Wicked Firsts

by Naughton, Elisabeth

  He didn’t argue. He just kissed her again. Kissed her deep, tasted her. His cock shoved against the front of his pants. Hard, full, eager. For her.

  Adrenaline still spiked his blood. Tension held his body tight.

  Too close to death. If I hadn’t gotten there…

  Blake shoved the thoughts away even as he carefully carried her back up to his bedroom.

  “I can walk, you know…This is sexy, and you’re strong and all, but I can—”

  He kissed her. He loved the way her mouth felt against his.

  Then they were in his bedroom. He lowered Jess onto the bed.

  His hands slid over her, never once touching her bandages, and he stripped her in seconds. He made sure he kissed her silken flesh. Her arms. Her legs. Those perfect pink-tipped breasts.

  “Blake!” She arched off the bed, reaching for him.

  Gently, he pushed her back. “Keep your hands down, leave them on the bed. I don’t want you hurt.”

  But she tried to reach for him again. “I don’t care about a little pain—”

  He did. Blake positioned her hands against the mattress. Then he moved back. Stood at the side of the bed and let his gaze sweep over her.

  He wanted to devour her. Every single inch.

  A quick yank sent his shirt flying across the room.

  She stared up at him, still in the position he’d directed. Her tongue snaked across her lower lip—so sexy—while she watched him.

  His hands went to the top of his pants, then he stopped. “Tell me you aren’t married.” The words came out as a hard rumble. Demanding. Desperate?

  No, I’m never desperate. I haven’t been. Not since—

  “I-I’m not married.”

  He bent over the bed. His fingers slid over her thighs. “Good.” Some fool had let her go.

  I was almost a fool like that.

  He parted her legs. Eased between them.

  “I’ve never wanted anyone this way.”

  Her words made the blood heat even more in his veins.

  “I should be afraid of you.” Her voice was sin in the darkness of the room. “I should run—”

  “Baby, I’d just fucking follow you.”

  Then he did what he needed to do. What he craved to do. He put his mouth on her sex. Strawberries and cream. Good enough to drive a man mad.

  He tasted. He took.

  She came against his mouth. Once. Twice.

  It wasn’t enough. He wasn’t done.

  Not by a long shot.

  He licked her. Kissed her. Pushed his fingers into her tight core. His cock ached and he wanted to drive into her.

  But not yet.

  His breath blew over her clit.

  Another slow, long lick.

  “Blake!”

  No one who’d been before mattered. Not for him.

  Her hips bucked. His hands lifted, and he held her down against the mattress.

  Blake felt her come against his mouth again.

  He looked up. Her eyes were wide, the gold blazing. Her cheeks were flushed.

  She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  “You…” Jess whispered. “I want you…in me…”

  He rose above her. Thrust—

  Fuck, I didn’t use anything!

  Her sex closed around him. Tight. Hot. Wet. Driving him out of his mind. Blake thrust. Withdrew. Thrust—

  Protect her. The words screamed through his mind, and Blake forced himself to withdraw from Jess.

  “Blake?”

  His body shuddered. He grabbed for the nightstand drawer. Yanked out a foil packet. “I’m clean, baby.” She was his first slip. Ever.

  “S-so am I…”

  His eyes squeezed shut. Thrust into her. Go bareback. Take her. “You could get pregnant…” He put the condom on. Then he drove into her, as deeply as he could go.

  The bed jerked beneath his thrusts. His control tore, shredded, and the beast that he tried to keep in check—the man he truly was, deep inside—broke free.

  He took and he took, and Jess climaxed around him. The delicate contractions of her sex sent him over the edge.

  Her taste was on his tongue. His cock buried deep in her body.

  Pleasure slammed through him.

  Jess was alive. She was safe.

  And she was fucking his.

  ***

  The knife was coming at her. Blood was on the blade. She tried to scream—

  “Wake up. Wake up, Jess. I’ve got you.”

  His voice. Blake. His arms around her.

  Her eyes flew open. At first, Jess only saw darkness, but then her vision adjusted, and she could make out Blake’s shadowy form, surrounding her.

  She was in his bed. Could still feel him between her legs.

  The nightmare slipped away. “I-I’m sorry,” she managed. “I just—”

  He swore and pulled her against his chest. “You don’t get to apologize, baby. I’m the one who pulled you into hell.”

  And she was the one choosing to stay there, with him. But the devil was supposed to be tempting, wasn’t he? And Blake Landon could sure tempt. When he touched her, it was almost as if she forgot who she really was.

  She only knew need. Only wanted him.

  “Talk to me,” Blake demanded. He cradled her against him so that her head rested over his chest. His heartbeat seemed fast, but so strong beneath her ear. The sound pushed away her fear.

  “What do you want me to say?” Jess asked him. She would be content to just stay there in his arms, listening to his heartbeat.

  “I want to know about you. Every secret you have.”

  That made her laugh. Strange. After everything that had happened, Jess hadn’t thought she’d be laughing in the darkness with him. “I don’t have secrets.”

  “Everyone has secrets.” His hand stroked over her back. The touch was probably meant to soothe her, but when Blake touched her, Jess found herself hyper aware of him.

  “I don’t,” she whispered.

  “Then how’d you wind up honeymooning alone in Vegas?”

  But she wasn’t alone. She had Blake. “I picked the wrong man. Someone I thought I could trust. Someone who was supposed to be safe.” She’d done exactly what everyone told her she should do. With thirty coming up fast, she’d given into the pressure. Gotten engaged. Been the good girl who did just as she was directed.

  “You don’t strike me as a woman who plays it safe.”

  And, again, she found herself laughing.

  His heart beat faster beneath her. Her fingers skimmed over his abs. Truly incredible abs. “Trust me, back home, safety is pretty much my middle name.”

  Silence, then… “Where is home?”

  “A little spot along the Florida coast. The water is so blue there, the sand so white…it’s paradise.” And she did love her home. The ex who waited for her there—him she wasn’t so wild about.

  “And what do you do in paradise?”

  “I paint.” Some of her work went in the local galleries. The tourists paid pretty well for it. She got by on what she earned from those sales. She’d never be rich, not on Blake’s level, but that didn’t matter.

  She’d been happy with her life. Before Joe Burns. Before she listened to the gossips and the people who thought they knew what was best for her. “I made a mistake,” she said, voice soft and husky. It was easy to confess in the dark. “I shouldn’t have ever agreed to marry a man I didn’t…I didn’t love.” The truth was there, stark and cold. “I think he knew how I really felt. I think that’s why he turned to—”

  “The man is a fucking idiot for not doing everything he could to keep you.”

  His words shocked her and had Jess’s head rising up.

  She started to pull away from Blake, but he caught her. Held her easily. Kissed her—a kiss so deep and hot.

  Her hands pressed to his chest. She opened her mouth more, kissing him back just as fiercely. And—

  His mouth broke from hers. “Y
ou’re changing things for me.”

  Her breath heaved out. “I don’t understand.”

  “You will.” His fingers slid over her cheek. “I promise you that.”

  Then she heard a fierce pounding, one that made her jump. The sound—a knocking?—was coming from downstairs. The front door?

  Blake slid from the bed. Completely naked, he stalked for the bedroom door. Her gaze swept over him. Damn fine ass. Strong, wide shoulders and—

  He had a tattoo. She’d never noticed it before because she’d been distracted by…other…things. But he had a tattoo on his left shoulder. A twisting, black snake.

  A snake wrapped around a big, dark diamond.

  Blake reached for the doorknob.

  “Clothes!” she hissed at him.

  Blake glanced back at her. He smiled—his smile made her chest feel weird. “For you, baby.” Then he yanked on his pants, just the pants, and headed toward that fierce pounding.

  Jess grabbed a robe that waited on a nearby chair. She rushed after him, nearly tripping on the stairs. The man shouldn’t be so calm! It was the middle of the night. What if the person on the other side of the door was a threat? Another attacker? “Blake…”

  He glanced through the door’s peep-hole. His hard jaw firmed even more as he yanked open the door. “Why the hell aren’t you still in the hospital?” Blake demanded.

  And the guy Blake had called his chief of security—Carson—walked inside. Carson’s left arm was in some kind of sling, and his face seemed pale, the faint lines near his eyes and mouth deeper. “You know I hate those damn places.”

  “You were shot—”

  “And you were right. It was a through and through. I’m fine.” Carson’s dark eyes lit on Jess. She saw surprise flicker in his gaze. “Ma’am,” he murmured, but a guarded tone had entered his voice.

  She finished climbing the last few stairs. Her fingers fisted at her sides. “I’m so sorry that you were hurt trying to save me.”

  “I was trying to save my boss.”

  Okay. She cleared her throat. “I still hate you were hurt.” She was sure getting the message that this guy didn’t like her. He was shot, guess he’s entitled to his fury.

  But Carson’s gaze wasn’t furious as it swept over her. It was…suspicious. “We need to talk,” he said, turning his attention back to Blake. “Why don’t you send her back to the bedroom…”

  Jess sucked in a sharp breath. Her own fury spiked. “Listen up, buddy—”

  “Jess stays,” Blake snapped in the same instant. “And you need to watch the tone, Carson.”

  Carson blinked a few times. “I, uh, sorry.” He shoved his right hand through his hair. “Forgot how you…were…with her.”

  What was that supposed to mean?

  “But it’s about the Heart,” Carson continued, voice roughening. “She doesn’t need to know—”

  “I already know about the Night’s Heart,” Jess interrupted, trying to sound as if she knew a whole lot more than she did. “I know the diamond is what the kidnapper wanted all along. But he didn’t get it.”

  Carson’s hand dropped. He studied her with new interest. “No, he didn’t.”

  Blake came back to Jess. His arms curled around her, and he pulled her against his chest. “How did he know about it?”

  “Because the guy is Jeremiah Finn’s son, Hayden.”

  She felt Blake tense behind her.

  “Looks like he’s been after you for a long time,” Carson continued. “More of the past…” His lips twisted into a grim smile. “More that’s going to be buried in the ground soon.”

  Maybe she should have waited in the bedroom. Jess didn’t want to hear this—because it scared her.

  Blake scares me, but I still feel safe in his arms.

  Jess wasn’t sure when she’d jumped on board the crazy-train, but apparently, she was enjoying the ride.

  “Just thought you’d want to know…” Carson turned back for the door. Then he hesitated. “The Heart is secure, isn’t it? Because, boss, you know I’ve said…one day, that diamond could be the death of you.”

  “No, it won’t be,” Blake said. His voice growled from behind her. “The Heart is safe. Go get some rest, Carson. You need it.”

  Carson nodded. His hand slipped down as he opened the door. Then he was gone.

  Slowly, Jess turned to face Blake. “Jeremiah Finn?”

  “You don’t want to know about him.”

  “But you get to ask about my secrets.” Her fingers pressed lightly into his arms. “Why shouldn’t I get to know yours?”

  “Because, baby, I don’t think your secrets are the kind that can get you killed.”

  Her stomach clenched.

  “I’m not the man you think…” He pulled away from her with a weary sigh. “You don’t want to know who I really am.”

  Blake began to climb the stairs.

  Jess didn’t move. Her gaze locked only on his back as she said, “I like to know exactly who I’m sleeping with.”

  She saw his shoulders tighten.

  “It’s a little quirk I have,” she added.

  Blake glanced back over his shoulder at her.

  Jess lifted her chin. “I was raised by a single mother. I never knew my father, and I spent most of my life pretending that he was dead. It was easier for me to believe that story, easier for me to tell that story to others…instead of just accepting that he never wanted me. That he ran as soon as he found out that my mother was pregnant.”

  Blake shifted his body, moving to fully face her once more. He’d stopped on the third step.

  “My mother was a good woman. Strong, but sad—sad her whole life. A sadness that I could see in her eyes. She wanted more for me, more than what I had. She sent me to college, but she died before I graduated.” The pain of her mother’s sudden passing still knifed through her. “She died, and I was alone, and I hated that.”

  Blake advanced toward her. “Jess…”

  “I grew up dirt poor in the middle of Alabama. I took my degree, I took the talent I had, and I moved to my paradise.” Her lips twisted. “I made my own life there. And, except for my screw-up with Joe, I’ve been pretty happy. I’ve had three lovers. I’ve ridden out a dozen hurricanes, and I don’t spend any of my time looking to the past. Instead, I focus on what’s coming next for me.”

  He shook his dark head. “You shouldn’t have come into that bar…”

  Her laugh was bitter. “That’s the same thing my kidnapper said. Wrong place and wrong—”

  Blake wrapped his hands around her shoulders. “I wanted you from the moment that I saw you. The light hit your hair—you seemed to fucking glow standing there. So perfect. And too good for me.”

  “Blake—”

  “I have enemies. So many of them. You know why? Because I don’t play by the rules. I never have. I lie, I cheat, I steal. I’ve done it all because I had to do it in order to survive. My mother OD’d when I was seven. My father dumped me at the first hospital he could find, and he never looked back.” Blake’s eyes blazed down at her. “As far as I was concerned, he was dead after that. I didn’t need him. I didn’t need anyone.”

  She didn’t think he realized just how tightly he was holding her. His eyes were so full of emotion. A barely banked green fire.

  “Jeremiah Finn.” Blake growled the name. “He was a jewel thief, one who didn’t care who he hurt during his heists. He’d killed three people by the time I met up with him.”

  Her throat was so dry. It hurt when she swallowed and asked, “Met up?”

  “Told you…” His hands fell away from her. “I’ve lied. I’ve cheated. And I’ve stolen. I helped Finn take the Heart. We were supposed to be partners, but when he tried to make me victim fucking four, when he tried to use his knife to slice open my throat—”

  Like father, like son?

  “Finn was the one who died, and I got away.”

  A shiver slid over her body. “With the Heart.”

  A g
rim nod. “Just a piece of that thing…just a piece…was enough to buy me a whole new life. The man I’d been died with Finn, and Blake Landon—” He lifted his hands. “He was born.”

  He’d killed Jeremiah Finn.

  “So now you know who the man is that you’re fucking.”

  Jess flinched.

  “And you’re so scared that you’re shaking.”

  Jess shook her head.

  A muscle jerked in his jaw. “Why the hell did I just tell you all of that?”

  “Because I asked.” Her answer was soft, immediate.

  His eyes narrowed on her. “How do you manage to do this? How do you get under my skin?”

  She didn’t know. “How do you manage to make me feel…more than any other man has before?” And, the question that scared her most… “Why am I still not running away from you?”

  “Because you know I’d follow.”

  Her feet seemed rooted to the spot. But it was her turn for secrets, too. “I’m not shaking because I’m scared of you.”

  “Maybe you should be.”

  “I’m shaking because I’m scared of myself.” Everything between them was happening too fast. “I…feel too much with you.”

  “Dammit, baby, I just told you that I killed a man—”

  “A man who tried to kill you.”

  “And you believe me? How do you know I’m not just covering my ass with that story?”

  The hard, growling question was no doubt meant to make her even more afraid. But… “I trust you.”

  His face changed then. She saw it. Some of the hardness. The darkness…it eased.

  He just stared at her, and Blake almost seemed lost.

  “You saved my life tonight,” Jess told him. “You could have just left me there—”

  “Never.”

  “But you didn’t,” she finished, voice quiet. “You came for me. You got me out of that nightmare.”

  He was still gazing at her like—jeez, almost as if she were some kind of present and it was Christmas morning. Surely she wasn’t the first person to trust the guy?

  Jess tried to smile. “Maybe…maybe we should start over. Now that all of our secrets are out.” Her shoulders sagged a bit as she exhaled. “My name’s Jess Delaney.” She caught his hand. Shook it.

  His fingers tightened around hers. “It wasn’t the wrong place.”