Threads Of Desire (Creative Hearts Book 3)

by K. M. Jackson

  “What, nothing flip to say, Miss Russell?”

  Gabby looked back down and bit her bottom lip. “No, Mr. Ross. I think you have me speechless for once.”

  He grinned at that, obviously pleased at himself. “Good. Let’s keep it that way for a bit, shall we? Now, what were you saying about kissing that foot?”

  Nick started at her feet and kissed up her ankles, going to her calves and to a sensitive spot behind her knee that—oh hell—Gabby hadn’t even known she had. By the time he made his slow and lovely ascent up her legs to between her thighs, Gabby’s knuckles were sore from clutching the covers so tightly and she was so excited, she knew the bed sheets must be soaked.

  Jeez, the man hadn’t even gotten to her real spot and she was already begging for him to have mercy. She wanted him inside her now, but no, he was still teasing, intent on making it last. It seemed he had it in his mind that he would do everything in his power to make their brief time in the closet nothing more than a distant memory.

  If only it were so easy.

  His blew out a warm breath and it rippled along her body, bringing life to her nerve endings. Suddenly she was both fire and ice all at once. He wasn’t even touching her, and her nipples were more sensitive than they had ever been. She felt his warm kiss on her right hip and sighed. Her mind was reeling. For someone so large, he was still so gentle. It was amazing.

  His hands came up and finally he brushed gently across her nipple, sending her back arching toward his touch. She wanted more. She wanted all of him. She swallowed, ready to tell him to just take her. Fill her. Now. But then he shifted and kissed her tenderly on her most intimate spot. It was like a spark from heaven shooting through her body. Her eyes fluttered back, and she thought she would pass out. Gabby writhed, moving back from the shock, but he held her, going deeper. Tonguing, kissing, loving her full lower lips just as he had the ones above. Gabby’s breathing grew shallow. She was so close. She knew she was there, right on the edge. Then he did it. Damn Nick and his quick-assed tongue. Just one more lick and then a flick in just that spot, and her fingers were digging deep into his shoulders and she was gone. Riding high, taking off on a rocket. Going on a trip that she vowed she’d never take again.

  Her heart thundered the same way. Did the same flip and double back. She got the same feeling of floating, of being above herself. That magical feeling of the two of them connecting, like she’d never had with anyone before or since. Her eyes shot open, and Nick was there above her.

  She looked into his dark eyes. The dread, the shame, was threatening to return. She couldn’t let it. She wouldn’t let it.

  Nick stared at her now with questioning eyes. “Last time, darling—are you sure? You have to tell me you’re sure.” Then he smiled. It was an unsure smile. Not the cocky know-it-all he was, but more of the unsure man she was starting to get glimpses of.

  She leaned forward and kissed again him, softly this time, tasting herself, her own decision on his lips. “Yeah, I’m sure. Neither one of us are kids anymore. And like I said, this is a special occasion. It’s not every day the lights go out on the city.”

  • • •

  Nick pulled back. Worry pricked at him while desire coursed through him like a lightning storm. Gabby had said yes, but still he wasn’t sure. Sure, that flip little mouth of hers acted all self-assured and said yes, but her eyes told another story. He was about to protest. God, he couldn’t believe that he was going to be the one to pump the breaks, but after her words about being the girl in the dark, he didn’t dare make a wrong step and take a chance on potentially breaking her heart again. He was rock hard and wanted nothing more than to sink himself into those luscious curves of hers, but the stakes were just too high. The emotions still too raw. He saw it in her eyes, heard it in her voice—the distrust was still there. Telling her to wait was right there on the tip of his tongue, when Gabby reached over and, ever so smoothly, picked up one of the condoms.

  “Now.” She ripped open the package with her teeth, and his cock got impossibly harder. Holy hell. Now. His heart went wild. If he didn’t come inside her, he was going to come just looking at her. Shit, how much longer could he wait? He’d wanted her again ever since he’d stupidly walked away from her all those years ago. How could he be even thinking of pulling back now?

  He snatched the condom from her hand with probably a little too much enthusiasm and leaned back, looking down at her again, hardly able to catch his breath. She was just everything. Everything he wanted and all that he couldn’t have. Nick scrunched his eyes shut for a moment, willing himself to hold onto his emotions.

  He opened his eyes.

  She was his perfection. Deep honey skin with soft dark brown freckles scattered across the bridge of her perfect nose. Most of the time she covered them with makeup so they were hidden. But he saw them now. They were there, just as they had been all those years ago. She hadn’t changed. And as she looked at him, wide-eyed and fresh-faced out of the shower, damn. She was just as he remembered her, and shit if his mind didn’t go to war with his heart once again. He was scared and this was hard. Almost as hard as he was. She was just as he’d dreamed of for so long…and then so much more.

  He wanted to kiss every freckle on her beautiful skin. Start at the bridge of her nose and go to those rare, exquisite ones that feathered across her chest and shoulders. Down to her breasts, round and full. He hardened even more. Her breasts were perfection, and he could feast on her rounded tips forever. It was like they called to him, as he leaned down and licked them again. She rewarded him with a thrilling little delighted giggle that tickled his ears and seemed to float along his skin. “You are everything,” he breathed out before he could stop the words. Suddenly, he felt hot. Almost feverish.

  Shit. He was way too hot. If he got inside her now, he’d explode in two strokes. “I need you on top. Please.”

  Gabby looked at him, that sexy gleam sparkling in her eyes, and flashed a smile that had his toes curling, before she pushed up and nudged at his shoulders. They switched positions and his earlier vision came to life as suddenly Gabby was above him. His dark, curly-haired angel. Her hair was now dry and untamed, flowing wildly around her shoulders. She smiled like a temptress, as she took his length into her hands and spread herself for him. He watched as she sucked in a breath, and his jaw clinched tight as she lowered onto him.

  Sparks of light started shooting behind his eyes, threatening to sweep him away. He didn’t think he could keep control and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t know if he wanted to. Gabby was tight and sweet and she felt so good, it was as if he was finally home inside her beautiful body, as she gripped him better than anyone or anything he could ever dream of. He threw his head back and grabbed at the sheet, overwhelmed with the feel of her. “Oh God, Gabby, I can’t. I don’t think I can hold on.”

  She moved. A slow, small undulation that made his breath catch and caused his tightly closed eyes to open meet hers again. Her own eyes were wide and her cheeks were flushed. Finally, after so long, this was it. A dark feeling washed over Nick like a cloud. Suddenly, he wished this was their first time. Remorse coiled low, threatening to steal his pleasure. She deserved so much more than him. He wanted to give her the world. Letting go of the sheets he let out a breath and grabbed her around her waist, leaning forward to take her in an embrace. “This is it, Gabrielle, and you are everything,” he whispered into her ear. “Do you hear me? Everything.”

  He felt her let out a shuddered breath against his neck. He stroked up and she rocked against him. Nick threaded his fingers in those glorious curls and pulled her head back, forcing her to look at him, but her eyes began to close, her body stiffening slightly. He could feel her putting a wall up, feel her becoming guarded, and it was driving him insane. He took his hand and brought it between their bodies, finding her sensitive nub and giving it a swift stroke with his thumb. Her eyes shot back open. “Don’t do that, Gab. I know you. Don’t close yourself off to me now. Talk to me if
you have to, but please let yourself go.”

  “What if I don’t want to?” Her words came out on a choke.

  He nipped at her bottom lip and gave that hard nub a flick, easing his hand lower to cover himself with her slick juices. He brought his hand higher to caress her again, this time circling her more gently. “You know you do. There’s no need to fight it.”

  “Who says I’m fighting?” She protested, but there was still a catch in her voice that she couldn’t hide.

  “If you say so, baby, but I know you better than you think.”

  He flipped the swirl the other way and she gasped, then clamped down, tightening her inner walls on his dick. Nick grinned. “So you’re challenging me. Good. I’ll take that. But I warn you, I don’t play fair.”

  He then picked her up and flipped her on the bed, sending her breasts bouncing and a giggle escaping her throat. The sound brought a smile to his heart. He was coming to learn that he’d take her pleasure any way he could get it.

  Nick lifted her legs and without warning, plunged back inside of her. Heaven. He had no other word. He took her all the way, deep, in long strokes. Coming out and going all the way in again. Pistoning in and out, soaring on a erotic ride before adding one hand back to that lonely nub of hers while bringing the other to one of those amazing nipples and giving it a tweak. Gabby’s breathing grew shallow as she suddenly tightened on his shaft, and he felt her start to pulse, before an all-out gush of wetness enveloped his shaft. The sensation was so powerful that it grabbed him and sent him over the edge. He grabbed her hips and came in a surprising rush against her, falling onto her body while sucking deeply for air.

  Nick looked down at her beautiful face. Skin glowing, lips full, eyes wide with amazement. From a distance, there was the crash of glass breaking and the loud wail of sirens rising into the air again. Gabby’s eyes went even wider. Nope, there was no there was no turning back now. He and Gabby had made love and the world outside had indeed exploded in the wake of it. Nick just laughed.

  Chapter 12

  “So, best out of three?” Still, there were the sounds of chaos outside. Horns, yelling, sirens, but Gabby shut it all out and in her head she could only hear the thump, thump of her heart and the heaviness of her labored breathing, as she tried to compose herself.

  Nick slid one eye open from where he was lying down below her breasts and looked up at her. “You just have to have the last word, don’t you? Don’t think I can’t hear your heavy breathing. You’re just as worn out as I am.”

  “Sorry. Force of habit.”

  He ran a lazy hand up her side, sending a shiver through her body and, despite her being completely wrung out, causing her nipples to harden once again. She noticed his erection defied the laws of biology, too, and astonished her by stirring against her lower leg.

  “Well, you think we can call a truce?” Gabby raised a brow as Nick put up a surrendering hand. “At least until the power is back on. Honestly, I’m finding this infinitely more pleasurable and would rather spend this time in the dark making love, not war.” He shifted up and licked the underside of her breast. “Besides, you are way too sweet for us to lose precious time arguing.” His voice raked over her, vibrating though her body, his warm breath floating over her ribcage.

  Gabby mulled his words over as her body sank deeper into the softness of the mattress. Her legs were weak and it had nothing to do with her fall. As a matter of fact she hadn’t even thought about her ankle or foot in the past hour. At the moment it felt like she could get up and do a tango in the center of Broadway. Nick had slyly eased back on top of her and was nuzzling at her neck, moving upwards with that lovely tongue of his and wrapping it around the shell of her ear. She squirmed, enjoying the sensation. But then her traitorous stomach growled.

  She felt the embarrassment spread from the tips of her toes and travel up to the top of her head. Just perfect. Of course, her stomach would rumble right now. She brought her hands up and covered her face.

  Nick reached up and gently pulled her hands down. Instead of the teasing she was expecting, his eyes were filled with concern. “You didn’t have dinner?”

  She shook her head. “No, and as you can hear even above all that racket out there, I’m starving.”

  Nick nuzzled against her neck. “Well it’s not like you haven’t worked up an appetite, my love.”

  At that Gabby looked toward the window and the sound of what she thought was a trashcan overturning. She didn’t want to respond to him. “What do you think is going on? It does sound like all hell is breaking loose out there.”

  Nick let out a long breath and rubbed against her again. Warm and solid. He shook his head slightly. It caused her to, without thought, bring her hand up and rub at his soft, low curls, massaging his scalp. She found she enjoyed the texture of his head under the pads of her fingers. The intimacy of the moment. The feeling that for the time being it was comfortable and right and where she was meant to be.

  “I don’t know. I wouldn’t worry about it too much though. Just folks acting like fools, I suppose. It wasn’t all that wild when I went out earlier. You just put it out of that beautiful mind of yours.” She felt him smile against her ear. Then he looked at her, his dark eyes getting a whimsical glow. “You should be happy with what I got you.”

  She frowned. “Oh please. You’re just trying to make me forget what’s going on outside.”

  He leaned down and nipped at her ear, sending another zing of pleasure to her nipples and her center. “Is it working?”

  Gabby couldn’t help but laugh. “You know it is.” If this wasn’t number not-even on her list of how she thought she’d be spending her Friday night, then she didn’t know what was. Sure it was hard, but deep down—and maybe under oath if she had to—she could admit that since Nick had walked back in the door that night and back into her life, drunk and disheveled but still good looking and a bit asshole-ish, she had been dreaming of what it would be like to jump his bones. But to be cuddled up and chatting? And what’s more, laughing while she was feeling comfortable and naked? It just boggled the mind.

  He leaned back in and nuzzled at her neck, going for that spot, which he seemed to already have learned was a hot button for her.

  There was another crash. This one seemed to come from further away but still Gabby flinched and Nick pulled her in tighter. Fuck. You would think she was a silly girl, still afraid of the dark. She needed to get herself together here. This was supposed to be a cool night of seduction. Not some weird pity screw. Gabby swallowed, hating herself for even thinking the thought. Better to worry about what was going on outside than in her head. Anything could be happening out there. Looting, armed robberies, fires. She hoped all her friends were safe and at home. Gabby told herself silently she had to chill. Get centered and be still in her mind. Nick leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. It was such a sweet, intimate gesture that it did still her. She let out a breath. It was silly and she was fine.

  She looked up and his eyes changed, took on a serious cast. “I’m sure it’s no big deal. Probably all the families went inside as soon as it looked like the power wasn’t immediately coming back on and now a few kids are out seeing what they can get up to in the dark. You don’t have to worry. This will probably all be over by tomorrow and for now,” he said, raising a sexy dark brow, “we have tonight.”

  Tonight. The word hung in the air thick and heavy like the scent of the candle merging with the weight of their lovemaking. It had a perfect finality to it. Just what she needed to hear to bring her back to earth and down from the puffed-up cloud that was threatening to take her too far up in the atmosphere.

  Gabby blinked and forced her expression to be one of serene countenance. Tonight could be perfect, sirens and all, and it could be all that she needed and ever would need. After tonight she could move past him and any feeling of doubt that she’d ever had. She would because she had to. It was time to get her life in gear. Time for a new direction. This was just what she’d
hoped for when she’d come home tonight. She’d gotten exactly what she’d been longing for. A change of lanes. And finally closure with Nick.

  Gabby moved her hands, lowering them from his head and skimming them over his broad shoulders and down his back, feeling the hard muscle there, and he reared up over her so good, so solid, so strong. His thighs pressed firmly into her flesh, easing hers apart.

  “You are starting something here, Miss Russell.”

  “I sure hope so.”

  “But I thought you were hungry.”

  “Who said I’m not?” She licked her lips and Nick moaned.

  “I’ve either just met the devil or the angel of my dreams.”

  She grinned at him, forcing her mood to brighten. “Now why you have to go and try putting a label on me, Mr. Ross?”

  Nick seemed to pause at that unexpectedly. Her comment was only meant as a joke. He looked down at her body now in the most unnerving and deeply intent way, running his hand up her side from her thigh to her breasts. He stopped there, taking in their fullness, then stroking them lightly, the back of the fingers going across her nipples. They pebbled even more and he brought his now hardened eyes up to hers.

  “You’re right. There is no putting a label on you.” His voice was thick. Too heavy for the room and too heavy for the two of them and the occasion. “There never was.”

  Gabby slapped him on his firm bicep, hoping with all her might that it came off as playful. Hoping it could take the weight of his stare and turn it around. Her heart pounded. She smiled, then licked her tongue across her top lip. And Nick grinned and went back to staring at her breast. As if on remote she sucked in her stomach. “Just as long as you don’t forget it when you’re on to the next one.”