Jinxed (20 page)

He cupped her neck and tilted her face up to his. “You’ve driven me crazy all night. I’d look at you and think about you not wearing any underwear. I’d think of how soft and wet you’d be and spent the whole damn night with a raging hard-on.”

A wicked grin inched across her mouth and she reached for him. “Now that sounds uncomfortable. Since I did such a mean, terrible thing, the least I can do is help you out with that problem.”

The towel hit the floor with a muted thump and her lips circled around him. Either a groan or a gasp sounded above her, she wasn’t sure which and didn’t care. She had her hands and her mouth full at the minute and concentrated on him. Each glide of her tongue slicked the thickening flesh until it glistened in the faint light. Warm palms cupped her head as she took him deeper, his fingers feathering through her hair but not interfering with the slow, steady rhythm. Curling her fingers around the base, she twisted her hand upward to meet her descending lips, both grips as tight as she dared. She increased the tempo and her name hissed out, wrenched from some gravelly pit.

She’d accidentally discovered something about him several nights ago and now used it to her advantage and his pleasure. Swallowing half his length, she cupped his taut balls and lightly squeezed, gulping at the same time. The dual tensions of her fingers and her throat made his hips buck and his hands clench in her hair. So she did it again. And again. And again. And when he expected it once more, she alternated. Squeeze. Swallow. Squeeze. Swallow. There was no mistaking his groan this time. Delighting in his reaction, she sought the sensitive spot just beneath the broad head with a stiffened tongue. She didn’t slow her titillating assault until he panted her name.

“Frannie, you’re going kill me.”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Tongue stroking the pulsing vein along the underside of his shaft, she didn’t see his hands moving to her shoulders until they forced her back.

“Fun? You want fun? Let’s see how much fun you can handle.”

With a wolfish grin, he laid her back on the cool cotton sheet. Trapped between the sheet and his heated body, Frannie let passion flow through her. Her body recognized his touch and tingled in eagerness. His mouth feasted on her skin. He nipped her, nuzzled her, made goose bumps appear. She reached for him and he caught her hands.

“No. You’ve been driving me insane, now it’s my turn. Lie back and relax. I plan on taking my time with this and having some fun of my own.”

Jinx started at her face, kissing each inch sweetly. Her lips were a fountain and he drank and drank until her breath came in uneven gasps. Slowness was his weapon and he its master. Down her throat to her collarbone, he tongued her pulse point where it raged beneath her skin. Lifting one limp arm, he trailed a line of kisses from shoulder to fingertip then retraced his path. The odd move shouldn’t have made her quiver, but it did. He was worshipping her. Possessing her. Entrancing her. The alluring scent of his skin filled her nose, an aphrodisiac. Each inch of her body was being tantalized and glorified by his touch.

Oh dear Gawd! I’m melting
. His tongue darted over her aching nipples. She arched to him, begging him to please hurry. This torture was too much, too intense. But he would not be hurried. Over and over he mouthed the swollen mounds and his fingers lit on her knee. Slowly he stroked up, eking out whimpers and wiggles. He parted the cleft she had taunted him with, his mouth still on her breast, and she nearly exploded.

Delving into the velvet depths, he stoked the fires higher. Blood raced through her veins carrying fizzling bubbles. Shaking and coiled tight, she wanted him to stop and to hurry in the same thought. The scratch of his beard’s shadow on her swollen, hyper-sensitive flesh rocketed through her. He was driving her mad. One sharp scrape of his teeth combined with one exquisite stroke of his thumb and she was lost. The bite of desire sank sharp fangs into her soul, sending exquisite agony rushing through her blood. Muscles bunched then tremored as a sudden fierce orgasm shot through her. Clasping her hands to his head and her thighs around his hand, she shuddered a soft cry of release.

Her hot, hard breath fanned his damp hair as she sank into the hazy rebirth of recovery. His tongue slid across the underside of her breast and she stilled. He wasn’t finished. Down her stomach, he kissed and licked, venturing to her sides and the curve of her hips. His touch raced up her thighs, over her tummy to cup a heaving breast. Swirling the gold star in her navel with his tongue, he tweaked and tickled her senses. Desire, once sated, roared fully to life again and her pulse resumed its frantic staccato. Frannie tensed and her stomach tightened. Lower and lower his lips slid until he was just above the bare parted pinkness. Pulling back, he sank to her feet and nipped her ankle.

“Having fun yet?” His tease tickled her skin. A sob of entreaty poured from her lips until his mouth moved to her calf. Upward he worked his mouth’s magic, his fingers caressing and massaging her aching breasts. How had she never known the back of her knee was an erogenous zone? The inside of her thigh was soft against his traveling lips.

Yearning filled her. She needed release. She needed completion. She needed him. Nearer and nearer to her molten center he climbed. Her hair snaked around her head as she tossed wildly on the pillow. Her body tensed for climactic flight but he denied her once more. At the apex to her thighs, he stopped and moved to the other ankle. Deprived of the expected bliss, a blanket of want settled over her, leaving her with a torturous ache. Anguished, she cried out to him.

“I’m having fun. Are you, Frannie?”

A laugh vibrated against her tender skin as he nibbled his way north once more. His fingers returned and lightly pinched her hardened nipples. Loud and harsh, her breath rang out in short bursts. Each fiery lick sent her careening deeper into a pit of desire she had never known existed. Higher and higher he built the flame inside her until her flesh burned.

Half-mad with want, she bit her lip and silently begged him to end her delicious torment. Even so, she jumped when his mouth covered her slick core. It was heaven. It was hell. It was perfect. And it thrust her deeper into physical abandonment. He showed no mercy, no teases now. Every lick drove her closer and closer until she was there, just on the brink of total explosion. He held her there, dangling by a whisper-thin thread at the edge of oblivion.

His breath brushed her with soft words. “Had enough fun?”

“Please.”

Her fractured whimper was almost too soft to hear but he responded. One feather-soft stroke of his tongue against her clit and she peaked, hurled off the mountain into a swan dive of sensations. Her body tightened and flexed in release. Convulsions of ecstasy coursed through her and she sang his name in one long piercing note. Struggling for breath, she sank into the sheets, spent and tranquil.

Reduced to a boneless mass, she welcomed his warmth as he covered her. His kiss was hungry, hard, hot. With more unbridled want than finesse, he took her mouth in a fierce claim. She tasted mint and herself on his tongue and shivered. Exhausted, she lifted her trembling hand and cupped his jaw, thumb caressing his cheek. Like the Lady of the Lake rising out of the waters of Camelot, her desire burst through her satisfied body. She craved more. He had turned her into an orgasm-crazed monster.

Her stroking hands slid along the long line of his back. Pressed against her leg, he throbbed hard and hot. Her own sex echoed its rhythm and tempo, achingly empty. Her legs parted and cradled him. Head thrown back, eyes squeezed tight, he hissed and slowly sank into her depths. She caught his hiss and breathed it in, her body opening to him.

Thrusting deliberately, deeply and precisely, he sent shockwaves of pleasure along her core. She arched to him and he rocked into her. The room filled with the heavy fragrance of their lovemaking, and once again she began the climb to bliss.

Catching her lips in a firm kiss, he grasped her hips and rolled her above him. Breathless, she pulled her mouth from his and steadied her palms on his heaving chest. His eyes flashed with primal need and his hands sought her breasts. Rolling her hips, she delighted at the tic which appeared at the corner of his lip, at the way his breath rushed out. Using muscles only a woman has, she gripped him in an intimate caress and he leapt inside her.

Down her torso, his hands scorched a tantalizing trail. His fingers slipped between their joined bodies, seeking the solid nub of her passion. A jolt of intense electricity shot from her clit, spreading like wildfire throughout her body, enflamed by every thrust. Climax was so near she could taste it, smell it, nearly touch it. Jinx’s eyes were fixated on her face, his brows close together. Harshly drawn brows hinted that he struggled against his own release. A small tremor grew in her belly and she started to close her eyes to give the pinnacle free rein. His hand snapped to her chin.

“Open your eyes. Look at me. I want to watch you go over, see you come. Take me with you.” His gruff voice commanded and she obeyed without thought.

A tidal wave of music and light sprang from her center and she clamped down on him. Ripped from her throat, her hoarse cry resonated in the darkened room. Around him, she shivered and quaked. Heat flooded her and he arched hard and deep.

She never closed her eyes. She saw his cheek twitch, saw his jaw flinch, saw her name cross his lips. In his infinite eyes, she saw into his soul. The barriers to her heart cracked and she allowed him to glimpse in, to let her love shine out for one trembling orgasmic moment. His release ricocheted inside her, propelling her higher than ever before.

Gazes locked in a shared zenith, he uttered one word that should have terrified her but didn’t. One word that embodied his emotions. One word that was soft and still but hung in the air. One single powerful word that she longed to repeat.

“Mine.”

Chapter Ten

“I used to believe in forever, but forever is too good to be true.”

—A.A. Milne,
Winnie the Pooh
,

It was like the Waltons had gone shopping. Four different vehicles carrying a huge number of people bearing gifts arrived en masse. The volume went through the roof and everywhere Frannie turned, there was someone else wanting to give her a hug. She wanted to dislike Jinx’s family, wanted them to dislike her. It would have been easier if they were snobbish or crude or fought amongst themselves. Instead, it was like the Brady Bunch on acid. And she liked them all.

Damn it!

Frank Sullivan’s red hair had long ago faded to white but he was quick to laugh, tease and joke. His son had his demeanor, even if he had his mother’s looks. Beverly had grown plump but still radiated a timeless beauty that could not be bottled. Jinx had also inherited her bossy tendencies. She ruled the open kitchen like a ship’s captain and stood for no lollygagging in her presence. Frannie was half afraid she would have to walk the plank if she stepped out of line while helping set out dinner. Beverly noticed her fear and smiled. Despite the deep crow’s feet, her dark eyes twinkled as she looked Frannie up and down.

“Don’t let me or this brood scare you off, honey. Just jump in anywhere. We don’t bite.”

“I do so,” Jinx growled before nipping Frannie’s neck. She laughed and his mother swatted him with a dish towel, chasing him from the room. Frannie couldn’t help but giggle.

Dinner was a buffet of finger foods, delighting the Boys, who quickly filled plate after plate with hot wings, pigs-in-blankets, meatballs and chips. Laughter and stories rang out and no one stood on ceremony. She felt warm and accepted and not the least bit on display.

Damn it!

While putting the leftovers away and listening to his sister tell tales of her kids, she realized Jinx was missing. And the Boys were missing, too.

“Where are the guys at?”

Beverly and Jinx’s sister-in-law, Anne, exchanged knowing grins. Frannie parked her hand on her hip and stared at the bubbly women. Rachel nudged Anne and the two giggled like school girls until Beverly cleared her throat. Silence fell in the room.

“Don’t worry, Frannie.” Anne seemed way too interested in scrubbing a clean plate. “Jinx said he needed help with something. It’s never smart to ask too many questions at Christmas.”

Unease festered in her tummy with a bitter churning roil but she pushed it away.
He couldn’t be so cliché as to propose on Christmas Eve, could he?

By the time the dishes were cleared away, Frannie needed an antacid. The chalky taste lingered on her tongue as she spied the men coming up the driveway. His nephews frolicked like young colts but Jinx and his brother, Mike, walked slowly, deep in discussion.

The stockier man with the distinguished gray temples clapped his younger brother on the back and smiled broadly. Frannie chewed four more Tums.

Wiggling his eyebrows in a silent tease, Jinx pulled her onto the arm of the couch. She slid her legs across his, fighting her rising alarm. Hand on her back, he smiled reassuringly at her as his father told yet another tale of distant relatives. The adults relaxed in the great room as the Boys carried in bag after bag of colorfully wrapped gifts from the cars. Soon the tall tree was circled by towering stacks of presents. Having wrapped a dozen of those gifts for a paper-challenged Jinx, Frannie was eager to see the reactions when they were opened. Surely they would be getting to the family present unveiling soon. She welcomed the distraction.

Sixteen-year-old Derek shook one gift after another until his father told him to behave. With an all-too-familiar grin, he shrugged but complied and stretched out on the floor beside the gifts.

“Can’t we open just one?” his brother asked.

“No.” Sternly, Frank shook his finger at the teenagers. “Tomorrow morning’s for family. Tonight is for lovers. You want to open gifts on Christmas Eve, you go get a girl.”

“I’ve got a girl, Grandpa. She just isn’t here.”

“Then you don’t get squat, boyo.”

The adults laughed at the young man’s crestfallen expression. Conversation flowed smoothly and Frannie discovered she could easily match names to faces. It was disconcerting. She didn’t want to get to know these people. This cozy holiday scene was too perfect. It only reminded her she wouldn’t be around for the next one.

She let loose a resigned little sigh.
See what happens when you start trying to pretend you belong?
Sadness clogged her throat and brightened her eyes. This was too much. It was like dangling a dream in front of her.

Look but don’t touch. Touch but don’t hold. Hold but don’t keep.

Firmly but quietly, she whispered in Jinx’s ear. “I have to go.”

“It’s early yet.” His protest was not so quiet and every set of eyes swung to her.
Just great, way to draw attention to my escape there, fruit loop
.

Plastering a wide smile on her face, she said goodnight to everyone and went to grab her coat from the kitchen. Jinx stood inside the front door, his coat zipped, keys in hand, mysterious sparkle in his eyes. Her stomach lurched with nerves.

“I’ll take you home. You heard what Dad said, Christmas Eve is for lovers. I have a surprise for you.”

Seated beside him, Frannie watched the frozen landscape slip past in a blur. White on black, the scenery was a pristine still life capturing the elegance of nature. The low strains of Handel’s “Messiah” coming through the car speakers gave voice to the most holy of nights. Peace and joy were the themes of Christmas but all Frannie could feel was rising panic.

Fear gnawed at her belly until she was sure she would be sick. Cold and clammy inside her gloves, her hands shook with terror. She couldn’t let this happen. He could not do this to her tonight. She wanted this one perfect holiday with him. One more day was all she needed. Just one. One would be enough. She was greedy and weak and terrified of watching him walk away. But living a lie scared her more.

Their boots crunched across the salted concrete and echoed on the icy steps. Jinx took his key out and fitted it into the lock, and her panic exploded. She grabbed his hand.

“Promise me something.” Her voice shivered from cracked lips. The cold had seeped into her bones but it wasn’t the weather that made her tremble. It was desperation. “Promise me there isn’t a ring box under my tree.”

Lip tilted at one side, he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss to her frosty mouth. Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, he stroked her cold cheek. “I promise there’s not a ring box under your tree.”

A cloud of white burst from her lips. Only then did she realize she had been holding her breath. A crescendo of happiness flooded her. Once again, she was granted a reprieve. The night suddenly seemed filled with expectation rather than trepidation. Before she could catch it, a hearty laugh poured from her throat.

Heat washed over them as they shed their coats and kicked off wet boots. Hocus came racing down the stairs and launched himself at Jinx. He caught the cat, who purred like a diesel engine.

“Traitor,” she teased, petting the feline. “You sure got over your hatred of men fast.”

“All it took was a little drunken feline-to-beer-owner bonding. I knew he’d come around. I am pretty irresistible, you know.” The sparkle in his smile stole her breath and her heart leapt. Ice crystals clung to his hair, shimmering as they melted into ebony.
Gawd, how I love him.

A loud meow drew their attention to the top landing. Pocus hurried down the first seven steps before stopping still. A familiar glazed look came over his eyes and he went rigid.

“Pocus!” she called in alarm but it was too late. The midnight cat tumbled end over end to the foot of the stairs. He lay there, motionless. With a cry of distress, Frannie ran to her pet. Jinx hovered nearby, concern etched on his face as he let the twin cat go free.

“Should I call the vet?”

Frannie collapsed on her bottom and shook with mirth. The cat scooped in her arms, she leaned against the wall and gave into the giggles that racked her frame. “He’s snoring! The damn thing never even woke up.”

The cat came awake with a start, realized it was being held like a baby and squirmed for release. He shot between Jinx’s feet the second he was turned loose and headed for his food bowl.

“Dollface, that cat isn’t right. Can’t you get some medication for him or something?”

“I tried that. It didn’t work. I just have to accept him as he is, flaws and all.”

Head shaking with disbelief, Jinx entered the living room. Frannie followed then stopped short. Mouth open and eyes bugged, she stared. Beside her artificial tree stood a monstrosity of candy cane wrapping paper. Nearly as tall as the tree, it dominated the wall. Her chair had been shoved to one side and the gift wrap spilled over onto the braided rug. It was definitely not a ring box.
Thank Gawd!

Jinx wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and warmth surrounded her. “Surprise.”

“That is not a surprise. That is a heart attack. What’s in there?”

Taking her hand in his, Jinx drew her to the middle of the room. “You’re going to have to wait and see. That comes last. I have something else for you first. And I spy a gift or two under the tree with my name on it.”

Dying of curiosity, Frannie lit a few candles. The scent of cinnamon spice and evergreen wafted in the air. She snapped the TV to the all-music station so low carols filled the room and Jinx stoked the fire. On her tiptoes, she tried to peek at the huge gift, but Jinx pulled her away with a laugh. From his pocket, he held a crumpled bit of fake mistletoe over her head. Suddenly, Christmas magic blossomed.

The world stopped and time ceased to exist. It was the happiest time of year. She loved the man standing in front of her and he would not be leaving her tonight. She melted into his arms and kissed him with every ounce of love she felt. Tongues dancing in soft rhythm, she ran her fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck. Solid stone, his chest pressed into her breasts, creating a pleasant sense of contentment. It felt so right to be in his arms. Enchantment shaded the moment and she folded the memory into her heart. This was going to be the most perfect Christmas of her life.

The firelight flickered in his eyes, golden flames on a bed of obsidian. He stepped back and tugged her to sit beside him in front of the tree. Unable to break contact completely, she let her hand rest on his knee.

“Me first.” Nose crinkled in play, she pulled a gaily wrapped box from the small pile and handed it to him.

Like an eager toddler, he ripped into the paper. His laughter was loud and deep. Kellogg’s Froot Loops, a can of Planter’s nuts, a tin of fruitcake, a deck of Crazy Eight cards, a Looney Tunes DVD and a handmade certificate for a one-way ticket on the Bipolar Express were neatly arranged inside white tissue paper.

“It’s a Crazy Box.” He cupped a hand around her neck and pulled her into his kiss. “I love it. You make me crazy. Thank you.”

Cheeks stained with a hot blush, Frannie excitedly grabbed the gift he pulled from beneath the tree. It was the size of a loaf of bread but much heavier.
Still not a ring box. Hallelujah!
Shiny green paper gave way to stiff cardboard. She opened the box and her breath stopped. An antique doll with lace knickers, shiny curls and a porcelain face pouted up at her. Reverently, she cradled the doll, its rich blue velvet dress soft on her fingers. A tiny repair had been done to the lace edging and white had turned to eggshell, but the beauty was still there. It was a collector’s item, she was sure.

“After Becca died—” Jinx’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Everything seemed too raw, too…loud. I walked away from a great job and a great apartment and didn’t care. Grandma was still alive then so I stayed with her awhile.” A wry smile twisted his lips in memory. “One night I tried to explain one of the latest graphic innovations to her and she snorted and left the room. She came back and handed me that doll. She’d had it for over eighty years and brought it from Ireland as a child.”

Frannie’s fingers traced the tiny stitches, her mind viewing a small girl playing Mommy, lovingly repairing her baby’s dress. The poignant image was powerful and sweet and took away what breath she had left in her body.

“Grandma told me for something to really last, to be loved enough to keep forever, it has to stimulate the heart, not the brain. The idea for Buddies’ Toys was born that minute. I didn’t want to make the newest, latest and bestselling thing that would last until the next thing came along. I wanted something that would last, that meant something. I wanted something real. I guess the doll was kind of a talisman, a symbol for me.”

Infinity shone in his eyes. Blurry eyed, Frannie wanted to drown in the inky pools. The love shining on his face was so bright, she desperately wanted to believe him. Her heart ached with the sweetness of his tale and her fingers trembled against the doll’s soft ringlets. He touched her cheek with a gentle caress.

“Look at her, Frannie. Look at the doll.”

With a sniff, Frannie wiped her eyes and looked down. Her reflection in porcelain stared back. The doll looked like her. A soft gasp spilled out.

“Destiny strikes again, dollface.”

“Jinx…this is too precious. I can’t accept this.”

“I want you to have it. I don’t need it anymore. I found you.”

Her eyes slid closed in love. No real man was this sweet. The entire night was an illusion, a beautiful, touching, going-to-make-some-wonderful-memories-to pull-out-and-touch dream. For the moment, both he and the doll were hers and she hugged the fragile toy to her chest. Both she would have to give back but not tonight. An ache grew, a burning need to touch his soul as he had hers, to show him wordlessly how much he meant to her. Her quivering lips tilted with her smile.

“I think it’s the right time to give you your real gift now.”

Still holding her doll, she handed him a small flat envelope. It didn’t look like much but she hoped he’d understand what it contained. It was the outpouring of her heart. Curious, he took the envelope and slid his finger under the half-sealed flap. The sound of tearing paper was loud in the quiet room. Shadows danced to “The Christmas Song” and skated across Jinx’s face as he read. Curiosity faded to shock then to amazement and finally to tenderness. He looked at her with wide damp eyes.