Just Like That (20 page)
Which was fine for short-term situations, but couldn’t sustain ’til death do us part.
He liked Danika and he wanted her more than he could remember ever wanting anything. He was already at risk for being way too involved with this woman.
So it would be one night. Only one night. One hopefully very long night.
Then he’d get away before he could disappoint her.
Danika finally nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“It is,” he assured her, though he didn’t think he sounded as convincing as usual.
“Okay.” She bent to retrieve her clothes and quickly pulled her shirt and jeans back on. Then she ran her fingers through her hair, took a deep breath and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go.” They were only halfway across the entryway when they heard a deep voice say, “There you are.” Sam turned to find Danika face to face with Matt Dawson and his charming grin.
“H-Hi, Matt,” Danika stammered.
Sam frowned. She’d never stammered around him.
“Ben said you were here. How’s the wrist?”
Damn, Ben was some supposed friend, Sam thought as he watched Matt look at Danika. If that was the way the man generally looked at his patients, he would have been turned into the Board of Medicine a long time ago for sexual harassment.
Matt was looking at Danika, and holding her injured wrist in his hand, like he wanted to make a house call.
With Sam standing right there. Holding her uncovered hand. With her cheeks flushed, her hair mussed and the definite look of a woman who’d just been majorly making out.
“The wrist is fine…good. Doing fine.” She stammered again.
Sam frowned harder. Why was she tripping over her tongue?
“Good. You’re being careful?” Matt asked.
“Very,” Danika promised. “Thanks to Sam, I haven’t done anything more than lift a margarita glass.” Matt grinned at her. “Glad to hear it. I’d hate to have to give you a scar.” Danika smiled. “I appreciate that.” She seemed to relax.
Sam wasn’t sure if he preferred her nervous or at ease around Dawson.
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He preferred her to not be around Dawson at all.
“You’re still staying with her?” Matt asked, finally acknowledging that Sam was there.
“Absolutely.” He pulled Danika closer to his side in a juvenile, but absolutely necessary show of possessiveness.
“Good. Keep her out of trouble. Nothing wild.” The smile Matt gave him made Sam grit his teeth.
“Doctor’s orders,” he added.
“Right.” Sam didn’t smile and he was quite sure that Matt understood he was
not
amused.
Unfortunately, Matt’s words reminded Sam that he was supposed to be staying at Danika’s house. For thirteen more days. Twelve nights. Until she was healed.
That changed what was going to happen at her house tonight a lot. He wished he could blame Matt for that, but the truth was, he should be grateful Dawson had reminded him of his prolonged stay at Danika’s.
He couldn’t possibly sleep with her tonight and then leave her alone for the next twelve. Yes, he wanted her. It was almost making him insane. But it was much easier to avoid a drug before getting it into his system. If he made love to Danika, he would want to again, and again. Which would make her the first woman he’d had sex with more than once since college.
Leaving to go home would help with that. Staying away from her might work. Never seeing her again would possibly make it bearable. Being in her home, sharing a shower, a kitchen, a life—however temporary—would make it torturous.
“We were on our way out,” Danika said, tugging on his hand and starting for the doors. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks for the good news that my wrist is fine.” Matt grinned. “See you then.”
They stepped out into the night and Danika made a beeline for her car. Sam wanted to appreciate her obvious eagerness to be with him. It sucked that he was going to have to come up with some reason for them to not have sex. Other than the truth, of course. He couldn’t tell her that he was about to break every personal rule he’d ever made in regard to women for her. That would be too much information.
She’d wanted an orgasm. He’d wanted to be the first to give her one. Mission accomplished. They were both happy.
Then why did he feel so antsy?
He could certainly give her another orgasm. Or two. Or twenty-six.
He wouldn’t mind.
He hadn’t ever done that with a woman where that was all it was going to be. It was always foreplay, a part of the whole package. In fact, it had never occurred to him to stop with that. He would have felt unsatisfied, surely.
But while he would gladly give his next year’s paycheck to plunge into Danika’s hot, wet, willing body, there was a definite satisfaction in simply giving her pleasure.
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That could be the plan. Give her multiple orgasms in every way he knew except
the
way for the next eleven nights, then make love to her the final night he would be living with her.
And somehow find a way of walking away afterward. For good.
That was officially the plan.
Danika didn’t seem to agree. She wouldn’t stop touching him. Her unrestrained hand stroked repeatedly over his thigh as he drove. He shifted away whenever she got too close to exactly where he wanted her touch the most, but he couldn’t keep her hand from rubbing across his stomach, up his arm to his shoulder, or her lips from pressing against the side of his neck, then his cheek. It was like she couldn’t get enough.
He knew the feeling.
They didn’t talk. Even when he pulled up in front of her duplex, she didn’t give him any space. In fact, as soon as he had the car shut off he had a lap full of warm, wiggling woman.
She straddled him, kissing him deep and hard, cupping the back of his head with one hand. His hands went to her hips, holding her in place and pressing his straining erection up against her.
Several minutes later, Danika pulled back. “Take me inside, Sam.”
“Absolutely.”
She took off at a run across the courtyard and up the steps to her door. The minute the door was unlocked, he was inside and practically on top of her. He kissed her, dipping his tongue deep and stroking her mouth the way he wanted to stroke the rest of her. He lifted her, fitting her pelvis against his. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he turned, pressing her against the wall.
She moaned, he moaned, and he quickly stripped her blouse off followed by her bra. Her breast fit perfectly in his hand, her nipple distended, waiting for the brush of his thumb.
He knew he couldn’t make love to her. He couldn’t recall any of the reasons at the moment, but he knew there were several. Still, he could make her call his name again in that way that he was pretty sure he was now addicted to.
He sucked on one nipple as he rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger. She was panting and rubbing against him like a cat, making beautiful aroused sounds in the back of her throat.
Then he let her slide to the floor. “Take them off,” he said, gesturing to her jeans.
She did, but not without saying, “You too.”
He crossed his arms, watching, and shook his head. “Just you, sweetheart.”
“But…”
“Danika, you have to trust me.”
She paused with her thumbs hooked in the straps of her thong. She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. Then proceeded to strip her panties off.
Sam leaned over and locked her front door. “Bedroom. Now.” 118
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She looked like she wanted to argue, but she took another deep breath, turned and proceeded down the hall to her bedroom. Bare naked.
He was right behind her.
“I know that you have a DVD,” he said, stepping across the threshold. “But I was thinking maybe you wouldn’t mind an in person demonstration.”
“Of…” Her eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. “Yes,” she said enthusiastically. “Take your pants off.”
He wanted to. Badly. Painfully. In fact, he was incredibly proud of the fact that he resisted stripping his pants off and letting her have her way with him.
He supposed that didn’t actually constitute sex, which was all he had decided that he wouldn’t do. But he was
quite
sure that he would be just as addicted to Danika’s mouth on him as he would be to being inside of her.
“Ladies first.”
“Meaning, you’re going to…”
“Absolutely.” He advanced on her, loving the way her breathing quickened.
“But the DVD was for
me
to learn how to do that to someone else.” He felt his erection pulse at her words. “I’m guessing that DVD has some of this too.” He ran his hands from her shoulders to her fingertips, then slid to her thighs and traveled up over her hips and waist to cup both breasts. “Lie down,” he said hoarsely. “Let me do this.” For Danika to let him pleasure her this way would take complete trust. In many ways, this was even more intimate than straightforward sex.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her un-casted arm crossed over her breasts.
“Lie back.” He moved to stand in front of her, knees touching.
“I um…” She licked her lips.
“Quit thinking so hard.” He lifted a hand and brushed his thumb over her lips. “Quit using your brain altogether. Just feel.”
She kept her eyes on his as she lay back onto one elbow.
“Uncover, honey. Let me see.” He leaned over, bracing his arm on the mattress by her hip.
She moved her arm. She looked so gorgeous, propped on her elbows, breasts bared, nipples stiff, that Sam couldn’t swallow for a moment.
Then he cupped her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. He wanted to show her how beautiful she was, how grateful he was that she was letting him be the guy to fully appreciate her. But Danika grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a deeper kiss, opening her mouth and drinking him in.
He was only human. Danika was naked beneath him on a bed and very, very willing.
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His hand that wasn’t holding him up reached up to cover her breast, capturing her nipple between his index finger and thumb. She arched against him and he broke the kiss to take her nipple in his mouth instead.
Then he continued kissing and sucking and licking his way to the valley between her breasts, to her other nipple, then down to her ribs, flicking each with his tongue as he stair-stepped down to her belly, dipping his tongue into her belly button. She tangled her fingers in his hair, groaning and arching her back.
He lifted his head, staring down at her. Her head was pressed into the mattress, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling rapidly with her breathing.
A wave of possessiveness swept over him. He wanted to know she
chose
him, that she trusted him, that she fully understood what was about to happen and that she wanted it. He also wanted to be the only one to ever see or have her this way.
“Dani, open your eyes.”
She did, though she looked as if she was having trouble focusing.
“Spread your legs, sweetheart.”
She hesitated. He saw it and waited, stroking his palm over her hip, wanting her to want this, but not willing to do anything more to convince her. This had to be her decision.
His breath caught when he felt her shift. He leaned to the left, and her knees parted.
“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her lips.
“Just keep the sweet talk coming,” she said breathlessly.
“No problem.” He stroked his hands over the inside of her thighs. “You are the most beautiful, passionate, delicious woman I’ve ever met.”
“Delicious?” she asked with a laugh.
“You definitely taste great here.” He licked her right nipple.
She groaned.
“And here.” He kissed just above her belly button.
She wiggled.
“And here.” He pressed his lips to the inside of her left thigh.
Her legs moved restlessly, parting further.
“Where else?” she asked.
“Big toe?” he teased.
She shook her head. “Higher.”
“Right knee.”
“Higher.”
He licked along the crease of her left hip.
“To the right,” she gasped.
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“Show me,” he said huskily.
She wet her lips and moved her left hand from the mattress to her stomach. Then slid it slowly downward, until her fingertips touched the soft curls right in front of him.
But she didn’t move any further.
He placed a kiss on top of her mound right at her fingertips, then lifted his head and waited.
“More,” she encouraged.
“Where?”
She slid her fingers a little farther. “Here,” she whispered.
“Show me, Dani. Show me where you want me.”
His heart almost stopped when she pulled her right knee up, let it fall open, then moved her hand, parting the soft, pink folds.
His mouth went dry. He was the luckiest son of a bitch ever.
“God, Dani,” he said with true reverence.
“Now
you
show me,” she said.
He didn’t need to be told twice. He lowered his head and kissed her. The answering moan seemed to vibrate clear to his bones and he wanted nothing more than to make her sound like that again. He licked up and down along the folds on either side, holding her hips still so that she didn’t buck him off. Then he flicked his tongue over her clitoris.
“
Sam.
” Her fingers tensed in his hair.
He licked again and again over the sweet spot, then looked up when he felt her hold on his head give.
Her eyes were shut, her breathing erratic and she had moved her hand to her left breast. She squeezed her nipple and he thought he might happily stay right here for the rest of his life.
But then she moved her hand to the headboard, pushing up against the wood, causing her body to press down against him and he rewarded her by sucking her clitoris into his mouth.
