by Mari Carr
Jarod’s erect cock rode high against his stomach, but he didn’t move it back into play. Instead, his next touch came from his fingers. Stroking her clit, he applied a steady pressure until she was squirming beneath him, panting and on the verge of begging. She was so close.
His fingers drifted to her pussy and he pushed two inside. She winced slightly at the sudden invasion. He’d used her hard earlier—just the way she liked.
“Sore?”
“A little.” She didn’t care. “Keep going.”
“You’re a demanding little thing. What part of I’m in charge are you struggling with?”
She wanted to call him to task for his words, but before she could utter a sound, he pulled his fingers out of her cunt and moved even farther back. The tip of his wet finger rimmed her anus and she froze.
“Want to play?” he asked.
“What did you have in mind?” As if she didn’t know.
He wiggled his finger. “Guess.”
She tried to think of a witty response, but her mind was drawing a complete blank. Jarod had sexed her stupid. “Okay. Play away.”
He reached into the nightstand drawer and, for a moment, she thought she might have been smarter to ask for more details when he pulled out a tube of lubrication.
Jarod pressed some lube onto his finger then rubbed it around her anus. “This might make things a bit easier.”
She struggled to take a breath as he continued to rub the lube around the tight hole.
Slowly he applied more force, the finger going deeper into her ass with each subtle pass. She wasn’t a stranger to anal play. She’d bought a butt plug at a sex shop once because she was curious about the act. However, her solo attempts had fallen flat and she’d given up before she’d really tried. Her plug play was nothing compared to Jarod’s explorations.
He delved deeper and Stephanie moved into each thrust, trying to capture more of the refreshingly wicked feeling.
Once his finger was completely lodged in her ass, he wiggled it inside her.
“Dear God.” She rested her face against the pillow, her pussy empty and jealous. She was on the verge of the mother of all orgasms. She just needed…more. “Jarod. Please.”
He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the nape of her neck. “You look so beautiful.”
Damn him. With his soft touches and sweet words, Jarod was making it hard for her to remain aloof. Sex was sex. It had never meant anything more.
But with him, it felt like it did mean more. It felt like it mattered. He was getting under her skin and touching parts of her she’d thought impenetrable.
She tried to shake off the unwelcome thought. She’d made a commitment to her friends. Three years of hard work and dedication to make Books and Brew a success. She had one more year left on that promise. She didn’t have time for a serious relationship. Shit. She didn’t even want a man in her life. Did she? In the past, she’d always been happy to be footloose and fancy-free. Why would she invite this complication?
Jarod’s cock washed away all her anxieties and troubling thoughts as it breached the opening of her cunt. His finger was still buried deep in her ass and, as he thrust inside, she was caught up in a tidal wave of red-hot sensations.
Placing her hands flat against the headboard, she forced her body back as Jarod propelled forward. She saw flashing lights behind her closed eyelids as she strained for more—harder, deeper. She loved rough sex, craved it. In the past, she’d never found a lover willing to step over that line between pleasure and pain. Jarod didn’t just step over. He bought property and moved in. With his finger and his cock, he proved his willingness to give her exactly what she wanted.
They moved together in a flurry of hard, fast motions and Stephanie couldn’t keep quiet as she came. “Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod.” She fell face-first into the pillow, her body trembling with her orgasm.
Jarod’s voice mixed with hers and his hand tightened on her hip as he joined her. “God dammit,” he groaned, his pleasure sounding almost like agony.
Stephanie faded in and out of consciousness for several minutes—dizzy, lightheaded, overwhelmed. She felt Jarod leave her body, heard him walk to the bathroom. She was vaguely aware of him returning to the bed, crawling in beside her and spooning her. The last thing she recalled was his hot breath on the back of her neck and his quietly muttered, “Good night.”
When she opened her eyes again, morning was breaking. A quick glance at the clock on the bedside table told her it was almost six a.m. She’d spent the entire night—with Jarod. She sighed. She wasn’t an overnight kind of girl. Always in the past, she’d either left or shown her lover to the door before falling asleep. Last night with Jarod, she hadn’t had the strength to drive home.
It was Jarod’s fault. He’d well and thoroughly fucked her.
Liar. You didn’t want to leave.
He’d wrapped her up in his strong arms and she’d been too enthralled by the feelings surrounding her to even consider escape. Now, with the harsh light of day, she knew it was time to go. Rising slowly, she crept from the bed, quietly pulling on her pants and bra. Her shirt and sandals were somewhere between here and the living room. Finding an old receipt and a pen on the nightstand, she scratched out a quick note.
J—
Thanks for last night. I had a NICE time.
S
Short, simple, to the point. She hoped he’d laugh at her inside joke about how nice he’d been and forget to be annoyed that she’d left without saying goodbye. She wasn’t ready to wake up in bed with him. Wasn’t ready for what that could mean.
She wasn’t ready for any of this. Taking one last look at his sleeping form on the bed, she smiled at his mussed-up hair and devilishly handsome face, then willed herself to keep moving.
Down the hall. Out the front door. Home. Alone.
Chapter Five
Jarod walked into Books and Brew and claimed the same stool he’d occupied nearly a week earlier. Ever since waking to find Stephanie missing from his bed last Friday morning, he’d been busting his ass, working major overtime—five eighteen-hour days in a row. He’d been kicked by the old be-careful-what-you-wish-for curse. He’d worked as a beat cop for years, always reaching for the ever-elusive detective’s badge. Now he was sitting in the coveted chair, and paying for it. He’d been thrown into a big case the first week out of the gate and he’d logged a shit-ton of hours as a result.
On the plus side, he and his partner had cracked their case, nabbing the pusher whose drug dealing on the local college campus had landed two co-eds in the hospital. For his efforts, he’d cleared the suspect he’d followed into the bar last week. Stephanie would be relieved to hear that.
On the downside, he’d cleared the Books and Brew suspect. His excuse for hanging out at the bar—sneaking in time as Stephanie’s pretend boyfriend—had been swept away before he’d even taken advantage of it.
It was three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. He had the next three days off, and he was ready to settle the score with Miss Stephanie Harper. He’d been pissed to discover her gone the morning after the greatest sex of his life, although he hadn’t been completely surprised. There was something about Stephanie that told him she would try to hold him at arm’s length.
She might try, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to succeed. While the timing on starting a relationship was all wrong for him, he wasn’t about to let the best thing to happen to him in years simply slip away. He may be starting a new job and on the rebound from a crappy relationship, but he didn’t give a shit. He suspected she didn’t want to start a relationship either. However, Stephanie was going to have to give him a damn good excuse why not. He wanted to go out with her, take her on a real date and get to know her better.
He glanced around the room. Jayne was helping a customer find a book, but aside from that, the place was empty. He’d purposely come during the off-hours, determined to have a talk with Stephanie that wouldn’t be interrupted.
Stephani
e wasn’t behind the bar and, for a moment, he worried she’d skipped town in her desire to avoid him. He chuckled. While their night together had made a huge impact on his life and plans for the immediate future, he wasn’t certain her feelings were as engaged—one way or the other. He’d have to work on changing that.
More likely it was her day off—a thought that hadn’t occurred to him. From their short conversation last week, he’d gotten the impression she practically lived at the bar. He envisioned her as a workaholic. While he admired her drive and commitment toward making the place a success, he was concerned she pushed herself a bit too hard at the expense of everything else.
The sound of clinking glass caught his attention and he turned in time to see Stephanie emerge from a back room with a tray of clean glasses. She was halfway to the bar when she spotted him.
“Oh. Hey.” Her tone told him nothing. Damn, she was a frustrating woman. Was she sorry about running away last week or pissed off at him for not calling during the days between then and now? He’d picked up the phone a hundred times, but he wanted to have this conversation face-to-face. This was the first opportunity he’d had to make that happen.
He lifted his hand in a casual wave. “Hey.”
She walked behind the bar and placed the glasses on the counter. “What’s up?”
His temper sparked at her nonchalance. He’d been thinking about her 24/7, that’s what the fuck was up. Instead, he said, “Not much.”
“Been keeping the mean streets of Portland safe from double-parkers?” She gave him a friendly smile and his anger melted away.
“Something like that.”
She started putting the glasses away, hanging them by the stems on the rack above her head. It felt like she was trying to avoid making eye contact.
“You missed a helluva breakfast Friday morning.” He couldn’t resist getting in a little dig.
“Oh yeah?” She kept working.
“Yeah. Eggs, hash browns, bacon, the whole works.”
She cleared her throat uneasily, her gaze never wavering from her task. “I had to be here to open up. Early delivery.”
“Stephanie. Look at me.”
She glanced his way, a look of pure irritation on her face. He grinned. He liked her feisty side. “I’m sort of busy, Jarod.”
He looked around at the empty bar. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“God, you’re a smartass.”
“Takes one to know one. Is there something wrong, Steph? Did I hurt you the other night?” It was the one fear he’d carried the past few days. He hadn’t been a gentle lover. He wondered if he’d gone too far, giving in to desires he’d always suppressed for fear of scaring his lovers away. She had responded to his rough touches, pleading for more, but perhaps he’d read her wrong, pushed her too hard.
She put down the glass she was holding and shook her head. “Of course you didn’t hurt me. I mean, I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t a little sore the next day. We went at it like dogs in heat, didn’t we?”
She never minced words. It was refreshing. “You can say that again. I was worried…”
Her gaze softened. “I’m fine, Jarod. It was a spectacular night.”
Her words soothed away the last of his anxieties. He gave her a cocky grin. “Spectacular, huh? That sounds a hell of a lot better than nice.”
She rolled her eyes, but he could see she was amused. “You’re awfully quick to claim all the credit there, hotshot. You have to admit, I was fucking awesome.”
He leaned closer. “You were incredible. Go out with me tonight.”
As far as segues went, that had to be the lamest, but he wanted to see her again.
“Go out or go home with you?”
“A date. I want to take you out on a real, old-fashioned date. Movies and dinner.”
Her face betrayed her desire to go, but there was clearly something holding her back. Jarod could see her searching for a reason to say no. Rejection was not an option.
Turning, he caught Jayne’s attention. “Hey, Jayne.”
Stephanie’s friend smiled when she saw him and excused herself from her customer for a moment. “Hi, Jarod. I didn’t see you come in. How’s the reading coming along?”
“Great.” He wasn’t lying. He’d managed to sneak in quite a bit of reading time during a stakeout one night. Apart from the razzing he caught from the other guys for reading a chick book, he’d actually enjoyed the suspense aspect of the story, and the sex scenes were damn hot. He kept imagining Stephanie in the role of the heroine and had spent more than a few times jacking off in the bathroom as a result. Rather than be distracted from his purpose, he forged on. “Looks pretty quiet in here today.”
“Wednesdays are our slowest days,” Jayne confirmed.
“Oh yeah? So it wouldn’t be a problem if I stole Stephanie away tonight? Date night.”
“A date?” Jayne’s tone confirmed his suspicions. Stephanie didn’t go out much.
“You know, I didn’t say yes, Jarod.” Stephanie’s arms were crossed. “I have a lot of work to do.”
Jayne snorted. “It’s like watching paint dry here today. I’ll call Sophie and get her to mix the dozen or so drinks we’ll be lucky to sell tonight.”
Stephanie gave her friend a dirty look, but still didn’t reply.
“Stop looking for an out and say yes, Steph. It’ll be fun.” He gave her what he hoped was a charming grin.
She closed her eyes, but her face betrayed her. She wasn’t annoyed or even upset. He took that as a good sign. “Fine,” she finally said.
“Terrific. I’m going to run home and shower. Pick you up around six?”
She nodded. “Wait.” She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down her address. “Pick me up at my place.”
He pocketed the paper as Jayne returned to her customer. Walking toward the open end of the bar, he crooked his finger. “Come here a minute.”
“What for?”
He chuckled. “Just come here.”
She stomped over to him. “You know, we’re going to have to talk about your tendency to be too controlling. I don’t answer to—”
When she was within arm’s reach, he pulled her to him, silencing her with a long kiss. He’d missed her lips, the taste and scent of her. She lifted her arms, wrapped them around his neck and joined in.
When Jarod pulled away, Stephanie raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Shutting me up again?”
He shrugged. “Nah. Just sealing the deal with a kiss. I’ll see you at six.”
He left the bar feeling optimistic. It was turning out to be a very good day.
* * * * *
Stephanie laughed as Jarod dissected some of the lamer parts of the movie they’d just watched. Neither of them had been anxious to see the evening end, so when Jarod suggested they hit a local all-night diner for dessert, she’d happily agreed.
As far as first dates went, she wasn’t sure she’d ever had more fun on one. Jarod was far too easy to be with. They shared a similar sense of humor, relying heavily on cutting wit and sarcasm. He also didn’t take himself too seriously, which was a nice break from the last few yahoos she’d gone out with. Men like Hank, who lived by the I’m-a-stud-worship-me belief. While Hank masked his insecurity with muscles and bravado, Jarod didn’t put much stock him his looks, even though he was incredibly handsome and totally built. He had a quiet confidence in his sexuality that was refreshing and completely attractive.
“So you solved the case already?” Conversation over dinner had been relatively safe—both of them giving the well-rehearsed life-history stories. Standard fare for first dates. However, there was something about sharing a cup of coffee at midnight that invited more personal revelations.
“Yep,” he admitted. “Thought you’d like to know your guy was cleared.”
“Guy? I thought you were following one of the Romantic Hearts ladies.”
Jarod shook his head. “Nope. It was that fella in the corner, drinking the scotch.”
&nbs
p; “Elias?” Stephanie couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Oh my God. I wish you’d told me who you suspected that night. I could have saved you some trouble.”
Jarod grinned. “I’m not sure he was ever a serious suspect, but it was my first day on the job and the lieutenant of the drug task force simply assigned me a couple of long shots to ease me into the case.”
“Yeah, well, he’s about as long a shot as you could get. Elias, the drug pusher.” She snorted.
“He’s a professor at the university where the two girls ODed. The only thing they had in common was his class. Like I said, he wasn’t ever a serious suspect. We were just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. What’s the deal with that guy anyway?”
Stephanie shrugged. “He’s a regular at the bar and a true gentleman. I think Jayne has the hots for him.”
“Big age difference, wouldn’t you say?”
“I don’t know how old Elias is.”
“According to the information I gathered on him, he’s forty-two.”
“Oh. Wow. Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s never asked Jayne out or expressed any interest. So you had to follow him around all week?”
“Actually, no. I only tailed him that one night. He was cleared immediately when we caught a big break on the case the day after you and I met. That’s when things sped up. We set up surveillance for several days and then a sting operation. Made the arrest late last night and spent my morning wrapping up the paperwork.”
Stephanie took a sip of her coffee. “Good for you. Although, I must admit I don’t think I’d like your job. Paperwork and I don’t get along. I drive Jordan nuts because of my lame record-keeping. I think I’ll leave the law and order stuff to you.”
He studied her face for a long time and she finally caved under the unreadable expression. “What?”
“I just gave you more details regarding a case than I ever shared with Cheryl, and believe me, she would have been hanging on the edge of her seat and begging for more.”
“Into cops, was she?”