by Jo Leigh
Except, of course, for the way he squeezed her left butt cheek. His hands were large, and the squeeze made her gasp, but it didn’t hurt.
Hardening her tongue, she flicked him. Just the way she liked it when she was on the receiving end.
Suddenly, he had her panties down as far as he could move them. It pained her to leave his chest, but there were places to go, things to tease him with.
Her hand moved down, followed by her tongue, to his tummy. His hips bucked when she brushed the underside of his cock with the back of her hand.
Without warning, he took her by the shoulders and pulled her up so he could see her, but it wasn’t comfort he was seeking. Permission was granted by a nod and a gasp when he kissed her. Hard.
They were both moaning, moving. Her, trying to get off her damn panties, and him, reaching over until he was forced to break the kiss so he could get a condom.
It didn’t take long to rearrange themselves. Being highly motivated, it was done before she knew it. He was on top, and that was exactly what she wanted. No frills, nothing to distract her from their connection. Not this time.
Good God, she was panting as though she’d run a mile and he wasn’t even touching her yet.
They locked gazes as he pulled on the condom. Then his legs pressed her thighs wide. He bent forward and kissed her again; it was wet, sloppy, fierce and perfect. Balanced on one elbow, his hand went down between the two of them. “You ready?” he asked, his voice wrecked.
She raised her head and kissed him. In, out, then his teeth gently pulled her bottom lip while his hand slipped down to her landing strip, which he followed like a pro.
He pulled out of the kiss when his fingers dipped inside her. “God, you’re—”
“Ready. Very ready.”
His eyes widened, dark and hungry. “You want this?” He used the head of his cock to tease her, sliding it up and down her spread lips, but not pushing in, which she wanted very badly.
“Yes,” she said, and it might have been louder than she’d intended.
“Me, too,” he said, and entered her in one smooth glide.
“Oh, God.” Her breath caught. “Do that again,” she said, her own voice nearly unrecognizable. “More would be great.”
He held himself up on his elbows. The muscles of his arms in bas-relief. She wanted to taste him, to feel him in every way she could.
Her leg went over his hip, her pelvis tilted up so he could go deeper. His hiss of pleasure made her moan.
“Touch yourself,” he said, the words rushing out with a deep breath. His gaze was pure dark need now, and she knew he must be feeling the same thing. The briefest thought that she should have done it already swept through her, only to be replaced by sounds too urgent to be words.
Snaking her hand between them was a thrill all its own. Touching both of them, feeling his taut flesh with the back of her hand, their gazes still locked. “Close,” she said. Finding her clitoris swollen and wet, she knew it would be seconds before she came, not minutes.
Rick moaned, his head dropping down to his chest for a long moment before he lifted it, his hips shifting into fifth gear.
She loved it, met his thrusts with her own. Wanting everything he could give her. The muscles tightened in her legs, her thighs, her arms.
He winced, shook his head. “Shit, I’m too far gone.”
“Go,” she said. “I’m right behind you.”
He nodded once before his rhythm went to hell, and he was just pounding into her, and she was almost...almost.
She closed her eyes as it hit like a supernova, everything exploding at once. She’d had great sex before, but this was a whole new thing. Dangerous and new. She felt fearless, as if she could do anything, everything.
When the quaking settled into aftershocks, her throat felt raw from unremembered screams. No breath was quite enough. Dark spots still filled her vision and when she could finally see again...
It was fireworks.
Literally.
Fireworks above her. The sound was dim but unmistakable, and the sight made it even harder to breathe.
She pushed his chest, shocked he could still hold himself up. “Look up,” she said, not having any idea if he heard her.
When he said, “Well, fuck,” she laughed. He joined in as he fell like a log beside her.
“What the—”
She nodded. “I know. It’s everywhere. Every wall. The whole ceiling.”
“Magic,” he said. He found her hand somehow and threaded his fingers between hers.
She met his gaze when they both turned to face each other at the same time. “Magic.”
* * *
RICK SMELLED COFFEE. Part of him didn’t want to move even his tiniest muscles, but damn if coffee didn’t sound like the best thing ever. When he opened his eyes he realized coffee was nothing compared to the sight of Jenna snuggled up next to him. He didn’t touch her, or move, yet she opened her eyes, too. They smiled at each other. “Morning,” he said.
“Is it?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m not sure. The blackout blinds came down sometime after we fell asleep.”
Instead of sunlight, the soft light coming from the walls and ceiling had gently woken them both. It beat the hell out of an alarm clock. Whatever time it was in the real world, it felt like morning. But he’d have to check.
Sam had warned him. The computer that ran the house was several steps above anything he’d be used to. It intuited programs based on sensory input. It could tell loud from soft, and now that he thought about it, could explain the fireworks. It also “listened” for changes in breathing and heart rates, which explained the perfect timing of the coffee.
Jenna sniffed.
“Yep,” he said. “The apartment has made us coffee.”
“Please tell me ‘the apartment’ isn’t code for a lot of people watching us through invisible windows.”
“No people involved. Just a computer genius. Anyway, fresh coffee is nice and all, but I had hoped it could also make us bacon and eggs.”
“What? No dice?”
“Nope.” He put an arm around her and pulled her closer. “This is better, though.”
“I agree,” she said, and smiled against his mouth right before he kissed her.
He took his time, trying to curb his excitement when her already hard nipples grazed his chest. She was so soft, so warm, so...
Jenna broke the kiss. “We really don’t have any idea if it’s morning, do we?”
“I can check my phone.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter.” She started to settle and then lifted her head again. “Old habit, but I’m really curious.”
He pulled away to reach for his cell phone sitting on the nightstand, and then remembered. “Time?” he said aloud.
The numbers flashed on the ceiling.
Jenna giggled. “Oh, my God. It’s that late?”
“You anxious to leave?” He half expected to see a trace of regret in her eyes, but she looked fine. Just shook her head. So he kissed her again before he sat up. “There’s a robe in the closet,” he said. “Although the other bedroom should have one, too.”
She blinked at him, her mouth agape in surprise.
“What?”
“There are robes in the closets?”
“You didn’t see it in the closet?”
“I had no reason to open the closet, so no. Besides, you little sneak, you gave me a T-shirt so I thought that was it.”
Rick laughed. “I wasn’t trying to be sneaky, I swear. Had I thought of it, though...”
Jenna’s eyes narrowed and then she grinned. “Go, on. Get cleaned up. I’m going to steal your robe for now and taste that coffee for myself.”
One more quick
kiss and then he darted to the bathroom. There was a long mirror above the double-sink vanity. He touched it as he reached for his toothbrush and the news popped up, along with a local weather feed. In the two minutes it took to brush, he had confirmation that Jenna wasn’t going anywhere today.
And he couldn’t say that he was sorry. Antwan had been right about the big freeze, of course.
Jenna would have to stay at least until tomorrow morning, early.
He thought about it as he went back to the bedroom. Jenna wasn’t there and he wanted her to be. But in the closet was another robe that she must’ve brought from the other room. He shrugged into it while staring at Faith’s luggage. Odd how he hadn’t given her a single thought this morning.
The scent of coffee pulled him into the kitchen, or maybe it was Jenna, her hair still sex-tossed, her trim body looking small in the thick white bathrobe. She’d already poured herself a cup and left a mug out for him.
As much as he wanted his morning jolt of caffeine, he wanted her more. He joined her and slipped his hand under her hair so his palm rested on the back of her neck, pulling her into a kiss. She tasted like coffee with a hint of mint. She also tasted like Jenna. God, how he wanted to take her straight back to that bed and not get up for a couple of weeks.
He heard her cup touch the slate countertop and then her hands went to his back. The temptation to sneak a feel underneath the bulky robe was strong.
“It’s not freezing anymore,” she said, just before she kissed his stubbly chin. He’d have to shave soon if he wanted to implement his plan of making out all day.
“What’s not freezing?” He looked over her shoulder, to the weather report on the wall.
“The second bedroom. It’s perfectly warm.”
“Fixed itself, I imagine,” he said, his gaze back on Jenna. “It had nothing to do with me.” Though he suspected her sudden chill had had more to do with the emotional impact of what she’d been through, he said nothing. “I’ve pressed very few buttons in this apartment.”
“You really didn’t have anything to do with the fireworks?”
“Nope.” A brief internal struggle ensued, where he debated kissing her again or getting his coffee and shaving. He went for the long-term goal and let her go. “I swear it wasn’t me.”
He plucked a packet of sugar from the coffee station. He could have had anything from stevia to honey to agave nectar. It was all there next to an impressive tea caddy, which was next to an espresso machine that looked more complicated than a jet’s dashboard.
“Okay, I believe you. For now. Although from what I’m seeing on the magic TVs, I may get to know all the ins and outs of the apartment before I’m able to leave.”
“I’m just hoping to learn your ins and outs,” he said, sidling up to her again.
“No.” Jenna winced while trying not to smile. “Don’t use that line again. Ever. Although I’m flattered and pleased by the sentiment behind it.”
He shook his head. “Guess I’m pretty rusty.”
Jenna turned away to sip her coffee. “How long have you and Faith been together?”
That certainly changed the mood, but it was also inevitable. “Five years, give or take. It wasn’t that formal with us. We were so much alike, we just fell into being a couple.”
Jenna didn’t say anything for a minute, then she asked, “Do you think Payton is the first guy she—” Jenna shrugged. “Sorry, I guess it really doesn’t matter.”
“I don’t know,” he said, in all honesty. “I’d never had doubts about her. Obviously we had different views of the relationship.” He drank some coffee then opened the fridge, checking out the contents. He didn’t want to talk about Faith anymore.
There were eggs, of course, but the double-door Sub-Zero was packed with all kinds of odd stuff. He slid out the meat drawer looking for bacon. He found some, although he didn’t recognize the brand, but mostly the drawer was full of white packages. He read the label on the top package. “Whoa.” He stuck his head out from behind the fridge door. “You’ve got to see this.”
“What’s wagyu beef?” she asked, sidling up next to him, casually slinging her arm around his waist. She picked up another white package. “Free-range wild-boar tenderloin?”
“What a relief,” he said. “That’s the only kind of wild boar I eat.” He joined in, picking up the last package in the meat compartment. “Chicken and poussin,” he said, “with recipes taped to the back.”
She didn’t look. Instead, she was checking the middle shelf. “There are fresh truffles in here. And caviar.”
“Damn good beer, too,” Rick said, and then pointed to a tall, slim cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. “Wine fridge.”
She looked at him, grinning as if they’d just broken into a big mansion in the Back Bay. “Just how rich does someone have to be to stay here?”
“Really, really rich, I imagine. Bill Gates rich? I don’t know. Way richer than me.” He put the package of chicken back. “Can you cook?”
“Real-person food, sure. I have no idea what one would do with poussin. In fact, I don’t know what a poussin is. And honestly? If I was rich enough to stay here, the last thing I’d want to do is cook.”
Rick shrugged. “At least we won’t get bored if we can’t get out. What the hell. We’ll become great chefs and get our own television show. Could be worse.”
His phone ringing in the living room was a reality check. Jenna went to the counter to refill her coffee, but her smile had disappeared before she’d turned away. Obviously, she’d recognized Faith’s ringtone. No surprise since there had been a lot of texting going on last night.
He went to the living room and caught the call before it could switch to voice mail.
“Hey,” Faith said. “Are you still in Boston?”
“Yeah.”
“You might be there for a while if you’re not careful.”
“Where are you?”
“Didn’t you get my texts?”
“I missed a few.” He sat down, and the fireplace clicked on and the weather feed appeared on the wall.
“Ah. Well, I’m on my way to Mexico City. There’s been a major quake.”
“How did you get a flight out?” Not that he was shocked she had. She’d actually hitched a ride from the United States Air Force once.
“I got lucky. I was able to catch the last flight out before Logan shut down. And, well, I was hoping you’d ship my things home.”
He was about to answer, when she said, “Wait, what I wanted to say first was that I’m sorry. I was inexcusably stupid last night. And mean and rude. Nothing happened between Payton and me, but that kiss was... I don’t know what I was thinking. Payton was from a long time ago, and I had no desire to pick up where we left off. But I really am sorry I screwed up our vacation. I know how hard it was for you to take time off. And yes, the weekend would have been ruined, anyway, what with me dashing off for this story. But I heard this quake was worse than the one in ’85.”
There came the first truly awkward silence between them that he could ever remember. He should have said something, but he was too shocked. Not by anything new, but a recognition of something he should have known all along and Faith had just confirmed.
Her apology was completely in keeping with their relationship. Everything between them was built on a base of convenience and the agreement that the work came first. He tried to remember why he’d thought marrying Faith was a good idea. At the moment, he couldn’t come up with anything except that it felt like the next thing to do.
“I don’t blame you for still being pissed,” Faith said, ending the silence. “But I’d really appreciate it if you shipped my bag home.”
Rick flinched. He wondered what she thought would happen in terms of their living arrangement. Or if she’d even considered it. “No
problem.”
“Thanks.” She paused again. “Is Jenna with you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not asking if—”
“I know,” he said, rubbing a hand down his face. It might’ve been nice if she’d sounded a little jealous. For old times’ sake if nothing else.
“It’s just that...well, I think you should let her know that nothing happened between me and Payton. He’s a good man. That hasn’t changed since I knew him in college. He’s beside himself over the stupid kiss. He truly loves her. It would be a real shame if this mistake cost them their future together. So, maybe apologize for me? And if they haven’t already spoken, you could give her a heads-up.”
“I’ll tell her.”
“I’ll call you when I can, but don’t be surprised if it’s in a few days. I heard communication is going to be tough. Anyway, I’m glad I got to talk to you. And please believe me. I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said, and he supposed it was. Shit, everyone they knew treated them like roommates who had sex. Convenient sex. Convenient kisses. Easy fun. No wonder he wasn’t heartbroken. She’d never had his heart.
But that wasn’t true for Jenna. She loved Payton. They had a real chance to get back together, to make a life with each other. The last thing he wanted for her was to have regrets about what they’d done, but there was nothing he could do now. Except tell her the truth. His foolish thoughts about spending the day together making out, eating, making love, cooking, having another night of fireworks. All that was out the frigid window.
Damn it.
But then again, it was the start of a new year. And he was entering it a little wiser and a little sadder.
8
RICK THOUGHT ABOUT changing the sheets, which was a completely idiotic use of his brain. The residual anger he’d felt since he’d seen Faith smiling up at Payton was turning into embarrassment. And feeling like that was also foolish, because Faith hadn’t known about the ring. Had never known about his intermittent thoughts of marriage. What was that, anyway? Even if there was such a thing as a male biological clock, it hadn’t ticked very loudly. The odds of Faith wanting to add children to her leave-in-a-minute lifestyle were slim.
