Stare Me Down (Stare Down) (23 page)

“Ahhhh…”

“I want you to see stars, babe. Come on. That’s it. Push down. A little…‌a little…” he groaned in her ear and she almost shattered when molten heat slipped out of her. “Oh yeah, make it a lot.”

“Oooooh…”

“So wet. That’s right. Fuck my fingers. Take them in deep. Deeper.”

She pivoted and flexed, gasped and groaned. Panted and cried as she rode the tide of euphoria that started at her toes and rolled upward. Scintillating waves that vibrated through her. Pushing her. Pulling her. Taking the air from her lungs before blessed oxygen rushed back in to sweep her away in a universe filled with bright stars that hung suspended in thin air before they fell with her to earth. Spiraling and careening.

“Aries…‌Aries…”

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Let go. Let—”

“Oh, God! Oh, my fucking God.” The orgasm that rocked her was so intense she would have slid off him sideways to double over if he hadn’t held her in place. Those stars exploded in bright pinpricks of light and shadow that took her very breath away, as her muscles pulsed and trembled in the aftermath of the crash.

“Beautiful.” She barely felt the tug when he removed the metal. She was too focused in on how intense the previous moment had been. “Breathe a little deeper, babe. That’s it.”

She was still sprawled on top of him. Naked to his completely dressed. Exhausted to his massaging her arms, and belly, and thighs. Oh, she wanted to move. To give back. To tell him how wonderful, no how beautiful he’d just made her feel, but she couldn’t. Not at the moment. Thankfully he seemed to sense this because he pulled her in for a hug and sighed.

“I think you need a song.”

Admittedly of all the things she was expecting to hear from him this would probably have been dead last on her list of possibilities. She shifted against him in to snuggle. “I have a favorite song.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” He rubbed his cheek on the top of her head and she melted. Just a little. “Not a favorite song. You need a song for your soul.”

She drew circles with her fingers on his forearm while she thought about what he meant. “Something that touches me deeply you mean?”

“It’s something that touches you totally. The one thing you can count on. Like those stars. It can light you up from inside out and make you shine brighter than you ever have before.”

Her finger stilled and she frowned. “A song, huh? You’re kind of putting me on the spot here.”

“No,” he chuckled and gave her a squeeze. “You don’t have to come up with one now. But you do need one. It makes me sad to know that you haven’t danced. Very sad.”

She didn’t like where this was going. She wasn’t a woman who cried and yet she could have easily turned in his arms and let out a whole world of hurt. How the hell had he done it? Maggie had spent hours analyzing her issues, heck, she’d spent a year’s worth of nights working through all the things that troubled her to no avail. And then? Along comes Aries Taylor with his tantalizing tool bag and husky voice and she was touched deeper than she’d ever thought possible. She wasn’t sure she liked that idea because it meant he was coming to mean something to her and she couldn’t let that happen until she trusted him. And it was too soon for that.

“Don’t be sad.” She squirmed in an attempt for him to let her go. Finally when he did she slid off of him and sat up. “I want to make you happy.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m unbuckling your belt.”

He came up on elbows and watched her. “I got that. Why?”

The leather flicked and slapped on her thigh, but she ignored the sting. “I want to suck on your hard cock until you see stars, as I happen to agree with you.”

They stared at each other through the moonlit darkness and then he whispered, “How so?”

“When you see them they do light you up from inside out and you do shine brighter.” She wrapped her hand around the thick, hard length of him and stroked steady. Up and down while his eyes darkened and gleamed. “What do you say? Can I make you happy?”

She didn’t wait for an answer. She just bent forward and drew him deep into her mouth. Over and over. Up and down. Knowing she’d won the second he fell back with a husky groan of pleasure.

*****

Jaxx tip-toed to her door after saying goodnight to Aries on the front step. She winced as her heels clacked against the tile, wishing once again she hadn’t bought into the duplex with Maggie. Sometimes, just like last Sunday morning, it was a little close for comfort. Hopefully Maggie was sound asleep and would remain none the wiser about what time Jaxx was finally getting home. Sliding the key in the lock she bit her lip and turned.

Snick.

Perfect‌—‌she turned the knob and eased the door open‌—‌she was almost home free.

“Do you know what time it is?”

Dammit. That chilly question stopped her cold. Not only was Maggie up, she was livid. There was only one way to play this.

“Of course I do.” Jaxx spun around and grinned. “I had the best time tonight.”

“You look like a gypsy.” Maggie eyed her from head to toe and back again. “Why is every time you are with that man you wind up looking like…‌like…?”

“I’m happy?” Jaxx offered in the hopes Maggie wouldn’t continue with that sentence. By the sheer contempt in her expression she knew whatever was going to come out wasn’t going to be encouraging.

“I was thinking unkempt and disheveled. Where are your glasses?”

Jaxx didn’t want to fight over that topic again, so she said, “In my purse. Why are you up at this hour anyway?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to get home. I was worried. You were only supposed to be going for dinner, but by the look of you—”

“Stop. Stop right there. I asked you for space, remember?”

“You did, but you don’t understand.”

After their last tiff, Jaxx understood better than Maggie thought she did. Maybe it was time they cleared the air a little so her friend would know Jaxx was old enough to handle some of the truth.

“I know you’re carrying a sense of guilt that’s making you stick your nose into my life. Into places that you don’t belong and stepping over boundaries which you weren’t invited to cross. Just tell me. Are you harboring guilt over the past? Is this why you continually treat me like a child? If so, we can leave it at that and I’ll forgive you. If not? I think we may have a problem on our hands.”

Maggie gasped and plucked at the jersey fabric wrapped around her neck. “It’s not what you think.”

“At this point does it matter? The past can’t be changed, but the future can. Think about that before you give me your answer.”

Maggie took a step forward, but Jaxx held up a hand. “I’m not a gypsy. I hate when you say that. I like it even less when you make comparisons. I’ve held back speaking to you about this because I didn’t want to add to your guilt. But now that you‌—‌not me, are behaving like them I’m putting it out there. You want to know what it was like for me as a young woman living with those people before you came into my life? It was lonely and—”

“I’m sorry—”

She held up her hand determined to finally tell her the truth. “When they weren’t ignoring me, they were crushing my self-esteem and undermined every good feeling I ever had about myself because they were bitter and they took that bitterness out on me. Just like you’re doing.”

“No, Jaxx.”

Jaxx didn’t know where all the words were coming from but she was glad for them. “And now that one good thing has happened to me and I’m actually feeling and enjoying myself again, you can’t stand it.”

“That’s not true. Please tell me you don’t believe that. I just don’t want you to get hurt and you’re going to be. If you dance too close to the fire it may keep you warm for a time, but eventually it’s going to burn you.”

Jaxx shook her head even as she hated. Absolutely hated that Maggie had brought up dancing, tonight of all nights. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I wasn’t going to say anything because I thought you’d come to your senses before things got—” she swept a hand indicating to Jaxx’s less than tidy attire, “—too serious between you. I should have told you the other morning when we had coffee.”

Warning bells went off in her head and a tiny voice inside screamed to be heard.
Leave. Don’t listen to her.
But then that other voice. The voice of reason chimed in. She knows something you don’t. Her heart pounded. “You should have told me what?”

“Ramsey Taylor is using you.”

She could breathe again. “I know that’s what you think, but it’s not—”

“That’s what I was told.”

The surety in her voice had the alarms blaring again. “By who? What did they say?”

“He told me himself.” Maggie shook her head. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s true. He said you bring class to the table and he brings the things that go on below the…” If Maggie hadn’t looked away Jaxx could have doubted what she was saying. Unfortunately, her discomfort only lent credibility to her words because she believed them.”

Jaxx opened her door and tossed her purse on the hall table. She was going for casual on the outside. Inside she was a nauseous mess. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“He said it was a fair exchange.”

Jaxx felt light-headed. “Exchange?”

“Yes.” she whispered.

Although the last thing Jaxx felt like doing at the moment was putting Maggie’s mind at ease, she nodded and did it anyway. “No problem. Aries and I are on the same page so you don’t have to worry about me, okay?” But it wasn’t okay. There was no page. Same or otherwise. He never mentioned an exchange to her. Suddenly she was hot and cold at the same time. And when the inner trembling started she wished she hadn’t pushed to hear this. Was it true?

“Jaxx, he wants something. A man like him always does and when he gets I predict he’ll leave you. Just like…”

“Like what?”

“Like Walter left you the moment his engineer said yes.”

She gave herself a mental shake and then sighed. “Good night, Maggie.”

“Wait, I don’t want to leave things like this. Tomorrow…‌well technically today, is the holiday, remember? We’re doing the quilt show as they’re calling for rain. Say you’ll come with us. We can talk some more there. Please.”

Jaxx shook her head and repeated, “Good night. Thanks though.”

By the time she slipped between the sheets she’d come to some conclusions. First and foremost? She wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions just yet. She pushed aside all the nagging doubts and determined to trust‌—‌not Maggie, but her instincts. Aries was right. It was time she found her own song as listening to someone else’s all the time was deafening her.

Tomorrow when she got the chance she’d simply ask him. There was a concept.

This decided, she had nothing to do but smile when she woke up at the break of dawn to his husky whisper sounding in her ear, “Good morning, sunshine.” Aries slipped his cold hands under the covers and rubbed them over her breasts until her nipples spiked. “I need to catch some rays on this dark and stormy day. What do you say we shut the thunder out and make some of our own in your cozy bed?”

Just then he slid his hand between her legs and pressed up. Lust roiled through her and all she could do was breathe, “Yes.”

Chapter Fourteen

Aries stretched and reached for Jaxx. “Okay, sleepy-head we need to get up.”

“Why?”

“It’s nearly noon.” He scooped her in against him so they spooned, smiling into her hair when she groaned. One thing he’d learned about her? This woman liked her sleep and she didn’t like to snuggle which was a shame as snuggling was one of his favorite things to do with a warm and naked woman. “We have to get ready.”

“For what? It’s still raining and besides I don’t think I can move a muscle. You’ve exhausted me. One more nap and then I promise. I’ll make you lunch and we can watch one of your awful movies and I won’t even complain.”

“Maybe you should complain so I can spank you. That way you’d know what my kind of punishment feels like.”

“I think I’d like that.”

He laughed and then growled, “I’d be careful if I were you because I’m pretty sure you won’t.”

“Now you’ll have to show me. I’m curious.”

“Mmm, sounds tempting, but since my golf game with Dan got cancelled I agreed that we’d meet him and Marsha at Alley Eight at twelve thirty. Best two out of three.”

“So no spanking?”

“Not now, but tonight, I promise.”

“Nice.” She’d been squirming and stopped. “Wait, you want to take me bowling?”

“Yeah. You any good? I’d like to win. Loser is buying ice cream at The Slab.”

She turned over and smiled. “I’m pretty good. Not as good as I am at other sports, but I’m decent in the lanes.” She smiled and then frowned. “Twelve thirty? What time is it?”

She didn’t wait for an answer when she slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. He didn’t mind. Damn, her ass had a nice sway. He was mesmerized.

“Aries?” She’d disappeared into the bathroom but then poked her head out the door. “Are you coming? We can conserve some water, right?”

When she grinned and popped her brows, he grinned right back. “Absolutely. Let me get a condom.”

“I meant coming into the shower with me.”

He flicked off the covers so she’d see exactly what he meant. “Yeah, that too.”

By the time he dove for a condom in the drawer and pushed off the bed she disappeared again, but he heard her. Her laughter echoing in the small room made him smile. Then he hurried up.

“Aries!”

“Gotcha. Come on.” He picked her up and carried her to the shower stall. “Come hard. Come all over me.”

He was going to tickle her but then he spied how serious she was and he hesitated. “What?”

“Did you tell Maggie that we were doing some kind of an exchange? As in, I was bringing the class to our relationship, while you brought the déclassé?”

He curled down and bit her shoulder. “Oh yeah, I love it when you talk dirty.”

“Aries?”

“Yes, I did say something like that.” He kissed her nose and pulled back. “But in my defense, I would have promised her my left nut that night just to escape. Seriously, she had me cornered. I’m wondering? Would you still screw me if I only had one nut?”