When he reached the bed, she eased up on her knees and extended her arms out to him. And when he pulled her against that hard chest, she met his gaze and knew this was right. This was how it should be.
Capturing her mouth with his, he lowered them both to the bed. She should be familiar with his kisses by now, but she wasn’t. She was a firm believer in his ability to design a kiss to give maximum pleasure. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, taking possession and staking a claim.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. The feel of her breasts pressed against his chest electrified every single cell in her body. Every kiss was better than the last. Her mouth had been made just for his.
He released her mouth only to begin kissing the side of her face and neck. And she knew the exact moment when he added his hands to the mix. His strokes on her thigh felt purely sensual. She closed her eyes as intense pleasure eased up her body. And when his mouth moved from her neck to her breasts, licking, sucking and nibbling, flames rushed through her.
His hands eased between her legs and she moaned out his name. “I want you, JoJo. I want you,” he whispered. “You’re wet and ready.”
He eased up and slid his entire body over hers while still gazing down at her. His hands entangled with hers by the sides of her face. And then she felt it—his engorged erection pressing against her womanhood. His gaze remained locked with hers as he slowly slid inside of her, inch by incredible inch, and, amazingly, her body stretched to accommodate him.
“Just a little more to go,” he whispered.
Sensations concentrated right there, where their bodies were connected. She tightened her inner muscles around him. “Ah, hell,” he said, thrusting hard inside her, making her suck in a deep gasp of surprise.
“You okay?” he asked, looking down at her.
She felt him. He was in. All the way. Astonishing. “Yes, I’m okay.” She was elated.
He then began moving, with slow, powerful thrusts that stimulated her in a way she’d never been stimulated before. His movements fueled her desire, created needs she’d never encountered, encouraged her to take what he was offering.
He lengthened his strokes. He went deeper and her inner muscles clamped down even more. He let go of her hands and gripped her hips, increasing his pace, establishing a rhythm that nearly pushed her over the edge.
JoJo gripped the bedspread as he began thrusting harder, going deeper. She moaned out his name as sensations whisked through her, withdrawing and then going back in again.
“Stern!”
She screamed his name and clutched his shoulders, lifting her hips to meet his. Over and over and over...then he bucked, threw back his head and growled her name. Her body exploded at the same time that his did. She seized his hips to hold him right where she needed him and she felt his release inside of her.
“JoJo!”
“Stern!”
And as their bodies stilled, he kissed her in an exchange that was bittersweet, passionate and intimate all rolled into one.
She knew she could never love him any more than she did at that very moment.
Twelve
To Stern’s way of thinking, nothing hit the spot like good food, fine wine and a beautiful woman. And this evening he was enjoying all three. The sun was going down over the mountains and the trees reflected the autumn leaves in aspen gold, brilliant yellow and tinges of orange and red. From the deck, the sight was picturesque. Scenic. Vivid.
He shifted his gaze to JoJo. How would he describe her? Beautiful. Striking. Sexy. Yes, definitely sexy. She sat in the chair, sipping her wine and watching the view. She was wearing another dress, this one in a paisley pattern. He appreciated the low-cut neckline and how the shirred crossover bodice complemented her breasts. She looked as hot as she had earlier that morning in the kitchen.
The lower part of his body throbbed when he remembered the morning. After making love, they’d dozed off, waking up right before lunch to eat the breakfast they should have eaten earlier. Starving, they’d devoured the omelets with French toast, juice and coffee, then ravenous for each other again they’d gone back to bed and stayed there until their stomachs had sent another signal it was time to be fed.
They’d gotten up and showered together. He had grilled a couple of steaks and she had prepared the salad, selected the wine and set the table on the deck. It was a little chilly so he’d fired up the fire pit he’d had built on the deck for days just like this. The heat from the pit warmed them and made being outside enjoyable.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a week.”
He took a sip of his wine and glanced over at her. “A week?”
“Yes, since my makeover.”
Yes, it had been a week and he doubted he would ever forget how she’d looked when she’d walked into the Punch Bowl. “So other than Carmichael calling to say he wanted his auto records transferred, you haven’t heard from him?”
“No, and I don’t expect to, either. He found out the hard way that he didn’t impress me. I still find it hard to believe that he acted the way he did.”
Stern didn’t find it hard to believe, especially after what Sampson had shared with him. “So tell me. Do I impress you?”
She looked at him and smiled. “Yes, you impress me.”
He reached over and touched her arm, liking the feel of her soft skin. “You impress me, too.”
At that moment, he considered telling her he loved her, but he knew it was too soon. He needed to give her time. Give them time to become a couple. He thought of how often they’d shared an afternoon on the deck like this. But tonight things were different. They were officially lovers. And one day they would be husband and wife.
“Thanks for being patient with me today.”
He chuckled. “You must have me mixed up with someone else. I don’t recall being patient. In fact, I almost ripped your dress off.”
She chuckled. “You whipped it over my head before I even realized you were doing it. You have such practiced hands.”
Stern thought about all the women he’d hooked up with over the years. His numbers weren’t as outlandish as Riley’s, Zane’s or Derringer’s, so he’d never really thought of himself as a ladies’ man. He’d always been just a guy out for fun. He’d dated, never lied to a woman about his intentions and kept moving on.
He had enjoyed being single, had preferred not having to answer to anyone. He had actually cringed when the die-hard bachelors in his family got married.
Derringer had been the first a few years ago when he’d married Lucia, and now Derringer had settled down to the role of father and husband rather nicely. Riley was getting married at the end of the month and Zane over the Christmas holidays. Stern had understood Canyon’s quick wedding last month because there had been a child involved, but for his other relatives, he just couldn’t figure why any man would willingly give up his single status.
Now he did.
Once you’d fallen in love everything else became secondary to the woman you desired above all else. Thanks to her father, JoJo was independent, and Stern had always admired that streak in her. He still did. But he wondered how she would adjust now that he was more than her best friend, now that he wanted to be more than her lover? How would she feel about him as a possible husband?
“So, what movie did you pick out for us?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts.
He glanced up. She had stood and was gathering their dishes. His body stirred. Why was he reacting to her every time she moved? “What do you suggest? You know the kind that I prefer.”
“And you know the kind I like,” she countered.
Yes, he knew the kind. Once in a while he appeased her by watching some chick flick and then he normally fell asleep at some point before it was over. “We could play cards,” he suggested. “Or chess.”
“We played tho
se the last time we were here. Where’s that Scrabble game? We haven’t played that in a while.”
“And I don’t want to work my brain to play it now.” An idea came into his head. “I know a game I’m sure we haven’t played in years. It’s usually played with a group, but it should be interesting with just the two of us.”
“What game is that?”
“Simon Says.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Simon Says?”
“Yes.” She scrunched her forehead, giving his suggestion some thought. “How do we decide who gets to be Simon?”
“We can toss a coin. The rules are as follows. If you get to be Simon and can make me follow a command that’s not Simon’s, then I will be at your beck and call for the rest of the night. If you can’t, then you will be at my beck and call.”
“Beck and call?” she asked, raising a brow.
“Yes, beck and call.”
She gave him a slow smile as if the idea appealed to her. Evidently she saw a lot of possibilities in his suggestion. “And just how many commands are we talking about?”
“No more than twenty.”
She nodded slowly before saying, “Okay, that will work. Let me take these dishes into the kitchen and then we can meet in the living room. Just be ready.”
Stern smiled. He would definitely be ready.
* * *
Stern won the coin toss and JoJo would have thought it was rigged if she hadn’t been the one who’d tossed the coin. On top of letting her toss, he’d been nice enough to let her pick heads or tails. She would be hard-pressed to make the claim that something wasn’t aboveboard.
So here she was, standing in the middle of the floor, waiting for Stern to issue the first command. She hadn’t played this game in years and wondered what possessed him to think of it, although a part of her had an idea. In fact, with him standing a few feet in front of her with a silly grin on his face, she had more than an idea.
“Oh, yeah,” he said as his smile deepened. “As in most Simon Says games, there is no talking. Just follow the command like you’re supposed to, but only if Simon says you can.”
“Whatever.”
“All right, let’s get started. Simon says hold up your right hand.”
She followed that command.
“Put it down.”
She kept her hand up. If he thought he was going to catch her with that one, he had another think coming.
“Simon says put it down.”
She put her hand down.
“Put it back up.”
She kept it down.
He smiled. She smiled back.
“Simon says stand on one leg.”
She followed his command.
“Simon says go around once in a circle.”
She frowned at him because it wasn’t easy maneuvering that command and she had a feeling he knew it. She went around once in a circle.
“Simon says you can put your leg down.”
She did.
“Put it back up.”
She didn’t. JoJo wasn’t sure if he was keeping count but she was. So far he’d issued eight commands and she was still in the game. Twelve more to go and she would be home free. Already her mind was buzzing with the things she could have him do. Painting her toenails sounded pretty good.
“Simon says take off your clothes.”
Her head jerked in his direction and she frowned. She had known he was up to no good. Just as she parted her lips to say something, he quickly spoke up. “Remember, if you talk you forfeit the game.”
JoJo closed her mouth and frowned some more, thinking that he would pay dearly for this. When she was declared winner and he was at her beck and call, she’d not only make him paint her nails, she would also have him go out in the cold without a shirt and collect more firewood.
“Simon says he doesn’t have all day,” he said, grinning. “So I repeat, Simon says take off your clothes.”
Glaring, she slowly eased down her side zipper before tugging the dress over her head. That left her standing in front of him wearing only her tangerine-colored bra and matching panties. If his intent had been to get her naked, why hadn’t he just suggested strip poker?
“Nice,” he said, raking his gaze over her. The heated look in his eyes warmed her body. Now she was glad that his girl cousins and sisters-in-law had talked her into getting rid of her white panties and bras and buying colorful matching sets.
“Simon says remove your bra and panties.”
After removing her bra, she eased her panties down her legs.
“Slowly lick your bottom lip.”
JoJo caught herself in time before doing that command. This was a mind game and she had to stay focused on what Stern was saying and not on how he was looking at her while she stood before him wearing not a stitch of clothes. She’d never felt this exposed, this vulnerable. Even when they’d made love earlier she had stayed under the covers, while he’d walked around the room unashamedly showing himself. Had he detected her uneasiness regarding putting her body on display?
* * *
Stern drew in a deep breath as a knot of desire tightened his chest. Heat sizzled through his veins, making his erection throb. Never had he seen such a beautifully made woman and he had known, when they made love, that she had a problem showing her body.
Oh, he’d seen the tiny scar on the side of her hip, the one she’d gotten when she’d fallen off her skateboard at the age of fourteen. And then there was the sister scar from the same accident, located above it, near her waist. They weren’t noticeable unless attention was drawn to them. Little did she know he thought she was exquisite. Perfect in every aspect. He wanted to show her that he could stand there and stare at her all day...even while his body was getting more aroused by the second.
“Come here.”
When she didn’t move, a slow smile touched his lips. He then said, “Simon says come here.”
She slowly walked toward him. When she came to a stop within a foot of him, he said, “Simon says undress me.”
She stared at him for a minute before pulling his sweater over his head. Then she eased his belt through the loops before removing it completely and tossing it aside. Next was his jeans. She slowly eased down his zipper before crouching down to tug the pants, along with his briefs, down his legs. Lucky for her, he had removed his shoes earlier so all he had to do was step out of his jeans when she had worked them past his knees to his ankles.
Before standing back on her feet she was face-to-face with the swollen length of him. He hadn’t planned to give the next command, but when she glanced up at him and he’d seen the clash of desire and curiosity in her gaze, he said in a husky tone, “Simon says taste it.”
A smile touched her mouth before she parted her lips and slid him deep inside. He thought he would drop to his knees in pleasure. Instead, he threw his head back and released a guttural growl. His hands grabbed a fistful of her hair while she tasted him in a way no one ever had. Her curiosity made her bold, audacious and confident as she used her tongue to explore every single inch of him.
He was close, too close, and their game would be over before he had a chance to finish all his commands. Tightening his hold on her head, he uttered thickly, “JoJo, stop.”
When she kept right on with her torture he recalled what he needed to say. “Simon says stop.”
She slid her mouth off him and stood to her feet with a satisfied grin. He inwardly chuckled. She knew exactly what she’d been doing, the little vixen. But he had no complaints.
He studied her as she stood in front of him, waiting for Simon’s next command. She had no idea just how much he loved her, adored her. He intended to do everything within his power to make her realize just how much he wanted her to be a part of his life forever.
> He grabbed one of the chairs from a nearby table and sat down. He glanced up at her. “Simon says straddle me.”
She slowly eased her body into his lap, straddling his thighs. The warmth of her skin touched his and he breathed in her scent. He held her gaze as they sat face-to-face. “Simon says to take me inside of you.”
She lifted her hips and shifted a little. He moaned when he felt his engorged shaft penetrating her wet flesh and he slid slowly inside of her. He had one more command left and he intended to make it last. It didn’t matter that she’d won the game. All that mattered was that in the end they’d both get what they wanted.
He licked the side of her face right beneath her ear and whispered, “Simon says ride me hard.”
She obeyed the command at once, rotating her hips, pumping on him. He drew in a sharp breath when she grabbed his shoulders and showed him just what her body could do.
He buried his face between her breasts before tilting his head to the side to take a nipple into his mouth. He grabbed her thighs as she gyrated her hips, her inner muscles clenching him. When he felt her body explode and she screamed his name, he tightened his hold on her, screamed her name and let the essence of his release blast off inside of her.
“JoJo!”
He thrust deep within her, exploding inside her a second time as sensations rushed through him. She trembled in his arms and he knew he was trembling, too. As their breathing slowly returned to normal, he held her in his arms. He needed the feel of her, chest to chest, hearts connected.
Stern whispered, “We need to take this to the bedroom, don’t you think?”
She chuckled against the side of his face. “As long as you remember that, for the rest of the night, you’re at my beck and call.”
He drew in a deep breath. “I have no problem with that, sweetheart. No problem at all.”
Thirteen
If anyone had asked, JoJo would have admitted that her life over the past few weeks had been perfect. While at the lodge, she and Stern decided they deserved another day and instead of leaving on Sunday, they’d left Monday evening, arriving back at her place before midnight.
Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Collection: ZaneCanyonStern Page 48