Lingering Touch: The Summer Park Psychics, Book 3

by Cassandra Chandler

  They needed this—needed to connect on a deep level. Words had never been their strong suit. Touch was their best form of expression.

  She leaned back, slowly unbuttoning her shirt. He massaged her hips as he watched. She left it on, hoping it would add to his pleasure, keeping him focused on what they were doing. The fabric whispered against their skin as she moved.

  She lifted his shirt so she could explore the chiseled rows of his abs with her fingertips. There was no padding to soften his muscles. Only lines and curves, dips and valleys defining every inch of him. He was exquisite.

  She tugged on his shirt to let him know she wanted it off. He sat up and lifted his arms so she could pull it over his head and cast it aside. Dark hair graced his pecs, fanning over his chest and running down his stomach like a waterfall.

  Running her fingertips over the softness of it, she took her time, watching his gaze intensify with each stroke. She pushed him back onto the floor of the SUV, then started to undo his jeans. As she opened his fly, he gripped her hands to stop her.

  “Jazz…”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t have any condoms.”

  Condoms. Right. And they’d used the only one she had. One that had been sitting in her wallet since they dated, now that she thought about it. But why didn’t he have any?

  “Please tell me you’ve been practicing safe sex,” she said.

  He let out a short laugh and sat up next to her. “I haven’t been practicing much of anything. Not with a partner, anyway.”

  She stared at him. They had talked about their histories when they were dating. She had been surprised that his was as brief as her own. When he explained about being able to read people and the logistic issues with not being able to touch someone during sex without reading their mind, it made more sense. Still…

  “Finn, it’s been years since we were together. Surely you’ve slept with someone. I mean, everybody has urges.”

  “I don’t need anybody else to deal with my urges.” He laughed and shook his head. His tone was more serious when he went on. “I haven’t been with anyone since we broke up. I tried a date or two, but just…wasn’t interested.”

  “Oh.”

  She hadn’t been interested in even trying to date anyone. She had thrown herself into her work. The only romantic indulgences she allowed herself were her attempted hook-ups for her friends. Knowing that he hadn’t been with anyone either, hadn’t even really felt like trying… It gave her hope. He still cared. She wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been able to move on.

  “This is the part where you say something,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay…what?”

  “Okay, we don’t need to use a condom.” They never really did, in her mind. “Neither of us engaged in risky behavior before we started dating or since.”

  He winced, then looked away. “Great. Good to know.”

  “I didn’t mean…” She let out a sigh. “I haven’t been with anyone else either. Since you.”

  “Oh.” His face actually lit up.

  Apparently he was feeling relieved about their mutual lack of activity too. She had to admit the thought of him with other women was upsetting. She really had wanted to keep him all to herself, not even sharing him with her friends. She would fix that mistake too, if he gave her a chance.

  He grinned and said, “I suppose I ruined you for other men.”

  She laughed. She couldn’t say that he had ruined her for other men. There had really only ever been him. No one else had made their way into her heart.

  “Don’t be so cocky,” she said.

  He feigned a confused expression. “But I thought we were going to—”

  She covered his lips with her fingertips briefly. “How could I have forgotten what a comedian you are?”

  “There are many things I’m eager to remind you of.” He lifted his hands to her back, running them along the sides of her spine.

  “There’s something else you should know,” she said.

  His smile dimmed. She knew she must sound serious. Then again, she was broaching a serious topic. Possibly a deal-breaking one.

  He leaned back and said, “I’m listening.”

  Her heart was beating in her throat. She forced herself to swallow as her moment of truth approached.

  “You don’t have to worry about me getting pregnant either,” she said.

  “Okay.”

  He was too flippant. He didn’t understand, probably thought she meant she had an IUD or something.

  “I can’t get pregnant,” she said. “Ever.”

  “Oh.”

  She waited for him to say something else. Ask questions. Offer comfort or something. He just stared at her.

  “That’s it? Oh?”

  He shrugged. “Lots of people can’t have kids.”

  “It’s not a condition. For me, it was a choice.”

  His mouth dropped open. Here it came.

  Why would you do that? What if you change your mind? But you’re so young.

  Instead, he laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  He kept laughing for a moment, shaking his head. “We could have saved so much money on condoms.”

  “That’s very practical of you.” She wasn’t sure which was worse, him grilling her about her choice or joking about it.

  “We were really going hardcore on birth control.”

  Yeah, this was worse. She bristled and shifted away from him, but he reached out and picked up her hand.

  “Jazz, I’m laughing so hard because I did the same thing. I made the same choice.”

  “What?”

  He shook his head and laughed. “It took me five years to find a doctor who would finally give me a vasectomy. They all kept saying, ‘You’re too young to make a permanent decision like this. Wait for a while. If you find the right person…’ And on and on. Such bullshit. As if I don’t know my own mind.”

  Jazz had heard the same lines. It had taken her seven years to get her doctor to perform a tubal ligation.

  “But you love kids.”

  “I do. For about an hour. Then I’m ready to move on.” He smiled at her, then brushed a lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Come on. I’m sure you love those adorable nieces of yours. But that doesn’t mean you want your own. I get that. I’d sure as hell rather figure it out before having kids than after.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. But this was so unexpected. It felt surreal.

  “I thought… I thought you wanted a family.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Your dad named the bar Connelly’s. You kept talking about your family up north.”

  “Because I miss them sometimes. And I was trying to draw you out to talk about yours. My dad named the bar that because he opened it with his brother originally.” He grinned at her. “Man, talk about jumping to conclusions. I am never going to let you hear the end of this.”

  Jazz couldn’t believe it. She had built up such a fantasy around Finn—a story of why they couldn’t be together. Maybe she had just been trying to feel better about keeping him at a distance.

  He shook his head, still laughing. “We really should have talked more.”

  “Do you want to get married?” she asked.

  His smile vanished and he paled. “Wow. Okay, that is sudden. Look, we have a lot of things to work out. And marriage…” He shook his head.

  “Wait, I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m asking if marriage is something that you’re interested in.”

  “Oh.” He visibly relaxed, shoulders lowering as he let out a deep breath. “That’s reassuring.”

  “Well?”

  “Damn. I know I wanted us to talk more about meaningful things, but this is venturing into �
�be careful what you wish for’ territory.”

  “Finn.”

  He smiled, but it was subdued, then he shook his head. “No. I’m not interested in marriage. I’ve seen too many people break vows and ignore the spirit of the arrangement. Paperwork doesn’t make a union. Partnership does.”

  She couldn’t speak. How could this be so…perfect? For the first time she could remember, she felt as if Fate was smiling on her.

  “Besides, it always struck me as a lot of trouble for what? A tax break on buying a house together? No thanks.”

  “You like it above the bar. If someone tried to get you to move, they wouldn’t be right for you.”

  He smiled at her. “You never asked me to move.”

  Jazz smiled back. Her stomach was doing somersaults. She had always felt that she and Finn were a match. She just didn’t know how much of one. Talking definitely had its advantages.

  Then again, so did other activities.

  “I’m going to ask you to move now.”

  His smile faltered.

  She put her hand on his chest and said, “Lay back.”

  He grinned as he did as she asked, shifting so that he was in the middle of the empty space. She had never been gladder to have a roomy vehicle. And the padded tarp made it downright comfy.

  Kneeling at his side, she picked up where she’d left off. She pulled off his shoes and socks, then unfastened his jeans and slid them down his muscular legs. He was already tenting his boxer-briefs. She gave herself a moment to enjoy him through the thin fabric. She ran her fingers along the length of his shaft.

  He closed his eyes and folded his arms behind his head, using them as a pillow. She wanted him relaxed. She also wanted better access. He lifted his hips as she pulled off his boxer-briefs, leaving him naked before her.

  Finn naked. She hadn’t taken the time to look at him before in the hotel. There had been too much need, too much fear. She had thought if she said or did the wrong thing, he would bolt again.

  Things changed. Quickly, sometimes. She smiled as she ran her hand over the strong muscles of his stomach, gently skimming his shaft before tracing her nails along his thighs. His breathing relaxed.

  Never in a million years had she thought she would be back in this situation—back with Finn. She wouldn’t waste a moment.

  She kicked off her boots and slid her shirt from her shoulders, then untied her bikini top. After slipping out of the bottoms, she looked back at Finn. His eyes were open as he watched her, smiling.

  “You know you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen, right?”

  She smirked. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

  He laughed, but then a shadow crossed his face. He murmured, “I bet you do.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be hearing it nearly as often now, though.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because you’ll be with me.”

  His expression remained guarded. “I guess I’m pretty good at playing the heavy when we’re out in public.”

  “I was thinking of a different role.”

  “Which is?”

  What word could she use? Boyfriend seemed too trite for what she wanted them to be. She was so relieved to know he had no interest in the title of husband. Mate just made her feel ridiculous. But she wanted him to know she was all-in, just like he’d once told her.

  She settled on the phrase that made the most sense to her.

  “Partner.”

  He practically beamed at her. “That sounds good to me.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The day had definitely taken a turn for the better. Finn’s life might have been flipped upside-down, but Jazz had tumbled back into it. Naked. Ready to finally talk—to commit even. It was a little overwhelming. Still, he said a silent prayer of thanks to any benevolent force that might be listening.

  Then he sat up and kissed her. He slid his hand to the back of her neck, tracing her skin with his fingertips. His tongue delved into her mouth. She leaned into him, their chests brushing. She pushed him back, her fingers trailing over his chest as he lay down.

  She had let him lead last time, but apparently this time she wanted to take the reins. He was fine with that. More than fine.

  Her hair lightly brushed his skin as she moved her kisses along his neck, then further down. Focusing on the feel of her, he was more at ease than he had been in months. It was like her touch was grounding him in his body.

  Her hand found his dick first, slender fingers wrapping around him and squeezing. Then her lips pressed against him. His breath hitched as her mouth took him in, waves of pleasure rippling through his body. He ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face so he could watch her.

  Her tongue swirled, her hand kept moving, her lips pulled on his flesh. He was getting too close.

  “Jazz…”

  She let up at last, shifting to lie next to him. He cupped her cheek, kissing her again and rolling her onto her back. He skimmed his hand over one breast, gently squeezing it, brushing his thumb across her nipple.

  Her breath picked up. She arced her back, pressing herself into his touch. He dusted the backs of his fingers against her stomach, not stopping as they trailed through her soft curls. Two fingers slid into her with ease. She groaned against his mouth. He circled her clit with his thumb.

  She was so hot and wet. And he was going to be able to feel that, burying himself in her without a condom, with nothing between them. He was sure she was ready. He hoped she was ready. He didn’t want to wait anymore.

  He moved his hand away so he could grip her thigh and use it to pull her over on top of him as he rolled to his back. He wanted her to enjoy this every bit as much as he did. If being on top helped, he was good with that.

  She kissed him deep, rubbing her wet center along his dick. Damn, she felt so good. He thought about sports, traffic, food, anything to try to keep the beautiful contact from sending him over the edge. She lined him up, then slid down over him slowly. He sank into velvet fire.

  He felt every pulse of her body as she stretched to fit him. She sat back on his hips and brought her knees to his sides, then rose, bracing herself on his chest. Without asking, he knew what she needed. He brought his hands to hers, interlacing their fingers and supporting her so she had better leverage to move.

  She rose up on her knees, leaning against his grip, then sank back along the length of him. Over and over again. He rose up to meet her, hips thrusting against hers. He wanted to go off so bad, but even more he wanted to hold on to the connection they shared. No powers, no walls. Just them.

  Her muscles contracted around him, clenching as she upped her pace. He let himself go a bit more, still fighting the ecstasy that beckoned from deep in his gut. She groaned, her eyes shut tight and head tilting back as he felt her pulse around him. Finally, he stopped trying to hold back.

  He pumped himself into her, fast and hard. Her grip tightened on his, holding on as she matched his pace. His skin felt like it was lighting up as the pressure built in him, finally exploding through his body. He felt himself fill her, mixing with her heat, her wetness. He landed as deep as he could and held himself there, back arcing off the floor, breath held tight in his chest.

  It was a while before he came back down.

  Jazz collapsed on his chest, breathing hard. He brought his hands to her back, wrapping his arms around her.

  “That was incredible.” He panted between each word.

  “Yeah.”

  He didn’t want to leave her body, but felt himself softening. There would be time for more later. He just needed to rest a bit.

  And this is what it would be like every time now. At least, he hoped so.

  She nuzzled his neck, then lifted herself from him. He felt a brief surge of panic, wondering if she was pulling away. Instead, she nestled against his
body and let out a contented sigh. He kept his arms around her, holding her tight.

  * * * * *

  It seemed Finn only blinked, but when he opened his eyes again, the sun had already set. He felt better than he had in weeks, even after only a few hours of sleep.

  Uninterrupted sleep. No nightmares, no dreams.

  Jazz must have the light on the ceiling of the SUV set so that it had to be turned on manually. Either that or the battery had gone dead. It was completely dark. She was fidgeting next to him, then sat up suddenly.

  “Shit, we left the back door open,” she said.

  She lunged for it, but he grabbed her and held her in place. The door was open, she had just woken up, and it was pitch black in the SUV. He didn’t want her to fall out.

  “Relax.”

  “You relax. We’re going to be eaten alive by mosquitoes—if it hasn’t happened already. Bugs and snakes…”

  “How exactly would a snake get into the SUV?”

  “I don’t know. They could crawl up the tires or something. Climb the tree and drop down.”

  He laughed. He knew Florida had a reputation for bugs and other wildlife, but had never been bothered by them before. Honestly, he didn’t know what the fuss was about.

  “What about bats? They can fly in. And there are tons of flying insects, even in the city.” She shifted closer, leaning against his chest. “And lizards. They can climb.”

  “Nothing is going to bother us.”

  She snorted. “Right.”

  “Has anything bitten you yet?”

  After a brief pause she said, “No.”

  “So don’t worry about it. We’re more likely to suffocate from the heat if we close the door.”

  “This is weird. Why hasn’t anything bitten us? We’re totally naked and without bug spray. I can hear them chattering away right outside.”

  He shrugged. “Bugs have never bothered me. They steer clear.”

  She snorted again, but then he felt her lean a bit away. “Wait, seriously? Is it part of your powers?”

  “I don’t know. Not that Dad ever said.”

  She pushed him back and straddled him. Waking up for this was fine by him. He could catch up on sleep later. He put his hands on her hips, then slid them back over her ass. He was already getting hard.