by Jayne Rylon
“I—I, uh, don’t do this all the time.” She swallowed hard, but supposed he ought to know. Maybe he’d adjust his expectations a bit, teach her to please him. “In fact, I sort of never did it before.”
“Good to know. It’s not smart to fuck strangers.” His hips hesitated in their grinding motion, making her need flare even as her logic returned a bit.
“Right. I get that.” A deep breath mashed her breasts against the hard plane of his chest. “But I meant that I’ve never done this before. Like at all. You know, sex.”
“What?” His attempt to jerk upright was thwarted by her legs snaking around him and clinging tight. Powerful thighs had never seemed like a blessing before. “Wild thing, no. You should wait for someone special.”
The slump of his shoulders made up her mind.
“I did.” She hugged him with her arms as tightly as she did with her lower body, for once grateful for her less than delicate build. “Finish what you started.”
Still he didn’t resume the passionate volley they’d been embroiled in before she opened her big, dumb mouth.
“Please,” she begged.
“Are you sure?” The unadulterated confusion in his stormy eyes had her nodding instantly. No way would she allow him to believe he wasn’t worthy. She’d had enough of feeling less than in her life to do the same to another.
“Hell yes.”
His muscles tensed, then relaxed beneath her continued kneading. When she lifted one hand to his nape then buried her fingers in his hair, he growled a little. “That’s right. For tonight, I’m yours.”
He kissed her again before lifting up only long enough to shed his clothes with brusque, efficient moves that reminded her of a master martial artist. For all she knew, he was one. The sleek, toned physique he displayed as he approached once more made it more likely than not. He’d hidden a hell of a lot of strength in that deceptively lean body.
Jambrea could stare at him for hours. Except they both knew they didn’t have the luxury of time. He went somewhat slower as he discarded first her jeans then wrestled her shirt and bra off, careful not to scrape her wrists even with the soft cloth. If his hungry stare and appreciative murmurings were any indication, he savored unwrapping her.
Though she’d never felt entirely comfortable in her body, he erased any lingering worries with every reverent caress and kiss he placed on her newly exposed skin. When he licked his way down her belly toward the top of her rainbow cotton panties, she couldn’t help but giggle with pure delight.
“Something funny?” He raised a brow, but didn’t pause his descent.
“More like I’m relieved. Never thought I was going to find someone who could make me feel like this,” she whispered the truth, glad for the darkness dancing around them.
“Oh, wild thing. You’re meant for something big. I’m just the bastard who’s gotten lucky enough to have a taste of you before you find forever.” He drew slow circles above her ribs then nuzzled her mound through the thin fabric of her underwear. “Never forget that. You deserve the best.”
The merits of debate flew from her mind when he walked her panties down her hips. She kicked them into the corner of the room and allowed him to spread her thighs even wider apart. At the first contact of his open mouth on her pussy, she yelped.
He chuckled against her damp flesh. “Hang on. It gets better.”
Colors sparkled behind her eyelids when she scrunched them closed to endure the flood of sensation he imparted with his talented tongue. She couldn’t keep herself from reaching for him when he proved his promise true. Her hands roamed over his cut arms and shoulders then to his hair. Though she tried not to tug, she couldn’t help her fingers from entwining in the shaggy strands.
He didn’t seem to mind, if his grunts told a true story. In fact, he seemed eager to give her what she demanded, burying his face between her legs and playing her with his mouth as if she were some kind of instrument and he a virtuoso. It didn’t take long before the pressure mounting inside her proved too much to resist. She shattered, her hips instinctively rocking in a repetitive arc that enhanced the motion of his lips on her clit.
Though the orgasm was more powerful than any she’d rubbed herself to, she still regretted that her channel clenched around nothing more substantial than air. “Please, fill me. I want to know what it’s like. I need you.”
“Wild thing, you still have a hymen. I can see it, feel it. Are you sure you don’t want to wait? I’ve never been with a virgin before.” He scrubbed his hand over his face, clearing some of the slickness from his chin though that probably hadn’t been his intent. “I’d do anything to keep from hurting you. That’s not what I planned by coming here tonight. Believe me.”
Something in his gorgeous eyes made her wonder if he was talking about more than just the physical intimacy they’d flown into. Could he tell how much she cared? That when he walked, he’d take a piece of her with him? And still she wouldn’t deny either of them the experience. How could she when it was so brilliant? Amazing.
“I do.” She reached for him, settling him higher on her body, cushioning him as best she could. When they kissed again, somewhat less harried this time, she moaned into his mouth. The thick length of his cock nudged her as they melded together. “This is what I want. You. Tonight. Right now.”
“If you’re sure…”
“Shut up and fuck me already.” She laughed when his jaw went slack. “Hurry.”
He dove for his discarded jeans and ripped his wallet from the back pocket. In a flash, he’d opened a condom packet then rolled the thin latex over his cock. She got a good look at the long, hard length of him as he manhandled himself.
Plenty of naked men had passed through her wards. Usually, they weren’t aroused. Even those who did get hard while she gave them a sponge bath or while they were sleeping hadn’t seemed quite as impressive as him. Would he fit? Would it hurt?
At this point, she didn’t really care. She wanted to know what it was like to share that bond with someone. If only temporarily.
Jambrea held her arms out, open.
“Wild thing.” He sighed as he stroked himself from base to tip a few times while studying her. For once, she didn’t shy away from being the focus of someone’s attention. “You’re so beautiful.”
“I don’t need words. Just come here.” She blushed, though she turned her head so maybe he couldn’t tell.
And then he was there. Blanketing her, holding her close to his chest so she could feel the pounding of his heart, which matched hers. He kissed her, looking into her eyes without blinking as he aligned their bodies. The tip of his cock pressed against the covered opening of her body.
She held her breath as he advanced. At first it simply felt like she stretched impossibly around him. The nurse in her knew the thin barrier would flex and allow him some leeway. But when he rocked against her yet couldn’t progress any farther, a spear of pain had her eyes widening.
“Yeah, I’m there. This is it. No turning back…”
Jambrea rocked her hips upward and impaled herself on his shaft. She writhed as a bolt of lightning ran up her spine. Through the madness of mingled lust and pain, he pinned her to the mattress, kept her as still as possible and soothed her with a blend of reassurance and tender kisses.
A ragged gasp inflated her lungs, pressing her and her visitor together completely. He kissed away tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed as the world returned to focus. His hands released her forearms and instead roamed over her body from the sides of her breasts to her hips, ensuring the embers of arousal didn’t flicker out completely in the face of temporary discomfort.
“How are you doing?” he whispered in her ear as he nuzzled her neck. When had anyone taken such good care of her?
Wrapping her arms around him, she squeezed him tight, hoping her hug could say all the things knotted up in her throat at that moment. And when she felt him trembling between her thighs, she shivered.
The motion remin
ded her of where they were joined. Her muscles flexed of their own accord and both of them groaned at the resulting pleasure.
“Wild thing, I can’t stay like this much longer,” he rasped. “You’re killing me. So tight, hot, wet. Damn.”
“So don’t. Show me why this was worth it.” She trailed her hand from his shoulder to his ass, squeezing the tensed muscle there and loving his resulting thrust forward.
“Jesus. Yes.” He withdrew a tiny faction, not enough that the bulbous head of his cock slipped from her though. Then he returned, slow yet steady, feeding her more of his length then she had taken herself.
“Oh.” A moan left her parted lips.
“Yeah.” He smiled against her neck. “Me too.”
He backed up then drove forward, implanting himself even deeper. God, how far could he reach?
Jambrea’s mind disengaged. For once she stopped thinking and let herself simply be. Feel. Enjoy life and the moment. Ecstasy infused every breath, every heartbeat, every clench of her pussy around his thick erection.
When he bottomed out in her, they both smiled as their gazes collided. Locked deep, he kissed her again and again. The base of his cock and the solid muscle of his abdomen pressed against her clit as he rocked, knitting them together as tightly as possible.
The beginnings of another orgasm wrung her muscles around him.
“Go ahead, wild thing.” He encouraged her to let go. Of everything. And she did.
For the first time in her life, she jumped.
And when the climax had begun to fade, she realized he was moving inside her. He rode her, finding his own rapture in the moist clinging of her pussy. Though she wouldn’t have believed it possible, the sight of his desperate desire ramped her up again.
Soon he found his rhythm.
When she realized how ferociously she clung to his shoulders, she uncurled her fingers and hoped she hadn’t scratched him too badly.
“I don’t mind.” He nipped her neck then moved a little faster, harder between her thighs. “Feels fucking great. To know you want me too. It’s not for show with you.”
What kind of women had he been with? His job didn’t exactly make relationships a possibility, she supposed.
Jambrea smothered him. Within her and above her. She curled her arms and legs around his shuttling body, which continued to pump into her with greater force and frequency by the second. His torso became damp with sweat, and she knew it had nothing to do with exertion. More likely restraint.
“Don’t insult me by holding back.” Her demand came out like a roar.
“You’re going to kill me.” His head lowered until his forehead rested on hers, his breath washing across her face. “I want you to come with me.”
“Twice is more than I’ve ever managed in a night.” She prepared herself to accept his needs, to become the receptacle for his passion. There was pleasure in knowing she could give him that. A temporary respite from the stress of the life he’d chosen, or maybe the one that’d picked him.
“Well, you’ve never spent one with me before.” Arrogance tinged his smirk and he swiveled his hips, applying himself to teasing her even as he slaked his own lust.
He hunched his back, allowing him to suck on her nipples while he continued to plow into her over and over. And soon she knew he’d get his wish.
The comforter ended up fisted in her hands somehow. Her heels dug into the mattress as she held herself up and open to meet each of his lunges. Spine bowed, head thrown back, hips rocking in sync with his, Jambrea yielded.
As she came, so did he.
The man above her cursed, shouted, groaned and shook. He emptied himself into the condom he wore with endless jerks of his body that demonstrated to her just how completely vulnerable he’d allowed himself to become.
For a long time after, they lay boneless and tangled in the quiet. Content to stay still, they surfed the endorphins pumping through their veins. Until she feared she might doze off and wake to an empty bed and hollow arms, only to find this had all been the best dream of her life.
“Are you okay?” His sexy voice had dropped an octave. It sounded scratchier than she remembered.
“Perfect.”
“Yes, you were.” He squeezed her with one arm.
She kissed his chest, sighing when he rose, going into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. Running water followed shortly after the flush of the toilet. When he returned, and stood hovering over her, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering.
“So…what’s your name, anyway?” She worried the corner of the sheet draped haphazardly over her as he sat on the edge of the bed and toyed with her cropped hair.
“Does it matter?” A laugh puffed from between his swollen lips. He’d applied himself thoroughly to imparting pleasure, guaranteeing her first time had been worth the wait.
“I guess not, but I’d sort of like to know who took my virginity.” A blush stole over her cheeks.
“Right.” A pause stretched out until he cleared his throat. “It’s John.”
“Like John Doe?” She rolled her eyes. “Just say you won’t tell me. Can’t. Super spy etiquette or whatever.”
A rich laugh filled her shabby bedroom as he flopped to his back, staring at the tan, amoeba-shaped water stains decorating the ceiling. “Tell a woman the truth and see where it gets you.”
“Seriously?” Propping up on one elbow allowed her to peer into his gorgeous blue eyes, ones she’d never forget.
“Yep.” The edges of his lips curled into something resembling a smile. At least from a man as hard and world weary as him.
“Nice to meet you.” She dropped a kiss on his mouth. It quickly became more and would have turned into a whole lot of yumminess if she hadn’t paused him by lifting up then climbing from bed. He steadied her as her weak legs grew somewhat coordinated once more. “Sorry, have to use the restroom. And maybe I should grab a quick shower.”
He grimaced when he took in the smears of blood on her thigh.
“I’m fine, promise. Be right back.”
“Okay. Mind if I take a look around?” He sat up, his long legs folding over the edge of her mattress.
“Not much to see, but sure, knock yourself out.” Waving toward the main space of the modest apartment, she wished for once she had something a little more presentable.
She rushed through her shower, not giving a shit about the lukewarm water this time. With every splash she prayed that he’d still be there when she emerged. If not, she’d given him the perfect chance to poof. Up to him.
The prospect of an empty house hurt her insides.
Just a little longer. A little more. Please.
Relief brought tears to her eyes when she exited the bathroom to find him lounging on her bed once more, though this time clothed. He curled his fingers toward his palm. “Come here, wild thing.”
She didn’t have to be told twice. And neither did she care that all she wore was a towel. He’d seen every bit of her tonight anyway. Not just her body, either.
Burrowing into the bed and soaking up his perpetual heat, she clung to him. They didn’t talk much, but they enjoyed each other’s company and the delight of not spending the loneliest part of the day in solitude.
When the rising sun began to turn her bedroom wall the slightest shade of rose, he sighed and kissed her on the forehead. He didn’t have to tell her their time was up.
“If you can come back, you’re welcome.” Saying ‘my door is always open’ wouldn’t matter to a man like him. He’d pick any locks that stood in his way and she’d be none the wiser. But it meant something to her to offer.
“Ah, Jambi, don’t do that to us. I can’t.” He left no wiggle room, though she couldn’t squash the hope in her heart. “It was crazy to stay the night, never mind retrace my steps. I won’t put you in danger like that. You have no idea the way I live. In twilight. I thought you understood.”
“I do.” She traced the muscle twitching in his cheek. “But there should b
e a place where only the things you want to happen, happen.”
Of course he got it. He got her. His laugh would be something she treasured. “That’s the wrong kind of wild thing. Though I like Maurice Sendak too. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve worked hard to never regret the decisions I’ve had to make in my life. Finding that impossible today.”
He rested his forehead on hers for the space of several breaths, skimmed his fingers over her obscured tattoo, then crawled from bed.
Jambrea thought it might have been the most difficult thing she’d ever witnessed. The strength and courage it took him to keep going awed her. Now there was a true hero. If she thought he’d accept it, she’d give him her medal. “You can do it, John. Whatever the hell it is. I believe in you.”
“I’ll keep fighting. Until my last breath. I promise that to you and all the other civilized people in this country, even if they never know I exist.” He tucked his feet into running shoes. “This meant something to me. Don’t ever doubt it, though you’ll never hear from me again. On the darkest of nights, I’ll have memories of you. There are still innocent people in the world, even if I don’t get to meet many of them.”
Tears stung her eyes. She wished she could comfort him more, tend to the wounds she could sense lingering inside the valiant warrior.
“That’s not how I want to remember you.” He swiped at one fat drop that leaked from the corner of her eyes and tracked down her cheek. “Smile, Jambi. And wait for the right man to come along. Make sure he deserves a woman like you, huh?”
“Sure,” she mumbled with a sniff. Who else would be able to claim something like that after him?
“Stay safe, kid.” He grinned at her half-snarl.
“You too, John.” She mourned as he covered the hint of his rock solid abs beneath his T-shirt with a non-descript black hoodie then slipped his gun into the concealed pocket at the rear of his pants. When he’d finished, she’d never guess he carried.
