by Lynda Chance
Their tongues swirled together until Josh lifted his mouth from hers. He reached down and unsnapped her jeans and pulled them from her body. His hands were intent on his mission; he showed no finesse as he stripped the jeans and panties from her body. He had one goal only, and that was to get her naked as quickly as he could.
She lay tangled in her opened bra and nothing else when Josh pulled back from her and started shucking his jeans. His eyes held hers as he pulled a small, square package from the pocket of his jeans before he dropped them.
Hannah’s breathing quickened and she began to hyperventilate as she watched him put the small square to his mouth and rip it with his teeth. He quickly rolled the condom onto his engorged flesh and Hannah’s eyes shut tight. Somehow this was so real. Even though they’d done everything two people could possibly do together except for this one act, it just seemed like so much more.
And it was. This was real. Josh was naked and straining and she was the only thing that held his attention. She was the center of his world and she felt his intensity burning so hotly that for a second, she was almost afraid.
But then Josh was talking and moving toward her at the same time, and it all came screaming back to her. How she felt about him. The feelings running through her bloodstream were calling to everything feminine in her. She wanted this. Her excitement outpaced her fear a hundred fold.
“Hannah, I can’t go slow, baby.” His words were rough and tight and apologetic as he put his knee on the seat and stripped the tangled bra from her body. “I’m going to try not to hurt you, but I think that’s the best we can hope for this time.”
He pushed her legs open and came between them. He rested his thick erection on her stomach as he took her face between his hands and began kissing her with all the pent-up emotion in his veins.
She began panting against him in seconds.
He lowered his head and tasted the nirvana of her nipple as he sucked it into his mouth. At the same time, he roamed his hand between them and captured the sweetness between her thighs. When he pressed on her clit, she started bucking against him immediately. She rained liquid fire on his hand, and he slipped a finger inside of her.
He felt the membrane almost immediately. She was wet and pushing against him, but there was a film of flesh blocking him from entering her very far. It was an absolute miracle that he’d never broken it before with everything he’d done to her. But he’d always been careful. And at this moment, he was so glad he’d taken such care with her.
She was panting against his mouth, her wet heat was intoxicating him beyond control, and he didn’t want to rush her or hurt her now but his discipline was practically gone.
He lifted his hand from her, moved into position and grasped her head. “Open your eyes, Hannah.”
Hannah lifted her lashes and when her eyes focused on his, he spoke with a guttural vibration that came deep from his chest, “You’re mine. I’ve waited and waited and waited for you to grow up so that I could have this. Now you belong to me, just me. You understand?”
Her eyes held his glittering green ones. “Yes,” she whispered.
He surged into her with one firm thrust.
Josh heard her gasp and knew she had a moment of pain. She felt like tight satin and he hoped like hell the pain was gone. He stilled inside of her and lowered his head to hers and thrust his tongue in her mouth. He gave her three seconds to adjust, and then began rocking against her in an agony of need.
He pushed against her. She was his. He pulled out and pumped into her. She was finally his. He repeated the motion, five, six, seven times and spilled into her with a groan of satisfaction and a feeling of ferocious possession that he knew in that moment would never go away.
She was his.
****
Hannah lay under Josh, her heartbeat going crazy. They’d done it. They’d really done it. She could still feel him inside, full and hot and heavy, stretching her. His breathing was finally slowing, and he lifted his head and she knew he was looking down at her.
She slowly opened her eyes and found a look of such primal satisfaction that it sent another river of excitement cascading down her spine. He must have felt her wet heat, because his nostrils flared.
“Are you okay?”
She tried to speak but her vocal chords wouldn’t work yet. She nodded her head instead.
His eyes narrowed and he sank his hands into her hair. “Are you sure?”
She cleared her throat. “Yes.”
His gaze dropped to her lips. “It wasn’t good for you.” Fire smoldered from his eyes and she imagined he could see the longing in her eyes.
“It was good.”
“Did it hurt?”
“Just for a second.”
“You sure?” The look in his eyes turned tender. “I don’t want to ever hurt you.”
“I’m okay.”
“How okay?” As he asked that question, Hannah felt him push against her and surge to new life inside of her.
Excitement slammed through her, a new wave of butterflies taking off in her stomach. “Really okay,” she said softly.
Josh lifted himself from her carefully, and quickly cleaned himself up and rolled on a new condom. With strong arms, he lifted her up and over him as he sat down in the middle of the seat.
Pushing her hair back over her shoulders, he adjusted her legs until she straddled him. “We’re going to do it right this time.”
Hannah’s hands fell to his shoulders. “I thought we did it pretty right the first time.”
She sucked in a breath as his finger landed on her clit, and he began petting her, gently and softly, the way he always did and it elevated her desire to a new level. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and brought her closer in a grip that demanded she relinquish all control. She gladly gave herself to him as she leaned against him.
His lips came to her ear. “It was right for me, but not for you, and that won’t happen again. From now on, every time, you come first.”
Hannah tried to answer but couldn’t, as his finger teased her and then sank inside, all the way. She moaned as a wave of pleasure slid over her. As currents of sensation rippled along her spine, she was vaguely aware of the moisture blossoming between her legs and the groan that came from his chest.
“That’s it, Hannah. I want in again, baby.” He didn’t wait for a response; he slid his hand from her and lifted her until she was poised over his erection. Feeling him at her entrance, she looked up and found his eyes hot on hers. “You’re mine.” His voice was harsh as he pushed up until he was in a place inside of her where she could feel him stretching her. His eyes wouldn’t let go of hers. “Just mine, Hannah. Nobody else will ever have this.” He slid in another inch and her breath caught. “You gave it to me and now it’s mine. For all eternity.”
Hannah tried to catch her breath but it was impossible. Josh surged all the way inside and she was stretched completely. She felt him all the way to her womb, and a humming vibration slid from the point of contact up to her breasts and back, filling her with a heat she’d never known before. She closed her eyes.
She pressed against him and lifted a tiny bit, coming back down with a gasp of elation. Christ, that was good. Everything they’d ever done before had been good, but this was incredible. This was like sweet liquid chocolate, like a hit of pure, unadulterated ecstasy hitting her system all at once.
“You like that, princess?”
“Hmmmm.” Hannah couldn’t form words as Josh’s hands fell to her hips and he began guiding her, helping her find a rhythm that quickly took over her senses.
He pushed up as she pushed down and nothing had ever felt more exciting in her life. His muscles were clenched and rigid under her hands and her heart hammered in her ears as the bond between them grew even stronger.
She rocked against him, searching for her own orgasm, and it was right in front of her, easily attainable, and she let the delirium wash over her as she felt the pleasure rush between them.
His breath came harder and his fingers sank more roughly into her skin and it was like sweet nirvana to Hannah. She felt a forceful, blinding wave of heat and then ecstasy engulfed her, stronger and harder than anything he’d ever made her feel before.
As she rode the wave of pleasure, stars exploding in her head, she felt him surge up inside of her and capture her within his grasp even tighter, and she knew that he was coming with her.
She milked the feeling, loving every last shiver that flowed between them. When it was over, she sank all the way down and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands slid down her spine and landed on her buttocks, and they stayed that way until their breathing came back to normal.
She was almost asleep in his arms when she heard his voice whisper gently in her ear, “You’re my world.”
Part Two
Chapter Sixteen
The University of Texas at Arlington
“Have you told your brother yet?” The impatience Hannah heard in Josh’s voice rattled her nerves.
“No, not yet,” She answered softly as she curved her back into his chest, shifting her backside subtly, shamefully trying to take his attention off its one track course.
Josh couldn’t be swayed so easily. “He’s got to know, Hannah. It’s been years. We’ve had this conversation too many times to count and I want the truth. Are you ashamed of me?”
Hannah turned abruptly in the bed to face him, her eyes catching sight of his badge, pistol and shoulder holster on the bedside table. “No! Not at all.”
“Well, what is it, baby? Every time we get the chance, we spend it here, holed up in your dorm room. Trust me, I’ve got no complaints about that, but why the hell won’t you tell him? Do you really think he’s going to hate me so much? For something my father did that was beyond my control? Your brother’s a smart guy, Hannah. He’s fair. He’ll be okay with this—”
Hannah wasn’t so sure about that. Yeah, her brother was smart, but his pain still went deep. She was happy Josh seemed to have faith in her brother’s integrity, but Hannah didn’t know if she was ready to give Zach that much credit just yet. She loved her brother, but she saw the kind of looks he gave Katie whenever the other girl was around.
Katie was ahead of her at UTA, and Katie had been with Hannah several times when Zach had shown up unexpectedly to visit. There was something about the way her brother’s eyes zeroed in on Katie, something in his expression that told Hannah that Zach wasn’t ready to get past what Chris Turner had done to him. Hannah admitted to herself that she wasn’t ready for Zach to know that she was in love with Chris Turner’s son. She didn’t want to cause her brother any more pain. It was too soon. She needed to let more time pass. She fully intended to tell him someday. If things turned out the way she hoped and dreamed they would, her brother would have to know. But not yet. She just needed Josh to have more patience. “I just don’t want to hurt him anymore than he’s been hurt. He’s so alone. He’s moody and he broods over things.”
“You’re an adult, Hannah. You’ve got the right to decide what’s right and wrong for yourself. You don’t need to be scared of him. I can be there when you tell him—”
“No. Please, Josh. Not yet. I promise I’ll do it soon. This isn’t about being scared. Let him have some more time to heal. He needs that. He has the business to worry about. I don’t want to give him any reason to think he needs to worry about me.” She smoothed her hand back and forth over his chest while he listened to her. “He worries about all kinds of crazy stuff when it comes to me. He worries over the land and the money. You know Cindy married him for what she could get from him.” She felt Josh flinch when she said that and realized it was the wrong thing to say.
Josh tipped up her chin and spoke sincerely, “I don’t want the damn money. We’ve already discussed it enough times. It’s going in a trust for our kids. So is the land. Just tell your brother that.” His eyes tangled with hers as she bit her lip. “If it was up to me you’d come to me with nothing, just the clothes on your back. I don’t ever want you or anybody else to look at me with suspicion and think there’s anything other than your pure sweetness that keeps me coming back for more.” His lips tipped down to her forehead and she felt him place a soft, gentle kiss on her brow.
She lay in the circle of his arms and felt the sweet sincerity coming from his voice and the gentleness of his touch. She knew it was only about her. She felt it every time they were together, and every moment they were apart.
Hannah closed her eyes and let his touch comfort her. She hated secrets. Zachary didn’t know she was involved with Josh. Josh didn’t know Zachary was antagonistic toward Katie.
She took a fortifying breath. She wanted to keep it that way.
****
Some time later, Josh stood at the back of the huge auditorium and watched Hannah accept her college diploma. Fierce pride at her accomplishment slid through his veins. He’d told her she had to get her bachelor’s degree before they got married, and by God, she’d done it. And done it in three years. Personally, it didn’t matter to him if she got her degree at all, he was going to support them anyway. But for her, for her sense of accomplishment, for her security, he wanted her to have it. He didn’t plan on anything going wrong, he damn sure didn’t plan on getting killed in the line of duty, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with her future. He could barely remember a time when he hadn’t wanted her. From the moment his lips had touched hers the first time, she had been the driving force for him to succeed in life. Before that, he had just wanted to expel his father from his life, even if that meant having to leave Redwood Falls forever.
He had thought at the time it had taken all his control to keep everything in check with her before she turned seventeen. But that had turned out to be minor when faced with a Hannah who wanted to marry him when she graduated from high school at the tender age of eighteen. She’d wanted to go to a community college closer to home and take online classes to get her degree. It had sounded like heaven to him, but that hadn’t been what he wanted for her. She needed a degree from a four-year college, and he knew, deep in her heart, that she wanted one too. Trying to do the right thing, taking the chance she might find someone else while she’d been at college had almost killed him.
Her college degree was an insurance policy, in case anything ever happened to him. She would probably never really need it, but she deserved to have it. He knew it had always been her plan and he hadn’t wanted to stand in her way.
God, he loved her so much.
Every roadblock he’d put up in their relationship since she was fifteen years old, she’d pushed through. He’d told her she wasn’t old enough. She waited, and grew up. Check. He had demanded she stay in college and get her degree. Done. She had her diploma in hand.
As she walked across the stage, he knew she couldn’t see him among the sea of faces. But it didn’t stop her. She turned to the crowd, where he supposed she guessed he was, and threw out the most audacious face she could. It was meant to say, Okay. Are you happy now?
He smiled, ear to ear. Yeah, he was happy now. Now he could have what he’d always wanted. Hannah. Only Hannah. He wished like hell she didn’t come with all that damn money and land, but he’d take her anyway he could get her. He wasn’t like the man who had fathered him, he wasn’t out for what he could get. Josh had pride, he had integrity, and the only thing in the world, the only thing in the world he wanted was Hannah.
And Jesus, he wanted her. He wanted her with a passion that went bone deep. He needed her like he needed water to drink, like he needed air to breathe. They only needed each other. And just as soon as he could, he was going to put a ring on her finger.
****
Hannah looked away from her group of friends and saw Josh heading toward her. Her parents had taken them out to eat before the ceremony, because they’d had to get back to the ranch directly after. Now, faced with Josh and the predatory expression on his face, the bottom fell from Hannah’s stomach. Wo
uld the feeling ever go away? Was it only because she so rarely got to see him? She only half listened as Charles, the brainiac of their circle, again tried to get her to agree to go celebrate with them. No way. Josh was here. Did these people not get it? Josh was here. That’s all she cared about. There was no way in a hundred million years that she would choose to be anywhere else when she could be with Josh.
If that made her sad, or silly, or demented, she couldn’t care less.
She looked at Charles and politely began to decline as she kept Josh in her peripheral vision.
Josh heard a male voice speaking to Hannah and saying come with me and instant antagonism fuelled his blood. He prowled around behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders and tried to quell the urgent need to ram his fist in the pretty boy’s face. He could feel the anger as he came to his full height in a territorial stance, straightened his shoulders, and tried to temper the menacing scowl he knew was on his face. His mood had turned mercurial and he hoped like hell nobody said anything to goad him further.
Hannah lifted her chin and turned to give him a soft smile over her shoulder and immediately he felt a lessening of his compelling need to kill somebody. Her soft body relaxed against his and her sweet scent lifted to his nostrils. He breathed in deep as his life balanced out again.
He listened as Hannah spoke to her friends while leaning into him. “No thanks, ya’ll have fun, but Josh and I have to get home.”
All it had taken was for Hannah to get away from Redwood Falls, from all the gossip and jealousy in town, for her to have friends coming out of the woodwork.
One of the girls in the group looked at Josh. He couldn’t remember her name, but he had met all of Hannah’s college friends several times. “Hi, Josh.”
“Hey.” His voice was curt. He looked around at the happy graduates and knew something was in order. “Congratulations.”
A chorus of thanks hit him, and his job being done here, he lightly began putting pressure on Hannah’s shoulders to leave.