Passionate Bid (24 page)

Joanie shifted and straddled him, her arms around his neck. Jesus, maybe he should hold off what he wanted to tell her. The moment was too good to ruin with his news. Just like when their first kiss in his car, the magic curled around them but disappeared as soon as the damn headlights shone on them. Yeah, he”d tell her the news later.

He rubbed Joanie”s back. Each stroke went closer and closer down to her round butt he was dying to cup right now.

He eased his hands inside her shirt, feeling her soft skin and the undersides of her breasts before cupping the mounds. His hips jerked up. Fudge, he was so hard his jeans felt tight and uncomfortable.

“Joanie, honey. I want you.”

“Then take me.” She nibbled on his jaw and ear while slowly grinding her hips.

“I want nothing but to take you. Here. Right now. But not in your state of vulnerability.” Did he really say that? What happened to I’ll hold off on telling her the truth to avoid ruining the moment?

“Julian, I want you, too. Been wanting for you for ages.”

“You”re not angry at me for bringing trouble to your home.”

“Trouble followed you. You didn”t bring it. I will give my life for Sam in a heartbeat. But you, you”ll keep her safe here and probably even in the afterlife. You love her too much to cause her trouble.”

“You think highly of me.”

“Since I was sixteen. I wanted you then and I still want you now.”

“Oh God, Joanie.” He leaned his forehead against her collarbone. Sam suffered because he fucked up. If he hadn”t hooked up with Georgina, she wouldn”t have had come here to murder their little girl. Joanie must be told what Georgina had done. And he hoped to God she”d forgive him. “Hear what I have to tell you first. Two important things. Then if you still want to continue this, say it.” Joanie moved a bit to look at him. Her brows arched high. “What?”

“First, when Georgina came to bring Sam toys, she stashed a can of nuts in one of the bags. Sam found it.”

Raw hurt glittered in Joanie”s eyes before they began to swell with tears.

“She knew Sam”s allergic to nuts?”

“Hon, I made a mistake of telling her. I never suspected she would—” Joanie covered his mouth with her hand. “You trusted her. It”s not your fault that she used the information against Sam. Us.”

“I went to see her when I left you with Sam in the hospital. I made sure that she knows you will take action against her.”

“I want her punished, Julian. Her waiting for a cop to knock on her door will have to suffice as punishment for now. We can talk about it later. Right now, I just want to enjoy the fact that Sam”s okay. That”s what matters most to me.”

“You don”t hate me for what happened?”

“No. You would never hurt our Sam. I know that.”

“Thank God.” He cupped her face and planted a long wet kiss on her lips.

“About your clip. Georgina must have searched my desk and found it. And when she did—”

“She broke it. While in the hospital, I figured everything out.” She ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. “I remembered what you said about her not liking wives. Everything that she told me was a lie.”

“Now what”s the third thing you want to tell me?”

“I”m the one that bought Sam”s Woods.”

Joanie looked at him as if he suddenly turned into a big slug or turd. She blinked fast. Obviously thinking or absorbing what he just said.

“You. You bought the property. From who?”

“From Carmen. The Windermere agent. She called and I answered the phone. She told me to tell you that your buyer is ready to sign the papers. I couldn”t let that happen, Joanie. Our baby is crazy about the woods and her butterflies. No way am I going to let it go.”

Tears bordered Joanie”s eyes. Her chin trembled from biting her lips to control her sob. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“Oh, but honey, I do. I saved the property not just for Sam. It”s for both of you.”

“I don”t know what to say.”

“Thank you, honey, is fine with me.”

“Thank you.”

“You”re welcome. I”d give you the moon if I could afford it. I love you, Joanie.”

“Why?”

“Why why?”

“I asked why you love me? I am the epitome of what you hate in a woman.

You told me so the night you walked out on me.”

Julian groaned and leaned his head on Joanie”s shoulder. He couldn”t believe how awful he was to her. “I spoke in anger. No, that”s not an excuse, and what I did is unforgivable. But Joanie, hear this. Whenever I see a woman with the same shade of your eyes, I think of you. When I see someone with hair that closely resembled the color of your hair, I would stare, thinking that it could be you. The women I…dated, none of them have chipped fingernail polish. But what do I see when I look at them? Yours. You see, love. You were already embedded in my skin.

I think you managed to do that when I used to watch you reading to Grandma. But I didn”t realize it until recently.”

“Do you think that”s the reason you didn”t ask for a divorce right away?”

“Honestly, I really don”t know the answer to that. One would think that would be the first thing I”d do. But I didn”t.” He rubbed her arms, feeling her smooth skin puckered.

“Until a few days ago.”

“Yes.”

“But you still packed your clothes and were ready to go.”

“For a totally different reason.”

“Care to tell me?”

Julian leaned his forehead against Joanie”s. “After what happened I thought you”d want to see me gone. So I packed my clothes. I”m ready to go.”

“What happened made me see how much you really cared for Sam. She cares for you, too. She would hate for you to leave. I don”t want you to leave. But you are free to go, you know. I signed the papers.”

“Am I free? I thought I already spelled it out for you, Joanie. Maybe you”ll understand me better if I quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning.”

“You can quote Browning”s poem?”

“Honey, you”re not the only one who read to Grandma, you know. Let”s see.

Here we go. „If I leave you both now, what will happen to me? Will I miss your cooking, your voice, our kisses, and Sam? Will I feel strange when I open my eyes and not see the stain on the ceiling and not find you in my arms? Will I be able to settle in a home other than this? No. No one call fill the space you and Sam occupy in my heart. No chubby arms can make…” Julian swallowed. His throat seemed to close up. “No chubby arms can make me feel loved and special. No Joanie to fold me in her wings of love. Without you and Sam, there won”t be me.” Hot tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn”t care.

Joanie wiped his tears with the pad of her fingers. “That is beautiful. Better than Browning”s poem.”

“Joanie, even if I go to the moon, you and Sam will still stay close to me. You can melt our ring and erase its existence, sign the divorce papers over and over, but I will never be free. How will I? You captured my heart, Joanie. Only death will set me free.”

“Oh, God.” Joanie”s arms wrapped around him, her mouth on his neck. “I”ve waited for years to hear you say that.”

“I”m sorry, baby. I”m blind and a big fat jerk.” Julian kissed the top of her head.

Joanie looked at him and began tracing the shape of his eyebrows, nose, chin and mouth. “I love you, too. But I will not beg you to stay.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I love you that much. It”ll kill me again to watch you walk out of my life, but if that”s what you want, you won”t hear me say don”t leave.”

“Not this time, honey. Leaving is not what I want. I”m staying for good. I love you.”

Tears running down her cheeks, Joanie let out a short laugh followed by a deep sigh. “Sorry. I don”t know why I cry so much. This is not me, okay. I”m not a—what”s so funny?”

“Nothing, babe. Nothing. So you heard the two things I have to say. Now, what”s your answer? Should we continue where we left off?”

“You mean this?” Joanie moved her hips in a thrusting motion, centering her heat on his already hardening shaft.

“Uh-huh?”

“Do you want to continue? I don”t think you”re…” Joanie wriggled her butt, “…getting excited.”

“Minx. Want me to show you how excited I am right now?” His jeans were so tight he wouldn”t be able to unbutton them right away.

“Hmmm…that would be nice.”

Julian cupped her face, smiled and pulled her for a hot, hungry kiss. Their tongues danced with one another, dueling, plunging, and fighting for domination.

Joanie was as hot and eager as he was. Both of them burned from the fire he only knew one way how to douse.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss again!” Sam said.

Joanie buried her face at the crook of Julian”s neck, laughing.

“Our daughter has a penchant for showing up at inopportune moment,” he whispered.

“God, how could I forget about, bug. It”s your fault,” she whispered.

“Hey Sam. Time for a nap, pancake.”

“No, it isn”t. I”m drawing.”

“How about a bubble bath and then a nap?”

“Yippee!”

“Thank God for small blessings.”

Joanie laughed.

While tucking in Sam for her nap, Julian listened to the sound of shower. He smiled in anticipation. He could hardly wait to have Joanie in his arms again.

Giving Sam one last look, he went downstairs and started making coffee. He was sitting on the chair looking at Sam”s drawing when Joanie entered the kitchen.

He crooked his finger at her then patted his thigh.

Joanie raised a brow and chewed her lower lip. “What”s on your mind?

You”re grinning. I don”t trust that grin.”

“You have to trust me, love. You”re gonna like what I have on mind.” Once Joanie was close enough to him, he took her hand and urged her to straddle him. He lifted her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor.

Without bothering to unclasp her bra, he pulled the straps and lowered the bra to her stomach. Julian hissed at the sight. Joanie”s breasts weren”t big but enough to fill his hands. Without touching the sweet nipples, he lowered his head to suckle one while undoing the front of Joanie”s pants. He slipped his hand inside and touched her heat. Hot damn, she was already damp. His middle finger slipped right in. Perfect. Just what he needed.

Joanie lifted her ass a bit to make room for his invading fingers. As he went in deeper, he smiled at the hungry look and anticipation on her face. “Baby, you”re wet.”

“Hmm…” was her only reply.

“You like that, huh?” He teased her nub with the pad of his thumb while his middle finger probe her deeper. Joanie moaned again when he squeezed her breast and sucked the other. His triple assault made her pant and grind her hips faster.

“More. More, Julian,” she begged in her bedroom voice—sultry, soft, and erotic.

Harder, he sucked on her nipple imagining her clit in his mouth. He swirled his tongue around and around, tracing her big areola making her nipple move around. “Ah, babe. You are driving me crazy.”

“Julian, I want you.”

“The feeling is mutual, honey.”

Joanie smiled lazily and got off his lap. She stood in front of him, yanking her pants and panties down the floor. Naked, she crooked her fingers at him.

He stood up at the invitation.

“Take off your clothes.”

Ah, his little wife wasn”t shy anymore. Good. Because starting right now, he”d show her many ways to find pleasure in and out of bed.

Because of his engorged dick, it took him longer to rid of his pants. But when he did, it sprang and bobbed up and down. “I know what you want.” Joanie swallowed, her eyes focused on his cock. “You do?”

“Uh-huh.” He knelt down and lifted her leg over his shoulder, exposing her already weeping pussy. God, she was glistening and smelled good. He ran his fingers in between her folds, watching her center pulse. He ran his tongue on the inside of her thigh then repeated the process on the other one. Her flesh quivered.

“Julian, I can”t wait anymore.”

“Oh, yes, you can. You are so soft, honey. Soft all over.” Cupping her bottom, he pulled her closer to kiss her mound. “Smell so good.” Joanie gripped his hair, urging him to press harder on her mound. “Now, please.”

“So impatient.”

As Joanie thrust her hips, trembling from the need he was sure paralleled his own, he tongued her. In an unhurried way, he licked her folds, savoring her taste, enjoying the sound of her erotic moaning. When he finally gave his attention on her distended nub, she cried her joy. Using his two fingers, he penetrated her sweet pussy. The slickness of her vagina nearly undid him. Damn, she was so tight and slick he could do this all night. With a low growl, he trapped Joanie”s clit in between his lips then sucked it hard. Ah, so fucking good.

Joanie”s muscles contracted, squeezing his fingers. “Julian, oh God.”

“You”ll come, baby. We have the rest of our lives together. No need to rush.”

“I don”t have another minute to wait.”

“Yes, you do.” One harder suck and he let go of her clit.

“Julian!”

“Shh…you”ll wake pancake up.” Julian kissed Joanie, sharing with her the essence still lingering on his tongue and lips. “Good, huh?”

“Yes…this is so…hmmm…”

Julian chuckled. His wife was so hot and panting to form a coherent thought. Once again, he paid his attention on her nipples. Drawing out each one the way one would when sucking a lollipop while pulling it at the same time.

Fuck, he couldn”t get enough of her. For the first time in his life, he wasn”t in a hurry to find his own release. He wanted to please his wife—forever.

Gripping her hips, he turned Joanie around. “Put your hands on the edge of the chair.”

“What?”

“Do it, Joanie.”

“Like this?”

“Perfect. So beautiful.” Joanie”s ass was up in the air. He could see her plump lips wet and open. “Hang on, love.” He gripped her hips tight and aimed the tip of his cock on her entry. “I love you,” he said then drove home.

Joanie loved the position. Primitive yet sexually arousing. She could feel Julian rubbing the spot that raised her temperature to the max. Each time he drove into her, she moved her hips back meeting him, urging him to go in deeper. She cupped her breast and pulled her nipple, imaging Julian”s hot mouth sucking it.