As they walked toward the front door, his face closed and went dark at her question. “My immediate family’s gone. There’s only Carl left.”
“Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry.” Shock stopped her cold. Alex’s face was still dark and his thoughts had gone inward. She clasped his hand and squeezed lightly. “I’m so very sorry.”
Alex heard Jaye’s attempt to comfort him and drew her close to his side. He turned her toward the mountains in the distance. “This is where I really live,” he said and waved to indicate the expansive landscape. “Out there where my ghosts can’t find me.”
The concern he read in her eyes warmed him. He took a breath and dived in. It had been years since he’d had to tell anyone. Most people in his circle knew. “My parents and two sisters were killed nine years and four months ago in a car accident. A foggy highway, rush hour. It was quick for all of them.
Jaye’s hand covered his, turned his palm up so they could interlace their fingers. She lay her head over his heart in silence. Three beats later she raised her head again. Tears glistened. “I’m so sorry, Alex. You’ve been alone a long time. Such a long time.”
She got it. The alone thing. He’d been twenty. Old enough to be an adult, too young to have everyone who loved him leave him. The loss had left a scar, one he hadn’t faced before.
“My father was determined to get to the office that morning. My mother’s car was in the shop so Dad insisted on driving her and the girls into the city. One fatal decision took three lives.”
She murmured words of comfort and condolence, but he barely heard her because the thing, the feeling next to his heart that had awakened, stretched and rolled, came completely alert and roared through him.
Oh, shit.
He wanted her. Jaye. In his life. He looked down into her green eyes and knew he wanted to see them every day for the rest of his life. He nearly blurted it, but she’d been so adamant about leaving that he knew he’d have to bide his time.
He didn’t know how to keep a woman. He’d trained himself to let them go. He never got attached, never wanted to. Not until Jaye.
“We have twelve more days,” he said, his mind racing with possible outcomes. She’d think he was lying if he told her what he really wanted from her. Just your life, Jaye, that’s all. You don’t have enough needy people clinging to you. You clearly need another.
He still had time. He could seduce her in stages. He kissed her gently on the lips. He would make her want him just as much as he wanted her. “What would you like to do first?”
“See your bedroom,” she replied, and the bottom dropped out of his belly at the look in her eyes. Complete communion, warmth, understanding and a depth of soul he’d never encountered. And all of it was directed at him.
Alex couldn’t speak, just closed his eyes and held her to him, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, tight.
His bedroom was as good a place to woo her as any.
Two days after arriving at the hacienda, Jaye watched Alex slice through the water beside her in the pool. He swam as if a great white shark was on his tail. That or those ghosts he’d mentioned. His whole family, wiped out in one heart-wrenching moment. It was too much to take in and she could barely wrap her mind around it. An event like that could easily send a person into a complete downhill slide. Emotionally, physically and mentally overwhelming tragedy—she forced herself to stop. It was no wonder Alex hadn’t truly engaged in life since the accident. Managing his investments was a fine thing, but was that what he’d have chosen if his life had been like every other young man’s?
Maybe he’d have continued college, met a nice girl with great career prospects, been a lawyer or doctor who saved lives. Maybe he’d have been engaged or married by now. Even been a father.
She’d worked hard to keep sympathy out of her gaze. He’d hate that. But when he wasn’t looking she let his personal pain and deep sadness wash through her. If she could absorb it into herself and take it from his soul, she would.
No matter how warmly he smiled at her, or how much delight he took in showing her his world, underneath it Alex had given up on life and maybe even on love. If she could give him one thing during her remaining ten days, it would be a lighter heart.
She watched as he executed a perfect turn at the pool wall and pushed off, coming fast. She moved to the side and treaded water.
She waited until he slowed and flipped to his back to spew a spray of water into the air. He stood when the water was chest high and walked toward her, wiping droplets from his face. “That felt great.”
She smiled back. “You look great. The pool must keep you fit.”
He pulled her close so that her breasts slid across his chest. Her nipples peaked. He rolled one between his thumb and forefinger and the sensation raced to her womb. She hooked her legs around his waist and let him support her in the water while he played with each breast in turn.
“It’s so easy with you,” she murmured. He slid the cups of her top aside and then suckled at her. Rhythmic strikes of his tongue on her wet nipple brought desire to life. He moved his hands to her bottom and jiggled her up and down in the water. “Speaking of keeping fit, you’ve got the ass of an athlete. So taut and firm.” He scraped his teeth lightly along her collar bone sending sparks across her chest.
“It’s my bike. I ride it everywhere.” The sun beamed across her breasts, heating her flesh. Or was that his breath as he nibbled his way back to her nipples? “Alex, I want you. Please.”
He scooped cooling water across her breasts, then released her to stand hear the pool’s edge. “I want you too. Stay for longer, Jaye. Another few days can’t hurt.”
“Don’t tempt me.” She framed his face with her hands. “I’d love to do nothing but hang out for the next month, but I can’t.” She couldn’t tell him that she was already halfway in love with him and was hanging onto her good sense by a thread. A frayed one at that.
She dunked his head under the water in a laughing challenge. The change of subject worked until she lost her bikini and he lost his swim trunks. By then his request was long forgotten as they got out of the pool and stretched out naked on a pair of teak deck chairs.
“I’d love it if you stayed for that month you mentioned.” He said with an intensity she’d only seen during sex.
She shifted on the chair and reached for the wide-brimmed hat he’d provided, like everything else. “I can’t. We agreed to two weeks. It’s best if we stick to our agreement.”
“Best for you?”
“For both of us.” He was not emotionally available. She needed to keep that in the forefront of her mind. If she got too attached, he’d find the situation uncomfortable. In her limited experience, men who got uncomfortable got gone. Fast.
Thankfully, he allowed the matter to drop while he slathered her all over with sunblock. The care he took served a dual purpose to both protect and arouse her. “Are you certain you can’t stay longer?”
“That’s a cheat.” She sighed and dragged his face to hers for a deep kiss. He climbed onto the lounger with her and slid between her legs.
“I get what I want, Jaye.”
“You can have this,” she said as she welcomed him inside. Her heart rate quickened with each slide until he urged her over the edge into a sharp, sudden release. He followed her with urgent thrusts that claimed even more of her heart.
Afterward, a silent Alex fished their swimsuits out of the pool. They dressed quickly and this time she was the one who applied their sunblock. Carl strode out to the pool deck with a courier package in his hands. “For you, Jaye,” he said. “From,” he looked at the bill of lading, “a post office box in Seattle. This is why you asked me for this address?”
“What is it?” Alex asked, leaning forward to see the label.
Jaye reached for it before Alex could claim the padded envelope from Carl. “We’ll open this later,” she said quickly, not looking at Carl or Alex. “Much later and only if you’re good,” she said with a prim toss o
f her head.
“Oh, I’ll be good,” Alex said with a deep-throated, very curious chuckle.
Carl slipped quietly away with a shake of his head.
“Let’s go see,” she said, and rose from her chair. “I called Samantha while I was in England. She owns the Hot Spurts Adult Store down the block from my mom’s hair salon. I’ve no idea what she sent.”
“You do the books for this store?” At her nod, he got to his feet immediately. “I’m right behind you.”
She tossed him a look she knew he’d respond to. “I hope so.”
She laughed and took off at a run through the glass doors into the living room. She slowed as she hit the staircase because the tile floors were slippery, but in truth, she wanted him to catch up and swing her into his arms.
He did and carried her up the double staircase as if she weighed nothing. The package from Samantha tantalized her imagination and her insides heated and melted.
Alex tossed her lightly onto the bed and followed her down in a tangle of arms and legs and kisses and sighs. The package was flattened between their bellies and he laughed as he pulled it free.
“What did you ask her to send?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I can’t wait to see what’s in here.” He shook the padded envelope.
“I usually walk straight through the store to the back office and get to work. I don’t gawk at the inventory.”
“Right,” he drawled, “of course you don’t. Not a fine upstanding young woman like yourself.”
She rolled her eyes. “I asked her to send a variety pack of fun things. I have no idea what she sent.”
“Even better, we can try everything for the first time together.”
They tore open the envelope and let the products slide out onto the bed. A kaleidoscope of colors and plastics and enticing scents spilled out across the bed.
He picked up a pair of red crotchless panties. “These are fun.”
She tore out of her bikini and slipped on the panties.
“Even better,” he said, brushing a fingertip across the curls peeking out through the open center.
She felt saucy and enticing and sexy. But then, just looking at Alex brought on the same reaction so she couldn’t judge if it was the panties or the man who brought her to such wanton expectation.
“This looks delicious,” she said, rooting through the bottles of flavored gels and massage oils. She held up a tiny bottle of chocolate flavored body paint. “Entice your lover and blow your diet at the same time,” she read. An elastic band held a tiny paint brush to the bottle. She undid the top.
Alex dipped his pinky into the paint and tasted it, his strong tongue swirling the chocolate into this mouth. She melted into a pool of hot slickness just watching him.
“Let me,” she said and tipped the paint brush into the narrow bottle opening. The chocolaty paint covered the bristles and she set them to his belly. She circled his navel with a happy flourish.
“It tickles, feels cool and slick. Lick me.” His voice got husky and his eyes heated as he watched her bend her head to just above his crotch.
She set the tip of her tongue to his belly and smeared the chocolate. It warmed under her tongue as she lapped it up.
He leaned back on his elbows and watched her mouth work. “You’re so hot. Put some on my cock.”
She filled the paintbrush again and slowly swirled the bristles up from the base to just below the bulb of his head. Strong strokes alternated with light passes of the brush until she saw sweat break out on his forehead. Teasing and swirling, she continued the languid painting.
Her own skin flushed, her pussy moistened with arousal until she straddled his knee and settled herself onto it. He flexed against her until she had to ride his thigh, but it still wasn’t enough and she ducked her head to his penis and licked.
Once.
Twice.
He groaned. Reached for her head to hold her in place.
Thrice.
The chocolate melted in Jaye’s mouth, slick and yummy, the moisture between her legs thickening. Her inner muscles opened for him, but she had to clean the chocolate off before she could have him inside to ease the ache.
She climbed off his leg to sit beside him while the urgency inside grew. He clearly understood her frustrated sounds because he slipped his hand between her slick thighs. He reached into her and pressed his thumb on her clit for extra stimulation while she licked and sucked and gulped at his cock. “Damn paint won’t come off fast enough.”
He flexed into her mouth, threatening to come. “No hurry for that, just keep up the mouth work. Ah…”
She smiled and looked up at his face. Strain made the vein beside his temple stand out. His lips were rimmed with white while he held himself in check.
Poor baby. To take him over the edge she scraped her teeth along the veins of his erection, tantalizing and teasing until his cock pressed deep into her throat. She sucked strongly, until he spewed and hit the back of her throat. For the first time, she swallowed his offering and the spicy salt flavor of him blended with the chocolate in her mouth.
She rocked against his hand, reaching for completion.
His hips rose off the bed as he cursed her, blessed her and cried out with his come. When he settled again, his fingers moved against her while she bucked and strained.
“Come here,” he said, leading her to straddle his face so he could help. The touch of his tongue to her clit made her scream and shudder as she rained juice with her coming.
When she settled on the bed beside him, something rubbery and stiff poked her in the backside. Reaching under her ass, she came up with a double headed dildo. She laughed and waved it around like a saber. “En garde.”
He laughed and took it out of her hand. “Jaye, if you ever feel the need for this, call me first.”
She flipped to her belly and bussed his cheek with a kiss. “There’s nothing in this package that could ever replace you, my love,” she promised with a grin.
He slid his chocolate smeared fingertip from her forehead to the tip of her nose. “Call me that again.”
“My love.” Little did he know how close it was to the truth.
A pleased smile lit his eyes. “Last one in the shower comes second.”
“Hmm,” she laughed. “It’s hard to tell who wins then, isn’t it?”
“That’s the point. With loving we both win.”
Chapter Nine
Alex’s reference to loving and winning rang through Jaye’s mind every day after that, until they only had two more days and nights together. He’d said it lightly, but she wondered if there’d been some deeper meaning. They hadn’t returned to the subject of love or even to her staying for longer since then. Instead, they’d explored the land that he clearly loved. Those places he’d mentioned. The ones where the ghosts didn’t chase him.
She leaned against Alex’s broad back and held on tight as he took the four wheeler to the top of the next rise. The views he’d shown her all week had been breathtaking and this morning was no different. A wide valley greeted her when she peeked around his shoulder. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, as she had many times before. “You’re a wonderful host.”
He grunted as if she’d said something wrong, but he didn’t explain. She’d been aware of his withdrawal over the last couple of days. It was nothing specific, but Alex had gone quiet on several occasions. While she’d been dreading the end, he could be looking forward to her leaving. But she was too cowardly to ask, especially when he still made her blood sing and the sex between them still sizzled.
“You’re distracted this morning,” Alex commented. She climbed off and removed her helmet.
“I could say the same about you,” she countered, but didn’t offer her thoughts. Coward.
“Another incredible vista. It’s hard to believe all this brown is full of life.”
He chuckled. “We’ve had this discussion. This is where I explain about the flora and fauna of the desert. You’re av
oiding my question. What’s on your mind?”
Jaye picked at the inseam of her jeans. “It’s weird to be away from my business for this long.” That was as good a way to avoid her impending departure as she could come up with.
“You want to check in?” he asked in a dull tone.
She gave a guilty start. She’d barely given her clients a thought. “There’s one who’s just bought a store from her employer and she about fainted when I said I’d be away for a couple of weeks. I’m sure she has questions.”
“She’ll ask the previous owner.” His comment was disinterested as he climbed off the quad.
Suddenly, it became important that he understand.
“No,” she said, grabbing his attention. “Mr. Jenkins, the previous owner, is old and had to go into a facility for care. Sandra bought the store because if she didn’t, she’d be out of a job and she’s got kids.” And they had a deadbeat dad and Sandra had dropped out of school in ninth grade…Jaye palmed her forehead. “I should have been in touch.”
“You really care about them.” He raised an eyebrow and looked surprised and maybe even intrigued.
“Of course I do. Their children’s futures depend on these businesses thriving. It’s tough knowing that one mistake can make a difference between keeping the doors open or closing forever.” The good jobs were downtown, impossible to get to when you had no daycare, but of course, a man like Alex would never understand.
“Surely not all your clients are on shoestring budgets.”
“That’s true,” she conceded, to ease her own sudden, inexplicable irritation with him. A man who managed inherited investments couldn’t empathize with her clients. Nor would he understand Jaye’s concerns. He held himself apart. Life went on around him, but he wasn’t involved. Not since that terrible loss that had marked him so deeply. His father’s single fatal decision.
“But I don’t want to think about all that now.” She really didn’t want to think about Alex never connecting with anyone, never loving anyone. Not ever. She blinked away tears and stared out at the valley.
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