by Anne Rainey
Hell of an idea, Jonas thought. Then he remembered why he wanted her out of the state to begin with. He took her head between his hands and urged her to look at him. With her gaze on him once more, Jonas gave her the unvarnished truth. “We could find a bed if that’s what you really want. But I don’t want a quick lay. I want more from you than that.”
“You want to prove that you aren’t a player.”
He nodded. “I won’t stand here and tell you that sex isn’t on my mind. Where you’re concerned, it’s pretty much always on my mind. But in my gut I know we can have more than that.”
“And what if—”
Jonas placed a finger against her lips and cut her off. “No what-ifs. Give me a chance, Deanna. That’s all I ask.”
After she nodded, he removed his finger. When Deanna reached inside a pocket on her leather jacket and pulled out a set of keys, Jonas hummed his approval. “You look damn good in leather, kitten.”
She frowned and planted a hand on her hip. “Okay, I have to know. Why do you call me ‘kitten’?”
He leaned close and whispered, “Because every time I see you, I have this wild urge to pet you until you purr.”
“Oh.”
He chuckled at her short, one-word reply. “Now scooch, before I lose what little control I have left.”
She rolled her eyes and walked around to the driver’s side. “You’re a very bad influence on me, Jonas Phoenix.”
He bobbed his eyebrows and shot right back, “You have no idea, kitten.”
7
“Our flight leaves at one-fifteen, Deanna!”
“I’m aware,” Deanna shouted back. Jonas’s deep voice coming from the bottom of her stairs flustered her, and she banged her foot into the leg of her bed. “Ow, crap!”
She ruthlessly ignored the pain and went back to tossing stuff into her suitcase. Sandals, bathing suit, summer clothes, and nighties. She didn’t much care if they wrinkled, either, not with Jonas alone in her living room. He was looking at her things. Knowing him, he’d be touching her shelves and picking up picture frames. He was too curious for his own good. He was probably dissecting her while she piddled around. What had she been thinking to agree to meet at her place? She should have told him she’d meet him at the airport instead. She hadn’t been thinking. Heck, her brain was still muddled from the orgasm he’d given her on Wednesday.
They hadn’t even made it to Miami and the man had managed to give her not one, but two orgasms. She felt a tad selfish, actually. Not once had she been able to get beneath his clothes. She’d wanted to, though. Criminy, she’d all but ached to unzip his fly and hold his rock-hard cock in her hands. He’d distracted her; that’s what he’d done. How was a woman supposed to think when a guy as hot as Jonas had his fingers and lips all over her? Impossible.
She rushed into her bathroom and grabbed her deodorant and makeup, birth control pills, and a myriad of other very important items she couldn’t live without. Now all she needed was to get him out the door and away from her things.
As Deanna lugged the suitcase and toiletry bag into the living room, she was shocked to see Jonas sitting on her couch, legs spread out in front of him, reading one of her books. She moved closer and read the title, then felt her face burn. He seemed to sense her presence in the room because he glanced over the top of the hardback.
“Fascinating stuff,” Jonas said, waving the book in the air as he read the title aloud. “ ‘Everything You Need to Know to Satisfy Your Man.’ ” He grinned. “Damn catchy title too.”
Deanna dropped the suitcases and went to take her book back, but Jonas dodged her. Anger welled to the surface. She held out a hand. “Don’t be a jerk. Give me the book.”
“I will, but first I want to know if you’ve read the section on oral pleasure.”
“None of your business.” Dang it, she hadn’t meant him to see the bloody thing.
“Now, see,” he said, “that’s where you’re wrong.”
“I don’t need instructions, Jonas. I’m not a virgin.”
“Then why the book, Deanna?”
Because I want to blow your mind in Miami and figure a few tips couldn’t hurt. No way was she about to tell him that little nugget of truth. “I was curious.”
“S’that why you’re turning red?”
Crap, he had her there. Deanna swiveled on her heel and walked out of the room. She needed a cold drink, that’s all. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and unscrewed the cap. After several sips, Deanna went back into the living room. Jonas still had his nose buried in the book. She stopped in the middle of the room. “The way you’re reading that, I’m starting to think you need tips on satisfying your man. Is there something you want to tell me, Jonas?”
Jonas tossed the book onto the coffee table, then stood and walked toward her. “What I want to know is, do you have any intention of getting a tongue ring?”
She snorted. “Not in this lifetime. Pain and I do not get along.”
His lips kicked up sideways. Damn, he was cute when he did that. “Well, there goes that fantasy.”
Too late, his words registered and Deanna’s anger shot to the surface. “You’re welcome to go find another woman willing to fulfill it.”
He reached out and stroked her hair. “The only woman starring in my fantasies is you.”
“Good,” she ground out, unwilling to admit how much that knowledge pleased her.
Without warning, he kissed her. His soft lips lingered a few seconds, drawing a moan from her, before he lifted and whispered, “Why can’t I keep my mouth off you, kitten?”
To Deanna, Jonas sounded truly baffled by his own reaction to her. Before she could attempt a witty comeback, he muttered, “Let’s go, before I forget my good intentions.”
She snorted and picked up her toiletry bag. “You have good intentions, huh?”
Jonas only shook his head and picked up her suitcase. Deanna surreptitiously eyeballed the strength of his bicep. She was very tempted to wrap both of her hands around his upper arm and give a little squeeze. Resisting wasn’t easy, but if she started touching the man, she wouldn’t stop at his bicep.
“If you don’t scoot, I intend to strip you naked and tie you to the bed.”
For once, Deanna decided to err on the side of caution.
As the plane started to take off, Deanna’s heart lodged in her throat. She gripped the arms of her seat and began to silently recite the Lord’s Prayer. When the plane shook a little, she gave up the prayer in favor of cursing. “Crap,” she muttered.
Jonas sent her a questioning look. “What’s wrong?”
“Uh, I’m not real fond of flying,” she admitted, clenching her eyes closed tight.
A hand covered hers, and curiosity forced Deanna to open her eyes. When she spied Jonas’s fingers slowly entwining with hers, she bit her lip and looked down at her lap. “Thank you.”
He leaned close and whispered, “Are you going to pass out? Throw up?”
The questions made her feel stupid, even though that hadn’t been his intention. “No,” she gritted out. “It’s not that bad. Just like my feet on the ground is all.”
“I’m sorry, kitten. I didn’t know.”
His gentle voice calmed her a bit. “It’s not something I’m good at owning up to.”
His thumb stroked over her knuckles. “Fear, you mean?”
“No,” she answered with complete honesty. “Weakness.”
Jonas laid his head against the back of the seat and closed his eyes. “We all have our weaknesses, Deanna.”
Caught by his relaxed pose, Deanna took a moment to look her fill. The word strength described Jonas wonderfully. In fact, his picture probably sat next to it in the dictionary. As her gaze landed on his fly, Deanna had to swallow down the urge to reach out and cup the luscious bulge she spied there.
“Uh, even you?” she asked, picking back up on the conversation.
“I’m not made of stone,” he said. His voice sounded a littl
e drowsy, and it was all the sexier for it too. “I have my weaknesses.”
“Name one,” she demanded in disbelief.
He opened his eyes and looked over at her. “Promise not to laugh?”
“I’m gripping on to your hand for dear life because I’m terrified we’re going to crash. Trust me, I’m incapable of laughter at the moment.”
“Okay, but if you laugh, it’ll hurt my feelings.”
Deanna made a cross over her heart. “Swear to God and hope to die.”
“Ants.”
Sure her brain had processed something wrong, Deanna asked, “Huh?”
“I hate ants. Don’t like to look at them, don’t like them crawling on me.” He gave a mock shudder. “Can’t stand the little buggers.”
It was such a normal thing, Deanna couldn’t respond for a few minutes. “So, is this something you’ve always been afraid of?”
“No, it started when I turned twelve.”
“Something happened,” she surmised. “What?”
“I’ll tell you, but if you ever breathe a word of it to anyone, especially Wade, I’ll—”
She let go of his hand, then smacked his thigh. “Stop threatening me and tell me what happened.”
Jonas smiled and placed his palm on her knee. “I grew up in a wealthy neighborhood. No skateboarding ramps in the driveways. No tree houses in the backyards.” Jonas rolled his eyes. “Those things are for the lower class, my mother used to say.”
Deanna’s heart ached all over again as she thought of how lonely that sort of life would be for a boy. Especially a boy like Jonas. “That sounds like a very boring childhood.”
He nodded. “I wanted more. I wanted adventure. It used to make me wonder why I was so different from the other kids. Most seemed content with their parents’ rules, but I always pushed the boundaries.” His hand skated a little higher on her leg, until he massaged her thigh. “Anyway, I had it in my head that I was going to break the cycle of boredom.”
She chuckled. “I’m afraid to ask what you came up with.”
He smacked her thigh in reprimand. “No laughing, remember?”
Deanna made a zipping motion over her mouth. “Sorry. Go on.”
“Flashlight tag.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I used to love that game. Wade, Dean, and I used to play that all the time. I rarely won, but it was fun all the same.” Deanna realized she’d interrupted him again and felt her cheeks heat.
Jonas’s hand smoothed over the spot he’d swatted as he continued with his story. “It was summertime and my parents were out of the country. I had a nanny. Mrs. Chadwick.” He shuddered. “She had this mole—”
Deanna cleared her throat. “The point, Jonas?”
“Right, sorry.” His hand slipped up her leg another inch, and Deanna had to suppress a moan. “Mrs. Chadwick always fell asleep by nine. Every night like clockwork. A twelve-year-old boy can get into a lot of trouble after dark.”
Deanna snorted. “I know. I have brothers, remember?”
He looked over at her. “I—”
The flight attendant came down the aisle then, interrupting Jonas’s story. “Can I get you a drink or a snack?” she asked, but the way the petite redhead looked at Jonas, as if she wanted to eat him up, made Deanna want to smack her.
Before Jonas could say anything, Deanna answered for them both. “We’re fine, thank you.”
The woman walked away, but not before glaring daggers at Deanna. Jonas quirked a brow. “What was that about?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Deanna lied.
“I was thirsty,” he said after a beat of silence.
“So was she,” Deanna blurted out. Too late she realized what she’d admitted to.
Jonas grinned, and it was just a hair too ornery for Deanna’s peace of mind. “Oh, yeah? I hadn’t noticed.”
Deanna rolled her eyes. “Then you must be blind, because she wants you. Bad.”
Jonas leaned across the armrest separating them. “I’m not available,” he whispered against her ear.
Deanna couldn’t respond to that tantalizing statement, didn’t dare. “Finish the story.”
His hand moved another inch higher. Now his fingers were so close to her crotch that Deanna instinctively placed her palm over them in an effort to keep Jonas from venturing any farther.
Jonas winked and continued. “I decided to get some of the kids in the neighborhood together to play a game of flashlight tag. Only three were willing. Most were too afraid of defying their parents.” He smiled. “Jimmy, Steve, and Ryan. Jimmy and Steve were brothers. I could always count on the two of them to say yes to an adventure.”
“You were the instigator.” She shook her head, reluctantly charmed by him. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
He laughed. “Hey, Jimmy and Steve weren’t too bad at coming up with ideas either.”
“Boys of a feather?” Deanna asked.
His hand slid out from beneath hers, then without warning, it covered her mound. “You could say that, yeah.”
“Jonas,” she warned.
He leaned close. “Do you really want me to stop, kitten?”
No, she didn’t. “Someone will see,” she said by way of an answer.
His index finger pushed down, hitting her clit with unerring accuracy. Deanna felt the touch clear through her jeans. “I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“The flight attendant ...”
“They’ve finished their rounds for now.” She started to protest, but he made a shushing sound. “Do you want me to tell you about my issue with ants or not?”
“Yes,” she mumbled, unable to deny the delicious torture of having Jonas so close to where she needed him.
“Where was I?” He thought for a second, then answered his own question. “Right. So, the four of us sneaked out after dark and met behind my house. Things were going pretty good, too, until I decided to hide underneath a neighbor’s boat. Seemed like the perfect spot. Several minutes went by, and I thought I’d about won. Then I felt something crawling on me. I didn’t think anything of it at first. Bugs never bothered me much. Then I felt more of them. Pretty soon they were up my pants, underneath my T-shirt. Even in my hair.”
Deanna shuddered, momentarily forgetting about Jonas’s hand between her legs. “Ew, what’d you do?”
“Ryan shined the light on me, all excited that he’d found me. Then his eyes got really big. When I looked down, I saw why. I’d lain right on top of an anthill. A big mother.”
“Oh my God, I would’ve freaked.”
Jonas curled his lip. “After I swatted the crap out of the little suckers, Ryan and I both ran home. Neither of us said a word about it to Jimmy and Steve.”
“Did you ever play flashlight tag after that?”
“Hell no. We also stayed away from that boat.” Jonas rubbed his jaw. “I wonder whatever happened to those guys.”
“What do you mean?”
“We moved out of that neighborhood a few years later. Lost touch.”
“Oh,” Deanna mused. “So, that’s why you’re afraid of ants, but you’ve been all over the world during your army days. Surely you’ve come across bigger, scarier bugs.”
“Yep, but I’ve never been covered in them, so they don’t bother me.”
She frowned, wondering if he was being straight with her. “Is that a true story?”
He laughed as he resumed stroking her. “Why would I lie about something that ridiculous?”
“To take my mind off the flight,” she answered, curious if that had been his plan all along.
“Deanna, I’ve told a few fibs in my day, but my fear of ants is very real.”
His fingers traced the seam of her jeans, and Deanna nearly moaned aloud. “Jonas, you have to stop.”
“Soon, you’re going to be begging me to continue.”
She wrapped her hand around his, then picked it up and moved it to the armrest. “Maybe, but until then, take a nap or something.”
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“Spoilsport,” he murmured.
When the flight attendant showed up out of nowhere, Deanna yearned to tell her where she could stick her nuts. Instead Jonas said, “Thanks, but I already have everything I need.”
Deanna’s stomach did a little flip at his words. The eager little redhead might not be a happy camper, but Deanna was sure buzzing.
8
During the rest of the flight, Deanna and Jonas had only exchanged small talk; she suspected that was because they were both too wound up for any real conversation. Now, as she stood inside the entrance of the beach house and watched Jonas take her suitcase and toiletry bag upstairs, her nerves went a little haywire. There was no going back now. She knew it in her bones. Would she even be able to undress in front of him without shaking? With her luck, she’d end up tripping over her own feet or doing something else equally as embarrassing.
Deanna tried to get her mind off the evening to come and instead took in the room around her. The furnishings, she noted, were very manly. Stainless steel and shiny black surfaces. Not for the first time, Deanna wondered just how many women Jonas had brought here with the sole purpose of seducing and conquering.
“I can see those wheels turning, Deanna,” Jonas said as he returned.
She looked him over and felt the same girlish desire as the first time she’d spotted him at their family picnic years ago. God, she never should have come to Miami. What did she know about a man like Jonas? He had expert lover stamped all over his delicious body. She’d be lucky to escape with even an ounce of her feminine pride left.
“I know just the thing to take the edge off,” Jonas said as he walked to the far side of the room. For the first time, Deanna noticed the fully stocked wet bar. Jonas turned over two short glasses, then poured some amber liquid into each. When he brought one to her and murmured, “Try it,” Deanna immediately shook her head. “I don’t care for alcohol unless there’s an umbrella sticking out of the top of the glass.”
He chuckled. “Come on, kitten. Give it a try. A little sip, that’s all I ask.”
Deanna thought a glass of Diet Coke and a bag of chocolate chip cookies would soothe her frazzled nerves much better, but she didn’t think that would sound too sophisticated. Hesitant, she took the proffered glass and gave it a sniff. Jonas stopped her with a hand covering the rim.
