by Ana Barrons
He squeezed his eyes shut. Obsessing over that question would drive him mad.
When Joy began climbing the steps he rolled on to his side. There was no point confronting her about her whereabouts or who she’d been with or how much she’d had to drink. With Joy it was all sarcasm or stony silence these days. She had important things to think about, a lofty mission to accomplish. He almost snorted at that. Lofty my ass. The bill she and Franklin had dreamed up had fascist undertones the extreme left-wingers would rant about and the rest of the country wouldn’t bother to read or understand. If she and Franklin had adhered to any bit of political so-called wisdom it was that if you were going to lie, make it a good one.
The door opened and Ben clenched his jaw tighter. There was a time when Joy would come in late, slide between the sheets in her business suit and wake him up for sex. He would remove every bit of her clothing piece by piece, kissing and nibbling her in the process so that by the time she was naked she was begging him to fuck her. Is that how she’d been with Drew Franklin?
“Fuck,” he murmured,
“I was thinking the same thing myself.”
He squeezed his eyes closed at Joy’s clever response, angry that he had an erection in spite of himself. “I’ll bet you were.”
She went into the bathroom and he heard the shower go on. If she thought he was going to fuck her she was wrong. So her boyfriend was dead. Not his problem. Soon she wouldn’t be his problem at all.
His mind drifted to Kate Franklin. Lovely, kind, quirky Kate. First she lost Steven, who had alternately adored her and ignored her. Then she ended up marrying a prick who cheated on her, and now she was in some kind of screwed up sexual relationship with Gabe, of all people. That Gabe was attracted to her came as no surprise. Who wouldn’t be? Ben had wondered himself what it would be like to make love to her. But after all those years of Gabe treating her like shit, how could she let it happen?
Joy slipped into bed behind him smelling of rose shower gel and spooned him from behind. She was naked and slightly damp, and the feel of her breasts pressing into his back made his cock harden again instantly. Damn her. She ran a hand over his nipple, then squeezed it between her thumb and middle finger. He expelled a sharp breath but forced himself not to turn to her.
Within seconds Joy had rolled over him and positioned her head near his groin. “Damn it, Joy,” he said in a harsh whisper as she pulled his cock out of his boxers and closed her hot mouth over it. Then she wrapped her legs around one of his and rubbed her pussy up and down while she sucked him, groaning deep in her throat. Christ, he was horny. And he wanted her. He wanted the bitch who’d been with another man.
When he was as close to coming as she was willing to push it, she slid up his body and wrapped her thighs around his neck, then stretched back on the bed, body arched, while he used his lips and tongue to bring her to a screaming orgasm. And then, because he was hurt and pissed off, he rolled her on to her stomach, lifted her ass and took her from behind. Hard. Fast. Balls slapping against her thighs as he thrust. Hands squeezing her breasts as she panted and grunted in some combination of pain and pleasure he had no interest in analyzing.
When he came he ground himself into her, holding her in place while he emptied every drop. He collapsed on top of her for a few minutes while he caught his breath, then rolled off her on to his back. Joy moved into the circle of his arms and draped herself across him. Just like that. As though nothing and no one had ever come between them.
“My God, Ben, that was incredible,” she breathed into his ear. “That was best sex I’ve ever had.”
He went still for a moment, then carefully removed her arms and legs from his body and sat up at the edge of the bed so he wouldn’t have to look at her.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m not interested in being compared to your dead lover. Thanks anyway.” Christ, he’d been a fool to give in to her.
She came up behind him, but he stood before she could touch him, grabbed his jeans and a shirt off the chair and yanked them on.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m out of here.”
“Ben—”
“I’ll be back to pick up my things.” Then he closed the door behind him, snagged his car keys and headed off into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“It’s me, honey. It’s okay. I’m here now. Shh, it’s okay.”
Kate startled awake to find herself wrapped in strong arms, her cheeks wet with tears, whimpering like a child. In the darkness she recognized Gabe’s voice, his distinctive scent, the hardness of his big body. Was this real? She was sure she had gone to bed alone.
“Gabe?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Is he still here?” she whispered.
“Who, honey?”
“The man...in black. He had a-a knife.”
Gabe stroked her hair. “There’s no one here but us. You were dreaming, sweetheart, that’s all. It was just a dream.”
“Are you sure?”
His arms came around her tighter, and he kissed the top of her head. “Yes, I’m sure. God, you’re so cold.” He pulled the comforter up over both of them. “You must have kicked your covers off. You were sobbing and thrashing around when I came in.”
She snuggled closer, pressing her wet face into his hairy chest. “I was so scared,” she whispered. “He was going to kill us.”
“Who?”
“The man. He was going to stab both of us.”
“You and me?”
She nodded against his chest, her palms pressing his hot flesh. The terror was fading, replaced by a sense of well-being she hadn’t felt for a very long time.
“You were dreaming about me,” Gabe said, stroking her hair. Good Lord, it felt good. Everything about being in his arms felt good.
She swallowed. “It’s not the first time.” Not even close. Maybe she was dreaming now. She nestled in closer and he responded by holding her tighter. She let out a long slow breath and threw out a thank-you to the universe for giving her this gift. Even if it turned out to be a dream, it was the best damn dream she’d ever had.
“Cozy?” he asked.
“Mmm.”
He wrapped his legs around hers and she realized he was wearing only boxers—and had a world class hard-on. She groaned before she could stop herself, and felt his muscles tighten.
“Kate,” he said. “If you want me to leave, tell me now.” His heart was thumping beneath her cheek. “But before you answer, you have to know something.”
Was he talking about staying in bed with her. Making love to her? Oh, God. The surge of lust was so powerful she shuddered and let out a long breath against his skin. In response, Gabe pushed his cock into her hip and the length and heat of it caused her vaginal muscles to contract and then expand, readying for him.
“Gabe,” she breathed. Her fingers found his nipple, causing him to jerk and tighten his hold on her. She tipped her head back, wanting his mouth on hers with an almost violent desperation, but he shifted back.
“Listen to me.” His voice was husky, unsteady. “If I make love to you now there’s no going back. Do you understand me?”
She didn’t, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was having him inside her again, after all these years. Could it really be about to happen?
“Kate? Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I don’t care,” she whispered. “I want you.”
“You’ll belong to me,” he said. “Body and soul. It can’t be any other way with us. It never could.”
His words thrilled her, made her pussy throb with need. “I want to belong to you.”
He wrapped her hair around his fist and pulled her head back. In the dim light leaking through the curtains she could see the fierce glow in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
She swallowed. “God, yes.” He stared at her. “Please.”
He moved his head slowly toward hers, eyes wide op
en, watching her. And then his lips claimed hers and his tongue filled her mouth and her world shifted.
Gabe wanted to possess her, body and soul. And she wanted to give it all to him.
He rolled her on to her back and covered her with his big, warm body, then began to sculpt her with his hands, running them down her sides, over her swollen, aching breasts through her thin nightgown and lower, over her hips and around to her ass. He pressed her head deep into the pillow and plundered her mouth with such intensity it was difficult to breathe. Not that air mattered. She was beyond needing anything but his hot mouth, his tongue, his hands. His thick, hard cock pressing against her pussy.
He began to rock against her and a long, slow gasp rose from her throat. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved with him. Gabe’s mouth moved over her jaw and down her neck, nipping, licking, while his hands shoved up her nightgown and began to knead her breasts. She arched into him, and he moved his lips to one hard nipple, teasing with soft licks that drove her wild with need before he drew it into his mouth and sucked.
“Gabe,” she whispered urgently, wanting everything he could give her all at once. She would die if he didn’t enter her immediately, would die if he lifted his mouth off her breast. He slid her nightgown over her head and held her hands there, their fingers intertwined as he moved to her other breast. She squeezed his hands as her body twisted and rocked to his primitive rhythm. Then, keeping her hands in his, he began a slow move down her body, over her belly, kissing and nibbling, licking the tender hollow of her hips.
He looked up at her then and held her gaze. “I dream of putting my tongue inside you,” he said roughly. “And now I’m going to do it.”
“Please,” she begged. “I’m desperate for it.”
He released her hands and pulled down her panties, then pushed her legs up until her knees were bent and her thighs wide open to him. Again he raised his head and gazed into her eyes. “This is all for me.”
“Yes.”
He lowered his head and rubbed his whole face in the wet folds of her pussy—his cheeks, his jaw, his nose. The pleasure was so exquisite she lifted her hips off the bed and pushed herself harder into his face, whimpering his name.
“Oh, God, I’m going to come,” she said, and then Gabe’s mouth covered her, sucking and licking with his big, hot tongue, thrusting it up inside her as she screamed her climax. The wave traveled from her center down her legs to her toes and back, up her spine and out to her fingertips, shocking her with its intensity, bringing tears to her eyes and a lump to her throat. Nothing in her life had ever felt as good as having Gabe’s mouth on her. Nothing.
He slid up her body and kissed her with a hunger only he had ever shown her. When he lifted his head he said, panting, “Do you understand now?”
“Yes,” she rasped.
“I need a condom.”
She shook her head and reached inside his boxers to wrap her hand around his cock. It was huge and rock hard and she was desperate to have it inside her.
But not quite yet...
She pushed him on to his back and pinned his legs with hers. “My turn.”
He raised his brows, his gray eyes filled with heat. “Oh, please, be my guest.”
She kissed him leisurely on the lips, exploring his delectable mouth with her tongue while she stroked him, and then kissed her way slowly down his neck and chest, stopping to lick his flat nipple. He sucked in air between his teeth. When her thumb grazed the wetness seeping from the head of his cock, she brought it to her lips and gently licked it off. He groaned.
“Jesus, Kate,” he said in a strangled whisper. “Do you have any idea how much I want to see my cock between your lips?”
She smiled and slid down his body, kissing his belly, running her tongue around his navel and then dipped into the slit at the head of his cock. He gasped and cupped the back of her head. She lapped up the salty pre-come, thrilled that she was tasting him at last, and then took him into her mouth.
“Kate... Oh God... It’s so good.”
Encouraged, she took him deeper, pumping him with her mouth and her fist until he began to rock into her, setting the rhythm.
“Stop me if I’m going too deep,” he breathed, even as his grip tightened in her hair, holding her in place. “Oh, Kate...”
As his cock grew harder and thicker his words became unintelligible, and he suddenly pulled her head away. “I want to be inside you when I come... I need to be there.”
“I want you inside me,” she whispered, crawling up his body. She straddled him and tried to put him inside her, but he scooted up the bed.
“Damn it, I need a condom.”
“I don’t care,” she said. “I want you inside me.”
“Kate—”
She grasped his shoulders and leaned her face into his. “Please, Gabe. I need you now. Just this once.” In the back of her mind she knew it was reckless not to use a condom—again—but she couldn’t risk him changing his mind when he left her bed to get one. No, she would feel him move inside her, and she would worry about the consequences—physical and emotional—later.
Gabe held her gaze for a long moment, then flipped her on to her back, shoved his boxers all the way off and settled between her legs. “No turning back, Kate,” he said. “Are you sure?”
She’d never been so sure about anything in her life. “Yes.”
He lifted her hips, took his cock in one hand and guided himself to her entrance. “Look at me when I come inside you.” She nodded. With his hands gripping her hips and their gazes locked, he pushed inside her and groaned. “Oh, God, Kate, you’re so tight.”
Feeling Gabe inside her brought a lump back to her throat and she choked back a sob. She’d wanted him for so long.
For a moment he seemed stricken. “Am I hurting you?”
She reached up and cupped his cheek, words failing her. She shook her head and whispered. “Please.”
He began to move then, and she struggled to watch him through eyelids that wanted to close, as though to watch would lessen the ecstasy. The body above her and inside her was magnificent. Hard and muscular and musky with arousal, and with a look of such fierce tenderness in his eyes she fought not to weep.
Love me, Gabe. Just a little.
With each long, slow thrust she moved closer and closer to coming, and her heart was bursting with so much pent up emotion she couldn’t contain it any longer. “I love you, Gabe,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”
His eyelids lowered and his jaw tightened. “Kate,” he said, and began to move faster, pushing deeper inside her. She’d never felt this much sensation during sex, didn’t know her body was capable of such intense pleasure. As he thrust, his fingers gripped her hips so tightly it was almost painful, but she didn’t care as long as he kept moving.
“Kate,” he said again, and his ragged tone told her he was getting close. Knowing she was going to make him come sent her over the top and he covered her mouth with his to absorb her scream. Within seconds he followed her, the sounds emerging from his throat harsh, primal. Inside her he pulsed, then he collapsed on top of her, his face in her hair, his heart pounding against hers.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she lay beneath him. Please don’t have second thoughts. Don’t regret this. She ran her hands up and down his sweaty back, loving the weight of him on her, the warmth of his breath on her neck.
Eventually she dozed, and woke up when he stirred and rolled off her, pulling her into his arms. She tipped her head back to look up at him and he kissed her gently on the lips.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“More than okay.”
“Did I hurt you anywhere? I should have been more gentle.”
“I didn’t want you to be gentle.”
“What about your bruises, did I—”
“No.” She kissed him to shut him up. “How about you? Are you... I mean... Do you still—”
“Yes,” he sa
id, and kissed her, presumably to shut her up, then stroked her hair off her face and cupped her cheek. “I meant what I said. You’re mine now.”
“I was always yours,” she said.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When Kate woke the sun had barely risen, and she was nestled against a big hard body. Gabe. She could barely believe it. He hadn’t left her during the night as she’d expected. One long arm was draped across her, their legs intertwined. The bed smelled strongly of sex, which wasn’t surprising considering they’d dozed and made love twice more before falling into a deep sleep. She smiled and stroked his arm.
Mine, she thought. She’d given herself to him completely. If she belonged to him then the reverse must be true. He belonged to her. She hoped she would never have to let him go.
She didn’t feel the way a woman who’d lost her husband should feel. Then again, Drew hadn’t felt the way a husband should toward his wife. And she had never gotten over Gabe. She’d tried to hide the truth from herself, of course, but a part of her had always known that she would have left Drew for him. And never look back.
“You’re thinking,” a deep, sleepy voice said in her ear. He pulled her back into him and she could feel his erection at the juncture of her thighs. “I hope you’re thinking about me.”
It thrilled her to hear him say that. “As a matter of fact I was,” she said as he nuzzled her neck. Her body responded to him instantly.
“What were you thinking?” His hand moved to her breast and kneaded, tightening the coil of desire in her belly. She pushed her breast into his hand, prompting him to squeeze harder then run his thumb round and round her hard nipple. Already she was so wet she could feel it on the inside of her thighs.
“Take me from behind,” she whispered, pressing her bottom into his erection. “Mmm, now.”
