SomeLikeitHot (9 page)

His mouth filled with cold water and she was so hot she’d blow any second. He tipped her back so she toppled onto the bed on her back. He pushed his head between her legs and let the cold water wash over her mound.

She squealed and laughed and wiggled. There was a small chunk of ice left, like a smooth stone, and he used his tongue to push it right up inside her. He pulled her clit into his mouth and showed her every trick he’d ever learned.

He knew the exact moment when she hovered on the edge, her woman’s parts so swollen

and hard they felt like barely ripe fruit. Above him she’d thrashed around so much the cover up had pulled right over her head, which was thrown back. Her hair was a tossing tangle, her cries hoarse.

He wanted to take her. He wanted to be inside her when she came, yet he also wanted to suck the orgasm right out of her. She was slick and hot and her plump flesh richly flushed as though painted with wine. It throbbed to the frantic pulse of her heart.

One more time he teased her with a long, thorough stroke of his tongue, and then, when she was almost airborne. He grabbed hold of the hips she’d thrust at him and gave her what she needed, tonguing her until she exploded in a long, sobbing release.

She trembled all over when she finally came down and he couldn’t stop kissing her, her still-throbbing lips, her shaking thighs, her knees.

When he untied her hands, she pulled off the cover up and her bikini top and glanced down at him. For the first time she appeared a little embarrassed. “You aren’t even undressed.”

“Give me a few minutes.”

He made it in seconds.

Her gaze scanned his body as eagerly as he’d watched her. Her smile told him she approved, and he felt like a fool to be so pleased about it.

She reached forward to touch his eagerly jutting cock, and for an awful moment when she wrapped her warm and still-shaky hand around him, he thought he might blow. “I think I need second or two,” he told her, gently pulling her wrist.

“I think I need you inside me,” she said.

Grabbing a condom, he ripped the package open with his teeth. He was ready a few

heartbeats later. She’d moved away from the wet spot she and the ice water had made between them, so she half sat with her back against the pillows. She was totally, gorgeously buck-naked. “You know,” he said, pulling her legs so they flopped open over his, “you have the nicest body I’ve ever been privileged to see.”

“Thank you. I feel the same about you.”

“Really? Can I put it inside you now?”

Her lips twitched. “Yes. Please.”

He lifted her hips and they both watched as he slid gradually into her body. Oh, it felt like heaven. Hot and juicy, tight enough he could feel the pull and squeeze as she accommodated him.

She stroked his chest and his shoulders, exploring, and he realized he’d missed having her hands on him with her head and arms stuck in that cover up. Her hands were long fingered and sensual, and he liked the feel of them on his chest and belly. He thrust in and out unhurriedly, and she moved gently in time with him. Mostly he was moving leisurely to hang on to control. Maybe because things had turned out so unexpected. He’d imagined they’d both shower, maybe watch the news. Make love quietly before sleeping in each other’s arms.

Slow was good,
good,
he reminded himself, yet gentle was right now impossible. When he could stand it no more he pulled her hips down beneath him into good old faithful missionary position and plunged hard and deep.

Her eyes widened and she cried out as sudden pleasure coursed through her, her head

thrown back. He would think he had hurt her if he hadn’t seen a smile on her lips that looked both X-rated and very familiar. He kept pulling almost all the way out, holding it for the tiniest moment and then plunging all the way. He seemed to be hitting
“g”
for the good spot, the way she pulled him in, moaning her pleasure. As much as he’d have liked to drag it out all night, some things were beyond a man’s control.

When she wrapped her legs around his hips and grabbed his ass, he was a goner. He gave up any semblance of control and bucked like a wild man. A drop of sweat dripped from his face to splash on her shoulder. She didn’t notice or care, she pulled him into her as hard as he pushed to get there and they were both panting.

“I’m going to—”

She jerked up against him and he felt her climax from inside, one of the greatest feelings in the world. She squeezed, hot and viselike and he was gone.

Then his climax rolled up and burst out of him like fireworks. His yell was enough to drown out her frantic cries.

His arms trembled, he noticed, and there was no way he could speak. For a stunned moment they stared at each other, chests heaving and sweat glowing. Then her eyes started to narrow and her mouth tilted up at the corners. She didn’t have to say, “That was fantastic.” It was written in her expression.

He leaned over and kissed her slowly, feeling the fading drumbeat of her heart and the sweet deep kissing of her mouth against his.

Her lips trembled a little, and he thought he could go on kissing her and making love to her forever, never getting out of this bed except to eat and perhaps shower.

She sighed and slipped her arms around his neck, rubbing her breasts against his chest.

Damn if everything didn’t feel right in the world.

* * * *

“Stop looking at me like that, Imani,” Naja grumbled.

“Like what?” her sister asked with fake innocence.

“As if you want to say I told you so.”

“And why would I want to do that?”

Naja rolled her eyes. “I’m getting my lunch to-go.”

“No, you aren’t. You’re going to sit here like a good baby sister and tell your big sister what you’ve been up to since the Fourth of July. While I’ve spoken with you briefly a handful of times, I haven’t seen you in five days. I assume you’ve been with Sterling the entire time?”

Naja reached for her tea and took a long drink. She definitely should’ve ordered something stronger. Truth of the matter was she’d used Imani as an excuse to get away from Sterling. She needed some space to think. Somehow he’d manage to shake up her world and put a serious wrench in her plans to keep it casual.

Since the explosive night at Fourth of July party she’d been glued to Sterling’s side. What surprised her the most was he’d spent as much time showing her she was special outside of bed as she was in it. It also made her nervous as hell. He was starting to affect her in a way she’d sworn she wouldn’t let him.

She had a little under a week of vacation left and she wished she could extend it.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t. She had a gala she needed to start working on as soon as she returned home.

“Naja, are you going to answer me anytime today?”

She jerked at the sound of her sister’s voice. “What?”

“Oh, boy. You’ve really got it bad, don’t you?”

“Whatever.”

Imani tilted her head to the side. “Are you going to tell him?”

Naja decided it was best not to pretend she didn’t know what her sister referred to.

“No, I’m not and neither are you.”

“Naja—”

“No, Imani,” she interrupted. “I’m serious. I don’t have time for a man in my life.”

“What you mean is you don’t have time for a man who could make you fall for him in your life.”

Naja shrugged. “Same difference.”

Imani shook her head. “No, not at all.” She reached across the table. “There’s nothing wrong with giving Sterling a chance the be
the one
. Remember, this is what we wanted as little girls.

All those times we spent watching Dad dance Mom around the kitchen and dreaming one day we would have someone to do that with us one day.”

“Imani, I don’t think I want that anymore. I’m happy with the way my life is right now. It’s uncomplicated. I don’t have to be or do anything I don’t want to. I’m content with my life.”

“Content or complacent?”

Naja sat back in the chair and folded her arms over her chest. “I’m content.”

“I don’t believe you, Naja. I know you too well to believe that. You’re scared and you have no reason to be. Sterling is nothing like Troy.”

“I never said he was. But since you brought it up, what exactly did you tell Sterling about him?”

“Nothing. I didn’t even mention his name. I simply said you had reason to be wary. Sterling, being the intelligent man he is figured out why.”

Naja released a pent up breath. “Imani, I know you mean well, but you have to let this be.”

“I can’t. Not when I sit here across from you and I see the sparkle in your eyes and I know why it’s there. All I’m saying is talk to him before either of you become anymore invested than you already are.”

“But I—”

“Talk to him.”

“Imani, I—”

“
Talk
to him.”

Naja groaned, knowing her sister was right, but that didn’t make her like the situation. This wasn’t a conversation she looked forward to having. Sterling had a way of making her feel exposed in a way she wasn’t fond of.

“Okay, I will. It won’t solve anything, but to get you off my back I’ll talk to him.”

“One day you’ll look back and you’ll thank me for being so persistent.”

“Try not to dislocate your arm from patting yourself on the back,” Naja mumbled.

Imani chuckled. “I love you, too.”

“Impossible. Not when you insist on making me suffer as much as you do.”

“I don’t recall complaining this much when you were giving me advice on how to handle things with Carson.”

“That’s because my advice was more sound. Now, I’m thinking we should change the

subject. Otherwise, I’ll make good on my threat and get my food to-go.”

Imani held up her hands in surrender. “Have it your way. Just know if you need me, I’m here.”

Naja smiled. “I know. You always have been. That’s why I’m so lucky to have you as my big sister. Now, tell me what you and Carson have been up to.”

She relaxed as Imani filled her in, but not completely. There was no doubt in her mind she’d have to deal with everything going on with Sterling before the week was out. She just hoped by then she had a clue what to do.

Naja was at a complete crossroads concerning what to do about Sterling. She’d never been so skittish in her life. He seemed to know the slightest push would send her running as well. She only had two more days before she headed back home. To be honest, she wasn’t looking forward to it. Not with things unresolved between the two of them.

They’d just returned from a late night dip in the ocean and instead of letting her run back to her beach house, he’d convinced her to take a shower with him at his place instead. Now they stood in the kitchen ,watching the waves roll in. He’d attempted to change her mind about leaving now that they’d cleaned up.

She’d given in earlier, but that wasn’t an option now. She was doing her best to wean herself off her dependency to Sterling. “It’s getting late. I really should go.”

"Trust me." His voice, as soft as a purr, seemed to hypnotize her almost as much as the steady stroking of his hands. "Stay for just a little while."

A kind of humming sound came from her lips as she turned to face him, prepared to give him all of the reasons why she shouldn’t.

He kissed her. It was so unexpected she didn't see it coming, and a gasp at the intimate gesture was the only communication she was capable of in response.

He understood her wordless plea and wrapped his arms firmly around her, pulling her

against his body.

"I have to go," she said, managing to break away from his mouth, trying to make herself heard above the pounding of her heart.

"No, you don’t," he soothed. "I know why you want to leave, but I won’t allow you to run."

His lips came back to hers, softly at first, almost teasing in their softness. Light brushing kisses making her want more. And then he gave her more, entering her mouth with his hot, wet tongue, stroking her mouth, forcing her to respond.

His kisses lured her on, deeper into the house, one shuffling step at a time in an oddly intimate dance. She should’ve been accustomed to the emotions roaring through her, but they still felt as erotically foreign as they had the first time.

Another deep, drugging kiss, another step and she could feel the edge of the bed against the back of her legs. A little quiver, a mixture of desire and dread traveled along her coiled nerves. Just as she opened her mouth to stop this thing from going any further, his pressing warmth was gone.

Another little sound, embarrassingly like a whimper, escaped her lips. "You're trying to seduce me,"

she said softly, wishing it wasn't working quite so effectively.

"You don’t want to be?" he asked quietly, his lips all but touching her ear.

No. She didn't. She didn't need to be reminded of all she wanted, but couldn’t have. Her memories did that all by themselves. Those memories haunted her dreams, interrupted her waking thoughts. She wanted him desperately even as her mind struggled against her desire.

She breathed the exotic scent of his cologne deeply and could feel its essence invade her body like a drug that both soothed and excited.

His tongue trailed a slow, wet circle around her ear, the velvety texture of his tongue brushing the sensitive skin of her ear, sending shivers through her body.

The t-shirt she’d borrowed felt so heavy against her breasts it took an effort to breathe. As though he'd read her mind, his hands moved to grab the hemline. Then, instead of yanking the shirt up over her head as she wished, those light fingers inched the material up slightly. They slid with devastating softness to her belly where they did nothing but trace an imaginary line.

Again she could feel the erotic thrill of what was to come surrounding her, pressing against her like a blanket. She was living a potent sexual fantasy. She sighed and let her head fall back.

Those light, sure fingers made their way upward to pause at the very top of the shirt. She felt her breath halt as the brushing roughness of his fingertips caressed the flesh of her neck and along the curve of her collarbone.