Rules of Entanglement

by Gina L. Maxwell

  Reaching over, she gathered the necessary items, placing her shot glass in his left hand, the saltshaker in his right, and her wedge of lime between his teeth. Then, in one smooth motion she rose up to her knees on the couch and swung a leg over his hips like she was mounting a horse. He’d thought he had the upper hand, but as he stared into her fiery green eyes, stretched out beneath her, holding things she gave him, he felt more like a submissive.

  And at the moment, he couldn’t give a good goddamn.

  Pressing herself to him, she slowly sank down, rubbing the crotch of those thin cotton shorts of hers over the ridges of his abdomen until firmly seated over his stiff cock. The double layer of clothing did nothing to prevent the heat of her sex from searing him through the material. He bit back a groan and forced his hips to remain still. Not an easy task when his dick wanted to play Heat-Seeking Missile and the hottest thing for miles was in the deepest recess of a redheaded beauty, mere fractions of an inch away.

  Placing her palms on either side of his chest, Vanessa leaned over and licked a slow, languid path between his pecs up to the hollow of his throat. The softest of moans escaped like a purr from a cat savoring the last drop of cream in her bowl.

  She raised her head, giving him a wicked smile as she took the shaker from his hand. A dash of salt and she was at it again, the coarse grains scratching his flesh before sticking to her tongue. Jackson barely contained another moan. He didn’t want her knowing just how much she affected him. Not yet.

  His recently freed hand abandoned the back of the couch for the supple curve of her ass. She didn’t bother trying to get him to take back the salt, instead reaching behind her to place it on the table.

  A moment later she retrieved her shot. As soon as his hand was empty it filled itself in the same manner as the other, all ten fingers digging into her ass, pulling her down on his hard cock. To her credit, she remained in control, the only sign she’d felt anything at all was a small hitch in her breath. It was enough.

  Lifting the small glass to her lips, she slowly tipped her head back, gradually displaying her graceful neck as the liquid emptied into her mouth. Once she’d placed the glass behind her, she plucked the lime from his mouth and squeezed it over the center of his chest. The cold, sticky juice streamed between his pecs, through the valley of his abs, and pooled in his naval briefly before spilling over and soaking into the waistband of his shorts.

  Vanessa scooted off his lap before he had the chance to protest, but as soon as she knelt between his legs, he quickly forgave her the infraction. He held his breath, his heart pounding in his ears, as she lowered her head to lap the juice from his skin. She trailed her tongue up the line of dark hair, laved the recess of his belly button, and continued through the valley of his abs and between his pecs.

  The higher she went, the closer her body pressed to his, her breasts caressing his balls and the length of his cock on their ascent. Unable to handle any more torture, he grabbed her by the upper arms and hauled her the rest of the way until she once again straddled his lap.

  The restraint he used to keep himself in check made his throat tight and his voice little more than a rasp. “You went rogue on me, babe. I pointed to my chest.”

  She shrugged a slim shoulder. “Creative license. Do you object?”

  “Not even a little.” He rocked his hips up once, making her gasp. “Did I taste good?”

  “Like a margarita during happy hour after winning a long case.”

  “Wow,” he said, rubbing the stubble on his jaw up her neck as he spoke in her ear. “That does sound pretty good.”

  “I should try another sample, though. To make sure the evidence is conclusive. But this time, I’ll choose the location.”

  He wanted to tell her she could sample him as much as she liked. Hell, he’d even give her suggestions for where to start. But he wasn’t going to rush this. Not tonight. Not again. Just as she leaned in to kiss him, he stopped her with a finger to her chin and said, “Then you’ll have to win that right.”

  Eyebrow cocked, she leaned back to study him as though expecting him to retract his dumbass statement at any moment. A part of him—namely the part that was hard enough to nail railroad spikes—waited for the same thing.

  He ignored them both.

  “My turn.” He pretended to be thinking of a statement, hoping she’d take it as him trying to think up a lie as opposed to thinking up a truth. “Got one. I lost my virginity to my high school girlfriend’s older sister when she was home from college.”

  “A college girl slumming with her little sister’s boyfriend? No way. Bullshit.”

  He couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin from plastering itself on his face. “Wrong.”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  Jax had to wonder if her incredulity was due to the truth of the statement or the fact that she was actually wrong. Probably a little of both. Or a lot of both.

  He held his right hand up. “Swear to God. Junior year. I’d just started dating Aimee Anders. I showed up at her house that Saturday to hang out, but she was late in getting back from a volleyball tournament. Her older sister, Jean, a sophomore at UNLV, was home for the holidays and told me I could wait for Aimee with her. One minute we’re watching TV, the next minute Jean was on my lap tutoring me on the finer points of higher learning.”

  “Unreal.” Vanessa shook her head and added, “You realize that makes you a total dog, right?”

  “Technically, yes, but Aimee and I were only dating to make her ex jealous. We were strictly friends, which absolves me of any wrongdoing.”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid the jury’s still out on that one, Mr. Maris.”

  Without warning, Jax grabbed her and tossed her on her back. Her wild hair spread out around her head and the smile she gave him was as bright as the full moon on a clear night. He pinned her down with his weight, pressing his hard length against her sex. She gasped and arched into him instinctively. He forced himself to hold still, despite his body’s insistence he roll his hips over her to find release in whatever manner possible.

  “My turn again.”

  “And where, pray tell, do you plan on doing it this time?”

  “Talk is cheap, Counselor. I’m a man of action.” He captured her wrists and placed them above her head on the arm of the couch. “Be good and keep those there for me.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Move ’em and find out.” He nipped her earlobe, then whispered, “I’m kind of hoping you do.”

  Without waiting for her to respond, he rose up to his knees, tucked his fingers into the elastic waistband of her shorts, and pulled them down. As he drew them over her hips, his mouth dried up and his eyes glued to her panties. Tossing the shorts over his shoulder, he studied the small triangle of sea green lace over black satin until he knew he could draw every detail from memory if needed. Only then did he allow himself to look at her body in its entirety.

  “So damn gorgeous.”

  He planted his hands on either side of her hips and slowly lowered himself. He hovered over the juncture where thigh met pelvis, keeping her bound with anticipation. Her eyes transfixed to his mouth and the rise and fall of her chest became faster and faster. The black of her pupils swallowed the green of her irises, her front teeth captured her lower lip…and still he held. She wanted his mouth on her just as badly as he did. But he wasn’t moving another millimeter until she asked.

  Later, he’d make her beg.

  Seconds ticked by, the pair of them locked in an unspoken match of wills. He felt the heat coming off her and he smelled her arousal. Finally, she succumbed to the need and rolled her hips up.

  Good girl.

  He gladly licked the line all the way up to her hipbone. A little salt and he was at it again, this time adding pressure and causing her to whimper, her body to shudder.

  He took his shot, not even pausing to register the burn before squeezing a lime wedge along the lace edge of her panties. Not one to waste anything, he
quickly dipped down and licked the stream that had spilled over between her legs. She moaned in the back of her throat as he moved to kiss off the liquid that had pooled at the top.

  “Enough,” he growled as he moved up her body. “No more games. I’m taking what I want. What we both want.”

  …

  Vanessa could already tell her earlier thought process had been way off the mark. Drunken sex with Jackson Maris wasn’t going to be any less intense than sober sex. Probably because neither of them was drunk. Buzzed, yes. Wasted…not even a little.

  It didn’t matter that they’d both just had enough shots to put most people on their asses. She should’ve guessed a man like Jax wouldn’t have suggested something he couldn’t win. The man could seriously hold his liquor, and it just so happened tequila was the only thing she could drink her weight in and still be coherent. Had he picked something else, she’d have passed out a half hour ago in an unattractive heap after making a total ass of herself.

  But instead, she’d played a game with a dragon and ended up pinned beneath his massive body as he prepared to breathe fire. Golden eyes framed in dark lashes held her captive. With the instinct of a moth, she cupped his face and kissed his lips, sacrificing her better judgment to the hypnotizing flames.

  Jackson accepted her kiss, then pushed her back into the cushion as he took over. His tongue was a sweet invasion, exploring and tasting between nibbles on her lips that made her feel like the most delectable of desserts.

  Slipping one arm under her head, he snaked his other hand behind her back. With the flick of his fingers, he released her bra and tore it from her. Her breasts, which had always been very sensitive, felt heavy and full and charged with electricity. The moment his bare chest pressed into hers, her nipples tightened painfully, pleading for the attention they’d been denied the night before.

  As though reading her mind, he broke the kiss and plumped her right breast with his large hand. His calluses dragged over her skin, causing delicious vibrations that had her arching farther into his palm. She never knew a man’s hands could create such sensations. She’d always dated white-collar men. Not because she preferred them, but because those were the men in her circle. Their hands were smooth and unremarkable. Not like Jackson’s. If she had any musical talent whatsoever, she’d write an entire album dedicated to the man’s hands alone.

  She peered down to see one of the most erotic sights. The top of his head hovered over her chest, his dark hair slightly mussed. All his attention focused on the breast he held. He swiped the rough pad of his thumb over her distended bud, sending the white-hot electricity on a one-way trip to her core. Her breath hissed through her teeth as the shock took hold in its new home.

  He looked up, a knowing glint in his gaze as he slowly lowered his head and enveloped her nipple in the glorious heat of his mouth. She cried out and fisted her fingers into his short hair so hard she knew it had to hurt, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, his pupils dilated and he opened wide to take as much of her into his mouth as he could. His tongue swirled and flicked on the inside, building frissons of pleasure that exploded when he scraped his teeth over the hard tip.

  Needing the same attention for her other breast, she held it in offering with one hand while trying to push his head over. He did release the one he’d worked over, leaving it cherry red and glistening wet, but didn’t follow her lead as she’d hoped. Instead, he paused just before descending on her aching breast, then switched directions and kissed his way down her body.

  She groaned, both frustrated and aggravated he’d ignored what she wanted to follow his own agenda. Once he moved low enough where she was no longer pinned by his body, she scooted up to a sitting position. The surprise on his face was only there for a split second, but it was enough to calm the slight need to jump out of her skin.

  She pushed him back into a sitting position and straddled his lap, grinding herself on the erection straining under his shorts. Now it was his turn to groan as his head dropped to the back of the couch. Unable to resist, she licked up the column of his throat and sucked on the spot just behind his ear. His fingers burrowed beneath her panties and dug into the flesh of her ass. Returning the favor, he brought his mouth to her neck and trailed wet kisses up to her jaw. But she wanted more.

  Leaning back, she again palmed her left breast. “Kiss me here,” she said.

  He circled two of his fingers around her nipple, making it pull tighter as the pent-up tingling followed the path of his touch and made her needier with each passing second. He made sure to stay at the edges of her areola, teasing her mercilessly. She clenched her jaw and held still, telling herself the torture would be worth it when he finally gave her the release.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Right now?”

  “God, yes, now.”

  When she thought she couldn’t take it another moment, he stopped, looked her in the eyes, and said, “Ask me nicely.”

  Record scratch. “What?”

  “You heard me.” He dragged the rough pads of his fingers over the under swell, igniting every nerve ending in the vicinity. “Ask me nicely to suck on your beautiful breast.”

  His demand rankled. A lot. “You want me to beg. I don’t beg anyone for anything.”

  He cocked his eyebrow, the jagged scar raising its own doubt in her direction. “I believe you agreed to give me control during sex.”

  A bolt of panic sent the hairs on the back of her neck up. “That doesn’t mean I’ll beg for what I want.”

  “Is that so?”

  She lifted her chin and tried to ignore the screaming needs of her body. She’d walk away from him and spend the night with a battery-operated substitute if she had to.

  “Yes, that’s so.”

  “Challenge accepted.”

  “What—”

  Before she had time to register anything, he picked her up, spun around, and deposited her on the couch where he’d sat moments before. Kneeling on the floor between her legs, he pulled her hips forward to the edge of the cushion. Too shocked to do anything else, she watched as his hands pushed her knees out as far as they’d go before sliding up the inside of her thighs.

  When his thumbs grazed the edges of her panties they slid over the silk, one pressing over the sensitive spot at the top, the other sliding over the path already wet with desire. Up and down, up and down his thumb stroked, each time adding a little more pressure.

  Her sex pulsed with the need to be filled, aching from denial. When at last he pulled her panties off, she released a shaky exhale and tried to control herself. He was trying to get her to crack, but if the state of his cock was any indication, he wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer. She just had to ride it out and wait for the typical male screw it reaction. No pun intended.

  “Starfish, huh?”

  She glanced down at the coral-colored tattoo the size of a quarter that could only be seen if she was fully naked. Most of the time she forgot it was even there. “Sea star.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Not whate—”

  “Hey, Red, lecture me later, okay? Right now I need to look at you.” He laid his hands over her breasts and trailed them down her body slowly until he reached the smooth skin of her mound.

  “Christ, V, you’re gorgeous.” Pulling her swollen folds apart, he stared like under a spell. Butterflies took wing in her belly, and she felt new wetness where he pierced her with his eyes. “Pretty in pink,” he whispered, using a finger to spread the warmth over her outer lips.

  Finally, he licked a wide path from bottom to top, adding a flick of his tongue over her clit that had her hips rocketing off the cushion. Jax wrapped his arms under her thighs and brought his hands around at the juncture of her pelvis to hold her down. Then he dove in to perform the most illicit acts with his tongue ever attempted by any human. That was probably conjecture on her part, but it sure as hell felt like fact.

  He was not a man who did anything witho
ut intent, and oral sex was no exception. There were no random patterns or juvenile ideas of tracing out the alphabet. Every lick, every flick, every thrust of his tongue had a purpose more lascivious than the last.

  Her hands gravitated to her breasts, heavy and tight, and she plucked her nipples, adding pangs of pleasure that shot back and forth as he continued to make love to her with his mouth. Her hips tried to rock against him, but he easily pinned her with his strength. Whimpers escaped her lips, blood roared in her ears as her pulse skyrocketed out of control, and her breaths came fast and hard.

  There was no denying it any longer. Jackson Maris was pure evil.

  As though supporting her argument, he inserted two thick fingers and started thrusting as he focused his tongue on her clit. Sweat trickled between her breasts. The storm of desire deep in her center swirled faster and faster, threatening to explode in a thunderous clap.

  He actually looked like he did this for his pleasure, not hers. When he used his fingers to explore and tease, his eyes never strayed, as though her sex was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. And when he closed his mouth over her, his lids drifted shut like the world’s richest chocolate truffle was melting on his tongue. On top of the dizzying sensations he gave her, watching him was almost enough to make her come.

  “Oh yes,” she moaned. “I’m so close.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “Make me come.”

  He slowed his movements, bringing her down a level. The exact opposite of what she wanted. She groaned in frustration.

  “You don’t get to call the shots, princess. You need to ask me nicely.”

  Vanessa sucked her lower lip between her teeth and clamped down. Her body vibrated, both from the frenzy he’d whipped inside her and resisting what he demanded of her.

  “Understand, Vanessa, that I never take my release before my lover. However,” he continued, his gaze boring into her, “I also have the resolve to keep you on the edge like this for hours. It won’t matter how blue my balls get or how badly I want to feel your pussy squeezing my cock. I won’t give in until you give me what I want.”