Smoke on the Water Read online

  Wow.

  Maybe she wasn’t the only one having a hard time concentrating with all the bare skin around here. The moment he’d taken off his shirt, her body had begun to purr. The man was gorgeous. He had biceps to die for and the lean, muscular build of a martial artist. She knew he was a highly ranked sensei. She’d even participated in a few classes he’d run for the team back at Fort Bragg. But she’d never seen him without his shirt.

  Her mouth went dry at the masculine perfection of him. Not too bulky, not too skinny, he was chiseled perfection, like one of those famous marble statues of a young Greek god. She wanted to run her hands all over him and had to clench her fists to keep from reaching out and doing just that.

  “I’m covered more than I would be in a bikini,” she pointed out, working steadily at the fire.

  “For some reason, knowing it’s underwear and not swim-wear makes a difference. I love the cut of those panties, how they go high up on your hip and make your legs look a mile long.” His voice had dropped to intimate tones that sent shivers down her spine. “Of course, right now, I’m sort of wishing you were a thong girl.”

  “A thong?” She brazened it out, turning to shoot him a daring look over her shoulder. “Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it is to wear butt floss?”

  He laughed out loud at her irreverent question, lightening the mood. “Can’t say I do. It looks sexy as hell, though.”

  “Well, it’s like walking around with a wedgie all day.” She chuckled as she put the last bit on the fire.

  “Hold still. I’m dying to know.” That’s all the warning she got before a warm hand insinuated itself between her skin and the back closure of her bra. She could feel him flipping the fabric over, then tugging on the little pink label that was sewn underneath.

  “Ah, it’s not a secret anymore. Thought so. And may I compliment your taste in lingerie?” Satisfaction laced his voice as he removed his hand from the fabric, skating his warm fingers down her spine.

  “John.” She tried to object, but it came out too whispery and needful.

  “You have a sweet, round, luscious ass, Donna.”

  That snapped her out of the sensuous spell he’d put her under. “Did you just say I had a fat ass?” She rocked forward on the balls of her feet, out of his reach as she glared at him over her shoulder.

  His smile was pure sin. “Round, Donna. Not fat.” He sat up on the couch and scooted forward, reaching for her waist only to slide his big hand downward to cup one butt cheek. The warmth began to return. An aroused tingling awoke in the pit of her stomach.

  “Round and womanly,” he whispered, moving closer. “Perfect.” He slid off the couch to kneel behind her. She could feel his hot breath wafting over her back, making her tremble. “The perfect size and shape for my hands.” His voice dipped lower as his fingers squeezed. Her traitorous body pushed into his touch. “I’ve wanted to touch you for days.”

  Both big hands moved to her ass, squeezing and shaping her flesh. When he slipped one hand beneath the edge of her panties, she couldn’t find the breath to stop him.

  “A thong would land right about here.” His index finger rubbed over her tailbone as his words whispered past her ear, making her shiver. His finger dipped lower, following the valley between her cheeks. He paused only slightly before dipping lower, all the way inside her panties, to cup her mound from behind.

  “John,” she whispered in warning. His head bent closer to hers, his breath wafting over her ear before his lips captured her earlobe, teeth biting gently. She tilted her head, giving him greater access and implicit permission to do what he wanted. The way he made her feel at the moment, she’d give him anything he asked.

  “Yeah, baby. This is what I wanted each and every time I’ve looked at you,” he murmured as he let her earlobe go. “You’re wet for me, Donna.” His tone was almost chastising as he slid his finger between her lower lips. The tip of his finger teased her distended clit, making her moan. She tried to bite back the sound without success. John Petit lit her on fire with just a touch and she was powerless to resist. She didn’t want to resist. She wanted whatever he’d give her, if only for this short space of time.

  She knew it couldn’t be anything more. John wasn’t the kind of man who did long-term. She’d intuited that about him from the very beginning.

  She gasped as his finger slid into her without warning, pushing deep. Her body made room for him, accepting him as if he belonged there within her tight core, touching the deepest heart of her pleasure.

  “Will you let me, Donna? Will you let me have you?”

  She didn’t need to think. She didn’t want to think. She knew what her answer would be and had known it almost from the moment she’d laid eyes on him.

  “Yes.”

  Things happened fast once the word was out of her mouth. He removed his hand from her panties and turned her toward him, assisting her from her crouch into a much more comfortable kneeling position opposite him. His hands went to her shoulders and down her back, following the line of the silky straps of her bra. He unhooked the catch with deft movements.

  “You’ve done this before,” she teased.

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “A time or two.”

  The bra came off slowly, guided by his gentle hands. His eyes followed it as she was revealed to him. She felt a momentary pang of shyness that was quickly smothered as he dipped his head and kissed all ability to reason right out of her mind. His mouth was hot and tangy, his flavor divine, his skill undeniable. He coaxed her tongue into a duel of the most sensuous nature that left her breathless when he finally left her lips, only to trail kisses down her throat.

  He licked her nipples, each in turn before selecting one to suck and one to roll between his skilled fingers. She writhed against him as he plied his skills on her willing body. Never had she been so inflamed by a lover’s touch, or made so hot by such a simple act.

  With John, everything was new and even more exciting. He knew just how to touch her to make her cream. Every time. No exceptions. She’d been in a state of semi-arousal since they had started working together. Since he’d kissed her in the car, she’d been aching for him like she’d never ached for a man before.

  He switched things up, licking and nibbling his way across her chest. While his tongue and teeth teased her other nipple, his hands moved downward to cup her ass. He went under the waistband of her panties, pushing them down so he could claim her completely. The fabric fell to her knees as his hands rubbed over her cheeks, and inward as he grasped and lifted. He lifted his mouth from her breast, sucking as he let go with an audible pop. He straightened his spine to face her, his arms wrapped around her body, caging her, yet making her feel safe.

  “I love this luscious ass, Donna. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into you.”

  “Teeth?” She lifted one eyebrow in question.

  “Figure of speech, though I will admit to wanting to lick you all over.”

  “I think I can live with that.” Even if it killed her. Damn, just the idea of what he would do made her want to faint with pleasure.

  “I’ll make it worth your while, Donna. I promise.”

  She had no doubts about his intentions. The man was sex personified. Every wicked thought—and she’d had quite a few since teaming up with him—centered on him. John was the epitome of virility in her eyes and there was no question in her mind that he could live up to the advertising of his scrumptious body. This was a man who could deliver.

  And it made her shiver to think she’d learn the ultimate truth of that belief any minute now.

  “Ready?” His eyes dared her.

  “Depends on what you mean?”

  “I want to lay you down and begin that licking I was talking about. I warn you, it could take a few days to do properly.” The joyful, teasing light hadn’t left his eyes and it drew her in.

  “Well then.” Was that breathless voice hers? “I suppose the sooner we start, the better off we’ll be.”

/>   “Oh, yeah. And the sooner we can start all over again.”

  “I’ll hold you to that, Romeo.”

  He chuckled as he lowered her to the soft rug before the fireplace. The flames continued to lick upward into the chimney and gave off a pleasant warmth. She watched the almost mesmerized expression in his eyes as he viewed her naked body.

  “How soon she forgets.” He shook his head, making a comical tsking noise. “I’m John. I don’t know who this Romeo guy is but, if I do my job right, you won’t be able to even think of another man when I’m through with you.”

  She laughed at his boast. The thing was, she feared he was right. She’d only known John for a few weeks and already every other man she’d ever known faded in comparison to him. She reached upward and twined her fingers around his neck as he moved over her. His eyes met hers and she could’ve sworn lightning flashed between them.

  “Donna, I…”

  She stopped him from speaking, placing one finger gently over his lips. She didn’t want to hear platitudes, or worse, words he’d spoken to a dozen other girls. She wanted the illusion that this meant as much to him as it did to her. In the bright light of day she couldn’t fool herself into thinking a man like John could really be interested in anything serious with a girl like her. But for this moment out of time, she wanted to live the fantasy. She wanted to believe—if only in her own heart—that he could love her, desire her, and want her for longer than a fling.

  But if a fling was all she could have with him, she’d take it and be grateful. Men like John Petit didn’t saunter into her life every day. Well, not until recently, anyway. He was a man apart. The kind of guy she daydreamed about but had never really believed existed in real life.

  And now here she was, living the dream. She wouldn’t let anything ruin it. Especially not a few offhand words.

  “Come here, John.” She pulled his head down so she could kiss him. It was the first move she’d made on her own initiative in this little drama and it felt good. Freeing.

  This time, she kissed him. He was panting when she finally let him go and she felt the first stirrings of her feminine power. She smiled, knowing there had to be a wicked glint of satisfaction in her eye. John answered her with a knowing grin of his own before he dipped his head once more, his tongue riding over her collarbone before it slipped downward.

  She held on to his shoulders as long as she could while he worshiped her breasts again, lest they forget the way he’d toyed with them minutes before. She writhed under him, her fingers coasting over his muscles as his head drifted downward, his hands leading the way, touching her, testing her, spreading her legs for his passage.

  “Look at me, Donna,” came the gentle command in John’s gravelly voice.

  She raised her head a few inches to see him resting on his stomach between her splayed thighs. His hands were poised over her, as if waiting only for her to watch. Their eyes met for a moment and then he struck.

  Callused fingers parted her nether lips, spreading her for his inspection. She quivered as he broke eye contact to look downward at what he’d uncovered. She’d never been this exposed to a lover in her life. A moment of insecurity gave way to a pleasure-filled sense of freedom as he lowered his head, his talented tongue homing in on her exposed clit for a fast swipe that nearly undid her.

  “Mmm. You like that, do you?” His words made her squirm as his breath drifted over her skin. “I like it too, sweetheart. You taste like passion and it’s all for me.” He sounded so self-satisfied she felt a little tingle of amusement snake down her spine. Or maybe it was rapture. John made her feel good in so many ways, it was hard to tell.

  “More, John,” she whispered daringly.

  He grinned at her. “Your wish is my command, baby. This first one is for you.”

  First one? Did he mean what she thought he meant?

  As his mouth settled over her clit and his fingers teased inside her core, she quickly learned the answer to her question. She went off like a rocket with very little provocation, riding John’s fingers and mouth like a bucking bronc while he hummed against her, the vibrations going straight to her core.

  When she finally began to settle down from the unexpectedly intense climax, she looked downward to meet his gaze. He had a self-satisfied grin on his face that made her want to laugh.

  “Ready for more?”

  “More?” she panted. “I think I may need a minute to recover.”

  He laughed outright. “That good, eh?”

  “Wipe that smug grin right off your face, Petit.”

  He only grinned wider. “How can I when you look so cute and flushed and…satisfied? I bet I can make you look even more satisfied, though.”

  “You’re trying to kill me.” Her head flopped back on the rug as she closed her eyes.

  Wrong move. John must have taken her words as a challenge. A moment later, she felt a light, flickering touch on her clit that stirred renewed interest in places she’d thought wouldn’t be up for anything else for a good long while. She lifted her head again to look and saw the tip of his tongue flicking in a move she’d only ever seen once before. And that was in a porn movie she and her friends had watched in freshman year.

  Only now did she understand why the woman in the porno flick had writhed like a cat in heat. Within moments, she could have given that actress a real run for her money in the gasping and moaning department. No doubt about it. John Petit knew how to make a woman come. And come again, if he had his wicked way.

  “John!” she called out to him as he pushed her pleasure higher. He seemed to take that as a sign to stop what he was doing. Totally not what she’d wanted him to do. They’d have to work on their communication skills.

  He moved, stalking up her body on hands and knees and she suddenly didn’t mind that he’d stopped licking her. He kissed her and she tasted the faint trace of what must have been herself on his lips. It was exciting in a forbidden way.

  Her hands stole around his back, enjoying the play of his muscles as she swept downward. She drew up short when she encountered the waistband of his pants. Damn. He still had his pants on. She drew back from his kiss and grasped the waistband, tugging.

  “These have got to go.”

  He pulled back to meet her gaze. “I’m all for it. Want to pull the zipper down with your teeth?”

  “I would,” she purred, playing along, “but it’s a button fly.”

  They both laughed as he lifted away to kneel between her thighs. His fingers went to the fly and began a slow, sensual display. He unfastened the garment one button at a time. The last barrier between them. She didn’t see underwear. He was going commando under those soft cotton fatigue pants.

  Hubba hubba.

  “Lick your lips like that one more time, baby, and I’ll give you something else to lick.”

  Her gaze rose from his hips to meet his eyes. “Is that a promise?” She licked her lips deliberately, liking the fire in his gaze. It leapt, flaming higher as she watched.

  “Next time.” He made short work of his pants, pausing only seconds to retrieve something from one of the pockets. It was a square bit of foil. A condom.

  Thank goodness one of them was thinking clearly. She reached for it, but he pulled back, tearing the thing open with jagged motions and rolling it over the most magnificent erection she’d ever seen in person. He was long and thick and, suddenly, she didn’t want to wait anymore. She wanted him in her. Now.

  He appeared to be on the same wavelength. Once he was sheathed and his pants out of the way, he settled between her thighs like a man on a mission.

  “Are you ready for me?” He let the fingers of one hand ride through the wetness gathered between her legs for him. All for him.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Don’t make me wait, John.”

  “No more waiting.” He positioned himself swiftly and slid inside as he lowered over her. He held her gaze as he pushed home, joining them for the first time. If she had her way, it definitely would
n’t be the last.

  She was caught up in a whirlwind of sensation as John began to move. He stretched her to her limits, reaching a place inside her on every thrust that made her head reel in pleasure. Damn. He’d found her heretofore missing G-spot without even trying. Now that was talent.

  “You’re tight, baby. This is so good,” John praised her as he settled over her, running his mouth over her neck and shoulder. She loved the feel of him so close to her as he made love to her for the first time. There was nothing stand-offish about John. He was an all-or-nothing sort of man. That carried through to the way he made love, she was pleased to learn.

  “John.” She couldn’t string two words together as her passion rose even higher than before, but she could whimper his name as she rode a crest of intense pleasure. He stroked her higher and higher still as he rode her through her second climax of the day and pushed her toward an unbelievable third.

  “That’s it, baby.” He increased his pace, praising her as he moved more forcefully within her body. She loved the feel of him. The commanding presence and the undeniable skill he had made her insane with bliss. “Come one more time for me, sweetheart. Just once more.”

  “I…don’t know….” She panted, her breath coming in quick gasps as her body soared.

  “Do it, Donna. Do it now.” It was an order and her body didn’t dare refuse. His gaze holding hers, she tipped over the edge into a third glorious orgasm. This one was mightier than the last two combined. She hadn’t known she could fly so high or feel so much. She cried out as she came and felt the answering spasms of John’s big body inside her.

  They’d come together in a rare moment of communion. She’d never had such a powerful simultaneous climax. The thought of it pushed her higher as the pleasure spiraled upward and outward, growing and not diminishing for long, long moments. John held her throughout, fire in his gaze and pleasure washing over them both as they lay entwined, unspeaking.

  A long, pleasurable time later, they began to come down from the peak. John smiled his bad-boy smile at her and she answered with a tired lift of her lips.