For the first time since they’d met, Noah’s eyes flashed with something more than pain and regret and longing. “Does he know you’re here?”
She nodded, not daring to look away. She liked that gleam in his eye, was afraid to let it slip away. It was almost as though he agreed with her, as if they’d finally found a middle ground.
“And he didn’t try to stop you?”
“You’ve said it yourself many times. There’s more to Lincoln than people give him credit for. Maybe sleeping with my sister is his way of letting us know he’s finally accepting the truth and moving on. Maybe he just couldn’t help himself and is in no position to judge what you or I do. Maybe he’s trying to get even for what he sees as a betrayal. Whatever his reasons, he crossed a line today.” She took a step forward, determined to breach the distance between them. “And you know what? I don’t care. Nor do I want to play his games anymore.”
Noah swallowed, his throat working heavily. She wanted to suck on that throat, nip on the pulsing vein along the side, bury her head in his neck and never come up for air.
She didn’t do any of those things. “I don’t intend to play any games with you either. I’d love nothing more than to drop to my knees right now and suck your cock until you forget everything but how deep I can swallow. If you think that’s something you might like to share with me, all you have to do is say the word. But if you’re still bound to Lincoln after all this, I’ll walk out the door and never come back. The choice is yours.”
“Fuck, Kendra.”
She had to laugh. “That could also be an option.” Seeing the look of agony cross his face, she gentled her tone. “I’m sorry if I’m being unfair putting you on the spot like this, but I had to give it one last try. I want you. And unless you feel otherwise, I can’t think of a single good reason why I shouldn’t have you.”
There. It was his call, his choice to make. This position of vulnerability—of passivity—wasn’t her favorite place to be. If anyone knew that, it was Noah, who’d flung accusations of control and selfishness at her almost from the start. It would have been so easy for her to step up and make her demands, force the tough choices, take over. But she knew that anything other than Noah’s enthusiastic complicity would end up hurting them both.
Noah took a deep breath. “I want you too.”
Kendra refused to fall for it. If she did, she had the suspicion she might never rise again. “But?”
Carefully, slowly, the muscles of his oh-so-bare chest flexing, Noah placed his hands once again behind his head. There was something about that position, so open, so willing, that set her on fire. “But nothing.”
She couldn’t possibly be hearing that right. Or so she thought, until a grin—slow and self-satisfied and crinkling all the way up to his eyes—spread across his face. “I’m probably breaking every rule ever written in the Guide to Being a Man, but I refuse to be the only one of us playing by them.”
She flew the remaining distance to fall at his feet. It had been her intention to take things slow, to play a seductive game that would reward Noah for breaking free of the bonds that held him in place, but restraint proved beyond her at this point. She gave in to the urge to run her hands all the way up his thighs, feeling the powerful flex of his muscles before skimming to the good parts.
His hands came down, halting her as she reached for his zipper.
“But you may need to take it easy on me.” He smiled wryly. “And possibly lower your expectations. Don’t forget how long I’ve been out here alone.”
“Oh, I’m more aware of your agonies than you realize.” She nodded at his hands, and he lifted them again, sinking lower in the chair as he did. She was pinned between his legs, close enough to feel the hard board of his body, to lick the slope of his chiseled abs. Aware for the first time that there was nothing stopping her, she did just that. His chest and lower stomach boasted a thick smattering of hair—all curly golden red—that rubbed against her skin, heightening all her senses at once. He tasted the exact way his woodshop had smelled, and she let her lips travel to the line where skin met the top of his jeans, pulling away only when his low growl indicated she was on the right track. “Since the day I met you, I haven’t been able to think about touching another man. And let me just say—it’s been a very long couple of weeks.”
“Really?” He leaned down, eyes glittering darkly. “You did that? For me?”
“No.” She coiled her fingers under his waistband and tugged. “I did it for me.”
Noah found it difficult to keep his hands in place behind his head as she’d commanded. Kendra had never been so close—so accessible—and still he had to hold himself back from touching her. It was the ultimate challenge of restraint, and he was fairly sure she was doing it on purpose. Don’t forget who has control. Don’t forget who’s really in charge.
As if he ever could.
She licked her lips and peeked up through the sleek strands of hair that had fallen into her face. “Oh, Noah. You have no idea how bad I want you.”
“And you know exactly how bad I want you.” There was no hiding it. Not when the slightest touch of her fingertips on his groin sent him reeling. “I’ve dreamed of your tongue on me every night since we’ve met.”
Noah hissed sharply as she gripped his dick and pulled it free from the confines of his jeans, and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure he could handle the image of her milking him with her mouth, of those lips parting wide to take him in. Hopefully, there would be time for that later. Right now it was just enough to feel her warm breath and a low purr as she drew near.
“Well, well, well.”
His eyes flew open. “What’s wrong?”
She licked her lips and smiled. “Nothing. Nothing at all. It’s just that I finally figured out where you keep your secret sex paraphernalia. It’s been in your pants all this time.”
He chuckled. “I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not.”
She swirled a tongue over the head of his dick, eliciting a low growl and almost making him forget his own name. “That depends. Is your cock as capable as it looks?”
“I like to think so.”
She swirled again, this time pressing her tongue firmly into the tip. He jolted but managed to keep his hands aloft. Barely. If he didn’t end up tearing his hair out before she was through, it’d be some kind of goddamn miracle. “And does it like to get dirty?”
“It can be persuaded.” He groaned as she ran her tongue along the base, her movements firm and deft. “Although it thinks it’s weird that you’re talking about it in the third person. Also, it’s a he.”
Kendra’s laughter shook them both. “Don’t worry. I promise to make it up to him.” And then she said nothing more as her lips closed around his width and she took him all the way in.
It took every ounce of self-restraint Noah possessed to keep from gripping her hair and bucking his hips, to plunge deep the way he wanted to. As she was eagerly opening her throat to let him in, letting her direct their movements seemed the least he could do. She knew what she was doing—seemed happy to be doing it. There couldn’t be a man alive who would object to that.
Besides, he hadn’t been joking earlier. A man and his hand had a way of perfecting the motions of release over time—fap, flap and done. The sweet, hot panting mouth of Kendra’s had him feeling so much and so fast it was a wonder he hadn’t exploded at the first caress of her tongue.
She gripped his thighs tightly and used them to brace her whole body as she worked up and down, the steady movements of her mouth against his shaft increasing in speed and intensity. In that moment, she was completely in charge of his pleasure, the kindling setting fire to his wood, the force pulling him out of his self-imposed isolation and into a fantasy world.
And she knew it. She was somehow attuned to his body—most likely because h
e was unable to keep the roar from building in his chest—and sucked hard just as he reached his limit.
“Slow down, Kendra,” he warned. He dropped his hands to her shoulders and pulled her up. “I’m about to come.”
He’d meant it as a kindly precaution, but she merely twisted her lips into a smile and said, “That’s the plan,” before returning to the task at hand. Or, rather, at mouth. With some kind of corkscrew of her tongue and teeth and lips, she drew the last of his resistance out of him. Every muscle in his body clenched as he lost himself to the tight coil of release. His orgasm lasted longer and pulsed harder than any he’d experienced before, driven to the edge of madness by her refusal to let go until every drop of him had been devoured and licked clean.
Kendra sat up, feeling immensely pleased with herself—as she always did after a job well done and thoroughly enjoyed. Noah’s erection, thick and proud, was exactly what any woman expected from a mountain man built on solid lines. Perhaps more than that, however, was the knowledge that he’d kept himself hidden away for so long. Oh, not for her benefit, she knew. But there was something about being the first to discover a treasure so long under wraps that made her feel adventurous, a modern-day explorer. Like geocaching for cock.
“You had nothing to worry about,” she teased. “My expectations have been more than met.”
She had yet to let go of her grip on his thighs, as she kind of loved them. They felt like powerful tree trunks of pure, flexing might. She squeezed instead. “Besides—I like a man with a little modesty. It makes up for me not having any of my own.”
“You really don’t.” He reached out and grazed his knuckle on the curve of her breast, lingering where it pillowed over the top of her shirt. “I thought I ordered you to swathe yourself in blankets. Not see-through shirts.”
She puffed her chest out, an action she couldn’t help and didn’t much care to. She wanted those big man hands groping her firmly, moving over flesh that practically swelled for his touch. “Subtlety has never been one of my virtues.”
“You have virtues?” Without warning, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her to the table as if she weighed no more than a plank of wood. Oh, God. She hoped he intended to maul her. Paw at her. Do all those things a beast of a man should. “Name three.”
She shifted so that they nestled more closely, legs wide to let him near. “You want to talk golden halos and purity right now? I’d much rather tell you all my vices.”
“I already know those.” He undid her shirt buttons one by one, his movements so slow and careful she could practically hear each tiny pearl as it popped through the fabric. “And I intend to enjoy them.”
Her skin broke out in goose bumps as he gently pulled both sides of her shirt open to reveal a black push-up bra. He just stared, drinking in the sight of her, the back of his hand nuzzling gently along each swell as if he had all the time in the world.
He did, of course. That had been her intention. Get him off, hot and fast, relieve the tension that had been building up between them since the day they’d met. And then let him loose to do his worst. A satisfied man either rolled over and went to sleep, or he rose to the occasion in the best possible way.
Noah might not be rising in a literal sense—yet—but he didn’t look the least bit sleepy. And Kendra was beginning to fear that she’d underestimated him. In attending to him so thoroughly, she’d freed him to prolong this next part much further than she might be able to bear. He could make her suffer.
She squirmed against the table and scooted closer to the edge, but there was no escape. He had her locked into place and seemed content to gaze at her until she combusted on the spot.
“This is kind of hot,” he said, and ran a finger down her stomach to where a jeweled circle broke around her belly button. “I never understood the point of stabbing metal through one’s body before, but I’m beginning to see the appeal.”
She had to laugh. Of all her piercings, that one was the most innocuous. “Thank you. Like anything else you see?”
“I like everything I see.” He gazed into her eyes as he spoke, causing a shiver to run irrepressibly through her body. She’d been speaking more along the lines of body parts below the neck, but she might have been in a blanket for all he cared.
Which meant it was officially time to take matters into her own hands. Without giving him a chance to stop her, she reached up and flicked open the front closure on her bra. The fabric fell away to showcase a pair of breasts she knew were fantastic.
And that wasn’t vanity speaking. That was two hours of surgery and six weeks of recovery speaking. That was the declaration of a woman who’d taken control of her own body and decided what made her happy.
Noah took in the sight of the dusky-tipped breasts Kendra unleashed on him and manfully stood his ground. Almost. He’d known she had an incredible body—her revealing clothes and languid way of moving made that more than clear—but nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the two perfectly firm globes waiting on the other side of that fabric. Mesmerized by the sight of her, bare and breathing heavy, he reached a hand up to cup the weight of her breasts.
And groaned. Her skin was impossibly taut, the weight of her flesh firm in ways that seemed unreal to his out-of-practice hands. Stroking softly, he watched, fascinated, as her nipple puckered and lifted even higher.
“It’s okay to squeeze them. They’re not going to pop.”
He laughed softly. “I’m not that out of practice. I think I remember how to fondle a woman’s breasts.”
She reached down and placed her hand over his, forcing his grip to widen and knead the delicious weight. “Not these breasts. And not this woman.”
As she arched into his touch, he realized she was right. Everything he knew about making love to a woman carried no relevance in this situation. Out here where no one could hear them, where the entire world ceased to exist, they were forging new ground. Together.
He kissed her. It must have come as a surprise, because she wasn’t ready for it, her lips closed against his entry. He liked that. He liked forcing his way into her mouth, his tongue delving deep before she had a chance to come up for air. It was a kind of possession, a forceful assertion of his claim on her—which was finally, rightfully his.
Unwilling to let the heady sense of aggression go, he cupped the back of her neck and tilted her head back, allowing him deeper access. Her shirt fell the rest of the way open, and he was only partially aware of the press of her breasts against his bare skin, of the juxtaposition their bodies made. Hers and his. Soft and hard. Both of them moving, sliding, writhing and determined to enjoy each sensation.
“I take it back,” Kendra panted between breaths. “Maybe you do know how to handle a woman.”
“I’ve had a little time to get to know this one first,” he said, running his hand along her jawline, still holding her firm. “And I was paying attention.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yes. Very close attention.” Remembering the conversation they’d shared in the workshop—her tips of the trade—he smiled down at her. “You’re going to sit there like a good girl and let me enjoy making slow, careful love to you. Right here on the table. And if you don’t think I’m paying enough attention to any given body part, your sole job is to see to it yourself.”
Lust lingered in her still-parted lips, moved past them in a low, sighing moan. “Why, Noah Walker. Are you telling me what to do?”
“Shirt off.”
Kendra shrugged out of her shirt and let it flutter to the ground, her bra not far behind. She barely drew a breath as she waited for his next command.
“Pants.”
There was no elegant way to divest oneself of skinny jeans, but she did her best. Hopping off the table, she wriggled her hips and peeled the fabric down slowly, providing as much of a peep show as possible on such
short notice.
Noah watched carefully, not moving or saying anything until she was down to her sensible black-and-white striped panties. She had an entire dresser at home full of lacy underthings, most of them so small they barely counted as underwear, but today had taken her by surprise.
He lifted a finger and twirled it, signaling for her to take a spin. Delighted, she did, taking her time with the back end.
“Stop.”
She did, peeking over her shoulder to see what captured his interest. As she suspected, he’d zeroed in on her lower back, his hands inert at his sides as he puzzled through what to do with them. “You can touch those too,” she teased, waggling her hips. A few years ago, she’d had her dimples of Venus pierced. Her upper body had needed a little helping hand from medical innovations, but her backside had always been one of her favorite features. Her waist tapered at just the right spot, and she had deep dimples in her lower back that had seemed a shame to waste. Twin diamond studs did the trick. She barely noticed them anymore—except when a man went all slackjawed on her.
He reached for her hips, large hands gripping her sides while leaving enough room for his thumbs to graze each piercing. Gah. He was damn near able to span her waist. “They don’t hurt?”
As he spoke directly into her neck, breath hot and tingling along the slope of her shoulder, she was pretty sure she could be repeatedly stabbed with an ice pick right now and not feel an iota of pain.
“In your hands, they feel pretty freaking incredible,” she murmured. She was planning on adding something about how much better she’d feel if he’d move lower, but then she remembered his instructions.
Without waiting for him to make a move, she ran her hands over the small swell of her belly, hooking her fingers on the top of her panties so that they moved down with her. With a low moan of pleasure, she drew them over her hips and allowed her fingers to graze against her sensitive parts. Slick and hot. Eager.
“Good girl,” Noah said into her ear, his words almost a purr. He slid his lips up her neck and along her jaw. With a growl of possession, he had her mouth once again under his. The twist of her neck to meet him was a difficult position for Kendra to sustain, but he forced it, holding her firmly against the table.
The Party Girl Page 18
