Chapter Two
JL was unexpectedly quiet on the drive home. Cole expected her to be peppering him with questions since she’d met everyone, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts. He also wanted to ask her about the little bombshell she’d dropped into the conversation, the psychic gift she’d never mentioned to him. He wondered why she didn’t bring it up. Did she think him angry? Upset? He really wanted to tell her he was excited about it. Suggest she should fully explore her ability. Maybe even work with the Psi Department at Phoenix.
He turned on the radio, leaving the volume low, just to fill the SUV with some kind of sound. Her silence made him uneasy.
Finally he couldn’t stand it anymore. “Did you feel uncomfortable tonight? Are you thinking maybe this is something I shouldn’t do? Your thoughts are really important to me.”
“What?” She cleared her throat. “Oh no. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression, Cole. I loved everyone. They were really great. And they certainly are excited to have you join them. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing, only I was wondering why you’re so quiet. I wanted to make sure nothing happened tonight to upset you.”
“Not at all.” She rested her hand on his thigh. “Everyone was great, and they sure made an effort to put us at ease. I guess I was processing everything.” She paused. “I listened to the stories they told, especially about Mark’s rescue. I guess it never occurred to me how dangerous this work could be.”
He shifted in his seat. Her touch made his cock harden and every muscle in his groin tighten. Jesus, she just did it for him.
“Dangerous? Maybe sometimes. But not nearly as much as when I was in the marines. And a lot of the time it will be nothing more than providing corporate security, training private security forces, things like that.”
The silence clicked over one beat, then two before she spoke again. “I think I’m glad we didn’t get together until you returned home for good. I’m not sure I could have handled knowing the danger you were in over there.”
He covered her hand with his. “A gutsy gal like you? I think you could do whatever’s necessary. But that’s the main reason I didn’t start anything until my contract with the military was up.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be fine, JL. I promise.”
Silence dropped over them again, broken only by the soft sound of the radio. He wondered once more whether she’d bring up anything about her psychic ability. Funny she’d never mentioned it before. Maybe she didn’t feel their relationship was solid enough yet to discuss it with him. Was unsure of his reaction. If so, he’d take care of that sooner rather than later. And point out to her it provided another link, another bond, with the wives of the Phoenix partners. He’d have to find a way to work it into the conversation. And find out why she was so reluctant to discuss it.
Later, when they lay quiet and intimate in the darkness, he’d find a way to ask her. Tell her how excited he was for her. Assure her that it was a special gift and she shouldn’t run away from it. But, right now, totally psyched from the excitement of tonight’s dinner and the plans for Lone Star Phoenix, he wanted nothing more than to celebrate with her in his big king-size bed.
“I’m glad you’re staying for the weekend,” he told her as he pulled into his multivehicle garage. “This may be the last quiet one we have for a while.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Next week, a crew will arrive to begin setting up the things you’ll need for the agency, and you won’t have much free time. If any.”
They were in the front hall of the ranch house now, and he turned her to face him. “We could see each other a lot more if you’d move in with me.”
Her eyes widened, and her body tensed. Cole wanted to bite his tongue. He hadn’t meant to blurt it out without any lead-in. But hell, even after only two months he knew what he wanted. She was what he wanted. And he thought she felt the same way. Was he wrong?
Something held her back. Something indefinable lurked in the back of her eyes now and then, something a little unsettling. Sooner rather than later, he needed to find out what it was. It would take all the patience he’d learned as a sniper, but he’d do it. For her. Because she was worth it. He just wished to hell he knew how to get her to open up about it.
“Forget it,” he said quickly. “I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.”
“No, no, no.” She touched her fingers to his lips. “That’s not it at all. Cole, you have to know since we got together there’s no one else for me. No one.”
He frowned. “I hear a ‘but’ in there.”
“Not really a ‘but.’” She looked directly into his eyes. “You startled me, that’s all.”
He gave her a small grin. “Something like that really takes moonlight and roses, right?”
She laughed. “That sounds wonderful. But you know?” She smiled up at him. “We’re both so busy right now. How about if for right now we enjoy each other, knowing what we have is special, until we get the rest of our lives in order.”
He wanted to tell her waiting to get your life in order was an endless process, but he knew when to back off. He’d be grateful for what they had.
Lifting their hands, he kissed her knuckles. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“Please don’t be mad if I say I’m not ready to take that step yet. What we have is really good. Excellent. I don’t want anyone else in my life, so can you hold on to that for now?”
“As long as we’re together, I can wait for as long as it takes.” He tamped down the feeling of urgency bubbling up. “But I have to ask. Is it something I’m doing wrong? Something else you need from me?”
“No.” She touched his cheek. “It’s me. Things I have to work out in my head. Not you at all.”
“Is one of them, you know, the little item you dropped into the conversation tonight?”
She laughed. “I like it that you can call reading auras a little item, but no. And by the way, we’ll get to that soon enough. Okay?”
He blew out a breath. “Okay.” He grinned at her.
“I’m not going anywhere, Cole. It’s just—I want to get this stuff out of the way first. You need to spend time making sure Lone Star Phoenix is up and running, and I need to perfect the formula I’m working on before we settle the rest of our lives.” Her smile was slow and suggestive. “Meanwhile, I think there’s a big bed upstairs waiting for us.”
She isn’t going anywhere.
He’d hang on to that with both hands. J. L. Mitchell, besides being the hot goddess of his dreams these days, had turned out to be bright, savvy, funny—all the things he craved in a woman. He didn’t want to lose her, so if he had to follow her lead, he would.
On impulse, he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her.
“I want this, JL. You’re all the things I dreamed about while fighting insurgents and terrorists.”
“And you’re my dream, too, Cole. That’s not going to change. I promise.”
He guided her upstairs, his hand at the small of her back, feeling her warm skin through the fabric of her clothing. He had left the bedside lamp on in his room so they wouldn’t be walking into darkness. He thought it made the atmosphere more welcoming. Besides, he loved to watch her as she took off her clothes—or he took them off for her.
The moment they stepped into the room, he pulled her into his arms again, cupped her chin with one hand, and brought his mouth down to hers. Her lips were like soft velvet, and he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of touching it. He made sure the kiss was gentle at first. Coaxing. Teasing. A sensuous prelude to the erotic dance to come.
Very delicately, he traced the closed seam with the tip of his tongue, licking the corners, then sliding across the fullness of her lips. She always tasted so good, everywhere, a flavor he had quickly become addicted to. When she opened for him slightly, he slipped inside, licking her inner surfaces and finding her own tongue to tangle with. God, he loved her taste, everything from her mouth to the sweetness of her sex. No wine or liquor could intoxicate him the way she did.
Her slender fingers gripped his upper arms as her breathing increased, and the feel of her soft breasts against his chest made his cock swell more than it already had. Her nipples were hard as diamonds, even as they pressed through two layers of clothing to imprint themselves on his body. Heat slithered over him and shot through his veins. He wanted to pull those hard tips into his mouth and suck them for a long time.
He finally broke the kiss when breathing became difficult, but he kept his arms around her. Gently, he brushed kisses across her cheeks and along the delicate line of her jaw. Nibbled on the soft lobe of one ear and licked the sensitive place behind it. Touched his lips to the hollow of her throat where her pulse sped up its rhythm. His cock made its presence known with painful clarity against the fabric of his slacks.
At last he lifted his head and set her away from him, hungry to see and touch her naked body. With hands trembling unexpectedly, he tugged the hem of the thin sweater she wore until he could pull the garment over her head. He had to stop and drag in a breath at the sight of the swell of her creamy breasts about the cups of the hot pink, barely there bra. Her nipples were darkened circles against the fabric, tempting him. Lowering his head, he took one in his mouth, material and all, sucking hard until he drew a small moan from her.
Then he turned his attention to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment. JL gripped his shoulders again, her fingers digging into his skin and sounds of pleasure rippling from her. Cole tugged with his teeth, biting down lightly, rewarded as the bud swelled even more.
When he’d teased himself enough at her breasts, he dropped his hands to the waistband of her slacks and made quick work of the button and the zipper. Taking a step back, he let his gaze rove every inch from her head to her toes. Smooth skin, now flushed a delicate shade of pink. Lush hips, curving into sweet thighs. And barely covered by the hot pink triangle of silk matching her bra was the sweetest flesh he’d ever tasted. Touched. Fucked.
He took a deep breath and paused, his eyes capturing her image. In the muted glow of the bedside lamp, she looked brushed with warm gold, a statue come to life. A goddess. His goddess.
“I think . . .” JL ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip. “I think one of us is overdressed.”
Cole gave a strangled half laugh. “No kidding. I don’t want to take my eyes off you long enough for me to get naked.”
“Let me help you.” Her voice was low and husky.
“Wait.” He held up his hand. “One second. Gotta get my boots off.” The socks followed, then he stood before her again. He wondered briefly exactly who led this dance. Then decided it didn’t matter.
Fire roared in his veins as she reached out and tugged his soft-collar shirt from the waist of his slacks. The touch of her fingers on his skin as she pulled the fabric was like flame searing him, and his balls tightened. Impatient with the slowness of her movements, he grabbed the fabric of the shirt in the back and yanked it up and over, tossing it to the side.
But when he reached for the button on his slacks, she brushed his hands away and unfastened it herself. He heard the slide of the zipper as she moved it down with agonizing slowness. Her hands grazed his hips as she pushed on the slacks until they fell to his feet. He stepped out of them, kicked them to the side. Sucked in a breath when she slid her fingers into his boxer briefs and wrapped them around his throbbing shaft.
“Jesus,” he hissed. “Easy there or the party will be over before we really get started.”
She gave a low laugh, a musical sound that vibrated through his body.
“You always say that,” she reminded him.
“Because the minute I get naked with you, my mind takes a vacation and other parts of my body take over.” He palmed her breasts, rubbing his thumbs lightly across the hard nipples. “I always tell myself to go slow, but my good intentions never seem to last long.”
“That’s okay,” she whispered. “I don’t want to wait, either.”
He slid his hands along the smooth silk of her arms and around to her back where he could unfasten the clasp of her bra. Soon it joined the rest of the clothing in the heap on the floor.
God. He wanted to fuck her until neither of them could breathe, and then do it all over again. It was like this every time with her—had been from the beginning. He always had good intentions of starting slow, but the moment he touched her naked skin, everything kicked into overdrive. It wasn’t until that first hard coupling that he could downshift into low gear.
But tonight, for whatever reason, taking his time with her body seemed to be of prime importance. Maybe with the tenor of the evening and their conversation, he felt a need to prove to her how special she was to him. How important. How, call it valuable, she was in his life.
Make it good for her first. Concentrate on her pleasure. Don’t fall on her like a rutting dog.
Easing her hand away from his cock, he dropped to his knees in front of her. Grabbing the top edge of her very tiny panties with his teeth, he dragged the fabric, now wet with her dew, down her legs to her ankles. She braced herself on his shoulders as she stepped out of them and kicked them aside.
Cole allowed himself a long moment to inhale her essence, an erotic blend of the light floral perfume she used and her incredibly arousing musk. If he’d thought his dick hard before, it was painfully erect now. Sending it a message to hang tight, he nudged her thighs apart and opened the lips of her sex. Slick pink flesh greeted him, wet with her liquid, the bud of her clit tempting him.
He tongued her slit in one long glide from top to bottom, sliding back up to flick at the tight little bundle of nerves. JL dug her fingers into his shoulders, and a soft little moan drifted across her lips. She rocked into his touch as he licked every inch of the delicious flesh, savoring her taste.
“Cole.” His name drifted on a whisper.
“Right here, baby,” he told her, his voice muffled as he pressed his face into the soft curls of her mound.
Opening her with his thumbs, he thrust his stiffened tongue inside her, licking every drop of her juice as he pushed in and out. When her body began to tremble, he rose, lifted her, and placed her carefully on the bed, pulling her to the edge. Then, with her legs draped over his shoulders, he bent to his task again, losing himself in her scent and her flavor.
Burying his face in her slick hotness, he drove his tongue in and out of her channel again and again. Her inner walls pulsed more heavily, the muscles clutching at his tongue, so he slid one hand over to tease her clit with his thumb. Back and forth, again and again, in time with his stabbing movements.
And there she was, her body now vibrating and shaking, her ankles locked at the back of his neck to hold him in place as her orgasm erupted. Her liquid flooded his tongue, her inner walls clinging to him as spasm after spasm rocked her.
He rode her right to the end, tormenting the sensitive bundle of nerves in her slit and sucking up every bit of her essence. When at last she lay limp and spent, he lifted his head and eased her legs from his shoulders. With gentle hands, he massaged the muscles of her thighs before rising to his feet and lifting her up.
“Taste yourself on me,” he murmured, pressing his mouth to hers as he lifted her to draw back the covers on the bed. “Taste your sweet, sweet pussy.”
She gently licked the inside of his mouth, humming with pleasure. She loved it when he talked dirty to her, as much as it aroused him to do it. He’d never met another woman he had a connection like this with. Sometimes he could almost come just from thinking about it, and he was a man who prided himself on his control.
“So good,” she murmured.
He laughed unsteadily. “From my end, too.”
Placing her carefully on the cool sheets, he knelt between her legs, but when she reached for him again, he eased his body away from her.
“Later,” he told her. “After.”
“After?” Her forehead furrowed in a delicate frown. “After what?”
“This.” Turning her over, he pulled her to her knees and tucked pillows beneath her body to support her. “Spread your legs. Now.”
While she shifted her position, he reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom. His hands shook with need as he rolled it on, the blood pumping fast through his veins. Positioning himself between JL’s legs again he sucked in a breath at the erotic sight she made, her body ready and open to him. Impulsively, he leaned forward and trailed kisses across both cheeks of her ass.
She purred with satisfaction and wriggled her hips suggestively, demanding more.
“Tell me what you want,” he growled in a low voice. “Say it.”
“Fuck me again, Cole. Now. I want you inside me.”
Was she ready for another orgasm so soon? He slid one finger into her opening, smiling as he withdrew it coated with her juices.
“That before,” she said in a breathy voice, “was the appetizer. I want the main course.”
Jesus! How did he hold back from that?
He pushed into her body in slow increments, withdrawing slightly before thrusting forward again. When fully inside her, he drew in a steadying breath. Her hot, slippery flesh clung to his rod like a fist, and he had to reach hard for control.
He treated himself to one more feast of kisses on her buttocks. Then he gripped her hips to steady himself and took them both for a hot ride. In and out he plunged, slow and steady at first, then faster as his climax began to burst through his body. More. Faster. Harder. Sounds of pleasure drifted on the air, and he wasn’t sure if they were his or hers or a combination of both. He could only focus on the luscious woman in his bed and the electricity threatening to burn both of them.
An icy feeling rode the muscles at the base of his spine, and his balls tightened. Soon. Very soon. Reaching around her hip, he slid his fingers to the intense hotness of her sex, found her clit, and rubbed it.
“Ohhhhh.” The long erotic sound coasting from her mouth, excited him even more.
“Now, baby,” he groaned. “Come with me. Right now.”
He ground his teeth, holding back until the first shudders raced through her body and the muscles of her pussy clamped around him like an iron fist. He drove into her once more, twice more, then exploded into the latex sheath as she came and came and came, flooding the tight channel around him.
Breathless, he leaned forward, resting his face on her back, bracketing her with his arms as he braced his hands on the mattress. His heart raced like an overheated stallion’s, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get enough air in his lungs again. He thought he could stay like this forever, enclosed in her heat, bonded with her in so many ways. It stunned him that every single time with this woman was as exciting and intense as the first. No matter how much of her he got, he wanted more. Much more.
And it wasn’t just the sex. To be this good, this intense, there had to be so much more involved. He knew it in his bones. JL said she did, too, and he hoped she meant every bit of it. Whatever was holding her back from a full commitment, he’d find out and take care of it because he didn’t think he could ever let her go.
He had no idea how long they stayed in that position, bodies glued together by the film of perspiration covering them. It finally occurred to him he needed to move from this position, make sure she was comfortable. He knew they would make love again before the night was over, but not if he didn’t stop being such a selfish bastard long enough to take care of her.
He pressed a line of kisses the length of her spine then carefully withdrew from her body. He stroked the sweet curve of her ass, then crawled from the bed. He made sure to remove the pillows before he eased her to her back, rubbing the muscles of her arms and legs and stroking her cheek. Then he made a quick trip to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw a man well satisfied and thought, You are one lucky bastard.
A bath, he thought. She loves this tub, and it relaxes her.
When he came home from the marines, he still had some rehabbing to do in his left leg. The therapist had suggested installing a Jacuzzi. He certainly had the room for it and the bucks to spend on it, so he’d gone all out. He’d first enlarged the bathroom itself. Then he had the contractor build a raised platform with two steps. The finish resembled planked wood, and a ledge surrounded the tub itself. The platform surrounding it was wide enough for towels, drinks, or anything else he wanted to put there. The first time he showed it to JL, she’d squealed like a kid in a toy store. Bathing together had since become one of their favorite activities.
He turned on the taps and tested the water until he was satisfied with the temperature. Pulling two large towels from the linen closet, he stacked them on the wide platform, along with a soft washcloth.
JL lay exactly where he’d left her, limp against the sheets. He took a moment to savor the sight of her, face and body flushed from satisfaction, pink nipples darkened to a dusky rose. Unbelievably, lust stirred through his body again, and he smiled as his cock, so recently used and abused, notified him it might be ready for action again.
“Time to relax,” he told her, lifting her in his arms.
He carried her to the bathroom, walked up the two steps to the tub, and lowered them both inside. Leaning against the back, he placed JL between his legs and pulled her against his chest. His hands cupped her breasts, thumbs very lightly brushing the swollen nipples.
She sighed and tilted her head to look at him over her shoulder. “If anything ever happens to us, I get custody of this tub.”
He laughed, hoping she was joking about the “anything happening.” “Nothing’s going to happen, darlin’. I can promise you that.” When she didn’t say anything, he gently squeezed her breasts. “You can take that to the bank.”
“I know. I believe you.”
He hoped.
They were silent while the water continued to rise. When it reached almost to the rim, he turned the taps off with his toe and pushed the button for the jets. The water frothed around them, the surface filled with bubbles, the pressure from the jets tickling their bodies.
JL wiggled her ass to fit herself more tightly to his body, and his independent cock swelled at the contact.
He lowered his hands to her hips to hold her in place. “We’re supposed to be relaxing in here, aren’t we?”
“I’m relaxed,” she teased. “Just, you know, playing a little.”
“If you play at all, you’re liable to stir up trouble.” He leaned his head down and nipped her shoulder right where her neck joined it then took a long, slow swipe with his tongue.
She hummed with pleasure. “I’ll give you about a month to stop doing that.”
He did it again. “Offering a challenge?”
“Maybe.” She pressed her buttocks against him again.
“Darlin’, you’re waking up parts of my body I’m trying to put to sleep for a while.”
“If it’s awake, maybe we ought to take it out to play.”
Before he realized what her intent was, she shifted in his arms, turned around so she faced him on her knees, and reached down between his thighs. The moment her fingers closed over his cock, his entire body reacted, muscles tensing, balls tightening. Her slim fingers wrapped around him and slowly moved up and down the engorged shaft.
Cole closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. The water churning around them had nothing on the roiling of his blood in his veins. She held him with a light grip, fingers sliding up and down in lazy strokes, teasing and tantalizing.
“I thought we’d relax in here,” he hissed.
Her musical laugh was low and soft. “I’m relaxed. Besides, you said I could have my turn, remember?”
He chuffed a laugh. “I thought you already had your turn. Twice, as a matter of fact.”
“And now I get another one, so keep your eyes closed and enjoy.”
Damn. He was certainly doing that.
Her strokes were torturously slow, teasingly soft. He had to curl his own hands into fists to keep himself from placing one over hers to increase the pressure and tempo. Drawing on the self-control he’d taken from the marines, he let his mind drift, giving over to the edge of pleasure, drifting with it. Detaching his brain from his body.
Lust took a slow tour through his body, warming his blood, tickling his nerves. His cock grew thicker in her grasp, the pulse in the vein wrapped around it thumping like a drum. And all the while the jets whipped the water into foam, surrounding them, caressing his skin.
When she reached between his thighs to cup his balls, he knew his control was nearing an end. A waterfall of sensation thundered through him. The beginnings of his climax began to rise up from deep within his body. He slipped one hand beneath the swirling froth to wrap his fingers around her wrist.
“Better stop or it will all be over,” he told her.
She ran her tongue temptingly over her bottom lip, desire bright in her eyes. “That’s the idea.”
Increasing both pressure and speed, she squeezed his balls rhythmically.
“JL. Jesus. Shit! I—”
Inhaling a deep breath, she ducked below the swirling water and took him deep into her mouth as he erupted. As the suction drew every last drop from him, he gripped her head with both hands, drew her away, and lifted her face above the surface.
“Holy shit! Were you trying to drown yourself?”
Her breathing was ragged, but she smiled, a self-satisfied expression on her face. “I forgot to mention I swam on my college team.”
Cole had trouble with his own breathing. He pressed his lips to her wet mouth, running his tongue lightly over the surface before lifting her, turning her around, and pulling her back against his now lax body. As he waited for his heartbeat to settle down, he stroked his hands lazily up and down her arms.
“We’re good together,” he told her. “Really good.”
He waited a difficult heartbeat for her to answer.
Then she settled more comfortably against him. “Yes. You’re right. We are.”
He wanted to push, to get more of a permanent commitment from her, but he knew for the time being he’d have to be satisfied with this. Now he satisfied himself with cuddling her in the swirl of water, knowing he’d have her in his home and in his bed for the weekend would have to be enough.
But sooner or later he’d find out what really held her back. And figure out how to get past it.