Wounded (In My Dreams) (10 page)

Jasper pulled down the front of my shirt and sports bra before attacking my nipples. I leaned back on the counter, more than willing to offer him better room to maneuver.

Then I remembered the window right there where my neighbors could look in from their back porch.

“Blinds,” I gasped, hoping he caught my meaning.

“Let them see. I don’t care.”

“They have kids, Jasper.”

“Fine,” he grumbled as he pulled away. “Take off the shirt then.” He walked over to the window and closed the blinds and I did the opposite and covered back up, weirded out at the idea of being topless in my kitchen especially
during daylight. He turned back to me and growled. “Woman, I said
off
.”

My eyes went wide as he stormed over to me, grabbed my shirt roughly, and dragged it over my head with my bra.

“Better.” He kissed me again as his hands massaged my breasts, pinching my nipples until I was practically putty. Then I reached for his shirt, wanting to feel his perfect chest against my body. He let me as he undid the tie of my shorts.

“Bed,” I whispered, trying to pull away.

“No, I’m hungry,” he growled, the noise doing something to me deep inside and making me shiver. I didn’t know what he meant until he had my shorts off and lifted me up under my ass and set me on the counter. He pushed his hard-on against my naked body, sending shocks throughout me. I held onto his shoulders and head as his mouth was everywhere, torturing me in the best ways. “Lean back on your hands.”

I did, blinking at him as he crouched down and moved my legs over his shoulders. Then he buried his face between my legs and licked me. My orgasm blindsided me, not having felt something like that in so long. He moaned as he ate me out, working me through my climax with zeal.

When I was done, he was leaning over me with a big grin on his face. “I knew you’d be a screamer. I love how vocal you are.”

“Good, because I don’t even realize I am so there’s no way I’m shutting up,” I panted, blinking up at him. “Wow. Just
wow
. I forgot how that feels.”

“I won’t ever let you forget again,” he swore as he moved closer and lapped at my nipple. I squirmed on the counter, wanting more and everything all at once. He lifted me into his arms and carried me into my room, laying me gently on the bed. “Fuck. Tell me you have condoms. I didn’t think to get condoms.”

“In the bathroom if they’re not expired.”

He darted into the bathroom and I heard drawers opening and closing as I tried to remember how to breathe. It had been a long,
long
time for me, but I still didn’t remember it ever being that good before.

“Yes!” he exclaimed after a moment and then walked back out with a
strip
of them. “Still good.”

“Okay,” I squeaked, realizing we were really going to do this. I watched as he pushed down his shorts and kicked off his flip flops. I’d lost mine somewhere in the kitchen so I was ready to go.

God, was I ready to go. Especially when I saw how perfect he was. All. Over.

And huge in all the right places.

He fumbled opening the condom and then broke the first one trying to put it on. He cussed a bit and couldn’t seem to get the second one open after his fingers were slick from the first condom. “Sorry, it’s been a really long time for me.”

“Me too,” I assured him as I took the condom from him. I opened it up and rolled it onto his very hard cock, smiling when he moaned and let his head drop back onto his shoulders.

“I’m so not going to last long,” he warned as he knelt on the bed.

“You’re young. You’ll recover quickly,” I teased. Jasper’s eyes went wide, and he threw back his head as he laughed while he moved between my legs.

But then his cock rubbed against my clit and suddenly nothing was all that funny.

He slowly pushed in, watching my face for discomfort. I bit my lip and tried to hide that it hurt considering he was huge. It got better as he moved back and forth inside me gently, stretching me out before picking up the pace.

“Perfect,” he whispered against my lips once he was all the way in and could move easily. I moved my hands under his and then raised my arms over my head. His eyes went wide. “Lily, do you like to be pinned down during sex?”

“Sometimes,” I mumbled, turning my head away as my cheeks heated up. “More a switch really. I either like to be in charge or not be in charge.”

“Me too,” he chuckled as he nibbled my ear. “See, we’re a perfect fit.”

I threw my leg over his hip and cried out as he started moving faster, his strong arms pinning me to the bed in such a sexy way I just about died of bliss. He warned me minutes later that he was coming, and I lifted my head to kiss him. He got the idea and plunged his tongue in my mouth as he took me faster, shuddering as he finished inside me.

“Holy shit!” he gasped when he was done, blinking down at me. “Just
holy shit
.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, my chest heaving.

“You didn’t finish.”

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it,” I chuckled, smiling up at him. “I never come during sex.”

He nodded as he slowly pulled out of me. Then he got up and disposed of the condom while I stretched in bed like a happy cat or something. When he came back to bed, I saw he had another condom on and raised an eyebrow.

“That just means I need to be a more attentive lover,” he explained with an evil twinkle in his eyes. I yelped as he rolled me over and brought my hips off the bed. He pushed back inside me as he braced one hand over mine and the other moved between my legs, fondling my clit.

And boy did he live up to his declaration. Three times actually before he finished again, his endurance much better that round.

After he disposed of that condom, he crawled into bed with me, pulled me against his side and wrapped his arm around me. I realized then the damn man was still hard. Holy
crap
. I would have to work on my stamina.

“Best workout we’ve had yet,” I purred as I moved my hand to his erection.

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” he moaned and spread his legs to give me all the room I wanted.

“It’s my gift.”

“Woman, that is
not
the only way you’re gifted.”

I tended to believe him when I brought him another climax minutes later, torturing him as he had me. After that, we took a real nap, exhausted in all the best ways.

I loved our new workout routine. I would work out
all the time
now if he was game. I got the feeling he would be.

6

That night he slept in my bed. I ended up waking
first
for once and practically attacked him, condom rolled on his dick before he even knew what was going on.

“Fuck, I like when you take charge,” he moaned, his eyes focused on my tits. I pinned down his shoulders because his hands had other things they could be doing—and they did. I screamed out his name as I came, shuddering when I felt him come as well.

“That was so much better than a walk,” I panted, teasing him when we were done.

“Fine, we’ll take walks just when we want to stretch our legs and it’s nice out,” he chuckled, shaking his head as I rolled off him. “But we’re still doing the DVDs. You paid all that money for them and we have fun.”

“I accept your terms. Just maybe not
every
day now if we find other cardio to do.”

“Woman, you’re going to be the death of me,” he groaned playfully.

I hopped out of bed and darted into the bathroom, leaving him the half bath in the hallway to clean up. “We can’t have that. You take out the garbage!” I heard him laughing as I closed the door and took care of business.

Sure enough, he made me get dressed to go work out. I had another idea though.

“So that second dresser chest is mostly empty,” I hedged as I pulled on my sports bra. “And there’s lots of closet space I don’t use.”

“Why, Lily Slone, are you asking me to move in with you?” he teased as he yanked on the shorts he’d been wearing the day before.

“You already moved in with me, you dork. I’m just saying there’s no reason to have your stuff downstairs anymore.” I paused in slipping on shorts and glanced at him. “Is there? Was this just a one-night thing?”

“We started in the afternoon, went into the night, and this morning,” Jasper chuckled. I looked away, nodding. That wasn’t an answer. Like he always did, Jasper figured out something was up. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck. “No, Lily. It wasn’t a one-time thing. I love you. I want you to be mine.”

“I am,” I swore, moving my hands over his. “You just seemed flippant about taking over the dresser.”

“I tease when I’m nervous. You know that.” I nodded. That was fair. It was his go-to awkward thing. “But I’m serious. Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Jasper, you already—”

He sighed and turned me around, cupping my face. “Crash in your guest room and help out when I can. That’s not the same as what I’m asking. Are you asking me to stay, be with you, for real, and us living together?”

“Too soon?” I asked instead, realizing how serious my question now was.

“Not when I love you as I do,” he murmured against my lips. “It took five months for us to finally be together. I’m asking you if this is real to you too. No more wonder hanging over our heads of how long you want me to stay. Is this real and us living together?”

“I don’t ever want you to leave,” I blurted as my eyes bugged out. “No. I’d go back to being a mess and miserable. And now there’s mind blowing
sex
to be had. You can’t leave.”

“Okay, then we’ll live together and I’ll move my stuff into
our
room.”

Lightbulb. Now I got it.

“We should celebrate,” I purred as I grabbed his ass.

“We should,” he agreed, pushing me back on the bed.

We did more than a ten minute workout, that was for sure. It was just horizontal this time. Well, angled too. But we had great
cardio
and that was all that mattered.

And apparently we were both addicted to
cardio
. We did cardio in the bedroom, in the bigger shower downstairs,
all over
the family room, in the kitchen, anywhere really.

Once even in the garage.

I found a cotton skirt I could fit into now and walked out there when he was working on something, wearing nothing but that and a little night shirt. He glanced up when the door opened and did a double take.

“Wow,” he breathed as he dropped the tools. “Are we going somewhere?”

I burst out laughing as I closed one side of the garage. “I’m pretty sure showing this much cleavage is only allowed for home, beach, or clubbing. And I might have to put something on under this skirt for the other two places.”

“Oh fuck that’s hot.” He was up and by me in a flash, dragging me to the hidden part of the garage. Since I’d planned this, I’d brought out a condom with me.

Moments later, we were exploring new ways to use the garage, Jasper’s hand over my mouth since the one door was open. I think that made it hotter. UPS or anyone could show up and see us going at it like rabbits.

I know it made it hotter for me at least. Who knew I was still young enough to like the thrill of maybe being caught?

A few days later, Jasper had his growly grouch time. Now especially I wanted to help him, figure out what was going on with him. Was it some memory that was a monthly thing in the Marines that upset him? Or was it just because he was
so
nice and great twenty-five days of the month the rest he had to be a bear?

The windows were open now, early September since it was cooling off, and I could hear everything—including the back door one night. I rolled over and saw Jasper was gone. He probably just needed some air, but I thought since it was well after eleven and my neighbors went to bed early that maybe I could cheer him up.

I threw on my black cotton robe, tying it loosely and slipping a condom in the pocket. Then I hurried downstairs, knowing by sound that was the door he’d gone out, and quietly slide open the patio door. I ducked under the flood light so I didn’t set it off. We didn’t want to make a spectacle after all. Then I hopped onto the deck and frowned when I realized he wasn’t there.

Moving over to the railing, I scanned the yard. Jasper was at the very back corner by the shed. He glanced around but not back in my direction before he pushed down his shorts. What the
fuck
was he doing? If he got poison ivy again, I was going to beat him. And why would he risk getting it on all his intimate parts?

He stretched his hands over his head, adjusted his neck a few times, and then knelt down on all fours.

Shit. He’s a shifter. Oh my
god
you have to start writing something besides paranormal books. Who goes
there
first? Maybe he likes to roll around in the grass naked. Alone. At night. On a full moon.