Things That Go Bump in the Night IV (28 page)

“Hey yourself.” Jill smiled. “‘Bout time we heard from you. I thought maybe I’d scared you away.”

165

Ashleigh Raine

“Never,” he stated emphatically. “Never. I mean that. You have no idea how badly I want to be there with you right now. This damn…” He paused and Jill could envision him running his hand through his hair. “Is Leo being good to you?”

Jill met Leo’s eyes and smiled. “Perfect host.”

“He’ll take care of you. I promise. You can trust him…with everything.”

Jill shivered involuntarily. Interesting word choice. “So will I see you tonight?” she asked.

“Tell me you’ll be there waiting and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“I’ll be here,” she whispered and Leo nodded his approval.

“Good,” Arden replied, sounding relieved. “Until then, have fun with my brother.”

“Yeah…okay. See you soon.” Awareness rippled over her flesh as they said their goodbyes.

“Everything okay?” Leo covered her hand with his as he took the phone.

She studied him in the soft glow of the candlelight. Something in his demeanor had changed in the last hour. His expression was open and honest…and a little bit resigned.

Like he’d finally let down his guard and was willing to let her see the real Leo. Without his charmer façade, he bewitched her mind, body and soul.

“Yeah. Everything’s great.” She smiled up at him. “Ready to go inside?”

He grinned, offering his arm. “Sounds like a plan.”

She threaded her arm through his. Clutching his forearm, she stood up, walking with him into the house.

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Now Leo knew what it was like to be a death row prisoner starting his walk to the execution chamber. Helpless. Hopeless. Resigned to his fate.

Even though he’d hoped for a stay of execution, time was drawing to a close, and he had yet to win Jill over.

He’d thought it would be easy, charm her like he’d charmed all the others. Hell, none of those women had come through in the end either—so who was to say it hadn’t been his fault all along? He’d always found women willing to offer their bodies. Now he and Arden had found one who would offer her heart—but only to one of them.

Second place had never felt so fucking horrible.

You better be good to her.
Arden’s voice forced its way into Leo’s head.

Like he needed this now.
I can’t work if you’re going to fuck with me. You’re forgetting I
need this as much as you do.
He shoved all doubt to the back of his mind. He couldn’t lose. To Jill he said, “We’ve got a little time to kill before Arden gets here. Care to watch a movie in the meantime? There’s a home theater upstairs.”

“Sure. But are you an action adventure guy, or are you comfortable enough in your masculinity to watch a chick flick without getting embarrassed?” She headed toward the stairway.

Leo grinned as they climbed the stairs to the black box room. “I refuse to answer your question on the basis that it could incriminate me later.” Jill laughed out loud and Leo continued, pointing at the DVD collection. “But I’ll let you choose the movie anyway.”

“You’re in trouble now,” Jill teased as she began going through the DVDs.

Arden was restless, it was too obvious. Leo felt the tension, adding to his own.
I’m
coming home
,
Arden declared
.

No, you’re not. If you don’t get your emotions in check, we could lose her. Let’s not do that.

Leo, this is not some kind of game. Don’t you dare hurt her. If you’re just going to fuck her
and—

Give me a little credit. If you want this to work, you won’t barge in here. You won’t screw
this up.

“Wow! Your collection’s not half bad. I’ve heard great things about
The Color of
Rain
. That okay with you?” Jill asked.

Dammit Leo. If you can’t treat her with respect, then we need to end this charade now and
let her go.

Arden, hear me well. I’m not gonna discuss this. I only needed you to call her because it
looked like she was still uneasy about us. Now let me do what I need to do and stay out of it.
Leo 167

Ashleigh Raine

hid his rage and nodded at Jill. “Yeah,
The Color of Rain
sounds great. I haven’t watched it yet so it’ll be new for both of us.”

Jill stood up and playfully tossed the DVD case at him. “I’m gonna get comfortable while you do the manly job of starting up the player.” She brushed past him and bounced over to the curved theater-style couch.

Arden refused to let go.
I’d rather you sent her home than let her get hurt.

You’ve made that pretty damn clear. Now listen to me. I will
not
hurt her, Arden. Let me
work.
Leo terminated their telepathic connection. He couldn’t deal with two conversations at once. Especially not where Jill was concerned. He needed to focus on her completely. Hell, he wanted to focus on her completely and skip the movie, but that would make his intentions too obvious.

She was quiet as he put in the DVD and set it to play. Too quiet. He turned to see what she was doing and caught her watching him. Smiling, she patted the sofa next to her.

Jill had taken off her shoes and socks, curling her legs up underneath her. She looked completely comfortable, as if she were where she belonged. Like he could come home from work every day and see her sitting there in her faded blue jeans and light blue turtleneck, smiling at him, making him feel like a million bucks.

God, he was thinking like Arden now. When he sat down next to her, he placed a hand over hers. “I guess I’m practically the consolation prize, huh? Sorry about that.”

He kept his tone light, wishing he’d thought more clearly before opening his big dumb mouth. Too many of Arden’s words were echoing in his head. Too much pressure. Too much fucking pressure. Did Arden have any idea how much extra pressure he’d introduced? As if there wasn’t already a ton.

“No, Leo, I—”

“It’s okay, Jill. Really. Just like last night, I understand.”

“But last night, I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s okay. You don’t need to explain.”

She continued slightly above a whisper. “Tonight, I’m sure.”

The movie opened with a silhouette of lovers on a beach in the surf underneath a brilliant twilight sky. The credits ended and the lovers walked from the water, still caressing each other, into a house on the beach. The scene cut to them in a large shower, washing each other, loving each other with their hands and lips.

It took those few minutes for Leo to process what Jill had said. Thinking he must have misunderstood, he faced her, and was further surprised to see that she wasn’t watching the movie. She was turned sideways, elbow resting on the back of the couch, an amused smile on her face, watching him. He tried to get his mouth working, but the only thing that came out was a lame, “I had no idea.”

“I know.” She let out a carefree laugh then reached out and began playing with his hair, her fingers twisting and tangling in the long strands. She looked like an angel—no 168

Twofold Desires

make that a nymph—enjoying the simple pleasure of stroking his hair. His cock, already stirring because of the love play on the screen, surged to life.

And that’s when he noticed all the subtle nuances he’d somehow been blind to before now. Her eyes were stormy, mouth parted, breath coming in soft pants. Even in the darkened room her nipples were visible, rigid beneath the tight cotton.

He’d never felt so absorbed with a woman before, and still the only place they touched was her hand in his hair. He wanted to hold onto the moment, study it, try to understand what made this—her—different, but on a soft sigh of need, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

It was the sweetest damn kiss he’d ever received. Full soft lips tenderly brushing his. There was no demand, no rush to get past the necessary first step of the kiss and on to the fucking. She breathed hope into him, the final chance he’d thought most likely lost. It was like she was awakening him from a nightmare, pulling him from a dark place into her sweetness and light. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him, not wanting to ever let go.

Sinking back into the couch, he kept her with him, wanting to feel her weight above him, covering him, their scents mingling before they mated. He slid a hand under her turtleneck, fingers running up and down her spine. She arched and purred, completely malleable to his touch. With his other hand he cradled her neck, holding her in place so he could delve deeper into her mouth.

When her lips parted and her tongue danced with his, he drank his first taste of pure joy and it made him want to laugh out loud. He knew he was thinking like a lunatic, but it didn’t matter. Arden had been right. Jill was the one they’d waited their lifetime for.

Leo couldn’t get enough of her flavor; it was a drug, a need so pure he couldn’t deny himself. And she kept providing him with more things to get addicted to. Soft moans, ragged sighs, the press of her flesh against his. It could never be enough.

She maneuvered her hands between their bodies, and within a minute his shirt was unbuttoned and spread open, baring his chest. She tried to pull her mouth from his, and when he wouldn’t relent, she lightly bit his lip. He grunted and let her go, and she laughed.

“Minx.”

Laughing again, she lowered her mouth to his chest. All he could do was moan. So fucking sweet. Her hands, fingers and lips slowly traced over every muscle, every contour of flesh. His dick was so hard it would take hours for him to lose his erection.

Hours he planned to spend buried deep inside her body. Anywhere, everywhere, wherever she would take him.

Maybe he’d let Arden join them. Maybe not. He wanted time to pleasure her alone.

At least a little time, he knew they couldn’t spare much, but he wanted to know when she moaned, that those sounds were his alone to enjoy.

“My turn, Jill.”

169

Ashleigh Raine

She lifted her head from his chest, her lips swollen, eyes smoky with desire. When his hands grasped the bottom of her turtleneck, she nodded in agreement and lifted her arms. He tugged the tight fabric over her head, then stared in awe at what was revealed. Beautiful opalescent skin, luscious curves…a true feminine beauty. As he stared, her skin grew pink, but as though denying her embarrassment she reached behind her and undid her bra, sliding it down her arms and tossing it to the floor.

Bared from the waist up, she was truly glorious. Her breasts were slightly larger than he usually liked, but on her, he couldn’t imagine wanting anything different. He instinctually reached out to possess one of them. She inhaled sharply as he thumbed her tight bud. Her dusky rose areola darkened to deep plum at her nipple, her generous breast spilling over his palm. He wanted to take all night to learn, taste, touch all of her soft curves. He’d seen her nude the night before, but now that she wanted him in return, he found it difficult to restrain himself, to make the night last rather than burn up in a fiery flash.

They both turned toward the forgotten movie as the moans of the onscreen lovers became more than they could ignore. The woman was on her knees in front of the man, taking his dick deep into her mouth. Leo’s cock jumped as he imagined Jill taking him that way. He cursed. “I had no idea this was a porno marketed as an art film.”

“I did,” Jill whispered.

Surprised, Leo looked back at Jill. Her eyes were still focused on the screen, her breath coming faster and faster. Damn, she had picked this one on purpose. He would use it to his advantage.

Shrugging off his shirt, he moved behind her and murmured into her ear. “Stand up.”

Her feet fell to the floor and she stood up, facing away from him. He moved to the edge of the couch, and from behind unbuttoned her jeans, lowering the zipper, sliding his hands between denim and hot flesh. When the curve of her ass was revealed, he leaned in, kissing the base of her spine. She shivered, legs trembling. As he pushed her jeans to the floor, he knelt behind her trailing kisses along the backs of her legs, taking special care in the sensitive spot behind her knees. She laughed and moaned, swaying beneath his touch. Finally the jeans were removed and she stepped out of them. She started to turn, but he stopped her, steadying her by placing his hands on her thighs.

“Stay right there.”

God, now he knew why some men became submissives. Kneeling behind this woman, staring up at her naked flesh, he knew he’d do whatever she commanded. He slid his hands from the outside of her thighs inward, one hand tracing her folds, landing over her clit. She let out a quiet moan and shifted her legs, inviting him to further claim her. Oh dear God, did Jill have any idea what she was doing to him?

Her gaze strayed over to the movie. The woman lay spread-eagle on a bed, the man’s head buried between her legs.

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Twofold Desires

“Like what you see, sweet Jill?” Leo kissed the back of her thigh as he caressed her swollen bud with his finger.

Her only answer was a moan.

“Lean forward, sweetheart, and brace yourself on the couch. Just like that. Good girl. Now spread your legs. God, you’re so damn beautiful.”

She did what he asked, her gaze flitting from him to the screen and back again.

Bending over with legs splayed, she gave him access to her beautiful pink pussy, wetness coating her swollen lips.

With tender care he placed his hands just above her knees, running upward, then back over her ass. Damn, she was gorgeous. He moved closer, inhaling deeply of her arousal. Pure, sweet honey. He had to have a taste.

Slowly, he outlined her lips with his tongue, then explored between them, the entrance to her cunt. Absolutely divine. He’d never tasted such lustful candy.

Swirling his tongue, drawing her juices into his mouth, he dove deeper. She gasped and fell to her elbows, her legs threatening to bend. He grasped her knees, supporting her weight and holding her to him. She was like a drug. The more he tasted her, the more she consumed him, the more he wanted to give her everything he had. A strange euphoria washed over him as she writhed and mewled under his exploration of her canal. He’d never found himself so wanting to please a woman that he felt his control waning. He could vaguely hear the onscreen lovers, the woman’s moans had turned to screams.