Midnight Heat (Black Phoenix Book 2) (15 page)

He fingered her slow, mimicking the act they raced toward. Tension built inside her, tied her in a knot of pleasure so tight she wanted to scream with the need to untie it. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as she pushed against his hand, half out of her mind. “Dom,” she whispered, on the edge, the very edge, and when he responded by adding this thumb, tapping out a rhythm against her clit, she exploded.

She dug her heels into the mattress and arched her back as his name echoed off her bedroom walls.

“Easy, beautiful, we’re just getting started.” Sliding down her body, he pushed her legs up toward her chest, opening her even further, and dragged his tongue through her folds. He was relentless, using his tongue, his teeth, then his oh-so talented fingers. Arousal shot through her once more, and even though she’d just come so hard she thought she couldn’t do it again, he proved her wrong.

She moaned and thrashed beneath him, his hand on her stomach holding her down as he continued to lick and suck, not stopping until her body went limp. It was a moment before she drifted back to her senses. She heard him tear open a condom, and when she opened her eyes, he had his forearms on either side of her head and was gazing into her face. She touched his jaw, his mouth, sighing in pleasure as he pushed into her.

“Becca, God, you feel incredible,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her lips. It was an erotic rush, tasting her own juices. “I almost forgot how it feels to be inside a woman. It’s so much better than my fist.”

She laughed. He clenched his hands lightly in her hair as he released a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a groan. A sound that vibrated throughout her entire body, sparking her desire. Her nipples tightened. Her sex pulsed.

“Don’t do that,” he grated out. “As it is I won’t last more than sixty seconds.”

She knew his stamina to be incredible. He could bring her to climax more times than she could count before succumbing to the pleasure. He had, on more than one occasion. “I’m betting you can last a bit longer than that.” Rebecca squeezed her pelvic muscles.

He let out another rough sound, this one completely void of humor. “Don’t.”

“Don’t bet or don’t do that again?” She tilted her pelvis up and squeezed again.

He growled low in his throat.

Realizing how close to the edge he really was sent a thrill of feminine pleasure through her, made her feel powerful.
She
was doing this to him, making him lose control.

She slid her hands over his back and lower, cupping his ass and pulling him deeper into her as she tightened around his length. Beneath her palms his hard muscles bunched and flexed just before his body began to shake. His hold on her hair tightened as he struggled for control. A battle he lost as he began to move in quick, pounding thrusts, and came with a guttural shout.

His whole body went loose. He dropped his forehead to the bed beside hers and muttered, “Bloody hell, that’s embarrassing.”

Rebecca trailed her fingertips down the indent of his spine, relishing every twitch and flex along the way. “You know, as a physician I could help you with your—”

“Don’t you dare.”

“—condition. There are tricks you can use to—” Her words turned to a squeal as he rolled her, then to laughter even as he misjudged and they landed in a heap on the floor.

His breath left him in a whoosh as he cushioned her fall.

“Dom?”

It was a moment before he seemed to breathe again.

“Dominic? Are you okay?”

“I might need your medical license after all,” he groaned.

His ribs!

Rebecca sat up, immediately concerned. He was no longer wrapping them, but that didn’t mean the fall hadn’t angered the injury. She moved her hands over his torso, doing her best to assess his condition. The bruise on his side had faded away. He didn’t show any signs of tenderness when she pressed his ribs. Switching to his arms, she smoothed her hands up, her fingers brushing over the sutures on his left upper arm.

“Shit. If you pulled your…” she stopped. “Why do you still have sutures? You should have had them removed already.”

He rubbed the back of his head. “I trigger faster than a fifteen year old copping his first feel, then follow it up by knocking a few brain cells loose and all you’re concerned about is my arm?”

Rebecca looked down at him, really looked this time, and was surprised by what she found. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” Being wanted so fiercely was damn sexy. She couldn’t think of anything sexier. “Let me get these sutures out, and I’ll give you another chance to prove your virility.”

“How about I redeem myself first, and
then
you can worry about the bloody sutures?” he growled, then rolled her beneath him and did exactly that.

* * *

Rebecca came awake suddenly, remaining still as she waited for her mind to grab hold of what had pulled her from slumber. The heat was the first thing she noted, emanating from the man spooned against her back. Dominic. They were on her bed, naked, having succumbed to exhaustion after their second – correction third – round of lovemaking. Skin to skin, one of his legs thrown over both of hers, there was no need for bed coverings. Which was good since they all seemed to be missing.

Dom’s breathing was even, his heart rhythm normal against her back. So what…? Then she felt it. The gentle slap of his thumb against her hip.

Memory reached up and grabbed her by the throat. Of the other nights spent lying in his arms. Other times she’d woken in the middle of the night in wonder. The first night, and how it had taken her a while to figure out what he was doing.

For a moment she lay still, as his thumb continued to tap. She didn’t question how even after the years they’d been apart, the action seemed so familiar. Or why it brought a calm to her world. Instead, she linked her fingers with his and drifted back to sleep.

Chapter Thirteen

Dominic stood facing the shower, arms out before him, braced on the tile, head bent so the water beat down on his shoulders and neck. His headache was back, lack of sleep the most likely cause. Then again bouncing his skull off the floor last night probably didn’t help. He’d take the pain though, if it meant a repeat of what had come after.

He’d had his merry way with Becca on the floor where they’d landed. Then again in the bathroom, where after removing his sutures, he’d taken her from behind as she’d held onto the vanity for support. It was the most erotic encounter of his life, the mirror reflecting the flush of her skin, sway of her breasts, and sparkle of excitement in her green eyes as she focused on the image of his cock sliding in and out of her channel.

Christ.
He’d never be able to look at a mirror the same way again.

A flick of his wrist turned the water temperature to cold. Even that didn’t help the ache of arousal. The shower gel smelled like her so now he smelled like her. Smelled like her and had the image of her coming apart in this very room burned into his brain.

Turning off the water, he towel dried and pulled on his Levis, heading out of the bedroom in search of Rebecca. There was just enough time for an encore before he had to be in Auburn.

He found her in the kitchen, back to him, wearing hip-hugging jeans and a green tee. Rebecca. In jeans. For a minute Dominic forgot to breathe.

When they’d been together she’d never worn jeans. Dress slacks and blouses, skirt and blazers – professional women’s wear. Never jeans. She hadn’t even owned a pair. Especially not a pair that hugged her curves like they’d been made with her in mind, a faded blue, worn white at the seams.

He opened his mouth to comment, then realized she was talking on the phone.

“I can’t come to dinner tonight, I have other plans.”

Damn straight she did.

“No, not with a man. You know I’m not…seeing anyone right now.”

The hell she wasn’t.

Stepping up behind her, Dom pressed a kiss to her temple, while reaching around her to snag the mug of coffee from her hand. He made sure to brush as much of himself against her as possible, knowing she couldn’t mistake the bulge of his erection. “Morning, beautiful.”

She shivered visibly then faced him as he leaned against the counter, turning the mug to place his lips over the stain of lipstick she’d left. Her eyes flashed, then softened.

“Yes, that was a man,” she said, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “No, it’s not Nathan.”

There was that name again –
Nathan
.

“I know, mom,” she sighed, then held out her hand, gesturing at the mug.

Not a big fan of coffee, he passed it back to her, making sure their fingers brushed during the hand off. He couldn’t help himself.

“I know. Mom…” She stared up at him as she sipped her coffee. “Because I didn’t wish to have this conversation with you.” She made a face, eyes crossed, tongue peeking out of her mouth and he laughed aloud. “Yes, he has a very nice laugh. He has a lot of very nice qualities.” She eyed his naked chest. “No, you can’t meet him just yet. Why? Because you’ll start talking grandbabies and scare him away, that’s why!”

Dom sighed, having to shake his head.
Grandbabies? Jesus.

“See what you did, Mom? You’ve put the look of panic in his eyes. We’ll talk about this later, okay? I love you, too.” Rebecca set her cell phone on the counter next to him and dropped her forehead to his chest. “You’ve started something now,” she murmured wearily.

He slid a hand beneath her hair, massaging her neck at the base of her skull. She responded with a moan that spread heat across his flesh and gripped his lower belly in a white, hot fist.

Her free hand settled on his chest, fingers swirling, drawing patterns in the hair. “She’s going to start calling every day, asking when she can meet you.”

He pulled her closer and nuzzled just beneath her ear. “And that’s bad?”

“Are you serious? That’s terrible!” She sucked in a breath, then let it out slowly as he slid his free hand down her back to settle on her denim-covered ass. “Next thing you know she’ll begin naming our children.”

He laughed softly. “As long as she doesn’t go for any sissy names.”

“Dominic.”

“Hmmm?” He kissed her jaw, her mouth.

She pushed back a little and stared up at him. “I can’t believe this doesn’t bother you.”

“I can’t believe it
does
bother you.” Mothers were supposed to do things like that. Weren’t they?

“You don’t know—”

Unable to resist any longer, he kissed her, cutting off her flow of words. He’d meant for it to help convince her to remove her clothes, but he couldn’t shake loose the question niggling his brain. “Who’s Nathan?”

A wordless plea of protest slipped from her lips as she curled her fingers into his pec. “Wh-what?”

“You’ve mentioned him twice.”

Rebecca blinked up at him. After placing her mug on the counter, she sank against him from chest to knee. “He’s nobody.”

“Bec—”

Surging up, she covered his mouth with hers.

As distractions went, it was a good one. She was sweet, so damn sweet. Her soft curves molded to him as if she were made for him. She ran her hands ran over him everywhere she could reach. For a moment he gave into her, drinking her in with a low, rough groan. “Stop.” Hands on her upper arms he pushed her back a step but didn’t let go.

A shiver worked through her body as she stared at his mouth like she wanted more. “Why?”

Because if he didn’t stop her he was going to remove her clothes and take her on the edge of the counter. Which he couldn’t do. Not with the expert way she’d evaded his question, leaving him in the dark as to Nathan’s identity. He stared down at her, waiting. She was a smart woman, smart enough to know what he was waiting for.

She took a breath as if she was going to speak, then her gaze drifted away, settling somewhere over his left shoulder.

His heart skipped a beat. “Fuck.” He released her arms, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You said you weren’t seeing anyone.”

“My mother gets ideas—”

“The other night, Rebecca, when
I
asked you. You told me you weren’t seeing anyone.”

She gave him a bemused look. “I’m not. We…dated, but that was a while back.”

He released a pent up breath, stacking both hands atop his head. For a moment there he’d thought he was poaching, or at the very least had competition. “You could have just said that.”

“I just did.”

He shook his head in frustration, then started for the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” she asked his back.

“To finish dressing. We have to be at brunch by eleven-thirty and I want to swing by my place for a clean shirt first.”

“Your place? I thought you were staying with Noah and Isabeau? And why do you assume I’ll go with you? Maybe I have other plans.”

Spinning, he closed the distance between them in three strides. He curved his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close. “Cancel them,” he said, his voice harsh even to his own ears. “You’re going with me, Rebecca, because I said I would be there.” Damnit, he needed to calm down, but all the talk of her dating other people was driving him batshit crazy. Combine that with the low pulse of arousal that heated his blood whenever she was near and he was like a powder keg, primed and ready to go off. He took a deep breath, trying against all odds to regain composure. “I want you with me, so I can introduce you to my friends.” His family. “I think you’ll like them. That way everyone knows this Nathan character is out of the picture.”

She placed a hand on his chest. “Dom—”

“Then I’m going to toss you on the nearest bed, and…” Leaning down he made sure his lips brushed her ear as he told her in blunt, graphic detail what he planned to do to her even as he went rock hard at the thought.

“Holy mother of God,” she whimpered. “I’ll get my shoes.”

* * *

“I’m not saying anything, Dom,” Rebecca said to his broad back as he used his key to lock his apartment door. “It’s a cute little place.”