His erection bumped his belly. He ached like a son of a bitch.
Reaching down, he took his cock in a fist and pumped it slowly. Carrie made a little sound, still gasping for breath. Her eyes were riveted on the sight of his hand as it moved slowly up and down over his pulsing erection. Knowing she watched ignited the fire burning wild and hot inside him, volcanic sensation pulsed in his balls. He didn’t have long before he lost control. He wanted her so much, he ached.
When she ran her tongue along that pouty bottom lip, J. T. groaned low. “Like it? Want me?”
“Yeah. You know I do.”
He stepped closer, crowding her and reached for her shoulders. A tiny smile flickered across her lips, as he lifted her slightly and soon she was leaning closer. Her mouth was level with the head of his shaft. Her breath was hot as it swept across that sensitive flesh. A groan broke free when she brushed his hands aside and gripped his width with both hands.
“Jesus!”
“This is beautiful,” she whispered against him. Her tongue flicked out to tease, her thumbs stroked along his length, pressing at the distended veins. J.T. felt his balls draw up tight.
The urge to shout his pleasure was quickly tamped down, buried deep. God. He wanted this moment to last forever. Pleasure hovered in the air and along with it his need. But it wasn’t just a need for release. He didn’t want just any woman. He wanted this one.
The realization that his dream was here, right now, holding his cock, stroking him was almost more than he could take. “Do it!” He growled low, feeling savage as she lifted those drenched blue eyes and smiled.
Her clever tongue swept his length dragging a sound from his throat. Small hands cupped his tight balls and gently played against that pulsing flesh. Endlessly, she ran her mouth along his erection and J.T. felt his thighs tremble with reaction. Taking her head in his hands, he looked down and drank in the sight of her open mouth closing over the head.
“Ah yeah. Like that,” he gasped. “God. You’re killing me.”
“Mmm.”
That little hum of vibration almost sent him to his knees so he locked them tight. Lord, her hair was soft, he realized, as it curled around his fingers. Her mouth played a wicked game, drawing him deep, sucking lightly as she went swallow again and through it all, her palms were warm against his balls until they drifted down over his thighs. Short nails scratched deliciously and J.T. clenched his fingers in her hair as he started to fuck her sweet mouth in earnest.
“Yeah, sweetheart. Oh, yeah. That’s so fucking good.”
Carrie glanced up and he swore he’d never seen anything sexier than the look in her eyes. The sight of his cock buried between her sweet, pink lips was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. Her eyes closed and she made a low sound working his shaft with quick flicks of her tongue, strong pulls from her mouth. The warmth of it, the feel of her pleasuring him was almost too much.
A tingling set up at the base of his spine, his balls were tight, pulsing with the need to blast his cum into her mouth. Another strong pull dragged a rough sound from him. She grabbed his ass hard, her frantic fingers squeezing at him as her tongue blazed a hot trail over his shaft.
“Coming,” he gasped. He tried to move her head but she wouldn’t have any of it. She shook her head and pulled harder, stronger, sweeter. Heat whipped through his cock and zipped up his spine. His scalp tingled with impending release. A shiver caught him up and he growled like an animal. “Ah, God. Yes.”
Pleasure consumed him as his cum spurted into her waiting mouth giving him the greatest release in his life and still she held him there, stayed to play, her tongue lapping softly. Her hands swept over his ass and down his thighs as she buried her face against him, snuggling in.
A blast of love grabbed him.
He wanted to tell her how deep his feelings went but knew it was much too soon. She wouldn’t believe him so he’d just have to show her by his actions how much he needed her. J.T. looked down at her bent head and sifted his fingers through her damp hair. She looked up and smiled, pressed a kiss to his belly, then shocked him to the core when she turned her head to settle her cheek against him. The gesture was so sweet, so trusting that it threatened to unman him.
Feelings of sexual satisfaction got all mixed up with more tender emotions. He wanted to hold her against him forever. Take her. Fuck her. Forever.
For the first time in his life, he felt he really belonged. He’d found his home right here in her arms.
Tenderly, he took her shoulders and nudged her to her feet. He wrapped her up in his arms, loving the feel of her lush curves, and bent his head to bury his face in her fragrant hair. Carrie’s arms went around his waist as she snuggled in. She sighed.
“Are we going to bed, J.T.?”
“Hell, yeah,” he murmured. “But not now. We need to talk.”
She leaned back and looked up at him. “Yes, we do. This is all happening too fast.”
“Are you sorry?”
Carrie shook her head. “No, but I have lots of questions. Worries, too.”
J.T. reached behind him and turned off the water then gave her a look. “I didn’t mean to steamroll you into this. It just happened.” He took her face and kissed her, quickly, intensely. “Not apologizing for it and don’t ask me to. I’ve wanted you for too long to lie about it now.”
He pushed open the shower door and grabbed two towels. Briskly drying his body, he shrugged into his jeans and went to the bathroom door. It wasn’t a good time to be pushy. She needed time. She wanted to talk. Far be it from him to deny the lady.
Her embarrassment at falling into his seduction was palpable in the air when he finally turned at the open bathroom door. Looking sweeter than hell, she stood there clutching a pale green towel against her naked body. As if he would ever forget the way she looked completely bare. She blinked her wide blue eyes and held a swollen bottom lip between her teeth looking so unsure he wanted to grab her and start the loving all over again.
But he didn’t.
“Tell you what, darlin’, I’ll be here for a few weeks or until you kick me out, and the way I see it, we have plenty of time to talk.” He sent his eyes down and up, skimming her body. He felt fierce and possessive and he hadn’t yet taken her fully but he kept his smile gentle. “Get yourself together and meet me outside by the pool. I’ll pour us a drink. Wine okay?”
“Yeah, that’d be good. I’ll see you in a bit.”
* * * * *
When J.T. walked out the door and she heard her bedroom door quietly close, Carrie let out a shaky breath and speared her fingers through her hair.
Oh my God! What had she done?
What had she done? Carrie snorted and rolled her eyes, hugging her arms around her very well-loved body. What she’d done was have the best sex she’d ever had and they hadn’t even made it to her bed yet. Holy cow!
Her legs were trembling so badly, it was a miracle she made it to her bathroom counter. Once there, she leaned against it and focused in on the shattered expression she wore on her face. No man, including Mark, had ever affected her this way. How could it be that she’d made it to the age of thirty-two without ever having experienced something so mind-blowing?
Yep. She’d led a very sheltered life considering her years of marriage to a racing superstar. But right now she had more questions than answers. Could it be true that J.T., gorgeous, funny, sweet J.T., had been pining for her all these years? Even when she’d been married to Mark?
Unbelievable.
Straightening, she let her eyes drift down her naked body noting the faint whisker burns on her breasts and lower, between her thighs. Remembering every whisper, every touch, she lifted her hands to her breasts and traced the faint marks. Just looking at J.T.’s brand on her caused a shiver to whip up through her body.
Recalling the expression on his face, the way his eyes had darkened with desire when he barged into the bathroom made Carrie catch her breath. He hadn’t waited. He hadn’t hesitated with
a blushing stammer before ducking out with apologies on his lips. He’d been a man on a mission. Conquering her, taking her, overrode any misplaced notions of chivalry from the moment he’d caught her with her fingers buried deep between the lips of her sex.
Yeah. They had to talk. Before this went on a moment longer, she had to tell him what happened that day at the track. Her heart thudded in her chest as she reached beneath the sink to grab her hairdryer. Remembering that day and the weeks leading up to it was so hard for her. The hardest.
Without warning, tears surfaced. With a curse, she knuckled them away.
It was time to face her demons. J. T. had been Mark’s best friend. They’d been practically inseparable up to the moment of Mark’s death. What would J.T. think of her when he learned the truth? She didn’t want to tell him. He might hate her but Carrie had been weak once in her life and she’d long ago learned her lesson about stuff like that.
Nope. These days she was a warrior woman who didn’t take crap from anyone. She wasn’t a doormat or a woman capable to listening to the excuses of a whining man who’d been continually caught with his pants down and his lower parts buried deep inside another woman.
Within fifteen minutes, her hair was dried, make up repaired and she’d pulled on a pair of comfy shorts and a tee shirt. Heading through the living room, she noted that night had fallen and J.T. had, at some point, turned on a floor lamp. The huge room was bathed in soft, golden color and she stopped to admire for just a minute. She’d built a wonderful life for herself here and she knew with every fiber of her being she’d never give it up for a man. Any man. Even J.T. A life in the public eye wasn’t in the cards for her ever again. Carrie drew in a deep breath and walked through the house until she made it to the double doors leading outside.
Soft light glimmered from the depths of her enormous pool filtered through gallons of water reflecting a startling blue. A whisper of ripples stirred the surface and in the distance, a coyote howled. Crickets chirped. Beyond the perimeters of her property, rolling hills were outlined in black against the inky blue night sky. Stars splashed that wide expanse and Carrie drew a deep gulp of air that smelled like newly mown grass.
J.T. stood braced against the Texas backdrop holding a long-necked bottle of beer loosely in one hand. The thumb of his other hand was tucked into the back pocket of his jeans. He’d pulled on a dark tee shirt.
Man, he was gorgeous, she thought, looking out at him through the glass of the door. Broad shoulders, slim hips. He was her ideal man in every way. Gathering her courage, she stepped onto the patio. J.T. turned, a smile tilting those yummy lips. “Hey, gorgeous.” He held up the bottle. “Found this in the fridge. Helped myself.”
“Good.”
He walked over to one of several patio tables that dotted the pool decking and she saw he’d dunked her half-empty bottle of chardonnay into an ice-filled bucket. Eyeing her thoughtfully, he poured her a glass and handed it to her. “You look as nervous as a cat,” he whispered low, dipping his fingers through her hair, drawing her face closer. “Can’t have that.”
Before she could blink, he settled his lips on hers, stroking the surface of them lightly with his tongue. He tasted of beer and fresh air. Tension drained slowly from her body, as he dragged her close. She felt the brush of her nipples against the front of his well-worn tee shirt and Carrie’s belly clenched tight as she stepped closer, moved in. When he deepened the kiss and swept his tongue through her mouth, she sighed and let herself fall under his sexy spell.
“All better?” he murmured, lifting a dark brow.
Carrie laughed a little self-consciously and shrugged. “Left my teen years a long time ago but you wouldn’t know it. I’m just not used to this, J.T.”
“I think maybe you’ve been alone too long, darlin’.”
“Or not long enough.” Stepping back, she took a sip of her drink. “Maybe, but I have to be honest with you. The life you lead, the life I led with Mark isn’t for me. Your being here makes me remember those years a little more than I want.”
He watched her intently for a second then drained the last of his beer. “It wasn’t all bad, was it?”
“No, of course not. Early on, I was happy with Mark but the other stuff. The women.” She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so alone or so insecure. I’m not that woman any more. I’ve changed. Grown.”
“I can see that. Hell, Carrie, you’ve always been wonderful but back then, you just didn’t realize it. I did. I also saw that Mark destroyed your confidence every time he fucked another woman, every time he flaunted another woman in your face. I hated that you stayed with him.”
Turning away, she carried her glass to the table and pulled up a chair. J.T. joined her, regarding her steadily, those dark eyes seeming suddenly so wise. So understanding.
“Mark really did a number on you, didn’t he, Carrie?”
“Yes.”
Quiet settled softly between them. “I’ve always wanted to ask you why you stayed with Mark as long as you did. He screwed you over and humiliated you. I marveled that no matter what he did, you continued to hang on.”
She shook her head and made a little disparaging sound. “It never was about money or living that out there kind of life. I hated that. You know I did.” She shifted in her chair and buried her face in her hands before looking back at him again. “You know Daddy died when I was a teenager. He left Mom and me financially secure so it was never about the money. At first, I stayed because I loved him and I wanted it to work. Mom and Dad had such a great marriage and I wanted what they had. I meant my marriage vows and wanted to do everything I could to make it work. He kept promising to go for marriage counseling.”
J.T. snorted and took a pull from his beer. “Bet that went over like a lead balloon.”
“You can say that again. He was so status conscious. Afraid someone would find out he was having such trouble keeping his wife in line. It got harder and harder though. He had me convinced everything was my fault.”
“How?”
Carrie looked out over the back yard, watched water trickle from a fountain she’d had built at one end. Shame caused her cheeks to burn and she was relieved the darkness would keep him from seeing. It was hard to talk about her past with Mark this way. “He said I wasn’t sexy to him. I didn’t do it for him anymore.”
J.T. was so quiet she looked over at him. A muscle worked in his jaw as he stared at her. “You believed him about that?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Shit.”
“How could I not? There were all these other women and—”
“Mark was an ass.” J.T. jerked to his feet and stalked away a short distance. Finally he spun back and focused an intense look at her. “He didn’t deserve you, Carrie. Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to plow into him for the way he treated you? Do you know how many nights I’d leave you at your front door and plot ways to try to talk you into leaving him?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t know. All I knew was that you watched over me better than my own husband ever did. You were always there and I was so ashamed that you were put in the position of getting the little lady home while her husband took off to screw other women. Jeez, J.T.! You must’ve thought I was some kind of pathetic weakling.”
“I never thought that, Carrie. Not once.”
“I did. Damn it. I thought it every day. I was weak and pathetic. I kept thinking he’d change.”
J.T. stomped up and took her shoulders in his hands. “Stop it, Carrie. This all happened years ago. You’re human. You loved him and wanted it to work. There’s not a weak bone in your body.” He drew her up from her chair and she proved just how weak she was by letting him hug her close.
No. Time for some tough talk and he might not like what he heard. He could very well curse her and jump into that beautiful silver truck and drive out of her life forever.
Pushing away, Carrie stepped back to a safer distance. “I finally got sick of it, J.T. and
I did something about it. You’re going to hate me when you hear this.”
J.T. stilled. Oh yeah, he was listening. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Without looking at him, she ran the tip of her index finger over the rim of her glass. “I filed for divorce.”
“When?”
“Right before Miami.”
“Mark never said anything. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Carrie sighed and leaned back to face him. “I was through with being treated so badly, J.T. I couldn’t take it another minute. Mark wasn’t supposed to know until after the race.”
“What are you saying, honey?”
Drawing in a deep breath, she blurted out the truth. “He got the papers the morning of the time trial. Right after that he—”
“Crashed.”
“Yeah. He was upset and yelling at me before he left but I swear I never intended him to be served until after the race.”
J.T. stalked up and took her shoulders in a firm grasp. “You didn’t kill him, Carrie. What happened to Mark was an accident. Do you honestly think he loved you enough to be that upset? Mark was a selfish bastard! He didn’t love anyone but himself!”
Carrie stiffened, fighting tears that threatened to fall. J.T. was absolutely right. Mark had probably never loved her at all. She’d been a clever ornament to him, one who served his purpose when the cameras were rolling and the press was around. She blinked rapidly and bit her bottom lip. “I-I just don’t know anymore. I keep replaying that morning over and over. He seemed so upset when the server showed up with the divorce papers. He started yelling.”
“Why didn’t you tell him earlier that you’d filed for divorce?”
She shook her head, still unsure about the whys of it all. “I think I was nervous about the confrontation. He could get so…um, angry. Sometimes he scared me. Maybe I thought it would be easier to just file and let everything happen.”
Instantly, he gentled his hold on her arms and stroked her bare flesh. He went still, quiet, his eyes burned into hers with dark emotion. “Did he hurt you, sweetheart?”
“No, but he scared me sometimes.”
Killer Curves Page 4