by Arianna Hart
With a growl, he tossed the bottle of chocolate sauce aside and stripped off his clothes in record time. Nadya knelt on the bed, watching him walk toward her. Her eyes lit hungrily on his cock, and when she finally met his gaze, she licked her lips.
“I guess you weren’t all talk, after all.” Her voice was husky with promise. He reached for her, but she eluded his grasp. “Let me touch you first. Once you get your hands on me I can’t think straight, and I want to explore a bit first.”
Was she fucking kidding? His heart was beating out of his chest and she wanted to tease him? He’d never survive it.
“Please?” Her dark brown eyes melted his resistance.
“I don’t know how much I can take,” he warned.
“I’ll be gentle. Just lie back. And don’t touch me yet.”
Her eyes glittered down on him as he complied with her wishes. He grasped the rails on the headboard and held on for dear life. She looked at the floor where his uniform—and his handcuffs—lay in a heap.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“I trust you to control yourself.”
He wasn’t so sure about that, but he tried to relax as she straddled his waist. Her hair curtained them as she leaned down to capture his lips with hers. She teased and tormented, never letting him have a full taste of her mouth.
With little flicks of her tongue, she made her way down his throat to his shoulder.
“I love your muscles. I know that sounds shallow, but when they stretch your shirt it gets me all shivery.” She traced the hills and valleys of his biceps. “What does Semper Fi mean?”
He glanced down at the tattoo he’d gotten when he’d finished boot camp. “It’s the motto of the Marines. It means Always Loyal or Always Faithful, depending on who you ask.”
“It fits you.” She scooted onto his thighs, carefully avoiding his dick. “How did you get this scar?” She traced the raised flesh that ran from his navel practically to his hip bone with her tongue. Her hair teased his cock, and he gasped with the pleasure of a thousand tiny caresses.
“Skirmish in Fallujah. Knife wound.” The headboard creaked as he clenched it in his white-knuckled grasp.
“You’re lucky to be alive.” She continued to lick and kiss his stomach, moving closer and closer to his cock but not touching it.
“Trust me, I’m feeling very lively right now.”
“I can see that.” She wrapped her hand around his length and squeezed. The pleasure of her touch rocked him straight to the base of his shaft. Heat pulsed through him and sweat made his hands slippery, but he didn’t break.
As if sensing his weakening will, she unclasped her bra and threw it to the side. Her breasts bounced free, and she cupped them in her palms as if offering them to him. When he let go of the bed, she raised one coal-black eyebrow, mocking him silently.
J.T. clenched his teeth and put his hands back behind his head.
“Impressive.”
He wasn’t sure if she meant his control or his cock, but he didn’t care because she pressed her deliciously full breasts against his length, and he lost any further power of thought. The sight of her between his legs about did him in. But when she wrapped her red lips around the head of his dick and sucked, he crashed and burned.
“Time’s up,” he growled and pulled her up onto his chest.
He captured her lips and drove his tongue into her mouth the way he wanted to drive his length into her softness. Her wanton panties were history with one quick snap, and she was gloriously naked for his pleasure. He slid a finger inside her slick warmth and she clenched it with a cry. She was tight and wet and pulsing around his hand.
Nadya squirmed on top of him until she straddled his hips. Rising up, she fitted him to her entrance and sank down, taking his entire length in one long slide.
“Oh God!” She threw her head back and ground against him.
Watching the ecstasy on her face as she rode him pushed him to his limits. He wanted nothing more than to grab her rounded hips and slam into her hard and fast. But he fought for the last ounce of his control and let her take her pleasure, one slow fucking stroke at a time.
Her eyes blazed as she stared down at him, her tempo growing faster and faster. “Please, J.T., finish it.”
That was all he needed to hear. He clasped her ass in his hands and rolled them over until he could hammer into her. With each thrust, the pleasure built at the base of his cock, coiling tighter and tighter. He could feel his heart beating like a snare drum, or maybe that was hers. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was reaching that elusive peak just out of reach.
Nadya dug her nails into his arms as she let out a cry of completion. Just in time, as he couldn’t hold back the storm any longer. He flowed into her until he felt empty and boneless. With the last of his energy, he rolled to the side so he wouldn’t crush her, but he continued to hold her in his arms.
When he had the ability to think again, he knew he never wanted to let her go.
Chapter Twelve
Nadya’s bladder woke her up long before she was ready to leave the comfort of J.T.’s arms. A reluctant glance at the clock on the nightstand let her know it wasn’t worth trying to fight it and go back to sleep. J.T. had to leave for work in about forty-five minutes, and being a man, he’d get up in about half an hour and be ready to go. If she didn’t want to stroll into Mary Ellen’s house looking like the whore of Dale, she’d need to get in a quick shower first.
Of course, her suitcase was still in the truck, which complicated matters. Tip-toeing to his dresser, she grabbed one of his T-shirts and slipped off to the bathroom. The toothbrush he’d given her on her last visit was still there, so she was in good shape.
A sensual shiver raced down her spine as she remembered the last time she took a shower in here. Making love with a strong man lent itself to all sorts of positions not available otherwise. She’d always wished to be a few inches taller and maybe make it to five six or five seven, but the way J.T. carried her around like she weighed nothing made her appreciate her small size.
Geez, if she didn’t stop daydreaming about J.T. she’d crawl right back in bed with him and she’d never get a decent cup of coffee.
Hmm, what a debate—a desperately needed cup of coffee or another round of J.T.’s sexual magic. She’d taken two steps towards the bedroom before her common sense asserted itself. J.T. wouldn’t appreciate being late, and now that the whole town knew she was sleeping here, she didn’t want to give them any ammunition to harass him with.
J.T.’s T-shirt fell mid-thigh on her and covered up her lack of underwear. At the rate he was destroying her clothes, she’d have to go shopping before she went back to New York. But damn, it was so worth it.
The morning sunlight trickled through the tree branches and gave the kitchen a cheery glow. She’d spent many mornings with her mama in this very kitchen, getting ready for school. It seemed as natural as could be to start a pot of coffee and search the fridge for something for breakfast.
The pickings were slim. A few eggs, some milk, the sack of groceries from last night and beer. Not any fruit or vegetables in sight. No yogurt or bagels either. She examined the contents of the grocery sack and pulled out the hard rolls, cheese and ham. At least she could work with those. The potato salad just didn’t seem like breakfast food to her so she put that back on the shelf. There was plenty of room for it.
Before long, she had a mug of coffee in her hand and was frying up the ham for an egg sandwich. When she heard the shower stop, she poured a mug for J.T. and cracked another egg into the pan.
“I think I must be in heaven,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. “Coffee already made and a beautiful woman in my kitchen making me breakfast.”
Her body instantly responded to his nearness, sending zings of pleasure straight to her core. She had to tamp down the pleasure or he’d definitely be late for work. “Oh please, you can’t tell me you haven’t had plenty of volunteers to bring you breakfast
in bed. I’ve seen the way every woman in this town looks at you. One flash of your dimples and you’d have a line down Deer Creek Road of women bringing you coffee.”
He took his mug and sat at the table. “That’s why I moved here in the first place. I lived in town for a while, and every time I opened my door there was someone who just wanted to drop off a plate of cookies or brownies or whatnot.”
“And of course, being the gentleman that you are, you’d let them in and visit with them for half an hour.”
“Exactly. I couldn’t get anything done. And it was really uncomfortable.”
“Poor baby. It’s so hard to be the object of so many women’s dreams.”
“It’s not as funny as it sounds.”
Nadya put the ham, egg and cheese on a grilled roll and slipped it onto a plate for him. “Well, this doesn’t rival Mary Ellen’s biscuits and gravy, but it’ll hold you over better than a slice of toast.”
As she leaned over to put the plate on the table in front of him, the T-shirt rode up, exposing her naked butt. She tugged the material down, but not before J.T. noticed. He let out a whistle of appreciation and ran his hand over the curve of one cheek.
“Yup, definitely heaven.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. But maybe when you finish eating you could go out to the truck and get my suitcase? I don’t think Mary Ellen would appreciate my present attire as much as you do.”
He continued to fondle her butt, those long fingers stroking her gently. She could feel herself getting wet and ready for him. Her breasts were full and heavy, and she closed her eyes and moaned as he feathered closer and closer to her hot center.
The shrill ringing of his cell phone broke the spell and she jumped away from his wicked hand.
“McBride,” he all but growled into his phone.
Nadya’s hands shook as she crossed to the sink to wash the dishes. One touch of his hand and she was putty, all common sense thrown to the wind. She stared out the window over the sink, trying to collect herself and calm her raging hormones.
A movement by the wood pile caught her attention. She didn’t see anything else, but something or someone was there at the edge of the bushes. Her breath caught and old fears returned in a flash. How often had someone come sneaking up on them when she was growing up here? Instinctively, she turned toward the living room where the shotgun used to hang over the fireplace.
“I’ve got to go,” J.T. said as he hung up. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He was by her side in a flash.
“I saw something move, out there by the bushes. It’s gone now, but it brought back some bad memories for me. It was probably just a deer or something, but old habits die hard.”
“Wait here. I’ll go check it out.”
“Finish your breakfast, really. I’m sure it was nothing. I just get jumpy sometimes.”
“I have to go out to get your suitcase anyway. I’ll be right back.” He gave her a quick kiss and headed out the door.
She didn’t know why, but nervousness clutched at her stomach as she watched him from the kitchen window. What if someone was out there? With a gun?
“Stop being ridiculous,” she chided herself. But still, she breathed a sigh of relief when he came back into the cabin with her suitcase.
“I didn’t see anything, but with all this heat, the ground is baked harder than a rock, which makes it hard to see any footprints.”
“I’m sure it was nothing.” She wheeled her suitcase towards the bedroom while he finished the rest of his egg sandwich.
She heard the plate clang against the sink and then he was leaning against the door jam. “Trust your instincts. I know you haven’t been here for a while, but you know the rhythm of the forest. If something seems off, it probably is. Don’t second-guess yourself.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“Good. If you’re a little afraid, you won’t take chances. Someone is out to hurt you. I don’t want to see that happen.”
“Me either.”
“Woman, you have the sexiest damn underwear. I don’t know whether to be pleased I get to see you in it or jealous about who you bought them for.”
“I bought them for me. Most of my clothes I get on consignment, so when I buy something new for myself, I make sure it’s something I really like. Something that makes me feel pretty.”
“Trust me, it works. Come on, if you don’t get covered up soon, I’ll never get to work.”
“And would that be such a bad thing?” she teased, using a little extra wiggle as she pulled on her shorts.
“I have a crapload of work to get done today and tomorrow if I want to enjoy my day off. And I plan on enjoying it right here with you. In bed. Taking off those panties that make you feel so pretty and showing you how effective they are.”
Tingles sparkled through her body like her blood was made of soda water. An entire day in bed with J.T.? She might just die from heart failure. But what a way to go!
“Makes me wish I had my car back so I could make a run into Canton and hit Victoria’s Secret.” She looked around for her purse and remembered it was in the truck still. “I guess I’m all set, but speaking of my car, what happened to it?”
“I had it towed to Al’s. He’s going to let me know if he can fix it or if he’ll have to tow it to Canton.”
“Great. Looks like I’ll be without wheels for a while.”
“Then consider me your chauffeur. Your limo awaits.”
She laughed and followed him outside. As she waited for him to open the truck door for her, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She had the nervous feeling someone was watching her.
Shaking it off, she climbed in and buckled up. It was probably just her imagination, and even if it wasn’t, they were headed into town anyway. If anyone was watching the house, they’d be watching an empty one.
…
Nadya was surprised to see Bill’s truck in the driveway when J.T. dropped her off, then she remembered it was Saturday. Wow, one week of vacation and she was already losing track of the days. Of course, a hell of a lot had happened in that one week. She’d found out the identity of her father, reconnected with Mary Ellen, faced down some of the women from her past and fallen back in love with J.T.
Whoa! Back the truck up!
Good sex, great sex even, did not equal love. She needed to keep her head on straight if she wanted to go back to New York relatively heart-whole.
“Keep your cell phone on you, not in your purse. I’ll touch base with you throughout the day and let you know if I’m going to be late. I have to go out of town for a bit this morning, but I should be back sometime this afternoon.”
“I think I’ll survive without you. It’ll be tough, but I’m strong.”
“Smart-ass.”
“You love my smart ass,” she shot back as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
“I surely do.” He pulled her close for a kiss. “Be careful. Keep your phone on. Don’t be afraid to call if something seems off.”
“I’ll be fine. Go, or you’ll be late to work and they’ll blame me.”
He waited until Mary Ellen opened the door and waved to him before he backed out of the driveway. As Nadya watched him pull away, she also saw curtains twitch on either side of the street. The phone lines would be buzzing early today.
“I feel like I should charge admission for the show y’all are putting on just by J.T. dropping you off on my front stoop,” Mary Ellen said as she ushered Nadya inside.
“I’ve seen dead bodies cause less of a stir in New York City.”
“Auntie Nad! Auntie Nad!” Billy ran down the hall and latched onto her legs. “I missed you. Mama said something bad happened to your car and Uncle J.T. was going to take care of you because you were sad. I’m sorry your car got hurt.”
“Lord, child, let her get in the door. And to think, you’re my quiet boy.”
“It’s okay.” Nadya detached him from her legs and squatted down to his height. “My car got hurt, but I’m o
kay. Uncle J.T. just wants me to be safe.”
“’Cause that’s his job. A police ocifer keeps people safe. He’ll catch the bad guys and throw them in jail.”
His little face was so serious in his belief of right and wrong, Nadya had to bite back a grin. “I’m sure he will.”
“Did you have breakfast yet?” Mary Ellen asked. “I’m making cheese grits, eggs and sausage.”
“I haven’t had grits in years. But I had breakfast with J.T., so I’m good. I will not eat any more carbs today. I will not eat grits and sausage, no matter how good it smells. I will be strong and fit into my clothes.”
“Honey, you worry too much. I’m sure you burned off plenty of calories last night.”
Either Nadya was getting used to Mary Ellen’s bawdy talk or she was too satisfied to blush, because for once she was immune to the taunt. “And I plan to burn off many more tonight, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to gorge myself on fat and carbs.”
“We’ll see about that. My mama’s making lemon meringue pie for tomorrow’s dinner, and I’m making my famous twice-baked potatoes.”
“And everyone always said I was the bad influence on you.” Nadya picked Billy up and headed into the kitchen.
Bill read the paper next to Hunter who sat in a booster seat. Bits of toast were scattered around the toddler like confetti. Sydney sat patiently under the table, eagerly awaiting the next fallen morsel. The radio was on a country station, and the familiar cadence brought Nadya back to the days when Mr. Farley sat in that same spot and Mrs. Farley bustled around the kitchen humming to the radio. Memories and longing washed over her, choking her with emotion.
She put little Billy down on the bench seat and helped herself to a mug of coffee. “I think I’ll take this and sit on the patio so I don’t give in to temptation. Y’all eat your breakfast and let me know when the coast is clear.”
