by Ashlyn Chase
“I’d like to do a past life regression with you.”
“Not right now. I like the life I’m in at the moment.” He lowered his lips to hers.
She opened her mouth, met his, and deepened the kiss. As he touched her tongue, swirled it with his and gently sucked on it, she made an appreciative little noise and seemed to melt right into him.
A past life? He should be terrified by what she was saying. But as it happened he wasn’t.
Something rang true between them. It had been a long time since a woman’s kiss had affected him in this powerful way. His lips tingled. His chest rose and fell against her breasts and his breathing deepened. His mental activity seemed to stop and he became dizzy. All he could do was revel in the rousing sensations rippling through his body. No, he wasn’t afraid. If he were, he’d get over it.
She caressed his back and shoulders and he grew warmer by the minute. They held each other and kissed for so long he was lightheaded by the time they eased a few millimeters apart.
She ran her hands over his biceps and rested her head on his shoulder. “I want you to undress me, Vic.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Better than okay. Are you okay?”
He chuckled. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He helped her to sit up and smiled. “I’m a sturdy athlete, remember? I can take anything you dish out.”
“Even wild, non-stop sex? I can be insatiable, you know. Besides, you were injured. Does it still bother you, like, if you do anything strenuous?”
He chuckled. “I healed. Sure, it still hurts sometimes, but football taught me to ignore the pain.” Lowering his voice, he said, “I can’t ignore the pleasure, though.”
“I don’t know much about football, I’m afraid. Maybe you could teach me sometime.”
“Mmm.” Vic winked. “Maybe I can teach you to tackle me.”
“Don’t you mean ‘sack’ you? Maybe I could tackle you in the sack?” She raised one eyebrow, the side of her mouth curling up in a smile. “Or lick your sack . . .”
The words struck Vic like a tackle would have. She was seducing him. He caught his breath as he pictured them in bed, having sex, her long legs twined around him, his mouth on her velvety, soft breasts, and his hard erection poised over her opening, ready to penetrate. She’d be beautiful naked. Oh God, he was aching for her.
Suddenly he snapped back to reality. He was getting paid to do a job and could be fired by an irate stepfather. Alex wanted him to get close to her, but this was too close.
Her silky voice dropped to a seductive, low, throaty whisper. “Am I being too forward?”
“You won’t embarrass me if that’s what you’re thinking.”
She took his hand, laid it on her mound, and he almost lost it. He could feel his erection throbbing. She must want this—badly. As badly as he did.
“I shouldn’t . . .”
“Yes you should.” She sat up and pulled her black jersey over her head. Under it was a black lace bra. He could see her fair skin peeking through the filmy fabric, and darker pink in a couple of strategic places, teasing him. She was merciless. She kissed him and while he was breathing heavily, she placed his hand on her barely sheathed body, moving his hand up to cup her breast.
At last she let go of his lips and let him unhook the last of the barriers to her body while holding his mesmerized gaze. She flung the sexy bra across the room. He thought he might explode before he could suckle her. Gulping in a deep breath, heat rose to his neck and face. “God, they’re . . .You have . . .You’re . . .”
She must have taken pity on him because she stroked his stubble and kissed him until he shut up. As she held his lips with hers, she reached for his hand and brought it to her right breast. Her nipple was rock hard and she leaned into his hand. She was telling him she wanted him to feel her.
He cupped her warm flesh and felt the weight of her fullness. Oh God. Heat sprang up and engulfed him. His hand involuntarily massaged and squeezed her full breast.
There was no way to maintain control any longer. He lowered her to the futon and let his hands glide over both of her mounds as he kissed her neck. She arched and began to breathe faster when he caught her nipples between his fingers.
She held him around his waist with one hand. Her other hand caressed his buttocks, then grazed his hip on the way to his erection.
Good God! Fire shot through him. He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to yank his jeans off and clamp her hand to his painfully engorged shaft.
“Michele, you don’t have to . . .”
She unzipped his pants. “I want to.” She pulled his penis out of his briefs and stroked his hard shaft.
Vic fondled her body while groaning with pleasure. He encouraged her with grateful moans each time she brushed his sensitive tip.
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he whispered, “We’ve got to get these damn clothes out of the way.”
Michele grinned and nodded.
As he pushed at his jeans and she pulled off her skirt, he noticed she wore no panties. Oh, God. How much teasing could he handle? “How far do you want this to go?”
“All the way.” Then she lowered her voice to whisper in his ear. “I want to fuck.” She grabbed the back of the futon, unlatched something and lowered it, making it into a bed.
Hearing her use that word was a shock. It was also a turn-on, not that he needed one. “Are you serious?”
She rolled onto her stomach, propped her chin up with her fist, and cocked her head, playfully. “Not when I don’t have to be, but yes, I want to do it with you.”
Vic’s throat closed. He seemed to be temporarily immobilized and stayed that way long enough to admire the length of her. The flawless, peach skin of her back glowed in the candlelight. Her bottom, soft and round, begged to be touched. His mouth watered as he anticipated riding that bare bottom.
She rolled onto her side and patted the mattress. He sat beside her, and for peace of mind, asked the question once more. “You’re sure you want to do it? Here?”
“I’m sure. Aren’t you?” She nodded at his enormous erection.
“God, yes.”
“Then what’s the problem? Did you forget to bring a condom?”
“Uh, no. I have one in my wallet.”
“Only one? Well, that’s okay. After the first time you don’t have to worry. I read that it takes twenty-four hours before the sperm count builds enough to get a woman pregnant, and I could fool around three or four times a day. If you insist on using a condom, you’d better start carrying three or four.”
“Dear Lord.”
Her expression grew serious. “Please, Vic, I could die tomorrow because of Donovan, and if we never . . .”
“Stop it. Stop right there.” Vic leaned back. “You are not going to die tomorrow!”
She reached for him. “But if I did, I’d regret holding back when we had the chance.”
Vic shook his head and sighed. “So would I. In fact, I’d probably be kicking myself all over the afterlife, or the next life, or whatever the hell you believe in.”
Michele smiled and rolled onto her back. He lost no time joining her.
She giggled, grabbed his butt cheeks and squeezed. The kiss they shared brought them right back to where they’d left off. Michele was arching her body into his and he dropped on his side to caress her. He wanted to massage and stroke every inch of her.
His kisses traveled down her neck, collarbone and cleavage until his lips found her nipple and he sucked hard. He slid his strong hand around her waist and kneaded her pliable bottom. She moaned and pushed her flesh harder into his hand. Vic hadn’t had enough looking as well as touching, so he rolled her onto her stomach and straddled her.
She was perfection from that angle. He stroked her lower back and watched the flesh respond to his fingers. She teased him by wiggling her ass. Vic couldn’t turn down the challenge, so he pushed on her glutes until he knew her clit was making contact with the mattress. She moaned louder an
d he pushed deeper. He mimicked the rocking motion of vigorous thrusting until she climaxed in loud shuddering moans and yelps.
When she had experienced the last of her aftershocks, he kissed and nipped her bottom while she panted her way back to recovery.
“Oh, Vic . . . Let me just catch my breath and then it’s your turn.”
“Too late for that,” he said, and he flipped her over on her back again. He straddled her and nodded to his penis. “Just hold me,” he said, grinning. She grabbed his erection and stroked it while he moaned in appreciation. After several moments of screwing her hand, he decided she had recovered enough.
He parted her legs with his knees and said, “Hold onto your broomstick, woman.”
Michele grinned and opened her legs wide. If she thought he was going for penetration, she was mistaken. Not yet. He wanted to torture her some more. He moved down between her thighs and introduced his mouth to her clitoris. She arched and let out non-stop trembling moans until her body thrashed from side to side. Her orgasm was so strong she gasped and screamed, repeatedly. Vic’s delight in watching her come was only topped by his own anticipation of orgasmic release.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Michele was soaking wet and limp, and didn’t seem to care what he did with her. He poised over her luscious opening, kissed her lips softly, and then thrust his cock inside her. She inhaled abruptly, yet sighed right after. He closed his eyes and flowed right into a long, slow stroke that felt so damn good. Her “ohhh’s” and mounting moans let him know she was happy with it too. His instincts took over and he thrust harder, faster. She met his every stroke with heat and vigor.
He fell into a rhythm that took his soaring pleasure to the peak moment for both of them. Vic shuddered and groaned as he crested the top of his desire and shot into blissful orgasm. Michele quivered beneath him. At the same moment, she shook and screamed, “Oh, oh, ohhh . . .”
Vic’s spasms were fierce. He had forgotten all about the damn condom, but it was too late now. He rode his climax until the last aftershock faded, then he collapsed on his side and wrapped her in his arms.
* * * * *
The back door clicked twice, as if being opened with the keys. He cursed under his breath.
Michele struggled to her feet and darted to the corner where her black top and bra must have landed. The outer door opened. Footsteps followed, and someone was opening the squeaky office door.
Savern let out a yelp, and then giggled. “Geez, girl. You startled me. It was so dark I thought you must have left.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be gone so long.”
“What happened to you? Not that I can’t guess . . .”
Vic stood, jumped into his jeans and peeked around the screen. Savern was gathering Bast into her arms while Michele finger combed her wild hair. She had her skirt on, but no top.
“Come here, baby. Oh, I missed you,” Savern said.
She snuggled her cat and looked past Michele as Vic came from behind the screen adjusting his jeans. A sly smile crept across her face. “Now I know what was taking so long.”
Michele was blushing. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know we were going to be, um . . .”
“Detained?”
“Yeah.”
“Now that Savern has Bast, Michele, I’d like to keep you a little while longer,” Vic said. He turned to Savern and said, “I need to talk to her about something.”
“Oh, I’ll bet you do.” Savern said.
“No, really. I mean talk—as in making sentences.”
“That’s fine,” Michele said, “but can we go somewhere else? I spend too much time here during work hours.”
“Sure. How about the beach?”
* * * * *
Michele sat directly on the sand. No beach blanket needed. The women Vic had known in Miami wouldn’t have gone near the sand for fear of ruining their Manolos. She spread her fingers and stroked the sand back and forth as if creating a Japanese garden.
Vic lowered himself next to her and fixed his gaze on the horizon. “So, you and Savern are close.” Vic said it as a statement, but he waited for confirmation anyway.
Michele nodded. “We’ve been friends since high school. Alex moved down here from New Hampshire when I was in my senior year. It was hard to make friends. Savern and I discovered we both had similar interests, especially in the occult, and we became fast friends.”
“I imagine it would be difficult to switch high schools in your last year, like that.”
“Yeah. I moved back to New Hampshire as soon as I graduated. I was having problems with Alex at the time. I was angry with him for moving me down here . . . and angry with my mother for dying.”
Vic nodded and untied his shoes. “When you moved back to Daytona, Savern was still here?”
“Yes, and we picked up right where we left off.”
“So you two are close,” he repeated. “Too close to be split up?”
Michele’s back straightened. She looked over at Vic, her big golden brown eyes wide open.
“I’m asking,” Vic said, “because I think you two would be safer that way.”
Michele dropped her head, and her hair obscured Vic’s view of her face. It was a long time before she responded. “I know,” she said.
Vic brushed her hair back and draped a sympathetic arm around her shoulder. “That doesn’t mean you can’t see each other, but it should be unpredictable. Otherwise, one of you might inadvertently lead Donovan to the other.”
Michele nodded. “I’m just sorry I can’t be there for her right now. I was going to be her birthing coach.”
“You can probably still do that.”
“How? Those classes are held at predictable times. The schedule is even posted in the newspaper and at the community center. If anything happened to her baby because of me . . .”
“I know.” What could he say? Everything about her situation sucked.
Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head, but it didn’t sound like she was crying.
Vic moved his hand and massaged her neck. “I’ll talk to Alex about it. I think you both need to be out of that apartment for a while . . .”
“Now that he knows where we live,” she finished for him.
“Right.”
“How long is ‘a while’?” she asked.
“Just until we can catch him breaking the law and put him behind bars.”
Michele snorted. “That’ll be a long while. Not the breaking the law part, but getting him behind bars that will hold him.” She shook her head, then wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder.
Vic hadn’t expected feeling such an intense concern for her safety, despite his fantasy of being her knight in shining armor.
Now he wanted her to get angry. Fight back. Her warmth felt so good that he almost forgot the circumstances—something that happened a little too often when he was around her almost ethereal beauty. He gathered her closer and tipped her chin up so he could kiss her.
“Michele, we need to talk about the protection thing. Not your magical protection, at least that’s not the kind I want to talk about right now. I mean the sexual kind.”
“Oh, sure. What’s on your mind?”
“Well, we didn’t use any.”
“I know. You don’t have anything to worry about. It’s the wrong time in my cycle. I’m regularly scheduled to ovulate every full moon.”
Of course you are. He knew better than to ask if she was serious. He shrugged and asked, “So what does that mean?”
“Well, we’re in the dark of the moon now. The new moon is tomorrow.”
“So there’s no danger of pregnancy? What about anything else?”
“Diseases, you mean?”
“Yeah. Not that I think you have any,” he added quickly, “but in this day and age we should discuss it.”
“Okay. I don’t have any. I got tested after Donovan, and I haven’t been with anyone since.”
Whew. “I’m
clean too. I donate blood every eight weeks, and they test for HIV, Hep C, any diseases that could be transmitted through blood. I don’t have herpes or any other STD.”
“Me neither.”
He scooted over closer and draped his arm over her shoulder. “Well, that was easy.” He let his hand glide around her, interlocking their fingers, keeping her safe from the world, for now. They sat for a while with their arms wrapped around each other, in silence, and looked out toward the horizon on the vast sea.
* * * * *
Michele was the one to break the pensive mood. She let go of him, pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I’ll have to find a cheap motel. There’s one that rents month-to-month that I know of. I can even walk to work from there.”
Vic raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ve come up with a plan that will keep you safer and won’t cost you a cent.” He settled back on his elbows and crossed his legs at the ankle.
Surprised to see his calm, manly confidence, she wondered what he had up his sleeve. She had been ready to accept her fate, but now a tiny bit of hope bubbled to the surface. “What’s the plan?”
“I want you to stay with me,” he said. “Savern can stay with Alex.”
Michele reacted inside, but tried not to show it. She wasn’t sure the idea was as smart as it sounded. She didn’t say a word, but instead looked out at the sea, her back to Vic.
His voice from behind her said, “That’s not the reaction I was hoping for.”
“It makes sense,” she said. “But what if one of us doesn’t want to move?”
Vic sat up and cuddled her from behind. “We’ll just have to convince you.” His low voice and warm breath on her ear melted away any thoughts she may have had about why this plan might not work perfectly. She adjusted her body to face him, but before she could speak, he captured her lips in a sensuous kiss.
Not wanting to break contact, Michele shifted position. It looked like she’d need to be comfortable for a while since neither of them showed any signs of stopping. Their mouths opened and their tongues met. They crushed their mouths together and ripples of joy shot through her. It was the kind of kiss that required several deep inhales through the nostrils so it could last without the couple fainting. Desire was as much a part of her as it was for him. And, what a hot-blooded man he was.
