Hands Off

by Lia Slater

  “I’m glad you like my body,” he said. “As you can see”—he gestured toward his erection—“the attraction is mutual. Has been for a long time.” Longer than she knew.

  He kneeled by the couch and stroked his fingers along her soft abdomen. Her skin—pale and delicate—visibly prickled under his touch. This close, he couldn’t help but scan her body and take note of every detail. The oval-shaped birthmark on her outer right thigh. The small patch of neatly trimmed raven hair that arrowed down her mound. His gaze glided over the curves of her hips and waist and upward to her breasts.

  He smoothed his hand over one breast. Her nipple was rosy and peaked tight against his touch. When he fully cupped her flesh, she filled his hand—perfect.

  She reached out to run her fingers over his chest, her fingernails grazing lightly, making his own nipples hard. He could do this all night—explore her body. Get to know each other in an intimate way. Finally.

  But he had a task at hand, one he looked forward to.

  He reached for the bottle of chocolate syrup, centered it over her abdomen, and squirted a circle around her navel. She squirmed. Her legs clenched together and her hands fisted at her sides.

  “If this is too much, say so,” he said. He’d bet on the chocolate, remembering she used to have bowls of tiny candy bars lying around the house she’d shared with Davis.

  “It’s not.” She visibly gulped and pink stained her cheeks. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve been touched this way. But I’m ready,” she added quickly, then nodded once and closed her eyes.

  “Keep them open. I want you to watch me.” And know it’s me touching you. No one else.

  Her eyes widened and brilliant blue irises peeked through. He kept direct contact as he leaned in and licked the circle of thick syrup. Her chest rose as a soft sigh escaped her lips.

  He repeated the process, alternating kisses with licks until not a trace of the chocolate remained. No one had ever accused him of not being thorough. And he loved the way her body trembled. He wasn’t done teasing her—making her want him—not by a long shot.

  Having had enough of the chocolate, he crawled up her body until his lips hovered over her breast. She arched toward him until her nipple brushed his bottom lip.

  “Jude, please—”

  He didn’t let her finish as he drew her nipple into his mouth, flicking the tender bud with his tongue.

  Her moans ignited him and he drew in more of her soft flesh. Her skin—without the hindrance of chocolate—tasted spicy sweet. Wanton and wild. She bucked against him, only adding to the effect. Her fingers dove into his hair and gripped onto his scalp.

  “Jude...” She sounded flustered beyond reason.

  He released her breast and moved to the other, which appeased her for a moment. Her grip loosened and whimpers filled the air.

  Damn, she did need him. He should’ve realized this sooner, before she’d been forced to beg him. What an idiot he’d been not to see to her needs. He’d been there for her in every other way.

  At least she’d come to him and no one else. She’d trusted him enough to revitalize her sex life. He wouldn’t let her down.

  He released her breast and laid one last precious kiss to her swollen nipple... Perhaps he’d been too rough? Yet she hadn’t complained. Maybe she wanted it rough.

  Just keep going. The chocolate.

  When he reached for the syrup bottle again, she perched up on her elbows.

  “Aren’t we taking turns?” A small naughty smile curved her rosy lips. “I’m the one who needs the taste-bud therapy.”

  “Taste-bud therapy. Right.” He’d thought his cock couldn’t get any stiffer—he’d been wrong. It pulsated as he imagined Naomi’s mouth anywhere close.

  Without a word—speechless, actually—he moved to the couch as she eased into a sitting position. Her legs curled underneath her bare bottom and she leaned into him, pressing her breasts against his chest. He inhaled her flowery scent—so conflicting with the spicy taste of her skin.

  He shouldn’t have been surprised—he’d always known she was so much more complex than a delicate flower.

  “You said you’ve been attracted to me for a long time?” Her breath was hot against his ear as she pressed her fevered body to his. All lush curves and skin so soft he could bite into her.

  “Yes.” He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. It was all he could do not to drag her onto his lap and forget the foreplay.

  “Open your eyes, Jude. I want you to watch me,” she singsonged, mimicking him.

  He obeyed and found himself staring into her pretty, blue depths.

  “How long have you wanted me?” she asked, trailing her finger along his bottom lip.

  “Long before I should have. Longer than I want to admit.” He wrapped her up in his arms and drew her onto his lap. Her bare ass was soft against his thigh. His cock pressed up against her pussy.

  A thousand questions played over her eyes but her lips pressed shut. He should tell her more. He should express the emotions burgeoning inside him—that he’d wanted her since high school.

  But he couldn’t. He wasn’t the type of man to bear his soul... which, he guessed, had gotten him dumped by more than a few of his past girlfriends. They’d wanted more from him and he hadn’t been able to deliver—hadn’t wanted to. Not emotionally. The ones who’d only required sex were the ones who’d lasted the longest.

  Sex he could give. And he’d do his best to make this night pleasurable for the only woman he’d ever truly cared about.

  ~ * ~

  NAOMI SHIVERED AS yet another glimpse of a tender emotion passed over Jude’s expression. Something soft and sweet and not at all controlled. Well, until he stiffened his jaw and directed his gaze downward. That hint of a connection faded as quickly as it had appeared.

  And now he was back to cool, restrained lust.

  Okay. Fine. She’d continue to work with that.

  She stood from his lap, loving that she had his full attention, and grabbed the syrup bottle from the coffee table.

  The chocolate didn’t sound particularly appetizing—nothing had sounded appetizing in a while. But the idea of licking it off of Jude’s body had her mouth watering. She turned and kneeled in front of him, eye level with his navel... and the head of his cock. He was larger than she’d expected.

  The sight of Jude—who was clearly secure in his godlike nakedness—did crazy things to her. She couldn’t remember ever being this horny before. She’d never had the undeniable urge to take a man into her mouth and suck until climax.

  As it was, Jude leaned back on the couch, arms spread out and relaxed. She took a long gander at his naked body and thought about where she should start. Should she tease him like he had her? Taking his time and concentrating on her navel? God, that had driven her mad.

  She blew out a breath and attempted to calm herself. She was overheated. Over anxious.

  To hell with teasing him.

  She lifted the bottle over his cock and squirted a dab along his thick head.

  He inhaled a sharp breath.

  A good start.

  Leaning in, she gripped the base of his cock and squeezed gently.

  “Jesus,” he murmured, and the muscles in his lean abdomen visibly tightened.

  The dull ache in between her thighs throbbed and a sharp pang of heat shot to her pussy. She was going to come from simply listening to him. From watching him.

  Suddenly that dab of chocolate looked irresistible. She moved in closer and ran her tongue along the crest of his head, along the heated, silky, taut flesh and finally over the dense syrup. Unable to stop, she licked a second time and then a third. She leaned back and tasted—actually tasted—the chocolate mixed in with the salty flavor of his shaft. Her tongue tingled as the dot melted on her tongue and slid to the back of her throat, dancing over her taste buds.

  She closed her eyes and a moan purred from her lips. Decadence. Salty-sweet and creamy decadence.

 
Before she had time to add another drop, he drew her back onto his lap. His lips were on hers, hungry and abandoned. His hand braced her face, holding her to him as he did wonderful things with his mouth. His tongue swooped in and out, teasing her mouth in a relentless beat.

  Her body quivered with raw need. In a mindless act, she straddled his lap and pressed herself against his solid cock. She shifted her hips forward against him, again and again. Her clit grazed against the rounded cleft, bringing her closer. Oh so close to the edge.

  In the hazy background, she heard a phone ringing, clashing with their rhythm. And threatening to interrupt the intense pleasure building and building.

  No. “Don’t stop, Jude. I want you inside of me.”

  The ringing halted for a brief moment before intruding again.

  “I’m sorry, baby. Has to be the doorman. I turned the ringer off for anyone else.”

  “The doorman?” Her mind was a fog. Her body ratcheted up, ready to break free from the tension that had been building for months.

  “I should find out what’s—” Jude began, but was cut off by pounding at his front door. “Shit. I’m sorry, Naomi. I’ll get rid of whoever it is. Don’t move, all right?”

  He slid out from under her, lifting her and gently letting her fall back onto the couch. With stiff movements, he grabbed the chenille throw and covered her.

  More pounding at the door.

  “I’m coming!” Jude jerked on his pants and cursed as he tried to hide his erection. Then finally gave up and grabbed a pillow to cover himself. He gave her one last glance. “We’re not done.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, watching him round the corner to the front hall.

  She pressed her cool palms to her fevered cheeks and took in a long breath, trying to calm herself. She’d never imagined intimacy with Jude would be this intense, this universe-shaking. And they hadn’t even made love yet.

  What was she going to do after they had? After the night was over?

  She could tell him her true feelings. She could admit the real reason she’d wanted him; that it had nothing to do with her senses and everything to do with him. But then she’d have to deal with the possible consequences of losing his friendship, which was already a possibility. After tonight, they’d never look at each other the same.

  A female voice caught her attention, along with Jude’s low voice in response. She cleared her cluttered mind and tried to listen.

  “I don’t know what else to say, Arielle,” Jude said. “I already apologized.”

  The woman he’d meant to see this evening? That’s who was at the door? A pang of unreasonable jealousy hit her and her chest filled with air she couldn’t release. This couldn’t end well.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  JUDE’S HARD-ON subsided the moment he saw her. Arielle. The woman who’d aggressively hounded him for a date for the past six weeks. He’d met her at a charity event when he’d been on a date with her older sister. The older sister had moved on, and Arielle had been calling him ever since. He’d finally given in to her advances and agreed to meet her for dinner... tonight.

  He’d been sure she’d shrug off his cancellation and take it as a sign he really wasn’t interested. He’d hinted at such in a number of ways the past few weeks, yet she’d insisted on seeing him.

  And now, it seemed he’d bruised her ego, judging from the glare she was shooting him.

  Jude studied her expression. She was livid. Rightly so, he supposed. But what more could he do?

  “Aren’t you going to say something? Invite me in? It’s the least you could do. I’ve never been stood up in my life. Men don’t do that to me.”

  Undoubtedly. She was a beautiful woman with a body that made men stop and drool. Only she wasn’t his type.

  Naomi was.

  He opened his mouth to excuse her in a less gentle, more direct way, but a man in a security uniform stormed out of the elevator and stopped behind Arielle.

  “Very sorry, Mr. Colter. She got past us before we had the chance to stop her. Do you want me to escort her out?”

  “Escort me out?” Arielle’s eyes widened even farther. “Jude, you better invite me in.”

  That wasn’t happening. “She’ll walk out on her own, Tom,” Jude said, reading the man’s name-tag. He dropped his gaze to Arielle. “Won’t you?”

  “Really? Are you really dismissing me?”

  “I explained in my message. I can’t see you tonight.”

  “I should’ve listened to my sister,” she whispered harshly. “You really are a cold bastard.”

  Tom lifted his eyebrows. “Sir, are you sure?”

  “She’ll leave on her own,” Jude assured him. Tomorrow, he’d do a little research on what type of security system the building had in place besides the eyes and ears of an octogenarian doorman and a single security guard. Something he probably should’ve done before he’d moved in.

  Tom ambled back to the elevator but waited to push the button, his eyes centered on the seething woman at Jude’s door.

  Arielle leaned toward him and continued to whisper. “All I wanted was a fuck. I thought you could handle that. Apparently, my sister was also right when she said you had zero personality and even less common sense. You have no idea what you’re passing up.”

  Her words didn’t surprise him. He’d heard them all before. His demeanor didn’t gel well with women outside of his professional circle. This woman was no different. He could talk shop with the best of them when it came to his latest software developments. He could discuss money and business with ease. When it came to his career, he was more than competent. A fucking prodigy, as Davis had put it. His ace in the hole.

  Which was all fine and good. But there were times he wished he was equally adequate in his social endeavors. Maybe Naomi had been right when she’d said he chose the wrong women to date. Maybe the only woman he needed was waiting for him on his sofa, naked and hungry for him.

  Yes.

  “Have a safe drive home, Arielle.” Without further ado, he shut the door. Arielle banged against the other side once. Then silence.

  He’d have to have his home phone number changed. He doubted this one would go away quietly.

  Shoving his hand through his hair, he strode down the hall toward Naomi. Hell. He hoped she hadn’t overheard the conversation. As far as he knew, Naomi didn’t think poorly of him. She never criticized him. She never asked him to be someone he couldn’t be.

  After tonight… shit… after tonight, he hoped she wouldn’t change. He hoped she wouldn’t become another regrettable memory.

  A split second passed with the idea of cooling the evening off and sending Naomi home as well. But the thought evaporated when she stood from the couch, the blanket clutched to her chest, doing little to hide the curves of her bare hips.

  His cock responded, straining against his pants once again.

  “Jude.” Her tone sent off a warning signal to his crowded mind and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Should I leave?”

  No, he wanted to shout. But he bit back the strong urge. Being emotional never helped. Asking a woman to stay never worked. He learned that early on in life.

  “Is that what you want?” he asked as calmly as possible.

  “If you don’t know the answer to that, we might have a problem.” Her lips quivered into a half smile. “I mean—” She waved her hand, letting the blanket reveal her right breast. Oh, hell. “I heard who was at the door. You told her you can’t see her tonight.”

  He forced himself to look her in the eyes when all he desired was to walk over and tear the blanket from her white-knuckled grasp. Did she have any idea what she did to him?

  She licked her lips. “I can’t help it. I have this gut-wrenching, nauseating feeling. And I can’t—” She inhaled a long breath. “Jude, I can’t sleep with you tonight if—”

  “What? Why?” Air evacuated his lungs. Here we go again. Only this time the rejection hit him harder than ever. This was Naomi. />
  “Let me finish. God. What am I saying? Of course I’m going to spend the night... if you still want me to. It’s just...”

  “I want you to.” There. He said it. With force. She would stay the night if he had to get down on his knees and plead.

  “Okay, good.” She laughed nervously—one of her habits. Why was she nervous? “But you might change your mind.” Her smile disintegrated into a frown. Her eyes glistened with unspent tears.

  Hell.

  “Talk to me. What’s going on?” He approached her and held her beautiful face in his hands, brushing his thumb down her cheek. Wanting nothing more than to calm her and let her know everything would work out no matter what she was feeling about him.

  “I need to confess something but I don’t want to scare you away. I’m terrified I’m going to lose you.”

  Jude swiped a tear trailing down her cheek. “You’re not going to lose me. And I’m a tough guy, so hit me with it.” He smiled, hoping she’d follow suit. It tore him up to see her upset.

  “I don’t want you to see that woman again.”

  “Done.” Whatever she asked, he’d do. His hopes rose.

  She swallowed. “Or any other woman. I want you for myself. Jude, I’m in love with you.”

  ~ * ~

  NAOMI LOOKED AWAY, not having the courage to watch his expression. Hearing that woman at his door had knotted her stomach painfully. Every word that horrid bitch had said had echoed off the apartment walls. It had taken every bit of self-control not to rush over and punch her.

  But she didn’t want Jude to know she’d heard her harsh whispers. From his dating tales, she knew Arielle was the type of woman he had always been drawn to. Casual and apparently heartless. This one had only wanted sex and obviously hadn’t taken the time to look deeper into the man Jude truly was.

  It all made sense now. She’d once told him he didn’t choose the right kind of women to date, or else they’d last longer. Now she understood. And she could only assume he was replaying his youth, always striving to get the affection of a cold, neglectful woman, like his mother had been. Perhaps he thought all women were like that. Or perhaps he was hoping to change their minds.