He watched her intently for a minute, making sure she wasn't going to fuss about the order and then he relaxed, smiling. "Wet panties would be uncomfortable, anyway," he added.
Maybe, she thought, but not as uncomfortable as knowing that one quick breeze was going to expose her from the waist down to random passengers. She really wanted to argue with him but, instead, said meekly, "Yes, Sir."
He laughed, and she looked up at him, startled. "Go put on some dry ones, Kitten. I don't want you to die of embarrassment if the wind kicks up," he said gently.
She gave him a look of complete relief and gratitude and immediately went to the dresser and pulled out a fresh pair. She ducked into the bathroom to do a little clean-up before she put them on. She had a feeling these would be wet, too, before long, but at least they wouldn't start out that way. She felt better when she returned to his side, offering him a smile, even though her cheeks were still pink—both sets—and she was a little nervous about what other tests he might put her through during dinner.
To her surprise, he was very relaxed during the meal, chatting with her as he plowed through three times the food she managed. He did tease her a little about the way she shifted on the padded chair in the steak restaurant they'd chosen to visit, but she couldn't help it. The fifteen swats he'd given her had been hard and it seemed like she'd been in an almost-constant state of tenderness since she'd met him.
She wondered, idly, if they ended up in a permanent relationship if that was something she'd just have to get used to—never being able to sit down without feeling a slight reminder of his hand on her ass. She didn't realize she'd said it out loud until he laughed.
He stopped, a bite of steak almost at his lips, to reply, "Oh, probably. Your ass is made for spanking, Kitten. It begs for it, and so do you, but if you behave yourself, you can keep it to the kind of spankings you'll enjoy," he said, grinning at her as he pushed the meat between his lips.
She stammered something that she didn't recall later and looked down at her plate hurriedly. She wasn't quite able to believe she'd said something about being in a relationship with him, but she had to admit it had been on her mind a lot, and he didn't seem to think it was odd that she'd said it. He took it almost as a matter of course, only remarking on the spanking part.
There were times she cursed her pale Irish skin that showed every emotion so easily. She flushed when she was embarrassed, when she was happy, even when she was aroused, and there was nothing she could do about it except try and hide her face until it returned to its normal color. She let her hair slide forward like a curtain and kept her head down as she poked at her food.
He seemed amused, leaning across the small table and lifting her chin with one finger. "Why are you hiding?" he asked gently. He could see her face again, but she kept her eyes down.
"I'm not," she said, lying, and then sighed. "Well, maybe a little. I'm embarrassed."
"Why? Because I said I enjoy spanking you? That's nothing to be embarrassed about, darlin'," he said.
"No. Well, yes. That too; but no, I guess…I guess I've started to think about a future with you, but we barely know each other. One second, it feels like we're strangers, and the next…I feel like I've known you for ages. I'm a mess right now; it's probably the worst time to jump into a new relationship, but I…" she trailed off. She looked up, eyes meeting his with an anxious look.
He examined her thoughtfully. "I know how you feel. I understand more than you think, but you might change your mind about wanting a future with me when I tell you all my secrets, so let's…wait before we discuss that. What I can tell you is…" here, he paused as he tried to sort out his words "…I've come to feel that time is irrelevant. Knowing someone for years doesn't mean you know them, it just means you're comfortable with their presence. I think it's more important to know someone well, and I feel like we have that connection on a deep level. You may not know everything about me yet, and I'm sure there is plenty about you I don't know, but I think we'll get there in time," he said in a low tone full of sincerity.
"I feel it, too. It's—It's strange, really; I'm usually very slow to warm up to people, but with you, there was an instant feeling of connection." She shrugged, dismissing it as her neediness because of the breakup.
"Maybe, after dinner, we should table the sex games until we talk. I did promise I'd consider telling you some things once the chain came off. We could do that first and then if you still want—"
She interrupted him quickly, "Oh no, Jack! I mean…please, Sir. I'd rather not wait any longer than I have to…I'm—I really need to be—" she stammered to a stop and, of course, her face was bright red again, almost covering the freckles with the deep crimson shade of embarrassment.
"It's up to you, Kitten. I won't take away the reward I promised," he assured her. His thumb stroked the side of her jaw as he looked into her eyes. "I just wanted it to be your choice."
The serious conversation and the meal should have taken the edge off, but her body was still thrumming right on the edge of desire. One second, she'd start to cool, but then he'd speak and his deep voice would ignite something low in her body. Truthfully, the shifting she was doing in her seat wasn't just because of the stinging ass, it was because her body was demanding some kind of release. And no matter what his secrets were, she couldn't imagine not wanting him to give it to her.
"I want you. I want your body, your touch. If your secrets are something I can't handle then maybe we'll go our separate ways after the trip but, for now, please, give me this?" she said. She was proud of the fact that she'd managed not to beg, but she was close to it.
He half-rose in his seat, leaning in to brush his lips across hers, before he sat back. "Of course, I'll give you everything you want," he promised.
They discussed lighter subjects throughout dinner. She ate sparingly because she didn't want a full stomach for the night she was hoping to have with him. He ate the way he always did, an amazing amount that staggered her. Sitting through dessert with her mouth watering, while he savored every bite—on purpose, she was convinced—was a trial. In the end, she caved and took a couple of bites herself—and didn't regret it.
The delectable dark chocolate curls that coated the amaretto swirl cheesecake melted on her tongue like heavenly snowflakes and she let her eyes close in pure sensual delight as they dissolved in a burst of contrasting flavors. It was enough, almost, to keep her from resenting the amount of time it took him to eat so they could return to her room. The wait might not have been so bad if he didn't keep leaning in to whisper little promises and threats about the things he was planning to do to her.
By the time he finally led her to the door and out onto the promenade deck, she'd drenched her second pair of panties and was practically whimpering with need. Her voice was starting to take a slight whining tone as he insisted on taking his time with a leisurely stroll, and when they found themselves alone in in the elevator, he took a moment to give her a couple of warning slaps to her upper thighs. Nothing that would leave marks, but enough to calm her down quickly and remind her that she was trying to be good. She was just grateful that this particular elevator didn't have glass walls, so at least, no one saw.
When they reached her room, the long wait was finally over. He was kissing her before she got the door open, and once they'd moved inside, he kicked it shut with his foot, backing her slowly across the floor as he explored her mouth with his tongue. When her legs hit the bed, she found herself sitting on the end of it feeling dazed. She stared up at him while he wrestled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. She'd seen his chest before, of course, while swimming, but now she had an urge to scratch her fingernails down that lean musculature and then kiss her way down to the dark curls that started below his navel and disappeared out of sight into his shorts.
"Take the dress off, Kitten. I want to see you," he ordered. He watched as she tugged the light fabric up and over her head, tossing it to the floor where it landed with a whisper of fabric.
She sat there in just her bra and a pair of damp panties, waiting. He leaned down, unfastening the front catch of her bra so it released her breasts. They spilled free as she let the straps slide down her shoulders to be shrugged off. His glance was full of hunger as they roved over the smooth skin and the light brown areolas that circled each nipple. He dropped to his knees in front of her, pulling her head down and claiming her mouth for a passionate kiss that pushed all thoughts out of her mind.
Her lips looked ravaged by the time he released them to make his way across her skin with little kisses that followed the line of her jaw. He found her earlobe, tugging the hanging flesh between his teeth and nibbling on it, as her hands reached for his shoulders for something to hold onto. Her fingers curled and the nails dug into his shoulders.
She was conscious of the sounds coming out of her mouth but very little of it was coherent. A hand tangled in her red curls, tugged her head back to give him better access, and he took the opportunity to lick his way down the line of her neck. He left a trail of kisses across her shoulder to the little brown freckles that adorned the rounded muscle there. He covered the 'angel kisses', as she'd called them, with his mouth, tonguing them as his free hand coasted down her arm.
He moved gradually to her chest, finding her nipples tight even before he touched them. His thumb brushed lightly over one hard nub and she let out a tortured sigh that made his shaft jerk, rubbing against the crotch of his shorts, and he groaned at the pleasurable discomfort and leaned back to look at her.
"You're beautiful and far too tempting. I wanted to make this last all night, but I don't think I have enough willpower," he said in a low, hoarse tone filled with need.
"I'm tempting?" She laughed, "You have no idea how much you've been tempting me. I've wanted you since the moment I saw you," she retorted.
"I've been waiting far longer than that, Katherine," he said, with a slight enigmatic grin. Before she could ask what he meant, he'd grasped her by the hips and tugged them forward until she tipped back. She ended up sprawled across the bed, staring up at him from her back, and she no longer had the ability to ask questions. She was too busy dealing with the waves of desire rolling through her body like a tsunami. He hooked his fingers under the waistband of her panties and tugged them off her, tossing the crumpled cotton aside, and then he placed a hand on each thigh and pulled her legs apart as he moved between them.
A low moan of excitement escaped her as she wiggled a little farther back on the bed to get comfortable. She drew one leg up, resting the arch of her foot on the edge of the bed in a way that spread her folds, exposing everything. And he took in the visual feast with hunger in his eyes, leaning in with a growl, to nip at her inner thigh.
She cried out in pain and pleasure and pulled the other leg up so her feet were now flat on the bed, knees wide apart, inviting him to taste her, which he did…when he was ready. But, first, he began to slowly kiss and lick his way up the inside of her leg, teasing her and letting the anticipation build slowly until his nose brushed her pubic curls and she made a soft sound of need.
Suddenly, he was hooking his arms under her legs and dragging her closer to him so he could bury his face between her thighs. His tongue laid a long lick across her spread folds, the tip pressing between them just enough to tease and make her raise her ass off the bed to get more.
"Jack, please don't tease. I need you," she pleaded. Her tone bordered on the edge of a whine, and he chuckled.
His hand slapped the outside of her thigh with a light stinging smack, just to remind her that he was in control. He cared very little if she called him Sir at the moment, but he wanted her to know that pushing him to go faster wouldn't get her what she wanted. "Patience, Kitten," he said, dipping his head down again. This time, he drove his tongue deep between the folds of her womanhood and dragged it up in a firm wet caress that caused a gasp to explode from her mouth.
"Oh, yes, please!" she cried out, desperately needing more of that. She squirmed on the bed, and he used his grip to hold her tighter in place as he focused all of his attention on the little pleasure nub. It had swollen and hardened, presenting the perfect target for his tongue, and he lavished attention there, licking and sucking it into his mouth. A gentle use of teeth from time to time had her making all manner of sounds.
Every noise she made seemed to excite him more, and his tongue moved tirelessly, flicking her clit with vigorous movements until she thrashed on the bed and then he'd back off just enough to let the rising tide of pleasure recede, making slow circles around the base of her clitoris without touching the sensitive nerve-endings.
Her fingers slid into his hair and tightened there, gripping his head and trying to guide him to the place she wanted the pressure and friction, but all that got her was another slap to her thigh, this one a bit harder, and she quickly relaxed the grip with a frustrated moan. His tongue moved down to her entrance and worked its way inside, making little shallow thrusts that made her pant.
She hadn't noticed he'd released one of her legs until she felt a finger replacing the tongue to give her more penetration. He stroked it in and out while he went back to teasing her clit with his mouth, and soon he'd added a second finger, scissoring them inside of her. He found that rough place on her inner walls and stroked over it with firm pressure, and it was all too much; her hips rocked up off the bed as a wave of pleasure rolled across her body. Everything inside of her tightened and she clenched around his fingers, riding them as they wrung an orgasm from her.
He slid his fingers out of her slowly, but his tongue continued with long licks, lapping up her juices and easing her through that hypersensitive phase where the pleasure bordered on too much, by keeping his gentle ministrations light and avoiding the cluster of nerves in her pulsing clit. Her body twitched, jumping with aftershocks more than once. He could tell when her body had eased back from the edge, because she stopped making frantic mewling sounds every time he swirled his tongue too close to her clit and began to form actual words.
"That was wonderful, perfect, but please, I want you inside of me, Jack," she said. She sat up suddenly, resting on her elbows and started to wiggle towards the edge of the bed.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jack asked, one eyebrow going up in surprise.
"Condoms. I have some in my bag in the bathroom," she explained. She did have a pregnancy implant in; Christopher had insisted for various reasons, but she'd agreed that fewer periods and no unexpected babies were a good thing. But when she'd packed for her solo adventure, it had occurred to her that it was better to be safe than sorry.
She enjoyed sex and had a high sex drive, so the chances of a vacation hook-up were fairly high, especially since she was trying to get over her relationship. There was no way she wasn't going to pack for it, just in case. Though, with Jack's stubbornness, she'd begun to wonder if she wouldn't end up back home without having used even one.
"You don't need them," he said.
She turned back, frowning as her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Jack, I want you, but there's no way I'm having unprotected sex with a man I've known less than a week. The last thing I need is an STD while my life is in ruins and—" Her voice had gone higher as she spoke, feeling a sense of disappointment that he was one of those men, who tried to talk you out of sensible precautions.
"Katherine," he said, interrupting her by simply stating her name and then waiting for her to wind down and notice. When she went quiet, still looking upset, he reached into his pocket and pulled out several wrapped packages, holding them up so she could see. "I just meant I had brought some, too. I wasn't sure if you were prepared, and I wasn't going to leave the responsibility for that on you in case things went this way."
She flushed, looking mortified, and dropped her eyes. She'd jumped to conclusions so fast it was like she was looking for a reason to push him away, and she wondered if maybe that was the case. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I just…I thought you…I assumed, and I'm an idiot," she said, sighing and covering
her face with both hands.
She was sure her face was scarlet with embarrassment, and she half-expected him to walk out the door, instead, he laughed, long and loud. She looked up to find him shaking his head in amusement and that made her feel stupider.
"It's just that I've had guys try 'You don't need condoms', or the 'Condoms don't fit me' line, and the always popular 'It doesn't feel as good with condoms' before," she explained sheepishly.
"No, I get it, Kitten. I do. That's all bullshit, and I'm glad you don't let anyone get away with that. I'd spank your ass so hard you could heat your own bath just by sitting in it, if you told me you'd let a man pull that on you. So, I'm proud of you for putting your foot down, even if, in this case, it's not necessary," he said firmly, which helped ease her over the embarrassment a little. He tossed the condoms on the bed and reached for the button on his shorts.
The way his bulge pressed hard against the front, she could tell that the slight interruption had done nothing to cool his ardor, and his fully-erect shaft sprang free a second later as he tugged the shorts and boxers he wore underneath, down. He let them drop to the floor, stepping out of them as he settled one knee on the edge of the bed and crooked a finger at her.
"Come back over here," he said, almost growling as he reached for her. She scooted into his grasp, and he pulled her back, settling her underneath him as he covered her body with his and proceeded to wipe away the rest of her humiliation with a long kiss that raised her blood pressure and had her squirming against him for more.
He broke the kiss reluctantly to grab for one of the condoms he'd tossed on the bed. He ripped open a package with his teeth and expertly unrolled it over his stiffened rod, before nudging her legs apart with his knees. Reaching down between them to guide the tip of his erection between her thighs, he began to stroke the hard length of his shaft between her folds, to circle her clit with the head, while she writhed under him. He wanted to keep teasing her, but the way she moved and the sounds she was making were pushing him towards the limits of his endurance, and he knew he couldn't resist much longer.
In Time for Love (Timeless Love Book 1) Page 14
