by Mari Carr
She breathed a long sigh of relief when she found only him on her doorstep. She glanced behind him to make sure there wasn’t anyone else waiting in the wings. Jake laughed.
“God, woman. There’s crazy and then there’s plain old lunacy. I’m by myself. Disappointed?”
She shook her head. “Hell no.”
Jake crossed the threshold, shoving the door closed behind him. Then he pushed her against the nearest wall and kissed her senseless.
“Good. Because I don’t share.”
She started unbuttoning his shirt, desperate to touch skin. She wanted him. Badly.
“Where’s your bedroom?” he asked, not bothering to stop kissing her, his words pressing his lips more firmly to hers.
She pointed up. “Top of the stairs.”
“Move.”
She laughed, clasping his hand. The two of them raced to her bedroom, diving onto her mattress together. Josie would have continued giggling, but Jake stole the sound, the breath as he resumed kissing her.
They undressed in a tangle of limbs, caressing each bit of skin as it was uncovered. By the time they were naked, they were panting and slick with sweat. Josie had thought her need was great, but Jake left her in the dust. His erection brushed her hip and she reached for it.
Jake hissed when she wrapped her hand around him, stroking him from root to tip. She repeated the journey a few times before he gripped her wrist and pulled her away. “Too many more of those tugs and I’m a goner.”
She started to grasp him once more. “Who cares? We have time.”
He pushed her hand away. “Behave. We have a purpose tonight, remember?”
“Oh yeah. Full moon.”
“Did you get your toys out?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but I’m afraid you might be disappointed. I own a blue vibrator and a pink rabbit. And that’s it. Even those poor things don’t see the light of day much. I’m always afraid Tommy will hear. His room is right across the hall.”
“Well then, I guess we’re going to have to give them a workout. Where are they?”
She gestured toward the nightstand. She’d also pulled out a small, unopened tube of scented KY jelly. It had been part of a gag gift she’d gotten from Georgie for Christmas.
Jake sat up and reached for the vibrator. “Crawl up into the middle of the bed.”
She shifted, her heart beginning to race as she anticipated his next move. Jake was a rather creative lover, firing up parts of her libido she’d never realized existed.
“Open your legs, Josie.”
She parted her thighs, jerking slightly when he pressed the top of the vibrator to her clit and turned it on.
“Oh,” she gasped.
He grinned. “You’re too easy.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Not that way,” he quickly amended. “I mean I’ve never met such a sexually responsive woman. I love watching you come, the way your eyes drift shut just a second before your body goes stiff and you let out that pretty little sound.”
He pressed the vibrator to her clit once more and the moan he mentioned escaped again. “Yeah. That one. So what was your plan when you put double penetration on the list? Given the nervous way you opened the door expecting to see another man, I assume you were hoping for a ménage?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea what I meant. I wrote that list in December when I was horny and had no intentions of following through on any of it. I haven’t even thought about tonight’s fantasy until…well…now.”
He ran the vibrator along her slit before pushing just the tip inside her pussy. “You mind if I put my spin on it, then?”
“Hell no. I love everything you do.”
He’d started to push the vibrator deeper, but his hand froze. “Damn. No pressure.”
“You’re doing fine so far.”
“Good to know.” He pressed the vibrator inside more fully, notching it from low to high speed. It appeared the time for conversation had passed.
Jake spent the next half hour immersing her in sensation, using the vibrator, his fingers and even his tongue to slowly drive her out of her mind.
“Lift your legs. Hold your knees as close to your shoulders as you can. I think it’s time we started getting serious.”
Josie had been fighting off her climax since they’d climbed into bed. That hadn’t been serious?
He pulled the vibrator out of her pussy, touching the tip of it to her anus. Josie stiffened for a second. He twirled just the barest bit around her rim, letting the vibrations awaken nerves that usually lay dormant. Then he moved it away and reached for the lubrication.
Jake covered the already slick vibrator with more gel, then pressed one slippery finger inside her ass.
She forgot to breathe for several seconds as she recalled the first night they’d played in this area. She loved it and she’d been anxiously waiting for the time when they could expand on the adventure. It looked like tonight was the night.
“Okay, Josie?”
She nodded, unable to speak. She was better than okay.
He removed his finger, replacing it with the larger vibrator. He’d turned it off, so the toy’s slow glide inside her body was smooth, easy. Once it was lodged to the hilt, Jake pressed the button, setting it on low.
Even that slight vibration was enough to send sparks flashing behind Josie’s closed eyelids. Her fingers tightened where they held her legs up, but that slight pain did nothing to dim the powerful sensations Jake was producing in her body.
His hands covered hers as he pried her fingers away and helped her lower her legs. The vibrator was buried in her ass, still pulsing away.
She listened as Jake donned a condom, her eyes flying open when she felt his cock nudging at the entrance to her pussy.
Double penetration. He intended to fuck her while the vibrator was still pounding its beautiful rhythm in her ass.
He froze. Waited.
She smiled. “You’re doing fine so far,” she teased, repeating her earlier praise.
He laughed, then pushed deeper. “Just so you know, I’m aiming to do a hell of a lot better than fine.” He accented his declaration with one last, hard thrust that sent delicious shivers along Josie’s spine.
He began moving slowly at first, setting a pace that kept Josie riding the razor’s edge. She knew it wouldn’t take much for Jake to trigger her orgasm, but for some reason, tonight, she didn’t want to come alone. She wanted him there, with her for the ride.
Soon his hips moved faster, harder, driving deeper. Josie’s fingers dug into his shoulders, her nails scraping the skin. She was marking him, making sure that tomorrow he’d feel the effects of this night as well. She had no doubt she would. She was stretched, full. Happy.
Josie had just adjusted to the new rhythm when Jake reached between her legs and notched the vibrator to high.
To hell with coming together. Josie was a goner. Luckily, the vibrator wasn’t claiming only one victim.
Jake yelled out. “God dammit. That feels so fucking good.”
Josie’s pussy clenched tightly. Words wouldn’t come. Hell, she wasn’t even sure of her name at that moment. All she knew in the world was him. This moment. This orgasm.
They came in a flurry of moans, last-second thrusts and powerful shudders. Jake dropped to his elbows and their chests played out the last chorus as the two of them struggled for air.
Josie wasn’t sure how long they lay there, a frozen tableau of a man lying atop a woman, both of them mindless, carried away by bliss. Finally, Jake pushed off, falling to her side.
They laughed when they realized the buzzing noise, disrupting the silence, was coming from the vibrator, still rumbling inside her pleasantly numb body. Jake turned it off and removed it. He carried it to the bathroom and she listened as he washed up.
When he returned, he put the now-clean vibrator back on the nightstand. He hesitated and she realized what was holding him back.
She lifted her arms in invi
tation. “Sleep with me.”
He crawled back into bed. “What about Tommy?”
“He’s spending the night with Shelly. So long as you leave before he gets back, we’ll be fine. I want to stay in bed with you. All night.”
He kissed her softly. “I’ve wanted that since January.”
She smiled at his sweet admission. “Goodnight, Jake.”
“’Night, Josie.”
Josie heard a noise and opened her eyes, feeling drowsy and warm. The sun shone brightly through the window. Jake’s chest provided a comfortable pillow. He’d woken her twice in the night and they’d made love. With the gentle way he’d moved inside her, his soft touches and long deep kisses, it simply couldn’t be called fucking. It had been too special for that.
She let her eyes drift closed again, wondering briefly what had woken her in the first place, then she heard a voice.
“Mommy?” Tommy called.
“Josie?” Shelly’s voice followed.
Josie leapt out of bed, rushing to close and lock the bedroom door before her son ventured upstairs.
Mercifully, Jake didn’t need any explanation. She glanced toward the bed and saw he was quietly putting on his pants. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to stay so late.”
She waved him off. It wasn’t his fault. Well, unless she considered the fact he’d fucked her into a coma. Then he was definitely to blame.
“I’ll be down in a minute,” Josie yelled through the door.
She heard Shelly laughing, hollering up the stairs. “Man, that’s a heck of a sleep in. You’re usually up with the birds. I wondered why you hadn’t called to get your little man back already.”
“This isn’t exactly how I wanted to introduce you to my son.”
Jake had finished dressing. He walked over and pulled her to him, his hands on her waist. “It’ll be okay. If there’s an opening, I could always try to sneak out without him seeing me.”
She shook her head. No. She was finished hiding her relationship with Jake from her son. Problem was she’d never brought a man home before so she wasn’t sure how Tommy would react. Especially so soon after Tony’s departure from the house.
“I want you to meet him.”
Jake smiled and she could tell her answer pleased him. “Good. I can’t wait to see him.”
Jake returned to the nightstand and tucked her toys inside the drawer, out of sight. The action was so Jake. His continual thoughtfulness caused her chest to constrict. Was this what pangs of love felt like?
Josie quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, finger-combing her hair and silently hoping for the best. She unlocked the door and the two of them walked downstairs together.
Shelly and Tommy had turned on the TV and were sitting next to each other on the couch.
Shelly’s eyes widened when she spotted Jake behind Josie. “Oh. Sorry,” she mouthed over Tommy’s head.
Tommy hadn’t unglued himself from SpongeBob yet to notice there was someone else in the house. Josie walked to the coffee table, picked up the remote and turned the TV off.
“Hey!” Tommy said. His forehead crinkled in confusion when he saw Jake.
Jake nodded at Shelly. “Hi, Shelly. Man. What have you been doing to yourself? You look amazing.”
Shelly gave him a cheeky grin. “Kick-boxing. Among other things.”
Josie rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what other things Shelly was alluding to. Her best friend had lost her virginity with a vengeance, as well as at least sixty pounds since she started her diet in early December.
Tommy stirred, taking a step closer to Josie. She placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping to put him at ease. “Tommy. I’d like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Jake Stewart. Jake, this is my son.”
Jake stepped forward and put his hand out. Her little gentleman accepted it. “Nice to meet you, Tommy.”
Her son didn’t reply at first. Instead, he looked at her. “Where’s Daddy?”
“He moved out yesterday. Remember? I told you he was going to live in his new apartment from now on.”
Tommy scowled. “Did you and Jake have a sleepover?” His tone matched his expression. He was not pleased.
Josie tried to decide whether or not it was best to lie or tell the truth. Then she recalled the mornings she’d woken up to find her mother sitting on the couch bright and early with some new boyfriend, claiming he’d just arrived and would be joining them for breakfast. Josie had never bought the lie. Not once.
“Yes. We did. We stayed up late talking and then we sort of fell asleep.” Still not the total truth, but closer.
“Does Daddy know Jake was here?”
Josie sighed. The timing on this mistake was going to cost her. Big time. Even so, Jake was going to be a part of her life. Their life. Somehow she needed to set them on the right track. “Your daddy knows about Jake. But even if he didn’t, you understand that Mommy can be friends with anybody she wants to.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
God, leave it to a child to ask the hard questions. “Well,” she paused, uncertain how to answer. She and Jake were dating and he’d told her she was the only woman he was seeing. Did that make him her boyfriend?
Jake knelt in front of Tommy. “You love your mom, don’t you, Tommy?”
Tommy nodded.
Jake grinned. “Yeah. She’s pretty cool. I like her a lot. Do you think you could give me a chance? Maybe we could hang out a bit, get to know each other. I hear there’s a new play land opening up next week with a ball pit and laser tag. Your mom and I could take you out for pizza and we could play a round or two if you wanted.”
So many times, Jake had offered to shoulder some of her load, to take some of the weight from her, and she’d denied him. Watching him with Tommy, she realized she’d been wrong to refuse.
Tommy didn’t reply right away. Though he was still confused by the sleepover and angry on his father’s behalf, the appeal of laser tag was definitely helping. “I guess.” The answer was offered begrudgingly. “Are you going to sleep over here all the time?”
Josie and Jake both shook their heads.
“Nope,” Jake replied. “Your mom’s right. We didn’t mean to fall asleep last night. I have my own apartment and that’s where I’ll be come bedtime.”
The answer seemed to soothe Tommy somewhat. “Okay.”
Jake stood up and gave Josie an encouraging smile. “I guess I should head out.”
“I’ll walk you to the door.” Josie was relieved when Tommy hung back with Shelly, though she could feel his eyes burning holes through her back.
“Give him some time to sort through it. He didn’t know I existed five minutes ago.”
Jake was right. They just needed time.
“I’ll call you later,” she said.
She was equal parts disappointed and grateful when Jake didn’t kiss her goodbye. Clearly he knew Tommy was still watching them. He walked to his car, turning before he climbed into the driver’s side. He gave her a wink, then drove away.
She grinned when she recalled Jake’s solution to everything. Maybe time was the answer. And maybe patience was a virtue.
But what happened when your thoughts were less than virtuous all the time?
Chapter Seven
Josie’s Howl List—July
1. Sex with a stranger
2. Sex in public
3. Anal
4. Bondage
5. Spanking
6. Double Penetration
7. Sex on the beach
Josie leaned back, letting the sun warm her face. She loved summer. The sound of kids playing, splashing water, and someone’s radio blasting classic rock surrounded her.
Loud squeals of laughter caught her attention. She glanced toward the lake. Jake and Tommy were in the middle of a major splash war with a big group of kids. She smiled proudly. Her guys were outnumbered, but still winning. A quiet giggle escaped her lips when Jake lifted Tommy up onto his shoulders and t
he two of them started chasing the other kids, roaring like monsters.
Jake claimed more and more of her heart each day. He’d accepted not only her with all her craziness into his life, but he’d offered real friendship to her son. Jake had held true to his promise of laser tag. The three of them had actually gone back twice since the first trip because it was so much fun.
Then Jake had declared Mondays pizza night. He’d bring over a large pizza and the three of them would devour it in front of some movie or while playing a board game.
She dropped her sunglasses over her eyes once more and lay back, trying to remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed and comfortable in her own skin. She could get used to this feeling.
“Have I mentioned how much I love women who wear bikinis?”
She squinted one eye open, keeping the other closed against the bright sunlight, and found Jake staring at her. “I thought you said you’d watch Tommy while I sunbathed for a little while.”
Jake gave her a shit-eating grin as he dropped onto the towel next to her. “I’m doing both. Besides, there are three lifeguards on duty and he’s not in any deeper than his knees.”
Josie glanced toward the lake and saw Tommy filling a bucket with water with another girl about his age. They appeared to be building a sandcastle. “Oh, I see.”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to cramp his style while he was putting the moves on a hot little beach bunny.”
She rolled her eyes at Jake’s jest. “He’s six.”
“A guy’s never too young to start practicing pick-up lines. Tommy started off with a gem. Looked at the girl and said ‘Hey. Are you using that bucket?’”
“Wow. Impressive. I can see why she stuck around.”
“Yep. He’s going to be a heartbreaker.”
Josie sat up, drawing patterns in the sand next to her. The wine girls had organized a picnic at this local lakeside beach to celebrate Kristen’s fortieth birthday. While her actual birthday was next Thursday, Kristen had forbidden them from throwing a real party, claiming she was perfectly happy to turn forty in Laura’s living room with a glass of wine in her hand. It seemed this wasn’t exactly a milestone their friend was looking forward to. Kristen hadn’t found the marriage mart as favorable as she’d expected.