by Dale Mayer
Uncertain, he watched her retreat. Only she grabbed her own shirt and pulled it over her head and tossed it onto the couch with his. With a bark of laughter and sheer joy, he quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothing.
He stood in front of her, nude, aroused, and comfortable in his skin, waiting, watching as she did the same, matching him step by step.
When they were only a foot apart, both nude, she swayed toward him. He tugged her close, feeling her shock as heated skin met hot skin. God, he wanted her. His need was something he couldn’t hide. Lord was she beautiful. Long, lean, muscled, but gently rounded everywhere.
“Are you—”
Her mouth latched onto his, silencing him as she began to explore his body.
Yeah, he’d have to say…she was sure.
Chapter 26
She’d been shocked at the sight of his aroused body. Not at the physiology of an aroused man. Anyone with access to the Internet got more than they ever wanted to see there. No, her shock was at the proof that he wanted her. Something she’d never expected to see.
Briefly she considered that when he saw her rib and hipbones sticking out, he’d be turned off. Instead, there’d been a stronger reaction, as if he was pleased with what he saw. Like go figure.
Then he’d opened his mouth, and she’d wanted to stop the question again from coming up. Maybe she didn’t want to be given a choice. To be given a second chance to wonder. To doubt.
It wasn’t that she needed to do this. There’d been so much in life she’d needed to do – just to survive, to function in that crazy world of life after being a victim.
This she wanted to do for herself.
Clumsily, she’d kissed him, trying to express the feeling roiling through her. And again, he hadn’t seemed to notice her lack of experience or her roughness. He was so damn accepting and so damn sexy, she wanted to explore, to touch every inch of his body.
And she loved that he seemed to authentically care about her. For the first time, she realized how far she’d come this week. Who’d have thought she’d be standing here with him right now?
As he pulled back slightly, she didn’t let him go.
That same lopsided grin came out and chased the worry away. “Just a minute,” he whispered.
He stepped around her, grabbed the bedding, and pulled it down to the end of the bed. Then while she was still figuring out what she was supposed to do, she was scooped up into the air, a tiny shriek escaping, and tossed into the middle of the white sheets. The cold bedding hit her skin, making her gasp, only to have that sensation followed by his long muscled body coming down on top of her to chase away the chill. In fact, she was now surrounded by an inferno. Inside and out.
Her body woke up in a big way. In a way she’d never known was possible, but she’d gone from being slightly cool, slightly uncomfortable, to being hot and twisting beneath him, wanting so much more.
She knew the mechanics but hadn’t expected the emotion. The heat or…the overwhelming need and the connection, the power of touch.
Lowering his head, he proceeded to show her all she’d been missing. And she let him. Acquiescing, she followed where he led and he didn’t disappoint. A whole new world of experience opened up for her.
As he stroked her ribs and kissed the old scars she’d completely forgotten about, her hands felt their way along his broad shoulders. His fingers stroked and caressed her small plump breasts before taking the nipple into his mouth and suckling. She arched her back in surprise, wondrous at the surge of sensation not only at her breast but between her legs. This was almost pain…yet so pleasurable it was a feeling she did not want to end. She was so confused and overwhelmed as he caressed and explored, awaking nerve endings she never knew existed.
When he slid two fingers into the curls at the juncture of her thighs, she cried out in joy, almost weeping as pleasure washed through her.
“You’re so responsive,” he whispered, kissing her navel and licking his way below, past the long scar and multiple little ones.
She twisted and cried, whimpering when his tongue slid over her nub, her body open and desperate for release. Lifting her hips, she tossed her head and gripped him with her body. Her fingers dragged through the dark curls on his head. She didn’t know if she wanted to pull him up to her or push him lower. She couldn’t think – just feel.
Then he slid lower.
And he tasted her, licking her as if she was the best ice cream cone. When he slid two fingers deep inside, she cried out, her hips arching up and away from his maddening touch.
Until something twisted inside her.
He grabbed her hips, held her down, withdrew his fingers, then slid his fingers in again.
She exploded.
A kaleidoscope of colors matched the rolling waves of sensations driving through her body. She’d whimper if she could. She’d laugh in joy if she could. Instead, she could only lie there and shudder.
Waves upon waves of…joy washed over her, around her. She was in the center of the vortex. Sensations so freeing and wonderful she just lay still in delight and let it happen.
Weaver kissed his way back up, stopping to taste her navel, her nipples, before giving her a deep drugging kiss that pushed her deeper into the center of the vortex. It was barely noticeable when he shifted her position, making a place for himself, like he belonged there.
He lifted her hips and in one sure stroke settled himself deep inside her core.
Gasping, her pelvis, with a mind of its own, softened. Accepting, caring, welcoming him, reaching up for him.
There was no pain. Just a newness. A sense of rightness.
She sighed. How could anyone stand this? It felt so good. So right. So full. So much more than she’d ever thought it could be. It was…perfect.
Then he started to move.
And she realized it was happening all over again. The pressure built up quickly, and she couldn’t do anything as the sensations buffeted her from one side to the other. It was going so fast, all she could do was hang on for the ride.
She opened her eyes to see him, his own eyes closed, the cords on his neck tight and hard as he drove toward something only he could see.
Then he gave a long groan, his body arching backwards, and she could feel his release inside her. So deep inside. So special. With him in a togetherness she did not know was possible. And damn if she didn’t come apart again.
He collapsed beside her, their bodies slick with sweat, and he tucked her up close. She lay curled up at his side, wide-eyed yet exhausted. Her body hummed. Her emotions spun and her mind…it couldn’t believe what she’d just experienced.
No wonder everyone spent so much time thinking about sex. Where to get it, how to get it, having it, and who with. Holy crap.
She was a convert.
His chest rose and shuddered unevenly as he took a big gasping sigh and let it out, his breathing settling right down.
She grinned. Lifted herself up on her elbow so she could look down at him, and said, “Now that you’ve recovered, ready to go again?”
*
His gaze widened in shock, a startled laugh escaping.
He cuddled her close. “Anytime, any place,” he said.
She snickered and relaxed down beside him.
He was so damn grateful for this moment, he just wanted to squeeze her harder. She’d been…well, he was speechless. In trying to make it good for her, trying to make it special, and he’d been so surprised at the depth of his own need, his own response, hell, it had ended up…perfect.
“Thank you.” That gentle voice floated up from within his arms. He had to question that he’d really heard them. He twisted slightly so that he could see her face and the look on her eyes.
“For what?” he murmured. Now what was she worrying about inside that pretty head of hers?
“For making it good for me.”
Leaning over her, Weaver stared down at her in astonishment. “My pleasure,” he whispered, dropping
a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “This isn’t a one-person activity. Both should be just as involved.”
She gave a tiny shrug, but the matching smile on her lips caught his eye. “That might be true, but we also know it’s not always that way. I’m not sure I could have had that same experience with another man.”
He pulled back slightly. “Hell, I don’t want to think of you with another man,” he said, “But I can’t allow you to think that. There are many men in the world, and many are very experienced and good lovers,” he admitted. “With way more experience than I—”
“Experience has nothing to do with it,” she whispered. “It has to do with caring. With wanting me to be happy. To find pleasure. You helped me reach through a very difficult thing. The first time for any woman can be traumatizing. In my case, it was a mix of issues. Thank you for being you. I managed to trust you enough to do this and…” That beautiful smile of hers deepened. “And you gave me so much more than I expected.”
Her words were lovely, the tone perfect. The sincerity…well, he’d never been thanked for doing something he’d wanted to do so badly. But he remembered that there’d been no pain. No hymen to break. He wondered about mentioning it then decided it wasn’t the time. Later, when she was more comfortable, then maybe she’d share. Right now he was just so damn glad to be where he was. He wanted her to come back to this point in time and remember it with joy, not heartache.
She looked so lovely in his arms, such a perfect fit, his heart swelled. He gave her a tiny grin. “Yeah? Well in that case, let’s see what we can do for round two.”
And he lowered his head, gratified to find her lips already reaching up for him.
This woman was all about giving.
He’d never met anyone quite like her.
Then he couldn’t think as her hand slid down his back to his buttocks and squeezed. Her toes slowly climbed his calves, and he realized she hadn’t just enjoyed the first time around. She had learned. As she slid her hand between them to find him, his eyes crossed.
“Christ,” he whispered as her fingers closed around him, her body sliding lower and lower.
She’d learned a hell of a lot.
Chapter 27
The next morning Paris woke slowly, confused by the aches and pains mixed with the delicious sensations throughout her body. She lay quiet for a long moment until the memories of last night filtered into place. Weaver. She smirked. A beautiful name. He’d woven a beautiful experience together for her. A night to never forget. A memory to cherish forever.
Hoping they had many more to come, she smiled at the thought of them as a pair.
She rolled over to find his side of the bed empty, the bedding thrown back as if in a hurry. She sat up, pushing her tousled hair back and looking around. She caught sight of her reflection in the massive television screen. Even in there, she looked well loved.
For the first time, she realized that’s exactly what she was. Loved.
She hopped out of bed to look for a note or something to explain where Weaver had gone. Nothing. Hating the building worry that he’d walked away, she stepped into a hot shower and soaped herself all over. She’d have loved to have Weaver in there with her right now. Maybe later tonight. It was her last night here.
That reminder slowed her strokes as she used the washcloth on her skin. Her face. She had some decisions to make.
They weren’t something she could make so easily.
But time was running out.
Back in her room, she realized there was still no sign of Weaver. It was almost time for the seminar. She’d forgotten to check the time before going into the shower and now she was late.
She quickly dressed, then raced down to the restaurant, grabbed two coffees, and hurried toward the conference room. There was a group of law enforcement off to one side. She skirted around them, keeping her head down and going around the centerpiece in the lobby. When she figured it was safe, she went to turn back and heard a voice that made her smile. Weaver.
Glancing in his direction, she almost dropped her coffee. He was speaking with Delaney. She froze, trying to assimilate what she was seeing. And couldn’t find any reason that made her feel good. She turned and ran into the seminar room. Shit. Standing in the middle of the room she didn’t know what to do. With stricken eyes, she searched the place she normally sat to find two coffees sitting there, waiting. She proceeded slowly, her heart desperate for an explanation but her mind coming up blank.
Weaver knew how devastating that man’s presence was to her.
Was he trying to do something for her? Against her? A small shudder went down her long frame. She sat down before her legs gave out, but…
“Hey, are you all right? You look like you’ve had a horrible shock,” a man sitting in front of her asked.
She tried for a smile. “I did actually. But I’m okay.”
Busying herself with trying to organize all the cups on the table, she tried to reorganize the thoughts in her mind.
All she could see was the word betrayal flashing in neon colors in her mind.
Again.
*
Weaver, angry and disturbed, slipped into class. He saw Paris already in her seat, and his smile bloomed fully when he saw the double set of cups on the table. He loved that about her. She rarely thought about herself and was always looking about to help others. He imagined nursing to be one of the best professions for her.
“Hey,” he murmured to her bent head as he sat down.
He’d expected a wide grin, even a shy blush.
But she kept her head down and said, “Hey back.”
He stared at her bent head in dismay. Damn. He hadn’t wanted to leave her in bed this morning. He’d planned to wake her up in a special way, but he’d gotten a call from Jenna. Against his better judgment, he’d left the bedroom. And left her.
Alone.
He tried to see her face, but she had her head down enough that her hair fell to cover her features. Reaching across, he squeezed her shoulders and tried to make contact. She stiffened but didn’t look at him.
Shit. He eased his hand back and turned to snag up one of the coffees. Hating that he felt like he was in the wrong, he took a drink and tried to pay attention. Jenna was setting up for a special set of exercises. The dynamic way she held the audience was inspiring. The way they all paid attention, as if she had the answers to life in the palm of her hand. Maybe she did.
It would be nice if she could share some of that smoothness. Especially with Paris. But circumstances kept him separated from her all morning and although he tried to catch a glimpse of her, she never looked his way. Was she regretting their night together?
With his heart sinking, he wondered how badly he’d screwed up. Then he got mad because if leaving her this morning was a deal breaker, then she should have let him know ahead of time.
Then again, she’d never been in this situation. She might not have any idea how etiquette worked.
Or maybe she was regretting last night.
Wouldn’t that be his luck, the best night in his life and she wanted nothing more to do with him? Damn it. If that happened, life was a bitch.
Just then he was forced to put his focus elsewhere as his group ended up being the first to take on Jenna’s exercises and for the next few hours, he didn’t have time to think about last night or Paris’s odd behavior. In fact, there wasn’t much time to do anything. When they finally did break for lunch, he turned to find her and instead realized she was leaving with her group. Uncertainly, he watched her leave the hotel with them, willing her to look back and check on him.
She kept on walking.
“Come on, Weaver. You’re coming for lunch with us. There’s a lovely Japanese restaurant around the corner.”
Japanese food was the last thing he wanted, but they wouldn’t accept his excuses. And maybe he was better off not alone. Confused and angry now, he couldn’t imagine what would happen if he let himself travel further down that path.
<
br /> What the hell had he done?
Chapter 28
It was hard to reconcile the Weaver she’d known intimately last night with the man listening to Constable Delaney this morning. Her euphoria over the wonderful loving she’d received had turned to dust in her mouth. She didn’t have a clue what to say to him now. She wished it was Friday and the workshop was over so she could leave. But it wasn’t. She had one more night. This morning she’d have done anything to have that last night with him.
Now she couldn’t get away fast enough. Although sitting at a restaurant with a group that didn’t include him was the best she could do at the moment.
At the same time, a part of her said that wasn’t fair. Until she talked to him, she couldn’t know for sure that he’d betrayed her.
Since she’d trusted him last night, she wanted to trust him today.
If she hadn’t seen the two men talking, then her day would be so different. Now she could barely look at him and when she did, it was to assess him. Study him. To look for that strip of character that said her trust wasn’t misplaced.
Of course, she was well on her way to loving this man. To caring for him in a way she’d never cared for anyone before. And it terrified her and confused her, because it was all so new.
And if she was wrong in her interpretation of what she’d seen – then he had every right to be seriously angry with her. Tired of the mental ramble in her head, she rubbed her sore temple, wishing she could escape to her room. But it wasn’t to be. She had said she’d come for lunch and looking around the Japanese restaurant, she realized the change would be good for her. She loved group lunches at work. They were fun and interactive. Not personal.
Right now, that’s just what she needed.
The door blew open, letting another group into the restaurant. And damn if it wasn’t Weaver’s group. With a sense of inevitability, she watched Weaver walk in. He stood there, tall, cool, composed – personally she preferred the man who’d come apart in her arms – but there was no doubt this man had a presence. Her mind flashed to the previous night, their bodies in sync with one another.