Pleasure Bound (Hard to Get 2)

by Anne Rainey

  “You don’t have to try it if you don’t want to. I won’t be offended, Deanna.”

  Suddenly it seemed imperative to try the drink. “No, it’s fine. Besides, you’re right. I could use something to relax me.” After Jonas removed his hand, Deanna brought the glass to her lips. She did as he’d suggested and took a small sip. The smooth liquid flowed over her tongue and down her throat, surprising her with its delicate flavor. It had a sweet, cherry flavor.

  “Mmm, it’s good.”

  Jonas tipped his head to the side, scrutinizing her. “Just good?”

  “Well, I do like the warm cherry flavor, but it’s no margarita.”

  Jonas chuckled. “How about you go get freshened up or whatever it is women do, so I can get you a margarita?”

  “And food. I’m hungry.”

  “Mexican sound good to you?”

  “I love Mexican.” Deanna swirled the liquid around and took another sip before handing the glass back to Jonas. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Take your time,” he said as he unclipped his cell phone from his belt. “I’m going to check in with Wade anyway. Let him know we arrived safely.”

  Deanna nodded. “Good idea. Otherwise he’ll start calling both our cell phones.”

  “Exactly.” Jonas winked. “And I really don’t want any interruptions while we’re here.”

  No way was she going down that tempting road. “Where’s the bathroom?”

  “Up the stairs and to the left.”

  She clutched her purse in a tight fist and started toward the stairs. When she heard Jonas call her name, Deanna stopped and shot him a questioning look over her shoulder.

  “The bedroom is on the right.”

  “The bedroom?” she asked as butterflies began to flutter to life inside her stomach. An image of Jonas curled around her as they slept sprang to mind.

  “There are three bedrooms, kitten, but do you really want your own room?”

  Instead of answering, Deanna pointed to the phone Jonas clutched in one fist. “Call Wade.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The hot look Jonas shot Deanna’s way practically sent her running up the stairs. She didn’t stop to catch her breath until she’d reached the upstairs landing. Curiosity got the better of her, and she gave in to the need to peek at the bedroom. Holy smokes, the room was big. A king-sized bed sat along one wall. A lightweight white blanket, trimmed with delicate blue flowers, covered it. The beautiful light pine sleigh bed gave Deanna plenty of ideas too. Naughty ideas. Of course, the panoramic view of the ocean directly across from it was pretty damn gorgeous too. All too easily, Deanna could imagine waking up to the warm Florida sun filtering through the gauzy white curtains, with Jonas’s nude body draped all over her. There she went again, thinking of the man. Lordy, he was more addicting than cupcakes. Deanna ruthlessly pushed the big lug out of her head and headed toward the bathroom. Food and a margarita, that’s what she needed. Once she had those two cravings satisfied, she could see about sating other hungers.

  “You’re making me nervous,” Deanna growled, then proceeded to kick his shin.

  Jonas winced at the sharp pain. “Ow, and why?”

  “Because you seem utterly mortified by my choice of dinner entrées. They’re flautas, not snakes, Jonas.”

  He dug into his beef enchiladas. With any luck, he’d need the energy later. “You fascinate me,” he replied after swallowing a large bite. “Besides, I’ve never seen a woman so small eat something so big.”

  “Rude and insulting all at the same time. You’re seriously multitalented.”

  Jonas took a long swig of his beer. “I don’t mean it that way. I’m just glad you aren’t the type to consider a few pieces of lettuce dinner.”

  “I’ve always had a healthy appetite.” She shrugged. “Mom told me once that when I was little, I could eat nearly as much as Dean. It used to boggle her mind.”

  Jonas pushed his plate away and leaned forward. “I like your mom.”

  “Most people do.” Deanna looked around the restaurant. “This place is fabulous, by the way. I love the vibrant colors. And the cascading waterfall.” She pointed to the middle of the room. “Nice touch.”

  “I can’t take credit for finding this restaurant. Wade discovered it.”

  Deanna nodded and scooped up the last of her flauta. “Wade loves good food. Actually, Mom made sure all three of us knew our way around a kitchen.”

  “Your mom is pretty terrific.” Compared to his mother, Jonas thought, Mrs. Harrison was a freaking saint, but he kept that sentiment to himself. “I remember the first time I met her. She hugged the stuffing out of me.”

  “The family picnic, right?”

  He winked at her. “And here I thought you’d forgotten that day.” Deanna remained silent, leaving Jonas to wonder. “So quiet all of a sudden. What thoughts are skittering through that beautiful head?”

  She finished chewing before dabbing at her lips and sitting back in her chair. “Do you remember what you said to me that day?”

  Remember? Jonas had all but branded his brain with the memory; he’d played it over and over so many times. It felt like yesterday instead of years ago. “I remember everything. Why?”

  “You told me that meeting me had been the highlight of your summer. You couldn’t have meant that, so why’d you say it?”

  “I meant every word, Deanna.”

  She frowned and looked down at the table, then started to fiddle with her napkin. “But we rarely talked after that. It wasn’t until recently that you’d started on your relentless campaign to get me to go out with you.”

  “You were too young then.” Jonas reached across the table and placed his hand over hers, gaining her full attention. “I had no business anywhere near you.”

  Deanna rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. “We’re only two years apart in age, you and I. And besides, I was hardly a sweet, little virgin when we met.”

  “True, but don’t forget that I’d already been to hell and back,” he explained. “Wade and I have been to some of the worst places in the world. I’ve killed, Deanna. Trust me—you weren’t ready for what I wanted from you. Not then.”

  “And what is it you want from me, Jonas?”

  He grinned. “Naughty things, kitten. Very naughty things.”

  Deanna’s lips twitched, as if attempting to hold back a laugh. “Behave, we’re in public.”

  The waiter came around then and asked if either of them wanted dessert or a refill. Never one to drink much, Jonas had ordered a light beer. One was enough. When Deanna declined another margarita, the waiter left to get their check. Jonas pointed to her empty glass. “Why not order another? Live a little.”

  “I’ve never quite mastered the art of holding my liquor,” she replied. He watched her root around in her purse a moment, before pulling out a tube of lip balm.

  As Jonas watched her apply it, he nearly got distracted from her answer. Leaning forward, Jonas murmured, “Can’t hold your liquor, huh?”

  She replaced the cap and dropped it back into her purse. “Not so much. I tend to get a bit too happy.”

  His eyebrows shot up and his cock came to full-alert status. Happy—he liked the sound of that. “And that’s a bad thing?”

  To his utter shock, Deanna blushed. “In my case it is.”

  Curiosity got the better of him. “Care to explain?”

  The waiter returned with the check, forcing Jonas to drop the conversation while he fished out his credit card. Once they were alone again, Jonas waited, hoping Deanna would go into more detail. She didn’t disappoint him. “All my inhibitions disappear. It’s not a comfortable feeling for me.”

  She was killing him. An immediate picture of a carefree Deanna sprang to mind. He liked it a hell of a lot. “Most people enjoy letting it all hang out every once in a while. Taking life too seriously leads to an early grave.”

  “Maybe, but if I suddenly develop the urge, I’d rather be coherent.”
r />   “You don’t like to give up control,” he surmised.

  She cocked her head to the side, as if unsure how to respond at first. “It’s not that,” she said. “I guess if I’m in the mood to go romping naked through a forest, for example, then I don’t want alcohol to blur the memorable event for me.” She laughed. “I mean, I’d want to remember a crazy moment like that. Wouldn’t you?”

  No doubt about it, Jonas liked the way the lady’s mind worked. “You had me at ‘running naked’.”

  Deanna snorted. “You need serious help.”

  The waiter returned with his card and Jonas filled in the tip and signed the check. He stood and held out his hand. “Come on, you can tell me all about these forest fantasies back at the house.”

  When Deanna reached out and placed her hand in his, a wicked smile kicking up the corners of her glossy lips, Jonas’s blood heated and his cock strained the fly of his jeans. Great. Walking through a crowded restaurant with a hard-on wasn’t his idea of fun. He leaned close and whispered against the shell of her ear, “Save that look for when we’re alone, kitten.”

  Instead of moving as Jonas had intended, Deanna lifted her head and caressed his lips with hers, barely grazing. The kiss left him wanting more, which was no doubt her intention. When she pulled back, there was a clear challenge in her dark brown gaze.

  Jonas took her face in his large hands and ground out, “If you don’t turn around and start walking, I’m going to forget we’re in a public place and lay you across that table.”

  She squinted, and a hint of uncertainty slipped across her face. “You’re all talk, Jonas.”

  He released her and smiled. “Keep it up. I never did get dessert.”

  To his relief, Deanna stayed silent and started walking out of the restaurant. Thank God, because being arrested for indecent exposure would sure as hell put a kink in his plans.

  The cab drive had been quick and uneventful. Now, as Deanna watched Jonas unlock the door to the beach house, a little thrill ran the length of her spine. She had the sexy, dark-haired Jonas all to herself in the gorgeous city of Miami. Yowza. When he opened the door and let her enter first, she realized for the first time that he actually did that a lot. Held her chair, paid for dinner, opened doors for her. She wondered if he was a little old-fashioned. Deciding to find out, Deanna said, “I forgot to pay you my half of the dinner bill.”

  Jonas closed and locked the door, then switched on the lamp next to the black leather sofa. The soft, intimate light sent butterflies to flight inside her belly. “Your half?” he asked.

  Unless Deanna missed her guess, Jonas sounded distinctly annoyed. She had to look away to keep him from seeing her grin. “Yeah,” she answered, pretending an interest in the generic, store-bought black-and-white photo of a beach hanging on the wall beside the door. “There’s no reason for you to pay for the both of us.”

  He took hold of her shoulders and slowly turned her to face him. “If you were a dude and we were going to see a ballgame together, then I’d expect you to pay half the check. You’re the furthest thing from a dude.”

  Oh, wow, he was old-fashioned. At the new knowledge, Deanna’s heart did a little backflip. Stepping closer, Deanna murmured, “Careful, Jonas, or I’ll start to think you’re a nice guy.”

  His hands slid down her arms in a gentle caress. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for months. It’s about time you wake up and smell the latte.”

  Deanna started to speak, but instead yawned. She quickly covered her mouth and muttered, “Oops, sorry.”

  “You’re tired?”

  “A little. I didn’t get a lot of sleep this week.” Because I was awake thinking of you.

  “Me neither.”

  At his quiet, two-word reply, bells went off in Deanna’s head, waking her up in an instant. “W-why is that?”

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he admitted. “About this ...” His mouth swooped down and took hers in a wild show of possession. Deanna’s temperature shot right into the red zone, and her blood began to race. Without conscious thought, her arms wound around his neck, tugging him closer. He groaned against her lips and ran his tongue along the seam. Unable to resist temptation, Deanna parted them and felt his rumbling growl of approval. As he dipped inside, Deanna tasted the uniquely spicy flavor of Jonas Phoenix.

  9

  Jonas wrapped one arm around her back and the other behind her knees, lifting her easily into his powerful arms. The rippling of muscles beneath his black pocket T devastated Deanna’s senses.

  He broke the kiss when he reached the stairs. “Do you want this, Deanna? Do you want me?”

  “Oh, God, yes.”

  “Are you still tired?”

  “Not even a little.” The answer practically flew from her mouth. She could be embarrassed later over her enthusiasm. For now, she just wanted Jonas.

  Jonas let out a breath. “Good, because sleeping next to you all night and not being able to touch would’ve been a whole new kind of hell for me.”

  It should’ve been enough to hear his words, but she still needed to know she wasn’t just any warm body. “You want me that much?”

  “Yes, you,” he ground out. “I’m dying for you here, kitten. This week seriously sucked.”

  Without another word, Jonas took her up the stairs and to the bedroom. He strode to the bed and placed her carefully atop the cool blanket. An odd thought struck her as she realized the house wasn’t just Jonas’s but Wade’s as well. “Wait, Wade doesn’t use this room, does he?”

  He chuckled. “No, his room is at the end of the hall.”

  “Just checking.” It was still weird to realize she wasn’t just in Jonas’s beach house, but also her brother’s. Knowing Wade had never used the bed she was about to make love to Jonas in made it less weird.

  Jonas put one knee on the bed, then the other, before straddling her. He kissed her gently and drifted his mouth down over her chin to her neck, teasing her beyond measure. He lifted and muttered, “The shirt.”

  “Needs to go,” she breathed out. “I agree.”

  Jonas sat back, then took the hem of her T-shirt between his fists and tugged upward. “I love you in red, kitten. Bet you didn’t know it was my favorite color, did ya?”

  Deanna tried to concentrate on his praise, but as cool air hit her belly, she began to lose track. “Red is my favorite color too.”

  “It’s going to be so much prettier on the floor, trust me.” He pulled it up and over her head, then tossed it aside. “Shit.”

  “What?”

  “You like lingerie, don’t you?”

  She looked down at the red lacy bra, which was completely see-through, and blushed. “It’s sort of a secret indulgence of mine.”

  “I’ll buy you some, then. Pinks, blues, purples. All the colors of the rainbow.”

  “It sounds lovely, but for now can you just please kiss me again?”

  “Don’t rush me. I plan to savor you.” He zeroed in on the little triangle cutout between her breasts. His tongue dipped in and tasted her there. She arched off the bed, desperate for more, so hungry for his touch all over.

  Jonas nuzzled her overheated skin, then stopped long enough to murmur, “Easy, kitten. Slow and easy.”

  Deanna didn’t much care for that idea, and her body wasn’t real thrilled with it either. “I don’t want easy, Jonas. I want hard.”

  Jonas abruptly stopped his playful touches. As his captivating blue gaze sought out hers in the room dimly lit by the light filtering in from the hallway, Deanna wanted to scream. Instead of moving him along faster, she’d killed the mood completely. Great.

  Jonas reached over and touched a lamp next to the bed. The soft glow brought everything into view. Including Jonas’s big, gorgeous body perched atop hers. She had the insane urge to simply lick him from head to toe, like a great big ice-cream cone.

  “You want to be fucked hard?”

  Well, dang. She hadn’t exactly figured on him wanting to
examine her statement. “I was sort of hoping, yes.”

  “There’s definitely something to be said about hard and fast, but not this first time, Deanna.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I could hurt you. I’m not a small man, kitten.”

  “Bragging? Really?”

  “No. I’m not.”

  “Just how big? Like, scary big?” Did I really just ask that? Deanna clenched her eyes shut. Maybe he didn’t hear the question.

  Jonas’s lips against her forehead forced her to open her eyes. He was looking down at her with such tenderness that her anxiety seemed to melt away. “I’m not freakishly large, if that’s what you mean. But I happen to know how tight you are. My fingers were inside you. Trust me, we need to go slow.”

  “I want to see you, Jonas. Take your clothes off. Please?”

  “Your wish ...” he murmured as he moved off her and stood beside the bed. First, he yanked his T-shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. Next, he started on the fly of his jeans. Before she even had a chance to enjoy the show, Jonas was naked. Curious and turned on, Deanna devoured the sight of Jonas’s muscular chest sprinkled with dark curly hair. The six-pack abs had her practically drooling too. The tantalizing trail of hair that led to his crotch caught her eye, and there is where she lingered. His cock jutted out from his body, full and pulsing with vitality. It was long and thick, and she was desperate to wrap her lips around the bulbous head already dripping with precum. No, Jonas was most definitely not your average Joe, she thought with equal amounts of anticipation and nervousness.

  “You’re staring, but I can’t tell if it’s in a good way or not.”

  “Every part of you is magnificent,” she said, unable to pull her eyes away from the heavy weight of his erection. “Yes, I think maybe you’re right. Slow might be a good idea.”

  He grinned and let his gaze travel over her torso. “You’re a vision in my bed, you know. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to see you like this.”