Tempting Donovan Ford

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  “Okay.” Her word was an exhalation.

  “I’ll pick you up at your hotel in ten.” He had his keys in hand before he even hung up, and made it there in seven.

  She must have been waiting for him because she came through the large sliding glass doors as soon as he pulled up under the porte cochere. He was thrilled when she tossed an overnight bag into the backseat. He waited until he’d pulled the car out of the hotel’s roundabout driveway and onto the road before he mentioned it. “Can I ask what you’re bringing?”

  Maybe it was food? Or she’d brought her own bottle of champagne? Or any other number of things that some women seemed to cart along with them everywhere they went.

  His mother had a purse that was large enough to contain half a department store’s worth of items, and she’d been known to retrieve a pair of socks, chopsticks or a small sewing kit from its depths. If Julia was just looking to share a platonic drink, he should know before he made her uncomfortable by kissing her the second they got through the door.

  She was quiet. Donovan stayed silent, too.

  Finally, she exhaled. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

  “I disagree. It’s a great idea.” He felt it necessary to jump in before she talked herself out of this, because if she asked him to turn the car around, he would. “I just wondered.”

  “If I have to explain it to you, then it’s probably a terrible idea.”

  Donovan smiled. He had his answer. He stepped on the accelerator. “Forget I asked.”

  They pulled up to the cabin a mere three minutes later. The roads were empty and there were no streetlights between the village and the family property.

  The cabin was actually more like a full-service lodge, built to host the entire family, including future spouses and kids. But except for when Owen used it to throw a party for all his hangers-on, there were rarely more than two people up at a time.

  Donovan had left the main lights on when he bolted out the front door, more intent on getting to Julia than on energy saving. They glowed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. From inside, it felt like being in the middle of the forest at a rustic retreat. Albeit one with steam showers, a glass-front fridge and its own path to the ski hills.

  He pulled into the garage and hopped out of the car to help her out of her side. She allowed him to carry her bag, which he took as a good sign, and they stepped inside.

  He’d been prepared to drop the bag and turn her to face him, to look into those dark eyes and lean forward to take possession of her mouth. He hadn’t been prepared for her to do the same.

  But he wasn’t complaining. Wouldn’t have even if his lips hadn’t been occupied.

  Which they were. He wasn’t sure what to do first—pull her beautiful, luscious body against his or drag her up the stairs to his bedroom. Instead, he just stood there for a second, lips pressed to hers, filled with gratitude at his good fortune.

  She pulled away first and for a second he feared that she was going to change her mind, reiterate that maybe this wasn’t a good idea and she was having second thoughts. And though it might kill him, he’d drive her back to her hotel without complaint. And try to satisfy his needs with a long cold shower.

  “Donovan?” But the smile on her face, with the sexy little curve to her lips that made him want to lick the edges and see if they tasted as sweet as a strawberry, didn’t look as if she was having second thoughts at all.

  He hauled her against his body and kissed the side of her neck. “Yes?”

  “Where’s the bedroom?”

  He didn’t waste any time carrying her up the stairs. He ignored the art on the walls that she’d probably enjoy, the gourmet kitchen with its gleaming appliances and the bathroom with its jetted tub and eight showerhead walk-in. Though he was certainly amenable to having her give them a thorough once-over later. Perhaps he’d go in with her to show her how everything worked.

  Lust clouded his vision as he crossed into his room. Not the master because that was his parents’ room and the other rooms were more full suites, anyway, with their own king-size beds, designer chairs and lavish bathrooms. He could picture Julia under the spill of water in his shower, her body naked and rosy from being touched and teased.

  He barely got them both to the bed, wanting only to drop to his knees and worship her right then and there.

  He didn’t know where to start first. Kiss her again, run his fingers through her hair, slowly remove each article of clothing from her body? But when he lowered his body against hers and she snuggled against him, all heat and lush curves, the idea of moving away even just long enough to remove the material between them flew out the window.

  Julia ran her hands down his chest and then slipped her fingers beneath his shirt. Donovan pressed closer, kissing her neck, appreciating her sharp intake of breath and the way she leaned into him, the cushion of her breasts pushing against him.

  And then what was already turning out to be a pretty perfect way to end the evening got a little more perfect.

  She stepped back and shrugged out of her soft sweater, grabbed the hem of her black T-shirt and pulled it over her head, exposing her breasts in their pretty black bra. Her skin looked smooth and creamy against the dark material and his mouth watered.

  He wanted her. All of her. Now. But he clenched his hands and forced himself to watch, to appreciate the show as she placed one hand on the waistband of her jeans and flicked open the button.

  Oh, hell. He hoped she was wearing matching black panties. A little covering of lace and silk that teased and tormented more than it protected. He held his breath as her hand moved lower, only the sound of the zipper breaking the silence. And then she slid her jeans over her hips and Donovan exhaled.

  A teeny, tiny scrap of black that pointed him in the direction he wanted to go. And he realized he’d had enough of watching and it was time to participate.

  He shucked off his clothes in a hurry, hungry to touch as well as look, and tossed them toward the chair in the corner of the room. He wasn’t sure if any of the garments actually made it to the chair. Didn’t care, either.

  Julia’s skin felt cool to the touch, like slipping into a snowmelt lake at the height of summer. Refreshing and invigorating. Donovan wanted to dive in and stay there forever. Or as long as she’d let him.

  He put his hands on her hips, turning them so that her back was to the bed. Then slowly, he walked her toward it. Kissing her, tasting her and wishing he’d thought to bring the bottle of champagne with them. He hadn’t given up on the fantasy of dribbling it on her, letting the liquid catch and pool in her secret depths and then slowly lapping every drop of it up.

  Maybe later. Along with that shower-and-bath fantasy.

  Her arm reached up to stroke his, her hand curling around his biceps when his tongue tangled with hers, and then curving around the back of his neck to tug him down to her. Closer to her. Wherever she wanted to take him, Donovan was willing to go.

  He reached down and flipped back the down comforter. It was high-quality, as was everything in the house. But Donovan didn’t care about any of that. All he cared about was Julia spread out on the bed, her pale body lit up against the silvery-gray sheets.

  He lowered himself to her. Their lips remained fused. Long, hot kisses, his hands tightening over her hips, feeling the difference of the scratch of lace and the softness of her skin.

  Julia stretched up to meet him, looping both arms around his neck and opening her legs to cradle his body. He wasted no time in showing her his appreciation. He felt her smile when he pressed his hard ridge against her.

  Donovan wasn’t the kind of man who went straight for sex. He enjoyed the foreplay just as much, bringing his partner to orgasm with his fingers and tongue, watching the glaze fall over her eyes, the flush that rose up her chest, turning her nipples a dark, rosy shade as they tightened and budded. He drew pleasure from hearing a woman’s soft cry of release, feeling her thighs clamp around his head as her legs began to sh
ake.

  But he didn’t think he could wait with Julia. She was too much. Too soft, too lush, too sexy. He was like a horny teenager looking through a girlie magazine for the first time, ready to pop off at the slightest touch. And he was ready to pop. More than ready, if the strain of his underwear was any indication.

  Hell, she wasn’t even naked yet.

  Donovan raised his head just enough to break their lip-lock and ran a hand along her side. Her knee curled up, curving around him, and he felt his control slip another notch. “Julia?”

  “Hmm?” She opened her eyes to look at him, a small satisfied smile on her lips, and ran her hands through his hair. He had to grit his teeth and breathe through his nose for a second.

  “This isn’t how I envisioned this.” There hadn’t been time to light candles, to set up a playlist on his iPod or give her a long, slow massage.

  He lowered his forehead to hers, the heat throbbing through his body threatening to take over. He wanted to just act, to peel her out of her bra, fling those panties off and take her body until they were both drenched in sweat.

  She hooked her leg over his back, pulling him back down so their bodies were once more plastered together, the only thing separating them a few measly scraps of fabric. “Funny, because this is exactly what I had in mind.” She slid a hand down his spine and back up, gently running her nails along each knob.

  Donovan shuddered and felt the involuntary jerk of his body as it rocked into hers. He really wasn’t going to be able to hold back. Not with her wrapping herself around him, licking his earlobe. He sucked in a wheezing breath. “I just...”

  What? What did he just? Hell, he couldn’t think. And she certainly didn’t seem interested in anything he had to say. At least not right now. He slipped a hand under her back and flicked open the hook of her bra, growled when it sprang free, releasing her breasts.

  Donovan rose up only long enough to strip it down her arms and off her body before dipping his head again. He cupped one breast in each hand, pushing them together so he could taste both nipples with one long lick. From side to side and back again.

  Julia moved restlessly beneath him, her hands falling from his body to clutch the sheets. Donovan licked again, stopped over the right to suck the nub into his mouth, letting his tongue lie flat against it, then spinning it around in a quick swirl.

  Her back arched, bowed against him as she gasped and buried her fingers in his hair, tugging and pulling but making sure he didn’t go anywhere. Donovan had no problem with that. He did the same to her other breast. First, pressing his tongue down, warming the area, and then, with a quick twist, swirling his tongue around.

  She responded with the same aching gasp and a renewed rubbing of her body against his. It was heaven being surrounded by softness and curves instead of the hard, sharp lines of his last few relationships, and Donovan wondered why he hadn’t noticed it then. Maybe because he hadn’t known what he was missing.

  Urgency was beginning to rear up with each rub of her chest along his. The peaks of her nipples brushed against his pecs, letting him know how much he excited her.

  Donovan lifted his head enough to admire the view. A flush crept up her body, turning her chest rosy. He laid his palm on her belly then slowly ran up the center, stopping in the middle of her chest. She didn’t feel cool anymore. Her breathing was rapid and she watched him with hooded eyes.

  The thin thread of control he’d managed to grab started to slip, done away by her bold excitement. Flew away completely when she placed her hand on his crotch and stroked. Once, twice. Stars burst along the edges of his vision as his body jerked, strained toward hers, feeling her lush heat surround him, warm him from the outside in.

  He wanted to be in. In bed. In a relationship. In Julia.

  With great disappointment, he pulled back. It was hard to drag his gaze away, to look somewhere other than those pearling nipples and soft, white skin, but he could look his fill later. In the shower. In the tub. In his bed. He’d show her delectable body all the care in the world once his mind wasn’t burning with desire and threatening to blow up.

  Donovan didn’t think Julia was bothered. Not when he hooked his thumb in her underwear and tugged them down her legs and she only reached forward to do the same for him. His body jerked again and he gritted his teeth to keep from shredding her underwear in one strong yank.

  He had a stack of condoms in his nightstand drawer, not that he generally brought girlfriends to the family cabin, but he was responsible and prepared just in case. Because excusing himself to make a quick run to the village drugstore would surely kill any mood.

  He pulled one out now, hands shaking as he fought to get it free of the foil packet. It probably would have helped if he’d watched what he was doing, but that would mean taking his eyes off Julia.

  Oh, Julia. He felt the heat boil up inside him as he watched her. The teasing way she curled onto her side, balancing her head on one hand, letting her arm slide along her body while she watched him.

  He managed to roll on the condom, his body demanding that he hurry up, then turned her onto her back and took one of her ankles in each of his hands. He pressed a kiss to the inside of one. He’d have liked to lick his way to her knee, along her thigh and directly into her heat, but just the thought was enough to make his body ache for release.

  Instead, he ran a hand along the smooth firmness, the hours a day she spent on her feet showing in the sleek muscles, and cupped her core. She sighed and wriggled against him, drawing his fingers inside.

  Donovan saw no point in waiting, in continuing to play. She was ready, he was well past ready and it would be better for them both if they gave in to the fiery need now and took their time later.

  He positioned himself at her entrance and nudged inside. Her body stretched around his, adjusting as he glided in with one long stroke. He held still for a moment by squeezing his eyes shut and mentally counting to ten, and then he looked down at her, saw the line of her exposed neck, head tilted back and couldn’t wait any longer.

  She moaned as he drove into her, and Donovan might have said he was lost, except he was exactly where he wanted to be.

  CHAPTER NINE

  OH, YES.

  Julia couldn’t catch her breath. Couldn’t get enough. Couldn’t say or do anything except moan in pleasure.

  Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

  Thank goodness she’d admitted what she wanted and told Donovan. She gasped when he pressed a thumb to the aching bud between her legs. Lightly, so there was only pleasure and the continued climb toward release. Then kissed him again and again. Wanting to be closer, to feel more, their bodies locked together.

  Tension was beginning to coil in her muscles, encouraging her to draw him deeper, roll her entire body into his. Her lungs hitched with each new sensation. The feel of his muscles under her hands, each one bunching and shifting in a harmony of movement. The smell of his skin, masculine and strong. The rustle of the sheets as he pushed them to the side and rocked his hips against hers.

  She pulled her mouth from his and tilted her head back, fighting to pull in a breath, fighting to pull him closer. His thumb paused and then dipped down, circling in a firm steady twirl. Her nails dug into him, her knees rose up and the tight, winding tension in her body twisted to its peak.

  Julia had had sex before. Maybe not lately, but definitely her fair share over the years. She knew what she liked and she wasn’t afraid to guide a man in the right direction. To show him with her mouth and her body and her words what she liked, what made the heat blaze through her limbs and left her sated and limp.

  It had never been quite like this. The ability to read a lover’s body as though she’d been given a list of directions and had handed over her own in return. She ran her hands over his ass and thighs and back up again, loving the feel of the strong muscles tightening and releasing. And then he did that thing with his thumb again at the same time he bucked into her.

  If she’d been able to speak, she’d have t
old him to keep doing that, not to change a thing, right there. Luckily, she didn’t need to. Donovan stroked and circled and Julia broke.

  Simply let go of everything and allowed the rippling, throbbing sensations to carry her away on a sea of sighs.

  Donovan kept moving, increasing his pace until the sound of their bodies meeting filled the room. Then he paused, gave one hoarse shout and collapsed on top of her. Julia was too full of her own pleasure to care that his body was crushing hers, that she couldn’t draw a complete breath or move.

  Instead, she ran her hands up from his ass, traced his spine to his shoulders and his neck. She brushed her fingers along his hairline and along the curve of his ears. A low moan of approval rumbled through him and she felt it in her chest, as well.

  Julia smiled, appreciative of both his skill and her own, and hooked her arms around him, not ready to break the moment. Not yet.

  His face lay in the curve of her neck. She could feel his breath slow and grow steady. Each pulse of air was a small shudder across her skin. A reminder that they remained linked and neither of them seemed interested in breaking that.

  Even when his weight became noticeable, pressing her into the mattress and pinning her legs in place, Julia wasn’t interested in moving. She skimmed a hand over his arm. She felt whole here. Complete.

  The thought surprised her. She’d never been the type of person who needed a partner to feel satisfied or happy. She’d always been content with her own company, with her work. But maybe she was changing. Or maybe it was just the hormones talking. Really, a person might agree to anything when caught in the sex haze.

  Donovan murmured against her neck when her hand trailed back down his arm and then swept across his body. “I think your nails left marks in my ass.”

  Julia would have lifted her head to check, but that would have taken too much effort and would likely have dislodged him. She smoothed her other hand over his hair. “Poor baby. Do you need me to kiss it better?”