A Better Man (24 page)

He took her hands and placed them down at her sides. Then he took his time kissing her mouth, throat, and shoulders. He kissed her arms, lifted her hair and kissed the back of her neck and all the way down her spine. He touched her smooth skin with the gentlest of hands, and she rewarded him with soft sighs and throaty moans. When he reached her hips he tucked his thumbs in the waistband of her cutoffs and slid the fabric down her legs. He lifted each foot to remove the pants, then sat back on his heels to look at her standing there in a high-­cut lacy pair of pink panties and nothing else but
skin.

“D
amn.”

“What's wrong?” Concern tinged her voice but she managed to keep her eyes cl
osed.

“Not a thing.” He smoothed a hand down over her hip and thigh. “You just take my breath a
way.”

“No I don't. I hear you breathing just f
ine.”

A smile touched his lips before he leaned in to kiss her firm belly, cup her sweet, rounded, lace-­covered ass with his hands, and slick his tongue across her belly button. Her skin tasted sweet like honey. He could only imagine how delicious the rest of her woul
d be.

Slowly he lowered his hands down her hips in a smooth caress, letting his long fingers dip into the warm, damp apex of her thighs. Just enough to
test.

To t
ease.

Her long, hungry moan coincided with the weakening of her knees. Without missing a beat, he scooped her up in his arms and laid her on the
bed.

“Are we done now?” she a
sked.

The disappointment in her tone made him smile and a chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. “Baby, we're just getting star
ted.”

E
yes closed, Lucy grasped the fluffy comforter as he trailed his fingers from the base of her throat down between her breasts to the top of the lace on her pan
ties.

“Relax.” His fingers brushed and swirled, sending chills—­the good kind—­through her body. “Use your hands for something better than gripping the bedding. Use them on
me.”

He leaned down, his bare chest pressed into her breasts as his hot breath whispered in her ear. “Or better yet, touch yourself. Show me what feels g
ood.”

She'd touched herself before, but not with her bare fingers. A vibrator gave her what she needed without it becoming too . . . pers
onal.

This definitely went beyond pers
onal.

The low, sexy tone of his voice kept her calm and made her want to do as he asked. She wanted to please him as much as apparently he wanted to please
her.

When his lips found her throat again he kissed his way down to her breasts where his tongue flicked her pebbled nipple before he sucked it into his warm, wet mouth. A hot ache of need shot down between her legs. She arched into him, and a gasp she couldn't control slipped past her
lips.

“Does that feel g
ood?”

“Yes.” He sucked again and the need tripled. “More. Please. M
ore.”

With a murmur against her skin he moved to the other breast, and instead of instantly sucking her nipple into his mouth, he circled it with his tongue, then flicked it and rolled it gently between his teeth. Her hands came up off the comforter and dove into his hair, holding him at her breast, silently begging him to continue. Between her fingers his hair was silky and long enough to grab and hold tight if the need a
rose.

And boy did she ever hope it a
rose.

She'd never had a man's tender touch. Never had her breasts paid attention to in a sensuous manner. Never knew they could be so fabulously sensitive when the right man was in com
mand.

Her entire body was on fire. Tingling. Craving
more.

This
kind of control she was willing to hand
over.

Only one problem existed. She wanted to see him. He was a gorgeous man with an incredible body and a sexy tattoo running over his broad shoulder and chest that she wanted to lick. Keeping her eyes closed seemed unfair. Currently he was busy rocking her world so she snuck a peek. Seeing him at her breast, concentrating on what he was doing to make her feel good intensified the sensa
tion.

“Oh.”

He looked up. “You chea
ted.”

“It's so much better with my eyes open. I want to see you. I want to touch
you.”

“Believe me, there's nothing more I want than your hands on me. But right now, there's something I've fantasized about doing to
you.”

“You've fantasized about
me?”

“From the minute I walked into your classroom. You looked so prim and proper and sexy as hell. All I wanted to do was strip you down and get you me
ssy.”

“Me
ssy?”

“Hot. Wet.” He gave her nipple a lazy stroke with his tongue. “And swe
aty.”

“Sweaty?” Totally new concept for
her.

“Mmm hmm. But right now let's focus on . . .
wet
.”

He slid his way down her body, kissing her stomach, her hips, and sliding her panties off. Then he cupped his hand beneath her bottom and kissed her pubic area. She didn't panic, but she f
roze.

“Jordan . . . I've never .
 . .”

“I know, baby.” He kissed the apex of her thighs and . . . hmmm . . . fancy that. Her legs just parted all on their own like they knew exactly what was about to ha
ppen.

“And I promise I'll make it good for you,” he
said.

When he kissed the inside of each thigh she held her breath. Then he gently parted her feminine folds with his th
umbs.

“Mmmm.” He moaned. “So pretty.” His warm, wet tongue slowly licked across her slick flesh, and a jolt of white-­hot pleasure curled all the way up into her chest and down to her
toes.

So, so,
so
much better than a vibr
ator.

His moan of approval pulsated against her skin while he teased, licked, and sucked the sensitive flesh. He made her come alive and she grasped at everything she could get her hands on—­his hair, shoulders, the bedding, her own hair. A sizzling heat caught fire to all the nerve endings in her body and she exploded. The jolt rendered her speechless but for a lusty groan that came from somewhere deep inside she never even knew existed. As she spiraled even higher, one single word burst from her
lips.

“Jor
dan!”

Moments later as every muscle turned to jelly, he moved back up her body and propped himself over her. His huge erection pressed against that flesh he'd just caught on fire and he moved his body in a way that kept the sensation going. He kissed her and she parted her lips to let his talented tongue slide in
side.

While they kissed, he moved that hard-­muscled sexy body against hers and it didn't take long for that needy ache to reap
pear.

She filled her hands with his strong back and firm buttocks while he moved against her. But when she thought he'd push inside, he di
dn't.

“That was a first?” His deep voice rumbled against her breasts, waking them up like they had a connection straight between her
legs.

“Yes.” Should she feel embarrassed? She didn't. She felt . . . amazing. But she wanted more. She wanted
him.

He grinned down at her. “Then here's your sec
ond.”

Before she could move, he slid down her body and stirred up a whole lot of magic again that answered her long-­wondered ques
tion.

Yes, there was such a thing as multiple org
asms.

Chapter 13

F
rom somewhere in the apartment an alarm beeped. Jordan jolted awake, once again on the sofa. After he'd given Lucy several orgasms, she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He'd held her all night until the wee hours of the morning when he'd slipped from bed and gone into the bathroom to take a sh
ower.

Holding off from slipping his aching cock inside her sweet, slick body had been the hardest thing he'd ever done. But he wanted Lucy to know that he wasn't just thinking about himself. In more ways than one she came first. He'd never been a man who'd given before but he'd excelled at taking. With Lucy, he wanted to give. He wanted to feel her relax in his arms and make those sexy sounds that told him she'd left her past at the door and trusted him enough to let him go places no man had ever
been.

He'd never cuddled before in his life. Yet when he got out of bed, he wanted to crawl right back in next to
her.

The middle-­of-­the-­night shower had been a necessity to relieve the ache of wanting her. His own hand had been a poor substitute, but making Lucy happy came first. Because he didn't want Nicole to wake up in the morning and find him in bed with her teacher, he'd gone back to the cold sofa and eventually fallen asleep with Ziggy snoring by his
feet.

When the alarm buzzer shut off, he knew Lucy would soon make an appearance. He got up and folded the blanket. Then he went into the kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker and start throwing something together for breakfast. If it had just been him a protein shake would do, but he had two females to think about right
now.

That knowledge made him s
mile.

He'd never had to think about anyone else's needs before. It made for a nice ch
ange.

The only blonde in the place just needed a bowl of kibble to keep him happy. Jordan rubbed the dog's head as he reached into a bottom cupboard for a skillet. Several minutes later Lucy shuffled in wearing her big fluffy robe, bed hair, and a confused look. She stopped at the end of the counter as if she didn't quite know what to say o
r do.

“Good morning.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Sleep w
ell?”

She nodded. “I'm not sure I've ever slept that well bef
ore.”

He gave her a knowing grin. “I'm glad to know you were satisf
ied.”

“Obviously several bone-­melting times. But you . .
 . ?”

Ah. There was the reason for the confu
sion.

“I slept good too,” he joked, trying to pull her from her state of con
cern.

“But you didn't . . . I mean we didn't . . . I mean
you—­”

“Last night wasn't about me.” He pulled her close. Kissed the top of her head while the coffeemaker gurgled. “We have lots of time to figure things out. I don't want to push you into something you don't want to
do.”

“Jordan?” She curled her fingers into the front of his shirt. “I want to. I really really want
to.”

“Ah. I love the sound of my name on your l
ips.”

A cute little frown wrinkled between her brows. “You're dodging the subj
ect.”

“I'm not. I was about to say that if my sister wouldn't be walking in here in a few minutes—­which is why I went back to sleeping on the sofa last night—­I'd be carrying you off to the bedroom for lesson number two just so I could hear my name on your lips ag
ain.”

A sleek dark brow lifted from behind her glasses. “J
ust?”

“Just one of the many reasons.” He slipped his hands down her back, gripped her rear end in his hands, and gave her a little squeeze. “We still have toni
ght.”

“Can you have sex before a g
ame?”

“Absolut
ely.”

“Good.” She lifted to her toes and planted a kiss on him that made him rethink the whole waiting t
hing.

“I'm taking a shower,” she said as she sauntered away. “Just in case you're interes
ted.”

“You're killing me, Lucy,” he said, but the grin on his face said he liked the new, playful
Lucy.

He liked her a hell of a
lot.

T
hough Lucy had sworn she didn't mind cooking dinner again, Jordan insisted on taking her and Nicole out to a place called Peach Magnolia Grill. When they walked into the converted Victorian house, Lucy immediately liked the traditional Southern décor. The aroma from the food at the surrounding tables made her mouth water. Nicole, however, looked slightly un
sure.

“They have everything here from fried chicken to alligator,” Jordan told his sister. “I'm sure you'll find something you l
ike.”

“Alliga
tor!”

He grinned as he pulled out a chair for her. “Tastes like chic
ken.”

Lucy wanted to laugh at the horror on Nicole's face but decided nothing that seemed to be a form of making fun of her would be a good idea. They wanted to have a nice evening. And while Jordan and his sister had made some strides last night, things were still to
uchy.

“I've been thinking about turning vegan,” Nicole said. “Now might be a good time to st
art.”

“They also have pan roasted duck if you change your m
ind.”

“Oh sure, make me think of Daffy at a time like t
his.”

Lucy smiled. Watching brother and sister tease each other was like getting hit with the warm rays of the
sun.

The server appeared at their white linen–­covered table—­a gorgeous blonde with a narrow waist and long legs in a pair of perfectly fitted black pants. Her bustline filled out the simple white shirt like nobody's business. She arrived at their table with a smile that let Lucy know before the woman even spoke that she was on very familiar ground with Jo
rdan.

“Hey, handsome. I haven't seen you for a while. I thought you were going to call me when you came back into t
own.”

“He's been busy,” Nicole snapped. “Our parents were killed in case you didn't k
now.”

The server's flirty smile fell. “I'm sorry. I didn't k
now.”

Jordan's expression shifted between the amusement of his sister's response to the server's flirting and the horrifying truth of their parents' de
aths.

“Well now you do,” Nicole grabbed her cloth napkin from the table, settled it on her lap, then looked up at the blonde with big innocent eyes. “So maybe we could have another server who doesn't know our personal busin
ess?”

“Of course.” The woman turned on her heel and disappeared into another part of the restau
rant.

“Nicki, that was rude.” Jordan's stern look failed to imp
ress.

“I don't know.” Nicki lifted a shoulder. “Her coming on to you when she didn't know who either me or Ms. Diamond were was pretty rude if you ask
me.”

Jordan looked at Lucy who shrugged. “She has a point.” Not that
she
was really anything to him, but the blonde didn't know
that.

Lucy knew Jordan had been with women like the server. She'd seen dozens of pictures of him out on the town with similar females—­women who were long-­legged, busty, and gorgeously blond. But last night he'd been with
her
—­kissing her in places that had never been kissed. Licking her in places she'd never imagined. He made her see stars and rainbows by giving her the most unbelievable orgasms she'd ever had. From now on, her battery-­operated boyfriend didn't stand a ch
ance.

Afterward he'd held her in his arms and made her feel special. Cared for. Wanted. Thanks to him, she now knew what sexually satisfying for both partners meant. Tonight she'd make sure she gave Jordan just as much satisfaction as he'd given
her.

They had a long time to look at the menu before the new server appeared at their table, a young man this time, who humorously appeared equally as smitten with Jordan as their previous server had been. After Jordan ordered roasted pecan salads with fried green tomatoes for all of them, Nicole excused herself to use the restroom. Once she disappeared, Jordan reached across the table and took Lucy's
hand.

“Nervous?” he asked with a cagey s
mile.

“About w
hat?”

“What I'm going to do to you tonight when we get h
ome.”

Lucy thought about the server who'd flirted so openly. She thought about all those other women who'd caught Jordan's eye. Before she became completely intimidated she dismissed them. Because for the first time she was living in the moment. Reaching for the brass ring on a quickly spinning merry-­go-­round. It was time she stepped outside her comfort zone and grabbed hold of a dream, even if she woke up in the morning and everything disappeared. At least she'd have taken a ch
ance.

“Maybe . . .” She squeezed his hand. “It's about what I'm going to do to
you
when we get h
ome.”

Okay. Forget about stepping outside that comfort
zone.

She'd freaking le
aped.

D
inner had been a Southern feast without the grits and fried chicken. Jordan had selected an Italian rosé for their meal while Nicole grumbled about having to drink a virgin mint julep. The conversation mostly centered on a new song Nicole was creating and Jordan's upcoming game. Lucy had little to add to the discussion other than that she'd like Nicole to hand in her lyrics for extra credit on her final grade. She didn't mind her lack of participation in the conversation. Because watching the man she cared so much about reconnecting with his sister was like opening an early Christmas pre
sent.

It was late by the time they got back to the apartment. Mildly tipsy from the delicious rosé, Lucy followed Jordan and Nicole inside, where they were greeted by a happy-­to-­see-­them tail-­wagger. While brother and sister discussed plans for the following day leading up to the game, Lucy escaped by taking Ziggy outside to do his business. The break was what both she and her dog needed—­for drastically different rea
sons.

Every minute spent in Jordan's company only increased her want and need for the man. She knew she was dreaming of the impossible; their lives were too completely different. But trying to tell a heart what it couldn't have was like explaining to a two-­year-­old that ice cream was bad for
them.

The breath of fresh air helped clear her mind a little so she could still grasp the fact that while she might want and might take whatever Jordan wanted to offer right now, it was short-­term. Eventually he'd go back to his regular life and so would
she.

When she came back into the apartment both Nicole and Jordan were absent from the room. One look at the sofa where last night Jordan had pulled her down on top of him created a crazy tingle inside her body before reality shoved it aside and her earlier bravado shriveled like a rotten a
pple.

How did she compare with the other women Jordan had been with? His celebrity allowed him to attend exclusive parties and red carpet events. He dined in the finest restaurants and dated supermodels while she was accustomed to home-­cooked meals and not dating at all. She had no worldly experience. Even when she'd been married to a man with money, she'd never fit in with his family, his friends, or his colleagues. So how in the world did she think she could ever fit in with Jord
an's?

Not that he'd asked he
r to.

The women he dated were gorgeous and far more experienced at pleasing a man than she'd ever be. Last night he'd pleased her multiple times. But really, what did she know about turning the tables? Yes, she was an eager student. But what if she did something wrong? What if he laughed at
her?

When nerves got the best of her she escaped to the bedroom where she could hear the shower running in the adjoining bathroom. Trying not to imagine him in there naked with soap bubbles on his perfectly muscled body; she pulled on her sweats, grabbed a pillow and blanket, and headed for the
sofa.

A few moments later he came out into the living room with a towel wrapped and knotted at his waist. Moisture clung to all the dips and ripples of muscles, and a drop of water slipped from his wet hair and trailed over the tattoo on his shou
lder.

“What are you doing?” he a
sked.

Curled up beneath the blanket on the sofa, she tried to keep her gaze steady and not let it wander all over his
body.

Tried and fa
iled.

“I'm not letting you sleep on the sofa tonight.” She punched her fist into the pillow. “You need to get your r
est.”

His head tilted. “You want me to
r
est
?”

While he stood there looking like some kind of sun-­kissed god with his bare chest and rippled abs on full display, Lucy swallowed hard and nodded because, really, that's about all she could ma
nage.

“Well, I guess you're right. I could use a good night's sleep,” he said while he stalked closer. His clean scent waved before her like an aphrodi
siac.

Not that she needed one where he was conce
rned.

“My thoughts exactly,” she said in a reasonable tone even while her heart pounded and her blood rushed through her ears like an ocean wave. “So I'll sleep out here. You can have the
bed.”