Drawn Together (10 page)

His gaze danced over her body. Lingering as he took in the curve of her hips. The weight of her breasts. The glint of the silver bars piercing her nipples. Her face, those gorgeous, lush features, her full mouth, the slumberous, slightly wary eyes.

And then there was the sight of his cock as she drew up on her knees, nearly leaving her body, and then slowly disappearing as she fell slowly down on him again.

Dark, slick with her honey, the sight of his cock disappearing into her cunt seemed to hypnotize him. Seduce his senses.

She arched, jutting her hips as she slid herself back and forth on his cock. All while he held her to keep her from falling. Watching her face as she closed her eyes. He wanted her to look at him, to know it was Jonah who gave her this experience. But he sensed she wasn’t ready for that kind of exposure. Not yet.

He’d demand her gaze when it was time.

For then, her body surrounded his in a hot, wet embrace. The weight of her body against his kept him aware of her curves.

“You make my mouth water. So lush and sexy. Goddamn.”

Her smile was a little shy. She was touched. The hesitance there only served to dig in under his skin even more.

“Slow. I want this to last a while.”

She pouted then and he laughed.

“Someone doesn’t like to wait.”

“I have instant-gratification issues.”

He tugged on the cuffs a little and she swallowed hard, her head falling back.

He’d thought he was being smart, but all he’d done was render her even more attractive. The long line of her neck offered up along with her tits. The window behind the chair let in moonlight and it caressed her skin.

He growled, unable not to. He leashed his impulse to thrust up hard and fast just to see her tits jiggle. Though he would the next time.

He wanted to savor this. So he did. On and on as he drew closer and closer. His orgasm built, filling him bit by bit, more and more, until there was nothing else to do but let it take over.

But before he did, he wanted her with him.

He moved his free hand to her clit where he squeezed it between his fingers. Fingers he’d gotten wet in her mouth. Hot, hot, hot.

“I want you to come all around my cock.”

She shifted to look down her body at where his fingers played against her clit. He watched her watch him. Orgasm bore down on him. His balls crawled up close to his body and he came on a snarled curse. But he kept his fingers squeezing over and over until, just a few seconds after he’d begun to come, she did as well.

It drew his climax out longer, the tight grip of her inner walls around his cock. Wave after wave until it felt like there was nothing left in his body.

He unclipped her wrists and gently helped her stand, leading her to his bed before darting to the bathroom to get rid of the condom and returning to her.

She watched him as she stretched. “Wow.”

He grinned. “Why, thank you. Back atcha.” He watched her carefully, so carefully that she cocked her head.

“What? Did I do something wrong? I’m not . . . well, this was new for me.” She blushed so prettily he couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her.

“You did everything right. I just want to be sure you’re with me all the way. What we did was good. Really good. I want you to be good with it too.”

She smiled, sliding her fingers through his hair. “Yeah? I don’t know what to say to you sometimes.”

“That’s got to be novel for you.”

Her laugh relaxed him.

“That’s pretty true, as it happens. I get the feeling this is normal for you. No, not normal, that’s a judgment word as Erin would say. Regular? I guess I figured you just said what needed to happen and that was that. Your lifestyle? I don’t know, I’m saying it wrong.”

He understood right at that moment that Raven Smith hated to be uncertain about things. Liked to be in charge.

That she was willing to be off balance with him—for him—meant quite a lot. More than he wanted it to, but it was too late to feel anything else for her but the way he did. That he hadn’t known her very long was pretty irrelevant at that moment.

“I resist terms like
lifestyle
because playing golf is a lifestyle, gardening. Whatever. To me, this isn’t a lifestyle. This is how I like to have sex. Other people may say differently and that’s how the world works. Regardless, I’d be a prick to do things with you, especially when you were bound, that you didn’t like as much as I liked doing them.”

“Oh. Yes, I liked them. You should do them more.”

He laughed, pulling her close. “Gimme a few minutes to recover. You’re hell on my cock, gorgeous.”

“That’s probably one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.”

8

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Erin laughed as she hooked her arm with Raven’s and steered her toward the front door of Tart, the home of Mary’s supper club, Delicious.

It was, of course, already full of the people who made up the whole extended group of friends and relatives Erin was part of.

Mary had to stop doing the public one after it had become so well known she was involved with Damien Hurley, uber big rock star. But she still did them for her friends on occasion.

“And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Jonah Warner was a kinky motherfucker. Jesus, you totally hold out on me all while telling me you love me?”

Erin said it in an undertone so no one else could hear, but Raven felt the heat of a blush anyway. Damn it, she did not blush!

“I told you yesterday. I’m sorry. I figured it would scar Alexander for life to hear his mother and Auntie talk about how Auntie’s man loved to whip her with a slapper while she was blindfolded and tied up.”

“I love it when they blindfold me. Makes all my other senses come alive.”

They’d actually not been able to get into the whole Jonah discussion too deeply the day before either, as they’d run into Elise and Rennie while they were out shopping and had ended up spending the afternoon together.

“He’s so hot. My god.” Erin’s grin made it impossible not to grin back.

Like this was news? The man messed with her head. Made her break all her rules. He was a tornado in her life.

“I agreed to be monogamous while we were together.”

Erin turned, her brows flying up. “Get out! Really? Damn, he must make you come so hard.”

“Well yes. Didn’t I already say that? He demanded it. And I like him and it seemed silly to argue. I’m too busy to fuck anyone else right now anyway, and this will burn out in time and I’ll move on when we’re done. I’m a big girl, I can do it.” She chewed her lip. “I think.”

Erin cocked her head.

“God, what if I mess it up?”

Erin put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You’re not going to mess it up.” She took a drink from the table and handed it to Raven, clinking her glass to it. “It had to happen sometime. My baby is growing up.”

Raven snorted before she took a sip.

And then she heard him.

“Well now, I’m extra glad I came tonight.” Jonah walked straight to her as if no one else was even in the room. He took her free hand and kissed her fingertips. “Hello.”

She knew she did one of those cartoon gulps but she really couldn’t help herself. “Hi. Fancy seeing you here.”

“I called your place, actually. To ask you to dinner. But you weren’t there and Levi bugged me to come here and I was hungry. But this makes everything so much better.”

He made her skin tingle. His voice did things to her nipples. Flashes of how he felt deep inside her as he fucked her kept running through her memory.

“Hey, Raven.”

She tore her gaze away from Jonah to catch sight of Daisy approaching wearing a big smile.

“Hello, Daisy.”

“We saved you a seat. Next to Jonah, I mean.” She fluttered her lashes at Raven, who managed to wrestle her left eyebrow into staying put.

Jonah did some fancy thing with her hand. He turned as he put her hand on his arm, his own hand firmly over it, keeping her at his side as he walked her over to their table.

Erin simply moved their things down to that end of the table. “That was pretty nifty there.”

Jonah gave Erin a look, but she wasn’t the type to be scared off by a big alpha male face, as she had two of her very own anyway.

“That little spin as you directed her, I mean. So how have you been?”

Todd sat on one side of Erin and Ben the other. He kissed Erin quickly. “Smooth. You totally could have been a CIA agent with your sneaky skills.”

“I’m not sneaky. He’s smooth. I’m not waterboarding him or anything.”

Jonah leaned in closer to Erin, clearly amused. “Would you?”

“I don’t know. I might. Have you done anything worthy of being waterboarded?”

“Not yet. I don’t think.”

Raven cleared her throat. “Just ask him whatever you’re going to ask him already.” She turned to Jonah. “You need to give in now. She won’t give up. She’s like one of those little dogs. She’ll bark and nip at your ankles until you submit. It’s her way.”

Erin laughed, clearly delighted. “I’m just getting a feel for him. If he wants to take my daughter out, I should know his intentions.”

Raven couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m a big girl, Mom.”

“She’s concerned.” He put a hand over hers briefly. “I promise not to despoil her. And to have her back by ten.”

“What if I like being despoiled?”

“I tell you, you walk away from a table filled with these people and you return to talk of despoiling.”

Mary shooed her fiancé, Damien, to the table. “Sit. Don’t get any ideas.”

“I can help you in the kitchen.” He mooned over her, which Raven—though she’d never admit it out loud—thought was sort of sweet.

“You are not my helper tonight.”

“I am. So back off, buster.” Daisy sent him a lovely smile that sort of ruined her gruff words. “You get her all the time. It’s not enough that you stole her away to Oregon? You get to be in her kitchen every day. You need to learn to share.”

“That sounded sort of dirty. Can we watch?” Adrian leaned back in his seat, his arm around Gillian’s back.

“Only if you want me to poke your eyes out.” Levi sipped his drink. “If anyone gets to watch, it’s me. And Damien I guess, if he’s nice.”

Raven breathed a sigh of relief when the conversation moved past the grilling of Jonah. Oh, she knew people thought she loved being the center of attention and none of them mattered enough for her to correct their misperception. But she didn’t like it.

Erin leaned closer. “So we need to continue our discussion later.”

Jonah slid his hand up her spine, stopping to cup the back of her neck. She shivered and Erin’s eyebrow slowly rose as she took in Raven’s response.

“Yes. Later.”

“Oh, is it a secret? What’ll I need to give you to let me join in?” Jonah’s words were playful, but his grip on her neck made Raven tingly.

Todd laughed.

Erin sniffed but wore a grin. “This is what I’m trying to get her to tell me. What you give her, I mean.”

Raven knew this was her payment for being so provocative with all her friends. Now Erin was going to be merciless.

“So what’s on the menu tonight?” She grabbed the card on her plate to look it over.

Jonah turned to her, amusement in his gaze. He tipped her chin up with his fingers. “Are you trying to change the subject?”

She leaned in close. May as well get him as worked up as she was. “I’ll tell her all the details later. When we’re not surrounded by fifty people. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell her how hard you make me come.”

He laughed, kissing her quickly. “Good to know. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Levi looked sideways at his brother and Jonah sent him a raised brow. Levi shrugged, but Jonah knew he’d have to have a long talk with him about Raven.

But for that night, he wanted to be with her. It was clear by the way the others seemed to react that Raven hadn’t brought dates around. Then again, he never had either.

He stroked the smooth skin at the back of her neck.

“So I hear most of the outlining is done on your back piece.” Brody spoke this time.

“Yes. It’s looking good. He’s a champ. I worked on him for several hours and he never complained.”

Jonah snorted inwardly. He had a high pain tolerance and really, she was so good and he was so distracted by everything else that had been going on between them that he’d barely noticed.

“Itchy today though.”

“Means it’s healing. That’s a good thing.”

“My mother says he has superhuman healing powers,” Levi added.

“Levi and I used to beat the fuck out of each other. I always healed first.”

Daisy sighed. “You’re supposed to unite and beat
other
people up, not your brother!”

“He’s the one who hauled me out of bed and made me finally see reason and grovel to you.” Levi smiled at Daisy, who softened immediately and sent a look to Jonah.

“Yeah? Well, I guess it’s okay that you may have punched him over that.”

Jonah laughed. “Well, to be fair, we always united against anyone who tried to hurt our family and friends.”

“That’s what family does.” Daisy shrugged and flounced off to help Mary in the kitchen.

Raven looked down at her hands.

He kept stroking her skin.

Erin glanced his way and then back to Raven. The storm had passed and Raven pulled her gaze from her hands and back up to Erin.

Brody spoke again. “Make sure to take photographs of the back. Step by step. For the book.”

Raven nodded at Brody. “I did.”

“The book?”

“Raven is being featured in a piece about tattooing. There’s a short film with it too. Anyway, they’re using some of her bigger pieces. From her design for you, I think it would be a good one.”

“You saw it?”

“Of course I did.” Brody gave him a look that told him he was dumb for thinking otherwise.

Jonah didn’t quite know what to make of the closeness between Brody and Raven. It was totally and utterly clear Brody Brown adored his wife. They had a connection so strong, so tangible, it was nearly a physical thing. Brody was protective of Raven. Like he was of Erin in many ways.

But it rankled that she had this history with another man.

Stupid. He had an ex-wife he had a kid with. It seemed hypocritical when Raven didn’t seem overly bothered by his ex. But there it was. Jonah figured he wasn’t entirely reasonable when it came to Raven.

“I show all my work to Brody. He’s a great sounding board. He tossed out a few of my sketches so you should be thankful.”

“I’m sure they were just as amazing as the others.”

Brody raised one brow and Elise blinked, hiding a smirk behind her hands.

“She’s a pretty amazing artist. I’m sure all the designs were good. I’m sorry I didn’t see them all.”

Brody sipped his drink, clearly taking Jonah’s measure. All around them pockets of laughter and conversation rose and fell, ebbed and flowed. These people, all of them, had a deep connection to one another. He liked it. Wanted a place in it. But he had to deal with this man sitting a few seats down, who clearly saw himself as Raven’s protector. Jonah wanted that job.

“She is. I agree. But it’s a process. Design, I mean. Some ideas don’t make the cut.”

Raven put her hand on Jonah’s arm. “Some of the designs he tossed out, as an example, would have been too large on your back, or too small. Because you’re doing black and gray, the balance is really important. You’re too . . . elegant . . . No, that’s a feminine term, I think . . . Anyway, all that ink wouldn’t have fit you. Not your personality or your body type. It’s why I bounce ideas off him. He’s been doing this longer than I have. He’s better at it.”

On one hand, he liked that she explained. On the other, he hated that she was defending another person to him. That she’d feel she had to, that he was being a pissy fool, that she’d said anyone was better than her.

“You’re the best.” He kissed her again and she sighed.

“You’re going to ruin my reputation as a hard-assed bitch,” she murmured against his mouth as he pulled away.

“You’re not a hard-assed bitch.”

She laughed. “I am. Thank you for the compliment. I am good at what I do. But it’s okay to admit he’s better. He’s like . . . he’s amazing. Gifted. You’re born with that potential. I’m good, I’m not gonna lie. But he’s in another league.”

“I don’t want you to put yourself down.”

She paused, looking at him for long, quiet moments. “I’m not. This is real life, Jonah. There will always be people who are better than you at things. Richer people. People with nicer houses. Skinnier people. Whatever. That’s life.”

He softened, smiling at her. “All right. You have a point.”

The first course came out and he leaned back as he ate, watching her interact with the others. She was open with Erin and Brody. Open with Gillian. But with the others less so. She was friendly, yes. Asked questions here and there, but it was clear she was uncomfortable on some level.