by Jodi Redford
Her expression remained chagrined. “Forgot to put them on.”
“What are we going to do with you?” He rubbed her hands between his before lowering his head and warming her fingers with his breath. A shuddery exhalation slipped from her. Not failing to note the tremble in her hands, he lifted his gaze. The hungry way she was staring at him fired his blood more effectively than the cafe’s central heating. “Sweetness, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, we won’t even make it to the soup.”
She licked her lips before carefully extracting herself from his grip and dropping her focus to the menus stacked in the nearby holder. Sliding two free, she handed one to him before studiously unrolling the paper napkin folded around her silverware. “At the risk of me sounding nosy for the millionth time, I couldn’t help noticing that you didn’t pick up a gift for anyone else in your family.”
“That’s because my mom is the only one I have left.”
Compassion softened her features. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. My dad died when I was a baby. My mom was an only child, which means no aunts and uncles. And she was never close to my father’s side.”
“You don’t have any brothers or sisters, right?”
“Nope. Kev’s the closest I’ve ever had to a sibling.” Which probably explained why they’d gravitated toward each other. They’d both lived in single-parent households. Though shit knows, his had been—and continued to be—infinitely more loving than Kev’s.
“Your mom was a single parent?” Jana asked, apparently intuiting his thoughts.
He nodded. “And a damn good one. God knows, it wasn’t her fault I was such a carouser growing up.”
“Hmm, maybe you’ve always loved women because you have such strong respect for your mom?”
He cocked his head to the side, considering. “Possibly.” Recalling his horndog past, he grimaced. “Though if you were to ask some of the women, they’d probably say it had a lot more to do with my love to get them naked.”
A soft laugh fell from Jana. “Something tells me they weren’t complaining.”
“Perhaps. Regardless, I certainly haven’t been much inspired to get a woman naked. Until recently.” As if it possessed a will of its own, his gaze dipped to her mouth again.
Her lips parted and he detected her quickened breath. “Nick.”
He closed his eyes, battling temptation. “I damn well said I wouldn’t do this.”
“We aren’t doing anything.”
But I want to. I want to spread you out on this table and feast on your pussy for hours. Opening his eyes, he found her watching him, her hands clenched so tightly on the table her knuckles were white. He dug deep for the overtaxed strings of his willpower. “No, we’re not.”
The waitress arrived finally and took their orders before making tracks for the kitchen. He reached for one of the ice waters the girl had left for them. “I hear that you and Kev shared an interesting conversation the other night.”
Her hand in mid stretch toward her own glass, Jana gaped at him. “H-he told you?”
“Yeah, after I dragged it out of him.” He quickly interpreted the cause for the crimson flush charting a journey up along her neck. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m glad you were able to break through his barrier.” Now if only we can find a way to jackhammer through that sonofabitchin’ resistance.
“You’re…okay with it?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sure, he’d be a motherfucking liar if he didn’t admit to being a little envious. He’d give his left nut to be on the receiving end of hot phone sex with Jana. Though God knows, a few of their past convos had sure as shit straddled the line a time or two. He’d have to content himself with that.
Jana swallowed. “I wasn’t sure what you’d think of being included the way you were.”
He frowned. “Included? What do you mean?”
Jana’s squinty gaze slashed sideways, ensuring no prying ears, before sliding back to him. She held up her hand, blocking the side of her face. “Hello. You know, this?” She did a thing with her tongue that made him choke on a stunted cough. “Not to mention this.” Dropping her hand, she made a tight circle with her thumb and forefinger before thrusting her other finger through the gap.
He didn’t know whether to groan or laugh. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Those are the universal symbols for oral sex and bumpin’ nasties.” She rolled her eyes. “How could you not know this?”
“Bumpin’ nasties?” His lips twitched. “That’s charming, sweetness. You could have just used your oh-so-descriptive word choices. Why the tongue and hand gestures?”
“Everything’s better with tongue and hand gestures.” She shrugged like he should have already realized this obvious news. “Or sock puppets. I didn’t have any of those, so I compromised.”
He shook his head. “Okay, so during phone sex with Kev, you two did this and this.” He imitated her raunchy gestures. Hell, she’s right. It was better using them. Or at least more entertaining, anyway.
She chewed her lip. “Uh, not exactly.”
“What, did you leave a gesture out? Something involving your big toe, perhaps?” he teased.
“No, more like something involving your big cock.”
He stared at her.
“Holy shit balls. I totally didn’t mean to say it like that. I mean, how the hell would I even know if you have a big cock? Not like I’ve seen it before. Although, I felt it on my hip when you hugged me that day in my shop, and it felt huge. A freakin’ bratwurst ain’t got nuthin’ on that bad boy.” She stopped in mid spiel and cleared her throat delicately. “Long story short, I have a tendency to blurt things out.”
“You don’t say.” He offered her a wry look, but inside he was shell-shocked by her admission, his mind reeling. He’d been an involved—no, make that a pretty fucking active—participant in Jana and Kev’s phone sex? Why the hell didn’t Kev mention that juicy tidbit last night? He could only think of one possibility.
Kev hadn’t wanted him to know. But why? For fuck’s sake, they’d shared plenty of women. What difference did—?
He broke off in mid muse as his suspicion went from seed to full blossom. “What was Kev doing during all of this and this?” He repeated the gestures with his tongue and hand.
“Watching. Well, and sucking my nipples.” Jana circled her fingernail in the ring of condensation left by her glass of ice water. “I got the impression he liked it. A lot.” She looked at him then, the heat in her eyes practically glowing. “He wasn’t the only one.”
Their gazes remained locked for an endless moment, the sizzle and spark snapping between them. The magnetic pull almost distracted him from the bigger picture looming on the horizon. With a resounding crack, it managed to break through his trance, and he jolted like he’d literally been struck.
Jana gave him a perplexed look. “What just happened?”
His pulse kicking from the adrenaline rush, he blinked before giving his slow smile full rein. “Sweetness, I’ve found the motherfucking jackhammer.”
Chapter Nine
Thirty minutes into their lunch, Jana was still baffled by Nick’s cryptic statement. It didn’t help that the damnable man refused to fill her in on what he meant. Tossing her crumpled napkin on her plate, she frowned at him while he reached for the bill the waitress had brought. “Okay, what gives?”
His focus remained on his wallet while he fished out a twenty and several singles. “Hmm?”
“Why the mysterious silence?” She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “You’re up to something.”
“Sweetness, I’m always up to something.” His smile suitably evil, Nick tucked the dollar bills near his glass before lifting from his seat. After he pulled on his coat, he walked to her side of the table and helped her into hers. He lightly grazed her nape, making her shiver as he gently tugged the few strands of hair that’d managed to get caught beneath the collar of her leather trench. Trailing
his fingers to the front of her neck, he caressed her lingeringly before tucking her scarf in place. Still moving with his methodical, maddeningly slow motions, he reached for her belt and cinched it. “You really do need a better coat than this.”
“I’ll be fine.” If anything, she was roasting. “Thank you for the lunch.”
“My pleasure.” His hand brushed hers, fingertips swirling along the hill of her palm, stirring up tingles throughout her body. “Any plans for the rest of the day?” There was no mistaking the invitation in his husky voice.
She moistened her lips, a fierce brew of desire and nervousness making her shaky. Unless she was mistaken, Nick had decided to revoke the non-ravishment clause in their relationship. She wasn’t sure what part of their conversation motivated his change of heart, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity for some skin-on-skin time with him pass her by. “N-not really. Was there something you wanted to do?”
His thumb rubbed the inside of her wrist. “A few possibilities have popped into my mind.”
She hoped to freakin’ God those possibilities involved lots of sweaty sex. And maybe some whipped cream and handcuffs. “Then consider me all yours.”
His expression turning smoky, Nick cupped her elbow and escorted her to the checkout. After taking care of their tab, he laced their fingers together and led the way outside. Wispy flurries of snow scurried along the sidewalk, dusting her and Nick’s shoes. He released her arm and dug in his pockets for his keys. “I’m not parked far from here. If you’d like, you can come with me, and I’ll bring you back to your car later.”
Come with him. Oh yeah, she could definitely get on board with that. Stifling a moan, she nodded and hurried with him to the section of public parking where he’d left his vehicle. Once she was situated in the passenger seat and thawing her numb fingers with the blissful heat blasting through the dashboard vent, she slid a glance toward Nick and became fixated by the shadow of beard bristling his strong jaw. Her nipples tightened in anticipation of receiving the intimate rasp of that sexy scruff.
“If you continue eye-fucking me, we won’t make it out of this parking spot.”
“I’m pathetically obvious, aren’t I?” Exhaling a heavy sigh, she loosened her trench and settled in more comfortably.
“Trust me, I’m not complaining. But that backseat is too small for what I have in mind.”
She licked her lips. “And that would be…?”
“Anticipation is half the fun, sweetness.”
“God, you’re such a tease.”
“You haven’t seen me at my best.” Shifting into drive, Nick headed toward the exit. His right hand abandoned the wheel and settled on her upper thigh, tormentingly close to her pussy. He stroked the inner seam of her jeans. “Slide down your zipper.”
His soft, unexpected demand tripped along her nerve endings, igniting a sizzling spark. The muscles deep in her core clenched. Smothering her whimper, she complied with his request.
“Take off your pants.”
She shot him a startled look. “All the way?”
“Yes. Your seat heater is on, you won’t get cold.”
Like that’d even been an option with the way she was burning up. Wiggling, she rucked her waistband over her hips before she shimmied her legs free. Luckily the denim wasn’t so tight that it couldn’t fit past her boots without removing them too. Pulse drumming, she reclined into her seat.
Nick’s hot gaze swept the triangle of blonde curls topping her mound before drifting to her rumpled jeans next to her feet. “No underwear?”
“I hate wearing them. I know it’s weird, considering I own a lingerie shop.”
His hand resumed its place on her thigh. She was excruciatingly aware of the scant inches separating him from her pussy, and the knowledge prodded her clit to tingle. Breath quickening, she widened her stance slightly, a decadent thrill unfurling as she waited for Nick to take her up on the unspoken invitation.
He didn’t, the tormenting bastard. “Does it turn you on, having your bare pussy rubbing against the seam of your jeans?”
“Sometimes. But it feels even better when it’s fingers rubbing me instead.” If he didn’t catch that unsubtle hint, she’d clobber him.
“Care to make a demonstration?”
“Be my guest.”
His lips twitched. “Ladies first. I insist.”
“How chivalrous of you.” Snorting, she spread her legs just enough that the warm air circulating from the vent stirred her pubic hair and ghosted along her labia. The sensations brought a continent of goose bumps along her flesh.
The pads of Nick’s fingers swept tiny circles on her skin. “Play with your pussy, sweetness. Show me how you touched yourself during your phone sex with Kev.”
The reminder of her time in the bathtub and the earth-shattering climax Kevin’s voice brought her to tossed more kindling to the fire enflaming her. Closing her eyes, she slid her hand between her legs and along her drenched slit. With a barely there swirl of her fingertip, she stroked her clit, the contact shooting an electrical current of pleasure through every nerve. Her back arched. “Oh God.”
“Mm, good girl. Give that pretty little clit the lovin’ it needs.”
Nick’s whiskey-soaked voice acted as an additional caress along her quivering skin. She swiveled her hips, increasing her tempo and friction. A lush wantonness ignited, spurred further by the slick sounds of her arousal filling the air. A part of her couldn’t believe she was masturbating for Nick while traffic whizzed by in the neighboring lanes. An even bigger part of her was turned on like crazy over the fact.
“You like being watched, don’t you? The notion of others seeing you immersed in pleasure, riding that sexual high, it’s intoxicating to you.”
Was it? It’d certainly explain her rush of exhilaration. “I—I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. I’m an exhibitionist, Jana. I recognize the signs. It excited you that Kev fantasized about watching us together. And you know what? I’m hard as a damn nail right now thinking about that too—fucking you in front of him. Eating you out and making you come while he’s devouring you with his eyes.”
Spellbound by Nick’s raspy words, she twisted on the seat, her body feverish.
“Is that what you want, Jana?”
“Y-yes.” Her teeth chattered despite the blistering temperature blanketing her.
Nick’s hand was suddenly between her legs, two of his fingers dipping deep into her pussy. A hungry growl broke from him. “So fucking wet. Keep strumming that clit, baby.”
She rubbed harder, faster, the approaching orgasm looming like a tidal wave as Nick’s fingers plunged in an enticing rhythm. Her body rocked and undulated, greedily seeking more of the decadent pleasure cresting into a shimmering peak. The car slowed, and she jerked her eyes open just as Nick braked to a stop at the valet stand.
He made no attempt to remove his hand and instead offered her a wicked smile. “Hmm, wonder who will come first, the valet attendant or you.”
“Nick.” Equal parts panic and excitement slammed into her the same instant the implosive orgasm did. She bucked against his questing fingers, shuddering, pussy spasming hard as explosions of brilliant light and color sparkled in her vision.
“Guess you win, baby. Unfortunate for the valet kid. Getting to see you climax would have been his best tip of the day.” Chuckling, Nick slipped his hand free and rearranged her trench coat before belting it securely. “I’d say that dispels any notion that you might not be an exhibitionist.”
She shook her head, adrenaline still a heady rush pounding through her system. “How could I have not known this about myself?”
“You probably did subconsciously without ever acknowledging it.” He stalled her when she started to reach for her jeans. “Leave those.”
“You expect me to walk practically buck-ass naked through the hotel lobby?”
“Yeah, it’s fucking hot.”
Okay, she couldn’t argue with him on that point
. Especially when he lifted his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean with a sexy grin. He gave her a wink. “Just an appetizer before the main meal.”
She moaned at the sinful promise. Turning her head, she noticed the valet attendant’s approach. He opened the door for her with a cheerful greeting, and she snugged her trench coat tighter around her waist as she carefully climbed out of the Audi. She had to give the kid credit for keeping his response to her bare legs and discarded jeans limited to a double blink.
The stroll through the first floor of the hotel was indeed hilariously awkward and breathlessly arousing. The hot, sidelong glances Nick gifted her with only increased the exhilaration and made her pussy infinitely wetter. By the time they stepped into the elevator, her upper thighs were coated with her juices.
As soon as the conveyance’s doors slid shut, Nick backed her against the mirrored wall. “How much you wanna bet there’s a camera in here?”
Her pulse danced a mambo, both at the nearness of his mouth and the glint in his eye. “You think?”
“Yeah. Know what else I think?”
She swallowed. “What?”
“Whoever’s on the other side of that camera would love to see me kiss you.”
Focus still locked on his scrumptious lips, she inched forward. Wickedness flashed across his gorgeous features. “Not where I was intending to kiss you, sweetness.”
A fluttery moan tore from her as he hunkered to his knees and pushed aside her coat. The next second his tongue plowed through the wetness glazing her labia. He closed his entire mouth around her pussy, eating her with deep, rhythmic pulls before tasting her clit. He teased the sopping nubbin with lazy flicks and laps of his tongue, making her knees wobble. Trembling, she gripped the back of his head, holding on for dear life.
Sooner than she would have liked, the elevator chime pinged, announcing that they’d arrived on Nick’s floor. Slipping his tongue from her pussy, he rearranged her trench coat and straightened as the doors slid open. Twining their fingers together, he led the way to his room. The second they stepped inside, he pulled her into his arms and devoured her mouth. Their tongues tangled, teeth scraping swollen lips.
