Defeat the Darkness (Hearts of Darkness) (17 page)

Her body tensed and trembled against his. He didn’t want to lose her or the moment.

“Don’t over-think. Don’t worry. I’m okay no matter what it means or doesn’t mean to you. Relax and go with the flow.”

If he had to talk all the way through the night to keep her with him, he would. Satisfying her and making her forget everything else was his ultimate goal. Tomorrow would be soon enough for her to remember her heartbreak, and hopefully her well-used body would carry enough reminders of their night together to ease the pain.

“How’s this feel?” He touched her breast, cupping her fullness in his hand and squeezing. She exhaled with a sigh, and he nipped her earlobe, allowing his breath to drift around to her sensitive nape.

“Mmm, good.” Arching her breast against his fingers, she shifted closer to him, her nails digging into his biceps.

The pain barely registered. He didn’t care. The desperation in her touch was what he wanted from her. It was as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

She closed her eyes and dropped her forehead to his shoulder, and sniffed. “Mmm. You smell...
right
. I’ve always loved the way you smell. Like mountain air on a cool winter day.”

“Touch me,” he ordered, out of patience.

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Everywhere. Enjoy how it makes you feel watching the way you turn me on. It’s like riding a bike. Here, feel this?” He circled her wrist her hand and placed it over his heart. “It’s beating for you, darlin’.”

Her fingers drifted over his chest as if she were reacquainting herself with the texture of his skin and the ridges and planes of his body. He wanted her so badly every fiber of his being had to fight to control himself and take things slow.

“I’ve always loved you, Max.” She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to make eye contact with her this time. “I’ll always love
you. But I love him too. What’s between us is...I don’t understand it. We’re connected.”

“It’s okay, Shelby. I know you loved him. Hell, I love him. He’s my best friend besides you.”

“It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter. Here.” She shook her head at him. “This is important. I want you to know when you’re finally inside me I’ll be thinking of you. Only you.” Her voice sounded rough with emotion and arousal.

“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled and casually kissed the tip of her nose. He made an effort to sound flippant, but the sincerity he saw in her eyes had a knot forming in his throat.

He reached between her thighs. “I know you will.”

“You are such an over-confident S-O-B.”

Her hand dropped to skim the heavy fabric covering his cock and his groan made her smile.

Game on.

“Uh hmm.” He nuzzled the cleavage between her breasts murmuring into the plump flesh. “You are so going to love the way I pound into you tonight. There are more positions than there are hours.”

“Max?”

“What?” He looked up and noticed she was frowning.

“Stop talking and take me to bed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

~~~~

Several hours and many more inventive ways later, Shelby collapsed on top of Max, breathless, spent, and sexually satisfied—a state she hadn’t believed she could achieve without Kyle. Sex wasn’t what she thought she needed after the last two days, but it had been like a balm to her senses.

Thank goodness for Max. He’d never failed her in bed or out. Their sweat soaked bodies slid against one another in a sexy glide.

No more.

Catching her breath, she inhaled, barely able to ask, “Have you been reading the Kama Sutra?”

She kissed his shoulder then licked the salt from her lips while she waited for an answer. She lifted her head and stared at him. To her surprise, he blushed and forked his fingers through his hair.

“Yes, among other things.”

Shelby’s mouth opened. This was incredulous. “Really?”

He rolled her over on to her back and straddled her. “I don’t know if this is exactly socially correct pillow talk, but remember Chloe, the resident I dated last year who was all into the Zen arts?”

“How could I forget? She was awful. I didn’t understand half of what she was talking about when we went out to dinner, and all she did was complain about the food we were eating and how it was going to kill us—”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“What happened between you two?”

He shook his head and cocked one eyebrow. “She was too much work, but she did have some outrageous moves in the sack I never saw coming.” He sat back on his knees and casually inspected Shelby’s breasts then continued. “No inhibitions. She came unhinged in bed. Brought the books with her and read to me. Thanks to her, I discovered a variety of new ways to satisfy myself and a partner before I decided I couldn’t stand any more Kasha.”

Shelby snorted. “Her? Zen girl talked you into reading the Kama Sutra?”

“Yeah, laugh it up. You weren’t laughing a minute ago while you called my name and God’s in the same breath.”

Contrite, Shelby said, “I’m sorry I laughed. You are incredible. The hospital grapevine doesn’t know the half of it. And if the Zen creature had anything to do with instructing you, good for her. After experiencing a record number of multiple orgasms, I will bow to you as the ultimate sex god.”

“Thanks, but not necessary. My pleasure entirely.”

“Yeah. Well, you learned how to satisfy and then some.” Shelby relaxed her hands to the bed, weakened by pleasure. “I feel like limp spaghetti.”

“I like making you limp.” Moving onto his stomach beside her, Max turned his head in her direction and kissed her shoulder. “Mmm, salty.”

“Uh, you too.” She licked her lips again, “So all that great sex, and Zen girl still wasn’t enough to hold you?”

“Hell, no. She was a freak about foods, uptight about nearly everything, and wouldn’t let me watch sports.”

“Ah ha. No Braves? The dreaded anti-sport girlfriend. Doomed despite awesome sex lessons.”

“I can read on my own, and there are plenty of willing subjects to practice with who do like sports.” He ran his hand down her body.

“Speaking of practice—you know, I especially liked that last rotation move.” She stroked his ass while they verbally teased each other.

“So did I,” he said with his voice growing rough. “The way your tight channel flexed around me while I thoroughly explored every internal inch of you almost did me in. By penetrating you from all those angles, I discovered where all your most sensitive spots are. Now that I’ve identified your g-spot,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully, “I can stimulate it and make you climax every time.”

Max traced his fingers slowly over Shelby’s skin, barely touching her, raising goose bumps. The sensation had her skin itching for more—her insides aching for his attention too.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said and kissed him. “Tonight was wonderful. I appreciate your detailed explanations about what you were doing and what was happening to me when I came. Really, I feel like I should honor Zen girl some way for introducing me to this higher plane of sexual awareness—”

“Shut up.” Max kissed her and parted her thighs.

Within seconds, he touched her special spot, driving her temperature higher and making her body scream for completion.

“Please. More. Don’t stop. Please. Please.” She arched her body as he suckled her nipples, drove his cock inside her faster and faster, and kept pressure with his thumb. Where did he get the stamina?

God, she was going to explode.

And then she did. The warm creamy fluid, pour from her body to the beat of Max’s strokes until there was no more and she was like pudding in his hands.

His tongue danced inside her mouth, tangling with hers as he brought her down from the crest, slowly, patiently. He brushed her hair from her face and stared at her. “I love watching you come. I always have. Now, knowing you’re c
apable of this...” His fingers smeared her creamy liquid over her mound. “It’s even better.”

“Mmm.” She had to agree. The strength of her orgasm had ejaculated a stream of warm liquid out from inside her when he stimulated her g-spot. She’d come hard once or twice before, but Max had the moves down to an art form.

He stroked her shoulders. Running his fingers lightly over her skin, he paused at her neck. “Your bug bites look better, all except this one. It’s inflamed.”

“It’s sensitive. Must have gotten over enthusiastic scratching.”

“How do the rest feel?”

“Stop hovering.
I
feel wonderful all over. The bites are better but I need another shower.” At that precise moment, her stomach growled. “And I’m starving again.”

He sat her up in bed, brushed her hair away from her face, and tried to smooth it the way he always did.

“There’s a hair band in the drawer over there,” He pointed to the nightstand. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll bring the food.”

She glanced at his semi-erect penis and licked her lips. It would be fun to tease him, suck him to another erection, and take him down her throat so deep he wouldn’t be able to keep from coming.

“Woman, don’t look at me like that. Tempting as your mouth is, your stomach’s thinking about something else this time,” he said. “So is mine. We need real sustenance.”

“Okay, but my idea of real food sustenance means you bring the beignets and chocolate with the wine. I need comfort food to go with my orgasms.”

“Deal. But you will tell me what happened in Guatemala—your side of it—when I get back. Let’s chase the elephant from the room and kick the ghost out of our bed.” He tilted her chin up. “May as well get it over with so you can move forward.”

“Right. I should pull off the bandage in one quick jerk.”

He kissed her nose. “And I promise to give you another orgasm like those other ones anytime you want.”

“Ah, such a selfless lover.” Shelby snickered and put on a brave face, but her stomach churned at the thought of describing the scene she’d witnessed.

She squared her shoulders and said, “Okay. Deal. Beignets first, please.”

Once Max left the room, she washed up in the bathroom and, once again, tried to do something with her wild hair. The mirror wasn’t her
friend today, but Max was right, her bites had calmed down. Her cheeks were flushed from the orgasms, and she had beard rash on her breasts and between her thighs.

She felt wonderful. In the aftermath of their lovemaking, she couldn’t believe she’d want more of him but she did.

Or was she stalling?

He’d better hurry back with her chocolate courage before she lost her nerve.

The noise from the teacart coming down the hall brought a smile to her lips as she dove under the covers and waited. The thought of the arrival of her comfort food made her stomach growl again. But the sight of muscular Max, shirtless, wheeling the dainty cart into the room almost made Shelby giggle. “Did your mother ship that from home?”

“Yes. She claims no self-respecting household should be without a teacart. Apparently, this was my late grandmother’s.”

“I recognize it. If I recall, your mother hated your father’s mother.”

“I guess Mother couldn’t wait to get it out of her house.” The grin and the shrug indicated he didn’t care one way or the other.

He pulled the cart up to the bed on Shelby’s side and climbed over her, wrapping himself behind her. “Mmm, I could get used to eating in bed with you.”

His warm, naked body felt good against hers while he hand-fed her from the plate—first a beignet, then a chocolate, and every other time, he interjected a sexy kiss with lots of chocolate tasting tongue.

Sipping her wine, she helped herself to another chocolate, and licked her fingers between bites, all the while lying back, relaxed against his broad chest.

“At times like this I could kiss your mother,” she said.

He tilted his head to look at her and cocked an eyebrow in question.

“Well, one for giving birth to you.” She kissed his shoulder. “Two for the tea cart. It’s just the right homey touch. Perfect with comfort food and comfort sex.”

Max stilled. The pitch of his voice went flat. “Is that all this was?”

Was it?
She didn’t think so. Shelby didn’t miss the way his whole body tensed against hers. She hadn’t meant the comment to suggest the sex had been nothing more than sex or that anyone would do.

“No, that’s not at all what that was. But I’m about to tell you what happened in Guatemala. All of it. Then you’ll think I’m crazy, and I’m sure what sex we have afterwards will be comfort sex.”

“Shelby, sweetheart,” Max cupped her face and shook his head. “Don’t you know it may start off like comfort,” he smiled a lopsided grin at her, “but it will not be comfort sex by the time I’m finished with you.”

“Good.” Shelby felt her smile spread. “Have I told you how darn cocky you are?”

“Yes, ma’am. I believe you have. My cockiness is what you love most about me.” He scooped her closer and covered them with the silky sheet. “No more stalling. Spit it out.”

She sighed and began the story. “Earlier in the day, I thought he looked haggard. When he first saw me, he’d no sooner said hello then he was trying to stick me back on the boat. He acted distant and strange. I felt like I was intruding on something. I even wondered if he was dumping me. When she showed up at dinner, it was obvious there was something going on between them.”