The Next Play: Part Two Read online

  As Jonah laid her down crossways on her double bed, his pulse started roaring in his ears, and his damn hands were shaking as he pulled off her jeans and lacy little panties, then reached underneath her to unhook her bra. Bracing a hand against the bed, just above her right shoulder, he kept his arm straight as he ran his greedy gaze over her beautiful body, taking in every lush, exquisite detail. He was fucking mad for her, with her sunburned little nose, kiss-swollen lips, and delectable curves, her rapid breaths making her beautiful breasts jiggle and sway upon her chest, the pain in his cock so intense he figured it’d be a miracle if he managed not to explode.

  “Spread your legs for me,” he husked, his hooded gaze locked in hard and tight on her creamy thighs as she sucked in a sharp breath and slowly opened up for him, the golden ringlets on her mound already wet, her delicate little pussy shiny and slick. He blinked, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip so hard he could’ve drawn blood—but he needed the bite of pain to keep him grounded, because her cunt was like something out of a dream.

  In his office, he hadn’t had a chance to properly take her in, but he couldn’t have looked away right then to save his life. Pink and juicy and already swollen with need, his mouth was literally watering for her, and with a gritty curse on his lips, he ran the callused tip of one long finger through those plump folds, then sank it deep inside her snug little slit.

  She gasped, her back arching as she fisted her hands in the bedding, and he quickly added another, stretching the tight flesh, her cushiony inner muscles clinging to him, her sheath so plush and soft he wanted to keep some part of his body buried inside her every minute of every day. Fingers, tongue, cock. He just needed to be in her. To feel her slick, tender heat holding him, drenching his hand as she came all over him.

  Leaning down, Jonah covered her panting mouth with his as he fucked her hard and deep with his fingers, eating at her gasps and moans, loving how responsive she was. She was melting into hot, creamy liquid for him, the tiny pulses in her pussy telling him she was close to orgasm, and he wanted it so badly he could taste it.

  “Come undone for me,” he groaned against her soft, wet mouth, lost in the feel and the taste of her. “Just for me, Jace. Right now. Give it to me. Give me everything.”

  Jocelyn came with a sharp cry against his mouth, the pleasure rushing up at her like a storm, blinding and hot and violent, thundering through every cell of her body, until she had to turn her head away and sink her teeth into her lower lip to keep from screaming with it.

  “Christ, I want to fuck you,” he groaned against her ear, nipping the sensitive lobe with his teeth, his fingers slipping from her still softly pulsing slit to slide up and stroke across her clit, the sensation so intense it made her arch with another gasp. He hadn’t even needed to touch that little bundle of nerves to make her come, and she was still reeling over that stunning realization when he said, “I want it more than I want my next breath. But I won’t push for it until you’re ready. When it happens, I want it to be perfect for you.”

  “It’s kinda perfect that you feel that way,” she said with a shaky smile, turning her head and blinking up at him as she curved her hands over his broad, muscular shoulders. “I knew there was a good reason I wanted you to be my guy.”

  His eyes crinkled sexily at the corners as he stared down at her, and Jocelyn could tell that he liked what she’d said.

  “Well, right now, your guy wants to eat out your hot little cunt,” he rumbled, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her lips, still working her clit with his wicked fingers. “You okay with that, sweetheart?”

  “Ah, I think I can live with it,” she panted in a playful tone, turning her head again to give him better access as he started kissing his way down the side of her throat.

  “Wow, look at you being all selfless for me,” he teased in another sexy rumble, and her soft burst of laughter turned into another throaty moan when he dipped down and started nibbling and licking his way between her breasts, down her quivering abdomen, until he was running his tongue over the spray of freckles on her left side that he’d said reminded him of the constellation Cassiopeia that day in the conference room. And then he dropped down onto his knees at the side of the bed and licked his way lower, along the very edge of the pale curls she kept trimmed at the top of her mound, his big hands reaching down and curling around her ankles, then lifting them, until she was spread wide for him with her knees bent and her feet braced against the edge of the mattress.

  “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted this,” he scraped out, spreading her labia wide with his thumbs, his warm breath blowing against her in rough, uneven bursts. “Honest to God, baby. I wanted to get my tongue inside you the first time I ever looked down into your beautiful little face.”

  He went in for it then, licking her from her swollen clit all the way down to her tender opening. He froze for a hard, breathless second, muttering something she couldn’t make out against her sensitive flesh—and then he growled so hard and deep she could feel the guttural sound vibrating through her…and he went wild. Completely freaking wild—and Jocelyn loved every scorching, carnal, devastating second of it.

  She loved the way he lashed at her clit with his tongue, then thrust it inside her, over and over, his big hands gripping her hips and crushing her against his face.

  Loved the way he pressed his open mouth against her entrance, sucking and licking at it, eating at her juices.

  He went at her like he was starved for the taste of her, and before she knew it she was coming all over him, her fingers fisted in his thick auburn hair as she ground up against him, his sinful tongue still plunging in and out of her while she shivered and gasped from the most mind-shattering climax she’d ever experienced.

  “Fuck,” he groaned, still licking at her wet, tingling flesh, lapping up every drop of cum he could find and swallowing it down. “Fuck me. Having you in my mouth is even better than I’d imagined, Jace. And I imagined you being the fucking best that there is.”

  Long moments later, when he finally lifted his head and moved back to his feet, he leaned over her and braced himself once again on a powerful arm, his other hand going to the side of her face. Lust or need or whatever you wanted to call it had tightened his expression into harsh angles and planes, his big, muscular body drawn so tight with tension she could see the masculine ridges of sinew and veins pressing beneath the tanned skin on his arms and neck.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he rasped, his dark eyes gleaming as he ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek. Then he lowered his head and claimed her mouth with his hot, wet one. She could taste herself on his lips, salty and sweet, with his richer male flavor coming through, and felt utterly undone. Utterly addicted.

  So much had changed since he’d shown up at her door last night. In a single day.

  God, at this rate, where would they be in a week?

  She was silently freaking out, panic speeding up her heart, until she caught the way he was suddenly smiling down at her. Those dark, beautiful eyes were crinkling sexily at the corners again, and there was a tenderness in the curve of his lips that she’d never seen before. Jonah Cartwright looked…happy, and from one breath to the next, her panic melted away, and Jocelyn felt her lips curl with her own expressive smile.

  “I’d better go,” he husked, still stroking his thumb across her cheek.

  She bit her lip, desperate to ask him to stay, even though she knew she needed some time to regroup—and it was clear that he’d read her thoughts on her face when his smile turned wry, his blue eyes smoldering with need.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he muttered, leaning down and tasting her lips again, his tongue softly stroking over her plump bottom one. “I’d love nothing more than to crawl into this bed with you and hold you in my arms all night long, Jace. But there’s only so much temptation I can take.”

  “Aren’t you at least going to let me, you know—take care of you first?”

  He closed his eyes for a m
oment, and she couldn’t miss the raw, visceral hunger burning in those sky-blue depths when he lifted his lashes. “That’s not happening tonight. This was about you.”

  She glanced down at the massive erection tenting his chinos, then slowly arched one eyebrow as she looked back up at him. “Jonah, you’re probably not even going to be able to walk with that.”

  His nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep breath. “Consider it my penance.”

  Jocelyn frowned. “We’re not keeping a tally or using some points system. That’s no way to start a relationship.”

  Voice rough, he said, “I don’t want you to think that’s what I’m here for.”

  “Jonah—”

  “Shh,” he rasped, cutting her off as a sexy smirk started to kick up the corner of his mouth. “You can keep blinking up at me with those beautiful green eyes, but I’m not going to change my mind. What I am going to do is head home and swim laps until I’m so exhausted I have to crawl up to my bed.”

  Surprise had her blinking up at him again. “You have a pool?”

  “I do. And I can’t wait to see you in it, moving through the water in a sexy little bikini.” He groaned as his gaze went a bit hazy, and then a husky laugh rumbled up from his chest and he shook his head. “Fuck, I better not think about that right now or I’m really going to be in trouble.”

  There was a womanly smile on her lips as she took the hand he offered her and let him pull her up to her feet, but it slipped when she caught sight of herself in the mirror over her dresser. There’d been something so intensely erotic about lying naked beneath him while he was still fully clothed—but that didn’t mean she was ready to prance around in front of him without a stitch of clothing. So she grabbed the fluffy afghan from the foot of her bed and wrapped it around her body, tucking it under her arms.

  “Nice dress,” he teased, grabbing her hand again and tugging her along behind him as he headed out of the room.

  “Shut up,” she quietly laughed, knocking him with her shoulder as they reached the entryway.

  He opened the front door and then turned to her, staring down into her warm face for a moment. It looked as if there about a thousand different things that he wanted to say—but in the end, he just leaned down and pressed a soft, sweet kiss against her ear, and whispered, “Think about me.”

  “I always do,” she admitted in a shaky whisper. And there was an even shakier smile on her lips as she shut the door behind him.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “All I’m saying,” Rey drawled, “is that you need to climb on that gorgeous bad boy and screw his brains out. You haven’t had sex in years, Jace. What in the hell are you waiting for?”

  It was Sunday morning, and Jocelyn had only just finished getting her and Davey dressed for a comfortable day at home, when Rey called, wanting to know how their weekend was going. She hadn’t had the chance yet to fill her best friend in on everything that had happened on Friday, since she’d left work early and picked Davey up directly from preschool, so all Rey knew was what Jocelyn had just told her—that they’d spent Saturday at the zoo with her office crush—and her bestie had been on a roll ever since.

  “Listen,” she said, holding the phone wedged between her ear and her shoulder as she started a fresh pot of coffee, “there’s some stuff I need to share with you, and then you’ll understand why we’re taking things a bit slow.”

  “Like what?” Rey asked suspiciously, as if she thought Jocelyn was just searching for excuses not to go to bed with him.

  “I’m not trying to be a pain, but this isn’t really something I want to get into over the phone.”

  “Okay,” Rey murmured. “But now I’m getting a little freaked out.”

  “There’s no reason to worry,” she assured her. “I promise, okay? I won’t lie and say things aren’t complicated, but I really believe that it’s going to be worth it.”

  Softly, Rey said, “You sound happy, Jace. This Jonah guy must be something pretty special.”

  “I am,” she admitted with a smile. “And he is.” Holding the phone with her hand again, she used her other one to reach up and open the cupboard where she kept her mugs. “Do you want to come over in the morning for coffee? I can catch you up on everything then, while Davey shows Piper his new souvenirs from the zoo.” Piper was Rey’s little girl, and she and Davey were practically inseparable.

  “I’d love—” Rey started to say, when a sound from the front of the apartment had Jocelyn gasping into the phone. “What happened?” Rey asked with an excited squeal. “Did someone just knock on your door?”

  “Yes! Oh, God. Do you think it’s him?” she whispered, knowing she sounded like an idiot. It was probably just one of her neighbors wanting to borrow some sugar, but her heart was pounding like she’d just been told she’d won the lottery.

  “If it is, girl,” her best friend drawled, “I’m going to start thinking you have a magic hoohoo.”

  “Rey!” she laughed, shaking her head.

  “I’m just saying, the guy apparently can’t stay away. Facts are facts, babe.”

  “And you’re crazy! Now let me go so I can see who it is.”

  “Okay, go have fun with your sexy lover boy. But in the morning, I expect to hear all the yummy details. The dirtier, the better.”

  Jocelyn snorted under her breath, thinking that when it came to Jonah Cartwright and sex, every single thing he did was probably dirty…and filthy as hell.

  They said goodbye and ended the call, and Jocelyn set her phone down on the small table in the front hallway, her pulse racing as she walked to the door.

  It can’t be him. He’s meant to be out with Gabe today. There’s not a chance in hell that he’s come back already, she silently lectured herself the entire way to the door. But sure enough, when she looked through the peephole, Jonah was standing in the hallway. And he looked freaking delicious, with one arm braced high against the doorframe, his auburn hair swept back from his handsome face, a tight black T-shirt molded to his incredible chest, and that crooked, impossibly sexy smile of his that always made her melt.

  “Hey,” she whispered as she opened the door, wishing she’d taken the time to run back to her room and put on something nicer than the slouchy knit top and leggings she was wearing. He was dressed in a dark pair of jeans and that tight-fitting T-shirt, looking completely gorgeous. Mouthwatering. Beautiful. There honestly weren’t enough adjectives in the English language to describe how fine this guy was.

  “Good morning,” he said in a husky rumble, raking her body with his molten gaze, before lifting it back to her face, his expression so warm it made her heart give a hard thump in her chest.

  “Um, what are you doing here?” she asked, swiping her tongue over her lower lip. “I thought you had a sailing trip planned with Gabe today.”

  “I did,” he murmured, stepping into the apartment as she moved aside to make way for him. “But I canceled. Thought we could take Davey out for pancakes again, since he liked them so much yesterday.”

  Brows lifting with surprise, she tilted her head back to look up at him. “You ditched Gabe to take me and Davey to breakfast?”

  “I can go out sailing with Gabe anytime,” he said, lifting one hand to rub at the back of his neck, the gesture making her think he might actually be a bit nervous, which was so damn cute. There was even a bit of color in his cheeks as he said, “To be honest, being with the two of you was more important.”

  Her throat shook, melting with emotion. “You’re… God, Jonah, you’re making my head spin.”

  “Yeah?” Worry shadowed his gaze. “In a good way?”

  “Yes,” she laughed, smiling.

  “Then it’s only fair,” he rasped, grinning down at her as he gripped her hips and started tugging her closer. “Because you’ve had me dizzy from the moment I first set eyes on you.”

  She blushed and he laughed, already lowering his head. But Davey came running in before he could kiss her, and she pulled away, grateful that Jonah f
ollowed her lead, since they hadn’t yet had the discussion about what she was comfortable with Davey knowing about their budding relationship. Because no matter how badly she wanted this complex, intoxicating man, her top priority was always going to be her son.

  They went out for pancakes again, then came back and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon just relaxing at the apartment. There was a Disney movie involved, which Jonah actually laughed during—and, yeah, she thought that was damn cute as well. They also played some games, and the boys built a towering castle out of blocks while she made sandwiches for lunch. At first, she was surprised again by how good Jonah was with her little guy, but then she realized that she’d been wrong to doubt him. Jonah Cartwright was the kind of man who excelled at anything he set his mind to—or was important to him—and it was clear that he felt strongly about winning Davey over.

  When Davey took a nap in the afternoon, she made coffee for her and Jonah, though the mugs ended up forgotten on the table again. Instead of sipping on caffeine, Jonah pulled her onto his lap as he sprawled in a corner of the sofa, and he spent every second of the time they had alone kissing her like there was nothing else in the world that he’d rather be doing. His cock was brutally hard, pressing against her ass, but he didn’t try to take things any further. He just feasted and teased, his mouth so hot and delicious she felt drugged on the pleasure of him.

  By the time Davey woke up from his nap, she was a flushed, shivering mess, and the instant she heard his bedroom door open, she scrambled off Jonah’s lap so quickly she nearly fell on her ass on the floor, the heat in her face so intense she knew she had to be bright red.

  Way to be smooth, Jocelyn, she laughed to herself, wondering if she would ever feel like a mature, sexy woman—or forever be the shy, bumbling girl who was always embarrassed. The only saving grace to the whole situation was that Jonah seemed oblivious to the fact she was a goofball. Or who knew? Maybe she was just so different from the gorgeous, sophisticated women that he normally spent time with, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by her.