by Candi Wall
Either way he went, he was screwed. Spend the next few hours in her arms and she could be hurt. Send her away now, and she could be hurt. Nothing like a catch twenty-two in its finest form.
“Ian?”
“Yeah, baby. I’m here with you.” Fuck. He’d been so lost in what might be happening he was missing what was. “Sorry. My brain is getting in the way.”
“Really? I didn’t see that coming.” She sat up, and for a long moment, she just stared at him. Then her eyes widened. “Oh. I get it. This is about earlier, isn’t it?”
Great. He’d just gone from a no-win situation to a three-point-shot-at-the-buzzer territory. Not good. Sitting up, he stopped her from pulling away. “Wait. Elizabeth, please. Hear me out.”
“What?” Her eyes swam with unshed tears, and it tore him up. “I told you to forget it. I want to spend the last hours we have doing what we’ve done from day one. Sex, talk, laughter. It doesn’t matter what fantasy sprite dug into my brain and decided to put romantic thoughts there, but I’m not going to be hurt by a night in your bed. I’d rather be here, forgetting rational thought, than lying in my bed alone with my own thoughts.”
“No regrets?” She made it sound so easy. Maybe it could be. “I can’t hurt you more than I already have.”
Her body relaxed and her arms went around his shoulders. She hugged him close, whispering in his ear, “New York, you’ve never hurt me, and you never will. You’re too good of a person, and I’m too realistic for that to happen. We’re the safest lovers on the planet. Give over to it. You can’t control Karma, the fates or serendipity.”
Damn, her mind was amazing. Grabbing her by the waist, he rolled her until she was pinned beneath him. “Serendipity? Your country bumpkin is showing again, Elizabeth.”
“Yeah. She doesn’t stay hidden for long.” She giggled. “But it’s us. Defined it means events by chance that are happy or beneficial. We’re happy.” She hooked both her legs around his thighs and wiggled. “And the beneficial part goes without saying.”
It did, and he was done fighting. Taking her lips in a slow, tender kiss, he poured every swirling emotion he experienced, from gratitude to amazement, into the contact. She’d shaken his world up and let it fall back together naturally with her easy acceptance of whatever life threw their way. He’d be a better man when he flew away from Texas, and if all he could give her was this, then so be it.
Chapter Fourteen
Liz sighed into the sweetest kiss he’d ever given her. She was used to his intensity, but the softer, emotional side he shared tonight broke her heart and made her want to dance at the same time. He’d been through hell between his family, his fair-weather friends and now the loss of someone he’d loved. The fact that he was worried about hurting her, in a time when he should be focusing on himself, said so much about him.
This wasn’t the time for consideration and emotion. This was when he should be in full-on ground-and-pound mode. She could imagine what he’d overheard earlier, between her and Cain, was still a maggot in his brain. It was up to her to make him forget and enjoy. Breaking away from the tender onslaught, she nipped along his jaw until she found his ear. “I’m already naked. Why aren’t you?”
He pushed up a bit to glance down between their bodies. When he met her gaze again, the heat in his eyes was electric. “I guess that needs to be rectified.”
She braced herself on her elbows to enjoy the show. Instead of standing, he slithered down her body, kissing a path over her breasts, ribcage and stomach before nuzzling her inner thigh. He inhaled deeply, his strong hands gripping her inner thighs and forcing them wide.
The position would have had her squirming with self-consciousness the first night she’d boarded his plane. After everything they’d experienced, she was more than willing to pose however he wanted and trust anything he requested. When it came to Ian, she wasn’t about to be a foolish woman. He’d deliver.
Kissing her thigh, Ian let out a slow breath. “Will you do something for me?”
“Yes,” she answered immediately. He could ask for anything and she’d do it.
“Touch yourself while I get undressed.” Before she could even move he grabbed her hand and drew it down between her legs. “Don’t hold back. I want to see what you do when you’re alone. When you’re thinking of my cock. I want to see exactly what works for you.”
“As if you don’t know.”
“Your orgasms were hot every time, Elizabeth. But the right setting can help anyone get there.” He stood fully and pulled his shirt off over his head.
Liz touched herself carefully. Having him watch while she could see him undress was pretty hot. She was already wet.
“A fantasy. Attraction. New situations and erotic options can help us get where we need to be,” he continued and hooked his thumbs into his pajama bottoms. “But it’s not the same as what we can do for ourselves. What we wish every lover would know.”
True. Hell, every single woman’s finger was her best friend. But she didn’t want to go into full-tilt rabbit mode either. She wanted to enjoy and savor this.
Liz bit her lip while she stroked her clit. Fuck. Having him watch was over the top. “Then you should know that I want you.”
He tossed his pajamas aside and dug through the nightstand next to the bed for a condom. After tearing the foil package and rolling it into place, he knelt between her legs. “Maybe.”
Maybe? Was he insane? She was shivering she needed it so bad. “Definitely.”
He smiled and eased her up farther on his bed. “I don’t doubt you. But if you were being honest, you’d ask me to eat you first. You’d like a hot, rough tongue, moving the same way your finger is. Wouldn’t you?”
“Yes and no.” She tried for honesty. She wanted his tongue, his finger, his cock… To hell with it, she just wanted to get off.
“Yes, because you want this.” He grasped her inner thighs roughly and licked from her channel to her clit. He repeated the action, sucking, licking, teasing until she grasped the bed sheets in a white-knuckle grip. Then he sat up and pressed the head of his cock to her opening. Jerking her hips up for easier access, he drove himself bag deep. “No, because you want this too. You want it all and I’m going to give it to you.”
He eased out of her body only to thrust back in. Grabbing her hand and making her touch herself again, he gave no quarter, pumping hard as long as she didn’t stop.
The pressure built. Her body was liquefying with each touch, thrust and glide of skin on skin. “Ian.”
“I know, baby.” He stopped long enough to tuck one of the pillows under the small of her back. Without either of them having to hold her up and open for his onslaught, the pace intensified. “Come for me.”
She was close, but he was closer. He pumped, in a way that told her he was lost. This was a race she couldn’t lose. Whether she came or not, the sensations were incredible. Watching him, knowing what her body did to him, being able to give him a moment of relief was enough.
When he came, it was amazing. Without the barrage of her own orgasm, she could focus on him, the way he growled, the tight lines of his neck, the flexed muscles of his chest. She’d always found him insanely sexy, but this was debilitating.
Her pussy clenched hard, and he groaned, shoving deep with a forceful shudder. She’d been left unsatisfied before, but it had never felt like this. Her body was relaxed and sated instead of wired and begging for her to run to a quiet place and ease the ache.
Tonight, she’d done just what she’d set out to do. She’d given him a fraction of the pleasure he’d given her in the weeks they’d been together. Now maybe she could say goodbye. Now maybe she would feel okay with how they’d ended. Having him walk away knowing he’d overheard her admission to Cain hadn’t sat right. But this memory… She was okay if he left on this note.
“You blow my mind at every turn,” he said, pre
ssing kisses along her jaw. “Thank you for being amazing from start to finish.”
She nodded as he rolled over and went to find them a towel to clean up with. As always, she watched every move he made, memorizing the details of his body, from the scar on the back of his thigh to the dimple in his left butt cheek. The certainty of his stride and the sinful glances he kept shooting her way would be burned into her mind forever.
Damn, but the first few Texas nights were going to be cold ones compared to this heat. She was a big girl, but she’d love to throw an all-out tantrum and demand he stay.
Problem was, that wasn’t how she was raised. Life threw out all kinds of funny little curveballs, and a person just had to swing away and hope for a good hit. She’d given it her all. She’d swung her bat. Home runs didn’t compare to what she’d attained in a few short, magical weeks. Now the fantasy was over. Reality was forcing its way back into the mix. And just like she’d told Cain, she’d manage this goodbye without Ian ever seeing her quiver.
That was who she was. That was what he needed right now. She was a stronger, more experienced person because of her time with Ian. And she was proud of who she’d become. It was well past time she’d learned about something outside of Texas.
After they’d cleaned up, he refused to let her put on her nightshirt and pulled her back against his chest. Liz eased into the embrace. His lips caressed her shoulder blade, the beat of his heart hammering against her back. So many nights they’d spent in this position…
“Tell me one of your stories, Elizabeth.”
The request wasn’t new. He’d asked the same so many nights, she’d become used to it. Habits were hard to break, but now, as they flew closer and closer to Texas, she had to do what she’d never done. She’d just shared her past before, but this time, she had to dig for the right memory. It couldn’t be sad and it couldn’t be too happy. This story had to relate to what she felt.
“In high school, my best friend was Alicia Barlow. We’d been friends since grammar school. Maybe before that, I can’t remember. It was our senior year and we were on our way home from the last softball game of the season. It was hot as blazes and we were almost to Frog’s Leap Pond. We only had our softball uniforms and regular clothes with us, but we figured if no one was there we’d jump in, cool off, and be out in seconds. I think we both knew it would probably be the last time we would swim there together. She was going off to college in Arkansas, somewhere still on the Bible Belt but too far for visiting often.
“We shucked our clothes and jumped in like we’d done a million times over the years. We weren’t in the water more than a minute when we heard vehicles on the other side of the pond. Lights kicked through the trees and hoots and hollers took over the silence. We didn’t know what to do. We headed for shore, but by the time we reached it, about ten of the local baseball players were standing on the opposite embankment, watching us swim. They were less than fifty yards away. High visibility.”
“How dark was it?” He yawned against her back.
“So close to dusk we could taste it.” She laughed, reliving the memory as she told it. “We figured we’d wait it out a few minutes and sneak off.”
“No luck?” he asked, his voice low and sleepy.
Liz closed her eyes and controlled her breathing as his arm tightened around her midsection. They’d slept like this any number of nights, but tonight, she felt confined by the last time sensation.
“No,” she pushed on, refusing the sadness. “Alicia let out an awful screech and pretty well came unspun. She was on the shore and doing a little pain jig before I knew what was happening. When I realized she’d been bitten by a snapper, I was out as well. Alicia was—outspoken. She ran her mouth, and the guys decided to stay and watch the show. There were photos, thankfully not very clear, and some serious ribbing for months after.”
His breathing had eased and she rolled slowly until she faced him. His eyes were closed. A slight twitch in his left leg signaled he’d fallen asleep. With another man, she might have been insulted. Not with Ian. The night had been everything, and more, than she’d hoped for. It was the perfect goodbye. Watching him sleep was all she could ask for. They had less than six hours together, and his lack of awareness gave her the one tiny moment she hoped for.
“How am I going to fall asleep without you?” she whispered against his skin. Running her fingers through his hair, she kissed his eyebrows. “I’m not falling in love with you, Ian. I do love you. And hell’s bells am I ever gonna miss you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Holy fuck, he’d fallen asleep on her.
In the middle of a funny story.
After he’d fucked the shit out of her…
He was a piece of shit.
Or a lucky son of a bitch, since she was still in his bed, snuggled so close his cock was acutely aware of the proximity.
Yeah. Definitely POS material.
Her hot hand slid across his waist to pull him closer. Her lips pressed to his chest. “Is it time?”
The breathy sleep-infused question made him groan.
“We’re close.” He tried to ease back. She was offering so much, when in her words, he had nothing to offer but his taillights in the rearview. “Get some sleep, Elizabeth.”
She kissed his skin several times in that slow, sultry way that drove him crazy. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
She eased her leg upward until her inner thigh pressed against the length of his cock. No fucking way was he letting her make him into the lust-filled idiot he’d been less than an hour ago. If she wanted this, he was going to make it an all-out assault on every sense she possessed and brand himself into every corner of her brain.
Rolling her to her back, he sat up between her legs and reached for a condom. Smoothing the barrier over his erection, he leaned forward and kissed her slowly as he entered her. Bracing an elbow next to her head, he cupped her face and kissed her. He didn’t move, even when she shifted to try and take more. “Don’t rush it,” he whispered against her mouth. “For once, let’s take it slow.”
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. He could see the questions in her eyes. To her credit, she merely nodded, and Ian let out a slow breath. He’d dodged a bullet, and he wasn’t foolish enough not to capitalize on the get-out-of-jail-free card. He never could have explained his actions, so he concentrated on touching every inch of skin he could reach instead.
He played his fingers over her curves until goose bumps rose in his wake. After long moments, he started moving deep inside her, concentrating on her sighs and moans, the way her fingers dug into his shoulders and back. She responded so openly, it was easy to determine what she wanted and what she liked. But this time, unlike so many others before it, he was determined to drag it out until the last possible moment.
He’d been with her enough times to know her legs trembled and her nails bit deeper when she was getting close. Tonight, instead of taking advantage of those signs, he used them to slow the pace and prolong the sweet torture.
It was fucking hot to watch her, the way she bit her lip, squeezed her eyes shut or arched her spine to take a bit more than what he was giving. He lost himself in the play, rimming his cock tightly several times with his thumb and finger to stave off the urge to pound into her tight pussy until he exploded. It would be a pleasure-pain bite when he did come, but it would be worth every second if he could get her to the point of mindlessness. Maybe more than once…
The thought was almost his undoing, and he withdrew. She cried out, trying to draw him back. “What’s wrong?”
He smiled and made her roll to her stomach. She didn’t ask anything else when he propped her sinful ass up so he could thrust inside her again. Her hands clutched the pillow tight. He knew she liked it this way. She came fastest when she was wound up and he fucked her from behind. Problem was, she was quick to reach down and play with his balls. To stop her, h
e pinned both her wrists to the pillows and rocked into her.
Taking this position was a test of wills. It set him off as well, but he was determined to see her through an orgasm or two before he let himself come. This was it. This was their end. He was going to make every second they had count.
“Ian,” she cried.
Yeah. He knew. Fuck, she was tight. Pulling almost completely out, he drove deep over and over until she was begging him not to stop. His balls tightened and he tried to think of anything but his cock and how well her inner muscles milked him. Grasping her hair, he pulled gently, forcing her to take him until she was breathless, crying out, her walls clamping around him in a brutal grip.
He grinned. That was one orgasm. Three sounded like a good number for goodbye. Rolling her to her back again, he kissed her between their harsh breaths. Her eyes widened as he entered her again, and as much as he planned to show her, in the only way he could, that she was amazing and special, he couldn’t make the POS portion of his brain behave. He wanted to make love to her until there was no way she could ever be with another lover without the thought of his touch invading her.
Liz wrapped her legs around his and growled. He was driving her insane. She’d boarded his plane weeks ago, and it had been nothing but sensual, erotic orgasms from liftoff. Tonight, he was going to make her lose her mind. The pulses of her orgasm had barely died and he was ready for more.
He was holding back for some reason. Waiting. For what, she didn’t know. He’d never denied his own pleasure in their sexual encounters, and the fact that he was doing so now bothered her. Where was her hard-body fuck guru?
They only had a little time left, and she was baffled by his control. She’d come to him for a last moment, a peace treaty because she’d fucked up a great contract. Instead of peace, she was receiving an all-out war on her mind and body.
Every touch stoked the fire in her belly a little hotter. She wasn’t sure what he wanted from her, and her bag of sexual tricks was depleted, both old and newly learned. Everything she’d ever known from him as a lover was thrown out the window tonight. He didn’t react like she’d come to expect, and he certainly wasn’t showing any signs of flagging from his marathon session.
