Authors: Tamara Larson
Chapter
19
Jessie woke up in a huge, unfamiliar bed several hours later. She could tell from the low sun in the skylights above her and the massive window to her right that she’d been here a while. Looking down at herself, she also noted that she was still wearing the clothes she’d left home in. Only her blue Keds were missing from her ensemble.
The bed itself was bigger than her entire bedroom. Not only was it long, it was also wide enough to comfortably accommodate at least five football players. The duvet she was lying on was black, and so were the fluffy goose down pillows her aching head rested on, but a startlingly bright yellow crocheted afghan was tucked tightly around her.
The room itself was high ceilinged and painted a pale sea foam green. To her left was a fireplace—a familiar fireplace. The blue-veined dark gray marble was just like the one in
Duncan
’s living room.
Relieved, Jessie snuggled down into the pillows and admired the view of the harbor. She’d never woken up in a strange bed before and for a moment she’d thought she was dreaming of
Duncan
’s bedroom. The rumbling of her stomach, however, told her that she was very much awake and hungry. She was tempted to get out of bed and go look for him, not to mention some food, but a vague heaviness in her limbs convinced her to stay put. He’d come to her eventually.
Then, she remembered the events of the day—Diego’s hands on her and the destruction of her store. She shuddered at the memory of his cold, reptilian eyes and the way he’d seemed to savor her fear. She never, ever wanted to experience anything like that again. Being boring was underrated as far as she was concerned if the alternative was confrontations with psychos.
The oversized, double-doors of the bedroom opened and
Duncan
strolled in, smiling and carrying a tray. Jessie’s heart leaped at the sight of him. He looked so casual and handsome in his jeans and T-shirt. His bright blue eyes scanned her from head to foot, like a doctor examining a patient rather than a lover. Jessie didn’t like that look one bit. It made her feel small and helpless, like a puppy with a sore paw. She fought the urge to rip off her top and make him look at her with heat in his eyes, instead of cool, clinical concern.
“Hi,” he said, setting down the tray beside her on the bed. “How are you feeling?” He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her carefully, like he was expecting her to burst into tears at any second.
That wasn’t going to happen, Jessie vowed. She’d cried too much in front of him and she couldn’t bear much more of his concern. Not if she wanted to keep her distance. His concern made her feel weak and she desperately didn’t want to look less than powerful in his eyes. She wanted his respect and his desire, not his pity. How else would she know if she was here because he wanted her or because he felt responsible for her?
“I’m great. Not to mention starved. Thanks,” she said cheerily, picking up a slightly burned cheese-grilled sandwich from the plate and taking a nibble. It was surprisingly delicious and she held it out for him to take a bite.
“I know. I could hear your stomach from the kitchen,”
Duncan
said with a grin, leaning down to take a bite of her sandwich. Around his mouthful, he said, “Hey that’s actually edible. I made some soup too, but I forgot about it and all the noodles got burned to the bottom. I can try again if you want.”
Jessie chuckled. “No, that’s okay. This is perfect. Where’s Theresa?”
Duncan
rolled his eyes. “Theresa was content to stay here for a while, but when she found out the only television is in here, she started to get cabin fever.” He gestured toward the elaborate entertainment system on the wall opposite them. “She went shopping.”
Jessie nearly choked on her second sandwich. She stared at him incredulously. “She went shopping? What about Diego?”
“Well, however much I’d like to tie her to my side until he’s safely tucked away in a cell with a serial killer as a bunkmate, I can’t do that. She’s gone to a nice, safe, crowded mall and I’ve made her promise to only visit stores that are teeming with customers. She doesn’t know this, but she’s also got a plain-clothed police escort. Poor guy. She’ll be back in a few hours.” He rubbed her thigh soothingly through the blanket. “Oh, and Clay called. He said to tell you he’s got everything under control. And you’re supposed to call your sister immediately.”
Jessie sagged against the pillows in relief that Theresa was safe and that the store was in good hands. She really didn’t relish the thought of talking to Jamie right now, but she took the phone
Duncan
handed her anyway. No matter how much she’d prefer to avoid the ‘I told you so’ speech, she knew her sister would be worried until she actually heard from her. Jamie had always insisted that it was dangerous for her to work alone, even if it was only from ten in the morning until one in the afternoon. She talked briefly to Jamie, reassured her sister that she was fine and then turned back to
Duncan
where he was watching her closely. “Has there been any word from the police? Have they found him?” She asked, trying to distract him from her delicate condition.
“No, no sign of that little bastard. But we’ll find him, Jess. I promise. If he’s still in town, we’ll get him.”
Duncan
’s voice was bitter and harsh, his eyes blazing with purpose.
Jessie felt a tremble of unease go through her at
Duncan
’s tone. He sounded like he wanted to kill the man. She almost felt sorry for Diego if
Duncan
got near him. Almost, she thought, rubbing at her sore neck. She pushed away her empty plate, one hunger satisfied, but another one beginning to surface. Here she was, alone in
Duncan
’s bed. Theresa was safe and gone for a while. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for seduction.
Jessie reached out and ran her thumb over his eyebrow. The one with the scar. “How did you get this?” She asked, tracing its jagged shape.
“Hockey stick. When I was twelve. Nearly lost my eye. My friend, Kevin, was making an illegal slap shot and my face got in the way.” He smiled at the memory. “There was blood everywhere. He still gets drunk occasionally and apologizes for it.”
“Sounds like a good friend,” Jessie said with a smile as she moved her fingers across his other eyebrow and down his cheekbone. She could faintly detect a cool spicy scent emanating from him. Aftershave. He’d shaved recently and his skin felt as smooth as her own satiny cheek.
He closed his eyes when she reached his lips. She rubbed her thumb along the top bow and then the full bottom lip and his mouth parted slightly. He grabbed her wrist when she dipped her thumb inside the edge of his mouth. “Jessie,” he said huskily, his eyes opening slowly. “I don’t think this is a good idea. You’ve been through a lot today.”
Jessie removed the tray from the bed and shifted closer to him so she could reach the back of his neck. She tangled one of her hands in the silky hair brushing his collar and the other she placed on his thigh. “You’re right. I have been through a lot today. Don’t make rejection part of that, okay?” She asked, looking up at him beseechingly.
“You’re killing me, you know,” he said with a half-smile. “I’m trying to do the decent thing and you’re killing me.”
“C’mon,
Duncan
. I don’t want to think about today anymore. I want to think about you. How good it would feel to finally be in your arms. Don’t you want me?”
“How can you doubt that?” He asked earnestly. “I want you so much, I can hardly think about anything else.” He looked down at her hand on his thigh. Her hands were so fine and elegant next to his brutish paws. He touched her knuckles with his index finger gently and glanced up at her, catching her dark gaze with his own. “Don’t you remember last night when I practically dragged you into the Ladies Room when I was supposed to be watching for my sister? That’s how much I want you. Nothing else matters when you’re around.” He dragged her forward and kissed her mouth hungrily before she could reply.
Jessie whimpered against his lips and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, quite prepared to never let go. Today didn’t matter. His ignoring her the evening before didn’t matter. As long as he was kissing her, nothing mattered. Urgently, she kissed him back, thrusting her tongue into his mouth aggressively and pressing her sensitive breasts against his chest.
Duncan
pulled back long enough to strip the afghan from the lower half of her body. Jessie reached for him. Any space between them was too far away. She began pulling urgently on his T-shirt where it stretched across his taunt abdomen. It came loose and she yanked it up his chest as he raised his arms over his head to help her. She pulled it off in one fast smooth movement, and reached for the waistband of his jeans.
Duncan
put his hands over hers. “Whoa.” He said, chuckling at her frenzied movements. “What’s the hurry? Are we in a race?”
Jessie paused long enough to give him a frustrated look. “I’m afraid you’ll change your mind if I give you too much time to think about this. You’re a bit of a tease, you know,” she said accusingly.
“I’m a tease. I like that.”
Duncan
said, smiling as he undid his jeans himself. “Who was screaming their head off in the bathroom last night, huh? Not me, that’s for sure. I was the one with the giant pup-tent in my jeans, so it couldn’t have been me.”
“Listen, Bub. That wasn’t my idea.” Jessie poked him in the bare chest with a finger, admiring the way the muscles there moved as he ran his hand up her calf. “You seem to have selective memory. You’re the one that keeps insisting on being a gentleman.” She said the word with contempt and reached up with both hands to remove the pins from her hair.
The motion raised her breasts and
Duncan
stared at them. Her nipples were peaked and he couldn’t continue this conversation with them straining toward him. “I’m so done being a gentleman,” he said hoarsely, as her mass of hair fell down around her shoulders.
“It’s about time,” she said with a smile.
Duncan
stood up long enough to shimmy out of his jeans. Suddenly, he was standing in front of her completely naked with the late afternoon sun bathing his bronzed body in golden light. He was incredible--so tall and muscular and aroused. Jessie got up on her knees on the bed and ran her hands over his chest and shoulders. His skin was so soft over the hard flesh beneath. She explored further, wrapping the fingers of her right hand around the base of his shaft as she leaned forward to taste one of the brown discs of his nipples.
Duncan
groaned at the sensation, too overcome to move. When she began rubbing her closed fist up and down his phallus like he’d shown her, he growled and reached for her white sweater, pulling it up her body until she was forced to stop touching him long enough to allow him to yank her shirt off, careful of her sore neck as he did so. Her hand immediately returned to his engorged flesh. “You like that, don’t you?” She asked, rubbing the sensitive head with her thumb.
“Very much,” he said quietly, mesmerized by the sight of her on her knees, on his bed, in just her skirt, her hair, and a white cotton bra.
“It’s fascinating. It seems to be getting even bigger,” she said, leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on the tip. “Is that alright?” She asked, genuinely concerned that he wouldn’t let her continue like last time.
“More than alright,” he said as she shifted forward to sit on the edge of the bed. He stood unsteadily before her as she touched her lips to his cock, this time allowing her tongue to graze the tip as she ran both hands down to the base and back. “Oh, God, Jessie. That’s good. Don’t stop,” he rasped, wrapping his hands in her long curly hair.
Jessie wasn’t about to stop. It was heady to hear him say her name in that guttural tone. She wanted to hear it again so she slid her tongue around him, exploring him more fully. He tasted salty, but pleasant, so she wrapped her lips around him so she could take him inside her mouth. She was rewarded with another groan. She looked up and his head was thrown back, the veins sticking out in his neck.
Jessie felt a rush of heat rush through her own body at the sight of him so aroused. She wanted to explore this new way of pleasing him, but she also wanted to feel him inside her. “Can we make love now?” She asked, pressing a kiss against his hipbone while continuing to run her hands over his shaft.
Without a word,
Duncan
placed his hands under both armpits and lifted her until she was standing on her feet. He made quick work of her skirt, cotton panties and bra, and then pushed her gently back on the bed. “Who’s in a hurry now?” She asked with a giggle as he lay down beside her on his side.
“Me. I’m in a huge hurry,” he said, propping his head up and looking down at her lush, naked body. “You’re just the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait anymore.” He touched one breast; cupping it in his hand and running his thumb over the crest, watching nipple grow even more erect. He leaned down and ran his tongue over it, listening for her gasp of response and then sucked it into his mouth, rubbing his front teeth over the tiny tight bud.