by Wendi Zwaduk
“Oh my!” She jumped away from the chilly metal. “Yikes.”
“What, babe? What’s wrong? Is someone watching you?”
“Freezing door plus bare skin equals really-freaking-cold Jaden.” She rubbed her arms to get the blood moving. “No one’s following me. Promise.”
“Oh. Just a moment.” He pressed a button on his key fob and opened the door. While he rummaged in the back seat, she brought her hand down on his ass. Nice and firm.
“I could leave this sweatshirt in the car and let you ice over.” He held his hand up out of her reach. “What would you prefer?”
“You have a nice ass. I had to touch it. I might even spank it if I’m given the chance.”
Marlon yanked the zipper down the front of the sweatshirt and held it open. “Arms.” The single word held so much weight.
Thankful for his gesture, she complied. She moaned. “I knew I’d be underdressed, but I wanted to look sexy. Thank you for rescuing me from a case of bad fashion.”
“I live to serve beautiful women named Jaden.” Drawing her back into his embrace, Marlon kissed her cheek. “Babe… Do you realise you can bring a man to his knees with just a smile?”
She smoothed her hands over his chest. “Really? Any idea who he is? I want to meet him.” Marlon reminded her of iron encased in flesh. She trembled, wanting to grope him everywhere. Still, she couldn’t just give in—yet.
Raining kisses on her lips, cheeks and nose, he cupped the back of her head. “You’re a bad girl, Jaden and it’s so good.” His breath came in short puffs. At least she had him on edge. She hated being horny alone.
“Honey, you caught my eye a long time ago, but it was nothing like the ache I feel right now. I know the woman in your heart and want to feel her moving with me. I can’t catch my breath when I’m around you because I want to please you.” His kisses became rougher, more consuming, as his hands moved beneath the sweatshirt and encircled her waist. “I want you like I’ve never wanted a woman. Fuck, I think I need you more than I’ve ever needed anyone.”
“You talk too much.” Sliding her hands under the soft cotton of his T-shirt, she learnt the dips and valleys of his body. His firm nipples seared her flesh. The rasp of crisp chest hair against her palms sent pinpricks of excitement racing through her body. “Take me home.”
He panted against her neck. “Home. Yes. Now.” Fumbling to open the door, he helped her slide onto the seat. “Yes, home.”
Marlon raced across town, cursing each stop sign and red light. Was it bad for a cop to break the speed limit when there wasn’t an emergency? Hell, being with Jaden felt like standing next to a four-alarm fire. How would he survive making love to her? He’d go down in her blaze of glory.
Screeching into his parking spot, he chastised himself. She wasn’t a disaster waiting to happen. She was sultry woman, primed and ready to accept his advances. The badge, the danger, the crazy schedule—nothing else mattered.
When she held him, he felt invincible. He felt something deeper, something he couldn’t put his finger on. Love? Maybe, but he wouldn’t hold his breath. Love meant pain and suffering and he refused to succumb again.
As soon as he switched off the engine, he jumped from the Jeep and raced to her side. God, did he look antsy? Remind her of the shallow men she dated in the past? He wanted to be different from the rest, but she made it hard to gather his thoughts, much less stifle his Neanderthal urges.
Her voice broke through his sensual fog. “Marlon, we don’t have to rush. We have all night to touch, cuddle, and pleasure each other.”
On the porch, he stopped and forced his brain to function in a gear other than sex. “I only have a couple hours.”
Concern infused in her voice. “Why? Are you on duty?”
He shoved his key in the lock and twisted the handle. “No, sweetheart. I promised Judi I’d have you home at a decent hour.”
With her hands on her hips, she cocked a brow. “You did? How chivalrous—I think.”
The feeling that he’d sent the mood south gnawed at him, but still—he might as well come clean now. “I…she knows how I feel about you and suggested I throw it all out for you to do what you wanted. I’m laying myself bare.”
“You aren’t bare yet, but you will be.” She walked her fingers up his chest, making him shudder. “She suggested the same to me in different words. So why don’t we find out where things will lead?”
Point taken, he shoved the door open and led her inside his dark apartment. Had he tidied up the place? He couldn’t remember. Too late. God help me not to fall on my ass.
Taking the lead from him, she snicked the door shut and pressed him against the cool barrier. The chill from the steel barely diminished his fever for her. Her hips ground against him, while she licked a path of heat along his neck. The only light in the room came from the security light above his picture window. The yellow glow splashed over her body, her skin glistening with a fine sheen of perspiration.
He fisted her hair in his hands, clutching her to him. “Baby girl. You’re dangerous.” If she continued on her present course, he’d finish in his pants.
Nibbling his chin, she giggled. “Good.” Both of her small hands edged beneath his shirt and roamed his torso once again. Her touch sent shockwaves straight to his groin.
Releasing her hair, he slid his palms over her ass and cupped the perfect globes. He slapped her ass and thrilled at the cry from her throat.
“Yes, Marlon.” She whimpered as he picked her up, guided her legs around his waist then headed to the couch. Although making love to her pressed against his front door sound like one hell of a good idea, he wanted their first time to be special.
He plopped down on the sofa with her still wrapped around him. “Yes, baby girl. Tell me you want this. Tell me I’m doing something right.” To make you mine.
Jaden wriggled around to plant her knees on either side of his waist, rubbing her pussy against his cock. Easing back for a moment, she clutched the hem of her sweatshirt and tank top and whipped the soft fabric over her head. Her hair fluttered over her shoulders as the shirt flew across the room. Her nipples pebbled in the cool air and struggled against the delicate lace of her bra. He licked his lips. She wasn’t overly endowed, but just enough to fill his hands. Perfect.
She traced her index finger over his lips, toying with him. “Make love to me. Show me I’m sexy.” Her husky bedroom voice was his undoing.
“With pleasure.” He sat up and yanked his T-shirt from his body.
Every inch of him yearned for her. Her breath feathered over his skin, knocking his control off-kilter. He didn’t care. The straps of her bra slipped from her shoulders, revealing the tops of her breasts. The primal need to claim her returned. To make her his.
With a groan, he tugged the delicate fabric down and bent to take a rosy nipple into his mouth. Each tiny moan heightened his need. She murmured his name, easing him further down the path of destruction.
She leant back and jammed their bodies together. Her sharp little nails dug into his shoulders as she ground against him. “Marlon! Oh, God.”
Switching to her other nipple, he feasted. She tasted like honey and sensual woman, a lethal combination made just for him. As he licked and sucked, he worked the button on her jeans. When he freed her from the denim constriction, he smoothed his hands between her lacy panties and her ass.
“Stand up, babe. Let me see all of you.”
With strands of hair falling over her eyes, she stood. Her breasts rose and fell with her laboured breaths. He’d seen nude pictures of her, but nothing compared to holding his woman in the flesh. His. He liked the sound of that.
“Sweetness.” Sliding to his knees, he grinned and guided the denim and lace down past her hips. What she called extra pounds filled her out and evened out her body. He licked his dry lips and leant forwards to nibble on the slight roundness of her stomach. He tugged at the piercing in her navel.
She shivered and ran her fingers t
hrough his hair. “Marlon, it’s too much.”
“Not yet,” he murmured against her belly button. “Let me play a bit longer. I’ve waited a long time for you.” He cupped her ass once again and nuzzled her slick lips. The soft thatch of dark curls tickled his nose. Her aroma rolled over him like a gentle wave. He gasped and laved his tongue along her labia, savouring the softness of her body. His brain misfired and his thoughts honed in on her pleasure.
“Marlon.” Her grip on his head tightened as she screamed. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Dear God, she was wet for him. His cock pressed painfully against his zipper. He ignored his needs and focussed on her. It had been so long since he’d truly pleased a woman, seeing Jaden come apart in his arms was sending him to the ragged edge. But he’d finish in his jeans like a randy teenager before he ruined the moment by forcing the pace. He added another slap to her ass, enjoying the red marks on her tender flesh.
More emotions he couldn’t name welled to the surface. Was it love? The real thing? He wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to trade it either. The idea of spending the rest of his life with her twirled around in his mind.
Each lick, each caress over her clit, brought another tug until she shivered and groaned. “I. Can’t. Hold. Back.”
Releasing his grasp on her hips, he gave her nether lips one more lick then sat back on his heels. He cleaned her juices from his chin and grinned. Holding back wasn’t high on his priority list either, until she whimpered.
“Don’t leave me this way.” A glazed look clouded her eyes as she wobbled on her feet.
“I’m yours, babe.” He eased two fingers into her slick heat, pumping in and out. Wrapping his other arm around her for stability, he pressed the tip of his tongue against the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. He toyed with the pucker of her ass with his free hand, eliciting a shiver.
“Oh my God, yes, do that. More.” Jaden thrust her fingers into his hair, pulling at the strands. Her hips rocked in a less-than-rhythmic fashion as she quaked in his grasp. Her breathing hitched. “Marlon.” She shivered and collapsed against him. “Wow. Just wow.”
“Good?” Tolerable? Something she wanted to experience again?
“I love it.” She rested her head on his shoulder and snaked her arms around his waist. “Do it again, stud.”
Love it? Stud? The words pulled all the happy strings in his heart. “Easy, sexy girl. You’ll make me think we’ve started an inferno.”
Drawing her into his arms, he carried her down the short hallway to his bedroom. Once on the bed, she curled onto her side and smiled drowsily at him. “I think you’re trained to deal with this fire. You’ve satisfied me.”
“Satisfied is good, but no sleeping yet.”
She mock-saluted him. “Not tired, just waiting on you.”
“Never make a lady wait.” With fumbling fingers, Marlon unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them to his feet. He retrieved a condom from the nightstand.
Giggling, Jaden sat on her haunches and snatched the foil packet. “I’m resilient. Now, let me take care of you.” In a matter of seconds, she had slid the latex over his penis, caressing him as she went. “You’re so soft, yet hard. I like it.” She paused, holding his manhood in her grasp like a treasure. “It’s easy, since I like you.”
He groaned. No woman had ever sheathed him. The move, compounded with her words, turned him on and turned his senses inside out. Then again, the idea of making love to her without the barrier kicked his desire up a few notches. What would she look like round with his child? Dynamite.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he switched mental gears. Who knew how long she’d be with him? Or if she loved him in return?
“Take me in, love,” he murmured.
“Slap my ass again. Feels so good.” Jaden braced her shoulders against the sheets and angled her hips off the bed. With slow strokes, he nudged her pussy and gazed at her through lust-filled eyes. She gasped and guided him along his journey with both hands. Her hair fanned around her face, reminiscent of a halo. Jaden was no angel, though, and her devilish needs held him fast. She knew what she wanted in bed, took it without question and held his heart. Forever-thoughts swirled in his head. He needed her. Not just her body, not just her friendship—all of her, for the rest of his life.
Words teetered on the tip of his tongue. I love you.
Groaning, he held back. Too soon.
Slowly, slowly, he eased into her and dug his fingers into the creamy flesh of her ass. With each increasingly rapid thrust, he fell further into the great unknown. Rational thought left his brain. He added a couple of swats to punctuate each pump into her.
Her eyelids drooped shut and a long sigh escaped her lips. “Yes.”
He slammed his hips into hers, fusing with her. Screams ripped from her throat. More and more, he delved even deeper. Her inner muscles grasped him like a fist. He shivered. Making love had never been this powerful, this primal. Sweat beaded on his forehead and moistened his back. Her small hands scraped his shoulders, marking him, claiming him. She arched into him. “I’m coming. Oh, my God!”
He threw his head back and groaned. Light pricked behind his eyelids as he came. She trembled and gripped him tight, milking him of his seed. Thank God for the condom.
Marlon braced himself on his hands and slumped to her side. His heart thundered in his chest. Could he truly be in love? The possibility flashed in his mind. At the same time, a tiny voice in the back of his mind threw doubt on his feelings. He’d fallen too deep and too damned fast for his own comfort. Too many things hadn’t been said—her past, her true feelings for him, her plans for the future.
He squeezed his eyes shut. God damn, love sucked as much as playing it safe.
Chapter Twelve
Moments after coming down from the orgasmic high, Jaden collapsed on the bed—Marlon’s bed. Her mind reeled. Oh my goodness. They’d had sex, but not just run-of-the-mill sex. Raw, bone-deep sex. The kind of sex that seared itself into one’s brain forever.
Whoa.
His breath tickled her shoulder while he drew lazy circles around her belly button, occasionally bumping the piercing. The rasp of his whiskers abraded her skin, yet it didn’t hurt, but rather heightened her awareness of him. As she licked her lips, his masculine taste lingered like a fond memory. Her inner thighs were chafed, but in a delicious way she wanted to experience over and over again. Who knew a man’s beard could be such a mood-enhancer?
Everything about him suited her—the facial hair, the rippled muscles, the determination in his emerald eyes. In his arms, she felt safe. But for how long? Her tastes always changed once she’d sampled the forbidden goods. Was Marlon now a folly or a favoured mistake? She smoothed her hand up his back. No, he was the kind of mistake she’d remember when the rest of her world collapsed.
Moving against her, he chuckled. “I have to get up, Jaden Marie. I don’t want to, but I need to chuck the condom.”
Meeting his gaze, she wriggled. The emotion in his words left her speechless. Making love wasn’t a one-time, attention-grabbing move for him. Commitment, thy name is Marlon Cross. His eyes, still wide and dark, roved over her body. She didn’t want the night to end either. Refused to let him linger as a mere blip on her radar. How could she make the moment last forever? Confess the words in her heart?
Yeah right, and watch him bolt.
“Go.” She brushed her semi-erect nipples against his arm, the move turning her on almost as much as she intended to tease him. “I’ll still be here.”
“If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up.” Marlon shuffled and rolled out of bed, tossing the sheets over her naked body. Not that she wanted to stare, but the sight of his bare ass transfixed her. Her mouth watered. Her hands clenched. If she sneaked up behind him, she could grab a handful and feel her fill—again.
The sound of water running and rustling met her ears. Biting the inside of her cheek, she went with her urges and crossed the thick-carpeted floor on silent footsteps. A
s she got to the door, the shrill ring of her phone startled her. She shrieked. Marlon bounded from the bathroom and smacked into her with an, “Oof!”
Catching her as they plopped to the floor, he chuckled and wrapped both arms around her. “You know, you can get my attention without waking up my neighbours. I wanted a round two, three…or maybe even six.”
Biting back a laugh, she elbowed him and kissed the hollow of his neck. “It’s my phone. Only a few people know the number.” She rummaged through her jeans pockets for the device and marvelled at how relaxed she and Marlon were together. He didn’t even rush to cover himself when he got out of bed. He felt comfortable in his own skin and, boy, did the image rivet her.
Sitting on her shins, she glanced at him. He’d already stretched out beside her on the floor, propped up on one elbow. “I’m the one people try to call all hours of the night. What’s the emergency?”
She frowned and pressed the keys to retrieve the voicemail. No one who knew her number had anything to say that she couldn’t share with him—even her father. Switching the phone to the speaker setting, she grabbed the rumpled sheet from the bed.
“Cold?” Grabbing her hand, Marlon pulled her into the crook of his arm and kissed the underside of her breast. “I can warm you better than the blankets.”
Although his actions challenged her grip on control, the voice on the other end of the line made her pause.
“Jaden, honey, this is Judi. I’m not good at leaving messages on these things. Honey, if you’d call me. I—do you remember me talking about Pearl McKinley? She has that sweet little terrier, Riley. Oh, my time is probably up. Drat. Bobby called. Come home, okay?”
With trembling hands, Jaden switched off the speaker setting and dialled Judi’s home number. Something felt off. True, Judi wasn’t the best with technology. She hated the timer on her crock pot, but still. Calling at one-thirty in the morning wasn’t her style. Jaden’s heart clenched in her chest. If Judi’s angina was acting up… What a time to have let her emotions get the best of her.
