Embattled Hearts 1 (16 page)

John ground himself against her again, then again, unable to help himself. Shannon pressed kisses against his chest and neck, whatever her lips could reach, and rocked him against her. Her hands left his ass and circled his waist. John felt a tug at his zipper, and the gentle brush of her soft hands on his naked cock was his undoing. He felt the orgasm rush at him, and couldn’t get his mouth to move quick enough to tell her to stop. “Wait, I can’t…oh, fuck!”

For the first time in years, he had an orgasm with a woman. Kind of. John let his body play out the movements, but humiliation burnt the edge off quickly. He wanted to burrow into her neck and disappear. Furious with himself, he rolled to the side and sat up. One glance at her lower body confirmed that he’d come all over her, and her hand. He couldn’t force his eyes to her face, because he knew he would see the same things he felt. Disgust, embarrassment. Ripping his shirt over his head, he turned it inside out and used it to clean every bit from her body. “Shannon, I am so incredibly sorry.”

He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. John watched, fascinated, as she lifted the hand to her mouth, and slipped one wet finger between her lips. Electricity shot through him as her eyes fluttered shut as she licked herself clean.

Even though it had been mere seconds since he’d come, his cock tingled.

Her languorous eyes opened, and she smiled. “I think that’s the hottest thing I’ve been a part of in, well, ever.”

Exhilaration slammed through him, and he closed his eyes for a second. She wasn’t disgusted. He swallowed thickly, unable to believe his good fortune in finding a woman like her.

Shannon looked at him with one brow raised in question.

“I thought, you uh…” He had to stop to clear his throat. “I thought you’d be disgusted I came all over you.”

She looked down at her still moist belly. The cotton of her pink panties was dark with wetness, and she undulated on the bed. “Not hardly. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever felt. Although I’m kind of. . .” She shifted on the bed again, and reached both hands up to tweak her hard nipples.

John cursed when he got her meaning. Of course she was still hungry. She hadn’t come yet. “Take your panties off.”

She scrambled to do as he said, but looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “You’re overdressed too.”

John couldn’t agree more. He maneuvered his legs around, and stripped the clothing off. And was attacked by self-consciousness again. His heavy thighs had withered away with disuse, and it was difficult to sit beside her and not compare. Her body was heavenly, lush and firm with health. And he was pale. He had Italian in him from his mother’s side of the family, so that left him with some natural color, but the dark, sun-baked tan he used to have had faded long ago.

When he met her eyes, she smiled gently. “Whatever it is bothering you, get over it.”

John laughed outright, and leaned down on his right elbow beside her. Her expression was clear and eager, and she turned to face him so she could run her hands over his chest. Her fingers traced over the tattoo on his arm, outlined the anchor, the eagle, and the globe. “Did this hurt?”

“No.”

She raised her eyebrows at him, and he shrugged his high shoulder. “Okay, maybe a bit. But it was worth it.”

She smiled in agreement. “I think so. It’s very sexy.”

Resting her hand behind his neck, she leaned up to kiss him, and he met her halfway. The ease with which he accepted the intimacy scared him. He’d never been this easy, or relaxed, or turned on with another human being.

Flat out, he was humbled by her acceptance.

Kissing her with everything he had, he glided his hand down to pluck at her nipples. She moaned into his mouth, and it was all he could do to go slow. The patch of dark brown curls at the juncture of her thighs taunted him. He wanted to spread her wide and explore her. And taste her. God. His mouth watered.

His almost-erection flexed at the thought, drawing her attention.

*****

Shannon tried not to pant as she looked down at John’s body. Yes, the paralysis had had an effect on him, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she expected. His legs were crisscrossed with pale silver scars. It certainly wasn’t as bad as what his own mind probably concocted. And the working parts more than made up for the non-working ones.

His cock flexed and hardened. The thought of having that lurid purple head in her mouth, or body, made her shudder. Her clit pulsed with the need to come. Daring to reach out again, she squeezed the tip of him with her fingertips.

John surged into her hand, his cock filling quickly and impressively. Shannon didn’t know he’d be so big, and it actually worried her.

With a groan, he pulled her hand away. He kissed her palm and rested it on her own breast. “Your hands are dangerous. Leave it there.”

Shannon grinned in spite of herself, but it slipped away as he lifted her thigh up over his hip. His cock was only a couple inches away now, and her heart thumped painfully against her chest. She wanted to nestle him between her legs more than she’d ever wanted anything before. Her pussy clenched in expectation, and her eyes fluttered shut.

He didn’t do what she expected, though. She felt a tickle at her pussy lips, and looked down to find him swirling her short, damp hair with his fingers. Even that felt wonderful. Then he slipped his thick middle finger between her folds, and just held it there.

Shannon moaned, and pressed a kiss to his mouth. It was a struggle not to grind against his hand, and he seemed to understand that. The tip of his finger danced up around her clit, then swept down around her opening. He paused there, building her anticipation, before gently sliding his finger inside.

Shannon panted, willing him to move. “Please,” she moaned. “Please.”

John plunged his finger deeper, grinding the palm of his hand against her clit. She gasped as pleasure slammed through her. “Harder,” she whispered.

In and out, he set up a steady rhythm designed to build. “You are soaked,” he grumbled.

Then he lowered his head to her nipple, and started to suck. Shannon cried out, and her hips worked against his hand.

Frantic heat built deep in her body, and she didn’t try to fight it. She’d lusted after John for months, and now that she was finally with him, she wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to enjoy him. She gripped his cock in her hand and pumped lightly.

John pulled away from her touch and pushed her flat on her back. Then, more gracefully than she would have thought possible, he rolled over and pushed himself down the bed. His moist breath suddenly teased her wet folds and his hands pressed her knees wide. A split-second later, his tongue laved her cleft from top to bottom. Shannon cried out, and tried to cover her mouth with her hand to keep the sound in, but she had no control over her body. That frantic heat grew and became too big to contain. John shoved his finger deep as he flicked at her clit with his tongue, driving her over the edge. Shannon whipped her hands out to clutch the blanket, and let the scream go that had been building for so long.

But he didn’t let up. Her body quaked and shuddered through one of the hottest orgasms she’d ever had, and just as her body began to calm, he flicked his tongue again to prolong her pleasure. Shannon moaned and clutched his short hair, not sure if she was shoving him away or holding him to her. Finally, though, she did push him away, gently. “Oh, my God.”

John looked up the length of her body, mouth glistening with her release, and gave her the sexiest, most self-satisfied, manly grin she ever seen on his face. “I’m glad I still remember what to do.”

Did he ever. Her heart contracted in her chest, and tears actually came to her eyes.
Friends with benefits, my ass. He’s mine
.

He elbowed his way up beside her, and gently fondled her breast as she recovered her breath. Shannon knew he was hard, and the need to take the night further pushed her. John covered her mouth with his own and nibbled softly. Shannon tasted her own saltiness, and it made her clit contract.

She pulled away and pushed against his massive shoulders, guiding him flat. Then levered herself up and over his hips. She held her body high, away from his, and plumped her breasts for him. John’s face darkened as he watched her, and his strong hands clamped onto her hips. She brought one knee up, centered herself over the tip of his cock and lowered.

The work they did before was good, because the moisture from her release eased the way for his size. Even then, it still took several movements to seat him in her body. Shannon had never felt so full.

“Oh, fuck,” John whispered. “Just hold right there for a minute.”

His hands trembled on her hips, and his strong jaw clenched. “I never thought I’d feel this again.”

Shannon leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his pursed lips. John moaned and clasped her head in his palms, guiding her mouth. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he held her to him and flexed his stomach, shoving into her. She gasped as the fullness intensified. Originally, she’d planned to ride John, but he plunged well enough beneath her that she didn’t want to move.

That expectation began to build again, and she panted, making minute adjustments to what he was doing to heighten the sensation. His excitement began to build as well, and he guided her to sit up, then held her hips in his hands.

Shannon gasped at the position change. It was too much. Her body struggled to accept him. Her thighs quivered as she lifted high, bouncing lightly before sinking down again. Within seconds, though, she wasn’t doing enough. She seated herself harder, panting, as that tantalizing flame grew brighter. It suddenly flared out of control as John rested a thumb just above her clit.

When she rocked down, her clit bumped against his finger, and that tiny touch was enough to swing her over the edge. As she orgasmed around his body, crying, John tightened his hands on her hips and slammed her down against him. It was good he was as strong as he was, because she had gone beyond coherence. Within just a few seconds, though, he stalled out beneath her, quivering, shaking, and roared out his own release. Shannon rocked against him, and felt the spread of scalding heat as he released into her body.

She collapsed against him, boneless, crying, rocked to her very foundations. John wrapped both arms around her and held her to him. He seemed just as affected as he wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb. When his body relaxed out of hers, Shannon forced herself to get up and go to the bathroom to clean up, even though she didn’t want to leave. John seemed just as reluctant to let her go, and eager to have her back in his arms when she returned. Shannon snuggled in against his chest, more content than she could remember being in a very long time.

John cleared his throat and tilted his head to meet her eyes. “Are you okay?”

She smiled, and raised a brow. “You mean after my ravishing? I can’t walk straight yet, but I think I’ll be okay.”

Even in the dim light, she could see his face turn ruddy, but he grinned. “I don’t think I can do much right now either, but I feel fantastic. Actually, I feel like I did when I was fifteen and lost my virginity with Ellen Nichols.”

She grinned with him, proud to be a part of his reawakening. “I’m happy for you. I didn’t know what to expect, but I have to say, I’ve never been so thoroughly sexed. You’ve blown me away.”

He relaxed back and closed his eyes, looking more content than she’d ever seen him, his mouth open as he breathed. Now that the excitement was over, her body was pulling her into sleep. Tugging the comforter up over them, she adjusted a bit and settled into sleep.

J
ohn pulled away from Shannon, careful not to wake her. She slept deeply, her mouth curved in a slight smile. He hoped she was dreaming of their loving earlier, but he didn’t want to bet much on it.

He adjusted the chair beside the bed and locked the brake. It held steady as he fell down into it. He glanced back at Shannon, but she was still asleep. Shifting his ass center, he pulled his feet up on the bar and rolled out of the bedroom. The hallway bath was his first stop, and he took the time for a quick wipe-down with a wet washcloth. Shannon’s fragrance was suddenly all around him, and it made his heart clench. She’d been freaking phenomenal last night, no judgment, no impatience. More than he could have ever hoped for.

Had he been enough for her, though?

If her reaction had been any indication, then hopefully yes. She’d come several times, and that kind of response was hard to fake. At least, he thought it was.
Hell, I don’t know
.

Rolling down the hallway gave him a chance to distance himself, physically and mentally. There were other things to worry about than his sex life. He stopped in the guestroom long enough to grab a fresh t-shirt, then headed to the living room.

Preston watched one of the security monitors intently, and the attention was enough to alarm John.

“What’s going on?”

The big man shook his head and shifted on the chair. “I’m not sure. Something.” He stood up abruptly. “Are you going to stay up? I might run outside.”