Just One Taste(28)

“Actually, I’ve been told I sound like a dying water buffalo.”

Was that why she wouldn’t sleep with him? God, if he ever met her ex-husband he would pound the man into the ground. All of their problems seemed to stem from that asswipe. “Somehow, I’ll make it through. Good night.”

He turned and walked down the short hall that led to the only bedroom. Deena’s bedroom was oddly utilitarian, as though she’d gone through a discount housewares store and bought whatever was on sale and not a bit more than was required. There was a dresser and a double bed that his legs would likely hang off. Her bedspread was a plain dark blue matching the pillows. Those pillows weren’t decorative though. He’d had a girlfriend whose whole bed was covered in pretty pillows that she had to move every time she got into bed. She’d claimed they made her happy.

There was nothing in Deena’s bedroom that looked like it made her happy. He was beginning to wonder if he could make her happy.

What was he doing? He knew when to walk away. He’d done it before when it was obvious a relationship simply wasn’t going to work. Why couldn’t he do it now?

Because he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman. Because he knew deep down if he could get past those walls she’d built around herself that she was the one. She was the one for him. He was the one for her. They could make a life together if only she wanted to.

He kicked off his boots and tried to let it go. He shrugged out of his shirt and got down to his boxers. Every muscle in his body ached and earlier he’d been cool with that. Earlier it had been proof that he was helping out the woman he was crazy about. Now it was just pain.

He turned off the light and pulled down the bedspread. He lay down, but didn’t cover up because it was hot in her bedroom. He would cool off in a few minutes. His eyes drifted closed, but he couldn’t shut his brain down.

“Turn over.”

He opened his eyes and she was standing beside him. She’d spoken to him quietly, but there had been some command in her voice. It rankled since all she seemed to require from him was dominance. “Excuse me?”

She must have heard the chill in his tone because she softened. “I’m sorry. Eric, would you please turn over and let me rub your back?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Please.”

He rolled over, wondering what she was thinking. She’d never offered him service before. Not anything he hadn’t asked for or the training course hadn’t required. He felt her straddle him, her backside against his, and then something cool hit his skin.

“It’s a little baby oil,” she said and he could hear the grin in her voice. “It’s not lube or anything, though I now have like a gallon supply of that stashed in here. I worry that my mom will show up and decide the place needs a thorough cleaning. She’ll find a whole bunch of stuff you’ve left here.”

Sex toys and rope. It wasn’t like he’d left clothes here or a toothbrush. Just sex toys. “I can put them in the truck if they bother you.”

She was quiet for a moment and then her hands smoothed over his back. Fuck, that felt good.

“I was joking. I don’t mind if my mom finds out I’m a pervert.” She ran her thumbs along his spine, causing him to groan with pleasure. “I don’t talk about my marriage very often, but maybe we should discuss it now. You need to understand why I can’t throw myself into a relationship very easily. It’s a long story.”

Her sheets smelled like lavender. He breathed in the scent and let himself relax. “Because your first husband managed to convince you to pay his way through law school and then ditched you the first chance he got, and now you think all men are out to use you and throw you away.”

“Okay, when you put it like that it’s not such a long story.” She went to work on his shoulders. “My dad ditched me, too. It was me and my mom.”

“She didn’t date?”

“God, no. She was done with men. She told me she wouldn’t ever put me through that again. She was really angry when I got married so young. I can still remember that lecture. Hadn’t I learned anything? Why was I supporting a husband and not getting my own education? I think she mostly called me a fool those first couple of years. I thought I was building a life with him.”

“You also likely thought you could prove your mother wrong.” He’d seen that before. Hell, he’d been young and dumb. Kids almost always found some way to rebel even when they were raised well. It was natural.

“I suppose. It was hard to have to tell her I failed.”

Though the massage felt amazing, he couldn’t let that pass. With ease he flipped her over, maneuvering his body to pin hers down. Suddenly he wasn’t all that tired. He was well aware that they were in a bed together for the first time. He let her feel his weight. “You did not fail.”

If she was bothered by him taking control, she damn sure didn’t show it. Her hands came up, caressing his torso. “It felt like I did. I don’t ever want to feel like that again. It’s why I’m worried about what’s happening between us. I thought I could keep it casual, but it’s not.”

At least she was finally admitting it. “No, it’s not casual. Definitely not for me. I am not your ex-husband.”

“I know that intellectually, but it’s hard to understand it emotionally. I know I’m tough to deal with. I’m not your dream sub, but I’m going to try harder. Stay the night with me. I’m tired of sleeping alone. I never minded it before. I liked it for a long time, but now I simply lay in bed and think about you.”

He couldn’t help the way his whole body seemed to shrug off the aches in favor of one righteous erection. “Baby, I think we’re going to need a bigger bed.”



* * * *



She loved the way he pinned her down. Why had she been so afraid of this? Somehow she always managed to have sex with Eric in a position that wasn’t very intimate. She would maneuver her body until she was facing away from him or riding him and leaning back.

He pressed her into the bed as his mouth found hers and she was surrounded by his heat. So warm. She was always cold, but when Eric was around she could snuggle against him and get warm wherever they happened to be.

He was so big and somehow so gentle with her. Even when he was rough, she wasn’t afraid of him. He would never hurt her physically. No, that wasn’t her issue. Looking into his eyes seemed too intimate, too much. She’d always worried that if she looked into his eyes when he was deep inside her she would fall for him.

It was stupid because she’d pretty much already done that anyway.

His tongue plunged deep, sliding against hers, and she could feel him all around her. She wrapped herself up in him, tangling their limbs until it didn’t feel like there was an inch of her skin that wasn’t touched by some part of him. This was why she’d held out. This wasn’t a quick fuck. It was a meshing of bodies, a long slow dance that she couldn’t hold herself apart from. There was no way to take the pleasure from this experience without also accepting the intimacy. She could have sworn she could feel his heart beating against hers.

“This time you don’t top from the bottom,” he growled against her lips.

She shook her head, letting her hands play against the strong muscles of his shoulders and arms. “I don’t do that.”

He nipped at her ear, sending a thrill through her system. “You do it constantly, but it only annoys me during sex. That’s going to change. I’m more than willing to be the indulgent Dom in the vanilla world, but this is our private world and I’m in charge here.”

She tried to figure out what he was talking about. “I let you tie me up and do what you want with me.”

He pressed his torso up, looking her in the eyes. “No. You manipulate me until you get what you want. This is what I want. I want to be on top of you, inside you, with you wrapped up around me like you can’t get enough. I want you with me. I don’t want us to be two people getting off. I want more.”

It scared her to death, but she did, too. “How can I please you, Sir?”

His hips moved, rubbing that glorious cock of his up against her pajama bottoms. He’d stolen all her undies so it was only the thin cotton of her pants and his boxers that kept them apart. She would have protested the fact that he was allowed to wear undies and she wasn’t, but that particular argument had almost led to losing bra privileges, and she wasn’t risking that again. Sometimes her Dom was an immovable object.

And that was a good thing.

“I want to put my mouth on you.”

She felt herself stiffen. She was pretty sure he wasn’t talking about kissing her lips again. This was something she’d been trying to avoid. When he would start to roam down there, she would rub and twist and force them into a position that made oral impossible. Damn it, she did top from the bottom.

His hand found her hair and twisted lightly, forcing her gaze back to him. “Did he tell you you don’t taste good?”

She hated the fact that her ex-husband was still here, still causing her issues. “Yes. He tried it once when we were first married and said he couldn’t stand it. He never tried it again.”