by Karen Kelley
When she cleared her throat, he turned. His expression spoke volumes. Without taking his gaze off her, he closed the blinds, then sauntered toward her. He didn’t seem to be in any hurry. His gaze drifted lazily over her bare skin, touching her breasts, grazing her hips, caressing the curls at the juncture between her legs. She drew air into her lungs as her body tensed with anticipation.
He stopped in front of her. “Did you need something?” He reached out, gliding his hand over one breast, tweaking her already sensitive nipple. She arched toward him. Yes, this was what she’d been craving. Not a stranger’s touch. No, she needed Josh to bring her body to life.
“I need you,” she whispered hoarsely, but he moved his hand away. She couldn’t stand it if he rejected her now.
But he didn’t disappoint her as he lowered his mouth to hers with a growl. His lips were firm, his tongue searching, stroking. She was just as bold as she tasted him, her hands tangling in his hair, tugging him closer. Warmth spread over her.
She stroked his body, hands testing the muscles of his back. Hard and firm.
When his hands cupped her butt, squeezing and releasing, a rush of heat swept over her. She didn’t really give a damn about anything except what he was doing to her body. She bit back her moan as his arousal and the rough texture of the terrycloth towel rubbed against her sex.
When he ended the kiss, they were both breathing hard, her head resting on his chest. She listened to the frantic beat of his heart, his wiry chest hairs tickling her cheek, his breath on her bare skin.
“If we don’t slow down,” he said, “this will go on record as the shortest sexual experience in the world and I damn well want to savor the moment.” His hand lightly caressed her back. “Twice wasn’t enough. My body has ached for you every damned night. I want you lying beside me naked so I can touch you, so that I can have you anytime I want.”
“You think I haven’t imagined you the same way?” She closed her eyes. Even while she knew it was so damn wrong, she couldn’t deny how much she wanted him. “Why the hell couldn’t you leave things the way they were? You know there will be complications. I don’t need more problems in my life, and I damn sure don’t want to care about you.”
“I won’t hurt you, but we both know we have to find out what there is between us.”
Everything suddenly seemed to be happening too fast. She moved from his arms and took a step back. Her gaze roamed over him: broad shoulders, firm chest, a six-pack stomach.
He was right. Why had she been denying herself the pleasure of his body? Even as she wondered, the answer came to her. With each one of her sexual encounters, she’d been the one choosing who to go to bed with. Someone she could walk away from without any regrets. She had made the choice. There had been no connection, just sexual release. Not even real gratification.
Sex with strangers was like going to a salad bar, but she knew without a doubt Josh was dessert. He was the chocolate cake, the banana split—all the luscious treats. She hadn’t been able to walk away from Josh and that scared the hell out of her.
Trembles of anticipation swept over her. There would be no more denial. She raised her chin. “When I get my fill of you, I’ll walk away,” she warned.
“Deal.”
She wouldn’t let him get under her skin. She’d keep the vulnerable part of herself locked away. She wouldn’t let herself care about him. It would be only sex, but dear God, she knew it would be the best damn sex she’d ever had.
“No recriminations?” she asked, just to make sure he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.
“None.”
She moved closer, taking the lead, and raised her face, lightly trailing her tongue across his lips, enjoying the taste of him while he stood there, letting her explore. She moved back, wondering if he would grab her, maybe throw her on the bed before jumping on top of her.
He didn’t.
The man had great control. She’d really expected him to pounce on her. Good. She didn’t particularly want to stop exploring his body.
She ran her hands over his hard nipples, then flicked one with her fingernail. He squeezed her shoulders, telling her just how much it cost him to hold back, but she couldn’t cease the game she played even if she’d wanted to.
She glided her hand over his chest. “Your skin is firm, hot. Magnificent,” she breathed, scraping her fingers lightly through the sprinkling of hair.
Her fingers grazed an old scar she hadn’t noticed before. She looked up. “Bullet?”
He nodded.
There was another scar a little lower, but this one was different. “Knife?” She skimmed her fingers across the raised skin.
“Appendix.” His grin was a little tight. “Are you through checking out my body?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t even gotten started. I didn’t take as much time as I wanted when we were last together. I don’t want to miss a thing this time.”
“We can compare battle wounds another time. I want to feel myself buried deep inside you—thrusting into your hot moist heat. I want to take those delectable nipples and suck them into my mouth one at a time.”
He painted a vivid picture. If she closed her eyes, it was almost as if he was already there. She wanted the same thing, but it was still too soon. “In a hurry?” She suddenly smiled, some of her tension eased. It was nice to know a man wanted her this much. No, not just any man. That Josh did.
“What do you think? Do you realize the torture you put me through since the last time we made love? You’ve avoided me ever since the night I spent at your apartment.”
She looked up. Torture? She knew exactly what he was talking about, but it would all end tonight, and for a little while, he would be hers.
“Have pity,” he begged.
His eyes were glazed with passion. A surge of power swept over her. So much control and it was all right here at her fingertips. She had no doubt that right at this moment he would do anything she wanted. A heady feeling swept over her.
With that kind of control, she couldn’t resist. “Do you like when I touch you?” She pressed her hand to the front of his towel. He jerked toward her.
“You tell me?” He cupped her breasts, scraping his calloused thumbs over her tight and very sensitive nipples. Swirls of pleasure erupted inside her.
“What does my touching do to you?” he asked.
“It makes me want more.” She hooked her fingers in the towel and jerked. “Just as you knew it would.” She glanced down and took in her fill of him. “Nice and hard,” she breathed. She lightly brushed the tip of his engorged penis.
He sucked in a breath, his hands tightening on her breasts. She closed her eyes, letting the sensations wrap around her, enclosing her in a sensual cocoon. Josh, tugging on her nipples, massaging her breasts. Her, rubbing his dick, sliding her thumb over the smooth tip, stroking his length.
“I want more of you,” he breathed close to her ear. “I want to taste you on my lips.”
Tingles of fire rippled over her as visions formed in her mind. Lying on the bed, her legs opening wide. Josh looking at her most private parts right before his mouth covered her. A shudder of need made her tremble.
“Do you even realize what you’re doing to me?” she rasped out. She had a feeling he knew exactly what he did. Maybe even relished that he had this much domination over her.
Not that she cared. Not when the heat of his look warmed her all the way to her toes.
He moved one hand lower, stroking between her legs. She nudged closer.
“It feels good, doesn’t it? Like tiny earthquakes exploding all over you.” His words were husky, rich with his own restraint—his own need. “You’re silky and wet. Already hot on the inside, too, I’d bet,” his soft words continued.
She moaned, unable to hold it inside.
He brought his finger to his mouth and sucked. “Are you?” Before she could reply, he slipped his wet finger down the fleshy part of her skin before dipping inside.
She dug her fingers into his shoulders, gasping for air. “Yes, oh God, yes.” She wiggled herself against him. Almost. Almost there.
Slowly, he removed his finger. She cried out, but her frustration eased when he slid his finger across her clit. He moved it up and down, exploring all of her body as he made it his.
“Do you like that?”
“You know damn well I do.” She sucked in a deep breath.
His short laugh tickled her face. Josh liked to be in control. Well, she did, too. She cupped his butt, squeezing. She loved his butt. It was firm, smooth.
Her breasts brushed across the hairs on his chest. She only savored the tingles for a moment before she dropped to her knees in front of him.
For a moment, she could only stare. He was beautiful—and very hard. Her hand circled his penis, sliding the skin down, then back up. He grabbed her shoulders.
“I want to taste you,” she told him before looking up at him. “Can I lick you?” She ran her tongue over her lips. “Taste all of you?”
“Christ, woman, you’re killing me.”
She inwardly smiled. Enough torture for him—and her. She brought him toward her mouth, lightly kissing the tip of his penis. She swirled her tongue around the head before taking him inside her mouth, gently sucking, then drawing him in deeper.
“Ahhh…” He arched toward her, his hands on either side of her head, lightly massaging as he rhythmically moved his hips against her eager mouth.
Closing her eyes, she tasted and sucked, running her tongue over his smooth flesh. She snaked one hand between his legs and cupped his scrotum, letting the weight of his testicles rest in her hand before she began to squeeze and lightly tug on them.
So lost in giving him pleasure, she didn’t realize at first that he’d placed his hands beneath her arms and was pulling her up. Reluctantly, she freed him.
He cupped her butt, pulling her even closer, until the lips of her sex snugly fit against his penis. Her juices had already made her wet; when he rubbed against her, flames licked her body.
She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. Ah, God, it felt so damn good. The friction was almost unbearable, the tension inside building. But he stopped, moving back a step. She grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling at the same time she moved closer. “Don’t stop,” she cried, aching with frustration.
“I’m not even near to stopping, baby.” He moved her to the bed, laying her back.
His mouth covered one of her breasts, sucking, his teeth scraping across the hard nubs. She pulled his head closer. “More.” He didn’t disappoint as his hand cupped her other breast, massaging, playing with that nipple as well.
She reached for Josh, wanting to give him as much attention as he gave her, but he moved downward.
“Spread your legs.” His voice scraped across her senses. “I want nothing between me and you. I want to know every inch, I want to look at every inch, I want to taste every inch.”
His words sent fire racing through her as she opened for him. He spread her lips, seeing all of her, then his mouth covered her. He began sucking, gently pulling on the tender skin. She cried out as the world spun crazily around her.
He slipped his finger inside while his mouth continued to suck on her tender flesh. In and out. In and out. She clutched the bed sheets, tugging on them, her head thrashing back and forth.
“Now,” she cried, needing to feel him inside her.
He moved, reaching for his pants, grappling inside the pocket. He pulled out a condom and ripped the foil open with his teeth. Through her haze of desire, she watched the thin latex slide over his rock hard erection, not wanting to miss even this moment.
When he entered her, she raised her hips, meeting him halfway. His length glided inside her slickness. She tightened her inner muscles, contracting herself around him, then raised her hips and sucked him further inside. Opening her eyes, she watched him—saw the pleasure she gave. She raised her hips again, meeting his thrusts.
And she wanted more. She pushed on his shoulders. He rolled to his back and she quickly straddled him.
He slapped her butt. A burst of pleasure mixed with a little bit of pain rushed over her.
“If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was say so,” Josh said.
She lowered her body over him. “And you would have let me?”
He grunted with pleasure. “Probably not. I can’t hold back much longer, but I damn sure like the view from this angle.”
A smile curved her lips as she rotated her hips in a circular fashion while moving her hands over her breasts, tweaking the nipples. “I’m glad you like what you see.” She watched him as he watched her touching herself, kneading her breasts, tugging on her hard nipples.
She raised her hips, then lowered them, as she moved one hand to the vee of her legs, opening her lips and touching herself. She gritted her teeth as her arousal heightened to fever pitch.
“Damn, you’re so fucking sexy.” His breathing was ragged.
When she would have moved her hand away, he grabbed her. “No, don’t stop touching yourself. It’s a hell of a turn-on.”
She sucked in air when he began touching her body as well, tugging and pulling on the fleshy part of her sex.
He groaned, his hands moving to her hips, grasping them in a firm hold as he met her thrusts, faster and faster. The friction sent spirals of heat twisting and turning throughout her body. His face blurred. She squeezed her eyes shut as spasm after spasm crashed over her.
Oh, damn, it was so good. She gasped for air, struggling to draw it into her lungs. She gripped her thighs, hanging on tight, contracting her inner muscles.
His body jerked, then quivered as his orgasm clutched him. He held on to her as he rode out the wave.
All her energy drained, she collapsed on top of him.
Their ragged breathing intermingled. Slowly, she came back to earth, and when she did, a tear slipped from the corner of her eye and slid down her face. She’d known it would be good with Josh, but damn it, it wasn’t supposed to get better each time they had sex. She brushed the tear away before he noticed.
“You okay?”
He sounded a little odd. She wanted to ask if it was better this time for him, as it was for her, but it sounded more than a little clichéd.
“Yeah, I’m okay. You?” she asked.
“Fine…fine.”
She’d never had a fine before. Disappointment flooded through her before she could stop it. What had she expected? That he would say the earth had moved? That stars had fallen from the sky?
Rolling off him, she turned away. From the corner of her eye, she saw him start to get up, but seconds later he grabbed her up in his arms and nestled her close.
“No, it wasn’t fine. It was damn good,” he growled. “The newness hasn’t worn off. Sex with you gets better each time we do it.”
“Then why the hell are you pissed?” she angrily tossed back.
“Because it wasn’t supposed to be like…” He waved an arm, then in a calmer voice continued. “It wasn’t supposed to be this earth-shattering, and don’t tell me you didn’t feel it, too.”
She opened her mouth to deny his words, but nothing came out. Instead, she drew in a deep breath. “It was the best sex I’ve ever had. Even better than the last time,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t change anything between us.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“So maybe we’re both a little shocked by the intensity of the moment,” she hurried on. “It still doesn’t change anything. As soon as Adam Sinclair is captured, we’ll go our separate ways. No recriminations. We made a deal, remember?”
For a moment, she wondered if he was going to say anything. He finally nodded and she breathed a little easier. The last thing she wanted was to cry over someone else who’d walked out on her. This was just sex—when they were finished, there would be nothing more between them.
He slipped from her arms and stood, going to the bathroom without another
word. Loneliness filled her as she watched him leave.
Her gaze moved over his shoulders, his back, his butt, just before he walked out of her line of vision. A ripple of pleasure tripped down her spine. What did it matter? For the moment, he was hers, and lord, the sex had been fantastic.
There was a tightening in her lower region. She mentally shook her head. This wasn’t good, not at all. How could she want him again this soon? Had months of celibacy made her sexually starved and now she couldn’t get her fill?
She still hadn’t moved when he came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and began pulling on his jeans.
Just think about something else, she told herself. As if that was going to be so fucking easy when he was doing a reverse striptease, but having the same effect as if he were removing his clothes. With each inch of skin he covered, she wanted him all the more.
“First thing in the morning we’ll go with your plan of telling the truth.” Josh walked to the window, opened the blinds, and looked out.
“Are you serious?”
“I haven’t come up with a better plan. Yeah, I guess I am.”
“It’s not because we had sex, is it?”
He suddenly turned, looking at her as he grinned that half smile that made her toes curl. “If I agree with you on everything, can we have sex again?”
“No.” The man had an ego problem now more than ever. She shouldn’t have given in to the sins of her flesh.
“Then I guess I’ll have to charm my way into your bed.”
He strode over and took her into his arms, his mouth lowering to hers. She should’ve pushed him away. She should’ve told him exactly what she thought of his so-called charm. She should’ve—but she didn’t.
Chapter 15
Josh couldn’t get enough of her. What was this spell she’d cast over him?
He tangled his fingers through strands of her hair, marveling at how they felt against his skin. Silken cords curling around his fingers, binding him to her as she lay beside him.