Not for a Moment: One Moment, Book 3

by Toni J Strawn

  Watchful eyes stared back at him, that defiant chin of hers stuck up, waiting for his answer. Shit. She looked sweet and soft and vulnerable, but she was as dangerous as the guy she’d just left behind.

  “Sure. Let’s go to my place.”

  Van opened the door. He noted the stiffness in her leg as she slid in beside him, the way she eased back against her seat, stretching out ruined muscles. He pressed his lips together, stopping himself from asking if she was all right. The other therapists at the clinic had warned him about Jess. Willful. Spoiled. Trouble with a capital T. They’d neglected to add how gorgeous she was, or how energy exploded out of her, even when she was quiet. She was a firecracker.

  Tick. Tick. Boom.

  Van pulled away from the sidewalk, wondering if this situation was about to blow up in his face.

  She threw a thousand questions at him as he drove. Where was he from? What he did at the university? How did he know Jayne?

  Van kept his answers light and non-committal. Technically, he didn’t know Jayne. But he knew of her. He’d found out about the party from one of Jayne’s therapy team. Jess’s new housemate and landlord, Mike, was an outpatient too, so it hadn’t been hard to track down the address.

  Van had wanted a closer look at his quarry while he decided how to tackle her. He’d never imagined getting this close. Too close.

  “So, are you on the faculty website?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not on permanent staff.” That bit was true at least. The Wellsford clinic was one of many he’d been to this year. And it would be the last unless he came up with an alternative. Soon.

  He threw Jess a smile. A big, flirty smile. “But I’m here for now.”

  The look on her face when he grinned could have melted the Arctic Circle. The air grew heavy, filling the space between them, creeping out to surround them. Van shifted in his seat and her gaze flicked to his crotch.

  Warmth hit his cheeks. Fuck. Was he blushing?

  He cracked open the window, knowing the movement came too late to screen the sweet torture of his growing erection.

  Couldn’t go there.

  It was a relief to pull up in his street and spill out of the car into the crisp September air. Van led the way to his bottom floor apartment. The rooms were pretty sparse. He cast a critical eye around the living area, completing a last-minute search for anything that might give him away.

  Jess stood in the middle of the entrance area and turned in a slow, careful circle. Amusement bubbled behind the politeness of her smile.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so…tidy.”

  Van shrugged. “I haven’t been here long.”

  In two weeks, he hadn’t even had time to meet the neighbors, let alone add any personal touches.

  Switch personal touches for persons of interest.

  In every other city, Van had hooked up with a nurse, naughty neighbor or the occasional waitress or two. Temporary sex in a temporary apartment in a temporary town. It never went further than stripping them from their panties and a good time being had by all.

  Which was yet another reminder why Van needed to keep Jess at arm’s length. He couldn’t afford to get tangled up with someone who didn’t understand the rules. She was all fire and energy now, but he’d been around enough accident victims to know how quickly they crumbled. And then you were trapped. Because only an asshole would walk away from someone in pain. Pain came in all shapes and sizes. Van had seen Jess’s file. He bet she was hurting, inside and out.

  Throwing his wallet and keys on the kitchen counter, he gave Jess time to move to the couch. Van didn’t need to look to know she was limping, or that she’d injured herself when she’d escaped from Brad. His jaw tightened.

  If Brad had caused more damage…

  Van dropped the thought. Time enough to find that out later.

  She’d curled up on the couch, rubbing her hand around the knot of her knee. Something about the way her fingers glided across the fabric made Van want those hands on him. He wanted her to push up his shirt, lay a trail of heat on his chest, across his stomach…

  It had been too long since Van had wanted someone like this. Really wanted them. No matter what he told himself, he was attracted to Jess’s indefinable spark. Wasn’t this what he’d left home for? Running away because the people he loved had just plain given up? Someone like Jess would never give up. Not without a damn good fight.

  She noticed his stare and his mouth went dry as her fingers changed their pattern, an enticing circle that inched up her thigh with each sweep. He wanted to ease off her jeans. He wanted to be the one working his way up her legs with his fingers, his mouth, his tongue. Here and now, Van could see Jess as a short-term fixture in his bed, naked under his crisp-white, temporary sheets.

  Shouldn’t go there.

  “So. What do we do now?” She flicked her eyes down, taking him in from his head to his toes and back again. Van felt every inch of her scrutiny.

  What indeed… His gaze fixed on her lips as they stretched into a smile. She was confident, brazen, every bit the rebel he’d been warned about. With an effort, Van looked away from those wandering fingers and those soft pink lips begging to be kissed. He forced his mind back to the bigger picture, past the here and now.

  “Would you like a drink? Something to eat?”

  Ice for that possible ligament damage or muscular strain on top of a recovering knee injury…

  “That wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

  Jess slid farther down the couch, subconsciously pushing out her chest. Or maybe she did it on purpose. Van’s thoughts were foggy on the matter of cause and effect as she looked at him through thick lashes.

  “Seeing as we’re here. Together.” Her voice dipped in a soft, sexy rasp.

  Van could think of several reasons why they shouldn’t be here together. First and foremost, Jess still hadn’t clicked as to where she’d seen him—and when she did, it wouldn’t be pretty.

  Unless they spent one phenomenal night together.

  One she couldn’t forget.

  Now that was a tempting thought. Van drew closer to the couch, nudged along by his libido as mankind’s capacity for rationalization well and truly kicked in. He couldn’t deny the heat between them, especially when her eyes traced the contours of his chest like they were doing now. Sweet Jesus. Her stare was pure heat as it scorched a trail down his belly, lingering on the button of his jeans, caressing the outline of his cock as if her hand was touching him.

  One shuddering breath later and the remains of his control seeped away. There was nothing to stop him. She wasn’t a patient. And even if she did agree to enter his program, she would never technically be under him…

  Couldn’t. Shouldn’t.

  But not wouldn’t.

  Van closed his eyes as a hard rush of desire smashed into him in a thick pall of heat. He covered those last few meters, drawn to Jess as if an invisible string tugged him forward. Even with his eyes closed, he knew exactly where she was.

  As he sank down beside her, he faced the truth. The second he’d lain eyes on Jessica Langford, he’d been headed for this moment.

  He had one shot. Van had better make it worth the risk—because he wouldn’t get another.

  He was going to kiss her.

  Shit. Fuck. Yes.

  Jess was surprised how easy it was. Seduction. Okay, she wasn’t overly experienced with older men, but she didn’t have to be when someone like Van looked at her like that…like he wanted to crawl over her, into her, coat her with his dampness and sweet, sticky things.

  Her heart beat loudly in her throat. No. Jess didn’t have to pretend she wanted him. Her escape from Brad had been a timely catalyst propelling her to where she wanted to go.

  A nervous giggle bubbled its way up her chest as Van’s weight settled beside her. She’d
only been out of the dorms one night and already she was getting everything she’d missed out on under Cole’s strict rules. Parties. Fun. Sex.

  A hint of danger.

  It was a little late to worry now about being in a virtual stranger’s apartment about to embark on a frivolous one-night stand. A shiver of excitement chased away the moment of conflict between lust and common sense.

  But she still stopped him a hair’s breadth from pressing his lips into hers as he leaned in. His breath puffed sweetly against her mouth and she wanted to reach out with the tip of her tongue and lick around his lips.

  “You do know Jayne? Don’t you?” Jess forced herself back from the edge of temptation, the words less certain than she would have liked.

  Van’s eyelids flew open and he pulled back. “She’s how I found out about the party. Yes.” He dragged a hand through his hair, the heat seeping out of his gaze. “This isn’t a good idea, is it?”

  “What? No. That’s not what I meant.” Jess laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart jump beneath her fingers. She smiled. She never backed down from anything. Ever. “Why isn’t it a good idea?” She shifted closer.

  His eyes darkened and in the dim light they looked almost black…deep and dirty and sexy as hell. Her fingers twitched against his shirt, the prickling heat of desire seeping through her fingertips.

  “For one thing, you’ve hurt your knee,” he said softly. He pulled away, his mouth tightening with resolve. “Why don’t I get some ice and you can rest it?”

  Ouch. Rejection stung. Jess fought to stop her hands from curling into fists. And whopping him one. The last thing she wanted was to be told what she should be doing. Especially if it involved being sensible about her injury, rather than getting down and dirty with the man she’d been eyeing up all night. Just once, she’d like her fantasy to come close to matching reality.

  “You’re going to let a little thing like my leg get in the middle of this.” She waved her arms to encompass both of them. And their obvious lust.

  Van looked from her face to her leg and back again. A smudge of red crept into his cheeks, his posture stiffening.

  “God, I really shouldn’t do this,” he said. Wavering.

  “Why not?” Jess stared at him in confusion at his mixed messaging. His desire for her was unmistakable. It was sitting right there in his pants. Her eyebrow hiked onto her forehead. “Why shouldn’t you do things? Just take what you like?”

  Why did people feel the need to limit themselves? The thought brought a sense of freedom with it. She wanted Van. He seemed to want her too, when he wasn’t trying to talk himself out of it. And the more he fought his desire for her, the more Jess desired him.

  So why shouldn’t she take what she wanted?

  Jess followed him across the space he’d created to brush her lips against his. His mouth was soft and warm. Inviting. She ignored the twinge of protest from her leg as she leaned into him, steadying herself against his chest, one hand trapped between their bodies, the other seeking the muscled arch of his shoulder.

  He sat, motionless, but this only encouraged Jess to press closer, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips until something inside him loosened and gave way. With a low groan he yielded, his mouth opening under hers, tongue pushing past her lips to sweep inside. The fan of his hot breath surrounded her, his heart racing under her hand. His warm masculine scent filled her, pulse thudding along in time to the heady beat of her desire.

  With a soft exhalation, Jess strained forward to fuse her mouth to his. The slide of his hands on her arms was a sweet caress and she crept her hands around his neck, pulling him closer. Into her. He owned what she had started and she relaxed, melting into a deep kiss that had her head spinning. Each time she thought she’d caught up, Van would change the rhythm, first nibbling at her lips, followed by long luscious licks inside her mouth that left Jess whimpering, her fingers scrabbling against his chest.

  He pressed her back into the cushions, his hands sliding under her shirt, scraping across her belly to leave a trail of heat. The air left Jess’s lungs in a sigh, swallowed by his kiss as she sunk further under his spell. She raised her arms so he could remove her T-shirt, wanting the rush of sensory awareness of his skin against hers with nothing between them.

  He pushed the last of the fabric past her neck, up her arms, his hands following. When he got to her wrists, he stopped, his gaze moving from the bunched-up material of her T-shirt, down her arms to her mouth. Considering.

  Jess shifted restlessly, desperate to continue what she’d started, eager for the feel of his warm, smooth chest pressed against her breasts. Desire vied with curiosity as his stare slipped past her chin to view every inch of her body. Everything felt hot and tight and out of balance. Exposed.

  Jess lowered her arms, trying to work past the tangle of her shirt, intending to sit up. Part of her wanted to draw her clothes back on. The other wanted to shuck every stitch of material from both of them. Fall on him. She salivated at the thought of what lay beneath his clothes, the hint of firm, defined muscles. Strength.

  He stopped her with a single finger to her chest, touching the sensitive skin between her breasts. That one touch had Jess’s breath coming faster, sending a hit of aching need shuddering through her body, liquid warmth pooling in her sex.

  “Leave your arms there,” he said. He drew her in with the heat in his gaze, the sizzle of desire dripping from his smoldering stare, burning everything it touched.

  It wasn’t an order. If it had been, Jess would have bucked him off and left without a backward glance. But he wanted her and that knowledge had its own seductive power.

  Jess lay back as Van straddled her thighs. On some dim level, she noted he was careful not to put any weight on her legs. She let the thought go as he trailed his hands down her sides and her back arched reflexively. A low, sexy chuckle slid from his lips and a tug of pure, lustful wickedness wound around Jess’s belly. He pushed down the cups of her bra so the fullness of her breasts spilled over.

  Van ran his fingers gently across her nipples, his touch an electric current that arced from the sweet ache of her breasts to her clit. Slick heat dampened her thighs, creamy desire and the sweat sheen of anticipation. He leaned forward and the heavy burn of his cock pressed into her leg. Jess wriggled, trying to touch him. He closed his eyes and visibly swallowed as he allowed her thigh to rub against his erection. All too briefly.

  A moment later, Van lifted from her and slid to his knees beside the couch. He hooked into the waistband of her jeans, flicking open the button. Jess lifted her ass to help and he pushed down her pants, lifting onto his heels to peel them from her legs.

  He stared down at her for a long moment.

  Jess held herself still, her breath rasping loudly in her ears. Her natural reaction was to cover herself, to hide her scars from him. Shifting slightly, she turned her disfigured leg toward the shadow and clutched at her shirt, waiting in a vacuum of silence for him to say something. Anything.

  “I think I’ll leave these on.” A quick sting of pain snapped at her hip as Van plucked at her panties.

  Her sigh of relief was captured in a kiss as he crawled back up the couch to stretch above her, his breath creating a cool wind against the flush of her body. Her thighs. Her belly. Her breasts. He smelled divine, like sunshine filtering through the forest. Wholesome. Except the things Van was doing weren’t wholesome at all.

  He leaned on one elbow, looking down on her, his gaze never leaving her face. Jess’s fingers tightened once more on the fabric wrapped around her wrists, needing something solid to hold on to.

  Damn. She was in trouble. He wasn’t even touching her and she was panting for him.

  With infinite care, he drew a line down the center of her breasts, making her nipples ache for attention. Her breath sounded harshly in her ears as his hand dipped lower, over the crest of her bra, leaving a trai
l of tingling flesh as he stopped to toy with her belly button.

  “Are your arms getting tired?” he asked.

  Jess flexed her fingers, testing. She shook her head, welcoming the comfortable tingle along her triceps.

  “Good. If your muscles start to burn, put them behind your head. I don’t want you to ache. Not from this.” A grin spread, giving him a wild, wicked look. “And no touching,” he warned. He delivered a hard stare to make sure she understood. “Okay?”

  Fuck. That was a little scary and a whole lot of hot. Jess wanted to tell him to stop ordering her around. She didn’t like it. But she was so thoroughly turned on right now she couldn’t say the words—didn’t want to in case he did actually stop.

  Not trusting her voice to come out human, Jess jerked her head up and down in a quick nod. She’d never experienced anything like Van. Inherently, she knew she could trust him, but she liked the lick of danger adding fuel to her fire. Excitement fluttered in her belly and she trembled. It was as though he knew exactly how her body would react, even before she did.

  So, why was she letting him do this to her?

  “Did I tell you I hate doing what I’m told?” She fought through the fog of desire to find her voice. Jess brought her arms down, ignoring the prickle of numbness as she untangled her fingers.

  “Yeah, I guessed.” Van pulled back, a small half-smile on his lips. “But I thought I’d try anyway.”

  Jess started to protest except his mouth was on her. No asking. No apology. He suckled at her neck, quickly working his way down. His cheek grazed her nipple and Jess collapsed back into the couch, her fingers flexing in his hair, no longer trying to push him away but cradling his head against her, urging him on.

  She let out a cry when his mouth latched on to her breasts, his tongue rasping across her nipple. She was on fire, every touch like a bolt of liquid lightning coursing through her veins, softening her muscles, causing her to sink deeper into the cushions. Her legs parted of their own accord, her pussy so wet she could feel it on her thighs, dampening the crack of her ass. Even that was pleasurable. Jess writhed, trying to ease the burn of desire as he shifted attention to her other breast and started all over again.