You Can't Go Home Again (16 page)

“No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine on the couch. I’m not as tall
as you are, anyway. I just needed the shirt, so I’ll see you in…”

“Please?”

* * * * *

She’d been heading out the door, trying to get away while
she still felt like she could. At the one word, she stopped and turned toward
him.

“We used to sleep together all the time.”

She looked back at him, unable to stop the rush of pain. “We
used to be friends.”

There was nothing he could have said that would have made
her lie next to him. Nothing he could have done, no apologies would have made a
difference. But the look of raw pain that flashed across his face at her
words…that stopped her cold. Right now he was vulnerable. Just as he had been
two years ago. This time, she would be there. It would never be enough, but she
had to do something.

She turned back on her heel and quickly changed in the
bathroom, dropping her dress in a heap on the floor. When she walked out, he
was sitting up, watching the door, a hopeful look in his eyes. She heard the
breath leave his chest in a whoosh when she lifted the covers beside him.

It took less than a second for his arm to slide around her
waist. She felt it settle there right before he pulled, tugging her closer to
his body. She lay there, tense and nervous, until she heard his breathing
settle into a slow, steady rhythm. Just as she relaxed, felt the nerves gently
release, she heard him whisper, “God, I’ve missed you.”

Tears ran down her cheeks before she could call them back.
Praying he didn’t remember this in the morning, she couldn’t stop the words.
“I’ve missed you too.”

Dani woke from another erotic dream. She had no idea what
time it was, but it was still dark. She felt something heavy across her waist.
Thinking it was the blankets somehow wrapped around her, she rolled, causing a
delicious friction of cotton against her taut nipples. She couldn’t stop her
soft groan at the feeling.

The weight around her waist stirred, pulling her closer. At
once Dani recalled where she was and who was causing the weight.

When she heard Jace groan, heard him whisper her name, she
thought at first that he was awake. She turned her head, bringing her shoulder
in contact with his chest. She saw his eyes were closed, his teeth gritted, as
if in pain. When his arm squeezed again, pulling her tight against him, she
realized it wasn’t pain, but pleasure. He wasn’t awake, but dreaming.

At the feel of his stiff length pressing against her ass,
she knew it was the same kind of dream she’d been having.

He thrust against her, his shaft prodding as though begging
entrance. When his hand slipped upward, gently cupping her breast, she knew she
should stop him. She also knew she wasn’t going to.

When his fingers brushed her aching nipple, her mind slipped
away, seeing something from another time, another place.

She and Jace were on a blanket by the pond. Different from
the one five years before. He kissed her, tenderly, lovingly, as he ran his
hand between her thighs, gently cupping her sex.

She felt his hand slide between her damp folds, teasing her
to the point of insanity. He delved the blunt tip of his finger into her
waiting sheath, plunging in and out, bringing her to the edge. As her body
tensed, preparing for release, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I love
you.”

Dani came back to reality as her vision climaxed. Her body
was heavy, her breasts achy. Her core was empty, wet, needing release. She
didn’t know if she had been seeing a vision of things to come, or simply
reliving a dream…his or hers. She didn’t really care.

She listened, trying to decide if Jace was still asleep, if
she could slide her hand down and find the release her body was craving. When
she felt his hand squeeze her nipple, pinching it between his thumb and
forefinger, she cried out, unable to stop the sound.

She knew the moment he woke up, felt every muscle in his
body go from relaxed to taut; the arm around her waist pulled her tighter. She
waited for him to pull away, to say something to hurt her. To strike out. When
he didn’t, but rather pulled her closer, she felt relief overshadow the
surprise.

She knew she should get out of the bed, should stop him,
stop this. When he squeezed again, she arched into his palm, hoping he was
still drugged enough that he wouldn’t remember this tomorrow. That he would
think it was still a dream.

Need drove her. She flipped around, pressing her mouth to
his, throwing her leg over his hip. She felt his tongue dart out, desperate to
meet hers, to taste. His hand slid down to cup her ass, pulling her tight
against his raging erection.

* * * * *

She twisted her hips, writhing against him, making him
crazy. He had to get the shirt off her. He wrapped his arms around her, rolling
to his back and shoving her upright at the shoulders. He groaned at the feel of
her wet heat through his boxers, the thin fabric doing nothing to dull the
sensation. As he pushed his shirt up and over her head, her hips rolled,
pushing him closer to the edge. His shaft pulsed, throbbing, aching to bury
inside her. She twisted, riding faster. He cupped her breasts in his hands,
sitting up to suckle one nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard, pulling the
peak in deep, laving it with his tongue. She cried out, wrapping her hands into
his hair, holding him against her.

“Dani…aahhh, fuck. You have to stop or I’m going to come
right now.”

She twisted again, a small cry escaping before she bit her
lip. She shook her head, her fingernails digging into his shoulders. “Don’t
stop…please…I need… Aaaahhh.”

Fighting for control, Jace flipped her over, pressing his
weight down on top of her. He felt his seed rising up, on the verge of coming.
Too fast. He didn’t want this to end. He tried to push down his boxers,
managing to free just the tip of his shaft, before she wrapped her legs around
his waist, pulling him back against her.

He tried to align himself, felt the head of his shaft
separate her wet folds. He grazed by her opening, tearing a groan from his lips.
Pushing harder, trying to sink into her waiting sheath, he slipped by, his
shaft moving upward. He brushed by her clitoris, once, twice, before pulling
back again, desperate to bury himself inside her.

He heard her cry out, felt her muscles clenching, her legs
squeezing his waist. He felt her body tighten and release as her orgasm rolled
through her, his cock rubbing over her swollen nub. Her cry was too much. He
thrust against her, his seed shooting from his body, jet after hot jet. He’d
never felt this much pleasure. Her hands dug into his back, raking lightly,
exciting him even more. He pushed against her again and again, coming in his
boxers like some damn green kid.

He buried his face in her neck, nipping a little as the
pleasure bordering on pain started to recede.

He kissed her neck, as if to apologize for the nip,
whispering in her ear. “Only with you.”

* * * * *

When she heard his breathing steady out, falling into a
soft, slow rhythm, she gave thought to running. It occurred to her that this
wouldn’t have happened without that shot. She decided to stay and play dumb in
the morning. She hoped he would think it all some crazy dream.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, she found the shirt he’d
tossed, slipped it over her head, then climbed back in beside him. His arm
darted out, wrapping around her waist again, pulling her next to him even in
sleep.

As she started to nod off, she had one final thought; she
had missed him, missed this, more than even she had known. It was a shame he
had to be drugged to be nice to her.

Jace woke up, hard and horny. Normal. He was also hung over.
That was odd. He didn’t recall even drinking last night, let alone enough that
he would feel like this. He stumbled out of bed, tripping over something on the
floor of the bathroom before he finally managed to get to the sink. After
getting a drink and splashing some water on his face, he started to recall some
fuzzy memories of last night.

Dani in that sexy purple dress, riding in a limo with her
pressed next to him. The hospital…the prick doctor who kept hitting on her. He
even remembered the large, scary black woman who came to give him a shot.
Apparently that shot packed quite a punch, because everything after that was
hazy.

He turned, aiming for the shower when he tripped again. He
looked down and saw that very same purple dress on his bathroom floor.

This time heat flooded through along with the memories,
bringing his shaft pulsing back to life. Dani…she was here…in his bed. He
glanced out the bathroom door and saw her still sleeping. She was curled up
like a child, her arms wrapped around the pillow. A smile spread across his
face as he recalled her sleeping like that in college, too.

More memories assailed him. He’d been dreaming of making
love with her, on a blanket out by the pond. She’d been so responsive, coming
almost as soon as he slipped his finger inside her. Then the dream had changed.
They’d been here, in his bed. She’d been pressed against him, her back to his
front. He’d squeezed her breast and she’d gone crazy, flipping him over,
straddling him.

Just the memory of that dream had him on the verge of
release. He turned back to the shower, cranking on the water and stripping down.
As he pulled off his boxers, he realized just how hot the dream had been. He
had been in high school the last time he’d had a wet dream, but sleeping next
to her had been enough to bring one on.

It had been so vivid, so real. He had been able to feel her
against him. At the remembered sensations, his cock gave a little jump,
demanding attention. It took almost no time for him to find his own release.

Once he was cleaned up, shampooed and shaved, he went in to
wake Dani up. He found her out of bed and in his kitchen making coffee. She
looked rumpled, messy, and grumpy. She was perfect.

“I forgot you’re not functional without coffee in the
morning.”

She glared over her shoulder at him. “Mugs?” she asked with
one raised eyebrow.

He strolled into the kitchen, only slightly annoyed by just
how right she looked standing there in his T-shirt. He reached over her
shoulder, needing to be close to her, and opened the cabinet, pulling down two
mugs.

* * * * *

She pulled away, stepping out of his arms and leaning against
the counter. He was too close. She couldn’t breathe. Had she really thought
that after the earth-shattering orgasm of last night, she’d be able to be
anywhere near him? It hadn’t helped, hadn’t eased the attraction. If anything,
it had revved up her sex drive, making it worse.

Once she poured a cup of coffee, she took two long drinks,
feeling the slight burn in her throat. When she finally felt almost human, she
risked a glance back at him.

He was leaning against the opposite counter, sipping his
coffee, and grinning at her like a fool. She squinted her eyes at him, giving
him an evil look. This sparked full-on laughter.

“You still drugged?” she asked.

“Nope.” He grinned again. “Just remembering how cranky you
are in the mornings. It’s kind of cute.”

At that she rolled her eyes. Throwing one more glare, she
said, “Towels?”

“In the bathroom—there’s a cabinet behind the door. I’ll get
you a shirt and see if I have any sweats that might stay on you.”

“Sweats? I have my dress. I’ll just wear that home.”

“Your dress is not safe on the back of my bike. You need
pants.”

“I’ll just call a cab, Jace. You don’t need to take me home.
Besides, my car is at Jenn’s parents’ house.”

“Well, then I’ll take you there.”

She didn’t know why he was being nice, but it was making her
nervous. She wondered if he remembered last night after all. Maybe she should
ask? How could she ask without telling him it happened? What if he didn’t
remember and she gave it away?

She kept her mouth shut and headed to the bathroom. “Fine,
I’ll just be a minute.”

The warm spray felt terrific. She found herself lingering in
the shower longer than she’d planned. She washed up right away, but couldn’t
resist standing there a while. She remembered the pleasure of last night, even
wished she could drag him in here with her and start it all over again. As her
hands trailed over her breasts, rubbing the still-tender nipples, her body grew
wet, aroused and aching.

With a mental slap in the face, she realized that this would
do no one any good. Apparently she had too much pent-up desire. When she got
back to L.A. she was going to make time for a boyfriend.

Even as she thought it, she knew that wasn’t the problem. It
was Jace. Always had been, always would be. She would just suffer through the
next week and a half and then get out of here. At least he seemed less angry
this morning.

When she heard his voice…in the bathroom…she squealed,
turning her back to the frosted glass doors.

“Hey, I was just bringing you some clothes. I have some
jeans Nicole left here, and a shirt. I figured you could wear those until we
get you home. Oh, and I talked to Bri. Your truck is at your house. They
brought it home last night.”

“Fine, thank you, now please leave.” Her tone was clipped,
tight and nervous, and she knew it.

She could hear the smirk in his voice when he answered. “I
can’t see anything through those doors, not really, anyway. Besides,” he took
another step farther into the bathroom, “If I recall, you were never shy.
Plus…I’ve seen it all before.”

At that he opened the shower door, staring at her firm round
ass, her back, the sexy curve of her shoulder and neck. “From here, you look
better than you did five years ago. What’s with the fake shyness? I seem to
recall we showered together a few years back.”