Wylde (21 page)

Jade walked in the room, brushing a nonchalant hand over the dresser and then the desk. “You going with him, I suppose?”
“Figured, yeah,” Alec agreed, turning and fixing his dark velvet gaze on her. “That boy… he looked untamed, but… scared, Jade.”
“Then I want to come too. Watch your back. I mean, if he’s living wild, there’s no saying he didn’t kill Morley and carve up that raccoon to frighten folks. But I hope not.”
“Jade….” Alec reached out and took her hand, anchoring her to the side of the bed. “I won’t get hurt.”
“You got hurt already!” She sat down with a huffy sound of disgust. “Some fucking ex-Ranger hero. With all those muscles, I’d’ve thought you could take better care of yourself.” She gave him a scornful glance.
Alec grinned. “You noticed them, huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. You obviously want to look good.”
“For someone, yeah.” He cupped her cheek. “Thanks for pushing me to take a nap. I am done in, especially from doing paperwork. Kell was worried about my head, so he suggested I could blow off most of it for now, though. I think maybe I can sleep if I have two things….”
“What?” The wary frown was back. He used a thumb to stroke it, as if wanting to erase that emotion and whatever reason she had to carry it.
“A night-light would be good.”
“A night-light?” Jade repeated blankly.
“Sure. Have you been able to sleep lately without one? Come on.”
Jade found herself laughing, something the fool man made her do. “I guess maybe I have a couple. Do you want Mickie or Minnie?”
“I’ve always been partial to Minnie, myself,” he admitted, smiling at her as she went into the linen closet in his room and dug out a plastic garish-colored night-light.
After Jade stuck it in the wall, switching it on, she asked him, “So what’s the other thing you need?” her voice sounded husky to her own ears.
“Would you hold me for a minute, Jade?” He was sitting on the bed now, leaning against the headboard. His eyes were halfclosed, making him look sleepy with his rumpled hair.
She slipped onto the bedspread to join him, taking a deep breath. There was an awkward pause before she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m not big on cuddling,” she admitted. “Usually, you know,
after,
I leave. I don’t invite guys to come here. This is my place.”
“So you’ve never shared this bed with anyone else?” Alec asked, looking pleased.
Jade shook her head. “The guy thing… I never got it right,” she said. “So I figured, why bring him here? Maybe I’ll be thinking of my mistake every time I walk through my home.”
“Smart, but you’ve been missing out; cuddling’s the best part,” Alec commented, covering her hands. He closed his eyes, still smiling.
“You’re such a woman,” she said, smiling back at him now he couldn’t see her.
“That’s sexist. And, yep.”
When she thought he was asleep, she muttered against his neck, “I’ll keep you safe, damn you.”

N
OAH
surprised Kell by knocking on his bedroom door as Kell was removing his shirt later. He was used to living alone, but Noah was diffident, courteous, treating Kell as a guest sometimes, like someone who was part of the family others. He decided he liked it. Studying the other man, he raised his eyebrows as he noted Noah had brought a robe, toiletries, and… whoa. Lube and condoms in shy Noah’s hands?

“Hey.” Kell swallowed, feeling oddly nervous. He couldn’t figure it out. He’d intended to fuck Noah from the moment he’d met him. Envisioned it a hundred times, but now… now all he felt was
not ready.
What was wrong with him? He’d had a lot of hot encounters, sweaty body slamming against sweaty body, biting the neck of the man he covered, always pleasing his lover.

But this was Noah.

“I didn’t want Josh to… well, for us to have to make trips back and forth between our rooms for, uh, supplies or something. It might be awkward.”

Kell frowned. “He can’t hear us where he is, right?” There were two rooms between Kell’s guest room and Josh’s, including a small TV room and Noah’s own master bedroom.

Noah shook his head, but color touched his cheeks. “No, but he knows I’m going to sleep here with you tonight.”
Oh. Well, Kell hadn’t known, and by damn he had to take a deep breath. His hands were shaking, so he put them in his pockets. “Sounds good. He’s, uh, okay with it?”
“He told me to trust you.”
Kell’s head fell forward. “Oh man.” He had to close his eyes, afraid of what might be revealed. “Noah, not to kill my macho seducer image but… I’m not ready to use those.” He indicated the condom and lube on the blue robe.
“Oh.” Noah blinked. “Well, I thought I should be… prepared, just in case.”
“Okay.” Kell sat on the bed, seeing his reflection in the mirror, tired, unshaven, red-eyed, all rumpled bear. He noticed his jeans were tenting, but he made no effort to hide that. Noah had to know how much he wanted him.

T
HIS
new sober side to his aggressive pursuer took Noah aback for a moment, but then he realized he liked it. It felt like this wasn’t just him being chased by his caveman anymore. It felt like… a relationship.

He grinned at the idea of calling it that to Kell. Way to freak out his man!
“What?”
“Nothing.” Noah’s eyes were heavy-lidded as he came around the bed and put his hands on Kell’s shirt, helping him unbutton the rest, revealing muscles, smooth skin…. Noah couldn’t stop himself from bending closer and taking one of Kell’s coppery nipples into his mouth, sucking it hard. Kell gasped, head falling back, hands clenched into fists as if he were fighting to keep from grabbing Noah. “Let’s get you undressed.”

“W
HAT
are you thinking about?” Jade asked in a sleepy voice.

She’d been holding him for over an hour, and Alec was drifting, just enjoying her firm body close to his own, her arms looped around him, giving off capable Jade-comfort.

“Remembering a night we met up when I was just a kid,” he confessed. “I knew you were the one, Jade.”
Jade groaned. “Alec.”
“Hey, don’t you remember?”
Jade’s brows rose. “I seem to remember this annoying kid hanging around and attempting to come to my rescue.”
Alec smiled. “You do remember.” He closed his eyes, seeing it again, satisfied because right now she was right where he’d dreamed she would be. With him.
“You can’t treat me like that! I want to go for a walk, I’m going!” Jade Moreton cursed her boyfriend. Boyfriend du jour, fifteen-year-old Alec thought bitterly, eavesdropping.
A moment ago, the couple had been moaning. Plastered against Jade’s hot little jeep parked directly behind him. Kissing and feeling each other up and making Alec stiffen in his pants as he watched them guiltily. He hadn’t set out to spy; he was just sitting in his Dad’s car, waiting to pull out when they showed up and started making out behind him.
Just Jade and another of her guys.
He wanted her to see him, Alec, but he knew he was just a kid to her.
“Slut!”
Jade shoved her boyfriend. In his rearview mirror, Alec saw the big man raise his hand to hit Jade, so he flung open the door to his own vehicle and strode over to the surprised couple, clearing his throat and staring into the eyes of the twenty-something guy. Shit. He was big. “Don’t hit her. Just don’t do that.”
“Fuck off, kid.”
Alec crossed his arms and leaned against the car next to Jade. “You fuck off,” he said.
When the boyfriend looked like he was going to make something of it, Jade intervened. “Jesus, just take off and leave the kid alone, you jerk!”

A
COUPLE
of minutes later, Jade’s head fell back. “Well, fuck. No sex for me tonight and damn, the making out got me, uh, never mind,” she muttered, as if becoming aware of who she was talking to. “Thanks, kid.”

Alec swallowed and then nodded. “There are a lot of things you could do to, um, pleasure yourself. Toys. No penis needed.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “Aren’t you the knowledgeable one.”
“I’ve studied sex,” Alec admitted, shrugging in embarrassment. “I fell for a girl so I decided I should understand her body.”
“Wow… lucky girl,” Jade said, and she seemed sincere. “Be sure to look me up in a few years if she doesn’t latch onto you.”
Alec’s throat tightened. He burned to tell her, but he knew it was too soon. Knew there was no way she’d take him seriously. “Yeah,” he rasped. “I’ll do that.”
Jade stared at him for a long moment, and he could feel his heart beating in his ears and his gut locked with yearning for her. She gave a little shrug and opened her jeep door. “Thanks again, uh. I don’t even know your name.”
Alec held her eyes. “You will.”

“I
ALWAYS
wanted to ask you back then how you would have

suggested I get off—but you were too young,” Jade mused, a small smile playing over her lips. “You were a Boy Scout even then, helping me out.”

Alec gave her an amused look. “I’m a big boy now, Jade.” Jade didn’t touch that one. Too obvious. Besides, he’d only want to show her, and something told her he didn’t need to brag. “So if you were me, how would you get off?” Jade asked bluntly.

A
LEC
grinned a little. That was his Jade, to the point about her pleasure. They’d been moving toward this moment for days, so he was going to enjoy it. Enjoy her being his, not that she knew she was
his
exactly, but he was working on it.

“I’d use a toy, something that felt good. It’s all about texture….”
Jade squirmed. “Uh, yeah, texture. But you only bought your shaving kit.”
“So I guess I’d have to improvise. Do you have a washcloth, something… really soft that you use for company? And some runny hand lotion.”
Jade blinked, and Alec could see the pulse pounding in her neck. She licked her lips. “Now?”
“You want to get off and I want to get you off,” he offered easily.
“Okay.” She looked at him. “You know, it’s kind of sexy, you being my younger man.”
Alec closed his eyes when she got up so she wouldn’t see what being called
hers
at last did to him.

J
ADE
returned with a bottle of hand lotion and an Egyptian cotton washcloth, hesitating a moment, dark eyes wide, before handing them to Alec.
“Take your hair out of that ponytail?” he asked, wanting to see

it.

Wordlessly, she slipped it free, tawny brown hair falling around her face.
He patted the bed, and she sat close to him, reaching out to put a hand on his knee.
Alec took the cream, removed the lid, and poured some onto the washcloth.
“What will you use that for?”
“I could show you.” Alec’s voice was guttural.
Jade.
Jade shifted, eyes on the towel. “You seem so sweet. I stayed away from you because I didn’t want to hurt you, Alec.”
“I don’t need you to protect me, Jade. Not by staying away,” Alec chided. Then he smiled, pretending confidence he didn’t quite feel since this was her, his dream woman.
Jade reached out and clicked off the bedside lamp, leaving them in the soft glow of the Minnie night-light.

“O
KAY
,
um, you have to lift your skirt and take off your panties,”
Alec ordered, glad it was dark so Jade couldn’t see him blush. He didn’t want to blow his macho image.

Jade lifted her short pink leather skirt, and Alec saw she wasn’t wearing any underwear. She must have removed it in the bathroom. Whoa. He broke out in a sweat, seeing her.

She spread herself, her depths pink and glistening like the inside of ripe fruit. Alec stared. He couldn’t help it. She was… oh, man….

“You look at me like you’ve never seen a girl before.” She was playing with her nipples through her T-shirt now, her natural directness coming out, her long, lush hair tangled over her chest.

“
Stop!
” Alec smacked her hand, making her eyes widen in shock. “Do as I tell you. It’ll be better.”
“Hey!”
“Do you want to feel good or not?”
Jade bit her lip. “I don’t take orders. Um, except at the diner.”
“I’m going to give you mind-blowing pleasure, unless you don’t like the idea?” Alec cocked a brow.
“Bossy!”
“Pot, kettle,” Alec mocked, pouring more oil into his hands and warming it by rubbing it briskly. Holding her gaze, he let it drip onto her open body.
Jade hissed and thrust her hips up, obviously liking the sensation. Her nipples pebbled through the cotton of her shirt.
“Put your hands above your head and keep them there,” Alec coaxed softly.
After a pause, Jade obeyed. She looked like a wanton goddess, legs spread, eyes heavy-lidded, body open and partially revealed. When Alec touched her with the washcloth, she gasped. “
Harder,
” she prodded.
“
No.
I’m in control, Jade, and I want to take it easy with you.” Alec could smell her excitement, and his penis ached for her, but he could put off his own relief. What he wanted now, after all these years, was to bring her to climax. He wanted her to come for him the way she’d never come for all the men she’d had.
He stroked her obliquely, glancing, gentle caresses that he knew couldn’t satisfy. He’d learned to do this kind of thing by experimenting on himself, touching himself for hours until he finally allowed himself to come.
“
Oh….
” Jade spread wider, her hands gripping the headboard as Alec attended to her needs. “I can’t… I need it harder!”
“I told you ‘no’. Just lie there like a good girl.”
“You’re kind of pissing me off.”
“And turning you on.”
After he’d stroked her for what seemed like hours, Jade was bathed in sweat. She lifted her T-shirt, revealing her bare breasts. When she went to touch her nipples, Alec pushed her hand away with his free one. He pinched one nipple and then other as her body glowed and writhed, alive now under his touch. “You’ll come from me doing that. Touching your breasts,” Alec told her.
“Umm.”
He pinched her nipples harder as she twisted against the washcloth between her legs, her body so stimulated now that he knew she was close.
“You’re beautiful, Jade,” he whispered and then pinched one of her nipples—
hard.
Jade climaxed, her hands clawing the sheet and then his arm where he was seeing to her.

“O
H
,
MY
….” She blinked at him after, eyes doe-brown, soft. “That

was….”
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Alec said,
tossing aside the washcloth. He righted her clothing and then
gathered her carefully in his arms. “Go to sleep, sweetheart,” he
said.