My hands eagerly roamed from his stomach, to his chest, then over his shoulders and down his arms. He was a little bigger, more muscular, than when we were younger, but was still, oh so familiar.
Years of not being touched in this way by another person had me writhing against him; the need to come was great, but the need to be with Jericho again, to be filled by him, was a visceral one.
He laid me back on my plain, brown sofa and covered my body with his. I opened for him, throwing one leg over the back of the couch, and the other I wrapped around his waist. We were consumed, obsessed, mindless to anything but the search for pleasure. For the connection that was always so damn good between us.
I was kissing his jaw, licking his earlobe, sucking on his throat, touching and tasting everything I could reach. It was like a madness had taken over and I’d given myself over to it.
I felt Jericho’s knuckles brush against the front of my panties and I arched toward him, a whimper escaping my lips at the glory of that feeling. He moved his fingers down to push the delicate fabric to the side, then he was there. The tip of his cock teased my entrance and I moved my hands around to cup his still jean-clad ass and urge him forward.
“Please,” I begged, too caught up in the moment to care how needy I sounded.
Jericho concurred, pushing inside until he was fully seated, then pausing with his eyes closed to enjoy the moment.
“Natasha,” he breathed, and I knew he could feel how tight I was, how it took me a moment to become acquainted to his cock inside of me after all these years.
It felt amazing. He felt amazing. And I really, really, needed him to move.
I bucked up against him, which broke him out of his reverie and spurred him into action. I held on tight as he pulled out and thrust back in, over and over, faster and faster, until I was coming undone beneath him.
He wasn’t far behind, coming with my name on his lips and rocking against me until we were both panting and exhausted.
All too soon, reality crept in, and what we’d just done hit me like a ton of bricks. Without realizing it, my body stiffened in Jericho’s arms as panic threatened to suffocate me. I pushed him up and slid out from under him, falling to the floor in a tangle of graceless limbs, then shot up and ran to the bathroom.
“Shit,” I whispered as I took in my flushed skin and messed-up hair. I was still in my bra and underwear. We hadn’t even gotten naked in our rush to fuck.
I winced even as I thought it, because deep down, I knew that word could never be used to describe what Jericho and I did. We’d always been passionate. Since that first night together, we’d ignited something between us that I’d never imagined was possible.
I didn’t know if it was a common occurrence, since I’d never been with anyone else, and I wondered if Jericho could tell.
Oh, how embarrassing it would be if he could. If he knew that I’d been pining over him all of these years, still in love with the man I’d left without a word. I knew I needed to come clean, really explain everything, not just gloss things over like I had at Prime Beef.
I’d been truthful about why I’d left, but not about everything since . . . not about how much I still love him, even though the thought of admitting it and being with him again terrified me.
Still, it was obvious that we couldn’t go on the way we had been, so we needed to talk.
Really talk.
Resolved, I took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to lay my heart out and see what happened.
But when I walked out into the living room and looked around, I realized it was too late.
He was gone.
Jericho ~ Past
NATASHA HAD GIVEN HERSELF TO me, and although I knew I was unworthy, I’d never cherished anything more.
We were lying in bed, and although we’d spent many nights in my bed before, everything had changed. She was mine now, and I was hers, and I vowed to myself that the ugliness of my past would never touch her. We would not repeat history. Instead, I’d give her a great life, an amazing life, and she’d never doubt how important she was to me.
“What does our future look like?” I asked, content to hold her in my arms as I played with a long, loose curl.
“Mmmmm,” Natasha murmured, shifting against me.
I wanted her again. Just that one, small movement had me hardening, but it was too soon, so I moved slightly, not wanting her to notice my erection and think that meant I wanted anything more from her now.
I did, God knows I do, but I knew she must be tender, and was content to live in this afterglow for as long as she needed.
“A pretty house,” she began, her voice low and sexy as all hell. “Nothing too big or fancy, maybe a ranch style. I’d like a bit of land, so we can go for long walks at night, and plenty of space for our family to grow.”
“Family?” I asked, liking the sound of that, especially in a place like Natasha described. As far away from the streets of Philly as you could get.
“Yes, of course, but that will come later,” she said, and I could feel the curve of her lips against my chest. “First, we’ll have pets.”
“A cat, named Isaac Newton,” I suggested with a chuckle.
“And a dog.”
“What’s the dog’s name?” I asked.
“I don’t know, I haven’t met her yet.”
“You have to meet the dog before you can name it?”
“Of course,” Natasha said seriously. “It would be horrible if I named her Muffin, and then met her and realized she was obviously a Fiona.”
“O-kay . . . What about the interior?”
“Big windows, so we can look out over our land, and a nice, state-of-the-art kitchen, that we can cook in together.”
“What else?” I asked, enjoying the dream.
“Well, I don’t collect anything like Millie, or obsess over flowers and stuff like Dru, but I’ve always liked the look of country-style homes. You know, lots of rich woods, rustic decorations, that kind of thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I could live with that,” I said, thinking it was lightyears away from my mother’s style of junkyard chic. I chuckled dryly at the thought. My mother had never given a shit about decorating, cleaning, or hell, cooking a meal. All she’d ever worried about was her next fix.
“Hey.”
I shook myself out of my thoughts and looked at Tasha, who was propped up on one elbow, looking at me with a worried expression.
“Where’d you go?” she asked. “Were you thinking about your mom?”
God, this girl. She gets me like no one ever has.
“Yeah, sorry, don’t you worry, that part of my life will never touch you,” I promised.
“You know, I’d go with you, if you wanted to go see her . . . your mom.”
“You’re amazing for even suggesting it,” I said, pushing her hair back off of her face and cradling it in my hand. “But I have no desire to see that woman. She didn’t care about me enough to be there for me when I was growing up, and the only reason she’s tried contacting me is because she heard about the money my grandfather left me. I don’t want her anywhere near me, and I seriously never want you to lay eyes on her. She’s in my past . . . you’re my present and my future.”
Natasha nodded and, sensing that I needed to move on from talking about my mother, said, “Well, I can’t wait for you to meet mine. No doubt she’ll take you in as her own and love you just as much. And, Millie and Dru, you’re going to love them.”
“I’m sure I will. From as much as you’ve talked about them, I feel like I already know them.”
It was true, her family sounded great. Well, except for her father, who seemed about as useless as my parents. Still, we’d been so happy in our little bubble together, it was hard to imagine what our lives would be like with other people involved.
“Do you want to live there, near your family?” I asked. So far, Natasha had never mentioned wanting to go back, but the dream
home she described sounded like it would fit in perfectly in her hometown.
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “It doesn’t really matter to me where we go, as long as you’re there, but when you’ve talked about your restaurant, I’ve always gotten the feeling that you were picturing it in a big city.”
“We could always live outside of the city on some land, and get the best of both worlds,” I suggested. “I agree with what you said, though, as long as we’re together, I don’t care where we live. I can compromise, all I care about is your happiness.”
I took her in for a moment, the tousled hair, full lips, and rosy glow, and had the sudden urge to see her fall apart for me once more.
Shifting, I moved her onto her back and covered her body with mine. Nuzzling her nose, I kissed her lips gently and said, “It’s too soon to have you again the way I want, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make you come.”
I felt the change in her breathing, saw the heaviness of her eyelids, then the sexy curve of her lips.
“What did you have in mind?” Natasha asked throatily, laying back against my bed and offering herself up to me.
I kissed my way over her breast and down her stomach.
“How about I show, not tell,” I offered, nipping her belly lightly.
“Show me,” she breathed, as I settled between her legs and complied.
Natasha ~ Present
“JUST TEXT ME THE DIRECTIONS,” I said, then hung up on my soon-to-be brother-in-law, not ready to answer the twenty questions that came from me asking for Jericho Smythe’s address.
As soon as I realized he was gone, I quickly got dressed and headed out to find him.
My first guess had been Prime Beef, but after I ran around back and saw that his car was gone, I figured it was best to drive out to his house and see if he was there, rather than go back into the party filled with everyone I knew in the world, and suffer through all of their questions.
I heard my phone ping and picked it up to look at the directions Jackson had sent. It was a small town, so I knew exactly where the street he’d sent me was located. I made a U-turn and pointed my car in that direction, nerves igniting in my stomach as I realized that I’d be there in less than ten minutes.
Once I found the house number on the mailbox, I turned left onto a dirt road and followed it back, gasping when I broke through the trees to see the house seated about a half mile off the road.
It was cute, quaint even, a one-story ranch-style home with a wraparound porch and a white picket fence surrounding it. The kind of fence that would hold a dog in the yard when necessary, or keep your children from running wild on the land. And, what beautiful land it was. There were large trees crawling across the acreage, as well as a few fruit trees, blooming with blossoms, and rose bushes on one side of the house.
It was like a dream come true. Our dream come true.
I parked next to Jericho, so I knew he was home, then got out, my head swinging back and forth to take it all in as I walked up to the front gate, opened it, and let myself inside. My breath caught as I walked up the steps of the porch to knock on the front door, and waited.
After a few short, agonizing moments, the door swung open to reveal a shocked Jericho standing before me. He’d already changed out of his work clothes and into some basketball shorts and a T-shirt that said, come to the math side, we have pie, except it was the pie symbol, not the word.
“Natasha,” Jericho said, then gestured with his hand and added, “Please, come in.”
I tried to give him an apologetic smile as I walked past him and into his house. Rather than pausing just inside the door, I took in my surroundings and walked farther into the house. When I stepped down into the living room, I gasped as I took in the open area, which looked up into the kitchen, both of which were decorated with rich woods, and had a down-home, country feel. I could see the gleaming, state-of-the-art appliances from where I stood, and turned to look at Jericho, my mouth open with shock.
“What did you do?” I whispered.
“Natasha, I’m so sorry,” he began, taking a step toward me then stopping abruptly, as if he wanted to reach for me, but was afraid to. “I’m sorry for leaving like that, for not staying and facing you like a man, but I was so ashamed.”
“Wait . . . what?” I asked, because while I was talking about the fact that he lived in the home we’d dreamt up together, he was obviously talking about something else. “Face me about what?”
“I saw the look on your face . . . after. And, God, Tash, if I took advantage, or forced you to do something you didn’t want to do . . .”
Oh, no, no wonder he’d left.
“No, Jericho, I promise, that wasn’t the problem at all. I was there with you, one hundred percent.”
Jericho ran a hand over his hair, his eyes searching my face.
“You were?”
“Couldn’t you tell?” I asked shyly, taking a step closer to him, until I was less than an inch away from touching him. I looked up and said, “I’m sorry I freaked. I was shocked at my behavior, then embarrassed that I’d attacked you like that, that it was obvious it had been a long time . . . and, finally, I was worried that we’d ruin the friendship that we’d just started to rebuild.”
Jericho’s hand came up slowly, tentatively, before he placed it against my cheek, his thumb caressing me sweetly.
“How long?” he asked gently.
Of course, that would be the part he’d focus on.
I took a deep breath, and knew I had to be honest. “Since the last time . . . with you.”
Jericho closed his eyes, then opened them and smiled wider than I’d ever seen.
“For me, too,” he said, and I was sure I heard him incorrectly.
“You can’t mean . . .”
He nodded and lowered his face to mine, his lips barely brushing mine before he pulled back.
“There’s been no one else,” Jericho admitted. “I told you, you’re it for me.”
This time I closed my eyes and leaned forward. He kissed my forehead and waited for me to gather my thoughts.
Once I had, I leaned back and brought my hand up to grasp his wrist at my neck.
“This house?”
“I bought it for you . . . for us,” he replied.
I didn’t know what to do with all of the thoughts and emotions swirling within me. I was afraid to give myself over to him completely, but after what had happened at my place, and what we’d just admitted to each other, I didn’t think I had a choice.
Plus, he’d made our dream house a reality, even when he had no idea whether we’d grow old in it together, or he’d live there all alone.
I owe it to both of us to give it a shot.
Before I could say that, I felt something brush against my leg and looked down to see a black cat walking between us.
I looked up at Jericho with a grin and asked, “Isaac Newton?”
Jericho ~ Present
I COULDN’T BELIEVE SHE WAS there, that she’d come after me. I tried to keep my cool, not make assumptions, because God knew I’d been burned by Natasha in the past, but it was useless. Having her here, in the home we’d imagined, in my arms, smiling up at me, filled me with all the hope in the world.
Call me foolish, but it couldn’t be helped . . . I was a fool for Natasha. I always had been.
“Yup, that’s Newt,” I replied, my chest tight at the way she was looking at me. Her face filled with wonder.
“I can’t believe you did all this,” Natasha gushed, looking around my home once more. “I thought you’d move on, that you’d forget.”
I shook my head, hoping she’d hear my words and take them to heart, once and for all.
“Natasha, you’re it for me. I knew it when you walked into accounting class and bumped into me, I knew it when I realized you’d left, and I know, that’s how it will always be. No matter what you do, where you go, or how you choose to live out the rest of your life, for me, there is no one else. I’
m not looking for anyone else, and I don’t want anyone else.”
Her eyes were wide on me, so I asked, “Does that scare you?”
“Terrifies,” she admitted, but she wasn’t running. She was still in my arms, so, that was progress.
“I can wait until you get used to the idea,” I promised. “If you think you’re willing to give us another shot, whether tomorrow, or a year for now, I’ll wait. I’ll give you time. Space. Whatever you need. You’ve got it.”
“Thank you,” Natasha whispered, and I had to know.
“Does that mean you are willing to give us another shot?” I asked gently, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.
Natasha nodded slowly, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“But . . .” she began.
I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips, kissing her palm softly.
“What do you say I pour us a drink and we sit out on the back patio and talk. Tell me what you’re worried about. Let’s get it all out there and start fresh.”
“That sounds perfect,” she replied.
“Make yourself at home, look around, and I’ll get those drinks.”
I pulled a bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio out of the wine fridge. Yes, I kept it stocked, because I’d always held out hope that this day would come, then grabbed the bottle of Maker’s Mark from the cupboard, and set about preparing our drinks.
“I still can’t believe all this,” Natasha said as she joined me in the kitchen.
“Do you like it?” I asked, practically holding my breath while I waited for her answer.
“It’s perfect,” she replied with a smile.
I knew it was too soon to let her know that if she wanted to make any changes to the house, the land, or . . . anything, all she had to do was say so, and it was done.
So, rather than freak her out I said, “We’ll go out those doors there, there’s patio furniture on the back porch.”
She opened the sliding glass door and stepped out. As I walked out behind her, I heard her intake of breath, then she said, “This is amazing.”
I looked at the comfortable patio furniture, with oversized cushions and plenty of sitting room, with a fire pit in the middle, and tables strewn around. In the daylight, there was a beautiful view of the pond and the trees, but for now, Tasha was just looking at the porch.
A Touch of Cinnamon Page 6