FascinatingRhythm

by Lynne Connolly

  “You should do it more often.”

  She flushed, picking up the innuendo even if he didn’t mean it.

  He laughed. “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes.” Still attuned to each other, as they had been before. They’d reconnected during that meal, and whatever else came of this evening, she knew she’d rediscovered a friendship that had meant so much to her before it had all gone wrong.

  If nothing else came of tonight, she’d have that. She might get her friend back.

  He opened the door to a large room and watched her walk past him.

  She walked around slowly, avoiding his gaze, wanting to let the room sink into her consciousness. In a large alcove at one end stood a big four-poster bed, the struts black and the drapes only token light gauze, a long scarf draped over the bare struts. A blue comforter covered crisp, white sheets, visible because the maid had already been in to turn down the covers.

  Turning around, she spread her arms wide. “I like it.”

  “Good.” He stood next to a cart holding a selection of desserts and a tall pot whose contents filled the air with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Her mouth watered when she saw the chocolate cream, and then another thought occurred to her. Startled, she looked up, straight into his eyes.

  They burned for her. That chill in the blue had utterly disappeared, replaced by fire. Quickly he turned away, but it was too late. She’d seen it. “Have you felt like that all night?” She wouldn’t take any prevarication. She wanted an answer. She looked back at him.

  “Yes.” Carefully, he picked up the pot and poured two cups of coffee. “Cream?” Although he didn’t look at her he made sure she could see his mouth move.

  She waited until he looked up and then she signed. “That depends.”

  He put down the pot. “On what?”

  “What exactly you’re offering.” She refused to go to him, not this time. He’d have to make clear exactly what he wanted.

  Chapter Three

  He stared at her for a full minute, or it felt at least that long. She didn’t go to the trouble of checking her watch, but it lasted a long time. It didn’t matter. Internal and external time stretched apart until the tension threatened to snap.

  Then he moved, crossed the room to stand in front of her. She tilted her head to gaze at him. Still fire. “Whatever you want,” he said.

  Watching him, never taking her attention away from those hot, impatient eyes, she put her hands on his waist and went on tiptoe to kiss him. In heels she could meet him on a more equal basis, but she’d come here in her work clothes, elegant but severely practical, including a pair of slides with next to no heel.

  He met her kiss, returned it, but didn’t open his mouth until he said something. She had no way of knowing what. Drawing back, he said, “I want you, Sabina. I always have and I’ve been burning for you since the first time I laid eyes on you today. Do you remember the first time we met?”

  She’d never forget. “You stood in the hall.”

  “Standing where you were today. Did you do that on purpose when you saw the car coming?”

  As if she would. “I was looking at the guest book.”

  “I never signed in. It used to annoy my mother.”

  “That was why you did it, wasn’t it?”

  His cheekbones gained a dull flush. “It was. Sometimes I behaved badly to get her attention. She said it was for emergencies like fire. I still didn’t sign in though.”

  He cut off his speech quickly, an indication he’d intended to say something else and then decided against it. She didn’t need him to say it this time. “Because you wanted attention?”

  He grinned, but that telltale flush remained. “Bratty. I had to grow up some, didn’t I?”

  She lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest, savoring his heat and strength. “Maybe I did too.” Maybe she had.

  She’d gone to him that night because she wanted him so much and she couldn’t wait anymore. He’d accepted her, taken her to bed, but she’d never told him how much that night meant to her As far as he was concerned, they were going to bed as friends and they parted as friends. For her, that night had changed everything. But she’d never told him. Now she could cope with friendship much better. Fucking a hot man sounded like fun, as it should have been the first time.

  “And here we are, all grown up,” he said.

  She could feel his words rumbling through his chest, the vibrations in time with his lip movements. “I don’t know if I’ll ever grow up.”

  “You’re adult enough for this.” He leaned down to kiss her, his arms banding around her to hold her close. Her hand remained trapped between their bodies and she could do nothing but keep it there while he captured her lips. He touched his tongue to hers, traced the line between top and bottom lip until it tingled, like using lip-plumping lipstick, and she opened for him.

  There the analogy with lipstick came to an incongruous halt. He plunged in as if ravenous for her, as hungry as she was for him.

  Ice froze her spine. What the fuck was she doing? Hadn’t she learned anything?

  She pushed him away and, taken by surprise, he staggered back, stopping just before he hit the cart. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted this.”

  Oh, how she wanted him! But she couldn’t. Tears threatened to fall, filling her lower lids, and a lump settled at the top of her throat. “Will you promise not to disappear this time?”

  He frowned. “What?”

  “Last time, you remember? You didn’t write, didn’t call. Nothing. And I didn’t know where you were, so I couldn’t write to you.”

  His chest rose and fell on a sigh. “I’m sorry. I know we-we connected the night before I left. But I couldn’t make any promises, so I thought it best to make a clean break.”

  That was it? She’d half wondered if he’d ask her to go away with him, share his adventure. But of course he hadn’t. She’d just graduated and started her job with Emmelie.

  A hunted look entered his eyes, brightened the blue as his pupils, previously darkened with desire, regained their normal hue. “I planned to come back to see you, but Emmelie told me you’d gone home.”

  Not good enough. “You had my family’s address in Iceland.”

  He swallowed. “I did. I still thought it right to give us both a break.” Spreading his hands in a gesture of surrender, he opened himself to her. “I missed you at first. Then my life changed. I thought yours had too.”

  Did he think she wouldn’t welcome him? Her lips tightened. He was probably right. She’d resented his abandonment until she’d seen him today. No, that was wrong. She still resented it. “You should have written.”

  “I know that now. I’m sorry.”

  It didn’t stop her wanting him, and he’d proved before that fucking didn’t have to mean commitment. Perhaps this time she’d be the one to turn her back.

  She took the initiative and walked forward until her breasts grazed his chest. “Do you still want me?”

  He sucked in a breath. “Fuck, yes.”

  Why deprive herself of the hottest man she’d seen in months? So what if it was Hunter?

  When he held her this time she knew they wouldn’t stop. He tilted his head to seal them together more securely, his kiss unrestrained. He explored her mouth, took his time, but she did the same, felt the incredible softness of his inner lips and the smooth texture of his teeth. His tongue stroked hers in the most intimate of caresses, then he sucked gently, inviting her to explore. Ravenous, she tasted him, touched him, wanting more, wanting it now.

  He broke the kiss, but only so he could lead her to the bed. It hadn’t looked that big when they came in. Or was it her nervousness coming to the fore? Yes, that was it. “It’s been a while,” she whispered, hoping she hadn’t spoken too loudly. Sometimes she found it hard to tell.

  She looked back at his face. “Me too. At least a month.”

  He startled her into laughter, but at the back of her mind she also remem
bered what he was these days. Sex on tap, no doubt, for the sexy drummer in one of the world’s hottest bands.

  For all she knew she was another girl in another port. Of course she was, he’d be moving on soon. So she’d better make the most of him, hadn’t she? She tugged at his T-shirt and he finished the job for her, impatiently pulling it off over his head before tackling her clothes. A zipper down the back and her dress peeled away like a bud casing, falling down her arms. She dropped her hands so she could finish the job and the dress fell to the floor.

  Eager to feel her skin against his, she moved closer. As he put his arms around her, he popped her bra undone. The straps fell loose, but she lifted her head for another kiss, craving it like an addict.

  From the way he took her lips, he felt the same.

  All the time he kissed her like an angel—or a devil. When his lips left hers, he kissed down her throat, stopping to suck the hollow between her collarbones while he helped her off with her bra. Then he stopped moving.

  She glanced down, wondering what was wrong. Were her breasts the wrong size or something?

  He was staring down. “Damn. I’d forgotten.”

  “What?”

  “How pretty they are.”

  She laughed. “How can breasts be pretty? I thought they were soft or something.”

  “Pretty,” he said firmly, cupping one. His big hand enveloped her left breast, encasing it in warmth. He massaged it before drawing his fingers gently along the slopes to the tip, and then again before he lingered to caress. “I love the way they move.”

  “Don’t they all move like that?”

  “Depends how good the surgery was.”

  She jerked back, crossing her arms over her chest. “I haven’t had plastic surgery ever. Not ever. But what if I had?”

  He held his hands up in apology. “I didn’t mean to upset you. There’s nothing wrong with plastic surgery, it’s just that they feel different.” He growled. “Shit, I’m sorry.” He flicked a switch and the bedside lights came on, although she could see his lips fine this close.

  She’d overreacted. “I’m on edge.” She dropped her arms and stepped toward him and he folded her into his embrace.

  “Fucking insensitive of me,” he said when she lifted her chin. “It sounds stupid, but I’m kind of nervous.”

  “Not stupid. I am too.” She stroked her hands down his back as if soothing a fidgety cat. The act calmed her in a strange way until he lowered his head and kissed her again.

  Then it all came back, her arousal, surging up inside her, loosening her body, readying her for his invasion.

  He eased her back and when she felt the mattress against her thighs, she realized what he wanted and let herself go as he lowered her gently to the bed.

  She watched him divest himself of the rest of his clothing, revealing powerful thighs, no doubt honed from years of thumping the bass drum and a taut stomach, ridged with muscle. He shed the last of his garments, his underwear. “You used to wear tight black briefs,” she said.

  He glanced at her. “Shorts are cooler. I don’t stick to one style. Call me fickle.”

  She lost the smile and he came down to lean over her, propping his arms on either side of her body. “Hey, it’s okay. I was making a joke. Is there something wrong? Do you want to stop?”

  Vigorously, she shook her head. “No, never. It’s just been a while for me too.”

  “How long?”

  “About a year.”

  He gave a low whistle. She had no way of knowing if he made a sound, but she saw the way he pursed his lips and felt the air against her cheek. “You had better things to do?”

  She didn’t want to answer. “You could say that.” She’d tell him about her forthcoming change if she felt like it. But he was moving on. No reason for him to know unless he stayed in touch. And she wasn’t counting on anything this time. “You look good.”

  “You look beautiful. You might have pretty breasts, but altogether you make a beautiful package.”

  He cupped her cheek, stroking the fine skin there, making her want to purr like a cat and rub herself against him. “You’re different, Sabina, you always have been.”

  She had no desire to laugh now. His gaze held no flattery, his lips no light banter. For a brief moment out of time they met and exchanged complete honesty. “You too.” Because she understood. Understood so much that it had taken her much longer to get over him than she’d ever imagined it would.

  Pushing away from her, he said, “I need to get some protection. Get into bed and I’ll be back in a minute.”

  So practical. One of the things she hated about being deaf was not hearing the gradations of tone. She didn’t know if he was murmuring or speaking normally. She could tell a whisper from a yell from the way the chest and neck moved, as well as the usual facial expressions that went with yelling. Usually she didn’t regret, because she couldn’t see the point in it, but sometimes a pang hit her. She wanted to hear his voice; she wanted to know what he sounded like.

  He returned, walking across the room, his erect cock bouncing with each stride. She watched, fascinated, and he didn’t take his gaze from her but stood over her and tossed a few packets on to the bedside table. A few?

  “Fuck, how many did you get?”

  “A handful. Let’s see how far we can take it, hmm?”

  Swallowing, she nodded, trying to look as if she did this every day. Except she’d just told him that she didn’t. “I’m not very good at this, am I?”

  “I’d say you were excellent.” He dropped a kiss on her neck. “Top of the class.” He took a nipple into his mouth and delivered a hard suck, then lifted his head so she could see what he was saying. “A1.”

  Laughing, she curled her arms around his neck to draw him closer. “You too. That feels good. Do it again.”

  “With the greatest pleasure in the world.” He followed suit, lavishing attention on her other nipple while playing with the one he’d just sucked. He rolled it between finger and thumb, sending shots of sensation over her body. Tingles traveled along her shoulders and arms, sensitizing her to a new level before he kissed underneath. He licked under her breast and then moved down, touching his tongue to her navel and going farther. He said something against her belly and then lifted his head. “You taste great and you feel even better. Your skin is amazing, do you know that?”

  She shook her head. “Thank you. You’re pretty good yourself.”

  “I want you lying down properly, with your legs wide open. I want to know how you taste.”

  Shivers coursed along her spine and she deliciously anticipated what they’d do next. She climbed onto the bed and lay down. He stripped her panties down her legs and away, then stopped, staring down at her. “You’re shaved,” he said.

  “Waxed. It’s smoother.”

  “It’s beautiful.” He laughed. He came onto the bed, knelt between her legs. “If you haven’t been with anyone, why…?”

  She laughed at his naïveté. “Because it’s black, and it shows when I wear light clothing. And because I like it, how it feels.”

  “Sweet.” He bent and licked her, groaned.

  Crying out, she grabbed his shoulders. She hadn’t expected him to act with such sudden decision or such enthusiasm. He didn’t taste her, he ate at her. He sucked her clit before licking every drop from her, an act that made her give him more, and in abundance, her arousal rising to almost unbearable proportions. She lifted her knees and clamped them on either side of his head before she realized he couldn’t move as well that way and forced herself to relax.

  His head moved but he didn’t look at her face, keeping his attention fully on her pussy. She moaned his name, then caught her breath. She couldn’t control her tone or pitch right now, so she preferred not to speak and possibly break the mood.

  Maybe he sensed something, because he lifted his head and spoke, “Don’t hold back. I want to hear everything.”

  “I can’t—can’t—”

 
Reaching up, he stroked her waist. “Yes you can. Please. I like it.”

  She believed him. She wouldn’t have believed anyone else. He treated her as if there was no difference between them. She loved that. People either tried to ignore her deafness or they exaggerated their response to her, turning to face her straight on, enunciating deliberately and slowing down their speech. Hunter didn’t. He did what he had to but no more and he did it in a natural way. She’d never felt awkward with him before, and now was definitely not the time to start. So she smiled and nodded and stroked his shoulders, enjoying the way his powerful muscles flexed and stretched as he returned to his task.

  It didn’t take long. When he sucked her clit right into his mouth and then tickled the end with his tongue, she lost her mind. When he sucked it harder, then suddenly released only to pull it into his mouth again, she fell apart.

  Shards of delight arced through her, spiking up her spine, invading her until she couldn’t help but cry his name and reach for him.

  When she came back down to earth, he’d sheathed himself and was waiting, his forearms on either side of her head. She realized he’d watched her ride out her orgasm. His cock was poised at her entrance, barely breaching it. When she opened her eyes, he drove in, filling her completely.

  Her back arched of its own volition, pushing her up to him, angling her pussy for his invasion. She grabbed his biceps, anchoring herself as she lifted her knees to hug the side of his body from his waist down, bracing her body against his when he drove deep inside her.

  “Don’t close your eyes.” He gasped after the first two words. His eyes were dark with passion once more, but she was close enough to see the ring of clear blue surrounding the pupil like a protective shield.