Kitabı oku: «Sunsets & Seduction», sayfa 7

JONAS WAS A GONER as soon as he’d realized Tessa was naked.

Though their discussion had created more questions than answers for him, at the moment he had had five feet seven inches of delectable, delicious woman spread out beneath him.

He sighed softly against the skin just below her ear.

“This is nice,” she said breathlessly.

“Nice is a weak word,” he said lightly, nipping her earlobe, then sucking on it, swirling his tongue around the delicate inner shell. “Awesome. Fantastic. Mind-bending,” he offered, punctuating each word with a kiss, then a bite, then another kiss to soothe the sting.

Jonas was so hungry for her he didn’t know where to start. His hands explored lower, sliding down the smooth lines of her back to cup her firm ass and pull her up against him. He groaned as his erection rubbed against a soft patch of curls and slick flesh.

Being so close with Tessa shook him to his core. He took his time, moving his shaft slowly along her sex, driving them both crazy. He was gratified when her nails dug into his back and she pushed up against him, seeking him, a wordless sigh and whole-body tremor releasing yet another wash of heat from her body.

She made the prettiest sounds, her body cradling his perfectly. Drawing a lush, erect nipple in between his lips, he let the sensations of touch and taste roll over him.

“I wish I could see you,” he said, rising to find her lips for a kiss. “I’ve only ever touched you in the dark.”

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I hadn’t realized that. It will come back, Jonas.” She moved against him. “And when it does, I’ll still be here, if you want me to be.”

Her words made him ache. He was starting to want that more than just about anything, and that was dangerous, he knew. What she’d told him about her father had explained a lot. Jonas had made a hell of a leap based on partial information.

And he was keeping a secret that would tear her from his arms, he knew.

“I guess until then touching and tasting every inch of you will have to suffice,” he teased, injecting lightness into his voice, though his heart was heavy.

“I can live with that,” she said, sliding her hand down his chest to his lower stomach, finally caressing his cock and making him suck in a sharp breath.

As she left fluttering kisses all over his face, neck and shoulders, he moved to accommodate her as she worked her way lower and took him into her mouth.

He dived his hands into her hair, enjoying the multitude of sensations her mouth was creating as she licked and sucked, her warm mouth and soft lips nearly driving him over the edge. Pulling her around, he slid his hand between her legs and found her soaked, hot. He slid a finger inside, then two, and loved how her moans made her mouth vibrate around his cock.

“Condom. Now,” he demanded raggedly.

The next thing he heard was the ripping of the packet. He held his breath, waiting, hoping … and hissed out a sigh as she deftly covered him, kissing and teasing while she did.

Jonas eased her back on the seat, sliding his hand down to her ankle and pulling it up to rest against his shoulder.

“I’ve dreamed of this,” he confessed.

“Me, too.”

Turning his mouth to find the soft skin of her inner leg, he moved his fingers down to the crux of her body, seeking the hard, pebbled nub of her clit and stroking in slow, rhythmic motions.

Tessa’s whole body twisted toward him on the seat as she sought more, writhing under his touch, her gasps and moans increasingly urgent.

“Jonas, please, I want you inside me when I come,” she panted.

He pushed her a little more, turned on by her restraint, how she held back even as her body trembled with the effort.

When Jonas was sure she was as close to the edge as he was, he guided himself into her welcoming body, the very act drawing the breath out of him. She closed around him like a fist as he filled her with one, deep, purposeful thrust that made them both groan in ecstasy.

He’d never felt anything quite so perfect, he was sure of it. He paused, fighting the impulse to move, soaking up the sensation of her hot, inner muscles pulsing around his cock.

“Please, Jonas,” she begged, arching up under him.

He granted her request, withdrawing slowly and then thrusting forward again, his hand caressing her calf as he tried to create the image of what she must look like in his mind’s eye.

He nipped and kissed the flesh beneath her knee, opening her farther to his thrusts as he moved faster, letting need set the pace. She drove him on with hot, raw descriptions as she joined in, touching herself, telling him what she was feeling, what she wanted him to do to her.

He wanted to do all of it, over and over again.

He was sure he’d died and gone to heaven when he felt her hand down between them, her fingers circling the root of him as he thrust inside her.

“So. Good. Jonas,” she moaned, alternating touching him and herself.

Pulling her other leg up over his other shoulder, Jonas pumped into her without restraint, all the pent-up desire, need and anticipation he had for this woman driving him.

The orgasm was like nothing he had ever experienced. Release created a splash of color behind his eyelids as it shook his body. He kept thrusting, and amazingly, when normally the sensation would start to fade, it was instead followed by a second wave of pleasure that had him gasping as she clenched him tight, her nails scraping his chest as she cried out her own release.

Finally the urgency eased and he lowered her legs, withdrawing from her body reluctantly and pulling her up against him. Jonas had never been what he would call a snuggly kind of guy, but he needed the contact as if to reassure himself that this was real, that Tessa was really here with him.

Her skin was damp with perspiration, which intensified the scents of soap and sex. Her body was pliant and he stroked her wherever he could touch.

“Keep that up,” she said on a sigh, “and we’ll be reaching for the box again soon.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said.

He sought her lips for another kiss, the heat actually growing again between them, when a buzzer sounded somewhere close. Collins’s voice followed on the intercom.

“We’re close to our destination, unless you’d like me to drive around more. If so, hit the intercom button twice.”

Jonas and Tessa laughed at their driver’s discretion in not asking for a verbal response.

“He drove all the way from Baltimore already tonight. I think we can get dressed and give the guy a break,” Tessa said, extricating herself from Jonas’s embrace, though slowly.

“We can,” he agreed, but didn’t let her go before he pulled her in for another heart-stopping, promising kiss.

The next few moments were filled with the sounds of them righting themselves, dressing and hoping they were presentable before they gave the okay to Collins.

The car stopped, and a door opened on Tessa’s side. While making love to Tessa, Jonas hadn’t even noticed that the pounding rain on the outside of the car had lightened to a drizzle. The winds had calmed and he heard thunder rolling gently off in the distance.

As Collins opened his door, Jonas looked skyward, though he couldn’t see anything. The reflex to look was automatic, especially now that he had some hope that his vision was returning.

“It appears the worst of the storm has passed, sir,” Collins confirmed. “But the blackout is quite widespread and has not been rectified.”

“Where are we?” he asked.

“It’s a restaurant called Noir,” Tessa said.

“I’ve heard of it,” Jonas said. “They serve meals in complete darkness. The waitstaff is blind, as is the owner,” he said, unsure how he felt about that. “But how can they be open during a blackout?”

“A lot of the businesses have back-up generators, especially restaurants, since they need to keep food cold,” Tessa elaborated. “Though I imagine they might have a limited menu tonight.”

“That makes sense.”

He guessed Tessa was trying to make him feel more comfortable, which wasn’t at all necessary. He’d be just as happy going back to her place and finding something to eat there—preferably naked.

She stepped up close to him, and he could still detect the scents of sex on her skin, his soap mixing with her flowery scent. It was so sensual, he didn’t want anything to break the mood.

“I’ve heard such great things about it, I thought it would be … interesting,” she said, sounding unsure. “One of the things about Noir is being able to understand what it’s like to be blind. I want to understand how you’re experiencing the world right now, Jonas, but if it bothers you, we can go somewhere else.”

Taking his hand in hers, she absently rubbed her thumb over his knuckles, waiting for his answer.

“I’ve eaten all my meals in the dark for the last month, but I’m still curious about the place,” he said. “It’ll be fun,” he offered gamely.

They walked in and followed their server’s instructions to follow the handrail along the wall of the dark hallway to the back dining room, where a private table had been reserved for them.

“You are two brave souls to venture out tonight. We had dozens of cancellations, understandably,” the server said.

Jonas heard Tessa’s surprised gasp, and felt her stop beside him.

“Tessa?”

“Sorry. There’s not so much as a slant of light in here. It’s so black … it feels like it swallows you,” she said, and her fingers closed around his a little more tightly.

“We don’t have to stay,” he said.

“No, I’m fine. I was just thrown by how dark it is, stupid as that sounds, especially since we’ve spent all night in the dark.”

“Not stupid at all,” the server interrupted. “People often have that initial response to complete dark. Though you may turn off the lights at night, most places still have degrees of light twenty-four hours a day, whether from the moon, streetlights, night-lights, et cetera. So the experience of complete darkness can be quite startling,” he explained kindly.

“You’re right. I never thought about it that way,” Tessa confessed, sounding more relaxed.

“But you learn to use your other senses, and you learn to trust the people around you. You’ll see,” he said, and led them to a table, seating them next to each other.

“Being in the dark can be a revelation. You start to know each other in a new way, to find out things even about people you thought you knew well.”

As they settled into their seats, the waiter offered a short history of the restaurant.

“Dinners in total darkness started, as far as we know, as early as the nineteenth century. In the 1990s, Europeans began experimenting with dark dining, dark bars and similar events. The Paul Guinot Foundation, a French organization for the blind, came up with the idea of dinners in total darkness called Le gout du noir or ‘Taste of darkness.’”

“That’s fascinating,” Tessa responded. “But how is the food prepared?”

Jonas admitted that he, too, had initially thought it was only a marketing angle, and had no idea of the history of the place.

“Our cooks are able to see, along with minimal other staff,” the waiter assured them before asking if they had any questions. He also cautioned them to stay at their tables, to keep the area where he walked clear before he left.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jonas asked, leaning in close to find her neck, nuzzling it.

He was concerned about how disoriented and fearful she’d sounded when they’d walked into the room, so he made sure he kept touching as they sat in the dark. Though it was not all for her benefit, he had to admit.

Now that he’d had her, he was even more needful to be with her again. Soon.

“I’m okay now. It’s very … shocking. I walked into this room and it hit me how awful it must be to live in complete darkness all the time,” she said.

He squeezed her hand. “Well, this has been a good reminder that I’ve spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself when other people have spent every day without their sight and go on with their lives just fine.”

“That wasn’t my intention, not at all,” she rushed to say, and he shushed her.

“I know it wasn’t. But I think when I lost my sight, my first reaction was to feel like this was only happening to me. The waiter, and being here, reminded me otherwise,” he said with a sigh, regretting his own attitude over the last month.

He, at least, had the return of his vision to look forward to. Others never would have that. It was humbling.

“I’m sure my brothers would confirm I’ve been a huge pain in the ass,” he said with a smile, but then turned serious.

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself,” she chastised.

She leaned in, intending to kiss his cheek, but ended up kissing his shoulder instead, making them both laugh.

“Obviously my coordination in the dark needs some work,” she said ruefully, finding his face with her hands and offering another kiss.

“You were doing just fine in the subway car,” he said huskily as the door opened again, their waiter returning with drinks and appetizers.

“Maybe later we can find a blindfold,” she said in a suggestive tone. “One thing is for sure, your other senses really do take over when you don’t rely on your sight. Everything is so … intense.”

Jonas agreed. If there was one word for what was happening between him and Tessa, it was intense.

7

1:00 a.m.

“OHHH … THAT’S WONDERFUL,” Tessa said with a sigh as Jonas found her lips with his fingers, letting her nibble a piece of the rich cheese that the waiter had delivered to their table. This had very possibly been the best meal of her life.

Though at first it was awkward, the waiter’s prediction had come true: as each course was served, they became more proficient at handling their food using their other senses, and even trusted each other’s coordination enough to feed each other.

Tessa knew that she trusted Jonas with her life. She had, literally, on several occasions. She hoped their experiences together were helping him to trust her more, too. He seemed to have relaxed toward her since their conversation in the car, and since making love.

A shiver ran over her skin. She couldn’t wait to get him alone again.

Tessa absorbed the experience of dark eating full-on. This was definitely something she wanted to do again. After she let go of her sense of disorientation and fear of the complete dark, she found she could manage more easily.

She wondered if Jonas would want to come back here after his sight returned. She wasn’t sure how she would feel about that in his shoes.

What she was finding entertaining and enlightening might be a bad reminder of what he went through. There was still a huge difference between spending a few hours in the dark and being blind. She knew she could walk out of the room and have her sight back. Jonas, and others who had lost their vision, didn’t have that luxury.

Though another part of her wondered if people who relied on their vision weren’t the ones who missed out. Being in the dark demanded such focus that it enriched as much as it denied.

“So tell me something that you could only tell me in the dark,” he said.

She paused. “I can’t think of anything.”

“Really? A secret that you never told, a fantasy that you are too shy to share in the light of day? Isn’t that what blackouts, airplanes and dark restaurants are for?” he joked, but she knew he was serious, too.

Her heart beat a little faster at the idea, and the seductive tone of his voice.

“Maybe,” she said, unsure.

“Tell me.”

Tessa couldn’t believe she was so nervous. She wasn’t shy, in fact, she was often the one who initiated sex with her partners. But there was one thing … she had never told anyone. She didn’t know if Jonas would be okay with it. What if he thought she was demented?

“The problem with sharing secrets in the dark is that we have to go out into the light at some point,” she said, thinking twice.

“Tell me, Tessa,” he said again, stroking her hand with his thumb.

Sparks lit along her skin and she almost expected to see them light up in the dark.

“Okay. There is one fantasy I’ve often had …”

“Mmm-hmm.” His hand was on her thigh, rubbing lightly there now, and she had a hard time focusing.

“I’d like to have someone watch me have sex.”

His hand stopped. “What do you mean exactly?”

“I’d like to perform for a lover. You know, just have you, for instance, sit back and watch. Maybe I could use a vibrator, my hand or some other toys, but I’d love to feel free enough with someone to do that, to know that they could enjoy just staying back and watching me pleasure myself,” she said, her voice catching. She was getting turned on just talking about it, but also felt embarrassed admitting it.

“I can’t imagine anyone saying no to that,” he said, his own voice a little rough.

“Men don’t want to think women can find pleasure without them. It’s a dent to their egos, I guess,” she said.

“Not mine. I could do that. If you want, I want to do that,” he said, his hand rubbing her leg again, moving higher. “When I have my eyes back, I mean. Just say the word.”

She was incredibly turned on by sharing that with him, and by the prospect of being able to do it. But as he buried his face in her neck, she pushed him back.

“Your turn.”

He took a breath. “Right. I don’t suppose I can get away with the standard guy fantasy of two women, right?”

She laughed. “I know you can be more creative than that.”

“I don’t know. I have always been a pretty traditional kind of guy in bed. What you did to me on the train … that was about as kinky as I have ever gotten.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“So is there anything you’ve ever thought you’d like to do? You know, the thing you can only share in the dark?”

She put her hand on his thigh now, mimicking his motion on hers earlier.

“You are evil,” he said.

“Tell me.”

“Okay. I’ve never done it, but I think I’d like to try …”

Tessa realized she was actually holding her breath.

“Maybe being tied up,” he said. “and tying up my partner in return.”

“Bondage?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I’ve never trusted anyone enough to allow myself to be completely at their whim. To let them do whatever they wanted to me. For them to be completely in control. No pain or anything like that … or maybe just a little,” he said in a tone that tantalized her. “And hopefully they could trust me in the same way.”

Tessa took a deep breath to try to slow down her speeding heart.

“I could so do that,” she said, enjoying the image of Jonas bound to her bed. “I mean, if you ever thought, you know, if you wanted me to—”

She stopped, realizing she had dug her nails into his thigh. When she pulled her hand away, her fingers brushed his cock, hard and testing the looseness of the scrubs.

“I’ll go find our waiter to see if he can bring a check,” she said quickly.

He got up, too, and as she turned on her heel, she bumped into the chair and stumbled forward.

Amazingly, Jonas was there, his strong hands closing on her upper arms, steadying her and then pulling her in to hold her close.

“Hey, careful.”

“Good catch,” she said, linking her arms around his neck.

“Mmm,” he said, kissing her.

“We all go through life stumbling around in the dark, Jonas, looking for something to grab on to that makes sense. You and I, we seem to keep bumping into each other. We fit.”

He pulled her against him, fitting her to him tightly as he deepened the kiss. She didn’t resist, letting him take his fill, and getting hers in return. But for all the desire and passion between them, she couldn’t help but think there was something else Jonas hadn’t told her. Some other secret that stayed between them in the dark.

ELY SNUCK THE KEYS out of Chloe’s pocket as he pressed her against the doorjamb, her arms locked around his neck, their kisses even hungrier after their backseat encounter.

She was gorgeous, he thought, sliding the key effortlessly into the lock and opening the door without missing a beat, getting them inside where they could dispose of soaking-wet clothes and he could take his time with her.

“You have great hand-eye coordination,” she said against his mouth.

“I was very motivated to get that door open and get us inside,” he responded as he deftly undid the buttons on her wet blouse.

“I wasn’t talking about opening the door,” she rejoined, nibbling at his bottom lip, making him laugh and groan at the same time.

She tried the light switch on the wall, but apparently the power was still out.

He felt … light. For the first time in recent memory.

“I’m glad you stuck to your old habits,” he said, thankful he’d gone to the bar and that she had walked in.

“Me, too,” she whispered, lifting a hand to his face, running her fingers over the stubble of his jaw. “Let me get out of these clothes—”

“My thinking exactly,” he interrupted.

She laughed, and he liked how it infused her entire expression with warmth. Her laugh reverberated through her entire body, the cool, distant reporter erased, a vibrant, passionate woman revealed.

He’d known there was magic between them before, but he’d been too raw then, too fresh from his return to be good for anyone. He hadn’t been ready for more then, but he was now.

“How about we get dry, have a glass of wine … take our time,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again. “No need to rush.”

He nodded, sighing. “You’re right. There’s time,” he agreed.

It was a luxury he was still getting used to. Time had seemed to stop in Afghanistan, and since then, it was punctuated by the start and stop of various jobs where he’d experienced things that often made him acutely aware of how time often ran out.

He didn’t want to waste any more of his.

They walked into her bedroom, and he watched as she moved around the room, lighting several candles set on dressers and tables. The warm light revealed ultrafeminine decor that he only vaguely remembered, taking in the thick, old-fashioned quilt of cream and roses, the ornate, Victorian lamps and lacy curtains. It spoke to the old-fashioned, traditional woman who lived beneath the image of the hardened career woman.

The space was so feminine it made him feel too big and cumbersome, like if he moved, he’d break something. Classic bull in a china shop. At the same time, he liked it very much. She was different than the other women he knew in a way that spoke to him.

“You’re quiet,” she said, stripping down to the black bra and panties that took his attention away from the room altogether.

She had an amazing body, all legs, curves and delectable soft spots he loved to explore and hadn’t gotten nearly enough of. The soft, flickering candlelight completed the fantasy.

He grinned, shucking his shirt, liking the way she looked at him when he did so. “Just taking in the room, and you,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her and making her laugh.

“You’re different now,” she said, watching him closely.

He shrugged. “Not really.”

“You were so closed off back then. I know that interview was torture for you,” she said.

“I was still adjusting. It’s disorienting, being in the desert one day and back here the next, surrounded by people who all want something from you.”

“You never said much, even during our night together.”

He didn’t remember that. He remembered touching her and losing himself in what she’d offered him. But now he realized how selfish he’d been.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself then. I should have walked away when you asked me back to your place, but—”

He’d needed the comfort, but more than that, something about her had beckoned him. Something about Chloe had given him what he needed, which was way more than sex, even though he didn’t recognize it at the time.

“I’m glad you didn’t. I only wish you hadn’t walked away after,” she said. “Are you going to walk away again now? Am I going to wake up in the morning to find you gone again?”

“No,” he said simply, the word his promise.

“Okay,” she said, accepting it.

She put on her robe, and then grabbed another one from the closet, handing it to him.

He took the garment, staring at it for a moment. It was definitely a guy’s, and that bothered him for a second. He looked up to see her staring at him, one eyebrow arched.

“What? Did you think that I didn’t sleep with anyone for three years, just waiting for you to come back?” she asked, smiling, though there was no barb in the question.

He took a breath. “No, not that. Hell, I didn’t even really know I was looking for you again until tonight … or maybe I knew it all along, since I got down here in Norfolk. I was reading your articles … you’re still an amazing journalist,” he said, and saw pleasure bloom in her expression. “An amazing woman.”

“I kept track of you, too,” she admitted, turning to the dresser and fussing with something, opening a drawer where she put some items, and closed it again. “I often thought of contacting you, but I don’t go begging. Though you were the first man who made me consider it,” she said, walking up close and sliding her hands over his chest.

“I don’t imagine you were a saint either.”

He frowned. No, he hadn’t been a saint. There had been some women, several, in fact, but none that really mattered. None he ever saw again or sought out.

“Let’s not talk about the past. It’s done,” he said. “The present—and the future—are much more promising.”

“I like the sound of that,” she agreed.

She seemed smaller here, more fragile and feminine, her hair undone and curling from the rain, falling down over her shoulders. He slid his hands through it, feeling possessive and lucky—why did he wait so long?

Her mouth was like velvet, and he let his robe drop to the floor as he dived the other hand into her hair, kissing her until she was trembling with need. Possessing her.

His, he thought.

“Ely,” she said his name on a breath when he released her lips. He was sure he couldn’t hear it enough, wanted to make her scream it.

Falling to his knees, he undid her robe, slid his hands up her legs, parting her slim, silky thighs. Parting the soft folds of her sex with his fingers, he tasted her lightly at first, but as she heated up, becoming slick, he lost himself in kissing her, sucking the hard, aroused pearl of her clit between his lips.

Chloe knew how to take charge—one of the things he loved about her—and her hands held his head, directing him, pressing and urging until he gave her everything she wanted, which he was more than happy to do.

She did scream his name when she came, and he didn’t let it end there, making her crest one more time. She sagged against him as he stood and took her in his arms.

Her cheeks were flushed with satisfaction, her pupils dilated, mouth soft as he kissed her fully. He wanted her again, but also wanted to wait. He needed her to know that he could be there for her, not always satisfying his own needs, oblivious to others as he had been before, when he left her.

They had time. He’d make it up to her.

“How about that glass of wine?” he asked. “Maybe something to eat to go with it?”

She nodded against his shoulder.

“I have to wait for my knees to feel solid again,” she said, gazing at him with eyes he thought he might like to see staring at him every morning. Eyes he might like to see on smaller versions of both of them.

Whoa, Marine, he cautioned himself. Slow down a little there.

But Ely had always led the charge, committed to the mission, focused on the target. He didn’t see the point in second thoughts or delaying action.

“I can help with that,” he said huskily, bending down and scooping her up, smiling at her gasp of surprise as she linked her hands around his neck and held on.

“Ely, this is hardly necessary,” she said, laughing as he carried her out to the living room.

“But it is fun,” he said, kissing her nose as he deposited her on the sofa.

“Matches?” he asked, noting more candles on the fireplace mantel.

“Up by the picture of my father,” she directed, pointing.

He saw the picture, and grabbed the box of stick matches, lighting one, taking in the portrait.

“Navy officer,” he observed, sliding her a glance. Her father was a highly decorated submariner.

“Yes. Retired now.”

“You never mentioned him.”

“You never asked.”

It was true, he hadn’t. Besides the interview, where she had focused on his life, they hadn’t talked much at all.

He lit the candles, and then walked to the kitchen, telling her to stay put. He had a lot of making up to do.

Coming back with a tray of cheese, fruit and crackers and a bottle of wine, he joined her on the sofa.

“Well, now I am feeling very spoiled,” she said, taking a glass of wine from him. “I could get used to that.”

“All part of my evil plan,” he agreed, taking some cheese and crackers, and settling back with his own glass.

“So where are your parents? Norfolk?” he asked, intent on learning as much as he could about her.

“The house is in Annapolis, but they aren’t there much. My dad has his sailboat there, and they live on the water for most of the year, sailing to vacation spots. They fly back from wherever they are for holidays, and seem to be enjoying life.”

“Sounds like the perfect retirement.”

“I don’t know that I’d want to spend that much time on the water, but my mother loves it. And for so many years they were apart when he was at sea.”

“Squid are a species unto their own,” he said, shaking his head. “The idea of spending that much time under water gives me the heebies,” he admitted.

“Seriously? I thought big tough Marines weren’t afraid of anything?”