by J. S. Scott
Two days later, Jason scowled at the shirt on the bed, one that Hope had bought him on her shopping expedition. He loved the hiking boots she’d gotten him, and his woman had been considerate enough to treat them with some water-resistant spray, but he wasn’t wearing a damn Broncos t-shirt. He picked up the orange and blue cotton shirt as if it were a poisonous snake. “I’m not wearing this shirt.” Hope was in the kitchen, making some breakfast before they went out hiking, and he bellowed loud enough for her to hear him.
She was at the doorway of the bedroom a few seconds later. Jason immediately got as hard as a rock as she looked him up and down. Her eyes lingered on his bare chest. “Hmm…that’s too bad. Personally, I don’t find anything sexier than a man wearing a Broncos shirt. You’d look very hot. I’m not sure I could keep my hands off you.” She sighed, sounded beleaguered, and walked back to the kitchen.
Fuck! He was so going to wear the damn shirt after that comment.
Yanking it over his head, he pulled the stupid thing down to cover the waistband of his jeans. If he was going to look hotter to Hope, he’d probably do just about anything. Yeah, he knew she was manipulating him, but he didn’t give a shit. Making Hope happy and keeping her turned on had become his primary mission in life.
They’d rarely gotten out of bed in the last few days, and had left the house only once so he could take her out to dinner at the resort. The food had been excellent, but all Jason had been able to think about was the low-cut bodice of her sexy red dress, the amount of exposed skin that he wanted to explore with his hands and mouth. He had even skipped a chocolate dessert when Hope refused anything for her own dessert course, not able to get her back to the house and into bed fast enough for his liking.
He scowled at the credit card Hope had left on the dresser of the bedroom, unused. She’d paid for everything herself on her shopping trip, a fact that both touched him and irritated him at the same time. He wanted to take care of her, give her whatever she wanted. Most women would have taken the card and charged until it was maxed out, which might have taken some time. His limits weren’t exactly average. But not Hope. Hell, no! She hadn’t used it at all, but left it quietly on the dresser. Sure, she had money, but he had a hell of a lot more, and she wasn’t exactly maximizing her income from her inheritance. He jerked his wallet out of the back pocket of his jeans and jammed the card in just a little too hard. Receipts and business cards fluttered to the carpet. Snatching them up, he put them back into his wallet and headed out to the kitchen. His stomach growled as he scented bacon.
Jesus. Hope could cook.
It had to be a skill she’d acquired after she’d left home. She certainly hadn’t been taught by her useless mother. Jason’s gut ached just from thinking about Hope spending her adolescent years with a mother who didn’t want her. Most of her life had to have been lonely, even though she had her brothers.
Just like mine.
He was a stupid bastard, waiting to go after the one woman in his life who he really wanted. And now that he had her, Jason was terrified of losing her again. That couldn’t happen, wouldn’t happen. He needed to come clean about his plan to marry her, tell her that he’d lied.
She’ll hate me.
After she’d spilled her guts about her past to him, guilt had gnawed at his insides about not telling her the entire truth. The only thing that stopped him was fear, a powerful silencer. If Hope knew, he was afraid he’d never have a chance of keeping her forever, which was exactly what he planned to do. The two-week thing was complete bullshit, and he knew it. He’d waited for Hope for what seemed like forever. He was doing his best to get her addicted to him, to them being together. Christ knew he was a complete and total Hope junkie. He couldn’t let her out of his sight for very long without having severe withdrawals.
How am I going to deal with her career?
If he wanted her to give it up, she’d be unhappy if she did. However, he couldn’t let her throw herself toward danger either. Maybe they could compromise; he’d go with her wherever she needed to go and make damn certain she was safe.
If she forgives me. If she’ll actually stay with me.
By God, she would, even if he had to kidnap her sweet ass again. He wasn’t living without her anymore. Her refusal to stay married to him was not an acceptable outcome.
Mine. She’s Hope Sutherland now, and she belongs to me.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw her bustling around near the stove, and he was as stunned as he always was every time he saw her in the same house as him. Her fiery hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and it swayed as she moved gracefully, efficiently around the room.
Jason was mesmerized by her, fascinated by every move she made. His eyes watched her shapely ass as she bent over to pick something up off the floor.
Oh, hell no. She’s never going anywhere. Not without me.
His heart thundered against his chest wall, and his palms got sweaty just from thinking about her leaving him.
Not happening.
“Good morning,” Hope said cheerfully as she turned around and spotted him. “You’re wearing the shirt. You definitely look like the sexiest man alive,” she purred as she sidled up next to him and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
Jason grinned. He couldn’t help himself. Hope was managing him, and he was completely on to her machinations. But she was so darn adorable that he wasn’t about to call her on it. Nope. He wanted to hear her call him sexy, and he’d do whatever it took for him to hear it. Yep…he was just that pathetic when it came to her.
He would have snatched her up if she didn’t have a hot pancake turner in her hand. Because she did, he settled for what he could get. “What’s for breakfast?” He was getting spoiled, and more than likely, he’d need a very long hike after he ate.
“Bacon, eggs, and double chocolate pancakes with Reese’s chocolate syrup.” She waved her pancake turner and gestured for him to sit as she loaded a plate for him.
Jason salivated. “They have double chocolate pancakes?” He hoped she wasn’t messing with him.
“It’s a recipe I got off the Internet. It’s decadent, but knowing you and chocolate, I think you’ll like it,” she teased as she set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. “Eat these while I finish up the pancakes.”
“You’re ruining me,” he told her honestly as he dove into his bacon and eggs, famished.
He knew she wasn’t joking with him about the pancakes. He could smell the chocolate now.
“It’s nice,” she replied, her back to him at the stove. “I like to cook, but it’s more fun when I have someone to share it with.”
Her comment sucker punched him straight in the gut. He couldn’t see anything but her backside, but he could hear the vulnerability in her voice. There was no way she wanted him the same way he had to have her, but his heart soared at the thought that she wanted to be with him, liked being with him outside the bedroom. He wanted her to share every space in his life. “Baby, have all the fun you want. I’ll be here,” he replied roughly as he realized how much he wanted to be everything to her. His life had been just as lonely as hers, maybe more, and only Hope had taken away the restlessness, the emptiness that consumed him sometimes. He needed her more than he needed to take his next breath, and he knew it.
She took his empty plate and slid another one in front of him. His stomach rumbled as he eyed the stack of chocolate pancakes that dripped with chocolate syrup, topped with tiny bites of Reese’s on the top. After she set two mugs of coffee on the table, she sat across from him with a much smaller stack for herself.
“Holy Christ. Are these for real?” Jason could smell the tantalizing scent of chocolate and peanut butter, and his mouth watered.
“Let me know if you like them,” she said with a knowing smile. “It’s the first time I’ve tried these.”
Jason didn’t hesitate to pick up a fork and dig into the chocolate fantasy, and groaned as he took his first bite. “Amazing,” he said between bites, near
ly inhaling the stack of pancakes.
Hope ate hers slowly, appearing to savor each bite. “Mmm…almost better than sex,” she purred as she licked her fork.
Jason glared at her. “Sweetheart, these are incredible, but nothing is better than sex with you.” Okay, she had said “almost” but he still wasn’t mollified. He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth, to watch her pink tongue lick the chocolate from the utensil.
Jesus! When did watching her lick chocolate become an erotic experience?
She swiped her tongue over the fork one more time, and closed her eyes, a blissful look on her face. “I’m done,” she declared and dropped the fork on her empty plate. “I really like the syrup.”
Jason shoved the last bite of pancakes into his mouth as he watched her. Damned if she didn’t swipe her index finger across the plate, place it in her mouth, and sucked hungrily at the chocolate-covered digit slowly.
His dick pulsated, strained against the denim that kept it confined. “Sweetheart, if you do that one more time, I’m going to give you something else to put in your mouth covered in chocolate, something a hell of a lot bigger than your finger,” he growled. His imagination ran wild.
Her eyes flew open and she gave him an innocent look. “Chocolate-covered Jason?” Her eyes grew sultry and met his with a bold look. “Yummy.”
She’d gotten him hot and bothered on purpose, and Jason loved it. The fact that she was becoming a damn seductress, so blatantly sexual with him, made him crazed. She trusted him.
Jason’s heart pounded as she rose from her chair; her hips swayed as she moved to the cupboard, lifted a bowl from the countertop and slid it onto the table as she stood right in front of him. “Leftovers,” she told him in a low, I dare you voice that had Jason on his feet in less than a second.
He yanked at her t-shirt and pulled it over her head. The garment had barely hit the ground before he divested her of the rest of her clothes, frantic to have her naked.
“Jason, I don’t think—”
“Don’t think,” he demanded as he surveyed her standing in front of him, naked. “And don’t play with a fire unless you plan on putting out the flames, woman.”
“Fine. Get naked.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “I was actually planning on using that chocolate syrup on you.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice. Jason undressed as she stood there and watched him, almost as if she was amazed that he was actually stripping. When he was nude, his cock at full attention and begging for relief, he grinned at her.
Hope might be fearless, but she still looked uncertain due to her inexperience. That made him even hotter. She could tease the hell out of him any time, and he’d show her how to satiate both their needs. He dipped his hand into the bowl and drizzled the warm, liquid chocolate onto her shoulders, smeared some over her neck before he swiped a generous amount over each of her hardened nipples. He let it drop onto her belly and then rubbed it onto her inner thighs and all over her pussy. “Chocolate-covered Hope.” He made a low, reverberating sound as he covered her lips with his chocolate saturated fingers. “I think this just became my favorite fucking fantasy.”
She looked up at him as he smeared chocolate on her lips slowly. Their eyes locked as she opened her mouth and sucked on one of his fingers. Her eyes darkened with desire.
Jason groaned as her tongue swirled over his fingers and licked away the excess chocolate from one finger at a time. She dipped her hand into the bowl and mimicked his actions: swiped chocolate over his lips, down his torso and finally wrapped her chocolate drenched fingers around his cock.
He almost came the moment she wrapped her warm fingers around him. Between watching her suck on his fingers and feeling her warm touch on his cock, he knew he was on the edge. “Hope,” he said warningly. He pulled his fingers from the warm haven of her mouth and lowered his head to suck the chocolate from the delicate flesh of her neck. Jason nipped and sucked hard as she moaned and then moved her head to the side to give him better access. He was losing control, and he knew he was definitely going to leave his mark on her, but her breathy pants of pleasure spurred him on. As he moved down her body, he licked chocolate from every inch of her skin and bit gently on each nipple as he laved the chocolate from each breast. The combination of chocolate and Hope made him lose his mind.
Hope reached out and braced her hands on his shoulders as he dropped to his knees and swirled his tongue over her belly. She sunk to her knees with a strangled moan before he could completely finish cleaning the warm skin of her abdomen. Tackling him to the floor, she straddled his legs, her mouth voracious as she lapped at his chest and licked her way down his body.
Jason savored the feel of her lips all over him, closed his eyes and shuddered as her tongue moved over his stomach. If she touched his cock, he was a goner. Sitting up, he lifted her bodily, pulled her to him, covered her mouth with his, and devoured her. His sticky hands released her ponytail and fisted her hair as he branded her as his, losing control as he swept his tongue into her mouth and held her head still to take him. He growled as she speared her hands into his hair, leaned her body into his and surrendered to his brutal possession.
They both came out of the kiss wild-eyed and feral. Erotic need vibrated through the air as he went to his knees, turned her around on his body, and fell back against the tile floor. He pulled her hips toward him until she straddled his face. Her palms came down next to his hips for balance; her mouth hovered over his cock. Jason could hear her whimper as he roughly sucked the chocolate from her inner thighs.
“Oh, God. Jason,” she mewled. Her heavy, hot breath wafted over his cock.
He completely lost it as her tongue circled the head, catching on quickly to a position she’d never experienced before.
Fuck!
Knowing he’d come hard and fast, he dove between her thighs and groaned as her liquid heat consumed him. With a tight grasp of her ass, he pulled her down and buried his face in her pussy, lapped at a mixture of the confection he’d smeared on her and her arousal. She was slick, hot, and so damn delicious that he wasn’t gentle. His teeth bit gently on her clit; his tongue worked the tiny bundle of nerves like a madman.
He could feel her warm mouth gently suckle his balls, and then, to his surprise, she sunk her teeth into his upper thigh hard enough to leave a mark.
Jesus! She’s marking me just like I did to her neck.
The act was so damn carnal and possessive that Jason groaned into her hot flesh. The vibrations dragged a long moan from Hope as she took his cock completely into her mouth, owning it as she moved up and down on the shaft. Her slick hand wrapped around the root of it, unable to take his entire length.
Jason felt Hope’s body tremble, and her hips moved. He lifted his hand and slapped her ass hard to make her stop. He needed her pussy in his face, his tongue on her clit. He needed to feel her climax. Now. She moved again and he smacked her ass a second time, feeling the vibrations of her aroused moan around his cock. She knew exactly what he wanted—for her to stay still—and she asked for him to dominate every time she moved. Jason gave her exactly what she wanted, and as he slapped the cheeks of her ass one last time, he felt her body shudder. His tongue speared into her sheath and he could feel her muscles spasm. She moaned desperately around his cock as she climaxed, her strokes against his cock frenzied.
Jason grasped her hips, rubbed his entire face into her shivering folds as he found his own long, hard release and spilled himself into Hope’s throat as she continued to consume him.
The two of them lay there on the floor, bodies shivering in completion while they were wrapped together, neither one stopping until they were completely spent.
The kitchen was finally silent except for the sound of their heavy breathing. Hope rolled off his body so he could breathe, and he caught her around the waist to help her crawl up next to him before she collapsed on her belly.
“Best. Breakfast. Ever,” Jason said in a husky voice. His chest still rose and
fell rapidly.
Hope let out a breathless giggle next to him, and laughed harder as she caught her breath.
The sound of her laughter was infectious, and Jason roared with amusement. He pulled her sticky body on top of his.
“We’re a mess,” she snorted gleefully.
The kitchen floor was smeared with chocolate everywhere, and Hope’s hair and face still had remnants of the sticky sweet dotting her creamy skin. She still chortled with delight as their eyes met, hers filled with joy.
To Jason, she’d never looked more beautiful. He got to his feet and pulled her up beside him, wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to rub his nose against hers affectionately. He kissed her tenderly, savoring the feel of her in his arms.
As he pulled back, he could see a small red mark on her neck. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, remorseful as he traced a finger lightly over the spot.
“No,” she answered with a sated sigh. “I love it when you lose control.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “This morning was so…” She stopped, seemingly unable to find the right words.
“Kinky,” Jason finished with a wicked grin.
She nodded and smiled back at him.
“Sweetheart, you haven’t seen kinky yet,” he told her huskily.
Her eyes lit up. “There’s more?”
Jason laughed. Her enthusiastic look amused him. “A whole lot more.”
“You’ll teach me everything before you go?” she asked tentatively.
“Count on it,” he vowed forcefully. He wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was she. She was stuck with him, asshole or not, and he hated it whenever she mentioned separating. If he got his way, and he was determined he would, they’d have forever. “And I’m not going anywhere.” He tightened his arms around her convulsively.
Happy to finally have Hope in his arms, Jason was still full of regret and remorse. He was a fool not to have recognized how he felt about Hope years earlier, and he might have saved her from the horrifying trauma she’d gone through had he been honest with himself and with her. Fucking her wasn’t going to rid him of his restlessness or his loneliness. He needed her, but he had to have her in his life forever. He should never have lied to her, plotted for his own selfish reasons. All he could do was hope she’d forgive him, or she might as well rip his heart out and stomp it into the ground.
