Chapter 22
22
Cora woke slowly, her eyes blinking open, her mind not understanding why her room was so bright. The events of the previous evening came rushing back, and she sighed, thinking of the poor woman who had died in the squalor of the trailer. She didn’t often work straight through the night, but the hours of a medical examiner were not set. A straight day shift was possible if something unusual had not occurred. But nights like last night were not rare.
Even with the sun pouring through the slats of her blinds, the room felt unusually warm. She turned her head, quickly realizing Jeremy’s presence in her bed had raised the temperature with the natural body heat he produced. He was still asleep, and she took the opportunity to stare at his face when he was completely rested. Even without the smirk, he reminded her of a little boy.
Except for the heavy shadow of scruff on his jaw. And the thick muscles that corded his neck. In fact, with the comforter pushed down to his waist, she could see more muscles in his arms and chest. Okay, maybe not like a little boy, after all.
She thought about rolling closer and nuzzling his neck. Or kissing along his jawline. Planting her lips fully over his. She thought about trailing her hand over his body and gripping what she had no doubt would be an impressive cock. She even wondered if he’d appreciate a blow job as a wake-up call.
Smiling, she considered that last possibility more until her gaze landed on the old-fashioned clock she had sitting on the nightstand. Eyes wide, she realized that she had slept most of the day. She had only meant to sleep for a few hours, wake with him, and then they’d both go to work for a couple of hours. It was still crazy to think she invited him over just to sleep, then had to stifle a snort. When most people talked about sleeping with someone, a lot more was involved than just actual sleep. Leave it to me to be so literal.
She had no idea if he meant to sleep the day away, but it was now early afternoon, and she knew they both should be heading to work.
“Hey, Cora, babe. You keep looking at my crotch that way, and this day is going to get a helluva lot more interesting.”
She jumped at the sleep-gruff voice near her ear, and her gaze snapped up to his face, where she found a sleepy smirk on his lips. “Jesus!”
“Nope, just me, babe.”
Playfully slapping his impressive chest, she said, “Well, if your body wasn’t so impressive, I wouldn’t look.”
He chuckled and rolled toward her until she was underneath all his goodness. She could breathe easily with his weight held up by his forearms planted on either side of her shoulders. But before she could speak again, his head slanted, and he took her mouth in a searing kiss.
If Cora thought their previously shared kisses were something to write home about, this kiss quickly became something that should be shouted from the rooftops. His lips were a combination of soft and firm, offering just enough pressure that she readily opened her mouth to him, willing to give anything he wanted to take.
As his tongue glided over hers, she recognized the man had skills. He didn’t just plunder her mouth as though trying to mimic sex with his tongue, but he drew out the wild passion that sent fissions of electricity leaping along every nerve in her body.
Hyperaware and hypersensitive, she felt the tingles in her core. His hips had settled between her thighs, and she rapidly opened her legs to him. With him dressed only in boxers and her in satin panties and a T-shirt that was bunched around her waist, the hard length of his erection against her sex was easily discerned.
The thin layers of clothing between them felt binding, and she squirmed, wanting to feel more of everything he had to offer.
His forearms were propped on either side of her, freeing his hands to cup her jaws. He held her closely but not so tight that she felt trapped. Instead, she felt an equal partner as her hands explored and her tongue tangled with his.
She knew he wasn’t interested in just one night, but it had been a while since she’d worked on cultivating a relationship with anyone. He made her feel alive and vibrant, and she would have willingly given him just one night. But as their movements became more intense, she wanted more than one night with this man. Right now, she would sell all her possessions to keep feeling this way.
Before she could think further, he slowly lifted his head, and his tongue disappeared from her mouth. He nibbled soft kisses on her lips, then lifted his head enough to peer down. Looking into the face she had grown familiar with, she smiled. The longer hair on top of his head was now messy, some strands curling around his face, threatening to fall into his eyes. She had no idea what was going through his mind but didn’t mind waiting to find out.
He didn’t make her wait long. “You are so fucking beautiful, Cora.”
He’d used the term “babe” earlier, but at this moment, she loved that he used her name. It drove home the point that she wasn’t random. He knew who he was with and wanted to be with her .
Then a sigh left his lips, and her brow furrowed. He shifted over to the side, but she kept her arms around him, holding his gaze.
“I don’t want to stop,” he said.
“Then why are you?”
“Because I don’t want us just to be about sex. I want to take you out to dinner. I want to take you on a date. I want to spend time getting to know more about you. You deserve that, Cora.”
She continued to hold his gaze as they lay side by side, their legs tangled and their arms wrapped around each other. His words moved deep inside, and while she appreciated his honesty, she knew he deserved honesty from her in return.
“I do want to go on a date with you. I do want to go out to dinner and fix you a meal. I want to take time to get to know you because you deserve that, too.”
His lips curved slightly, and he nodded. His hold around her body loosened, and he started to roll to his back.
“I’m not finished, Jeremy.”
His movements halted instantly, and now his brow crinkled as he looked at her, waiting.
No words were spoken for a moment, and then she smiled. Moving quickly, she rolled toward him, pushing his back to the mattress as she swung a leg over and straddled his hips. “I do want all those things with you. But unless you tell me to stop now, I also want this.”
The words barely left her lips when she reached down and jerked her T-shirt over her head, tossing it behind her, not caring where it landed. Now, clad only in satin panties, she leaned forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her hair created a curtain around them, and her breasts hung toward him, tantalizing and teasing.
It appeared he’d stopped breathing as his gaze roved from her eyes to her lips to her breasts. She could’ve sworn the impressive bulge pressed against her sex lengthened even more. She wiggled, and the friction nearly had her come before they’d gone any further. “Oh God, you feel so good,” she moaned.
“Holy fuck,” he whispered, the air sounding painful as it left his lungs. His fingers were gripping her hips, and they tightened before gliding over her waist and up to cup her breasts. Her breasts were neither overly large nor small, but she loved the way they filled his hands and her sensitive nipples responded to his thumbs circling the buds.
She leaned closer, moving up just enough that when he lifted his head, his mouth sealed over a nipple, and he swirled his tongue around the tip before sucking hard enough to make her gasp as the jolts of electricity found the connection straight to her core. He alternated sucking and blowing cool breath over the flesh, her nipples puckering even more.
He moved between her breasts, and her desperate need for friction against her sex had her unashamedly rubbing against his cock.
Finally, she groaned, “Too many clothes.”
“Hell, yeah,” he managed to say in return.
He lifted her easily with his hands on her waist, and they rolled to the side. He scooted to the edge of the bed, then snagged his jeans from the floor, rummaging in the pockets. By the time he pulled a condom packet out, she had hooked her thumbs into her panties and slid them down her legs. Now completely naked, she lifted her hands over her head, allowing his gaze to drag from her head to her toe, taking in every inch of her body.
“Damn, babe, you’re killing me.”
“I hope that’s not what’s happening here.” She laughed.
Grinning, he nodded. “Me, either.”
He shucked his boxers, and for the first time, she was able to see just how impressive his erection was. The man was well endowed, and while she’d never been a woman who compared penises, she was eager to explore every inch… and have every inch explore her.
“Can I do the honors?” she asked, holding her hand out.
He handed her the condom, then stood at the side of the bed as his cock bobbed forward. She lifted on her knees and scooted closer. His shaft was warm, silk-covered steel, and once he was sheathed, their gazes latched onto each other once more. She was eager, and if his expression was anything to go by, so was he.
He gently pushed her back, then grabbed her ankles and dragged her to the edge of the bed. Dropping to his knees, he latched his mouth over her sex, his tongue dancing around the edges before plunging inward. She hadn’t expected him to go down on her. She didn’t have much experience in this area, and she found some men were uninterested. But right now, as her head fell back against the mattress and her knees spread wider, her fingers dragged through his hair, and he’d barely begun before her orgasm hit. He continued to suck and gently pinched her swollen nub, and she cried out unashamedly.
She came down from her release and looked up. Uncertain she could control her body until all the senses returned, she started to push up. He kept hold of her ankles, dragging her closer to the edge until her sex was right in front of the tip of his cock. Realizing he was going to remain standing, she grinned.
He lined the tip to her entrance, rubbing it back and forth in her juices, then slid inside. His head dropped back for a second, and he groaned. “Jesus, Cora, you feel like heaven,” he moaned as he slid in, fully seated.
She held her breath for only a second, then smiled. She had been right. The size of his erection reached places she’d never felt before. And strangely, she felt her heart beat faster and didn’t think it had anything to do with just sex. It had everything to do with the man standing before her, putting her needs first.
He bent over her body, his hands gently kneading her breasts as he continued to thrust. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her breath hitching with the depth he reached. She dragged her gaze reluctantly from his face to where his cock disappeared inside her body, and when she looked up, she found he had done the same.
“Fucking perfect,” he whispered.
He pinched the bundle of nerves, and she immediately clenched around him tighter as another orgasm jolted through her core. Her mouth opened, but no words came as she gasped for air. Sparks flew behind her tightly closed eyes.
Suddenly, his grip on her hips tightened, and she opened her eyes to see him staring intently at her. It was hard to define the expression on his face, but she could have sworn it was one of genuine care. All other thoughts flew from her mind as he suddenly plunged again and held her in place as he roared. His face was flushed, and his neck muscles bulged as he pumped slowly.
She thought he was beautiful. But as he dropped his chin and his gaze fell upon her again, she realized that the word beautiful barely covered her feelings.
He’d put her first, given her control, then made sure she was taken care of. And that, she knew, was beautiful.