Reunited (The Love You Left Behind #1) (5 page)

That alone spurns my need. I begin to pick up the pace, pressing my cock further and further into her slick wetness. She’s so fucking tight and she feels better than just about anything ever.

I’m drunk on her. Completely. And as I fuck her harder, fuck her faster, fuck her in ways that a virgin probably shouldn’t even be fucked, I know that something has changed for both of us. Her pupils are dilated and she’s clutching on to me, keening out breathy high-pitched moans that hint to the orgasm to come.

“That’s it, baby,” I half-croon to her, leaning in to nip at her earlobe with my teeth. “I can’t wait to feel you come. Just let it go. Let me feel you.”

And as her sounds turn higher pitched and louder, she presses a hand to her mouth. Suddenly, she tenses up completely and freezes as the orgasm rolls over her and every part of her gorgeous body responds. She flushes. Her skin erupts with goose bumps. Her mouth is open in a silent moan and she’s got a slight sheen of sweat beading at her hairline.

Her reaction alone is enough to get me closer to the finish line. I force myself to slow down, to let her ride out the pleasure that she’s feeling for the first time – at least, for the first time with another person. I stop thrusting forward and, instead grind down a bit as she comes back to earth.

“All good?” I finally ask her when she looks ready to speak. She cracks one eye open to look at me, then nods.

“Yes.”

I reach up to tip her chin and get her to focus on me. “Are you sure?”

She leans up to kiss me. “I’m sure.”

“So…can I…do you mind if I…?”

I’m not sure how to ask her if I can keep going. Instead, she presses her pelvis up, effectively taking me deeper into her body. I growl out a noise and bury my face into her neck as I begin to fuck her again with renewed energy.

“You feel so fucking good,” I say, sliding my hands to her breasts and gently pinching each nipple between my thumb and forefinger. When Cass responds by tightening her pussy on my cock, I decide to go a step further and duck down to fasten my mouth to one rock-hard peak.

“Oh, hell – god…Jay.”

And that’s it – that right there.

She says my name and I lose all control. I weave a hand in her long loose hair and pull lightly as I increase my pace. Soon, I’m fucking her hard and fast and we’re both panting and moaning and I can barely remember my own goddamn name.

“Jay,” Cass whispers again.

And I let go – with a long, hard thrust, I give in to the desire to finish inside this girl, wishing that I didn’t have to wear a condom at all. Wishing our flesh could be pressing hard against one another as we experience this together.

As I finish, I’m practically panting. I elevate my body weight off to one side, then sit up to remove the condom. A streak of blood reminds me of what just happened – of what this miraculous girl let me do. I reach out to wrap the condom in a tissue, then stow it in the wastebasket and hand a wad of tissues to Cass. She carefully cleans herself up while I look away.

“Are you okay?” I ask her again as she throws away the tissues. She looks at me, her blue eyes soft and sated. She looks like she could fall asleep at any moment.

“I am – I…” she trails off, still smiling shyly. I can’t help but pull her into my lap once I’ve refastened my pants. I stroke her hair from her face.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

“For what?” she looks a little perplexed and I smile at her.

“For this – for this night with you. It’s been totally unexpected. In every way.”

She nods, her face still flushed from either exertion or emotion. I don’t even know which I’d rather it be.

Suddenly, the bathroom door flies open and David Pfeiffer, drunk off his ass and covered in puke, comes stumbling out into the room.

We both jump, Cass grabbing at the blanket to shield her and me grabbing my jeans and pulling them up as quickly as possible. Cass is struggling to pull her skirt and top on at the same time and David is already treading toward the door. He practically falls against it as he opens it.

Outside, Laura Bennett is standing there, one fist up to knock on the door.

“Oh. Hey.”

She blinks at David, then notices Cass and me.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys,” she says, looking pointedly at Cass. She takes in David’s appearance, then mine, and her eyes grow wide.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she whispers. Cass blinks at her friend, then shifts her eyes to me.

But Laura is almost shaking with something I can only decipher as anger. Confused, I watch her begin to grow red and furious.

“You know how I feel about David, Cass. And you’re in here having a fucking threesome?”

I watch Cass’s face transform into a panicked version of it’s former self. Looking back at Laura, I realize now that she’s drunk, too. She’s shifting back and forth from foot to foot and her eyes are bloodshot. Chances are she’s been smoking something along with the alcohol she’s already consumed tonight.

“It’s not like that Laura,” Cass says, the words rushed and running together. “David was sick. He had too much to drink. We - We were taking care of him.”

But Laura is shaking her head. “You’re my best friend! My best friend!”

And she takes off down the hall, running in her flip-flops and disappearing around the corner.

“Fuck – I have to go after her,” Cass says, giving me a look that’s both full of longing and apologetic. I wave a hand in dismissal.

“Go. It’s fine. I’ll keep an eye on David.”

For a long moment, we just look at each other. Cass bites her lip again, looking as though she wants to say something. But she doesn’t. She disappears after her best friend, calling her name through the crowd and music and smoke.

And just like that, she’s gone.

But, undeniably, she’s left something behind in her wake – a desire that’s been completely unsatisfied and untapped. A desire that will live for over a decade, latent and burning, deep within me.

PRESENT DAY

Jay

              I’ve been through multiple deployments, dozens of missions, and more close calls than I can count, but I’m not sure I’ve ever been as fucking edgy as I am tonight.

              Which is bullshit. Utter bullshit. But it doesn’t make it any less true.

              I’ve been pacing my room for the last hour. The only thing I’ve got to wear is my dress uniform for tomorrow night and my ripped jeans and concert tees that are shoved in the bottom of my duffel. So I haven’t changed or showered or anything else. I’ve just waited. And paced. And looked at the clock.

              God, she looked fucking beautiful. When I stepped into the elevator, the way her eyes focused on me could have brought me to my knees. Her pupils dilated on a dime and I could have fucking stripped her bare right there in between floors.

              Instead, I managed to avoid accosting her in favor of suggesting we head down to the cocktail hour together. Not the worst idea, but it did give me an entire hour to putz around like an absolute asshole, pretending to care about pre-season football and ignore the fact that ever minute moved along at a snail’s pace.

              Finally, I give in – I splash on the cologne I’d packed as an afterthought, consider taking a razor to my five o’clock shadow, and then decide, “Fuck it. I’m outta here.” I grab my wallet and shove it in my pocket, then stride out the hotel room door, and directly over to Cass’s room.

              I pause there for a moment, shuffle a little to adjust my clothing, then briskly knock on the door. The refrain in my head is loud as shit.

Push her back into the room. Get her naked. Fuck her stupid.

              I force myself to focus on the gold number plate on the door, just above the peephole. I hear some scuffling on the other side, then it swings open and I feel like I’ve been socked in the fucking gut.

              If I’d been attracted to Cassandra on the elevator up here, I might be magnetically drawn to her now. She’s wearing a tight, ass-hugging pair of leggings with knee high brown leather boots and a flowy top. She’s pulled her dark hair up into a sort of messy ponytail and she’s wearing dangly earrings that elongate her neck. Of course, I can’t help but notice the huge fucking rock on her left hand, either – it’s got to be at least two carats worth of a diamonds.

              But, for now, I’m not going to think about that. I’m going to think about the fact that she’s fucking gorgeous and we’re going to get some drinks and chat. The fact that her fiancé exists (albeit isn’t here) frankly isn’t my fucking problem right now. I’m not a poacher and another man’s chick isn’t usually on my radar. But Cass and I have history. I know I can’t just ignore that.

              She smiles at me then and it’s a goddamn glorious sight. Something in the last hour happened to her. Maybe it was the relaxing shower she took (which of course has me visualizing her wet and naked and covered in bubbles.) Whatever it was, she looks a little more relaxed, a little happier than she was when we first check in to our rooms. Whatever the cause is for the change, it’s a good one. That smile could fucking wreck me. Her eyes are like blue beacons calling to me on a physical level.

              “You look gorgeous,” I say as she pulls the door shut behind her. Her cheeks turn a little pink and she shrugs.

              “I didn’t pack all that much, but the invite said casual, so I figured this would be okay.”

              I chuckle and shake my head. “I brought my dress uniform and what you see, so I’m a little limited, too. I’m sure it doesn’t really matter, anyway. But, regardless, you look great.”

              “Thanks.”

              She practically whispers the word and it makes me think that maybe she doesn’t hear compliments all that often. And that is a fucking shame. She’s far too beautiful to hear anything but that.

              “You ready to head down?” she asks, cocking her head to look up at me. She’s almost a foot shorter than I am and it’s a perfect height. She’s slender enough to potato-sack, to carry off to bed, but she’s got a woman’s body. And ample tits. I remember that better than I probably should. They were like fucking candy in my mouth.

              I clear my throat and force myself to smile.

Do not look at her tits. Do not look at her tits.

              “Absolutely.”

              I motion for her to walk in front of me. The purpose is two-fold – I can place my hand at the small of her back, a proprietary motion that gives me a legitimate excuse to touch her. On top of that, I’m able to watch that ass sway back and forth as she walks and no one’s the wiser.

              “I talked to Laura Taylor – er, Laura Bennett. Do you remember her?”

              Cass looks back over her shoulder at me and I nod.

              “Yeah, I do. What’s she been up to?”

              She shrugs. “Not all that much. We both live in the DC area, but we don’t see all that much of each other. She’s got a couple kids and she’s married. He works for D.O.D. or something like that I think. He’ll be here with her tonight.”

              Cass looks sad again for a moment, but the expression quickly dissipates.

              “Anyway, I said I’d grab a drink with her. I mean, of course, you shouldn’t feel like you have to join us or stick around or whatever. I mean…I don’t know if there’s someone here you were hoping to see, or…”

              She trails off, sounding uncertain. I want to kiss that little furrow between her brows. Instead, I shake my head.

              “I’ll follow your lead. Just tell me what you’re drink of choice is.”

              Cass is chewing on her bottom lip as we enter the elevator again. She pushes the DOWN arrow and then turns to face me.

              “I don’t usually drink all that much. But, considering I’m not driving anywhere tonight, amaretto sours are usually my poison.”

              I lean back against the wall of the elevator and cross my legs at the ankle and my arms over my chest. I feel like the easiest way to not touch her is by occupying my hands and standing a few feet away from her.

              The elevator reaches the lobby and we head out across the glossy marble floor toward the bar area, which has completely filled with people over the course of the last hour. The high hat tables and booths are full of talking, laughing people who, on second glance, start looking more and more familiar. A little older, a little heavier in some cases, but all in all, it’s sort of like being at a high school party, just at a swanky hotel rather than a house.

              I realize then that Cass isn’t next to me. She’s back a few feet, staring straight out at the crowd and looking somewhat daunted. I take a step back and quirk my brow at her.

              “Hey – you okay?”
              She clears her throat. “I – yeah, I’m fine. I guess it just occurred to me that people will be asking about Carter all night. I don’t even know what to tell them.”

              I don’t know what the fuck to say to that. How am I supposed to help her feel better about her absent fiancé?

              Instead, I step a little closer and smile down at her, watching carefully as her eyes dart past me.

              “You’ll tell them the truth – he had to work.”

              I take the opportunity to touch her, running a hand down her arm until I reach her wrist. Then I squeeze gently.

              “Come on. These people don’t know you. Why the fuck do you care what they think?”

              Cass licks her lips rapidly, then nods.

              “You’re right. Sorry. I – I’m not sure what my problem is.”

              I give a shrug. “You’re about to go back in time, doll. It’s always a little scary.”

              And, with that, I propel her forward into the crowd.

              It doesn’t take long for someone to notice her, to recognize her – not that I’m shocked, since she looks almost as young now as she did then.

              “Cassandra Erickson?”

              A petite woman with dark hair and even darker eyes walks closer to Cass. She’s holding a glass of white wine and she smiles expectantly at both of us.

              Yep. I have absolutely no idea who she is. But Cass is smiling at her warmly.

              “Hey Miranda. How are you?”

              Oh, yeah. Miranda…what was it? Yates? Gates?

              Cass turns to me and gestures toward the other woman.

              “Jay, you remember Miranda Tate – she was the president of the Student Government Association our senior year?”

              Tate. Right. Although, no, of course I didn’t remember her being secretary of anything. That was the last thing I was thinking about when I was a senior in high school.

              “Sure – how are you?”

              Miranda is smiling back and forth between me and Cass, a knowing look in her eye. I narrow my gaze a bit, feeling like we might have just stepped into the proverbial lion’s den of gossip. Before I can politely side step the conversation, Miranda pips up.

              “So, are the two of you here together, then?” Miranda asks almost batting her eyelashes as she speaks like there’s some kind of seduction at play.

Cass is quick to shake her head, a fact that pisses me off more than I’d like to admit.

              “No, no – we just ran into each other in the elevator,” Cass says, glancing quickly at me, then away.

              “Of course.”

              The way Miranda says those to words, though – it’s like she’s placating Cass. Like she doesn’t believe her. I decide to pretend I see someone important, and suggest Cass come along with me. She excuses us with a sugary smile, but she’s frowning when we leave Miranda behind.

              “God, she was totally fishing. I’m sure she’s going to spread all kinds of rumors.”

              A rumor that Cassandra Erickson and Jay Shumaker are fucking wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world in my opinion. But I get that something like that getting back to Carter would make life difficult for her. That’s the last thing I want to see happen.

              “Don’t worry about that,” I say, patting her arm. “Let’s get a drink and relax a little bit. This is supposed to be fun, remember?”

              She practically snorts in disbelief. “Right.”

              I steer her toward the bar where there are a handful of empty stools. As I order our drinks – a dry martini for her, whisky for me – I can’t help but notice how nervous she continues to look.  She taps her manicured nails along the bar and continues to look glance back over her shoulder as though expecting someone to sneak up on her.

I’m about to offer to walk her back upstairs, to suggest that we just go get dinner or something, when I hear a high-pitched squeal.

“Bitch! I can’t believe you actually came – and without your Negative Nancy fiancé, too!”

Laura Bennett – or Laura whatever-her-last-name-is-now – spins Cass around by the shoulders and tugs her into her arms. Seconds later, she plants a kiss right on her mouth.

“God, I missed you,” she says, pulling back. I notice now that she has a drink in one hand – a Long Island iced tea from the looks of it.

Cass looks completely shell-shocked by both the general enthusiasm and the kiss.

“Laura, I saw you for lunch a couple months ago…”

“More like six months ago,” Laura scoffs. She turns and peers into the crowd, then waves at a tall man wearing a grey suit.

“Bill, come meet Cass and –” she glances at me, then does a double take. “No shit. Jay Shumaker.”

“Guilty,” I say, shooting her a smile. “How’s it going, Laura?”

She sniffs and takes a long swig of her drink. “A little blurry, but good overall. I’m glad my girl found someone to keep her company for the weekend.”

Cass glances at me, then opens her mouth to protest, but Laura’s already turned toward her husband and pulling him closer to us.

“Billy got us the penthouse,” she says, hiccupping softly. “He’s in real estate. He makes a shit-load of money.

“Jesus, Laura.” Bill shakes his head, and holds out a hand to me. “Sorry. We haven’t gone out since our second son was born. She’s taking advantage of the open bar.”

“I don’t blame her,” I say, shaking his hand. “And it’s nice to meet you.”

Around us, the crowd begins to swell. It seems like most of our senior class decided to show up, and all of them have brought dates. There are a good three or four hundred people filling the bar, spilling out into the lobby, and trickling in and out from the water-front patio. As more and more people approach the bar to get drinks, Cass seems to move closer and closer to me. At one point, our bodies are pressed tightly together, my front pressed into her curvy side. I have to actively prevent myself from getting hard against her hip.