by Dee J. Adams
“Let’s just worry about tonight, okay? There’s no waiting tonight.” He looked at her, didn’t know what part of her to touch first. “Can you do that for me?” Stroking his thumb softly along her jaw, he willed her to give in.
Jess studied him for a long time, her eyes tortured, before glancing behind him to the table. “What about dinner? Don’t you want…?” She let the sentence dangle. Maybe it was the hunger in his eyes that stopped her. He knew everything he felt was in his gaze.
He shook his head, relieved that she wanted to give them at least this one last night together. “I’m not hungry for food.” His voice was low, rough, as guttural as he’d ever sounded. He tipped her chin up at the same time he lowered his head.
He couldn’t help himself, his lips took hers. Firmly. Fiercely. Hungrily.
____________
The kiss curled her toes.
She’d been fighting the feeling for months, knowing he’d leave at some point, or that her confinement would keep them separate. She’d fought the attraction from day one, but now it all came crashing down on her. She loved him. And loving him meant setting him free.
Tomorrow.
Instead of letting guilt and de,” she whispered from .t him pression swamp her, Jess chose to live this night as a free woman. She wanted all the things Tanner made her feel. She wanted the passion and the heat. She wanted his heart too, but it wasn’t fair to ask for that.
Just like the last time he kissed her in this kitchen, it got out of control in a matter of seconds. Hot, short seconds.
When he lifted and pressed her against the wall, she expected the wainscoting to slam into her back like before, but that didn’t happen. Tanner protected her with an arm wrapped securely around her. His body was hard and strong and just what she needed. But not the only thing she needed. She’d come to rely on his presence the last six months. Not that he knew. On the rare occasion when she didn’t see him, she’d felt alone. On days when she’d been able to look out the window and see him in the yard or if she glanced across the room and saw him adjusting costs for the budget or even when they’d locked gazes in the courtroom, she’d felt a certain amount of peace. Almost as if he were around, then everything would work out.
Now, as he kissed her, as his calloused hands searched the skin beneath her big sweater and her legs wrapped around his waist, she only knew one thing for certain. He belonged to her tonight. For six months she’d been practicing living in the present, knowing that was the only way she’d survive if she went to prison. One day at a time. Tanner had told her as much during some of their conversations. This moment, with his hand on her breast and his tongue in her mouth…this was a memory she’d take with her tomorrow into court and for the rest of her life.
Jess rubbed against the erection pressing between her legs and heard Tanner groan.
“Upstairs,” she panted between kisses.
Breathing hard, Tanner pulled back, touched his forehead to hers with his eyes closed.
“Okay, yeah. Definitely the bedroom. But I’m slowing this train down. We’ve been doing this fast and hard for months and tonight I’m taking my time.”
“Speaking of time…you’re wasting it standing here talking.”
Tanner grinned before he gave her one last deep kiss and set her down. “After you,” he gestured toward the stairs and she backed up, watching him as he followed. God, he was gorgeous. His dark eyes were bright with desire, with lust. An incredible feeling of power came over her as she made her way upstairs. She wouldn’t think about tomorrow or court. She’d spend the rest of the night concentrating on Tanner.
At the top of the stairs, she started walking backwards again, wanted to keep her eyes on him for as long as possible. He was such a predator the way he stalked her. There was no way he was going to go slow. They hadn’t had sex in three days…one of their longer periods since their quickies began, because they were at the whim of a busy household.
“What’s the smile about?” he asked, a slow grin curving his lips.
She hadn’t realized she was smiling. “You. Thinking you’re going to go slow.” To make things interesting, she grabbed the waistband of her leggings and pulled them off. She had to stop for a second to get them over the,” she whispered vatay b ankle monitor, but then she was moving again, taunting him with bare legs. “Nope, I don’t see slow in our future.”
“You don’t think I can take my time?” he asked, following her into the bedroom.
“I think you’d like to, but you won’t be able to.”
He kicked the door closed without looking at it, then reached behind him and locked it.
A shiver of excitement raced down her back. She lifted the edges of her big sweater.
“Stop,” he told her. “That’s my job.”
Chills prickled her arms and heat flashed up her center. “Then you’re slacking off, dude.”
He moved toward her. “Is that so?”
She smiled and took a step back to taunt him more, but he lunged, grabbed her around the waist, spun and pinned her against the wall in a full body press. The kicker…maybe the moment she fell more deeply in love with him, was when she felt his arm behind her again, his hand searching for molding, making sure he wouldn’t hurt her.
Instead of diving in for a hungry kiss, Tanner watched her, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Are you paying close attention?” he whispered. Then slowly, so slowly, he leaned in, slanted his mouth over hers and destroyed her with the softest, sweetest kiss. His lips molded to hers as his tongue slowly explored her. It was heaven. It was perfect. It was what she’d always wanted. Knowing this might be her last night with this man, she gave him everything she had, everything she was.
Jess wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him. She never realized he had moved until she felt the bed at her back as he laid her down and ended up half way on her. “When are you going to take this sweater off me?” she muttered. “I’m hot.”
“I noticed,” he answered roughly as he nibbled his way across her jaw. “I’m gonna get you hotter.” He traced his tongue around her ear and Jess nearly shot off the bed. His hand eased up her bare thigh, moving higher, promising more, teasing until he continued and lingered right under her breast.
She moaned in frustration and he chuckled. She tried to shift his hand higher, but he caught both her hands and locked them over her head, staring down at her with victory in his eyes. He moved against her so she felt his erection over her clit. “Tanner,” she moaned. “Take off your stupid clothes. And my stupid clothes.”
He chuckled again. One-handed, he lifted her sweater to uncover her breasts. She still wore her bra, but he didn’t seem too worried. He kissed around the lace. Then through the lace. He tongued the stiff peak of her nipple before gently sucking it. His hot tongue stroked her over and over. God, it was torture of the best kind. Finally, he unsnapped the front closure of her bra and peeled back the cups, exposing her to the cool room air.
“You have the prettiest breasts,” he whispered as he gave her other nipple the same treatment.
She was used to hard and fast, not,” she whispered from .t him this slow, tender assault. This reminded her of that first full night together. But this was different. Better. Because he wasn’t a stranger. He was the man she loved. A man she could confide in, share her secrets with. He left no part of her untouched.
Jess got a hand free and managed to pull off her sweater. Tanner seemed too engrossed in kissing her breasts to notice. She watched as he devoured her, fascinated at the devotion he showered her with. Her nipples were plump, wet, red. Her breasts engorged and aching. It was too much. Not enough. Jess grabbed his head and forced him up as she leaned forward and took his mouth. She loved his kiss. Loved the way he sank into her with every stroke of his tongue. Somehow she rolled him over and lost her bra. Now to get rid of his clothes and her underwear.
She lifted his shirt. “Off,” she muttered as she expose
d the hot skin and hard muscled chest that always made her wet. He sat up, helped her get it over his head and she reached for the button on his jeans. He was everywhere at once, his lips on her jaw, her neck, his hands on her skin.
In a flash, he flipped her on her back. “Oh, no you don’t,” he breathed. “Nice try. But tonight, we’re doing this my way.” He palmed her head and proceeded to kiss her slowly. Deeply. He took her mouth with the same devotion as her breasts. His tongue played against hers in a sensual game of give and take, stroking inside her mouth, sending sparks zipping through her extremities. God, he was turning her inside out and outside in.
In two short minutes he had her panting, grasping, begging for him.
He seemed truly pleased by it all.
____________
Oh yeah. He had her right where he wanted her.
Underneath him and begging.
But she had a point. He did need to lose his clothes and her little white lace panties. In a minute. Right now he wanted to keep kissing her. He wanted to feel her tongue against his as she moaned into his mouth, wanted her nails digging into his skin as she arched against his body. He pulled back, gave them both a minute to breathe as he trailed kisses down her neck. She lifted into him, offering everything. Emotion constricted his chest. The way she gave herself made him feel whole. Made him feel worthy.
With one hand, Tanner unbuttoned his jeans. It took a little longer to get the zipper down with his hard-on pressed against it so tightly.
“Stay,” he ordered softly. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.” In one quick motion he levered himself to the side of the bed and quickly got rid of his boots and socks. He lifted to take off his jeans and felt Jess behind him, her lips on his shoulders, her hands on his biceps.
“Thought I told you to stay put,” he rumbled. But he loved that she had to touch him. Loved how she’d taken his cue and finally slowed down.
“I couldn’t help myself,” she whispered in his ear. “You’re better than chocolate.” The picture of her licking him like candy sent a fresh surge of blood to his groin. She traced her tongue around the shell and made his cock every cell alive and screamou.t him even harder. “Here, let me help you with those.” She knelt next to him on the bed and pushed his jeans and boxer briefs farther down his legs. “Mmm,” she purred and dropped her head in his lap quicker than he could stop her.
Stop her? Was he nuts? Why stop something so fuckingly, erotically great as having her go down on him. He hissed in a breath as she took him in her mouth and his hands threaded through her hair. She obviously enjoyed giving him pleasure. He’d had seven years less than most people and if she was trying to make up for any lost time, then she was well on her way. She gave him so much and he had so little to offer. She gave him her body with all her heart and soul. With her mouth, tongue and hands. God, how had he forgotten how unbelievably fantastic it was? But this sideways angle of hers gave this blowjob a whole new feel. She was killing him with pleasure and although he loved it, he wanted this night to be for her.
Tanner stroked his hand down her back as she continued to suck him and the answer to this particular dilemma—if he could call a fantastic blowjob a dilemma—came to him in a flash.
Forgetting about his jeans, he leaned back on the bed and gave her total access to the area she seemed most interested in. As she redoubled her efforts to blow his mind, Tanner eased the lower half of her body over his head and settled her exactly where he wanted her.
Sixty-nine. A position he’d always heard about, but never had the chance to explore. Until now.
Jess moaned on his cock as he moved the lace aside and licked into her. It was highly intimate. Enormously erotic. Something he wouldn’t have wanted to do with just any woman. The realization had Tanner working harder to make her come. He wanted her on the edge. He wanted her to know that he’d do anything for her. But really…the panties had to go. Damn if he was going to take the time to push them down her legs. With a quick snap, he ripped the thin barrier to shreds and tossed them away. Much better.
She’d gotten way ahead of him on the pleasure scale, and sweat streamed off him as her hot mouth continued to suck his rigid cock. This whole experience was so much like the first night, but so different. Jess’s desperation before had come from helplessness, from fear. This thing between them now was fueled by emotion. Love. At least love on his part. Whether she admitted it or not, he believed to his soul that she felt the same way. He didn’t see how she could do what she was doing if she didn’t feel the same. Tanner fought pleasure with pleasure. He used his fingers and tongue to take her to the edge. He had her so close to coming that she lost her rhythm as she moved over him.
Oh, she was close, so close, but he didn’t want her to come this way. He wanted to watch her eyes, kiss her lips. He wanted to bury himself inside her and show her he was the one and only man for her, no matter how long it took before they could be together.
With a growl, he hauled her up and tossed her toward the pillows. In seconds, he lost the rest of his clothes and moved on top of her.
It took every ounce of control he possessed to slow things down again. As he covered her, his erection pressed snugly against her wet entrance, he watched her. That same foreign emotion crashed in on him a second time as he brushed his lips over hers. She moaned and grabbed his ass, tried to bring him,” she whispered Batay b more fully inside her. Tanner pushed a fraction. Enough to make her feel the invasion. Still he kissed her. Slowly. Deeply. With every kiss he sank more fully into her. He took hs they went do
Epilogue
Jess gazed out the airplane’s window at the lush Colorado forest beneath. Right now it was covered with a thick dusting of pristine white snow. She loved California and its three hundred days of sun, but this amazingly beautiful sight nearly stole her breath. Christmas in Colorado. It didn’t get much better than this.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” Tanner said next to her. He squeezed her hand and she gave him her full attention.
“Very.” She smiled, tried to defuse his nervousness. Though he’d acted cool, this trip meant more than he let on. “I like this view too,” she said, looking into his eyes.
“You’re such a sweet talker,” he murmured. Then he kissed her softly.
“Only where you’re concerned,” she whispered at his mouth.
“You’re so full of shit,” he continued, but he was smiling. “You sweet talk every person you get on the phone. You’ve become the best producer in town on your first project. You can get anybody to do anything for almost nothing.”
It was true. Whether it was the notoriety of the trial or the fact that a lot of peoplot the only th
Also by Dee J. Adams..nearly destroy
.
The Adrenaline Highs Series
Dangerous Race
5 stars – Laura Wright, author of Mark of the Vampire and Bayou Heat series.
“High Octane Awesomeness!”
4.5 stars – The Fiction Vixen.
“Really, really fabulous read. The mystery / suspense subplot is interesting and keeps you on your toes, the main and secondary characters are all great and likable, there is sizzling chemistry in both the primary and secondary romances, and it’s well-written.”
4 stars – One Good Book Deserves Another.
“Taking high octane romance and suspense to a whole other level, Adams goes green flag with a prologue that left me shaken and a story that both thrilled and chilled.”
~ ~ ~
Danger Zone
New York Times Bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann, on Danger Zone:
“Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for romances set in the world of movie-making. But in DANGER ZONE, Dee J. Adams not only uses her years of experience in Hollywood to create a delightfully gritty and authentic world filled with insider insights; she also creates a cast of very real and likable characters. I especially loved stunt-woman Ellie Morgan’s kickass, take-no-prisoner
s attitude, and her long-time friendship with her best-friend and roommate Ashley. As for the book’s hero, Quinn Reynolds? I’m in love. This one’,” she whispered. edayvis on my keeper shelf.”
Starred Review from Library/p>
Journal:
“Highly recommended for romantic suspense fans, especially those who like stories with complex relationships.” Marlene Harris, Reading Reality LLC
~ ~ ~
Dangerously Close
4 stars – Romantic Times.
“Witty dialogue and unyielding suspense make for another great story in the Adrenaline Highs series. The hero and heroine are fully developed and emotionally rich, and the best part of the novel is the developing relationship between them from strangers to friends to lovers. Readers will enjoy spending time with these memorable characters.”
5 stars – The Book Vixen.
“Dangerously Close is hands down my favorite book in this series thus far and it’s easily one of my top picks for 2012. I was completely and utterly drawn into this story. The strong romance balanced out perfectly with the suspense element.”
About the Author
After graduating high school in Texas, Dee J. moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. For twenty years, she acted in television and worked behind the scenes as an acting/dialogue coach for sitcoms. Writing happened accidentally after a vivid dream and the urging of her husband to “Just write it down.” Three weeks, fourteen hours a day, ,” she whisperedfa lside andand four hundred and fifty (long hand) pages later, she had her first novel. Dee J. loves writing books filled with action, mystery and love. (Not necessarily in that order.) Her experience in show business led to her narrating many of the books in the Adrenaline Highs series for Audible.com. She is the wife of a wonderful man and mother to a fabulous daughter. She’s a dog lover all the way—due in part to a deathly allergy to cats—with a fondness towards Boxers and Pit Bulls. She is a member of several organizations, including Romance Writers of America, Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
