Cries in the Night (21 page)

It quickly became clear that she wasn’t going to stop him. When she moved her hand to his waist and slid under his shirt, his breath sucked in with a whoosh. Her fingers slid over his skin, and his penis instantly responded, swelling even larger.

“Make love to me,” she whispered.

But he was afraid she was offering herself as a way of showing her gratitude. The last thing he wanted was a thank-you fuck. He wouldn’t have hesitated had she been anyone else. But with Julie, he wanted it to be more than just a quickie.

“I know you’re thinking this is because of everything that has happened,” she told him with her usual intuitiveness. “This has nothing to do with that. Right now, it’s just about you and me.”

“Oh God, Julie, you’re making me crazy.”

“Then do something about it.”

Still Rusty paused as he tried to convince himself that she wouldn’t regret this in the morning. He didn’t know where this relationship was going, but he didn’t want her to be sorry for anything that happened.

Julie’s hand slid lower until it skipped over his belt buckle and spread over the hardness beneath his zipper. She stroked him, then closed her hand to grip him through the cotton. He almost came in his pants.

Rusty rolled off of her and in one smooth movement, scooped her up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom. Instead of laying her down, he set her on her feet, giving her one last chance to call it off. As she stood in front of him, her gaze was open and steady. Her hands moved to the belt that held her robe closed. Rusty watched, mesmerized as her fingers loosened the knot. With a shrug, the silky fabric fell off her shoulders and slithered to the floor. Now only a thin layer of almost sheer cloth hid her body from his view, and he grew more anxious by the second that it be gone.

His hands moved up to cup her breasts and as his thumbs brushed her nipples, they thrust against the gown, begging to be freed. He couldn’t resist leaning over and taking one in his mouth, letting his tongue roll around the hardened bud, moistening the material until it clung to her. Julie moaned and reached for his belt buckle, fumbling with the leather in her eagerness.

Heat curled in his stomach, pulsing and growing more excited by the moment. He helped her by unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it aside. She had succeeded in releasing his buckle and her fingers slid his zipper down then moved back up to the waistband of his slacks.

It was the final signal he needed. He kicked off his shoes, striped off his socks, pushed his slacks and briefs down in one hasty thrust and stepped out of them. Then his fingers moved to the thin straps of her gown. It took only the slightest nudge to ease them off her shoulders and the gown fell to the floor with a whisper.

The sight of her fully naked body drove him past the point of no return. His breath exhaled in a low groan as he pulled her into his arms and gently guided her
backwards to the bed. He felt like a teenager … overheated and ready to explode. At this point, he hoped he could hold on long enough to satisfy her.

She pushed aside the bedspread and scooted to the middle of the bed. Rusty couldn’t stand even the brief separation and quickly stretched out on the cool sheets next to her, anxious to feel the warmth and smoothness of her naked body against his.

They hadn’t paused long enough to turn the lights out in the living room, so the bedroom was not totally dark. He wanted to look at her … to taste her … to touch her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. He levered over her, his large, muscular body dwarfing hers, but belying the tenderness of his touch as his lips brushed over her eyelids, moved to her mouth for a deep, hungry kiss, then trailed down her neck and over her breasts until they closed around one of her pert nipples.

Julie gasped and arched her body as he nipped and suckled one nipple, then the other. Her moaning and writhing sabotaged his intentions to take it slowly. He felt her fingernails digging into his back, urging him on.

“Oh, Julie, I want you … now,” he breathed, his words hot against the tender skin of her breasts.

“Take me,” she answered, equally anxious.

A flash of sanity sobered him. “I don’t have any condoms with me. Do you?”

“Are you kidding?” she scoffed, then smiled. “But I can’t get pregnant, so we don’t need one.” She pulled him up until their lips met in a kiss so heated they almost melted together.

He moved between her legs and lowered himself until his penis pressed against her. She was moist and swollen, ready for him to enter her. He forced himself to go slowly, but the sensation of her warmth closing around him, pulling him deeper was almost more than any man could bear. With a groan, he pushed all the way in, burying himself in her sweetness, then pulled back before plunging in again. Julie wrapped her legs around him, clinging to him as they joined in the rhythm of love.

Rusty had long ago lost count of his lovers. It wasn’t that he was promiscuous, but at the ripe old age of thirty, he’d had dozens of girlfriends and even a few one-night stands. But with Julie, it was like the first time.

He had to struggle to hold back, waiting for her. Her hips lifted off the sheets as she welcomed him deeper and deeper until, with a cry, her fingers dug into his ass and he felt the ripples of her orgasm stroke his penis until he buried himself in her one more time and poured out his passion in a heated rush.

For a few seconds, time stood still as the pleasure was so intense he couldn’t register a single thought. All he wanted was to hang on to the feeling for as long as possible.

Gradually, he drifted back to reality and realized he was lying halfway on top of her. He eased off, but didn’t pull away. His eyes, still glazed with desire looked at her and saw that she was lying very still, with her eyes closed.

“Julie … are you okay?” he asked gently, desperately afraid that she was flushed with regrets.

Her long, dark eyelashes swept open and her big blue eyes gazed up at him. A slow, sexy smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “I passed okay about a half an hour ago. Now, I’m feeling terrific.”

He relaxed, lying on his side with his arm crooked and his head propped up on his hand. “That was …,” he struggled for an adequate word and settled for, “amazing.”

“I know now why you have so many groupies. Firefighters
do
do it better.”

“Hey,” he pretended to be upset. “Don’t lump me in with all those other jokers. I’m in a class by myself.”

She chuckled. “I would argue with you on principal, but I’ve just been thoroughly ravaged. I can’t bring myself to criticize you.”

“Hmmm, glad to hear it.” His hand had been resting on her hip, but he began idly stroking her belly, then moved up to cup her breast. The light in her eyes immediately changed from teasing to sensual. Her nipples reacted, swelling from his touch, tempting him to take them in his mouth, one-at-a-time, back-and-forth until her head lolled back and her eyelids drifted closed.

His mouth covered hers, the tip of his tongue dipping inside and mating with hers. His penis leaped back to life and once again he moved over her. This time their love making was slow, as they took their time exploring each other’s body with their hands and their mouths. And although they stretched it out, their shared climax was every bit as explosive as the first.

Rusty rolled over. Now was when he usually got out of bed, dressed and went home. Instead, he pulled Julie into his arms and rested his head on the pillow of her silky hair. She cuddled against him with her cheek nestled on his chest. His eyes closed, and as he drifted off to sleep, he realized he was smiling.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

What had she done?
Was her first thought when she woke up.
So that’s what great sex is!
Was her second thought. Julie felt she should be regretting what happened, but all she could think of was how Rusty’s hands had set her body on fire … a fire that only he could put out.

She hadn’t moved since she had fallen into a completely relaxed and totally satiated sleep, cuddled against his chest. It was still dark outside, but she couldn’t see the clock, so she had no idea what time it was. And she was not inclined to move for fear it would break the intimacy between them. She could tell by the slow, steady beat of his heart that he was still asleep, and she took advantage of the quiet time to savor the moment.

One of her hands was pinned beneath her, but the other was flung over his waist. She couldn’t actually see his body, but the image branded in her brain would stay with her forever. The photo on the Firefighters’ Calendar didn’t do him justice. Broad, muscular shoulders, a well-defined chest, trim waist and abs that Hercules would envy proved he took good care of himself. Other, more sexy memories of how magnificent his manhood had been, large and proud … and justifiably so.

Granted, Julie hadn’t seen that many men naked, so she didn’t have a lot of data to go on. But surely his maleness was uncommonly impressive.

Julie felt her cheeks flush hotly at the thoughts about how he had felt buried deep inside her and how he had grown in her hand as she stroked him. It had been almost six years since she had even kissed a man, so the things they had done to each other had been unexpected and breathlessly exciting. She was actually shocked at her uninhibited responses to his kisses. That was completely out of character for her. She had been avoiding a relationship and saying
no
to everything, even the most innocent coffee dates for so long, that she thought she had forgotten how to say
yes
.

But as Rusty cradled her in his arms last night on the couch, she had become aware of exactly how glad she was that he was in her life, however temporary.

Julie had no misconceptions about how long this relationship would last. Rusty was not a forever kind of guy. He hadn’t offered her any hint of more. She would never have guessed she would settle for less, but with this guy, she was
willing to take whatever he wanted to give her, for as long as he chose. As long as her heart didn’t get involved, what was the harm in living in the moment? God only knew how long she had not been living at all.

Perhaps they would have just that one night. It was entirely possible that when he woke up, he would drive away and their paths would cross only when they were on the job.

Julie sighed. That would be disappointing, and she would definitely miss having him around. In a very short period of time, she had grown accustomed to seeing him and sitting around talking and laughing almost every day. Other than their lifestyles, they had a lot in common, and she had immediately felt comfortable around him. She would be sad to think she might be a one-night stand … but, oh, what a night to remember.

She felt a change in his breathing and the rhythm of his heart sped up. She didn’t move, savoring a few more seconds of lying in his arms, inhaling the musky scent of his body and feeling safe and protected in his arms. No one had ever held her like this, and that was almost as good as the sex. Almost.

He buried his face in her hair. Her legs were pressed against his and as his passion grew, she could feel his manhood harden. Her desire to touch him overcame her intention to remain still, and she moved her hand down to his erection. As her fingers tightened around him, he instantly doubled in size.

Neither of them spoke as they adjusted until their mouths found each other’s. One kiss turned into another as they quickly rekindled the passion they had felt before. His hands were large and his palms rough as they caressed her hyper-sensitive skin. The heat coiled in her groin, and she ripened eagerly. Her nipples rubbed against his chest as he moved over her. His fingers slid down until they dipped inside her, taunting her already swollen femininity until she writhed and moaned beneath him.

Rusty accepted her invitation and replaced his hand with his penis, sliding in easily. Her warmth and wetness welcomed him, and he drove deeper. They moved together, taking their time and enjoying the way their bodies fit together. He came first, then finished her pleasure with his mouth suckling her nipple and his fingers inside her, tweaking and teasing until she arched against his hand and screamed out loud. Lights flashed and the air pounded in her ears as she launched into the clouds and slowly drifted back down to earth.

Her eyes fluttered open and she saw that he was staring down at her, that sexy crooked grin lifting one corner of his mouth.

“Good morning, Julie.” His voice was husky. “Sleep well?”

“Best night ever,” she answered, not making any effort at coyness. They were both consenting adults, and she figured the time to play games was past. “I’m glad you stayed.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Because you needed a bodyguard?”

She sensed that her answer was much more important than it seemed. She leaned over and gave him a long, deep kiss. “No, because you’re an amazing lover,” she answered with a smile.

His expression relaxed and his eyes grew solemn. “I want you to know that I didn’t plan this.”

“Neither did I,” she agreed.

“No regrets?”

“Only that sooner or later we’re going to have to get out of this bed.”

Satisfied with her answer, he rested his head on her pillow so that their noses were only inches away from each other. “But not for a while.”