Rapid Pulse: A Limited Edition Spicy Romance Collection

by Gina Kincade

  "Put down your bags and come to me," he repeated. It was a command, and she was helpless but to obey. She put down her portfolio and her bag, then closed the distance between them. The moment she was within arm's reach, he dragged her closer. Lucy's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. What was he doing?

  His eyes swept over her again. “It’s you.”

  It was whispered so low that she almost didn’t hear it. She licked her lips suddenly feel parched. His eyes followed the motion, and he looked to be dying of thirst, but not for water. For her! Her brows lowered in confusion. “What is going on?”

  She hadn’t realized she had spoken until he replied, “That’s what I want to know.” Abruptly he said, “Andrea said you had an interesting tattoo on your body. Show me.”

  He still hadn’t released his hold on her. In fact, he had one arm nearly wrapped around her. It would have looked like an embrace to anybody else. He gave her just enough room to raise her arm to her chest. His eyes tracked every move as she opened the first three buttons of her shirt. When she pulled her left collar down, she felt his breath catch as his massive chest rose and didn’t fall. He used his free hand to pull the shirt with such force that two buttons flew off the shirt, but he didn’t seem to notice. His gaze was glued to the tattoo. He raised his fingers just above the tattoo. She held her breath, beginning to get a little afraid at this point. What was going on? What was it about her tattoo that had Andrea and now Jazz, so moved?

  His finger touched her skin, and she felt her body come to life as he traced the edges of the tattoo before stroking the tattoos on the man's back. His touch was oddly familiar, which made no sense to Lucy.

  “It is you,” his voice was filled with conviction this time.

  Before she knew it, he was pulling her along with him. “What do you mean, ‘It is you’? I don’t understand what is going on. Please, you’re scaring me!”

  At this, he slowed, but she could already see the huge bed through the open door of the room they had been approaching. Her eyes widened as panic filled her chest. Had this been a mistake? Her breath came in short pants. There had to be an explanation for this.

  "Calm down. Everything is alright. Everything is perfect actually." His words didn't penetrate, but his smile did. It was the most dazzling thing she had ever seen on his face compared to all the pictures of him she had seen of him. He looked happy. Delighted, even. It was odd.

  “I wanted to show you something.”

  That brought her back to the present, “In your room?”

  He chuckled. Lucy’s eyes widened some more. For some reason, she never pictured him as a person that chuckled.

  “Yes, in my room.”

  He motioned for her to go into his room. She hesitated a moment then entered. This was Jazz. She might never get another chance like this. She definitely wanted to enjoy it, whatever ‘it’ was, while it lasted.

  “Okay, what did you want to show me?”

  “Take a sit on the bed.”

  “Why?”

  He raised his head and closed his eyes. Finally, he looked back at her. “Just trust me, okay.”

  She had only met him today, but she had known him her entire life. Surely, she could trust him. She sat without further comment. He turned his back to her, wrapped his fingers on the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Before she could voice a protest, she saw it...and she fainted.

  Chapter Three

  Lucy opened her eyes to find herself on a bed, bed covers tangled around her waist, and her body wrapped around a pillow. The bed was not hers, and she only had on her bra. In the same breath, she remembered Jazz, coming into his house, his weird behavior and his taking off his shirt. She gasped.

  Almost immediately, she heard footsteps coming from outside the room. Jazz bust into the room, coming over to her side.

  "Are you alright? You've slept for almost 4 hours," he said, wrapping one arm around her and using the other to brush her hair away from her face. She stared at him in awe and a little bit of confusion. He was still shirtless, and she wanted to be sure that she had not dreamed what she saw.

  “Can I see your back?”

  He nodded, his expression suddenly blank. She scooted over as he sat on the bed with his back to her. She gasped again. It was exactly as it was in her dreams. Her hand touched his back of their own volition and traced the tribal pattern that surrounded the dragon head that spanned the length of his back. The tattoos were exactly the same as the one on the man in her dreams. It explained why he had been shocked to see her tattoo. He shivered as she swept her fingers across the swirls and curves. Oddly enough, the dragon looked tame as she stroked the tattooed head and neck. A thought she hadn't considered occurred to her. Was he...the thought was too much for her? Seeming to know her thoughts, he answered her unspoken question.

  "I've had these for the past six years."

  Lucy pondered the significance of that statement. Six years ago, he had sold his company and retired. Six years ago, she had started dreaming about her tattooed man. Did he...

  Once again, he answered her thoughts, “I’ve been dreaming of you ever since.”

  “Me?” She whispered, unable to believe it.

  “You did not dream of me? How did you know the tattoo?”

  "I did...I mean, I dreamt of you," her skin flushed as she remembered the things they had done in some of those dreams. "I never saw your face, but I always saw the tattoo on your back every time you left. Why did you leave?” The last part came out unplanned.

  He turned to face her. He wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and swiped his thumb across her cheek, back and forth in a maddening motion that reminded her of other times when he had swiped in other places like that.

  “I didn’t want to. Some invisible force always pulled me away. I had no choice but to leave. I bet it was that witch’s doing.”

  That snapped Lucy out of the stupor he had slowly been luring her into with those fingers of his. “What witch?”

  He sighed, "You probably don't believe in witches. I didn't either. Six years ago, Andrea decided we needed bonding time. So, she dragged me off to a circus, of all things. All I remember is Andrea dragging me into a fortune teller's tent. I thought for sure; it would be the typical nonsense. But the woman recognized me. She asked for a tattoo in exchange for telling us our future. Andrea was excited, but I thought it was a load of crap. I know how much I'd get for one of my tattoos. There was no way I would do that in exchange for some lousy fortune telling...and I told her as much.

  She didn't take kindly to it. She cursed me with a tattoo of her own. Whomever I attempted to tattoo would feel like the flames of a thousand dragons were being branded into their skin. I didn't take it seriously until I tried to tattoo a close friend of mine." His eyes were haunted as he looked into her eyes, "His cries still ring in my ears at night. Even worse, because I thought he was being a pussy, at first. Then he started bleeding heavily. I had never seen anything like it. I still didn't think it was the witch's curse, so I tried a tattoo on myself. It hurt like bloody hell!"

  He showed her the inside of his wrist. It looked like a jagged burnt line, about the length of her little finger. She felt broken for him.

  "It was after that that the tattoos started appearing. It was first one mark, then it had added on until it became this. Every time a new part was added on, it was agony the next morning. It was during those nights that I dreamed of you. You helped me forget the pain and agony for that night."

  He leaned closer. He used his thumb to raise her head so that she was looking up at him; her neck craned to see into his eyes as he leaned over her. He traced her lips, pressing his thumb against her lips, he pushed past them into her mouth. Her tongue swiped at his thumb. It was as though she was back in her dreams, but she could see him now the feelings were even more intense. She whimpered when he removed his thumb. He replaced it with his mouth, and she sighed, letting him between her lips without protest. It felt right.
It felt perfect.

  He wrapped his arms around her, and she drew her hands to his back, reveling in being able to touch him. Her fingers moved over the tattoos as she saw them in her mind's eye. He groaned when she touched the center of his back and pressed hard. He pulled her into lap and thrust his tongue deeper into her mouth. She moaned pushing her bra-clad breast into his chest.

  The throat clearing didn’t break through their passion, but the lightly exclaimed, “Lucy!” broke through the haze.

  She pulled away, and he grumbled, giving her a little space but not letting her out of his lap or arms.

  “What?” He growled, pulling at the bed covers to wrap them around her shoulders. Wondering at the voice she heard, she turned as much as he would let her, toward the door. The faces at the door made her pale in shock and embarrassment.

  “Jake? Con?”

  Her best friend and her brother stood at the door to Jazz’ bedroom frowning with the same intensity as Andrea’s blinding smile.

  “What the hell, Andrea?”

  The petite lady shrugged her shoulder, “You knew they were on their way. You should have controlled yourself.”

  Lucy thought she saw his skin flush, “Fine, but did you have to bring them in here?”

  Now, Andrea’s grin was obvious delight at her brother’s discomfort, “They heard suspicious sounds, and they got tired of waiting."

  "Lucy, mind telling me what is going on here?" Jake asked, his voice low and menacing. He was Jake, unlike she had ever seen him. He looked fit to kill someone. Con, on the other hand, had lost his shock and was just plain staring at Jazz, then his gaze went to the tattoo on his back, and a slow smile blossomed on his face.

  “It’s not what you think!”

  “It’s not?” Jake’s voice had become even more dangerous as he took one step into the room. Lucy immediately felt Jazz’ muscles stiffen.

  "Don't come any closer or you regret it." Jazz' voice had lost all softness. His arms tightened around her, and she knew he was glaring at her brother.

  Con now wore a shit-eating grin, and Andrea just seemed to be enjoying the show.

  “Jake, I’m fine,” when he didn’t seem to hear her, his focus on Jazz, she turned her gaze to Con, “Do something!”

  Con shook his head at her in amazement. Finally, he called out, “Jake, stop being a beast. You’re scaring her.”

  Jake paused and looked at her. Her panic must have clearly shown on her face because he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and took a step back.

  “Will you tell me what is going on?”

  "She came to me, and now she's mine! End of story."

  Jake growled, actually growled, as he took a step towards Jazz. Con pulled him back in time.

  “Jazz!” She turned to look up at him. She was practically swallowed up by him the way he had wrapped his body around her. His gaze gentled when he looked at her.

  “Call me Ryan.”

  “Uh...Ryan. You’re not helping.”

  “But it’s the truth.”

  “Ryan...”

  “I’m not letting you go. Promise you won’t leave me.”

  His gaze was intense, and Lucy hesitated. Somehow, she felt that if she made that promise, she would be truly his; truly bound to him.

  "She's not staying here if that's what you're implying."

  Jazz...Ryan’s gaze swung to Jake.

  “Who is he to you? He is really starting to piss me off.”

  Lucy breathed in relief. This, she could handle.

  “Ryan, this is my brother, Jake,” She pointed at Jake, “The unsupportive lug over there is Con, my best friend.”

  Ryan’s face lost its brutal edge, “Your brother?”

  “Hmm-mm.”

  His muscles relaxed, “Why didn’t you say so? I thought he was a jealous boyfriend who I would have to take out to have you.”

  Lucy turned to look at him. He was serious!

  Jake now looked unsure, “So you’re serious about her? This isn’t just a one-time thing?”

  “Jake!” Lucy shouted, “It’s not like that.”

  He barely spared her a glance.

  “Not to me. I’ll give her whatever she wants.”

  “And marriage?”

  “Jake!” He ignored her.

  “If she wants it.” Lucy stared agape at Ryan.

  Jake stared at him a moment longer. “You’re either a noodle brain or stupidly in love with my sister. You are a talented artist, so I know it’s not the former.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You guys just met. How can you know?”

  Con, still smiling the broad, irritating smile, flung his arm around Jake’s shoulder. “I think I can help you with that explanation. If you’ll follow me back to the living room. We’ve invaded their privacy long enough, don’t you think?”

  Jake’s skin turned red, finally realizing how he had acted.

  “Lucy, you know I was just looking out for you, right?”

  She wasn’t ready to forgive him yet, especially after he and Ryan had talked about her as though she wasn’t there, but she knew he was just looking out for her. Her easy going brother would not act like he did, otherwise.

  Grudgingly, she nodded.

  He looked at Ryan, “Don’t make me regret this.”

  “You won’t.”

  Jake nodded, and he and Con walked out of the room. Andrea offered her a wink before strolling out of the room, closing the door behind her.

  Lucy turned back to face Ryan. He smiled at her then gently placed her on the bed. “One moment,” he said. He stood up and walked to the door. She wondered if he was going out to speak to Con and Jake. When he turned the key in the lock instead, she blinked. When he turned back to her, the heat was back in his eyes. Her breath caught at the intensity of his expression. “I want you all to myself for the rest of the day...and night.”

  She realized it wasn’t a question when he stalked towards her, his gaze intent. She gasped he stood in front of the bed and said, “Take them off.” His gaze was on her jeans.

  She hesitated a second too long for him. Climbing onto the bed, he crouched over her, just staring for a moment. Then his hands followed his eyes; petting her hair, trailing his fingers down her cheek. He dragged his fingers between the valley of her breasts. They heaved with her heavy breathing. Ryan gave her a devilish smile before he dived between her breasts, licking and teasing her. He bit into the sides of her breasts causing her breath to hitch in her throat, but she had to muffle a loud moan when he suddenly captured one lace covered nipple in his mouth. He wasn't gentle from the get go. He sucked hard, using his tongue to rub the lace against her nipples. The abrasion coupled with his hard suction put right on the precipice. If he kept this up, she was going to come before he even got in her panties.

  When she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he backed off, trailing his lips back into the valley of her breasts as his fingers trailed down her belly between them. He unsnapped her jeans and pulled down the zipper. He thrust his hand down her panties in the same moment he caught her other nipple between his lips. Lucy couldn’t hold back her moan, this time.

  "No," he groaned around her nipples. His fingers brushed over the soft hair covering her mound. Frantically, he pulled back to tug off jeans and panties. She was soaking wet. Cream coated her curls, darkening them at the apex of her thighs. He paused when he saw the color; blonde-red, blonde at the root and red towards the tip.

  “Is this the real color of your hair?” he whispered.

  She nodded embarrassed. Her hair color had always been a major problem for her in high school. As soon as she got out, she started to dye it. She just never had the guts to do it down there as well.

  “I love it!” He groaned, and just the sound of him made her cream more between her thighs.

  He scooted off the bed, and she squeaked as he grabbed her legs and pulled until her ass lay on the edge of the bed.

  Kneeling on the floor, he didn’t give her a moment to thin
k before he claimed her pussy with his mouth. He groaned as he got the first taste of her. He licked her from base to clit until it nearly drove her mad. At this point, Lucy gave up on trying to control her noises. She really hoped that her brother and best friend were gone by now and couldn’t hear her.

  Ryan reached her center, swirling his tongue around it, as though to tease himself with her taste, before darting inside to draw out more dew. Lucy gave a keening wail, hardly believing the sounds coming from her. His tongue surged deeper, wanting to reach the core of her. She was getting close. She just needed him to...He was slowing down. She whimpered when he withdrew, taking his mouth away from her center and her clit, to kiss her thighs and nuzzle the junction between her thigh and her pussy. She lifted her hips, trying to redirect him back to the center of her pleasure, but he had other plans. He nipped her right over the corner of her right thigh, sucking the flesh into his mouth.

  “Ryan!” She jumped. Her body arched as she tried to trap Ryan between her thighs.

  He wasn't deterred by that. He nipped, bit and sucked her thighs, the swell of her hips, her belly, everywhere but where she needed him the most. Finally, mercifully, he kissed from her belly button down to clit. She could feel how wet she was, how much she dripped with her arousal. Flattening his tongue, he pressed against her swollen nub. When he lightly scraped the sides with his teeth, his name became a long, drawn-out moan on her lips.

  “Ohhhh, yes!!!” Her hips lifted, demanding that he work her harder.

  He growled, the vibrations sensitizing her little nub and magnifying her pleasure. He shook his head back and forth as he nuzzled deeper against her flesh. She thrashed against his mouth with renewed vigor at the new sensation. That only caused his groan to deepen as he slid his tongue off her clit and into the very core of her.

  She lifted her legs over his shoulders, squeezing his head between her thighs. His light chuckle brought more vibrations to her core and ground her pussy against his face hoping he would let her come this time.