by Tara Mills
Lauren groaned when Wes pressed the refreshed cloth to the back of her neck and slowly ran it over her shoulders and down the small of her back. Once more he wet it, this time concentrating on her bottom. His free hand floated just above her skin, barely a whisper of a touch. By the time he reached the backs of her knees, she couldn’t remember ever feeling hot.
Lauren rolled over and pulled Wes down for a kiss. Then she took the cloth out of his hand and sat up. “Your turn. Lie down.”
She repeated the kindness, going over him in exactly the same way. Chilling Wes with the lightest of touches was easy because he had more hair to ruffle. All it took was the barest of brushes and she had his attention. By the time she was finished they were both impossibly aroused.
Even if Lauren wasn’t sure yet where she stood in his heart she knew his body certainly worshipped her.
“I need to be inside you,” he said, rolling her onto her back and stretching out his hand to reach a condom. He pulled the entire box out of the drawer and dumped the last two onto the sheet.
“Say it isn’t so,” he gasped in horror.
“We’ve been busy.”
“We better remember to pick up more tomorrow.”
“It’s on my list. Here, let me.”
He handed her a condom and fell back on the pillows. “I love it when you offer.”
Lauren smiled and leaned over to kiss him. He grabbed the back of her head and took over, and drew her under until her heart was fluttering like a hummingbird’s. Her hands were shaking when she ripped the package open.
Safely encased, Wes pounced and Lauren gave, gratefully, eagerly. The weight of his body drove her into the mattress, and her knees dropped open. Wes’s hands came up from under her bottom and he lifted even as he pushed into her.
Lauren’s head rolled back and her throat arched up at him, and Wes licked her heated skin.
“You’re salty,” he told her, taking another deliberate taste.
It sent shivers down her spine whenever he dropped his voice like that. She scraped her fingernails up and down his chest as he drove deep, giving them both what they wanted, what they needed.
“Oh,” Lauren gasped, her nails scoring down his sides, leaving pink trails across his skin. They bit hard into his muscular ass as it flexed into another deep thrust. “There, hit me there!” she cried, tilting up to meet him.
Wes obeyed her command and won a shaky nod of approval from Lauren.
“Do not deviate from your course, or I’ll have to kill you,” she warned.
He laughed but then the levity vanished, overshadowed by what they were feeling. The flavor of their lovemaking shifted to heated and intense. Sweat sizzled and popped between their naked torsos as they strained to weld themselves into one body. It was as if they both needed to make some sort of declaration. Even unspoken, their message to each other was getting through loud and clear as they clung to each other.
Wes was all purpose now, his hot, coiled body responding to a need so basic, so elemental, Lauren half hoped he’d roar as he collided savagely with her. She gripped his arms, bit his shoulder, and grunted to keep up as her eyesight began to blur.
Then Lauren felt it, that promising flare at her core, and she rose up to claim it, taking Wes deeper still. She threw back her head, releasing a triumphant cry as she shuddered in his arms. Groaning in surrender, Wes planted himself deep and trembled as Lauren wrung him dry.
Utterly spent, Wes dropped to Lauren’s side and lay on his stomach, obviously too exhausted to even turn his face out of the pillow. She laughed softly and, taking pity on him, tugged the pillow out of his way before it suffocated him.
Lauren looked at Wes with amusement. “Well, that was one for the diary. Too bad I don’t keep one. How many more orgasms do you think we can fit in before ten?”
He groaned and turned his head. “Give me a few minutes to recover.”
She climbed off the bed and he looked up. “Where are you going?”
“To get something to drink. Want anything?”
“A Coke?”
“Be right back.”
Wes was stretched out on his back with his arm thrown over his face when she returned. Seeing he was dozing quietly, she stood over him, her heart expanding to an impossible size for the man she’d fallen in love with. She’d hit the jackpot.
She always had a soft spot for his luscious heart-melting eyes but now, knowing all the tender expressions they were capable of conveying, Lauren was indeed a goner. Her gaze traveled over his wonderful mouth and chin, down his throat, and stopped at his broad chest. As a young man, he only had a little hair but it had spread since she’d seen him that fateful day at the pool and now encompassed his tiny brown nipples and joined up with the line of hair aimed at his groin. She could still see the pink imprint of her nails crisscrossing his chest and the fading half-moon imprint of her teeth on his shoulder.
Her eyes moved on, seeking his sex. It was flaccid now, his limp cock resting on his inner thigh, but that didn’t make it any less impressive. Just looking at it made her blood surge, her fingers twitch. How could she tell him how perfect he made her feel, both emotionally and physically? She’d never experienced that total sense of completion she found in his arms, and when he was inside her, she felt more than just connected to him, she felt whole. Lauren didn’t think there was one inch of Wes she didn’t love.
Feeling frisky, she ran the dewy cold can along his penis. It jumped and the arm covering his face flew up.
His startled eyes stared at her. “What are you doing?”
Lauren laughed. “Science experiment.” She threw her hand out dramatically at his swelling cock and announced, “Life, I have created life!”
“You’re doing a Gene Wilder impersonation?” Wes glanced down his body and grinned. “Congratulations, you got a rise out of him. Something on your mind?”
Lauren gave him a nonchalant shrug. “Maybe.”
“You’re voracious.”
“Luckily you’re nonfattening.”
He laughed and caught her wrist, yanking her on top of him. A minute later his tongue was having its way with her mouth and he was all hands. How the worm had turned.
Rolling one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger he stole another kiss and pushed up against her. He was back and in fine form.
“Are you looking for something in particular? I believe I’ve got something in your size if you’d care to try it on,” he said with a devilish grin.
Pretending disinterest she said, “Thanks, but I’m just looking.”
“The hell you are.”
He was right. She was buying, and she was ready to pay any price for the privilege of ownership.
Chapter 16
Lauren stirred in her sleep, her legs sliding restlessly against Wes’s as she moaned softly. Her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow. Wes wrapped her close, securing her to his chest, and spoke low, soothing words into her ear until she relaxed against him and went silent. He curled his leg around her and dropped back to sleep, exhausted. This was Lauren’s second nightmare tonight. They were increasing.
The alarm went off three hours later. Wes slapped it off and rolled onto his back with a groan. He wanted another hour of sleep, just one lousy hour, but duty called. Slipping silently out of bed, he left Lauren to sleep a little longer. She probably needed the rest even more than he did.
These nightmares of hers were wearing them both out. Even one per night was one too many, and now she was having two? Wes stepped into the tub and faced the spray, scrubbing his face, knowing full well it was going to take more than a shower to revive him today. He needed coffee—lots of strong, black coffee.
Shuffling into the kitchen a little later, he got down two mugs and poured himself his first cup of the day. Whoever thought to put a timer on coffee makers deserved a medal. Stifling a yawn, Wes took his first bracing sip. Better.
Damn it. These hard nights had to end. Wes’s humor wasn’t improved by
the fact that he’d failed to discourage Lauren from going to the hearing. There was no reasoning with the woman. He had to convince her that not only was it unnecessary she attend, but it could be downright risky to provoke the man.
That murdering jackass was really pissing Wes off. William H. Stovall was the one thorny issue in their otherwise smooth transition to couplehood. He had to keep Lauren from going, but Wes knew it was going to be their self-defense argument all over again.
He never dreamed he could fall for such a stubborn woman. Hell, he never imagined sweet Lauren would turn out to be such a stubborn woman. Even faced with her inevitable resistance, he wasn’t about to drop the subject. As her…what—boyfriend, lover, significant other?—it was his job to protect her. He didn’t take that responsibility lightly. He’d try reasoning with her once more, but if that didn’t work he was prepared to lean on her harder.
Wes set the watering can in the sink and while it filled, poured himself another cup of coffee. Then he carried both around the house, watering all the plants Lauren had brought over from her apartment. They were thriving in his windows, a tangible allegory of how the two people tending them were thriving together. His little house finally felt like a home.
He liked the changes Lauren brought to his life. For a guy who’d always protected his private domain, guarded his borders from incursions, it was startling to see how readily he’d cleared space for her. Lauren’s clothes gradually migrated to his closet and he’d emptied dresser drawers for her too. There were cosmetics and Kotex in the bathroom and moisturizer on the dresser and he couldn’t be happier.
Aside from the nightmares, the transformation he saw in Lauren was even more apparent. Her serenity had given way to vivacity. Her face was animated, her eyes sparkled, and she was quick to laugh. Even her walk was different. There was a lilt in her step that hadn’t been there before. Lauren was a woman in full bloom now, beautiful, arresting, and downright sexy.
His morning rounds complete, Wes went back to the bedroom and woke his lady.
She shot up in alarm. “It’s six forty-five? Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”
He bent and gave her a light peck on the top of the head. “Honey, you didn’t even hear the alarm. We both know you needed more sleep.”
She threw her legs over the edge and bounded out of bed. “Now I have to hustle.”
“I’ll be in the kitchen.”
He was reading the morning paper, sipping his coffee when she joined him.
Wes looked up and smiled. “You look really nice. That’s your coffee on the counter.”
Lauren smiled when she saw the toasted bagel sitting on the plate beside it. “Thank you. Do you want half?” she asked, holding it out to him.
“I already had one. You eat.”
She leaned back against the counter and took a bite, washing it down with coffee. “I’m sorry about last night. Were you able to get back to sleep?”
“Eventually.” Of course he was talking about the first time. He wasn’t even sure she knew about the second dream.
“Maybe I should stay at my place for a few nights. Let you rest.”
Wes closed the paper and stood, walking over to her. “No. I don’t want that. I’d rather have you here.” He tipped her chin up and gave her a soft kiss.
Lauren melted against him. “But you have to stay sharp. Your job is dangerous enough without me making it worse for you.”
“You’re not. Do you honestly think I’d sleep any better with you camped out at your apartment? Think again. I’d be worried sick the whole time. At least if you’re here I can turn over and assure myself you’re okay.”
Lauren gave him a squeeze. “I suppose you’re right.”
“But you know what you can do, for both of us?”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t go on Thursday,” he whispered in her ear.
Lauren groaned. “Wes, I need to go.”
“You don’t.”
“I do.” She tried to wriggle free, but he wouldn’t allow it.
“No,” he insisted.
“Would you stop?” she asked impatiently.
“At least come back to the gym with me.”
“We’ve been over this.”
Wes drew back with a grin. “But I haven’t won yet.”
She poked him in the stomach. “And you won’t.”
“I’ll back off if you prove you can handle yourself.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
She expelled a heavy sigh. “I suppose.”
“Tonight?”
“If it’ll get you off my case—fine.”
Lauren’s answer lacked enthusiasm, but at least Wes had the commitment he was looking for. It was a start.
* * * *
The gym was dark when they got there, but Wes had his own key. He let them in, locked the door behind them, and flipped a switch. A single florescent fixture flickered on way up high, providing just enough light to navigate by.
“Instead of boxing tonight I thought we’d practice some self-defense moves since I can’t seem to get you to drop by my class.”
“Because I already took a class,” she said for the umpteenth time.
“Then you’ll have no trouble showing me what you know.”
Lauren went back to the putrid green dressing room and changed into shorts and a tank, then cut through the large musty main gym. The entire space was dark now. Whatever light escaped through the connecting door to the smaller gym was sucked up into the high rafters and neutralized. Lauren screwed up her face at the smell of stale sweat mingled with years of accumulated dust. Circling around the boxing ring she headed right for the only light in the place and took a peek inside the door. There was no sign of Wes.
She took a tentative step into the room. “Wes?”
A hard arm clamped around her so suddenly Lauren screamed. Her feet left the floor, and a heavy hand covered her mouth, cutting off the sound. Mute and immobilized, she fought to squirm free, but when that failed, she shifted to inflicting damage on the arm instead. Unfortunately her arms were pinned in such a way that she couldn’t even bend her elbows. She was just short of outright panic when she was thrown down on the mat and pinned.
“That was pathetic, Lauren,” Wes said with a scowl.
She tried to free her hands, get him off of her, but couldn’t.
“You’re coming to class or you’re taking private lessons—you decide.”
She glared at him and tried to buck him off using her hips but he was serious weight. It was useless. “Get off of me.”
“Fight back.”
“I’m trying, damn it.”
“I thought you said you knew this stuff.”
“I thought I did.”
“And now you’ve lost your purse. Shit, you’ve probably been raped. Maybe you’re bleeding down some dark alley while your attacker drives off in your car with your pin number written on his hand. That’s if you’re lucky. He’ll probably just kill you rather than risk letting you live to identify him.”
“If you’re trying to scare me, it’s working. So give me a clue.”
“Hell no. Your life is on the line, Lauren. Do you care enough to fight back?”
Throwing her knee out to the side, Lauren brought the inside of her foot up and smacked Wes in the back of the head with it.
He laughed at her. “Is that all you’ve got?”
“Screw you!” She was getting seriously pissed off now.
“Take me down.”
“Oh, you’re going down,” she grumbled testily.
She wanted to punch the smirk right off his gorgeous face. Twisting and writhing, she fought to free her hands but his grip was like iron.
“You’re going to pay for this,” she snarled.
“I’ll make it easier for you.”
He transferred her right hand to his left, and holding both of her wrists tight, he used his free hand to stroke down the center of her chest,
the heat of his hand taunting her.
To Lauren’s annoyance her nipples bloomed, ripe for the picking. Wes smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Something on your mind?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Ignoring her irritated taunt he circled first one then the other with his index finger, lightly tracing the faint impressions of her areolas.
All the fight went out of Lauren and Wes relaxed. His face was just as serious only now in a different way as he covered her breast with his hand and squeezed gently. She moaned with pleasure and arched into his palm.
Wes found the bottom of her shirt and hauled it up, exposing her bra. With a flick of his fingers the front clasp gave way and now it was Wes’s turn to groan. He shifted back to take a nipple into his mouth.
Distracted, he made it easy for Lauren to wiggle one hand free. It was less easy to keep her own mind focused since her body was humming like a harp, but somehow she managed it. She teased her fingers down his shoulder and ruffled the soft hair at the nape of his neck.
Wes shifted to the next nipple, releasing her other wrist in order to support himself while he massaged her with his newly freed hand. Lauren’s eyes narrowed, and with a feline smile, she combed through his hair, lulling him into a comfort he shouldn’t take for granted.
Without warning she yanked his head back and cut him across the throat with the sharp edge of her locked hand. Wes rolled to his side and coughed, trying to draw air. He was staring at her in disbelief as she leaped to her feet and took a defensive stance.
“What the hell was that for?”
“You challenged me to get free, I found a way.”
His eyes locked on her jiggling breasts and he grinned. “Works for me. Nice breasts, by the way.”
“Are you serious?”
“Well, I like them.”
“But aren’t you mad?”
“No. You used what you needed to. I respect that. Fight dirty when you have to. You distracted me, it worked. No fault in that.”
“You’re amazing.”
He gave her a cocky smile. “Word gets around.”
She snorted, not even remotely prepared when his leg kicked out and swept her feet right out from under her. Lauren crashed to the mat and they were right back where they’d started only now he was kissing her for real and her hands were free to roam where they willed.