Tell Me a Secret (18 page)

He stepped back and touched her cheek. She closed her eyes. She’d basically begged him for sex. He probably thought she was crazy and was putting a getaway plan in place. She didn’t blame him.

“Open your eyes.”

She buried her face in her hands and he pulled them away.

“I want our first time to be special, not only for you, but for me too. I don’t want it to be rushed. I want us to take our time. I want it to be a night to remember. And fifty years from now, when you reflect on this, you won’t have a single regret. Okay?”

“What kind of man-whore are you? If anybody should be taking the moral high ground here, it’s me.”

He laughed out loud. “Baby, my whoring days are over. Now go to class. I’ll see you tonight.”

She grabbed her purse and headed to her car. This was going to be the longest Monday of her life.

All day she counted the minutes until her shift ended. She thought of nothing but Jace. She double-checked everything she’d done. It was a miracle she hadn’t killed a patient.

By the time she got home, it was seven-thirty and his truck was parked on the street. He met her at the door with a kiss.

“How’d you get in?” she asked.

“Sarah. I got here right before she left for work.”

Maggie pulled him to the couch, straddled him and kissed him hard. “I can’t wait until after our date. As a matter of fact, let’s not go out. You’ve only been waiting for me a few months. I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”

Then her hands were all over him. She wanted to touch everywhere at once. She stripped his shirt over his head, popping the top button. It skidded across the floor.

“Slow down, Maggie. Not on the couch. Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Heat spread through her, desire gained control. She needed him. Naked. Hard. Inside her.

He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom and when she saw it, she lost her breath. Candles glowed on every table, rose petals littered the floor. She looked at him. His eyes were dark, intense, and full of promise.

“I never thought you’d be so romantic.”

“Just with you. Only with you.” He claimed her mouth again.

Sliding down his body, she shimmied out of her scrubs and panties then lifted her arms to let him strip off her shirt. She unhooked her bra, while he got rid of the rest of his clothes, removed a foil package from his pocket and tore it open with his teeth.

“Jace? Don’t use a condom. I know you have a rule, no sex without one, but it’s my first time and I don’t want anything between us. I’m on the pill, and…”

He dropped the packet to the floor, smiled at her, then sat and pulled her to stand between his legs. Her skin tingled as he trailed fingers along her back then to her hips. He pressed his lips between her breasts. She ran her fingers through his hair and held him there.

Heat flashed to frenzy. Her body knew what it wanted. She wanted him. Only him. “I love it when you do that.” Her chest heaved, rising and falling as he gave attention to each peaked nipple.

He moved back onto the bed and brought her with him, rolling until he was on top.

Her hands moved over his body fast and frantic. The air in the room thickened.

He sucked in a quick breath. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”
 

He trailed kisses down her torso and blood seared through her veins at the thought of him repeating the mind blowing cunnilingus from the night before. God, how she’d grown to love that word in the last twenty-four hours and what it meant. Then he was there. She lost every ounce of modesty. She raked her fingers in his hair, holding him in place and writhed against him as the orgasm consumed her.

A low, soft rumble came from the back of his throat as he moved back to her face.

She opened her eyes to find him staring at her. She turned her head away. “What? You’re laughing at me?”

“No, baby. Not at you. I like that I had you begging.”

“I wasn’t. Was I?”

 
“I think
Jace, please, please
qualifies as begging.”

Now she laughed and covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God. What’s happened to me?”

“I’ve happened to you.”

She gave him a slight push. “You are so full of yourself.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Yeah. Well, you’re about to be full of me.”

Helpless to stop it, she quivered beneath him.

He placed his knee between her legs and pushed her thighs apart, then kissed her softly.

A sob rose from the back of her throat and she spread her legs wider. This was the moment she’d waited for.

He teased her with his finger and she moaned his name and this time she heard it.
 

He removed his finger and tried to push inside her. “Relax.”

“I am.”

“No, you’re not. You’re hot as hell, but you’re not relaxed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re nervous, that’s all.” He stole her mouth again in a lingering kiss, and when it ended, he spoke softly. “I’ve wanted you beneath me from the moment I met you. I’d lie awake at night and fantasize how you’d feel against me. Skin to skin. Have my hands on you. Touch you where no one ever had. Have you touch me. Be inside you.”

“Jace,” she said with a deep sigh.

He tried again.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Stop apologizing. It’s okay. We have all night. Don’t think. Just let it happen. Maybe it will help if I tell you a secret.”

“Yeah. Tell me.”

He leaned his head away from her and gazed into her eyes, lowered his face to hers and licked her lips.
 

She shivered under him.
 

He nuzzled her hair. “I love you, Maggie.”

With those three little words that barely took a heartbeat and breath to say, she went hot and loose and he filled her.

She trembled beneath him and took a ragged breath, so he stopped.

“Are you crying? Am I hurting you? God, I’m sorry.”

He started to pull back, but she gripped his hips and held him. “You’re not hurting me. It’s just—nobody’s said that to me since Rose died. I’m pathetic.”

“You’re not pathetic. You’re perfect and I love you, I love you, I love you.”

She surrendered. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she moved against him. The muscles that worked so hard to keep him out now tightened to bring him deeper. He pushed through her virginity and she whimpered. Not a sound of pain, but of pleasure.

She couldn’t get enough. He took her to a place she’d never been. Her need was as great as his and that surprised her. He stretched his body out long and lean, pinned her hands above her head, then pushed high into her and rotated his hips.

She opened her eyes and found him staring down at her. God, he looked so beautiful in the candlelight, his skin damp and glowing. His eyes deep and dark with passion. Now he easily thrust into her.

“Stop,” she said.

“What? You want me to stop?”

“For just for a second.” She’d done her homework. She wanted to please him in ways he’d never experienced.
 

 
~~*~~
 

Jace did as he was told. Still deep inside her, she clenched around him, then released. Clenched again. Released. Again and again, until he thought he’d lose his mind. He had to stop her or he was going to explode. “Stop, Maggie. If you don’t, I’m going to finish before you and I don’t want that.

“Are you sure?”

“God help me. You’re driving me crazy.”

She smiled up at him and moved against him again.

He picked up the pace. When she shuddered and cried out, he gave her more. It was his first time for sex without a condom and he couldn’t believe the sensation. He felt so good inside her he wanted to stay there forever. They moved together, no longer separate, but as one. Long, slow, smooth strokes taking him to the top of the world where pleasure consumed him.

He stayed inside her for as long as he could until apparently his weight got the best of her.
 

She released the grip she had on his hips and he rolled off her.

“Damn, Maggie. That was unbelievable. What the hell was that?”

“Benefits of Google research. I’m glad you liked it. I liked it, too. I like sex. I wasn’t sure I would. You know, I’ve heard women at work talk like it’s a real chore. It seems their husbands always want it and they don’t, but I like it. If they don’t like it so much, maybe they aren’t doing it right.” She took a quick breath and continued her chatter. “I mean, I’ve heard Sarah and Sam plenty of times and she sounds like she likes it. Oh, and the night I was in the laundry room and they were doing it, they both seemed to like it. A lot.” She propped on an elbow. “Jace, did you hear me?”

“Hmm, you like sex. Good to know.”

“Jace, don’t sleep. Let’s talk.”

He opened his eyes for a second and then closed them again. “I need a little nap. You talk, I’ll listen.”

She kissed him. “I know you want to sleep. After sex your brain releases a cocktail of chemicals. Along with others, they include serotonin, oxytocin and the hormone prolactin, which makes you drowsy. But wake up. I want to talk.”

His eyes opened and he laughed. “Damn, that’s the first post-sex chemistry lesson I’ve ever had.”

“I’m hungry. We haven’t eaten.”

His lashes fluttered again. “Order a pizza.”

She traced his collarbone with her fingers. “This is one of my favorite body parts.”

He half-opened his eyes and pointed to his left side. “This other one was my first football injury. I broke it in seventh grade.”

She leaned over and kissed it. “What else have you broken?”

He smiled and placed his fingers. “These two ribs.”
 

She planted two more kisses.

He held his hand to her mouth. “My wrist.”

She kissed the spot.

“My dick,” he said and laughed.

She punched him. “You are awful.” Her cheeks flushed.

“Awful good.” He flashed a sexy grin.

She covered her face. A long moment passed and he didn’t say anything. She spread two fingers and peeked between them. “Stop gawking at me like that.”

“God, you’re adorable. I bet I know what would make this moment perfect. If you only had a rock to commemorate this day. The day you lost your virginity.” His body shook with laughter.

She pulled his chest hair. “Stop it. I was ten years old.”

“Ouch!” He took her hand, kissed it, then slid it under his pillow and guided it to a small object. He smiled when she retrieved it and stared at the perfectly round, quarter-size stone. “You like it?”

She turned it over and over in her palm. “I love it. Is this green glitter?”

“Yeah. I thought it was a little too plain. Couldn’t find one to out-do your
heart of the country
rock, so I added a little pizazz. Mom helped with the glitz.”

“This is the best present I’ve ever gotten.” Her voiced quivered. “What you said to me.

You know the love part? If you said it to help things along, that’s okay.”

He pulled her close and kissed her, then fixed his eyes on her. “I would never say that unless I meant it. I do love you, and you were wrong about me waiting for you only a few months. As it turns out, I’ve been waiting for you all my life, too.”

Forever on Thanksgiving Day.

The heart will find the pathway home.

~Wilbur D. Nesbit

Later that morning, Jace was at his mother’s kitchen table eating a stack of pancakes. “Dang, these are good, Mom.”

“Thanks, but I have an ulterior motive. During Thanksgiving break I hope you’ll get the Christmas lights up for me. When your dad fell off the ladder last year, I banned him from using one.”

“I will. Oh, I invited Maggie for Thanksgiving, but she doesn’t get off until four.” He stabbed another bite and held the fork in mid-air. “Was that okay?”

“Of course. Oh, I just thought of something. Bob will be here. Did you ever tell her he was your uncle?”

“Yeah, she knows.”

His mom widened her eyes. “So you stayed at her house last night?”

“Yeah.”

“I hope you’re being careful. You know. Practicing safe sex.”

“Okay, Mom. That’s enough of that. I don’t need a sex talk. I learned all that stuff in junior high.”

She slid into the chair across from him. “I understand you know about sex, but I don’t want you to get so, you know, caught up in things you do something foolish.”

He patted her hand. “I appreciate your concern, but we’re done talking about this.”

She smiled. “Well, if the two of you are back on good terms, I guess the glitter rock did the trick.”

He drank a big gulp of milk and swallowed his last bite, then pushed back from the table and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I love her, Mom.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Of course. I’ve never seen you act this way about any girl. If one stood you up or cancelled, you’d say fine and dandy, because they didn’t matter. But when you got so upset, and then asked for my help with the rock, that convinced me you were a goner. Does she love you?”

“Yeah. She hasn’t said it, but she does. She has
issues
, but she’ll come around. I want her to spend Christmas with us too.”