by J. M. Madden
Then he was between her thighs, looking down at her glistening folds. She went in for a wax every few weeks and she was due to go, but the hair was fine and golden now. He didn’t seem to mind as he lowered his head. “Spread your thighs,” he ordered.
Face burning, she did as she was told, propping her heels near her hips and dropping her knees open. Then, quivering with excitement, she waited. And waited.
Jess had just started to lift her head when she felt his tongue glide up her center, and away.
“Oh…” she breathed.
Then her breath hitched, because he swept through again. This time, though, he paused to pay attention to her clit. The warm, liquid feel of his tongue sweeping around and around that pleasure point was enough to arch her off the bed. The feel of his beard whiskers could have been too much, but they were a perfect counterpoint to the soft warmth of his tongue. Then he did something, and the broad feel of his tongue narrowed to a fine point. Lowering his body over her thighs, he parted her folds with his hand and stroked with his tongue.
Jess lost track of everything except the feel of his talented mouth. He settled to one side and just did little teasing, rhythmic strokes, but it was enough to send her over the edge. Crying out, Jess convulsed on the bed, her vision going dark. Paul still held her thighs, so she really had nowhere to go, and he didn’t leave once the orgasm quieted in her body. No, he started tonguing her again, this time lapping at the moisture released from her body. Somehow, it felt like he lengthened his tongue, guiding it inside her, then out, up around her clit and back down. That wild heat built again, and she couldn’t get away from him.
Then he paused, and she felt a delicious suction against her body. It felt like the pleasure building in her body was all being pulled to that point, building into a frenetic storm. Ecstasy unlike anything she’d ever experienced before crashed over her, and she lost all sense of herself. She didn’t feel the cool room, or Paul’s beard on her sensitive skin. All she felt was a burning, tingling rapture that swallowed her down.
When she could finally open her eyes, she found Paul propped over top of her. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” she breathed, feeling languid and sated.
“Good.”
Then he glided the entire length of his cock into her body.
Jess cried out in surprised pleasure and lifted her knees. The fullness was a completely different sensation from what he’d done before, and it was a little shocking. Yes, she’d known he was big from seeing him in the shower, but it hadn’t occurred to her that he would be too much.
No, she decided as he began to move, he was just right.
Paul’s brilliant eyes drifted closed as he sought his pleasure in her body. His lips peeled back from his teeth in a pained grimace, like the pleasure was too sharp, but he sped up. Even though she’d just been thoroughly satisfied, Jess felt her own pleasure begin to build again. Reaching up for his face, she kissed him, open-mouthed and hungry. But he turned away.
“Don’t,” he admonished. “I love your mouth. You’ll make me come too soon.”
The admission startled Jess, then intrigued her. Before she could think better of it, she kissed him again, licking deep into his mouth. Their teeth clicked once, then they turned their heads a little more and found the perfect position.
Oh, she wanted to be held by this man, and kept. And kissed. And fucked.
A tremor rippled through his body and his arm quivered. Pulling away from her mouth, he braced above her again, trying to maintain control. Jess looked down the length of their bodies to watch him slide into her. It was so damned erotic.
“I love the sight of you sinking into me, Paul. Can you go harder?”
Gaze flaring with arousal, he pounded into her faster and more forcefully than before. “Touch yourself, Jess. I want to feel you come on my cock.”
Reaching down, she found her clit, and it was so sensitized. She just barely touched it a couple of times with her fingertip, and she was done. The release rolled over her, so strong this time that it clamped her still for a long moment, then she convulsed, clenching around him so tightly.
That was all Paul needed, because he stilled above her, and Jess could feel the pulses of his release. Then he bucked into her, harder than before, his body lost to uncontrollable movement as his orgasm played out. He hissed in pleasure, and Jess wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he collapsed on top of her.
Paul shifted and tried to move, but Jess held him still. “You’re fine. Let’s catch our breath for a minute.”
That seemed fine to him, because he dropped his head next to hers on the mattress and panted into her ear.
Jess relished the feeling of his breath tickling the hair there. She wasn’t sure why she liked it, just that she did. Was it because he was absolutely wiped out, and she’d made him lose control? Or was it just because she loved the interaction between the two of them? Maybe it was just enough to know that she loved it.
Eventually, Paul caught his breath and shifted to the edge of the bed, looking at her around his shoulder. “I think that’s the best sex I’ve had in two years.”
Jess snorted, shifting onto her side and propping her head on her hand. His gaze roved down her body, then back up to linger on her breasts. “The best sex or the only sex?”
Paul grinned rakishly. “Well, it’s kind of the same, right?”
Laughing, she twisted into a stretch, feeling muscles she hadn’t used herself in a while.
“God, woman, you’re killing me,” he said, and headed for the bathroom. The shower started and she grinned. Back where they began. Grabbing two towels from the cupboard, she followed him.
16
"Here are the top three candidates. Dr. Petrilli also looked over the resumes, and we each settled on one as a favorite. The choice is completely up to you, though.”
Paul looked at the file Jane set on the desk in front of him. “What is this for?”
Jane gave him an odd look. “The nanny position? You had me interview them for you last week when you were out, remember?”
Um, no. “Of course. It just slipped my mind.”
That sounded stupid. Finding a nanny had literally been at the top of his list for the past month, ever since he’d decided caring for an emotional, traumatized child was not a one-man job. He- they- needed long-term help.
The past couple of days he’d been in a sensual fog, if there was such a thing. Once he and Jess had slept together the first time, it was like they had thrown the floodgates wide. They fucked every chance they got. They even took some chances when they shouldn’t have, like this morning. He couldn’t remember what exactly she’d been bent over doing, but Paul’s need had risen, sharp and hard, as he’d stared at her pert ass. Checking to make sure Hope was not in eyeshot, he reached beneath the short dress thing Jess had been wearing and ran his finger down the gusset of her panties. Jess had gasped and gone still, allowing him to touch her. Within seconds, the cloth of her panties were wet as her body readied for him. Before she could protest, he’d grabbed her hand to drag her to his bedroom, telling Hope Jess was going to help him with his prosthetic or some shit. He’d taken her into the bathroom, turned on the fan to muffle their noise, and bent her over the counter, where he’d fucked her till she clamped down around his cock with release.
Last night she’d shown him exactly how limber she was as she rode him, her breasts bouncing high as she teased him to the edge, over and over again, then pulling away and not letting him come. Jess could read the way his body moved and reacted better than anyone ever had before. She could feel by the movement of his body, when his orgasm was approaching, and she would back off or slow down her own movements. The really fucked up part was that she’d worked herself to orgasm several times already, leaving him hungry. Thinking back, Paul knew that he would have done the same — made sure she’d come first before taking his own pleasure — but he’d given her the control that night. Finally, finally, she’d leaned down and kisse
d the fuck out of him as she ground down. Her kisses were like a shot straight to his cock, and he orgasmed so hard spots danced in his vision. It was the best orgasm he’d ever had.
Jessamy Swan was going to ruin him when she left.
And now he had to pick her replacement. Knowing Jane, any of these three would be perfect for the job.
Paul flipped the folder open. A slightly older woman stared back. She had iron gray hair and warm hazel eyes. He couldn’t really see how she was dressed, but he could see the kind smile on her face. Obviously, this was the one that they’d chosen.
He looked over her stats, and she sounded perfect. The job she’d just left in LA had been because the kids were old enough to care for themselves on their own, without supervision. Plus, she was local to San Diego, so she wouldn’t necessarily have to live in-house.
“Is she available for an interview?”
Jane cocked her head at him. “Have you been reading any of my emails? You have an appointment with her in thirty minutes.”
What the hell. “I’m sorry, Jane. We’ve had a lot going on recently.”
“I am aware. Does your distraction have anything to do with the young woman that came in with you the night you were attacked?”
Incredibly, he could feel himself flush with embarrassment. Jane smiled knowingly. “I thought so. No wonder you don’t want me to find her replacement.”
Paul clenched his jaw. “I have to find a replacement. She’s leaving the country soon.”
Jane gave him a sad smile. “You’d better start sweet-talking, then. I saw how that child was interacting with her. Hope has been like this little lost ghost haunting the halls around here. That was the first time I’ve seen her actually interacting and animated.”
“I know,” Paul sighed, “but we knew going in that Jess was short term. She has plans, and I don’t think we’re going to be able to change her mind.”
“You won’t know if you don’t try.” Jane crossed to his office door. “I’ll let you know when Mrs. Brown gets here.”
“Hey, Jane,” he said, before she could slip out. “Thank you for making me look like I have my shit together.”
She laughed, stepped out, and closed the door behind her.
Thirty minutes later, Paul let the woman into his office for her interview. She was as perfect as Jane had thought. Maybe even more so, because she had grandkids Hope’s age. Since she and her family lived locally, there was a very real possibility that her grandkids could go to school with Hope.
Before the woman left the office, Paul set up a time when she could come out to the house and meet Hope, two days hence. That would give him time to get the rest of the interviews out of the way. Paul had an instinctive feeling he’d just found Hope’s nanny, though.
Two more interviewees came through his office that day. They were just as qualified as Mrs. Brown, but they didn’t have the natural warmth that had exuded from the first woman. Paul tried to be open-minded, but it was difficult.
Jane had already run background checks on all the applicants, but he knew without looking that Mrs. Brown had no criminal record. She wasn’t the type.
The thought of telling Jess that he’d found her replacement put a knot in his stomach. Realistically, he’d known from the beginning that it was going to happen, but things were different now. Actually, things were different with Hope and Paul. Their feelings had changed. Jess still maintained her course, and planned to leave by the coming Friday. So, they had three days left with her.
They needed to make sure that Hope wasn’t expecting Jess to stay. That would be a miracle, but it wasn’t going to happen.
Paul needed time to convince her to stay, but he wasn’t going to get it. In the back of his mind, he’d thought that maybe if they were so incredible in bed together, she wouldn’t leave, but every once in a while he would catch this look in her eye, like it was going to hurt to leave him. But she had the determination to do it.
That night as they ate dinner on the patio, Paul brought up the subject of the nanny. “I interviewed a woman today for the nanny position and I really liked her. Mrs. Brown is a grandmother, and she has family in the area. She’s coming out on Wednesday to meet you, Hope.”
Hope blinked and stopped mid-chew. She swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. The feel of the night changed with her growing anxiety. His gaze collided with Jess’s, and her expression told him how hard this was going to be.
“Hope, look at me.” He waited until she looked up at him, tears swimming in her eyes. “You knew that Ms. Jess was going to be short term. She has another job lined up next week.”
“And you know I’ll keep in contact, baby,” Jess said, leaning across the table to take her hand. “We’re going to go see Dawn tomorrow, remember? I don’t stay with her anymore, but I still keep in touch.”
“I know,” she cried, “but I need you more. She has a mom and dad. I don’t.”
Paul knew this would come up. And it was easy to tell the girl not to get attached, but she was a child. She couldn’t separate her emotions like that.
“That’s my birthday wish,” she said truculently, looking up at Jess and Paul defiantly. “I want Jess to stay here.”
Paul looked at Jess, wondering how they were going to get out of this mess. His daughter meant the world to him, and if there was a way he could make Jess stay with the family, he would.
“It doesn’t work like that, sprite,” he said softly.
Without saying a word, Hope jumped down from the table and ran into the house, Sophie jogging along behind her.
There was a yawning silence after she left, and he looked at Jess. “What do I do for her?”
Sighing, she shook her head, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “I suppose she’ll just have to learn that she can’t have everything she wants.”
“I don’t want her to slip into the fugue state she was in before. I just found my little girl, Jess.”
Her face fell. “I know, Paul. This is always the hardest part. And there’s never a good way to say goodbye. Plus, this situation is a little different. Usually, I’m helping a family waiting for a loved one to return from overseas. Maybe it was a mistake for me to come into the house, knowing that she would be vulnerable and looking for a mother figure.”
“What is your next job? Can Carolina delay it?”
She cocked her head. “I’m actually not going to a job. I’m joining a friend in Italy for a concert he’s taking part in.”
Paul knew his face closed down. She was leaving them to go meet a man. “Glad to know my retainer will be put to good use.”
She gave him a chiding look. “It will be. Thank you for paying it. Paul, I don’t want to waste my last few days being at cross purposes with you.”
He sighed, looking out at the setting sun. “I know. I just…”
Paul swallowed down the words he wanted to say. Even if he told her he loved her, he doubted she would stay. She’d never believe him, not after that scene with Hope. She’d been very clear on not wanting a family like she’d grown up in, and it would be too convenient to ask her to stay. What an emotional wreck they were. “Have you ever been in love, Jessamy?”
Jess blinked, obviously shocked. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. “I… don’t think so.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “I know you don’t want the responsibility of a family, but you should keep your options open. If you don’t, I’m afraid you’re going to end up a lonely shell of yourself, gallivanting around the globe and having half-relationships.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed. “Noted,” she said softly, and pushed her chair back.
Paul watched her walk into the house, wondering if he would wake tomorrow and she’d be gone.
Jess didn’t like feeling like she was disappointing people. And she didn’t enjoy hurting. It was hard enough coming in, getting attached, and having to leave. Yes, she told herself over and over again to maintain distance, but there was no way
a person could when they were in this position.
Paul had wanted to tell her something, and she had an inkling what it was, but he hadn’t articulated what she thought she’d seen in his eyes recently. Maybe if he had…
No, she had plans that couldn’t be changed.
She would be breaking a little girl’s heart, though. Maybe if she promised to come right back…
That wouldn’t really solve anything. The only thing that might help would be the woman Paul would be bringing in on Wednesday. Hopefully she was as amazing as he said, and she could take some of the burden from Jess’s shoulders. If she knew she was leaving Hope in good care, it would ease her heart a little.
Paul’s words rang in her ears. Had she ever been in love… As recently as a week ago, she would have said no. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
Paul worshipped her body and challenged her mind, and she knew he was going to be just as hard to leave as Hope. Even now, her body craved him. And she worried about the pain he would have to deal with when she left. It wasn’t fair to be denied love. And if anyone deserved it, it was definitely Paul Jameson. He’d been through so much.
The thought of another woman moving into the house and taking her spot triggered a pain response in her heart. And it had her reevaluating her stance on family.
17
Hope refused to talk to them the next morning, and Paul didn’t know what to do. He called Dr. Waters and coordinated for Jess to take her in for a counseling session. Maybe she just needed a safe place to vent. He went to work feeling dissatisfied with the world.
Two hours later, Jess called. “I can’t find Hope. She was in her room getting ready to go to the counselor’s appointment, now she’s gone. I checked the house and the play set, but she’s not there. Sophie is still in the house, though. Would she have left her behind?”
“I don’t know,” Paul said, grabbing the keys from the corner of his desk. “I’m leaving now. I’ll meet you at the house. I’ll check the cameras on the way.”
