Witching Hour (10 page)

He watched her for a few devastating heartbeats before lifting his lips into a knowing grin. “A touch of pain makes the pleasure hotter, doesn’t it?”

She opened her mouth to deny his claim when he flicked her other nipple, squeezing hard enough to make black dots dance across her vision. She arched into the firm caress, silently begging for more.

He chuckled, kissing the taut bud. “You can deny it all you want, but your body is clearly telling me you enjoy riding that fine line.” He pushed up, hovering his face inches from hers. “I’d never hurt you, sweetheart. But I will enjoy pushing the boundaries just a bit.” He paused, his expression serious. “If you trust me. I understand if we need to work up to—”

She placed a finger over his lips. “You know I trust you. And with more than my life. And I’m game for whatever you have in mind…” She palmed his chest when he reared back. “As long as you allow me the same privileges.”

“Deal, though you might have to work to put me over your knee.”

She laughed at the image of him draped over her thighs. Hell, she doubted he’d even fit without half his body dragging on the floor. But just as the idea started to gain popularity in her mind, he scooted down, his hands falling to the waistband of her jeans. He smiled, somehow managing to undo them without ripping them, despite his previous warning. She lifted her hips, allowing him to push them and her panties over her hips and down her legs. He gave one final tug, yanking them off her feet as they joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. His gaze traveled the length of her, his jaw clenching as if he were trying to maintain his control. His movements looked forced as he took the time to shrug out of his shirt and slip off his jeans, bending to take both their socks off before trailing his fingers up her thighs, pausing to caress the soft spot behind her knees.

“God, Cal.”

“I’ll take that as your way of saying you’re enjoying yourself.” He inched his fingers higher, drawing them along the crease of her groin, moaning at the moisture she felt coating her skin. “Fuck. Jordan. You’re soaking wet. I never dreamed I’d excite you this much.” He drew a single finger through her crease, gathering the juice on his finger. “God, it smells more delicious than your skin. Let’s see how it tastes.”

She groaned as he sucked the digit into his mouth, swirling his tongue around his finger.

His eyes closed as a raspy hum vibrated from his chest. “Sweeter. But we both know I won’t be satisfied without a real taste.”

She inhaled, holding her breath as he slowly moved between her splayed thighs, nuzzling her mound before drawing his tongue along her slit, licking her from her ass to her cleft. His name left her lips on a sigh, her head pushing into the pillow. She wanted to stare at him. To draw her hands across the muscles she saw gleaming in the moonlight. Run her tongue along his shaft, feeling it pulse in her mouth. But everything blurred as he repeated his intimate caress, the room dimming to how his tongue danced around her clit, giving her fleeting passes across the knotted bud. He hummed against her wet flesh, the vibration making her stomach flutter as her orgasm curled inward, threatening to explode with the next caress.

“Cal. Baby, one more pass and I’m…”

Her voice became nothing more than a series of raspy groans as he suckled her clit, nipping at its fullness. Her body reacted, launching her higher, suspending her on that sweet ledge between anticipation and pure ecstasy.

He inched away just enough to make the sensations stall as he dropped kisses along her inner thigh. “It’s like you said. We’ve got all night. And I can’t think of a better way to spend it than watching you unravel in my arms over and over.”

“Yes.”

The word was torn from her chest as he slid one hand off her thigh to tease her sex with a hint of penetration. She opened her thighs wider, lifting her hips in an effort to meet his thrust, but he placed his other arm over her abdomen, keeping her pinned to the bed. The act only made her wetter, the thought that he was in complete control heightening her need.

“Shit, sweetheart. I’ve only restrained you with my arm and you’re creaming my hand. God, I can’t wait to tie you up.”

She cried out as the image pushed her higher still, followed by the slow glide of his finger into her sex. Her walls clenched around his invasion, trying to hold him inside only to quiver as he retreated, returning moments later with a second finger.

“So tight. So damn tight. God, I can’t wait until you squeeze my cock like that. I already know I won’t last long.”

She wanted to tease him back, but he picked that moment to thrust his fingers inside again, brushing her G-spot. Sparks flared behind her closed eyes as she trembled then broke, falling off the edge, crying his name as she convulsed beneath him, still trapped by his body. Cal kept stroking her, drawing out the orgasm until she collapsed on the bed, thighs falling open as her arms rested on the bed, her fingers releasing his hair.

Cal smiled as he rose above her, prowling up her body as if he were stalking her. Her chest heaved against his when he lowered himself on top of her, his lips crushing onto hers. But despite the intensity of the kiss, it was tender and loving, and the sheer beauty of it prickled tears in her eyes. She’d never felt so moved. So invested in something she’d always assumed was purely physical. She hadn’t dreamed it could be emotionally draining as well. That loving him would involve her heart and her brain even more than her body.

His eyes studied hers when she opened them after he’d pulled back, his hips snugged between hers. He frowned for a second then his mouth curled into a stunning smile. He leaned in, brushing his nose against hers. “I know. I feel it, too. The connection. The overwhelming need to have every inch of my body touching yours. So don’t worry you’re alone in this. I’m right there with you.”

A single tear escaped her lashes, but she knew the smile on her face told him she wasn’t sad. Instead, she levered up, claiming his mouth, wanting him to feel her need. He responded in kind, gently nudging her pussy with his shaft, waiting for her to grant him permission. She answered him with a tilt of her hips, easing the first inch inside her.

Her walls contracted, desperately trying to urge him deeper. But he took his time, claiming her one annoying inch at a time until she clawed at his back, her body on the verge of climaxing again.

“For the love of god, Cal, just take me already.”

He chuckled, avoiding her attempts to fully seat him inside her. “Patience. I want to feel every inch of you. Feel how hot and wet you are. How much you need me inside.” He pushed deeper, finally hitting home. “Fuck. So amazing. You feel so damn good.”

She drew in some quick breaths, trembling as the fire inside her crested, but didn’t quite go over. “More.”

It was all she could say. The only word that seemed to form on her tongue as she bit her lip to stop herself from begging him to fuck her. For him to lose control and pound into her.

He kissed her neck, whispering his desires. Telling her how much he wanted her as he drew his cock back through her slick folds, pausing with the crown rimmed inside before pushing back in, just as slowly as before.

“Damn. Cal. I need—”

“I know what you need, but I promise you this will make that final surrender so much bigger.”

She groaned, not sure she could survive anything bigger than he’d already given her when he bottomed out again, rubbing his pelvic bone against her clit. Speckled dots exploded across her field of view as he once again took her to the brink without sending her crashing over.

Tremors racked her body as it quivered on the brink, the anticipation damn near killing her. He retreated again, and she cried out as the sensations dimmed slightly, taking her release with it. Rough breaths filled the air as she fought against the desperation welling inside her as he paused at the edge again, waiting.

“So beautiful. You’re better than any fantasy, sweetheart.” He moved his lips to her mouth. “Now scream for me.”

Cal thrust into her, the hard entrance skyrocketing her back to the threshold, balancing her there as her breath caught and held, her body hinging on Cal’s next move. But he didn’t stop this time, plunging deep only to retreat then deep again, stealing any resistance she had left. Jordan screamed his name, the sound muffled by his mouth as he kissed her, tangling his tongue with hers. Her body unraveled around him, hips pumping, pussy spasming until all she knew was the pulse of her walls around his cock as he hit home again, shattering her fragile hold. She climaxed, more juice warming his shaft as he pistoned into her, his motion nothing more than a blur of skin against the backdrop of the ceiling. She shook through her release, easing back down when he stiffened in her arms, his cock emptying into her.

The roar of her name sent her over again, and she closed her eyes as the world darkened, her consciousness slipping away. He pumped into her several times, each stroke giving her more until he collapsed, his weight pushing her into the mattress as he did his best to bridge his body on his elbows.

She wrapped her arms around his back, holding him tight as her lungs struggled to draw enough air. She’d never experienced such a complete emotional release along with a physical one, and she wasn’t sure whether she was going to scream or cry. Cal seemed equally affected, his head bowed toward the bed as his rough breathing echoed in her ear. The sound soothed some of the rawness prickling at her senses, and she concentrated on the steady rhythm of his heart thudding against her chest.

Cal stayed poised above her for several minutes, his muscles twitching beneath her fingers before he took a deep breath, raising his head to gaze into her eyes. An easy smile graced his lips as he tilted his head, once again studying her from beneath a veil of lashes. “I’d say that was incredible, but I’m not sure that word is strong enough. You…” He sighed. “I’ve never felt anything close to that before. I guess I’ve just never made love before.”

The tears she thought she’d blinked away resurfaced, fading down her cheeks as she stared up at him. She palmed one hand on his jaw, knowing she could spend a lifetime looking at him and never see enough. Never know enough about him.

Cal dipped down, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that was more intimate than anything they’d shared. “Why don’t I run you a bath? Then we can get some sleep.”

She forced herself to swallow, giving him a loving smile. “Make it a shower and say you’ll join me, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

He snorted. “Damn, you drive a hard bargain, girl. But I think I can comply with your demands.”

He eased out of her and went to roll off when she tightened her hold. He glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow in question.

She released a slow breath, hoping she wouldn’t scare him. “I just need to hold you a bit longer.”

His gaze softened, and he shifted back, rearranging his arms until she was tucked between them, his chest grazing hers. “Better?”

“Much.”

“You do know I’m not going anywhere, right?”

“I know. It’s just…”

He kissed the edge of her mouth. “Me, too.”

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“Let’s see. The woman of my dreams wants me to hold her. And she’s naked. Pretty damn sure I don’t mind. Just don’t blame me when this turns into more. I’m only so strong.”

“I’ll cut you some slack.”

“Deal. Now how about another kiss?”

Chapter Seven

Cal relaxed on the bed, Jordan’s head tucked into the crook of his shoulder, her breath a soft whisper in the room. He’d held her for several minutes before she’d seemed ready to have them move into the bathroom, though even then she’d looked at him as if she wasn’t quite sure he was real. He’d made a point of staying close, touching her whenever she glanced his way, silently assuring her he wasn’t going anywhere.

The thought settled hard in his gut. She had every right to question his integrity, especially after he’d left her without so much as an explanation. Sure, he’d justified it in his mind, but now that he reexamined it, he saw it for what it was. Fear. But not just of his feelings for her. He’d been afraid Dave was right. That he really didn’t measure up to her, and that he’d simply be sentencing her to a life of mediocrity. That at some point, she’d realize that she’d settled for him because she’d been lost. Alone. That her feelings had been nothing more than a silly teenage crush.

He looked at her, running his fingers through her hair, smiling at the softness of the strands as they brushed along his skin. God she was beautiful, and not just physically. The way she gave all of herself. Her determination and self-sacrifice. Everything about her only added to her beauty and reminded him how lucky he was she’d been willing to give him a chance when he wasn’t even sure he deserved one.

Jordan snuffled, shifting in her sleep, laying her leg across his as her thigh brushed against his erection. Damn, one taste of her and it was as if his body had suddenly realized what it’d been missing. And despite the fact they’d made love again in the shower—her back pressed into the cold tile as she’d shouted his name, her pussy squeezing his shaft so tight he’d barely been able to move—he wanted her again. And not in a few hours or in the morning. Now. Wanted to watch her move over him, taking him at her pace.

He smiled when he recalled the way she’d accepted the dominant side of him. How just mentioning giving her a spanking or tying her to the bed had made her body flush with anticipation until he’d thought she might climax from the idea alone.

He sighed. Dave had been right about one thing. She was certainly more than he deserved, though he hoped that he’d eventually be able to show her that her trust hadn’t been misplaced. Though he had a bad feeling his only recourse would be solving the mystery of what the hell was haunting that house.

The thought sobered some of the arousal pooling in his groin. Though she’d captured some telling evidence on her recorder, they still weren’t any closer to discovering the motivation behind the attacks. Why the ghost lured people to their death, other than for the pure enjoyment of it. But while that was a possibility, he had a nagging suspicion there was far more at work here than a sadistic spirit. And he suspected the answer rested in whatever she’d discovered in the attic.