Treading Water: Coming Home Part 14

Apparently, he did, too, because his muscles quivered under her hands. She started to withdraw them.

"Don't," he said, softly but harshly. "Don't stop. Touch me."

Emboldened by his reaction, Jill ma.s.saged his shoulders.

His head fell forward, and he shuddered. "Feels so good."

"What's for dinner?" she asked, her lips close to his back, so close.

"Shrimp and salad." His voice sounded strained, which made her smile as she kneaded muscles gone tense under her hands.

"Sounds good."

A loud click caught her attention as he turned off the grill.

"Is it done?"

"Yes."

He left the skewers of barbequed shrimp on the grill when he closed the lid and turned, his eyes hot with desire that had Jill taking a step back from the almost predatory look he sent her way. His arm hooked around her waist to keep her from escaping.

"Ashton-"

Whatever she was about to say-and she had no idea what she'd been about to say-was lost when his mouth came down on hers, hard and demanding.

Her arms encircled his neck as he lifted her right off her feet and took her inside. His tongue entered her mouth in questing strokes that made her head spin and her heart pound. She'd never been kissed like this before, and nothing could've prepared her for the overwhelming need that had her pressing against him with increasing urgency.

When he lowered them to the sofa, Jill tightened her hold on his neck.

As he came down on top of her, molding his body to hers, he tipped his head and took the kiss deeper. He propped himself on one elbow and his other hand dipped under her top, pus.h.i.+ng her bra out of the way. The heat of his hand on her bare breast seared her.

He tore his lips free and gazed down at her, devouring her with his eyes. "Tell me to stop."

Jill shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She reached for him. "I'm sure."

He pushed her top up and focused his attention on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, licking and sucking and even biting gently as he somehow managed to remove her tank top and bra.

Jill had never experienced anything remotely similar to the all-consuming way he loved her as he kissed his way down the front of her. When he unb.u.t.toned her jeans and tugged at them, she raised her hips to help him get them off.

And then he stopped, resting his forehead on her belly. "I didn't want it to be like this."

Jill combed her fingers through his thick hair. "Like what?"

"Fast and frantic on the sofa. I wanted to take my time and make you come so many times you wouldn't know your own name. And then I'd make love to you."

Her heart beat fast as she realized how much thought he'd put into this. "How about we do that next time?"

He gazed up at her. "Yeah?"

She nodded and held out her arms. "Come here."

Ashton s.h.i.+fted up, propping himself on his arms. "I'm here."

"Closer."

Smiling, he lowered himself, bringing his chest into contact with hers. The coa.r.s.e hair rubbed against her straining nipples, making her crazy. She ran her hands down his back to dip them into his shorts.

"Jill." This was said through gritted teeth as he pressed his erection against her belly.

She curled her legs around his hips to better align them and moved one of her hands to the front of his shorts.

He dropped his head to her shoulder and seemed to freeze as he waited for her next move.

Jill decided to prolong the pleasure by skimming her fingers over his lower belly in teasing strokes that made him groan.

"Do you want me to beg?"

"I think I do. Yes."

Half laughing, half groaning, he thrust his hips in an effort to get what he wanted. "I'm begging."

Jill decided to have mercy on him and wrapped her hand around his straining member. Her mouth went dry as she learned his length and width by stroking him slowly.

"Jesus," he whispered. "You're going to finish me right off like a h.o.r.n.y teenager."

Jill laughed at the torture she heard in his voice. "Would that be so bad?"

"Yes, it would be bad. You'll always remember that I ruined our first time together."

"You're not ruining anything." To prove her point, she tightened her hand around him and stroked him harder, taking the choice away from him.

He pumped his hips, matching the rhythm of her hand. "Jill..."

She turned her head and kissed him, giving him her tongue in gentle strokes that were in sharp contrast to what she was doing to him with her hand. She'd never been so brazen or forward with a man and discovered she quite liked the reactions she was drawing from him.

The arm he was resting on trembled with the effort to hold himself up as she kissed and stroked him to an explosive finish. He cried out as he spilled into her hand. By the time he'd recovered from the powerful release, she'd freed him from his shorts.

"Condom," he said. "Need one."

"Where are they?"

"Bathroom. Upstairs."

"Let me up."

"I can do it. Just give me a minute."

"Take your minute while I get what we need."

"Okay." He raised himself up and off her.

Jill got up and headed for the stairs, trying not to think about the fact that he was probably watching her naked a.s.s as she left the room. She found an unopened box of condoms in the master bathroom closet. The fact that it was unopened made her happy, for some strange reason. The idea of him spending time here with another woman didn't sit well with her.

"You're already turning into a jealous fool," she whispered to herself, avoiding the mirror while she was in the bathroom.

Ashton was face down on the sofa when she returned, and she wondered if he was asleep. She took a moment to appreciate his fine form, the muscular arms and shoulders, the narrow waist and perfectly rounded rear. He was an incredibly s.e.xy man, and all his attention was focused on her-for now, anyway.

With that in mind, she straddled him, pressing the heat between her legs to his bottom as she ran her hands over his back.

His mumbled, "Mmmm," told her he was fully awake and enjoying what she was doing. "I want to turn over."

"In a minute." She dropped a trail of kisses down his backbone, pausing as she hovered over his a.s.s before she took a gentle bite of one perfect cheek.

"That's it! Let me up!"

His reaction startled her as she lifted to let him turn over. "Condom." He held out his hand.

Jill avoided his hand and tore open the box, taking one out and removing the foil wrapper.

"Jill..."

"Don't be so bossy, Counselor." She smiled at the look of torture on his face as she took her time rolling the condom over his erection. "There," she said when the condom was in place.

He surged up, his fingers digging into her hips as he lifted her and headed for the stairs.

Jill let out a squeal of surprise. She gripped his neck when he ran up the stairs as if carrying her was no big deal. His strength was a huge turn-on, as if she could be any more turned on. "Where are we going?"

"I want a bed for this."

She worried that she'd pushed him too far and would pay for her sins once he got them to a horizontal surface.

In the master bedroom, he remained standing when he lowered her onto the bed and tugged at her hips until she was at the very edge of the mattress. "Did you enjoy making me crazy?" he asked, hovering over her.

Nodding, Jill raised her hands to his face, caressing his smooth jaw. "I really did."

"I could tell." He pressed his erection against her, retreating before she could align him to where she wanted him most. "Revenge is a b.i.t.c.h."

"I've heard that, but you wouldn't be mean to me, would you?"

His smile softened his expression considerably. "Don't try to charm your way out of this." He slid into her slowly, torturously.

Jill raised her hips, trying to urge him to hurry, but he wouldn't be rushed.

He withdrew from her, making her moan. "Patience, my love," he whispered as he kissed her belly.

His words made her heart flutter. Did he mean that? Was she his love? Did she want to be? The press of his tongue between her legs required her full attention, driving the internal debate from her mind. He exacted his revenge one lick and suck at a time, driving her up to the very edge of o.r.g.a.s.m before backing off and doing it all again.

"Ashton..." She twisted her hips, trying to get free of him, but he'd antic.i.p.ated that by laying a heavy arm across her midsection to anchor her to the bed.

"Tell me what you want," he said, sliding two of the fingers on his other hand into her.

"I want to come."

"How badly?"

"Really badly."

"Is that so?"

She moaned, frustrated and aroused beyond endurance. "Please..."

"Since you asked so nicely..." He closed his lips around her pulsating c.l.i.toris and sucked it into his mouth, running his tongue over her heated flesh and sending her into a climax that seemed to come from the very tips of her toes. She felt the effects everywhere, from the palms of her hands to the soles of her feet and the tingling of her scalp.

She came back down from the incredible ride to find him perched above her, looking down at her reverently.

"You're so beautiful." He brushed the hair back from her brow and then kissed her forehead, nose and lips. "So incredibly beautiful. Your eyes aren't quite blue, and they're not really gray. They're a different color every time I look at them." With his hand on her thigh, he wrapped one of her legs around his hips.

Moved by his words, Jill waited to see what he would do.

His next move was to thrust halfway into her before withdrawing again.

Moaning, Jill said, "I think I've been properly punished."

"I haven't begun to punish you." On the next thrust, he entered her fully but then withdrew, leaving her wanting much more.

He bent his head to draw her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard enough to cause painful pleasure. Under her, his big hands shaped her bottom, squeezing and kneading her cheeks as he surged into her again.

This time Jill was ready for him and tightened her leg around his waist to keep him from escaping. She felt him grow impossibly larger inside her and was thrilled to know she'd done that to him.

"Let me move," he said, his voice sounding taut with strain.

"Do you promise no more teasing?"

"For now."

She let her leg drop to the bed, which seemed to trigger something fierce in him.

With his feet still planted firmly on the floor, he pounded into her, gripping her bottom so tightly she had no doubt there'd be bruises. She came twice, one right on top of the other, and still he kept up the fierce possession. This, she realized in a single moment of coherent thought, was what she got for taking the edge off for him earlier.

He surprised her when he suddenly slowed the pace, gathering her close and kissing her softly and reverently as he moved inside her. "So good," he whispered between sweet kisses. "I knew it would be. I knew it."

"You gave this a lot of thought."

"If you had any idea how much, you'd think there was something wrong with me."