Promises (20 page)

God, she was so tight, so hot, her sheath gripping him like a wet fist.

Her taunting, sex-soaked laugh was cut off when he breached her, and now the only thing filling the air were the little whimpers as he started thrusting.  One hand on the veranda post, the other braced on the rail, pushing up on her arm, she pressed back into him, taking every powerful thrust.

It wasn’t gentle, wasn’t tender, his hand reaching up to clamp above hers on the post, his other beside hers on the rail as he set up a steady, hard pounding, making her hang on, making her brace herself for their mutual pleasure.

He rode her hard, mercilessly, but so attuned to her, noting her every sigh, her every stretch, every shift of that lush body against his.

Desire raked nails down his spine as her sheath trembled around him, the snugness of it making him work just that little bit harder, making him shove a little more forcefully, making him drag back a little more strongly.

Always a little more.  With Izzy,
always
a little more.

Fiery rope twisted in his sac, blood pounded in his temples, his shaft, his heart hammering as his grip on the post tightened, knuckles going white as he continued to surge into Izzy.

Gradually his thrusts grew shorter, faster, harder, muscles tightening in his buttocks, his thighs, his biceps bunching, the chill of the night replaced with heat almost seeming to shimmer at the edge of his vision.

In the shadows she arched beneath him, before him, and with carnal desire spurring him even harder, his breathing harsh in the night air, her little whimpers and gasps, that one sexy, low, long moan ringing in his ears, he finally let go of the post, the rail, his hands clamping on her hips as he straightened, now controlling them both.

The confines of the jeans around his knees prevented him from spreading his legs and settling into a satisfactory pounding, but it didn’t prevent him from riding her, almost rutting, losing himself in the pleasures of the flesh, the heat of her body, the slickness of her secrets that clasped him so tightly.

Fire twisted, burned, roping upward in a fiery line, ballooning out in a blaze that singed through his shaft with an erotic burn, and with a last hard thrust he strained against her, inside her, fingers clamped on her hips, holding her inflexibly against him, giving no quarter, feeling her shaft spasm, clutch, inner muscles squeezing his shaft so deliciously hard, almost agonising as his seed poured out, caught in the protection of the condom.

But the release was euphoric, a rush of erotic gratification that just about blew his damned head off.

His hips shoved helplessly as he pulled Izzy’s so hard against him, not wanting it to end yet unable to bear the continued agonising pleasure that just built higher and higher, until finally he was sucked out in a roiling river of rapacity.

When he finally came to, slumped over her, all he could manage was to straighten, withdraw from her, ease her upright and turn her to face him, cradling her in his arms as she collapsed against him with a groan of satisfaction.

Pressing his lips to the top of her head he brushed a kiss to the fragrant, silky hair before resting his cheek on her head and just standing there, both of them leaning into each other, hearts thundering.

Finally, finally, when his heart was almost back to normal, when the chill of the night was rapidly making his skin shiver into goose bumps and she snuggled in closer as a particularly cold gust wound around their nakedness, he whispered, “Stay the night.”

Chapter 7

Drowsily, she lifted her head and looked around.  This wasn’t her bedroom, her house, but those were her clothes on the chair.

Jason’s house.  Jason’s bedroom.  Jason’s bed.

Oh, wow
.  Rolling onto her back, she drew herself up into a sitting position, shoving her hair back from her face.  A twinge came from previously unused muscles, making her blush.

Geez, the thorough lovemaking he’d given her the previous night was -
just wow
.  And following that, the tender cuddling in the bed.  But then, during the night…  If the sex on the veranda had been mind blowing, then the gentle way he’d taken her during the night had been just as wow in a soft, dreamy way.

The man was a mixture of roughness and tenderness, that’s all she could say.

Grinning, she swung her legs out of bed, wincing a little at the pull of muscles, the unfamiliar ache between her thighs.  Standing, she looked across the room to find a wild-haired, red-cheeked, naked, generously curved woman staring back at her with sex-slumberous eyes and lips still a little swollen from deep, drugging kisses.

Oh boy.

From further away came voices, making her eyes widen and reality come unexpectedly tumbling in. 
Crap!

Grabbing her clothes, she yanked them on, slid into her shoes, hunted frantically for the tie to her hair but giving up when a fruitless search revealed nothing.

All at once embarrassed, shy, and eager to see Jason, she spotted the bathroom opposite and hurried into it, tried to tame her hair with his comb, made a half decent job of it, washed her face with cold water and, as a final measure, grabbed the spare toothbrush and brushed her teeth.

She’d have to owe him the toothbrush.

Finally, feeling a little cleaner but more than aware of his scent on her skin -
oh be still my pounding heart!
- she ventured out into the hallway.  Then she stopped, suddenly a little nervous.

Oh geez.  She’d come on so strong last night, hadn’t meant for it to be more than maybe a little hot kissing.  She’d been near him all afternoon, feeling his warmth, listening to that deep voice, feeling it slide through her like warm honey.

She’d jumped him like she’d been on heat.  He’d reciprocated.  Oh boy, had he ever reciprocated.  Her cheeks flushed in remembered delight.

“You coming down?” Jason called from below.

She bit her lip.  “Um…yes.”

There was silence, then, “You all right?”

“Fine.  Just fine.”  She started towards the stairs, wondering how she’d face him, what she could say, only to glance to one side and come to a halt at the sight of Arnie sprawled out on a bed in a spare bedroom.

Her cat was happily lying on his back, legs up, paws flopped down, sound asleep.  Making himself completely at home.

Shaking her head, she walked in and scooped him up.  “Sorry,” she said at his disgruntled expression.  “You’re my buffer.”  Draping him over her shoulder where he hung down, front paws swinging, she took a deep breath and descended the stairs.

The pull of muscles was certainly more of a reminder than she needed, especially when she entered the kitchen to see Jason leaning back against the kitchen bench holding a mug while listening to the radio.  Ah, that explained the voices. 

Upon her entrance he lowered the volume, straightened, crossed to her, bent and kissed her on the lips before handing her the mug.  “Milk, one sugar, right?”

The scent of Milo took her mind momentarily off the way his kiss had curled her toes.  “You remembered.”

He just smiled, stroked Arnie’s back before running the back of one finger down Izzy’s cheek, his eyes a little hot and a little tender all at once.  “I’ll never forget.”

Knowing exactly what he referred to, she blushed.

With a smile, he returned to the bench, picked up a slice of bread.  “Toast?  Eggs?  Bacon?”

She was famished.  Didn’t they say good sex burnt calories?  It was a wonder she hadn’t lost half her weight from last night.  “Sure.  Thanks.”  She watched as he placed two slices of bread in the toaster, wondering if he thought differently of her after the previous night.

“Something on your mind?”  He didn’t look at her as he took the frypan from the cupboard and set it on the stove.

Might as well just try to explain.  Placing Arnie on the floor, she noticed an empty dish of what looked to have been some kind of tinned fish sitting on the floor along with a dessert bowl half full of water.  “You fed Arnie?”

“Kind of scared not to.”  He glanced at the cat.  “I woke up to him licking my forehead.  I wasn’t sure if he was trying to wake me up or was just taste-testing me.”

She laughed.  “He was hungry.”

“So I was right to be wary.”

Relaxing a little, she moved over to the bench.

“You okay?”  He took a packet of bacon from the ‘fridge.

“Fine.”

“You sure about that?”  His gaze lifted suddenly to collide with hers, the frankness within the hazel depths making her heart stutter.  “You’re moving a little gingerly.”

Well, there was an opening if she’d ever heard one.

Easing herself onto one of the breakfast stools, she leaned her forearms on the bench.  “I’m…um…just not used to such…er…robust activity.”

Without looking away from her, he opened the packet.  “Stiff?”

“A little.”  At his concerned expression, she added in a rush, “Its okay.”  Geez, this was harder than she’d thought.

“Been awhile?”  Only glancing briefly away from her, he picked up a knife and neatly sliced the long bacon rashers in half to fit in the frypan.

Her cheeks flamed.  “Yeah.”  What was it about this man that made her blush?

Oh yeah, that was right.  Those capable hands had been on her, those long fingers in her, held her as he took her from behind.  Caressed her during the night, brought her to erotic surrender so tenderly yet hotly.

Sucking in a breath at the memories, her gaze lifted to lock with his.

Jason was standing still, the knife now lying on the bench.  Bluntly, he asked, “How sore are you?”

It didn’t take a genius to know what he was getting at.  She met his eyes even while her cheeks felt like they were on fire.  “What we did last night outside, I enjoyed it.  I’d have told you if I didn’t.  You’d have stopped.”

He nodded slowly, his gaze sliding searchingly over her face.

“In fact,” she reminded him, pushing away the embarrassment, “if you remember, I was the one who came onto you.”

That pulled a grin from him.  “Yeah, you did.”

“I was the one who asked for it.”

His eyes got a little hot, dropped to her breasts before sliding back up to her face.  “Yeah, you did.”

Amused, she added, “And you gave it to me.”

“Yeah,” he agreed throatily, “I did.”

“So, you know, you didn’t give me what I never asked for.”

“I gave you exactly what you asked for.”

“Yep.”

“And exactly what I wanted.”  He started to come around the bench.  “Want to see what I can do against this bench?”

“Now?”  She glanced around.  “In broad daylight?”

“Sure.  Then I get to see all the delights.”  Moving up to her, he nuzzled her temple while one hand came out to rest on her belly.

Her blood zinged, her insides flipped, and she bleated without thought, “Let you see my rolls?  No freakin’ way!”  Almost instantly her mouth snapped shut in horror.

God, had she really just said that
out
loud
?

Rather than get annoyed or start to upbraid her for saying such a thing, Jason instead spread his fingers over her belly, his other hand coming to rest on the small of her back.  “Mmmm, I like your curves.  You’re curvy, soft, warm.  I’m lean, hard, cold.  I’d say we compliment each other nicely.”

Unable to help it, just a little miffed, she said, “So you agree I’m f-”

“Don’t finish that sentence.”  Cupping her cheeks, he kissed her long, deep, swallowing her words.

Holy Hannah, her toes curled, her heart thudded, a hot string tugged deep inside her secrets.

Breaking the kiss, Jason leaned his forehead against hers, looked so deeply into her eyes.  “You are who you are, Iz.  I’d want you regardless if you were fat, skinny, tall, short, muscled, flabby.  But I don’t see what you see.  I see a desirable woman with sass and spark, with laughter and kindness, with curves that make my tongue fall out of my head and want to lick you.”  He followed suit, angling his head to lick the pulse pounding in her throat.

Almost slithering down off the stool in a pool of dreamy heat, she actually had to hold onto him.

Bringing his lips back to hers, he whispered, “Lick you all over, Izzy.  And I mean all over
and
inside out.”

She could swear her womb spasmed.  Her sheath certainly did.  She had to clamp her knees shut.  “Ooohhhh…” was all she managed to croak.

“And I will.”  With that erotic promise, Jason flicked the tip of her nose, grinned and returned to his side of the bench.

Now she felt a little hot.

“So tell me, Iz,” he said conversationally, concentrating on the food.  “What is the ‘Izzy’ short for?”

“Is-Iasadora.”

He grinned widely at her husky stammer but spared her the mirth in his eyes, being generous enough to allow her time to recover from his carnal promise.  
Lick me all over and inside out?  Whoo boy.
  She mentally fanned herself.

“Your sister?”

“Huh?”

“Your sister was named Moira, but you got Isadora?”  He put the bacon in the hot frypan, covering it with the lid.

“Oh.  Yeah.”  Not wanting to bring Moira into the conversation, she said the first thing that came into her head.  “You mean no one ever shortened your name?”

He cocked an inquiring eyebrow at her.

“You know, Jazzy for Jason?”

“No.  And if you ever suggest that to anyone…”

“You’ll be upset?” she finished brightly.

His eyes narrowed.  “Believe me, you don’t want to find out.”

“You won’t cook me breakfast anymore?”  Plucking the toast from the toaster, she started buttering it, grinning the whole time.  Oh, how she loved teasing him.

Opening the utensil drawer, he drew out the spatula, smacked it against his open palm, pointed at her, smacked his palm again and slid it back into the drawer.

“My,” she breathed.  “Death by spatula.”

Jason shook his head.  “You’re hopeless.”

“And yet you feed me.”

“That’s from the goodness of my heart.”

“Arnie and I are eternally grateful.”  She looked to where Arnie was lolling on one of the dining room chairs like he owned it.  “Right?”

He blinked at her.

Izzy turned back, watching as Jason flipped the bacon.  Plopping two more pieces of toast in the toaster, she said, “Thanks for letting Arnie stay.”

“He’s welcome.”

“He’s nosey, but I’ve never known him to take to someone like he has to you.”

Jason smiled.

“It’s embarrassing how he just takes over your house.”

Jason shrugged.  “No skin off my nose.  He can come and go.”  He paused, placed the lid on the frypan.  “Like you.”

“Well, forgive me, but I’d kind of taken it as a given that I could come over.”  She added hastily, “Not all the time.  That’d be weird.”  At his blank look, she explained, “We’re not married.  We’re going out together.  We have our own homes.  I don’t expect us to be joined at the hips.” 
They had been last night, heh heh
.  She schooled her features.  Not the time for that kind of thinking.

Bracing his hands on the bench, Jason looked thoughtfully at her.  “Glad you brought that up.”

It was her turn to look blank.

“My idiot cousin asked me what the protocol was for a girlfriend and boyfriend living side-by-side.”

“Protocol?”  Izzy was mystified.  “Is there a protocol?”

“I don’t know.  Is there?”

“This just had to be Luke.”

“He is the idiot cousin.”

“Why are you asking me?”

“I thought you might know.”

“Hey, I might have come on strong last night, but I have to admit I was going mostly on instinct.  It’s not something I’ve done much of before.”

His eyebrows shot up.  “What’s that got to do with it?”

“I’m just saying if you think I’m highly experienced and would know these kinds of things - what?” she demanded when he started laughing.

“Nothing.”  Still chuckling, he pulled the toast from the toaster, laid them on the second plate.

A little disgruntled, she folded her arms.  “No, go on.  What did I say that was so funny?”

Amused, his gaze went from her folded arms to her face.  “Feeling a little defensive?”