Tempting Target

by Savannah Stuart

  He wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. David followed and sat directly next to her. “Her name is Heather. We went out on a few dates a long time ago. Years ago. She just showed up out of the blue this morning and wouldn’t leave. I told her she’d better be gone by the time I got out of the shower. I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t blame you, but I promise you, I did not sleep with her. I wouldn’t have slept with someone else right after what we shared.” David put his hands on either side of her armrests, caging her in.

  She was no farther away from him now than she had been by the sink. Worse, she was now trapped. “It doesn’t matter if you slept with her or not. I don’t care. What you do, or who you do, is your business.” She clasped her hands tightly in her lap to stop the tremors. If she could just get her voice to stop shaking she’d be fine.

  “Then why were you so upset when you thought I had?” He spoke softly, his eyes searching.

  She tried a nonchalant shrug, although it didn’t come off as casual as she’d hoped. Instead, her shoulders sort of jerked. “Because.” Great, a one-word answer. She was a regular wordsmith.

  “Because?” The corners of his mouth tugged up slightly, but he was smart enough not to smile.

  “I don’t know. Okay?” she muttered.

  “You don’t know? Or you don’t want to talk about it right now?” He leaned back a fraction in his chair, giving her room to breathe.

  Maybe he’d sensed her panic. Whatever the reason, she was grateful for the space. “Both.”

  She wasn’t sure what to say after that. They stared at each other in silence for several moments, but this time she didn’t turn away.

  Finally, he broke the silence. “I didn’t sleep with her, Jade. She’s not you, and I don’t want anyone but you.”

  The truth was there, written across the rugged lines of his face and in his deep eyes. If he said he didn’t sleep with her then he didn’t. She’d been so angry this morning but she’d known him a long time and she could simply tell he wasn’t lying. He’d stood beside her during her darkest hours so she owed him the benefit of the doubt anyway.

  Relief and anxiety welled up inside her in simultaneous waves. She was silently relieved that he hadn’t slept with someone else. At the same time, she was horrified by the liberation that poured through her veins. It was like liquid fire it was so potent. “Okay.”

  “What?”

  The uncertainty in his voice tugged at her heart strings. “I said okay. I believe you.”

  An uncomfortable silence descended on the dimly lit kitchen. She sat ramrod straight on the chair. It was impossible to tear her eyes away from his. What was she supposed to say to him now? Being angry with him had definitely had its advantages. At least then she’d had an excuse to ignore what had happened between them.

  “Jade?” David broke the silence.

  “Yes?” She kept her straight stance, and her breathing came out in shallow, little pants.

  “Is there anything else you want to talk about?” She knew what he was referring to, but his dark eyes were unreadable. She really hated that, not being able to read him. If she was embarrassed or nervous, her face lit up like Rudolph’s nose. Not David. With the exception of the last night when he’d let his guard down, his face was a virtual mask.

  She tried to swallow but her throat was too dry. “I guess there’s no way to get around this, is there?”

  “No.” He shook his head slightly and a wisp of his dark hair fell across his forehead.

  She resisted the urge to brush it away. Just the thought of touching him did funny things to her insides. Especially since the last time she’d run her fingers through his hair, he’d been between her legs. “I’m sorry I ran out on you.”

  “Why did you?” The hurt in his voice was palpable.

  “I…got scared. I knew you were going to kiss me.”

  “I’d already kissed you.” The tone of his deep voice was so intimate heat flooded between her legs.

  “I know. What you did, what you made me feel was amazing. It was weird though. You were suddenly on top of me and you looked so good and…hungry. It’s the only word I can think of. And I knew you were going to kiss me and things would be different between us. I wasn’t ready for that.”

  “And you didn’t think things would be different after I’d gone down on you? After I’d tasted your sweet pussy?”

  Her face flamed at his words. She’d never imagined he’d say something like that to her. Ever. She struggled to string a few words together. “Did you plan for that to happen?”

  “Not exactly that, but yes. Last night I’d planned to make it clear what I wanted from you.”

  “What do you want from me, David?”

  “I want to spend every possible second inside of you. I want to make love until neither of us can walk. Morning, noon and night. It’s all I think about, woman. I want you so fucking bad I dream about it and wake up panting for you.”

  The stark honesty of his words was overpowering. That wasn’t exactly what she’d been expecting to hear. Okay, that wasn’t even in the same ballpark. After last night she’d known he physically wanted her, but this, this was something entirely different. Something in his tone of voice told her his feelings went far beyond physical desire. “How long have you…” She couldn’t finish.

  “Long enough.” His voice was quiet. Distant. As if he were pulling away from her.

  “How long?”

  His dark eyes flashed with pain, and for a second his mask dropped again and she could see inside him. “From the second I met you.”

  She shook her head, trying to deny it. “Surely not from the moment…”

  The statement hit her like a body blow. His expression told her everything.

  “Maybe I should have waited a little longer, but when you said you were dating again, something inside me snapped. I won’t sit by and watch you go out with other men.”

  The tight mask he’d kept in place for so long slipped. It didn’t completely fall, but the words tumbling from his mouth were so laced with pain and hope she had no choice. Without thinking about the consequences, and without saying a word, she leaned toward him, unable to focus on anything but his lips.

  Beautiful lips. Lips she’d never paid much attention to until recently. Now all she wanted was to feel them against her own. For all of a millisecond, his eyes widened, but he didn’t resist.

  His kiss was tentative at first, and she could feel the restraint humming through him. Tension from his body flowed straight through to hers as he tested her response. Blood coursed through her veins like burning lava. One of his strong hands cupped her face while his other hand moved around her waist, encircling her. She loved the feel of him holding her.

  He pulled her out of her seat so that she stood directly between his open legs. With firm hands, he held her tight as if he were afraid she’d bolt. For how she felt now that wasn’t going to happen again.

  His tongue gently explored her mouth. With sweet, erotic teasing. She moved closer into his embrace with a sudden need to have her body pressed up against his. She wanted to feel her breasts mold against his chest.

  Wanted that extra contact.

  Vague awareness of her state of undress registered when the front of her robe slackened and fell. A cool current of air cascaded over her partially exposed body. She gasped when his hand moved over one of her bare breasts.

  She’d never moved so fast physically with anyone but with David it felt different. It was different. They already knew everything about each other.

  With expert movements, he stroked her nipple. His thumb lazily rolled over the hardening bud.

  With each tweak and flick, her inner walls clenched. It was like there was an invisible string attached to the bud and the building heat between her legs. She’d thought he might take his time but he was intent to touch and stroke all of her.

  She didn’t know why she was surprised.

  When he’d told her he wouldn’t si
t by and watch her date other men she’d seen the proprietary look in his eyes and heard it in his voice. He wanted to possess every inch of her and she wanted to let him.

  Even thinking it scared her. She’d never thought she’d want another man to touch her this way but the thought of David losing himself inside her felt strangely right.

  With all the strength she possessed, she managed to pull her face away from his. “David, do you want to—” Her voice sounded husky and sensual, even to her own ears.

  He silenced her with another kiss that sent spirals of pure pleasure shooting down her spine. He also didn’t stop what he was doing with his hands. Deftly, he tugged the top half of her robe completely open and pushed it off her shoulders. She’d tried to ask if he wanted to move to the living room—or bedroom—but he was obviously content to do this right under the bright lights of her kitchen.

  She shrugged out of it, letting it fall. The belt tied securely around her waist was the only thing keeping the robe from pooling around her feet. He tugged and teased her already swollen lips with a new urgency. No longer was he gentle and sweet.

  When he tore his mouth away from hers he began an assault along her jaw and neck. He’d no doubt shaved that morning but his facial hair had already begun to grow and it scraped against her skin.

  The sensation was wildly sensuous.

  A low buzz had started in her ears, and it was all she could do to stand upright. She gripped his shoulders when he dipped his head and started caressing her already sensitive nipple with his tongue. With closed eyes, she arched her back to give him better access. His lips closed over the hardened peak and sucked. The action was harder than she expected and positively erotic.

  She dug her nails into his shirt as she held on to the last remnants of reasonable thought. A low moan escaped her lips. How could this be happening with David?

  “Jade,” he whispered against her moist skin.

  The intimate way he said her name sent another rush of warmth between her legs. In her haste to put her robe on earlier, she hadn’t bothered with anything else. When his hands eased open the bottom flap, she let him. She knew what he was about to do and was powerless to stop him. He’d already kissed her there so why stop now?

  When his hand covered her bare mound he shuddered. “You’re not wearing anything?”

  “Didn’t have time.”

  “You should never wear any panties,” he murmured against her skin. For some reason the words didn’t sound like a suggestion.

  The thought of going bare all the time had her nipples tingling.

  “You like that thought don’t you?” he asked as he switched breasts.

  “Yes.” How could he talk right now?

  When one of his fingers slid into her pussy, she tried to crawl on top of him. He just chuckled against her breast and tugged her nipple between his teeth. Not hard but enough that she felt it straight to her toes.

  He was doing too many wonderful things to her and it was all she could do to stand up.

  She wanted him to finish this. She needed for him to finish. With the exception of the night before, it had been so long since she’d had an orgasm not self-induced. Now she felt sex-starved. “More,” she urged.

  “More what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He ran his tongue around her areola. Slowly. Deliberately. When he’d made a full circle, his head tilted up. His dark eyes latched onto hers. “Tell me what you want.”

  She didn’t know. She just wanted to come. “I want to come.”

  He made a sound deep in his throat. It wasn’t words. Or she didn’t think it was because she couldn’t understand him.

  As he pushed another finger into her he kept his hot gaze on hers. Her mouth parted when he started to move in and out. The rhythm was continuous and steady but she needed more. Just a little more and she’d come.

  “Tell me what you want.” Definitely a command this time.

  That’s when she understood. “My clit. Touch it. Please.”

  Immediately he pressed his thumb against the raw bundle of nerves. She trembled at the contact. As he rubbed over her most sensitive area, she stood up on her toes. She was so turned-on she felt as if she could crawl out of her own skin.

  The surge of pleasure hit her so fast she hadn’t expected it. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as she started climaxing. “David,” she whispered his name.

  She couldn’t let go of her death grip on him as her body trembled and shuddered. Finally she wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself sag against him. He kept his fingers buried inside her as the waves of her orgasm subsided. When he finally withdrew them he looped his arm around her back and pulled her tight against him.

  David was her rock, steadying her. Without him, she’d be a crumpled heap on the floor. After a few minutes passed she pulled back to face him but he didn’t loosen his grip.

  She stared at him in slight astonishment. How had he learned the nuances of her body so quickly? If he could do that with his hands, she knew she was in trouble when they finally made it to the bedroom. At this point it was only a matter of when, not if, they slept together. A line had been crossed, and she wanted more of this and more of him.

  An unfathomable expression shrouded his features. Unsure of what to say, she stared right back. For a moment it felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

  He started to speak when a muted thud directly above them pulled Jade back to reality. They weren’t alone in the house.

  She took a step back out of his embrace and immediately experienced a strange sense of loss. Heat rushed to her face at her disheveled state. She hurriedly pulled her robe back into place. “I need to check on the boys,” she mumbled and fled the kitchen.

  The brief escape gave her enough time to think about what had just happened and to try to make sense of it all. He’d made it perfectly clear he didn’t want anything casual. Dating was fine for now. However, in the deepest recesses of her heart she was afraid she’d never love another man the way she’d loved Aidan. She’d never voiced those fears to anyone, including Maya.

  Some things a woman kept to herself. She didn’t want to give half of her heart to someone, but in a way she’d already resigned herself to doing just that. Of course, she hadn’t expected to react to David’s touch with such intensity either. Even thinking about the way he’d kissed and touched her made her nipples harden underneath the thick terry cloth robe.

  When she got upstairs, she found Owen asleep on the bed and Brian half-asleep on the floor.

  “Are you okay, sweetie? Did you fall out of bed?” She squatted on the floor next to him and she scooped him up into her arms.

  He looked around, bleary eyed and confused. “Don’t know,” he mumbled. “Where’s Owen? Where’s brother?”

  “He’s right here. Come on.” She hoisted him up onto the bed and tucked the covers tightly around his tiny body. Their single beds at home were a lot closer to the ground. She’d forgotten that they weren’t used to sleeping in a bed together, and Owen had probably kicked him off.

  “Night, Aunt Jade,” he spoke so softly she almost didn’t hear him over his brother’s light breathing.

  “Good night.” She stayed an extra minute to watch them, and when she was satisfied they were okay she went to her room and stripped out of her robe. Normally, she slept in very little, but she pulled out a long pajama set her mother had given her years ago and threw it on. It was from Victoria’s Secret, but it wasn’t in the least bit sexy. The flannel pink and yellow button-up set covered everything. Well almost everything. She couldn’t exactly hide the outline of her breasts. They might be small, but she was still completely and utterly turned-on by what had just transpired between her and David, and her nipples gave her away. Heat still pooled between her legs and she tingled everywhere.

  When she entered the kitchen, David sat in the same spot she’d left him. A flash of disappointment flickered in his eyes. Presumably because she’d chan
ged.

  He cleared his throat. “Is everything okay?”

  To her horror, her voice shook when she answered. “Yes. Brian fell out of the bed. They’re not used to sleeping together, and I have a suspicion that Owen probably kicked him out of bed. Not intentionally, of course, but he’s a kicker. Or so Maya tells me. I probably should have—”

  “Jade, you’re rambling.”

  “I know.” She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know where we go from here.”

  She’d thought crossing her arms would give him the signal to back off, but he crossed the short distance between them and pulled her against him. “I know this is happening fast for you. How about I take you out for dinner tomorrow night and we’ll take things a little slower?” His voice was soothing and impossibly intimate.

  She couldn’t fight the heat rushing to her cheeks. The hardness underneath his pants when he held her so close was unmistakable. Fortunately, he didn’t seem the least bit bothered. “What time?”

  “Six?”

  She nodded. The earlier they ate meant the earlier they’d get to do other stuff. She knew it. He knew it. Sex was so going to happen tomorrow night. If it hadn’t been for her nephews, she’d have let him take her right on the kitchen counter. Something he no doubt knew too.

  “All right. I’ll see you then. Unless…you want me to stay?” His grin was positively wicked and full of promises. He’d never looked at her like that before and it made her heart stutter.

  Yes. Her mind shouted to let him stay. Common sense won out. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, David.” She was surprised by the disappointment that surged through her. She needed to get a mental handle on what was happening between them, but her stomach dropped just the same.

  “I figured you’d say that.” He brushed a light kiss over her lips before letting himself out.

  Long after he’d gone, the feel of his lips on hers lingered. As did his intoxicating male scent. For the first time in years, the only man she thought of when getting into bed that night was David.