Tell Me a Secret (17 page)

She’d imagined this moment…wished for it…and now welcomed it. “Oh. My. God.”

He pressed his lips to her ear. “Damn, you are so hot.”

She didn’t think she could be more turned on, but when he said those words, fire shot through her like a flare.

“You ever jacked a guy?” he asked.

“What? Uh, no, but I…” her voice faded. She wanted to say the words, but she wasn’t sure how he’d feel about her being so bold.

“What? Tell me.”

On the outside, she went weak from the pleasure spreading through her, but on the inside things were happening. Her heart pounded. Her stomach jumped. And blood raced through her veins leaving a trail of heat everywhere. “I want to do everything to you. I want to make you happy.”

“You already do. Every time I’m with you.”

“You know what I mean.” She closed her fingers around his erection, first skimming the length and then brushing her thumb across the tip. The combination of hard and smooth surprised her.

He winced as she tightened her fingers. “Oh, easy, not so hard.”

“I’m sorry.” She eased her grip.

“Yeah, that’s it. Just like that.”

It took a minute to get into rhythm, but once she did, they stroked each other, smooth and graceful as a waltz. And with each movement, her heart hammered, and desire raged until she thought she would shatter. She placed her hand over his and pushed his finger deeper, and when the climax surged with such force, she bit her lip until it bled.

For a moment she stopped stroking him while she dealt with her own gratification, but started again when she heard him say, “Don’t stop, Maggie, I’m almost there.”

A low growl rumbled from the back of his throat, his breath came in gasps, and when his release exploded onto her, she wanted him even more. She spun around and kissed him again, while the water rinsed his pleasure from her legs.

For a long moment, he held her, then turned off the faucet. He grabbed a towel and dried her first, then himself. And when he brought her into his embrace, she melted against him. She loved him. So much so she was afraid the words,
I love you
, might burst out and she’d have no control to stop them. She couldn’t let that happen. Those eight little letters would send him running for the hills and she couldn’t bear the thought of being without him.

He pulled her close again and she was happy to be in his arms. She rested her forehead against his chest. He trailed his fingers up and down her spine. “Are you okay?”

“Mmm…hmm.”

He laughed in a way she’d not heard before. “Yeah, I thought so.”

She inched away from him and averted her eyes. “That was nice.”

Now, he broke into a full laugh. “Nice? Oh, baby, the sounds you were making told me it was
way
more than nice.”

She bowed her head and mumbled. “All right. It was more than nice.”

He lifted her face and smiled at her. His eyes were dark and dilated and knowing she’d satisfied him excited her.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It was more than nice for me too. C’mon, I’ll dry your hair for you.”

It was almost midnight when she brought his clothes from the dryer and found him stretched out in her bed. She flipped off the light, shed her nightshirt, and slipped in next to him. “Can I lie close to you?”

“You won’t get any complaints from me.”

With the touch of his lips, her body liquefied, swirling in the kiss like water going down a drain. But he didn’t stop there, now he was at her throat, his breath hot against her, his hands in all the right places.

Outside, she heard the wind.
Fifty mile-per-hour gusts
, that’s what the weatherman had said. But her head spun faster than that when Jace pressed his lips between her breasts, then kissed his way to her belly. She whimpered a moan, mixed with excitement and disappointment. She wasn’t ready for him to stop what he was doing. She wanted him to linger there, ease the ache.

Then he moved lower and her breath hitched. Before she could think, she rose and gasped. “Jace… I’m not sure…”

“Shh.”

She laid back. He slid his palms under her hips, lifted her to his mouth, and she surrendered.

He fondled, explored, made love with his tongue, driving her to the point of madness. Her brain reeled, every nerve hummed, and she hovered in a realm just beyond logic and reason. Clutching her chest, she fought for every breath; writhing, chasing a fierce climax.

Heart thundering, she blocked out everything except the sound of his voice. His face against hers again, he said, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

She struggled for oxygen. “I’m hoping—that wasn’t a one-time only special introductory offer.”

He belly laughed again. “I can guarantee it wasn’t.”

She stared into the darkness and whispered, “It comes with a guarantee? Oh God, that’s even better.”

He laughed harder and kissed her again.

“I love kissing you, the way it makes me all tingly and warm,” she said.

 
~~*~~
 

With that declaration, Maggie leaned forward and offered her lips again, then slowly moved them down his body. As her hair trailed over his skin, it left white-hot heat in its path. Without a doubt, she affected him as no other woman ever had. From the moment he’d met her, she’d filled his thoughts. When she nipped at his ribs and continued south, shock waves ran through him.

Her actions surprised him. She’d said she wanted to please him, but if she continued her direction, it’d be more than he expected. Hell, she was a virgin. But, she caught on to the hand job fast, so he had faith.

She hesitated and he didn’t want her to stop, so he urged her lower. She had him so aroused, and if he wanted to keep his promise of no sex on the first night, he needed some relief.

Once she reached her destination, he arched to meet her. She lightly licked the tip, circled it, then ran her tongue the full length and took him into her mouth.

God, he’d dreamed of this moment. That mass of red hair pumping between his legs, her sweet lips hot and tight. As innocent as she was, somehow, she knew how to drive him crazy. He was on the edge, and it was more than pleasure. He wasn’t sure there
was
a name for it. He couldn’t believe what she was doing, but for the life of him, he couldn’t hold back any longer. When he came, he moaned her name, prayed for mercy, and accepted his world would never be the same.

Moments later, she nuzzled beneath his ear. “Was that okay?”

“Hell damn, Maggie. What was that? That couldn’t have been a first time.”

“It was. Good, huh?”

“Better than good.”

“I googled it.”

He jerked upright. “What? You googled a blow job?”

 
“Yeah. That one is called a French BJ. It got excellent reviews. Five stars from everyone.”

He laughed again. Funny, she could give one, but couldn’t say it. Wrapping her tight in his arms, he said, “Oh God, Maggie. I’ve never met
anybody
like you.”

When I kissed you, I was afraid to love you.

Now that I love you, I’m afraid to lose you.

~Unknown

Maggie’s eyes fluttered against the haze of early morning, her favorite time of day. A drowsy moon settled, the sun winked promise, and she talked to God. Today’s subject, fornicating, because she’d done plenty of that in the last eight hours. No use asking for forgiveness. God only granted it if she intended to change her ways, and she didn’t.

She stretched out long and lean and rolled to look at Jace. Her heart jumped into her throat. The bed. Empty. She lurched forward and scanned the room. No boots or clothes. Her mind raced. Jumping to her feet, she ran to the living room and peered out to the street. His truck—gone.

Stomach churning, she went to the bathroom, leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on her face. Tears welled and she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
You idiot. You gullible, stupid girl
. Last night, he sounded so sincere. How could she have been so wrong? Unable to control them any longer, tears came fast and hard. Staggering back to bed, she buried her face in the pillow. The roaring in her head blocked everything but jumbled thoughts. At least she’d not declared her love for him, so he couldn’t get a good laugh about that. For a second her tears waned and she thought she’d regained control, but a moment later, another wave surged.

“Maggie?”

She jerked upright in one quick motion.

Jace rushed across the room and knelt beside her. “What’s wrong? Are you upset about last night? Do you regret it?”

She threw her arms around him. “I thought you were gone.” She wanted to say more, but her breath hitched.

He pulled away and tilted her face up. “Didn’t you find my note? I left it on my pillow. Sarah told me you loved the cinnamon rolls from the bakery down the street, so I went to get some.” He dangled a paper bag.

She wiped her face on the sheet. “I didn’t see it. I thought maybe you’d…” her voice trailed off.

“You thought I got what I wanted and hit the road? Understandable.”

She lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

He heaved her back into his embrace and kissed her. “It’s okay. Don’t cry anymore. You’re stuck with me.”

She pressed her hands to his cheeks. “Your face is frozen. Get back in bed. I’ll give you my warm spot.” She scooted to the other side.

He got rid of his clothes, crawled in next to her, and wrapped her in his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. I’m sorry I cried.”

Aphrodite appeared and placed her front paw on the bed. Jace lifted her and found his sticky note clinging to yellow fur. “Dydee, you’re killing me.”

Jace and Maggie laughed.

Thirty minutes later, Maggie climbed out of bed and walked to her closet. She selected a pair of scrubs from the hanger, balanced on one foot, threaded her other through the leg of the pants, repeated the movement and ended at the bedside table, where she opened the drawer and withdrew a piece of paper. “Here’s my schedule. Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, I work eight to four. That will give you time to spend Thanksgiving with your family.”

“I want you to spend Thanksgiving with me.”

She pulled her shirt over her head and bent forward to gather her hair into a ponytail and spoke between her legs. “I told you I’m working.”

“We’ll wait to celebrate. Mom and Dad won’t mind.” Jace grabbed his jeans and put them on. “We don’t usually eat until one o’clock anyway, so I’ll tell everyone to eat a late breakfast. Mom can serve dinner at five. How will that be?”

She stood in the doorway of the bathroom waving her toothbrush as she spoke. “I don’t want to change your tradition.”

“And I don’t want to have Turkey Day without you.”

“Okay. You win.”

“Oh, by the way, you won’t be our only guest. My uncle and his family will be there.”

She rinsed her mouth and called out from the sink. “On your dad’s or mom’s side?”

“Mom’s. It’ll be Uncle Bob, Aunt Kim, and their two girls, Ashley and Sydney. And there’s something I need to tell you.”

She stepped to the doorway. “What?”

“You kinda already know Uncle Bob.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I do?”

“Yeah. My mom’s maiden name is Adams.”

Maggie rested her hands on her hips. “Bob Adams? As in Professor Bob Adams? As in, will you do me a personal favor by tutoring a football player Professor Bob Adams?”

Jace clamped his teeth together and stretched his lips thin. “That would be the one.”

“Oh. My. God. Now I understand why he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Do you have any idea what that man promised to get me to help you?”

“Are you mad? I know I should have told you, but we didn’t get off to a good start and when things got better between us, I didn’t want to do anything to jinx it, but then you got pissed and I didn’t figure that was the right time either, but come Thursday, I didn’t want you walking in and seeing him there and finding out…”

She raised a palm in the air to stop his chatter and broke into laughter. “Mad? No. After last night, I’m going to send him a thank-you.” She giggled and walked over to sit beside him. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got two classes this morning and work from eleven to seven. Will I see you tonight?”

“Absolutely. You still owe me a date, so I thought we could go out.”

She wasn’t sure she could survive until then. Tonight was the night. He’d promised. Besides, they’d covered all the foreplay, so sex had to be next. The thought of everything they’d done the night before had her hot and tingling. The memory of his lips, and hands, and what he’d done with them, well, the recollection caused every nerve in her body to jump.

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her slow and sweet.
 

“Are you leaving? We could have sex now. I have time,” she said.

“Maggie, don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“All innocent and eager.”

“Well, I’m not as innocent as I was yesterday, but I am eager.”

He hugged her and she loved the way he felt, strong and solid, yet gentle. She inhaled his scent and kissed him on the neck. “When it comes to you, I have no pride, no shame. I want you so much, I’m losing my mind.”