by Mari Carr
She laughed and pulled her hands free from his. “Oh, I see. So you still need more persuasion?”
He groaned when she cupped his cock, squeezing with just enough pressure to let him know she was up to the job. He cleared his throat roughly, the husky sound telling her she’d struck just the right nerve. “I wouldn’t be opposed to a little more convincing.”
She grinned as she dropped to her knees, tackling the button and zipper on his pants. Jason’s hands flew to her head when she freed him. The significance of their position wasn’t lost on her.
“I want to be with you, Jason Mitchell. Want to spend the rest of my life nagging and laughing and singing karaoke and drinking cheap beer and dancing at Buffett with you. I don’t want to be your back-up plan. I want to be your first and only choice. I love you and I want to be with you. Forever.”
Then for good measure, she put her money where her mouth was and continued with the persuading. She’d only taken the head of his cock into her when Jason’s hands tightened in her hair, tugging it with just enough strength to send her body into orbit.
“Yes, Kris. God. Yes to everything.”
She laughed around his cock, the vibrations making him moan again. She drew him in deeper then, reveling in the moment, in the calmness that descended as time took on new meaning.
There was plenty of it now. A lifetime, in fact.
Unfortunately Jason didn’t seem to feel that same relief. “Dammit, woman.” He gently pulled himself free of her mouth, then helped her back to her feet.
“What’s wrong?”
He gave her a rueful grin. “You’re leading again.”
She patted him on the cheek. “Aw, it’s okay. You would think after all our years of working together, you’d be used to me being in charge by now.”
Jason shook his head, then paused. “Shit. Just had an image of you dressed in black leather, standing over me with a whip in your hand. Trying to figure out how my cock can still be hard when my balls just shriveled into my body to hide in fear.”
Kristen laughed. “And you call me the freak.”
“Would you stop distracting me? I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I’m not the one who always goes off on these stray tangents.”
Jason sighed, as he tucked his cock back in his pants, buttoning them back up.
She frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No. For the first time in a long time, everything is right. But we have this bad habit of skipping straight to the good stuff without managing to say what needs to be said.”
He took her hand and led her to the couch. She started to sit next to him, but at the last minute he tugged her onto his lap.
His cock rested against her hip which took her mind straight back to the gutter. While she understood his need to talk—sort of—she really just wanted to twist to face him and pick things up where they’d left off. She wasn’t sure where this horny woman had been hiding for most of her life, but Kristen didn’t see her disappearing again any time soon.
Unfortunately Jason didn’t share her inability to concentrate. “When you didn’t come in to work today, I sat down and seriously tried to contemplate what my life would be like without you.”
She was taken aback by his thoughtful, almost pained tone. For years, she’d thought of him as a bit shallow, too irreverent and completely incapable of taking things seriously. In the past few months, he’d knocked every single one of those misconceptions out of the park. “Jason, I’m sorry. I should have told you right away that I’d turned Matthew down, but…” She faltered, suddenly not liking her reasons for holding her tongue.
“But you wanted to test me.”
She bit her lower lip. “You realize I always sort of come out of these conversations looking like an insecure bitch.”
He laughed. “I don’t blame you for wanting to make sure I was sincere. I haven’t exactly proven myself to be stellar boyfriend material in the past.”
“So what did life look like without me?”
He ran his fingers through her hair. “Fishing for compliments?”
She nodded. “You owe me a few. You left too quickly the other night. I was still horny. Had to play with my magic bullet all by myself.”
His eyes narrowed. “You used a toy without me?”
“Don’t give me that tone. It was your fault.”
He kissed her cheek lightly. “I’ll make up for it later. Promise.”
Kristen wrapped her arms around his shoulders, soaking up the light scent of his cologne. It was still so hard for her to believe they were here, together like this. Then she wondered why in the hell it had taken them so long. They’d been standing right in front of each other for years. Talk about blinders.
“I love you, Kris. More than I’ve ever loved anyone. You’re my best friend, my partner, my conscience and my freaky lover.”
He lifted her off his lap, then reached into his pocket. Kristen gasped when he dropped to one knee in front of her and produced a ring.
“Jason,” she whispered.
“You beat me to the punch. And you said it all a hell of a lot better than I could, but the fact is you’ve never been my back-up plan. You’ve been the center of my universe for well over a decade and I can’t believe it took me this long to realize it.”
He lifted her hand and held the ring up.
She nodded, then felt a tear slide down her cheek as he put it on her finger. “Wow.” It was the most beautiful diamond Kristen had ever seen.
“It was my grandmother’s. Well, the diamond part. I had the jeweler add the sapphires to match your eyes.”
“That’s so romantic.”
He grinned. “Yeah. I know you hate that mushy-gushy shit, but I’m going to try to change your mind on that as well. Figure I already managed to correct your unreasonable stance on that sex isn’t important issue, so I’m pulling out all the stops now. Going for broke.”
She didn’t call him to task for being a cocky bastard. She’d do that later.
Instead, Kristen leaned forward, kissing him. Jason deepened the embrace. She wasn’t sure how many hours passed as they simply held each other, content to take things slowly this time.
When they parted, she rubbed her cheek against his rough one, loving the prickly feel of it.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I tossed and turned until nearly four this morning. Then I overslept. Didn’t have a chance to shave.”
She stroked his face, then let her fingers drift along his upper lip. “That’s okay. This is a hot look for you. Have you ever considered growing a mustache?”
Jason stood up quickly. “You little hussy. Come on. That’s enough romance for now. I think it’s time we got down and dirty.”
“Finally! Just give me a second to find my whip. I know it’s around here some—”
Her jest ended midstream as Jason picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “Later. I promise at some point we can discuss the possibility of you chaining me up and doing all sorts of unspeakable things to me. Just discuss.”
“I love it when you talk dirty.”
“But for now,” he said as he carried her upstairs to her bedroom, “I want to make love to my fiancée.”
Epilogue
“Did we seriously just do that?” Kristen asked Jason, laughing as he spun her around the dance floor of Blue Moon. It was New Year’s Eve again and this year’s celebration was the polar opposite of the previous year. The wine girls had escaped the quiet security of Laura’s townhouse and ventured out into the real world.
“If you’re asking if we just stood in front of the justice of the peace and said, ‘I do,’ then yeah. You and me are hitched.”
He kissed her softly. Kristen tried to remember a moment when she’d actually thought this was a mistake, but that outrageous concept wouldn’t come back to her. She’d been proven wrong time and time again the past few months by her romantic, dirty-talking, easygoi
ng playboy of a boyfriend.
No…husband.
He was her husband now.
“It’s been a crazy year,” she said as they swayed to the music. “I sure as hell didn’t see myself here when I made that resolution at Laura’s house last year.”
“Sometimes I can’t quite believe just how much I feel for you. You’re my whole life. I love you, Kris Mitchell.”
She smiled, certain she’d never get tired of hearing those words. “I don’t think I’ll ever love you more than I do at this very moment.” Then she narrowed her eyes. “Hey. Who said I was taking your name?”
“Oh, you’re taking it.”
She stiffened her spine, letting him know she wouldn’t go down without a fight. Despite their new status, the one thing that hadn’t faded in the face of their love was the bickering. Thank God. Kristen loved sparring with her beloved partner. “Wow. You still haven’t learned it’s never wise to issue orders to me, have you?”
“Let’s just say you’re not the only one with the powers of persuasion.” His hands drifted lower, leaving her back to gently stroke her ass. As always, his touch sparked her arousal, leaving her breathless and hungry.
“Is that right?” she whispered, wondering how long they had to stay at what was technically their wedding reception—informal though it was.
“I’ve got tricks up my sleeve even a freak like you couldn’t imagine.”
She laughed, kissing him on the cheek. “Can’t wait to see them. Should we go?”
Jason shook his head, spinning her around. “Too early.”
She dragged her hand covertly along the front of his pants, teasing him. The erection she found stowed there told her she wasn’t alone in her desires. “Please? I’ll make it worth your while.”
Jason groaned, then captured her hand, tugging it away. “Behave, sunshine.”
They continued to dance, though their movements took a definite turn toward provocative, a seduction to music, as they moved closer, sharing quick, inappropriate touches. A few more minutes of this and Jake, the owner of Blue Moon, would have to toss them out for public indecency.
Rob was playing with his old band, Express Train, for the special night. The wine girls and their guys had all stood up as witnesses for their quick wedding ceremony before coming here to ring in the New Year. It had been the best night of Kristen’s life and it wasn’t even over yet.
When the song drifted to an end, Rob stepped up to the microphone. “We’d like to dedicate this next song to Mr. and Mrs. Jason Mitchell. They got married tonight and we’re here to celebrate with them. Congratulations, you two. Here’s wishing you a long and happy life together.”
Everyone cheered and Kristen laughed as she watched the wine girls lift lemon shooters in her honor.
As the first strands of the song started, Kristen looked at Jason and smiled. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he intended to shake up her views on romance. It turned out her husband was the most romantic man she’d ever known and he’d definitely taught her the meaning of true love. “Our song?”
He nodded. “I’m not looking for lust or new love or infatuation with you. I intend for this marriage to last a damn long time, Kris. Forever. And by the way, you look wonderful tonight.”
About the Author
Writing a book was number one on Mari’s bucket list and on her thirty-fourth birthday, she set out to see that goal achieved. Now her computer is jammed full of stories—novels, novellas, short stories and dead-ends. A New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller as well as winner of the Passionate Plume, Mari finds time for writing by squeezing it into the hours between 3 a.m. and daybreak when her family is asleep and the house is quiet.
You can visit Mari’s website at www.maricarr.com
She is also on www.facebook.com/pages/Mari-Carr/104162059662687 and www.twitter.com/MariCarr
She blogs at International Heat (internationalheat.wordpress.com) and hangs out on the Heat Wave Readers Yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heat_Wave_Readers/join
Look for these titles by Mari Carr
Now Available:
Just Because
Because of You
Because You Love Me
Because It’s True
Just Because
Second Chances
Fix You
Full Moon
Status Update
Black and White Collection
Erotic Research
Tequila Truth
Rough Cut
Happy Hour
Power Play
Slam Dunk
Learning Curves
Dangerous Curves
Wicked Curves
Compass Brothers
Northern Exposure
Southern Comfort
Eastern Ambitions
Western Ties
Love’s Compass
Compass Girls
Winter’s Thaw
Hope Springs
Summer Fling
Coming Soon:
Compass Girls
Falling Softly
Some things never change. Others never stay the same. Thank God.
Status Update
© 2013 Mari Carr
Second Chances, Book 3
Laura Sanders thought post-divorce life would be simple. What a rude awakening to realize that after too many years as a wife and mother, she’s stuck in a rut so deep she’s forgotten how to have fun.
Determined that this year will be different, she sets a New Year’s goal to rediscover the woman she used to be—the one who loved to dance, to laugh, to kiss.
When Bryan Sinclair spots his best friend from high school in the Blue Moon bar, he wonders how the hell he failed to notice her beauty and vitality all those years ago. Laura’s confession that she plans to experience lost opportunities tempts him into joining her on the journey.
Together they make up for lost time, in and out of the bedroom. But there’s one area in which Laura has no plans to change the status quo—her heart. And Bryan has his work cut out convincing her to take another chance. On him. On forever.
Warning: This story contains sex at Rocky Horror, sex at a Jimmy Buffett concert, sex on the stairs, sex on the dining-room table, sex on the dance floor, and even sex in a bed.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Status Update:
The ride back to her townhouse was made in silence as Laura filled every second with one panic attack after another. She hadn’t anticipated the evening going this way. Sure, Bryan had told her he wanted to fuck the hell out of her, but she’d dismissed those words, decided they were said in the heat of the moment.
Bryan had a wicked sense of humor. Laura had thought perhaps they were just indulging in some innocent flirting and dirty sexual innuendos.
Yeah, right. Had she honestly thought they’d have a nice dinner, talk, maybe go dancing, and then she’d offer him a bit more of that red-hot kissing he’d introduced her to without sex entering the equation?
Regardless of their unquestionable, off-the-charts attraction, things were moving too fast. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around what was about to happen.
Bryan pulled into the parking lot adjacent to her building and turned off the car. “Laura—” he started. His tone said it all.
She’d given away her nervousness. He was going to back out and let her off the hook.
Was that what she wanted?
She looked at Bryan’s handsome, concerned face.
Fuck that.
She was sick of the wise, old, never-take-a-chance woman she’d become.
New year. New Laura.
She reached across the console, leaning forward, while reaching for his shirt. She grabbed a handful of the cotton and used it to pull him toward her. Bryan met her halfway, their lips connecting in a kiss that triggered an arousal she hadn’t experienced in years. There was something so completely magical about Bryan’s kisses. Over the years, Laura had forgotten the intensity, the excitem
ent that could be wrapped up in that initial touch of lips.
Bryan cupped her face, holding her as if she were not only the most precious woman on earth, but the hottest one as well. His fingers drifted along her cheek before he ran them through her hair. His grip tightened as if he were afraid she would change her mind and escape.
She wasn’t going anywhere without him.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured against her lips.
Her hands rested on his shoulders, but she wanted more. Wanted to feel him—skin to skin. She ran her fingers over his jaw, loving the roughness that betrayed he hadn’t shaved since this morning.
Though it was winter outside, the temperature in the car had to be pushing a thousand degrees.
They remained there, locked together, neither willing to be the first to break the connection.
Finally, Laura pulled away, resting her forehead against his. “I haven’t had sex in a really long time,” she admitted.
“Neither have I.”
“I’m counting in years, Bryan.”
He grinned. “Oh. Then I revise my previous statement. I haven’t had sex in a while.”
She laughed, then decided she didn’t want to start something that she potentially couldn’t finish. “Should we also revisit that comment you made in the restaurant?”
He tilted his head, confused. “Care to narrow it down for me?”
“The control thing.”
Bryan leaned closer and placed a quick, hard kiss on her lips. “That’s not going to be a problem for us.”
She studied his face, trying to decide if his answer was enough. Hell, she didn’t have a clue what he meant.
Bryan didn’t give her a chance to ask for clarification. “Trust me, Laura.”
Trust was a leap of faith, but it didn’t matter. Laura was one of those people who saw the best in someone until they proved her wrong. Bryan had done nothing to betray her trust, so…he had it.
“You wanna come in?”
“For coffee?” he asked.
She leaned back and slapped him on the upper arm. “No, not for coffee. What the hell have we just been talking about?”