So that’s how it was. With savage joy he stroked her quickly to her first climax. She reached blindly for a pillow, and he had the presence of mind to grab it and hand it to her so she could put it over her mouth and scream into it. Now was not the time to be waking babies. Not when he needed to seek the source of her heat with a tongue that thirsted for the gush of her second climax.
Ah, she was so wild for him that she abandoned her inhibitions and spread her thighs as he slid down, kissing a path from her breasts to her belly, tonguing his way over that sweet terrain to her wellspring of precious, life-giving nectar. He felt energy pour into him as he feasted on her sweetness and she quivered in his arms.
He knew her, knew her secrets, her rhythm, her aching need. He was born for this, to make this woman quake and cry out his name. His name. Nothing he’d ever done in his whole sorry life gave him this sense of rightness. Only loving Jess.
She tensed, her body trembling violently as her hips rose again. As she gulped for breath, she gasped out a plea, wanting more. And he knew that she needed that, too. As much as he had to sink into her to become complete, she couldn’t be complete until he had thrust deep and made that ultimate connection.
He didn’t bother to undress. There wasn’t time. The pressure was too great. He unbuckled his belt, opened his fly and put on the condom. Then he lifted her, moving her higher on the bed so he had room for his knees.
Her head was nearly off the other side, and he cradled it in both hands to steady her. Her silky hair flowed through his fingers. Then, looking into her eyes, he pushed home.
She moaned and wrapped her legs around his. “Tighter,” she whispered.
He moved another notch closer to her center and could feel the pulsing begin. “Don’t shut me out again,” he murmured.
“No.” She rose to meet his thrusts.
His breathing grew ragged. “I have to make love to you.”
“Yes.”
“It’s…everything.” He plunged into her again and again. And it seemed as if each time he went deeper, and deeper still.
“Yes. Oh, yes.”
He held her gaze. “Everything,” he gasped, and clenched his jaw against the cry of release that rose from his throat as he exploded within her.
WHETHER BECAUSE of the strange surroundings or the activity from the nearby bed, Elizabeth took a very short nap that day. Jessica borrowed Nat’s shirt to have something to put on when she went to get the baby, who sounded as if she might start fussing if nobody paid any attention to her.
Jessica didn’t want any more tears from Elizabeth today if they could be avoided. Tears seemed to make Nat think he’d done something wrong, and Jessica wanted him to build on a feeling of success.
“Put something warm on her,” Nat called from the other side of the screen. “Let’s get out the baby carrier and take a walk.”
“You think that’ll be okay?”
Nat came around the screen zipping up his pants. “We can set the alarm before we leave, and we won’t go far. We’ll keep our eyes open. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be pinned down here to the point that we feel like rats in a cage.”
“Neither do I. As I’m sure you can imagine.” She flashed him a smile and returned to diapering Elizabeth.
“You look good in my shirt.”
“I like wearing it,” she said. “It has your scent.”
“So?”
“It gets me hot. Pheromones, you know.”
“I’ve heard of those little devils. I vote that you just wear my shirt today and keep that pheromone thing going. I’ll go grab another shirt.”
“All right.” She couldn’t ever remember wearing anything of his before. It was one more example of how the barriers were coming down between them. Isolating themselves in this little cabin had been a brilliant idea.
He started to walk away, then turned around and came back. “You know, this pheromone business works both ways. I like breathing in your scent, too.”
“Oh, yeah?” She finished snapping up Elizabeth’s over-alls and glanced up with a grin. “Does that mean you’d like to wear that black lace number for the rest of the day?”
“Nah. I don’t have the build for it.” He moved in close beside her. “I’ll have to try something else.”
“Such as?”
He put a hand around her waist. “Hold still for a minute. I have an idea.”
“I can’t imagine what you’re up to.” She chuckled as she looked into his eyes. She didn’t anticipate his next move at all. When he slid his free hand under the shirt and down between her legs, she gasped. “Nat!” She tried to pull away. “This isn’t the time for—”
“Hold still,” he whispered. “This’ll only take a second.” And he slipped two fingers inside her.
Secretly thrilled at his audacity, she nevertheless acted shocked. Pretending indignation made the caress even more arousing. “Nat, for heaven’s sake. The baby—”
“Has no idea what’s going on. Mmm. That should do it.” He eased his hand out from between her thighs.
She sighed with disappointment. Not that she really expected him to continue while they were standing here by the crib, but he’d left her throbbing and ready. “Do what?” she asked, her voice unsteady.
He held his damp fingers under her nose. “Pheromones,” he said. “My share. This should hold me until the munchkin goes to sleep tonight.” And he rubbed his fingers across his upper lip.
She groaned as desire pounded through her. “We’d better get dressed and go on that walk.” She was mesmerized by the glow of passion in his eyes. “Now.”
“Yep.” He cupped her face gently in one hand and brushed a kiss over her lips. “Besides,” he murmured, “it seems to me Matty once said that being out in the fresh air helps a kid sleep better. And I want that little girl to sleep like a log tonight.” He brushed her lips one last time. “Because I don’t plan to sleep at all.”
Neither did Jessica. As much as she’d loved the urgency of their lovemaking this afternoon, she wanted a long, lazy session in bed with Nat. She’d like it right now.
But once they’d dressed and stepped out into the crisp afternoon, she decided that if she couldn’t be in bed loving Nat, this was a good second choice. Elizabeth rode happily in the carrier strapped to Nat’s back as they followed a path paved with golden aspen leaves.
“How’s your sixth sense working?” Nat asked.
“I don’t think he’s here,” Jessica said. “Do you suppose that you three men really scared him off when you rode out after him that morning?”
“That would be nice. Sebastian doesn’t think so, but the guy’s so weird that anything’s possible.”
Looking up through the shimmering leaves of the aspens to the cornflower sky as she walked hand in hand with Nat, Jessica believed anything was possible. Anything at all.
The crunch of leaves underfoot and the musty scent of the dry forest floor reminded her of another October day two years earlier. “Remember the time I talked you into raking up a pile of autumn leaves and playing in them with me?”
“I remember everything about you, Jess. I’ve had seventeen months to concentrate on those memories. They’re sorted and cataloged, and there’s not a cobweb on a single one.”
She glanced at him. “What a beautiful thing to say.”
He met her gaze. “What a beautiful person to say it to.” He smiled and squeezed her hand before turning his attention back to the path. “That last picture you gave me for the collection was a doozy, by the way. I’m sorry about tearing those little ties off. Maybe you can fix them.”
“I probably could.” Currents of electricity seemed to be running between their joined hands. “You’d like a repeat performance?”
He laughed. “You even have to ask? Except the next time, you’d better tie those things looser. Or maybe not tie them at all. A man tends to run out of patience when he has an erection stiffer than a tire iron.”
With a commen
t like that, she felt almost invited to look at the crotch of his jeans, and sure enough, a telltale bulge was beginning to show. “How’s your patience right now?” she teased.
“Being tested,” he said, not looking at her. “I strongly suggest we talk about something else.”
The sweet certainty of being wanted made her laugh with delight, and the sound of her laughter brought on giggles from Elizabeth. If life could get any more perfect than this, Jessica thought, she couldn’t imagine how.
In consideration for Nat’s comfort, she switched the conversation to her interest in wildcrafting herbs. Since he’d been gone, she’d taken a couple of classes and thought she might even turn the interest into a career. Because Nat was so encouraging, she allowed herself to imagine that he was picturing a future in which he ran a ranch for abandoned children and she roamed the nearby countryside in search of wild herbs.
It wasn’t a difficult fantasy to build, considering the hum of sensual excitement between them, no matter what they were discussing. Throughout the afternoon’s walk, and during the evening as they prepared supper and fed Elizabeth, every accidental touch sizzled and every deliberate one nearly destroyed their control.
And Jessica discovered an amazing thing. Having the baby around definitely limited their freedom to make love at every opportunity. Frustration levels were at an all-time high for both of them. But she hadn’t thought to value that frustration.
During the year she and Nat had been seeing each other, on the weekends they’d spent together, they’d been free to indulge themselves sexually whenever they chose. Looking back on that time, she realized that they’d begun to take their physical relationship for granted.
With Elizabeth on the scene, for the first time they enjoyed the thrill of anticipation. Jessica hadn’t understood what a powerful aphrodisiac that could be.
She suspected Nat had figured it out, too, because he didn’t put any pressure on her to rush either dinner or Elizabeth’s bedtime preparations. He patiently waited until Elizabeth had finished all the finger food on her tray. When she was ready to be changed, he asked to be taught the diapering process, which meant the job took twice as long. Then they both played peekaboo with the baby while taking off her clothes and getting her into her sleeper.
Throughout the activities, Jessica was constantly aware of Nat—his hand reaching for a dish at the same time she did, his hip brushing hers as they stood side by side at the crib, his eyes on her while she worked. She noticed every glance and exactly where it was focused. Sometimes he’d meet her gaze, but often he’d direct his attention elsewhere on her body, with heated results. A burning look could make her mouth tingle, her nipples tighten, her belly quiver.
Fortunately she had the same power. She could stare at his mouth until his breathing quickened and his blue eyes darkened. If her gaze wandered below his belt, she could watch the imprint of his erection become more distinct the longer she concentrated on that area. Once she even drew a soft groan from him.
Until the moment they finally put Elizabeth in her crib for the night, they engaged in a silent, tension-laced duel that was the most exciting foreplay Jessica had ever experienced.
But by the time she laid the baby down on her tummy and began singing her to sleep, Jessica was ready for the waiting to be over. They’d dimmed the lights in the cabin so the baby would sleep—but they’d left one on beside the double bed so they could see each other when they made love.
Nat leaned against the wall, arms folded, watching Jessica rub Elizabeth’s back and sing to her. In order to do the various evening chores, he’d rolled the sleeves of his western shirt back over his forearms.
There was something incredibly sexy about a man with his sleeves rolled up, Jessica thought. He looked ready for action. And a little action was exactly what she had in mind.
Of course, in her current frame of mind, every part of Nat, from his ears to his toes, had taken on erotic meaning. Still, she especially liked admiring the strength of his arms. She visually traced the pattern of russet hair and imagined running her tongue along the groove that formed between muscle and bone when he flexed his wrist. Then she stared with lust at the supple length of his fingers as they curved around his biceps. When she finally looked into his eyes, she nearly lost her place in the familiar lullaby. The message in that intense blue gaze was unmistakable.
With a faint smile, he looked over at the sleeping baby. Then his glance returned to Jessica. With blatant intent he allowed it to rove over her body, lingering at all the places he knew how to awaken. She wondered if any part of her would sleep tonight.
Elizabeth gave a little sigh and her body relaxed under Jessica’s hand. Jessica muted the lullaby and lightened her touch. All the while, she listened to Elizabeth’s breathing to gauge when she was truly asleep. At last she was. Slowly Jessica lifted her hand and stepped back. In the silence, she could hear Nat’s indrawn breath.
She looked up and found that he’d pushed himself away from the wall and now stood with his arms at his sides, waiting for her. Heart pounding and body already moistening with need, she held his gaze as she walked toward him.
He took her hand and led her around the screen. As they stood beside the bed, he was trembling. With great restraint he drew her slowly into his arms and looked deep into her eyes. His erection pressed against her. “I’ve never wanted you like this,” he whispered. “I’m coming apart inside.”
“We have to be quiet at first,” she murmured. “Just in case.”
“I’ll try.” With shaking hands he cupped her face in both hands, tipped her head back and lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was furnace-hot and more insistent than she ever remembered. His tongue probed boldly as he slipped his thumbs to the corners of her mouth and nudged her mouth wider.
He kissed her as if he couldn’t get close enough, deep enough. She wrapped her arms around his waist and fit his denim-covered erection between her thighs, holding him tight against her. They were both breathing so raggedly that she wondered if their gasps alone would wake the baby.
His hands slipped from her face to the top snap of the shirt she’d borrowed from him. She wore no bra underneath, and she knew that once he began to caress her breasts, she’d lose her mind.
But this time she was determined to give as good as she got. This time she would be in charge. The night was long and she could afford to be generous. As he worked his way down the snaps, she reached for his belt buckle.
Before he finished with the snaps, she’d unfastened his belt. By the time he pushed the shirt over her shoulders, she’d opened the button on his jeans and unzipped his fly. He moaned softly against her mouth.
The prospect of what she planned to do, and how it would no doubt affect him, made her pulse race. Pushing both jeans and underwear down, she discovered that he was, in his words, stiff as a tire iron.
Drawing back from his kiss, she guided him down to sit on the edge of the bed before kneeling in front of him.
“Jess—”
“Shh.” She kissed him quickly before shrugging out of the borrowed shirt. The movement jiggled her breasts, but when he reached for them she caught his wrists. “Not yet,” she murmured. “Take off your shirt. I’ll handle the rest.”
Then she tortured him by making him watch her, topless, taking off his boots. She knew the movement of her unfettered breasts excited him. He’d once joked that he wished skiing wasn’t so cold a sport, because he’d love to watch her do it topless.
If his harsh breathing was any indication, he was pretty darned excited now. So excited that he’d left the job of taking off his shirt half done. Apparently, after unsnapping it, he’d become so absorbed in watching her that he’d forgotten what he’d been instructed to do.
“Your shirt,” she reminded him with a smile. Her skin flushed with anticipation.
She waited until he had it off and then she took a moment to admire his work-sculpted physique. With his well-developed muscles and hair a bit too long to be
fashionable, he looked far more like a calendar model than a businessman. She wanted him now, sooner than now.
But instead she took her own sweet time removing his jeans, making sure she brushed her nipples against his thighs, his knees and his calves as she worked. Last of all, she pulled off his socks, leaning down so her breasts tickled the tops of his feet.
When next she glanced at him, each fist was clenched around a section of blanket and his eyes were squeezed shut. As she’d hoped, he was in ecstatic agony. Now for her final gift.
She moved between his legs, nudging his sensitive inner thighs with her breasts. In the process she gave thanks for not being small in that department. For what she had in mind, she needed everything she had.
He opened his eyes to gaze down at her. “You’re destroying me,” he whispered.
She merely smiled and leaned forward to place a wet kiss on the top of his rigid penis.
He gasped. “Jess, you’d better not—”
“Shh,” she said again. “Give me your hands.”
Quivering, he held them out, as if he’d become her slave. She cupped them against the sides of her breasts and showed him that if he pressed gently, he would capture the shaft of his penis in that soft, silken valley. As he complied, he groaned and closed his eyes. His fingers began an involuntary kneading motion as he held her breasts snug against his erection.
She moved gently up and down, treating him to slow, tantalizing friction. “Open your eyes,” she whispered. “And watch.”
When he opened his eyes, they were glazed with pleasure. He looked down as he kept up the sensuous rhythm, and his breath rasped in his throat. “Jess. Oh, Jess, I’m going to—”
“I know.” She watched his face, saw the muscles work in his jaw, knew he was close. She increased the tempo.
He made a noise low in his throat.
“I want you to,” she murmured. “Come for me, Nat.”
That's My Baby! Page 22
