Lost and Found (39 page)

His hands move to his belt. I expect him to take his pants off, but he doesn’t. Just the belt falls to the floor. His pants sag a little at his waist now, held up only by the muscles that move to a V as they go down into the front of his pants.

Me being mostly naked, save for my panties and bra, and him still half dressed, is making me way hotter than it probably should. It’s like he knows better than I do how my body will react to every little thing he does. He’s playing me big time and I really like this tune.

He moves slowly over to the side of the bed, reaching out for my leg. First he strokes it, from ankle to hip. Then he puts his hand behind my knee and lifts. My leg is moved to a bent position.

He moves to the other side of the bed and repeats his actions with my other leg before going back to the foot of the bed. His hands go to the mattress and he begins to crawl up towards me, never breaking eye contact.

I’m having a hard time breathing. This is a very vulnerable position to be in. Seeing him there as I look between my legs makes me both afraid and thrilled. What will he do next? Will he put his mouth there?

When his face is between my legs, he leans down to kiss my kneecap. Who knew it was such a sensitive spot? I gasp with surprise. He smiles.

His kisses move down steadily towards my panties. I have goosebumps breaking out all over, but not because I’m cold. No, actually, I’m on fire right now and he’s barely touched me. My panties grow damp. I am such a mess.

Just when I think he’s going to press his lips to my center, he skips over to my other leg, placing kisses from my thigh up to my opposite knee. When he reaches the top, his hands come up and stroke the outside of both legs. Then they move to the inside of my thighs.

His thumbs begin to stroke the inside edge of my panties. They just barely slide under the material. I gasp again because he’s touching me there, the place I normally don’t let a guy get near until we’ve been together for a while, and I love it. I hardly know James! And yet, here he is, touching me, making me want to beg, just like he promised. Or warned. I think it might have been a warning. Man, he’s good.

His thumbs slide up and then back a few times before he withdraws and moves his hands to the top of my panties.

“What are you going to do?” I ask again. It’s pretty much the only phrase I’m capable of. Broken record. Brain not working. Help.

“I’m taking these off,” he says, pulling my panties down, off one leg and then the other. They go sailing over his shoulder to the floor.

And then his face is just there. Instantly. Like he’s diving into me, buried between my legs.

“Oh my god!” I yell out. Not in pain. Not at all in pain. It’s like he’s shocked me with a taser, but it’s just his mouth there.

I’m so ready for him. God, I can’t stand this. It feels too good to be real.

His tongue comes out and licks me as his lips make contact with everything. Up and down, around and around, his face moves against me, burning me up.

My hips buck up to meet him, out of control. I’m making all kinds of moaning and gasping sounds. Who knows where those are coming from. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is I’ve been nearly naked for all of five minutes and I’m already at the point of orgasm.

“Wait! Wait!” I gasp. “It’s too soon! Too fast!”

I close my eyes, trying to control myself. Sounds of a zipper come to my ears and then when I can see again, he’s over me.

I want to wrap my arms around his big body as it descends, but I can’t. I’m trapped.

“Undo me,” I say, my tone desperate.

“No.” His weight is on me and I can feel his hard length pushing at my entrance.

I yank on my arms, trying to free them, but it doesn’t work. His hand is roaming up my ribcage, grabbing my breast, squeezing, pinching the nipple through my bra. I’m still wearing a bra! God, I want it off of me!

I yell in surprise, ecstasy, and rage. How dare me make me feel this much. How dare he take me over so completely!

“Tell me to stop and I’ll stop,” he growls, “but I’m not untying you. Tonight you surrender to me completely.”

“I don’t want to surrender like that.”

It’s a lie and we both know it. I open my legs wider and arch my back.

He leans off to the side, slowing his hand. “Are you sure? Because I can stop right now if you want.”

I glare at him. He’s hot, just like I am, but he has more control. I both love and hate him for that. “You bastard.”

He grins. Totally evil-like. “Are you ready?” He’s back on top of me now. His weight feels like more than just a man’s body. This is destiny here, preparing to take me over completely. My free will is gone and it’s because I’m letting it be taken. I should be afraid, but I’m not. I’m excited. Thrilled, even.

“Ready for what?” I squirm in anticipation. I’m pretty much panting at this point. Like a dog. In heat. It’s not pretty.

“For this.” He reaches down between us and puts his rod gently into my folds. Just the slightest pressure and he’s entering my heat.

I nod. It’s all I’m capable of.

As he slides in, stretching me so beautifully, I yell. I yell to bring the walls down. And he shouts too. I don’t think he does this often. He sounds savage. Untethered.

Something magical is happening between us. I’ve never done anything like this before, felt something like this before. I start to cry uncontrollably, but I’m not sad. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.

He pushes all the way in and then pulls out halfway before plunging once more. His speed slowly increases. I meet his thrusts with my own. My back muscles strain as I try to push myself against him, bring him deeper, closer to my center. We should probably go slow and savor the moment, but I can’t. I’m desperate to take this path with him, wherever it may lead.

“You feel so damn good,” he says into my neck, his whole body straining to control his thrusts.

“Oh my god, I’m so close,” I whisper, my voice sounding desperate. I am desperate. I’m stuck in a whirlwind of passion. I’ve forgotten where I am, what I planned to do, where I plan to be a minute, an hour, a week or month from now. I’m drowning in whatever it is he’s cooking and I just want to die from it.

“I’m going to come, dammit,” he growls.

“Me too! Me too! Don’t stop!” One of my hands breaks free from its binding and I grab onto his back, holding on for dear life.

He yells when I scratch him. I didn’t do it on purpose, I’m just trying to survive at this point.

Every thrust brings a grunt from deep in his gut now. I’m moaning, he’s yelling, probably the entire building is getting a free show, but I don’t care. I’m exploding from the inside and the fireworks are amazing. My tears turn to laughter. I probably sound a little unbalanced, but I don’t care. I’m living totally in the moment.

He digs his arm under my shoulders and pulls me up to his chest as he spends his last bit of energy finding fruition. I feel cherished, desired, and then, fulfilled, as the feelings overcome my good sense and send me reeling. My heartbeat is pounding in my ears and I can hardly breathe. Nothing has ever felt so good in my entire life. I grab a handful of his hair and hang on for dear life.

My body doesn’t stop pulsing for the longest time. His muscles go slack and he falls into me before I finish spasming all over. Together we press the mattress down and our sweat mingles. I can feel a puddle of it building on my stomach. Our bellies slide together as he moves on top of me.

“Oh my god,” he groans.

I can’t breathe enough to respond. Part of it is the post-orgasm shock and part of it is his nearly two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

“Sorry. I’m crushing you.” He rolls off, pulling out at the same time.

I reach over with my one free hand, trying to get him to come back to me. I only manage to pat his face a little before he takes my fingers and starts kissing them. I can’t stop smiling.

“That was … amazing,” he says, still out of breath.

“Yeah. Not bad,” I say, grinning like a fool, trying to pretend I’m not dying for air. My heart is racing out of control. I could train for marathons in this guy’s bed.

Suddenly he’s in my face, only an inch away. “Oh, is that so? You saying you want to go again?”

“As if you could.” I try to wipe the smile off my face, but it won’t work. I’m going to have cramps in my cheeks soon from all this happiness.

He climbs back on top of me, bringing an already hardening friend with him. “Care to make a wager?” he asks, pushing into me a little. Our bodies slide against one another.

Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m such a slut. I want to start all over again! I glance up at the headboard. “Take me out of this thing and maybe I can show you a thing or two.”

His grin splits his face in two it’s so big. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

He reaches up and unties me, and I waste no time showing him that two can play at this take-no-prisoners game.

Chapter Seventy-Six

EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. WAKING UP naked with her in my arms after an entire night of earth-shattering, record-breaking sex has made me a different person. She’s different too. She’s smiling. She’s touching me, stroking my arm with her delicate fingers as the first rays of light penetrate my bedroom.

Our bedroom.

Just the idea of sharing my space gives me a thrill. And she’s happier than I remember her being just the day before. I like to think it’s my lovemaking that’s done this to her, the way I’ve touched her, the way I’ve made her feel. I could fly over the Towers without wings right now.

“So,” I say, rolling over to switch off the alarm. It’s six in the morning. “Off to the market?”

“Yep.” She stands, letting the sheet fall from her naked body. When I see the curve of her ass, I want to grab her by the wrist and yank her back in here with me.

She’s out of my reach though as she bends over to grab my shirt and pull it on over her head. The bottom of it falls to mid-thigh. She looks just barely twenty, not the twenty-eight she claims to be.

“You look great in my clothes.” I grin at her, my body heavy with the sexy feelings she causes to appear just by looking at me, her hair all mussed up and her makeup gone.

“That’s good, because I think we’re going to have to share,” she says. “I have exactly two shirts and two skirts left to my name.”

“We’ll fix that tomorrow. I’ll take you shopping.” I love the idea of spoiling her. She deserves that. I can’t understand how I’m the first guy to figure that out. Jealousy possesses me over the idea of another guy taking her out, doing things for her, treating her like a princess. That’s my job.

“I can’t accept your charity.” She frowns at me.

“It’s not charity. It’s a friend helping a friend.”

Her hands play with the sides of my shirt at her legs. “That’s what we are? Friends?”

I grab her hand and pull her to me. She falls to the bed on her stomach.

“Friends with benefits. Roommates.”

“Roommates who have sex,” she corrects, leaning closer to me.

I can’t tell if she’s happy or sad about her characterization of us.

“We are whatever you want us to be,” I say, hoping I’m not pushing her too far. Last night was so good, though, I’m willing to go just about anywhere she wants to go. We fit together like the last pieces of a puzzle. So perfect in every way, but only because we are so different.

She kisses me quick on the nose and then pulls away, crawling backwards on her elbows. “I want to be whatever
this
is. This is good. But I have to go, now, so yeah.” She points to the door. “I’m off to the shower.”

I shout out after her as she disappears from the room. “Want us to come to the market with you?”

“No, you don’t need to! I’m good going alone!”

I’m kind of glad she said that, because I have other plans that will be much easier to execute if I can have the afternoon to myself.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

I DIDN’T SELL MUCH IN the way of essential oils, but I can’t quite get myself to care very much about it. Belinda will understand. I’m in love! Or in serious like. God, I can’t believe I said the word love. I must be insane. Crazy. Definitely.

He does make me crazy, that’s a fact. One minute I’m sure I can walk away and live my life like I did before and the next I’m picking out new carpet for his condo in my head. Is it the sex that did this to me or is it just him? I should probably have a lot more of it, so I can make an informed decision. It’s totally scientific.

The cab drops me off at
Belinda’s New Age Wonders
and I unlock the door so I can put all the products just inside before leaving for my date with destiny — otherwise known as the moment I meet James’s sister for the first time and we break the news to her that I’ve moved in.

She’s going to hate me, I know she is. What sister wouldn’t? This thing with James and I must look insane, like I’m some kind of gold digger or something. I hate that. I don’t want to be judged. I just want to be with James and find out if this is truly as real as it seems.

I’m locking the store back up when I catch the reflection of someone in the glass door. He’s wearing a hoodie and his hand goes over his head in a flash, and then something very heavy hits me from behind.
 

Pain flares in my skull, lights explode from inside my head, and then everything suddenly goes black.

Chapter Seventy-Eight

I CHECK MY WATCH FOR the tenth time in the last hour.

“So, where’s this mystery guest?” my sister asks me, grinning behind her glass. She and Robinson exchange amused glances.

“Did you scare her off already?” Robinson asks. He takes a swig of his beer and winks.

“He’s not laughing at our jokes,” Jana says, talking to Robinson like I’m not in the room. “I think he really likes her.”

“She should have been here by now.” I look at my watch again. A minute has passed since the last time I checked it. “The market closed down hours ago.”

My cell phone rings. It’s the answering service that picks up calls that come into my office after hours.

I press the green button. “Doctor Oliver.” I’m too distracted to be polite. The last thing I need right now is to deal with a patient emergency; I’m having enough of an emergency of my own.