Can't Buy My Love (3 page)

Chapter Five

Heat rushed to my cheeks, even as the idea of it seemed a bit naughty and exciting. Then again, he hadn’t yet seen the cellulite on my ass.

“I’m not sure you want me to walk around almost naked. Even during sex I’m the
lights off
kind of girl.”

Josh folded his arms across his chest and ran his gaze over my body. “I like your curves. And I’ll like them even better out of that dress.”

Jeez, when he put it that way… I fumbled for the zipper on the side of my dress and then shimmied out of it, letting it pool at my feet. And then there I stood before him in my black bra, panties, and three-inch heels.

“Damn.” He pushed a hand through his hair as appreciation flashed in his eyes.

Swallowing hard, I lowered my focus to his jeans and saw the strain of his erection at the crotch. He really thought I was hot! This was fabulous.

Maybe I could talk him out of the dishes and just give him a blowjob. Hell, that looked like a pretty sizeable package in his pants, and I wouldn’t mind getting a sneak peek. Even though I was being funny in my head, there was some truth to it.

I was going to sleep with him, I realized. I wanted him too bad. I’d never been in lust before, and at thirty-one, I’d be a fool not to experiment with it. To hell with tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. Technically, I still belonged to him in the morning.

Swiping my tongue across my lips, I took a step toward him.

“Not yet. If you touch me then we won’t be leaving the bedroom the rest of the night.”

“And that’s a problem how?”

He grinned. “Because I can convince you to have sex with me at any point, but I may not be so lucky in convincing you to clean my house.”

“Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?” I grumbled. “And you’re determined to get your money’s worth with me.”

“Damn right. I hate to clean.”

It wasn’t such a hardship actually. I didn’t mind the cleaning. And, well, he’d paid a grand for me. I loved remembering that fact. Me, Jessie Davis, the old goods, had sold for the highest amount in the island’s history. Turning around, I flipped on the faucet and smiled.

“Maybe having you take your dress off wasn’t such a good idea.” His voice was tight.

I looked over my shoulder as the sink began to fill with suds. His gaze rested on my thong-covered ass, and he looked quite turned on. Feeling deliciously naughty, I wiggled my butt at him and then turned back to do the dishes.

“I’m going to run to the store,” he said, and my smile widened when he quickly left the room.

A half hour later, his kitchen sparkled from my cleaning and I had started organizing the clutter around the house. My pulse took off when Josh returned carrying a brown grocery sack.

“So what did you buy?” I peered over a stack of sports magazines I carried before setting them in a neat pile on a table.

“Food, wine, stuff.” He unloaded some things into the fridge and then turned to look at me. “You are so fucking hot. I hope you realize that.”

My jaw dropped a bit. How did I respond to that?
No, I always thought I was rather plain.
But then I’d just look pathetic. Which only left me with, “Thank you.”

He nodded. “I was chopping firewood earlier and worked up a sweat. I’m gonna go hit the shower. I’ll be out in a few.”

“Oh. All right.” The vision of him naked with water running over him flitted through my mind and I swallowed hard. “I’ll, um, just keep cleaning.”

“Thanks, baby.” He didn’t head straight to the bathroom, but came over to me first. He cupped my bottom, kneading the flesh.

“Josh…” I closed my eyes as his mouth lowered to mine. He angled his head and swept his tongue inside. The fingers on my ass moved inward and then down. He stroked my cleft from behind, pushing a finger into my wet center, and I groaned.

He lifted his head, taking an unsteady breath. “I think I’d better make that shower a cold one.”

A bit disappointed, I sighed and watched him walk to the back of the house and barricade himself in the bathroom.

Get back to cleaning, Cinderella. And you can start with your dirty mind.

Grinning, I returned to attack more of the clutter. Fifteen minutes later, I pulled out the vacuum, just as Josh walked back into the living room with just a towel around his waist. Oh Lord, I hadn’t been prepared for that six-pack unclothed. Jeez, he had a nice body.

He glanced into the kitchen and whistled. “Nice work.”

“Thanks.” I did a little curtsy and turned on the vacuum—anything to divert my eyes from his rock hard body.

He walked over to the couch and sat, propping his feet on the coffee table. When I looked over at him I found him staring. Was he going to just sit and watch me the whole time?

I moved the vacuum across the room. Sure enough, his gaze followed. By the time I vacuumed the entire room and returned to him, I saw that he was hard again. The towel tented up above his cock. I retraced my path and brought the vacuum closer. My breasts bounced with each step. I wanted to touch him. Now. Not later when he made the move again. This time I would initiate the contact.

As I came closer to him, my purpose clear, I watched as he slipped a hand inside his towel and started to stroke himself, his gaze never leaving me. Once I reached him, I turned off the vacuum and pushed aside the coffee table so I could kneel at his feet.

“You must let me tend to you, sir.” I batted my eyelashes, inserting my best French maid voice. My teasing mood died when I pulled the towel away from his hips.

Lord he was beautiful—long, thick, with a reddish-purple head.

“Yes, tend to me. Please.” He groaned and cupped my chin, stroking a finger over my lips. I opened, letting him slip the finger inside my mouth, and then sucked on it.

His gaze grew hooded, his breathing heavier. I released his finger and then slid my hands from his thighs in toward his erection, wrapping my fingers around its thick length.

“I thought a cold shower would help,” he muttered, fisting his hands into my hair and guiding my head down. “But then I saw you strutting around half-naked pushing that vacuum, and I just wanted to bend you over the couch and fuck you senseless.”

The flesh between my legs grew damp and my nipples tightened. Flicking my tongue out, I caressed the head first, paying special attention to the crease underneath. His groan encouraged me and I opened my mouth, letting him slide his cock inside.

He was hot, silky, and hard all at the same time, tasting clean from the shower, with the slight saltiness of his arousal. He pushed deep, stroking the back of my throat.

Slowly, he started pumping in and out of my mouth as I curled my tongue around him. I relaxed my jaw and throat, taking him as deep as possible.

He undid my bra, and then plucked the lace from my breasts. They spilled free into his waiting hands, and he pinched the tips. I groaned as more heat and liquid rushed between my legs.

“Jesus. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop,” he begged, continuing to cup and squeeze my breasts. “On second thought, do.”

He pulled me up, and I released him with a popping noise before he settled me on his lap.

“I don’t want to come inside that sweet little mouth.” He touched my lips. “Not this time anyway. I want to take my time with you.” He pushed me back on the couch, lowering his body on top of mine.

“Look at those nipples. Sexy as hell.” He caught one tight tip between his teeth and bit gently. When I gasped, he flattened his lips around the areola and began to suck.

“
Josh
.” I held his head against my breast, and he drew harder on my nipple.

He pulled off my heels and tossed them aside, then trailed his fingers between our bodies and hooked the edge of my panties, tugging them down and off my legs. He used his thighs to push apart my knees, reaching down to rub my clit and switching his mouth to my other breast.

Moaning, I squirmed underneath him, grinding myself against his hand. He gave a husky laugh as he released my nipple and kissed his way down my body. My thighs trembled as he reached my stomach, dipping his tongue in my belly button while his fingers still probed between my legs.

His mouth moved lower, nuzzling the trimmed curls. With his wet, rough, and confident tongue he teased the folds of my sex. Hot fire raced through my blood as he swept up the length of my sex to rub my sensitive clitoris.

Catching the nub between his lips, he suckled it, causing my hips to lift off the couch and a ragged scream to leave my throat. He worked a finger inside me, rubbing the sensitive walls while sweetly tormenting my clit.

“Josh,
please
.” It was too much. I wanted him to continue, but more than that, I wanted the full completion of having him inside me. I needed it. “Now. I can’t wait any longer.”

After lifting himself off my body, he went to the kitchen and pulled a box of condoms from the grocery sack. I propped myself up on one elbow, heart pounding with anticipation as I watched him tear into a foil packet and roll the rubber onto his cock.

My mouth watered, and I slicked my tongue across my lips. He returned and I took an unsteady breath, reaching for him and pulling him down to me.

His mouth fused to mine, our tongues intertwining as he pushed my thighs apart. The thick head of his cock probed at my entrance and a tremor shot through me.

He eased in slow, the width and length of him stretching my body. Too long. He was both too thick and too long, and God it had been ages since I’d done this. Digging my fingernails into his back, I groaned as he slid all the way home.

“Jessie,” he croaked. “Damn, woman, you feel good.” We didn’t move for a moment, just got used to the feel of one another. His heart thumped against my breast, and then he slowly started to move inside me.

The sounds of flesh meeting flesh filled the room—wet, slippery sounds. He leaned down, catching one of my nipples in his mouth and sucking on it. I cried out, lifting my hips to meet his thrusts and holding his head to me.

Faster and deeper, he rode me and everything went kind of fuzzy in my head. Pleasure tingled from every spot where our bodies touched. I started crying his name, digging my nails into the tattoo on his arm and twisting my head on the pillow. He moved his hand between my legs and rubbed my clit, sending me flying over the edge.

He groaned and thrust deep, staying there as he came.

The lights in my head finally faded, and I was sure my heart would fly out of my chest because it pumped so hard.

Josh stopped supporting himself with his arms, and his body came down on mine in a heavy, yummy way.

He kissed the side of my neck and then took a long, ragged breath in. “Wow,” was the only word I could utter.

“No shit.” He laughed and stayed on me for a while. Our hearts—I could feel his against my chest—seemed in sync.

Finally he slid off me. “Want to shower with me before we go to work?”

“But you just showered.” I sat up. “Wait, work? Already?”

“You still have to work, baby.” He took my hand and pulled me off the couch. “I figured I’d put you to work down at Fisherman’s Feast. Under the table of course. We don’t have to fill out forms or anything.”

Oh God. My accountant side was cringing.

“Umm, okay.” I bit my lower lip. “But I do like that idea of a shower.”

“Then follow me.” His gaze grew downright naughty. “I get to do the soaping.”

“Better be lavender scented!” I joked with a grin, and at his puzzled look realized I’d completely missed his innuendo.

Crap
. I so needed to get better at this.

Chapter Six

Fisherman’s Feast was packed. But then, being the local hangout on a Friday night, that made sense. As soon as we arrived, Josh gave me an apron with cartoon crabs on it, and took me to the back to teach me how to prep the fish and chips.

I turned on the radio—one of the perks of being in the back—and sang along with The Eagles as I went to work. After an hour, my fingers were numb from dipping the freshly cut fish in the cold beer batter and breading them. I set the tray of prepared fish in the walk-in fridge and went up front to check if the rush had died down.

“How’s it going?” Josh asked, coming back from the dining room.

“Good. I think you have enough fish, prawns, and chicken to last a year though.” I smiled and set my hands on my hips. “Where do you want me next? Tony told me hands off the dishes, that those were his specialty.”

“Ah, count yourself lucky.” He glanced back into the dining room. “It’s died down a bit. You ever do any waitressing?”

“I did a little in college—let’s see how well I remember.” I grabbed an order pad off the counter and went into the dining room.

Surprisingly enough, taking orders came back like second nature. I enjoyed myself—talking to the locals and making the tourists feel welcome. I caught up with old friends and their families, saw my gym teacher from middle school, and just plain old had a good time.

The whole relaxed, socializing thing wasn’t something I experienced in my everyday job. And I missed it. Funny how it took an auction and being made to wait tables to make me realize how much I preferred working in a more social setting.

The place started to empty out around nine, and I knew from the sign that was when we closed. I waved goodbye to the people filtering out. So what next? How did we shut this place down for the night? Before I could go find Josh, the door swung open again.

I raised an eyebrow as Anna, the girl who’d sold for five hundred dollars, came striding in with a scowl. She seemed equally surprised to see me.

“He’s got you working at Fisherman’s Feast?” she asked, sarcasm rampant in her voice. “God, maybe I could have done worse. I need a salmon burger to go and an order of halibut and chips.”

I wrote the order down on the pad and then looked at her thoughtfully. “What’s the matter, Anna? Did you ruin your manicure cleaning?”

She gave me a dirty look. “No. At least I don’t have to clean, thankfully.”

“So then what are you doing? Besides getting his dinner.” She’d been bought by the rancher. Cute and rich. Surely he had tried to sleep with her by now.

Her cheeks turned bright red. “Making a few phone calls.”

I put the ticket for her order on the spinner that connected to the kitchen and then faced her again. “What kind of phone calls?”

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes glowing with disgust as she leaned forward to confide.

“It’s horrible. The man is making me pretend to be his personal assistant. I have to call every woman he’s slept with in the last year—and there’s a ton—to inform them that he has herpes and that they should get tested.”

I burst out laughing before I even considered it might not be the right thing to do. But it was just too funny, this coming from the girl who’d sneered at me saying I might end up with chlamydia because Josh had bought me. I decided not to point that out though. Somehow I didn’t think she’d take it too well.

Calming myself, I forced a sympathetic expression. “I’m so sorry, Anna. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“God, don’t remind me!” she wailed. “I can’t stand another minute of making these awful phone calls and trying to ignore him when he flirts with me.”

“You’ll get through it.” I patted her arm. “Have a seat. Your order will be ready soon.”

I went into the back, the swinging door barely shutting behind me before I burst into laughter again, not really caring if she could hear me. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

Josh came out from his back office, giving me a puzzled look. “You having a good time there?”

“Wonderful.” I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and planted a big kiss on his mouth. “I am seriously glad that you bought me, Josh. This entire day has been the absolute best.”

“Even cleaning my house? And breading fish?”

“Especially those.” I kissed him again.

That sexy smile I was growing to love spread across his face. “I can’t wait until we get back to my place.”

“Mmm. And when is that?” Thoughts of being in his bed, having a repeat performance from earlier, had my panties growing damp.

“I just have to do the money stuff. Look over some of the books.”

“Do you want some help? Money’s my thing after all.”

He gave me a pensive look and then nodded. “Yeah, that’d be great, Jessie. Thanks.”

* * * * *

Back at his house, we had a small fire crackling in the fireplace. I sat on the couch, legs curled up beneath me, wearing one of Josh’s T-shirts.

He came back into the room, carrying two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. “People would probably think we’re nuts,” he commented. “Having a fire in the middle of summer and drinking cocoa.”

I giggled and accepted the mug from him. “Hey, it can get cold in the summer. The wind off the Atlantic brings in the chill factor…or something. Besides, fires are romantic.”

He glanced down at me and I felt my cheeks warm. Oh God. Had I just crossed a line? I said the R word. What if he wasn’t looking at it like that? What if it really was just about sex for him? What if—

“Yeah, they are.” His hand closed over mine and he turned his gaze back to the fire.

My racing pulse calmed, and then began a slow and steady acceleration again as his finger traced the inside of my palm. “What have you been doing all these years, Josh?”

He shrugged, though he seemed to tense up a bit. “College, then some random jobs. I did a lot of traveling through Europe.”

“Ah, Europe. One place I’ve never been, but would love to go.”

“You’d like it.”

Another thing that made me curious was why he was single. The majority of the people our age were either married, or divorced. “Have you ever been married before?”

His grip on the coffee mug tightened and he shook his head. “No, I never got married.” Something about the tone of his voice set off bells in my head. Like he wasn’t telling the entire truth.

“What about you?”

“No, I’ve never even been close.” Yeah, that sounded a little pathetic, but it was the truth. I’d never had the spark, or that bond with any of the men I’d dated. Never even had a hint of it until Josh came back to town.

“Why? You’re beautiful, fun, and spontaneous. Do you know that some women would have run screaming at having to deal with raw fish all night? You made it fun.” His smile turned almost wistful. “You’re a great woman. You should have been snatched up a long time ago.”

I flushed warm with pleasure, my attraction to him strengthening further. I wanted to know if he planned on staying. All of a sudden it became so important.

Even though it had happened incredibly fast, I’d already opened my heart to him. Had a weird amount of hope and optimism.

The thought of my feelings for him deepening, only to have him leave soon, made my stomach churn almost painfully. But the thought of not taking advantage of every minute we did have together made me even sicker.

“Make love to me again,” I whispered.

I heard his quick indrawn breath, and then he set his mug down on the table and I did the same.

“I’ve been thinking about getting you naked for the past three hours.”

“Have you?” My blood roared in my ears.

“Hell yeah.” He cupped my face and lowered his mouth to mine, sweeping his tongue between my lips to stroke deep. Tasting and teasing me. I moaned and gripped his shoulders, squeezed the hard muscles that lay beneath his shirt.

He raised his head and the room seemed to tilt, the air rushing back into my lungs.

“How about we continue this in the hot tub?”