Bliss

by Opal Carew

  Oh, please just open. Kara glanced toward J.M.’s door, praying it wouldn’t open . . . or that J.M. wouldn’t appear suddenly in the hall heading back to his room.

  “Darn thing doesn’t always work.” Quinn slid the card into the slot again and drew it out more slowly. This time the light flashed green and he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

  “There we go,” he said.

  Kara rushed into the room, desperate to be out of sight.

  J.M. heard Quinn’s voice outside, traveling along the hall. He had hoped to find Quinn and arrange to go for a drink. He could really use someone to talk to. He peered out the peephole to see who Quinn was with.

  His heart stalled as he saw Kara walking along beside Quinn. Damn it, why was Kara up here with Quinn? He heard their voices stop outside Quinn’s room, then disappear inside. He could hear the sound of the door latching behind them.

  Kara was going to spend the night with Quinn. His heart thundered in his chest as he realized he’d lost her. Her words echoed through his mind. You want me to tell you I love you, but . . . I just can’t do that. I can’t lie to you and tell you I feel something I don’t.

  No, he hadn’t lost her. He’d never really had her.

  How could he have been so wrong? Everything he’d thought about her being his soul mate—his perfect woman—had just been wishful thinking. Once again, J.M. had put his whole heart on the line. And once again, he just wasn’t good enough. Would he ever learn?

  He pulled his suitcase from the closet, set it on the bed, and began to pack. He couldn’t bear seeing Kara and Quinn together for the rest of the week. It would just twist the knife further. He needed to get home, where he could nurse his wounds in peace.

  Twenty

  Kara stood by the door, annoyed by the tingle of nerves dancing through her body. Or was it desire? Did she want to be with Quinn tonight?

  Quinn tossed his key on his dresser, then tugged his conference badge from his jacket and tossed it beside the key.

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll take a minute to change.”

  He pulled off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the nearest chair, then discarded his tie. When he began to unfasten his shirt buttons and she saw the smooth flesh of his broad chest slowly revealed, she tugged on her lower lip.

  Did he just want to change or was he sending her a message? That he was available? Ready if she wanted him?

  He tossed the white shirt on the bed, then stepped toward her. Hormones flickered through her body at the sight of his broad chest closing in on her . . . his strong, masculine arms that would be just as capable of offering comfort as they would of holding her tight while he made love to her . . . as he had so many times this week.

  She wanted to melt into those arms. To lose herself in the pleasure of his lovemaking.

  Or did she just want to escape her thoughts of J.M.?

  “I’ll be back in a minute.” Quinn disappeared into the bathroom and she walked to the window and stared out into the darkness.

  A few minutes later, he returned with his hair brushed neatly and smelling delicately of musky aftershave. He placed his hands on her shoulders. The gentle heat washed through her. Comforting. She cupped his cheeks and pushed herself on her toes. But at the first touch of her mouth on his, she knew this was wrong. All she could think of was J.M.

  “Do you want to stay here, Kara?”

  She stared into the depths of his sea blue eyes and saw acceptance. Understanding. He cared about her in a loving, friendly way. But he didn’t love her. She could be with him and not worry about hurting him. Or being hurt?

  He moved to kiss her again, but she dodged out of the way.

  Oh, damn. She couldn’t do this. She wanted J.M., not Quinn. It wouldn’t be fair to treat Quinn as a surrogate. Not for him. Not for her.

  “I’m sorry, Quinn. I can’t do this. I’m in love with J.M.” She gasped and covered her mouth, shocked at the words that had just spilled from her lips. Then she repeated them softly, more to herself than to Quinn. “I’m in love with J.M.”

  She stepped back from Quinn.

  “I’m sorry. I hope I haven’t led you on.”

  He rested his hand on her shoulder, the comforting heat steadying her.

  “Not at all. J.M. really loves you. Do you know that? And it’s clear you love him.”

  “Did he tell you that?” She didn’t even know what she meant to ask. That he loved her? That she loved him? What did it matter?

  “No, he didn’t tell me. I can see it. When he looks at you. When he makes love to you. And the way you respond to him. It’s clear as day that you two are meant to be together.”

  “Up until this week, I didn’t believe in love.”

  He shrugged. “Well, it obviously believes in you. The loving energy pulsing through the two of you is palpable.” He tucked his finger under her chin and tipped it up, then kissed her. “Don’t worry about me, doll. We all had a good time. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Kara knocked on J.M.’s door. There was no reply, so she knocked again . . . and again . . . and again. “J.M., are you in there? Please be in there. There’s something I really need to tell you.”

  No response.

  “J.M.?” She knocked again.

  Had she hurt him so much he’d left the conference? Her heart clenched at the thought.

  A sinking feeling began in the pit of her stomach. “Damn it,” she muttered as she raced toward the lobby. Once there, she scanned the area. No J.M.

  She hurried through the hotel bar, scanning the faces for J.M.’s. She checked the gym. The pool. Still no sign of him.

  As she entered the lobby again, across the large expanse she saw J.M. walking out the front doors, his suitcase in tow. She gasped, then raced across the lobby and out the front doors—heedless of the cold and snow—just in time to see J.M. get into a taxi. She called his name as she ran toward him, but he didn’t hear her over the sound of an ambulance siren blaring by and he closed the door. Luckily, the cab ahead of his stayed put while the emergency vehicle sped past, so she reached his cab before it started moving and slapped his window to get his attention, leaving her palm pressed against the glass. J.M. glanced up at her in surprise.

  “J.M.,” she panted. “I need to talk to you. There’s something I need to tell you.”

  Though J.M. wouldn’t be able to hear her through the glass, he seemed to understand her intent. He leaned over and said a few words to the driver, then slowly stepped out of the cab.

  Kara continued to pant, trying to catch her breath. She realized she must look like a madwoman, but she had more important concerns right now.

  “You told me you loved me and . . .” Her gaze dropped from his. “I was just surprised. You caught me off guard, but it doesn’t mean . . . I don’t feel the same way about you.”

  Understanding filled J.M.’s gaze. “You think I would stop loving you. Just like you believe your father did.”

  He drew her to his body and held her close, his strong, warm arms wrapping around her. His big hand cupped her head and held it to him, her ear nestled against his chest. She could hear his heart beating and the gentle rhythm soothed her.

  She just stood here, taking comfort from his embrace, not allowing herself to think.

  “I won’t stop loving you, Kara.” He kissed the top of her head, his lips brushing her hair tenderly. “I will never stop loving you.”

  Tears welled in her eyes.

  “You are my perfect woman.”

  She shook her head, knowing she couldn’t believe that.

  “But I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I have flaws. Maybe you’re just seeing what you want to see.”

  “I didn’t say you must be perfect. I said you’re perfect for me.” He hugged her tighter, then stroked her hair behind her ear. “Believe me, Kara. I will love you forever.”

  Tears streamed down her face.

  “Tell me, Kara. Do you love me?”

  Her t
hroat tightened, choking back any words. He tipped her chin up and gazed at her.

  “Do you love me?” he asked again.

  Staring into his intense brown eyes, she could not lie. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

  He kissed her, his solid lips caressing hers with such sweet tenderness it tore at her heart. If he ever stopped loving her . . . If he ever left her . . . How would she survive?

  “I know you’re afraid of being vulnerable. Afraid I’ll fall out of love with you. But that will never happen. I promise you that.”

  She shook her head. “You can’t know. . . . You can’t.”

  “I will never stop loving you.” He held her close. “And I will never stop doing what it takes to make our relationship work. With the two of us totally committed to doing that, we can’t fail.”

  She drew in a breath, mesmerized by his words. She would do anything to make this relationship work. She needed this relationship to work. Because the alternative—living without J.M.—was simply unacceptable.

  Gazing into his dark eyes, she saw the love there. Recognized what it was for the first time. A mirror of her own powerful feelings for him.

  She brushed her hand across his cheek. The delicate contact sent shivers through her.

  “Oh, J.M., I love you, too.”

  The smile that spread across his face had enough wattage to light an entire city. His lips captured hers in an exciting burst of passion. Her heart leapt in joy and she flung her arms around him and held on tight.

  Twenty-one

  Back in her hotel room, as his mouth moved on hers, his strong arms holding her tight, and his solid chest crushing her breasts, Kara’s joy turned to yearning. She grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it up, releasing J.M.’s lips to drag it over her head. Then she tossed it away and slid her hand around the back of his neck and dragged him into another kiss. With her other hand, she flicked open the buttons of his shirt, then glided her hand along the hard ridges of his stomach. She glided her fingers to his belt, then dipped under the fabric.

  She loved this man! Happiness swelled within her.

  J.M. unfastened his belt, then his pants. She glided her hand over the cotton of his black briefs. His cock was hard and ready. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. She hooked her fingers under the elastic and pushed down his briefs and pants at the same time, crouching in front of him. She smiled at his large swollen erection in front of her. She wrapped her fingers around it, loving the solid feel of his thick shaft in her hand. She touched the tip of her tongue to his cockhead, teasing it. Flicking her tongue over the end, then spiraling around until she circled the ridge beneath the corona.

  He groaned. She wrapped her lips around him and swallowed the mushroom tip into her mouth, then squeezed. She sucked as she glided her hand up and down, then tucked her other hand under his cock and stroked his balls.

  J.M. grasped her shoulders and eased her upward, his eyes blazing with emotion, then stormed her mouth with his until she gasped for breath. He reached behind her and unfastened her bra, then drew it from her body. He dipped down and sucked her nipple until it throbbed with need.

  Her hand found his cock again and she stroked while he sucked. Soon he scooped her up and carried her to the bed. When he set her down, they both shed the rest of their clothes, then she sat on the bed and he knelt in front of her. Her insides contracted with need as he slid his hands under her knees and tucked them over his shoulders, then kissed along her thighs, heading toward her wet opening.

  The moment his mouth touched her there, she gasped. His tongue pressed into her as he brushed his thumb over her clit. Her fingers tangled in his hair and her breathing accelerated.

  “Oh, God.” Intense sensations shot through her. He licked, then his tongue dove into her again and again as his thumb flicked over her sensitive bud.

  She moaned as waves of ecstatic pleasure washed through her, blossoming into an incredible orgasm.

  She pulled him toward her, then cradled his face between her hands and kissed him. His cock nudged her slick opening, then she gasped as he glided into her while she still sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart.”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing his cock to sink deeper. She squeezed him inside, anticipating his first deep thrust. But instead, he tucked his hands under her butt and lifted her, then sank to the floor, where he sat cross-legged. With their arms around each other, she sitting in the cradle of his thighs, she felt extremely close to him. Open. Vulnerable. Yet safe.

  He kissed her again.

  Her breasts pressed tight against his chest and their hearts thumping in unison made her feel incredibly close to him, not to mention her vagina wide open and filled by his marble-hard cock.

  She squeezed him inside her.

  “You know, this is the perfect position to have an energy orgasm together with a physical orgasm.”

  Her eyes widened. “Really? You can do that?”

  He smiled, the warmth in his loving gaze melting her heart. “With your legs wrapped around me, you are open wide, so my thrusts go deeper. It also aligns our chakras, so we are even more intimately linked.”

  She squeezed him again, tightening around his hard shaft. She had so much to learn from this man.

  She began to rock. His cock glided out and in slightly with each tilt of her pelvis. She drew in deep breaths, matching his rhythm.

  “As you breathe, think of the air as energy moving through both our bodies, not just yours.”

  She felt the energy moving through her, circling through J.M., then through her again, until it became a continuous circle. She felt incredibly close to him, as if they were one body.

  “Now think of energy moving up your body from your base into your sacral.”

  As he talked her through moving the energy up her body, his hand followed, his loving touch igniting a fire in each of her chakras until she gasped for air. Heat rippled through her, setting her cells ablaze. Her nipples swelled, pressing into his hard chest. Her intimate muscles gripped his thick cock tightly as fire scorched through her sex . . . up through her body . . . and sparked out the crown of her head.

  Intensely aware of J.M.’s body pressed tight to hers, her legs embracing him, she felt totally at one with him. She gasped at the intensity of the flood of pleasure racing through her, then expanding outward, filling every part of her . . . of them . . . with pure bliss. Time seemed to freeze as every cell in her body exploded with intense joy. A joy she shared with the man she loved.

  Her entire body trembled. And her soul resonated with an infinite sense of being at one with all things. Ecstasy filled her. Filled J.M. And the universe around them.

  Just as she felt the bliss was subsiding, another wave pummeled through her and she gasped again. A flood of liquid heat erupted from J.M. into her, expanding her pleasure yet again. She arched against him, flying beyond consciousness, flying through a black void of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.

  She awoke to J.M. kissing her, unsure where she was exactly.

  Sitting?

  She realized J.M.’s cock still impaled her as she sat in his lap.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  He grinned broadly. “You’re a natural at this. You just reached an enlightened state that allowed you to transcend the physical realm.”

  She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

  His eyes twinkled. “You blacked out.”

  She rested her head against his solid shoulder. “Well, it felt pretty good.”

  He rocked his pelvis forward. “Just pretty good?”

  Heat thrummed through her again at the feel of his rock-hard cock gliding along her vagina.

  “Pretty damn good.”

  He chuckled, then pressed her back until she lay on the carpet. He drove his cock deep and she moaned, clinging to his shoulders. He thrust again and again. Deeper. Harder.

  She gasped and moaned as she sailed off to the realm of e
cstatic pleasure yet again. J.M. groaned and filled her yet again.

  She clutched J.M. tight to her body as she lay breathless. “This Tantra stuff is not bad at all.”

  She gazed up at him, then cupped his cheeks in her hands. “And the Tantra master is pretty damn special, too,” she said, and kissed him with passion and unadulterated love.

  When she finally released his lips, the loving warmth in his eyes filled her with pure bliss. He tightened his arm around her waist and she snuggled against him, knowing in her heart that what she shared with J.M. was a love that would last forever.

  Read on for a preview of Opal Carew’s

  upcoming erotic romance

  Pleasure Bound

  Available from St. Martin’s Griffin in Fall 2010

  Copyright © 2010 by Elizabeth Batten-Carew.

  Ty was once a master of domination, but a bad experience led him to change his lifestyle. When he falls in love with Marie, he plans to handle her with kid gloves. Unfortunately, Marie thinks Ty is too nice of a guy to be the overpowering Dominant she dreams of. When Ty’s old friend Zeke enters the scene, he’s more than happy to give Marie exactly what she wants. But when Zeke starts to experience feelings for Ty that he’s never allowed to surface before, it could push all three of them to the edge . . .

  Images of the sexy bad boy from the next cottage haunted Marie as she stepped from the cottage onto the wooden deck and glanced across the tranquil lake. She took a deep breath of fresh country air as she walked down the deck stairs and headed toward the water. She wanted to sit on the beach and enjoy the sunrise in quiet solitude before other cottagers were up and about. Maybe take a refreshing dip in the calm water.

  Of course, if she happened to run into the gorgeous guy from next door, that would be quite fine.

  She liked his name. Zeke. It was different from the names of the men she dated. Of course, Zeke was a completely different type of man. The men she’d dated were very nice. Dependable. Confident. Pleasant. Although she’d only spoken with Zeke briefly, and it had been friendly and pleasant, she could sense in him an aura of . . . danger. No, that wasn’t quite right. She felt safe around him. Protected almost. It was more as if he would like to . . . dominate her. That he would take control and totally master her. Which sent tingles through her.