by Kim Law
The bathroom door opened and steam whooshed out, making JP regret being gentleman enough to stay out of the shower with her. Her hair, now dried, bounced lightly around her shoulders, making her appear to be a dark-haired angel heading toward him.
“Hi.” She smiled, then looked at the floor, seemingly as nervous as she’d been when he’d last seen her. He crossed the thick rug and lifted her face to his.
“Hey.” He leaned in and planted a soft kiss against her warm lips, unable to keep from doing so. Her lips had looked unbelievable glistening with lipstick earlier in the evening, but with the heat of the shower plumping them up, he had a hard time stopping with a simple peck. “You feeling better?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
“I got chocolate.” He grinned when her eyes lit up. He motioned to the end of the bed. “Sit. I’ll bring it to you.”
Instead of the edge, Vega plopped herself on the turned-down sheets, rearranging the pillows behind her until she was comfortably seated against the headboard. She curled her bare legs under her and patted the mattress beside her. “Sit with me.”
“Whatever the lady wants.” He grabbed the dessert and slid it onto the bed, then kicked off his shoes and joined her. When he lifted the lid, he revealed a six-layer chocolate cake so large that Vega’s eyes bugged wide. He laughed out loud at the innocence of it all and said, “I feel like teenagers sneaking out of our parents’ houses in the middle of the night, only instead of making out in the backseat of my father’s car, we’re doing something even more forbidden.”
With the first bite already on its way to her mouth, she chose to finish its path before answering him. “Mmmm, chocolate should never be forbidden.”
“I agree.” He forked a bite, but remained manly enough to hold back a matching moan at the richness of the dessert. “I find it amazing you can eat the way you do yet remain as hot as you are.”
She eyed him from the corner of her eyes, a sparkle glinting in the brown orbs. “You trying to toss a compliment in there, Davenport, or are you asking how I stay in shape with my appetite?”
He chuckled. “I guess both.”
Another bite crossed her lips, and he found it impossible not to watch her mouth in action.
After swallowing, she lowered the fork and narrowed her gaze on him as if determining if she could share the secret of where she kept her stash of chocolates. Finally she plunged the tines back into the cake. “I do martial arts and kickboxing on a regular basis. In fact, I could probably have taken you to the ground and stolen this cake from you myself if you hadn’t willingly handed it over.”
He burst out laughing. Not at the idea that she thought she could take him, but at the spirit coming back into her eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Vega.”
She shrugged. “I love the things I love, but…” Her teeth nibbled at her bottom lip as she fiddled with another bite. “Life has a way of taking the air out of you sometimes. It’s happened to me a time or two, so I have to be careful.”
Seriousness was quickly settling heavy in the room, and though he wanted to ask about the times life had kicked her down, he preferred to keep the moment lighter. This was supposed to be one fun day out of their lives, after all.
He stole the bite off her fork.
After a stunned pause, she yelped and punched him in the ribs. He cringed, pretending pain, while she snatched the plate and pulled it directly in front of her instead of between them. The serious moment was broken. He scooted closer, inhaling the fresh scent of soap and woman, as they both fought to beat the other to the next bite.
“So how about your teenage years?” He won with the cake, but fed it to her instead of eating it for himself. As her mouth closed around his fork, he suddenly had a hard time not thinking about the fact they were on top of a very large bed, and she was most likely naked underneath the thick robe she wore. “Did you drive the boys crazy refusing to sneak out with them, or did you give in to the pressure?”
She lifted her shoulders in an apologetic way. “I was a good girl.”
He acted shocked. “You never snuck out of your house as a kid?”
“You’re telling me you did?” She licked a crumb off the corner of her mouth and grinned at him, and his gut seized. She was absolutely beautiful. “I thought you were perfect?”
“I’ve never claimed to be perfect.” His voice grew scratchy. He scooted down to lean on one elbow, then scooped up another bite and fed it to her. This time he couldn’t stop the movement behind the zipper of his slacks. His ears filled with the roar of his own blood as it headed south. “That’s merely the way the world wants to see me.”
“Ah.” Her eyes closed for a few seconds as she rested her head against the pillows and chewed. “So you’re telling me you had hordes of women, even as a teenager, and you routinely snuck out to meet them?” She rolled her head back and forth on the covered down. “I’ll bet even then they were only too happy to let you get in their panties.”
He lowered his gaze to where her panties would be and fought the urge to ask if she was wearing any. “I wouldn’t call it hordes.”
“Ha,” she murmured. “Definitely hordes.”
He held another bite up in the air, but kept it hovering over the cake instead of feeding it to her. “You jealous?”
She watched him from under heavy lids now, and he could barely remember what they were talking about other than panties. “Jealousy would imply I cared.”
Was it so wrong he wanted her to be jealous? “That would be bad?”
She nodded. “That would be terrible.”
He wasn’t so sure about that. He lifted the fork up in front of her as if in question.
“Aren’t you going to eat more?” Her words were breathy.
He shook his head. “I got it for you.”
“I can’t eat all of that.”
“Then you eat until you’re done.”
He waved the fork in the air and she lifted up off the headboard, her throat stretching forward as she reached for it with her mouth. She watched him as she closed around the tines. He licked his lips and managed to hold in his groan.
After she swallowed, she spoke softly. “I’m done.”
Without words, he moved the plate to the bedside table. When he turned back, she’d slipped down to lie in the same position as JP, her bare legs now stretched out over the comforter and her robe riding high on her thighs. They both lay there watching each other, a narrow foot of space separating them.
“So tell me what you were doing as a teenager instead of slipping out to make some poor sap’s night?”
A haunted look crossed her face. “My dad died when I was fifteen.”
“Oh, honey.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, lingering against the downy skin. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “What happened?”
When he began to pull back, she reached up and stopped him. She held his face close to hers and turned her lips upward. “Killed in the line of duty. I don’t want to talk about it.”
He kissed her then, certain he’d never done anything good enough in his life to enjoy the pleasure of her mouth. Her soft lips parted beneath his, and he denied himself the pleasure no longer. With an agonized groan, he slipped his tongue inside and sank into her, closing the gap between their bodies at the same time.
They aligned perfectly. He couldn’t help but press into her, his cock begging for the freedom to chase the pleasures before him. Locking a leg around hers, he made sure she felt what she did to him.
“JP,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I was…weird, earlier. It’s been a crazy day.”
He dotted kisses along her forehead and over her cheeks. His hand dipped to the hollow of her back and held her close, tension from not taking her about to snap him in two. “Baby, you can take all the time in the world you need. As long as you know I’m here when you’re ready.” He tilted back and met her eyes. “Are you okay now? I meant it when I said I
could sleep in the other room. It’s not what I want.” He chuckled at the thought. “But I’m not an ogre. We’ll do this only if it’s what you want.”
She nodded and reached for the tie of her robe. He held his breath.
As if in slow motion, she rolled to her back and spread the edges of the cotton. “Make love to me, JP.”
JP stared at the women before him. She was going to be the death of him. Her beauty had been what had initially attracted him, but her vulnerability was literally making him so hard he wasn’t sure he could wait long enough to see to her own enjoyment.
He had to have every last bit of her. As damn soon as possible.
Dragging his gaze from the perfect honeyed globes in front of him, he flitted his fingers over her flat stomach before scraping his gaze up off her and admitting something he never thought he’d say out loud. “I’m afraid it’ll go too fast.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Vega.” A groan ripped through the air. He clamped his hands around her waist and rolled over, pulling her atop to straddle his hips. Her breasts jiggled as he reached up to cup them both in his hands. He bounced their weight and then squeezed, battling with himself to go slow. He could barely make out anything but the hard peaks as he flicked his thumbs over her nipples. “You’re amazing.” He didn’t like being this out of control. “Give me a minute. I need to calm down. Want to make sure it’s good for you.”
Her hands moved to his shirt and undid the buttons with amazing speed, then she yanked the shirttails from his pants and slid her palms over his chest, all shyness gone. “It’s been good since the first second you spoke to me.” She leaned forward, touching her lips to the underside of his jaw, and her breasts to his chest. “Now take me,” she whispered.
And it was over.
He groaned, out of control, and worked feverishly to remove all his clothes as she shed the robe and waited on the bed for him, splendidly naked. He grabbed a condom from his wallet and tossed it on the nightstand, then kneeled on the bed, situating himself between her legs. He wouldn’t take her yet, but he couldn’t put off touching her any longer.
With firm hands, he gripped both knees and yanked her down the bed. She opened before him and locked her legs around his hips. He then leaned over her, pressing against her so that her heat touched him, and his head swam. If he wasn’t careful, he would pass out from lack of blood circulating anywhere near his brain.
“You’re incredible.” Forcing himself to slow, he sucked in steady breaths, one after another, and lifted himself off of her, sending his fingers on an exploration of the long, perfect extensions of her body. His palm roamed over the back of a thigh and down to her calf, the firmness of the narrow muscle tightening his body even more. He gritted his teeth and slid upward. Everything about her was both soft and hard, innocent yet sexy as hell, and burning hot.
He traced the dip behind her knee, then over the top of her thigh, taking his time to make sure he enjoyed the strength of it, before using his thumb to follow the bend of her leg and hip.
“Later,” he murmured, dipping his head to stroke his tongue over one nipple, “I get to explore all these places with my mouth.”
His hand slid over her hip to the curve of her rear, and she moaned. A soft, low animal noise that had him gripping the sheet with his other hand so hard he pulled the corner free from the bed.
Her breath hitched when his fingers slid down the cleft of her bottom. He buried his face between her breasts and spoke without moving his jaw. “I want to make sure you never forget me, Vega.”
One finger continued sliding, reaching for the moisture waiting for him just around the curve.
“Can’t imagine how that could be possible,” she panted, her voice soft and drugged.
When he reached her core, he anchored the base of his palm against her and used his middle finger to toy over her. She trembled beneath him.
“God, I want to taste you.” He closed his lips over her mouth and at the same time pressed one finger inside her.
Her body bowed, her muscles clenching around him, tensed and squeezing until he thought she might climax at that very moment.
With a grunt, she pulled her lips from his. “JP?”
He peered down at her, seeing her through the heat in his own eyes. “Yeah?”
“Fuck me already.”
Fuck.
He rose up and she shoved the condom toward him. “Put it on.”
Her head rested on the pillows, her dark hair spread out on the white sheets underneath, and her hands began to move downward. She slid along her sides, gliding over her own skin as if unable to wait for him to return to her. Dipping lower, she trailed her fingers to the tops of her thighs, her long hands practically framing the spot where she wanted him.
His fingers froze on the package as he watched her, unsure how to perform the simple act he’d done hundreds of times before. He’d intended to make love to her as many times tonight as she’d allow, get her out of his system, then see her back to her own life. He didn’t know what pain she hid from, and other than wanting her to share so it might help her to overcome it, he’d told himself he didn’t care. But at that exact moment, he realized what a lie that had been.
There was no way he would be finished with her and able to let her out of his life so soon. He wasn’t sure at the moment how he ever could.
His fingers fumbled, finally getting the square open and slipping the protection on, but he didn’t immediately lower. Instead he trailed his hands over her legs and up to her own fingers, almost sick at the thought that she would most definitely walk away from him the next day.
“JP?” Solemn brown eyes searched his. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head, unable to utter a word. Anchoring his hands on either side of her, he held himself up so he could watch as he took her. Her legs widened, tucking him perfectly into their V, and with one smooth motion he disappeared.
“Ahhh…” Vega’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and liquid fire shot between JP’s shoulder blades and down his spine, jerking him into a tight arch above her. Her mouth gaped, her bottom lip became a beacon. Her breasts rocked as he once again lunged forward.
Slowly, he moved in and out, fighting the urge to pound, and watched as her trimmed pelvis lifted to meet each thrust. Her body turned a heated pink beneath his, and her breaths shortened, pants matching his own, and all the while he pumped, practically desperate to dip and catch a turgid nipple between his teeth.
His arms shook with his resistance. If he captured her now, he was done.
She slipped her hands behind him and dug into his buttocks as her chest curved upward, her body taut, and he almost laughed out loud. Who was he kidding? It was already over. For both of them.
“Vega,” his voice tight, close to losing control. She didn’t acknowledge him. “Vega,” he repeated urgently.
Her eyelids fluttered until a sliver of black gleamed up at him.
“Look at me, baby. Look at me.” He ground himself against her. “Let me see what I do to you.”
Glazed eyes remained trained on him, and an overwhelming desire consumed him. He would do anything to satisfy this woman. Pushing them both higher, he pumped, meeting her thrust for thrust, while never taking his gaze from hers.
And then it was there, ready to shoot them both to the pinnacle, and he collapsed. He fell on her, holding his hands on either side of her head to keep her from looking away, and surged.
“Vega,” he cried, the guttural sound seeming to come from somewhere else. He pumped twice more, then let out an anguished cry as he emptied himself, his shoulders and neck tense as he kept his eyes trained to hers.
She jerked in his arms, uncontrollable spasms shaking her, tightening her thighs to the point that he wondered if she would hurt herself. Her eyes begged him to release her, but he didn’t. He couldn’t.
Her mouth opened with silent screams as they both stared, trembling in each other’s arms until there was nothing l
eft.
When the moment calmed, he latched onto her lips, unwilling to show her any more of what was in him. He kissed her until no breath remained anywhere in his body, then dropped his face into the curve of her neck and panted. He’d known it would be like this. This powerful. This instant need for more.
And he knew whatever her demons were, he had to help her overcome them.
So she could be his.
Rolling off her, he pulled her to his side and tucked her against him. That meant he’d also have to let her into his life.
She seemed as content as him to say nothing, so he held her until their breathing returned to normal, then grabbed a tissue and quickly rid himself of the condom. When steady puffs of airs whispered across his shoulder and her breaths grew deep, he ran a palm over her hip. “Babe?”
“Hmmmm?” Her lips pressed into his neck, and his chest tightened. God, he could do this forever.
“Will you spend tomorrow here with me too? Make it two days instead of one?”
She edged a leg between his and murmured, “In bed or on the island?”
He smiled at the ceiling. “Either.”
He felt her own mouth curve against his throat. “Yes.”
Happiness flooded him to the tips of his toes, urging him to spring out of bed and get busy at that very moment. He had only twenty or so more hours to convince her they should date for real. It wouldn’t be easy, but he wouldn’t accept anything but a yes.
She lived in Savannah, but they could work around that, at least for a while. He could drive down for weekends, or she could drive up. Or—something nudged him from deep inside—he could let her do the interview. That would keep her in town a while longer.
It wasn’t like he would be able to keep his private life that way for too much longer, anyway. Once he publicly agreed to accept the position, reporters would come out of the woodwork to dig out every piece of dirt on him they could find. Luckily, they wouldn’t find much. He may have snuck out of the house as a teenager, but the media hadn’t been all wrong. He’d pretty much been a perfect person all his life. With the exception that he dated too many women—which everyone knew already—and he hadn’t been able to read for a good chunk of his childhood.
