by J. S. Scott
His tongue slid down her tight belly, and the fragrant aroma of her desire hit him hard in the gut, made him salivate to taste her. Knowing he couldn’t wait any longer, he used his fingers to part her folds, exposing her throbbing clit and pink sweetness to his gaze. The flesh there glistened with moisture, begging him to indulge in what he already knew was the sweetest nectar he’d ever had.
He dove in with one long lick from bottom to top, lingering on the tiny bundle of nerves as he began to devour her.
“Oh, Micah. Yes. Please.”
Her voice was pleading and quivering with arousal, and he intensified his efforts, burying his face in her pussy and letting himself drown in her pleasure. He licked every luxurious drop of her arousal he could find, satisfied that every bit of that dew was because she wanted him. That knowledge pleased him on a level he’d never experienced before.
He groaned into her flesh, finally catching her clit with his teeth lightly, then flicking it mercilessly with his tongue. Stroking the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs as he continued to consume her, he could feel her legs trembling as her moans grew incoherent and wild.
I like her just like this: uninhibited and so turned on that she can’t think of anything except needing me to make her come.
He growled into her flesh as her hands speared into his hair, gripping his locks so tightly that he knew she was going to have to let go.
“Micah! Make. Me. Come!”
He smiled into her wet pussy, amused by how she went from pleading to demanding. But he wasn’t about to deny her. He doubted he could refuse this woman much of anything now that she’d practically taken up residence in his soul.
He increased the pressure on the engorged nub that he knew needed stimulation, grinding his tongue against her until her entire body began to shudder and she arched her back. Her hands tightened in his hair painfully, but he wasn’t complaining. He plunged two fingers into her silky sheath, wanting to feel her grip his fingers as volatile spasms rocked her body.
“Micah!” she screamed without inhibitions, her pleasure vibrating throughout her voice.
He lapped at her juices as she spilled more when she climaxed violently, until her grip on his hair relaxed and he could hear her panting for breath.
He pulled her limp body into a sitting position and cradled her against his chest, his arms tightening around her, sheltering her in her moment of vulnerability.
They stayed just like that until Tessa recovered her breath, then she pulled back and sent him a mock frown. “I was supposed to be getting you breakfast. Maybe I should have put on your boxers.”
He smirked at her. “I ate. Breakfast was delicious. And I think underwear is highly overrated. Believe me, once I saw you in my shirt, nothing was going to stop me from having you for a meal.”
“You need food,” she admonished him.
“I need you,” he corrected.
She lifted a hand and stroked it lightly through his hair. “I need you, too. So much it’s scary sometimes. Julian sent a really quick text from your phone just saying that it wasn’t a good time to be seeing me, but maybe he could in the future. And he said he was sorry. I heard the jet, so I thought you left.” Her eyes glistened with moisture as she added, “Don’t ever do that to me, okay? I know this isn’t forever, but please come and say good-bye. Promise me.”
“I’ll fucking kill him,” Micah rumbled. “I just meant for him to let you know I couldn’t do our run and that I was sorry.”
Tessa shook her head. “It wasn’t his fault. He was in a hurry and worried about Xander. I understand. But I felt how much it would hurt if you just went without saying good-bye. So don’t, okay? You’ve become my lover, but also a friend. I can handle good-bye, but not a brush-off.”
He was irritated as he grasped her chin and tilted her face up to him. “Hey, when I said I’d never let you fall, I meant it. I’ll never brush you off, Tessa. Never.” As he looked into her beautiful eyes, he added, “And I’m still going to kill Julian.”
“No, you won’t,” she said calmly.
He hurt you, and that’s unacceptable to me. “I might,” he argued.
Micah knew there would never be a permanent good-bye for him and Tessa. Just like Beatrice had predicted, Tessa was the only woman for him. He might be hardheaded, but he wasn’t stupid. Somehow, he’d find a way to make her his for the rest of their lives.
“Breakfast?” she murmured.
She was worried about feeding him, and he was worried about keeping her forever. Somehow that seemed ironic, since he was usually the one who was thinking about changing the subject when a woman tried to get into heavier things. Maybe it was some kind of fucked-up karma that he’d finally found a woman he couldn’t live without, and all she wanted was to make him breakfast.
He let go of her reluctantly and helped her off the table. “I’ll call Julian.”
Tessa cupped his cheek. “Everything will be all right, Micah. Xander will find his way back to us. He was a good guy. That man is still there. I think Xander just needs to find himself again.”
He took her hand and kissed her lightly on the forehead, aching to take her back to bed and lose himself inside her. “I don’t suppose you’d like a nap first?” he asked suggestively.
“Absolutely not. You’re still recovering. You should have eaten by now. I’m already beating myself up because I let you . . . you know . . .” She let out a disgusted sigh.
Then, she turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. Micah was not the least bit surprised that she was worried more about him than indulging in a morning session of bliss that he knew they both enjoyed. Because that was his Tessa, and he couldn’t help but grin as he watched her try to keep his shirt closed—a garment that was now minus the buttons—as she started on breakfast.
CHAPTER 15
Later that afternoon, Tessa smiled as she picked up the buttons of Micah’s shirt from the floor. Jared’s wife, Mara, had kindly loaned her a pair of yoga pants and a shirt that she said were too small for her anyway, and had left the guesthouse a short time later with a look that told Tessa she definitely wanted to know the scoop on her and Micah being shacked up together. But Mara had been too polite to ask.
She took the buttons and set them on the kitchen table along with the clean shirt that she’d washed, refusing to throw it away. She’d put the buttons back on, and if Micah didn’t want it, she’d keep it. Or maybe she just wouldn’t ask him. He’d said she could have it. The shirt had good memories, and that would eventually be all she had of her time with Micah Sinclair.
She heard the door of the guesthouse open and turned to see Micah coming through the door. He looked well recovered from his migraine, and almost boyishly excited.
As she looked and saw the dog he was crooning to at his side, her jaw dropped in surprise. She didn’t know that he had a dog, much less one that looked like it belonged to a questionable pedigree. In easier terms, she’d say he was a mutt, maybe with some Border collie and Labrador. The canine was adorable, though, with floppy ears and an intelligent stance as he sat and looked up at Micah with something akin to hero worship.
“I didn’t know you had a dog,” Tessa said excitedly as she approached dog and man. “Is it friendly?”
Micah grinned at her and handed her the leash. “For you, he definitely will be. He’s yours.”
She shook her head in denial, but at the same time dropped to her knees and sunk her fingers into the dog’s silky coat. “He’s adorable.” She wasn’t lying. The animal might be mixed breed, but his brown-and-white coat was well groomed, and when his dark eyes turned attentively to her, she smiled. “I’ve always wanted a dog, but I always traveled too much when I was younger. When I got older, I was so busy that it didn’t seem fair to leave an animal home alone so much.” She glanced up at Micah with tear-filled eyes. “I’d love to have him, but I don’t know if I can.”
“You won’t have to leave him alone.” Micah held out a scrap of material to her. �
�Homer is a service dog. A certified hearing dog, to be exact.”
Tessa grabbed the cloth and noticed that it was a dog jacket that was stamped with “Service Dog” on the side.
“Homer?” she asked, still stunned by what was happening.
“He was a rescue dog. Apparently, he wasn’t treated well as a pup, but he’s so smart that they were able to train him. The staff thought all he wanted was a good home, so they named him Homer.”
Tessa’s eyes dropped from Micah’s face to the dog she was unconsciously stroking. “Poor guy,” she crooned as the dog sat at attention, as though he was waiting for a command. “What does a hearing dog do?”
“I think Homer just wants affection. He’ll do most anything for you. If there’s somebody at the door, he’ll get your attention and let you know. He’ll warn you about any dangerous noises. Hell, he’ll even be your alarm clock if you set an alarm, and get you up when it goes off. He’s a pretty capable mutt.”
A lone tear fell from her eye, and the dog immediately licked it from her cheek.
“I didn’t know hearing dogs even existed. They provide ears to deaf people?”
“They do,” Micah responded. “There are organizations that take in rescue dogs and train them. I was lucky enough to get Homer. The person who wanted him backed out, and they called to tell me I could take him since I was on the waiting list. He just got here this morning in my private jet. They sent him with a trainer, and she helped me put him through his routine and training so I could teach you. Watch this.”
Tessa kept stroking the dog’s head as Micah stepped out the door. After a few minutes, he knocked.
Homer was immediately at attention, pawing her first and then running to the door over and over again until she got up and let Micah in. Instinctively, she patted the dog’s side and muttered, “Good boy.”
The canine looked up at her adoringly and Tessa’s heart melted. “I think he likes me.” Her eyes shifted to Micah.
“I talked about you all the way back to the house. I think he knows who he belongs to. He’s energetic and young, so he can do your runs with you. Hell, put his service jacket on and there’s almost nowhere he can’t go. He can even come to New York with you.”
“I can’t believe you did this. Why?”
Micah shrugged. “You said you didn’t want to try the implants again, and I thought Homer would be useful.”
“You don’t care if I don’t hear?” The question didn’t come out the way she’d wanted to ask it. What she’d meant was, didn’t it matter to him that she was deaf and chose to stay that way?
“I want you to do whatever makes you happy, Tessa.”
Tears started spilling from her eyes as she realized that Micah really didn’t care if she wasn’t willing to do the implants again to regain her hearing, as long as she was happy with whatever decision she made. “I might try again someday,” she admitted. “I’ve been afraid, and I can’t keep using money as an excuse.”
“You have funds. Liam told me. Why haven’t you ever looked at your money?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I was afraid that if I knew exactly what I had, I wouldn’t have any excuses anymore.”
“Liam has plenty of money to refurbish the restaurant. He just needs time.”
She nodded. “I know. But I like to keep busy or I go stir-crazy. Plus, I want to make money of my own. I guess I’ve always been able to rationalize that the money was Liam’s, and I really didn’t know what he had. He put what he insists is my money into my personal bank account for me a few days ago. He deposited my share of our inheritance, and my profits from the restaurant. I haven’t looked at what I have. I live off what I make in tips and working other jobs. I really wanted him to take the money Mom and Dad left, and the profits on the restaurant. He does a lot there, and he gave up a lot for me.”
“I don’t think he regrets his life. He’s still consulting on some movies, and he seems to like being at the restaurant.”
Tessa’s expression registered surprise. “He still does work on movies?”
“You didn’t know?”
She’d never really asked. Maybe she needed to spend more time with Liam, asking questions. “No. I didn’t now. God, he worries about me so much that he doesn’t even date.”
“I have a feeling that’s his choice. He seems to have his eye on one of his employees.”
“How do you know that? Who?” God, she’d love it if Liam finally found himself a woman that he cared about and who recognized how caring he really was. She’d tried to set him up with friends several times, but it had never worked out.
“I only saw her briefly, but Liam couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. She’s pretty—long, dark hair—and young.”
“I know who you’re talking about. She’s new, and she hasn’t been at the restaurant for long. She isn’t that young.”
“Tell Liam that. He seems to be pining for a woman that he’ll never approach. And the feelings look mutual.” He paused before adding, “Do you want to see what Homer can do?”
“Yes. Very much.” She knew without a doubt she was going to keep this dog, but . . . “I’m sure you paid for him. I want to pay you back.” She almost flinched at the brooding look on Micah’s face as she spoke.
“Homer is a gift. And I think I got him for selfish reasons. I want you to have protection and help if you need it.” His face was unreadable.
“Thank you,” she said simply, knowing there was no way Micah was going to take payment.
She watched as he put Homer through his paces, doing different things to make the dog alert her. Any noise seemed to trigger his response to make her acknowledge it, and the more she praised him, the more he responded to her. Her dog was also trained in obedience, and he responded to those commands perfectly.
When he finished, Micah remarked, “You’ll bond with him, and he’ll bond with you. Eventually, you’re the only one he’ll respond to.”
She broke the “stay” command that she’d given him, causing Homer to wander over to get some affection. She gave it to him willingly, scratching the dog’s belly as he rolled over to get more attention.
“He’s so cute,” Tessa crooned as the dog sat up again and stayed in a sitting position by her side.
“He’s well trained. He can find things for you if he’s familiar with the object. You can practice by showing him different items and then having him go find it.”
“I could get very lazy,” she said jokingly. “I assume he’s potty trained.”
“Of course. You can let him out, but he’ll do his business and come right back. He knows his job is to watch out for you.”
She rose and threw herself into his arms. “Thank you. This is the best gift I’ve ever received.”
He closed his arms around her. “If that’s what I get, I think I need to buy you a few more dogs.”
Tessa snorted. “One is enough.”
He took her gently by the shoulders and kissed her on the forehead so she could look at him. “He certainly came at the perfect time,” Micah said, his expression grim. “I talked to one of my executives today. I forgot to call them with my new phone number. They need me in New York. I need to approve a design within the next twenty-four hours or we lose time in production. We won’t meet our launch date.”
Her heart fell at the idea of Micah leaving Amesport, but she smiled at him. “Then you have to go. I guess sometimes I forget that you have some pretty heavy responsibilities.”
“My top people do things very well. It’s me who insists on having the final inspection on any product with my company name on it before it goes to production.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “A little bit anal, are you?”
“A lot when it comes to safety of a product,” he admitted. “That’s why I started the company. I knew extreme sports would always be risky, but safer with the right equipment.”
Tessa’s heart swelled with pride as she reached up a hand to stroke back that crazy lock of hair of h
is that was constantly out of place. Micah wasn’t in business just for money; he cared about what he was manufacturing. His sole purpose was to make extreme sports as safe as possible. In Tessa’s mind, there was nothing more admirable than being able to possibly save lives with better products.
“Do you need help getting ready to go?” she offered.
“Don’t be so happy about getting rid of me.” He glared at her unhappily. “But I’ll only be gone for a day or two. I’ll return in plenty of time to get some final practices in and take you to your performance.”
“I’ll miss you,” she confessed, unable to stop the words from leaving her lips.
He grinned at her. “Good. I want you to miss me, because I know I’ll miss you.”
“Mara invited me to dinner with her. I guess the girls decided to do Chinese food tonight instead of Brew Magic, for a change. Emily, Sarah, and Kristin will be there, too. Hope and Jason are out of town and so are Randi and Evan, so it won’t be as many women as usual. I guess I might go ahead and go.”
“You could have gone even if I was here,” Micah told her.
“I know,” she remarked simply, bowing her head to avoid looking at him.
He grasped her chin and turned her head up again. “Hey, what is it? Something wrong?”
She shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to go with them, and Randi has invited me to their female-only lunches before, but I’m afraid it would be awkward.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“I read lips, Micah. There’s no way I can keep up with a group conversation now. I’d feel out of place.” She could manage with one or two people, and if she was in a crowd, she could choose who to focus on. But if several people were talking at the same time, she’d probably be lost. Randi was the only one who knew ASL, and she wasn’t even going to be there.
“You’re intimidated by a girls’ get-together?” Micah asked, looking astonished.
She lifted her chin higher. “Yes. It’s daunting for a deaf woman.”