Enemy Mine (Unseen Enemy Book 3) (10 page)

“I’m great. You?”

“Man, I had trouble concentrating at work today.” He grinned. “I kept thinking about you, baby, stretched out on me and kissing me, and I’d drop the tools I was holding. I thought King was going to throw me out the window.”

She giggled. “Yeah, I know. I kept forgetting where I put stuff today… at one point I was looking for the salt on the shelf, and discovered that I’d stuck it in the freezer.”

They looked at each other and burst in to laughter.

“So.” He cocked his head at her. “Wanna go to the sofa? Round two? Or is it three now?”

“Actually,” she said. “I was wondering if we could move somewhere else… to my bedroom.”

Chris froze. “Your bedroom?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I was hoping that you’d start to sleep with me. In pyjamas, I mean… but you’d stay in my bedroom. In my bed.”

“Baby, are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’d love to.”

“Great,” she said. “Starting tonight?”

“Starting tonight.”

**

Chris stepped out of the shower and toweled off quickly. He put on his boxers and a t-shirt, cleaned his teeth, then gazed at himself in the mirror for a few minutes. He was amazingly nervous about sleeping in Jenny’s bed, which wasn’t surprising. But he was also amazingly happy about it.
Also
not surprising, since he wanted to as close to her as possible, as often as possible.

OK, man. You stay in control of yourself here… you do what she wants and you don’t go one inch farther, no matter what your body is begging for. Slow and easy. Oh, and enjoy it, right? Kissing her is supposed to feel good. Remember?

He shut off the bathroom light in the guestroom and walked down the hallway. He paused in the door to Jenny’s bedroom and looked at her. She was in bed, under the covers, her long hair a bit damp from her shower. She looked scared and right away, all thoughts of his struggle to stay in control flew out of his head. All he saw was her, and that she needed him.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

She nodded.

Chris sat on the edge of her bed and studied her face. “We don’t have to, Jenny. I can go back to my room if…”

“No.” She sounded calm, even if she looked nervous. “I want this, Chris. I want you here.”

“OK, then.” He climbed in to bed next to her, switched off the lamp on the bedside table. It took him a few seconds to realize that there was a small nightlight burning across the room.

“Yeah,” she said. “I can’t – I can’t sleep in total darkness. Not since… since I was blindfolded.” She swallowed. “Is it going to bother you?”

“No way.” He lay down a few feet away from her on his side, not touching her yet. “It’s fine.”

She turned on her side to face him and they gazed at each other in the dim light. Slowly, she relaxed and that was when he reached for her. She moved in to his embrace smoothly, and within seconds she was on his chest, his arm around her. She sighed.

“OK?” he said.

“Yes.” She ran her fingers over his chest muscles. “Definitely OK.”

They started slowly, their kisses tentative and gentle. Chris stayed on his back, waiting for her to move to him. After a few minutes, she lifted her upper body on to his and wrapped one leg around his strong thigh.

Her kisses were hot and passionate now, and he pulled her closer. Her full breasts pressed in to him and he groaned as she rubbed herself against his hard body. She heard it and desire flared in her body, bright and hot.

“Chris?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you – take off your t-shirt?”

He stopped cold. “I thought you didn’t want me to do that. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

He sat up, holding her eyes. She watched his large hands reach behind him, yank off his shirt in one movement. And Jenny felt all her breath just get knocked right out of her body when she saw his chest again.

My God. He’s just so, so gorgeous
.

He lay down and tucked his hands under the pillow, to make her see him as non-threatening. She licked her lips when she saw how that position arched his back and flexed and tightened his arm muscles. He was huge and hard, and he was all hers. She could do anything she wanted to Chris, anything at all. Or nothing.

It’s up to you what happens here. If anything
.

She moved next to him and ran her fingertips over his upper body. He closed his eyes and clenched the pillow in his hands, fighting to not touch her. She worked her way over his entire body, tracing every curve of every muscle, stroking the blond hair that ran in a line down to his flat stomach. She skimmed over the waistband of his boxers and that was when his cock jumped and hardened. He heard her suck in her breath.

Horrified, he opened his eyes. “Jenny… I’m so sorry. I can’t – I can’t help it.” He looked at her, terrified of scaring her. “It – we don’t have to do anything about it, OK? But does it frighten you? Do you want me to go?”

“No.” She looked at him, saw how his boxers were tented out away from his body. “I want you to stay. I need to – to know that I’m safe with you even when you’re…you’re…” She gestured at his cock.

“Turned on,” Chris said quietly. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“You tell me if you get scared, OK? You promise me.”

“I promise.” Her eyes sparked. “But can you take a bit more teasing?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I want to kiss your chest and your stomach.” She saw his reaction and she grinned. “OK?”

“Oh, yeah,” he breathed. “More than OK.”

He closed his eyes again and clutched the pillow harder as her soft mouth moved to his collarbone. Slowly, she ran her tongue over it, tasting his skin. Jenny kissed her way over his pecs, flicked his nipples with her tongue, raked her nails across his shoulders. She worked her way down his body, moving closer and closer to his cock and Chris thought he was actually going to die from the sweetness of it.

Jenny couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to be in control of this man’s body. He was trembling under her, obviously as turned on as hell – and he wasn’t making one move to so much as touch her. He wasn’t going to force her to do anything, she knew. He would let her explore and play for as long as she wanted, and he wasn’t going to expect her to do anything except what she was comfortable with.

There’s power in this. There’s… fun. My God, I’d actually forgotten that sex can be fun.

Even with his eyes closed and without Jenny saying a word, Chris sensed a change in her. He looked at her face and blinked at the expression on it.

She looks… naughty? Impish? Mischievous?

“What’s going on, baby?” he said.

“Oh, nothing much.” She trailed her fingers down his stomach again, stopped at the top of his boxers. “Just thinking how gorgeous you are.”

Now he blushed.

“You know, Chris.” Her tone was light. “If we’re going to do this, you need to let me tell you how attractive you are. You need to let me compliment you, and you have to learn to accept that.”

“You’re right.” He groaned as her fingers slipped under his boxers. “I do.”

“So.” She eased his shorts down his body and pulled until his cock sprang out. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” he said, his voice rough.

“You’re welcome.”

He gasped when her hand curled around him. He pushed his head back in to the pillow, arching helplessly under her touch. She started slowly, working from the tip to the base, and back up again. She took her time, letting herself really look at his cock, really experience touching it.

It’s actually kind of – beautiful. It’s hard, but smooth, even soft, in some places. He’s big, too, and no surprise, right? The man is huge and hard everywhere, including here. And I like the way he’s responding to me… like his cock is reaching for me. Like it wants to be closer to me.

It was literally unbelievable to her that
this
was the thing that had hurt and scared her so badly a few years ago. In terms of anatomy, the four men who had raped her were exactly like Chris and Dean and Dallas and Jim… but
those
four men weren’t anything like
these
four men. Having penises was the only thing the guys had in common with those fucking monsters. In every single other way, Chris and his friends were totally different.

There
are
good men in this world, Jenny. You’re in bed with one of them
.

The desire to give Chris pleasure started to overwhelm her. She was surprised how good it felt to make him feel good. His groans and the movements of his hips lit a slow-burning fire in her stomach, and she felt the heat move down. She felt her lower lips swelling and she knew she was wet. She used both hands now, stroking him faster and harder. His breath was harsh, labored, and she thrilled to see the look on his face.

Chris forced his eyes open and lifted his head. “Baby, you don’t have to do this…”

“I know.” Her voice was dark and he throbbed when he heard the desire in it. “I
want
to.” She circled the tip of his cock and watched as drops of pre-cum appeared there. “I want to see you… hear you.” She rubbed the salty liquid up and down his length. “I want you to come.”

“Oh, God, Jenny.” His head dropped back to the pillow. His chest heaved. “Oh,
God
…”

His entire body clenched tight and his hips thrust right off the bed. He gave a cry as he started to come, and Jenny watched as his cock lengthened even more, then jerked and jumped. A few seconds later, he was spurting and pulsing hot streams over her hands, on to his stomach, calling her name the whole time.

Chris sucked in a breath, unable to comprehend how this had just happened. He opened his eyes, removed his hands from under the pillow.

“Jenny…” He was suddenly sure she was going to panic. “You OK?”

She was gazing down at him, running her fingers over his stomach. “Yeah. I’m OK.” She looked up at him now. “That was amazing.”

“It didn’t scare you?” He sat up, braced on his elbows, still not sure if he should reach for her. “I mean… we were just supposed to sleep together tonight. Like, fully clothed.”

She laughed and he relaxed a bit. “I know, right? Wow.
That
plan got blown out of the water pretty damn quick.” She paused. “I guess the key word here is ‘blown’.”

Now he laughed, astonished at how calm and happy she was. “So – you’re really OK?”

“Yes.” She smiled at him. “I – I don’t want you to touch me yet, but… I liked touching you.” She hesitated. “Is that alright?”

“Of course it is, sweetheart. Whatever you want.”

“OK.” She stood up now. “Just stay there… I’ll be right back.”

She went in to her attached bathroom and Chris heard the water running. She came back a minute later with a washcloth and he reached for it.

“No, let me,” she said.

Chris watched as she gently cleaned him, running the warm, wet cloth up and down his length. He bit his lip at her delicate touch, loving her hands on him. She wiped his stomach and his sides, pulled his boxers back up. She took the cloth back to the bathroom and the water ran again. Chris pulled up the thick covers and started to feel drowsy.

Holy fuck. That was… incredible.

She crawled back in to bed, and he gathered her in his arms. She curled up against him, her head on his naked chest. He kissed her forehead.

“Baby, that felt so good.”

“I’m glad,” she whispered. “I liked making you feel good.”

“And it really didn’t scare you? My cock, or when I came?” He pushed her hair back so he could see her properly. “
I
didn’t scare you?”

“No.” A look of puzzlement crossed her face. “I don’t understand why, but I can say for sure that it didn’t scare me. I thought – I was sure it would.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She was quiet. “I think it’s because I’m the one in control.”

He nodded.

“Everything we’ve done that feels good has been with me on top of you, or me controlling the touch, or me still clothed.” She ran her hands over his upper arms. “Are you starting to feel like a… a sex toy?”

He laughed again. “Nope. I’m good.”

“Really?” She looked serious. “I mean it, Chris. I’m starting to feel like I’m just kind of using you.”

“You’re using my
body
, Jenny.” He touched her lips. “You’re getting used to being with a man again. I think for the first little while, you’ll have to be in charge. You call all the shots, OK? You decide everything, you leave your clothes on. I can stay on my back, not touching you, totally naked. You tell me when you’re ready to be more vulnerable.”

“You sure?”

“Completely.”

“So… you’re OK with me using you sexually?” She raised her eyebrows. “Climbing on top of you and making you come?”

He sighed theatrically. “Well, it’s going to be rough, you know, being at the mercy of your whims. But I’ll try to soldier on.”

They stared at each other, then burst in to laughter again.

He pulled her close. “Sleep, baby. I’ll be right here, OK? You’re safe with me.”

“I know.”

And the crazy, amazing, beautiful thing was that she really
did
know.

Chapter Eight

“So, you jumped from kissing to helping Chris achieve orgasm in just one day?” Zoe tucked her long hair behind her ears. “And you feel OK with that?”

“Yes.” Jenny stared across at the empty playground. It was a gray and rainy March day, and she supposed all the kids were tucked up warm at home, hopefully eating cookies. “I can’t believe it, actually. I got in to bed five nights ago fully intending to just kiss him a bit, then go to sleep. The fact that I asked him to take off his shirt, and then that I wanted to touch him was… a surprise.”

Zoe nodded. “And how have things been since?”

“Great.” Jenny turned to her. “Well, almost great. I had a panic attack last night.”

“That was your first one in how long?”

“Just over a week.”

“OK. What set it off, do you think?”

Jenny exhaled. “I don’t know. I wasn’t even touching him… down there… or anything. We were in bed, with our pyjamas on, kissing. And suddenly, I just – I panicked.”

“Did he move on top of you? Touch your breasts?”

“No, nothing like that. It just happened.”

“And have you helped Chris have an orgasm since that first time?”

“Yes. Once more.”

“And the rest of the time?”

“We kiss for a while and we talk, then go to sleep.”

Zoe leaned back. “Nightmares?”

“No. None.”

“Well, Jenny, I’d say that this is going far better than we could have hoped… what do you want the next step to be?”

Jenny hesitated.

“Jenny?”

“I’d like – I want Chris to touch me.”

“Where?”

“On my… on my lower body. Between my thighs.”

“Have you talked to him about it?”

“Not yet. I’m not ready.”

“What if you started with taking off your pj top? Asked him to stroke your breasts, kiss your nipples?”

Jenny was silent.

“Can you imagine that?”

“Yes.”

“Does it excite you? Make you feel good?”

“Yes… it also makes me feel…”

“What?”

“… nervous, maybe?”

“That’s OK, Jenny.” Zoe smiled at her. “I promise you, Chris is an extraordinary man. I know that you can tell him anything, ask him for anything. Just talk to him about what you might start to want and need. OK?”

“OK.” Jenny breathed out. “I’ll talk to him. Not tonight, but soon.”

**

Dallas thrust up in to Olivia, groaning as her muscles clamped down on him, hard. He gripped her hips, held her tight. She bent down now and kissed him, her tongue running over his mouth, hot and teasing. He groaned again, longer and louder, and he felt her smile.

“You close, Dallas?” she purred. “You going to come inside me?”

His cock gave a spasm. “Hell, yeah, sweetheart. You just keep riding me like this, and I’m not going to last much longer.”

Olivia straightened up on him again, her hips moving faster. “I want to see you. Look at me.”

“Fuck.” His whole body arched, lifting her right off the bed. “It’s so good with you, baby…”

“For me too,” she whispered.

He reached up and ran his fingers over her breasts and she gasped. Her head fell back and he started to thrust harder, knowing what she loved. This was the first time she’d been on top when they made love, and he’d been worried about her at the start. He saw now that she was OK, totally comfortable with her scars being right in front of him. She was spread and exposed and vulnerable – and she trusted him enough to let him see her like this.

Olivia shut her eyes tight as her climax built inside her heated body. Dallas was moving faster now and she met his plunges with her own downward movements. Over and over, they moved in unison, their cries rising, getting louder.

“I’m going to come, Olivia,” he ground out. “Open your eyes.”

She gazed down at his gorgeous face and the ecstasy she saw there pushed her closer to the edge. Her body tensed on his, and when he gave one last thrust – so deep, so powerful – she flew over the edge completely. His blue eyes held her brown ones, and they saw the fire and lust in each other. Together, they came, shaking and clutching one another until the sensations faded away slowly.

Olivia collapsed forward on to him, felt his muscular arms wrap around her trembling body to pull her closer. Her hair fell over his chest and he stroked it gently, waiting for her to recover a bit. She was gasping his name, her body still having small aftershocks. He smiled, loving her.

Her breath slowed and she lifted her head to look at him. “You? Are
incredible
.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, darlin’,” he drawled.

She laughed. He stared at her beautiful face, so bright and lovely, and a single word popped in to his head.

Now
.

Dallas took a deep breath for courage and gently eased out of her. She rolled off his body and lay down next to him, her head on his muscled shoulder, her fingers running through the dark hair on his massive chest. He kissed her forehead, then went to the bathroom to throw out the condom. He stared at his own face in the mirror, nervously flattened his hair.

He went to the bedroom now, opened the drawer in the bedside table. He took out the box and climbed back in to bed with her.

She saw Dallas reach in to the table and pull out something too small to see inside his large hand. She cocked her head at the strange look on his face.

“What’s up?” she asked. “You OK?”

“Ummm. Yeah.” He was suddenly terrified.

“Dallas? What?”

“It’s just – I wanted to – I’d like to ask – I was hoping…”

Oh, for fuck sake, man. Very smooth. Jesus Christ, pull yourself together, would you? Start again.

“Olivia.” He cleared his throat. “I love you.”

She blinked at his formal tone. “I love you too.”

“I know you do, and sometimes I still can’t believe it, baby. You’re just the most amazing, bravest, most stunning woman I’ve ever known, and I’m lucky to have you. And I want to have you for a long time… forever, if possible.” He produced the box now, opened the lid. “So… will you? Marry me?”

Olivia stared down at the ring in total shock. “Marry –
marry
you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, my God… Dallas. Yes.”

“…Yes?”

“Yes. A million times yes.”

“I don’t need a million, baby. Just one.”

“Then one time yes.”

He slid the ring on to her finger and she looked down at it. “How’d you know I love sapphires?”

“I didn’t, really. I just saw this and thought it looked like you.” He kissed her. “It’s clear and pure, it’s got depth and beauty. Just like you, Olivia.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you.”

“I love you… and you’re going to make me the happiest, most sexually exhausted man on the planet.”

She laughed. “Starting now?”

He flipped her over and pinned her under his hard body. “Starting right now.”

**

“Oh, my God!” Kat grabbed Olivia’s hand in both of hers. “Engaged!”

“Oh, sweetie.” Jenny’s eyes were teary. “Congratulations.”

“Don’t hog her hand, Kat,” Emma scolded. “Let me see the ring!” She examined it. “Oooooh.
That
is gorgeous, Liv.”

Olivia grinned. “The man has good taste, huh?”

“Of course he does,” Kat said. “He chose you, didn’t he?”

The four women smiled at each other.

“OK, so… when’s the wedding?” Jenny asked.

“We don’t know yet,” Liv said, retrieving her hand from Emma. “We don’t know anything – not when or where. But we both want it to be soon, like maybe mid-summer.” She grinned. “Nigel is thrilled.”

“Nigel?” Kat asked. “You mean your former assistant?”

“Yeah.” Liv brushed her hair back from her face. “I told you that he started his own wedding planner business, right?”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Jenny said. “He’s going to organize your wedding?”

“Damn right he is,” Liv said. “He’s the only person who can pull it off in less than four months.”

“Four months… argh!” Emma said. “That doesn’t leave much time for planning your bachelorette party in Las Vegas!”

Liv blinked. “Vegas?”

“Yeah,” Jenny chimed in. “Why should boys have all the fun and the wild parties? Let’s go and gamble and dance and drink far too much!”

Kat was quiet.

I’m going to be long gone by then, for sure. In fact, since things with Jenny and Chris are going so well, I think I’ll be out of here by the end of April. But damn, I’ll be sorry to miss Liv’s wedding.

“Sounds great,” Kat said with great effort. “Vegas, baby!”

“Yeah, but, Em,” Liv said. “What about you? You really think you’ll be up for a party weekend in another state?”

“Well, actually, I have some good news of my own,” Emma said.

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. Dean took me for some follow-up tests two days ago, and I got the results back today. Turns out, the stem cell transplant has been successful: I’m responding to the chemo now.”

“Oh, Emma,” Jenny breathed. “Really?”

“Really. It’s too early to tell for sure, of course, but things look good. If I keep responding this way, I’m looking at remission. Maybe as soon as the fall.”

The other women looked at her beaming face and as one, they all got to their feet to hug each other.

“A wedding, good health news, Jenny’s doing well,” Kat said. “Looks like you guys are going to be OK.”

And that means I can leave soon… with no guilt or worry.

Since they all had tears in their eyes, Kat’s own crying was easy to pass off as happiness. But really, it was the beginning of grief, of loss. Of loneliness and fear and starting over, all alone. Again.

God. I’m going to miss them.