Temperatures Rising

by Brenda Jackson

  He had taken off his shirt, but before he removed his jeans, he took out his wallet and retrieved the condom packs and tossed them on the bed. He pulled the others out of his back pocket.

  She gave a little laugh. “So many?”

  He undid his zipper. “Those are just a few. I have more in my car if we need them.”

  Her smile was replaced by supreme wonder. “You’re kidding, right?”

  He held her gaze. “No, I wouldn’t kid you about something like that. Evidently you don’t know how much I want you.”

  When he pushed his jeans down past his thighs, he saw her take in the size of him through his briefs. She inhaled deeply before saying, “If I didn’t before, I do now.”

  He smiled and when he kicked his jeans aside he knew he had to get inside her body fast. There was pleasure and then there was pleasure, and he had a feeling they would be experiencing it to the highest degree tonight.

  He could barely remove his last stitch of clothing knowing her eyes were directly on him. Once he did and looked up, he saw that her eyes were glued to his aroused member, both amazement and uncertainty etched in her features.

  After sheathing himself in a condom, he decided not to waste any more time. He strolled over to the bed and, lifting a knee onto it, reached out his hand. “Come here.”

  Unhesitatingly, she came to him, placing her hand in his and going willingly when he pulled her into his arms. She responded to him when he leaned in and closed his mouth over hers.

  He slowly broke off the kiss and pulled back slightly. Meeting her gaze, he asked in a gruff voice, “Ready to play?”

  The desire in her eyes deepened when she said, “Yes, I’m ready.”

  Satisfied with her response, he traced her heated flesh from the pulse point in her neck to her breasts. When he touched the hardened tips, she sucked in a deep breath. He watched the play of emotions on her face and knew her breasts were a hot spot for her, one he would enjoy using to push her over the edge.

  Now was as good a time as any.

  Lowering his head, his tongue replaced his fingers and he greedily began devouring her nipples. They seemed ready for his mouth. Her moans were sensuous music to his ears. As his mouth had its way with her breasts, his hands joined in and cupped them, tenderly kneading the firm mounds.

  And then his mouth moved lower and he felt her shudder, which only heightened his need, flamed his desire. When he got to her stomach, his tongue blazed a wet trail around her belly button before finally moving lower.

  His hands closed over her thighs, held them immobile as he lowered his head to the apex where her feminine mound awaited. With a guttural moan, he dived in with a possessiveness that nearly drove him over the edge of sanity. He felt her response when he began tasting her with his tongue and now understood why he had wanted her so much. The primitive part of him was absorbed in her sensual scent, her delectable taste, in every single thing about her.

  The lower part of his body began throbbing with the need to be joined with hers, and moments later he gave in to the need. He lifted his head, met her gaze and smiled before slowly easing his body upward over hers, sweeping her into his arms.

  He needed to hold her, kiss her, share with her sensations that were affecting him through to his bones. And when he released her mouth he knew he had to love her in the most primitive way known to man.

  For him it was no longer an option. It was a necessity.

  His eyes held tightly to hers when he eased between her thighs and lifted her hips high in his hands. With the head of his hard and heated erection poised at the entry of her feminine mound, he nearly trembled in greed. His gaze remained focused on her, studying her eyes, scrutinizing her face. He wanted to see her reaction, needed to hear her response, at the exact moment his body entered hers. Why such a thing was so important to him, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that it was.

  It was then that he decided to seize the moment, capitalize on the sensuous chemistry and sexual awareness surrounding them. His pulse was beating rapidly at the base of his throat, and his erection was throbbing hard in need. Slowly and with uninhibited deliberation, he pushed deep inside her, all the way to the hilt. Surprise then pleasure lit her features when her body accepted the full length and thickness of him. He heard her gasp, followed by a soft moan. Then he pulled out, just to thrust back into her again, watching her eyes dilate each time.

  He held still for a second or else he would have exploded inside her, then and there. He needed to savor the moment, especially since this was the last time for both of them. He had to remember this was a one-night stand, but at that very moment, while on the brink of a sexual abyss, he didn’t see how that could be. How in the world, after this, he could not come back for more. And more.

  Something within him uncoiled and propelled him to move. Maybe it was those sexy sounds she was making, or the scent of their joining that was floating around them, over them, cloaking them in the potent aroma of a man and woman mating.

  “Terrence!”

  He held on to her, dragging in a deep breath when her feminine muscles clamped him tightly, squeezing and demanding the hot rush of his release. He gripped her hips and with one final thrust gave her what she wanted, what they both needed, and felt her come apart in his arms at the same moment he was ripped apart in hers. The same sensations that swept through him did likewise to her, rippling from head to toes.

  His lips parted as he cried out her name, and when he felt his entire body get swept away, seemingly to the stars and beyond, he wondered if he would ever drift back down to earth again.

  Sherri suddenly understood what it meant to be totally consumed in the art of making love. Terrence had taken her to a level of pleasure that she’d never traveled to before. The thought that this was what she should have been experiencing all those times she had been faking it hit a deep nerve. How was it possible for one man to so eloquently do what another one could not? How had Terrence given her the experience of a lifetime, her first big O, when Ben hadn’t even come close?

  She pulled in a deep breath, deciding not to think about it since it didn’t matter any longer. Terrence had given her pleasure beyond measure, and from the way she saw things, she had pleased him, as well, which lifted a great burden off her shoulders. Nothing was wrong with her. She could be both the recipient and giver of pleasure.

  Something else Terrence had shown her was the fact that she was capable of falling in love again, because as much as she didn’t want it to happen, as much as she didn’t need it to happen, she was afraid she could be falling in love with him. She inhaled deeply, thinking that he was the last person a sane woman would want to give her heart to.

  “Sherri?”

  She glanced up and met his gaze. He had slumped down beside her and was drawing in deep breaths of air. “Yes?”

  “We’re not through yet tonight. I gave you fair warning.”

  She nodded, remembering. He had. She felt his touch between her thighs and immediately her body responded. And then he was there, leaning up on his elbows, all in her face, about to get all in her mouth. And the only thing she could think of at that very moment was that she was ready, willing and able to go the next round with him. More than anything, she wanted to make love with him again. She would share her body with him, but she was determined to keep her heart under lock and key.

  The opening and closing of the bathroom door jerked Terrence awake, made him recall just where he was and in whose bed he had spent the night. He glanced out the window. It was morning.

  He stretched his body and then leaned up on his elbow to glance at the clock on Sherri’s nightstand. It was just a little past seven. When he heard the sound of the shower going, he slumped back down beneath the covers. He was tempted to go join her but doubted he could move his body. To claim he was sensuously exhausted was an understatement.

  Just how many times had they made love? How many orgasms had they shared? Hell, he wasn’t sure. At some point he had stopped c
ounting. Her need to mate had been just as fierce as his. Before last night he’d never had a reason to care about any woman’s past relationships, but in Sherri’s case he had a feeling her past lover hadn’t been taking care of business properly. Some of the positions they’d tried had been new to her, but she hadn’t hesitated to go for it, finding satisfaction and giving him his. He smiled when he remembered he had basically ridden her to sleep right after an orgasm had hit them both. He hadn’t been able to stop his body from thrusting into her until he had nothing else to give. It had been only then that he had slumped down beside her and pulled her into his arms, where they both succumbed to blissful slumber.

  He threw his hand over his eyes when something occurred to him. He had known making love to her would be powerful, but what he hadn’t expected was for her to blow his mind in such a way that the very thought that this would never happen again between them was totally, absolutely unacceptable.

  He inwardly groaned. When had the thought of leaving a woman’s bed without looking back ever bothered him? Most of the time when the sex act was over, he was the first one gone. But not this time. He wondered how he could convince her that last night should be the beginning for them and not the end. And he knew why. The woman had gotten under his skin, and one night of lovemaking wouldn’t be able to get her out.

  He actually liked her. He liked her smile, which she was giving him more of these last couple of days, and he liked the way she looked at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He liked the way she made those little sounds right before she came and the way her body responded so quickly whenever he touched her.

  Amazingly he was beginning to understand her, something he’d never taken the time to do with other women. He doubted she realized it, but when they had been holding their in-depth conversations, he had listened carefully and had heard everything she’d said and had picked up on a number of things she hadn’t said. He couldn’t help but admire a woman who knew what she wanted and worked hard to achieve it. She wanted to one day manage WLCK, and he could respect that and had no doubt she would achieve that goal.

  But what he needed to show her was that she could have the best of both worlds. A career and a man. From the information he’d been able to weasel out of Warrick, her fiancé had broken their engagement, claiming she had made her desire for a career more important than her desire for him. Meanwhile he’d sought the attention of another woman. Jeez. What kind of ass reason was that to cheat? Even he was smart enough to know it was the quality and not the quantity of time that mattered in a relationship. His father had proven that when he had juggled being a single father and an attorney. Evidently no one had explained it to Sherri’s boyfriend.

  He glanced at her nightstand and saw all the empty condom packs there. They sure had gone through plenty, but there was more where those came from. The last thing he wanted was to get any woman pregnant. He closed his eyes, and in the outer reaches of his mind he saw Sherri. She was standing at the window in his club, and she smiled at him. When he glanced down the full length of her body, he saw she was pregnant, with his child. His hand went out to touch her stomach, to feel the movement of his—

  He forced his eyes back open. How could he possibly imagine something like that? Why would he imagine something like that? He’d sworn never to be a husband or a father, so why had such thoughts entered his mind?

  When the answers came, they hit him as one sharp kick in his gut. For the first time in his life, he had fallen for a woman. That was why he had been pursuing her like an obsessed moron this past month. But for some reason he wasn’t thrown into an extreme panic attack as he should have been.

  Nor was he in a state of denial.

  He turned over in bed and smothered his head in the pillow, immediately picking up her scent. And then his mind became filled with memories of last night, and he couldn’t think of a better way to start off the day. With that thought deeply entrenched in his mind, he got out of the bed.

  The warm water flowing down on her made Sherri realize just how sensitive certain areas of her body were. When she glanced down and saw all the marks of passion practically everywhere, she couldn’t help but recall the intensity of her and Terrence’s lovemaking.

  The man had given her what no other man had—her first sampling of sexual fulfillment. And it had been good. Over-the-top. For the past month he had made it blatantly clear that he wanted her. And last night, when he’d finally gotten her, he had delivered big-time. He had been capable of stroking desires she hadn’t known she had. She hadn’t just managed a single orgasm; on more than one occasion, he had driven her to multiples.

  The man was a sexual sensation on legs. Where did he get his energy? His staying power? His ability to make her scream to the point where her throat felt sore? And he was still there in her bed. At least that was where she had left him. She was surprised he was still there when she had awakened. From what she’d heard, he was good at making quick escapes the morning after.

  If he had decided to sneak out while she was in the shower, she would hope that he remembered their agreement—not that she thought he would forget. Men like Terrence wouldn’t forget. Last night might have held a lot of revelations and satisfaction for her, but it meant nothing to him other than finally scoring. He would move on. It was expected.

  In a way she was glad he had that attitude since that made it easier for her to scoff at the idea, the mere possibility, that she was falling in love with him. She didn’t want to become involved with a man no matter how good he was in bed. She reminded herself that the only thing she had time to concentrate on was achieving her goals.

  She had made love enough times with Terrence last night to last a lifetime. Somewhere out there was a man who would love and cherish her, but she didn’t want him to find her any time soon. Working on a relationship took up too much time, time she didn’t have to spare. Although she still resented the way and the reason Ben had left, his leaving had in truth been a blessing. He would never have agreed to quit his job with that prestigious law firm in Cleveland to move to the Keys. He would have flatly refused, and she would have given up the chance to pursue the dream of a lifetime.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  She jerked around so fast she almost slipped and would have done so if a naked Terrence hadn’t reached out to steady her. “W-what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I spent the night here, remember?” he said, smiling as he reached out to grab the soap out of the dish behind her.

  She stood there, speechless, and watched as he rubbed the soap—her soap—over his chest and stomach before moving down his thighs and legs, working up a lathery foam. She tried to downplay the sensations settling between her legs as she stood there staring.

  “You do remember that I spent the night,” he said, in an attempt to get her attention again.

  She dragged her gaze back to his face. “Yes, but I assumed you would be gone when I got out of the shower.”

  “What would make you think such a thing?” he asked as he continued to scrub soap all over his body. “And do you mind stepping aside for a moment? You’re blocking the flow of water.”

  And getting drenched in the process, she thought, glaring at him as she did as he requested and moved aside. It was a good thing her shower stall was big enough for two. “The reason I thought such a thing,” she said, trying to ignore the way the water was washing away the soap foam from his body, “is because it’s my understanding—through the rumor mill—that that’s how you operate.”

  Using his hand, he wiped water off his face and smiled over at her. “You’ve been checking up on my techniques? That’s cute. You really didn’t have to waste your time doing that. If there was something you needed to know, all you had to do was ask.”

  She narrowed her gaze at him. “I wasn’t interested. It was merely watercooler gossip that I overheard.”

  He lifted a brow. “That’s strange since until last night I hadn’t slept with anyone at the sta
tion for them to know what I do or don’t do.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Apparently they were wrong.”

  “Technically they were right. I usually don’t hang around.”

  Sherri frowned in confusion. “In that case, why are you here?”

  He smiled, and before she could blink he had backed her up against the wall and simultaneously lifted her legs around his waist. “For this.”

  And then he was kissing her, stoking the same fires within her that he had flaming out of control last night. Her nipples ached and the apex of her thighs throbbed, but she forgot everything the moment his tongue entered her mouth. Then she was helpless to do anything but kiss him back…not that she had any qualms about doing so.

  It didn’t take long for her entire body to respond. When he spread her legs apart and drove into her, she literally screamed out loud from the pleasure he evoked. Pleasure that overwhelmed her senses and racked her mind. She looked up into his eyes and understood at that moment that he was teetering as close to the edge as she was. And then she remembered one vital thing. He wasn’t wearing a condom. What had he said last night? Accidents can happen when things aren’t planned or expected.

  She was on the pill, so she wasn’t worried. Still, she would definitely remind him of that statement. Later. Not now. The only thing she wanted to think about now was the way he was making her feel. Like a woman being smothered in bliss and making up for lost time.

  Her heels dug into his back with each one of his powerful thrusts into her body. Moments later, when passion overtook them, she felt herself shattering in a million pieces. He broke off the kiss and let out a deep, hard groan the same time she screamed his name. Together they were propelled to a higher plane and reached the pinnacle of sexual gratification.