by Cari Quinn
He closed his eyes. He wanted that. Hearing her voice it made him realize just how much he wanted it. “Warning label, Miranda.” He sucked in a quick breath as she wiggled closer to him, her soft belly coming into contact with his cock.
It was going to be the longest ride home in history. She eased her way down his thighs. Her nails lightly scored his flesh until she finally slid away to stand. She looked down at him, his erection pressing up against his shirt plainly. He wasn’t embarrassed. He wanted her to know just how much he wanted her.
Her tongue flicked across her lower lip again and he hardened even more. He’d forever see her taking him into her mouth in the moonlight. It was embedded in his brain. With a groan he widened his knees to get up, grasping his cock in his hand to stuff it back into his jeans. Her eyes stayed on him, her teeth pulling on that bottom lip. “You’re killing me here.”
She finally looked up into his eyes. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t get dressed.” Her breath came out in a little puff of condensed air. “Here, I want you here first.”
Miranda watched him kneeling before her, sitting back on his boots with his erection so tight against his belly it looked as if it hurt. Adrenaline surged inside her and she rode the high of it.
She did want him inside her. Hard and deep. She couldn’t seem to think of anything but the length of him filling her up until she was bursting with it. Her bed could wait. She crouched in front of him, the warmth of his jacket falling away as she dropped it to the blanket. She grazed her tongue over the ridge along his head, her nose brushing his belly. “Deep,” she said, her voice shaky with resolve and nerves.
Turning away from him, she pushed her jeans down until the cool air hit her bottom. She wanted to open wide for him, but the jeans stopped her and she couldn’t wait. Arching her back a little, she felt the flood of power feed the adrenaline. God yes, she wanted him to fill her. She wanted it so bad she could barely breathe with it. The thick, nubby wool of the blanket dug into her palms as she got down lower.
The word Nate said was low and succinct. Looking over her shoulder at him, seeing his erection still in his hand, she knew this was the right moment for them. He was so hard. Each time that she’d had him inside her before was just a dress rehearsal. Sweet and slow had its place and time, but it wasn’t here and now. “Nathan.” His name hummed on her tongue. “Nate, I need you.”
His shirt landed next to her hand and she heard the snap of latex. A quick shudder rocked her system. She braced herself for the plunge. The hairs on his thighs brushed the backs of hers. Her breath stalled and gravel dug into her palms as she bore down for him.
He leaned over her. Each ridge of muscle branded her, intensifying the blindness of the night. Everything inside her felt as if she’d been waiting for him. The soft kiss at the base of her spine forced out a whimper before he slowly, methodically, slid himself inside her.
Mindless, she pushed back against him, ready to force the issue when his hands gripped her hips and her momentum ground to a halt. The world, her world was right in front of her—the lights, the Bay—everything she knew. Then the man behind her who scared her more than even words could say.
She shuddered as he pulled out and slowly pushed back inside her, flush with every part of her. His fingers nearly bruising as he tried to hold on to her. “More,” she whispered. He grazed his fingertips from her hips to her belly and up until he cupped her breasts, lining up their bodies as he finally gave in to her.
He lurched over her as he pounded inside her. She lifted a hand to his hair, his mouth at her shoulder. The way he covered her was even more intimate than before. Just the driving rhythm of his body and hers as they hit that stride, that oneness that she’d dreamt of. That she’d never known, hadn’t even known she craved.
She arched up against him, denim threads popping as she rose up until their bodies were touching everywhere. His wide hand cupped her jaw and the angle changed. With each thrust, she felt every ridge and vein drag against her tissues. She cried out until his mouth covered hers. His tongue was just as relentless. His other hand pressed low on her belly, their bodies so tight together that all she could focus on was the fullness.
Her thighs screamed at the position, her nails bit into his hand as her fingertips found where they were joined. She pulled away from his mouth as the release hit her, the cry as profound as the quaking orgasm that shook her.
His growl of completion was followed by a quick nip at her shoulder, kick-starting another racking shudder. They both crashed into the blanket, him curling her into the crook of his body. Sweat-slick flesh and breath-stealing awareness powered through her. She couldn’t catch her breath. “Nate,” she said on a pant.
“Shh, baby.” He surrounded her, arms and legs cupping her closer. Emotions churned around the comfort, splintering her apart. His long arms covered her midsection completely, keeping her from touching the cool earth or the scratchy wool. He sat up with her, turning her into him. “Don’t close off, stay with me.” His mouth caught hers in a sweet kiss. “Stay with me.”
She curled into him, her arms circling those wide shoulders until she could think again. She focused on his eyes as her breathing evened. “I’m sorry.”
“I hope you can trust me with the reason behind the panic attacks.” He sighed. “It’s okay, don’t tense up on me. It doesn’t have to be today.”
She shook her head. She wasn’t about to give him all of it, but the dark was enough to make her want to share a little. “My past was less than…” she trailed off, closing her eyes against the disjointed memories of her past. So many men, so many nights where she’d been just a receptacle. “I—” She looked down at the shallow darks and lights of his chest. “I feel so out of control around you. I don’t handle it well.”
“Watching you come so hard, experiencing the way you let go with me is humbling.” He kissed the crest of each cheek.
The lights shimmered as she swallowed down the lump that formed. Had she ever been with someone like him? Was this what being cherished felt like? Unsure what to say to that, she opted for nothing.
“Why don’t we get dressed and get you home? You can think on the ride home if you still want me to stay.”
Self-conscious, she pulled up the jeans that never even made it past her knees.
Being bad feels good. I knew you’d remember eventually.
Blocking out the voice, she searched the blanket and the surrounding grass and pine needles for her bra. Giving up, she tugged on her shirt, her eyes nearly crossing as the cotton brushed against her sensitized nipples. Under the veil of night, she watched Nate dress. The thermal stretched over his shoulders and chest, the denim molded to his thighs, and her body thrummed with an unending awareness. Even a handful of orgasms couldn’t stop the wanting.
Shrugging her jacket back on, she rolled up the blanket, their scent mingled with the wool and the wild jasmine. She’d go the rest of her life with that scent lodged in her brain. As they picked their way back down Nate’s make-believe path, she took his hand gratefully.
He stayed quiet as they suited up and climbed on the bike. He pulled into the night, onto the bridge, and headed back to her house. The view from the bridge was still breathtaking. She leaned into his back, into the turns, and let herself enjoy the closeness.
Go faster.
She closed her eyes against the voice and held on. She was damn well going fast enough. Pressing her cheek against Nate’s back, she locked her fingers around his waist, smiling when he covered them with his bigger hand.
As they pulled up to her door, she pointed toward the back. Sitting back against the mini seat, she told him how to get into her garage. Her legs weren’t nearly so wobbly this time when she hopped off his bike. Her thighs were a different matter. She headed toward the elevator, Nate close behind.
“Am I walking you to your door?”
She looked up at him, waiting for the doors to open. “Yup.”
>
“Am I leaving?”
“Yup.”
His eyes shuttered in the dim light of the garage. “Can I see you tomorrow?”
She stepped on the elevator. “I think that can be arranged.” She grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. “Since you’re not leaving until tomorrow.”
He caged her against the wall of the elevator. “You are a tease.”
She smiled up at him, easy for the first time in as long as she could remember. The elevator chimed and opened. “You have no idea, delivery boy.” At his delighted laugh, she walked backward down her hallway, twisting their fingers together. “So, Nate…do you cook breakfast?”
“Why, yes I do.”
She dragged him inside. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Nate’s cheek brushed against something soft, the gentle rise and fall slowly pushing him into consciousness. His fingers found the curve of a hip and he smiled his way into daylight. Wincing as he moved, his lips found the line of her belly and the tattoo that had surprised him that first night. Now it seemed just another part of her.
He didn’t even remember falling asleep last night. He’d loved her so many times he’d lost track. Following the fragile vine up to her ribs, he kissed there and found another diamond cluster of buds under her breast. The work was amazing and seemed to follow the lines of her as if someone intimate had drawn it on her.
Jealousy kicked hard. Her breathing went from easy to gasping as he found her nipple.
Watching her body and mind wake up, he drew harder. Her golden eyes were still wary but also watchful. She wasn’t an easy woman to know, but he’d made progress. Her lips parted as he captured the hardened tip between his teeth. Her fingers slid into his hair, cupping him against her breast to take his time and taste. Gripping her hips, his thumbs circled above her silky mound.
He kept up the slow pressure as her hips rocked beneath him. His cock nudged against her thigh, aching to get inside her sweet heat again. Going slow would kill him, but as far as he was concerned, what a way to go. Moving to her other nipple, he drew harder, rolling it into his mouth. She arched her back, pushing closer to him. Her nails bit into his shoulders, his back and down to the curve of his ass as she tried to get him to cover her.
Enjoying the torture, he continued to taste her and watch her watch him. Most women in his past seemed to shy away from the true intimacy of sex. The active participation of not just bodies merging, but the lingering touches and the connection that could be found in a lifetime of loving or a night of getting to know one another. Flickers of guilt shadowed the reckless passion she allowed to peek out during the honest moments.
He got high on the reckless, pushed for it as her even white teeth scraped over her full lower lip. Wanting a taste, he finally rose over her, blindly searching for the box of condoms they’d been forced to leave the house for in the middle of the night. Her thighs locked around his waist, pulling him forward, her arms grasping his shoulders.
“Now, Nate,” she huffed. “Hurry.”
Sheathed first with a grimace then a groan, he enjoyed her heat far more than the protection. Holding himself tight within her, he showed her with his mouth just what kind of rhythm they’d wake to this time. She held on, urging him to follow through with his promise. The easier the pace, the more relaxed she stayed. The urge for more, to pull the wildness out of her was banked by instincts that told him to lay off. And the release was sweet and natural as she clasped him all the way through.
Flipping onto his back, he dragged her up and over him until her cheek rested against his chest. She drew her finger over the curve of his pec muscle and back to his nipple. Lifting herself onto her elbow, she looked down at him. Her dark-red hair curled wildly around her face, the complete lack of makeup left her looking impossibly young. “Do you know that’s the first time you’ve actually been on top?”
He laughed, drawing his knuckle down her neck slowly. “I guess you’re right.” He flicked the end of her slightly upturned nose. “Would you rather me give you a Ward to your June Cleaver?”
Her head dropped back in a surprised giggle. “Well that’s one way to put it.” She leaned down, pressing a kiss to his lips, then his chin. “I just never noticed before.” She leaned back and pushed him.
“What?”
“Roll over.”
With a sigh, he flipped onto his stomach. “Does this mean I get a back rub for all my male prowess last night?”
“And this morning.” She swallowed another laugh. “Don’t forget this morning.”
He buried his face in his folded arms. “Not likely to forget this morning when you woke me up so…” He paused, trying to find a tactful way to say blowjob and gave up. “Tastefully.”
She climbed over his thighs, her fingers molding his butt. “Ha-ha, such a funny guy.”
“It’s my gift.”
She snorted. “I’m going to say that mouth is your gift at the moment, but not in the way you mean.”
He tightened the muscles of his butt and dumped her forward, grunting when she fell on top of him. It was worth it, with the feel of her breasts along his back. “Well, stop pushing me onto my belly and I’ll show you just what my mouth can do.”
She pushed herself up, trailing her fingers along his lower back. “I felt…” She trailed off as she undoubtedly found his scar. “Oh Nate, what happened?”
He honestly forgot about it most of the time. It wasn’t in his line of vision and he’d come to grips with the abrasions there. “That would be why I created the Thumb Lock.” He yanked a pillow forward, moaning as her touch gentled. As he settled in, he enjoyed her curiosity.
“What happened?”
“It was a normal day. One of those perfect days on the strip, you know…down near the pier.” At her murmured agreement, he went on. “I had my regular bike out for the day. Just getting some exercise, enjoying the afternoon. Checkin’ out the ladies.” He felt the flick and then a pinch. “Hey now! You want this story?”
She dropped next to him on the bed, her eyes crinkling at the corners with her smile. “Yes, but you’re still a pig.” Miranda laid her cheek on her hand, the pristine gray pillow propping her up to his eye level.
“Well, I’d just gotten the bike.” He remembered the frustration of it. Living in the city, he was used to being careful, but he’d had particularly bad luck. “It was my third bike that year.”
“What the hell, Nate? I wouldn’t take you for the klutzy type.”
He snorted at her sparkling eyes. “No, brat. More like stolen for the third time.”
“Oh.” Her face fell. “Really? I didn’t realize it was such an issue.”
“Well, I don’t know about others, but damn if I didn’t have a shit-ton of bad luck when it came to my regular mountain bike. Of course it was modified as hell, so I guess it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Anyway, I caught the guy clipping my bike lock off the rack and just sort of went a little ballistic. I actually chased him through the city, even cornered him in an alleyway.”
“Are you nuts?”
The surprise on her face, the way her eyebrows beetled as she sat up, was almost as endearing as the fact that she was stark naked. He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her back down to him. The curve of her breast distracted him a little. When she relaxed again, he pressed a few light kisses along her jaw and neck. “I was a little nuts. Believe me, not my usual reaction to things. It was kind of a last straw thing.”
She flexed her fingers against his shoulders. He tangled his fingers into her hair. “It’s been maybe two years, a little more, but I learned that fighting with my brothers is nothing like fighting with an actual thug.” As her hands splayed across his chest, he kissed her lightly. “He beat the holy hell out of me with the bolt cutters, but I’m okay. It was mostly just stitches and bruises.”
She rolled him again, and he laughed, allowing her to take a look. “While I was sitting in my old bedroom of my parents’ house—mind you, this wa
s the only way to keep my sanity—I figured there had to be a better way to deal with that kind of situation. So I dragged my old books out from college and figured out what I needed to stop it from happening so easily.”
He groaned into the pillow as she traced along the scar. “So all that schooling was finally put to use and I created the lock. Going one step further, I did the personalized lock with a fingerprint.”
Using her fingertips, she skipped up the individual vertebrae of his spine until she reached the base of his neck. The tight tips of her breasts brushed over his skin the entire way. “It’s still metal though, can’t they use the cutters?” she asked close to his ear.
“Christ, Miranda, how am I supposed to think when you do that?”
She laughed, curling those dangerous fingers under him to find his chest. Instantly he bowed up at her touch. “So…” She flicked his nipple. “Special metal?”
“Titanium,” he groaned then hissed as her tongue found his tattoo.
“And the dragon?”
“Me, as well as all my brothers, went together. Manly bonding,” he said and rolled her onto her back. She laughed and he rolled them again, finding only air as they landed on the floor with a whoosh.
Her laughter turned to uncontrollable fits until he silenced her with his mouth. Tangled in her sheet, they were trapped thigh to thigh, her hovering over him. Green eyes sparkling with laughter and an easiness he’d been hoping to see for weeks.
Her knee slid between his legs and he jumped when she grazed his balls. “Oops,” she said around a sly smile. Somehow he didn’t think she was sorry at all. Her teeth slid over his ribs, ending in an open-mouthed caress down his belly. She ran her chin over his hip, a sharp little nip at the skin just above his thigh made him groan. Palms flat to the floor, she hovered over him, her warm breath stirring the coarse hairs around his cock.