward, buried his face in her fragrant neck and wound his arms tightly around her waist. His deep breathing and the pounding of his heart drowned out everything as he recovered from the most incredible sex of his life.
*****
Jamie recovered her wits first. “Kevin?” She whispered as she smoothed his golden hair away from his sweaty forehead with one hand. “Are you alright?”
He was still for a few moments and then just shook his head against her neck. His grip on her did not slacken and he remained buried to the hilt inside her.
She felt her lips quirk up in amusement at his reaction. “Do I need to call an ambulance? Or start CPR?” She asked in a mock serious tone.
He groaned and pulled back a few inches until she could see his face. He was smiling and his eyes were at half mast. He looked ridiculously happy and satisfied, like a big lion after a particularly good feast. “No CPR. But some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation might be in order,” he growled as he captured her lips in a fiercely possessive kiss.
Jamie couldn’t believe what had just happened. Sex with Kevin was mind-blowing. Even better now that she had revealed her true feelings. When he’d been thrusting so hard and deep inside her and their eyes had locked she’d seen how much he cared for her it had made her feel like the most beautiful and cherished woman in the world. She wanted to experience that again and again with this incredible man. Nothing came close to the connection she had with him. And to think she’d nearly missed out on this relationship because she’d been insecure and scared. All her reservations seemed so foolish now.
At this moment, she had to fight to think because Kevin was in the process of thoroughly kissing her neck. Her body reacted to his expert touch with renewed enthusiasm but her mind, as usual, needed more information. She yanked gently on the back of his hair to distract him. “Can I ask you a question?”
He didn’t even pause in his exploration of her collar bone. “Yes, I will have sex with you again,” he muttered into the sensitive skin beneath her ear.
She yanked again. This time a little harder. “Not the question. But good to know.”
Reluctantly he removed his mouth from her neck with a sigh. Pulling back he loosened his grip on her, reluctantly disengaged himself from her body and discreetly disposed of the condom. Then he gathered her up in his arms and sat back down on the window seat with her in his lap, both of them buck naked.
“Oops. Don’t want to shock the neighbors,” he said with a teasing grin as he pulled his leather jacket around her, taking extra special attention to tuck the coat around her full breasts and smooth thighs. Finally satisfied with the modest picture she made, he nodded. “Okay. One question. Then we get back to making you squeal.”
“Oh.” She gave his upper arm a small pinch. “I do not squeal.”
He grabbed her pinching hand and brought it to his lips for a quick nibble. “Yes, you do. And I can’t wait to hear it again. You sound like the world’s sexiest dolphin.”
She retrieved her hand from his mouth and rolled her eyes. “And once again I’m being compared to a fish. Not exactly flattering.”
“Angel. I said a sexy dolphin, didn’t I? And a dolphin is a mammal. Not a fish.”
“Still. Not hot.”
He shifted his hips forward and she felt his penis, already hard and insistent against her hip. “Feels pretty hot to me,” he rumbled. “Now, what was your question before I have to demonstrate exactly how squealy and sexy you are, once again.”
She wriggled slightly in his lap and giggled as he groaned into her hair. In retaliation he slid his hands under his coat and palmed her breasts, tweaking her nipples into hard points which made her want to forget her question entirely. With some effort she managed to focus. “Seriously. Why here? This place? I mean there’s a couch in the living room off the kitchen and my room downstairs has an actual bed in it. What made you decide to bring me up here?”
He gave her a lecherous look. “As soon as I saw the window seat I imagined you spread-eagled on it. Consider that one fantasy fulfilled in truly spectacular fashion.”
“No. Really.”
He shrugged and looked around. “There’s just something about this room. I loved the space the second I came in. I looked around and I could imagine you here as a kid, playing and daydreaming as you stared out at the water. It made me feel good thinking of you here. I felt like I could work here and be absolutely content as long as you were here to share it with me.”
Jamie stared at him for a long moment, hardly believing that he could speak of their future together with so much certainty and confidence. “Thank you,” she whispered as she leaned forward and kissed him above one tawny eyebrow.
Kevin gave her a confused look. “For stalking you? Making you squeal? Or for making love to you on a hard bench rather than a proper bed? What exactly are you thanking me for?”
Despite the fact that her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, Jamie did not shield her face from his perceptive gaze. This was a first for her. To her tears were a sign of weakness and she hated exposing her raw emotions to other people. She’d spent most of her life hiding her feelings behind a bold façade. But with Kevin she would allow her vulnerability to show. He deserved to see all of her. Even the basket case bits of her that she tried so hard to deny.
She tilted her chin up and traced his cheekbone with one finger. “Those things. But also for bringing me here. For giving me a good memory of this place.”
Kevin looked concerned. “You had bad memories here? I had no idea. Damn it. I’m sorry. Jessica always made your parents sound like saints. I just assumed this was a happy place for you.”
Jamie shook her head and patted his chest soothingly. “It’s okay. Nothing really terrible happened to me here. And our parents were great. Well, they were great with Jessica. With me, they were always bewildered and vaguely disappointed.”
Kevin’s brows furrowed. “What? That’s crazy. You’re amazing. I’m sure they knew that.”
Jamie sighed. “Unfortunately, they didn’t think I was amazing in the slightest. I was usually in trouble. And this...” She pointed to a spot in front of the window seat. “…Was usually where they brought me to discuss my latest failure.” She spoke matter-of-factly but the hurt behind the casual words still filtered through.
“Angel. I’m so sorry.” Kevin smoothed her hair back from her brow and placed a warm kiss against each eyelid. This tender gesture caused Jamie’s tears to start sliding down her cheeks uncontrollably.
“Don’t be. I know it doesn’t look like it, but I’m really happy. I used to dread coming up here. This place held so many negative connotations. But now. Because of you, I’ll always associate this spot with your big romantic gesture instead of all that petty childhood stuff. So, I just wanted to thank you for helping me get over myself and move on. Finally.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. “Feel free to let me know if there are any other places that make you feel bad. I’d be glad to help exorcise them for you.”
She wiped at her eyes and grinned at him. “Let me guess. Nudity will be a requirement of these exorcisms.”
He nodded solemnly. “That’s my preference. But I can work with just bottomless.”
She chuckled and smoothed her hand over his chest. “What about you?” She asked tentatively. “How about your demons?”
“Me? I’m demon-free. Just an addiction to a certain feisty red-head. But other than that I’m Sup
erman. Can’t you tell?” He puffed out his thickly-muscled chest and curled one impressive bicep.
She squeezed the proffered arm appreciatively then gave him an admonishing look. “Kevin. C’mon. I couldn’t help but notice that the champagne over there is non-alcoholic. Does that mean your drunken disorderly days are over?”
Kevin rubbed his forehead and gave her an uncertain look. “Yeah. I think they are. At least for a while. Is that a problem? I mean, I won’t expect you to give it up or anything. But for me booze is going to be off limits. At least until I feel like I can control it.”
She pressed her lips to his chin. “Is that what you meant earlier when you said you wanted to get away from your usual temptations?”
“Yeah. Having a bar within crawling distance probably isn’t the best idea for me right now.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze. “But I don’t want you to worry about this. I was never a complete lush. Even at my worst I was still functioning. I just didn’t like the way I needed booze to forget about things. So, I’m taking a break. Does that bother you? Because I totally understand if the whole recovery thing is a turn off.”
“Kevin.” She sat up and pressed her hand to his heart. “Do you actually think I’m that shallow?” He shook his head but there was doubt in his bright eyes. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re taking control if you recognize that you have a problem. But what were you trying to forget? Jessica said something about your current book project being a real doozy. Was that part of the problem?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “You could say that. But the truth is that I think I was burned out on psychos. It was getting to me so I finally had to admit defeat and tell my agent I couldn’t finish it.”
“How did that go?”
He grimaced. “He damn near let me go as a client but eventually I was able to convince him to hire a co-writer to finish the Rawlings project for me using all of my interview and research materials. In exchange I get to try something new.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “Something new? Another true crime case?”
“No. Something completely different. Something fun for a change.”
Jamie quirked an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“Well, actually you gave me the idea. I thought I’d write about the challenges modern women face in terms of finding partners. I mean, let’s face it: women don’t have to settle anymore. They can pretty much call the shots and yet a lot of them still end up with losers. I thought it might be interesting to explore why that happens and how women can avoid the pitfalls of getting hooked up with a douche-bag.”
She poked him in the side. “What? You’re going to write your own Love Laws? I don’t believe this. First you high-jack my column. Now you’re going to steal the whole idea?”
He gave her a wicked grin. “Well, actually I was hoping you could help me with it. But it wouldn’t be an article. It would be an actual book. I’d do in-depth research on current woman’s issues. One of Theresa’s psychology professors at the university has agreed to provide some insight and even conduct a few surveys for me.”
“Wow. It sounds pretty ambitious.”
“It is. So, are you interested in being my writing partner? I could really use your help.”
She shook her head. “I’d love to assist you, but I’m not really a writer. The Love Laws were a one-time thing I took on to get some publicity for the store. And help Clay’s sister get some attention at work.” Suddenly an idea occurred to her and she grabbed his arm. “Oh my God. You should get Cathy to help. She’d be fabulous. She’s a great writer and she’s really interested in these issues too. You read her stuff, right?”
He nodded. “You’re right. She is really good. But I would really prefer doing research with you. Besides, I think you don’t give yourself enough credit. I may not have agreed with everything you said in your articles, especially Love Law #7, but the others were really fun and insightful. You were a very convincing Love Guru.”
Jamie gave a self-deprecating laugh. “And you read the articles? You didn’t just look at the pictures?”
“I may have stared at the one of you in the black corset, just a little,” he said with a devilish grin. “But I read the articles too. And I do think you’re talented. I couldn’t believe you came up with some of that stuff. The sidebar Cathy wrote about your Four A’s theory was particularly amazing. You were right on the money with that one.”
Jamie flushed with pride. Was it possible that she was an okay writer? The insecurity she’d always felt regarding anything intellectual came flooding to the surface. Academics had always been Jessica’s area of expertise. But why would Kevin lie? He obviously didn’t need to flatter her to get into her pants. Was it possible he actually believed she was talented? The idea had never really occurred to her. She’d written The Love Laws but had done so without much thought to the skill involved. She’d been so desperate for publicity she hadn’t really cared about the calibre of her writing. She’d just assumed Cathy would correct any glaring errors and hoped for the best.
She looked into Kevin’s open face and felt a few more of her doubts slipping away. Perhaps she wasn’t as limited as she’d always believed. Who knew what she could accomplish with this man by her side to believe in her and support her? The world suddenly seemed full of incredible possibilities. All of which she wanted to share with him. Forever.
“You really think so?” She asked shyly.
“Yeah. I do. So, will you help me with my sex research?”
She giggled. “Well, when you put it that way, how can I resist?”
He threw his coat off her body with a flourish and smoothed his hands down her naked torso. “You know you can’t resist me. Save us some time and just give in.”
“Are we still talking about the book?”
“Nope. Now we’re talking about our next squealing session.”
Within moments they were rolling to the floor, laughing wildly as Kevin attempted to imitate her earlier cries of passion with truly ridiculous results.
Jamie finally managed to somehow secure his arms above his head as she straddled his ridged abdomen. His sex rose hard and insistent against her bottom but she was too focused on his smiling face to notice. At least for a few seconds.
“So we’re writing partners then?” She asked.
He looked up at her with that boyish grin she adored. “Angel. As far as I’m concerned we’re partners in everything from this point forward. Sex, love, life, real estate, maybe even Lamaze classes someday if you want. How does that sound?”
Lamaze classes? Was he serious? She should have been shocked to hear him mention such a thing so soon but it didn’t seem crazy to her at all. In fact, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Just the possibility of a baby with this man made Jamie feel simultaneously terrified and giddy. Her mind told her that it was way too early in their relationship to be contemplating the idea but her heart still leapt at the thought of a little golden-haired boy with Kevin’s endearing smile and wicked charm.
The question was: would she be able to put her innate selfishness aside and be a good mother? The kind who accepted her children no matter what? Thinking about how she’d grown up, always in her sister’s shadow, she vowed right then that she would learn from her parents’ mistakes and be the kind of mother who loved her children unconditionally.
Happy tears gathered in her eyes once again. She tried unsuccessfully to blink them away as she leaned down and whispered against Kevin’s smiling mouth. “I think that may just be our own personal Love Law to live by. Count me in. Partner.”
And then she kissed him to seal the deal.
Love Law #7 - Addendum: Not all men play by the rules
Just like any other principle or guideline there are exceptions to The Love Laws. At the time I wrote them I totally believed what I was saying to be an accurate representation of the truth. For the most part, I still do. Some readers disagreed with me, but for the most part I stand behind my Love Laws. Howe
ver, people need to keep an open mind and remember that these are generalizations. Scientific experiments were not performed to analyze my conclusions and they were not presented to a committee of experts in the field of human sexuality. They’re based exclusively on my observations, which probably don’t reflect everyone’s experiences. And certainly don’t represent every guy out there. But they do have merit, so my advice to you is to take them into consideration when dealing with possible romantic partners but keep an open mind. There are guys out there who get turned on by a woman who can tell a joke way more than a perky set of Double Ds. There may even be a few men out there who live in their mother’s basement who don’t deserve your complete dismissal. (I know. It sounds unlikely, but it’s possible.)
That being said, I was wrong about one particular stereotype: The Womanizer. For the most part, these guys are seriously not worth consideration, at least long term. However, I’ve learned recently that even the most hard-core, man-whore can change. One particular special man with a LOT of notches in his bed post was able to convince me that he was worth reconsideration.
So with him in mind I would like to modify Love Law # 7 and add an addendum.
How do you know if your man-whore is the exception?
My advice is this: Listen carefully to what he’s saying. Not just with his words and his body, but everything about him. Any womanizer is adept at lying and will tell you that you’re special and a few will even care enough to give you multiples. (Orgasms, that is. Not triplets.) But only a truly reformed man-whore will be really genuine in his actions. How can you tell the difference? Look closely. Does he express his sincere respect and desire in everything he does? If you’re perceptive he’ll show you how he’s reformed in the following ways:
The Love Laws Page 28