UlteriorMotives (8 page)

She made a great show of opening the package and then her
fingers teased and taunted him as she rolled the protection over his cock. That
he couldn’t retaliate without dropping her made her torment doubly wicked.
“You’re a brave, brave woman when you’re holding all the cards.” He balanced
her weight on one hand again so he could position his cock before sliding into
her.

She moaned as he slid out of her and then thrust back into
her warmth. “You feel so good.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and, when
he pushed into her, she used her nails to score his skin. The pain highlighted
the pleasure and drove him closer to the edge. He worried that he would climax
before she did. He tried to think of something else so he could last longer but
it was impossible. All he could think about was how tight and hot she felt as
her muscles flexed around him and pulled him farther into her body. So instead
of slowing down, he increased his pace. If he couldn’t wait for her, he would
just have to bring her with him. He let go of what little control he had left
and crushed his mouth against hers. She gasped and wiggled against him.

“Damn, Kat.” He ran his tongue down her neck until he
reached the curve where her neck became her shoulder. “Can’t hold out much
longer.” He bit down on the sensitive skin and was rewarded by a throaty moan
as her body began bucking against him. His balls were tight and his whole body
tingled. It only took one more thrust for him to find the release he’d been
chasing.

Sweat coated his body in a fine mist and his heart raced
loudly in his ears. He wanted nothing more than to stay exactly where he was,
buried deep inside her, forever. But the endorphins rushing through his body
made it hard for him to stay standing. Any minute now he was going to collapse
and he’d rather not do that while holding her.

He stumbled over to the bed and stooped over so he could
gently lay her down. “You okay?” He pulled out of her without taking his eyes off
her.

“Oh I’m fantastic.” She sighed as she rolled over on the
bed.

He winked at her teasingly. “Yes you are.” He disposed of
the condom and then lay down next to her. The last couple of days had been
rough and he needed to succumb to the mind-numbing bliss of sleep.

“Jasper?”

But apparently she had other ideas. “Yeah?”

“What if this—the ranch—isn’t worth it?”

That woke him up. “What do you mean?”

“When I watched the house seal tonight. And I thought you
were in it.” She shuddered and then snuggled up against him. “It made me
rethink some things.”

“This is your life. You love the ranch.” If he believed for
one second she’d be happy anywhere else in the system, he’d tell her to sell
and convince her to come with him. But she would be miserable on the completely
paved world he lived on. “Where else would you go?”

“Someplace where people aren’t trying to kill me.” She
sighed heavily. “I’ve given it a great deal of thought. Really, it’s the best
solution. It’s the only solution.”

“You could stay here and fight for your land.”

“You could have died. I stood there helpless, knowing you
were inside that building. And this is just the first round. These people
aren’t going to stop.”

“I can make them stop.”

“You turn to your father and everything you’ve worked for is
gone. I won’t have you throw your life away so I can keep mine.”

He didn’t say anything back to her. Instead he waited until
her breathing was deep and regular. As much as he wanted to fall asleep, he
still had one other bit of business to take care of. He needed to pick his side
in this war and he needed to pick it now. Before he got out of the bed, he
whispered, “I won’t be throwing anything away. I promise.”

He slid on his pants and padded out to the front room. The
floor was cool under his feet but he didn’t mind. He had more pressing things
to deal with than a case of cold feet.

Kat woke up the next morning and allowed herself to savor
the feel of Jasper sleeping next to her for a few minutes before stretching.
Their time together had run its course. She was a realist and knew when to say
goodbye. She’d sell her land and… And then what? She forced the thought to the
back of her mind. That was a worry for her to deal with tomorrow. She refused
to waste today thinking about it. She had other things she wanted to do today.
She nudged Jasper with her hip but he still didn’t wake. Poor guy, he’d had a
rough couple of days. He deserved to sleep in. He’d earned it.

Then again, she’d earned several things over the last couple
of days as well. She smiled as she wrapped her hand around his erection. He
could sleep in as much as he wanted once he went home. She, however, would
never have this opportunity again. He murmured something as she ran her
fingertips over his cock but still didn’t open his eyes. She needed something
guaranteed to grab his attention. And she was pretty sure she knew one thing
that would do just that.

She made sure not to put any weight on her ankle as she
knelt next to him and then started making her way down his body. She left
little kisses on her way and stopped to trace the dark skin of his areolas with
her tongue. He sighed and ran a hand over her shoulder but a quick glance up at
him showed his eyes still closed in sleep.

She continued until she reached her goal. His erection. If
this didn’t wake him up, nothing would. Holding him at the base of his cock,
she licked her lips and took him into her mouth.

He moaned as she ran her tongue over the tip of his cock.
She looked up at him to see he’d finally woken up. “I thought that might work,
sleepyhead.” She winked at him and then took him deep into her mouth. She held
his gaze and then hummed, hoping the vibrations would excite him further. If
his clenched jaw and strangled groan were anything to go by, she guessed it
worked. He lay back and ran his fingers through her hair, his nails scoring her
scalp pleasantly.

“Sweetheart, you’ve got to stop.” But his hips kept
thrusting against her, begging her to continue. She wrapped her hand around his
balls and began massaging them as she ran her tongue over his erection. His
weight felt good in her mouth as she took him back to her throat. She continued
massaging his balls as she used her other hand to pump the base of his cock in
the rhythm her mouth set.

“Kat. Stop. I’m going to…” The rest of the sentence was lost
as he came down her throat. She swallowed and then spent a few minutes licking
his cock as he shivered under her. “Will you ever listen to me?”

“Is that a complaint?” She made sure there was just enough
rebuke in her tone to keep him off guard.

“Never. Especially not as I’m claiming my turn.” He sat up
and slowly pushed her backward until she lay on her back.

“I thought that was your turn.”

“That was incredible, but…” He brought her hand up to his
mouth and started kissing her wrist. “I had something else in mind.” After he’d
kissed both wrists, he put her hands above her head and said, “These stay
here.”

She didn’t think that level of discipline was part of her
nature. “But?”

“No buts. You got to play. Now I have a game in mind.”

Her stomach quivered as he stretched out over her and then
dropped down to nuzzle her neck. “Your skin is so soft. It’s like the petals of
an exotic bloom.” His whispered breath made her skin break out in goose bumps.
“I could lose myself exploring all your peaks and valleys.” He took one of her
nipples into his mouth as he rolled the other one between his thumb and finger.
When she moaned, he pinched the one he had trapped between his fingers.

“Every inch of your body is a delicious diversion begging for
more and more of my time.” He crept down her body until he got to her navel.
“Who knew one small indentation could be so very fascinating?” He leaned
forward to sweep his tongue along the ridge of her bellybutton.

She squirmed under him as she searched for some way to
provide friction where she needed it most. “Jasper?” Her voice sounded pained,
and rightly so. Giving him head had already excited her and now his slow
exploration of her body threatened to be more than she could take.

“No rushing.” The stubble on his chin tickled her abdomen as
it brushed against her with his words. It added to the sensations threatening
her sanity. With few options available to her she spread her thighs wider and
whimpered as the crisp hairs on his chest rubbed against her sex.

She’d never needed anything like she needed him in this
instant. Her body was so tight with tension she thought she might shatter. She
held on to that thought, prayed breaking into a million pieces would bring
about some relief. But he denied her even that.

Instead of taking pity on her and ending this torture, he
chose to detour to her inner thigh. Desperate, she moved her hands. She longed
for the crisp texture of his hair and the emotional connection that touch would
bring her. When he didn’t tell her to put them back, she happily buried her
fingers in his waves of thick hair.

He pulled back just an inch and then used his fingers to
part the lips of her sex. He took a moment to gaze at her pussy before saying,
“You taste of warm summer nights at sea.” With that he dipped his head and ran
his tongue along the length of her sex.

His words were lost after that. Her heart pounded so hard
that it was the only thing she could hear as he caressed her with both his
mouth and his fingers. The man had dangerously addictive skills. He made her
whimper, beg, promise anything just to make the torment end. And then, just as
she began to seriously worry about the possibility of dying from need, release
slammed into her. It was so sudden and so intense that she couldn’t breathe and
the world went black around her for a second. When she regained thought, he
still remained between her thighs, licking her gently.

Hunger washed through her with each touch and lifted her
higher until she was in danger of crashing again. “Jasper. Can’t.”

But as he slid two fingers inside her and rubbed the top of
her channel she forgot what she’d been trying to say. Her muscles tensed again
and, before she could prepare herself, she crested again.

“You are the sexiest woman I have ever met,” he said as he
gentled his touches. Even if his words hadn’t been thick with hunger, his hard
cock still would’ve proved he told the truth.

“Why don’t you grab a condom and show me how sexy I am?”

“You’re still sensitive. I don’t want to make you sore.”

She pulled him up as she wiggled her hips. “I’m a rancher. I
can handle whatever you can dish out.”

His wicked smile made her stomach cramp with new desire.
“Damn straight you’re a rancher.” He grabbed a condom out of his pants pocket
and sheathed himself before entering her. Yes, she was sensitive, almost to the
point of pain. But him stretching her from the inside, his body rubbing against
hers, she’d never pass that up. She craved having his body in hers. And he
didn’t disappoint.

She held on to him and allowed him to set the tempo. Which,
as it turned out, was hard and fast. Knowing that she’d gotten him so turned-on
made her own desire flare bright again. Before long she was whimpering and
begging for release once more. And this time they peaked together.

As she came down from her climax, she trailed her fingers
down his back. “I think I might just pass out.”

“Did you doubt me? I think we’ve already established that
I’m a man of my word,” he said with a sheepish grin.

“You are.” She yawned and rolled over onto her side as his
reader buzzed on the nightstand. Whoever or whatever wanted his attention, she
didn’t care. She just wanted to float in this state of completion for as long
as possible. As soon as it wore off, she would have to deal with the emotions of
the day. And she really didn’t want to face that right now. Saying goodbye to
her ranch was one thing. Saying goodbye to him though? The thought made her
feel sick.

“Kat.” A poking in her side kept her from sliding into
sleep.

“What?”

“I’ve got something I need to show you.”

She laughed despite herself. “You’ve already showed me it
several times this morning. I think you can wait until after I’ve had a nap.”

“Seriously, Kat. It’s important.”

Suddenly it didn’t seem as amusing. “I’m tired,” she whined.
When something cold bumped her nose, she relented and opened her eyes
reluctantly. “What is it?”

“Just look.”

His reader sat on the bed in front of her, the screen
displaying one of the many news stations in the system. “You wanted me to see
the weather forecast? Really? This is why you aren’t letting me sleep?”

His sigh rang with exasperation. “Give it a second, would
ya?”

The screen changed as a well-dressed woman began to speak in
low tones with a stern expression on her face. She talked about racketeering,
fraud and extortion. In the background a man in a suit covered his face as he
made a dash for a nearby transport. The massive skyscrapers and fancy
transports whizzing by meant that the report was unfolding on one of the major
commerce worlds but Kat couldn’t place which one. She didn’t make it off her
world often enough. She was about to turn to Jasper and demand an explanation
when the man’s name flashed on the screen.

“That’s…” Her voice faltered as understanding filled her.

“Representative Loase.”

“You did this?”

He nodded. “With some help.”

“From your father?”

“He had the connections. I had the access codes.”

Her heart seized as she continued to watch the news feed.
“But if they find out—”

“Oh I’m sure they already know. They log access to
classified documents. My digital fingerprints are all over this.”

“No! You shouldn’t have. They’re going to arrest you. You’re
going to go to prison because of me.” She rested her head on her palm as her
stomach turned. She was going to be sick.

His chuckle did nothing to set her at ease. It actually made
her angry. “What kind of lawyer would I be if I didn’t know my way around a
crime?” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m not going to jail. I exposed a
credible threat. The whistleblower laws will protect me. But you’re missing the
important part. They can’t touch you now. If anyone makes a move on your land,
every news agency in the system will know why and report it. You get to keep
your ranch. Forever.”

She got to continue living her dream. It was beyond anything
she expected. And yet she could only think about everything he gave up to make
it happen. “But what about you? Maybe you won’t go to jail, but they won’t let
you keep your job. Not after this. What are you going to do?” This was her
fault. Every last bit of it. She had to find a way to fix it.

“I’m not sure and, to be honest, I don’t really care right
now.” He looked around the room as he spoke. His demeanor became one of
discomfort. “Maybe I’ll take up something new.”

He couldn’t take up something new. He loved helping people
as much as she loved ranching. She might have been miserable had she moved, but
that would’ve been unavoidable. If he gave up what he loved he would eventually
blame her. “But you need to help people.”

He wouldn’t look at her now. This was probably not going how
he anticipated. “Maybe I can work with my father. He’s been trying to get me on
his side for, well, forever.”

“But you wanted to help from within the system,” she pointed
out.

“I think we’ve both seen how futile that is. It’s time for
me to admit that my father is right. The people need someone in their corner
and his way is the only way to ensure that.”

That would take him light-years away from her. There had to
be another way. “Or,” she said as she stared at the news coverage. “Or. Maybe
you were just in the wrong place in the system?”

“What?”

“You said you planned on running for office once you’d
worked for a couple years.”

“Yeah, I needed to build a name and get backers.”

The reader replayed the scene of Representative Loase leaving
in disgrace. “I think you have the name recognition now. Or, at least, you will
have as soon as they get this settled out. And I’m sure your father could help
you with the backers.” She turned the reader around so it faced him. “And I can
think of at least one elected position that’s going to need to be filled soon.”

His jaw dropped as he looked at the screen. He stared at it
for a minute before asking, “Do you really think I could do it?”

“You risked everything and took on the government in order
to protect citizens’ rights.” She smiled as the campaign took shape in her
head. “And you won. If you could do that as a lawyer, imagine what you could do
as an actual politician.”

He ran a hand over his face. “And when I’m in office, I
could enact real change. You’re brilliant. I can’t believe the answer was right
there in front of me and I didn’t see it.”

“You were too busy looking at the forest. You didn’t see the
trees.”

“You’re the best.” He wrapped his arms around her to squeeze
her in a tight hug. “It’s no wonder I fell for you.” He stiffened immediately
after saying the words as if they’d slipped out accidently.

But, accident or no, they were the words her heart had been
waiting to hear. “The only problem I can see with the plan is setting up
residency.”

He let go of her and his eyes glazed over as if he were deep
in thought.

“You know, the quickest way to do that is to own land,” she
said before he could come up with a plan of his own. “I could help you with
that.”

He startled as he focused on her again. Her heart beat hard
as she watched him make sense of her words. But when a wide smile spread across
his face, she knew everything was going to be okay. “Why, Ms. Maxim, are you
proposing to me?”