by Renée Dahlia
‘Not yet.’
‘Fucking why not?’ Her perfectly Rachel demand swelled his chest with delicious heat.
‘Because of this.’ He sucked the strong tendon at the side of her neck, hard enough to leave a bruise and she shouted out an enthusiastic agreement.
‘Hell yes.’ Her hands relaxed in his as he rolled backwards, shifting them together onto the bed. He used his weight to keep her hands locked underneath her back, while releasing his own hands, so he could use both to undo her blouse. Inch by inch, he exposed her skin and she writhed underneath his weight, trapped, panting, and wanting. Her skin changed colour as he pushed her shirt wide and bent to kiss her breasts. Tanned at her throat, paler as he explored the parts of her body usually unseen by the sun. In some ways, completely different to his melanin rich skin, in others, no different to his, with the graduated shades depending on how much sun each portion of her body saw. Would she notice the way his own skin responded to the sun? She ripped her hands out from underneath herself, he’d forgotten how strong she was, as she grabbed his shirt, tugging it up his body, her knuckles dragging over his heated skin. He helped her pull his shirt over his head in a swift motion, before he lowered himself onto her. Skin to skin. Searing him. He kissed her hard, then descended on her, blazing a path down her throat with kisses to make her squirm underneath him. Her fingers dug into his spine in delicious agony; his ears filled with the sound of her ragged breaths as he explored her soft skin with his tongue, more hints of wattle. She must use a soap with it in it since the bush scent tingled in his mouth. He covered her breasts with his hands, the lace of her bra tickling his palms, as he shifted further down until his face nestled between her breasts.
‘Yes.’ She spread her hands over his shoulder blades, her nails just touching him. He pulled her bra down and pinched her dark rose nipples. Her fingernails dug in, scratching him. Hell. He sucked on nipple as he toyed with the other, delighting in her moans. Her head fell back on his bed, her eyes shut as he continued his path lower until he reached the tight waistband of her dress pants. Even with her uber-fit body, her pants still dug into her skin a little and he ran his finger underneath the edge to soothe her before he undid the button and slowly pulled the zip down. She covered his hand with hers, trying to push his palm down against her lacy underwear.
‘Faster.’
‘No.’ He didn’t want to rush, although his body screamed at him to tear at her pants, drag them off and drive himself into her wet heat. Her quest for speed worked as a magic wand slowing his fingers down, needing to take his time and experience every little reaction he could draw from her.
‘Asshole.’ She hissed, digging her fingernails into his hand.
‘Shh.’ He breathed against her hand, gently removing her talons from his hand, placing her hand on his forearm. He chuckled and blew hot air over her skin until she writhed, pushing her hips and mound up towards his mouth.
‘Come on. Get on with it.’ She drew out the words in a plea, squeezing his arm, until he pulled her pants down over her hips. He kissed all the little red bits of skin where her pants dug into her, amazed at how her stomach muscles were so strong and hard underneath her soft feminine skin. Her athletic body and fitness called to him in a way that he’d never felt before, a sizzling strength which built awareness. She raked the back of his neck with her fingers, the pads and calluses caused by her job rougher on his skin than he expected, adding a freshness to the familiar act. He gently drew down her underwear, taking his time to trace her skin, circling her centre, but teasing her by not touching her. Her fingers gripped him tighter, pressing into the muscles at the base of his skull, her entire body tense and needy.
‘Come on. I need you.’ Her breathy voice called to him deep inside and his own hips jerked, dragging his cock against her calf muscle. He brushed his hand, ever so lightly, over her slit, and she moaned.
‘More.’
‘Like this?’ He spread his hand over her mound, then slowly dipped his finger inside her wet, oh so wet, slit.
‘Yeah, just like that.’ She twisted, faster than he expected, and grabbed his hand, pulling it up to her mouth and sucking his finger, still damp with her own juice. Holy shit, that was about the hottest thing he’d ever seen, and he damned near came right that second.
‘I love that taste.’
‘Of yourself?’
‘Of aroused woman. Mine or someone else’s.’
Fuck. He had to taste her now, either that or die from the way his heart thudded in his chest.
‘So do I.’ He covered her mound with his mouth, and she bucked underneath him as he stroked her with his tongue. Her musk overwhelmed his senses, the taste, the smell, utterly perfect, and she spread her legs wider for him. With long, slow licks, he relished the taste of her, salty like her sassy personality. His focus zeroed in on her, he needed to make her scream his name and come before he even gave a thought to his own pleasure. He adored this part of sex, the sheer beauty of her spread wide open for him, and Rachel had a way of demanding satisfaction that made him want to be even more for her. To flick her clit until her hands grabbed the bed covers, and she bucked against him. He gave her everything he could, every luscious pull of his tongue as she cried out for more, little touches against her clit in time with her panting breath, and when the tension in her hands tightened even more on his skull, her fingers grasping at the nearness of her orgasm, he sucked her clit hard enough to push her over the edge into a torrent of pleasure.
‘Yes. Jacob. That’s it.’
She pulsed under his mouth, her inner muscles clenching on his tongue, and he had to agree. If they both died now, it would be the best way to go. Her fingers slackened on his skull, drifting down to cradle his cheeks, and she tugged at his face. He lifted his head and gazed at her glassy eyes and flushed face. He traced his hands down her strong thighs, amazed at the differences between his strength and hers, yet underneath still both of them were athletes. He needed to be inside her now.
‘Can I?’
‘Can you what?’
‘Can I fuck you?’
‘You already have, but yeah, I’d quite like to have your cock inside me.’
‘Rachel, only you would be so perfectly blunt.’ He grinned, pressed a kiss to her curls, and stood up beside the bed. Fumbling with his zip, he pulled down his jeans, releasing his hard erection. He leaned over to grab a condom and ripped it open before rolling it on.
‘What is taking so long?’ She half-sat up on her elbows.
He grinned, ‘Are you always this impatient?’
‘Only for important things.’
‘Are you saying my cock is important?’ His smile grew as his blood roared in his veins. He needed to be inside her. Right this very second.
‘Maybe.’ She gave him a sly look, ‘It’s also important that you get off as well, otherwise it’s all one-way traffic.’ Or at least, that’s what he thought she said. Rachel mumbled, her voice heavy with satisfaction, a little smile remaining on her lips.
‘And we can’t be unfair about this, can we?’ He grinned as he leaned over her. She reached out and wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking lightly, then stronger until his eyes rolled back in his head with pleasure.
‘You could come now.’ Her tempting idea nearly made him acquiesce.
He growled, ‘Or I could sink into heaven.’ The anticipation of being inside her made him into a poet, and he ignored the flitting thought that he sounded like a tool.
‘Also, a good plan.’ She slid her hand down and cupped his balls, shooting sensation through his nervous system. He leaned over her, and she guided him into her slick heat. Heaven. Her body yielded to him as he drove himself in deep. His low groan mingled in the air with her wild moan.
‘Harder,’ she begged. He was beyond words, thrusting into her again and again. He covered her body, his skin slippery against hers as she responded in kind to him, tipping her hips to draw him in deeper.
‘More,’ her voice had a tense
edge to it, as though she was almost ready to explode into pleasure, and he slipped his hand between them to touch her clit.
‘Jacob,’ Rachel cried out his name, the ultimate sound, as her inner muscles clenched him in pulses. He crashed into her, coming hard and deep inside, and he didn’t hold back, safe in the knowledge that she was strong and tough. His vision blurred, seeing white spots as he came, pumping himself into her until he almost passed out. He collapsed onto her, his breath coming in gulps as his heart returned from top speed back to normal much slower than usual. Stunned, unable to move, as if Rachel had smacked him on the head and stabbed him in the heart. Only violence could explain the hammering in his chest. She traced lazy circles on his lower back.
‘Thank you.’ He wasn’t sure if he whispered aloud, or if he only thought it. Her fingers didn’t change their gentle rhythm, lulling him towards a sated sleep.
‘Jacob,’ she whispered, pushing gently at his shoulders. He blinked, his mind foggy as he rolled off her. She brushed her hand over his hair and touched the end of her nose to his.
‘Yeah?’
‘We should probably deal with the condom before you pass out.’
It took a concerted effort to waken his brain enough to focus on what she’d said and move his body enough to be practical. She reached down between them, and helped him, as he argued with his sleepy body. Never before had sex left him so relaxed, emptied of all tensions. His body seemed like liquid as he stood up, threw the condom into a bin, and grabbed a towel from the bathroom in case she wanted to clean up.
‘Come back to bed, Jacob.’
He didn’t need a second invitation, his body drifting down to lie stretched out next to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She hummed, a quiet vibration against him, as she shifted to settle against him.
‘I have to get up early for trackwork.’
‘Are you asking if you can stay the night?’ The answer was yes, of course. He wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.
‘Do you mind?’
He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. ‘I would mind if you left. Please stay.’ He pulled his jeans off properly and chucked them over the chair in the corner of the room and helped her remove all her clothes. They rolled together, naked, under the sheets, her body searing his, which naturally led to more kisses, more orgasms, and more glorious time spent inside her.
Dark surrounded him when he woke up to a weird grumble in his stomach. If it wasn’t the middle of the night, he’d think he was hungry.
‘Hmmph.’ He probably was hungry, he hadn’t eaten much all day at the races, and he’d leaped straight into bed with Rachel. Where was she? He reached out, his hand brushing her bare backside. He shifted towards her, tucking her small body against his. The long muscles down her spine were hard against his chest, and her ribs moved in a quiet rhythm as she slept. He traced his hands down her sides, brushing the rounded sides of her breasts, and over her tiny waist with strong abdominal muscles under her soft feminine skin. Her body amazed him, a small bundle of strength.
‘Good morning, Jacob. Surely it’s not time to get up for trackwork yet?’ Her voice was full of sleep, throaty.
‘I don’t know what the time is.’
She groaned, ‘I’m not ready to get up yet. Why are you awake?’
‘Would you believe it, but my stomach woke me up.’
She rolled over, ‘Are you shitting me? All that exercise has made you hungry? Like do you need a midnight snack or something to sustain yourself?’ The dark hid her expression, but he could imagine her smile thanks to the laughter in her voice.
‘I think I’ll survive.’
‘Good—’ She paused for long enough that he thought she’d gone back to sleep. ‘Ahh, fuck it.’ She wriggled in his arms. ‘Now you’ve gone and woken me up, I can’t sleep.’
‘I have an idea about how to relax you again.’
She giggled, ‘You are insatiable.’
‘Yes.’ He slid his hands up, cupping her breasts. ‘Shall we?’
‘Oh, yeah.’
A high-pitched pop tune blasted out, and Jacob cracked open one eye. Beside him, Rachel rustled under the blankets before dropping a kiss onto his forehead, her breath hot and sweet on his face.
‘Thanks for a wonderful night, Jacob.’ She whispered before sliding out of his bed, leaving him alone under the covers, his hands reaching for her and finding only warm sheets. He could hear her gathering up her clothes, her feet muffled by the carpet, and he winced when he heard a thump and she swore under her breath. Soon the hallway light flicked on, leaving him to decide—stay in bed and try and sleep some more, or get up and say goodbye properly. He reached out and turned on his bedside light, blinking under the sudden influx of sharp light, and dragged himself out of the warm cosy bed. Pulling out his drawer, he grabbed clean boxers and a t-shirt and threw them on, before following her out into the hallway. She stood in the kitchen, buttoning up her shirt, looking as bleary eyed and sleepy as he felt.
‘Hey, you want something to eat before you go to work?’
She cleared her throat, ‘You didn’t have to get up? And thanks, I’ll just grab some water, although a piece of fruit might be good.’
‘There are apples in the bowl over there.’ He pointed in the direction of the fruit and took a glass out of the cupboard for her. Their fingers grazed each other as he handed her the glass, sending a sizzle up his arm. He smirked—apparently, they hadn’t gotten it all out of their respective systems last night. Rachel filled the glass with water, and drank deeply, a little drop of moisture escaping the corner of her mouth, and his tongue tingled with the need to lick it. She put the glass on the bench, her own tongue flicking out to capture the tiny droplet, and the combination of her sleepy eyes, and her wet lips reminded him of her face during her first orgasm last night. The memory triggered a question.
‘Hey, what did you mean earlier last night when you said I’d already fucked you before? Was that …’
A groan emanated from her throat, ‘It’s a bit early for questions like that. Anyway, it wasn’t an insult. I reckon that sex is about orgasms, not about where the bits go.’
He glanced at the clock … frigging four-thirty in the morning.
‘I’d never thought about it like that, I guess.’ He shrugged his shoulders to make it seem like no big deal.
‘Missionary isn’t the only way, Jacob. Go back to sleep and dream about it. I’d better go. I’ll call you.’ She collected her bag from the kitchen bench where she’d flung it the night before and left his house without a second glance. He stared down his hallway long after the front door banged shut, trying to process how the aftermath of one wild night could leave him feeling so empty.
Chapter 12
Rachel knew she shouldn’t have rushed out of his house, dismissing his curiosity—except for the growing thump of her heart as happened whenever their conversations veered into interesting territory. She didn’t want a relationship. She’d already broken her own pact with herself by being here tonight. The whole idea about celebrating Darnation’s big win with some no strings sex seemed like a great idea while they were enjoying themselves. Right now, all the reasons why she shouldn’t be doing this came rushing back. She waved her hand as her Uber drove up the street, thankful she’d booked him as soon as she turned off her alarm. She had spare clothes in her car, and she’d left it at Flemington after the races last night. Convenient, that. Time to focus on work and her career, not on the cute side track of last night. A blip in the road, so to speak. She climbed in the front seat of the Uber and pulled out her phone, so she wouldn’t need to chat to the driver. A flurry of congratulation messages about yesterday’s win on Darnation gave her a simple task, and she replied to each of them. She glanced up at the road, still another ten minutes or so until she got to the track—time to call her sister, who, like her, would be up early getting ready for the morning’s trackwork.
‘Rachel. I rang, like four times, yesterday. Were you too busy pa
rtying?’ Serena’s happy-go-lucky voice sang through the phone, far too joyful for this early in the morning.
‘Something like that.’ She grinned, a party of two in Jacob’s bed—close enough.
‘Pretty special stuff, the way he lunged through the gap, and then the drama of the protest, but it was never in doubt. Once we saw the head-on footage it was obvious the second horse leaned on you, not the other way. Hey, are you coming out to the farm this week? Shannon wants you to do some fast work on Tsuyoi Red on Wednesday,’ Serena said.
‘I saw his text, but it depends on what the trainers here want. Wednesday is usually a big day for gallops.’
‘Family first, Rach.’
Rachel wanted to roll her eyes, ‘It’s not that simple. I have commitments here.’
‘Fair enough. I’ll tell Shannon.’
‘No, don’t. I’ll call him. It’s better coming from me, rather than second hand. Besides, we might be able to work out something.’ Rachel waited for Serena’s whine about how she didn’t trust her, but it didn’t come, leaving Rachel to wonder if she always imagined that about her sister. They were so different, Serena didn’t like to take risks in her personal life, and she didn’t seem to have the same drive to succeed as Rachel. Rachel couldn’t understand how she could be content as a job rider for Shannon and other country trainers like their neighbour Edwards, especially when Serena was just as competitive in a race as any other jockey. It didn’t add up in Rachel’s mind.
‘Hey, are you there?’ Serena asked.
‘Yeah, just thinking.’
‘Sounds ominous.’ Serena laughed, and Rachel smiled.
‘Possibly. How is Edwards? Still hot and distant?’
Serena giggled, ‘Still hot. He’s taken to drinking on a Friday evening in the pub with Shannon.’
‘They probably just talk horses over a single beer before they drive home.’
