Taking It All Off

Hesitant, she put a hand on his shoulder. His skin was warm, the muscles firm beneath her palm. She trailed her fingers down his chest, her nails dragging at the golden hairs, coming to rest on one pebbled nipple.

She bent and kissed it, tongue flicking, lips devouring. He sucked in his breath, and squeezed her shoulder, silently urging her to keep going.

She transferred her attention to his other nipple. He smelled of musk and sweat and warm skin, and tasted slightly salty. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been so close to anyone, and reveled in the contact.

He shifted, wrapping one leg around her and pulling her closer. The tip of his erection pressed against her, demanding entrance. She started to raise her leg to allow him access, then thought better of it and reached down to take him in her hand. He was hot and heavy and holding him like this made her want him all the more. He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head away. “We need a condom,” she whispered.

Without a word, he slid off the bed and went into the bathroom. She rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes, savoring the tension in every nerve. The breeze from the ceiling fan caressed her, puckering her nipples, cooling her sex.

She heard foil tearing and opened her eyes to watch Jake sheath himself with the condom. Then he lay beside her. She started to move into his arms, but he held her off. “Maybe we should talk some more,” he said, his eyes teasing her.

Laughing, she pushed him down onto his back and straddled him, then wrapped her hand around his shaft and squeezed. The glazed look that came into his eyes thrilled her. “Do you really want to talk?”

He grunted and caressed her hips. “Your body’s been talking to mine all day and I like what it’s been saying.”

She rose up on her knees and guided him into her, sighing as he filled her. She tightened around him and began to move, slowly at first, wanting to savor every delicious sensation radiating through her.

But need soon overtook her, and her movements became more urgent. He reached up to caress her breast, then slid his hand down to her clit. As he fondled and stroked, raw wanting overtook all caution. Bracing her hands on his chest, she rocked over him, each thrust hard and deep, withdrawing almost completely before driving down again.

Her climax was sudden and fierce, exploding within her and reverberating in waves. He followed with a low groan, thrusting up to meet her, shuddering with his release.

She collapsed against him, burying her head in the hollow of his shoulder, holding him tightly as she waited for the waves of sensation to gentle and still.

His hand on her back was heavy and reassuring. She smiled and snuggled closer. To think she had ever disliked him.

Still holding her, he rolled them over until they were on their sides, facing each other. She smiled at him. “That was pretty spectacular.”

He smoothed his hand along the dip of her waist. “I think you may have a talent for this.”

“I’m betting there’s still a few things you can teach me.”

“Something tells me you’ll be a good pupil.” He switched onto his back, away from her. She started to follow him, but resisted. It wouldn’t do to get too close. After all, they were only together for the weekend. She shouldn’t forget that.

The knowledge made her cold. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“I haven’t had dinner. I thought I’d grab something to eat.”

“We could order room service.” He reached over and stroked her hip. “Ever eat dinner off your lover’s body?”

The image the words evoked sent heat curling through her. She shook her head. “I’m going out.” She needed to get away from him for a while. To remind herself that this was only an experiment. Temporary. If she stayed with him right now it would be too easy to lose herself in him again. To pretend the feelings he’d kindled in her were real. The sort that lasted forever.

She went into the bathroom and washed off then dressed in shorts and a sleeveless blouse. No underwear, because she didn’t want to go back into the bedroom and feel Jake’s eyes on her as she searched. Going without felt sexy and decadent, but then, this was a night for that.

When she glanced in the mirror she was startled by the image that confronted of her. Her hair was mussed, her lips slightly swollen, her cheeks flushed. She looked like a woman who was well and truly satisfied. If she had seen herself on the streets, she would have thought she was a woman in love.

But of course, that wasn’t the case at all. In lust, maybe, but there was a big difference.

She combed her hair and splashed water on her face, then took a deep breath and opened the door to the bedroom.

The bed was empty. Surprised, she looked around for Jake. The chair where he’d left his clothes was empty, and so was the rest of the cottage. Jake was gone.

JAKE JOGGED ALONG the beach, bare feet pounding against the sand in time to his furiously beating heart. He clenched his hands into fists and ran harder, head down, fighting anger and frustration. What had Glynna meant, walking out on him like that? Had she gotten what she wanted, and that was that? He knew men who acted like that, but a woman?

Could a woman really turn her feelings on and off like that? What had happened between them had been powerful. The kind of sex people fantasize about but rarely experience.

He slowed down, muscles protesting as his feet dragged in the sand. More likely, Glynna was scared. That was it. He doubted Ms. Glynna McCormick had screamed like that in bed with a man more than a few times in her life. If ever. Tonight he’d stripped her bare, both physically and emotionally. A woman like her was bound to be shook up after that.

He stood and looked out at the dark bay. Breakers thundered against the jetty to his left and the distant throb of music from the karaoke club drifted on the night breeze. Hell, he was shook up himself. When she’d taken him in her hand and turned her head away from his kiss, he’d felt something twist inside him, and he’d come dangerously close to pleading with her not to turn away. He’d been relieved to get up to go find a condom, buying time for him to get a hold of himself.

That was it, then. Glynna wasn’t dissatisfied with him. She was afraid. And wasn’t the whole idea of this weekend to help her get over that fear of her own ideas and emotions? She might have a natural talent for sex, but she needed Jake for the rest. He’d have to find a way to push her past her fear. And he’d be the one to benefit. At least this weekend.

He turned back up the beach, headed toward the grill, the only restaurant open at this late hour. She wasn’t going to run away from him so easily. The night was young and the weekend short. They had a lot to do. There was one pretty incredible woman inside Glynna, and he couldn’t wait to help discover her.

GLYNNA SAT at the grill, idly swirling a French fry through a pool of ketchup, wondering how she could go from feeling fantastic one moment and more alone and uncertain than ever the next.

Was Jake angry with her for leaving him so quickly after their lovemaking? Was that why he’d left? Was she wrong to have pulled away from him?

What did it matter what he thought? Why was she worrying about doing what he wanted her to do when the whole point of this weekend was supposed to be for her to discover what she wanted—really wanted.

Back there in the cottage, what she’d craved was to stay with him. She wanted to feel his arms around her, holding her close and then, after a while, to make love again. They’d go slowly this time, savoring each touch and response. She wanted to know that for that brief span of time at least, she could be anything, do anything, and no one would object.

Instead, she’d given in to guilt and fear and run away. Despite the incredible experience in Jake’s arms, nothing had really changed inside her.

“Is the food really that bad?”

She jumped as Jake reached around her and snagged a French fry from her plate. He chewed, a thoughtful look on his face. “Not bad. But cold.” He slid onto the stool beside her.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“I went running on the beach.” He glanced at her. “I needed to get away and think.”

“Yeah.” She could understand that. “Me, too.” She pushed her plate away and took a sip from her glass of diet soda. “What did you decide?”

He swivelled to face her. “I’ve pretty much made it my policy to say what I think about things. Some people don’t like it, but they don’t have to worry about me lying to them, either.”

She eyed him warily. What was he getting at? “It’s one of the things I admire about you. So?”

He put his elbow on the counter and leaned toward her. “So you have to shoot straight with me, too. Why did you run out on me just now?”

Her stomach knotted. Talking about her feelings was not something she was good at. In fact, she avoided it whenever possible. “You know, I said I wanted to have sex with you. Not bare my soul.”

“You said you wanted to find out what kind of woman you really are.” He took her hand and laid it in his, palm up, as if he was about to tell her fortune. “Lesson number one—a lot of sex takes place inside a person’s head. And I want to know what’s going on in yours. Why did you run out?”

She tried to pull her hand away, but his fingers encircled her wrist, trapping her. His gaze on her was steady. Relentless. She was going to have to answer his question. She took a deep breath. “I think I was a little overwhelmed by what happened. It wasn’t what I expected.”

He raised one eyebrow. “I hope that means it was better than you expected.”

She nodded, one quick jerk of her head. “Oh, yeah. Better. And…different.”