by Elise Whyles
“Sleep.”
“Later, babe.” He chuckled, his blood heating with a sharp need when she rolled onto her side, her legs sliding across satin sheets to reveal the shadowed flesh beneath the lace. Trailing a hand down her shoulder, he caressed the skin, his fingers dipping to tease the swell of her breasts.
“Go away.” Disgruntled, her brow wrinkling in annoyance, she waved at him and rolled onto her back. He grinned when she blinked her eyes open, squinting in the pale light before she reached for the bedside table and her glasses.
“Uh, you don’t need these,” Jack whispered, pulling the dark-framed eyewear free of her and setting them on the stand next to him. “Don’t need your eyes to feel.”
“What are you talking about, Jack? Where’s my shirt? I need…”
“Shh.” He pressed a finger to her lips and leaned forward. “You don’t need to go anywhere, Gilli, except right where you are. We didn’t get a chance to talk before.”
“Talk?” Gillian swallowed, her face blanched of all color. “Um, about what? I need my clothes or a robe or…”
“I haven’t left a woman hanging since I was sixteen.” Jack pushed himself deeper into the bedding. “And it bothers me that you didn’t come.”
“I’m fine. It was good. Really. I um … I … I should…” Gillian scooted back on the bed, her fingers tangling in the sheets.
Jack caught the dart of something in her eyes. Fear? Shame? Uncertainty? He narrowed his gaze, his mind racing. What could such a warm woman have to hide? “Gillian, you’re not going anywhere until you tell me why.”
“Why?” She tucked her feet beneath her bottom, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
He sighed. Her parroted statement toneless, her eyes widened, he caught the tremble in her fingers. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.” She inched backward, putting more space between them.
“Oh, I never thought that. It’s just, it must be getting late, and really I should be getting back to my room. Thank you for letting me crash. Did you give room service…” Gillian rambled until he caught her ankle and pulled her back across the bed, to lean over her.
“No, room service didn’t take your dress yet.” Jack leaned forward, hands planted on either side of her hips. “Why, Gillian?”
“Why? Why what? I don’t understand the question.”
“Why did you let me fuck you in the bathroom? You didn’t enjoy it. If I had to wager, I’d say you weren’t even really into it. Was it about the shirt? Did you think I would just want sex? I’m not…”
“I never said you were.” Gillian huffed, her breathing erratic, her voice squeaking as she tried to focus on a point over his shoulder. “I did so want to. I could have told you no.”
“Okay.” He clasped her wrists in one fist and held them over her head. “Then why didn’t you come?” Leaning closer, he stared into her eyes.
“Come?” Gillian tugged on her arms, a frown marring her brow. “I don’t.”
“You don’t what?”
“Come. Never have. Only whores do that. I’m about as sexless as a block of ice, so why would I come?” She shrugged, the bitter words spilling out to fall between them. “Mike didn’t care, why should you? Look, it’s nothing against you—it’s me. I’m broken, useless, so don’t feel like you had to make me come or you forced me or anything. You didn’t. I wanted to have sex.”
Shock ripped through him at her quick response. Her words spoke volumes, as did the shadows in her eyes. With a sudden clarity that took his breath, it hit him. The scars were in some way connected to the lack of sexual interest. He caught the tension, the stiffening of her body when he shifted, pinning her more firmly in place. “Fuck.”
Gillian jumped beneath him, her breath quickening. She wiggled, trying to gain leverage to get from beneath him. “Look, I’m just—”
“What happened, Gillian?” Jack leaned closer, the warm draft of her breath on his face soothing even as it stirred the passion within him. “Why don’t you enjoy sex? Never had a lover who took the time…”
He could feel the throbbing of her heart beneath him, hear the faint but distinct sound of her rapid harsh panting. Something cracked at the tears in her eyes. “Talk to me, Gillian. Let me in.”
Shaking her head, she squeezed her eyes shut. “Look, if you want a repeat—”
“I want to make you feel good. I want to see you come apart in my arms while I’m sunk balls deep within that hot, tight cunt of yours. I want to know that you’re satisfied, that you’re not just doing this because you think I want it.” He pressed a quick kiss to the side of her mouth. “Tell me how to make you come.”
“I don’t know.” Gillian’s heartbroken whisper stirred his blood. Anger rose like a tempest, swirling around him as he stared down into her face. For all her bluster and talk, Gillian was as virginal as they came. She’d had sex, but he doubted if she’d ever made love. Had she ever really experienced the difference between a man servicing his own lust and one who was into the woman in his arms?
“Then let’s learn.” He pressed a quick kiss to her nose before dipping his head to lick at her lips. Taking slow, languid swipes across the plump flesh with his tongue, he tasted the mint of the toothpaste she’d used before crawling into bed, the coffee she’d drank … all mixed with the taste that was hers.
When she gasped, he took advantage. He pushed past her lips, his tongue stroking over hers. Teasing, tasting. Soft gentle kisses pressed to her lips again and again, each just a bit more, a bit hotter, going a bit further. He deepened the kiss and settled his weight on his hips. His hands loosened around her wrists and he trailed them down her arms to cup her face. His thumb traced the delicate arch of her cheek, the sweep of smooth skin into her jaw. Each play of muscle and bone teased him, stirring his blood until his cock felt like a steel rod between his legs. Pulling back slightly, he gasped for air before diving in again. Their tongues twisted together, dueling in an age-old dance that built into the flames that raced through his blood.
Already he could feel the drops of precum leaking from the head of his dick, tickling along his shaft to moisten the sheet beneath him. He groaned when she tangled her arms around his shoulders, her nails scoring his back as he responded. A shudder raced through him when her tongue nudged his back, until hers was in his mouth, tangling with his.
Pulling back, he studied her flushed face. Lips swollen and parted, her lashes hid her eyes from him. His fingers slipped the fabric of her shirt up, tugging it over her head and tossing it aside. Leaning over her, he lifted her hands up to the headboard. Slow, careful, he eased her fingers around the decorative wooden spokes. “Keep them there.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her wrists and sat back on his heels. He slid from the bed to cross the room where his clothes lay. He picked up his badge, wallet, and the tie. Turning, he took a step toward the bed, only to pause and grab another sweaty bottle from the table.
He set the items on the bedside table and smiled softly at the woman lying stretched out over his bed. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession, her fingers flexed on the spokes, but she hadn’t tried to get up from the bed. A delicate flush covered her cheeks to trail down her throat and highlight her breasts.
Jack smiled softly. She was obviously embarrassed, but she wasn’t terrified or running from the bed. Things were looking up.
Chapter 3
Gilli whimpered at the wash of pleasure rolling over her in waves. Her skin felt too tight, throbbing as he wrapped his fingers around her wrists, tugging upward. His tongue slid along her lips, darting inside at her startled gasp when he pinched her nipple. Growling his approval, he deepened the kiss, his tongue gliding over hers again and again. Harsh, ragged breathing echoed in her head as he broke from her lips, pulling back to reach for her hands. She lifted her head and locked her lips to his, her tongue pushing into his mouth. She tightened her grip, pulling him closer as she dueled with his tongue. Hesitant, she sucked on it and felt the bolt of pure lust rip through her when she g
ained entry to his mouth.
Her tongue traced over his teeth, his inner cheeks, as she explored shamelessly. His taste went straight to her head. The faint hint of his drink lingered. Lust stirred and scalded her senses when he tangled his fingers in her hair. She moaned when he put her hands on the headboard. The carved wood bit into her palms as the bed rocked when he rose. She listened to the soft pad of his feet on carpet, anticipation building. She flexed her fingers, the faint need to move them pressing at her. Nerves like butterflies danced through her as she listened to the sounds of movement in the room. Her racing heart echoed in her ears with each passing minute. The suspense building, she swallowed against the growing tide of emotions, the least of which was fear.
A whimper escaped when beneath her ass the bed sank with his weight. Her grip eased, her hands reaching for him, instinct and lust warring. Rough, sexy, his chuckle skirted across her flesh before he caught her hands and guided them back where he’d placed them. “Uh-uh, keep them there, Gilli.”
Jack pressed a quick kiss to her wrists, his fingers dancing down her arms. Shivering with each slow caress, Gillian opened her mouth to protest, to beg, anything to cease the faint ticklish movement of his fingertips. His mouth crashed onto hers, tongue darting in to duel with hers. Again and again she kissed him, pushing aside the niggling doubts, content to simply enjoy the moment.
A shudder raced over her when his teeth scraped along her jaw, nipping at the skin. His tongue swirled around her ear, licking at the flesh beneath it. Heat built, flowing like molten lava through her body to pool between the throbbing petals of her vagina.
She gasped when he leaned to the side, her body humming with need. Her breath caught at the slow glide of satin across her pebbled nipples. Shivers of pleasure coursed over her with the leisure slide of cool fabric against her flesh. Softer than a touch, it crept across her nipples, teasing them until they were hard enough to ache. The steady brush of whatever he held drew spikes of arousal, darting like arrows straight to her groin. She squeezed her legs together to stop the throbbing in her clit. She arched her hips, her feet digging into the mattress as her hands came down to catch whatever he was using.
Whining in protest, she blinked and tried to focus on him, on what he was doing, but everything remained blurry. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and groaned at the tender but firm grip on her wrists as he forced her hands back over her head.
“Nuh-uh, Gilli,” he breathed into her ear. His tongue darted out to swirl around the shell. “I told you to keep them there. Do it again and I’ll tie them in place.”
Gillian shuddered, her fingers flexing. Surprise warred with arousal at his words. She could feel her body responding, the ache between her legs growing steadily. The pulsing of her vagina echoed in the throb of her heart racing beneath her breasts. “Please, just…”
“Shhh.” He dipped his head, his lips gliding over hers. His tongue traced the bottom one before he nipped it. She shuddered at the heat in his voice as he murmured in her ear, his lips tickling the shell. “Does it feel good, baby? Do you want more? Hmm, let go, lose control ’cause we got all night.” His rumbled words shot straight to her cunt. A gush of wet heat told her more than anything else just how turned on she was. Pressing her thighs together, she struggled to regain the control she barely clung to.
“God, Gilli, you’re gorgeous.” Husky, his praise was like a slap in the face to the niggling whisper of doubt.
She shuddered, her head twisting on the sheets. Denial seemed the best option. She knew what she was and more importantly wasn’t. “No, I’m…”
“Mmm, yes you are. You’re smart, and sexy.” He pressed hot kisses along the faint scar that ran the length of her right side before flaring toward the thicker, uglier scars along her backside. “You don’t have to hide from me, Gilli.” He nibbled at the tender flesh along her abdomen, stopping to swirl his tongue around her belly button.
Pleasure spiked, roaring through her. Tiny prickles of heat danced over every nerve. Arching against him when he shifted, she moaned. Her heels dug into the rumpled bedding, her ragged breathing filling her ears with a pulsing thunder. Breath caught, locked in her chest as he tickled the indent again, his fingers holding her hips in place. Slow, heated sweeps of his tongue had her quivering, her body a mass of tangled nerves and energy.
What in the world? God above, I didn’t know. She trembled with the first trickle of fear mixed with the arousal pounding through her body. A slow throb settled between her legs, her clit aching for something. A garbled scream ripped from her lips when he brushed against her, his hair tickling her erect nipple.
Am I turning into a whore? Just like Mother said? No, I must control it. Must not let it… Her inner debate stuttered to a halt when he palmed her crotch, his thumb tracing over the lace-covered flesh. Arching her hips, she twisted her head, burying her face in her arm. Ragged, harsh, her chest rose and fell with each breath, her body on fire. Eyes squeezed shut, she fought the rising wave of pleasure, the coil tightening with each languid movement of the man above her. His fingers tweaked her nipples, brushing over them to harden them into aching nubs. His other hand between her legs ghosted over the sensitive bundle of nerves hidden in the folds.
Each brush of his thumb across the aching tips pushed her closer and closer to the brink. Her chest heaving, she eased away, her back sliding over the satin. Distance, Gillian, distance. Don’t let it get to you.
A gasp escaped when he tugged her back beneath his weight, the fine hairs on his chest brushing against her erect nipples. “Baby,” guttural, his voice drifted through her ears, “you’re safe. Nothing’s going to happen … at least nothing bad. Let go.”
Gillian shook her head, her eyes flying open. There was no way in hell that was happening. She opened her mouth to tell him, only to squeak in shock as he leaned down, his lips crashing into hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth.
Doubts and fears scattered with each thrust of his tongue, her body wallowing in the pleasure. Hesitantly, she kissed back, her control weakening, groaning under the weight of his coercion, his touch along her flushed body. Each slow glide of his fingertips tickled along her sides to her hips, enflaming her until she was drowning in sensations.
“That’s it, baby.” He pressed kisses along her jaw, pausing to nibble at her pulse point before sliding down her body. Each felt like a brand searing into her soul. Her abdomen jumped when he bit her navel before gliding farther down.
“Nnn…” She gasped, her fingers tangling in his hair at the first brush of hot moist breath on her vagina. Tugging on the strands, she wiggled, her hips shimmying away from his mouth. Her protests were silenced when he reached up, grabbed her wrists, and pressed them into the mattress.
“Shh,” he mouthed against her flank before grabbing her hips, his fingers sinking into the flesh of her ass as he shifted. She swallowed a garbled scream when his tongue darted out over her lace-covered clit. Shockwaves of heat and fire darted behind her eyelids, the sensations reaching deep into her core.
The fluttering in her stomach followed the fast movement of his tongue over her nub. Boneless, her body reacting, she whimpered, as fierce pleasure tore down the walls she’d built. Her body had become a stranger, one that wallowed in the arousal, in the pleasure coursing through her in spite of the niggling fear clinging to her.
Every touch pushed against her defenses, driving her higher. The thick pillows beneath her head offered some respite to her emotions. The scent of his aftershave clung to the pillowcases as she buried her face into them, the spicy warmth stealing through her.
Through the pillows she could barely make out his muffled words, her body writhing, twisting on the satin. Beneath the warm cocoon they provided, she could breathe, could regain a sense of detachment. It wasn’t her body burning for him, wasn’t her legs parting beneath his gentle touch. A startled scream choked her when he whisked the down-filled cover away from her face, exposing her to his probing gaze.
&nbs
p; Dark and stormy, the lust in his eyes seared her. She whimpered at the sensation of his fingers trailing across her body. Her hips lifted when his touch dipped beneath the elastic of her underwear, sliding over sensitive flesh. She shuddered as his fingers slid through the curls between her legs. She shivered at the faint chill when he exposed her swollen, soaked folds to the air.
“Jack…”
“Shh.” His shadow moved, lifted something in his hand. Her eyes widened at the glistening bottle, fear rising like a wave. She rolled slightly to the side, her thighs coming together only to bite off a scream when he slid the bottle across her heated skin, the icy contents spilling across her chest. Sucking in a desperate breath, she lurched upward, her hands free for a moment.
As quick as the icy water washed over her breasts, the heat of his mouth soaked through the chill when he lapped up the liquid. His tongue laved at her breast, flicking rapidly at the nipple until she was ready to scream.
“Please, oh God, please.” Gillian couldn’t believe it was her voice begging. She squeezed her eyes tight against the rising tide of arousal. The muscles in her thighs ached with tension. The coil tightened until it was unbearable within her lower belly. Her hands trembled. Knuckles white, she pulled on the sheets, gathering them like a cloak around her.
Languid, sweet, the sweep of his fingers expanded, circling along her abdomen until they reached the waistband of her panties. Calloused fingertips slid against her core once again, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. Tighter, tighter, she sobbed helplessly with the need. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and bit down, the pain minor and easily forgotten.