Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set (30 page)

“My mom’s Italian, yeah,” he smiles. “She’s originally from Brooklyn. Her family moved out here when she was still in high school. She takes great pleasure in the fact that she still has her New York accent.”

I giggle at his remark and he grins at me. “I would love to meet her sometime.” He looks at me for a long moment, saying nothing and I wonder if I’ve overstepped myself. Then he gives me that adorable shy smile of his and I melt. I see that his soup bowl is empty and, after witnessing his healthy appetite the past two nights, I’m certain he’s not full yet. “Let me refill that for you,” I say as I stand up and take his bowl, carrying it back over to the stove. I fill it with more soup and, as I turn around to head back, I notice that his eyes are traveling over my body appreciatively and I smile to myself. As I set his bowl down in front of him, he wraps an arm around my waist and I feel his hand drift down and lightly graze my behind.

“Thank you, baby,” he says softly, looking up at me.

And I can’t help myself. I lean in and gently kiss his lips, feeling a light squeeze on my ass as I do. “You’re welcome,” I whisper, looking into his eyes and he smiles at me. As I sit back down, he continues eating, and again, we are silent for a long while and my mind wanders back to this afternoon at the museum and something dawns on me.

“Josh,” I begin quietly, “how did things go with your partner after you left the museum? Was he very upset with you?”

He smirks at me and is silent again for a moment as he chews and swallows his mouthful of soup. Then he sighs and says, “Yeah, he was pissed at first.”

“At first?” I ask. “You didn’t get into any trouble, did you?”

“No,” he says with a shake of his head. “Conner and I talked about the situation. He understands. He won’t say anything,” he says softly.

“Are you sure?” I ask nervously.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he says confidently, looking into my eyes reassuringly. “The thing you gotta remember about Conner is that he’s not just my partner. He’s my closest friend. I know that he has my back. Just like I have his.”

“Okay,” I say quietly, turning back to my soup. We finish our dinner in silence and, once we’re done, I stand and begin to gather the dishes. I smile as Josh helps me clear the breakfast bar and carry our things over to the dishwasher. He helps me load it without saying a word, and I have to stifle a giggle. He is just so sweet.

“Thank you for dinner,” he says softly, looking down at me with a sexy gaze.

“You’re welcome,” I answer him with a small smile.

“How can I repay you?” he asks playfully, and I know what he’s got on his wicked mind and it makes me blush. I bite my lower lip as I look away, shyly.

“I can think of one way,” I say, blushing even more.

“Really?” he asks seductively, and raises an eyebrow at me. I nod my head, still not able to look him in the eye. “And what would you like, Samantha?” he asks, lightly running a finger down my cheek.

“I’d like you to take your clothes off,” I whisper, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes, “so that I can sketch you.”

My words stop him in his tracks and he blinks for a moment. I know that I have caught him totally off guard and I’m wondering what his reaction will be. He just looks at me for several seconds, saying nothing, all trace of sexy, playful seductiveness gone. Then he swallows hard and takes a breath, letting it out slowly. And as I watch, he begins undoing the buttons of his shirt, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Where would you like me?” he asks, and his voice is low and determined.
Oh my.
I take his hand, and slowly lead him into the living room where my sketchbook and a collection of graphite pencils lay waiting. I turn up the light and then turn to him expectantly.

“Right here?” he asks with raised eyebrows, and I nod. He continues to get undressed, peeling off his shirt and tossing it onto the couch, and then he starts to work on his jeans.

“Would you like some music?” I ask him and he smiles.

“Is it going to take that long?” he asks with a chuckle.

“I just want you to be comfortable,” I say sweetly and his laughter gets deeper. Oh, his smile is so swoon worthy! I watch, enraptured, as he slowly pulls off his pants and his briefs and stands naked in front of me.
God, this man is perfect!
“Um, I’m … I’m sorry, was that a yes on the music or … no?” I think I’m drooling again and I know that I’ve blushed at least three shades of red. I roll my eyes at myself. Honestly, you would think I’d never sketched a nude model before. Jeez! I look up into his eyes and he’s grinning wickedly at me, prompting me to blush even more.
Shit.

I turn away from him and walk toward the iPod dock. “Music?”

“If you’d like,” he says with a small smile and I know that he is still laughing at me. Bastard. I scroll quickly through my playlists and find an appropriate song and put it on repeat, with a small smile of triumph. Then I turn to him as the music begins and lead him over to the wall.

“I’d like you to face the wall, if you don’t mind. And arms above your head,” I say as I gently take his arms and pose them above his head, one slightly higher than the other, so that it appears he’s reaching for something with his left hand. My hands linger as they slowly trail down the length of his muscular arms to the back of his shoulders, and he looks over his left shoulder at me with a raised eyebrow. I feel my breathing hitch but, I try to ignore the heat between us as Britney sings about how he feels like paradise. “Okay, now if you could shift your weight onto your right foot.” He does as I ask and I allow my hands to graze his narrow hips as I move slightly to the right with him. And I pretend not to notice when he glances over his right shoulder at me with those sexy eyes of his. “Perfect,” I whisper.

“Oh, by the way,” I begin softly, “if we were in a Life Drawing class, you would be paid for your time so, you should be thinking about how you’d like to be compensated.” The look in his eyes at my words almost make me combust on the spot and I think I blush again. I step back away from him and he turns his head to face the wall. “Actually, could you look to your right again?” I ask and he complies without a word. “Okay. Don’t move.” I sit down on the arm of the leather couch and take up my sketchbook and a 3B graphite pencil and begin to draw.

I work quickly, the music and the mere sight of him driving me. He is so beautiful he’s almost unreal, and I find myself wondering again what he does to keep himself in such great shape. His physique rivals that of any athlete or action movie star I’ve ever seen, and the pose I’ve put him in really highlights the amazing muscle definition in his back and in his arms. Not to mention his gluteus maximus. He really is perfection. I salivate a little as I remember the feel of my hands on his skin, and again, I wonder what it would feel like to run my paint-covered hands all over him.

About twenty minutes later I put my pencil down, satisfied with what I’ve drawn. “Okay. You can move now,” I say softly and he lowers his arms and turns toward me. His steady gaze is a little unnerving and I wonder what he’s thinking. He slowly rotates his shoulders and stretches out his arms, as if they’re a little tired and I smile at him.

“Well,” he says, taking a deep breath, “let’s see it.” He’s wearing a slight smile at the corners of his beautiful lips and I can’t tell if he’s laughing at me or not. Bashfully, I turn the sketchbook around, holding my breath as I do. What’s he going to think of it? He stares at it for a long moment and I get the feeling he’s surprised.

“Well?” I say finally, unable to stand the suspense.

“It’s … really good, Sam.” His voice sounds disbelieving. “It’s very good, actually. But it doesn’t look like me.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, shocked.

“Sam,” he smiles shyly, “that is not my backside.” He stares at the sketch again. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wish my back and my arms looked that good.”

“Josh, all I did was draw what I see,” I tell him with a giggle. “Trust me, that is you. I told you … you have a beautiful body,” I finish softly and he smiles down at me.

“Is that so, Miss Colby?” he says as he leans down and gently kisses my lips. His fists rest on the arm of the couch, on either side of me and his face is just inches from my own. “You know, if you wanted my beautiful body, all you had to do was ask, baby,” he says softly. “You didn’t have to get Britney to do it for you.” I can’t help my nervous giggle and he smiles at me and kisses me again. “Now, about my compensation,” he says with a raised eyebrow and a sexy, steady gaze.

“Um … what did you have in mind?” I ask shyly.

“Hmm,” he says, as if in serious thought, “well … this was a very traumatic experience for me so, I think I need to be compensated in a big way.” His face holds a look of mock dismay and I don’t know whether to laugh at him or be a little afraid.

“You poor thing,” I say softly, caressing his face. “How can I make it better?”

He leans in closer to me and takes my earlobe into his mouth, lightly sucking for several seconds and I think I might climax on the spot, I am so turned on right now after touching him and drawing him. He releases my lobe and whispers in my ear, “I want you to pleasure me with your mouth.”

Oh, my God. Did he really just say that?
I am frozen in place as he reaches out his hand, placing it beneath my chin and gently closes my mouth.

“Breathe, Samantha,” he whispers and lightly kisses my lips once more.

I look up at him, stunned and scared. “Um, I … I’ve never done that before.” My eyes search his and my voice sounds so small. He smiles slightly at me and nods slowly.

“I know,” he says softly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I figured as much. But there’s a first time for everything, baby.”

I don’t know what to say. I am so shocked and so frightened at the same time. But he’s right. There is a first time for everything. Until two days ago, I had never had sex before either. He stands up and turns toward my iPod and shuts it off. “She’s hot. But I’m afraid there’s only so much Britney I can take,” he says with a slight smile. Picking up his jeans, he fishes something out of the pocket and then reaches for me. I set my sketchbook aside as he lifts me into his arms and turns toward the bedroom.

When we get there, he sits me gently down on my bed and places a handful of condoms on the bedside table. Then he sits down beside me and looks intently into my eyes for a moment and I see his eyes soften as he smiles at me. “Relax, Sam,” he whispers, as he tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “We don’t ever have to do anything that you don’t feel comfortable doing, baby. I just want to make love to you. Will you let me do that?” he asks softly.

I nod, silently, my mind still reeling over his earlier request. I remember having long giggly conversations about it with my girlfriends in high school, and certain teenage movies talk about proper technique and such but, I have no clue how to actually go about … doing that. Megan and I can normally talk about anything but, that’s one topic we’ve never discussed. And I find myself wondering, how does anyone ever get over the embarrassment to even begin?

I am so preoccupied with questions and thoughts about it that I’m barely aware that Josh has removed my tank top. I come to my senses when I feel his strong hands slowly moving over my naked back as he kisses and nuzzles my neck. My hands move of their own accord into his wavy hair as he lays me down on my back and his tongue latches onto my nipple.

His hands work to remove my shorts, slowly pulling them down over my hips as his mouth travels slowly down my belly with soft wet kisses. I’m wearing nothing under my shorts and when he frees my legs from them, he slowly kisses a trail from the top of my right foot all the way back up to the apex of my thighs. Kissing and licking and biting and sucking. His mouth seems to do magical things to me and I am slowly falling apart as I writhe and squirm and moan in pleasure. He knows exactly what he’s doing as he keeps up his exquisite torture, his lips and tongue relentless against my sensitive flesh, and I am building and building. I moan loudly and call out his name as my orgasm overtakes me and I tremble uncontrollably for what feels like forever.

Slowly I begin to surface and I’m aware that Josh is kissing me softly, a trail from my belly up to my neck and finally, my lips. He kisses me deeply and I can taste my own arousal on his lips and his tongue. Slightly breathless, he looks into my eyes for a long moment, studying them. “How was that?” he asks softly and I blink at his unexpected question.

“Amazing,” I whisper, returning his steady gaze and he smiles at me. And as he kisses me again, I think I understand the lesson. It’s okay that I’ve never done it before. The important thing is that I want to please him. I want to show him the same pleasure he’s just shown me. I wrap my arms around him and kiss him passionately then, eager to see what my tongue can do.

I raise up onto my elbows and he looks at me in surprise as I maneuver myself into a sitting position. I caress his face as I kiss him again, moving slowly as I turn and push him gently onto his back. Now I’m on top of him and my hair falls like a curtain around us. He fists his hands in my hair, moving it off of my face as he studies my eyes with a puzzled frown. “Sam?” His voice is soft and questioning.

“You have to be patient with me, okay?” I whisper as I look into his beautiful blue eyes. “I’ve never done this before.”

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise and fixes me with an intense gaze. “You don’t have to do this now, Sam,” he says earnestly. “I meant what I said, baby. I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“I know,” I say softly. “I want to try.”

“You’re sure?” he asks, searching my eyes, and I nod at him. My response seems to satisfy him and he kisses me tenderly and studies my eyes again.

My pulse racing, I kiss him slowly and passionately and then move down a hair, lightly grazing my teeth across the stubble on his chin. I suck gently at his chin for a moment and relish the scratchy feel of it on my tongue. Continuing down, I nuzzle and kiss his neck, over to the base of his ear, suckling his earlobe, and I can feel his hands roaming slowly over my back. He moans softly as I move steadily lower, kissing a straight line from his Adam’s apple down his chest and over his rock hard abs, down past his navel.