Ignited by Passion

by Brenda Jackson

  Their eyes met and held. “Whichever one is closest,” she said as desire continued to flicker in her eyes.

  “That would be yours.”

  They stepped into the elevator and after the door closed behind them, he leaned against the wall. They were alone and he tightened his hands by his sides. The temptation to pull her into his arms and devour her mouth again was unbearable, and when she swept the tip of her tongue nervously across her top lip, his stomach clenched and he swore beneath his breath.

  “I want you so damn much,” he had to say. The scent of her perfume was soft and seductive.

  “And I want you, too, Storm.”

  That statement didn’t help matters, either. He had wanted to pull her into his arms the moment the elevator came to a stop on her floor, but taking a deep breath, he held the door as she stepped out off the car before him. Holding hands, they walked silently down the corridor to her hotel room. Intense sexual need was closing in on him. He had to admit he’d never wanted a woman this badly.

  When they reached her room, he leaned against the wall as Jayla opened her purse, pulled out her key and inserted it into the lock. She opened the door with ease and walked into the room. He didn’t waste any time following and closing the door behind them. She flipped a switch that brought a soft glow of light to the room, then turned slowly to him, meeting his gaze.

  They didn’t say anything for a brief moment; then he reached out and pulled her into his arms. His mind told him to take things slowly but the moment he touched her and desire swept through his body, he threw the thought of taking things slowly out the window. The only thing he could think of was lifting her short dress and becoming enfolded in her feminine heat.

  He tightened his arms around her as his mouth greedily devoured hers and his chest expanded with the solid feel of her breasts pressing against it. His tongue again made a claim on her mouth while his hands skimmed across her backside, making him intensely aware of just how shapely she was. He deepened the kiss and a hoarse sound of plea sure erupted from his throat. Moments later, he broke off the kiss and pulled back. He wanted her with an intensity that bordered on desperation.

  “You sure?” he asked, wanting to make certain she knew exactly what she was getting into.

  “I’m positive,” she said, drawing up close to him.

  “Hell, I hope so.” He pulled her back to him and his mouth came down on hers with a ferociousness that he didn’t know he possessed. Fed by the raging storm that had erupted within him, his mouth plundered hers, sweeping her breath away and tasting the sweet, deep and delicious taste that was distinctively hers. He felt the tremor that passed through her and it increased his need to make love to her to the point where his veins throbbed.

  Storm lifted his head just long enough to reach out and whip the short dress over Jayla’s head, leaving her standing before him clad in a silky black camisole. He suddenly became dizzy with the sight of her standing before him, lush and sexy. Her scent was seductive and the pale lighting in the room traced a faint glow across her dark skin. His temperature went up another notch and he knew at that moment what he was about to share with Jayla went way beyond his regular routine of “wham-bam, thank you, ma’am.” And for a mere second, that thought bothered him. But like everything else that was out of the norm for him tonight, he placed it on the back burner. He’d deal with his confusing thoughts tomorrow.

  He reached out and pulled her back to him, capturing her mouth at the same time he picked her up in his arms and walked toward the bed. He placed her in the center of it and tumbled down beside her, his hands immediately going to her camisole to remove it from her body.

  He sucked in air through clenched teeth when he pulled back and looked down at her, completely naked. At that moment he felt an unbearable desire to feel his mouth on her skin. Leaning toward her, his tongue traced a path down her neck to her breasts, where it stopped and drew a hard, budding nipple into his mouth and feasted, licking, sucking.

  He felt her tremble again and heard the purring sound that came from deep within her throat. She wanted more and was letting him know it. He took his hand and ran it across the flat of her stomach, moving lower until he found the moist heat of her. He touched her there, glorying in her dampness. Deftly, expertly, his fingers went to work.

  Jayla felt her breath rushing in and out of her lungs. Al though there was light in the room and her eyes were open, she felt her world was on the edge of blackness. She felt light-headed, dizzy, dazed, and she was feeling things that she’d never felt before. Storm’s fingers were driving her out of her mind, and what his mouth was doing to her breasts was pure torture. Her body felt hot, on fire, in need of something it had never had before, but something it desperately needed.

  She groaned deep in her throat. It was either that or scream out loud. So she clamped her mouth shut, but couldn’t stop from releasing a sound that was alien to her ears. At the moment, nothing mattered but the feel of Storm’s mouth and hands on her.

  “I can’t wait any longer,” she heard him say, as he eased away from her. She watched as he stood next to the bed and quickly removed his shirt, almost tearing off the buttons in the process. Then he wasted no time in removing his pants and briefs. She continued to watch him when, with the expertise of a man who had done it many times before, he ripped the condom from the packet he had taken from his pant pockets and slid it over his erection.

  She blinked at the size of him and before she could form the words to let him know of her virginal state, he had returned to the bed, pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth with his, once again giving in to the thirst of her desire, a desire that only he could quench. Want and need spiraled through her, making blood pump fast and furious through her veins. It seemed his mouth and hands were everywhere. Her insides were churning, her stomach was spinning and her brain had turn to mush. She didn’t know what was driving him, but whatever the source, it was driving her, too. She felt the tip of his erection pressing against the entrance to her feminine mound in such a way that beckoned her to part her legs for him.

  Then he kissed her again, long, hard, as his tongue plowed hers in breath-stealing strokes. She savored all the things he was doing to her, all the ways he was making her feel and wondered if the feelings would ever end, hoping and praying that they wouldn’t, yet at the same thing knowing there was something else she needed, something she had to have.

  She felt him place his body over hers, felt the strength of his thighs entwining with hers and relished the strong beat of his heart against her breasts. He lifted her hips into his hands.

  He broke off their kiss and met her gaze, looked down at her the moment he pushed himself inside of her, with one deep, hard thrust. Her body stiffened and she gasped as a surge of pain ripped through her.

  He immediately went still as total disbelief lined his features. “Jayla?”

  Her name was a low rumble from deep within his throat. She saw the shock that flared in his eyes and felt the tension coiling within him. A spurt of panic swept through her at the thought that he wouldn’t finish what he’d started, so she decided to take action.

  “Don’t ask,” she said, then leaned upward and recaptured his mouth with hers. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and her legs wrapped solidly around him, locking him in place. She felt his resistance and began kissing him in all the ways he had kissed her that night, letting her tongue tangle relentlessly with his. He slowly began moving, easing in and out her, claiming her, taking her, making love to her in a way she always dreamed that lovemaking was supposed to be. The only thought on her mind was the strength of him driving back and forth, rocking her world and sending her over the edge. She knew she would remember every moment of this night for as long as she lived.

  A groan eased from Storm’s lips as Jayla’s body met his, stroke for stroke. His hand reached down and lifted her hips to him for a closer fit, as if they weren’t already close enough. She was tight, sensuously so, and his body surged in a
nd out of hers, back and forth, massaging her insides the same way and with the same rhythm that her breasts were massaging his chest.

  He had recovered from shock at discovering she’d been a virgin and decided since he was the one initiating her into lovemaking, that he would do it right. And the little whimpering sounds coming from her lips told him that he was definitely making an impact.

  “Storm…”

  He felt her body jerk at the same time she pressed her head into his shoulder to stifle a scream. The intensity of her climax jolted him, nearly stealing his breath before he followed her in his own release, yanked into the strongest and most mindless orgasm he had ever experienced in his entire life. And it was destined to be the longest…or perhaps he was having multiples, back to back. There was no way to tell since the earth-shattering sensations were hit ting him all at once in every form and from every possible angle. The feeling was unique, incredible, out of this world and once in a lifetime. He hadn’t expected this and was caught off guard by the magnitude of what was happening to him. He was being hurled into something he had never before experienced.

  “Jayla!”

  Her name was torn from his lips and he threw his head back as he continued to pump rapidly into her when he felt another climax claim him—his third, possibly a fourth. With a growl that came low from deep within his throat, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her mouth as his body continued to tumble into oblivion, and he knew what they had shared was nothing short of heaven.

  “I did as you requested and didn’t ask then, but I’m asking now, Jayla.”

  Storm’s words gave her pause. She let out a deep breath and wondered why he couldn’t be one of those men who just accepted things as they were?

  She looked up at him and saw the intensity in the depth of his dark eyes. She also saw the impressive shape of his lips and his well-toned, broad chest that was sprinkled with dark curly hair. And it wasn’t helping matters that they were both naked in bed, with him leaning on his elbow and looming over her. She closed her eyes and shook her head. The man was too handsome for his own good…or for hers.

  “Tell me,” he whispered, then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder. “Tell me why, in this day and age, a twenty-six-year-old woman would still be a virgin.”

  She met his gaze. “Because women in this day and age have choices,” she said slowly, then asked, “Have you ever taken a love compatibility quiz?”

  Storm arched his brow. “A what?”

  She smiled at the confused look on his face. “A love compatibility quiz. There’s a site on the Internet where you can go and take this quiz if you’re looking for Mr. or Miss Right. Well, after a few dates with losers—men who lacked confidence but had plenty of arrogance and who also acted as if it was a foregone conclusion that our date would end in my bed—I decided to take the quiz and my results indicated that my Mr. Right didn’t exist.”

  Storm frowned down at her. Would he ever understand women? “You’ve been avoiding a serious relationship be cause of some quiz?”

  “Pretty much…yes. I discovered like oil and water, me and relationships don’t mix because I have a low tolerance when it comes to men who expect too much too soon.”

  It took Storm a minute to analyze everything she’d said. “What about those guys you dated off the Internet?”

  Jayla released a single, self-deprecating chuckle. “That was my way of trying to prove the quiz wrong. From then on, I never wasted my time going on a guy hunt.”

  “But…but didn’t you date in college?” Storm sputtered. Why hadn’t her going off to college assured her returning to town with her hymen no longer intact?

  She smiled again, a bit sadly this time. “Yes, but unfortunately, not long after I got there I met a guy name Tyrone Pembroke.”

  “What happened? He broke your heart?”

  She chuckled derisively. “On the contrary. Actually he did me a favor by showing me just what jerks some guys were. He opened my eyes to the games they played, games I wasn’t interested in. After Ty, I made it a point not to get serious about any one guy and since I wasn’t into casual sex, I never felt pressured into sleeping with anyone.”

  Storm nodded. “So why now and why with me?”

  To Jayla’s way of thinking, that was an easy question. “Because of timing. I know you and I like you. I also know your position on relationships. I’m not looking for anything beyond what we shared tonight and neither are you, right?”

  Storm held her gaze. “Right.” The last thing he needed was a clingy woman who wanted to occupy his time. Still, although he didn’t want to feel it, he felt a special connection to Jayla since he had been her first. He couldn’t recall ever taking a woman’s virginity before.

  “Now that I’ve answered your question, do you think I can get some sleep?” Jayla asked softly. “I’m exhausted.”

  Storm glanced down at her. Was she dismissing him? “Do you want me to leave?”

  She smiled. “Actually…” she began, as she snuggled closer to him. “I was hoping you’d want to stay all night.”

  A grin spread across Storm’s lips. Hell, yeah, he wanted to stay all night. “I think that can be arranged,” he told her as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. “Excuse me for a second while I go into the bathroom to take care of something. I’ll be right back.”

  “All right.”

  There was just enough light in the darkened room to let Jayla admire Storm’s nude form as he crossed the room to the bathroom. She inhaled deeply as heated sensations shot through her. He’d been the perfect lover. He was confident, secure in who he was, but not arrogant. She felt tired and yet exhilarated at the same time. Slightly sore, but still smoldering from his lovemaking. Funny how things worked out. Storm was the man she’d been trying to get to notice her since the time she had started noticing boys. She was beginning to believe the cliché that good things came to those who wait. Now timing had not only finally worked for them, it was working against them as well. At any other time, she would have loved to take what she’d shared with Storm tonight to a whole other level, but not now. What she had needed was him out of her system so she could focus on the baby.

  Her baby.

  “I’m back.”

  Her nipples peaked in instant response to his words. She watched as he made a casual stroll over to the bed, totally at ease with his naked state. Seeing him that way stirred up desires within her again and she no longer felt as tired as she had earlier.

  “Do you want me to prepare you some bath water to soak in for a while before you go off to sleep?” he asked, coming to sit on the side of the bed next to where she lay. “If you don’t, you might wake up feeling a lot sorer than you probably do now.”

  Jayla leaned back against her pillow, seriously doubting that most men were as considerate as Storm was being. She pressed her lips together, liking his suggestion. “You’re right, a soak in the tub sounds wonderful.”

  He smiled as he stood up. “I’ll be back when your bath is ready.”

  “All right.”

  Again she watched him cross the room, finding it hard to tear her gaze from the sight of him, especially his tight behind. She smiled, feeling downright giddy at the thought that he’d agreed to spend the night with her. She might as well stretch this out for as far as she could because when they returned to Atlanta, things would be different. She would go her way and he would go his. They would both resume a life that had nothing to do with each other. He would go back to being a hero by fighting his fires and saving lives and she would eagerly prepare for the most life-altering experience she’d ever encountered—pregnancy.

  “Ready?”

  Hearing the sound of his voice, she glanced across the room. A thick surge of desire shot through her veins at the sight of him leaning in the doorway, naked and aroused. If she wasn’t ready, he certainly was.

  “Yes, I’m ready,” she said, barely able to voice the words. She moved to get out of bed and then he
was there, sweeping her up into his arms. The heat of his skin seeped through the heat of hers and the feeling was electrifying. She immediately knew the meaning of the words raging hormones. Hers were totally out of control. She quickly decided that she needed to get back in control of things.

  “I can walk, Storm.”

  “Yes, but I want to carry you. That’s the least I can do.”

  She clamped her lips tight, deciding not to tell him that he had done quite a lot. He had turned their night into more than a one-night stand. It had become a romantic interlude, one she would remember for the rest of her life.

  As he carried her into the bathroom, her breasts tingled from the contact with his skin. And when he leaned down, shifting her in his arms to place her into the bubbly water, sliding her body down his, the sensations that rocketed through her almost took her breath away.

  “The water might be a little warmer than what you’re used to, but it will be good for your muscles,” he said, in a voice that let her know he, too, had been affected by the contact of their bare skin touching.

  She nodded as he placed her in the water. He was right. The water was warm, but it immediately felt good to her body. She glanced up at him as he stood beside the tub looking down at her. She tried to keep her attention on the top part of his body and not the lower part. “You seem to be good at this, Westmoreland. Is this how you treat all your virgins?”

  He chuckled and his gaze captured hers. “Believe it or not, I’ve never done a virgin before.”

  She lifted a brow. “Never?”

  His smile widened. “No. never. You’re my first, just like I was your first.”

  Jayla watched as his features shifted into a serious expression as if he had to really think about what he’d just said for a moment. “Do you need my help?” he asked her.

  She shook her head. “No, I can manage. Thanks.”

  He nodded. “Call me when you’re ready to get out.”

  She smiled. “Storm, really, I can manage things.”