Playing Jax [Wylde Shore 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Jan Graham

  “And it was delicious, as for getting fat…I just don’t.” Steve laughed as he wiped his fingers on the napkin. “It also proves that your dragon analogies have been wrong. Dragons are fat and I’m not, therefore I’m not a dragon.”

  “Dragons are not fat, they’re big. It’s two completely different states.” Angel replied. “And you are part dragon. Your attraction to Rhia proves it.”

  “Really, why do you think that?” Steve couldn’t wait to hear her reasoning. Their reoccurring dragon conversations always amused him.

  “Well, for a start dragons have two hearts. In your case Kathy was the keeper of one of your hearts. Which means, contrary to what you believe, Rhia is therefore the keeper of your second heart.”

  “Why are you so certain that Rhia will be the second keeper?

  “She’s a virgin.”

  Steve laughed. “Which is relevant how?”

  “Oh please, have I taught you nothing about dragons since we met? When dragons roamed the earth they sometimes got grumpy and took their anger out on those around them. So, when a dragon was unhappy or in need of calming, the villagers would offer virgin sacrifices to appease them. Rhia is your virgin sacrifice.”

  Steve laughed out loud. If only Angel realized the relevance of the statement in relation to what Steve had planned for Rhia.

  The evening held a new sense of peace as Steve wandered home. Cicada’s sounded around him. He wondered at the oddity. They usually only made sound during the day. He assumed the full moon was giving off enough light to make the insects feel comfortable enough singing into the late hour. The noise was actually a mating call, and the fact they were calling this late at night was comical to Steve given the decision he’d made in relation to courting Rhia.

  Other noises drifted around him. He heard crickets, the buzzing of the street light. One sound reached his ears that suddenly made him still, a male and female voice. He recognized them both. He looked down the street to see light streaming from Rhia’s house and Cal’s car parked out the front. He started to run when he heard a cry of alarm from Rhia and a crash.

  “Let me go, Cal.” Rhia sounded angry rather than alarmed. Angry was a good thing. She might slap him or knee his groin if she was angry enough. Steve took the steps two at a time, reaching for the door as soon as he found tread on the porch.

  “You don’t make this easy on a man do you?” Cal remarked.

  Steve changed his mind. Cal was a dead man. He flung the door open to see Rhia on the sofa, Cal over the top of her. She was pushing against him, trying to twist off the couch, but Cal had hold of her foot. He pushed her back down. “Oh, no you don’t.”

  “Oh, yes she does.” Steve grabbed Cal by the shirt collar and dragged him backward. He released him once they were clear of furniture and turned him around, his fist already heading for Cal’s face as his friend turned toward him. The direct hit on his left cheekbone sent Cal spinning to the ground.

  “Jesus Christ man, are you crazy?”

  Steve ignored Cal’s words and walked calmly to Rhia, who was now sitting dumbfounded on the sofa.

  “Are you okay?” He briefly inspected Rhia. Her dress was intact, no marks that he could see. Her hair was a little messed up, but apart from that she appeared unscathed.

  “You punched him.” Her eyes looked as big as saucers.

  “He was attacking you. I heard you tell him to let you go before I got to the house. He still had hold of you when I got inside.” He glared at his friend. “No means no, you idiot, and a warning is a warning. Maybe next time you’ll listen.”

  “I was trying to get those damn stilettos off her before she damaged herself. Your woman’s lethal in those things, Steve.” Cal’s eye had started to swell. Maybe it wasn’t the cheekbone he’d connected with. Cal moved his hand, and Steve saw the indentation of his Harley Davidson ring imprinted on the apex of Cal’s cheekbone. Steve nodded, yep the cheekbone. His hit must have been harder than intended if his friend’s eye was also puffy. “She nearly twisted her ankle for the hundredth time as we came up the stairs. I picked her up, carried her inside and put her on the lounge. I was trying to help her undo one of the ankle straps that’s stuck when you decided I was a marauding rapist, or whatever crazy idea flew into your head.”

  Steve looked at Rhia for confirmation. She nodded meekly, stood, and went to walk past Steve, promptly toppling over and landing on his lap.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to get Cal some frozen peas for his face.” She pointed at Cal who was still sitting on the floor where he’d landed. “He’s right. I am dangerous in these shoes. I’ve nearly fallen over so many times, and when we were dancing I kept standing on his feet. He said he had puncture marks in his toes.”

  Rhia had a smile on her face by the time she got to the puncture-wound statement. Steve didn’t like the fact they’d danced, but he did like the idea that she’d pierced Cal’s feet with her heels.

  “Then let me help take your shoes off before you go anywhere, sweetheart. Not that I think he deserves an icepack.” Steve undid the ankle straps of Rhia’s shoes, and she kicked them off before heading into the kitchen. Apparently, she had promised Cal coffee for bringing her home. Steve stared at his friend. He knew what coffee was code word for in Cal’s dictionary.

  “I swear it was euphemism coffee before your text, now it’s really just coffee.” Cal finally stood up and moved toward the lounge, taking a seat next to Steve. “Do you reckon it’s too late to call Carlie and see if she’d give me a little TLC? I could tell her I’ve been attacked by a madman, play the sympathy card.”

  “You’ll leave my detective alone.”

  “The list of women I’m not allowed to touch just keep getting longer with you, doesn’t it?”

  Steve didn’t bother to answer as Rhia came back from the kitchen, carrying a large bag of frozen peas. She handed them to Cal, apologizing for his sore eye and giving Steve a slightly confused look. The confusion turned to surprise when Steve handed his house keys to Cal, sending him on his way to crash at his house just until Cal could see straight again. Steve didn’t want his friend driving.

  Rhia walked back into the kitchen, a frown creasing her brow. Steve wasn’t sure what the expression meant, but he was about to find out. He locked the door after Cal left and moved to the archway leading into the kitchen space where he casually propped himself against the wall.

  He hated that Cal had seen her in that dress. It fitted like a glove and left none of her luscious curves to the imagination. Steve drank in her beauty, like he was savoring a fine wine. His body responded urgently to the sight of her, his cock swelling rapidly under his jeans.

  “Are you frowning because I punched Cal?”

  She shook her head and continued to watch the kettle, waiting for it to boil. He didn’t want a coffee.

  “Because he left?”

  Rhia’s hair glistened under the florescent light as it swayed in response to the shake of her head.

  Steve moved toward her. She nearly took his breath away. He stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. “Tell me.” He kissed the top of her head as her body relaxed against him.

  “Why did Cal say I was your woman?” Steve wondered at the time if she’d noticed the reference.

  “Was he wrong to call you my woman?” He began to gently caress her arms with the lightest of touches. His fingers brushed her bare skin, light strokes up and down. Her body shivered. “Could another man make you shiver like that with just a touch?”

  “No.”

  He pressed her forward, pinning her between his body and the bench top, his hands griping onto her hips. Her breathing accelerated and a slight moan left her lips.

  “Do you want another man to make you feel like this, Rhia?” He crunched the dress under his fingers, raising the hem until the base of her ass was uncovered.

  “No, I don’t want any other man to make me feel like this.” Her voice was filled with arousal. She gasp
ed back a soft cry as the erection filling his jeans bumped into her.

  “Good girl. Do you know how happy it makes me to hear you say that?” He eased her legs apart slightly with his thigh and slipped one hand between her legs, his fingers sliding across her mound, pressing against the material of her panties as they reach the top of her lips. The other hand moved upward, cupping her breast, his fingers teasing the nipple to a pert, hard little peak.

  “So do you want to be my woman, Rhia?”

  “Mmm…yes. I want…” She gasped as his fingers teased, pressing between her pussy lips, rubbing her clit through her soaked lace panties. “I’m your woman.”

  “And what does that make me to you?” He bought her to climax as he spoke the words directly into her ear. She screamed her release, arching her back so that her ass massaged his hardness with deliberate intent, as she came. He removed his hands from her body and positioned one either side of her on the kitchen bench.

  “So who am I to you, Rhia?” he asked once again, watching her struggle to catch her breath.

  “You’re the first man to sexually arouse me, the first man to kiss me and drive me wild, the only man to ever give me an orgasm. You’re the only man I’ll ever want.”

  That was all he needed to hear, the only man. Steve scooped her into his arms, kissed her and carried her from the room.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m taking you to the bedroom. I believe you’ve been complaining about a little bit of unwanted skin you need to get rid of.” Rhia’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? I don’t have to do anything about it if you don’t want me to.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Steve ripped the bedcover back and placed Rhia on the bed. She had no idea why he’d stopped at the linen cupboard on the way down the hall, and she didn’t care. Her body was still reeling from the orgasm she’d just had in the kitchen. She laughed to herself. The kettle wasn’t the only thing to come to the boil.

  His lips found her the moment he stretched out beside her. She knew after spending the evening with Cal that her reaction to Steve was unique. She wasn’t aroused by other men. Women had approached Cal while they’d been out and fawned over him. One woman even handed him her phone number. Rhia agreed he was good looking, but she didn’t feel inclined to kiss him or touch him. Not like she did with Steve. Steve made her wet between her legs. Just looking at him started her body reacting. He was the only man for her.

  Whatever had brought him to the house and caused him to change his mind about being with her. She didn’t care. Well, not at this point in time anyway. Maybe later she’d ask him. Right now she just wanted to relish the way he made her feel.

  “Please tell me I saw boxes of condoms amongst those sex toys you bought last week.”

  “I put them in the bathroom.” Rhia didn’t want him to talk. She needed his lips back on hers. When he tried to get off the bed she whimpered. Steve laughed. He smiled and leant forward, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

  “I’ll kiss that cute little pout off your lips when I come back.”

  Rhia touched her lips. She didn’t pout, did she? Her lips were warm to touch, heated by his kiss. She glanced at the towel on the nightstand and wondered why it was there.

  “I preferred the pout. What’s the little frown for?” He tossed a wet washer on top of the towel. Steve placed the box of condoms on the far side of them, except for the one he had in his hand. She took hold of the edge of the little square and Steve released it. He ran his hand over her exposed thigh and played with the lace on the top of her stocking.

  “No more interruptions, I promise.” His stare was intense. It seemed connected to his hand because wherever his gaze fell, his hand travelled to explore. Rhia watched his eyes darken. The bright iridescent blue deepened until they were a dark sapphire color. “I love this dress, but we need to take it off.”

  Rhia raised her hips slightly as he scooped both hands under the hem and began to push the material upward. His palms remained flush against her skin, his thumbs hooking the stretchy material and forcing it up. He stopped briefly at her breasts, palms cupping and massaging her fleshy, lace covered mounds. His low moan harmonized with hers, and he quickly forced the dress over her head, flicking it to the floor. As soon as his hands were free, they were all over her, exploring her body once again. This time his mouth followed where his hands led.

  Rhia pulled at his shirt. She wanted it off, the need to touch his bare flesh becoming an urgent desire. He sat up and quickly discarded the offending item. He closed his eyes as she brushed her fingers over his chest. His abs rippled when her nails lightly raked over them. She reached for the buckle on his belt, but he quickly moved off the bed, undid it himself and dropped his jeans and briefs in a single movement. She gasped at the sight of him.

  He was all hard body and lean muscles that rippled when he moved. His penis stood out before him, the end glistening, the head darkened. He lay back down next to her and looked into her eyes, surveying her. His erection brushed against the side of her leg. The sticky fluid assisted it to ease its way upward as he leaned forward and pulled her toward him, locking their lips together in another long, slow kiss. He undid the hooks of her bra and as Steve lowered her onto her back once again he slipped the bra from her arms.

  “Do we need to put this on?” Suddenly nervous, she waved the little packet in front of his face.

  There was only a tiny pair of lace panties between her and complete nudity. The fact that Steve was already naked and lying against her meant soon there would be nothing between them. Not only was she scared of the nudity, but she wasn’t on the pill. It hadn’t been something she’d considered. She was never going to have sex, or that had been her opinion before she met Steve.

  “And I need to know what the towel is for.” Her nervousness continued to rise.

  “We don’t need it just yet. I want to make sure you’re totally wet, completely pleasured and ready for me, before we get to that step.” Steve took the condom from her and placed it near the towel. “Now tell me why you suddenly look all concerned. Do we need to slow down and forget about the little barrier for the night? I’m happy to do whatever you want.”

  “I’ve never been naked with anyone before. I’m feeling a bit exposed. I’m not on the pill, and I don’t want to get pregnant. Once you take my panties off then there won’t be anything between us.” She flicked her gaze to the towel then pointed to it. “I have no idea why we need that. Apart from all those things, I’m ready. You can have sex with me.”

  Steve eased onto one elbow and rested his head on his hand. He was still pressed against her, still hard. His free hand came to rest on her stomach, his fingers drawing little tickling circles on her skin.

  “I will always keep you safe, Rhia, always protect you. We’ll make sure that we use condoms until we figure out another form of contraception. And even then, if you still want me to, I’ll wear a condom.

  As for being naked, it might just take practice being this way before you feel more comfortable.” He winked and flashed a cheeky grin. “I’m happy to assist with the practice sessions. Feel free to take your clothes off anytime I’m around. You have a beautiful body, and, dressed or not, I desire it. You make me hard for you either way. As for the towel and washer, in case you didn’t notice. I put it there to clean up any mess after I’ve taken you.”

  “Mess like the other day.” Rhia closed her eyes and concentrated on his voice and the little circles his fingers made against her skin. The sound of his dulcet tones brushed over her, soothing and calming any concerns she thought she had. His fingers made her stomach quiver and sent gentle pulses of delight through her vagina. Even when he was just talking to her and barely touching her skin, she was aroused.

  “Look at me, sweetheart.” She opened her drowsy eyelids. “For some women sex can be painful the first time. And because I’m going to break the hymen, sometimes there’s bleeding. So the towel and washer are precautionary.”

&
nbsp; She knew there might be pain. Meg had told her. She hadn’t mention blood, though. Still, it didn’t matter. Steve had everything under control, and he would make sure she was okay.

  “Were you a Boy Scout when you were a kid?”

  “No, why do ask?”

  “You seem so prepared.” Rhia laughed.

  “Well, I hope you’re prepared young lady. Because I think it’s time for your first lesson in being completely naked. Lose the panties. And so you don’t lie there worrying, I’ll take care of the protection.”

  He reached for the condom and tore open the packet. Rhia enjoyed the distraction of watching him roll the latex covering over his stiff penis. For some reason, it made removing her panties easier knowing he wasn’t watching her.

  “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s do this.” Rhia lay back on the bed,

  Steve knelt over her, arms holding his body away from her, knees spreading her thighs apart. It occurred to her that if they both weren’t naked he could almost be getting ready to do a set of push-ups. He lowered his head and kissed her lips tenderly.

  “I don’t think you’re ready just yet.” His lips left hers and trailed heated kisses down her neck. Rhia let out a soft moan as the ache between her legs spring back to life.

  “I am ready. Really, really ready, so ready it hurts.”

  He nipped at the side of her neck, then kissed and tongued the bite to take away the sting. Her body warmed wherever his mouth touched as he kissed his way across her upper body on a torturously slow journey down to her breasts.

  “Well then, you’ll have to wait because I’m not quite ready.” He sucked her nipple into his mouth. His tongue circled the little bud encapsulated firmly between his lips. She caressed his biceps, feeling the muscles ripple beneath them as he moved.

  “I didn’t realize torture was part of sex.”

  He raised his head, the well-pleasured little bud pulled with it. His teeth grazed against the nipple as it released from his mouth with a popping sound. She moaned loudly, a pulse of delight shooting down her body and resting between her legs.