Shades of Desire: 10 Sweet & Spicy Romances

by J. A. Coffey

  She'd never had so much fun in her life.

  Forget liars, forget scam artists...river rafting in Montana was like a wild roller coaster ride on water. She felt more relaxed than she had in years. Huge scraggly pines stretched overhead, and twice they saw an eagle's nest. The magnificent birds were silent sentinels as she and Matt floated through the calmer waters toward the more exhilarating rapids.

  She'd been scared and hesitant at first, as the guide had explained how they had to synchronize their efforts to keep the raft afloat and out of danger. She'd worried that Matt, with his superior strength would be irritated or condescending of her efforts.

  "I mean it," the guide continued, oblivious to the magnetic tension between her and her partner. "Most couples can't handle this kind of teamwork. You guys rock." He took a swig out of his canteen. "Take a break for a bit, though. The next set of rapids is around that bend."

  Jess placed her oar over her knees, being sure to keep her handle inside where it couldn't knock anyone senseless.

  "Would you take our photo?" she asked. She tried to unhook the clasp of the inflatable dry box that held their rental car keys, Matt's wallet, and her digital camera.

  "Whoa, I'll get it!" Matt juggled the box and his oar. "Your hands are wet."

  Jess handed it over, feeling a prickle of elation he'd agreed to a photo to commemorate this experience. Mementos of their time together. It boded well for a longer term relationship.

  After the guide snapped a few shots, they focused on the scenery and the swift running water until they emerged, tired and elated, three hours downstream.

  Three hours of exhilarating adventure. Just what the doctor ordered. By the end, she was tired, but elated.

  "I can't believe I did this. It was so incredible...I've never done anything like it!" Jess unhooked her helmet and shook her hair out while the tour guide loaded the raft onto the van. It felt good to trust her own skills.

  "You were terrific!" Matt's eyes shot sparks in the sunlight. "Hungry? We could grab some chow and picnic on the river bank before heading back."

  "You got it." Jess paused a minute. "Hey, wait a minute. Isn't this supposed to be an 'all expenses paid' trip paid by LoveLines? We're off the hotel property and I didn't bring my purse. You bought the excursion. Doesn't seem right that you should shell out for lunch."

  Matt paused. "You're worth it, Jess."

  Well, she couldn't argue with that logic. Or the look on his face as she stripped off her wet-suit jacket. He looked like he wanted to strip off more than her jacket. Heat flared between her legs. She liked the sound of her name on his lips. Despite the chill breeze and her damp suit, she grew unaccountably hot.

  "Then I'm in." She agreed happily. It was nice being away from the lodge, away from the other LoveLiners and the pressure—almost like being on a real date. Jess grinned. And Matt actually seemed to be the perfect guy. It was still early yet, but he just might have potential.

  Maybe the LoveLines program was legit, after all. She'd have to dig in further to ascertain what the client alleged and why. The thought of pouring over paperwork instead of over Matt's hot bod made her cringe.

  They rode back to the rafting shop, making note of a lovely secluded turn roughly half a mile from the highway. Matt pointed out a local grocery store as they stopped and within a half hour, they'd turned in their wet gear and packed a grocery bag with French bread, havarti cheese, ham, an apple, a package of Dixie cups, napkins and a four pack of pinot bottles with screw tops.

  They backtracked to the side street, a worn dirt and gravel road which was more of a cattle path, than anything. Settled on a semi-secluded spot, they stretched out where the trees overhung the river bank. It was warm, without a hint of clouds in the early afternoon sky. Matt took off his jacket, his biceps flexing as he spread it on the dry grass for her, along with some towels stowed in the back. He was as yummy as a fudge bar, without all the calories. Jess sighed, wishing regretfully for a sudden storm to give them an excuse to strip off their clothing. She leaned in closer, until her leg was touching his. The hairs on his calves tickled her skin.

  Matt seemed to follow her train of thought. His gaze fixed on her mouth as she ate and drank. His fixed attention was almost as invigorating as their rafting trip. As she tore off another hunk of bread and washed it down with a mouthful of fruity white wine, Jess found her mind wandering again and again to the gorgeous guy next to her. It seemed almost impossible that a catch like Matt had stayed a bachelor. Her inner bullshit alarm was resolutely silent as they chatted. Definitely a good sign.

  "Do you date much, back home in....?" she asked, taking another sip of wine.

  "Dallas. Well, Fort Worth, actually. Yeah, I guess so." Matt leaned back and ran his hands through his hair. "I mean, not lately. But I've had my share."

  "Uh-hmm." She wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that. "So, why the dating service? Sounds like you had things pretty good."

  Matt stilled. "Oh, I don't know. Sex without love is just...calisthenics. I want something more." He leaned closer and brushed her cheek with his hand. Heat shot through her. She loved the feel of his hands on her. "You had crumbs on your face."

  She swiped her lips, self-conscious until she found his eyes hawking her movements. There was no mistaking the heat in his gaze. He wanted her. Crumb-cheeks and all.

  He couldn't be more perfect, she thought. Hot fudge sexy and looking for love. She wanted to know more about him, but more than that her body craved being near him. If she wasn't careful, she could really fall for him.

  That she wanted him to fall for her in return surprised her.

  "Where's the strangest place you've had sex?" she ventured, biting into an apple slice.

  "Oral or all the way?" He gave her a look that said he was considering both. With her. Now.

  "Matt!" She gave him a playful punch on the arm. "C'mon," she challenged. She threaded her leg under his.

  The warmth of his skin infused her, and the cleft between her legs grew moist. She wanted more than her leg under him.

  "Easy." His eyes twinkled while he rubbed his chin and pretended to think. "The Bronco Bowl in Dallas during a rock concert. All the way."

  "What? With all those people around?" Jess shook her head.

  He shrugged. "It's pretty dim near the top rows. The music covered up the...uh...noise."

  Her cheeks were on fire. "Wow. I could never be that brave." A leaf fluttered from a fallen limb and drifted into the river's lazy current.

  "Define brave?"

  "Well, I mean...it's not like I haven't thought about it. I mean, what woman hasn't, right? But Stan, my ex, wasn't really into exhibitionism. At least not with me." She had fantasized about it for a long time. The wanton desire that would lead her to shed her clothes along with her inhibitions...the thrill of possibly being caught. Even now her crotch radiated like a furnace.

  "So, what's stopping you? He isn't in the picture anymore."

  She couldn't very well tell Matt that he'd been her first sexual experience since her divorce. It made her sound like a loser. "I guess timing? Never found the right time or place." Or guy, she finished in her head.

  Matt scanned the tree lined river bank. "What about here? It's a good place to start. No one's really around."

  Jess gulped. Liquid heat flooded her just at the thought of being so...so....uninhibited. "I don't know. I mean, I don't want to mess this up. I...uh...like you."

  He looked thoughtful for a moment, before he moved closer. "You'll like me even better after today, I promise. Trust me."

  Oh, how she wanted to! She waited, but her bullshit meter was mute.

  Jess exhaled slowly and nodded. "Okay."

  He ducked his head and placed a sizzling kiss on her lips. Her body responded without forethought. She opened herself without thinking. It was so easy with him. His mouth was a firebrand that marked her skin. She wanted this, wanted him. Dimly, she remembered telling him she didn't want sex. What a liar she was turning ou
t to be! After a few long moments, Jess fought to clear her senses.

  "Wait." She pulled away. "Maybe, we shouldn't. Someone could be watching." She scanned the area, but other than the river eddies, nothing moved. "I don't even know your last name."

  Matt recoiled. "You're a beautiful woman, Jess. Let them watch. No one knows you here." His mouth covered hers. "Trust your instincts," he urged against her lips. This wasn't a gentle seduction like before, but hot and urgent. She moaned. He tugged her pink shirt over her breasts, and returned his untamed onslaught, kissing and suckling at her breasts. When he sank to his knees, still nuzzling her stomach, Jess inhaled sharply. His fingertips traced patterns down her bared ribcage while the breeze raced over her skin with icy intensity that matched Matt's fire. "And it's Brandt."

  "Hmmm?" she asked dreamily.

  "My last name. Brandt. It means 'fire' in German." His tongue trailed to the pulse point on her neck. "As in The Smoking Brandt Ranch."

  How apropos. He was like a live flame, so hot and hard. And, he gave her full disclosure. Could she give him full access? Should she?

  It was so tempting, the thought of her body being bared beneath him in the open daylight. Her milky white skin threaded with his darker, tanned limbs. After the day's excitement, she couldn't imagine a more fitting afternoon. His mouth moved lower, growing more insistent. He fed on her hungrily, with a wild, unrestricted passion—something she'd never experienced. She felt a piece of her shuttered soul break off and drift away, a hard edge polished to smooth, like a river pebble. It was glorious, and she wanted to ride that flow.

  It was time to let go.

  She sat up and cautiously slipped her shirt over her head, holding it in front of her like a shield. Nothing happened. There were no screams of passing tourists; no lightning struck her, save for the sparks shooting from Matt's eyes. His gaze roamed up and down her body, and slowly she lowered her cloth shield and set it aside.

  Bared, almost naked under the open, blue Montana sky. Her cheeks flamed. Nice girls would stop, right now. With a jolt, she realized she was tired of being nice.

  Instead, she turned to him. He covered her body with his own, laying her back against the dusty river bank, while he suckled the tips of her breasts. With each stroke of his tongue, she grew more and more aroused.

  Matt expertly twisted and the drawstring of her khaki shorts loosened, exposing the top of her pink panties. "So pretty," he purred. He tugged once, twice, and they fell away to her knees. Goosebumps that had nothing to do with the temperature formed on her trembling legs.

  His hand crept between her thighs and stroked her through the pink silk. Her hips lifted and she moaned as his finger flicked against the sensitive nub. She could smell the scent of her perfume rising on the wind. His tongue rasped the top of her pubic bone, and she shuddered with need.

  Matt gave a low chuckle. "You taste so sweet. Like honeysuckle." His hand stroked the swollen flesh hidden beneath her panties. She wanted more. She pressed against him. His palm rode with her, as her hips bucked beneath his touch. When he leaned close, tonguing spirals around her hipbones that sent flames to her core, she no longer cared if anyone was watching.

  "Wait," she said. It was too hard to balance this way. She just couldn't get close enough to him. Abandoning caution, Jess slipped out of her shoes and shorts, until she stood before him wearing nothing but her bra and panties.

  "Cara mio," Matt breathed, running his hands up and down her quivering thighs. His fingertips wrapped around her and flicked the sensitive juncture of her lower buttocks. "Que bonita." Oh, that accent! She wasn't sure what he said, but the predatory smile on his face told her everything. "Let me do this, Jessica. Let me please you."

  She felt wild and sexy, like one of those women in the television movies. Well, why couldn't she be? As Matt said, she was a woman who knew what she wanted. And right now, she very much wanted this.

  "Okay. Take me, Matt." She gasped. "Now."

  *****

  "Take me," she begged him.

  Their passion scorched him, hot and fast, but her simple whispered plea nearly broke his willpower.

  This moment had to be for her alone. He'd worry about his own needs and the consequences of seducing her later. Now was for Jess. Her eyes were glazed with desire. With her head thrown back, her red hair clinging to her river-damp face, she looked like a goddess. And she was his for the taking, if only for now.

  Matteo worked his way slowly around each bared breast, licking and sucking until her nipples were the bubble gum pink of her lips. He moved carefully, allowing her time to grow accustomed to his touch. When he moved his tongue lower, Jess arched her back and hissed air through her teeth.

  Grinning, he kissed and nipped his way down her trim abdomen, until she squirmed beneath his lips.

  He hooked a finger between her soft skin and the panties that hid her from him. Jess whimpered low in her throat and thrashed against the grassy bank. Her legs quivered like a newly broken colt. How much he wanted to ride her, to plunge himself into her aching core! But, after her morning's admonition to take things slowly, he hadn't thought to bring protection.

  There was no going slow. Not with her. She was aching to be unleashed and he wanted to be just the man to set her free.

  He slid the thin strap off her hip and down her thigh. He wanted to please her in ways that she would never forget. The river was quiet around them save for the lapping water near the bank and the far off sounds of the rapids. He could only imagine how it must feel for Jess, trapped between his burning desire and her fears.

  As she shimmied out of her undergarments, Matteo was rewarded with the most perfectly groomed mound he'd ever seen. Her thatch of natural red hair was sculpted into a perfect tuft just over her clit hood. Her sex lay exposed like a perfect pink bud. Matteo cupped her tight ass cheeks. Jess groaned and butted her pelvis into his face. He kneaded her buttocks as he blew a little puff of hot air against her pubic region. His fingers stroked between her legs, gently teasing flicks that approached her moist woman's core.

  From his seated position, he could smell the sweet musk of her commingled with the river water and the clean scent of her soap. He wanted to eat her, but he made himself hold on, to restrain the urge to devour her.

  His fingertips delved into her slick folds. Jess cried out, her hips flexing against his hands. He circled his thumbs at the edge of her opening, fingering her outer lips with agonizing slowness. Jess shivered and bucked her hips again.

  "You like that, do you? Where do you want me? Here?" He pressed his index finger on the tightening muscular ring of her vagina. "Is that where you want it, querida?"

  "Yes." Her voice was hoarse as if she'd been running.

  He stroked her clit with his thumb, while his left hand cupped under her. Dew trickled from her, wetting his fingers. She moaned again and thrust her hips toward him. He rubbed his slick thumbs rhythmically over her tight pink bud until she went wild. Her head thrashed back and forth and she panted like a caged beast. A tigress he desperately wanted untamed.

  "Yes," she whispered. "Oh, you feel so good. Yes. Yes," she chanted.

  She was ready.

  With the ghost of a smile on his lips, Matteo spread her legs wider and buried his face in her. His tongue probed right where his thumbs left off. Jess cried out and plunged her fingers into his hair. She cradled his skull, holding his head in place while she writhed against him. Quickly, he surrounded her tight bud with his mouth and gave it a swipe with his tongue.

  She tasted so good, his cock flexed instinctively. She used some kind of scented lotion, or maybe it was soap, he couldn't tell. Her skin smelled like honeysuckle, grapefruits and the musky perfume of her sex. It drove him wild. His cock was so hard, it was painfully rubbing against the seam of his shorts. He wanted to lap up her cream like a cat.

  His hand stole around her backside and cupped her ass, while he made love to her clit with his mouth. He sucked and nibbled while his fingers reached from behind
to find her vaginal opening. Jess mumbled incoherently. He teased her with his hand as his mouth savaged her sensitive bud, slipping first one, then two fingers just past the throbbing inner ridge inside her.

  She was so wet and so hot. His fingers were coated with her molten honey. Matteo flicked his tongue, drawing the moisture out of her with his fingers and licking it off her inner thighs. So sweet.

  Jess trembled, locking her thighs around his neck and sitting back on his shoulders until she was almost floating, supported by him and the river bank pitching beneath them. Her knees hooked over his shoulders, she drew a quivering breath.

  "Now, Matt. Faster." She reached up and fondled her erect nipple.

  She was a woman who knew what she wanted. He thrust his fingers in deeply, just as he sucked harder on her clit. His fingers pumped into her, her hips bucking and rocking in time to his movements. Jess whimpered and clenched his shirt collar in her fists.

  "Yes. Yes. Oh, yes!" Jess moaned.

  He repositioned his mouth over her mound and hummed. She went wild. He stroked her with his tongue, slipping in and out of her. Just as she stiffened beneath him, he swiped his fingertip over her backside, probing at the sensitive entry in time to the thrusts of his tongue.

  Jess gasped and her warm flood of pleasure bathed his face. She shuddered and froze, her hips arched for several long seconds before she collapsed back against him.

  She was completely undone. He smiled and caught her.

  Matteo eased her to the grass, cradling her against his chest. Her pulse beat wildly at her throat. Jess shivered again, then smiled.

  Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glowed like amber. She lifted her head from Matteo's arm. "That was...unbelievable. I've never done anything like that."

  Matteo couldn't suppress the wave of ownership that shot through him. He liked giving her firsts, liked being the one to bring her out of her shell, to give her pleasure. If only she was a genuine LoveLines client, this fantasy might never end.

  A fantasy. He shook his head. He couldn't let himself hope for that with her. She wasn't his to have, no matter how much he wanted her.