by Donna Hill
A flicker of a smile lifted her mouth as she crossed the room to stand directly in front of him. She looked up into his eyes and the heat of his gaze ignited a blaze at her core.
Tentatively, she raised her hand and stroked his rugged jaw as if committing the strong outline to memory. “I’m grateful for that, Justin,” she said softly. “More than you’ll ever know.”
Justin clasped her outstretched hand into his, molding her palm against his cheek. “Some things are worth waiting for,” he crooned gently. “And you’re more than worth the wait.”
Vaughn tilted her head to look him full in the eye. Her voice was a throaty whisper when she spoke. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”
His eyes suddenly sparkled. His heart thumped, then took up a racing rhythm. Justin took the hand that he held and maneuvered it behind her back, holding it there, causing her body to arch firmly against the hard lines of his.
“Vaughn,” he groaned from deep in his throat. His head lowered. Vaughn’s pulse beat erratically. His fingers felt like feathers as they brushed across her face, trailed along the tendons of her neck, then threaded through her hair to cup her head into his palm, pulling her deeper into the kiss.
Vaughn felt all her resistance, all her fears and doubts, melt away from the warmth of his embrace. Justin’s exploring tongue taunted her lips, daring her to join him in the mating dance. And she did.
Her mouth sought his, savoring the texture, the fullness of his lips. The titillating contact of his tongue against hers sent sparks snapping through her veins. It felt as though their spirits had unified into one extraordinary fireball.
This wasn’t simple sexual gratification she was satisfying, she realized, as desire raged like a desert storm within her. This was more than a joining of bodies; this was the uniting of souls. She knew that once she leaped across the precipice, there was no turning back. The thought that she was giving herself up totally for the first time in her life was at once frightening and all too tempting.
Never before had she felt the need to go beyond the mechanics, to reach deep inside herself and relinquish her control to someone else. Momentarily she stiffened as the thought of total submission took hold. Her thoughts twisted in confusion. To relinquish control of her body, her soul, to this man—any man—was no different than allowing her father to manipulate her, bend her to his will. Her father controlled her through the weakness of her guilt. If she fully succumbed to the allure of Justin’s seduction, she would be at his mercy as well. Her body would betray her once again. She couldn’t think, not with Justin’s fingers magically unzipping her dress. She couldn’t breathe. Flashing sparks of yearning whipped through her. Her dress slid off her shoulders and down to her waist, baring her uncovered breasts to his ardent gaze.
A rush of apprehension swept through her. The ghosts of her past leaped through her brain. The lights were dim, she reasoned, sinking deeper into the abyss of desire. He wouldn’t know she prayed silently. But as Justin’s mouth sought out and captured a hardened nipple between his teeth, all caution dissolved into a pool of liquid fire.
He wanted to scream out his pleasure when the velvety softness of her breasts brushed against his waiting lips. The texture of her taut nipples against his tongue nearly sent him over the edge.
He wanted to take her—here, now—on the hardwood floor of his living room, burying himself deep within the succulent walls that he knew awaited his entry. If he didn’t, he knew that he would explode with longing.
But he knew that wasn’t the way it would be between them. He wanted to savor every minute. He wanted to bring her to the utmost peak and hold her there until he knew she wanted him as desperately as he wanted her. If he had to bring her to the brink of completion—all night long—he would until she begged him to join her.
Vaughn felt the last of her resolve become consumed by the fire of her passion. In the instant that her soft cry mixed in harmony with Justin’s deep groan, she fully understood that there had never been any other course to take but the road they had embarked upon.
Vaughn lifted herself up on her toes, pressing her bare upper body against the hard lines of his chest. Instantly she felt the powerful thumping of his heart and then the epicenter of his passion as Justin surged against her, cupping her firm derrière in the palms of his hands.
“Vaughn,” he whispered over and over again in ragged breaths. She let her dress slip completely to the floor. All she wore beneath was a lacy black garter belt and sheer black hose.
The moment that Justin made the realization, he was sure that his heart would give out. To think that he’d sat next to her for hours and she was virtually naked beneath that dress was almost more than he could stand.
Cautiously, he stepped back to gain the full impact of what had only been in his imagination.
“You’re…beautiful,” he expelled in wonder. His dark eyes raked savagely across her body, scorching her with their intensity. Her breasts were high and round, like ripe fruits waiting to be tasted. Her small waist and taut stomach flared to provocative hips, and downward to long, shapely legs.
The vision of her standing there in nothing more than a garter belt and stockings blew him away. She was a sculptor’s dream overlaid with silken ebony flesh that he knew he’d never get enough of.
Slowly, Justin eased to his knees. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. The heady scent of her incensed him beyond reason as he sought its source. The tip of his tongue boldly stroked her and Vaughn felt her knees give way. Her body involuntarily arched. A strangled cry rose from deep in her throat as she clung to him, her nails clawing his shoulders. Justin slipped his other arm around her thighs, bracing her solidly against his exploring mouth.
Tremors of unbelievable power shot through her as Justin delved deeper into her center. All sense of reality, time, and space eclipsed into a blinding white light. Vaughn threw her head back in delirious rapture. Her eyes slammed shut as the steady pulse of fulfillment built to a crescendo within her. Just when she knew that her body had endured all it could stand, without sweet release, Justin slowed the tempo, steadily bringing her back down to earth.
At once she was both disappointed and still desperate for more of the sublime torture. Her deep moan floated through the torrid air, while Justin meticulously worked his way back up her body.
He covered every inch of her with tantalizing flicks of his tongue, nipping flesh with his teeth. Her body was one mass of electrified desire. She was sure that if she didn’t have him buried deep within her—now—she would cease to exist.
Finally he reached the hollow of her neck and placed tiny, hot kisses along its base. He cupped his palms over each breast, massaging, caressing, kneading them until she cried out. “Justin…please…”
“No,” he groaned deep in his throat. “I’ve waited too long…” he breathed heavily. His lips burned across her neck, then behind her ears, as he ground out his erotic challenge. “I’m going to take you back and forth through the doorway of the promised land,” he whispered hotly in her ear. Gently his fingers slipped between the slickened folds of her womanhood. Her knees gave way, but Justin held her fast. “But we won’t go through together, until I know that you want me,” his fingers intensified their probe, “as desperately as I want you.” His mouth covered hers, stifling her cries when his fingers slid up into her center.
Her body shuddered. A plaintive cry tore from her throat. She felt weak and light-headed, as the very tip of his finger teased the one place that she wanted him to fill.
“Justin…” she moaned weakly.
“Tell me,” he whispered deep in her ear. “Tell me.”
“I want you,” she answered back. She pressed herself against him and felt the hard shaft of his desire pulse against her inner thighs. She brushed her lips across the shell of his ear. “I want you…now.” Her mouth covered his, demanding, controlling, beckoning. Her eager tongue deftly explored the tangy sweetness of his mouth. She drank of him, wanti
ng to absorb him into her being. Her hands slid down from his face to his sides and firmly grabbed his arms and locked them behind his back in a steely grip.
“Now,” she breathed huskily, “I’ll show you the way to heaven.” The butter softness of her hand encased him, steadily stroking him as her lips dropped hot, wet kisses across his burning flesh. Justin sucked in ragged breaths through his teeth. His deep groans filled the room when the pad of her thumb brushed teasingly across his tip.
Vaughn felt a sudden rush of inexplicable power, realizing that she could evoke such longing in her man. And he was her man, she thought giddily. The acceptance of that seemed to escalate her need for him. She wanted him—all of him—and she proved as much when her lips replaced her tender fingers.
“Yes!” Justin hissed. He groaned with undeniable pleasure as she played teasing games with her tongue. He clasped her head firmly in his hand and reluctantly eased her away. Through passion-drunk eyes he looked down into her face. “No more,” he breathed, as a shudder raced up his spine.
He pulled her gently to her feet. “I believe I’ve run out of patience,” he said on a jagged whisper. His mouth crashed down on hers, his tongue diving into her open mouth, a warning of what was to come.
Then, as easily as if she’d been no more than a baby, he lifted her nude body into his arms, cradling her gently against him, and strode into his bedroom.
Like a fragile treasure he lay her atop the down-filled comforter. For several unbearable moments he stood above her, momentarily overcome by the exquisiteness of her and the knowledge that soon she would be his completely.
His heart raced with anticipation and anxiety. A woman like Vaughn was sure to have been with other men. Men who, Justin was certain, did everything in their power to please her. He wanted to surpass every sexual experience she’d ever had. He wanted to be the one who’d be branded on her soul for all time. Because somewhere deep inside he understood that no one had ever reached that part of her.
“Justin?” she murmured, suddenly afraid that he no longer took pleasure in what he saw. Could he tell? she worried. Did he see the sins of her past? She felt truly naked and totally vulnerable under his unreadable gaze. But just as quickly her fears were extinguished when he smiled, his eyes still filled with longing, and yes, something deeper, she realized. The silent understanding that flashed between them deepened the yearning that had built near to bursting between her legs.
Vaughn raised her arms, silently asking him to join her. And he did. Straddling her supple form, he braced his weight on his arms. Tenderly, he brushed her face with countless tiny kisses, then down her neck, teasing the pulse that beat erratically in her throat. His wet lips seemed to sizzle across her heated flesh, causing her to cry out his name when his mouth reached her breasts and captured the hardened bud between his teeth. His tongue stroked first one, then the other, in maddeningly slow circles. In response, Vaughn arched her back, pushing the engorged mounds deeper into the recesses of his mouth.
“Mmmm,” he moaned, spreading her thighs with a sweep of his knee. Gingerly he rested his full weight upon her, thrusting up her knees with the forward motion of his broad shoulders.
Lured to her, without guidance, he reached the passageway of fulfillment. Hesitating an instant, he looked one last time into her eyes. Then, simultaneously, his mouth covered hers while his hips plunged downward, engulfing his phallus in a hot tight cocoon of euphoria.
“The promised land,” he groaned.
Vaughn snuggled closer to the warm, hard body next to her. A dreamy smile of contentment eased across her ebony face. God, she was happy—and satisfied! She couldn’t begin to describe just how satisfied. Her toes curled at the memory of what had taken place between them. Justin was an exquisite, experienced lover. Powerful and gentle. Just thinking about how his rhythmic thrusts had pushed her to heaven and back caused an instantaneous throb to pulse between her thighs. How many times had they made love during the night? Somewhere along the line, she’d lost count but her body still seemed to vibrate with need.
What had he done to her? Her physical experiences with men were limited. Was this the way you were supposed to feel the morning after? If so, she knew what she’d been missing all those years, and she had no intention of traveling back down that road again. This was just too good! Her decadent thoughts made her giggle, the vibration stirring Justin in his sleep.
His arm, firmly locked around her waist, slid upward until his palm cupped one tender breast.
She moaned softly, thinking him to be reacting in his sleep. She pressed her back closer to his front to discover that Justin Montgomery was anything but asleep.
She tried to angle her head to look at him over her shoulder, but before she could, Justin had turned her fully on her stomach and rested his full weight upon her. He slipped his arm beneath her waist and raised her hips to meet him.
“Good morning,” he groaned hot in her ear, finding his way into the fiery cavern that welcomed him. All Vaughn could do was sigh in pleasure as Justin took them on another ride of ecstasy.
The sun was high in the cloudless sky by the time Vaughn and Justin found their way out of bed.
She felt like a young girl in love for the first time. He was sure that ten years had been shaved off of his life. Vaughn was like a fountain of youth, pumping rejuvenating life into what had been an empty heart.
His smile was full of warmth as he watched the woman who seemed perfectly at home in his kitchen.
In the pit of his stomach was a strange stirring. It rose to his chest and seemed to make his heart pump faster. He felt warm all over and undeniably happy. Yet he was still reluctant to put a name to this sensation that ran rampant through him each time he looked at Vaughn. What could he expect from this relationship. She’d clearly stated that her time would be limited, that her priority was her faithful followers. So where did that leave him, exactly?
Before last night, he’d been sure that he was ready to just dive into this relationship—headfirst—and screw the consequences. Now, after being with her—within her, letting their souls touch—something had changed for him. He realized that with Vaughn he would totally lose himself. He would be consumed by the fire that she’d ignited within him. Before last night, the power that she’d had over him was purely imaginary.
Had he matured enough over the years to be ready to submit himself totally to a woman? Even now, with all the confusing thoughts tumbling through his head, he felt himself harden just by looking at her. He’d completely lost interest in what she was preparing for breakfast, but was more interested in how he could wrestle her out of his oxford-cloth shirt without ripping off all those damned buttons.
To hell with consequences, he thought vehemently. He hopped down from the stool and strode up behind her, pressing himself against her supple form.
Vaughn expelled a gasp of surprise, then giggled merrily while Justin teased her neck with nibbling kisses. Then suddenly he turned her around to face him. His dark eyes stared intently into her upturned face. She held her breath, mesmerized by the power of his gaze.
He blurted out huskily, “I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”
The declaration was so impulsive, so unexpected, that it seemed to take both of them by surprise. Vaughn blinked away her disbelief.
For several breathless moments they both stared at each other with such startled expressions that they simultaneously erupted into fits of joyous laughter.
Justin pulled Vaughn snugly into his embrace, absorbing the feel of her, the scent of her, as their laughter slowly settled and the enormity of what he’d said fully took hold.
Did he say he loved her because they had great sex? she worried, listening to Justin’s pounding heart. Was it what he thought she expected to hear the morning after? Did he expect some sort of favor now? When was the last time a man had said he’d loved her without some ulterior motive? She couldn’t recall. Yet with Justin…did she dare hope?
Justin’s words reve
rberated throughout his head. Why had he told her he loved her? It wasn’t possible to fall in love with someone this quickly, was it? Yet nothing went by the book when it came to him and Vaughn. He knew the sex was damned great. There was no question about that. But he’d had great sex before and it had never made him say the “L” word. That was just it, he realized. It wasn’t the sex. He and Vaughn had made love, in every sense of the words. For the very first time in his life he had truly, unquestionably, made love with a woman. That physical connection with her seemed to somehow transcend every aspect of his life. Their union had created love. Now he fully understood what making love was all about.
He might never be able to define it in words, but he knew in his heart that he had reached an apex in his life and it was due to one woman. This woman.
Justin leaned slightly back, placed the tip of his finger beneath Vaughn’s chin, and tilted her head. Her dark eyes swam with questions, doubts, excitement, and reciprocation.
“I meant what I said,” he told her softly. “I know it may seem impossible to believe that in a matter of weeks a person could fall in love.” He took a deep breath and briefly shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw acceptance in hers. “But I have, and it’s scaring the hell outta me.” He grinned sheepishly.
Vaughn’s mouth curved into a warm smile. Her eyes sparkled. She gently brushed his lips with her fingertips, which he lightly kissed.
“I’ve been so afraid of falling in love, Justin,” she said with deliberate intensity. “Afraid of rejection, loss, hurt. All the love in my life has only caused me pain.” Her eyes skimmed his face. “I don’t feel afraid anymore,” she whispered softly. Her delicate hands stroked his cheek. “Not anymore. I guess what I’m saying…is that I love you, too, Justin Montgomery.”