Her sweaty palms slipped off the desk. Stone?
He murmured encouragingly and held her hips in his big hands, soothing and exciting her at the same time. She started to shake-not small graceful quivers, but huge racking tremors she couldnt control. She couldnt even be embarrassed. Shed never been so far on the edge. Sitting up, she shoved her wild hair from her face, grabbed Stone and yanked him close. Now. Desperate, she tore at the buttons of his fly. Please. Be inside me when I-
Yes. Just as desperate, Stone managed to undo himself, but it was Jenna who pushed his pants down over his hips. Hungrily she reached for the part of him that was hot and heavy and all hers. Marveling over this, dizzy with it, she directed him to her.
At that first heavenly touch of her heat to his, they both gasped. Wait. Stone dropped his forehead to hers, panting. Wait. We need protection, he said desperately, moving away.
She could hear him, slamming through drawers and cursing in the dark. He let out a triumphant sound. Then he was back, towering over her in the dark, his eyes glittering. Found it, he whispered with relief. Tell me, please, that you dont have an aversion toah, plaid.
What?
Never mind.
She heard a rustling, and blushed. Shed been so far gone, she hadnt remembered. Youcarry around a
An old friend sent it as a joke-Never mind, he said. Lets just be grateful and hope it holds, because he didnt send a spare. He bracketed her hips with his hands, whispered her name and entered her with one sure thrust.
Pleasure exploded, rendering her deaf, dumb and blind at the incredible feel of him inside her once again. He was hard and huge, and she was wet and ready, and so snug she fit him like a glove. At the soft sound she made, his head whipped up, and there in the dark, she could feel the weight of that stare. She could hear their ragged breathing, imagine the flush on her cheeks, could feel the utter strength of him surrounding her, and she had to bite her lip hard to keep from crying out.
Donthold back, he said, touching her face. Not from me.
As if she could. When he moved she let out the cry that wouldnt stay contained. I cant.
Holding on to her hips, he pushed deep, then deeper still, until he had no more to give, and she cried out again, for shed never felt such intense pleasure. She knew he felt the same when he pressed his face into her neck and moaned. Just being inside you makes me want to come. Cin-
Unable to bear that awful name on his lips, not now when he was so far inside her she couldnt tell where he ended and she began, she quickly lifted her face, seeking out his mouth, kissing him fiercely.
Youre so lovely, he told her in a thick husky growl she found incredibly sexy, his arms slipping around her so that his hands could cup her buttocks and pull her closer. And mine.
Not lovely. But, oh, how she wanted to be his.
Youre perfect.
And in that moment she felt it, and nothing, nothing had ever meant so much as this unexpected gift of her beauty. He began to move, and she raised her hips to meet his smooth thrusts. Each one took her higher, and she went with it, unable to deny herself the overwhelming glimpse of heaven just beyond.
Her orgasm was long and shuddery and wonderful. Stone buried his face in the crook of her damp neck and followed her into oblivion.
For a long time neither of them moved.
He hadnt quite gotten the hang of dragging air back into his lungs when Cindy pulled away.
Cursing the darkness and the loss of her wonderful body heat, Stone reached for her. Dont, he said. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked. Sinking back against the desk with her between his spread thighs, he tried to find the right words to reach her. Dont regret it. Dont pull away now- She leaned back toward him, and she seemed to gain comfort in his arms, so he tightened them and realized that what theyd just shared had been heartbreakingly perfect.
For a long few moments, they remained still.
Then she spoke in a soft husky whisper. Did what we just did help make you-feel better? About your brother and your family?
It made a dent, yeah. He gave her a warm smile. A big one.
Im glad. She burrowed closer and swallowed hard. I just dont wantthis reduced to To what?
Toa one-night stand. Or a mistake.
Never. He didnt let her go. It was too intense.
And good? As soon as the words escaped her, she moaned, immediately covering his mouth with her hand. No! Dont say anything, I cant believe I asked. Aaah, just forget it! Forget everything.
Pulling her hand away from his mouth, he laughed and gave her a hard possessive kiss. If itd been any better, youd have killed me. No way am I ever going to forget what just happened, and you wont convince me you could, either.
She sagged against him, throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing him tight, as if she didnt want to ever let go. Fine with him, he didnt want to let her go, either.
He felt her tremble. You okay? He ran a hand down her back.
Im fine, just
She didnt finish, but held on as if her life depended on it. Stone realized she was gripping him as if she expected to be turned away.
It struck him how little he really knew about her and how much more he wanted to. He wanted this woman in his life. Ive got you, he assured her. Cradling her in his arms, he gently smoothed back her hair from her face, then swore softly because he couldnt see a damn thing. Ive got you, he promised. And Im not letting go, okay?
She nodded, but he wasnt satisfied. Couldnt be until he told her how he felt.
The light, he decided. Well have it on now. He shifted to reach for the switch, but she made a sound of refusal. Cupping her face, he stroked her lower lip with his thumb. I want to see you, Cindy. He gave her a soft kiss. Im not used to this. I dont like letting you hide from me.
Its just that She gulped in a breath, then let it out loudly. Look, I know it was strange that I insisted on the dark, and I really wanted to explain that first, before we But then you kissed me, andand I hadnt kissed like that in so long, she confessed. And you can really, really kiss. I sort of got lost in it all and how you felt and, oh, how you looked without your shirt
Hed struggled to follow every halting word, then started to smile at what he thought she might be trying to say, but she groaned theatrically. Could you just kiss me, kiss me quick and shut me up?
Mmm. Finally something that made perfect sense. Gladly, sweetheart. And tipping up her face with his hand, he did, and it was as emotionally wrenching as their lovemaking had been.
When they were both breathless, he rose with her still in his arms, walked to the door and flipped on the light.
When they were both breathless, he rose with her still in his arms, walked to the door and flipped on the light.
Quickly, almost ridiculously shy given what theyd just shared, Cindy jerked down her skirt to cover her hips, but she wasnt quite quick enough to tug her open blouse closed.
I want you again.
She bit her lip, adorably flushed. You do?
Yeah. He let her slide slowly down his body, enjoying the way her breath quickened when she felt him get hard again. But not here, not like this. Next time- he paused to kiss her until she was clinging again -next time its with soft sheets and moonlight and music.
Next time?
Staring down into her eyes, he traced her jaw. There is going to be one. You know that, Cindy. He bent, kissing her soft lips, but shed gone rigid at the sound of her name on his lips.
No, she whispered. Oh, no.
What is it?
Mute, Jenna stared up at him.
Hey, Stone said softly, touching her hot face with his cool hands. What could you possibly be thinking about?
Shed blown it. Shed come back to town to right all her wrongs, to fix her life. To be good, to herself and others.
And shed destroyed any hope of that because she still couldnt control her hormones when it came to Stone.
Nothing, she managed, withdrawing from him. She struggled with the buttons on her blouse; suddenly her fingers wouldnt work. She could feel the awkward bunch of her bra, which she hadnt fastened first. Dammit, she whispered, nearly choking on the humiliation she would certainly feel when she finally told him who she was. Much as she wanted to cry out the truth now, she couldnt. Not after this. Hed think shed planned it to soften him up for the news.
Here. Stone gently pushed her ineffective fingers aside and turned her away from him. His hands encircled her neck, then slid beneath the material of her blouse to flirt with her collarbone. Slowly he slid the blouse down off her shoulders until her arms were trapped at her sides, the blouse at her elbows.
Stone, she breathed, clasping the material to her exposed breasts. I-
His mouth settled on one shoulder, halting her words as heat spiraled through her again. She felt his hands slip down to her waist, where they lingered for a minute, spreading wide to brush against the sides of her breasts. Swaying, Jenna closed her eyes, unable to speak, much less think.
Then those wonderful talented hands traveled leisurely up her spine, where they easily gathered her bra, straightened it out and then fastened it.
With one last wet openmouthed kiss on her tingling skin, halfway between her shoulder and her neck, Stone lifted his head, drew a sharp breath and let out a heartfelt oath.
She knew just how he felt.
He turned her around to face him, his eyes hot with the knowledge hed again reduced her to a boneless mass of jelly. He buttoned up her blouse, his fingers sure and strong.
Th-thanks, she stuttered. Ive Ive got to What? What did she have to do? She couldnt possibly remember now. Ive got to go. Bye.
Cringing at how ridiculously juvenile she sounded, she whirled and ran out of his office, through his workshop and out into the bright of day.
Good heavens, she muttered, rubbing her chest in an effort to still her pounding heart. That man could seduce the dead.
And Jenna was many things, but she wasnt dead.
Chapter 7
The next morning Sara practically inhaled her oatmeal as Stone watched, both alarmed and amused at his daughters ability to chug down food.
Had he taught her to do that? They were going to have to work harder on manners, not something that had been particularly high on the list of their survival tactics.