Negotiating for Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “There you go being a smartass again.” Her lips twitched as she tried holding back a smile.

  Unable to resist, he leaned over and pulled her to him, ravishing her mouth. He loved her smart mouth and everything else about her. Each time their lips touched, or he held her in his arms, it became more difficult to stop at just kissing and hugging. He wanted so much more. And by the way she kissed him, he knew she wanted more as well.

  They finally pulled apart, and he stepped out of the car to fill the gas tank. The night had been great, and he didn’t want to drop her off at home and then just leave. But for the sake of not wanting to move too fast, he would.

  Fifteen minutes later, they sat talking in his car, staring out at her house, neither wanting the evening to end.

  “Are you sure you can’t come in?” Martina asked and he could have sworn her voice had dipped an octave. “You can at least have a cup of coffee with me.”

  He was prepared to decline, but Martina caught him totally off guard when she reached over and tugged on the lapel of his jacket, forcing him closer.

  “If not coffee, maybe something el...” Her last word was smothered as she covered his mouth with hers. This bold woman had the power to knock all common sense from his mind when she took the lead.

  He drank in the sweetness of her kiss as blood pounded through his veins, leaped over his heart and shot straight to his groin.

  His fingers combed through her hair and stopped at the back of her head, holding her in place as their tongues tangled. The center console cut into his side, preventing him from taking what he wanted.

  Okay, why was he torturing them both? They wanted this. They needed this. And who was he to turn down coffee, or anything else she had to offer?

  No! His mind screamed and he broke off the kiss.

  “I can’t.” Had that just come out of his mouth? Clearly, he was the stupidest man on earth for turning down a fascinating woman like Martina when she was offering him her body.

  “I want you like a thirsty man who has just spent the last year on a deserted island without water, but I can’t do this again, Martina. I want more than just your amazing body.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at him as if he had lost his mind. In all honesty, maybe he had, but he had to be strong and not fall under her spell again.

  “Fine!” she snapped. “Your loss.” She fumbled with the door handle trying to get out of the car.

  “Wait. I’ll walk you to the door.”

  “Don’t bother. Just watch this amazing body walk away from you.” She jumped out of the car and didn’t look back. He half expected her to flip him the bird, but that didn’t happen.

  “Yep, stupidest man on the planet,” he murmured, but he had to take a stand with her. Otherwise, they would end up where they left off. Great sex. No commitment.

  *

  Martina stormed into the house and slammed the door, tossing her keys onto a nearby table.

  “Ugh!” She threw up her arms. How the hell could he kiss her like that and then let her go? Adrenaline pumped through her veins like a gushing oil well. She inhaled and then exhaled slowly trying to regain control. He had her so worked up, that she had been tempted to climb into his lap inside the car. But then he brought everything to a halt.

  Damn him for thinking too much!

  She snatched off her jacket and threw it across the room. When the garment missed the sofa and landed on the floor, her frustration skyrocketed. Heat flooded her body as she thought about that kiss and her sex clenched with need.

  “Oh that man!” she screamed.

  Still feeling hot and bothered, Martina yanked off her shirt, leaving her in a tank top. She kicked off her shoes and stomped around the living room fanning herself.

  She had given Paul an open invitation and the man turned her down. That was a first. She always got what she wanted with him … until now.

  Martina dropped down on the sofa and pounded the cushions. Why couldn’t he understand that she didn’t do serious relationships? She had to protect herself. She had to protect her heart. Letting Paul get too close again would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.

  You can lie to us, but don’t keep lying to yourself. Peyton’s words infiltrated Martina’s thoughts.

  “No. No. No!” She shook her head, the back of her hair rubbing against the sofa. “I am not still in love with Paul. I can’t be.” But she knew the truth. She had never stopped loving him.

  Maybe it’s good he left.

  The last thing she needed was to get addicted to him all over again. Back then, she could barely go a minute without thinking about him or wanting to be anywhere he was, but now she was back in control.

  “Yeah, it’s good he brought a halt to our make-out session,” she said out loud. But then she moaned and sagged deeper into the sofa. “Who am I kidding?”

  The doorbell rang.

  Martina froze.

  When seconds ticked by and the bell didn’t ring again, she assumed she was hearing things. But then someone pounded on the front door.

  A smile tugged at her lips, and she leaped up, hurrying across the room. The sexual desire stampeding through her body only moments ago returned with a vengeance when she swung the door open and found Paul standing there.

  “Don’t say a word,” he growled and stepped into the house, kicking the door closed. They didn’t get beyond the foyer before his mouth swooped down over hers. His large hands palmed her ass, pulling her against his erection and Martina whimpered as he ground against her.

  With a hand on her waist, he backed her to the wall, groping at the bottom of her tank top before lifting it over her head and tossing it to the floor. They clawed at each other’s clothes, panting as his jacket, shirt and her jeans flew around the small space like leaves blowing in a storm.

  Left in their underwear, they lunged back into each other’s arms, his large hands all over her body. Pulse beating eagerly, Martina held on as his tongue hungrily explored the inner recesses of her mouth. His kiss frantic, yet thorough and she gave as good as she got, happy to be back in his arms again.

  A moan filled the silence of the house and Martina didn’t know if it had come from her or him. She didn’t care. All she knew was that she wasn’t letting him out of the house until she reminded him of how good they were together.

  His breath was warm against her body as he trailed heated kisses along her jaw line and kept moving south.

  “God, you smell delicious,” he nibbled against her neck. His hands skimmed down her body, stopping at her breasts. “Mmm, and you feel even better.”

  Martina inhaled when his thumbs caressed her sensitive nipples. Her knees went weak as desire nicked every nerve ending within her. She couldn’t ever remember wanting anyone as bad as she wanted him right then and there.

  “I want you,” he said hoarsely as if reading her mind. “But not here.”

  He bent down. Quickly rummaging through his pant pockets, he found his wallet and removed a condom. Before Martina could form her next thought, Paul lifted her as if she weighed nothing and carried her to the bedroom. When he set her on her feet, her gaze dropped to the bulge barely contained behind his black boxer briefs. She was already eager to get up close and personal, but seeing the outline of his thick package, begging to be free, sent a rush of excitement straight to her core.

  Paul stood frozen, the foil packet between his fingers. Heat scorched her skin as his gaze did a slow drag down her body, taking in her lavender, matching bra and panty set. She didn’t spend much money on clothes, but Martina did invest well in pretty underwear. And with the hunger radiating in his eyes, she was glad she had.

  Paul wasn’t the only one getting an eye full. There hadn’t been much light in the hallway, but now Martina took in his wide shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. His washboard abs made her itch to run her hands up and down his eight pack. And were his biceps even bigger than they once were? Martina had seen his buffed body plenty of times, but tonigh
t…

  “Damn, you’re even more beautiful than I remember.” The roughness of his voice held so much emotion as he moved toward her.

  “And you’re even hotter than I remember.”

  Paul grinned and tossed the foil packet onto the side table. He placed his hands on her hips. “I have missed you.”

  Martina’s heart thundered and her hands glided up his smooth, bare chest. She loved the way his muscles rippled beneath her touch. His closeness reminded her of what she’d been missing. Him. All of him.

  “I’ve missed you too.” She draped her arms around his neck and gently pulled on the back of his head, bringing his mouth closer. Martina gave herself freely to the passion of their kiss. She already knew one time with him wouldn’t be enough. He had weakened her resolve to keep distance between them.

  “I want to see all of you.” He unhooked the clasp of her bra with expert fingers and eased the straps down her arms, tossing the material aside. Her skimpy panties quickly followed.

  “My turn.” She glided her hands down the side of his taut body until she reached the band of his boxer briefs. An involuntary groan rumbled in her throat as she pushed them down his thick legs, his shaft standing at attention.

  Paul kicked the briefs off, and Martina bit down on her bottom lip to keep from groaning again at his exquisite body. Unable to resist, her hand enclosed around his length and she smiled when he heaved a ragged breath.

  “Mmm, you feel good.” Her hand slid up and down his shaft, squeezing and gently tugging, loving the way he grew within her grasp.

  Paul cursed under his breath and grabbed hold of her wrist, halting her actions.

  “Okay, okay. If you keep touching me like that, this will be over before we start.” He backed her up, easing her onto the queen size bed and climbed on next to her.

  Part of Martina wanted to hurry this seduction scene along, but the other part of her wanted to go slow and get reacquainted with each other’s body.

  “I plan to savor every minute of my time with you,” Paul said. His low baritone voice sent a shiver up Martina’s spine as he stroked and teased one of her nipples. A deep guttural moan escaped from the back of her throat, and her eyes drifted closed. She delighted in his touch. This is what her body needed, what her body craved.

  She shuddered when his mouth took the place of his fingers. He pulled a pert nipple between his teeth, gently tugging before swirling his tongue around the hardened bud. She squeezed her thighs together, wiggling against him as her sex pulsated with need.

  “Paul,” she whined, but he continued the sweet torture. One of his hands seared a path down the center of her body and didn’t stop until he reached the opening between her thighs.

  Body heat spiking, Martina whimpered, grabbing a handful of the sheet in her fist. His finger, like a heat-seeking missile, found her throbbing sex and he glided the first digit inside of her and then added a second. Between the sweet torment that his mouth was doing on her nipple and the exploration of his fingers, Martina knew she couldn’t hold on much longer.

  Her hips moved in rhythm with his fingers while he slid in and out, stroking, teasing, and bringing her body alive. “Paul,” she gasped, unable to form a sentence. Her heart beat triple time. Passion brewed to explosive proportions and her control teetered on the edge. Martina hadn’t felt this aroused since the last time she was with him and…

  Paul lifted his head, her nipple popping from his mouth. He increased the speed of his fingers, pressing deeper and harder.

  “Paul!” Her head thrashed against the mound of pillows. “I...I…”

  “Come for me baby.”

  As soon as he spoke the words, an orgasm gripped her and she bucked wildly against his hand. She screamed a release as her body jerked and thrashed uncontrollably.

  Oh my God. She panted, clutching his arms, her fingernails digging into his skin while she gasped for air. Oh my God.

  Waves of ecstasy throbbed through Paul as he watched Martina crumble to pieces. He quickly grabbed the foil packet on the side table and ripped it open with his teeth, yearning to be inside of her.

  How many times had he dreamed of being with her again?

  He eased between her legs and nudged her thighs further apart, kissing her soft lips.

  “That was … we…”

  “We’re just getting started, baby,” Paul crooned.

  Martina’s sizzling orgasm only fueled the flames burning within him. Making love to her always gave him a chance to see her gentler side, where she lowered her guards and gave into the passion.

  Paul so wanted to take this slow, but her enticing body and womanly curves only made him harder. He slid into her sweet heat and his heart slammed against his chest. It was as if he had finally made it home. Her inner muscles wrapped around him like a snug fitting glove.

  Having her again this way, stirred another emotion within him – longing. He wanted her back in his life permanently, and he intended to have her.

  She’s mine. She’s mine.

  The words looped in his mind. He increased his pace, pumping harder, faster, going deeper, encouraged by the erotic sounds emanating from deep within her. Memories of their times together flooded back. Martina is what he wanted, what he needed in his life.

  Paul lifted her hip off the bed and slid in deeper. His thrust grew frantic, and he was like an out-of-control freight train ramping up speed, faster and faster. Martina matched him stroke for stroke, her muscles contracting around his shaft.

  “Mar…tina!” he growled between gritted teeth when she wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed her thighs tight. Paul cursed under his breath. She was sucking his control right out of him while he struggled to hold on.

  “P…Paul,” she stuttered, her fingers digging into his thighs.

  “Come with me ba…baby.” Paul pumped faster.

  “Paul!” Martina screamed her release and Paul was right behind her, holding her tightly. His release hit him fast and hard as he roared her name, his world spinning out of control.

  He collapsed on top of her, unable to think, barely able to breathe. Martina wrapped her arms around him, breathing hard against his neck.

  Finally able to move, Paul rolled to his side, taking Martina with him. Sated, he held her in his arms, placing a kiss on her sweat-slicked forehead. Heavy panting filled the quietness of the room.

  Minutes ticked by before Martina eventually broke the silence saying, “Ready for round two?”

  Paul chuckled and kissed her again. “Definitely, but give me a minute.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Paul snuggled his face deeper into the scented pillow that he held onto like a lifeline, not ready to regain full consciousness. He had no idea what time it was, and he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was freeze time and stay just as he was, wrapped in the warmth of the soft blanket.

  The smell of food permeated the air and tickled his nostrils. His head popped up, and he struggled to open his eyes and clear the fog of sleep from his mind. He lived alone. So the smell of food, when he wasn’t the one cooking was a little unnerving.

  Turning in bed, his gaze took in the unfamiliar room. Bold abstract art graced the light gray walls with white crown molding bringing a sophisticated look to the space. The dark furniture wasn’t overly big, but neither was the room. Everything was neat, orderly. And then he heard someone whistling a soft melody in the distance.

  Martina.

  Memories of the night before bombarded him, and he dropped back onto the pillow, smiling as he recalled the wild night.

  The woman damn near killed him.

  She had more energy, and passion than anyone he knew. He was still finding it hard to believe they had hooked back up. And in a big way. But then something else dawned on him. They were back where they left off. Smoking hot sex. No commitment.

  Frustration churned through his body. The night before he’d been blinded by her boldness and her fine tail, but this morning, he needed to make sure his he
ad was on straight. No way could he go back to what they once had when he wanted every stubborn inch of her, mind and body. He appreciated a good challenge, but if he couldn’t get her to give them another try and not just sex, then he was going to have to find a way to move on and not look back.

  “Don’t think too hard. You might hurt yourself.” The sultry voice came from the doorway. He lifted up on his elbows and took in her appearance.

  All the self-talk from moments ago flew right out the window.

  Her lovely face, free of makeup, held a sexy smile that was like a punch in the gut. She seemed so sweet and harmless, but he knew better. The woman was a detriment to his peace of mind and one look at her had him aching with need to be inside of her again.

  Still unable to speak, his gaze soaked her up. She wore his dress shirt, with only the two middle buttons fastened, and her bare legs appeared longer than usual. His erection grew harder if that were possible, and his eyes dropped even lower to her bare feet accented with purple painted toenails.

  To say she looked sexy would be an understatement.

  Yep, she was definitely trying to kill him.

  He dropped back onto the pillow and closed his eyes, covering them with his forearm.

  Her soft steps against the carpeted floor met his ears as they drew closer, and then her side of the bed dipped.

  “So, I don’t get a good morning, which means you were overthinking last night.”

  All he could do was grunt.

  “It also means you’re probably kicking yourself for falling under my spell…again.”

  He chuckled, unable to stop himself.

  “Arrogant much?” he mumbled. He didn’t have to remove his arm from his eyes to know she had a Cheshire cat grin spread across her gorgeous face.

  “Instead of talking, like I’m sure you think we should do, how about breakfast? I made some of your favorites. Mushroom and tomato omelet, turkey sausage, and a side of mouth-watering, blueberry pancakes. And if that doesn’t temp you, there is a cup of strong, black coffee with your name on it.”