He dropped his hands to her ass and lifted her, her panties still askew from his fingers. With her back pressed against the door, she wound her legs around his hips and he clenched his jaw against the need to drive into her. “Condoms are in my bedroom,” he managed to grind out as she slicked her wetness over him.
“No. Just you. Right here. Right now.”
He glanced down at his cock, glistening from rubbing against her. In Chicago, they’d always used condoms, always kept that barrier between them. The fact that Jules didn’t want anything between them this time, wanting to connect with him as intimately as possible, sent an emotion he couldn’t quite identify crashing through him.
His eyes met hers, and he almost couldn’t breathe, because everything he felt for her was overwhelming. From the way her eyes shone softly at him, he knew she felt the connection between them too. They’d had a connection in Chicago, but this was different. More intense. Rare.
It was everything. She was everything.
Jules tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, her fingers tracing over his cheekbone. Nick could read every emotion flickering over her face, could see her like he’d never seen her before. “Nick, please. I need you,” she whispered, and the need to be inside her consumed him, obliterating everything else.
His eyes holding hers, he lifted her another few inches and eased her down onto his cock. They both let out a half sigh, half moan as he slid deep, burying himself inside her. For a second, maybe longer, he held completely still, not wanting the moment to end, it was so fucking perfect. Perfect, and without a doubt the most intimate moment of his entire life.
He felt like he’d been wandering for a year, and now he was home.
She slid her hands up his chest and wound her arms around his shoulders, her fingers weaving into his hair. Rocking against him, she shuddered and closed her eyes. “I missed you so much. God, I’m so sorry—”
He cut her off with a deep kiss, flexing his fingers into her ass as he moved her up and down. “Don’t be sorry,” he said, his lips brushing hers. “Just be here. Be here and stay.”
She took a deep breath and clenched around him. “I’m here.”
Something hot and sweet soared through him, and he adjusted his grip on her, working his hips as he started to fuck her hard, slow, and deep. Her shoulders bumped against the door, rattling it in its frame. He circled his hips, dragging his cock against her clit as he withdrew from her and she arched against him.
“Oh God, Nick,” she gasped as he did it again. “You make me feel so full. So perfect,” she sighed. Possessive satisfaction burned through him at how good he knew he could make her feel, and he felt like both a king and a conqueror, claiming and owning what he’d fought for. He dropped his head and scraped his teeth over her collarbone. Sweat beaded along his hairline as he picked up his rhythm, unable to hold back and make it last.
He brought his mouth back to hers just in time to swallow her loud moans as she came, her pussy fluttering and then clenching around him in a rapid rhythm. He fucked her harder, drawing out her orgasm. Heat engulfed his entire body, coating his skin, tightening his balls, making him sweat with pleasure as he drove into her over and over again. Everything—lust and love and need and relief and satisfaction—wove together, messy and bright like fireworks colliding.
“God, Jules,” he ground out as he thrust deep and came hard, pouring everything he had into her. It was one of those soul-sucking orgasms, so deep and intense that he felt as though it had pulled a piece of him into her.
For several seconds, they held still except for their heaving chests, Jules still in his arms, their bodies still connected.
With her fingers in his hair, she pulled his mouth to hers, teasing at his tongue with hers, kindling a new fire with a few languid strokes. He wasn’t sure if it was biology or chemistry, but the science of how fucking amazing they were together was undeniable.
“I need more,” she whispered against his mouth.
He smiled. “Good, because I’m not done with you.” He managed to kick free of his jeans and underwear, and still inside her, he walked them through the apartment and into his bedroom. With a low growl, he tossed her down onto the bed. “Naked, sweetheart. Now.”
She smiled up at him, that naughty smile that had always promised the best kind of trouble. Her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she rose to her knees on the bed and shrugged out of her dress, tossing it to the floor. Her eyes dipped down his body and she licked her lips as she unhooked her bra, letting the straps fall down her arms. She dropped it onto the bed, and then slid her hands down her body to her underwear. The insides of her thighs glistened. That sight turned him on even more, while twisting his gut tight with something both tender and possessive, reminding him that she’d let him come inside her, nothing between them. She worked her panties down her hips, letting them fall around her knees and then slipping out of them. She brought her eyes back to his and slid a hand between her legs, pushing a finger inside herself. Her hips swiveled and she raised her finger to her mouth, sucking it. “We taste good,” she said.
Something raw and primal charged through him, and he stepped toward her on the bed, weaving his hand into her hair. “Show me how much you missed me. Clean off my cock.”
She made a low humming noise in the back of her throat and smiled up at him, big and bright. He smiled back, loving that she loved to be dirty with him, loving that she let him take charge. He’d always had a knack for knowing exactly what she needed, and apparently the year apart hadn’t dulled his dirty-sexy-fun-times-with-Jules instinct.
With gentle pressure on the back of her head, he urged her down onto all fours in front of him on the bed, his eyes devouring her now that she was fully naked.
She licked a long, slow path from the base of his cock to the tip, sucking just the head into her mouth. Although he’d come only minutes before, his balls tightened as pleasure kicked low in his gut, twisting his insides into something tense and explosive. She glanced up at him through her lashes and with long, teasing pulls, worked her mouth over him, engulfing him in the glorious wet heat of her mouth.
“Show me how much you can take,” he said, his voice low and rough, and he thrust into her mouth, unable to stop his hips from moving.
She made that sweet humming noise again and took another inch, swirling her tongue over the head. Moving up and down, she sucked him a little bit deeper with each sweep of her lips, choking a little when he nudged the back of her throat. Burning satisfaction clutched at him, and he was so damn hard, so damn close, that it would’ve been the easiest thing in the world to let go and come in her mouth, to watch her greedily swallow everything he had for her.
But that wasn’t what they needed. Not this time. Tonight was about connection, and he needed to be inside her again.
“Come here, sweetheart,” he said, his voice a little raw with the wave of tenderness crashing through him. Her eyes glittering up at him, she released him, stroking him as she rose to her knees. He traced his hands up her back and pulled her close, closing his mouth over hers in a deep kiss. “Mmm. We do taste good,” he whispered against her mouth.
Her chest hitched slightly. “So good, Nick.”
Kissing her again, he stroked his hands up and down her back, and then palmed one of her breasts, loving the way it fit perfectly in his hand. She arched into his touch as his thumb played over her nipple, teasing it before rolling it between his fingers. He broke the kiss and dipped his head, sucking that nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue over it. He scraped his teeth over it, and Jules let out a low, throaty moan.
She tunneled her fingers into his hair, her nails raking over his scalp. He glanced up at her, her nipple still in his mouth. For a second, everything stilled, and as their eyes met, something passed between them. He knew that Jules felt it too, because suddenly a laugh bubbled up out of her, light and free. Unable to help h
imself, he laughed too as he tumbled her down to the bed, supporting his weight on his forearms as he settled on top of her.
“My Jules,” he murmured, brushing a strand of her hair out of her eyes.
She laughed again, softer this time, and she wound her arms around his shoulders. “Yours,” she whispered, and he couldn’t hold back anymore. He lined himself up with her entrance and pushed into her.
Her back arched up off the bed, her hands tight in his hair. “Oh shit, Nick. Yes! God.” He smiled down at her and she clenched, hot and wet and perfect around him. He smiled as he brought his mouth to hers, loving that he could draw that kind of reaction from her. She slipped her legs around his waist, her heels digging into his ass. He thrust into her, deep and slow, and she moaned against his mouth. When he broke the kiss, she smiled up at him, so open, so beautiful that he almost told her he loved her.
But even though the words were on the tip of his tongue, he held back, not quite ready to make himself that vulnerable with her.
He flexed his hips, thrusting in and out of her once more before he stilled. “Tell me why you said yes.”
She licked her lips and worked her hips against him, but he held still, needing to know.
“Because I love . . .” She arched against him again, and he stroked in and out of her, once, his entire body throbbing. She moaned and sucked in a deep breath. “I love who I am with you. Because I know that what we have is real, and I want to give it a chance. Because you look at me . . .” She moved a hand from his hair to his cheek, tracing her fingertips over his cheekbone, his mouth, his jaw. “Like that.” His chest constricted almost painfully, too many emotions to name ripping through him.
He took her hand and pinned it above her head, flexing his hips again as he resumed a slow, easy rhythm of thrusts.
“Because no one has ever made me feel as incredible as you do,” she panted, her breaths coming faster now. “Because you’re Nick, and I’m yours.”
“Mine,” he said, kissing her as he swiveled his hips, dragging his cock against her clit as he slid in and out of her. Even though he was inside her, it still wasn’t enough. Maybe nothing ever would be.
“I’ve been yours since that night in the bar in Chicago.”
“Why did you deny it?” he asked, stilling once again.
Her eyes met his. “Because I’m scared. I don’t want to be, but I am.”
A pang of protectiveness washed over him, and he kissed her again. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Don’t be scared.”
“It’s not that easy,” she whispered, and he pressed his forehead to hers.
“Then let me be brave for both of us until it is.”
She smiled up at him again, and it was so bright that he couldn’t help but laugh a little. “My Jules.” He buried his face in her neck and pumped his hips, the mattress creaking beneath them, Jules’s moans filling his ears as he sent her over the edge. With a few deep thrusts, he followed her. His heart slammed against his ribs, his entire body weak and sated. Afraid he was going to crush her, he slipped out of her body and rolled to the side, pulling Jules against him.
“Nick?” she asked as she lazily traced circles on his chest with her fingertips.
“Yeah?”
“Why did you want me to say yes? After the way I—”
He cut her off with a gentle, lingering kiss. “Because I know we’re meant for each other. Plain and simple.”
“Because we have such great sex.”
“That’s part of it, sure.” He tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. Knowing she felt scared, uncertain, and insecure, and wanting to chase all of that away. “But it’s because I feel so damn alive with you, and everything feels bigger and brighter. Because you’re beautiful, and smart, and make me laugh, and put up with my jokes. Because the second I found you, I knew I’d been looking for you for a long time.”
She inhaled a shaky breath, blinking. “Can I stay tonight?”
He cocked his eyebrow, his limbs too heavy to do anything else. “You have someplace you’d rather be?”
She levered up onto her elbow and looked down at him, her blond hair falling over her shoulder in a messy curtain, her blue eyes sparkling as she smiled. “Well, maybe. I mean—”
He grabbed her and pulled her against him, closing his mouth over hers in a slow, hot kiss. “Don’t even think about getting out of this bed.”
She laughed and snuggled into him, and he closed his eyes, basking in the sense of peace enveloping him.
Everything was right with the world again.
14
Jules rolled over and snuggled into the covers, unwilling to face the morning just yet. She was filled with the lovely contentment that came from being held all night. It was a feeling she’d only ever had when she woke up next to Nick.
Nick. Had that really happened last night? Her entire body hummed with the memory of his touch. She stretched, and every muscle in her body was pleasantly sore.
She couldn’t stop the grin that stretched across her face as she finally opened her eyes to face the day. Nick wasn’t in bed, but the water was running in the shower and he was rapping the lyrics to Young MC’s “Bust a Move.” She laughed when he sang the woman’s part in an enthusiastic, high-pitched voice. She loved that she never knew what to expect from him and that he could always make her laugh.
A few beams of sunlight streamed in through the blinds on the bedroom window. Shit. How late was it? Throwing the tangled covers back, she rose and picked up a T-shirt she found lying on the end of the bed, tugging it on over her head. Retrieving her purse from where she’d dropped it by the front door, she dug out her phone to check the time. She had an hour before she needed to be at work. If she hurried, it’d be just enough time to get across town to her apartment, shower, and dress.
But not without seeing Nick first. Everything between them was so new, and she wanted to touch him and talk to him before the world intruded. She wanted to feel his arms around her again before it was back to work and all the other problems that had made her run from him in the first place. Putting her purse and phone on the nightstand, she walked over to peek between the blinds. She’d been too preoccupied the night before to pay much attention to the apartment complex. There were probably a half dozen two-story buildings scattered around the property with manicured green spaces and rock gardens adjoining them. It was nice. The type of place workaholic, single professionals and travel-bitten empty nesters tended to live. It wasn’t a place to put down roots. A place to live, but not to call home.
Nick’s voice faded and he turned off the water. As she turned to go say hi, a pile of boxes in the corner drew her attention. A couple were half open as if he’d taken out a few things he needed, while the rest were still sealed shut. He hadn’t completely unpacked yet, even though he’d been here for weeks. Actually, none of the furniture in the apartment was the same furniture from his loft in Chicago. This was all neutral tones and clean lines. Boring, inoffensive furniture that was probably included in the rent.
She wondered what he had planned—did he even intend to stay around after the tournament? It certainly wasn’t necessary to live here to hold the middleweight championship belt. He could live almost anywhere as long as he had access to trainers and an airport. And if he lost . . . if he lost he might be out anyway. She wouldn’t put it past her dad to cut him from the league. A knot of anxiety began to tighten in her belly. Clearly they had a lot to talk about. And yet she felt herself not wanting to bring it up now. This morning with Nick was warm and comforting, like coffee. Talking about the future would only put salt in it, ruining it.
“Good morning, beautiful.” Nick’s voice sent a shiver down her spine as his arms came around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and driving out her worries as soon as his mouth found her neck.
She closed her eyes and leaned into him. “Morning,” sh
e said, running her palms over his strong forearms. He felt so solid and reassuring against her that it was impossible to worry when he held her. He had a way of shutting her brain off. “That was some performance.”
He grinned against her neck. “Last night or the shower?”
“Both.” She laughed, her hands roaming down to grab his hips through the towel to pull him closer to her, her fingers curling into the terry cloth. “But I meant the shower.”
“You could’ve joined me. I’d sing backup for you.” Biting her earlobe, he tightened his arms around her, and she savored the feel of him pressed against her back.
Jules closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. She was sore from the four times they’d had sex. Exhausted, they’d finally fallen asleep holding each other last night, only to wake up a couple of hours later and find each other in the dark. Deep, slow kisses had sparked fresh desire between them. She’d lost track of how many orgasms she’d had, but she was already aching for him again. She wondered if she’d ever get enough of him.
“I missed this.” She turned in his arms and crossed her wrists behind his neck. “Sleeping next to you. Waking up with you.” She grinned. “You’re addictive.”
He smiled back and kissed the tip of her nose. “Damn right I am. And don’t you forget it.”
A wave of sadness washed over her, for all that she’d put them through. “I’m sorry for the past year. I’m finished running. I won’t hurt you like that again.”
Dirty Boxing Page 14