Confucius Jane (24 page)

Every cell in her body lit up under the purposeful touch, but Jane trapped that hand against her ribs before it could descend any lower. “You're exhausted,” she said. “And it's been a crazy day. And you have to get up early for rounds. I'm okay.”

The bridge of Sutton's nose wrinkled as she frowned. “You don't want—?”

“Believe me, I want.” Jane tried to shove aside the ache of desire Sutton had reawakened. “But I also want you to rest.”

Sutton opened her mouth to reply, only to be overcome by a yawn. Burying her face in Jane's neck, she was silent for a few moments before she shifted so that her mouth was poised next to Jane's ear. The light puffs of her warm breaths were incredibly distracting.

“Touch yourself for me.”

Jane's body jerked at the unexpected and visceral words. “Um. Really?”

“Yes.” Sutton kissed her earlobe. “I want to watch you. And feel you.”

The sensual command burned away what was left of Jane's self-consciousness. Never breaking Sutton's gaze, she slid her right hand down her belly and beneath the waistband of her briefs. Sutton's hazy eyes bored into hers as Jane followed the curve of her own thigh.

“Tell me how you feel,” Sutton whispered.

“Wet. From touching you.” Jane swallowed convulsively as she moved her fingers up. Had she ever been this sensitive? She struggled to focus. “I don't think … I can last very long.”

“You don't have to.” Sutton lowered her head to kiss down the column of Jane's neck. “Just keep going.”

As Sutton continued to trail kisses along her collarbone, Jane obeyed. Pressing harder, she groaned involuntarily as the motion sent sparks skittering under her skin. The familiarity of her own touch collided with the newness of Sutton's lips brushing random patterns across her sternum.

“I love seeing you like this,” Sutton whispered between kisses. “It's even better than I imagined.”

Jane dimly realized that Sutton was admitting to having fantasized about her. But then Sutton's mouth was on her breast, and the sensation drove every thought from her head. Pressure coiled in her abdomen, coalescing into a tight knot deep inside.

“Sutton,” she groaned, circling faster. “I can't…”

Suddenly, Sutton cupped her hand between Jane's legs, pressing down on the fabric covering her fingers. The extra pressure was all Jane needed, and with a hoarse shout, she tumbled over the edge into oblivion.

Only when the last of the aftershocks had passed did Jane feel Sutton lift her head and move her hand. Settling back into the curve of Jane's side, she wrapped one arm around her waist.

“Thank you for trusting me with that.”

“So good.” Jane licked her own dry lips as she struggled to focus through the haze of endorphins and fatigue. She wanted to say so much more, but the right words eluded her. “Sutton, I—”

“Shh.” Sutton cuddled closer. “Sleep now. Hold me. Okay?”

“Okay.” Smothering disappointment that Sutton hadn't let her finish, Jane focused instead on curling her body around Sutton's smaller frame.

Sutton had asked her to spend the night. For the moment, they were together. As she closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of lilacs, Jane tried to convince herself that nothing else really mattered.

 

C
HAPTER
E
LEVEN

S
UTTON WOKE THE WAY
she always did—abruptly, without any transition from sleep to wakefulness, five minutes before her alarm. But this morning, something was different. She could feel it beneath her skin, even before she looked to her left and saw Jane sleeping beside her, one arm curled around her head and the other hand splayed across her stomach. Affection rushed through her at the sight, and she felt a smile curve her lips. Asleep, there was an air of vulnerability about Jane that Sutton had never perceived before, and it made her feel protective even as the sight of her nearly naked body rekindled Sutton's desire.

Their chemistry last night had been incredible—far, far beyond anything else Sutton had ever experienced. Her face flashed hot at the memory of Jane pleading for the chance to touch her. In granting that wish, she had given Jane the power to turn the tables, and that wasn't like her. In her previous sexual encounters—not that there were all that many to speak of—Sutton had always preferred to be in control. But something about Jane made it easy for her to let down her guard and relax. And the way Jane had touched her, at once gently and possessively, had driven her absolutely wild.

Mesmerized by the steady rhythm of Jane's breathing, she couldn't help but focus in on her breasts, compact and topped by dark brown nipples. If she concentrated, she could remember exactly how they had hardened beneath her tongue as Jane grew closer and closer to release. Her field of vision narrowed, and her throat convulsed in a swallow as arousal burned away the last of her fatigue.

With a rueful shake of her head, she disentangled herself from the sheets and padded toward her bathroom. Jane needed to sleep, not to be jumped before the sun even came up. And she had to get to the hospital, where a busy morning of rounds awaited. With thoughts of work came thoughts of her father, and in an attempt to put him out of her head, she splashed cold water on her face more vigorously than she had intended.

After putting in her contacts, Sutton stared at her reflection. Aside from the lingering blush, she looked no different than she had yesterday. And yet, over the past twelve hours, she had chosen a career path, stood up to her parents, and had the best sex of her life. The thought gave her pause. Calling it that—even only in her thoughts—felt wrong, somehow. She and Jane had shared a night of intimacy. It had been beautiful as well as pleasurable, and she didn't want to cheapen it.

When she reentered the bedroom, she found that Jane had turned over in her sleep. She was clutching her pillow with both hands, and the sheet had bunched up around her waist. Sutton's mouth went dry at the sight, and before she could stop herself, she was kneeling on the bed. The alarm clock taunted her with its large red numbers, and she did a quick mental calculation. If she skipped her morning yoga and grabbed breakfast on the go instead of at the cafeteria, she could buy herself an extra forty-five minutes. And she knew exactly how she wanted to spend them.

She placed her first kiss on the nape of Jane's neck, and her second just a few inches lower at the top of her spine. From there, she swept her lips first to the right and then to the left, covering the entire width of Jane's shoulders. The comforting scent of Jane's warm skin washed over her, and she inhaled deeply, wanting more. Her kisses became haphazard: one on Jane's shoulder blade, one on her flank, one next to a small mole in the center of her back. Only when she lightly rubbed her cheek against the soft skin at the base of Jane's spine, did she finally stir.

“Sutton?”

Hearing her name spoken in the low, gravelly tones of Jane's early morning voice only increased Sutton's arousal. She pressed one palm between Jane's shoulders and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

“Don't move.”

Replacing her lips with her hands, Sutton slowly massaged her way down the length of Jane's back. Soft groans of pleasure egged her on, and she luxuriated in the sensation of firm muscles yielding beneath her fingertips. When she reached Jane's hips, she hooked her fingers beneath the waistband of her underwear and tugged.

“Lift up.”

Once she was naked, Jane tried to roll over, but Sutton kept her in place with a firm hand on the small of her back. Slowly, she ran her palms along the curves of Jane's buttocks and down the backs of her thighs.

“So good,” Jane groaned.

“What's so good?”

“The way your hands feel on me.”

She laughed softly. “Just you wait.” With a gentle push, she eased Jane's right leg up, teasing her inner thigh with light touches that provoked her hips into restless movement. Her responsiveness was like a drug, demolishing Sutton's restraint, and she finally gave in to the urge to brush her fingertips across Jane's most sensitive skin.

“Oh, God.” The tortured whisper that greeted her caress sent an electric charge through Sutton.

“Shall I do that again?”

“P-please.”

This time, Sutton slid two fingers through Jane's folds, finding her wet and swollen. Intoxicated by the clear evidence of her desire, Sutton bent to kiss the nape of Jane's neck as she made her touch firmer, rubbing slow circles around the tiny knot of hardness in the midst of so much softness. When Jane cried out wordlessly, her every muscle tightening, Sutton eased off on the pressure. Jane whimpered and Sutton kissed her again, intoxicated by the sensual power she possessed in this moment. Never had she felt so present, so connected, so alive.

Suddenly desperate to see Jane's face, Sutton moved her hand away. “Turn over.”

Jane rolled onto her back, craning her neck and clutching the sheet in her fists. Her stomach rippled as she held herself up, and her chest rose and fell rapidly with her quick, shallow breaths. Planting her hand between Jane's breasts, Sutton pushed lightly.

“Lie back. Relax.”

Jane let her head fall back to the pillow. “Can't.”

Sutton claimed a gentle kiss before trailing her lips down to Jane's ear. “Yes, you can. Just feel me, touching you.”

Her words elicited a shiver, and she pulled away just enough to look down into Jane's wide, dark eyes. They pleaded with her silently and she acquiesced, kissing a path down Jane's body, lingering briefly on her breasts and on the soft, pale skin around her navel. By the time she reached the apex of Jane's thighs, her every other breath emerged as a moan.

Sutton traced a slow line down Jane's center, ending at her opening. Dipping one finger into the moisture that had gathered there, she looked up along the curves and planes of Jane's torso. Her hips arched in a clear effort to pull Sutton inside. Suddenly desperate to be there, Sutton made herself go slowly. She wanted to savor this.

“Please, oh please.” Jane's head thrashed against the pillow as she begged.

“Tell me what you want.”

Jane's eyes snapped open. “Be inside me. Please. I need you.”

I need you.
Alarm bells sounded deep in Sutton's brain but the sweet rush of desire drowned them out. Carefully, she pushed the very tip of her finger inside, watching in fascination as the space between them became nonexistent. Jane's body clutched at her. When she set up a slow, steady pace, Jane's knuckles turned as white as the sheets. Mouth watering, Sutton dipped her head, dying to know Jane's taste.

As soon as she flicked out her tongue, the smooth muscles clenched hard around her finger. Jane was so close already, and Sutton suddenly couldn't wait any longer. Gliding more quickly, she felt Jane throb against her mouth as she increased the pressure of her lips. Jane pulsed beneath her, around her, and Sutton exulted in the rush of wetness that accompanied her sharp cry of release. Slinging one arm over Jane's abdomen, Sutton held her thighs open as they tried to close against the pleasure. Determined not to stop until Jane was entirely sated, Sutton coaxed every last tremor from her body until her muscles went limp.

When she finally raised her head, she smiled triumphantly at the sight of Jane, eyes closed, her glistening torso rising and falling as she gasped for air, her fingers still gripping the sheets. At once handsome and beautiful, she was a study in sensual abandon. As Sutton admired her, Jane pried one hand from the sheets and reached out blindly. Touched by the gesture, Sutton laced their fingers together and moved up to stretch out alongside her. Gold-flecked eyes blinked up at her, completely unguarded. Sutton felt her heart turn over in her chest, even though she knew that was medically impossible. The feeling should have been frightening, but as she gently traced the contours of Jane's rib cage, she wasn't scared at all. She only wanted more.

“You're amazing,” Jane said hoarsely.

“I'm sorry I woke you.”

“Don't you dare be sorry.”

Sutton had to smile at Jane's earnestness. “I know it's early, but you were irresistible.” She rested her hand over Jane's heart, automatically cataloguing the slowing of her pulse.

“How long before you have to go?”

“Ten minutes.” Sutton settled her face against Jane's neck. “Hold me for five?”

“Of course.” Jane rubbed her cheek against Sutton's hair. “Whatever you want.”

Sutton sighed and closed her eyes. Whatever she wanted. She didn't want to think about that too hard. What if she was starting to want more than she should?

“Five more minutes,” she whispered, cuddling even closer. “I just want five more minutes.”

*   *   *

THE DAY HAD TURNED
blustery, and raindrops spattered down haphazardly from the ominous gray sky above. Jane walked faster, hoping the clouds decided not to open up. But even a downpour wouldn't dampen her spirits today. After the brief good-bye kiss she had shared with Sutton outside her building early that morning, she had wandered the few blocks home in a daze. She felt as though she had emerged into an entirely new city. Despite the dreary weather, the streets seemed cleaner and the air brighter. Even the pedestrians, hustling to the nearest subway station to begin their morning commutes, looked happier.

Since then, she had managed to accomplish her morning duties while focusing with only half her brain. The other half had been reliving every second of the time she'd spent with Sutton, relishing each sensual detail. At times, her memories felt like dreams, and at one point she had paused halfway through taping up a box, wondering whether she had hallucinated the entire interlude. But if she closed her eyes, she could feel Sutton's surrender and hear her soft cries of pleasure.