[Holiday Encounters 01.0 - 03.0] Boxed Set

by Amy Lamont

  “My baby likes that.” He slid a hand up to cup one of my breasts, his thumb stroking over my nipple, mirroring the motions of his finger on my clit.

  A long, loud moan escaped me. Every muscle in my body tightened in expectation. His fingers slid in and out of me, and never once did he let up on stroking my nipple and my clit. My hips bucked against his hand, my toes curling as he drove me closer and closer to the edge of an amazing orgasm.

  “You’re gorgeous.” His voice came again as a whisper in my ear. “Do you know how hot it is to see you coming apart in my arms?”

  The rigid length of him pressing against my back gave credence to his words. Every part of my body reveled in the sensations he elicited—his fingers thrusting in and out of my aching core, his thumbs playing my clit and nipples as expertly as he did his guitar, his voice and warm breath on my ear, his hard length against my slippery, soapy skin.

  He sucked my earlobe into his mouth, laving it gently with his tongue before giving me a sharp nip with his teeth. That’s all it took to pull me under.

  “Jared!” My body bowed as I cried out for him, my inner muscles clamping down on his fingers where they pressed deep inside me.

  “I’ve got you, baby.”

  I turned my head, tucking my face into his neck as electric jolts of pleasure flashed through my body.

  When I settled down against him, just a few gentle aftershocks trembling through me, he slid his hands from my breast and my center, wrapping them around me. I nuzzled into his neck, his scent filling my head in a way that made me almost dizzy in the wake of the orgasm that just racked my body.

  Weird how safe and comfortable I felt in his arms. Not a feeling I remember experiencing with anyone before.

  But I didn’t want to dwell too much on that. I might be giving myself the fantasy of a week of wild adventure while on tour with a rock star, but I didn’t labor under the illusion that what was between Jared and I would ever be anything more than casual. In a week and a half, my carriage would turn back into a pumpkin. Jared would be busy recording and touring and partying like the rock star he was. And I’d be back in classes and working at the hospital and putting one foot in front of the other to try to get through each endless day.

  I didn’t allow myself to think about how fucked up that was. Shouldn’t I be excited at the thought of finally living out the dream I’d worked at so long and so hard? I pushed the question down. Just like I did so many other times when it welled up in me.

  I twisted in Jared’s arms. “Did you think I didn’t notice you haven’t gotten your happy yet?”

  His lips curled into a smirk. “I don’t know if I’d say all that. Watching you come while riding my fingers gives me lots of happy.”

  I turned and straddled him, bracing myself on his broad shoulders, and planted my center right over his rigid erection. I slid back and forth over him, and gasped at the feel of him rubbing against my already sensitized clit.

  “I think we can do better at making you happy.” I offered him a wicked smile. “In fact, I think we can make me even happier while we make you happy.”

  To prove my point, I rocked my hips back and forth. I didn’t take him inside me, but instead I rubbed my center against him, sliding his entire shaft along my core until his tip hit me in just the right spot on my clit and then back down again.

  Jared groaned and his hands clenched on my hips, moving me faster along his length. I leaned down and nipped his earlobe.

  “I want you inside me,” I whispered.

  If possible, he grew harder against me. My head fell back and I couldn’t contain the soft moan that broke from my lips.

  “Sorry, baby. We can’t.”

  I kissed my way across his cheek while I continued the delicious friction of our bodies. “I think we can.”

  “I’m afraid in all my preparations, I forgot one very important thing.” He pushed me down harder, holding me still against him. “But if you keep doing that, it won’t matter anyway.”

  I pulled back to look at him, slipping my hands down to his chest to keep my balance. My eyelids felt heavy, weighted down by the combination of satisfaction from my release and the new desire building inside me.

  I shook my head and damp tendrils of my dark auburn hair tumbled around us, sheltering us in a cocoon.

  “Jared.” I all but whined his name, the aching need growing in me making me greedy and wanting.

  “I didn’t bring a condom in with me. We need to get out. But if you keep doing what you were doing, I won’t make it that far.”

  “Hmm, so I guess you’re not quite the Boy Scout, are you?” I brushed the tips of my breasts against his chest.

  His fingers flexed on my hips. “Jesus, Paige…”

  I laughed, a throaty sound full of amusement and the sense of power I got from being able to make this man, this strong, wild man, squirm beneath me. I leaned down to whisper in his ear. “If you were really a Boy Scout, I guess you would have come prepared.”

  He ran his nose along my cheek.

  “I’m definitely no Boy Scout,” he growled. “I’ll be happy to prove it to you the minute we get out of this tub.”

  I ran my hands down his chest and rested them on his abs. Man, I loved his abs. I shifted my hips as much as I could manage with his tight hold on them.

  “What’s the point of getting out of the tub if we’re just going to get messy again?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

  “That sounds like a challenge.”

  “Think you’re man enough to get me off again, Boy Scout?”

  He grinned and then rocked forward, catching my nipple between his teeth. A sensation, one walking a tightrope between pleasure and pain, seared through me. He sucked it into his warm, wet mouth and used his tongue to tease the tip.

  “Oh, God, Jared.” I jerked my hips against him and he loosened his hold on them. That’s all the encouragement I needed. I started the rocking motion of my hips again, slipping his cock along to just the spot I needed it.

  He kissed his way across my chest, licking and scraping his teeth over every inch of skin he encountered. His beautiful blue eyes met mine with the intensity I’d come to crave. There was something about being the main focus of this amazing man.

  “Baby, your sweet pussy grinding down on my cock is about the best thing I’ve ever felt.”

  His raspy voice sent goose bumps dancing over my skin. I pressed down a little harder, dragging my pussy lips against him, moving my hips faster as the mounting pleasure spiraled through me and pushed me to seek more contact, more friction, more Jared.

  Jared’s arms slipped behind me, cupping my shoulders, holding me to him, bringing me closer until my breasts pressed hard against his chest. “So good, baby. That’s so good.”

  His gruff voice pushed me over the edge. I clamped down on him and rode him harder, keeping him pressed tightly to me as bright colors burst behind my eyes.

  Wave after wave washed over me, but even as I found my release, I continued to move on him, frantic to bring him to the same place.

  In seconds, Jared clamped down on my hips, holding me tightly to him, jerking his hips up to get closer to me.

  I couldn't feel it, but the thought of him coming, spurting out against my skin hidden under the bubbles made me explode once again. I fell forward, dropping my head to his shoulder and biting down hard as every last bit of pleasure was wrung from me.

  I don't know how much time passed, but by the time I became aware of my surroundings again, the water had started to cool.

  Jared kissed the side of my head, holding me close against him. I continued to straddle him, hanging limply over him.

  “We need to get out of here, Paige. I don't want you to freeze.”

  “Mmmkay.”

  He laughed and gave me a gentle shake. “Come on, baby.”

  “Just five more minutes,” I murmured into his neck.

  "In five more minutes this water is going to turn us both blue. Let's get dried off a
nd let me feed you."

  As if he had a direct line to it, my stomach growled in answer. I sat up with more energy than I would have thought I had just a second ago. “I could eat.”

  He laughed again. “Why am I not surprised?”

  Jared leveraged himself up to standing and stepped out of the tub. He held a hand out to me and helped me climb out next to him. Before I could move, he grabbed a towel from the stack he'd left on the closed toilet lid and shook it out. Turned out it was a big, fluffy white bath sheet. He stepped closer to me and wrapped it around my shoulders, tucking the edges into my hands and then running his hands briskly up and down my arms.

  I held back a moan at the warmth that invaded me at his touch. He continued to move around me, making sure to sop up every droplet of water, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was still naked and dripping.

  He stopped only when he was satisfied I was completely dry and toasty warm. It was only then that he grabbed a towel and quickly and efficiently dried himself.

  “Hang on,” he said when he finished.

  He dropped his now sodden towel to the floor and strode out of the room. Once again I found myself admiring his retreating form.

  In moments he was back with an oversized robe. He pulled the towel from my grip and wrapped me in the robe before herding me back into the suite's living room.

  “What do you feel like eating?” he asked as he led me over to the couch.

  I dropped onto the cushions and stared up at him.

  When I didn't answer for several long seconds, he tilted his head to the side in a way that was so adorable I wanted to drag him back to the tub and have my way with him all over again.

  I shook my head, unable to express all the emotions surging through me. “Thank you.”

  The words seemed inadequate, but they were the best I could do. After my awful, awful day and looking into my crystal ball to see a future full of similar days, he'd managed to make me smile, make me laugh, make me explode with raw pleasure and feel things unlike anything I'd ever felt, in or out of bed.

  And now, after all his care of me, I realized if someone had asked me a few hours ago what I was hungry for the answer would have been nothing. I would have said that I'd never be hungry again.

  But here we were hours later. I was emotionally wrung out, but I felt more cared for than I could ever remember.

  “For what, baby?”

  “Everything.”

  He shook his head and raised a finger to touch the tip of my nose. “I didn't do anything.”

  “You're wrong. You did everything.” Emotion clogged my voice. And then me, Paige Jordan, the woman who didn't know the meaning of embarrassment, blushed. I could feel the heat in my cheeks moving up to the roots of my hair.

  Jared grinned, leaned down, pressed a hard, sweet kiss to my temple and then stood and moved toward the bedroom. “Let me grab some clothes. Check out the take out menus. We can order whatever you feel like.”

  And with that, my stomach rumbled again. This time with a loud growl that went on forever.

  Jared glanced over his shoulder and laughed at me. “Guess at least one part of you hasn't been satisfied yet.”

  I picked up one of the toss pillows from the couch and threw it at his head. He ducked into the bedroom before the pillow made contact. Instead, it hit the doorframe and fell harmlessly to the floor.

  His laughter floated to me from the bedroom and I couldn't help but smile at the sound.

  And then I got down to the very serious business of perusing takeout menus.

  Chapter 5

  “So are you seriously considering coming on the promo tour with us?” Jared pushed his empty plate away and slouched back onto the couch.

  I stopped scarfing down my lasagna to raise an eyebrow at him. “Um, yeah. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it.”

  And then a thought occurred to me, and my usual confidence, or overconfidence as my mom so often liked to remind me, fled. Maybe the reason he asked was because he hadn't really expected me to accept his invitation.

  I mean, he and I had gotten together a dozen times since we met for the first time over Christmas. When he was traveling, or when my crazy schedule kept us from seeing each other, we always managed to stay in touch, texting and calling each other. Even the occasional sexting.

  But maybe that's how he wanted to keep things—super casual. Maybe he didn't really want to introduce me to his band mates, or maybe I'd curb his usual partying on tour. He'd never really told me what he did when he wasn't with me.

  But hell, he was in a band that had fans around the globe. His fans lined up to have him sign parts of their bodies, for heaven's sake. I'd be an idiot to think he'd been staying faithful to me since December. Maybe he was afraid I'd cramp his style.

  “Hey, maybe you want to share whatever thoughts are going through that gorgeous head of yours. Because I'm thinking whatever put that look on your face can't be a good thing.” He leaned forward and clasped his hands together between his knees. “Are you regretting saying you'd go?”

  “Is that what you're hoping?”

  “Paige.” He stopped and shook his head, dropping it to study the floor before raising his eyes to mine again. “Are you kidding me? Are you actually afraid I don't want you to come?”

  “Um…maybe?”

  A grin tilted the corners of his lips up. “Well, I'll be damned. I don't think I've ever seen you insecure. Not for even a minute.”

  My eyes darted around the room, refusing to make contact with his. “Yeah, well, I don't usually have days as rough as this one.”

  “Paige,” he called.

  I refused to look at him, embarrassed to be called out on my moment of insecurity.

  “Paige, look at me.”

  “Eating here.” I dropped my gaze to my plate, scooped up a giant bite of noodle, sauce and cheese and shoved it into my mouth. There, now I had a good excuse to keep my mouth shut.

  He chuckled and shifted. His movement made me raise my eyes from the plate to him. He stood and closed the distance between the couch where he'd been sitting while we enjoyed our dinner to the overstuffed chair where I'd set up shop. He snagged my hand and tugged me up. In an instant he'd dropped into my spot and pulled me down onto his lap. I held myself stiff, but refused to humiliate myself further by struggling to get out of his arms.

  And okay, if I were being honest, even when I was feeling insecure and off kilter, I didn't exactly mind being draped across Jared Sloane's lap and held close to his chest.

  “Beautiful girl, I would not in a million years have invited you to come with us next week if I didn't want you to come. In fact...”

  His failure to finish the sentence made my spidey senses tingle. I finally looked up at him, my gaze roaming his face, searching for clues about what he was obviously reluctant to share.

  But if I was going to be embarrassed, he sure as hell wasn't going to be allowed to hold out on me. I narrowed my eyes on him.

  “In fact?” I prompted.

  He shook his head and turned his face up toward the ceiling.

  “I don't think the answers are up there,” I said. "Finish your sentence, please."

  He turned his eyes to me without moving his head. “There she is. I knew my Paige was in there somewhere.”

  I squashed down the surge of pleasure that shot through me when he called me “my Paige.” I wasn't going to let him get away with trying to distract me.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Hey, buddy, my delicious, melty, ooey-gooey lasagna isn't getting any warmer while we sit here. I suggest you spill before it gets cold, ‘cause you won't like me when my food gets cold.”

  He burst out laughing and buried his face in my hair. I loved the feeling of his chest vibrating with his laughter. But I still wasn't budging.

  I gave a lock of his dark, in-need-of-a-haircut hair a tug. “Please finish your sentence so I can move past my mortifying lack of self-confidence and get back to my lasagna.”
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  His shoulders shook some more, but he managed to look at me, his blue, blue eyes brimming with amusement.

  “Fine. God forbid I keep you from your food.”

  I gave a sharp nod. He wasn't kidding. Since most of my meals were protein bars scarfed down between classes or on a quick break at the hospital, I didn’t like for anything to come between me and a good meal.

  The amusement dropped from his face and another emotion entirely flickered for an instant. It came and went too fast for me to identify it.

  I could feel his chest move underneath me, as if he took a long breath to brace himself for whatever he was about to say. My stomach did a somersault, an attack of nerves returning. Maybe the “in fact” was a bad thing. Maybe I shouldn't have encouraged him to finish the sentence.

  “In fact,” he said, making me hold my breath, “I've never invited another woman on tour with us before.”

  I blinked up at him. “Never?”

  He shook his head. “Not for the summer, not for a week, not even for an overnight show.”

  My lips parted as I stared at him. The look in his eyes told me this meant something important to him. The nervous feeling in my stomach turned into a squishy, mushy one I don't remember ever experiencing before. Every cell in my body urged me to melt into him and divulge every emotion he dredged up in me, unlike any feelings I'd ever had for another man.

  I almost snorted at the thought. It's not like I had time between working and studying the last few years to do anything but date in the most casual sense of the word. But what was even more amusing was the comparison of the feelings I had for Jared to those I'd had for my casual dates in the past.

  A warmth grew in my chest, but I took a deep breath of my own and worked hard to squelch it. I couldn't possibly have any kind of real, strong feelings for Jared. He asked me to come on his weeklong promotional tour, but I couldn't read too much into it.

  He probably meant he never asked another woman before because someone else would have thought it meant he was getting serious about her. But with me, he knew what he was getting—casual, no strings attached.