Trapped in Paradise (8 page)

“You’re not funny.”

“Yes I am.” She paused. “Jeremy’s one of the good guys, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s one of the good guys. Now just remember that when you’re sober.”

The cabin door opened. “I need to get off the phone.”

“Is Jeremy back?”

“It’s either Jeremy or a really long arm connected to a pizza box. Do you think an arm can be sexy?”

“Five years is too long to go without. Don’t eat too much, you’ll throw up. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Saundra disconnected.

Jeremy fully entered the room and went to the bedside. Yeah, five years was way too long in her estimation. Everything the man did had her ready to rip off his clothes.

“You and Miranda kiss and make up?”

“All is right in the Write sister world.” She drew in a deep breath.
Food, food, concentrate on the food, not the man carrying it.
“That smells delicious.”

He opened the box and displayed the most beautiful goat cheese, spinach, artichoke, mushroom and onion pizza she had ever seen in her life. Oh yeah, he was definitely a keeper.

“I’m still feeling queasy. I hope this doesn’t make a return performance.”

“You don’t drink much, do you?”

“No, not really. I can count the times I’ve had too much on three fingers.” She patted the bed beside her. “Eat with me.”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

The hunger in Saundra’s eyes was for more than the pizza she was devouring, but Jeremy couldn’t make love to her yet. When they made love, she would have a clear mind. Until then, he’d have to settle for ice cold showers. He lathered up the bar of soap and prepared for the long night ahead of holding the woman he loved without being able to make love with her.

His patience had already worn thin. Usually, when he saw what he wanted, he went for it.
I have to be me.
He smoothed the lather over his face. “I have to be me.”

They had done the impossible and fallen in love
romance-novel style. The how didn’t matter. All that mattered was she was his, and after tomorrow, she wouldn’t be able to live in denial any longer.

Chapter Six

Saundra lay in bed and watched Jeremy sleep. After his abrupt shower last night, he had crawled into bed with her without a word and held her until she’d fallen asleep. Just what she had needed.

With the rising of the sun came quite a bit of clarity. The points Miranda had made during their conversation had remained with her. She was only twenty and in a completely different frame of mind when she’d met Nathan than she was in now. But with as loopy as she’d been acting over the past few days, she wouldn’t blame Jeremy for running as fast and as far away as he could. Then add in Miranda on top with her brand of craziness. Any man in his right mind would avoid her family.

I have been seriously tripping.

In her mind, she’d been worried about the prospect of marriage with him, and the poor man hadn’t even said he wanted to be more than friends. Shoot, he hadn’t even tried to kiss her. Wright women had a tendency toward the melodramatic and easily blew things out of proportion. With her luck, she had done just that.

Her cell phone beeped, indicating a text message.

The caller ID brought a smile to her face.
Reba.

We won’t be angry if we don’t see you today! LOL

Entirely too crazy. I need to introduce her to Miranda.
She felt Jeremy stir behind her. She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see a glimpse of his firm butt as he entered the bathroom. Lord knew he could wear the hell out of a pair of briefs.

She dialed Reba’s number.

“What are you doing on this phone, woman? Did you leave that man in a towel again?” Reba teased.

“He’s in the shower.”
He has got to be the cleanest man ever.

“Ooooo, I see potential there. Girl, I need to work on you. Get off the phone and join him. Remember, condoms are your friends.” She disconnected.

I know she didn’t just hang up on me.
Shaking her head, she re-fluffed her pillow and rested. She had brushed her teeth and freshened up when she’d first woken over an hour ago, but she still didn’t feel like getting up and starting the day. Maybe by noon she’d be ready to head over to the conference and listen to one of the book discussions, but for now, she felt like being a slug.  

She didn’t know what to say to or do about Jeremy. Awkward was putting it lightly. She wished she could rewind the past forty-eight hours and start over or at least rewrite those chapters of her life.

Just as she was dozing off, she felt Jeremy’s strong arms spoon her close to his body. Both nights that he had held her, she’d felt his hardness against her backside. But always the gentleman, she also felt him backing away when he would wake. This time he didn’t back away, and she was glad.

This was the life. Within his arms, she felt loved. She rested her hand atop his. “I could stay here forever,” she whispered.

He nuzzled her neck, softly saying, “I owe you an apology.”

With the way her body warmed from the gentle grinding of his hardness, she couldn’t imagine what he wanted to apologize for.

“I haven’t been myself lately.” He nibbled along her ear lobe. She had forgotten how good it felt.

“How so?” She rolled over to face him.

Gazing deep into her eyes, he said, “If I were myself, I would have told you yesterday that I’ve fallen in love with you.”

He took her bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled until she tingled. He had this nibbling thing down. The sensations going through her body had her so rattled, she couldn’t even comment on what he had said. These sensations had nothing to do with the five-year hiatus she’d had from sex. She had never experienced anything like this before and knew she would never again with anyone else. Jeremy was truly her king. This would be the first time she actually made love.

“I love you.” She pulled back. “I have since you rescued my luggage from Senior Rude.”

“That long?”

“Well, maybe not until you wanted to sample each other’s meals at the restaurant.” Her eyes traveled along his athletic torso, enjoying every ripple.  Not too large or too small, just right.  She pulled her still sensitive bottom lip into her mouth. “Where do we go from here?” she asked nervously.

“Shhhhhh.” He cupped her face in his hands, bent, and brushed his lips over hers. 

The light yet potent bushing touched her core and left her wanting, needing more.  Heart and mind racing, she slowly took his bottom lip into her mouth and suckled.

He moaned his satisfaction of her boldness, wrapped his arms around her and took control of the kiss.  She opened freely and tasted every succulent inch of his mouth. Overwhelmed, she backed away to catch her breath.   

He returned his oral assault to her ear, softly saying, “Do you want me to stop?” He slipped his large hand under her T-shirt and fondled her breast.

If he stopped, there
would
be a problem. A half-sighed, half-moaned “No,” was the best she could manage as he pulled the T-shirt over her head and tossed it to the side. Every kiss laid on her bare shoulder disseminated warm waves of passion throughout her body. He lowered himself and took one of her caramel peaks into his mouth licking, flicking, caressing her into full submission. 

Saundra grew weak in his arms. He had melted her, and she couldn’t believe it would get any better. But better it became as his thick fingers nudged her panties to the side, then entered her. Nathan and the other man she had been with were straight missionary style with little to no foreplay. This new experience excited and worried her. What if she couldn’t pleasure him as he pleasured her?

As if he sensed her trepidation, he murmured, “It’s all right, baby.” He suckled along her inner thigh as he removed her panties, causing her legs to tremble with need. “You’re hot and wet for me.” He took off his briefs and lay proudly with his hardness resting heavily against her thigh. “Feel me.” 

Holding him, she wanted to do a whole lot more than touch him. Power, a throbbing power was in her hand. A throbbing that matched the throb between her legs. With her hand wrapped around him, she slowly stroked from tip to base, base to tip and repeated the motion.

“That’s it,” he groaned more than said. His fingers slipped into her and continued doing their fancy work. Just as she thought she couldn’t stand the intensity anymore, he proved her wrong.

His mouth joined his fingers in a beautiful duet of ecstasy. With every flick and lick of his tongue, sensually charged shards shot through her, sending her into a tailspin.  She reached to grasp something, anything before she blew away. He held her waist down and continued his siege until her climax knocked her breath away. Once she returned to earth, he seared a trail of kisses from her panty line, along her waist, between her breasts, along her neck to her ear.

“I love it when you cry out for me.”

Dazed and heart beating dangerously fast, she said, “Teach me how to do the same for you.”  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a deep, passionate kiss.  He eased his hand beneath her and spun them both over so she’d be on top.

A quick study, while stroking him with her hand, she began with her mouth on his chest. Strokes, licks, flicks, caresses, and kisses pushed him into the frenzy he’d put her in. Power, an odd sense of power flowed through her.

She lowered herself and examined him carefully. “I’m sorry, I’ve never done this before.”  She touched his tip with her tongue and swirled the wetness.  “Umm salty.”  She licked off the rest, then peeked up and connected with the passion in his eyes. Bev had been correct. Not all heat meant fire, and this form of burning was quite good.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “You look strained.”

“No, baby,” he caressed her back, “continue exploring. It feels good.”

She suckled along his shaft, then took him into her mouth.  She’d seen this done, but actually doing it sent a rush through her.  In, out, deeper, umm she could do this all day. Before long, she figured out how to stroke him with her hand and work her mouth and tongue at the same time. 

His fingers weaved through the curls in her hair to her scalp and massaged. “I don’t want you to stop, but I need for you to stop.” He pulled her up by the arms and flipped them over so he’d be on top. 

Having such a large man over her didn’t intimidate her in the least, especially since that man was her king. He reached over to the dresser and grabbed a condom. He must have placed them there after his shower, because she hadn’t noticed them before. He opened the packet and protected them both, then positioned himself between her legs.