TouchofTopaz (6 page)

His jaw was clenched and his hands were fisted by his sides.
She could tell he was exerting an enormous amount of control over himself. But
that was John. He had more self-control than any man she’d ever met. It could
be maddening at times, but she also admired that about him.

As she studied him, his cock flexed, as if to remind her it
was still there waiting for her. Thick slabs of muscle delineated his abs and
his shoulders were impossibly wide. Even when he wasn’t moving there was a
sense of coiled power about him, as though he could erupt into action at any
given second.

Topaz licked her lips and slowly knelt in front of him.

John’s breathing deepened and the tension surrounding him
kicked up another notch.

“Move forward.”

John moved so fast she almost fell back, but he caught her
shoulders and kept her close. She grinned at his enthusiasm.

The bowl of strawberries and cream sat next to her on the
table. She reached out and chose one that was covered in cream.

“Topaz.” His voice was strained and she couldn’t tell if he
was warning her off or telling her to hurry.

She brought the cream-covered treat back to his cock and
dragged it over the mushroom-shaped tip. He groaned and dug his fingers into
the edge of the sofa. “Fuck, that feels good.”

“Then you’ll like this even better,” she promised. Topaz
circled the berry ‘round and ‘round the top of his shaft, leaving a trail of
cream behind her. Watching him get more and more aroused was having a definite
effect on her and before long her nipples ached and her core throbbed.

She’d never used food to seduce a man in her life, but she
wanted to do this for John, to give him the same erotic experience he’d given
her. He was different from any other man she’d ever met and he’d tapped into
something deep and primal within her. She felt alive and desirable and powerful
and brazen all at once.

She brought the strawberry back to the head of his cock and
stroked it slowly over the slit, capturing some of the liquid seeping from the
tip. “I wonder what that tastes like?” She raised the berry as if she was going
to let him eat it, but at the last second popped it in her own mouth.

Sweet juice squirted in her mouth, mingled with the more
musky, salty taste of John. “Mmm. Now that tastes delicious.”

“Tease,” he muttered. He caught her head between his large
palms and brought her mouth close to his straining cock. Cream still coated the
top and ran down the sides of his shaft.

“Can’t waste good cream.” She started low and swept her
tongue up one side of his cock. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her
closer. She laughed, knowing what he wanted and knowing she would give it to
him.

“You’re killing me, babe.” He angled the head of his cock
closer to her mouth in a silent demand.

She trailed her tongue over the tip, lapping off the thick
cream. “Tasty.” John was practically vibrating now and she took pity on him,
giving him what he wanted. Topaz opened her mouth and took his cock deep.

John groaned and swore and called her name, his thighs
closing around her to keep her between his legs. Even when she was in control,
John seemed to dominate. His sheer size and presence demanded it. She was even
beginning to get used to it, to anticipate and enjoy it.

She dragged her tongue over his rigid shaft, feeling the
heavy pulse beating within it. Her pussy contracted in response to his
pleasure, feeding her own growing desire.

She sucked and licked and took him deep in her throat. She
wanted him to come, to feel the same kind of satisfying completion that he’d
given her. John was close and she knew it wouldn’t take much to push him over
the edge. The rim around the top of his cock was sensitive and she drew her
tongue over it before she took as much of him as she could into her mouth. She
hollowed her cheeks, sucking hard.

John knew he couldn’t hang on any longer. The sight of her
kneeling between his legs with his cock in her mouth was more than he could
take. He couldn’t believe she’d coated his dick with cream and licked it off.
He’d never see strawberries and cream again without remembering this night.

He eased her head back and she reluctantly released him with
a wet pop of her mouth. She frowned at him and he almost smiled. She was more
than ready to have him come in her mouth. As much as he wanted that, he wanted
to be inside her hot, wet pussy even more.

“Next time,” he promised as he stood and pulled her to her
feet. He snagged his jeans and yanked out a condom he’d put there earlier in
anticipation. It paid to be prepared. “This time I need to be inside you.”

She started to sit on the sofa, but he guided her around to
the side of it. “No. Here. Lean down and rest your weight on the arm.” Topaz
looked at him, her lips wet and moist, her eyes slightly glazed.

He almost came as he rolled on the damn condom. When it was
in place, he moved in behind her. “Bend down, babe.” He placed his hand on her
back and urged her forward.

He almost howled with pleasure when she put her hands on the
arm of the sofa and pushed her sweet ass toward him. He used his legs to spread
hers wider. “I’m going to fuck you until you scream with pleasure.”

He lined up his cock with her wet opening and plunged
inside. Her cry was almost lost in the echo of his yell as the slick walls of
her cunt closed around him. He drew back and pushed inward again. “More. Take
all of me,” he hotly demanded. He plunged deeper this time and gritted his
teeth to keep from coming.

God, she was tight. Her inner muscles gripped him like a
vise. “Hold on tight,” he told her.

Her fingers tightened around the arm of the sofa and she
tensed in anticipation of what he was about to do. He held her hips in his
hands and began to fuck her. Hard. Her height made them fit perfectly together
and he hammered his hips against her ass, loving the slap of his balls against
her pussy.

“You’re so fucking tight and hot around my cock.” He pumped
his hips against her, loving the way she stretched around him, taking all of
him with each heavy thrust.

She was so fragile next to him, the line of her spine
delicate. Her nape was exposed as she leaned forward and he wanted to kiss the
sensitive spot and then nip at it with his teeth until he gave her a hickey
that wouldn’t be noticeable when her hair covered it. Only she would know it
was there, a tangible reminder of his possession of her.

He refrained from doing it. Just barely. Raw, primitive
emotions coursed through him, egging him on, but he didn’t want to frighten
her.

He slid one hand around to her front and found her clit with
his finger. He rubbed the tiny bundle of nerves
, urging
her to come with him.

Topaz didn’t know how much more she could take. She felt
completely overwhelmed by John and his claiming. His cock seemed to get bigger
with each stroke. This position had his shaft hitting all her sweet spots with
each stroke. Her grip on the arm of the sofa wasn’t enough to ground her and
she felt adrift, lost in the tempest swirling around her.

A storm was brewing within her and it was only a matter of
time before it broke. She was afraid that when it did, she would splinter into
a thousand pieces and be unable to put herself back together again. John would
have parts of her she would never be able to reclaim. It frightened and she
began to panic.

Then John slid his finger across her clit, sending lightning
bolts of pleasure zinging through her. Her body didn’t care what this might
cost her. It reached for the promised orgasm, grasping it eagerly.

Her body exploded and her channel tightened around his cock.
Spasms of pleasure rocked her to her core. John yelled and pumped several more
times, his shaft swelling and flexing. He half collapsed on top of her, his
arms banding around her waist to keep her from falling forward onto the arm of
the sofa.

They both stood there panting hard, like two combatants in a
war they’d both won. Topaz shivered as she became aware of the cool air and the
slight twinges in her body. She felt as though she’d survived a hurricane and
would never be the same again.

John slowly withdrew from her body and straightened behind
her. She was afraid to look at him, afraid she’d lost part of herself to him.
She’d never given up such control before, especially not to a man.

He didn’t say anything as he lifted her into his arms and
she buried her face against his broad chest. He carried her to the bedroom,
setting her down long enough to tug back the covers. He urged her to crawl onto
the bed and when she was settled, he covered her quickly and went to the
bathroom. The pipes rattled and groaned as he ran water. She could easily
picture him standing in the ancient bathroom, cleaning himself off, running a
cloth over his semi-aroused cock.

Topaz stared up at the ceiling, totally replete, yet
unsatisfied. The sex was exceptional, the best she’d ever had, but something
was missing. She was too tired to even consider what that might be. Her eyes
drifted closed but shot open again when the covers were pulled off her and cool
air rushed over her skin.

John stood beside her with a warm cloth in hand and
proceeded to clean her breasts and between her legs. It was embarrassing and
she batted at his hands, but he was relentless. Finally, she gave in and let
him do as he pleased. After what they’d just done in the living room there was
really no need for her to be self-conscious about him washing her in such an
intimate manner.

When he was done, he pulled the cover up to her chin and
kissed her forehead. “Sleep. I’ll be along in a few minutes.”

She let her eyes close and wished she was wearing her
nightgown, needed it like protective armor to help keep her heart safe. It
might already be too late for that. John Knight had come into her well-ordered
life and blown it apart, by doing no more than simply being what he was.

She shivered and thought about getting her nightgown, but it
was in the living room and she wasn’t prepared to leave the bed for it. The
sounds of dishes clinking reached her and she knew John was dealing with the
remains of their meal. She’d forgotten all about that. It was a very domestic
sound and it soothed her.

Her thoughts drifted along, refusing to touch on anything
for long and, before she knew it, John was back. She knew the second he stepped
into the room. The texture of the air seemed to change when he was
there—thickening and filling with anticipation. The sound of fabric against
fabric filled the silence and she knew he’d brought their clothing into the
room.

She tensed when he crawled into bed beside her but relaxed
again when he put his arm around her and pulled her back against his chest,
spooning behind her so her back rested against his chest and her butt was
cradled against his groin.

It was then she realized she’d been unconsciously waiting
for him. Now that he was here, everything was right. She felt his lips brush
against the top of her head as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Six

Topaz woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and frying
bacon. She gave an experimental stretch, feeling the slight muscle twinges in
her legs and other more intimate areas. She’d slept long and hard, except for
the hour around dawn when John had woken her to make love once again. This time
had been long and slow, but no less explosive than what had occurred the night
before.

She was still naked and with John gone the bed was much
cooler. Sitting up, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and yawned. She really
needed some coffee. The covers started to slip down to her waist so she grabbed
them and pulled them back up to cover herself. Shower first and then she’d get
her coffee.

Before she could move, the door opened and John walked in.
It wasn’t fair. No man should look that good first thing in the morning. He was
wearing a pair of worn jeans that fit him to perfection and had topped it with
a long-sleeved Henley shirt in a heather-gray color that went well with his
pale-blue eyes.

Unlike her hair, his was so short it was impossible for it
to be disheveled. Even though he’d been out of the Army for two years he was
still cutting it with military precision.

He smiled and held out his hand, offering her a steaming mug
of coffee. She grabbed it like a lifeline and sipped. “Thank you.” The
heartfelt desperation in her words made him laugh.

“Glad I could help.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“How are you feeling this morning?”

She took another sip of the rich, dark coffee, fixed just
the way she liked it with sugar and no milk, and pondered how to answer his
question. She wasn’t about to tell him about her physical discomforts. Overall,
she felt good. “I slept well.” That was certainly the truth. She hadn’t slept
so deeply in months.

“Good.” He tucked a finger under her chin and tilted it back
so he could drop a quick kiss on her mouth. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Is there time for me to shower?” In spite of his efforts
last night, Topaz felt sticky and sweaty and desperately wanted to clean
herself up.

“Make it a quick one.” He turned and left the room. When the
door closed she realized she was staring at his butt.

“Get a grip,” she mumbled. Tossing back the covers, she
shivered and grabbed her robe off the chair. It covered her, even if it wasn’t
very warm, and that was all that mattered.

It didn’t take her long to dig through her suitcase and pull
out clean clothes, her brush and toiletries kit. She dragged all of it, as well
as her coffee, into the bathroom and shut the door.

There was a showerhead installed above the cast-iron tub and
a curtain that enclosed it. She turned on the water and while it was heating,
drained her mug. The caffeine kick-started her brain and got it firing on all
cylinders. When the water was warn enough she discarded her robe and stepped
beneath the spray, letting it cascade over her head and body.

What had she done?

She’d made love to a man who was dangerous to her sense of
well-being, a man who could destroy the emotional equilibrium she’d managed to
build over the years. She tilted her head back and wiped the water from her eyes.

Was last night worth the emotional upheaval it would cause?

Yes. Topaz grabbed the bar of soap from the edge of the tub
and began to wash. She couldn’t regret her time with John no matter what
happened when they returned to New York. He was what he was and she was what
she was. This was a time out of time. And it belonged to them.

She reached out of the shower long enough to grab her
shampoo out of her toiletries bag and then washed her hair and rinsed her body.
When she turned off the water and stepped out onto the bathmat, she felt like
herself again—calm and in control.

She noted several small bruises on her legs and arms while
she moisturized, but that was to be expected given their vigorous lovemaking.
She donned a pair of jeans and a turtleneck sweater in a russet color that set
off her black hair. She didn’t have a hairdryer but it didn’t matter with her
short hairstyle. She brushed it and fluffed it with her fingers. Then she added
mascara and some lipstick. Nothing heavy.

Topaz stared at her reflection. She looked like herself, but
yet something wasn’t quite right. There was a knowledge, a haunted quality in
her eyes that hadn’t been there before. She thought the first time they’d made
love last year was a fluke, that the explosion of passion between them was an
anomaly. But it had happened again last night. If anything, the heat between
them had skyrocketed, leaving her wondering how long it could continue without
burning out.

A knock sounded on the door. “You almost ready?” He didn’t
sound impatient, but concerned.

“Be right there.” She waited until she heard his footsteps
fade, gathered her belongings and left the bathroom. She dumped everything in
the bedroom for now, grabbed her coffee mug and hurried to the kitchen.

John had two plates on the table filled with bacon, eggs and
toast. There was a glass of orange juice in front of each plate. “Want more
coffee?” He held up the coffeepot.

“Please.” She offered him her mug and thanked him when he
filled it. They sat at the table and ate in silence for a few minutes until she
couldn’t stand it any longer. “What are our plans for the day?”

John shrugged. “Thought we might take a walk, maybe have a
nap after lunch. There are a few books tucked away on the shelf and a few more
in the bedroom closet if you want to read.” He reached out and cupped her cheek
in his large, warm palm. “You need to have a day where you don’t do anything
but relax.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly what she’d expected him to say. Of
course, what could he say?
I want to get you naked and make love to you all
day.
She squirmed uncomfortably on her seat before she could stop herself.
She was aghast that she was slightly aroused just sitting at the breakfast
table with John. Something about last night had splintered all the barriers
she’d erected to keep that from happening.

“What’s wrong?” He skimmed a finger down her jawline, worry
in his pale eyes.

“Nothing.” She leaned back and his hand fell away from her
face. To cover her awkwardness, she grabbed her mug and drank deeply.

She sensed John’s frustration, but he let things be, at
least for now. He cleared his plate and sat back, resting his hands on his flat
belly. “Last night was special,” he began.

Topaz jumped up from the table and started clearing the
dishes. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up.”

John shook his head and slowly pushed back from the table.
“I know you’re not ready to talk about us. But you’ll have to before we leave
tomorrow morning.”

Tomorrow morning was a lifetime away. Right now, all she
wanted to do was enjoy the moment. She’d spent her entire life setting goals
and attaining them. She was tired of thinking and planning. Tired of making
decisions and wondering about the consequences of her actions, both in life and
in business. For the next twenty-four hours, she wanted to do whatever she
wanted and damn the cost.

“Do you want more coffee?” She didn’t even acknowledge what
he’d said. He shook his head and sighed.

“No. I’m good. I’m going to take a quick walk around the
cabin. I won’t be long.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, grabbed his
coat and headed out the front door, leaving her alone.

She set the pot back on the coffeemaker burner and turned
off the machine. The room seemed so much larger now without John in it. She
scrubbed her hands over her eyes, pushing back the tears that threatened to
fall. “You’re just tired,” she assured herself.

Pushing up her sleeves, she went to work on the dishes. Work
would help keep her mind off her troubles. It always did. She scoured and
scrubbed the dishes and pans before wiping down the table and countertops.

When she finished in the kitchen, she made the bed and
tidied the bedroom, then she set her sights on cleaning the bathroom. Anything
to keep her mind off what was happening between her and John.

Snow crunched under John’s boots, breaking the silence of
the morning. Frustration ate at his gut, but he wouldn’t allow it to rule his
actions. Topaz was afraid. It was like a punch in the gut when he’d realized it
this morning. She didn’t want to talk about a future between them, and it
wasn’t because she wasn’t attracted to him. There was no question that they
were physically compatible.

So what was the problem?

He was tempted to call one of her sisters and ask, but knew
he wouldn’t. Whatever was happening between him and Topaz was private.

His phone vibrated and he yanked it out of his pocket and
read the display. He might have known. He thumbed the button and held the phone
to his ear. “Yeah.”

“You okay?” His brother’s voice rumbled on the other end.
Jake and he had a connection that went deeper than simply being brothers. They
were twins and always knew if the other one was upset about something. There
was an unspoken communication between them that had helped save their lives
many times over their years in the Army and during their time with the Rangers.

John rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and settled
against the trunk of a birch tree. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. How are things going with Topaz?”

Jake was the only person he’d told what he was doing. And
that was only because it was so ingrained for him to have a backup just in case
of emergency. “I don’t know.” Saying the words aloud unsettled him. He’d been
so certain if he could just get her away from all the distractions of life he
could get her to see that they had something special together. Now he wasn’t so
sure.

“They’re complicated women.” John could hear the humor and
the underlying strain in his brother’s voice.

“They are that.” He knew that Jake had a thing for Sapphire
Jewel and was trying to come to grips with his own feelings. “I’m forty years
old, Jake. We’re forty. I know what I want out of life.”

“And you want Topaz.” Jake finished John’s thought.

“She’s the missing piece. What I need for my life to make
sense.” He wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. “She quiets the demons, you
know? She gives my life focus. Direction. A reason.” Shit, it sounded stupid to
say it out loud and he wouldn’t say it to anyone else but Jake. He felt like a
pansyass talking about his feelings.

“I know what you mean.” Jake’s quiet response made John feel
not quite so stupid.

“Yeah, I guess you do. What a pair we are.”

Jake laughed. “We are at that. But we know how to fight for
what we want, how to get around barriers and gain the objective. We don’t give
up. Ever.”

His brother was right. He wasn’t a quitter. If this weekend
didn’t work, he wouldn’t give up. The main thing he needed to do was uncover
why Topaz seemed afraid to talk about a future with him. He couldn’t fix the
problem until he knew what it was.

“Thanks, man.” John knew he could always count on his
brother to be there for him.

“Take it easy and call if you need anything.”

“Will do. And right back at you.” John ended the call and
tucked his phone back in his pocket. He strode toward the cabin, needing to see
Topaz. He wanted to kiss her full lips and touch her smooth skin. Mostly, he
simply wanted to be with her.

He hurried up the two steps to the door and let himself in.
The kitchen area was cleared away, the dishes draining in the rack. He didn’t
think the counters had ever gleaned quite so well before. Even the stove was
shining in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

From down the hallway, he could hear her humming, and was
suddenly filled with the need to hold her in his arms to convince himself he
wasn’t losing her. He wiped his boots on the mat and walked silently down the
hall.

She was bent over the tub, scrubbing the sides and humming a
song he didn’t recognize while she worked. It was the most relaxed he’d ever
seen her. He leaned against the doorframe and observed her, paying particular
attention to the way the material of her jeans clung to her heart-shaped ass.

As he watched her work, he wondered what it was about this
woman that attracted him like no other. Intelligence, obviously—that was a
given. She loved her family, was loyal and honest. She had a great laugh and
enjoyed going to art movies. She also had a passion for action movies. He
wasn’t aware of too many other people who knew her secret vice, but they’d
spent many nights during their time together on opposite ends of her sofa with
a big bowl of popcorn between them while bombs exploded on the screen in front
of them.

As though she felt his eyes on her, she turned around. “Hey.
I didn’t hear you come in.” She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and
offered him a tentative smile.

She was also the most put-together woman he’d ever known.
She was wearing jeans, but they had a discreet designer label. And since
breakfast she’d slipped on a pair of earrings with stones that matched her
sweater. She was also wearing a coordinating bracelet. She should have been
high maintenance, but she wasn’t. Dressing that well came as natural to her as
breathing.

Most women wore sweats to clean the house, but not his
Topaz.

“Want to go for a walk? There’s a stream not too far from
here and there’s hardly any snow on the path.”

“Sure. Just give me a minute to finish up here.”

“Take your time.” He enjoyed watching her. A sense of
rightness settled over him and John knew that he’d do whatever it took to claim
this woman. They belonged together. Whatever objections she had he would find a
way to get past them.

As she rinsed the tub, she glanced over her shoulder at him
several times. “You can wait in the living room if you want.” He was making her
nervous, which wasn’t good, but he wanted her to be aware of him and he
couldn’t do that if he wasn’t nearby.