05 Desperate Match Read online

“It was ugly enough already. I nearly ran out of the studio,” she confessed.

  “What stopped you?”

  They started walking again while she thought about her answer. It was hard to concentrate on her answer when residents of the campus kept wandering by to congratulate her or pound Rowan on the back.

  “I wanted to face him. I’d spent six years too scared to face him, and I finally felt safe enough to do it.”

  “Because Chase and Xander were there? They wouldn’t have let him touch you.”

  “Well, that,” she admitted, “but mostly because of you.”

  “Me? I wasn’t there.”

  She leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “You weren’t there tonight, but you’ve been there for me since I ran away. Knowing I have you on my side gave me the courage.” She stopped walking and turned to face him. Even though he was stronger than she could ever hope to be, he let her guide his body. Standing on tiptoes, she planted her lips on his. He tried to deepen the kiss immediately, but she pulled back. “I meant what I said on TV. I love you.”

  “I know you meant it, ‘cause I feel the same about you.”

  And then there was no more thinking, no more speaking, as he pulled her into him and kissed her for real. When he finally let her catch a breath, she whispered something in his ear that had him grinning and looking worried at the same time.

  “You sure?” he asked.

  She nodded. “One hundred percent. Just go slow, all right?”

  He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward their apartment. “Like a turtle,” he promised.

  She didn’t have time to get nervous. He had her back in his apartment and was kissing her before her brain could catch up. Her body was on board, and she felt her nipples harden under her coat while her lower body turned jelly–like.

  “I’m going to make this good for you. I promise,” Rowan said, while he sat on the bed to tug off his boots.

  “I know you will.” She stood watching him remove his clothes, enjoying the view and loving the fact that she made a man as handsome and strong as him wild. It didn’t seem real sometimes. But soon Rowan was naked and standing in front of her, touching her gently, and it became very, very real.

  “Can I take this off?” Rowan asked in a whisper, tugging at her thick coat.

  She answered by shrugging out of it and toeing out of the high heels she’d borrowed from Thea. “We have to be careful. This outfit is on loan.” Carefully she placed the coat on the hanger he’d retrieved from the closet. She watched as her naked man strolled the few steps to the closet to hang up the coat. The view of his muscled ass was great going, but the view was even better on the return trip. She got a healthy view of his penis, which wasn’t fully erect yet, but was halfway down the path to full arousal.

  He caught the focus of her stare and his shaft jumped a smidge. “Like the view?” he asked softly, but there was laughter in his voice.

  She kept her eyes staring and smiled. “You’re beautiful. Your body is perfect.”

  He was quiet for a weighty moment. “I love that you think so. Personally, I always felt like something was missing.” His partial arm gave a small wave.

  She burst into laughter. So this was what it was to love a man who made her laugh, who made her desire, and most importantly, didn’t make her cry in pain. “You’re perfect,” she repeated.

  He smiled at her, then frowned. He pursed his lips and scanned her. In a pretend, snooty British accent, he said, “Madam, we seem to have a problem.”

  Laughter bubbled up in her chest as she queried the problem.

  “Why”—he puffed on an invisible pipe; she could almost see the smoke rings—“you’re fully clothed, while I appear to be quite naked.”

  “Any suggestions on how to fix the problem?” She’d had no idea her voice could get so sultry.

  He responded with heat in his eyes, the British Professor cast out of the room. He was all hard soldier now. Hard and hers. “I have a few ideas,” he drawled.

  “Oh?” She felt powerful and like a goddess, and they’d barely gotten started. She knew she was still riding the high of doing well on the television interview tonight, but it was more than that. It was the rediscovery of herself. Before she’d met Jack, she’d been full of ideas about her future, so sure she was going to conquer the world and have fun trying. Those dreams had been on ice for so long, she’d lost sight of who she was. The frost was coming off the mirror, and she liked what she saw. “I have some ideas also.”

  Slowly and carefully, she shimmied out of the dress. When she’d put it on hours ago, she’d wondered at the ease of wearing a wrap dress, now she blushed thinking about the ease of it coming off. Was this why Thea owned it? Because it slid off her body more easily than her coat? She waited until Rowan had hung up the dress and faced her again. Now for the tough part of removing the final barrier to total nudity. Then again, maybe not so tough since her underwear and bra were not on loan from a friend. They were all hers, and they were u.g.l.y.

  During the last self–defense class, she’d joined the women in the locker room to change out of their sweaty workout gear and back into street clothes. Nearly every woman there had been wearing lingerie out of a catalog or a man’s fantasy. At first she hadn’t stared, not wanting to be called a pervert, but after the third woman walked by in decadent lace and ribbon, she’d had to stare.

  Emma had caught her gaze and laughingly explained it was all Chase’s fault. He’d stolen all of Samara’s practical undergarments during their first days together and replaced them with sexy lingerie. She’d liked his reaction to her wearing it so much, she’d whispered the secret to one woman who’d told another, and so on. The joke now was that nearly every woman on campus dressed like a high–class call girl under their sensible clothing, and each male thought it was his match alone wearing the sexy lingerie. In reality, it was all of them.

  Jill had laughed but inwardly cringed. Was that what men liked? Thongs and demi–bras? She couldn’t afford the six pack of cotton panties from Walmart let alone satin from Victoria’s Secret. Would Rowan be disappointed at her in grungy, well–worn undergarments?

  She shucked them off now and tossed them to a corner before he could get a good look. Sexy lingerie moved up her mental shopping list for her next paycheck.

  The heated look on Rowan’s face told her he hadn’t noticed her underwear, or he had more important things to look at. Like her. Despite living together for more than a month, she’d been discreet about changing clothes. Since she hadn’t been ready for sex, she hadn’t wanted to tease him, so she’d changed in the bathroom and kept her body out of sight. It was on display now, and she warmed under his gaze.

  “C’mere.” He crooked a finger at her, and she stepped against his strong body, letting her nipples brush against the taut skin of his pectorals. She leaned up as he leaned down and their lips met. They kept it slow and gentle at first, but soon her tongue explored his mouth more deeply. His taste wound its way around her body, curling its alluring elusive tendrils into dormant places she’d ignored.

  She’d forgotten what this felt like, this drugging floating heaviness that invaded one’s blood, yet sending exciting tingles elsewhere. Her vision blurred from arousal as Rowan’s large palm flattened against the base of her spine, bringing her closer. At the touch of his erection, she sucked back a breath, then pressed closer. Her eyes closed against the pleasure. She wanted to be on her back, legs spread with him pushing deep inside. But despite the arousal churning and making its demand, she wasn’t there yet.

  “I could kiss you all day,” Rowan murmured, lowering his lips from her mouth to the swath of skin between her neck and collarbone. Her head lolled to the side, and she let her hands explore the hard planes of muscle on his tall body.

  “Don’t,” she managed to say. A wall of cold slapped her as he stepped quickly away leaving her alone. Her eye flew open to stare at him. “Where’d you go? What’s wrong?”

  His eyes w
idened back at her. “You said don’t. You call the shots here, Jill. I don’t ever want to force you.”

  The love she felt for him boiled over to dangerous volcanic levels. Despite the arousal she knew he had—the evidence was still pointing at her—he was ready to let her take the lead and to stop if she asked. “I meant don’t just kiss me all night. I want more. I think I might die if I don’t get more.”

  “Oh, thank God,” he muttered. He was on her in a flash, grabbing at her, this time taking her mouth in a teeth–clashing, tongue–thrusting kiss that she returned with equal fervor. Momentum carried them to the bed, where he lowered her down, leaving her to lie on her back looking up at him. He loomed over her, and she waited for him to lower himself over her and plant himself inside.

  He lowered down, all right, but not where she was expecting. Instead of lying on top of her and pressing her into the mattress, he lowered to a kneeling position on the floor between her thighs. “Spread,” he said, and hooked her foot on his shoulder. Was he going to…? A hot breath brushed through her curls and her eyes closed with both nerves and anticipation.

  She’d never, not ever, had this done to her. Rowan’s tongue swiped a line straight up her seam, landing on her clitoris, and all thoughts of the past vanished. There was only room for her and Rowan in this room.

  For a moment her eyes flashed open and she leaned up on her elbows to watch the sight Rowan made, with his dark hair buried between her pale thighs. It was the most erotic thing she’d seen in her life, and it felt even better.

  She’d thought she was ready for penetration before, but now her body softened and grew wetter as excitement built. She ran a loving hand through Rowan’s hair, which he took as a sign to dig in deeper, now inserting one finger while his tongue toyed with her swollen clitoris. “Rowan, please,” she managed to gasp.

  “More?” He pulled away for a second to ask.

  Dumbly she nodded and used both hands to guide his mouth back to her dripping core. She could feel the burn in her thighs as she held them as wide as possible, knowing she’d be sore in the morning. She couldn’t wait.

  A second finger joined his other deep inside her, while his thumb took over for his tongue. He had better things to do with his tongue, like talk dirty to her. The things he whispered had her cheeks heating but made her brain send signals to her body that orgasm was impending. The pleasure spiraled higher, and soon coherent speech was impossible. She could only pant, moan, and beg.

  She was close, but wanted more. She wanted—no needed—him buried deep inside. “Rowan, now. I want you.” She held out her arms needing him to fall on top of her and screw her to the bed.

  Finally, he rose and stood over her looking down. She tugged at his hand, and tried to use her feet to pull him down, but he stood still, his erection jutting out, long and hard. The slit glistened with pre–come, and she remembered how it had felt in her hand and in her mouth, and her pussy pulsed with urgency. She groaned when he grabbed a pillow off the bed and kneeled again.

  “No more foreplay. I want sex.”

  He laughed, then stroked a damp strand of hair off her forehead. “You’ll get it. Missionary isn’t the best position for me. Sex will be better if I balance on my legs.”

  Oh. She realized missionary position would require him to balance on his only arm, leaving no hands for touching.

  “How do you want me?” She sat up ready to contort into any position if it would get his penis in her vagina faster.

  He chuckled. “Lie back again. Hold your thighs wide.”

  Following his directions, she spread for him, too aroused to feel embarrassed by how exposed her body was. He could see every dripping inch, but he wasn’t looking. He was leaning over to the nightstand and grabbing out a condom packet. With his teeth and hand he tore it open then started to roll it on. “Help me?”

  Stroke his penis? No prob. The feel of her palm on his shaft had him groaning and her scooting her butt closer to the edge of the bed hoping to speed things along. But Rowan seemed determined to take his damn sweet time about things. Didn’t he know she hadn’t had an orgasm in forever? It was suddenly as critical as air and water that she have one very, very soon.

  “C’mere,” he said in a rough voice, placing the head of his penis at her entrance. She was wet enough he could slide in, but no, he froze letting her feel him and adjust to his size.

  “Rowan, I’m ready. Please.”

  Dual inhalations sounded in the room, as in one stroke he slid deep inside her and didn’t move, letting her passage widen to accommodate him. She appreciated it, but really he could’ve screwed her hard and they could’ve been snuggling in the afterglow by now. “You’re torturing me,” she groaned.

  “We’ve waited this long,” he said. “I’m not rushing things with my match.” His words sounded cool, but his voice gave his struggle away. He was as aroused as she and ready to get down to business.

  And then he did. Her whole body shifted upward as he backed off, then pushed his way inside again. Hard. Then harder.

  She urged him on, clamping inner muscles around him and leveraging her ass to meet his thrusts.

  “You like it? Feel good?”

  She nodded frantically, and pushed her thighs wider. His hips increased their speed pushing her to higher pinnacles of pleasure. Together, they rocked the bed with the friction of cotton sheets, slap of damp skin, and gasps of wonder playing music in their ears.

  Jill felt her orgasm building and tried to swallow it back. She’d complained about Rowan’s lack of urgency before, but now she had full appreciation for his slowing things down. She wanted to savor their lovemaking. It was the first of what she hoped would be many sexual interludes in their future, but this was their first time. There’d be no duplicating it.

  They’d remember this night forever. She’d remember the look on his face as he’d penetrated her for the first time. She was no virgin, but she was something better. They were virgins to each other. Every touch, every kiss was new.

  And then she could no longer hold off her orgasm. It hit her with the force of a large wave crashing against the sand and rolled through her, trickling down to foaming surf. Rowan slowed his thrusts and she felt her cheeks heat as she realized he hadn’t come yet. What was the etiquette for this? In reverse, she knew the man would pull out, roll over and start snoring. She had no clue what happened when the woman came first. Then she remembered the romance novels she’d been devouring for the last month.

  “You okay? Can you take more?” Rowan asked. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his pectoral muscles gleamed with effort.

  “I want more,” she said, hoping her body could cash the check her mouth just wrote. She currently felt like Jell–O and unable to do more than lie back and take anything Rowan wanted to give her.

  “Roll over. Get on your knees,” he ordered.

  She shook her head. “I want to see you.”

  His expression softened. He scanned the room, settling on the armless desk chair. He dragged it over and sat. “Hop on.” He patted one muscular thigh, but that wasn’t the muscle that caught her attention. His erection jutted out between his widespread thighs, and she understood he meant for her to ride him. She wasn’t sure she could ever move from the bed, but she found the strength to crawl up and climb on.

  They shared some laughter as she awkwardly straddled his thighs and tried to angle his penis back in her body. His arm was an iron seatbelt against her back, holding her safely on the chair. They needed her hands to reach between them and guide him in. Finally she sank back on his cock and felt the missing piece of her soul click back into place.

  Her toes barely brushed the carpet and she tried for leverage, but couldn’t get much of a rhythm going until Rowan braced his feet and thrust upward.

  “Oh,” she gasped. At this angle he hit all the right spots, and her brain in its post–orgasm haze snapped back to attention.

  “Ride me,” he urged. “Wrap your legs for leverage.”

/>   She understood what he wanted and hooked her ankles around the back of the chair, trusting Rowan to hold her. In this position, her breasts were level with his mouth, and he took full advantage, drawing a nipple between his lips.

  “Ahh.” Her head fell forward, and her lips found the taut sweaty skin of his neck. Every nerve ending in her body was at attention and screaming for mercy. Never had she experienced bliss like this. Everyone on campus had said that sex between a matched couple was sublime, but sublime wasn’t the word to describe what was happening to her now. Cataclysmic. Cosmic. Orgasmyclysmic? Wait, that wasn’t a word.

  “Getting close.” Rowan panted and increased the speed of his thrusting hips.

  “Me, too,” she gasped, shocked that her body was capable of such a feat. She’d never had multiple orgasms and had thought it was something Cosmo magazine had made up. She bent her head to find Rowan’s mouth and they lip–locked as her body fell apart in his, trusting him to catch her and bring her back to earth.

  Deep inside she felt the hot liquid of his ejaculate holding his softening penis in place. She clung to his neck as he stood and carried her to the bed. He was some kind of superman to be able to carry her after an orgasm the size of Texas.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked at her giggle.

  They lay belly to belly, facing each other in the small bed, still breathing hard. “I decided you were a superhero to be able to carry me like that. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move again. Then I remembered you’re enhanced. Technically, you are a superhero,” she said.

  His eyes were closed, but he flashed his white teeth in a smile. “You’re going to move again. In a few hours when my dick recharges, we’re going again.”

  “What about now?”

  He pulled her in tight against his damp chest and maneuvered the blanket over their sweaty bodies. “Now we sleep.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jack slumped on his couch and ignored the cell phone’s ringtone. It hadn’t stopped all day. He’d answered the first few, and wished he hadn’t. Most were from haters who wanted him arrested after Jill’s confessions on TV last night.