Arrested by Love

by Virna DePaul

  She took a bracing breath. This guy was too good to be true. He was making himself completely available to her, and she couldn’t even kiss him?

  Tentatively, she walked closer. Part of her waited for him to pounce. To remove his hands from behind his head and pull her to him. He didn’t. He simply smiled. “That’s right, sweetness. Come here and give it to me. No taking, just you giving, you understand?”

  She sat beside him on the bed. Placed a hand on the ball of his shoulder. He hissed and closed his eyes, but before she could pull away, he said, “I’ve dreamed about you touching me. At night, you’re all I’ve been able to think about.” He opened his eyes again, their golden depths luring her even closer. “Have you dreamed about me, too?”

  She wasn’t sure she should tell him, but … “Yes,” she whispered.

  He smiled again, drawing her gaze to his mouth. His lips looked so soft, while the skin beneath her palm was rock hard. Hot. Would his mouth be hot, too?

  She suddenly couldn’t wait another minute to find out. Slowly, she leaned down until her mouth hovered over his. And still he didn’t raise up to take the kiss he so clearly wanted.

  “Yours for the taking, remember?”

  Mine. All mine, she thought dreamily.

  She pressed her mouth lightly against his and had to choke back her moan of pleasure. His mouth was hot and he felt so good. Her breath hitched and so did his. He tasted tangy, like the first sip of a margarita rimmed with salt, and before she knew it her tongue slipped between his lips and rubbed against his.

  She whimpered at the moist contact. His mouth widened, inviting her in, but she drew back, confused not only by the desire that was coursing through her veins, but by the feelings that accompanied it. Gratitude. Admiration. Curiosity. They were making her see him not as a body to be used, but as a man to savor, not just for a night but perhaps for a lifetime.

  What was happening here? Why did she suddenly feel like Noah, even though he was the naked one, could see everything that she was and more?

  He still hadn’t touched her. She looked at his cock and it seemed to have gotten even bigger. From her kiss alone?

  “Are you done kissing me or do you want more?”

  She glanced up. His mouth was slick from her own. “I want—I want more,” she said.

  “Then take it. As much as you want.”

  “You won’t—you won’t touch me?”

  “Not until you ask me to.” He seemed to be saying that over and over, as if repetition would make her believe it. It was working.

  It was far easier this time to lean down and kiss him. Soon, their breaths were soughing and she rocked her mouth against his almost desperately. He tasted so good. Felt so good. Without conscious thought, her hands smoothed themselves across his chest and shoulders. Somehow, she found herself straddling his waist, trying to get closer to him, digging her tongue deeper and deeper into his mouth.

  Suddenly, he gasped and arched upward, almost knocking her off him. Instinctively, she pulled away, shocked to discover she’d scooted down to his thighs and had her fingers wrapped around his shaft. Although her fingers couldn’t quite encircle him completely, she stroked him with slow, languorous pulls.

  She looked up at him. His eyes were bright and he was gritting his teeth as he watched her touch him. “Is this—is this okay?” Even as she asked, she felt a drop of moisture on her thumb and smoothed it against the tip of him. He groaned.

  “Better than okay,” he choked out. “It feels so damn good.”

  Testing, she gripped him harder. Worked her hand faster. And still he kept his hands behind his head. “You’re going to make me come if you keep that up,” he warned.

  She moved until she was once again perched next to him, clearly able to see what she was doing. Silently, her other hand joined the first until they were simultaneously pumping him. From the corner of her eye, she watched, waiting, sure that the longer she worked him, he’d have to crack and reach for her. But he didn’t. Soon all her concentration focused on his dick and the way his hips were unconsciously shifting and arching into her touch. “Fuck,” he hissed. “Your hands feel so good. I’m going to shoot my load, Jenna. If you don’t want that, stop.”

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “Hell no,” he groaned.

  She smiled. She couldn’t believe it. He was actually going to come without having touched her once. It made her feel safe. It made her feel powerful. So much so that, after only a brief hesitation, she bent down and covered the tip of his dick with her mouth, while her hands kept working him.

  He shouted in surprise as she suckled him. He was even saltier here, and her mouth strained to open wide enough to take him. His flesh was hard, the bulbous head rubbing against her tongue only as far as she allowed. He was holding back, she knew it. Could tell that he wanted to plunge himself deep in the back of her throat, but he didn’t. The man had incredible control. Imagining him losing it didn’t scare her as much as she would have thought. Rather, it aroused her even more, but she knew it was because it was a fantasy.

  His thighs trembled. “Here I come,” he yelled just before his cock jerked and a jet of cum hit her tongue. She moaned and sucked harder, demanding more, relishing everything he gave her. It kept coming and she swallowed it all, not wanting a single drop to go to waste. When his hips finally relaxed, she lightened the pressure, but she didn’t stop sucking him. Licking him. He let her do what she wanted long after she thought he would. Finally, she pulled back and ran her tongue along her lips.

  He looked dazed, with a smile on his blissed-out face. Pride thrummed through her. She’d never put that particular expression on a man’s face before. Scooting upward, she cupped his face with her hand and his eyes flickered open. He took her hand and brought it to his mouth. Kissed her palm and then the back of her hand it an old-world, courtly gesture that reminded her of knights in shining armor who rescued princesses, slaying dragons if they had to.

  “You’re incredible,” he murmured.

  No. He was the incredible one. How could a man so strong and dominant in real life be so giving in bed? Lightly, she caressed his bulging biceps. Leaned down and kissed one. Tugged on the wrists that even now kept his palms locked behind his head. Her skin felt tight and there was no mistaking the feel of the cream that coated her panties. “I think—I think I want you to touch me now,” she whispered.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Thank God, Noah thought, staring into Jenna’s turbulent blue eyes. They mirrored everything she was feeling. She’d loved making him come. Her face was flushed with pleasure and her nipples were hard points underneath her sweater. His mouth watered to suck on them, but he knew he couldn’t give himself that kind of freedom yet.

  He’d have kept his hands behind his head for however long she needed him to, but he’d thought he was going to die from not being able to touch her. Somewhere. Anywhere. It had almost killed him not to bury his hands in her hair while she was going down on him, but he’d focused instead on the tight clasp of her mouth and the caress of her whisper-soft hair against his belly and thighs. Slowly, he now moved his hands from behind his head.

  “Show me where you want me to touch you,” he said. “Take my wrists.”

  She did, wrapping the same fingers around his wrists that had just been wrapped around his dick. She moved until she once again straddled him, the heat of her burning his skin even through the fabric of her jeans. She pressed his palms against her breasts and they both groaned together. “Oh baby,” he whispered as he gently squeezed the curves that overflowed his hands. “Your tits are incredible.”

  His moved his palms in circles, teasing her breasts before he pinched her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. “I’ve jacked off thinking about these beauties. Lean down. I want to suck on them.”

  She complied and he reared up, shoving her sweater out of the way before capturing one hard nipple and sucking it hard through her bra. She gasped.

  “Do you like
this?”

  She bit her lip and pushed herself deeper into his mouth, but he shook his head. “You have to talk to me, querida. Do you like this?”

  “Yes. Please. Suck me … suck me harder.”

  He moved to her other breast, this time yanking down the cup of her bra before pulling the nipple into the heated cavern of his mouth. Before long, he was alternately flicking and sucking each nipple until they were berry red and as hard as pearls.

  It was rare, but some women could come just from having their breasts played with. It might take some work getting there, but he was willing to bet she was one of them.

  “Please, Noah. Touch me some more.”

  “I am touching you,” he teased. To prove his point, he kneaded her breasts a little roughly, loving the way she squeezed her thighs around him in an effort to ease the ache between them. Frustrated, she ground her lower body against him. “No, I mean touch me more.”

  “Show me,” he ordered.

  She dragged his hands down to her hips and twisted until his dick found its spot between her legs. She froze and so did he, his hot breath caressing her chest. Waiting. Wondering if she’d hit her limit. She didn’t move for several minutes and then she began a steady rhythmic thrust and retreat, one that repeatedly rubbed his dick against her clit. She was sobbing now, pushing his head harder into the valley between her breasts, frantic for the sensations that were quickly building to a fevered pitch.

  He tried to pull his hands out of her grasp so he could touch her, but she held on, making him think she was getting scared. “It’s okay. Let’s take a break.” Again, he tried to withdraw his hands but she gasped, “No.”

  She stopped grinding against him, widened her stance, and pushed herself slightly up on her knees. Then she pulled at one of his wrists, guiding it between her legs until the back of his hand grazed her center. “Please. Touch me.”

  Instantly, he turned his hand until he cupped her. Unerringly, his thumb found her clit through the denim and rubbed. She let out a soft, keening cry, closed her eyes, and flung her head back. She kept her fingers wrapped around both his wrists but she didn’t push him away. Keeping his hand between her legs, he moved his other one back to her breast and squeezed her nipple again, this time a little harder than before.

  She grimaced, her expression clearly one of unbearable pleasure.

  He raised his knees slightly so they nudged against her from behind. “Lie back against me,” he urged. Her eyes flew open and she mewled, a sound of uncertainty. He just stared at her as he continued to rub her sensitive flesh. Finally, she did as he said, her legs splaying open even wider.

  Her hips gyrated to the rhythm he set with his hand. He wanted nothing more than to lay her back, take off her clothes, and drive himself into her wet heat, but there was something infinitely exciting about having her sit on top of him, all her clothes still intact, her bottom rubbing against him, making him harder as he watched her getting closer and closer to breaking apart.

  He knew the instant she realized she was going to climax. Her eyes flew open and she stiffened. “Wait—” she gasped. “Stop. Please.”

  His first thought was, Fuck no, but she was obviously scared of the release she’d never found with a man before. It was that fear that stopped him from ripping open her jeans, jerking them off her body, and burying his fingers into her pussy. It was a pure thrill, knowing he’d brought her so far with so little effort, but she needed to know she could trust him, that she could control how far things went, so he forced himself to stop caressing her. He kept his hands right where they were, though, resting against her while quivers racked her body. “Don’t you want to come, baby?”

  “No—no. I—I can’t. I’ve never—”

  “You were close. You felt it, as did I. It’ll feel so good, so amazing if you just let yourself have it, Jenna. And damn, I want to give it to you.”

  “I—I—” She shook her head. Blinked her eyes in an effort to focus past the desire that was still dragging her down. Awkwardly, she pushed herself off him and to the side. His hands fell away as she swung her legs off the bed. She sat there for a minute with her head lowered, catching her breath. Finally, she stood. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  She watched him warily, obviously expecting him to freak out on her.

  He shrugged with a casualness he was far from feeling. “You don’t have to be sorry. This is all for you, remember?”

  Surprise washed away her uncertainty. “Who are you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Are you always this self-sacrificing?”

  He snorted. “Not at all. Believe me, I can be damn demanding. I love pushing a woman past her inhibitions. I love making her take more than she ever thought she could because she trusts me to pleasure her. But only with a woman who can handle it. You can’t.” Not yet, he thought.

  She opened her mouth, obviously wanting to argue with him, but then it snapped shut. Her expression hardened and he knew her fear had finally overshadowed everything else. “You’re right. I can’t. I think you should leave.”

  With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

  Noah sighed. And then he got dressed.

  CHAPTER SIX

  When a fully-clothed Noah stepped out of the bedroom, Jenna wanted to weep. His body was so gorgeous, she’d wanted to spend hours examining it further. Without even trying, he’d had her closer to coming than any other man had. Hell, she’d bet he could accomplish the same thing if he only had his little finger to work with. For a second there, all she’d wanted to do was rip off her clothes and beg him to touch her, everywhere, anywhere, however he wanted. But she couldn’t have that. Not if she didn’t want to fall apart when he eventually left.

  She’d completely lost sight of why this had started.

  Plus, something had changed after he’d come in her mouth and touched her. As he’d eased her closer and closer to a climax, she’d suddenly realized that if she gave it to him, she’d be giving him a whole lot more than that. Like the power to hurt her. Oh, not physically. She truly believed that Noah wouldn’t physically hurt her. He’d never force her to have sex against her wishes. But her intentions were getting all confused in her mind, and she knew if she let herself, she’d fall for him in a deeply emotional way.

  That couldn’t happen. Not with her past. And not with her future.

  She forced herself to smile. “Thank you for what you did.”

  “I think I can safely say the pleasure was all mine,” he said wryly.

  She laughed, marveling at his ability to keep his sense of humor, given the awkwardness of the situation. “It wasn’t. It felt good. What you did to me.”

  “Then I’d say we made progress, don’t you think?”

  This time, her smile was completely genuine even if it was a little tremulous.

  “Yes, we did.”

  “Good. I’m glad.” He looked at his watch, the gesture making her chest ache. “I guess if we’re done, I should probably get dinner. I meant to stop somewhere after the bar but …” He shrugged. He walked up to her, smoothed her hair back, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, the lips. “Take care, Jenna.”

  He walked toward the door and panic surged through her. “Do you—do you want me to fix you something?” The invitation popped out of her mouth before she knew she’d formed the thought.

  He turned and tipped his head. “You don’t mind?”

  She barely disguised her sigh of relief. “No. It’s the least I can do after—well, everything you’ve done for me.”

  “Great.” He shrugged off his jacket and slipped it over a chair. Hands on his hips, he looked around. He took in Kate’s minuscule kitchen, then jerked his thumb toward the living room couch. “Do you mind if I sit down and watch some television? I promise to stay out of your way.”

  “Go ahead.” It was actually a perfect idea. He’d be less distracting that way. Less tempting. If they worked together in the small kitchen, they’d inevitabl
y brush up against each other and she’d be even more tempted to ask him to stay. This way, she’d make him some dinner. They’d eat. And maybe then she’d be ready to say goodbye. “Just don’t think those DVDs by the TV are mine,” she joked. “Kate’s cousin stayed here before me and he’s coming back for them. Only—” She shrugged, feeling like an idiot for pointing out the DVDs he probably wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

  He cocked a brow, walked to the DVD player, and picked something up. He glanced at her again, grinning. “Kate’s cousin has good taste. This is a classic.”

  She rolled her eyes, making him laugh, before turning to the refrigerator. When she saw him again, he was sitting on the sofa holding the remote and the television was on. All he needed was an open can of beer and his feet propped on the coffee table and he’d look like any other man hanging out at home. Bemused, she stared at him for several seconds. He didn’t seem at all pissed that she’d been about to kick him out. Maybe he was actually glad she’d called a halt to things. He probably figured she was more trouble than she was worth. Who could blame him?

  Still, she was surprised by how content she felt. Making him dinner. Having him here, watching television. It was a quiet interaction, one couples engaged in all the time, and the normalcy of it made her feel even safer with him.

  It had been so long since she’d been able to simply enjoy the company of a man she liked. She was going to take advantage of every minute of it now.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Noah knew he’d thrown her off. He could feel her eyes watching him as she cooked, trying to figure him out. The little darling obviously didn’t know what she was up against.

  Using the remote, he activated the DVD player so it began to play the disc he’d inserted when she wasn’t looking. He kept the volume low so it wouldn’t alert her. As he pretended to watch the screen, he heard her bustling around, muttering to herself now and then, and even humming a couple times.