Chapter
Seven
Deke
woke to the sound of the morning doves cooing outside the cabin and the feel of gentle fingers drifting over his lower back.
Jessie
’
s fingers. Touching
his scars.
One by one, he forced his muscles to relax under her touch
and let go of the tension in his body
.
Warm lips pressed between his shoulder blades
as she nuzzled him there
.
“
Morning.
”
He turned his head
, enjoying the sight of
her
all tousled from sleeping
with him
in his bed
.
“
Mornin
’
.
”
She watched her fingers move over his skin.
“
What happened?
You never told me.
”
Her hand stroked slow and gentle, then firmer. It felt good.
Relaxing
.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself the
simple
pleasure of
enjoying
her touch.
“
Landed wrong during a HALO jump.
”
“
Is that the kind where you jump out of high altitude airplanes?
”
“
Yeah.
”
He grinned.
“
Y
ou been doing some research
?
”
“
You know how much I love my laptop. Google is my friend
,
”
s
he
teased. Then she
shrugged.
“
Actually
,
I read
that
Spec
ial
Ops
magazine on
your bathroom
counter
while I was in the tub
last night
.
I found it v
ery informative.
”
Deke chuckled. That was so like her, to do research on his background. He liked that she was so interested in what he
’
d done
,
because he was damn proud of his time in the military.
“
It was a night jump into a high mountain
landing zone
.
I f
ractured a few vertebrae in my low
er
back and destroyed a
couple
discs.
Medevac didn
’
t happen until morning, then they transferred me to Germany.
”
H
e hadn
’
t been able to feel or move his legs
the whole time
. H
e
’
d been terrified
he
’
d
wind up
permanently
paralyzed
.
“
Took two surgeries to get everything back into place.
”
He was lucky to be walking, much less functioning as well as he did. The pain he suffered
on a daily basis
was nothing compared to spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair
,
like so many of the other patients he
’
d seen.
Jess
ie
’
s
touch never changed, a steady
,
soothing rhythm over his
lower back
.
“
Was it in Afghanistan?
”
“
Ye
ah. Last February
.
”
H
e bra
ced himself for
more
questions about
it or
his ex-wife,
but h
er fingers trailed lower, over his
ass
.
“
And what about these green feet tattooed back here?
”
“
It
’
s a PJ thing. My class got them when we graduated.
”
“
What
’
s it signify?
”
“
The Jolly Green Giant. It
’
s a nickname for
the Pave Low
helicopters,
before they got pulled from
service. Tradition started with some of our guys back in
‘
Nam.
”
The mattress shifted as she moved, and then he felt the brush of her long hair over his
backs of his
thighs
. She placed both hands on his lower back just above his ass, and leaned forward to press her lips to the scars. Already semi-erect, his cock went rock hard when she flic
ked her moist tongue against his skin
.
“
Are you trying to kiss and make it better?
”
“
Something like that.
”
Her tongue laved over the scars to the top of his right butt cheek, where she nipped lightly
at the tattoo
.
“
Is it working?
”
“
Think so.
”
In answer, Jessie nuzzled and kissed her way up his spine until her warm breat
h fanned the nape of his neck. Then s
he stretched out on top of him, blanketing h
im with her smooth, soft body.
Christ
,
she felt good
.
Her hands trailed over his shoulders and arms, squeezing and kneading like she couldn
’
t get enough of feeling his muscles. Another huge turn on.
“
Anything else you
’
d like me to kiss?
”
The corners of his lips tugged up in a smile.
“
Yeah
.
”
“
Mm
m
, good.
I
’
m hungry.
”
He knew s
he
’
d loved sucking his cock last night
,
and
by the sounds of it
,
she was
more than
eager to do it again
. How fucking hot was that?
Wearing a grin, he turned over
,
and her gaze instantly went to his
rock-
hard
erection. Her hand curled around him, cool and soft. Delicious
.
He bit back a groan and wrapped his fingers around hers, guiding her hand over him in slow, firm strokes
, showing her what he wanted
. Her eyes flared with instant desire
,
and she bent toward him, bringing her delectable mouth toward his aching flesh
.
He threaded one hand into her curls and palmed the back of her head,
the other
holding his
erect
cock up
for
her mouth. Those luscious pink lips parted, and the sight of her moist tongue gliding over them made his erection jerk
.
His eyes closed
at
her
first
delicate
kiss
on
the sensitive head
, every muscle in his body drawn taut with anticipation.
Then his
land line
rang.
Deke growled in annoyance.
He didn
’
t want to answer it, but it was barely dawn.
Through the dissipating fog of lust, u
nease
bloomed in his chest. Gently easing Jessie away, he r
olled over and grabbed
the phone
. When he saw
Dillon
’
s
number, his heart beat faster
and he answered
it
.
“
What
’
s wrong?
”
“
I need you to do a perimeter check with me.
”
Deke swung his legs over the side of the bed
, instantly on alert
.
“
Why, what happened?
”
“
Someone
’
s been trespassing again. I
found some fences cut, some
cattle missing. A
couple poorly
tended bonfires and plenty of empty beer cans.
”
“
Shit.
”
They hadn
’
t had much rain so far this spring
,
and the ground was
unusually
dry.
Stupid teenagers could
’
ve set the whole ranch on fire.
Jessie sat up
with a worried frown
and put a hand on his shoul
der
. He
took it automatically and squeezed it
to reassure her
.
“
Why the hell didn
’
t you call me?
”
he growled.
“
I just did.
”
Yeah, the morning after
.
“
Jesus Christ
,
you
’
re a
stubborn bastard.
”
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration
.
“
Yea
h
, it
’
s genetic
.
Meet me at the corral in ten.
”
Deke hung up and reached for his clothes
.
“
What
’
s going on?
”
Jessie asked
, an anxious frown creasing her forehead
.
H
e
told her
, squeez
ing
her shoulder to reassure her
.
“
E
verything
’
s fi
ne now.
Whoever it was
is long gone by now.
I wouldn
’
t leave you here if I wasn
’
t sure you
’
d be safe, but call
the lodge
if you need us
. They can get hold of us on our walkie talkies
.
”
Tugging his shirt over his head, he bent
and gave
her a swift kiss.
“
Not sure when I
’
ll be back.
”
“
It
’
s okay. Go.
”
Dillon
had
Deke
’
s
horse saddled and ready when Deke got to the corral.
With one look at his big brother
’
s haggard face,
most of
Deke
’
s anger drained away.
The g
uy looked like shit
,
and
with the shadows beneath his blue eyes,
evidently
he
hadn
’
t slept in a while
.
Deke shook his head.
“
You shoulda called me
last night
.
”
Dillon
handed him the reins and looked away.
“
Ready to do this?
”
“
Hell yeah.
”
Armed with rifles, they started out to begin the security sweep and
Dillon
finally filled him in on all the details.
Including
the part when he found
a bunch of
bullet casings amongst
all
the empties
.
But h
ad the stubborn idiot called for backup
after that
? No. He
’
d gone and fixed the breaks in the fence by flashlight, gone and rounded up the missing cattle by himself
,
despite knowing
drunken
trespassers
might be out there with
loaded
weapons
.
Dillon
was a deadly shot and
would never check the perimeter without being armed, but that wasn
’
t the point.
Deke
’
s jaw got tighter and tighter
as he stewed
, until he thought he might crack a molar.
“
Before you say it, I
wasn
’
t going
to call y
ou in the middle of the night over some punk teenagers
,
”
Dillon
muttered
.
Deke
glared at him.
“
Yeah. Drunk,
armed
teenagers.
”
He shook his head.
Dillon
shrugge
d.
“
I figured you and Jessie had already had enough excitement for
one
night. I had
the situation under
control.
”
When
Dillon
used
that
clipped tone, Deke knew the conversation was over.
They rode the fence line in silence until Deke
decided to test
the waters.
“
So. How are things with you and
Charissa
?
”
His brother
’
s shoulders bunched up like Deke had punched him.
“
Fine, I guess.
”
“
Oh, that good?
”
Dillon
’
s
blue eyes hardened like steel, but not before Deke caught a
shocking
flash
of
pain there.
“
Leave it alone.
”
“
Okay. Sorry, man.
”
Damn. H
is big brother had fallen, and hard. The landing seemed to have just about killed him, but obviously
Dillon
was through with
any
conversation
about the mysterious
Charissa
.
The midday sun beat dow
n on them, creating shimmering heat waves on the ground
. Deke raised his hat and wiped a forearm across his damp forehead. Nothing tripped his radar while they finished the sweep, and he was glad.
“
You and Jessica seem to be pretty intense,
”
Dillon
said as they started the trip back to the corral.
It surprised Deke his brother would say anything about it.
“
Yeah.
”
Intense was right. She
’
d wormed her way inside him good and tight
, and he had no idea what to do about that. They had less than a day left together. All he wanted was to ride back to his cabin and feel her naked and willing beneath him as he
made her surrender to the need eating at
them both
.
The horses plodded along at a steady pace, their gleaming coats streaked with sweat.
“
You
’
re right,
”
Dillon
finally muttered
, staring
out at
the rolling hills.
“
I should
’
ve called you.
I
’
m sorry.
”
Deke glanced at him in
shock
, then chuckled.
Somewhere beneath them
, Hell had just frozen over.
“
How
’
d those words taste
coming
out of your mouth
?
”
Dillon
’
s
grim
expression
transformed
in
to
a reluctant grin.
“
Like shit.
”
****
Jessie smiled
in relief
when the door opened and Deke came in
,
holding a brown paper bag
.
“
Where
’
ve you been?
Is everything okay?
”
she asked as she wrapped
herself around him.
Almost five hours had passed, and she
’
d been worried about him.
His arms closed around her, hugging tight.
“
Everything
’
s fine.
I had to
check the perimeter with
Dillon
and then run into San Antonio
. Sorry it took so long.
”
“
You
’
re forgiven.
”
She sighed against his chest, content to stay there forever.
He felt amazing, and
knowing he cared about her warmed her
inside
.
His eyes twinkled with mischief
when she looked up at him
.
“
What?
”
she demanded.
“
I bought you something while I was in town today.
”
He set the
bag on the table.
She released him and stepped back, eyeing the gift.
“
What is it?
”
A smile played around the corners of his mouth.
“
You
’
ll see.
”
She knew that tone.
“
Is it going to make me blush?
”
“
Oh
,
yeah
.
”
He wound a hand around her nape and tugged her close for a kiss.
“
But you
’
ll love it in the end.
”
Okay, t
hat sounded
…
foreboding
. She frowned
, but h
e
merely
laughed and kissed her
forehead
before covering her mouth with his. She melted and opened for the soft stroke of his tongue, every nerve ending in her body magically sparkling to life.
He tasted like coffee and cinnamon and smelled like sin.
The man was addictive. After one night in his arms s
he felt transformed. Free. S
he wanted more of
the
tender, dominant lovemaking
he
’
d showed her
.
He pulled off her tank top and jeans, and when he saw her black push-up bra and barely-the
re lace thong, his eyes flared l
ike the blue flame of a match
strike.
She stayed absolutely still
and watched him undress her,
loving the hunger in his expression. A muscle flexed in his jaw as he
let
her bra
fall to
the floor and hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties to tug them down her legs. She was already wet and tingling from the feel of his eyes on her and the confident touch of his hands.
Deke
yanked back the sheets and
tugged her down
on the bed. Straddling her hips,
he stripped off his shirt, baring the hard planes of his torso
to her ravenous gaze
. He smiled at the hungry sound she made and let her pet him for a moment before seizing her wrists and pinning them on either side of her head. She pouted up at him, but he only chuckled and kissed her
, his tongue an erotic rasp against hers
.
When he
finally
lifted his head, his gaze was intense and thoughtful.
“
Know what a safeword is?
”
She stilled beneath him, her playful
mood
evaporating
und
er a rush of shock. A
safeword
?
“
Why
? A
m I going to need one?
”
A shiver of
apprehension rippled through her
.
Deke
’
s smile widened as he held her gaze.
“
Maybe.
That make you nervous?
”
“
Of course it makes me nervous.
”
“
But you trust me.
”
The beguiling, seductive note in his voice sent prickles of heat racing over her skin.
Her stomach was too tense for her to get
a full breath of air.
“
Yes,
”
she admitted in a whisper, feeling
as if
she
’
d already crossed some invisible boundary.
He
’
d been nothing but gentle with her so far, and while the fear of the unknown unsettled her, she was too curious to see what he had in mind.
The erotic possibilities
made her hot.
“
Good.
Your safe word is
‘
red light
.
’”
God, was she really going to do this?
She stared up at him, gauging his
expression
, and it took her a moment to respond
.
“
All right.
”
A lingering uncertainty mixed with her arousal, making her heart pound.
He sat up and
climbed off the bed
, crossin
g
the room
to collect something. She heard a crinkling sound, and when he turned back to her he held the paper bag and the
belt from her robe in his
big hands. Her eyes widened
as she braced on her elbows.
Her heart rate accelerated
.
“
Um
…”
She wasn
’
t sure if she was ready for this.
Deke
knelt at her feet
and
held out a hand expectantly.
As
though
he
already
assumed she
’
d
obey.
“
Give me your wrist.
”
His voice was low. Calm.
Jessica couldn
’
t take her eyes off the pink terrycloth strip in his other hand. It was soft, so it wouldn
’
t cut
into her skin
, but still. What he was asking
for
pushed the fragile trust between them to the limit.
“
You use your safeword and I stop, Jess. No questions asked.
”
Her throat felt dry all of a sudden.
“
What are you going to do
?
”
“
G
ive
you what you need.
”
The quiet words made her pussy clench.
Once again, he
’
d ripped another fantasy right out of her head.
How did he know
these secret parts of
her so well
?
He raised his hand and stroked a finger down the length of her nose.
“
Now give me
your
wrists, Jess.
”
The controlled dominance in his expression and body language allowed her to release a steadying breath.
Slowly, she sat up and extended her wrists
.
“
Thank you
.
”
Deke kissed one before firmly tying
the robe belt around it. She held her breath as she lifted the other, expecting him to do the same thing. But he surprised her yet again.
“
Lie down, sugar.
”
Watching him uncertainly
, she stretched out on her back
. He reached beneath her and pulled the belt under her hips before grasping her other wrist and tying it in place. Jessie
’
s heart beat so hard she was sure he could hear it. Both her wrists were anchored at her hips, and she couldn
’
t move them because her weight trapped the belt beneath her. The ties weren
’
t uncomfortable, but he
’
d fastened them snugly enough that she felt the pressure around her wrists
.
Under his watchful gaze
,
she wriggled a bit, testing the bonds. The feeling of helplessness expanded, building the trepidation and making everything more v
ivid. The feel of the soft belt
,
the cool sheets beneath her
,
Deke
’
s delicious scent teasing her nostrils.
The threat of the unknown
stretched out before her
, a dark aphrodisiac waiting to be sampled
.
He laid a hand on her bel
ly, absorbing the
jump
of her muscles
, and looked into her eyes.
The naked lust in that sapphire gaze made her shiver. Sexual power rolled
off him
in waves, battering her heightened senses
.
“
What
’
s your safeword, Jess?
”
She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat.
“
Red light.
”
“
Use it if you need to.
”
He
reached out
to stroke a finger from her throat to her pubic bone. His touch was light and warm,
but it sent goose bumps scattering over her chilled skin.
He continued to caress her, moving to her breasts and her hard, sensitized nipples. When he bent his head to cover one with his mouth, she couldn
’
t hold back an excited moan. Her fingers
splayed onto the sheets, curling into the bedding even as she wished she could cradle his head the way she had last night
.
While he kissed and nibbled on her breasts, one hand slid down to her inner thighs and
played there until she was wet and breathing fast, her legs
moving
restlessly.
“
Want
more?
”
She nodded, heart racing.
“
Put your feet flat on the bed.
”
She drew her knees up and planted her feet on the mattress, trying to lift her hips
,
but he held her down with a firm hand
on her stomach
.
“
Lie still
.
”
His mouth traced a burning path over her breasts to her stomach where he paused to tongue her navel as his fingers brushed against the slick heat between her thighs. Jessica moaned and lifted
into his touch
, asking for more, but he ignored her and continued to dip his tongue into her belly button, sending an arc of heat to her throbbing clit
.
Those big hands
slipped
to her inner thighs to press them apart as he moved between them, holding them open with his shoulders. The warmth of his breath washed over her pulsing flesh as he stared at her, examining her more intimately than any other man ever had. She held her breath and waited,
blushing
,
her body wound so tight her thighs quivered.
“
So pretty, Jess.
”
Then he bent and placed a slow, hot kiss to her open folds
.
The
touch of his mouth se
t
off
a burst of light in front of her eyes.
She arched up with a cry
,
but he controlled her hips easily, holding her in place while he kissed and nibbled her labia.
He
growled
against her
folds
, the sound hungry and male
.
Primal.
The ache of arousal grew to a throbbing pitch, her waxed flesh a hundred times more sensitive than normal
.
When she was trembling and squirming in his grip, Deke finally opened his mouth and licked
up the length of her
pussy
, a slow, soft stroke that made her gasp and shudder. His wicked tongue circled the hard bud of her clit, stroking first one side, then the other. Jessica squeezed her eyes shut and opened her legs more,
silently
begging him not to stop. He licked her tenderly, keeping the rhythm light and steady when he found the place that made her moan and twist in helpless pleasure
.
Then he pushed
a
finger into her
pussy
to rub the
spot
that magnified everything, and she called his name, the
beginnings of
orgasm rising strong and bright
deep in her
core
. His c
lever fingers found one
rigid
nipple and rolled it while he ate
at
her,
all the while
fucking her with that maddening
ly slow
finger.
The world dissolved around her in a blur of shadow and light, her release right there,
just
out of reach.
His tongue softened
and lifted
at exactly the wrong moment.
“
No,
”
she whispered, opening her eyes to stare at him pleadingly
.
“
Not yet,
”
he answered,
reaching
with his free hand
for the paper bag next to him. It crinkled as he drew something out. A bottle. The cap made a popping sound as he undid it and squeezed some sort of gel onto his fingers. Before she
could
think about it, he bent and began lapping at her
exposed
clit again
.
“
Ohh,
”
she sighed, straining gently against her bonds
, wanting to draw him closer
. His finger
surged
into her again, finding and
rubbing that hot glow
inside her core
.
Then his other fingers touched
lower
, between her
butt cheeks
.
Her eyes flew open, her whole body going rigid
in shock
.
“
Deke, no.
”
She tried to snap her knees together, but he didn
’
t let her.
Wedged deep between her thighs, D
eke met her gaze as he licked her
sex
and spread the cool gel over her anus.
She shook her head, heart beating frantically in her chest.
“
Deke, don
’
t—
”
“
Shh,
”
he murmured against her throbbing clit
, closing his lips around it to suck gently
.
The
intense
pleasure dimmed under the rising tide of fear.
Frozen with disbelief, she fought the panic
growing
inside her. She was totally at his
mercy. Couldn
’
t move her arms. Couldn
’
t move her legs
, and
even if she could have,
he was twice as strong as
she
was
.
Jessie
could feel
the blood drain from her face. The light
stroke
of his fingers
against that
forbidden spot
made her flinch an
d try to shrink from his touch. The knowledge of what he was doing filled
her with embarrassment
.
Her safeword trembled on the tip of her tongue, crowding her mouth and throat. Would he stop if she used it? He
’
d promised to stop, but what if he didn
’
t?
Still holding her gaze,
Deke
licked slow and gentle across h
er aching flesh, watching her
carefully
. She opened her mouth
to protest
, and h
e stopped
smoothing the gel over her. S
he sagged in relief, closing her eyes. God, for a minute she thought he
’
d
keep
go
ing and
—
His tongue stroked over her in the most delicious way at the same moment
a long
finger plunged into her vagina. Her whole body tightened under the lash of pleasure.
“
Yes,
there,
”
she panted.
Oh God, so close
…
Then something
cold and firm nudged against her anus
.
She squeaked
and tried to jerk her hips away
but he held her there
, eyes dark and knowing while he
continued to tease
her
with his tongue
.
Her fists clenched the covers.
What was he
trying to push
into her
?
“
Stop.
”
The pressure eased, but he didn
’
t pull away.
His hot gaze pinned her as surely as his hands while
the toy pressed against her tender opening and his tongue tormented her
pulsing clit
.
“
No
.
”
S
he shook her head frantically, every muscle drawn tense, the pleasure rapidly fading under the wave of fear
and shame
threatening to engulf her
.
He didn
’
t remove the toy
,
but he lifted his head a fraction, away from her aching clit.
His
gaze
delved into hers
, dark and
hot
.
“
Does it hurt?
”
He moved
the toy
against her, rubbing
it
easily through the
slick
lubrication, s
ending
a flurry of
unwanted tingles through her.
It didn
’
t hurt yet
, but it would. She
’
d tried anal sex twice
before
, and both times it had been awful. She
’
d wound up bleeding
, and sore for days afterward
.
“
I—
”
Her voice fractured when he flicked his tongue across her straining clit.
The toy teased her
anus
while his
finger
slid leisurely
in and out of her
pussy
, making her tremble with
trepidation and need
.
Holding her gaze,
Deke
’
s
low voice brushed over her
like soft, black velvet
.
“
Would I hurt you, Jess?
”
No
, she knew he wouldn
’
t
. Not intentionally. She
shivered
, torn between wanting to please him and wanting him to stop.
It was embarrassing, to want what he was doing to her. But h
e seemed so sure she
’
d like this if she gave it a chance. He
’
d been right every time so far. And she always had the safeword if she couldn
’
t
handle what he wanted
.
As if he sensed her
uneasy
surrender, his
gaze
warmed with approval.
“
Just
close your eyes and
feel, baby.
”
He lowered his head and licked her again, igniting the
banked
fire in her body.
Despite her reluctance, h
er hips lifted in a silent plea.
Forcing herself to keep breathing, she dropped back and closed her eyes, trying to relax.
Just feel. Don
’
t think.
He
licked
her
pussy
gently until
the pleasure threatened to drown her and
she writhed against the sheets, little whimpers clawing from her throat. The toy
between her buttocks
pressed
more firmly
into her tight rosette
, barely breaching the tight ring of muscle. She bit back a moan
of startled pleasure
, shivering in his
hold
.
“
Shh. Let it feel good.
”
She clung to his silken voice and fought to relax.
His tongue felt so good on her clit
, but everything else he was doing felt wonderful
,
too
.
The toy slid in deeper, a fraction of an inch. Her breath caught.
Nerve endin
gs
she
’
d never known she
had
sparked to life
.
The
stretching
sensation was strange, but not painful.
It felt
…
warm and sent little ripples of pleasure through her, intensified by the steady caress of his tongue.
She shook in confusion
.
She shouldn
’
t want this. It was
so naughty.
Yet
,
t
he closer he brought her to the edge with his
mouth
, the more her body wanted to be filled
and didn
’
t care
which opening he
chose
. Her hips began moving involuntarily, pushing against
the
finger buried inside her and against the toy. Combined with the attention
to
her clit, the slow stretching sent
streamers of
bliss streaking through her. It was h
ot. Forbidden. Incredible
to be filled this way
.
A soft moan
of sensual distress
escaped
her
.
“
That
’
s
right
,
Jess.
Give in
to it,
”
he murmured against her.
She barely heard him
, too lost in sensation to care, any thoughts of using her safeword long gone.
He had her stretched on a rack of pleasure, dying for
the moment he sent her flying. With one last nudge
,
h
e lodged the toy firmly inside her
,
and h
er head tossed against the sheet
as pleasure tore into her
.
Deep. Intense.
She groaned in helpless response.
“
Mmm, there you go.
Good girl.
”
His tongue caressed her
tormented
clit, a tender reward.
The
dual
sensation was indescribable.
Need clawed at her.
Too sharp to bear.
He couldn
’
t leave her this way.
“
Deke
…”
His name was a desperate plea for release.
“
I need—
”
“
I know
, sugar.
”
He took her swollen clit into his mouth and sucked gently, ripping a primal growl
from
her throat.
His finger pumped in and out
of her rippling pussy
while his other hand gently
pumped
the toy
in
her ass
.
Sensation swamped her.
Lit
tle cries spilled from her lips, soft, pleading.
“
Don
’
t stop,
”
she begged
breathlessly
, beyond caring what she look
ed like o
r what she was letting
him do
.
“
Don
’
t stop—
Ohh
…”
Every muscle in her body clenched as ecstasy
suddenly
exploded inside her. She screamed, hips bucking, demanding every ounce of pleasure he could give. It rolled through her in a shockwave that left her limp and gasping, trembling from head to foot.
When she came back to earth
,
she opened her eyes to find him shucking his jeans and underwear.
Before she could say anything
,
he climbed up next to her and cradled her face between his hands.
“
You
’
re so beautiful,
”
he whi
spered and kissed her
.
Jessica raised her head to meet him, opening her
mouth
for the caress of his tongue, stroking it, sucking on it.
Still hot, and desperate for more.
She tasted the tangy-sweet
flavor
of her
own arousal and the heady
essence
that was all Deke.
S
hift
ing
, she felt the toy
still
buried inside her
ass
, and
it made her feel
wicked. W
anton.
The hunger rushed back with a vengeance
, making her want to eat him alive. She wanted all of him, inside her.
Now
.
His hands buried in her hair, tightening for a moment before
he tilted
her head back. The instant his lips and tongue touched her throat, she moaned and moved restlessly. He nibbled and sucked on her nipples, and the glow of arousal between her thighs burst
back
into flames.
How did he do this to her? She
’
d never known she could feel like this
.
When his fingers slipped
between her folds
to stroke
and tease
,
she cried
out, a high, thin wail of need.
More. She needed more. Her hands twisted against the belt holding her arms captive, frustrating her, driving her need higher.
Moving with maddening patience,
Deke
followed the path
of his hands
with his mouth, his tongue soothing and inflaming at the same time. Licking gently over the top of her cleft, he pressed deeper and curled
his tongue
around her pulsing clit
.
“
Deacon.
”
“
Shh.
”
He pushed her thighs wider apart and lapped at her greedily until she thought she
’
d die.
Shaking when he finally pulled away, she watched through glazed eyes as he ripped open
a condom and rolled it onto
the head of his cock
. Her
pussy walls
squeezed hard
as she stared at his thick
shaft
,
frantic
to feel him inside her
.
Deke knelt between her legs and took himself in hand to rub against her slick opening.
She yanked against the belt, but got nowhere.
“
Untie my hands,
”
she
begged.
She wanted to be part of this when he took her for the first time
, wanted to hold onto him
.
“
Lie still.
”
He
caressed her clit with his finger as he
pushed
the
broad
head
of his cock
into her, bringing her hips off the bed.
She needed. She
ached
.
Her fingers grasped at
the quilt beneath her.
She wanted to touch him, hold him as he
pushed
into
her. Took her.
Fucked her.
“
Deke,
please
…”
Dark blue eyes stared down at her, the
ir
depths filled with
naked longing.
Then
,
with a swift tug
at her wrists
,
he undid the knots and freed her
. With a sob of relief, Jessie wrapped her arms and leg
s
around him to draw him close, curling her whole body around him. Trying to absorb him.
Deke growled low in his throat and pressed her into the mattress with
his weight, pinning
her there for a moment
as though
to
remind her
who was in control. Easing up
finally
, he shifted his weight and buried
his
wide
cock
with one
smooth
thrust
. She threw her head back on a wild moan, trying to breathe through the incredible sensations tearing through her.
She felt so full. So deliciously full and
hot.
And c
he
rished. E
very part of her
caressed
and
attended to
.
Raising on his arms, Deke
kissed her
and fisted her hair with one hand
, rubbing her tongue with his as he
began
thrusting
.
He moaned into her mouth.
The
steady
, controlled pumping hit every pleasure point and magnified the feel of the toy still stretching her
rectum
.
He
swallowed her broken
whimper
. Tightening his hold on her hair, he
slid a hand between them to caress her pulsing clit.
She let out a feral cry and dug her fingers into his back, wanting to scream and claw. The unrelieved
pressure
was too intense. Too much. Tears burned her eyes. She shook her head, battling to hold onto herself while he stripped away every barrier
with his
measured
strokes.
“
Ah, Jess,
shh,
”
he whispered, voice
rough
with pleasure
.
“
Feel how good it is
, baby.
”
He was killing her
with sensation
, pulling her apart inside. She was too afraid to let go, kn
owing she
’
d shatter
if she did
.
But the pleasure was too amazing. Too addictive.
Unbearable, and yet not enough. It would never be enough.
She clenched her eyes shut
,
but a tear escaped
and
trickled
over her temple.
Deke
kissed it away, his big body dominating her,
pumping fast,
taking her
up
on the
inexorable
climb to ecstasy.
Her fingers bit into his back, feeling the muscles ripple and shift with each
powerful
thrust
of his hips
. Building the heat and the incredible friction
. She couldn
’
t take it. Could
barely
hold
back the scream rising in her throat
.
The hand in her hair
held fast
,
the slight sting on her scalp heightening her pleasure as
his strokes gr
ew
more
forceful. T
he
licking touch over
her clit
threatened to make
her lose her mind
, but then his voice anchored her
.
“
Let go, Jess. I
’
ve got you.
”
No.
No, he didn
’
t understand
.
His fingers
slid
more firmly
over her
, stroking her in a ceaseless rhythm along with
the heavy length of
his cock
filling her and retreating
. She let out a high sob and shook her head.
Deke
’
s lips brushed against her cheek, her temple.
“
You
’
re safe, baby.
”
His voice was hoarse, strained
as he pinned her beneath his powerful body
.
“
Just let go.
”
Oh God, he was killing her with sensation and tenderness. Breaking her heart and
not
even realizing
it
.
He
determinedly
pushed her higher until she couldn
’
t hold back the agonized cries.
The pleasure burned like fi
re while the tide of emotion
crashed over her in a dark wave.
She
threw her head back and
screamed
as
t
he orgasm hit her. Her body bucked
as the first pulses began, shaking her in an endless storm of pleasure
. T
he room sheeted to white
.
Release
tore through her in wrenching, endl
ess waves while she clung to him
. Above her, Deke thrust deep
a few
more
times
and roared in ecstasy
.
As she came back to herself
with his hard weight atop her
, she realized her
cheeks were wet with tears. Q
uiet sobs shook her chest, and that was embarrassing enough. B
ut the gaping hole in her
heart
scared the hell out of her
.
Deke
withdrew and
gathered her up in his arms. Reversing
their positions,
he held
her securely against his chest
and tried to soothe her
.
Turning her head into his broad shoulder, Jessie pressed her face against his hot skin and held on, trembling all over.
Famished for the reassurance he offered, her fingers dug into the muscles on either side of his spine as she battled to get herself together. This had all started as some sort of game for both of them. A test, to see if she had the guts to try out her fantasies. Now she lay in Deke
’
s arms completely destroyed, desperate for the comfort he offered.
She felt lost and inexplicably
reliant
on him.
The thought of going back to her lif
e without him stripped her bare and sent a fresh flood of tears to her eyes.
She tried to pull away, but he stopped her.
“
Shh
, c
’
mere
.
”
He nuzzled her temple
, his strong arms warm and tight around her
.
“
You okay?
”
She nodded, choking down another sob, not knowing how she was supposed to cope with this level of intimacy.
This need.
In three days
,
he knew her on a deeper level than her fiancé of a
year ever had.
The
mystifying
bond between them
eclipsed anything she
’
d ever
imagined
.
When she
’
d calmed a bit, Deke settled her amongst the pillows and
rubbed
a
slow
hand over her belly before reaching down to gently remove the toy he
’
d inserted. She gasped, her body reluctantly releasing it. A flush of shame hit her cheeks. God
,
h
ad she really let him use that on her? And she
’
d loved it
.
I
n the end
, just as he
’
d promised. She squeezed her eyes shut on a wave of humiliation
and covered her face with her hands
.
“
Don
’
t.
”
Deke
drew them away and held them tight in his own as he kissed her.
“
Don
’
t you ever be ashamed
of
what just happened
, Jess
. It
’
s okay for you to need me like that.
”
No
,
it wasn
’
t, because it would all end tomorrow. She drew a b
reath and focused on calming down
.
When she settled
,
he
swept
a hand over her back and
drew the covers over her
.
“
Be right back.
”
He padded
to the bathroom. She heard the water running
and a minute later
the bed dipped as
he
set a knee beside her
. Too drained to move, she didn
’
t utter a single protest when he rolled her onto her back and gently
wash
ed
her tear-stained face. Little hiccups jerked her
shoulders while he did the same to
her
breasts
and between her legs.
Then he
lifted the covers and slid in beside her, pulling her flush into his body.
She shuddered in
relief in
his
protective
embrace
.
As
though
he
understood
how
fragile
she felt, Deke buried a hand in her hair and kissed the top of her head.
“
It
’
s all right, Jess. I
’
m here.
”
But only until the morning
.
The unspoken words hung over them like a black cloud.
Pathetically grateful that
he let her cling, she nodded. T
rying to clear her mind
of the fact she was
leaving, she
focus
ed
on the feel of his arms around her and his
steady heartbeat
beneath her cheek
. But it was impossible. She
’
d never known she could feel this vulnerable
or attached to
anyone, but their brief relationship had blown apart everything she thought she
’
d known
about intimacy. This went way beyond that. The
Dominance
/submission play had taken an unexpected psychological toll on her, and she knew she
’
d never be the same again
.
So much for a little fun on her holiday
.
And now that he
’
d reduced her to her emotional foundation,
there was no future for them. S
he was
flying home
in the morning
, and she
’
d probably never see him again
.
Was she just another conquest to him?
It felt
as if
he
’
d been right there with her, like he truly cared.
Her throat tightened.
She
’
d never get to
bask in the warmth of his approvin
g smile or breathe in his mouth-watering
scent again. She
’
d never
feel
his
arms around her or get to experience more of his
tender, commanding
lovemaking. A
nother lump
crowded
her throat
as she burrowed deeper into his arms
.
She was so stupid.
This was her
own fault. She
’
d agreed to all of it.
All except the falling in love part.
****
Carrying her
precious
laptop bag,
Deke squeezed
his free
hand
around
Jessica
’
s
on the way to the
airport
’
s
security area.
“
You okay? You
’
re
awful
quiet.
”
“
I
’
m okay.
”
No
,
she wasn
’
t. And neither was he. It felt
as if
his heart was being crushed in a
vise
. He couldn
’
t believe he was losing her
already
.
After
their intense
encounter yesterday, she
’
d
become
withdrawn.
She
’
d been
trying to pull away from him emotionally ever since, and it filled him with something close to panic.
Not knowing how else to reassure her, he
’
d woken her before the sun came up with tender kisses along the length of her spine.
When she
’
d sighed and arched up for more,
he
’
d
surrounded her with his body
and
made love to her with a tenderness he
’
d never known himself capable of
, burying himself as deep inside her as he could get
and staying there. Making her come apart again and again
and
then
holding her
until they
’
d had to get up
.
She
was
still beside him, but h
e missed her already.
Pulling her off to the side, he took her chin in his hand and tipped
up
her face.
Jess
ie
stared at him with suspiciously wet eyes and pressed her lips together.
Aw, shit.
“
Don
’
t cry,
”
he
whispered
, kissing the bridge of her pert little nose as he
slid his arms around her back
.
Their D/s play had accelerated
their relationship in a way he hadn
’
t anticipated.
He
’
d never expected to bond with her so deeply
or for her to let him in so far
. Now she was
hurting
because of it, and knowing he was the cause of her tears made it feel like a hot coal burned under his sternum
.
She shook her head, a tight movement of denial as she struggled to regain her composure
.
It was probably kinder for him to leave now, rather than drag the goodbye out and make it worse. He kissed her trembling lips, trying to
comfort her, reassure her that he cared.
Neither of them had said it out loud, but they didn
’
t have to. Their bodies had done it for them, and Jess had to know that as well as he did
.
He didn
’
t know what was going to happen with them, and he didn
’
t want to give her false hope
in case nothing ever did
. It wouldn
’
t be fair to her
. S
he deserved better than that.
Besides, h
e had a
shitload
of things to straighten out in his life before he could offer her anything.
But watching her leave was going to hurt like a bastard.
Jessica buried her hands in
his
hair and broke the kiss to press her face against his shoulder, taking deep breaths. He stroked her back, feeling helpless
.
When the
final
boarding call came for her flight,
she squeezed him one last time and stepped back, wiping her eyes
.
The vise around his hear
t tightened another few notches until i
t hurt to breathe
.
Her big
,
amber eyes gazed up at him, tears clinging to her lower lashes.
“
I
’
ll miss you.
”
God.
“
Yeah, m
e
,
too.
”
He wiped
her
tears away with his thumbs and forced a smile.
“
Call me when you get in
so I know you
’
re safe
.
”
“
I will.
”
She stared up at him for a
long
moment, then lifted on tiptoe to brush a soft kiss over his lips.
“
Bye
,
Deke
.
”
“
Bye, sugar.
”
He let her go, feeling his heart crack in the middle of his chest. He watched her clear security, then pause to look back and wave. Steeling himself against
the pain, he raised his hand. H
is eyes followed her
as she walked away
, memorizing every detail until she was out of sight
.
Then she was gone
.
Blowing out a hard breath, he scrubbed a hand over his face and walked back to his truck, feeling empty inside.
But he coul
dn
’
t think about that right now
. H
e had things to do.
It was time to get his shit together
once and for all
.