Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series)

by Adrianne Byrd

  “Sit up.”

  Again, she followed his orders and was rewarded with another soul-stirring kiss.

  “Take my shirt off,” he said, his mouth shifting to skim her right earlobe.

  “Gladly.” Instead of fooling with the buttons, she removed his shirt in the same manner he’d removed her top. She untucked it from his jeans and then lifted it and his T-shirt over his head.

  Damn.

  Her eyes feasted on his wide, chiseled chest that left no doubt that it was obtained by hours of hard work and sweat. The way his beautiful honey complexion glistened in the rain, Toni suffered a severe sweet tooth and thought that she would surely die if she couldn’t have at least a small taste.

  She leaned forward for a quick kiss and a lick.

  Jonas gently pushed her away and glared in reprimand. “Stand up.”

  Toni stood and Jonas allowed the bike to tilt back onto the kickstand before getting off the bike. Less than a minute later, he was nude and climbing back onto the bike and rolling on a condom.

  “How are we going to-”

  “Climb onto my lap,” he said. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  She stared at him for a moment, wondering if she should trust his engineering skills, but she was too horny to hesitate for long. Climbing onto his lap, almost toppling over a few times, Toni eased down and joined their bodies together with a sigh.

  He filled her so completely that he could feel every tremor coursing through her.

  “Are you all right?” he asked while waiting for her body to adjust to his size-even though it was sheer torture to be patient.

  Panting near his ear, she tried to speak but then abandoned the effort to just nod instead.

  The rain had finally turned into a downpour, but the new lovers remained steadfast in their decision to stay outside.

  “Okay. In order for us to remain seated, you’re going to have to take over for a little while and ride.”

  “Oh?” she asked wickedly.

  Jonas smiled, not bothered by giving up a little control. He just wished she’d get on with it while he still had some restraint.

  The first time she lifted her body and slid back down his throbbing erection, he feared their tricky position would still landed them on the hard pavement; but he managed to balance most of their weight on his strong legs.

  She tried the motion a second time-and then a third and Jonas’s body was soaring out of the stratosphere. He felt fevered and more than a little confused over what was happening to him.

  He’d suspected being with Toni would be good-but he’d never dreamed it would be this good. Every curve, every muscle welcomed him home. But that didn’t make any sense.

  A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat when Toni accelerated her speed. He buried his face in her bouncing breasts, while the intoxicating scent of lavender enveloped him.

  Toni’s panting also quickened while her body tightened around him. He wanted her to come one more time before his own orgasm hit, but whatever restraint he had was long gone and it was now anybody’s race.

  Thunder rumbled off in the distance. Toni tightened around Jonas’s like a boa constrictor while still pumping her hips. At last a final scream tore from her throat and her third orgasm slammed into her.

  Jonas roared as his body went rigid and her shuddering passage milked him dry. At last, his trembling legs gave out and they tumbled over onto the paved driveway, laughing.

  Chapter 16

  By the next morning, Toni was exhausted and every muscle in her body rebelled in protest. Even now while lying in bed, her left leg twitched as though it had blown a circuit. And yet, each time Jonas reached for her, the protest ended and her body welcomed him.

  She’d never been with a man with such stamina and one who introduced her to so many new positions. To say that the sex was mind-blowing would be an understatement and to say that their wild coupling was just that-would be a lie.

  At least, he’d finally allowed her a couple of hours to get some sleep. When she woke, the sun warmed her naked body and the heavenly aroma of fresh coffee drifted on the air.

  Smiling, she tried to stretch, but those damn sore muscles threatened to kill her on the spot.

  “I see you’re finally up.” Jonas chuckled, walking into the bedroom nude and carrying two steaming coffee mugs. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invaded the kitchen and made us some coffee.”

  Wincing, Toni fought all that was holy to sit up and accept her morning fuel. “Thank you,” she said, and smiled when his gaze zeroed in on her exposed breasts. Judging by the look in his eyes, her mini break was nearing an end.

  God help her.

  However as he walked around to the other side of the bed, Toni’s eyes was drawn to his strong physique and his impressive package. The man needed to be sculpted or photographed so he could be admired by all of womankind.

  The bed dipped beneath his weight when he settled in beside her and took his first sip of his coffee. “Is it all right?” he asked. “I guessed on how you’d like it.”

  “It’s perfect,” she said, enjoying the way the hot liquid warmed her body. “I’ll be lucky if I don’t catch my death for playing out in the rain last night.”

  Jonas’s eyes held a mischievous glint as they cut toward her. “It’s still raining. I thought we could play some more out there.”

  She quirked a brow. “You love the threat of getting caught?”

  “You don’t?”

  He had her there and he knew it. Falling into an amused silence, Toni watched Jonas from the corner of her eyes while continuing to sip from her coffee. Flashes of last night played across her mind and a familiar tingle pulsed at her core.

  Good heavens, the man had made her insatiable. She could think of nothing but the power of his body enfolding her and taking her places she’d only dreamed of.

  Why was it that he looked at home, lying next to her?

  Minutes later, Jonas set his cup aside and then curled toward her to fondle her firm breasts. The tingling and pulsing intensified.

  “Tell me more about yourself,” he whispered before sliding his tongue across her nipples.

  To be safe, she set her own cup aside. “What do you want to know?”

  Jonas shrugged lazily. “I don’t know. Where are you from?”

  “Right here. I’m a Georgia Peach. A Grady baby.”

  “You were born at Grady Hospital?”

  She nodded. “Yep.”

  “What about your parents?”

  Toni shifted uncomfortably. “What about them?”

  “Are they alive?”

  She swallowed. “No.”

  Jonas stopped his gentle lapping and pulled away from her. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” She smiled, but her voice sounded pained. “It was a long time ago.”

  “What happened?”

  Toni’s gaze avoided his by darting toward the rain-splattered window. Suddenly, the room grew cold while she contemplated telling her standard lie versus-her parents were killed in a car accident-versus the truth: her father killed her mother and then himself when she tried to leave him.

  “Toni?”

  “Car accident,” she answered in a broken whisper.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.” He pulled her close. “Do you have any living relatives?”

  “Not a one.”

  Jonas kissed her and then said, “Talk about opposites,” Jonas murmured. “I have family members crawling out of the woodwork. My father was the youngest of ten.”

  Toni pulled back from the waves of depression to glance at him. “Really?”

  “Literally hundreds of cousins. I swear, I’ve met most of them because they wanted me or my family to invest into one crazy-hair scheme or another.”

  “Still. It must be nice having a big family.”

  He thought it over and nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

  Jonas was surprised by the sudden gloss in Toni’s eyes, mainly because she’d a
lways been so good in pretending nothing ever got to her.

  Instead of pawing at her or hiking her legs around his waist, liked he wanted to do, Jonas just let his fingers glide down her belly while he continued asking questions. “Why did you become a lawyer?”

  Toni didn’t answer. She just watched as his finger made lazy circles around her belly button.

  “Toni?” he asked, wondering if she’d heard him.

  “My father always thought that it would be a great out,” she whispered. “Back then, people thought if you were either a doctor or a lawyer then you were set for life.” She chuckled. “He didn’t want his children to continue the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck or tumbling into the system. The ghetto-the projects—or whatever it’s being called nowadays.” Her eyes became dreamy as she recalled the past.

  “I didn’t want to become a lawyer. I thought I was going become the next Diana Ross or Donna Summers.”

  Jonas cocked his head, but stopped himself from asking the one question a man should never ask.

  “Forty-three,” she answered with a wink.

  His head performed the quick math.

  “What? Too old?” she asked, preparing for the rejection.

  “Are you kidding me?” He laughed, snuggling close. “Do you know how cool this will make me on the playground?”

  Toni laughed and loved it when he rewarded her with a kiss. Surely, there wasn’t a softer pair of lips on the planet and none that ever made her feel as though she was floating on clouds.

  Jonas slipped his hands around her and then rolled onto his back, pulling her to lie on top of him. “Look at there. Your favorite position,” he whispered.

  She smiled and returned to kissing his addictive lips while cradling his head in her hands.

  Jonas’s hands slid from her waist to cup her apple-shaped behind and gave it a squeeze. It had been a long time since he had felt so free and relaxed around another woman.

  But don’t get too close, the small voice in his head warned. Right behind that, Quentin’s motto looped in his head. When it comes to women, keep your heart out of it.

  Jonas tensed.

  Toni’s eyes fluttered open. Something happened. She stared into Jonas’s clear brown eyes, trying to figure it out. “What is it?” she asked.

  “What?” he asked, and carved out an innocent smile.

  Then she saw it. He was trying to distance his emotions. This was just sex, after all; something that he could walk away from.

  She smiled—almost laughed when she realized why she’d recognized the shift. How many times had she pulled this same maneuver? “Relax,” she said, rolling off of him. “I haven’t forgotten our deal.”

  Shaking her head, she climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

  “Wait. Where are you going?” he asked, sitting up.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” she answered casually and refused to look back. “I’m sure you know how to let yourself out.” Toni kept her head high, but just barely managed to make it inside the bathroom and closed the door before tears leaped from her eyes.

  Next, she turned the shower on to full blast and then submerged herself beneath the steady stream of hot water. Still, she could feel the tears running down her face.

  What in the hell is wrong with me?

  How long had she practiced protecting her heart? Hell, she was expert in not getting too close. But...something was different this time. Jonas was different.

  Or was he?

  At this point, she didn’t know if that was true or if it was wishful thinking. Either way, maybe it was best that she stayed away from him. She corked her tears and nodded at the decision.

  After all, she’d gotten what she wanted: a nice tumble in the sack...and even on a bike. Toni was also convinced she had even helped him in his heartbreak recovery.

  By the time she’d finished washing her body to reach for the shampoo, she was feeling a lot like her former self.

  Jonas was more than bothered by the way Toni had dismissed him. Hell, he thought everything was going fine, and then the next thing he knew, she was mad. At least, she seemed mad. He thought about waiting to talk to her, and then he thought about joining her in the shower, but then he realized it was probably best to just go.

  He picked up his damp clothes from the bedroom floor and quickly got dressed. He wanted to be gone by the time she got out of the shower. Though it wasn’t his first time slipping out of a woman’s house in the morning, Jonas felt as though he was doing something wrong.

  Not to mention, he really didn’t want to go.

  “Maybe it’s time you invest in seeing a psychiatrist,” Quentin said, packing his bags. “I think you have a screw loose or something.”

  Jonas grumbled under his breath, but thought his youngest brother may be onto something. He was more confused now than he had ever been.

  “So how was she?” Q chanced asking.

  Jonas’s look turned into scowl.

  “I know. I know. You never kiss and tell.” Quentin crammed the last of his things in the bag and then struggled to zip it up. “It’s really an annoying habit you got,” he added. “Me? I have this whole rating system in play. If a girl-”

  “Q, please spare me.”

  “All right, bro. Don’t say I’ve never tried to help out.” He laughed. “I was the one who told Sterling to back off so you could have your shot.”

  Jonas’s head snapped up. “You what?”

  “Aw. You don’t have to thank me.” Q pumped up his chest. “The fact that you got laid last night tells me I did my good deed for the year. I expect a good Christmas gift. Cash, if you don’t mind.”

  “I never said that I-”

  “You didn’t have to.” Quentin laughed. “You’re glowing like a pregnant woman. Have you looked in the mirror?”

  Jonas shook his head and started to leave the room.

  “I have to tell you, I’m a little disappointed in you,” Quentin tossed at him.

  “Come again?”

  Q shrugged. “Had I known you were just interested in just sleeping with Toni, I would have never asked Sterling to back off. I thought you wanted more than that. Guess I was wrong about that. Right?”

  Jonas’s throat clogged with emotion, but after a moment of hesitation, he managed to croak, “Right.”

  Chapter 17

  Nora Gibson was not happy with her attorney. It had now been two months since she’d filed her lawsuit and she’d banked on having her money in the bank by now, but apparently Marcel, Solomon and their new partner liked to play hardball. Hardball meant she would have to go to court.

  “Maybe we should lower the offer,” Nora suggested, looking over at her friends Georgina and Theodora. “Say 1.5 million?”

  The women’s gazes scattered among themselves before they nodded like a trio of bobble-heads.

  Toni’s hackles rose as she sensed trouble. “Why should we do that?” she asked, focusing on the Prada-clad ringleader. “The tapes are our aces in the hole. When the jury hears William Bassett’s inappropriate propositions at the workplace and read the complaints filed with T&B Human Resources department-this is a done deal. There’s no way we can lose.”

  She glanced around at the women, half-expecting them to be inspired by her short speech, but the energy in the room didn’t quite feel right. “Is there something you ladies aren’t telling me?”

  Anther round of nervous looks ensued before Nora piped up with a, “No. Of course not.”

  Toni’s eyes narrowed as she attempted to crack the women into a confession, but the women pursed their lips and remained united.

  “All right. Then we proceed forward?”

  “Offer the 1.5 million,” Nora said firmly. “And let them know that it’s a good deal. A damn good deal.”

  After her clients left her office, Toni was forced to reevaluate the whole case. No doubt about it, her clients were holding out on her and she couldn’t afford for her first major case to blow up in her
face.

  She groaned. It’s never a good strategy to lower an asking price. A man like Jonas Hinton would know that.

  Not to mention, she had hoped to for a little more time before she had to see Jonas again. Time to get her game face back on.

  It had nearly been a week since their wild Harley ride and truth be told, every time she passed a biker on the streets she couldn’t help but remember the strong vibrations humming between her legs—and that had nothing to do with the Harley.

  Almost a week and no phone call.

  Drawing in a deep breath, Toni reminded herself she’d promised Jonas there were no strings attached. But that didn’t mean he had permission to avoid common courtsey and not call.

  Right?

  Slumping back in her chair, Toni glared at the phone for a full minute. “What am I doing?” she asked herself. “I don’t care if he calls. I have a life. There are plenty of men who...who are waiting for me to call them.”

  Toni nodded, agreeing with herself. “The hell with Jonas Hinton.”

  The phone rang and she jumped to answer it. “Hello.”

  “Guess who.”

  Frowning into the hand unit, she knew one thing: the caller wasn’t Jonas. “Um...”

  “Brian,” the caller supplied.

  “Brian?” she repeated, momentarily confused.

  “Don’t tell me you forgot about me already,” he joked.

  Her memory clicked back on and she finally remembered her ex-boyfriend. “Of course I remember you,” she covered, laughing. “Can’t a girl play hard to get?”