Storm Front (11 page)

“I promise.” She smiled. “If I need you, I’ll holler.”

Earl left the bathroom and shut the door until only a crack was left. Tessa took care of her more urgent bodily needs, then moved to sit on the edge of the tub and tested the water. She added more hot water.

“Tessa?” Earl’s voice came from the other side of the door. “You ready for me to come back in?”

“Yes.” Her heart pounded, but with excitement, not fear. This man was her future, and she intended to embrace it, and him, fully.

Earl walked to the tub. His gaze swept over her. “You moved without me. Any dizziness? Nausea?”

“None. I feel weak, sore, but other than that, I’m fine,” she reassured him. “Looking forward to the bath and the food and … uh, later, in bed … with you.”

“Let’s talk a little bit more about later, about going to bed.” He turned off the taps and put some bath oil into the water; it smelled like him, lemon and something musky. “What did your therapist say about your inability to orgasm?”

Tessa touched his arm, and he turned toward her. She gasped at the look of deep concern mingled with desire and something more in his eyes. No man had ever looked at her in that way. She looked away from his intense gaze and watched the swirling water and inhaled the scent of the bath oil mingled with his scent as she decided how to express what she’d learned after years of therapy.

She cleared her throat. “Um, the doctor said I had bottled up my sexuality in response to the abuse I’d suffered. Her explanation was since I had no control over what those people did to my body, I did have control over my response to what they did. So-o-o … when I started dating and having sex…” Earl growled at the mention of her having sex with other men and she had to smile, “…well, my mind refused to allow me to react even with my chosen partners, even though I knew they weren’t out to hurt me. I continued to repress my sexuality to protect myself.”

“What did your therapist say about that?” He swept a hand through the water and added some cold.

“She said I didn’t trust them with my heart, my emotions, my mind. While they didn’t hurt me physically, I still couldn’t allow myself to feel.” Tessa sought Earl’s hand and squeezed it. “I trust you. I have since I met you, and that kind of scared me.” She scrunched her nose. “I wondered how I could see a big, strong man like you and trust you so implicitly from the first second I met you. Was I nuts?”

She smiled to lessen the sting of her initial doubt. “Then, in that ravine, I realized I wanted to stay alive for all sorts of reasons…” she traced his mouth with a finger, “…but the main one was you.” He kissed her finger and smiled. “I wanted to go to the Bulls game and take a chance that date would lead to more.”

Earl captured her hand and kissed the palm. “It will, baby. I’ve had a lot of women in my past. But I’ve never met one I wanted to see in my home, in my bed, having my children before. Only you.”

This wonderful man had just put himself out there. His words were a declaration of commitment, of love. He might not have said the words, but his intent was clear.

God, she could have it all … all she had to do was reach for it and hold on.

Tessa began to cry from relief and happiness.

Earl cursed under his breath. “Damn me all to hell and back. I made you cry again.” He pulled her onto his lap and rocked her. “Stop it, honey. I can’t stand it. You make my heart hurt.”

Tessa snickered against his chest and slipped a hand down to enclose his cock. “I think I make something else hurt more.”

Earl squeezed her gently. “Behave, you minx. Bath. Food and liquids. Then bed, and then we’ll see if we can take care of each other’s needs.” He slid one arm down her front and cupped her mound. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Tessa blushed and turned away from Earl’s searching and heated gaze. “Tub’s full. Can we have the jets on full?”

“You can have anything you want. Just ask.”

From the tone of his voice, she knew he meant it. Her heart beat faster, and the future looked ever brighter.

Fate, in the form of her best friend, had brought her this strong, wonderful man. She would owe Callie a big damn favor.

Name your first-born girl after her.

What a good idea.

Earl lifted Tessa and placed her in the tub. The water was warm, and she sighed as the heat soothed aching muscles and eased any remaining tension. She accepted a wash cloth from Earl. Then he got into the tub and settled himself behind her. He encircled her with his arms, his long legs lying parallel outside of hers.

She leaned back into his chest and sighed. “I could get used to this.”

“Plan on it.” Earl took the cloth from her and soaped it up, and then began washing her arms. “I’m darn sure I’m gonna want to give you lots of baths. Jesus, baby, you’ve got bruises and scrapes all over you.” He growled under his breath as he sought out each and every injury. It was the most thorough and gently intimate bath she had ever had.

“There, all clean.” He kissed the top of her spine. “Now, lay your head back on my shoulder and relax. Let me just hold you for a bit.”

And that was what she did—and he did.

7:00 p.m.

Earl had leashed his libido while bathing Tessa.

It had been a fierce battle, especially when with each stroke of the cloth she’d emitted little moans and sighs that made his cock flex against her bottom and lower back. It would have been so easy to lift her and slide in from behind in a reverse cowgirl position, but he’d promised her a relaxing bath and then food.

He also kept in mind she’d been minutes away from death when they’d found her. If not for the immediate first aid in the Hummer, she could’ve gone into shock. Her core temperature had been dangerously low. The fact she hadn’t died he chalked up to her excellent physical conditioning, a strong will to live, the well-stocked medical kit in the Hummer, and plain dumb luck.

It had been too close of a call.

Bath over, Earl sat next to Tessa on the small sofa in front of the fireplace in his bedroom suite. He liked watching her eat. Her color was much better now that she was warm both inside and out. She was still somewhat dazed from her adventure; her movements were slower and she would stop and drift into a sort of fugue state for a few seconds before eating another spoonful of the chicken noodle soup.

But, on the whole, she recalled most of what happened, was oriented to time and space. More importantly, she was receptive to his attentions and, in fact, seemed as eager as he to explore the more physical side of a relationship with him.

In the back of his mind, the rage he’d felt at what had been done to her younger self still burned; it was a steady simmer, ready to boil over at the first sign of threat to her person or her mental and emotional well-being. He kept the anger caged. He refused to allow any of his darker emotions to touch her; she’d had enough darkness in her life.

Tessa deserved to be loved and pleasured—and assured she’d never be harmed in their bed.

Her ready acceptance of his personal care after her close call had pleased and humbled him. She’d been wet and ready for him before the bath. She’d openly shared her sexual past. How she could ever think she wouldn’t please him, that he would be disappointed in their love-making, he’d never understand.

“Earl, you’re frowning.” Tessa placed the empty bowl on the cocktail table and then traced his lips with her index finger. He nipped the tip, then kissed it. She smiled. “What’s wrong?”

“Were the men in your past all stupid or what?” He mentally groaned. He hadn’t meant to ask that, but it was out now. “I mean, no real man leaves his woman hanging and takes all the pleasure for himself.”

Tessa shook her head, a slight twist to her lips. “Are you jealous?”

“Fuck, yeah.” He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed it. “You were meant for me. But I’ll get over it—eventually.”

Like hell. It burned in his gut. The only way to douse the flames was to make sure she was in his bed and pleasured by him for the rest of their lives. Any man who touched her or even looked at her wrong was toast.

A glint of laughter in her eyes, she stroked his tense jaw. “Earl, they were nice guys. Most of them were models.” She shrugged and wrinkled her nose in a self-deprecating manner. “Some of them, I think, just wanted to demonstrate their masculinity by having me on their arm at a nice restaurant. Some of them just wanted the attention being with me brought them. None of them could hold a candle to you for pure, unadulterated masculinity.”

She leaned over and inhaled against his neck. “And none of them smelled right. I could find you in the darkest cave on the darkest night by scent alone.” She licked the line of the throbbing pulse in his neck and smacked her lips. “Yummy. You taste as good as you smell.”

Earl let out a low growl and pulled her from her place on the couch and crosswise onto his lap. She twined her arms immediately around his neck and nestled her head on his shoulder. He sensed no fear in her at all, just acceptance, complete and total.

Slowly, he untied the robe he’d loaned her and swept the folds back to expose her breasts. Unlike many models, she was naturally well-endowed. Her breasts were tear-drop shaped, full and lush, when compared to the rest of her bone structure and lean musculature.

As he stroked the under-curve of her breasts, testing their weight in the palm of his hand, she purred against his throat.

“Like that?” His voice was harsh, guttural with his need to make love to his woman.

“I love your touch.” Her voice was husky, sensuous. “Earl, kiss me.”

Tessa lifted her lips to his and he took them. The kiss was all hot tongue, lip-eating, and low groans—on both sides. She tasted of chicken soup and another flavor that was all Tessa. Sweet and spicy—and fiery.

When he became more aggressive, taking the kiss deeper, Tessa twisted into his body, her fingers holding his head to her.

God, thank you.
His Tessa wasn’t afraid of his strength.

Earl groaned into her mouth. He moved his hand to cup her bottom and rubbed her against his hard-on. He demanded her complete surrender to his will. And she responded beautifully. Her moans turned to whimpered gasps into his hungry mouth.

As he held her to him with the hand on her sweet ass, his free hand moved over her satiny, rosy-from-her-bath skin with sweeping strokes along her side from her breast over her lean mid-section to her hip. Sliding his hand over her thigh, he cupped her pussy. She moaned low in her throat.

He broke off the kiss. “You okay, sweetheart?” He needed to make sure she was with him and he wasn’t scaring her with the strength of his ardor.

“God, yes,” Tessa moaned and arched her lower body into his hand. “More.”

“With pleasure.” He bent to take her lips once more and held her steady as the hand on her pussy began a pattern of tracing and then rubbing.

After firmly massaging her clit with the heel of his hand, he tested her opening with a finger.
Oh, hell yeah
. She was wet; she’d responded to him instantly.

Earl needed to take his loving of her to the next level, but he didn’t want to do it on the too short couch in the drafty high-ceilinged sitting area. Tessa deserved the warmth and comfort of a bed for their first time together. He attempted to break away from their kiss, but found himself going back for more, reluctant to lose the taste of her on his tongue and her grasp on his neck. It was several long minutes before he could finally tear away from her too-tempting mouth and touch.

“Angel, we need to take this to the bed.” He kissed her nose and cheeks, unwilling to lose contact with her completely. “I want to pleasure you.” He cupped her mound and claimed with his hand what he would soon take with his hard-as-granite cock.

“Can’t we do it on the couch?” She licked and kissed a spot under his ear he’d never before realized was a hot spot for him. He trembled and brushed a kiss over her shoulder.

“No. Bed. Now.” He released his hold on her pussy and gathered her more firmly against his naked chest. He stood. “You have bruises on top of bruises. I’m not gonna be the cause of any more.”

“Okay.” She nuzzled his neck and smoothed a hand over his chest hair from nipple to nipple and then traced a teasing finger up and down the midline of his abs. “I love how strong you are.”

His cock throbbed, and he swore he might come from her petting alone.

“Tessa, sweetheart,” he muttered as her hand found the tip of his cock sticking out of his boxers’ waistband, “I’m ready to explode. You might want to leave my cock alone until I can get you ready for me.”

“Here’s a little secret.” She nipped his earlobe. “I’m ready now. Readier than I’ve ever been in my life. You do it for me, tough guy.”

“Baby, that’s just it—I’m tough and big and … I don’t want to—”

Tessa grasped his cock within her hot, delicate hand. “Yes, I would agree this is a prime example of a big cock.” She muttered against his ear, “And I can’t wait to have it in me. I’m not a virgin, Earl. I can handle anything you want to give me. I’m not afraid. Really.”

She read him too well. He was anxious about not only hurting her, but also scaring her because of her past violent sexual experiences. He also wasn’t a prissy-assed model. When he made love to a woman, he was all in—pleasure for her and him was the name of the game—and he went for it with gusto. He was afraid he’d be too rough, too demanding.

“Tessa—” Earl stopped by the bedside and gently lowered her onto the already turned-back bedding.

“Hush.” Tessa sat up and covered his lips with her fingers. “Earl, I won’t break. I’ve never balked at intercourse. During my modeling years, most of my sexual partners went at the act with enthusiasm and energy. They all had a very good time, at least they said so. They just never did it for me. You do.”

She smiled; it was a look of pure, sultry sex and all for him. His balls tightened and a spurt of precum covered his glans.

“I can’t be any more blunt than this—don’t hold back.” She swirled a finger around one of his nipples. He inhaled sharply at the pleasure one little sweep of her finger gave him. “You can’t hurt me as long as you care about me.”