by Katy Kaylee
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Hmm?” I said, looking up at him.
“You were sighing, and you had a look on your face that made it seem like you were in pain.”
I was going to have to do better at hiding my thoughts. “I’m fine.”
We walked back to the car. As promised, Jax made a few phone calls until he found a pizza place willing to deliver the long distance. He had to add a hefty tip and reassured the manager he didn’t expect the pizza to be hot. “I prefer cold pizza anyway,” I told him when he hung up the phone.
“I know,” he replied.
We got back to our room, both of us exhausted after the long day of walking. It felt good to be tired. We’d accomplished a lot, and I was really excited for the actual photoshoot. I walked into the bathroom, preparing to take a shower, when an idea sprang to mind. I knew being with him like we were, far away from reality, was only to be for a very short time. I wanted to make the most of it. I wanted to play up the fantasy that we were a couple, happily committed. I stripped off my clothes, put my hair up in a loose bun on top of my head, and wrapped one of the slightly yellowed white robes around my body.
I walked into the room. Jax was sitting at the table, scribbling notes on a pad with one hand while scrolling through the images I had sent him from the camera. He was completely focused on the task. I took a second to admire his profile and hated the feeling that bloomed in my heart when I looked at him like that.
Putting my shoulders back and my chin up, I sauntered toward the ugly jetted tub and turned on the water, carefully bending over to avoid losing my robe before I was ready. Jax’s head popped up. When he saw me, his eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to take a bath,” I said casually.
His eyes dropped to the towel before meeting mine again. I turned, giving him my back as I bent over, sticking my hand under the stream of water. I turned the hot water on higher before moving to the little table where there was an assortment of half-burned candles. I started lighting the candles, one by one, moving slow and purposeful, knowing Jax was watching me. I could hear him breathing, felt his desire.
With the candles lit, I turned off the main light in the room before walking to shut off the brass fixture mounted to the wall next to the bed. The sun had faded with only the candlelight in the room. I checked the water level again.
A knock on the door completely destroyed the romantic setting I had worked hard to create. I turned to look at Jax with a scowl on my face, as if it was his fault someone had dared knock on our door.
“Pizza,” he rasped.
I grinned. “Then you better answer it.”
“Don’t you dare get in that tub yet,” he ordered, jumping up from the chair and rushing to answer the door.
I couldn’t stop smiling as he yanked the pizza from the dude’s arms, grabbed the paper bag that presumably held the beer he’d begged to be delivered, and tossed several twenty-dollar bills at the guy before kicking the door closed. I put my fingers over my mouth, trying to hold back the snickers as he dropped the pizza on the table, kicking off his shoes at the same time as he dug into the paper bag and pulled out two bottles of Heineken.
His eyes darted around the room, presumably looking for a bottle opener. He gave up and used the edge of the old, scarred table to pop the lids off the bottles. He closed his eyes and took a long drink before looking at me. I raised one eyebrow, quietly asking him if he was ready.
“Go. I’m ready,” he answered.
I reached for the belt on the robe and untied it, letting it fall open before sauntering toward him. I could feel the cool breeze wafting over my exposed skin and between my legs. I reached for the beer and took a long drink before putting it on the table and walking back to the tub. With my back to him, I dropped the robe, letting it pool at my feet. I heard his sharp intake of breath and slowly turned around, giving him a full-frontal view.
“Fuck me. You are stunning in every way,” he breathed out.
I stepped into the tub, sinking down in the hot water and closing my eyes. It felt glorious. I heard cursing and what sounded like something falling. I opened my eyes and saw Jax yanking off his clothes with lightning speed before dropping them where he was. He strutted across the room, gloriously naked, then stepped into the tub.
I scooted forward, making room for his large body to slide in behind me before settling between his legs. I leaned back against his bare chest as his arms came around me. “Good?” I asked him.
“So good.”
“Do you take baths often?” I teased.
He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest and against my bare back. “I can’t say that I do. I’ve been in a hot tub, but never one in the shape of a heart.”
His wet hands slid over my water-slickened skin. I watched them move over my body, covering my breasts and gently squeezing. I leaned my head back to rest against his shoulder, completely content to let his hands wander where they wished. His mouth dropped to my neck. He gently nibbled on my flesh, sucking it between his teeth before he dropped and moved on to a fresh spot. I had a sudden understanding of why women craved vampire love. The suction from Jax’s mouth on my sensitive, exposed flesh was making me hot and extremely bothered.
I moaned when he increased the suction. I knew there would be a mark and didn’t care. It felt too good. His hands continued to massage my breasts, his fingers pinching and tweaking my nipples, creating a delicious sensation of pain and pleasure all in one.
He was making my body sing with his gentle caresses sliding over my skin. When his hands slid down my waist, his own legs widening and making room for me to open my thighs, my body began to vibrate with pleasure. He had a magic touch. It was as if he knew exactly what I needed to reach maximum arousal. His fingers scraped over my folds submerged in the hot water. It was hot and wet, no match for the burning already glowing inside me.
His finger probed my opening, touching my core and sending out beautiful shivers of ecstasy over my body. I could feel his erection pressed against my lower back. I let my eyes fall closed, letting him completely hypnotize me with what he was doing to my body. I could smell the faint scent of vanilla rising from the scented candles burning around the room. The sweet smell was making me heady combined with the hot water and his touch.
“I’m ready,” I whispered, knowing he could feel how ready I was.
“Not yet.”
I pulled away from him, sliding forward before turning around to face him. I hooked my legs over his, sliding my butt across the tub until I locked myself against him. The roomy tub was perfect for the two of us to have a little love play without the confines of a standard narrow tub. I was going to enjoy the luxury of the ridiculous heart-shaped tub.
I reached for him, pulling his mouth to mine and kissing him deeply. It was a slow, erotic kiss full of promise for the coming hours. I felt like we were on the same page, ready to take our time and drag out what could very well be our last night together. I didn’t know what our future held, but I wanted to make the night special, just in case it would be my last memory of us together like a real couple.
Our slick, heated bodies slid against each other, my breasts pushed against his bare chest as his arms wrapped around me, holding me close against him. If felt so good, so right in my arms and between my legs. I wanted the night to last forever. I wanted to stay in the tacky, dated hotel room and forget all about the world back home.
21
JAX
She felt so right in my arms. It was as if her body was designed to match perfectly to mine. The other piece of my heart was locked inside that body that fit so well into mine. I held her close, kissing her deeply as her body melded with mine. I could hear and smell her arousal. She was close with just a few strokes between her legs. I could feel her body vibrating against mine and sensed her release was close.
I ran my hands down her sides, thankful for the extra-wide tub that gave us enough room for a little
action. I put my hands on her hips and gently lifted her until I could position her over my hard cock. I lowered her body onto mine, the hot water making everything far more intense. I pushed inside her. She felt tighter, hotter than usual. I dropped my head back, fighting for control. I didn’t want to be a minute man with her, but damn, she was making me crazy.
“Oh god,” she whispered, her mouth hovering above mine.
“Ride me,” I ordered.
“You feel so good inside me,” she breathed, sliding down my cock until the backs of her thighs were resting against mine.
The tub was wide but filled, creating a bit of a water hazard. She began a slow rocking motion, the water ebbing and flowing over my chest as I sank lower into the tub. The feeling of the water sluicing around me combined with the heat and warmth of her squeezing me between her legs was stealing away that resolve I had been fighting to hold on to.
I dropped her hip, reaching up and grabbing the back of her neck to yank her mouth closer to mine so I could ravish her. I swallowed her moan, holding on to her as she increased the pace. Water began to splash, hitting high on the edge of the tub as her body rocked against mine with more speed and force. Her mouth tore away from mine, her head dropping back as she looked up at the ceiling and cried out, her body flooding mine with heat as she reached her climax. I thrust once, letting her ride me before I sat up, water sliding down my skin as I held her close to me.
“Bed,” I whispered, my body aching with need.
She pulled back, dropping a small kiss on my lips before disentangling from me and climbing out of the tub. She handed a towel to me before quickly toweling off herself. She dropped her towel to the floor before grabbing my hand and leading me to the bed. I was happy to follow her anywhere.
“Lie down,” she whispered, somewhat nervously.
I sat down on the edge of the bed before scooting up on the pillows, one arm folded behind my head as I stared at her glorious, naked body. It was a view I could absolutely get into seeing on a regular basis.
“You going to stand there looking at me all night, or do you plan on sliding that perfect ass up here?” I asked with a cocky smile.
“Oh, I’m going to get up there all right, but first, there has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” she murmured, her eyes staring at my erection still standing strong.
I flinched, suspecting I knew what she was going to do and not sure I would survive it. I watched, unable to move or barely breathe as she crawled onto the bed on all fours, her breasts hanging over my thighs before she dropped down. She reached for my swollen cock and gently caressed it in a fist.
“Penny,” I hissed a second before she lowered her head. The second her mouth closed over the head of my cock, I forgot my own name.
She bobbed up and down, her hot mouth covering me and wrapping me in ecstasy. It was better than any fantasy I could have conjured on my own. It was everything and more, and I was on the verge of exploding in her mouth.
“Babe, I can’t hold on,” I grunted.
She looked up at me, my cock still in her mouth, her cherry-red lips wrapped around me. I had to close my eyes. The sight was the most erotic thing I had ever seen and had nearly been my undoing. It was too much. I roared, sitting forward, grabbing her under her arms and pulling her body up mine before rolling her to her back in one swift move. I buried myself inside her with one long, hard thrust, pushing myself back into the warmth of her body.
I would have loved to have dragged out the act, spent more time inside her tight little body, but my own body had other plans. I had been in a state of arousal all day. The picnic, the bath, and all the foreplay were more than one man could handle. The second I felt her first contraction, squeezing me deeper inside her body, I was lost.
We both cried out. Her words were incoherent, mine were curses. Her arms and legs held me close to her body as we bucked and grunted like rutting animals in the night. When I felt as if she had wrung the last drop from me, I collapsed beside her, my arm flung across her chest.
“Wow,” she whispered.
I groaned, so completely sated I could barely keep my eyes open. “Wow is right.”
“Are you cold?” I asked, my words a little slurred.
“No. Stay right where you are. Keep me warm with your boy,” she breathed.
“I won’t move. I’ll hold you all night, just like this,” I promised, my words soft as we both fell into a state of supreme relaxation and exhaustion after our long day of hiking.
I listened to the sound of her breathing slow and knew she had fallen asleep. I rolled to my back, tugging her sleeping figure against my side with my arm protectively around her. There was a chill in the air, but I was afraid to move again. I used the time awake to think about everything. I had been in love with Penny for almost as long as I could remember. There’d always been something between us, but after that night in her dorm room, I had known for sure. I loved her.
I blamed love for making some of the worst decisions of my entire life. I had reacted horribly to the realization that I loved her. No normal person would have set out to destroy the person they loved. I had fucked up bad, but there was nothing I could do to change the past. I could change my future if I played my cards right. I could convince her I was good for her that I wasn’t that stupid kid I had been three and a half years ago. I had changed, evolved, and grown surer of myself. I wasn’t scared of what it meant to love her. I wasn’t afraid to love her. That was the biggest difference between then and now.
The cold had kept me awake long enough. I used my foot to pull the blanket folded at the end of the bed up to my hand. From there, I very awkwardly managed to spread it over the two of us before finally settling into a deep sleep with her curled against me. The feeling was so peaceful. It felt so right. I wanted to know that same feeling for the rest of my days. Now, I only had to convince her she wanted it too.
The next morning, we took our time packing our things. I knew I was certainly in no hurry to get back to the real world. I liked the idea of me and her being all alone with no interruptions. We checked out, thanking the hostess for a pleasant stay before climbing into my car.
“Did you sleep all right?” I asked her, putting on my sunglasses.
She smiled. “I did. You?”
I nodded, putting the car into gear and heading out of the parking lot. “I almost don’t want to leave.”
She let out a long sigh. “Me either. If only there weren’t jobs and adulting to return to.”
I chuckled, knowing exactly how she felt and happy to know she wasn’t looking forward to leaving our little love nest either. It gave me hope she was ready and willing to try a real relationship with me. It would be uncharted territory for me, but I was willing to learn how to be a good boyfriend. I was willing to do just about anything to have her for my own.
Once I hit the highway, I reached over and grabbed her hand, needing that connection to her. “I had a really good time this weekend.”
“So did I. Thanks for bringing me along. I think we got a lot of ideas and have found the perfect location for the shoot.”
“I wasn’t talking about the work side of things. I’m glad our mission was successful, but it was spending time with you that made it amazing,” I told her, needing her to know how I felt, even if I couldn’t say the other things I was feeling.
“I know,” she replied.
I accepted her answer. She wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened. We both knew it was more than just sex. I had seen it in the way she looked at me, felt it in the way she kissed me and held me after we’d orgasmed. I committed myself to proving to her I was a changed man. I knew we had a busy schedule in front of us, but I wasn’t going to lose the ground I had gained on my inroad back into her life.
I dropped her off at her place, hoping she would invite me in. When she didn’t, I tried not to take it personally. She was probably tired. We parted ways with a single chaste kiss with the standard “see you tomorrow”
line. I drove home, thinking about what my future could be like if I played my cards right. If I could convince Penny to give me another chance, I just might get the thing I had been longing for—love. True love with a woman I wanted to have children with and grow old with.
I grimaced thinking about Chance. The first hurdle was Penny, the second was Chance. I had a feeling he was going to be a lot tougher to deal with. I wouldn’t be able to use sex to woo him. I was probably going to have to let him hit me at least once. I wasn’t looking forward to the idea, but if that’s what it took to get Penny, I would do it. Hell, my nose had already been broken once. How bad could it be to have it broken again? A little pain for a huge reward was worth it in my eyes.
22
PENNY
I groaned, resting my arms on the toilet seat, one hand holding back my hair as I hung my face over the toilet bowl. My stomach was angry. So very angry. I was never going to eat a bagel again. I pushed away from the toilet and slowly got to my feet, leaning my back against the door. I stared down at the toilet bowl, debating whether or not it was safe to leave the stall. I couldn’t blame the bagel. Yesterday it had been yogurt. The day before that, it had been oatmeal. I clearly had caught a bug, and it was kicking my butt.
Chance used to laugh at me and claimed I had an iron gut. I could eat anything and not get sick. Even when both of us had the flu at the same time, I could always talk myself out of vomiting. That resolve had evaporated. I had no control over my revolting stomach. I blamed the sketchy pizza leftovers I had eaten on Saturday. I always followed the three-day rule and tossed out any leftovers after three days, but Saturday I’d been starving and the Hawaiian pizza sitting in my fridge looked so good. Now I was paying the price for three minutes’ worth of pizza.
It felt like the moment had passed. I opened the stall door and walked out, finding Carolina standing at the sink, putting on a fresh smear of lipstick. I smiled, hoping I didn’t look as horrible as I felt, and turned on the water.