Checkmate

by Kris Norris

  She nodded.

  He moved closer. “Your mother didn’t die after it all began, her death was the beginning. And the real reason Garrick wants you. In some way, he needs to replace what was taken from him that day. To atone for his sin.”

  She stifled a sob. “I suppose so.”

  Dawson nodded, his arms aching to hold her. She needed him, but he knew he’d pushed her too far. An unforgivable sin. “Try to sleep.” He moved to leave when she called to him.

  “Dawson?”

  “Yes?”

  She tried to answer, but only managed a sigh. Her hands were knotted together on her lap and her head was bowed against her chest.

  He sensed her anguish and sat down on the bed. “What is it?”

  She glanced at him, a swirl of emotions in her eyes, and he wasn’t certain if she was scared or sad. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Sorry for what?”

  “For not letting you in. I wanted to, but… I just don’t know how.”

  Forgiveness. It was there in her eyes, in the soft caress of her voice. She was giving him another chance, despite everything he’d done. His heart clenched, tears stung his eyes, but he fought them back. He shifted closer, dipping the bed with his weight. He wouldn’t let her down this time, not ever again. “If you trusted me enough, I could show you.” He reached out and touched her shoulder. Her skin was cool and damp, and he could feel she was shaking. “All you have to do is lower the walls.”

  “But if I do that, I won’t be strong enough to—”

  “You don’t need to be strong,” he interrupted. “I’ll be strong for you. All you need to do is let me love you.”

  He moved over, skimming his body against hers. He could feel her fighting, deciding. He waited. She had to come to him. He wouldn’t try to persuade her, not when he was convinced she’d never be able to rebuild the walls once he’d loved her.

  She clenched her teeth, her gaze finally meeting his. He heard her sigh as she placed her hands on his chest, her fingers vibrating with the strong beat of his heart. “I trust you enough,” she whispered.

  Dawson smiled as he felt the walls crumble. Like in the bedroom, her passion smothered him, pulling him under in a rush of need. “Kendall,” he said, cupping her chin in his hand. He raised her face to his, her lips brushing the curve of his neck. He growled deep in his chest. He had to stay in control. She needed tenderness, passion. This time, he’d show her how much she meant to him. How deep his love went.

  Kendall kissed his neck, running her tongue across his stubble, licking and nibbling as she inched her way up to his chin. Her movements were soft and gentle and he wasn’t sure he could survive another of her slow assaults. “This isn’t a trick, Dawson,” she said, her lips lingering next to his. “I’ve let you in. So please, make love to me.”

  “But I want it to be perfect. You deserve that.”

  “You’re the first man I’ve ever let inside the walls. How can it be anything but? In a sense, it’ll be my first time.”

  He groaned at the thought of that. He would be her first and her last.

  Kendall moaned as he took her lips in his. He started slow and gentle, teasing her with his tongue as it danced across hers. He could taste her hunger, her passion, as he increased his assault, pressing harder, deeper. He ravaged her mouth, twining them together, thrusting deep, suckling her tongue into his mouth, dining on it until his chest constricted and he gasped for air.

  He released, gazing down at her, smiling at the flush in her cheeks, the way her lips swelled from his kiss, still parted with the hope of his return. Her eyes were smoldering pools of deep blue water, darkening with the stormy heat of her desire. He could lose himself in those eyes, and probably would, but not until he’d shown her everything.

  He traced his fingers down her back, slipping them beneath her shirt. “I won’t take you, Kendall. You have to give yourself to me. All of you. So I can give you all of me.”

  She sobbed at his words, nuzzling her face into his neck. “As you wish,” she whispered, taking his mouth in hers.

  Dawson moaned into the kiss, feeling her tongue stroke his, laving it, drawing on it with slow, torturous pulses. She was teasing him again, hinting at what she wanted to do to him. How she planned on taking him within her mouth again, sucking on him until he filled her with his male essence. But he had other ideas. He pulled away, skimming his fingers across her skin, feeling it tingle beneath his touch, until he reached the edge of her tank, lifting the flimsy material over her head, gazing at the sultry shadows playing across her breasts. He remembered how sweet they’d tasted. How they’d hardened in his mouth, driven her to within reach of her release.

  He’d take her there again.

  “God, you’re so beautiful.” He traced his finger down her neck, tweaking her nipple. “I can’t wait to devour you.”

  He bent down, following the path of his finger until he reached her breast. He paused, blowing across the tip, watching it peak from his whispered breath.

  “Dawson!” She arched into his lips, pressing her nipple against his teeth, her hands fisting his hair.

  He accepted her gift, filling his mouth with her soft skin. He kept his touch gentle, laving at her nipple, coaxing it, sipping it, while he moved his hand to the other side, raking his thumb over the bud, plumping her breast with his fingers, palming her warm skin. He waited until she squirmed beneath him before switching sides, repeating his caress, nipping at the hard peak thickening in his mouth.

  “Oh God. Yes!”

  He looked up at her, his mouth still cupping her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her head thrown backward. She was panting, chanting his name, fighting the fire raging inside her. He smiled. He knew she’d fight it, prolong it. Make him work for his prize.

  He released, loving the way her body sagged back into the bed, urging him to follow. He leaned forward, stripping off his shirt as he moved over her, barring her shoulders with his arms. She looked dazed, still perched on the high precipice he’d taken her to, her body so sensitized any touch of her skin wrenched a moan from her lips.

  She sucked in a deep breath, skimming her fingers up his arms and across his chest. His skin tingled, enflamed by her sensual caress. She looked up at him, tracing his lips with a single finger.

  “Kendall.”

  “Shhh,” she hushed. “Let me make it good for you.”

  He laughed as she repeated his words, feeling her hands move back to his chest, drawing small circles around his nipples until his muscles clenched beneath her fingers. She was seducing him, taking control, swaying him from his original plan. He looked into her eyes, knowing she could see his desire darken his. The way her touch hitched his breath, made his pulse race. Even the mischievous grin on her face fueled his fire, tightening his sac, lengthening his erection until it strained against his pants.

  She glanced at his crotch, her face radiant. She reached forward, running her finger along the fly of his jeans, moaning as his cock twitched beneath her touch. Damn, if she didn’t release him soon he’d come in his jeans.

  “Kendall. Please, darling.”

  She smiled, brushing a tender kiss across his chest before returning his gaze, never straying from his face as she released the button and lowered the zipper. It took both hands to free him from his attire, but she watched his eyes the entire time, smiling at his reaction. He stifled a moan as she slipped a finger up his thigh, across his sac and then down the other side.

  “Tease,” he groaned, clenching his jaw in response to another pass.

  “I’m not teasing you, Dawson. I’m pacing myself. I suggest you do the same.”

  With that she moved her hand, cupping his scrotum, massaging it with a gentle rocking motion. He was panting now, clenching his stomach until the muscles rippled from the strain. He looked down. She was watching him, bathing the head of his cock with her tongue, her eyes half hidden by her thick lashes. She smiled and he closed his eyes in desperation, hoping the darkness woul
d keep the fire at bay, but he was helpless against her assault. And while he longed to be in control, to please her in every way possible, he couldn’t halt his need to have her touch him, taste him, bring him to orgasm inside her mouth again.

  She bent forward, sealing her lips around his thick shaft, suckling him into the fiery depths of her mouth before he even had time to react. His body tensed, every muscle tightened, every inch of his skin coated with perspiration as she drew on him, taking him deep, then retreating to the head, only to repeat her motion. He heard her groan around his erection when he pulsed inside her, his crown thickening against her teeth. She reached up, holding the base as she stroked him with her other hand. If he didn’t stop her now, he wouldn’t be able to.

  “Enough.” He pulled away, chuckling at the disappointed furrow in her brow, the sensuous pout in her lips. “Not this time, my love.”

  “But…”

  “You promised to give me free rein over your body if I indulged you the other day, or have you forgotten?” He smiled at her huff of protest, the bemused snort that indicated she was all too aware of her vow. Then he placed his hand on her chest and eased her down on the bed. “Now be a good girl and let me show you how beautiful this can be.”

  She gasped as he placed his hands on her stomach, tracing them down her hips until he could grasp the waistband of her lace panties. She was watching him, her eyes captivated by his expression as he rimmed a finger along the band before yanking them down her thighs, tossing them, forgotten, to the floor. He looked down, feeling his groin tighten to the point of pain, as he stared at her pink, smooth flesh.

  She’d been bare in the dream. Had it really been a dream?

  “Dawson?”

  He glanced back at her face, smiling at the hint of uncertainty clouding her eyes. “Yes, my love?”

  “Is everything…okay?”

  “Perfect,” he said, drawing his finger down her hips and across her bone. “I had a dream…a very erotic dream. In it, you came to me. I remember every detail, every scent, every sound, and I was just surprised to see my dream was accurate.” He moved his finger to her slick flesh, stopping at the narrow slit. “You were bare there as well.”

  Kendall was staring at him, fighting to breathe as his finger stayed poised on the edge of her sex. “Dawson!”

  It was a plea. He knew it was. She needed him to touch her, caress her. Drink her silken cream from her body. He held his breath, watching his finger disappear between her folds of skin, feeling her moisture soak his hand, ease his way as he dipped two broad fingers inside her. She cried out, arching off the bed, thrusting her hips against his intrusion, desperate to take him deeper.

  “Oh God, Kendall. You’re so wet, darling.”

  “I… I’m sorry,” she panted.

  He groaned, touching her again, coating his fingers with her creamy dew. “Never apologize for showing me how well I excite you. Nothing turns a man on more than seeing the evidence of his arousal.” He brought his fingers to his mouth, licking one clean then extending the other to her. “Taste what I do to you, love.”

  He watched her hesitate, his finger pressed against her lips. He knew she could smell the sweet scent of her moisture, so fragrant he felt drunk. She smiled at him, their eyes locked, as she extended her tongue and drew his finger into her mouth, sucking it clean.

  He growled, the act so erotic he nearly came just watching it. His control shattered. He lowered his head, needing to lick every drop from her flesh. With one hand he parted her smooth lips, exposing her throbbing clit. It was hard, swollen, hued purple with need. He moaned, swiping his tongue across it, feeling her quiver and shake. He licked again, circling his tongue, drawing it into his mouth.

  “Oh, God, Dawson. Please!”

  “Soon, Kendall. Soon, I promise you. Just let me taste you a bit longer.”

  “But…”

  Her plea became nothing more than a strangled moan as he plunged his tongue deep into her weeping entrance, slurping and lapping. Drinking as if he’d been denied water in the heated depths of the desert. He was all consuming, a conquering warrior determined to take what was his. He returned to her tight knot of nerves, licking and stroking as he thrust two fingers deep inside her, matching the rhythm of his tongue. On the first stroke she heaved, on the second she arched, and as he took her for the third time she exploded, crying out her release, drenching his hand with her slick honey as it wept past his fingers and into the hungry depths of his mouth. He felt his own release tingle up his spine, but he tamped it down, determined to ride her into another orgasm before allowing his pleasure to destroy him.

  Kendall was dying, shattering into a thousand pieces, nothing but a limp, boneless lump of flesh quivering and trembling on the bed. She was still falling, blinded by the white-hot streaks of lightning flashing across the darkness, drowning in the sea of pleasure swirling around her, dragging her under. Her body gleamed with sweat, her hair fanned out across the pillow. It took every ounce of energy just to open her eyes, stare into Dawson’s smiling face. He looked victorious, and more than pleased by her response.

  “Still pacing yourself, my love?”

  Kendall laughed, touching his cheek in a tender caress. “I’ve already died in your arms. What need is there to pace myself?”

  He leaned down over her, brushing a soft kiss across her lips. “Can I show you more?”

  “You said everything. I won’t settle for less.”

  He groaned, spreading her legs, positioning himself between them. He looked into her eyes. “Watch me.” His voice was a command, though it was little more than a whisper. “Watch me as I make love to you.”

  Kendall met his gaze, seeing the depth of his passion, before focusing on his thick shaft as he inched his way inside her, filling her so completely she climaxed again, harder than before, her body contracting, drawing him deeper.

  “Don’t fight it, Kendall. Just let it take you. Trust me to catch you if you fall.”

  She could do nothing else as the orgasm ripped through her, stealing her breath, leaving her sobbing in his arms. Her legs were clamped around his waist, her fingers digging into the taut muscles of his back as her body convulsed over and over, holding him tight within her, spilling more of her juices along the length of his cock until it wept out around him, covering his sac.

  “That’s it, baby. Just go with it. We’ve got all night. And there’s nothing I’d rather do than watch you respond to me.”

  “But you’re killing me,” she panted, moaning as another ripple raced over her.

  Dawson kissed her, stroking her hair as he leaned on his elbows, lowering more of his skin against her. “Not quite, darling. But I’ll take you farther than you’ve ever been.”

  Kendall opened her eyes, smiling at the love gleaming in his, as he moved within her. His rhythm started slow, like a train pulling out of the station. Steady. Commanding. Ever increasing. He was claiming her, possessing her, bonding with her in a way that transcended anything she’d ever dreamt of.

  She shifted her hips, meeting his thrusts, drawing him deeper until he brushed the rim of her womb. She was filled with him, overflowing, but with it came a longing deep in the pit of her stomach. It was an emptiness, a hunger she needed to quench. She ran her fingers down his back, cupping his buttocks in her hands. His muscles were strong, and she could feel them tense with each forceful stroke. She gripped tighter, pulling him harder into her. The hunger was building, increasing in strength. There was something she still needed from him, or needed to give him. She arched into his chest, not sure how to voice what burned inside her. “Dawson. Oh God. Please. I need you…now.” She felt him fight for breath as he lowered onto her, every inch of his skin rubbing hers.

  “Not yet, Kendall. Not until you give me everything.”

  She clenched her teeth, not sure she understood his message until she realized she was still holding back, still keeping the last shred of her soul from him. She let go, screaming his name, giving him the fi
nal gift he sought.

  Dawson drew a sharp breath, plunging deep as she felt their joining rise to a new level. She was his, in every sense of the word. He shouted her name, thrusting over and over, barreling into her as if his very life depended on their love. When he came, his back arched under the stress as pulse after pulse of his hot semen shot into her, soaking her womb, filling her with the very essence of his masculinity. His body shook, his arms trembled, his weight crushing her into the bed as he collapsed, her muscles clenching around him, holding him prisoner within her heated depths.

  She wrapped her arms around his back, clinging to him as she’d once clung to the walls. His body was still shaking, his head resting on hers. She could feel him pulsing inside her, the last of his release coating the walls of her womb. He was gasping for air, leaning on her as if she were the source of his strength. Her heart swelled, complete for the first time in her life.

  “Dawson,” she whispered.

  “Kendall.”

  His voice was raw, and just the sound of it sent another pulse of pleasure surging through her. “Thank you,” she breathed, tears staining her cheeks. “It was beautiful. It is beautiful.”

  He pressed onto his elbows, kissing the tears from her cheeks. “You’re beautiful. And not just on the outside. I’ve never made love like that before. No, after tonight, I realize I’ve just never made love. It’s always been about something else, but not with you. Never with you.”

  “I’m glad it wasn’t just my first time.” She smiled. “Just promise me it won’t be our last.”

  “That’s one promise I can keep,” he whispered, kissing her long and deep. “Just give me twenty minutes.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The room was dark, and Kendall could hear the faint patter of rain on the roof. Her body felt warm…hot. Dawson was lying beside her, his arm wrapped around her back as she draped her body across his, her head on his shoulder. He still held the faded aroma of pine needles, only now it was mixed with the musky scent of their lovemaking. He was sleeping, his eyes closed and his body relaxed. She gazed at the shadows playing across his face. Jody had said he was gorgeous, and while she’d agreed, she wasn’t sure that word suited him now. He was so much more than just handsome. The strength of his honor, and the conviction of his heart, placed him on a level she couldn’t even describe. She loved him…completely. Even the way he matched her every mood stole her heart. She smiled, content knowing she could spend a lifetime studying the lines of his face.