Simon & Rose (6 page)

“Babe,” he panted, “I want to go slow.”

“Fast now, slow later,” she demanded, and thrust her hips to seat him fully.

He gritted his teeth. It had been so long, he was like an untried boy. Her tight, wet heat surrounded him, threatening a premature release. He could do this, dammit. He was determined to make this amazing for her.

He gripped her hips to still her thrusting. Then he lowered his hot seeking mouth to her breast and began to savor her like an ice cream cone. Sharon tipped her head back against the wall and rumbled again. He was going to have to ask her about that. Later. Much later.

He moved to the other breast and lavished it as well. With his body under control, he pulled back and slammed home. Sharon gasped, her fingers tightening their grip on his shoulders.

He pulled back a second time, and slammed home again.

Her legs remained tightly around his hips, matching him thrust for thrust. “Give me all you’ve got, Marine.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mark let himself go, pounding into her like a jackhammer.

“Oh, Goddess!”

Her body wound higher, fisting him so tightly, he swore he was going to be black and blue. Then she shattered around him, ecstasy making her even more beautiful to him. He buried himself one last time and found his own release.

Gasping, he slumped against her, trapping her body between his and the wall. He gulped a few breaths as he found his land legs again. “Give me a minute and I’ll get you down from there.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m as happy as a debutante at Tiffany’s with Daddy’s credit card.”

He caught his breath and lifted her down, then walked with her hand-in-hand to the bed. That was when it occurred to him he’d behaved irresponsibly. “Shit, Sharon. When I carried you, my leg could have gone out from under me and I would have dropped you.”

“Shush, I wasn’t worried,” she said as she stretched languidly on the bed. When he made to join her, prosthesis and all, she propped on her elbows and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

She looked at his leg pointedly and then back to his eyes. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable without that?”

He visibly cringed. “The scarring isn’t pretty. I don’t want you to see it.”

“Horse hockey,” she snorted and scooted off the bed to bend over his legs in all her naked glory.

Mark sucked in a breath unable to speak or think. Her breasts hung level with his mouth, swaying temptingly.

She glanced at him from under her lashes and smiled. “Hold that thought for a minute.” Then she worked to remove his artificial leg.

He braced for her reaction, which, of course, wasn’t what he’d expected. She eased it off gently and set it beside the bed on the floor. That was thoughtful, he thought. If he needed to get up he could reach it. Sharon studied his scaring showing no sign of revulsion. Then without warning, she pushed him down to the mattress.

“I think you over did it, Mark. The skin looks red and a little raw,” she gently scolded. She shooed him over so she could sit next to his leg and placed one hand on his thigh and the other around the scarred end.

“What are you doing?” he choked out.

“Shhhh. I need to concentrate.” Her eyes closed and heat began to pour from her hands into his leg.

“Oh, lord. That feels good,” he moaned. His eyes closed and a sigh eased from his lips.

He wasn’t sure what she was doing, but her hands moved every so often and the warmth would increase again. It felt like she was sucking the pain from his body. He hadn’t felt that good since he was whole.

Finally, she removed her hands and crawled up the bed to cuddle against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she murmured as she nuzzled his neck.

“What did you do?”

“I used what some people refer to as reiki on you. It’s a form of energy healing.”

“Mmm. I don’t care what it’s called, it was amazing.”

Sharon’s lashes fluttered open and she languidly stretched her well-used muscles. She hadn’t drawn the curtains the night before, and she was being rewarded with a glorious view of a watercolor sunrise. The sun barely peeking above the horizon and the colors of the sky were a beautiful combination of dark blue giving way to a fiery red and golden sky.

Next to her, Mark’s chest rose and fell in deep even breaths. She grinned wickedly. After last night’s sexcapades, he needed his rest. Once he was past his fear and insecurities, there had been no holding him back. Not only had they tested the limits of her grandmother’s dresser, he also bent her over the bed, and then he decided her idea of the four person jet tub looked inviting, especially if she was sitting on his lap. If she hadn’t insisted they get some sleep, he would have gone for number four. Apparently, he had a lot of lost time to make up for. That was fine with her. She was more than happy to stay in bed as long as he wanted to.

Sharon silently considered Mark and licked her lips. Not only was he scrumptious and looked good enough to eat, the man could curl her toes. He was a kissing god. With just one kiss, he could start a forest fire raging through her body. Each time he had pulled her in for a kiss, the heat had instantly rush from her lips, filled her heart, and spread to her core. Simply thinking about it had her hot and bothered. And don’t get her started on his impassioned glances. She was a stick of dynamite and he held the match. She knew the heat between them would only get hotter once she claimed him and the fire raged their entire lifetime.

As she watched him, propped on one arm, he stirred. Yawning and stretching, his eyes opened to thin slits and he grinned. Busted. He caught her watching him.

“Come here, woman.” He pulled her flush against him, rubbed his cheek back and forth, in her hair, and sighed. “Morning, beautiful.” In his half awake state his voice was low and gravelly.

She drew one leg over his hips and raised her head from his shoulder. His eyes were closed again but his grin remained. “Good morning, handsome.”

Mark’s ‘I’m so happy to see you’ arousal pressed into her thigh. Wicked woman that she was, she rubbed her leg back and forth. From his growing smile, he liked it.

He opened his eyes to gaze back, a wicked gleam giving away his thoughts.
Damn. How did I get so lucky? I wonder if I can keep her in bed all day?

Her incredibly soft sheets were bunched around their hips, leaving her upper body bare for his exploration. She loved the feel of his hands roaming up and down the exposed skin of her back, as he pressed her tightly against his chest. Just the touch of his hands had her thinking very unladylike thoughts.

She grinned when she felt him suck in a breath when her hand inched down his chest to trace his sexy happy trail that disappeared under the sheets that rode low on his hips. The white cotton did little to hide his morning erection tenting the fabric.

“Did you get enough sleep?”

His dimples deepened. “Yes, ma’am. I think that was the best night’s sleep I’ve gotten in a long time. Of course, having you next to me after you plumb tuckered me out was a big help.”

“Happy to oblige,” she giggled, trailing her fingers up his torso to play with his soft chest hair.

“As much as I hate to leave you or this bed, I need to visit the little boy’s room.” He grabbed his prosthesis from the floor and walked unashamed to her en suite bath.

Damn he had a nice ass. She could lie there and watch him walk around naked all day. While he was in the bathroom, she opened the balcony doors to enjoy the warm breeze and birds singing. Morning was her favorite time of day.

*****

Mark returned to find Sharon standing on the balcony, wrapped only in the sheet from the bed. The sun brought out the highlights in her hair as wisps moved sensually with the gentle breeze. He paused to drink her in. She was the most amazing, gorgeous woman he had ever met. The way she made him feel so normal was a miracle. He never thought he’d experience feeling masculine and sexual again.

Last night he thought he was going to hyperventilate when he had to remove his pants. This morning, he was walking around naked as a jaybird without thinking twice about it. Who was this woman and what kind of spell had she cast on him? She had not only looked at him with desire in her eyes, she’d proven how much she wanted him multiple times.

He wanted— no, he needed to know what made such a beautiful, miraculous woman purchase a bachelor at an auction. She had to be beating men off with a stick. Every time he thought about it, he was baffled.

Had Simon convinced her to bid or did she choose to do it? No, there was no way she would have done it without being coerced. But why did she agree to do it?

Walking the last few feet, he joined her on the balcony. He wrapped his arms around her waist, needing to feel her body against him. When she leaned back, the warmth he’d come to associate with her alone, filled his heart.

“Sharon, may I ask you a question?”

“Of course. What would you like to know?”

“Excuse me for asking this, but why did you bid on a bachelor?”

She sighed and remained with her hands over his and her back to him for what felt like an eternity, but was really only a moment.

In a very soft, quiet voice that wrapped around his heart, she finally said, “I didn’t bid on just any bachelor, Mark. I bid on you. I’ve been looking for a specific man for a very long time, and last night I was blessed more than I can begin to express.”

What did that mean? He turned her last comment over and over in his mind. He was still rolling it around when she turned in his arms. The instant their eyes met he felt like he had come home. He wanted nothing more than to stay with Sharon for the rest of his life and learn everything about her. But what would a wealthy woman want with a man like him? A broken down ex-Marine.

Mark cleared his throat and asked the questions he’d been unable to work out. “What specific man and why were you blessed last night?”

“How much do you know about Simon?”

Fear of losing her to the specific man she referred to made him tighten his arms around her before he answered. “Simon? What does he have to do with this?”

“More than you know. And before you ask, no, he didn’t have anything to do with my bidding on you.”

He was about to press for an explanation when her knee bumped his bad leg. He sucked in a breath and gritted his teeth as he waited for the pain to subside. It throbbed in time with his heartbeat where his muscle met the prosthetic. Then it radiated up his leg to the base of his spine. Hell, even his balls ached. For some reason, his prosthetic bothered him more than usual today. He figured he had over done it yesterday and was paying for it now.

Fighting the intense ache that threatened to end his time with her, he ignored the pain. He hated being dependent on the prosthetic. But it was that or a wheelchair and he’d be damned before he went that route.

“Did I hurt you?” She frowned, and ran her hands up and down his arms.

His arms warmed and then the heat seeped through his body. He’d swear just her touch deadened the pain.

“No, I’m fine,” he lied. But when he shifted his weight to put an arm around her shoulders his wince gave him away.

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him. “Never lie to me, Mark.” Then she took his hand and led him to her feinting couch. “Sit for a minute.”

He allowed her to push him down to the comfortable cushions and watched as she sat on the floor before him.

“Just lie back and relax,” she said as she closed her eyes and held her hands above his leg.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sensing the energy coming off your leg. It will tell me where to place my hands.”

“How do you know how to do…what ever your doing?”

“Before I answer that, tell me how much you know about Simon.”

“I know him from our time in the service. I was his commanding officer. He’s an incredible, selfless man. And he’s my best friend. Why?”

“I see. So, you don’t know much about his life outside the Marines?”

“Sharon, where are you going with this?”

“I have a lot to tell you, and much of it is going to sound crazy. First, I need to take care of your leg. You asked me how I know how to heal you. That’s part of what I need to talk to you about.”

She placed her hands about an inch above his screaming nerve endings. Instantly, the heat he’d felt last night washed over his aching limb. He sighed and relaxed.

It was several minutes before she spoke again.

“I have gifts that many humans have, but mine are much more developed and powerful.” She repositioned her hands and the heat began to radiate again.

His eyes moved over her serene face before he allowed them to drift shut. “What kind of gifts?”

“I can heal with energy that flows through me from the universe. I know, it sounds very woo-woo, but it’s true.”

“Why are your gifts stronger? Did you take special training or something?”

“No, my people are different. We all have gifts. We all can heal to some extent, but we all have other gifts as well.”

He opened his eyes and pinned her with his gaze. “Your…people?”

“Yes. My people.” She removed her cooling hands and sat back to look him in the eye. “Or should I say, my pack.”

“Pack? I’ve only ever heard that term used for wolves. You’re going to have to explain.”

“No explanation required. You hit it on the head. I meant as in wolves. Kind of.”

Mark frowned and swung his legs off the lounge. “What are you saying, Sharon?”

She huffed out a breath and twisted the sheet. “If you weren’t already sitting, I would have suggested you take a seat for this. What I’m about to tell you is a bit out there, and most people consider us a myth.”

Mark leaned forward, forearms on his thighs and hands between his knees, quietly waiting for her to explain herself.

Sharon kept her focus on the floor as she searched for a way to explain things. “Mark, do you believe in the possibility that fictional creatures might exist?”

He folded his hands and cocked his head. “When I was a kid, I was convinced Salvatore Stavros the creepy guy who lived next door was a vampire. Is that what you mean?”

She grinned at the pale pink creeping up his neck. “Yes, and no. Not vampires, although they’re real. And you are surprisingly perceptive. Sal is in fact a vampire from Greece. Not many humans can detect a supernatural being.”

Mark’s head shot up and he pinned her with wide eyes. “Just a dang minute. I was right? Vampires are real!”

She placed a calming hand on his knee and held his gaze. “Please, don’t freak out. But to be honest, most of the fictional creatures are real. That’s why there are stories that have been handed down through the ages in almost every country.”

Mark sat back, drumming his fingers on his thigh.
I knew she was too good to be true.

Sighing, Sharon removed her hand from his leg. “I’m not a crazy person, Mark.”

He looked her in the eyes. Gave her a really hard look. He was very adept at detecting a lie. But damn, she showed no signs of an untruth. Either she convinced herself she was telling the truth, or what she was saying actually was true. What do you say to a person who believes so strongly that a crazy thing like vampires are real?

After holding her gaze for a long minute she ended the stare down and lowered her head. He was about to stand and leave when she spoke again.

“Let me ask you a few things, okay?”

Watching to see if she would look at him again, he quietly said, “All right.”

“When you first met me at the auction, did you smell anything unusual? Something you really like? Perhaps a favorite flower, or a scent that brought back happy memories?”

He jerked to full attention, his brows pulled together. “Yeah, for some reason I kept smelling my grandmother’s banana bread. I figured you liked to bake like she did.”

Sharon tipped her head back and laughed. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t cook. I have a chef for that.” Then she looked at him intensely. “To me, you smell like my favorite spices growing in my garden.”

“That’s strange. Why would I smell like that?” he asked still frowning.

“I’ll answer your question in a minute. First answer me this, when you initially saw me, did you experience a very strong attraction?”

Mark massaged the back of his neck. He averted his eyes, embarrassed to answer. Finally, he looked up and cleared his throat. “Yes. You’re the first woman to cause a visceral reaction in my body since my injury.”

She nodded and put her hand back on his knee, gave him a little squeeze, and smiled. “I had the same reaction to you.”

Her answer tugged a smile from him and set his traitorous heart fluttering. “You did?”

Her smile widened. “Oh yeah, I did. You are one smoking hot man, Mark Anderson.”

He felt his blush deepen and his smile grow wide.

Mark?

She was watching him like a bug in a jar. His brows pulled low and tight. He swore he heard her say his name, but her lips hadn’t moved.