One Wish

by Cathryn Fox

  When his lips grazed her neck, moving down to her collarbone and then to the top of her breast, following the trail his fingers had blazed previously, she closed her eyes and let go of all inhibition. His mouth reached her areola and his tongue swirled around the puckered flesh, not touching her nipple, but making it hard nonetheless. The mere thought of Luke's mouth on such a sensitive area did a wicked number on her insides.

  "I can't believe I was going to pass this up tonight,” she said in a breathy tone that surprised her.

  "Mm, I was seriously aching for you earlier,” he admitted.

  "And now?"

  His head lifted and his beautiful, ocean-blue eyes locked with hers. “And now it's even worse."

  "Really?"

  "Yes,” he whispered as his head dropped again and his tongue went back to work on her breast, teasing the underside until her fingers twined in his sandy-brown hair and she held his head in place, willing him to move just a wee bit north.

  "Luke,” she urged. Her back arched and his hand slid between her and the bed. His powerful arm crushed her to him, pressing her naked body against his.

  Then his head lifted just enough so that his tongue could swipe her hard nipple.

  Jillian gasped as sharp pinpricks of desire targeted every erogenous zone she possessed, heightening her arousal. Luke's tongue flicked the taut peak of her breast, making Jillian squirm in his arms. A soft moan escaped her parted lips as his mouth covered her and he drew the tight bud inside, surrounding it with warmth and moisture.

  His free hand covered her other breast and his fingers toyed with the nipple as his mouth continued to suck and tease its partner.

  Jillian had not forgotten the incredible things Luke could do to her body. It didn't matter how much time spanned between their erotic trysts. The months, days, hours melted away when they were together. And time seemed to stand still for them as they enjoyed each other's bodies, brought each other pleasure.

  And for Jillian, that was what mattered the most. Because when all was said and done, she knew that she and Luke shared a special, intimate bond. If it was indefinable and confusing at times. Even if it wasn't perfect and didn't fit the mold of a normal relationship. When she was with Luke, she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they belonged to each other.

  And knowing made Jillian all the more aroused. She was hot and restless, in need of Luke. No other man could ever quell the desire inside her. No other man would ever feed her passion and tame it.

  Only Luke.

  Her arms wrapped around his neck and her body lifted off the mattress, pushing up against his. Luke's powerful thigh rested between her parted legs and he moved it slowly, until Jillian was almost riding it, grinding against him, desperate for relief.

  Her pulse kicked up several notches. Luke continued to drive her wild with his mouth and hand on her breast. Her fingertips pressed into his strong biceps as she restlessly writhed beneath him. When he relinquished her nipple and his mouth sought hers, she kissed him with the kind of reckless abandon that surely conveyed her deep-seated desire.

  His hands roamed her body, one of them skimming over her hip to her backside. It moved lower to her thigh and hitched her leg up, draping it over his waist. His fingers then eased along her flesh, back to her cheek and lower until the tips grazed her swollen lips.

  Her mouth tore away from his as fire roared through her every inch of her. “Luke!” She pressed the apex of her legs to his thigh, certain she could orgasm with just that slight bit of pressure. And she just might have, if Luke hadn't shifted away from her.

  His hand moved to her front side. It flattened against her belly, then slid down to the wet flesh between her legs. He stroked her outer folds slowly, making her hot ter, wetter.

  When his finger slipped inside her, her inner wells clenched tightly around him. She felt her climax build, knew it would take so very little effort on Luke's part to spark it. Just being this close to him, having him touch her so intimately and whisper erotic words in her ear was enough to set her off.

  "Don't stop,” she said as he slid another finger inside her and pumped them in and out, pushing deeper and deeper each time. “Oh, God that feels so good.” He was scratching an inch long neglected and she couldn't even begin to stave off the wonderful feelings he evoked.

  As he thrust deeper inside her, the pad of his thumb rubbed her clit. Within seconds, all of the sensations converged and exploded. Jillian cried out, not the least bit mindful that she had a guest across the way. An entire living room separated her and Luke from Sera, so she didn't feel inclined to keep her vocals at a low level. Not that she had any control over the decibels. Luke excited her beyond restraint and decorum.

  As the sensations ebbed a bit, she fought for a full breath. Luke's hand moved from between her legs to his thick shaft.

  Fire blazed in his eyes as he gazed down at her. “I want you so much, Jilly,” he said in a low, sexy voice. It was a bit raspy, as though her orgasm affected him the way it did her.

  "Top drawer,” she managed to say, reminding him of where she kept the condoms.

  He rolled away briefly, then returned to her, fully sheathed. “I've missed you."

  The intensity in his blue eyes, which deepened in color as their interlude progressed, took her by surprise. Jillian's heart did an odd little flip. Normally, she kept herself detached enough to keep that part of her body off limits to Luke. But tonight ... There was something raw and palpable in his gaze, in his words. She could feel their meaning-his sincerity-deep within her. It stirred her soul, made her gasp for air.

  Luke grinned at her. “Don't wilt on me. This isn't the first time I've told you I've missed being with you."

  "No, but...” It was the first time she'd really heard the words. The first time she'd actually let them mean something to her. Sure, Luke had doled out plenty of sweet pillow talk in the seven years they'd been doing this dance, but never once had she really bought into those words.

  Tonight, however, was a different story. She couldn't say for sure what had changed or why. Was it because Sera had called her mean when Jillian had snapped at her? Was she feeling guilty over her lack of compassion these days? Her inability to really open up and let people in?

  Or was it just Luke?

  The way he was looking at her, with the heat and desire flashing in his eyes, could be what was sparking all these crazy emotions.

  And they weren't just sexually related. No. Jillian felt so much more tonight. Everything she'd always felt for Luke-which she'd kept locked away for so long-suddenly came to the surface. Only she felt it on a totally different level. Like it was magnified ten times over.

  She felt ... liberated. Free. As though she could actually say and do whatever she wanted tonight, with no repercussions. No regrets.

  It was as though...

  "Sera,” she whispered.

  "Huh?” Luke's head bobbed up from where he'd once again been attending to her breast.

  Jillian rolled her eyes heavenward. “Nothing,” she said on a groan. She'd figured out the source of her sudden “liberation."

  A little genie named Serafina.

  The girl from the decrepit clay pot had done something to her-cast a spell or whatever to make Jillian let her defenses down with Luke.

  As Jillian gave some thought to this, Luke went back to business. His mouth traveled over her stomach and down to her still tingling, still aching, still wet mound. As his tongue teased her clit, she forgot all about Sera and the genie's tricks. Instead, she lost herself completely in the exquisitely wonderful sensations that consumed her.

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  One Wish: Chapter 5

  Luke wasn't sure what was different tonight. He couldn't put his finger on when Jillian had flipped the switch to her emotions, but when she rolled on top of him and looked him right in the eye, he knew something inside her had shifted.

  Her hand slid down the length of his shaft and his body trembled at the intimate
touch. As she hovered above him, using the tip of his cock to stroke and tease her clit, he felt the need inside him well up to an almost unbearable degree. His eyes locked with Jillian's. Her silver-blue pools glowed softly, seductively in the moonlight that streamed in through the slits of the window blinds. She stared intently at him, not breaking the eye contact as she was prone to do when things got too hot between them. Too intense. Too ... personal.

  Jillian didn't seem to mind letting things get personal tonight. In fact, if Luke wasn't mistaken, she was making this encounter personal.

  As she eased down onto him, drawing the tip of his cock into her warm, wet depths, she kept her gaze locked with his. Her eyes shimmered with something dazzling and enticing. Entrancing. As though Jillian was finally inviting him into her heart.

  Luke's grip on her hips tightened at the thought. If Jillian was finally reaching out to him, finally letting him in...

  His pulse kicked up a few notches. From the day he'd met Jillian in Algebra class, he'd found her intriguing and stimulating on so many levels. And he'd waited a hell of a long time to get inside her head ... and her heart.

  But tonight...

  "Jilly.” He whispered her name as she settled above him. His hands moved from her hips to the dip of her narrow waist. Their eyes remained locked and he said, “Say something. Anything."

  She smiled softly at him, her white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “You won't believe me."

  He sat up, forcing her arms to go around his neck. He wrapped his own arms around her waist, holding her close to him. His cock, buried deep inside her, pulsed and throbbed. He wanted to make love to her, but for the moment, just being this intimate with Jillian was more satisfying than anything he'd ever known.

  "Try me,” he whispered.

  She shook her head slowly. “It's very strange. I'd tell you if I could figure it out myself. But ... Suffice it to say ... Something's different tonight."

  He nodded. “Yeah. I noticed."

  One arm left his neck and she brushed away a stray lock of hair from his fore head. “I like it,” she said in a quiet voice. “This. Us. I like it."

  "Me, too."

  Her head dipped and her lips brushed his temple. He inhaled her soft, floral scent and let it stimulate his senses. “I feel like we were destined for this, Luke. Like it's been coming all these years and now ... here it is. Here we are. And it feels right. Perfect, in fact."

  "That it does, sweetheart.” Luke had never known such bliss. “What took us so long?"

  "I don't know. Maybe we just needed...” She shook her head again and let out a soft laugh. “A little push."

  His brow furrowed. “How'd it happen?"

  Jillian's thumb eased over his brow, smoothing it. “Magic,” she whispered.

  Luke didn't dispute her words. He grinned at her, enjoying the heat of her skin against his, the nearness of her. “I like magic. It has perfect timing."

  Her lips pressed to his, just a brief moment before they both opened their mouths and she kissed him. As deeply as he would have kissed her-but Jillian, for the first time, took the lead. She took the initiative to push them higher, intensifying their mutual arousal with the kiss and the way she moved. Her body clenched him tight, holding his cock in a vice grip that made him ache for her all the more.

  "God, Jillian,” he groaned when she pulled away from him. “You've never kissed me like that."

  She smiled. “I've never felt like this. Luke,” she said in a compelling tone. “I want you more than I've ever wanted you before."

  He groaned. He untangled his arms from her and sprawled back on the bed. Jillian's palms pressed to his chest as she began to move above him. Luke's eyes devoured her as her breasts rose and fell with her excitement. The rosy nipples were hard and they beckoned him, making him want to tease them tighter. But his hands were clenched at her waist, holding Jillian in place as her body rocked against his. Her long, light brown hair was still bound, for the most part, by a pink band that matched the top she'd worn earlier. Strands of silky hair escaped the ponytail, though, and framed her beautiful face and brushed her collarbone.

  Her beauty was surpassed only by the intriguing sensuality she emitted, which drew him in, making him hotter than ever before. Jillian was like a drug. Intoxicating, addictive.

  As they moved together in a steady rhythm, his cock buried deep within her warm depths, Luke fell even further under her mystical spell. The way her eyelids fluttered closed and her full, wet lips parted, a soft moan escaping them, turned him inside out. He forced himself not to thrust up into her, not to lose control. She liked the wave they rode and he didn't want to spoil this intimate moment. This erotic bond.

  He let her lead them. Her inner walls clenched him tight as her hips undulated in a slow, seductive dance. His body had ached for hers for far too long. Only Jillian could fulfill his needs and satisfy his deepest desires.

  Luke's hands loosened on her waist and his fingertips skimmed her heated flesh. The silky texture beneath the pads of his fingers was as enticing as the velvety feel of the tight pussy that sheathed him. His palms eased slowly up her sides, over her rib cage. He cupped her breasts and grazed the hard nipples with his thumbs. Jillian's pace quickened, as though keeping time with her escalated breathing and mounting pleasure.

  "This feels so good,” she whispered.

  Luke's response was to slide his hands to her back and coax her down on top of him, so her breasts pressed to his chest. His mouth sought hers and he kissed her hungrily, knowing he conveyed the emotions and intense need that welled up inside him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him. All the while he moved inside her.

  Jillian didn't shy away from the challenge he presented. In fact, she upped the ante by gyrating against him, forcing him to increase the tempo. She lifted just slightly off of him and he thrust up into her, making her gasp from the pleasure that rocketed through her body, which he felt when she trembled. He pumped in and out of her, reveling in the feel of her, and savoring the sound of every moan and sharp breath she sucked in as he pushed her closer and closer to completion.

  "Jillian,” he whispered her name in a hoarse voice. His heart thumped in his chest and his pulse raced. He could feel his own orgasm cresting, and it took all his inner strength to keep it at bay. Until Jillian took him into the hilt and exploded all around him.

  She cried out his name and it was all Luke could do not to hammer himself deeper into her.

  "Oh, God,” she moaned. Her tone was low and throaty. Sexy as hell. It did Luke in.

  A moment later, he came.

  "Yes,” she whispered in his ear. “That feels so good."

  Erotic spasms rocked his body for a few intensely pleasurable moments. Jillian squeezed him tighter, milking him, until his orgasm began to ebb.

  Luke lay in her bed, his breath coming in hard pulls, his cock pulsing inside her, his emotions raging like never before.

  And above the quiet din of the ceiling fan, he said, “I love you, Jillian."

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  One Wish: Chapter 6

  The most enticing smells wafted under Jillian's nose in the wee hours of the morning. She cracked an eye open and consulted the digital clock on the bedside table. Five a.m.

  Jillian couldn't remember the last time she'd been awake at five, couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen the sun rise. She usually didn't get home until one and slept until nine. She was in the saloon by noon, which didn't leave a hell of a lot of time for anything else in her life.

  Including breakfast.

  She inched away from Luke, who had a firm grip on her as they spooned. Sitting up, she pushed strands of hair from her face and tried to reconcile the thoughts that ran rampant through her mind. On the one hand, she wanted very much to wake Luke and make love again. On the other hand...

  Her stomach growled and she stifled a giggle. She was starving. And the aroma that filled her house was just too tempting to pass up.r />
  Carefully slipping off the bed so as not to wake Luke, she scooped up his discarded T-shirt and pulled it on. She left her room and made her way to the kitchen.

  Fresh coffee-real, live, honest to God coffee from her cheap coffeemaker-reminded her that she'd once been a morning person. Lord, how she'd loved the smell of breakfast permeating every nook and cranny of the house she'd grown up in.

  As a child, Jillian had been surrounded by family. Her parents had been happily married and they'd doted on Jillian. Aunt Fae and Uncle Pete had lived next door, and they were at the house for breakfast or dinner several times a week.

  But the cozy house of her childhood-her parents’ house, which had passed to her following the car accident that had claimed both their lives-had ceased to exist long ago. For too long, it had become an impersonal prison. Too large for one person. Too empty. Too cold.

  Yet this morning ... Everything was different. Jillian could almost hear the laughter and happy voices from her past that had filled the kitchen. As she entered the large room, she was transported back in time. The memories she'd repressed for so many years now blazed a trail to the forefront of her mind, bringing tears to her eyes.

  But Jillian wasn't sad. In fact, she was happier than she'd been in years.

  As she sidled up to the breakfast bar, Sera carefully placed strips of bacon in a hot frying pan. She then moved to the electric griddle Jillian hadn't seen in eons-and had even forgotten she owned-and flipped the six pancakes that cooked on the coated metal top. She turned to face Jillian, a perky smile on her pretty face.

  "I haven't done this in a while, so ... sorry about the small disaster I've created."

  Jillian took stock of the mess that was her kitchen and shrugged. “Can't complain, now can I? Everything looks great and it smells ... heavenly."

  This seemed to please Sera. She reached for the carafe on the coffeemaker and poured Jillian a cup. Handing it over, she asked, “Does Luke drink coffee?"

  This question-so innocent, yet so significant-took Jillian by surprise. “Um. I don't know.” They'd never spent a morning together. He was always gone by the time she woke.