by AJ Quinn
Turning her head, she watched Darien finish dressing. Saw her strap her ankle holster on and slip into her leather jacket. Why did she find that sexy as hell?
She had no answer. Nor did she have an answer for why, a moment later, she locked the door to the locker room while simultaneously reaching for Darien. Her previously dormant inner bad girl wanted to come out and play.
There was no prelude. No coaxing. No soft whispered words. Instead she placed one hand on Darien’s chest, backed her up against the now-locked door, and slipped one hand around her neck to draw her closer.
And then she kissed her hungrily.
*
For a moment, Darien was too stunned to react.
But her body had no such problems. Her pulse rate accelerated and her blood pressure spiked as Jessie’s mouth began to skim over hers. It sent a wave shimmering over her skin that almost instantly transformed from warmth to burning heat, pervasive and persuasive. And as the heat seeped into her blood, it called to something deep inside her.
Slowly she began to respond, tracing Jessie’s mouth with the tip of her tongue in sensual intimacy before she pulled Jessie’s bottom lip between her teeth. She heard the sharp catch and release of Jessie’s breath, drank in her sigh, and felt her shudder as Darien traced the sides of Jessie’s neck and grazed along her jaw before sliding her fingers through soft blond hair, still damp from her shower.
She drew her closer, deepening the contact as they continued to kiss. Long enough to get lost in the wonder of it and for a breathless moment, she gave herself to the heat. The need. The desire.
Tongues touched. Probed. Savored. Jessie tasted of passion and hunger. The contact left Darien dizzy and made her want more.
Steeped in the feel and taste and scent of Jessie, she didn’t know how long it was before the low murmur of voices outside the locker room finally broke them apart. They stared at each other for another endless moment before Darien lowered her head until their foreheads touched.
Inhaling the light scent of Jessie’s shampoo and soap and the subtle essence of woman, she tried to catch her breath, to slow her heart rate, to form a coherent thought. She should have been better prepared for this, she mused, feeling the exquisite pressure that built inside as she watched Jessie’s eyes flutter open, faintly dazed.
She’d known from the start that Jessie elicited strange and conflicting emotions from her—part urge to devour and part wish to go gently and slowly, to savor. And she’d known Jessie had begun looking at her differently since Germany, with what she could only interpret as increasing interest…and possibly longing.
She just wasn’t certain what it all meant. Where it might lead. The only certainty was that Jessie somehow touched all the dark, lonely places inside her.
“What are we doing, Jesslyn?” she asked softly. “I thought you didn’t want this.”
“I did say that, didn’t I,” Jessie whispered back.
“Yes, you did.” Without giving it a second thought, she slid her hand down Jessie’s arm. Grasping her hand, she brought it to her mouth and kissed her knuckles, then turned her hand over and kissed her inner wrist.
“Stop that,” Jessie said, but there was no heat in her words. “I can’t think when you do that and I’m trying to be serious.”
Darien smiled. “All right. What are you trying to tell me?”
“I think I’m trying to tell you I’m sorry. I know I’ve been sending you mixed messages, and if you let me, I want to fix that.”
Darien raised an eyebrow. “Really? How do you propose to do that?”
“I plan on being completely straightforward.” Jessie’s smile slowly faded and the expression on her face became a match for the intensity in her voice. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings. Nor do I want you to have any doubts about what it is I want.”
“All right. And what is it you want?”
“I want—I’ve wanted to do that…to kiss you…again…for some time now. Definitely since the safe house in Germany. And I want a chance to do more than just kiss you because in spite of all the missteps we’ve taken so far, I think I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you. And nothing that’s happened since then has changed my mind.”
As she listened to the telling silence, Darien breathed a deep sigh of understanding and acceptance. “All right. So long as you’re sure this is what you want.”
Jessie nodded. “I am,” she said and leaned in for another kiss.
Darien closed her eyes and licked her lips. “There’s a small hotel…it’s about two blocks from here—”
“Why a hotel? Why not your house?”
“If we go there, all the people working at the house—Ben and Nicola, Elle and the others—it won’t take long for them to intuit what’s going on.”
“Does that bother you?”
Darien shook her head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve cared what others think of me. But I thought you might—”
Jessie stopped her by pressing three fingers against her lips. Shivered when Darien took the opportunity to draw them into her mouth.
“I’ve been out since I was fifteen, if that’s what’s worrying you,” Jessie said, her voice slightly breathless. “Elle certainly knows, and since Ben’s such a good friend of my mother’s, the odds are he knows as well—probably has for years. But that’s beside the point because the truth is I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks either. If anything, I believe they’ll admire my taste in women.”
Darien nipped one of the fingers that had been pressed to her mouth. “I don’t know about your good taste, but you certainly taste good.”
“That’s really bad.” Jessie choked back a laugh. “Look, I want you, I’m pretty damned certain you want me, and I want us in your bed. So unless you’re hiding a husband, a wife, or a dozen lovers nearby, there’s nothing else to discuss.”
Darien grinned. “No husbands. No wives. No legions of lovers.”
Even if she had been so inclined, further conversation proved impossible when the voices outside the locker room grew more insistent and someone banged on the door. Releasing a soft groan, Darien lowered her head and kissed Jessie one more time, giving her a taste of what she was feeling. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Stepping aside, she unlocked the door. But as she swung it open, she was almost immediately confronted by two angry looking women. Unconcerned, she stepped into the space between them and Jessie, sent a wordless warning in their direction, then watched them back away before she reached for Jessie’s hand and drew her along.
“You’re going to have to teach me how to do that,” Jessie said, squeezing her fingers and giving her an amused look as they reached the sidewalk in front of the gym.
“Do what?”
“Make people back down just by raising an eyebrow.”
They slowly made their way past the people who crowded the narrow pedestrian streets—tourists out enjoying the city and locals trying to make their way home. They hadn’t gone far before the light rain that had been falling off and on all day began to fall in earnest.
It didn’t really matter to Darien. She was feeling remarkably lighthearted and Paris was a walking city. Even in the rain, there were always plenty of cafés, restaurants, churches, and museums you could duck into if you didn’t want to get wet.
Of course, just because she enjoyed walking in the rain didn’t mean Jessie did as well. All too soon, Jessie’s hair and jacket glistened wetly, while the cool, damp air had put color in her cheeks, highlighting her delicate bone structure. Looking around, Darien pointed to the closest café. “Do you want to stop and wait out the rain before we continue on to the house? I can get you a glass of wine or maybe a cappuccino, if you’d like.”
“Thanks, but if it’s all right with you, there’s no need to stay. I actually don’t mind the rain, although I’d love it if you could get me a mocha to go.”
Darien thought about that for half a beat. “You sure you want to kee
p walking?”
Jessie nodded, and for a brief instant, Darien could see intense emotions swirling just under the surface of her eyes. Unapologetic longing. Desire. And a touch of nerves.
“The rain’s not that bad,” Jessie said. “It’s really just a drizzle—okay, a heavy drizzle—and it’s cut down on the sidewalk traffic, don’t you think? Unless you’ve changed your mind?”
“Don’t be crazy. Why would I want to change my mind?” She gave Jessie’s hand a gentle squeeze, then pulled a black watch cap from her pocket and slipped it on Jessie’s head. “This should keep your head a bit warmer until we get back to the house.”
Adjusting the cap, Jessie smiled. “Thanks. But what about you?”
“I’m good.”
“Okay then—that’s good. We’re good.” Jessie’s face lit up and her relief was evident. “We’ll keep going as soon as you get me a mocha—a large one with a ton of whipped cream, if that’s okay. It’s the perfect walk-in-the-rain treat.”
“A ton of whipped cream. Right. Well, never let it be said I’d stand between a woman and her idea of a perfect treat.” With a laugh, Darien went into the café, returning a few minutes later with the requested large mocha which indeed was topped by a mountain of whipped cream.
Ignoring her warning that it might be too hot, Jessie immediately lifted the reinforced paper cup, inhaled the rich scent of chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee, and brought the drink to her lips. The low moan of satisfaction that followed sounded unbelievably sexy, but when the tip of her tongue darted out to lick the cream residue on her upper lip, Darien felt as if she’d been hit by a bolt of lightning. A clear reminder, if she needed one, that it had been much too long since she’d been enticed by a woman.
And she was certainly enticed. Enthralled. Captivated. With her heart pounding wildly in her chest, she experienced a fleeting moment of jealousy aimed at the mocha Jessie was holding with such reverence, and she spent the remainder of the walk home in a sensual haze.
Thankfully they encountered no one as they slipped into the house. The only indication anyone was even around was the muffled sound of voices coming from the direction of the computer room when they passed the fourth floor on their way to the fifth.
Darien released Jessie’s hand when they entered her bedroom, leaving her momentarily standing near the foot of the bed. Long enough to close the door and take both their jackets and the watch cap Jessie had been wearing, hanging them up to dry on an antique coatrack in one corner. She then took an extra minute to light candles and put on some music. Something soft and bluesy. Perfect for a rainy night.
Satisfied, she turned back to Jessie, whose face was lit by the flickering glow of the candles while the music washed over her. She looked so beautiful. Alive. With a light shining in her eyes that came from within and owed nothing to the flames that seemed to dance in time with the music.
Reaching for Jessie’s hand once again, Darien searched her face through half-closed eyes and felt her throat tighten. And then she drew her into her arms, brushing her lips lightly against Jessie’s mouth.
“What was that look?” Jessie asked.
“You—you take my breath away.” She could feel need cresting inside her, and without thinking she slid her hands into Jessie’s hair, drawing her closer for a longer kiss. Chocolate blended with lust and long-simmering desire, and Darien flicked her tongue along Jessie’s lower lip for an extra taste.
Jessie moaned softly and deepened the kiss, simultaneously moving her hands to undo her shirt. Darien stopped her and saw surprise and concern flicker across Jessie’s face when she pulled back.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not a thing. Tell me what you want, Jesslyn.”
“That’s easy.” She laughed softly. “You. Better yet, you and me. In your bed, in every imaginable way.”
“That’s pretty direct.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d have a problem with direct.”
“I don’t. But as long as we’re laying it all on the table, I think you should know I’d like us to take our time.”
Jessie groaned. “Take our time?”
“Mm-hmm.”
The first rumble of thunder echoed outside and it made Darien smile. She’d always done her best work in the rain, she mused, as she traced a fingertip along Jessie’s cheek and down her collarbone, stopping only when she encountered the top button. She followed the trail of her finger with her lips, lingering on her throat while she undid the first button and felt a wave of heat course through her.
She paused before moving on to the second button, her mouth gently tracing the newly exposed skin. As much as she wanted to touch Jessie, she knew a quick tumble would not be enough. Never be enough. Not with Jessie. And as each subsequent button was convinced to release its hold, it stirred her hunger for more.
Pushing the shirt aside and pressing her mouth against a newly bared shoulder, she felt Jessie arch her back, giving herself over to long slender fingers and a gently questing mouth. And when the last button was undone, she scraped her teeth across her skin and sent Jessie’s shirt tumbling to the floor.
Pure appreciation edged out all of Darien’s thoughts as she paused and let her gaze roam over the barely there scraps of material that covered Jessie’s breasts. Seconds later, she used her teeth to coax the material into joining the shirt on the floor. Cupping one small pale breast, she ran her thumb across a pebbled tip and watched Jessie’s eyes close before adding hot breath, sharp teeth, and a soothing tongue over sensitized skin.
As she continued, Darien chuckled softly when her mouth found a particularly sensitive spot, one that sent a shudder rolling through Jessie. Not giving her a chance to recover, she trailed a finger down her bare chest to the button on her jeans. And then she dropped slowly to her knees, worshipping every inch she uncovered with her lips as she sent Jessie’s jeans sliding to the floor, leaving her with only black French-cut briefs.
Jessie’s skin was like silk, warm and smooth as Darien ran her hands over it. The line of her spine, her buttocks, her thighs. Exploring every curve and hollow. Memorizing textures and tastes. Touching. Licking. Biting. Standing up, she paused long enough to kick off her shoes and socks and pull her own T-shirt over her head, tossing it to the growing pile on the floor as she shimmied out of her jeans.
When she’d finished, the skin-to-skin contact drew a trembling whimper from Jessie, and Darien paused. “Are you okay, Jesslyn?”
Jessie opened her eyes and stared into Darien’s. She drew in a shuddering breath and sighed, “Oh God, yes.”
*
Jessie hadn’t known how wet she was until Darien parted her, dipped a finger, and trailed wet heat up to her mouth. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
“You taste so sweet. Somehow, I knew you would.”
The low voice sent heat sparking through all her nerves until it settled between her thighs. And then there was no more time to think as Darien kissed her. Her mouth was hot, demanding her full attention. She responded by wrapping her arms around Darien’s neck, her tongue answering Darien’s initial fleeting touch. Teasing. Twisting. Wanting.
Pleasure bloomed. Lost in the moist heat of Darien’s mouth, she was only vaguely aware of being gently nudged onto the bed, a task made easier by her weakened knees. She felt Darien’s hands keeping her steady when the mattress dipped, shivered when she felt warm, slightly roughened fingertips slide along her arms and to her cheeks, gently tucking her hair behind her ears.
The bed shifted again a moment later as Darien’s long lean body stretched out until she loomed over her, arms rigid as she braced herself. Bending her head, Darien placed another kiss on her mouth. At once gentle and possessive. And then a ghost of a smile flitted across her lips as she flicked her tongue along her lower lip.
“So hot,” Darien murmured, dipping lower to nip her throat before she began working her way slowly down her chest and across her abdomen, only to pause at her belly button.
&nb
sp; Jessie’s breasts felt unbelievably heavy and tight with need. She grabbed Darien’s shoulders, digging her nails in and arching her hips in unmistakable demand. She felt the vibration more than heard Darien’s faint chuckle, then almost cried in relief when she felt her shift and resume moving inexorably downward.
Going up on her elbows, Jessie watched Darien’s slow progress. Watched her smoke-gray eyes darken as she used her beautiful mouth to coax the thong along, and then used her teeth against the sensitive skin she found there. The combination—sight and sensation—had her dropping her head back onto the bed while her pulse pounded and desire sent heat radiating through her body.
When Darien paused, Jessie groaned. “Oh God, please don’t stop—”
“Trust me. I have no intention of stopping. By the time I’m finished, you won’t be able to think of anything for the rest of the day except the feeling of me loving you.” A moment later, she trailed her lips across Jessie’s hip bone, settled her open mouth over her, and gently exhaled. The moist heat was almost too much for Jessie and sent her stimulated nerve endings dancing wildly. God, she was so close. So close.
As if she could hear her silent supplication, Darien opened her, parting soft folds and gently stroking the wet heat she found there before delving into her with her tongue. Slow and sweet and tender.
When the tip of Darien’s tongue slowly circled her clitoris, a shudder rolled through Jessie. Emotions and sensations melded, coursed through her body, and flooded every cell when Darien slipped inside her. Everything was so much more powerful with her inside. Suddenly breathing required thought. Her heart rate increased, started racing, and she shuddered ever closer to a peak.
Greedy for more, Jessie moaned and writhed. Lost in sensation, she drifted near the edge of an abyss. Almost afraid that Darien would try to keep things slow, she grabbed handfuls of her thick, dark hair and pressed against her talented mouth in wordless demand. Please.
