Lean On Me
Page 12
***
By the time he pulled the truck into his driveway, their ragged breathing echoed inside the vehicle and fog edged the windows. Hunter leaped out of the Tahoe and strode around to the passenger side. He opened the door and leaned inside to cover Sandy's mouth with his for a soul-searing kiss. "If you're going to say no, do it now, and I'll take you home. Once we walk into my house, I don't think I'll be able to call a halt to this."
She placed her hand against his racing heart. "My head says I shouldn't, but my heart says yes. For once, I'm going to follow my heart."
"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that," he said as he swept her into his arms. "I don't know what I would have done if you'd said no."
He carried her to the front porch and set her on her feet so he could unlock the door and hurried her inside, kicking the door shut with one booted foot. What he really wanted to do was pick her up and carry her straight to his bed, but good manners forced him to ask, "Would you like a drink?" He really hoped she'd say no.
"Do you have any wine?"
Well, so much for that hope. "Sure. White or red?"
"White, please, if it isn't too much trouble."
"No, no trouble at all. Why don't you go into the living room and sit down. I'll be right back."
He headed for the kitchen as Sandy walked into the living room. I had to go and open my big mouth. But that was okay. He wanted her to feel relaxed with him, not pressured or frightened. Maybe a glass of wine would help.
He pulled a bottle of white wine from the back of the refrigerator where it was stashed behind the milk, hot sauce, and margarine. He retrieved two crystal glasses from the cabinet above the sink and filled them halfway.
He gulped his wine down and refilled his glass before leaving the kitchen. It wouldn’t hurt for him to relax, too, before he pushed too hard and sent her running across the yard into her own house.
Hunter couldn't remember ever being this excited about the prospect of sex, at least not since he was fifteen and Mary Jo Putney had taken him in hand--literally.
While she waited for Hunter to return from the kitchen, Sandy sat demurely on the love seat in front of a huge picture window that looked out over the front lawn. She'd debated about sitting in the man-sized recliner angled in front of a big-screen television, the only single-person seat in the large room, but decided that would be too obvious. She let her gaze peruse the room as she twisted her hands in her lap.
A fireplace surrounded by shelves took up most of one wall, the shelves filled with various sports trophies and knick-knacks. A state-of-the-art stereo system stood in the corner opposite the television. A gray leather couch faced the fireplace, with a blue, gray and maroon rug in front, partially covering the hardwood floor. There were pictures on the mantel over the fireplace and one drew her from her seat.
She walked over and picked it up, casting a quick glance over her shoulder to be sure Hunter was nowhere in sight. It was a photograph of Jason with a petite bleached-blonde she assumed was Liz. The woman couldn't have been more than an inch over five feet tall and probably hadn't weighed over ninety-five pounds. Sandy felt like a giant in comparison.
At three inches shy of six feet, she'd towered over the other kids in her class until her junior year of high school when the boys finally began to catch up. She'd always been slim, but the last time she'd weighed ninety-five pounds had probably been when she was ten years old.
How would she look to Hunter after he'd spent years making love to a woman like Liz? Would he think she was too big, her proportions too overblown? She couldn't think of another word for it. Her breasts were full, her hips too wide. After Melanie was born she hadn't been able to completely regain her youthful figure and now she felt self-conscious. She wished she'd stayed on the diet she'd started after Christmas.
She almost dropped the picture when Hunter came up behind her and handed her the wineglass. "Where did you learn to sneak up on people like that?" she demanded, setting the frame back on the mantel.
"Just part of the training program the Air Force put me through." Damn! He should have put that picture away before he brought her home with him. He didn't want any ghosts between them tonight.
He decided to ignore the fact that she'd been staring at the photograph and just act like nothing was wrong. "Come with me," he said as he took her hand and drew her down the hall to the master bedroom.
CHAPTER TEN
Hunter feared she might bolt at the suddenness with which he'd escorted her to his room, but he'd wanted to get away from that damned photo. There were no reminders in this room. Everything in it was new, from the hand-carved oak, king-sized bed all the way down to the blue satin sheets on the mattress. Even the mattress was new.
Hunter turned off the overhead light but left the lamp beside the bed on low. He knew he was obsessing, wanting everything to be just right, but it felt like the first time for him and he wanted it to feel the same for her. He wanted them both to forget, at least for tonight, any other sexual experience they'd ever had.
They weren't innocent young virgins. They were mature, experienced adults, so they could handle this new phase of their relationship with dignity and maturity. Right?
Hunter came back to stand in front of her and Sandy raised her eyes to his. He took the glass from her hand and set it on the dresser, then lowered his head until his lips met hers. He kissed her--light, gentle caresses meant to soothe rather than entice. Once, twice, three times before she relaxed. He lifted her into his arms for a deeper, more thorough kiss and carried her across the room to his bed.
He stood beside the bed, still holding her tightly against him, then kissed her again before he slid her slowly down his body. Her knees wobbled and she clutched his jacket in her fists. He could feel her trembling and thought it was from desire until he saw the anxiety that clouded her eyes.
Was she afraid of him? He knew he was rushing her, but he was sure she wanted this as much as he did. He pulled her into a crushing embrace and held her for a long moment.
"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked as he drew back to see her face more clearly.
"No. I'm just a little scared."
"Of me? Why? Am I pushing you into this, Sandy? Because if I am, tell me and we'll stop right now."
"Of course not. I want to make love with you. It's just that…this is so hard to say. Sex with Todd wasn't a pleasant experience. Most of the time, it hurt. And I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I'm not very responsive. Not very good at this."
Not responsive? Where on earth had she gotten that idea? He didn't have much experience outside of his marriage, but even he knew that wasn't true. She responded to his touch, his kisses, with a passion that fired his blood. "Will you trust me? Give me a chance to show you how wonderful making love can be? I don't think the problem was with you. You just made love to the wrong man."
She searched his face and her eyes connected with his. She must have seen what she was looking for, because she nodded and leaned her head against his chest.
"I trust you. My head says run, but my heart wants to stay here with you. I told you I decided to follow my heart, and I will. Make love with me, Hunter. Please."
He felt as though he'd just been handed a priceless gift. He knew Sandy didn't trust easily, but she'd chosen to place her faith in him. He vowed he wouldn't let her down.
Taking her mouth with his, he used his tongue to tease her lips apart. She tasted like strawberries and cream from the sopapilla they'd had for desert. Would the rest of her taste as sweet? He intended to find out.
He slid his hands up the back of her dress until he found the zipper tab and gently tugged it down to her hips, lightly trailing his fingers along her spine as he exposed her satiny flesh. She wasn't wearing a bra, so his progress was smooth and unimpeded. Goose bumps popped up on her skin wherever his fingers touched. Without releasing her lips, he slid the dress off her shoulders and let it drift to the floor to pool around her feet.
His
hands began an exploration of her body, made all the more exciting for him because he couldn't see what his hands could feel. Rich curves from waist to hip, a smooth bottom that fit his hands as if made especially for him. Full breasts that curved outward from where they were crushed against his chest. He had to see what his mind had only imagined.
He gently eased his lips from hers and set her back far enough to allow him a full view. "You're just as beautiful as I dreamed you'd be," he told her. "More than I dared hope for." His hands drifted down to the lace panties and satin garter she wore.
Sandy struggled to maintain her equilibrium as Hunter seared her with his gaze. She wanted to hide herself from his view, knowing that her body could never measure up to that of the princess in the picture she'd seen earlier. But his hands on her arms prevented her from covering herself, so she did her best to appear nonchalant.
Finally, she thought as he knelt in front of her and carefully unhooked the garter from her silk stockings, then rolled each one down her legs, trailing kisses in their wake. She swayed and he caught her, lifting her in his arms as he stood. He yanked the covers back and laid her on the bed.
Still clad in the garter and panties, she crossed her arms over her chest, a blush burning her neck and face as he stared down at her.
"Don't be embarrassed. I just want to look at you. For now, anyway." He chuckled. "In a few minutes I'll be too involved in other things to take time to enjoy the view."
Sandy responded to his playfulness by letting her arms drop to her sides, giving him an unobstructed view. "Do I get the same privilege? Or are you going to stay overdressed all night?"
She forgot her embarrassment as she stared at Hunter. She thought she'd known what a nude male body was supposed to look like. But, God forgive her for thinking ill of the dead, Todd had never looked like this. Hunter's tan extended to just below his waist, emphasizing broad, muscular shoulders and an equally broad chest. Dark, slightly curly hair spread across his upper chest and narrowed as it approached his pelvis. There it surrounded the most impressive sight she'd ever seen. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Hunter's aroused state.
She should be afraid, especially in light of her previous experiences with sex, but she was too fascinated to think about anything else. She knew he was waiting for a reaction from her, something to indicate she wanted to continue. She opened her mouth to reassure him, but the only thing she could say was "Oh, my."
For Hunter, it was enough. His chest filled with an indescribable emotion, making him want to cherish even as he ravished. But when he stretched out beside her, she closed her eyes and opened her legs, obviously expecting him to go straight for the main attraction. Well, she didn't know that wasn't his primary objective. He wanted to show her so many things, so many pleasures. There was time for whatever they desired. He wanted her to enjoy their joining, not endure it.
Her eyed popped open in surprise when he traced the curve of her breast with his tongue. Her lips formed a perfect "O" when he took the tip into his mouth and sucked, then rolled his tongue over the tight peak as he watched her reaction. Her hands gripped his head when he took her more deeply into his mouth, her back arching to meet him.
His hand trailed down her side, over her hip, and skirted around the top of her thighs to continue down her leg to her knee. Then he lazily followed the trail back up, drawing closer but not yet touching her center. He moved to her other breast and gave it the same devoted attention, and her fingers clenched in his hair.
"Now, Hunter. Please," she begged.
He released her breast and shook his head. "Not yet."
He smiled at her look of confusion. "You're about to learn what all the fuss is about." He followed the path his hand had taken earlier, this time with his mouth. He soothed her when she began to protest, then resumed his sensual journey.
He paid extra attention to her right foot, laving her toes with his tongue, then began the journey in reverse order, beginning with her left foot. As he neared her soft curls, she tried to cross her legs. He stilled her with his hand and nudged them apart.
He knelt between her legs and looked into her anxious eyes.
"It's okay," he assured her. "Trust me."
"I don't--I don't know what to do," she said.
"You don't have to do anything. Just enjoy."
Sandy almost came off the bed when his tongue touched her.
Her heart felt like it was going to burst, even as embarrassment made her try to pull away. No one had ever touched her like this. She'd read about it in books, but to actually experience it was something she had never imagined. She found it was totally disconcerting and mortifying, but she didn't want him to stop. Ever.
Hunter held her steady with a hand on each thigh as he continued, intent on driving her up and over the edge with his intimate kiss. He led her close to the peak, then backed off to let the tide recede. Over and over, until she was begging him to stop.
He chuckled, knowing from her desperate tone that she didn't want him to stop what he was doing, just that she wanted to find the release he held back from her. But he was determined that there would be no doubt in her mind about her sensual appeal and her ability to respond to him.
Each time she came close to the peak, he shifted his attention from her center to her mouth, her breasts. When her breathing slowed, he lowered his head once again. Finally, he could tell she wasn't going to wait any longer. She grabbed his hair and held his head in place. Her back arched and her head thrashed from side to side. She moaned as he used his teeth to gently nip and nibble, then his tongue again, until he felt the spasms begin under his mouth.
He increased the pressure of his tongue, using it to mimic the act of sex itself, finally sending her, sobbing, over the top to a climax that shattered her and then put her back together again, more whole than she had been before.
She jerked beneath him as her body spasmed, and Hunter let her ride the wave, watching her. Unresponsive? He didn't think so. He had a feeling this woman was going to teach him a thing or two about passion that he hadn't yet experienced.
When she had calmed, he reached into the night stand drawer and took out the protection he'd placed there earlier. He donned it and slid into her warmth and wetness, allowing her a moment to adjust to his size. She was so tight he feared he might hurt her.
He scanned her features for any sign of discomfort, but all he saw was a soft smile and a trace of the tears she'd shed earlier. When he didn't move, she opened her eyes. Her smile widened and he felt like he'd finally found what he'd been looking for.
He linked his hands with hers and lifted her arms over her head. Then he began to move, slow and steady strokes, deeper and deeper as she became more accustomed to his presence. She lifted her hips and matched him stroke for stroke. He didn't think he could hold back any longer, but he wanted her to join him in that final leap. When he felt her begin to clench around him, her head tossing back and forth on the pillow as a small scream escaped her throat, he let go and took them over the edge into oblivion.
Worried that he might be crushing her, He tried to lift his body away, only to find he was held fast by her arms locked tight around his waist. He settled for lifting his head and chest instead, holding himself up with his arms. He looked down at her, alarmed to find tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Damn. I hurt you, didn't I? I should have been more careful, taken more time..."
"Sh-h-h. It's not that. You didn't hurt me."
She relaxed her arms and he shifted to the side, bringing her with him until her head rested on his chest. "Then why are you crying?"
"Because it was so wonderful. I never knew it could really be like that. I figured everyone who said it should be was exaggerating."
Relieved, he chuckled and his tense muscles relaxed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I almost feel like crying myself." He felt her smile against his chest. She raised her head and looked into his eyes.
"Do you mean that? It was okay for you?"
Agitated, he shoved his fingers through his hair. How was he going to convince her? "This is what it's supposed to be like every time two people make love. Do you understand?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks again as she nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. "You don't know what that means to me."
Hunter gathered her in his arms and held her tightly, content to spend the rest of the time they had just holding her as she slept.
***
The Sunday dinner dishes had been cleared and Sandy was putting a homemade chocolate cake on the table when there was a knock on the front door. "Mom," she asked, "would you cut the cake while I see who that is?"
"Sure, honey. You go ahead. We'll be sure to save you a piece," she replied with a wink at Melanie, who giggled with delight.
Sandy opened the door, expecting to find Jenny coming to visit Melanie, as she did almost every day. Instead, her father stood there, looking miserable. "Dad. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see your mother. Is she here?"
Sandy hesitated, wondering if she should go find out if her mother wanted to see him. She decided that it was time her parents talked face to face. She opened the door wide and said, "Yes, she is. Come on in."