by Pamela Clare
Tanner stepped up behind her, caught her gaze in the reflection. His warmth radiated along her back, sent a hot little chill down her spine. He set his hands on her collarbone, used his thumbs to rub her neck. Gently, he kneaded tense muscles until she relaxed in his grip. Her eyelids drooped like weighted bricks as his warm, calloused hands stroked her.
“C’mon,” he said, softly. “Get back in bed. We’ll come up with something first thing in the morning.” His palms eased down her arms in a delicious caress and a sweet shiver rumbled through her body. Tanner took her hand, linked their fingers, and a strange sense of belonging skittered in her head. It was crazy. Ludicrous. But the way Tanner led her through the house, up the stairs…the way he took control as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Lie down,” he told her. “On your stomach.”
“What?” She narrowed skeptical eyes. “Why?”
His lips curved into a grin. “I thought you might want me to finish that back rub.”
“You just want to get laid again.”
“Do you want a backrub or not?” He lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers and Jess tiredly matched his smile.
Why deny herself this one night? She still had a little time to think of something other than trading the computer. Maybe she could find some money another way. Her brain was too fried to come up with anything at the moment. Her future was practically out of her hands. She had nothing to lose. If Tanner wanted her body, he could have it. Jess stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes, not at all naïve to what this would lead to.
The bed dipped when Tanner sat on the edge. He stroked his palms over her back, across her shoulders, careful of the bandage she’d replaced after her shower. Then he was kneading, rubbing sore muscles and making her a big ball of Jell-O.
His fingers edged along her sides, stroking her curves while his hands pressed into her back. An involuntary moan rumbled in her throat. He had magical hands. Warm—even through her shirt—and strong and so damn sure. After working his way down, he eased up underneath her shirt, the contact hot, electric. Another sound vibrated in Jess and she pressed her back against his hands, seeking more contact.
“Lift up,” he whispered. He glided the shirt up and over her head, then went back to work. A few seconds later, he unhooked her bra and peeled the edges back, leaving a trail of goose bumps. His hands emitted heat along her back and rough calluses scraped across her skin like a cat’s tongue. From her shoulders down to her hips, he worked his magic. His fingers digging deep, his palms caressing. Methodically, he pressed along her spine and cracked her back in a few places.
It had been a tough couple of days.
He rubbed her so long, her body actually loosened until she felt like a wet noodle. Then his fingers edged into the low waistband of her sweats and all her senses shot back to alertness.
“Easy,” he whispered. Lowering the cotton, he took her underwear down with it until cool room air kissed her bare butt. Tanner glided warm palms over her ass. She jumped at the shock of his lips on her lower spine. A swipe of his tongue between her shoulder blades.
He let loose an all-out assault on her senses.
His palms played over her skin, his fingers tickled, his lips nipped and sucked. He used her back as his playground. Her sweats and underwear disappeared and he kept her off balance with his hands, his mouth, constantly stroking, kissing, and licking until he ruled her with every touch.
He rolled to the side and the soft rustle of cotton whispered in the quiet room. Then all his weight rested along her back, skin on skin. His erection settled between her butt cheeks, so thick and hard, and his lips caressed her neck, sucked on her ear lobe. Jess barely got air in her lungs. Every new place Tanner explored had her gasping, squirming beneath him.
“You feel so good,” he murmured in her ear, his breath warm. “I want to be inside you again, Jess.” He rubbed against her and Jess squeezed her ass cheeks together, cupping him firmly. He groaned and she reveled in the low rumble against her back.
“You have to finish my massage first.” Where her moxie came from, she couldn’t imagine, but Jess turned beneath him, stroked her palms over his sides as he moved between her thighs. His dark eyes gleamed with heat, desire. Sweat beaded on his forehead as if he’d exerted a ton of energy the last half hour. He probably had. He’d been holding back for her sake. Warm emotion constricted her chest.
Instead of diving in for the sure thing, Tanner sat up, straddling her thighs, his penis, fiercely erect, jutting proudly between them. Still battered and bruised, he looked delicious. He gripped her waist, gently kneading her front, before easing up, cupping her breasts. Jess closed her eyes, the pleasure intense as he plucked at her hard nipples. But he deserted them and rubbed her arms and her good shoulder, leaving her panting for more of his touch.
“Tanner.” She hadn’t planned to say his name, but it came out in a plea anyway. She looked at him, at his intense dark gaze and hot, hot eyes. His hands came back to her breasts and he lowered his head, took a tight nipple into his mouth. Jess nearly exploded on the spot. Pleasure streaked its way through her body to her groin. As Tanner stretched over her, his heavy weight pressing her into the mattress, Jess stroked her hands over his back, reveling in the sleek, corded muscles.
His soft lips trailed up to her neck and Jess adjusted to take his kiss. He hovered a fraction above her lips until Jess opened her eyes. He looked so serious, as if this moment meant something to him. Something more than sex between two virtual strangers. His fingers eased into her hair, then palmed her head, trapping her. Holding her down with the strength of his body, he sucked her into a web of seduction. When his mouth came down on hers, Jess gave herself over to the pleasure, to the mastery of his lips, his tongue, the way he slipped inside and explored, claimed. He did it all so gently. So differently than before. He alternated, teased her with his lips, barely grazing her mouth and then taking her fully, mating his tongue with hers in a sinful dance. Little nips of his teeth followed by soft strokes of his tongue. He held himself up with the arm beneath her and the other touched her, ran along her side, cupped and stroked. For a man who hadn’t done this in so long—with the obvious exception of this morning—he was damn good. He kissed her until she couldn’t think about anything but having him inside her.
Jess lifted her legs, rubbed them against Tanner’s hips as he settled more firmly between her thighs. A groan rumbled from his chest when he pumped his hips two long strokes, rubbing his erection along her clit, forcing a gasp from her lips.
“You’re so hot and slick, Jess.” His lips hovered near her ear before he tongued inside the shell and sent sparks zinging under her skin. “I have to taste you again.” Before she said no, he was moving down her body, licking and nipping, sending her into a frenzy. She wanted him now, inside her, filling her. Instead, he set her legs over his shoulders and licked her, a long slow swipe that separated her before he flicked over her clit with devastating effect.
Okay…this wasn’t so bad either.
Unlike earlier, he took his time. He teased her with long licks and quick lashes of his tongue. He used his thick fingers, stroking into her as he sucked on her clit. A firestorm of sensation swamped her, destroyed her. She gasped for air as she fisted the sheets and arched into his mouth. So close. So ready.
She’d never been this way in bed before. She’d always been reserved, shy. She’d let her partner lead the way and it had never involved any of the things that Tanner did to her or made her feel. When had she ever felt so utterly needed or wanted?
The answer was easy. Never.
Her thoughts fizzled into nothing as Tanner redoubled his efforts between her thighs. His teasing had her on the edge. Her insides hummed at the same time she coiled tighter.
“Tell me what you want,” he murmured, his voice low, sexy. Oh, God. She felt another full body flush creep over her skin. “Do you want to come?” He circled her clit with his tongue, tortured her with the possibilities
. “Tell me.”
“Yes,” she panted. “Make me come. Oh, God, please make me come.”
“Oh, yeah.” Satisfaction filled his tone. As if he wanted her begging, pleading for him. “Here ya go, sweetheart. Just what you want.”
Pressure built on her clit, hard and fast. She had no idea what he was doing, how he was touching her, but she zoomed freight train fast into the most intense orgasm of her life. She detonated. No other word for it. She exploded and the resulting ricochets bounced through her body with such intense pleasure she couldn’t breathe. Still he kept going, kept his fingers moving and his tongue stroking until another orgasm followed and decimated her.
When she came down, came back to herself, she couldn’t move a muscle. Her legs felt weak and Tanner was steadily working his way up her body using his lips and that devilish tongue, tasting all of her until he reached her mouth and took that too.
He owned her.
Without any further hesitation, he pushed inside her, moving deep, deeper until he was fully buried. He stretched her, filled her. Instead of moving he stayed still. Except for his mouth which continued to take her lips so brilliantly. He made her oblivious to everything but the heat and strength of his body. He seemed content to take his time, to make every second count.
A shock of realization had her body flushing again, but he was too preoccupied to notice. Earlier they’d had wall-banging sex, but this was Tanner making love. There was a clear difference. The demarcation only pointed out how little she knew this man and how much she wanted to change that fact. Beneath the hardened ex-con with intense eyes was a gentle man who had a sense of justice and innate sense of goodness. She felt it with every kiss, with every slow stroke of his hand on her skin.
Slowly, he started moving, barely rocking against her, but making her ultra aware of his size and strength. The minutes ticked by and his movements became more focused. The new friction forced a moan from her throat. Tanner’s too. Slowly, he increased his pace, worked her over with his hard body and killer lips, taking her up when she didn’t think she could go again.
“So good, Jess,” he whispered in her ear. He had her pinned, one hand behind her head and the other below her spine as he pistoned inside of her. Taking her mouth in a rough kiss, he stole what little breath she had, but it felt perfect. He felt perfect. Sweat poured off both of them, made their bodies slick. She did the only thing she could and held on tight.
This was something she’d never known, this kind of passion or pleasure. She’d never participated in anything so carnal. Sex had always been relatively neat in her experience and this was anything but neat. It was hot and dirty. Shockingly primal.
Tanner adjusted his grip near her ass and ground down on her. The move raked over her clit and made her cry out. “One more time, Jess. I want to feel you one more time.” He did it again and Jess nearly lost her mind. The third time was the charm as he hammered into her. Tears leaked from her eyes as Jess came undone, calling his name and digging her nails into his back, trying to hold on, to keep her sanity. But it didn’t happen.
With one final thrust, Tanner erupted inside her. The heat of his come bathed her internally and her orgasm milked him of everything he had to give.
Breathing hard, he collapsed on top of her and Jess took stock of the moment, reveled in the wonder of the act. Tanner rolled to his side, but took her with him. The move separated where they’d been joined, but he kept his arms tightly around her. The security she felt wasn’t permanent, she knew that, but she accepted it for now and let herself relax as his hand stroked along her skin.
Jess knew so little about him and the more time she spent with him, the more questions she had. Especially now that they’d been so intimate. The way he treated her today alone spoke volumes about the man.
“What’s your favorite color?” she asked.
His hand stilled on her hip. “That’s your first question after mind-blowing sex?” He chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t have a favorite color.”
“No way,” she said, tilting her head to look up at him. “Everybody has a favorite color. There has to be something you like. A color that reminds you of something fun or a good memory,” she prompted.
“If I had one, I don’t remember. I haven’t been around too much color the last seven years. Just a lot of gray.”
“You’ve been out for a few weeks, right? What colors have you seen that you like?”
Tanner shifted and ran his palm through her hair. His dark gaze raked over her face. “Red,” he said. “I like the red streaks in your hair. That’s my favorite.” His voice was low, sexy. He followed up with a long soft kiss. When he pulled away, Jess was breathing hard. “If you don’t stop talking, in the next few minutes we won’t be doing any talking, if you get my drift. You should go to sleep.”
She understood his meaning. If she wasn’t asleep in the next few minutes he’d be ready for another round of sex. Quite honestly, she was tired, and more than a little sore. But a few minutes gave her time for one last inconsequential question.
“When’s your birthday?”
He huffed a quick sigh. “November thirtieth.”
Eric’s birthday was the twenty-ninth. Tanner was a Sagittarius, just like her brother. They had the same qualities. Strong, protective, loyal and independent. Not to mention macho. Jess listened to the steady beat of Tanner’s heart and went down the list of qualities that made Tanner a standout. He had a sense of fairness, of honor. Not to mention the gentleness under his rough exterior. Her list faded as she fell into oblivion.
When Jess opened her eyes, darkness still penetrated the room. She didn’t look at the clock, didn’t want to know the time. Her head rested on Tanner’s chest and his arm draped possessively around her shoulder.
Sleep softened the hard lines of his face, made him almost look his age, but not quite. He was hard bodied, hard minded, but in sleep she saw a different man. Maybe it was the man he’d been before prison.
What had happened to her? Jess St. John didn’t sleep around. She didn’t hook up with virtual strangers much less ex-cons. She tread carefully when it came to men and most especially sex. But here she was in the arms of a man who had stormed into her life unannounced and unwanted. The scariest thing of all was that she wanted him. She should be getting out of bed, creating distance, and instead she stroked his chest lightly, brushed her thumb across his flat nipple.
She was a changed woman. Her life was a dead end. After tonight she had very little hope of going back to who and what she was. There was so much she hadn’t done, hadn’t lived. She’d never been bold, never explored or been strong like her mother.
Maybe tonight was her last chance for something like that.
Jess had watched her parents for years. As a kid she’d grimaced at their kissing and hugging, but as she got older, she’d admired their closeness. None of her friends had parents who constantly touched or showed each other physically how they felt. Her parents were all about touching. More often than not her dad had his hand on her mom’s ass and her mom wasn’t shy about it. “Not in front of the kids,” she’d admonish, but she always smiled or grinned wickedly.
They kept each other happy…had been for more than twenty-four years of marriage.
Had what she experienced with Tanner been something close to what they shared physically? Was that part of the bond that kept them so connected? Jess always hoped to find someone the way her parents had found each other, but it seemed unlikely. Love like that didn’t come along that often.
Not that good sex created love. Hardly. But she finally understood this aspect of her parents’ relationship in a visceral way.
She also understood the fragility of life and her odds of survival in the next one or two days. What about Tanner’s survival if he continued to stick with her? He had to know that staying with her meant risking his future in one way or another. With what they’d done so far, he faced another prison term or worse, death.
She o
wed him. Tonight would be her last chance not only to say thank you, but to break out of her cocoon and venture into the unknown. Jess grazed her palm across his chest and the muscles that stood out even in sleep. He was gorgeous.
He’d pulled a sheet over them while she slept, but his growing erection tented the soft cotton as Jess continued to touch him. She’d never gone down on a guy. Had always been too shy, too scared to take that step. But now she wanted to more than ever. She wanted to know the taste of him, the texture of him. She wanted to give him the same pleasure he’d given her.
Jess eased over Tanner and kissed his chest, sliding her palms down his stomach and following with her mouth. She wanted this opportunity, this experience.
If by some miracle, Tanner survived this mess she’d gotten him into, she wanted him to remember her.
Chapter Seventeen
Tanner slowly came awake. Everywhere but his cock. His cock was already wide-awake and erect, anticipating the mouth moving south. The erotic dream he’d been having had been way better than his usual fight-or-flight dreams and now it was reality. He didn’t open his eyes, didn’t move. He let the sensation of Jess’s lips ripple through him. Let her warm breath wash over his abs as she methodically inched down his body.
Damn. She was amazing. He ran his fingers through the softness of her hair and encouraged her to keep going, to take him to heaven. Still, he didn’t open his eyes, he just experienced her as she touched him, kissed him, her soft lips, sucking, taking little nips of his skin.
Goddamn. So good.
When she circled his navel with her tongue, his stomach contracted, he sucked in air. The lower she went, the faster his heart pounded, the more his cock stiffened. She was going to blow him away. Literally, he hoped.
Her warm hands slid down his groin on either side of his cock and pressed his thighs apart as she eased between his legs. He hadn’t been this vulnerable in years. Hadn’t felt so much anticipation ever. The way Jess had gone about this so far had every cell alive and screaming for more. She hadn’t even touched his cock and he was happier than he’d been in years.
