Just One Night - Josh & Bailey (Crossroads Book 13)

by Melanie Shawn

  When his tender touch slipped beneath her sweats and peeled them off, she whimpered, a high-pitched sound that she never even realized she was making until it hit her ears.

  She tangled her fingers in his hair, as much from a need to have something for them to do as from a desire to encourage his head downward. Every cell in her body felt like it was on fire, like she had to move. She had no choice.

  Her body trembled uncontrollably with the pleasure coursing through it. Pleasure brought on by the steady way that Josh undressed her, kissing every new exposed inch of skin, his hot breath trailing after his mouth and leaving tingling pleasure in its wake.

  He slipped her bra off and dropped it to the concrete floor, leaving her breasts exposed to the night air. Her nipples were already so hard with arousal that the cold didn’t affect them at all. They couldn’t get any harder, there was simply nowhere for them to go.

  Josh froze for a moment, then. It was the first time that he’d stopped moving for even a second since they’d touched. She tilted her head down to look at his face and saw that he was staring at her naked breasts. There was a look of rapture on his face so pure it brought tears to her eyes.

  When he looked up to meet her eyes, though, the playful smile returned. He tilted his head to the side in that puppy dog way she loved and said, “Gee, Scarecrow. I think I’ve missed these most of all.”

  She threw her head back and laughed, so surprised by his bastardization of The Wizard of Oz quote. Leave it to Josh to say the one thing that could bring her fully out of her head, even in the most intense moment.

  She was just about to tell him that, but he distracted her by covering her nipples with his mouth, flicking them with his tongue and exploding pleasure through her like it was the Fourth of July. She squeezed her eyes shut and drew in sharp breaths, lights swirling behind her lids. It was so good to be with Josh, like this, again. Had it always been like this? She couldn’t concentrate hard enough to remember. All she could do was ride the moment.

  As he alternated between her stiff buds, his hands moved determinedly down her body, stripping clothes away from her as they went. Her top and bra were already on the floor, and soon they were joined by her sweats and her panties.

  He stepped back from her abruptly, leaving her body hungry for him again the instant he left. His eyes raked up and down her form, studying her for so long that she started to feel a little insecure.

  She was in her mid-thirties. Things that used to be perky were now droopy. Skin that used to be smooth now had stretch marks. A small question of doubt started to creep up in her mind.

  But before she could voice her concern, his eyes rose and locked onto hers, their laser-like intensity mesmerizing. The playful grin twitched at the corners of his mouth again. “You look so good I need to taste you.”

  * * *

  When he spoke those words, a gratifying flush spread over her skin. The site of that rosy hue spreading over her made his dick ache. He loved seeing how responsive she was when he wasn’t even touching her, but now he wanted to test out the hands-on approach.

  He stepped forward and pulled her to him, kissed her hard, and then lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he took her to the break room where there was a brand new couch. He’d replaced the old one just days before after Luna decided to chew up every single pillow.

  Josh didn’t want to lay down on the cold, concrete floor. That wouldn’t be comfortable, or even safe, and it was encoded in his DNA to protect her.

  Without breaking his stride, he carefully lowered her onto the couch until she was laid out along the length of it, then knelt on the floor next to it and picked up where he had left off: kissing his way down her body.

  He started back with her nipples again. Damn, her breasts. They were so spectacular. He had to have one more taste before moving on. And they didn’t disappoint; the button-like nubs of her nipples dragging along the surface of his tongue made his cock twitch with anticipation.

  He kissed his way down her belly, feeling her ab muscles twitch under his lips. Yet another thing that his dick apparently liked, judging from the way it responded.

  Then, finally, he arrived. That spectacular V between her legs that had been his obsession since his first encounter with it so many years ago.

  He dipped his head down and covered her sweet, hot, wet flesh with his mouth. As soon as her juices hit his tongue, it was like the years melted away. She was exactly as he had remembered her tasting, and he couldn’t get enough. He frantically lapped at her folds, then sucked her clit up into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it.

  It didn’t take any more than that. The instant the hard tip of his tongue came in contact with that little bundle of nerves, she exploded in a scream, every muscle in her body clenching tight, her hands flying to the back of his head and pulling him closer.

  He kept up the movements with his tongue, alternating gentle and firm pressure, helping her ride out the sensation as long as possible. Then, when her movements quieted under him, he looked up and saw her watching him. He smiled.

  “Do you have any idea how many times I dreamed of being with you like this again?” Josh asked between kisses he sprinkled on her hip as she recovered from her orgasm.

  “I think I might…” Her skin trembled beneath his lips as her fingers gripped his hair.

  He pulled his clothes off and climbed up on the overstuffed couch next to her, then pulled her to him. God, it felt good to hold her naked body again. To be naked together, the hot flesh of their bodies pressed against each other, aware of the tiniest movement either of them made.

  Yeah. So fucking good.

  Maybe…well, shit.

  Maybe a little too good.

  Emotions that had no business showing up to the party were threatening to burst out of him. What had he been thinking? There was no way to be with Bailey like this and keep it at just a physical level. Bailey owned his soul, his heart, his everything.

  “What’s wrong?” Bailey immediately noticed his emotional withdrawal.

  “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” he managed to grit out.

  Like she always had, her reaction surprised him. Instead of being offended or hurt by his hesitation, her eyes widened slightly and she chuckled. “Yeah, no kidding! It’s a horrible idea. A big mistake.”

  Her open and real response overrode any and all doubt he’d had. His hips ground into her, his erection pressed against her body, and a wolfish grin spread on his face. “Big, huh?”

  Her eyes filled with need as she reached down between their bodies, wrapped her fingers around his shaft, and squeezed. As she moved her palm up and down his manhood she breathed, “Huge. It’s a huge mistake.”

  She maneuvered the swollen head of his dick to her entrance and ran it along the seam.

  Everything in him was screaming for him to plunge into her. To claim her. To reclaim her. His muscles tensed against the surge of pleasure that was flooding through him. Erotic didn’t come close to describing the visual of Bailey grazing her feminine folds with his engorged head. It had his balls tingling with barely-restrained release. They tightened against his body as he did everything in his power not to blow his load before he’d even been inside of her.

  “When’s the last time you were tested?” her voice was strained.

  Her question penetrated his lust-clouded brain, but it took him a beat to figure out what she was talking about. “What?” he asked as her meaning dawned on him.

  “I’m on the shot, and I’m clean,” she stated through labored breaths.

  He’d never had sex with a woman without protection. Not even Bailey. Of course, they’d learned the hard way that that condoms weren’t effective 100 percent of the time. But they were teens then, he’d chalked it up to user error.

  “I’m clean.” He’d gone in for his yearly exam three months ago and he hadn’t been with anyone since.

  “So…?” she asked as she squeezed her fingers tightly around his throbb
ing flesh. “What do you want to do?”

  “You, Bay. Always you.” He echoed her as he gripped her wrist, removing her hold from him, and thrust into her warm, tight channel.

  Her body enveloped him, her inner walls gripping him with the same intensity that she did everything else in her life. The same intensity that made her burn so goddamn bright, like a flame that seared into his soul and never let up.

  He moved in and out of her and the velvety softness of her inner walls clamped down on his straining shaft and created the sweetest kind of friction.

  His rhythm picked up with each thrust. It was like he was possessed by a power beyond his control, totally swept away by instinct. It wasn’t that he wanted Bailey—he needed her. She was like air, and the way he pounded into her was as necessary as breathing.

  With each stroke, his heart pounded faster and the blood rushing through him sped up until it was like a river of lava in his veins. He was torn between the most powerful urge to let go and empty himself into her, and the almost equally powerful urge to stay in the moment, frozen in time. Just keep himself buried inside Bailey’s sweet, warm folds forever.

  After just a few more powerful thrusts, though, it became crystal-fucking-clear that going on forever—while a pretty nice fantasy—had about zero chance of becoming reality. He was in a barrel that was headed over the edge of Niagara Falls, and those white water rapids were doing nothing but speeding up.

  He lifted himself up on his elbows to get even more leverage, even deeper penetration, and that was the thing that ended up putting him over. Pushing himself inside of her was amazing, but damn, when he managed to get even that little bit deeper—it was more than he could handle. He was willing to bet it was more than any man could’ve handled.

  With a growl that sprang from deep inside his chest, he exploded into her. As sensation flooded him, he didn’t even bother to try controlling his emotions anymore. There was just no point. Like a dam bursting, they flooded his heart and mind just like he was flooding Bailey’s body.

  In that moment, she was his. And he was hers. He wasn’t thinking about the past or the future. For once, he was living in the moment, and in that moment she owned him, mind, body, and soul.

  Chapter 12

  Do not look.

  Do not look.

  Do not look.

  Bailey repeated the instruction to herself over and over again as she climbed out of her SUV. Scott Automotive sat across the street from two establishments that she frequented. Barks, Bellyrubs, and Bones, the pet boutique that twin sisters who happened to be two of her best friends owned and The Daily Grind, where she got her daily carb and caffeine fix. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she was determined to avoid even glancing in the direction of the shop.

  It had been two days since Josh had told her that he loved her. That he’d stayed away from her because it was physically painful to be near her. That he thought about her from the second he woke up in the morning to the second he closed his eyes at night. He’d made love to her not once, but twice, two whole days ago and she hadn’t heard from him since. He hadn’t texted, called, stopped by, or sent a carrier pigeon.

  There was no awkwardness when she left, he’d kissed her goodbye and made her promise to text him when she got home. She did. He’d liked her text but since then, nothing. There’d been zero communication.

  Her mind was coming up with all sorts of reasons that might be. She’d run through every possibility she could think of and replayed the night over and over again in her mind to try and pinpoint what could be keeping him silent now.

  Everything had seemed fine. They made love. Then after, while they were cuddling on the couch, she’d heard a crash and thought someone was in the building but it turned out to be Luna.

  Josh’d had the yellow lab for a couple of years, and Bailey had admired her from afar. Bailey loved dogs and would have at least two, if not more, if her schedule allowed. But her hours were too long and unpredictable for a canine companion. Felix didn’t care when, or if she came home. All he cared about was that he ate.

  Bailey took full advantage of puppy time and sat on the floor playing with Luna while Josh warmed up pizza that he’d had delivered earlier that night. They’d talked about life, movies, and television. She’d stayed at his shop until the alarm on her phone sounded, signaling it was time for her to go home, shower, and get ready for her five a.m. shift.

  When she’d said she had to leave, he’d backed her up against the wall and stripped her down once more. It had been short, hot, and everything she could want and more. Then, he walked her to her SUV and kissed her, hard, before she’d gotten inside.

  Over the past couple of days, she’d done her best to compartmentalize the night they’d shared. She’d reminded herself that he’d made it clear that he didn’t know what it meant. She’d tried not to think about all that had transpired. She placed the memories in a mental safe and locked it, because each time she allowed herself to think about Josh, about the things he’d said to her, about the things he’d done to her, hope blossomed in her soul. Hope that it might be more than just one night.

  Though, she knew that would be impossible, even if he had contacted her in the last two days. To have anything real with him, she’d have to tell him things that she’d promised herself she’d take to her grave. She knew that she was being ridiculous. Still, it kind of stung that he hadn’t reached out.

  She was starting to wonder if the night had been something different for him than it had been for her. What if he’d used it as closure? What if he’d gotten her out of his system? Or her greatest fear, what if she hadn’t lived up to whatever expectation he’d had of being with her again?

  He’d said that he thought about her all the time. What if now that they’d been together again, that wasn’t the case? What if he hadn’t given her even a passing thought since she pulled out of his driveway?

  She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and managed to make it all the way to the door of Barks, Bellyrubs, and Bones without looking in the direction of Scott Automotive. Bailey had accomplished quite a bit in her life, but not once glancing in the direction of Josh’s shop was something that filled her with pride.

  A small grin lifted on her mouth as she pushed open the glass door and a bell rang over her head.

  “Hi!” Bea greeted her with a wide smile.

  “Hi, how did my handsome boy do?” She’d had two other cats before Felix and they both hated going to the groomers, but Felix loved it. He loved being doted on and didn’t mind getting his nails trimmed or his ears cleaned.

  Also, he walked around the boutique like he owned the place.

  “He did great. He’s napping in the back.”

  “Heat lamp?” Bailey guessed.

  “Yep.”

  The store had a heat lamp that they used to warm smaller puppies and kittens, but Felix thought it was just for him.

  “Are we still on for coffee on Saturday?” Bea asked.

  “Is that this weekend?”

  “Yep,” Bea confirmed.

  For some reason, Bailey thought the next Coffee Catch-up was a couple of weeks away. Her schedule was even more screwed up than usual thanks to her overnight excursions. First the dance-a-thon and then the sleep over with Josh.

  “Hey, sexy mama!” Leah, Bea’s twin sister, called out as she walked in from the back room.

  “Wow, you look…hot!” There was no other word for it.

  Bailey admired Leah’s bold style. Today she was wearing a white, skin-tight sleeveless turtleneck, a short, black, pleated skirt, and thigh-high socks. Her shoulder-length hair was a shocking bright pink.

  Bea and Leah might be identical twins but telling them apart was never an issue. Their shared DNA was where the similarities ended. Both women were strong, smart, and beautiful, but in their own unique way.

  Bea was quiet, intuitive, and nurturing. She was sweet and reliable, would do anything for anyone, and was always willing to listen if someone
needed a friend. She had long, brown hair that hung down to her waist. Most of the time that hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She rarely wore makeup and when she did, it was usually just a little mascara and lip gloss. Her style was casual and understated. Her wardrobe consisted of a T-shirt and jeans whether she was working or not. As far as Bailey knew, she hadn’t dated since moving to Harper’s Crossing to open up the store five years ago.

  Leah was the yin to Bea’s yang. She was bold in both personality and appearance. She had zero filter when it came to her thoughts and opinions. She was refreshingly honest and blunt and Bailey appreciated her candor. Her hair was short, falling just to her shoulders, and it was constantly changing colors. One day it might be platinum blonde and the next it could be hot pink. Unlike her sister, Leah had a very active dating life, but none of the men lasted long. And she definitely had a type. Tattooed bad boys seemed to be Leah’s lady jam.

  “Thanks!” Leah did a spin, sending her skirt fanning out around her.

  “Isn’t it hard to work in that?” If Bailey were wearing that, she wasn’t even sure she could sit in it without showing half her backside.

  “No, but I didn’t wear this to work. I’m headed over to karaoke night at The Grill. Wanna come?”

  Bailey’s first instinct was to say no. What she wanted to do was go home, watch Netflix, and eat an entire pint of ice cream while lamenting about Josh, but what would that solve? Maybe a night out was just what she needed. “Um…yeah. I have to go change, but sure, that sounds fun.”

  “Yay!” Leah cheered. “I didn’t want to wait until coffee to grill you.” She pointed her finger at Bailey. “You are going to tell me everything.”

  “Everything?”

  “Yes. Everything.” Leah’s tone was serious. “Because you, Bailey Rossum, are my hero.”

  “I am?” Bailey looked to Bea who shrugged as if she didn’t know what her sister was talking about.