Retrograde (Galaxy)

by Desiree Holt

  “Goodnight, Viper. See you tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait,” he joked.

  Then he was gone.

  She looked at Blaze when he walked back into the room.

  “I’m guessing you’re breaking some kind of unwritten rule.”

  Peyton hadn’t realized how tired she was, or how tense her muscles still were, until after Viper left and Blaze locked up for the night.

  When he turned off the last of the lights except the nightlight in the kitchen and the lamps in the bedroom, she grinned.

  “I take it I’m spending the night?”

  He stopped, studying her face. “Is that a problem? I thought—”

  “Just yanking your chain,” she told him, curving her lips in a smile. “No problem at all. But I could definitely use a shower.”

  “Right this way.”

  He took her hand in his large one. It had the double effect of sending flashes of heat through her system as well as making her feel secure. He led her up the stairs, through a large bedroom and into a bathroom that had her drooling the minute she stepped into it. Big didn’t begin to describe it. Against one wall was a clawfoot tub with all the fancy gadgets. A vanity ran along one wall and opposite the tub was a glassed-in shower that Peyton thought was big enough to hold a dance.

  “Soap in the little niche in the middle. Sorry I don’t have shampoo. I don’t want anyone I bring here to think they can get comfortable, so no hair dryer either.” Blaze pointed to the wall closest to the shower and grinned. “But I do have heated towel bars.”

  She knew it was unreasonable for a little thrill of satisfaction to run through her at his statement, but there it was. She smiled at him.

  “I can rough it. I can do anything as long as I can step into that shower. After everything we’ve discovered so far, I need a shower in the worst way.”

  He pulled loose her ponytail holder, letting her hair cascade to her shoulders, and ran his fingers through it.

  “We’ll just make do.” He touched his lips to hers for a quick moment. “Want me to set this all up for you, or…”

  “Or?”

  “I could, uh, help you with your shower.”

  Peyton looked up at him, reading in his eyes the same things she was feeling.

  “I think I could use some help. Besides…” She licked her lower lip and was rewarded with the tightening of his entire body.

  “Besides?”

  “I thought maybe you’d like a shower, too.”

  He studied her face, as if he could look through her eyes, deep inside her, and read what was going on in her mind.

  “Just to be clear. We do this, I don’t think there’s any going back. I should probably keep my mouth shut, but I’ve never had a woman hit me this way. It’s all in or nothing.”

  “I’d never settle for nothing,” she whispered.

  “Good. That’s good.”

  He unbuttoned her shirt with slow movements of his fingers, all the while keeping his gaze locked to hers. He tugged the tails from her slacks and brushed the fabric off her shoulders and down her arms. He dropped his gaze to the swell of her breasts, sucking in a breath before swiping his tongue across both mounds. Just that brief touch made her tremble and her legs feel unsteady.

  “I’m not going to rush this.” His voice had deepened and now had a rough edge to it. “Just so you know.”

  He molded his hands around her breasts, squeezing the plump flesh with a gentle movement. When he reached behind her and unfastened her bra, she let her arms fall to her sides so he could tug her bra straps down and toss the garment to the side. She had to clutch his forearms to steady herself as he lowered his head to suck one nipple, then the other. Little nips with his teeth, tugs with his lips, swirls with his tongue. Deep inside the wet heat of her sex, a craving set up that thundered through her with the force of a drum.

  What the hell? So she hadn’t had sex for a while. She’d always been able to do without it when she wanted to. As long as she had her hand and her toys, she didn’t need anyone else.

  She thought.

  Just Blaze’s light touch on her body had set every pulse thrumming and a need, a craving, racing wildly through her body. She wanted him inside her. His cock. His fingers. His tongue. His…

  Holy Jesus, Peyton. Slow it down.

  But she didn’t seem able to. While he was tonguing each nipple and scraping the tips with his teeth, she tugged his soft-collar shirt from his jeans. Pulling it free of his waistband, she shoved it upward until he released his hold on her long enough to get the shirt over his head and toss it to the side.

  Oh, god, his chest.

  Peyton smoothed her hands over it, feeling the tickle of the rough chest hair and the pucker of the flat nipples. She was sure she could do this endlessly, if not for the fact she could hardly wait for the two of them to get naked. She didn’t ever remember being this turned on by a man, this hungry, no, ravenous for his touch.

  She unfastened his jeans, her knuckles coming into contact with an erection that made her suck in her breath.

  Holy shit!

  She pushed both his jeans and his boxer briefs down past his hips and wrapped her fingers around his cock, squeezing and stroking at the same time.

  “Easy there.” The rough edge of his voice let her know he was just as affected by what was happening as she was. “Let’s not get to the end before we’ve barely got past the beginning.”

  She looked up at him, seeing a muscle twitch in his jaw even as hunger burned in his eyes. And she couldn’t help it. She gave that rigid shaft another squeeze. Then she released it, lowering her hand and letting the tips of her fingers drift over his balls. She wasn’t by any means a passive partner when it came to sex, but with Blaze she was driven by such a high degree of hunger and need that she didn’t even know where it came from. She hadn’t even known the man for twenty-four hours, and look at her.

  She didn’t care. He wanted her and she wanted him and blazing between them was the ‘something special’ she’d heard other women talk about but had never felt.

  “Let’s get in the shower and slow this down a little.”

  As if.

  But Peyton took a deep breath and tried to settle herself. She skinned out of her jeans and bikinis while Blaze kicked his own jeans and boxer briefs aside. He opened the shower door and, as he reached in to turn on the water, adjusting the rain shower heads, she took a moment to study his lean, muscular body. Yum, she thought. All she wanted to do was run her hands over every delicious inch of him.

  Well, no, that wasn’t exactly all she wanted to do.

  He turned his head, gave her a flash of that devastating grin and held out his hand. “It’s ready. Come on in. The water’s fine.”

  She stepped into the big glass enclosure, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as the gentle kiss of the warm rain shower skimmed over her body. Blaze closed the door and adjusted the spray so that it flowed easily over her. Cradling her head in his palms, he lowered his mouth to hers, the pressure just firm enough to send little showers of sparks cascading through her. Just that simple contact was so erotic that every bit of her body responded, nipples hardening to an almost painful point, her sex throbbing with desperate need.

  Then he lifted his lips from her, gently swiped his tongue over them and grabbed a dispenser from the built-in tiny alcove. He squeezed a heavy dose of the shower wash into his palm and backed her up to the wall.

  “Just relax,” he coaxed. “Let me make you feel good.”

  She had to admit that making her feel good was exactly what he did. His hands, lathered with the soap, coasted over her body, squeezing her shoulders and sliding down her arms. His touch was featherlight and made every inch of her skin sizzle. She wanted him to go faster, but she also wanted him to slow down so she could enjoy every second to its maximum.

  Blaze moved her so she leaned against the wall, glad for the support, because her legs were already weak and shaky. Closing her eyes, she let hers
elf fall into the soothing movement of his hands. His fingers danced over her collarbone and down through the valley between her breasts. He traced light circles around them before capturing the tips and gently squeezing them. A light pinch, but flame shot straight through her body to her sex, which was already throbbing with an insistent demand for satisfaction.

  He was equally gentle as he moved his hands down over the slight curve of her belly until he reached the top of her mound. She had expected him to be somewhat rough, to have a heavy hand, but instead his caress was tantalizingly light. Teasing. The sensation was hot and so very sexy. It made her weak at the knees and hungry for more.

  When he slid his hand away, she moaned a protest.

  “More, please.”

  “Like this?” His voice was right at her ear, the feather of his breath tickling her. He slid one finger between her folds and found her clit, scraping it with his fingernail.

  Peyton sucked in a breath and tried to clench her thighs around his hand, but he moved it away.

  “Yes. Like that. Do it again.”

  He nudged her thighs apart and eased his hand back and forth through her wet slit. Wet, she knew, from more than the shower water. Pressing his mouth to hers, he slid his tongue inside while immersing his finger in her warmth. He added another and she moaned. When he began moving those fingers in a slow, smooth, in-and-out movement, she had to clutch his upper arms to steady herself because she wasn’t sure her shaky legs would support her.

  She tried to push herself down on his fingers and urge him to go faster and deeper, but he seemed determined to keep things at the slow pace he’d set, knowing it was tormenting her. He was taking her slowly up that erotic slope, drawing her close to the top but not letting her get there yet.

  He never varied the rhythm of his strokes and the steady friction of them created a tension deep inside her, the genesis of an orgasm. It began to spread through her body, a rhythmic thrumming that surged into the core of her sex. When she clamped down on him and tried to ride those flexible, talented fingers, he laughed in her ear, a low, deep sound that only ramped up the desire bursting inside her.

  Without moving his hand or interrupting the rhythm, he slid his lips over her cheek and along her jaw until he reached her earlobe, which he nibbled on with tiny bites. Her inner muscles clenched over his fingers and she tried again to ride them. But as soon as she did, he eased his fingers from her body, eliciting a cry of protest from her.

  “Ssh, ssh, shh.” He breathed it into her ear. “We have a long way to go.”

  I’m going to kill him. That is if I don’t explode first.

  He turned her unprotesting body so she faced the tiled wall and placed her hands over her head, palms against the tiles. In the next moment, she felt those strong hands kneading the tense muscles of her shoulders and her upper arms. She was sure she could stand here and let him do this forever if her body wasn’t sending her other urgent messages.

  When she hummed her satisfaction, he swept her hair to one side, placed an open-mouthed kiss on her neck then gave it a gentle bite. A shiver raced over her that had nothing to do with the water.

  “Feel good?”

  He nibbled his way across her shoulders then ran the tip of one finger down her spine. Before she could organize her brain enough to answer him, he slipped that finger gently between the cheeks of her ass and glided it over the puckered opening.

  She was sure her groan of pleasure was the answer he was looking for.

  But then, just as easily, he slid the finger lower and stroked her inner thighs, first one, then the other. She tried to push back at him, signaling just where she wanted him to move his hand, but again he laughed softly and bit her earlobe.

  God!

  What was happening here? She was never turned on this fast. Never. Oh, she liked to think of herself as responsive, but holy damn! She’d met this man less than two days ago and she was ready to climb up his body and impale herself on his very impressive cock.

  Without warning, he turned her to face him again, cradled her face in his hands and took her mouth in a kiss so voracious it stole every bit of her breath. His tongue swept inside, dueling with hers, tasting every inch of her mouth. When she closed her teeth gently over his tongue, his moan vibrated through her body. With obvious reluctance, he pulled his head back.

  “Jesus! You are…incredible.”

  “You, too,” she whispered.

  He adjusted the shower head so it sprayed directly on her, washing away the soap he’d lathered all over her body. Isn’t he going to finish what he started? She could hardly stand up, she was so ready to explode.

  Without saying another word, he nudged her legs apart and slid his fingers into her again.

  Oh, thank god!

  She closed her eyes, ready to give herself over to what was building.

  “Look at me, Peyton,” he growled. “Open your eyes.”

  When she did, she saw a hunger burning in his that matched her own. Whatever he saw in hers, he increased the rhythm and pressure of his strokes. More. Harder. Faster. He curled his fingers at just the right angle to increase her need. She dug her fingers into his arms, holding on for dear life as the orgasm raced up from inside her and exploded with incredible force.

  Her inner walls clamped down on his fingers inside her at the pressure of his thumb on her clit, and she rode them with a fierce fury as she spasmed again and again. He kept up the steady movement until the last tremor subsided and she collapsed against him, unable to stand by herself anymore.

  “Easy,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

  He held her tightly against his big, hard body, one arm banded around her, his other hand stroking her gently as the last of the orgasm faded away.

  Peyton looked up at him, every bone in her body feeling like liquid. He cupped her jaw and pressed soft kisses to her mouth.

  “We’re not even close to being finished.” He grinned. “I hope you know that.”

  “I think I might need a minute to catch my breath.” Her laugh sounded thready even to her own ears. “And I didn’t get to take care of you.”

  “Oh, well.” His grin was lecherous. “Don’t even think we’re done here. But I don’t want you to waste your energy soaping my body. I have other uses for it.”

  He opened the shower door, lifted her out and grabbed a towel from one of the heated racks. When he had wrapped her in it securely, he sat her on a padded bench in front of the vanity. She had never felt so coddled in her life.

  “Just give me a minute. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Peyton’s laugh was unsteady. “Don’t worry. I couldn’t move if I tried.”

  What the fuck am I doing?

  It ran through Blaze’s brain in a never-ending cycle as he soaped his body and rinsed off. He should have turned the case down. His brain had kept telling him that the moment he met Peyton West. It had kept shrieking it louder and louder during the plane ride and had nearly done him in when they’d said goodbye after the meeting. And when he’d seen her today, he’d known he was going to do something he hoped he didn’t regret. He certainly couldn’t discuss it with his partners, although the way Viper had looked at him tonight, he was sure it wasn’t as hidden as he thought.

  One thing he knew for sure. Touching her body everywhere, bringing her to orgasm with his hand, beat anything he could remember since he was sixteen. She was so soft yet firm in the right places. And responsive. Holy fucking shit! He’d been determined that their shower together would be all about her, but now he was left with a boner that could poke a hole in the wall.

  And that thought made him rinse off quickly, turn off the shower and step out. Peyton was sitting on the bench where he’d placed her, still wrapped in the big towel, but she’d pulled a smaller one from a rack and was drying her hair.

  “Sorry about the lack of a dryer,” he told her again.

  “No problem. I’m good at improvising.”

  She looked at him and grinned, and every part o
f his body turned warm. He hung up his towel, lifted her to her feet and yanked hers away from her body. Just looking at her fresh from the shower, a slumberous look in her eyes from the orgasm that had raced through her body, her nipples rosy, made him want to take her right here on the tile floor. Then he told himself no. She was worth so much more than that.

  He lifted her in his arms and carried her into his bedroom, pausing only long enough to strip back the covers before placing her on the sheets. And wasn’t he just damn glad today was the housekeeper’s day and he’d had her change the sheets.

  Jesus! She looked so gorgeous in his bed, that rich chestnut hair spread out on the pillow, eyes burning with need. She ran her tongue over her lower lip, making it glisten, and desire shot straight to his balls. He knelt between her legs, bending them at the knees to give him better access, but before he could do anything, she pushed him. He was so startled, he tumbled to his side and lay there looking at her, puzzled.

  What the hell?

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Yes, it is.” She pushed herself up and moved so she was straddling his thighs. “You haven’t had your turn yet.”

  “What? Wait.” He tried to push her onto her back again. “Babe, I’m so hard and horny right now it wouldn’t take much to finish me off. And when I get there, I want to be inside you. Scratch that. I have to be inside you.”

  “Just a little taste,” she promised.

  Before he could say or do anything else, she wrapped her slim fingers around his aching shaft and slid them softly from root to tip and back again. He sucked in a breath at her touch, gritting his teeth to maintain some thread of control. Her hand on him just felt so fucking good.

  But then she swiped her tongue over the head, gently probing the opening with the tip, and he nearly lost it. He had to fist his hands to hold himself together and keep from coming right then and there.

  Peyton licked the soft velvety tip even as she stroked up and down again. He was so hard it was almost painful, but he reached for that famous SEAL control, because he wanted her to do this forever.