Jaded (13 page)

“Um...hi,” she breathed when they’d broken the kiss. He gazed deeply into her eyes.

“Still don’t like me?” he asked, cocking a brow.

“Maybe.”

“I don’t like hearing maybe.”

“I’m leaning toward no, how’s that?”

“Better.”

He dipped in close and covered her mouth with his again. Their tongues met and she tasted an intensity behind his kiss; immediately her body reacted in a visceral way, pinpricks of heat erupting all over her body.

“How about now?”

“Getting closer,” she whispered, wrapping a hand around his neck and pulling him into another kiss. He backed her against the wall, resting his hands on the swell of her hips. Lust sizzled beneath her skin. All her inhibitions dropped to the floor like weights—she was turned on and ready to have a man fulfill her. If she did it once, maybe that would get it out of her system, and she wouldn’t be tempted by him anymore...

Eureka!
It suddenly made sense—she just needed this one time to give in to temptation and
then
she could drop all men forever. Luke was only so desirable because she was restricting herself, and as soon as she had him, the crazy sexual energy would stop. She rejoiced—why hadn’t she thought of this before?

He tore off her shirt and he groaned with happiness when he discovered she wasn’t wearing a bra. His lips instantly connected with the soft curve underneath her breast, tongue flicking over the sensitive skin. He kissed and bit and sucked at her tight nipples; her whole body tensed and she pulled him closer, wrapping a leg around his back.

“Look what you do to me,” he murmured, pressing his hardness between her legs. Isabella gasped and slid her hands over his rear end, gently gyrating against him. She could feel the tip of his hard-on through his pants nudging at her most sensitive spot, and each time it made contact she inhaled. His breath was heavy at her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine. Luke nibbled at her earlobe and kissed his way down her neck, over her collarbone, and between her breasts. Then he traced his tongue all the way up, until he finally pressed his lips to hers.

She grappled with his shirt, trying to gather enough attention span to take it off. His kisses were so mind-numbing it was impossible to think about anything else when his lips were against hers. The only thing that was obvious to her was the pulsating pleasure and the fire burning between her legs.

Finally, her hands connected with the hem of his shirt and she tore it off, revealing washboard and all. Her fingers tripped across his abs and down to the elastic of his underwear. She slid a finger beneath the waistband and he shivered as she traced patterns across his hips, watching him for a reaction. Luke gazed at her, his chocolate brown eyes making her knees weak.

“Come here,” he whispered, taking her hand. They walked to the front room and then he pointed to the couch. Without thinking, she shoved him onto a cushion and climbed on top of him before he could protest. She wrapped her legs around him, nestling herself against his hard-on. She moved her hips against him, so slowly that it was hardly noticeable, just a suggestion of what rhythms they could produce together. Except Luke knew. They locked eyes and she saw lust shining back at her.

“If you could have
one
dream come true, what would it be?” she asked him hotly into his ear, tongue nipping his earlobe.

“It’s coming true right now,” he said, an edge of desperation to his voice. Isabella hopped off him and danced across the room. He looked at her helplessly.

“Don’t be a tease,” he growled.

She giggled. Now she had no choice but to be a tease. She slid out of her night pants and then tossed them across the room, clad only in her undies. She kept her stance across the room, watching him with a sexy smirk. Judging by the expression on Luke’s face, she was pushing all of the right buttons, and he was suffering a terribly gratifying pleasure.

“Come on,” he said, reaching out for her. “Just come over here.”

“No.” She ran her hand down the side of her body and in between her legs. “Maybe I don’t even want you to touch me. Maybe I want to do it all myself.”

“Isabella!” His breathing was skyrocketing and she could tell the image of her pleasing herself was blowing his mind. She slipped two fingers beneath the crotch of her panties and started slow circular motions, never taking her eyes off of him, loving the look of her captivated audience.

“You are so damn sexy,” he growled, standing and tearing his pants off. His erection bobbed huge and tent-like beneath his boxers. She bit her lip, waves of pleasure coursing through her entire body. When he attempted to approach her, she shook her head.

“No,” she whispered.

He groaned, collapsing back onto the couch. “You’re killing me!”

She slipped one finger inside herself, extra slow so he could gobble it up. She loved the control she had over him right now. Finally, putting cocky Luke in his place.

“You wanna try?” she asked.

“Yeah, since last year,” he said, and let his legs fall open on the couch. “Get on top of me, babe.”

She sauntered toward him, feeling delirious with pleasure and control. But once she was within reach Luke caught her at the waist and pulled her down on top of him.

“Now try to get away,” he whispered, unable to hide his smile. His arms were locked around her, and one look at those bulging biceps told her she wouldn’t be able to escape even if she wanted to.

They kissed hard, over and over again, until Luke breathed, “Babe, I’m dying to get a taste of you.”

She grinned mischievously, pleased to note that his fingers had ventured beneath the fabric of her panties. He stroked her languorously, fingers pushing and prodding and exploring every inch of flesh below. He slipped one finger inside her, and then back out. She inhaled sharply, thighs tensing as he teased her.

“I like that idea,” she whispered into his ear, grinding her pelvis against his hard-on, loving the thickness of him pressed to the heat between her legs. She rocked back and forth a couple times, wanting to have him taste her but unable to rip herself off of him.

They kissed long and hard and Luke moaned through the kiss. “You are too damn sexy,” he said, grabbing handfuls of her butt and squeezing hard. “Let me get at you now.”

He guided her to lie back on the couch and his head was instantly between her legs, looking up at her with a gaze so sexy she thought she’d orgasm right there.

“Are you a screamer?”

“Not normally.”

“You will be now.” His lips skipped up her thigh and he placed firm kisses around her lips, close to her clitoris, but just avoiding it. She tensed, dying for him to make contact. He dipped a finger beneath her panties, brushing her clit gently, one touch and then back out. She fidgeted, arching her back toward him. He slid her panties off, threw them across the room, and placed a gentle kiss just below her belly button.

“Get ready,” he warned, looking up at her.

She smiled. He was so cocky—but this time it didn’t bother her. She only hoped that he would be as good as his word.

His thumb found her clit, rubbing small circular patterns over and over. She threw her head back and gasped as pleasure curled through her body. He plunged a finger deep into her, swirling it around inside. She tensed as his tongue found her clit, flicking gently at first, then more forcefully. His free hand skimmed along her inner thigh, sending shivers up and down her spine. He inserted another finger, pressing them deeper and curling them back toward him. She bit back a scream. He must have sensed this—he repeated the motion over and over again, quicker and harder, while swirling his tongue over her clit. Her chest was rising and falling so quickly she thought she’d hyperventilate. Just as her body was beginning to buzz with mind-numbing pleasure, he pulled away.

She screamed.

“What?” he asked. He sat back on his heels, watching her with a cocky smile.

“I hate you,” she breathed, sounding asthmatic. She could barely catch her breath to speak. “I...I can’t believe...”

He ran his fingers up and down her thighs—she trembled with the sheer sensuality of it. If he even kissed her, she might come. She was
so close
.

“Did you like it?” he asked. He didn’t have to ask her though—he knew how much she’d enjoyed it, and she hated him for delaying her pleasure with needless small talk.

“Shut up,” she growled, pulling him toward her.

“Oh, I like a woman who takes control.”

“I like a man who finishes what he starts.”

He gazed into her eyes, a smile playing on his lips. “I never said I wouldn’t finish.”

“Well you sure are taking your sweet time about it.”

“Maybe that’s the game plan.” He covered her mouth with his and her mind was momentarily taken off the searing heat between her legs. But when he pulled away from her again, that cocky smile still on his lips, she wanted to scream.

His head dipped between her legs again and she tensed. His tongue flicked at her, teasing her, not going at the pace she craved. His fingers danced up her thighs, and he inserted his finger in her again, slowly swirling it in circles. She fidgeted, hating him more for drawing out this moment of near-pleasure for as long as he possibly could. She felt him insert another finger, and then he started the motions again. She tensed, afraid to move for fear he would stop. The pleasure was starting to quake within her—and if he stopped again she would kill him.

But he didn’t stop. He licked and sucked at her hard and fast. He pumped his fingers in and out until she was screaming.

“Luke! Luke, don’t stop...oh, god...!”

Her whole body froze as the mind-numbing pleasure spread through her body. Her insides quaked and she moaned his name, over and over again, until she fell back onto the couch in a helpless pile.

A few moments of silence passed. She lay there, unmoving, trying to collect her thoughts and reassemble her liquefied body.

“I told you you’d scream,” he said, draping himself across her and laying his head on her chest. She noticed his arousal still straining up at him—if she weren’t so euphoric and completely lazy, she’d do something about it.

“I’m glad you were right.”

Nobody said anything for a few moments. His fingers found her hair and he made lazy strokes through it.

He looked up at her. “So do you like me yet?” he asked softly. He presented it as a joke, but Isabella thought she saw a twinge of fear beneath those smiling eyes of his.

She cracked a smile. “I think I do.”

Chapter Seven

“Isabella. Is there something on your mind?”

Isabella snapped her head up and looked into the wide blue eyes of her sister, Kitty. She was leaning forward on the chair across the room, looking seriously concerned. Isabella blinked hard then sighed.

“Sorry, Kitty. I’m here, I’m present, I just...I had a rough night.”

Kitty pursed her lips and crossed her legs. “Well, listen. I want the copy for the wedding program by tomorrow morning. Is that doable?”

Her sister’s tone was a quiet jab but she ignored it. Her sister had a princess streak that would make a real royal blush. Besides, Kitty knew Isabella’s work ethic—it was as good as done. They’d been mulling over the wording of the wedding program for an hour already that morning. It seemed that with every new syllable, Kitty wanted to edit or completely get rid of something. Between the hassle of her sister’s perfectionism and the haunting thoughts of the other night with Luke, Isabella felt like she needed a nap.

“I’ll have it to you by the end of the day, I promise. We made good headway this morning. Let me make the final finishing touches—”

“By 5:00 p.m.”

“Yes, by 5:00 p.m. I promise. Then you can take it to the printer and all will be merry.”

Kitty seemed placated. She blinked slowly, taking one last look at the sample program they’d been writing on, and sighed. “I’m really counting on you, Issy.”

Kitty stood, picked up her Prada bag, and placed a small kiss on her sister’s cheek. “I’m off to the spa. Text me when it’s done.” She walked quietly out of Isabella’s office. When Isabella heard the front door shut, she let her head fall into her hands.

Her sister had roped her into writing the wedding program only because Isabella was a writer by profession and Kitty thought she would be able to create something stunning. Isabella wasn’t too worried about being able to create something sentimental and poetic—but pandering to Kitty’s tastes was a different matter entirely. Add to the mixture the fact that she absolutely could not concentrate on anything but Luke’s presence in her house, and she was almost worthless.

All morning she’d been thinking about Luke, mind on fire with recollections of the other night and secret hopes for more nights like it. He obstinately kept his distance, as though knowingly denying her. She’d been going crazy since that night he’d come over and they’d melted together and solidified their crazy passion. She hadn’t called him since Saturday night, and he hadn’t called her—and now, on Monday, she felt like she hadn’t seen him in ages.

They’d greeted each other amicably when the crew got there, but then he’d immersed himself in his work and Kitty had come over. She still couldn’t efface from her mind that he was keeping his distance for some reason...and she couldn’t convince herself it wasn’t because after their intense twenty minutes of sexual energy, she’d fallen asleep. Only when she awoke alone in her own bed on Sunday morning did she realize she’d actually fallen asleep on Luke and denied him the appropriate reciprocation. She was still mortified, only because that
never
happened to her. She hoped that he would take her somnolence as a sign of his prowess.

She attempted to focus on the wedding program, hundreds of clichéd wedding phrases floating through her mind.

With a loving welcome, we introduce to you our illustrious new couple...

Katharine Josephine Moreno and Kevin Patrick Pontiero

Who, from this day forward, will live together in blissful matrimony